Chapter 172: Have or Have Not

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them."

- Confucius

"This is getting hard for us, your grace."

After the Despot left the camp of John Hunyadi thanking him hundreds of times for his forgiveness, all nobles under the King Regent emerged and started debating on this letter.

"Your Grace, even if we assume that this entire betrayal of Durad Branković is a hoax, a conspiracy, but what are we going to do about it?" The imperial baron Emeric Zápolya gave it a head start in this debate throwing John Hunyadi loads of questions.

"What are we supposed to do with that supposed 'secret channel' between the Despot and the Ottomans? What do we do if in the future the Ottomans continues delivering letters to the Despot? Do we intercept and check every single of them and open them? And after that do we continue sending it to Durad Branković? What will he see our actions as? Will he think that we have no trust in him? Or do we let these letters through? But that jumps back to the original question, what if he is really telling the 'Zaganos' something he is not supposed to tell in those letters? What…"

"Stop! Stop! Emeric, I understand what you are trying to say." John Hunyadi stopped the Imperial Baron from bombarding him with questions. "I have made my mind, I shall go to the camps of Durad Branković himself to personally request that he stop receiving all these cursed letters from the Ottomans."

Gerald of Schönborn added on. "On behalf of his majesty, your grace, I would like to remind you that it is dangerous to pay visit to an untrusted ally of ours, as it can potentially lead you and the properties of the King into grave danger."

"Do not worry Gerald." John Hunyadi pondered for a while and answered. "Blessing to the King, there is no such need to worry about these issues."

"Your grace." The knight who is in charge of John Hunyadi's personnel defence stepped out and suggested. "In better consideration of your safety in an unreliable ally's camp, may I bring along a company of elite soldiers along with me."

"What nuisance is this!" John Hunyadi reprimanded this knight staring at him with his bull's eyes. "The Despot of Serbia himself paid visit to me with only one lord beside him, and now you are asking me to visit him back with an army of soldiers? If I am the Despot I will be disheartened by your idea!"

"Forgive him, your grace." Gerald of Schönborn came up to save the day. "He is just fulfilling his duty as your safety officer… Furthermore, we all know that there are some strife between the two of you."

John Hunyadi became fuming rage that he almost laughed at these men's words. "Gerald, I am the general commanding an army of twenty thousand men, I am here to solve problems, not to create more of them, and that little personal strife between me and the Despot of Serbia does not matter before macro things like the well being of the entire army."

After that, John Hunyadi gave the rest of the people no more chances of changing his mind and rushed out of the tent.

Bulgaria is a land that is blessed by her mountainous ranges and wide spread dense forests, together with the cooling breezes from the north and a mixture of unique geographical habitat influenced by both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, gifts the entire state an echo of mid June summer days that is almost as cooling as the springs of Al-Fustat, with petals of pinkish roses and poppies flying against the wind.

One day after the visit by the Despot of Serbia, In the middle of the dense woods and flowers, a group of Hungarian riders galloped soaring through the mountainous trails bringing in another wind with them breaking the silence.

The lead of the riders is non other than John Hunyadi, here to pay his ally the Despot of Serbia a return visit to have a better clearance with each other and builds a better mutual trust.

And it became quite a surprise to him when he found out that the Despot of Serbia appears to be having a little bit of tense nerve seeing him coming into his tent hiding something down into his drawer.

"My friend, I have came to see you!" Despite knowing that there might be something fishy going on here, John Hunyadi still acts like he has seen nothing and went forward in wide steps hugging the age old Despot. "How have you been! Did I come at the wrong moment?"

"What are you talking about! Not at all!" The Despot forced a smile on his face as he pulls the King Regent towards the seats trying to divert his attention. "It is always a great thing to have a period of afternoon relaxation with an old friend… Did the sumptuous smell of rasp berries and grape fruits spread to your nose carried by the summer wind? Com! Have a seat."

John Hunyadi went to his seat grinning and chatting with the despot of Serbia. After a round of toast, some chit chatting and fruits, John Hunyadi went straight forwardly into the topic today after making a few eye contacts with the knight he brought and asked the Despot. "My friend… I trust that there have not been any more contacts between you and the Ottomans through that 'secret path' right?" The knight immediately understood his general's intentions and began shifting towards the drawer bit by bit while John Hunyadi continues diverting the Despot's attention by walking up to him pretending he is drunk and talking straight to the Despot's face.

The Despot startled for a second and flatly denied. "No, I have not gotten a single message from the Ottomans and I am just about to tell you where the trail is. Maybe we can strike on the Ottomans hard knowing its locations!"

John Hunyadi laughed and clapped thrice.