471 Power Shift
Of the seven hills of the Roman capital, Mons Palatinus sat at the very center of it all. It wasn’t simply the oldest portion of the whole empire, but it was also its absolute center of power. There were a series of massive interconnected palaces that sat atop it, with the entire thing overlooking the Circus Maximus towards the south.
It was there that Claire, Freya, and Lucifer found themselves one fine morning. They walked up its grand pathways towards the main palatial area, accompanied and escorted by the two praetorians who bore witness to the assassination attempt only a day ago.
There were numerous people scattered in small groups around the palace grounds, from visiting dignitaries to stoic praetorians to extremely wealthy landowners and merchants.
Freya noted that there were also a handful of plebeians and slaves around, but they were relegated to working and maintaining the palace grounds itself. They cleaned up any trash people left behind, or watered any patches of grass and plants around the edges, but otherwise stayed ‘invisible’.
The five of them went past the Domus Flavia, which was the main hall from which the emperor typically held public audiences and events. Instead, they went into the Domus Augustana right next to it, which was where the emperor actually lived.
Or, more precisely, where he worked in relative privacy under the protection of his most loyal and trusted praetorian guard. The only reason why the trio were even allowed in at all was simply because they had praetorians with them. Otherwise, they would have been turned away long ago.
All five walked through the elaborate and gilded (and heavily protected) entryway, which led straight into a beautiful open-air garden peristyle. There were a couple of slaves on their hands and knees tending to the exotic plants and bushes lined around the garden’s edges.
It was here that the five of them were greeted by the emperor himself, who was accompanied by his bodyguard, as well as Palatine Hill’s praetorian prefect.
The emperor wore a deep purple toga over his finely-made tunic, both of which were stitched together with gilded embroidery. Although he wore a couple of bejeweled rings, he didn’t have any other adornments beyond that.
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The man appeared to be middle aged, was fit and athletic, and certainly handsome. He smiled sagely as he welcomed the group closer towards him.
The two praetorians escorting the trio quickly bowed in reverence, though the emperor bade them to stand straight with a gesture. They did so without hesitation.
“Welcome, friends,” said the emperor. “I thank you for agreeing to my summons.”
“We are honored to be of service to the augustus,” said one of the praetorians.
“Good, good. I would typically have held an audience with you in the Flavia, however our meeting needs a certain degree of… privacy. Come.”
The emperor beckoned for the group to follow him, then walked further into the heavily marbled palace without waiting for acknowledgement. Not that he needed to. The world was at his beck and call, not the other way around.
Everyone quickly followed him into the next peristyle, which held a large pool in the center, rather than a garden. The pool had a man-made island in the center, upon which was a small temple dedicated to some Roman deity.
Rich marble covered every square millimeter while gilded filigree carvings were etched into the edges and corners.
It was, in a few words, elegantly extravagant and filled with opulence.
There were a handful of city officials here, arguing with each other over the imperial budget, along with a number of other things pertaining to the empire itself. They greeted the emperor briefly as he passed by.
Although he certainly greeted them back, he didn’t stop. Instead, he led everyone even further into the palace, towards the courtyard beyond. This area was strictly meant for the emperor himself, and was technically part of his private residence.
It was here, in another peristyle that they finally came to a stop. Or at least, they came to a slower walking pace.
In the middle of the courtyard was another pool, though it was incredibly shallow and was more of a fountain. There were small flat islands in the pool that resembled crescent moons arranged in a square. Four marble statues sat at the corners of the flat islands, each one facing inwards towards each other, though their gazes looked off in different directions.
Here, the emperor began to pace in a large circle around the courtyard as he spoke to the two praetorians.
“As some of you might already know, the empire is going through some upheaval,” said the emperor. “The formation of the Tetrarchy may have solved many of our empire’s problems, but they have certainly created many others as a result.
“Such as the elevation of one too many augustus by illegitimate caesares.”
The emperor then stopped mid-step, then turned towards the two praetorians behind him.
“Which brings us to the reason why I’ve called you all here,” he continued. “I’ve received word of the attempt on the good senator’s life here.”
He gestured towards Claire.
“And I’ve received word that you two were present for the assault,” he continued. “More than that, I’ve been informed that the assailants have been properly… questioned regarding their motives.”
“That we have, your augustus,” said a praetorian. “The two of us personally oversaw their interrogation.”
“What did you uncover about their identities?”
The two praetorians looked at each other briefly, concern etched on their faces. But one of them quickly answered the emperor.
“Two of them were legionnaires,” he said. “Although we could not exactly verify it for one of them, as he died on the way to the racks. The remaining one was more than willing to corroborate their allegiance, however.
“He admitted freely to both of them being a member of Therenius’ legions.”
“As predicted,” muttered the emperor. “Only an illegitimately-proclaimed augustus would even attempt such a thing, here in the capital. And what of the third?”
The two praetorians were suddenly tight-lipped, but only for a moment. It was a second later when the other one spoke.
“The third is… was a praetorian, your augustus,” he said with some hesitation. “Though he himself did not reveal this. One of our own simply recognized him as part of Therenius’ court.”
This information took the emperor by surprise, though he did his best to hide it. Both Freya and Lucifer could easily see his internal anger rise ever so slightly.
But he otherwise said nothing else about the revelation.
