Note from Kanuro5: Feels great to update again! I'm sorry for everyone who had to endure that three month hiatus, but the last bit of school work had caught up with me big time. Also, last month, I graduated from college! Now the only thing to do is find a job! But I digress. I had this chapter finished for a little while and wanted to upload this on Father's Day, but several things came up and now it is uploaded today. Enjoy!

XXIV

The Will of the Father

Day 47 of the Campaign

Precious night has fallen on the Roman encampment and many legionaries huddled together in blankets, desperate to keep warm through the bitter sting of the snow-filled wind. Many teeth were chattering in unison, many fires were lit with men extending their hands forth to warm their appendages, a great many others walked around continuously to keep the blood in their veins from freezing; for tonight was the coldest night they've endured on this campaign.

Yet the ones who suffered the brunt of winter's fury were the ones who could not move. Inside the medicus tent, many men who were still wounded or suffered from frostbite were forced to their beds, unable to shift or move about to keep warm as the tent flap blew open, revealing the ghastly wind of winter.

"Hammer the tent down! Do not allow the wind to take the tent!" the head medicus ordered his slaves. He turned to another group of slaves tending wounded men, "Cover those men with sheets, I shall not allow for the elements to claim them!"

The medicus passed by the overworked slaves without a notion of concern, his only priority lied in the most important patient in the tent, Proculus Julius.

"The day is finally upon you, Commander," the medicus said with a grin, taking a seat besides Proculus.

"It is about time, I felt like I had this on forever," Proculus shivered, staring at his arm in the sling. "And can you make haste? The frost is vicious tonight!"

"Decadent winds of ice are a sign of an imminent blizzard," he casually remarked.

"A blizzard? Are we not prepared for this? Should we still remain on the march?"

"We must. If not, then the Praetor's fate is for the afterlife. Now please hold still."

The medicus gently took off the sling around Proculus' arm and gently massaged the arm from the shoulder to the wrist. He listened carefully to the mild grunts and exhales as he shifted the bones and kneaded the cartilage in his left arm. After a two minute examination, the medicus sat back in approval of his medical rehabilitation of the general's son.

"How fares your arm?"

He moved his arm a bit. "A bit sore. I can roll the shoulder…but I feel stiff when I move my arm backwards."

"Stiffness and soreness are normal and shall pass in a few days. I recommend the consumption of water to aid in the process."

"I shall take wine."

"I insist you drink water, water helps loosen the muscles."

Proculus sighed, "Fine." He grabbed a woolen blanket and wrapped it around his pelted coat of animal skins as he prepared to venture out. He turned around to the medicus and gave him a smirk, "Gratitude for healing me, I shall inform my father of your handiwork."

In the Auxilia camp, Oroles was doing his nightly rounds to ensure that his men were sheltered from the cold. Near the end of his rounds, Oroles met up with his second-in-command, Ligadis, in the middle of the camp with his report.

"Everyone is situated in their tents," Ligadis said, wrapping his cloak tightly around his body.

"How fare the Gauls?" he asked with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"They are in their tent and obnoxious as the Romans, but they revealed Ardunas is not by their side."

Oroles shook his head, "As long as his men are all in one place, that is all that matters. He is a strange man, but he can fare for himself."

"I still do not believe it wise that we accept them, Oroles."

"Neither did I, but decision rested not in our hands. And we do need any available sword for the upcoming battle." A strong gust of frozen wind hit the two men, sending shivers through their bodies. "I only hope that the weather shall improve before the battle draws near."

"I agree. But I fear it should only worsen as winter lengthens. But we have fought in colder weather before and we shall prevai—"

"Have you ever penetrated a woman's asshole before?" someone said in a booming voice.

The two Thracians turned to the north where the debauched question came from and listened closely.

"N-N-No…I have never d-d-done the deed, but I never imagined such…is s-s-such a thing possible to couple with a woman's ass?" a more timid voice said in the distance.

Both Thracians recognized the timid voice as Vitus.

"Sure it is possible! Most times her asshole is even tighter than her cunt. The only problem that arises is sometimes the girl does not clean herself out, so after the deed is done, you have shit coating your cock. But the pleasure is worth it."

