[SS 6.4] Imperial Purple Never Fades

**McScottish** · November 26, 2014, 10:09 PM

Haven't been this excited to see a ERE AAR since I Am, Skantarios! (Should check spelling...) and I'm not disappointed either. This is a damned fine AAR, and I shall be repping you, sir, most verily.

Please, continue.

**Axis Sunsoar** · November 26, 2014, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by McScottish

Haven't been this excited to see a ERE AAR since I Am, Skantarios! (Should check spelling...) and I'm not disappointed either. This is a damned fine AAR, and I shall be repping you, sir, most verily.

Please, continue.

I believe the comma did not exist, otherwise you seem to have correctly represented the title.

Beyond gently jabbing at our friendly neighborhood Scotsman, just wanted to say I'm really enjoying your work so far, and I like the balance you have had so far with the narrative - battle chapters! Rep is on the way!

**Merchant of Venice** · November 26, 2014, 11:51 PM

Some epic stuff, can't wait until the siege of Constantinople. Glad you also decided to crop the photos of the UI gives it a much more professional feel. Keep it up

**Deepstrike101** · November 30, 2014, 02:43 PM

Just letting you guys know that I finished Chapter Six (I added in some campaign info and two battles) and am now working on Chapter Seven. I'm usually terrible with meeting deadlines, but I am confident I will have it finished today.

**Deepstrike101** · December 01, 2014, 02:29 AM

Book One: Chapter Seven
The Liberation of Constantinople

Let the world tremble as it senses all you are about to accomplish

The Sacking of Constantinople, 12th of April 1204 AD

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The Empire of Nicaea, 1226 AD

Basileus Theodoros had steadily gained reputation as an inspirational leader and more than competent general over the years. It was perhaps his greatest trait, however, that remained obscured from the public eye. Theodoros Laskaris was a great politician. His skills in the world of politics were never more evident than in the latter half of the 1220's.

For many years, Theodoros Laskaris bode his time. Though he could have laid siege far sooner, he understood that he needed a favorable political climate if he were to have any hopes of retaining the city and rebuilding the Roman Empire. With great patience, he had forged alliances with the Despotate of Epirus and the Empire of Trebizond to establish some peace between the successor states and to gain the military support of these two states. This, however, would not yet be enough.

In a strong political maneuver, Basileus Theodoros managed to secure the marriage of his daughter, Maria Laskarina, to Knyazich Vladimir Yaroslavich of Kiev. This meant the possible military support of the Kieven Rus against the Latin and Bulgarian empires. More importantly, it established a non-aggression pact between the Empire of Nicaea and the Kieven Rus. Russian and Roman goods began to flow through the Black Sea, carried by vessels of both nations. This caused a significant boost in the trade income of Rome's port cities, allowing for the creation of a larger standing army.

With his own Empire united, and with the support of his Greek and Russian neighbors, Theodoros felt ready to begin reclaiming land lost to the invasion of the Fourth Crusade.

It began in 1226 AD. An army gathered at Nicaea- the largest the Empire of Nicaea had gathered in nearly two decades. The total reinforcements from Trebizond and Epirus came in at about 830 highly professional warriors, 120 of whom were cavalry. The army was 2,500 men. Ioannis had arrived the previous year, bringing with him many men, though mostly of militia quality. Together, Theodoros Laskaris and Ioannis Vatatzes led this allied force northwest.

Upon assembling his forces across the Bosporus- the channel of water separating Europe from Asia, Basileus Theodoros felt inclined to give a speech. From the roof of a ruined countryside chapel, Theodoros Laskaris addressed his grand army.

"I am Basileus Theodoros Laskaris- Emperor of the once mighty Empire of Rome. For the third decade, by the treachery of the heretics and thieves of the Fourth Crusade and the malevolent presence of the Latin Empire, we are forced to call ourselves not the Empire of Rome, but the Empire of Nicaea. By the evils of this world, twenty two years ago we lost our beloved capital to barbarians who looted its homes, burned its streets, killed its men... and I shall not speak of their vile actions concerning our women. For twenty two years, our city... New Rome... Constantinople... Byzantium... has been a slave in the dirty paws of such men.

Today, the day we crossed the Bosporus, is December the thirty-first of the year of our lord, one thousand two hundred and twenty six. Though the learn'd already know this, I shall tell those of you with a poverty in knowledge why I have chosen this date for our crossing. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new year, and it will bring a change to the mood of these barbarians. We crossed today to let our enemies know that not only will this not be their year, but nor will any year from now on be their year. Drink and feast tonight, knowing that in this new era, the vile Latins tremble behind the walls our ancestors erected, but that these creations of our forefathers will not so readily defend evil men.

For too long has the Empire of Rome staggered on without its heart. I say that within a quarter of a decade, we shall triumphantly march through the streets of our once great city, and restore its incomparable glory once more... until in all the world there are none who could even lay claim to such civilization. March onwards men, and begin the siege. In times of cold or hunger, think not of yourself but of the families living under Latin tyranny. Think of the death these men have caused. Think of the rewards every one of you will reap once our city is restored and Rome rises from the ashes. We are liberators, men- march unto victory!"

With pride, Theodoros and Ioannis watched their army march west towards the city walls. Theodoros was right; a new era was about to begin. Under the blessing of the Patriarch Ioannis Kamateros, these brave men now taking up siege positions could become an instrument capable of changing the world.

The time to attack was very well planned. Robert de Courtenay, the usual guardian of Constantinople, had spent a year conducting training exercises with most of his army to the southwest. An assault on the walls of Constantinople would have been suicidal had Robert's forces been gathered within the city. The absence of his troops thus provided the perfect window of opportunity. The crossing of the Bosporus had been done very swiftly and caught the Latin Emperor off-guard. Great care was taken to delay Robert's discovery of the invasion for as long as possible. Any travelers, merchants, and messengers were intercepted and imprisoned for nearly a month while the Roman army toiled in the fields on a new project: Basileus Theodoros's troops had surrounded the city and proceeded to build a barricade against Robert de Courtenay facing to the west and south.

The barricade was massive, and certainly worthy of Rome. Much like Caesar himself, Theodoros erected these walls to both keep the defender in, and reinforcements out. Initially, Robert attempted several minor attacks against this reinforced wall. To his dismay, he found the response and strength of the Roman force to be too great to risk an attack. Symbasileus Ioannis was the one given command of this force, and he showed great skill in organization and deception in keeping Robert's forces as bay.

While the siege was maintained and the Roman army worked to build siege engines for the invasion, a much more subtle form of warfare was taking place within the city. This man had no name, even to Theodoros. Those who knew him within the city only whispered of him, and even then only called him "The Patriot." He was a Roman from the Empire of Nicaea. A spy. As time went on, he became well established in the city's pro-Roman underground movement. Discretely, they worked to sabotage the Latin soldiers and leadership as much as they possibly could. He worked his influence into the city guard and council and, more importantly, the people. He would send letters and signs to the Roman army informing them of conditions within the city.

