Except for Grace and Mercy

Chapter 12

"Ariel, hand fan my face"
"Yes, m'lady". She bows and turns to retrieve it. Lying on her right side, Cornelia is by herself this hot afternoon surrounded by female servants. Chewing on some figs rather absent mindedly, her mood right now is sour and in no distant time, it explodes with the dishes, fruits, wine jars all toppled to the ground with a loud crash astonishing the servants that they quickly go down on their knees each gasping in fear.
Rising to her feet, eyes blazing fury and a body shuddering and on the verge of loosing control, Cornelia speaks to no one in particular -"is she more beautiful than I am? Is she too thin? She must be a Roman goddess to compete with me". Her only reply is in the soft blowing breeze on her porcelain skin and the forest green embroidered linen garment swaying around her body. Falling to the ground on her knees, she begins to bang her hands on the pavement crying but shouts can be heard coming from the temple area but only one soothing balm has cured and calmed her ache and it seems to be coming from the physician's room.

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My sword is drawn from it's scabbard; I am a raging bull right now. She has turned around to see her terror coming at her still frozen on the ground: I charge at him and from the shocked look on his face, you can tell he wasn't expecting me.
She's now lying prostrate on the ground, but am fast and I bend to grab her by the shoulder while we keep launching our swords at each other. I grab her by her stomach, and when I see he's about to make a plunge to my side, I quickly wheel her behind me and at the same time shifting my head to the left side and dodging from his pierced sword to my neck. Using this opportunity, I swiftly slash his right hand, the surprise causing him to throw his sword to the ground; I aim for his torso, but he runs away leaving his sword behind. I take it and turn to Adah, I try shaking her by the shoulders so she's awakened from all the fear and shock
"Get your hands off our sister!"
The one who is called Jonas is speaking giving me a glaring look even as he runs to her side along with the other brother -Beeri.
"What did you do to her?" Jonas continuous to speak
"He saved my life Jonas; at least be thankful"
She sounded weak but he was relieved that she had come out of her shock.
"We need to hurry home". Beeri was saying, and as they are about to leave, she stops in her tracks, turns towards me and looks me in the eye and with a slow creeping smile upon her lips, says; "thank you Tribune Opimius" before they depart. Oh those eyes will haunt me I know and not many prayers to the goddess Venus, would quench this thirst.