The Two Brothers of Loon

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May 1112
Loon* op Zand, Brabant

A letter! To hear from their long-absent father was a relief beyond all imagining. Out of course it was addressed to Arnulf--whom else, but the eldest son?--but inside was a folded paper for his younger brother Baldwin. Their father, Count Lambert, had made absolutely sure that they were able to read and write as well as a doctor of the Church, not only for the good of their minds but of their souls. As he had expounded to them many times, "Virtue and learning shall become as important as a strong arm, now that the dark days since the fall of Rome are past, and not only knowledge but morality come most easily from writings."

Arnulf read the letter and smiled. "It is about time," he said. "I've deserved it twice over, unlike that young idiot Baldwin."
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*Pronounced closer to English "loan" than the name of the bird (or short term for "lunatic")


- - - - - - - -

This is supposed to be a fairly short story, and with an earlier end in sight it ought to be easier to keep going. I intend to update this during the week and "After Hastings" on the weekend.

 

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It's a shame its not closer to lunatic..Arnulf certainly is full of himself.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Interesting and difficult county to play as, but you already said it will be a short one

 

[Garuda]

I've never even noticed a county called Loon o .

Anyway, best of luck.

 

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Loon? What Loon?

 

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[JimboIX: Well, he is the heir, so I suppose he deserves a bit of that.
Veldmaarschalk: Growing to power isn't my main concern here...
Garuda: Don't worry, I'd imagine the people in Loon haven't heard about you either.
Fulcrumvale: Loon \'lün\ n : a web-footed black-and-white fish-eating diving bird.
No, I don't know why the pronunciation key used an umlaut, it's most certainly not pronounced like that.]

Music: Johann Hermann Shein: Intrada for Cornet, Violin, Recorder, and Continuo

Chapter I

"My son, if thou wilt attend to me, thou shalt learn: and if thou wilt apply thy mind, thou shalt be wise. If thou wilt incline thy ear, thou shalt receive instruction: and if thou love to hear, thou shalt be wise.
--Ecclesiasticus, 6:33-34*

Said "young idiot" was at the time in the courtyard of the castle, engaged in a sparring match with Otto van Wisch, a minor noble from the nearby area. The fight went back and forth; as time went on, though, it became increasingly obvious that it was only the fact that Baldwin was holding back considerably that kept him from knocking Otto to the ground immediately.

Finally, Otto began to tire. "I think I've had enough, young man. My old frame can't keep up with you."

"Old frame? You're still quite within your youth, Otto. That arm has strength, those legs have speed. I suppose if I had a few months with you I could make you into a decent warrior."

Otto laughed. "Don't forget, I'm supposed to be teaching you! But I suppose I could take you up later. If my old frame--for it is most certainly old--has held up to then."

Baldwin merely shook his head, set the sword down on a table next to him, and began to walk off. "I cannot wait until I have grown, and married a beautiful woman, and had obedient children, and become wise in my age; for heaven knows that I'll marry an ugly noble hag, and have thankless brats, and die young from battle or disease."

As he was speaking, Otto walked up, slowly, and firmly but safely put the sword on Baldwin's shoulder. The young man did not look startled but merely looked backward, gave Otto a knowing look, and continued on, content in the thought that he had given Otto a victory at least in some manner.

- - - - - - - -

As he came into what served as a sort of throne room, Baldwin saw his older brother sitting on a chair symbolically set to the right of Count Lambert's slightly more decorative and more permanent one. "Ah, Arnulf, awaiting an official visitor, I assume?"

"No, my good brother, only an unofficial one." He pulled out a note and handed it to Baldwin. "My father sent me a letter, and in it was enclosed one addressed to you. He very specifically--and, if you will excuse me for speaking a little ill of him, somewhat unnecessarily--asked that I did not read it, so I suppose it is on some important matter."

