kingdom of nations

Chapter 47 Marriage (Part )

Cesar was stunned.

This cannot be blamed on him. After he arrived at the castle, neither the castle steward, nor servants and attendants like him, nor Prince Baldwin, their teacher Heraclius, mentioned Amalric I's first wife.

The first marriage rumor he heard was that Amalric I had discussed marriage with the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I many times.

He naturally assumed that Baldwin's mother had died, perhaps when Baldwin was very young, and he certainly would not mention such a thing casually in front of Baldwin.

Then the mother came out of the grave?

This thought was indeed a bit too frivolous. Cesar immediately bowed his head and saluted. He only felt a warm lavender breeze passing by him. "Look up, child. You are not the first person who looks at me like he has seen a ghost."

He looked up and saw Baldwin standing there even more uncomfortably than he was. He seemed to want to reach out and hug his mother, but when he raised his hands he found he was not wearing gloves or a veil. He hurriedly turned around to look for them, but was pulled into the arms of the Countess of Jaffa.

"Let me hold you close," she said. "Your father, a king, isn't afraid of you, so why should I be?"

She hugged Baldwin tightly for a long time. Baldwin's face was flushed, almost covering the scars caused by leprosy. He closed his eyes slightly, and his body slowly became soft from stiff. He even put most of his body weight on the countess's shoulders like a drunk man.

Balian of Ibelin did not come in, but just coughed lightly, and Cesar closed the door knowingly.

Balian's gesture was clearly that of guarding the door. Cesare wondered whether he should also take his leave, but the countess saw at a glance the various things scattered on the carpet. These expensive gifts were clearly divided into two piles. So, before she came in, it was clear what the two children were doing.

"Your name is Cesar, isn't it?" the Countess called softly. "Come, come here, sit down, sit with us—I have heard of your name and your virtues, and I am glad to have such a companion as you for my son."

She stroked Baldwin's head and said, "As the wise man said, birds of a feather always fly together. Rather than saying that you are a servant of the prince, I would rather they say that he is Cesar's friend."

Now even Cesar's face started to heat up.

"He is no longer a squire," Baldwin said joyfully. "Under the gaze of God, we have become brothers. From now on, he and I are the same."

The countess looked at Cesar carefully with a smile on her face. "If I could give birth to such a beautiful child, I would definitely build a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary."

"Am I not beautiful?" Baldwin stared. "I always thought I was beautiful, Mom."

The Countess could see that her child was trying to amuse her. She laughed heartily and said, "In my heart, even if Attis, whose blood turns to violets, Arcontios, the cunning confessor, and Linus, the son of Apollo, the sun god, stood side by side in front of me, the most beautiful one would still be you, and only you."

She reached out and embraced Baldwin. Although Baldwin would be ten years old after February 2nd, and could become an adult in advance after requesting permission from the bishop or the Pope, and could get married and make a covenant - but all mothers saw their children as little and could be picked up and held in their arms at any time.

This was a tender scene, but a few points of golden light inappropriately pierced Cesar's eyes. He then discovered that a corner of the small cloak that Baldwin had just picked up to show him was exposed. He was struggling to figure out how to hide it without leaving any trace when he was discovered by the Countess.

"It's a gift from Princess Maria," she said frankly, "bring it to me and see if it's suitable for my most beautiful child."

Baldwin was busy covering his face, and Cesar crawled over to take it. The Countess placed it in her hand and looked at it repeatedly. "Byzantine..." Her tone did not contain much jealousy or hatred. "Baldwin's father, Amalric I, and I divorced in 63."

Originally, this marriage was a match made in heaven. Amalric I was only the second son, and the countess was the daughter of the Count of Edessa. She never expected to wear the crown, but only hoped that her husband would not die too early and would leave her with several children. They would soon have Sibylle, and then Baldwin. However, the year after Baldwin was born, Baldwin III died suddenly. He had no heirs, so he could only leave the throne to his younger brother.

For Amalric I, his original wife was no longer suitable for him. It was not that he was ungrateful or disregarded feelings, but the King of Alasar and the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon were two completely different creatures. At this time, the County of Edessa had been destroyed. The patriarch, ministers, and grand master of the Knights Templar were all trying to persuade him to find a better marriage that would be more beneficial to Alasar.

Amalric I considered it over and over again - he really needed a powerful in-law, and the fall of the County of Edessa was a lesson - although there were many reasons for this... not to mention that he also had ambitions for Egypt.

"I am very grateful that he was willing to make a deal with the Patriarch, preserving the legal status of Baldwin and Sibel and recognizing their inheritance rights. Not to mention, he also left Jaffa to me."

The Countess glanced at César and smiled. "It's just that it's hard for them to tell you. What are they going to tell you? How my husband cruelly abandoned me? How a mother was forced to abandon her child?"

Baldwin held her hand, and the countess pinched his fingers in return, seemingly unintentionally, but in fact she was checking on the child's condition. When she found that Baldwin did not notice her little action, her heart sank suddenly, but she did not show it on her face.

They sat in this lazy and pleasant manner for a while. Baldwin reselected his portion of the gifts and gave the most precious ones to his mother. The countess only chose a round brooch and pinned it on her headscarf. Then she looked at Cesar and said, "Don't you have anything you want to give me?"

Cesar plucked up his courage, selected a few pieces of jewelry, put them in his hands, and presented them to the countess. The countess looked down and also picked a brooch to pin next to Baldwin's gift.

"Look," she said, holding up a small hand mirror, "what a lovely couple."

