kingdom of nations

Chapter 247 The Tournament Between William Marshall and Cesar (Two chapters combined)

"My lord?" a knight asked curiously, for his master had suddenly stood there, motionless.

Jaffamen Cesar had passed through here countless times, whether leaving or returning to Arazari, but today he found himself involuntarily pausing before the stone slab inscribed with the proverb. He realized that even after so many visits, the most vivid memory remained of his first visit: King Amalric I of Arazari lifted him up, placed him on his horse, and sat him before him as they slowly made their way through the torchlight-lit night.

At that time, César still did not know what fate awaited him, but he was grateful for Amalric I's patience and kindness that night, even if the affection was not directed at him but rather a favor extended to him as a result—the king looked at him and thought of Baldwin, who was the same age as him.

“Let’s go,” Cesar said. As if sensing his mood, Castor, who was usually quite mischievous, was unusually docile and calm this time. It wasn’t until Cesar gently patted its neck that it started to walk forward again.

Once Cesar moved, the crowd in front of and behind him began to move again. Only then did Cesar realize that he had unintentionally blocked the passage at the city gate. He smiled apologetically and was about to pass through the passage as quickly as possible when he saw the crowd in front of him fall down one after another, like wheat swaying in a gentle breeze.

He paused for only a moment before immediately dismounting. Sure enough, coming towards him was Baldwin, surrounded by knights. Baldwin rode Pollax at breakneck speed, making a graceful stop in front of Cesar. The black steed reared up and neighed unhappily, which elicited a hearty laugh from Baldwin.

Cesar was about to bow when Baldwin grabbed him and pulled him into a hot but somewhat thin embrace. Then, a hand wearing chainmail gloves patted him hard on the back twice.

“I’ve heard,” Baldwin asked eagerly. “Is Portia pregnant? Have the priests been trying to find out how long? Have they tested it with wheat and barley to see if it’s a boy or a girl? (At that time, it was believed that if wheat sprouted in a pregnant woman’s urine, it was a girl, and if barley sprouted, it was a boy.)
It's okay, you're still young. If this one is a girl, the next one will definitely be a boy. You don't need to worry about it.

Does she have anyone taking care of her? I asked Maria, and she has several trustworthy maids who can be sent to Cyprus. Would you like to meet them first?
They might not be good at taking care of people, but these maids all come from the Grand Palace in Constantinople and are quite adept at preventing plots against pregnant women and fetuses. Or... when we leave, should we bring Portia to Holy Cross Castle? My mother, I mean the Countess of Jaffa, would also like to take care of her.

My mother is very experienced; perhaps when we return from our expedition, there will be one more person among those who come to greet you.

"You only just realized this a few months ago? Your previous letters didn't seem to mention any related omens..."

Baldwin spoke quickly and urgently, and if Cesar hadn't been listening intently, he might have been completely bewildered. Fortunately, he was always very patient with Baldwin. "Yes, yes, everything is fine. Don't worry, Portia will stay in Cyprus, and my sister will take care of him, but having a few more maids won't hurt."

He trusted Baldwin and Queen Mary the Queen Mother. Although he had entrusted some things to his sister before leaving, it would be good for them to have more trustworthy people by Portia's side.

As for why it took so long, until Portia fainted at the banquet, for them to realize that the long-awaited little life had quietly arrived in the world?
That's because Portia is one of the few women who didn't experience any obvious symptoms during early pregnancy.

Although the bleeding was less and lasted shorter during the last instance, she didn't experience any discomfort at the time, and the maids assumed it was just an accidental mishap. Aside from lamenting that they still hadn't received good news, they paid no further attention.

Cesar always thought Portia was somewhat overworked and under too much psychological pressure, while Portia's good health also blurred people's perception.

At this time, people always assume that women are very sensitive and vulnerable when they are pregnant—and indeed, most women are like that.

Portia's robust physique kept her energetic and sharp-minded. She didn't experience vomiting, nausea, or loss of appetite; in fact, her appetite improved. Her grandfather even teased her, saying that since arriving in Cyprus, her face had become even rounder instead of thinner.

