(no subject)

[thewidewideworld]

{From here}

Sinric leans Athelstan into their rooms. It's clear he hasn't slept there either. Even the mead cup sits on the table when he left it.

He draws Athelstan towards the bathroom. "Will you bathe with me?" His voice is soft and gentle. "Your clothes smell rather strongly of goat."

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

"And what do his peers do? Just send him into exile, or harm him?"

[thewidewideworld]

"The first time they might but scald or threaten him. For foolishness more than maliciousness. But a second time, they would beat him. If he did so a third, they would beat him badly before taking him to the magistrate or running him from the city. From what I hear from the cooks and kitchen hands, few are fool enough to try past the first beating and all know if it so they will have no trade with him."

[athelstanthescribe]

"No one should get away with committing the same crime more than once", he agrees. "Unless it be theft caused by starvation, and then they should be helped out of the need."

[thewidewideworld]

"Because it is my lord's way to care for all in his city, if a man's goods are taken for such a crime they are given to the poor, or sold for food that may be passed out to those most in need."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Your lord is the best of men. I hope someone will find a way to continue that under Leo."

[thewidewideworld]

"I doubt it. Leo, and others see such charity as weakness. He conceded the city of Ravenna to the Lombards, not from weakness of position but because he could see the people of the city would suffer under a long and drawn out siege. He would rather see them continue their lives under Lombard rule than see them suffer from terrible war."

[athelstanthescribe]

"I hope the people of Ravenna think of him kindly for it. Perhaps some good-hearted merchant might pick up where he left off, if Leo can't order him not to?"

[thewidewideworld]

"Leo would not notice such things. They are below him."

He leans back, breaking off a piece of bread and cheese. "I think... I hope they remember him well. The loss of Ravenna took from the Empire the better part of Italy as it allowed the Lombards to control trade by sea."

[athelstanthescribe]

"And Italy is where the empire began", he says slowly. "Do you think Leo might try to retake it?"

[thewidewideworld]

"The Western Empire perhaps. But we are of the East." The difference may only seem geographical but in identity, it means so much.

"He may. But he must first earn the trust of the armies, before they will follow him. And the Tagmata have no love of him."

[athelstanthescribe]

"The Tagmata? Who are they?"

[thewidewideworld]

"The Spatharioi are the guards of the palace and of the Emperor's person. The Tagmata are the elite of his army, of which every Spatharioin is a captain." He explains.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Ah." He nods. "The last people he would want to turn against him."

[thewidewideworld]

"They will obey orders but not in the same way or with the same vigour they would follow a true leader." He muses. "And none but the lowers ranks of the army are conscripts. All others might leave a will and seek other employment. Should the best of his army choice to offer their service to the Lombards or the Franks, or worse the Arabs or the Bulgars, Leo would find himself in great peril."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan nods. "Because not only are they the best of soldiers, they know the lie of the land in the empire."

[thewidewideworld]

"Just so. But I do not believe the Spatharioi would abandon the people to danger so."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Is it possible they might overthrow a bad enough emperor?"

[thewidewideworld]

"Not the Spatharioi themselves. In the past, generals of the armies have tried. It will be if Leo's half brothers rise against him there will be civil war. Nikephoros and Christopher are better statesmen than Leo ever was. If they can sway the army and the people to their cause."

[athelstanthescribe]

He nods. "Are they better men than he is?"

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric laughs bitterly. "I can count on my hands the few in the palace who are not better men than Leo. From the lowest slave to the highest courtier."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Then it shouldn't be too hard for them. All Leo has on his side is fear."

[thewidewideworld]

He shakes his head. He has read ahead in history and sees only darkness there. Despairing for the empire, he knows he cannot stay to see it's fall.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan knows what's coming too, and knows that a single bed-slave won't be able to change it.

"You'll be safe, and so will the other boys."

[thewidewideworld]

"I hope so. I have much planning to do." He nods, breaking the bread in his hands into smaller pieces, almost fretfully.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Could you bring them through here, failing all else? Into a world where Leo could never find them?"