The Plan

Two years after his return to Constantinople, the city showed no obvious signs of change. It was still shrouded in the despair of an empire on the verge of collapse.

Vitus had no interest in sightseeing. He went straight to Blachernae Palace in the northwestern district and introduced Agnes to his family one by one.

First came Emperor Manuel II and Empress Helena Dragaš, then his eldest brother John, his third brother Andronikos, and his three younger brothers, Constantine, Demetrius, and Thomas.

"What a pretty young beauty. It seems Vitus has been lucky." The Empress smiled warmly as she studied the girl in a pale blue dress.

Agnes had a quiet, refined air about her. She reminded the Empress of a dear friend from her youth and the carefree days they had spent together in a castle.

In retrospect, Agnes had the same delicate features as her friend, and the pearl-white complexion prized by the nobility, unspoiled by the sun. Her pale hair had been carefully braided and tucked into a pearl-studded hairnet. Perhaps the carriage ride had been bumpy: a rebellious curl had slipped free, damp with sweat against her temple and neck, trembling gently as she breathed.

At that moment, the Empress noticed that Agnes seemed uneasy, like a little deer lost in the woods. She took her arm and led her out of the solemn hall.

Once Agnes's figure had vanished down the corridor, Vitus introduced the doctor, Gennaro, who stood behind him. After a brief conversation, the Emperor hired him as the court physician and allowed him to consult the books in Blachernae Palace's library.

At last, the conversation turned to Vitus himself. The Emperor did not rush to question him, but instead looked him straight in the face. Throughout it all, Vitus remained impassive, standing silently in place like a marble statue.

After a long while, John waved for everyone else to leave. Only Emperor Manuel, John, and Vitus remained in the hall.

To break the stalemate, John spoke first. "Actually, I'm partly to blame. I left you in Florence to recover, which led to everything that followed. Vitus, you shouldn't have kept this from your family. Tell Father about the past two years."

"At first, I was trying to protect myself. I helped defend Pistoia..."

He recounted the battles truthfully, without exaggerating his achievements. Instead, he focused on the decisions he had made during each fight and summed up the strengths and mistakes of both sides' commanders.

The conversation continued until four in the afternoon. The Emperor was astonished by this succession of harrowing wars. Instead of scolding Vitus for his recklessness, he turned the discussion to the Principality of Achaea.

In 1204, the Fourth Crusade destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire. The French knight William Champlitte went to the Peloponnese to suppress the remaining forces and established the Principality of Achaea, adopting a Western European feudal system.

The Peloponnese was now divided in two. The Morea region in the east was controlled by the Eastern Roman Empire, while the west belonged to the Principality of Achaea. Manuel had always wanted to reclaim lost territory. Since Vitus was such a capable fighter, perhaps he should be given a chance to try.

John abruptly cut in. "The treasury is empty. Under the agreement we signed last time, we have to pay the Ottomans one hundred thousand gold ducats every year. We can't afford to organize a large-scale military campaign.

"Why not wait a few years? The Latins in Achaea are fighting among themselves. Let them slaughter each other. Once we've accumulated enough money, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Vitus had gathered information about the region. He disagreed with his brother's cautious approach and immediately spoke up.

"Achaea is too weak to be worth wasting our time on. Father, if you agree, I'll gather the troops and launch the campaign at once. I guarantee we'll take the Principality of Achaea within six months.

"Venice and the Ottomans are locked in a fierce conflict. Neither side has the strength to start another war. If we recognize Venice's two transit ports in the southwestern Peloponnese, it will surely accept the fait accompli."

As Vitus remembered it, the Peloponnese's population had grown slowly because of the devastation of war. The eastern Morea region had more than two hundred thousand people, while the Principality of Achaea in the west had even fewer, probably under one hundred thousand.

The weakness of Western European feudalism was its meager income. A duke could not maintain a standing army, nor did he have enough money to hire mercenaries. The only viable strategy was to hold out in the castles scattered across the region.

Vitus studied the map on the wall and sketched out a preliminary campaign route:

The army would land in the southeastern part of the peninsula, then attack Kyparissia on the west coast. Following the coastline counterclockwise, it would seize Andravida and Patras. As long as they blockaded the coast, the few castles left inland would pose no threat. The enemy would surrender within a month.

The Emperor stroked his graying beard and finally agreed to Vitus's proposal. "Once you conquer Achaea, I'll appoint you Despot of Achaea, as is customary. However, you'll need to coordinate with Theodore, the second prince, during this campaign. Proceed with caution. We can't afford another defeat."

Vitus offered a few perfunctory words. In his heart, he thought little of the Principality of Achaea.

Over the past two years, he had fought in sieges, assaults on fortifications, pitched battles on open plains, mountain ambushes, and street fighting. He had taken part in nearly every kind of land battle, including large-scale engagements involving tens of thousands of soldiers, and had accumulated extensive combat experience. The only people he truly feared were the likes of the present-day Jan Zizka, the future Joan of Arc, the "White Knight" Hunyadi, and Skanderbeg.

And Centurione Zaccaria, the Prince of Achaea?

History barely mentioned him. Vitus did not think the man could cause him much trouble. "I'll sail to Florence as soon as possible to recruit mercenaries. Wait for good news!"

John reminded his eager younger brother, "Hey, have you forgotten something? If you leave as soon as possible, what about your wedding to Agnes?"

Vitus was now consumed by thoughts of conquering Achaea. He replied with righteous conviction, "The affairs of state come first. Keep the ceremony simple and have the chamberlain make the arrangements immediately. I'm worried the news will leak. Centurione will have plenty of time to repair the defenses and recruit mercenaries from Italy."

"Ahem. What are you talking about?"

The Emperor loudly rebuked his reckless son. "If the wedding isn't conducted properly, we'll lose the people's respect, and the Di Maggio family will resent you, thinking you haven't shown them the respect they deserve!

"Remember, sometimes you have to put aside your mercenary's way of thinking and look at things from a political perspective. Your foremost identity is always Vitus Palaiologos, not the leader of a mercenary company. And that name you came up with—'Tuna Mercenary Group'—sounds like a gang of fishmongers. Couldn't you choose something more meaningful, something befitting your status?"