kingdom of nations

Chapter 154 Breakthrough (3)

This is not the end, but the prelude.

The Abole Citadel alone is nine times the size of Arrassa Road, and the entire city of Abole is terrifyingly vast, especially on nights like this.

When the Christian mission first entered the city, it seemed majestic, solemn, and unshakeable. But now it felt like a sandcastle built by a child on the beach, shaky and prone to cracks and collapses.

And the soldiers who would arrive from time to time, accompanied by shouts and curses, came in an endless stream, like the all-pervasive sea. Of course, they weren't necessarily all Saracens; they could also be Turks, Kurds, or Nubians. They had different beliefs, different skin colors, and different masters, but they had one thing in common: they wanted to take advantage of the chaos in this great city to seize their own interests.

If a strong-willed new Sultan had been in power at that moment, and had immediately summoned the Emirs and Fatah, ordering them to gather and control their subordinates, the situation might not have been so dire. But as it turned out, the collapse of this sandcastle was irreversible.

Sometimes, those who encountered the Christians were not necessarily bandits taking advantage of the chaos; they could be local residents organized to protect their homes, or soldiers summoned by credible "scholars" to guard the new Sultan.

If it were the former, they would indeed feel fear and then hatred towards Cesar and his ilk, who were clearly Christians. However, as long as the Saracens around them shouted the words Muhammad had uttered when he entered Mecca—"Stay at home and you will be safe"—not many would be truly willing to fight these knights with their sharp blades and gleaming armor.

If it's the latter, then it's even simpler. Most of the "scholars" here have met with the ministers, who have listened to their appeals, and the scholars have done things for the ministers—some of them are even friends, often spending time together in libraries or hookah parlors.

Kamal wasn't lying about this; their presence did indeed prevent many unnecessary fights from breaking out among the Christian knights, except for wasting a little time—because if anyone recognized them, they would surely grab their robes and ask about the situation at Apollo Castle.

The response from Kamal and the others was equally despairing. An elderly "scholar" stood on the ground, clutching his robe tightly, his face filled with grief: "Where should we go? Tell me, venerable Kamal, you are so wise, you will surely be able to show us a way."

“All I can say is that you must be patient for now. I am going to find a wise ruler,” Kamal said. “If he truly does what he promised, I will bring him back.”

The Zengid dynasty was originally a traditionalist group among the Saracens, which meant that they did not believe that only those with Sultan blood could become Sultan. As long as someone had talent, courage, and devout faith, they were willing to recognize him as Sultan.

Upon hearing this, the other person let out a bitter laugh. "I believe you, sir." He released his grip: "May God bless you."

"May God bless us, bless Apol, bless Syria."

As he watched Kamal and the Christian knights depart, the scholar was filled with sorrow. But he took a deep breath and turned to his students and sons. “People of our neighborhood,” he said solemnly, “go home immediately and close your doors. No matter who comes, even if they claim to be acting on the orders of the Sultan or the Grand Vichir, do not open them.”

"...Is this really possible? What if a new Sultan is born and asks us to go and pay our respects to him?" his eldest son asked doubtfully.

"A new Sultan?" The scholar looked up at the Aleppo Citadel, where thick smoke and flames could still be seen rising, and the towering walls on either side of the south gate. He said in a chilling tone, "Let's talk about the new Sultan after two heads are raised there."

He certainly saw the ministers who were fleeing in panic.

These ministers were all universally recognized as respectable men. Even if the new Sultan were mediocre, or if the princes were willing to sit down and peacefully divide the lands left by their father, like Sultan Nur ad-Din and his brother, they wouldn't easily leave. After all, like Kamal, whose family had operated in Apol for centuries, yet now he had given up everything and fled the city alone—didn't that speak volumes?

As it turned out, the scholar's prediction was remarkably accurate. The next morning, two grotesque, blood-stained heads were indeed hanging on the city walls on either side of the South Tower. However, the eunuchs who had hung the heads carefully cleaned their faces so that everyone could clearly see who the two dead were.

Some people exclaimed in surprise, for they were actually two adult princes.

The eldest prince and the second prince were like two hungry hyenas trapped in a small room, tearing at each other and devouring each other's flesh, unaware of the hand hidden in the shadows.

The First Lady was as meek as a flower that could be plucked at will in front of Sultan Noordin.

But even before Noordin's death, or even earlier, a sharp thorn had already sprouted in the lady's heart. She did not have her own son, but she had Noordin's third son, Saleh. Compared to the already grown and ambitious eldest and second princes, Saleh, who was still a child, was certainly more in line with the First Lady's needs.

Moreover, she had been the sole administrator of the harem for decades, and the vast majority of eunuchs and palace maids had long been accustomed to obeying her orders. They led the eldest and second princes into the throne room and forced their followers to shed their last drop of blood there.

The First Lady watched them fight madly for their own greed before the Sultan's throne through a hidden hole, as if observing wild beasts at combat. In the final moment, the eldest prince's scimitar sliced ​​across the second prince's neck, and the second prince's head fell to the ground. In his last remaining consciousness, besides his brother's excited laughter, he saw only the tip of the knife that suddenly appeared in the other's chest.

No one knows when the eldest prince's guards betrayed him. The second prince's head revealed a twisted smile, perhaps because his enemy had finally gotten his comeuppance, or perhaps it was a mockery of the eldest prince and himself.

They initially didn't take their youngest brother seriously. Although his birth mother was also born into a Fatah family, his father's province was far from Apol, and the uprising had only lasted a day. Even if he had an army, how could they possibly arrive in time?
As it turns out, they weren't the only ones who had been preparing for this day. The First Lady, who always treated all children equally and was so docile as to be somewhat dull, was as swift and decisive as thunder when she took action, leaving no room for doubt.

