The Seventeenth Cranaeian Crusade

[Cranaeia]

(OOC: This is an historical thread - set in Cranaeia's mid-18th Century. Although the key events are internal matters from Cranaeian history, others are welcome to participate as the mid-18th Century form of their nation. If you have ideas, please TG me, or feel free to jump in, but make sure if you do that its In character.

The Christian III Palace, New Alexandria - 13 November 1767

After greeting the Lavalian Ambassdor, Her Imperial Majesty Empess Cleopatra Anna II retired to a small room behind the Throne room of the Imperial Palace. The Privy council met her in the room afte she called a session, which she presided over as the Empress regnant of Cranaeia. Cleopatra was a formidible woman with a thirst for power and an air of authority, she had married Emperor Peter I (he was not Emperor at the time) at the age of seventeen, and she was now just fourty three, her birthday being december 5th. She seized the throne in 1767 after her husband was brutally murdered by his own guards.

Her nearest rival, Louis de Morel, the Prime Minister of Cranaeia, sat at the other end of the table, with a frown on his face. Between the two, seated at the table's middle with men on his left and right and men facing him was the Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called, Francis Ángelos, hereditary Grand Master of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called which was founded in 623 AD. '


Before the creation of the Imperial Parliament, the Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called, had unquestionably been the most powerful figure in Cranaeia after the Emperor, and even in 1767 he held considerable power, being the only person other than the Emperor (or in this case the Empress) lawfully permitted to raise an army. He looked the angriest of them all, pacing the room impatiently.

"The whole purpose of the creation of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called, indeed, the whole purpose of the settlement of our people here in these Isles 1797 years ago, was to rebuild and gather strength to retake our motherland, the former empire of Alexander the great, and to reconquer the City of Alexandria for the Empire after the romans took it from Her Majesty Queen Cleopatra VII!" Ángelos declared. He pointed a wrinkled finger at the Empress. "It is not for you nor any man to undo the oath taken by every Knight of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called. It is not for you, madame, be you the widow of an emperor or a empress in your own right to prevent this crusade, may I remind Your Imperial Majesty that you are not a Cranaeian."


"Don't point your finger at me, Ángelos!" the Empress yelled. "May I remind you that Iam the mother of the next Emperor and let me be perfectly clear, I have the support of the people, as well as the church and even the members of the Imperial army call me godmother. I advise you to choose your words carefully!"


"Alexandria is the City of Alexander the Great, madame. We cannot allow it to remain in heathen hands, we must liberate it from the muslims. We were led here by God for a reason, to..."

"Yes, we were led here for a reason!" cried the Empress. "God granted us a new homeland! Praise be to God! What need have we of Alexandria now after 1797 years without it?"

"madame, that were never the reason!" Ángelos almost cried. "We were led here by God so that we could regroup and one day, when we were worthy, return to the City of Alexander the Great. Every fifty years since 957 a crusade has been called for the City with the year almost over time is running out the crusade should have been called in january but you did not call it. God demands that you as Empress, call a new one at once before the year is over, to reconquer our hellenistic homelands!"

"How dare you claim to know the will of God?" the Empress cried.

"Do you know God's will?" Ángelos snorted, turning in frustration to the Prime Minister. Louis de Morel, preparations are already underway. A fleet is being assembled at Thessalonica, and an army is being gathered by the Knights of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called for the crusade as we speak. Talk some sense into Her Imperial Majesty, she is being foolish."


"He does havee a point, Your Majesty." the Prime Minister offered.

Right on cue, tears welled up in the Empress' eyes and her words choked up, apparently with emotion. "Is it foolish to seek to avoid a great effusion of blood, for the sake of a land none of us have ever stepped foot in? While you are unmarried, are you so uncaring that you would make widows of the wives of your knights and soldiers? Widowhood is no easy cross to bear, sir, I can promise you that. To be left alone in the world with children to care for, I would not wish it upon anyone, and you would impose it upon our nation for the sake of a city thousands of miles away... there's no sense to it..."

Ángelos didn't take defeat so gracefully. He looked to the Prime Minister and saw he would have no further help coming from that direction, and surveyed the rest of the table to find the faces almost all set against him. He picked up his chair and threw it too the floor in frustration. "Damn you all! Can't you see through this coldhearted bitch's crocodile tears?"



