"This Icon, oh Icon, of our Virgin, represents New Rome; the City of the World's Desire. As long as I hold it I shall not fall, I shall not scamper, for God is with His Chosen People," - Prayed mutterings of Romanos V Gryphas upon the Hodegetria of the Virgin Mary.
July, 1203 - The Latin-Traitors were not a united force; that much was made quite obvious roughly 3 days after they set camp outside the imposing Theodosian Walls. The fleet that had managed to arrive past the Shipmaster Bardas' skirmishing attempts was simply too small to viably be used as the Crusaders had intended in encircling the city. Thus, a decision was reached by the prodding of several members of the Crusader faction; namely Baldwin and Louis, in that a count be taken and if there were extra ships, those that weren't needed to transport the Latins should they need to flee, be broken down for further siege equipment; as they were to be forced to settle in for a supposedly long siege.
Dandolo, and his Venetian retinue, refused at first--but as talks of enhanced spoils by Alexios Angelos became louder it was eventually agreed that roughly 10 ships would be torn apart for scraps to use to build towers and low-tier fortifications. Such a thing caused an issue in the camp in that several sailors were now left without a ship to manage; and were thus conscripted by their Venetian brethren into basic soldiers.
It is unclear how it started, perhaps an off-hand remark, or a physical bump here and there--but it is clear what triggered a fight within the camp. One of the French Knights made an off the cuff remark on how the 'Greeks' were holding their ground within Constantinople better than expected--as the world knew the 'Greeks' as cowards and web-weavers. The Traitor Romans quickly began an altercation, which eventually spiraled out of control when one of them took a swing at Baldwin; although the Count of Flanders was far too quick and tore out the man's throat with a riposte from his blade. The whole camp descended into chaos that could be heard from the Walls by the defenders, and was quickly relayed back to Romanos.
By morning the Traitor Romans were driven from the camp, with Alexios Angelos being killed in the confusion. The Latins hadn't lost many men, roughly 28, but they'd killed over 60 of their allies and driven a further 200 to retreat. They'd also, irritatingly, killed their sole reason for being there. From here is where the talks of partitioning the Empire began--and Venice wanted a massive chunk of it (namely Southern Greece and the various islands of the Empire) as compensation for the continued mess that was this Crusade.
This was a boon for Romanos, as it bought him time to draw together a new unit within the city that had been in the works since the reconquest of lands in Anatolia. At the center of this new unit was Andronikos Romanos, formerly Aksay Bayrak, a young converted Turk who had taken Romanos' first name as his new last name upon his conversion. Andronikos had united with him several other young Turks who would convert to the One True God, and take on Roman names and culture; forming the basis of Romanos' Lakonoi--named for the homeland of the long-gone Spartans. They would be a new elite Household Guard of converted Turks that would supplement the dwindling Varangians; and perhaps even replace them later. Andronikos was a loyal, and capable, commander for the Lakonoi--seeing Romanos as a father of sorts; this aiding in the collection of the Lakonoi and Varangians together for what Romanos saw was coming.
Without any other options, and time running out, the Latins pushed their objectives heavily. A bombardment of the Theodosian Walls would begin, continuing for over a week as they sought out the destruction of the garrison. The Walls held, and the garrison pulled back between bursts of trebuchet fire, and back in to pose a threat to anyone trying to pull up the towers. More than one innocent pack animal was killed trying to draw the towers. Regardless though, losses for the Romans were beginning to mount, and Baldwin, Louis and Boniface successfully pushed for a firm attack on the Walls on the 29th of July, 1203.
It was a bloody affair, as the towers were forcibly pushed up by hundreds of the conscripted sailors, many dying to the arrow fire of the defenders even as the trebuchets kept firing. Soon the Crusaders would break up onto the outer Walls, and begin pressing against the defenders with a force only managed by the zealous 'defenders' of Christ.
Romanos had broken up his forces, taking command of his Varangians and Lakonoi on the more heavily assaulted western section of the Walls; leaving the garrison to Nikephoros on the eastern section of the Walls.
Nikephoros used a basic, yet well-timed, system of shifting his 2 ranks between each other; the spears and shields fighting back against the Crusaders as they pushed on the eastern Walls--although notably Nikephoros kept back a group of roughly 100 men that were equipped with well-sharpened hatchets that could come in at a moments notice to hack away at any Crusader who managed to push past the shield-and-spear line Nikephoros had cooked up.
Romanos' lot was a lot tougher, as Baldwin himself and his elite retinue converged on the western section of the Walls. Baldwin had surmised that only Romanos himself would wield the Hodegetria--proven when the purple cloak of the armoured Romanos was seen by Baldwin for the first time as he and his men pushed in via the towers. Baldwin well-knew of the reputation of the Hodegetria, and what it would mean for the 'Greeks' if it was taken by the Crusaders.
The Emperor was at a disadvantage, wielding his blade in one hand and the Hodegetria in the other, yet the fact that he was flanked by his loyal Household troops proved a defining factor. Yet, it wasn't long before the Emperor of the Romans, and the Count of Flanders, squared-off even as the battle raged around them. It was a quick affair; yet not an easy one. Romanos was impaled through the side by Baldwin, the Count attempting to pull the pole of the Hodegetria from Romanos' weakening grasp.
Yet the Emperor tightened his grasp, and pulled Baldwin closer; smashing the Count's face in against his helmeted head--before pushing him from the Walls. It is said that Baldwin cried out for God before his body smashed against the ground beneath the Theodosian Walls.
This display broke the Crusaders, who were quickly forced off the Walls by the Romans. Over 5,000 people had died, roughly 3,000 Crusaders and 2,000 Romans. But the Siege of Constantinople was effectively over, even as the wounded Emperor was carried back to the Great Palace to be tended, by an inspired soldiery. He'd earned his epithet; Toíchos, the 'Wall'.