Chapter 56 A Question of Alliances

Following his victory in Ravenna, Marcellus found himself an emperor. However, his Empire was divided, and facing many threats on its borders. Luckily for him, Constantine was fighting a war in Hispania, and word had not yet reached the region of Honorius’ demise. Nor had it spread to the Eastern Roman Empire.

Marcellus had a very finite amount of time before he faced a three prong invasion from Constantine’s rebellion, the Gothic Hordes under Alaric, and the Eastern Roman Empire. If such an event were to occur, his reign would last a matter of months.

Because of this, Marcellus was forced to choose an ally from among the three. Despite sharing a similar culture and heritage, the Eastern Roman Empire was not an option. They were ruled by Honorius’ nephew, and as a member of the Theodosian Dynasty, Theodosius II would never forgive Marcellus for deposing his uncle, nor was he likely to recognize Marcellus’ rule as legitimate.

Thus, immediately off the bat, one of the three viable alliances was taken off the table. Which left two unlikely, but not impossible, allies. Constantine III, or Alaric the Goth. Marcellus currently sat within his war room, listening to the differing opinions of his officers. Sarus was the first to express his views on which ally they should side with.

“Constantine is a snake. He cares not for the prosperity of Rome, but for his own personal vanity. Should you make the man your co-emperor, he would betray you at the first opportunity given to him. Only despair can result from such a union.

Since Constantine can not be trusted, there is only one viable solution to our problems. Alaric, and his Gothic horde, currently occupy the diocese of Noricum and Illyricum. If you win over his favor, and allow the Gothic people the rights to freely settle the lands they currently occupy as part of your empire, you will gain an army large enough to defeat your two foes.

Stilicho was already in the process of working with Alaric to gain his support so that he could retake Illyricum from the East. However, these plans fell through. Alaric knows you are Stilicho’s godson. He will trust you more than your predecessor if you give your word to him.

It won’t be easy to convince him because of your reputation as a famous Goth-slayer. However, if you succeed, Alaric and his horde will join you as foederati. With the full might of the goths by your side, you will have a better chance of dealing with your other enemies.”

Marcellus sat perfectly still, not saying a word. This discussion was open to all who were present, and thus the other officers beneath his command were allowed to speak up with their own ideas. Primus was quick to counter Sarus’s point.

“If you allow the Goths to settle in the diocese of Noricum and Illyricum, as Goths and not Roman citizens, the other diocese will revolt. Everyone else who is a part of our Empire had to go through the process of Romanization. Why should the Goths exempt from such a thing?”

Sarus merely scoffed before responding to Primus’ counter argument.

“Because, unlike us Goths, you Romans conquered all of your other subjects and forced them to submit to your way of life. Do you dare say that in your current position, you have the ability to conquer the Goths, Legatus?”

This line of reasoning stumped Primus, it was true that if they were letting the Goths settle into Roman territory, then it was bound to be a matter of peaceful negotiation, if anything Rome was the one being conquered in their current situation.

Marcellus watched the interaction between the two officers before sighing heavily in displeasure. If he really thought about it, aligning with Alaric was, without a doubt, the best short-term solution. However, Rome had let the Gothic peoples enter their territory and settle their lands before. In the end, the Goths rebelled and killed the Roman Emperor Valens in the Battle of Adrianople.

Granted, that was the Eastern Roman Empire, but the point was still valid. If Marcellus accepted Alaric and Sarus’s hordes into his lands to settle, who is to say that in ten, twenty, perhaps thirty years they did not turn their blades against their masters?

Unfortunately, Marcellus did not have the luxury to think about the long-term consequences of his actions. He could only focus on getting out of his current predicament and dealing with the fallout later on. As a result, he sighed once more before coming to a decision.

“Send a delegation to Alaric and his forces, request that they cease their advance into Raetia, inform them that I am open to negotiations about settlement into Roman lands, and that I seek an audience with Alaric in person.