Whether you so-called gentlemen can gather the courage to call it or not, the Seventeenth Cranaeian Crusade will go ahead, I promise you all!"

Inwardly, the Empress couldn't be more pleased by the Grandmaster's inability to control his anger. She instantly burst into tears at his harsh words, causing to the council members closest to her to console her, even going so far as to breach protocol by touching her in their efforts to comfort her. The Prime Minister, who had sided with the Grandmaster until this point, rose to his feet.

"Ángelos, I think you had best remove yourself from this place before you are removed." Morel warned.

Ángelos looked at him, and about the council, all now set against him, nodding in agreement. Ángelos made a bow than left the chamber. He stormed through the Throne Hall, pushin his way through the sea of courtiers on his way towards the exit.

[Cranaeia]

The Imperial Palace of New Alexandria- 14 November 1767

The Privy council, without the Grandmaster, met again the morning after Ángelos had stormed out of the palace. Seated across from the Empress once again was, Louis de Morel, the Prime Minister of Cranaeia, with the other councillors arrayed about the table between them.

"Gentlemen," the Empress began. "I was told last night that, although I was too distressed at the time by the Grandmaster's words to hear it, Ángelos said that whether this council approved it or not, he would see to it that the Order of Saint Andrew the first called would press on with the crusade. Is that accurate, Monsieur de Morel?"

"It is, Your Majesty." the Prime Minister confirmed. He looked down at the minutes in front of him.
"We cannot allow him to defy the authority of the Empress- if he does, and succeeds, it will mean the end of responsible government in Cranaeia." the Count of Naukratis declared.

"Your Majesty thinks then that there is no merit in what the Grandmaster said, that God calls us to this crusade and as such the Empress cannot defer calling it" asked the Patriach, Isaac VI.

"Your Holiness," the Empress began delicately. "We have always called crusades in the hope that it pleased God that we did so, but the Cranaeian Crusades have always been called by the Emperor or Empress in my case.

"Madame, princes are God's lieutenants on Earth, and just because a thing is enacted in their name, does not mean that thing is not the will of God." the Patriach replied. "Do we not attribute the actions of a servant to his master?"

"Only when they are done by his master's command, surely!" the Empress replied, beginning to find the Patriach's questions frustrating.

"That is so, but still..." the Patriach conceded.

"Your Holiness, with respect, this question was surely resolved yesterday. That was what provoked the Grandmaster's outburst, do you not recall?" pointed out the Count of Naukratis, a broad shouldered man in his fourties with a ruddy complexion, - The Empress knew she could always count on his support, and this time was no different. The man was her favorite and lover after all. She nodded innocently and looked to the Patriach.

"Well, yes, I suppose so... well... for the most part, yes." the Patriach agreed, seeing that the council wasn't interested with the Grandmaster's argument. He decided that discretion was the best plan of action and fell silent.

"Good then." Naukratis nodded. "I agree with Her Imperial Majesty, if, after Her Imperial Majesty and this council has refused to call a crusade, Ángelos goes ahead and calls one anyway, in defiance of this council, he must be punished?"

"Punished?" asked the Prime Minister, arching an eyebrow.

"Gentlemen, let's not rush to speak of punishments!" the Empress pleaded. "No crusade has been called contrary to my wishes yet."

"But you heard him, one will be!" Naukratis told the Empress.

"The Grandmaster may be rude and brutish, but he's not stupid, monsieur." the Empress told Naukratis, in a moderate voice. "We can head him off, I'm sure. We can stop him from calling a crusade by seeing that the ammunition and the guns he will need are not sent to Thessalonica."

"We could." the Prime Minister nodded, suddenly taken with the idea. He had counted himself as one of Grandmaster's allies, and now that the cause of imperial approval for the crusade was lost, he fancied that the right sort of action would see to it that the crusade wasn't called at all, and thus his allies in the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called spared the consequences of openly defying the Empress. "An artillery train is on its way for Thessalonica, guns freshly cast for the crusade. We could bring it to New Alexandria instead."

"I didn't know the details, but that's exactly the sort of thing I meant." the Empress nodded, surprised but pleased to have the Prime Minister on her side. "Will you see to it, Your Excellency?"

