Chapter 3:
The mass of people gathering at the gates continued to grow until even the last man had arrived from the far end of the town. The people were in hysterics, and nobody could calm them; the sun had already began to descend towards the horizon. The city was under curfew until a meeting could be held and adjourned at the town hall. Nobody was allowed to step outside the walls, and peasants were asked, and sometimes forced, to return to their homes.
The town hall was situated in the centre of Nicaea. It looked out onto the central plaza where some people had begun to gather. Theodosius entered the main gallery where an assembly of officials and representatives had already started discussing a course of action to take."We cannot hope to put up a fight!" one official said."This is the Sultan of the Turks!" another called decided to remain silent for a few minutes until the noise died down a little."If we leave tonight, under the cover of darkness," an elderly official began, "we can return to Constantinople and warn the Emperor of the Sultan's advance!"There were murmurs and nods of agreement."I have no intention of dying here by a filthy Seljuk's scimitar!" the elder continued, "And I am certain none of you have any intention either!"Others began proclaiming openly now:"Why should we die here?""We're not peasants!"
"And if you make it to Constantinople, will you tell the Emperor that you failed to uphold your oath to protect and govern his lands?" Theodosius called from afar. He had heard enough of their arrogance. "I'd be surprised if you even made it a mile from here before getting killed by the Sultan's scouts." The room went silent instantly: Theodosius had their attention now."You are all fools to think that you can leave here alive. The Sultan will make sure that no-one escapes to tell about the size of his army."Almost immediately, officials began shouting and arguing again even more than they had previously done."Silence!" the elder roared above them all. Every official stopped talking simultaneously and all eyes were on the elder."You, captain, are even more foolish to think that you can possibly fight off this horde of demons at our gates."All eyes turned to Theodosius. He could feel the pressure that was piling on him as he racked his brain for a response to the elder.
There noises emanating from outside in the plaza. More people had gathered outside the town hall to learn the news of the council's decision. People were yelling, some were crying, others remained silent in anticipation that all hope was lost: the sun was almost below the horizon. The sky was mix of bloody red and orange like the desert sands that seemed to mirror the sky. Theodosius burst out of the town hall and into the mass of people that were now overflowing the central plaza area. He needed to return to the wall: he had to convince the militia to fight.
By the time he reached the gatehouse, the Saracen general had emerged from amongst his soldiers who were already celebrating their soon-to-be victory. Their confidence struck even Theodosius's nerves: he was beginning to sweat at the forehead. He wiped it off with his hand and took a deep breath, waiting for the Sipahi general to speak out.
"وقتك هو ما يصل! هذا هو فرصتك الأخيرة؛ بإخلاء المدينة الآن، أو تعاني من عواقب تحدي إرادة السلطان العزيز المفضل""Your time is up! This is your last chance; vacate the city now, or suffer the consequences of defying the Mighty Sultan's Will!"
Nobody said a word: the entire wall was quiet. Much to Theodosius's surprise, the soldiers held their peace, and did not move from their positions on the battlements. The silence lasted almost ten seconds, until one Byzantine soldier called out:"If your Sultan wants this town, he's going to have to pry it from our cold dead hands!"The uproar afterwards was immense: the cries and cheers echoed all throughout the entire cheer was so effective, that even the peasants began to join in. Theodosius was baffled: what had changed their hearts and minds so easily? He turned to the soldier at his side and asked,"Why are they all cheering?"The soldier stopped mid cheer, and stared at the captain as if he were mad."Why?" the soldier repeated, "Haven't you heard? Reinforcements are arriving from the West, with Prince Stefanos himself leading them!" Theodosius just stood dumbstruck! He couldn't believe it: Nicaea actually stood a chance at breaking the Turkish siege. He unsheathed his sword and raised it up into the air. It shone in the moonlight, reflecting down into the Saracen ranks. The soldiers followed his example, and soon, every sword and super was raised towards the heavens as if they were saluting an invisible leader.
And then, in unison, as if someone had given an order, they all cried out, not in fear but defiance,
"FOR THE EMPEROR!"