kingdom of nations

Chapter 44 Spear and...Shield?

Hearing this, Heraclius took a deep breath. Although he had expected this and was happy about it, he got a headache when he thought about what was to come. The trouble was, this matter could not be delayed.

"Didn't they catch the papal legate?"

"That rat has a keen sense of smell, and when it heard that I was safe, it decided to escape," said Amalric I. "He is not the patriarch, who can still dream of becoming the lord of the holy city.

If he stayed here, the risks would be too great and the benefits would be few. Even if their conspiracy succeeded and Alazarus became a theocracy, the Patriarch would still need Rome's support. Then, not only would he not be able to hold the envoy accountable, he would even have to curry favor with him.

"Where's the handwritten letter?"

"Just like the identity of a special envoy, it cannot withstand any scrutiny."

"That idiot!"

"It's not that foolish," Amalric I looked at Heraclius. "It's just that the temptation is too great, my friend."

"I'd rather stay with you."

"But I have no one available." Amalric I spread his hands, "I can't wait for the Roman Church to send another bishop." The Pope's envoy fled, and the fact that the patriarch was killed by "pagans" could not be hidden for long. The Pope had always wanted to get Alasarus - no, wait, in this way, the envoy's decisiveness was not so surprising. After all, for the Roman Church, they would win whether the patriarch or Amalric I died.

"Then I will get started on this matter right away." After figuring out the details, Heraclius no longer refused, even though this meant that he had to handle his own promotion matters, from monk, doorman, chanter, exorcist, assistant, assistant, deacon, all the way to priest... Although he could skip one or two steps, it was still quite ironic.

"Baldwin should be happy," Amalric I said suddenly. "He has been worried about Cesar."

Heraclius immediately raised his head alertly, but he could only see Amalric I's messy curly hair. The king lowered his head to look at the documents at the right time.

Before the "selection ceremony", he publicly announced that Cesar was his student. As Cesar thought, it was more for the king and Prince Baldwin to avoid any bad accidents. The problem was that things did not slide to the worst side, but stopped in an embarrassing position.

"Prince Baldwin hasn't woken up yet." Heraclius gently changed the subject.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Baldwin had not yet woken up, Amalric I immediately shifted his attention away from the documents: "Didn't he wake up once yesterday?"

"I woke up, drank some honey water, and fell asleep again."

"I have to go see him." Amalric I said to himself.

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Was Amalric I a good father? Yes, but was he a good king? Yes, but being a good king certainly takes precedence over being a good father.

When he learned that his only son, Baldwin, who was already nine years old, had contracted leprosy, a disease that everyone feared, he was shocked, saddened, and angry - he knew that this was not an accident, but a conspiracy that had been brewing for a long time.

When he brought Cesar to Baldwin and promised him that he would never abandon him, he was both affectionate and cruel - you know, if a king or lord does not have an heir, he will inevitably attract a pack of wolves - and in Alaska, because there must be a king who can lead the Crusades to fight against the pagans, the succession of the throne has never been peaceful.

Female heirs must rule together with their husbands, and young children have no chance of ascending the throne safely.

The king would not drive away his only son because of cowardice or piety as those people expected. Before he had a second son, Baldwin would be a nail in the Holy Land, a thorn in the throat of those ambitious guys.

But the previous "selection ceremony" was full of ups and downs and constant waves. Even a man with a strong temperament and strong will like Amalric I could not help but be exhausted. When he picked up Baldwin at the side of the well, he no longer expected Baldwin to be blessed. So be it, he thought, as long as enough loyal ministers and generals were left, even a leper who could not be blessed could hold the power of the holy land.

He was not greedy. Ten years, ten years would be enough. When his youngest son came of age, he could let Baldwin abdicate and go to a monastery. It was more likely that Baldwin would have been dying by then, just waiting for God's call.

Therefore, when Amalric I walked into the Holy Sepulchre, he regarded all this as a rehearsed drama and did not take it seriously. He was only worried that Baldwin's condition would worsen due to the coldness of the stone during this period. When the priest shouted "The Holy Sepulchre is glowing", he failed to react and was almost pushed out by others. It was only when Heraclius shouted for the king to see his son that people moved aside.

