Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 200: The Anjou Family's Trivia
The royal power has dominated conflicts in Europe for nearly a thousand years.

With the marriage of Isabella's grandfather, Count Fulk of Anjou, to Melisende, the daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1131, a new royal family was born - Jerusalem-Anjou.

At the same time, Fulk's eldest son Geoffrey of Anjou married Matilda, daughter of King Henry I of England.

The princess is the granddaughter of William the Conqueror.

This move added another powerful branch to the House of Anjou - the Plantagenet of Anjou.

Geoffrey the Plantagenet gained claims through marriage and conquered Normandy.

According to the Treaty of Westminster, after the death of King Stephen of England, Geoffrey and Matilda's son successfully inherited the throne of England, and Plantagenet of Anjou also rose to become the royal family of England.

Over the course of history, the House of Anjou split into two branches, each of which controlled two kingdoms. At its peak, its territory included the whole of England, Jerusalem, half of Ireland, and most of France.

As for the land of France, in addition to the ancestral territory of Anjou and Normandy, there was also a portion that came from Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Eleanor, born in 1122, was forced to marry Louis VII, the Crown Prince of France, at the age of 14.

In 1148, she participated in the Second Crusade with Louis VII, and rumors spread that she fell in love with her uncle Raymond and even attempted to elope.

Louis VII was furious and had her imprisoned.

After that, Eleanor gave birth to Louis' second daughter, but their marriage came to an end due to the lack of a male heir to the French king.

As Duke of Aquitaine, Eleanor owned a quarter of France.

At the same time, the existence of forced marriage was generally recognized in Europe at that time, which meant that after her divorce, she could be captured and forced to marry by a male lord at any time, thus reducing the Duchy of Aquitaine to a dowry.

With a dash of romantic and practical resentment, Eleanor arrived in Poitiers and quickly sent messengers to ask Henry Plantagenet of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, to marry her.

This marriage united one-fourth of France's land and another fifth.

At the same time, Henry II was also the heir to England. After this, the foundation for the real rise of the House of Anjou was laid.

If this can be seen as Eleanor's revenge, then her marriage to Henry undoubtedly led to an embarrassing situation for France for hundreds of years to come.

At the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, France lost most of its land. In fact, this was not due to invasion from England, but rather to France's own internal divisions, which made the land seem to be voluntarily given to England.

Because whether it is William the Conqueror or Henry the Plantagenet who came after him, their roots are in France, and a large part of their self-identity is not simply as British.

Eleanor's marriage to Henry II was not a happy one. Henry II had character flaws, and the education of his children was particularly problematic. In addition, he attended parties with his lover every day.

Although the second son Henry the Younger was crowned as co-ruling monarch, Henry II did not give him due power, which also marked the beginning of turmoil in England.

King Louis VII of France, Henry the Younger's brothers, many nobles, and Eleanor all became a force against Henry II.

The rebellion was eventually suppressed, but the situation was not completely resolved.

Young Henry died of illness during a battle with Henry II. Before his death, he longed for his father's forgiveness, but the two never met until their death.

It is said that Henry II was saddened by the death of Henry the Younger, and he once sighed: "He has caused me so much pain, but I still hope that he can live to cause me more pain."

Little Henry’s death was not the end of the story.

After Richard the Lionheart reorganized his forces, he challenged his father again, and this time he received the support of King Philip II of France.

It is rumored that when the two had a good relationship, they could sleep in the same bed.

The "fatherly love and filial piety" between Plantagenet and Anjou stirred up the situation in Europe.

However, due to the fall of Jerusalem, the family conflicts in Western Europe had to be put aside for the time being, and the eyes of the Catholic countries began to focus on the situation in the Holy Land.

Back in January 1188, when Gellis was still in prison in Cyprus, Saladin launched an attack on the city of Tyre.

The city of Tyre is not large in area, approximately 0.7 square kilometers. It is a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides, protruding from the mainland into the ocean.

This actually means that Tyre's walls are quite short compared to its city area, only 700 meters long.

According to the situation in the Middle Ages, as long as the 600-meter city wall can maintain a garrison of about people, it will be indestructible.

After all, no matter how large the infantry corps Saladin assembled, the number of troops he could deploy at one time was limited due to the limited length of the city wall.

