Betrothed to the Barbarian
Author
Carol Townend
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19,4K
Chapters
15
Chapter One
‘Constantinople,’ Princess Theodora Doukaina murmured, staring into the dark over the ship’s guardrail. ‘At last we are home.’ She clutched her baby to her chest, angling her so that she might have her first glance of the city at the heart of the Empire. Martina was busy sucking a corner of her blanket, her gaze caught by the glow of a lamp nailed to the mast amidships. As Theodora shifted her, easing the blanket from her mouth, Martina’s eyes tracked the lamp, not the City. Theodora sighed.
‘My lady, with your permission?’ Sophia was hovering at her elbow and, as the galley rose on a gentle swell, she slipped a steadying arm under Theodora’s cloak and wound it round her waist. The warmth of her lady-in-waiting’s body was welcome. It was not yet Easter and out on the Sea of Marmara the wind had bite. ‘Perhaps I should take the baby below?’
‘No. The sea is calm and I would like Martina to see the city.’
Above them, the night sky glistened with stars. Moonlight from a full moon washed over the deck, playing with the shadows of sailors preparing to lower the sail, stretching and shrinking them with the rise and fall of each wave. Over Constantinople itself, there was not a star to be seen, likely a bank of cloud lay over the City and was blotting them out.
The helmsman’s voice rose sharply over the creak of timbers. ‘Captain Brand!’
‘My pardon, ladies.’
The captain pushed past them, heading for the stern. Theodora barely noticed, she was staring hungrily across the water, throat tight. We are home. Home. Her mind was in turmoil. Fear, guilt, hope—she felt them all.
To the north, several lights were spaced out at intervals along a dark, indistinct skyline. That must be the palace wall, it was hard to see tonight. There were domed silhouettes—churches—glowing with an eerie radiance. Puzzled, Theodora stared at the domes; something was out of place, something was missing. She knotted her brow—why could she not get her bearings? She knew the City like the back of her hand. Was that the Palace? She ought to know. Holy Mother, she should be able to see the Boukoleon Palace; the entrance to the Imperial harbour should be lit by the braziers on top of the towers, and a little to the right of that the dome of Hagia Sophia...
A gust of wind wrenched a strand of brown hair from her cloak hood. A chill went through her, a chill that had nothing to do with salt-laden sea breezes. There was something else in the air...something that chilled more effectively than the wind, something other than salt. Theodora’s skin prickled. Danger, danger.
‘Sophia, can you smell something?’
Like Theodora, Sophia was looking landwards, towards the Imperial Palace. Her grip tightened, her nostrils flared as she inhaled. Wide eyes met Theodora’s. ‘Smoke! My lady, I can smell smoke!’
‘The City is burning. Look at that dome, the gilding never glows like that, not even at sunrise. Parts of the city have been fired.’ Even as Theodora watched, the dome winked out of sight. A pall of smoke was drifting over Constantinople. That was why no stars were visible in the north.
‘My lady...’ Sophia flung a worried glance at the stern ‘...perhaps we should get below.’
Behind them, a sailor swore. Captain Brand snapped an order; there was a sudden flurry of activity, and beneath their feet the galley altered course. Ropes groaned, wind filled the sail. It was then that Theodora heard the screams. Faint screams, borne by the wind across black briny water.
‘Sophia, can you hear that?’
Sophia tugged at her arm. ‘Please, my lady, I really think we should get below.’
Captain Brand marched up even as Theodora had opened her mouth to object. His face was grim. ‘Ladies, it is time to retire, I believe.’
‘What is happening, Captain?’ Sophia asked.
Their Varangian escort shook his head. ‘I have no idea, my lady, but the Palace lighthouse is out. I won’t risk sailing into the Imperial harbour tonight.’
Theodora looked at the city skyline, mind racing. The Palace lighthouse—of course, that was why she could not get her bearings! For years, the Palace lighthouse had stood like a sentry next to the Boukoleon Palace. It was lit at dusk each day and for it to have been extinguished before dawn, something appalling must have happened. The wind shifted, pushing at the smoke, and the sea wall swam into focus, a grey ribbon bathed in moonlight. Flames flared like bright flowers on the domed skyline. Then the smoke drifted and the flame flowers, the gilded domes and the sea walls vanished.
