Chapter 26: The Confession of Gracchus
Ursa crept out of her quarters as Maximus and Quintus were going about their tasks and Cicero was leaving Commodus's quarters. She approached her brother immediately as soon as both of them wear clear of the hallway near the imperial bedchamber. She looked up at him. He looked to be a mixture of angry, sad, relieved, and frustrated. She examined his eyes for a moment.
"Cicero, what is troubling you?", Ursa asked softly. He shook his head, trying to forget the words that he and the emperor had just exchanged. He sighed and took Ursa's hands in his.
"Nothing, little bear. Are we alright, you and I?", he asked looking into her eyes. She smiled and nodded. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Commodus has decided to try and rally the men of the capital to help fend off the army outside the city. It may or may not work. I think it would be best for you to take Lucius and hide back in our home."
"Did Commodus agree to that?", she asked. He looked away for a moment.
"I haven't suggested it to him yet. Personally, Gracchus and I feel that he should simply go and hide for a few days and have assassins sent out to Gaius and Falco.", Cicero explained. "Both he and Lucius are in terrible danger. Not to mention that Lady Lucilla is probably being tortured or worse right now."
"Has no one gone to try and retrieve her?", Ursa said in frustration.
"Who could? Everyone with the ability is needed here at the palace to protect the little whelp on the throne.", Cicero muttered. "Just go and get Lucius and head out for our home. If he isn't taken away soon, I fear that Gaius and Falco will send someone in secret to kidnap him."
Ursa looked at her brother closely. "You've heard something, haven't you?", she said in a low tone.
"Of course I have, I hear nearly everything in the palace.", Cicero sighed. "There are several rumours floating around about plots against every noble nearby. If Commodus chooses to go through with having the men of the city rally to his side, he may have an all out civil war anyway, but he's not thinking clearly about that."
"Then someone needs to talk with him about that before it's too late.", Ursa said looking at her brother frantically. "There would be hundreds of deaths if war breaks out."
"Who's going to talk with him about it and correct him? You?", Cicero said with a laugh. Ursa glared at him. He groaned and frowned. He still felt incredibly angry with Commodus and put out at the fact that he would have to be aiding in defending his life, but he knew that Ursa would be heartbroken if the little worm died. "I'll send Gracchus to talk with him, then."
"Good. He's seemed to be more adamant than anyone about protecting him and keeping him secure.", Ursa mused. She stopped and thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, Gracchus was the only one who refused to plot against his life. He's been one of the only ones who wanted Commodus to simply be removed and sent to a hiding place near the sea."
"Gracchus has been losing his mind over the years. It happens in the senate.", Cicero said. He patted her shoulder as he walked past and headed towards the senate building. Gracchus, who had been informed of the gathering outside the city a little after the emperor had, agreed to meet with the other senators and try to keep order in case someone had spread rumours or unpleasant news that needed to be kept quiet. It wasn't something Gracchus had ever wanted to do, it certainly wasn't something his morals allowed, but Gracchus seemed to be loyal to the young emperor in a way that no one could explain or understand. It confused Ursa and raised a hundred questions for her to ask the old senator when they were alone together.
Cicero told Gracchus of Commodus's plan as soon as he had finished on the senate floor. Gracchus looked terrified. He had wanted Commodus to leave before this had transpired. He knew firsthand the type of betrayal the young man would face as the years on the throne passed for him, but he couldn't bring himself to give him all of the necessary details. Commodus prided himself on his physical strength and iron will, but Gracchus knew above everyone that the boy had a very tender heart. It was a deadly trait for a Caesar, but perhaps one that could do good for the empire in the end. Gracchus had indeed kept many things from the boy all of his life. He sighed as he walked towards the throne room where Commodus was pacing nervously. It was time to encourage the young monarch to flee. Gracchus walked slowly into the room and watched the young man walking to and fro for a few moments, silent and pensive. The poor boy seemed to be wracked with the anxiety of a novice soldier going into battle. There was no excuse for this kind of worry to be burdening the young emperor at the moment, but fate had played cruelly as of late. Gracchus cleared his throat. Commodus stood still and watched the old man approach. He gave a half smile.
