WHAT IF...?

 

By Isileth

 

Zucchabar's market wasn't very promising, but Peleus had a few hours to spare and there was always the chance of a bargain. He had already bought a couple of good horses for his domina's stables and the household could do with a few arms more. He perused without giving the impression of doing so the wards and the slaves inside them. He stopped near a place where a Bedouin slave trader had men and beasts on sale, the latter seemingly in better shape than the former. Peleus dismissed the animals, a lion would have been of little use at home, but the big Numidian chained to a post deserved a closer look. The same couldn't be said for the man next to him. He looked feverish, probably because of the ugly wound on his left arm, but he was heavily muscled and there was an air of strength about his massive frame. His eyes were void, though, and Peleus had the impression of looking at a statue.

 

 

 

Juba was watching the man walking among the pens. His clothes were plain, but the quality was good and he had an interested gaze. The hunter decided that since he was undoubtedly going to have a master, it was worth trying to have one of his own choice. As the stranger approached, he straightened his back, showing his frame, keeping his eyes downcast in order not to give the impression that he was challenging the other man. The maneuver seemed successful, because the man came to talk with the slave trader. When they both were close, Juba let himself be subject to their examination, with an inner grin at the man's dismissal of the Bedouin's words of praise. He relaxed when the money changed hands, but he thought of the man next to him. He was so still that he had forgotten he existed. The wound was getting better, but he still needed care that he wasn't going to get at the hands of his present owner. When the Bedouin went away to fetch the keys of his shackles, Juba spoke.

 

«Master, may I speak?» he said in an accented Latin.

 

«Yes, you may,» was the intrigued reply.

 

«The man down there is recovering from a wound, but with some care he could be of use to you. You can buy him at a bargain price and I think you won't regret it.»

 

«Who's he to you? A friend?»

 

«Not yet, but I tried to save his life and I wouldn't want to see him fed to the lions like some piece of rotten meat. No man deserves this, not even a slave.»

 

The other man nodded and took a good look at the slave chained to the pole. The Numidian hadn't lied, the wound had been tended to and the frame held the promise of strength. Once the slave-trader was back, Peleus asked for a quotation for the sick slave. The price was outrageous, his reply even worse, but after a while, a fair amount of money changed hands and Peleus returned to the tavern he was staying at, after having arranged with the seller that the two slaves would be delivered to his door the following day.

 

True to the slaver's word, the two slaves were brought to the tavern early in the morning and Peleus made them take their place in the cart that carried his other purchases. The horses were tied to the back of the vehicle and the little caravan made its way toward the coast.

 

Maximus wasn't totally aware of what was happening around him, just that he was on another jolting cart, this time headed north. The black slave's cares had helped to restore his health and while he knew he should have thanked the man, he just couldn't bring himself to do so. The desperation in his heart wanted to curse the stranger who had prevented him from joining his family, dragging him back to a life he didn't want any more. A lonely tear escaped his unfocused eyes, drawing another smudge on his dirty face.

 

Some time during the following day, he began to smell the sea in the air. The approaching of the coast brought a respite from the dreadful warmth of the desert and his lungs filled with it involuntarily.

 

«Did you ever see the sea?» the Numidian asked and Maximus had to think about the meaning of the words to form an answer.

 

«Yes, this one warm and closed and the colder one that brings storms to the inner lands.»

 

«It's the first time for me. I've heard of it from travelers but I've never seen the desert of water they described. How do you feel?»

 

«Alive.»

 

«Good.»

 

«Why good?»

 

«If you're alive you can decide. When you're dead everything's over.»

 

«I do not want to decide anymore. I want everything to be over.»

 

Juba didn't reply, sensing the pain in the other man's voice, but he set himself straight on the rough bench he was sitting on, to catch the first glimpse of the sea.

 

They left the harbor with the tide and the land was still in sight when the weather went bad. It wasn't a real storm, but the boat struggled through the waves and Juba was seasick, while Maximus, who had tested his sea leg and guts in many storms beyond the Pillars of Hercules and the cold Northern Sea, just tried not to roll over. Next to him, Juba was turning greener by the moment, but there wasn't much that any of them could do about his affliction, so he just prayed to his gods to make the storm pass, or his guts stop flip-flopping inside him.

 

The storm got worse and when the movements of the boat increased in frequency, the horses became more and more nervous by the minute. One of them, a big brown one, was nearly frantic and his sudden moves began to endanger the boat itself. He had already ruined part of the cargo and the planking was suffering from a couple of kicks. Someone must have noticed because Peleus and a seaman came to check the situation. The first attempts to calm the beast were unsuccessful and soon the captain came down into the hold. The three of them talked and decided to kill the horse before he could sink the ship. Peleus grabbed a knife ready to strike when an unknown voice stopped him.

 

«Wait, let me try to calm him.»

 

It was the white slave who had spoken and looking at him Peleus noticed that his face had lost the void expression, showing concern for the horse. In a moment he decided and unshackled the man. Once freed, he went close to the beast, talking softly as if he could make himself understood. He had a way that spoke of skill acquired over a long time and the frightened horse calmed down little by little. The slow moves, the hushed talking, the gentle attitude of the human did the trick and the animal ceased his struggles. A sigh of relief broke the spell and the captain gestured to his men to return on deck, while Peleus stared at the slave.

 

«You have a sure way with horses, haven't you?"

 

«I used to work with them,» Maximus answered, wondering what the man in front of him would have thought of his days as a general of the cavalry.

 

«Take good care of the horses and life will be easier for you.»

 

The other man didn't reply that he really didn't care anymore, but said instead.

«My companion here is seasick. May I have some honey and ginger? That would help.»

 

Peleus looked at the other slave who was positively looking bad and nodded. In a few moments he was back with the requested remedy he left in the white man's hands. Maximus thanked him and proceeded to help Juba.

 

«Your gods and mine must have decided that we'd be helping each other,» the Numidian said as the concoction eased the queasiness in his stomach.

 

The other man's answer was a smile, a little one, but it was there.

«A good start,» Juba thought.

 

The weather changed for the better and the remaining part of the journey was easier. Juba was able to eat something and the days of rest brought an improvement in Maximus' condition, too. As the ship arrived at the harbor of Lylibaeum the air was still warm, but the sea breeze made a huge difference from the hopelessness of Zucchabar's climate. Peleus was the first to go ashore, from where he arranged a transport for the goods he had bought to his Cornelia Silvana's villa. When everything was settled, he returned to the ship to retrieve the cargo, as well as the breathing part of his purchases.

 

Lylibaeum's countryside was flat, with a touch of soft roundness that suggested peace. Peace, a meaningless word, Maximus thought with a touch of anger, as he observed the landscape, while walking shackled to the back of the wagon. Now that he had started to feel again, he could not but be aware of many things, the most important one that he was a slave whose life was worth next to nothing. He had been sold, bought, delivered like a parcel and nothing was going to change this. He knew that according to the law his captivity was against his status of Roman citizen, belonging to the senatorial class, but there was nobody he could tell his story even if he had wanted to...and he didn't. Everyone he cared for was dead now and General Maximus Decimus Meridius didn't exist anymore. A mere slave, heading to work for an unknown household, had replaced him. Not someone to be afraid of, or to care for either, and this suited him just fine. If he could just be able not to care.

 

As soon as the small caravan had arrived at the villa, Peleus hurried to refresh himself briefly, changing into a clean tunic before his meeting with Cornelia, the lady of the house.

 

The old woman smiled to see him back, an expression she reserved for the people she trusted and the man was happy to belong to that restricted circle. He proceeded to give her a brief report of his survey about her properties in Africa, before giving the account of the goods he had brought back from the travel.

 

«When I was in Zucchabar I bought two horses, a mare that should be good for breeding and a big brown stud with a great potential but a bit of a temper. During the voyage home I feared I had to kill him to prevent him from sinking the ship, but one of the slaves I purchased was able to calm him down.»

 

«You bought slaves? How many?»

 

«Two of them, actually. A Numidian for your litter and another who I had at a bargain price because he was ill, but now he has recovered and he's in pretty good condition. We could use him in the stables. Gneus is getting old and might use some help.»

 

The lady nodded and got up. «Show me my new belongings. Life was boring without you chasing your lovely wife around the house.»

 

The man laughed at her words, recognizing the truth. As a matter of fact he was eager to receive the welcome that was expecting him in his room, but his employer's wishes were first and the results would be worth the wait.

 

Juba and Maximus were helping to unload the cart when the lady of the house arrived. Being turned to the opposite side, they didn't see her at first, but when the other slaves bowed they both turned.

 

A mutual appraisal ensued.

 

They saw an elderly woman with grey hair and deep dark eyes, with an air of strength that belied her age. They both thought of a lioness.

 

On her part, Cornelia saw two men in their prime, still young but roughened by the world. They both were handsome, in different fashions, and from their posture she guessed that they weren't born in slavery. Especially the white one, the one Peleus said he had had at a bargain price because had been sick. Now he looked strong again and his regained health was clear in his body and in his blue-green eyes, despite the pain she saw there.

 

«Welcome to my house. As you surely know, you belong to me now. Behave yourselves, obey the orders and everything will be all right. But bear in mind that I won't tolerate rebellion or treachery. What are your names?»

 

«Juba,» the Numidian answered giving Maximus a short respite to think about his own reply. He didn't want to reveal his true name, but not answering would have meant an insult for a woman who was entitled to know. And even if this wouldn't have meant a lot for him in the present situation, the tone of her words was worth a name. She was the one who owned him now, but she had asked as if she cared and this meant a lot.

 

«Marcus,» he said, taking his name from the man he had loved and respected the most in his life, after his father.

 

«Well, Juba and Marcus, after you are finished with this job, go to the slave quarters to be assigned to your duties.»

 

They both nodded in respect, watching her go away with a grace that seemed to belong to another time. When she was out of ear-reach, one of the other slaves said, «She's as tough as a rock but she's a fair mistress. You could have fared worse. Now let's get everything unloaded and I'll show you the house.»

 

Juba smiled at him and returned to his task with a feeling that things were probably going to get better.

 

The slave quarters were simple but clean and quite comfortable. Juba was assigned to be one of the litter-bearers, and Maximus to the stables where he was going to live in a small space above the barn. He met Gneus, the chief groom, an ancient-looking man, rather than old, who was more than happy to have help. He greeted the younger man with a gruff attitude and showed him his duties. Maximus settled easily in his new situation. It wasn't so different from what he had done in his early days in the army and while he hadn't groomed horses in a while, such a thing being unbefitting a general, he still knew how to do it. There was a lot to do because even if Gneus hadn't neglected his duties, his age didn't allow him to do much and the boy he had had until then to help him was scared of the horses. Now the youngster was going to be reassigned to the house and he saw Maximus' arrival as a gift from the gods.

 

Gneus gave Maximus orders and talked a lot about the Domina, the horses, the time of his youth in a never ending flow of words that the younger man never found boring. It was like a replaying of an entire life, simple but fair, and there were moments when he sort of envied the old slave. Thanks to Juba's efforts and the treatment he was receiving after his arrival at the villa, he was in full health again and only his nightmares bore witness of his ordeal. When he found himself awake in the darkness after a dream that had brought the horror back, he was glad that the old groom could sleep through an earthquake. Maximus wanted neither to lie, nor explain.

 

During the days he became acquainted with the household's routine, began to know the others. First he met some of the womenfolk. Honoria, the cook, a small woman so thin that you would have thought that she never tasted what she prepared, her assistants, then the maids and Peleus' wife, who was in charge of Cornelia's grooming. She was a beautiful woman, a freed slave after her marriage who had remained because she truly cared for the old lady. From the grapevine, Maximus had learned that she had been a pleasure slave, working in a high placed lupanare, until her owner had judged her too old to work and sold her. Cornelia herself had bought her, out of an impulse and never acted as if she regretted it. Circe had been stunned by the change in her situation since she had never been ordered to entertain either the master, nor the guests. Her puzzlement had deepened when Peleus, the house-steward had started to court her. In his position it was well within his rights to have her, willing or not, but he had asked very gently and nicely. They had dated for a while and then he had asked Cornelia to free Circe, in order to marry her. Fifteen years had passed and the cook was eager to inform Maximus that their marital games were quite a source of wonder for the entire household, since age and the passing of time didn't seem to hamper them. While not prone to gossip himself, Maximus found Honoria's words interesting. He liked the man who had bought him. He cared for the people under him and Maximus thought that this would have made him a good commander. As a matter of fact, it wasn't that different.

 

The former general passed some of his time with Juba, who had been able to make the best of the situation. He missed his family very much and he frequently spoke about his wife and daughter, but in the meantime he had found a job in town by which he was saving money to buy his freedom and a passage back home. Once it was night and the house was silent, Maximus said, «I am sorry I never thanked you for saving my life, but at the time I was not sure I was happy to be alive.»

 

«And now? What has changed?»

 

«I am still unsure, but you did a good thing and I cannot disparage your gift.»

 

There were other words in Maximus' mind, but he didn't feel like sharing them. Like the fact that a stranger had helped him, while someone he would have called a friend had betrayed him without a moment's hesitation. It was easier to understand Commodus' actions. They had hated each other with fervor all their lives, but Quintus' actions were harder to bear. His saddened face was the last image he remembered from his tent in Vindobona, as well as his words.

 

«Your family will wait for you in the afterlife.»

 

He knew what was waiting for them and he hadn't cared. Maximus wondered if the prize the man had surely gained was worth all the lives it had cost.

 

«Are you all right?» Juba asked, reading the pain in his face.

 

«I was just remembering.»

 

Juba didn't press him further for that night.

 

Maximus was brushing one of the horses, timing the strokes with a tune he remembered from his early years in the army. The simple chore put his mind at ease, even if it was for just a little while, by taking him back to a time where life was far simpler, less frightening. The animal seemed to appreciate his efforts and nudged him with her soft muzzle. He rewarded her by brushing her mane until it shone and grinned when the horse seemed to be showing off.

 

«Nice girl, right your type,» Juba said, appearing at the door with a wide smile and Maximus' eyes twinkled in amusement.

 

«The Lady wants to go to town and needs her litter, but one of the men is sick so she asked for you. I guess she noticed your biceps,» the Numidian said.

 

«Just let me wash and change. It would not suit a respectable matron having a litter-bearer smelling of horse manure,» was the other man's reply as he went to a nearby fountain for a quick but thorough wash with rough soap, before donning the tunic with the colors of the house he had been given after his arrival. Soon he was ready and together with Juba returned to the main building.

 

Cornelia was already inside the litter, while two other porters stood outside, together with a black woman. Maximus looked at her quizzically. She was tall and muscular, with short curly hair, much like Juba. She was dressed in a slave tunic, but the quality of the fabric seemed better than the others', as well as the dark yellow hue that enhanced her coloring. She smiled at Juba and cast a curious glance toward Maximus. Their eyes met for a short moment. They hadn't time to indulge in their thoughts because the lady gave the signal to go, but the impression lasted for both of them.

 

The market day made passing through the crowd not so easy. They had to stop to avoid other litters, beggars, animals and all the range of living beings crowding the streets. While bearing the heavy load of the nicely carved litter, Maximus couldn't help looking for possible threats. A rich woman was usually safe in a Roman town, but thieves and robbers could come out everywhere and he was on alert. As they stopped in front of a scrolls' shop, at Cornelia's orders, his suspicions came true. A man was approaching, his pace fast despite the crowd, his stance coiled as a viper's. His clothes were meant for anonymity, as well as his masked face and before his rational thinking remembered his present status in the scheme of things, Maximus acted to stop the danger. As the stranger got closer, the slave let go his support of the litter, thankful that Cornelia was already on the sidewalk, and then sprung toward him. The man had a hand on his belt and was producing a dagger when Maximus was on him, blocking his arm. The would-be-attacker tried to get rid of him. He was a good fighter and strong, but not as much as the former general, who fought him with the skill that had made him famous in the army and feared by his foes. The fight ended when Maximus landed a punch on the other man's face that laid him flat.

 

The people on the street were frozen in shock. The first ones to recover were Cornelia and the slave woman, who had assumed a protective stance in front of her mistress. The matron looked at Maximus and at the man at his feet, before saying, «Nausicaa, call the town guard,» she ordered while her eyes were on the other slave. She saw his expression, a glint of ferocity that was just now subsiding, after the fight. Not for the first time she acknowledged her curiosity for the roads that had brought to her household this strange man with such amazing skills. In the meantime she was glad that he had been there. She wasn't afraid of the Afterlife, but she was reluctant to give up her life under the hands of an assassin. Nausicaa was soon back with two men who wanted to know what had happened. They accepted Cornelia's witness about her slave's action and when they had finished, they hauled the attacker up to take him to prison. Once the excitement was over, she ordered to the slaves to wait for her and she went inside the shop, as had been her intention since the beginning.

