Chapter 531: Stability Matters
A massive fleet started embarking from the port of Thessaloniki, with the white flag of the scarlet lion flying high over its mast with pride.
The massive fleet consists of more than twenty war galleys over fifty meters in length, fifty galleys and a hundred plus smaller ships started embarking from their berths of various ports along the coasts and started joining as one fleet in the Aegean. On the shores stands one man as he quietly watches the fleet sailing away, that is Abdullah.
His view on Antonius’ operations is indeed complicated. He knows the importance of Arta, he knows the importance of Korfu, he knows the importance for the security of Epirus, but yet in his original plans the full out conflicts between Thessaloniki and Venezia ought to come in a much later date.
Sometimes he fears for the worst, that is his lifelong friend, the one who pushed him onto the pirate ship through some conduct of mischief has changed, changed into a totally different person. He feels like Antonius is becoming more and more like a true monarch, a true king, and a conqueror, which is slowly giving Antonius the thought and confidence that he can forcefully conquer and crash all resistance against him through the use of force and arms, which is not always the case.
But what else can he possibly say? The only thing he can do is to write another letter to Antonius urging him to not humiliate and threaten the Venetians by too much to test their breaking point, reminding him that the Ottomans, despite all odds, still maintains a petite but capable fleet that is able to threaten the city of Thessaloniki and the Aegean trade routes, and the Venetian’s ability to mobilise a large quantity of civilian ships for naval operations when needed for war, and that should be enough to at least halt the Caesar’s decision to launch a supposed offensive on...
Suddenly, a knight came to an abrupt stop right behind Abdullah, with the long neighs of his horse breaking all the thoughts of the head of the government. Abdullah turned back, this has not been the first time he has heard this sound in the past year knowing that there must be another report or request submitted to him for approval. It can be said that, when Antonius is not here in court, he is the boss of the newly established estate, the charioteer gripping on the bridles.
But inside Abdullah’s mind, he knows that he is not Antonius.
And he cannot run the state in the ways of Antonius.
Now, what is it this time round? Another request form from the shipyards asking for more funding? Another convoy that has been raided on the seas? Another newly established collective farm that requires iron hoes and shovels? Or is it another clash in the border regions?
Abdullah got his sight on the insignia that the knight is bearing, it belongs to the forces of the east, sitting on the lines of defense before the Ottoman Sultan’s government in Edirne. And instantly his heart jumped to his throat.
What kind of news do they bring this time round? Is it another prompted attack by the young Sultan, wishing to regain the glory and land that was once held by his long-gone father?
"Your highness!" The incoming knight crumbled down his horse and shouted out. "I bring news from the East! The Sultana Dowager of the Ottomans has decided to submit themselves willingly to the Caesar! I bring the letter from the Sultana!"
Abdullah felt a bit lost at first, almost falling off from the rock beneath his feet, only managed to stabalise himself once more with the help of his guards.
"Read."
"Yes, your highness." The knight took out a scroll of silk from the side of his mount and conveyed the message from the Sultana. She first mentioned about the conquest of Epirus, congratulating the victorious army of the Romans once again taking back what they deserve on behalf of the Ottoman Sultanate, then cutting straight to the point saying that from now onwards the Ottomans shall no longer claim any lands they used to possess in the entire Greco Roman peninsula, they shall no longer use the title of ’the Sultan of the Ottomans’ but instead ’The emir of Edirne’, as from now onwards, the Ottomans shall be integrated the Roman empire, the Ottoman people shall become the faithful citizens of the empire, and the emir shall pay tribute to Thessaloniki every single year, protecting the Caesar’s eastern boundaries from any harm.
Abdullah took a deep breathe, the others started cheering and waving in either tears or laughter, cheering that they have claimed another symbolic victory without any form of bloodshed, the Ottomans masters who once stood on top of them forcing them to kneel and concede as slaves are now completely defeated in Europa, pleading to them to accept them as their new tributary. One must say that it is a miracle for the people of Nova Roma to achieve what they have today, and most people knows, that if it is not for the person that is still fighting a war in Epirus, all of these would not have happened.
But only Abdullah remained calm and closed his eyes giving a bitter smile. He is unable to differentiate this letter as a piece of good news or bad news, but one thing can be certain, that is this woman in Edirne – she is a smart woman, and Abdullah has no doubt that there are going to be some big actions going on pretty soon in Edirne.
"Your highness, Master Abraham would like to have your permission to set sail."
"Go ahead, and go tell that old Abdullah to watch out for his health – not every man can run for hundreds of miles to Epirus, then come all the way back in a week to command a fleet... Don’t die on the field before our final dreams are achieved."
"Yes, your highness."
...
Abdullah is not wrong regarding the recent situation going on in Edirne.
Edirne has been in the center of the political turmoil of the Ottomans ever since the day it has been chosen by the former Sultans as their capital. They perfectly carried the Greek traditions over when they came into Europe, with intrigues, political struggles and conflicts brewing nonstop behind these walls.
The tension between the Sultana Dowager and the military has intensified over the years. The military has always been a political force that eagerly seeks war and expansion in almost every single state in the era. And the Ottoman army is now increasingly keen on reclaiming its former glories and lands it lost in the past few catastrophes, unifying the Ottoman empire again under one banner achieving their planned so called ’the great comeback’. But this idea is strictly forbidden by the Sultana Dowager, who knows that it is not a good idea to offend the Romans at the current point of time judging by the geopolitical situation.
This brought a series of clashes between the Ottoman government and the Ottoman military, ever since the Sultan has grown to sixteen years old, the military has been urging the Sultana Dowager to return the power in her hands to the grown up Sultan, spreading the idea that it is illegal in the constitutions of the Ottoman Sultanate for the mother of a Sultan to continue holding power as the regent when the Sultan has reached a legal age of fifteen years old. But the Sultana Dowager argued back that the young Sultan still got much to learn, describing the situation as ’it is inappropriate for a ship to change its helm in the middle of a storm.’ The young Sultan, who is caught in the middle of the two factions, kept quiet not making a single comment.
No one knows when and how are the military going to attack next, and no one knows on how shall the queen retaliate, but no matter who shall become the ultimate winner of this political race, the ones to suffer shall always be the citizens of Edirne, as they have just barely lived through the Roman aggressions from both fronts, and immediately turning into the center of the political strives between the Sultana and the army.
The head of the Ottoman military, Hamza Pasha, barely managed to maintain the stability between the two sides, meeting up with the Sultana for multiple times demanding the Sultana to give way to the requests to the increasingly impatient military, and going back to the camps, urging the military systems to not intensify the situation and stick to their post, reminding them again and again that their main goal is still to protect the state against outside threats, not to engage in a civil war.
The old Pasha knows about the importance of stability, but this knowledge is definitely not in the minds of the junior officers.
