kingdom of nations

Chapter 48 Encounter (Part )

Neither Cesar nor Baldwin could refuse Damara's invitation.

Although Baldwin would rather stay with his mother whom he had not seen for a long time, after all, if he wanted to meet her in the future, he would inevitably be criticized (because the marriage between Amalric I and the Countess was illegal), and he might even be reprimanded by the king - and Amalric I was eager to conquer Egypt and avenge his previous humiliation, and who knew when the army would set out from Alassaros.

But early this morning, Balian came to inform him that the Countess was going to visit Princess Sibylle today, and asked him to go and play by himself - no matter how much Baldwin missed his mother, he could not deprive his sister of time with her mother, so he could only... go and play by himself.

He invited Cesar to play chess with him. This was a rare free time they had in the past few months. Even playing chess was not something they wanted to think about too much. When Baldwin touched the dice, he found that the chessboard was almost full of pieces.

"We've messed up this game of Chatelaines," Baldwin lamented. "If Mr. Bohemond saw us, he'd definitely push us all against the windowsill and spank us with a stick."

Cesar felt the same way. Baldwin's classes had resumed these days, and he finally enjoyed the real treatment that David, Abigail, William, Guy... the sons of grand dukes or counts received - that is, being spanked by dukes and counts.

There is no tenderness or sweetness in education in this era, nor is there any law to protect minors.

Even if there were, the blessed children, even if they were under the age limit of nine, would be regarded as reserve adults. Whether they were going hunting or praying, they had to do everything perfectly without making any mistakes, otherwise they would be "unworthy of the favor of God and the saints"...

Baldwin had long been accustomed to the strictness of his teachers. Due to his special status, he did not go to the small castles of other lords when he was seven years old, but stayed in the Holy Cross Castle. Instead, his father's vassals sent their sons to serve as servants.

But he had been doing the same things a servant should do since he was six years old. He had to help the lord dress, tidy the room, run errands, clean the castle, raise dogs, feed pigs, and do almost everything except cleaning the toilet. These complicated tasks were not meant to torture him, but to force a child "spoiled by women" to learn how to obey orders as soon as possible.

He continued to work until he was seven years old, when it was time for him to start classes. The teachers were all familiar faces - he often saw them in his father's court, and occasionally his father Amalric I would come to teach a few lessons.

What Baldwin regretted most was that there was no hostess in the Holy Cross Castle, so he had to face a male teacher for courses such as etiquette, poetry, and clothing, which should have been taught by the hostess...

Sometimes, Baldwin couldn't help but fantasize that if his parents had not divorced and Countess Agnes was still the mistress of the castle, what a wonderful thing it would be. Even if the little servant made a mistake, the mistress would still hit his butt with a stick, but the feeling would definitely be different!
"My sister and mother must be having lunch together now." Baldwin stared at the sunlight outside the window and said, "The castle has been filled with all kinds of food these days, and the Byzantine merchant ships have brought even more.

What do you think they'll eat? Chickpeas, fish baked with cheese, or fruit cooked in wine? I wonder if Mother likes Byzantine cuisine. The chefs in the castle have been developing a lot of fish and chicken dishes to welcome the Byzantine princess...."

He sat cross-legged, watching Cesar picking up the chess pieces, imagining how happy his mother and sister were, laughing and talking, and at the same time worried sourly that his mother might forget about him. After all, they were both women and would definitely have more to talk about.

What the prince didn't know was that after the hug and crying, the countess brought up the erroneous marriage - and the atmosphere in the room immediately took a turn for the worse.

The Countess may have been a little too eager, but this was entirely to make up for the education she had been forced to miss - when she left the castle, Sibyl was only six years old and Baldwin was only three years old. Amalric I also refused her request to leave her maid with Sibyl.

She had not counted on Amalric I at all; the king had an heir, and he was not Baldwin II.

And the reality was as bad as she had expected - Sibylle should not have been so eager about the marriage that Amalric I and Louis VII had privately agreed upon in the first place, and she should not have instigated Abigail to bribe the guide and sell Count Etienne to the Turks.

