De Foedis et Imperiis (1)

I was correct in giving a minuscule amount of faith in Morgan's common sense and intelligence.

Despite my unwillingness to let her leave the punishment that I had set for her, I hadn't exactly planned out the way I wanted to exert the state of isolation I wanted her to be living with. The harsher it was, the higher the chances she was going to actually plan to kill herself in the near future. Something that really defeated the purpose of punishment and something that I just couldn't decide on my own without having to mend several important messes that decision would make. I couldn't nor did I want to grace her with a lenient punishment, and so I knew that the only way for her to actually give herself the chance of a decent isolation was for her to give up something that made her dangerous and worthy of that maximum security protocol.

The trial itself was one I had created through what I could remember of current processes and those I was more familiar with through my timeline. There was a judge, a cast of jurors and some soldiers and Magus set to avoid any issues within the courtroom.

Representatives from the guilds and the nobility were called to watch the event unfold, and I had allowed Ria to send some of her own representatives to watch the little spectacle unfold. The massive room picked for this purpose was big enough to house the people tied to this and more. There was an ample space between the counter where the chosen judge was sitting behind and the small chair where the prisoner was brought to. Morgan was far from her best shape, but definitely in a healthy one as she seemed to have a plan. A plan that was definitely driven by her need of survival rather than anything malicious. There was no purpose for someone like her in hurting others when her best shot here was to make a sacrifice and hope it was good enough to warrant a bargain over the intensity of the punishment.

As soon as the woman was brought to the stand, the trial officially started as the judge introduced himself and thanked me for giving him that seat. It wasn't a decision I made lightly, especially since the guy I chose was an old scholar with ties to the old Roman juridical system.

Attilius Modicus was coming close to hit his 70s, which was an absurd record considering the life expectancy of this era. He was old, but he was no senile or demented elder with no understanding of what he was doing here. He styled a few rules during the last years of the Roman Administration before retiring to private life and enjoying a peaceful life as a 'simple peasant'. I had to personally pick him out of his home much to the opposition of his son, and eventually had to convince him that I really wanted someone with that experience for that case.

In the end, he bowed his head when I exert my will as heir of Rome. That was something that was quickly becoming as handy as incredibly worrying if left unchecked for too long. It was good to flex to romephiles about my ascension through a reformed Roman system. It was no empire, and it definitely took the least from Rome as a whole, but it was still a civilized nation compared to those cultures ruled by 'Barbaroi' that wanted to keep the lands they invaded from the Western Roman Empire by recognizing themselves as Roman Kingdoms.

He was wary of the fact he was supposed to handle the case of a legitimate magic user, but he seemed convinced and trusting of the level of security that was placed down to protect him, the jurors and the rest of the occupants of that room. Once the 'roll call' was over, it was time for the man to bring forth the accusations leveled onto Morgan.

Manslaughter, assassination attempts against innocents and nobles, torture and mutilation of innocents and nobles, use of magic for malicious intents and the will of harming those around her. The accusations were repeated twice, to bring up the fact these crimes were committed both by the person herself or by her order through indirect means. The murmuring of the various representatives grew the more the list kept on expanding. The trial was starting by portraying her in an unpleasant light, something that an attorney would have had serious trouble facing in that moment. And right now Morgan couldn't rely on one since I had decided against bringing forth lawyers into this.

Why? Well, I doubted anyone with a good reputation would have wanted to put himself on the line to save Morgan, no matter the rewards behind accomplishing such a feat. Which is why I was just waiting for her to finally 'bail' herself out of that position. There was only a single choice, one that she knew the possibilities of if she didn't want to spend the rest of her long life without human contact. It was kind of a dick move from my part, but someone had to do it to ultimately neutralize her for good.

I was waiting for her to say something once the accusation list was finally concluded so the next step of the trial could begin. Yet the blonde kept quiet as she silently gazed over the judge and the jurors. It was an interesting tactic that left me slightly perplexed. Was Morgan trying to die? It could have been a possibility, one that wouldn't make any sense considering her reaction back in her cell.

The next step of the process was actually something I stole from what I had studied about the sessions of the Roman Senate. To be more specific, the bits where speeches were used to bring forth a decision out of the witnesses, to establish a situation and try to convey the truth as a tool against their opponents. Attilius was no Cicero when it came to this kind of dialogue, but he wasn't inexperienced about this thanks to the fair share of situations that required him to make compelling cases.

And a compelling case he made.

