by David Adkins
“All arrangements have been made, nephew. Secundus will disperse the guards and then when Nerva arrives at the palace a few hours later the Praetorian Guard will declare Nerva to be the new Emperor. Secundus has pledged his support and I trust him completely, as I trust you.”
“What about the senate?”
She smiled. “The senate will be so happy and relieved to see the back of Domitian. They will not oppose the Praetorian Guard and will support Nerva. He has been a lawyer and senator for a very long time and is much respected. Nerva is a very old friend and will allow me to stay in the palace as Dowager Empress. I will be able to look forward to a much safer and secure life, while still retaining all my old privileges.”
“You have it all worked out, aunt.” My admiration for her was stronger than ever.
“It is now down to you, Lucius Vicinianus.”
I wondered at her use of my old family name. “I will not let you down, Empress.”
I next called Hylas, Stephanus and Maximus together for one final briefing and told them of my meeting with the Empress. “We will kill him after breakfast tomorrow. We will go together to his chamber and enter on pretence of giving him his meal. The Empress has arranged that there will be no guards on duty.”
“Will he not be suspicious that it takes four servants to bring his meal?” asked Hylas.
“One can take it in and the others hold back,” I suggested. “Then they can rush in to assist. He will be taken by surprise and we will all have daggers and use them. It will be over in the blinking of an eye.”
They all nodded agreement. “Are you sure we will be safe afterwards?” asked Maximus nervously.
“The Empress has given her word,” I assured him.
“Are you positive that we can trust her?” added Hylas.
“I am positive.”
“Then I will have sweet revenge at last,” hissed Stephanus.
“You will. We must all rise early in the morning and prepare ourselves for the task ahead. Now go to your rooms and try to get some sleep. You must be strong in body and mind for what lies ahead. I will meet you in the kitchens tomorrow morning. ” I watched as each of my fellow conspirators left for their rooms and then I did the same, but I was unable to heed my own good advice.
The next morning on the 18th day of September I rose early after getting little sleep and I went to the palace kitchens as arranged. My fellow conspirators were, to my surprise, already there and so too, was Drucilla. She was preparing breakfast for the Emperor while the others looked on.
“Stephanus will finish preparing the Emperor’s breakfast,” I said to her. “Go back to your room, Drucilla, and stay there.”
She looked at me quizzically. “I know something is wrong. I need only to look at the face of Maximus to know that something is very amiss.”
“Go back to your room, Drucilla, and stay there for that is an order.”
“Now you are frightening me, Parthenian.” However, she did as I bid her and returned to her room leaving us four alone.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
They all nodded. “There is little point in wasting time,” suggested Hylas. “Let us do it now.”
“Breakfast is ready,” said Stephanus and picked up a tray of food.
“Have you all got your daggers?” asked Hylas. We all nodded and he continued. “I have checked and the guards are not on duty, the Emperor is now unprotected. Stephanus will lead the way into his chamber carrying the food and he will leave the door open behind him. When we see Stephanus put the tray down the rest of us will rush in and together we will end the tyrant’s reign.”
“Lead on, Stephanus,” I said boldly, trying to sound confident. Hylas and Stephanus both looked determined but Maximus still seemed nervous. We strode along the corridors of the royal palace moving swiftly from the servant’s wing to the royal quarters. Then we came face to face with the door to Domitian’s unguarded chamber. I looked up and down the corridor to make sure there were no other servants around. The palace seemed deserted. I felt for my dagger concealed under my cloak, and I nodded to Stephanus.
“Let me strike first before you enter,” he said grimly. “I want to strike the first blow.”
It was too late to argue. “Do it then Stephanus,” I said.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the Emperor’s door. He waited a few seconds and then pushed the door open. He entered clutching his tray and leaving the door ajar, which was just enough for us to see into Domitian’s room.
“Your breakfast, your majesty,” he said, keeping remarkably composed. I had underestimated Stephanus.
I watched in the shadows behind the door as he put the tray of food down. The Emperor was sitting on his bed and stretching himself. “Are you still here, Stephanus? Well I hope Parthenian has had a word with you and you are going to be less sullen in future.” Domitian stood up. “Now I have some decrees to sign.”
“I must warn you about a conspiracy,” said Stephanus coldly and withdrew his dagger from behind his cloak.
“Guard,” screamed Domitian and jumped on to his bed and pulled out a short sword which had been concealed beneath his pillow. As he scrambled for the sword Stephanus stabbed him in the back. Domitia turned over and managed to stab Stephanus in the stomach and they fell off the bed on to the floor where they wrestled and stabbed at each other. We rushed into the room to support Stephanus and I was horrified at the sight of blood all over the bed and the floor. Both men had gone quite still after thrashing at each other. Hylas pulled Stephanus off the body of Domitian and we looked down at both of them. They were both covered in blood that was seeping from numerous wounds, but both were still breathing.
“This is for your treatment of Corelia and for Amina’s death and all the others that have died at your hands.” With those words Hylas stabbed Domitian and then I stabbed him, too. Strangely as I did so I thought of the poor Alamanni Princess, Ima, who he had so abused. We both looked at Maximus. “You must also stab him for that way we are all in this equally together and our lips will be forever sealed.”
