Diplomacy (1)
“Thank you for welcoming me despite my sudden visit, Your Majesty.”
The hunchbacked man bowed. Yet this man, who radiated a gentle resilience, greeted me with proper decorum.
“I am Godefroy of the Ardennes-Verdun family. I govern Lower Lorraine and the Tuscany region.”
Hunchbacked Godefroy. He hailed from the Ardennes-Verdun family, one of Europe's ancient noble houses. A branch of the Ardennes, the Ardennes-Verdun line had originated from the marriage of Kunigunda of France—granddaughter of Louis I, the Stammerer, the last king of the West Frankish Kingdom—to Richwin, Count of Verdun.
Tracing back further, it connected to Charlemagne himself, making it one of the oldest lineages. Godefroy was the heir to such a house. Tragically, however, this noble bloodline would end due to an accident in the privy. Childless, Godefroy's death would sever the Ardennes-Verdun line—until he named his nephew as successor, who would carry on the legacy.
That nephew was the first King of Jerusalem: Godefroy de Bouillon, known as the Defender of the Holy Sepulchre.
A margrave of Tuscany who had sired such a storied figure. Naturally, I found him intriguing.
“Pleased to meet you, Margrave Godefroy.”
The margrave lowered his head at my response. He then began introducing the gifts sent by the Holy Roman Emperor.
“His Majesty Heinrich IV, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, extends his heartfelt welcome to the true master of the East Roman Empire's return. To that end, he has sent these gifts.”
Opulent rugs and tapestries adorned with rare dyes. Piles of ornaments that screamed extravagance. Far more than I'd expected. To gauge his intentions, I addressed the margrave.
“Splendid gifts. But I wasn't aware the East Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire were on such intimate terms as to exchange presents like this.”
Godefroy merely bowed his head, offering no reply. His true motives unclear, I decided to probe further.
“Wasn't the Holy Roman Empire allied with the traitor Ioannikios?”
A blunt strike. The words laid bare the poor relations between our nations, forcing the margrave to respond. As if to prove it, Godefroy lifted his head—yet with a calm expression, utterly unperturbed.
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“A remarkably composed answer.”
“As Your Majesty noted, the Empire did dispatch troops to Constantinople at Ioannikios's request. During that campaign, two Holy Roman commanders perished. On account of this, the Empire severed its alliance with Ioannikios and withdrew its forces home.”
In short, no reason for bad blood with us. Godefroy was actively conveying this fact in his steady tone.
“It sounds almost like you're saying it has nothing to do with us.”
“If it came across that way, I apologize. I merely meant there is no cause for enmity between our realms.”
The Holy Roman Empire had joined Ioannikios's alliance. True, they hadn't clashed with us directly—but I had no intention of letting them off. Two claimants to Rome's legacy. In truth, the East Roman Empire held the legitimate line; this unholy, un-Roman empire deserved to vanish.
Yet achieving that required time. Restoring internal affairs, gathering talent, filling the treasury, raising armies—it would take years at least. A war with the Holy Roman Empire in the interim would only delay everything.
To buy time, I had to accept their diplomatic overtures.
“Understood. Now state the reason for your visit.”
He wouldn't have come to the East Roman Empire without purpose. Thus, I demanded he explain.
“I wish to discuss the Vikings in Reggio Calabria.”
A conversation involving my brothers, Humphrey and Geoffrey. I regarded Godefroy with grave seriousness.
“Southern Italy is the lawful territory of the East Roman Empire. The catepan stationed there is our duly appointed governor.”
“We respect the East Roman position. It is not our intent to reject one granted authority by the Holy Father.”
The "father" here meant the Pope. After conquering Reggio Calabria, we'd faced attacks from the Duke of Lorraine—but struck a deal with the Pope. In exchange for converting to Catholicism, we'd gained recognition of our rule over Reggio Calabria.
“However, the Duke of Lorraine appears to see it differently.”
The Duke of Lorraine mentioned again. His name drew an involuntary scowl from me.
