„He's dead.."
„No he's not.. He's still breathing.."
„He's dying Greece..."
The three nations were alone in once glorious nation's chambers. And the once glorious nation was lying on his bed. His face was pale and he had dark circles around his closed eyes. He was weak. He was almost dead.
„He's dying Greece.." a quiet voice said again like it was reminding him of something important.. Something that he forgot.
Greece tried but he couldn't stop his tears. „Do you remember, Serbia? Do you remember how strong he was?" he asked.
This was the first time that Serbia saw him crying „I remember brother.."she said and gently placed her hand on his left shoulder. Greece was sitting on the edge of Byzantine's bed and Serbia was standing by him „We have to go Greece.. Come on brother.." she said.
Serbia called Greece a brother more often then her real brothers. Byzantine was partly responsible for this. He raised them together. He teached them religion, art.. everything.. He influenced them a lot.. and his influence will follow them through centuries. They will never forget him. They will always remember him.
„First my mother.. Now him.."
„Greece, you know you'll have to live with that.." she said while looking at dying Byzantine. Somehow she also hoped for him to wake up.
I fought against him.. I denied him.. I wanted to be independent.. I wanted him to let me go, but.. But I mourn him now.. I never wanted him to die, Serbia thought.
„Greece.. Look at me.." she demanded and a crying nation raised his head to meet her eyes.
„Turkey is going to enslave us.." she suddenly said. „We have to play smart now."
„What do you mean?" he said quietly while gazing at her hazel eyes. In those eyes he could see fear, sadness and passion in the same time. It fascinated him.
„We need to be quiet for a while.. We can't fight him now. We have to wait.."
„But I want to kill him! I want to see Turkey dying in the worst possible way.."
Serbia placed her two tiny hands on both his cheeks „He's stronger.. much stronger.. We can't defeat him even.. Even if Bulgaria helps us.." she said and looked at Byzantine once again „Look at him." she said „Once a glorious empire is now.. nothing.. If he couldn't stand up to him.."
„..how can we stand up to him.." Greece finished her sentence.
„I tried Greece.. I tried and I lost my son.. Kosovo.." she said sadly.
Greece stood up taking her both hands in his. He was a little bit taller then Serbia and with his dark curly hair and sea-blue eyes Serbia thought he resembles Byzantine a lot „I'm sorry Serbia.." he said softly while pulling her into a hug. Greece knew how Kosovo was important to her.
„Come on.." Serbia said while pulling him closer to her and closer to the doors „We have to go.."
Byzantine's dying body was now alone in his chambers. But not for a long.
Candles stopped burning and the room now was dark and cold.. It looked more like a cave. Slowly one nation entered the room. It was Bulgaria.
„You're still breathing.. " he said almost smiling „I.. just wanted to tell you something.."
He hesitantly took one chair and placed it by the huge bed "You were always living in a luxury.." he said.
Bulgaria then sat down „I hope you can hear me.." he said.
„You teached me a lot of things.. And even though we were enemies.. I respect you.. You will not be forgotten.." he said like it was some kind of console.
Bulgaria took a deep breath „Tough days are coming.. Maybe is better... to be dead.." he smiled weakly but then his face changed to serious as he remembered something sad or even something terrifying „For me it was an honor to be your enemy.." he said „No... Not.. enemy.. A, rival!"
Bulgaria then placed one white rose on Byzantine's chest „Rest in peace.." he said and than he left the chambers quietly like he was afraid to wake him up.
"He's not really dead.. He's just sleeping, you know." Greece said to Bulgaria when he came out from the palace.
"You two are still here?" Bulgaria asked.
"Yes.. But we really should leave now, right Bulgaria? Tell him please.."
"Yeah.. There is nothing we can do for him.." Bulgaria's voice was surprisingly gentle when he spoke.
Greece's eyebrows winged dramatically "One day he will wake up! You don't believe me now but you'll see."
Bulgaria laughed nervously "Stop dreaming Greece! Open your eyes. The world is changing." he said angrily.
Serbia was already on her horse and ready to go "I want to leave this place right now!" she said "If you want to come with me..."
Greece looked up to her "I'll stay.." he said.
"Fine." Serbia said "Come on Bulgaria.."
The two Slavs left and soon Greece went back into the palace. When he entered the dark chambers once again, he was shocked. Byzantine wasn't there.
There was only a single white rose lying on his bed.
Historical notes:
- The Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) was the predominantly Greek-speaking eastern half and remainder of the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Its capital city was Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
- Serbia was part of the Byzantine empire, but then it became independent state (first kingdom and then empire). When the last Serbian emperor died Turks attacked Serbs and the most important battle was battle of Kosovo in 1389. The bulk of both armies were wiped out in the battle but Serbs were left with only few men to defend their lands effectively, while the Turks had many more troops in the east. Consequently, the Serbian principalities that were not already Ottoman vassals, one after the other became so in the following years. Eventually, the Serbs would, on numerous occasions, attempt to defeat the Ottomans in conjunction with the Hungarians.
- Bulgaria was one of the most important empires in the Balkans. In its best days Bulgaria was a big rival with Byzantine. There were first and second (resurrected) Bulgarian empire. But weakened 14th-century Bulgaria faced a big threat from the south, the Ottoman Turks, who crossed into Europe in 1354. By 1371, factional divisions between the feudal landlords and the spread of Bogomilism had caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to split into three small tsardoms. The Ottomans faced little resistance from these divided and weak Bulgarian states. In 1362 they captured Philippopolis (Plovdiv), and in 1382 they took Sofia. The Ottomans then turned their attentions to the Serbs, whom they routed at Kosovo Polje in 1389. In 1393 the Ottomans occupied Turnovo after a three-month siege. In 1396 the Tsardom of Vidin was also invaded, bringing the Second Bulgarian Empire and Bulgarian independence to an end.
- Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos was the last reigning Byzantine Emperor. His death marked the end of the Roman Empire. Constantine was born in Constantinople as the eighth of ten children to Manuel II Palaiologos the Greek prince and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian magnate Constantine Dragaš. He was extremely fond of his mother and added her surname (Dragases/Dragaš) next to his own dynastic one when he ascended the imperial throne.
- The Ottoman Empire was a Turkish Sunni Islamic state founded by Oghuz Turks under Osman I in northwestern Anatolia in 1299. With conquests in the Balkans by Murad I between 1362 and 1389, and the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II in 1453, the Ottoman sultanate was transformed into an empire.