8 The Empress #1
" Traitors who prevail are patriots; usurpers who succeed are divine emperors. "
Gore Vidal
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Empress Irene Memories :
Athens had grown staring off as my ship left for Rome, The city had a population of 100,000 twice that of Rome yet still less troops. The cities that Rome had under its span however offered food and wine to keep its forces and citizens well. After all Rome had brought us protection. I however did not like it.
For I had just been married off by my father to the emperor of our land, A man that was called Gaius Julius Caesar. I had been flirted with and many had attempted to try and gain my hand yet my father wouldn't budge. Simply stating I had to be 16, and yet he had still married me off at 14 to a random boy emperor that I had not known, only knowing of Rome not who had ruled it.
If I had a say in such matter, I would of declined no matter if he was a emperor. It would simply put too big of a target on my back. My father always speaking how brutal Roman politics was. I sighed, staring off into the sea as the trireme had slowly approached the Roman port. The city was a sight to behold, Its temples standing tall. A chuckle leaving me at the thought the Romans still believe the gods such as Zeus even if they had been renamed.
Our ship approaching Port, I had seen him. His body high and mighty upon his black stallion, His armour had been a standard cavalry centurion and yet it exuded such presence that needed to be seen. Ten men had flanked him on either side as he climbed down from his horse, our ship docking into port.
Climbing out of the boat, I saw him. His height remarkable tall compared to the others around him, he dropped to his knee staring at my hand to which I offered, he gently grabbed it. His gentle lips pressing against my hand, my ears flushing red.
His eyes locked with mine, a orange fire flowed through it, " Welcome to your new home, Irene. " His words gentle as he stood up my head forced to look upon him. A gentle smile on his face causing me to place my hand in front of my now flushed cheeks.
He offered his hand, staring at it. I let him hold mine, he walked over to his horse a smile as he turned to me. Bowing he offered me to go first, " After you, my Empress. " he chuckled at that causing me to simply nod, picking up my dress I tried climbing the horse to no avail. I heard his laugh behind me, my head snapping towards him.
He turned towards me, " Would you like help? My Lady. " He held his hand out, nodding at him I felt his hand hold my rear and lower back, my cheeks turned an even brighter shade of red. He pushed me up allowing me to get my leg around the horse finally sitting on it.
He climbed up after me, holding onto his waist. Him and his praetorians rode off with me on the back, we had raced through the city. Passing large colosseums, one catching my attention. It had been a large oval colosseum. It had most likely held chariot racing and such, a sport that had always kept me on my heels.
I heard him chuckle ahead of me as the horse had raced through the streets, the people staying out the way. A large home appearing on the horizon, most likely being Gaius' estate and home.
His home was a two story building with a seemingly short arches, It was nice. It had not been large by any choice of the imagination, It location was that of the palatine hill. A place that held sentimental value to many due to the hut of Rome's founder being here. The Hut of Romulus, something Julius had spoken quite fondly of as if he had seen Romulus live there himself.
As he approached his home, he climbed off his horse. Offering a hand to me to which I had accepted, the attention of many peasants had been on us but I had simply ignored them thinking nothing of it.
I had come to spend quite a few years with Caesar, he had came off as the one you could look up too. The one that many had and held high expectations off, for whatever they did was effortless and always proved to provide the best effect. He had controlled the senate relatively easy, I had not even been needed when he had made most decisions.
He only wished for a second voice of reason, always speaking of how the senate were nothing but old men that only wished for the best on themselves and no other. They could barely give a damn, if half of Rome fell into civil war. As long as they had came out on top, and their pockets remained filled with money.
They were after all greedy bastards according to him, only after coin and who would provide the most. If he could get rid of the excess he would but he did not have a proper reason to do such a purge. Hearing him I had simply always nodded, my signature smirk creeping up on my face every time as I quite enjoyed his hatred to the senate.
He had only wished the best on the people, something I had not disagreed with as the Romans had quite been to my liking. They were brash, and easy to manipulate to employ in your schemes. However one thing I like was their duty to Caesar himself. The people had openly displayed displeasure towards the senates in bars stating if they had the opportunity too, they would have them killed. After all, why need people speaking lies in the leaders ear when it can come from him directly.
The little birdies that I had placed around Rome spoke with me, after all my mind had been trained around the court by my own father and mother. The best way to gain the thing you wish for is through schemes and the people. A warrior, is only needed on the battlefield and nowhere else. That is the difference in Caesar, he is no mere warrior, He is the very embodiment of the Roman people. They love him as he loves them.
He had wished for their success, every single laws of his that he had passed was in benefit of the people. A few senators had been angry with such thing, a understandable reason. The plebeians are being given far too much power and if he did not slow down with such laws it may end with his assassination to multiple daggers by the senators he held close around him.
