The Magnaura

[Andres]

Savvas enters the Magnaura, his armor full of dust, an exhausted look on his face. He takes of his helmet, grabs a goblet, pours it full with wine and drinks.

"4 horses! 4 horses died to get me here as fast as possible! And what do I find? A bunch of bickering Senators who seem to be eager to start a civil war? Stop this madness!"

Savvas looks around and yells: "STOP IT! What do you want? The end of our Empire?"

Savvas inhales and speaks a bit softer.

"Hypatios exterminated a whole city and violated a recently voted Edict. This is a serious matter. But... Hypatios, how despicable his actions may be, is still a Senator of this Magnaura and he did his despicable act during a war."

Savvas looks around.

"I have seen war and it isn't pretty. I despise Hypatios' acts. A true Roman stays civilised, even in times of war. But, I can understand that some people cannot deal with the pressure. This is not a justification of his acts, but, we should hear Hypatios' version of the facts.

I suggest the Basileus orders him to come to Constantinople immediately. We need to hear Hypatios and as a Senator, he should be able to defend his case. Hypatios should be jailed, in the best possible circumstances of course, until the Basileus, assisted by the Magnaura if he desires it so, can judge him.

But allow me to insist on serenity in this matter.

Hypatios' act was barbaric, but that doesn't mean we have to act as barbarians as well. We shouldn't threat each other and challenge each other to meet on the field of battle! We are all Romans! We are brothers!

Anyone who even dares to insinuate fighting another Senator, should seriously calm down. Senators fighting each other is civil war. Civil war, mylords, would not only bring us disaster, but he who starts it, will forever be known as a traitor!

We are all Romans, gentlemen and our Empire is in peril! Crusades are coming our way! The Seljuks are not yet defeated and a significant number of our finest Generals will go on a Holy Crusade!

I repeat: I ask for serenity.

Hypatios should be put on trial. Let the Basileus, assisted by the Magnaura if he desires, judge over Hypatios' actions and decide over a fitting punishment.

That, dear Senators is the course of action that we, civilised men, should need to follow.

Savvas stands up again.

I would love to continue the debates with you, good sirs, but unfortunately, I have to get back to my troops now. Please, calm down, take a goblet of wine and think before you speak.

Please gentlemen, I consider you all as brothers. One our brothers has made a terrible mistake and needs to be judged, but that doesn't mean that Romans should start killing Romans. That would lead to our downfall and the end of the Roman Empire.

Savvas takes his helmet and hastily walks out the Magnaura. When he passes the Grandmaster's table, he stops and looks at Makedonios.

"Dear Grandmaster, allthough you have done much good since then and you are trying to redeem yourself, I have not forgotten what has happened in Antioch. I think that over the years, I have forgiven your actions, but that doesn't take away the fact that you are not very well placed to condemn Hypatios."

With a sad, disappointed look on his face, Savvas jumps on his horse outside the Magnaura and drives away.