Half Moon (1)
The sudden death of Anno II had thrown their meticulously laid plans into chaos. The scheme to naturally pin the blame on Rogerius had crumbled in an instant.
"Investigate this thoroughly and report back."
Ioannikios Keroularios's words dripped with murderous intent. The attendant bowed deeply and hurried from the office. No sooner had he departed than Devgoros entered.
Seeing one of his most loyal retainers, Ioannikios began venting his frustrations. "Of all people, the regent of the Holy Roman Empire dead. This could spark a diplomatic firestorm."
Ioannikios's anxiety stemmed from the obvious: Anno II had died not just anywhere, but near Constantinople—firm Eastern Roman soil, no less, within reach of the noble faction allied with the Holy Roman Empire. It made framing Rogerius impossible.
"Damn it... Things were going so smoothly, and now this."
Devgoros stood at a loss for words.
"If things go south, not only could our alliance with the Holy Roman Empire shatter, they might even use it as pretext to turn against us."
The noble faction was already on the back foot against Rogerius. Losing their strongest ally, the Holy Roman Empire, would pose a dire threat.
"We have to resolve this somehow."
"You're right, my lord. But with Holy Roman troops already assembled nearby, why not sway the Bremen Archbishop to help cover it up?"
"The Bremen Archbishop?"
"Yes. From what I've gathered, as the Holy Roman Empire's deputy commander, he had a very poor relationship with Anno II."
"Poor relationship... You don't mean...?"
The suspicion dawned that the Bremen Archbishop might have killed him. But voicing it was out of the question. With Anno II already dead, any diplomatic blunder would be suicidal. Without hard evidence—just gut feeling—Ioannikios could only grit his teeth.
"The Holy Roman side won't move for a while."
"Precisely, my lord."
"We'll deploy the Bulgarian army instead."
Devgoros's face twisted in discomfort. Ioannikios pressed him. "What is it?"
"The Bulgarians... they've sent word they want to change the terms."
"Change the terms now? They should be grateful for the autonomy we're granting!"
Ioannikios made no effort to hide his rage. Yet it changed nothing.
"Quite right, my lord. But it seems they've caught wind of troubles within the Holy Roman Empire."
"Sharp-eyed bastards... Out with it, then. What's the new demand?"
"They want Bulgaria granted full independence."
"Independence? Ha! They've lost their minds!"
"Please, calm yourself, my lord. Our position isn't strong."
Ioannikios reined in his temper. As Devgoros said, Constantinople's situation was precarious.
"We suffered a crushing defeat to Rogerius, leaving us short on troops inside the city."
"How short?"
"If the Bulgarians turn on us... we couldn't stop them."
Ioannikios's expression went slack. He knew this all too well. Still, he'd invited the Bulgarian forces inside the walls because of their Holy Roman allies. If the Bulgarians rebelled, he'd planned to crush them alongside the alliance. But Anno II's sudden death had upended everything. Inviting them in now felt like a grave mistake.
"So, why not accept their demands?"
Ioannikios rejected the idea outright. "Impossible. If we cave, they'll know exactly how weak we are."
Accepting such an outrageous demand would signal desperation throughout the Eastern Roman Empire. It would convince the Bulgarians they could seize power by force, eliminating any need for negotiation.
"But we need their strength to stop Rogerius."
Devgoros had a point. Even if they somehow eliminated the Bulgarians, Rogerius's army remained the real threat—and they lacked the forces to counter it. Ioannikios had no choice but to throw Nestoric's Bulgarian troops into the fray, come what may.
"A thorny problem. A real thorny one."
He rose and paced the room, then halted as inspiration struck. "We need to sway the Bremen Archbishop."
"An excellent idea, my lord. Win him over, and we can use the Holy Roman troops as allies to pressure the Bulgarians."
Ioannikios nodded, unable to hide his glee at the lingering opportunity. Too elated, he failed to notice someone eavesdropping through the slightly ajar door.
A chamber within the palace so dimly lit it seemed impossible. A hooded man arrived and rapped twice on the wall. A secret door creaked open. Inside stood another hooded figure.
"What brings you here at this late hour?"
The man slowly removed his hood, revealing Michael, adopted son of the imperial steward and one-eyed from torture.
He'd come at the summons of Constantinos, a fellow conspirator. After Basil II's death, Constantinos had secured Constantine VIII, Zoi, and Theodora. Disillusioned with Keroularios afterward, he'd joined Michael's faction.
"I overheard Lord Keroularios and Lord Devgoros talking today."
Michael sensed the gravity from the secretive exchange between Keroularios and his retainer. He eyed Constantinos. "What did they say?"
"The noble faction's army was routed by Rogerius's forces, leaving them desperately short on manpower."
"As I suspected..."
Michael had intuited as much since the Bulgarian and Holy Roman troops appeared at Constantinople.
"This has caused them problems."
"Likely Anno II's death."
The rumor of the Holy Roman regent's sudden demise had spread through Constantinople—no one was ignorant of it.
"Yes. With Anno II dead, the Holy Roman troops are holding back to assess the situation."
"The Bulgarians wouldn't miss that... Naturally, their demands escalated."
"Sharp as ever, Lord Michael. Precisely—they've upped from autonomy to full independence for Bulgaria."
Bulgarian independence would be a massive loss for the nobles, especially with Rogerius already controlling the entire Anatolian peninsula. But outright refusal was impossible. Without the Bulgarians in the field, Rogerius would land at Constantinople unopposed—a matter of time. For Keroularios, it was a fire at his feet.
Michael sensed opportunity. "This is our golden chance to oust the noble faction."
"Exactly. If we sway the Bremen Archbishop before Lord Ioannikios does, we can drive them out."
Michael nodded. As Constantinos said, the key to quelling the chaos lay with the Holy Roman Empire. Their allegiance would reshape the power balance.
"Let's meet the Bremen Archbishop at once."
Michael planned to leverage his status as the imperial steward's son. The pair prepared and headed to the Holy Roman camp with an attendant, scanning their surroundings. A quick glance showed Ioannikios hadn't arrived yet.
"Good—they haven't come from the Keroularios house."
"This is our opening."
They approached the camp entrance to meet the archbishop, but something felt off immediately.
"No guards at the perimeter."
A bad omen. Michael started to retreat—too late. Imperial troops materialized, spears leveled, encircling him and Constantinos.
"Got you at last, you assassins!"
"Surrender quietly!"
The imperial soldiers shouted in High German, incomprehensible to the pair. Fortunately, one attendant spoke it. Michael ordered him to translate.
"Th-this is bad, young master."
"What? Why are Holy Roman troops threatening us?"
"They... they think you and Lord Constantinos are assassins."
"Assassins?!"
"We just arrived! Anno II died yesterday—how could we?"
They'd come only to speak with the archbishop. Michael and Constantinos reeled in shock.
"I'll clarify."
As the attendant began explaining, a man in Holy Roman general's garb stepped forward.
"As of this moment, you two are under arrest for the assassination of Archbishop Bremen."
His fluent Greek stunned them into silence.