Siege

'I shall send Andronicus Bryennius Leontarsis as our ambassador,' Constantine said, breaking the silence. 'Are there any objections?' There were not. 'Good. Sphrantzes, you will brief him on the position of the Venetians and Genoese. That is all.'

Before Constantine had finished speaking, Sofia was already creeping away. She had heard what she had come for. Constantine would push for union, and that was all that truly mattered. Still, Mammas's outburst worried her, as did the letter of the Synaxis: it was sure to anger the pope. Sofia doubted that simple old Leontarsis would be able to handle the situation. If only she could be there in Rome, then she would be able to soften the words of the letter, to make the pope understand the need for union. But that was not to be. In only a few months, she would be married to Notaras. 'God curse the day that I was born a woman,' she silently swore, and not for the first time. The monk Gennadius sat behind the broad desk in his cell at Saint Saviour Pantocrator and held up a tiny vial filled with a golden liquid. He watched as the candlelight refracted through the liquid and then unstopped the vial and sniffed. There was almost no odour, only the faint smell of almonds. He was told that many could not smell even that. The liquid had been sent to Gennadius by a friend at the Ottoman court, and it was a most deadly poison. The full dose would kill in a matter of seconds, but in smaller amounts, the poison would take months to do its work and leave no trace. It would be perfect for Gennadius's plans.

There was a knock at the door, and Gennadius placed the vial aside on his desk. 'Enter,' he called. The door opened to reveal the monk Eugenius and behind him, Notaras. 'Welcome, Notaras,' Gennadius said. 'You have come at just the right time. Please sit.' He waved Notaras to an empty chair, and Eugenius withdrew, closing the door behind him. 'You have been at the palace?'

'Yes,' Notaras replied. 'Constantine is committed to union, as we both feared. He is sending Leontarsis to Rome to discuss terms with the pope. I did as you suggested and supported the entire enterprise, with the condition that a letter to the pope should be drawn up by the Synaxis.'

'And here is the very letter.' Gennadius handed a piece of parchment across the desk to Notaras, whose eyebrows shot up as he read.

'The rejection of the filioque doctrine… the recognition of councils as superior to the pope… the use of leavened bread in the communion… such demands!' Notaras said, handing the letter back. 'The pope will be furious.'

'Indeed,' Gennadius agreed. 'I expect he will send us his own set of demands in short order, and, God willing, they will be even more insolent than ours. Not even Constantine will be able to stomach such an affront, and that will be an end to this talk of union.'

'I fear not,' Notaras said. 'The empress-mother has Constantine's ear, and she is committed to union at any cost.'

'The empress-mother?' Gennadius's lips curled back in his predatory smile. 'Never fear. She will not trouble our plans for much longer.'

Notaras's eyes narrowed as they focused on the vial on Gennadius's desk. 'Surely you do not mean to…'

'No, no, of course not,' Gennadius lied as he placed the vial in a drawer of his desk. 'I only meant that she is old, very old, and that the end of her time must be near.' He could tell that Notaras was not entirely convinced. 'What of Patriarch Mammas?' he changed the subject. 'How did he react?'

'As you expected. He refused to be involved. He even went so far as to claim that if the letter were sent, he would resign as patriarch.'

'Good,' Gennadius said, rubbing his hands in pleasure. 'With a little push, perhaps we can convince him to leave Constantinople altogether. I shall have to make sure that a copy of this letter finds its way to him. Can you imagine what a scene he would make were he to run to Rome, telling the pope of how he has been mistreated? He would do more to poison the pope against Union than a thousand of these letters.'

'Indeed,' Notaras murmured. 'Now if you please, Gennadius, I will take my leave. I must rise early tomorrow to inspect the walls.'

'Very well. God keep you, Notaras.' Gennadius called Eugenius and watched him lead Notaras away. Then he opened his desk and once more removed the vial of poison. It was time to deal with Helena Dragases. 'You may enter,' the guard whispered and waved Sofia into Helena's darkened room. After the sunny brightness of the hallway, the darkness was impenetrable at first, and Sofia paused to allow her eyes to adjust. The scene brought back painful memories of the death of her uncle, Emperor John VIII. A stick of incense burned on a table near the door, filling the air with its heady smell. Next to it were two votive candles, their small flames the room's only source of light. They illuminated heavy curtains hung over the windows and an enormous bed, its four posts reaching up into the darkness. Helena lay on the bed, her eyes closed. She had become ill two weeks ago. The court physicians were at a complete loss and could recommend only rest and an occasional bleeding to rectify her humours. Despite all their care, Helena's condition had steadily worsened.

Sofia walked quietly across the deep carpet and knelt beside Helena's bed. This was the first time that she had seen the empress-mother since her illness began, and Sofia was surprised at how frail she was. Her skin looked brittle – papery and white – and she shuddered as she breathed. Helena's eyes opened a crack, and upon seeing Sofia, she smiled, a smile that looked more like a grimace on her gaunt face. Sofia helped as Helena pushed herself up, propping herself with pillows.

Helena turned to Sofia. 'You wished to see me, my dear?' she said, her voice a harsh whisper.

'Yes, Mamme, but I do not wish to trouble you.'

Helena waved away her concern. 'This is only a passing indisposition. I will be better soon enough. Indeed, I feel greatly recovered over the past few days. But what of you, my dear? I am told that you have not been sleeping well. Are you ill?' Sofia shook her head. 'Well then, tell me.'

Sofia lowered her eyes from Helena's searching gaze and took a deep breath. 'It is my marriage, Mamme,' she murmured.

'Are you fearful of the wedding night?' Helena asked. Sofia blushed and shook her head. 'Perhaps you do not approve of your husband-to-be, Notaras?'

'It is more than that, Mamme,' Sofia said, looking up. She paused, and Helena nodded encouragingly. 'It is marriage itself.' The words – so long kept to herself – spilled out now. 'I am every bit as capable as Notaras, and yet as his wife, I will be nothing. Notaras will not allow me to step outside the home, much less take part in councils or handle a sword. The second I marry him, my life will be over. I will be just another pretty thing, good only for bearing children. I cannot submit to it, Mamme.'

Helena nodded. 'I once felt as you do, child. After my marriage, I did not emerge from my quarters for months, except on direct summons. But marriage is not the end. I never learned to love Manuel, but my marriage to him gave me far more power than I ever would have had otherwise. Notaras is a powerful man, and if you can control him, then you will have a great say in our empire.'

Sofia was shaking her head. 'But you married the emperor. Notaras is only a noble. And besides, he will not listen to me. He is too proud, too arrogant.'

'I see.' Helena closed her eyes and lay back. She sat unmoving for some time, and Sofia began to fear that she had fallen asleep. Just as Sofia began to rise, however, Helena opened her eyes. 'You will not marry Lucas Notaras,' she said. 'No, do not speak. Let me explain. You know that we are sending an ambassador, Andronicus Leontarsis, to Italy?'

'Yes, Mamme.' Sofia blushed. How did Helena know?

'As a young woman, I too sat behind that wall, listening to secrets that I should not have heard,' Helena said. 'Leontarsis is a good man, but his is not the most subtle mind. In dealing with the pope, great tact and intelligence will be required, perhaps more than Leontarsis is capable of. I have persuaded Constantine that we should send another ambassador to second Leontarsis. You shall be that ambassador, Sofia. You are politically able, of the royal household, and most importantly, a woman. The Italians are easily moved by beauty. Perhaps you can convince them to send aid where men would fail.'