Curtea Domnească de Basarab - An Wallachian AAR
- Thread starter Crimson Drakon
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Elective, eh? It's a tricky mistress, be careful.
Thank you for the warning! So far there is not much trouble, given the de jure size of Wallachia...it may pose problematic though when there are more vassals, we shall see!
I chose elective monarchy in consideration with historical practices in Wallachia, although I am no history expert at any cost, still I'd like vaguely to walk in historical footsteps (like with the Hungarian vassalage)
Chapter 7: Upon a Troubled Brow
(Nicolaie Alexandru)
Before his ascension to the throne, Nicolaie Alexandru Basarab , son of Ioan, was the Marshal of the Wallachian troops. Experienced in war, through the various campaigns his father led and the crucial War of Wallachian Independence, Nicolaie Alexandru had everything to be named a worthy successor of his father’s accomplishments. Furthermore ambition drove him to push himself beyond his restrictions and so, he took up hunting in the vast woodlands of Carpathia both to exercise and test his skills.
He was also a kind and patient man and it was rumored that he never lethally hurt the animals that he hunted for sport and if he caught some with traps, he set them free.
Although the boyars were numbed from the death of Ioan, who in their eyes had almost reached deityhood for his accomplishments, still they welcomed Nicolaie Alexandru and looked forward to his reign with optimism.
Of his first acts when he became the Voivode was to press the claim of his Boyar of Timis- Chancellor of Wallachia- Lőrinc Telegdi, a former Hungarian who accepted the Vlach culture through education in the Wallachian court. As an accomplished diplomat, Chancellor Lőrinc managed to acquire further documents that proved that his house of Telegdi were the rightful rulers of Csanad in Hungary. Of course, Nicolaie Alexandru would not miss the chance to face the Hungarians and expand indirectly his realm.
While Nicolaie Alexandru used his brute force to realize the claim of his Chancellor on Hungary, Lőrinc Telegdi was send on a mission in the Mongolian lands of Moldau to research if anything could be found to trace any rights to the land. It was known that the Voivodate of Moldau was resided by Vlachs however it was also home to Russians and most recently, Mongol settlers.
His faith in the skills of his Chancellor was not put in vain: for Lőrinc Telegdi found the most improbable of evidences: the entire Voivodate could be traced to an ancient Vlach-Basarab ancestor who was the first to give the sigil of the Voivodate!
The letter that came at the war camp in Csanad filled with glee Voivode Nicolaie, for he had from his young years a grand ambition: to be crowned the Cneaz(King) of Wallachia
This dream was such an obsession to him, that as the years passed by and he saw his father gain more and more land, he became depressed that by the time he would rule, he would be a decrepit old man.
Fortunately for Nicolaie, he still had some years in his life to pursue his dream before he closed them forever...
The good news spurred him to close quickly the war with Hungary and amass as much gold and troops as possible and wait for the right time to strike at the Mongol High Chief of Moldau.
And as if God smiled upon him, the same Mongol High Chief- a Borjigin was the faction leader for independence against the Golden Horde! What better moment to strike when this family feud would divide the Mongols and have them squander their own troops?
Despite the Mongol Golden Horde Civil War, this fight would not be easy. For a distant relative of the Borjigins was the Shiite Khagan of the Ilkhanate in Persia and unless precautions were taken, he too would join the fray in the defense of his distant kin.
To prevent this possibility, Nicolaie Alexandru dispatched his skilled Chancellor to make good words with the Ilkhanate Khagan and in hope that the war would be of such speed, that the Shiite Khagan would not make it in time to intervene. He only need pray...
The allies of both sides were mustered, although at the time, the Khagan of the Ilkhanate remained neutral in the affair...
4 years after the declaration of war, the Wallachian and allied forces barely had the time to accomplish complete victory over the rebellious Mongol High Chief. For the Ilkhanate saw through the attempts of flattery of the Voivode and immediately dispatched troops to his kin’s aid. They were late though...
...for the messenger of the High Chief of Moldau had admitted defeat and ceded control of Moldau to Nicolaie Alexandru.
