Soon, in the antechamber and back hall of the cathedral, there was a lot of swaying and noise of human figures, and the senators and generals who had been huddled among the columns and were ready to listen to Empress Irene all walked to the huge triple arch of the back court, and some of the monks ran directly to the bell tower in the garden, pulling the bronze bell with a rope to swing back and forth, making a rapid and vigilant sound.

At this time, thousands of people in the square listened to this sound, but did not know what it meant.

"Who is it, who has joined this warband, and who is blocking my speech?" Empress Irene said, and then took Anna by the hand, and walked down the spiral staircase on the side of the double platform in the antechamber to the airy floor on the first floor, and then she saw that the shoulder with the silk curtain was carried directly into the main hall of the cathedral.

"Mother, is it her?" Anna was short of breath and her pupils were flickering, and she raised her mother's hand and placed it on her chest, "Look at the man who carries this shoulder!" ”

Empress Irene then shifted her attention from the shoulder to the body of the "palanquin", on the left is a dark-skinned Moorish-looking figure, on the right is a large old man with blue eyes and a fierce beard, with Norman-style armor and strings of fire sickles, daggers and medals, "Harold, a veteran of the former Varangian Guards." Erin's eyes twitched nervously, when she first became queen, when the entire palace guard was still Harold as the commander of Aconis, and the entire enthronement ceremony was successfully completed under the protection of his sword.

"Long time no see, Your Royal Highness, the embers who did not die in the war salute you." With his shoulders down, Harold stood on the floor and bowed to the Queen and Anna.

"Your Highness, the contemptible man is the former commander of the Grand Earl of the Imperial Navy. Assasidus. The dark-skinned general on the left also bent down to salute, but Queen Irene only knew about this person, but had never met him.

Subsequently, the two "sedan chair men" behind the shoulders also stepped forward to salute.

But these two came from even bigger backgrounds, one of them was the former "legal supervisor" of the imperial capital, Mao Prolos, and the other was the former Zaifu, the chief treasurer and the highest governor of the national treasury, Damira. Germanius. They all saluted politely to the queen. But Erin and Anna were as if they were placed between ice and charcoal - to put it bluntly, if these four old fellows could come out again and openly carry the shoulders of this mysterious figure, it meant that the people sitting in them were definitely god-like.

In fact, at this moment, even Anna already knew the answer, she trembled, and looked at the figure behind the still veil on her shoulder. Greetings, "Grandmother"

"Erin, is this kind of family affair worth it?" The figure in the gauze curtain asked, with an old but dignified female voice.

Hearing this, Erin trembled, but she still had to force her composure. "Darasina. Komnenos, you're so well hidden. Originally, she was already a hooded nun in a mountain monastery. Now, he invited all the power centers of the former empire out, and he was embarrassed to ask me if I was worth it. ”

"No, I didn't invite anyone, Harold, they came to join me of their own free will. I'm just a former mother and a former wife. To all who are present, I have been regent for my son Alexios for nine years, from the time he was just ascended to the throne until he went to the Thrace six years ago to fight against the Pechenegs. I stick to the court, respect the patriarch and the chief, do not do anything, do not covet any power. When I felt that Alexios was good enough to manage the empire to revival, I resigned as regent, left the Brachna Palace, and went to spend the rest of my life in the monastery, when Erin you were in her early twenties, and Anna and John were still unenlightened children. I took with me no goods except some theological manuscripts and scriptures, and I remained true to my duty as a Roman woman and subject. And Irene, the reason why my son entrusted you to be the regent is also out of great trust in you, but I don't want you to strike a sword in his back. ”

"I didn't harm anyone, I just wanted to get my dowry back. As we all know, from the very beginning you didn't like me from Ducasse and pleaded with your son everywhere in the hope that he would marry that woman. In that case, it's not a big deal if I choose this method! Erin's eyes changed dramatically, resentment on the one hand, but fear on the other.

At this time, a hanging copper bell rang, the gauze curtain on her shoulders rose, and Darasina, who was covered with a turban, walked out majestically in a plain gray robe, although there were traces of time on her face, it showed the grace of her youth, "The empire is not the dowry of your Ducasse family, so since you want to go to war, it is better to put on a battle." Come to me, Buriel, you can't mix with the muddy waters. ”

As she spoke, Darasina's eyes left her daughter-in-law, like an arrow flying out, driving straight to the current Imperial Zaisuke, as a result, Burriel rubbed his hands suddenly, and all the patriarchs and bureaucrats behind him also looked terrified, although the queen mother was a hooded nun, but her aura was still good, and Anna and Erin were in front of her, like poor yellow finches flapping their wings in vain in front of a net.

"Buriel, don't forget that the first time you picked up a reed pen to keep accounts, it was all under my own supervision and training! After you die your parents, I will be your teacher and guardian. "In Darasina. After Komunen, the former Grand Comptroller Damira reprimanded, and immediately Beriel looked at Empress Irene with a complicated expression, and quickly took his hand and moved to the side of the Queen Mother, and then the cathedral was crowded - hundreds of people followed Zaifu's behavior.

In an instant, the situation was reversed.

Anna looked up again, on the ceiling of the dome, her snake could no longer be seen, only the holy apostles and archangels on the clouds were left on it, the golden light refracted from her could not breathe at all, she felt remorse and loneliness, and then her grandmother's voice sounded, "My beloved granddaughter, Anna, have left your erring mother and come to me, you are still the loveliest and brightest pearl in the crown of the Komnenos." ”

"I've been tricked by the demons in my dreams." Anna muttered, and then she looked at her grandmother, who was waiting to meet her with open arms, but Anna then wrapped her arms tighter and said to her grandmother bravely, "But I decided to be honest with myself, to everyone—I would never turn my back on my mother." ”

As a result, the warm smile on Darasina's face disappeared in an instant, she folded her arms, and said to Harold beside her, "The Varangian Guard, who is in control of the palace with the banner, must protect the integrity of Marlena and John as soon as possible, and leave it to me here, and the negotiations for peace and warmth have ended." (To be continued.) )