It is actually quite troublesome to destroy the city walls when there are not a large number of artillery that can quickly destroy the city walls.

This is also why many small cities are actually better defended than big cities.

Rain of arrows whistled through the air and flew towards the top of the wall in waves.

Fire pots filled with petroleum extracts mixed with saltpeter also drew burning arcs in the air and smashed into the city with blazing flames.

The raging fire was accompanied by splattering of grease, and thick black smoke rolled up in the air, mixed with the pungent smell of burning wood and cloth, making people suffocate.

There were firefighting teams everywhere, most of which were organized by Italians.

In this busy and chaotic situation, there is panic everywhere, but also people are everywhere trying to put out fires.

Isabella, accompanied by several knights as escorts and a whole platoon of soldiers, walked through the chaotic streets.

She looked at everything in the city, especially the Italians.

The girl told the knight beside her the history of these Italians.

In 1124, Venice assisted the Kingdom of Jerusalem in capturing Tyre, and as a result obtained ownership of one-third of the territory of Tyre.

It can be said that the success of the Crusader States in the Levant was inseparable from the support of the Italian city-states. The Italians provided troops, finance, markets, and goods.

What the Kingdom of Jerusalem gave them in return were privileges and land.

Before Saladin's army's first siege, Conrad organized his fellow villagers into traditional Italian urban communes and took over the city of Tyre.

"Before Saladin's invasion, there were nearly a hundred communities established by Italians or Europeans in our Crusader States."

"These communities have their own jurisdictions, their own autonomy, and many of them don't even have to pay taxes to the Kingdom of Jerusalem."

"For them, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was a 'colony', and they were the first-class people in this colony, except for the nobles."

The Latin etymology of the word colonization is colonia, which comes from the Latin verb colere, meaning "to cultivate" or "to live."

This is not a later concept. In ancient Rome, colonia referred to a settlement composed of Roman citizens or retired soldiers, usually established in conquered areas or border areas to consolidate control over these areas.

Isabella's statement that the Italians who put out the fire were colonists was actually a kind of division.

She placed Jerusalem, a country founded by the Crusades, on the colonized side.

As she spoke these words, Isabella, the half-Greek girl, had a calm look in her eyes.

Her eyes were clear and deep, a blue-gray color like marble.

To this day, she still doesn't grow her hair long, but keeps it at a length that reaches her earlobes.

This makes her face more three-dimensional, and makes her less traditionally frail, and instead gives her a more resolute temperament.

When passing by the fire, Isabella not only did not go to put out the fire herself, but also did not assign the knight beside her to go over.

The Italians handled the situation very well. If Isabella and her group had interfered, it might have only made things worse. Because of Isabella, they were restricted in what they could do.

"In our land, Saracens call themselves the people of Islam, and Orthodox Christians call themselves Greeks."

"The Genoese in Tripoli never considered themselves to be from Jerusalem, and neither did the Venetians in Tyre or the Pisans in Acre."

"Franks like Reynald, who came from the West, never considered this land their homeland."

“Because, in their eyes, Jerusalem was conquered.”

When the word "conquered" was mentioned, Isabella pursed her lips and her eyes flickered.

It was as if those who were conquered were not just the local Saracens, nor just the Greeks who still paid "Gizia".

And people like her are also the conquered ones.

“Who are the ones who truly consider themselves as the people of the Kingdom of Jerusalem? You and me.”

Isabella and her friends are the nobles of this land, with their own wealth and land. They were born and grew up here, but they are nothing if they leave here.

Russell and others who followed Isabella and Gellis represented a group of localized Franks who thrived and multiplied on this land.

They cultivated olives, grapes, wheat, barley, and dates in the countryside, breaking away from their old communities and becoming the prototype of a new nation.

But both the local nobles and the localized Franks were minorities in the kingdom.

"For these Venetians, Genoese, Pisans, Marseilles...they came here to make money. Their homeland is Italy, their motherland is those Italian city-states."

"Once the Kingdom of Jerusalem fails to provide generous compensation, or there is a conflict of interest with them, then they will abandon us."

"Who can we rely on then? The few native Franks like us?"

Isabella did not answer the question she had asked, and the knights behind her were unable to answer it either.

Where can people like them go after their country is destroyed?

