kingdom of nations

Chapter 31: Count Etienne’s Advice (Part )

Needless to say, Baldwin was very happy to meet Cesar.

It can be said that during the days that Cesar was away, endless regret was like a poisonous snake, gnawing at Baldwin's heart intermittently.

He closed his eyes and saw his friend lying in the wet mud, his face flushed. He was sick, feverish, and dying. Then, he saw him on horseback, pierced through the chest by a fierce Turkic spear. He fell from his horse and disappeared in the clashing horses' hooves. Then, in a trance, the prince saw him crossing the sea when his ship encountered a huge storm and sank. He cried out, "God!" and fell into the sea, disappearing in a few breaths...

These things were entirely possible for Cesar to happen. He had no one familiar around him, and he had to go to the pagan territory, and he had to go through so many hardships on the way. Baldwin was so miserable that he couldn't rest day or night. Only when Cesar left him did he realize that he had been foolishly tempted by the devil and let his best friend die for that worthless vanity and competitiveness!

When he saw Cesar, he found that he had all his limbs intact and was conscious. He looked no different from when he left the Castle of Holy Cross. Baldwin felt that the heavy shackles had been lifted off him. He was even reluctant to let go of Cesar. The two of them returned to the left tower hand in hand. However, this time Baldwin took Cesar to an empty room. The furniture and decorations in the room were probably only slightly inferior to those of the prince's room. There was also a steaming hot bathtub.

"Whose room is this?"

"Yours," Baldwin said.

Although as a servant, Cesar should sleep in the same room with him, but during the time Cesar was away, he was always anxious and restless, and had no time to care about anything else. He could only walk back and forth, up and down in the left tower over and over again.

It was not until he saw several empty rooms in the tower that he remembered that when he was still in the right tower, although David, Abigail and others were his attendants and someone would sleep on a gurney under his bed every night, they all had their own rooms in the tower.

He remembered that his father, Amalric I, had promised that Cesar would have the same treatment as David and Abigail, so he should also have his own room.

It was certainly a good thing for Cesar to have his own room. No matter how gorgeous and comfortable the prince's room was, it did not belong to him. When he occasionally wanted to find a private space, he could only sneak out after Baldwin fell asleep and sit on the small platform outside the door to think or read.

"You also prepared bath water for me?"

"Just like any triumphant knight." Baldwin pushed him and watched him undress and soak in the bathtub with the help of servants. He did not find any wounds on Cesar's back and chest, but Amalric I also showed him the letter sent by the Templar Geoffrey.

The letter only gave a rough account of what happened along the way, and of course it contained some of the Templars' characteristic erroneous writing style, but one could still see the thrill and danger of the journey, especially at the very end when they actually ran into Prince Mule's team.

Baldwin did not quite trust the monks around Count Etienne, and thought that he should try to get the bishops of Alaska to come and see Cesar's condition.

"I'm going back now, Cesar," Baldwin said.

"Don't you want to hear about what happened on this journey?" Cesar asked. In this era of monotonous and scarce entertainment, people are curious about everything happening in the outside world. This is why wandering theater troupes, pilgrims, and bards are always popular wherever they go.

Baldwin was no exception. He even promised that after the selection ceremony, he would take Cesar to the market, where artists playing, singing and telling stories could often be found in taverns and streets.

"No," Baldwin said, "I'm tired too. I'm going to sleep. When you finish washing up, you can go to sleep too. Don't disturb me."

Having said that, Cesar could feel Baldwin's tenderness. It wasn't that he didn't want to know, nor was he cold towards Cesar. He was just worried that after so many things, Cesar was exhausted. If he still wanted Cesar to talk to him, it would be torture.

"See you tomorrow, then," said Cesar. "Tomorrow I will tell you all about my journey—and sleep well, for I am home."

Baldwin nodded but said nothing, for he was afraid that if he spoke, he would burst into tears.

------

Cesar had never slept so soundly before. This overseas trip was a severe test for him, but if there really was a God, he would give a good score for this answer.

When he woke up and was about to go to Baldwin's room, he saw a servant and recognized him as someone who was with Amalric I. The servant told him to go to Count Etienne first, because it was said that the count wanted to personally thank the little benefactor who rescued him from the chasm.

Count Etienne was now living in the room of Bohemond, Grand Duke of Antioch. This room was certainly a good room. After lifting the tapestry, the bright sunlight made the room look as if it was plated with a layer of shining gold. The Count was wrapped in a sleeveless robe made of gray squirrel skin and sat on a Byzantine-style throne. The gold collar given to him by Amalric I was shining around his neck, and he also wore several rings that had never been seen before on his fingers. Monk Anonthea was sitting on a long box next to him (this box can be used as a seat, storage and decoration).

César bowed to the Count.

Although the Earl's excuse was that he wanted to personally thank his benefactor, most people believed he was simply curious about the attendant. After all, in this era, if a high-ranking person received help from a lower-ranking person, they only needed to give a corresponding reward. There was no need to waste their time and energy. There was no need to condescend to express gratitude in person.

Count Etienne looked at César carefully again and had to admit that he had been in the court of Louis II for several years and had seen countless young servants, but in terms of appearance alone, there were almost no ones who could compare with this child.

"I want to thank you," he said. Only after he left the chasm did he see how deep and narrow the "Devil's Mouth" was. He knew without the monk describing the situation to him that after he fell, the most likely decision for both his entourage and the Knights Templar would be to give up.

