EMPIRE REWRITTEN
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Book II / Chapter 35: The City Kept for Christendom
🕑 Added 2025-08-14 23:38:20 +0000 UTCConstantine rode through the western land gate at dawn. The iron-banded doors yawned; Venetian guards stood rigid as Byzantine veterans filed past. Constantine’s horse clattered over fallen olive branches strewn as a token of welcome, though few citizens had ventured out to lay them. The Imperial banner of the double-headed eagle fluttered above, but the streets beyond the gate lay mostly empty.
As Constantine guided his mount forward, the crisp morning breeze carried the brine of the Aegean. Gulls wheeled overhead, their cries high and thin, and the salt air was sharp in his throat. He surveyed the silent avenues: shuttered windows, many cracked or broken, peered down like cautious eyes. Here and there, faces lingered in doorways or behind sagging balconies. An old woman crossed herself at the sight of the Emperor and murmured a blessing. A child waved timidly. A few scattered cheers, “Long live the Emperor!”, rose, but they echoed awkwardly in the hollow streets. The city felt half-dead, wounded by long years of fear and siege. Moss stained the broken stones, a quiet wound of neglect. Constantine’s triumphal entry had none of the roar of a liberated populace; instead, it was met with the wary silence of survivors.
Hooves clopped on uneven cobbles as the procession wound toward the harbor market. Beyond it, the bay glittered where crusader galleys rode at anchor. A stone mole jutted into the water, crowned with a platform for the ceremony. There waited Captain-General Alvise Loredan in polished breastplate and crimson mantle, and Cardinal Condulmer in scarlet robes with a gold cross at his breast. Around them stood ranks of soldiers: Byzantine musketeers, Venetian halberdiers beneath the Lion of St. Mark, Papal infantry under the Keys, and crusader knights in their varied harness. Sunlight glanced off steel and spears. The civilian crowd was thin, yet the setting still carried grandeur, broken only by the lap of waves and the keening of gulls as Constantine approached.
Constantine dismounted slowly and handed his reins to an aide. George Sphrantzes stepped forward to adjust the Emperor’s cloak, brushing off the dust of the road and ensuring the golden double-headed eagle embroidery was perfectly visible. Constantine allowed himself a single breath to steady his heart. This was a day of restoration. He must embody it. Shoulders back, chin high, he mounted the few steps to the platform where Loredan and Condulmer waited.
Loredan bowed with a flourish of his plumed hat. “Your Imperial Majesty,” he said, voice clear and formal.
“Captain-General,” Constantine replied with a courteous nod. “Eminence.” He inclined his head to Cardinal Condulmer as well. “On behalf of the Roman Empire and all of Christendom, I thank you both.”
Cardinal Condulmer, a stout man with a shrewd, kindly face, smiled and made the sign of the cross in the air. “We have only done our duty by God, Your Majesty.” His Venetian-accented Latin rang out so that the assemblage could hear. “Deo gratias that we stand here together on this day.”
Formalities complete, Loredan stepped forward, unrolling a small parchment. A hush fell on the gathering.
“By decree of His Holiness Pope Eugenius IV and the Doge of Venice,” Loredan announced, “our presence in Thessaloniki was custodia temporaria.” At the Latin phrase a knot of Venetian halberdiers rapped their polearms on the stones, a quick clatter of iron on stone that drew tight looks from the Greek ranks. Loredan did not turn, but a muscle jumped in his jaw. “Now, by ius postliminii, we restore the city to its rightful lord.”
An aide lifted the velvet-lined box. Behind him, a standard-bearer had planted St. Mark’s banner on the lip of the platform so the Lion looked out over the harbor and the crowd. Constantine stepped to receive the keys, and stopped. He glanced once, no more than a breath, at George Sphrantzes. The chamberlain understood and lifted two fingers. A Byzantine ensign moved to lower the Venetian banner from the dais.
“Hold,” a Venetian serjeant barked, hand on the staff. “By order of the Captain‑General, the Lion stands until the decree is concluded.”
For a heartbeat the platform held its breath. The Byzantine ensign froze with the halyards in his fist. Below, Byzantine musketeers tightened their grips on their pyrvelos; opposite them, Venetian halberds shifted, iron shoes scraping stone. Murmurs thinned into a sharp, expectant hush. One wrong word and the first blood of the day would be shed over a banner.