"I will." Morel nodded, looking about the table to make sure that there were no dissenting voices.

"What of Ángelos?" Naukratis pressed. "Is he to remain Grandmaster?"

"Monsieur d'Naukratis, are you proposing that we remove the Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Andrew the first Called from office?" the Patriarch asked, in horror. The Empress watched on in silence, holding her breath, allowing Naukratis to test the water.

"Yes...He must be made an example of..or else... he will..." Naukratis declared, banging his right hand into the table, causing a empty goblet to fall crashing with a loud thud.

"Gentlemen, please, if you seek Grandmaster's removal because of what he said to me, I beg you, that no such thing be done in my name." the Empress interrupted.

"Your Majesty is too kind." Naukratis replied, looking a little disappointed.

"You are the very image of good Coptic Orthodox Christian woman, madame." the Patriarch said. "If only every woman were as forgiving as Your Imperial Majesty!"

"Oh please..." the Empress said, affecting to blush and looking away from the councillors modestly.

[BettaMin]

Five men, dressed in green turbans, black chain facemasks (in a fashion similar to the modern balaclava) and honey brown robes patterned with red and green marched briskly with intention through the city of New Alexandria. Each wore a kilij, sheathed in an embroidered elephant tusk at their side. A bronze, round shield was slung over each of their backs. Heading the five was a tall man, wearing a conical bronze helmet in the center of his turban. The man was Kay Kaus, Jehma Commander of the Second Allepter of the Khartumian Empire. He had arrived in the city as an emissary to establish trade between the nations, but now, he was about to fight to protect his fellow Muslims. For he knew, if the Crusade was to begin, the great horn would be sounded, and the black turbans of the Mujahideen would be donned to protect those in Alexandria. The Sultan had only just found out about the meetings held regarding the crusade, but Kaus could not risk waiting. An action had to be taken.

Soon, they arrived at the palace gates. Kaus banged on the gates, calling up to the Guards in his limited language to request for a meeting with the Empress.
This could not wait. He instructed his men on the common decencies of Christian nations, in an attempt to avoid any insult. The men were unaccustomed to the culture, especially with that regarding the women. Still, he remembered, the entire thought of declaring war on a Muslim state was an insult. He had a right to be... what do they say? Yes... pissed off.

[Cranaeia]

Thessalonica - 26 November 1767[/i]

After insulting the Empress, Ángelos had thought it best to ride and take a boat for Thessalonica, before the Empress put a warrant out for his arrest. Sure enough, by nightfall warrants were out for the arrest of the Grandmaster of the Order of Saint Andrew the first called, and the capital was no longer safe for him, nor perhaps would any other city, town or even village be before long, save Thessalonica, where the Knights of the Order of Saint Andrew the first called were mustering an army in preparation for a crusade which, if the Empress had its way, would never happen.

On top of a large hill beyond the city walls stood a huge Golden cross, with dozens of banners planted in the ground around it. It was a symbol that a crusader army was being gathered. The Lord Mayor of Thessalonica wouldn't be able to arrest Ángelos even if he wanted to with over 9,000 infantry men and 4,000 calvary men already in the city and with enough arms and weapons and horses for 20,000 men total.

Ten hours after, Ángelos' ship had arrived at the city of Thessalonica, beating the messengers from New Alexandria with the warrants for his arrest by several hours. By the time they arrived, his lieutenants already knew to expect them, and the messengers were detained, locked in the city's dungeons, and their warrants destroyed before they were made public. The hours which followed had been filled with intense discussions. Thessalonica had called a council of war to let his lieutenants, know that the Empress and the Privy council had no intention of calling the crusade.

"The Empress is set against it, and the Privy council is filled with her puppets." Thessalonica had relayed, speaking Greek, as one usually did outside of the environs of the Imperial Court. The men of the council had speculated at length about why the Empress seemed eager to abandon the holy obligation to call a crusade for the City of Alexandria (Egypt) every fifty years. The general consensus was that she sought to undermine the Order of Saint Andrew the first called for one reason or another, although the reason itself remained a matter of contention. They resolved that night that no matter what, the Seventeenth Cranaeian Crusade would go ahead, declaring that it was the will of God that the City founded by Alexander the Great be retaken, and voted unanimously to continue their preparations.

