kingdom of nations

Chapter 21: Sibel's Humiliation (Part )
We will not go into details here about how the envoys from the Holy Land met with Amalric I and how they conveyed to him Louis VII's thoughts and greetings to the Lord of the Holy Land and the Knight of Christ.

A grand welcome banquet was held that evening. This banquet was of course planned. More than a month ago, the castle steward and the head cook had started preparing for it - there was too much work to do.

In addition to the castle's original staff, they hired an additional thirty chefs, a hundred kitchen helpers and servants, and a dozen carpenters and blacksmiths to provide enough tables and chairs for the banquet.

Merchants of all colors and beliefs came and went from their residences or offices - the castle needed beer, wine, wheat, rye, large quantities of poultry such as chickens, ducks, geese, as well as pigs and calves, olive oil, vinegar, sauces, and most importantly, the most expensive spices. At this time, money was almost no longer money but sand, and expenses poured in like water every day.

Even so, the knights of the castle would still go out hunting every day at the urging of the steward. After all, in this period, without game such as deer, wild boar, and swan, even if everyone could use golden plates, the whole banquet would be overshadowed. After these prey were brought back to the castle, they would be smoked and pickled in the big kitchen - of course, they were not as delicious as fresh ones, but most of these dishes were not meant to be eaten at the banquet.

In addition to these entryway items, there are tapestries, ornaments, linens, and the seemingly ordinary but indispensable wooden chopping board.

The wooden chopping board here is not used for cutting meat - at least not the kind of cutting you think. Its real purpose is closer to that of a dinner plate. Because dinner plates, whether made of silver, gold, ceramic or glass, are considered a considerable asset, even Amalric I could not afford so many dinner plates, so people used either a dry flatbread or a piece of wood to place food.

In order to show their diligence and bravery, some knights used their shields as plates and cut pork legs into strips on them.

The host would not even provide tableware to the guests. Although the nobles at that time would use three fingers to eat (to distinguish them from the serfs who used five fingers), they would prepare a spoon and a knife for themselves.

In addition, between each dish, dancing, music, and acrobatic performances are needed to entertain the guests, and these also need to be hired from outside the castle. There are clowns and bands in the castle, but it is far from enough.

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Baldwin took Cesar's hand and led him up to the "Gallery".

"Gallery" is just a name. It is more like a long platform or room protruding inward from the top of the castle hall. Sometimes it is made more hidden, and the owner will use tapestries and flags to cover it, allowing people to hide in it and peek down, which is what people call "squinting".

Amalric I's "Gallery" was not intentionally concealed, but was covered with heavy tapestries, flags were erected, and bands occasionally played on it. However, it is now empty, and although it is narrow, it can easily accommodate two children.

"My father allowed me to watch here," Baldwin whispered. "Do you remember—did your father let you see this before?"

"I don't really remember."

"That's okay," Baldwin shook his hand. "We can do it together... Juggling is fun, and the dancing and music aren't bad either."

Even if Baldwin had not contracted leprosy, as a child he would not have been qualified to attend a formal banquet like this. Those running around in the venue were either wine boys or short dwarfs, but Amalric I allowed him to peek here, of course not just for fun - from here he could overlook the entire hall, and everyone's position, expression and movements were all in sight - it was part of the education that every son of a king and lord must receive.

Amalric I had already taken his seat in the main seat, and the guests, monks and knights also took their seats. Cesar leaned on Baldwin's shoulder and looked down through the gaps in the tapestry. The hall was the most important place in the castle, even higher than the chapel and bedroom. It was the place for formal ceremonies (audiences, investiture, weddings or funerals), the court for trials and judgments, and the place where an extremely glorious and grand event took place, just like today.

Its walls, once a slate-gray stone and white stucco, were now covered with countless flags: red, white, gold, blue, black… Maltese crosses, five-fold crosses, St. John’s cross, St. Peter’s cross… eagles with outstretched wings, roaring lions, horses with their hooves raised, the Trinity of fleur-de-lis, fishes leaning back against each other…

They are either hanging or leaning, some represent the family, some represent the country, and some represent all the glory and merits of a knight...

