The Devil's Darkness

[Tufto]

PART ONE:

Pax Romana.

Chapter Five.

Georgia, 1102.

The Greek lay on his bed, thinking.

He could see above his head little cracks in the ceiling of his room, just like the cracks in the floor which the Duke of Porto had seen many years ago. But the Greek did not see opportunistic ants, and ways in which to crush then as Henrique did. He saw a maze of intrigue, complex ties and hatreds which all conspired together to create an intriguing conundrum.

The Archbishop was dead. Sancha had been dismissed and Akakide's new wide, Maria, had been appointed as Steward of the realm. Elvira now stood alone against the the Greek, Akakide and Maria in court. Thus, the King now had their ear, and the lurches and swings between the factions was ending- bringing a little stability to the realm at last.

His eyes noticed a long, thick, deep crack, which pierced across the others like a knife wound. He had never truly loved Kata- the king had only married her off to him in order to gain friendship amongst the Greek states in the east of Asia Minor. But still... her loss was still a shock. He was too used to her being around- and her advice had often been invaluable.

But there was no time for that now. He steeled himself, and continued his thoughts.

Something was up with the King. His depression had changed into a twitchy paranoia, demanding more and more security and becoming wide eyed and distracted at court. And it had all started eight years ago, after that business with the Seljuks...

Akakide had stayed up all night, convincing him to change his mind about war. It had worked, but the Greek had been forced to trickily manoeuvre the realm's way out of that mess. He still wasn't sure it had worked.

But what really gnawed at his mind was what the king's "urgent business" had been. Many times since then the King had cut short council meetings because of this council meetings. But despite his best efforts, he had been unable to ascertain what that business was- except that it was something to do with a little Iberian province called Navarra, a vassal of the Duke of Porto.

Akakide and Maria were the only people he could trust. Akakide had finally got over the shock of his first wife's death, and had remarried seven years ago- instantly falling in love, finally curbing his, ah, "nocturnal activities" at last, and giving him back his respectability in the eyes of many courtiers.

The Greek moved away from his bed, and walked to the window of his chambers, looking across the sea.

It was very late- two or three in the morning, the same time at which Davit had been found dead, long ago. The sea was surrounded by dark beaches, the winter sky towering above the world, its haunted clouds circling the palace like vultures above their prey.

The Greek stared around this scene for a long, long while. Georgia could not go on with David as king. He would be the ruin of them.

For a long time, David had ruled by hiding behind the shield of the Romans. But they were a weak and failing empire now, with only a little of central Greece and the Crimea which was not either up in arms or under Seljuk control. Now, Georgia was at the front-line against the Islamic invaders.

The Pax Romana was over. The time had come to deal with all the strife, all the fear, all of the devil's darkness that threatened to end them all.

The time had come to kill the King of Georgia.




Enewald- Ah, my mistake. For dramatic effect though I'll keep it as it is, for now.

loki100- Time shall tell...

Alfredian- Indeed not. And no, it may not count for a lot, but the Turks do have quite a lot on their plate which I haven't mentioned yet, and probably will do in the next update.

[Enewald]

three in the morning? how can he even see that there is a sea in that darkness?
Lucky him.

Atm in Finland we have ~dark (twilight/dusk) between 00-03

[Tufto]

He eats lots of carrots.

[loki100]

superb update ... really brilliantly written ... so they didn't actually go to war with the Turk, and now we have a new round of upheaval to look forward to

[wolfcity]

He eats lots of carrots.

Aye, how else do you explain how good Greeks are at intigue, they can see in the dark! On a side note I've been following this AAR since its start and wanted to tell you great job!.

[Tufto]

PART ONE:

Pax Romana.

Chapter Six.

"But how, Demetrios?"

The Greek was pacing up and down the chambers of Maria Knytling, the Danish wife of Akakide. Normally, it would have been extremely rude for the Greek to enter a lady's chambers.

But the time for normality was long past.

Maria sat upon her bed, observing the Greek. He was a tall, wiry man, with hair cut close to his head, though not quite bald. His nose was a long hook, curving down across his upper lip. Behind his grey eyes, she knew, lay a mind full of schemes and plots, plans and acts of intrigue.

His past was a mysterious one. Arriving from nowhere at the court of some Byzantine vassal state to offer his services as a spymaster at only 18, he had been appointed due to the lack of any competent men in that kingdom. Nobody had really thought much of him at the time.

Two years later, the Emperor of Rome had died of "natural causes" in favour of the ruler of that little vassal.

When he was married off to the daughter of the king of Georgia, it was more due to the need for a strong Eastern friend than anything else, and had been a great loss to the Romans- and a great victory for David.

He had been a dutiful husband, but his primary loyalty had always been towards the King and the State. But now, as Maria could plainly see, his mind was firmly geared towards the latter of those two loyalties.

