Reign's End

Sometimes the end of an emperor's reign is a time to celebrate great deeds done in the name of Roma, the spreading of her power, influence and glory across the face of the world.

    The end of the reign of Aelius Lucius Scaevola was not one of those times, marked by denial and betrayal.

    Aelius' reign started strong.  He brought the war with the Parthians that his mother had started three years earlier to a satisfactory conclusion.  Gold flowed into Roman coffers and the world trembled.  Surely, it was a sign of things to come.  But it was not to be.

    The rot began to set in a few years after he appointed Marcia Boudicca as his Praetorian Prefect.  Boudicca was a beautiful and charismatic woman, the youngest daughter of one of Londinium's leading families.  Well liked by her troops, a skilled politician, and fiercely loyal to Aelius' mother, she seemed a good choice to lead the Praetorian Guard.

    I remember the day things began to unravel for Aelius.  The Emperor, Ignatius Pollio, and I were discussing plans for a new aqueduct when Boudicca came into the room. "Caesar, I have grave news.  A citizen has some forward with an accusation against Gnaeus Publius Agricola."

    Aelius moved to his throne and sat down.  "Bring them forward."

    I took up my place at Aelius' right and Boudicca took hers on his left.  Pollio stood to my left.  "What charges could be made against Publius," he asked.  "The man is as virtuous as a Vestal."

    "Let Julia Ahenobabus come forth," Boudicca said.

    A short, brown-haired woman entered and approached Aelius.  "What accusation do you bring to your Emperor," he asked kindly.

    Julia cleared her throat.  "I wish to report that two days ago, Gnaeus Publius Agricola made several treasonous utterances against the Emperor."

    Aelius leaned forward, cupping his face in his left hand.  "And what was the nature of these utterances?"

    Julia shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she recounted.  "At a dinner party at the home of Brittanicus Musa, Publius made several statements criticizing your handling of the matter of the tribune Paulus Messina."

    I interjected.  "Everyone knows that Publius was not happy with the Emperor's decision on that matter, he has stated this publicly several times.  Surely we are not going to call disagreeing with the Emperor treason?"

    "Perhaps this is not merely the statement of disagreement over a decision made by yourself Aelius," Boudicca replied.  She gestured towards Julia.  "I suggest that we let her continue."

    Aelius shifted in his seat. "Do continue."

    "After he voiced his disagreements, he said that he would have handled it better."

    I rolled my eyes.  "Again, how is this treasonous?  Romania is full of know-it-alls who believe themselves better able to rule than the Emperor.  Are we to roust out every citizen who makes such statements?  Caesar, I beg you to dismiss this hearsay before we set a dangerous precedent."

    "I disagree," Boudicca said. "The implication is clear enough. Publius believes that he can do a better job than Caesar.  Surely this shows treasonous intent."

    "Come off it Boudicca," I replied, anger adding a bitter edge to my voice. "Publius has shown his loyalty to the Empire on several occasions. To condemn him for disagreeing with Caesar is an affront to Publius and the gods."

    "Words can lead to actions Caesar," Boudicca exclaimed, her voice silky smooth. "Left long enough, they can fester into discontent, which in turn can lead to revolt.  Those who sow the seeds of discontent cannot be allowed to escape the consequences of their actions."

    "What actions has Publius taken?  Has anyone formed a faction in his name?  Has he declared himself Emperor?  There are few men in Romania as loyal to the Empire as he is."

    "His loyalty to the Empire I do not question," Boudicca responded. "What I do question is his loyalty to the Emperor."

    "Loyalty to the Emperor?  That smacks of monarchy.  We expelled our kings a millennia ago."

    Aelius held up his hand. "You both have the right of it in my mind.  We are loyal to Romania.  The Emperor is merely the first among equals.  However, words do have a dangerous power and should not be bandied about.  We shall set a trial for Publius where he can defend his actions and prove that his words were just that: words."

    The trial was set for the following month and it was a travesty.  The evidence presented was flimsy, consisting mostly of hearsay and conjecture.  The character witnesses were negative almost to a man, painting a picture of deception and trickery that even a child could see did not truly represent the model Roman citizen zen that Publius was.

    When the jury went to deliberate, I was certain that they would not vote to convict.  I was therefore stunned that they returned not even an hour later with a guilty verdict, and that Publius should be punished with exile.  Aelius decreed that Publius was to leave for Transalpine Gaul within the month and not return for five years.

    Later that day, I protested this miscarriage of justice.  "Aelius, this cannot be allowed to stand.  You know Publius, served with him during your mother's Parthian campaign.  He is no traitor, and you know it.  It is said in the Forum that many sesterces were lavishly strewn about in order to secure a conviction, sesterces that ultimately came from Boudicca's hand."