 

In the afternoon Maximus was summoned to his Domina's quarters. He had never been there and he liked her choices, rich things, but tastful, meant to please and be comfortable, not to overly impress the visitor. The Numidian slave was waiting for him at the door and before she let him in, she whispered, «Thank you for saving her life.»

 

Stunned by her declaration, he didn't reply and went inside.

 

Maximus bowed his head as befitted a slave, but he did so more in respect of her age and attitude, than her status.

 

She was looking at him, a faint smile on her lips, as if she could read him easily.

 

«Marcus. I called you here because I wanted to thank you for saving my life. The city guard told me that the man you stopped this morning had been paid by an unknown man to kill me in the market. I knew I'm not the most loved woman around, but being a target for a murderer was something I hadn't considered. Thanks to you I'm safe and sound, much to my enemies' dismay and I'd like to reward you. From now on, you'll be my bodyguard as I go out and a fee for your job will accompany this. Meanwhile this is for you,» she concluded, handling him over a bag full of coins.

 

«Thank you, Domina. I will not disappoint you.»

 

«I hope so, Marcus. You'll be out of a job and on a selling dais otherwise. You can go now. I've already told Peleus about your new status.»

 

Deepening the bow, Maximus turned and left. The gold in his hands had a strange effect. He had thought to refuse at first, but he had thought better. Doing so would have meant an insult to Cornelia and she didn't deserve this. Secondly, he knew that as a slave his mistress had honored him and the money meant savings to buy his freedom. Every single coin in his purse was a step closer to Rome and his revenge.

 

Back at the stable, Maximus found Juba waiting for him. The man had a wide grin on his face.

 

«So, how was the meeting?»

 

«It went well. She thanked me and gave me the status of her bodyguard and some money.»

 

«Well done. She's a great woman, isn't she? Who would have guessed that things were going to go like this when I saw Peleus at Zucchabar's market taking a look at the human stock.»

 

Juba's words brought memories and a decision for Maximus. He opened the leather bag and took out half of its content, which he gave to his friend.

 

«But why? These are yours to buy your freedom.»

 

«Yes, but without your actions I would not have had a freedom to buy. I owe you so much more than this.»

 

The Numidian didn't know what to say, just smiled and Maximus nodded in answer to the unspoken thanks, thinking how much this man's doings mattered to him. He didn't regret his move. His purpose was death, his friend's life and for a moment he chose life.

 

Days went by and Maximus took over his new duties. Even if there hadn't been further assassination attempts, he kept his eyes open when he was outside the villa with Cornelia and she hadn't reasons to regret her choice. Following his mistress during her errands had given him the opportunity to know Nausicaa better. They used to talk when the Domina was busy managing her many businesses, trading things, buying scrolls for her collection and generally being a relevant part of the town's life.

 

The Numidian woman was fond of her mistress and the fondness was rewarded and even reciprocated as far as their different status in life allowed. Maximus understood that fondness, having felt something similar for the late emperor. The old man was entitled to the greater respect, but he had been nonetheless able to earn it with the force of his personality. Sharing Nausicaa's thoughts had brought back sweet memories, the ones to be cherished, opposed to the sad and painful nightmares that haunted his dreams from time to time.

 

A few months after his arrival at the villa, Maximus was informed that Cornelia was going to have a dinner with her friends and that he was going to be there for his security duties. Under Peleus' care, there wasn't much to do to improve things, but he took pride in checking everything so when the day came, he was more than ready. Before the party, he washed and shaved with care and as he looked into the bronze mirror, he noticed for the first time how much he had changed. He now wore his hair a little longer and the lustrous mane had started to curl at the ends and he didn't grow his beard anymore. In Germania it had helped to keep away the cold, but in this climate it was torture. The suntan he had acquired had changed him, too, and once he had removed his legionary’s tattoo, there was little left of General Maximus Decimus Meridius, besides what was embedded deep inside his soul. He ate a light supper before heading to his place at the door where he surveyed the guests' arrival, following the last of them into the triclinium where the banquet was going to begin. He sent one of the maids to inform the lady that everybody was there and he went to his place near the domina's triclinium.

 

Cornelia arrived soon after and her guests greeted her. From his point of view Maximus was trying to guess whose smiles were true and those that weren't. The chatting that arose through the meal confirmed his suspicions. There was a woman, probably of Cornelia's age, dressed like a young girl, managing to look ridiculous who, while being overly polite and cheerful, had cold eyes that shone in hatred when she thought nobody was paying attention. While he was keeping his eyes open, Maximus realized how much being a slave was helping him in the circumstance. Nobody paid attention to the silent figures in the room, never establishing eye contact, just not reacting to their presence. This had an added bonus for the young maids and boys that were serving. It was well known that Cornelia didn't like to see her banquets turning into orgies and she was very protective of her household. Her newest slave admired her very much for that. Having witnessed how wealth affected many people's ideas about propriety, he was happy that the lady of the house hadn’t forgotten the principles that had led Rome to be the light of the world. Those in charge of leading her politics and life were supposed to remind the common people of the values of the ancestors, not to forget them in search of a way to avoid boredom. A sad thought lingered as he thought of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, the two faces of Rome.

 

«Cornelia, how's young Appius? Still looking for some forgotten realm? We haven't heard of him in a while,» a man asked in a pause between courses.

 

«Last time I received news from him, he was in a forsaken country, doing just that and he sounded really happy.»

 

«Did you ever regret he didn't become a soldier? He could have reached a high rank thanks to his status.»

 

«As much as I appreciate the job the legions are doing to preserve the safety of the borders of the Empire, they don't need my son to help. He's always been a dreamer and even if he had managed to survive, I think that power should be granted to those who earn it not only because of their blood. Being a patrician doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be a good general, or even a passable one. If you have the lives of other people in your hands, you should know what to do with them.»

 

War was a tough and dangerous business and needed more than a few wealthy ancestors to be dealt properly with, Maximus thought and listening that Cornelia agreed made his opinion of his mistress grew a little higher.

 

Maximus was preparing to return to his sleeping quarters when Cornelia summoned him again. The old lady was waiting for him, still dressed, only her hair was down.

«So, Marcus. What do you think of my guests? Do you think that I should be wary of them?»

 

Maximus considered his answer carefully. He was well aware that slaves weren't supposed to judge free people, but his mistress was clearly interested in his opinion, so he replied honestly.

 

«I do not know enough about them to be sure, but I think that while some can be counted as friends, others would laugh on your grave. The lady dressed as a girl, right in front of your triclinium. Under those too sweet smiles I sensed a viper. I saw her looking at you with hatred.»

 

«You're a good judge of people. Cassia Avidia is dangerous and she hates me with passion. She likes power, though, and posing as the good friend of mine she's not, helps her to keep her position. She used to be a real beauty, with every male of the province ready to jump into the sea for her. The only one whom she wasn't able to charm was my late husband. She was looking for prey and in her eyes he was just ripe for the picking. He was a gentle man who loved nature and science, whose purpose in life was looking for answers, not power. He was rich, too, and she decided that he was the answer to her prayers. A harmless rich man, to support her on her way to power. Too bad things didn't go according to her plan.»

 

Cornelia grinned at the memory.

 

«He resisted to her attempts to seduce him, her faked threats of killing herself in desperation and, worst of all, he married the daughter of the owner of a shop selling scrolls.»

 

«I imagine she was upset,» Maximus couldn't help but observe with a small smile.

 

«Yes, just enough to look like a giant green frog. Back then I ignored her moves, but my husband revealed them during our journey to Rome and I laughed until I had the hiccups. Later he decided to dedicate a part of his time to politics. He didn't want the power for himself, but he wanted to be one to make a difference and he worked hard for this, earning respect due to his charisma, more than to his money.»

 

«You miss him, do you not?»

 

«Very much. He was the best part of my life, the best part of me, together with our children, Appius Lunior and Iulia. She lives in Panormus with her family and comes here from time to time. She gave me four grandchildren, three boys and a girl. She's named Cornelia and my daughter swears that she's as mule-headed as I am.»

 

Maximus smiled at the fondness in the woman's words. It was just a glimpse, before he donned the mask of coldness again, but her sharp eyes saw it and she had an inner smile.

 

«Well, I've kept you up long enough with my gossiping. Thank you for your work.»

 

Maximus bowed in response and walked away. He was puzzled at Cornelia's attitude. He had been doing his job as he was supposed to do, without hoping or expecting a reward and she had thanked him as if she cared. Why would she?

 

Alone in her room, Cornelia was thinking about the enigmatic slave. He showed her the respect she was entitled to, but his posture was a free man's and a powerful one. As far as she had learned from the household gossiping, he was polite but aloof, save with the Numidian slave he had been bought with. He was nice to look at and some of the girls had started to throw subtle and not so subtle hints in his general direction that they were interested.

 

She wouldn't have minded, as long as they didn't cause problems with the routine of the house, but she guessed that those young ones were not the right choice for him. He needed a woman able to match his strength, who possessed the quality to go through the walls of pain he had built around his soul. A thought caught her unaware: Nausicaa could be the perfect match.

 

«Matchmaking for a couple of Barbarian slaves. Not the most commended task for an honest, straight-laced Roman matron,» she grinned to herself. «Much more entertaining than writing love poems with boring gods and shy dryads, though.»

The grin didn't waver as she summoned Circe to comb her long hair before sleep.

 

Maximus was riding Tarsus, the big brown horse from Africa, to keep him in shape. The beast was lively, with a sharp mind and the man was glad at his success in breaking him in without damaging his spirit. In the army he had had heated arguments with heavy-handed trainers, both with men and horses. He had never been considered a tender heart, but cruelty was not the best way to teach. Fairness was and his way had rewarded him more than once. A woman's voice took him away from his musings.

 

«You're good with horses. After Peleus' words about how that animal had nearly sunk your ship, I thought he would have been hard to train.»

 

«Horses can be seasick, too, and trying to stay on your legs in a boat going in every other direction, is not that easy when you have four of them.»

 

Nausicaa laughed at his words.

 

«I was seasick, too, the first day I put my feet on a ship. I was a child and my only memories were the darkness of the hold and the feeling that the world was going upside down. Luckily the journey wasn't long and when they sold me I was in pretty good shape.

 

The idea of selling a child tore Maximus' soul and something must have shown on his face because Nausicaa said, «Why are you upset? This happens every day.»

 

«Yes, but I do not have to like it. I know that the Empire needs the slaves, but I do not think that human beings should be treated as chattel.»

 

«Exactly my thoughts, but there isn't much that the two of us could to about it. But it wasn't that bad, you know. I could have ended up worse than this. I was sold to work in the fields. I remained there until I was eleven and I was moved to the house. The youngest daughter of my owner needed massages. She was as weak as a kitten and an adult's hands would have hurt her. I was already tall and my arms strong so I was taught the art and became a masseuse. Her health improved and I didn't return to the fields. I remained to take care of her and I wasn't bothered by her father or brothers. They valued the little girl too much to use her personal maid and they had plenty of other candidates to warm their beds. They probably didn't fancy a black slave with muscles like a man's, bigger and taller than them.»

 

«Why are you here now?»

 

«When she got married she went with a husband who didn't want his precious wife to be touched by me, so she had me sold. She was sad, but she arranged a private sale to Domina Cornelia, whom she knew was a fair mistress. It was her last gift to me and I'm not complaining. Talking about you, what brought you here?»

 

«I once had a wife, a son and a life of my own. But I had enemies and they took everything from me. The fact that  I am still alive is not for lack of attempts. After that I was sold into slavery and only thanks to Juba I was bought by Peleus. Either I was lucky, or the gods have not finished playing their cruel games with me.»

 

«Maybe life itself is a game and the survivor is the winner.»

 

«You know, Nausicaa, you may be right. I only wish I had realized this before. Maybe it would have helped not to care, not to get involved.»

 

«Did you love your wife, your son?»

«How could I not? More than my life.»

 

«Are you sorry you did?»

 

«No!» was Maximus' vehement reply.

 

«Do you think it would have been better not to care? Not to get involved?»

 

«Perhaps I would not be hurting so much if I did not.»

 

«Were you happy with them?»

 

«Of course. Why?»

 

«Because you should honor them with the memories of how much you loved them.»

 

Nausicaa's words dug deep in Maximus' soul and he wasn't able to answer for a while. She respected his silence, just watching him. He felt her dark gaze on his skin, as if it were a live thought. He began to think she could be right, honoring his family's memory with love, instead of anger.

 

«Thank you very much, Nausicaa, for your words,» he said at last.

 

«I only spoke my heart,» she replied, a broad smile showing her teeth so white against her dark skin.

 

«You have a good heart,» he added to himself as their talk turned to more mundane topics. But the feeling they brought lingered.

 

Lylibaeum was a busy town and nearly everything could be bought or sold in its markets. While Maximus was looking for tools he needed in the stables, he passed a little shop selling small figurines. They had everything portrayed, from human beings to animals, some of them he suspected coming only from the maker's fantasy. He stopped a little while then, out of an impulse, he bought two of them, a woman and a child. The seller gave him a small leather bag to put them in and keeping his prize in his hand, he went on to complete his errand.

 

Back at home later that day, he went to his cot to retrieve from his savings the money to replace the price for the figurines. When he returned to Gneus to show him his purchases, the old man nodded his agreement with silent thanks to Peleus, who had given him a helper who wasn't keen on stealing his position in the household. He knew very well that he had long passed the time when his services were highly valued, but he was sure he could still do his job properly, if not for his failing strength. Marcus, his silent new companion, was far too good to be a stable boy, not to mention too old, but the younger man never complained and was good with the horses. He wondered what it was that made him shout in the night, taken in the grips of some nightmare. He had never asked, feigning a deep sleep when Marcus awoke, sensing that his knowing would be of no help, but he hoped that something could come to give rest to his troubled companion.

 

Back at his place, Maximus took the figurines out of their bag and arranged a small altar. He kissed his wife's first with the most tender of kisses, then his son's and for the first time in months he let his heart fill up with the love he had felt draining from him when he had found them dead. Tears flowed down as he spoke to them in his mind, letting them know how much they were missed. He apologized to Selene for having been away at war for so long, gently reminded his son to keep his heels down while he was riding, told them about Juba, Cornelia and Nausicaa, too. He didn't know how long it lasted, but when he had let everything out he was so exhausted that he just collapsed on his cot, the two figurines in his hands. From that night, the nightmares stopped.

 

A summon by Peleus was common, but the subject was not.

 

«The Domina wants to pay a visit to her daughter and I'd like to have you as one of the guards. Are you any good with a weapon?»

 

«Yes, I am. Will I be the only one armed?»

 

«No, we usually hire someone for this kind of trip, but people can be hired and bought and after the attack at the marketplace, she wants to be safer.»

 

«When are we leaving?»

 

«Tomorrow in the morning. Get ready and prepare the cart-horses.»

 

«I will be ready.»

 

«I'll bet you will,» Peleus added to himself, as he could nearly hear the younger man's thoughts while preparing for the journey.

 

Peleus picked up a white gelding for himself, leaving Tarsus to Maximus. The animal was indeed faster, but needed more attention than he was willing to pay and the days when he would have accepted every challenge were gone and not regretted. This time Circe was going to be part of the traveling company and he was glad not to be far from her and not only, as many seemed to think, because she was so good in bed. Yes, he had to admit, sex with her was something to be remembered, but the best part of it was their love. He didn't share his feelings with everyone, knowing that they wouldn't understand, but it didn't matter. He smiled seeing her coming from the house, behind Cornelia, with Nausicaa at her side. The old lady had a remarkable exotic taste with her servants, a former whore, small and thin, with hair so blond as to look white and a big Numidian black woman with the fierceness and the body of an Amazon.

 

The hired guards arrived moments later on their horses and watched curiously the big man they had never seen before, with a gladius hanging from his belt. They didn't raise questions, though, and once everyone was where he or she was supposed to be, the little caravan left the villa.

 

The road to Panormus was as good as any other in the Empire and the travel wasn't too hard. The weather held and they made good time. Being in a peaceful province was less dangerous than the Northern lands with Barbarian tribes ready to ambush strangers, but Maximus knew that becoming complacent was the fastest way to get into real trouble. He kept his eyes open and his mind alert at the slightest hint of danger. Notwithstanding his precautions, he could not but admit that he was enjoying the journey. While he had been kept so busy at the villa he had no time to be bored, being once again on a horse with his senses on alert was stirring his soul. He hadn't forgotten a thing, neither the pain, nor the desire for revenge he was harboring, but he was able to bide his time until he could buy his freedom and the best way of attaining his goal was to do his job, and his pride and honor demanded that he did it as best as he could.

