Hello, to date the hell out of this chapter, I am writing this during the whole corona virus quarantine of 2020 - which is hopefully over in whatever future date you guys are reading this in - and thus, I'm writing this in complete free time, so this should end up being a bit on the long side. I know I said I was trying to go for shorter chapter for awhile, but given that I honestly don't know what's going to happen once this whole state of emergency, stay-at-home order craze is over, I might be super busy in the near future, so this is gonna to be a bit of a longer chapter because I'm not sure of I'll have a ton of writing time once everything settles down.
In any case, this is the end of act two and, after this, we'll be in the final ten chapter act three to close out the story. I have several ideas as to what I'm going to write after this, some of which have been and will be heavily hinted at within this very story. The week after this chapter posts, I will be posting chapter ten of Secrets of The Outer Rim, my secondary story at the moment. I intend to go on a hiatus with that story after act one is complete, as a bit of a seasonal approach. Therefore, In a few weeks, I will be launching a different secondary story, likely one that also follows this seasonal approach. I don't know whether or not I will make my next primary story a seasonal one. I'm experimenting a bit right now, though this story will not be impacted by all that. So, here is the Russian perspective of the negotiations at Konstantinovskaya.
The Legacy of The Romans.
Act II.
The Russo-Ottoman War.
Chapter XXX.
The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya - Part II.
I was sitting on a couch at Konstantinovskaya, my arm around Yelizaveta. My little sister was leaned against me and she had her head on my shoulder. Her eyes were closed but she was not asleep, she was simply enjoying our intimacy. I kissed her on the forehead and watched as a blush came over her cheeks and a smile graced her face. This was exactly what I needed during these negotiations. Sultana Helena and I had previously agreed, in writing, that neither of us would bring guards or troops to Konstantinovskaya, the compound would be well guarded by King Constantine IV's guards around the perimeter, these was no need for anyone inside the compound, this was a civil exchange after all. This agreement, however, meant that we needed a show of force in an unconventional way. Therefore, I opted to present an overwhelming and united front to The Ottoman Empire. I convinced Constantine IV that I would handle Georgia's stake in the negotiations, whilst Prince Matyas had already decided that Lady Krystyna could represent Transylvania. I then demanded that Jan the Prussian make Lady Krystyna his representative, something which he accepted, on the condition that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth send a second representative as well. I refused his first four suggestions as to who else would represent Poland, until he finally chose Scholastyka Wettyn, a woman who was very much on our side rather than his, though the Prussian hardly realized the Saxon-Polish noblewoman was a close ally to Lady Krystyna.
The addition to the representatives, two other guests joined our united front. The first of these guests was our newfound Indo-Persian friend, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani. She helped me win the Siege of Yerevan and she wanted to reign over the Deccan in southern India - if Yasamin achieved this, which I believe she will, especially because I'm offering her my protection and my patronage while she forms the skeleton of her Sultanate in Moscow in preparation for actually establishing the state, she will be an ally and partner to The Tsardom of Russia, meanwhile, she will need to trade and interact with The Ottoman Empire, as well as securing pilgrimage rights for her Islamic subjects - therefore, she has earned her position at the negotiation table between Russia and the Turks. The other guest is Lady Katherine Yveson, the daughter of William Yveson. The Englishman responsible for setting up the Black Sea Company, now a wealthy merchant in his own right rather than the third, non-inheriting son of one, has returned to England to live in luxury and profits, meanwhile, his daughter, who, as a woman in English society, will not be inheriting either the Black Sea Company or the Yversons' older White Sea Company, has taken his place in Moscow. Evidently Lady Katherine considers being on the other end of Europe preferable to marrying some pompous Englishmen...I can hardly blame her.
Bathory Terezia, Krystyna Wlodzislawa, Scholastyka Wettyn, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani, Katherine Yveson, and, of course, Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich and I, together, we have presented The Ottoman Empire with the most brilliant, powerful, and ambitious women that Europe has to offer. Granted, Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier, a woman named Fatimah bint Abdul, seem to deserve that distinction as well, meaning this is probably the greatest concentration of great women that the world has ever seen. Helping women get into power wasn't part of my agenda until recently, but now, things have changed very quickly - I have the capacity to double the potential of my court compared to other European powers simply by tapping into the unused talent pool that is women - the idea of using women to increase the size of my armies didn't seem very realistic, given the roles women taken on while their husbands and sons are off fighting war, but allowing maybe ten or twenty women to join me in Moscow as ministers, diplomats, artists, and scientists...that could give Moscow the advantage it needs to truly propel it from a cold little hovel on the fringe of Europe to a true heir of Rome and a center of European civilization. Women in my court could prove just as instrumental as the architectural work at White Square, including The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, or the expansion of The Tsardom of Russia. The foundation for all of this was laid in that room, now Liz and I just needed to capitalize on it, turn it from happenstance into policy.
"You're thinking too much." Yelizaveta laughed, evidently my little sister and lover - admittedly, that is still a bit weird to say, even though I hardly regret it - knows when I am thinking. I ran my hand against the bare skin of her arm, feeling smooth, pale flesh come alive with goosebumps. Just like she wanted, my thoughts turned from politics and potential and political potential to blue eyes, blonde hair, and porcelain skin. The heiress of Rurik definitely had a Scandinavian complexion, but it was one hardly out of place in The Tsardom of Russia. Perhaps that is because we are, indeed, Slavs - more than enough of our ancestors have been locals for us to make that claim - in any case, the fact is, Liz is impossibly beautiful. Her beauty makes me so happy that she and I have done to impossible and formed a relationship - nothing, not even our own blood, will stop our love.
