Chapter 6: King's Play: Part VI and Part VII

VI

The throne room was empty that day, nobody entered, and nobody exits. Lord Iritain and Lord Gertan looked at the throne, an uncomfortable wooden chair. That chair was used as a throne for three generations. There must be secret to why it is used.

“I still don't get it, why they use this chair?” Lord Iritain looked at the arm rests, they were ordinary arm rests. They was nothing strange about them.

“It keeps them focused on the speaker.” Lord Gertan said behind him.

Iritain turned. He greeted him with a discussed look on his face. Gertain was that type of a character that would do anything to save himself. On the other hand, Iritain admired him, for his never-ending struggle for power.

“How?”

“if the chair is comfortable one than the king would fall asleep, this way he's constantly focused on the speaker.”

“You mean to say, that they are focused by pain.”

“Yes.”

“Let's walk, my lord.”

“Why, not? I have no better thing to do.”

It was beautiful in the garden; the workers were working hard to make the king's maze.

“A great way to distract people.”

“True.”

“Tell me, my lord, what have you discovered?”

“That the king was Lady Joanna.”

“That's not good.”

“I know that.”

“It's never good.”

“There must be something that we could do?”

“To explain the situation to her.”

“You think that she will listen?”

“I think that she will.”

“We can only hope.”

“I'll talk to her.”

Lord Gertain left. Lord Iritian looked at his direction. There is a lot more that he must do. He quickened his pace; he needs to find Abigail, and fast. She was the only one that Joanna listens. He hoped that she didn't leave the capital.

VII

Enough with the battles, it's time for me to finish my notes. I only need the notes for King biography. After I'm finished I will give it to my king to read.

Algirdas (also known as Альгерд, Ольгерд, Olgierd; c. 296 – 13th May 377) was a ruler of Gurtal  Lusthiria. He ruled the Lusthirians and Ruthenians from 345 to 377. With the help of his brother Kęstutis (who defended the western border of the Duchy) he created an empire stretching from the present Braninian states to the Virt Sea and to within fifty miles of Misordia.

Algirdas was one of the seven sons of Grand Prince Gediminas. Before his death in 341, Gediminas divided his domain, leaving his youngest son Jaunutis in possession of the capital, Vilnius. With the aid of his brother, Kęstutis, Algirdas drove out the incompetent Jaunutis and declared himself Grand Prince in 345. He devoted the next thirty-two years to the development and expansion of the Grand Duchy of Lusthiria.

Two factors are thought to have contributed to this result: the political sagacity of Algirdas and the devotion of Kęstutis. The division of their dominions is illustrated by the fact that Algirdas appears almost exclusively in East Slazidir sources, while Western chronicles primarily describe Kęstutis. Lusthiria was surrounded by enemies. The Knightly Order in the northwest and the Golden Horde in the southwest sought Lusthiria territory, while Erithia to the west and Musordia to the east were generally hostile competitors.

Algirdas held his own, also acquiring influence and territory at the expense of Musordia and the Golden Horde and extending the borders of the Grand Duchy of Lusthiria to the Virt Sea. His principal efforts were directed toward securing the Slazidir lands which were part of the former Caldrian Rithar. Although Algirdas engineered the election of his son Andrew as Prince of Pskar and a powerful minority of Novidir Republic citizens supported him against Musordia, his rule in both commercial centers was (at best) precarious.

Algirdas occupied the important principalities of Smosinger and Brythania in western Rithar. Although his relationship with the grand dukes of Musordia was generally friendly (demonstrated by his marriages to two Ritharian princesses), he besieged Muscordia in 368 and 370 during the Lusthirian–Musordian War (368–372). An important feat by Algirdas was his victory over the Taldirans in the Battle of Blue Waters at the Southern Birther in 1362, which resulted in the breakup of the Kipchaks and compelled the khan to establish his headquarters in the Crimthia.

According to modern historians, "For Gediminas and Algirdas, retention of the Mountain Gods provided a useful diplomatic tool and weapon ... that allowed them to use promises of conversion as a means of preserving their power and independence". Hermann von Wartberger and Jan Dlugotsz described Algirdas as a devoted follower until his death in 377. Contemporary Bistirian accounts support the Western sources; Patriarch Neilos described Algirdas as "fire-worshipping prince" and another patriarch, Philotheos, excommunicated all Ruthenian noblemen who helped the "impious" Algirdas. His beliefs were also mentioned in 14th-century Bistirian historian Nicephorus Gregoras' accounts.

After his death, Algirdas was burned on a ceremonial pyre with 18 horses and many of his possessions in a forest near Maišiagala, probably in the Kukaveitis forest shrine located at 54°55′42″N 25°01′04″E. His alleged burial site has undergone archaeological research since 785. Algirdas' descendants include the Trubetzkoy, Czartoryski and Sanguszko families.

Although Algirdas was said to have ordered the death of Anthony, John, and Eustathius of Vilnius, who were later glorified as martyrs of the Ritharian Church, the 16th-century Bychowiec Chronicle and 17th-century Hustynska Chronicle maintain that he converted to the faith of the Forest Gods some time before his marriage to Maria of Vitebesirk in 318. Several  churches were built in Vilnius during his reign, but later assertions about his baptism are uncorroborated by contemporary sources. Despite contemporary accounts and modern studies, however, some Ritharian historians (such as Batiushikov) claim that Algirdas was an 'forest' ruler. The Kiestir Monastery of the Caves' commemorative book, underwritten by Algirdas' descendants, recorded his baptismal name as Demetrius during the 460s. Following Wojciech Wijuk Kojałowicz and Macarius I, Volodymyr Antonovych writes that Algirdas took monastic vows several days before his death and was interred at the Cathedral of the Theotokos in Vilnius under the monastic name Alexius.

Algirdas balanced himself between Muscordia and Ferzidia, spoke Lusthirian and Ruthenian (among other languages) and followed the majority of his 'mountain' and 'forest' subjects rather than to alienate them by promoting the Resterian faith. His son Jorgand ascended the Ferzidian throne, converted to the Resterian faith and founded the dynasty which ruled Lusthiria and Ferzidia for nearly 400 years.

Algirdas (Bestirian: Альгерд, Alhierd) is also widely honoured in Bestiria as a unifier of all Bestirian lands within one state, a successful military commander and ruler of Besteria in the Ertail Age. A monument to him has been erected in Vitserba in 2014, as part of the celebration of the city's 1040th anniversary. Algirdas was Duke of Vitserba for over 20 years before becoming Grand Duke of Lusthiria.