Chapter 4: The Castle of the Holy Cross

Amalric I has always been a decisive person. Since he decided to let Cesar be his son's attendant, he would not delay. Even if the sky had turned deep ocher, it did not prevent him from immediately taking Cesar and the others back to the castle. The monks brought torches of palm branches soaked in olive oil, and the knights checked their horses' hooves and equipment.

The person most reluctant to part with Cesar was, of course, John. He is not the kind of person who easily indulges in desires, especially desires not allowed by God. He likes Cesar, and the reason is similar to Amalric I's. It's not that he doesn't have disciples, but none of them are as beautiful and smart as Cesar.

Clerics also need an heir. What's more, in the Church, background is not a big problem. Jesus Christ was only the son of a carpenter, his apostles were only fishermen, soldiers, and tax collectors, and among the saints, there are also prostitutes and slaves.

He sobbed... yes, sometimes this monastery abbot is just so sentimental. He prepared a leather bag for Cesar, in which he put two pieces of soft white bread, thirty silver coins, a small dagger for cutting meat, and a set of linen clothes, a wool cloak, and led out his own mule to lend to Cesar to ride. This can be considered a quite remarkable gift.

"No," Amalric I said: "I'll take him."

Cesar was not sure if Amalric I meant that—he was brought to the King's horse by Heraclius. It was a beautiful and tall horse, its almond-shaped eyes reflecting the purple clouds. I don't know if it still remembers him? He stretched out his hand, and the horse tilted its head to sniff, "It seems it likes you very much," the King said, and then lifted him onto the horse's back, letting him sit in front of himself. This can simply be said to be a privilege. Heraclius shook his head slightly behind him.

How heavy is the favor of the King of the Shengcheng? A mountain of gold, a lake of mercury, sending you into the clouds like a hurricane, but falling down means being smashed to pieces.

Amalric I's behavior did startle Cesar, but he was not as burdened with worries as Heraclius thought—the worst moment had passed, and the worst result would be becoming a slave again. What's more, judging from Amalric I's previous conversation with him, this King is not the kind of stingy and despicable villain. He certainly wants Cesar to serve a leper, but he also gave him a choice and promised an unusually generous reward.

"We are walking on the Jaffa Avenue." When the attendants raised their torches, Amalric I actually had the mood to explain to Cesar, "Jaffa is a port on the Mediterranean coast, on the left side of Jerusalem. Pilgrims board the ship after passing through the Mediterranean, disembark at Jaffa, and then follow this road until the Jaffa Gate of the Holy City, and then enter Jerusalem." He signaled Cesar to look at the roadside, where little by little firelight gathered.

"Those are pilgrims, perhaps also merchants. They see us. As long as they get permission, they will follow our team, walk in the dark, so as to arrive at the destination ahead of time."

Cesar was not stupid enough to ask how these people could stumble in the dark or even in light so weak it was almost non-existent just to save a little time.

Although it is called an avenue, this road is still full of thorns, gravel, and depressions caused by rain, horse hooves, and wheels. It's just that after staying in the Church of Saint John the Baptist for these ten days, he already knew how poor people could be at this time. These pilgrims arriving at the Shengcheng a little earlier means that the food they carry or buy can consume a little less, and the chance of being plundered can also be reduced. This point might save lives.

On both sides of Yafa Avenue, one can see undulating hills. They are like undulating deep black waves under the light of the sky and torches. Cesar remembered that hill... although he knew it was not here, he still felt his nasal cavity filled with a rich stench of blood. He probably wouldn't be able to forget this smell for several years, just like the face of that slave merchant.

When they arrived at the Yafa Gate, the deep black dome no longer had a trace of extra color. What surprised Cesar was that the Yafa Gate was not completely submerged in darkness and silence as he thought. Bright bonfires were burning outside the city gate, the flames reflected in the sparkling moat, and soldiers were running around, slowly lowering the narrow drawbridge under the command of a knight who was not wearing a helmet and only wore chainmail and a surcoat.

