1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 88 Famagusta

Famagusta, Cyprus Island.

Famagusta is the largest seaport city in the entire Kingdom of Cyprus. It has a mature shipbuilding and shipping industry, a large population and prosperous business.

Merchants from Asia, Europe and Africa gathered here to rest and exchange goods.

Once upon a time, the kings of the Crusader states came here to be crowned, and the three major knightly orders established branches here, using it as a forward base to fight against pagans.

To this day, the Knights' Chapel that still exists in this ancient city still offers a glimpse of the glory of the former Crusaders.

It can be said that the city of Famagusta witnessed the rise and fall of the Crusades over hundreds of years.

After the Cypriot civil war broke out, John II, with Famagusta as the center, summoned the Latin nobles and merchants loyal to him and prepared to suppress the rebels in the southwest.

During the more than two hundred years that the Lusignan family ruled Cyprus, the lower-class Orthodox Christians here had tried to revolt, but due to the disparity in military strength and the compromise of the church, they were suppressed every time.

John II believed that the same was true this time.

However, the development of things was far beyond his expectations.

With the help of someone with ulterior motives, in just one month, John II was transformed from a noble king wearing three crowns into an apostate and murderer. The three major churches directly excommunicated him, and the Pope of Rome also sent an inspection team.

John II attributed all this to the conspiracy of his enemies and denied the accusations.

Most of the Latin nobles still responded to John II's call, fulfilled their ancient oath, and went to Famagusta with the knights and militia from their fiefdoms to defend their king.

The Lusignan family had run the Kingdom of Cyprus for two hundred years, and even though they were excommunicated by the Pope, they still had die-hard supporters.

However, these religious disadvantages still caused him a lot of trouble.

First, due to the excommunication of the three major churches, the lower-class Orthodox and Armenian Christians refused to recognize John II's status as king, and joined the uprising, which intensified.

Then, some nobles who had bad relations with the Lusignan family refused to respond to the king's call and insisted on waiting for the Pope's judgment.

John II knew very well that these people did not want to be loyal to the king in the first place, and the Pope's inspection team gave them a reason to refuse to fulfill their oath.

Similar situations occurred with merchants from various places. Except for some Venetian merchants who expressed their support and Genoese merchants who joined the rebellion, the vast majority of merchants shamelessly remained neutral. Waiting for the Pope's judgment was their best fig leaf.

Orthodox churches and Armenian churches in various places directly declared rebellion, and even the Roman Catholic Church, which had always supported him, demanded that he "accept the Pope's supervision."

Whenever this happened, John II felt very upset.

As the king of a Crusader state, the basis of his rule came almost entirely from the church. Without religious support, he also lost most of his legitimacy.

The king's power is granted by God, but now he is labeled a "traitor to God."

In contrast to John II, the rebel army led by Julian was triumphant and grew stronger. With the help of the local people, they successively conquered the southern towns and occupied a vast area from Paphos to Limassol, and their troops were heading straight for Famagusta in the north.

John II had no choice but to ask for help from Venice and the Mamluks at the suggestion of his good son James.

The Venetian envoy patted his chest and promised that he would never let Cyprus fall into the hands of the rebels. Then he quickly took the looted wealth and boarded a large ship to Venice.

Proposals, meetings, voting, sending troops... John II was not sure whether he could see the flag of St. Mark on the sea before the rebels captured Famagusta.

Bad news came one after another, and the panicked John II finally accepted the harsh conditions offered by the Mamluks in exchange for the Sultan's troops.

Then, he immediately realized that he had done something extremely stupid.

When the flags of the Mamluk Sultan began to appear on the island of Cyprus, there was an uproar from commoners to nobles.

Seeing the priests walk away in anger and the nobles seeming to want to say something but hesitate, John II understood.

The charge of having an affair with a pagan has been confirmed.

Because of this, he couldn't express his pain in words.

The rebels somehow obtained a large number of swords and armor, and their fighting capacity was quite good. They defeated the local feudal nobles and forced them to flee in panic.

If he did not accept the Mamluks' assistance, he would not be able to withstand the rebels' offensive.

If he accepted the Mamluks' aid, he would be charged with treason.

With the help of some people's exaggeration, the investigation team soon obtained evidence of John II's apostasy and submitted it to the Vatican court.

By this point, the rebellion had evolved into a holy war, a just war against infidel invasion.

On August 8, the Mamluk Sultan, ignoring John II's pleadings, sent troops into Northern Cyprus and burned and killed nearby Orthodox Christians.

On August 8, at the request of Baron Julian and Queen Jelena, the 26rd Corps of the Cyrenaica Guard landed at the port of Paphos and then headed to the city of Famagusta to confront the Mamluk army.

On August 8, the Mamluk Sultan sent a large army to approach the Tobruk Military District in an attempt to contain the main force of Cyrenaica.

