The reforms and victories of the past chapters — especially the consolidation after Beit She'an — had reshaped Jerusalem into a kingdom that finally had momentum. Roland felt the shift everywhere: in the training camps that no longer looked temporary, in the rebuilt granaries that now stored a surplus instead of barely enough, and in the growing population of households who saw Jerusalem not as a relic of the Crusades, but as a living, rising power.
Chapter 11's foundations, Chapter 12's first offensive, and the growth across Chapters 13–19 had all led to this point. Now, with the kingdom stabilized and the eastern borders secure, Roland prepared to move on his greatest challenge yet:
The reconquest of the County of Tripoli.
A Stronger Kingdom Behind Him
At dawn, Roland and his advisors gathered in the newly completed upper council hall of Jerusalem — a symbol of the kingdom's growth. Polished stone walls, restored after decades of neglect, gleamed with banners representing each province Roland had reclaimed throughout Chapters 13–19.
Amalthea placed a parchment map on the table.
"Our work in Galilee, Beit She'an, Tiberias, and the Jordan plain has given Jerusalem both food and manpower. Irrigation systems are stable. Roads have been widened. And the defensive towers you ordered last chapter are nearly finished."
Roland nodded. "Good. Because now we push west."
Sir Aldric leaned forward, tapping Tripoli on the map. "The county is fractured — fighting among themselves, barely holding out against neighboring emirates. If we strike while they're divided, we could reclaim it piece by piece."
Bishop Evrard added, "The people there still remember the old Kingdom of Jerusalem. Many would welcome you as a restorer, not a conqueror."
Roland smiled at that. "Then let's give them a reason."
The March to Arqa
The army that marched out of Jerusalem in Chapter 20 was unlike any force Roland had commanded earlier.
Knights drilled through Chapter 15's discipline reforms
Cavalry trained in Chapter 17's desert maneuver program
Infantry equipped with improved shields and spears from Chapter 18's blacksmith expansion
Engineers trained to build bridges, siege platforms, and fortifications
Supply wagons filled with grain from the newly restored northern farms
Roland rode at the head, his banner of the crowned lion shining in the sun.
Their first target: Arqa, the southern entry gate to Tripoli's lands.
Not only strategic, but symbolic.
Arqa had once been a frontier fortress of the old kingdom.
Taking it back would announce Jerusalem's return.
The Siege Begins
Arqa's walls were tall, but unmanned in places. Tripoli's petty lords had been fighting each other for years; they had no unity and no leadership.
Roland studied the walls from a ridge.
"We don't starve them out," Roland declared. "We take the fortress quickly — before they can call for help."
His modern tactical mind laid out a plan:
Engineers constructed a small siege platform overnight
Archers targeted weak points and unarmored sections
A decoy assault drew defenders to the eastern gate
Roland led a cavalry feint to the north
And Aldric struck at the western breach — the weakest spot
The defenders broke faster than expected.
Within hours, the gates were open and Roland's troops poured in.
But, just as in previous conquests, Roland forbade plunder.
"Bring food to the people. Reopen the wells. Repair the roads.
Tripoli will join us because we offer order — not fear."
The men obeyed.
And the people watched with wary curiosity as Jerusalem restored more in two days than Tripoli's lords had in twenty years.
The Message Spreads
As Roland set up a provisional council in Arqa, Amalthea brought news.
"Messengers from Tripoli's coastal towns report unrest. They know Arqa has fallen. Some lords are fleeing. Others want to negotiate."
Roland stood over the map again.
"This is how we take Tripoli — not just by force, but by proving we can govern what we conquer."
Aldric nodded. "And if their lords resist?"
Roland smiled. "Then we remind them what happened to Arqa."
The Road Ahead
With Arqa secured, Jerusalem's influence expanded again. Roads linking Arqa to the eastern territories were repaired. Traders began moving safely for the first time in decades. The people whispered:
"The King of Jerusalem brings order."
"He does not destroy. He rebuilds."
The chapter ends with Roland standing atop Arqa's repaired walls, looking west toward the heart of the County of Tripoli — toward Tortosa, Baniyas, and the coastal cities that once completed the Crusader triangle of power.
"We'll take it all back," Roland murmured to himself.
"And this time… we'll keep it."