    "Slander borne of jealousy," Alexius replied, unwilling to see the import of these rumors.  "Boudicca works hard on the behalf of myself and the Empire.  I will not listen to these baseless rumors!"

    "You listened to the baseless rumors about Publius," I retorted before I could stop myself.

    Aelius' eyes grew cold.  "This conversation is over.  You are dismissed."

    What Aelius could not dismiss was the rumors that circulated throughout Roma.  Publius has been targeted because he had criticized Boudicca on some matter of state and Aelius had sided with him, chastising his Praetorian Prefect in public.  These rumors only gained in strength when Publius died under mysterious circumstances while hunting.  They became a firestorm that swept through the capital when Boudicca took up with Publius' widow before his body had grown cold.

    But Aelius did not listen to these rumors, dismissing them as lies spread by Boudicca's enemies.  Bolstered by her success in eliminating Publius, Boudicca began to spread her net wide, targeting anyone who she viewed as a threat or had performed some slight against her, either real or imagined.  Many of those who fell to her were those whose loyalty to Aelius could not be weakened.

    "I cannot believe that Aelius has no idea what Boudicca is doing," I commiserated to Lollia Scipio, a friend since childhood who I trusted implicitly.  We were in the ruins of Herculaneum, safe from informants and spies.  

    "I believe that he is aware," she stated, taking a swig from a wine skin of Falernian I had brought for our meeting.  Wiping her chin with the back of her hand, she continued.  "But he refuses to let himself see what is really going on, for to do that would be to admit that he'd made a mistake that he'd have to fix.  As long as he can delude himself that she's acting out of loyalty to the Empire, and if she doesn't act in so blatant a manner that he has to take action against her, he will continue to lie to himself."

    "Is there nothing we can do to open his eyes?"

    "Nothing as far as I can see.  I plan to leave Romania altogether and head to the Hudosuanee lands across the Western Ocean.  I hear they are in grave need of soldiers to fight the Aztecae."

    I laughed.  "You?  A mercenary?"

    "Soon there will be no safe place in Romania for the likes of us.  I suggest that you also leave, and soon."

    I sighed.  "I cannot just abandon Aelius.  Someone has to defend him, lead him to reason."

    Lollia took a last swig from the wine skin before tossing it back to me. "Then I wish you luck.  The gods know you will need it."  With that, she turned and disappeared into the ruins.

    As Boudicca's power increased, Aelius' declined.  Boudicca controlled all access to the Emperor, charging a hefty fee for the privilege.  Aelius was totally isolated, seeing and hearing only what Boudicca allowed.  Boudicca ruled Romania in all but name.

    Through it all Aelius refused to see what was happening.  Boudicca gave him the illusion that he was still in control, that his will still prevailed.  I was the only one who was still loyal that was allowed an audience, partly because I said and did nothing against Boudicca, and my family was too powerful to attack openly.  I Also think that it amused her to see me constantly try to shake Aelius from his self delusion, only to fail due to a twisted word from her.

    The day finally came when Boudicca came for Aelius.  We were in his apartments, discussing plans for an invasion of Parthia, when Boudicca burst into the room, accompanied by two of her most loyal Praetorian Guards.  All had their swords drawn.

    "What is the meaning of this," Aelius roared, throwing down his stylus and coming around his desk to confront Boudicca.

    "You poor, blind fool.  You're not half the ruler your mother was.  She would have ever allowed someone like me to get close enough to do this," she sneered as she thrust her sword into Aelius' side.

    Aelius sank to the floor, pressing his hands against his wound.  "But I'm the Emperor," he whimpered.

    Boudicca stood over him, gloating.  "You haven't been an Emperor for years, but you've been unwilling to notice it."  She plunged her sword into his breast.

    At that moment, the walls of denial that he had built around himself shattered and reality flooded in on Aelius.  I could see it in his eyes: the hurt, betrayal, and the realization that she had been working against him all along.

    Boudicca and her guards then fell upon Aelius, their swords hacking at his corpse.  I took that moment to flee,  not wanting to join Aelius in death.

    I fled across Romania, through Parthia, and beyond, not stopping until I reached Serica.  Only then did I feel that I was out of Boudicca's réach.  Rumors filtered through to me about what Boudicca was doing.  She has thrown off the Republican trappings that had mollified Roman hatred of kings since the days of Augustus, declaring herself King of Romania.  Already, there was grumbling in the Senate and amongst the people about her audacity.  I wondered how long her reign would last.  I started to gather an army and waited for my chance to avenge Aelius.  My time would come.