Liz and I heard a pair of footsteps approaching the room and we tensed up for a moment, thinking that we would have to adjust our position, however, as they got closer, we heard a pair of voices talking and laughing in Polish. We were safe, Lady Krystyna knew that Liz and I were close and she saw Liz and I in similar positions during our time together at Kolomenskoye. I saw Scholastyka and Krystyna enter the room, the green eyed protege was dressed in a silver dress with some burgundy details whilst the heterochromatic teacher - once herself my protege - wore a white and brighter red dress with silver trim. I couldn't help but scan Krystyna up and down, she was a beautiful woman and the power and the confidence she radiated was alluring to say the least, but I knew what a relationship with her really looked like. I knew that it was a love poisoned by politics and cursed with distance. How are we supposed to have a relationship when I am in Moscow in Russia while she is in Warsaw in Poland or Prague in Bohemia or Gyulafehervar in Transylvania? It was impossible. Meanwhile, I turned back to my little sister at my side, just as beautiful, just as smart, and she would always be there for me. It may have been incestuous and it may be repulsive to most people, but I loved it whenever I kissed her, touched her, saw her in pleasure. Yelizaveta was the stability and loyalty I wanted as an absolutist monarch.
"Tsarina Anastasia," Scholastyka greeted with a slight bow, she clearly didn't know me that well. I wanted to have complete control and I wanted to make sure the common people were completely obedient, but, in private life, I did not care all that much for royal protocol. I suppose I did care about being dominant in my personal relationships though, hence why I was so happy with Yelizaveta, but I hardly needed Scholastyka to bow in front of me for only Liz, Krystyna, and I to experience. Krystyna embarrassed her younger counterpart by walking right up to the couch we were on and sitting down on my left, the opposite side from my little sister. Krystyna grabbed my hand and kissed me briefly on the lips. Turning back to her shocked protege with a smirk. Meanwhile, I glanced at Liz. Blue eyes locked with blue as I communicated a slight but worrying message to my little sister - Krystyna seems like she wants to pick up right where we left off, she still considers ourselves lovers - that will complicate our time here.
"No need to be formal Schosia, we're all friends here." Krystyna smirked, using a makeshift diminutive of Scholastyka's admittedly rather formal name. I wasn't sure how much exactly the Wettyn noblewoman knew about Krystyna's sexuality before now, but I think the two Poles will definitely have to have a talk about all this in the future. Nevertheless, given that her reaction seems to be one of surprise rather than disgust, I don't think we have too much to worry about. The Polish-German woman sat down on the other couch, just a corner away from Krystyna while the Polish, Czech, and Hungarian noblewoman turned back to the two of us "Good morning Nastya, Liz, how did you sleep?"
"I slept well, though I must admit it was odd that Helena and Fatimah missed dinner." I replied, trying to hide the fact that Liz and I were actually sharing the same room. Yelizaveta and I officially had separate rooms, though her room went unused. The truth is, the absence of the two Ottoman women at dinner was actually a blessing in disguise for me, it gave me a convenient excuse to politely refuse Krystyna when the Polish noblewoman asked if she could join me for the night. The suspicious behavior of the Turks meant that sex, or anything else that could arouse suspicion, was a bad choice. Liz and I didn't do anything other than sleep - not that we planned to do anything before our palace was completed anyway - and two sisters sleeping together was hardly unheard of, even if we are admittedly old for it at twenty-two and nineteen, respectively, but that didn't mean it was automatically incriminating. Liz and I have always been affectionate, especially since that faithful day three years ago when Liz opened my eyes to my sexuality, allowing everything else which has happened since to happen. That included my relationship with Lady Krystyna, a relationship which I both loved and hated.
I loved it because being with Krystyna is thrilling, her touch, her kiss, her tongue...and her mind, that woman's plans for Europe are exactly the same kind of plans I have for Russia, she wants to expand borders, she wants to build fabulous capitals, and she wants to turn her other cities into centers of trade, manufacturing, and art, she is a fabulous person to talk to. I hated it because everything was a competition. Krystyna and I were going to put her on the Polish throne once Jan the Prussian died, we both knew that, however, that meant that there was always a struggle between how independent The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be. I wanted The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to essentially be a vassal state of The Tsardom of Russia whilst Lady Krystyna wanted an alliance of equals to protect her eastern border, allowing her to project her power further and further west. Then there was the matter of any further Kingdoms she establishes - she has claims to Bohemia and Transylvania due to her relation to the Jagiellon dynasty - the Polish-Lithuanian dynasty which reigned over Bohemia and Hungary prior to the Habsburg conquest - and her relation to the Bathory dynasty, which started as vassals to the Hungarian crown in Transylvania and emerged as sovereign Princes from the chaos. Krystyna has already managed to get close to Prince Matyas and represent Transylvania officially at the negotiation table, getting her closer to inheriting the Principality from the Prince who lacks direct heirs. As for Bohemia, Krystyna already wrote to me with her plans for the Czech Kingdom. Krystyna and I disagree over how independent Bohemia, Transylvania, and any other place she comes to rule will be. These arguments and this struggle over political dominance made me hate our relationship, like I said, it poisoned our love. In any case, as friends and allies, I was still very much interested in her plans.
"So, tell me about this plan for Bohemia. You mentioned waiting for the Swedes to occupy it from the Habsburgs and then stepping in to retake it for the Catholic cause, only it's going to be for your cause rather than the Emperor's, what else is there to this plan?" I asked. Lady Krystyna had a somewhat solid plan; by coming in to rescue the Bohemians after the Swedish occupation, she would win the support of the people. She would show the Czechs that she can protect them where the Habsburgs cannot. This move will also mean that the Habsburgs will be utterly incapable of displacing Krystyna - after all, the Austrian forces would've just been destroyed by the Swedish invaders, meaning they're too exhausted to reclaim the Czech lands until Krystyna is established and ready for them. Lady Krystyna is a smart woman for using the seemingly endless war between Protestants and Catholics to claim Bohemia. In the chaos, she will reign supreme where both Austria and Sweden have failed. The only question is, what other angles to this has Krystyna seen which I have not seen?