Without a doubt the obnoxious voice was Ardunas. Both Thracians could see in the distance both Ardunas and Vitus walking together towards them with a torch in hand. Vitus was wrapped tightly in thick blankets, while Ardunas walked contently with a thin cloak, apparently oblivious to the cold.

"Commander!" the Thracians saluted as Vitus drew closer.

The young Roman smiled, "Ah, Oroles, L-L-Ligadis, to why d-do you remain in the cold?"

"A better question, for what purpose do I not receive the same greetings?" the Gallic archer asked.

Oroles turned to him, and stated bluntly, "Because you have not truly earned the right to be saluted."

"Me and my men just arrived two days ago, yet you still extend such cold enmity towards us." He cracked a smirk, "Are we not comrades in the same unit?"

"Where were you? All men are to be in the tents, your fellows Gaul were there, yet you were absent?"

"I was breaking words the captain of the Cretan Archers to indulge us in their training, yet the Cretan shit told me with civility to fuck off. And such is when I ran into the Commander."

Oroles turned to Vitus, "Commander, it is freezing out here, why do you enter our encampment."

Vitus answered with his jaw chattering, "I-I-I wanted to m-m-make sure…y-y-you men were alright in this c-c-cold."

Ligadis smiled, "Commander, you do not need to worry about our wellbeing. You must stay warm."

"Indeed, your teeth threaten to quake from your mouth," Oroles added on, "Come to our tent to keep warm before you return to the main camp."

Vitus nodded and headed for the tent with the Thracians, until Ardunas spoke up.

"Am I phantom? What of me? Do I not receive the same luxury as the Commander to enter your tent?"

"You have your own tent to occupy," Ligadis replied.

"But it is further away. I would seek to collect warmth before I venture back to my kin."

"Allow him to enter," Vitus told Oroles. Oroles nodded and accepted the Gaul into their tent. The four men sat down in tent, the thin sheets offering a slight reprieve from the blistering winds. Oroles, noticing the young Roman was still shivering, took off his cloak and wrapped it around Vitus.

"Gratitude, Oroles," Vitus said. "A-Apologies, such is the first time I-I have dealt with freezing weather."

Ardunas cackled, "You need to develop a thicker skin if you wish to survive in the North."

"Do you not feel the sting of wind and ice?"

He boasted, "The people of my blood do not fall easily to wind and ice. Unlike you soft Romans."

Vitus gave him a lingering stare, "It was us 'soft Romans' that vanquished your people, and it was my Father who personally did the deed."

"I am aware," Ardunas laughed as he downed a cup of cold wine, "The gods have a great knowledge of humor. They gave the land to the people who could not endure the weather. Do you Thracians not agree with me?"

Oroles gave him a sideways glare, "Upon what notion should we agree with you?"

"Why must all Thracians be so glum?"

"Have you ever met any other Thracians besides us?" Ligadis asked.

"Actually…no, I have not had the pleasure to acquaint myself with any Thracians…but my statement still stands! Thracians are discourteous, Britons are savages, and the Germanians are cunts. We Gauls are the only tribesmen with true worth. You all should be like us respected Gauls!"

"If such was the case, then I fear we would all be dead," Proculus snickered as he entered the tent. The four men greeted Proculus as he raised his healed arm in greeting.

"Proculus, your arm! It is healed!" Vitus smiled.

"Indeed it has! Now I can eat, fight, and fuck at full efficiency."

Ardunas chuckled loudly as he pointed at Proculus, "You I like!"

Proculus continued, "Anyhow, have any of you seen Cassius?"

The four men shook their heads. Vitus said, "Last time my eyes laid gaze, he was venturing out of camp to hunt, yet such a time was around sundown."

"I wonder what keeps him," Proculus stated lowly.

"Knowing him, he should be fine." Ligadis said. "For what do you need of him?"

"He was the first man I wanted to show my healed arm to, but since I could not find him, I decided to head to my brother next."

Vitus frowned and dryly stated, "Wow, gratitude for thinking of your own blood first, Proculus. Your love for me is truly astounding."

"Cassius saved my life twice, and helped me find the Legion," Proculus countered. "I owe him."

