Kriegsritter Johannes Braun – Imperial Knight
Copyright© 2026 by Vonalt
Chapter 14: At the Court of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa
Emperor Frederick led Johannes out to a large courtyard where they could talk without being overheard. To ensure they would not be disturbed, the Emperor ordered his court guards to prevent anyone from approaching where he and Johannes stood. The guards remained far enough away that they could not overhear any conversation that transpired between the Emperor and Johannes.
“So, my young Imperial Knight, what do you wish to tell your Emperor?” Emperor Frederick Barbarossa asked. “I am sure you have much to tell me about your time at the court of King Louis. What was your impression of the King of France?”
Johannes thought carefully about how he would answer the Emperor’s question. He then said, “King Louis is a monarch who looks after the interests of his kingdom. He is friendly and respectful, but he does not offer friendship lightly. He listened carefully as the court scribe read your letter offering friendship and an alliance. Both offers were rejected. The reason given was that our two realms are rivals. There are no hostilities between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire, yet both seek the same territories and alliances. I know that the King of France has his eyes on the County of Burgundy and the lands of Lorraine.”
The Emperor reacted by giving a chuckle at the mention of the County of Burgundy.
Johannes continued, “And I learned that the King is not above treachery. He abused the friendship I offered him and proved himself capable of betrayal. When I was asked to return to Rome, King Louis requested that two of his knights accompany me. At the time, I saw no issue with the request and agreed to let them travel with us. On the journey to Rome, they were both pleasant companions, and my men and I appreciated their company. As a special favor to the King, I had arranged for us to stay with the Frangipani in their compound.”
“It was during the night that the two French knights left the compound and disappeared. I later learned that they were special envoys of King Louis. They carried letters of introduction and an offer of an alliance between the Kingdom of France and the Papacy. There had been an exchange of letters between Pope Adrian IV and King Louis. Pope Adrian had written that Imperial support for his papacy was wavering and that he was concerned about the well-being of the Church. In response, the King had sent the two knights with the letters of introduction and the offer of support.”
“The deaths of those two French knights was unfortunate and only demonstrated the evils of the Rome Commune. I was saddened by their deaths but at the same time I was angry I was played as the fool by Louis. The Empire offered friendship and the King of France only offered treachery. It only proves the French can’t be trusted though there was one at Court that did prove to be a friend. Even he warned me not to trust the French Court, his name is Count Thierry. He only recently only returned from a crusade.”
The Emperor said, “I have heard of this Count Thierry. He is known as a man of honor. Is there anything else I need to know about the King Louis?”
Johannes said, “Not about King Louis, sire, but about Adrian IV. His health is declining. I have my own spy within the Church. I took on a French priest as my personal chaplain and friend. His first loyalty is to me and my men, then to the Church, and somewhere much farther down the list to the Kingdom of France. Through his efforts, I have learned much about the aspirations of the Church’s leadership. Many bishops and abbots are maneuvering to become the next pope after Adrian’s passing.”
And also my congratulations on your marriage to Countess Beatrice of Burgundy. It was through Father Denis that I learned of your marriage at Würzburg. I also know that the Archbishop of Trier anointed her as queen.”
“What else have you learned, my young friend?” asked Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
“I have learned that there are those within the Church who are jealous and wish for my assassination—and yours as well. They resent your election as Emperor, the appointment of a secular knight as Protector of the Pope, and the influence I wield within the Holy City. That is more than some abbots and bishops are willing to tolerate.
“As for matters at court, I have learned that Henry the Lion has regained his place in your favor and that you intend to announce his restoration as Duke of Bavaria. I have also learned that the Duchy of Austria is to be created and that Henry II Jasomirgott will become its first duke.”
Obviously upset, the Emperor asked where Johannes had learned of his plans.
