A letter arrived addressed to the Emperor. It bears the seal of House Mandromenos.
Things have been quiet in Athens, a great change for the Lords of the city. For the past century, the Mandromenoi have been a fixture at court, either living primarily in the capital or visiting frequently, but not one has been seen in Valencia for six years. Even now, as the Court assembles for the vote, there is a notable absence, Philaretos Mandromenos. What is happening in Athens?
Greetings to the Emperor of Hispania,
You may not have met me, but I am the Megas Domestikos of Byzantium, a position equivalent to Marshal in your country. I am here to applaud your effort and that of your Army on aiding us in the reclamation of Anatolia. While this gesture will be remembered for all time among the Greeks, there is another concern that needs addressing, the Balkans.
The lands of Serbia and Bosnia, currently split between the nations of Serbia and Hungary, have been Byzantine lands historically, and as we desired to have all of Anatolia, we desire these lands be returned to us as well.
But that is not all! Nay, ancestral claims are only the first justification. As we know, we are in an age of Imperialism, where nations seek to dominate their weaker neighbors and make them submit. As Hungarian has dominated Serbian, Pole dominated Hungarian. The Balkans lands in question are held by weakened nations, ready to be conquered in the name of Imperialism. If we do not seize these lands, they will surely fall to Austrian, Polish, or even Lithuanian influence!
While some of these outcomes may be better than others, the best result for both of us will be to see these lands become Greek once more, since I know my people will not forget such a magnanimous gesture from Hispania. Our people have stood by yours for centuries, with our armies fighting for Hispanian benefit from Mexico to China over the years, aiding Hispania in building their global Empire. I do not believe ensuring the lands of the Balkans and Anatolia is asking too much considering the gravity of our efforts in the past and the threat we face.
What threat you may ask? As the nations of Serbia and Hungary have been wracked by war, their lands have become consumed by chaos. Bandits and other malcontents ravage the land, taking what they please. These savages do not respect national borders and have crossed the extended border, for we have these lands encircled, multiple times, pillaging at will. I have even been stationed with my army in this region to protect the area, forcing me to ignore even wars called for our benefit. While such instances are rare now, I believe that the threat still lurks in Hungary and Serbia, and would like for a solution to the problem by conquering and having a stable nation administer these lands.
Also, I fear that the Regent of Byzantium has poisoned the mind of the Basileus. Surely you have been baffled, as have I, by the decisions of Constantinople since the death of the previous Basileus. Confining the greater part of his army to Corfu was among the greatest of his errors, but fortunately I was able to convince him to reconsider in time for the war with Persia. I do not know any details on how the Basileus and the machinery of Byzantium is compromised, but I intend to find out.
Pausanias Mandromenos, Megas Domestikos of Byzantium.
You may not have met me, but I am the Megas Domestikos of Byzantium, a position equivalent to Marshal in your country. I am here to applaud your effort and that of your Army on aiding us in the reclamation of Anatolia. While this gesture will be remembered for all time among the Greeks, there is another concern that needs addressing, the Balkans.
The lands of Serbia and Bosnia, currently split between the nations of Serbia and Hungary, have been Byzantine lands historically, and as we desired to have all of Anatolia, we desire these lands be returned to us as well.
But that is not all! Nay, ancestral claims are only the first justification. As we know, we are in an age of Imperialism, where nations seek to dominate their weaker neighbors and make them submit. As Hungarian has dominated Serbian, Pole dominated Hungarian. The Balkans lands in question are held by weakened nations, ready to be conquered in the name of Imperialism. If we do not seize these lands, they will surely fall to Austrian, Polish, or even Lithuanian influence!
While some of these outcomes may be better than others, the best result for both of us will be to see these lands become Greek once more, since I know my people will not forget such a magnanimous gesture from Hispania. Our people have stood by yours for centuries, with our armies fighting for Hispanian benefit from Mexico to China over the years, aiding Hispania in building their global Empire. I do not believe ensuring the lands of the Balkans and Anatolia is asking too much considering the gravity of our efforts in the past and the threat we face.
What threat you may ask? As the nations of Serbia and Hungary have been wracked by war, their lands have become consumed by chaos. Bandits and other malcontents ravage the land, taking what they please. These savages do not respect national borders and have crossed the extended border, for we have these lands encircled, multiple times, pillaging at will. I have even been stationed with my army in this region to protect the area, forcing me to ignore even wars called for our benefit. While such instances are rare now, I believe that the threat still lurks in Hungary and Serbia, and would like for a solution to the problem by conquering and having a stable nation administer these lands.
Also, I fear that the Regent of Byzantium has poisoned the mind of the Basileus. Surely you have been baffled, as have I, by the decisions of Constantinople since the death of the previous Basileus. Confining the greater part of his army to Corfu was among the greatest of his errors, but fortunately I was able to convince him to reconsider in time for the war with Persia. I do not know any details on how the Basileus and the machinery of Byzantium is compromised, but I intend to find out.
Pausanias Mandromenos, Megas Domestikos of Byzantium.
Things have been quiet in Athens, a great change for the Lords of the city. For the past century, the Mandromenoi have been a fixture at court, either living primarily in the capital or visiting frequently, but not one has been seen in Valencia for six years. Even now, as the Court assembles for the vote, there is a notable absence, Philaretos Mandromenos. What is happening in Athens?
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