Exhausted as I was I slept through the whole night. I woke up quite early and completely refreshed. It was still dark outside. The only light in my room was coming from the glowing ember in the fireplace. I stood up from the not so comfortable bed and threw the last log into the fire. Then I did some stretching exercises. My body made cracking sounds and that made me chuckle. After that I stared at the fire for some time, thinking of the evening before. I knew I ought to meditate, but didn’t have the will for it. As I was about to go back to bed, someone knocked on my door.

“Yes?” I answered, not bothering to open the door myself. It was Otho.

“Let’s go,” he said mysteriously.

“Where?”

“Tiberius, meeting, his chamber. Come.”

“I need to urinate first, wait outside.”

He laughed and closed the door. I grabbed the pan under my bed and did my business. Some urine splashed on the floor, but I didn’t care. In that moment I very much missed Vetulonia and a proper latrine.

We walked through the dark stone hallways, illuminated by torches.

“Why meeting so early?” I asked

“I don’t know, they want to talk.”

“What about Cecilia and Flavia?”

“They’re already there. They knocked on my door and told me to fetch you. Didn’t bother to wait.”

“Oh, I almost forgot! You’ve seen Marius, yes?”

“What are you talking about?” Otho frowned.

“Marius is here, with us!”

“Are you still sleeping, Antonius?”

“Yes, I mean, no! He’s here! One of the legionaries! I saw him yesterday while we rode!”

“Are you certain?” he again frowned.

“Yes, it was him! Gods, we’re all together again, like in Academy!”

“A rather odd coincidence. It will be nice to have another familiar face with us,” Otho mumbled with melancholic tone.

We arrived and Otho knocked on the door. Flavia opened them and greeted us with a friendly smile. The room was a replica of mine. Tiberius and Julia and Cecilia were standing by the burning fireplace.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s talk. Antonius, you chatted with the Lord’s daughter for most of the night. About what?” Tiberius asked with a sleepy voice.

“Well, nothing we don't already know. Eastern provinces are under the League's influence. The rest cling to their old ways, unwilling to change. Our host, Lord Cronos and Lord Titanus of the north are the only ones who seem to understand the imminent threat. They wish to rebel against the king, secede and form republics. But they cannot do that without the outside support. Our support.”

“Flavia, what of the son?” turned his attention away from me.

“He’s an imbecile, he talked of religion the whole night,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“Otho, you sat with the priest? What did he talk about?”

“He doesn’t agree with Lord Cronos, but he’s loyal, I’m sure of this. He doesn’t like us though, he thinks we bring trouble. Without us, Lord Cronos’s desire to transform his realm is a wild, unachievable dream. With Vetulonian support…”

“Why do you think he's trustworthy?”

“As a child he was a captive of some bandits that roamed through the woods around here. Lord Cronos freed him from his captivity and raised him as his own. The priest considers him more as his father than his Lord. His affections seem to be genuine.”

Tiberius turned to Julia:

“So, Vicelord, what do you think we should do?”

Her eyes went ice cold as she glanced towards Tiberius:

“I’d let them be. Let the League swallow the whole of Porosia.”

Her answer startled me and I frowned. Otho though, agreed with her, and so did Flavia and Cecilia. They all nodded at her words. Tiberius looked at me.

“Young Antonious disagrees?”

“He does,” I answered with a melodramatic tone.

“Explain.”

“Compassion. They’re asking for our help. We have to help them!”

“Lord Cronos asks for it. There is no they,” said Julia with a harsh voice. She smiled at me with a patronizing gaze, which made me blush, then continued:

“Let’s put the so called compassion on the side for a moment and dwell into math. How many years and coin would it take to equip these poor wretches and turn them into a fighting force? How many years would it take to shift their whole being? To unlearn them everything they were taught for decades? How much would it cost to back up not one, but two Porosian provinces, which don’t even border on one another? We’re not arguing about winning a few battles. We’re talking about revolutionizing people who don’t even know the word! Kato told me you are quite insightful. He wasn’t wrong, was he?”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Everyone was quiet, curiously waiting for my reply.

“So let them be, leave them in darkness?” I protested.

“They've been there for decades,” Julia countered.

“One reason more to lift them to light,” I maintained my position.

“You’re an idealist, Antonius. What you're arguing for is in its essence gambling, with odds being against you. Not to mention that this daydream would be a tremendous strain on our treasury. With questionable results at best. And risking an open war with the League? I commend you for your compassion, Antonius. But if you ever want to get knighted, you’ll have to see things from a more practical perspective.”

I blushed even harder, but kept my mouth shut. I felt embarrassment and a bit of anger. Otho smirked as if he enjoyed the lecture I got. But Cecilia and Flavia looked at me with compassion, some admiration as well.

“Enough,” said Tiberius. “Everyone go back to your rooms. They’ll call us for breakfast in an hour or so. And by noon we’ll be on our way to the King’s province. Once we reach the capital, feel out the king, we’ll have a clearer perspective on what to do next. Dismissed.”

We pledges left the room while Julia stayed behind.

“She’s right, you know,” said Cecilia with her high pitched voice.

I nodded and rolled my eyes, but said nothing. We then walked quietly to our rooms.

An hour later I was already seated at the table, eating breakfast, when Calista arrived. She wore a blue gown. She sat next to me and smiled. Her blue eyes were penetrating me, seeking for a hint of what Vetulonians plan to do next. Finally she couldn’t take it and asked:

“So?” She frowned, almost angry, waiting for my reply. Others at the table were engaged in their own conversations, so nobody gave any attention to out talk.

“We don’t know yet,” I said with a serious, heavy voice.

“So it’s over, doom is upon us," she said defeated.

“It’s not over until it’s over.”

“Oh, Antonius… Grow up… It’s over.”

“Come with us then,” I blabbed, not sure why.

“Run?”

“No, not running... Think of it as a form of retreating.”

“It would be outrageously immoral of me to flee. How dare you even suggest something like that?”

That very moment I envied Marius’s simple life of a legionary. He followed direct orders and that was it. No dilemmas, no endless debates.

“Perhaps you can do more for your people from afar, that’s all. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

She said nothing more, and we continued to eat in silence. That enabled me to listen to Tiberius's and Lord Cronos's talk.

“I ask only this, Tiberius, when we start the rebellion, supply us with weapon and armor. If you do that, we’ll be able to hold on our own.”

“No, you won’t,” said Tiberius with an annoyed expression on his face.

“Why do you say that?” Lord Cronos almost screamed in frustration. That made the rest of the table stop talking, turning their attention to the two Lords.

“Your province has a population of about one hundred and fifty thousand people. That means you have a potential fighting force of twenty-five thousand men. You can only arm five, six, perhaps seven thousand men, but that’s it. Not enough to face your king or the inevitable invasion from the League.”

“That’s why I’m seeking for your help, Tiberius.”

“If we were to send you aid, armor and weapon for another ten thousand people... You’d have an army of approximately fifteen thousand men. Which is a formidable force. In theory, that is…” Tiberius paused, sighed and then continued:

“If we dressed your peasants in armor and gave them a sword and a shield, they’d still be peasants. To teach your commanders how to wage war, give your people proper training, would take half a decade! With an enormous cost, with questionable results.”

Lord Cronos’s eyes got watery, so did Calista’s. They felt humiliated. Reduced to being beggars in their own home. I remembered my grandma’s saying: It’s always easier to help someone, than to ask for help yourself. I glanced towards Herodotus and the priest. The Lord's son looked confused and bored, not truly understanding what all the fuss was about. The priest however listened to every word, motionless, barely blinking.

“Then at least, Tiberius, take my daughter with you,” Lord Cronos said with a broken voice.

“I won't leave!” Calista almost yelled, which startled me.

“Look here, Aegues. I’m not indifferent to your troubles. I know what it is at stake and don’t think for a moment I’m not burdened by every decision I make. But your people don’t stand a chance. And there is no sense in sending you aid that would end up in the hands of your king. Or worse, the League!

Here is my offer: come spring, if you wish, I’ll have my legions occupy your province. I’ll convince the Dwarves to do the same for Lord Titanus in the north.”

“Invasion?” Lord Cronos eyes widened.

“Yes. Ironic, but direct invasion would be less costly for Vetulonia. I’d send both our legions, that’s ten thousand men, eight thousand infantry, two thousand cavalry. That should be enough. After the landing of our army we’d immediately start training your people. All the while my diplomats would seek a peaceful solution to the mess we’d created. But keep in mind that this path may very well lead to a terrible war. With or without our support, your King will not sit on his throne idly, watching his kingdom collapse. There will be rivers and rivers of blood. Are you ready for that? Is it worth it? Which is lesser evil? Think about these questions! When you make a decision, send word. I will come to your aid, but what happens next will be on you. Not us.”

Lord Cronos’s face seemed burdened by Tiberius’s words. The priest then spoke:

“My Lord… Is it worth it? Let the situation be, let gods sort it out.”

“It is worth it, gods be damned! How can it not be?!” Calista howled, which made her idiotic brother squeal.

“You young people… Always seeking to build a new world by destroying the foundations of the old order. The consequences are immaterial to you. You see your idealism as the torch that will enlighten the world, but usually, milady, it merely sets it on fire. People who rebelled against the old Porosian king were idealists. Drenched with enthusiasm for building a new world! And so, the League was formed. And those idealistic people are gone now, swallowed by the very cause they fought for."

Priest’s words calmed Calista down, although she still had fire in her blue eyes. There was a lingering silence around the table. Finally Tiberius spoke:

“Aegues… Ages ago, I was in a very undesirable position. Back then I would've given anything for someone, anyone to come to my aid. But nobody did. Even Vetulonia left me in a lurch. So I will not ignore your plea. Think it over and by spring, when we end our mission and are back in Lux, send word. Vetulonia will honor your wishes and we’ll face the consequences together – as they come. But think long and hard.”

A tear found its way down Lord Cronos’s face.

“Thank you, Lord Tiberius.”

In less than an hour we were once again mounted on our horses, ready to leave. The legionaries were already standing by, waiting for us. Lord Cronos, Calista, the Priest and the son stood at the entrance, wishing us safe journey. I looked at the castle and the cave behind it, an everlasting dark presence ready to swallow the building and everything and everyone inside. I looked at Lord Cronos and saw a man who was willing to give up his own power, so tens of thousands could lead a better life. Calista, with her burning blue eyes, was staring at me, smiling. I wished in my heart that one day I’d see them again.