Prince Konstantin Tich
(1075-1088)
With his coronation as Prince, Konstantin had succeeded in his goals. He married into a prestiges family, he is known throughout the entire Byzantine Empire as a loyal subject, he has proven the strength of his armies, and now he is the most powerful person in the entire Balkan territory. However, he still had a war to fight though and a Kingdom to build.
A few months after the new standard was raised, Chalkidike fell to his army and Bishop Manuel Iagonis was captured. After two days of pressure the Bishop finally surrendered his claim on the city and fled. As this occured Konstantin recieved word that Prince Thomas was coming to assist in the dfense of Chalkidike with 360 men. He arrived on the 23rd of December to learn that the city had already fallen. As he was attempting to fall back he was surrounded by 1300 soldiers. Unable to stand against such numbers Prince Thomas surrendered and relinquished his claim on Chalkidike.
With the war over Konstantin made his way to his new capitol of Mesembria. Upon his arrival he found that he already had his first guest. Nikodim Chervonon, Count of Tyrnovo and vassal of Emperor Isakios Komnenus had come to speak with him when he learned that a Bulgarian had become a Prince within the Empire. He informed Konstantin that he would support him should he choose to name himself King of Bulgaria. Shortly after he left Mikac Terter, son of Gerogi Terter, Count of Dorostotum arrived to study within his court.
As summer approached Konstantin was requested at a feast in Constantinople by the Emperor. The feast went rather well until Patrikios Serantenos, Count of Kaliopolis, insulted him about how a simple Bulgarian should not be a Prince of the Empire. As their blood was to weak to hold any real titles. Furious with the man Konstantin looked to the Emperor who forced Patrikios to leave the feast.
Returning to his home Konstantin spent the entire rest of the year stressing over the man's comment. He was in a strong position now and would soon be able to name himself King of Bulgaria but that was still years away. By the standards in the Empire it was the strongest man who became the new leader and by that comparrision if he died today none of his son's would inherit his position. This position would go to his friend Andrija Balik and then to his Marshal Kotroma Karvuna. None of his children were even considered as they were still so young. So as the new year began Konstantin decided to change the laws concerning succession and from now on they would follow that of Salic Primogeniture. All of his titles would go to his eldest son that was born in wedlock.
Shortly after this proclomation disaster struck the Tich family. On the 22nd of January 1077, Konstantin's fifth son Ladislov Tich passed away from Typhoid Fever. Grief stricken by this loss of their baby Mariam locked herself away. During these months Nikolitza became recognized by the people of Mesembria for being a modest person.
It was not until September that Mariam began to feel better, that was when Vasilii returned from the monastery. Konstantin decided to have him stay in court as well to keep his mother happy. As time went on Mariam began showing signs of pregnancy again and Konstantin decided she had returned to normal. So he sent Vasilii to Michael Dukas, Count of Nikopolis. Hearing of this Ioannes Betatzes, Bishop of Ochrid, sent Konstantin a letter claiming he was trying to rebuild the Bulgarian Kingdom and he was not to be trusted. Konstantin sent the letter to the Emperor and demanded he intervince. In response the Emperor named Konstantine heir should he die. Konstantine would never disgrace himself to become the Emperor of the Byzantine's but he saw it as a step in the right direction. He had been recognized as the most powerful man in the entire Empire with that decleration.
Sadly though things were not yet better at home with mariam. On the one year anniversary of Ladislav's death she had another break down. The two argued more frequently but they fought it out and she returned to her isolation. Eventually on the 7th of June 1078 she gave birth to a son named Drago. The following month word came from Galaz that there were no more cases of Typhoid Fever within the entire province.
With things beginning to become more stable in the Principality of Karvuna, there were whispers of a plot. This plot had nothing to do with the Bulgarians what so ever. This was an attempt to kill the Greek Emperor by the other Greeks that served him. Worried that if they were successful they would name him Emperor, Konstantin found the names of the plotters and told the Emperor.
With the plot foiled Konstantin decided it was time to send young Drago away to begin his education. When he brought this up to Mariam, she threatened to divorce him and take their younger children with her back to Georgia. In the end Konstantin lost the argument and Drago would be raised by him and Mariam.
