Chapter 257: Baldwin’s Day
Although Baldwin appeared extremely indifferent, Caesar keenly noticed that his mood was somewhat low.
Of course, before Caesar appeared, Princess Sibylla was the person who spent the most time with him, especially before Baldwin unfortunately contracted leprosy; she acted completely like a gentle and understanding good sister.
Especially after their birth mother, the Countess of Jaffa（, who was then the Queen of Ayyarasa Road）, was forced to acknowledge the invalidity of her marriage to the king due to Amalric I’s desire to marry the Princess of the Byzantine Empire, lost her position as mistress of Holy Cross Castle, and was expelled, Baldwin’s only female elder by his side was left as Sibylla.
Otherwise, he would not have been repeatedly fooled by Sibylla.
Why do people compare brothers and sisters to flesh and blood? Precisely because once you sever ties with them, no matter what mistakes the other party has made, it will feel unbearably painful, with blood dripping everywhere.
On this matter, even Caesar found it difficult to find a quick solution. Fortunately, when the servants set up the awning, laid out the carpet, and began serving the abundant meals one after another, he looked up and saw a familiar figure hurrying across the path in front of the courtyard.
“David!” Caesar’s shout not only stopped this knight but also made Baldwin lift his head.
Although the Assassin’s threat was not enough to intimidate the battle-hardened Raymond, he had to consider the safety of his only son, so he had called David to Holy Cross Castle early on. His original intention was to have David share a room with him, but David politely declined.
He preferred to sleep in the great hall of the main tower with the other knights.
The castle at this time could not compare to the palace complexes of later generations with hundreds of rooms, nor even to the palaces of sultans or caliphs. Whether the side towers or the main tower, their more important duty was to resist enemy attacks.
Generally speaking, from bottom to top, the structure of the towers was largely similar: underground cisterns, cellars, great hall, then one or two guest bedrooms, storerooms, armories, small chapels, or the lord’s bedroom—these arrangements might sometimes be swapped, but were largely the same.
Therefore, when Baldwin was still that pitiable person everyone avoided like the plague, the left tower where he lived seemed empty and desolate, with only Caesar and a handful of rough servants.
But now, his illness had been proven to be a trial from God. Caesar, who often served by his side, had not contracted leprosy either. People’s wariness of him had lessened considerably. Moreover, he had first not been shaken from his position as heir, and then ascended the throne surrounded by knights and lords. More and more people wanted to come to his side.
For someone like Caesar to have a room in the king’s tower, even if not large, was already an honor among honors.
And in the right tower, as the ruler of one of the four Christian countries, Count Raymond of Tripoli was of course also assigned a room, just like the Duke of Antioch and Count Berion.
But David considered himself merely an ordinary knight without such qualifications. Therefore, he slept directly in the great hall with the other knights.
Of course, they did not sleep directly on the ground. The dining tables that supplied the knights with food and drink served as their best beds at this time, and some slept on the benches.
These “beds” were of course not very comfortable, but aside from the king, who could carry a bed everywhere? Any knight who had been on the battlefield would not find sleeping on a long table to be a difficult thing.
Raymond had advised him several times, not out of concern for comfort, but for safety. But David mercilessly pointed out that if a fox stepped into a dog kennel, it would only be cautious, fearing to anger the group of irritable fellows.
But if the dog lived in a separate shed, the fox would certainly not hesitate to bite its throat when it was careless. This remark infuriated Raymond to the point that he nearly imitated Bohemond and gave his son a few lashes with a whip, yet he did not know what to say. After all, at this time, the common perception was that a knight should not show cowardice even facing a fire-breathing dragon, or he deserved to be mocked and despised.
His behavior had indeed changed some of Baldwin’s views of him, especially with Abigail as “the jewel before,” he now found David increasingly likable upon seeing him. “I don’t remember giving him any orders. Is it his father’s command?”