Nicolaie Alexandru was overjoyed with this turn of events! If the Shiite Borjigins crossed the Danube and later on the Dniester to fight the Wallachian,Serbian and Byzantine forces, it would be possible for the first wave to be defeated by the Vlachs. However spies reported at least two more armies of the same size troops heading towards Moldau, which would surely obliterate the Wallachians.
But all these were scenarios in case the inevitable happened... the reality though was different and by the laws, Nicolaie Alexandru could be named Cneaz(King) of Wallachia!
The coronation was much celebrated across the land of the newfound Kingdom of Wallachia. Cneaz Nicolaie Alexandru went ahead and to thank God, he financed a painting of religious importance.
With the new kingdom though came new troubles: for the Voivodate of Moldau was comprised of Mongolian Boyar vassals and who of course, resented the rule of their new lord. As they were Orthodox, he could not immediately revoke their titles...so, he was advised, the only way to do this was through finding claims and with methods of conspiracy...
.... of course these actions did not really sit well with Nicolaie Alexandru, but his ambition to place new people of Vlach origin in these lands made him overcome his moral setbacks.
The efforts to bring under immediate control the counties of Olvia and Galaz were not entirely troublesome and in time, Nicolaie Alexandru gained these counties to do as he saw fit.
There was one final war which sealed the lifetime of Cneaz Nicolaie Alexandru: the claim of the Duchy of Pecs for Péter Péterfi.
Péter Péterfi, was not a man who would stand out immediately: his gluttony and pride repelled those who would first approach him. However his gregarious and kind nature rewarded whoever saw behind his obvious flaws and his ambitions fueled him to conspire and scheme in ways unorthodox to accomplish his goals. One such goal was to become the Duke of Pecs, instead of his child-liege. So it was that he accepted the call from Cneaz Nicolaie Alexandru to join his court and work for that cause.
However the price for the strong Vlach King to install him was considerable: he would become an Orthodox and wed his niece and any offspring would therefore be of the Basarab line.
He agreed and in a short time, Nicolaie Alexandru would wage war on the elderly now Queen Maria yet again.
Despite being infirm, Cneaz Nicolaie Alexandru joined in the campaign. Hungarians and Vlachs stood against each other once more, to serve their kings and queens interests.
In these battles two major events happened: the Crown Prince Domoszló was captured by the Vlachs and held in prison and secondly Nicolaie Alexandru himself was injured in combat by the King of Denmark.
Before he could see the conclusion of the campaign, the wound inflicted to him by the Dane as well as old age caused Cneaz Nicolaie to give the spirit and rest, knowing that he was the first King of the Vlachs!
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Luck smiles to the bold! It was surely a nice sight to see the rebel surrender before the Ilkhanate armies arrived.
The Danes always have a tendency to ally with Hungary, and in my experience, they are the most dangerous enemy for army commanders after peasant/religious uprisings. I can't count the number of nobles who had severe injuries inflicted in these battles... And Nicolae Alexandru saw this as well. May the new kingdom prosper!
The Danes always have a tendency to ally with Hungary, and in my experience, they are the most dangerous enemy for army commanders after peasant/religious uprisings. I can't count the number of nobles who had severe injuries inflicted in these battles... And Nicolae Alexandru saw this as well. May the new kingdom prosper!
It was a relief actually... despite the importance of the campaign, I took only those few pictures because of the intensity, imagine the Golden Horde came with its tribal mechanics (I think they had like 16 k event troops) which went to fight both me and the rebels(I sat a bit at the distance and watched them fight themselves crossing the Dniester river and then taking the remains of both of them). The rebels too had their share of a stack troops. In any case though, nothing could have been compared with the Shia Ilkhanate which has about 45k... so, when they decided to join the battle only at the very end, it was good fortune!
I didnt know that about the Danes, I'll keep it in mind the next time I come across them,thanks!
Nikolaie, aside from having a superb name, had a good run.
It is a good name..so good that it will be passed to next generations too!
