Chapter 134: Words Of Queen Mother Maria
As a Byzantine princess rather than a princess of Ayyarasa Road, Maria did not encounter many men while she was still in Constantinople, and most of those were her brothers, uncle, or father, grandfather, and other blood relatives, but to say she knew nothing about the psychology of men would be a great mistake.
Byzantium practiced the primogeniture system. But similarly, after the eldest son, the emperor’s brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, daughters, and grandsons also had inheritance rights, which led to Byzantium’s court always being full of conspiracy and undercurrents. In other places, women might be men’s servants, slaves and cattle and horses, regarded as beasts and children whose intellect had not yet developed. But in Byzantium, women were also opponents evenly matched with men.
Just like when Maria was nearly killed by a she-bear that had lost its cub lunging at her during the entry ceremony—her enemies would not show mercy just because she was a woman.
And the reason the people of Ayyarasa Road used the saint’s proverb to mock and warn her was also because of this.
Since she had chosen Baldwin, she would naturally pay extra attention to his close friend by his side.
In the court of Byzantium, romantic relationships between people of the same sex were not uncommon, and the constraints were not as strict as in Ayyarasa Road; even if discovered, it only required “mild confession”（ a form of confession）.
She had once wondered if the relationship between them was too intimate, but unfortunately, or rather fortunately, these two men were actually both the type who were emotionally detached and had shallow desires—Baldwin perhaps because of his chronic illness, and Caesar possibly because of his origins—when his status was unclear, indulging his desires easily would only bring him disaster.
Not to mention noble ladies like Damara, even the handmaids and maidservants in the castle might be some noble’s forbidden possession—not to mention he had no elders who could take him to a brothel.
His bond with Baldwin was so intimate, very likely because although their statuses differed, their situations were unexpectedly similar, and also, their mothers and fathers came from the same womb, like a flock of lambs born from the same she-bear—they would huddle together even if they did not know each other, guided by some unseen force.
For Maria, this deep emotion mixed with friendship, favor, and kinship was obviously much harder to deal with than love, or more directly, desire. Love is possessive; with a little provocation, it can make a pair of lovers completely turn against each other; desire needs no further explanation, it is like the first cup of water when thirsty, the first bite of bread when hungry, and becomes tasteless after satisfaction.
Baldwin and Caesar were like a pair of once extremely frail saplings, one scarred by sword wounds, the other teetering from severe illness; they unexpectedly stood together and had to intertwine their roots and branches to withstand the hurricanes, torrential rains, and scorching sun.
Amalric I’s initial concern was not wrong; from what Maria observed, between Baldwin and Caesar, Baldwin should be the superior, but Caesar never seemed to yield; he was not a greedy man, the problem was that as long as he maintained his independence, the one who had to retreat was destined to be Baldwin.
Baldwin seemed to sense it too; he was vying with Caesar for control of this bond, and the advantage seemed to be on his side.
He had just become king and achieved an unprecedented great victory. This great victory was enough to make every Crusader knight willingly follow him, watching the white-background yellow Ayyarasa Road cross flag in action on the battlefield, the people proclaiming his merits, his valor, his justice, considering him a Saint Knight like the original Godfrey; it could be said that even the stain of leprosy on him had become a sunspot in the sun, not only unable to obscure its light but even making its colors more vivid and intense.
And this willful, reckless demeanor, Maria had seen plenty of in history books and in reality. Truth be told, Baldwin doing only to this extent was already quite restrained. It was also possible that the only person he could approve of was Caesar alone.
If someone said the king’s favor was worthless or even troublesome, others would surely curse him for ingratitude, but Queen Mother Maria, who had seen countless ministers fall heavily from high places, knew all too well—this situation could not continue.
The blazing sun can make a tall tree’s branches and leaves flourish, but it can also wither and scorch them.
And Heraclius first reminding Caesar to inspect his territory, then sending him as envoy to Acre, was perhaps for this reason, but analyzing these pros and cons with a young and capable monarch would probably be useless—he surely believed that as long as he remained king of Ayyarasa Road, Caesar could safely perch atop money and power, unshakable by anyone.
Finally, Queen Mother Maria thought for a moment and decided to approach from another angle, “So, what are your plans afterward?”
Baldwin was prepared to be persuaded by her. But he did not expect the first question from the Queen Mother to be this—what plans? What else could there be?
The things that once troubled and constrained them had disappeared; even though Raymond was still his Regent, and there were some old ministers led by Bohemond—but as soon as next February when he turned sixteen years old, he could reclaim all his rights and become a true king.
The biggest problem that had always entangled Caesar had disappeared; he was no longer a slave of unknown birth, but the only son of the Count of Edessa; they might still fight the Saracens, or force some cities to submit, or perhaps try to reclaim Edessa for Caesar.
Caesar was right; he indeed had not thought of spending his life huddled in the City of Ayyarasa Road—even if his lifespan would not be long, perhaps in a few years he would launch a third expedition against Egypt, or depending on the situation, send troops to Damascus or other cities in Syria, further bringing God’s light and glory deeper into this holy land.
Caesar, of course Caesar would always be by his side.
He was his friend and his brother; they fought side by side on the battlefield, shared honor and disgrace in the court; he might have a wife, or not, but that would not stop him from finding a more suitable woman for Caesar.
He had already quietly raised the requirements for Caesar’s wife a bit higher.
Baldwin glanced at his stepmother; the Byzantine princess Maria had completely earned everyone’s respect through her own abilities and tactics; if that noble lady could match her in this regard, and had a title and territory—not no no, he told himself in his heart, she still needed to be prettier, not to be outshone standing next to Caesar—at least not to invite mockery.
