In Distant Lands by Lars Brownworth

Author:Lars Brownworth [Brownworth, Lars]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 4th crusade, Crusades, saladin, Jerusalem, Richard the Lionheart, Seljuk Turks
ISBN: 9781909979499
Publisher: Crux Publishing Ltd
Published: 2017-04-16T04:00:00+00:00

Raymond of Antioch

No one was more concerned than Raymond of Antioch. Although he had no sympathy for Joscelin of Edessa, he was acutely aware of the danger in which he now found himself. A new, terrible enemy had appeared, the crusader states were weakened, and everyone had placed their hopes in the great host of Christian champions that were on the way. When crusader ships were spotted nearing its harbor, the citizens of Antioch crowded in, hoping to catch a glimpse of their savior. Instead, they were greeted by the sight of a beleaguered looking Louis VII disembarking with his court and a tiny remnant of the army.

Whatever disappointment Raymond of Antioch felt at the arrival of his niece and the French king was carefully masked. Louis still had a handful of well-trained knights and his entire treasury. There were always men willing to sell their swords, and as Raymond knew, armies could be rebuilt. Louis and Eleanor were welcomed to Antioch, and the prince gallantly refused to talk business until they had recovered from the rigors of their journey. The king and queen spent several pleasant days riding in the hills around Antioch, doing their best to forget the recent horrors. Only when an appropriate time had passed did the Prince of Antioch gently float the idea of a campaign against nearby Aleppo.

Despite Raymond's best efforts, however, the stay at Antioch – much like the crusade itself that had started so auspiciously – soon devolved into farce. The main problem was the deteriorating relationship between the king and queen. Only with great effort had the two managed to preserve public decorum, but there was no disguising the coolness of their partnership. It certainly didn't help that Raymond cut such a dashing figure, or that Eleanor clearly preferred his company to that of her dour husband. Before long, whispers began to circulate that Eleanor's fondness for her uncle was beyond what was strictly proper.

Adding to Louis' headaches was the fact that everyone wanted his attention. Raymond was growing bolder in his suggestions of an immediate advance against Aleppo, and had taken the step of enlisting Eleanor to argue on his behalf. Joscelin of Edessa was also in the city, urging him to march to recover the lost city, while the Patriarch of Jerusalem was begging just as insistently for him to hurry to Palestine to ensure the safety of Jerusalem.

The wisest use of his strength would have been to join with Raymond and strike at Nūr al-Dīn, but in the end his distaste for his wife's uncle won out. Claiming that he had made a vow to reach Jerusalem before starting his crusading activities, he announced his imminent departure. Eleanor was furious. She had openly backed Raymond's plan and wasn't used to being brushed aside. If Louis did not change his mind and advance against Aleppo, she heatedly informed him, she would ask for a divorce on the grounds that they were too closely related.

This was no idle threat. Royal

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