The Purple Chamber and the Double-Headed Eagle: 1259

In 1259, Constantinople remains occupied by the Latin Empire, while across the strait, the Empire of Nicaea has polished its last Roman eagle banner in blood and prayer. Emperor Michael Palaiologos, known to the world as Michael VIII, feigns goodwill toward Epirus, Bulgaria, and the Turkish beys even as he secretly sets his pieces in motion: bribing Venetian oarsmen and even winning over the Genoese.

Yet the empire's true enemy may not be Latin Emperor Baldwin, but Michael himself. His eyes, plotting everything in the depths of the purple bedchamber, are already bloodshot.

This is a lie about “restoration”: the liberator will tear down the city walls with his own hands, and the man crowned emperor will trample the crown himself. Schemes, betrayals, and the faint traces of humanity slowly unfold beneath the last slanting rays of Rome's sun. When the cross of Hagia Sophia shines gold once more, will Rome still remember who it is?