Not only the empire felt threatened by the ever-ascending Ottomans.
The Christian powers of the Balkans and Eastern Europe were alarmed by the expanding Islamic forces. They even appealed to the Pope to launch crusaders against the Ottomans, though all such attempts ended in failure. Despite these setbacks, some continued to resist the Ottomans.
Serbia stood out in this resistance.
Foreseeing that the Ottoman power would eventually engulf the entire Balkans, Serbia resisted fiercely. Unfortunately for the empire, Serbia’s resistance consistently resulted in devastating defeats, numerous lost battles, and the death of its king. Consequently, anti-Ottoman sentiment in Serbia runs deep.
Thus, it is not surprising that Serbia sought to ally with the empire against the Ottomans. The Serbian prince, Stefan, was drawn to an alliance with the empire, which had recently begun to regain its strength.
“Didn’t we arrange a suitable match for you?”
As the empire also sought strong allies against the Ottomans, this marriage proposal was a win-win strategy eagerly anticipated by both sides. The empire believed that its hidden plans and the combined forces of the marital alliance could successfully expel the Ottomans from the Balkans.
However, an unexpected turn of events shook both Stefan, who had been stabilizing a war-torn Serbia, and the aged Emperor Manuel II, a seasoned statesman who had sustained the empire for decades.
The twist came from Sophia, the Serbian princess central to this marital alliance.
“Did you really think that?”
Sophia sighed as she cast a pitying glance at her father. This proud young lady, who had always exceeded her father’s expectations with her clever wit, seemed far removed from the image of a shy maiden. Instead, Sophia’s inherent ambition had sharpened her senses considerably.
Given that Stefan had relied on Sophia’s advice to stabilize his rule, he decided to heed her words, even though she could be somewhat disrespectful.
“Was it the wrong choice?”
“Whether realizing it now is fortunate or unfortunate, I can’t tell.”
The subtle gaze from his daughter left Stefan feeling a pang of disappointment. He regretted spoiling her too much, leading her to become so willful. Reflecting on his parenting approach, he asked his daughter, this time as a ruler:
“Explain your reasoning. And tell me about the person you’ve chosen and why.”
“I really love how you always make rational decisions, Papa. I love you, Papa♡.”
The reason he could always tolerate his impolite daughter was her occasional displays of affection. The bitterness quickly melted away.
Stefan was a doting father.
“…So, what’s your reasoning?”
“I suppose you thought securing the alliance would be easier given his high succession rank. If the current emperor’s regime were stable, that wouldn’t be wrong. But the problem is, we’re in a period of transition.
The current emperor, Manuel, made a significant blunder.”
Sophia highlighted the aging emperor’s declining insight, noting that while his skilful handling had prolonged the empire’s life, even the sharpest minds falter with age.
She viewed his recent actions with mild disappointment but acknowledged that it was inevitable for one’s judgment to deteriorate with age.
“A blunder?”
“Yes, he concentrated too much power on a son who isn’t the designated heir. Had he stuck to the original plan of division, he could have prevented the instability caused by the succession. But now, it’s too late. From what I’ve observed, the empire is fractured into multiple factions.”
Succession planning is the final, most vexing challenge for any ruler, as its success or failure can determine whether their legacy endures. Reflecting on this, Stefan cautiously posed another question:
“Can you assess Manuel’s sons?”
Sophia responded with a confident smile.
“If you were to marry the current co-emperor, John, it would immediately solidify an alliance with the empire. However, the cost Serbia would bear to sustain his unstable regime would be enormous. But it seems the empire has no intention of pairing me with John, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Short-sighted, then?”
“Marrying John has too many pros and cons. From my perspective, it’s a risky and inferior option.”
“What about the other brothers?”
“The youngest, Demetrios and Thomas, are exceptions. They’re too young and lack significant support, making their chances of inheriting the throne the lowest. For both the empire, which needs to form an alliance quickly, and us, they aren’t viable options. The only advantage would be that I could somewhat manipulate them from behind the scenes, but that’s only possible if they gain power. Can we wait until then?”
Stefan shook his head. It was an absurd notion. Supporting the untested Demetrios and Thomas was far riskier than marrying John.
Naturally, they weren’t candidates Sophia would consider.
“That leaves two others if we exclude those three.”
“So, you proposed Theodoros, the one with the highest succession rank among the two.”
“Father, I’ve thoroughly analyzed the power players or potential power players in the empire to help you. One incident caught my eye.”
As Stefan remained silent, Sophia continued without hesitation, her confidence in power radiating through her words.
“The second prince, Theodoros, transferred the ownership of Achaea to Prince Constantine, the ruler of Morea at the time. The extent of the rights given was too significant to be merely a gesture of goodwill.”
“It’s an alliance. They’ve allied to claim the throne.”
Though Stefan had some suspicions, his daughter’s words solidified his understanding. He had hoped to support Theodoros, who already had a support base, to easily forge a powerful alliance. However, Sophia was delving deeper into the reasons behind this alliance.
“At the time of transferring Achaea, it was unclear what Prince Constantine, the ruler of Morea, intended. Was he using Theodoros as a puppet to establish a regime where he held real power, or was he using Theodoros as a shield to deflect the backlash when he deposed his brother, who currently holds the throne?”
But the guess turned out to be much more favorable. Sophia felt a thrill as she subtly licked her lips, savoring the excitement.
“When he chose a lady from the Kantakouzenos family as his bride, his intentions became clear.”
Her ambition pointed sharply at the prince.
“Father, Prince Constantine aims to become emperor himself. He has Morea, a stable base he has solidified over the years, a domain with the freedom, rights, and military power that the fallen thousand-year-old capital could never possess.”
Moreover, he is the only claimant to the throne who possesses all the necessary conditions to become emperor. Constantine has everything needed to challenge John’s regime and establish his own.
“By recovering the Peloponnesian peninsula, a long-cherished goal of the empire, he gained the people’s support. Over the years, he has proven his capabilities and boasts a noble lineage. Furthermore, his mother, the empress, is from our Serbia, is she not? For the nobility, there would be no complaints about a marriage alliance of this caliber.”
“But hasn’t he already set his sights on marrying a noblewoman?”
At this, the ambitious smile vanished from Sophia’s face. The eyes, once ablaze with greed, now cooled, tempered by the same ambition.
“It’s simply a choice between securing a stable regime with the nobles’ support or gaining an allied force to stand against the Ottomans.”
Sophia covered her mouth, but her voice grew more excited.
“The choice he’ll make is obvious.”
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