The following day, Alexius addressed a hastily assembled Senate. There was much to tell, not least the arrival of eight heralds from the court of King Yaroslav of Kiev. Beside him stood the Kievian captain, silent as a pillar as Alexius waited for the press of dignitaries, lawyers and landed gentry to become quiet. A heavy helm masked the man"s features, the dark, bronzed armour encasing his massive frame lending him a sinister air. Behind black eyes lay a simmering intelligence, which Alexius noted almost as soon as the man presented himself to the Patriarch earlier in the day.
The captain had pulled off his helmet, holding it in the crook of his arm as he lowered himself to one knee. “Most holy and gracious of all men in this most wonderful and sublime of cities,” he began, face lowered