 

Nausicaa was watching Marcus ride, admiring the power in his posture, the sureness of his demeanor, not to mention the muscles curving his tanned limbs. She had always been cool about men, slaves or free ones. She knew that she could have been given to any man her mistress wanted for breeding purposes or just entertainment, but she knew that her feelings would always remain hers. The new purchase of the household, with his silent pain, his kind behavior and the hidden violence she had seen had stirred something inside her. She couldn't place the feeling yet, but she was very curious to know him better.

 

The first stop was a tavern where Cornelia's name earned them good treatment and even the rooms reserved for the slaves were clean, though small. When they left the place they settled  to an easy pace in a land full of fields, but with few people around. While he was riding, Maximus was alert for possible dangers and he kept an eye also on the hired guards. They seemed all right, but the glances they exchanged from time to time were dubious to him. They were observing Cornelia too much when they were supposed to be watching the road. One night he spoke to Peleus in private.

 

«I am sorry to disturb you, Peleus, but how much do you know about the guards you have hired?»

 

«We used them before, for short trips, but why are you asking?»

 

«Their behavior is not what you would expect from a good bodyguard. They keep looking at Cornelia instead of at the road. They do not seem interested in checking the places where we are going and at night they are both fast asleep. I stayed awake more than once and they were snoring. Either they are careless, or they have been paid not to pay attention. This can be very dangerous.»

 

Peleus thought about the slave's words. His instinct had been giving him warnings since the beginning of the journey and Marcus' words had confirmed his feeling.

 

«You may be right. Go on keeping your eyes and ears open and if something goes wrong, let me know immediately. I'll keep an eye on them myself.»

 

The younger man nodded and they parted without letting their concern show.

 

Nausicaa was taking water from the well near where they had camped when one of the guards got too close.

 

«What a nice view. Black women have the most gorgeous asses of the Empire. I'd really like to taste if yours is sweet as it looks.»

 

«I wouldn't try if I were you. It could be unhealthy for you,» she answered, keeping her voice in control.

 

«Slave, don't forget who you are. I'm a Roman citizen and you only a slave.»

 

«Yes, but I do belong to Cornelia and she doesn't take kindly her household being disturbed by people thinking with their loincloth.»

 

«You bitch!» the man hissed, ready to strike but the sound of approaching steps stopped him. Even if he could have forced the woman, he knew she was right about her domina and wouldn't hesitate to reveal his attempt. He relaxed seeing that the newcomer was the big taciturn slave and not Peleus and the man strolled away with a careful insouciance.

 

«Great timing, Marcus. You saved that scum from getting a nasty surprise and some damage to his manhood.»

 

«I am sorry. I should have waited.»

 

«No, it's better this way. He must be in good shape to protect our Lady.»

 

«I came here because of that. Keep your eyes open as I suspect that there is something brewing. I spoke with Peleus and he agrees. I do not trust them. They are not doing their job properly and I am afraid that they have been bought by someone who wishes Cornelia dead.»

 

«It's strange how much hate a good person may attract. She's one of the best people I've ever met and she has enemies.»

 

«Being honest is not always the best way to make friends.»

 

«Thank you for your warning. I'll be careful. Should I warn the lady?»

 

«I think that would be a good idea. A victim is less likely to be so if on alert and I think she would prefer the warning.»

 

«You could be right,» Nausicaa replied, hauling the jar. Before she could balance it on her hip, Maximus took the vessel from her hands and walked her back to the cart containing Cornelia. The old woman was smiling when they arrived.

 

Maximus' warrior brain registered the danger as soon as they reached the first trees of a small wood. The guards had suggested the path, but Peleus was still debating about the wisdom of such a choice when the sound of hooves betrayed the arrival of strangers. Maximus cast a warning look at Nausicaa, who was outside the wagon. She nodded and went inside. Six people on horses arrived from the woods. They were dressed in black and grey and they began to slow down as they saw the cart. The guards, instead of acting against the obvious threat, smiled in recognition.

 

Having had the confirmation he needed, Maximus made his move. He spurred Tarsus on and when he was close to the useless hired men, he shoved them so violently that they both fell down. He didn't stop his charge and brandishing his gladius he attacked the newcomers. His unexpected action brought havoc among the horses which halted abruptly and began to rear .

 

Near the cart Peleus and Nausicaa went close to the fallen men and with a shared move, knocked them unconscious before they could recover from the fall.

 

In the mean time, Maximus was using the surprise factor to kill one of the assailants who had come too close and when he was going to fall, the former general took his longer weapon to even the odds of the fight. Tarsus, while not trained as a warhorse, responded quickly at his rider's commands and his hooves helped Maximus a great deal.

 

Peleus jumped onto one of the guards' horses, while Nausicaa ran on foot toward the fight. Maximus had killed another man, but the survivors were recovering from the surprise and were using the power of their number to get rid of this unexpected demon.

 

Nausicaa came to help and she dragged one of them down from his horse. When he discovered his attacker's identity, his face turned into puzzlement that didn't last long as she killed him with his own weapon.

 

A wound Tarsus got in the fray made him stumble, thus putting his rider in the line of a marauder's weapon. Maximus received a wound on his back but his sword arm didn't falter and he brought down another man. As Peleus joined the fight, too, the three of them defeated the attackers.

 

After the sounds of the fight, the place was suddenly quiet, only the harsh breathing of the fighters could be heard.

 

Maximus was the first to move, dismounting to assess Tarsus' condition. The wound looked wide but not deep. Relieved, he patted the horse's muzzle saying, «Thank you for your help. You were a good partner.»

 

The animal seemed to understand and nuzzled him back. The movement made Maximus step back and the pain from his wound blazed, making him stagger.

 

Nausicaa was at his side in seconds. «Come, sit down. I'll see to your back.»

 

Maximus was going to obey when Cornelia spoke. «Bring him here. He'll be more comfortable.»

 

The servants who had witnessed the fight in astonishment received orders from the domina that they obeyed immediately. Putting a bit of his weight on Nausicaa's arm, Maximus slowly reached the wagon where a blanket had been spread on the floor and sat down on it. Nausicaa urged him to remove his tunic and stretch onto his belly. He complied, bracing himself for the pain he knew was going to come. While the slave woman was treating him, he had to admit that she had a light and knowing touch. So much better that the rough handling he had sometimes received at the surgeons' hands.

 

«The wound must be cauterized or it will fester,» she said at last and he just nodded.

 

While she asked someone to bring the necessary tools Cornelia talked to him. «You were very brave, Marcus. You saved my life yet once again. I begin to wonder how I survived before.»

 

Maximus gave a short laugh. «I hope it is a coincidence. I would not like to know that your enemies decided to wait for me to start attacking you.»

 

«Really bad timing,» she added then she saw that the blade had arrived. «Do you want something to bite on?» she asked gently.

 

«Yes. It would help.»

 

The old woman produced a leather band that Maximus put into his mouth.

 

«Are you ready?» Nausicaa asked then and he nodded. As the red-hot blade seared his skin he bit down hard to suppress a cry at the terrible pain then passed out.

 

Cornelia took the leather from the injured man's lips. He seemed so young and helpless in the pain-induced sleep that she had a brief thought of her own son, happy once more that he had chosen another life.

 

«You'll be all right soon. We'll take care of you,» she said to the unconscious form, patting his lustrous hair then smiled at Nausicaa whose eyes had become very serious, as she had done what had to be done. The dark woman smiled back.

 

It took a few moments for Maximus to ascertain where he was. He thought he was back in the hopeless heat of the cart bringing him to Zucchabar, but this time he wasn't under the merciless sun and he wasn't dirty and chained.

 

«Do you feel all right?» a voice asked.

 

Circe, he realized and opened his eyes. «I would not go that far,» he answered and she laughed.

 

«If you can joke, I think you're faring better,» she said, giving him some water.

 

«Thank you.»

 

«Are you hungry?»

 

«Not much. What time is it?»

 

«Nearly noon of the day after the fight. You were lucky, though, you didn't get a fever.»

 

«Where are the others?»

 

«Out. The day's nice and they're all enjoying the sun.

 

For a moment Maximus recalled when during his long days in the north he had gone riding at the first sign of a spring sun, to treasure the promise of warmth and life. The deep blue sky was different from the one in his native Spain, but he had loved its clearness, its intensity, its magic.

 

«It must be a pleasant memory if you're smiling,» the woman said.

 

«Yes. I was thinking of the northern sky.»

 

Circe smiled again and Maximus thought that Peleus had been rewarded for his fairness. She gave an impression of gentleness that put people at ease. He wondered if before her arrival at Cornelia's home, someone had bothered to appreciate this side of her, or if everybody had just taken advantage of her body. Still a gorgeous body, he mused, even if he really wasn't interested. She was beautiful, but when he thought about a woman to hold in his arms, his desire spoke of Nausicaa. The mere thought was a stunning revelation.

 

How could he think of finding joy in a woman's arms when his beloved Selene lay under the dark earth? How could he forgive himself for being alive? Trying to banish such ideas from his mind, he managed a smile and resumed his talk with Circe.

 

Later, Peleus came to the cart to see Maximus. «You're as strong as the horse you like to ride,» the older man said.

 

«How is he?»

 

«Better than you.»

 

«Good. Did the survivors talk?»

 

«Yes but it didn't help a lot. Someone with a bag full of coins who didn’t want to be recognized contacted them. They just had to be careless and let the others do the dirty work. I have them chained to the back of the cart with the supplies.»

 

«And you are going to keep their horses, are you not?»

 

«Yes, now seriously, how do you feel?»

 

«Weak but not too much. I have been worse.»

 

«Good. We're going to reach Panormus in a couple of days and things should go better.

 

Maximus was glad of this, and his mind worked to figure out a reason for the attacks on Cornelia.

 

The group reached Iulia's villa without any more problems and when the servants saw them, they went inside to warn the masters. The traveling party had reached the main building as four children stormed out.

 

«Avia! Avia! Avia!» they shouted in unison, while a woman bearing a strong resemblance to Cornelia and a man walked at a more sedate pace toward the newcomers.

 

«You rascals, come over here to greet your grandmother properly. I want a kiss from everyone,» the old woman said happily and the three boys jumped easily on the cart.

 

The small girl who had remained behind, complained loudly. «That's not fair! I want to greet Avia, too!»

 

«May I help you, young Cornelia?» Maximus asked from his place on the driver's seat.

 

«Yes, that would be greatly appreciated,» she answered so sweetly that he couldn't help smiling. His back hurt, but the child was so light that he had no problems lifting her onto the cart.

 

«Thank you very much,» she replied and as soon as her feet were on the wood panels, she ran toward the older Cornelia.

 

«Mama, please, don't spoil them too much. When you go home I have to go on living with them,» Iulia said.

 

«Grandparents are supposed to spoil children. That’s their purpose.»

 

Iulia and Vibius grinned and Maximus could see that they shared the happiness in meeting the old lady.

 

Escorted by her grandchildren, she got down and hugged her daughter and son-in-law. «It's good to be here,» she said then went inside while the servants took care of the others.

 

«If it hadn't been for a new slave of mine, you wouldn't have seen me at all. We were ambushed two days ago,» Cornelia began to explain when the children had gone back outside to play.

 

«Marauders?»

 

«No, it was a plot. The men I hired in Lylibaeum had been paid to bring me where the ambush was going to take place. As I said, without Marcus' actions and courage I would have been dead.»

 

«Gods, that's really serious. Who is Marcus?» Iulia asked.

 

«A slave that Peleus bought in Africa. He's saved my life twice. I was attacked in the market in Lylibaeum, too, but I don't know who would want me dead and why.»

 

«Bad things are happening since Marcus Aurelius' death. From what I've heard, the new emperor has a vision of the Empire that doesn't match his father's. Nor does his temper.»

 

«But I'm not so important as to be a bother for the ruler of the Empire. Why should he care about me?»

 

«Maybe he doesn't, but I've heard rumors that he's trying to dissolve the Senate and he's gathering people ready to support him, as well as to get rid of the opposition. My guess is that someone here is planning to join his side and gain something personal in the process,» Vibius said.

 

«Life is strange. I've tried to spend my life honorably and I'm risking being killed to please a man I don't even know and who probably wouldn't care about my death.»

 

«The empire has become a colder place since Marcus Aurelius' death,» the man replied.

 

«Now let's talk of something more pleasant. How are both of you?»

 

«Doing well, Mama. The children are keeping us quite busy, but it's so good having them around. And Appius is coming to visit. He's due to arrive soon,» Iulia said.

 

«What wonderful news you're giving me, daughter.»

 

«Believe me, Cornelia,» Vibius interjected, «you'll soon be longing to be back in the quietness of your house.»

 

«I am sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think so,» Cornelia said, laughing, her mood improving by the moment.

 

Other greetings and welcomes were exchanged in the servants' quarters as the newcomers reacquainted themselves with old friends from previous journeys.

 

«Circe, you look younger than ever. Now I know why your husband keeps you hidden in Cornelia's room. He's afraid of the competition,» the cook of the household said merrily.

 

«Never! I'm just wary of what people may discover if I let such a treasure out in plain sight,» Peleus replied.

 

«And you, Nausicaa, my big friend. Are you still playing the Amazon queen for your mistress?»

 

«More than you think, Fulvia. We were ambushed and we escaped death only because of Marcus.»

 

«Marcus who?»

 

«Him,» the Numidian replied pointing at the man who was coming inside after having delivered the horses into the care of others.

 

Fulvia looked with curiosity at the stranger, having taken note of the different tone her friend had used, just in the one word. She cast a quick but thorough glance at the approaching man and decided that Nausicaa had good taste. At the same time she took notice that he was carrying himself as if something were wrong.

 

«Welcome here, Marcus,» she stated. «I'm Fulvia, the cook here. Are you all right? You look tired.»

 

«Thank you, Fulvia, for your concern. I am quite tired. Since my duties are over for today, I would like to rest for a while.»

 

«He was wounded in the fight,» Nausicaa added when she sensed his reluctance to explain.

 

«Oh, Son, why didn't you say so? Follow me. I'll show you a place where you can rest. And you can bet that it will be close to Nausicaa's,» she added to herself, leading him through the house.

 

«How is Marcus?» Peleus asked as Circe arrived at their room.

 

«Tired, but not bad. Fulvia took care of him.»

 

«Poor boy. He'll find himself smothered by her cares.»

 

«I don't think so. She placed him close to Nausicaa's cubicle. I think that she's thinking of leaving him in her hands.»

 

«You women are terrible!» the man laughed. «This could be the right move, though. He's too alone for his own good. Provided that Nausicaa doesn't knock him unconscious if he tries something, though.»

 

«From the looks she's begun darting in his general direction, I don't think she would mind.»

 

«What's your impression of him?»

 

«He's a good man, with a great pain in his heart and I don't think slavery is his problem, at least not the only one. He's not talkative, but he doesn't miss much. He's a decent and honorable man. I'm happy you bought him. Cornelia's household has gained from his presence, as much as he has for being here.»

 

«I saw him fighting and I was afraid. He was a death machine. He's been a warrior, or rather he still is, but I was stunned that after the fight he took care of his horse first. I'd like to know him better, but he doesn't let people get too close.»

 

«Sometimes closeness means pain and he's probably afraid of it.»

 

«You wouldn't say he could be a man easily frightened. That could mean that the pain was so deep as to break his courage.»

 

«Not his courage. Maybe his heart.»

 

Dinner passed in a merry mess of children's laughter and chats. Cornelia didn't mind eating with her namesake comfortably positioned on her lap. It wasn't common for children eating with their parents and guests, but she wanted to make the most of her time with them.

 

«Avia,» Cornelia minor said, «who is the man with the warm hands who helped me today?»

 

«His name is Marcus and he protects me.»

 

«I like him. But I like Tata more.»

Vibius smiled fondly at her words. He had seen the slave and if he was a judge of male beauty, he was flattered by his daughter's praise, even though probably not completely deserved.

 

«You have good taste, my precious one, just like your mother.»

 

Iulia snickered but didn't reply while the child changed the subject.

 

Even though the cubicles allowed the slaves some privacy, the snores of some of the sleepers were clearly audible. The wound on his back was itching and the noises didn't help, so Maximus decided to have a walk in the gardens. He had just reached the door, when he heard footsteps behind him.

 

«Do you mind if I stay here with you?» Nausicaa asked.

 

«Not at all. Could you not sleep?»

 

«I miss my bed and Cornelia doesn't snore.»

