Chapter XIX: Ad victoriam

With the Holy Orders of Christemdom at our side our future battles with the Sultanates will be inevitable, but I'm confident that we will succeed. However, maintaining a good relations with the Knights of Teutonics and Hospitalliers will prove difficult but it shall be worth every second and gold. Their main objectives are to keep the innocent from being harmed, and preach the word of God by any means neccessary, through words or sword. I have also befriended the Grand Masters of both orders. Given them lands for their own headquarters within the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Normans are still a threat in our lands, and the small contingent of Moreans in the Peleponeese islands. I sent Shen to expell the Normans in Epirote lands, and also to conquer the Epirotes too. His household cavalry always dominated the battlefield, either in charging their spearmen or in close-quarters combat, clad in black lammellar armor the Italians soon feared fighting them, instead of resisting whenever they see Shen's banner fly with the Roman flag they will rout or surrender.

One day, the Norman Army invaded Shen Lian's territories. They marched forward with a massive force, determined to reconquer and loot the land.

Shen Lian and his retinue of cataphracts rode out to meet the enemy army. The two forces clashed in a brutal battle that lasted for hours. Despite the Norman's strength and numbers, they were no match for the skilled and determined cataphracts. However, Shen Lian was almost caught and his cataphracts were almost routed, but miraculously some Knights of Hospitalliers and sword brethren who were just on their way home to Thessalonica assisted him, and on contact they pushed back the Norman forces, Shen Lian fought with incredible skill and bravery, cutting down Norman after Norman with his sword. His retinue of cataphracts and the Hospitalliers followed his lead, devastating the enemy ranks and sending them into disarray.

With their line broken, the Norman Army began to retreat. But Shen Lian and his cataphracts gave no quarter, pursuing the enemy and finishing them off. In the end, the Norman Army was defeated and their invasion thwarted. Shen Lian returned to his territories as a hero, celebrated by his people for his bravery and cunning in battle. But, he did not forget what the Hospitalliers did for him, they saved them from complete defeat, he praised them and gave them a relic of the True Cross that was in the hands of the Norman forces, He was given a classical roman triumph for his achievements. From that day on, he was known as Shen of Thessalonica, and his name became legendary throughout the land, and Emperor Justinian gained more trust from him.