kingdom of nations

Chapter 336 The Arrival of Philip II and the Troubles of Longinus

Frederick I eventually reached an agreement with the Byzantines. The details of the agreement are unknown to the people of Arrassa, but it has aroused much resentment and blame. This is mainly because the water, food and other supplies required by any large army are quite staggering. His army was delayed because it needed to fight the Sultan of Rum. What should be done with the two armies left behind in Arrassa to wait for him?
Even before the campaigns began, each of the three kings levied war taxes on their own people, and some merchants followed the armies—French I also had the strong support of Byzantine nobles and officials—but even ignoring Frederick I's army, Richard I's army numbered approximately 12,000 men. Philip II, who arrived later, also had between 8,000 and 9,000 men.

Although they were not all knights and soldiers, each person needed to eat, drink, and rest, and they were accompanied by a large number of livestock and equipment.

At this time, the importance of Venice and Cyprus became starkly apparent. Every day, countless grains and cloths were transported to ports such as Acre, Jaffa, or Gasarafa, and then flowed into Arrasa Road like streams into a lake.

After selecting the latest batch of goods, Count Berien breathed a slight sigh of relief. He hurriedly handed the accounts to two trustworthy merchants, then quickly returned to Sainte-Croix Castle, changed his clothes, put on jewelry and a hairnet, before returning to the square in front of Jaffa Gate.

Although Philip II had arrived in Jaffa four days earlier, the meeting between the two monarchs could not be as hasty and casual as a reunion between ordinary friends; the whole scene had to be described as grand.

The ministers had previously discussed the details: who would walk to whom first and how many steps, whether the other should open their arms to greet them, whether they should hug, how many times they should hug, and what to say during the greetings—these contents were like a textbook full of words, which the two distinguished students needed to study and memorize.

They even erected two enormous tents in the open space behind Jaffa Gate. King Philip II of France and Baldwin IV of Arathi Basin had to wait inside the tents until the crucial moment arrived, when the horns sounded, and they could emerge simultaneously from the tents.

King Baldwin of Arrassa was already well-known to the people here, but they were more curious about King Philip II of France.

King Louis VII of France had three marriages. However, in his first two marriages, his wives failed to bear him a son. As a result, he was forced to divorce Eleanor of Aquitaine, which brought him the greatest humiliation of his life.

His reason for filing for divorce was, of course, that Eleanor was not fit to have children, and even though they had two daughters, he still insisted that they had not consummated their marriage.

Eleanor's revenge was to marry King Henry II of England and have four sons within five years.

At that time, people did not understand that the sex of a fetus is not determined by the parents. They simply believed that if a woman could not give birth to a son in a marriage, it must be the mother's fault. However, if the wife could divorce her first husband like Eleanor did and give birth to a son in her second marriage, then people would turn their questioning gaze towards the husband.

Louis VII suffered greatly as a result, and became deluded into believing that this was a test from God, and that he should devote himself more fervently to the cause of holy war in order to obtain a successor.

But as people know, he failed to achieve anything in the Second Holy War, but God forgave and had mercy on him, giving him a son in the last years of his life, and this son was Philip II.

Philip II was about the same age as Baldwin when he ascended the throne. Although Baldwin was tall, he was rather thin, while Philip II was in even worse condition than the sick man.

Upon first seeing him, Geoffroy couldn't help but turn to Walter and complain, "This king has the air of a poet."

What were the poets like at this time? They were delicate, melancholic, pale, and thin. While this might evoke pity in women, such a temperament would only invite ridicule and contempt among men.

"Was the saint he was observing Saint George or...?"

"Unfortunately, it's Saint Martin."

“Saint Martin was a scholar.”

“Yes, perhaps our king is not only a poet, but also a scholar,” Geoffrey remarked casually, immediately followed by a heavy sigh from Walter. For these Crusader knights, of course, they hoped that every king would possess a strong physique, unwavering will, and a heart devoted to serving God.

If Baldwin had been able to overcome leprosy, he could have been a near-perfect Crusader commander, and so many upheavals would not have occurred surrounding his throne.

They heard that Frederick I had also fought many battles with the Sultanate of Rum, even pointing his sword at the capital of the Sultanate of Rum—which made him seem like a brave and skilled soldier, but he was also the Holy Roman Emperor, and it was impossible for him to stay in the Holy Land.

His bravery was meaningless to the pilgrims and crusaders, and his delays even doubled the resources required for the holy war.

Philip II was also disappointing; the young man lacked the talent and authority of a commander, while the nobles around him possessed the qualities expected of a ruler. However, this was almost a Frankish tradition—kings throughout history had struggled to break through the barriers erected by these nobles.

The two kings walked to the center of the square and embraced, but it was a very shallow embrace; they barely touched before letting go. Baldwin addressed King Philip II of France as his friend, and Philip II addressed him as his brother; they displayed a warm and intimate relationship.

