kingdom of nations

Chapter 133 Disputes and Admonitions

Baldwin was in a good mood today, or rather, he had been in a good mood ever since Cesar's identity was confirmed.

This good mood lasted until Patriarch Heraclius mentioned to him his desire to send César as an envoy to Apole.

"Are you crazy?" His eyes widened, almost unable to believe what he was hearing—"We've all seen his birth certificate! He's the sole heir of Count Josephine III of Edessa!"

He stood up and paced around the room, waving his hands, completely unable to comprehend Chirac's thoughts: "He no longer needs to do those dangerous things!"

Heraclius could understand Baldwin, the child he had watched be born and grow up. Before contracting leprosy, Baldwin was not as humble as he was now. On the contrary, he had all the flaws of a noble heir—irritable, fierce, autocratic, and with strong likes and dislikes.

He didn't care about Witt because these despicable people weren't worth his time. But people like David, Abigail, William, and Guy, who were once considered his friends but later betrayed him, still hadn't received his forgiveness.

Conversely, Cesar, who came to his side during his most difficult time, and who never wavered even after gaining the favor of a nobleman, and was even willing to risk his life for him several times, should rightfully receive his praise—he had already ascended the throne and firmly grasped power.

Even without Amalric I's dying gift and this belated surprise, Baldwin would likely have soon arranged a marriage for Cesar, marrying a female heir with a title and lands, thus elevating him to the rank of earl or even duke—such things have happened before.

The most recent one was Bohemond's stepfather, Renard of Châtillon. He was originally just a penniless knight with no land or title, who only wanted to try his luck in the Holy Land. He was indeed lucky and met Constance of Antioch.

After Cesar's identity was revealed to the world, Baldwin was overjoyed to the point of madness. He could now use and reward Cesar without any scruples. Unexpectedly, at this time, the Patriarch proposed that Cesar be sent as an envoy to Apollo, a hellish place that could turn into a bloody vortex at any moment!
“Don’t even think about it,” he said firmly. “Cesar can only stay in three places: Arazar Road, Bethlehem, or when we are together on the battlefield against the Saracens.”

This led to an argument between him and his teacher, Patriarch Heraclius, leaving poor Cesar caught in the middle, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Because of this, Baldwin was so angry that he didn't want to talk to him, but he wouldn't let him out of his sight either. He knew that Cesar could be a bit stubborn at times... and he was worried that Cesar would abandon him for Apollo because of a promise.

“I don’t understand,” Baldwin said angrily. “I am the King of Arathal, and you are my cousin. Whatever I am willing to give you—” he said in a rather extreme statement, “even my throne, they have no say in it!”

“Baldwin…” Cesar was only relieved that they had returned to Baldwin’s room. Because of what had happened when he first fell ill, Baldwin did not like being served by many people—attendants and servants dared not appear before the king without being summoned.

He had barely uttered a name when Baldwin interrupted him: "I know you're going to say those depressing things again—yes, I know I was once just... a useless man. I had leprosy, and everyone avoided me like the plague. I couldn't even leave my room. You had to bring me communion. And when the crisis came, no matter how anxious I was, I could only stand at this window, staring into the darkness and praying in vain."

I made mistakes, I almost lost you, I simply can't believe it. If you had died or been maimed that time, how could I face you, how could I face my mother...?

Cesare, you are so gentle. If someone owes you a debt, you will forgive it without hesitation—if they truly have no ability to repay. But if you owe someone, even if it's just a copper coin, you will find a way to repay it, even several times, dozens, or hundreds of times the amount.

I'm not blaming you. I just want to say that I remember every single thing you've done for me.

"Now I am King of Arazarus, and I will give you power, titles, and more lands. There's no need to feel uneasy," he chuckled. "Think about it. That fool Abigail—though he was chosen, has his father dared to send him out into the world these past two years?"
Whether it's fighting, negotiating, or even just attending a wedding or a funeral, his father dared not do it. He only dared to leave him in Holy Cross Castle, in a place where he could keep an eye on him and provide for him. This seemingly useless fellow will one day become the Grand Duke of Antioch, and will also be my vassal and minister. In any case, he will have a place in my court.

