by D. N. Carter
“This is the same Humphrey, as in the son of Princess Stephanie?” Gabirol asked.
“Yes one and the same,” the old man answered.
“Why did Gerard side with Guy against Raymond?” Ayleth asked.
“You may recall because when Gerard took service as a secular knight under Raymond on the understanding that he would be rewarded with a grant of land and the hand of the heiress Lucia of Botrun, Raymond reneged on the arrangement, after which Gerard joined the Templars, but nursing a bitter grudge against Raymond. Now he was able to pay him back,” the old man replied in answer.
“I do not think Ayleth was present when you explained that before,” the Templar said.
“Was it not Balian who managed to negotiate between all parties?” Gabirol asked.
“Yes for he was incredibly good at doing that. As some of you know he came from perhaps the most famous feudal family in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. His d’Iblin family had humble origins being part of new aristocracy carved out of the early kingdom. He is one of the most respected local barons and enjoyed semi-autonomous authority in southern Palestine for he is trusted by all sides and acted as intermediary between Raymond and King Guy during their standoff, of which I shall have more to say, but he was also well known as a negotiator among Muslims and counted as a personal friend by Saladin.”
“Then how come war still came?” Sarah asked.
“Not because of people like Balian for sure…,” the old man said and then continued. “In 1185 Saladin signed another truce for four years. But in 1186 Reynald attacked a large Muslim caravan travelling between Cairo and Damascus. He took all the merchants and their families prisoner, seized a large amount of booty and refused to receive envoys from Saladin demanding compensation. This led directly to the end of the truce as Reynald proclaimed very loudly that he was Lord of his own lands and that he had made no peace with Saladin. Saladin swore that Reynald would be executed if he was ever taken prisoner after that. This was the same year that Saladin himself fell very ill…and at one time it was feared he would die but for the timely intervention of the brilliant physician Soleim Al-Razi…whom if you recall Paul saved when their caravan was attacked along with Saladin’s brother…remember?”
All around the table nodded and said yes in agreement they remembered.
“Yes, we received word at one stage that he had even died. ’Twas a short lived rumour though,” the Templar stated.
“Whilst ill Saladin wrote many letters to his favoured wife but she too had sadly died that year. News of her death was kept from him for three months for fear he would give up the fight for his own life,” the old man explained.
“That is so sad. You don’t ever really think of such men as being frail and to suffer the same weaknesses and heartaches as we do,” Ayleth remarked.
“No most people do not,” the old man replied and paused briefly. “As you know Saladin’s brother Turansha died in 1180 in suspicious circumstances and there was suspicion that Saladin’s prolonged illness came after an attempt to assassinate him by men serving the other Turansha, but no proof could be gathered in support of that claim…but a clear path of contact and correspondence connected Turansha and Lord Conrad of Montferrat, which proved many deals between both of them to engineer and further Conrad’s own career and claim of the throne of Jerusalem.”
“You mean to say that all the while the others quarrelled with each other for the crown of Jerusalem, they all missed the actions and machinations of Conrad altogether?” Gabirol asked as he charged his quill with more ink.
“Yes that is indeed the case,” the old man acknowledged.
“’Tis a pity more did not listen to the queens at such times for they certainly seemed more informed than their husbands,” the Hospitaller remarked, shaking his head.
“What do you mean?” Peter asked.
“Well, King Guy may have been ineffectual on many an occasion but his wife, Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem, she was something altogether different,” the Hospitaller explained.
“Yes I have to agree with you,” the old man said. “She comes across as a quiet woman but she is highly intelligent…and a good friend of Princess Stephanie’s no less. Often distanced from Guy she fully understood unrequited love and the loneliness of a cold loveless marriage.”
“’Twas Guy and Reynald who made constant provocations against Saladin during the two-year truce. But it was Guy’s military hesitance at the siege of Kerak which disillusioned King Baldwin of him if I am correct,” the Templar remarked and looked to the old man for confirmation.
