Chapter 24: Waking From The Nightmare
Commodus fought madly through the tangible black field that surrounded him. The pain in his abdomen burned violently every moment. He felt strength and determination welling with each mad twist of his unresponsive body. He finally felt every ounce of courage and power culminate into one loud scream of frustration. He sat bolt upright and shouted loudly. He panted and tried to regain his thoughts, sweat dripping from his chiseled form. He inhaled deeply and reached instinctively for the wound. He felt a mixture of relief and confusion at feeling nothing but warm flesh; no wound and no bandaging. He had been dreaming. It had felt more real than any other dream, and how terrible it was. He calmed himself and found solace in the fact that he was alive, well, and unscathed save for the numerous scuffs and scratches all over his arms, legs, and torso. The few marks on his face were relatively unnoticeable as well. He sighed and looked out of the enormous window at the end of the magnificent room. The sky was turning slightly orange. He smiled. The sun was rising and he was not only alive, but about to make everything right with Ursa. Once the assassins had been discovered and arrested (senator Gaius included), then he could announce to the senate that Ursa was his wife. He climbed out of bed and began to dress quickly. The doors burst open and Quintus flew in. The young captian looked as though he had been attacked by a phantom.
"Caesar, something terrible has happened!", Quintus exclaimed in one breath. Commodus had never seen the young man so afraid and upsetted before. He walked over to him quickly and looked closely into his eyes. "There's been an uprising. There are many men that claim loyalty to the senate rather than the royal family. Half of the military and the Praetorian guard have rallied with Senators Gaius and Falco, and they are marching into the capital!"
"How did that happen!?!", Commodus shouted in a high-pitched squeak. Quintus breathed deeply.
"Last night, Falco and the ones that had spoken against your father's decisions in the wars as well as your decisions to give back much of the conquered lands to the barbarians took Senator Gaius and your sister from the prisons. They've been planning to assume control under one of the senators or another for some time now. Now they have a powerful leader, a cause, and your sister as a hostage.", Quintus said nervously. "Sire, I think you should flee with senator Gracchus and a few servants. We could very easily get you to safety."
Commodus looked away and thought quickly about the best course of action. He couldn't run away from the throne like that. If Falco or Gaius siezed control then the people would suffer greatly and the empire would all but collapse. It would be a living nightmare more terrifying than the one he had just endured. He heaved a sigh and turned back to Quintus. He had enjoyed the privelege in Germania of seeing the men in action and where their loyalties usually laid. He smiled. The majority of them were unquestionably loyal to Maximus. He had that to his advantage. He turned to Quintus and smiled a little.
"Go to the servant's quarters and retrieve Maximus. Bring him to me at once.", he said firmly. Quintus bowed immediately and hurried out of the room. Commodus sat down at his desk after dressing fully and began to look over the scrolls that he had found in the archives that had been written in Gaius's hand. Indeed, it seemed that Gaius had been interacting with the higher-ups in the military and giving them limitless freedoms for sometime. Some of the edicts issued stated that any soldier who arrested a traitor was to be given the property and belongings of the person arrested. This made the young emperor furious. It was no wonder people like Cicero and Maximus had felt that he was a monster. He looked over the documents again. Falco hadn't written any of them, but the devious old snake had been keen on Commodus using the Praetorians as a more fierce 'kingmaker' in the capital. Gaius must have had the loyalties of the regiments while Falco commanded the Praetorians. He growled and started to roll the documents back into their original shapes and tied them back with string. A moment later, Tertullian burst into the room. Commodus looked up in time to see the old scholar advance angrily on him and again begin to pelt him in the head with a large roll of parchment. Commodus was stunned for a brief second and then began to dodge and crawl away from the raging scribe.
"What in the name of every sacred relic in the temple of Apollo is wrong with you? You stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid boy!", Tertullian exclaimed between smacks.
"Tertullian... what... I... what is... Tertullian... Stop it!", Commodus yelled as he finally got away from the academic assault. Tertullian followed him as he slunk behind his bed. "What on earth are you talking about?!"
"I asked Ursa if you managed to patch things up with her and save her brother. She told me that you did all of that and then reminded her that she was simply a new bedwarmer for you!", Tertullian said as he advanced on the young royal. Commodus scooted away and continued to shout defensively at the old man.
