Rugerius was shaggy. His hair was black and long, bushy and wild. His face was covered by an unmanaged beard. The beard was a recent growth and intentional. It concealed a wound, a broken jaw he had recently incurred. After years of campaigning from Normandy to Palestine without hardly a scratch, Rugerius was at a banquet when a punch to the face scarred him for life, his speech slurred.
And for those who have already read the book (or books), you know Pero de Alava was the one who broke Rugerius’ jaw, but we will get to that later down the road. For now, suffice it to say, Rugerius Fabbro is Gherardus’ eldest son and heir to the throne. He is a warrior, a man with an awful temper which can sometimes border on madness. He doesn’t care about anyone or anything, sometimes not even himself.
Rugerius wants revenge. He wants to kill Pero.
“Bergus and I,” Rugerius said, slurring his words, “have mustered the men as ordered. Preparations are complete. Capua will burn.”
Here we see that Pero’s chastisement for assaulting Rugerius goes beyond Pero but the whole of his castle. They aren’t playing around.
Rugerius, while being the castellan of the capital city, Parthenope, is also the head of a mercenary outfit known as Mors Cohortem or Death Band. These are the men he is taking north to destroy Capua.
You’ll notice also there is no talk of siege equipment or a prolonged blockade. This is something they intend to do quickly.
Gherardus froze for a moment as his unforgiving memory tried to recall a day when his eldest was young or pleasant. The day and time did not exist, not since infancy. Rugerius had always been quarrelsome and defiant.
We know Gherardus does not favor his youngest, but he has grave concerns about his eldest as well. He’s just a war machine, a vile, unforgiving, militant war machine.
“My work here is complete. I will report my findings to Rome at once. May the good Lord in heaven keep you safe and exalt you beyond measure.”
The presence of Bishop Anselm at this secret meeting in the cella opens our eyes to the bigger picture being played out. It would have been easy enough for Rugerius to find a way to get revenge on Pero himself, but what Pero stands for, his support for Philip, has reached the ears of the Church. They fear there is a nest of traitors in Capua, people influenced by Pero and his leanings towards the empire. They want to send a stern message to any divergent factions plotting against the Church’s wishes, and Pero’s assault on Rugerius is a perfect excuse to act. A betrayal of otherwise loyal citizens.
“It is a labyrinth beyond those doors, and the causeways can be thorny to pilot for those unfamiliar with them. I will see the bishop safely to the surface and his transport.”
Gherardus waved this son away also.
The youngest son, Talento, came out from behind Gherardus’ throne to slink away with the bishop. Gherardus is disgusted by both his sons. He’s disgusted by what happened in this cella, by the decision to betray Pero and the people of Capua. He’s disgusted by life itself, his life.
Believing the cella to be empty and expecting no other ear to hear his confession but God, Gherardus sighed aloud, “What an awful father I have been.”
“Awful does not do you justice, my Lord.”
And we will leave it there for now. Next we will learn a bit more about another character in this dark story, Gherardus’ magician ally.
Stay tuned for the next installment.
Allen M Werner is the author of the epic dark fantasy books THE CRYSTAL CRUX SERIES
Author Allen M Werner 
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