Chapter 39: Setting Out
Early the next morning, Lothar, mounted on his warhorse which had been ticulously cared for by his squires, rendezvoused with Baron Godfrey’s contingent at the city gate, accompanied by Banu, Fringilla, and Hans.
The hour was still early. On the boundless, dusky yellow desert, the line of riders resembled a winding column of army ants, with low shrubs dotting the landscape, making one marvel at the vastness of the world.
Knight Kevin, while peeling a pogranate, chatted with Hans. "Squire... if I may be frank, you don’t quite look like a squire. Your coat of arms strongly resembles that of the knightly order ford by those Germans."
The Teutonic Order was established in imitation of the Knights Hospitaller and, in its early days, was also an organization aid at providing dical aid to pilgrims and crusaders. It subsequently transford into a military religious order, with its dical aid functions transferred to subordinate organizations. Due to its relatively late establishnt, the Teutonic Order’s influence in Jerusalem was far from comparable to that of the Knights Templar; its power was concentrated in its fief of Acre and other northern territories of Jerusalem. Currently, the Teutonic Order was a close ally, or rather, a "vassal," of the Knights Hospitaller, both working together to counterbalance the aggressive and radical Knights Templar.
"It does look very similar, but it’s rely a coincidence. I am not a mber of the Teutonic Order." Hans smiled politely. "Knight Kevin, are you from England?"
"That’s right. I was once a knight to King Henry II of England. I ca to the Holy Land alone five years ago; I was very young then." Kevin smiled. "There are many n nad Hans in Germania; it’s a very common na."
Hans replied, neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Kevin is also a very common na in England."
"Hans, can you tell about your lord? I’ve heard from so pilgrims that he once killed a werewolf knight in single combat during a tournant."
"It is true." Hans’s face revealed boundless reverence. "Although Milord always has run errands and do nial tasks, he is a great knight possessing both courage and strategic thinking."
Kevin looked sowhat incredulous, his gaze fixed on Lothar’s back. "Knight, do you assure you are not deceiving ?"
Hans was a little angered. "Knight Kevin, are you doubting that I have violated the knight’s creed?"
Lothar and Baron Godfrey rode at the head of the column, their mounts now switched to Arabian horses, as these tall steeds were better suited to the climate here. The two chatted idly. Godfrey discreetly observed the two ladies accompanying Lothar, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Lothar, you are not yet married, are you?"
Lothar nodded. "Not yet."
"The late King’s wife, Princess Maria Komnene of the Komnenos family, has asked to act as a matchmaker. She intends to betroth Princess Isabella to you. Marry her, and you will be a mber of the royal family."
Lothar knew that the Komnenos family was the imperial house of the Eastern Empire. Maria Komnene was related to the late Eastern Emperor, and was also the widow of the previous King of Jerusalem, Amalric. Although both were Queen Mothers, Maria Komnene was not the birth mother of Baldwin IV or Princess Sibylla, and being an Orthodox Christian, her status in Jerusalem was far less prominent than that of Queen Mother Agnes.
Lothar shook his head in refusal. "Thank you for your kind intentions, my Lord. But I have no plans to marry a royal princess."
"I hope you will reconsider." Godfrey didn’t press the matter further. It was rely an intention, after all; even if Lothar were willing, it might not necessarily co to fruition. It would depend on how well Lothar completed his current mission and what kind of peerage Baldwin IV would bestow upon him.
"I understand." The atmosphere grew slightly heavy.
Balian was not in the returning party; Godfrey had arranged for him to go to one of the Ibelin family’s fief to gain experience in handling administrative affairs. Balian was Baron Godfrey’s only remaining heir; his first two sons had already died in battle.
Godfrey looked at Lothar, several tis opening his mouth as if to speak, then hesitating.
Lothar said with resignation, "Whatever doubts you have, my Lord, you can speak frankly."
Godfrey sighed. "Lothar, it’s fine for a young man to be a bit amorous, but this mission of yours is fraught with danger. Are you still going to bring two personal maidservants along?"
"Lord Godfrey, you misunderstand." Lothar hesitated for a mont, then said bluntly, "These two are not my maidservants, but my two witch advisors."
"Witches?" Godfrey’s expression shifted through a spectrum of emotions: astonishnt, fear, envy, awe, and abhorrence. It was quite a display.
