Two years had passed ever since the Duke's arrival and establishment in Athens, and yet it had taken until the year of the blooming spring¹, as it became afterward known, for an firm organization of the political landscape of his possessions. For he faced greater challenges: Neither the Greek Population nor it's clergy liked him, and much of his power relied on the old Frankish nobility, that rejected any minor change that could be implemented, since much of it still had deep roots with France. The Latin Church still had difficulties to establish itself, and the
Megaskyr thought best to not provoke the Greek population, maintaining a tolerant policy, despite the best wishes of the Archbishop of Thebes². And locked between the Latin Kingdom of Achaea, at the time a mere vassal of the Neapolitan King, the Byzantine Empire, nor more than half-a-century united under the Palaiologos Dynasty, the Despotate of Epirus and the Great Vlachia, the latter still facing internal issues regarding the Thessalian magnates³, and lastly the Merchant Republics of Venezia and Genoa, that remained wary of any move that could disrupt the balance that had maintained it's families so wealthy, it had nor more status than a mere pawn in the grand politics of the Aegean. Nonetheless, when the thousand and three hundred tenth year after Christ started, and the same old players began their dance, none expected an surprising outcome as the one that eventually happened.
The Greek and Western Anatolian Political Landscape, 1310.
Carnaval had never been celebrated in Athens, as the century of blood hadn't allowed for such festivities. And were it not for Jeanne de Chatillon, the Venetian Habit might have never reached the Acropolis. The Duchess had seen one in Venice whilst in her voyage to her husband's seat, and had grown obsessed into organizing one in her modest possessions. Although Gautier had successfully dodged her wishes, in January Third, as she gave birth to his eldest son, Francesco Brienne
4, he finally succumbed.
Little did he knew of the importance of the event. After keeping his costs in a relatively small amount during his first years, the Megaskyr allowed himself to lavishly spend in the event, which eventually drawn the attention of many individuals. As the event grew closer, several key family-members of Genoese and Venetian families, that had been deployed to the Aegean during the last years, as well as other Italian Cities such as Florence and Ferrara. One Urbino Noble would even go on to win the archery contest
5, and therefore the perfect opportunity for the improvement of diplomatic relations had finally shown itself.
Although most of the Bastard Children had found themselves as areas of influence of stronger western states, in similar grounds as Negroponte
6, Athens, through an elaborate system of alliances, managed to push their limits in order to sustain their status quo. Before April of the same year, three of the four western powers with influence in the Hellas had broken alliances with the small Duchy. Aràgon had been the first, in a ironic twist ever since the War of the Sicilian Vespers
7 when Gautier had fought in the Neapolitan side. Venezia had been second, as the Dux had spent the last few years courting the young Doge, in the hopes of striking an alliance with the strongest influence in the region. And at last, Genoa, who had spent several years on conflict for it's islands in the Aegean, who feared the growing power of Venezia. Athens now sat comfortably, although hardly safely. As good news came from Serbia, Ferrara and even the Papal States (That much in great part in influence of the Duke's Knights and men-at-arms sent to the newest crusade
8), darker tides came, almost at the same time.
Lombards visiting Athens
Naples, the Fourth Western Power, had shown no interest into an alliance with Athens. The others surely had ambitions in Greece, that much was certain, but the former had a more dangerous position regarding the Duchy. Achaea was, after all, their vassal, and a stronger neighbor in Athenian vicinity. The Angevins were eager for blood and gold. And so, they guaranteed Athens's independence, as an first message of their intention. None could attack Athens, but they
9. The Byzantines were much less subtle, as they sent their own warning about their intentions, if the Duke ever thought of expanding. It had been years ever since the Basileos had tried, without success, to contain the Turks
10, and after the latest attempt, it had become time to turn West again, to the ancient center of Eastern Rome. Greece had been lost, true, but they still had Morea, and in time, the Hellas could be more easily swayed than Asia Minor. But alas, it was Epirus, the Despotate that had spent their last years haunted by the nightmare of an Angevin invasion, that turned it's gaze southward, into both Athens and Thessaly, lusting and plotting. As the messengers arrived from Vlachia pledging alliance and marital ties, Gautier knew that Epirus wouldn't wait much more before they made their move. Their Despot had shown disregard for the Duke before, refusing to acknowledge his ascent in 1308, and mistreating Frankish nobles along the border. Some had whispered the man had gone mad, that Naples's pressure had made him by turns paranoid and fearful, others cruel and proud. But nothing surpassed his last transgression, when he sent his riders to pillage the limits of the Duchy, on the grounds that Athenians have done so before at the Angevin's King behest.
