Three Arched Bridge

35

SOME TRAVELERS who slept at the inn of the Two Roberts brought disturbing news. It was said that the Turks had finally succeeded in forcing Byzantium to cede its part, in other words half, of the Vloré base in a few months, time, What they had sought from Aranit Komneni for so long in vain’ they had managed to snatch from the ailing empire. If this grim news was indeed true, Aranit Komneni would from now on share the base as a “partner” with the royal Turkish tiger. And it is well known what life is like with a tiger in its lair.

The news shocked everybody, especially our liege lord, People said that Aranit had sent letters to all the Albanian nobles and that a state of war had all but been declared in Vlore.