Shivering, Theodora hugged Martina close to her breast. ‘The City is on fire.’ She felt hollow inside.
‘We cannot be sure, my lady. It is probably perfectly safe, but we shall not be entering the Imperial harbour tonight.’
The wind buffeted the galley and the sound of drumming reached them. Theodora gave the Captain a straight look. ‘Battle drums, Captain?’
Captain Brand pressed his lips together. ‘That seems most unlikely. However, I have been ordered to protect you ladies. My apologies for the delay, but you will not be sleeping in the Boukoleon Palace yet awhile.’
Theodora exchanged glances with Sophia. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry. Naturally, in her role as simple lady-in-waiting, Princess Theodora Doukaina did neither; she went meekly below deck, as she had been instructed. There was no sense rousing the good Captain’s suspicions about her identity at this late stage.
* * *
‘Have you decided what you will do with the baby, my lady?’
‘Mmm?’ Theodora lifted her gaze from the infant dozing in her lap. She and Lady Sophia were sharing a bench in an ill-lit guest chamber in St Michael’s Abbey, a few miles outside Constantinople. They were waiting for word on what had happened in the City; they had been waiting for nigh on two weeks. Two weeks. Easter had come and gone.
Outside rain was falling, the air smelled dank. Wool-lined slippers made a poor shield against the wintry chill seeping up from the stone floor. Goose-bumps had formed on Theodora’s legs and arms. Keeping firm hold of the baby in question—her daughter, Martina—she cocooned both herself and the child tightly in veil and shawl.
Theodora was grateful for this unexpected time alone with Martina, every moment spent with her was so precious. She was achingly conscious that Sophia, who was her friend and lady-in-waiting, believed that she and Martina would soon be separated. Permanently. Protocol would demand it. Protocol was an old foe. Theodora had fought it before, she would fight it again. She did not know how, but somehow she would win the right to keep her daughter.
Sophia gave her a sympathetic smile and tried again. ‘Martina. What you will do with her when we reach the Imperial Palace?’
The Princess and Lady Sophia were alone; the other ladies were in a larger guest chamber. Theodora was almost certain that they had managed to secure privacy for herself and Sophia without arousing Captain Brand’s suspicions; she was almost certain the good captain did not know she was the Princess Theodora Doukaina. They had taken great pains to make him think she was just one of the many ladies-in-waiting he was escorting to the Great Palace. A niggle of doubt remained. Has Captain Brand seen through our deception?
The accommodation at St Michael’s was far from palatial, the guest chamber was little more than a monk’s cell. The walls were whitewashed and the meagre furnishings—sleeping pallets, bench—were dusty and decidedly rustic. The icon on the wall was shrouded in cobwebs. Since Captain Brand had decreed that none of the ladies could leave the monastery until they received confirmation it was safe to proceed to the Palace, the guest chamber had, in effect, become their prison. Thanks to the rain, even the Abbey courtyard was out of bounds.
Theodora held down a sigh. The voyage back to Constantinople had been fraught with difficulties, not least because none of the soldiers escorting them to the Imperial Palace could know that she was anything more than another lady-in-waiting. Only Theodora’s waiting women realised the truth.
The day of reckoning is almost upon me. I am Princess Theodora Doukaina and it is time for me to reclaim my proper identity.
Theodora sat on the bench, stroking her daughter’s hair. The problem was that she did not want to reclaim her true identity. Outwardly, her expression was calm—years of training had ensured that. Inside, she felt as though her heart was made of glass, glass that had shattered into a thousand pieces. She could no longer remember what it felt like to be whole. Much as she loved Constantinople, she dreaded her return. If it was discovered that she had a daughter, the scandal would rock the City.
If they discover that Martina is mine, will they take her away? Holy Mother, that must not happen!
Captain Brand—the Varangian officer charged with ensuring their safety on their journey to the Great Palace—had assured them that St Michael’s Abbey would be the ideal place to wait for news. They would not be allowed to set foot outside until he knew it was safe.
