Authors: L. M. Roth
Marcus roused
himself from his musings as he heard the bell ring, summoning the family to
breakfast. Deep in thought, he slowly crossed through the spacious atrium filled
with early morning sunlight that dappled the many green luscious plants in urns
of bronze that dotted the room and entered the dining room, where he found his
wife and daughter already seated for the meal.
His son Lucius
was away in Lycenium, where he had been sent for the customary refining process
that so many families of their station found a necessity for their sons and
daughters. For Lycenium was hailed as the most refined and cultured of all the
cities of the Valeriun Empire and one that Marcus himself enjoyed when he and
Tullia visited her family. Here one could revel in the finest books known to
man, and listen to glorious music such as was heard nowhere else except Heaven
itself, and laugh or cry at the comedies and dramas presented in the
amphitheater.
Marcus didn’t
care as much about society as he did when he was the age of Lucius, having
found contentment in being a son of Dominio and a soldier in the cause of
Alexandros, and actually balked at sending his son away for the training that
he himself had chosen to omit. But Tullia and her family cared greatly about
such things, and would have found it a dereliction of duty not to send Lucius
in the tradition of families such as theirs.
Marcus grinned
as he saw that his sixteen year old daughter Felicia was, as usual, trying to
distract her mother from the amount of food she had plied herself with. To her
father’s eyes, Felicia was perfect, being a little plump, it was true, but with
bright blue eyes and dark curls that danced on her shoulders, although she said
she was cursed with the same stubborn forelock that fell on her brow, just as
her father was annoyed with that affliction.
To Tullia,
however, Felicia presented a problem, one that kept her awake lately as she lay
in the dark pondering her daughter’s future. Such thoughts came naturally as
the girl was sixteen and would soon be sent to Lycenium, even as her brother
had been. For what was one to do with a daughter who not only stuffed herself
with food on every possible occasion, but was hopelessly clumsy, forever
tripping over anything that lay in her path and leaving numerous breakages of
small objects behind her?
Felicia smiled
warmly at her father, whom she still adored with the unabashed admiration of a
little girl. She believed that he could do anything, a belief that brought
tears to Marcus’ eyes as he wished himself as competent as his daughter
believed. How good Dominio was to have blessed him with such a family; he who
had known pain and loss at the age of seventeen and wandered as an orphan with
no place to call home!
Felicia risked
a covert glance at Tullia, and surreptitiously helped herself to another roll,
slathered with butter that dripped onto her plate. Noting that Tullia’s
attention was focused on her own plate and not hers, she bit into the roll and
sighed with ecstasy. Too late she saw that her sigh did not escape the notice
of her mother.
“Felicia! Have
I not told you that so much butter will only make you plump? And your clothes
are growing tight as it is! How often must I repeat myself?”
Tullia shook
her head and gave her daughter a frown of warning. Felicia wilted. Then her
lips tightened as she gave in to her own desire. She raised the roll to her
lips, only to be thwarted by Tullia’s quick action: she speedily thrust out a
hand and snatched the offending roll from Felicia’s hand just as she opened her
mouth to bite into it, only to close it on empty air.
“But, mother,
I do not care if I get any plumper!” Felicia exclaimed, her frustration with
her short-sighted parent evident in her voice. “I do not want to go to Lycenium
and marry into society. You and grandmother care about such things, but I do
not.”
“That is not
your decision to make, Felicia. A girl in your social position should take
pains to be seen at her best, and while I do not advocate marrying for
position, Lycenium is necessary for you to marry a decent young man at all.”
“Why do I have
to marry into society if I choose not to?” Felicia demanded as she thrust out
her lower lip in a manner her father thought charming and her mother denounced
as a pout. “That is not what I want to do with my life.”
“Well, that is
what you are going to do with your life; there is no other possibility for a
young lady in your position,” Tullia announced firmly. “And that is the end of
this discussion.”
Felicia opened
her mouth to protest, but Tullia raised her hand to silence her. Her daughter
sighed and slumped in her seat.
Marcus knew he
should stay out of their argument, but he saw the look of hurt in Felicia’s
eyes when Tullia silenced her.
“What
do
you want to do with your life, Felicia? Is there something in particular that
beckons you?” he asked in a voice bathed in tenderness as his wife shot him a
reproachful look.
“Oh, yes,
Father, there is!” Felicia cried as the light sprang back into her eyes at her
father’s concern. “I long to travel to Solone to be mentored by Aunt Kyrene! I
have heard so much of her school there, and how she trains those who are gifted
with prophecy. For I have that gift also! How I long to use it to serve Dominio
and spread His Kingdom of Heaven on earth!”