"Take pause for a moment," Ardunas said, "You allow your bodyguard to hunt at night?"

"I do. He is a skilled hunter and often returns around sundown with hunted prey."

"But many dangers wait in forest, he may fall prey to vicious beasts?"

"The man took down a savage bear by himself. I hold confidence that he shall be fine," Oroles added.

"Unbelievable, the man slayed a bear?" Ardunas' surprise turned into a proud grin, "I like this man. He is a true Gaul! A man who can kill bears can fight with me anytime! I would desire to see him fight the fucking Germanians! With him along our side, those Germanians shall pray to the gods that they wished they left their mother's cunts!"

As Ardunas continued on his Germanic-hating rant, Oroles noticed Vitus physically withdrawing from the conversation. He brought his legs in and slumped his head downwards, as his eyes became distant and aloof.

"Your thoughts still linger on your bounty?" Oroles asked.

Vitus wrapped his knees closer to his chest at the very prospect of wild strangers coming to claim his head over a lie.

"A bounty is not as horrible as you imagine it to be, Vitus," Ardunas said, patting the Roman's shoulder. "Often times the hunters forget about your bounty and such threats upon your life fade into the wind."

"You miss the point," Proculus ardently jumped in, "Fucking barbarians want to murder my brother in the most dishonorable way!"

To this, Ardunas lightly chuckled, "You are Romans, many a barbarian craft various excuses and reasons just to inflict harm. This is just another day of life for you Romans in the wild, you just have more prominent targets on your backs."

"A target that was built upon a lie!" Vitus exclaimed. "Forever sullying my honor if I ever return back North. Barbarians will point at me and whisper, "Oath Breaker" behind my back and sharpen their blades all upon a lie."

"Do not instill fear into your soul, the Cherusci themselves are not worth it. The deceitful fucks are no strangers to lies themselves."

"To what do you mean?"

The usual jovial expression on Ardunas' face slowly turned to a frown. "The Cherusci dealt a truly heinous blow against the Gauls. And they used your father to enact this wicked sin."

"Cease with the riddles and break words of truth! What happened?" Proculus demanded as he and Vitus leaned in closer.

"We Gauls, who remain, suspect that the former Germanic king, Cunovindus, devised this ploy. Do you recall the last tribe of the Gauls that Lucius had conquered, the Candevaci?"

Vitus understood. He felt the air escape his lungs. He shook his head in disbelief and muttered, "No…"

Proculus looked from his shocked brother to the two bewildered Thracians, and demanded to be informed of this inside knowledge.

"What? What is it, Vitus? Oroles, Ligadis, break words on the Candevaci! I know Father conquered them in this campaign, but what is this Gaul implying?" Proculus asked.

Oroles sighed, "As your father went to speak with the Candevaci chieftain, a blind Candevaci wandered into our encampment, a Gaul I blinded in combat some time before, he spoke of how the Germanians entered his tribal lands in great numbers and forcibly took them to fight against Rome. As Lucius discovered the last Gallic tribe because of the Gallic "conscripts", he conquered the tribe and…extinguished the Gallic people."

"And that, that is when Vitus…?"

"Yes…" Vitus answered, his fragile voice rang out.

The tent fell silent. All the eyes of the occupants began roaming around, refusing to meet each other's, until Ardunas broke the pained silence.

"I have not presented myself as truthful to you, Vitus and Proculus. My men and I indeed desired to join the Legion because we could survive, but also our motive was that of revenge against the Cherusci. They shall strike against you before this is over, and we shall wish to be the counterstrike, if you allow us."

He continued, "Vitus, you worry about your honor, but why must one worry for his honor from the honorless?" Ardunas extended his hand forth towards Vitus. "Vitus, know that the Cherusci have gravely wounded the Gauls and used your father as a pawn to destroy us. Know that if such beasts without honor make any attempt on your life, our arrows shall be your protectorate and rob all assassins of their lives."

Vitus shook Ardunas hand and nodded with a satisfied grin, "Gratitude, Ardunas. Know that I welcome you by my side."

"As do I," Proculus said as he stood to his feet, "The hour is late and we should return back to our camp. All of you take get some rest. Come Vitus."

The two Romans said their goodbyes to the men and quickly took off in the snow back to their camp.

