Et Iterum Brutum (and Brutus again)

Et Iterum Brutum

(and Brutus again)

Gaius couldn't help but grin behind the scroll he was carrying, using it now to hide the insulting expression. But really, Marcus was a funny little man, with his strange philosophies. In fact, Gaius was rather worried; Marcus was a scholar, a statesman, a lawyer and an accomplished orator, and the very idea of his that somewhere out there in the great expanse of the universe there were alternative worlds, alternative realities – well, it just didn't make sense for such an intelligent man to make such asinine declarations, so maybe his friend was ill.

But he had no more time for Marcus Cicero today. It was the Ides of March and he had to get to the forum where the last of the public trials of the conspirators who tried to assassinate him was being held, putting to bed once and for all the tyranny of these plotters. They had all confessed to their plans and the motives therefor, and once this last would-be murderer had been dispatched, Gaius could set about dissolving the Senate (after all, who else of them might be putting their own selfish interests above those of his beloved Rome?) and then securing his position as Dictator for what he hoped would be a very long life. He'd also planned to expand on the legacies left in his Last Will and Testament, leaving even more to the common people, but with the clear provision that he die a natural death and not one as a result of murder or in battle. It was time that Calpurnia, his wife, bore him a son: he needed an heir now that he was as good as King of Rome.

As he climbed the steps of the Senate House, a few of his soldiers brought out the last of the criminals, and Gaius's heart ached. He'd treated the youngster so very well, and what did he get in return? Very nearly a literal stab in the back, but luckily only very nearly.

He strode up to the struggling young man whose protests only led to the Praetorians on either side of him handling him more roughly, Gaius hesitated when he was just a foot away, his regret being slowly replaced by indignation at the young whippersnapper's ingratitude. He deserved everything he was going to get, and Gaius leaned in to whisper savagely:

“Et nunc tu, Brute!”

by Heather Turnbull
Heather lives in Bognor Regis and has been writing for several decades. She has a very keen interest on anything ancient Roman and is currently studying for a PhD in the Classics, specialising in the madness of Caligula! She is also Captain of the amateur publishing association magazine Piece of Eight, which has been running for even longer than Heather and is always looking for new members who love writing. (Please contact Worthington Flash)