Edirne (Adrianoupolis), Eastern Thrace
21st May 1453 A.D.
The Sultan’s fascination with the last Emperor did not last long. He was bored with him now. He had served his purpose. He could not afford to take the risk of the Emperor becoming a martyr, his tomb a shrine when discovered, his worship a cult. He had to be disposed of. The Sultan called for his most trusted adviser.
‘Mohammed, our honoured guest has overstayed his welcome. I want him killed and dismembered into as many pieces as possible. And then I want you to send out riders to the four corners of the earth to scatter his parts. Report to me when it’s done.’
‘Yes, your Majesty.’
The adviser bowed and left. The Sultan felt a momentary sadness, but it passed, overrun by his ruthlessness.
There was another man in the shadows who overheard this exchange. To the Sultan’s court he was Beyezit. But his real name was Julian and his loyalty was to his Emperor, not the Sultan. He had to help the Emperor escape. Mohammed, however, had suspected Beyezit for some time now and had him watched.
On the road out of Edirne they were ambushed. Beyezit was killed on the spot. The Emperor, too, was killed and was dismembered. Mohammed supervised the act himself.
But the riders were followed, by an unlikely figure, a Pallanian. He was the one who painstakingly gathered the scattered pieces of the Emperor’s body and took them to the Order of Vlachaernae who arranged for his body to be properly buried in a secret place, away from prying eyes and people. Cappadocia was the ideal place.