A/N: Ok, so I know I haven't updated in.forever. But a certain Salazar
wanted me to, so I'll grit my teeth and do it. Plus, I don't own Maximus,
Commodus, Lucilla or that fabulous Colosseum. (Ooh, it's so pretty.)
Enjoy! (
"When did you get the chance to inform Quintus of - ?" Gracchus's words trailed off at the look on Lucilla's face. He took a breath and started again, rephrasing the difficult sentence he had started before. "When did you tell him about what Commodus was doing to Maximus?"
Lucilla put her hands to her face in frustration. It had been a long day and nothing good had come of it yet. "I was in pure shock that he even got the Praetorian's attention over all the noise in the ring! I only told Quintus about what happened to my father" - here she winced - "on the night that all the Senators were killed!"
When Gracchus looked confused, she hastily explained. "When I went to tell Maximus about the plan for his escape to Ostia, I was taking the underground passageway that leads under the cells and straight to the Colosseum. After we had spoken, I ran into Quintus. The man was actually lurking in the shadows, like the puppet that he was!"
Lucilla strode around the room where only a couple of nights ago she, Gracchus and Maximus had laid out the plan for his escape. Gracchus had been right, she thought bitterly. Proximo was right. It didn't work. Gracchus stood at the doorway, gripping his robe tightly as the princess paced nervously, listening intently to her tale.
She continued, barely above a whisper. "He almost ran away from me but then I started to yell at him, about how he was a betraying, lying snake and deserved to die" - here, her voice gained a bitter note - "and he just stared at me, until I blurted out how Maximus had been dying ever since he had almost been executed by the Praetorians, on that night."
Gracchus stared. "What in God's name are you talking about? Do you not think that he knew what the Emperor was up to? He was his right hand man! He knew everything that he had up his sleeve!"
"That is what I thought as well," gasped Lucilla. "But as soon as I mentioned my father, a sort of shadow passed over his eyes, as if all the light from them, or what was left of it, was gone. He couldn't have known."
Lucilla and Gracchus were back in the empty, desolate atrium, just hours after Gracchus had last seen Commodus in his prison cell. Tired but determined, they had gone over the events of the last twenty-four hours over and over again, trying to make some good of it. Lucilla had just blurted out to Gracchus the secret conversation she had had with him, on her way to see Maximus.
Gracchus took a deep breath. "My Lady, there is something I have to confess as well." He paused for a second but not long enough to let her speak. "That night, when I was in jail, I made a black bargain with the Praetorian watching over me in the cell. I told him to go and fetch the servant Quintus if he wanted to hear something well worth his while."
Lucilla's breathing quickened.
"It surprises me that he even listened to me. A half hour later, Quintus showed up and we made one of the dirtiest deals I have ever made in my whole lifetime. We told him if he stripped Commodus of his powers, that we would fully grant the Senate's power over to the Legions, and they would be able to elect a new leader and make all formal decisions for the country."
"But the Senate didn't hold much power at the time," interjected Lucilla. "Why would he listen to you?"
"A few documents signed by your father were found, proclaiming Rome to become Republic and fully granting the Senate power when Maximus was to become Emperor. If the Praetorian took the bargain, they would have to believe what the documents were about."
Lucilla was speechless. "I guess what you're saying makes sense. Commodus treats his soldiers like shit. Not many knew that."
"I did," said Gracchus with a bitter grin.
"So now Rome will become a militarized country, quite possibly worse off than we were before, am I right?" Lucilla started to understand the risk that Gracchus had taken to rid Rome of Commodus. "As if it wasn't worse off out there on the streets already!"
"I did what I had to do! Commodus would have killed you eventually! What about your son, Lucilla?"
Lucilla turned away from him. Their shouts had begun to echo off the walls. "We will still need a Senate of some sort," she muttered.
"The legions would have to elect them," said Gracchus.
"Oh, God!" yelled Lucilla. "What else did you put into this bargain?"
Gracchus took a deep breath. " I told them that they would get power if they installed Maximus into the Senate and arrested Commodus when Quintus gave the order. Only Quintus isn't quite the brave lad he appears to be, as we both know."
Lucilla nodded.
"So he waited until the last possible second to arrest your brother and in doing so, almost got Maximus killed. Now I don't know what to think."
A faint voice called from behind the Senator. "My Lady." It was one of Lucilla's ladies-in-waiting.
"Yes, Jesminda?" replied Lucilla, trying to hide her distress on her face.
"Your son is calling for you," the young girl stated, bowing her head.
