Anno Domini 830, December-17
Although I clearly had a good reason to be angry with my wife for the clear betrayal she had given me… well, I had repaid her with the same coin by cheating on her with another woman, and although I could justify myself and say that mine was circumstantial and that I tried to resist, betrayal was still betrayal.
"Why?" I asked while standing in front of her.
Maria lifted the veil covering her face and I saw her pressing her lips together while looking away to avoid meeting my eyes.
"That is not going to change my question, Maria." I said staring at her after taking a deep breath.
"I did not think… that it would be so serious… my father asked to know the state of your finances because, since they would soon be taking possession as strategoi of new themas, they would probably need injections of money to pay some expenses until they received the necessary gold from the basileus." Maria said in a low voice.
"What bothers me more is that you did not even think about warning me that he asked you instead of simply obeying blindly… because now I do not know how I am supposed to take this with your father, because instead of giving me a wife I have a damned spy inside my own house." I also said in a low voice while observing Maria and shifting my gaze toward the hundreds of aristocrats watching us, although they were far enough away to hear nothing.
"I only thought it was an innocent question, I do not see why it is such a serious matter." Maria said looking worried.
Pressing my lips together I approached the table and sat beside her.
"That is the problem, Maria. What would have happened if he had told you to leave a letter among my belongings… let us say with something that would put me in trouble, eh?" I said staring directly at her.
"He would never do that… he…" Maria said nervously.
"That is because he still has not done it… you are no longer your father's daughter, you are my wife and you must begin thinking about how things move around our family, not your former family… because whose side would you take if at some point I had problems with your father? Like what already happened with the command against the Bulgars, where he wanted to place your incompetent brother in charge of the cataphracts or have both of them recommended as strategoi when neither of them was qualified for it… what would happen then… if we fought again because your father has more ambition than brains?" I said crossing my arms while raising my chin.
"Fulfill my duty." Maria said lowering her head.
"I do not like those words at all. What is your duty? Or change the phrase." I said while keeping my gaze fixed on her and maintaining my voice low.
"My duty to you." she said licking her lips.
"That is better… we will speak more once we return to Crete. Unfortunately for me I have to go elsewhere." I said looking toward Lysander, who was staring at me while speaking with his wife in the distance.
When he noticed our conversation had ended he approached and sat down in front of us.
"Something that had to be done." Lysander said with a smile.
"Yes, make sure she does not do something she will regret afterward. In the end, what happened? Did a new metropolitan arrive?" I asked interested in knowing how Crete was doing considering it had been a long time since I could properly catch up with information.
"Yes, there is already one. This time they made sure he was iconoclast, although he has been very insistent about donations from the governorship of Crete." Lysander said.
"For any specific reason? If I am not mistaken there are no poor people that need feeding. Orphans perhaps, since anyone can die from something." I said thoughtfully.
"Of course, natural deaths have created some orphans among the inhabitants, but it is not the church taking them under its protection, it is Leo… the governor of that city asked me for funding." Lysander said nodding.
"Any specific reason for what he is using it for?... And Leo? Why is Leo taking the orphans?" I said raising an eyebrow.
"From what I know, the new metropolitan of Crete is trying to build churches in all the settlements of Crete and repair the old ones, in addition to being very intense when trying to baptize the Varangians, although it has not worked very well since the Varangian communities are very closed toward priests, although open toward merchants and well, everyone in general… and Leo created his own orphanage in his city." Lysander said.
"So he is educating them?" I asked tilting my head slightly.
"Yes, like everyone else. The recent literacy campaign where Leo sent everyone who knew how to read and write to teach after the harvests was a success, as you already know. Now many parts of the communities can read and write. Right now there is another literacy campaign from Leo, where he is certain that this time everyone on the island will know how to read and write." Lysander said nodding with a smile.
"Hmm… that sounds expensive. How are the finances? Has Leo's budget been maintained?" I asked with interest while seeing what a scientist did when he had many funds at his disposal.
"Ah… yes… it is expensive… and I admit I have gone too far with the budget Leo asks for every year. What Leo currently requests is around 140,000 nomismata per year." Lysander said clenching his jaw after saying the number.
"Jesus… that is almost triple what I originally assigned him. That could easily equip and pay several tagmata of cataphracts." I said widening my eyes considerably at Leo's expenses, which seemed extremely high.
"Yes… high, but I can assure you I have reviewed his expenses making sure none of that ends up in his pockets. In fact he has invited scientists, mathematicians and philosophers from all parts of the empire, Carolingians and even Saracens. In addition he has classes for everything… he even has Varangian teachers teaching navigation to novice sailors. One can learn everything in that city." Lysander said.
"It sounds wonderful… but are Crete's finances alright?" I asked regarding the expenses.
"Yes, we brought in far more than what was spent. 480,000 in salaries, 320,000 in repairs, 620,000 in raw materials, 160,000 for Leo's expenses and through taxes and profits from the commercial company we brought in around 3,200,000 nomismata… but the treasury is almost empty because you requested all of it for Carpathia." Lysander said lowering his tone of voice and looking at Maria.
