be wed at very young ages, with consummation usually postponed until she’d begun her flux, just as in Christian realms, so a marriage between al-’A-dil and the little Breton princess could still quash Conrad’s claim to the throne. He had not been reassured, though, by the tone of the colloquy between Richard and al-’Ādil, for it had not seemed to him that either man was taking the marriage proposal seriously.
Humphrey did not dare to question Richard directly about his intentions, but he’d always found the Count of Champagne to be very affable, and upon their return to Yāzūr, he sought Henri out. “May I ask you something, my lord count? Do you think the Lady Joanna’s marriage to al-’Ādil will ever come to pass?”
Henri had an unease of conscience where Humphrey was concerned. He’d supported Conrad’s marriage to Isabella because he’d been convinced by the poulains that the kingdom was doomed as long as Guy de Lusignan ruled over them. He could not help pitying Humphrey, though, for it had been obvious to anyone with eyes to see that he’d been in love with his beautiful young wife. It was obvious, too, what had motivated Humphrey’s question, and he hesitated, finally deciding that honesty was the greater kindness now.
“No,” he said, “I do not.” He turned away, then, giving Humphrey the only solace he could—privacy to grieve for a shattered dream.
THE FRENCH WERE NOT the only ones displeased by Richard’s cordial dealings with the sultan and his brother; many of his soldiers were also unhappy about it, and after his day-long visit with al-’Ādil, some were emboldened to speak out, saying it was not proper for a Christian king to exchange gifts and courtesies with the enemies of God. When he became aware of the growing criticism, even from men who’d always admired his prowess on the battlefield, Richard was both frustrated and angry, but he realized the danger in letting this sore go untreated. If it was allowed to fester, it could undermine his command. He chose to reassure his army with his sword, by adopting a bloody custom that had long been followed by both sides in the Holy Land. The chronicler of the Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi would report approvingly that “To remove the stain of disgrace which he had incurred, he brought back countless enemy heads to display that he had been falsely accused and that the gifts had not encouraged him to be slow in attacking the enemy.” But although he’d calmed the furor for now, the backlash had brought home to Richard a disturbing truth—that a holy war was indeed unlike other wars and he could not rely upon this motley mix of crusaders to give him the unquestioning loyalty he’d come to expect from his own vassals and lords.
THREE DAYS AFTER Richard’s meeting with al-’Ādil, Salah al-Dīn summoned his brother and his emirs to a council of war at Latrun. He told them that Conrad had offered to take Acre from the Franks in return for Sidon and Beirut and a guarantee of his possession of Tyre. He then informed them of Richard’s latest peace proposal. When he asked for their views, they concluded that if peace were to be made, it was better to make it with Malik Ric, for they were more likely to be betrayed by Conrad and the Syrian Franks. It was agreed to send word to the English king that they were not willing, though, to accept his niece in lieu of his sister as a bride for the sultan’s brother. The peace talks continued then, but so did the killing.
CHAPTER 29
DECEMBER 1191
Ramla , Outremer
When Richard moved the army to Ramla, Salah al-Dīn withdrew to Latrun and then, on December 12, to Jerusalem, leaving behind his advance guard to harass the Franks. The winter weather had set in by then, and the crusaders suffered greatly, forced to endure torrential icy rains, hailstorms, high winds, and the constant threat of flooding. The damp rusted their armor and their clothes rotted. Food went bad; biscuits crumbled, flour mildewed, and salted pork spoiled. Their pack animals sickened and died and soldiers came down with fevers, catarrh, and colic. But morale remained surprisingly high, for they were now less than twenty-five miles from Jerusalem.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, dawned with an overcast, ashen sky. But it was the first day in over a week that they’d not awakened to heavy rain, and Richard seized the opportunity. South of Ramla were the ruins