The Glory That Is Rome (a Percy Jackson AU)

A New Order

Jason woke up to find an empire different than the one he had fallen asleep in. When he had fallen asleep on his straw mat, Zeus had been the emperor of Rome and Heracles had been the heir apparent. As Jason made his way to work, he heard wailing in the streets. At the quay where he unloaded cargo from ships, Dakota was sitting on the ground and drinking wine.

"Jason," he said. "We don't have work today. The emperor is dead."

"Zeus has died?" Jason asked.

He felt a pang of sadness. Though his mother had told him as she was dying that Zeus was hi father, Jason remembered him as the Caesar. Zeus had been a strong and capable emperor. Under his rule, the borders of the empire had been expanded. He had crushed the Gauls in battle and had increased trade with kingdoms in the east. Jason didn't always agree with his decisions, but Zeus had always felt like an emperor who deserved his loyalty.

"Heracles is emperor now?" Jason asked when he found his voice.

"No," Dakota said somberly. "He died."

"What?" Jason said. "Who is Zeus's heir then? One of his daughters?"

"Heracles was killed by his tutor," Dakota told him. "Geryon strangled him to death. Zeus died before he learned the news."

"What?" Jason cried. "But Heracles was so strong."

"Sometimes deception trumps brawn," Dakota said, taking another swig of wine. "Want any?"

Jason shook his head. He realized that his legs were shaking and sat down next to Dakota. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

"How did this all happen?" he wondered. "Theseus, Zeus, and now Heracles. Have the gods cursed us?"

"I'm not sure," Dakota said honestly, "but I sure hope the Senate doesn't."

"Why?" Jason asked.

"They're choosing the next emperor," Dakota said. "I hope it's not Odysseus. He's ambitious, but I heard he cheated on his wife. His wife divorced him a week ago. I don't know how he thinks he'll gain power after that scandal. Who do you think they'll pick?"

"Dionysus?"Jason suggested.

"That old grouch?"Dakota asked. "Are you daft? He's a popina owner and he cannot even—"

"But people say he's Zeus's son," Jason said, "and he's wealthy."

"Those are just rumors," Dakota said. "Everyone knows it's not true. Zeus never legitimatized him."

"Maybe Zeus didn't know about him?' Jason suggested.

He wondered if his father — whether it was Zeus or a poor plebeian — knew of his existence.

"I hope they choose Sarpedon," Dakota said. "He's a senator, sure, but he fought in the war against the Gauls. He knows about politics and the military. What more could we ask for out of an emperor?"

Sarpedon was another man rumored to be Zeus's son. Jason was unsure of how much weight to give these rumors. If the rumors were true, a fourth of the Senate was fathered by Zeus.

"Whoever it is," Jason said, "I hope they can be half of the ruler than Zeus was."

Dakota nodded. Though they had no work that day, the two littered near the quay. It felt disrespectful to enjoy their day off. When the sun started to set, Jason said goodbye to his companion and trudged back home.