kingdom of nations

Chapter 175 Rejection
When this news, which was hard to categorize as either bad or good, reached Holy Cross Castle, Baldwin was enthusiastically trying out his newly made chainmail with his friends and brothers.

They were blessed by God at the age of nine and became knights of grace. In just a few years, they grew as tall as saplings in spring, and by the time they accompanied Amalric I on his campaigns, they were taller than most ordinary men.

By then, their height had reached six feet, a height not uncommon among the blessed Crusader knights. However, their muscles and fat had not yet accumulated, making them appear unusually thin.

Templar knights like Walter would offer them kind advice when they saw them, “Stop fiddling with your cabbages and parsnip all the time,” he would say, showing them his broad shoulders, strong chest and muscular thighs, “Knights should eat more meat.”

Fortunately, after Baldwin took over, that terrible growth finally slowed down, and instead they gained weight. They were still not strong, but at least they didn't look so worrying.

The bitter medicine did indeed have a gratifying effect. The scars and papules were still there, but the ulceration had stopped. Most of the area felt hard to the touch, without swelling or numbness. Even the left hand, which had been the most severely affected, gradually regained some sensation.

Baldwin could use this hand to pick up a cup or to pull the reins.

César’s weakness vanished overnight, as if from the moment the sunlight shone on him, all the strength that had damaged his body and spirit due to overexertion was returned to him by God.

He leaped lightly from his bed, finding himself more powerful and comfortable than ever before. He went to see Heraclius, who summoned a priest to examine him and then instructed him to try praying to God and the saints—though he still did not know which saint Cesare had perceived, but as before, as soon as Cesare had recited the first verse, a soft white light enveloped him once more.

The priests who witnessed this scene were deeply moved. They made the sign of the cross, knelt down and prayed with Cesar, and some even fainted from the emotion.

For Baldwin, this was undoubtedly the best news he could have hoped for, as he had been deeply worried about Cesare. But everyone told him that Cesare had received so much favor and grace from God and the saints, and that he had sacrificed himself to defend the honor and purity of the Crusades; he would not be abandoned for this reason.

But even so, he knew that some people were gloating, while others were secretly hoping that Cesar would be ruined by this.

But none of this happened. Chiraclius also observed that the light covering Cesar became clearer and more solid. If it was somewhat floating and illusory before, now these "scales" were as real as if they were real.

"Rest for another month, then go to the training ground and try it out." See if they are still as indestructible as before.

In fact, what Hiraclius meant was that if Hibil did indeed give birth to a boy, then a tournament would certainly be held to commemorate the heir to the Kingdom of Arazarus. Even if it was a girl, the celebration would be smaller, but it would still take place.

But none of them expected that Hiberna would give birth to a stillborn child, and according to the priests and the sisters of God—that is, the noblewomen who had experience in childbirth—Hiberna was greatly injured and would probably have difficulty conceiving again in the next few years.

They also suggested that Hibern should temporarily stop having sex with Abigail.

In a time when marriage and sexual intercourse are merely for procreation, for these noblewomen to suggest that couples should ideally sleep in separate rooms indicates a very serious situation. This implies that if the couple were to resume sexual activity and Hibyl becomes pregnant again, not only the fetus but also the mother could face a fatal crisis.

Upon hearing the priest's words, Baldwin's expression darkened, and he whispered an order: "Summon the Countess of Jaffa."

The Countess of Jaffa arrived swiftly. In recent months, she had appeared at the castle quite frequently, not because she had suddenly developed the idea of ​​competing with Queen Mother Maria—as before, it was still to clean up the mess left by her daughter Hibil—and to comfort her son who had once again been betrayed by his own blood relatives.

As a mother, she would naturally be pleased that her child was not so heartless and selfish, but the problem was that she had two children, and one of them was too... stupid and despicable.

“I think they’ve already told you about Hibil.” The people present all raised their eyebrows slightly. This was the first time Baldwin had addressed Hibil by her first name instead of calling her “sister.”

"Her condition must not be very good right now."