The next day,Ángelos rode about the city to take stock of the arms and ammunition available. While there were plenty of arms in anticipation of further recruits for the crusade, there was not yet much artillery. Nor had the artillery yet arrived - it was already three days overdue, and was reporteded to have been lost at sea.


The advisors of Ángelos stated that the Emperor of the Empress in this case had no authority to do so, for the Knights of the Order of Saint Andrew the first called were not subjects in the usual fashion, and had certain rights which included self-governance. The Grandmasters of the Order of Saint Andrew the first called had always been elected by the Knights of the Order of Saint Andrew the first called, and had only ever been removed from office by death, extreme old age, or other incapacitation.



On the morning of the 26th, Ángelos reconvened the war council , and asked them one question:

"If the Empress is ill-advised by evil ministers to act contrary to the established duty of her office, is it treason to deliver her from that evil council, also if the rightful Emperor is locked away while this foreign women rules over us is it treason to remove her from office all together?"

The answer was unanimous, it was no.

[Cranaeia]

The road from Thessalonica to New Athens - 30 November 1767

The heavy siege guns of the artillery train initially bound for Thessalonica and now heading to New Athens where it would be placed on a ship headed for New Alexandria, but they weren't easy to transport, especially on a cold winter's day on a road which quickly turned to mud in the wet. It was moving painfully slowly through the thick mud, with a troop of cavalry from the garrison of the city of New Athens escorting it. It was late afternoon, and the captain, Androcles Gazonas, had sent some riders ahead looking for the best place to spend the night.

"Sir, riders from Thessalonica!" called a scout who had been at the rear of the train but had rode hard to come alongside Gazonas.

"How many?" Gazonas asked.

"I say about four hundred in all sir." the scout answered.

"Rider!" called out a trooper from the back of the train.

From the body of the cavalry unit chasing the artillery train, Sir Dareíos Kaladosis and the scout who had led him here rode ahead close by the train's protectors.

"Who is your captain?" Sir Dareíos shouted. "I wish to speak with him."

Gazonas wheeled his horse around and rode back to talk with Sir Dareíos. He held his gloved hand over his eyes to keep the cold winter rain away from his face so that he could better see to whom he was speaking with. Sir Dareíos did the same with his own hand, holding his helmet under his arm rather than wearing it.

"Captain Androcles Gazonas, Cavalry Auxiliary of the Garrison of New Alexandria, at your service sir."

"Sir Dareíos Kaladosis, pleased to make your acquaintance sir." Dareíos replied with a smile.

"Honoured to meet you, sir." Gazonas replied, taking off his helmet and nodding politely to the knight.

"Sir, I must ask you to leave this train to us to escort back to Thessalonica, its original destination. It is bound for the army we are assembling there for the crusade." Dareíos told the captain.

"Sir, I would rather nothing better, but I have orders from the Empress and the Prime Minister to take these guns and see them safe to New Alexandria." Gazonas answered apologetically.

"Dareíos said. "I beg you, captain, take your men back to New Alexandria and leave us these guns."

"I wish I could but I cant do that", said Gazonas.

"Do you have a family, sir?" Dareíos asked.

"I do. A wife three dughters and a son and my elderly mother who lives with us." Gazonas answered, wondering why Dareíos would bring them up.

"Sir," Dareíos said regretfully, lowering his voice. "It is Christmas in a few weeks. Let us have the guns, I beg you, and be on your way."

"Sir, you have my answer. I regret it cannot be otherwise." Gazonas frowned, taking Dareíos' meaning. He nodded again and put his helmet back on. "My compliments, sir, and now I must bid you good day."

"It cannot be that. God see you safe back to your family for Christmas, captain." Dareíos replied regretfully. He and his scout turned their horses back towards their own troops and Dareíos' put his helmet on as, Gazonas spurred his horse and rode over to his lieutenants as Dareíos did the same.

In a few moments, Sir Dareíos and two hundred of his cavalry were upon Gazonas' men, the men of Sir Dareíos did not fire their pistols until they reached point-blank range, and then they drawed their swords for brutal close quarter fighting. Swords flashed, hacking into the flesh of man and horse alike, and the rain turned red with blood as it hit the ground.

