Page 372 - Revelation

Svetlana de Rohan-Levashova. Revelation

time (it once remained in his enemy’s body). It means that today he snatched the
weapon off the killer. But how could it get into stranger hands?! Could a Knight
Templar betray the cause for the sake of which they all lived?! Svetodar did not believe
it. He knew these people like he knew himself. None of them could descend to such
heinous depths. They would rather be killed than forced to betray. In this case who was
that man with this special dagger?

Radan lay motionless and quiet. All earthly anxieties and bitterness left him
forever... His face, hardened with years, smoothed out and he again reminded one of
that merry young Radan who the Golden Maria loved so much and his brother Radomir
adored with all his heart... He again seemed happy and light, as if all terrible
misfortunes vanished and happiness and calmness reigned in his heart...
Svetodar was on his knees, not uttering a sound. His frozen body quietly rocked
from side to side, as if helping to withstand this mean heartless blow... Here, in this
very cave eight years ago Magdalena was killed... and now he said goodbye to the last
member of his family, remaining truly alone. Radan was right. This place had absorbed
too much of their family blood... Even the brooks were red... as if wishing to tell him –
"Leave and never come back".

I was shivering with some strange fever... It was terrible! It was absolutely
impermissible and incomprehensible. We called ourselves humans!!! Is there no limit
to human meanness and treachery?
– How could you live with it for so long, Sever? How did you manage to stay so
calm all these years, knowing that?!
He smiled sadly, leaving my question unanswered. And I, being sincerely
surprised at this amazing man’s courage and firmness, discovered a new side of his
selfless and difficult life... his unbending and pure heart...

– Several years passed after Radan’s murder. Svetodar found the killer and
avenged his uncle’s death. He had thought this man was not a Knight Templar, but
they never knew who he truly was. However they managed to find out that before
killing Radan, the assassin had killed an oustanding and light Knight who was with
them from the very beginning. He was murdered with the only purpose of seizing his
cloak and weapon to give the impression that it was the Knights who killed Radan...
The accumulation of these bitter events poisoned Svetodar’s heart with losses. He
had the only comfort left – his pure and true love... his dear tender Margaret... She was
a wonderful Cathar girl, a follower of the Golden Maria’s teachings. There was
something in her that was elusively reminiscent of Magdalena... Whether it was her
long golden hair, her softness, her slowness of motion or simply the tenderness and
femininity of her face, but Svetodar very often caught himself looking for his dearest
recollections, which had disappeared into the past a long time ago, in her...

A girl was born in a year. They called her Maria.
As promised to Radan, little Maria was taken to nice brave people – the Cathars
– who Svetodar knew very well and trusted fully. They engaged themselves in raising
Maria like their own daughter whatever the cost or threat. Since then it became a kind
of tradition. When a new child was born of Radomir and Magdalena’s line, he or she
was fostered by people the existence of which the "holy" church did not even suspect.

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