He was thus met with several eye rolls from Portia, but he also failed to realize that this was a sign of pregnancy—the fetus in Portia's womb was sharing the nutrients she was taking in with him.

César was unsure whether Portia would experience fatigue and other discomfort due to psychological issues after discovering her pregnancy, but at least before César left, she had regained her former vitality. She even insisted on taking César to Larnaca, watching his large ship sail away.

Although she was unable to ride a horse on this journey—something her grandfather and Cesar would never have allowed, preferring either a carriage or a palanquin—Portia showed no other adverse symptoms besides being slightly tired.

Perhaps, as Baldwin said, when they return from their expedition—regardless of whether it achieved its intended purpose—there will be one more person to greet them.

They mounted their horses and headed towards Sainte-Croix Castle together. Cesar carefully kept Castor and Pollax about half a horse's length apart. But Baldwin still had a lot to say to him. He turned his head and, finding Cesar no longer beside him, skillfully reached out and pulled Castor's reins, forcing the two horses to ride side by side.

"Open the gates!" A loud shout rang out, accompanied by the sound of horns. The gates of Holy Cross Castle swung open, and knights spurred their horses and trotted inside. Then came two equally young rulers, as bright and dazzling as the rising sun.

"Look, the Holy Cross Castle is truly magnificent today, with two kings."

Upon hearing Bohemond's words, Raymond immediately showed his displeasure. "Two kings? Who are you talking about? I only see a king and a landless count. Titles and offices conferred by the emperor of the Eastern Byzantine Empire are not recognized by Christians unless the Pope of Rome is willing to personally place the crown on his head."

"But he is already the lord of Cyprus."

Would the people of the Byzantine Empire willingly accept the rule of a Crusader?

"So what if he's unwilling? He's already silenced all dissenting voices in Cyprus. I've heard he's also come up with some new number system, numerals, and tax laws, and is intentionally using these things to appease the heretics."

And you must have heard that his wife—that Venetian woman—is pregnant, and they will soon have one or even more children. Perhaps in a few years, after the current Alexander III answers God's call and ascends to heaven, the new pope will compromise with him. As long as our zealous king is alive, it shouldn't be difficult for him to obtain a royal crown through Cyprus.”

These words made Raymond's face even more gloomy. Although he and Bohemond should have gone down to greet their king, the two old ministers suddenly became sluggish and slow upon seeing the young man beside the king. But how long could they hide? They would have to appear at the banquets, royal meetings, and tournaments that followed, especially now that Baldwin had taken power.

"That must be David."

Raymond glared at Bohemond, who of course recognized his son as the one running out from a corner of the square, beaming with joy as he went to greet him.

Raymond was always somewhat helpless with David. He thought it would be better if Cesar hadn't been there, as David would have been Baldwin's most trusted and closest friend and brother. But fate had other plans, and his actions in forcing David to leave Baldwin caused his son to lose the Crown Prince's trust. After Cesar took that crucial position, no one else could replace him.

Baldwin now viewed David with more leniency than before, but not beyond the bounds of a king's and subject's relationship. It couldn't be said that Baldwin was unjust; in the previous battles, every merit David had rendered had been rewarded and rewarded. Even after returning from Constantinople to Arrassa, at David's request, Mersin, the good place occupied by the Armenian prince Murray, was granted to David as his territory.

Raymond knew he should feel gratified and content, but the thought that Cesar had effortlessly gained the whole of Cyprus through marriage made his heart feel like it had been doused with spoiled wine—hot, scalding, and sour.

Bohemond knew from Raymond's expression that he was again comparing David and Cesar. A mocking smile appeared on his lips. If his son were David, he wouldn't be complaining like this.

Although David was somewhat reckless, naive, and inflexible, his fighting prowess was undeniable and recognized by the knights. He repeatedly won championships in jousting tournaments, acquiring many horses and armors, but he generously returned his spoils to them, earning him considerable praise.

Looking back at his son Abigail, the joke about him "always in bed" still circulated among the knights. Regardless of whether Abigail would still have the courage to participate in the knightly tournament, even if he did, no knight would respond to his challenge.

