kingdom of nations

Chapter 30: Count Etienne’s Advice (Part )

The horse under Mulai moved its hooves slightly.

After several months of equestrian training, which had transformed horseback riding from a pastime into a necessity in life, Cesar could already see at a glance that Mule had shifted his body on the saddle.

It would not be surprising if such a disciple of the devil, such a shameful traitor, such a pagan bastard, upon seeing such a group of Christians, only thought of capturing them, bringing them back to his castle, and then ransoming them one by one. If anyone could not be handed over, he would contact Isaac's slave traders to sell them - that would be no surprise.

Even if they had almost nothing to do with him and had never committed any crime, but suffered misfortune because of his greed, he would not care at all. He would even be complacent and think that he was extremely lucky - his target today was another group of people, but who would refuse a fat and defenseless lamb?
But if the other party is the only son of Bohemond, Duke of Antioch, then it would be a different story.

We have said before that this is indeed Mulai's territory, but his previous despicable behavior was looked down upon even by the Turks. Toglor II, with the intention of driving the tiger to devour the wolf, placed the territory given to him in the Principality of Antioch, a triangle area where conflicts often broke out between Armenia and the Seljuk Turks. As long as Mulai wanted to hold on to his territory, he had to work for Toglor in vain.

Of course, how could a vicious villain like Mulai be willing to be exploited like this? He was more interested in plundering pilgrims passing through his territory or nearby areas. Sometimes he would also attack Isaac merchants, and even Turks or Saracens who also recited Allah.

Some people might point at him and say that he is a traitor, but faith is just a useful tool for him, and he has such confidence - after all, he visited Saint Matthew in the Temple of Alaska and received the blessing of Prophet Lot in the Temple of Aladdin - since the saints and prophets don’t care, what should a mortal care about!
But when it comes to his own interests, Mule has to consider a lot more.

Bohemond III, the current Grand Duke of Antioch, was not an easy neighbor to get along with—a fact that had something to do with his childhood and adolescence. His father was Raymond, the son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, and his mother was Constance, the daughter of Bohemond II. This was also a marriage that was not suitable in terms of age: Constance was ten years old at the time, and Raymond was thirty-six.

Although they had a pair of children, Constance did not respect or love her husband. After he died in battle, she quickly married a Crusader knight, who later became Raynald, Duke of Antioch. We do not know whether there was any true love between them, but after Raynald was captured by the Saracens, Constance was not enthusiastic about rescuing him. Perhaps at that time, the noble lady had already tasted the sweetness of power.

This desire destroyed the relationship between Bohemond III and his mother, especially when he came of age and asked his mother to return power, but was firmly rejected by Constance. If she had not done a stupid thing before, marrying her daughter to the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I, giving the latter sovereignty and inheritance rights over Antioch - so that the Crusaders in Antioch angrily deposed her regency, Bohemond III's succession to the throne might not have been so smooth.

Bohemond III certainly hated the covetous Manuel I, but he had been captured by Nur ad-Din of Zengi a few years ago and was released and returned to Antioch only with the mediation and gold coins of Manuel I. Therefore, he had to accept some conditions, such as he had to accept Manuel I's priests and officials, and marry his niece.

The only son of Bohemond III and the emperor's niece was Abigail. Mule had certainly heard of her name. If the child's mother was someone else, even the illegitimate daughter of the Pope or a princess of the Holy Roman Empire, he would abduct all of them without hesitation and sell the child for the highest price.

But this child is the key for Manuel I to radiate his influence into the Holy Land. If he does so, he will face a three-pronged attack from the Byzantine Empire, Armenia, and the Principality of Antioch - not to mention Toglor II, the Turkic Sultan will not spend a single soldier to rescue a former enemy.

But if you ask whether he can willingly accept this result, the answer is definitely no. The heir to a duchy is worth at least several thousand gold coins, and his identity is so special that he may be worth even more.

Mulai was now like a wolf wandering in front of a trap, coveting the fat bait set by the hunter, but also afraid of the sharp bamboo sticks in the pit.

He also had a question in his mind. The Grand Duke's son held a high position, and he was so young. Even if he wasn't in his father's castle, he should have been in King Alasarus's or the Count of Tripoli's. How could he be here for no reason? And with only a dozen people, not to mention that he could tell at a glance that they were two groups?

"One of my father's guests encountered a pack of wolves, and his servants rushed back for help, so I came out with some servants," said Cesar.

Although he said this, there was still a hint of weakness and uncertainty in his tone, and his eyes unconsciously looked down.

Mulai guessed that the child might have sneaked out to play under the pretext of looking for guests without telling his father.

"We found him and are about to go back," Cesar added.

Mule's gaze paused again on Count Etienne, noticing the twisted thigh. "He's injured," he said, turning his gaze back to Cesar. "How impressive, my little knight! Are you the only one who found him?"

"That's right," Cesar raised his head and said proudly, "My father sent many people, but I was the only one who found him."

"Your father...sent many people?"

"A lot of people," said Geoffrey, speaking this time. "We've released the falcons, and they'll be here soon."

Mle looked uncertain. He had also heard that some knights were looking for someone. Although he had the advantage in strength and numbers, the other side also had eight or nine people on horseback. He could escape or fight with them, and who knows when the knights in Antioch would catch up with him.

He always prided himself on being cautious, but in reality he was cowardly, greedy by nature, and unwilling to take any risks. After thinking it over, he gently kicked the horse's belly and said, "So be it."

He spurred his horse forward, slowly passing through the group of people. The "son" of Grand Duke Antioch looked at him curiously, tilting his head to talk to the servant beside him. The tall and sturdy knight replied with some contemptuous words, which were certainly not good words, but Mulai would not care about that empty reputation since he could live comfortably until now.

