((Written in collaboration with Kagemusha))

Banquet Revelations

Home of the Doukai, Constantinople, 1081

Anna gazed emptily at her own reflection in the mirror, her mind having wondered far away. Her thoughts went mainly to the different men she had recently met; from Kosmas Mavrozomis to Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, each had given her something to consider, even the overly angry one, Kalameteros. Her contemplation didn't last long as she was brought back to reality by a slightly annoyed voice.

"Anna! We have to get you ready, the banquet has already started."

Her personal servant and confidante, Verina, was franticly arranging Anna's hair while she sat and did little to help.

"You know how I dislike these gathering."

Verina paused and gave her a stern look through the mirror. Anna pouted in response, but knew Verina was right, she had to get ready. Nevertheless, like an actor playing her part in a play, she felt compelled to play out her role as she did everytime.

"Verina, why don't you go in my stead?"

The young woman was now choosing proper earings for Anna. Again she pause, this time smiling warmly.

"I am much to common of a woman to pass as royalty."

Anna made an exagerated roll of her eyes, but nevertheless had to agree. It was not a question of Verina's beauty, but they had very different features save for their dark hair. Her face was more angular than Anna's and the several springs she had over twenty had given her a somewhat austere appearance. With an exagerated sigh, Anna resigned herself to her fate.

"Very well, lets get this over with."

Anna applied a small amount of rouge on her cheeks while Verina fitted her with two small golden teardrop earings. The preparations over, Anna rose to watch herself fully in the mirror. She admired how her rich burgundy brocaded silk robe woven with raised designs of gold contrasted with her dark hair and pale face. Turning to her confidante, she repeated the words part of their ritual.

"How do I look?"

"You look marvelous Anna."

Smiling, Anna embraced the older woman, before leaving her room to join the banquet. As she heard the voices of revelry getting nearer, she steeled herself for another tedious evening. A few steps later, she took a deep breath and entered the banquet. At once, most eyes turned on her and Anna struggled to at least offer them a practiced smile.

Ioannis Kantakouzinos had been mingling through the banquet like it was requiered for any man of noble birth. Shaking hands of other noble men and kissing hands of their spouses and daughters.

He was sipping a glass of wine, wearing a black kontomanikion, with red sagion, which had newly embroiled coat of arms of the house Komnenodoukai on its shoulder, while the red colour was taken from his own family insignia.

As he was sipping his wine from a silver cup, the young Kantakouzinos became more and more uneasy. Ioannis thought's drifted.

What if the princess becomes enraged because of the disturbance of her privacy and tells her father that I am harassing her? Maybe this really was not such a good idea?

Suddenly the doubts of the young man were interrupted as Anna Komnenos entered the banquet, looking somewhat our of this world, with her brocaded silk robe, long flowing dark hair and pale skin.

Ioannis swallowed quite loudly and drank rest of his wine with one swallow, thinking.

Just put one feet after another and walk to her. Its not like you haven't fought in the battlefield risking your life times and times over. She maybe more dangerous then any enemy encountered, but she is no enemy and you are no coward.

Encouraged by his thoughts, Ioannis started walking towards the Princess, but just when he got few meters away from her, a familiar voice came from bit down in front of him, ending his internal battle like a bolt of lightning.

"Ioannis, how nice to see you! You have grown as a real Kantakouzinos man."

Ioannis turned his face towards the sound and saw the face of old and somewhat wrinkled woman with hearty smile on her face. Ioannis replied.

"Aunt Eugenia!"

Before he was able to continue. He felt an familiar sensation as his aunt pinched his cheek like million times before. His aunt still had power in his fingers.

"Have you remembered to eat well Ioannis? Ever since you left me and your uncle and started residing in the main residence of our house, I have been worried about you. I know what the young ones do, I was also young myself once, dancing until dawn and drinking wine until the last clear thoughts have passed their minds. Your Uncle says its nothing to worry, but Ioannis, you must remember to eat and sleep well or you wont live to see old age. It caused enough grief to our family to loose your father in Manzikert and afterwards your mother to the convention. You must stay healthy and live long, pass me and your uncle."

"Yes Aunt, of course Aunt.."

Ioannis tried to reply, as his eyes wondered between his aunt and the heavenly creature just few steps away. Anna Komnenos was surrounded by other people, so she could not have noticed the episode next to her.

Or could she?

Ioannis thought, but was were interrupted by his Aunt Eugenia.

"Now young man. Do not just stand there, but dance with your aunt."

Ioannis nodded with expression on his face like he had just lost a duel, while being dragged by his aunt to the floor.

After a bit of wait and nodding to his aunts, talk and suggestions of how he should live his life, another song started and Ioannis did his best to entertain his aunt while every time when he turned towards the princess he could not help but stare at the vision, which was so near, but still so far away.

Anna was already weary of the insatiable sycophants surrounding her. Pleasing them was easy, she needed only to smile meekly and modestly at their flattery or to laugh lightly at their jests. Nevertheless, she couldn't care less about them and their desires.

A quick scan of the room showed her few possibilities of escape, thus she would have to make one. She tolerated the men assembled before her for a time, until she saw an opportunity. The music had changed in favor of a dance that requiered a frequent rotation of partners.

Excusing herself suddenly, she sallied from the besieging admirers and grabbed a hapless courtier, before joining in the dance. This sort of dance suited her best because she didn't need to commit herself to anyone specifically, after a few moments, the dance would make her switch partners with someone else.

During the second dance, Ioannis could notice that his aunt would not last long anymore, the old bird couldn't keep him away from the princess for long anymore as she would soon need to rest.

