Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Senate Hall

"Milady, here is your seat," a university attendant gestured to Duchess Julia. She took her seat beside the imperator and waved her hand at the attendant, who swiftly exited.

"Imperator Ulferth, it's been a long time," she said, but there was no joy in her voice. Ulferth stood and bowed.

"My lady, it is an honor."

"I have heard troubling news from this place," said Julia, narrowing her eyes.

"My lady, I—"

"Are you going to offer me excuses, Ulferth?" said Julia coldly. Her gaze is cold; her tone was challenging. If Ulferth speaks, then maybe this patron of his, would see that as a sign of insubordination.

Ulferth fell silent.

The university had always been a place to freely express ideas, but one must not forget who constructed it and whose gold maintained their scholars, consuls, and reputation.

Ulferth said nothing but let out a quiet, pathetic whimper. The Lady was charismatic, like her son.

The consuls and senators in the Senate Hall dared not move, and the Lady continued.

"My son is fighting an atrocious war and my family is occupied with the new King, and now you bring this headache to me?"

"My lady, if you would let me explain my—"

"Enough," snapped Julia, cutting him off again. "I am here to hear the cause of the disturbance. Consul poisoned and threats of death, what a mess! If this problem was allowed to fester, people would no longer come here. My son has great concerns for the university, so I would like to know what's going on."

The silence that followed was cracked by the groan of the large gate, and all heads turned.

"Consul Silas, my lady," Ulferth said, raising a hand to the young man who entered.

Several consuls stood and greeted the man; his popularity with the administrative senate and the other consuls was obvious.

His popularity with the Senate and Praetorians is remarkable.

He is one of the people implicated in this event she mused.

Lady Julia nodded and locked her gaze on Silas.

An unremarkable young man, she mused. She had come because this matter involved the daughter of the Angovins.

They were not a particularly powerful family, but they were related to Helia's house and most of the southern noble houses.

Julia at least had to keep up appearances. She had no power over this senate's ruling but she did have her influence.

Anyway, she comes here to listen to the cause of the event and who is to be blamed for the subsequent tragedy.

A consul from the House of Roland had been poisoned, and although he had fortunately survived, there were others who had not.

Lady Julia was about to summon Silas to the center of the hall when a loud boom shook them.

"What was that?" she cried, startled and gripping the handles of her chair.

Ulferth shook his head in bewilderment, until a woman appeared at the door, armed to the teeth.

The faces of some of the consuls and senators showed fear, others were clearly disgusted with the woman, but curiously, Julia noticed that Silas was grinning.

Without a word, Silas walked to the center of the hall and stood, watching the senate. Glancing at the woman, he smirked, and with all eyes flitting towards him he began his oration.

***************************************************************************************

Center of the Senate Hall

'When, O Caitlin, do you mean to cease abusing our patience? How long is that madness of yours still to mock us? When is there to be an end of that unbridled audacity of yours, swaggering about as it does now? Do not the nightly guards placed on this sacred ground of learning—do not the watches posted throughout the city—does not the alarm of the people, and the union of all good men—does not the precaution taken of assembling the senate in this most defensible place—do not the looks and countenances of this venerable body here present, have any effect upon you?'

Silas's words were enunciated strongly, his voice booming with conviction as the whole Senate listened to him and nodded in agreement of Silas rebuke.

Lady Julia stared at the young man with interest.

He did not stutter or falter, he simply stood resolute and firm. After a moment of ringing silence, Silas opened his mouth again and his anger seeped through his words.

'Do you not feel that your plans are detected? Do you not see that your conspiracy is already arrested and rendered powerless by the knowledge which everyone here possesses of it? What is there that you did last year, what the month before that—where is it that you were—who was there that you summoned to meet you—what design was there which was adopted by you, with which you think that any one of us is unacquainted! How laughable Caitlin! How laughable!!"

Silas pointed an accusatory finger at Caitlin, who stood dumbfounded, her hands trembling with anger and shame.

Caitlin's eyes flitted to the highest seats in the hall, where sat the Imperator and the Duchess. She had intended to plead her case to the Duchess.

The Imperator had been eager to expel her from the university, and the administrative senate meeting had been arranged to decide whether she would be removed, or punished by the university's laws.

The Senate Meeting was supposed to be the ruling deciding whether she would be evicted or not and punished by the University laws.

Who would have thought the moment she enters, she was driven into a trap created by Silas?

The senate was somewhat divided on the matter.

Whilst the damage that Caitlin had done was substantial, her father was one of the most respected nobles in the land; there was fear of offending such a great person.

Silas smiled triumphantly.

Silas is using the pretext of the meeting knowing full well, that Caitlin will barge in and tried to stop the proceeding from happening.

Silas know his enemy well.

He had known she would barge in to try to stop the proceedings.

The young woman was daringly impulsive and rash of thought and actions.

Silas had concocted a plan with the imperator to invite one person from the ruling families, with the intent that if he could persuade the ruling families that having Caitlin at the university was harmful, he could finally be rid of his nemesis.

Silas was oblivious to the fact that, at that moment, the Duchess was looking at him with renewed interest.

He took a deep breath and, looking into faces of the consuls, he yelled.

'Shame on the age and on its principles! SHAME! The senate is aware of these things; the consul sees them; and yet this woman lives. Lives! Unrepentant and shameless! aye, she comes even into the senate, staining the marble tiled with her evil!'

The consuls looked down in embarrassment.

Caitlin stood frozen and speechless.

Throughout everything, the Duchess watched Silas, her mind spinning.

The new King needed a new courtier and people to help in his administration, and Julia was intent on learning more about this young man named Silas.

Silas on the other hand keep his speech, denouncing Caitlin.

'She takes a part in the public deliberations; she is watching and marking down and checking off for slaughter every individual among us. And we, gallant men that we are, think that we are doing our duty to the state if we keep out of the way of her frenzied attacks. You ought, O Caitlin, long ago to have been led to execution by command of the consul. That destruction which you have been long plotting against us ought to have already fallen on your own head.'

"That is too much!" a consul shouted. "Too brutal! She is a noble, unlike you, you son of a pig farmer!"

Silas smiled coldly and ignored the outburst.

This is merely a dissenting voices of her supporters. Consul inside her pocket, bribe by gold, enjoying the authority of Caitlin power in leading the Praetorians.

Silas had planned this confrontation for a long time, and there was no need for him to debate with another consul.

Instead, he posed his question to the senate.

***************************************************************

Part two will come in a few minutes