In fact, unless it is a relationship of irreconcilable enmity, every Christian king will respect another monarch as he would respect himself.

Baldwin then invited Philip II to taste Cypriot wines, and Philip II also brought out fine wines from the Champagne region and invited him to drink with him.

Finally, they exchanged compliments about each other's subjects and armies, and invited each other to be entertained at Rue de la Arrassa/Paris.

Although they all knew it was highly unlikely—the King of France could come to Arrassa Road, but the King of Arrassa Road could never go to Paris—this was just one of the necessary procedures, like the previous conversations and sharing.

When the two sides finished their conversation and, at King Arazarus's invitation, entered Arazarus's tent together, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“My goodness!” William Marshall exclaimed, “This is the kind of meeting a monarch should have.” Sir Stephen, standing nearby, laughed without any hesitation.

"You should know that this is just the nature of our king."

The previous meeting was quite chaotic. First, the Cypriot delegation overstepped their bounds (which was later found to be a misunderstanding), and then Richard I impersonated Cesare, the lord of Cyprus, and hid in the palanquin, just to give the King of Arrassal a surprise.

He didn't follow any of the pre-arranged procedures, resulting in a chaotic mix of those who came to greet him and those who were being greeted. Patriarch Heraclius's brow twitched as he watched, wishing Richard I wasn't his student so he could pick up his ruler and give him a good whack.

Today's meeting undoubtedly delighted the old man; everything was so orderly, solemn, and dignified. However, as Philip II's procession was about to reach its end, César saw a familiar face—the Count of Étienne.

There were quite a few members of the Blois family accompanying Philip II this time, including the three brothers: the Count of Champagne, the Count of Blois, and the Count of Sancel (Étienne).

When Count Etienne saw that Cesar had slowed down, he patted his nephew heavily on the shoulder, urging him to step forward and fill the empty space in the ranks. He then walked out to Cesar's side and rode alongside him, saying, "I heard you have a daughter."

"Yes, her name is Lorenz."

A girl born amidst turmoil and peril, yet bearing a name that signifies victory—like most people on Alassa Road, Count Etienne felt a pang of regret; if the child were a boy, many problems would be easily solved.

“You should have another child as soon as possible,” he advised kindly. He had already seen through it all—in fact, the previous intrigues were ultimately a struggle between the old and new ministers, and the overly extreme nature of Baldwin IV, the current king of Arazarus, meant that reconciliation between the two was unlikely, though not impossible. A Christian kingdom in the Holy Land would not have a young ruler, especially not a king of Arazarus.

The Crusades needed a commander who could immediately take up swords and lead them in battle against the Saracens, so the age of the heir was crucial. If Cesar had a male heir earlier than others and sent him to Holy Cross Castle to be raised by him and Baldwin, the child would have had a much greater chance of wearing the crown of Arathi Basin than others.

At this time, Cesar, as the child's father, naturally had the duty and right to act as regent—for the sake of the peace of the Holy Land, both sides could take this opportunity to reach an agreement on peaceful coexistence, at least the Knights Templar would certainly want to see this scene.

Cesar sighed. In the past few days, there had indeed been people from the Holy Land or the Frankish nobles acting as intermediaries, trying to quell the conflict between him and the two old ministers from the time of Amalric I.

In fact, Count Raymond of Tripoli and his son David are not the most troublesome—Count Raymond is currently in a Saracen prison, and if they can retake Damascus and rescue him from the Saracens, he will be unable to continue fighting Cesar because of this favor and his previous dereliction of duty.

Moreover, his son David was a kind and brave young man who was not greedy and often persuaded his father not to continue to be hostile to César—it was not difficult to convince him.

As for Grand Prince Bohemond of Antioch, they believed there was still considerable room for maneuver. Bohemond was not as stubborn as Raymond of Tripoli; he was always flexible and adaptable—he had once served as a stable boy for the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I, and he could also be extremely obsequious to Frederick I. Moreover, the marriage between his son Abigail and Princess Hiberna was over, and people had almost given up hope that the two could provide an heir for the Kingdom of Arazarus.

With that, the biggest problem is solved; all that's needed is...

"As long as he's willing to give me a reason."

"Reason?" Count Etienne asked curiously, "What reason?"

"His reasons for doing this." If the Church might gain Cyprus in that conspiracy, and Count Raymond of Tripoli might gain Damascus, what would Grand Duke Bohemond of Antioch gain? Princess Hibil didn't even manage to have a child. Was it all for something a few years later?

But in the Holy Land, once you're on the battlefield, death can strike at any moment. A conspiracy that's too long in the making simply won't be accepted, especially by someone like Bohemond. The real answer is already obvious, but Cesar just hasn't found any conclusive evidence yet.