 

«I am not surprised. It would not suit her.»

 

«No, definitely. But you would be surprised to know how different from most of the ladies I've known she is. She's very clever and smart, with wits that could put many philosophers to shame.»

 

«She is a great woman with all the qualities a person should possess. Do you ever think of freedom?» Maximus asked after a while.

 

«Yes, sometimes, but even if I long for it, I'd have no other place to go. I was taken from my homeland as a child and I don't even remember the language. I have no memory of the name of the village and I won't be able to go back. And a freed woman has little opportunity to find a job outside a brothel so what I have now, even without freedom, is better than that.»

 

«Your life is at your mistress' mercy, all the time.»

 

«Do you really think it would be different if I worked as a whore? And you, Marcus, do you remember your life as a free man and the place where you come from?»

 

«Yes, to both your questions. I still remember my freedom and I will do my best to earn it again because I have duties to fulfill, duties I cannot perform as a slave. After that, nothing really matters because I will not be able to go home. It has been burned to the ground and everything and everyone I cared for has been destroyed. There is no sense in going back to ashes.»

 

«You could let the wind scatter them and build again.»

 

«The wind will not be enough to scatter the memories.»

 

«So, maybe, you'll need a storm.»

 

The words, said in a low voice, had a strange effect on Maximus. He had expected to feel anger for her apparent lack of sympathy, but thinking again, he knew she was right. He couldn't and wouldn't stop mourning, but at the same time, he wasn't going to let grief take hold of his life. His wife's and son's memory deserved more than that. Deep inside himself, he found a smile.

 

«Thank you,» he said at last.

 

«For what?»

 

«For what you said and how you said it. You helped me understand something very important.»

 

«I don't know how, but I'm glad.»

 

«Would you mind if I kiss you?» Maximus asked after a little silent pause.

 

«That's new. A man asking. I like it and, no, I wouldn't mind being kissed.»

 

Maximus smiled and closed the distance between them. As they kissed, they both knew it was a meeting of strength and needs, as well as of bodies. It was hot, yet tinged with gentleness, their hands going to each other's necks to hold onto something as passion went higher. Soon a kiss was too little an expression of what they really wanted and Maximus asked breathlessly, «You know this house. Where can we find some privacy?»

 

«Down there,» Nausicaa replied, leading him through the silent garden. Hidden by a tree, there was a small replica of the villa.

 

«The Toy House of the children. The inside is big enough for us,» she said, passing through the small entrance. Like she had said there was room inside the replica, but the ceiling was low so they had to kneel. Under the light of the moon they took a moment to look at each other in silence before disrobing. The woman's tunic was dealt with in moments, leaving her dark skin barely visible.

 

«Smile at me or I will not be able to see you,» Maximus said teasingly.

 

«Are you afraid of losing me?»

 

«Yes, dreams are difficult to keep.»

 

«If you want to keep me close, I think you should act.»

 

Nausicaa's hands went to his belt and Maximus did nothing to hinder, or help. When she put it aside and grabbed the hem of his tunic, he grinned and raised his arms. Clad only in a loincloth, there was no way to deny his interest and Nausicaa laughed, kissing him. With a mirrored movement, they got rid of each other's undergarments and used their hands to map their bodies while their lips were sealed in passionate kisses.

 

«So beautiful,» Maximus managed somehow to whisper as he found Nausicaa's breasts. He kissed her there, loving the texture and the scent of her body, hot and silky, with the heavy drum of her heart under his mouth. Her hands were clutched to his heavy tresses as she gasped in pleasure, before going lower to hold onto his shoulders. Maximus also traveled south in the exploration of her body, finding her navel, then her centre, where he lingered, trying to burn her into a furnace of desire. When Nausicaa thought she was losing her mind, Maximus stopped to slide on top of her. Nausicaa's hands urged him higher and closer and he complied, taking her with gentleness mixed with urgency. Maximus stilled for a moment, to savor the feeling of closeness, the heat and the promise of pleasure singing through his nerves.

 

Nausicaa's eyes were on him, reading in the dim light the sensations he couldn't hide, and was overjoyed to be the one causing them. She kissed him fiercely and he ceased his brief stillness, starting to build a rhythm of ecstasy. The oldest dance blew their thoughts away, but neither of them noticed or cared as they both came with a sharp cry.

 

Reality returned with a contended sigh and the warmth of the man next to her in the replica of the house. A chuckle sounded and she had to ask, «What's so funny?»

 

«I was thinking that those who built this thing might have some disagreement about the use we have made of it.»

 

«The builder could haven't thought about this, but I'm nearly sure we aren't the only ones who've made love here. Fulvia told me that the little Cornelia was probably conceived here.»

 

Maximus' laugh echoed in the small space and Nausicaa chuckled. «I think that we'd better return to the house before we get caught.»

 

They dressed in silence, stopping from time to time for a kiss or a gentle teasing. When they finally went out and got up, Maximus winced.

 

«What's wrong?»

 

«Still a bit sore.»

 

«I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.»

 

«Stop that. I am fine and I do not regret a single moment.»

 

«Truly, neither do I. I only hope you didn't do yourself harm.»

 

«I have been worse and was cured by someone who was not half as beautiful or skilful as you.»

 

Nausicaa's eyes twinkled as Maximus gave her a brief kiss, sweet after the passion. She murmured something that he didn't catch.

 

«What?»

 

«Your lips are sweet and hot as the summer sun.»

 

«I am pleased you approve. I was thinking something similar.» This time it was Maximus' turn to smile.

 

The slave quarters were silent in the deep of the night and they both returned to their cubicles without making a sound. This time sleep came easily to both of them.

 

Breakfast was a moment of busy talking in Cornelia's daughter's house. Information was exchanged and the chores of the day assigned. Maximus observed the cook giving directions like a centurion to the troops and hid a grin. He nearly expected her to order an assault on the enemies' stronghold rather than instructing a young girl to cut vegetables for dinner. She knew her trade, he thought, enjoying the repast before heading to the stables. The stalls where Cornelia's animals were housed were clean and the horses seemed to enjoy the food, too. Maximus took care of the carthorses first, then Peleus', leaving Tarsus for last. The brown stud recognized him and was glad for the attention he was getting.

 

The wound was healing well and the animal was eager to run. Seeing a groom Maximus asked, «Is there a place where I can take the horse for a short run?»

 

«Yes. Follow the road east and you'll have the fields of lucerne. You can go there.»

 

«Thank you.»

 

Before going for his ride, Maximus went back to the house to ask for Peleus’ permission. The man was in company of Vibius Iunior, Iulia's oldest son.

 

«Are you going to ride the big brown horse?» the boy asked, his eyes sparkling.

 

«Yes. He is spirited and needs to release his energies.»

 

«Would you mind if I come with you? I know how to ride. I won't be a bother.»

 

«You must ask your parents. I am not allowed to decide.»

 

The boy ran toward the house and when he was back, he announced – slightly out of breath – but happily, «I've got permission to ride with you, but we must be accompanied by someone from the house who knows the surroundings.»

 

«All right. Let us find someone,» Maximus said, smiling at the boy's eagerness and went to ask the groom he had spoken to before. The lad said yes and after preparing one of the horses, they all trotted toward the country.

 

Vibius was seated in front of Maximus' saddle, enjoying immensely the strength of the animal under him, as well as the strong arms encircling him, making him feel safe.

«Could we go a bit faster?» he asked shyly and Maximus agreed.

 

«Hold on tight,» the man said just before spurring Tarsus to a gallop. He didn't push the horse too much, mindful of his condition and the fact that he was carrying a boy, but the sensation of the wind on his skin was so good that he truly enjoyed the ride, just as much as the animal. When Maximus reined in to slow down, Tarsus seemed reluctant to accept the new order, but he obeyed, at last. The slave looked back to discover that their guide hadn't been able to keep up the pace and chuckled.

 

«I am afraid that Secundus' horse is not a match for Tarsus. I think we should wait for him,» Maximus said and Vibius Iunior laughed.

 

«Thank goodness that I was supposed to be your guide. That demon is too fast for this lady,» the groom said grinning when he finally reached them.

 

«I am sorry. I did not mean to do that, but Tarsus needed to run.»

 

«I understand. A good horse, that one. Does your Domina ride him?»

 

«She has not yet and I doubt she will. He was bought to breed.»

 

«From the interest this mare is showing, I guess you won't have problems finding volunteers. And you, little master, did you enjoy the ride?»

 

«Oh yes! It was wonderful. Too bad we must return,» the boy replied somehow sadly.

 

His words reminded Maximus of his own son, who had loved riding even before he was steady on his thin legs. Vibius Iunior was different from little Maximus, bigger and with a head of blond wild curls. For the first time since the beginning of his ordeal, Maximus concentrated very hard on the thought of his son happily riding a little white pony, the sun on his face and a sparkle in his eyes, instead of the unrecognizable body he had buried with his own hands. A tear escaped his eyes, but the memory of happiness helped to banish the pain and he fought to hold onto that thought.

 

The arrival of Appius brought even more action to the villa. The scholar travelled with only four people, but with a huge cart and Maximus thought that Iulia's house resembled a military encampment. Fulvia, the cook, looked pleased at the new challenge and he would have bet that she would have asked other people to come, if only to prove her worth.

 

Maximus met the newcomer later that evening when he was summoned to Cornelia's presence and her son was with her. Appius was a slender man, in his late twenties, with an open expression mixed with a glint of mystery. He didn't look like his mother, but Maximus waited for him to talk to confirm or deny the impression.

 

«My mother said I must thank you for her well-being,» the younger man said.

 

«I did my job, Domine.»

 

«You did it well and I'm happy you succeeded. My mother's too important to lose.»

 

«But not enough for you to stay at home.» Cornelia said.

 

«We would be at each other's throats in two days,» Appius replied with a tone that spoke volumes of his fondness for the old lady.

 

«You may be right. Your father always said that we're too similar to remain in each other's company for long, but I miss you, nonetheless.»

 

«Excuse us for our ranting, Marcus. I called you here to thank you not to annoy you to death.» «And also to understand why my mother is so fond of you,» he added to himself, smiling. The young man observed the slave with interest. He knew his mother too well to think that she had a crush on this handsome man. She was still loyal to Appius senior's memory and she had never indulged in the vices that many patricians loved so much. So there had to be more. He decided to start looking for answers as soon as possible.

 

«Uncle Appius, during your journeys did you see the Emperor?» one of the twins asked and while Appius turned to look at him, he didn't see the shudder that passed through the slave's frame.

 

«Yes, when he was still young. I saw him with his father, the great Marcus Aurelius when I was in Moesia,» was the reply and the young man didn't add that the present ruler of the empire had looked and behaved like a spoiled brat. A dangerous spoiled brat.

 

Coming from the stables, Maximus heard the sound of weapons clashing and he ran toward the source. Once there he was stunned to see that Appius and Nausicaa were sparring. They were matched in height and as far as he could see, in skill. The woman was wearing a short tunic and her skin was glistening with sweat. Maximus swallowed at the lustful memories that suddenly crowded his mind, trying to concentrate on the fight he was witnessing.

 

«You're still a tough partner, Nausicaa. I gather that you kept training after my departure,» Appius said when the contenders stopped to rest and to fetch some water.

 

«Sometimes yes and recently I had to use my fighting skill to protect the Domina.»

 

«From what I've heard you did a good job.»

 

«I helped, but he did the better job,» she said, pointing at Maximus, whom she had seen watching them in silence.

 

«How do you judge my fighting skills, Marcus?»

 

«You are quite good, Domine, fast and strong, but you fight too cleanly. Real fights are less elegant and more dangerous. The opponents rarely wait for you to be in position to fight back.»

 

«Yes, I know. But I seldom train with someone I trust enough and putting my life in a stranger's hands is not my idea of safety.»

 

«If you trust me, we could spar together.»

 

«Are you well enough to fight? You've been wounded.»

 

«Enemies will not be waiting for you to be in good shape, either. We can begin, even now. But to be on the safe, do you have wooden swords?»

 

«Yes, I'll have them brought.»

 

Appius shouted an order and in moments a slave of his returned with some wooden gladiuses. Maximus took one of them and flexed his sword arm. The weapon, while lighter than a true one, was well balanced and the former general waited for the patrician to take his own. Wordlessly he initiated the attack. Appius obliged, but while skilled, he fought too fairly to be really dangerous and he was no match for the older man.

 

«Now I know why my mother thinks so much of you. I'm a disaster.»

 

«No, you are not. Only naive. If you allow me, I will explain what I mean.»

 

«Yes, of course. What shall I do?»

 

«Wait a moment, Domine. Nausicaa, would you please take a sword for you and another for me?» Maximus asked and the woman complied.

 

«Now. I want you both to attack me. Do not be careful and do not be fair. Try to hurt me.»

 

A bit confused, they obeyed. They soon were astonished by how easily Maximus seemed able to control them. His moves were feline and his arms moved in unison. Pride made Nausicaa and Appius try harder and Maximus replied in kind. Abruptly he managed to avoid a vicious hit by Nausicaa and while her side was exposed, he used his crossed swords to relieve her of her weapon. Continuing the movement, he tripped Appius on the back of his knees and as he lost his footing, he took away his sword, too.

 

«Did I hurt you, Domine?» Maximus asked, knowing well that he could have been flogged for harming a free man.

 

«No, Marcus, if you don't count my pride and if something of me must be hurt, better that than my flesh. Thank you for your lesson and if you have time during the next days, I'll be glad to spar again with you.»

 

«As you wish.»

 

«Nausicaa, thanks to you, too. I hadn't such fun in ages. Since we were fifteen, I think.»

 

The woman grinned and shot a look at Maximus, half threatening, half laughing and he knew he had been forgiven.

 

Maximus wasn't concerned about the summons from Cornelia, but when he entered her rooms, her thunderous expression was plain to see.

 

«You hit my son, didn't you?» she asked abruptly.

 

«Yes, Domina» he answered, feeling the anger rise inside him. He didn't add a word, not wanting to explain to someone who had clearly already decided that he was guilty.

 

«I am in your debt for saving my life, but this doesn't mean that you're free to harm my son. You'll be punished for this. Remove your tunic! Now!»

 

Maximus complied, still silent, knowing very well that she had every right to use or abuse her possession and even if he had been so foolish as to think that she was different, she wasn't and he was nothing but a slave and a slave's words bore no weight. Dressed only in his loincloth he went down on his knees in front of her, while he heard a servant coming closer to hand something to Cornelia. He braced himself for the pain, when a new voice startled him.

 

«Is there something wrong, Mother?» Appius asked, looking at the scene in front of him in wonder.

 

«No. I was about to punish my slave for hurting you. Are you all right my Son?»

 

«Yes, I am and he doesn't deserve to be punished. He was helping me, following my orders.»

 

«Your orders?»

 

«Yes, I asked him to give me a demonstration of his fighting skills to help me defend myself better on the road.»

 

«I was told otherwise. They say that he fought with unnecessary strength and you were hurt.»

 

«They were wrong and I just fell on my ass.»

 

The kneeling man seemed to have turned into a statue, so still he was. His head was bowed as befitting a slave ready to be chastised, but the tension in his body told a different story. Appius could feel the anger radiating from him and once having gotten over her own feeling, Cornelia felt that, too.

 

«It seems that I was misinformed about your actions,» she said, sorry for her mistake in judgment. «You may dress. You will not be punished.»

 

Maximus got up and donned his tunic without raising his head and still in silence, but his presence seemed to linger in the room.

 

Mother and son looked at each other for a long while.

 

Nobody disturbed Maximus on his way out of the house, aware of the menace in his posture. He was tempted to keep on walking until no more land remained, no more masters, no more slaves, no more of anything. He wondered if there were a place so far away.

 

When he realized that the answer was no, he knew also that despite his resolve to earn his freedom, he wasn't really ready for the true meaning of being a slave. He had deluded himself otherwise, but everything had changed suddenly and he wasn't sure he could wait for so long without exploding and doing something that would have him punished or dead. He knew all too well that he just couldn't let himself be beaten like something that didn't matter. As a slave he was aware that his life truly didn't matter, but he was a Roman citizen and he wasn't born to live and die as a slave. If he was to die, he was going to die as a free man, by his own hand.

 

Suddenly everything became clear.

 

He returned to the wagon where Cornelia had travelled, now used as storage for the things that weren't needed in the house. He rummaged inside, finding the gladius he had been given. The blade was sharp, suitable for the task. He was about to look for a quiet place to fulfill his goal, when he heard someone approaching.

 

«What are you doing out there with a sword? Is there something wrong with Cornelia?» Nausicaa asked.

 

«No, your precious and honored Domina is fine.»

