Kutaisi, Georgia
Shortly after the fall of Arslan
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The rider from the south was tired. He had whipped his mount since before the sun rose, and had only now reached his destination well after midnight. There were only a few places to stop and rest along the way.
He dismounted the horse and opened one of the many bags he carried with him. It was a simple meal of corn and anchovies, though obviously not prepared or heated in the manner fit for his Sultan. The anchovies were not cooked, and the corn was raw. Still, the man was famished from the exhausting ride. And there was much, much more riding to do, into lands far beyond the reach of the average Turk.
"O Allah, would you please ensure my return to my home. If I never taste my wife's fish kebab again, I will die a hungry and unhappy man..."
And he tried to enjoy this simple uncooked meal, which would ensure his survival, and perhaps, the survival of his people. Yes, in dire times such as these, with the death of Sultan Kilij Arslan, the survival of the nation is more important than the niceties of a home-cooked meal, or the company of good honest arab muslims. The rider had travelled very far to meet with the Georgian emissary, and they had much to discuss.
The Georgian guardsmen approached, with a diplomat and an interpreter to open talks. "Salaam alaikoom, friend and neighbor, from the newly crowned Sultan Kaikosru of the Turks. I bring a message to your wise and noble leader, if you are willing to hear it."
The Georgian eyed the Turk suspiciously. "Why should we discuss anything at all with you, Turk? In your short but tainted history, you have done nothing towards Christians which merits peace talks. You have contributed to the Armenian massacre, displaced them from their homelands, and it is we who have rightfully claimed this land in the name of the most Holy Christ. Your Muslim emissaries are not welcome here. Already we are at war with your brothers, the Seljuk Turks, and we do not trust you."
The Turk appeared shaken. This was not a promising beginning.
"Friend, we are not like the Seljuk Turks. We have not attacked innocent Christians. And you confuse us with them again, for it is not the Sultanate of the Rum Turks which caused the first Armenian massacre. In fact, we have made an alliance with the Armenians against the Romans who attacked them."
The Georgian ambassador seemed genuinely unprepared to hear this, and turned to consult with his aide and interpreter. The Turk continued:
"We know you are allied with the Romans at this time. May I ask what aid they have offered you against the Seljuk incursion?"
"It is none of your business what aid the Romans have or have not sent us." The Georgian replied curtly.
"Very well, but the Sultan sends his word that if the Seljuks attack you again, we will send you aid, and whatever intelligence we can offer."
The Georgian delegate was caught off-guard, but he quickly recovered. "Why would you even bother? You are at war with our allies. We are at war with your allies. It is only by God's divine intervention that we have not attacked you as well!"
The Turk continued calmly, "We know that the Seljuks attacked you in an unprovoked assault. It is the policy of Kilij Arslan, and his successor, Kaikosru, that the Anatolian Turks are to side against the aggressors in any war, even if they are our allies. The Sultan does not keep alliances with those who make war upon the innocent."
The Georgian delegate raised a brow, curiously. "That is most noble of you. In truth, the actions of the Romans have not impressed us at all. Attacking the Armenians without cause or warning? And on the side of the unprincipled King Baldwin, whose name is cursed even among the Christian nations for his betrayal and massacre of the Armenians? We find the actions of our allies most unchivarlous and dishonourable as well. But we cannot simply discard the alliance we have signed merely because it is inconvenient. And to side with the Turks, whose brothers the Great Seljuks now make war upon us... that appears unthinkable. Why should we betray our alliance to Rome in favor of one with Turks such as yourselves?"
"May I ask, was your alliance with Rome primarily defensive, or offensive? By that I mean, were you allied for mutual defense, or allied for mutual offense against a nation?" countered the Turk.
"I won't reveal the details of the alliance to you..."
The Turk hesitated for a moment, but pressed the issue.
"Isn't it true that you were once allied against us? The whole point of your alliance was to conquer the Turks."
The Georgian appeared outraged. "How could you possibly know that!? It is not for the Turkish Sultan to tell us why we were allied with Rome! We will not abide by such insinuations!"
The Turk replied calmly "The messengers you send back and forth do ride through Turkish lands. And since they imbibe so much of the spirits forbidden to Muslims while they ride, they tend to tell everyone they meet of your secret plans... to be honest, we were starting to wonder why you continued to employ such drunken men, or why you trusted them with national secrets to begin with. Most of the Muslim world already knows of the intimate details of your alliance with Rome."
