Chapter 220: Banquet
“This is not a Byzantine Empire-style banquet; it is Frankish or Latin-style.” A Cypriot noble said this.
And his friend beside him immediately cautiously nudged him with an elbow, signaling him to stop talking, although this was just a neutral statement without praise or criticism, but to this day, the people of Cyprus still cannot determine whether unrestrained slaughter or planned, calm purges bring more fear.
If it were just a hungry lion, they could throw it fresh meat until it was stuffed and satisfied and left. But if the opponent were a wise giant wolf, he might not kill all the livestock and scatter their entrails everywhere, but instead treat this place as his own territory. He would not be satisfied with merely ruling the beasts and cattle and sheep here; he wanted all living creatures to submit before him.
Sometimes Cypriots must admit that their new lord is not one who enjoys tormenting others—whether body or soul. When receiving officials, nobles, or even merchants, he never shouts curses and rarely flares up in anger. Even in his most furious moments, he does not resort to tortures such as the rack, pear of anguish, or wheel—but to call him benevolent, he is rarely moved by humble words, fervent flattery, or pained appeals. His green eyes seem to pierce the heart, and his rose-like lips only pronounce cold judgments.
At this point, Cypriots cannot help but curse the Byzantine Emperor separated from them by a strait. If not for his cowardice and selfishness, and having such a “proud” son as Grand Prince Alexios, given what this Crusader knight did in Bethlehem, the Cypriots should have gotten a more lenient environment.
But complaining now is futile; after all, at that time many were willing to follow the Grand Prince, and those who chose to stand by temporarily and remain neutral were the vast majority. Only a few families unhesitatingly sided with their new master, either out of necessity or some selfish motives of their own, but in this gamble, they won big.
The Cypriot noble who had just shown a bit of dissatisfaction was once a neutralist, and his family was also settled. As insiders, his family and several other important family members were given heavy punishments, but the other members were allowed to retain their original property and mansion after paying a fine.
Reminded by his friend, the man also fell silent.
To say they would feel any gratitude toward Caesar for this is of course impossible. But likewise, they cannot muster much resentment. After all, Caesar has been tolerant; one must know that at that time, who did what and how to deal with it was entirely up to his word. As soon as he said someone or a family was guilty, it meant he could take all the property accumulated by that family over centuries.
If it were someone else, even Grand Prince Alexios, he would not hesitate to strike—who would think there is too much gold and silk, especially for those ambitious men.
A servant came over and led them to their seats.
Just as this noble had complained earlier, this grand banquet was completely Frankish or more broadly Latin-style.
In short, the main guests used long tables rather than round ones. Although like Byzantine Empire banquets, important guests would be seated as close as possible to the host here. But they would not sit alone in a small alcove, a few people around a table; they sat in the great hall with the other guests, just with slightly different table settings.
The long table for important guests was laid with colorful brocade rather than ordinary white linen, and set with gold plates and golden cups; others could only use silver vessels.
As for more expensive glass and ivory vessels, they could only be seen on the host’s long table.
“Brother, are you ready?”
Nathia asked loudly. She had been waiting a long time in the side hall nearby, and when she saw Caesar emerging from the adjoining council chamber, she could not help but frown slightly—this was the first banquet after Caesar’s mourning period ended. According to Nathia’s wishes, her brother should have been dressed dazzlingly, radiant and shining.
Glorious clothing would proclaim to everyone that he had escaped the pain and gloom brought by his wife’s death and was ready to joyfully welcome the next newcomer—but Caesar’s attire was almost no different from before, except that the silver cross around his neck had been changed to a gold cross, and the cross was quite plain, without inlaid gemstones or carved holy images or patterns.
He wore a black fitted outer garment, with white sleeves emerging from it. He had not even put on a coronet, neither the previous crown nor the count’s coronet—the only thing on him that could be called expensive was the Damascus scimitar hanging at his waist, but even the scabbard was plain black cowhide, with the metal parts being dull brass.
But Nathia remembered her status. Although Caesar favored her greatly, she was ultimately Caesar’s sister, not his mother or other elder, so she finally just casually straightened Caesar’s collar and said nothing.
But Caesar had already seen through her thoughts and smiled as he took his sister’s hand. “Having you is enough.”
Today’s Nathia was indeed dressed especially grandly and perfectly. Although the banquet was Latin-style, her attire was Byzantine-style. That is to say, clad in purple.
When she dressed as a Frankish woman, people could easily confuse her with other noble ladies in the castle, but when clad in purple, with pearls adorning her garments and jewelry, and wearing a coronet inlaid with rubies and sapphires, people would immediately recall her other identity.
Although this identity came from her brother Caesar, and Caesar had gotten it from Princess Anna of the Byzantine Empire, there is no doubt that even if she went to Constantinople, she would have this qualification.
The awe inspired by a princess and a count’s daughter is entirely different.
At least when they came to the long table and sat down, the noble lady said to be the niece of the Byzantine Empire Emperor hesitated for a moment but finally lowered her noble knees. Although they did not touch the ground, it signified that she acknowledged that here and now, Nathia’s status was more noble than hers.