As he passed the guest, he confirmed that he was a Frank, wearing a white or blue cloak or short coat, red trousers, and boots with gold and patterns. Knights who have been here for a long time always have some oriental elements. Count Etienne nodded to him slightly, as if he had never heard of the bad name "Mule".

"You are truly a warrior," Mulai complimented him hypocritically. "How many people did you meet?"

"We encountered two groups, one group of wolves and one group of jackals, at least fifty of them. They were really cunning and vicious, but God bless us, we managed to drive them away while singing. If you go further, you might see their corpses." Mle stared at him for a while, not sure if the other party was mocking him. Although Count Etienne used the term "beasts", Mle was more worried about small groups of roving bandits than real wolves and jackals. He cared about this not to ensure the peace in his territory, but because he was worried that someone would snatch his prey.

"Then I must go and see," said Mleit. This time he did not stop, but led the group of soldiers, who were either Turks or Saracens, past César and his men. When the tail of the last horseman's horse brushed the edge of the pine forest, Geoffrey nodded to Count Étienne and said, "Let us go too."

One of the count's knights was about to step forward when the monk grabbed his bridle and gave him a stern look. He was a little confused until he saw Count Etienne step forward, bow slightly to the "son of Grand Duke Antioch", and then the two of them walked side by side in front. Only then did he understand what was going on. After they had walked more than a hundred feet, a Turkish cavalryman hurried over from behind.

"The prince said that he forgot to ask you to give his regards to your father, the Grand Duke of Antioch. May God bless him with good health." He held out his hand, and Geoffrey took what he handed over. It was a gold ring in the Fatimid style. The ring body and the ring face were wrapped with strands of gold thread and dotted with gold grains. The cost of the workmanship far exceeded the value of the gold itself.

Geoffrey threw a gold coin into the hand of the Turkish cavalryman, who was immediately surprised and delighted. He jumped off his horse, saluted deeply on his chest to the "Son of the Grand Duke" in a sable robe, jumped on his horse again, and ran away in the blink of an eye.

Count Etienne's knight then realized that he had almost made a big mistake.

After what happened, they no longer cared about Count Etienne's legs. After they walked out of the sight of Mulet and his soldiers, they started running at full speed. They had no guide or messenger, so they could only run as far as possible to the seaside. This time they finally received God's blessing and found a Christian village.

The village manager sent a messenger to take them all the way to Zephilion, an ancient port city. Although it belonged to the Byzantine Empire, in order to avoid trouble, they disguised themselves as pilgrims guarded by the Knights Templar, took a boat from Zephilion to Cyprus, and then went directly to Jaffa from Cyprus.

Only after arriving in Cyprus did Geoffrey send a message to Alaska, and another day and a half passed before Count Etienne returned to Sainte-Croix.

Count Etienne was overwhelmed with emotions when he saw the three towers in the shape of lion heads. When he left, the king here, Amalric I, could be said to be his victim - although it was a mistake made by him and Louis VII, and when he came back, he became Amalric I's victim.

He was taken to the main tower and stayed in a room second only to the king's. The bishops of Alaska had been waiting for a long time. They took turns praying and treating Count Etienne's legs, ensuring that he would be able to walk freely within a week without any sequelae, and that he would continue to be a brave and fearless knight in the future.

The king personally put a necklace around his neck. This necklace inlaid with rubies and sapphires was roughly worth Count Etienne's current wealth. There is no need to say more about other consolations and gifts. The king and Grand Duke of Antioch also generously bore all the rewards this time - this time alarmed three knightly orders and half of the city's crusaders.

As for Geoffrey and his soldiers and attendants, they should be given even more praise.

"And the child?" asked Count Étienne.

His monk hesitated for a moment: "I don't know." He remembered that they had just entered the Fort of Holy Cross. The king had put his arm around Count Etienne's shoulder, and they were accompanied in by the Count of Tripoli, the Grand Duke of Antioch, and other nobles. They saw the green-eyed little servant left behind them. No one paid any extra attention to him, except for the Templar Geoffrey, who turned around, put his hand on his shoulder and said something.

But according to the monk, the little servant did not seem to be forgotten or abandoned, but rather seemed to be waiting for something.

He also waited, and the monk saw that just after the others left, a boy in a white robe and a veil on his face ran out from the corner of the tower. He rushed straight to Cesar and hugged him tightly!
"Did you see that man?"

"Baldwin, the only son of Amalric I, is also Cesar's master," the monk said. "It's obvious that they have a good relationship. Prince Baldwin treats him not as a useful servant, but as a dear brother."

Count Etienne almost laughed out loud: "Oh, my dear Anonthia," he called his monks. Generally speaking, these monks could be said to be his confidants, and he never concealed his true face in front of Anonthia.

"You were born into a peasant family. If you hadn't become a monk, you would have been just an ordinary farmer. If you were still a farmer, would you allow a leper to hold you so intimately, rest his chin on your neck, breathe on your skin, and touch you with his fingers that were like dead branches?"

The monk shuddered, "No, never!"

"What if it was a prince?"

"Let him go to hell!" the monk said firmly. "No matter how much gold or title he has, I still have to live to spend it!"

"Well," the Count asked lazily, leaning back and burying himself in the soft fur, "do you think Cesar would like this 'amiable brother'?"

　Here is an explanation of the necklace that the king gave to Count Etienne.

　　During this period, jewelry was basically unisex.

　　Moreover, many knights wore collars, because at that time there were no helmets covering the neck, only mail turbans. In order to add a layer of defense, some knights would wear iron collars.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)