For most people, supernatural beings in this world were rely fabrications from novels. But for a prominent noble like Godfrey, dealing with such entities was not an infrequent occurrence. Baldwin IV had also sought treatnt from witches. If not for Jerusalem’s overly thick theological atmosphere, where retaining a witch advisor could easily undermine the royal family’s reputation, even the King of Jerusalem would certainly not refuse the service of a witch. They not only possessed extraordinary powers but also rich knowledge in agriculture, iron casting, philosophy, history, languages, and archeology. Even without supernatural powers, they were the best advisors and assistants.
"My apologies, I misunderstood." Baron Godfrey turned his head and nodded apologetically to the two ladies. Even a great lord would be unwilling to offend a witch lightly.
Lothar shook his head. "My Lord, no one would imagine two witches serving an unremarkable knight. It is not your fault."
"Heh, you are no unremarkable knight. Since yesterday, you’ve beco quite a well-known figure in Jerusalem. Many noblewon and single noble ladies are interested in you." Godfrey smiled. "Otherwise, Queen Mother Maria wouldn’t have proposed the idea of marrying Princess Isabella to you. You are in no way inferior to that Guy of Lusignan chosen by the Queen Mother’s Party."
Lothar fell silent for a mont. He seed to have underestimated his own charm. Looking at it this way, he really was quite a catch: not only handso, surpassing Guy of Lusignan, but also eloquent, possessing outstanding knowledge and oratory skills. He also held the title of champion knight, having publicly slain a werewolf disguised as a renowned knight at the tournant in the March of Austria. Furthermore, he was highly regarded by Baldwin IV and entrusted with a secret, important mission. If all went well, a teoric rise was foreseeable.
Godfrey smiled. "If you do not fancy a royal princess, I can arrange a noble marriage for you that befits your status. A rich dowry will make it easier for you to distinguish yourself in Jerusalem."
"That won’t be necessary, Lord Godfrey. Gaining the favor of witches does not co without a price. It ans I may have to practice celibacy for a considerable period."
Godfrey understood, but still smiled. "That is well worth it. If celibacy alone could win a witch’s favor, I imagine the knights under Gerard and Roger would be ecstatic."
The party rendezvoused with Baron Godfrey’s Kurdish cavalry at Ibelin. It wasn’t unheard of for a Crusader lord to have infidel cavalryn in his service, but the number of these Kurdish cavalryn was truly quite large: a full forty heavy cavalryn clad in dark lallar or scale armor, fully ard, assembled in a village.
"Holy Fire Burns Forever, Milord." The leading cavalryman rode towards Lothar, placed one hand on his right shoulder, and bowed his head slightly. "I am Abraham Abdullah. We can converse in French."
French and Latin were widely used court languages in Western Europe. Lothar only knew French and Germanic; his older brother Otto was more intelligent and was also fluent in Latin.
"Holy Fire Burns Forever." Lothar imitated his gesture, also placing a hand on his shoulder and bowing his head. "Baron Godfrey of Ibelin should have already inford you of the mission’s details, correct?"
"Yes." Abdullah waved his hand, and two cavalryn imdiately rode over, handing Lothar a neatly folded full set of Zoroastrian-style armor. Lothar and Hans removed their helts and surcoats, donned the new armor, and wrapped their heads in headscarves and robes. They removed all Western-style decorations from their horses and stowed them away.
"Holy Fire Burns Forever." Lothar repeated the gesture of placing his hand on his shoulder, reiterating in their language.
The leader of the Kurdish cavalry, Abdullah, couldn’t help but smile. "Your hand is a bit too high, Milord. It should be like mine. And you should pay attention to using your right hand, not your left. In our custom, the left hand is for unclean tasks like wiping excrent. Saluting with this hand is an act of arrogance and disrespect, easily angering the other party."
Lothar perford the gesture again. "Thank you for your instruction. During this ti, I would like to learn Arabic from you."
Abdullah shook his head. "I would be happy to oblige, but I am very sorry. Kurdish, Persian, Arabic, and Turkic languages are all different. I only know Kurdish and French."
"Then Kurdish it is." The Kurds were also a relatively widespread ethnic group in Western Asia, second only to Persians, Arabs, and Turks.
"Pack your belongings! We set sail imdiately!" Lothar ordered.
*****
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