Johannes replied, “My men learned of it in taverns and marketplaces, Emperor. The common people hear of such matters almost as soon as you decree them. It is also widely known that your marriage to Countess Beatrice of Burgundy was motivated by political considerations. Through your marriage, you gain the County of Burgundy, strengthen the Empire’s western frontier, and deny King Louis of France the territory he desired.”
“Who is spreading this, Johannes? I want to know so it can be stopped,” the angry Emperor demanded.
“Sire, your courtiers speak too freely. Servants hear them, guards repeat what they hear, merchants carry the tales to the marketplace, and every innkeeper hears more in an evening than many councillors hear in a month.”
“Then I shall discover which tongue is loose. Henceforth, each councillor shall hear only that which concerns him. If my secrets still find their way to the taverns, I shall know whose wine has loosened his oath.”
“I shall have Marcus and my retainers continue visiting the taverns at night. It is a rough duty, but I am sure Marcus and my men are up to it,” Johannes said with a grin.
“Yes, I am sure they are,” agreed the Emperor. “When we find who is speaking so freely, they will be dealt with accordingly.”
“I must return to the Great Hall. I have a duke before me pleading that I should spare his duchy. He plotted against the Crown alongside a prince-elector who opposed my election as Holy Roman Emperor. I stripped him of his bishopric and appointed his cousin to succeed him as bishop. “It is a sinful pleasure, I admit, but I do enjoy seeing my rivals brought low.”
Johannes kept his thoughts to himself and was relieved that he had committed no offense that might have angered the Emperor. He reflected that Emperor Frederick was much like King Louis VII of France. Both were friendly and courteous, but neither trusted easily. Count Thierry’s warning came back to him: Trust no one. And when a man offers you his friendship, be cautious, for he is likely using you to advance his own position at court.
After their conversation ended, the Emperor and his guard returned to the Great Hall. Johannes remained in the courtyard, claiming he wanted to inspect the horses and pack animals in the stables. Instead, he went in search of Marcus and Father Denis.
He found Marcus and their retainers at the armorer’s shop, having their swords sharpened and their mail repaired. The wait was brief, and Johannes slipped a few coins to the craftsmen for their work. Together, they set out in search of Father Denis. Johannes had a good idea where they would find him, and he was not mistaken. At Aachen Cathedral, Father Denis was locked in a heated argument with the cathedral’s dean. Voices echoed into the street, drawing several Imperial guards, who hurried over to discover the cause of the commotion.
Johannes, clad in his Imperial surcoat, needed only to appear to de-escalate the situation. Father Denis fell silent, and the cathedral’s dean stopped shouting the moment he recognized the Imperial Knight and Protector of Pope Adrian IV. The Imperial guards, charged with keeping the peace, remained where they were, watching to see whether their intervention would be necessary.
Johannes, careful not to show favoritism, turned to Father Denis. “Father, what is the cause of this disturbance?”
“The Dean refuses me entry into the cathedral,” Father Denis replied. “He says there are other churches in Aachen where a simple priest may pray.”
Johannes looked to the Dean. “Is this so?”
The Dean, suddenly less certain of himself, inclined his head. “Sir Johannes, there are many churches in Aachen where this priest may offer his prayers. This cathedral is the Emperor’s church, reserved for the imperial household, distinguished guests, and those whom the chapter admits.”
Johannes nodded thoughtfully before turning back to Father Denis.
“Father Denis, before you entered my service, in whose court did you serve?”
“The court of Louis, King of the Franks.”
“And when we journeyed to Rome, in whose palace did you lodge while I served as Protector to His Holiness, Pope Adrian IV?”
“In the Lateran Palace, at your side.”
“And this very morning, when we were received by the Imperial Court, where were you standing?”
Father Denis smiled.
“At your side, Johannes.”
Realizing the gravity of his actions, the dean quickly apologized to Father Denis. Seeing that they were no longer needed, the Imperial guards returned to patrolling the streets, watching for potential lawbreakers. Father Denis invited the others to accompany him into the cathedral, where he offered a brief prayer and heard their confessions. By the time they had finished, the dean had quietly disappeared. Father Denis and his companions then left the cathedral without further disturbance.
