A Gladius, A Crown and A Broken Empire (Reichpol) [Hiatus]

Admiration turned hatred

Reichtangle's POV

He fell into his knees, his eyes wide as he watched the quiet body of the loyal servant on the ground. He stood silent, a ghost hand pressing his throat in the form of a painful knot, disbelief filling his expression as his mind tried to negate the picture in front of him.

"I think there was a spy on your house son... So I've cleaned the place from any rats for you"

The words of his father echoed through his frozen head.

At the moment he had just feared being discovered contradicting his father, so he had say 'thank you' with an act worth of the theater of Rome. It had just been on his way to his domus that he had started to understand what "cleaning" was his father talking about.

He knew the man's family. Humble people that had invited him to their house for dinner when he had returned from war, sharing memories from years before, making sure he was ok after everything he had went through. How would he see their faces when their dear father and husband had been murdered under his roof?

He blinked, the sight of the bleeding corpse distorting with tears, the pressure of all the blood on his hands too unbearable for him to carry anymore. The corpses of people, his father had forced him to kill, in a way.

He ran to his room, putting on his paenula and running to the Ludus. It didn't matter if the sun was barely hiding, he needed to hear Poland. Just the gladiator could soothe the pain on his heart, just his smile could help him get through this darkness.

The thought sounded weird, but it was the mere truth. It didn't matter Poland's status, he was the only one who really knew him.

He faked calmness, paying the greedy lanista and walking to the empty room they used for their meetings.

The minutes felt painfully slow and he lowered his face trying to dry his eyes completely.

"You're here sooner than usual. Is that a good thing?" Teased Poland before frowning at his stained face. "Were you... Crying?" He whispered, sitting on the ground and patting the spot beside him.

Reichtangle sat, trying to take off his hood before the gladiator stopped him.

"Just... Don't take off your hood" Poland murmured between his teeth and Reichtangle obliged. "What happened?"

Reich breathed, collecting the memories back. Anger started replacing fear and hate started replacing the old memories he had with his father.

"I hate the Emperor of Rome"

Poland gasped, jumping towards him covering his mouth with both his hands, his face panicked while he looked for a sign of anyone close. When he heard nobody he whisper-yelled.

"Do not say that! I am a mere infame so my opinion doesn't really matter, but you are a noble, you could get killed!!!"

Reichtangle shook his head holding Poland's smaller hands on his own.

"I don't care. I hate him. And for the way you talk you hate him too"

Poland seemed surprised at his actions but just responded easily.

"Of course I hate him! He killed my people... But I'm not important idiot!"

"He killed someone I knew" Reichtangle said, lowering his gaze again and letting his hands on his lap, softly holding Poland's. "He was just a servant, but I knew him well. He was a good man. His family was there for me when no one else was. How am I going to face them now?" He felt his voice breaking at the memory of the two children of the man... The girl was barely five. How could he explain that her father wouldn't be coming home again?