"The timing is perfect Anastasia, the Habsburgs slaughtered the Czech Protestant nobility when they defeated the Palatinate's armies, now, the Swedes are going to slaughter the Catholic nobles. This gives me the chance to make a permanent, absolutist monarchy. I will promote the nobility myself, spreading their estates around Bohemia proper, Moravia, Lusatia, and Silesia. Scattered and fractured estates will leave these nobles weak while, at the same time, the fact I've given them land, prestige, and power to begin with will make those nobles loyal, at least for a generation or two. Bohemia will be strong, centralized, and hereditary, everything that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is not. All the while, I'll forge relationships within The Holy Roman Empire, I'll make The Kingdom of Bohemia an essential part of the Catholic Holy Roman Empire." Lady Krystyna explained, her mismatched eyes lighting up with passion and excitement. I figured out the military aspect on my own, Krystyna explained how this would work diplomatically, both internally and externally.
"Who do you think would ally with you?" Yelizaveta asked. My little sister sat up a little bit more to look at Krystyna but she was very much still on my body. I think I detected a bit of jealousy and possessiveness in my little sister. Not only was she making sure to keep in physical contact with me, but she was also interjecting now to take my attention off of Lady Krystyna and her detailed ideas. Of course, I could already tell this was going to bite Yelizaveta in the ass, after all, knowing Krystyna, she already thought all about that question, truly realizing that her Kingdom of Bohemia was a reality. I was with Yelizaveta now, I was happy, especially now that it seems Krystyna was going to be gone even earlier given that she intends to be reigning in Prague before she gets to reign in Warsaw.
"Bavaria is already frustrated with the Austrians. They share a long border and Bavaria longs for more power - whether it comes in the form of more land or in finally getting the Electorate they've been clamoring for ever since the Palatinate split off from the Wittelsbach homeland. If Bohemia falls, I could see small, Catholic states in central Germany like The Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach and The Archbishopric of Mainz turning towards my state for protection against the Swedes rather than Vienna." Krystyna explained. The Duchy of Bavaria seemed like a fairly obvious ally, the Wittelsbach dynasty is one of the oldest and most significant reigning houses in Germany and thus, they have a long-running rivalry with the Austrians, especially since they got snubbed over the Wittelsbach Electorate. That Electorate ended up going to The County Palatinate of The Rhine, also ruled by the Wittelsbach, but it is a significantly smaller and significantly more fractured state, therefore, Bavaria also has a rivalry with the Palatinate. Of course, the fact that the Palatinate became an early leader of the Protestant cause means that both the staunchly Catholic Bavaria and the Imperial lands of Austria oppose the fractured state reigning from Heidelberg. The Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach is also rather isolated, closely related to The Electorate of Brandenburg, this branch of The House von Hohenzollern has remained Catholic while their counterparts in Berlin have become Protestant. The Archbishopric of Mainz is geographically isolated, wedged between the Palatinate's main body and the Protestant city of Frankfurt, as well as fairly significant Protestant states in Hesse and Nassau to the north of Frankfurt. These particularly isolated and vulnerable powers may indeed be the ones to flock towards a new independent Kingdom of Bohemia. I couldn't help but see Yelizaveta's shoulders fall ever so slightly as she realized her attempt to stump Krystyna failed miserably.
"How about the Saxon states?" I asked. The Wettin dynasty had a branch in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Scholastyka Wettyn was proof of that - and the dynasty also ruled a collection of states between Bohemia and Brandenburg. The largest of these was The Electorate of Saxony, centered on Dresden, which is still a Catholic state, however, a number of other Wettin states existed in Thuringia, chief among those were Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Weimar, both of which were Protestant Saxony was occupied by the Swedish forces who were now sacking Bohemia, but the Elector himself is alive and well, have retreated south with his army. If Bohemia were to help reoccupy those lands, the Elector could turn to Prague as well, just like Bavaria, Brandenburg-Ansbach, and Mainz could. Of course, Schosia would presumably know better than Krystyna or I, after all, she's related to the Elector, and the Protestant Dukes in Coburg and Weimar for that matter. Unsurprisingly, the green-eyed blonde was the one to answer my question.
"I don't know, the Emperor has promised a fully reformed Saxony to the Elector for fighting against the Protestants. I'm not sure if you would be able to give him a better offer, not unless you do something like offer all that plus Lusatia." Scholastyka explained. That was indeed a difficult promise to top. Saxony has not been whole in centuries, not since the Wettin - then known as Dukes of Meissen and Thuringia - received the title of Electors of Saxony. This was the third and final time Saxony was shifted geographically. It had originally been near the modern day territories of Brunswick and Luneburg, then it shifted to Anhalt under the House von Askanier, and finally, to its current position. Lusatia, Lausitz in German, had belonged to various Saxon states before the Emperor - at the time, The Holy Roman Empire was ruled by The House von Luxemburg - inherited Lausitz and added it to his Kingdom of Bohemia. Lusatia has remained part of Bohemia ever since, even as Bohemia passed to the Hussite heretics, then the Jagiellonians, and finally the Habsburgs. I doubted Krystyna wanted to give up a scrap of land away to Saxony. She wanted The Lands of The Bohemian Crown in total - she said it herself, she wanted Bohemia, Moravia, Lusatia, and Silesia.
"Very well, we can do this without the Saxons." Krystyna smirked, confidence clear in her face. The Electorate of Saxony was occupied and its army was in exile somewhere in southern Germany, she really didn't need that to make Bohemia her own. Honestly, an alliance with Bavaria within The Holy Roman Empire and Krystyna's links to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Principality of Transylvania outside of it will be more than enough to ensure that Krystyna stays on the Bohemian throne. Even if the Habsburgs manage to push Krystyna out of Prague, Polish, Lithuanian, Transylvania, and Bohemia troops will be right there to reclaim her capital city. In fact, if it is necessary, I have no qualms over dispatching Russian troops to help Krystyna defeat the Habsburgs.
