Going to Places

The discussion among John, Pavlos, and Manuel II concluded on a positive note later that evening.

Despite John acknowledged that he played a significant role in the ongoing changes resulting from his recent actions, he had to admit; none of it was due to his action by itself.

Like every war, sacrifices were made.

The Bulgarians received the burnt of it all, while John's and the Emperor's retinue suffered meagre losses.

The Ottoman defeat in the Balkans wasn't a consequence of his battlefield brilliance; instead, it stemmed from Sultan Mehmed I's misjudgments, leading to his downfall.

The infamous edict, in particular, only served to worsen the wounds in the aftermath of the Bulgarian-Ottoman Rebellion War.

Moreover, Sultan Mehmed I's reign in Rumelia wasn't entirely stable. Fresh from the aftermath of the Ottoman Interregnum, the Ottomans struggled to maintain supremacy in the region despite still being the overlord.

The defeat against the Romans and the rebel Bulgarians wasn't the nail in the coffin for the Sultan.

It was more about his rule were significantly weakened.

In consequence, the sultan- or rather the Ottoman, would find it rather difficult to aim their scimitar on Europe in the near future.

Eliminating one formidable enemy seemed to have little impact in the grand scheme of things.

John recognizes that the changes made little impact to bring the empire back into the pedestal. Nevertheless, he considered it as a good start.

The Despotate of Serbia, Thessaly, Despotate of Epirus, and Principality of Achaea; just to name a few, remained as the thorny thistles for the empire.

That was, unfortunately, the least of the worries.

Unexpectedly, Venice had become the new addition to this list of plausible impending conflict, which John did not anticipate.

All of it began from their recent interest in his affairs.

The previous doge of Venice were alerted by the newly-built port back in Laconia, Morea; which interestingly, booming with activity just as soon as it opened.

But that was it. Until...

Just a few months later, news regarding massive influx of gemstones leaving the port that caused another variable to occur.

As it so happened, it was then that the doge finally took action and began making demands starting from amicable negotiation, all the way to outright threats.

When John first received the content of the demand, he was furious.

"Look at this! A shameless f-king vulture wants me to give up my kidney!"

His rage could be heard all over the Sacred Palace, which even the emperor himself almost chocked himself during his own duties.

"Now that I raised a golden goose, this 'dog' want a piece of it? Hmmph... I'd rather step on s*it than giving him anything."

The first time, John immediately rejected the doge's trade agreement.

When it comes to the second time, it made his blood boil, almost giving him acute blood clot on his brainstem.

"The f-ck! Now they want all of my organs? What is this, 'As part of the empire's outstanding debt.' Haaa! Truly a dog of dogs, now they are acting like some loansharks!"

This back and forth aggressive negotiations between John and the doge unintentionally caused minor war between the empire and Venice, which led to the blockade of Limáni Níkou by the Venetian fleet based in Naxos; temporarily ceased its trade routes and halting its activity.

Retaliation however comes as swiftly.

Armed with recent tremendous innovations, Theodore II, Despot of Morea, raised the Morean fleet to dissuade the incursion.

Small skirmishes began to take place; only to the detriment of the Venetians, whom, throughout that period, were thought of as the supreme overlord of the Aegean Sea alongside Genoa.

It was all thanks to John's proposal to expand Morea as the main naval outpost for the empire.

He brought massive improvement upon the naval force based in Morea.

At the time when cannons were at its infancy in Europe, John made full use of it by equipping Byzantine galleys with cannons, and especially, reintroduced Greek fire into the fleet.

Though limited to a few ships at most, it became evidently successful in defeating the Venetians, until at one point, immediately ceased its blockade.

The war ended as abruptly as it started.

Despite there were no casualties from both side, it became crystal clear that, even if Byzantine Empire were declining, at no point that it should be underestimated.

In the end, concessions were made, to John's benefit of course.

The Venetians were given trade rights into the port with limited conditions.

When the conditions were laid out by Theodore II, representing his brother, the Venetians were livid, it was so for the doge, who at that point in time were ill.

"By the will of the Living God, and His adjudicator, Emperor of All Rome, King of kings under the Heaven, Manuel II Palaiologos, and his heir, John VIII Palaiologos, witnessed by none other than I, Theodore II Palaiologos; also representing both in this treaty, as per the outcome of conflict being under Rome's favor, by God's grace, hereby declare:

1. Trade between the victor and the loser, Byzantium and Republic of Venice; shall therefore approved and valid.

2. Trade rights shall be subjected with terms and conditions set by the Emperor and his heir.

3. Venice shall, in no means, gain any monopoly over goods within Limáni Níkou(Port of Nikos), and would instead be subjected to equal rights as other nations.