To this day, Amalric I still can't help but feel his heart beating and his blood boiling because of what he saw at that time.

He had been blessed by St. George, and the light was like a torch, which lasted for several hours and was still visible in the morning light when he walked out of the church.

In comparison, his non-blood brothers, Raymond and Bohemond, Raymond's light might be brighter than his, but it was very short-lived, almost going out in just a quarter of a candle's time. Bohemond's light lasted a little longer, but the brightness was so weak and flickering that one would almost mistakenly believe that he was "given" rather than "blessed."

When he stepped into the Holy Sepulchre, it was as if he had stepped into a courtyard in the daytime, and every tiny detail was clearly visible. He saw his son Baldwin curled up beside the stone bench where the Savior had once lain, with a peaceful expression and steady breathing, and a spear leaning against his shoulder.

The blade and the spear body of the spear were shining with bright light. At this time, Amalric I thought that it was a holy object placed here by the priests. He reached out to take it, but couldn't help but screamed - he was burned.

Only then did he realize that the spear had no real entity.

It is light.

Amalric I's shoulders shook and his eyes filled with tears. The worst outcome was like a crow flapping its wings and flying away from him on the tomb. He was fortunate to bathe in the glory bestowed upon his son by God. He knelt on the ground and his tears fell on Baldwin's body. The king hardly dared to touch his son until the people outside could not help but beg - they also wanted to see such a holy miracle!
The narrow cave could not accommodate too many people. Amalric I carried Baldwin out, and the spear still floated beside Baldwin and did not disappear - his vision was blurred, and he was looking at his son wholeheartedly, and he did not notice that the light in the cave did not dim much after he took Baldwin away.

The priests of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre took out the long pole used to hold up the canopy, and the grand masters of the two major knightly orders took off their cloaks, and several respectful ladies tied them to the long pole to make a simple sedan chair. They placed Baldwin on it and covered it with the woolen cloth from the Holy Sepulchre.

The pilgrims and residents gathered outside the Passion Square all saw it - the spear, which was still dazzling even in the sunlight, was surrounded by fine lightning, and the tip of the spear was like a flower bud or a flame. It was much longer than an ordinary spear, perhaps as long as three people connected together.

"This is the lance that St. George used to slay the dragon." One man said in awe, he made the sign of the cross and slowly knelt down, and behind him, more people shed tears of admiration, praising the merciful God, and lowered their knees one after another. They were even a little dazzled and could hardly believe that they were so lucky.

Amalric I was worried that the spear might disappear at any time, so he adopted this overly abrupt propaganda method. However, when they returned to the castle, three days and three nights later, the spear still stood firmly beside Baldwin and had not collapsed.

“When do you think it will disappear?”

"I don't know," Heraclius said honestly. "I did hear that after a child was 'chosen,' the holy light lingered for several days. The church sent people to investigate, only to discover that someone had rubbed phosphorus powder on his body..."

Amalric I chuckled. "The Roman Church would certainly agree." He reached out and touched Baldwin's cheek, noting that the red spot remained the same. His smile suddenly turned into an uncontrollable pity and regret. "They still can't cure him—he will be a powerful warrior and a wise king, but if this gift can be applied to the 'Give and Receive', perhaps he can heal himself."

"Perhaps this is God's will," Heraclius said. "Only great men are tested." "So was my Baldwin, and so was your Cesar."

"Mine? Your Majesty, Cesar is not my son."

"To a monk who has taken a vow of chastity, a student is like his son." Amalric I turned and asked, "How is Cesar? Has the light in him dimmed or disappeared?"

"No," Heraclius said cautiously. "I think he and Baldwin seem... you know, chosen in the same selection ceremony. They are brothers without blood ties, and their auras seem to resonate with each other."

"What about the shape? Has it changed?"

"It's still a shield."

"Baldwin was seeing St. George," said the king. "And did he tell you who he was seeing?"

"Saint Jerome."

Amalric I stopped and said, "Saint Jerome."

"Yes."

"It is said that this learned and self-disciplined sage once removed a thorn from the paw of a lion in great pain," said Amalric I. "I hope he will do the same."

