kingdom of nations

Chapter 167 The Isaacs' New Year (4)

Go to Nazareth.

Upon hearing this, Hibler instantly lost the composure she had been trying to maintain. She stared at Baldwin in disbelief, as if she were looking at a monster that had transformed into her brother.

She remained fearless because she knew Baldwin was a soft-hearted fellow. She even jokingly told Abigail in private that although her brother was known as Little St. George on the battlefield, he was as weak as a woman when facing his family. He would weep in his mother's arms and give in again and again to his sister's soft pleas.

That was certainly true before today.

Baldwin sat behind his desk, arms crossed, calmly watching her.

Even at this point, even though he had realized that his sister might not love him as much as he thought, he was still willing to be lenient with her, considering that they shared the same father and mother. However…

Why do you insist on staying in Holy Cross Castle?

He asked, somewhat puzzled, "Does the fact that this child was born outside of the Castle of the Holy Cross mean I will disown him and prevent him from being the heir to this kingdom? As a pregnant woman, what you need most right now is quiet rest and not to think about too many things. Nalsa is a prosperous and beautiful city, and I have already promised the bishop there that I will donate a small chapel for him."

You can spend the next few months at his residence until the child is born, after which he will be welcomed back to Arrasa Road, and I will have Patriarch Heraclius baptize him. He paused, without promising when he would publicly declare the child his heir.

After all, infant mortality was very common in this era, and he didn't want the Kingdom of Arazar to announce that it had an heir, only to have one die next month or next year. This would inevitably cast an ominous shadow over Arazar and their families.

Hibyl was speechless; of course, she couldn't reveal their scheme clearly. This was also because Baldwin had grown up on Arrassa Road and was unaware of the poison brewing in the courts of the Franks or the Apennines.

It's a fairly simple scheme, but once it succeeds, it kills three birds with one stone.

It might not be so obvious on Arrassa Road. But in the Frankish court, to see how high someone might rise in the future, one would look at how much favor he could gain from the king, or even from the highest-ranking person.

The latter, to show favor to someone, do not need to be as direct as Baldwin. Their gestures are usually quite subtle, perhaps just saying the first words to someone (within a day), allowing them to be the first to accompany them, and—asking others (often a former favorite) to make way for them or give up their room, etc.

The rise of a new star often begins with these smallest details. You can see it as a means for kings to control their subjects, but it is certainly much simpler than leaving ministers and generals guessing the king's intentions.

If Baldwin were to leave Holy Cross Castle as they hoped, for whatever reason—guilt or anger—they would have a way of making the unsuspecting believe that Baldwin valued the unborn child more than himself.

This creates the illusion that whatever glory and achievements Baldwin IV attained were as fleeting as a comet streaking across the sky, and that only this child could carry on that glory.

They revere the king, so they should also revere this child whom the king cherishes, because—the king is kneeling before him and planning for him.

But what can an infant do? Of course, the infant's father, mother, and even grandfather will have to take care of him... In this way, they can seize most of the power in the court within a few years, instead of waiting idly for more than ten years for the child to grow up and for Baldwin IV to be sent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Secondly, let alone leprosy patients, even an ordinary person can develop the disease due to significant emotional fluctuations. Priests often say that strong emotions generate heat in the body, thereby stimulating the production of body fluids and disrupting the fragile balance system.

Anger causes blood to rush from the heart to the limbs, causing blood vessels to swell and blood to boil; while black bile, once heated, evaporates into the brain, causing hysteria; phlegm is caused by depression and sadness, and excessive phlegm can make a person depressed, restless, easily frustrated, and even suicidal.

Moreover, all of these situations can cause the harmful substances to spread to various parts of the body more quickly—that is, the condition worsens.

Bohemond wasn't planning on having another king's funeral on Arrassal so soon, but Baldwin was too good, yes, too good.