As it turned out, the city's garrison was fairly minimal. Only six hundred men were left within the walls, usually performing long patrols along the walls rather than staying gathered in any one place. This meant it would be difficult for the Roman military to sneak in undetected. However, it also meant that the enemy would be slow to form up for a defense. "The Patriot" let Basileus Theodoros know that there was a high likelihood that those loyal to Rome would be able to overpower the guards at the gatehouses and open the gates for Theodoros's assault. Though he was happy to hear this, Theodoros decided it would still be wise to prepare siege equipment should the spy fail to carry out his mission. Additionally, the massed siege towers and rams would serve as a distraction to the defenders of the city.

Unfortunate news reached the Roman army in 1227 AD. The Papal States, in defense of their Latin puppet state, had chosen to declare war against the Empire of Nicaea, the Empire of Trebizond, and the Despotate of Epirus. These were grave tidings. The Papal States themselves were no threat at all, but as long as they remained openly hostile to Rome, so would all Catholic countries of the world. Venice would undoubtedly begin waging real war against Epirus. Hungary would be turned against Nicaea and Epirus. Genoa would begin to pirate the waters of the Black Sea and the Bosporus while Venice raided the coasts of Greece and Anatolia. Despite these circumstances, Basileus Theodoros knew he had no choice but to maintain siege and recapture the jewel of the Roman Empire. Only this would save his civilization. With redoubled effort, work began anew.

As work continued on the siege equipment, the siege began to drag out. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. Basileus Theodoros spent his time overseeing the logistics of his army and the construction of the siege towers. Ioannis continued to stave off Robert's invasion. As the Winter of 1228 AD was slowly turning into Spring, the two generals agreed it was time for the final assault.

One problem remained: If Robert de Courtenay learned that the Roman troops had left their barricade against him unguarded and were attacking the city, he would surely march to battle. It was Ioannis who came up with an ingenious plan to keep Robert de Courtenay from assisting Constantinople's garrison during this assault. Citizens loyal to Rome were gathered from nearby villages and towns and equipped with very cheap imitation uniforms. In addition to some thousand peasants left to guard the barricade, Ioannis also ordered the construction of two or three thousand scarecrows. Once these were completed, they too were positioned on the wall and dressed in contaratoi uniforms to suggest that the walls were well manned. These measures would not be enough to prevent an attack by the Latins- in fact, the peasants were ordered to abandon their posts and flee to their villages at the first sign of Robert's approach. It would, however, throw off the Latin Emperor just long enough for the Roman assault on Constantinople to come to fruition without his interference.

On March the fourth of 1228 AD, Ioannis's force embarked on a speedy march to join the assault and arrived in the evening, one day later. The battle was about to begin...

The Siege of Constantinople, Winter of 1228 AD

"Basileus, my lord... Ioannis and our main forces are now prepared for the assault," the messenger spoke.

"Excellent," Theodoros responded. He galloped a dozen meters forward and turned around to address his army one last time before the battle. "Romans... I have given you many speeches in our final days before this evening, and you all know well that we fight to liberate the heart of our civilization, so that we may call ourselves Rome once more. There is no inspiration I can give you today that you do not already have within your own hearts. Today, it is the strength in your arms, the flash of your steel, and the shield of your unwavering courage that will bring us victory. Remember, that we fight to liberate this city. Do not harm a citizen or loot a single home. Instead, show the Latin knights and their squires no mercy and the rewards for this battle will come to you from my own purse! You all know what to do, so just kill them, lads! God is with us. To battle!" He put on his helmet and drew his sword.

Like clockwork, the Roman advance began. From the North attacked Theodoros while Ioannis moved in from the South. In the East was concentrated most of Rome's infantry, and they now began their advance with several siege towers and a ram. Taking the Eastern wall to be the main target of the offensive, the Latin soldiers rushed to it. Theodoros and Ioannis did not bring siege equipment with their detachments and the Latin commander believed it was necessary to focus most of the troops on the Eastern wall.

Now came the real genius of Theodoros Laskaris's plan. As the Latin infantry moved away from the North and South gates, a group of Constantinople's residence made its way to both. Hooded men armed with swords and bucklers, they moved like shadows. Only several Latin guardsmen were left and each gate, and they were no match for the Roman spies. At each gate, the Romans and Latins clashed. Several spies were slain, but most of the Latin guards were captured and taken to the top of the walls. There, the spies held them until large crowds had gathered to look. The Patriot, standing with a knife to the throat of a Latin sergeant on top of the Northern gatehouse, yelled from the rooftops.

"Citizens of Rome! Your day of liberation is at hand. The rule of the Latins is ended in this city. If you are loyal, take up arms and fight the enemy. If you are not, then cower in your home and you shall not be harmed. If you oppose us, your fate will be dire!" With that, he sliced the Latin guard's throat. The man collapsed to the ground, gurgling as he suffocated on his own blood. The Patriot then kicked his still barely living body from the wall and his companion spies did the same to their hostages. Everything from rage to gasps of terror to vengeful cheering filled the air, and a riot broke out. Quickly, however, the Roman citizens, being more numerous, won out and dispersed to their homes in search of any weapons they could find.

It was not long before the sound of hooves became audible. At the North and South gates, the spies opened the gates, allowing the forces of Rome to enter the city. The first to come through were javelin cavalry- the mounted acritae. These men galloped at full speed to the city center. They were to take the town square and harass any enemies they found there. The attack through these two gates was shocking for the Latins, who immediately began to panic. Guards and pro-Latin citizens were cut down or speared by javelins if they attempted to halt the Roman cavalry. As panic spread, so too did rioting. The Roman population began torching Latin offices and homes. Seeing smoke rising from the city center, the Latin forces at the east gate abandoned their position and began running towards the town square.

The first Latin soldiers to make it to the town square were feudal knights. They began to attack the rioting Romans, but were quickly prevented from doing this by a new threat. The Roman mounted acritae galloped into the square from both the North and South, sending dozens of javelins hurling in the direction of the knights. As the Latin knights began pursuing one group of the acritae, another would ride up closer and throw javelins at their rear. Within a minute, every Latin knight was either dead, wounded, or unhorsed. The acritae had suffered no casualties, and managed to pick off the last of the Latin knights.

Just moments after, nearly one hundred Roman cataphracts galloped into the square. Theodoros and Ioannis met to discuss their next moves, coming to the conclusion that they would prevent the enemy soldiers from making their way into the square, thus trapping them all on a single street, where they could be surrounded and hacked down. In the meantime, the Eastern gate was also taken and opened for the Roman troops. Despite heavy combat against the garrison, the spies succeeded in invading the gatehouse. Now, scoutatoi fought the crusader sergeants in the east while more Latin infantry made its way towards the town square.