As for how Bohemond found out? Hmph, need I say more? Abi wanted to participate in the upcoming expedition, and in order to pave the way for his good-for-nothing son and clear his name, Bohemond sent people to secretly hire some wandering knights, trying to bribe them to intentionally lose to his son in the tournament.

But to his surprise, even those wandering knights who only had a suit of armor, two or three weapons, and a horse left, laughed and refused after hearing his request. They even told the middleman that it wasn't that they were unwilling to accept this lucrative business—they didn't care whether their reputation would be damaged, after all, every knight has his moments of mishap.

The problem is that they can't be sure their performance will be satisfactory.

Although these words weren't said to Bohemond's face, it was tantamount to slapping him in the face. Their implication was that Abigail might not even need to engage in actual combat; he would be shamefully defeated, denying them even the time or opportunity to put on a show.

Bohemond, of course, did not agree with such nonsense, but after he went to see Abigail for himself, he suddenly felt that the knights might not be so exaggerated.

At first, he couldn't even recognize the bloated fellow who was his son, a knight and a grand duke, who had also been favored by a saint.

He was the chosen one. Yet he had managed to ruin his body to this extent—but all Bohemond could do was summon a priest to treat Abigail.

What troubled him most was that a priest said Abigail's health was even worse than his father's. When Bohemond heard this, his first thought was whether Abigail could still have the heir he so desperately wanted with Princess Hibern.

Although the priest agreed to keep quiet under the lure of gold and a promising future, and was prepared to use his power and herbs to treat Abigail, Bohemond remained troubled.

This frustration fueled Raymond's jealousy once again.

He watched Raymond storm off, still leaning against the windowsill, looking down. He saw Raymond's son, David, approaching the King and Cesar—no, wait. He might not have gone there specifically to greet the King. Although he had helped the King with his horse, assisted Baldwin in dismounting, and embraced Cesar, his primary target was the legendary knight, William Marshall.

David did indeed come for William Marshall.

Who doesn't know this undefeated legend who was already famous in his twenties?
He treated William Marshall with more deference and humility than he would his own king. He even tried to hold William Marshall's cloak, which made William both amused and exasperated. In the end, Baldwin laughed and pulled David over, taking his arm. Thus, with one arm around David and the other around Cesar, they entered the tower together.

This little incident slightly eased William Marshall's somewhat troubled mood. However, before the banquet began, he couldn't help but worry about the two gifts in the boxes again.

Richard also longed to join the expedition. He was both jealous and envious that William Marshall had obtained Henry II's permission.

But this straightforward prince did not try to persuade his father to change his mind or fill the void in his own heart with the disappointment of others. Instead, he prepared a magnificent steed, a suit of armor, and a squirrel-skin cloak for William Marshall.

William was deeply grateful, but then Richard made a request that put him in a difficult position: he asked Marshall to deliver a gift to his friend on Arrassa Road. When Richard first took out a longsword and told him that this English broadsword was a gift he was giving to King Baldwin of Arrassa Road, William Marshall was very pleased.

But then Richard produced a second longsword that was practically identical. It was also a gift, but not for King Arazarus; it was for his friend and brother, Count Cesare of Edessa…

William Marshall was dumbfounded. Even if a longsword was to be given as a gift—which was in line with Richard's character—there should at least be some distinction in terms of protocol.

These two double-edged swords are practically twins. They are the same length, the same width, both forged from steel, with gilded brass cross-shaped guards, and lead-filled ball weights at the ends inlaid with gemstones—one an emerald, the other a sapphire.

In fact, emeralds are even more valuable than sapphires. Seeing William's expression, Richard laughed and patted William on the shoulder, saying, "It's alright, Baldwin won't be angry. In fact, he'll be quite happy."

Indeed, Baldwin was not angry. After William Marshall presented the gift, he even immediately and happily summoned Cesar, and together they wore the two longswords at their waists.

Even so, he was still not satisfied, so he had someone bring out the chainmail that Queen Mother Mary had made for them. After they were all dressed, Baldwin even said with amusement that they should have an artist paint their portraits.

William Marshall was speechless, but he thought that if some people with ulterior motives found out, it would surely cause a huge uproar.