 

«What happened? Why are you so sarcastic? Is there something wrong with you?»

 

«There is nothing wrong. Everything is going to be absolutely right in a short while,» Maximus replied turning his back to her.

 

«Marcus! Wait!» she cried, grabbing his arm. «Talk to me! What happened? Why are you so upset?»

 

 

«Upset? I have no right to be upset! I am a slave, insignificant chattel, with no right to pride or feelings.»

 

«Please, Marcus. What do you mean by that? Answer me, please! You're frightening me!» she pleaded, following him far from the house.

 

«No need to be frightened. I have not gone mad, if this is what you are afraid of. I have never been saner. I have been fool enough before, but now things have changed. Please return to your beloved mistress and leave me alone.»

 

«No, not until you explain what you are talking about.»

 

«What are you going to do if I do not? Beat me? You know, you resemble your domina more than I thought.»

 

 

Maximus' anger escalated as he continued his speech. «Since you look so interested... You wish to know what I am talking about? I am talking about this shameful joke they call fate. I wish I had died in that cursed battlefield, killed in the frozen mud by a tribesman's axe. That way Rome would still have a rightful ruler and my wife and son would still be alive. That would have spared much pain. But I survived. I SURVIVED! As a result my emperor and mentor was slain by his own son, a man I called a friend betrayed me, my family and household were slaughtered, my house burnt to ashes, my freedom lost. ALL OF THIS BECAUSE I SURVIVED! One day I was the emperor's most trusted general, I ruled legions, I was a husband and a father. I sacrificed everything to protect the light that is Rome and my payment was pain, loss and slavery. I want to set things right in the only way I know. Let me do what I have to. You do not have to witness it.»

 

«What I don't have to witness?»

 

«My death as a Roman, by my own hand.»

 

«Who are you?» she whispered, still stunned at his words.

 

«It does not matter any longer. Not for you, anyway. You did not know me before I became what I am now.»

 

«It matters, you fool. If I'm going to see you die, I want to know why I'm losing you.»

 

Maximus opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come. He looked in Nausicaa's concerned face and he felt his resolve staggering. There was pain in her eyes and he didn't want her to suffer because of him. He only wanted ... He realized that he didn't know anymore what he wanted. He turned his back to her in an attempt to hide from her his inner turmoil. The sword in his hand was heavy and he clutched the hilt until his knuckles turned white. A warm touch on his neck startled him. Nausicaa's fingers began to draw patterns on his nape and through his hair.

 

«What are you doing?» he asked, puzzled.

 

«Using what I have to reach out for you.»

 

Again Maximus wanted to say something, but he couldn't find words. His thoughts were going in every direction at the same time and he was confused. Nausicaa was special, of this he was sure, but of little else. She was a ray of light in the darkness fallen upon his life and now that her hands were telling him how much she cared, his resolve to end his life crumbled.

 

He allowed himself to think of the effects of his death on her and he felt guilty for not having done so before. Through her touch he sensed her concern and he wasn't willing to cause her pain. He couldn't stand someone he loved suffering because of his actions, not anymore.

 

Someone he loved.

 

Maximus froze as the words registered in his mind, sinking in deeply.

 

Someone he loved.

 

He had thought it would be impossible for him to feel again, but the woman next to him proved the statement wrong, very wrong.

 

«I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you. I am sorry,» Maximus said slowly, his voice hoarse.

 

«There is nothing to be sorry for. Just don't leave me alone here.»

 

Maximus felt as if something warm was melting some of the ice gripping his heart and he found himself telling Nausicaa his story.

 

Little by little the story unraveled. Nausicaa never interrupted, keeping quiet all the questions she wanted to ask. She heard about Selene and Maximus Lunior, the little boy who wanted to be a pony and about the late emperor. Maximus' words made her feel as if she had known them and the knowledge that they all had died made her cry. She shed her tears, knowing that she was doing this for a man who could not. She felt the pain that his pride and need to be in control wasn't going to let show again.

When the sad tale ended, Nausicaa went closer, taking Maximus in the circle of her arms without a sound and they remained like that for a long time.

 

Cornelia listened for the sounds of Nausicaa attending to her chores. The slave woman had been quiet all evening, so she surmised she had met Marcus. The Numidian didn't say a word about the whole thing, but the older woman sensed that she hadn't been forgiven. Cornelia knew that she had every right to beat a slave, even without a reason, but she had always prided herself on her fairness. Knowing that she had made a mistake in judgment hurt more than she was willing to admit. Now she had to find a way to make things right, without apologizing.

 

When Cornelia's party was ready to leave, Appius accompanied it back to Lylibaeum. With the addition of his guards, there was no need to hire people and the old Patrician woman felt more at ease knowing that she had entrusted her life in people she knew, rather than in strangers who had proved untrustworthy. Once the farewells were over, the carts started their slow journey home.

 

With her son's company and no threats to slow them down, Cornelia had the impression of having been on the road far less than when doing the journey in the opposite direction. She had been observing Marcus closely, feeling the coldness radiating from him except when Nausicaa was near. He did his job well, as always, but there was a distance that hadn't been there before. She resented that change in his demeanor and she resolved to talk to him when they got home, on her ground and on her terms.

 

Cornelia was examining the books of her farms with Peleus when a slave came to announce the arrival of a messenger. The man came in, handing a scroll over to her. She gave him a coin for his work; the man thanked her and left. Puzzled, Cornelia opened the document.

 

«The Emperor is coming to Sicily. He will arrive in two weeks,» she announced at the end of her reading.

 

«Will he come to Lylibaeum?» Peleus asked.

 

«Apparently, yes. This is a message from the governor to all the important Roman citizens stating that they're expected to do their best to please Commodus.»

 

«Why would he think they wouldn't without his warning?»

 

«Because he himself wouldn't, if given a choice. As I recall, he's never been fond of the young Caesar and now he's probably afraid to discover that Commodus hasn't forgotten or forgiven.»

 

Peleus nodded, remembering the unflattering tales about the emperor's temper and his little resemblance to his mourned father.

 

«Well, we'll have to be prepared for better or for worse,» Cornelia declared, her mind busy with planning. As little love as she had for the new Caesar, as a Roman citizen she owed him her allegiance and respect and she wasn't about to belie her status or her duties.

 

Maximus took his temporary transfer to another of Cornelia's estates as an occasion to think about his options. He had gone over his hatred for Cornelia. She had just behaved like a concerned mother, probably as Selene herself would have done. The fact that she hadn't asked for an explanation wasn't really her fault, just how things were between slaves and masters.

 

She wasn't the enemy.

 

Commodus was.

 

He simply had to think about a way to get close to him. He didn't know that the gods had finally decided to act to grant him his wish.

 

The sea air held no particular charms for Commodus, so he remained in his sumptuous cabin during the crossing toward Sicily. The place was as luxurious and magnificent as even an emperor could have desired and still there was something missing. After Vindobona he had thought that his father's and Maximus' deaths would have brought peace, but they hadn't. The emptiness in his heart at the idea that his father didn't love him and wasn't in the slightest proud of him hadn't dissipated now that he had dealt with the old man as well as the man his father regarded as the son he had always wanted to have. Their presence, like a haunting spirit, had remained, clinging to his skin like a leech, sucking his strength, ruining his sleep with nightmares and his days with nervousness. Commodus felt as if his soul had been reduced to a small space hidden so deeply that he couldn't find it anymore. He was so scared now, more than he had ever been before and for this reason he had decided not to bring Lucilla with him.

 

While he still wanted her with a craving that he couldn't and wouldn't fight, her quiet presence, her strength, her brightness reminded him too much of their father. She would have been a good Caesar, had she been born a man and Commodus didn't hate her for this. If she had been born to be the new emperor maybe Marcus Aurelius would have expected a little less from his younger child and lavished on him more love and attention.

 

He banished this thought with a shrug.

 

Marcus Aurelius was dead and buried with all the honors. Maximus was dead, too, and he himself was alive and powerful. In the end, he had won. The thought brought a smile to his lips.

 

While Nausicaa missed Maximus a great deal, she was glad he wasn't there to witness the preparation for his enemy's arrival. She knew that he was more than entitled to his revenge and she was going to help him if he so wished, but she was afraid because she was aware that there was no way he could survive the emperor's death.

The gods were just too cruel for having given him to her and plotting to take him away so soon, but not soon enough to prevent  roots planted in her heart.

Silently she cried.

 

Unlike her fellow Patrician friends, Cornelia knew a lot about her slaves. She took her privileged status as a gift, as well as a commitment toward her familia. They worked for her and she worked for them, providing them with food, shelter and protection. In return she expected work and respect and she had had it. She knew many of her servants by name and she deeply cared for the ones closest to her, such as Peleus, Circe and Nausicaa.

 

The Numidian woman was sad and Cornelia had an idea why. For the first time this independent soul was in love and this love was causing her pain. Nausicaa did her job with the same skills as before, but her mistress missed her dry sense of humor, her sarcastic looks when something amused her. The old woman decided to talk to her and to her stubborn love when this madness of the emperor's visit was over and things could be back to normal. Meanwhile, she had to do her preparations for the big event, one that would linger on everyone's lips for ages. Like the aftermath of a hangover, she added with an evil grin.

 

«You should wear your toga more often. You really look stunning,» Cornelia said to her son, who was already dressed for the party.

 

«Thank you, Mother. I'm flattered even if I suspect you're biased. You look really beautiful, too. You know, when I was a child and I saw you and Tata going out all dressed-up I didn't think you really were my parents. You were magnificent and I felt so little compared to your beauty.»

 

«You've always been a wonderful child, inside and out. I've always been so proud of you, of all your questions you asked and your wish to learn everything, from everyone. And your father was, too. Even if this is highly unusual for a man, he used to cradle you when you were a little baby, just to be sure you were real,» the woman added with a sweet smile at the thought.

 

«If we keep on flattering each other, we're going to be late,» Appius replied, hiding with a jest the pride and embarrassment at the praise.

 

«All right, my General. Lead the way,» Cornelia replied, reaching for her son's arm before going out.

 

Appius observed with a sense of amusement the confusion surrounding the governor's house and wondered if the garden was going to survive the assault of hundreds of feet. The place looked more like a market than a Roman villa. Servants were running in every direction, people were chatting and casting curious glances at every newcomer.

 

«Enjoying yourself, Son?» Cornelia asked, seeing his grin.

 

«More than I thought possible. Sometimes I think that I wasted my time looking for entertainment outside Italy. Roman citizens are a true fountain of odd behavior.»

 

«You wicked young man.»

 

«Yes, definitely. I learned from the best.»

 

Maximus and Juba were following the two patricians in silence. The former general didn't like the situation, because there were too many people and in such chaos keeping an eye on his charge was difficult, also without considering that probably Cornelia's enemies were there. He had as well to be sure to spot the emperor without being seen. He thought with a sad inner grin that his new status in life was going to be on his side in the situation. Nobody paid attention to slaves and he did his best to remain as invisible as he could make himself. He had learned the trick very young, risking his life along the borders of the Empire where being a Roman citizen meant being a target. Now he was reasserting his skills and he was proud to admit that they served him now, as they had in the past.

 

Commodus admired himself in the long mirror of his room. The tailor had done wonders in following his orders, preparing an attire that enhanced the Emperor's features, making him look taller and hiding his defects. Not that he had any. The man was on his way to becoming famous for being the tailor of the greatest Roman Emperor ever.

 

Commodus could nearly feel the humming of the power of the people he was going to meet. They were curious about him and he could believe their greed to gain access to even more power if they could present themselves to him in the right manner. He truly loved this part of his role, loved the flattery, the wish to please him, the ambitions that he could fully understand. He was ready.

 

While he was scanning the crowd for possible threats, Maximus recognized Cassia Avidia. Seeing the other woman alive and sound had the effect of turning her painted smile into a grimace and her action made him approach his mistress.

 

«Domina, I think I have had confirmation of the identity of who tried to kill you. Be careful when you approach Cassia Avidia and do not accept or drink anything coming from her hands. She looks truly disappointed to see you alive.»

 

«That snake! I hope she's going to choke on what she's drinking,» Appius hissed. He knew the woman and he had never liked her attitude. He didn't think for a second that the slave was wrong. She was fully capable of plotting Cornelia's murder without a flinch, even in the presence of the emperor himself.

 

«Thank you for the warning, Marcus. I'll be careful,» the patrician woman replied, bestowing a wry smile to her enemy.

 

«I beat you once and I'm not going to lose my life to you now. You Bitch,» she thought to herself, amazed at the hatred she still could find for Cassia Avidia.

 

The room went silent when Commodus came in, preceded by his Praetorian Guard, menacing in their dark uniforms. His aqua garb made him shine like a light in the blackness of the people surrounding him.

 

Maximus' world stopped for a moment, frozen at the sight in front of him. All the hatred he had kept inside threatened to explode in a rage, wild and mindless of the consequences. He felt what the Barbarians called going berserk, like being possessed by the spirit of the wolf, and the former general felt feral, ready to jump at his enemy's throat.

 

His wife's smile and his son's laughter turned viciously into the last image he had of them, burned and crucified at the arch in front of his house in Spain. The late emperor's dead face, not so different from the drained features he had seen just a few moments before, seemed to warn Maximus about the man he had been called to replace at the highest level in Rome. Everything simply conjured memories of blood and death and Maximus felt dizzy. He shook his head to clear it and the wave passed.

Regaining his composure, he let himself vanish in the crowd.

 

In the midst of emotions he was experiencing, Commodus had the distinct feeling that someone was watching him with intent and hatred. Everybody was watching him and yet he felt that this someone was different. His skin crawled, his hair stood up at the roots but he wasn't able to understand who was the originator of such a feeling.

He debated with himself if he should inform his guard about it, but he decided against it, because he didn't want to look frightened by a feeling, even if it was the strongest he had ever felt.

 

Commodus felt another wave of fear pass through him.

 

Quintus arrived at the reception a little late in order to observe the attendees and their reaction to the emperor. His new job was just as dangerous as fighting the Barbarians of the cold North, only the enemies' faces changed a little, not their hatred or their purpose. Sometimes it seemed as if he had passed all his life fighting. And killing. And ordering other people's deaths.

 

Like Maximus' death.

 

Damn the man.

 

When he thought he had put everything behind himself, the stricken gaze that Maximus had bored into him at the realization that his family was going to pay for his treason returned with a vengeance.

While he was sorry for Serena and the little boy, Quintus had had his orders from the emperor himself and he had sworn his allegiance and obedience to the emperor, no matter how much he loved the man or not.

 

How many times they had argued about it and they never saw things the same way.

While a ruthless warrior when needed, Maximus had always possessed a heart too soft in Quintus' opinion as far as people were concerned.

«I was right, though. He died and I'm alive, on my way toward power,» the Praetorian general said and went on with his task of checking the crowd. Patricians and slaves were stuffing the big room and he wondered once again at the difference between the two classes. In their silk dresses the noble Romans looked like peacocks compared to the near invisibility of the common and almost colorless clothes of the slaves. In addition to this the heads proudly held high were so different from the submissive stance of the slaves. Apart from one on the other side of the room, his back held straight, his bearing a free man’s more than a slave’s. The slave wore a light green tunic and had black hair, cut short. From his massive frame, Quintus guessed that he was either a litter bearer or a bodyguard and this could explain his attitude, but deep inside the Praetorian wondered why he had the feeling he knew the man. Something stirred a memory in Quintus’ mind, something he couldn’t place, not at the moment.

The general elbowed his way through the crowd to investigate, but when he got closer to the man someone called his name. He turned for a second and when he looked again, the slave had disappeared. Quintus scanned the crowd to look for him but his target seemed to have vanished, leaving him to swear under his breath.

 

Maximus was collecting information about the emperor’s program in Lylibaeum when he heard the name Quintus being called. He turned in time to see the man he had believed his friend answering to a call. The first thing Maximus noticed was the black uniform of the chief of the Praetorian guard.

 

«You always wanted to be a general and my death granted you your wish. I hope my wife’s and son’s deaths were worth the price,» he thought quickly while he left the room before Quintus could see him closely.

 

Cornelia observed the emperor and she didn’t like what she saw, even if she didn’t let her feelings show. The new Caesar was young and he had the angry look of a spoiled child who had been denied something. Commodus was handsome, but the manic look in his eyes ruined his beauty. She wondered what had remained in him of his late father. When she had met Marcus Aurelius she had admired him, his quiet demeanor and his sense of humor. She saw nothing of such qualities in his son and she was ready to believe the gossips who had often spoken that the love Commodus’ mother had shown for gladiators hadn’t been only for their athletic performances, at least not only in the arena. A love that seemed to have passed to her son, who had reopened the games closed years ago by Marcus Aurelius.