"Your Majesty, you should stay in the monastery for a night..." The Count of Tripoli, Raymond, walked toward Amalric I in a hurry. He froze when he saw Cesar in front of Amalric I. In the entire Jerusalem, the only person who could have the honor of occupying this position might be Prince Baldwin. Who is this child? Is he the son of some lord?

"He is a new friend I found for Baldwin," Amalric I said, and then rode forward. Raymond looked at Heraclius behind the King. Heraclius touched his forehead: "Raymond," he said, "It's too late, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"But Your Majesty..."

Amalric I left his friend and the noisy sounds behind, only pausing for a moment in front of the Yafa Gate wall—the passage of the Yafa Gate is not straight, but an L-shape in capital letters. The right side and the front are walls, and each brick is about half the size of a child. The one in the middle is engraved with a proverb in Latin, "Wisdom, righteousness, fairness, integrity."

Turning left, there is a row of low houses. When Amalric I and his knights passed by, there was silence. Cesar guessed that this should be where the poor live—it is always dangerous near the city wall. When the enemy attacks the city, this place will be the first to be affected by the trebuchet, and the guards will also dismantle nearby houses to use as rolling stones for defense.

His gaze caught Amalric I's attention, but he misunderstood: "That is the Tower of David," he said. Cesar then noticed the high tower standing like a giant beside the Yafa Gate. It was almost completely hidden in the night, with only a torch lit at the very top, easily mistaken for a dim star near the horizon.

Then they passed through another city wall. The buildings behind the city wall were much larger than the previous houses, especially the kind with crosses on top. Those were churches. After passing two or three such black shadows, in front of an especially majestic cathedral, Amalric I crossed himself on his chest: "The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial place of Jesus Christ, the holiest place in the Holy Land," he said. Cesar lowered his head slightly and also crossed himself.

The shadow cast by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was even heavier than the Yafa Gate or the Tower of David. Behind the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, firelight could be seen flickering faintly. Cesar felt the broad chest behind him tremble violently: "We are here, child," the King said: "That is the Castle of the Holy Cross. You will spend a long time here."

Afterward, no matter who it was, the King only waved his hand with what could be described as fatigue rather than indifference, dismissing them, even the Count of Tripoli, Raymond, who quickly caught up, and the Duke of Antioch who hurried over.

Even though this belongs to a King's castle, there is no difference from other castles in terms of structure and layout. Double city walls, twelve defensive towers, an empty square surrounded by city walls, a series of essential configurations around the square such as kitchens, water rooms, stables, blacksmith workshops, leather workshops, etc., two or three wells, barracks for guards, and the three towers in the center.

Viewed from the air, the three towers are like the head of a lion. The central King's Tower is like the lion's giant mouth, and the two side auxiliary towers are like fangs or ears.

The King's Tower is a cylindrical building, from bottom to top, respectively: dungeon, supply storage room and kitchen, royal hall, guest bedroom, master bedroom—the only difference is the chapel and the armory. In other places, the chapel would be arranged between the master bedroom and the armory. Here, the chapel is located above the armory because it hides the "True Cross"—that is, the cross on which Jesus Christ was nailed to death.

Mortal weapons cannot override the treasure of the Savior.

The auxiliary tower on the right originally belonged to the King and his family, while the auxiliary tower on the left belonged to his knights and vassals. After Baldwin was confirmed to have contracted leprosy, he moved out of his room and moved to the left tower. The vassals of the left tower moved to the right tower. The knights were still complaining that they had to share a room with several people, while the left tower fell into a void. There was only one master here, Prince Baldwin.

And a large group of servants.

They swarmed out of the tower. Even though the King was very cold, they were not. No, rather than saying they were not, it's better to say they didn't notice the King's annoyance at all. Or perhaps, even if they noticed, the fanatical mood of wanting to curry favor to see if they could fly to great heights was enough to offset all anxiety.

Amalric I stopped. The attendants behind him immediately stepped forward silently, waving sticks to drive away those greasy faces that were disgusting. Raymond opened the door for the King, his questioning gaze sweeping over Cesar, but he was not a fool who didn't know what was going on, so of course he wouldn't ask at this time.

