The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit

Two years have passed since the Battle of Montgisard-­‐two years of tense silence on the battlefield. Saladin is planning something, yet none of King Baldwin IV's men know what. Determined to provoke some response from his enemy, the young Leper King of Jerusalem strikes a gambit only to unleash a torrent of events no one could foresee. The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit by Serafia Cross Order the complete book from the publisher Booklocker.com http://booklocker.com/books/8072.html or from your favorite neighborhood or online bookstore. YOUR FREE EXCERPT APPEARS BELOW. ENJOY! The Last King of Legends
The Sovereign Gambit
Serafia Cross
Serafia Cross
Copyright © 2015 Serafia Cross
ISBN: 978-1-63490-168-0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the author.
Published by BookLocker.com, Inc., Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A.
Printed on acid-free paper.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity
to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by
the author.
BookLocker.com, Inc.
2015
First Edition
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The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Throughout the process of publishing this book, there are many
for whom I am grateful. First, I am awed God would allow an
individual such as King Baldwin IV to truly exist and that God
supported him through all his hardships, but I'm grateful God
brought Baldwin's story to me to write and share with the world
today.
I also owe much to Bernard Hamilton's research in his book 'The
Leper King and His Heirs'. Without it, I would not have been able to
accurately record Baldwin's life in story form.
I'm eternally grateful for Booklocker Inc. for publishing my book
and for Deb Davie's hard work on the beautiful cover. Many thanks
also goes to Crystal Blanchard, Marion Lawson, and Faith Blanchard
for their editorial and proofreading skills on this book.
While I wrote, revised, and edited this book, two good friends
stood by and encouraged me, and I owe them a special thanks: Sarah
Elisabeth and Abigail Davis. There are a few other friends of mine
that love my work no matter what, and they're always excited about
every book I publish. Rachel Rutledge, Karlyn and Rachel Leichty,
Abigail Reed, Kathryn Koen, and Tiana Gutierrez, you are my
cheerleaders.
Of course, I'm grateful so much for the patience, understanding,
and support my family and friends gave me as I undertook the
publication of another book.
Last but not least, I am so very thankful for my amazing online
support group and all my spectacular fans—you are all so
AWESOME! Thank you for your support and all your
encouragement. It greatly motivates me to write and always brings a
smile to my face.
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The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit
DEDICATIONS
I dedicate this book to my patient mother, Crystal Blanchard.
Without our thought-provoking conversations and the way she
challenges me to think,
I never would have become the writer I am today.
I also dedicate this book to King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem—
the Leper King really existed and suffered so much,
but perhaps through his hardships, we can learn to live
without complaint and without
taking anything for granted.
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The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit
Chapter 1
Ehud hastened up the stone steps of the palace and lengthened
his strides as he marched through the wide corridor. Servants saw the
quick-moving guardian of the king and stayed close to the walls to
avoid him. He rounded a corner only to stop when a ball hit his foot.
He frowned and lifted his gaze from the ball to the five courtier
children who stared at him with smiles frozen on their faces—
quickly faltering into mumbling excuses before dispersing until only
one remained.
Guardian Ehud arched a brow at the boy who stared at the ball
desiring to retrieve it but not daring to cross the king's guardian.
Stooping down, Ehud scooped up the ball and tossed it in the air
once then twice and finally locked eyes with the child. “Those are
not your friends.” He nodded down the hall where the other children
had vanished. “Friends do not abandon friends—no matter the cost.”
With that, he tossed the toy to the child. “Now, hurry home. The
High Court will be dismissed for the evening soon, and your mother
will wonder where you are.”
He then moved past the boy and resumed his brisk pace. The
other two guardians were already with the king, but King Baldwin
IV had sent Ehud on an errand from which he was returning.
Marching down the corridor to its very end, he turned right and
continued up more stairs until he came to the top. Then he headed
down the wide corridor straight for the open doors of the High Court.
Already he could see the crowd gathered as they listened to the
evening discussion, and the closer Ehud came, the more he was able
to hear what was being said.
“...Baudouin has proven himself a worthy leader countless of
times,” Prince Bohemond III of Antioch spoke as he stood before the
king.
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As Ehud wove through the crowd, he noted the presence of Lord
Reynald of Transjordan, Lord Balian of Ibelin and his brother
Baudouin of Ramla, and Count Raymond of Tripoli all in the crowd
along with Aimery de Lusignan and his brother Guy and countless
others. Ehud frowned when he saw all the main lords of the kingdom
gathered, and he felt the tension in the air.
