Chapter 172: The Trigger of the Crack 2
Chapter 172: The Trigger of the Crack 2
The information that Theodorus brought was a decisive factor in determining the course of action of the Macedonian nobles.
They sent spies to Antioch to monitor Marcus’s movements, while they continued to investigate the matters that could torment Arsinoe and Cleopatra.
And at the same time, they changed the direction of their attack.
They decided that it was useless to just oppose Pharaoh’s reforms blindly, as they had done before.
They boldly agreed to what they could agree on.
The most notable example was Berenice’s pardon.
Cleopatra argued that Berenice had sincerely repented of her previous tyranny and that she had lost her right to succeed Pharaoh by becoming a Roman citizen, so it was time to lift the ban on her entry.
Arsinoe also supported her opinion.
The Macedonian nobles did not really want to agree to this proposal either.
It was a betrayal for them that a proud Pharaoh of Macedonian blood had become a Roman citizen.
But the problem was that Berenice had married Publius, Marcus’s brother.
The Macedonian nobles were in a position where they had to look good to Marcus as much as possible.
Theodorus was the first to express his consent.
“If Lady Berenice sincerely regrets her previous tyranny, I think it is okay to lift the restriction on her entry. If she tries to take Pharaoh’s throne again, it would be a different story, but no one would respond to her anyway.”
“It makes me feel relieved that you, the chief judge, agree. Then there would be no problem in accepting Berenice as a princess of the royal family again, right?”
“There are some conditions that are necessary. First of all, Lady Berenice must not marry any of the princes of the Ptolemaic dynasty. She is already married to a Roman nobleman, so there is no possibility of that, but if we do not explicitly and clearly define it, we do not know what problems will arise in the future.”
“That makes sense. I will follow your suggestion.”
Cleopatra also graciously accepted his opinion as Theodorus unexpectedly proposed a constructive opinion.
“And this is the most important thing. Please declare in the name of both of you Pharaohs that Lady Berenice’s descendants have no right to succeed Pharaoh. This is an inevitable measure to avoid confusion in the future.”
“Well, Berenice is technically a Roman, so her children have the potential to be seeds of discord. Let’s do that. Is that okay, Arsinoe?”
“I don’t mind. It doesn’t matter to me as long as Berenice can just enter Alexandria.”
As Pharaoh’s voice fell, the scribe immediately began to write a decree.
Theodorus took his eyes off him and naturally turned the topic back to what he had originally intended to say.
“By the way, Pharaohs, the reason why you are dealing with this matter so carefully is because there is no successor who will follow after you two.”
Cleopatra twisted her smile as she guessed what Theodorus was trying to say.
That’s why he was so cooperative.
She thought with a slight hint of her inner feelings.
“I don’t think my sister and I are old enough to worry about succession yet.”
“Of course you are not. But unlike the tradition of siblings ruling together, you two sisters ascended to the throne together. Needless to say, unlike siblings, sisters cannot have offspring. I hope you understand that there are not a few people who feel uneasy about this point.”
“I’ll tell you in advance that I have no intention of marrying my sister. I won’t even have children.”
“Me too.”
There were only two remaining princes of Ptolemaic blood.
One of them had already been deprived of his right to succeed Pharaoh and the other was too young.
Still, if they followed tradition, Cleopatra and Arsinoe should have married those two.
When they publicly denied that, the eyes of the conservative old nobles naturally frowned.
Judging that he had gained the upper hand, Theodorus did not slow down his offensive.
He pushed the best topic to see the reaction of the two Pharaohs.
“Then how do you plan to have descendants, Pharaohs? Do you have an agreement with Marcus Crassus, the governor of the East?”
It didn’t matter whether they confirmed or denied it.
They just had to show some reaction that could hint at their intentions.
But Cleopatra did not fall for Theodorus’s trap so easily.
She shook her head with a nonchalant expression.
“I don’t see any reason to tell you that here. If you really want to know, why don’t you ask him when Governor Marcus visits. If you have the courage to do that, that is.”
“But Pharaohs, the issue of the future is not only important to the nobles, but also to the citizens of Alexandria, and even to all the people of Egypt. Please put an end to the people’s anxiety.”
“Then I’ll tell you clearly. My sister and I will definitely have children and secure our succession. You can put away your worries. I swear by the name of Serapis and Amun-Ra.”
When Pharaoh said this much, Theodorus could not ask any more.
But he could not just retreat without any gain.
He looked at Cleopatra and Arsinoe alternately, and then clapped his palms as if he had just remembered something.
“By the way, I heard that a precious guest came from the south. He is the heir of the Pompey family. Don’t you think we should hold a welcoming banquet?”
“He came to congratulate me and my sister’s coronation, so we should treat him generously. You can take care of that part yourself.”
“Yes, then I guess you have already talked to him. I heard that he was seen in the palace, so it seems that it was not a false rumor.”
“Yes. He said he wanted to see me personally and congratulate me, so I took some time to meet him.”