Loredan did not turn. His jaw set, but his voice stayed even. “Paolo,” he said, still facing Constantine, “lower St. Mark.”
The staff dipped. Cloth whispered as the golden Lion bowed below the double-headed eagle overhead. The murmuring at the foot of the platform eased.
Only then did Loredan reach into the proffered box and bring out the keys, iron and silver, old metal polished hard. He offered them with a formal bow.
The metal bit cold into Constantine’s palms. He lifted the keys so that Latin and Greek alike could see them. “Today,” he said, “Thessaloniki is restored to her people and to her faith, neither prize nor favor.”
The cheer that rose was thin but clean. His officers thumped sword-hilts against their breastplates in answer. Among the Venetians, the lines held steady, the earlier clatter stilled; the Papal troops crossed themselves. Constantine caught Thomas’s quick grin and Andreas’s flint-hard smile and let only a thin answering smile show. The moment of balance had passed; the city was theirs again, and seen to be so.
Cardinal Condulmer stepped forward, lifting both arms as if to embrace the crowd. When the cheer subsided, his mellifluous voice intoned a benediction. “Benedictus Deus qui adiuvit nos!” Blessed be God who has helped us. He switched to Greek for the locals’ benefit: “Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεός!” Then back to Latin, warming to his theme. “Today, heaven rejoices. The triumph here is not only of arms but of unity. Latin and Greek, Catholic and Orthodox, stood together against the foe.” He cast his gaze deliberately over the mixed ranks of soldiers. “Let no man sunder what God in His mercy has bound in common cause. Let not pride or ancient grievance divide us now. For we have kept this city for Christendom by working as one.”
Constantine watched the faces of those around him as the Cardinal spoke. The subtext was clear: a gentle warning against the very division that had nearly occurred over Thessaloniki’s fate. He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Wise words, Eminence,” he said quietly.
Condulmer turned to him with a benevolent smile. In a softer voice meant only for those on the dais, he added, “May this city ever remain a beacon of our shared victory, not a bone of contention.”
“Just so,” Constantine replied in the same tone, meeting the Cardinal’s gaze. “By God’s grace, it will be such.”
He stepped back and addressed the assembled host once more. “Soldiers of Christendom, you have fought and endured for this day. By your courage and God’s will, Thessaloniki is free.” His voice gained strength as he went on. “See now this city, kept safe for Christendom at such cost. We honor the fallen by how we carry forward from this moment.” Briefly, his throat tightened as a name hovered in his mind, Sigismund, the Holy Roman Emperor, who had led a great army from the north and given his life on this campaign. Constantine forced the surge of grief aside; this was not the hour for mourning. Instead, he lifted the keys again. “In token of our thanks to the Almighty and our commitment to rule justly, let us dedicate this city anew to God.”
He turned from the waterfront toward the upper streets and the Church of Saint Demetrios, Thessaloniki’s patron, stripped for a few bitter years and converted into a mosque under Murad. The brick façade wore smoke and limewash like old scabs; the carved relief of the saint on horseback had been hammered at and smeared with plaster, yet its outline endured and caught the morning light.
“Come,” Constantine said, addressing both Loredan and Condulmer and, by extension, all present. “We will place these keys upon the altar of Saint Demetrios, giving thanks for our deliverance and symbolically returning Thessaloniki to the care of its patron saint and to the law of the Empire.”
Cardinal Condulmer bowed immediately, receptive to any pious gesture. Loredan hesitated a half-beat, surprised perhaps by the sudden change from martial ceremony to religious rite, but then gave a curt nod. “As Your Majesty wishes.”
Constantine stepped down with the keys in his hands; the guards closed around him, and the Cardinal and Captain-General fell in step slightly behind. A procession formed: a dozen standard-bearers with flags of all the allies led the way; behind them, priests and monks lifted crosses and icons, chanting a thanksgiving hymn that echoed off the worn stones. Constantine walked at a measured pace, cradling the keys, feeling their cold metal warm slowly in his grasp.