Marcus did not
greatly care for the look his wife shot him across the table, but he considered
that the damage was now done and too late to rectify. The meal proceeded in
silence as each avoided looking at the other, preferring their own thoughts to
the potentially explosive conversation of the others.
At last,
Felicia risked one more chance to state her case to her parents. She took a
deep breath as if for courage; then let her words rush out as if in fear that
the flow would be stemmed by another lift of her mother’s hand.
“I must tell
you that I had a dream, just last night, one that I feel may be very
important,” she ventured.
Tullia did not
quench the torrent of words, but gave her daughter a look of motherly concern.
She
does
try to understand Felicia, Marcus thought. And Tullia is far from being the
social climber that Drusilla is. She is merely trying to teach Felicia as she
herself was taught. What could be more natural than that?
Except that
for Felicia, her mother may as well have been trying to teach her daughter a
foreign language, one whose words and cadences would forever be unintelligible
gibberish to her, and the meaning unknown.
“Yes?” Tullia
inclined her head at Felicia. “Proceed, child.”
Felicia
exhaled slowly and searched for words.
“In the dream,
I saw a man who lay as one dead. Then he rose up from his bed, and with him
rose fire and destruction, and screams filled the night as people fled from
before him. I saw buildings cast to the ground and those who saw him fled from
his coming.”
Felicia paused
and shuddered. Marcus waited patiently for her to go on. It was evident that
the dream had affected her deeply.
“And then, I
heard these words in my head: “‘Beware of the one who rises from the dead, he
will bring destruction in the days ahead. The smoke of flames burning shall
block out the sun. One kingdom shall rise as another is done.’ ”
Felicia
lowered her eyes and did not look at either of her parents. But the eyes of
Tullia widened and she paled. As she caught the eyes of Marcus she mouthed to
him:
“Iacomus.”
It had been so
long, Marcus thought to himself as he strolled through the garden after
breakfast, lost in his memories. He had been only seventeen; now he was forty.
It was in this garden that his world had ended when he had been seized and sold
into slavery, only to escape and return to find his parents imprisoned and
their estate confiscated. It had been more than two years later that his good
friend Governor Urbanus had restored the estate to him after ascending the
throne upon the death of the Empress Aurora.
Marcus had
regained the family home, but he still grieved over the death of his parents. So
often over the years when his own children had delighted him with some amusing behavior
or deep insight beyond their years had he wished that he could share it with
his beloved father and mother. They had died long before their time, and both
of them violently at the hands of an evil woman. And then his dear friend Felix
had soon joined them…
Kyrene.
Felicia wished to be mentored under Kyrene. She was not really her aunt, but
she was as a sister to Marcus and a good friend to Tullia. She had mentored him
in prophecy as well, and he knew how effective her training would be to his own
daughter. Were it up to him he would send Felicia to her tomorrow. But Tullia
had other ambitions for her daughter that did not include such training,
deeming it of more importance to groom her physically before permitting her to
develop her spiritual gifts.
And Marcus had
to admit that Felicia truly did have the prophetic gift. How often had she had
dreams and visions that came to pass, warning of dangers ahead or telling of blessings
to come? Was it not of more importance to develop such a gift for the greater
good of the body of believers? Wasn’t that of more value than grooming her
physically to be some man’s wife?
In the days
that followed Marcus had many occasions to ponder on the dream of his daughter.
And his sense of uneasiness concerning Iacomus grew to a terrible foreboding of
disaster to come.
Iacomus had
begun to speak more frequently in the weekly gathering of the Alexandrians,
even claiming to have words from Dominio for those present. The words, Marcus
noticed, were always encouraging to the point of verging on flattery, telling
people what they wanted to hear and not necessarily what they needed to hear.
Only last week
he had singled out a youth named Blandus, a young man possessed of no special
skill or intelligence that Marcus could perceive, and informed him that he was
destined for greatness and that many would follow him and his name would be
famous, and all who knew him would live by the wisdom that would fall from his
lips. This word was met with great awe by those present, who then clamored
around Iacomus and asked him to prophesy over them as well.
Marcus was
appalled at the effect this word had on his faithful band who followed Dominio,
for the prophecy given by Iacomus had more in common with the words of the
diviners that sought to tell a favorable fortune, rather than a prophetic word
from Dominio that was given for encouragement, guidance, or correction. That
the word exalted Blandus rather than Dominio did not escape his attention
either. And the end result was to transfer the focus of the group from worship
of Dominio and seeking His counsel, to Iacomus and seeking a favorable word
from him.