"Stop attacking me! I didn't say that. She said that she needed to go and see about her brother. I playfully replied that since she was now a concubine I could order her to stay with me.", Commodus argued. Tertullian stopped moving and stared at him blankly. Commodus waited for a few moments, making sure that the old man wasn't going to bludgeon him with his document again. When he was sure that the old man was calmed enough, he began to stand up slowly. He looked at the old man, still standing behind his bed. "I meant it playfully, but I think she felt I said something wrong."
"Really? Do you really think that, Commodus?", Tertullian asked.
"Well, not last night; but after you barged in here I began to have more than a few doubts about the way I behaved.", Commodus said as he began to inch out from behind the bed. Tertullian walked over to the young man slowly.
"Oh, good. Then I was successful!", Tertullian said raising his voice into a shout as he began clobbering the poor youth again. Commodus tried defending himself from the old man by grabbing the scroll, but Tertullian was far too quick. "You bumbling little fool! I gave you your lessons! Every time you mess things up it reflects poorly on my limitless talents! Stop talking before you have a moment to think about what you're saying!"
"Tertullian stop attacking me!", Commodus shouted and finally grabbed the scroll from the young man. Tertullian stopped and stared at the young emperor in shock. "I meant it playfully. Ursa will have surely realized that by the afternoon. After that, she and I can move on with the passions we have for one another."
"Then you aren't going to apologize?", Tertullian said hintingly.
"No.", Commodus said in confusion. Tertullian nodded and let go of the scroll. Instead, he began smacking the young ruler fully on the back of the head with an open palm. Commodus stumbled backwards away from the angry scribe and raced over to his desk. "Tertullian, if you strike me once more I will summon the whole of the eighth regiment and have you removed from more than my chambers!"
"Go to her and explain what you truly meant by what you said and apologize for being an ass.", Tertullian instructed. Commodus glared at him. Tertullian moved closer to the young man. "And get started now. If I'm going to be arrested then by thunder I'm going to make it worth my while!"
"Tertullian, I do not have time to go and speak with her! An army has gathered at the ready to attack the capital. Two senators and half of the military and palace guards are out there ready to invade the city and kill me! Worse, my sister is their hostage and I can only imagine the atrocities she is enduring as we speak!", Commodus exclaimed. "I can't simply drop everything and have a long heart to heart with my wife!"
Tertullian raced over to the young man. Commodus scrambled to get away from him as he approached. Tertullian took hold of his sleeve and lifted him to his feet. He looked at him in amazement.
"What did you say?", Tertullian exclaimed. Commodus frowned and turned a soft shade of red. "Did you call her your wife?"
"I was planning on having it announced in the senate two days ago, but there have been some complicated events happening lately.", Commodus said very quietly. "I haven't told anyone, not even her. I can't afford for anyone to know. If this gets out, then Gaius and Falco will go after her before they continue with their seemingly endless assualt on my life. They would do it slowly and out of spite."
"Agreed, but you have to do something to let the girl know that you feel more than carnal intensity for her.", Tertullian said. "Go and speak with the men that are still loyal to you and get things started in the counterattack. Then you have to and make things right with her immediately."
"There won't be a counterattack, Tertullian. A move like that would mean civil war, an all out domestic bloodbath. I cannot allow that to happen! I've sent for the aid of Maximus, I have something to discuss with him, Quintus, and senator Gracchus.", Commodus said sternly. "Until the battle, or whatever occurs, is over; I can't put my own selfish needs and feelings above my people."
"You've had no problem with it in the past.", Tertullian corrected.
Commodus glared at him. "For your information, I have done a lot of maturing since I first had priveleges in power five years ago.", Commodus corrected. "Now go and make yourself useful, go and summon Gracchus for me."
"Very well, sire. Just bear in mind that while the empire can survive even while teetering on the edge, a young girl's heart cannot.", Tertullian remarked.
"Stop being melodramactic! I know what I'm doing. This has to be resolved immediately.", Commodus argued. "Just go and do as I've told you."
Tertullian scoffed and walked away indignantly. Commodus watched, shaking his head. He was getting fed up with several things that had started being commonplace as of late; Ursa running off in tears, Lucilla and the other senators lying to him, and Tertullian clobbering him with whatever was on hand. All of it had to stop. He hoped he had a steadfast answer to all three that would be effectual within the day. He sighed and began to pace, waiting for Maximus.