"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Your Excellency Isa-Beg Ishaković," Manuel said, a ceremonial smile, typical of diplomatic occasions, gracing his face as he looked at the young man before him, who seemed a little unseasoned due to his youth.
This was his second most important task for the day: to meet the envoy sent by the Ottoman Sultan in the outer city, Isa Bey, son of the Sultanate dignitary Ishak Bey, and the Ottoman delegation he led.
Although Murad II's reputation among the Eastern Orthodox had been completely ruined by his unprecedented act of unilaterally tearing up a truce agreement, the Sultan himself still paid great attention to the etiquette of war. After Manuel's hasty retreat to Constantinople, Murad did not order a pursuit, but instead temporarily garrisoned his troops at Lüleburgaz, the former Arcadiopolis, capital of the Roman Empire's Thracian military district. While the main reason was the Sultan's apprehension of the formidable Theodosian Walls, it was also not unrelated to his desire to make Manuel concede through diplomatic means.
Therefore, on the third night after the war began, the day when the Empire's territory in Thrace was reduced to only Constantinople, Murad II secretly proposed to Manuel that they hold a secret negotiation.
Regarding the Ottoman proposal, after a brief hesitation, Manuel, who was contemplating retreat at the time, ultimately agreed. What followed was what his wife, Barbara, witnessed: feeling uneasy about his future and his decision, he began packing his belongings, intending to take his subordinates and family back to Asia Minor or Tauris before planning a westward advance.
However, now, he was no longer as bewildered as he had been then. So, more people than he had originally planned knew about this negotiation.
After quickly recalling the previous events in his mind in less than half a second, Caesar regained his composure and continued the negotiation that had already begun.
The next hour of negotiations was filled with worn-out topics and rhetoric. Despite Manuel's utmost courtesy, his meaning was very clear: he could not abandon the city and its citizens.
Finally, the young Isa Bey lost his patience and began to question him with a barbed tone: "Caesar, if you swiftly return to your country and no longer involve yourself in the grievances between the Sultanate and the Empire, then the Sultan is willing to reconcile. At that time, the Sultan will allow you to retain the narrow strip of territory on the southern shore of the Black Sea. With such terms, what reason do you have to refuse?"
"Reason?" Manuel leaned his upper body slightly forward, the smile on his face becoming inscrutable. "Do you believe you will allow our nation to continue to exist? The past hundred years have already proven that you Turks do not proactively maintain peace with your neighbors. Even the current Sultan, renowned for his trustworthiness, did he not tear up the peace treaty on the first day of this year? As soon as you feel threatened, you infidels tear off your veil of warmth and reveal your true colors. What credibility can such a neighbor's promise have?
"Even if we take a step back, if you were willing to live in peace with us under God's grace, like your forefathers, then how could it have come to this? To declare war again so impatiently in less than a month, is it not because you are worried about your own situation? Even so, can you, who insist on starting the war again, be certain that victory awaits you, not defeat?
"If you want to ask me for my final answer, I have only one sentence—"
At this point, Manuel's smile faded, and his expression became incredibly serious and earnest,
"The power to surrender this city belongs neither to me nor to anyone residing here. We would rather die than be pardoned."
"This is our willing, collective resolve."
"Manuel, allow me to correct one point: you have neither power nor obligation over this city. You were neither born in Constantinople, nor are you an official or ruler here. To put it more severely, you, who are temporarily usurping the power of Basileus with an army, are merely a usurper." Isa Bey, angered by his words, suppressed his fury and "corrected" Caesar's statement.
"I am a Roman, and it is my duty to defend the land of the Romans; that is enough." Manuel dismissed the Ottoman envoy's words with a single sentence.
Seeing this, Isa Bey, fuming, retorted angrily, "Know your place, Goth Caesar!"
But before he could speak, John Eugenicus, the newly appointed Metropolitan of Chersonese, who was sitting beside Caesar, stood up and refuted his words, "Even if His Majesty was born in Gothia, as a descendant of the ancient Roman noble Gavras Family, he is not someone you Devshirme, who have abandoned your ancestors, can casually criticize!"
As the Metropolitan said, Isa Bey, like his father Ishak Bey, was a Slav from Devshirme. His uncle, Sandalj Hranić, was even still a Grand Duke in the Kingdom of Bosnia, holding a pivotal position there.
Therefore, upon hearing the Metropolitan's words, Isa Bey was so enraged that he almost drew his sword on the spot, but seeing the others accompanying Caesar Manuel already poised for action, he obediently retreated to his seat.
Thus, the negotiation came to an end without resolution. As for the Ottoman delegation led by Isa Bey, Manuel gently escorted them out of the city. After all, "when two nations are at war, do not harm the envoy," and these envoys were not currently in a position to determine Ottoman strategy. Rashly executing them, in Manuel's view, would do more harm than good.
