Chapter XIV: Emperor of the Romans.

Justinian is now officially the Emperor of the Romans, not the Nicaeans only. He have commanded many battles against the Franks and the Epirotes to maintain his territories to the l city of Dyrrhachium to the Sicilian soil.

But the Holy Roman Empire, the usurpers of the Roman Empire, took notice of this and so did they levied a force of 30 thousand men, they are well trained, brave but yet impatient men. On the other side, they can be taken out one by one in using the tactics of the Persians. It did happen on the city near Thessaloniki. I can still remember our first experiences there against the Latins. But now we are fighting the so-called Kaiser of Rome.

It was during 1235, when they marched to the city of Thessaloniki just 2 years after we retook it against the Epirotes. Due to heavy fighting through the years I have been forced by Emperor Justinian to use lesser men as more men must be on guard on the empire's boundaries. Justinian also made an alliance with the Sultanate of Rum to continue an everlasting peace, perhaps.

When I was in Adrianople, the usurpers started to siege the city. I gathered the Knights of Saint Lazarus, at least 400 men of the order has been gathered. And Justinian's one of the future knights gave me 5 thousand horse archers for free! Maybe I will once again suggest Justinian to marry her as marrying her will grant the Empire a powerful ally to supply troops for war or defense, but as a result they will migrate to our lands, wish It will go peaceful than the fall of Rome.

The two armies met on the battlefield in the Balkans, near the city of Thessaloniki. The Empire of the Romans had a much smaller but more experienced army, with the addition of the Elite Saint Lazarus Knights who promised us that they will eradicate the heathens out of the holy city of Constantine. While the Holy Roman Empire had a much larger but well-trained force and their elite knights will smash the pikemen of ours.

The battle began with a fierce exchange of arrows, but the Komes Gregory Bardas quickly gained the upper hand despite of their numbers, and the commander of the Cumanian horse archers performed a hit and run tactics against the Knights of the Bohemians, while George finally arrived with the relief force which consisted of the Hospitalliers and the Serbian Knights clashed with the Holy Roman Empire's soldiers, they fought bravely and stubbornly but soon were forced to retreat and were soon surrounded by the Byzantines.

Despite the odds against them, the Holy Roman Empire's soldiers fought bravely near a bridge, they crossed the wooden bridge but soon it collapsed, the battle soon turned into a bloodbath, no but a coward chase! Eventually even despite of the odds, and the timing of George's forces won the battle, the casualities of the enemies was numbered up to thousands, while us only suffered hundreds or even fewer.

The Empire of the Romans won the battle, the Kaiser of the Germans soon signed an unfavourable treaty with the help of Ivanka she helped me write the treaty that will greatly benefit the Empire of the Romans, as soon it was finished I also suggested again Justinian that Ivanka must be married as she is just perfectly good in diplomacy and keeping peace between nations.