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Pov of Sigurd
Anno Domini,833-February-March-4-5
My men's long knives found the chests of the eunuchs trying to flee. Others fell beneath a rain of blows. They did not stop until the last of the beardless men lay motionless.
''Where are Theodora and her son?'' Basil asked.
He seemed to have regained some composure, though he still held the emperor's head. He tried to stand, but his legs gave way. Tears kept streaming down his face.
''In… In her chambers. The basilissa is in her chambers'' replied the second-in-command of the scholai before turning to go in search of the empress.
''Protect Basil. I'm going to take a look'' I told my men as I approached the ranks of the guards.
''Halt, Varangian. We cannot let you pass. We still have a future emperor to protect from traitors'' said the officer, stopping with his men to bar my way.
''Do you really think we had anything to do with this? Look at Basil. He can barely stand. People always said they were like Agrippa and Augustus… And look at them now'' I replied, pointing at my friend, who was still trembling as he gazed at Theophilos's head.
''Come'' the commander said at last.
A group of hirdmen and I followed him towards the innermost chambers of the palace, where a man was supposed to be safer than anywhere else in the city. Yet it was not long before we found several scholai with their throats cut.
''Damned beardless rats… Traitors'' the commander muttered as he recognised his men.
''Treachery has reached your very bedchambers. This was the last thing Basil wanted to find here'' I said, shaking my head as we advanced towards the imperial family's quarters.
''Then why did you sail to the capital with your entire army? According to the letter we received in answer to the summons, the magister of the scholas was to leave his troops in Smyrna and Thessalonica and appear with a small Varangian escort. The sight of such a fleet arriving must have emboldened the traitors'' said the commander, making no effort to hide his displeasure.
''What? We sent a letter saying we would bring the troops to the capital to place them under the emperor's command. He was to discharge them once their service in the themata was over. Besides, we received an order saying Basil had already been found guilty, that he would be blinded or castrated, and that he would lose his offices and property'' I replied.
The scholai stopped and stared at us.
''That letter never passed through our hands'' said the officer, shaking his head.
''Are you sure? We have a letter bearing the imperial seal. It confirms the sentence and orders Basil's family taken prisoner'' I insisted, looking at the commander.
''No… Never. Theophilos neither signed nor ordered anything of the sort. He had even begun releasing Basil's supporters when he received word that he would return to the capital with a smaller escort'' the man replied.
''Basil thinks it was the iconodules'' I said as we reached a door with more scholai lying before it.
''It is possible… Perhaps those traitors have spread their influence so far among the palace officials that they managed to forge an imperial order'' the officer replied as he pushed the door open.
Inside, we found several maidservants hiding behind the furniture. Beyond them, on a large bed draped in purple silks, lay a woman with a child in her arms.
She was far too still.
''What happened here?'' the commander demanded, looking at the servants as he approached the empress's bed.
''The basilissa… She chose to drink poison when she learned that the eunuchs and some of the scholai had betrayed the emperor. She did not want to be taken prisoner in the rebellion of the domestikos of the scholas… She feared they would torture her son, and what they might do to the child in her womb'' one of the women replied, trembling.
I removed my gauntlet and the glove beneath it before touching the empress's face. Then I did the same with the child.
''We're too late… She's cold. The little one too'' I said.
''Why did she drink the poison? They had not broken through our defences! We had driven back the excubitores who rose against the emperor!'' the commander exclaimed, approaching the servants, who cowered before him.
''The eunuchs told us the excubitores had entered the palace with the hikanatoi… That it was only a matter of time before they reached us. That was why the basilissa took the poison, so she would not fall into the hands of the domestikos of the schola's men'' the servant replied, her voice on the verge of breaking.
''All dead… How am I supposed to tell Basil he couldn't save his friend's wife and children either?'' I muttered, shaking my head.
''Prepare the bodies for burial in the imperial crypt… I presume you will not object to their being treated with the honours they are due'' said the commander, turning towards me.
''I won't be the one to deny them their funeral rites. Basil will have to decide, but you can start preparing them. We're not leaving them here to rot. And we still have to find Theophilos's body'' I replied after a moment's thought.
''He will most likely be in his study. They must have killed him there'' said the officer.
He led us towards the chamber where the emperor worked. When we arrived, we found more dead scholai, though these seemed to have fallen fighting. Their weapons still lay beside their hands; they had not had their throats cut by surprise like the guards outside the bedchambers.
''Who goes there?'' the commander demanded, drawing his sword.
Several more men emerged from among the purple curtains, on the far side of the blood-covered floor. They too wore the equipment of the scholai.
''We need to speak with the domestikos. We have done as we were ordered'' two of them said as they stepped out from among the draperies. Some bore wounds from the fighting.
''There are the men who killed the emperor. And it looks as though they didn't even give him a quick death… They stabbed him full of holes before cutting off his head'' I said, looking at Theophilos's lifeless body.
''Fucking traitors…'' muttered the commander of the scholai as his men drew their swords.
''We have done our part! We want the pardon we were promised!'' one of the traitors exclaimed.
''Basil will want them alive'' I warned, raising my voice. ''They only need to keep breathing… Have your fun with them'' I added, clapping the guards on the shoulders before stepping aside.
''Hey, wait…!'' I caught as I turned to go back to Basil.
Behind me, the guards hurled themselves at the men who had betrayed their oath.
The screams followed us down the corridor as my men and I made our way back. We found Basil where we had left him, surrounded by his hirdmen.
''Please tell me they're still alive'' he pleaded, looking up. He seemed to have calmed a little.
''No… They're all dead, Basil. Theodora drank poison, and it seems she gave it to her son too. They were both cold when we arrived'' I replied, lowering my head slightly.
