Chapter 574: To Whitewash
"Aussi puis-je t’assurer qu’il n’y a jamais eu de royaume où il y ait eu tant de guerres civiles que dans celui de Christ"
"I can assure you that no kingdom has ever had as many civil wars as the kingdom of Christ."
- Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu
Giovanni Giustinianni still has no idea on the whereabouts of his father-in-law.
He has sent out waves after waves of messengers since the moment this huge group of senators came onto his doorstep asking, actually pleading and threatening his father in law to stay here and solve this issue pushed onto the poor Giovanni, but of course all of the messengers came back empty handed, George Sphrantzes is nowhere to be contacted.
He knows the old man Innocentius, for they have been old pals who have had a not very good time cooperating with each other during the last years of the reign of emperor Constantine XI. Giovanni can still see that level of hate in Innocentius’ eyes, but honestly speaking Giovanni feels that he is innocent, there ought to be no reason for Innocentius to hate him, it is not him who pushed Innocentius away from the seat of the regent, it is Thomas and Demetrios.
But Giovanni is never that kind of man with an acute sense on politics and court struggles, for most of the advice before came from his wife Therma and his father in law, and right now, at this moment, both of them are not by his side. Therefore he chose to run, evade these senators, hiding away in a corner of the camp by himself, waiting for what is to come of him.
Giovanni is a kind person, no doubt, despite the fact that he has truly committed many sins in the past that would not be forgiven by Christ, but deeply in his heart he is always that kind of person who will not hesitate to help out the children of his fallen comrades and pals, aid the families who have suffered in the wars, not because he wants to white wash his sins and pretend to be a good guy, but because he is a soldier, a mercenary, who makes a living by killing for his clients, and he would not lay his fingers on those innocent souls.
Unlike these power-hungry animals seated in the senate.
He has no idea regarding the talk between the Ecumenical Patriarch and the senators, for he did not think of implementing an ear in the area hearing out the talk for him; He has no idea about the commotions happening in the senate, because all his intel of the senate came from, doubtlessly, his father in law, if these senators decided to turn their backs on his father in law, all his channels of information gets cut off too. The only way Giovanni can keep himself safe, is staying by his last zone of defence, his troops, despite the fact that even these two hundred men at this area might not seem that reliable as time passes as well.
People only remains loyal and faithful to a man if the man is able to bring them to one after another victory bringing them revenues, benefits, and those benefits must come quick, if those victories do not come quick, the people might get wary, agitated, anxious, and if they get anxious, they might start thinking of other ways to soothe their greed, and that is the point of time when loyalty begins to fall apart, especially in this situation.
These soldiers are not dumb, for they know that they are participating in a coup, but they did not care that much, because they know that there is something that is more important than being right or wrong, and that is money. And that is the main reason why they agreed with Giovanni Giustinianni on this trip, and which is the reason why Giovanni chose to bring these men for his mission; The general knows his men, and his men know the general. Which brings up a problem.
Giovanni knows his men want to burst into that Hagia Irene to ransack the place getting all the age old antiques in the church giving them a fortune, but that is exactly what Giovanni cannot allow; They are not burglars, they are not crusaders, they came here for a political mission, they need to show an upright image in order to gain the legitimacy to rule the city, and let people believe that they are here for a good course. Therefore Giovanni has been explaining repeatedly to anyone that matters that the best outcome is, and can only be, a surrender by Thomas and his men without bloodshed, they cannot bear the name of killing a man born in the purple. Although he got to admit that Thomas managed to get information of his coup in such speed and acted accordingly.
A slight cough interrupted Giovanni’s deep thoughts, he raised his eyes, and found out that it is his lieutenant, standing over there looking at him.
"What is it Fabrizio?" Asked Giovanni. "Did those lords decide to take their leave?"
"No, my lord." Fabrizio answered, still looking right at his lord. "The senate has sent me to summon you, they expect your immediate attendance at the court at once."
Giovanni sensed something in Fabrizio’s words, he looked up and stared into his lieutenant’s eyes.
The later could no longer maintain eye contact with his eyes becoming dodgy at Giovanni’s look.
Giovanni could not control himself but chuckled, not a happy one though, and shook his head. "Oh, Fabrizio, Fabrizio, Fabrizio...! How many years have you been in my service?"
"About six years, my lord."
"Where did you come from?"
"Palermo, my lord."
"Palermo, big city, beautiful city." Giovanni nodded again. "What was your job back then?"
"Sheep herder, herding sheeps for those landlords."
"And you decided to come to Konstantinopolis, to join my army."
"Yes, my lord." The lieutenant nodded. "To run away from the abuse of the land lords, and seek for a better future for my family."
"Have you found it?"
"Yes, I have, my lord."
"So, have I helped you a lot on your path towards success and a better future?"
"Yes, you have, my lord."
"Then." Giovanni’s tone almost changed to begging. "Can you help me get our brothers to invite the senators out of the camp, tell them that I will meet them another day after all of these is over?"
"..."
"Please?"
"I can’t, my lord." Fabrizio gulped. "Forgive me."
"..."
"Fine, I will go." Giovanni stood up, with a cold face, he walked to the front of his mirror, combed his hair, tidied up his armour, started wiping his gauntlets and asked without looking at Fabrizio. "Tell me, what have they paid you with?"
"I... "Obviously Fabrizio does not dare to give an answer.
"Just tell me kid, I won’t be angry or anything." Giovanni laughed.
"...They promised to whitewash me, from the army, give me a legitimate job in the government of Crimea, working for the Genoese, and fifty yards of land producing lumber and grapes."
"Whitewash you, I see." Giovanni laughed again, a bitter laugh this time.
A word that is so familiar yet so alien to him, a goal that he too has been pursuing for years since the day he agreed to help emperor Constantine XI to save Constantinople. He too longed to wash away his past as a mercenary leader, a pirate, thus he pursued for a post in the army, received praises and noble title from the emperor of the Romans, he married a prestigious lady, and he has tainted his armour of the blood of infidels, all for the same goal, to wash away the scent of pirates and mercenary on his skins for him and his family.
But it is only today did he realise the hard truth that these nobles, these senators, even his own soldiers, saw him as a mercenary no matter how high his title is, how hard has he tried for it, he is forever a mercenary that sheds blood for money, in their eyes.
Giovanni has nothing more to say, he stood up, gave a pat on the shoulders of the now middle aged lieutenant, and walked out of the tent, with the lieutenant following closely behind him.
It is only upon leaving the tent did Giovanni realise how tightly packed the area beside his tent is, as most of his soldiers not on duty has gathered in the area, looking at him.
Giovanni turned around, stared once again into the eyes of Fabrizio, and said. "Protect Lord Mauro and my family. My son is still young, my wife is an innocent lady who does not know anything about politics, a classical Greek woman, and lord Mauro only knows how to fight, they have nothing to do with my coup."
"I know, and I will, your highness." Fabrizio nodded with sincerity in his eyes.
Giovanni nodded, an entered the large tent with the senators.
Fabrizio did not come inside the tent with him.