Lucilla rushed from the room. The young servant girl acknowledged Gracchus, who did so back, and both turned on their heels from the echoing chamber, the only sound heard being the distant footsteps from three tense Romans.
"When did you get the chance to inform Quintus of - ?" Gracchus's words trailed off at the look on Lucilla's face. He took a breath and started again, rephrasing the difficult sentence he had started before. "When did you tell him about what Commodus was doing to Maximus?"
Lucilla put her hands to her face in frustration. It had been a long day and nothing good had come of it yet. "I was in pure shock that he even got the Praetorian's attention over all the noise in the ring! I only told Quintus about what happened to my father" - here she winced - "on the night that all the Senators were killed!"
When Gracchus looked confused, she hastily explained. "When I went to tell Maximus about the plan for his escape to Ostia, I was taking the underground passageway that leads under the cells and straight to the Colosseum. After we had spoken, I ran into Quintus. The man was actually lurking in the shadows, like the puppet that he was!"
Lucilla strode around the room where only a couple of nights ago she, Gracchus and Maximus had laid out the plan for his escape. Gracchus had been right, she thought bitterly. Proximo was right. It didn't work. Gracchus stood at the doorway, gripping his robe tightly as the princess paced nervously, listening intently to her tale.
She continued, barely above a whisper. "He almost ran away from me but then I started to yell at him, about how he was a betraying, lying snake and deserved to die" - here, her voice gained a bitter note - "and he just stared at me, until I blurted out how Maximus had been dying ever since he had almost been executed by the Praetorians, on that night."
Gracchus stared. "What in God's name are you talking about? Do you not think that he knew what the Emperor was up to? He was his right hand man! He knew everything that he had up his sleeve!"
"That is what I thought as well," gasped Lucilla. "But as soon as I mentioned my father, a sort of shadow passed over his eyes, as if all the light from them, or what was left of it, was gone. He couldn't have known."
Lucilla and Gracchus were back in the empty, desolate atrium, just hours after Gracchus had last seen Commodus in his prison cell. Tired but determined, they had gone over the events of the last twenty-four hours over and over again, trying to make some good of it. Lucilla had just blurted out to Gracchus the secret conversation she had had with him, on her way to see Maximus.
Gracchus took a deep breath. "My Lady, there is something I have to confess as well." He paused for a second but not long enough to let her speak. "That night, when I was in jail, I made a black bargain with the Praetorian watching over me in the cell. I told him to go and fetch the servant Quintus if he wanted to hear something well worth his while."
Lucilla's breathing quickened.
"It surprises me that he even listened to me. A half hour later, Quintus showed up and we made one of the dirtiest deals I have ever made in my whole lifetime. We told him if he stripped Commodus of his powers, that we would fully grant the Senate's power over to the Legions, and they would be able to elect a new leader and make all formal decisions for the country."
"But the Senate didn't hold much power at the time," interjected Lucilla. "Why would he listen to you?"
"A few documents signed by your father were found, proclaiming Rome to become Republic and fully granting the Senate power when Maximus was to become Emperor. If the Praetorian took the bargain, they would have to believe what the documents were about."
Lucilla was speechless. "I guess what you're saying makes sense. Commodus treats his soldiers like shit. Not many knew that."
"I did," said Gracchus with a bitter grin.
"So now Rome will become a militarized country, quite possibly worse off than we were before, am I right?" Lucilla started to understand the risk that Gracchus had taken to rid Rome of Commodus. "As if it wasn't worse off out there on the streets already!"
"I did what I had to do! Commodus would have killed you eventually! What about your son, Lucilla?"
Lucilla turned away from him. Their shouts had begun to echo off the walls. "We will still need a Senate of some sort," she muttered.
"The legions would have to elect them," said Gracchus.
"Oh, God!" yelled Lucilla. "What else did you put into this bargain?"
Gracchus took a deep breath. " I told them that they would get power if they installed Maximus into the Senate and arrested Commodus when Quintus gave the order. Only Quintus isn't quite the brave lad he appears to be, as we both know."
Lucilla nodded.
"So he waited until the last possible second to arrest your brother and in doing so, almost got Maximus killed. Now I don't know what to think."
A faint voice called from behind the Senator. "My Lady." It was one of Lucilla's ladies-in-waiting.
"Yes, Jesminda?" replied Lucilla, trying to hide her distress on her face.
"Your son is calling for you," the young girl stated, bowing her head.
Lucilla rushed from the room. The young servant girl acknowledged Gracchus, who did so back, and both turned on their heels from the echoing chamber, the only sound heard being the distant footsteps from three tense Romans.