"It's a tough one, I'll grant you that, Maria- his paranoia has made him particularly hard to get at." He paused in his footsteps, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But I think there may be one avenue which we could use..."

"Which is?"

The Greek looked directly at her. "Hovhannes."

Maria raised her eyebrows. "How? He will not betray the king. They may hate each other, but Hovhannes has a certain sense of loyalty to the system."

The Greek smiled. "We don't need his help". His eyes narrowed verv so slightly, just enough to make Maria uncomfortable. "Hovhannes is, in the eyes of most people, a quiet, odd man, the lesser of Davit's children. Who else but us knows anything of his strange chivalry? He could easily be the king's murderer."

"True..."

"Now listen very closely, Maria." The Greek knelt, taking her hands. "You must understand that Akakide can know nothing of this business. He would never agree to the murder of his father."

"Of course, Demetrios."

Maria knew that Akakide could never know. She knew that the Greek would not hesitate in killing her if he ever did...


loki100- Thanks, and yes, there are going to be a lot of problems facing the kingdom in the next few years.

wolfcity- Thanks! And exactly- how else did the Byzantines survive for so long against the Turks? They clearly had superior carrots.

[loki100]

good to see that Georgia has started to inherit all the Byzantine traditions including top class plotting

[Enewald]

good to see that Georgia has started to inherit all the Byzantine traditions including top class plotting

I'd blame Knytlings.

[Tufto]

PART ONE:

Pax Romana.

Chapter Seven.

A knife in the dark...

Slowly, subtly, the man walked up the stairs. His face had been obscured by a black mask, with only his eyes staring out through little slits.

He crept to the door, lifting up the latch. The door was not locked.

The room was black and cold, the remnants of a fire smouldering in the hearth. The man he planned to kill was lying in his bed, sleeping soundly. His expression was oddly peaceful, unlike the worried, sharp face he had come to know well.

His robes lay in the corner, having been hastily discarded. They were grand skins from Russia, lined with the fur of some animal the man had hunted in the fields long, long ago.

And there was the crown of Georgia, all gold and rubies, shining in the smouldering light of the fire.

A knife in the dark...

The assassin approached the bed, his dagger raised, eyes glinting in the dark. David Bagratuni lay before him, motionless. This was his only chance.

Then, just before he began to stab downwards, the king opened his eyes. Despite the mask he recognised the assassin, and his eyes widened. But then, they returned to normal, and he smiled, tiredly.

The assassin stood, gazing into the king's eyes, unsure about what to do. Why did the infernal man have to smile?

The king whispered softly, "Henrique needs good men around him when I am gone. He is lost and in the dark. Be a good man."

The assassin stood, shaking, unable to move. He began to lower the dagger.

Then, the king reached up, grabbed the blade, and plunged it into his own heart.

The assassin let out a soft, quiet cry, and stepped back. The king was dead, dead, lying on his bed, with the blood pouring out, and he, Akakide Bagratuni, had caused it.

He began to run...

THE END
OF PART ONE.



loki100: Indeed, but they also have the knack for getting in the way of each other's plans...

Enewald:

[loki100]

great stuff ... not much else that can be said

[Enewald]

Saint of Suicide?

[Tufto]

PART TWO:

A Knife in the Dark.

Chapter One.

Dramatis Personae

Henrique, King of Georgia.
Romanos, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Georgia.
Demetrios, Spymaster of the Kingdom of Georgia.
Akakide, uncle of King Henrique and Marshal in the Kingdom of Georgia.

Ah, this was better.

This was not some poor little castle on the edge of the earth, in some backwater province bordering the Moorish glory. This was a real palace. This place had some class, some character. This place was truly fit for his royal personage.

Henrique Bagratuni sat in the great throne of Georgia, having arrived only a few days ago from Portugal. His first action had been to give away the little duchy to his idiot brother, making him a Prince in order to appease him.

His brother was loyal, however. And definitely somebody he could trust.

Henrique had acted quickly. He had replaced his mother with a man named Romanus, a genius diplomat fleeing from the ruins of Byzantium, and much better qualified than Elvira- with the added benefit that he owed his and his family's life to Henrique, and would be far easier to manipulate.

His mother, on the other hand, would try to dominate him, and he had thus had her executed as the killer of his grandfather.

He knew who the real killer was, of course. The Greek had dug up some documents for him, and was able to prove that it was Hovhannes. Another reason to put him in charge of Porto- he had effectively given him the throne of Georgia, and that deserved some reward.

Oh, and the little fact that he did not want a murderer in the court, obviously.

Henrique knew Demetrios of old, and thus knew his loyalty to his King was assured. Nothing would make Demetrios turn against the rightful ruler of his state. The same went for Maria Knytling, the wife of Akakide.

Akakide himself posed something of a conundrum. Henrique had planned to blackmail or, if necessary, kill him, though since his military skill was of such value to Georgia he would have preferred not to.

