Chapter 42: The Great War part 14, The Final Statement.
Triestan lay in the tomb of his brother, blood flowing like it had never before, his body felt cold. He breathed slowly, he started to push himself up, but could only do this barely able to stand. His body felt like it was tearing itself apart. Triestan coughed up blood on the floor, and turned to Feliciano and fell onto him, Feliciano just catching him. Triestan looked up to him, "I'm going to die now… I don't know how long, but with your betrayel, you've caused full scale revolution… I'm going to lose everything I have, but know this Feliciano… I regret it all, I should have been content to disappear on that faithful day five hundred some years ago, yet no… This is more befitting for someone like me… Always betrayed by my own." Triestan passed out, his blood pouring out of his body rapidly from the wound.
Feliciano lifted Triestan up and placed him in Rome's coffin, the blood finally slowing down, and he closed Triestan's eyes. The glorious reign of the Byzantine empire was put to an end, the nations that made up the former empire all declared independence, except for Greece which retained Anatolia, and Greece itself. The last few years of the Great war were no longer against the English who the other nations of the former empire had declared peace with, but fighting amongst themselves, for title of Emperor of Byzantium.
Hercaules had gone to the tomb where his brother lay, Triestan lay there so barely alive that he could only breath, his body on fire, like he was dieing hundreds of times. Hercaules kneeled by him and placed his hand on Triestan's heart and bowed his head, "I'll avenge you brother." Before Hercaules could leave Triestan grabbed him, and said weakly, "These days, the bloodshed isn't needed… just… remember my mistakes, and… don't try to revive me… its not worth the pain." With that Triestan's hand fell back into the coffin, the empire who had cheated death for over three millennium was dead.
The warring nations of the former empire all gathered in Constantinople, which is where the body of Triestan was moved and was placed inside the Hagia Sophia, His coffin was embroidered with gold and gems. All nations had arrived for this event, enemies, friends, and strangers they all came to the city to pay their final respects to possibly the greatest empire that ever lived, truly he was the king of kings, but his story does not end, no, he was not truly dead, but in a death like coma. No one knew, his heart beat was so slow they couldn't notice, his skin so cold, his body so stiff.
The ceremony was held for him, the first to speak was Arthur, "I may have been his rival, and his greatest enemy… but that is behind us now, the war is over… I think we have all lost a great nation here, maybe under different circumstances, could he have survived. He was however like a father, or brother figure to almost all European nations here, in fact he was, but he was our uncle. I regret that the last memory he will have of myself is an enemy and some one to hate… We could all learn a lesson from his follies." Arthur stepped down for the next nation, who was the only, formerly, religious ally he had.
Ivan stood by the podium and spoke up, "I may not be a nation of religion anymore, but what I can say is that… he was like a father to me, abusive yes, but endearing, and defensive and now that he is gone, I can only think that he will be remembered for his greatness. A shame he could not become one with me, but that is something I can except, I respected his prowess, he held integrity to the end, and I admit, it is all our fault he is dead."
Next up was a man who was wearing a cloak his face obscured, but a burnett stuble could be seen and something akin to two curls on his head, his eyes were brown. He spoke in something similar to an Italian accent, but it was different, wiser, older. "He was a good nation, hopeless yes, reckless yes, but a strong willed man. If anything, he was the most human a nation could get, he felt for his family, he was greedy, he was proud, and he was most of all ignorant. I feel that in his death we have all learned how close to those people we've out lived for so many years we truly are." Arthur spoke up after the man finished, "Who are you?" The man smiled and shrugged, "Just a stranger who's morning the loss of a brother." The man disappeared just as mysteriously as he came.
The final speaker was Hercaules, "He raised me from birth, he gave me all I could ask for, and he protected me, he was the greatest brother in the world. He showed me the world around, I would only ever leave his side when he was at war, he didn't want me exposed to what he called hell… he never once he had gained so much land, enlisted one Greek solider, he kept me from war, he protected me, and I believe he died protecting me. He may have been stabbed in back by family, but in the end family was the thing he cherished most. Yet with his death we all have our freedom, but let me ask all of you, was he not kind to you? Was he not a great man? Was it worth it?" Hercaules stepped down from the podium and the mass continued as his coffin was lowered below the Hagia Sophia, thus signifying the end of the Byzantine empire… for now.
Alright let me tell you this, Triestan is not dead, the story is not over, but I feel that with this it will give cause for another war, so that World War 2 can happen, if I didn't do this, there would be no reason, I could fabricate one, but this gives the best legitmate chance of a war right here.