If Cesar had not insisted that they could let him go and search for the Count in that terrible "Devil's Mouth", the most these people would do would be to kneel beside the crevice and pray for him. They would get nothing and would be punished, but he would definitely die, and before he died he would have to experience the living hell of the world.

"I want to thank you," he repeated. "I have thought long and hard about how I can thank you, son. I have asked some people—you are a squire to Prince Baldwin. Do you know that he is a leper?" "I know."

"When did you know that?"

"Before I became his squire."

"I heard that you received favors from Amalric I."

"Yes."

"He saved you from the knife of the Isaac slave trader. It's a favor, but it's not unpayable." Count Etienne leaned back. "You should know what happened before. You could say that Amalric I owes me a favor, and I can use this favor to redeem you."

Cesar looked up in surprise, and the Count smiled. "Look, I can go and talk to Amalric I and ask him to release you, and you don't have to worry about where you'll go. You still remember the Templar Geoffroy Fuller, he's no ordinary knight. He used to be the Grand Master of the Knights Templar and only returned to Alaska last year. It's said that he might become the Inspector General of the Holy City.

He praised your performance along the way highly. He said that even the young knights in the Order might not be able to compare with you - those who are nobler than you are not as humble as you; those who are humbler than you are not as brave as you; those who are braver than you are not as steady as you; those who are steady than you may not be as pious as you; and those who are more pious than you are difficult to compare with your wisdom - yes, he likes you.

If you were just a farmer's son, he would have taken you into the order at once, but you are a prince's squire, and that puts him in a very difficult position.

I can guarantee that as long as Amalric I is willing to release you, Geoffrey will immediately rush to the gate of the Holy Cross Castle to take you away - you have the guarantee of this favor you have given me, and Geoffrey's favor, so your future in the Knights Templar will not be much worse than staying with the prince. "

He had been secretly observing Cesar's expression, thinking that he would be ecstatic.

Cesar lowered his head and thought about it. The future that Count Etienne had envisioned for him was not wrong. Because of the stupid things Abigail had done, Count Etienne had a handle on Amalric I and the entire Crusaders.

Even after the Count had kidnapped another lord's bride and went to war with the king because of it, he was still loved and trusted by Louis VII, who was even willing to let him be the king of Alazarus (whether the Count himself was willing or not is another matter). This shows how versatile and clever the Count was.

A person like this, first saw the guide suddenly reveal a large amount of money that such a person could not possibly have, and then saw the knight of Alasar rushing over for no reason. How could he not guess that someone had set a vicious trap for him - this person was not an ordinary person, at least not an ordinary servant. An ordinary servant could not come up with so many gold coins, nor would he mobilize the entire Holy Cross Castle to clean up for him.

When he returned to the Fortress of Holy Cross, he took a look and found that Abigail, the son of Grand Duke Antiochus, was missing, and he understood everything even more clearly.

The Knights Templar is one of the few organizations in the entire Alaska, and even in the entire Christian Kingdom, that can be honest with Amalric I.

In the Knights Templar, there is no disdain for origin, assets and surnames. After all, the Crusaders were originally "armed monks". Once they decided to serve God, all their worldly possessions would be abandoned - there was not much difference between a farmer's son and a knight's son in the Knights Templar.

"I think I should thank you for arranging this for me," but after thinking for a while, Cesar shook his head, "but I have already sworn an oath."

Count Etienne was a little surprised, but then he showed some understanding. "Are you doubting me? Or are you afraid of His Majesty the King of Alasar?"

"How could that be? My Lord, Amalric I is the defender of the Holy Land and the guardian of the Holy Sepulchre. Every word he utters is a law issued by God, and even he himself cannot disobey it. And I believe that a kind man who has braved the dangers and traveled thousands of miles to the Holy Land to work hard for God, the King, and the people would not speak nonsense casually."

"Then why don't you want to?"

"Because I swore an oath," Cesar said, smiling. "I swore to Baldwin that I would never leave him, and Baldwin swore to me that he would never abandon me."

Count Étienne was genuinely stunned. He stared at the monk in disbelief, then straightened his back. He leaned forward, intently capturing every subtle change on César's face, to confirm he wasn't lying. "So... you followed the Templars, braving the wind and snow, wild beasts, and Turks to find me... and fearlessly battled wolves, finally throwing yourself into the Devil's Mouth without hesitation... all for your master, Baldwin?"

Was she not trying to take advantage of the situation to leave him? Was she actually doing things for him wholeheartedly?
Count Étienne's brain was in a state of confusion. It was as if four great and eight minor processions were beating and pounding in his skull, shouting and screaming, praying and singing hymns. He returned to his chair and thought to himself for a long time. Then he said doubtfully: "But he is a leper..."

"I have learned that he is a leper for a long time," Cesar said gently. "And I am only a commodity of the merchant Isaac. He respects and loves me, and I will certainly respect and love him. I praise your generosity, but I will not leave Prince Baldwin."

"Oh my God," Count Etienne turned to look at the monk beside him. "Pinch me! Am I dreaming? Perhaps I am. When I open my eyes, I'll find myself still in that 'devil's mouth,' bleeding to death..."

The monk readily reached out and pinched him!
' cried the Count, springing up from his chair.

"Okay," he glared at the monk. "I know, I know this isn't a dream. What are you doing?" He slapped the monk's hand away. "Isn't pinching enough?"

He couldn't help but pull the collar around his neck, untied it and threw it aside. He was about to suffocate.

"It's really hard for me to imagine—" He stared at Cesar and whispered, "Are you really a saint?"

(End of this chapter)