Chapter 60
Behind them, the second layer consisted of the Oikeioi, the personal guards of Konstantinos Dalassenos, hard-faced soldiers marked with scars here and there, fifteen to twenty-five men standing in a looser posture yet with hands never far from the hilts of their swords, their eyes constantly scanning every suspicious movement with heightened vigilance.
And in the third layer, closest to the gate, stood the Nautai, sailors from Konstantinos's ships temporarily assigned to land duty, twenty to forty men in typical seafarers' attire, sunburned skin, strong muscles accustomed to pulling ropes and lifting heavy loads, gripping whatever weapons they had at hand, from daggers to small axes, yet their stance showed they were no less dangerous than trained soldiers.
The air around the gate suddenly grew tense, filled only with the distant roar of the sea wind and the sound of waves breaking against the wooden piers.
Nirma glanced briefly at Arya, receiving a small nod almost imperceptible, then Arya stepped forward.
Her calm hand reached into the folds of her brown robe, retrieving the same parchment scroll she had shown at Nikephoros's residence hours earlier, but this time she did not read it herself.
She handed the letter to Nirma, a gesture of complete trust, a symbol that the two of them were an inseparable unity.
Nirma accepted the letter with both hands, feeling a weight disproportionate to its size, then unrolled it with a slow and authoritative motion.
When she began to read, her voice was the same as when she had interrogated Adrianos and Nikephoros, soft yet sharp, calm yet lethal, a voice that ensured every word was heard by all who stood before her.
"By the authority granted by His Majesty Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, Autokrator of the Eastern Romans, who reigns by the will of God and the people of Constantinople, we, Nirma and Arya, are assigned to investigate the murder case of Étienne d'Arques, a Crusader soldier.
This warrant grants us full access to all territories of the Empire, the right to examine anyone connected to this case, and the authority to request testimony from all palace officials without exception.
And to anyone who dares obstruct the course of this investigation, His Majesty the Emperor himself has promised the severest punishment, in accordance with the laws of the Eastern Roman Empire."
Nirma lowered the letter, folded it slowly, then looked straight at the three layers of troops still standing rigid before her.
"That punishment will be delivered directly by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos himself.
Not through a court, not through an executioner, but by the Emperor's own hand.
Do you truly wish to take that risk merely to keep this gate closed to us?"
For several seconds that felt like eternity, no one moved.
The Naval Tagmata exchanged glances, the Oikeioi stiffened, the Nautai tightened their grips on their weapons.
Then an officer from the Tagmata stepped forward, studying the letter in Nirma's hand carefully, observing the intact imperial seal and the purple ribbon encircling it.
He drew a long breath, then nodded, signaling with his hand.
Within seconds, the three layers of troops shifted left and right, forming a corridor leading directly to the main entrance of the residence.
The iron gate carved with ships and waves opened with a loud creak, and from within, two representatives, one from the Tagmata and one from the Oikeioi, stepped forward and gave a brief salute.
"Please enter, Lady Nirma, Lady Arya. Commander Konstantinos Dalassenos awaits inside. We will escort you."
Nirma and Arya stepped forward without hesitation, followed by the vigilant Prefect's soldiers, passing through the newly opened gate, entering a domain long shrouded in mystery to them, moving toward a meeting with the third potential suspect who might determine the direction of their investigation.
At the threshold of the grand doors now standing wide open, Nirma halted and turned to face the Prefect's soldiers who had faithfully accompanied them since the beginning of the investigation.
Their weary yet alert faces looked at her with a mixture of respect and anticipation, awaiting whatever command would come from the lips of the mysterious woman who had saved them from the strange attack hours earlier.
Nirma looked at them one by one, her single eye moving slowly from the leftmost face to the rightmost, as though ensuring each soldier received equal attention.
Arya stood quietly beside her, giving space for Nirma to speak, for she knew that in moments like this, Nirma's words carried a power she could not replicate.
"Listen, soldiers," Nirma's voice emerged firm but not loud, clear enough to be heard by those standing before her.
"You know the rule.
Only the two of us have direct business with Konstantinos Dalassenos.
Only we will enter that chamber.
Your duty is here, outside this door."
She pointed toward the stone floor before the grand door adorned with carvings of ships and waves.
"You will guard around this entrance, not too close yet not too far.
Close enough to act swiftly if something happens, far enough not to disrupt the interrogation."
Nirma paused briefly, letting her words settle, then continued in the same firm tone.
"If a madman suddenly appears intending to disrupt our investigation, if anyone attempts to enter without permission or to harm us, you are authorized to act.
You may wound, you may incapacitate, you may do whatever is necessary to protect us and ensure this investigation proceeds smoothly.
And if consequences arise, Nirma and Arya will bear them, not you."
The Prefect's soldiers nodded in unison, their posture straightening once more, their eyes regaining sharp vigilance.
Their commander, the soldier with the scar on his left temple, stepped forward half a pace and gave a brief salute.
"We understand, Lady Nirma. We will guard this door with our lives. No one will enter without your permission, so long as we still stand."
Nirma offered a faint smile, one rarely seen upon her usually serious face, then nodded gently.
She turned, joining Arya who was already waiting at the door, and together they stepped inside, leaving the Prefect's soldiers to take their positions around the entrance, forming a semicircle that no one could breach without first passing through them.
The grand door closed behind them with a heavy sound that echoed briefly along the corridor before fading, leaving the soldiers in silence broken only by the distant roar of the sea wind and the waves crashing upon the docks of Psamathia.
The massive door carved with waves and ships shut behind them with a deep reverberation that lingered in the chamber before being swallowed by silence.
Nirma and Arya stood still at the threshold, their eyes immediately fixed upon a single figure standing at the far end of the room, his back turned to them, his posture already speaking before a single word was uttered.
To be continued…