House Ilios Korakas

[_Tristan_]

Sitting by his desk, Methodios slowly rolls up the parchment he had been reading. A brief motion of his hand has his men put their weapons back into thier sheaths. Reclining in his chair, he looks up to Nikiphoros.

What a devious little twat you are, Nikiphoros...

I almost wish I pushed that sword point some inches forward last time you were in these chambers... But now is not a time for regrets...

I need no excuse for what I did... I know full well the extent of my "crimes". Had you been there under the walls of Alexandria, seeing a man you respected and loved die a gruesome death at the hands of fanatical heretics, I hope you would have acted the same...

I fail to see how the fact that I did this on Crusade is aggravating and do not try to lecture me about the "Holy nature" of this Crusade... We all know the Crusaders have only been pawns into the hands of the Patriarch.

Do you truly think this Crusade had God' sanction ? Have you seen how the elements were against us ? We were beset by whales, by furious tempests as few sailors have ever experienced ? Is that a sign of God's willingness to see that Crusade come to a successful end ? Not in my book...

Please ask the Christians of Cairo what they think of this Crusade... Oh, sorry, I forgot... They are no more Christians in Cairo, thanks to the Patriarch's scheming. He unleashed the Caliph's dogs of war by faking some rebellious intent of these pious and unwarlike men only to divert some of our military power to Egypt, for his own ends. Nevermind that it brought the death of thousands of good Christian souls...

More than this, his devilish plot brought up the whole power of Islam against us, threatening our heartland.

I call this a graver crime than my own and that doesn't raise a single outcry. Yet you wish to punish me for doing what I saw and still believe as just and honourable in these particular circumstances.

You want to kick me out of the House I founded, please do... But if you want to assume control over Alexandria, you'll have to pry it from my dead hands...

Alexandria belongs to me personnally and I won't release it into your hands, so if you want it, you'll have to come and get it...

So Lord Captain-General, if you will excuse me, I have some business waiting for me in Cairo...

Methodios stands, adjusts his cape and scabbarded sword then walks over to Nikiphoros. Stopping one foot in front of the younger man, Methodios just waits until Nikiphoros steps aside. He then walks out the door.