Basil clenched his jaw and stared up at the palace ceiling. He still held his friend's head in his hands.
''I've caused my friend's death… And his family's. I've destroyed the dream his father entrusted to me. So much effort to come this far… So much suffering so that Rome could finally have secure borders and stop fighting on the defensive against all its enemies… And once again, the Empire is fracturing because of a plot born within its own walls'' said Basil.
He tried to rise again. This time, though with difficulty, he managed to stay on his feet.
''I don't know how you Romans settle these things. Who gets the crown now? Is there any relative left who could claim it?'' I asked.
Basil slowly placed Theophilos's head in the basket and covered it with the purple silk.
''They could turn to Theodora's brothers, who belong to a powerful family. Or to her father or her uncle, the strategos serving in Armenia. Several names could be put forward… But as a rule, the throne ends up in the hands of whoever gathers enough support to seize it and has an army to keep it'' he replied before handing the basket to one of the scholai, who accepted it without objection.
''Then… Are you going to proclaim yourself emperor?'' I asked.
Basil shook his head.
''We'll speak of that later. First, I need to speak with someone who should already be on his way. In the meantime, we must restore order in the city… Send men to the walls. No one is to leave'' he ordered as he gazed at some of the palace sculptures.
''It is already too late to keep what happened from becoming known, domestikos. Word of the betrayal will soon be on everyone's lips'' warned one of the scholai who remained beside us.
''I have no intention of concealing it. I want everyone to remain inside the city until we know what will happen and who will try to claim the crown… Clear this place'' Basil replied, looking around.
''Where should we take the bodies?'' asked one of the guards.
''Those who remained loyal should be buried near the emperor they gave their lives for, with all the honours their loyalty deserves. As for the excubitores… Throw them into a pigsty. Traitors do not deserve an honourable burial'' said Basil, looking with disgust at the bodies of the men from that tagma.
''We will see to it once we have taken the emperor's remains to the imperial crypt'' the scholai replied before leaving with the basket.
Basil remained under the protection of the hirdmen, and I went out to secure the rest of the city.
The following day was hard. Many inhabitants did not even dare leave their homes. They still did not know what had happened amid all the chaos, and finding the gates shut did nothing to reassure them. Our horsemen watched the land exits, and the sailors did the same at the harbours, just as Basil had ordered.
We had also sent a messenger to my brother Hjalmar, telling him to ready his men on the Danube frontier in case we needed him to come to our aid. Meanwhile, the names of those who had taken part in the betrayal began coming to light.
''Basil, there's a delegation of aristocrats outside the palace walls. They want to speak with you'' I informed him.
He was going through a pile of imperial documents and writing names in a book. Every time I saw him again, he had filled more pages.
''Let them in… I want to hear what they have to say before the one person I'm still waiting for arrives'' he replied, adding another name after reading one of the letters.
I nodded and gave the order to admit the delegation.
''Domestikos of the scholas, I see you are endeavouring to restore order in the city'' said the aristocrat at the head of the group.
Several men of his own rank accompanied him, with a few priests behind them.
''It is my duty'' Basil replied curtly, watching the newcomers.
''However, while the throne remains vacant, we cannot restore the government of the Empire. Our peers have deliberated on the misfortune afflicting us and believe that, amid such confusion, the wisest course would be for the Senate to elect the new emperor and for the Church to confirm that choice by crowning him. We would thus have a legitimate sovereign to guide us through these dark days'' said the delegation's spokesman.
''I presume you already have a candidate, considering the extent of the betrayal within the palace'' said Basil without a trace of emotion as he looked at the men.
''Some names have received more support than others, but our chief concern is securing a guarantee that only you can offer, given that you command the armies of the Empire'' said the aristocrat with a smile.
''And what guarantee would that be?'' Basil asked.
''A general pardon for all the iconodules who took part in overthrowing the tyrant Theophilos and bringing his reign of terror to an end. Also, the remission of the taxes we refused to pay, for that gold would only have served to persecute us for our faith. And, of course, an end to the persecution of those who defend the holy images, and the condemnation of the iconoclast heresy'' the aristocrat replied after glancing at the priests.
''The five patriarchs are still in the city, I presume. Could they attend the coronation of a new emperor?'' Basil asked without moving from his place.
''Indeed. They were gathered in council with numerous bishops, though subject to the dictates of the iconoclasts. Soon we will be able to convene a new council to restore the true doctrine. All we lack is an emperor willing to accept these conditions and reward those of us who have sustained this long struggle against religious persecution with imperial lands'' said the aristocrats' spokesman.
Basil remained thoughtful for a few moments and let out a long sigh before answering.
''I can grant what you ask… But only after my coronation as emperor of the Romans'' he said, staring directly at the members of the delegation.
Several began whispering among themselves.
''In that case… We would like to agree upon a date for your election and coronation as soon as possible. We will soon send you the names of those who, in our judgement, deserve the greatest rewards for their services'' the aristocrat replied with a smile.
''I shall await that list'' said Basil, smiling as well.
I knew that smile. I had seen it many times when he had to endure someone whose conversation he wanted to end as quickly as possible.
''With your leave, domestikos of the scholas'' said the aristocrat.
The members of the delegation bowed and began to withdraw.
''It seems you have no qualms about seizing the throne of the man you called your friend the moment you have seen him dead'' said the second-in-command of the scholai once the visitors had gone.
He stared at Basil as though he wanted to run him through with his sword.
''They are so certain they have won that they no longer even bother to hide it. They think they can divide everything we have worked for among themselves and that I will thank them… I did not ask you to stay merely to honour Theophilos's memory. I promised you vengeance, and you will have it. I only need the right moment to come'' Basil replied with a frown, his lips trembling.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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