Chapter 47: Marriage (Part II)

Cesar was stunned.

This couldn't be blamed on him. Since he came to the castle, whether it was the castle steward, the servants and attendants like him, Prince Baldwin, or their teacher Heraclius, none of them had mentioned Amalric I's first wife.

And the first rumor he heard about marriage was the marriage contract that Amalric I had discussed many times with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I.

He naturally thought that Baldwin's mother had passed away, perhaps when Baldwin was very young. He certainly wouldn't bring up such things in front of Baldwin casually.

And then this mother walked out of the grave?

Thinking this way was a bit too slighting. Cesar bowed his head immediately. He only felt a warm lavender wind brush past him, "Raise your head, child. You are not the first person to see me as if seeing a ghost."

He raised his head and saw Baldwin standing in place even more awkwardly than him. He seemed to want to reach out and hug his mother, but when he raised his hand, he found he wasn't wearing gloves or a veil. He hurriedly turned around to find them, but was pulled into her arms by the Countess of Jaffa.

"Let me give you a good hug." She said, "Your father is a king, and he doesn't fear you, so why would I be afraid of you?"

She hugged Baldwin firmly for a good while. Baldwin's face was flushed, almost covering the scars brought by leprosy. He closed his eyes slightly, his body slowly turning from stiff to soft, even like a drunkard, putting most of his weight on the Countess's shoulder.

Balian of Ibelin didn't come in, just coughed lightly. Cesar understood and closed the door.

Balian's posture clearly showed he was guarding the door. Cesar wondered if he should also withdraw, but the Countess saw the various things scattered on the carpet at a glance. These expensive gifts were clearly divided into two piles, so what these two children were doing before she walked in was self-evident.

"Your name is Cesar, right?" the Countess called softly: "Come, come here, sit down, and sit with us—I have heard your name and know your virtue. I am very happy that my son has such a companion by his side."

She touched Baldwin's head, "As the sage said, birds of the same feather always fly in flocks. Compared to people saying you are an attendant by the prince's side, I prefer them to say, he is Cesar's friend."

This made even Cesar's face heat up.

"He is not an attendant anymore," Baldwin said joyfully: "Under the Lord's witness, we have become brothers. From now on, he and I are the same."

The Countess smiled, carefully examining Cesar, "If I could give birth to such a beautiful child, I would definitely build a small chapel for the Virgin Mary alone."

"Am I not beautiful?" Baldwin was dumbfounded: "I always thought I was very beautiful, Mother."

The Countess naturally saw that her child was intentionally teasing her. She laughed loudly and then said: "In my heart, even if Attis with violet blood, the cunning suitor Acontius, and Linus, son of Apollo the Sun God, stood side by side before me, the most beautiful one would definitely be you, and only you."

She reached out and hugged Baldwin. Although after February 2nd, Baldwin would be ten years old, and with the special permission of the bishop or Pope, he could become an adult early, marry, and make alliances—but all mothers look at their children, they are small, and can be picked up and held in their arms at any time.

This was a warm scene, but a few golden lights pricked Cesar's eyes unsuitably. He just discovered that a corner of the small cloak Baldwin picked up to show him was exposed. He was struggling with how to hide it without leaving a trace when it was discovered by the Countess.

"It's a gift from Princess Maria to you." She said calmly: "Bring it to me and let me see if it suits my most beautiful child."

Baldwin was busy covering his face. Cesar crawled over to get it. The Countess held it in her hand and looked at it repeatedly: "Byzantines..." Her tone didn't have much jealousy or hatred, such bad emotions, "Baldwin's father Amalric I and I divorced in '63."

Originally, this marriage was a match of equal social status. Amalric I was only the second son, and the Countess was the daughter of the Count of Edessa. She didn't expect to wear the crown, just hoping her husband wouldn't die too early, and preferably leave her a few children—they soon had Sibylla, then Baldwin, but in the year after Baldwin was born, Baldwin III passed away suddenly. He had no heir and could only leave the throne to his younger brother.

For Amalric I, his original wife was no longer a match for him. This wasn't that he was ungrateful or disregarded feelings, it was just that the King of Al-Azar and the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon were two completely different creatures. At this time, the County of Edessa had already fallen, and the Patriarch, ministers, and Grand Masters of the knightly orders at that time were all trying to persuade him to find a better marriage that was more beneficial to Al-Azar.

Amalric I deliberated repeatedly—he indeed needed a powerful father-in-law. The fall of the County of Edessa was a lesson from the past—although there were many reasons... Not to mention he still had ambitions for Egypt.

"He was willing to make a deal with the Patriarch, retain the legal status of Baldwin and Sibylla, and recognize their inheritance rights. I am very grateful, not to mention that he left me Jaffa."

The Countess slanted her eyes at Cesar and laughed: "It's just that they find it hard to tell you. What to say? Say how my husband ruthlessly abandoned me? Say how a mother was forced to abandon her children?"

Baldwin held her hand. The Countess squeezed his fingers in return, seemingly unintentional, but actually checking the child's condition. After discovering that Baldwin didn't notice her little move, her heart sank, but she didn't show it at all on her face.

They sat lazily and happily for a while. Baldwin re-selected the gifts that belonged to him, offering the most precious good things to his mother. The Countess only picked a round brooch and pinned it on her headscarf, then looked at Cesar: "Don't you have anything you want to give me?"

Cesar plucked up his courage, picked a few pieces of jewelry, and presented them to the Countess. The Countess lowered her head and took a look, then picked a brooch and pinned it next to Baldwin's gift.

"Look," she picked up a small hand mirror: "What a cute pair."