The King waved his hand, signaling the others to stay outside the door. Then he turned back and shouted: "Is there anyone to hold a candle for me?" When he asked, his gaze always fell on the group of servants who ran out of the tower. They didn't make a sound. It took a good while before one person was pushed out of the darkness. He showed a smile that was more like crying and bowed to Amalric I. A knight put the candle in his hand, and that bit of light immediately shook urgently.

A sneer burst out from the crowd, then disappeared. The servant holding the candle walked a step in embarrassment, suddenly stumbled, and only saw a flash of fire, and the candle fell from his hand.

The people around couldn't help but shout, and the shouting had not yet disappeared when it turned into cheers—it turned out that the boy who had been standing silently beside the King had leaned forward at the same time the candle fell, and scooped up the falling candle. The candlelight flickered, but it didn't go out. This reaction and courage are worthy of praise.

"Well," Amalric I said: "Then that's it. Follow me, child. I'll take you to see Baldwin."

Raymond finally moved, "Your Majesty, please do not do this dangerous thing."

"I'm just going to see my son," Amalric I said: "Or do you think the favor I received from God is not enough to make me pass His test?"

The Duke of Antioch, Bohemond, held Raymond's arm. When Raymond looked at him, he shook his head imperceptibly. With this delay, the King and the child he brought had already stepped onto the wooden ladder leading to the tower without any obstruction.

The first defense of the tower was an entrance about one person's height above the ground. This entrance had no stone steps, only a retractable wooden ladder. The King gently pushed Cesar's spine, letting him walk in front. The boy's feet landed lightly on the sturdy wooden board, almost without making a sound, while Amalric I behind him, as a tall knight in chainmail, made the whole wooden ladder vibrate.

Cesar held the candle high. He had to admit that he had a curiosity about this place. In his imagination, the tower should be as narrow and empty as the lighthouse he had visited. The fact was not so. The spiral staircase only occupied a small space in the tower, and it was not in the center of the tower, but close to one side. Occupying the vast majority of the tower's space was a hall with multiple uses. Vaguely visible were round tables, chairs, and wooden boxes. The faint light in the fireplace made the gold and silver threads in the tapestry shine.

Some food and wine bottles were placed on the round table, but before Cesar could distinguish them carefully, Amalric I was already urging. He was like all fathers, wholeheartedly just wanting his child to see his gift as early as possible, completely forgetting that Baldwin might have already fallen asleep at this time.

Baldwin was still wiping his hair—this was originally the servant's work, but ever since the first servant who was forced to come up cursed in a low voice while working...

He might have thought that Baldwin, who was a Christian, couldn't understand Bedouin language, but he didn't know that as the heir to the King of the Shengcheng, his progress in learning Greek, Latin, and Saracen was all moving forward together. Saracen was derived from Bedouin, and he couldn't understand all of it, but at least he could understand eight or nine out of ten.

He thought about whether to punish this disrespectful servant, but finally denied it himself. For one thing, he might have to go to the monastery at any time to become a monk, and getting used to a humble life from now on is not bad; for another...

Baldwin smiled. He was ultimately Amalric I's only son.

"Baldwin." Baldwin heard his father's voice. He thought it was his hallucination, which had been the case for the past few months, but soon, the door was opened, and a broad black shadow was outlined by the candlelight.

For a moment, Baldwin almost wanted to stand up and jump into Amalric I's arms. No matter how smart and strong he was, he was ultimately a nine-year-old child. But he held back, he stood up, "Your Majesty." His voice inevitably carried a trace of trembling: "Just stay there, just stay there, don't come any closer."

He sniffed, listened, and watched with greed and pain; all of this would be the only solace in his austere and long life of cultivation.

"I'm right here." Amalric I also knew he couldn't force him too much, "Look what I brought you?"

Without him saying it, Cesar walked forward, lifted the candle, and approached the candlestick beside Baldwin, lighting the candles one by one. The originally dark room immediately became bright. Baldwin, whose attention was entirely on his father, subconsciously turned his head to look.

He saw a boy of about his age, born incomparably beautiful. Even without gold and silk decoration, he could still shine in the candlelight, making people dare not look directly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 5 =====