kingdom of nations

Chapter 166 The Isaacs' New Year (3) (Bonus Chapter Combined)
Even the usually quick-witted César could barely grasp the meaning of that sentence.

Hibyl is pregnant, which is certainly a good thing, but what does it have to do with Baldwin? He hasn't yet connected Baldwin's sudden arrival in Bethlehem with Hibyl's pregnancy, but his sister Natia beside him let out a soft gasp.

When César turned to look at her, he found Natia gazing at them with concern. What was she pitying, and what was she indignant about? César understood.

Baldwin watched as a crimson flame rose on Cesar's cheeks, not from the heat, but from anger. He quickly grabbed Cesar's hands and forced him to stay by his side. "It's Abigail. Perhaps he values ​​this hard-won child too much."

Although it's true that an ordinary couple might wait several years, even a decade or more, without children before saying such a thing, people had already assumed Baldwin wouldn't have any children of his own. Hibern and Abigail's child was his heir, the future king of the Kingdom of Arazarus. Even though they had only been married for a few months without any news, some people were already tossing and turning, praying all night.

Now that this good news has finally arrived, they certainly don't want anyone to ruin it, including the king.

"You are the king. You are the true master of Holy Cross Castle."

Although as a doctor he knew that both fetuses in the womb and newborns are extremely vulnerable, Baldwin's symptoms were now under control and alleviated, but the venom in his body remained, and no one could be sure whether it would affect this important infant.

But if that's the case, Hibil and Abigail could simply leave Holy Cross Castle. If they did, even Cesar would be grateful to them, and might even feel a little guilty.

Their current behavior of turning the tables can only be described as taking advantage of favor. Of course, this favor is merely something they imagine, or rather, it only exists on their lips.

Putting aside other matters, when Baldwin was still the heir apparent, no one suggested removing him from Sainte Cross Castle during Queen Maria's pregnancy and childbirth. During that period, Baldwin merely reduced the frequency of his visits to her, and even when they gathered in the chapel for Mass and communion, they simply maintained a distance and did not share a cup.

Why didn't anyone stand up and criticize him back then, arguing that he should have made way for that unborn child?

The joy of seeing Baldwin had vanished. Cesar had thought it was just a mischievous and fun visit, but he never expected the truth hidden beneath to be so ugly.

"I also really want a healthy heir."

Baldwin could only try his best to hold onto the furious Cesar—not that heavy, after all, Cesar was still in a weak state. He was like trying to catch a furious big cat, holding his companion tightly, afraid of hurting him, yet moved by his tenderness.

“Alright, alright,” it was now his turn to appease Cesar, a truly novel feeling. “I am not a poor man with nowhere to go. I am the King of Arazarus. I can go anywhere in the Holy Land, including here—it’s not a big problem for a king to be warmly received in the lands of his friends and relatives and stay for a few months.”

No, not at all. Baldwin could hold Cesar's hands and grab his shoulders, but he couldn't use a third hand to control Cesar's mouth.

Without hesitation, Cesar turned around and shouted, and Longinus, who was outside the door, immediately rushed in. He saw his young master staring coldly at him and ordering, "Bring Bishop Andre back."

Bishop Andrea stepped onto the lord's threshold for the third time tonight, puzzled as to why Cesar had suddenly invited him back. Had some dispute arisen between the two young men that required his impartial judgment? Was it a game of chess, gambling, or some other matter of interest or action?

He even thought of the Isaacs' New Year, but not of Holy Cross Castle—when he saw Bishop Andrei step into the room, Baldwin helplessly lowered his hand.

Bishop Andrei bowed to the king, then nodded to Cesare. Longinus brought over a chair, sat down, and asked the two boys with a smile what had happened.
His eyes continued to scan the room, searching for the chessboard and dice.

When César told him that Hibil was pregnant, Bishop Andrei's first reaction was the same as his: "This is good news."

After Hibernath and Abigail slept together, everyone eagerly awaited this joyous occasion. If she were to give birth to a son, they would no longer have to worry about the kingdom of Arazarus falling into turmoil due to another extinction of its lineage.

Moreover, the previous kings and Baldwin IV had proven that this bloodline was qualified to continue in this most sacred place. But he then looked at Baldwin in astonishment and found that his face showed more than just the joy of reuniting with his friend.

It wasn't unheard of for a king to suddenly appear at the home of a subject, though somewhat rash. It was also common for a king to leave his castle and travel to various places. The Frankish kings often did this, both to observe whether the lords and nobles harbored any ill intentions and to suppress them promptly, and also to understand the state of his entire kingdom, rather than remaining in his castle as a mere puppet.