"So, are you going to send her back to Holy Cross Castle? Or anywhere along the Arrasa Road?"

"But if Hibil returned to Arazarus, how could he possibly live anywhere other than the Holy Cross Castle?" the Countess asked cautiously. "No matter how annoying Hibil and Abi may be, there is one thing that is beyond doubt—they are the parents of the future King of Arazarus."

In fact, because the relationship between Hibern and Abigail was not made public, many people still wonder why Baldwin banished his sister from Arazare to give birth in Nalazare. While nominally it was to provide her with a quiet and peaceful birthing environment—and they were not Byzantine royalty and required to give birth in a designated room—some still find their new king somewhat eccentric and unapproachable.

Even if Hibil gave birth to a son, they said the child would be placed under the king's supervision and upbringing, and would be Baldwin IV's heir. In any case, he had no need to be wary or suspicious of the child—hidden behind these words was the fact that even if Baldwin felt repulsed, he only had about ten years left to live.

When this baby grows to the point where it can threaten him, it's uncertain whether he will still be able to stand up and wield a longsword.

“Let him stay in Nalazar,” Baldwin said. Indeed, some people deliberately portrayed him as a king driven somewhat mad by a chronic illness, but his bloodline, surname, and achievements are all there, so who can question his will?
As for Hibler, he had to say that he had given this sister many chances. He loved her, but he would not allow her to use that love to hurt him, or even hurt herself.

Hibil's thinking was sometimes too simplistic; she hadn't considered any of this. Even after giving birth to a boy and forcing her younger brother to relinquish the throne for his sake, she still couldn't seize power in the Holy City amidst a pack of wolves.

Most likely, her husband Abigail would wear the crown of King Arazarus, while real power would remain in Bohemond's hands. After all, what if he fell ill or died? He certainly wouldn't be able to lead the Crusades against the Saracens, but could an infant do it? She was being far too hasty.

With the arrival of an heir to the Kingdom of Arazarus, Abigail and her importance will further diminish.

If Bohemond had been cautious and prepared for them to have two or three more children, they might have lived a few more years. But if Bohemond felt it was unnecessary—he didn't even need to do anything, Abi should have been his son, and Hibil, she was just a woman, could she still lead the Crusades and take them to the battlefield?

When Baldwin came to his senses, he realized that when he considered things from a king's perspective, his heart was less troubled and he suffered less from the pain that came with it. He could also observe things more clearly and objectively. "No, don't let her come back." He turned to the Countess of Jaffa. "Mother, I need to entrust you with a task here."

The Countess of Jaffa immediately stood up from her seat. "Please speak, Your Majesty."

"Go immediately to Nazareth and hold a grand mass for that poor child so that his soul may ascend to heaven. Then find a suitable place in the nearby valley to bury him." Unbaptized infants like this cannot be sent to churches or church cemeteries.

"Also, please tell Hibern and Abigail for me to rest and recuperate until their grief passes. I cannot visit them, as I am preoccupied with state affairs and official duties," he said, rising from his seat and taking the Countess of Jaffa's hand. "But if they show you any disrespect, please return immediately."

He had witnessed firsthand how his sister verbally abused and humiliated their shared mother.

He also knew that Hibil had high hopes for the child in her womb, as if giving birth to him would grant her the long-awaited, incomparably glorious crown. But now that the child was dead, and she might not be able to conceive again for several years, her spirits would surely plummet.

At this point, Baldwin wouldn't be surprised by anything she did. In the past, he would have tolerated it, even immediately riding to Nalissa to comfort her. But now he knew that what Hibil wanted wasn't tenderness and love; she wanted power and status, which he could certainly give her. But why didn't he entrust these precious things to someone who loved him, instead of satisfying the desires of an enemy?
Not to mention, even if he satisfied Hibyl, he would not receive her gratitude; it would only make her greedy and increase the appetite of those behind her.

The Countess of Jaffa merely nodded slightly. Hibil was her daughter; didn't she know what kind of temper Hibil had? She couldn't be harsh on her daughter—indeed, she was at fault in that respect—but she also couldn't harm her son for her daughter's sake. She accepted the king's order and then led a long procession toward Nalissa.