Why? Tell me, why? You are my best friend, my brother. Why should you have to risk your life to get what others can get effortlessly? If you want to achieve something great, there will be opportunities. We will go to the battlefield again—I need your protection and your support.

You can't be so selfish...

Baldwin turned around and stared intently at Cesar. Whether it was the dim light in the room or something else—his blue eyes were like eddies beneath a calm lake, dark and deep. His hands gripped Cesar's shoulders tightly, almost causing Cesar pain.

For a moment, Cesar almost agreed to Baldwin's offer. He did not crave power, but, as Heraclius said, if they did not go to Apollo at this time, they would have to wait for God to grant the Crusaders a miracle.

Heraclius also realized that, compared to the time of Godfrey of Bouillon, the current Crusades were clearly lacking in momentum. Amalric I still had the courage to organize a second expedition to Egypt, while the lords of Antioch, Tripoli, and other places relied more on peace, marriage alliances, and trade to maintain the status quo.

Leaving aside whether they even have the courage to launch a proactive attack—they don't even know their own enemies very well. Experienced people like Raymond and Bohemond would make the grave mistake of mistaking Nur ad-Din for an ordinary old man, confidently stating that even if the main force of the Crusades were all withdrawn, there would be no need to worry about Arathibas being threatened by the outside world.

“Calm down, Baldwin,” Cesar said, grabbing Baldwin’s hand in return. “I have something to tell you.”

"what?"

"Do you remember when I suddenly left the hall at the dinner party in Foster's?"

At this time, the banquets often last for a long time, from morning to late at night. It is not surprising that people occasionally leave the table. Some do so in response to the call of nature, some simply feel that the room is too stuffy—at this time, the only lighting is by torches and candles. Some people feel like vomiting because they have drunk too much wine or eaten too much meat, or they are annoyed by the performances of dwarfs and clowns.

After they returned to Arrasa Road, some people brought up Cesar's sudden departure during the banquet with ill intent, but no one paid any attention, not even Raymond, who had always disliked Cesar. After all, Cesar had fought his way through the guards outside the palace and rushed into the burning building to find them.

“A eunuch asked me to see someone, and that person was… Saladin.”

Saladin?

“Saladin intended to recruit me to his cause—he had an agreement with Shavar and knew that Shavar might perish with us, so before Shavar made his move, he managed to call me out of the banquet hall.”

“But you’ve returned.” “I’ve returned because I swore an oath to you, and I have never forgotten the kindness Amalric I showed me. I could not abandon you.”

"I believe."

"Then you should listen to me about one more thing. Do you know that this isn't the first time Saladin has met me?"

Do you remember when we dressed up as young Byzantine nobles and went to the market? I met a Saracen there. You may not have noticed him, but we had a brief conversation when you went into the tent to hear the results of the divination.

He wasn't a vicious person; he possessed a kind heart and a magnanimous spirit. But he certainly wasn't the type to waste his time and energy. So, what was his purpose in disguising himself and coming to Yalasaran? It couldn't possibly be for me.”

Cesar shook Baldwin's hand: "I think he probably wants to see Arrasa Road and the people who rule this country."

Then he saw it, and perhaps it was this visit that convinced him that Shavar's scheme would succeed. There's a saying in the Far East: "You must understand your enemy to achieve victory."

Saladin did indeed do what this statement required. Now it's our turn. We cannot be ignorant of our future enemies, and the sooner and more detailed our knowledge, the more we can do.

"Baldwin, I know you're not one to simply stay within Arathi Basin and passively accept the Saracen invasions and humiliations," he smiled.

“I know how people see us, but I’ve never taken their gazes and comments to heart. Why? Because I know that one day we will leave this place, and those disgusting gazes will one day be left behind, never to reach us again.”

