Chapter 237: Gifts
“Madam.”
A gentle call sounded behind Boccia, who was standing by the window, and then a pair of hands draped a fluffy, warm, almost unblemished squirrel fur cloak over her: “January in Cyprus is already a bit cold, and being blown by the sea breeze for long periods is not good for your health.”
“Thank you.” Boccia replied absentmindedly. She reached out to hold the cloak, turned around, and when she met those sharp yet calm black eyes, the handmaid who had draped the cloak over her and offered advice instinctively curtsied, lowered her head to avoid the gaze.
The handmaid nearby hurriedly stood up to explain for her, “She was only worried about your health, Madam, and had no intention of overstepping.”
“I know.” Boccia said lightly. She knew why these two handmaids were so nervous. When she had first arrived at the Rose Court, she only had two handmaids with her, but ever since her marriage to Caesar was settled, Venice had sent several more handmaids to serve her.
Of course, Boccia could tell at a glance what these people were thinking. Just like the predicament she had once faced, an unfavored daughter in the family, or a daughter from a distant branch with thin bloodline, could be used by the family as a bargaining chip on the table. If she couldn’t become the wife of a prominent figure, becoming his lover could still establish some relationship between the family and him.
Whether these girls were willing or forced, they had no choice—though most of them would be willing after meeting Caesar—and it wasn’t just Venetians; Cypriots, Franks, even Byzantines had sent handmaids to her.
These girls, nominally handmaids but actually reserves for lovers, did make her feel a bit tense. Boccia was passionate and bold, but among those girls, some openly showed their affection to Caesar without hiding it. Moreover, at this time, in the eyes of the men, they obviously fit the standard of a lover better.
But she didn’t worry for long. Caesar was not the type to wait until things developed to an irreparable point before trying to fix them. He had told her early on about his arrangements for these girls.
After this expedition, he would find opportunities to arrange satisfactory marriages for them and marry them off.
If someone said verbal promises were not reliable, what finally convinced Boccia was Caesar’s actions—he would call these handmaids to leave as soon as he entered the room, staying alone with her, and usually only attendants and male servants served him.
Additionally, she knew Caesar’s work was extremely heavy. He didn’t want to dump most of his work on priests like those knights or lords did, or leave it to the Isaacites—in the time before Venetians were in place, he had to handle all the government affairs himself, and his desk was always piled with various urgent documents waiting to be reviewed.
Even so, he still found time to teach classes.
Earlier, he had recruited a group of promising young Family Disciples from Venice, but instead of immediately giving them official positions and sending them to work, he first gave them classes—teaching them what he hoped they would do and what he didn’t.
Thinking of this, Boccia couldn’t help but want to smile. There were also her brothers among them. Although her brothers had disappointed their grandfather Dandolo, at a time like this, if the Dandolo family had no disciples participating, it would instead raise suspicions—either that the Dandolo family was dissatisfied with this marriage, or that the Lord of Cyprus was dissatisfied with it.
Since that was the case, why create unnecessary complications?
This pair of brothers was obviously much more steady than they had been in Venice, and it was unknown whether Dandolo had already warned them about their relationship. They had also tried to get closer to this sister whom they had once ignored and despised, trying to please her so she would put in a good word for them with her husband. They not only had to attend classes but also take exams; those who failed not only couldn’t get the official positions from Caesar but might even be sent back to Venice, which would be too embarrassing.
But Boccia would not show favoritism in this regard. Unlike other men, her husband Caesar hardly hid anything from her, whether it was matters inside or outside the Governor’s Palace. He had explained in detail to Boccia several things he needed to handle afterward.
As the Count of Edessa who had long lost his original territory and castle and lived as a slave in exile for several years, what Caesar lacked most now was, of course, the basics—those that David and Abigail had, whether knights or officials.
It could be said that without this marriage, if he were still by Baldwin’s side, he might gradually build his own strength relying on Baldwin’s trust and grants, but it had come so suddenly—even exceeding Baldwin and Patriarch Heraclius’s expectations—that he now had such an important and vast territory.
This was certainly a good thing, but it meant he had to build a political framework from scratch, and quickly. Compared to knights, officials were harder to come by; they weren’t something available everywhere.
They needed to be skilled in reading, drafting documents, calculating accounts, and especially in a place like Cyprus, they had to be familiar with local languages, currency, weights and measures, and more. Not only that, they needed to be well-informed; besides threats Cyprus might face, trade and currency exchange would also be affected by war.
For example, the fall of the County of Edessa meant that the currency originally minted by the Count of Edessa would immediately go from circulating to invalid. Merchants would no longer accept it, and even if they did, they would treat it as scrap or waste coin.
But at this time, currency or minting rights were held by various lords and even high priests. Even a count had the right to mint his own currency, let alone the numerous large and small nations in the Mediterranean region.
Although bringing in a large number of Venetians to his court might create a worrying situation in the future, it was also a necessary measure—and Caesar was not unprepared. He had already told Boccia… besides Venetians, he would also bring in some Cypriots and Franks, and even Byzantines were possible.
Boccia looked at that handmaid. That handmaid was no other; she was sent by the Giorgiu family—this family could be said to be one of the first Cypriot nobles to pledge allegiance to Caesar. She softly reassured the girl a few words. Caesar had told her that she could appropriately accept overtures from Cypriot nobles.
If they recommended their fathers and brothers to her, she could also accept their requests.
Recently, some Cypriot handmaids had indeed been constantly testing to see if they could change the lord’s mind through her—these handmaids and the people behind them did not know that Caesar already intended to bring Cypriots into his court. They only thought he had been bewitched by Boccia and was thus generously granting various privileges to those Venetians.