He entered Cesar's chambers, which were directly below Baldwin's bedroom. Amalric I did not care what kind of room, what kind of clothes, or what kind of jewels the prince would give his squire—but...

Longinus stood up from the bedside and knelt before the king. "I remember you were a knight," Amalric I's hawk-like gaze swept across his back. "No need to act like a servant. How is he?"

"Still asleep."

"Never woke up?"

"No," Longinus said, "I have been unconscious."

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that I might harm your master?"

"I... didn't mean that, Your Majesty."

"Then get out of my sight!" said Amalric I, and Longinus had to retreat. The king came to the bedside, where the prince's young page was still fainting. His face was paler than ever, even that day in the mountains of Judea.

Amalric I remembered that Heraclius and he had roughly analyzed what happened that day, and although there were some parts that made him unhappy - such as the preparations made by Cesar, what made the king's face tighten the most was that none of these preparations failed.

He had to admit how much trouble his arrogance had brought upon himself, and he also had to admit that without Cesar, his son would have been left to die.

Amalric I lowered his head. The light covering Cesar seemed lighter than that on Baldwin, but in terms of his figure...

"Shield..." he whispered. "But it's not 'given'—it's 'blessed'."

He turned and left, followed closely by Heraclius. When the door closed, Longinus breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his shoulders.

Amalric I was not a meticulous person, and he did not notice the tricks played by Heraclius and Longinus. In Prince Baldwin's room, the windows were half-covered, making the whole room much darker. Although this kind of light was more suitable for patients to recuperate, it also made the spear appear brighter.

As for Cesar's room, the windows were open and candles were burning in the corners. In addition to these, there were several mirrors, but they were difficult to notice at first glance as you walked down the dark spiral staircase. But in comparison, Cesar's light seemed dimmer than Baldwin's.

In fact, it is quite the opposite.

After Amalric I carried Baldwin out of the Holy Sepulchre, almost everyone present followed closely, without even a moment's shift of gaze. Heraclius could only briefly nod to Longinus.

Longinus immediately crawled into the Holy Sepulchre, dragging his cloak with him, and wrapped his master in his arms. His whole body was trembling with the pounding of his heart, his mouth was dry, and his hands and feet were numb.

Good luck!

Everyone, including Heraclius and Longinus not long ago, had a stubborn belief that it was impossible for a servant to surpass the prince, no matter in what aspect.

So when Amalric I wept, roared, and praised God in the Holy Sepulchre, no one would have thought that God would give more gifts to a small man.

Especially after seeing the spear - they all agreed that this was "Saint George" coming to the world again.

What Amalric I and Heraclius had always argued, that Prince Baldwin contracted leprosy not as a curse or punishment but as a test of his greatness as a man, finally became a reality.

But if one of these people looked back, he would find that after Prince Baldwin left, the light in the Holy Sepulchre not only did not disappear, but was even the same as before. That is to say... if Prince Baldwin's light was like the bright moon, then the light now was like the morning light. No matter how bright the moon is, it cannot be as bright as the morning light.

Only three people knew about this matter: Longinus, Heraclius who had returned, and Thomas.

If it weren't for these two people, Longinus would have no way of transporting his little master out of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre quietly.

He knelt beside the bed, gazing at the young master's serene face, and thought, fortunately, Amalric I was a king; he wouldn't reach out and pull back a servant's blanket. If he had… he would have discovered that what Heraclius was talking about was a shield, but more precisely, Caesar's body was covered in layers of shimmering scales, from his neck to his chest, from his chest to his shoulders, from his shoulders to his arms, from his abdomen to his legs. Light flowed from each scale, flowing from one scale to another, and then, from time to time, a sharp burst of light erupted, like the sparks of fire splashed by thunder on the sea or rocks…

Heraclius said that this was scale armor, but Longinus had also seen the scale armor worn by Byzantine soldiers, and he always felt that it was not similar - these scales were not hanging in the air, but seemed to grow directly from the body... This association made him shudder all over. This was too unlucky. In the Christian world, the dragon was not a sacred creature.

St. George's spear once pierced a dragon.

(End of this chapter)