Queen Mother Maria saw Baldwin’s expression and guessed he had not thought at all about that important event she had put on her memorandum long ago—perhaps from the standpoint of a man and a king, it was hard for him to think that once Jocelin III returned to Ayyarasa Road, it would immediately trigger a series of related reactions, and the impacts from those reactions… Caesar would be the first to bear them.
Of course, she did not mean that Jocelin III and his wife would deny Nathia and Caesar’s status; they might no longer remember the child’s appearance, but they would surely remember the discovery of the Archbishop of Edessa, and the evidence they left on the birth certificate.
After the “palm print” matter spread, people inside and outside the castle were trying to prove or disprove this discovery—using their own servants and relatives, or directly pilgrims or residents of the Holy City for verification.
Although it could not be confirmed whether these patterns would change as the infant grew, at least one thing could now be confirmed: indeed, every person’s palm prints and footprints are different, like a brand from God; so far, they had not found even a single pair of identical patterns.
It was said that Patriarch Heraclius was already preparing to write a paper, promoting this as a holy relic discovered by the Archbishop of Edessa, and perhaps this archbishop could become a saint in the future.
But it was hard to say; Heraclius’s action might be to prevent anyone from questioning this evidence again…
“I think you should already understand that the world is not what you think it is,” Maria said quite cruel words in an infinitely gentle voice: “You need to know—there are fathers who do not love their children.”
Baldwin was a fortunate child; he was the only son of Amalric I, which meant he faced almost no real competitors during his growth, and even after inexplicably contracting leprosy, Amalric I never wavered—is it out of a father’s love for his child? If you want to understand it that way, yes, but it was also possible that the enraged king was using his son as a chess piece to game with his opponents.
But the current Baldwin could not see this; he had become king but not yet a father; his love and hate were equally pure; he did not know what a father meant to a child.
Caesar’s unknown status before was a bad thing, but also a good thing. It meant that aside from Baldwin, almost no one could check him. But if Jocelin III returned to Ayyarasa Road, even just to appease his mother, he would inevitably secure a prominent position by Baldwin’s side.
You might ask if father and son serving together has happened; yes, but if both hold equally high power, it is impossible. Even if Baldwin were willing, others would not allow it.
Seeing Baldwin unconsciously furrow his brow, she smiled and continued, “And then, that property worth two hundred thousand gold coins.
The Saracens were willing to return Jocelin III without a single gold coin of ransom because Caesar performed ‘purification’ for them on Sultan Nur al-Din—this was originally something the deceased’s blood relatives should do; even the Saracens had to accept his goodwill, even though he did not seek return when doing it.
But do you think that after Jocelin III returns, he would be willing to hand back this two hundred thousand gold coins’ worth of property to Caesar for free use because of this favor?”
Baldwin pursed his lips; he knew clearly, no, even his father Amalric I would hesitate; what was the concept of two hundred thousand gold coins? Almost equivalent to a nation’s entire year’s tribute and tax, enough to support two hundred knights, or launch a war, or repair a dilapidated castle; only after becoming king did he realize that governing a nation, managing his vassals, ruling his people—every place required money.
Sometimes he even complained to Caesar that he felt like a plasterer, patching wherever there was a gap.
Baldwin could unhesitatingly return this two hundred thousand gold coins’ worth of property to Caesar, and Caesar could without hesitation pour it into Ayyarasa Road’s treasury; would Jocelin III? Note that Joscelin II spent his life plotting to reclaim Edessa, and Jocelin III would likely not be the exception; moreover, even a knight without land would be mocked, let alone a count without land.
“Do not test human nature.” Queen Mother Maria said softly, “Even God’s first creation could not withstand the venomous snake’s temptation and trial. Having eaten the fruit of wisdom, we are their descendants; our souls are only more fragile.
We know nothing about Jocelin III; he might be another Caesar, or a madman; even if just an ordinary man—you know what ordinary people are like in the face of sudden power and money—and more importantly, he is Caesar’s father, and anyone can see at a glance how deep the bond is between you and Caesar.
He might use Caesar to demand things from you. And if you refuse, have you seen how those fathers treat their sons?
No need to go far, child; just look at your companions around you, David, Abigail… Raymond never allows David to have his own thoughts and actions, and Abigail even more so; even after marriage, his father still frequently slaps him, whips him; the only consolation is that his father finally beats him behind closed doors.
And worse than those whips and slaps are his words, sharp as the sharpest knives, turning him into a groveling, obsequious monster. Can you imagine Caesar becoming like that?”
“I am the king!”
“Yes, you are the king; monarch’s power overrides father’s power, just like Louis VII could incite his vassal Duke Richard of Aquitaine to attack his father Henry II in his lord’s name, but can you do that?
Can Caesar do that?
Even if Jocelin III is an utterly vicious man, he cannot; is he the only Christian saved by Amalric I? Before you contracted leprosy, did you not have attendants and servants? Why would they not stay by your side as faithfully as Caesar, whether you are a king or a monk?
He is tightly bound by his own morality; you should know this better than we do.
Our ancestors destroyed Rome and inherited Rome; the father is the patriarch—everyone in the family is his slave; slaves have no private property, and can even be traded at will—though he would not go that far, but do you think he would not interfere with Caesar’s rule over Bethlehem?
He might see Bethlehem as a purse, constantly drawing vitality from it to support his army and ministers, hoping one day to reclaim Edessa, and you know Edessa is already destroyed; that city belongs to Sultan Nur al-Din; if he wants to reclaim Edessa, it means conquering a nation anew; can you imagine how much energy, time, and money that would consume?
And compared to a subject’s loyalty to a monarch—a son’s loyalty to his father is always heaven-ordained. If Caesar has that innate emotion toward his father, but the other does not, that would be… a very terrifying situation.”
Baldwin’s cheeks, which had been flushed from wine and food, slowly turned ashen.