Safe. It had been hard not to laugh in the Captain’s face. Safe. If only he knew—Theodora had so many secrets she could never feel safe again.
The voyage from Dyrrachion on the Empire’s western border had been nothing less than torture. Theodora had been obsessed with the thought that with every day that passed, they were a day closer to the moment when she might lose her daughter. On the one hand, she had wanted the journey to last for ever, so that she could enjoy being with Martina. On the other, pretence did not come easily to her. It was a challenge pretending to be just one lady-in-waiting among many, particularly when the other women knew her to be the Princess Theodora Doukaina and were in the habit of bowing to her every wish. The strain of the pretence was taking its toll on her.
We should be in the Boukoleon Palace—what can have happened?
‘Why was the Palace lighthouse out?’ Theodora asked, not for the first time. ‘It’s unheard of. Unimaginable.’
‘I do not know. Perhaps the wind...’ Sophia trailed into silence.
‘The wind...no.’ Theodora rocked her daughter and adjusted her wrappings. The bench creaked. Theodora thought about the fires they had seen and the acrid smell of smoke. The screams. The wind had not extinguished the Palace lighthouse that night, Sophia knew that as well as she. For the Palace lighthouse to have gone out, and for it to have remained out, something terrible, revolutionary, must have happened in the Palace itself.
‘What can have happened?’ Has there been a Palace coup? A revolt of some kind? Even in Dyrrachion they had heard the mutterings; the Emperor—who insisted on calling himself Theodora’s uncle—was not the most popular of men.
Sophia lifted her shoulders. ‘My lady, I do not know.’
‘It will take time for a messenger to reach the Palace and return, of course.’
‘Time? The messenger is certainly taking an age,’ Sophia said. ‘I don’t understand it—isn’t St Michael’s used as a hostel by the Court because of its proximity to Constantinople?’
Sophia was in the right. St Michael’s Abbey sat on a promontory overlooking the Gulf of Lasthenes where their galley was currently at anchor, it really was not far from the City. Theodora forced a smile. ‘If something has happened in the Great Palace, we shall soon learn of it.’
She rested her hand gently on the top of her daughter’s head, her thumb absently smoothing the baby-fine hair. Martina was snug in several layers of fine linen and silk. Safe, my daughter is safe. God knows what is happening in the City, but He has granted Martina and I another day together. For now, Martina is safe.
Martina was infinitely precious to her, it was terrifying how much Theodora felt for this small bundle of life. Terrifying and marvellous. When Theodora had learned of her pregnancy, she had had no idea she was capable of such powerful feelings. Martina is mine, I will not let them take her away from me. Death might have broken the bond between Theodora and Prince Peter—nothing would break the bond between Theodora and her child.
Lady Sophia looked at her. ‘It cannot be long until we are back at the Palace, my lady.’ And then, even though she and Theodora were alone in the stark little cell, she lowered her voice. ‘If you want to keep your secret, it is time to decide what you are going to do with her. You can put it off no longer.’
Tears burned at the back of Theodora’s eyes, her heart ached. Sophia spoke the truth, she had hard decisions to make. There was no doubt in Sophia’s mind as to what she ought to do—protocol demanded that Theodora give up her child. Theodora ought to pretend that she and Peter had not created this wonderful, mysterious scrap of humanity.
I cannot do it.
However, there were other reasons why Theodora should give up Martina, reasons known only to her, reasons which outweighed protocol, important though that was.
It might be safer for Martina if I do give her up.
It was a powerful reason, but powerful as it was, Theodora would not do it. There had to be a way to keep Martina safe without losing her. She squared her shoulders and looked directly at her lady-in-waiting. ‘I cannot give her up.’
‘My lady, you must! Think of the consequences if you are found out.’
‘Sophia, I have been thinking of nothing else since we left Dyrrachion. I will not give her up.’
Lady Sophia’s sigh was loud in the quiet. Outside, Theodora could hear the chanting of the monks; she could hear the scream of a gull as it flew over the gorge; she could hear the spring rain hissing on the paving outside the lodge. Several moments passed.
‘Sophia, she’s my daughter!’
‘I understand, but what will you do? Confess you have had a child out of wedlock? An Imperial princess?’
