kingdom of nations

Chapter 113 Bethlehem (8)

Cesar stayed in Bethlehem for more than a month.

In those few dozen days, he hardly had a single day to himself in peace. The people of Bethlehem were eager to get to know their new master, and he wanted to get to know them too—from Bishop Andrew to the knights-in-chief, from guild leaders to merchant chiefs, and even Christians, Saracens and Isaacs representatives. He was entertained and hosted almost every day, with countless gifts, letters and contracts.

They were all very attentive, and Cesare did not disappoint them. Apart from the prostitutes, he did not refuse any invitations or gifts. This relieved people of their greatest fears—that their new master was a hermit or an unromantic and reckless fellow—after all, Cesare's reputation as a "little saint" had already spread to Bethlehem.

Those who have a seat at the Mass in Bethlehem are not foolish enough to think that a person who is honest is a good person. Humans have desires and original sin; they will always commit sins, one after another—gold coins, wine, and women, even jewels and fine clothes, are things they can easily provide. Bethlehem is the second holiest city after Alassane, and it is rich enough to support a king.

As for the young knights, they were the easiest to conquer under Cesar. Although Cesar was not the kind of person who liked to boast about his achievements, he could not remain silent if they asked about his previous expedition to Egypt.

He described the Gasarafa stretching from the port to the city like clouds or tents amidst wild grass; the armies marching along the avenues like rivers, with the flags of knights and lords like sails on the water; and the olive and fig groves outside Bielebas so lush and dense that they blocked out the sky like the night sky, with the fruit like stars twinkling within.

He recounts how the people of Bilesby approached Amalric I's tent with utmost respect, prostrated themselves, and presented him with the keys to the city, chests of silk robes, a golden crown, and silver sacred objects; and how the ransom paid by the Saracens in the city piled up shimmering hills on the sand; how they entered the city, cleansed the pagan temples, and converted them into churches, where priests celebrated Mass—just as they did later in Fustat.

Cesar didn't say much about Folstadt, after all, it involved Amalric I—whose negligence became the root of the disaster, which in turn led to the crusade's eventual failure—although the knights who went on the expedition obtained the gold and glory they wanted, according to Amalric I's original idea, both Bielebas and Folstadt should have become Christian cities.

He also mentioned Prince Baldwin, Arthur (Richard) from Aquitaine, and several other knights who had impressed him.

Afterwards, they went hunting together outside the city, eliminating the thieves and heretics who robbed pilgrims along the way. During the expedition, no one who had been under Cesare's protection disliked him. In Bethlehem, the knights faced much less danger, but they could still feel the same sense of freedom and security that allowed them to fight and ride to their hearts' content.

Before long, they got used to crowding around Cesar, going here and there happily and noisily.

“I heard that the knights who accompanied King Amalric I on his expedition all liked him very much, and I didn’t expect my lads to be no exception,” said the Knightsmaster of Bethlehem, who was watching the knights file into the square from his window. “At first, they hated him.”

“Regardless of his background or character, the saint’s favor is real,” Bishop Andrei said. “It’s not just these naive chicks. Several years ago, I heard that the Templar Knight Geoffroy, John of the Gerard family, and Count Étienne of Franks had all asked the king for him, but the king refused them all.”

“It should be his son Baldwin, not Amalric I, who refused. The prince cherished this companion very much. They received God’s blessing in that most sacred place and were saved from the murder of sinners by Christ’s protection. They were brothers without blood ties and swore to vouch for each other—” the Knight Steward said. “Do you know that some people are contacting him?”

“They don’t want to get in touch with him; they want to get in touch with the King—Baldwin IV.”

"By the way, Amalric I is dead, and the election ceremony for the Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Grail should have already begun. Have you received a summons?"

"It should be in the next few days," said the Grand Master. The election methods for the Grand Masters of the three major knightly orders in the Holy Land—the Knights of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, and the Knights of the Good Hall—are all similar. The Priest initiates the call to action, and then all the Grand Masters vote—but often, this vote is symbolic, especially for family-based knightly orders like the Knights of the Holy Grail.

Even if Prince Baldwin hadn't received God's blessing and was still that sick man who couldn't even lift a sword, could they possibly elect another Grand Master? Putting aside the fact that Amalric I indeed fulfilled all his duties flawlessly, and that every King of Arathi Basin was the "Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre," it would be the biggest joke if the Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre wasn't a King of Arathi Basin.

"When you return, the Knights of Bethlehem will return with you."

“Of course,” the Knight Steward nodded. “Are you worried about what he might do? In Bethlehem, or on Alassa Road? I don’t think he’s that impulsive. Whether he’s as good as people say or not, even if he’s a wicked man, he should know that his foundations haven’t been that solid in these past few years.”

Bishop Andrei sighed deeply: “I don’t know what to do. If we stand on the side of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, we should stand behind the young King Baldwin IV and fight against Bohemond, Raymond, and the Knights Templar for him. But I’m also worried that if Baldwin IV gains real power, he will favor the Knights of Bethlehem too much—like those emperors of the East…”

He made a gesture, and the knight steward nodded in understanding. They had come from the Franks, the Apennines, or Great Britain, only to discover that there were strange and wonderful places in the world like the imperial courts of the East, from the Byzantine emperors to the caliphs or sultans of Syria and Egypt—their administrative systems were completely different from those of the kings or queens.

They are truly capable of having only one ruler—whether that ruler is a Caliph, Sultan, Grand Vizier, or some Emir…

So initially, Prince Baldwin couldn't have only one person by his side. People like David, Abigail, William, and others were all sons of vassals and ministers. They would also be the king's right-hand men in the future, checking and supporting each other. But what happened when the prince contracted leprosy? At that time, they backed down, partly because they were afraid of this terrible infectious disease, and partly because they thought that Baldwin would only have one path left: to enter a monastery.

