kingdom of nations

Chapter 210 The Promise (Part 2) (Bonus Chapter)

Baldwin had already pulled the spear from the wall and lowered him down. The knights found chains and leather straps and bound him tightly. They were all blessed men and knew how to restrain a fellow blessed man.

Alexius, however, remained extremely arrogant. When he saw the chains, he even smiled and said that they should find him a pair of shackles made of gold, which would be more befitting of his status as the eldest prince of the Byzantine Empire.

At this point, he believed, just as the Cypriot nobles thought, that these crusaders wouldn't actually do anything to him.

Although he intended to sabotage the marriage, he failed—he hated Anna with a vengeance, yet he still had to force a smile and maliciously congratulate her on finally getting what she wanted.

"How much ransom do you want?" He stared at Cesar, head held high, and asked mockingly. "If it's less than 100,000 gold coins, I won't agree. Based on my worth, I should have at least 150,000 gold coins. But I can only offer fifty silk robes. In any case, my price can't exceed that of my father."

He wasn't just mocking Manuel I of the Byzantine Empire, but also the Crusaders—some of whom were well-versed in history. They immediately understood what Alexius was saying: he was imitating Julius Caesar, the founder of the Roman Empire. When Caesar was young, he had said the same thing to the pirates who had kidnapped him. He paid a ransom higher than what the pirates demanded, but one befitting his status, and then led an army to wipe them out.

Clearly, Alexius also believed he could do it. The Grand Master of the Templars turned away in disgust, looking at Cesar. Whether for personal or professional reasons, Cesar was the one most qualified to deal with Alexius.

Seeing that Cesar was still holding Princess Anna, he suggested, "Shouldn't you take the princess back to her room first?"

"No." The refusal came from both of them simultaneously.

Anna nestled closer to Cesar. "No, thank you, but I don't want to leave my husband."

This gesture was clearly beneath the dignity of a lord, but neither Cesare nor Anna cared about such things. Nevertheless, Cesare instructed the maid to put a wool cloak on Anna, for he noticed she was trembling. He carried her to Alexius.

Alexius snorted like a horse: "It seems it's not just my sister who got what she wanted. You're a lucky man, getting Cyprus overnight."

His words drew anger from those around him, but Cesar offered no explanation or reproach. He looked down at Anna and asked, "Do you remember what I told you before the ceremony began?"

Anna gave him a pale, weak smile, like an ice flower that might melt in your hand at any moment, beautiful yet carrying a chill. "I remember, my dearest husband, you promised me that you would cut off the head of my brother, the Great Prince of the Byzantine Empire."

Alexius's face changed abruptly, but he managed to maintain his composure. How could this be? They must just be trying to intimidate him. Even disregarding the love the Byzantine people had for him, and his father's love for him, he was still a nobleman. Even if they met on the battlefield and fought to the death, the victor had no right to cut off his head. He had captured him, and should, according to the code of chivalry, allow him to redeem himself.

He gave all his reasons, but saw no change in Cesar's expression. He sought help from others, but even the Templar Knights, who were always driven by profit, only whispered among themselves, and no one stood up to stop Cesar.

He overheard someone say that if only he were Cesare, the other person would obviously be willing to compensate for his "offense" with 150,000 gold coins and fifty silk robes. But then the knight added that the matter should be left to Cesare to handle. He had always been a fair and upright man, and whatever decision he made would be right.

This conclusion did not only come from the knight; most people here thought so. Count Raymond of Tripoli took two steps forward, seemingly wanting to say something, but then he changed his mind, or rather, David made him change his mind.

In this matter, he chose to listen to his son.

The others need not be mentioned further. The two most influential figures are Patriarch Heraclius, Cesar's teacher and essentially another father figure. And the King of Arazarus, judging from his eyes, is even more willing to serve Cesar. "Then so be it," Cesar said calmly. "Alexius, you attempted to murder my wife, and I have promised her that I will avenge her."

I've always believed in the principle of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. How you treated my wife is how I'll treat you.

"No, you can't do this!" When the two knights came over, lifted him up, and secured him to a wooden frame, Alexius finally showed his disheveled expression. He really didn't expect that they would actually dare to do this.

These wretched barbarians, do they not know who he is? Do they not know what a revered and beloved figure he is in the hearts of the Byzantine people? In Constantinople, how many ministers and generals secretly support him, even more than his father?

If they executed him, their alliance with the Byzantine Empire would immediately break down. They would neither gain the forgiveness of his father, nor the forgiveness of the Byzantine people, nor the forgiveness of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I. They would become mortal enemies, fighting each other on the battlefield until their last drop of blood was shed.

Aren't they afraid? Two-thirds of the pilgrims' journey was within the territory of the Byzantine Empire. How could they be so impulsive and not consider the consequences?

But no matter how he argued, shouted, or threatened, it was all in vain.

The knights bound him tightly to the wooden frame, then used sharp daggers to cut open his clothes, exposing his body completely to the gaze of the crowd. This shame almost made Alexius faint.

He saw César whisper something to his sister, and then, as if she were a newborn chick, he placed her on a soft couch that had been moved there at some point, letting her recline leisurely like the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome, awaiting a bloody performance.

As Cesar approached him, he finally lost his temper completely and began to curse.

"You are not a knight! You are not a knight! If you were a knight, you should at least put me down and let me dress properly. I am willing to duel with you. According to your ways, the victor is considered to have been forgiven. Let me go, I want to duel with you!"

“If you were a knight, I would.” Cesar slowly plunged the dagger into Alexius’s skin, blood seeping out. “But are you a knight? No, you are not. You are just a coward who vents his anger on women, a clown who only knows how to scheme and plot.”

If I accept your duel, all knights will be ashamed, never again uttering their names or dueling with anyone, for you have tarnished those very words, and they will only be disgraced by them.”

Just as Alexius had done to Anna, Cesar pierced his abdomen with his sword, and amidst the prince's frantic screams, he slightly withdrew the blade, then twisted it a few times to ensure that all the organs inside were shredded.

Alexius's scream abruptly ceased, turning into a hoarse groan. He was even less capable than Anna, who, upon suffering such a wound, knew she was doomed. Yet he clung to a sliver of hope. "Don't do this," he gasped, each breath causing his wounds to bleed profusely. "Don't treat me like this. You can...you can exile me, you can cut off my hand, my leg, but please, please...please, please."

Anna? Anna? Look at me, I'm your brother, your only family. I swear, I swear, I... I will never harm you again. I'm willing to give you all my assets, connections, secrets... everything... please, please... find someone to save me. I don't want to die, I don't want to die!
Let me live, I'll be more useful to you if I live..."

Cesar drew his short sword and tossed it to the ground. Alexius, his eyes brimming with tears, thought Cesar had finally been moved by his words. But Cesar merely took the longsword Baldwin offered, took a step forward, and, to Alexius's disbelief, beheaded him.

(End of this chapter)