Final answer:
The loyalty of the lords to the real emperor varied depending on the circumstances. The new Germanic kings acknowledged the authority of the emperor in Constantinople, but the treaties were full of loopholes and caused fear among the lords.
Step-by-step explanation:
The loyalty of the lords to the real emperor varied depending on the circumstances. After the fall of the western empire, the new Germanic kings acknowledged the authority of the emperor in Constantinople and were formally his vassals. However, the treaties they had established with Constantinople were full of loopholes and could be repudiated by any given emperor, causing fear among the lords, even the Franks who ruled a kingdom furthest from the reach of Constantinople.