Their homeland is Palestine...

With Isabella's words, they walked through the chaotic streets and arrived at the most luxurious mansion in the city.

In fact, if measured by European standards, this is not just a luxurious mansion, but a palace or a temporary palace.

Baldwin IV, the "Leper King", once stayed here to recuperate.

Several suspicious guards were standing guard at the gate.

Seeing Isabella and her group walking here, they subconsciously pointed their spears at each other.

But Isabella's outfit left the guards at a loss.

The girl was wearing a heavy royal robe. The base color of the robe was noble Tyrian purple, and the brocade was embellished with delicate gold lines, making it look particularly thick and gorgeous.

The collar of her robe was slightly open, revealing her slender swan-like neck, and her slightly childish face was highlighted in this undeniable authority.

Isabella pointed the tip of the scepter in her hand at the guards who had drawn their swords.

This scepter inlaid with rubies and pearls was not made for her, so it was uncomfortable to hold. But this did not prevent her from showing the sternness of a monarch.

"Get out of the way, I'm here to see my sister."

She pursed her lips slightly, revealing her restrained determination.

The guards were at a loss. They recognized Isabella, but did not dare to let the group enter the palace.

Seeing that the guards did not respond for a long time, Isabella glanced at the knight next to her.

After receiving the glance, accompanied by the sound of swords being drawn, the shield-wielding knights protected Isabella behind them.

As for the fully armed infantrymen, they began to load crossbows in front of the guards.

With just one order, the guards can be shot into hedgehogs.

The guards at the door felt a chill. After weighing the strength of both sides and looking at each other, they retracted their weapons, made way, and knelt on one knee to show their obedience.

Isabella, escorted by the knights, slowly stepped into the palace.

It was as if this was her home and she was the master here.

Although he does not wear a crown, his marble-like calmness makes him look as majestic as a king.

The knights silently pushed open the doors one by one, clearing a path for Isabella.

Nothing could stop her, and Isabella didn't stop until she reached the last door.

……

This is a baby room, and because there is only one small window, very little light comes in.

Because of the climate and season, the room was damp, cold and a little dark.

Although it didn't snow, the humidity made it seem like no matter how many clothes I put on, the cold would penetrate into my bones.

"Sleep, my child, the night is deep;"

"Sleep, my darling, the wind blows gently;"

"Sleep, my darling, the night is over;"

"Mother is always by your side..."

In such a room, someone was rocking a cradle and coaxing a baby in the cradle, trying to make it fall asleep.

Sibyl showed her maternal nature, which made her even more beautiful. There was a hazy feeling of purity and desire, and her amazing curves were enough to make any normal man greedy.

No one would have thought that she had already given birth to five children, and now she was taking care of her youngest daughter, Alice.

But even though only a few remnants of the screams outside the palace were heard when they reached the house, the despair and pain mixed in them still made Alice feel terrified. Although she did not cry, she was afraid in her heart.

Just then there was a knock on the door, which surprised Sibilla.

"Please open the door for me, Ivita. It may be someone who has brought a message." Sibilla ordered the old nanny not far away.

The old nanny who received the order went to open the door of the baby room.

The moment the door was opened, the room became bright.

Abundant light shines into the dim house through the window in the corridor, making this isolated little room return to the world of the world.

But what came with it was not only the light, but also the cries of the people in Tyre.

Two and a half year old Alice cried loudly along with the other people.

However, Sibylla had no time to comfort him, because when she looked at the gate, in the overflowing light, she saw a "dead person".

Sibilla couldn't help shivering from the soles of her feet to her scalp. The ghost of the dead could actually return to the world!
"Baldwin?"

She muttered to herself.

When the "old friend" stepped into the dim room from the abundant light, the gold threads on his robe no longer shone.

Only then did Sibyl see clearly who was coming.

She was silent and a little embarrassed, and tried to look away, not wanting to look him in the face.

But everything is already irreversible.

How long had it been? How long had the intimacy between them disappeared? Three years? Five years? Even seven years?

Sibyl searched deep in her memory and finally found a warm picture. At that time, she was still pregnant, lost her first husband, and Isabella's mother never remarried.

The sisters lived with the newly-ruled Leper King in the palace on the Temple Mount. Isabella, who was only five years old, often leaned close to her belly and listened attentively to the unborn child's laughter, which was as clear as a silver bell.