“You mean Gerard of Lorraine?”
Gerard, ruler of Upper Lorraine—a near-principality with considerable influence in the Holy Roman Empire.
“Yes. He is persistently urging the Holy Roman Empire to subjugate the Vikings.”
“Does the Holy Roman Empire desire diplomatic friction with us?”
“Of course not. That is why I inform you in advance.”
“You have a solution in mind, then.”
With cautious deliberation, the margrave produced something from his robes: a letter from Heinrich IV.
Heinrich, Emperor of the Roman Empire ordained by God, and King of Germany and Italy, pens these words.
First, may Your Majesty's body and soul remain in peace. May God's grace abide upon the Emperor's house and the lands he rules.
Amid the recent chaos and unforeseen misfortunes among nations and armies, word of both Emperors' well-being has reached us, filling this Emperor with joy.
As Your Majesty knows, our Holy Roman Empire once aligned with the East Roman Ioannikios to pursue common interests. Yet during that cooperation, an accident beyond human reckoning occurred, leading our forces to withdraw homeward without further bloodshed or conflict. We declare plainly that this decision aimed to avoid discord with both parties and leave no needless grudges.
Now, this Emperor seeks to resume broken words and intentions, restoring diplomacy between our realms to its proper order with this missive.
Rumors have reached our court by many paths that law and order prevail in Your Majesty's domains; this Emperor takes them seriously.
Yet one matter must be stated openly: it concerns Duke Gerard of Upper Lorraine. Day by day, he clamors ever louder that the lands in southern Italy ruled by Your Majesty's brothers Humphrey and Geoffrey defy the Empire's authority and must be conquered by force. His words no longer echo from one voice alone; they gain ears among many princes and nobles, placing this Emperor in a position where they cannot be lightly dismissed.
Nevertheless, this Emperor desires no rupture of amity or peace with Your Majesty and strives to block the margrave's demands. In truth, however, such resistance is no easy task. To maintain order and balance within the Empire requires just cause and fitting recompense.
To this end, this Emperor proposes a condition to Your Majesty.
Of late, demand for silk has surged across the Holy Roman Empire. Among courts, churches, and high estates, silk symbolizes dignity and prosperity, yet stable supply falls short.
Should southern Italy provide a steady quantity of its produced silk to the Empire without interruption, it would prove our amity not in words alone but in deed—a true token.
With such a promise secured, this Emperor could suppress Duke Gerard's military demands before the imperial council and princes, gaining grounds to forbid any formal discussions of subjugating southern Italy.
This is no mere plea for favor, but a fair exchange to safeguard mutual stability, as this Emperor believes.
Awaiting the wise and prudent judgment of both Emperors, may this letter wash away past mistrust and open paths to new cooperation.
May God grant enduring peace upon Empress Zoe, Emperor Rogerius, his house, and lineage.
“Exquisite prose.”
The letter was penned in ornate Latin, adhering flawlessly to diplomatic etiquette—a textbook structure. One could sense the Holy Roman Emperor's acumen. And rightly so: this mere youth in his teens was conveying precisely what the Empire desired with the savvy of a seasoned statesman.
Diplomatically, he'd disavowed ties to Ioannikios and expressed desire for normalized relations. Yet he'd hinted at internal opposition too strong for him to dictate foreign policy alone.
Considering the Empire's political system, it made sense. But as a modern man aware of Heinrich IV's formidable historical power, it struck me as mere smokescreen to outsiders.
Personally, I suspected the two slain commanders had been sacrificed in one of his schemes. No proof, of course—just a hunch kept to myself. Historical records made imperial intrigue the likeliest culprit.
Thus, dealing with Gerard would be no great hurdle for him. His claim of difficulty served to mask his true aim: a silk trade deal.
The Holy Roman Empire's main silk production centered in Lotharingia—modern Alsace-Lorraine. Conveniently ruled by none other than Duke Gerard of Lorraine. The Emperor seemed intent on stockpiling silk through our trade before eliminating Gerard.