The Georgian's jaw was agape. He appeared to be at a loss for words.
"I am here in the spirit of peace and cooperation. We understand your desire to ally with the mighty Roman empire for the defense and glory of your nation. In truth, we sought to be their friends as well before the cowardly attack on Armenia."
The Georgian delegate, the fire gone from his belly, slumped down into the chair his aides had brought for him. It seemed as though he was ready to listen to what the Turk had proposed.
"The Sultan Arslan was a most... unique man. He desired friendship with Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox. He even signed a mutual defense treaty with the pagan tribes of the north. He sees past such trivial distinctions as religion. Though we are descended from arabs and you are descended from europeans, it was the will of Arslan that we become friends, no matter what the cost."
The Georgian considered the Turk's words carefully. "Can there be friendships between Muslims and Christians? We know full well how Arabs treat non-Muslims in their lands. They are called dhimmis, and they are treated as second-class citizens."
The Turk winced painfully at this, but was prepared to set the record straight.
"Sultan Kilij Arslan... died... defending Armenian Christians."
The Georgian nearly fell out of his chair. Such a thing was unheard of. Muslims fighting to defend Christians? Soon the Jews would be fighting to defend Muslims, and the Catholics fighting to defend pagans.
"It is the truth. Our great leader was captured by the Romans, brought before a military tribunal, and beheaded for 'crimes against the citizens of Rome, and high treason against the Roman Emperor', but in truth, he declared war on Rome explicitly because of the alliance with Armenia, and fought to turn back the Roman invasion. Even now, Armenians are within our borders, where they have found shelter, food, and welcoming arms."
The Georgian scoffed. "That only proves that your leader was a poor military commander. Many have come before you in their fight against Rome, and all have fallen in battle. None of them were described in heroic terms."
"Did they die defending men of a different faith from a Roman invasion and occupation? Did they send their sons and fathers to die honouring a defense pact?"
The Georgian could not immediately think of such an example.
"We offer you the same treaty. We will defend YOU against a great empire which has crossed YOUR borders unprovoked. We will fight beside you, and offer any and all assistance you require. If you need safe passage through our lands, you shall have it. If you need money, we will send it. If you need Turkish bows and horsemen, we will send them."
The Georgian delegate looked at his entourage, and seemed impressed by the offer.
"This is... far more than the Romans ever offered us. But... why? Why would you turn your back on your brothers, fellow Turks, to help the ALLIES of your sworn enemy? We are most puzzled by your apparent lack of loyalty!"
The Turk stood up immediately and stared sternly into the eyes of the Georgian ambassador.
"We are loyal to the ideals of justice, peace, and non-aggression. We are all, as Turks, united against imperialists and villians who expand their kingdoms and sultanates through conquest and enslavement, pillaging and mass murder. We are loyal to the concept of human dignity. And we are loyal to our convictions. What good is an alliance with those who do not even serve their own conscience? We would find a knife in our back for our loyalty to them. The Sultan Kaikosru has sent me to serve a greater cause. And our alliance with the Great Seljuks was defensive; it did not include the conquest of Georgia. You are our neighbors and trading partners, and if the Great Seljuks managed to conquer your nation, there would be nothing to prevent them from stabbing us in the back for our loyalty to them, while we are busy fighting two other empires. My Sultan sends me to serve your people, your King, your nation in the cause of justice and mutual survival. My loyalty is to my Sultan, and so long as the Turks and the Georgians live together in peace, then I am also loyal to you, and the cause of your nation. We must stand together as brothers in arms against those who threaten both our nations."
The Georgian stared at the Turk with a furrowed brow. The Turk, having said everything his leader had sent him to say, finally sat down, exhausted. The Georgian sat silently for a few moments, and then began to slowly clap his hands. The Turk could not even muster the energy to look him in the eye.
"Impressive speech, Turk. But how do you propose we ally with you when you are at war with Rome? Are you prepared to declare peace with our allies?"
The Turk, clearly worn out from his travels, simply replied, "No... until Rome is prepared to sign a peace treaty with Armenia, we will not betray our friends the Armenians, even to gain an alliance with you. That is one thing the Sultan cannot offer you."
"Very well... I must say you are not what I expected. I shall deliver your terms to my King. By the way, weary traveller... what is your name?"
The messenger looked up at the Georgian delegate, and said:
..."Crown Prince Malik, heir to the Turkish throne."
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