Before the brothers reached their tent, Proculus was filled with the sudden urge to show his father his healed arm. He made his way to Lucius' tent, with Vitus trailing not too far behind. As the brothers entered, four torches were fixed across the tent, illuminating the large shelter and cascading flickers of dancing shadows across the floor. In one of the corners stood Lucius, wrapped in animal pelts and warming his hands by the torch.

"Father, guess what has just arrived?" Proculus exclaimed with open arms.

"Clearly not your inside voice," the father grunted without turning his head.

Proculus hesitated for a moment before speaking again. He was a little unsure this time, "My arm is completely healed."

Lucius pivoted toward his sons and examined his eldest son's flexing his arm. Lucius simply nodded. Proculus narrowed his eyes, "I…I believed you would be more excited…"

"To what purpose?"

"My arm. My arm is healed!" he raised his arm.

"That is the function of your body. To heal. It is natural. Do you expect me to offer coin for every moment you need to piss?"

The eldest son sucked his teeth and looked downward. "No…I-I suppose not."

Lucius looked at his son for a moment before chuckling aloud as he casually approached him. "Lighten your mood. I speak only in jest." Lucius placed his large, warm hand on his son's shoulder and spoke with sincerity, "It lifts the heart to see you have recovered."

"So I receive no hug?" Proculus half-heartedly joked. "Vitus told me upon his recovery from his wounds, you gave him a hug."

"Vitus' wounds were fatal. You took a sword to the shoulder; he took an arrow to the chest." Lucius began rolling his eyes and said coyly, "Gods forbid if you suffer from future fatal wounds, then I shall fling myself on you like a weeping virgin if that should please you."

The three Romans unleashed an honest laugh, the first time that the three of them have done in a good while.

Lucius asked Proculus, "With wounded arm now healed, do you believe that you can fight?"

"Yes I do. I know the road ahead of us is arduous, but know that I shall quell it as a soldier of the Republic."

"As will I, Father." Vitus added.

Lucius smiled approvingly, "Now that is how respectable Romans are to speak. With the mysterious Britons skulking in the shadows ready to face us, we must be ready for all challenges. Speaking of, please report on the Gallic archers that we have acquired."

Vitus spoke first, "Father, though these men are few in number and are rowdy to the depths of their souls, I vouch for them as welcome additions to the legion. We have seen their skills as archers, their will is strong and their aim is true. They can be trusted."

Lucius raised an eyebrow, "Truly?"

"Indeed they can, Father," Proculus spoke up, "Their loyalty to us is true, yet the reason they aligned with us is based on revenge."

"Explain."

"Ardunas told us of the Cherusci being the ones responsible for the Candevaci attacking the legion. It is unknown whether the chieftain of the Cherusci or Cunovindus himself gave the command, but the Cherusci were abducting men from the Candevaci and forced them to fight, leaving them as culprits for you to attack, Father. Such a despicable act by savages! Their attempt to deceive you was most foul, Father, but know that it should…"

Proculus realized that Lucius had stopped listening to his eldest son. Proculus traced his father's eyes and saw that they were aimed at Vitus, who was looking at the ground. The eldest son suddenly remembered the issue that Vitus and their father fought one another about and silently cursed himself for reopening closed wounds.

Lucius calmly rested his head against his hand, staring intently at his youngest son. Lucius softly uttered, "Hmm, it seems that you were correct about the Gauls."

Vitus raised his head, there was no emotion in his face or his voice, "It does not matter now…"

"No, I suppose it does not…"

Puzzled, Proculus spoke up to his brother, "It does not bother you, Vitus?"

"Brother, have you forgotten what words you have shared with me? Dwelling on the past shall not benefit anyone," Vitus fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "The Candevaci are destroyed and the Cherusci have fled, what justice can we seek out for a destroyed people?"

Lucius chuckled lowly, "You have learned much on this campaign, Vitus."

"All such things have been learned from you," he said apathetically.

"I know that tone. Breaking such words with that Gaul has stirred up some thoughts. Well come, and speak your mind. What have past events caused you to contemplate about?"

Vitus looked in his father's eyes unflinchingly, "Have you ever hated your father before?"

