Mary, my love. I must first apologise to you for the fact that I have been a stranger to you all these years. Just once in the last 20 years have I been back to Constantinople to see you, and even then the stay was so brief, as once more our enemies attacked our borders and I was called away. Now we have no sons to take over from us, but at least I have 2 brothers to take over from me. You must call my brother Andronicus back from Serbia. By the time he reaches our great capital, I will probably be dead. Yes my love, I am ill and the physicians tell me that I have only 12 months to live, if it is the Lords will. I would ask you to pray to out protector, the Virgin Mary, but I am mindful of Hezekiah. He prayed to the Lord for healing when he was at the point of death and his prayer was granted. But in the extension of life that was granted him, Manasseh was born, the longest lived and the wickedest of all the Kings of Israel. I do not want to live on, only to sire a Manesseh. It is worry enough that Manuels mental state has deteriorated lately, he is now painting his servants blue and sucking on horseshoes...he is fine general, but the men can only take so much.
Andronicus's affair with Lord Diogenes may have become public knowledge, but he is a fine general and an intelligent man. As soon as he arrives in Constantinople I order that he be crowned as Basileus by the Patriach in the great church of St Sophia. I hope he has a more peaceful reign than I. It was with great joy that I heard the news of the defeat of the Crusade by the Holy Roman Empire that was rampaging through our lands towards Antioch. The army in Bulgaria, though greatly outnumbered put up a brave fight before they were forced to retreat to their fort. And what a sight the battle outside the walls of Constantinople must have been Lord Byrennius, Duke of Trebizond led his small army with great skill and bravery to drive those hordes of Frankish barbarians from our land Send him my apologies that I did not provide him with more troops, but I did not expect the crusade to arrive at our borders so quickly.
As for myself, I am happy with what I have achieved in the East. The battle to defeat the claimant to the vacant Turkish throne in Rum was a fine example of the valour and skill of the armies of Rome I was most proud of my men that day. The treacherous surprise attack by the Egyptians produced more of that pride as we beat them back in Georgia, Trebizond and Armenia. The Egyptians paid for their treachery when a civil war ensued following their series of defeats. Indeed,as their empire broke apart, it gave me great satisfaction to receive their emissary, grovelling and begging for a ceasefire Though I agreed, I am sure they will no doubt attack us again soon enough.
Still, their problems were to our advantage. I have been able to take some of the lands that broke away during the civil war. Antioch and Edessa are now ours again, and the way is open to Tripoli and even the Holy Land itself, should Andronicus so desire it.
I must go now my love, farewell. I shall try and write more soon.
Alexius.
Bookmarks