David saw the king and Caesar and, unlike Sibylla who would curtsey from afar and walk away regardless, hurried to them, saluted, and naturally received an invitation. But as he sat beside Caesar, he felt the fickleness of the world.
From the courtyard, he could see the archery range where they had once played. Back then, he had looked down on Caesar with contempt and unwillingness, and felt full of guilt toward Baldwin. He had not expected their destinies to undergo earth-shaking changes just a few years later. Now, whether in blood ties, emotions, or the favors granted by God, he had been far left behind by Caesar.
David was not the type to lose reason due to jealousy. He could face his own mistakes squarely, and he had to admit that he might not possess Caesar’s loyalty, steadfastness, and luck—for Baldwin, Caesar had several times essentially hung his own life on the edge of a knife.
David admitted he could not do it. He had his father, his country, his family—these were things he could not abandon. Moreover, if you were willing to offer sincerity, Caesar could equally become a friend. A brother.
After he sat down, the previously placed food was a bit insufficient. Fortunately, the kitchen had long known that these knights’ appetites were bottomless, and these days they prepared extra meat and bread. Soon more dishes were served, allowing this small banquet to continue.
When they finally felt no longer so ravenously hungry and began sipping tea or wine. The wine was of course at David’s request; he still did not like drinking tea much, and every time he drank it, he would gulp it down rather than savor it slowly.
As for why he disliked tea but still drank it, it was of course to clear the greasy buildup. This drink indeed did his stomach a great deal of good.
Now his daily bowel movements had become smooth.
“Did you come and go in such haste for some matter?”
“This is neither Your Majesty’s decree nor my father’s order; it’s a private matter.” David said somewhat embarrassedly, then involuntarily glanced at Caesar. “You know that for this expedition, Knight Andrew of Bethlehem and his nephew will also participate, right?”
This was of course natural. Bishop Andrew was the Provost of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. Normally, he could manage the surrounding territories on behalf of the king. But during expeditions, he had to accompany the king（, the Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre）. His nephew was also one of the knights on the expedition and was now stationed with his uncle at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Bishop Andrew had a letter for him to deliver to the Knight Commander of Bethlehem, who could not participate in this expedition as he had recently been injured—although the priests had treated him, whether his internals or the split wound, he had to rest quietly for the next few months.
Bishop Andrew had conveniently left him behind to oversee the heathens and heretics in Bethlehem, lest they stir up conspiracies during the army’s expedition—this time Knight Longinus also had to go on the expedition.
This knight happened to be patrolling outside. Hearing that David was going to Bethlehem, he entrusted him with an important task—please deliver a gift on his behalf to Damara in Bethlehem.
Damara was once the noble lady to whom Caesar had sworn loyalty.
Although people always extolled that the bond between a knight and a noble lady should be spiritual rather than a descent into desire, it was commonplace for a young and handsome knight and a girl just opening to love to develop lover-like feelings.
This was also why Gerard’s patriarch, Damara’s father, firmly opposed the marriage between Damara and Caesar, leaving many puzzled.
Damara was also sixteen years old this year. For a girl, she should marry as soon as possible, but it was impossible to make Bishop Andrew’s nephew refuse the expedition for this reason.
Perhaps to express his apology, Bishop Andrew’s nephew brought Damara a exquisite relic. It was said to have been carried by Agatha of Saint Alexander—a small gold wheel inlaid with a ruby.
In Ayyarasa Road and surrounding areas, there were many such so-called tokens, and this golden wheel gleamed brilliantly, the gemstone round and translucent, unlike the worn and dim appearance of other relics.
David only guessed that this must be a gift specially sought by a young knight in love for his fiancée. After seeing the letter and gift, Damara immediately wrote a reply and took off her veil as a return gift.
He had just returned from his new friend there. Upon seeing Damara’s return gift, Bishop Andrew’s nephew was overjoyed, immediately cradling the veil in his hands to kiss it, and swore to tie it around his neck—unless someone cut off his head, he would never take it off.
