kingdom of nations

Chapter 229 Dandolo (Part 2)
The Crusaders were unaware of Cesare's agreement with Portia. To outsiders, Cesare did something very strange—any of these three suitors would have been a cause for celebration anywhere else, but he not only rejected them, but also, because they had openly defied his decrees and drawn swords and blood in the square in front of the governor's palace, he imprisoned them all and then expelled them without exception.

Thus, some strange rumors began to circulate in Nicosia.

In other words—was their new lord, surprisingly, a sentimental man? Some believed he was still grieving for his first wife, Princess Anna, unable to escape the memories of the past, which led him to act so recklessly. But soon others said that even if he were to mourn his wife, a year would be enough. Cesare's beloved was actually a woman of little renown, perhaps even of humble origin, and he might have already secretly married her, which explained his disdain for suitors of high status.

Perhaps soon they will see her appear beside their new lord, and some even seriously speculate that the girl should be a commoner, while others guess that she might be a prostitute. Strangely enough, the latter accounts for a large proportion of the speculation.

Because people generally believed that a woman who could make their lord submit must be a beauty like Helen or Alcmele, but if that were the case, even if she was born in the lowest and dirtiest shack, she would have been discovered by others soon, and it was impossible for her to remain unknown until now.

Neither Walter nor Geoffroy found these speculations very credible. After all, they had watched Cesar grow from a child into the person he was today.

Compared to his peers, César seemed to have skipped that phase—from naivety to sophistication, from innocence to debauchery. In fact, Frois had indeed considered asking a trustworthy person to take César to visit those skilled courtesans. He didn't intend to lead César astray, but he knew very well that the desires and emotions of young people were like boiling oil. Once ignited, let alone extinguished, they could burn him to ashes in an instant, and possibly even burn those around him as well.

The knight, who had once been favored by many noble ladies and prostitutes, soon returned. He smiled and reassured Geoffrey that there was absolutely no need to worry about the matter.

The child is perfectly normal, except—he's too busy.

His mind was always occupied by more important things—perhaps he would enjoy a little when he had some free time. If Froy thought about it later, it was indeed true. Looking back, since entering Arrassa Road, he had hardly had a year that he could spend peacefully. Even when César was at the age when he was most energetic, he would be too tired to have any romantic thoughts.

Even more convincing is the existence of Princess Hibil. Although he couldn't compliment the noblewoman's temperament and ambition, Froy had to admit that in all his travels, he had never seen anyone who could rival Hibil. Over the years, César, as the prince's personal attendant, had been almost inseparable from Hibil, yet he had never fallen into her hands, just like those young squires, futilely chasing after her every glance and smile.

He couldn't imagine what kind of woman could make Cesar do something so irrational.

He understood all of this when he saw yet another Venetian mission in Larnaca.

César's choice was still a Venetian, but not the Doge's niece, but the granddaughter of Dandolo, the most awe-inspiring member of the Venetian Ten.

Although it is the same person, the two identities are vastly different.

Although it was somewhat regrettable, of course, as a Crusader knight, Geoffrey hoped that his future Cypriot mistress would be a Frankish noblewoman, but the Venetians weren't bad either—mainly because during the First Crusade, the Venetians were allies of the Crusaders, responsible for transporting the knights, their servants, horses, and armor to the Holy Land.

Moreover, the Doge of Venice at the time organized a navy of two hundred large ships and nine thousand soldiers to participate in the holy war. They successively captured Jaffa, Haifa, and Sidon. Shortly afterward, in response to the Crusaders' request for help, they fought a major battle against the Fatimid navy and won.

If the Venetians hadn't been so uninterested in these things—they hadn't demanded territory in the covenant, only agreeing that each city conquered by the Crusaders must give the Venetians a shop, a street, and commercial privileges—then the current Crusader cities and kingdoms would likely have had other owners.

Moreover, if the Pope were to launch another crusade, the Crusaders would still need the Venetians' powerful maritime transport capabilities.

At that moment, Dandolo, who was leading his son and subordinates across the street, suddenly turned around. He stared intently at the open door of the tavern, as if he could see through the murky air and the pervasive smoke to the people inside.

Joeffroy came out.

He and Dandolo had a past connection. Before returning to Arrassa, he was the Grand Master of the Knights Templar in Frankish territory and had been commissioned by the King of France as an envoy to travel between the Holy Land and Frankish several times, sometimes by land and sometimes by sea. When traveling by sea, he had often traveled on Dandolo's family ships, thus becoming acquainted with him and even traveling together on several pilgrimages.

Their connection was temporarily severed after Dandolo went to Constantinople to serve as Venice's ambassador.

But even Joeffroy didn't expect that they would meet here again today.

Geoffroy had also heard about his eyes, but when he went over, he found that Dandolo's gaze was fixed on him. They greeted each other and kissed each other on the cheek. Then Dandolo reached out and took his arm. They walked forward side by side, talking as they went.

"I will stay in Larnaca for one night, and then head to Nicosia."

"Is it for your granddaughter's marriage to César?" Geoffroy asked.

“That’s right,” Dandolo replied straightforwardly. “Or do you have other ideas?”

Geoffrey pondered for a moment: "At first, yes. But now it seems that your granddaughter is also a possibility, mainly because there are many factions and forces within the Crusades. Cyprus is a truly fertile land, and everyone wants a piece of the pie."