From the huge brown wooden beams hung bronze or black iron lamp holders, the lamp bases filled with animal fat. When they were lit, they emitted a dazzling light accompanied by rising black smoke. However, the distance of thirty feet from the open height to the ground made the light seem insignificant, so people supplemented it with torches fixed on the walls and pillars.

Of course, no matter what, the first ones to be served are the host and important guests, so Baldwin and Cesar can see the main table most clearly.

The main table of the banquet was made up of three ordinary long tables, covered with several layers of fabrics, including white linen, blue cotton, gold and red velvet - there was certainly a reason for this arrangement, which will be explained later - the person sitting in the middle was usually the owner of the castle, unless the person visiting was a nobleman of higher status than him, such as an earl receiving the king in his own castle, then he had to give up his seat.

But Amalric I was both a king and a master. In this world, except God, probably no one could ask him to give up his seat. He sat in the middle, and Heraclius sat on his right. This was not surprising, as more and more kings allowed priests who exercised divine power to sit in important positions second only to themselves. But what was intriguing was that the person sitting on his left was Princess Sibylle.

Amalric I is now a widower, and his daughter is already an adult. As the hostess of the castle, it is understandable that she sits in this position, but on her left is today's guest of honor, Count Etienne of Sancerre, the envoy of the Holy Land.

This arrangement made some people feel uneasy. They were some young knights, admirers and suitors of Princess Sibylle. Of course, her fans were not limited to young men like David or Abigail. There were many knights willing to swear an oath to her. But in this situation, they could not do anything even if they wanted to.

At this time, the banquet will divide the participants into a "mess", which means a group, usually two to six people, who sit on both sides of a long table. The closer they are to the main table, the more they are liked or valued by the host.

Those who could sit below the main table were almost all important figures from various factions within the Holy City, while the knights were confined to seats near the walls. The attendants brought rose water for hand washing. Etienne, seated beside the princess, perfectly fulfilled his duties as a knight. He served the princess like a servant, offering her a silk scarf and then washing his own hands in the same dish.

At such a close distance, Sibylle could clearly see the man's gray temples, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and lips. It was impossible for her to be ignorant of what the maids knew. For a young girl who was just beginning to fall in love, marrying a knight who was old enough to be her father was really painful. But from Sibylle's point of view, she knew that she was not choosing a husband, but a capable man, the father of her children, and the king of Alasar.

Although Amalric I was extremely stubborn about Baldwin, Raymond was not the only one who tried to persuade the king. Many people also suggested that the king should regard Princess Sibylle's husband as the heir, or that they could accept the child born by the princess and her husband... Objective reality cannot be changed by human subjective consciousness. No matter how much the king loves Baldwin, a leper can never be cured, and his condition will only get worse, not better.

Was Amalric I truly as resolute as he thought he was? Sibylle didn't think so. If he were, he wouldn't have pursued marriage with the Byzantine princess. Amalric I was only thirty-four years old. If he had married, it was entirely possible that he would have fathered one or more healthy boys...

At this time, the first dish was served. Perhaps it should not be called that, because this dessert, which is more like an ornamental dish, is called "sculpture food". The chefs mix various candied fruits with pastries to make them into the shapes of animals or buildings. Etienne once saw desserts made into the shape of swans at the banquet held by Louis VII to celebrate the birth of his heir. The swan held an iris carved and dyed with sugar in its mouth.

What was served here was a "Holy Cross Castle", which was mainly made of nut cakes and dates, and was drizzled with honey and sugar. It tasted delicious, but had a distinct Byzantine and even Saracen style. Etienne tasted a few bites absentmindedly, while subconsciously glancing around, wondering if these knights fighting for Christ had noticed this.

Sadly, no.

Then came the real feast: roast pigeons, roast chickens, roast rabbits, a pig served whole, its stomach stuffed with sausages made from its stomach, intestines and bladder; venison served cut up, adorned with sharp antlers and surrounded by various herbs; and stews filled with meat, seasonal vegetables and bursting wheat grains.

