kingdom of nations

Chapter 205 White Flax, Red Flowers. (Part 1)
After the Cypriots withdrew, the most distinguished person in the welcoming party finally appeared. The bride's brother, the eldest prince Alexius, unusually did not walk at the head of the procession, but instead remained silently hidden among the Byzantine officials. However, when he lifted his cloak and strode out, his magnificent and extravagant attire immediately stung the eyes of the onlookers.

His attire today, even if it cannot be called overstepping the bounds, has come very close to that line. In the Byzantine Empire, each class has its own set of clothing and accessories, and even strict laws governing them. Anyone who dares to cross the line will face cruel punishment, even princes.

The officials who came to greet the king and Cesare were all dressed in white robes with purple silk trim along the edges. Although they wore jewels, no pearls were visible.

Wearing purple robes adorned with pearls was a privilege reserved for royalty. Just like Alexius now, beneath his dark gray cloak was a deep purple robe, cinched with a gold belt, and a large square scarf embroidered with sapphires, rubies, pearls, and amber, so densely packed that the embroidery beneath was barely visible.

Not to mention he was wearing a pair of purplish-red sandals, and this purplish-red wasn't a pure color. When he was in the shadows, it looked like a deep purple, and only when he walked in the sunlight and was exposed to strong light did it have a faint hint of red.

Anyone who saw it, especially officials from the Byzantine Empire, couldn't help but gasp and exchange apprehensive glances.

Maroon sandals have always held extraordinary significance in the Byzantine imperial family. In all historical records, when a Byzantine emperor was deposed, the victor's first act was to strip him of his purple silk robe and remove his maroon sandals, thus demonstrating that he was no longer an emperor but merely a powerless commoner.

Conversely, when someone is proclaimed emperor, his followers will dress him in purple robes and crimson sandals.

But the Byzantine officials dared not say anything. They had been sent here, which meant they were not people valued by the emperor. And the treatment of informers was similar to the ban on laughter—anyone who spoke or heard blasphemous words against the king would be punished—and so were they. Who told them to witness such arrogant folly and not stop it...

The emperor could also use this reason to imprison them.

Cypriots? They'd rather see the Byzantine imperial family make a fool of themselves, and the Crusader knights would care even less.

As for whether Alexius was wearing the emperor's clothes—what does that have to do with them?

While Alexius remained hidden among the crowd, his expression was cold and indifferent; he neither spoke nor smiled. But once he emerged, his face softened considerably, and after a few steps, he burst into hearty laughter.

He strode toward the King of Arrassa and tried to pull him close—he intended to, but couldn't quite manage it. Instead of feeling embarrassed, he deepened his smile and stepped forward, embracing Baldwin tightly, shouting, "My dearest brother!"

He used a little too much force, and even Baldwin felt a bit of pain from the jeweled handkerchief on his chest.

Once he lowered his hands, Baldwin pulled Cesar, who was standing beside him, over without hesitation. "This is your brother. The noblest Alexius."

Alexius paused, turned his face, but did not show his contempt on his face. Instead, he pulled Cesar close and gave him a tight hug. Not only that, he then took Cesar's arm and walked forward together, deliberately putting on an extremely intimate posture.

Seeing this, Baldwin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Manuel I's eccentricities had always been a thorn in Baldwin's side, and Alexius, as the bride's only blood relative, had always maintained an indifferent attitude, leading Baldwin to wonder if he was unhappy with the marriage.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Although Cesar is now the Earl of Edessa, he has no land; he is valued and loved by him, but holds no official position—Baldwin hasn't even taken power yet; although his father left him 200,000 gold coins, that's nothing compared to this marriage—the princess's father and brothers have never seen a single coin...

Baldwin originally planned to give a piece of the newly acquired territory to Cesar after winning one or two battles, or to help Cesar reclaim the County of Edessa during the third or fourth Eastern Expedition. But unexpectedly, Cesar's marriage came about inexplicably.

No brother would want his sister to have such an unsuitable marriage. The emperor's grandniece had previously married the king of Arrassal, while his real daughter could only marry a servant of the king's son. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that this princess was not favored. Rather than Cyprus being her dowry, it would be more accurate to say that she was Cyprus's dowry.

But his willingness to attend the wedding and his friendly attitude suggest that he has already accepted his brother-in-law.
"How is the princess?" asked Philip, Grand Master of the Knights Templar.

“The bravest and most steadfast knights are guarding her door at all times,” one of the knights’ stewards replied.

"Where are her maids?" This time, Philip wasn't asking his chief knight, but rather Dean John, who was standing to the side looking around. Dean John wasn't the head of Gerald's family, and as a monk who had renounced worldly life, he rarely interfered in the family's internal affairs. But now that they had brought Damara back, it was even less likely that they would leave John, who had done Cesar a great favor, behind on Arrassa Road. He was also one of the witnesses and the Gerald family's representative in Cyprus.

“Our sisters are always with the princess.” In addition to the noble ladies who went to serve Princess Anna, there were two nuns and two monks who had been ordained. “Her meals were inspected every day, and her clothes and jewelry were also checked.”

"They must be married today," said Philip, Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Moreover, the princess should ideally become pregnant as soon as possible—Cesar may be young, but the princess is getting on in years…

"Ideally, it would be a boy, who could grow to twenty years old in a single day," the dean said, almost making the Grand Commander laugh. Although the dean's words were absurd, it would be wonderful if they could come true.

In marriages involving territory, the status of the wife and husband, as outsiders, is not secure until a child, who has inherited both bloodlines and surnames, grows up.

It will take the Crusaders a long time and a lot of effort to truly make Cyprus theirs.

“That’s why I’m so insistent,” the Grand Master said. “You see, without us, he couldn’t even stand here.”

