1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 251 Mediterranean Wedding

In the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, on the southern shore of the Bay of Biscay, in the city of Bilbao.

Bilbao is a bay estuary port located at the mouth of the Narwin River. It is humid all year round and is an important wool export port. It has become increasingly prosperous with the recovery of the European commodity economy.

The civil war in Castile had not yet spread to the north. Except for the Galicia region which had already begun to rebel, Asturias and the Basque Country were still firmly in the hands of Henry IV.

Of course, the local nobles and wealthy merchants were not very loyal to Henry IV, and they just chose to wait and see for the time being.

At present, the central region of Castile, including Toledo, has fallen into the hands of Prince Alfonso, and the area actually controlled by Enrique IV is divided into two parts, north and south, which are connected by a narrow corridor.

After more than a year of civil war, Enrique IV's control over the local areas had been reduced to a very dangerous level. Seville in the south and Mayorga in the north had declared their independence from Enrique IV's control and soon declared their allegiance to Prince Alfonso.

After losing the capital Toledo, Madrid and Segovia were on the front line. In order to ensure their safety, Henry IV and Queen Joana continued their hunt northward and moved their base to the city of Bilbao on the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay.

In a royal estate outside Bilbao, 15-year-old Isabella lay in the bathtub with her eyes slightly closed, slowly washing her fair body with clean water.

In Europe at the end of the 15th century, noble ladies developed and married very early. Only a few would delay until the age of 15. If they delayed further, they would be questioned by others.

However, Isabella was a special case. She lost her father's protection at the age of three and was moved from one place of house arrest to another. After finally reaching adulthood, her younger brother rebelled with the support of the great nobles, and she was once again imprisoned by her half-brother.

Now, are we finally leaving here?

There were footsteps outside the bathroom. Isabella opened her eyes and stared at the wooden door quietly.

The wooden door opened and a fat nanny rushed in, followed by a little maid.

The fat nanny glared at Isabella fiercely, but did not curse as usual. She dragged the maid in, left, and slammed the door.

The maid was carrying a large wooden basket filled with clothes, towels and toiletries. She walked gently to Isabella and put the basket down.

The heavy footsteps gradually faded away, and the maid breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Your Highness, the Prince's men are here. They are finally here to pick you up!"

"After all these years, you can finally escape from the king's control!"

Isabella smiled softly.

"Cesia, don't be impatient, speak slowly."

The maid named Cecilia nodded, took out a towel and wiped Isabella's body.

"I just met Knight Bellandt and Queen Joanna at the door. They were arguing."

"Oh? What are these adulterous couple arguing about?"

Isabella's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Knight Bellandt is adamantly opposed to marrying you off, and has been trying to persuade the king and queen to marry you off to a great noble in the country in order to gain their support."

"Haha, if I really married a great noble in the country, Enrique would probably be unable to sleep or eat well."

Isabella shook her head.

"Yes, the king and queen want to send you away as soon as possible, the farther the better, and it would be best if you never come back."

Cecia said with a smile.

"I heard from the Queen that the wedding has been finalized, and the Holy See is very supportive, and wants to use your marriage with Prince Justinian as a model for the unity of the church."

"At present, the Eastern Empire has made preparations to welcome you. The old Emperor Constantine arrived at the port of Carthage a few weeks ago. The relatives of Emperor Isaac have also arrived and are all looking forward to your arrival."

Hearing this, Isabella broke into a bright smile, took a long breath, and looked at the dark ceiling.

"I can finally leave Enrique's palace. Since my father passed away, this place has not given me any warmth."

"Now, the only person in the whole of Castile who is worth my concern is my brother. Unfortunately, the Eastern Empire will not send troops to Iberia for me, and I can't help him in the slightest."

Isabella sighed softly.

"Your Highness, don't worry. His Highness Alfonso is fine. If nothing unexpected happens, King Enrique, who has lost the support of the people, is no match for him."

Cecia lowered her voice and consoled.

"That's right. I'm going to get married soon. If nothing unexpected happens, I might never come back."

Isabella stood up, and drops of water flowed across the curve and dripped into the bathtub.

The maid began to wipe Isabella's body and apply perfume and other cosmetics.

"What kind of perfume is this? It smells so good."

Isabella looked at the light pink perfume and sniffed slightly.

"Prince Justinian asked someone to bring it here. It is the best product produced in Bulgaria, specially supplied to the royal family. Ordinary people can't use it."