Was that nine years ago, or ten years ago? At that time, Isabella was almost like her own daughter, loved by Sibyl and the Leper King. They were thirteen years apart, which in today's era is as far apart as a generation.

Then, Isabella moved to Ibelin when her mother married Balian.

However, everything changed quietly when Isabella married Balian and moved to Ibelin with her mother.

From that day on, Sibylla felt that a bright rainbow was missing from her life. The happy person who made her laugh was gone, and the boring days became even more empty.

Before they knew it, the years had passed like sand and the two sisters had become strangers.

If you want to get something, you must give it up. When Sibyl was encouraged to become king, she indulged in a life of decadence and debauchery.

Only now, after the dying days of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, had she regained the peace she had forgotten.

But there were some things Balian had already told her.

Renard, in collaboration with Guy, had instructed the Bedouins to attack Isabella's convoy.

On one side is the husband, and on the other side is a sister who is as close as a daughter.

Sibylla, who was caught in the middle, failed to show the willpower that was consistent with her status as the Queen of Jerusalem.

"Sister, please abdicate."

A gust of wind came from behind Isabella, causing her robe and short hair to flutter, making her look even more majestic.

Alice's cries grew louder and louder, but Sibilla didn't care.

Loneliness clung to her heart like a vine, and when she looked back at the past at this moment, she realized that she was about to lose everything.

Did she really care about this crown? Was this crown really for her? She suddenly began to question: What was the reason for her to be the king?

Is it for power? No, it's not.

It was more for Guy than for himself.

She longed to give her beloved husband the most precious thing she could give as a gift.

Even if it meant going against the Leper King's last wishes, she did not hesitate.

She could not foresee the fate in the distance, but could only focus on the obsession in front of her. At that time, she only had Guy in her eyes. As long as Guy's wish was to be king, she would give up the promise she made at the coronation and give him the throne.

After her son Baldwin V died in August last year, Guy persuaded her not to abide by the leper king's will and to inherit the throne directly.

During her ascension to the throne, in order to appease her opponents, she promised to divorce Guy after her coronation and choose a more suitable king from among the nobles to rule Jerusalem.

Of course, Sibylla broke her promise.

When Patriarch Iraklius crowned her at her coronation in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, he asked who would replace Guy.

In front of everyone's shocked gaze, Sibylla ordered Guy to come forward and kneel before her.

She calmly took out another crown that had been prepared long ago and crowned him.

That moment was the craziest and happiest time in her life - she gave the most precious gift she could give to the one she loved.

A woman, a woman deeply in love...at that moment, she completely threw the Leper King's advice to the winds.

[Sister...if you really love Guy, then when you become king, you must stay away from him...he is not enough to protect you from the wind and rain, and the waves that the kingdom will face will tear you...into pieces.]

She remembered the resentful look in Iraklius' eyes at that time, but Sibyl didn't care at that time.

Now, Sibyl once again saw the shadow of Baldwin in Isabella, which was the demeanor of a king.

Even though they have never been crowned, people like Baldwin and Isabella live for their own will, and because of that indomitable will, they dare to seize everything for themselves.

"Bella."

There was bitterness in Sibylla's words.

"You can hold off Saladin, right?"

"can."

"Are you so confident?"

"Correct."

"why?"

While Sibyl was asking questions, Isabella had already walked over to the cradle and was helping Sibyl rock Alice's cradle.

"You kings and nobles of Jerusalem, we have committed many evil deeds and have caused the Lord's anger to burn. We have strayed from the right path, drunk with power, and have strayed from the destiny of God. The anger of God is like a strong wind, and destruction has come. The collapse of old Jerusalem is like the ancestors drifting in the desert. The ruins of ancient Israel have finally become a thing of the past. How can the destiny of God be reversed?"

“The Father’s will will be done, like a river flowing smoothly. But He also said that a new kingdom will rise from the ashes, like a new dawn that will surely come and illuminate all nations.”

“All of this has been determined by God.”

As Isabella said these words, she was thinking of Gailis.

It had only been a few days since they last met, but she was already thinking about him day and night and was worried about him, but she carefully hid all of this.

　Two in one
　　
　
(End of this chapter)