Chapter VI - We must start now!

Curia Nat, Raecum, Oriens

Third week of the first month de of 576

"What is he doing here!"

Days after the talk with Arcadio, the Senate ceded the Curia to the council so that they could discuss the preparation of the capital, however, they could not stand the idea of having one of the senators present at their meeting.

"He can't be here!"

The councilors kept throwing food and garbage at him, the closest ones were hitting him to get him out, but to no avail, as he did his best to face the mob.

"Gentlemen, please," Tito Lépido, praefectus of Raecum and leader of the council, tried to calm down the crowd infuriated by the presence of the man with beautiful orange eyes and blond hair. "Calm down, here, Senator Augusio Cepion Cepion, was sent as a mere listener of the actions we will take."

"Of course, then he will go as a toad to the Senate to tell them what we are talking about so that they can handle it at their convenience!" Shouted Subrio Fronton, general of the legions stationed in the capital, who was fed up with the senators doing their best to deny the projects of welfare to the population and improvement of the army proposed by the council.

"Yes, he is right!" In support, Cacio Céler, the man in charge of the hospital in Raecum, stood up. "Remember that they denied us to send doctors and food to Karatázar to help them in the serious situation they were in after the floods they suffered!"

"Yes, yes, let's impale him!" Carnifex Ferox, the executioner in charge of executions in the capital, gave the idea, holding Cepion's arm tightly.

The men rushed at Augusio, knocking him to the ground and beating him in the process.

Tito watched the scene before his eyes stunned, he could not believe how far the hatred of the Senate had reached, to the point of inflicting a beating on a man who was trying, as far as possible, to stay away from the tyrannical influence of the senators.

'What do I do now? Ah, I know,' he thought. On his face he drew a playful smile, to which, without hesitation, he uttered:

"Yes, indeed, we are the bitches of the viceroyalty."

The mob stopped in an instant, their hunting gazes turned to Tito, who was standing in the center of the room with his hands behind his back, looking at everyone over his shoulder, with disgust, intentionally.

Seeing that smug attitude, they tried to pounce on him, ignoring that he was their leader and leaving Cepion aside.

"Don't even think of laying a finger on me! It was necessary for them to stop behaving like animals, what's wrong with them?!"

The men stopped and bowed their heads at his bad behavior.

Tito turned to Augusio, giving him a small bow.

"He will apologize for the inconvenience, I will take care of the hospital bills."

Still dazed by the blows, Augusio just nodded his head, thanking him inwardly.

"I ask you, please, take your seats, believe me, it won't take long."

He twisted his lip, looking around at everyone present.

Seeing his slightly pleading expression, they obeyed his words, but not before giving withering glances to Augusio, who kept his head down.

He seemed to be thinking, even if he was not involved, in the bad actions taken by the Senate. It got to the point that the people believed that everyone, without exception, were abusive and intoxicated with power, so they beat him.

-There are only two proposals gentlemen, you will vote whether to accept them or not.

The councilors looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"At the request of the Senate..."

"Come on!" Subrio stood up again, his face was reddened, he could not believe how now it was the senators who were asking them for things.

"Please, Fronton, let me finish."

At Tito's words, those present turned to Subrio, making his veins stand out with anger at the now indifference with which they looked at him.

However, given the pressure, he could not complain more, without further ado, resuming his seat.

"I said... At the request of the Senate, we must build a wall completely surrounding the capital."

They looked sideways at Augusio, for the first time the senators were thinking of something more than keeping their pockets full?

"And the last one, which is already mine," Cepion looked up with a frown. "I think we should send supplies and levies to the poorer populations near the borders with Afriki and Asians, so they have something to defend themselves with."

Augusio wanted to protest, however, he remembered the words Tito used to defend him: [he was sent as a mere listener], a somewhat impolite way of putting it, but it was true, he could not utter a complaint.

Adding that he did not want to take another beating.

After all, it was not something that concerned him that much.

Whether or not to take such action was under the jurisdiction of the Senate.

Asking for the reinforcement of the capital from the council was a mere cover, it cost the senators nothing to force them by force, but they wanted the council to think that they were taking their opinions into account, thus preventing them from joining the mob against their interests, taking advantage of the instability that would be generated in the Empire by the war.

"As you know," Tito continued, "we don't have time to count papers, so we'll keep it simple... Raise your hand those in favor of the petitions!"

And without even hesitating, all present raised their arms, waving them and shouting:

"So be it! So be it!"

In the midst of the shouts, Augusio got up from his seat, not bearing the scandal, with the intention of leaving the room to inform Tricosto Rufo as quickly as possible, cautiously, about what had been discussed at the meeting.

"Augusio Cepion!" Tito stopped him, making the one called turn to look at him out of the corner of his eye. Remember that there is no magister left to hold the legions together.

He paused.

"There isn't even an Empire as such anymore! Crásico betrayed us! And no, Nobilior doesn't count as one, he's only in charge of defending the border with Afriki. They didn't want to appoint him magister per orientem because of course... How are they going to put in power someone the senators hate with all their being?"

"What are you getting at?" Augusio finally spoke, tired of all the detours Tito was making, it seemed that he was trying to delay him.

"I want you to warn the senators, they should be careful in handling what we have talked about here... There are many rulers in the region, leaders of more than one legio, and there are very few who support the Senate. Besides we have the armies of Subrio here who will not hesitate to give us aid."

"Hey," Augusii narrowed his eyes at Tito's hints. "Is it me... Or are you threatening the Senate?"

"Interpret it as you wish, they have been warned."

He gave him a last glance, before turning and heading to the central table to collect his papers.

"Gentlemen, you may now retire, the session is over."

The men stood up, pronouncing:

"For the Nintu," Together with a small bow.

As they made their way to the exit, they looked sideways at Augusio with big mocking smiles from ear to ear, making him understand what they were trying to tell him:

[Let the Senate beware, because hardly anyone supports them anymore]