Stories Thread

[Smowz]

Civil War - The Personal Diary of Nevoulas ek Philadelphius.

Constinantinople:


My head is a whirl. My emotions are up and down. I feel in my head, I have made the right moves. But alas, my heart is torn in two. There are a great many friends I have lost on the last few days, there is no going back. My smiles and confidence in the senate betrays a great sadness and sorrow at what I have said and done. I cannot keep all this locked up for I will go mad, perhaps that is the illness that we have suffered in recent months we have all gone quite mad!!!! I must write this down, the pen in this case may be greater than the sword.

My lords within the house of Asteri rightly feel that I talk out of turn, I should know my place. It is by Kalematros' side. His much loved sons are coming of age, what must they think of me their loving Uncle Nevoulas. I wish we had happier times, I remember the fun we used to have in Iconium, they were happy boys... and Zigavinos a man who has treated me well and proved a great ally in my times in charge of the administration. I fear I no longer have his respect either.

The grandmaster Armatos and my longtime friend his second Bart, their frowns will live with me the longest. I know now that I am unlikely to see them again until we likely meet on the battlefield, I dearly hope it will not come to that. When we were young men, I fondly recall exchanging correspondence with Bart on regular occasions.

Then there comes Tagaris himself, the conquerer, a hero among the people and my soldiers. I aspired to be like him a conquerer myself - extending our glorious empire on the battlefield against its enemies. It is he who I picture now enraged in Mecca with his young daughter and her suitor.

Tonight I drink to them, perhaps tomorrow I will return to the senate....

....later.....

There is no other option. The Caeser is a great man but he is not the Emperor.

Sea of Marmara: (on a merchents vessel)

How did it all come to this? Why was I compelled to declare war on a Roman hero?

Duty.

My duty is at first to the empire and to protect against its enemies. At one time, not so long ago when I was in office it was clear who those enemies were or was it? Come to think of it now it felt at times like I was a pivot with all the dignitaries of the empire pulling in every direction. Was it inevitable that it would collapse? Before I can think of the future I have to examine the past. So many have different ways of telling it, I can see the likes of Vringas and Theo even now going back and forth over it.

Duty was easy under Aleksios, it would surely be under leadership such as his that so many capable men would come out of the woodwork and work towards the common cause. Inspirational men like Ampules, Ksanthpoulas and the beloved Kosmas lived, breathed and died for him. There were grumblings for sure, but his steady hand guided us and molded us.

Then he died. By rights considering who ascended to the throne there should have been anarchy immediately. I recall when the news reached my desk I was tempted to sail back to Athens immediately - but whilst the news of the passing of one emperor fell away and another rose I guess the common cause of fighting the Fatamids and the Seljuks focussed senators minds elsewhere.

But the new emperor was determined to establish his control, he wanted absolution and respect as his father had once had. Respect that was in short supply, the contempt of many senators as they 'swore fealty' to him was all to evident. By rights many, me included should have been detained right there and then. But I guess, I was Megas - the politicians champion and Tagaris was Caeser - the peoples champion, the new emperor was fearful of his life in such a climate. He would be happy enough with the words and watch whilst we continued our mandate to fight our enemies in the East.

Whilst we fought, on the inside Emperor Ioannis gathered those loyal to him closest. Pavlos, Vringas and Andronikos became a privy council. But on the outside things carried on I guess as administrations do without any flicker of rebellion.

Then the Emperor started to issue commands. We saw immediately that there was no loyalty to this new emperor, I remember fearfully shaking as I dared to defy him in the senate halls. It is a wonder I am still alive, I feel at comfort with my statements on that day and was fully prepared to die for them. The emperor was once again trumped by the politicians and the people you might say - his command to make peace with the Fatamids was ignored. But this darkened his mood he surely knew now that these days were just a matter of time.

Now we come to the present, my term as Megas ended... the election for the new Megas passed smoothly in favour of Pavlos over a young man most of us barely knew, perhaps a puppet opposition who is to say? The election took second standing to events over in Mecca, in the courts of Tagaris his young daughter had come of age. I can hear Tiverios now the young governer of the capital bemoaning the fight over a 14 year old girl. The Emperor commanded that she marry his eldest brother, the Caeser defied the order and married her to another.

War was declared. The emperor commanded that his empire rise up in arms.

Duty.

The Aegean sea: (on a merchents vessel)

I need to think of how I am going to break the news to my soldiers. It is delicate, they are much taken with the young prince Isaakios, it is not often that they get to mix with royalty. Outwardly, there is not much inspirational about him apart from his bloodline that is enough for most men. But I have seen and dined with legends. Yet I respect and cherish Isaakios as I do others. Inwardly he is a most well spoken and thoughtful young man, I believe his apparent contempt for politics is a front for a far more deep person he is yet to reveal.

The soldiers, they are a promising bunch. I have several veterens of the battle we fought together in Anatolia against the Fatamid Jihad. My god that seems so long ago. The others have been trained in Markinople and Corinth and are some of the finest men from these parts. They are eager to fight the enemy, I was fearful of whether they would take to fighting the fellow Christians of Venice, let alone fellow Romans. They'd do it I am sure, but can I live with myself for forcing them to do it.

I keep telling myself - why fight for an empire that you do not believe in? If I am unwilling to fight for the emperor, then what exactly am I fighting for?

I see Ariantis now, me and him drinking in our younger days in the halls of the Asteri. The young bold adventurer, who became what he is today one of the 'traitors'. How can I call him a traitor? Why will he not answer the call of duty? Does he seriously believe that he can sit in this so called Neutrality? They fell over themselves to mention that word, over and over it rings in my head. What kind of an empire do they believe they are in? The emperor commands you obey or you disobey the matter is simple....

and yet.... here I am just a few days from having to talk to Isaakios, one of those that has been talking of neutrality. I hope he is comforted by the news I have from the Emperor.