As for taking the opportunity to make those disobedient fellows pay the enormous expenses for the king's stay, that's another trivial matter.

Therefore, no one objected when Baldwin toured the defenses of the Arathi High Road under Cesar's service. Now that he is staying in Bethlehem, the officials and people of Bethlehem might even welcome him—after all, he has not brought his army and court, but has come lightly, like a friend.

But regardless of the method, the most important premise is that it must come from the king's own will and not from being coerced.

Bishop Andrei was a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. He held Baldwin in high regard not only as an elder's expectations of a young man, but also as a subject's loyalty to the king, and as a knight's obedience and respect for the Grand Master of the Order.

Cesar made the right choice; Bishop Andrei would absolutely not tolerate such a thing. "Have you told anyone else?" he asked immediately.

Baldwin hesitated for a moment. Abigail had come to greet him on behalf of Hibil. There was no one in the room at the time, and when Abigail knelt on the ground and made the impolite request, he felt not much anger, but just a surge of annoyance. At that time, he was thinking about Cesar, so without thinking, he took two squires, put on his cloak, and left Holy Cross Castle as a knight of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.

"That means most people in Holy Cross Castle don't know you've left yet."

“It’s Bohemond.” Bishop Andre immediately seized on the old fox’s tail. He had no evidence, but some things don’t need evidence at all.

"It was... Abigail's suggestion."

“But Bohemond must have been behind this. Perhaps Raymond and some other ministers as well.” Bishop Andrei pondered, “They are pressuring you—they know you love your sister…so they’re using that as a pretext—ha, to make way for a king to leave his castle? To make way for an unborn baby?”

Who did they think it could be? Hercules? (A demigod in Greek mythology, son of Zeus, who strangled two serpents in his cradle)

"Perhaps it's because of that period before...that made them a bit..."

Baldwin's words drew a disapproving glance from Bishop Andre, who then glared at Cesar. Cesar sighed helplessly, knowing why Bishop Andre was glaring at him. He must feel that Bishop Andre had led Baldwin astray, which was why he was still reflecting on his mistakes at this moment.

A young talent became king and stepped forward to save the day when his experienced generals and ministers made an irreparable mistake. The Holy Land was indeed in grave danger. If he hadn't defeated an army of tens of thousands in the first battle and captured their old adversary, Sultan Nur ad-Din, the Holy Land might have fallen long ago by the time Raymond and Bohemond returned with their army.

The price of this great victory was only a few dozen casualties, a result that left people bewildered. Some even said that God had sent angels to help the king and Arazarus achieve victory.

Baldwin IV thus went from being the successor of Amalric I to the successor of St. George. Everyone was watching him, and people believed that he could not only fulfill the duties of a king and the commander of the Crusades, but also do what the previous king of Arathi had not done—lead the Crusades into Syria or Egypt to conquer more land and cities for the Christians.

In retrospect, Baldwin was overly calm, like a kind-hearted child who, after slightly crossing a line, immediately realizes his mistake and feels immense remorse. But what right or face do those people have to criticize him?

Baldwin IV relieved the crisis at Arrassal and returned in triumph, while they were still in the cold, muddy ground, being chased by the Turks.

The losses they inflicted on the Knights and the Crusaders were so great that Bishop Andrei could hardly keep track of them or recall them properly. This is why he was so grateful to Cesar—at that time, he did not approve of Baldwin's actions, the Knights had already suffered heavy losses, and he still had to spare thirty men to serve as Cesar's guards.

Even though this mission wouldn't be too dangerous, if the Knights suffered another blow, they might really find themselves in a predicament where they couldn't keep up with the situation. So, you can imagine how happy he was when he saw the thirty knights return to him unharmed, back to Arrasa Road.

Before he could even hold the culprits accountable, they were already righteously blaming the person who cleaned up their mess...

It was a pity they weren't in front of him now, otherwise he would have certainly taken off his gloves and thrown them in front of them—the bishop stood up and walked to the window. There weren't many luxuries in the room. There were only the necessities like a water clock, ink, and parchment, as well as the glass inlaid in the wooden windows, which made his room always bright and warm, making people feel comfortable and not oppressed at first glance.

Now, through the glass, Bishop Andrei could only see a dark sky, and all the scenery looked as if it had been burned by charcoal, so black that no other color could be seen.

"It seems you'll have to rest here tonight. Tomorrow, the knights and I will escort you back to Holy Cross Castle."

