Siege

'You are too clever by half,' he told her. 'Perhaps you should be leading the defence of the city.'

'And what would you do then?'

'I would be your second in command,' Longo replied. 'What do you command me to do, great leader?'

'I command you to come over here,' she said, laughing.

A loud knock on the door to Sofia's apartments interrupted them. Longo sprang from the bed and hurriedly pulled on his breeches. 'Who could that be at this hour?' Sofia wondered as she pulled on a robe. The knocking grew louder and more insistent. 'I will take care of it,' she told Longo. 'You stay here.' She left the bedroom but had not yet reached the door to her apartments when it crashed open and Notaras entered at the head of a dozen armed men.

'Where is he?' he demanded.

'Notaras! How dare you!' Sofia exclaimed indignantly.

'Where is he?' Notaras repeated, grabbing Sofia by the arm.

'I don't know who you are talking about,' Sofia said. 'No one is here but myself and my maidservants.

Notaras released her and turned to his men. 'Search the apartments and find him. I'll inspect her bedroom.'

'You cannot!' Sofia protested, stepping in front of Notaras. 'These are my private chambers. You have no right to be here!'

'I am your husband-to-be,' Notaras replied. 'I have every right.' He pushed her aside and strode into the bedroom. Sofia followed close behind. To her relief, there was no sign of Longo.

'Are you satisfied?' she asked. 'Now go!'

'Not yet, Princess.' Notaras went to the bed, where the chess pieces lay overturned and scattered amongst the sheets. He picked up a piece and held it out to her. 'What is this?'

'That is a queen,' Sofia replied. 'You are familiar with the game of chess?'

'Do not trifle with me, Sofia,' Notaras warned. 'I have no patience for it. What are these pieces doing here in your bed?'

'I was playing against myself. It is all the entertainment that I am allowed since Constantine has had me confined to my chambers.'

'I see,' Notaras said. He continued his tour of the room and then froze. In the corner, propped against the wall, was Longo's sword. Notaras picked it up and drew the sword from its scabbard. There was no mistaking the distinctive curved blade, nor the Asian symbols etched into it. 'And what is this?' he asked, his voice cold.

Sofia flushed scarlet. 'It is… I…'

Notaras stepped close to her, and their eyes met. 'Tell me true, Princess, and be careful how you answer,' he said. 'On your honour, was Longo here tonight?' Sofia did not speak, but her blush deepened, spreading to her neck. Finally, she lowered her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod. 'I see,' Notaras said, the words forced out past his clenched jaw. 'And where is he now?'

Sofia shook her head. 'No, I cannot.'

Notaras grabbed Sofia by the arms, squeezing so hard that she gasped. 'Tell me!' he growled. 'Where is he?'

'He left,' she said. 'I don't know where he is.'

Notaras held her a moment more, then released her. His hands left red imprints on her arms. 'No matter, I will find him.' He strode from the bedroom, and Sofia followed him. Notaras's men had ransacked her apartments, turning over furniture and tearing tapestries from the walls in an effort to find some trace of Longo's presence. 'Men!' Notaras called to them. 'Signor Giustiniani has left, but he can't have gone far. Search the palace and find him.' The men left, and Notaras began to follow them but then stopped and turned. His eyes were shining, whether with grief or anger Sofia could not tell. 'I will deal with Longo first,' he said. 'But do not worry. I will return to deal with you, Princess.'

'And what will you do to me?' Sofia asked defiantly. 'You do not own me, whatever you may think.' She paused and looked him in the eye. 'I love him, Notaras. Don't you understand?'

Notaras smiled a twisted, painful smile. 'Yes, I do,' he told her. Then he turned and left, slamming the door to her apartments behind him. Half-dressed, his boots unlaced and his shirt untied, Longo stumbled through one of the many hidden passages that snaked through the walls of the Blachernae Palace. He had not taken a light from Sofia's chambers, and he tripped often in the impenetrable darkness, keeping his hands on the walls to steady himself. He had not gone far when he heard something unexpected: the distant sound of footsteps. Someone was in the tunnel.

Longo quickened his pace, hurrying down a spiral staircase. The sound of steps was growing louder, and when he reached the foot of the stairs, he saw the faint glimmer of a distant torch, headed his way. Longo raced down the corridor away from the light and then into a side passage. A few seconds later, he emerged into an empty side street next to the palace and breathed a sigh of relief. He had made it.

Longo headed away from the palace, towards the nearby house where he was staying. He was just turning into his street when he came face to face with Notaras, whose lips curled back in a wicked smile. Longo hurried by, hoping to avoid a confrontation, but Notaras reached out a hand to stop him. 'And what are you doing out at such a late hour, Signor Giustiniani?' Notaras asked. He pointed to Longo's half-tied shirt. 'And so clumsily dressed?'

'I heard that there was a disturbance at the palace,' Longo lied. 'I came as quickly as I could. I hardly had time to dress.'

'Indeed,' Notaras replied. 'You even seem to have forgotten your sword.' Longo reached for his sword, but it was not there. Notaras patted his belt, and Longo saw that two swords hung there, one of which was his. Notaras unsheathed the sword and held it between them. 'A fine blade. You should be more careful where you leave it.'

'I can explain.'

'And what do you wish to explain to me, Signor Giustiniani?' Notaras spat. 'You stole my post as defender of the city, and now you have stolen Sofia. I understand perfectly.'

'She does not love you, Notaras.'

'So I have heard, but it is not Sofia that you should be worried about.' Notaras slashed Longo's sword from side to side, testing its weight.

'You are an honourable man, Notaras,' Longo said. 'It is beneath you to strike down an unarmed man.'

'Who are you to speak to me of honour?' Notaras roared. 'She was my betrothed!' He swung out, and Longo stumbled backwards, dodging the blow but falling as he did so. Notaras looked down on Longo coldly but did not attack. 'But you are right,' he said at last. 'It would give me no satisfaction to kill you unarmed.' He tossed Longo's sword to the ground and drew his own. 'Come, Signor. Either I shall have my revenge, or you shall have my life as well as my love.'

Longo left his sword lying between them as he rose. 'We should be fighting the Turks, not each other. After the siege, then you may have your duel.' Longo picked up his sword and turned to leave.

'Coward,' Notaras spat. 'Fight me now or all of Constantinople shall know of your cowardice and of Sofia's shame.'

Longo paused, then turned and held his sword at the ready. 'Very well then,' he said. 'But let us fight only to first blood.'

'To the death!' Notaras snarled and attacked, slicing at Longo's head and then pressing him with a series of quick thrusts. Longo parried and gave ground. He had expected Notaras to be a skilled swordsman, but he was surprised by the extent of the megadux's control. Despite his anger, Notaras fought with precision and balance.

Longo spun away from Notaras's last thrust and slashed at the megadux's side, but Notaras turned and blocked the blow, then delivered a vicious kick aimed at Longo's knee. Longo sidestepped the kick, but in doing so he lost his balance. Notaras seized the advantage and pressed his attack. He cut at Longo's legs and then shifted the direction of his sword at the last second, thrusting at Longo's chest. Longo narrowly sidestepped the blow, leaving Notaras overextended. Longo stepped in close to finish the matter, but to his surprise, Notaras managed to recover at the last second. Their swords met and locked together at the hilt, each man pushing at the other with all his strength.

Suddenly, a giant explosion shook them apart, and they each stumbled back as the ground trembled beneath their feet. As the tremors faded, they heard shouts coming from the palace. Longo and Notaras's eyes met, and