As the dance was about to end, Ioannis was once again about to turn so that he could see the Princess in all of her beauty, but as he turned around, there was only few young men, where the princess had been just a moment a go. A terrible thought crossed Ioannis' mind.

Did I already lost her before I was able to meet her?

The music stopped and Ioannis stayed in his place, nurturing dreadful thoughts about his aunt, whom had gone to sit down and rest for a bit.

The first notes of the new song begun and by old reflexes Ioannis took one step to the right and spin to the left reaching his arm to the next partner, without so much looking towards that direction.

As he grabbed the sophisticated and small arm to to his own hand, he looked up and there she was, Anna Komnenos, holding his hand with a cute but appropriate smile on her rose lips. One spin to the right and then she was gone spinning with her next partner, while Ioannis was going to the opposite direction with his new partner, smiling and thinking.

It seems all hope is not lost yet. Now I will just have to wait while she spins through the line and back to me.Then she can't surprise me dumb.

After reaching the other end of the line, partners changing one after another, Ioannis could see how the beautiful princess was travelling his way. As he felt the touch of her hand again Ioannis said so others could not hear.

"Your higness, could you spare me word or two after this dance?"

Ioannis watched the Princess straight to the eyes and waited for a reply.

Anna recognised Ioannis the first time she passed by him in the dance and on the second pass, she could only smile and nod softly before shuffling over to her next partner.

The dance didn't last long enough for her to pass Ioannis another time and as soon as the music halted, she slipped away. Glancing back at Ioannis, she silently invited him to join her in one corner of the room.

Like moths drawn to a candle, the sycophants assaulted her once more. Anna dodged and weaved arround them, using other guests as shields. Circumventing most of them, she made her way hastily to where she would meet up with Ioannis.

Ioannis watched as the princess struggled to get rid of her admirers and as few stubborn few still following her, where they were supposed to meet. Ioannis decided to march between the Princess and the people trying to catch up with her. As he reached the point where he was standing between the Princess and the remaining followers, Ioannis suddenly turned to face tthem and with soft but determined voice said.

"If you could kindly spare us a minute with the princess, I would be forever grateful to the lot of you."

After saying the words the young Kantakouzinos kept staring at the eyes of the men, until all of them had decided to walk away or had turned their attention elsewhere in order to save face.

Then he turned towards the Princess, bowed and said with a playfull smile on his face, while pretending to be very much looking like he was sorry.

"I am terribly sorry for interrupting your chat with these ladies and gentlemen. I most humbly beg for your forgiveness."

Ioannis slowly raised his head while smiling to Anna. After the formal questions and compliments that had to be made on every occasion when nobles met, Ioannis explained to Anna what he wanted to talk with her.

"Your Majesty. As you must be aware I am practically an old man and because of my hideous appearance, no woman will pity me enough to marry a monster like me."

Ioannis tried to look as serious as he could and touched his moustache,while trying to draw his mouth downwards as if looking sad while he had trouble keeping his playful smile covered. He continued.

"Because of my hideous looks and need of your father, the Emperor, of strators to fight and die for him in distant places, my duty and honour is to go and fight the Tartars, Magyars and Saracens. For this I ask you dear princess to touch this cloth with your hand, so I could place it near my heart in order that the light which shines from you could give me comfort when without doubt my armor will be punctured by the Tartar arrows and the heathen Saracens will cut me open like a fish, while there will be probably blood everywhere...."

Ioannis continued his story about his horrible and gory death in hands of the enemies of the Empire, while trying to keep his act of doomed man together, with occasional smiling eye contacts to the Princess. He slowly raised his right hand with the cloth, which was the very same fabric the book had been covered with. He continued babling as if he was just trying to get the Princess to interrupt him.

Anna was taken aback by Ioannis' words, she had only wanted a companion for discussion that would not fawn over her. Apparently she had stumbled into something quite different.

She reached for the cloth and softy placed one finger over his mouth, wishing to silence him.

"Hush now. What is wrong with you Ioannis? Why do you speak of hideousness and doom? Is this some sort of game?"

Yet once Anna felt with her gentle hand the cloth handed to her, recognition flared in her eyes for an instant. It was the same kind of cloth that had wrapped the book she had recently received. A quick glance confirmed want her tactile senses had told her.

She did not know what to make of this. Was it a coincidence? Or was Ioannis toying with her?

Ioannis reached for the Princess' arm, so he could grab both the cloth and the hand holding it to his own. He leaned forward, bowing his head and kissed back of the hand of Anna. Slowly raising his head while gently taking the cloth to his own hand, while aiming his eyes to the eyes of the princess. He said with a gentle voice.

"The thing is Annna Komnenos, that as your humble admirer, who does not deserve the attention of the beauty unmatched in Court of Rome, or any other city under the sky. I must take my leave. Before I bring shame to either of us."

Ioannis smiled with longing and some kind of sadness in his eyes, unable to hold his feelings for the princess no longer, like he had hid those feelings for years. Realizing his revealing expression, Ioannis turned his eyes to the ground while nodding his head in a bow. He turned around and walked into the night, the confused expression of the heavenly creature burned in his eyes.

Anna simply stood there befuddled and at the mercy of the circling vultures. Seeing their prey vulnerable, they dived upon the young woman, quickly surrounding her. At first, she simply stared at them, stammering nonsensical replies, but quickly she pushed away her troubling encounter with Ioannis. She would reflect on it at a later time, for now, she had to entertain these fawning fools. It took all of her countenance to avoid sighing in despair.