The original Joseph IV might have known something, but Cesar was merely a foreign soul borrowing his body, with no past memories whatsoever. Of course, he didn't know what the Grand Duke feared. But without finding the reason, let alone resolving their discord, such deadly plots would likely continue to follow.

César had no intention of keeping a viper by his side. This was why he wanted to reclaim Edessa. If he still only had Bethlehem and Cyprus, he would be too passive. Bethlehem could not provide him with enough support, and Cyprus, being Byzantine territory, was not accepted by the Crusaders—just as the Knights Templar, such as Geoffrey and Walter, were more inclined to support the Grand Duke of Antioch.

The four major Christian nations have already lost one, and Tripoli is so weak. If Antioch is also lost, Arazari will be left to fend for itself and will sooner or later be swallowed up by the Saracen army.

"I understand your good intentions..."

Before Cesar could finish speaking, they heard a commotion. Count Etienne stopped his mount and looked over with him. Not far from them, a group of knights in brightly colored smocks were arguing incessantly with another knight.

“That’s not…” Count Etienne needed to think for a moment before he could recall the family name. It was just a minor lord—the most unfortunate thing was that he had too many sons, which led to his eldest son repeatedly clashing with his younger brothers after inheriting his title and territory.

Count Étienne's father was a powerful lord comparable to the king, yet even so, after his death, Count Étienne's relationship with his brothers was strained due to the division of the territory; such families were even more problematic. For them, a cow or a piece of silk could be the most valuable possessions imaginable.

He was about to order his servants to tell the men to stop arguing or to move away before they started arguing, but César had already dismounted and gone over.

Cesar saw the man surrounded by those people—it was Longinus—Cesar's knights were easy to identify; they usually wore crimson robes embroidered with the cross of Arazarus in gold thread, and the crescent moon and eight-pointed star in silver thread. Their crowns were embroidered with a mixture of gold and silver thread and adorned with small pure gold beads, which shone brightly in the sunlight.

Cesar originally did not want the smock to be so eye-catching, but unfortunately, both Baldwin and his wife Portia believed that the knight's smock was the most morale-boosting thing on the battlefield.

Moreover, César had promised his knights that he would cover the cost of their smocks—both for the men and the horses.

If he acts too simply, people might suspect that he is not being sincere or that he is short of money.

Ten years ago, Longinus was a dark and thin knight. Ten years later, even though he had become stronger, his skin color and physique had not changed much. He was like a spear stuck in the ground, unshakable—his expression was so cold and hard that it could pierce a dragon.

"What happened?"

When Longinus saw Cesar, a look of shame appeared on his face. "This is our brother," the leading knight said loudly. "I want him to return to his master and serve our King Philip II."

“I have only one master, the Knight of Bethlehem, the Earl of Edessa, and the Lord of Cyprus,” Longinus retorted. “I have never received any reward or stipend from the King of France.”

“Then you should serve the master who knighted you,” the white-bearded knight said arrogantly. “I placed my sword on your shoulder, and you swore to be loyal to me and fight for me. But in fact, after you said you were going on a pilgrimage to Arazari, I never heard from you again. Everything I gave has vanished, and I have been ridiculed by many. You should be making it up to me.”

“If I had actually obtained those things,” Longinus replied with a sneer, “I was never treated like a knight until the day I left my homeland. I had no sash, no golden spurs. As a son, all my rights were stripped away. My horse, my armor, even in exchange for a small plot of land and a dense forest left to me by my father.”

His words would make any person with a conscience feel guilty. The knight did not serve his lord for free—even if they were related by blood, as the knight's master, he should have given Longinus the land he deserved, or an annual pension.

But now it seems that everything Longinus took with him when he left his homeland was all he had.

Count Étienne had already understood what was going on here.

Clearly, this irresponsible elder brother and lord, after inheriting their father's title and lands, adopted a largely laissez-faire attitude towards their younger brothers. Longinus could even be said to have been driven out by them—which was understandable, as the meager inheritance couldn't withstand repeated division.

Longinus originally had the right to reclaim his surname. However, after fulfilling the oath he made before God, he did not change back to his original name and continued to call himself Longinus, which is somewhat intriguing.

The timing was particularly opportune. Even though their territory was far from Arazar Road, it wouldn't have been difficult to send someone with a message, even just a few words of greeting.

In fact, not only did Longinus receive no care or support from his family after arriving in Arrassal, but even during the recent plague, his family remained deaf and dumb, turning a blind eye and ignoring him, not only refusing to come looking for him but even wishing they could completely sever ties with him.

The reason they came to him was simple: minor nobles like them, accompanied by a few knights and a dozen peasant soldiers, were inconspicuous in the expeditionary army. Nobody cared about them unless they could prove their worth on the battlefield.

But clearly, they thought they couldn't do it. So, as the most favored minister of King Arrassal and one of the few knights who were trusted by his blood relative Cesar, wasn't Longinus a stepping stone that could help them rise to the top?

(End of this chapter)