Casting his gaze to the veiled king on the throne with his two
guardians on either side of him but a step behind, Ehud slowed his
pace until he came to a halt. He recognized that expression on King
Baldwin's face. True, the king's face was veiled, but as guardian of
the king, Ehud spent much time with him and knew how to read him.
At this moment, Baldwin was deeply disturbed, so Ehud paused to
listen to the debate.
“...and at this time, it is fundamental to have a strong leader in
line for the throne,” Bohemond went on, and Ehud narrowed his
eyes.
“And you recommend Baudouin of Ramla?” Count Joscelin III
of Edessa—the king's uncle—inquired, and Bohemond nodded.
“Aye. He is a respected military commander with many years of
fighting behind him. He is loyal and trustworthy, and he understands
the workings of the High Court and the state of affairs. Also, he is
unmarried and has no relation to Princess Sibylla. Therefore, what
better man is there?” Feeling he made his case, the prince of Antioch
spread out his hands—offering the king or his advisors to argue him.
Yet the response came from one in the Court. “Guy de
Lusignan.” All eyes shifted to the man who had spoken, Aimery de
Lusignan, and he maintained his stare upon the king. “He is also a
proven warrior, and like Lord Baudouin, he is of age to take charge
of the kingdom should the king abdicate. However, he is younger
than the lord of Ramla—much closer to Princess Sibylla's age.”
Aimery slid his gaze to the older, silent baron, Baudouin, who sat
and watched the events unfold.
Ehud noticed how Baudouin had not yet made a stand for
himself, but rather, observed who stood where to determine who
supported and opposed his right to marry the widowed princess. Two
years had passed since the Battle of Montgisard—and the death of
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The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit
Prince William of Montferrat prior to the battle. Though the princess
had given birth to Prince Baudoin, the kingdom still wavered on the
edge of chaos. If the ill King Baldwin IV suddenly died before
Baudoin came of age, the divisions in the court would split the
kingdom. No regent had been named. No heir had been decided. All
knew the leprous king could breathe his last at any moment and thus
cast the entire kingdom into war with itself.
Gazing upon the king now, Ehud sensed his exhaustion and
knew this discussion had continued for hours by now. Though
Baldwin could fight as well as any man on the battlefield, these long
hours of debates and arguing and twisting of words forced a feverish
mind to work even harder thus depleting the king's strength. If he
were to make any sound decisions, Baldwin required a clear head.
Ehud moved through the crowd toward Count Joscelin. Once he
reached the king's uncle, he lowered his voice as he spoke into his
ear. “The evening is late. The king is weary. Dismiss the council.”
Joscelin responded with a whisper, “But a decision must be
made...” He trailed off when he saw the guardian's stare. He
swallowed and nodded then moved away from Ehud. He cleared his
throat. “The hour is late. With the king's approval, this council
should be dismissed until the morrow. A few hours of rest will not
hinder this decision.” He turned back to his nephew. “Sire?” When
Baldwin nodded his approval, Joscelin faced the High Court once
more and dismissed it.
Ehud moved closer to the wall to remain out of the way as the
crowd thinned. As the last of the courtiers left, Baldwin was now
ready to leave. Knowing the king's ailing condition and the drain of
such long meetings, Ehud strode through the hall, up the steps of the
dais to the foot of the throne and reached a gloved hand to his king as
he bowed his head. “Sire.”
Appreciating the gesture, Baldwin set his bandaged leprous hand
into the palm of Ehud's and allowed his guardian to pull him to his
feet and steady him long enough for him to regain his strength to
stand and walk.
Once the king was steady on his feet, Ehud placed his hand on
Baldwin's shoulder. “The constable requests an audience with you.”
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Baldwin paused—his mind thinking back upon the old faithful
Constable Humphrey II of Toron. The man had been in the service of
several kings before Baldwin, and Humphrey never failed them.
Weary, Baldwin chuckled, “Ah, good man—never one for the
political scene. Where is the good Constable now?”
“Your chambers, Sire. Last I saw he was evaluating the
progression of the game of chess you left.”
“Perhaps he will finish it with me?” Baldwin sounded hopeful
though fatigue. “I fear my sister will never come to finish it herself.”
Ehud held onto Baldwin's arm as the king slowly made his way
down the steps of the dais. He had little patience for the king's older
sister, Princess Sibylla, due to her outright disrespect for Baldwin.