“’Twas indeed for throughout late 1183 and 1184 Baldwin the Fourth tried to have his sister’s marriage to Guy annulled, showing that Baldwin still held his sister with some favour. Baldwin the Fourth had wanted a loyal brother-in-law, and was frustrated by Guy’s disobedience. Sibylla was in Ascalon with her husband. Unsuccessful in prying his sister and close heir away from Guy, the king and the Haute Cour altered the succession, placing Baldwin the Fifth, Sibylla’s son from her first marriage, in precedence over Sibylla, and decreeing a process to choose the monarch afterwards between Sibylla and Isabella, whom Baldwin and the Haute Cour thus recognised as at least equally entitled to succession as Sibylla, though she was not herself excluded from the succession. Guy had kept a low profile from 1183 until his wife became queen in 1186. At one stage the Latins fielded the largest army so far raised but adopted a defensive stance refusing to meet Saladin in a set piece battle. This worked and Saladin withdrew. However, many Christians saw previous invasions by Saladin as very damaging and blamed Count Raymond, on whose advice the passive strategy had been adopted, for missing the chance to destroy Saladin. This would be raised during arguments between Raymond and Reynald with King Guy just before the battle of Hattin with very dire and serious consequences,” the old man explained.
“I know that Raymond of Tripoli allied with Saladin against Guy and allowed a Muslim garrison to occupy his fief in Tiberias, hoping that Saladin would help him overthrow Guy for I was garrisoned there at that time,” the Templar said.
“Yes, Raymond did indeed ally himself at that time with Saladin, who had by then pacified his Mesopotamian territories, and was now eager to attack the Crusader kingdom…to remove Reynald once and for all. But do not forget that Saladin had much respect for the other Latin lords…but he did not intend to renew the truce when it expired in 1187.”
“And just what exactly did Alisha and Paul do during all of this time?” the Genoese sailor asked.
“You did not make much about Percival leaving,” Gabirol remarked.
“What more can I say about Percival leaving? ’Twas a simple farewell said in the early morning outside the house. Abi hugged Alisha and Sister Lucy and with a slight nod of his head from Kratos, they all mounted their horses and left. But in answer to your question, Paul spent as much time as possible with Alisha, Arri and Ailia as he could. The years 1184 to late 1186 were quiet years indeed for them and they relished every moment of the time afforded them,” the old man explained with a hint of sadness in his voice. “Paul used the time to further his painting and drawings as well as his medicinal skills. He did some incredibly life like drawings of Thomas and his men with their long hair and armour.”
“Pity we cannot see them…for like thinking of Kratos on a horse, which I had never thought of before…I always imagined him on foot,” Sarah remarked.
“I have one saved image Paul drew of Thomas and Luke…here look,” the old man said and pulled out another parchment sheet from his folder and gently pushed it across the table to Sarah.
Fig. 63: Thomas and Luke.
“Really?” she asked, surprised, and opened the square folded sheet to reveal a highly detailed image showing both Thomas and Luke’s faces staring out from the page.
“My Lord…handsome men indeed. Look how their eyes seem to look back at us,” Ayleth remarked.
“I have never seen such work,” Gabirol commented.
“Then
you should visit Rome…or better still, Florence, for I have seen many paintings and drawings executed in a similar fashion,” the Genoese sailor remarked as he leant over to view the picture.
“’Tis true…and much of Roman art is highly detailed. You need only look at their statues and busts to know their love for realism,” the old man explained.
Gabirol looked up from his writing and stared at the old man intently. When everyone had finished looking at the drawing, Gabirol sat up straight.
“So what event brought an end to those quiet years for Paul and his family?” he asked seriously, knowing that obviously something big had occurred.
“Truly the darkest of days fell upon them all…,” the old man replied and sighed heavily.
Ayleth put her hand to her mouth alarmed. Sarah saw the concern in her youthful face and placed a reassuring hand over Ayleth’s left hand.
“If it is not too difficult, pray tell us all, please,” Gabirol requested just as the others around the table all nodded in agreement.
