Chapter 51: Worried Baldwin

As for what Damara wanted to divine, even if Baldwin didn't say it, the Countess could guess seven or eight out of ten.

Melisende was, after all, just an exception. Most women of this era had no power in economy and politics; they could not put on armor and ride horses to fight; nor could they enter the court to discuss state affairs; even if they entered the Church, they could only be nuns, and the manager of every convent was the local bishop. Women could not obtain holy orders, not even the lowest level.

Most noble ladies hoped for a satisfactory marriage, a young man of equal social status, young and strong, humble and polite, both a heroic knight and a passionate poet, preferably not too rude, especially after drinking.

"What result did Damara get? Did she tell you? Or did she keep this secret?"

"The monk said her glory will continue until the last moment of her life."

The Countess was a little hesitant. This might be a good divination result. Even if a noble lady wears a crown, it does not mean there won't be other twists and turns.

Sometimes, whether for dowry, territory, or offspring, men would abandon their wives without hesitation, even if they had lived together for many years, and even if the children would become illegitimate because the marriage contract was invalidated, they wouldn't care.

"Then what about Cesar?"

Speaking of this, Baldwin wanted to laugh, "I just said, you know, because the monk required the diviner to be alone with him in the tent, for my safety, Cesar suggested tying him up, leaving only his mouth and eyes..."

"Oh, I know," the Countess blinked: "He wasn't wrong." Geomancy is a fairly ancient form of divination—the diviner uses a stick to poke odd or even small dots on the ground. As for how many to poke and how to poke, it all depends on the grace of the saint or the spirit of the earth. Of course, the monk is definitely the former.

After poking, they interpret them. Each group of small dots with different numbers and shapes represents different words, "man," "woman," "small luck," "big luck," "loss"... and so on. Connecting them is the answer the customer needs.

In Heraclius's class, it was mentioned. Cesar saw the stick again, and the monk was unlucky. The most hateful thing was that after Baldwin walked out of the tent, Damara ran in immediately, not even having time to call the knights to untie him!

"Cesar didn't either?" The Countess was a little strange. Cesar was not that kind of rude child.

"He hadn't even walked into the tent yet," Baldwin couldn't help laughing when he talked about it, "The monk was shouting loudly, saying that even without a stick, he could divine the future of that green-eyed little bastard—he cursed Cesar that in the coming year... eggs would stink, fine wine would turn sour, bed sheets would be full of fleas, hair would be full of lice, horses would stumble, dancing would sprain ankles, and he would return empty-handed from hunting..."

"That monk must have been very angry." The Countess couldn't help but smile. Although people should give monks some respect, this monk was too interesting.

But Baldwin immediately said that they still untied the monk and left him three silver coins as a divination fee: "But one was taken away by Cesar," Baldwin said: "He said he could take it to the Church of Saint John the Baptist himself, so there was no need to trouble the monk."

If a monk charges a fee or accepts a gift for something, he must say he is going to use it to help the poor or put it into the church's donation box—maybe, but it is more likely to be exchanged for beer, bread, and dried meat strips...

"Cesar is taking revenge," having a bit of a child's nature is a good thing, the Countess fell into deep thought, but this monk was not an ordinary person either. He claimed to have perceived the saint Enoch. It doesn't matter; in that kind of place where fish and dragons are mixed, few people would be serious with him, but he could see Cesar's weakness at a glance—Cesar was too fond of cleanliness.

It's not that Baldwin and Damara were dirty. Knights would also dress themselves cleanly and neatly when meeting a noble lady, but Cesar, how should I put it, his requirements for cleanliness seemed to have hundreds of strict laws engraved in his consciousness and body, and he often did it subconsciously.

Even her husband Amalric I would wipe his mouth with his sleeve, wipe his nose with his fingers, spit everywhere, but as long as he remembered to change clothes, wash his fingers, didn't spit on other people's clothes, and remembered to wipe the phlegm with his feet, people would praise him for his elegant manners...

Most knights were synonymous with sloppiness and greasiness.

People at this time did not value hygiene that much. They drank water from one cup, reached directly into bowls and plates to scoop meat, lifted their robes to urinate everywhere, and didn't bathe for a long time—it wasn't that it wasn't allowed, it was either that they had no capital or no time.

Fleas in the quilt and lice in the hair were good friends that accompanied them as they grew up, so it didn't count as a curse.

And she had only met Cesar for the first time two days ago, and after spending less than an afternoon with the two children, she had wiped her hands no less than ten times and her face three times—Cesar had actually prepared many strips of linen soaked in water.

If it were someone else, the Countess would suspect whether he was intentionally mocking Baldwin, but the posture and gestures of Baldwin and Cesar were so familiar that they didn't need to think at all—Baldwin stretched out his hand, Cesar wiped his hands for him, even between the fingers, and after wiping, Cesar handed him a clean piece of linen, and he wiped his face himself, even behind his ears.

