An Important Guest

On Sunday, after midday Mass, the most important persons gathered in the ceremonial hall of the Riga Castle: Grand Master of the Livonian Order Walter von Plettenberg, Archbishop of Riga Michael Hildebrand, and Burgomaster of the city of Riga Heiner von Silbermann. It must be said that these persons never experienced special reverence for each other and in everything they could compete with each other. Moreover, their feud was supported by the Pope, who was beneficial that Livonia was divided into constantly conflicting camps: this allowed him to find the necessary levers of influence in any situation.

Each personal meeting of the leaders of Livonia turned into a battle of characters, the main goal of which was to probe the strengths and capabilities of each other and to understand the intentions of opponents. But this time they were brought together not by the desire to flex their muscles again, but by a common misfortune - the clouds gathering near the borders with Muscovy. It was the only thing that made them unite from time to time. The constant threat from the east irritated them, although it allowed them to milk out another portion of money from Rome to strengthen the borders. Today, the danger seemed to all three of them so strong that even the recent conflict between Riga and the Livonian Order did not outwardly affect the peacefulness of the audience. The burgomaster looked quite a hospitable host and sometimes even allowed himself to throw a couple of non-binding phrases with the master of the Livonian Order. The master himself, completely unashamedly, was looking at the premises of the Riga Castle, the very one from which the inhabitants of the city had "asked" him to leave without any respect. In turn, the burgomaster noticed a certain nostalgic melancholy in von Plettenberg's gaze, and this warmed his heart.

So, Muscovy became the main theme of the council and the theme that unites. The Russian Tsar Ivan III has recently significantly strengthened his troops, erected new fortresses. Even a temporary alliance with the Lithuanian principality could no longer save Livonia from the inevitable invasion of Russian troops, and this threat only grew every day. The Russian cities, so successfully captured in the recent past, had to be returned, and even to conclude a very unprofitable treaty with the Moscow Tsar, and now the borders of Russia again dangerously approached the main cities of the Livonian Order. Instead of expanding the territory, deepening the influence of the Catholic Church, and the complete suppression of Orthodoxy in the east, on the contrary, the Orthodox clergy is strengthening its influence. Moreover, this is noticeable even in Riga, and in this situation, the interests of the Master of the Livonian Order, the Burgomaster, and the Archbishop of Riga, as the representative of the Pope's interests in the eastern lands, clearly coincided. For the center of the Catholic world, both the Baltic lands and Muscovy were the east, and this irritated the top officials of Livonia a little, but you cannot argue with the Pope.

The head of the city did his best for his guests, and the table in front of them was simply bursting with all kinds of food. Von Silbermann wanted to demonstrate the wealth of the city, and he succeeded. After all, the table was attended not only by the fruits of the labor of residents but also by many overseas dishes. The Archbishop and Master were pleased with such a generous meal.

The burgomaster, setting an example to his guests, put another piece of fried goose into his mouth and washed it down with Burgundy wine. He dabbed his lips with a white napkin. Then he said gravely:

“It seems to me that in the face of the impending danger, we Germans need to unite, and the Russians and everyone who will sympathize with them or oppose the German community taking full power in the city, drive them out of the fortress walls! It is necessary to evict from the city in advance all possible traitors and spies of the Moscow Tsar and restrict the rest as much as possible in their rights. I believe it will be logical that the defense of the city from the invasion of the Moscow barbarians will be organized by us, the Germans, for we are the founders of Riga, which, as you know, was built under the leadership of our great Archbishop Albert. Therefore, I believe that only Germans, as its founders, who are most interested in preserving its political status, can be full citizens of the city. The rest of the people, if they want to live in our Riga, must accept this fact as natural. They must recognize our complete supremacy in all matters of government and strictly follow all our orders.”

“I support the aspirations of the head of the city in his desire to make Riga more secure, but I propose to go even further about Eastern foreigners, completely banning trade not only with Moscow merchants but also with Pskov and Novgorod merchants!” The master said in his croaking voice. “For by bargaining with these barbarians, we strengthen the Russian lands and their rulers with our money and goods, allowing them to master our latest achievements, which means we pay for all their current and future military preparations!”

“But excuse me, master, you kill that golden branch on which we all sit; that, for which the city was created!” the burgomaster exclaimed indignantly. “Let me remind you that Riga was built by our great ancestors so that in the eastern lands there was our reliable trading outpost. The city lives with the margin set by us from trade with Muscovy and other Russian cities. What income will you order us to live on if we completely stop trading with the east? With whom to build relationships?”