“Yes, yes I shall…for I must,” the old man replied sadly and prepared himself to explain matters. He took a deep breath and sat himself up, clasped the sword upon the table with both hands, looked up and began.
Chapter 64
Storm Fall
Cairo, Egypt, October 1186
Paul stood with Theodoric on the balcony looking out toward the horizon as dark clouds loomed ever higher looking like distant mountains, the waters of the Nile some way off reflecting the moon upon its surface in a million sparkles. The house was quiet, everyone else save the two Mamluk guards below having retired for the night.
“Why do you not go ahead and secure safe passage back to France via Malta, now while you can?” Theodoric asked, the dark clouds snuffing out the last rays of the bright moon casting the whole sky into a gloomy darkness, the Nile turning to an almost ink black line.
“I love the sea in all its phases…but no I cannot travel ahead alone. After that naval engagement I swore to Ali I would never leave her again…but I did when I vanished for over a month…I cannot ever leave her and do that again…I swore it so. And look at all we have here now,” Paul answered and thought back to the night he made that oath and Ailia was conceived.
“This was all once your father’s, Firgany’s and mine before it were yours…not that I’m moaning for I am simply trying to explain that nothing physical lasts forever. Understand that you own nothing, everything that is around you is temporary, only the love in your heart will last forever,” Theodoric remarked as he continued to study the dark clouds growing ever taller and rolling closer. “I have been blessed in being given a second chance with Sister Lucy, which is far more than I thought I deserved, for the true love of a woman is both rare and a beauty. If you never remember anything I have ever told you, always remember the most precious gift that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman’s heart, and that what comes easy to us in life, won’t last, but that which lasts won’t come easy,” Theodoric said quietly and paused. He sighed heavily. “But war is coming…I can sense it, Paul…you will have to leave and the sooner the better.”
“And you say this because you see a sign in the approaching dark storm clouds?”
“Don’t be so bloody stupid,” Theodoric laughed and hit Paul’s arm. “No I say it because it is true and if you wish to leave for France you better do so soon before every ship is commandeered by your good friend Husam and Conrad alike. Husam to engage any force that comes from Europe and Conrad so he can ship whoever pays the most and to use his port of Tyre.”
“And you are certain of this?” Paul asked, concerned.
“’Tis a curse I carry for being right…except where Sister Lucy is concerned and camels of course.”
“Are you ever going to tell me what it is about camels and Sister Lucy?”
“Probably not…but ask me on my death bed. When I am old and incontinent,” Theodoric laughed and carried on looking at the approaching clouds.
“We have been blessed these past few years with good health and we have prospered and by the grace of our Lord we have been protected.”
“By the grace of our Lord my arse…’tis by the grace of Thomas and his men.”
“Theo you surprise me at times,” Paul replied, smiling at his casual bluntness.
“They are all good men. Other knights of half their standing have at least seven or eight men in support yet they do everything for themselves. You, in fact all of us, have been blessed with their presence. But those blessings will not stop the war that is fast approaching I fear,” Theodoric sighed and pulled up his hood around his neck as the wind picked up speed. “Since King Baldwin the Fifth died in August, still just a boy of nine poor soul, Count Raymond will not remain regent for long despite agreed terms with all the other barons.”
“Terms…what do you mean?”
“What limited unity there is between our so-called noble lords was all sadly focused on the infant King Baldwin. ’Twas agreed if the new king were to die young, Raymond would remain regent until the Pope, the kings of France and England, and the German Emperor had all been consulted on the succession as it is sorely disputed between Baldwin the Fourth’s sister Sibylla, the mother of the young Baldwin the Fifth, and Isabella, daughter of King Amalric I. With no new truces being sought with Saladin and still no word from Europe or the Pope, Sibylla’s faction tricked Raymond into travelling to Tiberias, officially to summon the barons of the kingdom together to carry out Baldwin the Fourth’s will. However, once he was out of the way, they occupied the main ports,” Theodoric explained then faced Paul. “The kingdom is split in two. Sibylla, with that fool of a husband, Guy of Lusignan, who still holds Jerusalem, and Raymond and his allies, who are based at Nablus. Of course we now know Sibylla has been crowned queen, and then she crowned Guy as king. Raymond and the other barons had planned to crown Princess Isabella and her husband, Humphrey, Princess Stephanie’s son. But that plan was abandoned when the gutless Humphrey fled to Jerusalem, terrified of the prospect of being crowned…but I suspect more fearful of opposing Reynald himself.”