The Roman infantry formed up for combat in the square, but it was the cataphracts that took the fight to the enemy first. In the very front of the Roman attack was Basileus Theodoros. With unmatched courage and eagerness, he charged without concern for life or limb into the elite dismounted crusader knights. He fought for several minutes and killed several knights with his own sword. He soon found himself deep within enemy lines, fighting off half a dozen Latins by himself. Somewhat nervous for his father-in-law's life, Symbasileus Ioannis threw himself into the fray too, until he was just to the left of Theodoros. Together, they defeated many crusaders before Ioannis almost forcefully dragged Theodoros from the melee to safety. Neither was wounded, but several cataphracts were dead. With the Roman infantry now formed up, there was no need to sacrifice royal cataphracts or put their own lives at risk. The courage of both men was without doubt proven.

The battle did not end there. The enemy soldiers were still brave and well trained, and most fought to the end. The heaviest fighting was in the plaza, where knights and sergeants confronted various Roman infantries. In the center were scoutatoi while on the flanks were acritae. Most of the crusaders were beaten back by the scoutatoi but some were slain by javelins as well. As the scoutatoi from the East beat back their enemies, more and more Latin soldiers were sent from the plaza towards the incoming flood of Roman infantry from the East. The Romans chased after these men with the goal of breaking their morale.

As the Roman forces crushed the last significant pockets of Latin warriors, Basileus Theodoros and his cataphracts galloped to the town square. Soldiers were sent inside to clear it of Latins. Theodoros Laskaris, once defeated by the Latins on this very street corner now stood upon it proud of his victory. He was redeemed and he had now liberated the greatest city on Earth. It was his city now. With only small losses, he had thrown the Latin garrison into panic and claimed a triumph over his greatest rivals. It was a victory of unparalleled importance.

Theodoros Laskaris knelt next to the ruins of what was once a triumphal arch near the port. Quietly, he sat here for several seconds and then began to dig a small hole. In the hole was a large, dirty, yet perfectly preserved cross that he had last seen 24 years ago.

Ioannis approached Theodoros with a chalice of holy water. Theodoros silently nodded in gratitude and lowered the cross into the chalice, thus rinsing it and cleansing it of the dirt. He was surrounded by his royal cataphracts, who were now dismounted. He raised the cross to them, and they all knelt in front of him.

"That night that I left this city in ruins, knowing it would be ruled shrewdly by vile creatures, I buried this cross in the hopes that even some small mercy from God would be given to the poor Romans who we left in these walls, and in the hopes that God would one day help us return to this very spot.

Like this cross, this great city has been buried beneath the evil, worm filled, dirt of these Latin warmongers. Like this cross, the city is now purged of the dirt that coated it for twenty four years! Our weapons, like holy water, wash away the evil that had once ruled here. Now, this cross and this city are clean. Now, with the grace of God, it is our divine mandate to raise this city up high and rise as the great Roman Empire once again!"

The procession of cataphracts made their way back to the town square, where the new Basileus of Constantinople was met with cheers and flowers. Thousands of Constantinople's men and women had gathered and stood shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers of Nicaea, Trebizond, and Epirus. As one, they welcome the return of Rome's emperor and the expulsion of the Latins.

Theodoros removed his helmet and had to bite his tongue to keep tears from his eyes. The city he had once lost was now once more liberated, and his dreams of recreating Rome were now a true reality.

**Merchant of Venice** · December 03, 2014, 01:46 AM

Great chapter, it was really, really good.Love the flashback to the first sacking and Theodoro's speeches were truly inspiring. Can't wait to see what's next now.

**Deepstrike101** · December 03, 2014, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by Merchant of Venice

Great chapter, it was really, really good.Love the flashback to the first sacking and Theodoro's speeches were truly inspiring. Can't wait to see what's next now.

Really glad you enjoyed it!

I figured that including the first sacking would add to the narrative. Originally, I intended to make it seem like Laskaris sought redemption for fleeing the city. I also wanted to introduce that as the moment Laskaris met Ioannis (who would have bravely saved his life), until I realized that if I used Ioannis's in-game age for that, he would have been 9 or so at the time of the sacking. In real life, I believe Ioannis was older by a decade or so than the game has him in 1220 AD, though I am not sure. Either way, the intent transformed as I started writing to focus more on the chaos and bloodiness of that siege to show how traumatic it was for Laskaris to undergo all that, and then also lose his city.

Fun Fact: The game glitched somehow during the siege twice (the first time, the siege crashed after the battle ended). You can see on the campaign map when the battle is initiated, I have the night battle selected because I didn't want to fight Robert's army during the siege. Oddly, the actual siege takes place in the mid evening, what I would say looks like a good hour before sunset. I have no idea how that happened, but I decided to work around it by introducing that Caesar's Siege of Alesia style scenario with the barricade to separate the siege from Robert.

Things like that are one of the reasons I love writing AARs and playing Medieval 2. You never know what will happen and things that at first seem like inconveniences become narratives to expand, and coming up with an explanation for an oddity caused by the game feels almost like exploring. In my other AAR (Which I have been casually putting off

) the game caused a usurper to become king while the real heir to the throne was around. That would have been understandable- but the game appointed the position of heir to the usurper's son! I wrote two chapters just about the legitimate heir plotting the usurpers' downfall (though I need to finally post them!).

As for the next chapter in this AAR, it will be called "Tying Up Loose Ends." You've been following the AAR, so I think you'll be able to predict the nature of that chapter.

**Bassie** · December 04, 2014, 05:01 AM

Great start. Please continue as reading is fun.

Cheers

**Deepstrike101** · December 15, 2014, 03:12 AM

Just realized how long it's been since I last posted! D:

I'll have another chapter up within two days and I'll generally be much more actively posting during the break.

**Scottish King** · December 22, 2014, 01:00 PM

Great work you have here! I hope the ERE keeps the momentum going. I love the way you use your screenshots and other pics to add to AAR! Great job! + rep

**Deepstrike101** · January 02, 2015, 02:20 AM

Hey everyone. A quick update:

I thought that over the break, I would have time to write several chapters and get the AAR moving steadily along at a pace of a chapter every two or three days. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for several reasons. My parents recently bought a vacation home about four hours by car from where I normally live and I've been forced to drive up every weekend to help with renovations. We've done everything from repainting the entire interior and exterior to redoing the bathrooms completely and moving in/assembling all the necessary furniture. Worse yet, this entire week (not just weekend) I've been up here working on getting everything ready- we intend to rent the house out to cover monthly payments on it. In addition to all of this, I've had to spend the majority of a week caring after my girlfriend (who had some surgery not long ago) and then on all the holiday festivities. Then there's also online things: I run a 30 player Minecraft server and am in the middle of another AAR/fanfiction for Homeworld 2.

Needless to say, I have been extremely strapped on time to write anything for M2TW. Here's the more unfortunate part of this update: I'm putting this AAR on hold for a period of time. To be clear: This AAR is not dead at all and will continue when I can finally get things in order. I could try to squeeze it out using the time I have in between classes (as I've done in the past) or to take it out of my sleep time (not that I have any to spare) but I feel like that would potentially compromise the quality of my writing. I've felt rushed writing some chapters in between classes and think I could have made them better written if I could devote time to them. I have decided that I will wait until I have sufficient time and motivation for this AAR. In the past I've been terrible with post-by dates, so I am going to give myself some extra time with this one: I estimate it will be two weeks until I am ready to continue this AAR.