“That’s a bit strange. I heard that Lady Arsinoe had a conversation with Achillas that day… Why did the heir of the Pompey family ask to see Lady Cleopatra alone?”
Theodorus watched Arsinoe’s reaction more closely than Cleopatra’s.
He hoped that there would be at least a small crack between the two.
Before Arsinoe could open her mouth, Cleopatra waved her hand as if she was annoyed.
“That’s because I met the people of the Pompey family several times when I stayed in Rome. Don’t think anything weird and just focus on entertaining the guest who came. Let’s end today’s meeting here.”
The Macedonian nobles obediently followed the order and left the hall.
“Phew.”
As the spacious hall became quiet again, a long sigh flowed out of Cleopatra’s mouth.
Arsinoe casually dropped the large ornament on her head to her feet and licked her tongue repeatedly.
“Ah, really annoying. What are they trying to catch with such a tail? I just want to strip them of their positions and banish them to the countryside.”
“We can’t do that, so we’re going through this trouble. Well, maybe it won’t be impossible when we finish what we’re doing now.”
“The more I see them, the more ridiculous they are. What are they going to do if I have Marcus’s child? Will they be happy and bless us?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they will say behind our backs that we injected impurities into the Ptolemaic bloodline? They won’t say it openly because they know their necks will be cut off, so they will pretend to congratulate us on the surface.”
Cleopatra did not say anything clearly at this point because she anticipated the reaction of the nobles.
And a little later, after giving enough time not to run into the nobles who were leaving, Octavius entered the hall.
Arsinoe waved her hand and greeted him as she saw his face.
“Welcome. Did you hear everything that happened here?”
“Yes. I heard everything from the servant who guided me. They are showing such petty behavior as expected.”
“They are like that anyway, so just let them be. But speaking of which, what is Sextus’s real purpose for coming here?”
Contrary to the expectations of the nobles, Sextus’s confrontation with Cleopatra was already known to Arsinoe.
She even knew that he had made an anonymous proposal.
It was impossible to hide it anyway, since Octavius had heard the whole conversation.
And Cleopatra had no intention of keeping the conversation secret in the first place.
But the most important thing, Sextus’s purpose, was still unclear.
Cleopatra had tried to investigate from various angles, but it would take more time for the informants to return.
“It’s certain that he didn’t come to congratulate us.”
“Do you think he needs help with food or economy?”
“No, he doesn’t. As far as I know, Kush and Axum have been increasing their food production as the rainfall increases. They don’t have to beg us for food.”
“I can’t figure it out. He looked a bit anxious, didn’t he? Hmm… His power should be at its peak right now. Why did he react like that? Is there any sign that his eldest brother is trying to rise again?”
This time, Cleopatra did not immediately deny it.
There was a possibility, however low it seemed.
The selection of the heir was entirely up to Pompey.
And according to Cleopatra’s judgment, Pompey was different from Marcus.
He was not a completely rational person, but one who made emotional decisions in many aspects.
If he had a special attachment to his eldest son, he might have given him another chance.
So it made sense if Sextus wanted to secure a definite achievement to ease his anxiety.
“Well, we’ll have to wait until the informants from the south come back. But we should keep that possibility in mind. If the succession competition intensifies, we will be affected too. And we don’t know what Gnaeus will do next.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about that.”
Octavius’s objection drew the attention of the two Pharaohs.
“Why?”
“Because I think it’s very unlikely that Magnus will restore Gnaeus. I didn’t have enough information to make a definite judgment, but Marcus was sure of it. He said it was certain, so he must have heard something directly from Pompey or had undeniable evidence.”
Cleopatra frowned at the source of information she didn’t know.
“He said that? But I never heard him say that.”
“Maybe because you didn’t ask him. I’ve had several in-depth conversations with him on this issue.”
“Right. Now that I think about it, I should have asked him earlier. It was my mistake not to pay attention. Anyway, do you have any other reason to guess?”
Octavius hesitated to speak with a grim face.
His expression seemed serious enough for Arsinoe to tilt her head.
“Is it something you can’t talk about in front of us?”
“No, it’s not. It’s just that it’s too big a problem to say based on a hasty speculation. Anyway, I’ve written a letter to Marcus asking for confirmation.”
“That’s frustrating. What is it that makes you so hesitant?
Unlike Arsinoe who was annoyed, Cleopatra seemed to have an idea of what Octavius was trying to say.
She tapped her temple with her index finger and sighed.
“Don’t you think that’s too far-fetched? If that were true, Rome would have been turned upside down.”
“It may not be that bad yet. But if this is true, we need to prepare in advance rather than deal with it when it happens. So please send your informants to Rome instead of the south. The ones who went to Kush or Axum will only send back reports that nothing is wrong.”
“Surely… That’s the most likely guess right now.”
Arsinoe narrowed her eyes as she thought of one possibility that suddenly came to her mind.
Cleopatra nodded her head and confirmed her guess.
“Yes. The most probable possibility right now is Pompey Magnus’s deteriorating health.”