It was noon, and Johannes and his men were hungry. They had eaten nothing since before dawn, and their hunger had finally driven them to seek out whatever the Imperial kitchens might have to offer.
It took some searching and more than a few questions before they finally found their way to the kitchens and the great hall where much of the Imperial Court took its meals.
Johannes had hoped to speak with his men in confidence, but he soon realized that such a thing was nearly impossible. At Court, privacy was a rare privilege. There were always servants, courtiers, guards, or some other curious observer nearby. Unless one was the Emperor himself, there was scarcely a corner where a man could speak without being overheard.
Johannes considered this for a moment before deciding that he and his men were in need of practice with their mounted combat. The suggestion was initially met with a chorus of groans from the men, who had clearly hoped for an afternoon of rest after their long morning.
But Johannes soon revealed that he had something else in mind.
The men finished their meal quickly and made their way to the stables to saddle their horses. If they could not find a quiet place to speak, then at least they could put the time to good use.
Johannes even insisted that Father Denis accompany them. If the training became as vigorous as he intended, having a healer nearby would be wise. There was little sense in practicing the art of war without someone present to tend to the wounded.
To the watching courtiers, it appeared that nothing more than a knight and his retainers were departing for training. Their leaving attracted little notice, and before long, the Court returned to its usual affairs.
Johannes and his men rode out on horseback, turning north from Aachen Palace, with Father Denis following behind on his donkey. They had ridden only a short distance beyond the city when Johannes called for them to halt.
It took Father Denis some time to catch up with the waiting men. Once he had joined them, Johannes looked back toward Aachen. He judged that they were far enough from the city that they were unlikely to be seen or overheard.
Johannes ordered his men to dismount, then motioned for them to join him beneath a nearby tree. Its broad branches provided shade from the midday sun, while the surrounding open ground gave them a clear view in case anyone had followed them from the city.
Only when he was satisfied that they were alone did Johannes begin to speak. He spoke loud enough that he was sure everyone would hear him, “I had a private audience with the Emperor this morning and discussed with him the issues we witnessed first hand on our journey to Aachen. The Emperor did not receive it well.”
“The Emperor wants the spreading of Court business in the taverns and marketplaces stopped. Tonight, and every night thereafter, you will spend time in the taverns listening for anyone spreading Palace gossip. If the person is a guard, a servant, or a courtier, remember who is spreading it and what they are saying.
This must be stopped. Such gossip is dangerous. It is as though the Empire’s enemies have been given a seat in the Throne Room.”
Some of the men chuckled at the image of an enemy spy sitting in the Emperor’s throne room.
“Marcus, see if you can find a secluded place where we can all rest without being observed. I need everyone alert and prepared for an evening in the inns.
“Father Denis, I need you to find out who might be talking in the Cathedral. The Emperor is not above stripping a bishop of his position and lands. When I had my audience with him, he was returning to the throne room to do just that,” Johannes said.
He paused and looked at his men.
“We cannot spend the remaining hours of daylight sleeping. It will have to be sleep when you can, for we may not have regular hours for rest for some time.”
It was late afternoon when Johannes was awakened by Father Denis.
“Johannes, you need to get up. It is time for us to return to Aachen Palace. We need to eat, and the men need to get ready. It takes time to prepare for an evening in the town’s taverns,” the jovial priest said.
Johannes stirred and slowly opened his eyes. For a few seconds, he stared at the unfamiliar surroundings, his mind still clouded with sleep. Then, as his senses returned, he remembered where he was and moved to stand up stretching as he did.
“It is time to get back to the Palace and see what our hosts have waiting for us. I find myself rather hungry. Napping is harder work than one might think,” he said to no one in particular.
His comrades burst into laughter.