I wasn't really expecting someone that old to be able to articulate a speech so direct, so blunt, but also polite and respectful. All the venom was aimed at the faults of the person, not the person itself. It was aimed at her willingness to perpetrate those crimes, not at anything tied to her sense of being. It wasn't against magic, it was against the use the woman got with it.

It was a long round that eventually concluded with Attilius glaring at the blonde as she remained mostly impassive through the entire scolding he was handling through his speech. Only a few noticed that something was indeed happening with Morgan through the speech. Maybe it was her pregnancy making her less capable of withstanding such a spiel without her composure cracking at times, but it was clear to me, just like it was for Marcus Altuos and the twins that the woman was thoughtful about the entire situation. Her gaze didn't move away even for just a moment, there was no hint of curiosity that could suggest she was interested in looking around, to watch familiar faces and study the matter even more. It was a forced reaction, but one that easily pointed out at the fact she was doing it on purpose.

It was the first step needed for her to manage to get through this. She had to appear the least dangerous, the less mastermind-y as possible. Still, as the jurors started to draw their conclusions and the judge prepared to pass the final sentence, Morgan decided to finally speak up. And she finally revealed the little trick that could have spared her from the worst.

"Your… honor, I wish to request a bargain."

Attilius paused in the imposition of the shared judgment, surprised by this development. He spared her a ludicrous look before glancing at me in confusion. I merely nodded, knowing what she was planning to offer, and so I waited for her to do it. With still some reservations, the old man paused for a moment to think about this.

"Speak your mind, but I will remind you that any behavior like this shall be punished and if your 'bargaining' isn't essential to the case, I shall deliver a harsher punishment myself as per my mandate."

She bowed her head at this, and soon she continued.

"I've been told by… legitimate sources that I have the option to request a slight modification to the punishment I might receive. It wouldn't change it in its general nature, but lessen the extreme elements tied to it. I wish to bargain about this by offering something that will be of great importance to secure this kind of deal," She slowly stood up, staring straight at the judge with a serious face. "I, Morgan Pendragon, am willing to sign a magical geas to cease the use of magic against innocents, and to also be unable to use any of it during the time period tied to my punishment."

...She did it.

It wasn't exactly the extreme bit I was expecting, having thought she would have actually forfeited magic, but it was still a good enough bargain as far as I could tell. It meant I had Morgan neutralized when it came to possible prison breaks caused by some of her former loyalists. It was a big shot but… it was only a precaution I had to adopt. One that I had to gain by forcing her hand. Sometimes it was best to deprive a mad soldier of their weapon and armor so they can't hurt themselves and others.

Attilius was still surprised by this situation, but he managed to recover faster than he did previously. He spared me another look and I nodded again, this time his suspicions dropping as he realized that I had predicted this. I knew that she was going to take this route just for the sake of being spared from the worst kind of life. A life without a chance of personal fulfillment, of joy, of even the simplest bit of happiness.

It was a horrible move I had to take, but not one I did without thinking nor gauging the moral element behind it. Morgan had to be subjected to a strong form of punishment, it was only up for her if she wanted the worst or the best out of this circumstance she was in. Judgement was soon passed, with the jurors actually going through my request to evaluate this bargain when it was supposed to happen. I was glad that none seemed to stand against my idea, perhaps accepting my 'wisdom' in this case and seeing the reasoning behind my indirect control over this faux trial.

Part of me was disappointed that the first pseudo-modern trial I created wasn't actually a legitimate one by all definitions. I was in charge of it, and I had used it to wrestle an unbreakable agreement out of Morgan when it comes to her use of magic. It was the ultimate deterrent against her in case she actually grew interested in revenge against us and… a good way to catch some rest at night as I knew now that she wasn't going to hurt herself through magic.

Not until she had an innocent inside her that would be hurt by her self-harm, that is.

The marriage between me and Myasviel was one of the main events that accentuated my process of reorganization within the vast kingdom I controlled and also a consolidation of what a few were doubtful would have persisted beyond my death.

One thing that many easily remembered about Rome that was long lost was the adoptive inheritance that the Emperors of old tended to use once the dynastic families stopped to matter in the old Empire. It was a tradition that was rightfully discarded due to how easy it was for corruption to exist within the lecture of the last wills and how it was known how the Praetorian Guards were known to use their closeness to the Emperor to create a system that favored bribery and the selling of the title of Emperor.

It was something so disappointing that it was clear that no good monarch would have wanted to see that restored. Which is why the creation of new stable dynasties was needed to create a proper heir to the throne. An heir I was meant to produce through Mya and… that's where the real trouble actually started. While I was eager to expand the family, I still had my doubts as I went through the process of securing that.

