Chapter 20: Loyalty is Futile
Before Commodus had walked out to the colosseum, Cicero had awakened with Ursa beside him. Ursa had managed to fall sound asleep with her head on his cot. He awoke with slight shout of pain when he tried to roll to one side. Ursa umped awake as well. She yawned and stretched before putting a hand on his shoulder. He winced. She removed her hand and smiled at him.
"Are you feeling better?", she asked.
"A little. The pain is tolerable for the moment. It'll be more tolerable when we're free of this putrid hovel and the asenine little whelp running it.", Cicero muttered.
"Cicero!", Ursa shouted. He turned to her. She looked down and then away slightly. "You shouldn't speak about Caesar in such words."
"You still feel tenderly for him. After everything that's happened you still...", he began. Ursa looked up angrily and cut him off immediately.
"It wasn't his fault!", Ursa shouted. Cicero looked at her in surprise. "He has been feeling threatened and upset for days. I should have told you everything that I had seen. Commodus kept going off into the archives to lament for his father and the hardships he has faced on the throne. I comforted him as best as I knew how, and I think he loved me to some degree. He feels so abandoned, Cicero."
Gracchus, who had been awake but listening quietly felt his heart shatter for the poor young man forced under the weight of the crown.
"Feeling abandoned is nothing new to anyone, Ursa. I've felt abandoned for years. You have to, you know you have.", Cicero argued.
"Not to this extent. I didn't know mother and father at all. I had you, you are my world.", Ursa said softly. "Commodus has been expected to act as an adult since he was a little boy. Do you know anything about his past? He had a twin, they both needed a surgery, but when the two were recovering the other died. Commodus woke up in the room they shared only to find that a part of him had died. He didn't get to bury him or say goodbye. Then two years later he's attacked by that dog and his mother dies. And then two years after that he was attacked by an assassin in the middle of the night. He's been hurt so badly, Cicero."
"That doesn't excuse him ordering the arrests and executions of hundreds of innocent people, taxing struggling citizens into the prisons, and giving in to the demands of our rivals beyond the provinces.", Cicero replied. "He was going to kill me!"
"Why? What was the finalized fact that made him want to have you executed?", she countered.
"He didn't need a reason, Ursa!"
"Cicero, he thought that you were trying to kill him!", Ursa said back loudly. "And what did he mean that you would have died for me?"
Cicero looked away and sighed heavily. "Before he gave the order to have me (ahem) executed, he gave me a dressing down about how I had betrayed you and that betrayal would be my end. He seemed to think that we had sent you here to distract him while we tried to have him offed."
"That was your goal!", Ursa reminded angrily. "At least it became the goal after Lucilla started attending to the cause regularly. Frustrated or not with her brother, she is being evil. Murder is murder, Cicero. You've said so yourself on numerous occasions. Nothing he has done could warrant being killed in his sleep."
"So you don't believe in executions now?"
"Of course, but only after a jury or another authority gives the command.", Ursa explained. "And don't start in with me about how that in the absence of proper authority the people need to sieze control. That's not the case right now. He's only been Caesar for six months. The taxes he passed pay for subsidizing a plethora of programs; education, medicine, housing, and the games. I don't like the idea of my taxes paying for the senseless slaughter, I suppose he could do worse. And the documents I brought prove that he was not the person responsible for writing the edicts for arrests and executions. Furthermore, the lands beyond our provinces have more respect for us than ever now that Commodus has given them quite a bit of their land back."
"Ursa, Those things don't change what he did to Maximus and his family.", Cicero said in a stern, but sensitive tone. "You haven't found proof that he's innocent of their blood."
"Then let's go and consult Tertullian, then. He keeps up with all of the documents before a second copy is made. He's been backed up back to the beginning of Commodus's reign. We shouldn't have much trouble finding it.", Ursa offered. "Are you able to walk? Galen said the wound was on the surface for the most part. Are you strong enough to come with me?"
Cicero nodded. He removed the blanket and climbed out of the bed. The two looked over at Gracchus for a moment and noticed that he still looked fast asleep. They said nothing to the old man and headed out of the infirmary before Galen could stop them. The guards had been ordered to keep the two of them inside the palace; but they, specifically Ursa, had free run of the palace not including the private quarters. Commodus didn't want Ursa to panic again or Cicero to become violent and feeling confined would do that to anyone. Ursa led the way to Tertullian's office. Cicero was able to keep up, but only just. Ursa was able to walk a little slowly for him, but she truly wanted to prove Commodus's innocence quickly. She didn't want to be connected to him, but she felt responsible for his repuatation after the mission she had been sent to complete. Ursa rubbed her shoulders pensively as they walked. She had given herself to a man that would be through with her within a few weeks. Commodus might have felt tenderly for her, but the fact remained that he was emperor and had fluctuated in his feelings for her several times throughout the past week. Ursa was unfortunately a little more immature in matters of human emotion. She truly loved the emperor, but she now felt after seeing just how many women he kept with him that he wouldn't commit to one woman with tenderness for very long at all. She had to ignore any feeling for him and go back to her brother. Cicero had given up so much for her and would have no one to take care of him in the years to come. She had to be there for him as he had for her. Cicero simply found it a relief that she seemed to have dropped any warmth for him.
The two walked into Tertullian's office and looked around. Tertullian looked up at the two and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He stood and nodded to them.
