Re: Stories Thread
((Written in collaboration with PrivateerKev.))
What can a Princess and a Crusader have in common?
Whenever I gaze back through the passage of time and upon the evening that bore me witness to the man known as Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, I can only wonder at the nature of men. From what fabric are weaved noble men? Often have I heard claims of titles, land, coin or bloodline; yet are all these things truly the core essence of nobility? Titles come and go swiftly as the shifting tides and as such are but a chlamys wrapping a man in a pretension of nobility. Only once removed can the truth of a person be revealed, at least in part. While land and coin may be more lasting, in the words of Sophocles; « Wisdom outweighs any wealth. » and that would be true of many more qualities. There remains bloodline, which is a crucial part of nobility but not the defining attribute. I cannot fully ascertain all that makes a man noble, crafting such a list would ultimatly prove illusive for any but the wisest. All that I can be certain of; men are not born noble, it is through their defining actions they reach true nobility.
- Memoirs of Anna Komnenos
The sun was setting on the Queen of all cities as a lone figure in simple robes of quality textiles made her way out of the palace grounds. Were she not a woman, she would have been largely unnoticed, yet most people assumed her to be of low nobility and thus she seemed only a minor anomaly in a city filled with them. Tugging at her lightly embroidered veil to adjust it, she contemplated the irony of situation. She, Anna Komnenos, daughter of the most powerful man in the world, had less freedom then her confidante, from whom she had borrowed these clothes to avoid the countless attendants.
As Anna neared the Hippodrome, she realized she felt odd sensation. Her reason told her this was unwise at best and she would have usually agreed, but something pushed her on. She could hardly describe the exact feeling, it was a mix of trepidation and excitement. She shook her head in denial, drawing a few curious stares, before she regained her countenance. She needed a clear mind if she wanted this encounter to turn out less sour than the previous one.
At last the Hippodrome was in view and Anna set out at once to the appointed entrance. Since Anna would surely stand out in the diminishing crowd, she made no effort to seek out Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, preferring to wait instead for him to find her.
And despite her lower key clothing, she was easy to find. As he was walking through the market sipping his tea, he spied someone looking a tad out of place by the entrance. Best to move in fast before people noticed her.
As Makedonios got nearer to the Princess, her beauty radiated out from even the dull clothes she currently had on. The soldier's heart skipped a beat but Makedonios's quickly settled it down. He had helped Bryennios hold the left wing at Manzikert against waves of Turkish attackers but he suddenly found himself more frightened than on that fateful day.
With a quick prayer to the Lord for strength, Makedonios walked quickly towards the Princess and called out just loudly enough for anyone witnessing to hear, "Maria! How is one of the Senate's most capable clerks doing? It is getting late and I would be honored to escort you home."
Makedonios offered the crook of his arm to the Princess as he set his tea set down on one of the lamp posts.
Anna was a bit slow in reacting at her "name" being called. Nevertheless, she quickly took the arm offered to her once she realized the man was probably the Comes of Cyprus.
"Thank you...my... lord." The words came out awkwardly and they felt odd as she uttered them. Glancing about, she was visibly nervous as she was escorted down the street. Part of her silently wondered if this man had mistaken her identity or if some grim fate would await her.
Makedonios noticed her tense her grip on his arm and quickly attempted to calm her down. "It is a beautiful night but the ones in Cyprus are nicer." Feeling her relax a little when he mentioned something from their letters, Makedonios continued. "I apologize for the theater but I'm afraid you cut it a little close with the timing. A lady looking as you do alone in front of the Hippodrome looks suspicious so I had to think fast. Please forgive my forwardness in offering my arm."
Even in the setting sun, Anna could notice the Comes was blushing.
"You did well Comes. I am... not used to hiding my identity." Her voice was quivering, it could have been a simple fear of discovery or was it something else? In all of her twenty springs, she had never held a man so closely, save her father and brother. She was thankful the rouge on her cheeks and her veil almost hid her blushing.
Pushing these thoughts away, she cleared her mind and struggled to keep her conflicting emotions in check.
"Quickly, we should move out from the streets. To the gardens, maybe?"
Makedonios nodded in agreement and led the Princess down the street. His experience with women was sorely deficient. He was a soldier. And his devotion to the Lord made him avoid some of the more leisurely activities that soldiers across the world use to occupy their free time. It was good that they weren't talking or the Princess might notice his voice quiver.
They finally arrived at their destination. Which was a back entrance to a small garden on the Palace grounds. A guard recognized the Princess and let them through the entryway that was entwined with vines and roses.
Once they arrived at the fountain in the center of the garden, Makedonios unhooked his arm from the Princess. He suddenly found that he missed the sensation. Thinking a quick prayer, and pushing the sensation out of his mind, it was time to get down to business.
"Alright your Highness, I've received your letter. Forgive me for being blunt but what would you like to discuss?"
Leaving his side, Anna followed the rim of the fountain, letting a finger trail in the cool water, until she was on the opposite side of it. She gazed at Makedonios and smiled sheepishly.
"In your letter, you asked for my counsel. With the senate session nearing, I thought it was better not to waste time. But first, tell me Comes, what do you want?"
The Comes stood for a second sizing her up. He was impressed with her forwardness and honesty. He expected her to be more guarded and aloof.
"Your right, but it was you who wanted to meet in person. What I want is simple. I want to get the Order off of my island, and over to the Levant as soon as possible. But I already sense political dealings happening behind the scenes and I am afraid a group of warrior/monks isolated on a far island are going to get left out."
"I don't ask for much. I already have army units and generals on the island. And half of the Byzantine fleet is just off of the coast of Cyprus. But our Empire's rules are very clear. I can not order the ships to move, load my men onto to them, and sail them the short distance to where they need to go. Only the Megas can do that and this term that is your father."
