Re: Stories Thread
The lead in to the story.
Constantinople, 1128
The sound of hundreds of men marching rang throughout the city. Much of the Imperial Army had left its barracks in various quarters of the capital and began to converge on the Patriarchal Palace. The citizens of Constantinople, having heard dark rumors from the Senate, quickly cleared the streets.
The army established a cordon around the residence of the Patriarch as the Basileus approach on horse. Mounted Varangians were with him, as well as the Patriarchal Represenative, bound to an ass and still spluttering his outrage.
Aleksios and his bodyguard dismounted at the gates of the palace. The Basileus grimly nodded as he surveyed the situation. He signaled one of his men and the Represenative's fetters were cut. The man dropped from his mount into the dust cursing.
"What treachery is this!? You dare move against his Holiness? Is there no heresy to which you will not sink?"
Aleksios glanced back at him, "I seek to speak with Nicholas. I've heard he is notoriously hard to see in person. You, his lickspittle, will arrange an audience with him now. That or my soldiers will."
The Represenative glanced around nervously, "But. . ."
Aleksios interrupted, "You have ten minutes to do this, at that time I'll be coming in, with Nicholas's leave or no."
Harald roughly pushed the Represenative toward the gates. Panicked the man began to run to the palace.
Aleksios spoke again, quietly, "Give his Holiness my regards."
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