kingdom of nations

Chapter 196 An Irresistible Condition
Born in the Purple Chamber—what an ironic title! They were the eldest son and daughter of Manuel I, second only to the emperor in rank. While Manuel I was called Basilius, her brother was called Caesar, and she was called Baselissa (a variant of Basilius) or Augustine.

But today, her brother can only share the title of the most noble with Manuel I's illegitimate children. As for her, her mother was once Augusta, but now that title has been taken away by her stepmother. People can only call her a noblewoman, almost equal to those noble ladies without royal blood. This ambiguous and vague title always stings her ears and heart.

But these were things she could not change, just as she could not change her father's mind, remind him to choose a suitable husband for himself and leave this suffocating court. She could not even see Manuel I—the supreme ruler surrounded by eunuchs and concubines, who only ever saw the faces he wanted to see, and she had been ignored by the emperor for more than a decade.

Anna clutched the scroll in her hands. It contained a poem written by the famous scholar Agatias. She lowered her head, and the dark letters leaped into her eyes: "Death is the mother of rest, she relieves sickness and poverty. Why should we fear her? A man dies only once, and no one can die twice."

When she realized she was longing for that scene, she threw away the book as if it were a handful of burning coals.

She must admit that she had thought about dying more than once over the years.

People always love to trample on the weak, especially when that weak person has a noble status. The secret pleasure they get from that is irresistible to everyone, except for those with strong will and noble character. Regardless of gender, age, or social status, they will inevitably become addicted to it quickly. If it weren't for Theodora, Manuel I's favorite concubine, who had always accompanied and protected her, her fate would probably not have been much better than that of the poor girls wandering in the arena.

When they were young, they had to do all sorts of tedious chores. When they grew up, they were pushed onto the high platform where customers competed for prices by their fathers, mothers, or even husbands.

The Grand Palace is no cleaner or more noble than the arena. In fact, it harbors far more filth than people realize. This is true even though Manuel I had openly taken his own niece as a concubine.

Apart from Manuel I, every man who could enter and leave this place could freely manipulate the unattended girls in the palace, regardless of whether he was their father, uncle, or even brother.

"What are you thinking?"

The sudden sound startled the princess. She leaped up from her chair and saw that her maids had already knelt down in silence. It was not surprising that they hadn't warned her.

"Alexius".

Alexius, the eldest son of Manuel I, the crown prince who lost everything overnight, was her brother. Logically, the siblings should have supported each other in this cold, oppressive place, but the reality was quite different. When Manuel I married Marie of Antioch, Alexius was already an adult. He had once been ambitious and doted on his younger sister, but all of this was predicated on his still possessing glory and power.

If anyone else dared to lay a finger on what he held, Alexius would not hesitate to draw his sword and cut off their heads, but it was their father and king, the one and only dictator in their lives, who did so.

Before this expedition, Manuel I had never disappointed his subjects and people. He held a high position and was very powerful. No one dared to easily provoke him, not even his brother. But to say that he was willing to accept such setbacks and torment would be a big mistake.

He kept trying. Although each attempt ended in failure with Manuel I's deliberate indulgence, eventually even Anna saw through the scheme. She tried to persuade her brother, but was slapped in the face.

But did she become disillusioned with Alexius because of this? No, not at all. After their mother died, she did not leave them much of an inheritance, or rather, the inheritance had been taken by Manuel I and used for himself or his other concubines—he did not regard them as his descendants, but rather as his enemies.

For Anna, Alexius was the only and most important keepsake her mother had left her. But Alexius clearly didn't see it that way. Seeing Anna's wary expression, Alexius showed his displeasure: "What are you afraid of, sister?"

"What I'm afraid of, don't you know?"

Anna countered, hoping to make her brother feel guilty, but he only scoffed dismissively, "That was when you were twelve. You're twenty-five now. If you had followed my advice back then, you might be a grandmother by now. What man would like a grandmother?"

Anna pursed her lips, stared at Alexius, and remained silent.

