March 8th, 1495
Dear Diary,
I hate my father.
I turned 15 yesterday, and was introduced to all the court and the world as the new heir to the Empire. Everyone’s presents were grand—the Ragusans sent me a pony, the Serbs (or whatever they’re called) sent me a brilliant new tiara, and the Austrian ambassador was very kind and revealed a troupe of musicians sent by the Archduke. So naturally, I expected something GRAND from father!
And I, Helene Palialogos, got THIS.
Yes, you, you stupid little book.
I have only started this blasted thing because Father insists that it is important for the future ruler of Romanion to keep a record of his past life… and he does insist on using the pronoun ‘his,’ which irks me to no end. He’s just like those dynatoi and stuck up nobles that he claims he detests so much—saying I can’ rule!
I cannot divine the purpose of my spending time, scribbling away, when I could be doing other things—looking for silks and jewels to appropriately attire myself at state functions, or talking with Ariadne and Eirene. Father calls them gossips and layabouts, but they’re my friends! I had no choice but to threaten to cause a public scandal if he went ahead and stripped them from my chamber!
Just thinking about that makes me mad. I’m going to the Genoese District. Giancarlo usually has some new silks from Cathay this time of year.
March 13th
Dear Diary,
Father insists I need to keep writing in you. He yelled at me after seeing I’d only done one entry. I can’t believe he had the nerve to brush past my ladies in waiting to look at this stupid little book!
Seriously, what is the purpose of
March 14th
Dear Diary,
I am not to receive an allowance for any more dresses until I regularly complete a daily entry into you for a week. This is today’s entry. I hate my life.
March 15th
Dear Diary,
Look I wrote in it. I know you check up afterwards Father. Usually when you say you have ‘important meetings with the Muscovites.’ Stop being coy.
March 17th
Dear Diary,
I have decided I am going to Chrysopolis across the Marmara for Easter. Father has been very odious demanding I keep writing in this blasted thing. He’d only let me go across the Marmara if I promised I would take it and write in it. I think he also has ordered Eirene to make sure I do. Fine. I will. I just need out of this stuffy city and all of its political dramatics. Maybe it’ll let me escape my tutors as well.
March 18th, 1495
Dear Diary,
Father sent the tutors after me. I hate my life.
March 26th, 1495
Dear Diary,
The tutors continue to harass me. They insist that I spend all the day’s sun indoors, reading histories of my father and my grandfather, as well as old books on how the imperial economy functions. And for what? When I inherit my father’s throne, I will be Empress! I will have people bowing and scraping at my feet! Surely I can hire a few of them with the state treasury to attend to those tedious matters for me? Really, what is the purpose in knowing that Naples, Thrace and Astrakhan are the three principal trading centers of the empire? Or that my great-great grandfather Manuel ‘saved the empire from certain doom at the hands of the Turk?’ The Turks are backwards people stuck in Adana! Everyone knows that! This empire’s entire history is a long litany of so-and-so-saved-the-empire-from-certain-ruin! You’d think the people running things would learn their lesson and not let things get so ruinous to begin with!
Why should I know how my grandfather Demetrios ‘conquered lands from Italy to the Caucasus?’ Father has generals, they fight the wars for him! I don’t think I need to know how every campaign of grandfather’s went, mostly because the campaign accounts are filled with useless ninnery. I don’t need to know grandfather prayed here, or slept there. They call him Megas, but he’s worshiped almost like a saint! It’s beyond belief!
Side note. There is a stable boy that works at the villa of Ariadne’s uncle. Ariadne talked me into purposefully changing my mind when picking a horse to ride three times just to see him bend over. She giggled for HOURS afterwards about it! She says there are ‘things’ she wants to do with him. I asked her about said things. She laughed and said I would find out eventually. Damn her being sixteen already! I am determined to find out what these things are! Starting tomorrow!
March 27th
Dear Diary,
There’s some kind of uproar across the Marmara. Father has ordered my return from Chrysopolis. And I was going to march over and demand the stableboy do whatever Ariadne had in mind with me instead! I'm the Crown Princess, after all!
March 28th
Dear Diary,
Apparently Father has been declared Emperor of Muscovy. I’m confused as to why that is such an enormous honor. Aren’t the Muscovites some piddling little tract of barbarians to our north? I'm going to DEMAND from Father why he summoned me across the Marmara for this! Why should I care if he's the head of some little piddling tribe on paper? I cannot BELIEVE my family sometimes!
March 28th, second entry
Dear Diary,
Oh. That is why it’s an enormous honor. Literally.
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Had another AAR idea, and couldn't do anything till I cleared the writing buffer. For now, this is just gonna follow Helene's life... as the first potentially legitimate Byzantine Empress, as well as Tsarina of Muscovy...
