"Your family seems to be genuinely kind,"
Anna and John savored the remainder of their morning after a satisfying meal near the balcony.
Situated on the Sixth Hill in the northwestern district of Constantinople, the Blachernae Palace was strategically positioned to overlook the entire cityscape, with a prominent view of Hagia Sophia on the First Hill.
For the past two centuries, it had served as the primary residence for the Palaiologans since their imperial ascension.
John had spent the majority of his reborn life inside this palace as it held a special place for him for being the only thing he can call home.
Here, he has found solace, breathtaking views, and, most importantly, a familial ties.
When Anna complimented his family just now, he felt an unexplained sense of gladness.
In his previous life before this one, he had no 'actual' family to speak of, in this life however, he was for once, grateful to God that he was blessed with a better upbringing and a family to call his own.
"I suppose, it all boils down to sticking together when tough times hit; families tend to unite."
His melancholic eyes were fixed on the cityscape as he spoke with Anna, a morning routine he followed after breakfast.
"At least yours sticks better..."
Anna's response was dry, a remark that John quickly noticed but chose not to comment on, knowing it wouldn't make the situation any less awkward.
"Perhaps, if I were born into a normal family instead of being the Grand Prince, my life would be different, and my mother wouldn't have suffered as much as she did."
Amidst the cold autumn breeze carrying the salty scent from the Bosporus sea in the east, despite the sun nearing its zenith, Anna's radiant, blonde, long hair fluttered slightly as the weak wind passed by her, revealing her face.
On that face rested a sad yet calm crescent smile that seemed eternally present.
Unconsciously, John turned his head toward Anna.
With no knowledge of how she lived her life in the Grand Principality, he couldn't fully comprehend or respond.
However, he could, at the very least, empathize with her feelings, having experienced similar emotions himself.
That moment lingered longer than it should have.
Silence.
Anna and John seemed lost in their thoughts, diverting their attention from the city view and unintentionally creating an awkward atmosphere.
"Anyhow, this isn't about me... What are your plans after this?" Anna swiftly changed the subject, attempting to dispel the somber mood.
John didn't respond immediately; instead, he took a moment to gather his thoughts.
"I suppose I will begin my new role next week," he replied.
"Adrianople is different from Constantinople, after all. I will miss this view when I leave, so, for the time being, it's better to savor these not-so-last moments here than never at all."
He continued with a slight sigh, leaning closer to the balcony's exquisite stone rail.
A giggle interrupted the moment.
"Your Highness being busier seems to suit you better than doing nothing and flirting with court ladies."
Anna playfully teased John, causing him to awkwardly fumble near the supporting rail.
"Ehem... I don't think that is even remotely true, Anna. You jest..."
Apparently, both of them enjoyed this kind of banter so much that they lost track of time.
They shared heartwarming stories with each other; John told Anna his modern-day jokes, while Anna shared stories more appropriate for their era, of which John had no clue of what that is.
This moment shows how much they are very much comfortable with one another rather than being distant like they used to have before.
Despite not knowing each other for long, there were a glimpse of fate that seems to tied both of them together thus making them more intimate than mere acquaintances.
John and Anna didn't know this since they were so engaged in their conversation that it felt like they have known each other for a very long time than the actual 1 day meeting they had months before.
While he did somehow felt strange, to John, at least; it doesn't bother him as much, or cared to indulge in his own curiosity of the matter.
Rather, he enjoyed it as much as he was curious.
For him, enjoying laughter and banter with Anna was a gift itself, unbeknownst that the blossoming feeling he had for her is already that strong to begin with.
Destiny truly is a fickle thing to both John and Anna.
"Do you remember the time I arrive here carrying the illness despite knowing that it would endanger you as well?"
After all the banters and laughter, Anna suddenly changed the course of their intimate interaction.
"Yeah... I don't know why, but it does torn my heart at that time... You could say that I was very afraid at that time... Losing you I mean..."
That time was the scariest moment in John's life.
At the time, he didn't know how to respond and simply finds it hard to reconcile his emotions when he saw Anna pitiful state.
He had hoped for a better meeting, yet, against his prayers, the Lord instead teased him with a sorrowful parting.
Of course, with divine intervention from Fatah, he replied the teasing with his middle finger raised to the heaven seemingly to tell the Lord, 'Hah! Nice joke! But I got you now.'
He treat that moment to be as God's miss opportunity to play a dirty joke on him.
However, it doesn't explain why he felt the way he did. Was it out of spite? Or was it out of love? He doesn't know.
At that time, Anna was simply his first glimpse of love, and whether it was requited or unrequited, he didn't know. He wasn't sure what Anna thought of him then; he took it personally, hoping for the potential benefits he might gain.
"When I was about to leave Moskov, there was this terrible omen that I somehow felt afflicted by. I don't know what it was, but it was so heart-wrenching that it felt like I could have died then and there."
The beautiful and graceful princess began to recount her experience, and John perked his ears to listen intently.
"My father asked me why, but I didn't know how to precisely answer his question. At the time, my soul kept telling me to come here and finally see you again. It was confusing a—and it tore at every fabric of my heart..."
