kingdom of nations

Chapter 195 The Emperor's Daughter's Marriage

The two gossipy men were punished—even though they did not publicly accuse Manuel I—but Manuel I still considered their casual claim that a foreign Frankish knight was a descendant of an emperor and that he possessed the qualities of a wise ruler to be a malicious insult and blasphemy against the emperor.

Even knowing that it was just the ramblings of a drunkard, and that someone else had tried to dissuade him, he still couldn't help but feel an unquenchable anger rising in his heart.

This anger would require the blood of many to extinguish; two people alone would not suffice. But at this moment, he also knew that he should maintain a benevolent and generous demeanor to appease his discontented ministers.

However, to quell his dissatisfaction, he did not go to the Empress. Although the Empress had sent a maid to extend an invitation to the Emperor, he knew that her aged body and aging face held no appeal for a young, strong, and lustful woman.

The Queen invited him only to complain to him about her brother, Bohemond III.

Like most children of noble families, the siblings did not spend much time together and had no deep affection for each other.

Not long after Bohemond's birth, their biological father was killed in battle. Soon after, their mother Constance found a Crusader knight, who later became Renard of Châtillon, as her new husband.

They believed that Bohemond III had controlled the Duchy of Antioch for over a decade under the guise of regent. During this time, Bohemond was even unable to return to Antioch and could only struggle to survive in the Holy Cross Castle on Arrassa Road. He, along with Raymond, were nearly ten years younger than Baldwin III, but roughly the same age as Amalric I, which meant they were completely unable to enter Baldwin III's inner circle.

Bohemond had no way to reclaim his rightful rights with the help of King Arazarus. Undoubtedly, he had contacted his sister several times, but it was clear that the Queen did not offer her brother much assistance at that time. It was also possible that her mother and stepfather had bribed her to keep her silent on the matter—in return, they would arrange a good marriage for him.

They did indeed keep their promise. Although Manuel I was old enough to be her grandfather, who wouldn't want to be the Augusta of the Byzantine Empire? (In Byzantium, the emperor was called Basilius, a Greek title. But the queen was addressed using the Roman title, Augusta, a variant of Augustus.)

During the years she was married into the Byzantine Empire, she was very happy and even gave birth to a son for Manuel I.

After Bohemond regained power, she did consider reconciling with her brother. When Bohemond III became a prisoner of the Saracens in a war, it was through her repeated requests that Manuel I act as the mediator, mediating between the two sides and managing to redeem Bohemond III.

Bohemond III later married Manuel I's grandniece, and their relationship should have progressed further, but things did not go as smoothly as she had imagined.

Bohemond still harbored resentment towards her. He could have returned to Constantinople with Manuel I this time, allowing the siblings to meet again, recount their separation, and share their hopes for the future…

What kind of expectation did she have? Of course, it was for her son to become the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. She had already seen how much Manuel I feared his eldest son, Alexius. Although her son was only six years old, all children grow up eventually, and she couldn't wait until he was over ten years old to start making plans.

If Manuel I hadn't died by then, who knows what crazy things he might have done for that throne.

In any case, the Byzantine emperors had little desire for blood ties and kinship; they were all butchers, madmen, and... "inhuman beasts!" The empress couldn't help but curse when she learned that Manuel I would not be coming to her palace.

She then abruptly pressed her hand to her mouth. Fortunately, her maids, fearing she might take her anger out on them, had already left the room. No one heard the words she uttered in her panic, but in her heart, it was as if a venomous snake was tearing at her, silently cursing Manuel I's ruthlessness while simultaneously lamenting her brother's incompetence and stupidity.

She already knew that Antioch had suffered the greatest losses in the previous expedition. But precisely because of this, Bohemond III should come to her side as soon as possible. If they could place the six-year-old prince on the throne, the Byzantine Empire could provide the Grand Duke of Antioch with ample compensation, even if they lost 100,000 men.

Moreover, as Manuel I's nephew-in-law and brother-in-law, Bohemond III had to adopt an extremely subservient posture—he must have had enough of this humiliation. But if the young prince ascended the throne, he would become the emperor's uncle, and perhaps even the regent.

But Bohemond didn't come, and all her plans fell apart. She paced back and forth in her room in a fit of rage, while the maids, hearing only the constant sounds of things breaking, fell silent, not daring to utter a single word.

But for Manuel I, the emperor was in a much better mood than the empress.

After all, the concubine he summoned tonight was one of his most beloved women, the arrogant and extravagant Theodora, who, like Queen Mother Alassane and Maria's mother, was also Manuel I's niece, and she felt no shame about this chaotic and sordid relationship.

What was there to be ashamed of? When she was summoned to the palace, she was just a child, her father's head was still hanging on the city wall, her brothers had all been castrated, some died painfully from high fever, and others were reduced to lowly eunuchs. Even at such a young age, she knew that the man she saw held her life and death in his hands, and could even make her wish she were dead.

She wore a respectful and docile smile—though she was very stern to everyone else, in front of Manuel I she was always a fluffy little cat. No, that's not right. Cats have claws, but she was a flower, a flower without thorns, to be picked or trampled at will by Manuel I.

Manuel I was quite satisfied. Although it ended quickly, the emperor still felt refreshed, and his previous troubles seemed to have left him far behind.