William Marshall's worries were not unfounded—at the banquet, because William Marshall and Cesar were seated at the King's long table, no one dared to easily provoke or act rashly. Even Abigail, who sat at the end of the table, controlled himself and did not say anything unpleasant, although his face was gloomy.

Upon hearing that Cesar was likely to have his first child in a few months, Abigail nearly bit off his silver knife.

However, this guy's malice and hatred towards Cesar is already common knowledge. People don't care at all, and often use it as a joke.

William Marshall keenly noticed that some of the visiting knights were constantly glancing at the main table and whispering among themselves. Although their words were soft, William still caught the name Cesar and even saw a hint of eagerness in the eyes of these young and proud lads.

He didn't know if someone was deliberately instigating him or if it was their intention, but after the banquet, he had to remind Cesar that he might face many knights in the upcoming tournament.

As expected. Before the expedition began, in order to test the knights' combat strength, explore their talents, and understand their temperament, there were quite a few tournaments before the great battle. There were tournaments with multiple people and one person, some on horseback and some on foot. Cesare did indeed face many direct challenges from knights.

He certainly didn't disappoint his fans, winning match after match, regardless of the weapons he used, whether he had allies by his side or enemies.

William Marshall always deliberately avoided him. He wasn't worried that fighting Cesar might cost him his undefeated reputation, but rather that someone might sabotage their battle—not for Richard, not for England, and not for God. However, given his admiration for this younger man, he didn't want him to become a hidden arrow aimed at him.

Marshall's concerns came true a few days later. Just as William Marshall once again won a victory in mounted combat and presented a wreath on a lance to the most distinguished woman in the arena—Queen Mary the Queen Mother—Raymond, who had watched every match but remained uninterested—even when his own son David won the championship, only clapped a few times perfunctorily, suddenly stood up.

"Gentlemen," he deliberately exerted some force on his vocal cords so that everyone in the room could hear him. Some noble ladies frowned and raised their hands to cover their ears, but all the knights and their squires had already turned their heads, wanting to hear what this venerable lord had to say.

William sensed something was wrong. He flicked his spear and handed the wreath on the tip to Queen Mother Maria. Maria had already stood up. She seemed to accept the wreath, but her attention was still focused on Raymond.

"Gentlemen, listen to me," Raymond said with a smile to William Marshall, "In the past few days, we have experienced three great tournaments, each one so wonderful and amazing."

Each knight has displayed their exceptional martial prowess, extraordinary courage, and indescribable piety to our King and Queen Mother. And it is evident to all that two have distinguished themselves in these contests: one is our distinguished guest from afar, Sir William Marshall, and the other is the little saint we all know very well, and who is deeply respected and loved by the people.

He spoke the word with a hint of sarcasm, though it was difficult for anyone to detect. "He was the king's brother and his best friend, and people hailed him as the Shield of the Holy City. And as such, he protected our king and knights countless times on the battlefield, and also made it difficult for those evil heretics to break through our defenses."

His achievements are undeniable, and he was invincible in the tournament. But gentlemen, aren't you curious? If the shield of Alaska and the spear of England were to collide, would the spear destroy the shield, or would the shield break the spear? "Don't rush, Your Majesty..." He turned to Baldwin, who had risen from his seat, "With the expedition imminent, I don't want them to be injured, or even die fighting for honor."

My suggestion is to have them engage in a one-on-one duel, but please do not pray to God for the favor of saints. Let them fight like two unchosen knights, with the flesh and blood and unwavering will that God has given us.

There are priests here. As long as they don't cut off the opponent's arm, or unfortunately hit their eye or throat, some minor bruises and impacts should be harmless and won't affect the subsequent battle.

Raymond's words were indeed reasonable and did indeed arouse the interest of everyone present, especially those who had traveled a long way and had not witnessed Cesar's battle firsthand, as well as the knights who had been defeated by William Marshall and Cesar. Although they were convinced of their superiority—after all, both Marshall and Cesar had genuinely defeated them without resorting to trickery—everyone knew that William Marshall was an undefeated knight, and Cesar was the Shield of the Holy City…

Some people did notice that either Cesar or William Marshall were deliberately avoiding each other, as they never appeared on the same field at the same time. Everyone wanted to see who was the strongest among them, so they joined in Raymond's clamor and started making a lot of noise.

