140AD - The Rise to Empress || [GxG] ||

Chapter 42

December, 142AD

The malicious call of a hawk echoed over the Flavius farm as the bird scanned the greenery beneath him, hoping to find a small critter as his next meal. The sun had barely risen over the Ionian Sea and it seemed to be a particularly slow day on the plains. Farmhands were still snuggly asleep and so was the Flavius family.

Except for Leonardo, of course. The man's nerves were crawling across his skin, forcing him to chew on his nails in hopes that perhaps they would give him the courage to face Morpheus on the day. But the attempt was fruitless for obvious reasons. What would chewed nails do?

Morpheus Vitalis was an unforgiving man, and among the most feared in all of Elis. He was a problem to the locals, but none were courageous enough to confront him face to face. He was the champion of the Pankration after all. And besides the fact of his brute strength; he had all the politicians in his pocket. When he needed things tampered with, or interfered with, then it was done.

If any of the politicians dared to stand against him though, then they were disposed of before they would even get the opportunity to apologize, let alone a chance to a fair trial. Essentially, Vitalis was the man that ruled Elis. The oligarchs didn't matter for they were ruled by him as well.

The brute would want some sort of repayment no doubt, but Leonardo had a feeling that his double repayment wasn't going to be enough to satisfy Morpheus. And as much would mean that not only his safety would be in jeopardy, but his family's as well.

Although Leonardo had a certain responsibility toward his family and their safety, he held had a responsibility toward Lexa as well. He promised the woman that her work in Elis would be honest, fair even. But now he had broken that promise by offering her blade to someone as monstrous as Morpheus ... perhaps the last man that needed the kind of skill that Lexa harboured.

Nevertheless, he had to do something. And fast, or at least think of something fast before the day would be in full swing.

Leonardo sat atop the balcony of his humble home, sipping on warm lemon water. He gazed out over his vineyard, wondering if perhaps it would be enough to offer Vitalis two whole harvests free of charge. Of course, it would set him back financially, tremendously so, but what has to be done, has to be done.

It wasn't like he had any other viable choice.

The dull creaking of the wooden front door opening and shutting sounded up toward the balcony, quickly making Leonardo curiously lean over the railing to see who it is. Lexa exited the home, only walking ten feet before halting with her hands on her hips, gazing around, seemingly looking for something, or possibly someone.

She opted for a dark grey tunic with a black belt around her waist and leather bracers wrapped around her forearms. As usual, a blade was hidden within both of them in case of a crisis. Her skin had darkened due to all the time she spent in the sun the past few months, and her muscularity had returned to its former state that it was in back when she fought her first battle in the Colosseum.

Essentially, the gladiatrix was back in her prime.

"A good morning, isn't it?" Leonardo greets sort of, or rather just trying to get past the awkwardness caused by the last words they shared the previous day. Lexa hadn't attended dinner the previous night, and clearly, she had entered the home at some odd hour of the night when nobody had noticed.

"Perhaps, but I think we're in for a scorching day again." Lexa offers back with a coy smile, clearly trying to get past the awkwardness as well. "I was wondering if we could speak. I've been awake all night, thinking about what transpired yesterday and I feel that I must apologize to you."