Gazonas called about to his men, none of whom seemed interested in his orders, and then suddenly he opened his mouth and no more orders came out. Instead, there was a spray of blood. A sword had pierced his thigh, and the only noise he now made was one of agony. He dropped his own sword and reins and clutched his thigh with his hands, his leg covered with his own blood. His eyes found the man responsible for the mortal wound, a huge man in a helmet. Their eyes locked, as the last of the men of the garrison fled if they could or surrendered if they couldn't.

Sir Dareíos and his men buried the dead - a dozen of their own, and a hundred and twenty five of the defenders. Among the dead he could not find Androcles Gazonas.

[Cranaeia]

Thessalonica - 5 December 1767

With their extra horses, Sir Dareíos and his men dragged the artillery train back towards Thessalonica, not stopping to rest. Sir Dareíos sent ahead a rider to inform the Grandmaster of their so-called "success", for Dareíos was hardly convinced it could be called that. They arrived in the city late afternoon the next day, to find the army marching on parade and flying colours, and a substantial part of the citizenry out to cheer, drink and be merry despite the winter weather, all to celebrate the retrieval of the heavy guns.

As he rode into the city at the head of his column, through the city's great gate, Sir Dareíos was stuned at the apparent jubilation. The Grandmaster, rode forward to meet him as the infantry's drums and trumpets played a triumphant march for the entry of the artillery train.

"My lord, what is this all for?" Sir Dareíos shouted over the noise to Ángelos as the Grandmaster greeted him with a hug.

"We have our guns, thanks to you, sir, and now, God has His crusade." the Grandmaster answered.

"But didn't my messenger tell you that there was a great effusion of blood? "Christian blood, not Turkish blood."

"A poor start to a crusade, I grant you that sir." the Grandmaster nodded. "But a necessary one. The Empress and her puppets seized our guns most illegally. We were compelled to take them back. The blood of the men lies on their heads, not on yours, Dareíos."

The regency council will surely make war on us now." Sir Dareíos said grimly.

"Perhaps." the Grandmaster conceded. "But perhaps we should take a page from their book. The Privy council attempted to stop our crusade by seizing our guns. Perhaps we can avert a war by seizing something they will need to prosecute one. I've called a council of war after Mass."

[Cranaeia]

The Empress' Study at the Imperial Palace, New Alexandria- 5 December 1767
Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Cleopatra Anna II scowled as she read the reports of Ángelos aloud to her spymaster, Cornelius de Camp. She paced about the room, her heels clicking against the hard, polished marble floor.

"...and then that wortless pig goes on to say, so this reads..." the Empress glared at de Camp to show just hw angry she truly was. "...that I an Empress anointed and crowned in the Cathedral of the Assumption at New Memphis by God's will as all Emperors and Empresses of Cranaeia have done, have no right to be Empress, because Iam not Cranaeian by blood!"

She gave de Camp a few moments to swallow hard.

"Mr de Camp , how does that fat swine of a man have the right to say that I should not be Empress?" Clepatra Anna II demanded.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I..." de Camp began.

"No!" the Empress shouted at him and stomped her right foot, surprising even herself with the force. "Damn you, no excuses! I have been called a traitoress and usurper by Ángelos!"

***

After Mr de Camp had left the Prime Minster entered her study asking to speak with the Empress.

The Empress rose from her seat and greeted the Prime Minister, "Your Excellency why have you come to my study?"

The Prime Minister looked upset, "I reget having to tell your Imperial Majesty this, but I must offer you my resignation, Iam to tired to be Prime Minister."

The Empress looked stunned and a bit confused, "why what is wrong?

"Your Imperial Majesty nothing is wrong, my time spent serving your Imperial Majesty's government will be remembered", tears streaming down his cheeks as he spoke.

"Your Excellency I regret to inform you that I refuse your resignation, I as Empress Iam the only one who can remove you from office, which shall not do!" You have been like a father to me during these terrible years"

The Prime Minister left the room,saying "As you wish your Imperial Majesty."



A few moments later a maid entered telling the Empress that a delagation from the Khartumian Empire was requesting a private auddience.

