“Will you lie to me and pretend that it was madness that made my friend accuse you of hiding my twin from me?”
The question came after a prolonged silence. Outside the cathedral, the Horned Rat and John’s elementals ensured that they were alone for this. As alone as they could be, within these collapsed walls. Nightingale could have shrouded them fully, but to do so would have no doubt incensed the Greater Empire to gallop in and check on their sovereign.
The cat was out of the bag anyhow. If anyone with supernatural hearing overheard this, then that was what it was.
“I will not,” John said. “I understand your grief. I will not-“
“You have not-!” Romulus interrupted him with a shout, then consolidated his bass voice into a stoic tone again. “You have not lived long enough to know what grief truly means. By grace and wisdom, you will know one day what it is like to be separated from a friend that you have known dozens of times longer than you have lived years right now. Our friendship was already old when your ancestors came to the shores of this continent.”
The Apex crouched. His fingers dug into the earth, breaking glass, crushing it into the grains of dirt that he then pressed against his forehead. A singular tear rolled down Romulus’ face. Sol and Luna embraced him.
It was wrong and terrifying to see this man in this state. Unfair as that was to Romulus, John often forgot that he was, at heart, still just human. Ancient, powerful, and yet human. He had not lost touch with this and that likely was the reason why he was still around, while all that could have competed with him gradually were ground down by the crushing cogs of history.
John did not agree that he did not understand grief. Grief, in fact, fanned the smoulders of his ever-burning rage. Grief also kept his tongue still. This was not the moment to compare their sadness.
“War is the ugly reality of life,” Romulus muttered. “I remember when I first heard the phrase ‘violence isn’t the answer’ and how ludicrous that was. Violence is always the ultimate answer that we can employ to change the world. It is a statement born from those that lie or those that are weak. Violence is an answer and I will employ it prolifically at times like this.”
The Apex opened his hand. Elemental weaving consolidated the dirt he had gathered into a sphere no larger than a golf ball. It was not much, but it was the memento that the emperor gave to Luna for safekeeping. The streak of the tear was still visible, but his face was once more stoic.
“You will tell me the truth, Gamer, and you will tell it to me now. What did Rodaclam mean when he made his final service to me? What is Remus’ involvement?”
“And what is my involvement.” The Horned Rat arrived at the scene with long strides. He bowed his head respectfully.
“Unusual for you to be forthcoming,” Romulus stated.
“Our differences matter little. My schemes were and always will be for the benefit of humanity. To keep your support in this war is worth my admission.”
“Then confess.” Romulus stared at John as he said those two words.
“Last year, I conquered the Gestalt guilds after distress calls went out. I found the territory overrun by Lorylim, but I also found that those Lorylim were, for the most part, dead. It turned out that the machines the people of the Gestalt guilds had been using to synchronize their consciousnesses partly operated on the Sands of Time. Through those sands, perhaps due to Tiamat’s chaotic presence, Remus was capable of forming short-lived avatars. Ultimately, months after the conclusion of the affair, we came across a large swirling pond of Sands of Time. In it, the figure we assume to be Remus continuously attempted to rise. To no success, as per my last updates. Information has obviously been broken down since these events began.”
“…I see. The reason you kept this secret from me?”
“Because I did not want Fusion to become the martial ground between you two brothers,” John answered. “Because I was not strong enough then to stand against you in case you made a decision I disapproved of. Because I do not actually know what is happening with it. Because, for all the preference I have for you as a person, I disagree with your goal. Because I do not bet my future on you.”
All of them were his unembellished thoughts. Romulus deserved no less than the truth.
“And you advised him on this course of action?”
“I did,” the Horned Rat declared.
“Did Lydia know?”
“She did.”
“Did Maximillian?”
“He did not.”
Romulus rubbed his forehead. While he contemplated, Sol glared at them with the fury of the sun. “You ought to pay respect to him, certainly enough not to hide his own brother from him!” she hissed at them like only an angry woman could. “Your names are dishonour and the world will remember this.”