 

She had been at the games once or twice and while she thought of herself as a tough woman, she had been disgusted by the unnecessary wasting of lives and the blood thirsty crowd screaming for blood and violence. And this child loved them. She shivered.

 

Appius watched the emperor and his appearance matched his memories. The same attitude, the same coldness in his blue eyes that seemed concentrated only onto himself. He was young but innocence was as far from him as the farthest borders of the empire. Appius shared his mother’s reaction; he shivered.

 

The return home was a silent affair. Nobody spoke, neither the patricians, nor the slaves, everyone lost in private thoughts about the evening. Cornelia was happy not to have raised the emperor’s curiosity. She and Appius had been barely presented to Commodus and he had dismissed them with a fake smile, addressing his attention to other more interesting subjects and she thanked the gods for that.

 

Appius had observed the response of people to the younger man and he recognized the jackal attitude of most of them, the greedier ready to do anything to gain Caesar’s approval and favor. He was disgusted thinking that the same people prided themselves on being better than the Barbarians. He wondered what Barbarian really meant.

 

Maximus used his time in silence to plan his revenge on Commodus. He had collected information regarding the man’s movements in Sicily and he was examining them in his mind to find the right moment to make his move. A cold smile curled his lips and he felt his warrior instinct kick back in his mind.

 

«The time to honor yourself will soon be over, Caesar, and I will laugh over your grave,» he thought with a dark satisfaction.

 

Nausicaa waited for her domina to arrive with an anxiety that grew every minute. She was afraid of the news she was going to receive. She had come to love Maximus so much that she was frightened that she wasn’t going to survive his death. She knew that he had a duty to fulfill, but explaining all of this to her own heart was impossible. When she heard the party approaching she hurried down the stairs and was relieved that nobody seemed distressed. And Maximus was there with them, alive and well. She thanked all the gods she believed in and some she didn't for that.

 

When she had finished her task of grooming her lady for the night, Nausicaa left her quarters to look for Maximus. He was in his cubicle above the stables and he was near the small altar he had prepared with his wife's and son's figurines. He was praying and she didn't disturb him until he had finished.

 

«Did you see him?» she asked at last and the flicker of hatred in the man's eyes was her answer.

 

«He was smiling all the time, in his rich garb meant to hide the little angry soul his body hosts. He was basking in the gross flattery of the fools who wanted a part of his power, oblivious to all the blood he has shed to reach that point. But I did not kill him. I let him live for tonight and for a few days more. I do not want to involve you or Cornelia in my duty. No one is going to die because of me. Not any more.»

 

«Thank you for returning to me, if only for tonight,» Nausicaa said at last getting closer to Maximus.

 

As he turned to face her she kissed him for all he was worth, to let him know how much she cared and how much he mattered to her.

 

Maximus returned her kiss needing her love as much he needed to avenge his beloved ones.

 

Words became useless as they lost themselves in the oblivion of lovemaking in the warm cocoon of the night.

 

Despite the late hour of the previous evening, Cornelia woke up early and she wasn't really surprised that Nausicaa wasn't there yet. She had seen her sneaking out in silence and she had a quite accurate idea of her slave's destination. She didn't call for the Numidian woman until she heard her returning to her place outside her door.

 

The party had been an occasion for Cassia Avidia to get acquainted with the emperor. She loved the young man very much, seeing in him the same fire and ambition she felt. He was dangerous, too, but ready to be manipulated with the right amount of working. She had discovered that, like her, he loved gladiatorial games and she was going to surprise him. She had her own plans to make.

 

Cassia Avidia's counselor was her cousin, Tertius Cassius Metellus. He belonged to the poor side of the family, but what he lacked in money, he made up for in wits. He had always stuck with his cousin, sensing her hunger for power and wealth and now that the emperor was in town their dreams were about to come true. His task was to organize gladiatorial games to please Commodus and he was looking for strong slaves to be sacrificed in the arena, to appease the emperor's wishes. He went to the slaves' market for purchases.

 

Maximus was in town with Peleus to buy tools and scrolls. The house-steward had developed the habit of bringing the slave with him mostly for protection and also because he had noticed with a smirk that when they were together, few beggars dared to approach. Once they had finished their purchases, Peleus had decided on a break and they were just coming out from a hosteria when they met Tertius Cassius Metellus.

 

«Peleus, my friend. What brings you to town?»

 

Peleus, who had never been a friend of the man who shared with his cousin and employer a dislike for Cornelia, was stunned by the familiar tone.

 

«Working, as always, and you? Still skirt-chasing in the market?»

 

«No, I'm working too. My cousin is looking for strong slaves to organize a surprise for the emperor, but my visit at the slave-market has proven unsuccessful. Where did you buy this beefy one? Would you sell him for a fair price?»

 

«I bought him far from here and he's not for sale. But perhaps you'll be more successful another day. I will see you later,» Peleus added and walked away.

 

Tertius Cassius Metellus saluted him, but kept on watching the big slave who looked like a fighter. He was going to talk to Cassia Avidia about buying him directly from Cornelia.

 

«Gladiatorial games. Does that woman not have anything better to do than spending money watching people being butchered?» Peleus asked himself while returning to the cart with Maximus.

 

«They should see a field after a battle, witness the carnage, the broken limbs, the blood and the pain. Listening to the wounded ones' cries and sensing the smell of gangrene and death. That should appease their thirst for blood and violence,» the slave answered, remembering every time he had witnessed those things. He never forgot that a victory had to be won with the sacrifice of lives and he had always tried not to waste them without need.

 

«It wouldn't. They don't understand. They only acknowledge their desires and nothing else,» Peleus answered and the sadness of the truth in his own statement bothered him.

 

In the middle of the afternoon of the following day, Cornelia received a message from Cassia Avidia. The woman wanted to speak to her privately and had invited her for the following morning. Cassia Avidia was going to send her men to bring Cornelia to her house.

 

Cornelia read the scroll, pondered it for a while, and replied, declining the invitation.

She sent the messenger back before calling Appius and Peleus.

 

«I've just received an invitation by Cassia Avidia. She wants to see me and she offered to send her people to bring me to her villa.»

 

«I hope you're not going to accept the invitation,» Appius growled, expressing his distaste for Cassia Avidia with a grimace.

 

«I am older than I used to be, but a fool I am not. I'm not going to hand myself over to the wolves.»

 

«I met her cousin at the market, yesterday. He wanted to buy Marcus for the gladiatorial games they are planning to organize to keep the emperor happily entertained. I declined his offer,» Peleus informed her.

 

«Why didn't you tell me that?»

 

«Because I didn't think it was important. I already said no to Tertius Cassius Metellus and I believed that the matter was over and done with.»

 

«Apparently it's not,» Appius added thoughtfully. «I wonder why they're both so interested in Marcus? They cannot know his skills as a fighter.»

 

«They could, if they are behind the attempts on your life. If someone from Cassia's household paid the first assassin in the market, they could have been there to see if he succeeded and they would have been able to witness Marcus' actions,» Peleus observed.

 

«She probably invited me to make her offer directly.»

 

«She will be disappointed,» Appius added, not feeling sorry in the least.

 

«I hope so. It would be my pleasure doing so as often as I could.»

 

Much to Cornelia's astonishment, Cassia Avidia came to her house the next morning with a fake smile on her lips and her cousin on her heels.

 

«Cornelia, my friend. How are you? And this must be little Appius,» the woman chirped, even if little Appius was a head taller than she was.

 

«Welcome to my house, Cassia Avidia. What brings you here?»

 

«You refused to come to meet me and I have important things to discuss with you so I had to come.»

 

«Please come inside. The sun is unforgiving today,» Cornelia answered, thinking that it wouldn't be the only unforgiving thing if Cassia was up to one of her tricks.

 

«You know that our new emperor loves gladiatorial games and I wanted to please him by organizing a surprise for him. I've been told that you own a slave who could make a great fighter and I wanted to buy him from you. Tertius Cassius Metellus here, said that your home-steward refused the deal. I'm asking you directly now. Would you please sell me your slave? Name your price.»

 

«You could have spared yourself the journey, Cassia Avidia, because I'm not going to sell Marcus to you. He's a good servant, has saved my life more than once and I don't want to lose him in some foolish game I dislike. You don't need him as there are plenty of men able to fight in Lylibaeum, without depriving me of my possession. I'm sorry but as Peleus already told your cousin, he's not for sale.»

 

«A slave saved your life? How?»

 

«He saved me from a violent death more than once and you can understand why I'm not eager to sell such a prized commodity.»

 

«I see. I didn't know that you were threatened. Now that I'm aware of the dangers, I will do my best to let the emperor know that Roman citizens are in danger and ask him to act about this.»

 

«I thank you for your concern, Cassia Avidia. Now, I'm glad that you found time to visit an old acquaintance, but I don't want to keep you away from your life too long. Thank you once again,» Cornelia replied and before the other woman could react she had already gotten up.

 

Cassia Avidia could do nothing but follow her and return to her cart empty handed.

 

For the first time in his life, Tertius Cassius Metellus was thanking the Gods for the useless land he had inherited from his father. It was probably the only barren land in the whole province, but at the moment it was perfect for building a temporary arena for the games Cassia Avidia was organizing. He surveyed the proceedings and spurred the staff to work faster. Everything had to be ready soon, before the emperor's departure. Time was short.

 

Traveling in Italy was something that Lucilla had always loved. The countryside was wonderful and peaceful and in the Italian peninsula the dangers were considerably less than in other parts of the Empire. Her present company was much better than on her last journey. Lucius was a constant wonder, with his questions, his curiosity, his energy, and he made his mother forget for a little while the problems and the trials of being the late emperor's daughter and sister to the present one, not to mention the sister of Marcus Aurelius' murderer. She wondered why, after having decided that he didn't want company, Commodus had ordered her and Lucius to follow him on his journey through Sicily. She had hoped to be able to spare Lucius this danger and she had been happy to spend a little time with him in Naples, to cure his breathing problems there. But even Marcus Aurelius' daughter couldn't deny an emperor's request and now she was going to meet her brother, her nemesis, her nightmare.

 

The arena was ready and Tertius had found a suitable number of fighters to fill it. Still, he was thinking of Cornelia's slave. His spies had reported about his skills and he knew that the emperor would have been pleased to watch a good fight. Sure of Cassia's approval, he decided to play a little trick on Cornelia. He was aware that stealing slaves was considered a crime, but from what he knew about Commodus, he could bet that the Emperor would have forgiven such a trick, if the result proved enjoyable. He contacted a friend of his to arrange everything.

 

While attending to his chores, Maximus was thinking about how to get to the emperor and kill him. He knew that the Praetorian guard was always close but they weren't true soldiers and he knew that their pride could make them careless. He was going to make his move the day before Commodus' departure, in two days. He had already ascertained the emperor's schedule and Cassia Avidia's project of a temporary arena was just what he needed to know where to find the murderer.

 

He ate his meal in silence, pondering his choices and at first didn't notice that the soup tasted differently. When the thought passed through his musings, only the horses witnessed as he passed out at his desk and was hauled outside by a group of masked men.

 

Nausicaa had listened to all the talk concerning the emperor's visit and was worried about what Maximus was going to do. While he hadn't avoided her, he had been distant and thoughtful and she wanted to know what to expect. She was going to do everything in her power to keep him alive and to have his revenge, was he willing or not. Arriving at the stables she didn't hear the usual sounds but this didn't concern her at first. Her concern grew when she couldn't find Maximus anywhere. He was a good worker and wasn't accustomed to go away when there was work to do. She checked all the stalls, then the outside before returning to the main house. When  her search there was also fruitless, she looked for Juba.

 

«Juba, have you seen Marcus lately?» she asked without preamble.

 

«He was going to have lunch, then he told me he was going to repair one of Tarsus' shoes. Why are you asking?»

 

«Because he has vanished without a trace and I'm afraid that something happened to him.»

 

«Because of the games?» the male slave asked, remembering that the Spaniard had told him of the attempt to buy him by Cassia Avidia's cousin.

 

«Yes, Cassia Avidia arrived here personally for the purchase and was disappointed when Cornelia turned her down. I'm afraid that something bad is happening.»

 

«Let's go find Appius.»

 

They both went where the scholar was studying some artifact he had unpacked from his cart.

 

«Sorry to disturb you, Domine, but Marcus has vanished. We weren't able to find him at the stables and he isn't in the house,» Nausicaa said as they met.

 

«That's really strange. Let's return to the stables. We may find clues there.»

 

Nothing seemed wrong among the horses, but when Appius spotted Maximus' half full dish, he became suspicious. He smelled the soup and wrinkled his nose.

«Somebody drugged him to take him away without a fight. We must inform my Mother and the guard.»

 

Nodding, they returned running to the villa.

 

Cornelia was fairly sure that Marcus had been abducted for the games, but without evidence, it would be difficult to get him back.

 

«We must call the city guard and inform a magistrate.»

 

«I'll do it.» Appius offered and together with Nausicaa they headed to town.

 

Meanwhile Cornelia was fuming with anger at the idea of wasting the life of somebody she cared for in order to gain the favor of a spoiled child with more ambition than wits or respect. Marcus was a slave. Someone could say that he had been stolen, not abducted because things and chattel were merely stolen not abducted, but despite her patrician status, she wasn't going to think that people, even slaves, were things. And Marcus was so much more than many freemen and senators she had met in her long life. She prayed for the sake of Cassia Avidia's health that Marcus could be found quickly and in good condition or she was going to throttle the bitch herself. With joy.

 

Maximus woke up feeling as if someone had stuffed his mouth with hay. He was dizzy and as he soon discovered, he had bound hands and feet in the darkness of an unfamiliar place. As his mind cleared, if not his sight because he was blindfolded, he realized that he had been abducted, probably to participate in the games. He laughed bitterly. His wish to meet the Emperor was going to be satisfied because of the greed of a woman and if he was going to be killed for his actions, his abduction would have taken the blame far from Cornelia's house. Cassia Avidia had made the final mistake of her greedy life. He tried to settle as comfortably as possible in his restrained condition and waited for his abductors. He didn't like being confined, but since they had gone this far to have him as a fighter, he was confident that they wanted him in good shape and he would soon be in a better situation. He didn't have to wait for long, because someone arrived in the stall where he had been taken.

 

«Don't move and you'll be all right for a while more. I'm going to untie your feet, but don't you dare to make a move if you want to keep both your legs intact,» a cold voice said and Maximus complied in silence.

 

The return of circulation was painful but he still didn't speak, waiting for the other man to show his intentions.

 

«You're here to fight in the arena the day after tomorrow. Fight well and if you survive you might be lucky enough to return to your household. Try and escape and you're dead. The rules are simple. It's up to you and don't think for a moment that I would hesitate to kill you.»

 

«I will surely not,» Maximus mused, recognizing the tone of a murderer, yet still remaining silent.

 

Someone else brought water and food and the slave was soon left alone. Later the same day he received more food and water and was allowed to relieve himself. Since this abrupt change in his situation was good for his plans, the former general decided to use this time to collect his strength and to prepare his strategy for the upcoming battle.

 

The visit to the nearest guard post was unsatisfactory for Appius. The guards weren't interested in looking for a stolen slave, no matter how valuable, when they had to be extra careful with the emperor in town. They promised to investigate, but Appius knew that they weren't going to put the search at the top of their list of the things to do. The next stop was the magistrate's house, two blocks away. Appius was welcomed warmly by the other man, but Numerius had never been a hero and he wasn't going to become one going against Cassia Avidia to whom Commodus had shown appreciation on more than one occasion. Cornelia's son bid him goodbye and returned to the cart with Nausicaa.

 

They were half way to the villa when the slave spoke for the first time. «This is the first time in my whole life that I have seriously considered killing someone.»

 

«Who? Cassia Avidia?»

 

«Her and her cousin for having taken Maxim.. Marcus away from me. He belongs with me and they haven't the right to treat him like that. I know he's a slave, like me, and slaves aren't supposed to be people or have feelings but we do have and at present mine are strong.»

 

The woman's hatred was clear in her voice, so hard and unforgiving and even if these weren't words for a slave, Appius couldn't blame her. He wasn't going to let her have her revenge at the cost of her life, but he decided to do his best to solve the problem without blood-shed. After he had recovered Marcus, he was going to do his best to destroy Cassia Avidia and her family for all the grief they had caused to Cornelia and to her household. It was time for that stupid woman to pay for her actions.