As the eldest prince collapsed, clutching his chest, he saw in horror that his mother and the second prince's mother had also been brought out.

The two women were forced to kneel before the First Lady, and then two eunuchs pulled them by their hair, made them raise their heads, and cut their two fair necks like killing chickens.

Blood flowed like a red carpet. The First Lady turned to look at the throne, took a deep breath, and then reached out her hand to Saleh, who was nestled in her mother's arms. "Come, new Sultan," she said, "come to me." The new Sultan's mother hesitated for a moment, then released her hands and nudged Saleh toward the First Lady.

The youngest prince slowly walked over and was embraced by the First Lady. Then, holding him in her arms, they sat together on the Sultan's throne. Even before Nur ad-Din died, she had gazed at this throne, wondering what it would feel like to sit on it.

Now she finally knew, but unfortunately she hadn't had time to feel more before a eunuch rushed over and whispered something in her ear.

The First Lady immediately glanced at the chief eunuch, the one who had served Nur ad-Din, who had been captured by the Crusaders along with his master. However, he had been ransomed by the First Lady during subsequent negotiations, and thus remained loyal to her. Furthermore, his presence further solidified Saleh's legitimacy.

When the head eunuch saw the First Lady's expression suddenly change, he immediately stepped forward. "There's no one left in the prison," the First Lady said in a low voice.

"Were they killed, or..." The head eunuch paused, "...was someone released them? Who was it?"

“Camal,” the First Lady said, “he bribed the jailers and took everyone away.”

“It was our oversight.” The head eunuch frowned. They had left these people until the end to show their favor, after the eldest and second princes had done those things to them (and some of their people had deliberately fueled the flames).

While they were suffering and fearing death at any moment, the First Lady reappeared before them with Prince Saleh, rescuing them from the filthy prison like angels descending.

Let them bathe, drink grape juice, and enjoy the service of palace maids, and then promise them that they will be rewarded for the suffering they have endured... Is there any need to worry that they will not be devoted to the new Sultan and his regent in the days to come?
But Kamal's actions completely disrupted their plans, and the First Lady was puzzled: "Why did Kamal do that?" However, she immediately waved her hand, since the deed was already done, there was no need to investigate the reasons at this point.

She looked at the chief eunuch: "Did Kamal's family support him? Where did he find the army? Without an army, a few scholars alone could not have left Apol intact."

These officials served the Sultan in Apollo's court; they were neither generals in the army nor governors of a province. They lacked experience in mounted warfare, and even with the prophet's revelation, it was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

“They went with those Christian knights,” the eunuch said, and then a second eunuch returned to report. He had gone to deal with the Christians on behalf of the First Lady—but the instructions they received were completely opposite.

The first eunuch received a decree to give those in despair a chance to be forgiven and given a chance to live; while the second eunuch received a decree to ensure that not a single Christian was spared and killed in Apollo.

Previously, the First Lady had also sent a group of beautiful female slaves through the Second Prince. She knew that these Christians had all sworn to remain chaste, just like their monks, and would not touch women, especially pagans.

But she didn't believe that these hot-blooded young men would really keep their promises without any constraints or supervision. She had heard that some knights in the knightly orders also kept female slaves—for them, female slaves were not considered people, so they were not considered to have broken their oaths.

"When did they leave?" the First Lady asked sternly.

“Before… we found two slaves who said that Lord Camar found them when the disturbance occurred in the King’s Hall, and…” He glanced at the head eunuch, seemingly hesitant to continue—there was no need to hide anything now, and the First Lady waved her hand, allowing him to continue.

The chief eunuch then learned that the First Lady had poisoned Count Joseph III of Edessa and his wife. He looked at the First Lady with an indescribable expression. Why would she do such a thing? It was completely unnecessary. The struggle between the three princes had nothing to do with this Christian.

Moreover, this Christian knight did indeed perform the "purification" ceremony for their Sultan. According to doctrine, if he were a Saracen, the First Lady would even have to regard him as a son without blood relation, and he would also be Saleh's "brother" in the future.

Of course, since he is a Christian, none of that is possible, but at least... he shouldn't be treated as an enemy.

Moreover, that important verbal agreement wasn't something Kamal made in secret—he had sent a message back to Apole by pigeon and received an accurate reply from Apole. In other words, the three ladies and the princes had already agreed to the matter and wanted to regard this Christian as their benefactor.

However, the First Lady's reward was the poisoning of his parents.

“I can’t tell you the reason. I can only say that I have to do this. Someone wants them to never speak, preferably before they see any Christians,” the First Lady said anxiously. The head eunuch opened his mouth, but he couldn’t blame the First Lady. After all, they would be the closest allies from now on, and the First Lady had already taken remedial measures.

This "remedy" does not mean trying to erase the mistake after incurring such hatred, but rather to nip it in the bud.

The female slaves they had previously sent carried deadly poison, which they would sprinkle into the knights' drinks during their revelry. However, they hadn't anticipated that César and Geoffroy wouldn't allow them to even touch the knights, and the eldest prince's coup was launched much earlier than planned. By the time César and his men set off, they hadn't found an opportunity to approach the knights.

"There's no point in saying more now, Madam. You need to make a decision."

The First Lady knew that the chief eunuch was referring to the ministers. “Since they have betrayed the Sultan, whether it be Nur ad-Din or his son, there is no need to keep them alive,” the First Lady said. “Let our soldiers pursue them and kill them in the desert outside Apol.”

(End of this chapter)