Chapter 16: The Great Triumph

"Yes, Mega Doux, our new admiral has returned with the greatest victory that the empire has ever seen." Replied Andronikos Laskaris, an advisor in the court of Constantine.

"I see, I see, that's indeed a great news." Loukas stopped his hands from trembling and took some effort to calm himself.

"I'm sorry Andronikos, I am just over-joyyed you see."

"Yes, I understand, I almost fell when I heard the news too! All Romans, including the Basileus, is rejoicing in the news of this triumph. The Basileus has called for a grand feast in celebration to be held in the grand ball room of the Palace of Blachernae with all Romans." Andronikos laughed, having a tipsy from drinking too much wine.

The Mega Doux Loukas looked out of the window, he can see and hear the Romans and sailors exclaiming with joy, sailors without hair and eyebrow is dancing with young Roman women with mead being offered to them continuously. In the middle of them is another man without hair, but donning a royal purple cloak, dancing around like his limbs are made of noodles, his face is filled with delight and pride like that of a child.

Loukas closed his eyes and walked away, allowing the palace maid to clear up the mess left by him. He still has a lot of things to do, as the head of state, Mega Doux, he shall be responsible for the arrangement of the celebration later.

…

The city of Constantinople hasn't been so bustling with laughter for a long, long time. People have always been in the impression of hearing negative news almost every single year with the continuous shrinking of the empire. It is either which city is lost today, or which fortress is captured tomorrow. They have been living under the non luminous shadow of Ottoman Conquerors for too long, since the childhood of most of the people. However today is a day that they can say with their chests up high, that Roman army has defeated the Ottomans just looking at the sheer amount of loot their navy has acquired.

People lined to welcome their heroic army, offering the hairless sailors sweet mead, white lilies and memorable kisses by Roman women. All the way from harbour of Neorion, to Forum of Constantine, then to Forum of Theodosius, which has a Roman triumphal column erected in honour of emperor Theodosius the first.

The crowd then rushed forward, hugging Antonius and placed a Laurel wreath on top of his bald head, and tosses him up high in the sky again and again before the ancient ruins of the Triumphal Arch, it is said that every victorious Roman army must parade through the Triumphal Arch and then they can be surveyed and rewarded by the pagan Roman emperor and senate back in the old city of Roma.

The mood of carnival filled the Forum of Theodosius, sailors hugging with their lovers, returning boys and their families, and also, of course, sailors handing over the remains of their decreased comrades to their loved ones.

People from all walks of lives, from different areas of trade, from all backgrounds, all cultures can be seen here celebrating their victory together. Different tongues including Greek, Latin, Ottoman Turkish, Russian, Copts, Frankish can be heard celebrating and drinking together. The people of Rome haven't had such a moment to drink all they want since the Coronation of Constantine XI.

Antonius is deeply soaked in this atmosphere and fully relaxed, dancing and hugging a shy Roman girl with his left arm, and holding a beaker of mead that was just offered him, giving a toast to Abdullah, who is doing the same thing. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves that they did not even notice the passing of time.

…

Later that day, in evening, a massive feast is being held in the grand ball room of the Palace of Blachernae.

The atmosphere here is much more stricter than just now, the emperor Constantine seating on the imperial throne on top, fully dressed, donning a royal purple cloak, gold-plated chest armour decorated in fashionable tassels, wearing his Imperial Diadem and holding his double head eagle sceptre.

While Antonius seats on the right side of the table followed by Giovanni, Abdullah, Abraham, Julian, and other victorious captains in this battle. On the left seats the Mega Doux Loukas, Andronikos and other Roman nobles. Everyone including Antonius remained silent looking at the emperor and awaits his orders.

"So, gentlemen, Lord De' Ricci, our mégas droungarios , blessed by Blessed Virgin Mary and the Trinity, has achieved a landslide triumph against an…unknown fleet of pirate belonging to a barbarian state that has been rampaging the seas for decades, let us give a toast to Lord De' Ricci."

Antonius stood up as he accepted a round of toast by others, holding his shoulders straight and chests up high and pride in his eyes.

Constantine looked at Antonius with full of satisfaction in his eyes. He walked down the throne, and refilled Antonius' cup with wine personally as an Emperor and continued.

"For the second cup, I salute the bravery and efforts of Lord De' Ricci, for he is the one who rebuilt the Roman navy back into a proper maritime army, capable of protecting the empire from any further threats by the…. Pirates."

"Much obliged, emperor." Antonius replies without bowing and finishing his cup instantly.

Constantine smiled and did not mind Antonius' rudeness, he then went on to fill the cup of Antonius for the second time, handled the ceramic jar to the palace maid, and toasted Antonius with his own cup. "I salute you, Lord De' Ricci, and I shall grant you the honorary title of Kouropalates, and grant you the permission to recruit another Tourma of two thousand soldiers in the hope that you will protect our sea boundaries better."

"Have faith on me, emperor." Antonius laughed, left hand holding his waist while finishing up his cup of wine.

The emperor Constantine walked up back to his imperial throne and announced that the ceremony has officially started. The hall soon became full of activities as waves after waves of Roman nobles or significant characters come greeting and congratulating Antonius about his military achievement, even the Mega Doux Loukas himself came greeting.

"I congratulate you! Lord De' Ricci, may the imperial Roman navy shine and prosper under your lead, and you too! Lord Giustiniani!"

"A thousand thanks, Loukas."

Loukas laughed and gave Antonius a giant hug and a kiss on the cheeks as-if they are old friends.

It wasn't until Antonius has drank too much and had to decline further offering of wine and requested to rest for a while. The emperor smiled and accepted, Giovanni, also a little bit drunk as well, supported Antonius and walked into a nearby guest room to rest a little while together on the guest bed.

Loukas watched as the two men walks away down the hallway. He stood up and walked to the front of the ballroom, bowed to Constantine and started making an aroused and motivational speech to the nobles.

"My Emperor, my fellow Romans, in this occasion of such a great victory against the Ottomans, we have gotten the spirit of Romans back, we have proved ourselves fully capable of fending off the Ottomans! Restore the dreams of Pax Romana! For Gloria et Honore! That little Sultan in Adrianopolis should be crying on his bed chamber in the comfort of his women now, thus I suggest that we should threaten him that if he don't return back the lands in Thessaly to us, we shall return his brother Orhan to snatch the throne from him!"

The Roman nobles, already burning with the mindset to revenge, all yelled and raised their fists in support for their Mega Doux. They have always wanted this but well hidden under their mind, and pretending that they are still a loyal tributary to the Ottoman sultan, but they had already enough of it and it all went erupting like the volcano of Pompeii today.

Constantine frowned but did not say anything, as he doesn't have enough authority and prestige to stop these bunch of nobles from fooling around, as they are the ones that form the fundamental basic of his rule.

"Release Orhan!" The nobles shouted in support of Loukas.

However, out of nowhere in the hall, shouted one voice.

"No!"

"No! That would be a mistake that costs lives!"