Uranos-Macedon (3)
Geoffrey's shout had ripened the atmosphere to perfection. The brothers who had come from Reggio Calabria already wore faces flushed with excitement, as if they might burst into cheers at any moment. With that, oaths of loyalty had been secured from the army, the cabinet, and the allies. All that remained was a speech to draw forth the citizens' roars of approval.
Zoi stepped forward first. She let out a short sigh, then began her address to the crowd in a resounding voice.
"My beloved subjects of Rome! Today, my heart beats in rhythm with your cheers. As one born in the purple chamber—Porphyra—bearing the noble bloodline of the imperial house inscribed upon this body by God's providence, I stand before you. As you see, I am no frail woman. I am the daughter of Rome, shouldering the immortal spirit of a 150-year dynasty. You know that my purple robes are stained with the tears of trials. I have witnessed the suffering of the oppressed and navigated those shadows under heaven's protection. Behold Rome, groaning in sin under the nobles' yoke. This great Rome is wounded and diseased. When the great Basileus fell victim to conspiracy, the empire lost its most righteous heart. High nobles, blinded by greed and ambition, committed the atrocity of slaying their greatest leader with their own hands. They even bound the limbs of my poor father and perverted the laws of Rome built by our ancestors' blood. Through their sins, the empire shattered like fragments, and our sacred territories were ravaged by enemies. The nobles' rapacious quarrels sought to topple Rome. But the banner of hope did not fall. I acted not from personal greed, but from the sacred duty every legitimate Roman leader must uphold. The territories reclaimed by the loyal who follow the rightful ruler are clear proof that God blesses my reign. Wherever my gentle hand touches, chaos turns to order, division to unity. Now, Rome must become one again! I stand before you crowned as emperor, declaring as your mother and ruler: sacred rule shall be just and equitable. Through the noble laws of Rome, I will curb the wicked power of those evil nobles and wipe away the people's tears. All conspiracies sowing division shall be exposed under my wise insight. Those who wounded this empire shall face fitting judgment. I will bind this empire once more in perfect harmony and radiant glory. Your loyalty shall be Rome's eternal prosperity."
Zoi's speech set every heart ablaze. Though I had heard her rehearse it many times, seeing her pour her full emotion into it made something surge uncontrollably in my chest. She knew how to capture hearts. Zoi raised her hand high before the people.
"Let us open a new era together!"
"Long live Empress Zoi!"
"Long live Rome!"
"Great Rome shall not fall!"
As her speech ended, the citizens erupted in cheers that seemed to shake the earth. Hope had already dawned in their eyes. Zoi looked to me after her address. At her gracious summons, I bowed my head and answered the sacred call. Standing beside Zoi, I ascended the podium, and the people turned to me as if by prior agreement. Eyes dreaming of hope. I had to show them the future I envisioned. That was a leader's duty.
I drew a deep breath and began my prepared speech.
"Loyal citizens of Rome, and warriors thirsting for justice in the name of our great Empress! I am Rogerius, forged on the northern seas devouring steel. With steel sword and unyielding will, I reclaimed these lands at Empress Zoi's side. I remember your ravaged forms from the internal power struggles. I saw great leaders lose their lives to nobles' vile schemes, the empire's mighty strength scattered by feeble plots. That chaos ends now. We stand to uproot the internal poison that divided this empire. Empress Zoi will nurture the empire's inner administration with the sacred wisdom and just judgment of the Macedonian dynasty. The court's corruption and weakness shall find no hiding place before Her Majesty's sharp insight. And I shall be the empire's avenging sword. Upholding Her Majesty's law, I will ruthlessly punish all forces gnawing at Rome from the shadows. Wherever my steel arm reaches, the seeds of betrayal and greed shall never sprout again. Purging internal enemies is Rome's utmost priority. I shall show no mercy to traitors. I will uproot the greedy nobles who assassinated Basileus the Great and toyed with the imperial house. Before my eyes, not a single rat pup shall be tolerated disrupting imperial order. Unite. Obey. And triumph. This great empire shall bask in immortal glory once more."