That night, the armies within Constantinople, regardless of their factional affiliations, all gathered to fight for the defense of the Mother of All Cities. During this time, some citizens of Constantinople were surprised to find that even the Lucas Notaras Family and the Kantakouzenos Family, royal factions previously at great odds with Manuel, actively participated, diligently mobilizing and coordinating the various factions of the city's army.
The next day, the fifth day after the Ottoman Empire declared war on the Roman Empire, Caesar Manuel, of the Bosphorus Despotate, donned his military uniform and armor at dawn and ascended the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, formally announcing that the Bosphorus Despotate would fulfill its agreement with the Empire and jointly counterattack the Ottoman Empire alongside Constantinople. It was also here that he delivered a carefully prepared and impassioned speech to the defending soldiers who had already gathered, as well as the citizens of Constantinople who had been drawn to the scene:
"Most exalted leaders, distinguished generals, bravest comrades, and all loyal and upright citizens! You clearly know that the time has come: the enemy of our faith hopes to devour us with the full might of his siege. Therefore, I implore you to fight the enemy of our faith like brave men, as you have done from ancient times until now."
"The Turks now outside the city, not only have they plundered our lands and humiliated our people for the past hundred years, but they have also attempted to transform children, who should be blessed by the Lord, through the detestable system of blood tax."
"How can one not feel pain when they see their own child, for whose future happiness they have shed tears and prayed, brutally snatched away from them by foreigners, forced to adopt savage languages, customs, and religions? A child who once attended church and should be loved by his compatriots is taught to kill his own kind!"
"Even after all this, these Turks still do not intend to spare us. After we have escaped so many dangers and suffered so many terrible things, they still want us to endure this pain. Given all this, should we still surrender and give all that we cherish most to these infidels!?"
"We have been deprived of everything on earth because of our true faith: cities, provinces, lands, honor, and hope. We have even suffered contempt and blame from all other nations. Present-day Constantinople appears miserable and impoverished in the eyes of outsiders, with more empty spaces than buildings within the city. Is this our fault?"
"How could it be! Those who have deprived us of everything enjoy the delicacies and treasures provided by our people, yet they, in turn, mock us Romans for lacking courage and strength. What a despicable and ugly act this is!"
"Therefore, we now have nowhere left to retreat. Some may say that the hateful Sultan arrived hastily and will surely fail to take this city. But what about our provinces? The consequences of not having provinces have been proven over the past century. To prevent the land of the Romans from following the path of that past century, to prevent the enemy from killing us with scimitars and then pointing at our bones, saying, 'Look, this is a slave!' I implore everyone, my brothers and comrades, to unite!"
"Will some feel fear? Will some feel sorrow? To be the center of the entire Christian world, yet to have been countless times a battlefield over these years. What a painful moment this is! What unbearable sorrow?"
"Not to mention, when one sees Romans become cowardly, while Muslims summon courage, who among us at that moment did not feel fear? Who was not affected? Is there such a warrior?"
"This is certainly not the fear of death, for all men must die: this is the fear that this great city will be conquered;"
"Therefore, so that our people are not enslaved, our women are not humiliated, our wise are not treated shamelessly, our churches do not disappear or become blasphemous domed temples, our holy icons do not become objects of mockery, Hagia Sophia does not become a place to praise Muhammad and a dwelling for demons, and the Romans who have just returned do not suffer the aforementioned treatment, I need the strength of all of you!
"Let us place our hope in the merciful and compassionate God, if He spares and protects us; and in the pure and eternal Holy Mother, to persuade Her Son to listen to Her pleas, to have mercy on us, and to show us kindness. In this process, please overlook my countless sins and deliver us from the suffering of being enslaved by the impious Turks.
"Believe, Holy Father, that You will never allow such a thing to happen, so please help all those who live in the orthodox faith, those believers who hold the true faith, to guard this place!
"And outside the walls, this impious, God-hating, utterly detestable people boast of their countless victories over the Romans. The Romans ignore that this world is under the power of evil, and that most of this world is occupied by evildoers, slaves of hell, and those who drive out their neighbors by force.
"But this is only temporary, for those wicked people will also suffer the same hardships as the Saracens of the past. For though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, nor did they worship Him, but regarded Him as an idol that was not an idol. And thus, Allah approves of everything they do, such as murder, plunder, and taking slaves—
"This is why they have triumphed over the Romans!
"This detestable Sultan, though already punished by our Lord Christ at Varna, still uses his remaining strength to tear up treaties that bring peace and tranquility, and uses despicable tactics to seize our land and besiege our cities. But, by the grace of our Lord Christ, so far, all enemies, from ancient times to the present, have been repelled, and they have all left our walls in shame.
"Therefore, my brethren, do not be timid, even if our defenses are not yet fully repaired due to unforeseen circumstances, but as you can see, the Theodosian Walls remain an unbreakable presence.
"We place all our hope in the irresistible glory of God. Some people trust in weapons and equipment, some trust in cavalry and the size of their armies; but we first trust in the name of the Lord, our God and Savior; secondly, we trust in the strength granted to us by the Lord.