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“So there is no opposition at all to Guy?” Paul asked.
“None at all, save perhaps Conrad, who schemes and plots against them all. Do not take your eye off that man. Alas yes all opposition to Guy has collapsed, but the damage has been done. ’Tis why we received word courtesy of Ernoul, that Baldwin of Ibelin, one of the greater barons, has now permanently left the kingdom and Raymond has moved back into his lands of Galilee and now refuses to acknowledge Guy. We are fortunate that Ernoul keeps us informed.”
“Fools…for if they cannot even rule themselves properly and work together then how will they stay strong enough to counter anything that Saladin may do?”
“If they do not unite or secure a lasting truce and peace with Saladin, then they will not counter Saladin…and that is why it is time we must leave. Reynald’s behaviour alone demonstrates just one of the main problems facing all in Outremer. Barons like Raymond have the foresight to realise that to survive they need to live on peaceful terms with their Muslim neighbours for as long as possible…a policy that Saladin agrees with, but his patience is being sorely tested daily. To maintain numbers new Crusaders arrive daily and they are much less willing to live peacefully with the infidels as they view them purely as an enemy they have come to fight. Now, as this year draws near to a close, and with the kingdom in desperate need of a few years of peace to restore order, Reynald has yet again committed another outrage.”
“Oh Lord, what this time?”
“A huge caravan travelling north from Cairo passed through his lands, under the protection of treaty, but you know Reynald, and he launched an attack on it, killing the guards, stealing the trade goods, and taking the merchants hostage. Saladin attempted to act within the terms of the treaty, and sent envoys demanding the return of the merchants and their goods, first to Reynald, who in his usual arrogant fashion chose to ignore them,
and then on to King Guy, who listened to Saladin’s envoys, more the advice of Count Henry and Balian I suspect advising him. Guy has agreed that they were in the right. However, he is far too dependent upon Reynald for his power, and he cannot take the risk of an attack on his own main ally and has consequently refused to force Reynald to pay recompense or make him apologise. Even if he tried we know Reynald never would…so alas the envoys have returned to Saladin unsatisfied, and war is now inevitable.”
“’Tis at times like this one actually wishes for a natural drought to force a new treaty as before when one was suffered.”
“With storms like that coming, there will be no droughts this time to secure any such truces. Now that it is clear war is looming, the weakness and dissention of the Crusader states is becoming ever more apparent and Saladin’s spies can see this most evidently. Saladin’s own generals are pushing for war…some even demanding it. Bohemond of Antioch has renewed an already existing truce, and Raymond has rushed to make a new one with Saladin,” Theodoric explained and rubbed his chin as he thought.
“What…I know you well enough by now to know there is a but coming,” Paul asked.
“Hmmm, but,” Theodoric said and paused. “Alarmingly this truce has been extended to cover his wife’s principality of Galilee, actually part of the kingdom of Jerusalem. That, I assure you, in fact I can guarantee it, will cause a major problem that may well split and divide Raymond’s forces to the side of Saladin if Reynald persists in his actions.”
“’Tis a pity someone like Al Rashid could not sort him out and save us all a whole world of pain. Why, if this can all be seen by such people as Kratos, do they not intervene and stop it?”
“People like Kratos can assist and advise but they cannot intervene. Well, not usually as he has been known to at times. The choices we make are down to us and us alone. Kratos tried once before to directly intervene, with disastrous consequences. And as is often the case when they have intervened, it has proved too much for the individuals concerned to endure…such was the case with a knight we once knew.”