The Magnaura

[OverKnight]

Tiverios turns to Isaakios and bows his head to him before replying.

A fair question Senator Komnenos. I served under your Lord Father here in the capital as part of the Imperial Court. I undertook the administration of the City under the Basileus' supervision during the latter part of his reign. In his will, the Basileus saw fit to entrust responsibility for the capital to me.

I will continue the Basileus' policies in Constantinople to ensure that our glorious capital remains the preeminent city in all the world.

[Ignoramus]

Ioannis stands up and addresses the Magnaura.

As there are some concerns that this session is but a waste of time, I will address the issues that concern me.

Firstly, I commend Senator Tiverios Indikoplefstis for the trust he has received from my late father, in being granted the governorship of our capital. However, in the interests of the security and authority of the empire, it is only safe if the capital is under the rule of the Basileus. I therefore ask that you resign your governorship of the city, and in exchange I will grant you the governorship of Nicaea. While not as illustrious as the capital, Nicaea is currently the fourth most important city in the empire, and is a much respected position.

Secondly, I banish Theophylaktos Petzeas from the Magnaura for the rest of this session. Theophylaktos Petzeas has made it clear that he holds no loyalty towards me, and I am now giving him an opportunity to reflect upon himself. Respect for the Basileus is paramount in the smooth running of the empire.

Thirdly, I wish to propose two minor Charter Ammendments:

CA 6.1: "Varangian Guardsmen may only be recruited by the Basileus.

CA 6.2: Upon their elevation to the position of leader of a house, the senator must swear an oath of fealty to the Basileus.

The first Charter Ammendment is to simply put in law what has been the practice of several centuries. The Varangian Guard is the personal bodyguard of the Basileus, and the control of it's recruitment should be in the Basileus' hands.

The second Charter Amendment is necessary for smooth working of the empire. If the Basileus has the loyalty of all the houses, then both Basileus and Houses can work cooperatively to ensure the greatness of Rome. We must not forget how much damage civil wars have caused our empire in the past.

As the guards begin to remove Theophylaktos Petzeas from the Magnaura, the Basileus sits down.

[OverKnight]

Hearing the words of the Basileus, Tiverios raises an eyebrow, but shows no other sign of emotion. He again bows to the Basileus.

Ah, I see. Your Majesty, your Lord Father was quite clear with his instructions.

He licks his lips nervously.

I must respectfully decline your offer.

[Cecil XIX]

I second CAs 6.1 and 6.2. We need the latter to adress a gap in the logic of the Charter.

However, I protest the banning of Sergeant Theophylaktos for saying he would not mean any oath he swore to the Basileus. Firstly, how is this not merely recognition of the conflict of interest that would arise from such in act? Why else would the Basileus demand, and the CA 6.2 require, only such an oath from the heads of the house. Secondly, I worry about the precedent set by the Caesar's reasons. If the Magnaura is to function properly, it is essential that all it's members can be criticized, the lowest and the highest. We must be able to render some insults onto each other if this body is to function.

[Ignoramus]

Ioannis rises to respond.

He first addresses Indikoplefstis.

"I will let the matter drop for now. I can understand your desire and eagerness to govern the second city of the world. However, the matter will invariably come up in the future."

Turning to Grandmaster Armatos, he continues.

"Grandmaster, it is assumed that if the House leader rebels against the Basileus, his vassals should consider their highest loyalty to the Basileus. Otherwise, we will end up like the Franks, whose kingdom is constantly riven with stride and domestic conflict. I am acting early to stamp out any attempts to undermine my authority. While Senator Theophylaktos words were not in any way treason - for if they had been his punishment would have been far greater - or insults, but rather a declaration that he would not mean any oath of loyalty that he swore to me. As a consequence, I have banned him from further discussion in this relatively minor meeting of the Magnaura. Some may say that I am too harsh, but I am prepared to take criticism for my actions.

And I have no complaints about respectful and constructive criticism, but I will not bear baseless insults or challenges to my authority. In this respect, I have more admiration for you than your predecessor, Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos, who insulted me at every opportunity."

Ioannis sits down.

[rossahh]

I also second both CA 6.1 and 6.2.

Grandmaster, even though you have pointed out the apparet contradiction between CA 6.2 and Theophylaktos's expulsion, I think you will find that this statement is the one that got him into trouble - "In that case I have no intentions to swear something that I don't really mean." It seems like a slight against our new Basileus to me.

[rossahh]

Oh yes, one other thing. My Lord Ioannis apologises for his absence but he is presently on a pilgrimage with his children. He shan't be returning to the Capital until a week from now at the least, so hopefully mine and Nevoulas's vows are enough to demonstrate Asteri's loyalty to the crown.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

he's on holiday in Germany in RL