Constantine VI & I Vasa
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Reign: |
236 AS to 247 |
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Titles: |
King of the Sarovians and Emperor of the Sarovian Commonwealth, Grand King of the State, Patriarch of the Zors, Makos, and Vasas, Grand Prince of Carolusburg, Defender of the Faith, Protector of the Realm and Caesar of Classic |
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Dynasty: |
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Frederick Constantine Charles Augustus Zor-Mako-Vasa (regnal name: Constantine VI & I) was the King of the Sarovians from his reign beginning in 236, and Grand King of the State in 240, before his death and end of his reign in 247 AS. Constantine VI & I, often simply referred to as Constantine VI or Constantine I within the Grand Kingdom of the State. He brought the New Sarovian Empire into a golden age of art, culture and hegemony which scholars have named the "First Pax Sarovica". Under his reign, the natural borders of the New Sarovian Empire were cemented and the Second Great War was won, which has granted him the epithet of "Constantine the Great".
Biography
Early Life
Frederick was brought into the House of Vasa in 230 AS as the second son of his father, Constantine V. Frederick, unlike his brother Charles, was not a good soldier and was brought into the House of Vasa partially to get him out of the everyday workings of the Imperial Army. Within the bureaucracy Frederick shone, and was adept at manuevering through the politics of his father's Parliament. He commissioned in the 14th Infantry Regiment as an honourary Lieutenant-Colonel, but did not pay attention. Rather, he focused on his studies of the Sarovian people and compiled a history of the reign of King Tristam, his sons and his grandsons. This scholarly behaviour made his father secretly invest him as the Prince of Kiev and therefore heir to the throne.
In the Saro-Aurean War, Frederick accompanied his father and brother against rebel groups at Modena and Sorrel, and the various battles. At the Battle of Poltava, Frederick saw his father commit to a disasterous attack against the Aureans. Frederick and his brother, along with Lieutenant-Colonel Sevirax, tried to desperately hold the line as the battle turned against them. Frederick would gather remnants of the army and sally forth in an attempt to act as a rearguard, but was captured in an attempt to escape. Charles and Constantine V would escape, whereas Frederick was a hostage.
The Aureans would treat him well, and bring him to sessions of the Aurean court. There, he was seen as a curiosity, but treated with relative dignity. Near 233 AS, he was gifted to Kaiser Peter von Rhodes of the Astorian Empire, which treated him much more harshly: restricting him to block all communication with Sarovians and kept under watchful eye. There, he attempted to communicate with his friends in Sarovia via different methods, but they were not communicated with. In 235, after the Astorian defeat in the Great War, he was liberated by Sarovian troops who originally did not believe his claim until Carolus XII Vasa could verify it. He was treated as a hero upon his return and granted an honourary colonelcy in II Corps, which Frederick took a keen interest in learning more to prevent his previous situation. This apprenticeship would not last however because in 236 AS, his brother was shot and killed.
The Succession Crisis
When Carolus XII was shot and killed, the succession of the throne was not clear cut. Two legal camps emerged: those who believed that Frederick was still the Prince of Kiev due to his investiture (which had been discovered by this point) and those who believed that John, Prince of Kiev and son of Carolus, was the rightful heir. Both candidates had massive downsides. Frederick was inexperienced and gone in captivity for some time, and was not a military commander by any means. Some thought his surrender and capture was dishonourable to the Empire. However, he was the most senior member of the House of Zor-Mako-Vasa. On the other hand, John was younger and would reign longer, but was equally unexperienced and would've became the youngest monarch of New Sarovia. Likewise, he was the newly invested Prince of Kiev. They could not reach out to Carolus who had left Graal for good at this point for his opinion. Neither John nor Frederick wanted the throne, citing their inexperience. Some suggested that John would become King and Emperor, whereas Frederick would assume a regency until he was experienced enough: this was rejected by all parties.
A deal was met: Frederick would take the throne and the crown in exchange to recognise the Prince of Kiev title of his nephew. Likewise, should Frederick marry, he was to agree all children born out of that marriage would have no claim to the throne of Sarovia. A deal was met on the 24th of August 2017 (236 AS), and on the same day, all senior officers of government and the military swore the Oath of Allegiance to Frederick. A leading poet of the day would proclaim that "“The Glory of the Age is Past and Gone, we to our former era are fated, King Carolus is dead, King Frederick consecrated, and Sarovia’s clock has moved from XII to I." This poet would be wrong however, as Frederick would assume the name of his father and become Constantine VI in very early September.
Sovereign
Constantine VI's reign was, originally, marked with extensive strife and trouble. The first day of his reign, a renewed attack on Kiev's Drift occurred, and he led a skillful defense of the territory and counter attacked with surprising efficiency and bravado. Axium and Valeria were forced to dissolve. Constantine then led a talented campaign to seize the entirety of the Estos continent, putting rebels to the sword, from August to September. In early September, rebels known as the Xavi clan rose in what was known as the Nika Riots. A man named Fyre Justinian Xavi led claim to Poltava, and led a host of men known as Byzantines to do so. Under the command of Field Marshal Martius (Constantine's nephew), Sarovia swiftly defeated Fyre Xavi in battle at Modena and seized Poltava. Unlike his brother, who despite having both the title of King of the Sarovians and Emperor of the Sarovian Commonwealth prefered only to be styled as King, Constantine VI declared the first official war of his reign as "Emperor Constantine VI". “I, Frederick, by the Grace of Stefan, King of the New Sarovian Empire, Patriarch of the Makos, Zors and Vasas, and Lord of Sarholm, do herewith declare that we have considered it a duty to our common fatherland to answer the call of war against the enemies that plague us. In consequence, we have therefore found it necessary to take the purple. Our successors on the throne of New Sarovia will henceforth bear the imperial title in all our relations and in all the business of the New Sarovian Empire, and we hope to Stefan that the New Sarovian nation will be granted the ability to fashion a propitious future for the fatherland under the symbol of its ancient Glory.We assume the imperial title, conscious of the duty of protecting, with Sarovian loyalty, the rights of the Empire and of its members, of keeping the peace, and of protecting the independence of the Empire, which depends in its turn upon the united strength of the people. We assume the title in the hope that the Sarovian people will be granted the ability to enjoy the reward of its ardent and self-sacrificing wars in lasting peace, within boundaries which afford the fatherland a security against renewed aggression by our enemies which has been lost for centuries.Therefore, henceforth, we shall use the following title: His Grace, Constantine VI Vasa, by the Grace of Stefan, Emperor of the New Sarovian Empire, Patriarch of the Makos, Zors and Vasas, and Lord of Sarholm.
Honours
WIP
In early September or late August, Byzantium rose, led by Fyre. He styled himself Justinian, and laid claim to York. On September 5th, I styled myself Emperor, matching the old titles of old 2016 Sarovia, and named myself Constantine to also match that. I also declared war on Byzantium to defend York. Sarovia briefly fought Byzantium at Dozers on the 6th and easily crushed them with Fyre admitting defeat. The proclamation for both events happened at one event, and in one document. The document is quoted:
