THRONES AND HEARTS

(a scenario sketch) 

Copyright © 2022 by John M. Dandoulakis – Ιωάννης Μ. Δανδουλάκης

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Ariadne stands in despair at the window of kyr-Synadenos’ mansion, overlooking the Keratios gulf. She takes a deep breath of the light breeze that is mixed with the strong earthly scents of nature with the sea air that flows in from the Bosporus.

But Ariadne feels unable to fully enjoy the beauty of Spring; she is frustrated and furious.

She has long black hair and white skin. She is of medium stature.

Again, this morning at the gynaikonitis of Hagia Sophia, her mother was pressing at kyra-Eforvini to finally arrange a meeting for her son Theodoros and Ariadne. “Ugh! This fat ugly idiot! How dare she bargain me away like that… just for the money!”.

«Dorothea!” she turned imperiously to her maid, “you will send a message to Arsenios right now! Tell him that if he doesn’t want to lose me forever, he must press his parents to come with a marriage proposal as soon as possible.”

It is April of the year 1097, and it’s Great Friday of the Holy Week before Easter, during the reign of Basileus Alexios Komninos. Outside the city walls, the Frankish Crusaders have set their camp in Kosmidion, just opposite the Blachernae Palace.

Stavros and his sister Martha are walking out of the Gate of Blachernae, taking a load of fresh vegetables to sell to the Latins. They are following the large procession of the many merchants and citizens of Constantinople who do the same, every day.

“At least we can make some coin out of these filthy barbarians”, said Stavros.

However, an unusual hustle is brewing around the Crusader’s camp today. The Roman Emperor Alexios Komnenos had invited an envoy of knights led by count Godfrey of Boullion, to discuss with them the terms of their journey to Jerusalem and convince them to give an oath of allegiance to him. But as the Frankish envoy has entered the City since the early morning, the time passes and no word is heard from them. It’s taking long and the Franks are growing restless and this does not bode well for the Byzantine citizens.

Stavros and Martha are inside the camp now and look around for a place to stand and sell their goods. But an angry noise interrupts their business:

“The Greek king has taken our Knights captive!” an angry voice is heard in the air. Suddenly a great rumble rises from all around and the crowd of Byzantine citizens starts to run away in a complete chaotic manner.

All of a sudden Frankish soldiers start attacking the people of the city, who had come out to sell their products.

Suddenly the Frankish soldiers are taking up arms and begin to gather up to attack the city!

“Martha, stay close to me!” shouts Stavros.

All around them, now, men, women and children who had come to help them, run and scream in despair. They run back towards the Gate of Blachernae and as there is no order or calmness, many fall down and are trampled over.

“What do we have here lads, huh?!” suddenly Stavros looks beside him and sees four men reaching at him and his sister.

“Beware of the Greeks ever if they bear gifts, huh!” chuckled nastily one of them.

Quickly, Martha grabs a wooden stick in her hands and takes a defensive position. “It’s a good thing I had foresaw to come here armed”, said Stavros while he unsheathed his sword.

Brother and sister stand back-to-back and ready to fight for their lives.

“Come on then, you animals!” Martha shouts bravely.

Stavros has grabbed one of his wooden crates and is using it as shield, while holding his sword on the right hand.

“What are you gonna do little kids, now?” laughed another Frank and five soldiers attacked the two siblings at the same time.

Stavros killed two of them and Martha manages to hold off all attacks, but more Franks are arriving now.

“Stoooop!” suddenly a man from a horse shouted, and dismounted.

His is definitely a higher officer, even a baron perhaps. He wears a thick cloack and moves about majestically. He dispersed the soldier attacking Stavros and Martha and slowly approached them.

“These two are wild ones”, he said and examined them with a threatening look.

Stavros and Martha suddenly felt the edges of multiple swords touching on their backs and shoulders. They looked around and realised they were completely surrounded.

“Take them inside Gilbert”, he turned and gave the order to the soldier. “I want to think about what to do with them”.

“Yes, my liege, lord Roland”, said the soldier.

………………………..

Meanwhile… inside the Palace of Blachernae Emperor Alexios is having a long meeting with count Godfrey of Boullion, the leader of the Crusade and his entourage of knights.

The emperor is giving a speech:

“My noble lords, in His infinite wisdom, our Lord Jesus Christ, granted the imperial scepters of the Ecumene to Saint Constantine centuries ago. And through him, to all Emperors of Constantinople. Now, if you have journeyed all this way in response to the Divine call to liberate the Holy Lands, then surely you must understand that fulfilling your holy quest, requires allegiance to the one and only supreme Christian Basileus on Earth. God has led you to Constantinople for this reason!”