This time, Cesar boldly glanced at her face. He recognized many familiar features. It could be said that, aside from the blue eyes, Baldwin and Sibylle inherited almost everything from their mother. The Countess was as beautiful as Sibylle herself. Even after years and the ravages of fate, her beauty hadn't been completely erased. Instead, a hazy veil had been cast over her, making her appear even softer and more subtle, making her even more worthy of closer reading.

"What's wrong?" The Countess noticed his gaze.

"You and Baldwin are so alike." Cesar realized his folly after saying this. He added hastily and embarrassedly, "No, Baldwin looks like you, and so does Princess Sibylle."

The Countess couldn't help laughing. "Of course, child, they are my flesh and blood, my heritage." She gently lifted Cesar's face. "You are a beautiful child, and a good friend of Baldwin's, but that's not the only reason I was so happy to see you."

She turned Cesar's face toward Baldwin and brought them closer. "It's strange," she said, "how similar you are." She looked from one to the other. "Perhaps beautiful people have something in common."

They spent most of the afternoon like this, until the sky outside the window turned from golden to dark blue. "I should go," said the countess.

"Stay and have dinner with me," Baldwin begged, grabbing the hem of her robe.

"I will stay in Alasar for a while until the wedding of Amalric I and the Byzantine Princess Maria is over. This is the responsibility of the Countess of Jaffa." The Countess bent down and kissed his forehead. "So don't be afraid, I will come to see you often."

The Countess came and left silently, and quite promptly.

"She said she would come again," Cesar said with a touch of nostalgia. The Countess was completely different from the noble ladies in the castle. She was like a flower blooming in the Judean mountains, surrounded only by sand, scorching sun, the great lake, and the vast sky, making her look so proud and unique. "Even if she can't come, we can still go to Jaffa to see her."

"You're right." Baldwin's eyes lit up. "I have been blessed. I am no longer a child."

That night, Cesar and Baldwin slept together, not in their own rooms or on a gurney, and they talked the whole time. In fact, in the end, they didn't even know what they were saying. They just felt happier than they had ever been.

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As happy as the Countess of Jaffa was with Baldwin, she was as troubled as she was with Sibel.

"I told you this is all men's fault!" She wiped her face with her hands and complained to her brother-in-law, Bellion.

"This..." Balian really found it difficult to agree - Godfrey of Bouillon was a saint who could not be desecrated in Alasar, and Baldwin II was also an extremely brave knight king, but the way they treated their daughter was really - hard to describe.

In order to control other Christian countries in the Holy Land, Godfrey of Bouillon married his daughters to the rulers of Antioch, Tripoli, and Edessa. His plan was that when these rulers died (of illness or in battle), his daughters could support the young rulers and take charge of the government - and later there were indeed two queen mothers.

Godfrey set a bad example, and Baldwin II followed suit. He had only one daughter, Melisande, so he carefully selected a son-in-law for his daughter, Fulk of Anjou. But before his death, his will was shocking - he actually divided the inheritance rights into three parts, one for his daughter, one for his grandson, and one for his son-in-law... He also only designated his daughter as the guardian of Baldwin III. As Baldwin III's biological father, Fulk got no power at all!

It seemed understandable that he did so. Fulk and Melisande had only one son (at the time), but Fulk had several adult sons from his previous marriage. He was worried that after his death, Fulk would use his power to become the sole king (which was what Fulk planned), and then exile Melisande and her son and let his eldest son inherit the throne.

This was not an uncommon thing at the time. Although male lords of the Holy Land often died prematurely in wars and diseases, and had to let their daughters inherit their territories in the absence of male heirs, these daughters rarely exercised their power directly after marriage. Instead, their husbands could gain a voice and authority through them.

If they are lucky, the blood they inherited from their father can still be passed on in this territory. If they are unlucky, it will be like making wedding dresses for others.

As expected, Fulk began to appeal and seize power after Baldwin II went to see God. Unfortunately, with Baldwin II's will in front and the support of Minister Alasar and the knights behind, he could not shake Melisande's authority in the Holy Land. Finally, this bastard came up with a dirty idea, which was to accuse Melisande of having an affair with Baldwin II's cousin (then Count of Jaffa) in order to cut off the support of the church and the nobles for her.

Of course, the final winner was Melisande, who ended the game neatly through a palace coup. After the church intervened, Melisande was said to have "tolerantly" reconciled with her husband, and later had a son, Amalric I. However, since then, Fulk has never been able to touch any power again.

Eight years later, he fell from his horse, broke his neck and died.

Afterwards, Melisande continued to govern the country, ruling alongside her eldest son, Baldwin III, for thirteen years. If she had not suffered a stroke in 1161, she might have continued to be active in Alaska.

"If Sibylle can become the second Melisande... maybe it would be a good thing." Balian persuaded carefully.

"Impossible," the Countess raised her head, her eyes blazing with lightning, sending a chill through Balian's body. "Not to mention that her brother has been blessed, Byzantine princesses can also give birth to children, girls or boys. Girls will share power with her, while boys will have all the power. And how can she compare to Melisande? Melisande is being groomed by Baldwin II as an heir."

She sneered, "Amalric I isn't even the heir himself, so how could he consider his daughter someone he could entrust his entire Holy Land to? Besides, he already has Baldwin. And—" She pressed her forehead wearily, "I have met Melisande and spent time with her. As a mother, she's not a very competent one. You could say she's the mortal enemy of her eldest son and the caretaker of her second. Amalric I would definitely not be happy to have a daughter like Melisande."

"Wait," she suddenly looked in one direction. "I think I've seen that child at Sibylle's place. Where is she going? The left tower?"

(End of this chapter)