Byazantium Volume 2: Restoring The Throne

[RedAmber]

Volume 2, Part 1


While Maria was at camp, a number of political reforms had taken place in Greece. Actually, political reforms would be an understatement. The very flags flying around the country had changed. She was no longer standing in Greece. The Hellenic Republic had quietly fallen in the night.

She and the Prime Minister met at a small café in Athens, under the guard of soldiers who had one of the new strange flags on their shoulders. Vassilis, the intimidating Prime Minister of what had been the Hellenic Republic, quietly explained the downfall of their former government that happened while she was being reeducated, or “educated”, as he put it.

“The party, under my leadership, decided that changes needed to be made to restore Greece to glory. As the Hellenic Republic, we are selling ourselves much shorter than what we truly are. Even as the Kingdom of Greece, we would be,” the older man said. He momentarily got lost in her deep blue eyes, and the welcoming site that her party uniform gave her young figure. He hadn’t felt sexual attraction to any man, or woman, in years. In fact, it was rare for other people to not disgust him in some way. But he was able to admire her youthful beauty, and her potential. She didn’t excite him sexually. If he was able to control her, he knew that she would be the ultimate tool of manipulation for everyone else in their new nation, and beyond. She is the key he thought to himself.

“Go on, Citizen Vassilis,” she said. Maria nibbled on a piece of bread while they waited for their food to come from the kitchen. He smiled, and continued. “You are no longer in Greece. There I no parliament, and I am not the Prime Minister. Now we have the Senate. Right now, I hold the rank of First Senator, meaning that I am the most senior of the legislators. Our country is now Byzantium,” he said, watching to see how she reacted. Maria didn’t laugh or question what he said. She seemed to be eating it up.

“What about our party?” she asked eagerly. Vassilis reached over the table and patted one of her hands. “Don’t worry, Citizen Maria. Our party lives on in the Senate, and I am still the leader,” he said. He pulled out an iPad and placed it before her. When he unlocked it, a beautiful flag appeared, “This if the new state flag of Byzantium,” he said. Then he flicked his finger to show the next, “This is the new civil flag of Byzantium,” he said. “And this is your flag,” he said. This final flag was that of a double-headed eagle. Maria was confused.

“Why do I have my own flag?” she questioned. Their food was brought out to them, but both were too engaged in the conversation to even notice. “My first act as First Senator was to propose that we restore the Imperial Throne of Rome. I could think of only one person that had such a pure heart, and so much dedication to our party, and the church,” he said. Vassilis stood up, came to Maria’s side of the table, took one knee before her, and bowed his head. “You are no longer Maria Angelos, you are Maria Augusta, the rightful Empress of The Romans – the sovereign of Byzantium. Your coronation is tonight. I still have so much more to tell you,” he said, “if you will permit me to in your presence.” He wasn’t looking at her, but he could tell she was eating it up. All of the color had left Maria’s face, her red hair was now in stark contrast with her snow-white face.

“Of course…” she responded.

Now-Senator Vassilis Drakos took his seat back at the table. “Our – your, young nation is still in the baby steps of establishing its government. The Senate exists to legislate and serve the people. I as First Senator lead the Senate for now. However, there is a new position that I think should be created, and many of my friends in the Senate agree. This, of course, is your decision,” he said, smiling.

After their discussion, the Empress-elect was put under the charge of the newly restored Praetorian Guard. These soldiers had some of the most ornate uniforms she had ever seen. She was told that they were the greatest soldiers from the different services of the military. This was their greatest duty: “To protect the life of Augusta, Empress of Rome.” She had lived her life as a noble and as part of a house that wasn’t official recognized by the Greek government, but this was a change so shocking that she could only react with mostly silence and modesty. Her humility and mystique only made her more appealing to those that had the chance to get a glimpse of her. The Praetorian Guard, who were armed with assault rifles and wore the Imperial Standard on their shoulders instead of the flag of Byzantium, escorted Maria to the Presidential Mansion in Athens, which was now once again “The Royal Palace”. She did not know where the former President was, but she honestly didn’t think to ask at this point.

Much of the staff had been dismissed. There were more guards in the palace at this point than help, but there were still servants. A small handful of women approached Maria, bowed, and escorted her to an unfamiliar bedroom. They didn’t speak until they were spoken to. Maria watched as they laid out clothes and shoes for her to try on and wear. After finding her ideal sizes for clothes, she bathed. This, she insisted, she do on her own. That still didn’t stop them from preparing her hair and ordaining her with perfumes and creams that she didn’t recognize. The final preparations for her coronation were being made. She was eating a small meal before finally getting dressed. Being in the Royal Palace felt so strange, she felt like she was in someone else’s home.

