Valentia: A new historical thriller from the author of The Centurion's Son by Adam Lofthouse

Author:Adam Lofthouse [Lofthouse, Adam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-03T16:00:00+00:00

XI

August, 367 AD.

The comes rei militaris Flavius Theodosius arrived at Bononia with little fanfare and less fuss. His troops were already there, had been in place for two weeks, and even before the general had dismounted, he was hounding an unfortunately positioned aide, asking why the men had not already begun to be shipped across the Narrow Sea.

‘We should be taking action man! What is the delay?’

The aide looked around, finding his colleagues shrunken into the shadows. ‘You… you sir. We were waiting for you.’

The general sighed, slapping his leg in frustration. ‘It will take four trips to get all our men and provisions across, yes?’

The aide gulped then nodded.

‘So why would you wait for me to arrive when we could have at least shipped some of the men and equipment across by now?’

He got no answer, the aide deciding his question was probably rhetorical.

‘Gods man! Are the ships ready? Yes? Then let us begin loading!’

Felicius watched the exchange with a half-smile dancing beneath his beard. He had heard many things about Theodosius, it was amusing to see the descriptions of the man brought to life in front of him. The prefect had endured a frustrating three week wait at Bononia. Dismayed at the delay, he too had questioned the general’s aides and clerks as they begun to arrive, imploring them to be proactive in getting as many men and equipment over to Britannia before the general arrived. His words had fallen on deaf ears.

So, he had exercised and socialised, keeping his body battle ready and learning everything he could about the men he would be marching to save Britannia with. Jovinus had fulfilled his obligations to the emperor Valentinian and was now back in eastern Gaul, preparing the western field army for a late summer campaign against the Alamanni over the Rhine. He had spent the rest of the day with Felicius after their meeting, filling the prefect in on the happenings of the world beyond Britannia’s shores.

The emperor had been ill. This was not the first time in recent years Valentinian had fallen ill with either a fever or a bout of sickness, and the last one had taken some time to shift. Worried for his long-term health, and the instability his death would bring to the empire, Valentinian had promoted his eight-year-old son Gratian to the rank of Augustus, giving the boy all the honours he himself enjoyed. That had been the reason for Theodosius’ delay, as a senior commander in the army and a member of the senate, he had been expected to attend the ceremony.

Felicius had riled at the news when he had been told. He thought it typical of the politics of empire. Attending a ceremony for an eight-year-old child was now more of a priority then preserving the lives of the people the eight-year-old was now expected to rule over.

‘But who will it be that saves these people?’ Jovinus had countered.

‘The army, of course,’ Felicius replied.

‘And those men must swear fealty to their emperor before they leave the field army.

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