Sibylle still wanted to deny and argue - the Countess was almost laughing out of anger.

Evidence?! Don't people have eyes, ears, or brains? They're convicting you in their hearts, but they don't need to say it out loud. But at some point, this hidden danger will surely erupt—no, perhaps there's no need to wait. When she'd occasionally run into Bohemond, Duke of Antioch, the fox's smile had been sinister enough.

No matter how much Abigail disliked her father, she was his heir.

Baldwin was a leper, and Amalric I had to protect his inheritance even if it meant fighting against the churches of both lands. Abigail was a fool, but at least she was healthy and had all her limbs intact. Would Bohemond be happy to see him being toyed with by a woman?

Even without mentioning Abigail's bribery of the guide, from the Countess's point of view, Sibylle's previous actions had offended a large number of people.

Yes, if a lady was too reserved, people would complain that she was an Athena or an Artemis (both virgin goddesses who took a vow of chastity), but if she was a Kolyta (a sea nymph) who chased the sun god at all costs, what would people say?
Not to mention that she clearly gave two completely different attitudes.

"Men rarely distinguish between right and wrong, they only care about success and failure.

You are right to put up a shield of coldness and arrogance against David, Abigail, and other noble sons. The fire of love in their hearts will not be extinguished, but will burn even more wildly, burning them to the point of being unable to rest.

But you shouldn't show your soft belly to Count Etienne. Of course, you can say that this is the marriage agreed upon by Amalric I and Louis VII. He will be your future husband and the father of your children. You should be gentle and obedient to satisfy him.

But, Sibylle, you haven't gotten married yet, and haven't even announced your engagement. Even if Count Etienne doesn't refuse, will he treasure you like a jewel after marriage?
He got you so easily.

You should be as cold as ice. Even after marriage, you should let him chase you instead of you agreeing with him!

Now, how you treat Count Etienne is seen by others, and they will demand the same treatment from you as Count Etienne. What? Can't do it? Then they can't do it either - no matter what you ask.

The only fool might be Abigail of Antioch," the Countess concluded angrily, "that was going to be your trump card, but you wasted it on venting your anger... Well, now they won't call you Kolyta, they'll just call you Medea...

Medea lost her mind because Eros's golden arrow struck her in the chest. What made you mad? The title of a count's wife?

This sentence led to the meeting ending in Sibylle's careless humiliation - she said that the countess was no longer the mistress of the castle, nor her father's wife, and had no right to teach her or accuse her... The countess slapped her in the face, knocked her to the ground, and walked out of the room angrily, holding her robe.

Baldwin had no idea that his mother and sister had completely fallen out. He was still happily and sadly thinking about how to divide his mother's free time equally with his sister.

Damara came to see Cesar. Baldwin thought that there might not be another Abigail in the castle, so he directly asked her to come to his room.

As soon as she saw Prince Baldwin, Damara was speechless - she came to report that the turmoil between the Countess and Princess Sibylle might form a storm circle, and she had to remind Cesar to be careful - Uncle John said that she was Cesar's patron in the castle!
(Damara holds her head high and chest puffed out)

"What's wrong?" Baldwin waited for a long time but heard no sound. "Is there something troubling you? Tell me, is there something that Cesar and I can't solve? If all else fails, I'll take you to see my father. All you have to do is kneel down, hug his knees, and cry and beg. No matter what you want, the king will give it to you."

Damara glanced at Cesar behind the prince, and Cesar shook his head with the smallest amplitude and the fastest speed.

"I...I want to," Damara raised her finger, and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind! "I want to go out and buy something!"

Baldwin was stunned for a moment, such a simple request, but then he saw Cesar, "Oh, right," he said with a smile, "Will Cesar be your knight? It would be an honor for him, you should ask him to accompany you."

Cesar glanced at Baldwin, and Damara immediately understood and asked Baldwin to go with them.

Baldwin was still immersed in the warmth with his mother at this time and did not notice anything unusual. When he heard Damara say this, he just thought they were shy or protective of him.

He had not left the castle for a long time. He was a leper. If he were not the only heir of Amalric I, he would have been wearing coarse linen and living in the desert. Occasionally, when he walked on the road and approached the crowd, he would hold up a bell and shake it to ask them to move away in time.