It was a short ride back to the town and the Palace. By the time the men had seen to their horses, the evening meal had been announced.
Johannes and his men made their way to the dining hall and began looking for a place to sit when a Palace servant approached him.
“Sir, the Emperor has ordered that you join the other courtiers at the Imperial tables.”
Not wishing to cause a disturbance or draw unnecessary attention, Johannes nodded and followed the servant. Before leaving, he turned to his men.
“I will join you after the evening meal,” he told them.
His men nodded and continued into the dining hall, while Johannes followed the servant toward the tables reserved for the Imperial Court.
Johannes arrived late. The other courtiers were already seated, waiting for the evening prayer to be said before the food was served.
He took the first open seat he saw and waited patiently for the prayer to begin. Looking around at those seated at his table, he recognized no one.
He glanced toward the other Imperial tables. There were few faces he recognized, let alone anyone whose name he knew. Feeling somewhat out of place, Johannes turned his attention to the raised table where the members of the Imperial family were seated.
He kept his expression neutral as he slowly scanned the royal table. Then he recognized Henry the Lion, the Emperor’s cousin. Henry caught his gaze and responded with a sneer.
Johannes calmly looked away, his eyes moving to the other side of the Emperor.
There, seated beside the Emperor, was a young girl who appeared to be barely in her teens.
“Good heavens,” he thought. “The Countess Beatrice of Burgundy is a child.”
Johannes found it extremely difficult to maintain his neutral expression when he realized just how young she was. And to think that this child had also been anointed as queen by the Bishop of Trier.
It was going to be a difficult time at Court. Johannes wondered how many more surprises awaited him.
He reminded himself that it was not his place to judge the Emperor. Only God had that authority. Johannes would do his duty to his Emperor and remain watchful of Henry the Lion, the soon-to-be Duke of Bavaria. If anyone at Court needed watching, Johannes thought, it was him.
After the final prayer at the end of the meal, Marcus and the others split into small parties and set out to roam from tavern to tavern and inn to inn. Their task was simple: listen for any gossip concerning the Court and, more importantly, discover who was spreading it.
Father Denis took a similar approach, though perhaps with considerably more enthusiasm. He joined his fellow priests, and together they set about emptying a keg of ale brewed at a local monastery. Between cups, they kept their ears open for any talk of the Court or Palace.
Johannes stayed at the Palace, hoping to learn who might be spreading gossip or rumors there. Whenever Johannes came near a group of courtiers, they would stop talking while he was nearby. Once he moved on, they would start talking again as if he weren’t there. Every once in a while, he would hear someone saying his name, and when he approached, they would grow quiet, as the others had before. Frustrated, Johannes went to get a ceramic cup of ale and sat down at a table in the corner, where he could observe the others.
The members of the Court whom he had befriended before were not present, and Johannes was about to return to the quarters he and his men had been assigned when he felt a tiny hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Queen Beatrice standing behind him, shielded from the rest of the Court by Johannes’s large frame.
“Countess Beatrice ... er, Queen Beatrice. I did not see you approach. How can I be of assistance, my Queen?”
“You can sit still and stop drawing attention to yourself. And call me Beatrice; I hate titles. What is your name?” the young queen said.
“I am Johannes Braun, Imperial Knight, Your Highness. The Emperor had me accompany him to Rome, and I have also been to the Court of Louis, King of the Franks. I have recently returned to Court from Rome.”
“Oh, Rome! When you have time, you will have to tell me of your experiences there. My lady-in-waiting, when I was a child, used to tell me stories about Rome’s glory days. I would love to hear of your experiences there. It would be glorious to hear stories of Rome,” the young queen said.
“I could do that, my Queen, and even do better. My second-in-command is of a noble Roman family, and my retainers are all from Rome as well. I was married to a Roman woman who passed away far too early. I would be glad to do that, Beatrice, but not until I have the Emperor’s permission. I have too much respect for him to go against his wishes,” Johannes said.
