Chapter 530: Arta
Of course, Antonius did not have the time and effort to turn up for the meeting between the high-ranking personals the next morning, which is just a few hours later from the event that heavy downpour and the massive fire.
So, as the usual practise, a minute and report of the meeting together with the surrounding news is compiled together and brought to the tent of the Caesar by the steward Alexios, who instead of directly entering the tent, stood outside the curtains and shouted out loud. "May I make the report on the situation and news here through this way outside the windows, your majesty?!"
There is clearly some chaos going on inside the tent with a loud thump, most probably someone fell off or got kicked off from the bed.
"Are you alright! Your majesty! Do you need any assistance?"
"No! No, no." A few seconds later, Antonius poked his head out of the curtains and forced a smile. "Please, just bear with me for a few minutes, and I shall be ready."
"What is wrong with your forehead. Your majesty? There is a bump on it."
"Oh, is it?" Antonius touched his forehead, and indeed there is a bump there, which feels kind of painful. "Nothing to worry about, I accidentally fell down a while ago."
"Oh..."
Alexios stood outside for a minute before Antonius showed up in robes, still rubbing his face and yawning consistently.
"What time is it?"
"It is nine in the morning, your majesty."
"You are late, I told you to wake me up every day latest by six thirty."
"Yes, your majesty."
"Fine, what information do you have for me today?"
"Only three quarters of the population of Ioannina returned to the city and settled down again, the remaining one quarter chose to make a run to the nearby Ottoman and Venetian settlements, in the fear that our occupation shall purge them of their properties."
"Around half of the city has been burnt, including the government buildings, the age old palace near the lake, and the fortress in the North of the city that was built on top of a pagan Roman catacomb are destroyed beyond rebuild.
"And the third news is about Lord Julian’s advancement in the South."
Antonius stopped moving around.
"The city of Kalabaka and Trikala has willingly surrendered to Lord Julian, the local Roman communities has ceded the keys of the cities to Lord Julian asking for his protection in the midst of the chaos. Lord Julian’s troops have swept away the local bandits and war lords around the mountain of Pindos and Melates. The owner of the Arta, that supposed Latin King, has rejected the proposal to surrender, and so now Lord Julian has reported that his troops is now preparing for a siege on Arta."
"The king of Arta? That Leonardo? He has not fled yet?" Antonius raised his eyebrow in question. "Who gave him the guts to attempt to put up a resistance with that tiny army of his?"
"Well, you know, your majesty, there can only be one faction that has the capabilities to save his arse, and they have been eyeing on our expansion along the Adriatic coast for quite a while I believe."
"The Venetians...."
"Lord Julian is still waiting for your order, your majesty. But I must tell you that Lord Abdullah once told me a year back, the Adriatic seas are the core interest of the Venetians, and they shall do anything to keep that interest intact unlike their interests in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean that can be negotiable... So, I suggest that we do not dive too deep into Adriatic affairs this round, if not it can likely cause an uproar within the Doge’s government and provoke them into making an agitated response..."
"Provoke them? Agitated response?" Antonius interrupted and stared back at Alexios. "I know that Abdullah has said something about the Venetians overreacting when a new player emerges in the Adriatic region, but why should we cede an entire sea to just a minute republic off on an island that cannot even be seen on a map? Who gave them the privilege to do so? Their navy! I do admit that our navy was not so up to standard last time, but now after a whole two years of preparations, my fleet has now more than thirty war galleys equipped with modern artilleries, and numerous smaller vessels. I have no fear over the Venetians, no fear!"
Alexios shut his mouth tight and made no more comment over this matter.
"And besides, don’t you remember Alexios? We have always started with warring over the bigger and stronger foes in the past and gulp them down, there shall be no exception this time round. Remember Alexios, we are Romans, we got to have the wits and guts the pagan Romans carried with them last time too, if not when are we going to kick that child off the throne, and march on to Constantinople, I mean, to better protect the city against the Ottomans, when?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"Tell Julian to pick up his pace and start laying siege to the city of Arta, and if there area any Venetian reinforcements coming towards the city.... Intercept them. Tell Abraham, that I need the fleet ready sailing down and take the port of Parga, the water there should be deep enough to dock our ships, and the bay there ought to be perfect to form some natural protection..."
"Parga? But your majesty, that place is way too close to Korfu... I must remind you."
"I know, that is the intention, if the Venetians dare to land a single footman on the shores of Epirus in support of Arta, then my fleet shall recover my rightful possessions of Korfu. Tell Khalid to start dispatching his cavalries to scout the coasts, and tell Helio, to stay guard in Northern Epirus and repel any Venetians that lands on the shores of Durres."
"...Yes, your majesty."
Alexios wanted to continue trying to change Antonius’ mind, but somehow the words of wisdom by Apostolos started emerging in his heart ,reminding himself again and again that he should not go against the sovereign in every single matter; This is the middle ages, and in this era the monarchs, or the rulers are always above the law; The laws serve them not the other way around, so it is better for him to watch for his own head first. So Alexios gulped his saliva, stepped back, and proceeded on to send Antonius’ orders to the various commanders.
...
Julian closed the piece of order, sighed slightly, and left it to burn on a candle light. In front of him stands two men, blonde hair, one armoured and one in robes, with their arms already confiscated by Julian’s arms. The coat of arms of the Lion of Saint Marco is clearly visible on their robes, it is clear that these two men are from Venezia.
"Alright gentlemen, you two have heard it, things are beyond my control right now." Julian shook his heads and gave the two men a pat on their shoulders. Sorry for wasting a whole week of your time coming here to see me, but you have come to speak to the wrong person, I am not the one who makes the decision, the Caesar is, and now he wants the city of Arta, so he shall have it."
"Please, supreme commander." The Venetian diplomat urged once more. "Both of you knows what this means, Arta has been under Venetian sphere of influence for a century, my regime has told your Caesar repeatedly that we can allow your Caesar to eat up the entire Epirus, but only to leave the city of Arta alone, please, do not break the borderline of my regime."
Julian nodded his head as the Venetian delegate is talking, but still he sighed and replied. "But you know, your highness, with no means of disrespect, I must tell you that I am no diplomat, I am a soldier; And a soldier must follow orders from his superior. Now he ordered me to take Arta, then I must follow the order to take it."
The Venetian diplomat is a little desperate. "You really going to bring war to the city of Arta?"
"If that is what my king wishes."
"The ones who brings war onto the Venetians shall eventually bring war onto themselves, I suggest that as the frontline commander you ought to use the power you have, to talk out something with your Caesar, he has rejected our proposal for a meeting for several occasions which is why we turned to you, please."
"If he rejected your proposal, that means his decision is clear."
"So, you really want war?"
"Quod erat demonstrandum"
The diplomat sighed. "Sit tibi terra levis"
Julian remained emotionless. "Quod erat inveniendum, In Nomine Iesus"
"Sic semper tyrannis."
All efforts of negitiations between Vennezia and Thessaloniki has failed.