The Countess blushed a little; she sometimes forgot that spot herself.

And when she held Baldwin in her arms, although Baldwin's fingers were still dull to the touch, there was no bird-feather smell common to lepers on him, nor were there any ulcerated spots, and he even exuded a faint herbal fragrance.

As a mother, she was of course gratified that her son could be taken care of so well, but she was also puzzled. It is said that Cesar was a slave of the Isaac people, and Amalric I said he had lost his memory, but he should not have a low background. But what kind of background could allow him to use linen so naturally and luxuriously?

However, the Countess was not Amalric I after all. Perhaps because of the delicate thoughts of a woman, she could see that Cesar's kindness to Baldwin was not superficial, and there was no ulterior motive. Some attitudes he occasionally revealed—like an elder treating a young child—were not so glaring either.

Amalric I looked at Baldwin from his own standpoint (future king), so of course he would feel that Cesar was overstepping. The Countess still looked at Baldwin as a child; she would only guess that Cesar might have had a younger brother or sister before, and he was just acting according to past experience.

"By the way, where is Cesar?" the Countess asked. Previously, the two children were always inseparable.

"Cesar went to work." Baldwin said listlessly.

The Byzantine princess had already arrived in Jaffa and would enter the city tomorrow. The king and all the dignitaries would go to greet her. Heraclius had just put on the patriarch's robe and, together with the castle steward, threw himself into the whirlpool of many pending matters. Even Baldwin's classes were stopped, because everyone who could be used had to be put into battle.

Now Amalric I was so busy that he even wanted to borrow a cat's claws. Baldwin was handed a large stack of account books—this was not within the duties of an attendant, but who told him that his curriculum included mathematics? "I'll help you." The Countess said. As the mistress of the castle, managing accounts was also a required course. Baldwin immediately beamed with joy and brought over a large pile of parchment books.

"Cesar was originally looking at the account books with me." Baldwin said while moving the heavy abacus table: "He calculates fast and well, but the Knights Templar kept saying they were short of people," he gritted his teeth and said: "Anyway, that Geoffrey, ever since Cesar went out with him once, he has been finding ways to call him out. Hey, I know what he's thinking; he just wants Cesar to be his attendant."

"Geoffrey Fuller?" the Countess said deliberately: "That's not bad."

"Mom!"

"Then is Cesar willing?"

"Of course not. He swore an oath to me, and I swore an oath to him. We are brothers without blood ties. The Knights Templar must remain chaste. With Cesar's appearance and character, what a pity it is not to have an heir. I..." he suddenly lowered his voice: "If you hear of any good things, remember to tell me."

The Countess tried to suppress her smile. Although, according to Baldwin's age, it was not strange to start worrying about the marriage of his attendant—nobles often started looking for marriages while still in swaddling clothes—Cesar and Baldwin were about the same age. Baldwin even set his birthday on February 2nd, the same as his own. After February, they would be ten years old.

Men can marry at fourteen and women at twelve. The time to look for a suitable object is not counted, and the two sides pull back and forth, and negotiations take several years. So don't look at them as children; time passes like a white horse passing a crack, and it passes in a blink of an eye. Men can be a little more relaxed in age, but who told Cesar to have no foundation or reliance?

"What kind do you want?" The Countess also leaned over and asked in a very low voice, while placing a stone dyed red on the abacus—this kind of abacus can be seen as a flat Chinese abacus, the stones are placed on it rather than strung together, and the horizontal and vertical bars are just lines drawn on the stone slab, but the calculation method is about the same.

"Beautiful!" Baldwin said immediately, but then he smacked his lips and said regretfully: "No, no, no, just decent appearance is enough. I also want their children to be my children's attendants, but preferably a wealthy heiress, and it would be even better if there is territory. It doesn't matter if she is a little younger," he trusted Cesar, as long as there is a foothold, "the temperament must be gentle. Cesar is actually a quite stubborn person..."

He sighed: "If they quarreled, I would definitely stand on Cesar's side—so be gentle, be humble, and don't value background and surname too much."

Such an heiress would have plenty of counts and dukes pursuing her, the Countess thought, but she didn't break the child's fantasy, especially when Baldwin said he wanted Cesar's children to be his children's attendants, she almost shed tears.

——————

Cesar had no idea that Prince Baldwin had already started looking for a suitable marriage partner for him, even though his mental age was far greater than his physical age.

But even in the original world, he was only just past the marriage age. His parents were open-minded and never urged him, and the world was so wonderful, and his life was extremely rich—work, study, exercise, which one didn't require a lot of time?

Although he promised to be Damara's knight, anyone who could have romantic thoughts about a kitten-like child was either a pervert or a beast.

It was just that he couldn't refuse at the time. The person who made the suggestion was Damara's guardian and master, Princess Sibylla. She was Prince Baldwin's sister and the daughter of King Amalric I, and both of them had been kind to Cesar.