“I had best leave before I am discovered, Johannes, Imperial Knight. The tongues wag far too much as it is. I look forward to hearing your tales and those of your men. My time here has been short, and I already feel lonely. It would be good to have friends whom both the Emperor and I can trust and depend on.”
Beatrice somehow maneuvered herself out of the hall without being detected, using Johannes’s body as a screen.
Johannes waited a few moments to see if anyone would say anything about his conversation with the queen. Evidently, no one did, as no one approached him while he remained seated at the table.
When no one did, he got up and returned to his quarters, carefully watching to make sure no one was following him. The threat of assassination still weighed on his mind. All the way to his rooms, he kept one hand on the grip of his dagger.
Johannes waited until his men and Father Denis made it back to their rooms. Father Denis was feeling no pain, while the Frangipani men were in better condition. They had been drinking, but they had paid close attention to what was being discussed in the taverns. Father Denis was having trouble staying awake, so they put him to bed. The men laughed at his condition. The normally solemn priest was, it seemed, a remarkably sloppy drunk.
As Father Denis snored in his bed, the men gathered not far from the sleeping priest and reported what they had observed at the inns and taverns they had visited that night. Marcus and his companions had overheard conversations about the new queen and how she was being kept away from the rest of the Court. Some speculated that her isolation was because she was so young and that the Emperor feared she might say something he did not want repeated. The gossip had originated with an Imperial scribe, though Marcus did not know the man’s name.
The others didn’t have much to share. One of the Imperial Hall guards had recognized their surcoat crests and was curious about serving the Imperial Knight. He was interested in joining if the Imperial Knight was recruiting new men-at-arms. The men who had seen him at the tavern said he smelled foul and was a drunkard. He had given the name Hermann.
Johannes replied, “I have no intention of recruiting additional men. What I have now suits my needs, and I trust each of you. As you have described Hermann, I seriously doubt he will find his way into our company. I will, however, mention him to the Emperor and suggest that he be watched should such rumors continue to spread in Aachen’s taverns.”
When no one had anything else to add to the conversation, Johannes mentioned that he was shocked by how young the new queen was. According to Johannes, she could not have been much older than thirteen. Marcus, having grown up in Rome, was familiar with canon law and explained that marriages involving young brides were not uncommon when prominent Roman families formed alliances. Marriage was often the means by which an alliance between two houses was sealed. He knew of several such marriages personally.
Johannes was still surprised that the Holy Father and the Church would condone such practices. He said he would ask Father Denis to explain it in the morning.
Exhausted after their first day at Court, Johannes announced that he was finally going to get some sleep and suggested that his comrades do the same. Sleep came slowly. Every time Johannes drifted off, he had the same dream: the Emperor arranging a marriage for him to a young bride. He would awaken with his heart racing, haunted by the lingering memory of himself fleeing Aachen and heading back to Rome, desperate to escape the madness of Court life.
Everyone awoke early, broke their fast, and gathered for a breakfast of dark bread, a pottage of root vegetables and oats, and small chunks of pork left over from the loin served at the evening meal. They washed it all down with weakened ale.
Johannes was surprised that Father Denis had made it to breakfast and was eating heartily. He mentioned that he had thought food would be the last thing the good Father would be interested in. One of Johannes’s men quipped, “If there is food present, Father Denis will be there to take advantage of it. He can find time later to suffer with a throbbing head and a heaving belly.”
This brought them all to laughter lifting everyone’s spirits. Father Denis smacked his lips demonstrating his satisfaction with the morning meal they shared. Johannes thought this was as good of a time as any and asked his question.
“Father Denis, our new Queen Beatrice is around thirteen years of age. I was surprised that the Emperor would take a wife so young. Marcus tells me that, according to canon law, this is permissible. Surely, he is wrong. What is correct, Father?” Johannes asked.
Father Denis sat silently for a moment, gathering his thoughts before he answered.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.