The wedding was monumental for anything that had happened in the Isles in the last few decades, with many nobles and representatives being invited and summoned to be part of the event itself. I took my chances in picking an affordable but expensive outfit for the marriage, allowing Mya to pick her own at her own leisure and desire. She was giddy, eager to try out the possible dresses that would better suit her personality, her frame and her joy at this important day in her life.

I was incredibly nervous as I waited at the altar. I decided to respect the tradition that the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride's dress until the ceremony itself. And when I saw Mya being led through the central path by Altuos, I… I felt all the responsibility of this relationship fall onto my back, but actually not burdening me as I waited with awe at her beauty.

She had picked a white dress, but it was one styled differently than anything I had imagined. Heck, I had been surprised that Felicianus hadn't minded the revealing bits of her upper section. She was wearing a set of white gloves that reached her elbows, a flowery headset over her head, reminding me of the crown of flowers we tended to make a while back. Her skirt reached down to her lower knees. If before I had my uneasiness, now I had nothing but pride and love for the beauty before me.

I held back a happy sigh, knowing that I had to keep quiet and not ruin her moment. I could tell she was happy and so excited by the bright smile on her face, by the dazzling glint coming from her eyes. I waited for her arrival and soon the ceremony proper started. Felicianus was more than happy to go through the procedure, which I realized was shorter than the one I was familiar with. I hadn't studied much about the wedding practices in this specific era, but I really thought that there were just minor differences to it. In this case, the major element that differentiate it from the weddings I was more accustomed with was the fact that the pledges were shorter but more solemn. I really felt the tension as I went through my part and then Mya went through hers.

Despite all the concerns I had in those trying moments, I was eventually given relief in the form of the solemn bit coming to an end when the two big questions were dropped and… I felt my surroundings disappear for a moment as I found myself staring right at her red eyes, my focus aimed right at her as I allowed this to happen.

"I do," I muttered quietly, Felicianus smiling as he turned to Mya to ask her the similar question.

A blink, her smile widened.

"I do."

"Then by the powers granted to me by the Lord, I bless you as husband and wife," The holy man announced, his gaze back at me. "You may kiss your bride, your majesty."

There was no hesitation, and she didn't doubt it. I leaned in, my hands carefully grasping her face as I captured her in that kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck, further cementing the union we just made official.

The world exploded in a loud applause, with all the guests rejoicing at the sight as the ceremony was now complete… and the banquet started just after that. It was a long feast for all dignitaries, and eventually we managed to pull off a brilliant afternoon before ultimately 'end the day'. With dinner planned out earlier than usual as per mutual decision between us, we found ourselves at bed even earlier than previous days.

It was clear that I had a little duty to go through, and Mya was… actually fascinated by it all. I had my expectations about her. I knew she was energetic, her magic gave her a good boost, but she was supposed to be far from managing to keep up with my stamina. I still hoped to do my best.

Those were my expectations. The next morning, I was sore in all spots as I had been completely 'mauled' by the little surprise that the girl had planned out for me. While I was well-aware that she had spent her time training her magic with Altuos, I was completely unaware that Scathach had decided to give her something else to work on too. At first it was just magical training, then it was a workout meant to bolster her stamina.

What I would have imagined being a few hours-session turned into something way longer than predicted. We went to bed at seven, and I was hoping that it was going to end a little after midnight. Thing was that our night lasted until five of the next morning. I was completely caught off-guard, pleasantly so, by her dedication, determination and her eagerness for the entire situation.

But while I couldn't help but be glad that this was my wife and she was a kind lady, my body knew I had found a worthy reason to resume my training and get my stamina boosted. I knew Scathach would have tried to get back at me for asking to focus less on that section and more elsewhere, I just hadn't expected her to be that devious about it.

The next few days were particularly intense. Not only did I have duties as a husband to attend to my wife whenever she needed assistance with 'something important', but I had to also deal with the situation tied to Morgan's pregnancy soon coming close to end as she was due to deliver Mordred in the matters of days.

Then there was also the entire treaty situation with Ria. I had told her through a letter that I would have brought Mya and she could have brought Guinevere so we could have given a prim and proper display of two kings being cordial due to the circumstances we had set ourselves up for. The 'dual kingdom' idea was on a shaky stand. It wasn't really that weak, but there were many tweaks that had to be adopted at once with the promulgation of a proper treaty to cement our zones of control. I was also planning to give Ria the chance to conquer Ireland if she wanted so, just because I knew she would have had higher chances of assimilating that culture in her kingdom due to her druidistic lineage.