 

Lucilla arrived in Lylibaeum just in time to meet Commodus the day before his trip toward Syracuse. He was so excited because he had been informed that Cassia Avidia had arranged to build a temporary arena to let him enjoy the games. He knew about all this for several days from his praetorians, but he was going to act as if he didn't in order not to spoil the surprise.

 

Lucilla wished she had arrived later.

 

She shared her father's hatred for the practice of gladiatorial games for many reasons, the strongest that Commodus wanted Lucius to watch. Her son was too young to witness the blood and the gore, to listen to the crowd cheering for a killing blow, to watch his uncle laugh at a man's death. But like every other moment in her recent life, she had few possibilities to change the matter. She sighed.

 

Despite their feeling concerning the matter, Cornelia and Appius decided to go to the games. They wanted to see if Marcus was there and they wanted to publicly confront Cassia Avidia about this. They were ready in advance and they left the villa early with Nausicaa, Juba and Peleus to reach the arena.

 

Seeing Maximus' compliant attitude, the blindfold had been taken away and he had been allowed to walk in the small cell where he had been thrown. He was aware that it was the day when he was going to fight his way toward his revenge and the thought of his wife's dead body made his blood surge in his veins, his heart beat with a stronger rhythm and his warrior instinct reached a level unmatched since the battle in Vindobona.

 

He was ready. Deadly ready.

 

The place where the fighters were held was a small room with pieces of weaponry that looked more suitable for a parody than a true fight. Appraising them, Maximus surmised that they had been collected in various places, trying to save money, and he wondered if they would survive a true fight. They let the men there choose their weapons before explaining that they were going to fight for their lives and if they survived there would be money for them. Maximus just nodded and looked for a helmet that could both protect him and conceal his features until the moment he was in front of the emperor. He couldn't afford to be recognized. And soon, but not soon enough in his opinion, the fighting started.

 

Cornelia, Appius, Juba and Nausicaa were in one of the stalls reserved for the most renowned patricians, even if the old lady observed that it was as far as possible from the Emperor's and she thanked Cassia Avidia's hatred for it. Commodus had already arrived and  his sister was with him, her bearing much more suitable to royalty than his childish attitude. The emperor was thrilled by the crowd, the promise of violence and the flattery he was receiving aplenty from Cassia Avidia, her cousin and their closest cronies.

 

Next to him there was Lucilla, her expression sad, despite the joyfulness of her brother. Her only positive thought was that Lucius wasn't attending the games because his coughing would have disturbed Commodus. Not that he would notice in the roar of the upcoming event, but she was happy nonetheless that her child wasn't witnessing his uncle's madness.

 

When the speaker announced the games, every voice stopped and the fighting began.

 

Maximus' first fight was with a big man with more muscles than wits and the Spaniard's skills let him win in a few minutes. While the crowd cheered for his victory, he sensed that they weren't satisfied because he had made everything seem too easy. His killing had been fast and clean, too clean for most people's tastes, especially the emperor's, who was close to giving the man the thumbs down. On the other hand, this man was so good with a sword that it was worth another try. Other killings took place, then Maximus was put against the winner of another fight and he won once again, even if this time the other's skills prolonged the fight a little more and the general received a few scratches.

 

Nausicaa's eyes, were glued to the fighter who was wearing a helmet with a face protection hiding his features. She could swear she recognized Maximus' posture, his fighting style. She wanted to shout to warn him, but she didn't, knowing that this would have distracted him and put him in danger. Her hope was that since he was such a good warrior, he would see the end of the day.

 

Commodus was overjoyed by the games. While the style of the fights wasn't what he was accustomed to, the blood shedding was more than adequate and he was having a good time. Lucilla was close and he could smell her perfume, a scent that had always gone to his head faster than any wine he had ever tasted. She was so beautiful, so regal, so his. Soon she would become completely his. Soon.

 

Quintus watched the crowd more than the games because he was more concerned about them than the fights. From time to time he did briefly watch them, but apart from a couple of fights, he had seen nothing to pique his curiosity, save from one man who had defeated two bigger warriors with an easiness that spoke of practice and skills acquired in the army, more than in the arena. He wondered what had brought the man in such a place.

 

After a pause to allow a little refreshment, the games went on in the warm afternoon. Only four fighters were left and they were going to fight together. Maximus observed his opponents; they were a Thracian, an Egyptian and an Italic, all well muscled and skilled, but he was fairly certain that he could beat them. He waited patiently.

 

Commodus was intrigued by the fighter who killed so quickly. He was good but not entertaining enough. The emperor decided to add a little thrill. He gestured to Quintus to come closer and soon after the Praetorian instructed one of his men to go and reach the speaker.

 

 

 

As the fighting began, Maximus realized that the other men were fighting together against him. This could change the outcome of the fight because even if he was good, they weren't bad either. He pondered his chances and worked to get rid of his assailants before they could come too close. With two of them it proved a fast affair, but with the Thracian the fight began in earnest. The man was good and since he had had an easier fight before, he was more rested. He also played dirty and Maximus had to be careful. They both gained bruises, but it was the former general who was able to finally break the other man's guard and kill him with a clean swipe that went close to beheading the Thracian.

 

The crowd erupted.

 

Nausicaa shouted with joy at Maximus' victory and Cornelia looked at her, then at the man in the arena and she was able to understand her slave's behavior. She decided to wait for the moment the man would reveal himself to accuse Cassia Avidia of theft in front of the emperor and half of the most important citizens of Lylibaeum.

 

Commodus was so happy about the outcome of the fight that he asked Quintus to accompany him to meet the winner. They went to the arena and the fighter was waiting to know his fate when the emperor arrived.

 

«Show yourself, gladiator. You fought well and I want to reward you. What would you like?» Commodus asked graciously.

 

«Your life, murderer of women, children and old men.» the slave answered taking away his helmet and for a frozen moment Commodus' world tilted.

 

How could this man still be alive, he wondered in disbelief as recognition dawned. The former general had removed his helmet and was looking at him with a cold hatred that chilled the emperor. He was so stunned that he didn't notice Maximus reaching out for his throat. Strong hands began to block his breathing and he was unable to summon help. But almost as quickly as he'd been choking, he was free and Maximus was being overwhelmed by a throng of praetorians. Even if he was outnumbered and he had been disarmed before the emperor's arrival in the arena, they had to fight for their lives to block him and many of them ended the duel with more damages than their prisoner.

 

Maximus was held upright by two men, while another was holding a gladius at his throat, so close that the blade had broken the skin. He was breathing rapidly but his eyes were cool and he didn't speak.

 

When he had regained some composure, Commodus approached the object of his hatred for so long and snickered. «Someone lied to me. They said you were dead in Germania.»

 

«They were wrong.»

 

«Ah, Maximus, you should have gone to your family in the Afterlife. It would have made everything easier.»

 

«Easier for you, murderer of your father.»

 

«How dare you?»

 

«I dare because of your deeds, you coward.»

 

Maximus' voice was deep and flat, yet holding a frightening power that tore through Commodus. «You will dare no more,» the emperor threatened, taking the weapon from a man close to him. With an evil smile, Commodus plunged the gladius into the prisoner 's right shoulder.

 

The former general gasped in pain, but much to his tormentor's dismay, did not cry out.

 

«Coward forever. You proved your honor killing an ailing old man and ordering children and women slaughtered. Now you are going to kill a prisoner while your praetorians are holding him still. You owe me vengeance, coward, and I am going to have it, in this life or the next,» Maximus concluded, spitting into the emperor's face.

 

Commodus paled and hit the older man with his open hand. The dark head moved a fraction but the hate-filled gaze didn't waver.

 

«Give him a sword. I'll show him who's the better fighter,» Commodus shouted to everyone's surprise.

 

The praetorian guard made room for the fight and when the one holding Maximus let him go, he nearly fell. The previous fights and the deep wound were sapping his strength but the general stiffened his spine and prepared to stand for his revenge. Someone threw him a sword and the movement to pick it up was a nightmare, but his face didn't show any weakness as he clenched his hand around the hilt. Commodus had shed the cape he was wearing and was moving a blade in his hands. The movements seemed skilled and the general knew that the brat prided himself in practicing with the sword.

 

Meanwhile every voice had quieted in the arena. The crowd simply waited.

 

 

Lucilla had recognized the warrior and her heart had jumped at seeing Maximus alive, her father's choice for the ruler of Rome. She prayed for his life and hoped that his prowess would set all of them free, her, him and Lucius, in order to let him live a life different from his mother's and uncle's, far from Rome and her plots.

 

Nausicaa would have given everything to be in the arena to help her lover. She wanted to be with him, to tend to his wounds and to kill that stupid young man who had hit him. She suddenly remembered the tales her mother had told her as a baby of how the lionesses defended their children with more fierceness than the lions themselves and she felt like one, dangerous and eager to strike. She tried to find a way down toward the arena.

 

Cornelia was watching the exchange and while she couldn't hear what the people there were saying, she knew that what she was witnessing was going to explain the slave's presence in her household. Despite her loyalty to the emperor, she hoped that Marcus would survive.

 

Appius was thinking very intensely about what had happened. From the few words he had been able to grasp he had a clearer idea of the past events that had led to this confrontation and he reconsidered the stories he had heard in his travels about Marcus Aurelius' death in Germany and the abrupt death of his most trusted general, Maximus Decimus Meridius. He remembered also Nausicaa's words and her stumbling on her friend's name. The silent slave had been a general, the commander of the Armies of the North and now he was going to watch the last act of a drama he suspected had begun long ago. He dreaded knowing the outcome of this saga, but since it wasn't in his hands to change a thing, he hoped it was for the good of the empire.

 

Commodus attacked with violence, knowing that even in his present state, Maximus was a great warrior and he wanted to win, to kill him once and for all. At first his skills seemed to be enough to beat the wounded general, who stumbled a couple of times.

 

 

«Where is your strength, Commander of the Armies of the North? When will you begin to whine like your wife when they were raping her, again and again? You know, they told me your son cried like a girl as they killed him.»

 

«You will soon do the same and you will not have the excuse of being a frightened little child against evil men,» Maximus hissed through the pain, moving the sword to his left hand and striking Commodus' weapon with a violence that made the younger man step back.

 

The fight became more intense as the emperor's pristine garb was splattered with Maximus' blood and his. The general's moves, while apparently clumsy with pain, were strong and they were breaking the other man's guard. Commodus dared to look in the Spaniard's eyes and the cold hatred he saw there was utterly frightening. For one moment he had the impression of seeing his father's eyes staring back at him, cursing him for the heinous murder and for what he had done to the empire the old man had done so much to preserve. The memory of his father's mistrust was a deeper blow than Maximus'.

 

«No, I will not fail this time!» he shouted, lunging toward his enemy.

 

«You have already, you coward, the day you decided to kill my family without being sure that I was dead,» Maximus answered, adding the weight of his sword to his words.

 

His blade caught the emperor in the chest, right in his heart. Commodus' expression of surprise brought a dry grin to his lips.

 

«I have you at last, murderer. May my vengeance haunt you in the afterlife,» he said without humor, watching the other man's life seeping through the wound.

 

Commodus' dead weight took the weapon away from his hands and the general wasn't able to hold onto it and didn't care. Everything was spinning, inside and outside of him and the world turned black. He fell toward the sand of the arena but he was unconscious before touching it.

 

 

During the fight, Nausicaa had reached the arena and while everyone was watching it, she entered the fighting ground unnoticed. She saw Maximus stagger and was next to him before anybody could stop her. She knelt close to him and took his head onto her lap, inspecting his wound.

 

Quintus was stunned. He now knew that the man he had seen at the governor's house was his former commander and now the same man had killed the emperor. He came closer and raised his sword to kill the murderer but as he was going to strike the man and the black woman who had run to him, a voice stopped him.

 

«Don't move. Wait for me.»

 

He recognized Lucilla's voice and his loyalty to the throne had passed to her. He stopped.

 

The woman left her place and went down to the arena. The praetorians let her pass through them and nobody dared to speak. She stopped near her dead brother, and knelt down to touch his boyish face, now peaceful, probably for the first time in his troubled life. Then she stood up and went toward Quintus, the strange woman and Maximus.

 

She saw that the wound Commodus had inflicted was a deep one and even if she had managed to save his life from the praetorians, he could well die anyway, but she owed him his life for many reasons, his love for her father, his loyalty to him and for having acted to save his family.

 

«He had been declared the new ruler of Rome by Marcus Aurelius. You cannot kill him. My father was going to announce his appointment before he was murdered by Commodus. Maximus Decimus Meridius has always been a true servant of the Empire and now he has acted as such. He must live!» she announced in a clear voice that filled the amphitheatre.

 

Nausicaa was half listening to Lucilla's words, but when she said that Maximus' had to live, she turned her head toward the patrician woman. In the other woman's pale eyes she saw a longing for the unconscious man that she could understand very clearly and the Numidian smiled in acknowledgement of the feeling.

 

«Help me take him somewhere safe. He must be healed,» Lucilla said and Quintus gestured to some of his men to help the general.

 

«Where can we take him?» the man asked and it was Nausicaa who dared to speak when she saw Lucilla's puzzlement.

 

«You can take him to Cornelia Silvana's house. He used to live there.»

 

«How?» the other woman demanded.

 

«He was a slave.»

 

The patrician paled. «All right, take him there. Lead the way.»

 

The place where the fighters were hosted before the games had a sort of stretcher that the praetorians used to carry Maximus outside. Once advised by Nausicaa of the sudden turn of events, Cornelia had given orders to have a cart prepared and while Nausicaa was giving the unconscious man the first cares, the patrician woman met the emperor's sister.

 

«I'm glad to know you, Augusta, even if I would have preferred it occur on a happier occasion,» the older woman said.

 

«Thank you very much, Cornelia. But this began a long time ago and only now has everything ended. I've been told that General Maximus Decimus Meridius was a slave in your house. How did this happen?»

 

«I don't know. My house steward bought him in Zucchabar's market at a bargain price because he was sick from a wound. He brought him back here and from the very beginning he proved his worth with the horses. After a while I promoted him as a bodyguard because he saved my life and he continued to do so after that. I didn't know who he truly was. He told me his name was Marcus.»

 

Lucilla didn't miss the reference and thought once again about how much Maximus had loved her father. He had sacrificed everything for him, his name, his freedom, his family and yet he had chosen his name as the one to be known by.

 

«Let's take him to a safer place now. You'll tell me about him during the trip,» the royal lady said at last, but before leaving she had a thought. «Someone arrange a transport for my brother's body. He must be prepared for a proper burial. I'll be at Cornelia Silvana's villa.»

 

Quintus gave the orders to his men before following the representative of the empire who had left for her destination.

 

The travel seemed never ending for Nausicaa but they made a good time and once arrived, Maximus was transported still unconscious inside. Juba had been sent to fetch a physician and when the man arrived he continued tending Maximus from where the Numidian woman had began to work. He finished cleaning the wound, stitched it and took care of the other minor bruises the general had collected in the fight. At the end the physician covered him with a cotton blanket and went toward the people who were waiting for news.

 

«His condition is serious but I have hopes. He's strong and in good shape and if we can avoid infection he should recover.»

 

Everyone sighed in relief, save Quintus, whose part in Maximus' family's demise didn't bode well for his safety once the man had recovered. On the other hand, he could do nothing now that the man had the support of Augusta Lucilla who, despite being a woman, was an important factor in the path toward the throne.

 

Nausicaa and Juba had remained at Maximus' side and they were now watching him sleep. His breathing seemed to have eased and while pale, he looked a little better.

 

«You knew, didn't you?» Juba asked and the slave woman nodded.

 

«Yes, he had told me, right after he had risked to be flogged for hurting Appius. I caught him when he was going to commit suicide in order to end his life like a Roman and not like a slave.»

 

«I knew there was something in him different from everyone I know, but I didn't think that I had saved the life of the Commander of the Army of the North and the appointed ruler of the empire. I did it because I couldn't stand the idea of a man being fed to the lions.»

 

«I didn't mean to fall in love with him, but I did and now that he's going to be free again, I'm afraid he isn't going to wish to share his life with a Barbarian slave.»

 

«Don't be so sure. As I said, he's unlike everyone I met before. You might be surprised at what he decides to do.»

 

She nodded, not knowing if she could believe what her heart wanted to believe.

 

Cornelia had led the Augusta into her private rooms. The two women remained silent for a while then it was Cornelia who broke the atmosphere.

 

«The first time I met him I thought that he was different, I just didn't know how much.»

 

«He's always been different, from everyone I know. My father loved him like the son Commodus was not and in this he probably was wrong because my brother could have been different if he had been loved. Maximus was what Commodus had never been, but Commodus was a child once and children learn better from love,» Lucilla answered sadly. «Sometimes I wish my father had never met Maximus. Maybe without someone so good to be compared to, my brother would have had a better chance to be what my father wanted him to be.»