As guardian, Ehud protected not merely his king's life but also his
reputation, and Ehud made an effort to stay out of the presence of the
princess because he did not want to be held responsible for whatever
his reactions might be to her words; he left all dealings with the
princess for the sake of the king in the hands of his fellow guardian,
Horado. The silver-eyed man had far more patience than he.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ehud latched onto what
the king had said and smiled. “Perhaps he shall, Your Majesty.”
With that, he eased Baldwin from the last step of the dais and let go
of him—taking his place a step behind him on the right side. He
noted how Horado fell into step beside him on the other side of the
king, and the younger guardian, Rubanhod—Horado's charge—went
on ahead to make clear the way by glaring at all those in his path to
move aside.
Ehud then fixed his gaze on the king once more. Baldwin—
though younger than most men in the court, his spirit seemed
ancient. The leprosy he had contracted when he was a child had
ravaged his body, destroying his hands, feet, and face but not his soul
or his mind. Though frequently exhausted due to the drains of
defending a kingdom at constant war, Baldwin upheld his duties
even when stronger men would have faltered, and Ehud admired the
young king for that.
As they approached the chambers of the king, the guard opened
the door for him, and Baldwin and Ehud entered. Horado and
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The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit
Rubanhod remained outside the room to take up guard at the door.
The king was safe with the former assassin-turned-guardian.
Sensing movement of his guardian off to the side, Baldwin knew
Ehud sat down in the chair behind the door and unsheathed his sword
to rest it across his knees, but Baldwin did not look to confirm this;
that position was a favorite of his guardians—starting with his first
guardian and former weapons master, Khair, then followed by
Deverick and now these guardians. Baldwin knew that location gave
his protector the upper hand because if someone tried to sneak in to
harm him, they would push open the door, and the door would block
their view of his guardian. Though this also blocked the guardian's
view of the intruder, this was remedied by a strategically placed
mirror on the far wall facing the guardian.
Baldwin had absolute confidence in his protectors, but he also
knew he had an extra layer of defense few would ever breach—his
leprosy. No one wished the disease onto themselves, so they dared
not touch him.
However, the king's attention locked onto the man sitting in a
pool of moonlight at the chess table. Constable Humphrey had yet to
notice Baldwin but stared at the unfinished game that had been
interrupted when the High Court gathered. Baldwin felt he had no
more strength for further opposition, yet the constable was someone
who rarely requested the king's presence and asked nothing for his
services. If Humphrey came to him now, Baldwin knew it was
important.
Humphrey noticed the king when he neared the table, and the
constable shifted to rise to his feet, but Baldwin motioned for him to
remain seated as he took the seat across from him. Baldwin moved a
pawn a space forward. He had no strength to begin the traditional
inquiry for Humphrey's presence here, so he asked no questions. If
Humphrey had a suggestion or a request, he would speak his mind.
The old constable avoided the king's gaze by shifting his eyes
from piece to piece on the chess board to determine the best move.
“Sire, you are familiar with my distaste of politics, but I've heard
rumors.” He slid a rook a few paces ahead then lifted his gaze to the
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veiled face of the king to fix eyes with Baldwin. “You seek to marry
Princess Sibylla to a man suitable to be king. Also you are trying to
decide the best course of action for the kingdom since Saladin's
strength grows with every passing day, and we do not yet know what
that strength is.”
“It has been two years, Constable—two years since the Battle of
Montgisard—”
“That glorious battle God gave you victory.” Humphrey nodded.
“Your first major victory as king. I still wish I could have seen it for
myself.” He smiled sadly, and Baldwin regarded him and tried to
remember why the constable had been absent but then he nodded as
he remembered.
Humphrey had fallen gravely ill at that time though the stubborn
constable had insisted to be allowed to ride regardlessly—citing
Baldwin's own ailment as good enough reason to accompany the
army, yet Baldwin had refused him. He entrusted the constable with
the final defense of the city of Jerusalem, but God provided victory
for Baldwin's insignificant force of only three hundred knights and a
thousand soldiers against Saladin's army of thirty thousand warriors.
Remembering the victory of that day caused Baldwin to smile a
broken smile behind the veil where none would see. “It was indeed a
great victory—God be praised.” He looked over the game of chess
then lifted his hand and maneuvered a bishop from its place.
