A/N; During my vacation I went to Rome, and I gotta say, if you've the money and time you gotta go there; yeah I know the common destination, yet it's obvious in both its art, culture, and just sheer historical events.
Also a serious question, when did the Roman Empire fall? I said the empire fell when the culture died out, some say it's the Byzantine empire and others just simply say 476 A.D, I'm genuinely interested in seeing y'all's answers.
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Maturity.
It's a concept that eludes me, as I feel as if I am being immature, from the execution of the council to the threat of genocide of the Arabs.
I do wonder if what I'm doing is fine.
What if what I'm doing is only worsening the situation of my people.
Not my people out east, but here, in the original lands of Persia, they are suffering heavily from the raids and lands being conquered by the Arabians.
How many more people will be prosecuted just for the simple differences of religion?
Too many.
It won't stop here, and it definitely won't stop 2,000 years into the future.
Anger.
Anger is an emotion that I have issues with.
I acted in anger, both in dealing with the Caliphate and the Traitors.
I need to be level headed, for if not the possibility of revolts and further betrayals will happen, as such I simply cannot go on and proceed on my words that I spoke to the now dead Caliphate.
As such I gotta clean up my own mess.
It'll be awkward, embarrassing, and downright an anxiety-inducing ordeal, however for the betterment of the people I have to push aside my own personal emotions.
What I want is dwarfed by the burial of children.
"How many have died?" I asked as I rounded a massive fire shrine where a fire will be lit after I choose my new name when I take the proper throne.
"Well over twenty thousand, we're still counting the dead my Višpazana" a new Steward spoke, a woman, she was elderly, grey hair and a wrinkled face, yet a kind smile.
Reminds me of a kind grandma.
"They will receive all proper rites and families will not be taxed for five years" she wrote it down.
"The materials from the east are due to come in within the next months" the Councillor spoke as he stared at a parchment paper, he was younger in terms of everyone else here, yet, within India he was the most accomplished.
"Along with letters of support and pledges to send levies" the Councillor continued on as he moved between the papers with the skill that wouldn't speak of his age.
"More and more skilled warriors are coming out of the wood works, especially women" my Marshal and Admiral were controversial picks even having a lot of outcries from the noble families.
Peasants shouldn't be a part of the Višpazana's council, let alone women.
However, I've sent out my challenges, and it'll take months for them to come here to properly accept and attempt to defeat the two women.
They were twins in modern day Cambodia and Thailand.
After multiple years and multiple reforms I have my muscle mommies.
And I can't even have them.
Yet.
"Good, we need more warriors to keep peace within the newer lands that we conquered" I spoke as I rounded the table.
"And here?" The Priest spoke, he was… complicated.
He was a part of the last council, however when I got here I figured out that he actually walked away from the council months before the Arabs attacked.
"Here… is the Persian home, where our flag flies, I will not abandon it, I will not ignore it, I will not even attempt to downplay the issues here either" I slowly exhaled before I nodded.
"Tear the entire damn thing down" the elicited gasps from most "I will rebuild it better! I'm tired of waking up to the smell of shit and piss, I'm tired of looking outside and only seeing the dust kicked up by the horses and the feet of my people"
"No more, I will not ignore the sick like my forefathers - I'm not speaking down upon them, upon my father, upon my brother… I'm only saying that due to me knowing more than then, seeing more than them I know this!" I gestured outside, destroyed as if it was my home.
"I will not stand for this, I will suffer a thousand deaths before another child dies, another preventable death. The Dynasty of Tang figured it out; why can't we?" I turned to them.
"Gather the army, I will handle the Arabs outside; evacuate everyone else, we are tearing down the Ctesipon, we will rebuild our city, Bigger, Greater, Above all other cities; the Grandfather of cities shall be born on the sand and waters here!" I declared.
"M-my Višpazana, the population of Ctesipon is great, and removing such a large number of people… the buildings as well…" the Steward genuinely looked shocked.
"How many live here?" I asked as the Priest visibly swallowed.
"Arameans, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Assyrians, Indians, Chinese, just… just the amount of ethnicities combined… religions" the Marshal wiped the sweat off her forehead shaking her head.
"All together it's well exceeds 100,000 people" the Councillor chimed in as he stepped away from the parchment papers "well over ten different religions, all with different shrines with will simply refuse to be allowed to be destroyed"
"Christians, Jewish, Zoroastrianism, Buddhists, Shivites and so, so much more" the Priest spoke as he gave the cliff notes version of it.
"Give me the list later today, I will… I will construct an official… Sanctuary for every religion, an area of the city so grand it'll be an official place for them to pilgrimage to" I nodded to myself.