Hearing this, both Caesar and Baldwin instinctively frowned. They had not originally believed in such prophecies or omens, but saying such words on the eve of a great battle was truly worrisome.
Baldwin had already decided to transfer this young man to his side, to be with Abigail, figuring Abigail’s keen sense for danger could provide the young man with considerable help.
“I also heard that we might encounter Saladin, is that right?” David asked, which was somewhat presumptuous—he was not yet Baldwin’s minister.
“Not surprising; it was already in our expectations.”
Attacking a city like Damascus could not completely conceal the information. To make an army of tens of thousands descend on the city like thunder—this was something only God could achieve, beyond mortal power.
Starting two years ago, Baldwin had been preparing for this expedition, and these messages had been carried to Damascus by merchants like birds carrying grain. Damascus had long begun preparing grain, water, oil, charcoal, coal, even bricks and stones, and other necessary defensive apparatus and stores. The surrounding people, after the last wheat harvest, hurriedly fled into the city with their yields.
Damascus would not sit idly by so easily.
Here, one must mention the unlucky Razis who was forcibly placed in the position of Lord of Damascus City. After Saladin left, people thought he would not last long, but unexpectedly, relying on his father’s past connections and achievements, he had gritted his teeth and held on until now.
But now he was at the end of his rope. Hearing this bad news, Razis unhesitatingly sent pleas for aid in all directions. From Mosul to Acre, from Acre to Hama, from Hama to Edlib… But most of his letters sank like stones in the sea—not because these people did not want to rescue Damascus, but because they were either in dire straits themselves or unwilling to weaken their forces fighting the Crusaders at such a time, only to be picked off by others.
In the end, this fellow could only turn hopeful eyes toward Egypt.
Saladin did indeed respond to his plea.
Therefore, unlike the Second Crusade, the challenge they faced in this campaign was not Damascus, but Saladin, the veteran general in his prime. He had previously contended for years with Amalric I, who sought to seize Egypt, as one of Nur al-Din’s generals.
Now he had become the Sultan of Egypt, commanding a fearsome army. For this war, he too was filled with a thirst for victory.
The Crusaders could not continue siege warfare without restraint knowing of such a great enemy, unless they were certain of taking Damascus in three days—but they all knew this was impossible.
This was also one of the major issues Baldwin had to discuss with the ministers that afternoon. They constantly monitored the movements of Saladin’s army and marked them on the map. It was clear they feared they could not bypass Saladin to attack Damascus.
In fact, this war was no longer siege warfare, but a field battle. They had to defeat Saladin and preserve their own strength before they could conquer Damascus.
For Ayyarasa Road’s new king, this was a trial more severe than any before. People waited for him to show anxiety or hesitation. But regrettably, Baldwin remained very calm, even cheerful—the Knight of Bethlehem, the Count of Edessa, and the Lord of Cyprus sitting beside him provided silent support.
Patriarch Heraclius nearby kept close watch on the proceedings. If anyone tried to pressure Baldwin, he would timely remind them that the setbacks the Crusaders had suffered before were probably more numerous than the buds knocked down last night.
This immediately left the newcomers speechless, faces full of shame, especially Raymond and Bohemond who showed discomfort.
After all, their great defeat in the first expedition against Mulai had made them a joke among the Crusaders. One could only say that if not for their past merits offsetting it, and because they were lords of the four Christian countries, the criticism would have been even greater.
Caesar would glance at Bohemond from time to time. Bohemond grew irritated under his gaze. The secret buried in his heart was like fish entrails under mud—knowing no one knew, yet constantly uneasy from the stench and pus that might surge up at any time.
He did not know Caesar was speculating whether he already knew about Abigail’s matter, but for now, it seemed Baldwin’s control over Holy Cross Castle was more comprehensive than before, and Abigail’s folly had not yet leaked out.
It seemed Abigail’s beating could be postponed until dinner.
