Constantinople 1144
Apionnas walked slowly from the death bed of his late master. Basileus Aleksios Komnenus had passed away peacefully with no sign of foul play. That was the last dying duty and the wish of his Godfather. At least he could confirm that to his new master and remove any doubt about succession.
Taking a small package wrapped in thick paper covered in wax he withdrew to a small chamber where Ioannis Komnenus stood in solemn silence with his trusted man Pavlos Chrysovergos.
Apionnas walked directly toward the new Basileus, knelt, held up the package and paper laying on top of it and finally spoke;
"My Lord Basileus,
I, Apionnas Vringas, gave my eternal service and life to your father, his family and the position of Basileus of Byzantium. I wish to state at this time that your father has died with no sign of foul play or evil intent. I now pass this solemn oath onto to you and your family.
The papers here are a collection of all the work I have conducted on behalf of your father over the last decade. In addition, there is his "Will" in which he included me."
While Apionnas waits for the new Basileus to react he glances briefly towards Pavlos to gauge his reaction. He could never work the man out and his rise to prominence was now going to be accelerated dramatically. His opinion and thoughts would have to be factored into most things from now on.
Pavlos was staring rigidly ahead, arms folded behind his back he seemed almost unaware of the proceedings in front of him. As Apionnas speaks he glances at him briefly then at the papers that are handed over to Ioannis. His face is as always set in a permanent scowl.
Taking Apionnas' hand, the new Basileus gently pulls him to his feet.
"Senator Apionnas, you have been most devoted to my father, and there is no one more that I would trust with the affairs of our family and that of my personal safety. I accept your oath most willingly."
Gesturing to Pavlos to come closer, he turned again to Apionnas.
"This is Pavlos Chrysovergos, my trusty second and faithful leader of the Komnenodoukai. He has shown his loyalty many times over, and you can fully confide in him. He will also be part of the Privy Council."
"My Lord Dux, it is a great honour to meet you finally. The House of Komnenodoukai will be a great asset in the years to come. With it's strength the reign of our Baselius will be well supported amongst the nobility."
Extending his hand in a warriors grip, Apionnas's blue eyes assess the man that will influence much in the coming years.
The small burly men had stepped forward at the signal.
"Comes Apionnas Vringas! You are a loyal man, I respect you for that. The Basileus trusts you and so will I. The Komnenodoukai will continue to serve the line of Aleksios."
He grips the other mans arm firmly and watches him with a steady gaze.
The grip was vice like in its strength. Excellent thought Apionnas. The steel in this man would be needed in the years to come.
Breaking both hand shake and eye contact each man seemed satisfied with the other. Apionnas turns back to his new master, an intense look in his eyes.
"My Lord, I believe we need to move as quickly as possible to have your coronation completed by the Patriarch.
Then we must move to address oath swearing in the Magnaura as a formality. This should include all House Leaders AND unaligned senators. Once that is completed we need to deal with a quick solution with Constantinople's ownership and Vissa.
The unknown noble your father willed the Capital must be identified immediately and his loyalty confirmed via public oath. Once that is done then some "arrangements" will need to be agreed upon."
Nodding, Ioannis buckles on his sword.
"We must make haste to the Patriarch's office. The sooner all the arrangements are concluded the better."
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