“You are exaggerating, dear burgomaster, these are just your momentary mercantile interests as the mayor of the city. I believe that for the sake of our common victory over the enemy, the townspeople can suffer for some time! At least until the moment when we finally deal with Muscovy. If we unite in our aspirations, then we will win without difficulty, and Muscovy will come under our direct control. After the establishment of the power of the Catholic Church in the barbarian lands, we will open new trade flows. Especially since you, Mr. Burgomaster, judging by your statement, is going to continue to rule autocratically in your city in the future, which means that it is in your interests to support my initiative. In return, I can also promise you my full support - and let us forget all our past feuds! - in a military manner, the master declared categorically.”

“Dear Master, I in no way interfere with the policy of the Catholic Church, I only care about the fate of the city and its inhabitants!” the burgomaster was slightly embarrassed. “I intend to carry out all changes in city life solely given the danger of the invasion of our lands by Moscow troops. The only thing I'm worried about is the fate of my beautiful city, which was entrusted to my care by our respected burghers! And I will do my best so that Riga remains a prosperous city in the future, and its citizens live in prosperity and security. And I will not allow the treasury of my city to suffer and with it the interests of the Big and Small guilds, to any extent!”

“Is it not a desire to become the autocratic ruler of the city that prompted your statements about the need for reforms in city management? The archbishop asked sarcastically. - Do you remember how at the meeting of the ratmans you did not support the allocation of land for grazing the monastery cattle, and later it turned out that you saved these lands for yourself?”

“You are confusing something here! Or your people have provided the city with insufficiently compelling arguments, ” the burgomaster dismissed.

“I would also like to remind our esteemed burgomaster once again,” von Plettenberg said in a peremptory tone, “that at present the Moscow Tsar is actively rearming his army, and for this, he buys cast iron, copper, gunpowder, and others through Russian merchants in large quantities. goods that can later be successfully used in the war with us. In connection with these, the Livonian Convention has already imposed a ban on trade with Russian merchants in goods that can be used during hostilities to our detriment, and I, as a Grand Master, demand from Riga unconditional support for the just undertakings of my order!”

“I will not allow talking to my city in such a tone! - cried the burgomaster, reddened with anger. - Or should I remind you how your valiant knights were recently driven out of Riga in disgrace by our townspeople ?!”

“My great sons,” the archbishop said, conciliatory raising both palms, “I call you to calmness and prudence. The enemy is on the threshold of our home, and in this difficult period for us, we must be united as never before! We need to work out a general strategy of behavior regarding Muscovy and their merchants. In the name of our Lord, save your zeal and strength to fight the true enemy of the Catholic faith, and do not waste your energy on secondary issues! For we need to think over how we will continue to carry the true word of the Lord to the oppressed peoples of the East. Our task, given to us from above, is to protect our soul from the evil one! We have been entrusted with a great mission to close for the Antichrist any crack through which he could enter our world, and the east is the remaining loophole that we must close once and for all! Remember this in all your endeavors! Pray sincerely and the Lord will show you the true path to success in your business!”

The master of the order and the burgomaster of Riga fell silent at once, exchanging sizzling glances, and immediately turned away from each other with sincere indignation. Archbishop Michael Hildenbrand continued as if nothing had happened:

“The Catholic Church will do everything to unite forces on the path of the search for truth, but you, as faithful sons of our faith, need to follow the teachings of our church in everything and be an example of spiritual strength and unity for subjects, therefore I once again urge you to calm down and accept the proper a decision for the benefit of our better future, because one mistake today can erase all the good deeds of our ancestors. Remember: their memory is worthy of our respect, and we are obliged today to multiply their achievements. On the brave predecessors began their noble work with the enlightenment of the wild Baltic tribes, and we must not allow this great undertaking to end with us. We simply must expand the lands where the only correct church reigns the Catholic one. The Almighty will not forgive us if we make an unreasonable mistake at this difficult time!”

After a couple of hours of disputes and heated discussions, the head of the city, under the well-coordinated pressure of the master and the archbishop, finally agreed to demand from the guilds of merchants and artisans of the city of Riga to impose restrictions on trade with Muscovy. For his part, he promised the master and the archbishop to accelerate the process of depriving the civil rights of Russian merchants rooted in the city and to ensure their speedy expulsion from the city. This step was also in his interests because it made it possible to exclude local Russians from the historically established trade chain and thereby, accordingly, greatly increase the profits of German merchants. By this, he ensured their unconditional support for their power.