The atmosphere at its peak. I clenched my fist and thrust it high.
"In the name of Rome. In the name of the Uranos-Macedon dynasty."
The people began cheering at my speech, the soldiers most fervently of all.
"Long live Emperor Rogerius!"
"Holy Sword! The blade forged by northern winds shall carve out rotten flesh!"
"The War Terminator guards Rome!"
In the midst of universal cheers and celebration, the coronation ceremony concluded. The reign of the Uranos-Macedon dynasty had begun.
* * *
Bam! A man slammed the table in fury. It was Ioannikios, leader of the noble faction that had imprisoned Constantine VIII and seized the empire's power.
The reason for his rage lay in his hand: news of Rogerius and Zoi's coronation.
"How dare they... commit such an act!"
The nobles held power thanks to their legitimate emperor. With Rogerius and Zoi ascending as emperors, their authority was bound to waver. Even with Constantine VIII as their puppet, Ioannikios had been uneasy—especially without the military's support. That fear had materialized in Himerios's defection. The hound sent to hunt Rogerius had bowed to its prey instead. And now, even the southern Anatolian nobles had splintered. After those two events, the nobles' influence was confined to Constantinople.
As if sensing their plight, Rogerius acted with keen precision. Contrary to his image as a barbaric Varangian, he swiftly restored Lazica and seized the key nearby city of Trapezus.
"Trapezus above all must not have fallen into Rogerius's hands...!"
Trapezus, a vital Black Sea trade hub. With Himerios's defection granting a powerful navy, its capture meant one thing clearly: the empire's loss of Black Sea influence. Rogerius's forces now monopolized coastal trade—an unprecedented blow.
The Black Sea coast bordered lands of Khazars, Slavs, and Alans. Furs, hides, meat—most raw materials flowed in via the Black Sea. The empire absorbed them cheaply, processed them with superior craft into fine goods, resold them for massive profits. Nomads weren't fools; they'd prefer higher-paying Muslims or Western merchants. But Constantinople's control of the Bosphorus strait made it impossible. Thus, much of the empire's tax revenue came from Black Sea trade.
For Ioannikios, enemy Rogerius seizing such a critical hub was like fire on his feet.
"Victorious in war, absorbing vast territories; seizing Trapezus to monopolize Black Sea trade and boost revenue; securing legitimacy with coronation. It's beyond our power to stop them now."
Ioannikios analyzed coolly. From the moment noble power couldn't extend beyond Constantinople, blocking Rogerius had been near impossible. To reverse this, something else was needed.
As Ioannikios pondered a way out, a knock came from outside. He gestured to a servant to check and admit the visitor.
"Lord Alexios."
"Send him in."
Alexios entered, offered proper respects, then stated his business to the Magistros.
"My lord, a letter has arrived from the council."
"A letter?"
Alexios handed over the missive. Ioannikios took it and read slowly.
"This is...!"
His eyes widened as he scanned the contents. Curious, Alexios—the letter's bearer—asked the Magistros.
"What does it say?"
The Magistros rose from his seat. Moments ago mired in worry over Rogerius and Zoi, he now looked as if all problems were solved.
"Have you heard of the recent coronation of the traitors Rogerius and Zoi?"
Alexios nodded as if it were obvious.
"Yes, I have."
"Indeed. It has shaken our power."
Ioannikios handed the letter to Alexios, whose eyes bulged at the words.
"The... Ecumenical Patriarch..."
"Yes. My son Michael has become the Ecumenical Patriarch."
Michael, Ioannikios's son and candidate for Ecumenical Patriarch, had been elected by vote to succeed the recently deceased incumbent.
"That means..."
"Yes. I shall write to my son—no, to the Patriarch. That false beings believing in heresy dare claim emperorship, and such must be excommunicated."
Excommunication. News of the foreign-born Rogerius's excommunication would deliver an unparalleled shock to the entire Roman Empire.