kingdom of nations

Chapter 4 Holy Cross Castle
Amalric I has always been a decisive man. Since he decided to make Cesar his son's attendant, he would not delay. Even though the sky had turned dark ochre, it did not prevent him from immediately taking Cesar and everyone back to the castle. The monks brought palm branch torches soaked in olive oil, and the knights checked each other's horse hooves and equipment.

The person who was most reluctant to part with Cesar was of course John. He was not the kind of person who would easily indulge in desires, especially desires that were not allowed by God. He liked Cesar for the same reason as Amalric I. He was not without disciples, but none of them were as handsome and smart as Cesar.

Priests also need an heir, and in the church, background is not a big issue. Jesus Christ was just the son of a carpenter, his apostles were just fishermen, soldiers and tax collectors, and among the saints there were also courtesans and slaves.

He sobbed... Yes, sometimes the abbot was so sentimental. He prepared a leather bag for César, in which he put two loaves of soft white bread, thirty silver coins, a small dagger for cutting meat, a set of linen clothes, a woolen cloak, and also led out his mule to lend to César, which was a very remarkable gift.

"No," said Amalric I, "I will take him with me."

Cesar wasn't sure if Amalric I meant that. He was led by Heraclius to the king's horse, a beautiful, tall steed with almond-shaped eyes reflecting the purple clouds. He wondered if it still remembered him. He held out his hand, and the horse tilted its head to sniff. "It seems it likes you very much," the king said, then he hoisted him onto its back and made him sit in front of him. It was truly an honor. Heraclius shook his head slightly behind him.

How heavy is the favor of the King of the Holy City? Mountains of gold and lakes of mercury will carry you into the sky like a hurricane, but a fall will shatter you to pieces.

Amalric I's behavior did scare Cesar, but he was not as worried as Heraclius thought - the worst moment had passed, and the worst outcome was to become a slave again. Moreover, based on the conversation between Amalric I and him before, the king was not a stingy and despicable villain. Although he wanted Cesar to serve a leper, he also gave him the opportunity to choose and promised him an extremely generous reward.

"We are walking on Jaffa Avenue." When his followers raised torches, Amalric I was still interested in explaining to Caesar, "Jaffa is a port on the Mediterranean coast, on the left side of Via Alassar. Pilgrims board ships, cross the Mediterranean, and disembark in Jaffa. They follow this road to the Jaffa Gate of the holy city, and then enter Via Alassar." He gestured to Caesar to look at the roadside, where tiny lights were slowly gathering.

"Those are pilgrims, and perhaps merchants. They have seen us, and if they get permission, they will follow our group, walking in the dark, so as to reach their destination earlier."

Cesar was not stupid enough to ask why these people were stumbling along in the dim or almost non-existent light just to buy a little time.

Although it was a highway, it was still covered with thorns, gravel, and dents caused by rain, horse hooves, and wheels. After spending more than ten days in the Church of St. John the Baptist, he already knew how poor people were at that time. If these pilgrims could reach the holy city earlier, it would mean that they would consume less food they carried or bought, and would also reduce the chance of being robbed, which might be life-saving.

On both sides of Jaffa Avenue, you can see undulating hills. Under the sunlight and torches, they look like undulating dark waves. Cesar thought of that hill... Although he knew it was not here, he still felt a strong smell of blood in his nostrils. He probably couldn't forget this smell for several years, just like the face of that slave trader.

When they arrived at the Jaffa Gate, the deep black dome no longer had any extra color. To Cesar's surprise, the Jaffa Gate was not completely immersed in darkness and silence as he had thought. A bright bonfire was burning outside the gate, and the flames were reflected in the shimmering moat. Soldiers ran around, slowly lowering the narrow drawbridge under the command of a knight who was not wearing a helmet, but only chain mail and a cloak.

"Your Majesty, you should stay in the monastery for one night..." Count Raymond of Tripoli hurried over to Amalric I. He was startled when he saw Cesar standing before him. In all of Alasar, there was only one person lucky enough to hold this position: Prince Baldwin. Who was this child? Was he the child of some lord?