Cecilia opened the perfume bottle enviously and poured the rose water into her palm.

"By the way, you just said that the envoys from the Eastern Empire have arrived. Who is leading them?"

Isabella asked.

"It is Alexius, the brother of His Highness Justinian, and the Knight Gonzalo."

Cecia dried Isabella and took out the luxurious clothes from the wooden basket.

"His Highness Alexios and Knight Gonzalo arrived first on a speedboat, and there is a large fleet behind them."

As he was speaking, there was a heavy knock on the wooden door and an impatient voice came from behind the door.

"Hurry up, the guests have arrived!"

Cecilia quickly agreed and sped up.

……

At the same time, in the hall of the manor, Alexios and Gonzalo, dressed in knight costumes, walked up the stairs and bowed to King Henry IV and Queen Joana who were sitting on the throne.

"Welcome, guests from afar. The rebellion is raging and the country is in danger. I cannot host you in the Toledo Palace. Please forgive me."

Enrique IV said woodenly, his cheeks stiff and his tone stiff.

"Thank you for your hospitality, respected King Enrique and Queen Joana. After drifting on the sea for more than half a month, we finally stepped on solid land. It feels great."

Alexius answered seriously, pulling two letters from his pocket.

"These two letters were written by my father and mother respectively. One is a letter from the country, and the other is a letter from home."

Alexios handed the letter to Gonzalo, who stepped forward and handed the official letter to Enrique and the family letter to Joana respectively.

Enrique IV took the letter, looked at the golden and red double-headed eagle with bared fangs and claws on it, frowned slightly, and opened the letter.

After a quick glance, Enrique IV put the letter aside.

"The ceremony was grand, the gifts were generous, and the treatment was excellent. It seems that my sister Isabella is very lucky."

Enrique waved his hand, and the young knight standing beside him handed the prepared gift list to Alexius.

Alexius watched it carefully and became angrier and angrier.

In Europe, when nobles got married, both sides would prepare betrothal gifts and dowries. The woman's dowry was usually much larger than the man's, several times or even dozens of times the latter. It could be gold, silver, silk, gems, real estate, and even fiefdoms and colonies. The dowry belonged to the bride and would be inherited by their descendants in the future.

The amount of the dowry often depends on the bride's status and favor in the family, as well as on how much the woman values ​​the marriage.

Generally speaking, the larger the dowry, the higher the status of the bride in her new family, and vice versa.

However, the dowry given by Henry IV was very shabby, and in terms of actual value, it was even less than the betrothal gift given by the Eastern Roman Empire.

Apart from a small amount of gold and silver, the long list of gifts was filled with various properties, titles and claims, most of which were worthless.

Several estates near Toledo, now under the control of Prince Alfonso, seemed to have been taken away as rewards by several great nobles.

The taxation rights of several villages in Galicia - are we going to ask the rebels for it?

Several debts owed by the Republic of Venice - there was no way they could ever be recovered.

Two castles and attached estates of the Kingdom of Jerusalem - what on earth is this?

The most valuable claim is that of the Kingdom of Granada, but it is just a claim and is meaningless before it is conquered.

Besides, there are many people who have the claim.

"Are you satisfied with the gift? The prince from the East?"

The young knight's sarcastic voice sounded in Alexius' ears.

Alexius put away the gift list, his expression unchanged.

"It suits your status very well. I am very satisfied."

Alexius bowed slightly to Henry IV and ignored the young knight's provocation.

King Enrique IV was a little embarrassed and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Queen Joana.

"Alexios, thank you for bringing me Sister Leonor's letter. I missed her too."

Queen Joana sighed softly and looked at Alexios with her slightly swollen eyes.

"Come here and let me see you, Alexios."

Alexius stepped forward obediently and gazed at his mother's sister.

Joana and Leonor are from the same mother and have some similarities in their eyes and eyebrows, but years of debauchery and alcoholism have left her face with many wrinkles that are not consistent with her age, and even thick white powder cannot cover them up.

Joanna pulled Alexios over and looked at him carefully.

"You don't look Oriental, but you look very similar to my late father."

Alexios was very uncomfortable with the strong scent of Joana and pulled his hand away without leaving a trace.

"I visited Uncle Alfonso on the way and he said the same thing."

"Overall, you are still a handsome man. If you were in our palace, there would definitely be many noble ladies who would be fascinated by you."

Joana joked with a smile.

"All the men in your Valleoli family are good-looking. When your great-grandfather Manuel went to the West to seek help, he left a deep impression on many people."

