1453: Revival of Byzantium

Just as Antonius is trying to dig deeper into the words and phrases, Constantine arrived in the monastery having already regained his consciousness and stopped the carriage.

"Your majesty…" George Sphrantzes hesitated for a while persuaded the emperor. "Judging by your situation just now I urge you to seek medical attention from a physician immediately."

"Thank you, George." Constantine replied with a warm but firm smile. "But duty calls, and I am the emperor and autocrat of my people, I must not show the image that I am ill and sick in front of them, or else all hell will go loose inside the city."

"But… Your condition does not look like it can go well by itself, what if it reoccurs next time?" George Sphrantzes continued asking wishing that his words can change the mind of the stubborn emperor.

The emperor uttered no words for a while and then replied whispering. "At least, wait for all of this is over." He looked outside the carriage window at all the Roman casualties lying on the grass patches under the shelter because of the lack of beds. "And during these times of troubles, it is best if I do not occupy more medical resources, it is called being considerate and responsible."

Seeing that he can no longer change the emperor's mind, George Sphrantzes sighed and went back to his seat. While Julian who was seated there watching the two men started asking. "But emperor, isn't that more irresponsible of you if you fall to your conditions again on a post in the middle of a battle?'

This time it is Constantine's turn to keep silent not knowing what to reply with.

…

"I heard that Sir De'Ricci is currently residing inside here?" After a while seating together in a carriage which is filled with the atmosphere of embarrassment, a thought suddenly came to his head as he asks Julian seating Infront.

"Aye, emperor." Julian replied looking at the monastery. "That is why I brought you here, because I know this place got some superb old man who can get things done."

Constantine pushed open the carriage and jumped out. "Great! It is time to pay my Kouropalates a visit, see how he has recovered, I have not seen him for two whole weeks!"

George Sphrantzes and Julian followed closely behind.

Constantine took the opportunity to walk around the casualties, comforting and chatting with the soldiers convincing them that they will win this siege, and their efforts will not be forgotten. Embassies are already sent to Roman allies in Europe, help will arrive at any time now.

He even took the chance to help those illiterate soldiers to write letters to their homes and families, listening if they have any requests to their liege, helping the clergies with the sermons of those who have already deceased, holding the hands of those whose life is fading away fast and asking them softly whether they got any last words.

Just as he is about to leave, a soldier who is dying from excessive blood loss grabbed the emperor by his boots.

"Emperor…"

With his last breath, he conveyed his message. "You promised me that I can go home…. You lied…" Then his hand fell heavily on the ground with his head tilted one side unconscious.

Julian stepped forward, kicked this man and felt his breathe.

"He is dead."

Constantine sighed, kneeled down in front of the fresh corpse and drew a cross before his chest before closing the eyelid of the poor man.

"Requiescat in pace."

Constantine remained in that position for a while before George stepping up and whispered to his emperor that they need to go, or else more of this kind of things will happen.

Constantine nodded silently and moved on inside the monastery leaving the corpse behind for the dieners who will most probably burn this body somewhere unseen, and his family will not get the information about the decease of their son or husband as he left this world for the blessing of Christ.

Constantine did not disturb the nuns and clergies bustling around with casualties trying to race against the speed of the arch angel of death, hoping to revive the casualty before the arch angel cut their thread of life with his scythe.

But among this chaos and tragic, there is a place that remains unaffected, it is a pavilion on a small hill in the garden. Through a window, Constantine caught the sight of Antonius frowning against something on the marble stone table holding a quid in his bandaged hand. With leaves moving against the early spring wind under the azure skies, and ducks pasturing through the grass trying to find some seeds for food. All of these forms a rather strange contrast with all the blood, cries, and people dying inside the monastery.

"His hands recovered fast indeed, he can even hold and write with a quid now…" Constantine remarked. "Wait, since when did he learn how to write?"

Just as he asked the question, another female figure appeared standing behind Antonius looking at him writing with a pair of eyes that appears to have early morning dews inside, scattering the fledgling rays of afternoon sunlight. As a man who been through this Constantine knows very well that this pair of eyes shows love, admiration and gentleness. He soon recalled on two women in his life that used to give him an eye contact similar like this a long time ago.

"Theodora… Katerina…" Constantine murmured to himself.

"Sorry, my majesty?" George did not hear the emperor's words clearly.

"Nothing, nothing." Constantine scrubbed his nose. "Seems like it is not the best of time to disturb our lord De'Ricci over here, we should let him enjoy his moment of peace."

"By the way, that young girl looks familiar…"

"Yes, my emperor." George Sphrantzes replied. "She is the Mega Doux's daughter, Anna Notaras…. She used to come over for tea party with my daughter."

"Anna Notaras…. Mega Doux…. Loukas…." Constantine thought for a while.

"By the way, where is Loukas?"