They didn’t even dare to openly mention introductions to Boccia, fearing that as a noble lady from Venice, she would unhesitatingly side with her own people.
But no matter how patient, they couldn’t endure for just a few days.
Boccia walked back to her small hall. Flames blazed in the fireplace, and the noble ladies who had come to visit her were chatting in small groups. As soon as they saw her enter, they immediately stood up and curtsied to her.
This feeling was delightful and refreshing. After all, if Boccia were still just a girl from the Dandolo family, when facing these noble ladies, she would be the one curtsying, or she might not even have the chance to converse face-to-face with them.
But because of some people’s foolishness and others’ sharpness, the status between them had completely reversed overnight.
These madams who came to visit her would not come empty-handed.
They brought her all sorts of gifts, from silk and fur to pearls, everything imaginable, even some precious spices and herbs.
Boccia also made some ambiguous promises after careful consideration: “…I cannot guarantee… My husband likely already has arrangements…”
“I don’t think so.”
A noblewoman nodded slightly to the female companion beside her and smiled, saying, “Who doesn’t know that our lord loves you like two twin flowers or two birds nestled together? Which time has he not hurried back to accompany you after hunting or finishing government affairs?”
At this point, this madam felt a bit of regret. Her family also had a girl who became Boccia’s handmaid. In their view, that girl was gentler, more charming, delicate, and lovely than Boccia.
Her gaze lingered briefly on Boccia’s thick black eyebrows, forcibly pushing aside the thought to avoid showing it on her face. “Surely you will soon welcome a new life. By then, he will surely love you more, respect you, and be willing to listen to you.”
This sentence was like a blessing or a good omen, but Boccia’s expression had already faded.
It was now January; she and Caesar had married in September, so all told, it had been just over three months, yet people were already sizing up her belly, as if it were negligence for her not to have a child with Caesar immediately.
She knew some were deliberately provoking her, and Caesar had once comforted her, saying he was not that urgent. They were only seventeen now; a healthy woman in a cheerful mood could still have children even in her forties.
Boccia also wanted to convince herself, but it was impossible not to be anxious.
Caesar was not only the Lord of Cyprus but also a minister and knight to his monarch, the King of Ayyarasa Road. He had obligations to his monarch, and in June they would face a difficult expedition.
She already knew—King Baldwin IV of Ayyarasa Road was preparing to seize Damascus. During the Second Crusade, King Louis VII of Francia and Emperor Conrad III of the Holy Roman Empire had once tried to capture this prosperous and important city but had to return defeated under the steadfast defense of its people.
And this time… though the men all said it was a rare opportunity—the Syrian region was still in turmoil, and Damascus’s governor seemed entangled in games with those ambitious figures. But on the battlefield, anything could happen, and no one could guarantee they would return unscathed.
If it were just injury, so be it, but if Caesar fell on the battlefield at Damascus while she had not borne him a child, she could hardly imagine how she would face herself then.
Caesar might feel only responsibility toward her, but she had already fallen in love with him—not just his appearance, for Venice had plenty of handsome young nobles, but she had never been moved by them, or rather, before she could be, their frivolity and arrogance had destroyed all her longing for love.
He had fulfilled all his premarital promises to her. Her days were even more relaxed, leisurely, and free than in Venice.
He had even prepared a room for her filled with various books on law and history. Can you imagine?
Another madam noticed Boccia’s displeasure. She hurriedly said, “We know our lord is a just man. All we ask is for him to give an opportunity. Our disciples can also accept his teaching and pass his… exam. We have absolutely no complaints about that.”
Boccia barely calmed her mind and nodded slightly to this madam. “I believe you—I will recommend to my husband. If your husbands, brothers, and sons are willing to work for him and obey his will.”
Upon hearing this, the madams happily clapped their hands and swore one after another that their husbands, sons, and brothers would unconditionally obey every word the lord said.
At this moment, one madam suddenly stood up. Boccia was not very familiar with her face: “I also brought you a gift.”
“What gift?”
Boccia said gently: “Bring it up. No matter what it is, I will like it very much. It is your sentiment.”
This madam stood up and walked to her. When Boccia noticed that the expressions on the faces of some other madams were somewhat unsettled, “Perhaps it is my fault,” she asked. “But I don’t recall anyone introducing you to me.”
Could it be that this madam’s family had been involved in the previous rebellion?
If so, Boccia had to be cautious.
But that madam did not answer her. Instead, she opened the box containing the gift. After opening it, everyone present couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, and they had no choice but to do so—this gift was far more precious than anything anyone else had brought.
It was a solid pure gold crown, or rather a flower crown, because the place that should have been a cross was replaced with blooming roses. The rose petals were blood-red gemstones, and the stamens were golden pearls.
This gift would not be discourteous even if presented to the Queen of the Byzantine Empire.
Moreover, everyone in Cyprus knew that because they were initially arranged to live in the Rose Court and held the ceremony there, Caesar and Boccia still lived here, so Boccia’s favorite flower had changed from daffodils to roses.
When roses were blooming, she had handmaids weave rose flower crowns for her to wear on her head. When roses withered, she had handmaids embroider roses all over her robes. People could even find traces of roses on the Lord of Cyprus’s cloak and chest—perhaps embroidery in the corner or a brooch pinned to the chest.
This was almost their token of love.
The gift she gave was full of sentiment and expensive enough that even Boccia instinctively straightened her back. “This is a precious gift,” she said. “What do you want?”
That madam curtsied to her. “My husband is a merchant, Madam. He wants to act as agent for your husband’s rock sugar trade.”
