The Restoration of Rome: In the Name of Augustus

Chapter 45 The Empire's Veteran

Andronica Komnenos Kantostefanos—this name resounded throughout the Imperial Army. He was an idol to all soldiers, a living legend.

His birth was undeniably illustrious. Born in 1132, his father was the Imperial Admiral, and his mother was Anna Komnena, the second daughter of John II and the nephew of Manuel the Great. He not only inherited his father's position but also served as governor of Greece, the Peloponnese, and Crete, participating in the siege of Corfu, the struggle for the Hungarian throne, and, as commander-in-chief, achieving a decisive victory against Hungary at the Battle of Selmium. In 1169, he allied with King Amori of Jerusalem on an expedition to Egypt… He was a true elder statesman of the empire; even Andronica, who was beheaded, had to respectfully address him as "Your Excellency."

The naval admiral, who should have been on the front lines dealing with the Venetians' provocations, heard that Constantinople was purging Andronic's supporters, so he immediately led his ships back, just in time to witness the military and civilian uprising triggered by the purge.

He gazed silently at the hellish scene before him, a sharp pain gripping his chest. Was the glorious era of the late emperor truly destined to crumble with his passing? Why couldn't the empire's soldiers unite against external enemies, instead turning their swords against each other and slaughtering one another? If no intervention or intervention was taken, what would become of our great Roman Empire?

He took a deep breath and addressed the soldiers before him in a loud voice: "I am not here to help one side suppress the other. I come solely on my own behalf, for the supreme interests of the Empire. What can't we discuss calmly?"

He pointed towards the port, gritting his teeth, and said, "Right now, the Empire is at war with the Hungarians, and the Venetian fleet is constantly provoking us. At the same time, I've received military reports that the Turks in Anatolia are also mobilizing troops and are poised to attack. With external enemies at hand, this is the time for the Empire's soldiers to unite and cooperate. Look at the way you're fighting so desperately—why aren't you targeting the Hungarians, Venetians, and Turks?"

The soldiers were filled with shame and dared not speak, their heads hanging even lower.

Kantostefanos, his mind calming down slightly, ordered, "Both of you, go and collect the bodies of your comrades. Also, send a few men to inform the princess and the queen mother that we need to sit down and have a proper talk."

The soldiers quickly nodded in agreement and, with the help of Cantostefanos's cavalry, began to collect the bodies of their fallen comrades. Princess Maria and her husband, alerted and surrounded by their soldiers, hurried toward Cantostefanos. The confidence and enthusiasm she displayed when rallying the people and giving her sermons were now completely gone from the princess's face, replaced only by awkwardness and unease.

She looked nervously at the imperial elder, who was also her cousin, wanting to explain something but unable to utter a word. Cantorstefanos waved his hand, saying expressionlessly, "I have no intention of pursuing this riot, Maria. Calming this matter is the most important thing now. If you still care about the interests of the empire, please come with me back to the palace and speak with the Empress Dowager."

The princess lowered her head slightly, glanced at the tragic scene in the square out of the corner of her eye, sighed, and then followed her cousin's group to the palace.

At this moment, in the Empress Dowager's bedroom in the palace, the sandalwood bed, inlaid with various enamel jewels and draped with purple curtains, was trembling violently. On the bed, Marie of Antioch, the Empress Dowager of the Empire, was making love with her lover Alexius.

After a long silence, Alexei embraced the Empress Dowager and asked, "Why do you look so worried? Andronica, who was the biggest threat to our power and position, is dead, and most of his followers have been executed. How can the army that the princess hastily assembled possibly stand against our army?"

The Empress Dowager frowned and said, "How can I not worry? The news of Princess Capet's tragic death in the palace will probably be hard to keep secret any longer. If the news gets out, how will the people of the empire view the royal family, and how will they view the emperor?"

"She was killed by Andronica, what are you worried about?"

"Ha, if only things were that simple," the Empress Dowager said with a wry smile. "Andronica is dead. The dead cannot speak. Most of the citizens of the Empire are foolishly on Andronica's side and hate the Latins. They will not believe that the murderer of Princess Capet was their beloved leader, and will only try to smear us and the Emperor."

"Dissidents within the empire are harmless; if they oppose us, we can simply send in the army to suppress them. But if the news reaches France, it could very well incur the wrath of the current King Philip."

Alexei fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation. Just as he was about to discuss future plans with the Empress Dowager, the deafening sound of horses' hooves echoed from below the bedchamber.

Cavalry? I didn't deploy any cavalry! Where did these cavalry come from?!

The Empress Dowager and Alexei exchanged a glance, and instantly felt as if their livers and gallbladders were about to burst, their bodies went limp, and they could hardly move.

Could it be that the princess transferred cavalry from other military regions?

The expected sounds of fighting did not come; instead, Roy's voice came from behind the bedroom door: "Your Majesty, Lord Cantostefanos requests your presence in the council chamber."

Cantorstafanos? Could he have sided with the princess? If this elder of the empire were to suddenly turn against her, things would be completely out of her control.

She and Alexei quickly got up and straightened their clothes.

"Wait for me to return here. The late emperor's nephew wouldn't dare to disrespect me. At worst, I'll just give him some power."

After exchanging a deep, loving glance with her lover, she opened the doors of her bedchamber and, accompanied by Roy, headed to the council chamber. Alexio, though entrusted with important responsibilities by the Queen Mother, was ultimately a lover whose power could not be openly acknowledged; he was completely excluded from the meetings between the princess, the Queen Mother, and Cantorstafanos. With Cantorstafanos's army arriving, the Queen Mother's continued power was highly uncertain. Alexio dared not risk remaining in the bedchamber. Thinking this, he went to the window, leaped, and tumbled into the garden below.

Alexei hid in the flower bushes. Seeing that no one was around, he decided to get up and leave. Suddenly, a hand, like a venomous snake, swept across his neck. He saw a flash of cold light, followed by an excruciating pain in his throat. He tried to scream, but the words stuck in his throat. He clutched the painful spot tightly, feeling the warmth of liquid in his palm. His consciousness gradually faded, and he finally collapsed in the flower bushes.

In the shadows behind Alexei, another hooded figure lurked. He watched his target fall, cursing, "Damn it, you've got guts! I thought you were really planning to spend your whole life in women's beds. I finally got my chance..." He spat on the corpse and vanished into the boundless gardens of the palace.