Abbot John was unwilling to admit this. Although he had been staying in the monastery, he had heard about Cesare's actions in Arrassa and Bethlehem, and he believed that given time, Cesare could also become a good ruler.

As for the Knights Templar, it is true that without them, Cesar will have a very difficult time at first, but as long as he can get through it and all the manpower and funds are in place, the Knights Templar will have no place to speak here.

As for the Gerald family, Dean John chuckled inwardly. He knew that the Knights Templar had always looked down on the Order of the Good Samaritans because the Order of the Good Samaritans originated from the schemes of a few merchants (they first asked the Caliph to allow them to build a hospital to house the pilgrims, and only then did the order of the knights come to protect the hospital). But so what? As merchants, they knew best how to assess the situation and know when to stop.

They could certainly use this opportunity to plunder vast amounts of assets on the island of Cyprus, and even try to sideline Cesar. But what good would this do the Gerard family? Cyprus doesn't need merchants, and the Knights of Charity have other places where their loyalty and service are required; they cannot remain in Cyprus indefinitely. Cyprus needs a legitimate, valiant, and resilient lord to withstand the pressure from multiple sides. The Gerard family lacks such a person. If they try to forcefully swallow this opportunity, they will only end up like Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden—empty-handed and stripped of their possessions.

This is considered good; otherwise, they might even lose their lives here.

Dean Ruowang didn't intend to answer the Grand Master's question. He mumbled "uh-huh" in response while continuing to look around—finally, he found a good excuse, "What happened there?"

Although he was also a blessed monk, the grace bestowed upon him by God was not enough for him to see clearly what was happening there. The Grand Master raised his head and looked for a while. "It is the knights driving away the people who came to watch the ceremony."

"Why?" Dean John asked casually. The public's attendance at the ceremony can also be considered part of the notarization, so no wedding is held in secret.

Especially for ordinary people, if they wanted to get married, a man and a woman could walk hand in hand down the street and shout, "We are married!" and they would be considered husband and wife. It was not as people in later generations imagined, that they had to go to a church and have a priest officiate to be considered married.

In that case, more than 90% of ordinary people wouldn't be able to afford to get married; they simply don't have that kind of spare money.

Noble weddings would inevitably involve public announcements. For example, when Maria married into Arrassa, Amalric I held a grand ceremony for her entry into the city—because their wedding was held in the Castle of the Holy Cross.

Some nobles would have the groom lead the bride through the streets after the wedding so that the public could see their mistress.

“There are too many people,” the Grand Master said. “Although this will cause some controversy, it’s better than a riot. Cyprus is not as peaceful as it seems. Most of these people are scoundrels and vagrants. They may have come here just for some reward money, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they have been bribed to disrupt the wedding.”

Dean Ruowang could only nod in agreement. The Grand Commander's behavior was a bit excessive—but at this moment, no amount of caution was too much. "When will the wedding be held?"

"Evening prayer (4:30 pm)." This is also the time when most weddings take place. After the ceremony, the newlyweds can move into their bridal chamber. Witnesses will watch them complete one of the most important steps in their lives from inside the room.

Their marriage will be valid once the bride's blood stains the white linen.

"Are you hungry?" Baldwin asked.

"I'm not hungry."

"Then have some water."

“I’m not that thirsty, Baldwin, you look more nervous than I am.”

Baldwin took a deep breath. He didn't tell César that sometimes, when he looked at César, it was as if he were looking at another version of himself—unlike César, who was heading towards hell day by day, César was heading towards glory—and if that was the case, he felt that he was saved too.

Now that his other self was about to get married, how could he not be nervous? He stood up and walked around Cesar again, checking his ornaments for any mistakes. Fortunately, there were none, but he still hesitated for a moment, then took off the decorative short sword from Cesar's waist and replaced it with a Damascus scimitar.

This scimitar was a gift from Hibil to him, and then he passed it on to César.

The black leather scabbard didn't quite match the jewel-adorned gown. Baldwin looked at it and tried to take it off, but Cesar grabbed him and pressed it down.

"I quite like this, so let's leave it at that."

Baldwin sighed, returned to his seat, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at the ring that Cesar was awkwardly touching. This was also a point of contention, as Cesar didn't really like jewelry.

This drew ridicule from some people who thought he should become a commoner or a monk.

Cesar, however, believed that he had an even more important identity than that of a nobleman—a knight, a guardian who had to be in a state of constant combat readiness. Wearing jewelry, whether necklaces, bracelets, or rings, would affect his agility to some extent. Sometimes, even the slightest obstacle or delay could lead to an irreparable defeat.

He never harbored any illusions, but today he had to endure this discomfort.

“If you dress plainly, the Byzantines will think you are humiliating them, and they are already unhappy enough,” Baldwin said. “You probably don’t know, but they also wanted you to wear Byzantine clothes to marry the princess, but luckily she refused. But even if they brought it up, I wouldn’t agree.”

The Byzantines didn't just care about clothes. When foreign princesses married into the Byzantine royal family, they were required to change out of their own country's clothes and wear Byzantine-style robes before they could marry the emperor.

Their actions were somewhat disgusting, but one could also say they were trying to secure a voice and power for Princess Anna in their future marriage—if Princess Anna hadn't witnessed so many couples turning against each other for power and profit—like their father, Manuel I—she might have agreed. But now she saw through their intentions at a glance, and instead of granting their request, she took out a scripture and read a passage to them.

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, its body, and the Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

The officials were speechless.

Anna said that she would not only refuse to let Cesare wear Byzantine clothes to marry her in such a humiliating manner, but she would even have to obey her future husband and wear Frankish clothes at the wedding.

(End of this chapter)