When Theodora saw the emperor lying on the bed with his eyes closed, she thought Manuel I wanted to fall asleep. She was about to call the maids to bring some hypnotic spices when Manuel I waved his hand and said, "I have something to tell you."

The woman immediately curled up and prostrated herself at Manuel I's feet, taking one of his hands in her hands and kissing it. "Speak," she said, "my love, my lord, everything I have, I await your command."

Manuel I slightly opened his eyes, but the mist emanating from the spice box made it difficult to see clearly. He quickly closed his eyes again to avoid further trouble. "How is Anna?"

His question startled Theodora, who was somewhat confused as to why Manuel I had suddenly brought up Anna. Anna was none other than Manuel I's eldest daughter, born to his first wife. She and Manuel I had one son and two daughters in total. Their son was Alexius, whom Baldwin and Cesar had met before, and their two daughters, one of whom died at the age of four.

Anna, born in 52, is now an adult. In Saracen times, in the Byzantine Empire, or in Arathi Basin, a girl of that age should have been married and had children long ago, or even had several children.

But what can be said about Anna? She, like her brother Alexius, is in a rather awkward position.

Because Manuel I had denied his engagement to his first wife, they were both illegitimate children. This meant that their future marriages would be limited to choosing from lower-ranking officials or other illegitimate children.

Alexius's marriage wasn't particularly urgent, after all, he was a man. But his sister Anna was a different story; no one knew whether marrying this unacknowledged princess would be a blessing or a curse.

If Anna didn't want to become a nun, her only option was to marry a foreigner.

A few years earlier, when King Amalric I of Arrassal wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Byzantine Empire, Theodora, as her guardian, had also tried to advocate for her, but before she could even make a proposal, it was rejected by Manuel I (another official's suggestion).

Manuel I's attitude was very clear: he would not marry her off to any monarch with an army. Theodora knew what he was worried about; he feared that his daughter's husband would become an ally of her eldest son.

In the end, Theodora could only watch with regret as the daughter of another of her enemies became the Queen of Arathal, and is now the Queen Mother.

Now that Manuel I had suddenly brought up his daughter again, Theodora felt a chill run down her spine. No one knew better than her that Manuel I never spoke without reason.

He mentioned Anna, probably because he had already decided where to place this piece.
Her greatest fear was that Manuel I would decide to send Anna to a convent. Anna's mother had been queen for twelve years, and although she was not favored by the Byzantine people, she had always provided protection and care for the women in the palace. Although Theodora often acted in ways that seemed to provoke the queen, it was merely a way of vying for favor.

No man would be happy to see his harem in harmony—these women, like courtiers, neither attacking nor competing with each other. What then is the point of his existence as husband and king?
Theodora, who has raised the girl for over a decade, naturally hopes she can find a good home.

Theodora?

Manuel I asked softly, his voice low, but to Theodora it was like a bolt of lightning, and she trembled slightly. “You mean the child? She is well, she has been reading scriptures, working, and praying for your and her brother’s well-being.”

"Is that all?" Manuel I turned his head slightly, his eyes still closed, yet seemingly piercing through her loose eyelids as he stared intently at Theodora: "Doesn't she resent me? I abandoned her mother and turned her into a shameful bastard."

Theodora did her best to relax and gave a feigned surprised smile.

"What are you talking about? Everyone knows that your previous...marriage was just a mistake. You managed to salvage the situation in time, preventing the curse of Kosmas (the former Patriarch of the Byzantine Empire, who was closely associated with Manuel I's enemies) from damaging the foundation of the entire empire. And you treat them the same as before."

"You see, you still call her Porphyroginita (meaning 'born of the Purple Chamber'), she grew up in your court, dressed in fine silks, fed in abundance, and attended by countless maids. What could she possibly complain about?"

Manuel I smiled with satisfaction. "So, she still loves me?"

“What daughter doesn’t love her father?” Theodora said matter-of-factly. “Do you want to see her? Believe me, the moment she sees you, she will rush to your feet in tears and kiss your robe.”

"No, I don't plan to see her, but... how old is she this year?"

"I'm twenty-four, almost twenty-five."

“When you came to me, you were only twelve years old. When her mother married me, she was also only twelve years old. I should put her marriage on the agenda.”

Theodora paused for a moment, then immediately smiled, hoping the emperor hadn't noticed. "This is a good thing. I'm sure you'll choose a good husband for her."

“Indeed, some say he has the countenance of a wise ruler.” Manuel I finally opened his eyes, and unsurprisingly found a hint of fear in Theodora’s eyes. No one knew better than her how sensitive this elderly emperor was to such words. “Don’t worry,” he reached out to stroke her delicate face, “he can never be an emperor, no? He can’t even be a king. He’s just a crusader knight, with the title of count, but his father has long since lost their lands.”

He was now nothing more than a subject of King Arazarus. His thumb lightly brushed across Theodora's eye, and Theodora dared not move, even though the rough surface of his finger had cut her delicate eyeball, forcing her to shed tears.

Manuel I gently wiped away her tears and said slowly, "This may be a good thing for Anna, lest she develop unwarranted ambitions. And if you were to meet that young man, you would surely think it is the best possible marriage," he said, seemingly somewhat unwillingly, "He is even more handsome than I was at sixteen, like a darling of the moon goddess descended to earth."

(End of this chapter)