kingdom of nations

Chapter 105 The Princesses

Baldwin's coronation took place three weeks after the wedding in Hibyl.

This ceremony was simpler than any previous coronation, yet exceptionally solemn and dignified. It was less a coronation and more akin to Baldwin holding a second funeral for his father. Throughout the entire ceremony, neither Patriarch Heraclius, who blessed and anointed him, nor Raymond, who crowned him, showed the young man a trace of joy or elation.

As he said, what was there to value in this ceremony? Every step of it was a reminder of the loss of his monarch and father.

Although this has led some to often criticize Arazarus's new king for being too indecisive and sentimental, others say that a king with compassion and loyalty is always better than those heartless and ungrateful villains.

The phrase "heartless and treacherous villain" undoubtedly refers to Abigail. For someone like him, already knighted and the husband of Hibern, entering the decision-making circle of Arazari would be incredibly easy. After all, according to Arazari tradition, the union of a queen and her foreign husband meant that the queen bore the responsibility for politics and succession, while the husband bore the responsibility for military affairs, conquest, and expansion.

Before long, Abigail was ridiculed as a coward hiding in a woman's skirt—even though the concept of a honeymoon had emerged, his constant harassment of Hibil was truly despicable. Not to mention, some young knights were already complaining that Hibil's husband was interfering too much in the princess's life.

Although the castle's mistress had changed to the Byzantine princess Maria after Amalric I's new marriage, the king's eldest daughter was still one of the knights' potential objects of affection—this affection didn't involve physical intimacy, but rather resembled a spiritual flattery and adoration. Rather than a woman, it was more like a way for knights to demonstrate loyalty and talent to their king—knights wouldn't duel for a tavern maid or a peasant woman.

As a husband, Abi should not only refrain from interfering, but should also express his appreciation, yet he did not.

He not only forbade Hibler from accepting gifts, garlands, or any other items that showed goodwill from other knights, but even bards who were hired by knights to sing a song for Hibler were rudely driven away or even whipped.

At first, knights challenged him. If he could defeat his opponents in mounted duels or melees, he might earn some respect, since the voice of the strong always resonates most among knights. But the problem was, he lost every duel he faced.

After he broke his leg in the ensuing brawl, Sibil finally lost all patience with him. She moved back to her original room (where the couple's rooms used to be next to each other) and refused to share a bed with her husband again.

This matter quickly attracted the attention of Baldwin, as well as the Queen and Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch.

Strangely, neither of the newlyweds wanted to comment on the current situation. Abigail insisted on staying with Hibil, while Hibil remained silent.

What made Bohemond most ashamed was that after Abigail recovered, she actually challenged the knight again. And the knight actually refused. Logically speaking, a person who refuses a challenge would be regarded as a coward and a weakling, but no one thought that the knight was a coart (in the French folk satirical poem "The Tale of Reynard the Fox", there is a little hare named Coart, whose most prominent characteristic is cowardice).

He had accompanied the king on his expedition to Egypt and had made enviable contributions in the siege—he was one of the knights who followed Richard, Cesar, and Baldwin in being the first to breach the walls of Fosterstadt.

During the decisive battle, he knocked Abigail off his horse with a single spear thrust, and his reason for refusing the fight was laughable to anyone who heard it: "I can't keep you in bed all the time!"

This was a truly ironic statement, tinged with a hint of vulgarity. The joke quickly became a favorite among knights to tease beggars and prostitutes; they wouldn't even use it on other knights—no knight could match Abigail's bluster and bravado, and his repeated provocations had thoroughly bored the knights.

Abi dared to do this because he knew perfectly well that during the duration of his engagement with the princess, no one would dare to kill him for the sake of the future heir to the kingdom.

“Indeed,” the Queen smiled after listening to a knight’s complaint, “this is indeed a task that is of utmost importance to them now.”

They had to have a child, not just for the continuation of the marriage, but for the sake of Allah, for the future Crusades to have a healthy and strong leader, and for the sake of the believers, the Church, and God's work.

This is not a responsibility that two young people can easily abandon because of a fit of pique.

She summoned Bohemond, told him about it, and asked him to supervise his son, since men are more crucial when it comes to procreation.

Bohemond went to see his son, and they had a short talk, but both of them looked unwell when they came out. Meanwhile, the Queen tried to comfort Hibyl.

Hibil could be arrogant in front of her own mother, as she was of higher status than the Countess of Jaffa. However, she was less arrogant when facing the Queen, who was a direct female relative of the Byzantine Emperor, the widow of King Arazarus, and her "mother."

Although they are no more than three years apart in age, the Queen is the true mistress of this castle.

The Queen didn't care much about Hibil's attitude. She clearly remembered how overjoyed Hibil was when she gave birth to Isabella—and she also saw how Hibil treated her own mother. If a person can be so cold to the person who gave birth to them, no one else can expect to get her true feelings.

She was just fulfilling her responsibilities as a hostess.

To be honest, although she spent more time with Hibil in the castle, in terms of affection, Hibil was not even as good as Baldwin, whom she had only met a few times. When she married into the family, Baldwin was supposed to be raised by her, but at that time Amalric I was in a hurry to get her pregnant, and Baldwin was promoted to squire and apprentice knight ahead of time, serving his father more often, so they did not have many opportunities to meet.

However, after Amalric I's death, Baldwin would visit her three to four times a week, along with Isabella.

