Chapter 166: A love story between an empress and an emperor
Chapter 166: A love story between an empress and an emperor
“Hang on a minute…
You are telling me that I have a long-lost aunt who has the right to inherit my grandfather’s empire and the great eastern Roman empire! “
Guido made a sign with his hand for the princess to lower the noise in her voice “Princess, that was one of the greatest secrets of your grandfather and Empress Irene.
Only I and four other people know this information, as to whether her aunt is still alive is something I do not know because her mother Empress Irene was overthrown and exiled after a civil war. “
Adelaide who was still processing the information rested her hands on the table and massaged her temples.
“How did it happen and why didn’t anyone find out about my aunt?”
Guido closed the wooden window and sat opposite the princess while looking at her seriously.
“Your grandfather was quite a busy man during the 787, all due to the constant conquests he had been making in the ancient lands of the Western Roman Empire.
How do you know he had the dream of being an emperor and of regaining the glory of what was once Rome, that is why during the many conquests he made in the east.
You may not know it, but during that year the seventh meeting of the ecumenical council was held in Nicaea, basically, bishops and monks from East and West met.
To discuss an interpretation of Christianity known as an iconoclast, the council decided to declare it heresy and supported the free use of images to represent Christ and the Christian rite.
But that is not what interests us, since it was only the reason why your grandfather managed to meet Empress Irene.
At Nicea, in the fall your grandfather attended at the personal invitation of the High Pontiff because at that time he was one of the most powerful people in Europe.
As one of the members of his Praetorian Guard, I attended along with other companions as we had to do your grandfather’s personal guard.
After a trip that lasted a few weeks, we managed to reach a beautiful city in Nice, where we were personally received by Empress Irene and her son Constantine VI.
At that moment I only had to see your grandfather realize that he had fallen in love with Empress Irene. To my surprise, I could also see the mischievous look and the Empress.
During the time that our stay in Nicaea lasted, your grandfather and my empress first met in a friendly way, but in a short time, their entire relationship became very distorted.
Because even once I could see them roll on the silk blankets in the room where your grandfather slept.
After this, the two of them had a long-distance relationship, but occasionally your grandfather and the empress would meet at the border of the two empires with the excuse of checking the borders.
This lasted some years until in the year 790, your grandfather found out that Irene was pregnant, far from being upset he was so happy that he would not stop talking about his future child.
In one of the many meetings your grandfather was having with Irene, they reached a compromise that if she had a male child, the two of them would fight to be the heir to everything they had to achieve the unification of the Roman Empire.
But if she was a woman, then they would take care of her so that she did not lack anything, but nevertheless, they would never talk about the fruit of their love for which Irene promised to get a false father for her daughter in case it was necessary.
Although, as you can imagine, the one who was born was not a boy but rather a girl whom your grandfather called Kassia, unfortunately, he was only able to see her during the first years of her life as Irene had to face a civil war caused by her son Constantine VI.
After that, your grandfather can no longer see his daughter. That brought him a lot of pain because he could never take care of her as she deserved.
But what really location or great devastation was when Irene was deposed in a civil war, at that moment your grandfather lost contact with the woman he loved and with his daughter.
Although he sent some spies to be able to recover his daughter and her lover, the civil war and the great amount of chaos that was within the Byzantine empire made it impossible to recover them.
It was one of the things your grandfather regretted the most before he died. “
After hearing this Adelaide who had some tears in her eyes looked at Guido “It is a sad story but why is that aunt of mine named Kassia so important or why not inform my father about it?”
Guido took a deep breath and gave Adelaide an empathetic smile. “Your grandfather would never tell this information to your father or your late uncles, as it is very likely that they would have tried to find your aunt to murder her or do worse.
As for why I am telling you, this is quite simple, like me there are other people who know this secret and at this moment the empire is in rebellion.
So it is likely that the truth about your aunt will be known, at that moment she is going to become a real danger for you because she will be a contender for the throne.
Your brothers and different people are going to look for your aunt by land and sea, not to mention that it is possible that the current emperor of the Byzantine empire will also look for her.
Well, it is also going to represent a real problem for his reign, so the question I want to ask you is what are you going to do with your aunt if you find her first or if you capture her at some point. “
Adelaide sighed and closed her eyes for a moment because she was thinking of an answer that was good enough for her.
“I think I would simply turn her into a nun so that she would lose her rights to inherit the empire, also if what you say is true my aunt should already be at an age where she cannot have children.
But if it were, it could die, so it is in a very complicated situation because it is not possible for it to have children. “
Guido laughed at the princess’s answer and shook his head “You are too innocent princess, you should know that even if you make her a nun.
There will always be people interested in her, so do not doubt that they can put their lives at risk just to have a son or daughter with her.
But if that does not work, it is enough for her to adopt any child so that she automatically has inheritance rights, especially if she does it with the support of an important family, then things would be complicated.
Before he died, your grandfather asked me if at any time his daughter represented a danger to the empire that he only look for a substitute who looked like him to kill her.
That way only the name would die but not the person, that is why Princess Adelaide, I would like to ask you to kill the name of your aunt but without putting her life in danger.
This I know I say as the last will of his grandfather. “
Adelaide bit her lip for a few seconds before looking at Guido “If that is my grandfather’s last wish, so be it, I will take care of murdering Kassia’s name, while I will give my aunt a property in some beautiful area for her to live her years.
This regardless of whether she is used to fighting against me or my father, I will defend her so that she does not lose her life. “
Guido was delighted with the words of the princess, “You do not know how happy those words make me princess, it is one of the few requests that your grandfather left to us Praetorians.
But hey I think we’ve been talking for a long time and if we don’t follow your father’s orders then I can see trouble for both of us.
Although I think it would mainly take them away with me, the last thing I want is to end up as traitors who must be hanged. “
After saying these words, the two left that wooden building and went to where the troops were gathering the corpses.
After arriving, Guido gave them the indication that they will begin to place ropes around all the corpses and that they began to hang them on the city walls.
The soldiers looked at each other for a few moments and with some discomfort began to place ropes around the corpses of the guards and families of those who had been killed in the city.
All of them to be considered traitors did not have the privilege of receiving respect for their corpses, so naked men, children, and women were hung around the entire wall.
Ludovico, who was appreciating how the corpses began to adorn the wall, relaxed his mood because he was somewhat annoyed because they had taken longer than normal.
‘I suppose the Praetorian must have talked to my daughter, although maybe he should be a bit upset I don’t think it matters.
Adelaide has earned my trust. If I had wanted at any time it would have ended my life but it did not do it, unlike my ungrateful children.
Who did not hesitate to rebel against me despite the fact that I, like their father, take care of them since they were brats, they are ungrateful who are going to pay with their lives and then go for those damned pagans from the north. ‘