"I'm trying to prevent the Order being stranded by making political alliances with the other land-owners. But I much rather do this with your father's blessing. I have great respect for the man and I believe he will lead the Empire into a new age."
With a smile that brightened his features, Makedonios added, "Now I have prattled on long enough. If I may be so bold to ask, what do you want your Highness?"
Anna hesitated for an instant, not sure exactly what she should reveal. Well versed in negotiation, she knew she had to at least give him something.
"As I am sure you know, my brother is set to inherit the title of Basileus and in the meanwhile I am relegated to a very minor role. All I can do is to make sure my family is safe while both, father and brother, are away waging war. As you have said, many alliances are made and some of them do not have my family's interest's at heart, quite the contrary. Yet, I have little power myself. What I want, what I need, is someone with integrity. Someone, who will not bend for me or anyone else. You said you could offer me friendship and that is what I want, for I place little faith in pawns and sycophants."
Makedonios nodded in understanding.
"It seemed like you could use the advice of someone who isn't fawning for your's, or your father's approval. I believe I could provide that. And I can use friends in the Senate so I can fulfill my duties to the Lord and to my Order."
"I too have the Empire's interests at heart. My mission to secure the Holy Land has many reasons. The obvious is religious in nature. But there is a very real security reason. It seems everyone in this part of the world seeks to hold the Holy Lands. If we do not get there first, we are likely to find a large and powerful foreign foe to our south-east that would threaten any attempt to retake Anatolia."
"I will not ask you to trust that I have your family's interests at heart. But I hope I have proven that what I am trying to do will benefit the entire Empire. I was at the battle of Manzikert and I know full well what happens when an Empire doesn't secure their borders."
With that last sentence, Makedonios gets a far-away look as if he has been reliving the same nightmare every night. He quickly composes himself.
"As for integrity, you should be suspicious of anyone who claims it for themselves. All I hope I have convinced you of, is that I hold strong convictions. I believe with all my heart that the Order will serve a useful function to the Empire by holding a strategic position. I just need the chance to prove it."
"Again I fear I am monopolizing this conversation. I feel like I'm giving a practice speech before speaking before the Senate tomorrow. But that is in itself useful because it helps me put my thoughts in order. Please feel free to step in and give me your thoughts or ask me any questions."
Completing her walk around the fountain, Anna found herself once more near Makedonios. She simply nodded at his words.
"You are right, and with you in the East, I find myself fearing less for our safety from that direction. Yet, I am worried for the west. The latin barbarians rape and pillage our lands while we are forced to watch, unable to act."
Brushing back her veil lightly, she produced one of her most charming smiles. Her eyes glimmered in the fading light.
"I would ask of you a simple favor. There might soon be talk of sending some troops to reclaim some of our lands in the West. A young man, by the name of Anastasios Neokaisareitis, will no doubt make his wish to lead this expedition known publicly. His needs are few, less than a hundred men, and I would be very grateful if you supported him."
While Makedonios's features brightened as the Princess neared, his face turned to a grimace when he heard Anastasios's name.
"Your Highness, soldiers have many ways of doing things. But some men do things in a way that is against the very teachings of the Lord. And Anastasios is one of those men. His reputation for cruelty is well known. I'm surprised you have even spoken with such a man."
While Makedonios tries to make it clear through his tone that he meant it as Anastasios being unworthy of a conversation with Anna, a touch of jealousy leaked through. He decided to continue and hope the Princess didn't notice.
"As for my support, he probably doesn't know it, but he already has it. While he has not formally sworn to House of Asteri, he is known to spend much time there. And Comes Kosmas and I already have... an understanding. While he keeps company with some... colorful characters, the Comes is a very pious man. Him and I agree on the need to move Muslims away from the Empire and to spread Orthodoxy."
Anna adopted a more serious and thoughtful pose, seemingly taken aback by Makedonios' words.
"I... did not know about his reputation. I might have erred in my judgment, although at short term, he seemed like the right person to see to our needs in the West."
She seemed distraught, her voice shakier sentence by sentence.
"It seems it is I who is "left out" so to say, there are so many new faces in the Senate, I hardly know any of them. And now, it is apparent I cannot even trust my own senses. I fear in seeking my counsel you have struck a losing bargain."
Makedonios's features soften when he sees the Princess upset but he stays where he is. His emotions are conflicted and he doubts she needs any more complications in her life at the moment.
"Well, you have to start somewhere. I hardly know any of these men either. You write letters and see where it takes you. That is how we met. Your a born diplomat. You were trained to read people. Trust in that."
"As to your judgment, I see nothing wrong. The larger issue you speak of is absolutely correct. We can not focus on one end of the Empire, only to ignore the other side. That is why I have tried to be modest in my requests of the Basileus. Anastasios might be the right choice to protect the west. With him in Kosmas's House, he might be forced to... curb some of his excesses. While Kosmas does not have a reputation for chivalry, he does seem like a pragmatist."
"I see... I have met with Comes Mavrozomis, although with inconclusive results."
She looked at the now dark sky, realizing that she had perhaps tarried to long.
"I...." Anna stuttered, seemingly examining possibilities, before shaking her head lightly. "I must take my leave, if I do not return to the palace soon my absence might be noticed. I will take your words into consideration Makedonios and once I have found myself once more, I will speak to you again. Farewell."
Rearranging her veil, Anna turned to leave but lingered for a few moments, before finally leaving.
Makedonios paused for a moment. But it was only a moment. He gave a respectful bow and said, "Have a good evening your Highness and thank you for the conversation. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."
With that, he kept his face impassive but his eyes betrayed him when they appeared to sparkle with emotion. Perhaps it was just the moonlight. He stood straight, turned smartly as a soldier does, and walked out of the garden.
Originally Posted by Sasaki Kojiro
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