‘That will take decades to recover from,’ the Gamer thought. He had been working to diminish his reputation as a schemer for over a year. This would drag him right back and then past the worst that had ever been said about it. Many would understand his reasons, many would not. It would be a divisive matter for a long time, generations potentially. The members of the Greater Empire would certainly remember this ‘betrayal’. Sol would absolutely remember.
That was the price he paid. There was rarely such a thing as a correct path, only paths that allowed one to emphasize what one deemed to matter more and lose what one deemed to matter less. John had made the decision that Fusion mattered to him more than his standing with Romulus.
A ruler that was not willing to sacrifice could not rule. Indeed, a human that was not willing to sacrifice could scarcely live.
“The Greater Empire will move eastwards,” Romulus declared. “I will personally lead the charge into the low control zone, as you called it. You will provide me the location of this coalescing of the Sands of Time. After I have confirmed what presence of my brother there is, I will turn westwards immediately, with all my forces in tow. Adjust your war plans accordingly.”
“…You would punish the citizens of Fusion over my priorities?”
“That is the lot of the ruled.” Romulus leapt out of the hole and landed next to John and the Horned Rat. Sol and Luna landed next to him immediately. While the blonde sun goddess continued to glower, Luna beheld it all with solemn eyes. “You have made your decision in hopes of sparing them the grindstone. Now I must threaten that which you have cared for so you know that you are at risk of losing it whenever you cross me.” A simple, harsh stare was the final look Romulus afforded the king of Fusion. “I will no longer fight as your ally, but as Izha’s enemy.”
With that, Romulus stepped away, leaving the Horned Rat and John alone by the crater. They said nothing for a while and that alone was proof of the nature they shared. A message was sent out and soon his present haremettes joined him. Nightingale wreathed them all in a cover of obfuscation.
“What do you reckon, can this be mended?” John asked the harpy.
“I believe so,” Nighingale answered. “Anger and grief are fresh. Cooperate and he may forgive you in time.”
“Romulus is not a grudge-holding person, to his fault.” The Horned Rat allowed himself a little joking swing in his voice. No one present appreciated it, but the god cackled all the same. “One has to burn a city down to truly earn his ire and even then he might forgive after a few hundred years.”
“That is the future,” Lydia interjected. “This is now. Rex Germaniae will remain with you. Some of my traditionalist subjects will likely migrate to operate with Romulus. I, however, will continue to stand with you, my love, and those loyal to me will follow.”
John nodded. Lydia headed the side of reformists and pragmatists in her nation and under her they had grown to hold the majority of institutional power. No doubt her army would be diminished. Important was that they had enough to remain operational.
“Then our next move is clear. Nightingale, I believe you’d be best suited for this. Move with Romulus. Implore him to at least wait until I can be with him before he barrels into the area. I’ll… recall the Ambassador Double.” John made a sour expression. “How is it that I am in three bodies but I still do not have enough presence.”
“You’ll leave Lu Zhi on her own?” Momo asked.
“She is healed now, difficult as that was. I’ll receive her with the Creator Puppet in LA anyway, so there is very little point in accompanying her during the journey. We are briefing each other as we speak.” He looked at Lydia. “You and I will have to push into and over the Great Lakes and Appalachians in the meantime… which means…” He then turned to the Horned Rat. “I am trusting the Illuminati with advancing the western front. If you can, I want you to advance into the Gobbo Nation.”
“I will see what I can do,” the Horned Rat promised.
That was as much as John could ask for.
_______________________________________________________________________
Groaning, John fell into the Couch.
There had been plenty of an aftermath. Eight different, high-ranking members of the Greater Empire had spit on his feet and one had even dared to challenge him to a duel. He had taken it and won handily, but the animosity obviously remained.
Romulus was effectively a god to his followers, in the truest, religious sense. John could not blame them for the impression either. That he was as human as he was even after all of this time only made him more attractive as a divine figure. Who didn’t want to look at the top of one’s nation and see, for all of his flaws, a caring father? Most of the people that served in the upper layers of the Greater Empire had done so for 60 generations.