On the other side, the Doge of Venice’s niece was even more docile and respectful, almost prostrating to the ground—possibly also because Caesar kept holding Nathia’s hand. After everyone in the hall bowed and knelt to them, he sat down with Nathia.
To welcome these two noble guests, the host’s long table occupied nearly half the width of the great hall. Behind Caesar and Nathia was a magnificent canopy, with Caesar’s flags hanging on both sides—the flags were no longer the original style, that is, plain red with only an Ayyarasa Road cross in one corner.
When Caesar first used this flag and coat of arms, he was still just an attendant and Knight of Bethlehem beside Baldwin, but after inheriting the title of Count of Edessa and becoming the son-in-law of the Byzantine Empire, his coat of arms underwent great changes.
The flag was still red as the base color, with two crossed long swords at the top, a crown below, and a shield beneath the crown. The shield was divided into two parts: one side white-based with a yellow Ayyarasa Road cross—because he was also a member of the Kingdom of Ayyarasa; the other side blue-based with a white star and crescent and the eight-pointed star representing the Virgin Mary, the emblem of the Byzantine Empire.
This shield symbolized that his marriage to Princess Anna of the Byzantine Empire closely united the two young people and the families they represented.
Below were ribbons and a proverb: “With the Lord.”
And behind those two noble ladies hung the Byzantine Empire’s crescent flags and the Republic of Venice’s flag—the Lion of Saint Mark.
Caesar undoubtedly sat in the center of the main table, with his sister Nathia to his right hand and the Archbishop of Cyprus to his left. The Byzantine princess sat beside Nathia, and the Doge of Venice’s niece sat beside the Archbishop of Cyprus. This arrangement allowed Nathia to discreetly observe these two noble ladies who might become her sisters-in-law.
She first looked at the Doge of Venice’s niece. The Doge of Venice now also had a daughter of marriageable age, but he still sent his niece, not because this marriage was not worth a daughter, but because his niece was far more beautiful than his daughter, though this beauty might not be acceptable to everyone.
This girl had jet-black eyebrows, bright, round eyes, full lips, and such vivid color that one suspected she had used rouge like a prostitute. Moreover, from her clothing, although like other noble ladies she wore a tall gauze hat, a silk long shirt, and a sleeveless fitted robe with a heart-shaped neckline, this robe had quite clever details in some places.
Among Christian women now, whether in Constantinople or Paris, noble ladies’ robes were either loose or cinched with a belt, but hers had perforated laces added to the sides. Thus, tightening the thin cords from underarm to hip perfectly outlined her alluring curves.
Moreover, her shoes were different from those of the women here; she wore platform shoes. It is said that the Venice region was originally a muddy swamp, and even now that it has become prosperous, the streets are still often wet, and more often they rely on waterways.
So Venetians thicken shoe soles to avoid muddy water, and such shoes should make one more clumsy and ridiculous, but this noble lady wore them with swaying grace and full charm.
Nathia could not be sure if she was the type her brother liked—not every man likes dignified and pious good women, or rather, she always felt her brother was too somber; perhaps a lively girl could add some color to his life that should belong to youth.
She could not help but look at her brother to see if Caesar was watching her.
But no, Caesar was looking at the noble lady from the Byzantine Empire, but with just one glance, he coldly turned his head back. Nathia did not quite understand, but the Archbishop of Cyprus beside them was inwardly lamenting. Of course, he did not dare say it aloud.
But he really could not understand what the Byzantine Empire’s Emperor, or the people around him, were thinking.
The noble lady they sent actually resembled the late Princess Anna somewhat, after all they shared the same father, but damn it. Did they think Caesar’s respect and nostalgia for Anna were because she had a pretty face?
To speak from the heart, the archbishop felt that if their new lord were really the type to be swayed by beauty, he might as well look more at his own face.
“This noble lady definitely won’t win favor here, but if the envoy who came with her can offer a price that moves us, the result is hard to say.” Walter on the side was quite enthusiastic as he spoke to Geoffrey beside him.
“I do know what price the Venetians offered. They promised that if Caesar would marry their Doge’s niece as wife, her dowry would be a fleet, and the Venetians would also transfer some industry to Cyprus, and what they asked in return was not much.
The Byzantine Empire’s Emperor once gave them ten percent tax concession; they only want five percent.”
“Five percent? Since when did these Venetians become so humble?”
“Cyprus is also new territory for them,” Walter muttered. “Anyway, the groom and bride are so young; once they marry and have children, perhaps they can raise the tax concession from five percent to ten percent.
And when this child with Venetian blood grows up, fifteen percent, twenty percent is not impossible.”
“These Byzantines!” Geoffrey exclaimed. “The Emperor is like this, and so are the Venetians. No matter what, people of the Byzantine Empire always think they are a cut above us barbarians.”
Walter harrumphed, his gaze unconsciously sweeping across the opposite long table, and a knight there raised a wine cup to toast him. Geoffrey’s expression was subtle; that was a knight of the Knights Hospitaller, and the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller were not on good terms. Walter’s eyes flashed, and he identified the man.
“That is someone from the Gerard family.”
