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Anno Domini 827, April-7
"Here you are—the man everyone's talking about," I heard Skleros say.
We were in one of the outer palaces of the imperial complex, where the local aristocracy usually gathered. A banquet was being held in my honor, and although I wanted to disappear from the capital as quickly as possible, everything remained painfully complicated. I could feel eyes fixed on me at all times.
"Skleros," I replied as I turned and saw the strategos of Macedonia, smiling with obvious satisfaction.
"Good campaign, eh, Basil? From what I can see, everything worked out. The pirates stopped being a nuisance, I'll probably have more budget next year to contain the Bulgarians, and the emperor reaffirmed his legitimacy on the throne with this victory," he said as he stepped closer and gave me a few friendly pats on the shoulder.
"Hey… did you know about the post as strategos of Crete? I've got a massive target on my back now… and apparently the post is going to be hereditary. Since they gave it to me because of my lands, I assume everyone wants me dead now," I replied with a dismissive gesture, while noticing the persistent stares of a group of eunuchs.
"Not exactly," Skleros said. "But if the emperor gave you all the lands of Crete, there were only two options. Either he reached an agreement with you to assign land to soldiers of the themata, or he gave you the post directly so you could do what you deemed necessary. Otherwise, imperial authority would have become far too complicated, having to negotiate with the owner of the island just to keep a garrison there. This was the most viable solution."
As he spoke, he raised a hand, and the eunuchs dispersed without a word.
"It's going to be a monumental headache," I said, crossing my arms. "The island is depopulated, I don't have real support from the imperial fleet, and I barely have three dromones. Even adding my mercenaries and the recruited troops, I barely reach five thousand men. And unlike a thema like yours, where there are rotations every so often, I'm going to have to maintain them permanently."
"Oh, come on," Skleros replied with a smile. "Now you can go to the imperial shipyards and push orders through with your authority, or bring shipbuilders and set up a shipyard in Crete. If I'm not mistaken, the island has good forests for naval construction. In a few years you could have a respectable fleet to defend it. As long as you keep control, you shouldn't have too many problems."
A servant brought him a cup of wine, which he took casually.
"I'm practically going to spend everything I earned on this," I replied, already doing the math in my head. "Repairing the walls of Heraklion, rebuilding the island's agricultural system… to prevent the sarakenoi from attacking civilians in scattered villages, we had to concentrate them in more defensible zones. And now there aren't enough people for everything."
"If it helps, what happened when I was given the thema of Macedonia after the affair with Krum was far more complicated," Skleros said as he drank from the cup. "I had a broken army, almost no fortifications, and the Bulgarians exploited every weakness of the Empire. Even so, I overcame it. You're in a much better position: you have funds, time, and for now, few real dangers. I doubt the pirates will return—except perhaps those from Africa. If the information I have is correct, we may have trouble with them sooner rather than later. But take heart, lord of Crete."
"Do you think they'll send me reinforcements? Armenians, Pontics… you know, like they usually do when a thema lacks manpower," I asked, genuinely interested.
"Maybe, though I doubt it," Skleros replied thoughtfully, emptying the cup and extending his hand so a eunuch could refill it. "The Abbasids might act this very year once they learn that the emir of Crete is no longer disrupting trade. They could launch an invasion simply to cause damage. The slave trade enriched many of those pagans, and losing it won't sit well with them."
"What a mess…" I muttered. "I can always double down on the Varangians."
I looked at Sigurd, who calmly turned his neck, alert to every movement around him, just like the rest of my men.
"And by the way," Skleros continued, "how did you manage to get the Varangians to follow you? And how did you bring them all the way here? It's a long journey—if you think about it, they have to cross all of Rus'."
"I saved one of them and his crew from slavery," I replied simply. "Then we reached an agreement. He sold my armor, because I couldn't do it in Constantinople."
As I spoke, I returned the gaze of a group of aristocrats who wouldn't stop watching me.
"Ah, right," Skleros said. "Michael told me he finally found the gift you sent him. One of the scholai had kept the armor and sold some of it to his subordinates. He's dead now. He stole imperial property."
He took another sip before continuing.
"Michael is interested in buying more armor, although it will probably be Theophilos who makes the purchase. Michael has the feeling he's going to die at any moment. He's been like that for months, saying his body warns him. But the old Anatolian warrior must be a bit paranoid with so many intrigues around him."
"Strategos Leon," a man said, interrupting our conversation. "It's been a long time."
"Do I know you?" Skleros replied coldly, not bothering to hide his contempt.
"Uh… of course… yes, we know each other," the man tried, uncomfortable.
"I don't. So if you'll excuse me, I'm discussing something important," Skleros replied, turning back to me and looking at the man with open disgust.
The man withdrew without insisting.
"Who was that?" I asked as I watched him leave.
"Bryennios' rat," Skleros replied without lowering his voice. "He controls many forges in Thrace and in the capital. More than once he blocked my access to weapons because he wanted me to marry his daughter and divorce my wife. He was probably here begging for attention."