“And all the survivors’ fates?” he asked after a moment.
“Both have been put through their paces,” said one of the praetorians. “But we are preparing them for crucifixion, to send them off to the gods.”
“Belay that,” the emperor quickly ordered. “Instead, patch the two as best you can and get them back on their feet. As much as humanly possible, in any case. Then throw them to the lions once they are both able.
“Ensure that the public knows them to be traitors to the empire.”
As he finished giving his orders, the praetorian prefect behind him scoffed loudly.
“Therenius is certainly getting bold,” he said. “It will not be long until he marches on the city itself to claim true legitimacy. Him sending assassins here is an obvious precursor.
“Though… it bothers me why he would send them to deal with a junior senator. It is not as though her loss would have been detrimental to your rule.”
The prefect turned towards Claire with a thin smile.
“No offense,” he said.
The emperor glanced at the prefect disapprovingly before turning back towards the two praetorians.
“The two of you are dismissed,” he said. “You may resume your duties.”
The two praetorians quickly saluted, then left as fast as they could. Orders were orders, after all.
And once they were out of earshot, the emperor turned towards his prefect. This time, his expression was much more severe.
“Your etiquette needs brushing up,” he said.
“I am merely saying that if Therenius wished to harm your seat, he would have targeted a senator loyal to you, not this… elevated plebe,” the prefect replied.
“That would certainly be true, if their aim was to chip at my foundations. No, Therenius was instead protecting his own interests in the senate.”
The emperor waved towards Claire.
“You see, Senator Clarus here has been instrumental in eroding their influence in the city,” he said. “In addition, she has been the one single vote that has tipped the scales in our favor, old friend. The senate, as you know, is deadlocked, if not for her.
“I would very much appreciate it if you acknowledged her contributions to our cause. And to the stability of the empire.
“In fact, by targeting her, Therenius has inadvertently provided us a great gift.”
The emperor then turned towards Claire with a smile on his face.
“Which brings us to the reason why I’ve invited you here,” he continued. “You three are members of the Society of Ravens, are you not?”
Claire quickly nodded in acknowledgement.
“We three are founding members, yes,” she replied. “Though I might be the most visible.”
“Most excellent,” said the emperor. “It is through the efforts of the Society that the populace has grown more influential, especially within the city itself. The whims of the people are, in essence, guided by the Society. And by extension, yourself.
“Which is why I wish to extend a pact with you – an alliance between Palatine Hill and Esquiline Hill would be incredibly profitable for all, wouldn’t you agree?”
Everyone around the emperor was taken aback by such an invitation. The emperor simply didn’t ally with plebeians – it was practically unheard of, at least during the imperial age.
“Why?” Claire asked. Her voice was filled with hesitance and uncertainty.
She certainly understood that the most powerful person in the empire didn’t extend such courtesies to someone like her. After all, she wasn’t just a ‘plebe’, but also a woman.
Women simply didn’t have political power in the Roman empire. To have it offered to her so freely made her more than suspicious.
The prefect however, scoffed again. Loudly.
“That wasn’t a request,” he said. “That was your augustus making a demand, albeit politely. More politely than you deserve.”
But the emperor waved him off.
“Must you be so dour all of the time?” he said.
Then he turned back towards Claire and continued speaking.
“I promise you, that was indeed a request. Words like that would certainly be a command to any other senator. However, you are not any other senator. And you only move to the whims of the people. If they are to retain their trust in you, our agreement has to be mutual.
“But to answer your question as to why – it is simple.
“My backing will ensure that your proposals are taken far more seriously in the senate itself. All I have to do is say the word to sway as many votes as needed in your favor. In exchange… well…
“I will be leaving the capital soon with my legions in tow. We will be headed towards the Gauls and Britannia in order to push their presence from our borders. And that will leave the capital lacking for some time. At least, in terms of my own direct presence.”
“So you need the voice of the people to maintain your legitimacy,” Lucifer said. “And at the same time prevent your enemies from eroding your power while you’re gone.”
The emperor smiled as Lucifer spoke, then nodded sagely. He then turned towards his prefect with that same smile etched on his face.
“You see, our alliance with the Society is critically important,” he told the old man. “More than you might realize.”
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The old man exhaled deeply, but ultimately nodded in approval. Slowly.
“I-I can’t possibly make such a heavy decision on my own,” said Claire after a moment. “It’s something that’s far too large for me to make on my own, especially if I’m to make it right here and right now.”
“Oh, of course, of course,” said the emperor. “Which is why I am extending this invitation to the three of you – please, stay at my residence and ruminate. You have unfettered access to much of the palace, to help you come to a decision. After all, our futures will depend greatly on how you choose to proceed. It is best if you do so with all the resources of the empire at your fingertips.”
He then extended a hand and pointed towards one of the many luxurious rooms located up on the upper floor overlooking the courtyard itself.
“I have already had your room prepared,” he continued. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I shall assign someone to look after your every need. And should you wish to come speak with me, simply let someone know.”
He then turned towards his prefect one more time, though with a much more officious expression.
“Please ensure their safety during their stay, ” he told the old man. “Though I’m sure they don’t need it. Do not forget, these three disabled two legionnaires and a praetorian with their own bare hands.
“And I’m sure, in time, you will understand how the Society’s strength and voice will be crucial to the solidarity and security of the empire.”
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