The procession entered the dim interior of Saint Demetrios. Cool air hung heavy with incense from dawn prayers, veiling the chalk of limewash. The great church was scarred by war and its brief conversion into a mosque: gilded icons gone, mosaics stained with soot and dulled by whitewash. High windows were shattered and patched with canvas; on the south wall a mihrab had been bricked over. Cracks ran across the marble floor, and only a few beeswax candles flickered before the hastily re-dressed iconostasis. Yet it was still consecrated, and to Constantine it felt like the city’s heart — battered, but waiting to beat again.
He advanced up the center aisle toward the altar. The keys weighed upon his palms, and he became acutely aware of every footfall echoing through the hollow silence of the church. Loredan and Condulmer followed at a respectful distance, with George, Andreas, Stefan, Hunyadi, Jean, and Thomas, as well as a few senior officers and priests. The larger mass of soldiers and townsfolk remained outside, peering in.
Reaching the front, Constantine ascended the three steps to the altar of Saint Demetrios. A simple white cloth covered the altar slab; above it hung a small oil lamp, flickering weakly. There was no formal liturgy now, only the murmured prayers of those who had entered behind him. He knelt and bowed his head, holding the keys against his brow for a moment. The stone floor pressed hard against his knee, and the smell of wax and old incense filled his nose. In that private pocket of stillness, Constantine offered a silent vow: Lord, You set me here, though I would not have chosen it. I take this city in Your name, but also in my own, and I pray that is not pride. Make me steady, if not worthy. Saint Demetrios, watchman, keep my hand steady and keep Thessaloniki in the light.
He rose, the weight of purpose settling firmly on his shoulders. Gently, he laid the great keys upon the altar. The iron struck marble with a sharp, final ring — bare, absolute, impossible to mistake. It was done. Thessaloniki was symbolically and literally returned to Roman law and to God’s protection. Constantine sensed Cardinal Condulmer making the sign of the cross behind him and heard a few of his Greek officers whisper “Κύριε ἐλέησον”—Lord, have mercy. The moment was thick with meaning, yet refreshingly free of any mystical portent. There were no visions, no voices from heaven, only the solemn understanding that a sacred responsibility now rested on Constantine’s mortal shoulders.
After a brief, humble thanksgiving led by one of the Orthodox priests, to which the Cardinal respectfully added an Amen, Constantine stepped back from the altar. He allowed himself a final glance at the keys gleaming in the lamplight atop the altar, then turned to face those gathered. His heart was pounding not with fear or triumph, but with resolve. Thessaloniki was his now, his to protect, to rebuild, to use as a bastion for the battles yet to come. He inclined his head to the clergy and signaled quietly to his officers. “It is done,” he said. “Now, to the business at hand.”
Author’s Note: Next chapter enters the war council in Thessaloniki, maps unrolled, voices careful, old loyalties and new debts sharing the same table. What follows turns on prudence as much as courage. Before we step inside, lend your counsel: what do you judge the wisest next move for the coalition? Your reasoning will be heard in the room!
Comments
Wen L.
Agree that he needs to consolidate his power and take the frontiers. North of Thessoloniki is Rumelia/Bulguria, which is the wealthiest and main granary of the Ottoman Empire in the region. Take it and he will gain a lot of supplies in the future. As for the campaign next year, I think we might be losing people like Jean and the Burgundians, the Hundreds years war isn't over yet and they will need to make their historic appearance on the Side of France after Burgundy breaks with the English. However, with Sigismund early death, a lot of things are thrown in the air right now. Are the Habsburgs going to make their move earlier for HRE control? What about Hungary and Bohemia, which had just rebelled recently?
Wen L.
Agreed, Constantinople is too close to Edirne and it would be a very costly campaign to fight cornered enemies, who can join their forces out of fear. I also agree on consolidating power and focusing on the Balkans. My target though is bordering Rumelia/Bulguria province, which is the wealthiest and largest grain producer in the region for the Ottoman's in hte 15th century. Acquiring it would rob Ottomans of future supplies, plus bolster Constantine's forces. Plus, later on, it is discovered that Bulguria possessed luxury resources, i.e. rose oil and lavendar oil, key to perfume making. In the Medieval/ Renaissance, people don't bathe alot and perfume was a major luxury item that everyone in upper/middle merchant classes would buy. Good resource to have and sell
Max Müller
The thing is: the ottoman navy still exists in the field and presents a major issue for the Crusader fleet if they were to engage
Max Müller
While i agree he should try to sow dissent in Constantinople, i disagree with letting Demetrios off in any form. Given the banner he has raised, he needs Demetrios to be punished for killing their brother.
visoled
My thought with Agriculture was Inviting Dutch farmers to settle land and get some of their farming innovations as well.