Lucius gave him a quick glance before looking at the ceiling of his tent. So Vitus, you hate me… Lucius thought to himself. "Vitus, there was a time where I possessed only hatred for my father, Manius. I believe it only natural for sons to hate their fathers at one point of their lives. Yet my hatred existed with him to his death."

The brothers looked at one another, disbelief coloring their faces. The only time someone spoke of their grandfather, Manius, was often spoken with praise. Lucius sat down in his chair and solemnly stared at his son.

"Do you two know why our branch of the Julii family rule over the Julii clan?"

Such a question never perforated their minds.

"No, I always believed our side of the family was chosen," Vitus answered.

Lucius took a drink from his cup, "We were. It was long determined that we should rule over the Julii. But Manius nearly bankrupted our birthrights."

"Father, what happened?"

Lucius sighed as he played back history to his boys. "It began long before your births, when I was around your age, Vitus. My father was a good man, a kind man. He taught me and my brothers the basic virtues of fighting your enemies, honoring the gods, and loving your family. Yet for each virtue he held close to his heart, he held three vices.

"His kindness extended into overabundance of those in need, he would freely give away coin when only a small sum was due and many took advantage of him. He fancied drink like you Proculus and always had a jug of wine by his side, after returning from any pressing matters, he would parade around like a drunken sot. He also gambled frequently and would lose more than he won. The man was also cursed with the inability for deception. No matter how many false words he tried to say, everyone could see the truth in them. He was the leader of the Julii, yes, but such influence mattered little to Rome."

"I…have never heard anyone speak upon grandfather like this." Proculus said.

"I am not surprised. Everyone kissed the man's ass to seize what they desired from him, and they often attained it. But I digress. By being a drunkard, a gambler, and an excessive giver, it was no wonder that the coffers of the Julii began to dry. Your uncle, Decius, was always great in management and alerted the impending crisis to our father, but he was carefree in spirit and ignored Decius' warnings. He acted like a fool being pulled and played with as a puppet by others, yet me and my brothers still loved him for he was our father. But that all changed.

"My uncle, Vibius, was Manius' younger brother and desperately sought to be the Leader of the Julii. Yet he was dying from a disease that ate away at him from the inside and he knew he would never see his ambition. Yet he wanted the merit of Leader to fall to his son, Gaius, so he schemed against my father for Gaius to take the role of Heir of the Julii, the title that belonged to my brother, Decius. Unfortunately, their scheme bore fruit.

"One day, the Grand Races of Rome were hosted in Arretium and my father was eager to win some coin on the most favored of horses, yet he had no coin to spend and was unwilling to steal from the emergency coffers. Vibius came and in a brotherly gesture, offered him 2000 denarii from his own purse, but at the price of Manius stripping the title of "Heir" from his own son, Decius, and giving it to his nephew, Gaius, Vibius' oldest son." Lucius' face turned sour and he exhaled. "And my father agreed.

"He sold Decius' birthright." Lucius' fist clenched tightly, "He sold our birthright. Our right to hold dominion over the rest of the Julii. We were meant to be the standard that all those who hold the name of "Julius" are to aspire to…and our father betrayed that ideal by selling the birthright of my brother like returned cloth!"

Vitus and Proculus gazed at each other with confused looks, desperately seeking the right words to say. Proculus spoke, "Unbelievable…so what came next?"

"We were all furious. Especially Decius, I was the better warrior than he, yet I feared that if I crossed swords with him, he would easily sever my head from my shoulders. Though this was Decius' humiliation, my brother, Hertius and I also felt the sting behind such humiliation. If our father could so easily sell the birthright of the cherished elder son, then what chance did the younger brothers have? Something had to be done, but I was excluded from my brother's plan for I was the youngest. Then, a week later, Vibius' villa faced a slave uprising. The slaves killed all the Romans in the house; Vibius, his wife, his sons and daughter, including Gaius.

"35 slaves had risen up in defiance, and I was sent to vanquish them. Manius awarded Decius the title of "Heir" once more, yet the pain of losing his brother and kin was too much for my father. He fell into depression and even deeper into his wine storage, until he was no longer fit to command the Julii. He quietly abdicated from his position and elevated Decius to Leader, while the middle son, Hertius, took the title of Heir." Lucius fell quiet and inadvertently began playing with his hands. "One day, my father consumed too much wine on a scorching hot day and passed out in the open and died later…I was in my 26th year."

