The Byzantine Wager

Chapter 15 - A Slow Moving Coup or How the Palace was Taken

Chapter 15

A Slow Moving Coup or How the Palace was Taken

The vestes of the cotton finished and humbly withdrew. Andronikos nodded and gave them leave to go. They had still to robe the other Emperor, Manuel's son - Alexios the second - now a week shy of his thirteenth birthday. How it irked. In fact, Andronikos was not even regent - that was still the boy's mother, Maria of Antioch - the bitch. Legally Andronkios had no official position, but as a first cousin to the previous emperor, he had as strong a claim to the purple as anyone, should anything untoward happen to the young emperor. Unfortunately, there were others. Manuel had left behind several bastards. Even though these men were born out of wedlock, their mothers were noble Greek ladies from families who stood high in the Byzantine court. To some members of the extensive aristocracy, a known imperial bastard held more appeal than a true born cousin of unsavory reputation.

To be sure, Andronikos had an unsavory reputation. He had spent twelve years in prison after being caught skulking outside of the Emperor's tent with a naked blade. Many more years after that in exile. His seductions of his own cousins and nieces were scandalous. Now, most recently, he had brought a mercenary army of Mohamadeen to the city who were still camped outside of the walls.

True, Emperor Manuel himself had forgiven him. Andronikos had repented of his crimes, dressing himself in chains to be humbled before his cousin. He had confessed his sins and had been absolved. He was allowed to retire to Oienon on the Euxine Sea.

And there he had stayed, in impotent isolation, but only for a time. Later that year Manuel died and his wife became regent for their son, the boy Emperor Alexios. Her widowhood mattered to her not one whit and she immediately threw herself lustfully into the bed of the Protosebastos. Together the hateful couple sought to dominate the twelve-year old Emperor. For his part, Alexios the Protosebastos wanted to marry the mother, use the boy as his puppet, eventually dispose of him, and usurp his position to become Emperor himself. Alexios' toadies and Latin nobodies were given Imperial contracts and the contents of the treasury began to flow to Latin businesses. The old noble families were swept aside by money hungry foreigners. The Empress regent, herself a foreigner, and her lover suppressed any opposition. Andronikos' two adult sons had been in Constantinople at the time. They spoke out and both were arrested.

Then a letter from Manuel's daughter, Maria Porphyrogenita, arrived. Andronikos could not recall the exact wording, but it was the most beautiful letter he had ever received in his life.

Dearest Uncle Andronikos, you must help. My brother the Emperor is being manipulated and misused by the Empress Regent, Maria of Antioch. She has forsaken her vows of chastity and cavorts most licentiously with the Protosebastos. They conspire against my brother and seek to give his dominion away to their heretic Venetian cronies. Please you must come at once and set things to rights.

There it was. His official excuse. Other letters from other notable families followed. All asking for his guidance and presence at this troubled time.

He had gathered what forces he could, with what money he had available, and began moving west on the city. Slowly. He camped across the Hellespont east of the city. Archers and light spearmen - mercenaries from the Sultanate of Rhum and places even farther East - pitched tents. Far more tents than this bare thousand men would need. Any scouts counting from afar would come up with a frightful tally. Under the cover of darkness fishing boats were seized, bound together, and then disguised by quick working carpenters to seem - when seen across the vast distance of the sea - like a fleet had magically sprung up. Still he waited. Waited for the entirety of the province in which he sat, Bithynia, to come over to his side. Waited until General Branas of the eastern army joined him. Waited until Admiral Kontostephanos and the fleet did as well. General Lapardas, known as "The Hawk'' to his enemies, brought no soldiers but did offer his sword. As they crossed the Bosporus in the spring of 1182, the city rose up against the Venetian merchants. Andronikos had done nothing to quell the riots. Instead he told his mercenaries to join in the looting. When it was all over, he presented himself as an elder statesman - a kindly uncle, come to restore order.