Forbidden

Chapter 3

"Then, she told the men to stop fighting!" Terentius laughed loudly in mock of Aeliana, as they sat with some of the Roman army men- ones with higher rank, of course. They sat in a marble room located in one of the men's houses, near a small temple. The table at which they sat had also been crafted of marble, yet covered in beautiful cloths. The other men's women sat together in another room, cooking and gossiping. These were two of Aeliana's least favourite things, yet the two things she was most expected to take part in. That night, though, was an exception as it was a quiet and close celebration of her engagement to Terentius. Her mother and father and siblings were- fortunately on Aeliana's part- not invited; although it was only the first of many celebrations. Though Aeliana had briefly ignored the socializing, she still heard every guffaw that left every soldier's mouth. "Princess, you told the fighters to stop fighting?" a man whom she did not know by name asked sincerely, obviously lacking common sense. The room silenced, and Terentius boiled in anger. "Take care of how you speak, Numitor. Aeliana is royalty, you troll. Daughter to your leader, sister to your general. Soon to be wife to your second-general." Terentius calmed with the latter, turning to Aeliana and winking. It took all her might to stop from laughing, or slapping him. You speak to someone as roughly as the moment before, then you attempt to seduce a woman?! Men amazed Aeliana, in every erroneous way possible.

After they had eaten, and every man become drunk, Aeliana and Terentius bid their gratitude as well as their goodbyes, and left. Efficiently enough, the palace was not far from the gathering and so they made no haste to walk. The couple was drowning in a painful silence, although Aeliana took the time to think- as per usual. Looking to the sky, she wondered the time. She assumed it was late into the early hours of the morning, but she then widened her eyes as they reached the entrance and she was pressed against the wall. "Woman, please me." Terentius ordered, catching a tight grip on her waist and pressing her against himself. Aeliana could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath, and opened her mouth to scream, but his lips pressed against hers harshly. His arms creeped to the skirt of her gown, pulling it up slowly until Aeliana screamed into his mouth, but felt a hard smack on her face, his face and hers finally apart. Terentius flushed cheeks huffed in and out, his strong arms pushing her once again against the wall. His mouth fell to her ear, though, and she flinched as he hissed, "Mind your attitude, woman." With one last forced kiss, Terentius left- not before pushing her head against the wall roughly, though. This caused for Aeliana to fall to the ground whimpering, tears streaming down her reddened face. "Sister?" she heard Caius' strong yet gentle voice call from indoors. He continued, "Liana, I heard a muffled scream,.. a loud noise. Is that you, sister?" "Caius," she spoke, yet the sound emitting from her own self hurt her, "Caius I am outside. Caius help!" She sat and waited until he found her voice, pulling her into his arms and carrying her to his room. "What on earth happened, Aeliana Avitus?" Caius commanded, calling for a doctor. One ran into her bed chamber, his hand falling to her head. She contemplated things. If Aeliana told them, surely things would become worse- for her and her family. If she did not, she would be scolded from time to time, as a faulty wife should. "I fell, against the rock." she lied through her teeth, and she knew it. "Oh, sister. Must you be so clumsy? Act with caution next time, hmm?" Caius laughed joyfully for he was under the assumption that one had hurt his sister. "But of course, brother." Now she had made a fool of herself several times today. "Sleep well, sister, for tomorrow the Colosseum awaits us!" With this comment, Caius and the doctor left, and Aeliana most definitely did not slumber.

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The next day had come and with it, many conversations occurred. None of which included Aeliana, of course. They were to see another fight in that retched theatre, as they called it. The Colosseum. How dare they force men into fighting to the death, or worse, fighting beasts. Most importantly, though, how dare they force her to watch such cruelty. Madness, it was to her. Entertainment, it was to them. "Daughter, dress for the occasion before coming to the kitchens and do so quickly. Must you sleep so late into the morn, you insufferable fool?" her mother shouted to her as she woke. She watched as the witch left, her maids entering and beginning to clothe her in the most beautiful cloth she had ever seen. Her long, dark, curly hair was left gorgeously to a side, her chest partly covered but carrying a stunning necklace. She walked to the kitchens and ate her serving of bread and oil, grapes, and a glass of wine. "Let us leave quickly, so as to arrive to the show early!" Caius exclaimed happily, followed by a series of nods and agreements from the rest of the family, save Aeliana. "Daughter, those men from the gladiator school will be teaming up for the fight! Dueling great beasts, they'll be." Emperor Januarius, her father, smiled as encouragement. Aeliana's jaw only dropped as reply, her mind racing. That man- Atilius. He would see her, surely. The one who hated her and her blood with obviousness. If only he knew, though, that she agreed. With everything he had spoken, excepting every mockery of her. Aeliana found herself hoping that their paths would soon cross again, and she stared out a window until they arrived.