"Well, you definitely have this all figured out. I can't wait to see you crowned in Prague." I smiled at Krystyna, we weren't lovers anymore, but we were still friends. She was going to be my closest ally, she was going to be the vehicle which spreads Russian influence far deeper into Europe than our borders could ever penetrate, and she will be the woman who reshapes eastern Europe forever. We may be rivals in some ways, struggling over who really controls those states, but in the end, whether The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a vassal state or just an ally, The Tsardom of Russia wins either way. Lady Krystyna is the result of numerous great Eastern European dynasties - she is descended from the Piast, the Premyslid, the Jagiellon, the Bathory, and, of course, the Wlodzislawa, an unknown dynasty, but a dynasty she will make great. She will rise to greatness and, very soon, it will all start in Prague.
"Thank you Anastasia. Once the treaty is signed, Scholastyka and I are going to return to Poland. She'll be in Warszawa, subtly preparing the country for my rule, while I'll be on my estates in Mazowia and Belz, putting the final touches on my plan and waiting for the Swedes to defeat the Habsburgs." Krystyna explained, proving that we'll be separated yet again very soon. She will finally be putting her plans into action, taking Bohemia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Transylvania, and from there, potentially the rest of Hungary, Croatia, and even The Kingdom of Naples. Lady Krystyna was about to go from a noblewoman with holdings near Warsaw and in western Ruthenia to one of the greatest and most powerful women in history. She will leave behind a collection of strong and centralized Kingdoms, Kingdoms which shall trade, fight with, and cooperate with The Tsardom of Russia. Lady Krystyna will be the most powerful single ruler, but with my help and the help of my successors, there will be a bloc of loyal Kingdoms who will expand themselves. Perhaps one day, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will push along the Baltic coast and into Brandenburg, perhaps Bohemia will expand inside The Holy Roman Empire, undermining Habsburg influence in Germany, perhaps if Krystyna herself does not form Hungary, her Transylvanian successors will, fighting against the Habsburgs and The Ottoman Empire to take the rest of The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, and perhaps, Krystyna's heirs in Naples, if she gets that far, will move further with the Angevin claims - after all, Krystyna taking Naples is based on the fact that Hungary and Naples were both ruled by the French House d'Anjou and, briefly, held in personal union - claiming Sicily and the parts of Ottoman Albania which formed the Medieval Principality of Durazzo. The future of eastern and southern Europe is in the hands of The House Wlodzislawa, all the while, The House Rurikovich will be looking over this, using all of it to benefit The Tsardom of Russia.
Our plans were set and, soon enough, Lady Krystyna would finally put them into action, though first, we had to finalize The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya with The Ottoman Empire. Terezia, Yasamin, and Katherine joined us before we made our way over to negotiation seven of us sat down and we waited for Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier to join us. We secured our land and our rights to get ships through the Dardanelles, I also initiated my plan to guarantee The Ottomans' borders - in order to prevent my future enemies in Austria and Persia from taking advantage of the situation - and Helena had, at least tentatively, agreed to it, but there was still more to discuss. I had my way of keeping The Ottoman Empire from growing or shrinking, but I still needed to find a way to make sure Helena couldn't just retake Crimea and Caucasia twenty years from now. She, of course, insisted she wouldn't, but I'd be a fool to trust my enemy.
Of course, it was one thing to write land exchanges into a treaty - that was standard fair - and free passage through the Turkish Straits was also pretty easy to put into a treaty. Guaranteeing The Ottomans' borders was an unconventional move, however, from the perspective of the Habsburgs and the Persians, such a move is actually more to the Turks benefit than Russia's - my simple-minded enemies would assume my goal is simply to destroy The Ottoman Empire by any means necessary, that couldn't be further from the truth, my goal is to expand Russia at the expense of The Ottoman Empire without anyone else being able to expand, I want a net gain for The Tsardom of Russia, not just a power shift from Constantinople to Vienna - but, either way, it got into the treaty. This means that Helena can rebuild her armies and maintain her borders, but, due to the agreements, my protection ends if she moves to expand her borders or if she builds her troops up beyond a level I approve of. So, without too much difficulty, I've managed to limit The Ottoman Empire's size, but it would be considerably harder to limit The Ottoman Empire's ability to wage war in a treaty. How exactly does one put it in writing that I want my enemies to be perpetually weaker than my country but stronger than any other? That was a bit of a challenge for our delegation to come up with, but, as Sultana Helena and Fatimah entered the negotiation room, Terezia and I were prepared to do just that.
"Good morning Sultana-regent, good morning Grand Vizier," I greeted warmly, watching their reactions as Terezia translated into Arabic for our foreign guests "Yesterday was a very productive day in terms of negotiations, hopefully today can be one as well. I would be quite pleased if we were to complete negotiations, finalize The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya, and sign it today."
A few more mundane greetings and we got to work for today. Terezia and I had one last goal from this treaty, a goal which would accomplish more than enough to erase our failure to achieve reparations for Georgia and Krystyna's - admittedly wishful and unrealistic - demand that the Turks evacuate Hungary. Krystyna didn't believe that it would work, but she figured that, if it were possible, this was the time it would happen, hence she tried. We wanted The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya to permanently make The Ottoman Empire weaker than The Tsardom of Russia, as mentioned, this would be difficult, however, Yelizaveta had a novel idea to accomplish this. Liz, inspired by my policy of using the Russian Orthodox Church to justify my absolutism, claim the divine right to rule, and, through architecture and music, symbolize the power and the beauty of my new Russia, has suggested that we spread the Russian Orthodox Church to The Ottoman Empire. Only this time, rather than justifying autocracy, we will be advocating for autonomy and independence. The Balkan peninsula contains huge populations of Orthodox Christians, including Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs, Bosnians, Romanians, and portions of the Bosnian and Albanian populations. We want to weaponize those Orthodox Christians against The Ottoman Empire. Of course, there revolutions are doomed to fail, however, because of them, The Ottoman Empire will constantly have to police the Balkans, fighting against instability. All the while, those people will be educated to idolize Russia, preparing them for Russia's eventual expansion into the Balkans.