‘I cannot do that.’
‘No.’ Sophia blew out a breath. ‘I suppose you could keep on running. The scouts Captain Brand sent to the City may already have learned if Katerina and Anna arrived safely. You could let Katerina continue the pretence a while longer.’
The pretence. Theodora sighed. She was Princess Theodora Doukaina, but because she had borne a daughter that few people knew about, she had temporarily taken on the guise of a mere lady-in-waiting. Some of her own ladies, already shocked by her pregnancy, had been even more shocked by this pretence. Little did they know. Theodora would take on the guise of a shepherdess if it meant she could keep her daughter.
Sophia tipped her head to one side and looked thoughtfully at her. ‘How long will Katerina and Anna be able to keep up the deception?’
‘If you are trying to rouse my conscience about asking Katerina to take my place for a time, then I must tell you, you are succeeding.’ Theodora reached for Sophia’s hand, she needed the contact. She had been bred to do her duty, but duty had never seemed such a ruthless task master as it did today, guilt was twisting her into knots. ‘I hated asking them to do it, but I wanted more time with Martina and that has not changed. It never will.’
‘What will you do, go into hiding?’
Dread sat heavy in Theodora’s belly. She pushed to her feet and Martina stirred, eyelashes fluttering against sleep-flushed cheeks. That tiny nose is surely the sweetest in the world...
‘It is a tempting idea, but it would be selfish to consider only myself and Martina. I must also consider Katerina, it is not fair to expect her to keep up the pretence indefinitely. Sooner or later she will give herself away. For Katerina’s sake, I must resume my position as Princess Theodora Doukaina—I must return to the Palace.’
‘I am sure that would be best.’ Sophia leaned forward. ‘What will you do? If you admit that Martina is yours, perhaps Duke Niko—’
Theodora cut Sophia off with an imperious jerk of her head. ‘Sophia, I should not have to remind you, that would not be safe for Martina.’
‘What will you do?’
Theodora frowned at the closed door of the guest chamber. There were too many unanswered questions for her to be as decisive as she would like. How long do we have? What has been happening at the Palace? Does Captain Brand suspect...?
‘Have the men in our escort shown any curiosity about Martina?’
‘Why, yes, my lady.’
‘What did you say? Did you claim her as yours?’
‘Mine?’ Sophia’s eyebrows shot up. ‘I am unwed, my lady, so, no, I said nothing of the sort. I told them Martina’s mother had died in childbirth and that one of our maidservants was acting as her wet-nurse.’
Theodora let out a snort. ‘Her mother died in childbirth, eh? Well, it’s certainly true that I am no longer the woman I was.’
Red-cheeked, Sophia hastened to reassure her. ‘I meant no insult, my lady, truly, but I could not claim Martina is mine. If my mother heard rumours...the very thought of me giving birth to an illegitimate child...it would kill her.’
‘And the entire Court would probably ostracise you. Don’t worry, Sophia, I am painfully aware what it is like at Court—the rules, the protocols. I understand.’
‘If you so command, I could pretend Martina is mine,’ Sophia said, doubtfully. ‘It is just that my mother...’
‘We are about to return to the Great Palace and you are willing to assume responsibility for my transgressions? You are very loyal.’ Theodora shook her head. ‘I appreciate your generosity in making such a suggestion, Sophia, but it will not be necessary. If there is any shame to be borne over my daughter’s existence, it is I who must bear it.’ She stared thoughtfully at the whitewashed wall. ‘I am in hopes that we shall be able to avoid shame. Let me think. Take Martina, will you?’
Carefully placing Martina in Sophia’s arms, Theodora went to stand in the shaft of light coming through the window slit. A light breeze played over her cheeks. The stone walls of the building opposite were blurred by rain, the opening was too narrow for her to see much else. After a moment, she turned. ‘Sophia, I like your story about Martina’s mother dying. We shall embroider it a little and with luck I shall be able to convince everyone at the Palace that I am exactly what I ought to be...a dutiful, obedient princess returning home from a vassal state to meet my fiancé.
‘When I resume Princess Theodora’s mantle, we must take pains to ensure that I appear perfect. Pure. Duke Nikolaos must have no idea that I am not the virgin he has been promised.’