On September 9, Captain Fidel attempted to lead his troops into the Bay of Famagusta to cut off the Mamluks' transportation routes, and had a small-scale exchange of fire with the escorting Venetian fleet. The two sides had a brief contact and then left.

At this point, the forces behind the two warring parties have all come to an end, and the Cyprus War has entered its second phase.

……

The rebel camp is located southwest of Famagusta.

In the central camp, Baron Julian was holding a military meeting.

"According to intelligence from the front, the treacherous King John II's army is stationed in Famagusta, and the Mamluk reinforcements are stationed outside the city."

"Among them, the Cyprus Kingdom Army has more than a thousand soldiers, most of whom are forcibly conscripted peasants. They have low combat effectiveness and no fighting spirit, so they are not worth worrying about."

"The Mamluk reinforcements number 1,500 in total, commanded by Aleppo Governor Barmash, and are relatively elite."

Within the Mamluks, Cairo and Damascus have long been at odds. The Damascus group is the main one that has interests in Cyprus, and this operation was also mainly led by them.

Baron Julian looked at the generals present.

"I'm sure everyone is familiar with this Governor Barmesh. He is our old rival."

"He is a brutal and ruthless man with rich combat experience. He is a formidable enemy."

"Next, I will make plans for future military deployments."

Then, Baron Julian began to give instructions on the defense areas of each team.

Judging from the current situation, the rebels have the upper hand. Under the instigation of Queen Jelena, rebel forces from all over the country flocked to Famagusta and joined the siege.

After the Mamluk reinforcements arrived, Julian decided to temporarily abandon the attack, retreat and set up camp, waiting for the rest of the army to gather.

"Captain Daniel, Knight Murphy, what do you think?"

Baron Julian turned his gaze to Daniel, commander of the Third Legion of the Guards, and Murphy, commander of the Genoese mercenaries, who were sitting nearby.

"Everything is under the command of Baron Julian."

Daniel smiled casually and waved his hand.

Knight Murphy also nodded in a friendly manner.

Seeing the two of them smiling, Baron Julian nodded slightly, but a shadow passed across his scarred face.

After the Cyprus War entered its second phase, the forces hiding behind both sides of the civil war began to enter the scene and tightened their control over Cyprus.

Mamluk reinforcements quickly took control of several castles northeast of Cyprus and joined forces with the Venetians to transfer wealth and slaves to Aleppo.

Due to the heated religious atmosphere throughout Europe, the Venetians did not intervene directly, but instead sent out fleets and mercenaries to support the Mamluks and Eastern Roman Empire in their fight.

The Genoese in Cyprus, led by Martir, organized a mercenary group that specialized in looting the Venetians in the southwest who had not had time to evacuate.

At the same time, Commander Daniel of the 3rd Guards Corps met frequently with various rebel forces, winning over generals and trying to cultivate a group of "royalists".

As a native Cypriot Greek Orthodox Christian, Baron Julian was opposed to King John II, who believed in Roman Catholicism, but this did not mean that he wanted to return to the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Queen Charlotte converted to Orthodoxy, Queen Jelena served as regent, and Cyprus remained independent. This was what Baron Julian and his political followers wanted to see most.

However, some things are never subject to personal will.

Queen Jelena and Princess Charlotte were all in the hands of the emperor. Baron Julian repeatedly requested that the two be released back to the country to lead the war and boost public morale, but was always evaded.

To make matters worse, under the instigation of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian rebels on the island refused to continue to recognize the identity of the Lusignan family as the Armenian king and demanded the establishment of a new king.

As time went by, everyone knew that no matter how the war went, the Kingdom of Cyprus would never be able to return to its former independence, let alone restore the glory of Peter I. "That's it, we'll wait for the rebels from all over the country to arrive, and then look for an opportunity to defeat the Mamluk reinforcements!"

Julian stood up.

……

Billinge, Castle Black.

In the garden, the emperor and his relatives were enjoying a quiet autumn afternoon in Cyrenaica.

Leonor and Isaac sat together, Queen Jelena and Princess Helena sat opposite them, and little Princess Charlotte played in the garden under the guidance of her nanny.

Isaac was in good spirits, with a faint smile on his face.

His plan was going very successfully, and John II was in a difficult situation and his downfall was inevitable.

As Isaac had expected, the Venetian Council was deeply divided over the unrest in Cyprus, arguing endlessly and finding it difficult to reach a consensus.

After all, their interests in Cyprus were not strong enough to cause them to fall out with Isaac.

The main force of the Mamluks suffered a bloody defeat in the Tobruk Fortress and returned to Mersa Matruh in disgrace.

As for the war in Cyprus, Isaac had nothing to worry about.

Cyprus has a narrow terrain and is not suitable for large-scale cavalry mobile warfare. The Mamluk reinforcements coming across the sea could not be numerous and were mostly infantry. They were no match for the Third Corps of the Guards equipped with new muskets.

