Fortune Favors

Chapter 11

Sam sat on a cushion in Nico's dining room, enjoying wine and admiring the murals that surrounded them. They depicted the glory days of the Republic, and Sam assumed they must have been commissioned by Brutus. That fact made the images feel very melancholy.

Sam had been nervous to even come inside this grand and beautiful house, but it certainly didn't feel cursed, and the little kitten, who Sam had gently washed in a basin and been fed a saucer of milk, slept in Sam's lap. Nico sat next to them, also drinking wine and lounging against a bolster.

"She needs a name," said Nico, reaching over and petting the kitten with his finger.

"I think she shall be the queen of my household," replied Sam. "So, I think I will call her Cleopatra. My wife will approve of the name, as she always admired the late queen, though she would never say so aloud."

Nico smiled. "I never gazed on the Queen of Egypt. I understand she was no great beauty but regal."

Sam nodded. "I never saw her either, but I know those who did when she visited Rome. They say she looked far more Greek than Egyptian, but she wore an elaborate Egyptian wig shot through with gold thread and a gown to match. They say she was every inch a queen, and beautiful in her way."

Nico sighed. "My family backed Octavian, but I was sad to hear of her death. It was the end of an era. No more Pharaohs." Nico looked around. "I hope Brutus's spirit rests. I know your family are Julians, as are mine, but I think Brutus thought he did the right thing. He was wrong, like the tragic heroes of old."

Sam took another sip of wine. Nico was thoughtful, and he had compassion. That was quite unusual, especially in a Greek.

"You know," continued Nico who obviously trying to sound less sad, "it's appropriate to call her Cleopatra. Octavian ordered that we all have cats on our ships at Actium, and some the legionaries carried them, too. Cats are sacred to the Egyptians, and they fear killing them."

Sam smiled because he had heard this story, and he thought he might ask Augustus about that the next time they met. Augustus was clever that way, though Sam doubted Augustus himself thought cats were anything other than useful for eliminating rats and mice.

"Tell me about Actium," said Sam. "Was it frightening? Mark Antony could have easily won the day, and Augustus lost ships."

Nico nodded. "Yes, it was frightening," he replied, "we had a more than one frightening moment, and my Uncle lost his life."

Nico continued, talking in vivid detail about everything he had seen that day. Sam listened, envious that Nico had seen such a momentous day with his own eyes. Sam was still a schoolboy when Actium had happened, although he had heard Augustus speak of it. Still, it was not the same as being there.

Nico's slaves served them a good meal, more wine and Nico told Sam about seeing Byzantium and Alexandria while Sam talked about what he remembered of Gaul and it's sky-like waters and also the time he had gone with Eolus to Pompeii.

They laughed and talked, and Sam drank more wine than he was used to drinking, and he suspected Nico's stock wasn't very diluted. Sam glanced over at Nico, who was very beautiful and charming. Sam also could hear rain on the roof and falling into the courtyard. There, he could also see that lightning was illuminating the sky. Thunder clapped in the distance.

"You're not married?" asked Sam. "I would think every respectable family from here to Athens with an eligible maiden would be offering you a dowery."

Nico laughed. "You sound like my mother, but no I am not married nor do I wish to be. Yet, I daresay I envy you. You seem to have a great deal of affection for your wife."

Sam smiled to himself, trying to figure out how to explain. "It was something of a love match. My first stepfather died suddenly during the purges, and he left his daughter with no family. I offered for her because I feared what Eolus would do to her. We were betrothed but obviously had to wait some years before we were officially married because we were so young."

Nico smiled. "Very gallant of you. You must love her."

Sam sighed and downed the last of his wine and called for more. He loved Lilli dearly, although at the moment he was slightly ashamed at how little he missed her.

"She is most worthy of love," he finally said. "I miss her. We are great friends, and she always gives me wonderful advice about dealing with my mother and Eolus. I hope soon enough that I will be able to afford my own household, even if it is somewhere like Nardo, where we both were born. She will make a wonderful lady of the house."

Nico grinned at that. "Well," he replied, "I hope that our negotiations make all of us more independent."

Sam then took Cleopatra in his hand, and he attempted to stand up, but he was wobbly.

Nico sat up and moved toward Sam. "This is a fierce storm," he said. "There's no need to go out in it. You and Cleopatra may stay as my guests."

Sam paused. He had been sleeping in a small chamber by himself since being ejected from Lilli's room. It would make very little difference if he stayed on a palate here, and when he thought about it, there were probably just as many evil spirits in the Domus Hadius as were in the Domus Brutus.

Sam petted Cleopatra. "I need only a place for this little one to sleep, and a palate for myself."

Nico shook his head. "Don't be silly. My bed is big enough for two," he said. "I would be an ill-mannered host if I didn't offer to share. With you, I mean. The kitten, I think, will wish to roam the kitchens."

Sam looked over at Nico, and he felt his face get warm. He cast his eyes down at Cleopatra and nodded. He wasn't sure why the idea of sharing Nico's bed made him so nervous, but he could guess. He wondered if Nico wanted something more, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Sam wasn't naive, but he had been betrothed to Lilli when they were both very young and had honored his commitment to her. That had kept him from indulging in more hedonistic desires.

In any case, soon the two young men had made the kitten a little bed near the kitchen where she would be warm and safe and be able to explore in the night. Then, they retired to Nico's bedroom. Sam undid his sandals, thinking he would sleep in his tunic, but he noticed that Nico stripped all the way down to his loincloth before slipping under the blankets. It made sense, after all, Athens had a much warmer climate than Rome.

Sam took off his tunic as well, and Nico who was propped on one of the many pillows smiled at him in the lamplight.

"Come on," he said. "I promise I don't talk in my sleep or snore...not usually anyway. If I do, promise me you'll only tell me what I say if it isn't too embarrassing."

Sam smiled slightly and got under the covers. The feather bed was comfortable, far more so than the palate he had been sleeping on over the last weeks.

"Sleep well, my friend," said Nico.

Sam yawned, and for some reason, he knew he would.