Carol Townend - Betrothed to the Barbarian

A sharp kick from Sophia had Theodora’s mouth snapping shut just in time. As she herself had said, they had made it thus far without mishap, it wouldn’t do to fall at the last hurdle. ‘What of Emperor Nikephoros? What has happened to him?’

‘He abdicated, my lady, about two weeks ago.’

The Emperor had abdicated.

‘Two weeks ago,’ she murmured. ‘That would have been about the time we sailed past the Palace.’

‘Yes, my lady. His Imperial Majesty Alexios Komnenos was enthroned on Easter Day. Both he and his wife—Empress Irene—have been crowned.’

Theodora struggled to control her expression, but this news had turned her world upside down.

Sophia gave her a subtle nudge and smiled sweetly at the Captain. ‘Empress Irene is a cousin of our princess, is she not?’

‘Yes, my lady, so I understand.’

Theodora shifted. This would take time to absorb, her young cousin was wearing the Imperial crown. ‘Captain, do you know if Emperor Nikephoros has come to harm?’

‘He is safe, we were informed he has retired from public life. I believe it was at the instigation of the Patriarch.’

Theodora nodded. That made sense, the Patriarch was Bishop of Constantinople, one of the most influential men in the City. That the Patriarch had suggested Emperor Nikephoros should abdicate bore testimony to the weakness of her ‘uncle’s’ regime, he had never been popular. She sighed, not much about Emperor Nikephoros had filtered back to Rascia. He was old, that much she did know.

Theodora had no genuine blood ties with Emperor Nikephoros. The man had seized the throne from her real uncle, Emperor Michael, forcing him to abdicate and retire to a monastery. He had then legitimised his claim to the throne by marrying Emperor Michael’s wife.

‘How ironic that Emperor Nikephoros should himself be forced to abdicate,’ Sophia observed.

Theodora’s thoughts raced on, the coup changed everything. It might invalidate her betrothal to Duke Nikolaos … The old Emperor had pushed for the marriage, but if he were gone …

Can I escape the marriage? Theodora looked longingly at the infant on Sophia’s lap. If I escape marriage with Duke Nikolaos, it will surely be easier to keep Martina.

‘General Alexios Komnenos has become Emperor,’ she murmured.

She might have to revise her plans. Alexios Komnenos was nothing like his aged predecessor. Theodora had a chance of hiding what she had done from the old Emperor. But the new one? Alexios Komnenos was young and vigorous, he was reputed to be highly intelligent. Holy Mother, the last thing she needed was a young, vigorous and intelligent emperor! It would be hard, if not impossible, to pull the wool over his eyes. And extremely dangerous if she were found out …

‘Yes, my lady,’ Captain Brand said. ‘Komnenos had the backing of the generals. The army was camped outside the City walls for weeks.’

‘The army?’ Theodora went very still. She had gone sharply, horribly cold. ‘I don’t suppose you know if Duke—General—Nikolaos of Larissa was with them?’

The Varangian Captain reached for the door latch. ‘Yes, my lady, I believe he returned from Larissa shortly before the coup. Duke Nikolaos is loyal to Emperor Alexios. He is his Commander-in-Chief.’

‘Where is he now?’

‘The Emperor?’

‘No, Duke Nikolaos, the Commander-in-Chief.’ Theodora watched Captain Brand’s eyebrows lift, her question had surprised him, as well it might. She rushed to explain. ‘I … I was wondering if you had heard whether … whether the Princess and the Duke have had a chance to meet?’

‘My lady, I have no idea. But if you would care to warn the other ladies about what has happened at Court, I would be grateful.’

‘Certainly, Captain,’ Sophia said. ‘Thank you for keeping us informed.’

The Captain bowed. ‘Lady Sophia, please ask the ladies to gather their belongings together. We shall board within the hour. It is only a short sail down the Bosphoros. The galley should reach the Palace Harbour early this evening.’

‘Thank you, Captain, I shall inform the others.’

When the door clicked behind the captain, Theodora sank on to the bench. ‘Holy Mother—he’s in the City! Duke Nikolaos is already in the City.’

Sophia nodded. ‘Yes, my lady.’

Martina gave a small murmur. Theodora’s throat tightened, somehow she straightened her spine. ‘I can put this off no longer, there must be no more delays. We must get to the Palace, and quickly. I can’t expect Katerina to meet the Duke in my stead.’

Duke Nikolaos of Larissa, dark hair whipped by the wind, was riding like a demon into the mêlée on the Palace polo field when he realised his manservant Elias had returned and was waiting for him by the sea wall. Reining in sharply, Nikolaos wheeled Hermes about and spurred away from the action.

‘Devil take you, Niko! What are you playing at?’ a team-mate cried, with scant regard for formality, as the ball hurtled across the turf. Duke Nikolaos was General of the Athanatoi Cavalry and Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, but he had made it clear that in this practice session, he was playing with friends. He was not on his warhorse today. Hermes was small and light-boned. Hermes was built for speed.

‘ Niko. ’ Another player leaned out of the saddle and took a wild swipe at the ball flying beneath his horse’s hooves. Missing the ball, the man righted himself with difficulty.

‘Damn you, Niko,’ he bawled, as his general trotted from the field.

Nikolaos swung his mallet over one shoulder and grinned. ‘A thousand apologies, I have business to attend to. In any case, I fear the girth is going on this saddle.’

A chorus of shouts and groans went up. ‘We’re a man short.’

‘Curse it, Niko, you can’t retreat mid-game.’

‘Keep practising,’ Niko said. ‘There’s less than a month before the tournament—the tournament, I remind you, that the Athanatoi shall win.’ He gestured at a lad standing with the reserve horses on the edge of the field. ‘Zeno?’

‘General?’

‘Take my place, will you?’

The boy’s eyes lit up and he vaulted on to the back of one of the horses. ‘Gladly. Thank you, my lord.’

‘It’s your first time in the field, isn’t it, Zeno?’

‘Yes, General.’

‘It looks like a game and so it is. But one word of warning, it’s a ruthless one. Take no prisoners. Those miscreants …’ with a grin, Nikolaos jerked his head at the men he had assigned to the opposite team ‘… will show you no mercy. Remember that, and there’s a chance you will keep your seat.’

‘Yes, General.’

Nikolaos swung from the saddle, tossing the reins to Elias. His stallion’s brown coat was flecked with foam. ‘You delivered my message?’

‘Yes, my lord.’

Elias looked troubled. One of the reasons Nikolaos had kept Elias as his manservant for so long was that he never dissembled or lied to him. And that, as Nikolaos had learned, was a rare and precious quality. ‘Don’t tell me, the Princess is still ailing?’

‘Apparently so, my lord.’

A cypress at the edge of the polo ground was swaying slightly in the onshore breeze. Nikolaos scowled at it. ‘That’s twice I’ve sent messages to her apartment. I take it you saw no sign of her this time either?’

It had occurred to Nikolaos that Princess Theodora might be hiding from him, but that would seem absurd. She was an Imperial princess and the former Emperor, the man who had married her aunt, had approved their marriage.

She could not have taken a dislike to me, since we have never met.

Elias was shaking his head. ‘Not as much as a glimpse, my lord. All I saw was a handful of maidservants and a guard assigned to her apartment. Other than that her chambers were quiet.’