Sketch of Thomas I 'The Mad' Komnenos Doukas
The winds of war were coming. The six-thousand knights that had taken two years to arrange waited orders from Gautier, as the Duke himself assumed leadership of his army. Athens had only one answer to survive and thrive, and it was expansion. Expansion would assure the Nobles, the ones that had taken the leadership of the Parliament and hoped new territories would enrich themselves. It would secure it's position as the heir of Frankokratia
11, and it's position as an state to be respected, And most of all, it would insure their allies that one couldn't simply threaten the Duke of Athens and expect no retribution.
A New Dance would begin.
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Jeanne de Chatillon
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1311, Thebes, Hellas.
“I am more than honored, my love.” she remembered answering “I will pledge my life and honor to your legacy. What is yours, Is mine.” Dutiful. At least she had hoped it sounded as such. She never meant to tell him of her worries, to trouble him with even more than he already had, but along came the hour of the wolf, and she hadn't still closed her eyes. Even though she had grown accustomed to life at Thebes or Athens, it never felt like home. Home. At least whilst he was at her side, she could remain strong.
“I'm frightened” Jeanne allowed herself to say, as if It would calm her. “I'm scared for you, for us.” She hoped he wouldn't reply, that he had already fallen into a deep sleep. “Francesco is one, and I'm still...” I must be strong at all times. For him. “I've heard whispers. Some of our Lords, unnamed.”
There was a long pause. Jeanne had considered the act already foolish and was starting to attempt at sleep again when her husband finally turned to her.
“Don't be. None of them are capable.” he answered. “Let them snigger, let them gossip. They've grown accustomed to it in these short years of peace.” That they did. When the Lords weren't in battle, they were sure to be plotting, Jeanne had come to learn.
“They say we have gone craven, inside our castles as two mice escaping our enemies.” His lips were soon on hers, and as they departed, he let an amused smile cover his face. Five years had passed, but she still could see the same boy she had met and married. “Oh, my sweet wife, that is exactly what we want.” he replied, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. “I hope they shout that so loudly that everyone in Arta¹² knows that there's no more craven enemy than the Duke of Athens.”
And suddenly, she understood.
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¹1310
²Thebes was, at the beginning of the fourteen century, de facto capitol of the Duchy of Athens, and the Archbishop of Thebes had an usual larger role than the Archbishop of Athens.
³Noblemen that exerted much power inside the decentralized Great Vlachia, and for it were considerable foes to it's central power in the form of John Doukas.
4It is still a matter of great debate the reason as to why Megaskyr Gautier had named his son with a Lombardian name, but most historians subscribe to the thesis revolving his young years in Sicily.*
5Quintilio Cugini, an impoverished Urbino noble that eventually profited from Byzantine conquests in the 1320's in the Southern Coast of the Black Sea.*
6The Triachy of Negroponte, an client state of the Republic of Venice situated on the Island of Euboea.
7'The War of the Sicilian Vespers' was a series of conflicts between the Crown of Aragon and the Angevin King Charles of Anjou, that ended with the peace of Caltabellota. The war concluded in the division of the old Kingdom of Sicily, with Charles II as King of Naples whilst Frederick III was confirmed King of Tinacria. Gautier de Brienne fought for the Neapolitan side as his father had before him and spent two years imprisoned in Sicily, until the eventual peace in 1302.
8The Tenth Crusade was an war with the intent of re-taking Jerusalem and re-forming it's Kingdom launched by the Pope in 1310. Although sanctioned by powerful Kingdoms such as France and England, it failed in it's goal. The Archbishop of Thebes had developed an closely-tied relation with the Pope as it was the Clergy's main mission during the period.*
9The Neapolitan King had famously said “What is ours is ours.”*
10Andronikos II is known for recognizing the gravity of the situation in Asia Minor, and his foreign policy for most of his reign had been to try to drive out the Turks from the former Byzantine Territory, with varying degrees of success.
¹¹Frankokratia (lit. “Rule of the Franks”) is the name given to the post-fourth period of Latin states established in Greece, on the former lands of the Byzantine Empire.
¹²Arta was the capitol of the Despotate of Epirus during most of the thirteen and fourteen century.
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