The storms and waves on the sea never stopped, the fleet of Cilicia sailed at sea, waited for several days to avoid the storm, and the fleet of the Roman Empire also met the Armenians in the Aegean Sea.

The early morning sun was also a wonderful treat for those who had been bumpy on the sea, and Archduke Ruben stood on deck with his brother Leon and watched the morning sun rise.

"Leon, it was you who begged me to come to a meeting with the Roman Emperor, so I want to hear your advice one last time!"

Ruben had a lot of complaints about this trip, but his brother Leon pushed for this king's meeting.

"My brother, you are the commander of the Armenians, the star of hope for our return to our homeland, and the olive branch extended by the Romans is too tempting, isn't it?"

Leon doesn't look at his monarch, but when the waves crash against the bow of the ship, he closes his eyes slightly, making him appear less calm.

"To be honest, if it weren't for your request this time, I would definitely not have agreed to such an impudent request, we are no longer allies with the Roman Empire

I have never forgotten the pain that the Komnenos family has given us! Whether it is the murder of King Gagik or the death of my grandfather, is there any possibility of reconciliation between us and the Komnenos? ”

Ruben sighed softly and looked up at the sky, and the seagulls in the blue sky flew by, like a dream.

"My brother, we chose the Crusaders after being betrayed by the Romans, but what did they bring us?

We shed blood and died in the battle with the Turks, but what did we get in exchange?

Pope Gregory XIII described it in the Ecclesia Romana:

Among the contributions of the Armenian people to the Catholic Church and to Christendom, it is particularly commendable that when the warriors of God fought for the Holy Land, the Armenian people helped them with unparalleled enthusiasm, joy and faith, giving them horses, supplies and support, which no other country or nation had done.

The Armenian people have shown great courage and loyalty in the jihad!"

And then what? Our homeland is still in the hands of the infidels, and the promises of the Crusaders are in vain!

With the exception of Grand Duke Constantine, who was revered as "Hero" and "Baron" by the Crusaders, Armenia did not gain much, but the Eastern Roman Empire benefited a lot, recovering large swaths of lost territory in Anatolia. ”

Reuben's grief made Ruben silent, Armenia had given too much for God and his allies, but the effort was not rewarded, and the situation had deteriorated sharply during the reign of the previous Roman emperors.

The former emperor Manuel imprisoned the Armenians, the Duchy of Antioch in the south became a powerful arm and in-law of the Roman Empire, and the king of Jerusalem, the strongest of the Crusader states, also asked to marry the daughter of the Commnenians.

In the face of the aggressive offensive of the Seljuk Turks, the Armenians could not find even a single ally, so they had to struggle to survive on their own.

"Even if I agree to be an ally with the Roman Empire, what will the Armenians think of me? How can our grandfather die at the hands of the Komnenos, how can this hatred be resolved? Who can dissolve this hatred? ”

"Yes! Even though forty years have passed, blood is blood, and no one will forget it! All that remains depends on how much the current Roman emperor has! ”

Leon was very thoughtful, and it was because he took a fancy to the current Roman emperor's decisive nature that he suggested that Archduke Ruben come over for a meeting.

Don't let me down, Alexios!

……

The port of Bursa had been cleared, and the few remaining citizens had been persuaded to retreat by the soldiers, and Alexios knew that the Armenians were now at war with the lords of Aleppo.

Ruben may have been targeted by the Assasin a long time ago, unlike the assassination script directed by himself, when the Grand Duke really died in Bursa, his reputation as Alexios would be completely finished.

"It's coming!"

Thales waved the letter flag over the harbor, and the road from Bursa to the coastline was full of imperial soldiers, and mighty warriors with helmets and swords guarded the road crossings.

When the emperor walked to the harbor, the Armenian red lion flag was clearly visible, planted in the bow of the ship and waved in the wind.

