‘You sent
Captain Viola’ said Julia, ‘was that very wise?’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Marthian, already defensive after no more
than a few minutes of their conversation.
Julia had asked for a meeting to discuss the political upheavals and to
hear what had happened since the trial. It was already turning into a seminar
on proconsular shortcomings.
‘It’s just that she always struck me as a very urban elf, that’s all.’ Her voice dropped to a whisper, ‘Funny
little child, running around the temple grounds… Hard to imagine her as a
captain…’
Marthian concealed her annoyance.
‘Well, I trust her as much as anyone, and that was the primary reason
for sending her’
Julia considered this and then concluded that it wasn’t worth pursuing.
They were meeting inside the complex this time, as Marthian was less
keen to be seen than usual. The mood of the city was still tense. As she had hurried to the meeting she was
certain that there had been one or two cat-calls. She hadn’t been able to hear
what was being shouted, but it was disquieting and the first time that it had
ever happened.
Julia frowned and turned to a more pressing subject.
‘What about Citizen Perclivius?’ she said, ‘I’m told he’s being very
disruptive’
Marthian nodded and frowned back.
‘Yes, he’s very keen to see me deposed and have his clique set him up
as an “acting proconsul” until he can contact the Emperor for guidance. As you
can imagine, that will take a long time to do, given the state of our lines of
communication’
As usual, Julia didn’t seem to be listening to Marthian. She only
picked up the mood music.
‘How did you let things get so out of hand? Perclivius is a highly
respected member of the community, Marthian’
Anger ignited in the younger elf.
‘When was the last time you said more than three words to him, cousin?’
Julia looked slightly shocked. She held her hand up in a gesture very
familiar to Marthian over the centuries, ‘calm down, little elf’ it always
said. This only provoked Marthian more, of course.
‘He’s not a follower – I have little reason to encounter him’ said
Julia
‘Well, good for you. That must be a nice position to be in – to be able
to ignore everyone who isn’t religious’
‘Really, Marthian, I can’t see how being rude to me will help anything’
Marthian scowled and turned as if to leave.
‘I can see that you won’t be any help…’ she said gesturing dismissively
at the high priestess.
Julia’s face remained as before, with just the faintest look of
disapproval on it.
‘Everyone had their own sphere, cousin’ she said softly and clearly,
‘we all contribute in our different ways’
Marthian shook her head and supressed a hundred rejoinders. Then she
went to find someone who might actually be able to help her.
***
Aurelian
walked round his troops as confidently as he could under the
circumstances. About hundred guards were
ringing the palace and he had about another hundred actually inside the
building. The rest of them were either nominally confined to barracks or were
with Perclivius. He hadn’t seen Captain Flavia
for several days.
The city hadn’t descended into civil war yet, but, as promised,
Perclivius had declared himself Proconsul. There’s been a public meeting where
he’d rolled out three elderly ‘constitutional scholars’ who had waved the Statutes around and made a dryly
legalistic case for handing power over to Perclivius. As Aurelian and Marthian
had calculated, generally the older and more conservative two thirds of the
population had gone with Perclivius, while the younger, more liberal, third had
gone with Marthian. This wasn’t enough to be militarily decisive on either side
and so an uneasy stand-off had ensued.
Marthian and Aurelian controlled the Palace and the other civic buildings
while Perclivius controlled the city walls and most of the military
installations. The Barracks were neutral, for the time being.
Aurelian wasn’t very impressed by the soldiers he was inspecting – they
were all young and strong but very inexperienced. Almost all the
battled-hardened canny ones were with Perclivius. Except himself, of course, he
thought and smiled, but maybe that just meant that he wasn’t particularly
canny.
Once he’d finished the inspection he turned back to the palace steps
and climbed up them wearily.
***
Marthian and
Aurelian arrived at the palace at exactly the same time. They were both very
pleased to see each other. They hurried in to Marthian’s office.
‘How is it going, dear General’ she asked, hugging him.
They held each other for a long time. Aurelian disentangled himself
reluctantly.
‘Nothing much is happening outside’ he said’ ‘Perclivius has asked for another meeting. I
don’t plan to go. He’s only going to say what he says every time’
Marthian smiled.
‘I’m to retire into connubial bliss – is that it?’
‘Yes, it is’ Aurelian nodded.
Marthian’s look hardened.
‘That’s all nonsense you know’ she said, ‘once he’s removed me he’ll
find a way to eliminate you too’
‘We could always retire to one of those cottages by the river’ Aurelian
said softly
‘The one with the green roof and the excess of convolvulus?’ she asked,
remembering a day maybe a year ago when they had passed it and lingered to
admire it. She’d thought a lot about it since then.
‘Yes, that’s the one’ he said. Marthian knew that they were both
tempted by the idea of giving it all up and running away, but it was never as
easy as that.
‘We’ll never live there, you know’ she said, as if as a statement of
fact.
Aurelian turned away. Marthian
stared at the back of his head.
‘You’re not tempted are you?’ she asked
He sighed and turned back to face her.
‘By the idea’ he said, ‘not by the reality’
She looked at him, trying to
sense his mood.
‘Don’t let Perclivius bamboozle you, darling. It’s all mind games. I
wouldn’t believe any of his promises‘
‘I don’t. I really don’t’.
There was a pause while Marthian sat down and scribbled at her desk.
Aurelian stared out of the window. Neither knew which of the unravelling
threads of their lives they should pick up first.
‘So, can we withstand a palace siege?’ Marthian asked.
‘For a while’ said Aurelian, ‘but not if they’re willing to kill a lot
of people’
‘Will they be?’ asked Marthian, horrified.
‘I wouldn’t have thought so. He’s not totally mad’
Marthian raised her eyebrows.
‘Are you sure?’ she said sourly.
‘Well, not entirely…’
‘If there’s a risk of bloodshed and no realistic chance of winning then
I may have to stand down’
Aurelian looked shocked.
‘Surely not…’
‘What did you think that I’d do
– fight to the last loyal elf for my right to be Proconsul? I don’t think so.
He’s got no right to be Proconsul, of course, but then according to him neither
do I. I’ll leave that job to my never-to-be-born brother…’
Aurelian moved forward to touch her face. She took a step back away
from him.
‘And if I do step down you can tell him from me that I’m not staying in
the city. I’ll go to Amansk and fall on the Praefectus’s mercy. Lord Arnon will
let me in.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous…it won’t need to come to that’
‘Well, who knows, it might,’ she sighed, ‘and I will go on my own.’
Aurelian had no idea what to say. He was confused by the turn that this
conversation was taking.
‘What do you mean by that?’ he asked
‘If you want me to stay in this city then I need your full support as
my general. I can’t have you imagining that there’s some future where I’m not
Proconsul yet I’m still here. As I said, I’ll either be in exile or be dead.’
Aurelian winced.
‘I understand. We’ve had this conversation several times’
Marthian looked at Aurelian and shook her head very slowly
‘In which case general, I need you send somebody out to find out what’s
happened to Viola. They are certain to send troops to Melloreis now and I’d
like to try to get someone there first.’
Aurelian nodded.
‘Of course, ma’am’
‘And then return to your duties’ she ordered, ‘I have a letter to
write’
Aurelian bowed and made to leave.
Marthian’s face relaxed as she rose to bid him farewell.
‘And general – before you go – I really need you to kiss me’
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