Over the next three years the land was peaceful. There were no wars in the west. No men trying to kill the Emperor. And most importantly Konstantin's power over the Bulgarian region was steadily growing. With just one more province he believed he would be ready to declare his independence and the forming of the Bulgarian Kingdom. These plans would be put on hold though at the start of the year 1082. Word reached Konstantin that a rogue bishop was stirring up the people back in Galaz. In short order the entire county was in revolt. Fearing the fire bringers, which the revolters had named themselves, Drago started having difficult sleeping at night. After talking to Drago, Konstantin was able to show him that there was nothing to be afraid of. Sadly though these people would be angry for some time.
Dragan returned from the Emperor's palace in June and upon his return he became known through the Empire as a Martial Cleric. As time went on Konstantin decided to marry him to Efrosina Vojislavljevic, sister of Vlkan Vojislavljevic, Duke of Rashka. She had studied in the same church as Dragan had and they were a good match. Where he was a warrior she was a scholar.
With his eldest son taken care of he then focused more on his youngest. He would join the army and study with them just like his brother Pavao had done before him. A week after Drago left, Pavao returned from his time of study under Kotroma Karvuna and it paid off. He was such a brilliant strategist that people compared him to Simeon the Great. Should his father fail to become King of Bulgaria the people believed he would achieve this feat at the tip of his sword. Upon his return he was named Marshal and took up the training of his younger brother Drago.
On the 2nd of February 1085 Konstnatnin became a grandfather when Dragan had a son who he named Martin. This greatly annoyed Mariam as both Pavao and Nikolitza were without wives of their own. In an attempt to Please his wife he had Nikolitza marry Tailltiu O'Brien, daughter of Muirdertech O'Brien, Duke of Munster and Pavao married the granddaughter of Mate Akos, Duke of Transylvania, Matild Akos.
Still worried about something happening to Dragan, Konstantin decided to send him to Galaz to become the new Count. Though he would not be able to become Prince or the King one day he hoped to see him at least have his own county and him and his children taken care of. Shortly after he took his new post word came that he had fathered his own bastard who he named, Miroslav.
As time went on Vasilii returned to his hom. Nikolitza had a son named Iljko. While Pavao was graced first with a son he named Gheorghe and then the following year a daughter named Katrina.
In the latter months of 1087 Konstantin decided to assist the Emperor in a plan to bring the Rurikovich family under his control. This would involve the assassination of the Count of Korchev, Vladimir Rurikovich. This man had countlessly denied the Emperor the chance to gain territory on the northern border of the Black Sea. With his death the land would finally collapse and fall under his rule. He was certain of it.
On the 20th of November Konstantin succeeded in his mission and Vladimir now lay dead. By the 1st of the next month Gled Rurikovich surrendered to the Emperor's rule and formed and alliance with Konstantin as he was still the most powerful of all the Princes and he was unaware of his involvement of Vladimir's death. In an attempt to form a stronger union he sent Vladimir's former wife Nada Vojislavljevic, sister of Grigorii Vojislavljevic, Prince of Dioclea, to be the wife of Vasilii. With this new wife Vasilii attempted to prove his strenght and worth by challenging his rival Evtimii Terter to a duel. This fight went on for hours but in the end there were no clear winners and the two men returned to their homes.
Since Vasilii was granted a chance at a duel and Dragan was named Count of Galaz, Pavao came before Knstantin and demanded his own land as well. In the end all he got was a slap across the face and was told to quit whinning.
As time went on Vasilii had a little girl named Elena. Pavao had another son named Trajan. Above all else the Emperor was able to exploit Gled Rurikovich enought for him to covince Izyaslov Rurikovich to join the Empire. This act made him by far the strongest leader in the entire Empire. The lands he controlled nearly matched that of the rest of Byzantine's before he joined them. Because of this the Emperor was forced to name him his new heir.
With winter coming to full bloom Konstantin's body started to shut down. Though he was still generally young his body could not take another winter. So on the 27th of November 1088, Prince Konstantin Tich passed away. In honor of his long servitude to the Empire and the church he was beatified and from that day forward on the 20th of November a feast would be held through the Principality of Karvuna for the "Blessed" Konstantin Tich.
As he had changed the laws of succession his Marshal and son Pavao Tich became the Prince of Karvuna. Konstantin was unable to fomr the Bulgarian Kingdom which he had set out to do. However, how will the Counts Roman and Andrija react to Pavao as the new Prince? What will Pavao do about Dragan who controls his his northern border? Will he be able to succeed where his father did not? Will Pavao be the first Bulgarian King in the past hundred years? Only time will tell.
(For some reason the screenshots I took during the latter parts of Konstantin's life did not take and that is why there are no pics following Dragan becoming Count of Galaz. Also the first year of Pavao's reign there is no pics either.)