"And let it be known any tempering with said Sanctuary will be met with extreme punishment" I tacked on pretty quickly.
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"You bring two immodest women with you, and you expect me not to see this as a slight to our entire religion?" The Caliphate spoke, his name Ali Rashidun was slightly familiar but I really didn't care that much about it.
"Your religion matters little when it comes to the needs of my people" I say on a different rug this time, he sat across from me as both my Marshal and Admiral stood behind me.
"I will be clear and direct as possible with you" I started as I met his eyes "Ali ibn Aib Talib, let us put this officially behind us, upon this day, of June 8th 642 I offer an end to this war"
"In return you will give us all prisoners taken, including women and children, all cities you've taken from us. In return we shall pay for this war forthwith" I gave my offer as he frowned.
"Denied, you've massacred Uthman, my friend and fellow son-in-law to Muhammad, do you truly think that after you've spat on our faces and your great threats that we'd readily accept your White Peace?" Ali tilted his head as I shook my head.
"Stop thinking of your god and what our culture wants, but our people, do not deny that your people are tired and wish to go home and be with their wives and children" I leaned a bit forwards.
"They understand what is needed." Ali said vaguely.
"They understand what is needed" I repeated what her said as I shook his head "you don't need it, you want it, just like how I wanted to conquer lands to China"
Ali looked at my Marshal and Admiral at my back with strangeness in his eyes "how far did you even go?" He asked quietly.
"I made Tang kneel" that elicited a physical reaction "if I can make Tang kneel without being officially crowned imagine what I can do to you now that my brother is dead"
"But I'm done threatening you now, instead I wish to change, not to be sorry about it, but to simply be better than before, as an example to the children of others on what a leader - of what you and I should be" I nodded to my own words.
"We want the city" Ali spoke "along with you paying for this war we want the Ctesipon"
I couldn't help but smile.
"The city?" I raised an eyebrow.
He seemed to hesitate a second before he nodded "we want the city and the payment"
"You can have the city" I said with a nod.
"That easily?" Now he seems to be genuinely concerned.
"Yes, you can have the stone that builds my palace, you can have every stained stone that my people walked on, every grain of sand that my people have graced on" I still couldn't wipe the smile off.
"I feel as if you're leaving something out" he narrowed his eyes.
"Not at all, I'm simply fulfilling your demands to get what I want" I leaned back.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"In an arranged marriage, your daughter or son will be wed to ours" he spoke.
"Denied, my children will have the freedom to love and marry who they want, be it another king or a fisherman, it is their choice" I denied him.
Some things will never leave me.
"Then what stops you from attacking us immediately after this? Who's to tell that you will not send assassins to slit our throats as we sleep?" Ali asked.
"Tell me what is the most important thing to a ruler?" I asked.
"Wisdom to rule" Ali answered surprisingly quickly for how new he is at this.
"True, very true, and tell me, where would you place trust?" I asked.
"Low" ah, no wonder this was a concern for him.
"Then let me place my trust on you for once" I nodded.
"…explain" he narrowed his eyes.
"After this, should we accept this deal I will place no soldiers on our borders, be it trusted Warriors or newly recruited levies, they will not patrol on our borders" I smirked at the sheer shock on his face.
"You'd… we could do anything… why?" He asked.
"Because I'm placing my trust on you to not attack us" ah now the shoes on the other foot, kinda awkward huh?
"…I accept" he looked lost, as if he walked here expecting threats and grinding of teeth of a caged crocodile and instead he found himself willing to give him what seemed to be a one sided ten year truce.
"Then, let us sign and have our respective Priest write it to our gods" I nodded as I placed my name down first.
"Regarding the city" Ali signed next "where will you relocate?"
"Relocate? Why? I'm bringing the city to you" I smirked.
"What?" He was confused as he blinked as I chuckled.
"Don't you know? In Persia, you don't go to Ctesipon, Cresipon goes to you"
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Ali was confused for the next few days, but when I started to send the deconstructed materials of Ctesipon I was sent letters of rage and I only merely responded for him to be very careful with his words.
I never agreed to give him the land, only the city, and as far as I'm concerned he can have the damned city.
For when I'm done, Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Chang'an, and even Kannauj would pale in comparison to my Grandfather of Cities!
With modern buildings I will create a marvel that'll stun historians for centuries!
Now I gotta convince these fucks to build a sewer system.
Along with a sewer system I plan on making much larger roads including alleyways, even adding districts and public latrines that introduce privacy.
Finally, all the hours in City Skylines have use!
Oh, this might be more fun than conquering the east!