***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
“You were correct, Aulus,” Domitian said, stretched out upon a comfortable sofa while sipping unwatered wine from a silver goblet. His tight curls were perfectly done this time- at least in his eyes. “He is trying to teach me to accept defeat with dignity, or things I cannot change, or some other malarkey. Whoever I appeared to support, he would deny.”
“Except for me,” Caecina conceded. “With me it is personal.”
“Aye,” Domitian admitted. He dared not nod lest the movement shake a curl loose. “He distrusts you, no matter how you tried to support him.”
“Blast that fool Vitellius!” Caecina cursed. “Even from beyond the grave that buffoon taints me.”
“Actually my father seemed quite remorseful about Vitellius,” the young consul said. “He even said the man would have made a good emperor had he been allowed to reign longer. But he stood in the way of my father’s chance, and that was the end of him.”
“Your father’s chance would have died on the field of Bedriacum had I not switched my allegiance to him,” Caecina sneered. “Primus was an idiot. Fabullus could have eaten him alive had he the patience, or even the mind to listen to that insolent tribune who told him to dress his lines before proceeding. Had he done so, Bedriacum would have been a much different battle. Had I been commanding, it would have been a crushing Flavian defeat.”
“Its that bit about you switching loyalty my father does not like,” Domitian reminded him, false sweetness dripping from his words. “Though you came over to his side, you still deserted your Imperator- and one you yourself made. If a traitor does it once, he could do it again.”
Caecina snarled at the truth. “And that bit of stupidity shall haunt me all my days,” he acknowledged. “Nevermore to be the general at which I excelled. Sometimes, lad, Life just sucks.”
“I must admit, though,” the young consul added in honest praise, “you are a political genius. Having Gaius Helvidius resume hounding Titus Clodius was brilliant. My father, verily, the entire Senate, is thoroughly convinced that they are blood enemies.”
“They are,” Caecina stated matter-of-factly. “Their feud goes back many years, to when Eprius prosecuted the father-in-law of Helvidius.”
“Still, the old bastard would make a wonderful imperial tool in our endeavor,” Domitian admitted.
“So you supported Aurelius for the post?” asked Caecina in wonder at the conniving young consul he tutored.
“Of course,” Domitian replied with a smile. “And Eprius was duly chosen. I am sorry you will not have your war and your command yet, Aulus, but as you said, with my father this is personal. There will be a war, though, maybe more than one. A wolfshead like Eprius would do very well in throwing the north into disarray, especially if he can be successfully recruited to our little club. Wars will come, and my father has only a few generals. He will need more, and a man of your military caliber will definitely be needed.”
“Eprius is indeed a good choice,” Caecina said with a knowing grin. “A thoroughly corrupt man, acting the part of a paragon. This will be quite entertaining!”
“There is still the matter of Rutilius,” Domitian added.
“Which one? Your crony, or the irritating one of whom Mucianus and your uncle are so fond?”
“Cordinus,” Domitian replied. “I do not want him disgraced. He will serve me well in the coming years, and trusted friends are hard to come by in this profession. Make sure whoever you send north with Eprius knows this. The other one, my uncle’s favorite can resume his life as a nobody easily enough. Frankly, I hope he does return to being a nobody.”
“You are wise beyond your years,” Caecina said with a nod. “I was indeed going to have a man inside the escort of Eprius. But this restriction, Domitianus, it may hinder our plans. Cordinus can be quite politically agile. He is a capable man, and can do much to thwart us. If it comes to it...”
“You reason well,” Domitianus admitted.
Sometimes one must make sacrifices for the better good. That was so very true. “Do not kill him unless it becomes necessary. If he hinders this plan of ours too seriously, then he puts his own head in the noose.”
“And the other Rutilius, should he get in our way?”
Domitianus remembered the first and last times he encountered that particular Rutilius. The man was scarcely older than himself, yet carried an air of command and duty about him that was tangible- as well as a complete and utter disregard for nobility and the Flavians in general. He was dressed as a German, but his loyalties lay apparently with Vitellius. It was a harrowing time, one that the young consul would prefer to forget.
“I do not care what happens to him,” Domitian finally decided. “Toss him to the wolves for all I care- but Cordinus survives unscathed. Understood?”
Caecina nodded. “Agreed.”
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Domitianus was gone but an hour, back to his cousin-turned-wife Domitia and their small son when other callers came by the home of Aulus Caecina. Aulus welcomed Gnaeus Mallius and Gaius Helvidius Priscus into his house and led them to his sitting room that was so recently vacated.