On the bright side, in those two weeks, I will be able to devote time specifically to this and my writing should slightly improve from the past chapters.

**Deepstrike101** · January 14, 2015, 11:52 PM

Well, two weeks have passed and I feel like I should finally breath some life back into this AAR. You guys can expect a post sometime over the weekend.

I'll be far busier with classes this quarter than I anticipated (taking 3 Computer Science courses) but I will make sure to devote time every week to this as well. From now on, I'll be going for one chapter per week. That should be doable and I think I'll be able to maintain consistency in posting once per week and keeping good quality in the posts.

**Roman Heritage** · January 25, 2015, 04:59 PM

That's a really, really interesting AAR about my favourite faction. I really enjoyed reading it through, keep it going, it's outstanding! You've managed to hit the right balance between "romanced" and "pragmatic" approach, and the overall plot, the characters' personalities and conspiracies, their own internal struggles (the insight on Alexios and his brother David's mixed relationship has been really, really captivating). As a fellow Roman - addicted myself, + rep

Great work.

**Deepstrike101** · January 28, 2015, 05:53 PM

Book One: Chapter Eight
The Four Emperors

"The best fortress a man can possess is the affection of his people."

“So Robert de Courtenay is still confident in his victory?” Theodoros Laskaris asked while thoughtfully looking over his decorated knife. He laid it down on the table and looked around the room. He was sitting in the large royal throne room of Constantinople, with a newly assembled noble council. After the reconquest of his city, Theodoros had spent no time in reestablishing a Roman infrastructure to rule effectively, and several new noble faces were present at the council.

“Yes, he has his army formed up to our south. He’s been getting food shipment from a fortress in Thessalonica. I’m almost surprised they’ve remained loyal to him after he lost Constantinople.” The speaker was Ioannis, who was sitting several nobles down on the table. In front of him was a newly drawn map showing Constantinople as the capital of Rome once again.

“I am not so sure that it’s loyalty. Captain Leontius reported earlier this morning that there is a lot of bribery taking place in the west of the remaining Latin Empire. Bribes which, by hearsay, are coming from Thessalonica. If I were naïve, I would dismiss this as rumor. However, Demetrius of Montferrat, King of Thessalonica, has decided to tour those cities and offer aid in surviving our reconquest.” He paused and unrolled a map before continuing. “These cities here are technically part of the Latin Empire, but they have been mostly isolated from Robert de Courtenay for nearly a year. They’re acting like city-states, even feuding with one another on occasion. If Demetrius is able to offer them stability, even if it means joining his kingdom, many will seek to join him. He’s not loyal to Robert, he’s trying to bribe his cities from him.”

Ioannis and the nobles were puzzled by their leader’s political insight. A loud but brief chatter arose throughout the room and then quieted down. Ioannis asked the question on everyone’s mind. “But then why supply Robert?”

“He wants to maintain the image of a benevolent ruler. If he goes to war against Robert, he will not only receive hostility from the cities he is courting, but he will also lose significant reputation with the other Latin-Greek Kingdoms and will draw the Pope’s disapproval. I believe he wants to avoid putting himself in this uncomfortable political situation.”

“Interesting, my Lord. But what will we do then? Robert is a grave threat but am I to understand he is the only thing keeping Thessalonica from gaining strength?”

Theodoros nodded. “We cannot risk Robert de Courtenay’s continued survival. We cannot gain control of many cities to the northwest while they believe their leader is alive and can retake Constantinople. We have to meet him in battle and crush his army,” said Laskaris, picking up his dagger and bringing the pommel down on the table lightly. “Thessalonica must also be dealt with. We are stretched thin, but if we are able to properly plan everything, we will defeat Robert and quickly march to deal with Thessalonica, knocking it out of the picture. What is the level of the Latins’ morale?”

“They appear to be eager in the field. What my spies have gathered indicates he believes our army to be wasted by the assault on the city and demoralized. I’ve ordered my spies to keep up his delusion and feed him misinformation as much as possible.”

“Excellent. I believe our meeting us coming to a conclusion then. Tomorrow we will formulate a more detailed plan of action, but I want to know now what the council’s consensus is on our issue.”

A flurry of talking began. Most of the voices were positive but there were a few dissenters, mostly nobles from the east of the Empire’s Anatolian territories. These people were concerned about rumors of a coming Turkish invasion, and had been trying to shift Theodoros’s attention back to the eastern borders instead of the European wars.

Theodoros Laskaris smiled and dismissed the council for the day. Once the last noble had left, Theodoros eyed the throne. He had sworn only to sit on it once the enemies of Rome were defeated and the city had regained its glory. Only then, could he consider himself the rightful emperor.

Several months passed before an army was raised once more to fight Robert de Courtenay. This army was mostly the same one which had taken Constantinople, with a good amount of veterans and elite heavy infantry. They were the same mix of men from Trebizond, Epirus, Nicaea, and even the Varangians from as far away as northern Rus’ and England. The march to the battlefield against Robert had not taken long and the Roman troops arrived fresh to Robert’s chosen field of battle.

Battle of the Bosporus, Winter 1228 AD

Battle Summary (spoilers, duh!)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

The land where the battle would take place was the southern edge of Constantinople’s peninsula. Several kilometers to the south, the Romans could see the waves of the Bosporus shimmering welcomingly. If there was not a battle at hand, it would have been a pleasant day.

Robert had chosen this area for battle for two reasons. The Bosporus would act as a natural barrier to prevent possible Roman forces from coming to the battle from the south or east. It was also near his camp sight and his troops were fresh. He had prepared and drilled them for months while the united Roman forces mobilized, and they were eager to meet the Romans at this location, which they knew well.

The two lines finally faced one another in the late morning. Theodoros had given a short speech, limited in length by a killer headache he picked up the previous night, and watched as Robert did the same a kilometer away. Theodoros returned to the royal cataphracts and rode up to Ioannis.

“Today all the victories we had worked so hard for will come to fruition and Rome’s rise will finally be assured. It’s the beginning of a new time for us, a time when we won’t have to fear the dark.”

The Romans from three different empires were formed up together and eager for battle. The front line was made up of mostly scoutatoi in a dense shield wall, braced to meet any Latin cavalry. Behind them stood acritae with their javelins at the ready. On either flank was the Roman heavy cavalry. Each flank had about a hundred mounted warriors, with half being mounted acritae with javelins and the other half being the cataphracts.

The Latins had chosen a different strategy than usual- instead of a head on cavalry charge, Robert had wisely positioned his cavalry in reserve and lined the front with his higher quality infantry- knights, men at arms, and sergeants of all kinds. They marched with disorder, but by now most Romans knew well that what they lacked in discipline they made up for with vigor and strength of arms. The crusader knights especially induced unease within the Roman ranks as they advanced on foot.

