Imperial Intentions

The two gentlemen sat in the main room at the lavish estate of the older of them, senator Daedalus Flaccus. The younger, senator Callias Cento, with alarm, said ‘But why would you want that?’

‘What is there not to understand?’ exclaimed Daedalus angrily. ‘This is our chance! Emperor Salvator has never been weaker!’

‘Yes, I know that, he really has fallen from grace, if he has ever had any, but why would you want to take his place?’

Daedalus' eyes opened wide, as if seeing his interlocutor’s face better would help him understand the meaning of his words. ‘Why would I want to be the most powerful man in the world? Why would I want the position that shall allow me to achieve all I have ever wanted? The security of my family, the honour, the ability to actually change things? To make an impact on history forever?’

‘Well, when you put it like that… But have you not noticed?’

‘Noticed what?’

‘How emperors tend to end up… becoming a part of history quite quickly?’ Callias smiled gently. It was not a happy smile, rather one of bewilderment at the lack of thought his friend had given the idea.

Daedalus looked at him puzzled ‘What do you mean’?

‘How did Emperor Agapetus die?’

‘Killed by the Guard’

‘Two years after taking the position. Emperor Ferox?’

‘Stabbed in the senate…’

‘A year after he started his reign, Emperor Ulricus’

‘Yes, he died after thirty days, but he was very old!’

‘I don’t think that matters when your head is being chopped off’

‘Fine!’ Daedalus spouted. ‘Fine, I get it there have been some emperors recently whose end was unsavory…’

‘We can talk about older ones too. Remember that year when we had 15? How confusing it got? We had an emperor, and whoop, he was gone. At some point we stopped bothering to learn their names’.

Daedalus’ mouth drew a perfectly straight line. Callias, noticing this, closed his slowly. ‘Um… yes, well, you see my point’.

Daedalus sat back, ‘Yes, I do. But you forget we had some glorious ones. Ruling for years, conquering and expanding our territory! Who can forget Emperor Thaddaeus? The man that turned us from a small kingdom into a large powerful force that the entire world fears!’

‘Who was stabbed in the senate and left to bleed out on the steps. I bet the cleaners had never forgotten that’.

‘Shut up!’

The older senator stood up and took a large sip from his wine cup. ‘It is a dangerous job. Which is why Salvator is ill-suited for it. I, on the other hand, can succeed. I can weather the storms of this most high office, I can stand in this den of venomous snakes and I can achieve greatness’. His eyes were staring at the distance through the window, which made the younger senator wonder who exactly was his dangerously inspired friend talking to. Daedalus continued ‘Salvator is at an all time low in his popularity. This is the time to take action’.

Callias stood up and walked slowly towards the hopeful glorious ruler. ‘But so is yours, dear friend’.

‘I got the support of the senate!’

‘You don’t’

‘They are all so nice to me!’

‘You should hear them after you leave. They got nicknames for you’

‘Nicknames? What kind of nicknames?’

‘Not the good kind’

‘Blast them! When I am emperor they will pay! I got the people’

‘You got the people riled up, that’s for sure’

‘Exactly, they will support me toppling down this tyrant’

‘You got them riled up asking for your head. They rioted only three days ago’

‘Oh, it was just a spat, they will get over it’

‘They shouted “Off with the bastard’s head”’

‘Fine! I got the Guard’

‘Yes, you do have money’

Daedalus stepped towards the window, ‘So we have our plan, we contact the captain of the Guard and ask for his support in our efforts to make me emperor. We must now think who will be our greatest threats’

‘You keep saying “our”...’

Callias stopped, left speechless under the gaze of his friend. Failure was the most likely outcome. Daedalus was not exactly much beloved by anyone, apart from Callias himself, who mainly had warm feelings towards the man out of the force of inertia. But his incredible wealth did give him a shot, at least for some short while, to obtain some real power. In such a case an abandonment by a friend would be unlikely to go forgotten, and reprisal would be positively unpleasant. The brevity of Daedalus' rule would be small comfort in a lion’s stomach.

Callias swallowed and in a much more assured-sounding, though slightly shaky, tone continued ‘Of course, you mean you and I, getting you your seat as emperor, threats to that goal we share. Yes, our greatest threats. Melegar, I believe, will be one. He may be some way away, but his forces support him, and he is a war hero. Other military figures may join him as well’.

‘Once I take the throne, the city’s elite legions will answer my call. Their skills are unmatched!’

‘I don’t think drinking is a very useful skill in the battlefield’

‘And the commanders truly loyal to our empire will not join such a claimant! They will follow the appointed emperor and fight with us’

‘Or, they will learn from our history and just stay out of it until there is a clear victor and then come up with some daft excuse, like a perfectly timed rebellion or something, as to why they would have just loved to have fought in support, but unfortunately couldn’t’

‘So he is sorted’

‘When did we sort him?’

‘Who else?’ Daedalus continued, ignoring the protestations of his bewildered friend.

‘There is the senator, Sophus. He has strong support in the senate and the people love him. He is smart, idealistic and tenacious’

‘Isn’t he poor?’

‘By senator standards? Yes’

‘Not a real threat then?’

‘No, not really’

‘Then we are good to go! Please reach for the captain of the Guard and tell him, discreetly that I wish to meet’

‘But good friend, please rethink this! How will the Guard help? What needs to be done to get the support of the senate? We still have not “sorted out” Melegar, and there are plenty more threats. And being emperor is just a life of fear! Is the price really worth it to you?’

Callias continued on, making good, intelligent, even insightful points, detailing the various reasons not to take on such a colossal and awfully misguided endeavor. Quite a waste it was, as Daedalus had stopped listening a while ago. He was already imagining it, himself being crowned, the Guard by his side, the senators cheering in the senate halls and the people in the street. He imagined his glorious conquest, the tales that shall be written about him, the statues erected in his honour. He could really see how it all shall come to pass, and he shall take his rightful position.

‘Just a little more’ said Daedalus, absentmindedly posing.