The Empress said, "send them!"

The maid offered the men tea. The cups had the monogram of Empress' Son and daughter in law on them, which were PAP, for Peter Alexandrovich Portiéri̱ and MA for Maria Alexandrovna (her birth name was Sophie Louise, but it was changed following a eighteenth tradition for Empress Consorts to be given new names). The plates had the monogram of the Empress, and the spoons had the monograms of the Empress' eldest grandson, GPP, for George Petrovich Portiéri̱.

After all had been served the Empress asked what they wanted.

[BettaMin]

The Khartumians glared at the king for a second, after she asked. Only one man, standing in the corner of the room, actually touched the tea. The rest silently put down their cups and folded their hands. Kaus was the first to speak up, in a quiet, controlled tone, despite himself shivering in anger.

"In the name of the Great Sultan Mehmed the Fifth, Emperor of Khartum, I had arrived here, earlier this month, to negotiate with you to create a trade agreement. Today, I come to you to demand that you withdraw your threat on the city of Alexandria. I warn you, that the moment your men step foot within their borders, that all people following the faith of Islam will be prepared to don the black turban of the Mujahideen to combat you. Cease these bloody crusades. Only blood, sweat, and tears will result from this endeavor. Not only the blood of Muslims and Christians. Blood of all people, Jews, Pagans, Muslims, Christians, Men, Women, and Children. And for what?" he said, voice raising slightly," A small city you lost several hundred years ago?"

Kaus sighed. He spoke again, this time in a lower, calmer tone, leaning closer to the Empress. "Call off your troops. There is still time to make amends."

[Cranaeia]

The Empress' Study at the Imperial Palace, New Alexandria- 5 December 1767

The Empress greeted the delagation from the Khartumian Empire in her study. The Members of the Imperial Court present were: the Crown Prince Peter, the Crown Princess Maria Alxandrovna, the Count of Naukratis (the Empress' lover), Michael Papoulis the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, members of the privy Council, and a few ladies of the court, such as The Great Mistress of the Court, The Mistress of the Robes, ad several ladies in waiting.

After hearing what the leader of the the Khartumian delagation had to say, the Count of Naukratis became enraged at how the Khartumians addressed her Imperial Majesty, He rose to his feet and turned to Kaus, and spoke in loud booming voice, "Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Cleopatra Anna II does not have to listen to your demands nor has she need of your warnings." "How dare you have the audacity to address the Empress in such a way as if she were a child and you were her master demanding something , the Empress has no master she does what she likes, als if the Armies of Her Imperial Majesty were to invade the Ottoman Empire we would bring it to its knees"

The Empress begin to speak, "You Khartumians have nothing to worry about, please forgive the Count Naukratis, I will never allow the crusade to happen, the ottomans will fall some day, but that shall not be in my lifetime I think. On the matter of a trade agreement I would like very much to trade with your nation. My country has a rather large sunni muslim minority, does your country have a Cotic Orthodox Christian minority? "

[Cranaeia]

Palace of Thessalonica - 5 December 1767

In the palace's great hall, Dukas and his lieutenants discussed the matter at hand, some sitting, some pacing about, some contemplative, some urging action.

"Well then, we are agreed that we must act before the regency council has a chance to respond in force." Ángelos summed up the past quarter of an hour of discussions. There was general consensus in the room in the form of nods, ayes, or just affirmative grunts. "Then we must consider some action which will avert a war."

"There may be no war as the Empire has no other standing army." suggested one Ángelos' officers. "This army is the only one in the Empire at the moment."

"There are many garrisons loyal to the Empress, only God knows how many towns and cities would answer the call of the Empress and the Privy Council?" piped up Sir Dareíos. "An army could be fast assembled."

"And will be, I feel, if we do not act to discourage it." Ángelos nodded.

"How may we do that?" asked another officer.

"In the same manner as they attempted to discourage us from crusade." Ángelos replied.

"You said something similar before Mass, my lord, what did you mean by it?" Sir Dareíos inquired.

"The arsenal of Perseapolis is the largest in Cranaeia, containing powder, muskets, and enough arms to equip over one hundred fifty thousand." Ángelos said.