The two lines stopped just short of each other and the skirmish began. The javelinmen behind the main Roman line began hurling their javelins over the scoutatoi line. These decimated the Latin lines, but the enemy stood firm and responded with a powerful hail of crossbow bolts. Some were stopped by the large triangular shields of the Roman infantry, but many nonetheless lodged in Romans. Some of the mounted acritae, with their lighter armor and unarmored horses, were targeted in particular and took heavy casualties.

Once the Roman javelinmen had expended their ammo, both sides moved in for the melee. The Latin side was charging, and the Romans, equally eager, led a counter charge. The two battle lines met with a loud clatter of shields and steel, followed closely by screams of agony. The two sides at first seemed well matched. The heavy Roman infantry stood their ground like immovable cliffs while the Latin warriors battered away at their shield wall like waves, neither willing to give ground. The battle seemed to freeze in time as these two forces clashed.

Then, a loud trumpet sounded and the Roman cavalry on both flanks leaped into action. The mounted acritae wheeled around the flanks and began to harass the Latin force, and trying to chase down the enemy crossbowmen.

The rolling thunder of hooves announced the arrival of Rome’s cataphracts. Leading the charge was Theodoros Laskaris himself. Like a force of nature, the cataphracts smashed into the Latins’ line, shattering a company of crusaders. After a short period of melee, the Roman elites withdrew to the south and charged once more.

A company of Latin men at arms peeled off from the main melee on the left flank in an attempt to chase down Ioannis's cataphracts, but instead were met with a charge from half a hundred one ton horses and their deadly riders. The Roman cavalry effortlessly smashed this rearguard force and continued to mercilessly pummel the rear of the enemy’s troops.

The Roman infantry was gaining a large advantage. The Roman professional infantry was holding their ground very well against their Latin counterparts, and now even starting to push forward. Even the Roman militias were standing their own against the enemy, determined to break the enemy and prove themselves the equals of more elite Roman forces. Slowly but surely, the enemy morale dropped as they realized the Roman forces were winning the battle. One by one, Latin companies began to peel off and flee.

Robert de Courtenay had avoided the Roman cavalry, and had rushed to relieve his collapsing line. Both sides’ formations became increasingly disorganized. The Latin infantry was starting to break in places under the unstoppable Roman cavalry attacks and in the chaos that so often occurs in such massive melees, the Romans were pursuing them and losing formation as well. A company of scoutatoi had slightly exposed their left flank and Robert de Courtenay and his knights sought to take advantage of this. They brought a charge home, but the scoutatoi stood firm and fought back long enough for Ioannis to bring his cataphracts to bear briefly on the Latin knights.

Ioannis tracked down Robert as the melee began and rode past him, dealing a powerful blow against the man’s chest before he could react. Robert nearly fell out of his saddle but held firm. His chain armor had stopped the blow from penetrating, but extensive bruising appeared all across his chest. He was bleeding from several other wounds. Ioannis turned to make another pass at him again, but a Latin knight blocked him off. He rode to the knight and slashed at him several times. The man parried the blows and struck back, landing a blow on Ioannis’s shoulder. The lamellar armor stopped the blow without incident and Ioannis recovered effortlessly, again slashing at the knight. For half a minute, the two exchanged blows and it was unclear who would survive this melee, when a Roman cataphract at full gallop brought a large cavalry mace down on the man’s back. The knight slumped in his saddle, probably with a broken spine. A scoutatoi spearman who had dropped his shield drove his spear into the knight’s horse with both arms, and both the man and horse collapsed to the ground.

Ioannis, now freed up, searched for Robert only to find him a hundred meters away, making an escape. The Latin Emperor had enough of the battle and sought to escape north. Theodoros’s voice thundered from twenty meters away as he and his nobles sped by Ioannis. “Do not let him escape! He must be captured!”

Driving his stirrups into his horse’s sides, Ioannis took off after the Latin leader, but it was obvious the cataphracts were too slow. In the distance, he could see that the captain of the toxotae had ordered them to bring Robert and his knights down, and a hail of arrows flew at the survivors, unhorsing a couple of knights. Robert survived and continued to gallop, hoping to break through the ring of Romans rapidly encircling him. He made his bid for escape in a charge against the Varangian Guard. He brought his horse to its maximum speed and held on tight, heading for their flank.

All but one Varangian cleared out of the way. The one man who stood his ground against the one ton warhorse and Robert de Courtenay was none other than the Acolouthos- the Acolyte. This man was a Russian from Novgorod by the name of Rastislav and was the leader of the Empire’s Varangians. He raised his axe and stood firm against Robert. Seconds passed as the onlookers gasped at what they expected to be his last moment on Earth. At just the last moment, Rastislav stepped to his left and brought his great Danish axe slamming down onto the horse’s front legs. The beast instantly collapsed and Robert flew off the saddle, landing in a bloodied heap ten meters further. Bloodied, but alive.

Theodoros and Ioannis rode up to the scene and dismounted. A couple of Varangians picked up Robert and dragged his broken body to Theodoros Laskaris. “This is the Latin dog, my lord,” said one of them, dropping the man to the ground.

“You’re defeated, Robert. Your empire has fallen and now so have you. There is nowhere for you to go, and nowhere you can hide from divine punishment.” Theodoros spoke in perfect Latin as he took his sword out and held it to the throat of the Latin.

“Why… won’t you just kill me then, you Greek scum?” Asked Robert in broken Byzantine with a maniacal hatred in his eye. “I was the Emperor of Rome until you Nicene bastards came along. Not one king in Europe will take kindly to you and you will be dead before the turn of the decade, as God wills it.”

Theodoros chuckled. “If you style yourself the Emperor of Rome, then perhaps you will not mind being treated as a defeated one,” he retorted. “Have you ever heard of what happens to deposed emperors? You are blind to your sins, but I will help you see. We will remove your eyes and perhaps then you’ll finally look within and see the evil that you are. As for Europe… Until deceit by you and your evil crusaders, Rome had survived Europe for three thousand years. You are descended from barbarians, and barbarians will never triumph over Rome. We will never let the same crusader deceit undermine our empire again.” He turned to the Varangians. “Take him to Constantinople, blind him, and throw him in the deepest dungeon you can find.”

“It will be done, my lord!”

“Good.” Theodoros sighed as he looked across the field of battle. Several hundred Romans were slain, but their victory was complete and they no longer had anything to fear from the Latin Empire. Constantinople was theirs and their greatest foe was in his custody.

Battle Summary

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

As he always liked to do, Theodoros ordered his line reformed to give a post-battle speech. He was unwounded, and mounted his horse, riding along the front line.

“Today marks the final defeat of the Latin Empire. Last year we conquered Constantinople and Rome rose from its ashes. Today, we destroyed the last immediate threat to our great capital and have shown the world that Rome is ready to defend itself against all challengers. Robert de Courtenay, the Latin Emperor, is our captive. Through the united strength of arms of every man here- from Epirus, Trebizond, or Nicaea, we have reestablished our legacy. We have faced the adversity and hostility of our world, and with God’s help, we have recovered. Yesterday, you were all from different empires. Today, you are all Romans once more. I am proud to call you Romans, my brothers.”