Max Müller
1) hope next chapter we get a summary of the butchers bill on both sides 2) guess i was right about the papal side playing it smart 3) what the wisest course of action is: Firstly i think going for Constantinople right now would be a mistake. Both politically and militarily. Liable to get flanked by the Ottomans the whole way and stuck at the end with a hard siege. Additionaly the moment he takes Constantinople, the unification of the church becomes topic again. So hard no for now Best Choice in my opinion: Clear the enemy positions to the rear. Take the ottoman territory towards the west, prepare for the next years campaign, train new troops, get supplies stockpiled,etc. This wont be a fast war even if it is tempting to try and go for Edirne.
pls don't ban me
edirne is too mich right now. focus on creating a soldi border. all of modern day greece, Macedonia ans Albania. take control of the Tocco domain and then you can shift focus in a next crusade on the remaining lands in the balkans
Vuk Stefanovic
Consolidation and rebuilding + scouting the frontier and siezing everything abandoned... constantinople is a lofty goal and a city of worlds desire, but out of rech cuz no troops/powder/provisions ... crusade can continue next year
Zayari
As much as I want to go for Constantinople it’s literally a stones throw from Edirne and such a move would most certainly see them rally together even if it’s just scraps they could pull together. Not to mention just how much it would stretch Constantine’s somewhat thin army during peace time. Some of us are forgetting that alot of these places will need investment to restore to their former glory. Our best bet would consolidating(if possible) Serbia and Albania under the empire if possible with promises protection from the Ottomans or otherwise as we’ve now proved twice over that we can not only defend our territories but go on the offense as well. This is not even counting all the Greeks and other minorities in the Ottoman Empire that will likely flee to our territory as they see we can defend them from Ottoman Tyranny. We’re going to have ALOT to deal with between juggling unification of the church, consolidation of new territories, building of new infrastructure, not to mention the ottomans went scorched earth during their march. I understand every wanting to jump on the chance to expand while we have the “extra help”, but using them to expand comes with “expectations” whereas we can literally go on campaign again next on our own after we’ve consolidated more and we won’t owe them anything for what little help the West actually gave outside of Burgundy. Leave Thomas to sulk in Constantinople as it hasn’t really served as the capital for awhile by this point and is more symbolic. Come up with an acceptable excuse for why it wasn’t taken then simply take it alone next year so that there’s no papal funny business. Thomas can be left to fret and wither away in the capital until the people/courtiers/nobles inside are literally begging Constantine to come take it back at which point we can swoop in like hero’s to liberate them from our Treacherous brother. We can still work towards unification without Constantinople plus this will show us if the pope is simply interested gaining more religious sites under his control or actual unification of Christendom. Also have we consider how the Papacy is going to react to this leros Skrepos(likely spelled it wrong) especially if Constantine’s connection to it is discussed. The pope has shown he’s willing to use force to crush errant religious movements I don’t honk he’ll take well to one seeking to unite all “Abrahamic” religions under one banner.
TyrantGod
Need to take Constantinople if they can and if they can use strategy instead of force. Ottomons are broke, use looming civil war & divisions to chip away territory. Eat from the edge instead of the center of the hot porridge.
Hugo23
Do we have the numbers or support to do so? The Crusade is gutted to perhaps half of it's original size, Sigismund is dead and the Hungarians need to go home. Would Albania answer with it's muster knowing it not only has to supply and pay it's own men but help with others as well? They don't have the powder for more than one engagement, they don't have the numbers for multiple. It would be a bluff they couldn't afford be called to march farther into Ottoman lands. Goals are great and all, but they have to bow to reality, and the reality is the Ottomans have the numbers still, and Constantine doesn't have enough to offset those numbers. The supply and manpower situation can't be solved quick enough that the Ottomans wouldn't recover before the question is rendered moot.
Wen L.