"Senator, forgive me. I am told it is unwise for me to take an evening walk in the gardens, so I feel it best to do it here instead.", Commodus lied quickly. Gracchus shook his head, but remained outwardly emotionless. The worried ruler stared at the old man for a few moments and then walked a few steps towards him. "Gracchus, is something wrong?"
"I have it on good authority that you wish to rally the reserves, retired warriors, and common men to face the enemy at our doorstep.", Gracchus said. Commodus nodded. "Sire, you do realize that this move will not prevent civil war; it will fully encourage it. The men that serve Gaius and Falco are not going to be swayed by the peasants they have already goaded since before you came to power. There isn't a ready option for you except to escape into hiding for a few days and let the rest of us handle what is happening."
Commodus tensed. "You don't think I can handle this. My first real test of character and you are sure that I will fail.", he muttered loudly.
"Sire, listen to me..."
"No! You listen to me! I have been raised hearing that I am a weakling, a failure, and that I will be the downfall of the monarchy!", Commodus began ranting. "I am not a fool; I am not a child; And I am not a weakling!"
"I never said you were!", Gracchus said loudly directly into the young man's face. Both breathed heavily staring at one another in frustration. Commodus noticed something terribly strange in the man's eyes; tears. He took a small step backwards and looked intentively at the old man. "I never chided you, Commodus. As harsh and demeaning as I could be on the senate floor I never stooped to the level that Marcus's friends, family, and guards did. I never derrided you to the point that you wept madly and questioned your necessity to the empire." Commodus squinted at him inqusitively. "At least I pray that I did not. I never wanted to see you hurt. It has happened, and there is nothing I can do to repair it, but I can help you now. For the good of the empire, you must flee to safety."
"Why? What is it to you whether I survive or not? Surely there are several men that could take the crown and do it to your specifics. Why do begin to weep at the thought of my demise, Gracchus?", Commodus said beginning to glare at him. "What else other than the plots against me have you kept from me?"
Gracchus looked up at the young man. There was no garauntee that he would live to see the next year let alone the next day. He sighed and thought about how best to say this. He looked up at the young man and inhaled as deeply as he could.
"Commodus, I love you. I cannot bear the thought of you being killed or suffering like you will at their hands. Please take your nephew and go where we tell you.", Gracchus said. The truth of his motivations still remaining a mystery to the confused emperor. "You can take Ursa with you, you can be together for a while. She'll like that. You'll both be happy."
"I thank you for your concern and adoration, Gracchus. In fact, I thank every citizen for the same love and compassion that they have already shown me recently. But as the emperor, I have the greatest duty to the empire; defending her. If Gaius and Falco have their way, the throne will be destroyed. I cannot allow that to happen.", Commodus said walking towards the throne slowly. "So please, go and join the rest of the anxious citizens in the temples at prayer for my safety and the safety of the empire."
"Please, Commodus. I beg you to do this.", the old man said softly as he inched closer to the throne. Commodus scoffed and turned away. He felt truly betrayed now at thinking the old man had absoloutely no faith in him just like all the others. "Please, my son."
At first, the young Caesar thought this was simply a term of endearment. His thoughts shifted, when Gracchus took his hand and squeezed it tightly, beginning to sob. Commodus turned and looked up at him in shock. Gracchus repeated the last three phrases and began to look desperate. Commodus drew his hand away from the old man and stood, slinking away from him. Gracchus followed, taking hold of the young man's sleeve and continuing to plead to him and referring to him as 'my son'. Commodus tried to simply walk away from him, but was forced to cease the effort to do so when Gracchus grabbed both his shoulders and turned him to face him fully. Commodus stared at the old man in fear and disbelief.
"What is wrong with you!?", Commodus exclaimed trying to push the senator away from him. Gracchus held onto him tightly. "Let go of me! Go away!"