"I am so relieved to see that you two are well. I see the archers were stopped just in time.", Tertullian said smiling. Cicero rubbed the rope burn on his neck gingerly. The archers were stopped just in time. He sighed and walked beside Ursa as she approached the old scholar.
'Tertullian, we need to see the documents dating back to when Commodus first assumed the throne.", Ursa said softly. The scribe raised his brow slightly. "That is, if it's appropriate."
"I suppose I could. Caesar and I were up for the better part of the night going through them. We found some very disturbing records including one that detailed Marcus Aurelius giving an order to have The Spaniard Maximus's family killed. Apparently, Marcus wanted Maximus to take the throne instead of Commodus.", Tertullian said. "It's sad really. Even after the man died he still seems to be making the boy's life miserable."
Cicero and Ursa looked at one another in amazement. Cicero turned back to Tertullian quickly.
"You have documentation of this? Irrefutable evidence?", Ursa asked.
"Of course. I hadn't even heard they were dead, I heard that he deserted the legions in Germania and went on a rampage until he was captured in one of the provinces.", Tertullian said looking at the two of them inquisitively. "Then again, stories like that are often spread without anything to back them up. Fortunately for me, I have the opportunity to prove everything I say."
Cicero looked down at Ursa in slight shame. She smiled back up at him with her momentary triumph glowing in her eyes. Cicero cleared his throat.
"Where is the emperor now?", he asked. Tertullian looked at him in confusion.
"You haven't heard? He and Maximus are to fight to the death in the arena.", Tertullian explained. Ursa let out a tiny shriek at the thought of Commodus being dispatched mercilessly. Even though his body was testimony to the fact that the young monarch was a capable fighter, Maximus was bigger and more experienced in combat. Cicero could clearly see the worry in his baby sister's face. He took hold of her shoulders and spoke quietly to her.
"Stay here. I'm going to go and talk to Maximus.", Cicero instructed.
"I doubt that the Praetorians would allow you out of the palace after you were accused of treason.", Ursa argued.
"I can get past them. It shouldn't be too difficult since you'll be shouting at them that an attacker ran away from where I am headed. Once they're distracted, I'll put as much of a stop to this as I can.", Cicero said kissing her forehead gently. "Now go out into the hall and get to it."
Ursa nodded and immediately ran out of the room. The Praetorians watched as she began screaming. "Assassin! Guards! A murderer is on the loose and he just ran that way!", she shouted akwardly. They stared at her in confusion. She stared back in frustration. Then again, even she had to admit that the palace guards had probably been tricked by this maneuver many times before. She heaved a sigh and went back into the archives. After a moment, she appeared in the hallway and smiled. She and Cicero walked down the halls and into the women's quarters. Cicero managed to get past the women without any trouble as Ursa led the way over to the secret passage. The part of the palace that the other door led to was free of any guards that had been ordered to keep an eye on the two siblings. She wished her brother luck and watched him leave through the door at the top of the stairs. None of the guards noticed as Cicero walked through the door and strode down the hallway. He was glad that his life didn't rest in the hands of these men. It was hard to see how Commodus had managed to elude the few attempts that had been made on his life with slackers like these. Cicero hurried out of the palace and found the quickest route to the colosseum.
As he arrived, he heard the shouts and cries of the thousands of patrons that called for bloodshed. He raced into the stands and ran to the edge. He ignored the comments, insults, and threats as he looked over the edge of the wall. Commodus dropped to his knees as Maximus raised his sword and readied to deliver a deathblow. Cicero felt his heart stop. If Commodus died, Ursa would be heartbroken for eternity. Not to mention that Cicero felt partially responsible for this. He should never have remained involved in the cause after discovering that the majority of them wanted to assassinate the emperor. He should never have agreed to allow Ursa to be given to the emperor in the first place. Now was not the time for regret. He had to stop this before it was too late. He looked at the crowd around him. There was only one way to ensure that Maximus would hear him and be forced to comply with not ending Commodus. He put his hand out in a fist, slamming it down on the marble repeatedly.
"Live, live, live, live!", he shouted. The rest of the crowd around him began to join in. The stands came to life with patriotic citizens shouting for the sparing of thier emperor's life. Most of them gave the symbolic thumb's up to Maximus, who simply stared back in disbelief. He noticed Cicero among them and glared inuisitively at him. Cicero continued his chant. "Live, live, live, live!"
Maximus looked down at Commodus. The young ruler looked down at the sands and remained unmoving. Maximus sighed heavily. If Cicero was all for keeping him alive, then there had to be a good reason. He sighed and spoke as loudly as he could to the troubled monarch.
"Caesar, don't you hear them?", he asked. Commodus looked up at him for a moment. "I can't do this here. I want you dead, there's no doubt about that, but your people would never stand to see you done away with. At least not while Cicero is able to get into the crowd."
Commodus looked up. His eyes filled with awe and wonder. He stood slowly, turning and gazing at all of the patrons that cheered for his life. They wanted him to live. He breathed sharply and swayed a little. Maximus caught him by the arm and threw down his sword. The crowd roared with applause. Commodus smiled. Perhaps there was a possibility that the people loved him. He turned back to Maximus.
"There's something you need to see, Maximus.", he said quietly. Maximus nodded and motioned for them to leave. He could always finish off the little worm later. Right now he needed to find out what was going on in Cicero's mind and what had happened to Ursa. Commodus took one last opportunity to enjoy the praise of his people. This was wonderful. Now, to set things right with Maximus and weed out the true traitors that served senator Gaius.