"Are you not happy for the entertainment, Aeliana?" Her young twin sisters asked, watching her as she stared out to the 'stage'. "Barely entertainment, sisters." she briefly explained, returning her gaze to the centre as two men walk out with but a chest protector, a shield, and a wooden sword in each of their possessions. Dilios, the kinder man, waved out to the audiences and caught the glance Aeliana sent to them, waving to her while nudging his friend. He didn't need to do so, though, as Atilius had already been staring to her. She basked in the radiant sun, her skin glowing angelically, which startled him briefly. The men turned, though, as the growls of two massive lions erupted from their backs. Dilios immediately threw his wooden sword foreword, but the lion turned and took the sword in his mouth, then threw it aside. Atilius took the shield and gashed the opposite lion in its head with it, causing the animal to whimper loudly but growl back. Aeliana gasped as she watched Dilios fetch his sword, turning sharply and hitting the beast's neck. With a very visible grin, Dilios took the sword and continually hit the neck of the lion with it's end. Atilius, however, took his bloodied shield and hit the lion square in the nose once more, its mangled face falling to the ground along with its body. Atilius frowned and watched as Dilios kicked the lion to its side, throwing the edge of the sword to its stomach, causing it to take its final roar. Dilios waved again to the joyful crowd, Atilius turning to the royal family in particular, and bowing. He looked once more to Aeliana's horrified face and smirked ignorantly, turning and walking out to the cells again. "Excuse me, please." Aeliana exclaimed and jumped out of her seat as her family continued on. She raced to the lower dungeons, running into a water fountain where she took water in her hands and pressed it to her face. Aeliana's refreshed face shone in the glare of the water and she wiped it away with her hand.

"Darling Aeliana! Did you enjoy the show, dear?" Terentius said loudly, grabbing her arm and walking with her deeper towards the cells. She roughly pulled her arm, but to no effect. He was far too strong. "Have you forgotten your actions of last evening, second-general?" Aeliana barked, pulling her arm to no use. "Have you forgotten my words of last evening, princess?" he mocked, "Mind your attitude." She could practically feel her arm begin to bruise as his grip on it tightened. "Men," Terentius said to many soldiers guarding the cell doors, "This is my soon-to-be wife. She finally belongs to me, and me only." The men clapped, grinning at their command. "I do not belong to you, sir. Release my arm, please." she fought as they continued their walking to an emptied area. "Your heart belongs to me, though, does it not? Are the two not equal?" Terentius laughed menacingly and ran his hands through her hair, stopping back at her cheek. "I suppose." Aeliana agreed with Terentius falsely, his face becoming closer to hers. "Please, Terentius, stop. I only wanted to find you so that I could leave. I cannot stand the fighting, it is needless and brutal. Please." Aeliana asked hopefully; she never asked of anything. "Kiss me, woman." He ordered in absolute disregard of her pleading. "No, Terentius, please! I am serious!" "You think I am not?" Terentius retorted quickly. He was only acting this way in the company of his inferiors: the lower soldiers, the gladiators. "Fine. I'll walk!" she yelled, marching off. She left the Colosseum through the gladiators' entrance, where she came face to face with none other than Atilius and Dilios, who sat in the sun as slave women picked the wood and washed the dirt from their fresh wounds. "Ah, princess had enough of the humour? Were we not entertaining enough for you?" Atilius called as she attempted to ignore them, making her turn back and walk towards them, her face dangerously red. "Oh, poor princess. We've embarras-" Atilius started but abruptly stopped as Aeliana burst. "It is foul and cruel and disgusting. It should be a crime, and hopefully will. I hate it and I am forced to attend because of my family and my people. I did not begin this hateful game, it was not I who sold the seating, nor did I have you two- or any other fighters- fight. I took no part in this vile show and so that is why I find it so challenging to fathom your reasoning behind hating me. Have I acted wrongly, or spoken offensively? You are not aware of my struggles, nor my ways. I have met you only once, briefly, and so I do not think that it's much your place to judge me, sir." Dilios laughed at Atilius' taken-aback stance and face, and with that, Aeliana marched off.