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Anno Domini 828,February-12-19
"Come on, Hakon… you're putting me in a difficult position with your granddaughter," I said, looking at the Varangian merchant, who stood with his arms crossed.
"But Basil, you command the best warriors on the island. And you, more than anyone, know that fighting is technique. My granddaughter wants to test herself in combat. Taking her raiding right now is impossible—we barely sail with the intention of raiding anymore. We trade now; we no longer stop at river settlements. I thought the best option was for her to train here, with you, until the time comes to raid again once you're authorized," Hakon replied, trying to sound reasonable.
"Hakon, in Christianity it isn't even tolerated for a woman to take up arms. It's considered a break in the natural order—almost heresy. More than one woman has been burned for less than that. For now I can protect her, but once the bishop arrives from Constantinople, that's over. If he sees her, he may try to put her on trial, and that would drag us all into trouble," I said, rubbing my face with my hand.
"Basil, I'm asking you as a personal favor. My granddaughter asked me sincerely. This isn't common, I know, but she has potential. Like Sigurd. She'll be a good warrior. She won't disappoint you," he insisted.
"I can't keep an eye on her at all times. Not even Sigurd can. What happens if someone, hot-blooded, tries to rape her? I can't watch her constantly. And I can't keep her in my hird either—it would draw too much attention," I replied, shaking my head.
Hakon lowered his gaze for a moment. "Isn't there anything you can do? Put yourself in my place. I'm a grandfather. I've traded and raided so my family would never lack anything. But I need help with this," he said, tired and worried.
I sighed heavily. "Let's hope I don't regret this, Hakon. She'll cut her hair. I'll give her a full suit of armor. She'll have to hide all her features. At a glance, she must not be distinguishable from a man. That's the only way she can stay in the camp. But listen carefully—if anyone discovers who she is, I'll expel her myself. She'll have to remain isolated from the groups and learn to control her tone of voice. Everything depends on that. I can't do more. Not with the Empire on the brink of a religious struggle between factions that would be more than happy to point at a pagan," I said with absolute seriousness.
Hakon let out an audible sigh."Alright. I'll talk to her. I'll make sure she follows your orders. Thank you, Basil," he replied, much calmer.
"Go. Before I change my mind," I said, gesturing for him to leave.
What a mess. I sincerely hoped the girl wouldn't end up like Joan of Arc.
"Alright… back to work," I muttered, slapping my cheeks lightly as I sat down to review inventories.
I hadn't even been there for a few minutes when a scholai guard appeared at the entrance, panting and visibly nervous.
"Strategos Basil Makedon. His Majesty, the basileus Rhōmaiōn Michael II, has died. You are requested to attend the capital as soon as possible for the confirmation ceremony of Caesar Theophilos," he said, handing me the letter while catching his breath.
"What? But the basileus was inspecting the eastern fortifications. What happened?" I asked, standing up abruptly as I took the letter.
"He caught a fever during a snowfall in Anatolia. His age made recovery difficult. The physicians tried to save him for days, but he ultimately passed away," the scholai explained, leaning against the doorframe.
"Fuck… I thought he'd rule a couple more years," I muttered, reading the message.
"We all did. But now it's time for his son's rule. Theophilos asked me to tell you to attend with a well-armed personal guard. The situation in the capital is going to get ugly. Bring men—but not so many as to provoke the aristocracy," he added.
I looked up at him carefully. "You're one of Theophilos' loyalists, I see," I said calmly.
"Yes. Your presence is necessary. The other strategoi are being informed as well, so I ask that you set aside all other matters and depart for the capital," the scholai replied.
"How many men should I bring?" I asked, already calculating the risks.
"No more than a thousand. Combined with the forces already pledged and the troops of other strategoi, it should be enough to enforce the authority of the new basileus Rhōmaiōn and punish the aristocrats who oppose him," he answered.
"Understood. I'll prepare immediately. We leave today," I replied, forcing myself to stay calm.
"Thank you. I'll return to my post," the scholai said before withdrawing.
I looked at Sigurd. "You know why I don't like the capital. This is going to end in blood," I said quietly.
"That sounds fun," he replied with a crooked smile.
"Yes. Except here you never know where the blow comes from—or who delivers it," I answered as I began organizing everything.
I had unfinished plans—working on the blast furnace that I believed was finally close to a major breakthrough, workers to reassign, projects that couldn't wait. But Michael was dead, and now we had to attend the coronation. Theophilos intended to impose his authority decisively. He wanted to make it clear that anyone who thought they could be a better emperor would have to understand that the price was death.
So I acted quickly. I prepared four dromons and gathered my best men—a mix of Varangians and veteran Greeks, men who had seen too much blood to hesitate now. They were equipped with my finest armor and weapons. We loaded supplies and set sail immediately for Constantinople.
Throughout the voyage I felt constant tension. This could be the perfect moment to eliminate me. If I didn't attend, I'd be declared a traitor. If I did and it was a trap, I'd be dead. I had gambled on trusting Theophilos, and now I had to see whether that decision had been the right one.
The week-long voyage was torture. More than once I wondered if I should turn back, if it wouldn't be better to withdraw before it was too late. But in the end, we arrived.
Constantinople rose before us, and we docked at the Boukoleon Palace. Numerous ships were already moored, likely belonging to Anatolian strategoi who had arrived before me. As soon as we disembarked, the scholai disarmed us and, without delay, led us out of the palace, through its corridors, and into the Imperial Senate building. There, a constant flow of aristocrats was already arriving en masse, filling the chamber with tense murmurs and calculating glances.
