Chapter 9: Time of Peace
Sub-chapter 2: A City of Walls, and Secrets
May 6 - July 18, 508 AVC
Bithynia had little reason before now to make use of spies and intrigue, but it seemed that the time to use them was now. For it became known to King Chremonides that spies from Rome, Macedonia, Seleucia, and even from the Bosporan Kingdom were rampant in his capital city of Nicaea, and they held dark designs to destabilize his Kingdom.
Thus, within hiddin halls and rooms, Chremonides began the training of many spies of sabotuers, for Nicaea had grown rich and powerful off the work and toil of conquered nations, and was one of the largest cities east of Rome. And everywhere there were whispers of strange foreign men asking of secrets that could be used against the Kingdom. Chremonides used his new spies to track and eliminate the spies in Nicaea, but still Nicaea was now a place for spies to mull their trade, and who knows what dark designs they hold in their hearts.
Chremonides began to send his spies abroad, to search for a kingdom most easily conquered. He found a kingdom that could indeed be easily defeated. but that is a tale for another time. He held his ground, for he did not want to break the peace of Bythinia yet.
Chapter 9: Time of Peace
Sub-chapter 3: The War Within the Walls
August 3, 508 AVC
There was a war going on. Not in the distant lands of the Bosporans, nor of the Romans, nor in the not-so distand lands of the Seleucids, but within the walls of Nicaea itself. The Council of Eight had been fighting Chremonides for power over the Kingdom ever since the enemy spies had appeared in Nicaea, and it was a war indeed.
The Council was attempting to regain control of the Governers and the Magistrates, as well as the secretarial portions of the Military. But Chremonides would not allow this, he knew he had to mantain total control.
"Your majesty, the Council begs you to see reason. Surely you cannot handle all the works of the Government yourself, let the Council deal with some of the...... work........," Grand Vizier Lerkar had been droning on in this fashion for almost half an hour, without many breaks.
"Enough. I beg you to answer, Grand Vizier, why would the Council want to do the, as you put it, "work" of governing the Kingdom, if it is just that? Isn't the Council busy enough?" Chremonides said all this with a solemn, thoughtful tone but inside he was grinning. They had finaly made an error.
You see, the battle between the Council and Chremonides was a precise, diplomatic battle. Each party had to choose their words carefully, for if one made a tiny slip, the other would pounce as fast as a tiger could.
The Grand Vizier paled visibly, and said in a rather halting tone, "Your Majesty, I did not mean that. I only meant that you have enough on your mind without needing to deal with the trivial Governmental issues. Please let us take the load off your shoulders Sire."
"I see no reason to. I thank you for your concern, Grand Vizier. This meeting is over," Chremonides remarked, standing and turning away in a veiled gesture of dismissal. The Grand Vizier turned red with anger, turned, and walked stiffly out of the room.
Chapter 9:
Sub-chapter 4: The Fall of the King
August 10, 508 AVC
The man slipped between the pillars of the Gray Hall. He considered trying to kill the gaurds, but that would just waste time. He snuck behind them both with supreme skill, and entered the Hall.
He moved stealthily across the Hall, and past the Dolphin Throne, through one of the side-doors. He moved across the corridor and entered a plain wooden door.
Chremonides heard the man come in, but did not immediatly react. Any sudden moved may mean his death. He knew this was an assassin for two reasons. The first reason was that he had recieved an anonomous tip, telling him that an assassination was planned for him tonight. The second was that he had forbidden entrance to his chambers for the rest of the night.
The man moved up to him, and Chremonides drew a dagger silently, and whirled around to face him. He did not know the assassin, but he was obviously foriegn.
"Greetings. I know what you came for, but you will not get it," Chremonides remarked pleasantly.
"Oh, what do you think I am here to get?" the man asked with an equally pleasant voice.
"My head of course. What else?" Chremonides asked gaily.
"Hmm, correct, i'm sorry to say," The man replied, and then he lunged.
Chremonides parried the blow, and noted that this man was no amature. He was skilled in dagger-play. He would have to be careful. Chremonides feinted a left stroke and struck right, not expecting it to work. His expectations were not disapointed, the man parried the real blow.
Chremonides lunged at the man, but jumped back to avoid getting halved by a dagger. Not high on his list of ways to die. He heard a gaurd call out his name outside the door, and was distracted for a brief second. That second was enough.
The man lunged, but instead of thrusting with the dagger, he lowered it and pushed upward. Chremonides let out a cry of rage and shock, and fell sluggishly to the floor. The man stood up, but before he could take the Kings head the gaurds burst in, and they killed him on the spot.
Grand Vizier Lerkar was kneeling by the Kings side not one minute later. "Your Majesty..... we may be able to save...." he tried to say.
Chremonides laughed shakily, but it turned to a cough when blood came out of his mouth, "No old friend, not this time. Dagger was...... poisoned.... could feel it the moment it entered my blood..... tell Nickandros.... tell...... my son...... I did it....... all for...... him....... and......... tell him..... tell hi-........." And he sighed, and eased back. But his eyes remained open, staring at the map of the known world, with his eyes fixxed on a region known as Bythinia.
On August 10th, 508 AVC Chremonides, the Lion of Antioch, the King of Armenia and Colchis, the Hammer of the Seleucids, the False Yet Mighty King, was assassinated by a Roman spy. He was 52. His 16 year old son, Nickandros, took the throne only a week later.
Bythinia cried out for Roman blood, but it would not get it. Not for another half a decade. But again, that, is another tale.
