However, this fast fleet did not rush to dock along the coast. Instead, after circling the sea in an inconspicuous manner, they continued to sail west of Constantinople. Due to the chaos within the city caused by Dimitrios's coup, hardly anyone noticed this fleet.
Only a team of scouts belonging to the garrison from Bosporus, after discovering them outside the city, seriously took a shortcut to the city gate.
Several nights later, that fast fleet returned to the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, the southern coast of Constantinople, which they had passed during the day. After confirming no outsiders were watching or detecting them, they cautiously landed on the southern shallows. After quickly disembarking in about fifteen minutes, they immediately headed for the southernmost small gate of Constantinople—the Golden Gate.
If it were daytime now, and there were outsiders present, he would probably be horrified to discover the formidable advance of these landing parties. Because a rough visual estimate would reveal their numbers to be close to a thousand.
As for what these people intended to do, it was obvious—
When they arrived at the Golden Gate, they were not met with fierce resistance or vigilant defense from the garrison, but with a silence of unknown meaning. When someone among the arrivals stepped forward and waved a yellow flag with a pure black double-headed eagle at the city gate guards, the Golden Gate guards immediately opened the gate, welcoming their entry.
The yellow flag with a pure black double-headed eagle was the national flag of the Bosphorus Despotate and the emblem of the Gavras Family. So the identity of these sudden arrivals was clear: they were people from Bosporus.
In fact, they were Manuel's Philaka Legion. As for the Caesar of the Autocratic State himself, he was among them, commanding the legion while concealing his identity.
And why the Golden Gate guards would open the city gate wide and actively allow the people from Bosporus to enter was naturally the Caesar's doing. As early as when Manuel's Brother-in-law, Constantine XI, officially ascended the throne, the Basileus, to fulfill his promise to his Brother-in-law, granted the garrison sent by Bosporus more permissions, including the right to guard outside the city gates, and also loosened restrictions on their contact with the city gate guards. Although due to Emperor Constantine's precautions, they could not directly be responsible for the defense of Constantinople's city gates, being able to communicate closely with the guards and ascertain the key points of the city's defenses was enough for the Caesar.
When Dimitrios suddenly launched a coup, and Manuel decided to intervene in Constantinople, the Caesar secretly ordered these garrison troops from Bosporus, which he controlled, to find ways to control the southernmost Golden Gate.
Upon receiving the secret order personally issued by the Caesar, this garrison, mixed with Philaka Soldiers, immediately took action, using connections, words, money, and even threats of force, in an attempt to secretly take control of the Golden Gate.
During this process, the Caesar's public image played a significant role: Dimitrios Palaiologos, who initiated the forced abdication, was unpopular and widely resented. In contrast, Manuel Gavras, as the Bosphorus Caesar, not only actively fought against the Turks on the front lines and achieved impressive results to the extent that the Sultan personally spread rumors to defame him, but he was also related to the current Emperor Constantine XI. Not to mention, he was almost a pure Roman—
Both of Manuel's parents were Romans, so he had virtually no Latin blood, which could easily be criticized by the empire's subjects.
In such a critical situation, having to choose between Dimitrios Palaiologos and Manuel Gavras, the choice was naturally obvious.
Thus, the Golden Gate guards ultimately chose to side with Manuel, hoping that this Bosphorus Caesar could help the city escape its current predicament.
And at this moment, as he was about to formally enter the city, facing this magnificent ancient city, Manuel softly spoke its name:
"Mother of All Cities, Eternal City, the New Rome of the Empire…"
After slowly reciting the above words, he took another deep breath and chuckled:
"I, Manuel, have arrived!"
On the night of October 30, 1444, Manuel personally led the Philaka Legion to secretly infiltrate the Golden Gate area. With the assistance of the Golden Gate guards, they quickly gained control of the Yedikulehisarı fortress behind the Golden Gate and used it as a base to rush towards the Port of Theodosius in the south of the city.
When Dimitrios's faction discovered the Bosporus forces had infiltrated Constantinople the next morning, they were horrified to find that the other side had not only controlled all the city's southern districts between the Golden Gate and the 2nd Military Gate, but had also extended their reach to the Port of Theodosius area.
Only then did Dimitrios's faction realize, and in fear, they hastily shifted their forces to the southern part of the city, attempting to forcibly drive out the Bosporus forces that had already entered, while also defending the Port of Theodosius to prevent it from changing hands.
However, the Philaka Legion of Bosporus were all exceptionally skilled and battle-hardened. How could they be compared to Dimitrios's motley troops? Not to mention, the latter openly colluded with the Ottoman, causing the citizens of Constantinople to despise him greatly.
Thus, in the ensuing battle, Dimitrios's side quickly fell into a disadvantage. When, after more than an hour and a half, his faction fled, tearfully abandoning dozens of comrades whose fates were unknown, Manuel had already gained control of this crucial port.
While Dimitrios's and Manuel's men were fiercely fighting for the Port of Theodosius, inside the Blachernae Palace in the northwest of the city, Lucas Notaras noticed that the intensity of Dimitrios's men's attack on the palace had significantly weakened. Surprised by this, Lucas Notaras quickly sent people to drive away Dimitrios's faction surrounding the palace, while also trying to ascertain the reason for this situation.
And inside the palace, Manuel's eldest son, Theodore, was excitedly sharing his day's observations with his mother, standing on tiptoes.
"Mom, Mom, today I also went to see little Isaac… It's just that Aunt Katerina seems to be unhappy all the time. Is she worried about something?"
Barbara smiled and nodded slightly, "Don't worry so much, these are things only adults need to fret about. As for your aunt… it's fine, everything will be alright."
The aunt Theodore referred to was Katerina Gattilusio, the current Basilissa of the Empire, and Isaac was, of course, the son of this couple. Since Isaac's birth, they had always lived in the Blachernae Palace, and thus were fortunately not directly affected by this unexpected event.
"But…" Little Theodore's mouth wanted to say something more, but his mother's outstretched index finger covered it, "Don't worry, days like this will pass eventually,"
"Your father will sort all of this out. He is the most remarkable person in the world right now."]}