Baldwin wanted to refuse, but he heard Cesar beside him let out a sigh of relief.

Bishop Andrei's strong reaction and Cesar's unusual persistence made him hesitate. Baldwin thought to himself, "Perhaps I've done something foolish again."

The bishop was a straightforward man. After bidding farewell to the king, he immediately left the room. Before the door was even closed, Baldwin and Cesar heard him loudly instructing his servants to summon the knights. It seemed that the old man would not be able to sleep tonight. A sense of apology crossed Cesar's mind.

But this was clearly a test, or perhaps a counterattack. "Do you know how long this child has been around?" As he left, Abigail was being driven nearly mad by his father's urging.

“Maybe… less than two months.” Baldwin said in a low voice, “Hibile’s condition wasn’t good. She was still bleeding in the first month, but in the second month she wasn’t… well, then the priests examined her. They used Christian, Isaac and Saracen methods, and Egyptian methods, and it turned out she was pregnant, and the child was very likely a boy—it was barley that had sprouted.”

After news of Cesar's imprisonment in Damascus reached him, Hiberl publicly announced it. While he anxiously awaited Cesar's return, Abigail repeatedly hinted to him that he should stay away from them for the sake of Hiberl's and the baby's health.

Not long ago, he even brought this suggestion into the open.

Although he knelt at Baldwin's feet, trying to persuade him with tears and pleas, the reproach and impatience in his eyes were almost overflowing. Baldwin could understand his unease; this was the most important gamble of his life. If he won, his future would be limitless; if he lost—if Hibyl did not give birth to a boy, or gave birth to a stillborn child, or the child died shortly after birth—he would have to endure the same torment again.

If he fails time and time again, even his father will propose to annul his engagement with Hibil. In order for Hibil to find another husband, the blame for this marriage will be placed entirely on him, and he will become a ridiculed eunuch.

He had lost his last purpose; unable to gallop across the battlefield, and even less capable of scheming in the court, he couldn't even satisfy a woman in bed. It was easy to imagine that in the future, he would have nowhere to go but a monastery. His father would probably have preferred to entrust Antioch to a stranger rather than to this son who was worse than having no son at all.

But wouldn't Baldwin be angry? Of course he would; he almost whipped Abigail and told him to get out of his room.

But he also thought of Hibil, his own sister after all. After Amalric I's death, she was one of his few remaining relatives, enduring the pain of pregnancy to give birth to an heir for him and for Arazarus. Perhaps he shouldn't be so selfish. So he disguised himself as a knight, took two squires, and left Holy Cross Castle that very night.

His thoughts were simple, and not entirely out of coercion. He genuinely wanted to be with his blood relatives and companions at this time, rather than seeing those hypocritical and detestable faces. Cesar was weak in body, but he was weak in soul.

When he heard that Cesar was trapped in Damascus, he almost thought he was going to lose him.

Fortunately, no, the Saracens kept their promise, but as a consequence, César became very weak. However, this was actually a good thing for them; he could stay by César's side, and the two of them could get through this difficult time together. Once Hibil gave birth to a son, he would return to Holy Cross Castle, perhaps with César in tow—wouldn't that be even better?
Unfortunately, neither Cesar nor Bishop Andrei seemed inclined to agree. "There's no need to tidy up the other rooms, sister, let Baldwin and me sleep together," Cesar said.

His Bethlehem mansion was not newly built; it originally belonged to a merchant. He offered it to him voluntarily, and of course, César insisted on paying him the market price, but in return, the merchant did not take the furniture from the site.

Apart from needing to install glass in the wooden windows, almost everything else in this bedroom was changed. Some furniture and decorations were even removed, but the daybed in front of the window and the bed deep in the room were preserved. This bed was exceptionally large, taking up almost half of the room.

Natia had once asked Cesar whether the bed should be removed.

At this time, the noblemen did not favor overly large beds, perhaps because such large beds easily reminded them of the furniture used by poor farmers, if a few planks of wood could be called furniture.

To save materials and retain heat, these wooden plank beds, which could barely insulate against the cold air from the ground, were always made very large. Then everyone—parents, brothers, sisters, and even sheep and pigs—could squeeze together on this so-called bed, huddling together and relying on the heat they gathered to get through the entire winter.

Moreover, according to church law, the union of men and women was for procreation only, not for pleasure. Therefore, noble couples would even have separate rooms, or if they could not have separate rooms, they should have separate beds, each with their own small bed.