Alexius was saying that when she was twelve, no, eleven—that night, a few hours before she turned twelve—Alexius suddenly found her and secretly took her away to a small chapel not far from the Grand Palace.

At that time, Anna naively thought that Alexius intended to perform a sacrament with her for her mother, since their father did not allow them to publicly mourn his first queen. However, to her surprise, Alexius only asked her to marry a middle-aged officer.

Anna doesn't remember the events of that day very clearly; the only thing she remembers is the extreme madness and fear.

These two emotions drove her to let out a banshee-like howl. The officer even tried to force himself on her, but because her earlier screams had attracted some priests, he had to abandon her and flee. Afterwards, her brother angrily rebuked her, believing she was ungrateful.

Although Anna was young at the time, the first thing her new guardian, Theodora, did after taking over her guardianship was to explain to her in detail the various provisions of the Justinian Code and Roman law concerning women and marriage.

She knew very well that her brother did not intend to give her a marriage, but rather to use her as a nice gift to someone he might want to bribe. Once she was defiled, she would only be a bargaining chip in her brother's hands. He would throw her out in any gamble that he thought might be of his own advantage. He did not love her, and one could even say that he did not cherish her.

As she stared at Alexius, Alexius was also watching his sister. Their father had no intention of caring about them, and Manuel I's deliberate indifference caused those around them to turn a blind eye.

As a man, Alexius could still attain the highest rank and hold a position in the court. But no one dared to presume to inquire about the princess's marriage unless Manuel I spoke of it.

Otherwise, Alexius wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure.

“I have something to tell you,” he said. “Our father has found you a husband.” He saw a glimmer of hope in Anna’s eyes and smiled maliciously. “You don’t think he’s a good match, do you? He’s not from the Byzantine Empire, nor is he some Caliph, Sultan, or Christian king. He’s just a Crusader knight with only a small city as his domain, and the castle and everything his grandfather and father owned have become the spoils of the Arabs. He’s seven or eight years younger than you, still very young, and is serving as a servant to King Al-Arazarus.”

He deliberately drew out his words, hoping his sister would sense an ominous undertone. “But as I see it, he hasn’t received much favor either. At least he doesn’t hold any official position yet. Although he has the title of count, everyone knows that just a year ago he was merely a slave of an Isaac merchant—how pathetic!” His words pierced the princess’s body like a chilling wind from a tomb, making her tremble. “Our father hasn’t forgotten you. But when he does remember you, his choice is to marry you off to a parakoimomenos.” This title was quite vicious; literally meaning someone who sleeps next to the emperor, it was reserved for eunuchs when it appeared in the fourth century. Even now, it could be used to describe a close advisor favored by the emperor, but for a woman who had once been Bartheliza, there was no greater disgrace.

“Before this matter is made public, I’ll give you some advice,” Alexius said. “For the next few years, I will allow you to retain your chastity.” He looked his sister up and down with the same gaze he would give a commodity.

For some men, a 25-year-old woman is too old, but this was, after all, Manuel I's harem. In any case, Manuel I's eldest daughter would not be mistreated in terms of food, clothing, and shelter. Moreover, Theodora was indeed not the kind of woman who would use any underhanded means against her child; she raised Anna very well.

Anna lacked Theodora's glamorous and alluring qualities, but she perfectly embodied the modern ideal of a virtuous wife and loving mother. Her hair was jet black, braided into two thick plaits, and adorned with a black felt crown inlaid with gold-set gemstones. A rectangular white veil was fixed to the crown, cascading from the top of her head to her shoulders. Her skin was fair and soft, and her eyebrows were somewhat sparse, but could be filled in with charcoal. Her eyes were especially beautiful; although not as striking as her fiancé's, her doe-like brown eyes would still be admired by many.

Her lips were rosy, her fingers were pink and white, and her figure was somewhat slender, but that didn't matter; once she had one or two children, she would soon become plump. "Now if you are willing to come with me," Alexius said, "I will take you out of the Grand Palace and marry you to one of my officers. As long as you have the wedding, Father will be angry, but he won't say anything."

