The Eagles of Avalon

Excellent writing, VJ. You should continue to write narrative beside your history book style AAR. Now please update, I want to know what happens next.

Thank you all, for your kind comments. I am pleased that it has been well-recieved. I've already sent the next update to Mett for his approval, so expect to see it here sometime tommorow.

YAY. My favourite AAR is once again rolling . A love affair between Avitus and Tarquinius would be interesting but I don't think that's what going to happen. VJ you write very well and add another dimension to this already splendid AAR.

Very interesting. Avitus seems to be an enforcer of sorts. I wonder why the good Senator would send him to fetch a spoiled brat like Tarquinius. Is the Senator trying to establish links with Constantinople? That would be foolish, considering Romulus' opposition to the Eastern Romans.

I wonder if Avitus will meet up with that other enforcer, Varic, if the Senator incurs the wrath of the Emperor. In that case, my money would be on Varic. He seems more cunning, more vicious than Avitus.

Avitus is a good character. A good addition to the story. VJ has kept a very similar style to Mett, which must be hard to do.

Somebody named Tarquin is asking for trouble in Rome and a short life if he's been messing around with the son of a Senator.

Skullduggery in the Senate? In Rome? Whatever next?

more ! more!

Thank you all for the praise. I only hope you like the next update even more so.

As Tarquinius stumbled into the warmth of the main entranceway of the large domus, on the heels of the Senator’s personal guards – very tough-looking easterners, he couldn’t be sure of their exact origin - he winced at the sudden change in atmosphere. He’d had a splitting headache all day, and he’d tried everything to shake it off, from warmed milk to pressed leaves. It still lingered, and the warmth of the elegant town house complex on the Capitoline did nothing but exacerbate it. The ride here had been uncomfortable, the rain thankfully only becoming intense in the last few moments of the journey.

The buildings in this part of the city were brazen, their architecture harking back to more prosperous times, increasingly so since Romulus Augustulus’ restoration. This was the haunt of Imperii Senators, the richest and the most influential people in Roman Society, outside of the court. Although the court was increasingly developing dynamics of it’s own, and, despite – or, rather, partly because of - the Imperial restoration, the Senate still remained little more than a collection of the top aristocrats, a glorified patronage network.

The interior of the domus hardly gave the impression of anything approaching powerlessness, though. Although compact, the interior was grand enough to make an impression, with columns in some places and the occasional vaulting. Marble was used extensively. An atrium beckoned invitingly some distance away, the rain tinkling into it's shallow pool.

He waited for the guards to frisk him, and rubbed his forehead significantly and repeatedly, so much so that he didn’t notice Avitus approach from a side room.


“We meet again”, he said, as the guards departed.

“Apparently fate has indeed blessed me with your presence once more”, Tarquinius replied. “Now, if you would oblige me by taking my cloak and bringing me an egg yolk mixed with a little olive oil from the kitchens, I would be overjoyed twice over.”

“Wine from last night, eh?” Avitus said, taking the richly embroidered cloak.

“The depth of your perception is, as ever, limitless.” Tarquinius said, irritably. He wanted to get this over quickly, and go to bed back at his apartments. He was feeling worse by the second.

“You know, my dad always told me that the solution to a hangover was a stiff drink.”

“Sage wisdom, I’m sure.”

“You want to try some of the Senator’s wine. You’ll love it. He gets it ‘specially imported. It’s fancy. Try some. You’ll love it, someone like you.”

“And where is the Senator?”

“I’ll tell him you’re here.” Avitus bowed slightly, snapped his fingers at another two waiting servants, and they all scuttled off in separate directions, leaving Tarquinius alone to savour his surroundings. He still wondered why he was here, why, indeed, he had even bothered to come. A stupid decision, on balance. He could have easily sent a messenger saying he was sick, or too ill. The marble underfoot chilled his feet whilst the waiting made him uncomfortable. He pushed on the wall in order to steady himself a little, and dropped his head again. Occasionally, what sounded like slowly running water tinkled in the background, distinct from the rain. An internal fountain, perhaps. Aside from that, all was quiet.