“The Greeks are no successors of the glory of Rome! And Jerusalem and the Holy Lands are not part of your earthly kingdom, my King” shouted impudently count Bohemund of Taranto.

“Behave yourself Norman! This is not how Christians are supposed to behave to their host!” intervened count Raymond of Toulouse.

Alexios remained calm and was getting ready to reply, when suddenly a man rushed inside the hall. It was general Manuel Boutoumitis, one of the most trusted men of emperor.

“You Majesty! You must stop all talk with these barbarians right now! They are lying to you! Their visit here was a trap, to distract you!” he said in one breath.

“Relax now, my strategos, what are you talking about?” Alexios asked him.

“Your Majesty! The Franks are attacking the City right now! Come, look outside the window!” said Boutoumitis.

Immediately Godfrey, Raymond and Bohemund look startled: “An attack?! What? How? … We didn’t order any attack!” all the counts reacted in genuine surprise and anguish.

Alexios looks out the window and indeed realises the situation. The Crusader army has risen up from the camp at Kosmidion and whole detachments have deployed in front of the City walls, already attacking the city with a rain of arrows and running towards the gates. The crowd of citizens is rushing back inside and the whole situation is a complete mess.

Alexios turns back in the hall: “Everyone, please remain calm!”

Then he turns to Boutoumitis and talks to him in private “Don’t let any of them escape, keep them all here and I will make sure to end this as soon as possible”.

Boutoumitis turns to the gathered counts, “Now you are all under arrest!” he shouted “Guards surround them!” he gave the order to the Varangians.

………………

Meanwhile, Dorothea had reached the mansion of the Kondylis household. She sneaked from the backyard and headed right to the kitchen to find her friend Theoni.

“Theoni, you have to help me!” she said “Ariadne is very worried. Arsenios must make a move soon! Eforvinos is going to propose to her at Easter!”

“Oh, come on now Dorothea, you know there is not much you or me can do. My lord Arsenios Kondylis spends all his days partying out. Of course, he fancies your lady, Ariadne (and what young noble in Constantinople doesn’t) but I really doubt he will ever get serious with her… I am sorry to disappoint you…”

Theoni turns back at the Synadeni household and gives Ariadne the discouraging news.

“Noooo!” Ariadne cries in despair… “If you stupid servants cannot do a simple job for me, I will go and find him myself!” she said to Dorothea and got ready to move out.

“But my lady… you can’t go out alone… especially not at the infamous taverns that he hangs out”.

“He’s not at the taverns!” Ariadne interrupted sharply: “he is at the stadium playing tzykanion with his friends!”

“My lady, please… I only wish for your happiness… and if I may speak… Arsenios Kondylis is not very famous for his prudence and sobriety…”

“How dare you woman!” Ariadne interrupted her even more angrily: “He is a noble like me! Now give me my cloak! I have to go out!”

Poor Dorothea obeyed quietly. Ariadne rushed out the mansion and Dorothea followed her discretely from a distance.

………………

Back at the Blachernae Palace, emperor Alexios is giving his orders.

“All the walls in front of the attack must be fully manned by archers, while the wall engines will fire endlessly against the attackers. Do it NOW!”

“Yes, your majesty” replied Boutoumitis.

“You my strategos”, he turned to Nikephoros Bryennios, “ gather the tagmata of the Athanatoi and every man on foot who can fight. Call all young nobles to service immediately!”

………………………

Meanwhile a young man visits the house of the Kontakios family; Stavros and Martha’s family. His name is Stefanos the Cypriot, a young man with black curly hair and green eyes.

“They are not here, my boy” Stavros and Martha’s mother, kyra-Eleni said to him. “They went to the Crusaders’ camp to sell”.

“What are you saying kyra-Eleni?!” Stefanos replied worried “And they haven’t come back yet?”

“No, but why are you worried my son?”

“Because the Crusaders are attacking the City right now!” says Stefanos and rushes out the house.

“I have to go and find them kyra-Eleni”.

Stefanos is in love with Martha.

He heads straight to Michael Doxarios’ house. He is the only friend he can trust.

“Michael come with me, quickly now. The Crusaders have taken Stavros and Martha captive, I am sure of it. We have to go and save them”.

“Stefanos, hold on a minute, how are you going to save them? With what weapons?” replied Michael.

“Come down to my cellar. My father has hidden weapons there” he concluded.

Down in the cellar they found chainmail shirts and helmets for both of them, as well as arms, lots of arms.

“Oh my God…! Stefane, your father… Hahaha! This is not just a cellar; this is a whole armory!” Michael was thrilled.