He was not yet sixteen years old, had not yet assumed personal rule, and had never even had the experience of leading a large army on a distant expedition. Yet, he was able to shine so brightly on the battlefield of his first battle that no one dared to despise his talent and genius. Such achievements were almost comparable only to Baldwin I.

And his character—though he is still very young, people say—is like that of the devout and just Godfrey.

Worse still, when he was first diagnosed with leprosy, all his servants left him out of fear or on his father's orders. Although he has now brought them back, a closer look reveals that from the age of nine to fourteen, the period when it is easiest to cultivate feelings and when he needs them the most, David, Abigail, and everyone else were completely absent from his life.

Even if they did their best afterward, they could only become his ministers. His only confidant was César, who was also a man who always surprised them.

He was more perfect than Baldwin, even inspiring Amalric I to want to kill him. And not long ago, the last shortcoming in his life was overcome: his birth.

He was already the Earl of Edessa, one of the rulers of the four Christian kingdoms. You might say that the County of Edessa no longer exists and is now Saracen territory.

But this does not mean that he has lost his claim to that land. As mentioned before, he can even use this to ask for help from Tripoli, Antioch, and Arrasaro to organize a counterattack and retake Edessa.

The kings of the four Christian kingdoms had all sworn an oath to unite against a common enemy and advance side by side. If anyone were to betray their allies, not only would the already precarious Crusader Kingdom alliance be threatened, but even their subjects would question whether they should continue to uphold their loyalty.

With him, the young king had an extra strong arm by his side, and they were both so young, while Raymond and the others were already old, and their successors were so unsatisfactory.

David might be able to hold his own, at least he could maintain the status quo, but let's not even talk about Abigail and the like.

Finally, there was Hibil's little bit of ambition.

She had heard that Byzantine emperors were born in the Purple Chamber, which, as the name suggests, was a room with its ceiling and walls decorated with purple curtains. Every prince and princess was born there, so much so that later generations used "born in the Purple Chamber" as a synonym for emperor.

There would certainly be no Purple Chamber inside the Castle of the Holy Cross, but she could create one, for example, by giving birth in a small chapel with a True Cross—she hoped that when her child was born, people would say that he was a baby born under the True Cross, born to be King Allazarus.

And she, she is his mother, just as the Virgin Mary gave birth to the Holy Son Jesus. His flesh and blood came from her, so she could rightfully share in, and even monopolize, the power that originally belonged to the king.

But at this moment, her once wonderful fantasy was shattered by Baldwin's words, "Don't you love me anymore?" These words came entirely from her subconscious.

Baldwin looked at her and realized that he might not really know his sister. As a boy, his education was completely different from that of girls.

Hibil's beauty was highly recognizable even at a young age. Women unanimously believed that she would one day become a noblewoman who could make countless knights, nobles, and even kings fall at her feet. From that time on, Hibil was aware of her specialness, to the point that she was indifferent to everyone and took for granted any amount of attentive care she received.

She may have loved her younger brother when he was young, and even after he contracted leprosy, she visited him despite the priests' objections and gave him gifts. She comforted him, saying that even if he went to the monastery, she would visit him often.

Now, when Baldwin recalls that tender scene, he finds it filled with discordant sounds and gray noise.

Is this really just an older sister's love for her younger brother? Or does she think that without Baldwin, she would be the heiress of Alassa Road?

At that time, Hibil was about to come of age, and marriage was already on the agenda. She was indeed old enough to get married and have children.

Before her, there had been a female heir in Alassa Road.

No, Baldwin immediately told himself, impossible. He knew his sister had always had some irrational delusions. But he also knew that women, like men, also had desires and pursuits for power, which was understandable; humans are born with greed, it's original sin, and there's no escaping it.

Only those ascetics with fervent faith who are unwilling to continue living a sinful life in the world can renounce everything worldly.

No one is immune to the desire for power. Even if someone wants to do good, they need power and money to achieve their goals.

"You can't treat me like this! Father told you to take good care of me!"

Faced with Hibler's questioning, Baldwin pursed his lips awkwardly.