The key issue is that Cesare's current situation is awkward. The Crusaders certainly hope he can marry a Christian woman, preferably whose father or brother is also a Crusader knight. However, the Pope is unlikely to easily recognize his rights in Cyprus. Without the Pope's approval, his marriage is unlikely to be arranged among dukes or higher-ranking individuals.

Of course, there were also many daughters and sisters of counts and viscounts, but this marriage had to be based on the premise that the "status quo" would not change—no matter what Cesar thought, as long as he was recognized by the Pope, he was the Grand Duke or King of Cyprus—and his subordinates and ministers would certainly ask him to marry someone else.

When a marriage is arranged, especially when the man's status is higher than the woman's, it is very easy for him to deny the marriage. For example, King Amalric I of Jerusalem and Emperor Manuel I of the Byzantine Empire did this. Even if their wives had borne them more than one child, they could still claim that they had never consummated their marriage and ruthlessly make their legitimate children illegitimate.

Therefore, the fact that both the Byzantine emperor and the Holy Father of the Roman Catholic Church offered a so-called "niece" as a bargaining chip did not mean they looked down on Cesare. In fact, if Cesare had not been so benevolent, he should have chosen the pope's niece to secure the right to claim Cyprus first. As for what would happen later, there are plenty of people who go back on their word and are ungrateful.

“If he were willing to take a shortcut, he would be under much less pressure now,” Dandolo said. “If he were willing to compromise, I might reach an alliance with him in another way.” But he would certainly bring Portia back to Venice—if the marriage fails, some people might assume that the candidates would also be brought back to their respective courts, but that’s not the case; sometimes it’s acceptable to settle for less.

Of course, they wouldn't dare say that to Dandolo's face, but Dandolo knew that some people did indeed have such intentions.

“Your granddaughter must be an elegant noblewoman.” Geoffroy was merely complimenting her, but Dandolo gave him a strange look. “I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. In fact, I love her very much. During the first and worst period after I returned to Venice from Constantinople, she was the only one who would stay by my side, take good care of me, and comfort me.”

“She’s a kind and good girl,” said Geoffroy, thinking to himself that if so, she was a good match for César.

“I had already decided then that she should be rewarded for her good deeds.” Dandolo smiled. Many people, including his son and daughter-in-law, Portia’s father and mother, simply thought that when they handed over custody of Portia, it was just a grandfather’s love for his granddaughter. How should a grandfather love his granddaughter?

The simplest and most common method is to let her grow up carefree like a flower in a greenhouse, sheltering her from the wind and rain, and shielding her from the scorching sun, so that she naively believes that everything in the world will develop and change according to her wishes. When she turns twelve, find her a good match and marry her off, at most with a considerable dowry.

But he didn't do that; he taught Portia the same way he taught his own grandson.

While this approach is unconventional, it can guarantee Portia's future to the greatest extent possible, ensuring that she can live well even without the protection of others.

If things had ended there, Portia might have returned to her family and lived a simple, happy life. But soon Dandolo discovered that among his grandchildren, Portia was the most intelligent and perceptive. She even dared to rebel against things deeply ingrained in people's minds, such as the selection ritual that could only be performed by men.

That incident certainly caused a great uproar. Even Portia's parents didn't side with him; their son was almost ruined by him—although the boys weren't disturbed at all before the door opened and had no idea what was happening outside. But that didn't stop them from blaming Portia for everything, and their despicable behavior greatly disappointed Dandolo.

Even in places far from the Holy Land, where sacred objects are offered, the probability of being chosen is definitely not as high as that of Arazarus, Antiochus, or Nalsa. Even if these boys are not chosen, they are still male members of the Dandolo family, and in the future they may enter the Order of the Ten or other powerful institutions—at the very least, they should become wealthy merchants.

Given this, their anger and discontent become ridiculous; not only are they unable to face their own mediocrity, but they also attempt to blame all their failures on their little sister…

Before this, Dandolo had even thought that after his death he would choose a monastery for Portia, or build a monastery for her and make her the abbess.

Women often gain greater freedom after marriage, even nuns who are married to Jesus Christ.

Now, however, he is no longer satisfied with this outcome.

But what he didn't expect was that a better path than making Portia vow to become a nun would suddenly appear before him. Compared to the closed-off Venice, Cyprus was more open-minded, and he also knew that in Crusader marriages, the submissiveness and obedience of women were not highly valued, because they often had to accompany the King of Arrassa on long expeditions, sometimes for a year or two without being in the castle.

During this time, only their wives guarded their territory. They couldn't have both—an ignorant and obedient woman and a fearless warrior.

He has already prepared a dowry for his little Portia.

Three ships, and the sailors and soldiers on board—all free of charge.

"While this is a good thing for Cyprus, will your children and grandchildren, and the Venetian parliament, agree to it?"

Frois asked with a complicated expression, "The Venetians promised a dowry of thirty ships, but these thirty ships cannot be delivered immediately. They must be paid in taxes or in cash."

Moreover, Dandolo brought not merchant ships, but warships with 150 oarsmen. These were known as sea fortresses, equipped with battering rams, heavy pillars, towering forecourts and sterncastles, and small catapults and crossbows for defense—they were ready for immediate deployment.

“Another twenty merchant ships and ten escort ships will arrive after the wedding,” Dandolo said calmly. “They are all my property, and no one has the right to interfere.”

(End of this chapter)