Chained to the Barbarian. Carol Townend
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passed through the door of the Boukoleon Palace and into the first of the courtyards. A light rain was falling. By rights they ought not to leave the Palace unescorted, but Anna sensed that Katerina wanted to talk and they could scarcely talk openly with the Emperor’s personal guard breathing down their necks.
Anna drew up her hood and led the way along paths that glistened with wet. As they left one courtyard and entered another on their way to the Chalke Gate, the hairs rose on Anna’s neck. Where was everyone? The grounds were eerily empty of people.
It is far too quiet.
Through an arch, a lone peacock trailed across one of the lawns, its brilliant glory lost and bedraggled. When its shriek broke the silence, Anna almost leaped out of her skin. A slave was hurrying along the paths by one of the smaller palaces, but she could see no one else. Of course, with everyone absent, who would notice them wandering about without an escort? Her skin prickled. It felt unnatural—she had never seen the Palace so deserted.
Where is everyone? Can the rumours be true?
Anna had only been back in the capital for a couple of days, but disturbing news had reached her. The army had acclaimed General Alexios as Emperor, raising him on their shields in the traditional Roman manner.
It cannot be true, it cannot. We already have an emperor, Emperor Nikephoros! What will happen to him if General Alexios takes the throne?
Shivering, she drew her cloak more tightly about her as they walked along. The General was said to be camped outside the City walls, waiting for the right moment to make his move. Unsurprisingly, these developments were causing much unease, colourful stories were flying back and forth like the shuttle on a loom. It was impossible to say if any of them was true.
I must say nothing of this to Katerina, the poor girl has enough to contend with, pretending to be a princess in a world that is alien to her. Katerina’s plight is far worse than mine.
Anna might not be on the best of terms with her father, but if it came to light that she was helping Katerina pose as the Princess, he was an aristocrat and that must count in her favour. Katerina, on the other hand, was a simple village girl, she had no one to speak up for her.
Except me. I will speak for her, if need be.
Saints, this afternoon I am meeting Father! This afternoon I must persuade him that I cannot marry Lord Romanos.
Katerina halted. She was lifting her brows as she stared at an ancient building where part of the roof had caved in. A row of antique statues lined the portico, ghosts from another time. Several of the statues had lost their arms, one its head.
‘That was the Hall of the Nineteen Couches,’ Anna told her.
Katerina shuddered. ‘It looks derelict.’
‘Yes, it’s been empty for years,’ Anna said, leading Katerina past several domed buildings towards the gate.
How brave Katerina is, to play the Princess in this way. Particularly since she is new to Court. If I had her courage, it would doubtless be easy to convince Father that I am not prepared to fall in with his wishes. She sighed. If only he were less intransigent …
In the past, Anna had tried calm discussion, she had tried entreaty.
My lord, I cannot marry Lord Romanos, I cannot.
Her father had been unmoved. The matter of her marriage had transformed him into a cold stranger, the man she had once adored might never have been.
‘Enough of this!’ her father had declared in a tone that had made her blood run cold. ‘You will marry Romanos Angelos! The Angeli expect it. I expect it. Believe me, Anna, I will do what is necessary to ensure this marriage takes place. If I have to beat you into submission, I will. If I have to starve you, I will.’
That was the point she had left for Rascia to join the Princess. Two years had passed since then, it was possible her father had mellowed. She simply must convince him that Lord Romanos was not for her. If not, she would have no recourse but to take desperate measures.
Desperate measures. In her mind, Anna could still see William on the slave block. He was swaying slightly, that magnificent body of his was bruised, but not broken, and those horrible chains were rattling as he stood over the children.
So protective. So brave and determined. Such an indomitable spirit.
Anna had hoped that with the coming of the next day, the desperate idea that had been born in the slave market would have been supplanted by another more sensible one. Unfortunately, that had not happened.
Marriage with William would, naturally, be temporary. It would be contracted purely to convince Lord Romanos that she was not the bride for him. The problem was that Anna did not need to speak to her father to know that marriage to a Frankish slave would alienate him permanently. That was not what she wanted.
During her time in Rascia the change in her father had eaten away at her. How wonderful it would be to be reconciled with him. It is just that I cannot marry Lord Romanos!
‘Creeping about in this way makes me feel like a criminal,’ Katerina said, breaking into her thoughts. ‘I suppose in the eyes of the Commander I am a criminal.’
‘You told me you had admitted nothing!’
‘Nor did I. But I do feel guilty for misleading him. Perhaps it was short-sighted of me, but I had not expected to feel quite so … bad.’
They reached the Chalke Gate, passed through it and entered the City. The broad, colonnaded avenue was worryingly clear of citizens. Anna’s sense of foreboding grew, unease was an icy chill on her skin. Although no one was about, it was probably best they did not stray far from the Palace.
‘Anna?’
‘Hmm?’
‘Yesterday I overheard something very strange …’
‘Oh?’
‘One of the grooms said that a soldier called Alexios Komnenos was making a bid for the throne.’
Anna gave her a startled look. ‘I was hoping you wouldn’t hear about that.’
‘So it’s true? Why on earth didn’t you mention it?’
‘I thought you had enough to worry about, and after we got back from the slave market I was somewhat distracted.’ Anna forced a smile and pushed away the image of a pair of green eyes fringed by dark lashes. ‘We both were. By the time the Commander had left your bedchamber, it had quite slipped my mind.’
‘You don’t think there will be fighting in the City, do you?’
‘It is possible, but I do not think it likely.’ Anna spoke firmly, though privately she had her doubts. The Imperial throne was at stake, and General Alexios had never been defeated.
They rounded a corner to enter the square and a rumble of voices rolled at them. A child’s thin wail cut through the rumble, a dog yelped. So this is where everyone is. Justinian’s bronze column was dulled by the rain, the base was all but hidden by the crowd milling around it.
Katerina gasped. ‘No wonder the Palace seemed empty, everyone is here!’
Anna nodded. Hundreds of citizens, courtiers if the sumptuous gowns and cloaks were anything to go by, were pressing towards the great column, pushing past it to reach the door that led to the great church of Hagia Sophia. Caught up in the crowd, Anna and Katerina were carried along as though by an inexorable force, before they knew it, they had crossed the church forecourt and been swept inside.
Hagia Sophia was full of shadows and the low murmur of the faithful at prayer. The air was wreathed with incense and the dome above flickered with the light of a thousand hanging lamps. Mosaic saints, haloes agleam with gold, watched from the walls.
Katerina glanced about wildly and clutched Anna’s arm. ‘Anna,