One by one, the strategoi of the Empire took their seats. Apparently, I had been among the last to be notified.
"Basil…" Skleros said when he saw me.
He looked bad. Very bad.
"You look terrible," I said bluntly. He had gone gray almost overnight, and deep circles marked his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days.
"At least he died doing what he loved. One of the few things that truly brought him peace was acting as a general. He must have felt calm when the fevers took him. He died where he wanted to be," Skleros replied, scratching his beard with a weary gesture.
"Amorium? The city where he was born?" I asked, watching the other strategoi fill the chamber, escorted by nobles and officials. I immediately noticed that several important faces were missing.
Skleros nodded slowly. "Yes. Amorium."
He fell silent for a few seconds before continuing. "According to his escort, when he realized he wouldn't survive, he asked to be taken there. He drew his last breath in his native city. At least his remains now rest in the Church of the Holy Apostles. He died fulfilling his duty to the Empire," he added, his voice heavy with grief.
"Do you have any idea what's going to happen today?" I whispered, moving closer to him.
"Yes—but stay calm. The knives aren't pointed at us. In fact, many won't even attend the ceremony. We're only waiting for those who will truly take part in what comes next," Skleros replied, regaining some of his composure.
We took our seats on one of the Senate's tiers, surrounded by guards. From there we observed the faces of other strategoi—some tense, others unreadable.
Finally, a large group of officials appeared, and the murmur ceased instantly. In the center of the Senate, a throne had been placed, dominating the chamber.
Theophilos appeared shortly after. He wore purple garments heavy with jewels and bore the imperial crown. A large contingent of scholai escorted him to the throne, where he sat with a firm expression.
"Rejoice, people of Rome. Though we mourn the death of one of our emperors, he now rests eternally beside our Lord. From this day onward, Caesar Theophilos begins his reign as sole basileus Rhōmaiōn, confirmed in the mandate granted by his father in the year of our Lord 821. Hail, basileus Rhōmaiōn Theophilos I!" proclaimed the official in a powerful voice, gesturing toward him.
Theophilos rose from the throne.
"I thank you all for your presence at this moment, even as the Empire passes through difficult times. My father, may he rest in peace, secured the borders and sought to fill the imperial coffers. Many wonder whether I can maintain what he upheld by force. The answer is yes. Rome will prosper under my rule, and I expect all of you to be part of that. In the coming days, there will be significant changes. I thank you for attending. Tomorrow, the celebrations in honor of my father will take place," he said in a firm, controlled tone.
After that brief speech, the Senate emptied rapidly.
"What now?" I asked, looking at Skleros as he prepared to leave.
"Follow me," he replied without slowing.
We returned into the palace, guided by scholai stationed throughout the corridors. Eventually we reached a smaller chamber, where eight strategoi were already gathered. With us, there were ten in total, from different regions of the Empire.
Without delay, Theophilos appeared again. This time he wore far less purple and fewer jewels.
"Good. We don't have much time. We must act quickly. We need to catch the traitors now, while they're still confused," Theophilos said, pulling out a large stack of papyri and spreading them across the table.
He arranged the documents swiftly. Then he raised his gaze, fixing his eyes on each of the assembled strategoi.
"Leon Skleros. I need you to take your men and visit the strategoi of Boukellarion and Armeniakōn. Arrest them. I want them alive," he ordered, handing him a sealed tablet.
Without pause, Theophilos continued issuing orders to the rest of the strategoi, assigning names and destinations—each marked for capture, alive.
"I remind you of something important," he added firmly. "Avoid bloodshed. I want the rebirth of the Empire to be as orderly and clean as possible. Justice will deliver the final blow. Every name on these lists is guilty—we have witnesses and sufficient evidence. There's no need to stain this day. I'll handle that personally… and I'll make sure no one writes about it."
Finally, Theophilos turned to me. He sifted through his papyri and pulled out a thick bundle of documents.
"Strategos Basil. Your mission may seem the least important, but in truth it is the most crucial," he said as he handed them to me. "Here are the names of several aristocrats who have systematically abused the Empire's tax system over the last twelve years. You will raid their properties and bring them to me alive. We have witnesses and officials who were bribed to allow them to evade taxes by hiding in the countryside during inspections. Altogether, they owe more than one million nomismata. Bring every valuable object you find in their urban residences. If any of them are not there, we'll send men to their rural estates. Don't worry about that."
I took the orders and began reading the names. Many of them lived in the same privileged quarter of the city.
"Consider it done," I replied without looking up.
"Good. Act swiftly and without bloodshed," Theophilos concluded, gesturing for us to leave the room.
We departed immediately. As we approached the harbor, the sound of metal shattered the silence, and thousands of armed men began organizing rapidly. They wore the finest armor in the Empire and prepared to carry out their orders.
"Good luck, Basil," Skleros said as he took command of nearly a thousand men, gathering them near one of the buildings close to the port. His forces dispersed just as quickly as mine disembarked from the ships.
I wasted no time. I formed my men and we advanced with steady steps through the streets of the capital.
The roads were eerily clear. The tagmata responsible for urban security had been sent back to their barracks in advance. We encountered only small groups of civilians who hurriedly stepped aside, murmuring in low voices.
When we reached the street leading into the wealthiest sector of the city—where large stone residences and inner courtyards rose—I divided my men into several groups.
"Surround the area," I ordered quietly. "Don't kill anyone. At worst, break a few bones—but they must still be breathing when we hand them over to the emperor."
I gave the signal, and my men moved immediately.
The residences were struck almost simultaneously. The first screams of the private guards rang out—completely confused, unable to understand what was happening as the doors were smashed in.
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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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