"It's also far away from here." Sir Markos said dubiously.

"On foot and on horse back, yes." Dukas nodded. "But if you gentlemen would care to look to the window, you would see that we have a fleet assembled to take us to Alexandria (Egypt) in the harbour below."

"So we sail to Perseapolis to seize the arsenal?" Sir Dareíos asked.

"We do. If luck be with us, then we shall arrive before word has arrived in the city of our departure, possibly even that the Empress and the Privy council wishes to make war on us. We might be greeted as friends, and if not, we would catch the garrison unaware." Ángelos said. "In a quick action, we would have the largest arsenal in Cranaeia, and who would then dare to make war on us?"

"There are other arsenals. New Alexandria, New Memphis, Antiocheia, Ephesos, New Pergamon, Ecbatana Sinopepolis... to name a few" Sir Dareíos pointed out.

"But Perseapolis is the largest." Ángelos said.

"That is so..." Sir Dareíos agreed.

"I don't see how seizing the arsenal of any city replaces the Privy council." Sir Markos shrugged. "We should march on New Alexandria, and depose the Privy council and the Empress and replace her with her son, or her gradson who we could ule through!"

"Revolution!" Sir Dareíos cried. "They would call us all traitors!"

"marching on New Alexandria? That will only result in slaughter and carnage on the streets." Sir Dareíos pointed out. "I do not doubt that the Empress and her servants should not be ruling the Empire, but to take the capital by force will make us men of blood!"

"Never!" declared Sir Markos.

"No, Dareíos is right." Ángelos said, silencing Markos' protestations with a motion of his hand. The majority of the knights came down on Ángelos' side very quickly, nodding. "We should only march on New Alexandria if forced to it by the Empress and the Privy council. Let us seize the arsenal. Let us show the Empress and Privy council that it is incapable of resisting the will of God. Then we will negotiate with them from a position of strength."

The whole council assembled nodded in agreement.

[Cranaeia]

Cleopatra Palace, outskerts of New Alexandria- 19 December 1767

A curious, vaguely alarmed crowd of courtiers followed a dismounted cavalry trooper, his clothes caked in mud, though the marble halls of the Cleopatra Palace. The court ladies were particularly fascinated - many of them had never seen a muddy man before, and wondered how he could stand being so dirty.The trooper was exhausted and looked extremely out of place in the sumptuoussurroundings of the palace, and was escorted on either side by a Varváro̱n (Barbarian) Guardsman, tall, scandenavian men, and dressed in a splendid dress uniform complete with a plumed helmet. The trio of soldiers were followed by two other men carrying a wounded man, followed by the crowd of courtiers, moved quickly through the halls. Finally they came to a set of doors leading to the Agate room. The urgency of the matter at hand was made clear to the onlookers by the fact that the Varváro̱ns simply opened the door without knocking.

Inside, the Empress, was reading a story book to her five year old grandson. The tutor and one of the Empress' ladies were also in the room, but seem largely uninvolved in the reading. All of the room's occupants seemed taken aback by the sudden appearance of the dishevelled soldier, and the Empress took a few steps sideways to her son's side, placing her hand on his shoulder, as if unsure about the soldier's intentions. She needn't have worried, however. After a moment's gaping at the young, golden haired boy who would one day rule Cranaeia, the cavalry trooper fell to his knees and bowed.

"Your Imperial Majesties..." he began, in Greek.

"What is the meaning of this, sergeant?" the Empress demanded of one of the Varváro̱ns, in French.

"I beg Your Majesty's pardon but..." the muddy trooper began again, this time in accented French. "I have traveled for many many days to bring you this news, it is most urgent."

"From where have you traveled?" the Empress demanded. Her grandson looked on in curiousity.

"The town of Athanais near New Alexandria, madame." the soldier answered. "And the site of a piteous slaughter and effusion of Cranaeian blood."

"What mean you by this?" the Empress asked, her eyes going wide.

"Madame, my captain took our troop thither to fetch the guns being taken to Thessalonica for the army being there assembled." the trooper stammered. "Having done so and meaning to return to New Alexandria by ship once we arrived at New Athens therewith, the army at Thessalonica 's cavalry fell upon us. There was a brief action, though perhaps it had better be called a massacre, and the guns were lost."

