Eagle Byzantium

John's horse screamed and fell dead with an arrow, knocking him to the ground.

The soil in the atrium garden was kicked up by the horse's hooves and sprayed all over his throat and mouth. John then struggled to get up, and several guards hurriedly lifted him up.

He looked at his mother with eyes that wanted to hate but couldn't.

Queen Mother Irene was also sitting in the direction where John's eyes were locked, her whole body shaking with anger and pleasure. More than twenty years have passed, and her pain has long since subsided, but she can never express forgiveness to everyone like Alexius did before his death. Moreover, she still remembers that her husband was always saying to her at that time, "Anna's child" Must be called Christoph, this title is the only inheritance I give her. Anna abandoned me, Dido never really loved me, John and Titicius killed Irene. I killed the poisoned crossbow arrow, but I am still confused My mind has not completely collapsed, and I already vaguely know the reason - this is the retribution for my sins, because when I saw the body of Constantine who died violently, although I knew it well, I did not pursue Marlena's sins. . Irene, I just hope you can forgive me. My throne should be given to Anna and her children, no matter how disgusted her husband is, who is my favorite. It's her..."

At this time, Efraimius took out an arrow from the pouch behind his back, put on the bowstring, and aimed at John, who was still refusing to leave in the melee in the atrium, "Quickly capture and face trial, patricide." A beastly monster who usurped the country and raped his adoptive mother.”

But before he could fire the arrow, an arrow whizzed from the side and hit Efraimius in the shoulder. The young Dukas screamed and fell half backwards. Kneeling down, holding the arrow feathers that were engulfed in his body and armor, he raised his head in pain and looked up - that was at the gate on the other side of the palace atrium, where John's Turkic henchman slave Aksepokos shot from a running horse. Come.

Then Aksepochos and the rest of the palace guards picked up the emperor, gave him a new horse, and fled out of Brachna Palace in a chaotic manner.

"You can't escape!" Erin shouted angrily at John's back.

In the second half of the night, John and the few dozen guards and cavalry who were still around him first ran to the Varangian camp, but the family members of the inner and outer palace guards guarded the wooden fence and stone walls, and cursed him. With stones, John was not allowed to take refuge, and he even shouted that his husband and children who were far away on the front line in East Thrace would no longer work for him with their lives.

Like a bereaved dog, John pulled the reins and looked back at the night, the grand Golden Gate of the capital city, the tall and strict pale crimson city walls, the horse-rejecting wall, and the mother who had abandoned him, the mother who had never liked him. He couldn't help but dismount his horse, lie on the ground and cry loudly, mourning heartily. Most of the palace guards also gathered around the fallen emperor and burst into tears.

Will the Queen of Ten Thousand Cities, who has never fallen into the hands of external enemies, fall under the attack of internal enemies?

Another half an hour later, John fled in panic to the Juquintina Palace on the outskirts. Far and near, there were shouts of mobs and rebels everywhere. The servants in the palace had already fled, and his eyes were filled with panic. All kinds of birds in the royal forest were everywhere. Animals, such as vultures, leopards, deer, apes, etc., also came and went restlessly in their stables and cages, making all kinds of scary sounds.

Marlena, the chief noble lady of the palace, was sitting in a small carriage. Under the protection of a group of slaves and house guards, she actually escaped from the chaos of the palace and found John.

"I will never abandon you! From now on, I will be your mother and your woman." In the small hall originally used to receive foreign guests, Malena ran in almost barefoot, her hair disheveled, and a handful of He hugged John and cried bitterly.

Being hugged by his adoptive mother's warm and plump breasts and arms, John also closed his tearful eyes, touched Marlena's thick hair with his hands, and said in a hoarse voice, "Gawain's rebel army may be about to attack soon." When I entered the capital, my big barn was burned down by the mob, and most of the city's sergeants, nobles, and bureaucrats abandoned me, and even my wife stayed in the Brachna Palace. You are really the only one left..." After saying that, John burst into tears and breathed hotly. He greedily sat down and rubbed against his adoptive mother's undulating chest, "Even Gallipoli Because of my mistake, all the big ships in the harbor went across the strait to the Ukxing Sea in the north. If I want to escape, it is impossible for me to escape by sea - I am completely finished, completely finished."

"It was me who harmed you. This throne should have been yours in the first place. It was my selfish desires that harmed you." Marlena burst into tears, "But please don't give up, my child. Let's turn north." Okay, as long as we can meet Titicius, we may still be able to save him."

The swaying window lattice of the Giucentina Palace, the bulging curtains and tapestries that kept rolling back and forth, were mixed with the snow blown in by the cold wind outside. Suddenly, Marlena, who was holding John, saw a sad figure standing faintly behind the pillars. The black shadow seemed to be staring at him steadily with a pair of miserable eyes.

Marlena screamed. This dark shadow had been bothering and frightening her for the past year. This was the secret sin in her heart. John hurriedly helped up the unconscious adoptive mother and asked her how she was doing.

"Please take me away." Marlena slowly opened her eyes and begged her adopted son. At this moment, the noise and shouts of killing outside were approaching one after another. As she spoke, Marlena clasped her hand on John's arm in front of her.

Then John's other hand reached over and held her hand, which was very warm.

Marina smiled.

But soon her smile froze.

Because John's hand slowly but forcefully pushed her hand away from his arm.

Marlena wanted to continue hugging him, but she missed and fell to her knees, the jewelry hanging on her golden robe embroidered with holy images jingling.

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With a painful but resolute expression, John took two steps back and stood opposite his adoptive mother, "I'm sorry, I still want to restore my power, so I can't take you with me. You are now the target of hatred and hostility of the entire empire, and I can't take you with me anyway. But adoptive mother, I beg you, help me one last time, for the last time."

A lead seal and a document were placed in front of the stunned Marlena by John, who glanced at it casually. It was probably full of her confessions of crimes.

Including using beauty to seduce three emperors, manipulating and disrupting the imperial court, and provoking relations between the Komnenos royal family. There was also the poisoning of her own son Constantine. Of course, what made Malena most devastated was that the document clearly stated that the conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Alexios was planned by her. She, her sister Marianne, and her brother-in-law Theodore were the three main murderers, and John was just deceived by her because of his "young and ignorant" character.