A loud cheer went up from the crowd and weapons clattered on shields as joy swept through the lines. Many of the men remembered the catastrophic collapse of their empire, and its reestablishment was an extremely emotional moment. Many men fell to their knees and cried, thanking God for delivering them.

The joy was interrupted by a loud horn calling from the south. Theodoros and Ioannis turned to see something they had not expected. Towards them rode a company of cataphract nobles who had disembarked from galleys on the Bosporus.

Ioannis looked at his father in law with confusion. “I didn’t know you had more cataphracts in reserve for you, my lord. They certainly have missed the battle.”

“I… didn’t, and they are not mine,” responded Theodoros with a frown. He turned back to his troops. “All of you, form up for battle immediately! Scoutatoi and castrophilakae at the front, in shield wall. Acritae, salvage what javelins you can and form up behind them, at the ready. Ioannis, take your cavalry to the other flank,” barked Laskaris.

He headed to the right flank, and drew his sword. Ten minutes passed tensely as the Roman army watched the approach of suspiciously Roman looking cataphracts. Finally, they came close enough that Theodoros could distinguish the symbols on the approaching army’s shields and standards. “Devil take me! What treachery is this!?”

Half a kilometer away marched a combined cataphract force of Epirus and Trebizond, led by their respective emperors. They had arrived unannounced and straight after a battle, while Theodoros’s troops were still licking their wounds. The cataphracts did not stop until they were just twenty meters from the Roman lines. Theodoros could guess why they had arrived. He told his cataphract forces to stay in their place, and rode behind the main shield wall until he reached its center. Ioannis did the same from the other side. On the other side of the line, he saw Theodoros Doukas and Alexios of Trebizond ride forward.

The line that held the Roman middle was mostly made up of a mixed scoutatoi company from both Trebizond and Epirus, so Theodoros was taking a great risk by riding among them without his cataphract bodyguards, but he understood that the way he acted in those crucial moments would decide his fate and that of his empire. He could see his own Nicene forces gripping their weapons and looking at their foreign brothers at arms.

The acritae held their javelins aimed at the scoutatoi in front of them, but Laskaris gestured for them to stand down. He stopped in the center of the line and faced the two other emperors from behind the foreign scoutatoi. These men were looking around with distress painted on their face. A moment of silence passed before anybody spoke.

“So, this is the sort of double cross you wanted to play?” Asked Laskaris while glaring at Doukas and Alexios. “You wanted me to reunite Rome and reconquer Constantinople, to defeat Robert de Courtenay. Then, you wanted to turn the troops that helped reunite Rome against me. I could have thought Doukas capable, but I did not expect that from you, Alexios. This is all… very low.”

Another moment of silence passed before either emperor responded. It was Doukas who spoke first, scanning the scoutatoi from Epirus. “We have grown tired of your, Laskaris. You proclaimed yourself emperor and seek to build Nicaea while using Epirus and Trebizond for your gain, then casting us off to fend for ourselves when you no longer have a use for us. This abuse is coming to an end today.” The scoutatoi began to murmur, but Laskaris raised his hand and silence fell again as they watched his response with great attention.

“I have done no such thing. I asked for allies to retake our beloved city and we have done just that. All the while, I have kept Nicene gold flowing into your coffers so that you could recruit more men to defend your lands. I have been trying to create a reunited Rome for decades, and any man here can attest to that. You, Doukas, have plotted and schemed your way to the top. You have no true vision for Rome- all you have ever cared about was personal gain. All your speeches about retaking Rome and cleansing it of corruption were never about helping the people of Rome. They were about creating a larger empire that you could one day rule for yourself. And you, Alexios, why have you come to deceive me?”

“I have watched you take our land. I was meant to retake Rome from your father in law and stop the constant civil wars that plagued it. I was going to give rise to the name, Komnenos, once again. My brother wanted to submit to the Latin Empire, but I stayed strong and have fought for the independence of Trebizond. I will not see it become a vassal to Nicaea.”

“You speak of ending the civil strife of our Empire, and yet you both stand here in an attempt to shed blood and rid yourselves of another rival. I am curious, though, what will you do if you succeed? Another will take my place on behalf of Nicaea, and you will have accomplished nothing. Should you take Constantinople with the help of your soldiers here, what then? Doukas will invariably plot to become Emperor of Rome, while Alexios will oppose him at every turn? Or will Alexios become Emperor of Rome while Doukas silently waits until the right time to stab him in the back?”

The two enemy emperors now exchanged suspicious glares. They had obviously each underestimated the level of deviousness of the other. Laskaris had struck a blow to their alliance. Seeing this, he continued. “I have no intent to turn Trebizond or Epirus into vassals. I have fought for a united Rome, one in which all citizens are Romans, and no matter where they live, all of Rome’s might will be brought to bear to protect them. I have fought among men of both Epirus and Trebizond to unite it, while you have sat in your kingdoms, hoping to just appear and take Rome for yourselves. I am powerless to stop you, so if you have such an insatiable greed for power and want the throne so badly, take it. Only these men from your own kingdoms stand in your way. Let them decide who should rule Rome.”

Doukas rode forward with his sword drawn. “Indeed. Epirus, Trebizond, it is time. Cut him down!” Confusion flashed across the faces of the scoutatoi. They had not been told by their emperors that they would have to double cross and murder the man who had led them to two great victories and had fought so hard for a reunited Rome, thus earning their trust and respect. They glanced at all three emperors in turn, trying desperately to comprehend how their great successes against their long time Latin enemies could suddenly turn into treachery and civil war against their brothers at arms. Not one man moved from his post.

“Are you deaf? Attack them!” Yelled Alexios. “Your emperors command you to!”

A silence fell across the lines as all eyes focused on the two captains who had led the foreign troops. The captain from Epirus walked to the center of the line, sword in hand. “No.”

Doukas just stared at him dumbfounded. “What? You dare show treachery? I will have your family hanged! How dare you betray your emperor? Order the troops to attack!”

The captain’s face was distorted with pain at his decision, but he repeated the word again. “No.” He pointed his sword towards the emperor of Epirus. “I once thought that Epirus was what remained of Rome, a star surrounded by darkness. The more I have fought with these men, the more I have realized that I was living a lie, and that it was Theodoros Laskaris fighting for Rome, not Theodoros Doukas. I have only one emperor, and I serve only one Rome: and it is not yours. Do with me what you must, but my conscience will be clear.”

Now, Doukas was completely furious. “Cataphracts, kill that traitor!” He yelled while riding towards the captain with his sword raised. Before he could reach the captain, however, two dozen scoutatoi from Epirus charged forward and formed a ring around their defiant leader. Doukas continued to advance, now ready to strike at them as well, when they leveled their spears at him. His horse reared and he was almost throne from his saddle with surprise. “Dammit, cataphracts, kill them all!” When they did not charge, he turned back towards his cataphracts and noticed something he did not expect on their faces as well. It was the same face the scoutatoi captain had made just moments ago. Some shook their heads and only now did Doukas understand the depth of his predicament. He had lost the loyalty of even his nobles by ordering them to butcher Epirus’s men. He looked desperately at Alexios for help.

