Eagle Byzantium

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In front of the courtyard of the small gate, the scene that Anna least expected to see appeared. Marina, the chief noblewoman of the palace, was taking her son in front of the corridor beside the gate, saluting at herself.

However, Anna had dressed up carefully and slipped out when her father started to meet with foreign envoys. She thought everything was safe, but she did not expect to meet this mother and son. Although they usually lived in Brachna Palace, But because of her mother, Anna actually had very little contact with Marlena and her son.

For now, Anna could only step out of the carriage and bow to the chief lady and the engaged Augustus. Then the maids and eunuchs on both sides kowtowed, and then stepped aside and covered their mouths with their sleeves. , put aside the sound and be still.

There was a long silence, "Why is my brother John not with you, my adoptive grandmother?" Anna used "adoptive grandmother" in a respectful but cold tone.

But Marlena put a smile on her face. That kind of very flattering expression was rare for anyone to see on ordinary days. Everyone in the palace knew that the emperor's biological mother, the empress dowager, was in the imperial capital. as a veiled nun in a monastery, and this The deputy empress dowager, her adoptive mother, has always had her eyes set on the top, "It's such a pity that John doesn't worry about his studies at all. He still can't master basic writing and reading. He's a bit naughty. His intelligence and talent are nothing compared to Anna's." The methods are comparable.”

"As a male heir to the throne, my brother may only need martial arts and courage. Just like the former Bulgarian conqueror Saint Basil, it doesn't matter if he can't read or write all his life, as long as he can win the respect of his soldiers and servants. Admiration is enough, writing is just one of the skills learned by emperors." Anna's answer was actually very clever. It did not express contempt for her brother, nor was it overly modest like "I, Anna, can't do anything."

There was some awkward expression on Marlena's face, and then she held her son Constantine's hand, "You are engaged, and since Constantine is also a studious and motivated child, why don't I suggest to Your Majesty , combine your two study rooms into one."

But these words of the Deputy Queen Mother were difficult for Anna to refuse in the past, but now that she had a clear understanding of the current situation after getting along with Gawain yesterday, she actually looked at him with pity. Look at her fiancé, he looks about the same age as her The very beautiful Constantine said lightly, "I completely obey my father's arrangements in this matter." After saying that, he lowered his head and said farewell to the deputy empress dowager and Augustus, "New in the imperial capital. The orphanage is still waiting for me to raise funds.”

Seeing Anna's carriage disappearing around the corner of the corridor, Constantine, who was still puzzled, asked his mother why he was so groveling to this girl, "Anyway, His Majesty has decreed that the throne belongs to John. I want to Keep company, too, with John.”

But Marlena's face turned pale. She slowly knelt down and touched her son's delicate face. With tears in her eyes, "The throne? Over the years, how many people have changed on this throne. It's like a throne with thorns. It’s so prickly that I have had three husbands, so that my mother can no longer legitimately continue to be the queen of this empire. Son, how I wish you were born into a child of an ordinary family..."

About an hour later, Anna had followed the arrow path and arrived in front of the most famous porphyry column square in the old city. This independent column, which is more than a hundred Roman feet high, is the symbol of Constantinople. It comes from In the hands of the great father of the city, Constantine the Great, above is a statue of the Goddess of Victory carved from Virginia marble, with clearly visible flying wings. Surrounding it is a circular two-story overlapping colonnade. There are two large Proconissian arches in front and behind the circle, which are connected to other streets. This is the most ancient Roman-style area in the entire capital. It is also a must-have place for huge celebrations - on this day, the emperor relaxed the restrictions on his status, and people from all walks of life wore festive costumes and flocked to this square to have fun and have fun.

Although the residents of the imperial capital no longer love festivals like the ancient Romans, which is somewhat related to the introduction of religion, the square is still crowded with people.

Anna's carriage stopped at a suitable place, and then she walked out and saw Gawain standing in front of the relief beside the arch. He politely extended his hand to her. Anna smiled and walked over... ...

Under the column, all the people participating in the celebration, men and women, were divided into two rows and were dancing back and forth. Anna was no exception. Her braids were flying again, and her little boots also beat the drums. Following Gawain's steps, the dance of the Byzantine Greeks, It is a fusion of the national characteristics of Slavs and Saracens, but it is still a bit restrictive. Don't forget that this is the seat of the Patriarch of the Empire, and the church has the power to supervise discipline and judge.

Anna swung her shoulders and was caught by Gawain - this kind of dance was also danced by Gawain and the villagers in Xiaoya. "Your chance has come, Minqinghou's Grand Palace."

"I will see His Majesty the Emperor, right?" Here, the Saracen luthiers sitting by the column played the subbra, and the dance music suddenly softened.

"The envoy from Salian Caesar (the name of the Holy Roman Emperor in the Byzantine Roman Empire, here refers to Henry IV) who is trapped in northern Italy is here. I will help you make arrangements." Anna raised her hand and spoke with Gawain's Holding hands together, they moved to the other side of the queue.

"Don't you need any methods or conditions?" Gawain asked doubtfully.

"Of course you need it, that is great courage. My father attaches great importance to this meeting with the envoy of Salian Caesar. So Gawain, the opportunity to show your heroism has come. Don't let me down, but don't let yourself die in vain." Anna described the situation as if it was very important.

In the music, according to the beat, the two faced each other, holding hands, and Anna's brown eyes stared at Gawain, really like the eyes of the little deer in the Royal Garden yesterday... and Gawain couldn't help but think of what Mikhail said, and subconsciously avoided Anna's sight.

"Gawain, you are going to the Apulia region of Italy. You won't be an enemy of us Rome in the future, right? The Normans were just our mercenaries at first. You said that the Romans destroyed the Romans themselves, but mercenaries and foreigners with ulterior motives are not worthy of complete trust..."

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Looking at Anna's eyes, Gawain didn't know how to answer. He was now completely disappointed with the emperor and the entire Komnenos royal family, but he couldn't show it in front of Anna, because Anna's last name was also Komnenos. So now facing this little girl's questioning, what should he do?

At this time, the music of the subramanian stopped abruptly, and the people dancing in the giant column square also panted and stopped dancing with a smile. The whole scene was silent for a second, and then a collective cheer broke out.