"The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople was once the head of the Orthodox Church, the highest priest in The Byzantine Empire, however, the Ecumenical Patriarch betrayed the Orthodox people when he bent the knee to The Ottoman Empire. The Orthodox Church, much like the title of Third Rome, is now centered on Moscow. Fittingly, we demand that the Orthodox Churches of The Ottoman Empire shift from the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Patriarch of Moscow. It is only right that all Orthodox Christians are brought back together under the Russian Orthodox Church." I demanded. I decided to include Russia's claim to being the true heir of Rome in this declaration. I watched as Terezia translated and I saw Sultana Helena's face twist into shock. I was aware that this could be difficult, after all, she was born Helena of Gothia, an Orthodox Princess in Theodoro - my understanding is that her late husband, Suleiman III, made her convert to Sunni Islam as one of the terms of their marriage, this is not required, many Sultans have had Orthodox wives in the past, though Suleiman did make a show of requesting that - in any case, she still connected to her Orthodox past and she had considerable support among her Orthodox subjects. Of course, this wasn't about her, turning the Balkan populations against The Ottoman Empire was a long term scheme, one which would be accelerated only if Helena is eventually succeeded by a strict and intolerant Sultan, something which may take quite a few generations, especially if Helena and Fatimah maintain a strong influence on The Ottoman Empire going forward.
"No. The Ecumenical Patriarch has always been the head of the Orthodox Church. I will not have the Orthodox people turn to a rogue pretender in Moscow." Helena replied, adamant that my suggestion was far too extreme. Fortunately, we had learned how to negotiate with Sultana Helena yesterday, therefore, we only demanded the most extreme version of what we had wanted. Lady Krystyna, ultimately, wanted all of Hungary, she didn't demand that, but she did get an independent Principality of Transylvania and she did try, and fail, to get Turkish troops to evacuate those Hungarian lands, who knows what she would have been able to get if she started with actually demanding Hungary? Therefore, we started with demanding all of the Orthodox peoples under the Russian church, meaning that, now, we can demand something slightly smaller but still wholly unreasonable and present it as entirely reasonable. This is the art of shrewd negotiations.
"Then how about this - autonomous Orthodox Churches in Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Romania, and Greece, with their own Patriarchs, who are chosen by the Patriarch of Moscow, but they must be approved by the priests and bishops of those autonomous churches?" Yelizaveta suggested, presenting it as a new idea. In reality, Yelizaveta had already presented this plan to Terezia and I before hand whilst we were waiting, she figured out both the first suggestion which Helena refused and this counter-proposal. My little sister wanted to claim that this was all merely inspired by me, but there was more to it than just that. She may not be interested in politics, but she is interested in spending time with me, therefore, as a side effect, she has indeed grown quite aware in politics. This suggestion, while it may be inspired by my use of the Russian Orthodox Church within my borders, is only possible because it has gone through Yelizaveta's brilliant mind.
"The Romanian people are in your Moldavia and your Transylvania, those left behind within Wallachia are in the hands of a vassal Prince. We can't promise you a Romanian Orthodox Church because, for the most part, the Romanians are outside of The Ottoman Empire proper." Fatimah countered, the Grand Vizier was finding any angle she could to cut down our demands as much as possible, though this time, I do suppose her reasoning was sound. Moldavia will indeed be incorporated into the Catholic, albeit tolerant, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth while The Principality of Transylvania, despite being populated by Orthodox Romanians, is dominated by Catholic Hungarians, both the nobility, including the Bathory, and the Szekely minority, a group of Hungarians residing in Transylvania. It doesn't make sense to establish a subversive Orthodox Church in lands held by our Catholic allies. The Principality of Wallachia, however, is an Orthodox state, unfortunately, one which is largely a slave to The Ottoman Empire, but an Orthodox state nonetheless. I suppose that I could argue that the Church needs to be established in Wallachia in case The Ottoman Empire annexes the territory, however, the fact that they are shooting down parts of this suggestion rather than the suggestion as a whole, it seems that Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier are going to accept this after a little bit more of this cutting away at the fringes.
"I will not allow my fellow Greeks to belong to a Russian church, they have always answered to the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople. I will not allow the Bosnians to go either, the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are diverse, filled with Muslims and Catholics as well as Orthodox Christians. I will not allow for political agitation so close to the borders and in such a diverse area." Helena replied, making an interesting slip-up along the way. Bosnia is not all that close to the border, especially considering that The Ottomans have taken Dalmatia, Slavonia, Istria, and parts of Hungary from their enemies in Austria and Venice, that is, unless, Helena is well aware that this is a long term scheme and that, in the not too distant future, Lady Krystyna will move the Ottoman border much closer to Bosnia. That does indeed make sense, after all, Lady Krystyna has hardly been subtle with her ambitions for The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, including the medieval Kingdom of Croatia.
"Though you will accept the creation of a Serbian Orthodox Church and a Bulgarian Orthodox Church under Russian influence?" I asked. I will make sure that Terezia interprets these Churches as broadly as possible, making sure to include Montenegrin Christians in the Serbian Church and the Slavic Orthodox Christians in the Macedonia region in the Bulgarian Church. Along the middle of the Balkans, we can have a range of loyal Slavic peoples from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea, all of which will be slowly but surely turned against The Ottoman Empire, so that, perhaps a century from now, perhaps two centuries from now, The Tsardom of Russia will be able to create a network of vassal states and loyal allies going all the way down the Balkan peninsula.
"Very will, I will accept a Serbian Orthodox Church and a Bulgarian Orthodox Church, now, is there anything else?" Sultana Helena asked, this time, we had nothing further, we got what we wanted. By causing problems for The Ottoman Empire and turning the Balkan Christians against Constantinople, we can make it incredibly difficult for The Ottoman Empire to fight against The Tsardom of Russia, however, at the same time, we can use those same Churches to make sure the Serbians and the Bulgarians reject the Habsburgs or anyone else who tries to take the Balkans away from the Russian sphere of influence. This is not the most direct way of stunting The Ottoman Empire, however, I think I prefer it that way, this way, I can sap away at the Turks with some level of secrecy. Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier will know exactly what I am doing, but The Ottomans will not always be ruled by people quite as intelligent and capable as the two of them.
