Tyranny Of Steel

Vetranis sat in his office with an exhausted expression on his face. The man had been through much during his reign as the Byzantine Emperor, however with the world changing so drastically in such a short period, he wanted nothing more than to retire to a peaceful life in the countryside.

Of course, now was a time of crisis, and thus the man was needed. In fact, he was not the only one. All heroes of Byzantium were required to stand up and defend the glory of Rome from the barbarians who were at the gates.

Times had changed before the Romans truly understood what was happening. A thousand years ago. It was the Germans who were at Rome’s gates. Yet now the descendents of these barbarians were not only Constantinople’s greatest ally, but were also the supreme hegemon of the western world. 

As Vetranis sat in his office, he was surrounded by his wife, two of his three surviving children and all of his advisors, who had crammed into the room for an announcement from the Byzantine Emperor. Normally such an important declaration would be held in the Great Hall, but in all honesty the man was too tired to give a shit about formalities. 

With a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in another, both of which were imported from the Reich. Vetranis sighed heavily as he made his decree, knowing that it was sure to infuriate more than half of those who were present. 

“The barbarians are at the gates, and our Empire is surrounded on all sides. It is with this in mind that I am announcing the conscription of a large force of men. Who will be supplied with weapons that remain in our storage. Beneath my command, we will march south to deal with the Saracens who seek to take advantage of our current weakened state.

This campaign of mine is likely to result in my death, and it is because of this that I now formally announce my successor. As you all know, my second son Decentius died years ago, after plotting against his sister, where he murdered the late Strategos Arethas.  He sired no children and thus left no potential heirs.

As for my other two sons, Quintus has repeatedly proven he is unfit to rule through his pacifistic mindset, which has undoubtedly led us to our current crisis. In fact, I can say with the utmost certainty, should my position fall into the hands of my eldest child, our Empire will not survive another decade.

Normally, this would leave me with one option. My youngest son Aurelius, as you all know, has spent his entire life fleeing from the responsibilities he, as an Imperial Prince, is burdened with. Rather than take an interest in court politics, he has chosen to live his life in absolute hedonism. Caring more about wine and women than his own family. As a result, he is equally unfit to rule as his elder brothers. 

This leaves me with only one clear choice. Though my chosen successor may be a bit young. I feel as if he has been raised in a way most suited to becoming emperor. It is with a heavy heart that I announce my grandson, Alexandros Palaiologos, as my one and only heir. Should I pass from this world before the boy comes of age to properly sit upon my throne, then let it be known that his father, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, shall be regent over all of Byzantium.”

This announcement was so shocking that nearly everyone who was gathered immediately voiced their discontent. Chief among them was Vetranis’ wife Olympia. 

“What did you just say?”

However, despite the tone in the woman’s voice, Vetranis did not back down, and merely glared at her before responding. 

“You heard what I said. As of this moment, Alexandros is my heir!”

After saying this, Vetranis signed a document in front of dozens of witnesses which proclaimed his grandson to be his sole successor. Among everyone present, only Palladius remained calm when witnessing this decree. 

The German ambassador to the Byzantine Empire was also present for this declaration, and though he was aware of Berengar’s plans for the region, he did not expect such a thing to occur so soon. However, after dwelling upon the dire situation that Constantinople now found itself in, the ambassador could only nod his head in agreement with Vetranis’ decision. 

For the first time in a long time, Aurelius, the errant son, spoke up in discontent. Throughout his entire life, he had never bothered with court politics, but at this moment, he felt wronged, and could not help but express his grievance.

“Father, you can’t be serious. Alexandros is an outsider. He may be a Palaiologos in name, but he has been raised since his birth in Austria. I doubt he even speaks our language! How many times has the boy come to visit his homeland? This alone is proof of where his loyalties lie. If you were to give the throne to such a child, then when the time comes for his ascension, our Empire will become nothing more than a puppet of the Germans!”

There were several heads which nodded in agreement with Aurelius’ words. For once in the man’s life, he had made an astute observation. Even a broken clock was right twice a day. However, despite his concerns, the response his father made had completely surprised him and everyone else in the room.

“And what of it? By having a von Kufstein sitting upon our throne, we can gain many benefits, far more than if I selected you or your brother to lead this Empire. I am not merely looking after the good of our family, but all Romans.

Though Alexandros may be Palaiologos in name only, he is still a member of my dynasty. And the fact of the matter is, the boy is the best candidate to succeed me, and he is the most likely to restore the glory of the Romans that we once held many years ago.” 

Though Aurelius wanted to argue against this point, he really had nothing to say. He had never wanted to be a ruler, and wasted his life running away from such responsibilities. Decentius got himself killed pursuing the role, and even then he would not have made a great emperor.

As for Quintus, he was a man that Aurelius despised more than all, and would with certainty lead the Byzantine Empire over the cliff, so to speak. Thus, after careful contemplation, the man bowed his head before responding to his father’s words with a begrudging acceptance. 

“Very well, if that is father’s wish, then who am I to reject it…” 

Though Quintus wanted to say something in his defense, he chose to remain silent. Since his father had made up his mind, there was no use trying to convince him. Especially with their current relationship. Still, he did not feel right allowing that warmonger’s son to take the throne. If such a thing were to occur, he felt as if the Byzantine Empire would find itself embroiled in wars for centuries to come. 

Despite Quintus’ concerns, nobody spoke up on his behalf, and because of this, the Byzantine Empire’s fate was sealed. Though Vetranis knew it would be the end of the Palaiologos dynasty as it currently stood. He also knew that the Empire would thrive with a von Kufstein on the throne, and had chosen to put his faith in his grandson, or more specifically, the man behind him.