4. If by any means, the recipient of this treaty, Venice, incur therein, or plotting, in detriment of the empire, the revocation of this treaty shall take effect immediately, and therefore state of war shall be implemented.

5. The treaty cannot be reamended by the recipient over the course of its effect, until it last, whenever that may be.

6. The ongoing debts of the empire shall be partially forgiven, and for every ports within the empire borders under management of the recipient shall be tax free for the merchants of the empire, for the (undetermined) duration of this treaty.

7. ..."

The list goes on, but no matter how outrageous it was; the Venetians were forced to accept, else, no one knows what might happen if both nations turns to full blown war.

John heaved a huge sigh of relief when the treaty passed successfully.

"This would stall some time for the empire...but for how long, only God knows."

Fast forward to today, the time begin to tick even faster.

Movements on the chessboard had become increasingly dangerous each day, prompting the need for John to quickly prepare for the worst that might come.

Now that another player enters the board and begins to interrupt the entire set of moves he had laid out, he need to plan his next moves cautiously.

After the trio left the Sacred Palace, Pavlos excused himself first, excited with the prospect that the empire had now return to the path of dominance, while Manuel II and John sought return to their main residence on the Sixth Hill by carriage.

John contemplated on what he should do when he depart to Adrianople tomorrow.

It was regrettable that he had to cut his vacation short; but there was nothing he could do or say when the situation before his first term as governor of said city turned into a complicated affairs of rioting and indiscriminate massacre.

Not only he had to make amend somehow with Anna before his abrupt departure; being a monarch is a tiresome endeavor, and John began to wonder of what might come to pass when the throne pass unto him in the near future.

"What are you thinking so hard that you look like a man who lost his entire fortune due to gambling?"

Within the carriage where both John and Manuel II currently reside, the emperor looked at John who remained silent while frowning at something.

He tried to strike up conversation which John didn't immediately answer, his expression hid a thousand meaning and he had to choose one to show for.

"What was it like - being the emperor, I mean?"

It was a weird question to say the least, but Manuel II immediately understood the underlying meaning of it; something that the emperor seem to dealt with very often when he and John met in private.

"Hmmm... If I do say so myself; it felt like I'm constantly standing on the edge of the cliff with only one feet above ground while carrying huge boulder on my back...something like that, I guess..."

An answer befitting Manuel II's present situation. It was as he said; everyday is not easy for him being the emperor of a dying empire which suddenly rose from the dead?

Not many fortune such as these happen with any emperor, much less him who not too long ago wrought with unfortunate circumstances due to his decisions that led to Bayezid I besieging the capital for eight years.

It was all thanks to his son's brilliance that he made it thus far without growing his hair anymore greyer than it should.

How many emperors rose into the position and saw through their era being prosperous and awed? Probably a few, if one knows how to count.

Many had failed to live up to their visions and was eventually either deposed of, or worse met their end as soon as they took the throne for themselves. 

Alexios IV Doukas, for instance, damned the empire merely for his desire to be emperor, overestimating himself and failing to comprehend the repercussions of his decision to enlist crusaders to help him achieve his pointless aspiration.

Not even a year into his reign, he lost the throne, his life, and eventually shattered the empire. Since then, the empire was never the same.

He achieved what he wanted in the end, but at what cost? Becoming the infamous emperor in the history of Rome? Well, he achieved that with precision.

"Being an emperor is never easy, despite what others might say. While the world covets it for themselves—being one myself, I dare wager that none can live up to the task that comes with it."

Manuel II lamented.

If he could choose an easy way out, he would abdicate the throne and become a monk in his later years; living on the Mount of Athos doesn't sound so bad after all, considering that it offers him solace and isolation from the chaos that roams the world at the moment.

"There is no easy way out. Holding the power that decides the fate of a nation is like a curse; power can easily corrupt. It turns the incorruptible into the most detestable beings they can ever be. They think they can do everything with the power they have, but no, that was the poison that consumes them whole."

"That is what it is like to be an Emperor."

A lengthy silence enveloped them during their ride as Manuel II revelation struck, accompanied only by the rhythmic hooves of the moving horses.

In essence, an emperor is not the demigod many people believe it to be.

They can't alter the course of history merely at their whim, and even if they do, it hinges on whether God wills it or simply remains indifferent.

Rome exemplified this.

Centuries of corruption, usurpation, indulgences, weak governance, and interference by external forces led to its eventual fall in the West.

The ones who suffered the most weren't the high and mighty aristocrats or the patricians, but the citizens who lost their identity and pride, eventually becoming slaves to indignity brought upon them by foreign masters.

Post-Rome, humanity plummeted to its nadir.

Peasants were treated as less than animals, religion twisted to serve as a cause for persecution and indiscriminate crusades that couldn't distinguish the faithful from the heathens, dereliction of duty by those sworn to protect, yet becoming the very sword that spread injustice.