"And your grandfather Constantine was a famously handsome man when he was young."

"Aunt Joana, appearance is not important. An ugly person with a pious heart is far more likely to receive the blessing of God than a blasphemer with a handsome appearance."

Alexius said sternly.

Joana's face froze, then she shook her head with a smile.

"You are quite different from your brother. You don't take things so seriously. But that's fine. It's a good thing."

Then she took Alexios' hand again and gazed into his light-colored eyes.

"I believe you have some understanding of the situation in Iberia. My daughter Juana is of course the legal heir to the entire United Kingdom of Castile, but the nobles in the country have gone against the grain and pushed Alfonso to the throne and occupied the Toledo Palace."

"Galicia rebelled, Segovia rebelled, Mayorga rebelled, and the Kingdom of Portugal, which had promised to help us, hesitated."

"The Kingdom of Aragon is having trouble taking care of itself. The Catalans have firmly occupied Barcelona, ​​and even the French have come to get involved."

"This is something that everyone knows, and I have nothing to hide."

Joana paused.

"We are in a difficult situation for the time being, so we may not be able to offer a generous dowry, but we definitely do not mean to look down on the Eastern Empire. I hope you understand, okay?"

Alexius looked at the pair of brown eyes that were 70% similar to his mother's, and his heart softened immediately and he nodded slightly.

Gonzalo, who was watching this scene from a distance, shook his head secretly.

This woman is very cunning. She has been in the notoriously chaotic court of Henry IV for so many years and is no longer the little girl she was back then.

If she had money, do you think she would give it to her?

If his good friend Justinian were here, he would probably be planning to ask his dear Aunt Joanna to write an IOU.

But it doesn't matter, His Majesty the Emperor didn't intend to receive such a generous dowry.

"Aunt Joana, my mother said that no matter where our two countries will go in the future, you are her sister, and this blood relationship will never change."

Alexius said.

"Humph, since you are family, why don't you support us in suppressing the rebels, but instead use such despicable means as supporting the enemy to threaten us?" The young knight at the side snorted coldly.

"Berrante, that's enough, get out."

Joana spoke softly, but without leaving any room for doubt, and her narrow eyes didn't even look at the other person.

Her male lover, Bertrand, was suddenly speechless and left the hall in disgrace.

"That's it, Isabella will be here soon, I won't keep you here, leave as soon as possible."

Joana sighed again, leaned back on the throne, and closed his eyes tiredly.

"We should have sent an embassy to accompany you to the wedding, but the state is in danger, so let Gonzalo be the representative."

Alexios nodded and looked at Enrique IV. Seeing that he had no reaction, he returned to Gonzalo and waited quietly.

After a while, Isabella, dressed in her best attire, came into the hall from the side door, with her long skirt held by her maid.

"King, Queen."

Isabella bowed politely, stood aside, looked at the two young men in the hall, recognized the golden dagger on Alexius' waist, and confirmed his identity.

"Ah."

Henry IV agreed casually, but Joana didn't even open his eyes.

"Princess Isabella, I am Alexios, and I have come to take you to Carthage on orders from my father."

Alexius bowed slightly and looked at his future sister-in-law.

"Welcome to Castile, my noble prince. Justinian has spoken to me of you, a respectable and pious nobleman. May God bless you."

“May He bless you too.”

Alexios responded.

"Are you all ready?"

Joana asked.

"I'm ready, please let me go."

Isabella said softly.

"The carriage is ready. Gonzalo will take you there."

Enrique IV spoke, his tone quite impatient.

Isabella nodded slightly, took her only maid, followed Alexios and Gonzalo, and left, sitting in the Trastamara royal carriage.

As soon as she got on the carriage, Isabella let out a long sigh and her expression instantly became lively.

"Princess, congratulations on regaining your freedom."

Gonzalo winked at Isabella and said with a smile.

"And congratulations on finding your place in the Eastern Empire, Imperial Knight, Commander of the Royal Guards Dragoons, Lord Gonzalo Cordova."

Isabella smiled, her eyes full of joy.

"How is Justinian doing lately?"

She looked at Alexius, who was resting with his eyes closed.

"Very well, always busy entertaining guests, but he is good at it, maybe he enjoys it."

Alexius said.

Seeing that Alexios had no desire to continue the conversation, Isabella felt a little embarrassed and could only look out the window quietly.

"You know what? This is the first time in my memory that I have ridden in a royal carriage in public."