The Master, along with the archbishop, left the ceremonial hall of the castle, and finally, silence fell under its arches. “Tomorrow the heralds from the walls of the town hall will announce the entry into force of new laws, but for now you can visit Frederick's daughter,” the thought gave the burgomaster a wandering smile on his face, and his little eyes turned oily.

The head of the city drove home to change and grab a small gift for his future bride. He put on his best clothes to emphasize his importance and to make a proper impression on the merchant's daughter.

“What is this to give this piglet? - the burgomaster thought. - But what is there to be wise! Some cheap trifle must have remained from my wife - here's a gift! "

Heiner von Siebermann opened the door to his wife's former bedroom and went to the chest of drawers, which stood in the corner, near the window. He spared no expense to impress others, so everything in his house was the best. Even the walls of the room were draped with red Chinese silk with flowers unseen in northern lands, and they were embroidered with golden threads. Pulling out the top drawer, he picked up a silver jewelry box inlaid with multi-colored stones and opened the lid. There were the favorite things of her wife, who died last year from fever: rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, which once shone on her during ceremonial receptions. After going through the contents of the casket, the burgomaster was dissatisfied. Everything that he saw was too expensive to give to the daughter of some merchant.

“Okay, let's do without decorations for now! Let it be an honor that the head of the city himself came to visit her!” grumbled the burgomaster and angrily slammed the lid of the casket.

Three hours later, he drove up to Frederick's house, slowly got out of the carriage, and appraisingly examined the two-story building. The first floor was residential. It can be seen that, for the sake of economy, the merchant's office was also located there, and then a small shop. On the second floor, most likely, there was a warehouse. It was more reliable that way, and many of the poor merchants of the city did the same. Goods received at a high price had to be protected from thieves – otherwise, ruin, and this for the merchant is worse than death.

The owner of the house saw his guest through the window and ran out to meet him.

“Good evening, Mr. Burgomaster, and my daughter and I are already waiting for you. In honor of your arrival, we baked a festive duck with apples!” the merchant ran bustlingly around the important guest.

“Okay, you play performance in front of me. You know that I didn’t come here to eat,” the burgomaster grumbled with displeasure.

“How such an important guest in my house and he came for such an expensive product!” The merchant exclaimed with a satisfied look and quickly looked around.

His house was located on one of the many narrow streets of the city, where even two carts could not pass freely. There was not enough space for new construction inside the fortress wall, and therefore the owners of the houses saved the land as best they could, which made the streets very narrow. In turn, this complicated the defense of the city: armed horsemen with spears at the ready could not freely pass between the houses. The city authorities even had to issue a special decree so that residents build houses so that there is enough space between them for the passage of cavalry. But even here the landlords managed to cheat they left the street wider only to the height of a rider sitting on a horse and then again squeezed houses close to each other to such an extent that their tenants could shake hands with each other if they wanted to.

The curious hung in clusters from almost all the windows of nearby houses, because not every day you can meet the head of the city on your narrow street. This event was supposed to make the house of Frederick for a long time the main object of gossip for all his neighbors. When the burgomaster, accompanied by the merchant, disappeared behind the front door, the townsfolk began to share their assumptions about the reasons for the visit of the distinguished guest to the poor merchant.

“Well, where are our beauties?” sitting down at a table bursting with food and carefully looking around, asked the burgomaster.

“She's in her room now. He just dresses to look dignified in front of such an important guest,” the merchant said, helping the head of the city to move the chair to the table.

“It is right. The burgomaster's wife should know when and how to dress, so as not to dishonor her husband in front of important people, and they visit me very often, and mostly they are important ambassadors and wealthy merchants from different overseas countries,” assessing the table setting, he said moralizingly a guest.

“Have some appetizers, Mr. Burgomaster, while my workers are finishing the preparation of a hot dish. In the meantime, I will go to my daughter, I will hurry her a little. She probably doesn't know that you are already here.”

“Hurry up, hurry up ... And then, I see, she is in no hurry to meet the eminent guest!” the burgomaster grumbled with displeasure.

“I will instantly, and before you have time to blink an eye, as we both will be here!” said Friedrich quickly and quickly disappeared into the other half of the house.

Maria at this time was sitting on the bed in her room. She looked up in confusion at her father as he approached her. Frederick sat down next to his daughter and gently stroked her shoulder.