Damara would also be mocked—even an attendant of slave origin didn't look down on her, and it would be difficult for her to have decent suitors later, and her marriage would also be affected.

Even without Dean John, he couldn't bear to treat a soft little girl like this.

"Come here, Cesar!" Geoffrey shouted.

Geoffrey pulling him out of the castle was not without reason. His job was to inspect the wooden platforms, which were the high wooden platforms built on both sides of the street. When the Byzantine princess entered the city, actors would perform programs related to marriage on them.

Such as Adam and Eve, Solomon and Sheba, Aquila and Priscilla (a devout couple in the Bible), Isaac and Rebekah, etc.

At this time, there were no flowers, and the high platforms could only be decorated with paint and ribbons. In front, there were linen or cotton banners, on which were written the content of the Bible advising couples to live in harmony, "Husband and wife are one."

"He who finds a virtuous wife finds a true benefit and also receives the grace of heaven."

"As a wife, you should submit to your husband; as a husband, you should love your wife deeply, just as you love your own body. To love your wife is to love yourself."

Some banners carried goodwill, and some banners were a bit malicious. At least the bride would definitely feel uncomfortable after reading them.

Such as "Women should keep silent in the assembly."

This sentence comes from a saint's admonition—the following paragraph is: because they are not allowed to speak, they must always submit, just as the law says. If they want to learn anything, they can ask their husbands at home. Because it is shameful for women to speak in the assembly.

The original meaning of this passage was that the church in Corinth at that time always had many women arguing and making noise. The saint had no malice, just hoping they could be quiet.

But even Cesar, who didn't understand the faith of this era very well, felt it was glaring.

This was clearly reminding the Byzantine princess not to expect to influence the political situation of Arasalu through pillow talk.

Cesar thought Geoffrey would ask the owner of this high platform to take down the banner. Unexpectedly, the Templar just chuckled a few times, touched the stubble that had quickly grown overnight, and turned to Cesar as if nothing had happened, "Jump up."

These high platforms were all made of wood. It would be fine if they could land on the ground. In places where some streets were too narrow, the high platforms extended directly from the walls and windows. If the support was insufficient, it would be a laughingstock if they fell down, not to mention hurting people.

Geoffrey raised his hand and sent Cesar up.

Cesar could only climb up and jump on the high platform, jumping until dust flew and stones rolled. Geoffrey was no longer as gray-faced and choked to death as the first time. He stood far away and shouted loudly: "Jump again! Harder!"

Cesar jumped again with a wooden face.

He felt that Geoffrey was making fun of him, but this way of teasing a child like an adult, with a legitimate reason, left him with no way to refute.

It was not easy for the Templar to be satisfied, and the onlookers around also laughed until their stomachs hurt. Obviously, they felt that such a "little saint" was cuter, and there were busybodies shouting loudly: "Come again!"

However, Geoffrey would not fulfill their wishes. He came under the high platform and stretched out his arm to Cesar. Cesar had a thought of mischief for a moment, such as jumping again, but in the end, his mental age prevailed. He crossed the railing, Geoffrey grabbed his foot, and put him on the ground casually.

"This is the last one." Geoffrey said, "That is the Jaffa Gate."

Cesar also saw the Tower of David.

"The daughter of the Eastern Emperor will enter Arasalu from this gate." The Templar said disdainfully. Cesar remembered that Baldwin had told him that although Amalric I extremely eagerly hoped to become in-laws with Manuel I, because of the problems of faith and claims, as well as the precedent of Antioch, the Knights Templar did not think this method of pulling chestnuts from the fire was suitable for the current Arasalu.

Although they could not oppose it, they would certainly not have a good attitude.

"Tell you a funny thing. It's a secret," although Geoffrey said so, his expression didn't look like it. Cesar thought about how many people already knew this "secret", "The Byzantines originally wanted to come in from the 'Golden Gate'," he raised his chin. If they came in from the Golden Gate in the east, they would have to pass through the Temple Mount, "The reason they used was, the ancient name of the 'Golden Gate' is 'Beautiful Gate', which is just right for their princess—I spit!"

He spat on the ground, and then wiped it off with his boot under Cesar's disapproving gaze.

"Of course, the King didn't agree." He looked there and said: "We all know, hey, the sages of the Isaac people have a prophecy that when the end of the world comes, a savior will walk into the Golden Gate to save Arasalu. There are quite a few people who believe this now—if their princess comes in from there and has a son, they can claim that this child is the savior."

He looked down at Cesar: "You wouldn't want your prince to encounter such a thing, would you."

Cesar nodded slowly. If Baldwin had no children, he could appoint his younger brother as the crown prince, and he would do his best to assist. But if Baldwin was still alive and was still the King of Arasalu, and the Byzantines wanted to touch the throne...

"By the way," Geoffrey suddenly asked: "When Amalric I brought you back, it wasn't through the Golden Gate, right?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 52 =====