Suddenly, the silence was broken violently, as a figure strode out of the dark of a far corridor, and bellowed, “Tarquinius! Dear boy!” Tarquinius winced.

The man was small, old, and plump. His many jowls were sucked inward, tightly wrapping a very sparse line of teeth and a gummy mouth, matched by the perfect baldness of his head. His eyes were rheumy, his nose prominent. The neck was strained upwards. The overall effect was one of disjointedness and wrinkling. His face, taken wholly, looked as if a large, irregular weight had been positioned on it for quite some time. Despite all this, there was the constant suggestion of wealth, refinement, and lurking intelligence, found in his well-fashioned robes, directness of his speech, and swaggering gait.

“Senator. I am very pleased to meet you. Father has always spoken of you as a great friend.”

The Senator took both of the boy’s hands and shook them.

“We knew each other very well, indeed, when your father served – well, I say served - under Anthemius. It seems so long ago now. So much has changed. But I reminisce” Arcadius flashed a smile, which was intended as being relaxed and pleasant, but, lacking in teeth, bordered on the grotesque, even the obscene. “Please, come in, do”, he said, throwing a soft arm over the boy’s back as means of guidance, and drew him towards a grand doorway into a side room, a little along the main corridor.


It was a large room, clearly often used for holding parties and functions. Whether the size had been chosen in order to impress itself upon him, or whether it was simply a favourite room of the Senator’s, he couldn’t be sure. Two medium-sized braziers burned in the far corners, giving the room an ill lit, almost conspiratorial air. Four couches crowded in the centre of the room, along with a little table with various foodstuffs on it, with platters of various olives, grapes, wine, nuts, and what appeared to be densely mashed figs. No servants attended.

Two of the couches were already occupied. One of them contained a woman, young, but fully adult. She lay on her stomach, her legs draped backwards, fitting the length of the couch perfectly. It was not what would traditionally be considered a particularly decorous pose for the couch, certainly not for a woman. Her large, brown eyes cast directly at those of Tarquinius, but her mouth was curled at the edges in an expression of concealed amusement. Her face was soft, as was her black hair, pulled backwards for the most part, which, along with the lack of intense light in the room, greatly exaggerated her piercing gaze. Her turquoise robes somehow bespoke both intentional modesty – no, that wasn’t the right word, more normality than modesty - but also an intensely self-assured personality beneath. She occasionally popped olives into her mouth, with some abandon, using slender fingers dotted with the occasional small ring.

The other was occupied by a man, of the same age, perhaps a little older. The first thing of note was how thin he was, almost painfully so, even in comparison to the woman, who was herself almost totally lacking in excessive weight. He did not lie on his couch, but sat, in the middle of it, his hands folded neatly in his lap. After a few moments a facial twitch would run across the left side of his face, as if he was being prodded by some invisible hand. His robes were simple red and white, without adornments. His hair was very curly – not very Roman - and strained backwards. His eyes were large and brown, like the woman’s, and looked highly startled, almost frightened. Apart from the occasional twitch, he was perfectly still.

Charging in, and making for the centre of the room, Arcadius lost no time in taking full control of any nascent conversation. “Tarquinius, this is Hesta Tiberiana, daughter of my late brother, Valerian.”, he said, gesturing.

She drew herself up, languidly, and offered both her hands, which Tarquinius took. “A pleasure to meet you, at last, after all these years of our house and yours being in such close contact. It is indeed long overdue that we should finally meet.” She said, smiling sweetly.


“And this is Regulus Tiberianus, of the same.”, Arcadius said, perhaps a touch dismissively under the circumstances.

Regulus rose, on the spot, and, his face twitching the while, began to offer greetings. “An h—h—h-h-h-h------onour t-t-t-t-to mu-mu-mu-eet you, sir.”