"I found a new friend for Baldwin," Amalric I said, and then rode forward. Raymond looked at Heraclius behind the king. Heraclius touched his forehead and said, "Raymond," he said, "it's too late. I'll tell you tomorrow."

"But Your Majesty..."

Amalric I left his friends and the clamor behind, pausing only briefly before the walls of Jaffa Gate. The entrance to Jaffa Gate wasn't straight, but rather shaped like a capital L, with walls on the right side and the front. Each brick was about half the size of a child, and the center one was inscribed with the Latin motto, "Wisdom, Justice, Justice, Integrity."

Turning left, there is a row of low houses. When Amalric I and his knights walked past, there was silence. Cesar guessed that this must be where the poor people lived - places close to the city walls are always dangerous. When the enemy attacks the city, this place will be the first to be affected by the catapults, and the guards will also tear down nearby houses to use as rolling stones for defense.

His sight caught the attention of Amalric I, but he misunderstood: "That's the Tower of David," he said. Only then did Cesar notice the tall tower standing like a giant next to the Jaffa Gate. It was almost completely hidden in the darkness, with only a torch lit at the highest point. It could easily be mistaken for a dim star close to the horizon.

Then they passed through another city wall. The buildings behind the wall were much taller than the previous houses, especially the ones with a cross on top. That was a church. After passing two or three such dark shadows, in front of a particularly majestic cathedral, Amalric I made the sign of the cross on his chest: "Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the burial place of Jesus Christ, the most sacred place in the holy land." He said, and Cesar lowered his head slightly and made the sign of the cross as well.

The shadow cast by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was even darker than that of the Jaffa Gate or the Tower of David. Behind it, a faint flicker of fire could be seen. Cesare felt the broad chest behind him tremble violently. "We're here, son," the king said. "That's the Fort of the Holy Cross. You'll be spending a long time here."

After that, no matter who it was, the king just waved his hand with a tiredness rather than indifference to dismiss them, even Count Raymond of Tripoli who quickly caught up with him and Grand Duke Antioch who hurried over.

Even though this was a king's castle, its structure and layout were no different from any other castle: double walls, twelve defensive towers, a spacious square surrounded by the walls, and surrounding the square were the necessary facilities: kitchens, water rooms, stables, ironworks, leather workshops, and two or three wells, barracks for the guards, and three towers in the center.

Looking down from the air, the three towers look like a lion's head, the king tower in the middle looks like a lion's mouth, and the auxiliary towers on both sides look like fangs or ears.

The Royal Tower is a cylindrical building, with the dungeon, supply storage room and kitchen, royal hall, guest bedroom, and master bedroom arranged from bottom to top. The only difference is the chapel and armory. In other places, the chapel would be placed between the master bedroom and the armory, but here the chapel is located above the armory because it contains the "True Cross" - the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Mortal weapons cannot surpass the Noble Phantasm of the Savior. The right tower originally belonged to the king and his family, while the left tower belonged to his knights and vassals. After Baldwin was diagnosed with leprosy, he moved out of his room and moved to the left tower. The vassals in the left tower moved to the right tower. The knights still complained that they had to share a room with several people, but the left tower fell into emptiness. It had only one owner: Prince Baldwin.

There is also a large group of servants.

They swarmed out of the tower. Even though the king was very indifferent, they did not, no, it was not so much that they did not notice the king's annoyance at all. More likely, even if they did notice it, the fanatical desire to flatter him and hope to get promoted was enough to offset all the uneasiness.

Amalric I stopped and the servants behind him immediately stepped forward silently, waving sticks to drive away those disgusting greasy faces. Raymond opened the door for the king and glanced at Cesar with questioning eyes, but he was not the kind of fool who didn't know what was going on, and of course he would not ask questions at this time.