"Excellent, that will be all. Scholastyka, if you will." I turned to the Polish junior representative - the lowest ranking person here who wasn't a guest - who had been recording the terms of the treaty. She passed it to each representative, myself and Yelizaveta, and Sultana Helena and Fatimah. Scholastyka Wettyn, Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa, Tsarevna Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, and, finally, my official signature filled the left side. On the right, Grand Vizier Fatimah bint Abdul signed in Arabic, below that, Sultana Helena signed with the official signature of the Ottoman Sultan. Turning back over the master copy of The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya, I stamped it with the double-headed eagle of Russia, I slid the treaty across the table, for Sultana Helena to stamp it. She handed it back over, revealing a stamp of two scimitars and the name of The Ottoman Empire in Arabic script. The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya was complete. This original, in Cyrillic, would be taken to Moscow, a copy in Polish would go to Warsaw, one in Hungarian will go to Gyulafehervar, a Portuguese one to Lisbon, a Georgian one will remain here for King Constantine IV, and copies in both Turkish and Arabic will go to Konstantiniyye. In any case, The Russo-Ottoman War of 1623-1625 was officially over, with a comprehensive Russian victory.
I stood in a purple and gold dress, watching as Sultana Helena and Fatimah walked down the steps of Konstantinovskaya, boarding a carriage to cross the border and board a ship at Trabzon. They politely declined using the port of Batumi here in The Kingdom of Georgia, I suspected this was a politically motivated move. The Tsardom of Russia sacked Trabzon and stole the remaining Byzantine and Komnenos relics left over from the Empire of Trebizond, a Byzantine rump state, however, by going to this city and boarding a ship there, the Sultana of The Ottoman Empire is demonstrating that Trabzon is still very much hers. I didn't mind, I have Crimea and I have Armenia and Azerbaijan in Caucasia. If I want Trebizond in The Ottoman Empire, I will simply take it for myself later on. I did have another Byzantine rump state in my borders though, The Principality of Theodoro, so, between that and my claim to the Third Rome being enforced, perhaps it would be fitting to give the new settlements I will build in Crimea and along the Black Sea a Greco-Roman twist.
"Tell me Liz, what is would the Roman equivalent of Tsarina be?" I asked Yelizaveta, as my sister joined me at the top of the steps, overlooking the leaving Ottomans. I glanced over at the beautiful woman on my right, seeing her in a black and red dress. The color scheme was dark, alluring, sexy, her blonde hair and blue eyes conveyed youth and innocence, but the black and red - conventionally evil colors - expressed danger and power. Yelizaveta would be a great woman one day, there is no one else who I would want to replace me as Tsarina of Russia. Yelizaveta is the only person I trust to ensure my legacy is a strong, healthy Russia on an upward trajectory. I want to lay the seeds for further expansion, further influence, and further greatness, and I want Yelizaveta to ensure that those seeds live on to grow and grow so that they may flourish and, eventually, be cultivated by our heirs. Liz is there to bring permanence to my reign.
"Well, Tsarina is the feminine form of Tsar, derived from Caesar, so I suppose that it would be something like Caesarea." Liz answered, she was indeed right, that was the etymological equivalent, however, I didn't want to name a city Caesarea, nor did I want to try and Russify that name, I didn't want the name to end up too close to something like Tsaritsyn. Therefore, I asked Liz for another Greco-Roman variant "Well, the other equivalent would of Tsarina would be Augusta, the feminine form of Augustus. Beyond that, well, the Greek form of Augustus is Sebastian."
"Sebastian...Sebastopol...how about Sevastopol? Seems like a nice way to rename Sultana Helena's home city after myself without being too obvious about it." I suggested. I didn't necessarily want to snub Sultana Helena on a personal level, however, she has been my greatest opponent thus far, proving a far greater challenge that either of the Polish Kings - neither Zygmunt August II or Jan the Prussian were particularly impressive, though, given that the former was Lady Krystyna's mentor for a time, perhaps there was more to him than just the failed King of a failed state who I defeated in battle - therefore, I feel like celebrating my triumph over her. Sebastos, meaning venerable in Greek, serving as the basis of the name Sebastian, and being an equivalent of Augustus, is a title derived from the first reigning Tsarina of Russia, therefore, Theodoro shall become Sevastopol, the first city of my new Crimea and a testament to my increasingly ambitious plans for southern Russia. Russian influence will radiate outward from Sevastopol in Crimea, Yerevan in Armenia, and Baku in Azerbaijan, Russian influence will push south from our traditional heartlands in Muscovy, and Russian influence will come in the form of Russified immigrants from Germany, Bohemia, The Ottoman Empire, and whomever else wishes to join my mighty state, provided, of course, they have something to contribute. Together, this great horde of Russian influence will finally civilize the great steppes and bring civilization to southern Russia. The days of Cossack warlords dominating the steppe, only nominally under Russian authority are over. The Cossacks are useful, they are great warriors, but they will be closely monitored and controlled by a slew of new towns and fortresses erected across their wild country. I will tame southern Russia and I will tame the Cossacks, just as I defeated The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, just as I made The Tsardom of Russia an absolutist state, just as I crushed The Ottoman Empire.