Uncharacteristic was right--Lambert generally let either of the sons take an unsealed but private letter to the other, knowing that they could be trusted not to read it. Baldwin took the letter and went to his private room to read it:

"To my beloved son Baldwin, greetings:

"My hope that this letter comes to you while you are well. Sadly, our most gracious and august Majesty, Henry Emperor of Rome, shall continue to require my services for quite some time. It is a sad situation that nevertheless I find myself honored to be in, for the service of my lord the Emperor is my duty before God and shall bring with it reward on both earth and heaven. Despite this, I pray that it shall end soon, so I may be with you and your brother.

"As for you, as you grow in age it has become time that you are married. I go against tradition when I say this, but I shall not hold you to any measure of noble blood in the person you choose, and I will not require you to ask me permission once you have chosen. May your decision be a successful one.

"Lambert, Count of Loon."

What on the face of it seemed freedom from tradition's shackles was an insult, pure and simple. Through that decision Lambert had stated that due to his birth as second son, he was of no importance. Baldwin merely threw the letter on the floor and silently shouted in disgust.
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*As with "The Trees of Autumn", all Biblical quotes are from the Douay-Rheims version, for that extra medieval feel.

 

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[Well said, all of you. ]

"It's an insult! A bald-faced insult! And from my father as well. I think it is quite obvious where my father's affection lies. Did he not preface the old letters with 'To my most beloved son?' But now that would be incorrect. I am not even sure of 'beloved' at all anymore."

Otto merely sat while his pupil continued to speak, waving the letter and pacing back and forth. Eventually, he figured, Baldwin would calm down and Otto could speak some sense into him.

"Now I will most certainly have nothing. You see, if he had intended to divide the lands--like a proper lord--he would require that I marry well--dowry or tradition or something like that. But instead he says that I am to marry anyone, meaning that I won't have a single acre of land!" Baldwin began to laugh. "I'll show him. I'll go to the Holy Land, and become a famous warrior. I won't even marry at all--I'll become a warrior monk, say, a Templar, and maybe be a Grand Master some day. Think of it: Baldwin, Protector of the Holy City! Baldwin the conqueror of the Saracens!"

Now he was going too far for safety. "I don't think you understand what you are saying, Baldwin. That, if you were to become a Templar, you would be perfectly capable of becoming a great warrior and perhaps even rising to fame I do not doubt. But that the Holy Land is a dangerous place, and that you could do far better here, I am of even stronger conviction. Do not waste yourself, Baldwin. That is the worst thing that could occur to a man."

Baldwin turned around, an angry look on his face. "Wasting myself! What do you think I would be doing here, being the helper of that overbearing fool Arnulf! At least if I die in the Holy Land, I die having done something useful, and will die in the greater favor of God!"

"I am not so sure of that, Baldwin. If you will fight in Palestine, at the very least do so married. It appears that your father wishes for you do to that no matter to whom it is. Perhaps after that we could speak of what you are to do. But for you to make a decision in your current state--for it is quite obvious that this entire matter has made you too excited. You are acting on suspicion, not evidence."

Baldwin began to calm down. Otto's point was getting to him, and he sat in a nearby chair. "I suppose you are correct. But there is still the matter of to whom I am to be married. I'm not going to simply pick at random from one of the peasants of the village. I doubt they would appreciate that if anything else. If anything, it ought to still be of the nobility, no matter what my father says."

Otto smiled. "Good, you are thinking somewhat. Don't get too ambitious, but I believe you are going in the correct direction. But before you try any of this, I think you need to calm down and get away from here for a while. Jülich is far enough but not too far, and I know the count there. Perhaps he can get a bit more sense in you than I can."

 

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For the Loons!

 

[stnylan]

Baldwin seems to be like a weapon - like one of those early rockets. You point it in the right direction, light the fuse, and hope!

Good to see another AAR from JM Productions!

 

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I wonder what their fathers at with these letters. I think the "snub" might do Baldwin well- make him self-reliant and more ambitious than simply waiting on his father or his brother to provide for him.