For decades, the emperor who had singlehandedly supported the empire had finally closed his eyes.
Despite the city being under siege, the procession to mourn the revered emperor’s death paid it no mind and made its way to the funeral.
But among those who should rightfully have been present, several were noticeably absent. Demetrios Palaiologos had secluded himself in his appointed quarters ever since Emperor Manuel’s retirement, so his absence was expected.
But even Empress Joannina, wife of Emperor John, was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, in the midst of widespread grief, no one paid much attention to the Empress, whose presence had never commanded strong notice anyway.
Meanwhile, as ships one after another left the harbor to escape the growing Ottoman pressure, Empress Joannina held her younger brother in a tight embrace.
“Take care of yourself, Demetrios.”
“I hope only good things await you, Sister. I’ll deliver your message to Father in your stead.”
Kantakouzenos spoke with a brave face to reassure his sister. He’d always thought of her as a tomboy, but he never imagined she’d go this far. He kept such thoughts to himself. Soon, his gaze shifted from Demetrios to another figure.
The next man he faced was Andronikos, brother to the emperors and once the ruler of Thessalonica.
The prince, whose legs had grown weak and needed a servant’s support, offered the only words he could before his departure.
“Take care of my brother. He must be deeply grieving. Stay by his side and serve him well.”
“I won’t forget Your Highness’s advice.”
“Good. I like your spirit.”
Andronikos shrugged slightly, as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. That sight made Kantakouzenos’s brow twitch. Perhaps they hadn’t been close, but today was still their father’s funeral.
Was he truly leaving without even showing his face, without any hint of emotion? The same discomfort he’d once felt from Emperor John now surfaced again. He could no longer hold his tongue.
“You’re not going to attend the former emperor’s funeral?”
“Demetrios! That’s far too—!”
His question may have seemed rude. It was enough to fluster Joannina, who scolded him on the spot. But Andronikos neither became angry nor shed tears.
For the briefest moment, he almost seemed to smile before he slowly turned and made his way to the cabin. Then, just as silence seemed to settle, his voice cut through—quiet, yet firm enough to dispel all doubt.
“There’s nothing left for me to say to Father.”
With that, Andronikos disappeared from the deck. Though his voice had been calm, the weight behind that one sentence was beyond easy judgment.
It was a decision so heavy that Kantakouzenos felt ashamed for having misunderstood and asked such a question. A dull ache began to stir in his chest. It wasn’t just the capital’s emperor—everyone was preparing for battle.
And that included Prince Andronikos, whom many had thought had long since given up everything.
As Kantakouzenos pondered this, a sudden, sharp pain flared in his side. He clenched his teeth to suppress the scream that nearly escaped, then turned to glare at the culprit.
“Sister…! What was that for?!”
“You’re the one who asked such a rude question! Do you have any sense in that head of yours?!”
“Urgh! Okay, okay! I get it! I’m sorry!”
She pinched him mid-sentence and so forcefully that not even a grown man like Kantakouzenos could resist. He held back from crying out but couldn’t stop a tear from slipping down.
He deeply regretted not wearing armor just to avoid drawing attention—never had he cursed that decision more.
Seeing her brother’s pitiful state, Joannina backed off with a broad smile.
“If you can’t even handle that, don’t forget to wear your armor. Got it?”
Despite the throbbing in his side, Kantakouzenos couldn’t bring himself to resent her. He had thought her old, eccentric, mischievous self had completely faded—but it hadn’t.
Recalling how she used to tease him with that same smug grin, he finally realized their farewell had come.
“…Yeah.”
Perhaps there was more he could have said.
But he held back. A single, short word marked the end of their goodbye. Demetrios Kantakouzenos—heir of a noble family who stayed behind to defend the capital—accepted a farewell that offered no certainty of reunion.
To linger any longer would be indulgent. The distant thud of cannon fire and the groaning city walls called him back.
Without hesitation, Kantakouzenos turned and disembarked from the ship.
Soon after, the merchant vessels began to raise their anchors one by one. From the deck, Joannina gazed at the receding figure of the ancient city. Once brilliant, now fading—a place where the remnants of greatness and the ruins of collapse coexisted.
It was the city of her birth and her childhood. As she took it all in, she spotted a familiar figure standing still, staring up at the ship.
“…Farewell!”
She waved vigorously at the man. Whether he saw her or not, she couldn’t tell. Without a word, the man watched the ship’s departure before turning and walking away from the pier.
And so, the capital was left behind. Isolated. Joannina and Andronikos had departed.
It was about two weeks later that the two of them arrived in Morea.
Because they had escaped just before the Golden Gate was sealed off, they managed to avoid capture by the Ottomans. The weather was good, and though the refugees aboard were somber, they maintained order. With the exception of having no one to converse with, it had been a satisfactory first voyage for Joannina.