"My comrades, for the mercy of God, you must be prepared, steadfast in faith, and courageous. We will certainly be better able to deal with our advancing enemies, for they are stupid animals, even worse than pigs. A pack of pigs and dogs who crossed the strait by the rebellion of a usurper a hundred years ago, spreading fear by bullying our people, they will not dare to take this ancient and beautiful city!
"Come, brothers, comrades, show them your shields, swords, bows and arrows, and spears. Imagine yourselves as a hunting party pursuing wild boars, and let those pagans know that they are not facing clumsy beasts, but their masters, the descendants of Greeks and Romans!
"You all know very well that this pagan Sultan is an enemy of our holy faith. He has, without reason, violated the peace treaty we signed with him, and has, without thought, disregarded his countless oaths. He has burned our farms, gardens, parks, and houses to the ground. He has killed all our Christian brothers and turned them into slaves. Since he tore up the treaty, he has daily opened his unfathomable mouth, seeking an opportunity to devour us and all the remaining cities, including the one we are in now!
"And this city, built by the thrice-blessed Constantine and dedicated to the holy, most chaste Holy Mother, the eternal Virgin Maria. This city is the Queen of Cities, the shield and helper of our homeland, the refuge of Christians, the hope and joy of all Romans, the pride of the entire East.
"And this pagan wants to destroy this city that blooms like a rose!
"I can tell you that this city controls the entire world:
"From Londinium in Britannia, Lutetia, Durocortorum, and Lugdunum in Gaul, Colonia, Treverorum, and Mogontiacum in Germania, Toletum in Hispania, Tingis in Mauretania, and Ravennae, Veneti, Mediolanensis, Syracuse, Karalis in Italia, and our origin, the city of Rome on the Tiber River;
"Then to Carthaginiensis and Constantina in Africa, Alexander and Cyrenaica in Egypt, Antioch, Damascus, Tripolis, and Jerusalem in Syria, Nicomedia, Nicaea, Smyrna, Ephesus, Nicosia, Seleucia, Ancyra, Trabzon, and Theodosiopolis in Asia Minor, Chersonesus in Tauris, Sarmizegetusa in Dacia, Aquincum in Pannonia, Sirmium and Singidunum in Illyria, Thessaloniki, Scupi, Mistras, Crete, Corinth, Athens, Larissa, and Dyrrachium in Greek, and finally to our homeland Thrace, with Philippopolis, Arcadiopolis, Hadrianopolis, Mesembria, and the Promised Land of all Romans—
"Constantinople, the Mother of All Cities.
"But now he wants to enslave her, to turn her into his blasphemous sanctuary, into a stable for his horses and camels, just as they treat other Roman cities they have occupied. Shall we endure this any longer!?
As the speech ended, the crowd surrounding him was already enraged, and hundreds of soldiers and citizens, incited by Manuel, waved their right fists and shouted angrily:
"Never tolerate! Never allow!
Seeing this, Manuel spread his arms, letting the purple-black cloak behind him flutter in the wind, and continued his speech:
"Fortunately, we stand here today, on Roman soil, in Constantinople, this land watered by the blood and dignity of our ancestors! A little further in front of me, I can still see the statue of Constantine, the founder of this city, and the first devout Emperor to convert to the faith of our Lord Christ;
"And before me, there is a legion with a thousand years of unyielding blood! This blood once flowed in the bodies of our ancestors, who never succumbed to any past enemy! Now it flows abundantly in our bodies, my brethren, do you want it to cool!?
At this point, Manuel paused again, and the Caesar was met with a thunderous roar of "No!" or "How could it be?"
Only after the roar subsided, and Manuel felt it was time, did he bring the speech to its final climax and conclusion:
"There is no time for lengthy speeches. I merely place my humble scepter in your hands, and I ask you to guard it kindly. I implore you, for the future of the Roman Empire, for the duration of this time, please show due respect and obedience to your commanders, each person according to his rank, legion, and duties.
"You must also know: if you keep my commands in mind, I will do my utmost, and I will pray to God, that He may deliver us from His present just threat.
"Moreover, my forces are also coming from Asia Minor, and this city will no longer be as isolated and helpless as before. Trust me, I am willing to make the following promise before the grace of the Lord:
"This city will be our final battlefield against them, and this war will be the beginning of the next era and the end of this era!
"So, my brothers and comrades, prepare to welcome the dawn. With the grace and strength God has bestowed upon you, and with the help of the Holy Trinity, in whom we place our great hope, let us force our enemies to leave here in shame!
"May the death, memory, reputation, and freedom of the Romans for these past hundred years live forever!
"The world will eternally remember all!
Manuel's speech ended thus. And the soldiers on the city walls and the citizens who followed responded to him:
"Ας αγωνιστούμε για την πίστη του Χριστού και για την πατρίδα μας! (Let us fight for the faith of Christ and for our homeland!)"