Isabella suddenly sighed.

"It doesn't matter. When you go to Carthage and Constantinople, you will have more opportunities to ride in a more distinguished carriage."

Gonzalo spoke to comfort him.

"Don't worry. Emperor Isaac and Queen Leonor are both very good elders. Emperor Constantine is also very kind. They will treat you as their own daughter."

"The Eastern Empire is one of the most powerful and wealthy countries in the world today. There is no city in Castile that is more prosperous than Carthage and Constantinople. I'm afraid even the Moorish city of Granada can't compare to them."

Gonzalo said enviously.

"Don't worry about Alfonso. He sent me a letter saying that everything is fine now. He is very grateful for your care for him when you were a child, and congratulations on finding your own happiness."

"He was also afraid that you would not be welcomed in Constantinople, so he squeezed out a sum of money as your dowry."

“Although the amount is not much, it is a token of my heart after all.”

Isabella listened and sighed softly.

"My poor Alfonso, he was already in poor health, and he had to deal with all the nobles."

“May God bless him.”

Isabella crossed herself.

The carriage seemed to have deliberately chosen a sparsely populated path, as if it did not want Isabella's marriage to attract everyone's attention. After passing through a village, the port was right in front of them.

However, the powerful forces from the East did not seem to want Henry IV and Queen Joana to succeed easily in their little schemes.

On the sea in the distance, a huge fleet broke through the mist, and the high-hanging double-headed eagle flag indicated their identity.

Boom——Long——

A burst of cannon fire rang out, and the heavy artillery of the leading giant battleship roared. The heavy lead bullets drew a perfect parabola in the air and fell into the sea in the distance, splashing waves.

The ships following the flagship also fired salutes, loudly announcing their arrival.

The Castilian soldiers on the dock looked frightened, and the workers and civilians were even more trembling, with terror in their eyes.

They had no doubt that this fleet was capable of completely destroying the port and that their king and queen would have no way of doing anything about it.

If there hadn't been two small Castilian boats escorting the giant ship, they would probably have run away.

"What a huge battleship. What is this?"

In the port, Isabella pointed at the leading giant ship in shock and covered her mouth.

"The Cairo Star, our new battleship, is truly the overlord of the Mediterranean."

Alexius said proudly.

"However, the current Cairo Star is not yet complete. It is basically just a large wooden shell that can sail and fire cannons. The interior has not been fully renovated. There are no warehouses, barracks, or animal pens. It does not have the ability to sail long distances, and the cannons are not fully loaded."

"This is something my father brought to you to help you out, so that King Enrique won't have any bad thoughts."

The Cairo Star was gradually approaching, and only then did the crowd watching truly feel the size of the ship. Beside the ship, the escorting Castilian sailboats were like two small fishing boats, swaying left and right in the huge waves raised by the ship.

At this time, several small flags were raised over Cairo, and they were waving up and down.

"What are you doing?"

Isabella couldn't help but ask.

"Navy flag language is a means of maritime communication that my father created a few years ago based on the experience of his predecessors. Different flags represent different letters and numbers, which can be put together into a sentence, which can greatly save time."

Alexios explained.

"So what are they talking about?"

Isabella asked.

Alexius narrowed his eyes, stared at the small flag, and read softly.

"Your Highness, the Empire welcomes you."

Isabella's eyes narrowed, she pursed her lips tightly and said nothing.

The Cairo Star docked, and a row of heavily armored infantry walked down the deck and formed two rows on the dock, leaving a path in the middle.

"This is the First Guards Regiment. The crowned lion is their symbol."

Alexius said, getting off the carriage and walking towards the giant ship with Isabella.

Isabella walked between two rows of heavily armored infantry. A fierce and bloody aura hit her in the face. Under the heavy mask, a pair of cold eyes were revealed.

Perhaps, countless enemies have fallen before this legion, and their halberds and swords have drunk the blood of countless people.

Perhaps, only a true emperor can tame them and make them reveal fanatical and sincere eyes.

Every time Isabella passed by a pair of soldiers, they would bang their spears in unison, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The road became shorter under their feet, Alexios and Gonzalo went on deck, and Isabella rolled up her skirt and stepped onto the bow.

The legionnaires quickly formed two teams, walked onto the ship in order, and lined up in the center of the deck.

It was only then that Isabella saw the port guards, who were huddled in a corner of the dock, hesitating whether to step forward.

"go?"

Gonzalo came over and asked in a low voice.