Yes ,despite a decade or so of rule, he managed to create the Kingdom right off the domain of the Mongols... the Chancellor was very good to fabricate the claim on the Duchy of Moldau and thankfuly, the war went into Wallachian favor. It is a shame I did not keep a picture of the overall war battles, there was quite a killing and in between the Golden Horde and the Rebels, I was so suprised to see at 87% war score the High Chief to offer surrender that I took it in an instant
Chapter 8:The Basarab Curse
(Vladislav Vlaicu)
Wallachia, after the death of Cneaz Nicolaie Alexandru Basarab, was a strange mixture of people, religions and traditions. The heart of the domain was the Voivodate of Wallachia with its capital Târgoviște , populated by a majority of Vlachs, following the Orthodox faith, except the area of the Boyar of Galaz, which was settled by Mongol Orthodox. To the northeast was the Voivodate of Moldau, with a minority of Vlachs and the majority being Mongol settlers. They all followed the Orthodox creed, however the Vlachs there believed in Paulicianism.
As of the Voivodate of Transylvania and Timis and the surrounding counties, the majority were Hungarian Catholics with few Orthodox converts and Vlach minorities, such as in Feher.
This mosaic of beliefs, along with the low moral authority of the Orthodox Faith, since the Byzantine Emperor professed Catholicism in exchange of military aid against the Turks(in addition the succession was passed to an Italian Catholic Palaiologos, who adopted Greek customs with time but not the Orthodox creed), led to a spiritual orphanage of the various Autocephalous Patriarchs of Bulgaria, Serbia, Tartaria(the Mongol Patriarchate) and recently Wallachia. The Ecumenical Patriarch was always in Constantinople but as a vassal- in Latin terms- of the Catholic Byzantine Emperor, therefore there was not much to help raise the status of Orthodoxy.
In this time of spiritual poverty, the recently established Patriarchate of Wallachia, could do little either to combat heresies or convert to its folds the Catholics. So, the emptiness that religion could succor was filled with local superstition that would one day become local folktales and enrich the cultural background of Wallachia. But until then, religion and superstition walked side by side, sometimes cooperating, other times becoming bitter enemies
One such tale involved the Basarab family themselves, apart from the short story of The Saxon Trader and the Gypsy, seemingly involving the Saxon trade advisor of the first Voivode, named Johan Kronstadt, who learned his fate and the fate of the Basarab family from a fortune teller.
This folktale though is much more dark and it was named “The Basarab Curse” and as the storytellers say....
In the year 1368 of our Lord, Cneaz Nicolaie Alexandru Basarab gave the spirit and went to rest in Paradise for his good natured soul.
Upon his death, the will of the late King was opened and inside was the deciding vote of who would now rule the realm: with no surprise, this was the first born son Vladislav , as tradition dictated, Marshal of the troops and an overall good commander.
However, unlike his father, he did not possess any of the Christian virtues, but rather almost each and every one of the deadly sins:
He was proud, for being a Basarab and wed to Byzantine royalty, he was gluttonous, for affording to be the son of the King, slothful, for who could task the son of the King, ambitious and some say, paranoid.
His brothers were discontent that such a man could be called King, despite their blood bound. Vladislav had three brothers and one sister: a Bishop named Marin, who died at the bloom of his age in a battle against the Hungarians, a Shrewd Diplomat named Dracul(Dragon)- deceitful and arbitrary and a Master of Intrigue named Iosif- cruel and arbitrary as well. His sister Felicia, also a mistress in court diplomacy, was wed to the King of Bulgaria
Vladislav consulted with hours with his Council of Boyars, but he did not trust them. For they could have been in league with his brothers and possibly conspire to place him out of his throne. So, upon a full moon when he was hunting in the woods (for Vladislav’s slothful nature made him rise late at noon and slept after midnight), he found a camp with a grand bonfire burning.
He approached it and saw dances and music, the tambourines shook and played and there was much joy!
In the following nights, he spied upon the camp until one day he was found and taken to their leader.
Recognizing his royalty, Vladislav was not harmed but he had to take an oath, to never share what he saw or learn afterwards from them, or else a curse shall fall upon him(some tales also add his family, although this version has been disused).
The King took the oath, for he felt that he would learn more from these people than his –potentially bribed- Council of Boyars. Every third night he would visit the camp and talk with the camp elder about his problems and heeded the advice.