This was the kind of loyalty John could only dream of.
It was also now wielded against him.
Politically acting against Romulus was one thing. Keeping secrets from him, especially one this large, was another. Having Romulus clearly and physically avoid sharing the same general space as John was the final nail in the coffin.
At least Nightingale was allowed access. The goddess of the night knew how to smooth over all that could be smoothed over. John himself had stayed for a couple of hours to let people achieve the catharsis of heckling him. It was not a pleasant experience, but it had to be done. If he did not allow them any outlet and acted as if he had done nothing wrong, he would just deepen the animosity.
That was all done now. Nightingale had stayed in the area, with Metra and Fianna to keep her safe. The allied forces would stay in New Orleans until the next dawn, then scatter to their individual deployments.
“About 12 hours until the great offensive begins,” John groaned.
“You sound tired.” The Couch shifted from an armchair to something more accommodating for two people. Delicia plopped down in his lap. She put an arm around his neck to stabilize herself. “Want to squeeze me until you feel better?”
John was only a man, so he did take the offer. The white fabric that covered her breasts made kneading them just a tiny bit less satisfying. In response to that thought, Delicia made it disappear, treating John to the unfiltered sensation of a handful of her all-natural stress balls.
“That does make me feel better,” he confessed. “Thank God for boobs.”
“Just heard ya had a bad encounter with Romulus?” Rave asked. She was the second of the many women returning to their apartment to cheer him up. The message Momo had sent via the Harem Comms had done some explaining, but it wasn’t until they had all gathered up and he had told them what had transpired that he really understood.
“Can’t say I blame him for his reaction, y’all,” Hailey made her opinion known.
“I am not. It just puts me in a difficult position, but I always knew it could end up here.” John shook his head. “The difficulty we will be facing now is that this was stated publicly. It will spread to the rest of the globe within days.”
“What’s the harm in that?” Sylph asked. “Sorry if that’s a stupid question, but I am a stupid girl, so I got to get the answers for ditzy bunnies.”
“Prometheus will hear of it and they will come to Remus’ aid,” John reminded her and everyone else who might have forgotten. “Their entire religion and state is founded on the myth of Remus, under the name Prometheus, giving them fire and crops. There may be a clash between the Greater Empire and Prometheus within Fusion territory, depending on how things play out.” John rubbed his face with the hand not busy jiggling Delicia’s left tit. “I have to give it to Izha – if he wanted to destabilize the current world order, this was the quickest way to do it.”
Lydia weighed an empty cup of tea in her hand. “Fusion and the Great Empire are now opposed. Parts of Rex Germaniae are standing with me in support of you. Prometheus and the Greater Empire will be at each other’s throat. The entire European concert will be changing in pitch.” She put the cup down. “We got one more night. We should enjoy it, my love.”
“Are you suggesting what I think you are-“ John started, only for the queen to stand up and strip out of her clothing. She had switched to her usual golden shirt and militaristic pants after stepping out of the public eye. Now she removed both to show to him the practical bra and panties she wore beneath. They were not as alluring as the lingerie she commonly wore when the harem was on its own, but she was still a nubile royal in underwear.
“Many will call you dishonourable for what transpired today,” she said. “I will publicly state my support of your thoughts, even if that brings me the ire of those whose support I have won. I believe in you, my love.” The other women in the room began to follow her example by stripping out of their clothes. “As far as I am concerned, nothing changed.”
“If it’s us against the world, we’re still gonna win,” Rave agreed.
“I’m by your side until the end,” Nahoa agreed, her green eyes hard. “You saved my people. I love you. That is what matters to me. I will trust your judgement on the creator of gluttony.”
“I have made Romulus my enemy before, because of what I thought was right.” Nathalia hugged him from behind, pulling the back of his head between the pillows of her breasts. “I will definitely make him my enemy for you, my mate.”
“Yeah!” Salamander pumped her fist. “Through history and fire, until we have reforged fate itself!”
A great ambition for the greatest gathering of man and women in the world.