1453: Revival of Byzantium

"You know what, I have a feeling that whichever man that married your sister in the future will have a pretty hard time." Antonius murmured beside Jacob Notaras' ears.

"Indeed…Indeed." Jacob Notaras recalled how bossy his sister can be sometimes, and hastily nodding his head in agreement.

It took a while before the mess is finally cleaned up and the baby went back to sleep soundly, while the two poor men and boy remained standing there for god knows how long before Anna told them that they can turn back.

"Well, I did not know that looking after a baby like this can be so troublesome." Antonius complained quietly behind.

Palaiologina gave a nurturing smile and replied while cleaning the diapers of the baby. "That is why you got to respect and love your mother when you still got the time young man, for the sacrifice they have offered to you."

Antonius dazed for a while thinking of his mother back in Genoa, he has not met or write to her ever since he adopted the career of a sailor and pir…privateer a decade ago. To his horror when he tried to recall now, he found out that his mother's face has became blurry and her voice has become distorted.

Antonius took a deep breathe and sighed. "Now I do understand why Giovanni wants a home so badly…"

"What?" Abdullah questioned in a confused tone. "Home?"

"You do not understand, my brother." Antonius replied. "For us sailors who spend months and years, sailing back to home is a luxury that most of us do not deserve to have. Furthermore, Giovanni and I has already been wanted by the republic long time ago, thus I doubt whether they will let my family go away without putting them under custody…"

Abdullah sighed and after a while, dragged Antonius out of the room into one corner."

"I have to tell you something, about family, my family."

Antonius massaged his painful arm and whined that Abdullah has used too much strength just now before asking back. "What? Your family? Do you want to introduce me your sister? I do not mind adopting a fetish for foreign lass you know…."

"Very droll my brother, I am being serious." Abdullah stared at Antonius with a serious face.

"Oh… You are serious."

"Yes, I am serious." Abdullah replied while he takes out a crumpled letter from the pouch in his salvar trousers. "Read this letter."

Antonius took the letter and read it for a while before realising that he cannot understand what the hell is written there.

"You are holding the letter in the wrong direction."

"Oh…" Antonius changed the direction of letter, after a while he gave up and looked at Abdullah with gloomy eyes. "My friend, you know I am illiterate right? How am I supposed to understand this… Ottoman letter?"

Abdullah sighed for the second time of the day, snatched the letter from Antonius' bandaged hand and conveyed the meaning of this letter.

…

"You mean…"

"You are going over… to the Ottoman side?" Antonius asked with shock in his eyes.

"Yes, I have to." Tears started emerging in Abdullah's eyes and his legs began shaking violently. "Those imbecilic bastards threatened to slaughter my family if I do not abide by the instructions they conveyed in the letter."

Antonius stepped forward and held Abdullah's hands tightly. "Do you live near coast? I can lead my fleet out to ransack that town and save your family, like now, just tell me…"

Abdullah shook his head. "There is no need of that."

"What…But why?" Antonius gripped Abdullah's hand even tighter failing to realise the pain in his hands under the bandage.

"There is no need." Abdullah continued shaking. "I know Mehmed, I know what kind of Sultan he is. He may appear to be ruthless and reckless when making decisions, but he actually plans with prudence and caution before he acts, thus I bet that before he must have already sent an army to my hometown long time before he send this letter to me."

Antonius squeezed his threatening words out of his hard-bitten teeth. "If that is the case, I can lead my fleet somewhere else to ransack, pillage and plunder his subjects until he agrees to release you and your family."

"Isn't that what you have always been doing? Do you think Mehmed actually cares?"

"Oh…"

"I can still take my two hundred calvaries stationed inside the city and storm the Ottoman camp, set their tents alight and…"

"Ah come on Antonius calm down, you are getting way too tense, think as a leader, where is your pacific mind and thinking back there in Gölcük? Did the heat of the flames vanquish it away?" Abdullah slashed Antonius of this thought.

"That is the point! Abdullah! That is the point!" Antonius held on to Abdullah's hands with his eagle claws, leaned forward and asked under his breathe.

"If you are no longer here, who will be there to help me think, help me write, help me plan everything?"

"I do not think that you actually need my help my friend." Abdullah struggled his hands off Antonius' hands and replied sternly. "You are a profound military commander, you know when I make military advice its usually impractical and illogical, like the mirrors on the walls, thus the only thing I can help you is in stewardship and diplomacy which proves little use in times like these… And seriously speaking my friend, you need to learn how to read and write, or else you will be referred as the stupid one among nobles."

"You remember that girl inside that room just now?" Abdullah tilted his head towards the door and asked.

"Why? What girl?"

"That girl called Anna Notaras."

"What is wrong with her? She looks like quite a fine lass."

Abdullah sighed. "Her name, Anna Notaras, does it ring any bells inside your head?"

"Of course, I know, that is the daughter of that Loukas Notaras, I wonder where is that irresponsible father of her who went missing in times like this."

"We do not need to care about her father, my brother, her father's life and death no longer matters to us, but why don't you take the time and opportunity to learn how to at least read Greek from her? Then next time you will not need a translator when you need to send order to your soldiers."