Arcadius gave a small sigh, and looked towards the ceiling.

“You must forgive my brother, Tarquinius, he is uncomfortable in any social situation that involves more than two scribes. He has this terrible affliction” – she flagged an arm absently at him and laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her other hand – “which renders him incapable whenever he is nervous, or excited; in your case, it could very probably be either, or both. Please, do sit down and content yourself.” Hesta said, smiling.

Regulus blushed deeply and looked doleful, but said nothing, and sat down once more. He reached for the wine.

“Yes, well. The boy will have to learn through experience. He can’t go through life with that.” Arcadius said.

“How awful for you”, Tarquinius said, seeming to mean it. Regulus simply looked at his feet, and drank wine.

Arcadius lay down on his couch, and scooped up the mashed figs with a wrinkled paw and half-chewed, half-sucked on them, and continued speaking. Occasionally small flecks of spittle mixed with mashed figs flew out of his mouth in various directions.

“I take it Stephanus has returned to Constantinople, yes? A sad business, but we cannot interfere with duty. I invited you over, my dear boy, for that very reason; you cannot keep yourself locked away in your apartment at the Porta Ardeatina all this time. I want to offer you our complete hospitality. As son of Stephanus, my home is your home. Please, I want there to be nothing kept between us that you would not keep from your father.”

“Senator, I greatly appreciate this.”

“And we have a small library here, not exactly Alexandrian” – Arcadius gave a single belly laugh, and fig-spittle flew across the room, “but certainly more than enough to accommodate you, should you wish to browse. ”

“Again, I can but thank you”, Tarquinius said, smiling.

“Think nothing of it! Nothing at all!”

“A poet, are you not?”, Hesta said.

Tarquinius’ eyes came alive, a hypnotic blue. “Ah, lady, poetry, for me, is the very rock for the soul of my existence, the theme of my life. I am as exposed as an infant without it.” He said, with a wink.

“Poetry has lead many a good man astray – You should be careful in that, Tarquinius”, Arcadius warned, his finger pointing slightly.

“Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor.(1)”

Arcadius and Hesta both laughed, Arcadius slightly guiltily, looking at the floor.

“Ovid? You gn-k-now Oh-vid?” Regulus inquired, earnestly.

“I –“ Tarquinius began, but he was cut off before he had even begun.

“Please, brother, let us not turn this into a debating session. You see, Tarquinius, we were wondering if you would like to come with us – well, I mean, me, Regulus won’t be going, he doesn’t do these kind of things, and he’d only be an embarrassment, in any case - to a little party of a friend, in three days. The revelry, I am assured, will be quite intense, and old women shall not be in abundance, so there shall be no-one there to tut-tut us.” She smiled a cheeky grin.

“If you insist.” He said, pursing his lips.

“I do.”, she smiled.

“Then I shall come, if you lead me.” He said, staring intently at Hesta, whilst throwing a grape backwards into his mouth, and swallowing quickly. “Senator, I do not mean to be greatly impolite, but I cannot linger. I am not in the best of states today.” he said, furrowing his brow, as he lay backwards a little.

“I am sorry to hear that, my boy”, Arcadius said, straining forward, and with some gravity. “I trust it is nothing serious?”

“Not at all. Simply a passing nuisance.”

“Well, I do not mean to hold you in that case.”, Arcadius said, as he, Hesta and Tarquinius rose.

“Then I take it we shall meet in three days.” Hesta said, confidently, offering her hands once more.

“’Till then”, Tarquinius said, and gave a little bow whilst taking them, before departing out of the room with Arcadius, who continued meanwhile talking animatedly about ill-health and various ailments, and their suggested cures.

Hesta slowly moved back to her couch, before laying down slowly, and then falling backwards, with a sigh. She drew herself up, after some seconds, and took a long drink of wine. She eyed Regulus over the top of the goblet. He still sat looking straight back at her, slightly hunched and menacing, his face lively, and flickering every few seconds, but otherwise stony.

