Chapter 60: Squire

"Cesar!"

"Coming!" Cesar ran across the sand with a pile of heavy wolf skins, and on the way, he happened to meet Baldwin holding a large silver tray piled with meat pies. The two friends only had time to touch eyes briefly before brushing past each other—running slowly and causing Amalric I's dissatisfaction would really result in a beating with a stick.

This stick was much thicker than the one in class, and the force was much heavier.

Cesar had only been hit once, and he no longer fantasized so pretentiously that this was a tempering that one must endure to leave the childhood stage. He wanted to go back to being a child!

He handed the wolf skins to an attendant, and another attendant brought two large jugs of wine. He struggled to carry them to the outside of Amalric I's tent, just as Baldwin walked out from inside. "Did you take the cups?" the Prince asked in a low voice.

"I did." Cesar tightened his belt, which could keep his posture upright at all times, reduce some of the torture of the chainmail on his spine, and allow him to stuff some things into his sleeveless coat, such as Amalric I's gold cup and the silver cup for entertaining guests.

These silver cups were very likely to be generously gifted to guests by Amalric I—as long as they were equally generous and allowed the King to conscript farmers and craftsmen from their villages and towns, and if possible, it would be best to provide a few knights.

When Cesar received these precious utensils from the castle steward, he even signed his name. He had also carefully read the contents of the register. Now he also had savings of nearly two hundred gold coins, but if he lost the cups, besides compensation, he would also have to be beaten and mocked.

Baldwin placed the cups on a smaller silver tray and tilted his head at Cesar. Cesar lifted the heavy cloth curtain for him, and the two walked in together.

"Come and pour wine for us, squire!" someone shouted.

Cesar looked up. Who else could it be but the chubby Abbot John? His round face was full of teasing, but there was no malice, just joking about him and Baldwin.

Others might not be so. On the right hand side of Abbot John sat the Count of Tripoli. When Cesar poured wine for the Abbot and wanted to continue pouring for him, he moved his wine cup away very ungraciously.

At the beginning, when Amalric I let an Isaac slave be Prince Baldwin's attendant, he was so dissatisfied that he had a big quarrel with the King. If it weren't for the fact that he was also in the wrong—it was really impossible to let his only son David continue to serve beside the Prince—he probably would not have given up so easily.

But when Prince Baldwin received the blessing, even though the symptoms on his body were not eliminated, Raymond, the Count of Tripoli, had already come to the King with immense joy, begging him to let David return to Prince Baldwin's side. Amalric I was of course willing, but Prince Baldwin politely refused, saying "I have already gotten used to only the two of us, Cesar and me, in the room..."

This slap in the face was crisp and loud enough, but the stubborn Raymond did not hold a grudge against Baldwin because of this. He directed all his hatred and contempt at the "villain" Cesar. He believed that Cesar was an envoy sent by the devil, first bewitching the King, then bewitching the Prince, and further bewitching the ignorant masses—only then could he climb from a lowly person without a surname to his current position.

Amalric I allowed Cesar to hold the "Selection Ceremony" with Baldwin, which made him so angry that his face turned pale. Even though Cesar had also received the favor of a saint, he still had not changed his original idea—after all, there had been precedents of people who received blessings doing degenerate things before.

Not to mention that just a few days ago, Amalric I not only announced that he would promote Baldwin to "Apprentice Knight" in advance and allow Cesar to become his "Squire," but also announced that they had already made a vow before God, changing from a one-way "subordinate relationship" to a two-way "bond relationship"...

Raymond almost fainted on the spot.

"Baldwin," facing this naked harassment, Cesar's expression did not change, he just shouted loudly: "You come and pour wine for Lord Raymond."

Baldwin had just finished pouring wine for his father and master. Hearing this, he looked up and walked over with his usual expression, exchanging positions with Cesar. Facing the Prince, Raymond had no choice but to move his cup back, staring at the deep red wine gradually filling the silver cup.

"Pfft!" Abbot John laughed extremely ungraciously, not caring at all about Raymond's fierce glare.

"Hmph~" The second low laugh came from Bohemond, the Duke of Antioch. Raymond turned his head sharply to stare at his colleague sitting opposite him, "Why make things difficult for a child." Bohemond said. He moved his wine cup to the edge of the table so that Cesar, who was carrying the heavy wine jug, could save some effort. After the wine cup was full, he moved it inward and nodded gently at Cesar.

Cesar lowered his head respectfully. He did not take Bohemond's show of favor to heart at all.

A child is a copy of his father. No matter how stupid or impulsive Abigail is, who would believe that his current appearance has nothing to do with Bohemond? Besides, Baldwin refused everyone. Although there was a sense of not wanting to accept "traitors," wasn't it because someone filled the vacancy that appeared abruptly?

David hoped to return to Baldwin's side. Didn't Abigail want to?

Several people sitting below the Duke of Antioch were nobles around Al-Salu, among them was Balian of Ibelin. He smiled at Cesar. Although the origin of this child had points that people could criticize, since Prince Baldwin cherished him and the Countess of Yafa cared for him, he could not possibly harbor malice toward Cesar. Besides, Cesar was indeed likable.

There were many people who had the same thoughts as Balian, and among them, some were already thinking about whether they still had unmarried nieces or nephews.

In four years, this child would be able to get married. If everything went smoothly, Amalric I should have set out for Egypt or even returned in triumph by then. So on the battlefield, as long as he was given a little guidance, he would surely be able to cut off a few Saracen heads. By then, they would push a little more and let him be directly promoted to an apprentice knight or even a knight...

Oh my, that would truly be a great thing!

Cesar did not notice the strange smiles of those few people at all.

