The Byzantine Wager

Chapter 54 - Betrayal or Another Siege Camp on Another Rainy Night

Chapter 54

Betrayal or Another Siege Camp on Another Rainy Night

Andronikos, his white stallion, and Princess Evdokia fled east from the arrows of Thoros the Cilician to Antioch. From there he was recalled to Constantinople where he was immediately dispatched again to act as governor or Doux of Belgrade. Manuel was already on campaign in the west against rebellious Serbs.

With the Emperor away there was no one to prevent him from taking his mistress along - openly this time. The happy couple and their caravan had only gotten as far as Thrace before Evdokia's brothers, and a brother-in-law, caught up with them. Those previously issued challenges to duel were still outstanding and were now being enforced. Boldly they shouted for Andronikos to come forth, stand, and bare steel.

Fortunately the caravan master had set up a proper camp for the night. In his tent well back from the picket posts, the sentries' cries of, "Who goes there?" and the replies, had given Andronikos ample time to dress and arm himself. He kissed Evdokia, drew his blade, cut through the canvas at the rear of the tent with two slashes and slipped out. Evdokia went out the front to delay her brothers. Andronikos slunk to where the horses were tied and chose what he thought was a fast one. Riding bareback he sped away into the dark knowing that once he assumed his command he would be untouchable. As soon as he was military governor their challenges would be moot. To attack him would be treason.

Arriving in Belgrade he realized that this was not a serious posting. It was an insult. A muddy track leading to a muddy fortress town on a muddy hill overlooking a bend where two muddy rivers joined. The fortifications might once have been something to look at, but now they were in a dilapidated state.

He was being punished. He was sent here to freeze on this hill watching for an attack from 'the Huns' which would never come. A man with his talents should be Megas Domestikos - commander in chief of the armies, Megas Droungarios - fleet admiral, or Proto Sebastos - head of the bureaucracy, at the very least. Why, someone with his talents should be... Emperor.

He was in this frame of mind when King Geza of Hungary sent envoys bearing gifts. King Geza did not care which twit born in a room with purple columns ruled in Constantinople. Geza was funding the Serbian revolt which Manuel was currently quelling. He also backed Roger, the powerful Norman King of Sicily, as he carved a good sized slipper off of the boot which was Italy. A nice Byzantine civil war between bickering cousins was to be encouraged. The gifts did much, the compliments did more.

Over as lavish a dinner as could be mustered, the envoys reminded Andronikos that Emperor Manuel could fall off his horse, be carried off by disease like his brothers, scratch himself on a poisoned arrow like his father, or most likely of all - be slain in combat. In battle Manuel led from the front not from the command tent on a hill in the rear. So brave, but so dangerous. What then? What would happen if the Emperor were to die? Manuel had no son, no heir. But Andronikos did.

Andronikos' coup against his cousin fell apart before it even started.

It should have begun with Andronikos turning Belgrade over to Geza, and having his own forces (with the right amount of coin) hail him as Emperor. Together Andronikos and Geza united would take Manuel from the rear as he fought the Serbs.

Instead, on the night before the coup was to begin - a cold and misty night with fog rising from the Danube River - a rider appeared at the gates of Belgrade. He ordered Doux Andronikos Komnenos to present himself. The guard captain could tell by the man's bearing, garb, and the quality of his mount and its trapping, that this was not a person to take lightly. He did have the presence of mind to ask who was calling at this late hour.