Without heavy cavalry due to their defeat in Macedonia at Constantine's hands, the Ottoman Empire are unable to take offensive action and no longer can project power in the Balkans. If I were Constantine, I would shore up the recent gains and capture the undefended Ottoman frontiers, isolating the routed forces that retreated to Edirne/Adrianople. It's late in the Campaign season, but you can still take a good chunk of land that's important for future development. My key target is Rumelia/Bulguria, the Ottoman's wealthiest province in Europe and main granary. If Constantine can control Bulguria, plus Greece and Macedonia, he essentially can pull off a second Alexander the Great's move to conquer a new Empire. Rumelia has not been mentioned in your story yet, so it's a good idea to establish it as a big target for occupation/liberation. There's also a lot of natural resources that can't be procured in Constantine's current landholdings, i.e. Rose Oil and Lavender Oil (key ingredients for perfume, which in an era with limited bathing options would be a luxury item if mass produced). By taking Rumelia/Bulguria, the Byzantine can threaten Constantinople and Edirne in the east, force Wallachia and northern Ottoman vassals to capitulate as the Ottoman land routes are cut off, further exacerbating Ottoman supplies in Edirne. As for Venice, I think they want to occupy further East and cut-off the Ottomans by capturing the Sea of Marmara by taking over the cities on its northern coast at the mouth. However, long-term, if Venice controls this vital waterways for Constantinople, essentially making Constantine beholden to Venice for sea access if they go that route. This also grants Venice control over the Black sea as it's the mouth of the Bosphorus straits. Papal forces would be weary of Venice expanding its naval power, so I think the Cardinal will side with Constantine in taking Bulguria first and promising it land grants to several island in the Ionian sea, between Greece and Turkey, controlled by Muslim forces.
Paxmorgana
I think that the Sultan's body must be remanded to the Ottomans as soon as possible, perhaps doing so at Serres. If Serres is also abandoned, then garrison and move to Edirne to return his body. Time is of the essence here to avoid grave insult, and better to have the Ottomans fight over succession at length than going on suicide missions avenging lost honor or bolstering their remaining holdings in Europe. If Serbia is serious about marrying in, and if Thomas is still single (I forget, he can act childishly sometimes), marrying him off in exchange for potential help next war season to pincer Nis and the other cities between them and Thessaloniki may be a wise move in the long run. Breaking the Ottomans as thoroughly as just happened opens a lot of doors, but unfortunately it may also become a race to see who can grab the most land first.
Ben Robbins
TFTC. I don't believe the Ottomans can offer significant resistance at the moment, and probably not for some years. The greatest danger is someone competent assassinating the Sultan and taking control of the remaining Ottoman lands and forces, but that would likely create even more division and strife. This may be a good time to get his agent (I forget his name) to stir up a bit of trouble in the Ottomans heartland. Constantine should take council with the Balkan leaders to set boundaries on their lands and draw up trade and defence treaties. He also needs time to rebuild and repopulate the land he has reconquered. And he needs to build up a stockpile of gunpowder, rest, and refit his troops, and recruit. If he's going to take the rest of the Empire back, at least to Constantinople and it's environs, then he will need more men for garrisons, border guards, training cadres, reserves, etc. He also needs money, so widespread increased agricultural productivity is essential, as it not only produces more tax revenue for I'm, but it also frees people to work in other profitable areas, or to join his military or administration.
Hunter197
Serbia remains loyal to the cause. Albania in revolt. The coalition controls up to Thessaloniki. Wallachia has betrayed the Ottomans in their moment of need therefore for them the die has been cast they might be able to be brought into the Christian fold coalition. There are only three options as far as I can see. Push to Edrine the Ottoman stronghold on this side and take it via seige. Liberate Bulgaria. Or in my recommendation push towards Constaintinople and draw the Ottomans out of Edrine. The coalitions goal has always been Constantinople. Constatine's secret goal and agreement with the Pope has been the reunification of the churches that is impossible without Constantinople. On top of that the Ottomans might attack them but it doesn't matter because from the rear but just like at Thessaloniki Edrine should be bypassed it does not matter if you can win the true prize. At least that is my recommendation. Likewise as someone else mentioned the line of Orhan Çelebi is somewhere and Ottoman intrigue is ever present. But loving the story and will love it wherever it goes
Alexander the Smoker
Consolidating their territory and strength is imperative for fending off any potential attacks from the Ottomans. With the death of Murad, they’re in disarray, but Constantine’s lack of gunpowder could become a problem. Sending a diplomatic message to Demetrios in Constantinople might also be beneficial. With the Sultan dead, his base of support is shaky and might be willing to acknowledge Constantine as the Emperor. It would also prevent a siege of the city and prevent further bloodshed. As for gaining further territory, scouting the area for Ottoman armies is essential, especially given the chaos that would unfold in Edirne. Albania is already guaranting the west is secure with their revolt. Securing the north would help, considering the Serbian ruler proposed his daughter’s marriage to Constantine, it would keep his northern border secure while he could advance east into Thrace and Bulgaria.