Since becoming a squire, he and Baldwin—although Baldwin was nominally an "Apprentice Knight," he still performed the duties of a squire beside Amalric I. At first, Cesar could not understand it a bit, after all, Baldwin was still a patient now.

But when he truly started to be a "squire," he realized that this was very necessary.

We have already learned before that after a lord or knight's baby is born, he must be baptized within three days. After the baptism, he is handed over to a wet nurse and maid. Under his mother's knee, he can live carefree until he is six or seven years old. At that time, he will be sent to another castle to become an attendant. There, older attendants will use sticks to teach them to obey orders, clerics (if any) will teach them to count and write, and the mistress of the castle will teach them etiquette, music, dancing, etc.

Becoming a squire at fourteen meant that their courses had turned to a new page, and their teacher had also become a real knight.

But sorry, knights do not know how to teach a child, or rather, the teaching they received was also like this—they could only demonstrate by example how to be a knight.

Squires follow them at all times, understanding in detail the shape, material, maintenance method, and usage of every utensil, armor, and weapon around them, witnessing their lives, meetings, and even following them into battle with their own eyes. They have seen every visiting guest, every dangerous enemy, and every cunning merchant, learning how to bargain with the latter.

Thus, when a squire can be promoted to a knight, it can be said that he is familiar with the job, and can easily and simply transform from one identity to another without anxiety or mistakes.

It was just that suddenly transforming from a Prince and attendant to a real squire, both Baldwin and Cesar were a bit...

They had no room. At first, Cesar was still worried about sleeping in a large room full of bedbugs and fleas with other squires, but Heraclius told him with regret that no, he had to be with Baldwin, sleeping at the door of Amalric I's room. They got a large bear skin—Amalric I was not stingy about this point.

It was just that Cesar looked at it and felt it looked familiar, especially the wound on the left side of the head... It wouldn't be that mother bear that was released to kill people at the welcoming ceremony, would it?

When the clerics sang hymns (five or six in the morning), they had to wake up—lazy squires would get hit with a stick. After waking up, they had to bring water for Amalric I to wash, serve him to change clothes, wipe his face, rinse his mouth, and serve him wine—Amalric I was used to drinking a large cup of mead in the morning.

When Amalric I went to work—from morning prayer to Prime (seven-thirty to nine)—he would read documents and check account books. Afterwards, ministers and generals would arrive one after another. If there was no meeting that required many people to attend, they would wait in another room according to their status and whether the matter was urgent. Baldwin and Cesar had to send one person to receive guests, register or collect their weapons, and also take care of their horses.

At Sext, which is noon, Amalric I would dine with his future wife. Baldwin and Cesar were responsible for delivering food, pouring wine, and cutting meat. Of course, things were not as few as said. If the master had any dissatisfaction, the squire had the responsibility—which meant getting hit with a stick.

After lunch, Amalric I would continue to handle official business, or practice martial arts, ride horses, until None (two or three in the afternoon), when he began to relax, inviting Heraclius to play chess, or asking him to read to him.

At this time, Amalric I might feel that they were an eyesore standing on the side, so he would send them to do homework, practice riding, or target practice.

Sometimes Raymond, the Count of Tripoli, and Bohemond, the Duke of Antioch, would also visit, and perhaps there would be a few knights who had caught the King's eye. The King would send Baldwin or Cesar to call them to the castle.

They enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at Vespers (about six o'clock)... Poets would hold lutes to accompany and sing on the side, and clowns and dwarfs would occasionally come in to do a few somersaults.

Of course, Baldwin and Cesar continued to stand behind them to serve.

After dinner, depending on Amalric I's mood, they would either rest or gamble (although this was an act condemned by the church), but the entertainment at this time was indeed pitifully little.

If Amalric I decided to go to sleep, do you think Cesar and Baldwin could also wrap themselves in bear skins and lie down?

No way, they still had to take care of Amalric I's horses, maintain his equipment, wipe his helmet, wipe his broadsword, wipe his dagger, oil his chainmail... and then check every space in the stables, corridors, and towers to ensure everything was safe before they could go back to sleep...

Oh, you ask, what about their time for washing, eating, and going to the toilet?

Of course, it was squeezed out from these tasks!

After a few days, Cesar had deeply understood why the squires in the manuscript illustrations, whether fully armed or wearing thin cloth clothes, were all in a listless and dejected state.

"In fact, you are still lucky." Heraclius came to look after them, that is, when he brought clerics to relieve their fatigue, he said from the heart: "Byzantine Princess Maria cannot be considered the mistress of the Holy Cross Castle yet, and Princess Sibylla—her status is indeed a bit awkward, so you don't need to serve them. If you add them and their maids, you would have a headache."

Baldwin widened his eyes: "Do they think we still have time and energy?"

"Those who say such things will not become good knights. A lady's order cannot be refused." Heraclius said solemnly.

"I would rather go to war now." Baldwin said.

"If not, then what," Heraclius said: "Why do you think knights are ecstatic whenever war is mentioned?"

Baldwin and Cesar laughed at the same time.

This kind of fulfilling life that was almost enough to make one vomit might have lasted for several months.

What is slow in this era is not just love. It takes time for knights to be summoned, and it also takes time to conscript craftsmen and soldiers. Merchants come upon hearing the news, dealing with the King, and then preparing grain and supplies separately takes even more time.

They also needed to cut wood to build various machines needed for the siege. Cesar and Baldwin had gone to see them. For a while, they couldn't see anything, just that the smallest was two people tall, and the largest might have already exceeded the city wall.

However, Amalric I had already sent an envoy, who would go to the Templars of Tortosa Castle to convey the King's will, demanding that they hand over the keys to the castle and surrender.

"Do you think they will?" Cesar asked.

"They won't," Baldwin said, looking at the sand and dust in the distance: "My father won't either."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 61 =====