The group included the king and his gifts and condolences to Hibil, as well as several priests who had received the blessing. They had considerable experience in healing internal and external wounds and had received abundant blessings.

After that, at least on the surface, the king continued to deal with some matters in a calm manner, but both Heraclius and Cesar could see that he was not paying attention.

Humans are not machines; they cannot simply detach themselves from the deep emotions accumulated over more than a decade, unless they are like Hibler—who never truly cared about Baldwin, seeing him only as a competitor and therefore disregarding his true feelings.

“Let’s go see Isabella,” Cesar suggested suddenly after finishing his work. It was certainly a good suggestion, and Chiracli agreed.

Although he knew the two just wanted him to change his mood, Baldwin remembered that he hadn't seen his little sister for a while.

“Pick a gift, let’s go together,” he said to Cesar.

They returned to Baldwin's room, dismissed the servants, and personally opened the chest to select gifts, which had become almost their only form of entertainment recently.

Baldwin picked up a pony and showed it to Cesar. Cesar immediately smiled. Wasn't this one of the bronze toys that Baldwin had shown him when he first came to Baldwin's side?
It wasn't just a pony; there was a knight on the pony, and a sword in the knight's hand. "This shouldn't be given to a girl," Baldwin said. "Girls should be flowers, silk, and jewels."

"That's not necessarily true. She is your sister, the daughter of Amalric I."

Baldwin smiled, picked up the pony and its rider together, and stuffed it into a small velvet pouch.

The little princess was born before Amalric I's expedition to Egypt. She will only be three years old next year, but it is already clear that she will be a beauty worthy of knights' duels. She has eyes that are very similar to Baldwin's, and her hair is a little darker than when she was born, like the color of honey or amber. Her face is like a rose.

Upon seeing her brother and the people behind him, she giggled. But for the first time, instead of rushing over to pounce on Cesar as usual, she laughed and hid behind the maids, peeking out from between their skirts. The maids let out a good-natured chuckle. "Have you learned to be shy yet?" Baldwin asked in surprise.

"Perhaps it's because he saw someone he likes." Queen Mary leaned back on her couch and gestured for Baldwin to sit down beside her.

Although Baldwin has already ascended to the throne and will assume personal rule next February, Queen Mary's attitude towards him remains unchanged; in short, she treats him like a mother treats her son.

Cesar recalled the scene just now and couldn't help but sigh softly in his heart. The Countess of Jaffa's love for Baldwin was beyond doubt, but because of Hibil's presence, Baldwin would subconsciously tense up in the Countess's presence.

This is not fair to the Countess of Jaffa, but what can she do? She is also the mother of Hibil, and the bond of blood can never be severed.

She can scold her daughter, even hit her, but she can never abandon her, which means she may have to choose between Hibler and Baldwin.

The Queen Mother watched with a smile as the maids picked up Princess Isabella and placed her on Baldwin's lap.

Baldwin skillfully supported her small body, clamping her little feet between his knees to prevent her from falling off his lap due to excessive movement. He naturally wrapped one arm around her while talking to the Queen Mother. Their conversation would have been dull to others, as it almost entirely revolved around Princess Isabella.

“She grew up so fast,” Baldwin exclaimed. “I still remember her wrapped in silk, all wrinkled and red. I thought she was a skinned monkey back then.”

“Almost all children are born like this. Even the greatest king or emperor is no exception,” the Queen Mother said with a forced smile, then seemingly casually brought up Hibil: “When have you decided when to bring her back?”

Baldwin pinched Isabella's little finger: "Let her rest in Nal'azar for a while. I'll send Abigail to oversee the repairs of the chapel—the birthplace of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. An angel went to Mary and told her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Savior, also in Nal'azar."

Jesus grew up in Nazareth after his birth and spent thirty years in the nearby village of Saffir—where Hibernate remained, praying fervently that perhaps the Virgin Mary would protect her, granting her a faster recovery and the birth of a healthy child.

(End of this chapter)