"After paying the basileus his share we are in good standing then… damn, I would love to divert myself to see Leo's city, but I cannot waste even a single day, since this timing is ideal for everything." I said tapping the table with my knuckle while thinking.
"You are going to like it, Basil." Lysander replied.
After speaking about that we simply began talking about miscellaneous things, the weather and minor problems, while also listening to Lysander's wife complain that Lysander's sons spent all their time far from home studying with Leo and his army of teachers.
When Theophilos finally appeared followed by Maria's father and Theodora, who walked alongside him.
Immediately everyone rose from their seats and showed the respect owed to the basileus rhomaion.
Who did not take long to begin a long speech about the unity and greatness of the empire, thanking God and my hand for the victories that had been achieved in recent years.
After the protocol ended the food began arriving in enormous quantities and I could see Sigurd's family beginning to devour everything. As some of the guests of honor they had been seated very close to us, where we could watch them eat.
The sound of chicken bones breaking could be heard while Sigurd and his brothers devoured everything placed before them, so they had clearly spent several hours starving themselves because they wanted to surpass their previous record.
"Ha… the Varangians certainly know how to eat." Theophilos said smiling while sitting in the chair resembling a throne from where he could see the entire hall.
"Indeed, it seems the Varangians were never taught manners." Marinos said while looking at me with a faint satisfied smile.
"They know accounting and how to crack skulls. I think that is the best one can ask from people who have never been at court." I replied sharply.
"If you wish I could teach those men of the north how to behave." Marinos replied formally while pretending innocence.
"No thanks. I doubt they would want to learn. Besides they do not like being taught how to spy." I said focusing my eyes on Marinos.
"Oh… wonderful, then you spoke." Theophilos said after quickly licking his lips and looking toward Maria.
"Yes, we were speaking. About what I would do with her now that she had broken my trust. I was thinking about sending her to a convent or even asking for a divorce." I said while looking at Theophilos and immediately saw Theodora's eyes widen.
Marinos began coughing slightly because he had been drinking wine and when I shifted my gaze a little I saw Maria staring like an animal before the butcher.
"Ba… Basil… divorce… that… well, I will not deny that… well…" Theophilos said, but he seemed completely thrown off from whatever speech he had practiced.
"Do you not think asking for divorce is excessive just because of some information?" Marinos said frowning.
"Yes, I am within my rights. The Corpus Iuris Civilis of basileus Justinian allows me to request it in serious cases, and someone sending information regarding the taxes and income of a strategos is military espionage that endangers the thema." I said quickly while observing Theophilos, who had regained his composure.
"Certainly what you say is true, but no judge would accept that version. A daughter sending that information to her father is as common as eating." Theophilos said.
"Besides that would affect your reputation, since it happened under your responsibility." Theodora said while squeezing one of her fingers with her hand.
"For trusting in the sanctity of marriage?" I said raising an eyebrow.
"I do not think this is the moment to discuss this." Bardas said trying to cut off the conversation.
"It is exactly the moment to discuss this." I said smiling almost in the same way Marinos had smiled earlier.
Theophilos looked at Theodora with a gaze that clearly meant "I told you so" while rubbing his forehead with his hand.
"I consider that you are entirely within your rights to send her temporarily to a convent, but divorce is something much more serious, Basil… you know how everyone behaves toward you. Do not give them more reasons… not now with the iconodules." Theophilos said seriously.
I stood from my chair and slipped my hand into one of my robes' pockets and I saw the Scholai place their hands upon their swords while glancing at one another, debating whether to act or not.
"I can forget this easily with a confirmation from you, Theophilos… a joy to sweeten this bitter surprise I received after returning from war." I said while taking out the gold ingot, watching the Scholai sigh in relief.
"And this?" Theophilos asked receiving the ingot while standing beside me.
"We found gold in Carpathia. A good deposit. Quartz gold, fairly easy to mine. It is in the territories I govern, but all that is missing is your blessing so the mines become mine and remain outside direct state control." I said seriously.
"Done… damn it, Basil, what a fright… for a moment I thought the plans were about to fall apart." Theophilos said while slowly beginning to laugh.
"How much gold are we talking about?" Marinos said placing his hand upon his chin.
"What does it matter to you?" I replied while staring directly at him.
"Well, I suppose the foederati will pay their tributes and gold should become the main form of payment for the interests of the empire, and someone should be chosen for that task." Theodora said while speaking to Theophilos.
"I assume you are not proposing some strategos who will be very occupied in the east, are you?" I said while looking at Theodora.
"I will decide that myself. Show me where the gold mines you found are located and I will send an official whose only responsibility will be making sure too much is not mined, since we do not want gold to lose its value. It would be terrible for the economy that has only recently begun recovering." Theophilos said.
"Fine by me. Once this is over I will send you a map." I said satisfied while walking back toward my seat at the table and remaining staring at Marinos in a contest of gazes.
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