“I see, daughter, you prefer the young man whom you and I met in the forest the other day?” he asked.

“I liked him, Father. But why is our Lord so unjust to people ?! Did Stoyan's father deserve such a fate?” Maria asked, looking into Friedrich's eyes.

“Everything is the will of the Lord, daughter, and we are not in control of our destiny. I don't know why this is happening, but it's a terrible demise for a human. I would not wish such death on anyone. But they say that the father of this young man was a pagan and a sorcerer, and you know how our archbishop treats such people!”

“I do not believe that Stajan's father wished harm to someone! You see, father, we are Catholics and we believe in God. Do we have the right to kill people just because they are of a different faith? It's very scary when a person is on fire!”

“Our church orders to fight against filth and sorcerers, and the only way to destroy a sorcerer is to burn him. This is what our archbishop teaches, and we cannot resist the will of the church!”

“Do you believe that Stajan's father was a sorcerer?” Maria asked in surprise.

“I don't know, daughter, but for some reason, they burned it?”

“Or maybe they were wrong after all ?!” exclaimed Maria.

“Maybe, but then it was a very cruel mistake ... Okay, daughter, we do not know anything about these events and cannot change anything now. In any case, this young man is no match for you. You are the daughter of a German merchant, and he is a man without family and tribe, and now he has no corner of his own. Our burgomaster is waiting for you below.”

“But father! He is so old!” exclaimed Maria.

“But the rich and ready to intermarry with us! Come on, daughter! Our future depends on you now. I will not hide, I have already begun to prepare a worthy dowry for you, and this requires a lot of money. I had to pledge all my goods, and if I fail to sell it successfully, then you and I will be ruined - and then we will have to leave the city in disgrace forever. And the burgomaster promised that he would redeem my debt from the merchant's guild. Do you understand what this means?”

“And in return for such a generous service, you are ready to give him your only daughter for his joy?” Maria asked ironically.

“Daughter, do not blaspheme! You know that I alone raised you as best I could, without denying you anything, and only because I love you very much. You managed to get a good education, although most of the women in the city do not know how to read and do not know how to count. You were able to master the basics of the merchant's craft. I see that you like our family business, and I hoped that you could completely replace me when I retire. But in life, daughter, not everything goes the way we want it. Often everything happens in a completely different way. You are already quite an adult, and now fate allows you to help both of us. Our burgomaster is not such a bad person, and he helped us with a bench on the town hall square. Yes, he may be a bit old for you, but don't get me wrong. Many girls marry people who are not their age, and this is normal because young people usually do not have anything yet to create a strong family. You and I are now very dependent on him, and that young fisherman, although a good guy, is no match for us. And we have no right to condemn the actions of the master. Since he did this to his father, it means that this was the only right decision. It may be cruel, but look who the sorcerer's son is now. Forest robber! How can an honest merchant conduct business with a thief, let alone give his daughter for him? Understand me, daughter, if you now make the right choice, then everything will work out for us at once. Well, at least for a start, talk to the burgomaster, maybe you will understand each other. Good?”

“Of course, I can talk to him, but don't hope for more, father. I don’t like him, you know?! I want to marry someone I love and not for someone disgusting to me. And even if my chosen one is not rich enough, we will work together! You taught me the merchant business, and it will come in handy in my future life. I understand that the church tells me to obey your choice, but understand, father, I cannot marry this monster. And how he looks at me! Just like a butcher on a pork carcass. I can imagine how he can’t wait to take off my dress, and along with the skin, and throw it on the cutting table to skin me like a piece of meat!”

“What are you talking about, daughter?! How could such thoughts enter your head?! I understand that he is not sweet to you, but you also understand me: where is love, and where is our life! When will you find yourself such a worthy groom? I have never forced you to do anything, believing that you can understand how a person should behave in any life situation, but it seems to me that I was mistaken. We are in a difficult position! The burgomaster may be offended, and then it will not be good for us. We will find ourselves on the street. And this is cold, hunger, and speedy death!”

“But you see, father, I’m just sure that a terrible mistake happened to Stajan’s father. The monstrous circumstances of his life made his son make such a difficult decision, and I believe it will not belong. He will return to normal life and will be able to fulfill his promise to me: he will take me away in his ship!” Maria replied impetuously, but seeing how her father instantly leaned against him, pressed against him, she gently continued, “the richest merchant in Riga.”

