Daily mail coming to the emperor's chamber starts to trouble his mind.

Jihad, they say? - Mumbled Ljudislav to his chin.

What to do? - He thought while getting up from his desk and went over to the window. Snow was falling and everything was so quiet and dead-like. Ljudislav was thinking about the nature, as it dies when the winter comes but it flourishes when its gone.

Serbia will not surrender before the foul catholic invaders, but the Holy Land has no alternative. Our Tsardom of Heaven was always defending Christians from the infidelic states. Sacrificing our people for the grater good should be a right choice.

As the monologue was over, his highness took a parchment and started a letter.

QUOTE:

To Prince Gruffudd

My brother, an unbearable task is upon you. Nothing you can't handle I believe, but I'm sorry you have to ware such a burden. News of Muslim uprising in the Holy Lands of Jerusalem has reached me, thus I made a decision to write you this letter.
Form an order of the holy crusade, an order that will represent us always in the Jerusalem, Palestine and the Sinai desert, and lead it towards the land of our lord. Lead it a cross the city of the emperors and perform a communion in the Hagia Sophia, ask for the blessing from the Roman Emperor and its Patriarch.

Let the Prince Derg and I worry about defending our land and leave. Leave for the higher cause than the earthly one. Never forget that the god is watching. Faith and Honor my brother!

*Signed and Sealed*

Car Ljudislav

Gruffudd received the letter from the Emperor.

QUOTE:

By the Emperor's instructions, I hereby announce Crusader formation, Order of St. Mathew, "Red Sv. Mateje", Serbian Knight Order dedicated for the defense of the Christian Pilgrimate sites, specifically the Holy Land.

St. Mathew (serb. Sv. Mateja) was a Serbian priest who, during the forming of the Serbian nation under leadership of Ljudislav, traveled around the world, the Holy Land, who preached among the Serb folk.
He helped the Serbs to gain their national identity and establish common bounds which manifested under the Serbian Empire.
He is commonly known as the father of the Serbian Orthodox Church and its culture.

Gruffudd announced to the nation:

QUOTE:

Standard equipment of the Knights of St. Mathew consists of red cloaks, shield of white-cross-on-red-background and variety of additional armour and weapons.

The following Serbian nobles are hereby proclaimed as Knights of St. Mathew, under the leadership of Gruffudd, Grand Master of the Order of St. Mathew and Prince of Serbia:
Knez Lazar,
Stefan Dusan Nemanjic,
Milos Obilic,
Dmitar Ivanovic,
Tamnivitez,
Milos Grozni.

The Order will march for the Holy Ground effecting immediatly, it will also return provinces of Rhodopes and Solun under the fold of Serbian Empire along their way.

"God, give us strength!", he thought. Gruffudd organized the Nobles and their escorts, setting course to the great city of Constantinople.

Derg was noticed last night about King's decision...was not happy,but...

- harsh times brothers,but old people said - Give to God what is his,and to tzar what is his,this is time when we must give to God what is his,we couldnt call ourselves orthodox what means as you know true believers if we dont answer the call of God,God knows that i wroted to Alar of Fatimids and called him on peace and prosperty under the name of one God,but...

present Vojvode, Vukodav and popke stood in silence...

We are God's people ,we bow only to Him,surely we dont make equal to God some old farths in white caftans surrounded with children malestars as thes Catholics who attacked us,our patriarch are just first among equals between priests and monks ,just as our king and tzar is first among equals between knights.

So we must endure while our brothers going to fight for Honorable Cross as we fight for Golden Freedom,as our nation motto says!


Derg took parchment and feather and write short note with cyrillic

QUOTE:
God speed brothers ,wear with pride our sigil of four stages of moon,which people call 4 cyrillic S,aroud the cross to the Holy land,defend our true orthodox faith and all humble christian souls on Earth's soil

let the God forgive to these catholic vultures in our countries,because they dont know what they do in these times,let the God forgive them...because I will not as long i serve the nation as Prince and Veliki Vojvoda vojske (Minister of war).

So long brother Gruffudd let the destiny give that your Red Dragon feel the winds of Jerusalem hills,so long to all Serbian brothers and among them Knez Lazar ,mentor from young days and a friend.

*signed and sealed with sigil of blue howling wolf*

Order of St. Mathew reclaimed Thessaly shire for Serbian Empire.

The army of knights arrived at Mount of Athos, witnessing a miracle of strange reflecting light of the top of the mountain, and it was decided by people present, holy priest Nikanor and Prince Gruffudd of Serbia that the Holy Mount will be the future seat of Patriarch of Alexandria.

Episcops of Alexandria made a vote earlier for Nikanor to be proclaimed as their Patriarch, and for that reason, Nikanor joined the Order into their march for the Holy Land, to claim his new-found position.

Alexandria is held by the Sarazens, so the holy Patriarch seat has to be moved to safe place, and as decided it shall be the Holy Mount of Athos, in Thessaly.

Gruffudd gave a large donation of resources and money for a monastery to be constructed in this place of divine miracle.
Temple which shall be the holy seat of the future Patriarch.

After the new Pope has been chosen, who showed his heresy in public, Serbian hieromonk Nikanor publicly accused him for his sins, and the arch-heretic immediately "excommunicated" him.
Since then, all of the Catholics whom conduct heresy started hunting Nikanor, whom barely managed to save his head from Ravenna, after he secretly embarked in a trade galley for Peloponnese. Arriving in Greece, he bought a new horse, and after two months, he finally arrived in Duklja, the Imperial residence of the Serbian Car. There he found out about all the malicious deeds of the foreign invaders that were done in Serbia and Hungary in his absence.

