Imperator Caesar Flavius Valerius Leo Thrax Magnus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus, like any good, self-serving monarch, needed an heir to succeed him. However, his two daughters could hardly succeed to the throne themselves, and he had no sons. However, he had a loyal and competent general, Trascalissaeus Rousombladadiotes, an Isaurian who had served with distinction for many years in the armies of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Leo thusly decided to wed his eldest daughter, Flavia Aelia Ariadne, to Trascalissaeus. Trascalissaeus currently had a wife, Arcadia – or, rather, he did have a wife until she mysteriously died a few days ago. How sad. Trascalissaeus took the Roman name Zeno for himself before the marriage ceremony, since having a Roman name was kinda a prerequisite to being a member of the Imperial family.

After the marriage, officiated by the Ecunemical Patriarch himself, Leo raised his new son-in-law to the positions of Magister Militum Praesentalis and Comes Excubitorum, giving him command over the central Imperial expeditionary armies and the Imperial Guard, respectively. Leo also raised Zeno to Nobilissimus Caesar, or junior co-emperor and heir apparent, formalizing his place in the Imperial succession hierarchy.

Now, as the Eastern Roman Empire's senior military commander, Zeno had a lot of work on his hands. The Empire was surrounded by filthy barbarians and infidel Persians on all sides, and Leo was not one to allow his armies to sit idly by while hostile forces gained in strength. No, Leo had his plans, and Zeno would be the one to carry them out...