A Brother's Love - Book 3 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Seven

The next day was the beginning of the horror to come.

To add to the confusion, King Leopold arrived.

He demanded his cousin's presence and led the way to his cousin's small hall, seating himself on a chaise-longue, patting the space beside him for Louis to sit.

The king stood and spoke down to his cousin as though the sickness was his fault.

"You say your God is a God of Love! How is it possible? If He were, He would never allow the tragedies I've witnessed in the past days —all through my castle, not to speak of the chaos in my city! How can you reconcile this plague with your so-called 'Loving God'?" Standing, Leopold paced.

"I don't have to reconcile anything, Cousin, Leopold," the baron spoke gently, "God has done all He can to reconcile man to Himself, to be reconciled in life, in preparation for death. God never said we will not die a violent or painless death —as His Son chose to bleed, to be tortured and crucified, to die in payment of the sins of the world —but He has said there is comfort for us in the dying and He has provided a Way for us to have Eternal Life, beyond the plague or any other death. 

"Jesus was resurrected from the dead to show us His power of death. One day, the bodies of all those who believe will also be resurrected to be with our God, Jesus Christ, forever and ever. 

"The choice as to how we treat the reality of dying is up to us!"

"God must smile upon you, Chatelain!" Leopold spoke with sarcasm. "You've not lost one loved one but there are those in Frencberg who've lost every member of their family!" Smacking his fist into his open palm, he paced again.

Louis dared to speak, "God smiles upon us all, Cousin. His smile is seen in the way Jesus took our sins on Himself on the cross of shame. If I, and all my family die today, we all know where we will be tomorrow! I'm so glad that half your family will be joining us there."

"That's preposterous nonsense! You mean Estelle?" He didn't wait for an answer but said, "Yes, she is half of me, a very good and even excellent, half... I must not lose her or any of our children."

The king recoiled as his cousin stood to encircle his cousin's shoulder and back with his arm.

"Cousin Leopold; we've been contending all our lives. Both of us might lose loved ones from this dread disease but we mustn't allow it to destroy those of us who will remain." He sighed deeply, adding, "If only I had the power to make you believe. How much we need God now, more than ever!"

The king grasped his cousin's hand and there were tears in his eyes. He held back a sob as he said, "Oh, Louis, if you could just see... my Court... half are dead... dozens of soldiers, and knights... Sir Thorbert, dead, Jasper and all his seven children... all of them. And Lady Farey..." he bowed his head and gasped a few breaths before he could continue...

"Radbert is gone, and we need him so much... I thought he could save himself with his potions..." He sobbed into his hands and Louis put both arms around him, drawing his head onto his shoulder.

Lifting his face a little, Leopold said, "The worst for me to face was when both the mother and the father in a family died... those little children... dozens in Frencberg, with no one to care for them... when they got sick... no one to feed the babies because their neighbors were dead or sick..."

"Where are the children, now?" Louis asked.

"I ordered our knights to bring the homeless to the great hall in my Castle... our servants and others are caring for them. To some, it's like heaven, and others, hell, as they die there... I hated the thought of sending their bodies to a mass grave; I hate it so much... I didn't tell you... Gilbert is the only doctor left alive in Frencberg..." his voice faded and he kneaded his fists across his eyes as though to rub out a bad dream.