Alexios had been watching the scene unfold, but now rode at his own captain in alarm. “What are you doing, men? This is madness!” The front line of his scoutatoi lowered their spears at him and he was forced to stop.

“Come no closer!” Yelled his captain and jeers came at him from his men. “We have one Emperor! One Rome!” The scoutatoi yelled in agreement and one began a chant: “One Emperor! One Rome!” The rest joined in, until they were all chanting the same four words. Stunned, Alexios retreated to his cataphracts. He had sailed to the Bosporus expecting his men to turn on Theodoros Laskaris and either bring him to submit to Trebizond’s authority or remove him from the picture entirely. Instead, he was now powerless and his own troops were arrayed against him.

Doukas was even more shocked. For two decades, he had schemed to become emperor, but now his long held ambitions were shattered and replaced by fear. He did not know that in the time they had been apart Theodoros Laskaris had become such an influential leader. His own troops held higher respect for Laskaris after two years than they ever held for him! His plans had come to an end.

Theodoros Laskaris watched the scene unfold with a sly smile. The foreign troops in his army had just called him Emperor, and he had torn their loyalty from the other two emperors. They were now vulnerable. He whispered some instructions to Ioannis and his son in law took off to the left flank while he himself returned to the right. The Roman line’s flanks began to move south to form a crescent around the enemy cataphracts while the Roman cataphracts completed the crescent by forming a wall to the south. In their despair and frustration, the two emperors did not notice the Romans reposition their forces. Doukas was screaming at his nobles for refusing to charge while Alexios was denouncing his scoutatoi for disloyalty.

When Alexios finally yelled at Doukas to look up, they were completely surrounded. The Roman cataphracts followed their emperor and advanced up to the cataphracts from Epirus and Trebizond. They paused just meters apart and Doukas and Alexios rode forward to meet them. Doukas let loose a string of curses at Laskaris.

“Give it up, Doukas. Your scheming has come to an end. You have lost the loyalty of your troops and even your nobles will no longer follow your lead. Stand down, and you will be spared your life and your lands.”

“I will not stand down! I have done too much, gone too far to stop now!” Doukas said bitterly. What sliver of a conscience Doukas had, told him that he had too much blood on his hands for it to amount to nothing. “I was meant to be Rome’s emperor. Not you!” Then, Doukas pointed to Alexios. “And certainly not him!”

Alexios glowered back understanding that Doukas had intended to betray him from the start of their correspondence many years earlier. Understanding that the only way he would save face or live to return to Trebizond would be to surrender, he quietly calmed himself and rode up to his ex-ally. “Give it up, Doukas. We have lost. God’s will is in this. Had you and I succeeded, there would have been no peace, not with your treachery or my ambitions.” He resigned himself to his fate and continued to Laskaris. “I pray that God made the right choice. We were once good friends. Things will never go back to the way they were; too many men have died in our feud… but I hope that you will be the Basileus Rome needs now. What will become of us?”

“Abdicate your perceived right to the Roman throne, and you will be spared. I shall let you retain partial rule over your lands and hold titles. You will become servants of Rome. You always wanted to bring about a new Rome, Alexios. Help me do that.”

With some humiliation, but determined to stay resigned to his defeat, Alexios nodded and rode back to his cataphracts. Doukas rode up to Laskaris to try and confront him one more time. “Serve Rome, Laskaris, or serve you?” He asked with contempt in his voice.

“Doukas, your mistake is in your belief that people in power are there to be worshipped and served by those they control. You would have Rome serve you. But it is the emperor’s job to serve Rome. Worship from the people comes not from your position of power, but from the respect you earn. If you only understood this, our places would be switched.”

“Now you dare lecture me?”

“I will leave you to depart us in peace, but it will be up to your men if they should continue to follow you. Instead of fuming at wisdom, you should heed the advice. Perhaps it will one day help you.”

Doukas wanted to take another jab at Laskaris, but the jeering of his nobles in agreement with Laskaris dissuaded him. He was losing face quickly, and he knew that he was close to losing not just his pride, but also his position as ruler of Epirus. “We will see, Laskaris.” With that, he rode off.

Theodoros Laskaris rode up to Rastislav, who was mounted on a large horse next to him. “Rastislav, order the men to set up tents, and see to it that neither of them attempts to leave. We will discuss the future of our empire tonight, and there is certainly much to discuss…”
-----

Two weeks passed amid extensive discussions over treaties and plans for a united Rome. Alexios was surprisingly cooperative, consenting to assimilate his portion of the empire. Doukas proved difficult, but under threats from his own noble council, he too was forced to agree. Both ex-emperors were given honorary titles and would continue to rule their respective lands, though with far less power. Law would become standardized throughout the land and each region was answerable to Basileus Theodoros Laskaris, particularly on military and budgetary issues.

On the third week, a large procession returned to Constantinople. In the front rode Basileus Laskaris, proud to receive a ceremonious welcome from the inhabitants. He took with him Doukas and Alexios and all the nobles from Nicaea, Epirus, and Trebizond that had been at the Bosporus. Laskaris figured it would serve to remind them what Rome was. The city had been greatly cleaned up after the previous year’s siege. Glorious building towered triumphantly while the people of the city cheerfully went on with their lives.

All the members of the procession came to the throne room, where the treaties would finally be signed to signify the reunification of Rome. Nobles were lined up across both sides of the room, intermixed between all three regions. A purple carpet was brought to replace the red one leading to the throne. As Laskaris entered the room, all present bowed- including a reluctant Doukas and Alexios. The Basileus of Rome walked with pride through the room and the nobles stood as he passed them. He ascended the steps to his throne, and turned around. He looked around the room. He saw something he had never seen before. A deeper respect than any he had ever witnessed, even from the nobility of the other regions. He sat down onto the throne.

“Welcome, my brothers, to the Empire of Rome.”

**Deepstrike101** · January 28, 2015, 06:01 PM

Aaaaand we're finally back. That chapter was pretty much double length- 5,500 words! Also, the forum decided to play the devil and logged me out as I was trying to post it, and I had to re-add all the images. <insert ragequit>

Hope you guys enjoy. I have designated Wednesdays as my posting days and now that everything is finally somewhat under control in my life, there should be a post every Wednesday.

I have just one more chapter to post until I catch up to where I am in-game, so I'm excited for that. Some interesting times are coming up as the new Rome struggles to reclaim its former status in the region's politics and is forced to war against multiple empires at once. We'll see some more Seljuks, Latins, and probably Hungarians too!

