Peace lasted for a long time under the wise rule of Count William, but,
suddenly and unexpectedly, the Moors invaded the land, under the lead
of the powerful Emirs Terreman and Balikan. King Ludwig and Count
William attacked the children of the desert, and strove to chase them
from the country. After performing many feats of valour, William was at
last surrounded by the Moors, and carried off a prisoner to Valencia by
the Emir Tibalt, whose captive he was by the fortune of war.
Arrived at Valencia, the count was chained up in a dark and dismal
dungeon, and placed under the charge of the emir’s wife, Arabella,
during her husband’s absence on a plundering expedition. Before going
away, Tibalt told his wife to feed the prisoner on bread and water, and
forbade her on any account to take off his chains. He added that he
hoped on his return to find him willing to embrace the Mahommedan
religion.
For some time Arabella did as her husband had desired with the
strictest punctuality, but after a time she became curious to see what
the Frankish prisoner was like. So she made her servants accompany her
with torches to the cell. She saw that William was a goodly man, and
felt sorry for him. As for him, he never could have imagined that an
infidel could look so gentle and like an angel.
The weeks passed quickly. Arabella tried to teach the count her
religion, by repeating passages of the Koran, and by entreating him to
remember that he had only to become a Mahommedan, and he would at once
be free. And he, on his side, told her about God and Christ, and
explained to her the religion of mercy and love. What he said came home
to her heart. She visited him again and again, thought over his
teachings when she sat quietly in her own room, and at last confessed
that she wished to become a Christian. She and William had by this time
learnt to love each other, so they determined to fly to King Ludwig.
By the help of an old and faithful servant, Arabella hired a vessel,
set the count free, and went on board with him. The captain, on
learning that he was to steer for the coast of France, refused
point-blank to do so; and William, without an instant’s hesitation,
flung him overboard. He then threatened to slay the mate if he did not
obey him in all things, and he looked so terrible with his drawn sword
and stern face, that the crew durst not disobey him.
Meanwhile Tibalt returned from his raid, and learnt all that had
occurred from the captain, who had swum ashore. He embarked without
loss of time, and set sail in pursuit of the runaways, but only came
within bow-shot just as William and Arabella landed and took refuge in
the citadel.
Tibalt vainly tried to take the place by storm, and had at last to
return to Valencia without accomplishing the object of his voyage.
Ludwig invited Count William and Arabella to his court, where they were
received with the utmost kindness by both him and his queen. Every one
admired the Moorish lady’s beauty, and thought her lovelier than any
one about the court, even than the queen herself. This roused the
queen’s jealousy, and she began to treat both her brother and Arabella
with marked coldness.
Count William and his bride went on to Avignon, where they were married
by Pope Leo, after Arabella had been received into the Christian
Church. She was given the name of Gyburg at her baptism, as that was an
old family name in the house of Narbonne. Ludwig was present at the
marriage, but the queen said she was too busy to go.
A few days after this, William sent his wife home to Orange, while he
accompanied King Ludwig to Italy, with the object of recovering Rome
and the States of the Church for the banished Pope. This they succeeded
in doing after much fighting; and when Leo was once more master of the
imperial city, he showed his gratitude to the Frankish king by crowning
him emperor in the room of his great father.
When the coronation feast was over, the warriors all returned home, and
William with the rest. He and his wife lived happily at Orange, and, as
they had no children, William adopted the son of one of his sisters who
had died early, and brought him up as his heir. The boy Vivian (or
Vivianz) grew up to be a bold youth, and showed promise of future
excellence.