Moreover, people at this time slept more often while sitting up, believing that this would confuse Death and make Death think they were resting rather than sleeping—a long sleep. But the more practical reason was that because the room was enclosed, charcoal was burning in the fireplace, and lighting relied on candles and torches, people's respiratory and lung health was not ideal, and sitting up allowed them to breathe more easily.

People like César, who had received blessings, certainly didn't need to consider this issue, but moving this enormous bed out of the room had become an impossible task. The original owner probably had a carpenter bring the parts into the room and assemble them there, using a lot of strong shellac and resin.

If they want to move this bed now, they'll have to chop it up, which is a shame, as it's made of fine oak, with bedposts and exquisite carvings.

So Cesar simply kept it. Well, he wasn't going to invite the pigs and sheep to sleep with him anyway, so what did it matter if the bed was bigger? Now it was convenient for him and Baldwin.

Baldwin refused his service while bathing: "You are now the Earl of Edessa, and such things are not befitting your status."

At this time, strange rules such as the later "wake-up ceremony" and "bedtime ceremony" had not yet appeared, so Cesar could only let Longinus go in to serve him.

Because it was already late at night, Baldwin quickly tidied himself up. When he came out of the bathroom next to the bedroom, Cesar took out the ointment. Baldwin only glanced at it before hurriedly turning his head away, saying, "I've already applied it."

"Didn't the teacher say that we should wait until the skin is completely dry before applying the ointment?"

Cesar sat on the edge of the bed with the ointment in his hand, watching him quietly without urging him on, but without moving.

Baldwin took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't hide it anymore: "I didn't want you to know this." He unbuttoned a whole row of buttons on his long undershirt, pulled his arm out from inside, revealing half of his back, and Cesar's face changed as soon as he saw it.

He stood up and hurriedly lit a few more candles so that he could see better.

Sure enough, Baldwin's condition worsened. What had started as just red spots and small rashes had now developed into erosions and hardening. "The teacher said... it's not very serious." Baldwin swallowed hard, which was why he hadn't insisted on going to Damascus.

The symptoms that had been suppressed seemed to suddenly erupt in those few days. Chiraclo solemnly reminded him that if he insisted, he might fall ill on the way, at which point he would not only be unable to support Cesar, but might even become a burden to him.

If he dies on the way, César will be held accountable, and the worst outcome would be execution for treason.

He forced himself to suppress his anxiety, but since the fire could not be vented outwards, it could only erupt internally.

He expected Cesar to blame him and complain, knowing how much Cesar valued his health, even more than his own. But when he turned around, he only saw a pair of sad eyes.

He tried to smile, but tears streamed down his face the next moment. He could no longer care about anything else and rushed towards Cesar. They embraced tightly, the ointment falling to the floor, but no one paid any attention.

All the worries, anxieties, resentment, trepidation, and sorrow erupted completely at this moment.

He once thought he only had César, but Amalric I told him that as king, he would have countless people around him who were willing to give their loyalty, blood, flesh, and glory for him. But the king was wrong. To this day, he still only has César by his side.

Perhaps it will be the same in the future.

The next morning, Bishop Andrei led his knights to greet the king with great anticipation. He was delighted to find that the young king's complexion had not worsened after staying there for one night; on the contrary, it had improved.

He was in high spirits, as if he had shaken off the gloom of the past, and he did not refuse the service and accompaniment of the Knights of Bethlehem. Bishop Andrei also felt that this was the right thing to do, since the king might still encounter some thorny problems after returning home, and it would be best to have the new Earl of Edessa standing by his side to support him.

Not to mention how astonished and incredulous the people of Holy Cross Castle were when they saw this group of people.

Even Queen Mother Mary and Patriarch Heraclius were stunned, as if struck by lightning. They then learned that the King had gone to Bethlehem overnight to see his close friend and blood relative. However, such a thing happening between Baldwin and Cesar was not surprising and could even be considered a good story.

The problem is that if the king stayed in Bethlehem for several days, or even became so engrossed in his stay that they didn't want to leave, they wouldn't feel anything unusual except to write letters to reprimand and urge him on. But if he only stayed for one night and then quickly returned, that would be a bit strange.

Queen Mother Maria originally lived with Amalric I in the main tower, but when Baldwin finally emerged from his grief and was willing to leave his left tower, Queen Mother Maria did not hesitate for a moment to give up her room with the king and move to the left tower.

She didn't mind that the left tower was a place where a leper had once lived. She had heard the castle steward complain about how strict César was with the servants, and that the left tower was much cleaner and more comfortable than the main tower where she now lived.

