The Glory That Is Rome (a Percy Jackson AU)

The Senate's Decision

      Percy was stunned by the Senate. They had opted to meet in a theater that Jupiter had built instead of the Senate building after the violence that had taken place there last week. Since Odysseus's death, the whole city was abuzz with rumors. Some said the Gauls were going to take over Rome and Percy had heard many people swearing that Queen Dido had come back to life to curse Rome.

    Percy knew that Annabeth was as nervous as he was, but unlike him, she was stuck home. Though the Senate was meeting in the theater, the only woman allowed there was Hera. Percy was glad that Luke had chosen him to accompany him to the Senate to carry his scrolls where he wrote his notes in, though Percy suspected he was doing it to keep him away from Annabeth. 

      I suppose he has a good reason to be angry, Percy thought, just not the one he thinks. Percy sat next to Luke who was seated near the front of the theater. Several men gave speeches, but none of them were any different than what the people were saying on the streets. Many of them condemned the violence that had taken place the week before and the senators with blood on their hands shifted in their seats. Luke watched the killers with narrowed eyes.

    After Agamemnon gave a speech calling for the execution of all the assassins, Luke stood up to give his speech. He spoke with a voice that was loud, clear, and persuasive. Percy found himself pulled in by the young senator's charisma.

    "You have heard many senators propose absurd things," Luke said. "We cannot very well install another one of Zeus's sons into power. We don't know if he even had any others and there are so many people claiming to be his son, that we'd have a hundred heirs to choose from."

    That drew laughter from the senators and Luke smiled.

   "The death of Odysseus was a tragedy," Luke continued, "but we must look to the future and not the past. Now is not the time to repeat what happened after Julius Caesar was stabbed. Do we want to descend Rome into civil war again? No, I propose we forgive the senators as long as they pledge their loyalty to whoever we choose as our next emperor."

    The cheers from the senators was deafening as they raised their hands to pass the motion. Half of them were guilty and none of them wanted to be punished. Luke bowed and sat back down. The next speaker was Sarpedon, a man in his forties with the same nose and jawline as Zeus.

    "Luke's wise words give me hope," he said, "and that is why I put his name forward. Yes, he is young, but he has proved himself to be capable. He has brought us together in a time of uncertainty."

    The roars of approvals were even louder than they had been for Luke. 

    "I say we vote Luke into power!" Sarpedon shouted.

    "What about putting Hebe on the throne?" Hera asked from the front row of the theater. "She is Zeus's eldest daughter."  

   Her words were drowned out by the many cheers as the senators raised their hands to vote for Luke.

   "Thank you," Luke said. "I am humbled to be a servant of Rome."