No Place Like Rome

[Chevi]

“I do not know if I will behave Roman. But right. Behave right. No make ashamed.” 

"From my experience, those two go hand in hand" Iophon noted with a grin "But sure, we can work on that." A Roman nobleman would generally be more inclined to accept his half-barbarian son if he could behave like a Roman in polite company... whatever that may mean. Iophon only had second hand information about how the rich and famous lived in the city. The stories were pretty great, though.

 “I know not if he is rich. Maybe? You hear name Varus before? Except for in stories about Germania.”

The storyteller arched an eyebrow.

"Except for the stories?... I mean, I'm sure the family still exists... But to be honest, I am a little surprised they would still send a Varus, any Varus, anywhere near Germania..."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Iophon said that behaving right was the same as behaving Roman, here. Like the Roman way to behave and act was the only right way. Wulfric didn't like the sound of that. He came here to find his real father and gain knowledge and maybe some kind of wealth or glory through it, but he didn't come here to become Roman. His lands were not yet Roman territory and there was a very good reason for that. The tribes managed to beat the Romans before. Wulfric wouldn't be the one to just assimilate and forget what his forefathers had done for him. Germania Major, as the Romans called it, was still not Roman. And it wouldn't be. Wulfric would not be Roman either, no matter whom his father was. He said nothing more to it and then decided to tell his father's family name, or that's what he knew it was anyway, since Iophon was so curious.

He had heard the stories of course. Wulfric smiled. His father had an unfortunate family history with Germania, but that's all Wulfric knew so far. His father had not been like the Varus back then. Surely the Varus back then would not have slept with a woman from Germania and fathered a child there. But he listened to Iophon, who just said the family still existed and he was now surprised why that family would send anyone near Germania. 

Wulfric chuckled, "That is surprise, you are right." He said with a grin, "But... this time, he did not die. Or get army killed. Something good came, instead." Wulfric smiled, "Me! I hope he will think so also."

@Chevi 

[Chevi]

Maybe it was not nice, making jokes about someone's ancestor losing three legions to the Teutoburg forest. Then again, Wulfric was a special case, and hard to see which side of that story he would come down on. It was a fascinating story either way.

"That is surprise, you are right. But... this time, he did not die. Or get army killed. Something good came, instead. Me! I hope he will think so also."

"He came, he saw, he conquered." Iophon grinned over his cup "It's hard to imagine he would mind having a son like you. You've made a long journey to meet him... What were you doing, back in Germania? Do you have a trade?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Wulfric knew it was his ancestor who led to the loss of three Roman legions in the forests of Germania. But he had not known the man and he had no other connections to him but a name. He, along with many other tribes and people in his part of the world, agreed that it was a good thing that Germania Major was not a part of Rome. They could trade and be friendly - his mother had been very friendly with his father - but in the long run, the people of Germania were not ruled by Rome. And that was because of a mistake by his ancestor named Varus. He didn't feel bad about it. So why should his new friend? 

He pointed out that something good came out of a Varus visiting Germania in this round; Wulfric was the result. Iophon grinned and quoted the infamous Iulius Caesar, of whom he'd heard stories too of course. Iophon said Wulfric's father would not mind having Wulfric for a son, since he came such a long way to meet him. And then he wondered if Wulfric had a trade.

"I am warrior, back in Germania. My mother, daughter to our chief... our king. I am his guard... when I not here." He added with a smile, but he had more to add to that, "The king still alive. His brother also. But if they die, Wotan forbid... I will be king. Much responsibility."

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"I am warrior, back in Germania. My mother, daughter to our chief... our king. I am his guard... when I not here." 

"OH." Iophon blinked, almost choking on his drink. Good ol' Dad Varus did not just bed any German maiden he'd come across. He's bedded a king's daughter. Wulfric did not seem all that noble at first glance, but different places had different ideas of nobility, even if Romans didn't recognize it. In this case, the barbarian-looking visitor was actually... "You're a paretorian." he reiterated. It was the Roman term, but it would have to do.

"The king still alive. His brother also. But if they die, Wotan forbid... I will be king. Much responsibility."