Similarly, Hibil and Abigail also moved here after their marriage, mainly because there weren't many rooms left in the right tower for them.

Queen Mary was thus slightly annoyed, as she could hear the newlyweds arguing and fighting almost every night. Hibern even moved back to his own room several times, refusing to share a bed with Abigail.

But she did have an unprecedentedly good night's sleep last night, and thought that the couple was finally willing to settle down after having a child.

Unexpectedly—the Queen Mother looked at Abigail and Hibil, who were walking out of the main tower, with a livid expression, and asked, "How did you come out of there?"

"I just want to live with my brother, is that not allowed?" Of course, it was Hibil who answered her.

But as Hibyl said, she was the mistress of the castle, and Queen Mary had the right to discipline any of the children in the castle, even though she was now married and about to become a mother.

But to her surprise, before she could say or do anything, Abigail rushed over fiercely and stood menacingly in front of Hibil. The Queen Mother was almost laughing in anger, but there was not much anger in her. What was there to be angry about?
Abigail didn't even realize that once Hibil had a son or more, his existence would be meaningless, just like Fulke I, a knight who had fought on the battlefield for many years, who fell off his horse and broke his neck during a hunt—a ridiculous thing in itself.

There are still people who haven't learned their lesson. Being the king of Arrassal is not an easy job, not to mention he is not as good as Fulke I. He is useless on the battlefield and in the court. Hibil doesn't love him much either. And the person Hibil always wanted to emulate was none other than her grandmother, Melisandre (Fulke I's wife).

Abi was oblivious to this; his face flushed with excitement, he thought he finally had a chance to show the princess his abilities and impress her. He rushed at the maids and servants, punching them and shouting insults and curses at them—because they had disturbed his wife and unborn child.

The knights, nearly caught off guard by the commotion, rushed to intervene; the scene was chaotic beyond description. Queen Mary, too, quickly noticed the commotion, especially since Baldwin, usually an early riser, hadn't come out to investigate or send a servant to inquire…

Having witnessed countless conspiracies hidden behind veils, this former Byzantine princess immediately sensed something was amiss. "Where is His Majesty the King?"

“I don’t know,” Hibil replied quickly. “He is now the king, no longer my brother. He doesn’t need to report his every move to me, nor do I have the right to do so.”

Her words were full of resentment, but the Queen Mother merely smiled slightly. In her opinion, perhaps because he only had this one sister, the young king had already been more than kind to Hibil. After all, Hibil practically had the phrase "Only I can bear you an heir" etched on her face, regarding it as her greatest achievement and glory, even surpassing Baldwin IV's great victory at the Sea of ​​Galilee.

The flattery she received caused her to lose the composure and caution that a princess should have. Although she learned to pretend after the incident with Count Étienne, in the eyes of Queen Mother Maria, Hibyl's acting was so clumsy that it was glaring. She seemed to have forgotten that she not only had a younger brother, but also a younger sister, and that a girl only needs a little over ten years to grow from an infant to an adult.

Perhaps she thought Baldwin couldn't wait that long.

Compared to such a fool, the Queen Mother would certainly prefer to cooperate with Baldwin IV. After spending the last few years with him, she could only say that Baldwin was not only a good king, but also a good son and brother. If Baldwin IV were to die prematurely, Hibern and Abi would have to take the throne. Mary was truly worried that if they ascended the throne today, she and her daughter would die a violent death the next day.

Patriarch Heraclius then rushed over and learned that this foolish woman had instigated her husband to say some seemingly plausible but absurd things to the king, causing the king to leave Castle Sainte-Croix in a fit of anger.

"What do you think King Alassalu is?"

He left those words behind and went with the others to greet the king. Fortunately, the king had a dear brother and friend, so he was not without a place to go. César reacted quickly; when he heard that the king had come in disguise and with few attendants, he found it strange and soon found out the truth. He immediately sent Baldwin IV back.

Among the welcoming crowd, Count Raymond of Tripoli's surprise seemed somewhat unreal, while David was genuinely astonished, though he avoided Hibil's gaze. Bohemond, on the other hand, wore a half-smile—it seemed the plan had failed, but for him, it was no big deal; what mattered more was the child in Hibil's womb.

The Queen Mother also saw him. She turned her head away with disgust, as if she had seen a venomous snake. She was temporarily unable to fight against a great nobleman like Bohemond, but she was not without any power to fight back.

(End of this chapter)