A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

”I must also remind you, love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

”Remember, love never ends.”

”Eric, Marquis of Tuscany, and Matilda, Marchioness of Tuscany, may you heed the words of the Lord of Heaven.”

”In the almighty name of the Lord of Heaven, I bless your union. May you find happiness and fulfillment under His protection, and may you never be parted.”

”May your children flourish in the Lord’s grace, becoming testaments to light and faith.”

”You have a good husband now, Matilda.”

He smiled at Matilda, then turned to Eric.

”You have a good wife now, Eric.

”Alright, the final blessing is complete. Go and do what newlyweds ought to, until Judgment Day.”

He patted them both on the back, gesturing for them to leave.

Eric nodded, took Matilda’s hand, and led her out of the main hall.

Belem was standing not far from the doorway. His bare upper body was covered in ligature marks, and a fresh gash was cut across his chest, with a trickle of blood running down it.

”It’s over. Get that patched up already.” Eric tossed a roll of bandages to Belem.

”You have to commit to the act. That’s how you get a convincing result. I hope my performance was worthy of your silver tongue.” Belem caught the bandages and shrugged. ”This is nothing. I’ve had far worse. It’s just a flesh wound.

”It’s only surface-level pain. And sometimes, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

”What do you mean?” Eric asked, confused.

”Pain can unlock a higher plane of ecstasy, taking desire to the next level! I don’t need a cold bandage to comfort me. I have to find my girl. Gotta get a good fuck in before the pain wears off.

”Maybe you should try it someday. It’s a completely different feeling from the usual! Even if you are a newlywed.”

Belem clapped Eric on the shoulder, then turned and ran off into the distance at top speed.

”Maybe I really should have him hanged,” Matilda said suddenly, her voice flat. ”And just a few minutes ago, you described him as a pious man. All I see is a degenerate driven by lust. Perhaps Cesare was right after all.”

”How about we... go hunting?”

”What?”

”I said, let’s go hunting.”

”You’re changing the subject, Eric. You should answer me directly. I said he should be hanged, and I am asking for your opinion.

”Or perhaps I should take this to mean your answer is no—that you intend to condone his behavior.

”Though you quoted scripture and presented an irrefutable argument in the hall, I must remind you that defending a sinner will send your soul to Hell.

”Throughout history, many wise scholars have fallen into heresy. They are now wailing in Hell...”

Matilda muttered on and on, growing more agitated and aggressive with every word.

It was as if she was trying to compensate for her enforced silence and speechlessness in the main hall earlier.

She hated appearing so weak. Especially in front of a group of men.

”Winning a victory of reason and logic doesn’t mean you can be arrogant about everything. For Christians, faith is what comes first. If— Mmph...”

Before Matilda could finish speaking, Eric silenced her with a kiss.

The sudden move startled Matilda.

It was brief, lasting only three or four seconds. When Eric pulled away, he gently caressed her lips with his fingers.

”Today is the first day of our marriage. Your attention should be on me, not anything else.

”That is a matter of basic respect. I remember saying my respect for you would be no less than your respect for me. In turn, I hope your respect for me will be no less than my respect for you, Matilda.”

”...”

”Now, answer me. Shall we go hunting?” Eric asked again.

Matilda averted her gaze, crossed her arms over her chest, and nodded.

Her frustration today had caused her to lose some control of her emotions.

”I will. I’ll try...” she added suddenly.

...

Later that day, they went riding. Eric brought his new Falcon, Glorio. Although it was not as skilled as Matilda’s FiDella, it was still an excellent Falcon.

Matilda had left FiDella in the mews so that Eric could focus on his own bird without competition. It was likely her way of apologizing to him for her emotional outburst that morning.

’She had been finding it difficult to control her emotions these past few days, especially since Eric’s arrival.

’Eric’s performance in the main hall today had unsettled her.

’He had proven that he might be a more capable ruler of Tuscany than she was.

’She had originally chosen Eric not just for his looks, but also because his domain was far from Tuscany, and because he was an illegitimate son unfavored by his father.

’There was no mother to influence him, either. She’d heard his mother was Danish and that they hadn’t been in contact for many years. She wouldn’t have to deal with a troublesome mother-in-law.

’This way, she could use Normandy’s power to protect Tuscany, while also controlling Eric within Tuscany.

’He was a newly-made noble in England; it would surely take him a long time to gain complete control over his own domain.’