kingdom of nations

Chapter 197 Indeed, it was impossible to refuse.
"Cyprus."

Even Baldwin had to take a deep breath to say the word.

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence. Everyone found it hard to believe and thought they had misheard. So Baldwin repeated, "Cyprus, he is willing to give Cyprus as Princess Anna's dowry."

Before people could even gasp in surprise, a person suddenly jumped up from the chair.

In a way, David was quite similar to his father, though Raymond was even more dramatic than his son. When he stood up, he even overturned the chair behind him with a loud crash, drawing everyone's attention.

"This is Count Edessa's marriage," the Grand Master of the Knights Templar "kindly" reminded him. "It's not your son's," he politely omitted the last part, but the sarcasm in his tone was unusually strong.

Raymond's first thought was, "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

What kind of place is Cyprus? It's like a lone golden boat adrift in the eastern Mediterranean.

This island may not be the largest in the Mediterranean, but it holds a very important strategic position—it is like a leaf, with its petiole pointing towards Armenia, its northern tip towards the coastline of the Anatolian Peninsula, its southern tip towards the coastline of the Arab Peninsula, and its tip towards Egypt.

It can be said that for pilgrims from Frankish and even throughout Europe, this island was an essential stop on their pilgrimage to places like Arrassa, whether by sea or land.

Needless to say, the island is not barren; it produces abundant agricultural products such as grains, grapes, olives, and fruits, which not only meet the needs of the local residents but are also exported to surrounding areas—especially Cypriot wines, which they had recently tasted at the emperor's banquet, finding them fragrant, sweet, and delicious.

The island also possesses minerals such as iron, salt, gypsum, and asbestos, but its most coveted resource is copper. Cyprus's copper production was already among the best in the Mediterranean region during the Roman era, and the word "copper" itself originates from this, originally meaning "metal of Cyprus."

Furthermore, there were merchant ships that teemed with goods like schools of fish, transporting countless treasures such as silk, spices, jewels, and ceramics from the East, North Africa, and other parts of the Mediterranean to the island. These goods were then divided and sold on the island. Every day, hundreds of ships set sail from Cyprus, bringing these luxuries to the eager kings, lords, and nobles.

Such a generous dowry would have been enough to marry his illegitimate daughter to the King of Arathal, yet he used it to bestow upon a lowly knight, even though this servant had once saved his life—wouldn't a little gold and silk robe have sufficed?

Raymond was about to say that the marriage should belong to his son David, but fortunately David was temporarily out of the king's sight. Before he could even feel happy for César, he saw his father's expression.

He knew his father. If he didn't intervene, his father's next words would likely be to ask the king to transfer the marriage to him. David immediately began frantically shaking his head and waving his hands, making pleading gestures and expressions, while rapidly circling Baldwin and Cesar's heads, signifying that their friendship was unbreakable and would not change because of the words of a regent.

Cesar could see David's actions, but he could only suppress his laughter and hold Baldwin's hand, drawing his attention to himself. Baldwin seemed to sense it too, but since Cesar wouldn't let him look, he wouldn't deliberately turn his head away to avoid embarrassing David.

At this moment, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar stood up. He walked behind Raymond and helped him up in his chair, not out of respect or obsequiousness, but because, as an old knight, he genuinely didn't want to see Raymond reduced to a state of ridicule. He straightened the chair, grabbed Raymond's arm, and interrupted him: "Cyprus isn't a good place either."

He said those words against his will, his face contorted in a grimace, but his reasoning wasn't entirely far-fetched.

Cyprus's geographical location destined it for instability. It once belonged to the Mycenaean-Achaeans, then to Alexander the Great, and subsequently to the Romans. The Byzantines inherited it from the Roman Empire, but to this day, the Byzantine Empire is in decline, weakening day by day.

Their powerful navy could only linger in the Aegean Sea, striving to maintain the empire's homeland and finding it difficult to expand into Cyprus. This resulted in Cyprus being frequently harassed by other countries—whether the Turkic Seljuks, the Armenians, or the Crusader states—but the greatest threat to them was undoubtedly the Saracens to the south.

