Chapter 622
Cunogorata waved his hand to dismiss the slave girl. He then looked at Lysias and said solemnly, "The Senate is the most important institution in the kingdom. It plays an important role in checking and balancing the king's power. If the senators of the Senate are always … cough cough … who would dare to oppose His Majesty's proposal … cough cough cough …"
"You don't have to say anymore. Have a good rest. I understand. I'll do my best!" Lysias promised.
… …
The Royal Palace of Diónia was located at the confluence of the Krati River and the Koseni River, below the King's Hill. On top of the hill was the residence of the King of Devers.
The Royal Palace was located to the southwest of the Senate. The distance between the two was less than 300 meters. Although it was not as grand as the Senate Hall, it had its own unique charm.
It was a two-storey, square-shaped building with its back against the hill and its side facing the river. The walls were made of large, regular stones. The walls were quite flat and there were almost no gaps. Because of the "Devers Cement", they were connected as one. At the same time, the inside of the stones were reinforced with an "H" -shaped fixture to make the stones more secure.
The outer eaves of the walls were supported by dozens of simple and practical Dorian stone pillars that could barely be hugged by a person. The eaves that extended out from the center of the east-facing wall were supported by eight Ionic stone pillars that had a foundation and a spiral capital. A triangular roof was added to the eaves. In the middle of the eaves was inlaid a golden sculpture disc. On it was the symbol of the Kingdom of Diónia — long hair entwined with a double fork and a crown of pomegranate branches.
The foundation of the entire Royal Palace was more than a meter high. Therefore, there were 20 stone steps in front of the Ionian stone pillars. In front of the stone steps, there was a circular platform made of white marble that looked like a small altar. A long flagpole was erected high in the center. The flag of the Kingdom of Diónia fluttered at the top of the flagpole. It was the same "long hair, double fork, diamond and crown".
Two fully-armed palace guards stood straight under the flagpole. Every morning, 50 palace guards would march in a neat formation from the palace to the flag platform, and then raise the national flag in an elegant posture. At dusk, they would lower the flag in the same formation and posture. This unique and solemn ceremony attracted many people from the Kingdom of Diónia and even foreigners to stop and watch.
The last time he came to Turií, the palace had not yet been built. This time, Gherni was summoned by the king and came here. Standing in front of the palace that best reflected the architectural skills of the Kingdom of Diónia, he was amazed by the uncanny workmanship of the people of Diónia. The solemn appearance of the temple made him restrain his unconfident mind and hold his breath. Stepping on the white steps, he could see the dazzling golden national emblem of the Kingdom of Diónia hanging high above the lintel when he looked up. An invisible pressure made him feel insignificant, and he suddenly felt a sense of awe.
After walking up the steps, there was a team of palace guards behind the eight Ionic pillars guarding the palace gate. They carefully checked the warrant of the messenger who led him here before allowing him to enter.
The floor of the palace was made of polished pebbles closely arranged and inlaid with black as the base color, white as the main embellishment, supplemented by other colors, decorated with exquisite geometric patterns such as flowers, flowers, waves, squid … Gherni was very curious. If it was not for the fact that he had to meet the Devers in a hurry, he would have lingered here for a while longer.
"His Majesty originally planned to paint murals on the walls and put sculptures on both sides of the aisle, but because he did not find a good painter and sculptor, he has not implemented it for now," the messenger said proudly. He saw through Gherni's thoughts.
Gherni quickly withdrew his gaze and nodded, pretending to be unconcerned.
When he came to the king's office on the second floor of the palace, after the messenger went in to report, he saw the ruler of the Kingdom of Diónia striding out to welcome him. The ruler smiled and said loudly, "Gherni, the warrior of the Samonians, the leader of the Abenilum, welcome to Turií again!"
"Your Majesty, Devers!" Gherni quickly bowed respectfully.
"Please come in! Please come in! " The Devers warmly welcomed him into the office and told the messenger, "Inform the kitchen to prepare some fruits and syrup. Send them here immediately!"
The Devers asked Gherni to sit on a wooden chair near the wide desk, but he did not sit behind the desk, but on another wooden chair opposite to it, to show his respect for the weak Abenilum.
This small detail touched Gherni a little. He turned his head unnaturally to look behind the desk. There were two scribes copying documents on both sides of the desk. The black and white mosaic on the wall that seemed to be a map of Italy attracted his attention.
"I remember the last time I saw you was seven years ago," the Devers said.