After a few minutes, Arcadius strolled back in, gleaming.

“Ah, it was all alright. Avitus had some kind of remedy on hand; looked like vomit to me, frankly, but he took it all the same. Ah, if only we could whip up a tonic so easily for our state.”

“I fuh-fear for wuh-where it is going.” Regulus said, after a few seconds of pause. “With the cuh-cuh-court launching itself into these wars with so little consideration. When a stuh-stuh-statesman like Markus can be cut down in the street? Muh-muh-madness, Romulus is muh-mad.”, Regulus said, sadly.

“A ‘statesman’ is simply a politician who is dead.”, Hesta said, throwing a grape into her mouth, and taking a sup of wine.

“And besides, politicians who start wars very seldom finish them. Politicians have no business in war; only generals have that privilege. The best man is a general first, and a politician last.”, Arcadius intoned.

“Like Vuh-vespasian. Or Septimius Severus.“, Regulus said.

“Indeed. Alas, we do not have so much space in which to compete. Duty compels us forward. We..”

At this, Arcadius was cut off by Hesta, as she rolled over on her couch to face them, and said, quite fluently, and without preamble:

“Or this Remus Macrinus that everyone seems to be so enamored of, now sadly exiled to the wildest parts of Gaul, where his men eat foxes and copulate with their horses, for lack of anything better, if the graffiti on the streets is to be believed. Do we put our hopes so far from ourselves that we have to rely on this fool to displace an even bigger fool?”

“The boy is not so much a fool that he did not see the danger from that man, and exiled him in the first place.” Arcadius said, indignantly, jabbing a finger downwards.

“Please! Do you really think he had the native wisdom to see that for himself? And in any case, which of the Greeks was it that said only the inferior, miserable ruler could never trust his subordinates? Regulus should know,” she said, nodding towards him “you’re fond of the studying the Greek, brother.” she said, mockingly, before rolling over on the couch.

Regulus went a little red in the cheeks at the implication. “The b-hoy is supposedly lh-lh-l-looking for a wh-w-ife, sister. Perhaps you’d like to vh-vh-olunteer?”

Hesta snorted. “ I’d rather marry a Gaul. It’d be much the same anyway. He’s hardly even Roman; just look at his father.”

“Oh, such a time, when we are ruled by barbarians, boys and women.”, Arcadius said, shaking his head.

“We’d do much better if we were ruled by women. Unfortunately, at the moment, we are not, to my great displeasure.” Hesta said, popping an olive into her mouth. “Barbaria hardly counts.”

“Dark times indeed.” Arcadius said, ignoring her, and still shaking his head.

“We can only wait and see how your friend’s son does at court, Uncle.”, Regulus offered. “If luh-luh-luck is with us, he will make an impression. He will be a fh--fh-ine social device, I am sure. You can never have too mh-uch information, or allies. So much buh-better if such allies are bound to you by emotion, against their better judgement, rather than unclu-clouded reason.”


“Full of charm, a total fool, just what we need. And if he doesn’t provide us with anything, then he’s no concern of ours.”

“He’s a total liability!” Hesta said, outraged. “You can’t simply parade this boy around court and..”

“Why on earth do you both insist on referring to these types if they are somehow greatly younger than you are?!”, Arcadius cut in, rather irritated. “The Greek is only a few years younger than you, and the boy is older! When you reach my age, then you have some..”

“Irrespective of this,” Hesta continued, “My point stands. You can’t rely on physical distinction and charm alone. What about discretion and judgement? How do you know the Greek won’t blurt anything idiotic or incriminating? This is amateurism. You know you have me for this kind of thing; if I hear anything about the court, then you shall both be the first to know.”

“And what could he possibly say that would implicate me in anything? We are absolutely loyal, publicly, and that is how it shall stay as far as the world knows. And what would he do? Execute us and the Greek, as he did that fool Markus? And risk the full wrath of our friends in Constantinople? Ha!”