But now he had been blessed... his father's ministers and generals were eager to kiss his hand - perhaps he would not cause any panic when he walked into the street.

"We could dress like Byzantines," Damara suggested. "There have been a lot of Byzantines coming here lately."

This proposal was approved by Baldwin and Cesar. After all, among the gifts from the Byzantine princess, there were many clothes suitable for boys of this age. Damara was the daughter of Gerard's current head of the family, so of course she also received a suitable gift. They quickly helped each other to dress up.

Byzantine clothing continued the loose clothing style of ancient Rome. Although it was magnificent, the main focus was on the materials. There was almost no difference in style, and even the difference between men and women was not obvious. The inside was a sleeveless or sleeved robe, and the outside was a large shawl. The shawl might also be decorated with a piece of cloth full of embroidery and jewels, but since they were still children, they could ignore it.

Damara also had her servants bring three shoulder bags, the style of which was exactly the same as the large handkerchiefs she had given to César.

Her embroidery skills are quite good now, but no matter how good they are, they cannot withstand the prosperity. Baldwin almost fell backwards when he saw it, but the knight could not refuse a gift from a noble lady. He could only turn his head and whispered to Cesar to pick out the most inconspicuous one for him and then hang it on his back.

"I was just thinking of going to the market," Baldwin said happily. "I want to pick out a present for Mom." Although his storeroom was overflowing with all sorts of expensive gifts, he always felt something was missing. What was the missing piece? Perhaps it was the thought behind it.

Caesar summoned Longinus and asked him if he had any Byzantine clothing. Longinus smiled and said, "I have some, but I don't need them. They're not suitable for combat. Don't worry. It's not uncommon to see three Byzantine nobles accompanied by knights in leather or chain mail. I've been hired in similar situations before."

He lowered his head and carefully examined the three children wearing jewels. "They are very good." The main reason for dressing like this is to reduce the degree of recognition. "I will dress like usual, which will be even better."

The lack of an identifying burqa indicated that he was just a wandering knight, and the need to hire wandering knights indicated that these three young Byzantines had some status, but not so high that they would not need the knights of the Order to come out for protection.

With his reminder, several other knights who were ordered to come and guard also wore their cloaks inside out. They left the castle. Cesar looked at the river, the avenue, and then the sky.

"Is there any problem?" Baldwin asked sideways. This time they came out without even riding the ponies Pollax and Castor. Pollax and Castor would definitely be angry if they knew, but there was nothing they could do about it. Ever since Baldwin was blessed, Amalric I had tried his best to build momentum for him. He even said that the ponies Pollax and Castor were sent by angels disguised as merchants.

Now everyone in the Holy Land knew that Prince Baldwin had two ponies, one black and one white, with stars on their foreheads.

"Do you have this feeling?" This feeling was not very obvious when he was in the castle, but when he left the castle, Cesar felt: "The sky and the earth seem to have been washed." It was indescribably transparent and delicate. At a glance, it was as if rough particles had turned into delicate smears, and the colors were much brighter.

"What else?" Baldwin whispered. He knew that Cesar was very smart and had accumulated a lot of knowledge, but he was always stuck on some common sense: "We have been favored by the saints and blessed by God. Our physical fitness will be greatly improved. After a few years, the gap between us and ordinary people will be further widened." Otherwise, why do people attach so much importance to the "selection ceremony"?

César thought of Count Étienne, who had fallen from a ten-story building. Despite the guide's shield and cushion, the bear carcass, tree roots, and rocks, he had only broken a thigh bone. He'd been a bit surprised at the time, thinking he'd encountered a European. Of course, there was an element of luck, but that luck wasn't in the fall, but in the fact that Count Étienne was also "chosen"...

By the way, even with the same priest's treatment, Count Etienne recovered faster than the average knight. When he was able to stroll around the castle, his servants who had not been blessed were still shouting and screaming in bed.

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"Sir, you shouldn't come at this time."

"You are mistaken," said a turbaned Saracen. "There is no better time than now."

(End of this chapter)