At court, a letter was waiting for him from Alexandria from the Episcopal Synod of Alexandrian Church.
The Episcops chose Nikanor for their new Patriarch, whom became very popular after his recent "stunts".
They requested Nikanor to come as soon as possible for him to be hirotonisized for Patriarch. Since the Order of St. Mathew already began its journey for Jerusalem, he took his most needed things and hurried to join the Order’s march.
He lead his horse to his last fragments of strength and he finally caught up with the Order on Mount Athos. It is the place where the gathering experienced a miracle on the top of the Mountain.
After speaking with Prince Gruffudd, it was settled that the new seat of the Patriarch of Alexandria will be in this holy place, Mountain of Athos, for Alexandria wasn’t a safe place anymore.
Nikanor decided that he must visit his flock in Africa, before he moves his seat to Holy Mount Athos.

Gruffudd instructed tailors to sew a number of flags of the Order of St. Mathew.

The product was magnificent.

Gruffudd and the Order arrived at Constantinople.

First thing Gruffudd had to do was to visit the Church of Saint Sophia, most magnificent Christian Church of all times.
He felt like the structure is manifestation of God himself!
Such beauty, art... Unspeakable, Gruffudd never saw anything like that.

He asked for a blessing from the Constantinople Patriarch, for him and his brethren that are going for the Holy Land, and prayed to God to give mercy to Serbian folk that are being hunted down by the Croatian coalition.

Before leaving, he thought to himself how he must construct something near-grand as this Church back in homeland.
Patriarch seat at Mount Athos must be a Church worthy of Saint Sophia's heritage.

He wrote a letter to the Serbian Car before continuing his journey:

QUOTE:

Honor to you, Car of all the Serbs!

I have made the pilgrimage to the Church of Saint Sophia.
I will only say this, for any additional words won't be able to portray its magnificence:
If you want to have loyal allies, always eager to visit our capitol and converse, make a temple like this, nobody would dare to lose such precious amounts of time spent in anything as near as Saint Sophia's Church.
Nobody will dare to turn his back to those favoured by God himself!

Traveling through Asia Minor, Gruffudd received reports of the slaughter that the Serb folk suffered by the Croats, with the most vicious attacks being made by Ban Moroplovac, the person that was expelled from Croatia as per the last peace treaty that Serbia had with Croatia, due to him being a source of many conflicts between the two people.

The news made Gruffudd all white out of the shock, and yet, very angry in the same time.
Revenge, justice, so many thoughts flied through his mind.

As the messenger reported, the small number of people that survived the pogrom and escaped maniac slaughter alerted the free Serbs about the horrors that were being done by the Croats.
Women raped and taken to slavery, together with the children and some men, the rest butchered and burned in the Churches that lied over the ridge where the events took place.
Traumatized innocents also mentioned how everything was observed by the silent Catholic priests that always accompanied Croat divisions.

Gruffudd squished the letter in utmost anger, never before had he felt such an urge to tear somebody off.
Vengeance.
But at the cost of his soul?

Duty. He had to continue his quest to the Holy Land.
Shores of Asia Minor were near, where the roads would lead him to the glorious city of Antioch, last stop before he reaches his future base of activities in the Holy Land, City of Tyre in Lebanon.
Reaction will have to wait until he finishes his promise given to God.

The march continued...
The army has arrived at Lebanon, ready to seize the grandiose city of Tyre and make it the base of the Order of St. Mathew activities.
The crusader army was not that big, and even considering that Tyre had small amount of soldiers, a big city is always hard to take, so the plan was to approach hidden by night and storm it by surprise.



Meanwhile...
Gruffudd and Milos Grozni have divided from the main army, to accept the welcoming invitation of the Prince of Antioch, Hugh of Montfort, an invitation to a tourney their new neighbors were preparing.

Knights of Hospitaller, that were the main force of the Principality of Antioch, were mostly young men in their early twenties, not that experienced lot of knights, but very capable and respectable, vigilant in their task to protect the holy sites.
Syria was a charming place. Gruffudd have started to like this oriental culture, these huge cities and sandlands, a paradox world to his green and blue Serbia.

Before exploring the city, the markets, meet the nobles of their new neighbor and make bonds, Gruffudd payed his entrance to the Tourney.

Ljudislav was most pleased with the progress with his newly-founded order. Gruffudd's letters brought him hope and belief that his people's struggle will come to an end, and the invaders army will be fought off from their home lands.
God looks kindly upon his followers, and He tempts those He love. - Said the Car to his people while adressing them on the matter of the war and the crimes the other side comited.
Then he contiued - True Christians would forgive, but never forget!

After an hour or so spent with his people, Ljudislav went to his quarters in the mighty Ras castle in Raska shire and started writing a letter.

QUOTE:

To Gruffund, Prince of Serbia
To the Order of St. Mathew

All hail the servants of God.
While you selfishly spread His word in the Holy lands of his son, the progress of freeing our land is progressing I write you this humble letter. This letter can't possibly fulfill the emptiness you all have in your already heavy burdened chests, burden for leaving your loved ones in most horrific time possible to serve the great Jah. But do not worry great knights as our Shepherd looks after them, like you look after his Sheep.
Most of our lands have been freed and the southern Italy pillaged to punish the servants of the Satan himself. The God looked kindly on us as we were ready to sacrifice everything we care about for him, he sent his followers from the distant lands of England to guard your loved ones and our Roman brothers have returned from their quest as are our brothers from the Order of the Temple.

And remember, brave knights "Battle is not fought by the mighty weapon, but by the heart of the hero"

PS. Gruffudd, your home shire Macva is once again free and your family is rebuilding the estate. Do not worry about them any more, as everything is coming back like it used to be. The wounds will heal and we will forgive them, but the knowledge of their dirty deeds will stay with us forever and we will do all our best not to become like them.

For the holy cross and golden freedom! I salute you!
Car Ljudislav