Doxobus

By the 14th century, the Byzantine Empire was, if not on the verge of actual collapse, at least seriously decadent and clearly on its last legs. All of the Empire's frontiers are in high pressure by its enemies, Heretics (Bogomils) are preaching inside the Byzantine territory and last, but not least, a circle of civil wars will emerge at the European parts of the Empire. In this story, a widow lives in the 14th-century Byzantine village of Doxobus, at the banks of Strymon river, Macedonia, with her son Xenos. She forms a relationship with a village elder, and when she gives birth to the elder's son, Xenos is sent to live in a monastery. When the boy reaches adulthood, he chooses the life of a soldier in the Byzantine army and swiftly rises through the ranks as the civil wars emerge. In fact, as a reward, he is given the governorship of his native village, proving once again that success is the sweetest revenge.