"Hadn't you ever wondered why he didn't want you, but I came and saw to you as a boy!? Did it never strike you as odd that I embraced you while he never even looked at you?! He knew! He must have known!", Gracchus yelled. Commodus felt completely overwhelmed. He tried desperately to move away, but found himself oddly compelled to stay put. It was as if morbid curiosity was trying to scream a hundred questions at the man despite his better instincts. "I should have told you, but I didn't know what it would do to your future. I know that you will do good for Rome, Commodus. I believe in you! I have always believed in you, haven't I?"
"Get away from me!", the young man screamed louder. Gracchus held tighter. "You're upset, Gracchus. You're out of your mind with worry, that's all."
"Don't be daft! You have suspected it all your life. Perhaps not with me being the result of the inquiry, but you knew that Marcus wasn't your father. You had to have known when you came of age.", Gracchus argued. Commodus froze at the sudden realization that the old man was telling the truth. A truth, not to mention, that he hadn't shared with anyone else. Gracchus sighed and smoothed out the cloth at his shoulders before gently laying both hands there and staring deeply into the young man's eyes. "I remember the day I lost your mother. I won't lose you."
"Do not speak about my mother!!", Commodus shouted in rage. Gracchus moved backwards. Commodus was seething with anger. This was a great blow to everything he had come to believe and trust. He had been lied to all of his life if what Gracchus said was true. How dare this buligerant devil say such things about his family! Gracchus had, in times past, hurled insults against the royal family. Though, come to think of it, he had never insulted Anna Faustina or Commodus himself. The young emperor scowled and filled with an even greater anger at realizing that Gracchus had to have been telling the truth. He turned and ripped the crown off his head and hurled it accross the room, screaming at the heavens. "How dare you come in here while I am in such poor spirit and spew such atrocious falsehoods at me, you hateful old man!"
"Commodus I am trying to spare you from..."
"The hell you are! Spare me from what?! There is nothing compassionate about what you have just said, nothing helpful! How dare you!" He flew up to the old man and raised his fist, stopping just as he was about to hit him in the face just as he had done at the bust of his father. He burst into tears and lowered his arm. Gracchus stood completely amazed for a moment, trying to decide what to do next. Commodus sobbed for a few moments, then composed himself and glared at the old man as he wiped his eyes harshly. Gracchus suddenly moved to embrace the young man. "Get out of my sight.", Commodus growled at him. Gracchus froze and looked at him as if he had been stabbed through the heart. "OUT!!!"
Gracchus said nothing, but turned and left. Commodus watched and sunk to the floor. What had happened to his world!? Everything was overturning at a greater degree every hour of every day. He sobbed heavily for a few moments, then tried to gather his strength again. As he stood, the doors to the throne room opened and Galen entered. He walked up to the young emperor and bowed low, looking very worried. Commodus glared at him commandingly.
"Sire, I have discovered the components of that draught as you requested.", Galen said.
"Demanded.", Commodus corrected in a snarl. Galen nodded quickly.
"Of course, sire, as you demanded. I have told you in times past to be cautious of the draughts and embibement you consume with the weakness in your breath.", Galen said. Commodus growled low and stared hatefully at the physician. Galen cleared his throat. "Sire, this is a powerful sleeping draught that was concocted in Gaul. If you consumed it regularly, chances are you would simply fade in your sleep."
Commodus felt every ounce of strength in his muscles boil to the surface, but at the same moment he felt an unnatural calm settle over him. As is common among humans in his predicaments, he didn't quite feel the 'snap' that preceeded this. He inhaled deeply and walked over to his crown, lifting it off the floor and replacing it effortlessly on his head. He turned to Galen and smiled. Galen took a step back. He, above anyone else in the palace, recognized the loss of human inhibition. He began to shake as Commodus approached him slowly and casually passed him. The young emperor felt as calm and collected as ever, perhaps more so. The only logical course of action for him now, would be to simply go outside the city and dispatch Gaius and Falco. They needed to die so that he could talk with his sister. He missed his sister. He clenched his fists slightly as he began to wander out of the palace despite the protests of the guards that stood there. He sighed. He missed his sister so very much. She was the only one that could soothe himChapter