Money, wealth, power - these became the new religion for the monstrosity known as humankind. It wasn't about whose religion was truer but whose pockets and bellies benefited from the consequences.

Were his ancestors any different? Of course not, and John didn't deny that.

He understood this fact more than anyone else, even more so than his father.

Being an emperor was like paying penance for the sins of the previous ones, accumulating until, at some point, forgiveness could no longer be achieved.

'It turns people mad.'

That was the conclusion John had finally come to terms with regarding the reality of the world he lived in. It didn't come with the finesse and glamor that many thought it would if they were born into the position they craved.

At that moment, John once again emerged from the cocoon of naivety that had shaped his worldview.

"Power without consequences is folly because only by the fist of iron can power thrive and people prosper."

-----

[Gate of Adrianople, Sixth Hill]

Morning arrived, and John readied himself early for the forthcoming journey.

For the expedition to Adrianople, John was accompanied by the remainder of his personal army, totaling around 600 men, as most had already joined Demetrius.

The preparations were straightforward, with packhorses designated for carrying necessary supplies and John's personal retinue of 20 servants. In total, 620 individuals were set for the journey.

Before departure, John addressed his men and followers, briefing them on what to anticipate during their journey. The situation in Adrianople remained uncertain, and potential dangers might lurk along the way.

"As we head to Adrianople, given the riots and chaos, I expect everyone to be prepared to face any bandits or thugs that might obstruct us on this journey. Clear?"

"Understood!"

The men responded in unison.

Regarding the palace residents, John had already conveyed his thoughts, particularly to Anna the night before. His mother, Helena, offered her blessings, while Manuel II simply patted him on the back without many words.

For John's companions, they were instructed to remain in Constantinople for a while, continuing their respective tasks before he could bring them to Adrianople.

Pavlos was temporarily assigned a task by Manuel II, preventing him from accompanying John immediately.

Meanwhile, Nikos still had his official duties as the Demarchos of Constantinople, responsible for maintaining order in the city.

Fatah and his fellow alchemists were engaged in the production of the cure, making it impossible for them to relocate for a while.

All in all, this marked his final day in Constantinople before commencing his new duties.

It wouldn't necessarily be his last visit, but he anticipated spending most of his co-emperorship elsewhere, unless expressly instructed otherwise, fulfilling his duties from Adrianople rather than Constantinople.

With everything said and done, John commanded his men to depart through the Gate of Adrianople, embarking on their 150-mile journey to their destination.

As he and his men exited the gate, he heard his name being called out from behind. Turning toward the source, he saw Anna sprinting towards them at full speed.

John pulled his horse back towards the entrance gate as Anna slowly approached.

As they caught up to each other, John dismounted from his horse while Anna caught her breath.

"Before you leave... let me give you something to remember me by when you're there."

She swiftly removed something from her neck, a golden locket necklace shaped like a heart, and handed it to John.

"This..."

John was about to say something, but Anna did something unexpected; she pulled John by the collar so that his face was at the same height as hers and kissed his cheek. It happened suddenly, and before John could react, it was over.

"That is all I can offer for your journey ahead... go on now, or you'll miss the road."

"...Okay?"

He was still bewildered by what had just transpired but nevertheless mounted his horse and chased after his men, all the while looking back at Anna's silhouette that began to recede, her hand waving towards him.

Finally catching up to his men, he replayed the whole scene in his head, trying to make sense of everything. John was still clueless about his own feelings despite Anna's numerous advances until now; he still couldn't understand what it meant to him.

It's not that John couldn't feel love, but for a man who knew nothing of it, he couldn't come to understand its meaning.

Only then did he realize the locket necklace that he held in his hand. It was the same locket necklace he had bought for Anna—or, to be more precise, part of a set of gifts he had given her when he guided her around the city.

'But this is what I gifted her..."

Why did she give him the gift he had given her back again? He wondered. But the moment he opened the locket, he finally understood, albeit in subtlety.

"Virum quem amo, tibi cor meum dedi."

It was a Latin phrase for, 'The man I love, I gave you my heart.'

Next to the phrase was Anna's miniature portrait, drawn by a painter found in the bustling streets of Constantinople; as per John's request. Despite being smaller than a regular portrait, the sketch still somewhat resembled Anna to some extent.

Warmth filled John's heart. It was a beautiful gift.

Soon, his heart, which had remained dull, began to show some reaction, but his eyes still hadn't fully opened to his feelings. Only time could tell if it would ever happen.

He then wore the locket necklace around his neck. Still, he didn't forget his purpose.

His eyes returned to the path ahead, praying that whatever lay ahead was not as dire as he imagined. Though he implied otherwise, he couldn't help but be optimistic.