Then there was
the matter of Logos. The fabulous Sword that had been presented to Marcus by
his mentor Xenon was his most precious possession. It had guided him through
many trials and adventures over the years, and it was still consulted by him
and the Alexandrians on occasion. When Iacomus beheld it at one of the
meetings, he appeared dazzled by its beauty, and reached out a hand as it to
take it. Marcus drew it back, and Iacomus shook his head and smiled an apology.
Perhaps he was only awed by the Sword, but the doubts that plagued Marcus about
Iacomus only increased…
Here in
Valerium Marcus and Tullia had founded a colony of believers when they returned
here after their marriage. Emperor Urbanus was a good friend who permitted the
Alexandrians full freedom in their meetings and activities, although he did not
concur with their beliefs. For too long had he lived in Gaudereaux, where the
people lived for frivolity and gave no heed to the morrow. They did not pay
homage to any deity, and the concept of Dominio the all-powerful and His Son
Alexandros was too foreign for him to grasp. Yet out of his affection for
Marcus and Tullia he gave them free reign to speak to the citizens of Valerium,
and to conduct their meetings unhindered by the government.
Marcus had
enjoyed not only the favor of the Emperor but also of the leading citizens of
Valerium. His father Valerius was still spoken of with reverence for the
service he had given to the Empire in leading its army into battles, bringing
back victories that added yet more luster to the gloss of the Imperial crown.
Like his father before him, Marcus’ opinion was sought by the men of the city,
and Tullia associated with the finest ladies in the capital city of Potentus.
If any wondered about their strange beliefs, they chose to ignore them, and
focus on the exalted social position of the Maximus family instead, and to seek
alliance with the family through marriages with Lucius and Felicia in the years
to come.
Now, however,
Marcus gradually became aware of undercurrents. Only this morning when he
arrived at a meeting of the leading townsmen which was held in the marketplace,
he noticed that some of them stopped talking abruptly when he arrived, and
averted their gaze from him. His sense of peace and well-being was suddenly
disturbed, and he found it difficult to concentrate on the meeting at hand, as
he wondered what precipitated the change in the behavior of his friends and
neighbors toward him.
Iacomus had
begun attending the meetings, and for the first time Marcus noted how eagerly
he was courted by the other men, and how his opinion was sought. Was the change
toward him somehow connected with the behavior toward Iacomus? Was there a
connection of some sort?
After the
meeting was over, Marcus caught the eye of Justus Lucius, the father of his
friend Felix. The Lucius family had always treated him as a second son, and
that feeling was increased following the death of Felix. Indeed, his own son
had been named for the family, and his daughter had been named in honor of
Felix himself. Marcus trusted Justus as he trusted few others in this world,
and he inclined his head away from the circle of men. Justus nodded and
casually sauntered away from the cluster of men still gathered around Iacomus.
Marcus tossed
out a few desultory remarks of farewell and ambled over in the direction of
Justus, who seemed to be wandering aimlessly with no other purpose in mind than
to enjoy the June morning. Neither Justus nor his wife Silvia had embraced the
faith of the Alexandrians, having been too firmly engrained in the culture of
Valerium; but they remained loyal friends and surrogate parents to Marcus,
ready to come to his aid if the need arose. And when his children were born
they had joined in the celebrations as fervently as if they had been their own
grandchildren.
In some ways,
Marcus thought, I have been a substitute for Felix, and my children have the
places in their hearts that his children would have had. The thought moved him
deeply.
When they were
out of earshot, Marcus turned to his friend.
“What is going
on with the men? Why did they stop talking so abruptly when I arrived? And how
did Iacomus so quickly endear himself to them?”
Justus
puckered his lips and furrowed his brow as if searching for words. He looked
slowly around him as though to assure himself that no one could hear them. Only
then did he answer Marcus.
“I do not like
this stranger, Marcus. Have you seen how quickly he has risen in favor with
these men? It usually takes some time for a stranger to be adopted, yet here he
is in our midst only six weeks and he is hailed as a leader among them. And
your own wife has told Silvia that there is some mystery about him even in
Lycenium. I do not like it: I do not like it at all!”
And Justus
shook his head from side to side in a gesture so violent that it surprised
Marcus. Known for his cool head and calm demeanor, his sudden intensity
revealed the depths of his agitation.
“You feel that
way also, my old friend? For the more time I spend with Iacomus the more
uncomfortable I feel, and wonder what he is doing in Valerium. He says he has
business here, yet he does not divulge exactly what the nature of that business
is. And he is increasingly taking a lead in our meetings, and some who are
gullible are beginning to say that he is a godsend from Dominio Himself. He
does nothing wrong, yet he doesn’t feel
right
!”
Now it was
Marcus who shook his head in perplexity.