While she ate her light meal, a man who was escorted by two of the Praetorian Guard approached her. He came to his knee and said, “Augusta, my Empress. I am an official messenger of the Senate. On behalf of the Senate, the First Senator asked me to present you with this – the first coin struck of the new Byzantine currency,” the man said, without even looking at her. He held up a small box which contained a 1 ounce gold coin. On the front of it was a beautiful, and accurate, engraving of Maria’s head. In the depiction, she looked serious and powerful, but also beautiful and innocent. At the bottom of the coin was the double-headed eagle, the imperial insignia. The left of her head, scrolling up along the side of the coin, was “Augusta” and to the right of her head, scrolling down the coin, was “Sebastē” which is the Greek translation of the Latin “Augusta”. The reverse of the coin was a large Greek Orthodox cross, and the much smaller symbol of the Rising Sun Party below it.

“Tell Senator Vassilis that I will forever cherish it,” she said as she admired the coin. The messenger got up and walked backwards with the guards, and then they left the room. This coin was part of the new currency – The Bezant. Maria returned to the bedroom that she had tried clothes on in before, and was this time dressed for her coronation. It was decided that she would wear a Chlamys. This Ancient Greek tunic-like robe was simple and mercilessly highlight the feminine form by, at its greatest extent, revealing the entire side of the body. Maria had it tightened slightly, to ensure that she was guaranteed at least some privacy. She also asked the small coins or weights painted white be sewn into the bottom of the Chlamys so that the wind wouldn’t pose as much of a threat. Around her chest and under the Chlamys was a breastband. The Chlamys itself had gold piping. Finally, a crown of olive leaves harvested from Mt. Olympus were carefully put into her red braided hair. Finally, a thin white veil was put over her head. It was transparent, but helped hide her face at least a bit.

Under the protection of the Praetorian Guard, she entered a limo outside. She was told by one of the guards that her coronation was going to take place inside of the most sacred place in Athens.

 

[RedAmber]

Volume 2, Part 2


Under the protection of the Praetorian Guard, Maria was escorted up to the Acropolis of Athens. This ancient high point was home to a number of sites historic to Athens, though the best known was the Parthenon. She was still dressed in a Chlamays, and had a crown of olive in hear neatly braded red hair. A thin, semi-transparent white veil helped obscure her face, however there were little to no people there to watch her hike to the top with the soldiers anyway. It was the end of twilight, the sun had already gone down. There was an ever-growing mountain wind that descended from the Acropolis towards Athens. As the Empress's hair and loose clothes fluttered, the Praetorian Guard respected her and kept their eyes up to where they were marching. Most of the lights in Athens had been extinguished, and all of the lights at the Acropolis were turned off or removed entirely. Gone was construction scaffolding and there was no public access. There was also a press blackout, with only one official photographer and a scribe to document the event. People who were there to observe included members of the restored Roman Senate, Magistrates (ministers), high-ranking local Athenian officials, officials of the Golden Sun party, clergy from the Greek Orthodox Church, and of course the First Senator and former Prime Minister, Vassillis Drakos.

Maria saw all of these people when she and her guards finally made it to the Parthenon. That ancient stone structure was a wonder of the ancient world, a temple, a church, mosque, barracks, and museum all at some point. Some minor changes had been made inside for that night's event. Maria noted how dark the Acropolis, and all of Athens, was. Thankfully they could see because it was a full Moon that night. The public at large was not exactly sure what was occurring that night, but it was obvious that it was something big. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the head of the Orthodox Church based in what is now Istanbul, was secretly invited to the coronation. At the request of the government and with permission from the bishops in Greece and the Archbishop of Athens, he would crown Maria. Maria knew what he looked like, and was stunned to see him. The Patriarch, who was the church's equivalent to the Catholic Church's Pope - though with less power - went into the Parthenon along with some other clergy. She waited outside with the guards, until a signal was given.

The Praetorian Guard's all dropped to one knee around her, and bowed, as did the few onlookers allowed to see the ceremony. She looked to one of the Praetorian Guards for direction because she wasn't sure what to do, but they remained in their position, as did everyone else. All of a sudden it felt like she was the only person on the Acropolis. She didn't know what else to do, so she started walking into the Parthenon, since she remembered the Patriarch had done so. She had lived in Greece her entire life, but she'd never been inside the massive ruined temple. She felt goosebumps, knowing that countless numbers of people from all times of history had walked where she had, and had admired the building she was now walking into. She stepped around collapsed pillars and broken stone, and slowly made her way inside.

"Maria," said a voice to her right. It was a man wearing the clothes of an Orthodox archbishop - it was the Archbishop of Athens. "Maria Angelos," he said to her, as she stepped up to face him. He was standing next to what remained of one of the mighty stone columns that had supported the Parthenon.