The king waved his hand, signaling everyone else to stay outside. Then he turned and called out, "Is there anyone here to hold a candle for me?" As he asked, his gaze remained fixed on the group of servants running out of the tower, but they remained silent. After a while, one man was finally pushed out of the darkness. He smiled a smile that looked more like tears than tears, and bowed to Amalric I. A knight placed a candle in his hand, and the light suddenly trembled rapidly.

A sneer broke out from the crowd and then disappeared. The servant holding the candle took a step with an embarrassed look on his face, and suddenly he stumbled. The flame flashed and the candle fell from his hand.

The people around him couldn't help but shout, and before the shouts died down, they turned into cheers. The boy who had been standing silently beside the king leaned forward and caught the falling candle at the same moment it fell. The candle flickered, but it didn't go out. This reaction and courage are both commendable.

"Well," said Amalric I, "then follow me, my son, and I will take you to Baldwin."

Raymond finally moved, "Your Majesty, please do not take such a dangerous action."

"I am only going to see my son," Amalric I said. "Or do you think that the favor I have received from God is not enough to enable me to pass the test He has given me?"

Bohemond, Duke of Antioch, grasped Raymond's arm, and when Raymond looked at him, he shook his head imperceptibly. During this delay, the King and the child he had brought with him ascended the wooden stairs to the tower without hindrance.

The first line of defense of the tower is the entrance which is about one person high above the ground. There are no stone steps at this entrance, only a retractable wooden ladder. The king gently pushed Cesar's back and let him walk in front. The boy's feet landed lightly on the solid wooden boards, making almost no sound. Behind him, Amalric I, a tall knight in chain armor, made the entire wooden ladder shake.

Cesar held up the candle and had to admit that he was curious about this place. In his imagination, the tower should be as narrow and empty as the lighthouse he had visited, but this was not the case. The spiral staircase only occupied a very small space in the tower, and it was not in the center of the tower, but close to one side. Most of the space in the tower was occupied by a hall with multiple uses. Round tables, chairs and wooden boxes could be vaguely seen, and the faint light from the fireplace made the gold and silver threads in the tapestry sparkle.

There were still some food and wine bottles on the round table, but before Cesar could carefully identify them, Amalric I was already urging them. Like all fathers, he only wanted his children to see his gifts as soon as possible, completely forgetting that Baldwin might have fallen asleep at this time.

Baldwin was still wiping his hair—this was originally a servant's job, but ever since the first servant who was forced to come up had been cursing under his breath while doing his work...

He may have thought that Baldwin, as a Christian, could not understand Bedouin, but he did not know that as the heir to the king of the holy city, his learning progress of Greek, Latin and Saracen were all progressing in parallel. Saracen was derived from Bedouin, and even if he could not understand all of it, he could at least understand eight out of ten of its meanings.

He considered whether to punish this disrespectful servant, but ultimately decided against it. Firstly, he might have to go to a monastery and become a monk at any moment, so it wouldn't be bad to get used to a humble life from now on. Secondly...

Baldwin smiled. After all, he was the only son of Amalric I.

"Baldwin." Baldwin heard his father's voice. He thought it was his hallucination, as it had been for the past few months, but soon the door opened and a large black shadow was outlined by the candlelight.

For a moment, Baldwin almost wanted to stand up and jump into the arms of Amalric I. No matter how smart and strong he was, he was still a nine-year-old child. But he held back. He stood up and said, "Your Majesty." His voice inevitably trembled. "Just stay there, stay there. Don't come any closer."

He sniffed, listened and watched greedily and painfully. All of this would be his only comfort in his long and austere life of cultivation.

"I'm right here." Amalric I knew not to push too hard. "Look what I brought you."

Without him saying anything, Cesar walked forward, raised the candle close to the candlestick next to Baldwin, and lit the candles one by one. The originally dark room immediately became bright, and Baldwin, whose attention was originally on his father, subconsciously turned his head to look.

He saw a boy about his age, who was extremely beautiful. Even without the decorations of gold and silk, he still shone brightly in the candlelight, making people dare not look at him closely.

(End of this chapter)