“Ok Michael, a mace and an axe will be enough for me. I only want to be light and fast on my feet”, said Stefanos.

Michael remained speechless, he simply grabbed a spathion and a mace and they both ventured outside.

…………………..

Meanwhile…

Ariadne is rushing towards the field where Arsenios Kondylis and his friends play tzykanion. And this field is close to the Vlachernae Palace… which means it is close to the City walls… which means it is close the attack of the Crusaders on the City…

Ariadne is heading to certain danger and she doesn’t know.

Around the Blachernae Palace, strategos Nikephoros Bryennios is gathering the Athanatoi tagma and the imperial heavy cavalry.

An imperial officer sees the group of Arsenios’ friends playing on the field.

“You boys! Stop your game right now! It is imperial order! The City is under attack by Crusaders. All young nobles report to your cavalry stations immediately!”

But Arsenios Kondylis, a tall and slim youngster, with blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin, is not a man to fight. He is a weak, cowardly rich brat.

In the midst of the trouble, and while the rest of this friends were rushing to the call of the imperial officer, Arsenios sneaked like a chicken to the back of the field and rushed to go home.

“I am not an idiot to go and die today against those barbarian Franks” he said to himself. So, he rode his horse away from the field pretending to along with the rest of his friends, but on the way, he sneaked behind the first corner of a building.

……………..

Meanwhile, Dorothea was following Ariadne from a distance, who now reached the field were Arsenios and his friends were playing but she found no one.

Frustrated as she was, she turned back to return home, but just then she saw Arsenios sneaking away on his horse.

“Arsenie!” she called on him, “Arsenie!” but he, without turning to look, started to move even faster.

“Arsenie, it’s me, Ariadne… please wait, I need to talk to you!”

Reluctantly he turned back and saw Ariadne rushing towards him.

“Ariadne!” he exclaimed surprised, “how… what are you doing here?! You… you have to go back to safety, there is war on the City’s walls!”

“Oh please, just let me talk to you”! Ariadne pleaded. “It’s time for you to fulfill your promises to me. Do you remember your promises?”

“Oh…”, Arsenios hesitated, “oh, my promises, yes of course my love, my promises!”

“Arsenie, things have become serious, my mother has arranged for that… standing ox, Eforvinos, to come and ask my hand in marriage! They are going to do it on Easter Sunday… unless you come first, my love! You have to come first and ask to marry me or else you will lose me forever!”

“Oh wow!” Arsenios was completely terrified now. “Your hand in marriage?! But… but it’s too early Ariadne…”

“Arsenie! What are you talking about?!” Ariadne shouts in anger. “Do you love me or not?!”

“I… I don’t know Ariadne, Of course I love you, but… I am too young… I don’t know if I want to marry yet…” Arsenios mumbles and slowly turns away, rides on his horse and moves out fast.

“What?!!! You had promised me… YOU COWARD!!!!!” Ariadne is left stranded….

………………………….

In the meantime, poor plumpy Dorothea had finally caught up behind her.

“My lady, come home quickly! There is war on the City walls!” shouted Dorothea in anguish, and already without realising it the two women had reached far too near the part of the wall where the attack was happening.

Suddenly Ariadne and Dorothea looked up and they realised that arrows were flying whistling just above their heads!

“Oh Dorothea… what does it matter now?” said Ariadne in utter despair, “Arsenios just dumped me! she shouted, “do you understand what this means? I have to spend the rest of my life with that cabbage faced moron…”

Suddenly, two men dressed up for battle, pass running in front of them; Stefanos and Michael are looking for a way out the City.

“Wait a second… I know this guy!” said Dorothea… “Stefane!” she shouted.

Stefanos stopped and looked to realise that it was his friend Dorothea who was calling him.

“Oh Dorothea… what are you doing here?!” he said.

“Well, what are you doing here?!” replied Dorothea…

“Stavros and Martha didn’t return from the Crusaders’ camp; they have been taken captives”.

“We are going to get them free” completed Michael Doxarios, while his eyes had been fixed upon Ariadne.

“Well, then… follow me!” said Dorothea.

“Follow you, to where?” exclaimed Stefanos.

“Come Cypriot! I will show you a small gate to get out of the City. You cannot pass through the battle!” Dorothea said.

…………………..

In the meantime, imperial troops upon the walls are showering down the besieging Crusaders with a rain of arrows, ballistrae, catapults and all kinds of war engines. At the same time on the ground, ceasar Nikephoros Vryennios gathered foot soldiers, from noble and common citizens alike and the Athanatoi heavy cavalry too. The infantrymen were armed with spears and lances and formed a phalanx formation, with light archers protecting its flanks. They opened the gate of St. Romanos and sallied forth against the Crusaders.