She continued, trying to express her feelings and emotions at the time. Her hands gripped the left side of her chest, crumpling the exquisite blouse she wore that morning.
"It was all to see you again, John."
Wuuishhhh.
The wind began to blow again, this time fiercely.
John stood there like an immovable statue. He was about to say something, but somehow he couldn't. He just stood there, the wind blowing strongly, yet it couldn't rock him from his position. Instead, it was just his slightly long hair that fluttered about and nothing else.
Dubdab.
"John, I..."
Dubdab.
Like in the garden last night, time seemed to flow slower. He couldn't focus on what Anna tried to say as his heartbeat thundered louder than the striking of thunder before rain or amidst a typhoon at sea.
It felt long and stretched, and he couldn't hear what Anna's last sentence was.
Dubdab.
That was the only sound he could hear. What is this? he thought.
"Despot?"
Within the recesses of his consciousness, faint voices attempted to reach him, gradually growing louder.
And then, abruptly,
"Despot!"
Reality crashed back in.
"Wh---what? Sorry?"
He stumbled backward in a panic; fortunately, the balcony's stone rail behind him prevented him from toppling over.
Still disoriented, he scanned his surroundings repeatedly before finally focusing on the person in front of him.
"Huh? Nadia, where is the person who was just with me?"
He sought clarity, addressing the maid before him.
"Eh? If you're referring to the lady you were conversing with, she left long before I arrived."
The maid gave John a perplexed look.
"What are you talking about? She was with me just now."
Confused, this time it was he who regarded her with skepticism.
"But the lady you mentioned has been with the empress for half an hour. Are you unwell, Your Highness?"
This time, the maid looked at him with concern, fearing that her young master might be ailing or, worse yet, experiencing a descent into madness. She quickly dismissed the latter thought.
"..."
This was utterly preposterous; he could swear that just a moment ago, he was engrossed in a pleasant conversation with Anna. Was this maid of his implying he spoke with a ghost? In broad daylight?
Of course, his musings were internal, but the essence was directed at the maid, who still wore a troubled expression.
"Never mind about that. So, why are you here?"
Wary of his mental state, he redirected the conversation to inquire why the maid was seeking him.
"His Majesty is requesting your immediate presence in his office."
Returning to her composed demeanor, she replied respectfully.
"Is that so? I will go meet him right away, then..."
He promptly departed, leaving the maid behind with an expression of bewilderment.
"Despot seems to be not himself at the moment."
She thought before promptly dismissing it from her mind.
----
Haunted by the peculiar events earlier, John found himself lost in thought upon entering his father's office.
"You seem to be not yourself at the moment. Is there something bothering you?" Manuel II observed John with a curious expression.
"What is that?" John's response lacked enthusiasm.
"Does it have anything to do with the young lady?"
The emperor slightly raised his brows, attempting to coax John into sharing his concerns. However, to the seasoned statesman's irritation, the young despot quickly dismissed the conversation in an abrupt manner.
"No, no, no, none of that sort... It's just... Never mind about that; so, father, what were we discussing again?"
His previous expression replaced with an annoyingly forced smile.
"Tch. You're no fun."
Manuel II clicked his tongue at the sudden change.
"?"
Of course, John would be confused at that unusual remark from the dignified emperor.
"You... sigh... Anyway, back to our discussion: When will you depart to Adrianople and assume your duty there, and what is your plan for the 'antibiotic' production?"
Trying to hide his irritation, Manuel II changed his tone of speaking.
"I have thought of when - to be exact, next week at the latest."
John replied. Manuel II nodded.
"I assume that you have rough plans on what you will do for the city when you begin your official duty; presently, what is your ideal development plan?"
He tried to gauge John's ability despite his splendid track record here in Constantinople.
"Presently, huh? There are a couple in mind, but one that stands out the most is to focus more on the cultural aspect than the commercial one."
The young despot rubbed his jaw as he said this.
"Cultural? Sounds reasonable."
The emperor was intrigued.
"Yes."
The idea behind this was the complex makeup of the region where it has been continuously settled by various ethnicities such as the Greeks, Bulgarians, Latins, Aromanians, Jews, and recently, Turks.
Being one of the most diverse cities in the whole Byzantine world other than Athens and Constantinople, the city served as a bridge for merchants and travelers alike before assuming their journey to the capital.
John wanted to retain this aspect for the city because even if he wanted to change it, it would cause multitudes of problems which he deemed bothersome.
"On that note, it is better to preserve most of the city infrastructure as it is, but I would still revert all the ancient churches back into their original roles if necessary."
Before Adrianople was reclaimed, like how he did to Bulgaria, the Ottoman Sultan had enacted an aggressive policy that led to the forced Turkification of most of the inhabitants. Churches were repurposed as mosques, and certain religious observances were even banned.
While he wanted to retain some aspects, John wanted to first reverse all the bad policies that the sultan had previously implemented.
Not only that, he wants to ease tensions between the Greeks, Bulgarians, and Turkish subjects to avoid trouble when he rules over the city.