Sophia glanced at the infant on her lap. ‘And little Martina? What of her?’
‘Martina shall be the child of a slave who has died in childbirth. Princess Theodora has taken it upon herself to care for her.’ Her smile twisted. ‘That way I may keep her. No one will question her presence in the entourage of an unmarried princess.’
‘Very well, my lady,’ Sophia said, slowly. ‘If you think that will work.’
‘You might look a little more convinced. This will work, it has to. Martina is my life, I cannot give her up.’ Theodora brightened her tone. ‘I shall say I have adopted her. Stranger things than that have happened in the Great Palace, I can assure you.’
‘And the Duke of Larissa? What if he objects? A good princess, a perfect princess, must obey her betrothed.’
Theodora bit her lip. She had almost managed to put Duke Nikolaos of Larissa out of her mind. She had yet to set eyes on the man whom the Emperor had decreed she must marry. ‘If fortune favours me, I shall not meet him for some time.’
Sophia nodded. ‘I heard the Duke was recalled to Larissa.’
‘Yes, his mother is gravely ill,’ Theodora said.
‘Thank goodness.’
‘Sophia!’
Sophia grimaced. ‘I am sorry, my lady, that did not come out quite as I meant it. Please don’t think I wish illness on the Duke’s mother, it is just that it must have occurred to you that the Duke’s absence from Court will be a relief to Katerina and Anna.’
Theodora nodded—that had occurred to her. It had also occurred to her that with any luck the Duke might remain in Larissa for some time and her meeting with him would be delayed. A reprieve of any sort would be most welcome.
Sophia looked at Martina. ‘I pray he lets you keep her.’
‘I shall make sure of it.’ Theodora spoke confidently, even though she was convincing herself as much as Sophia. In truth, she had no idea how her fiancé would react to news that Princess Theodora Doukaina had a baby in her entourage. Duke Nikolaos was a noted general in the Imperial army, a man surely more given to command than to being persuaded. What might he say? What might he do?
She dreaded the moment of their meeting. She wished she could avoid the marriage.
Sophia looked up at her, eyes large with concern. ‘Will you marry him, despoina? Will you be able to after Župan Peter...?’
Theodora’s gaze misted. Swiftly she looked away and was vaguely aware of Sophia’s hand fluttering apologetically in her direction.
‘Theo—my lady, my apologies. I have hurt you by mentioning him.’
Theodora swallowed down the thickness in her throat. ‘Prince Peter is never out of my mind.’
‘Of course not.’ Sophia bent over Župan Peter’s child. ‘Are you ready to marry Duke Nikolaos?’
Blinking rapidly, Theodora lifted her head. A strand of brown hair uncoiled and fell across her breast, briskly she tucked it back in place. ‘I am as ready as I shall ever be.’ Her voice became a thread of sound. ‘No one can replace Peter. But, despite my many failings, I remain a princess of the Imperial House. If the Emperor insists that I marry Duke Nikolaos of Larissa, I shall obey him.’
Lady Sophia nodded and adjusted Martina’s shawl. ‘Of course. I am glad we have thought of a way you may keep this little one.’
Theodora sent Sophia a watery smile. ‘I have you to thank for that. We are simply embroidering your story.’
‘Yes, my lady. I am pleased to have been helpful, but...’
‘Yes?’
‘I want you to be happy. Can you be happy with Duke Nikolaos?’
‘I shall strive to be,’ Theodora said, firmly. ‘I am the Princess Theodora and it is my duty to cater to my husband’s happiness. My happiness will depend on his.’
Sophia opened her mouth to reply, but brisk footsteps sounded outside the lodge.
‘Hush, that will be Captain Brand.’ Deftly, Theodora dragged her shawl over her brown, simply dressed hair, arranging it so most of her features were concealed. ‘We have come this far without him realising that I am the Princess—we must not fall at the last hurdle.’ When she was satisfied that all Captain Brand would see was a pair of dark eyes, she nodded at Sophia to admit him. Not wishing to draw attention to herself, Theodora tried to speak to him as little as possible.