Today was also a visiting day. Before the Queen even entered the room, she saw the knights outside the door. They bowed to her, and she nodded slightly before going in with her maids.

Baldwin was standing by the window, the furthest point from Isabella, wearing a veil and gloves. The Queen curtsied to him, and he nodded in return.

"Why are you standing so far away?" the Queen asked with a smile. "Aren't you going to hold her? Babies always grow so fast—she's so comfortable to hold, so chubby and soft, like a little pig." "You shouldn't say that about a girl," Baldwin said. "It's enough that Cesar is there to hold her for me. And Isabella seems to like him more."

The queen responded by forcefully taking Isabella from Cesar's arms and placing her in Baldwin's embrace.

No mother could not love her child, but she was a Byzantine princess, and no one understood a princess better than her what awaited her if she could not win the favor of the king or emperor.

Feelings are never something that can be cultivated overnight, nor can they be formed by exchanging a few cold greetings from afar. Love is about hugs, kisses, and listening. Without tangible physical contact, all descriptions and memories are false, superficial, and cannot withstand any test.

Baldwin is now the new king of Alassa Road.

This means that everything in this castle now could become a weight on the scales for him to weigh things in the future. What is more important and what is less important? Perhaps it will all depend on his decision. And as Manuel I's grandniece, doesn't she have any ambitions?
Who says only the children born to Hibyl can be Baldwin's heirs? Aren't the children born to her, Isabella, also heirs?
Even in terms of noble status and illustrious birth, Isabella was far superior to her sister. Of course, the final decision rested with the young man before her, and when he unusually showed unease as he looked down at his little sister, the queen remained remarkably calm.

However, Isabella clearly did not understand her mother's good intentions.

A child of only one or two years old, of course, did not understand leprosy, the right of succession, or the king's will; she only felt extremely bored in Baldwin's arms. To ensure his little sister's safety, Baldwin put on gloves, a veil, and a headscarf before entering the room, ensuring that not an inch of his skin was exposed and that his breath would never spray onto the child's delicate face.

But for a child, all she could see were a pair of blue eyes, which, though beautiful, could not compare to her previous "big cradle." She struggled to return to Cesar's embrace until Baldwin stood up and lifted her into the air. "Are you scared?" he teased the child.

Clearly, the little princess was not afraid. She looked around in the air, her little arms outstretched and her little legs kicking. This was a height she had never reached before—after all, Baldwin and Cesar were already much taller than their peers, even among knights. She looked down at everything from a completely new perspective, almost able to see the top of her mother's head, as well as the towering crowns and wreaths of her maids.

She giggled, extremely excited, and suddenly, she started spinning around.

The scenery before her eyes kept changing. She let out a sharp cry, but not from fear, but from ecstasy. Her face turned red, and Baldwin could feel the little body in his hands getting hot rapidly. He quickly put her down, worried that she was frightened, but he only saw an incredibly radiant smile.

A baby's smile is always so pure, innocent, and comforting. He looked into those blue eyes. The little princess didn't resemble her mother or father much; rather, she was a blend of the best features of Amalric I and Maria. She had deep-set features and a soft facial contour. Her eyes were also blue, but unlike those of Amalric I and Hibil, they resembled Baldwin's, though a lighter shade.

If Baldwin's eyes were as blue as a great lake, hers were as azure as the sky, and those tiny glimmers were like the moon and stars high in the sky.

When she was still an infant, the Queen worried that the little princess would inherit her plain and unremarkable appearance. Although she would surely have a good marriage, a woman's heart is very important to her, and Hibir is the best example of this.

Isabella will grow up to be a beauty, not much less beautiful than her sister, and she will also be very intelligent.

When she found that Baldwin was willing to lift her up, she obediently stayed in Baldwin's arms. When Baldwin put her down, she kept pleading with her big, round eyes. But when she found that Baldwin only wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead and did not take any further action, she abandoned her brother without hesitation and ran back to Cesar.

People assumed she would ask Cesare to lift her up, but she simply looked around and knew her wish was impossible. If she did ask, Cesare would likely hand her over to another maid, so she wisely kept quiet, nestled obediently in Cesare's arms, uttering not a sound, which drew another burst of barely suppressed laughter from the Queen and the maids.

Such an atmosphere does indeed evoke a sense of longing. Baldwin had only intended to see his little sister briefly before leaving, but amidst laughter and chatter, they ended up staying from dusk until moonrise. During this time, they even shared a sumptuous dinner with the Queen.

When they returned to the left tower—Baldwin had kept the king's original room, hoping that when he could occasionally visit it, it would feel as if his father were still by his side.

He knew that the king had once regarded him as a transitional figure, but in his presence the king had never shown the slightest vulnerability. Allow him to be vulnerable for a moment; at least in front of Amalric I, he still hoped to be a beloved son.

Now he had someone to love, and he talked incessantly to Cesar the whole way, something Baldwin rarely did—he had been taciturn since he fell ill.

Today, however, he was completely immersed in this rare happiness, so much so that Cesar couldn't bear to interrupt him.

Unfortunately, their teacher, Chirac, had no regard for Baldwin's feelings.

For him, Baldwin's identity had changed; he was the king of Arathal, and he should become a man like Amalric I.

Amalric I may not have been perfect, but he was impeccable in how he fulfilled his duties and obligations as king.

And another of his students.

“You should go and see Bethlehem, Cesar.”

Chirac said.

(End of this chapter)