"Sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis »
"He follows his father, but not with equal steps."
- Virgil, Aeneid (29–19 BC), Book II, line 724
Resigned to his fate, the king, isolated and unsupported, picked up the quill. His hand trembled as he signed the treaty, effectively capitulating to the demands imposed upon him by the Roman empire. As he set down the quill, Markos swiftly collected the document, still wet with ink, and held it aloft, proclaiming victory to his subordinates. "The emperor's got his wish! The Despot has signed the treaty! Long live the emperor! Long live the empire!" His men echoed this triumph, their voices filling the room with cries of allegiance to their emperor.
