1627 Spring(March-May)

I’ve returned to Constantinople with joy.

“Welcome home, father! How did things in Italy go?”

“Thank you, poppet. It’s couldn’t be better, thanks to you!”

Upon my return to the palace, my 9-year-old late-born son Arthur gave me a warm welcome.

At first, I wanted to hug and lift him as high as I can. However, the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. In the end, I had to make do with patting his head.

After my return to Constantinople, I’ve usually spent my time teaching Hildegard – my 3rd wife and Arthur’s mother - and Arthur something, since I’ve finished the main part in reforming the Kingdom of Italy at Naples by working day and night. The petty problems? That’s up to the bureaucrats working in the field, not mine anymore.

‘Cough’

Also, since my body wasn’t what it used to be, I’ve decided to stay in Constantinople, watching the progress of the projects I’ve initiated so far, and doing basic paperwork.

“Hmm, that leaves me quite a spare time.”

“P, pardon, Basileus?”

“Bring me a paper and pen. I think I’ll write my autobiography.”

“Y, yes, Basileus!”

Since I’m neither a scholar like my son Richard nor a renowned writer like Karl Marx, I’ve decided to write something that future generations will be most interested in.

“Well, come to think of it, this also leads to earning some pocket money. Though I’ll be dead when this book is officially published.”

Old habits die hard, huh?

Anyway, I’ve started writing my autobiography, with the introduction ‘In memory of my love, Maria of Austria and my archenemy, Elizabeth.’

1627 Summer(June – August)

I’ve launched a – relatively – small new project. It was establishing a ‘Royal School of Edward’ in Constantinople, which encompasses from elementary school to university.

That school was open to nobles, at least or higher rank than counts. And I’ve ordered all counts, marquises, margraves, dukes, archdukes, kings, and princes in Italy, Greece, Anatolia, and all other New East Roman Empire's vassal states send their 1st born child to that school to study.

Externally, it was to prepare a school for Arthur, but in reality, it was both making a hostage and royalist.

So what? They had no choice but to either send their 1st born child or come to that school themselves, which in that process, the school became a shelter for a young noble to evade assassination attempts.

As a result, thousands of students gathered. But, since I’ve remodeled one of the old palaces of the Ottoman Empire into a school, there was neither a need to build a new building nor a lack of space for teaching in the school.