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Belgrade, 1101
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As Kosmas and his retinue entered Belgrade they were shocked at the sights that awaited them. If he hadn't known better, Kosmas would have assumed the town had taken by the rebels. He was not so much surprised to see empty farms outside the city, as many of the farmers might have still been seeking refuge inside the castle walls in case the rebels returned, but Belgrade itself seemed depopulated. Many of the homes and shops were damaged, some burnt to the ground. Others were still standing but appeared completely uninhabited, and appeared to have been looted. The townspeople Kosmas did see shied away from him and his men, and efforts to question them proved fruitless.
“What happened here? Plague or something more sinister?” Kosmas wondered.
Finally directions to where Methodios was staying were gathered from one of a number of bands of poorly armed and poorly clothed "soldiers", presumably the peasants that had been raised quickly to protect the town. Kosmas was led to a large house in the center of town, guarded by two more peasant soldiers armed with makeshift weapons. Unlike the roving band of armed townspeople who had been somewhat deferent towards him, these two raised their weapons as Kosmas and his men drew near. One looked frightened as Kosmas approached and would not take his eyes off of the ground, but the other, presumably the leader, stood straight and glared defiantly at the noble.
"Is this where Strator Methodios Tagaris is staying?" Kosmas questioned the guard he took to be the leader.
The guard spat "Who wants to know?".
Several of Kosmas' retinue put their hands on their swords, but he waved them back. Kosmas then dismounted from his horse to face the guard. If it weren't for the tenseness in the air it would have been an amusing sight, Kosmas, a noble of the Empire and dressed head to toe in armor, forced to look up to meet the eyes of the peasant guard, nearly half a head taller than him. Kosmas smiled at the man. "What might your name be, young man?".
The guard looked suspiciously at Kosmas. "Eudaemon".
Kosmas leaned slightly closer to the soldier. "Well, Eudaemon, to act in such a manner towards a noble I imagine you must be an important man, entrusted with the vital duty of protecting the temporary home of Methodios Tagaris, a strator of the Empier and hero. Would I be correct in this assumption?"
Eudaemon stood shocked for a moment, having expected to be threatened, before nodding.
Kosmas' smile grew broader. "In that case I would also expect that you know that Methodios has agreed to meet with Strator Kosmas Mavrozomis, that is, me. I was already delayed by some bad weather on my way here, and he has expecting me to come for the past few days. Now, a choice lays before you, young Eudaemon. You can delay me further, forcing your lord to wait until such a time as he sends someone out here to find out what is going on, or you can keep him from waiting further by letting me in to meet him. Which do you think Methodios would prefer?"
Without a word in reply, the guard turned to open the door, allowing Kosmas to enter.
Once past the door, Kosmas found himself in a moderately affluent house. He was greeted by a man of noble breed, though clearly not Byzantine. He extended his right hand to Kosmas, his left resting on the pommel of his sword, visibly lacking two fingers.
“Strator Mavrozomis, it is an honour… I am Giuliano Strozzi, aide to Methodios Tagaris. Welcome in Belgrade. Would you please follow me ?” Giuliano said, turning around.
Kosmas was led to what was clearly a study. Papers littered the desk. Maps decorated the walls. Most pro-eminent among those was one of Croatia, with many annotations around Zagreb. The room was devoid of any presence.
“Please have a seat, strator… Methodios will be with us shortly… We didn’t expect you at this time and he has been making a tour of the countryside, trying to collect all farmers that fled in the wake of the taking of the castle. I’ve sent someone to fetch him, he’ll be there shortly. Make yourself at ease. I’ll have some refreshments brought.”
Giuliano left Kosmas in the study. Kosmas went to the map of Croatia, considering the markings made around the city.
A short knock on the door preceded a serving girl bearing a tray with a steaming pot of tea and some delicacies. Laying it down on a console, she quickly bowed to Kosmas, saying a “My Lord” in a whisper before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.
Kosmas fetched himself a cup of the honeyed tea and settled himself comfortably to wait for his host.
A few minutes later, the door opened and a figure out of some Viking saga strode into the study. Tall, blond with piercing blue eyes, Methodios was the counter-point to Kosmas’ small frame and dark hair.
He was dressed in what could pass for peasants’ cloths, with cuffed boots on his feet, dust from his ride still covering him. A warm smile was directed at Kosmas.
“Kosmas… Will you excuse me for making you wait ? We thought you had changed your mind about coming this way…” Methodios said, shaking hands with Kosmas.
“I understand… We had some bad weather on the way that forced us to seek shelter for some days, hence our delay.”
