Sons of Rome: A Prequel to Glory, Honor, and Empire AAR
Introduction: A Dying Emperor or Empire?
Justinian seemed to never sleep. Even in these advanced years of 'eighty-two' his pace still seemed not to wain. Looking over legislative documents, legal papers, and military transcriptions, he seemed to never stop. He gazed over each of the parchments not missing one. He dicated responses to his court scribes for each no matter how insignificant some were. However, this night he seemed to not be as alert as normal, causing uneasy concern from the court. Whispers and quick gazes of the emperor were could be seen. Justinian, was aware of it, and he tried to make himself more comfortable, but it was in vain. The emperor seated at his richly ordained, but tactful, throne brought his golden goblet to his lips to sip his wine one last time before he retired. His face turned pale, and looked around confused, he dropped the goblet causing a tremendous crash on the highly polished marble floor of the Great Palace. Justinian then clutched both hands to his chest and started wheezing uncontrollably, and soon toppled out of throne onto the marble whincing in pain from the crash.
Afterward the attendees of the court rushed to his aid, but still in shock of what was displayed before them. Justinian looked around the palace and then his eyes became transfixed on a simple scene on a palace mosaic. One of the hundreds that adorned the walls of the Great Palace.
Being carried away still looking at the mosaic a smile seemed to form though he was agonizing in pain. What mystery could this be? Why this mosaic? One attendant shouted, "Get the physician to the emperor's bedchamber immediately! He is in distress!" The attendants rushed Justinian to his bedchamber trying with all there will to make their emperor confortable. Still rincing in pain Justinian still had this peculiar grin on his face. "Sire, the physician is on his way!" said one, "Sire, is there anything we can do for you to ease your suffering?" said another. Justinian raieed up and bellowed out with all his remaining strength, "Vig..il....lantiiiiiaaaa!!"
The attendants looked at each other, and tears began to well up in there eyes. One attendant said, "Is he...crying out for his mother (in a soft voice)?" Some shrugged to not be sure, some concurred he indeed cried out for his mother, but was it deeper than that? Tears and sweat were dripping off the emperor's face profusely, and as quick as Justinian sat up he dropped back down, but that peculiar grin remained as if etched on his face. The attendents tried to straighten out his arms so he could rest better till the physician arrived, but Justinian would not cooperate. Finally after several attendants joined in they relaxed the arms and even unclutched one of the fists, and a coin crashed to the floor.
An attendant picked up the coin and looked it over and then grinned with almost the same grin that the was fixed on the emperor's face. The coin was passed around, and all the attendants now bore the same grin. A great silence followed, as if everyone had been transported to a different time, a time when the impossible seemed possible, when hope could be restored. This was the time of the Sons of Rome!