The Sword of Jupiter (Imperium #1) - Epilogue

It took hours to round up the survivors and a full day to remove all of the bodies in the streets. Thankfully, there had been little damage outside of the palace, since all of the fighting had been either inside the palace building itself or in the plains outside of the city.

“How bad is it?” the Emperor asked when Ky rode through the barriers now surrounding the palace complex and to the small gathering on the steps of the palace.

Faenius hadn’t taken any chances, despite the surrenders, and had his men erect wooden fortifications around the entire complex. The only armed men allowed inside were praetorians, since in the final tally about a fifth of the city guard had joined the attacking forces. Everyone, even Ky, was stopped and checked on the way inside the secure area. Ky was impressed with the efficiency of it, and it spoke well to the ability of the praetorians to protect the security of the Empire in the long run.

“Bad, although it could have been worse. We lost about a thousand men in total, mostly among the Seventh, which hit both the First and Second Legions head-on, holding them in place until the Ninth Legion and the Picts could get around. The Third and the Fifth both came in through the city and were the ones who actually lifted the siege of the palace. By the time the Seventh broke off two cohorts into the city itself, they’d already cleared the other side of the palace, although they hadn’t reached us yet, because of the collapse.”

“Yes. Although I understand why you did it, they’re telling me it won’t be repaired for months, probably not until the summer.”

“At the time it seemed like the thing to do. We were being pressed from both sides of the forum and we needed to concentrate our forces.”

“Like I said, I understand. How about the losses among the rebels?”

“That’s a lot worse. They lost about thirty-five hundred men in total, mostly to the Picts, who hit them hard from a third direction after they were already engaged on two sides. It wasn’t a complete envelopment, but it was close. They’re going through the men now and figuring out which ones can be absorbed by other legions and which ones will have to be held. By the time we get this sorted out, it’ll be spring and we’ll be up against the Carthaginians.”

“That’s almost a full legion, across both forces.”

“Yes. It’s not good. We needed those men, although Eborius had already made it clear he didn’t plan on participating in our plan, so in the end, we might actually have more soldiers in the field.”

“Speaking of Eborius?”

“Died in combat leading his legion into the Seventh. They found his body an hour ago. Pius still lives, although he took a bad blow to the head.”

“What about the ring leaders?”

“We got most of them, at least those we know about such as Silo, Mutilus, and Spurius. There’s also other news.”

“Ramirez told me a few minutes ago. Have you found him?”

“No. There are reports that Caesius fled as soon as the Seventh started to engage the First Legion. I think he saw the writing on the wall when they didn’t capture you right away. All indications point to your son being the ringleader. Silo hasn’t talked, but Spurius started offering information for his life as soon as we took him. He also suggests that your son has been in contact with the Carthaginians directly.”

“I can’t believe he’d do this.”

“I think it goes further than that,” Ramirez said. “I haven’t said anything yet, because we’re still interrogating the ring leaders, but I am pretty sure he was behind your poisoning. Clovius took poison when we went to bring him in, after learning about your son.”

Despite his renewed vigor from the medical nanites when Ky first arrived, the Emperor looked old and broken.

“I need to rest.”

“We’ll find him, your majesty,” Ramirez said.

The Emperor just nodded and leaned on his daughter, who gave Ky a worried look before helping her father off.

“He’s taking the news badly,” Ramirez said to Ky when the Emperor had left.

“You warned me I was pushing too hard, changing too many things. I know you had said it might come to civil war, but I hadn’t expected it to happen so fast, especially with the Carthaginian threat hanging over us.”

“It would have happened either way. Remember the attempt on the Emperor’s life happened before you arrived, and I get the impression from Spurius that Caesius’s betrayal to the Carthaginians happened long before that. I would bet he’s who told them about Lucilla’s journey to the Glevum, and how to find them.”

“If we find him, I want him brought back alive, to answer for his crimes.”

“If he is working for the Carthaginians, then he probably ran all the way to Londinium. We won’t get our hands on him any time soon.”

“We’ll get there, eventually. I told the Emperor I would bring Rome through this, and I meant it. We’ll beat back their army, we’ll kick them off of Britannia, and we will make sure they never threaten Rome again.”

“As you say, Consul,” Ramirez said with a slight bow of his head.

To Be Continued …