Harem and Empire

When the battle was over, eight thousand men laid dead on the fields of Aquileia. Among them, most of the Italian governors and magistrates of state. Despite the intensity of the initial charge, the sheer brunt of casualties happened after the loyalists routed. 

We chased the survivors for miles. It was not uncommon for defeated armies to turn to banditry to survive; they presented an imminent danger to the civilian population. No mercy was given that day. 

I returned to camp after the chase. I was shaking. My fingers trembled. My body pumped with adrenaline. I threw my tainted armor to the floor and entered my tent. Not as Tiberius, but as a violent conqueror. 

Our eyes met. Her lavender eyes, beautiful as I remembered. Arya received me with a smile. Wearing nothing but a black, silky gown that was so delicate that I could see through. Her freckled breasts, lovely as ever.

"T-Tiberi-"

I kissed Arya. Her cat ears straightened and her tail went wild. 

"What's gotten into you?" She asked, blushing brightly, "Your eyes..." 

I pushed her down against my bed. Her arms extended above her head. I pulled down my pants and tore open her clothing. Exposing her breasts. I could see her fear as I hovered above her and leaned in close. She looked away, evading my gaze. I placed my full weight on her legs, forcing them open. When I started thrusting into her. She moaned but did not resist. My hand moved to her chest and began fondling her pink nipples. She bit her lip and squirmed. My mind went into a haze. I just wanted to fuck her. I wanted to go hard. Not because I loved her, but because I couldn't control myself. This wasn’t me, and she knew. I kept thrusting into her until we both came. Only then did my violence ceased. 

It got awkward and she and I cuddled for the rest of the day in an uncomfortable silence. Neither she nor I spoke a word, but she patted me out of pity. 

The following morning we marched towards Ravenna, Manlius disbanded the mercenaries and left garrisons in every town. Manlius then ordered Patrick to take command over half of the remaining troops and secure Milan. While Manlius himself took the rest to secure Ravenna. We had now dwindled down to two thousand men. 

When our forces reached Ravenna, the gates laid closed. The loyalist garrison, five hundred men strong, seemed unrelenting. But it was a farce. The patricians already had bought them off. 

"Open the gates," a centurion shouted. "Aurelius is dead."

As if stricken by fear, the garrison dropped their swords and shields. But it was a joke. Words of our victory had reached Ravenna long before we arrived. The gates opened. Hundreds of aristocrats and plebs received us with flowers, gifts and wine. 

"Vultures," I muttered. The patricians cared little about Manlius, but if they displeased him, their necks were on the line. They sought to please him in hopes that he kept the status quo. Meanwhile, the plebs idolized Manlius in hopes that he would bring change to the Roman World. 

"Self-serving bastards." 

"Ave Manlius," the crowds shouted. 

"Ave, indeed," I thought. 

I was lucky enough to ride to the left, slightly behind of Manlius, not out of friendship, but as a reward. For I, Tiberius, had saved the Manlian cause by spearing the half-roman prince to death. The details as of how I won the duel were lost to history. 

We marched towards the center of the city on a line formation, three men on each row, with exception of Manlius who with his diadem rode at the front. 

Here, Manlius ordered a few cohorts to stay put. The rest of us went along with Manlius until we reached the Imperial Palace. The Palace laid abandoned. Once Manlius entered the Palace, the Empire was officially his. 

Then the re-partition of the spoils happened. Magister militum, the highest position after emperor, was given to an obscure half-roman, Master Equitum per Gallius was given to Patrick. Then Dux Pannonia, Dux Rugia, Dux Germanie, and the rest of the important military titles were given away to other people other than me. Oddly enough, they were all Christian, specifically Aryans. Not a single pagan was given command. 

"Imperator, what about your good friend Tiberius? what does he get?" I asked. At last, when we were alone, he put an end to his act. 

"Son, you have been a good friend, but Aurelius is dead," He said, "You don't need to play as a little soldier anymore."

I didn't know how to respond.

He laughed. 

"Don't worry, here take this," He said. It was a letter. "Read it on your way out, I expect great things from you." 

I, Imperator, Flavius Manlius Pannonicus, hereby grant Tiberius the position of senior Consul. Thus, as with the power of his office, he is thus granted Imperium to:

Deal with all public and private matters regarding the Senate. Including but not limited to:

• Power to raise troops at the Senate's expense.
• Power to appointment and dismiss co-consuls.
• Power to collect taxes on my behalf. 
• Power to proscribe enemies of the state

The consulship was the highest honor and political position that one could attain through a political career. Its political power only second to the emperor himself. But the office had no military power. Senators would never consent to the raising of troops at their expense. The tax code made them also immune to taxation, while the rest of Rome was too poor to tax.

I left the palace with my fists well clenched. The letter almost ruined. 

"Brother," She shouted. It was my Sister, along with other men and women that I didn't know. 

"Hey, how did you find me here?" 

She looked at me as if I was dumb.

"We saw you, as you rode into the city and followed you here," She said. "Congratulations on your victory."

It was all hypocrisy, as always. I killed Aurelia's older brother, she and my sister not even a week ago were best friends. Yet here I am, with blood in my hands, and she was congratulating me for it. 

"Who is 'we'?" I asked. 

"Oh Tiberius, this is Faustina, Galla, Junia, they are our cousins. You might've not known them because you stay at your villa too much, but they were at the party too." 

That is all I needed to know. My family was full of whores. 

"Hey," They said, giving me smiles and winks. 

I smiled back. 

"Tiberius, we are curious, since you are so close to the Emperor, what position did you got?" 

Vipers.

"Consul."

"See Tiberius, we always knew you were going to be a great man, greatness is in the family." Their eyes shined like diamonds. "We are going with you to Rome." 

Somewhere on the outskirts of Ravenna, in one wagon that carried our provisions, Arya felt goosebumps across her tail. "M-Meow!?" 

Aaky

give likes >.>