I looked at Domitian who was probably already dead but that did not matter. “Do it Maximus,” I urged. “You have to do it too.” Maximus hesitated and then closed his eyes and plunged his dagger into Domitian. While Hylas made sure that Domitian was now dead I went to Stephanus who was trying to speak. I put my ear close to his mouth and listened to his dying words. “I have avenged you, Titus Clemens. I have avenged you, Flavia Domitilla. Please forgive me my Lord Jesus and let me sit by your side in heaven.” With those words he died.
Hylas turned to me. “They are both dead. This changes things a little. I suggest that the Emperor was murdered by a servant bearing a grudge and he managed to also stab and kill the servant after a tussle. There is no longer a need for an unlikely assassin.”
“I will tell the Empress what has happened,” I said, nodding agreement. “She can then arrange with Secundus for the guard to find the two bodies. I suggest you both return quickly to your rooms and clean your blades and my one too,” I said, handing it to Maximus. “Stay in your rooms until you hear the general alarm given.”
They both did as I suggested and hurried to their rooms while I went to see the Empress. She was waiting for me in her chamber and looked anxious as I entered. I knelt before her. “You are free and you are safe, aunt, the deed has been done.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Were there any problems? Are you sure he is dead?”
“He is dead but there is an unfortunate problem though in a way it helps to make an explanation of what happened easier.”
“What do you mean, nephew?” She said in earnest.
A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. “Who is it?” called the Empress.
“It is Secundus,” came the reply.
“Enter, Secundus.”
The Praetorian Prefect entered the chamber and nodded at me. “It is done,” said the Empress. “Parthenian was about to tell me the circumst
ances.” She looked at me.
I continued. “Domitian had a blade under his pillow and he stabbed and killed Stephanus with it before he himself was killed. Stephanus was seeking revenge for past wrongs and in the struggle that ensued they killed each other. There is no need for a mystery assassin and nobody else was involved.”
“Poor Stephanus. I am sure you are right and this makes it much tidier,” she observed.
“You must send some guards to the Emperor’s quarters and they will find the bodies,” the Empress had addressed Secundus. “It is a tragedy,” she sighed.
“I will do that, Empress. You had better return to your room for now, Parthenian,” he advised. “What about the new Emperor, your majesty?”
“Nerva will come to the palace in a few hours and you will declare him Emperor then.”
“I will return to my room,” I said, and I left them to make arrangements for all that would have to follow Domitian’s death. My part had been done and the palace conspiracy had proved a complete success.
A few hours later the Praetorian Guard declared Marcus Cocceius Nerva to be the new Emperor and the senate followed suit that same afternoon. Domitian’s long reign of tyranny was at last over and most important to me was that Corelia was at last free of him. We three conspirators kept a low profile for the rest of the day and Hylas resolved to return to Tibur the following day. I spoke with him before he left. “You will tell Corelia that she is free from Domitian at long last. How will you explain Domitian’s unexpected demise and the fact that you were in the palace when it happened?”
“I will tell Corelia and Aria the truth. I would never be able to keep it from them. Corelia may be angry at the risks we took but she will have a chance to be happy at long last, and now there is no obstacle in your way, Parthenian.”
“Tell her, Hylas, to meet me at noon in three days time at the same place on the bank of the river Tiber where we last met so long ago. I must let things blow over here and I must be able to go to the Empress if she needs me.”
He smiled. “I will tell her, Parthenian.”
The Empress did need me and called me to an audience the next day soon after Hylas had departed. As I entered her chamber I was surprised to find the new Emperor, Nerva, in attendance. “Greetings, Lucius, it is a long time since I last saw you.”
I bowed low. “Congratulations on your new position, your majesty.”
He smiled. “The Empress tells me that you have matured into a responsible young man and have proved a capable chamberlain.”
“I have done my best.”
He laughed. “More than you did when I was trying to teach you law.”
“I was young and foolish then.”
“I also hear that you were instrumental in me becoming Emperor.”
“Some matters are best not spoken of, your majesty,” I suggested.
“Indeed you are right, Lucius.”
The Empress intervened. “I have spoken to our new Emperor about your position in the world and I have assured him that you are ready to fulfil your destiny.”
I was intrigued. “Thank you aunt,” I managed.
Now Nerva spoke. “I am going to restore the good name of your family. No longer will the name Vicinianus be in disgrace. It has gone on long enough and I will propose in the senate shortly that you become a senator and take your family place once again in the aristocracy. There is no need to worry for the senate will not object, and the Emperor has the final say anyway. I can restore your name but I cannot restore your estate which is long gone, though serve the state well and I will reward you in that respect as soon as I can.”
“In the meantime you will retain rooms in the Imperial Place but in the royal quarters, as you are my nephew and a member of the royal family and no longer a servant. We have vacancies because the Glabrio family will not be returning to the palace.” The Empress looked very pleased to be telling me this.
I was amazed and delighted. “Thank you aunt, you have been so good to me.” I could hardly believe that I was to be Lucius Vicinianus, senator and aristocrat and no longer Parthenian, chamberlain and servant.