"Whoa whoa whoa" Iophon held up a hand "I am in the presence of royalty?! Way to bury the lead, my friend."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Wulfric gave a surprised look, when Iophon more or less chocked on his drink. Why though? In Germania, Wulfric was considered a kind of prince, sure, and he protected the king, sure... but he was still also a man of the people and in Germania, they were not quite as elevated above the rest as here in Rome. He bet the Roman Emperor would never go out on his own and just talk to common people. It was different where Wulfric came from. In Germania, you were in control, but you couldn't be too elevated and reserved. Then you wouldn't be liked. And that was very important too. People had to believe you had the strength of body and mind to rule, but also skills to converse and solve problems with ordinary people. Iophon called him a strange word that he wasn't sure he knew.

"Praetorian?" He asked and then he'd also explained that he might be king someday. Now it was too much for Iophon though and Wulfric grinned at his reaction.

"I not king yet. Maybe I never be. You can not live life on maybe." Wulfric said then, "I am here, now. This matters. Treat me like normal person." 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"Praetorian?" 

"Royal guard" Iophon reiterated, looking at Wulfric in a whole new light. Roman emperors usually didn't have their own family members as praetorians, though. One, they were too noble and important for that, and two, no one wanted family with weapons that close, just in case.

"I not king yet. Maybe I never be. You can not live life on maybe. I am here, now. This matters. Treat me like normal person." 

"I'll drink to that" Iophon raised his cup "To being normal people. May there be more of us in this fair city." he grinned, drinking.

"So... if you do become king... how do you imagine you would rule your people?"

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Apparently there was a very specific name for what Wulfric was, here in Rome. He didn't know if a guard to the King of the Chatti mattered much in Rome though and that was not why he was here. He was not here as a diplomat or a guest to Rome. He was simply here to learn more about his family and his origins. And to find his real father. He thought that Iophon looked strangely at him now, after he revealed he could be next in line to become a King of his own people. But Wulfric tried to tone it down, pointing out that the present mattered most and he wanted to be treated like anyone else. 

Iophon seemed to accept that and Wulfric raised his cup too, while the other made a toast to be a normal person. Wulfric smiled and drank too, before Iophon wanted to know more about how Wulfric would be like as a king. Maybe he should not have mentioned it at all. 

"I have not... give that much thinking." Wulfric said thoughtfully, "I hope I will rule well, be fair, be just. I do not want rule with fear. I know some do. That is not good way." Wulfric explained, "My grandfather, now... he is good king. But firm. I do not know if I will be so much." He said and then he grinned, giving Iophon a look, "What would you do, if you would be king?" 

@Chevi

[Chevi]

"I have not... give that much thinking. I hope I will rule well, be fair, be just. I do not want rule with fear. I know some do. That is not good way."

Wulfric seemed like a good person. Whether that was beneficial to being a king or not remained to be seen. Ruling over other people required skills that few people possessed, and it was even harder, in Iophon's opinion, to be a good ruler. Fear was easier, no doubt. It was up to the storytellers to decide whether someone would be seen as a good king or a tyrant...

"My grandfather, now... he is good king. But firm. I do not know if I will be so much."

"You have to learn from the best" Iophon agreed. And yet, Wulfric was here, in Rome, trying to find his father who was a Varus. He might have been looking for paternal inspiration in the wrong place...

"What would you do, if you would be king?" 

"Have much better wine" Iophon promptly responded with a grin. "And I'd have a whole lot of concubines... Let's face it, I'd probably make an abysmal king. Too much work."

@Atrice

[Atrice]

Wulfric did not have any aspirations towards becoming a king - it was not his great dream and it never had been. He just wanted to serve his people and those he cared about... and of course eventually find a woman and continue the family line and make his mother and his grandfather proud. That's what he wanted. And right now in Rome, he wanted to learn how to live here, so he could meet his father without embarrassing them both. But they were talking about how to be a king and Iophon said to learn from the best. Wulfric wondered what the other man would do, if he became a king.

Iophon mostly joked about it - he wanted wine and concubines... women. Apparently it was too much work. And that was true enough. Just another reason to not aspire to become king, but simply serve the king. That was enough for Wulfric. He was probably, indeed, a good person. Perhaps too good... but he didn't think about it like that.

"You are probably right... much work, when you are king. But... I am not. And I do not know, if I will be. So I try to not worry." Wulfric explained to the other man, "I am here, now. I hope I will like Rome. What do you like most in this city?" 

@Chevi