As the saying goes, things are unpredictable. Amalric I could understand Prince Baldwin's autocracy and insistence, but it was unexpected that Baldwin could gain the favor of the saint and become so powerful. Amalric I probably did not expect that he would die so soon, and the Byzantine princess also gave birth to a little daughter for him.

Only Prince Baldwin could inherit his throne.

Bishop Andre smiled sarcastically. Fortunately, he was already in Bethlehem at that time and had not gotten too involved in the political struggles on the road to Arrassa. But now it seemed that if he did not act, it would be too late. But which side should he stand on?

“When you go back this time,” he said to the chief knight, “you might as well go and see the king for me.”

"What are you looking at?"

“I know some people are trying to send intelligence to Baldwin IV through the Knights of Bethlehem,” Bishop Andrei said. “Several audacious Isaacs want Damascus.” The Grand Master of the Knights looked incredulous. “Them, Damascus?”

“Who wouldn’t want Damascus?” Bishop Andrei pointed meaningfully to the dagger at the knight-general’s waist, which was from Damascus: “They have always had dealings with the Asamira family of Apollo, although they are Saracens, but a merchant is always a merchant—they have always wanted to sell their soap in Europe.”

"For... soap?"

“It’s probably also because Nurdin, that old lion, is no longer able to suppress those arrogant and unruly soldiers,” Bishop Andrei crossed his fingers. “The actions of the Kurdish uncle and nephew have already explained a lot. Compared to Fustat and Alexandria, Damascus is clearly more attractive. I would even say that if Nurdin really dies, the Zengi court and army will inevitably be thrown into chaos, and then…”

“We also have a king who has never accomplished anything, and the previous expedition ended in a dismal failure,” the knight steward quickly interjected. “Even if we were to launch another holy war within a year, or even two or three years, it would be extremely difficult—and our king would give it a try.”

"If he can truly capture Damascus, then for the next fifteen or twenty years, until his death, no one will disobey his will; but if he cannot..."

"He remains the King of Arathal, the Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre, and even Godfrey does not win every battle."

The Knightsmaster immediately became worried. "Should we give the Knights of Bethlehem a warning..."

Will he listen? Or will he think they want to seize power or are intentionally trying to exclude him?
"Let me give you a heads-up. At least don't let him incite the king in public. Those ministers can't send their own children to the king's side, and they're already green with envy. Once they can find something to do with him, they will definitely not let it go until they bring him down."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Cesar also noticed that the castle had suddenly become crowded after he had only been away for a little over a month.

Not only Abigail of Antioch and David of Tripoli, but also vassal or noble youths such as William of Apollo, Nash of Galilee, and Guy of Arabia, although they had all undergone "chosen ceremonies" in various churches and could not be "brothers without blood ties" to Baldwin, they were all sons of dukes and earls, and after becoming knights, they could serve as attendants to the king.

Raymond also knew that Cesar was completely different to Baldwin—he had no intention of severing their relationship immediately. If it were that simple, Bohemond would have done so long ago, and Heraclius wouldn't have let Cesar leave for so long—but he could make these young men, including his son David, serve the king.

No king is ever left all alone, especially since Bethlehem is an important military stronghold and economic center, and holds a sacred status second only to Arathi Basin. Cesar could not stay by Baldwin's side forever and never go anywhere else—since Amalric I granted him a fief, he had to assume the responsibilities of a lord.

When David saw Cesar, his heart felt like it was stuffed with a tangled ball of yarn—hard, astringent, and suffocating. His father had already told him the consequences; they were all grown up now and could no longer be as willful and reckless as children. Refusing to return to Baldwin out of guilt for the past would be a foolish act for both Baldwin and David.

“Cesar is neither the Earl of Bethlehem nor the Duke of Bethlehem; he is merely a Knight of Bethlehem. To obtain a title, he must establish sufficient merit in one or more wars, or the King must find him a titled heir. In any case, it will take several years. Then, due to a momentary lapse in judgment at that time, you will be forced to refuse to stand by the King’s side.”
Don't you know that now is when Baldwin needs you most? You, Abigail, Guy, William, Nash… are the ones who will accompany the king on campaigns or stand in court in the future—as for Cesar, I admit he is intelligent and has a deep friendship with the king, but he is ultimately just one person, while Baldwin will rule a nation.”

Yes, David thought, he could admit that Cesar was better than him in every way, but the king could not have only one person by his side. He held out his hand. “Cesar,” he said, “long time no see—welcome back.”

He will accept Cesar and will ask others to do the same; they should work together, for themselves and for Baldwin.

Cesar, of course, did not refuse. He took David's hand, and at the same time, his gaze swept over several faces that were not entirely unfamiliar—years had passed, and they had all grown up, but the characteristics and traces of their youth were still visible.

“Abigail isn’t here,” David misunderstood him: “He…”

“Always by the princess’s side,” a servant said, eliciting a burst of laughter, which was anything but friendly.

------

"Whose letter is this?" Abigail asked with an unfriendly expression. As he approached, he saw that the princess was holding a letter and reading its contents with a smile.

“This is none of your business,” the princess’s maidservant replied rudely, and before Abigail could erupt in anger, Princess Hibil raised her hand and said, “It’s nothing,” “This is a letter from Gerald’s Damara to me.”

Upon hearing that she was the princess's maid, Abigail's expression softened. "You seem quite pleased."

“Yes,” said the princess, “she granted my request.”

"What request?" Abigail asked curiously, as Hibil rarely used the word "request".

"She will break the oath Cesare made; Cesare will no longer be her knight."

(End of this chapter)