**Merchant of Venice** · January 29, 2015, 12:09 AM

The last chapter has definitely been the best so far, I loved how the troops turned on Doukas and Alexios and the dialogue, from the speeches to the confrontation between Laskaris and the traitors, was perfect. Excellent work and glad to hear you'll be updating this more frequently from now on.

**Deepstrike101** · February 04, 2015, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by Merchant of Venice

The last chapter has definitely been the best so far, I loved how the troops turned on Doukas and Alexios and the dialogue, from the speeches to the confrontation between Laskaris and the traitors, was perfect. Excellent work and glad to hear you'll be updating this more frequently from now on.

Awesome, glad to see you are enjoying it.

What would everybody like to see in the AAR? Is there a good balance between battles/exposition/characters, or should I slightly shift the focus? I ask since the AAR's storyline is advancing very slowly- it's great for character development, but we've had more chapters than years/turns in the story!

**Deepstrike101** · February 04, 2015, 12:44 AM

Book One: Chapter Nine (Part One)
Symbasileus and Heir

Basileus Theodoros stroked his beard again, deep in thought atop his throne. He slowly turned to Ioannis, with a tired expression on his face. “They’re drawing thousands of troops from Anatolia… troops that we should be drawing from there instead. Damn the incompetence of pacifist emperors. Had it not been for them, we would still have Anatolia and perhaps we may have never lost Constantinople.”

Ioannis nodded as he read through a dispatch about an approaching Seljuk army. “I agree completely. Civil reforms and grand celebrations are not a pleasure Rome should afford itself when there are barbarians in the world.” He scanned over the section detailing the enemy empire’s cavalry. “It is truly sad that the mounted warriors of Anatolia now fight for the enemy. They were once our greatest asset. At least with the help of Trebizond we might be able to launch a counter attack into their lands… maybe disrupt something.”

Theodoros smiled briefly at the memory of his victory over the traitorous emperors. “Yes, our new lands will have their uses, in time. I fear though, that we must hasten the reunification of our lands geographically. I’ve been receiving increasingly alarming news that Hungary is prepared to annex Bulgaria and attack us next. They want to attack us before we can make progress and rebuild our military strength.”

“Yes, by God, if they show their Latin-speaking heads here, I will personally crush them in battle.”

“I’m sure we will, Ioannis… The Venetians seem quieter than usual, and I think that will let us have some chances to reform our Epirus regions. Trebizond will have it tougher with the Saracens, but we will endure,” he said and reached for a nearby apple. Crunching it, he added, “But military planning is not why you are here today.”

“No? Then what is the reason, my lord?”

“I’ve called you here because the time has come for you to learn our trade. You’ve shown promise as a commander of men in battle and you have governed well in Smyrna. My elder son, Syrgiannes, is but seven, and I am growing old. Fifty-Four… and you know, at my age, any day that you wake up on the right side of the ground is a blessed day. My doctor says it’s a miracle that I did not die seven years ago…” His voice trailed off and he lost focus for several seconds as he briefly contemplated his own mortality. “I know that I don’t have many decades longer to live, and though I love my two sons, I cannot know what emperors they will be. I wish to leave nothing to chance.”

Ioannis quirked an eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean by all of this, my lord?” Ioannis asked cautiously.

“When I first married Irena off… to Andronikos Palailogos, I was not happy with the situation. He was not a drunk or fraud, but he lacked the vision and determination to become emperor. Though ambition can be a double edged sword, none can rule successfully without it. Some of the greatest emperors- Caesar, Augustus, Trajan, Constantine, Justinian… they’ve all harbored great ambition, and their empires prospered. If an individual can harness their ambition to just causes, and helped by the hand of God, he can accomplish anything.”

Ioannis was now even more confused. He understood that his father in law occasionally liked to dance around a topic instead of state his intentions directly until asked. Ioannis knew that his wife’s previous husband was deceased, but did could not figure out what Andronikos had to do with himself. “Irena seldom mentions Andronikos… what became of him?”

“I am surprised you do not know, Ioannis! He liked to spend his time on fruitless distractions such as hunting. Perhaps it was God’s hand that pushed him along to his fate. He fell of his horse when it tripped over a log and he broke his head. Of course it was tragic for Irena, and I was saddened at the news, but it did leave an opening for a more fitting heir.” He waited for his last words to sink in. He smiled as an expression of shock streaked across Ioannis’s face.

“You believe that I am a fitting heir, your majesty? What of your sons?” Ioannis exclaimed with surprise. When he married Irena, he had considered this possibility, although that was before Theodoros married Marie de Courtenay and had two sons. Ioannis had parted with the idea that he might one day be emperor, and had not expected this new development.

“That is what I wanted to speak to you about. You have been a great asset to the Roman people. You have shown that you care for all men and women of Rome and that you are a capable military leader with ambition when it comes to fighting Rome’s enemies. I admire your devotion to Rome. You have both loyalty and ambition, which is a truly rare combination, Ioannis. I believe you have the proper virtues to be the next leader of the Roman people.”

“That is a great responsibility. Will your sons not seek to become the rightful heirs?”

Theodoros sighed and leaned back into the throne. “I have watched you grow from a young noble from a military family into an assertive leader. You are what Rome needs. You have the trust of the people, and I have their trust. If I tell them that you are to become my successor, they will approve.”

“But what if Syrgiannes doesn’t share your point of view? Rome is not known for peaceful power transitions…”

“Ioannis, I understand your concern, but you must understand mine. Rome is as fragile as fine porcelain, and in the coming years, it will need a mighty leader to keep it together. My sons do not have the experience they need. I will soon be too old to teach them the values and skills that are required of Rome’s next emperor. But you have what it takes, and you have watched me rule quite closely.”

Ioannis attempted to protest again, but Theodoros raised his hand to stop him.

“I have thought about this long and hard. You are of royal blood and you have married my daughter. The people will accept you and, with time, my children will learn to accept you as well. Rome will not survive the rule of an inexperienced teenager. You must be the next emperor. You have the ambition that Andronikos did not and that my sons may not have.”

“But, my lord, I have no wish to be a usurper!”

“Ioannis, no personal qualms with such a transition of power are worth anything when Rome is at stake. You believe that even with the emperor’s blessing, and as his son in law, it is wrong to become the heir. Do you believe that is more ethical to let Rome fall apart and let hundreds of thousands suffer at the hands of our world’s evils?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then you must become the next heir, Ioannis. To me, you have been a son for many years. Syrgiannes looks up to you as a brother. The people of Rome view you as a victor and a benevolent ruler. You are the emperor Rome needs. If you will not do it for me, do it for Rome.”

Ioannis grudgingly nodded. “Anything for Rome, I suppose…”

**Deepstrike101** · February 04, 2015, 12:46 AM

Chapter Nine is being split into two parts and the next one should be posted within 24 hours. I had to split it up due to time constraints and temporary writers' block. Tomorrow I'll go back and beautify part one and post part two.

**Roman Heritage** · March 15, 2015, 09:20 AM

Hey Deepstrike, when's new update? Just curious, you've got some really excellent stuff in here. I somehow miss reading through it all

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