The Land Beyond the Sea

“Truly, it is a curse—seeing both sides of every issue. It has gotten me into trouble more times than I can count.”

goldfinch, also called the thistle finch, explaining it was a symbol of the Resurrection, the thistle being associated with the Savior’s crown of thorns.

Like most of God’s fools, he’d assumed his earthly time was infinite.

Baldwin was crowned the next day, a Monday, in a solemn ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, becoming the sixth Latin king of Jerusalem at age thirteen. Most of his new subjects thought it was an auspicious beginning of his reign, for it was the seventy-fifth anniversary of the fall of the Holy City to the men of the First Crusade.

“Whoever said it was easy? It is a constant struggle, with my body always at war with my will. But that is as it ought to be. If it were too easy to honor these vows, then anyone could become a Templar.

Cui bono? To whose benefit?

old folk saying, that when elephants fought, it was the ants who were trampled.

Baldwin knew he thought Fortune was a fickle bitch, always on the lookout for new conquests. Well, for once you are right, Cousin. She has moved on.

“Courage is not a lack of fear, lad. It is overcoming fear.”