This time Cesar boldly looked at her face. He saw many familiar parts from this face. It could be said that except for the blue eyes, Baldwin and Sibylla inherited almost everything from their mother.

How beautiful Sibylla was, this Countess was that beautiful. Even after the hardships of time and fate, her beauty was not completely worn away, but added a layer of hazy veil, making her look softer, more implicit, and more worth reading.

"What's wrong?" The Countess noticed his gaze.

"You and Baldwin look so much alike." Cesar realized he had made a stupid mistake after the words left his mouth. He hurriedly added embarrassedly: "No, it's Baldwin who looks like you, and Princess Sibylla also looks like you."

The Countess laughed uncontrollably: "Of course, child, they are my flesh and blood, my inheritance." She gently lifted Cesar's face: "You are a beautiful child, and Baldwin's good friend, but I am happy to see you, and it's not entirely because of this."

She turned Cesar's face towards Baldwin and placed them close together: "How strange," she said: "You actually look a bit alike," she looked back and forth, "Perhaps beautiful people all have similarities."

They spent most of the afternoon like this, until the sky outside turned from golden to ink blue, "I should go." The Countess said.

"Stay and have dinner with me." Baldwin grabbed her robe and begged.

"I will stay in Al-Azar for a while, until the wedding of Amalric I and Byzantine Princess Maria is over—this is the responsibility of the Countess of Jaffa," the Countess lowered her head and kissed his forehead, "So don't be afraid, I will come to see you often."

The Countess came silently and left silently, and quite readily.

"She said she would come again," Cesar also felt a bit of attachment. The Countess was completely different from the noble ladies in the castle. She was like a flower blooming in the Judean mountains, surrounded only by sand, scorching sun, large lakes, and the vast sky, making her look so proud and unique: "Even if she can't come, we can go to Jaffa to see her."

"You are right." Baldwin's eyes brightened: "I have received the blessing, I am no longer a child."

That night Cesar and Baldwin slept together, not in his own room or on a trundle bed. The two kept talking. In fact, in the end, they didn't know what they were talking about, just feeling that they had never been so happy.

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The Countess of Jaffa was as happy with Baldwin as she was troubled with Sibylla.

"I just said this is all caused by men!" She wiped her face with her palm and complained to her brother-in-law Balian.

"This..." Balian found it really hard to agree—Godfrey of Bouillon was an inviolable saint in Al-Azar, and Baldwin II was also a valiant knight king, but they were really—hard to describe when it came to treating their daughters.

Godfrey of Bouillon, in order to control other Christian countries in the Holy Land, married his daughters to the rulers of Antioch, Tripoli, and Edessa. His plan was that after these rulers passed away (whether by illness or war), his daughters could support the young master and manage the government—afterwards, there were indeed two more queen mothers.

Godfrey could be considered to have set a bad precedent. Baldwin II followed closely. He only had one daughter, Melisende, so he carefully selected a son-in-law for his daughter, Fulk of Anjou. But his will before his death shocked everyone—he actually divided the inheritance into three parts: one for his daughter, one for his grandson, and one for his son-in-law... and only designated his daughter as the guardian of Baldwin III, and Fulk, as Baldwin III's biological father, didn't get any power!

He seemed to have his reasons for doing so. Fulk and Melisende only had one son (at the time), but Fulk had several adult sons from his previous marriage. He was worried that after he passed away, Fulk would use the power in his hands to become the sole king (Fulk also planned to do so), and then drive away and exile Melisende and her son, turning to let his eldest son inherit the throne.

This was not a rare thing at the time. Although because male lords in the Holy Land often died too early in wars and diseases, in the absence of male heirs, they had to let their daughters inherit their territories, but these daughters rarely exercised their power directly after marriage. Instead, their husbands were able to gain a voice and power through them.

If lucky, the bloodline inherited from their father could spread in this territory. If unlucky, it was equivalent to making a wedding dress for others.

Fulk indeed began to appeal and seize power after Baldwin II went to see God. What was helpless was that there was Baldwin II's will in front, and the support of Al-Azar's ministers and knights behind. He couldn't shake Melisende's authority in the Holy Land. Finally, this scoundrel came up with a dirty idea, which was to accuse Melisende of having an affair with Baldwin II's cousin (the then Count of Jaffa) to cut off the support of the church and nobles for her.

Of course, the final winner was still Melisende. She ended this game neatly through a palace coup. After the church came forward to mediate, Melisende allegedly "generously" reached a reconciliation with her husband. Afterwards, there was another son, Amalric I. But since then, Fulk never touched a bit of power again.

Eight years later, he fell off his horse, broke his neck, and died.

Afterwards, Melisende continued to hold the government and co-ruled with her eldest son Baldwin III for thirteen years. If it weren't for a stroke in 1161, she might have continued to be active in Al-Azar...

"If Sibylla could become a second Melisende... perhaps it could be considered a good thing." Balian carefully persuaded.

"Impossible," the Countess raised her head, her eyes like electricity, making Balian shudder: "Not to mention her brother has already received the blessing, the Byzantine princess will also have children. Girls, boys, girls will share power with her, and boys will occupy all the power—and how can she compare with Melisende? Melisende was cultivated as an heir by Baldwin II."

She sneered: "Amalric I himself was not an heir, how could he look at his daughter as someone who could entrust the entire Holy Land? Not to mention he has Baldwin. And—" she pressed her forehead tiredly: "I have seen Melisende and been with her. As a mother, she is not very competent. It can be said that she is the deadly enemy of her eldest son and the jailer of her second son. Amalric I would never be happy to see a daughter like Melisende."

"Wait," she suddenly looked in one direction: "I seem to have seen that child at Sibylla's. Where is she going? The left tower?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 48 =====