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will offer you terms, Kindin . You and your personal followers can abandon Rhegium by treaty, taking with you your weapons, possessions and your families and we will not hinder your departure. Should you stay and seek to defend a city without one rampart to its name I cannot answer for what the outcome may be.’
    ‘Even a man so renowned for his compassion?’
    ‘I grant you I do not like to see a city sacked and blood uselessly sacrificed but there are times when it becomes impossible to control men forced to fight and risk death for that which is indefensible. Rhegium is a rich prize and you cannot say what the temptation to plunder will do to discipline.’
    ‘You are asking me to ride back to Ravenna and tell my King that I did not even try to defend my city?’
    ‘At least you will ride back.’
    ‘And what do you think would be his response?’
    ‘Theodahad knows Rhegium is impossible to defend. I have a superior army in terms of quality and numbers. With another army on the coast of Illyricum to threaten him he will not be hurrying to your aid, even to save his own daughter from falling into our hands.’
    ‘An assumption.’
    ‘A reasonable one. It is also reasonable to assume that if he allowed the marriage, you might not be his favourite courtier. Fathers can be harsh on the spouses chosen by their daughters.’
    That checked the Goth and he lacked the skill to hide it; he had indeed married for love, in the face of parental disapproval from Theodahad, which only served to drive home that when it came to events surrounding the court of the Ostrogoth Kingdom of Italy there were, as far as Constantinople was concerned, few secrets.
    Flavius Belisarius did not have to allude directly to the fact that Ebrimuth might have his head removed for his failure to defendRhegium even if he survived any attempt to hold the port city in the first place. Certainly Theodahad’s daughter would weep in either event but her father would have the sons of their union and, childless himself, that would present him with the basis of a dynasty, something dear to the heart of any ruler.
    ‘A possible solution presents itself, Kindin .’ That got narrowed eyes and a suspicious look, which to Flavius was unconvincing. ‘It is in the nature of our Emperor to be compassionate to those of his enemies caught on the horns of a dilemma such as yours.’
    ‘Which is?’
    ‘To offer them sanctuary.’
    Ebrimuth looked down then at his lap, which left Flavius to contemplate the top of his blond-haired head. He waited long enough to allow what he had just said to sink in before continuing.
    ‘If you think Rome was once magnificent you have yet to see Constantinople. The city has a wealth almost too hard to encompass, even for me. I also serve a man who hates war—’
    ‘Hard to believe given the number he has engaged in.’
    ‘Many times we have been obliged to defend ourselves and we have a right to seek to recover territory long held by our predecessors, but I doubt you have any notion of the offers made to Theodahad over many years to bring such a return about.’
    Ebrimuth’s father-in-law was slippery as an eel and it was no secret he had flirted with Justinian when Athalaric had been the heir to the Theodoric throne. More recently he had agreed to sell his kingdom to Justinian in return for title to the old imperial estates of Italy, a source of massive and steady wealth, reneging at the last moment, it was thought for fear of his nobles. It was the breaking of that undertaking which had provided the justification for the present invasion.
    ‘What was offered to him?’ Ebrimuth asked, seeking to feign adegree of indifference, as if to imply the question was posed out of mere curiosity.
    ‘Patrician rank as long as he renounced his Arianism. Land and a position in the administration of the empire, a place in the imperial armies for those of his followers who came with him.’
    Flavius waited for Ebrimuth to be drawn out; he