Baldwin then handled some other matters successively, like tax collection—Caesar could remit the people’s taxes, but Baldwin found this difficult. Moreover, part of the expedition’s expenses had to fall on Ayyarasa Road’s people.
Fortunately, Caesar had found him a new channel for fine-processed coffee. He gathered the merchants and raised a sum of money from them through authorized operations, plus the large donations that inevitably came with every expedition—holy war—from various places on the European Continent, greatly alleviating Baldwin’s economic pressure.
But if this expedition failed, the next one might have to wait another three years, or even five.
Afterward, Baldwin appointed and dismissed some officials. Ayyarasa Road was peaceful and leisurely without war, but once war came, the entire city fell into endless chaos. Some usually incompetent officials were thus exposed and ruthlessly removed by the king on the spot, replaced with capable young men.
Once these new officials had sworn to the king, it was matters concerning military preparations: horses, armor, tents, fodder… Coordinating the knights and the competitions among lords were all headaches.
Among them, there were certainly some cowards like Abigail who preferred to stay in the reserves and logistics, but some lords declared they had sworn to God and left heirs; having come here, they must take three, six, or even more Saracen heads. They insisted on being vanguard or main force, vowing not to rest until they fought the heathens until the sun and moon lost light.
For these people, Baldwin could only soothe and encourage them, but still had to persuade them—after all, some were not suited for important positions.
But if he dared say it outright, it would be humiliation, and even as king he would face challenges from the nobles.
After handling these matters, both Baldwin and Caesar felt somewhat exhausted. Interestingly, sometimes the nobles ignored the king’s words, but when Caesar stepped in to mediate or persuade, their attitudes softened again.
It was not that they were swayed by Caesar’s appearance like noble ladies, but because they faced the Lord of Cyprus—how important Cyprus was needed no explanation. Their fleets often passed through Cyprus, and even without fleets, their merchants needed to operate there. In any case, they dared not offend the Lord of Cyprus at this time.
However, when leaving the hall to rest, Baldwin showed a mischievous expression and nudged Caesar with his elbow. “Go arrange for a musician.”
Caesar understood. As long as he was there, Baldwin always liked to chatter endlessly during meals, so musicians were rarely called then to avoid drowning out each other’s voices. He felt helpless yet amused, but still followed Baldwin’s request and arranged for musicians at dinner.
The number of people at dinner was much larger than at lunch. Count Raymond of Tripoli, Duke Bohemond of Antioch and their only sons—David sat beside Raymond; Abigail naturally sat with Princess Sibylla; there was also Patriarch Heraclius, Count Balian, the Countess of Jaffa, Queen Mother Maria and her little princess Isabella, even several visiting lords and some knights who won championships at the martial arts tournament.
Once everyone was gathered, the musicians began playing a familiar tune. This piece greatly satirized a cowardly knight—the newcomers were initially puzzled, but then seeing Bohemond’s ashen face, they suddenly understood, exchanging glances with expressions of wanting to laugh but not daring.
Baldwin had no intention of covering for Abigail. Even if he still agreed to Abigail’s request out of past sentiments, Abigail would not tell Princess Sibylla or his father the truth—he lacked the courage. Yes, he would surely shift the blame to Caesar or Baldwin, claiming they, out of jealousy over his marriage to the princess or fear that the princess’s child with him would usurp Baldwin’s throne, resorted to this low tactic to prevent him from gaining merit in the campaign.
He would definitely do that; Baldwin had no doubt.
Abigail’s face immediately turned deathly pale. He had grown accustomed to Baldwin’s repeated indulgence, always thinking Baldwin would cover for him this time too, but Baldwin showed no mercy. Helplessly, he looked to Princess Sibylla, who merely sat rigidly, staring ahead without a word.
Baldwin was somewhat surprised. Whatever the reason, Sibylla learning patience was a good thing.
Even without Sibylla jumping up to slap Abigail, he disappeared for many days afterward, only staggering before Baldwin when the army set out.