‘Come in,’ Lady Sophia called.
The latch clicked and Captain Brand stepped on to the threshold. Theodora nodded distantly at him. He was Anglo-Saxon, as were many men in the Varangian Guard. Because of his origins, to those born within the Empire, the Captain was as much a foreigner as Peter had been. A barbarian, an outsider. Pain twisted Theodora’s insides, a sudden cramp. She recognised the pain for what it was, an impossible longing for Peter to be brought back to life, for her life to have continued in Rascia.
Peter, why did you have to die?
She kept her features clear of emotion. She had been trained.
As had Captain Brand. Even though the man had been born in England, far beyond the reach of the Empire, he had a firm grasp of Palace protocols. In the Imperial Palace, men and women lived almost separate lives unless they were married. The unmarried women’s quarters were in one section of the Palace, the men’s in another. And Captain Brand, God bless him, had displayed his understanding of the protocols during the voyage from Dyrrachion. He had spoken to Theodora and her ladies only when absolutely necessary, and then never when one of the ladies had been on her own.
It was all so different from the friendly informality of the Rascian Court. And doubtless, when they finally reached the Imperial Palace, everything would become even more formal. Theodora’s days of freedom were over.
‘So, Captain...’ Sophia smiled politely at him ‘...have you discovered what was happening the night our galley reached the City?’
‘Yes, my lady.’ The Captain remained on the threshold. He was carrying his helmet and his hair was rain-dampened. He looked over his shoulder. ‘It is a...delicate matter.’
‘Come in, do,’ Theodora said, her hunger for news temporarily overcoming her resolution to play the part of a quiet, shy lady. ‘We are not back at Court yet.’
The Captain’s eyes widened, nevertheless, he did as he was asked, closing the door behind him.
Sweet Mary, the news must be grave indeed. And I was too forthright. I must take care not to betray myself. It was a struggle constantly having to pretend, particularly when she was impatient to learn what had been going on in Constantinople. I must keep Martina. Somehow I will find a way to keep Martina.
‘Ladies, as you know, I sent scouts back to the City after we arrived here.’
Captain Brand’s accent betrayed his foreign, barbaric birth, yet he was perfectly comprehensible. In any case, Theodora had had much practice in understanding barbarians.
‘The lighthouse, yes, of course,’ Sophia said, correctly interpreting Theodora’s subtle nod as meaning that she should take over and speak for her. ‘And the fires, the smoke drifting across the water—you thought we were in danger.’
Captain Brand nodded. ‘I was afraid there may have been some...’ he was picking his words with care ‘...unrest in the City.’
Theodora cut in, despite herself. ‘Captain, the Palace has its own walls, its own fortifications. Surely unrest in the City would not penetrate the Palace?’
‘I did not wish to take the risk, my lady. Not with Princess Theodora’s entourage. As it turns out, my instincts were right.’ His voice became confidential. ‘Ladies, my scouts tell me that, while we were at sea, there has been a palace coup.’
Theodora’s breath left her. Indeed, she was so startled she loosed her grip on her shawl and it fell away from her face. Irritably, she retrieved it. Until she was once again the Princess Theodora Doukaina, she must keep hidden. ‘A revolution?’
‘Yes, my lady. One of the generals has seized the throne.’
Theodora exchanged stunned glances with Sophia. Has the Emperor been murdered? It had happened before. Theodora’s mind began to race and her next thought was, shamingly, that perhaps the tide had turned in her favour. If the man who called himself her uncle was no longer Emperor, she might not have to marry Duke Nikolaos.
My secret will be safe, Martina will be safe. Finally, she found her voice. ‘One of the generals? Which one?’ It could not be Duke Nikolaos. It must not be the Duke. If it is the Duke...
Her mind seized up. It was bad enough to consider deceiving a general, but the thought of deceiving an Emperor...
‘Alexios Komnenos is now Emperor,’ the Captain said.
Not Duke Nikolaos. Thank God. ‘And what of my unc—?’
A sharp kick from Sophia had Theodora’s mouth snapping shut just in time. As she herself had said, they had made it thus far without mishap, it wouldn’t do to fall at the last hurdle. ‘What of Emperor Nikephoros? What has happened to him?’