The brothers were shaken to their core. They silently stood in place piecing together the story and slowly coming to the realization of their father's mentality of life. Lucius looked at them with a face of stone; better the boys hear the rotten truth of their grandfather than the spruced words of plebian ass-kissers to win favor with them.

"My sons," Lucius said, breaking the silence, "I can see the thoughts in your mind beginning to form about our family…about me. With earnest effort, please voice your thoughts to me."

The brothers eyed one another, gently nodding in confirmation. Proculus spoke first, his tone was hurt and somewhat bitter, "I guess…we understand, Father. Such is why you have been stern with us. Because we both remind you of your father…My love for wine…"

"My…I guess my over-caring nature." Vitus added.

"We both exhibited Grandfather's weaknesses," Proculus continued. "Is this not true, Father?"

Lucius' silence supplied them with an answer. Vitus eyes flickered to the ground in mild disappointment. Proculus despondently exhaled. Lucius sat up straight in his chair and said, "I have answered your question, Vitus. Now answer mine. Do you hold hate for me, Vitus?"

Vitus lowered his head, "I did hate you. Especially when we were in the Candevaci village…and you forced me to…" Vitus exhaled, "When you forced my hand to kill the chieftain…I…part of me still hates you for what you asked me to do. Yet, the other part of me…I hate myself for believing you."

"What do you mean?"

"Father, when you gave your word that you would not destroy the village, part of me knew that such a promise was a lie. I held the naïve outlook of a child that you would peacefully resolve your issue with the Gauls. I was too blinded by innocence to realize that you would do exactly what you have been doing for the past 20 years, committing the same actions that other Roman generals have done in the past. I was a fool to believe that you would honor such a promise in not harming the Gauls."

He continued, "Father, I offer no complaints towards you for what you done. It is in the past and I cannot reverse the sun to rectify what had happen. I know you shall not offer apologies for what you did in the village. Because I know that you hold belief you were right…I curse myself for holding these mixed feelings, I understand that such actions to kill that man was to eliminate weakness from me, yet I still hold resentment for such a command…"

Lucius said, "Vitus, when I am unable to lead the legion, you will by most accords inherit the Twenty-Eighth. As a leader of over 5,000 soldiers, you must realize that every command you give shall lead to the death of someone; be they your men, your allies, your enemies, or the unaffiliated. As I have told Proculus, 'A general is more than his victories upon the field of battle. He is the sum of his actions. Every decision, no matter how small, speaks to the man and about the man'. Men in positions of power must understand the fragility of life and be able to astutely weigh the matter of life and death. Know that every command I have given, every command, has been for a higher purpose and reasoning. No command was given out of pure emotion."

"Even the killing of the Candevaci chieftain?"

Lucius chuckled, "I admit, such a decision to include you was a spur of the moment. But, now you must have realized that no matter what happened, that chieftain would have been slain regardless if you did it or not. As a people are conquered, they are initially rebellious and will rise again when the most opportune time presents itself. To prevent this, their morale must be effectively shattered immediately. If their chieftain was sold into slavery, hope would still exist for them knowing that he yet draws breath, only upon his death do they lose hope and shall not rebel, preventing future Romans losing their lives in quelling future Gallic rebellions. Do you understand?"

"Yes…I am aware. But why force me to rob his life? Was there more for me to experience than obtaining my first kill?"

"While it is true that I wanted you to slay the chieftain so you can understand properly what it meant to kill, a deeper message existed behind such an act. It was for you to understand what it truly meant to be in a position of power. As I have stated, to be a leader is to understand the fragility of human life, yet irony is not lost on me because we are generals of soldiers. Even generals must weigh the consequences of life, be it their own men or the enemy leaders. Every now and then, a leader must get his hands dirty and should never fall prey to fear for doing the jobs of lower men, such as executions. Your killing of the chieftain was a meant as a safeguard against tyranny, for if a general hides behind his men and allows them to do all the killing, he shall soon forget what death is. Vitus, as you held your knife to his throat, it replicated the responsibilities a general faces. By holding death in your hands, your men shall judge you in how you deal with such a weighted responsibility and you must not waiver in your decision, you must be decisive. Though you may desire to spare the life, a practical stance must be given, if more positives outweigh his death than negatives, you must purse the path of future peace."

