CHAPTER FIFTEEN - DISTANT COUSIN
27/10/1508
- Your majesty, I have tragical news. Your only close relative, your son has died this morning. Our medicus tried to save him, but he couldn't be saved. Nation is mourning, my lord.
-- Dear Lord! Oh, heavens! Am I cursed? Will our dynasty be extinguished?! Have mercy, dear Lord!
- I am terribly sorry about your loss. Only known relative is your late grandaughter's son, Aleksandar. But he is from the dynasty of von Habsburgs.
-- German?! To rule the Slavic land?!
- He has roots with Serbs and you, your majesty.
-- But he is thought differently! He will not rule this Empire as long as I'm alive!
- That's.. true.
-- I'm glad you're agreeing with me, Arovski.
- Umm.. not re.. nevermind. Your majesty, not all is lost, after all, you are still alive, right.
-- Indeed, chancellor, indeed. But I lost my only son, I need to be.. alone.
- Ofcourse your majesty. I will come later to discuss Diplomatical Affairs.
12/12/1508
- Your majesty, I couldn't reach you in months. Your doctors are very concerned about your psihological condition.
-- Curse them! They think I'm crazy! All of this is a conspiracy, you all want to murder me!
- Your majesty, calm down. No one wants to kill you. We are here to help..
-- I don't trust anyone anymore, Arovski. Not even you.
- I am sorry to hear that, my lord. But, with trust or not, we need to work, if you find yourself capable of working, and by working I mean ruling.
-- There it is! You want to claim I'm incapable so you can take the throne! Never!
- Your majesty, please. We know eachother for decades.
-- That is true. Now, lets work. Bring me that map.
- This one?
-- Yes. Look, what kind of border is this?! It looks like a banana, not a border! It's curved.
- Sir, I'm sorry you don't like the border, but we can't change it without war.
-- Yes we can. Annex Albania, I don't need vassals. The border is awful in the south.
- O..kay, my lord. But it will get us some infamy.
- I don't care, just do it. It needs to be straight. Now, sell the province of Badin to the Turks.
- To do what?
-- Your heard me well! Sell it.
- I am sorry my lord, but I can not obey this order. It's a treason.
-- You won't obey my orders?! Guards! Guards! Hang this man!
- My lord, you are insane. My lord!
-- Who's not obeying now, hah?! Who?! I don't need a chancellor to guide me, I can rule on my own! Buahahaha!
-- Look how beautiful the border is! Arh, I can die now in peace because of this beauty.
-- Brrrh. It's cold now. Let me just get my coat which is hanging from the window.. Uh, oh, it's slippery here.. uh, ahh!
22/11/1509
After the death of Tsar Milan I, nicknamed by the people 'Milan I the Insane', various nobles wanted to take over the throne of Serbia. Milan, having no heir, caused dynastic rebellions trough the Empire. The new Tsar had weak claim on the throne of Serbia, but was the only one with enough education and blue-blood roots among the pretendents of the throne. Army needed almost a year to settle down all of the nobles and rebels, and finally, in the late November of 1509 it was safe enough for the new Tsar to come to his new country from Austrian court. Having no chancellor in Serbia, he brought with him his advisor, mister von Meldetson. Meldetson knew Serbian very well, and was the main Tsar's teacher of the language.
- Here we are, your majesty. We finally arrived at your new Palace.
-- Es ist schön, Meldetson.
- No, no, your majesty. I learned you to speak Serbian, use it.
-- Ahh, yes, yes. I want the best glassen of winen, advisor! And then hop, hop, lets arbeiten!
- As you wish, your majesty. Firstly, your claim on the Throne is weak. We can increase your claim by arranging Royal Marriages with other Great Powers of Europe.
-- Ja, ja. Do it.
-- Meldetson, I heard that Serbia held Northern Greece 150 years ago, is that... uh.. wahr?
- It is, my lord. The word is true.
-- Ah, it's difficult to learn new stuff.. But I will get.. umm.. used to it. Why don't we attack the Turks and connect our gebiete from the Peloponese with mainland?
- It's not that easy, your majesty. Turkey has a strong army, but we are currently stronger. We shall wait for the right moment to attack.
-- And that.. right momenten is?
- When they are at war with some other Great Power. Maybe in future.
-- Ahh, I sehen.
- On the other hand, we can gain some land in the so-called New World. Some guy discovered some new lands 20 years ago, and he didn't even knew he discovered new lands! And, since we progressed in our Governmental Technology, we can aquire the idea of exploring the new lands.
-- Ja, ja. Do it. Enough for heute, my dear freund. We will continue some other time.
- As you wish, your majesty.