There were also pies, filled with layers of meat, pork, pigeon or venison.

The wine was also served. The butler prepared a hundred barrels of wine and three hundred barrels of beer for the banquet.

Between each course, as mentioned before, there would be performances, with musicians playing the piano or flute, and clowns performing tricks or dancing.

As a plate of mixed meats dyed blue, gold and red with columbine, saffron and sandalwood was brought up, a dwarf climbed up a rope hanging from a wooden beam, which allowed him to swing from one end of the hall to the other. He held the rope with one hand and a large silver wine jug with the other. He flew directly above the main table and was caught by a servant behind Amalric I. People laughed, and Amalric I also showed a rare smile and held out his cup for the dwarf to pour him wine.

The dwarf poured the wine, made faces and told a fresh joke, and everyone at the head table was laughing and laughing, even Princess Sibylle was no exception. Etienne picked up a gold brooch and threw it to her. The dwarf was immediately overjoyed and stretched out his hand to catch it, but the narrow mouth of the jug was no way to catch the brooch. It bounced on the jug and fell out.

"Let me down!" the dwarf shouted. He didn't notice the squire's face twisted quickly and he was pushed out - viciously. He immediately lost his balance and the wine jug fell first, then he fell on a long table. The knights laughed at him loudly. When he didn't move, a knight pushed him and he fell to the ground along with the plate of almost eaten venison.

He was so unlucky that he was not very high from the ground, but when he fell on the table, the decorative antlers happened to pierce his chest.

Before Cesar realized what was happening, the long table, which had been silent for a moment, erupted into even louder laughter. The knights clapped their hands on the table, laughing uncontrollably. Obviously, this joke was funnier than the one performed or spoken by the dwarf. A group of servants ran out from behind, grabbed the four corners of the tablecloth - there were several layers, and they lifted the top layer directly. Two servants lifted the dwarf's body and the antler and placed them on it, and carried him away with the leftovers.

After that, it was as if nothing had happened - except that this "joke" was spreading everywhere like wildfire - some people were eating and drinking, and he felt really sorry that he couldn't see it with his own eyes... From Cesar's position, he could see the blood flowing from the dwarf, but soon other dwarfs and musicians stepped on it, and in the blink of an eye, it merged with the dark floor of the hall.

Baldwin touched his friend. He didn't think anything of it, but he knew that Cesar was a kind-hearted man who was so soft-hearted that he could make people laugh. "Let's go back," he whispered.

Cesar shook his head. He had killed two people with his own hands as soon as he arrived here. Although they were not innocent, he also had to get used to the death of innocent people. In this holy city, outside this holy city, human life was as worthless as sand.

Another dish arrived: a chicken paste mixed with rice cooked in almond milk and then fried almonds and fennel. People called it "white cheese soup", a cross between soup and dessert, but more reminiscent of Saracen rice pudding. After this course, there was a meat aspic, which needed to be sprinkled with spices. Étienne attentively brought the spice tray to Princess Sibylle - a compartmentalized plate with onions, ginger, pepper, saffron, cloves and cinnamon. The princess pinched some cinnamon with her fingers and sprinkled it on the aspic, and also sprinkled some on Étienne's aspic.

"They are indeed a perfect match." Bohemond said to Raymond beside him.

"I wonder how strong the Count of Sancerre is." Raymond frowned and said. It would be no problem if Amalric I could live for another twenty years, but if the king did not live long and could only reach the age of thirty, and was likely to be bedridden before the age of thirty, Baldwin would not be able to shoulder the responsibility entrusted by God. At that time, the only one who could lead them to fight against the Saracens and guard the holy city would be Princess Sibylle's husband. He would rather be cautious, but other people in the holy city did not think so.

"He once repelled the combined forces of a king and two earls."

Bohemond said this half-seriously.

"For a woman." Not for God.

"Isn't our Princess Sibylle beautiful? I see she has already captivated the Count of Sancerre."

(End of this chapter)