Eagle Byzantium

In the spring of the next year, the dry south wind blew up from Anatolia and swept across the entire plateau. The herdsmen drove their horses and sheep into the shady mountains. The strong flowers and plants began to bloom again. It will cover the entire land in two months, and the wind keeps moving forward. However, when it reaches the long Pontic Mountains in the north, it is blocked by its solid arms. Outside, under the teeth-gnawing ink-colored peaks and green steep slopes, various business inns, churches and workshops are lined up on the high platform of Trabzon. People from all walks of life on this ocean shuttle back and forth, and the chimneys emit lively sounds. There were fireworks, and merchant ships of all sizes were moored in the quiet blue-black sea water, and the upper part of the masts was still wrapped in the light mist from the Youxing Sea.

Adjacent to the peak of the platform, in the three-story cave "Our Lady's Monastery", in the vaulted hall, Old General Theodoro was taking out a letter made of sheepskin, with icons and plant drawings drawn by craftsmen in the frame. , which is densely packed with text, and the lower right is the seal of the princes of Russia, " The bastard Polovtsi (Cumans, i.e. Kipchaks) crossed the river in the spring before the snow melted and attacked our castle. They destroyed all the cave monasteries under the city and forced the upright monks to give up. Faith, but no one was willing to give in. Hundreds of monks were martyred tragically. They beheaded them with sabers, burned them at the stake, and shot monks and peasants as arrows. They even destroyed the "Red Palace" on the hills outside Kiev, where our late king once lived. It has also been burned down, just like the evil locusts that covered the sky and the sun. We ask you to save last winter’s Return the three hundred young attendants (personal soldiers of the Prince of Rus) and a thousand cavalry sent to you by Ji, otherwise the bastard devils of Polovtsi will capture your Kherson in the future, and in the market there The Russian and Roman captives were tied together on ropes and sold into slavery..."

"The emperor's methods." The old general scolded angrily and threw the letter heavily on the table. Then he turned to his wife Marianne who was sitting on the couch by the wall and said distressedly, "He is just trying to win over Comaro. The Yi people burned and killed the land of Ross, and then urged me over and over again to go south to attack Gawain in Tarsus, breaking up my strength, disrupting my deployment, and making me exhausted and unable to escape. "

"But you always want to overthrow Komnenos, right?" The beautiful lady of Alanian descent on the couch asked softly and cautiously.

Theodoro glanced at his wife, then took two steps, turned his back to her and looked out at the sea view, and said with a sigh, "The enmity between the emperor and I can no longer be resolved. All his advances to me are mutual expediency." After Comnenus seized the throne, the Norman Robert Guiscat supported Emperor Michael and your sister's son Constantine, and crossed the sea to invade Durazzo. , I responded to Guiscat; later, when the Rus and Pechenegs supported Romanus’ son Leo, who did not know whether he was real or fake, I also helped - in fact, the emperor hated me to death, which was why Therefore, although the emperor has a deep and unfaithful relationship with your sister, it is impossible for the entire Komnenos family, including Alexios himself, to allow your sister to ascend to the position of queen. "

The old general said this to make his wife understand his reasons for immediately launching an army - "Although you and Marlena are sisters, the emperor and I can never become brothers-in-law who can coexist."

But after a long silence, Theodoro still didn't hear a word from Marianne. He finally turned around in surprise and saw Marianne's face on the couch with an indescribable expression, as if she had a fever, and her cheeks suddenly turned red. Suddenly, she was holding a kraft paper roll in her hand. The sea breeze flowed in through the window of the monastery cave, causing the roll of paper in Marianne's hand to swing back and forth, like a crow-colored rain butterfly.

"What's the matter, Marianne?"

"My husband, now you must make a decision."

Theodoro strode forward with concern, took the roll of paper from his wife's hand, opened it and looked at it twice, then closed it urgently, his whole body trembling.

Beside the steps of the arch, the loyal armored attendant stood upright with a peacock feather helmet in his hand. He was watching all this and had no idea what was going on. He was waiting anxiously for the old general's order.

"Inform the entire army, including the Russian mercenaries, to move quickly towards Amyssus and the New Caesarea Gate! If the Russians ask what the motive is, just say that they are in the port of Amyssus, and I will send them back by ship. Go to Kiev." After saying that, a line of messengers hurriedly walked down, and Theodoro then took the attendant's helmet and tied it on his silver-haired head.

Marianne's clothes were fluttering, and she jumped down from the couch. She knelt half-kneeling in Theodoro's arms, raised her face, her tears were shining, "If the Gabuas family and Trabzonspor are harmed because of this matter, , I simply don’t know how to atone for my sins.”

"Marian, my wife, what does this matter have to do with you? It's because your husband is destined to be a lion on the snowy peaks of the mountains. When my army arrives at Pravel, I believe, I believe, Everything will be settled in the end with the military flag and the sword!" The old general lifted his wife up affectionately, kissed her, took the sword with the golden handle from the attendant, and hung it on his belt, step by step. Walked down the long staircase leading down from the monastery.

On the second floor of the large platform below, many merchants from the city of Iconium noisily surrounded Theodoro. The leader among them held out a beautiful box, "Gawain released the pecking order." Carrion crows, what kind of message do you bring? Is it a disaster or an auspicious one?" The old general stretched out his fingers and touched the smooth and elegant edges of the box.

Several merchants opened it, and the glitter of gold and gems made Theodore's face slightly tilted back.

Inside was the Lion's Crown, which had been carefully re-polished and inlaid. Gawain took it off his head and mobilized twelve goldsmiths. After it was completed, it was carried by a trusted merchant and sent to Trebizond according to Maglundius's strategy.

"The Grand Patron is willing to support you to ascend the Holy Shield of Christ. If Your Highness goes to Puvelar, the Grand Patron is willing to attack the cities of Angras and Germanico, and take the initiative before the emperor to defeat Komnenos' tyrannical rule in this empire. After that, the Grand Patron is willing to divide this empire with Your Highness, with the Halys River, Sakarya River and Mendres River as the boundary between the two sides." The merchant holding the box whispered and stretched his neck to say to the old general. They were described by Theodore as "crows", not only money chasers on the trade route, but also spies and messengers of Gawain.

Theodore laughed sadly, and then many merchants held the box in their hands, like many swords stretched out, surrounding the old general and forcing him in the middle, constantly speaking flattering words. On the terrace of the monastery cave, Marianne leaned against the stone pillar, also closed her eyes fiercely in the wind, and touched her forehead to it, her mood fluctuating nervously... (To be continued ~^~)