Chapter 78: Smoke and Gold
May 1 - Aleppo
The sun rose pale and veiled behind a wall of dust and smoke, casting Aleppo in a strange amber light. Its ancient skyline—once so proud—was marred by the scars of war: breaches in the outer walls, the splintered gates, and the bodies of defenders still lying on blood-darkened stones. The crack of iron-shod boots echoed through narrow streets as the army of Jerusalem moved carefully, house by house, clearing pockets of resistance that had refused surrender.
King Baldwin IV, or rather Ethan inside Baldwin's withered body, stood at the heart of it all. His armor was splattered with dried blood, his silver mask reflecting the light as he surveyed what was once one of the crown jewels of northern Syria. Now, Aleppo was his. But it had not yet fully submitted.
"Third cohort, form a cordon along the eastern district," Baldwin ordered, his voice firm but raspy through the mask. "Sweep the old merchant quarter. Burn out any snipers or stragglers."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" came the reply, and the soldiers moved with practiced efficiency. Pikemen marched in tight formation, flanked by crossbowmen scanning the rooftops. Stormracks were hauled forward—mechanized crossbows mounted on carts—already bloodied from their use at the breach.
Behind the forward lines, engineers moved quickly to repair the gatehouse and fill in the worst craters from mangonel and trebuchet fire. The King had no intention of staying long, but he needed Aleppo secure, and more importantly, functional. Looting had been tightly controlled, only allowed after the surrender of each quarter, and even then, under direct supervision.
Inside the old palace complex—half-collapsed from fire and catapult damage—his senior officers gathered. Richard the Lionheart stood at Baldwin's side, helm off, his blond hair matted with sweat and grime, but his eyes sharp.
"Scouts report some defenders fled north, perhaps toward the mountains," Richard said, his voice low. "No organized resistance remains within the city, but the locals are hostile. There've been skirmishes in the alleys."
"They'll simmer down," Baldwin said. "Or they won't. Either way, we don't stay long enough for their revenge. Is the treasury secured?"
"It is, sire," said William Marshal, entering the chamber with a scroll. "We've found the city vaults beneath the eastern wing of the citadel. Gold, coin, and more spices than I've seen in my entire life."