Gherni quickly looked at the Devers and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"At that time, the palace had not been built yet!" The Devers smiled and sighed as if he was chatting with a friend, "Time flies. Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye! I didn't expect you to send a team to participate this year, so I was really happy when I received the letter from Cécima! I'm even happier that the Abenilum team performed very well in this game. It was beyond my expectations and the people's expectations. I guess many fans will remember the Abenilum from now on … "
Gherni said modestly, "Your Majesty, that was just luck. In the second match against Vig, we lost the game."
Seeing that Gherni still had some regrets in his heart, the Devers smiled and said, "Yes, your performance made many fans misjudge. They even protested to the City Hall, saying that you and Pikesis were fixing the game."
Gherni smiled bitterly and was about to explain.
The Devers said again, "I watched these two games. Actually … Picossis lost to you because they underestimated the enemy and were not familiar with your playing style. Rugby has been taught to me by me … Hades, and then to the people. It has been more than ten years. Due to frequent games and training, the sport of rugby has developed rapidly. As far as I know, many strong teams now have dozens of offensive tactics, and the tasks of the players on the field are becoming more and more detailed. The game is no longer just a contest of strength and speed, but more about wisdom and tactical implementation. When you were fighting against Wigg, the complex tactics they used obviously inhibited the performance of your characteristics, so you were quickly defeated … "
The Devers seriously analyzed the reason for his defeat and finally said, "It's not enough to rely on your own hard work. You need to play more games and learn from other teams. I suggest that the Abenilum team should participate in the Lucania City's competition every year. Of course, Turií will continue to invite you to participate in the finals!"
"Uh …" Gherni hesitated.
"Why? Is there a problem? "The Devers asked.
Gherni quickly said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty! I will discuss this proposal with my people when I go back. "
"If there are any difficulties in the game, tell Céxima. He will try his best to help you solve it," the Devers said seriously.
Gherni repeatedly agreed.
The two men chatted for a while about rugby, football, and even the Hercules competition created by the sacrifice of Hercules.
Gherni saw that the Devers were in high spirits, so he said, "Your Majesty, I came to Turií this time not only to watch my team's performance, but also to tell you something …"
"Oh, what is it?" The Devers had a smile on his face.
"In the beginning, the Kingdom of Diónia signed an alliance with the Hilpini tribe. Both sides formed an alliance. In addition to 'non-aggression, when one side encounters an enemy, the other side must provide assistance …', the alliance also stipulated that 'no restrictions on the free flow of people from both sides, strengthen trade, exchange of faith, and hire people …'
But in fact, only the Abenilum really did all of this. The towns and tribes led by Beneventum, Aquum, Tuticum, Aklanum, Ailonia, and other towns and tribes complied on the surface, but secretly forbade their people from contacting the people of Diónia, or they would be severely punished by the tribe's priests. It has been nine years since the alliance was signed. Your Majesty, you have to admit that the people of Diónia can only come and go freely in the Abenilum territory, but it is difficult for them to set foot in other parts of Samonet.
However, the goodwill of the Abenilum people towards Diónia has always been dissatisfied by the great leader Lescok and the other leaders. I believe Your Majesty knows about this. As the term of the alliance approached (although Diónia won the war, the three tribes of Samonet were unwilling to become the vassals of Diónia, and their attitude was more unyielding. In the end, they reached a compromise. The duration of the alliance agreement is ten years, and it can be renewed after the expiration), Lescok and the other tribes suppressed the Abenilum even more severely. They disregarded the tradition of the Samonet people and forcibly divided our grazing area. Once people and livestock cross the line, they will be detained by them! … "
Ghernie clenched his fists and said in an agitated and hateful voice, "Lescok also contacted the great leaders and high priests of the other tribes and obtained the right to hold the sacrificial ceremony of God Savone in Beneventum next spring. According to tradition, all the Samonet leaders will go to Beneventum to participate in the ceremony. Someone secretly told me that Lescok wanted to use the reason that 'I allowed the priest of Hades to preach in the territory' to let the high priests of Samonet convict me of the crime of 'blasphemy against God' during the sacrificial ceremony of the entire Samonet tribe this time. They will carry out divine punishment on me (that is, cut off my limbs and throw me on the top of the mountain for the sacrificial ceremony to be bitten to death by the wild wolves) … If I don't participate, they will even convict me of 'contempt for tradition and blasphemy against God'. Not only will I be executed, but the people who support me in Abenilum will also be severely punished!
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