“Nevertheless, the truth remains; Saladin was beaten, and since then
little is heard from him, and the people grow weary of constant
vigilance—I grow weary, Constable.” He lifted his gaze to the elder
warrior across from him, and Humphrey nodded. “You recall the
Templar's castle at Jacob's Ford, Le Chastellet?”
“Aye,” nodded the Constable. “They build it even now. I hear
the inner wall has been completed, and when the entire fortress is
finished, it will be unconquerable.”
Baldwin made a little sound that sounded like a scoffing chuckle,
and then he wagged his head. “Saladin sent word requesting I halt
the construction of the castle. He has offered payment if I do so.”
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The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit
“He fears such a castle for he knows he will be unable to
conquer it.” Humphrey nodded then scooted a pawn forward. “What
will you do, Sire?”
“The construction of the castle will continue. However, in the
meanwhile, Prince Reynald requested he be allowed to resume his
disruption of Saladin's communications.” Baldwin's voice was
distant and hollow. He had spent the last several hours debating this
with the High Court only to end up with no conclusion. The last
thing he wanted to do was continue that discussion outside the
Council Hall. He was tired—wanted his physician, Sulayman, to
come and tend to him, so he could retire for the evening without
delay, but his kingdom had other demands.
Humphrey bobbed his head when he heard of Reynald's plot—an
old one but a logical one. “What do you think of it?”
Baldwin sighed and sat back in his chair having lost interest in
the chess game. “There is no man to hold him accountable as my late
brother-in-law William Longsword had done, and on his own Prince
Reynald is reckless.”
“But something must be done, Sire. Even my most principled
men grow anxious.”
Baldwin lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. “What do you
recommend, Constable? Attack Egypt? Damascus?”
“No, no, nothing so drastic.” Humphrey shook his head then
picked up a bishop to examine it in the moonlight. “Scouts returned
last night. They say Muslim cattlemen are herding their cattle
through Banias, allowing them to graze there. All that must be done
is a simple routing of the Muslims—no raiding, no battle.”
“Make Saladin act as he had done back in Damascus—a
gambit.” Baldwin concluded Humphrey's thoughts. He understood
the chess term. It was a move involving a calculated risk in order to
prompt the opponent to make a certain move.
When Baldwin first came to absolute power of the kingship, he
dismissed the delicate peace Count Raymond III of Tripoli had made
with Saladin. Baldwin raided a village of Damascus and fought with
the garrison. When Saladin realized this young was an actual threat,
he retreated from his original quest of forcing the Hashshashins into
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submission by conquering their fortresses and quickly drew a truce
with the Hashshashins. Then the sultan turned his full attention on
the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Baldwin. Saladin sought an easy
victory but found utter defeat at Montgisard, and since then no word
of his military movements was heard.
The raid on the Damascus village had worked to get Saladin's
attention. The ploy might work again, but Banias was such an
unusual choice.
Baldwin looked hard at the constable. “Why Banias—of all
places?”
Humphrey dropped his gaze and cleared his throat. “When I
married my first wife, my father-in-law gave me that land. Later my
only child died defending it from the Muslims, but in the end the
Muslims took it from us just as they took him from me.” Pressing his
lips into a thin line, Humphrey pushed his chair away from the table
and rose to his feet. He lingered then looked at the veiled king. “I am
an old man, Your Majesty. I shall never see my son again until I die,
but before I die, I would very much like to see Banias back in the
hands of the Christians.”
“What you are suggesting is not a mere routing of Muslim
troops...”
“But it is a beginning of action in Banias, Sire.”
Baldwin exhaled deeply causing his veil in front of his face to
ripple. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the edge of the table,
selected a bishop and slid it across the length of the board to capture
Humphrey's rook. “Send men to scout the area. If the High Court in
the morning agrees, we shall leave for Banias the day after
tomorrow.” When Humphrey bowed and left, Baldwin looked back
to the game.
Three more moves, and Humphrey would have had him in
check.
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Two years have passed since the Battle of Montgisard-­‐two years of tense silence on the battlefield. Saladin is planning something, yet none of King Baldwin IV's men know what. Determined to provoke some response from his enemy, the young Leper King of Jerusalem strikes a gambit only to unleash a torrent of events no one could foresee. The Last King of Legends: The Sovereign Gambit by Serafia Cross Order the complete book from the publisher Booklocker.com http://booklocker.com/books/8072.html or from your favorite neighborhood or online bookstore.