The envoys arrived under banners of peace.
That alone made Roland uneasy.
An Offer Too Convenient
They came from the east at dawn, escorted by a small honor guard, their horses well-fed, their armor polished. Rashid ibn Khalaf rode at their head once more, his expression calm but unreadable.
Roland received them in Tripoli's great hall.
"Your emir has reconsidered," Rashid said. "He offers peace — a binding treaty."
Amalthea narrowed her eyes. "After threats and silence?"
Rashid bowed his head slightly. "After reflection."
Roland said nothing, waiting.
Rashid unfurled a parchment.
"The Emir recognizes your rule over Jerusalem, Acre, and Tyre.
Tripoli shall remain autonomous but friendly.
Trade will flow freely.
Borders will be respected."
A murmur rippled through the council.
It sounded generous.
Too generous.
Reading Between the Lines
Roland studied the parchment carefully.
Tripoli autonomous.
No mention of military limits.
No mention of garrisons.
No mention of the coast.
"You recognize everything we already control," Roland said calmly, "but deny us what we have already taken."
Rashid met his gaze. "Tripoli is… sensitive."
Roland nodded slowly.
"Sensitive enough to become a buffer," Roland said. "Or a battlefield."
Rashid didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
The Hidden Clause
Amalthea leaned closer, scanning the treaty.
"There's an addendum," she said sharply.
Rashid hesitated.
Roland held out his hand. "Read it."
Reluctantly, Rashid revealed the second parchment.
"Jerusalem agrees to limit the size of its standing army and withdraw forces from key eastern roads."
Sir Aldric slammed his fist on the table. "That guts our defenses!"
Lucien sneered. "They want us blind and slow."
Roland folded both parchments neatly.
"This isn't peace," he said. "It's a leash."
The King's Decision
Rashid took a step forward. "Refusal will be seen as hostility."
Roland rose from his seat.
"Hostility was declared the moment you demanded we pretend Tripoli is not ours," he said.
The room fell silent.
Roland's voice hardened.
"Jerusalem will not shrink so others feel comfortable. We will not dismantle our army. And we will not abandon lands governed justly."
Rashid closed his eyes briefly.
"Then war will come," he said.
Roland nodded.
"I know."
The Envoy's Warning
As the envoys departed, Rashid lingered.
"This war will not be like the last," he said quietly. "The emir is not acting alone."
Roland met his gaze. "Neither am I."
Rashid hesitated, then added:
"There are sultans to the north who see you as a threat to all borders. And men within your realm who still hate what you've built."
Roland's expression didn't change.
"Let them come," he said.
Preparing for the Inevitable
That night, beacons were lit along the coast.
Orders went out:
Garrisons reinforced
Cavalry recalled
Fleets armed
Grain stores secured
Roads cleared for rapid movement
Jerusalem moved as a single organism — a kingdom that had learned from every chapter before.
Sir Aldric reported before dawn.
"Scouts confirm troop movement east of the Jordan. Large numbers."
Amalthea added, "Trade caravans are being seized. This is no border skirmish."
Roland stared at the map.
They wanted war.
He would give them one.
The Last Illusion
At sunrise, a final messenger arrived.
Not from the emir.
From one of the northern sultanates.
The message was simple.
"Stand down, King of Jerusalem.
Or be erased."
Roland crushed the parchment in his fist.
He looked out over Tripoli, over the sea, over the banners snapping in the wind.
"This," he said quietly, "was always coming."