 

«Being a parent is not easy and if you are an emperor, is even harder.»

 

«I'm a mother, too, and I know how difficult it is. I just wish that things could have gone differently for those involved. My father's mistakes shouldn't have cost Maximus' freedom, or worse, his family.»

 

«What happened?»

 

«After the last battle in Vindobona, my father, sensing that he was going to die soon, asked Maximus to become the protector of Rome in order to lead the return to the republic. Maximus asked for a little time to decide but even these few hours sealed both their destinies. Marcus Aurelius informed Commodus of his decision and my brother murdered him. When he summoned Maximus, the general knew that the emperor's death wasn't accidental and he defied Commodus. He never had a chance to do anything about this because he was captured and sentenced to death. Until now I thought he had been killed and I know that his estates in Spain had been burnt to ashes, his family and familia slaughtered by the praetorian guard. Commodus took a deep pride in telling me all this. I never said a thing because he threatened to kill me and Lucius if I acted against his wishes.»

 

«That is a sad story, for Maximus, for you and the empire. Marcus Aurelius was a good ruler and his loss will be felt for a long time. What are you going to do? Support a new emperor?»

 

«No, I've had enough of politics for my whole life and my son doesn't deserve to be a pawn in this bloodied game.»

 

«What about Maximus? He did what he had to but he killed the emperor.»

 

«I have proof of my father's wishes and if he survives he will be reinstated in his status as a Roman citizen. He could have his place in the army should he wish so.»

 

«I see I'm going to lose my bodyguard, but I suppose that Rome's matters are more important than mine.»

 

«Few people could say they have had the commander of the army of the north and general of the Felix Legions as personal bodyguard,» Lucilla added with a smile and the older woman grinned with her.

 

«Do you want to be accompanied to the place where you are staying, Augusta?»

 

«No, Cassia Avidia's house is cold and I don't like her fake smiles. Would you mind hosting me for the night?»

 

«Not at all, Augusta. My room will be yours and your child could sleep in my son's. As regards Cassia Avidia, I have a complaint to file against her. She had Maximus abducted to be part of the games. I had told her more than once that I didn't want to sell him and she just took him away. Even if he's not a slave any more, she committed a crime together with her cousin.»

 

«That polite snake? It would be my pleasure to punish both of them. I never liked them from the start.»

 

«Are you in the mood for a story about my and Cassia Avidia's past, Augusta?» Cornelia aske with a twinkle in her eyes.

 

«Yes. It sounds interesting.»

 

«It is. Well, when I was a girl there was a young man who was courting me....» The old woman began to narrate and she went on telling the tale to a captive audience.

 

Quintus had gone to the governor's estate to take Lucius to his mother and during the journey he had time to think about Maximus and his reaction when he woke up.

When or if he woke up. He had been seriously wounded by Commodus' sword and nobody would have been surprised by his death. He decided to give serious thought to the idea.

 

When the general of the praetorian guard arrived at Cornelia's villa with Lucius, the young man was more than eager to explore a new place and Appius showed him around, explaining all the secrets of the house. Meanwhile Quintus went to see the wounded. The woman he had seen in the arena and another black man were at his side all the time, never letting him out of their sight. He felt exposed by their scrutiny and went away without fulfilling his plan.

 

«Traitor!» Nausicaa hissed when the praetorian left the room.

 

«Do you know him?»

 

«By fame. He was the one whom Maximus considered a friend but who didn't hesitate to order his death and his family's. He wanted power and Maximus' life was a price he paid, apparently without a problem.»

 

«We'd better keep an eye on him. I didn't like his eyes.»

 

«Neither did I. He seemed intent on considering his chances to finish what he had started in Germany.»

 

«He won't be able to.»

 

«Not while I'm still breathing.»

 

Cornelia left Lucilla in Appius' hands and went to check on Maximus. Both Nausicaa and Juba were still on guard and the black woman smiled at her entrance.

 

«Welcome my Lady. He's resting.»

 

«Will he live?»

 

«I hope so. He's a warrior and he won't give up.»

 

«May the gods listen to your words. Let me know if he wakes up.»

 

«I will.»

 

«You may stay here until he's better. I will not need you tonight.»

 

«Thank you, Domina.»

 

«Thank you, Nausicaa. You rendered good service to the empire in helping him.»

 

The Numidian woman smiled and the old lady smiled back, witnessing the love in her eyes.

 

The following day passed slowly as Maximus went in and out of consciousness. Nausicaa slept on a cot next to him, while some of the other servants came and went to help. Lucilla came a few times herself, while she passed the rest of the time writing letters to people who should be informed of the new developments. She also talked to Lucius about his uncle and the reasons for his death, trying to tell the story without making Commodus look like too much of a monster in the child's eyes.

 

Cornelia and Appius talked about the man they had thought a slave and now that Cassia Avidia couldn't rely upon the emperor's support they filed a complaint with the magistrate for the theft of a valuable slave. This time Numerius was overzealous in listening to them, helping them and doing everything in his power to be seen as a trusted officer.

 

Maximus was lost in a strange, lightless place that wasn't life anymore, but not yet death. He felt cold and warm, sad and happy and most of all he felt strange.

 

At last he felt that he had to decide.

 

He didn't know why, but he knew he had to.

 

If he could only remember what he was supposed to decide.

 

A soft singing sounded in his ears and he tried to listen. It was a lullaby, one that he had heard sung by Nausicaa when a child in the house was sick and she was helping him recover.

 

Maximus followed her voice and when he made up his mind, the light returned and he stepped toward it and toward the woman who owned his soul.

 

Maximus blinked and the afternoon light was kind to his eyes. It took him some time to remember what had happened, but as he saw Nausicaa next to him weaving a basket, he recalled everything.

 

«Why am I still alive?» he asked hoarsely.

 

«Because the Augusta Lucilla stopped the praetorian guard from killing you. She said she had proof that Marcus Aurelius wanted you as his successor and she was able to have you brought here.»

 

«Is Commodus dead?»

 

«Yes! Definitely. Tomorrow there will be the funeral, then his body will be taken back to Rome.»

 

«Good. May I have some water, please? I feel as if I swallowed half the sand of that cursed arena.»

 

«Nearly, my love. You went down like a tree. I was so frightened.»

 

Maximus waited to drink the water the woman was holding in place before answering.

«I did not mean to involve you in all this, but as always lately I had little choice in the matter.»

 

«You're alive and nothing else matters. Cornelia and Lucilla would like to see you when you wake up. Do you feel up to meeting them?»

 

«If I can keep my eyes open, I think I can manage.»

 

Nausicaa smiled at his words and went to give the two women the news.

 

Lucilla was the first to arrive and Maximus read a weariness in her eyes that he didn't remember having seen in Germania. Commodus must have made her life a living hell, he surmised. He had always suspected that the young man's attachment to his sister was unhealthy and without their father to shield her, she must have remained alone in her struggle, and with a son to care for. During his musings after the disaster that his life had become, he had thought about Lucilla's part in his downfall, but he had known that there was little she could do when Commodus had assassinated their father. While her political weight was a force to be reckoned with, she couldn't openly oppose her brother.

 

«You are difficult to get rid of, aren't you?» she teased him like she used to do when they were both younger.

 

«I am doing the best I can.»

 

«As always. You've always given everything for the glory of Rome even if her rewards have been less than worth your effort.»

 

«Your father said that once there a was a dream that was Rome and I wanted to keep this dream alive in a world that sometimes resembles a nightmare.»

 

«Thank you for what you did. You saved the empire and you saved my son. I will never be able to repay you for that. In these last months he has been my only reason to survive. What are you going to do now? Would you take back your place in the army?»

 

«No, my days as a soldier are over. I would like to live somewhere and be a farmer. Not in Spain. Too many memories linger there, but maybe here in Sicily.»

 

«Why not near Rome? You could be a farmer and at the same time follow the political life of the capital.»

 

«I do not wish to be a politician, I am not made for it. And since I fully intend to marry a liberta I will not be allowed to hold a public office of senatorial level.»

 

«The black woman who ran to you in the arena?

 

«Yes, she saved my life long before tending to my wounds.»

 

«I'm happy for you, my friend. I wish you all the best.»

 

«I would have sworn you would try harder to convince me.»

 

«Why? You're famous for being stubborn as a rock and I don't like wasting my time. In many respects, you resemble my father.»

 

Maximus smiled at the praise.

 

«He was proud of you, you know, Maximus. He always spoke of you so fondly. If only he could have found a way to think of Commodus with as much love as he had for you, things could have been different.»

 

«I never meant to challenge your brother for your father's love.»

 

«You didn't but you don't know how it upset Commodus. He was always a troubled child, with too many dreams and thoughts going on in his mind, and the distance he sensed in Marcus Aurelius was horrible for him. He wanted to be loved but what he did to have this love was a poison for his mind. But now none of this matters since we cannot change the past. Both of us have a future and we must live it for the best. I'll see to your reinstatement as a Roman citizen and that your properties are given back to you. Good luck, my friend, to you and to your lady.» Lucilla kissed him lightly on the forehead and walked away.

 

As he saw her leaving the room, Maximus had the impression that her steps were lighter.

 

After a few moments, Cornelia arrived. «You gave us quite a scare, young man.»

 

«I am sorry, Domina. It was not my intention.»

 

«Don't call me that, Maximus Decimus Meridius. We both know that you shouldn't have been enslaved and you being a general you outrank me, the daughter of a scrolls vendor.»

 

«I can assure you, Cornelia Silvana, that I've seen few people who embodied the reason why I always defended Rome better than you and your son. Cassia Avidia can probably count her ancestors back to Romulus but she's a viper, undeserving to polish your floor.»

 

«I hope you'll be happy to know that she's going to pay dearly for your abduction.»

 

«You mean for stealing valuable property?.»

 

«Yes, but she and her cousin are going to pay. As soon as you're better, if you don't have another place to live, you can live here in my guests house. I'm sorry if I treated you like a slave, but I couldn't know who you truly were.»

 

«It has never been your fault and you were a fair mistress. I have just one request. Would you mind selling Nausicaa and Juba to me? I owe them both a lot and I would like to marry Nausicaa.»

 

«You would lose your chances for a high level political career.»

 

«I do not wish to be a politician and I there is nothing I need half as much as I need her.»

 

«All right, but there is something better I can do. They both will be my present for the wedding. Would you mind getting married here? It's been a while and I love weddings.»

 

«It would be wonderful. I must to ask her first, however.»

 

«Believe me, that won't be an obstacle. I'm glad you live, Maximus, and I hope that we'll remain friends even if you're stealing a part of me.»

 

Maximus gave her a smile that for the first time since she had known him reached his blue eyes and Cornelia understood what her soon-to-be former slave had found in him and smiled back.

 

Nausicaa returned later, bringing a steaming bowl. «I brought something to eat to help you regain your strength.»

 

«What would I do without you?»

 

«A lot of things, since you managed to kill the emperor of Rome and saved your hide.»

 

«I do not think so. As I told you, you did much for me. You saved my soul. I know I have asked you many things, but now I have one more request.  Would you marry me?»

 

«Would I what?»

 

«Would you marry me, Nausicaa?»

 

«But.... but you can't. I'm a slave and even if Cornelia should free me, you would lose your chances in the senatorial class if you married a liberta. You cannot renounce that. I could be with you as your slave.»

 

«As I told to Cornelia, I do not need that as much as I need you. What is your answer?»

 

«Yes! One hundred times and more, YES!»

«So, everything is settled. By the gods, I am so tired that I fear that I will fall asleep into your soup.»

 

«Don't worry. You'll eat it cold later.»

 

«Be careful or you will be a widow before being a bride,» he replied with a yawn.

 

Nausicaa smiled as his eyes fluttered and he quickly fell asleep. She covered him better and gently patted his hair.

 

The next time he saw Lucilla, on her way back to Rome, Maximus noticed that the lines of worry on her face had softened.  «You look better, Augusta. You look younger.»

 

«How much time has passed since we first met? How many things have happened? Did I change so much in your eyes?»

 

«No, you laughed more. You were happier.»

 

«You, too, my friend, even if I see happiness again in your eyes. You've never been able to hide your feelings from me.»

 

«I never wished to. As with your father, it was useless. You two were too clever by half.»

 

Lucilla laughed a little at his words. «Flattery doesn't suit you, Maximus.»

 

«It is not flattery, simply the truth. I am sorry you are not going to stay for the wedding.»

 

«I'd like to but I can't. The situation in Rome is fragile and I must be there to prevent the worst. And before you start apologizing, it wasn't your fault. Commodus had managed to alienate many people and rebellion was brewing. Now that even Quintus is selling the Praetorian guard to the highest bidder, blood is going to flow.»

 

«Quintus wanted power and did not care whom he had to step on to gain it. You see, Lucilla, I could understand your brother's hatred toward me, even if I cannot forgive him for having ordered my family killed, but Quintus' betrayal was probably worse because I thought him a friend. I will not seek revenge from him, but I hope I will never meet him again because I do not know if I could restrain myself from confronting him.»

 

«Go on with your life, Maximus. You deserve the peace that Rome took away from you. Be happy with your new family and forget the past. Or better, remember only the good parts.»

 

«Thank you, Lucilla, I wish for you, too, all the best. And to Lucius, as well.»

 

«Thank you. Be careful and be happy.»

 

Hekissed her in a brotherly fashion and then watched her leave, her posture befitting the princess she was.  A lonely princess, and he didn't envy her.

 

Cornelia's villa was full of flowers the day of the wedding and all the household attended, together with Appius, Iulia, Vibius and the children. Lucilla sent her gift in the form of an official scroll bearing the reinstatement of Maximus in his status and in the ownership of his estates. He also received a consideration from the Army for his services.

 

Nausicaa, probably for the first time in her life, seemed nervous in her shining golden dress which made her look like an African goddess, but as the vows were exchanged her happiness overcame her nervousness.

 

Maximus was happy, too, and when the banquet began his first toast was dedicated to the memory of Selene and little Maximus. He thanked them for their love and Nausicaa joined him in the thanks. Then he remembered Marcus Aurelius and all the people for whom he had cared. Juba was mentioned and the Numidian smiled, with his freedom papers in his bag and passage for the first ship headed to Africa. The day was clear, the sun warm and everything just perfect.

 

A few months after the wedding, Maximus was reading his mail in his study in the villa he had bought in the Lylibaeum countryside. Cassia Avidia had had to pay such a huge fee for her actions during Commodus' visit that she had been forced to leave town and seek refuge elsewhere, where she hoped she couldn't be reached by the gossips. Her cousin followed her. As soon as his estates were restored, Maximus bought her mansion. As it had happened during her honeymoon, Cornelia laughed at the news until she had the hiccups.

 

The old lady missed Nausicaa, but since they were nearly neighbors, the younger couple visited her a lot and she was very pleased to see their happiness, to which she had contributed.

 

«Dear Maximus,

You are lucky not to be here. The situation is very serious and Pertinax' attempt to keep his position through his money will succeed until he's able to pay. From the news I've heard, he's going to be in danger soon. Quintus has died, murdered in a back alley by someone who couldn't (or wouldn't) be found. His schemes had probably angered those who had paid dearly for his support. What a loss, indeed.

I'm moving to Pytaecusa. I don't want to be here to witness more blood shedding and Lucius needs the clean air.

 

I hope everything's well with you.

 

Kiss your wife for me.

 

Lucilla.»

 

Quintus' death had closed the circle that had begun with the battle in Vindobona. Maximus was glad not to have the man's blood on his hands. He wanted no more blood on them for any reason at all. He had seen and shed so much of it and now he simply wanted that the only dirt he was going to wash off himself was the earth from his fields. The land here was different from Spain, but it was rich and everything grew well under the warm sun. Outside the house Nausicaa was enjoying the warmth under a tent, lying on her back to keep the weight from her rounded belly. Soon after their marriage they had discovered that she was pregnant, probably from their first time in the children's house and they both had laughed at the idea. They joked about lending the place to people longing to give birth to a child.

 

He went out, joining his wife under the tent.

 

Above them the breeze gently played with the leaves and he listened to the sounds of nature, to the quiet, to the peace. Deep in his soul he thought he heard Selene's voice wishing him well and he kept the feeling dear while he was walking toward Nausicaa, their child, their future.

 

The End

 

 

Note about the Latin names and words:

Lylibaeum was the Latin name for Marsala

Panormus is Palermo

Pitaecusa is Ischia

Domina means «mistress»

Domine means «master»

Lupanare means «brothel»

Avia means «grandmother»

Iunior means «younger»

 

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