“Now that is settled I will arrange for my husband’s body to be taken on a bier by the Praetorian Guard to the Flavian temple and cremated. There will be a funeral procession which I will, of course, attend accompanied by Marcus, but which you need not concern yourself with, nephew. I have a feeling that you have other urgent things to do.”
“I do aunt which leads me into a further request.”
“What is that?” she smiled.
“I wish to make sure that following the death of Domitian, Corelia will still receive her pension from the state and retain her villa at Tibur.”
Nerva replied to my request. “I drew up the legal document for Domitian which entitled Corelia to both of these for life. The gladiatrix was extremely wise for she persuaded Domitian to make it all very legal and she retains a copy of the document herself. It can now only be overturned at the insistence of the Emperor and I have no intention of doing that, and I cannot imagine that my successors would wish to involve themselves in the legal entanglement of trying to repel that piece of legislation. Corelia’s pension and villa are quite safe.”
I was relieved. “That is good news indeed.”
Domitia Longina smiled. “I have a hunch that you will soon be heading for Tibur. Not much gets past me, nephew.”
“Indeed aunt, I have always known that.”
“You must bring Corelia to the palace and introduce me to her. You know I have never spoken to her for I have always avoided contact with her.”
“You bear her no ill will, Empress?”
“No, she was never really a threat, for she was not that ambitious and what she did she did because she had to. I fully understand that but she is a remarkable woman and I would like to meet her.”
“She is remarkable,” I agreed. “You will meet her in the near future I hope.”
I bowed and left Domitia Longina and Marcus Nerva to make arrangements for the funeral and to conduct their palace business. Nerva would then have to present himself to the senate as their new Emperor.
Drucilla was waiting for me as I left. “The Empress has told me that you are her nephew and that you are to become a senator. I could not believe it, it is such wonderful news.” She could not blurt out the words quickly enough.
“It is all true.” I hugged her. “I will make sure you remain safe but I would still prefer it if you turned your back on Christianity.”
“I cannot convert you then,” she smiled. “I have guessed what you and Maximus did but I do not blame you, for Domitian deserved it.”
“It will be as it was before I first arrived here. You and Maximus will run the palace and be in charge of the other servants but you will be treated extremely well, for you both deserve it. I will speak to the Empress about it but I know she will agree.”
“It is all I ask for, Parthenian; sorry I should say Lucius.”
“It has been an eventful couple of days,” I said.
“Now you can go to Corelia yourself,” she smiled.
“Now I can go to Corelia myself,” I confirmed.
*
Two days later I was sitting on the grassy bank of the river Tiber in exactly the same spot as I last met Corelia all that time ago. In my excitement at the possibility of seeing her again I had arrived early. I was sure she would come but there was that element of doubt. I threw some stones into the river while thinking about her and stupidly I did not hear her approach.
“Corelia,” I said, realizing she was standing behind me and my heart almost skipped a beat.
I started to stand up but she put her hands on my shoulders and knelt down beside me. “May I join you?” she asked.
“It is so long,” I uttered, and kissed her on the lips.
To my joy she returned my kiss. “You should not have taken such risks; you and Hylas” she said in rebuke but at the same time smiling.
“I did it f
or you. I would do anything for you.”
“You would have been no good to me dead, Parthenian.”
I grinned. “I am no longer, Parthenian. I am Lucius Vicinianus, senator and aristocrat. Will you be my wife?”
“What are you talking about, Parthenian? You are a senator and an aristocrat?”
“I am the nephew of the Empress from the disgraced Vicinianus branch of the family. I have lived in disgrace for many years because of the actions of my father, when he led a conspiracy against the Emperor Nero. Emperor Nerva has ended that dishonour and at the prompting of the Empress has restored my good name and offered me a place in the senate.”
“I kind of liked plain old Parthenian, chamberlain and servant,” she smiled.
“I am whoever you want me to be and you, Corelia, though a senator’s wife, will always be the great and beautiful gladiatrix that once graced the Colosseo in Rome.”
“You get ahead of yourself, Parthenian. I have not said yes.”
“You will have to get used to calling me Lucius.”
She kissed me on the lips. “I will consider your offer, Lucius.”
I started to kiss her neck. “Make sure you do, Corelia.”
“Time enough for this, senator. We are in a public place and people are looking at us. We are not a pair of lovesick youngsters and you have a reputation to maintain now.”
“I have spoken to the Empress and Nerva on your behalf. Your pension and villa are safe for life and the death of Domitian will make no difference to that.”
“I did wonder. I have a legal document drawn up by no other than Nerva himself but I wondered if it could be overturned.”
“It will not be,” I assured her.
“In that case I can invite you to Tibur tomorrow night without fear of the Praetorian Guard turning up at my door and depriving me of my home.”
“I will come,” I said eagerly.
“I want you to come tomorrow to meet two guests who are staying with me. I want you to meet them before they return to Aquileia. Together with Hylas and Aria we will all have a meal together.”
“Who are they?” I asked.
“They will be a surprise and in front of my dear friends I will answer your question, though you may have already guessed the answer.”