“I admit I have such ambitions,” Baldwin said, resting his forehead on Cesar’s shoulder, his voice muffled. “But why you? It’s always you. I don’t want to go through what happened to Count Etienne again. That feeling of having to wait and being powerless to do anything is awful.”

“Perhaps you are right, I am selfish,” César said. “I want to do what others cannot do, for you, for myself, and for God.”

He didn't think so far ahead when he was giving Nourdin his final care, but he hoped that it would give him a chance to travel across half of Syria to Damascus, Busra, Homs, Hama, and Apol, known as the Eye of Syria, to meet the man who might one day become Sultan.

“You should know how precious this opportunity is, and I don’t think it’s a dangerous job. Unless they stop acknowledging Sultan Nur ad-Din as their guiding light, I can at least walk away unscathed.”

Baldwin remained silent for a long while, and Cesar almost thought he was about to persuade him, but he still stubbornly turned his head away.

"No, let me think about it, let me think about it some more."

But they didn't have much time to think or hesitate. Even though the weather wasn't too hot yet, and they had used salt and ice to delay the decomposition of the bodies, the messengers' procession still had almost a week to travel before reaching Apollo.

At this point, the Patriarch brought out someone César hadn't expected.

Queen Mother Maria.

Amalric I's marriage to the Countess of Jaffa ended when Baldwin was three years old, so for a long time, Holy Cross Castle was without a mistress in Baldwin's memory. He certainly loved his mother, but he also had to admit that Amalric I's new wife, the Byzantine princess Maria, was a respectable lady.

Although she was plain-looking, Maria possessed a decisive nature like a man and a variety of methods for dealing with both internal and external affairs. During the years that Amalric I was preparing for his second expedition, she managed the affairs inside and outside the castle perfectly while enduring the heavy pressure of not being able to conceive.

She knew everything about the king, who was also her husband, the two children he had with his previous wife, the guests, the vassals, and the knights. She handled everything well, and everyone said she was a good wife, a good mother, and a good hostess.

But did the Byzantine princess exhaust herself to take control of the entire castle just for a few words of praise? Of course not. When Amalric I suddenly died during an expedition, there was an endless stream of people trying to persuade her to side with Raymond or Bohemond.

She was certainly not foolish enough to stand against Baldwin; she knew Raymond well. He despised women and loathed outsiders (Byzantium), making it virtually impossible for a Byzantine princess to form an alliance with him. And Bohemond was even less likely to be involved; his son was the husband of Princess Sibil, and their child would be Baldwin IV's heir.

Unfortunately, she also had a daughter. Children always grow up quickly, and twelve years later her daughter could also have marriage and offspring, and use that to obtain Alasaroo—unless she was willing to remarry Bohemond and give him custody of Isabella, it would be impossible for him to change his ways.

However, this is pure fantasy. Bohemond's marriage to his first wife is still valid (she is also a Byzantine princess), and they still have Abigail. Unless Bohemond has gone mad, he would not abandon this grown child (regardless of whether he is stupid or not) to marry Maria and fight for power with his stepdaughter's husband.

However, if she wholeheartedly supports Baldwin, the new king of Alassaru, and Baldwin can hold out until Isabella gets married and has children, it's hard to say who will ultimately wear the crown of Alassaru.
She will be a credible ally for at least the next decade or so.

After the Patriarch specifically spoke to her about this matter, she invited Baldwin and Cesar that very evening.

When they arrived, the first thing Queen Mary did was to serve them an incredibly lavish meal, all prepared to the tastes of Cesar and Baldwin.

After the two boys, who were in the prime of their growth, had thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meal and were quite satisfied, their reactions began to slow down. The Queen Mother smiled and handed the little princess Isabella, who had been muttering to herself, to Cesar, asking him to take her to play next door.

Cesar looked at Baldwin with sympathy, feeling that Baldwin had recently become a bit too complacent.

For the first time, he ignored Baldwin's pleading look, picked up Princess Isabella, and followed the chuckling maid out.

(End of this chapter)