99 AC / 54 HA
Octavian
The Imperial Throne Room hummed with the nervous energy of a hundred men. The air carried the heavy scent of burning myrrh, thick enough to mask the sweat of the foreign dignitaries and magisters scurrying across the marble floors. They walked with their necks craned upward, staring at the vaulted ceilings lost in the shadows above. Colossal marbled pillars etched with dormant runes held up the gloom.
I sat upon the Emerald Throne. The crystals jutting from it pulsed with a steady emerald light, casting long shadows down the steps of the dais. The magic anchored within the stone recognised my blood. It spared me the unnatural weight that deliberately pressed down upon the rest of the hall to enforce their subservience.
General Iskarn stood at attention at the base of the stairs. He was a lean veteran of the legions. A shock of fading white hair crowned his head, bleeding into a trimmed red-and-white beard. His silver-and-red Imperial armour was immaculate. His aged blue eyes remained fixed upon me.
"The frontier remains secure, Prorex," Iskarn reported. His voice echoed easily through the cavernous space. "Domina Liliana has settled her legions upon the Qohorik fields. The reconstruction of the city proceeds as per schedule. The remnants of the Black Goat cult have been purged, and the citizenry now assist in rebuilding the outer walls. Within three years the walls and citizen housing along with key administrative buildings should be up and running."
I nodded, resting my chin against my knuckles. Lily possessed a ruthless efficiency for logistics. If she set her mind to rebuilding a city, she would finish the task before the seasons turned.
"Furthermore, Prorex," Iskarn continued, clearing his throat. "It is the consensus amongst the command staff that once the reconstruction is completed, Domina Liliana should formally be appointed as Governor of Qohor. Her presence guarantees stability. The legions respect her command."
A laugh bubbled in the back of my mind. I tried to picture Lily—a warrior who lived for the clash of steel—trapped behind an oak desk. I imagined her buried under grain ledgers, tax disputes, and trade agreements. She would sooner burn Qohor to the ground a second time than spend her days debating the price of Norvoshi wool. The notion was absurd.
I opened my mouth to reject the proposal.
"Would it truly be beneficial to place such a burden upon Domina Liliana?" a new voice chimed in.
I lowered my hand. My gaze snapped toward the source of the interruption. Senator Argus stepped out from a cluster of dignitaries near the dais. He wore a pristine white toga draped over his shoulders, the crimson border marking his station. His face displayed a mask of polite concern. I knew the scheming mind operating behind those eyes.
I leaned back against the hard emerald crystals, thoroughly amused. Military deployments fell strictly under my purview as Grand Regent while Father was away. The appointment of provincial governors, however, granted the Senate a window to express their opinions. There was no harm in letting the man speak. Argus had secretly colluded with the Qohorik Council. Listening to his feigned concerns might provide some afternoon entertainment.
"An unnecessary burden, Senator Argus?" I asked. A deceptive smile touched my lips. "Pray, tell the court why you believe my sister is unsuited to rule the lands she conquered."
The portly senator bowed low before taking a deliberate step forward. "Hardly unsuited, Dominus. I would venture that Domina Liliana is overqualified to serve as a mere Governor of Qohor. It is a province steeped in squalor. It was reduced to its true state as a corrupt mass that required purging. Yet now it stands at the precipice of change. Change that would see it risen from the lowest depths to the soaring skies. But that change should not come from the Prorex."
"Insolence!" Iskarn roared. His eyes blazed with sudden fury at the senator's audacity.
I raised a hand. Iskarn snapped his jaw shut instantly, falling back into perfect stillness.
I let my gaze bear down upon the senate floor. "I do not like the words being spoken within these halls, Senator. I suggest you arrive at your point before my patience frays." I deliberately laced my voice with steel. Internally, the exchange was thoroughly amusing. Watching these mortals attempt to speak to me as a peer was a novel entertainment. They would never have dared entertain such notions in front of Father.
Argus lowered his head again, appropriately chastened. "I meant no disrespect to you, Prorex, nor to Domina Liliana. I merely find the notion of her attention being squandered on masonry to be a waste. You are the Grand Regent of Rome. The lives of millions are entrusted to your bloodline. It would be belittling for you to be forced to pay attention to the rebuilding of a dead city."
Finally done with his mandatory bootlicking, Argus arrived at the true rationale of his speech. "There is also the matter of the populace. They grow too dependent upon the might of Deus. His will is supreme but letting the citizens live by the belief that Deus and his children will mend every broken stone only breeds decadence. We must show the people that while Deus paves the road, the strength to walk upon it must come from within. You have conquered Qohor for us, Dominus. Let the people of Rome be the ones to rebuild it. Let us make it prosper."
A thumping of feet erupted from the wings of the Throne Hall. The gathered senators beat their soles against the marble to signal their staunch approval. I leaned back against the emerald crystals, turning the argument over in my mind. The logic was surprisingly sound. The entire purpose of Father restoring the Senate was to allow humanity to govern itself. Argus's proposal aligned perfectly with that grand intent, and I found no slight in his ambition.
"Your words are worth giving consideration to, Senator."
The tension shattered. Joy bloomed across their faces as they hung upon my judgment.