His next answer almost made Patriarch Hiraclay, who was sitting next to him, laugh. "No," Baldwin replied seriously, "no, Hibil, Father never asked me to take care of you."

This slap was much louder than the one from Queen Mother Mary, but that was the truth. Amalric I was a true political animal whose life was not for God, but for Allazarus, or for his people and country, and ultimately for his family.

He went to great lengths to oppose the church to save Baldwin; and he also hastily married a Byzantine princess, using Baldwin as a stepping stone for his second son, all for this reason.

As for his daughter, Amalric I did not particularly like her, or rather, he always ignored her.

Although female heirs are allowed, they must place the crown of Arazarus on their husbands' heads, which means that their kingdom will ultimately be taken over by an outsider.

If someone offered to exchange Hibil for his second son, he would certainly agree to the deal without hesitation, even if it meant making a deal with the devil.

When he died outside the city of Fosterstadt, his thoughts were still only on his kingdom and God. Baldwin was his only heir, the future King of Allazarus, whom he cared about and planned for.

Hibil—her only purpose was to bear a child for the Kingdom of Arazarus, preferably a son; nothing else could leave a mark on Amalric I's mind.

But Baldwin's blunt answer pierced Hibler's heart like a sharp sword. She didn't believe Baldwin would lie about this; there was no need for him to, and no matter how much she disliked her brother, she knew he wasn't the type to lie about such things.

Everything she had done before seemed like a joke. At the same time, he realized that all the underhanded tricks were no match for true orthodoxy.

They may have indeed dealt Baldwin a blow, causing the young man to relinquish his position on a whim. But what good did that do? He had so many people around him; even without César, Queen Mother Maria and Patriarch Heraclius would surely have persuaded him to return to the castle once they found out.

Once Baldwin comes to his senses and realizes he shouldn't continue to indulge her, the result will be the same as it is now: she will be expelled, and people will be happy to see it happen.

Baldwin wasn't the kind of person who was sensitive. He only noticed that his sister's face had suddenly turned ashen. Although he had just been hurt badly by her using emotions as a weapon, he now felt a pang of pity.

“Sister.” He stepped forward, wanting to speak, but Heraclius stopped him. “Accept the King’s offer,” he said coldly. “Nalessa might be a good fit for you.”

Hibir shuddered. She stared at Baldwin, seeing for the first time a king instead of a little boy, and fear rose within her, but she dared not ask the terrible question: Was she destined to remain in Nalissa from now on?
Is it possible that even if her child returns to Holy Cross Castle, she will never be able to enter Arrasa Road again?

This thought made her dejected and lost in thought, and she didn't say anything more until Abigail took her away with concern.

Cesar leaned against the window, watching Hibil and Abigail lead a group of people out of the Holy Cross Castle, and sighed with emotion.

He still remembered the first time he saw Hibler; she was so perfect and radiant, like the blazing sun. At that time, not only him, but even Baldwin seemed like a star dimmed by the brilliance of the sun.

But now, that blazing sun has set. She may still possess beauty, status, and the title of future queen's mother, but she...

Cesar shook his head, putting these complicated thoughts behind him. He was unaware that Hibil harbored such malicious intentions; otherwise, he wouldn't have shown even this much pity.

Baldwin's worsening condition was what worried him most.

Although he had returned to Holy Cross Castle and was living in his own room, both Heraclitus and Baldwin hoped that he could stay there for a while, at least to recover from the weakness caused by his hurried journey, and to make it easier for the priests to treat him, since the priests who received the most blessings were in Holy Cross Castle.

He walked away from the window and saw Longinus bringing up a steaming cup of mulled wine. It was a medicinal wine and didn't taste very good.

Cesar drank it all in one gulp with a look of grim determination. As he hurriedly rinsed his mouth with the water beside him, Longinus brought him a message: "A woman wishes to see you, sir."

"Who?"

“She said you should remember her, that you once gave her a date, and later gave her justice.”

(End of this chapter)