“We over-value ourselves” Hesta said, tersely. ”We are little, even compared to the Princeps Senatus.”

“Markus became a public opponent. That’s quite different. He was practically inviting something to happen, and he was a damn fool because of it. An idealistic, romantic old fool!”

“Then I hope that your instincts bear up in this matter. For our sakes”, Hesta said, solemnly.

“It must be hard for the suh-soldiers. In Gaul.” Regulus said, quietly, his eyes perfectly still and unfocused.

“Gaul?!” Arcadius said, incredulously and with a little agitation.

“I’m more bothered about what happens in the north.”, Hesta said. “If The Goths advance any further, then people will start asking probing questions. They’re already inflamed by the constant warfare and the grasping taxation to pay for it all, not to the mention pampering of the court. There‘ll be revolt again. I predict it.” she said, pointing her finger at Arcadius. “Perhaps then you shall finally decide to contact your friends in the army and Constantinople, in earnest.” she said, flopping backwards hard, onto the couch.

“Something to suh-suh-sell to the plebs, eh?” Regulus said, looking up at her with a look of perfect blankness.

“And if there is revolt, we shall be on the right side of it. Whichever one that will be.” Arcadius said, smiling toothlessly and broadly, as he slowly reclined. "We must have patience."

(1)“I see and approve of the better path, but follow the worse.” Ovid, Metamorphoses

Nice.

I sense plots within plots within more plots in that little conversation. Outstanding!

Aye, it's a veritable nest of vipers.

Took a bit of dramatic license with Regulus' name. Hope no-one minds.

Draco Rexus said:

Nice.

I sense plots within plots within more plots in that little conversation. Outstanding!

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exactly ...very nice ....but I also miss hearing something of the action out front ...w. bloody swords, dismembered bodies and the horrid stink of death ...so its not all nice and policed behind the scenes politics & intrigue...

Impressive update, really impressive. Seems like this senator and his family are real plotters and that they want to use this young man for their own good. It is very interesting to read about the plots and the politics of Rome, I do wonder how all this will work out, and if there is a new rebellion who will take up the sword and cross the Rubicon…

boehm said:

exactly ...very nice ....but I also miss hearing something of the action out front ...w. bloody swords, dismembered bodies and the horrid stink of death ...so its not all nice and policed behind the scenes politics & intrigue...

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Oh, I should expect Mett has plenty of that coming up.

Lord E said:

Impressive update, really impressive. Seems like this senator and his family are real plotters and that they want to use this young man for their own good. It is very interesting to read about the plots and the politics of Rome, I do wonder how all this will work out, and if there is a new rebellion who will take up the sword and cross the Rubicon…

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I think you've got the lay of them there. They're probably the biggest opportunists this side of Parthia. I shouldn't put anything past them, no matter how low or immoral. I doubt they're even mildly ideological in the same way that, say, Barbaria or Remus is; anything goes with these people.

Another excellent update, full of interest and intrigue.

Hesta reminds me a certain Imperial Mother

Thanks, all, btw.

I think she's a bit less restrained than Barbaria, tbh. A bit more arrogant, even. (Is it possible?)

Hestia seems typically Roman able to work on three different plots before breakfast:

Introduce Tarquin to court and he'll be snapped up by Barbaria (who does everyone who does not look like three day old cream)
Support Remus as a strong emperor
Organise a plebian coup - the mob - and bring in eastern troops

And Regulus reminds me of young Claudius (BBC version ). Your charcters interact well, VJ.

Chief Ragusa: Aye, she's a consumate intriguer. Whatever will happen, it's not gonna be pretty.

cthulhu:

Caligula looked at me, uncomfortably, through narrowed eyelids.

"Do you think I'm mad?" he asked, after a time.

I laughed nervously. "Mad, Caesar? You ask whether I think you mad? Why, you set the standard of sanity for the whole habitable world!"

"It's a very difficult thing, you know, Claudius," he said confidentially, "to be a God in human disguise..

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