The dimly lit tabernae, tucked deep in the heart of Rome, was a haven for those seeking refuge from the scorching sun—and from the law.
The room was cold and bare, not a place for pleasantries—only secrets and threats.
No torches lined the walls. Only a small oil lamp flickered on the table, casting shadows that danced like ghosts.
The air was thick with the smell of wine and sweat, and the sounds of raucous laughter and clinking glasses filled the atmosphere.
Outside, Volcanalia still raged, but inside, it felt as though the world had stopped.
Arminius, disguised as an old beggar, limped toward the entrance.
Cloaked, hooded, tall—his back stooped, his step uneven. Yet his posture remained deliberate, coiled, like a wolf pretending to be weak.
He scanned the room, his gaze meeting the eyes of those inside. Conversations faltered; people measured the beggar who had entered.
He ignored them.
Only one person mattered.
Sejanus. The snake.
He had sent him a message earlier, once he stepped foot on Roman soil—his home since childhood.
Nostalgia hit him, but it didn't linger.
Memories of his younger days flooded back.
The reminder of his former brightness, so different from who he was now, fueled his bitterness.
It was all Germanicus's fault.
Germanicus, two years his junior at the military academy.
He remembered him, and would always remember him.
That battle at the Weser River. His last battle. His defeat against Germanicus still made his wounds throb.
That was the start of his downfall—the infighting within his tribe that followed.
His uncle, who had once advised him to flee, was now the one who sought to put a dagger in his back.
Arminius gritted his teeth as he recognized the snake with his arrogant demeanor sitting at the center of the tabernae.
Sejanus. His senior by three years.
The bastard son of an Equestrian.
'Still full of himself,' Arminius thought, unable to suppress the insult.
Ignoring the whispers and glances that followed him, he moved purposefully toward Sejanus.
He sat across from him, where Sejanus lounged on a worn couch, exuding an air of superiority.
A prostitute, her form barely visible under a thin veil, sat beside him.
Then Sejanus looked at the prostitute beside him and gave a small gesture.
She rose without a word and disappeared into the shadows.
Arminius pulled back his hood, revealing hollow cheeks, weathered skin, and long black hair streaked with gray.
His eyes, sharp as shattered obsidian, fixed on Sejanus.
Sejanus didn't flinch.
His eyes flickered with curiosity, though his expression betrayed only the faintest interest in the man's sudden appearance.
Sejanus fought to maintain control of this bizarre encounter, his mind racing through calculations.
Arminius looked different now.
Arminius. The traitor.
The proud warrior he had once known was a shadow of himself.
But Sejanus couldn't help but feel an uneasy respect for the man's tenacity.
"So," Sejanus drawled, a hint of condescension coloring his voice. "What brings you to my table, old man?" A blatant insult to Arminius' appearance.
Sejanus tilted his head, folding his arms across his chest. "Arminius," he said flatly, his voice low and gravelly. "I thought you were a ghost."
He studied him, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"I was," Arminius replied, his tone laced with bitterness. "But ghosts don't bleed. I bled enough to earn my place back among the living."
"So, what do you want? A place at the emperor's table? A pat on the back for failing to bring Rome to its knees?" The snake started spouting poison.
Arminius's eyes locked onto Sejanus, his gaze sharp and intense.
'This man looks like a man with nothing left to lose.' Sejanus observed Arminius.
"I seek your help, Sejanus," Arminius said, his voice barely above a whisper, raw with urgency.
"I need to find Thusnelda and my son. I know she's been given to Tiberius, but I don't know where they are." he admitted.
'Hoh, look at this… The great Arminius is now bowing before me!' Sejanus thought, a smug satisfaction curling at the edges of his mind.
The mention of Arminius's family shifted the conversation from politics to something far more personal.
It wasn't just about alliances and betrayals anymore; it was about survival, about family, about the visceral ache of loss that no title or power could fill.
Something primal, something Sejanus couldn't ignore.
Not that he would understand, of course.
His family was power-hungry—hollow. And he was a bastard—by birth and by nature.
Arminius's voice grew firmer, a steely determination settling in. "I know you have eyes everywhere. I need information. I need to know where they are."
Sejanus's calculating gaze never left Arminius.
His brow arched slightly as he considered the request.
'So, this is desperation… a raw, hungry desire to reclaim what's been lost,' he pondered.
It made the encounter more dangerous, more personal.
'Now this is what I'm interested in,' Sejanus thought, feeding his ego.
His face remained a cold, unreadable mask.
He raised an eyebrow, just enough to bait Arminius into revealing more.
"And what makes you think I'd be interested in helping you?" Sejanus asked, his voice a velvet mockery, laced with amusement.
Arminius hesitated, his thoughts turning, weighing his options. Then, his eyes flashed with quiet fury.
"I can offer you something valuable—something you can use," he replied, his voice low, full of quiet intensity.
Sejanus leaned in, intrigued but cautious. "And what's that?"
"You know how Rome treats those born outside the patrician web. You've clawed your way up, but the gates remain closed." The traitor started negotiating.