Queen Mother Mary raised her wreath, about to say something—as the Lady of Love and Beauty present, she certainly had the right. But then César stood up and called out, “So, Sir William Marshall, do you accept my challenge?”

William Marshall faced him from a distance, tossed his spear to a squire who rushed over, removed his helmet, looked directly into those green eyes, suddenly burst into laughter, and replied loudly, "Of course, it would be my honor!"

Since it's a duel between two people, the multi-person melee is cancelled.

William Marshall was asked to rest for an hour to recover his strength, though he felt he didn't need to. Then they put on their armor and brightly colored smocks. William looked out through the narrow gaps in his helmet and seemed to see a bright flame leaping on Cesar's chest, his coat of arms.

Red emblems were not commonly seen at this time, and this was almost like a heart presented before everyone's eyes, he thought to himself.

He then mounted his horse with the help of his entourage. His horse was taller and stronger than Castor's, but Castor showed no fear whatsoever. As the two knights passed each other and exchanged greetings, the white horse even snorted and stamped its hooves at its fellow rider, making a defiant gesture.

William Marshall's mount was equally impressive; it was the very same horse Richard had given to William, living up to its reputation as a "gift from the king." In just a few days, William Marshall had obtained the armor of three knights thanks to it.

They rode onward to the east and west ends of the arena, then turned their horses to face each other. At this time, there were no fences as we know them today; the knights charged head-on like on a battlefield, victory or defeat decided in an instant.

This simulated combat places high demands on the knight's sense of balance, quick reflexes, and anticipation.

In this battle, they adopted a best-of-three format, meaning they would face off three times.

The first time, William Marshall, with his rich experience, stabbed Cesar off his horse in one go. Cesar fell to the ground, while Castor raised his front hooves high, avoiding stepping on his master.

The second time, Cesar used a two-handed overhand grip. This method was more common in East Asia, but William Marshall was unfamiliar with it. He misjudged Cesar's attack distance and was hit in the ribs.

This time, César won. After his victory, he immediately dismounted and helped William up before his entourage could. In the instant their eyes met, they did not speak, but it seemed as if they had reached some kind of agreement.

In the third battle, they were faster and more resolute than before, employing the most common one-handed, frontal lance grip—the knights' favorite lance-clamping charge. Some of the nobles watching the match even stood up involuntarily, leaning forward to see the decisive moment.

But just as the two hurricanes collided, they heard a crisp cracking sound. The two broken spearheads flew high into the air and then fell. The two knights charged in different directions, then quickly slowed down. When they returned to the center of the field, the crowd erupted in a joyful cheer.

In the equestrian jousting performances commonly seen in later generations, there are often scenes of two knights thrusting at each other across a fence, and then the lances breaking instantly against the armor. But don't misunderstand, in the performances, the knights would intentionally break the fragile hollow lances. The audience did not know that the lance was more easily broken than the toy guns they themselves had tied together with matchsticks. They only saw the fragments flying and felt that they had seen a genuine performance, which was simply a great deal of money.

In reality, aside from the possibility of the rider falling off his horse, the performance was not particularly dangerous. However, the lances used by William Marshall and Cesar were genuine; they weren't so easily broken, and they certainly wouldn't have been able to kill enemies on the battlefield.

The spearheads were made of real steel, and the shafts were made of tough ash wood. Their spears did not break on their armor, but rather, in that instant of crossing, they used their eyesight and skill to tacitly break each other's spear shafts with their spearheads, thus achieving the current result.

While people could see that they intended to draw, they couldn't help but be moved by the unparalleled skill and the mutual respect between the knights.

They clapped and tossed garlands, ribbons, cloaks, and jewels into the arena, which were picked up one by one by Cesar and Marshall's retinue, who then circled the arena to express their gratitude to the crowd.

Although some people were saying that since the duel was evenly matched, they should continue to dismount and fight on foot, no one was listening to their instigation anymore.

(End of this chapter)