I had a few other ideas that I wanted to share with her, starting with a common fleet and perhaps an annual meeting that we could use either to discuss serious things or do stuff together like friends should. I refused to allow paperwork to keep us apart when now we could enjoy some time together without having to worry about big issues.

…

Well, that was a good perception of things until a big trouble actually materialized in the southern coast. One that, much to my relief, I had been preparing for out of precautions rather than general worry. It all started when I had started to develop cannons. The idea of integrating those in ships had been one of the projects that had been going forward while I had been away from war.

The creation of an advanced maritime force came up back when I handled the Germanic invaders, and had been in my mind from those times. It wasn't an idea I could start working on from the very beginning, but it existed and I didn't let go of it. When my kingdom expanded and acquired resources, the main plan was to create reinforced ships that were meant to represent early versions of Galleons. It was a risky plan, but it all centered around a concept that was still going to be essential in current naval doctrines. Big ships with many cannons and enough firepower to kill any of the modest fleet in the English Channel.

Those were no dreadnoughts, but I was really planning to get the big guns rolling if the push came to shove. I was going to rain hellfire on the morons trying to naval invade the stable kingdom I had created… but for now it was still far from being possible.

When the trouble really started, there were only five ships available. They were undermanned, there were just a quarter each of cannons required for their full operational capacity, and there hadn't been enough exercises to assess the full capacity of the naval officers and sailors assigned to those. Fifteen vessels, fourteen mustering archers and other soldiers, while the rest contained the resources needed to set up a temporary base and create a small port where to draw more reinforcements. I received the news when the battle was over, with the skirmish dragging for six long hours.

Good news? The entire invasion force had been decimated. The bad news? One of our ships ended up burning under the heavy fire-based arrows barrage from three of these ships. Most of the men aboard were rescued, with just six deaths to the count as the defense force retreated back to the closest ports. It was a win, but one that made me realize two things.

We had a serious problem beyond the channel for the Kingdom of Soissons to be this aggressive already and I had to expand the budget for new ships. Another good thing that came out of this situation was that through the reports I received, I could personally assess the value of the officers and prepare a temporary Admiralty of the Navy. It was a big step since I was just starting with some individuals that had done good with their actions and had shown some keen eyes in using the cannons from afar instead of trying to draw maximum efficacy by getting too close to the enemy ships.

Sergius Eburnus, captain of the BRN Vespasian and officer behind the destruction of six ships, was granted the title of Lord Admiral. It wasn't a noble title, but it was recognized as something similar that he had to wear with pride and determination. He was granted an office, his pay was increased and he was given the task of expanding the Navy Staff with people he knew would do well in the various positions that the new department offered. Five more ships were also commissioned, this time the order setting up to fix the rest of the fleet, fill up the missing equipment and manpower and also draw variants that could be used to create new and improved ships. All details had to be studied for the sake of constantly increasing the chances of superiority our navy had to have in the seas surrounding the isles. The other officers were recruited too, but they weren't given the same prestige as their more successful colleague. Their pay was still increased, but I stressed well enough it wasn't the kind of work that would have been inherited by family members.

It was about time I started to place my foot down when it came to the debate between nepotism and meritocracy, and perhaps break the paralysis of the advancement of classes through small but steady steps into a modern society. As these reforms were enforced, I also took this chance to establish a mission with the local Church to send men all over the newly-conquered region and seek to create proper logistical ley lines with these territories. It was time to fully integrate these territories and move as quickly as possible into a modern nation without crashing the entire system in the process.

Not an easy feat, but it was doable.

Regardless of these changes, I had one last thing to do about the Soissons' problem. A strongly-worded letter was penned and sent across the channel, hopefully without seeing the brave messenger's life taken away by whatever deranged bastard was on the other side. I doubted that the tentative succession that I remembered from my timeline was the same as this one. As far as I could tell, there was someone dangerous and worthy of concern on the other side. Something that I wasn't planning to face alone, which was why I had plans to bring this up to Ria once the planned meeting happened.

I was growing aware of the issue one step at the time but… I sure wasn't expecting to learn what was on the other side. The probing assault might have been a failure for the new invaders, but these weren't going to give up without a serious fight. It was all for the sake of their legitimacy as the truest heirs of Rome after all.

Beyond the sea, across the hills and the farmlands of Northern Gallia, a figure grinned over the map of Britannia, an ambitious plan established to subdue the very place Caesar and other emperors failed to tame. A land of resources and manpower, all needed for the true restoration of the Empire. The game was up, and while the first move was countered, the second and third one were already taken for the next skirmish…