“You have matured, daughter, but you still believe in beautiful fairy tales,” the father answered sadly, stroking his daughter's silky hair. “And your hair is just like your mother's - the same fluffy and soft. When my parents married your mother to me, we didn’t know each other, not only love but nothing. We lived, fell in love, and, at the very least, lived together all our lives. Look how beautiful and clever you are with us. But only if you and I cannot get along with the burgomaster, then you, daughter, will understand what the difference between the romance of love and the realities of life is.”

Friedrich lowered his head and stared thoughtfully somewhere in the corner of the room, completely forgetting about his influential guest, who was impatiently waiting for his daughter.

“Nothing, be patient a little more, father. You will see, Stajan will succeed, and everything will be fine. We will cope with you, we would only have a little more patience, but I will never, never leave you and I will help you in everything, and then we will all live a happy life together, without fear of ruin, and even more so some burgomaster there!” - Maria said confidently and looked hopefully into her father's eyes.

“Okay, daughter, it's hard for me to keep you. Maybe we can still play for time somehow. Maybe we'll get some good money when I sell all my merchandise. Let's go, otherwise, our guest has probably already been waiting, and let's hope that your patroness, Holy Mary Magdalene, will help you arrange your destiny,” the father said in a more confident voice.

He gently kissed his daughter on the open forehead and crossed her.

“And here is my beauty!” entering with Maria into the guest room and trying to portray joy on his face, exclaimed Frederick.

He took his daughter by the shoulders and carefully sat her down at the table, just opposite the head of the city, who was imposingly lounging in a wooden chair. He had not yet touched food and was now carefully examining the girl.

“This is how it will be more convenient for you to talk to each other,” said the father loudly and whispered in his daughter’s ear: “You should still be more polite to our distinguished guest.”

“I have already yielded to your request and agreed to sit at the same table with this nasty old man,” her daughter answered just as quietly.

“You've been planning something for a long time!” They made their guest languish alone,” Heiner von Siebermann said displeasedly.”

“Hello, Mr. Burgomaster,” said Maria, humbly dropping her eyes. “Excuse me, but my earring had rolled up somewhere, and I could not find it in any way, and I did not want to go out to you without decoration, so as not to humiliate my father with this.”

“Well!” the owner of the city smiled haughtily. “My deceased wife never had problems with jewelry. She always had enough of them and there were a great many, and if suddenly something rolled somewhere, another suitable little thing was always at hand. And why? Because she was an intelligent woman and chose the right husband for herself!”

“And here is our duck with apples, Mr. Burgomaster!” exclaimed Frederick, seeing the worker entering the living room with a tray on which was adorned with a delicious roast. “Taste, please, specially prepared for you.”

“Well, let's try!” Smiling with sufficient satisfaction, the burgomaster ran his plump hands into the fat duck. “And nothing fresh bird!”

He tore off his leg with a crunch from the bird exuding exquisite aromas and at once bit off a large piece from it. Warm fat trickled down his cheeks, but the head of the city did not pay attention to it and only squinted with pleasure. Repeatedly he continued to bite off juicy, ruddy pieces of meat, and during the entire meal he never once glanced towards the owners of the house. When he was satisfied, he took a sip of wine from a crystal glass and wiped his greasy fingers on the edge of the white tablecloth, leaving dirty streaks on it. Maria turned away from her guest in disgust, trying to hide her expression from him.

“Well, Friedrich, I hope you've already had time to talk to your daughter? Why doesn't she want to look in my direction?” The burgomaster asked displeasedly, struggling with belching.

“Maria did not manage to get enough sleep today - we had a lot of work since the morning. I already told you that I bought a lot of goods from a Russian merchant, and it was necessary to have time to sort and organize everything before your arrival. Tired, poor thing.”

“And I already, by a sinful deed, thought that it was she who turned up her nose from me!”

“What are you, mister burgomaster, my daughter and I to you with all due respect!”

“Well, what will my future bride say about my proposal? You warned her why I came to you today?”

“Of course, I explained everything to my daughter in detail!” answered the merchant and bowed to the guest.

“So what will our beauty say to me?” slowly said the burgomaster and, leaning back on the high back of his chair, with a smile of emotion on his face, stared at Maria.

“Nothing!” the girl almost cried out in response and, jumping up from the chair, ran out of the living room.

The burgomaster looked after her in bewilderment. There was a sharp knock on the door of the girls' room quickly slamming shut. The guest even slightly shuddered and slowly turned his gaze to the owner of the house. His look did not bode well for Frederick.