The empress Eudokia received letters from Romanos IV relating what had happened, which caused great uproar in the palace. She was distraught, wondering what to do, and quickly lost all hope of the emperor's release. She summoned the kaisar Ioannes and his sons, Andronikos and Konstantinos. Opinions were divided over who should rule: some favoured Eudokia, others Michael VII, others still (including Psellos) a compromise between the two. It was decided with the support of Ioannes that she should assume power with her elder son Michael VII, and share the administration of the empire with him. In practice, he seems usually to have deferred to her. Then orders were sent to all the provinces banning meetings with Romanos and the award of imperial honours to him