With surprise, Vladislav saw that what he was consulted helped run the realm better and more efficiently.
Meanwhile as all these events happened, a war was being waged between Wallachia and Hungary, which concluded with the victory of the King of Wallachia.
Yet there were those who did not like the way the new King ruled. Amongst them, as he suspected, was his Chancellor, the Boyar of Timis, saying that he had neglected the oath to give the county of Bacs to him as it was promised by his grandfather.
Civil war broke out and the King felt the need to seek his advisors, the mysterious camp dwellers. It was then that the camp elder led him in a secluded wagon and from an old red box took out a pair of cards, which he consulted in a ritual that is not best spoken lest bad luck is given to the one who tells it and the one who hears it.
“Look to the stars for answers...what is above, so is below...” was the cryptic answer of the elder fortune teller.
Taking the advice by heart, Vladislav began a construction project so mighty, that he build a huge tower and upon it placed an instrument from Italy,so expensive and magical, that it was said that the one who put his eye in it, could see the other as if he was nearby!
(Chindia Tower)
At first the people did not complain: for those who worked in the construction of the tower were excluded from army service and war, big or small, is bloody. However, once the tower was complete and this thing of magic was shipped to the King, the people began to be suspicious of their lord and what he did in the tower.
They said that the King looked into this tube of marvel and saw that his brother Dracul was impious and send his Patriarch to investigate the circumstances. Truly, he saw that Dracul was not observing the holy days and urged his Patriarch to brand him a heretic!
Of course later on Prince Dracul pleaded the King for mercy, although most doubted his good intent as he was gifted with a silver-snake-tongue
They said that he saw how many armies the rebels had and defeated them with few casualties
At the aftermath of civil war, the Chancellor was pardoned while the Mongol was revoked of his title for his treachery.
But this was not the only thing that the King could do according to the people. He spend days and nights in the tower, observing the stars and writing down, the conjunctions of the planets. It was rumored he knew the future, events that would happen before anyone could even imagine them!
With this object of magic, it was said he bewitched the Duke of Karvuna, who in his madness, broke the holy icons and became an Iconoclast, and invaded his realm to restore the peace.
To the eyes of the people, he was a solomonar, a wizard, seen with admiration and with fear. Even more so when he had the ability to call on his Patriarch to excommunicate anyone who disagreed with him such as the Mongol Boyar of Birlad, who was accused of heresy and disobedience to the Cneaz.
It was said furthermore that he consulted a black book, which the uttering of its name brings terrible luck to whoever mentions it, before every action he took. This book drove him even more insane but also even more powerful. In the end he rarely conversed with his council and instead spend the nights with the camp followers. The curse however would soon appear.
After yet again another feudal conflict, this time to press the claim on the entire Duchy of Ungvar for his vassal- the famed Chancellor Lőrinc Telegdi, aged now by time, Cneaz Vladislav, in a slip of tongue, bragged how he obtained all this knowledge from a bunch of peasants who could not even reside in cities, instead they roamed like the Mongols.
He began to suddenly feel ill. He felt weak and every time he closed his eyes, pictures from the black book would spring him awake. Every night he had the dream that he was chased by something or someone, that he was no longer the hunter but the prey.
He sought the camp which had been his second home but all were gone. With his powers weakening day by day, he closed himself in the observatory tower, unable to rise from his bed. Soon, the disease turned into a fever and his wife, the Byzantine Palaiologos Princess tended to him...until she found out the Book amidst charts and papers, with ramblings.
Stuttering, Vladislav begged her to go and told her to save herself.... she complied though with the intent to get some help and the Patriarch to absolve his sins, with hope to God that his health would be restored.
As she rode back to the Royal Court with haste, she looked behind her and smoke covered the sky! It was from the observatory tower, which was scorched to the ground...
....No one knows if truly Vladislav, the Strange, perished in the fire or he had gone mad and burned the observatory and rode off, to direction unknown and with a fever. The stories wildly exaggerate and even mention that he died to rise again and haunt those who are oathbreakers...whatever the real truth was, Vladislav was lost and in his place ruled his son Cneaz Nicolaie II Alexandru – named the Holy.
