Eagle Byzantium

All the Greek nobles and landowners knelt on the ground and shouted in unison to follow the instructions and inspiration of Her Royal Highness the Princess. From now on, they will support the archers of Seleucia City, revive the entire military region, and also revive the entire empire and support pilgrims. Do your best for your great cause.

While the singing, dancing and banquet continued outside, in the small prayer room adjacent to the military port of the fortress, Anna sat in front of the reading desk, Agnes and Stavrajos were separated on the left and right, and Gawain was sitting in a high chair next to him covered with a cloak. superior.

Then, Cabeamiya and her two confidant elders Lucios and Philus walked in from behind the curtain in the corridor.

Seeing his holy sister with her eyes lowered, Governing suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He did not expect that Anna would suddenly summon the female consul sent by Paul to come for a secret discussion, so he was about to get up and find an excuse to leave, "Your Royal Highness, regarding Barracks inspection tonight..."

"There is no need for Gawain, and the personnel of the Red Hand Brigade cannot always be in charge. I have entrusted Dorus to do the inspection. In addition, the two young people who have just arrived must also be sent to familiarize themselves with the soldiers. "Excuse me, you sit here. After all, the female consul is a very important pillar of our side, and your voice is indispensable in this critical discussion." Anna made an unquestionable opinion.

Then the little girl suddenly laughed again and said softly to Gawain, "Actually, during our stay in Caron City, the female consul and I have become close friends. Even though we have different beliefs, we try to avoid doctrines as much as possible." You see, to show my respect for her, I did not hang any icons in this room so as not to offend the Archon."

Gawain lowered his head to Nono, while Cabea Amiya stared at him resentfully, "Yes, Your Highness, the topics among close friends mainly focus on the handling of true believers."

Gawain raised his head and said yes, thinking in his heart that this was an oversight. You still haven't considered the placement of the Paulists, and you can't blame me. After all, confidential documents are usually handled by Andodat, and now the other party is serving as the liaison between the two sides under Godfrey. I am busy with military affairs. Have some free time?

Crack, it was the sound of parchment swinging. Anna smiled and took out the order written in meaningful handwriting from the bracket of the reading desk, "Your Excellency the consul, I have already drafted everything. I will be north of Seleucia, under the Hardy Mountains in the Mut Valley. Rum, Sabak, Cadillac and Cobain The market town, and the surrounding villages, are all given to you and the Pauline believers - this was originally the 'Iqta fiefdom' of a group of beys and ghazis under the Sultan of Konya. Now that their power has been completely destroyed, here All the villages and farmland belong to you.”

After speaking, Anna's eyes looked at Cabea Amiya, "There is plenty of water there. The fields are fertile, there are well-developed small lakes and canals, and very high-quality clay resources. Do it well. Your beliefs can be free, but they are not allowed. Send propagandists outside the protectorate; in return you will pay taxes to Seleucia and provide military service of one hundred and fifty light-armed soldiers from Paphlagonia's four thousand followers. With thirty pack horses and ten war horses.”

"I know the Hardy Mountains, where agriculture is developed. But the mountains are to the east of the valley. The woods on the slopes are shady, and there is no high-quality timber..." When the topic of agriculture was mentioned. It seems that the female consul's remarks have become more sophisticated.

"It doesn't matter, let's exchange what we need. The previous closed farm model in this place should be changed. Seleucia will sell the wood and iron for making farm tools to you." Anna seemed more confident.

“What about the original residents?”

"They are all tenant farmers of Turkic Bey and Ghazi. I will leave half to you, and the other half will be sent to the villages under the city of Seleucia to farm for Gawain and me."

"Yes, thanks to Her Royal Highness the Princess's generous arrangement, the team of true believers will not only provide light troops for you and General Stratigos, but will also do their best to guard the fenced land in the north of Seleucia." Kabea Mia leaned over and thanked her, but when her eyes saw Gawain's boots, the sadness in her heart surged up again. Is this the only way to go? In exchange for the territory promised in advance, temporary peace, and the rights to comfortable farming, but under Anna's invisible "shackles", true believers may gradually degenerate into ordinary farmers, except for reading sermons. , probably means working, reproducing, serving and paying taxes, right?

After the consul retreated, the gentle sea breeze blew in into the small prayer room. Anna was still in high spirits, leaning on the window sill of the protruding monastery-style cave with colonnades on both sides. After all, this was a military fortress, providing privacy and security. It’s very important. We won’t have a large resting terrace like Brachna Palace. “Gawain, come to me, Enjoy this pleasant summer breeze, which blows from the sea in Cyprus and carries the green smell of grape vines." Her braids covered her delicate waist, and her fair hair was exposed under the corners of her loose robe. The calves, a dazzling ivory white in the night, were dangling with the ends of the braids, and the boots were placed on the stone slab on the side, facing Gawain's gaze.

In the room, Agnes was leaning over the reading table, helping Anna to stamp many of her petitions. She now served as the ink officer and deputy director of engineering, and Gawain had to pay her two byzants every month. Although Agnes felt that the salary of special gold coins was small, She was thin, but she didn't dare to protest - under the flickering candlelight, Agnes's eyes looked sideways at Gawain and Anna from time to time, a little uneasy, but when Gawain raised his eyebrows and looked back at her, Agnes Si was so frightened that she hurriedly covered her face behind the ink pot.

"What do you think of Nika, his family and castle?" Anna turned her face sideways and looked at Gawain who was next to her.

"It's not safe. We must leave a strong garrison in Seleucia to guard against them."

"The situation is turbulent, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to manage the entire Seleucia and Cilicia in the near future. Should we start with this fortress and the surrounding lands? Once we accumulate wealth... ...." Then, Anna's eyes turned to the roaring sea, where the moored fleet was rising with little flames, sailors and pirates Before drinking happily, and the laughter even reached the cliff under the window sill, Gawain saw Anna's eyes were very firm, no, rather a little cold, "Strengthen the army, and when the time is right, take Aral." The gates and keys to and from Seleucia cannot be left in the hands of the Kallegos family for a long time."

"Well..." Gawain really felt that Anna was his confidant (and enemy). In the gentle sea breeze, he touched Anna's braid and said, "It's also braided into a fishbone braid. ....." I thought to myself, and then said in a slightly troubled tone, "But what about the land rewards promised to the division soldiers?" (To be continued~^~)