Character Analysis
Maurice is the son of Custance and Alla. He makes only a very brief appearance in the tale, and frankly doesn't have much of a personality. To be fair, he's a tiny tot.
At the Senator's feast, Alla notices the boy's resemblance to his mother, which leads to the reunification of the entire family. Curiously, however, Maurice does not travel back to Northumbria with his parents. Instead, the boy remains in Rome destined to become its next emperor.
Maurice's rule of Rome will link the Empire to Northumbria through blood. His Roman emperorship solidifies the alliance between the two countries. Since Maurice is also the heir to Northumbria, his rule means that Roman Christianity will now have full power over the formerly pagan nation.