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Vladislav the Strange... ruler of Wallachia... short form... he was changed into a vampire!
Well, we have entered Byzantine de jure area now with Karvuna... but the blood bounds so far deter any advances!
Thank you very much! I am glad you like it, the true Basarab history and the time area is most interesting!
Romanian folklore is so rich in all these supernatural forms... I had the "Necronomicon" chain of events happen in game with Vladislav and I decided to 'alter' it , so not to spoil it for others who havent got the DLC yet(or will). Hopefully the AAR wasnt ruined much but I think the adaption is not too awkward for the theme of the era...
I have in mind to make an intermediate chapter sooner or later with the state of the world and the Wallachian wars so far as all these claims by person can be confusing. I hope you enjoy the tale and... I hope we could have more years to do more with the Basarabs!!
Great job on the slow but steady expansion. Let's just hope you can keep hold of your newly acquired possessions.
Chapter 9:A Throne for the Patriarch of the World
July of 1381, Karvuna
All was peaceful in the Voivodate of Karvuna. The few Iconoclast heretics were put to submission since Voivode Nicolaie II Alexandru Basarab was stationed by his father as a peacemaker in the area. Indeed, Nicolaie II was both a fighter with the quill and the sword and his charitable nature gained many sympathies from the local Bulgarian people. Of course, the King of Bulgaria was most displeased with the occupation of his de jure lands but for the moment the Cneaz of Wallachia did not really care.
Karvuna, having a close proximity to Byzantine Thrace, had adopted much of the cosmopolitan customs of the Byzantines, yet not quite to lose its Bulgarian identity. To the cosmopolitanism added the ports that the Genoese had established in the area, especially after the installation of Constantinople as a Free Merchant City under Genoese jurisdiction.
All in all, it was a good position to be placed at. Around that time a feast was held in the castle, to celebrate the marriage of Voivode Nicolaie II Alexandru with the Mongolian Princess of the House Borjigin, from the Golden Horde branch. His father Vladislav had arranged the betrothal and so it was to be honored.
Genoese merchants and Vlach boyars attended and the wine flowed freely. Nicolaie II Alexandru was a known carouser, arranging feasts and whatnot for any purposes. In fact he was a keen game master and he enjoyed much playing games with his guests , although he was a rather sore and wroth loser.
“Domnul meu!” (My Lord!)
The voice was lost in a crowd of others who were cheering and chanting, drinking and laughing
Everyone had gathered around and the eyes were fixed upon two players: the one was Nicolaie II, son of the King of Wallachia and the second a Genoese merchant, Armando Gritti. They were playing a game with cards, which was quite the fashion in Italy and the pile of gold was enormous. Each was studying the others movements and the people held their breath, as in separated from the pandemonium that occurred around them.
“I don’t believe you have those cards...show them!” said Nicolaie II
The Genoese let a wry smile and showed what he was holding...apparently with that move, he won and the pot of gold was his!
Nicolaie slammed his fist on the table, cards and coins flying in the air then dropping to the ground and everywhere and grabbed the merchant from his shirt
“Why you...you... you play well!! Come by sometime!! I need a drink! And a mutton leg!” he said, as he slapped the Genoese merchant on the back and left to find a pitcher of ale and food
It was then that the messenger approached Nicolaie II and told him the bad news. His days of revelry wound end in an instant.
Târgoviște, Wallachia
(Wallachia- Nuremberg Chronicle)
Nicolaie II Alexandru rode as fast as he could back to the capital. The letter was oddly sparse mentioning that he succeeded his father by decision of the Council of Boyars and he is summoned back to Târgoviște to assume the crown of Wallachia.
After showing the royal insignia, the guards allowed him entry after they bowed in respect. As Nicolaie II entered the palace, the memories of his childhood began to spring to life: how his father, amazed with the marvels of the West, showed him strange devices and illustrated manuscripts depicting wonders of the world and what lay beyond the lands of the Ilkhanate, stories of great generals and conquerors and what stratagems they used to overcome their disadvantages, and so much filled in books and scrolls of wisdom. He however was not entirely attracted to the books, instead he preferred the pictures and the actual training combat which made him a practical skilled tactician.
