So Much for Justice

Jancsó Miklós

out of competition

It is raining, mounted knights are making their way to a castle true to its period (XII-XVI centuries), but they are carrying umbrellas above their heads to avoid getting soaked. What's going on here? The knights could not have had such attire when the story began.

Back then there was a power vacuum and for want of a better candidate the nation's barons made a fifteen-year-old adolescent king.

There were many to teach the adolescent king; some, citing his own best interests, urged him to become a puppet with no will of his own, while others advised him to put aside his intellectual scruples and put his "benefactors" to the sword. Since the king had a good many of these, and not only enemies. And mainly: a constitutional measure alone should be whatever makes him feel good. For example, why not be emperor? Of course nobody should believe that the king woke up every morning thinking about politics and went to bed doing the same. After all, he was a Renaissance king. And in keeping with in his court a number of musicians, singers and dancers were employed. The king grew old. He was sick and even started a bit of reading. His wish was to make his bastard son, János, his successor. He made those who had appointed him king, including Pál Kinizsi, swear an oath to implement his wish. But it was in vain. So much for justice. A dead king is no different to a dead commoner.