In my time with him, we had children. A girl by the name of Julia who had turned a month old just recently, She had brought him such a stupid grin on his face as he had flown her around our home. It couldn't help but make me laugh, my hand covering my mouth as they raced around the home.
We had both turned fifteen recently organizing some games to celebrate, Chariot and Beast fighting being the main attraction. And oh what a celebration it had been, the Chariot racers were great, especially that greens rider. ' Oh did I say I was a greens supporters? ' I chuckled covering my hand, ' silly me. '
My husband had been a stout blue supporter calling the greens dirty as he had tried to almost kill Maximinus, a all time great when it had come to chariot racing. Rudolphus had sent that cunt into the crowds, the joy it brought me thinking the greens were gonna bring it home.
Only for him to somehow comeback into the race after giving a quick kiss to quite a ugly woman, but I guess that is what the blues deserve. Except my husband that is, he deserves the world in its whole. Then he had somehow, jumped back in sending Rudolphus to the ground with a kick. I had almost wanted to choke my Praetorian right there and then.
I however calmed myself, holding the hands of Gaius. it always brought a serene calm to my head, clearing it of its negative thoughts. Is this what he meant when he said I would feel true and unbridled love.
Our child Julia, my husband had not spent as much time with her as he had hoped he would. His mind being occupied by the senate constant pleas for help when it came to different issues that had involved the public.
One even dared to raise their voice at him, how dare he. It is good that I had him silenced, his lungs spilled in the streets of Rome. It did not take long to hire a scapegoat to do the deed, who knew two gold coins could get a man killed in the streets.
The man had been stabbed 23 times by one peasant, I wonder what he had done to make him so angry. Even the Praetorians had followed my orders, to check if the man had followed my orders. They had even brought me the gouged eyes of his person, truly I do wonder what he did to make them so angry. I believe his name had been Brutus or something similar. Either way his guts had been spilled, he would not be doing anything now.
The next day, many of the senate didn't bat an eyebrow at the disappearance of Brutus. Most likely not wanting to be the next corpse to be found in the streets. A chuckle leaving my mouth, causing even my husband to be surprised. Oh how innocent he is, completely unaware of the scheming nature that is the senate.
Many had tried to prove of my scheming nature, many keeping it under the wraps. However, it had always led to one end for them all. Dead on the quiet alleys of Rome, twenty three stab wounds covering each of them. The senators being? I myself am unsure after all I had so many killed.
The loyal ones being left, acting as if nothing happened. Caesar himself not questioning the strange disappearance of his senators, acting as if he had not even known them in the first place. As if they had not existed, a mere figment of my and the others imagination.
Sighing to myself, I stared at him his glowing eyes staring down at the men before him. Specifically one man, A High ranking centurion under Caesars' main force. He had been tasked to lead five thousand men to Sparta, a land far into the Wyvern plains. The warriors having been brought up in such a tough environment had the ability to fight and even kill the wyverns in a two on one battle.
This had led to their increased power, their armies and warrior culture growing the more they had lived in the plains. The city had no walls, simply saying the shields of their warriors were the walls Sparta had needed and I could say they were not wrong.
Wyverns had stayed far from the place of Sparta, only ever dare venturing there to kill a sheep that had ran stray. Either way, the Spartans had been a powerful supplier of strong troops. Capable of tossing even the strongest men across battlefields with one throw.
Although it has seem as the strength had got too far into their heads. Being taken by a force of 400 wyverns under the glow of the moon. The city going up in flames with our famous Legio and centurion.
Gaius had wept for days upon hearing the death of his close friends, they had been kept close for they had been capable. Their strength capable of destroying entire walls of solid stone, it was similar across all the Legio's except Bertramus.
That man had been cunning, far too cunning to my liking. He had rised to the top through plots and swaying his favors with the other legios and even the centurions. Gaining their favor which had practically guaranteed a spot in the ranks. The man leads a force of five thousand, far more than I'd trust him with.
Sighing to myself, I turn to my husband who was far more busy fixing his golden wreath than focusing on that of the Senate. They were far too frightened to step forward after the recent cases of assassinations after some had said some very unwise words. Sixty had died in the end, all dying too a mob of Romans. Being stabbed 23 times, a signature of mine so they knew of who killed them.
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Wonder why they have memories before Caesar crossed over and Rome was even formed? Hmmmm fascinating.
If you have any interesting characters from history with some relation to Rome whether it be the Holy Roman empire, the Byzantine or Rome itself. write it down and I may add them.
( Write down what you think of this chapter. Here. )
Preciate it, see you in the next one