Vladislav though was gone now and he was the new king of Wallachia. With a quick step he proceed to the throne room, where as it was customary, to the left and right of the throne were chairs upon which sat the Boyars of the Realm and the Council of the Boyars. All were awaiting his presence to begin.
He also saw at the end of the room, his mother, Princess Ermerengilda of the Byzantine Empire, awaiting him as well.
He was seated at the throne and the Chancellor arose, Voivode Lőrinc Telegdi of Timis, a famous figurehead of Wallachia by now.
“Dear Cneaz Nicolaie II Alexandru,
We the Council of Boyars summoned you to announce you the results of the election for the succession of the Wallachian monarchy, since your father’s... assumed departure. With grief, for the passing of your father who was a fine protector of the realm and with joy, we have decided you to be the next to wear the crown of Wallachia! May you rule wisely!”
They clapped their hands, although his uncles Dracul and Iosif less vigorously, and with that the Patriarch of Wallachia placed the crown upon Nicolaie’s head...
... at the age of 24 he became the new Cneaz and the youngest so far, hopefully with the Council and the aid of his faimly, the young ruler would continue the rule of prosperity his predecessors had established.
Save for that dark spot of his father’s late years...
“Măreție(Greatness), I would also like to inform you that it would be good if you made a joint appearance with your wife to the populace, to celebrate the transition of royalty, as the people have been quite concerned with the recent events. The burning of the Observatory Tower of your father has caused quite a few talks of....”
Nicolaie II became distressed
“Chancellor, do you imply that my father was a worshiper of Lucifer?!”
Chancellor Lőrinc immediately backed off his words
“My lord by no means...but the people are easily impressed and easily distraught. We should not let such superstition cast doubt on the brilliance of your House!”
Nicolaie II pondered...
“So if the people believe my father was cursed...I shall do the opposite. I shall show them that I walk in the Light!”
“And what does our great Majesty propose then...”
“I shall devote myself to Orthodox Theology and become a Paragon of Orthodoxy myself! There shall be no doubt that the Basarabs have nothing to do with the dark arts, that my father merely overexhausted himself in his search for knowledge for the better of the realm...”
The boyars nodded slowly although uncertain. It would be hard to imagine the feasting Nicolaie into the fasting one... still it was worth trying, they considered.
“Inform me about the state of the realm”
Another Boyar arose and spoke:
“Măreție, before your father delegated the running of the realm to the Council and to Queen Mother Ermerengilda, he wished to reward your uncle Dracul for his loyalty by pressing his claim of Heves. The war so far is going well, but the treasury is being depleted as we had to hire mercenaries to fill the losses of our levies. You see, in this war, Queen Maria had brought the Duke of Milan to the fight, who participated most actively and with many soldiers.”
Nicolaie nodded
“So I see...very well then, let us conclude this war and let dear uncle get his prize. I shall lead the operation from the War Room...if that is all, the Council is dismissed!!”
The boyars did not have any other issues and they departed to their businesses and estates.
After the throne room was empty Cneaz Nicolaie spoke with his mother, who apparently was the last living person to see King Vladislav. He did not learn anything more from what he knew though and let the matter to rest.
He had a war to complete and if he is successful, his uncle would be in debt to him.
August 1382, Târgoviște, Wallachia
A messenger comes in haste to bring news from the battlefield with the Hungarians. After the typical verification of who he was, he enters the Curtea Domnească to deliver the scroll to Cneaz Nicolaie himself.
“Domnul meu, I bring ill news from the warfront…apparently our army was ambushed in Esztergom and we suffered a crushing defeat…”
“Many of the Royal Gusars have been killed while fleeing and I am unsure if they took prisoners…”
Nicolaie’s face darkened.. the Royal Gusars were an elite force, it was probably bad planning that led to this defeat. Still, he was optimistic that there would be no further setbacks since he had already captured Heves, the wargoal.
“Call the War Council at once!”