There was only breathless silence from the Empress, and from the crowd outside which could hear the soldier's report.

"This is my captain hes in need of medical attention."

The Empress said, "I will tend to him myself, what is, is name?"

The trooper responded by saying, "His name is Androcles Gazonas"

The Empress smiled, "My what a fitting name he has, his name means glory of a man in greek and he truly is a glory of a man, if he survives I shall make him a Marquess for his heroic efforts."

[Cranaeia]

Cleopatra Palace, outskerts of New Alexandria - Christmas Day 1767

A look of delight played across the face of the Empress' grandson, the grand duke George as the golden-haired little boy was handed a Christmas present wrapped in scarlet silk and tied up with a silver ribbon by his grandmother, Empress Cleopatra Anna II. The highest born children of the court and their parents were assembled in one of the Cleopatra palace's glittering salons to receive their gifts from the Empress, but they had to wait their turn for the time being as the little Grand Duke eagerly undid the silver ribbon. The Empress watched her son unwrap the gift, a look of evident pleasure on her face as he pulled the silk away to reveal the toy within and grinned even more than he had before. Inside there was a model ship, a modern man of war complete with scale cannon, sails, flags, string for rope, and even little model sailors about the deck. The bow of the ship bore its name - La George.

"Grandma! It's brilliant!" the little Grand Duke exclaimed, hugging his grandmother around the neck with his free arm while he held onto the ship with the other.

"It's a model of the new flagship named after you." the Empress told him, and kissed him on the forehead. "It really floats, so you can play with it in the gardens in summer or in a basin filled with water. And the cannon are made from gold, so they won't rust if you get them wet."

"Does the real boat look like this?" George enquired.

"Yes, only much bigger." the Empress answered with a smile. She took the Emperor's hand. "Let's give the other children their presents now."

[Cranaeia]

Perseapolis - 28 December 1767

"The City Council of Perseaplis will come to order!" proclaimed the Lord Mayor Ioannes Varotsos, his voice ringing loud above the voices in the great hall of the Government House of Perseapolis, which the council had chosen for its chambers.

The council and audience began to applaud alike. As the applause began to die down, Varotsos heard some disturbance from the entrance of the hall. Slowly but surely, two bailiffs forced their way through the densely packed ground. Between them stood a mountain of a man, clad in shining armour, emblazoned across the breast plate with a golden crusader cross. An imposing and ornately-handled sword hung on his left-hand side, and a pistol holstered on his right. It was Sir Georgios Peronides.

"Councillors!" the bailiffs shouted. "Sir Markos Petrakis seeks an audience!"

"Order!" Varotsos shouted. "The Council has urgent business to which it must attend..."

"I command a flotilla of warships in your very harbour, and my troops have command of the battery which defends the city from the sea." Sir Markos replied in a loud, booming voice. " This council has no matters more important than me."

The council and audience alike murmured in confusion and fear.

"Mister Chairman, their ships fly the flag of the crusade," a bailiff began. "So the garrison did not fire upon them, and a mist hung upon the harbour such that the warships were already within before the chain could be raised up."

"The garrison was right to allow my men to take the battery, for by doing so we prevented a foolish action which would have resulted in their slaughter and the sack of this great city, which we wish to avoid." Sir Markos declared.

"This is a Christian city, for crusaders to sack a Christian city..." Varotsos began.

"Is hardly unprecedented, as the history of our ancient fatherland attests." Sir Markos replied. "We promise to defend this city from the Privy Council and the Empress who seized the throne ten years ago"

The audience, which had been silent in its fear, erupted into cheers at the news that the Grandmaster shared the same view of the Empress and the Privy Council.

"Sir Markos..." Lord Mayor Varotsos said, a smile appearing on his face. "The men of this city share that opinion, and have so declared by a solemn charter..."

"Then the Knights of the Order of Saint Andrew the First Called will protect you from any army that witch and her evil ministers sends against you." Sir Markos declared. "In exchange, we would have possession of your arsenal, which benefits you not without an army in any event. In addition we wish to station a garrison in this Christian city in its defence, and nothing else besides."

"We will gladly give you the arsenal", cried the Lord Mayor Varotsos.