"Noted. Never trust him," I replied as I watched Bryennios speaking with his family, averting his gaze whenever he noticed us looking. "Anything else I should know? Any advice to avoid ending up with a dagger in my back?" I asked, genuinely interested in his experience.
Skleros remained thoughtful for a few seconds.
"Don't get close to the Isaurian family, or Michael will see you as an enemy and put you in his sights," he finally said. "The Doukas are… meh. Dangerous if you underestimate them, but cowardly. They hide among ranks of bureaucrats and never show their faces."
He took another sip before continuing.
"The Skleros—my family—have no reason to trouble you. Our interests lie in Anatolia and Cappadocia. And the Phokas… personally I have nothing against them, but be careful nonetheless. They have great ambitions, and you don't want to get caught in the middle of those ambitions."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," I said, nodding.
"One more thing. Be careful with the ecclesiastical groups over the issue of the iconoclasts and the iconodule. You don't want to be labeled as a supporter of either side, so don't move too much within those circles. And never tell anything to a court eunuch; they'll use it to destroy you politically and climb within their own hierarchy," Skleros added calmly. "By the way… are you married? Because now they'll probably insist heavily that you divorce if your wife is from the countryside. It's the most common way to force marriages. You'll have to look for a union with someone from a good family."
"Uh-huh… my family wanted to marry me off to someone, but I suppose things have changed," I replied thoughtfully.
"I can't recommend much on that front," Skleros said with a shrug. "There's no one of age in my family… unless you want to wait about twelve years. My sister has a daughter who just turned two."
"Uh… no, I don't think so," I replied, shaking my head. "Well, I think I already know everything I need to. I'll stick to the tactic of not doing much and not saying anything."
"Ha… that can work, as long as you don't let them walk all over you," Skleros replied, handing over his cup and walking toward a table indicated by a eunuch.
We sat down, and Skleros' guards took nearby positions, as did my Varangians. Immediately, eunuchs began bringing food.
First they placed a large dish of olives, a tray with cheeses, boiled eggs, fresh bread, and pickled vegetables.
"Is it safe to eat?" I asked when I saw Skleros start without hesitation.
"Yes. They won't murder you with poison here," he replied while eating. "Worry about smaller matters. If you're discovered in a murder in this place, say goodbye to everything, including your family. Humiliating the emperor is unforgivable. And if you had problems with him, you wouldn't be here."
"Well… these olives have pepper and saffron, don't they?" I commented after tasting them.
"Yes. Michael's favorites," Skleros replied, eating bread with cheese and pickled vegetables.
We continued eating, and our men did the same. Soon more elaborate dishes arrived, the same ones served at the emperor's table, where his family—wives, sons, and daughters—were seated.
A roasted pig with crispy skin arrived, enormous roasted goats, large cuts of beef, and several boneless fish, clearly prepared with care. Wine also arrived in abundance. I didn't drink alcohol, so I limited myself to the fruits that were constantly being served to stay hydrated; I wasn't about to ask for water to be boiled in the middle of a banquet.
Afterward they brought wheat cakes with honey. By then, many were already drunk. Music began to play and the general murmur grew, while everyone paid attention to the emperor, who gave a speech celebrating that the seas were safe again and expressing his confidence that my presence in Crete would be beneficial for the island.
Just as I was about to fall asleep from boredom, groups of aristocrats began approaching me to speak about the siege of Crete.
"They didn't even wait a day, these snakes," Skleros whispered when he saw large entourages approaching to ask about the campaign and introduce me to their daughters.
It didn't take much imagination to understand why. Getting along was difficult when mentally one was over sixty years old, but to avoid rumors it was better to accept the conversation, even if it made me uncomfortable.
The strange thing was that I could barely see them. They were covered in heavy fabrics and veils; it was impossible to know if they were, slim or robust, pretty or not. So I limited myself to talking about the campaign, again and again.
"Don't get your hopes up about finding a beautiful woman," Skleros said, already somewhat drunk.
"Oh? Why's that?" I asked, tired of recounting the siege for the eighth time.
"Theophilos is going to marry soon," he replied, drinking another cup. "All the most beautiful maidens are being reserved for when he chooses a wife and presents the golden apple. So most likely they're only introducing you to the less attractive daughters to gain political power. My advice is to wait until that event is over if you're looking for a truly beautiful woman."
"I see," I replied, surveying the hall.
My Varangians continued eating and drinking without restraint. In fact, they had become a spectacle: four of them had already eaten six piglets and were working on the seventh, surrounded by jugs of wine. A eunuch stood nearby, attentively refilling cups without pause.
Finally, everything came to an end. The music stopped and people began returning to their homes once the emperor left the hall. I didn't waste time. I went straight to my ships, where we had left the gold that belonged to the emperor, and without further delay we set course for Ainos.
I still had much to do. I had to return to Crete to govern the island, and I knew I would spend a long time there. I would probably have to move almost everything there, since repopulating it was the priority.
I also needed to speak with Hakon and convince him to bring as many Varangians as possible. I was going to need every sailor I could get to defend the seas of Crete.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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