Half a year later
“My Cneaz! It is with honor that I report to you, that the son of Queen Maria, who passed away, King Domoszló, wishes to offer his terms for the peace…essentially agreeing to the annexation of Heves for a truce!” said the Chancellor
“Excellent... with this victory, I can name myself by law Voivode of Pest as well, having Csanad and Heves in my domain...soon , the crown of Hungary as well, will be Wallachian!”
“That we can hope for, my liege”
“Now that the realm does not face any external dangers, I shall prepare for a pilgrimage to Constantinople, to see how the City of World’s Desire fares and ask for the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch in my quest to be a Paragon of Virtue!”
The Voivode of Timis nodded and the preparations for a short regency were under way, while Nicolaie II went to Constantinople to reaffirm his connection with God and Christ and to see how he could bolster Orthodoxy from the severe blows it had been dealt to, in the past.
It was in the city of Constantine though that he heard the most bizarre of news: apparently, there was a rebellion going on and the Free City of Constantinople had declared a war of independence from Genoa, along with the isle of Chios. At the time Nicolaie II visited the City, there were no hostile actions from the motherland of Genoa and the people continued on their lives as usual. No one knew either if Genoa would even bother to send troops as the city was supposedly preoccupied in another war.
However what sparked the curiosity of Nicolaie II Alexandru was of a rumor of a strange monk living in the outskirts of town, in a cave and who was rumored to be very wise.
What could he lose? He was a warrior of talent, it would hardly be difficult to defend himself from any danger... and if there was a turn for the worse, he could always flee!
He searched and searched in vain...until he came upon a desolate cavern with no obvious signs of anyone living there
“Hello!..... Hello!” he called inside the cave
Nicolaie II already felt that it was a bad idea...
From the darkness appeared a figure, a gaunt old man who looked Nicolaie II from head to toe
“What do you want... if you want to rob me, others have beaten you to it...now begone!” the elder said
There was something in this monk that made him persist though
“Your accent..you..are you perhaps from Wallachia?” said Nicolaie II , with curiosity
The old man stood silent.
“Who wants to know... why should I be a Vlach, I may as well be a Greek or an Italian or a Bulgar at that...why do you pester me, I told you I dont have anything of value...and I dont have food to give you either”
Nicolaie II thought he found a vein... he insisted
“As a hermit I am sure you do not want to occupy yourself anymore with heritages and such, pity though, for I sympathize the Vlachs , especially after their King, Vladislav abdicated from the throne..”
The old man’s eyes widened
“He did not abdicate! I am sure he was sick and tired of people telling him what he should or should not read... wasn’t there progress in Wallachia I ask you? There...” then the old man stood silent. He had revealed his secret...
“Father?” asked Nicolaie II
“Father...why...Nicolaie? Is it you my son...? Why are you here? .... perhaps you too left Wallachia to my brother Dracul, that cowardly snake?”
Vladislav was alive! It was still a mystery of why he left and abdicated the throne, but his son saw that he had not recovered completely. It was for the best he had retired for he began speaking and showing strange habits, like avoiding walking in daylight and preferring the serenity of night as he said... Nicolaie II was also lead to his personal chamber in the cave, filled with books and one of them was obviously unorthodox...at least he was relieved that he did not die in the fire or from illness, but he was well, as any half-mad hermit could be well.
They talked some more as father to son. At least in that level, Vladislav was still sane and gave him advice about the realm and the Council of Boyars. He also suggested to his son to break his marriage with the Mongol princess if it was not consummated, that he should have rather wed a Byzantine Princess once again, if he was to become the Protector of Orthodoxy. Still though, it did not sat well for him that his son was becoming more and more obsessed with religion. However, he did agree that if the Council is to respect him, he did have to have an iron grip, be it religion, authority or else.
After their talk, Nicolaie II bid farewell to his father, with hope to see him again. The meeting with his father gave him the security to proceed without so much fear as before, at least with the knowledge he did not perish tragically.
Returning from the pilgrimage, he was a changed man. He began to shun his wife and held open contempt for her, until he asked of his Patriarch to proceed and annul the marriage.
Of course, the Patriarch of Tartaria and the Golden Horde Khagan were furious with this disrespectful ousting of their royalty. Nicolaie II Alexandru though did not care, in fact he pursued this road as to undermine the Golden Horde authority.