"Naming cities?" Lady Krystyna asked, joining us along with Scholastyka Wettyn - the Saxon-Polish noblewoman was clinging to her fellow delegate, perhaps out of familiarity, perhaps out of respect, or perhaps out of attraction - after all, my dear Krystyna did emphatically announce her sexuality by kissing me earlier today, so, to someone like little Schosia, a shy little girl blossoming into a woman and realizing her sexuality, Lady Krystyna was a nice person to be around. I was glad about this, I already moved on with my sweet little sister Yelizaveta, it would be nice to see Krystyna find happiness too, she certainly deserves it. Of course, such a crush would help Scholastyka come far in the world, she could potentially find herself the second most powerful woman in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, holding sway over a country stretching from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has shrunk, thanks to my rule, but, with Lady Krystyna at the helm, it will still be a considerable power, a literal wall separate east from west, a Kingdom which will be both European and Russian, yet uniquely Polish.
"Indeed I am, after all, we both have lands to take care of." I replied to Lady Krystyna, turning to see the Polish noblewoman in a white dress with red and blue trim - red and white were the colors of Bohemia while blue, white, and red were the colors of Moravia - the dress symbolizes her first target, The Lands of The Bohemian Crown. Krystyna, once she takes this Czech Kingdom, will instantly propel herself to a mid-level power in Europe. She will not be quite as strong as France or Austria or England, but she will be just as strong, if not stronger, than the likes of Brandenburg, The Netherlands, or Venice, laying a mighty foundation and a foundation that she will only be able to grow stronger and stronger from. The lands I was referring to, however, are the lands The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gained out of the former Principality of Moldavia, something which has considerably grown Warsaw's state "The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth now has a coast on the Black Sea, you even have a port in the form of Akkerman, but Akkerman is not a good enough Black Sea port for your realm. I'll have Sevastopol, but, outside of Crimea, my main Black Sea port is Ochakiv, Ochakiv is not a good enough port for Russian Zaporizhia. I propose we create a joint Russo-Polish port, on Russian soil, but near the border with Polish Moldavia. A new Odessa, a mighty Black Sea port to serve the enlightened Greco-Roman people, protecting them from the wild steppe."
"A new Odessa? That seems a bit romantic, but a new port, a joint port, seems like a good idea for both Moldavia and Zaporizhia." Krystyna replied, a bit amused by my suggestion - it was a bit romantic to call it a new Odessa, everything about the Third Rome angle was romantic in all honesty, but that romanticism came with prestige, reputation, and power - the Greco-Roman antiquity still held weight in Europe, painting Moscow and Russia as the successors to Rome meant that all that prestige and power belonged to The Tsardom of Russia. The truth is, the ancient Odessa was probably no further north than Bulgaria, somewhere that was considered wild and foreign by the Athenians and Corinthians, but, in actuality, wasn't nearly as far from ancient Greece as this proposed new Odessa would be, but this port would help settle the wild steppe. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did not do a good job of taming its Cossacks, which General Perevernykruchenko proved by quickly and easily turning those Cossacks against King Zygmunt August and later Jan the Prussian. Zaporizhia may prove harder to tame than even parts of southern Russia along the Don River, but, with a major new port city like this theoretical Odessa, the tide of civilization may be too strong for all the Cossacks, all the harsh winds, and all the untapped wilderness to resist. Lady Krystyna gains a major port welcoming Polish ships, I gain Polish help settling the coast of the Ukraine.
I sat on my bed in a gold and black robe, tapping my fingers against one of the posts of the canopy bed, the other hand tracing the slight patterns on my robe. I wanted to keep my hands busy, holding me back as my body was filling with anticipation. I knew that, any moment, Yelizaveta would step through that door wearing nothing but a similar robe, having snuck out of her room as soon as she was confident the coast was clear. Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier are gone, awarding my little sister and I some privacy. I had to remind myself that we weren't going to have sex, Yelizaveta and I were holding ourselves back until we were in our palace, after all, a palace named after the two of us was the perfect place to make love for the first time. I wanted that, I desired it, however, I couldn't deny that I was absolutely and utterly horny right now. I was completely ready to explode with passion and I was struggling to hold myself back. I thought about taking my hands and putting an end to the matter myself, taking the edge off, but then I heard the door open. My whole body shook with pleasure as the door slowly but surely opened.
The door opened to reveal a pair of pale legs leading up to a pink and white robe. My eyes scanned across a tight, hourglass figure, lingering just barely at her hips, knowing the tuft of blonde hair and the gentle pink lips just beneath that thin layer of fabric. I then looked over a pair of amazing breasts, contained in the pink fabric, but presenting themselves to me through the deep cleavage of the robe, just a little too open. I saw the thin, beautiful neck and the long, blonde hair running down her back, everything was perfect, exactly what I had been expecting, however, after that, things changed, quickly. That neck gave way to a foreign chin dimple and an all too familiar set of lips, but a set of lips that didn't belong to my little sister. My suspicions were confirmed when my eyes finally caught her eyes...one green, one hazel. Lady Krystyna made it very clear that she wanted to make love to me during this trip, and she was finally seizing the moment.
I should have resisted, I should have objected when she crawled on my bed, I should have said no when her lips crashed against mine, but...the truth is, I didn't want to. I knew I was betraying Yelizaveta, the poor girl was probably leaning against her wall, listening to this, tears of hurt and betrayal flowing down her face. I would've stopped if I were able to focus on that, if I were able to think of how my actions were affecting my true love, but I couldn't focus on that. Between my love for Lady Krystyna and my sexually deprived state, I couldn't say no to this. This was everything I had wanted tonight, the only difference is that it was coming from Lady Krystyna rather than my little sister. The relationship with her had been toxic, political competition sapping away at our relation, but, in the bedroom, if anything, that made it better. I wanted to dominate her, I wanted to show her that The Tsardom of Russia, in every way, shape, and form, was superior to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Bohemia, The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, The Kingdom of Naples, or any other state she may envision, but then, once she writhed in passion, she would turn me around, her thighs straddling me, her arms holding my hands above my head, and her lips and breasts floating just above mine. This too was a game of political struggle, but it was a game I could not resist. Kissing Yelizaveta was electrifying, having sex with her would no doubt be even better, but I had to wait for that, despite all the struggle and the toxicity, I never had to wait with Lady Krystyna.