“Nothing wrong
you say?” Justus queried. “Yet it has been my experience for those who rise
quickly in the estimation of others to fall just as quickly, and they usually
take others with them in their downfall. Trust me, Marcus: no good will come of
this stranger’s appearing in our midst.”
And a chill
clutched at the heart of Marcus as he glanced apprehensively back at the
square, and the men who still clustered around Iacomus.
It was during
the royal banquet that the suspicions that flooded the mind of Marcus were
confirmed. It had been many years since he had first seen the interior of the
Palace, but the alternating tiles of rose-red marble and black granite streaked
with rose that so reminded him of a chessboard still had the power to unnerve
him, making him feel a pawn at the mercy of the good will of the monarch.
Although the atmosphere was far warmer than when Empress Aurora ruled here, the
overall effect was still intimidating.
Empress Renata
had seated her guests in the customary style of Valerium, with four to six
people reclining on cushions around low tables, rather than the long table that
accommodated many people that was prevalent in Gaudereaux that Marcus
remembered from his travels there. Due to the informality of this arrangement,
the talk became confidential in many groups, and none more so than that in
which Marcus found himself a part. He and Tullia were seated with Justus and Silvia,
and joined by their good friends Vibianus and Livia Pomponius.
Marcus and
Vibianus had grown up together, and Marcus considered no one as wise in the
ways of the world as Vibianus. His wife Livia was a part of every committee of
ladies of prominence to be found in Potentus, and was said to have heard all of
the latest gossip even before it had left the lips of the one divulging it to
others. Marcus decided that if anyone knew what was going on with the men of
Potentus, it would be these two.
Not wishing to
be obvious he gave a sidelong glance at Tullia. She nodded ever so subtly, then
casually introduced the topic of conversation that Marcus wanted her to steer
it to.
“Look how many
are with us tonight! Why, I would venture that anyone of any importance has
been invited by the Emperor. I see that General Celsus is here, and the Flavius
family with their daughter Verena; now
there
is a young lady I should
like to get acquainted with our Lucius! What a match that would be! When he
returns from Lycenium I shall see to arranging a meeting!”
Tullia
punctuated this last statement with a laugh of seeming innocence, but Marcus
noticed the looks exchanged between Vibianus and Livia. He raised an eyebrow as
if in query and she shrugged her shoulder as if for answer. Neither of them
smiled in response to Tullia’s laugh. A queasy sensation took over Marcus’
stomach, and he suddenly lost his appetite. He sensed that his friends were
aware of something as yet unknown to him and Tullia.
Marcus had
followed the eyes of Tullia in her survey of the room, and he had noticed what
his wife had not appeared to see: an averting of the eyes whenever a pair
chanced to encounter those of Marcus.
What,
what
is happening that I am not aware of, he thought, a sense of alarm now
overpowering him and threatening to suffocate him. The room seemed to spin
around him and he fought the urge to panic at the terror that rose up within
him, threatening to engulf him. I sense danger but I do not know from where.
Tullia
continued her observation of the guests until she nonchalantly brought their attention
to Iacomus, whom Marcus was shocked to discover, was seated at the table with
Emperor Urbanus, and Renata, his gracious wife. How quickly indeed had Iacomus
risen in favor with the local townsmen if he was seated in intimacy with the
Emperor himself!
“Why, there is
Iacomus Cornelius, seated at the Emperor’s table! Who would have thought that
he is acquainted with the Royal family? Do you know whether they have met
before? Or is he just a special guest, due to being a stranger in Potentus?”
Tullia did not
need to pretend to be surprised; she was as astonished as Marcus to see Iacomus
seated at Urbanus’ table. The Emperor was an old friend of her husband’s, and
it seemed inconceivable to her that Iacomus should be seated at his table and
Marcus was not.
Vibianus
looked into the eyes of his wife and gave her an imperceptible nod of his head.
She gazed at him for a moment, and proceeded to speak and share what she knew.
“Well,” she
began in a furtive whisper, “Iacomus has managed to worm his way into the good
graces of the Emperor and his Lady faster than anyone I have ever seen. They
say that this is due to the respectable stock of his family back in Lycenium,
but that is a good joke, as I have heard that they have not seen him in many years.
Apart from that, he appears to have incredible powers of persuasion, and has
convinced Urbanus that he has the solutions to all of life’s problems, and is
willing to give him excellent counsel at a moment’s notice.”
Livia looked
around her and lowered her voice still further. Marcus found himself hanging on
her words, his heart beating rapidly as a sudden fear clutched at him.
“You know that
the Emperor is childless, a tragedy that is the only thing spoiling their
otherwise perfect happiness. I have heard it said just yesterday, that were
anything to happen to Urbanus tonight, that Iacomus would be his heir
tomorrow!”