Twins of Egypt

Chapter 6: Runaway || Part 2

[[A/N: Ryan Newman plays Vipssania Agrippina. Sorry for the really really long chapter guys! However, i hope it is enticing enough to keep you interested!]]

[[15 January 25 B.C.E || Alexander]]

Iron clashed against iron, and sweat fell onto the sand; blood spilt on iron, and hit the cold dead land. We parted from each other stabbing the earth with the points of our swords. I wiped away the sweat from my face and moved away my damp hair.

"You're great," Marcellus chuckled earnestly as he leaned on his sword, "but not as great as me."

"Or me," Tiberius surprised me, by clanging his sword to mine and making a thunderous roar. I picked up my sword and made metal clash against metal.

Tiberius' sword had clashed with mine and distracted, he had kicked my shin and sent me spiraling into the floor, where he would then finish me off; however, other metals flew and protected me from certain doom.

"Enough," Juba's large voice boomed at Tiberius and he sent his sword flying to the other side of our fighting circle, with a small harsh flick of his wrist. Juba pushed Tiberius onto the floor and aimed his sword at his throat. Tiberius stayed down, glancing at the sword fearlessly, then back at Juba with a harsh humorous glare.

Juba shifted the sword's tip away from Tiberius' throat, "You played dishonestly. That may be a trick in actual battle, but a penalty in practice, especially using iron swords." He removed his sword from Tiberius' face and walked out of our circle. "No foul play dogs, regardless of your ranks, no foul play."

Marcellus walked charmingly over to me and graciously offered me his pitiful hand. I accepted his hand and I removed myself off the floor. "Thank you, Marcellus." I thanked and then picked up my inert weapon.

"Perhaps this is enough practice for the day," Demetrius aided Tiberius off the ground; however, Tiberius waved it away and got up himself.

As he got on his two feet, he immediately stared at me, and faced me with an evil glare: The glare of an evil selfish child who has lately been removed of privileges. "Did you ruin my name to your sister? Because of your petty fights with me." Tiberius pushed me back, implying very harshly that it was my fault my sister rejects his daily offers to visit her.

"No," I pushed back the imperial son and looked him in the eyes, "it is your fault." I stood a few inches shorter than he did, and he was leaner than me, but those simple things can be easily remedied by time. "It is your fault; your engagement to Vipsania, and your dishonesty, ruined your unhinged reputation with my sister, so damn you Tiberius if you place the blame on me. You're the one to blame." My hazel-green eyes bore into Tiberius light brown ones.

Tiberius moved away from me, but his harsh eyes stayed on me. "Felicem Diem Natalem, Alexander (Happy Birthday, Alexander). You are now a man." He smiled graciously for a second, and as it vanished, so did he.

"Do not worry so much," Marcellus stuck his sword into the sand, "Tiberius has grown up very troubling. He wants to prove himself to Caesar that he too could become an heir; I am not so sure about who will be Caesar's heir. In the Alps, due to Agrippa's many military conquests, it seems that Agrippa is competition to me. Adding his marriage to my sister also makes his prospects higher."

"Caesar likes you; however, he is marrying his daughter to you. His daughter would technically be heir, if she were not a woman." I walked with him to the armory, where we stored our swords and drank water from the leather canisters.

Marcellus and I sat down on the wooden benches and watched our sandy practice ground. We were at Magister Remus' home, and Demetrius and Juba had accompanied us here, to guard and train us.