The big ship docked, and the richly dressed Grand Duke Ruben walked down slowly, and when he saw the Roman emperor standing under the ship waiting, he was also slightly stunned, and then immediately stepped forward, and the two hugged each other.

"Your Majesty Alexios, it's a pleasure to see you!"

"Me too, welcome Grand Duke Ruben to the Empire!"

"I hope I can talk to His Majesty the Emperor today, and it would be better if I could clear up the misunderstandings in the past!" Grand Duke Ruben whispered in the Emperor's ear.

"Your Highness, I have wanted to meet with you for a long time, Armenia has always been a loyal ally of the Empire, and it would be great if the two of us let go of our old suspicions!"

Alexios patted the Grand Duke on the back, and the two seemed to be intimate like old friends who had not seen each other for many years, as if the friendship between the empire and Armenia had never been broken.

The city hall of Bursa had long been empty, and there was no one empty, so when Grand Duke Ruben was welcomed in, it was particularly empty.

When chatting with the emperor and entering the town hall, Archduke Ruben was stunned, and the two coffins were placed inside, and his brother Leon immediately drew his sword to protect the archduke.

"Your Majesty the Emperor, what does this mean?"

Leon regretted it a little, is this Alexios really so shameless that he has lost his eyes?

"His Royal Highness Reuben, His Highness Leon, please don't get excited, I have no ill intentions, come with me!" Alexios smiled apologetically and continued inside.

Ruben and Leon looked at each other and could only follow with their heads, while Alexios sighed as he walked.

"Archduke Leon I and his son, Prince Reuben, are here!" Alexios stood in front of the coffin and then continued.

"My grandfather, Emperor John, killed your grandfather, and I have no power of God to resurrect the dead, but I ask the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople to pay tribute to the two Highnesses himself, and to posthumously crown them as martyrs of the Orthodox Church."

This is my grandfather and uncle? Ruben choked up, stepped forward and stroked the coffin, sorrow came from it, tears flowed, Leon also burst into tears, and both of them couldn't help crying.

The coffin was draped with the Armenian red lion flag, embroidered with the finest silk of the empire, which covered the entire coffin, and the emperor specially asked a craftsman to sew a pair of ruby eyes for the blinded Ruben.

Both Leon I and his son Ruben were buried with the highest imperial courtesy.

Alexios knew that even if Archduke Ruben agreed to an alliance with the Empire, forty years of hatred could not be erased by a paper contract, and the Armenians needed an account of it.

Later German chancellors could kneel for the Jews, and of course Alexios could do it, but the dignity of the emperor and the people of the empire would not allow him to submit easily.

Therefore, Alexios retreated and ceremoniously buried Leon I and his sons, posthumously canonized them, and then returned the coffin to the Armenians, which would appease the hatred in the hearts of the Armenians a little.

Coupled with the temptation to reclaim his homeland and the impulse of a crown, he believed that the Armenians would return to the arms of the empire.

If the Armenians do not agree, it must be a lack of sincerity, and they can send another girl from the Komnenos family to marry.

"Please allow me to personally support the coffin of Grand Duke Leon when His Highness returns to China, nothing can soothe your pain, but I only do my best to hope to clear up the gap between the two families!"

Leon looked at his brother in pain, and he nodded at the emperor, this was the right time.

After reconciling with the Roman Empire, Armenia could concentrate on the war with the Turks, and no longer had to worry about the attacks of the Romans.

Moreover, Emperor Alexios was very sincere, and when they returned to Cilicia with the coffin, they could also give an explanation to the nobles and people of the principality.

The news that the Roman emperor personally carried the coffin of the deceased Grand Duke and posthumously canonized the saints was enough to bring the Armenians who had already admired Roman culture down a step in their hearts.

Alexios looked at the two brothers, and he knew that he had succeeded.

Originally, it was supposed to be the Roman Church that would give the crown to win the favor of the Armenians, but now the Armenians were going to return to the arms of the empire.