It can be said that Isaac, who had won a great victory in politics and diplomacy, had already gained all the advantages before the war broke out.

The atmosphere of afternoon tea was a bit dull, mainly because Princess Helena was chattering alone, Leonor and Isaac would occasionally join in a few words, and Queen Jelena was restless, stirring the milk in her cup with a spoon.

"Your Majesty, I have something I want to discuss with you."

After a while, Jelena finally couldn't help it and spoke to Isaac.

"of course."

Isaac nodded.

Leonor glanced at Isaac, and after receiving a look of affirmation, she stood up, pulled Helena with her, and headed deeper into the garden.

"Dear cousin Jelena, if you have any questions, just tell me and I will definitely give you an answer."

Isaac slowly sipped the wine in his mouth, and had already vaguely guessed the purpose of Jelena's visit.

"As far as I know, under your wise decision, this war went very smoothly. The Venetians did not die directly, and the Mamluks could not cause you much harm."

"After you defeat the enemy, what are you going to do with Charlotte and me?"

Queen Jelena raised her head and looked into Isaac's deep eyes with her brown eyes.

At first, when Isaac agreed to rescue her and her daughter and promised to seek justice for them, she was indeed very happy and her heart was filled with gratitude towards her cousin.

However, Isaac's plan really caught her off guard.

In an instant, her husband became a traitor condemned by the entire Christian world, and the prestige of the Lusignan family was severely damaged.

Then, the army entered Cyprus, rebel forces emerged in various places, merchants began to riot, and the three crowns on the heads of the Lusignan family were crumbling.

Considering Isaac's tough tactics and violent style, Jelena suddenly felt uneasy.

The letters she sent out fell on deaf ears and she lost contact with her supporters in Cyprus.

She had sadly begun to understand that the fate of Cyprus and Lusignan was no longer in their own hands.

“Charlotte will be the rightful ruler of Cyprus, there is no doubt about that.”

Isaac first gave Jelena some reassurance.

The Lusignan family ruled Cyprus for two hundred and fifty years and basically gained the tacit approval of the entire Christian world.

Over the past two hundred and fifty years, they have intermarried with rulers of various countries, and have numerous relatives on the European continent.

If we rashly take Cyprus for ourselves, the justice of sending troops will no longer exist and troubles will ensue.

The Pope's questioning, the disgust of various countries, and the possible war between the claimants were all things Isaac did not want to see.

Before becoming strong enough, everything must be done in a legitimate manner.

“I will place the crown of Cyprus on Charlotte’s head and remove all obstacles for her at home and abroad.”

"Given Charlotte's young age, I believe a regency should be formed to temporarily manage Cyprus affairs."

Isaac drank the wine in his glass and stared into Queen Jelena's eyes.

"In that case, I would like to thank you on behalf of Charlotte."

Jelena forced a smile, stood up and bowed deeply.

"Your proposal is very valuable. I wonder if you have any suggestions for the candidates for the regent group?"

Yelena knew that this was the emperor's final decision. She could certainly go against it, but it would not end well.

"As the Queen's mother, you are of course a member of the Regency. As for other candidates, I suggest you consider various factors at home and abroad and consider them carefully."

As he was speaking, a servant came into the garden carrying a plate with two letters on it.

"From Cyprus, Your Majesty."

Isaac opened the letter, glanced at it, handed it to Jelena, and a smile appeared on his face.

"The Battle of Famagusta is over. With our numerical superiority and new firearms, our army defeated the reinforcements of the Mamluk commander Barmash and forced the remaining troops of John II into the inner city."

"John II is about to be defeated."

Jelena took the letter and suddenly felt complicated.

While Jelena was reading the war report, Isaac picked up another letter.

"Your Majesty, we arrested a spy and found this on him."

The attendant whispered in Isaac's ear.

Isaac nodded and opened the letter.

"Dear Queen Jelena, as your loyal subject, I must inform you that the current situation is beyond our control..."

"With the support of the emperor and the church, the Armenians directly declared autonomy and distanced themselves from us..."

"It is rumored that the Armenian Church will soon give the crown to Emperor Isaac. I think you should prepare for this early."

"The Genoese and Romans have colluded with each other and worked hand in hand with some royalists. I'm afraid they have big plans..."

"I haven't heard from you for a long time. How are you now? How is Princess Charlotte?"

"You have given me a new life. No matter what decision you make, I will support you."

"Your eternal servant, Julian."

Isaac smiled contemptuously and shook his head in disbelief.

There was no confidential information in the letter. The loyal Baron Julian must have been prepared for the letter to be intercepted.

But it didn't work.

"This letter is..."

Jelena looked up and saw the expression on Isaac's face, a little confused.

"It's a joke."

Isaac smiled, placed the letter on the candle, and let the dancing flame devour it.

(End of this chapter)