"Let's go."

Isabella took a deep look at the land of her hometown, walked towards the cabin, and never looked back.

……

On October 1466, 10, the Western Mediterranean Fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire arrived at the port of Bilbao in the north of the Kingdom of Castile. Princess Isabella of Castile, accompanied by Alexius and Gonzalo, boarded the giant battleship Le Divina di Cairo and headed for the distance.

On the way, the Cairo Star made brief stops in the ports of Lisbon and Ceuta, asserting its authority in the name of friendly exchanges and receiving a warm reception from King Alfonso V of Portugal.

When passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the fleet encountered pirates from Granada. Without saying a word, they rammed into the pirates' flagship and sank it, then drove away.

On November 11, the Western Mediterranean Fleet arrived at the port of Carthage. The port was already crowded with people, and several lighthouses were lit day and night.

On November 11, the wedding officially began. As Castile was mired in civil war, no high-ranking royal family members were sent to attend the ceremony. The bride's representative was Isabella's cousin Gonzalo.

However, Castile's indifference did not cast a shadow on the lively atmosphere of the wedding. All important members of the Palaiologos family were present, and envoys from various European countries also came.

The wedding was conducted in an orderly manner under the auspices of Isidore, Patriarch of Constantinople, and several churches, including the Vatican, sent their own delegations.

Isaac's son Basil presented flowers to Isabella, Thessaloniki served as bridesmaid, Gonzalo served as best man, and Justinian and Isabella walked side by side with ribbons tied around their necks and entered the palace.

At noon that day, under the witness of the gods, Justinian from the Palaiologos family and Isabella from the Trastamara family swore to be husband and wife and put the rings on each other's fingers.

On that day, Carthage welcomed the largest celebration in its history. People from all over the city joined in the carnival. Every citizen drank the beer and ate the cakes gifted by the emperor.

The envoys from various countries who came to the banquet also received gifts from the royal family, including precious silk from Morea, gorgeous weapons from Constantinople, rose perfume from Bulgaria, huge diamonds from New Thrace, and precious amber from Constanta...

Wedding banquets are all prepared to the highest standards, with birds and beasts, delicacies from the mountains and the sea. Every dish is pleasing to the eye and every drop of wine makes people linger.

Queen Leonor also invited famous poets, writers and circus to provide entertainment services for the guests.

The celebration was far from over. Immediately after the ceremony, the couple boarded the ship and began to cruise around major ports, including Tripoli, Birinci, Athens, Thessalonica... Family, friends and envoys from various countries accompanied them on board.

A month later, the fleet arrived in Constantinople, bringing a festive atmosphere to the Eternal City. There were rewards and songs again. Amid the citizens' farewell, the two men stepped into the Palace of Purple Nobles, which marked the end of the celebration.

The wedding was extremely expensive, almost equivalent to the life savings of some monarchs of small countries. Because Isaac refused to use the money from the treasury for the celebration, Queen Leonor was very dissatisfied. In the end, she took out her own savings of many years and insisted on making her eldest son's wedding extremely grand.

Of course, the profits brought by this wedding were undoubtedly considerable. The Eastern Roman Empire showed its best side to the European countries and declared its powerful military and strong financial resources. The influx of a large number of nobles and wealthy businessmen greatly stimulated the consumer market in big cities. The wealth of Constantinople and Carthage left a very deep impression on them.

The grand scene of the wedding and the wealth of the Eastern Roman Empire were spread throughout the Mediterranean by merchants and bards. In just one month, there was an endless stream of merchants heading to Carthage and Constantinople, and the number of Christians immigrating from the northern coast of the Mediterranean and the Russian states to various frontier areas also increased exponentially.

For them, this was the fastest way to obtain Eastern Roman identity.

Of course, the tribal elders and local nobles who came to the banquet were also shocked. The power of the royal family was far beyond their imagination, so they had no intention of rebelling.

This ceremony greatly enhanced the prestige of the Eastern Roman Empire, greatly strengthened the self-confidence of the Eastern Roman people, and planted an unshakable seed in the hearts of European countries.

Whether they admit it or not, the ancient empire has regained its vitality, has fully awakened from hundreds of years of suffering, and has begun to enter a new climax.

On that day, when all nations came to pay tribute, even the humblest beggar in Constantinople would think of the power and greatness of the Eastern Roman Empire and would unconsciously straighten his chest with pride when seeing the foreign nobles looking dwarfed by him.

(End of this chapter)