1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 318: Our Kingdom Will Fall

"Les hommes naissent et demeurent libres et egaux en droits."

"Men are born and remain free and equal in rights"

-        The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

After this confrontation no one else ever dared to give any ideas opposing the admiral's idea following the deeds of that Ottoman noble, who got kicked out of the camp with nothing but his own personnel belongings out in to the chilling wind and ordered to get off the admiral's sight as soon as possible. 

Of course, at end of the day if given an opportunity to choose none of his peasants and slaves would choose to go back to that same old life style where they are treated like plain animals working for all day with out enough food and rest among the crop fields and work shops of these lords with the results of their hard labour not giving a bit of improvement to their bitter lives at all. Though frankly speaking their life did not deteriorate in to this state because of their new Ottoman masters, as far as they can remember their fathers, grand fathers and fore fathers are all living in the same conditions under their old Roman master who still used to rule over that land a hundred years back.

Nothing has changed for them for the entire century, it is still the similar treatment by a similar kind of slave master, with the only changes being their clothing, the language they speak and the flag flying over their heads. 

Though it just seems like their old way of living is finally going to end, as the Roman admiral distributed them a few pieces of land for growing crops, two linen bags of seeds and a few iron tools for agriculture related activities. These people could hardly believe that all of these is really happening on them as they collected these stuff with a trembling pair of hands. Seeing all of these the rowdy crowd cheered and went back in to discussion still not daring to go up front and take their prize fearing that they might get disappointed again, for they have been disappointed way too many times in their past decades of life. 

However, it did not take long before the first daring kid came out of the crowd stepping on to the stage describing himself to the admiral, a carpenter who used to work in Nicopolis. Antonius laughed giving this young man a hug and then gifting him a house together along with a job as an apprentice of the renowned craftsman Orban. 

As long as the first man emerged the rest stopped hesitating and followed up one after another crowding up together waiting for their share to be distributed with increased eagerness and anticipation. Knowing that he has already succeeded in motivating the crowd to join him Antonius bursted in to a series of laughter laying down on the blistering cold wooden planks finally closing his eyes to have a rest. He knows that from this day onwards no matter what he does, where he goes and how he does it he shall have another at least thirty thousand faithful supporters partaking in his operations making every thing big or small possible for him. 

The rest of the things is now pretty simple for Antonius and his crew, distribute the already allocated land, record them down as raw data on to paper sheets, guiding them to their promised land equipping them with the knowledge on how to sew the seeds when spring comes next year, and making sure that their fruit of labour does not get taken away by any other unwelcomed personnels.

These people are, of course, no longer considered to be a captive or prisoners of war under Antonius, but instead they are now considered to be a new group called the 'new Romans' separated in to different groups being mixed up with complete unfamiliar people organised by either veterans of Antonius' army, old sailors who chose to retire or scholars and clergies from the schools and monasteries around Thessaloniki. They packed the pitiful amount of stuff they had and prepared to go off to the new empty lands reclaimed by Antonius, anticipating their new way of life, freedom as promised and most importantly fulfilling the wish of never having the need to starve again. 

The next period of time came as one of the easiest period of life of Antonius knowing that there can not possibly have any more large battles taking place against the Ottomans in this period of time, and which means that he can go back to the good old days slacking around inside his government building leaving all the works to his dear captains and advisors. After all, with the continuous development of the organisation now he only needs to make sure the bigger direction of his reign is right, not having the need to care about the rest of the stuff. 

The news of the admiral making a full recovery from his prior illness immediately spread along te surrounding cities and towns along with the northern wind, forcing many to reconsider the possibility of them submitting to the rule of their new sovereign handing over the keys to their city gates to Antonius. While the Roman armies went in to action again being divided in to smaller segments in hundreds each paying visits to the near by cities in order to boost their thinking process.

After merely a week ambassador from the city of Kouloukia came appreciating the efforts Antonius and his force made in procuring peace and prosperity in the region against the Ottoman invaders, expressing their offer in a more indirect way saying that they wish to 'work with General Antonius in constructing a better regional community together'. It means the same thing in the end of the day. 

Immediately after this Khalid and Abraham came reporting that their cavalries have entered the border between Thrace and Macedonia, there they encountered a small Ottoman force under a supposed 'Abbas Pasha' near the fortress of Rhodope and literally squashed them from both sides with their superior tactical force chasing these people all the way north in to the mountains back to Bulgaria where they supposed came from. Looking at the situation on the map it can only mean one thing, that the gate way to the Ottoman capital city of Edirne is now broad open to the calvaries under Khalid and Abraham. 

To the west the infantries of Antonius marched through the plains of Larissa past the city of Alexandria putting the citizens inside its walls in awe that after nearly five decades, another Roman army is marching on these grounds flying the royal purple on their flags and banners. With the surrounding empty country sides and villages reclaimed by the new Romans of Antonius the mayor and burglars of the city knows pretty well that any more resistance is futile and they too chose to submit to the rule of Antonius sending their tribute, keys to the gates and a record of taxation. 

To the south, Antonius' fleet has been maintaining a vibrant activity over there since the start of the battle making contacts with the local town's fortresses and cities. Some of the towns did change their mind submitting to their new sovereign, while the situation for the other towns are slightly more trouble some. According to the reports sent over by the ambassadors, these cities are already hanging the flags of the Imperial Romanum, and the mayors too says that they have already submitted their city to the Romans flying the royal purple flag of double headed eagle and the cross of Chi Rho over their cities. 

This can only mean one thing, some other forces from the same faction has began acting faster, way faster than Antonius and crew even before him achieving his final decisive victory, and judging by what it seems there only can be one man who is able to achieve this; Emperor Constantine. 

Since the emperor, sitting on his throne in the high castle is unable to spread his influence inlands then he must have sent orders to that two brothers ruling over the isle of Pelogennose ordering them to send ships northwards n to Larissa and persuade the local cities to join back the allegiance of the true and only Roman emperor paying taxation and offering service not to Antonius who achieved this victory, but instead to Constantinople, to Constantine himself. 

Thus it can be said that Antonius no longer has any more excuse to spread his domain south wards as they are all serving under the same lord, though he can work things out slowly engulfing down these cites one by one, but that would be another story, and besides, Antonius still does not want to break ties with the emperor doing any actions that might provoke Constantinople although that emperor holds almost no power, but there is still one things he needs. 

That is the legitimacy to rule over this land.