I would request that we meet in neutral ground, but unfortunately, I don’t believe such a place exists, so I am willing to meet him at the border between Italia and Raetia. As Sarus has said, Alaric is our only viable option, and if we wish to survive the coming storm, we must align with him.”

After saying this, the multiple officers of Marcellus’ army reacted differently. Sarus was pleased with Marcellus’ choice. Though he had never been fond of the man, he did respect him. Now that Marcellus was emperor, perhaps the rift between Roman and Goths could be mended. For how long such an alliance would last, even Sarus did not know the answer.

As for Ordius and Primus, they were displeased. They would rather trust in a rebel like Constantine than a barbarian like Alaric. At least Constantine was a Roman citizen. However, Marcellus did not feel the same way. He had witnessed the scheming ways of the Roman people.

If anything, the barbarians were far more simple to deal with. Promise them wealth, and women, and they will follow you to the ends of the Earth. Romans were far more conniving, and could betray you over the slightest matter.

After coming to a decision, he dismissed his officers. Marcellus had much to prepare for and had not even had the time to grieve his mother’s loss. With everyone absent, Placidia stealthily approached the room.

After his mother’s death, Marcellus had not said a word to the girl. She knew the cruel fate that awaited her brother, but she felt it was well deserved. She did not hold it against Marcellus for being so ruthless to the man.

Instead, she was depressed that Marcellus would not even look at her. As if he blamed the girl for his mother’s death. After several days of this torment, she could not hold back, and forced Marcellus into a situation where he had to speak with her.

“Marcellus, we need to talk!”

The man was in the middle of pouring himself a cup of wine when he heard the girl’s voice come from behind him. There was nowhere for him to escape to. The girl stood at the only exit to the room he was in. He took a sip before casting his gaze towards the map. This only increased Placidia’s anxiety, causing her to snap.

“Marcellus? Why won’t you look at me!?! I risked my life to help your mother escape! I did everything I could to get her in your arms! Men died to help us escape! Do you blame me for her death?”

In response to this, Marcellus sighed heavily before responding to the girl’s question. Though he would not look at her, he decided it would be best to tell the girl the truth.

“I don’t blame you for my mother’s death Placidia, I just can’t look at you without remembering her last moments. Please, leave me be… I need time to grieve.”

After saying this, Marcellus averted his gaze from the young woman, and returned it to the map in front of him. He took a large swig of the red wine. However, unlike what he expected, the girl did not leave. Placidia was stubborn. She quickly latched onto Marcellus’ back, refusing to budge in the slightest. If Marcellus would not look at her, then she would say something that would force him to do so.

“You’re not the only one who has lost his loved ones over these past few months. How do you think I feel? First my brother dies, then my other brother murders my foster father, and finally the man I love killed my last living relative! If anyone understands the grief in your heart, it is me! So please, don’t bottle up your emotions. Talk to me!”

Marcellus did not know how to react to this news. Did the girl just confess to him? It was a pity. If she had said something months ago, perhaps his heart would have fluttered. However, at the moment, he was truly dead inside. Even the time he spent in Sigefrida’s arms could not invoke an emotional response from his withered heart.

He simply stood there in silence, with Placidia’s arms wrapped around his back. Even still, he did not glance at the girl for a single moment. The young woman burst into tears when she realized that Marcellus still would not look at her. In the end, Marcellus pushed the girl aside and spoke the words in his mind with a deadpan expression on his face.

“You should go… I have work to do, and little time to do it…”

Placidia was heartbroken by Marcellus’ lack of response to her feelings. She simply ran off crying, not knowing what more to do. As for Marcellus, he gazed into his goblet of wine and witnessed his own reflection.

He did not know why, but looking at his own face caused a sense of revulsion to appear within his mind. In response, he swept the golden chalice aside, spilling its contents all over the floor. After doing so, he left the war room. As he had told the girl. There was much work to do, and little time to do it.