While the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt could not match the naval power of the former Byzantines, it had no formidable rivals in the Mediterranean. They roamed the region, and with just a little punishment, Cyprus would suffer greatly. The Saracens would not only blockade shipping lanes and burn merchant ships, but also blockade its ports, and even storm ashore to destroy its villages and churches and abduct its inhabitants.

Over time, once the Cypriots realized they could not obtain any real and powerful support from the Byzantine Empire, they became complete opportunists.

They accepted rule from both the Saracens and the Byzantines, essentially paying taxes from both sides. Wealthy Cyprus could manage, which was better than being completely destroyed by one of them.

In other words, when Manuel I of Byzantium gave Cyprus as part of his dowry, he was not giving up a large, lucrative prize, but rather throwing away a hot potato.

But as Cesar had said before, it was indeed an offer that was hard to refuse. Even the most cautious Grand Master of the Good Hall Knights was speechless. After all, it was Cyprus.

If Manuel I of the Byzantine Empire had presented them with this marriage proposal, they would have readily abandoned their oaths upon joining the tribe, returned to their mortal status, and married a princess—no, even an emperor, a horse, or a blade of grass, they would have gladly agreed.

What an important place it was! Apart from its port, its products, and its inhabitants, its geographical location meant that whoever owned that place could change the existing situation.

Were Baldwin and Cesar the only ones to notice the Crusader states' lack of succession? Of course not. Everyone present was aware of it, but few could come up with a corresponding solution.

The Crusaders were able to reclaim the Holy City and other places from the Saracens because the war situation in Europe was turbulent, the people were suffering, and there were several famines. People could only place their hopes on God, which is why so many lords and knights were able to come to this place together and take a foothold from the Saracens.

However, as they each established their own kingdoms on the edge of the Arabi Peninsula, the Holy Land and the surrounding areas fell into a stalemate once again. The kings and lords who had become the beneficiaries were unwilling to allocate the lands they held to the knights, which resulted in no more knights serving them.

Without the knights, it would be difficult for them to organize a large army to fight the Saracens again. Not to mention acquiring new territory, even maintaining the existing borders would become difficult.

Indeed. The County of Edessa was practically defunct, the Principality of Antioch was forced to accept the Byzantine Empire's gradual encroachment, and Tripoli was embroiled in civil war more than once. Allazarus, ironically, became the most intact and powerful of the four Crusader states. This is why Raymond relentlessly sought to seize power and benefits from the Holy City. However, Allazarus's current situation was not entirely satisfactory—they pinned their hopes on Baldwin, but Baldwin's leprosy remained a persistent and unavoidable source of regret.

If a crusader, a believer in Christ, could become the lord of Cyprus, all the obstacles in their path would be eliminated.

Even Raymond's earlier desire to make David the owner of the original territory of Murray became a matter of course and easy—the place was called Mersin, which had iron mines and was partly coastal, with Cyprus separated from the new territory by only a narrow strait.

Raymond looked down on Cesar and even harbored some vague animosity towards him, but he also believed that Cesar's character would not allow him to stand idly by while David was in power. Once David became the lord of Melsin, he would immediately have a powerful ally who was not greedy. Perhaps David could maintain a stable rule for decades without paying a huge price.

For the Crusader states, this was even better. The Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli, and even parts of the Alassane Road were directly opposite Cyprus, and a third of the coastline of the Anatolian Peninsula that pilgrims had to traverse was under Cyprus's protection. The pressure on them would be greatly reduced, while their wealth would not be lost.

Grand Master of the Knights Templar looked at Cesar with delight. Official members of the Knights Templar were generally young knights of noble birth, so when Geoffroy first suggested to him that Baldwin's squire be brought into the order, he sternly refused.

While there were alternative methods—hadn't any nobleman in the past few decades tried to place their illegitimate son or a commoner's son into the Knights? Of course, there were, but he didn't think it was worth wasting effort on such a minor figure. What good was good looks? They weren't the Church of Rome, needing to fill their choir with fresh little boys.

Even when Walter, and even some of the younger members of the group, greatly admired Cesar, this idea remained unchanged. But now it was different. Before him stood not only the landless Count of Edessa, the king's squire, and the Knight of Bethlehem, but also the lord of Cyprus.

He was overjoyed at the thought of how smooth and safe the pilgrimage would be in the future, and how much fame and income the Knights Templar would gain.