Though Vitus silently nodded to his father, his opened eyes shined like a torch in the dark. He knew his father was very intelligent, yet he could not grasp that his father's seemingly random act of cruelty towards him was to teach him a valuable life lesson. Actually, the more he thought about it, it was totally what his father would do. But at that moment, Vitus understood what was asked of him by his father. His father truly recognized him, flaws and all, to be the future of the legion, and he was only smoothing out the rough edges for Vitus to be an effective leader of the most elite legion in Rome.

Lucius rose from his chair and approached his sons; his face was soft and sincere. "Sons…" he sighed, "I must be honest. The hardships that you both have endured under me…were by grievous sins unto you. For you Proculus, I was too hard on you and such is why you rebelled. I tried to curb such behavior my making you duel your own brother, such was reckless of me to ask of you two, and such a result has forever scarred your face. For you Vitus, after what happened to Proculus I was too lenient and you became soft."

"Do not apologize, Father," Proculus spoke up. "When I was consumed with drink and disgraced you at the whorehouse in Alesia and when I stole from Vitus' purse…I admit freely that I deserved your ire. And such a duel opened my eyes to my foolish behavior, and now I am a part of you on this grand campaign as a better man."

"I agree," Vitus said, "Though I still harbor some resentment towards you, your methods have allowed me to transcend from a naïve boy to a man worthy of inheriting this legion. Though such methods were harsh, I…I believe it was for the best. You only desired us to possess no weaknesses for when we finally matured."

"No, that is not the reason I have been hard upon your upbringing. Every man holds weakness in their heart. Everyone. It is only natural to possess a weakness for we are human. But what you must be aware of is whether your weakness is clear to others. If you clearly have a weakness for wine or women, you can easily be exploited. Anything in excess turns to weakness, you two needed to exercise moderation. We are the Julii, and we must never show weakness of any kind." He stared at Proculus, "Weakness to our vices." He then stared at Vitus, "Or weakness to protect all value of life. If our own kin can easily exploit our weaknesses, then we stand with little chance against our true enemies. But now," Lucius could feel a proud smile emerging on his cheeks, "Now I am proud to say that this campaign has brought out the best in both of you. My sons, unlike my Father, I am aiming to give you a legacy that you shall be proud of. It matters not whether you can succeed me or not. What I truly desire…is to know that you two shall hold pride in voicing my name as your Father when I am gone from this world."

The Roman father walked closer to his sons, placing his large hands on both their shoulders and peered at them with warm eyes, "Proculus, Vitus. You know me as a man and a father…I offer little apologies for what I have done. I stand behind many decisions I have made, but there exist two grievous injuries I have committed against you two which I must amend. Proculus, apologies must be given to you, for when I rejected you to come along on this campaign, I gave up on you…as a father. Never again shall that happen, you are my son and I love you. And Vitus, though my order for the death of the chieftain was to help you grow, I…I admit my execution of such a command could have been better. Never should I have placed fear in your heart by saying that I would kill you. It was cruel and desperate, and please know that such a thing shall never occur again. I can never kill a son I love. Though I have won many laurels in my lifetime, you two have been the greatest achievements that I have ever earned."

Unable to control himself, Vitus unleashed a large smile before lunging forward at his father, hugging him tightly. Proculus kept his composure at first, smiling warmly at his father's declaration of fatherly love, he then too caved in and hugged his father. Lucius stood there silently for a moment feeling his sons arms around his back and heads into his chest. He then softly wrapped his arms around his sons in a paternal embrace.

Like I stated, this was supposed to be uploaded on Father's Day. The ending for me was highly debatable, but I decided on this to add to Lucius' character, because at the end of the day, he may be ruthless, but he is still a loving father.

I would like to thank everyone who is continually reading this fic. I want you all to note that it is keeping me committed to the story. Truly, thank you all!

-Kanuro5