…………………………

Our company of friends has found a small gate at the walls and sneaked outside, bypassed the flanks of the besieging Franks and Normans and headed straight to the Crusaders’ camp, where they knew that Stavros and Martha were kept captive. They reached the outskirts of the camp and laid low.

“And now what do we do? We don’t know where they keep them,” said Dorothea.

“Hmm… You leave that to us…” replied Stefanos.

“No wait!” Ariadne suddenly stopped them as Michael and Stefanos were prepared to go and play heroes. “I have a better idea…” she said.

Now Ariadne and Dorothea are walking towards one of the tents of the camp, where two Normans are standing guard.

“Hey… halt! What are you doing here?!” said the guards, and prepared to grab them for  prisoners.

“Oh Dorothea, you idiot!” Ariadne pretended to be angry at her maid. “I told you this was the wrong way! Please forgive us sir, we were only trying to go to the sea…”

But the Normans were not convinced and had already grabbed the two women from their hands and begun dragging them away. Just then, Stefanos and Michael sneaked from behind and knocked them both down. They dragged them back behind the tent.

“Wake up! Wake up you bastard!” Stefanos was smacking the Normans on the face, while Michael was throwing water at their faces.

“Ahh” … the Norman woke up and was ready to shout out but Stefanos put a clothe in his mouth.

“NOW, you will tell us where you are keeping the two Greeks. A young man and his sister. You will TELL US or I will slit your throat Latin!” Stefanos growled and pushed his sword against the Norman’s throat.

The Norman, reluctantly got up on his feet and the two Greeks pushed him to show them the way to their friends.

“Point with you hand Latin!” said Michael untied his hands.

A few tents down the Norman stopped and raised his hand, pointing at one of the tents.

Stefanos tied the Norman’s hands again and Michael turned to the women:

“Now, this is your part girls. We need to stay and keep this Norman while making sure that the camp doesn’t realise our presence. You will sneak from behind the tent and go inside to free our friends. Take this knife!” Michael said to Ariadne and as their hands touched, they had a little moment, staring at each other’s eyes.

“Come on now my kyra!” Dorothea chastised her, “we need to hurry!”

So, the two women sneaked along behind the tent, where Stavros and Martha were kept in.

“What are you doing my kyra?!” asked Dorothea.

“What do you mean Dorothea?” replied Ariadne.

“Don’t pretend to me! I saw how the way you looked at Michael! Only a few minutes ago you were in love with Arsenios…!”

“Ha! Now is not for this Dorothea! Move on!” said Ariadne and were now just at the back of the prison-tent.

They crawled inside.

“Shhhh!” did Dorothea immediately to the astounded brother and sister.

Ariadne quickly cut the ropes on their hands.

Martha fell hard into Stefanos’ hug.

“There are guards outside!” Stavros signed, but Martha immediately pointed behind them.

There were some wooden stools, a ladle and a frying pan.

“Those will do just right!” nodded Martha and all the four of them armed themselves with those makeshift weapons.

They went over to the guards silently and slowly from behind and knocked them down unconscious.

“There now!” pointed Ariadne to where Michael and Stefanos remained hidden and the company of friends ran towards the spot and then all of them quickly out of the Crusaders’ camp.

Back in the City, the imperial cavalry had already charged outside the walls attacking the besieging Crusaders. But while the initial impetus of the attacking cavalry served well to break the first lines of the Franko-Normans, the Crusaders managed to hold their ground and, while the defenders from the City walls continued to rain the Crusaders with all kinds of projectiles, the battle was still continuing uneven. At that moment emperor Alexios decided to throw into the fight his own imperial guard, made up of Varangian but also other Romans who were provenly loyal to him. So, with the Crusaders finally broke up their lines and withdrew.

Back at the Palace general Manuel Boutoumitis re-enteren the throne hall, where emperor Alexios and the Franko-Norman counts and earls had waited all this time.

“Your majesty! The ungodly enemies, who desecrated this Holy Day, are defeated!” he proclaimed triumphantly in front of the Basileus. “Now bow down to your Emperor!” he turned and shouted at the Crusaders.

At that moment, count Godfrey of Boullion and the other most important counts and earls of the Crusade bowed their knee to Basileus Alexios Komninos and swore the oath to him that: “whatever towns, countries or forts he managed to take which had formerly belonged to the Roman Empire, he would deliver up to the Governor expressly sent by the Emperor for this purpose”.

 

 Copyright © 2022 by John M. Dandoulakis – Ιωάννης Μ. Δανδουλάκης