“What if I say no?” Anna asked, not because she wanted to believe her father, but also because she was unwilling to have any expectations of her brother. Her answer made Alexius’s face turn pale. “That’s not up to you, my sister,” he said curtly, and stepped forward.

Anna screamed, and Alexius grabbed her hair, intending to slap her a few times, when he heard an angry shout.

Alexius froze, turning his head. He saw Manuel I's favorite wife—or rather, their cousin—rushing towards him, carrying her robes. Behind her followed a flustered throng of maids and eunuchs, all panting heavily. He gave a soft snort; it seemed his previous plans were no longer feasible.

When he heard that Manuel I intended to marry his sister to a Crusader knight with no power, he felt that the situation was not good. This might be his most important bargaining chip. Anna was beautiful, and even if she wasn't, her status as Manuel I's eldest daughter was enough to make many people infatuated with her. This was the reason why he had been refraining from ruining her chastity until today.

He could guess to some extent why Manuel I did this.

Caesar was once captured by a group of pirates who demanded a ransom of 20 talents (one talent weighs about 26 kilograms) of silver. He laughed and said, "No, that is an insult to a nobleman. You should demand 50 talents." The pirates were skeptical, but they did so anyway. After receiving 50 talents, they released Caesar.

However, Caesar later led his army back and wiped out the pirates, but that's another story, and we won't go into it now. But it also shows that from a very early time, the Romans were extremely cautious about their own worth, and this awareness had spread from Rome to many places, including the barbarian tribes that destroyed the Roman Empire.

From kings to knights, if those who defeated them did not demand a ransom commensurate with their status, they would instead fly into a rage and feel insulted.

Needless to say, an emperor was no exception. But the problem was that, although the Byzantine Empire did not lose many men in this expedition, it was forced to spend a lot of money—emptying nearly half of its treasury, not to mention the equipment that was burned and would have to be rebuilt later.

In order to seek reinforcements, the emperor had previously promised King Arrasallo 150,000 gold coins and 100 purple silk robes, which was another large expense.

Now he wanted to repay the two young men who had saved his life. King Arrasaro was one thing, but Count Edessa beside him stirred up some different thoughts in Manuel I.

He had no army, no territory, and not even anyone willing to support him. Although he had a very deep affection for the young king of Arrassal, Manuel I had seen plenty of genuine feelings like this, and such things, which could disappear at any moment, were worthless in his eyes.

The emperor pondered for a long time but still couldn't decide how to repay the young man for saving his life—until he remembered that he had a daughter who was dispensable, but after all, she was the emperor's daughter, and if it weren't for Manuel I's suspicion, she would now be one of the most honored women in the entire empire.

Shouldn't a lowly Crusader knight be filled with trepidation and gratitude for marrying such a wife?

It's important to know that Amalric I did not marry Manuel I's daughter, but rather Manuel I's grandniece.

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"You agreed?!" David couldn't help but exclaim first. He even jumped up from his chair, which earned him a fierce glare from his father. Raymond, on the other hand, thought it was quite appropriate—an illegitimate daughter with no title, no dowry, and no land paired with a servant of unknown origin. They were a match made in heaven.

He even thought that Cesar was out of his league.

But David didn't see it that way. As the son of an earl, the first terms he encountered in his studies weren't the Bible or poetry, but rather the genealogies of various families. He shared Baldwin's view that Cesar's foundation was already weak. To compensate for this, they had to find a way to marry him off to a female heir with vast lands, or rather, a Grand Master of the Knights Crusade, a high priest, or the sister or daughter of a bishop.

With their support, Cesare had the opportunity to establish himself and become powerful on the battlefield and in the court.

What help could a princess of the Byzantine Empire possibly provide? Let alone a powerless illegitimate child.

Amalric I died soon after his death, otherwise he would be filled with regret now.

Baldwin could only gesture for David to sit down, and he looked at Cesar, noticing that he was not alarmed.

"Aren't you worried?"

“I have nothing to worry about with you here,” César said calmly. “He must have given you an offer you couldn’t refuse.”

(End of this chapter)