He forcefully pushed Raymond back into his chair. He guessed what Raymond wanted to say. If he were in Raymond's position, he would also try to fight for it—so what if Cyprus is often harassed by the Saracens?
If it were indeed brought to the Crusader states as part of the princess's dowry, he believed that the Knights of the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar, or the Knights of the Good Samaritan would all be willing to give up some of their knights to help defend the island.

"What do you think?" Baldwin asked, looking at the only person in the room who hadn't shown any emotion or spoken. Cesar simply pondered for a moment. He thought that if he refused, everyone here, except Baldwin, would want to tear him apart with their own hands.

This was of great significance to the Crusaders, and could even have far-reaching implications. The Pope in Rome might even, in a fit of anger, strip him of his church membership and expel him from the Church.

But behind such a sweet bait, who knows how many crises will follow.

However, since he arrived here, he has had to make many choices. Cesar did not think he was better than others, but he believed he should be able to bear the pressure more calmly and clearly than others. Besides, he did not have much room to refuse, so he readily agreed.

As for the princess's appearance and age, those were no longer within the scope of their discussion. Their stay in Constantinople had unknowingly been prolonged simply because of this marriage—no marriage is settled in a day or two. However, for the sake of Cyprus and his close friend, Baldwin made many concessions.

As agreed, he received 150,000 gold coins and 100 purple silk robes. He immediately reciprocated by giving half of them to the princess who would soon become his sister-in-law.

No matter how much Manuel I had neglected the princess before, and how much of her mother's inheritance she could reclaim, 75,000 gold coins and fifty purple silk robes were enough to make up a portion of her dowry.

The Christians didn't have much objection to this, after all, it was nothing compared to what they had in Cyprus. What they discussed repeatedly was that Byzantine Manuel I still hoped to obtain a huge amount of timber or siege weapons that had already been built from this marriage. He still held onto his illusions and refused to give up.

And then there's the army; he hopes King Arazarus will continue to lead his knights in battle for him.

After discussion, the Crusader leaders found the conditions acceptable. Raymond's son, David, was destined to remain a lord there, and even if the Seljuk Turks had not been hostile, they would continue to expand outwards. They could help Manuel I of the Byzantine Empire conquer these territories, but how to divide and dispose of them was not up to the emperor.

They stayed from the sweltering September until the cool November, when winter was approaching and unpredictable blizzards or huge waves were possible on land and at sea, at which point the Crusaders decided to turn back.

According to the customs of the Byzantine Empire, the princess would accompany them to Arazari, which was one of the ways to fulfill a marriage contract in the Byzantine Empire, or in most Christian countries.

At this time, whether between countries, castles, or even separated by a village, different languages ​​and customs may exist. For the future mistress who will be living there for decades, it is of utmost importance to quickly familiarize herself with her husband, his castle, his subjects, and even his people.

Therefore, they might start discussing marriage when their child is six or seven, or even seven or eight years old. After signing the marriage contract, the bride, who is still just a child, would be sent a long distance to her husband's family castle, where she would be raised and taught by the female elders of her husband's family. By the time she reached the age to enter into a marriage contract and consummate the marriage, she would already be fully aware of everything about her husband's family (the parts that she needed to know).

This period could be long or short, ranging from a few months to several years. Princess Anna certainly couldn't wait several years, and Baldwin had already decided to hold the wedding for the two of them on the Feast of the Lord next year.

However, this idea was quickly dispelled by Cesar and several others.

First, such vain and exaggerated behavior easily arouses jealousy and suspicion in others. He might not say how much Baldwin values ​​Cesar, but he would certainly say that Cesar is a hypocritical and despicable fellow who, on this most important day, dares to steal the spotlight from a king.

Secondly, they could not hold the wedding on Arrassa Road or in Bethlehem. This involves the issue of host and guest in a marriage, just as when Grand Duchess Constance of Antioch married Leonard of Châtillon, they did not stipulate that Constance had to travel a long distance to Châtillon to complete the marriage.

In order to ensure that the succession rights are not affected, Princess Anna must go to Cyprus first, and then Cesar must take a ship there to complete the entire ceremony at the St. Lazarus Cathedral in Cyprus.

(End of this chapter)