But it seemed that was not necessary, for Akakide had gone mad. He kept on rubbing his hands and washing them, mumbling something about a spot. He was still an excellent general, and far better qualified than everyone else in the kingdom- but that was all his feeble brain could concentrate on now. He could not cause any conspiracies or plots.

And so, that was that. Nothing in this kingdom could cause his downfall. He had it all planned out.

Henrique smiled his famous smile once more. Now he he could start. Now he could unleash himself on the East, ready to lay waste to whatever was necessary to take down this world.

He was going to like it here...


lok100- Thanks!

Enewald- The patron saint of the suicidal.

[loki100]

He was going to like it here...

famous last words ... & a new King who really doesn't understand the local habits

[Enewald]

World? I'd start with universe.

[ZwolscheStudent]

Great stuff! You've got a regular reader here.

[Tufto]

The term is finally over, so starting Saturday there should be plenty more updates.

Sorry for the lack of them- coursework has been taking up most of my time.

[ZwolscheStudent]

Which is understandable. Can't wait to read the next update! I hope all went well?

[Alfredian]

Great updates

His mother, on the other hand, would try to dominate him, and he had thus had her executed as the killer of his grandfather.

You know you have a proper villain when he executes his own mother.

[Tufto]

PART TWO:

A Knife in the Dark.

Chapter Two.

The sickness came to Henrique's palace suddenly and without warning. One could no longer walk the castle's corridors without bumping into coughing, wheezing courtiers, with pale faces and hollow eyes.

It just so happened that one of those with this plague was Maria Knytling.

And this worried the Greek. He needed an ally.

With Akakide's strange madness diverting all of his sense to the art of war, Demetrios needed Maria more than ever. She was his only friend in this strange new court, and without her... he had no hope of survival.

The new Archbishop was one of a tiny minority of Portugese who followed the teachings of Orthodoxy. He owed his prestigious position, his very life, to Henrique. A loyalist like him could never be turned against his master.

And his master had to be turned against. His ideas were dangerous.

Talk of war was already abound in Henrique's inner circles. The armies were being reformed and new fortresses were springing up on the southern borders. The new king was planning something huge, something monstrous to unleash against the Turk.

But they couldn't do it! The king did not seem to realise this, no matter how much Demetrios tried to persuade him to reconsider.

And that was why he was here, outside the chambers of Romanos.

He did not know anything about this quiet new chancellor. He knew nothing of his loyalties, his plans, his loves and losses. He was making an stupid, nigh on suicidal move in approaching him for help, a move that could get him executed immediately.

But he had no other choice. Georgia could not go to war with the Seljuks.

He rapped on the door.

Romanos opened it, surprised. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Demetrios swallowed. "I need to talk with you. About Henrique."

Romanos frowned. He was a young man, barely nineteen or twenty, with a thin frame and fairly long, dark hair. His green eyes could flash in anger one moment and twinkle in amusement the next. Though he rarely did either.

When both had sat down by the fire, Romanos said, "A little unusual of you to call me so abruptly."

Demetrios sighed. "I'll be frank. I'm worried."

Romanos nodded. "So am I."

Demetrios looked up, hopeful. "About Henrique?"

"Yes... but more about his war. It would ruin everything his mother built with regards to our links with the Muslim nations. She turned our relations with the South around, making the Turks and the Azeris good trade partners and dependable colleagues. She may have made a few mistakes, certainly, but overall we are now in a far more stable position than we have been before, all because of her." He stared deep into the leaping flames in front of him. " I cannot let him ruin that. We wouldn't last a month in a war with the Turks. And I know you don't wish to let him, either."

Demetrios smiled. "This is good to hear. We need to form a faction against the King and his pet priest."

"Exactly. But before we act, we need to know something else."

"Which is?"

"Well, two things really. The first thing is this: what was the last king doing in Navarra?"

Demetrios looked up sharply. "How, in God's name, do you know about that?"

Romanos laughed. "I have my allies here too, Demetrios. I know many things. Though not this, and I know you don't either. Whatever it was, it was secret. He wanted nobody to know about it."

Demetrios nodded, a little taken aback. "And the other thing?"

"The other thing- Who in this place could have murdered the old king...?"

-------------------

Akakide kept rubbing his hands. "Out, damn spot, out I say!"

The water wouldn't get it out? Why not?? What if his wife saw the blood? What then? She was in a bad enough state already... Why would this blood not wash out??

What had he done?




loki100- That'll cause him plenty of problems later on.

Enewald- One step at a time. He isn't as clever as he thinks he is, don't forget...

ZwolscheStudent- It went mostly fine, thanks. Though I do now have a large problem involving a teacher's retirement and the wrong file being sent.

Alfredian- Thanks, and yes, he has the morals of a cat.

[loki100]

great stuff as usual ... so plague, plotting and Macbeth references ... what more could we wish for