"Your name opens no gates nor doors. Your bloodline shuts them in your face. I can pry them open for you." Arminius continued, hitting Sejanus to where it hurt.
"I know you want power. But what is power without control? Without allies? Soldiers?" He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Without an imperial or noble bloodline?"
"You do not have the nobility required to solidify your claim to the throne." Arminius smiled.
"See? I also have information about you. I only just stepped inside Rome but I already have an insight about what you're after." He continued. "Ever wonder how I managed to send you a message? Set up a place for us to meet?"
"You want an empire in flames? I can make it burn for you, Sejanus. I still have men. Loyal men. In Germania. And some here in Rome. Discreet. But ready to act." Arminius's eyes told the truth.
"My information may have been limited, as my search for my wife and son ends with you. You are the only one who knows where Tiberius held my family."
Sejanus's eyes flickered with interest, his posture shifting ever so slightly.
'I already have a plan in motion… but every fire needs a spark. Could Arminius be the spark?'
The offer of men, of soldiers, was a powerful bargaining chip—but it wasn't the whole story.
'I don't need them for the plan. Not yet. But that doesn't mean I won't.' Sejanus' mind is already at work.
'A contingency. A failsafe.'
He knew Arminius had little left beyond threats and promises.
The true value was buried deeper.
Arminius's voice remained steady, though his eyes betrayed a glint of desperation. "I can give you that loyalty. I can give you soldiers, the strength to challenge Rome's enemies from the inside. I can give you the leverage you need in Germania and in the Senate. But..."
Sejanus's lips curled into a small smile, sensing the but before Arminius even voiced it. "But what?"
Arminius met his gaze, the old fire returning, albeit dimmed by time and defeat. "But I need my family. You hold the power to ensure their safety. I am not asking for your charity, Sejanus. I'm offering you something far more valuable."
Sejanus leaned back, his fingers tapping slowly on the armrest of his chair, his mind working through the implications of what Arminius had just said.
He could almost taste the complexity of the bargain being laid before him.
Soldiers in Germania, allies within Rome.
Arminius, a man broken by his past yet capable of offering the means to strike at Rome's heart.
A dangerous man with nothing left to lose.
"I already have power, Arminius," Sejanus said, his voice taking on an amused edge.
"What I need is something that can break Tiberius without having to wrestle it from his hands directly."
Arminius stiffened, the insinuation clear, but he didn't flinch. "Then do it. Help me. Let's stop pretending we're not both desperate men here," he said quietly. "I can give you what you want. I just need... my family back."
"My men, my loyalty, and your protection for my family's life. In return, I will bring you the strength you need to break Tiberius's hold on Rome."
Sejanus studied him for a moment, weighing the offer, his mind calculating the cost and the potential gain.
With these resources, he could rally support for his coup against Tiberius.
The loyalty of Arminius's men provides a direct path to military strength, while the hidden allies in Rome offer him the political cover he needs to build a network of power.
Finally, he spoke, his voice colder than before, sharp as the edge of a blade. "I'll admit, your argument is... compelling.. But remember, Arminius, you're not the only one in need of something."
Sejanus's eyes gleamed, a flash of something cruel lurking beneath the surface.
The snake leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating intensity. "If I help you, you won't be in my debt. You'll be mine. Forget that—and you and your family die."
Arminius nodded, his gaze unwavering, as if the weight of the deal had already been accepted.
He didn't ask more questions—he knew what the snake wanted.
Sejanus smiled slowly, watching Arminius carefully. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I want everything. Your loyalty. Your secrets. Your power, Arminius. Not just your soldiers, but everything you still have left to give."
"You're my puppet now." His fangs glinted in the flickering light of the oil lamp, their sharpness matching the cruelty in his smile. 'I'll squeeze you dry'
The room seemed to grow colder, wrapping them both in the tension of the unspoken bargain.
'You think this is your redemption. But you've only just entered the arena, Arminius.' Sejanus thought. 'I'm five steps ahead of you. Five steps...'
*******************************
A Quick Recap!
Do you guys remember Arminius from Chapter 1? The battle at Weser River? Yep, that one! The Germanic tribe chieftain! He's making a comeback! What do you guys think hmmm?? Did you think he won't make a comeback? ^___^ hehe I don't put side characters or villains once. XD They'll be here until I kill them off. Lmao. I've been perusing what I've written so far. And decide if 'is it the time yet?' or 'isn't it too soon?' And I've been looking back and trying to find plot holes. If you think there are, don't worry! It will be explained later on.. or if there are some that you see that have no explanations yet, please point it out. Every little small thing is connected. Thank you for reading! Love you guys!
FUN FACT!
Arminius has long been dead in this timeline (23AD). He died on 21 AD. It was believed that he was assassinated by a rival Germanic Tribe—after the battle of Idistaviso—there are more than one tribe in Germanic tribes, btw! And some believe there was a betrayal at play and an in-fighting gone wrong that killed him. But I resurrected him for this. ^__^ Perks of being an author. Hehehe. So the line of Sejanus, "I thought you were aghost.", was actually me trying to be funny lmao.