Being a free man once again, Cneaz Nicolaie II wrote to his cousin, Basileus David to arrange a betrothal with Princess Agne, David’s sister. He agreed, although David had begun to become distant with Nicolaie because of their religious differences and the zealous character of both in their part.
Except the betrothal though, Cneaz Nicolaie II send his most skilled Chancellor to once again uncover documents indicating that the Free City of Constantinople should be in Wallachian sphere of command, as the Italian merchants had nothing to do with this illustrious city.
And of course, he succeeded, with time.
“Everything is going as planned...soon I shall be crowned a Paragon of Orthodoxy, once I donate Constantinople to His Holiness at the Ecumenical Patriarchy, as I had promised him. We shall declare war on the Genoese rebels and reclaim the City!!”
What later happened though, was perhaps one of the biggest errors in history...
The Wallachians fought hard the Genoese and the Genoese rebels to reclaim the City and so they did:
In a great ceremony, Cneaz Nicolaie II returned the Queen of Cities under the vigilant eye of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the flag of the double headed eagle flew proudly on the walls once again. In return, the Ecumenical Patriarch named Cneaz Nicolaie II the Holy and a Paragon of Orthodoxy, a very prestigious title.
A month though later, a letter came to Cneaz Nicolaie II himself from his cousin the Basileus David. The letter read:
Salutations my dear cousin!
It is with great joy I have heard that you have reclaimed Constantinople from Genoese smugglers and what is more you have donated the City to the Ecumenical Patriarch. Most kind of you! However, as Imperial Law dictates, only the Basileus can command the Queen of Cities himself and thus the donation was void, much to the protests of dear Patriarch Manuel III. I made sure though that he would focus on his theological interests instead, as he was becoming quite rebellious. I found the method of Origen’s castration to be most suiting don’t you think? Furthermore, so he could focus entirely on studying at his residence, Hagia Sophia will now be tended by a Catholic bishop- in communion with Rome.
I hope one day you come and visit and see your dear sister Ioanna and the children, they sure do aspire to one day see Wallachia for themselves
Yours,
Basileus David
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It's hard to imagine a card player becoming devoted to religion... the episode with Constantinople may shake his thoughts or, on the contrary, fasten them.
One has to admit that David's 'kind treatment' of the patriarch shouldn't do that much damage to him though. Had he done this earlier, he'd be a fine singer!
One has to admit that David's 'kind treatment' of the patriarch shouldn't do that much damage to him though. Had he done this earlier, he'd be a fine singer!
Thank you! When surrounded by Christians of various creed, it is not easy to go for large land grabs- save for the Iconoclast Holy War and the Ducal claim for Moldau... I am getting closer to form the Empire but it needs some planning!
Yes, actually Catholicism was introduced from the Italian branch of Palaiologos(was Count of Montferrato I think) and it remained ever since, with a few inside rebellions, without any major changes in power. It has suited Byzantium well since with the Holy Orders, the Ottomans are near extinct and Asia Minor has almost been retaken by the ERE. However at the cost of Orthodoxy, of course.
I cannot really say that Nicolaie II's fascination with games and cards had to do with greed or an obsession of some kind... then again perhaps the religious devotion was a mask to 'exorcise' the bad name his father had given with the extreme cultural innovations... regardeless, the dream to install the Patriarch as the governor of Constantinople on his own right was shattered, so much for so many lives lost. Still it was a nice image
As of the 'treatment', well he had passed his time I guess, probably the Patriarch had annoyed the Basileus quite much, what with the religious differences and all... I have a feeling that the Patriarch even joined a faction or two to depose the Basileus!
The righteous should not suffer the Roman Bishop's little pawn desecrating Constantine's throne.
If all the frightful demons and monsters from Eastern European lore were to be set upon a hapless target, you wouldn't find a better choice than this heathen David, curses be upon his Rat-faced miserable person.
If all the frightful demons and monsters from Eastern European lore were to be set upon a hapless target, you wouldn't find a better choice than this heathen David, curses be upon his Rat-faced miserable person.