The Byzantine Wager

Chapter 19 - The Emperor is Cheered up by his own Cleverness

Chapter 19

The Emperor is Cheered up by his own Cleverness

Irritated by the vague warning of western troubles Andronikos waved the astrologer away. He thought about summoning an oneiromancer, to interpret his dream, but then decided he didn't want to know the meaning of a dream in which he was shitting himself. He could already guess. The vestes of the silk were waiting to be dismissed as well. Fortunately robing the boy Emperor was a task which used considerably less cloth than Andronikos' frame. Alexios lived in the same wing of the Blachernae Palace, but his rooms were one level below. Most of his tutors and attendants had been replaced with people loyal to Andronikos - all the better to keep an eye on him. The boy's days consisted mainly of lessons and ceremonial and religious duties which Andronikos considered too trifling to be bothered with. Having him regularly seen hale and hearty by the clergy was all to the good. It helped quell rumors. Maria of Antioch had objected to allowing him to hunt, but Andronikos had insisted on it. A growing boy needs exercise and fresh air. Stray arrows, falls from horses, anything could happen on a hunt. Take the boy's own grandfather as an example.

His beard hid a smile that began to play at the corners of his mouth. An idea was forming. If the Empress Regent were removed, his own popularity would suffer, but if the boy got rid of her himself. Not an assassination - an execution. Some decisions Andronikos arrived at in a heartbeat, others he would dither about for weeks.

"I will need a document drawn up," he said to the Keeper of the Imperial Inkstand. The bureaucrat stepped forward with his portable writing desk shaped like a dog. "A death warrant. Begin with the basics, but the wording will have to be precise." He had to move carefully. Planning was needed. If Alexios signed his own mother's execution order, how could Uncle Andronikos be held to blame? He could see no down side. He rarely could once he reached a decision.