"Greece has found itself," he said to her, "We are no longer in the Hellenic Republic - we are in and citizens of the Roman Empire. Since the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the Ottoman Invasion, the true successor to the Roman Empire has been in question. The answer was given when Hellenic Republic was established, as the rightful rulers of Greece. Now, to bring the Greek people back to glory and restore pride to Europa, we claim our rightful place as the Roman Empire. The people have elected the Senate, who have chosen you to hold the most sacred and reverent of duties - to be the next Empress of Rome, the leader of Byzantium, and the embodiment of the Empire. If you choose to advance, you will no longer be Maria Angelos. You will be Maria Augusta, Empress of Rome, and Imperator of the Roman Legions - you will the personified embodiment of the empire and rule Byzantium with God. Do you wish to take on this transformation, and proceed?"

"Yes," Maria said. He took off the thin veil around her face, and then he walked further into the Parthenon. It took only a few moments for the archbishop to turn a corner before she lost him, and was alone again. There was what roughly could be called a path on the old, ancient stone beneath her feet. She followed it in the dark while the light from the Moon beamed into the mostly ruined ceiling of the structure. "Hello?" Maria asked.

She walked ten or twelve steps further and found the Ecumenical Patriarch standing next to a stone column. He was looking up to the heavens. "Maria Angelos," the leader of the church said, "you have chosen to continue your journey to becoming the Empress of Rome, to lead Byzantium with God. You were chosen, from everyone else, to take up the mantle and perform this duty. Do you, yourself, consider yourself worthy?" he asked.

Maria looked up at him, and blinked once or twice. "No…" she said in the smallest of voices.

The Ecumenical Patriarch was either a very convincing orator, or wasn't speaking from script when he said, "No one is worthy for God's grace and love, but he extends it to all of us, and allows those of us who try into his kingdom because he made us imperfect. Of everyone in Byzantium, you were seen as the most worthy of the unworthy. Now that you know you are most worthy among your fellow citizens, do you wish to proceed?"

Maria nodded and said, "Yes."

He offered her a seat on a fallen ancient column, which she sat on. The Moon was perfectly visible from where she was sitting. The Ecumenical Patriarch raised his hand and made the sign of the cross to Maria where she sat. "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I bless you and pray that your new journey will be one with God," he said. He raised a small glass container into the air, and removed a cork from it. He poured a small amount of the holy oil onto Maria's forehead and said, "In continuation of the ancient, prehistoric tradition, I consecrate you with this holy oil to the Lord our God. Mind to mind," he said, making a cross on her forehead, "word to word" he said, making a cross on her soft, pink lips, "and heart to heart," he said, making a final cross with the oil between her breasts. He then put some more oil into his right hand and pressed laid it down on top of her head. He prayed for a few moments, and then removed the crown of olive leaves from her head. Carefully, he put a new crown into her beautifully braded hair - a laurel of gold olive leaves.

The Ecumenical Patriarch, the man closest to God in the entire world in the eyes of any Greek, bowed to her and whispered to her, "Arise Augusta, Empress of Rome."
Maria stood up just as a light breeze crept through the Parthenon. Some of the holy oil was still dripping from her face as she looked out to the full Moon, which almost seemed to be shining brighter than before.

Rome was restored.

 

[RedAmber]

Volume 3, Part 3


Maria stepped from the ruined Parthenon with clergy following behind her. Forty or so feet away were the high officials who were allowed to be onlookers. They all took to one knee, even the soldiers. Then, First Senator Vassilis Drakos stood and said, "Long live Augusta, Empress of Rome!" The other thirty or so people joined in, and cheered it three times. Maria stepped closer, to see the view of Athens, her new home. She took in the view for ten or so seconds, and turned to the crowd of high officials. Her first words as Empress: "After tonight, firearms will never be brought to the Acropolis again." Everyone continued to watch, as if they were seeing electricity for the first time. She felt an unusual sense of power, because when she made eye contact with anyone, they quickly bowed their heads. Maria approached Vassillis who was wearing a suit with a red tie, and the party armband on his left arm.

"Augusta," he said as he bowed to her. She remembered their conversation from before, and said, "Citizen Vassilis Drakos is now Chief Magistrate, and the Senate will confirm this tomorrow. He answers to Us and to the Senate," she said, the holy oil slowly dripping between her breasts. She had nothing else to say, and turned her back to the crowd. As she turned, she saw a familiar face - She admired the view of the city while the Praetorian Guard helped clear everyone from the Acropolis. As she turned, she saw Captain Helios Panagos, a soldier she met a day ago. She was sure no one was looking, so she broke her mystique for a moment and smiled at him, before turning her back to everyone and admiring the view of the city. The Praetorian Guard quietly escorted everyone from the Acropolis, until only they and she were the only ones there. An hour or so later, they descended to Athens and he returned to the Royal Palace.