Hugo23
Well Venice is expressing some... doubts? This feels very much like someone was given marching orders that they really disagreed with but too many voices said to do it. Loredan played it as smart as possible, Condulmer probably had to lean into the holiness pretty hard to get everyone to at least remove the hand from the hilt. Larissa is the most obvious choice and one that needs to be taken. Thomas and Andreas will be in agreement for once about the target between supply lines and it's now cut off from reinforcements. Venice needs to be appeased and hopefully they will just take money. Albania and the Tocco lands are possibility but it really comes down to what the Ottomans do. The Crusade has the momentum, it has the opportunity but the enemy gets a say to. Realistically though the crusade might need to be declared done, Sigismund is dead and his lands are in chaos. With no more aid from the North and Hunyadi needing to depart, likely with Serbian aid then a large portion of the ground forces depart. That takes away a third, the Venetians probably will declare we have fulfilled our obligations and need to leave. Leaving Burgundian forces and the papal squadron as our only allies of note. Between that and the fact that the last chapter mentioned "we have the powder to frighten a town, not a country". The Ottomans are still a country, not a particularly unified one but one that will if an outside enemy presents itself. Now granted we could keep going, say the crusade lives on and draw in more resources but it would take time. Once such a thing is unleashed you can't put it back in the bottle, the Ottomans will have a foe to unite against and they won't wait for allies to arrive.
Elaine
good chappie
Davada
Looks like venice was smart enough to not play chicken ofcourse good chance they'll want to take the minor port of demitras they occupy and a share of the loot from the ottomans but they should still rewarded since there still a very important trade partner had some contributions to the war and are willing to make concessions like giving up the city to rightful byzantine rule
Artherion
It all depends on ottoman army disposition and capability right now. Can a push be made further east? If so, dardanells straights should be the target, if you can cut off the turks from Asia, you can choke their European possesions. If the ottomans are capable of fielding a solid fighting force, then I would suggest advancing onto Serres, createing a buffer zone and liberating lands until Skopje. Linking with Serbia, and securing Albania. Ottomans are likely to go through internal strife, or should be bussy in Asia at least.
russell marsh
My Emperor, my Lords and your Eminence we are at a crossroads while the Turk is wonded and confused we are also exhausted if we have the strength to move on The queen of cities then let's but we must rest for a time and if we hold them let's us fortify what we have and Wait for spring that is my counsel
FantaMan
To add: The crusader armies would probably demand more for going on though, Venice doesn't do things for just 'piety', they always want something out of it.
ioshf fikry
I think it too late in the campaign season to advance any further i recon that the allies would benefit more with the consolation of thessaly( Larissa) and Macedon, also Constantine has little to no gunpowder to feed his guns and needs time to import and make more of it( not to mention more guns). lastly Constantine should use this time to expand his army( and by extension his influence in the crusade)
Gavriil Kourouklis
Grand vizer halil pasha would negotiate maybe giving up lands south for a decade peace untill varna then you should take Macedonia and Evros and send Orhan Celebi to asia minor and give some asia minor lands
FantaMan
I feel like they should try to take all of the ottoman territories in Europe because that would allow Constantine to have some more time to focus on building in his territory and also the ottoman empire would then be in an even more chaotic spot, trying to deal with all sorts of rebels. However I feel this should only be done if he can convince the crusading armies to go on further, as then he has a far stronger army. It may be difficult in the short term to maintain this war for sometime more but I feel like it would be really good in the longterm.
de la Fouchardiere
Check Edirne for strong resistance ; If none, take over all of Balkan greece, consolidate, then head for constantinople. If it's gates don't open by themselves anyway
Gavriil Kourouklis
Oh yes, here we go!