"That sounds reasonable... I leave it at your discretion then... Not much for me to say since it is your city to begin with."
Manuel II remarked. He mostly contended with John's initial plan and found it very reasonable to apply. He was very glad that he chose John to oversee the city rather than his other sons, Michael and Constantine.
Both were visiting their brother in Morea and haven't returned to the capital, thus cannot celebrate their brother's return from the war at the moment.
Ever since Morea had become more prosperous than it ever been, the despotate capital, Mystras, underwent a dramatic change. Theodore II invited both his brothers to celebrate the change, and they were thus busy at the moment.
"Then, what about the cure? What's the production plan?"
The conversation pivoted to the recent groundbreaking cure that John had introduced.
"When it comes to the cure, there's much to consider. However, I've concluded that I should oversee the production myself. This has led me to the decision that it would be more appropriate to carry out the process in Adrianople rather than the capital, where I lack influence."
There were also other reasons John didn't mention. He didn't want the nobles or the church to claim credit and monopolize the production. Patents weren't a concept in this era, unlike his own time.
"Is that so? I share the same sentiment. After all, it was you, or rather, your people who made it."
Manuel II nodded in understanding.
With that settled, both the emperor and co-emperor continued their discussion on other matters pertaining to the realm.
The focus of their conversation ranged from diplomatic alliances, trade rights, reorganization, and additional reforms. Manuel II leaned more towards diplomacy, while John heavily emphasized trade rights.
Since the empire had regained parts of its territory, both believed it now had enough influence to exert on some of the independent lords in Epirus and convince the Thessalian to rejoin the empire.
As much as John would prefer to use force, he refrained from it, especially since these states were part of the greater realm of the empire.
While the rejection of reintegrating themselves into the empire induced headaches, attempting diplomacy was considered better than not trying at all.
Regarding trade rights, John argued that the time had come to renegotiate all the trade agreements the empire had with involved nations.
This was primarily prompted by Morea's growing significance.
While Constantinople's resurgence played a crucial role in revitalizing trade within the empire, the merchant republics such as Venice and Genoa profited more than the empire itself due to their ownership of the city ports.
Despite the duty being directly deposited into the imperial coffer, the profits derived from the trade still eluded the empire.
Although there was some money to be had, it amounted to no more than crumbs, not even a slice.
John aimed to change this.
Even the funds for his expedition into Bulgaria did not come from the imperial coffer; rather, they were his personal funds, with a significant portion contributed by his brother, Theodore II.
Merely thinking about it made the co-emperor feel a sense of guilt.
Borrowing from his own brother, despite being the co-emperor, was far from normal.
Amidst the conflicting emotions of guilt and resentment, the latter was more prevalent, especially directed towards the unscrupulous merchants of the republics.
When the Port of Nikos was opened, and trade began to flow steadily into the once-neglected region of Morea, these avaricious individuals' eyes lit up with dollar signs.
They began pressuring Theodore II to gain ownership of the port that John had built.
This infuriated John deeply.
"These shameless capitalists... Not only are they attempting to claim something rightfully mine, but they also manipulate my brother, your son, into surrendering ownership of the port, citing it as a means to settle the debt accumulated over the years. How unscrupulous can they be?"
John lamented to his father. Even the typically composed emperor appeared visibly angered by this revelation. These scoundrels have gone too far!
"We need to awaken these vipers to reality. Just because the empire has been overly accommodating, they believe we are nothing more than insignificant ants deserving to be trampled upon."
He continued, his brown eyes ablaze with resentment and fury.
"I will explore what options we have against these little... nuisances."
The emperor even uttered a curse in response, aligning with John's sentiments.
He vowed to slap these merchants in the face - metaphorically.
Their discussion eventually delved into reorganization and reforms.
On this matter, both shared their opinions and reached agreements based on their individual reasoning.
They delved deeply into the subject, losing track of time until the butler interrupted their impassioned conversation, reminding them it was time for lunch.
Had it not been for the interruption, they might have continued their discussion until sunset.
They concluded their conversation with promises to revisit the topic later.
The emperor and co-emperor displayed a strikingly similar passion for governance, a trait the observant butler noted during their discussion.
Normally, Manuel II wouldn't exhibit such seriousness in matters of governance, but ever since John's birth, he underwent a noticeable change.
This transformation didn't go unnoticed by those close to the emperor, including the butler.
As they were about to leave, Manuel II halted and turned to John.
"Do you have such strong feelings for the young lady?"
He revisited the earlier topic, catching John off guard.
"What---what do you mean?"
John replied with a question, earning a strong hit to the back of his head from the emperor. The pain made him wince, and he shot a resentful glance at his father.
"Are you daft? I meant what I asked."
"Of course, I do—"
John began to angrily respond but paused due to what he had just said.
His reaction elicited a light chuckle from Manuel II before he said,
"Hah, fool."
The emperor exited the office whistling, leaving John standing there, pondering the words he had just uttered.
"Am I really now?"
He sighed as images of Anna flashed in his mind, which he quickly dismissed.
"Perhaps I am...."
With a smile, he shook off the thoughts and left the room, following the butler who waited by the door.