Her robe slid up as she came over me, revealing more and more of those legs and the sweltering beauty between them. Her lips touched mine as her bare thighs ran against mine, I moaned into her mouth and she took the opportunity to slide her tongue into my mouth. I could try and paint her as some sort of vile seductress - she was certainly acting like it - but I couldn't, she was an innocent, virgin girl before she came to Kolomenskoye with me. Every time she touched me, I remember when I touched her the same way, teaching her, every time she kissed me, I remembered when I kissed her the same way, pleasing her, every time she bit down on my skin, I remembered when I bit down on her the same way, dominating her. I had her this way, I wanted this, I was responsible for this...and I was loving it. I felt my stomach twist and I felt my muscles begin to tense, but, as much as I searched for it, I could not feel an ounce of regret.
She bit down on my neck, her hands trailing down the inside of my robe, pulling the garment apart, exposing more and more of my skin. Her hands finally stopped when they reached the sash keeping it all together. Krystyna slowly curled her hand, gently sliding her knuckles against my stomach as she found the knot. She slid her thumb into the knot and pulled it apart with ease - my former...and I suppose current lover did not want any clothing to slow her down - the sash untied, Krystyna quickly pulled it all the way open, exposing every inch of me. She sat down on her perfect butt, admiring my body. I bit down on my lip and arched my back, demanding satisfaction as her eyes devoured my body. Krystyna gathered the fabric of the robe in her hands, I rose my hips to let her slip it out from under me, and she discarded the garment in its entirety, throwing it on the floor. Her own robe was next as she untied it, I couldn't help myself but reach up and help her get it off faster. I, knowingly and willingly, took her robe in my hand and threw it across the room, wanting the Polish noblewoman just as naked as I was. In the process, I deprived myself of my last strand of innocence in the complete and utter murder of my sister's trust and love.
Murder evidently felt heavenly as Krystyna bit down on my left nipple, pulling lightly. Krystyna alternated between pain and pleasure, biting at my nipples but then licking them, soothing them...this drove me absolutely insane. Krystyna switched to the right, working my breast the same way, making me impatient. This was too much waiting, too much playing around, too much build up, I needed release, and I needed it now. I released a pathetic whimper, one that did not fit an absolute monarch at all, but one which got me exactly what I wanted. Krystyna's lips were replaced with her nimble fingers on my breasts as she slid down the bed, sliding down to the space between my legs. Green and hazel eyes looked into mine as Krystyna kissed the blonde tuft of hair just about my most intimate of areas. It was a move she had done before, something which I had done to her as well, but this final moment, this announcement of what she was about to do still had an effect on me, telling me it was time to brace myself. I felt an exhale of hot area against my lower lips before a warm, wet tongue came across them.
The tension in my muscles melted away as I was overcome by pleasure. Krystyna licked me over and over again, each individual movement driving me closer and closer to the final release of pleasure. Finally, it came, I arched my back and angled my hips as close to Krystyna's mouth as possible, I screamed out in unrestricted pleasure and my eyes rolled back, wave after wave of orgasm poured through my body, exiting out into Krystyna's mouth. I laid there panting as my Polish lover, as the woman who I thought I was done with, came up, crawling out from between my legs to right next to me. Krystyna laid down and she kissed me, I kissed her back immediately, not even capable of hesitating. I longed for tasting myself on the tongue of another woman and the future Queen of Bohemia, King of Poland, and Princess of Transylvania did not disappoint. She may soon leave forever, going off to Prague or Warsaw or Gyulafehervar, but a piece of her will always stay with me. I felt guilty being with Krystyna because I knew I could never love her fully, I knew a part of my heart would always belong to Yelizaveta, but now, now that I'm with Liz, I realize that a part of my heart belongs to Lady Krystyna too. I'll never be able to love anyone as wholly as they love me, I'll never be content.
I made sure that, if nothing else, Lady Krystyna would be content tonight. I kissed and bit down her neck and down onto her clavicle, then trailing kisses down from her collarbone to her breasts. I sucked her nipples first, then I bit them, Krystyna made me feel pain then pleasure, I made her feel pleasure then pain then pleasure again. In this competition, I couldn't be outdone, not even in the bedroom. I bit down and then I licked the pain away, making the Polish noblewoman moan in the process, moaning my name. I kissed my way down from the breasts, meanwhile, I ran my left hand over the nipple I had just attended to before sliding it down from her breast, floating my hands just over her skin down her sides. I came down to my destination and cupped her ass at the same time.
I glanced all around me, neatly trimmed blonde hair above, flawless pale thighs to either side of me, and moist, pink lips in front of me. I brought my lips to those lips, kissing them and then licking, my left hand squeezing from behind at the same time, meanwhile, I brought my right hand up against my breast before sliding up my skin, ending up below my chin. I licked at her clit as Krystyna truly came into her arousal, giving me the opportunity to slip a finger in between those lips as I continued to lick. One finger became two as Krystyna grew closer and closer, I licked and fingered her quickly and fiercely, unleashing lightning warfare on her just as I had unleashed it on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. My lightning warfare broke through the Polish defenses yet again as Krystyna came, I slowed down, but continued licking her and pumping her with my fingers until she came back down, waiting for the last waves of orgasm to leave her body and for her muscles to give away, releasing my fingers from her much too neglected core. Krystyna had missed my touch, that much was clear, and she had gotten it again, though...at what cost?
I laid down next to her and listened as Krystyna's pants died down and then turned into gentle breathing as she fell asleep. I laid there for a few moments longer before slowly and methodically getting up. I slipped out of bed and gathered my golden robe, slipping it on and stepping into a pair of slippers. I snuck out of my room and came to Yelizaveta's door. I knocked once and that was all it took for my little sister to open the door - she had been waiting for me - revealing a puffy-eyed and angry young woman. I reached out to comfort Liz, but my little sister rejected me, brushing off my touching and shutting the door in my face. She didn't want to see me.
I love you all, peace out!