“How’s your health ? I heard you had been struck down by disease…” Methodios continued, while washing away the grime, splashing water upon his face from a basin on a side table.
“Getting better day by day… Though in this foul weather…”
“Good to hear…”
Settling himself behind his desk, Methodios considered Kosmas, who had resumed his seat. “Sorry about receiving you without the proper decorum, but Belgrade is such a backwater place and with the atrocities committed here, there is a lot to do to bring it back into working order… I can’t even find a decent blacksmith… The last one was killed during the capture of the town, one of many to die that day… And all for nothing, if you ask me… Useless bloodletting by your man, Neoskaisareitis… House Asteri is not too well considered in these parts, as you may have noticed…”
“You mean that all this destruction was not done by the rebels ?” Kosmas was taken aback.
“No rebels never set foot in Belgrade… Anastasios and I cut them short before they launched their assault… For his all his failings, I have to admit he is a damn good fighter… If only he was not so sanguinary and cruel… Don’t misunderstand me : I have killed my own lot of men, more than I care to remember, but soldiers only… Men that knew what was at the end of the road… But never I have raised my sword against an innocent, as Anastasios is wont to do…”
“I see… Anastasios is a man of faith and I believe he can get carried away some times…”
“I’ll admit I do not share the same fervour… But you didn’t come here on some inspection tour, I believe… The letter announcing your coming told of grave matters you wanted to talk about.”
Kosmas leaned back slightly in his chair "Grave? Well, it is a matter of some importance, although I hope also a cause for some joy. Strator, by rescuing Belgrade from the rebels you have done a great favor to House Asteri. More than that, your stunning victory over the catholic rebels, against overwhelming odds, has made you a hero, especially here in Belgrade. Unfortunately, since my fall from power in my House, I lack much of the influence and power to reward you for your act."
Sensing Methodios is about to interject, Kosmas motions that he would like to continue. "I know, Strator Tagaris, that you did not put the rebels to flight out of any hope for a reward, but rather out of a wish to serve the Empire and its' citizens. Still, your selfless actions in saving Belgrade and the resultant acclaim among the people of the region deserve some response. Belgrade already belongs to another, and I lack any land or title to bestow, but there is one thing”. Kosmas leans forward towards Methodios. "As a member of the Imperial nobility, I have the ability to sponsor others to join, should they have enough public acclaim or other backing. I believe you possess the former in more than enough abundance Tell me, Methodios, does this idea sound pleasing to you?"
Shock left Methodios mute. Surprise was written all across his face.
“Me ? A noble ?” Methodios answered, finally recovering “But I am not even of full Greek blood…... My father served as a Varangian when he met my mother and though her Greek blood flows through my veins, there are some who would object to my being raised to the nobility… I am not worthy of such honours…I already owe everything I have to the Empire…”
"It is not just a matter of personal worthiness, although I believe you would easily pass by such a standard" Kosmas interjected "It is also a matter of timing. Right now your influence is high. You have won a spectacular battle despite minimal resources, and saved a settlement belonging to the Empire. The people of Belgrade regard you as their savior, and your name and the tale of your victory are on the tongue of many throughout the Empire. The people are fickle, however. War with the Turks is imminent, and the front is far from Belgrade, where you may not be able to participate in time. There will be other victories, other heroes, whose names instead will be on the tongues of the people."
Kosmas leaned back in his chair and smiled. "This is an opportune moment, in which your influence will force the Emperor to accept you into the nobility. None can deny you now. It will not make things easy. Some will accuse you of opportunism, as if choosing the right moment to do such a thing is something to be ashamed of. You may gain new enemies, although you will also have access to new allies, and new opportunities. So what do you say to my proposal ? Will you accept my sponsorship ?”
Methodios remained silent. He stood up and began pacing the room. He then stopped before one of the window and remained watching out. Finally he turned and faced Kosmas.
“I cannot refuse such honours though I feel I do not deserve it… All I did, I did for the Empire and not for some vain glory, whatever others may think. Strator Mavrozomis, I thank you most sincerely for coming here and offering so much.” Methodios said, offering his hand to Kosmas. “I hope you will remain here and enjoy our hospitality, though I fear the town is a little bleak right now… What Anastasios did to this town has left it marked for a long time, I fear.”
Kosmas shook his head. "I am sorry, Methodios, but I have a wedding to attend. My friend Ioannis Kalameteros and Princess Anna Komnenos marry this coming week, and I must depart quickly if I am to make it time. I hope to talk to the Basileus about my sponsorship of you there. Perhaps we will meet there."
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