The Glory That Is Rome (a Percy Jackson AU)

Luke's Triumph

  "My lord, we have great news."

   Luke looked up from the map he was studying on the Eastern lands. His generals had informed him that the rebels had fled eastward with his wife and heir. The messenger, Travis, was grinning up at Luke. 

   "We found your wife and your heir," Travis said.

    "Really?" Luke asked. "Bring them here."

   "Your slave, Percy, was found too," Travis said.

    "Bring them all here, then," Luke said.

    He furled up the map and stowed it in the bookshelf he kept in the corner of his throne room. He then strode over to his throne and sat down on it. His mind was moving more quickly than a famished falcon. How had they been found? His navy had fallen behind the rebel fleet. Luke had to admit that the Roman navy was pitifully small. He really needed to invest more money into it if he was going to conquer the world. After all, it had been a navy battle that had won Augustus the war; Luke decided he needed to make the navy great again.

       Luke smiled as the door to the throne room was opened again. Travis was accompanying Annabeth and Percy. Katie was carrying Luke's heir. Lucius looked larger than when Luke had last seen him and his hair was thicker and longer. What was really surprising, though, was that Annabeth's belly was curved as if she was carrying another child, but Luke realized she could not be carrying another heir for him. 

     "What's the meaning of this?" Luke shouted, barely stopping himself from rising from his throne.

     "My lord, your wife was raped by the rebel army," Percy said.

     "She was what?" Luke shouted.

    He wasn't sure what to believe. His wife didn't look like she had been raped. In fact, she looked nervous, but happy to see him. Luke noted Percy's body language and the soft expression on his face when he looked at Annabeth. Luke closed his eyes and opened them back up when he realized the truth: his wife had cheated on him with his slave. 

    "Guards," Luke said. "Take Annabeth, Lucius, and Percy to the spare bedroom," he said. "They need to be guarded at all times."

    "Luke, what are you doing?" Annabeth shrieked as guards grabbed her roughly. "I'm your wife."

    "No, you're a dirty lupa," Luke growled, "and you and Percy will die for your sins along with my false son."

    "Luke please!" Annabeth shrieked. 

     "It was me!" Percy said, but Luke could tell he was lying.

     "Even if you did force yourself upon her," Luke said, "she didn't tell me and she'll die for her dishonesty."

    He smiled as his guards took the traitors out of the throne room, but once Annabeth was gone, Luke's shoulders slumped. He had tried so hard to be a good husband, but being an emperor was hard. It's not my fault, Luke thought; she cheated on me. 

    "Guards," Luke said. "I need all fertile, beautiful women in Rome brought to me so that I can decide my next wife."

    "Luke," Travis said. "There is something else you need to know: the rebel army leaders have been captured."

    "Bring them to me," Luke said.