1626 Winter(January-February)

“P, please have mercy, B...basileus! M, my father forgot to write reports on the situations in the front line with the Tsardom of Rus(=Russia) to you!”

‘Sigh’

“I, it was a mistake! I give you my word! P, please forgive my father! Have mercy, Basileus!”

‘Waah’

The father shits and the daughter wipes. Yes, it was John Sigmund’s youngest daughter and my 3rd wife Hildegard who knelt before me, tears in her eyes, begging mercy for her father and Prussia.

At first, I wanted to ignore her plea and continue the economic sanction towards Prussia and Sigmund till this spring.

However

‘Cough’

As I was getting older, and my health wasn’t in good condition, I just couldn’t ignore my wife’s plea.

In addition

‘Dart’

“M...mommy? Why are you kneeling and crying in front of a papa?”

“P, please forgive me, Basileus! P, porphyrogenitus, please follow me!”

My late-born son Arthur, who’s just turned 8(*He was born in 1617 December. Refer King of Greece), spotted his mother wailing in front of me, although he was immediately dragged out of my room by a startled maid.

F**k my age. F**k family. Nothing is going as I planned, huh?

“...Very well.”

“B, Basileus?”

“Tell your father that he has till this Christmas Eve. If he fails to completely conquer Russia by then or try to deceive me again, he and his family shall never be aristocrats again! You’ve got that?”

“Y, yes, o, of course! T, thank you for your mercy, Basileus! I’ll surely tell my father!”

“Okay, off you go, my dear.”

‘Shove’

Well, they didn’t say blood is thicker than water for nothing. At first, I’ve thought I would crush Prussia, even if it delays the conquer of Russia. But, thanks to my wife and my late-born son, I've forgiven my father-in-law under the condition he completely conquers Russia.

However, not realizing that I’ve made a huge concession, Hildegard kept visiting my room whenever John wrote letters to her – asking either to delay the deadline or to provide more support - she wailed in front of me

“Basileus, please! He’s my father and Arthur’s grandfather! Please have mercy!”

Oh God, she’s too thick. Haven’t John taught her anything about politics, just because she’s a late-born daughter?

‘Holy crap, there’s no middle ground!’

If the late Elizabeth the Lioness was too cunning as a serpent that seduced Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Eve, by making her son as a figurehead and rattled France like she was a queen, Hildegard was too naive as a Job in the Old Testament, unable to distinguish between disloyal flatters and trustworthy advisers.

If I die, as a regent, she should be Dowager Empress(=Queen mother), but that post isn’t fit for just a nice lady.

“It’s adding insult to injury! How can I die in peace at this rate?”

Anyway, I’ve summoned the noble settlers from Naples and Iberia and had them submit a list of the members who will join the Small Council – Council of regents that will run the New East Roman Empire after my death before Arthur comes of age.

Of course, being a loyalist doesn’t mean that I should accept all people on that list. It’s a must for me to look for a skeleton in every candidate’s closet, and putting the right person in the right position.

It was my job since the whole of Europe must be aware that I’m growing weak day by day, every king and noble must be sneaky, to get their share after my death.

“Shit! Now I’ll understand how my late father – Felipe II – felt.”

My head ached. There was no one that I could entrust on this matter!

The extreme loyalists were too strict for this detailed adjustment, and flexible ones were already pulling strings to prepare after my death. The rest? Either incompetents or psychos with zero sociability! There are tons of aids but no one that I can rely on!

I felt a little regret now. Till now, I favor no particular one but used each one’s position and interest for my purposes, which led to the situation that I have no one to trust in my final days.

Of course, if I had favored someone, that would have led to an advent to a de facto ruler like Thomas Wolsey or Simon de Montfort, so it was okay for me to have no one that I favor when I was good shape.

The problem is right now when I’m old and weak and need someone that I can trust. If I continue to see aids as my plaything, they’ll treat me the same. On the other hand, if I were to choose someone that I can favor, who should it be?

Forget merchants. Just look at what Venice did during the 4th Crusade! Bureaucrats or scholars? I’ve had it with Richard! The experienced and the intelligent will try to have their way with the young Basileus, while the inexperienced and the young will make enemies everywhere, just like Richard did. And the fools will just try to collect wealth by using the young emperor.

Junta? I’ll use them when hell freezes over! Eunuch? Since they can’t have a sexual relationship with a woman, all they crave are power! And that, most times, leads to unfortunate results.

Of course, there are exceptions like Narses or Zheng He, but both were controlled by great rulers who were at the height of their power – former by Justinian I and latter by Yongle Emperor – which is almost impossible for young Arthur.

Church? I won’t let the separation of church and state into vain for this!

‘Bam’

“Holy crap! There’s not a single person that I can rely on! I’d rather teach Hildegard politics and all other things necessary to run the empire!”

So, I had no choice but to teach Hildegard as much as I can to the extent that she can distinguish what’s good for the nation and the royal and what’s not while leaving the details to the Small Council before Arthur comes of age. After that? It’s his and his descendants’ job. I can’t live forever, you know.

“They didn’t say blood is thicker than water for nothing, huh?”

‘Sigh’

“If my first daughter Elizabeth was alive...”

‘Huh’

In my final days, of all the people, I miss the daughter that I’ve killed? Well, it doesn’t make sense, but it would have been perfect if she was by my side now. If I had known that I would destroy Ottoman with the 10th Crusade and revive the New East Roman Empire(Empire for short from now), I would have never wed her with Henry IV of France, but let her live in England and would have named her the Basilissa of the empire.

She would have been a perfect empress, at least not getting in my way of strengthening the empire, although she might have tried to reduce my power to make me a figurehead before I die.

Well, you can’t cry over spilled milk. She’s not here but in heaven – at least I hope so. I should be thankful for the bird in the hand, not yearning for 2 birds in a bush.

1626 Spring(March-May)

“My dear, did you review what I’ve taught you last week?”

“I...it was M..Machiavelli's book, The Prince, right, Basileus?”

“Yes, that’s right. What did he say in the book?”

“T...the prince should appear to display the characteristics exhibited by both a ‘lion’ and a ‘fox’, b...Basileus!”

“Good. How can you apply it to reality then?”

“T...that’s...”

I taught Hildegard politics and other knowledge necessary to rule a country. At first, she gasped and tried to ditch it, but when I said

“If I’m gone, you’re the only one that can protect Arthur. Don’t you want to save yourself and your son, my dear?”

“Y...yes. I’ll do as you say, Basileus! P, please teach me!”

Luckily she was eager to learn, let alone being smart as Eleanor of Aquitaine.