‘He abdicated, my lady, about two weeks ago.’
The Emperor had abdicated.
‘Two weeks ago,’ she murmured. ‘That would have been about the time we sailed past the Palace.’
‘Yes, my lady. His Imperial Majesty Alexios Komnenos was enthroned on Easter Day. Both he and his wife—Empress Irene—have been crowned.’
Theodora struggled to control her expression, but this news had turned her world upside down.
Sophia gave her a subtle nudge and smiled sweetly at the Captain. ‘Empress Irene is a cousin of our princess, is she not?’
‘Yes, my lady, so I understand.’
Theodora shifted. This would take time to absorb, her young cousin was wearing the Imperial crown. ‘Captain, do you know if Emperor Nikephoros has come to harm?’
‘He is safe, we were informed he has retired from public life. I believe it was at the instigation of the Patriarch.’
Theodora nodded. That made sense, the Patriarch was Bishop of Constantinople, one of the most influential men in the City. That the Patriarch had suggested Emperor Nikephoros should abdicate bore testimony to the weakness of her ‘uncle’s’ regime, he had never been popular. She sighed, not much about Emperor Nikephoros had filtered back to Rascia. He was old, that much she did know.
Theodora had no genuine blood ties with Emperor Nikephoros. The man had seized the throne from her real uncle, Emperor Michael, forcing him to abdicate and retire to a monastery. He had then legitimised his claim to the throne by marrying Emperor Michael’s wife.
‘How ironic that Emperor Nikephoros should himself be forced to abdicate,’ Sophia observed.
Theodora’s thoughts raced on, the coup changed everything. It might invalidate her betrothal to Duke Nikolaos... The old Emperor had pushed for the marriage, but if he were gone...
Can I escape the marriage? Theodora looked longingly at the infant on Sophia’s lap. If I escape marriage with Duke Nikolaos, it will surely be easier to keep Martina.
‘General Alexios Komnenos has become Emperor,’ she murmured.
She might have to revise her plans. Alexios Komnenos was nothing like his aged predecessor. Theodora had a chance of hiding what she had done from the old Emperor. But the new one? Alexios Komnenos was young and vigorous, he was reputed to be highly intelligent. Holy Mother, the last thing she needed was a young, vigorous and intelligent emperor! It would be hard, if not impossible, to pull the wool over his eyes. And extremely dangerous if she were found out...
‘Yes, my lady,’ Captain Brand said. ‘Komnenos had the backing of the generals. The army was camped outside the City walls for weeks.’
‘The army?’ Theodora went very still. She had gone sharply, horribly cold. ‘I don’t suppose you know if Duke—General—Nikolaos of Larissa was with them?’
The Varangian Captain reached for the door latch. ‘Yes, my lady, I believe he returned from Larissa shortly before the coup. Duke Nikolaos is loyal to Emperor Alexios. He is his Commander-in-Chief.’
‘Where is he now?’
‘The Emperor?’
‘No, Duke Nikolaos, the Commander-in-Chief.’ Theodora watched Captain Brand’s eyebrows lift, her question had surprised him, as well it might. She rushed to explain. ‘I...I was wondering if you had heard whether...whether the Princess and the Duke have had a chance to meet?’
‘My lady, I have no idea. But if you would care to warn the other ladies about what has happened at Court, I would be grateful.’
‘Certainly, Captain,’ Sophia said. ‘Thank you for keeping us informed.’
The Captain bowed. ‘Lady Sophia, please ask the ladies to gather their belongings together. We shall board within the hour. It is only a short sail down the Bosphoros. The galley should reach the Palace Harbour early this evening.’
‘Thank you, Captain, I shall inform the others.’
When the door clicked behind the captain, Theodora sank on to the bench. ‘Holy Mother—he’s in the City! Duke Nikolaos is already in the City.’
Sophia nodded. ‘Yes, my lady.’
Martina gave a small murmur. Theodora’s throat tightened, somehow she straightened her spine. ‘I can put this off no longer, there must be no more delays. We must get to the Palace, and quickly. I can’t expect Katerina to meet the Duke in my stead.’