And at last, as they entered the domain of Morea, they disembarked at the port of Nauplion, where a familiar face awaited them. By sheer luck, Emperor Dragases had personally come to check on the incoming refugees.
“Your Majesty! …Ah!”
Joannina, nearly dashing forward in her joy, abruptly stopped herself as she recalled the presence of a rival—the blonde woman who had once called her a threat.
She didn’t know the woman’s name, but there was no mistaking the need for caution. Wary, she quickly scanned her surroundings with a sharp gaze, checking whether the woman might be nearby.
Once she confirmed there was no such threat near Emperor Dragases, her voice rang out with excitement.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
Even amid the murmur of the gathered refugees, it seemed he heard her. The emperor, who had been calmly observing the flow of people, suddenly began to turn his head, searching. And the moment their eyes met, Joannina was already running toward him, acting on pure impulse. Had no one stopped her, she might well have thrown herself into his arms. Fortunately, Andronikos reached out swiftly and grabbed her by the arm, preventing disaster.
Naturally, Joannina wasn’t going to take that quietly.
She snapped her head toward him with a sulky glare that practically shouted, What’s your problem?! In response, Andronikos let out a heavy sigh.
“I understand your joy, but you must restrain yourself. Don’t forget the position you’re in.”
“…I know. I just wanted to see him up close.”
“I’m sure you did. But you’ll be seeing him from now on—often. So be patient.”
She could have kept sulking, but her opponent was once the Ruler of Thessalonica, and he was still politely addressing her as the wife of the current emperor.
She couldn’t bring herself to dismiss his words. In the end, Joannina accepted Andronikos’ rebuke and stayed put. Still, it was obvious she wouldn’t last much longer like this. Fortunately, the emperor approached soon after.
But he wasn’t alone.
Trailing behind him was the overly cheerful—or, depending on one’s mood, obnoxious—knight Francisco, showing his face with an irrepressible grin.
“Oh-ho! Picked up another woman already?”
“That’s not what this is. Watch what you say if you don’t want to be misunderstood.”
“Oh, come on. Then what’s with that look, cousin? She’s glaring like she’s going to bite me for even saying that.”
“Even if it’s not—”
The emperor, beginning to respond irritably, fell silent as soon as his eyes met Joannina’s.
One thought passed through his mind:
I’ve been had.
By the time he turned back with a shudder of betrayal, it was already too late. Francisco was too busy whistling smugly with a satisfied smirk to even notice. As the emperor shot him a cold glare demanding an explanation, Francisco replied shamelessly:
“You really are something, cousin! I can barely handle two tasks at once, and you’re out here juggling two women!”
“Francisco… Is this revenge for entrusting you with command of the Murattati?”
“Of course! It was hell out there!”
The emperor wanted to press further, but the growing storm of Joannina’s icy wrath forced him to let it go.
“…So your sweet words last time were just to string me along, weren’t they?”
“…”
“You really thought staying silent would help? No use—it’s all burned into my memory now!”
Emperor Dragases faltered, unsure how to deal with the mess. Francisco, the traitor, simply averted his gaze toward the distance, acting as if he wasn’t even there. At this critical moment, salvation came from the quiet observer nearby—Andronikos.
“That’s enough, Empress.”
“…Can’t we talk a little more?”
“Unfortunately, time is short. I must ask for your understanding.”
“…I suppose it can’t be helped. I can always finish the conversation later.”
Joannina tried to cling to a shred of hope, while Andronikos cut her off firmly. Thanks to him, Emperor Dragases was able to sigh in quiet relief. Only Francisco clicked his tongue in disappointment, while Andronikos shook his head.
“Don’t think it’s over. You’ll still be the one to soothe her later, Konstantinos.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“More importantly, I’m sure you understand what we need to discuss the moment you see these refugees.”
“Of course. I had planned to question a few of them to get a clearer picture of the situation, but with you here, that won’t be necessary.”
“I would have liked to rest, but sadly.”
“If you’ll allow it, we’ll prepare a room for you. You’re not well, are you?”
The emperor couldn’t ignore Andronikos’ condition, seeing the clear strain in his body. Though he didn’t know the full details of his illness, it was obvious Andronikos could barely move without assistance.
After an unfamiliar and surely rough voyage, it was natural to be concerned for his health. But Andronikos only gave a wry smile in response.
“That’s why I must speak quickly—before my time runs out, I want to be of use. Give the room to the empress instead. I imagine she’d be most pleased.”
“Absolutely!”
Having withdrawn from the conversation briefly, Joannina now eagerly jumped back in. The lively spark in her voice made the emperor’s head throb.
Leave a Reply