Mallius was the same fiery-tempered man he always was, with the hint of fire in his red hair and flashing green eyes- Gallic eyes, some say, but Mallius had a string of Latin ancestors going back to the days of the Picentines becoming a Roman tribe. His fiery temper and flaming hair contrasted greatly with the other guest. Gaius Helvidius Priscus had the dark hair of Marius combined with the light blue eyes of Sulla- and the determination of both. He was also an eloquent poet when he wanted to be, a philosopher when not. An altogether charming man, he was also a throwback to simpler times- the man was of firm Republican ideals.
“Hail, Aulus,” Helvidius said in greeting. “I was not able to avoid noticing that you are keeping strange company these days.” He laughed, and added, “besides us.”
Caecina poured two goblets with wine and set them before his guests with a carafe of water. Helvidius carefully topped off his glass with the water before settling back, while Mallius snatched the goblet as soon as it hit the table, to the disgust of his fellow guest.
“Seriously, Aulus,” Mallius said. “Afternoon visits from Vespasian’s boy? Either you are teaching him Greek ways, or something else odd is going on.”
“You are with us, are you not, former consul?” Helvidius asked gently, with a cross glare at Mallius.
Caecina smiled broadly, that winning smile which gained him so many supporters. “Of course I am with you,” he said sincerely. “And from whom better to learn the secrets of the Imperial Family than from its wayward son, who happens also to be consul this year?”
Helvidius nodded, but Mallius pressed on. “He is still the son of Vespasian! If the old man begins looking into his son’s dealings...”
“He will find that his son socializes with his senatorial peers,” Helvidius completed. He raised his goblet to Caecina. “You give the boy a modicum of class, to help dissipate the odium of his younger days. Well played, Aulus.”
“He will find that his son socializes with those who wish his downfall,” Mallius retorted. “And have us killed. Aulus will have led the Owl to our lair!”
“Oh calm down,” Helvidius Priscus demanded. “If wishing the downfall of the Imperial Dynasty was a crime, than all of Rome would be thrown from the Tarpeian Rock. It is no crime to discuss a return to the glory of our beloved Republic, one which served this city well for hundreds of years. The thousands who died in its fall, and at the hands of every ruler thereafter, would agree.”
“Rome grew too big for the Republic,” Caecina reminded him. “That’s why it fell.”
“Cowflops!” Helvidius Priscus snorted. “You are saying that Rome is too big for two men and a Senate of nine hundred to rule, but not for a single man? Outrageous, Aulus. Two can always do things better and more efficiently than one.”
“Our Republic fell because of Julius Caesar the Dictator,” Mallius added. “He destroyed it and installed his family as kings, just as the Liberators said. We have suffered tremendously under his family, and the Claudians. Galba showed the way- too bad the parsimonius old fart let himself be murdered by that usurper Otho. Vitellius put paid to Otho, yet another general came and threw out Vitellius. And instead of restoring the Republic, he installs himself as Emperor and makes his sons consul and prefect of the Praetorian Guard.”
“Not to mention that his heir is shacked up with that Judean woman,” Gaius Helvidius noted. “Most improper for a Roman nobleman, much less future king.”
“That is another reason we must abolish this dynasty,” Mallius cursed. “The future king would burden us with half-Roman Oriental kings- this must end!”
“And so it shall,” Helvidius promised. “All it takes is the masses rising up.”
“Which they will not do without a strong army marching to support them,” Caecina completed. “Which is why I need that province. Four legions! Add to that the four legions of Germania Superior currently in the hands of our very own Gnaeus Cornelius Clemens, and we shall be victorious. A third of Imperial strength marching down from Germania, abandoning Gaul to be overrun while isolating the four loyal Flavian legions of Britannia, cannot be stopped before we are banging on the gates of Rome relieving her of Oriental despots.”
“We know, we know,” Mallius muttered. “We have been working to gather you that support.”
“So have I,” Caecina said. “One of my staunchest supporters left this house an hour ago.”
Gaius Helvidius Priscus laughed. “The boy consul? Supporting you, who wish to overthrow his family? Ha, very well done, Aulus Caecina!”
“It is not such a reach,” Caecina replied, embittered by the jovial mood of his guest. “His father will hand over the reins of power to his brother, who will pass them on to his own mongrel children, leaving that boy consul with nothing. He stands more of a chance at being Ruler of Rome as a publicly-elected consul than he ever will as Imperator.”
Helvidius thought that over and nodded in agreement. “Very true. He will have to compete against others, but a young man like that could easily serve as consul again- legitimately elected, too.”
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****[This message has been edited by Terikel Grayhair (edited 03-19-2010 @ 12:23 PM).]