Michael Sullivan - Wintertide

Hadrian sat staring, not realizing that he had dropped his brush.

Nimbus appeared to take no notice of Hadrian's reaction and took a seat on the bunk with a satisfied smile across his face. "Now, while I have your attention, shall we address the task to which I was assigned?"

Hadrian nodded.

"To help me judge where to start, can you tell me what you already know about chivalry?" Nimbus asked.

"It's a code of conduct for knights," Hadrian replied, searching the bottom of the tub for the lost brush.

"Yes-well you are essentially correct. What do you know of its principles?"

"Be honorable, be brave, that sort of thing."

"That sort of thing? Oh, I'm afraid we'll have to start with the basics. Very well, please pay attention, and don't forget to scrub the bottoms of your feet."

Hadrian frowned but lifted a foot.

"The knightly virtues derive themselves from a standard of ethics passed down from the original Empire. There are eight such virtues. The first is proficiency. It is the easiest to achieve as it merely means skill at arms and can be obtained through practice and observation. Judging from the wear on your weapons, I trust you have a solid understanding of this virtue?"

"I'm able to hold my own."

Nimbus nodded. "Excellent. Next is courage, one of the most important virtues. Courage, however, is not so cheaply bought as by charging against overwhelming odds. It can take many forms. For instance, the bravery to choose life over death, especially if that means living with loss. Or the will to risk all for a cause too noble to let perish. Courage can even be found in surrender-if doing so will mean the survival of something too valuable to lose.

"The third virtue of a knight is honesty. To possess honor, a man must first strive to be honest to men, to women, to children, to great and to small, to the good and to the villainous but mostly to himself. A knight does not make excuses."

Hadrian made an extra effort to keep his eyes focused on scrubbing his feet.

"Integrity is a virtue that comprises both loyalty and honor. Possessing integrity often means adhering to a pledge or principle. Loyalty to a sovereign is the mark of a goodly knight. However, integrity can also mean defending those in need who cannot help themselves. A knight should always work for the good of the king third, the betterment of the kingdom second, but always place what is right first."

"How does a knight know what is right?" Hadrian interrupted. He put down the brush, letting his foot slip back to the bottom of the tub. "I mean…What if I'm forced to choose between two evils. Someone could get hurt no matter what I do. How do I decide?"

"True nobility lies in the heart. You must do what you know to be right."

"How do I know I'm not being selfish?"

"Ah, that brings us to the next virtue-faith. Faith is not simply a belief in the tenets of the church but a belief in virtue itself. A knight does not find fault. As mentioned, a knight believes in the good of all men, including himself. He trusts in this belief. A knight is confident in the word of others, in the merits of his lord, the worth of his commands, and in his own worth."

Hadrian nodded, though the words did not help ease his conscience.

"Generosity is the sixth virtue. A knight should show bounteousness to all, noble and commoner alike. More important than generosity of wares is a generosity of spirit. A knight believes the best of others and always extends the benefit of doubt. A knight does not accuse. He does not assume wrongdoing. Still, a knight grants no benefit to himself and always questions if he is at fault.

"Respect is the virtue concerning the good treatment of others. A knight is not thoughtless. He does not harm through recklessness. He seeks not to injure by lazy words or foolishness. A knight does not mimic the bad behavior of others. Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to demonstrate virtue by contrast."

Nimbus paused. "I don't think you need worry too much about this one either." He offered a smile before continuing.

"The final virtue is sincerity, which is elusive at best. Nobility by birthright is clear, but what is in question here is noblesse of heart and cannot be taught or learned. It must be accepted and allowed to grow. This virtue is demonstrated through bearing not swagger, confidence not arrogance, kindness not pity, belief not patronage, authenticity not pretension.

"Thus are the virtues that comprise the Code of Chivalry," Nimbus concluded. "The path of goodness and truth to which men of high honor aspire. The reality, however, is often quite different."

As if on cue, the door burst open and three men tumbled inside. They were large, stocky brutes dressed in fine doublets with silk trim. The lead man sported a goatee and stood near the door, pointing at Hadrian.

"There he is!" he announced.

"Well, he certainly isn't this little sod," roared a second man, who pushed Nimbus hard in the chest and knocked the tutor back against the bunk. This man was the largest of the three and wore several days of beard growth. The insult, as well as the terrified expression on the courtier's face, brought the new arrivals to laughter.

"What's your name, Twig?" the man with the goatee asked.

"I am Nimbus of Vernes," he said while attempting to stand and regain some level of dignity. "I am Imperial Tutor to-"

"Tutor? He's got a tutor!"

They howled in laughter again.

"Tell us, Twig, what are you teaching Sir Bumpkin here? How to wash his arse? Is that your job? Have you taught him to use the chamber pot yet?"

Nimbus did not answer. He clenched his teeth and fixed his eyes on the unkempt man before him.

"I think you're getting under that ruffled collar of his," the last of them observed. He was clean-shaven and sipped wine from a goblet. "Careful, Elgar, he's made fists."

"Is that true?" Elgar looked at the tutor's hands, which were indeed tightly clenched. "Oh dear! Am I impinging on your sacred pedagogical honor? Would you like to throw a punch at me, little Twig? Put me in my proper place, as it were?"

"If he takes a big enough swing, it's possible you might actually feel it," the shaved one said.

"I asked you a question, Twig," Elgar pressed.

"If you don't mind, we'll continue this another time," Nimbus said to Hadrian. "It would seem you have guests."

Elgar blocked the tutor's path as he tried to leave and shoved him again. Staggering backward, Nimbus fell onto the bed.

"Leave him alone," Hadrian ordered as he stood and grabbed a towel.

"Ah, Sir Bumpkin, in all his regal glory!" proclaimed the man with the goatee, pointing. "Well, not that regal and certainly not that glorious!"

"Who are you?" Hadrian demanded, stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel around himself.

"I am Sir Murthas and the gent with the handsome face beside me here is Sir Gilbert. Over there, that dashing fellow holding the pleasant conversation with the twig is none other than Sir Elgar. We are the three finest knights of the realm, as you will soon discover. We wanted to welcome you to the palace, deliver you a fond tiding, and wish you luck on the field-as luck is all you'll have."

Nimbus snorted. "They're here because they heard a bath was ordered and wanted to see your scars. Knowing nothing about you, they came to see if you have any fresh bruises or recent wounds they might take advantage of on the field. Also, they are trying to intimidate you, as a man in a tub is at a disadvantage. Intimidation can frequently win a contest before it starts."

Sir Elgar grabbed hold of Nimbus, pulling him up by his tunic. "Talkative little bastard, aren't you?" He raised a fist just as a sopping towel slammed into his face.

"Sorry. Elgar, is it?" Hadrian asked. "Just got done drying my ass and noticed a smudge on your cheek."