his father's widow, Anna-Constanza, from returning to her Sicilian homeland. This act outraged her brother, Manfred, who had recently become the actual ruler of the Kingdom of Sicily. Theodore had a meeting with the Seljuk Sultan of Rum, Kaykaus II, in Philadelphia. They concluded a defensive alliance against the Mongols. Kaykaus had acknowledged the Mongols' suzerainty, but had not visited the court of Great Khan Möngke to pay homage to him. Theodore wanted to make Blemmydes the new patriarch, but his old tutor refused. His next candidate, a hermit with an aristocratic background, Arsenios Autoreianos, accepted the offer. The new patriarch crowned and anointed Theodore emperor—according to scholarly consensus, on Christmas 1254. Arsenios' allegedly irregular appointment would give rise to the conflict known as "Arsenite Schism", lasting from 1265 to 1310. Arsenios was always Theodore's loyal supporter and obeyed his commands. Theodore did not trust the aristocrats and wrote of "illicit love affairs and very unjust plots", without naming his opponents, in a letter addressed to George Mouzalon in December 1254. Historian Michael Angold proposes that Emperor Frederick II's similar policy may have inspired Theodore's "more autocratic stance towards his aristocracy". Theodore appointed George Mouzalon to be the commander-in-chief of the mobile army as the new megas domestikos. George's brother, Andronikos, was designated as the new protovestiarites (commander of the guards of the imperial palace). Theodore also demonstrated his favor towards a general of common origin, Constantine Margarites. He offered offices to some aristocrats who had been put aside during his father's reign. He recalled his mother's uncles, Michael and Manuel Laskaris, from their exile and made two members of the rebellious Nestongos family, George and Isaac, generals. His appointments offended most aristocrats. Wars with Bulgaria The young Bulgarian Tzar, Michael II Asen, exploited Vatatzes' death to reconquer the lands he had seized from Bulgaria after 1241. Michael invaded Macedonia and Thrace in December 1254 or January 1255. Most Nicaean garrisons at the fortresses were small, and the local Bulgarians supported the invaders. The Bulgarians quickly seized most Thracian fortresses. Two Macedonian towns, Veles and Skopje, also surrendered to them. A hastily summoned council of war accepted George Mouzalon's proposal of an immediate counter-attack. Theodore decided to lead the campaign himself, and entrusted Mouzalon with the administration of Asia Minor in February 1255. His surprise attack forced the invaders to withdraw from Thrace, and he ordered two aristocrats, Alexios Strategopoulos