The story is brief, don't wase time on words.

Cesar moved forward, across the corridors of his palace, confident and calm. Just a fiew
seps past him, in a similar fassion, followed one of Tribuns. For convinience let's call him Portos.
He was ssisted by two personal guards of Cesar, one on ech side, half step behind, Their loud steps
spread across the building with equal intervals. In this noise you could barely hear another set of
steps, different in it's haracter and dynamics. It was steps of a second Tribun - Aramis for
convinience. His body shape, unlike the first one, was much smaller, his steps less equal, undecided,
almost like they tried to change direction at every opportunity.
The situation that lead them all into this grim point was uncertain, blurry, of substantial
dimenssions. It was mightier than Portos or Aramis and it seamed to be mightier than Cesar
himself. Pace. Cesar rulled over the world. Lands and seas has been conquested. Heavens, the sky
was purely blue, a fiew white clouds here and there, free of heavy smoke of burned cities. The
stability brought trust and confidence to the people. Economy started develop in every sense.
People for the first time in the history of the universe started to look at eachother without taking a
grip on a sword.
Aramis' thoughts was filled with memories of a great freindship. A friendhip that lasted his
entire life, all the way back to the childhood. Portos was his greatest allience. Their tiny kingdoms
and families, arm to arm resisted the empire. When inavitible happened both of them got sent to
the capital as a grant to pace. After many years of hard work both managed to obtain education
and titles. At the end they became masters of own fate, they could rule over their own provinces.
They became masters over life and death. They could take life, and there was no authority
in the empire with power to hold them responsible. Their friendship lasted regardles that,
everything ment nothing to them.
Every so often he wiped sweat off his face, there always was fear but today he felt its
almost physical presence. His mind tried to find solution for this hopelesness, but he knew, that
even if he knew all the details, and he could articulate that, and even if he could give all the
answers, all this would sound like bumping empty cooking pot. The people have to get some of a
substance. Cesar wouldn't make things any easier, it doesn't really matter what really happened,
the business in the palace are moved on entire different surface. Consequences has to be carried
out. Cesar stopped. He turned around, put his fists on hips and with rock solid face waited until
everyone will find their place.
It was Cesar first, who informed Aramis about events on the borders. Just a couple hours
later, messengers carried in first reports. Pace corps wore sent within a day. Not all the messages
confirmed eachother, some of them didn't seam to cary any meaning what so ever. Without doubt,
an incident ocured between their provinces. Pace was brought back within another day, with
almost no resistance. Responsibility falled over Portos' troops. He himself was escorted to the
palace few days later.
Portos stood with no visible emotions. Aramis nervously looked around searching for
answers, why did Cesar choosed this room? There was nothing significant here. One of many
similar chambers, several less important statues. The coridor they just came here continued further
on the other side of the room.
Cesar pointed his sight on Portos. With a single wave of his hand he dismissed the guards.
Aramis lost all color on the face. He was terified, almost shouted in the protest. He knew thou,
that cesar's decisions are never withdrawn. Whatever has to happen, will happen in reaction to
Cesar. With a low and hard as stone voice cesar posed a question Do you love me?. Portos
looked straight in his eyes tithout a shade of emotion. Cesar took a step towars him, standing now
just a fiew centimeters from Portos. He repeated the question - Do you love me?
Aramis stood aside, nearly excluded from their relation, scared. His thoughts lived their
own hectic live now. There was no hope for any conclusions. Portos stood with no visible emotions.
He seamed almost relaxed. If from time to time he didn't blink his eyes in his flegmatic manner,
one could confuse him with a statue.
Cesar asked again Do you love me?. Infinitely long moment of time passed, Cesar turned
his back on Portos. Cesar sighed deaply. He shut his eyes and slowly said You can not be loyal
with two. There will always be one more important than another. Besides... there exist hateret.
Few secounds later he turned to the coridor they arived here, without further expressions went
ahead.
Nothing changed in the room. Regardless his departure his presence was unquestionable.
Equally well he could stand here with all his guards. Cisza. One of them should make a gesture.
Portos put his eyes on the floor. He's breathing was slow and on his face appared a delicate accent.
A corner of his lips tided up and lifted up a bit. It was a face of someone who struggles for action
against himself. Aramis took a step forward, trying to sqeeze some sound out of his chest. Instantly
his already white face lost any shades characteristic to a human being. His heart doubbled it's beat
when he noticed a dagger in the Portos hand.
Without additional gestures Portos approched Aramis. With much bigger body shape, he
had no problem to grab Aramis' neck with one hand, to administer a blow with the knife in
another one. Aramis managed somehow to stop it before getting a scratch. They struggled for long
secounds. Aramis managed to place the dagger in the throat of Portos, all the way to the handle.
Mighty grip of Portos dissappared instantly. His agony was bloady and short.
Aramis stood up leaving the body on the floor. He didn't know what to believe. The only
reasonable and real thing in this moment was grief. The reality he's about to continue his life will
always be filled with the echo of the words heard by both of them. Filled with a background of
their choices. The people lost a leader. Cesar lost a friend.
2017 This was a weird dream of mine Piotr Misiuna