During these days, Manuel was actively preparing for things he did not expect to happen, such as transferring 90% of the Principality's firearms to Theodosia and moving all the house-arrested Girey Family members to Theodosia.
"I hope it doesn't really turn into the worst-case scenario in the end," Manuel thought with a headache as he looked at the reports continuously submitted by the dark department before going to bed on an early spring night.
It was already February, and not long after Manuel would fall asleep, the two-year civil war in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania would also come to an end.
After King Sigismund Kęstutaitis decisively defeated Švitrigaila's last remaining combat-effective troops in Ošmiany in mid-January, he, with the support of the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order, successfully occupied Vilnius by the end of January. Švitrigaila, holed up in Polotsk, saw that the tide had turned and was forced to sue for peace.
Finally, in early spring February, under the intervention of external forces, the two sides reluctantly drafted a peace treaty, agreeing that King Sigismund would be the recognized and undisputed King of Lithuania, maintaining the union with Poland; while Švitrigaila retained his fiefdom and title in Volhynia, and could continue to claim the Lithuanian throne.
This peace treaty was, in the end, mostly a compromise. After all, Švitrigaila would certainly not give up his claim to the throne so easily, and his supporters were not thoroughly purged. This peace treaty was less a final, settled agreement than a temporary truce.
However, this was enough. At least for the next two or three years, Švitrigaila would not be able to recover and contend for his throne again. Sitting on the throne in the Vilnius Royal Palace, looking at the subservient nobles before him, King Sigismund thought happily.
"So next, I need to deal with some of the fellows who have caused me trouble over the past two years. First are the nobles within the country," King Sigismund pondered, "and then there's Sayid Khan of the Golden Horde. But I hear this fellow has run into a bit of trouble recently, and might even lose his Khanate. Alas, things on the Eastern European Great Plains are always so messy."
After a moment of schadenfreude, King Sigismund turned to consider how to win over the surrounding powers of the Kingdom. "Speaking of which, wasn't the Crimean Khanate destroyed by Theodoro and the Golden Horde together? I still know the Crown Prince of the Principality, and we are both Christians. Perhaps, it's worth a try?"
While King Sigismund was thinking about how to win over the Principality of Theodoro, in the palace of Mangup, the capital of the Principality of Theodoro, Manuel, who was discussing the upgrade and renaming of the Principality with his father and key officials in a "council meeting," for some reason, sneezed soundly.
"Ah ah ah, ah, achoo!"
"My child, are you alright?" Alexius was startled by his sneeze and asked with some concern.
"I'm fine, Father. It's nothing, let's continue." Manuel waved his hand to indicate it was unimportant. But he still muttered to himself, "Tsk, who's talking about me behind my back again?"
"Then let's get back to the main topic. According to the various realistic situations Manuel mentioned earlier, the Principality should indeed be upgraded to a Kingdom-level. However, the word 'Kingdom' is more like a term used by Germanic, Frankish barbarians. How can we Romans use such a straightforward word?"
Didn't we Romans use the word 'Kingdom' first? Manuel thought to himself. However, he showed no expression on his face and continued to listen to his father's opinions and judgments.
"Seeking permission for an upgrade from the Ecumenical Patriarch and Emperor in Constantinople is indeed a good choice. It will also allow us to more effectively break free from Trabzon's remaining control and demonstrate the Principality's independence."
Break free from control, he was planning to go to Asia Minor and destroy Trabzon. Manuel couldn't help but smile inwardly.
"Rebuilding the Bosphorus Despotate is indeed a good suggestion. It has ancient and inheritable royal legitimacy. Looking at our current territory, which is similar to the ancient Bosphorus, and its status as the longest-lasting vassal state under the Roman Empire, rebuilding it can indeed further enhance our prestige."
"Hmm, Your Majesty, I remember the Bosphorus Kingdom fell to the Goths..." Pennycook blurted out, a sudden thought striking him.
"What? The ancient Bosphorus Kingdom was destroyed by the Ostrogothic tribes. What does that have to do with us Tauris Goths? We are authentic Romans, Eastern Orthodox Christians favored by God." Manuel immediately interjected and refuted him before he could finish speaking.
"Hmm." The other key officials of the Principality all nodded in agreement.
This small interlude did not affect their discussion. Roughly by dusk that day, they finally unanimously agreed to formally request an upgrade to the "Bosphorus Despotate" from the Ecumenical Patriarch and Emperor in Constantinople.
In fact, it was entirely possible not to request it from Constantinople. Given the reality of the Emperor's weakening state, they could simply declare themselves as having rebuilt the Bosphorus without caring about the opinions of other countries. However, in order to infiltrate Constantinople more amicably in the future, Manuel spared no effort in citing historical precedents to persuade his father and the Principality's key officials to send someone to Constantinople to support their resolution.
Before evening, as the "council meeting" concluded and the participants were about to leave, Manuel, noticing someone's figure, cautiously approached him and asked some questions.
"Lord Raus, the legal matters discussed in today's meeting fall within your scope of duty, but why did you offer almost no suggestions and barely speak during this meeting? Has something been troubling you recently?"
The person he addressed was the Principality's Chief Secretary, Andrea Raus. Being asked by Manuel made him smile with some surprise, "Your Highness need not worry, it's just a private matter."
Seeing this, Manuel found it difficult to press further and could only watch the man depart. After ensuring everyone else had left, he muttered to himself in a voice no one could hear: "Raus, you are Nikiforus Volor's brother-in-law. Do you truly have no connection at all?"
A few days later, in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, its new master, the new Khan Muhammad, no, he should now be called Muhammad Khan, was receiving several envoys from Theodoro with great interest.
"Goths, are your promises true?" Muhammad Khan, with his still handsome dark eyes, stared at the visitors with keen interest.
"Yes, Khan. We promise that once the title of Prince of Theodoro is inherited by a more suitable person, then Northern Crimea and the regions north of it will return to the embrace of the Khanate." The leading envoy humbly bowed and reiterated the promise of those behind him.