Forbidden

Chapter 7

Aeliana jolted forward, sitting up straight in her bed, with beads of sweat pouring down her face. She released an overdue breath, and placed her usually well-manicured hand onto her chest. The hand, though, was not elegant or pretty at the time. It was cut and bruised and looked to be that of a man. Her other hand sat at her side, underneath an unfamiliar one. Aeliana looked at the culprit to which the hand belonged and saw her betrothed sitting, his head rolled back, in a chair on her bedside. She was startled by the act of affection, but realization poured through her whole being as she also viewed her brother, Caius in a chair the slightest bit further away.

Everything was a lie; a show, even. Terentius' love for Aeliana, the battles of the Colosseum, her mother's affection. Aeliana was annoyed with being the object of a game to certain people. The poor girl was always treated as a weakling, an unladylike disgrace, and even the most petty of all four Avitus children. She was not a child, and she knew even the things which they thought she did not. Her intellect went unseen because she was a woman and because she was wealthy; her intelligence was unnecessary. Aeliana's enraged thoughts were broken as Terentius woke, his hand pulling off of hers, his eyes automatically turning into a glare towards her. "What would have made that tiny minuscule brain of yours ever think that going out into the streets without any of your guards, me, or your brother, was safe? You make me laugh, Aeliana. You seek acknowledgement of your 'knowledge', yet you act an utter fool." he snarled, making her flinch. Moments passed and his icy eyes let no sympathy show for her poor and weak body. "Terentius? Has she awoken?" A gentler voice fills the ears of Aeliana, almost purposely soothing her.

Both Terentius and Aeliana turn to see Caius, clothes bloodied, half-awake in the chair. "Aeliana.." he sighed, but whether the sigh was in relief or in disbelief was unknown, his face stony and unemotional at first. The unasked question was answered to Aeliana as Caius' face broke into a smile, her heavy heart lightening. So as long as Caius was not upset with her, Aeliana could manage herself. He stepped out of the chair he sat in, rushing to her side with open arms. Taking her head in his hands, he kissed her forehead in the most brotherly way, and her hands held his arms as though if they did not, she would surely die. "Liana. Do be more careful, sister. Why would you have gone out like that, and without someone to protect you?" Caius spoke strictly yet softly, and Aeliana only knew only he had the ability to do so. She opened her mouth to answer, but the remainder of her family poured into her room.

"Stupid girl! Such a pretty face, you take it in the most forgranted way!" Her mother scolded, calling for a maid to "Bring more oil for Aeliana's wounds" and leaving. "We told you, sister." The twins spoke altogether, eerily. Aeliana rolled her eyes at them, "As if the pair of you could have assumed of what happened to me." "What did happen to you, daughter?" their father, Emperor Januarius called loudly, causing for all chatter to be silenced. "I was taken by a Greek and brought to their territory where I was thrown and hit and spat at and.. And they touched me, and they tied me to a tree for a fortnight and whipped me and cut me and hurt me and bound be so tightly to the tree with rope that my skin broke and rotted and burned and then Roman soldiers found me and brought me to their hut and helped me, and that is when Astinos found m-e." Aeliana burst into tears as she started, and could not stop, telling the story of her capture. Gasps were emitted throughout the room, sympathizing eyes moved towards her, and hands fell to her arms.

The only visibly unpassionate person was Caius, much to her surprise. He was, instead, angry. "How dare you make her repeat what has been done to her, father. You know what happened only by looking at her. How dare you force her to tell the story of her own beating." More gasps were emitted, and their father only smiled towards his son. "Do not speak to me in such a tone, I beg, my son. I am concerned for my child." Caius' eyes rolled violently. "No," he corrected, "You are concerned for the gossip. I wish you would have waited for her to heal before asking her of such a terrible bequest." Their father bowed in apology and left the room, Mariana and Sabina following. "I am afraid there is a strategy meeting soon, darling Aeliana. Your brother and I must go." Terentius cooed, in Aeliana's eyes, disgustingly, and stroked her face with his hand. "But of course, Terentius. Please, go." Aeliana responded quietly, the first time she had spoken since the retold the tale of horror, to Terentius, but her eyes never left those of Caius'. "General." Terentius pushed Caius with his words, and so they left after Caius gave her a nod.

***

"Princess Aeliana, your brother has returned from the hall and would like to speak to you, in the gardens." A servant told Aeliana as she walked through the palace. With a brief smile in thanks, Aeliana took off towards the garden.

"Do not you remember, Sister, of a time when Romans and Greecans lived in peace beside one another? Of a time when we were children, and the twins had not been born, and father and mother would bring us to Greece when father met with their Emperor?" Caius began without greeting, turned away from the entrance, which startled Aeliana. She smiled nonetheless at the fond memories. "We would run around their palace and swim in their pools, and mother would watch us as father spoke fondly with the Emperor of Greece. I do remember, Brother." Caius turned to face her, and smiled grimly. "I am afraid, Aeliana, that the Greecans have declared war on the Romans, and that the war starts tonight. We will share a meal together as a family, and Astinos and Terentius will join us. You will stay in the temple in our palace for the whole night and pray, and in the morn the twins will gather you into the dining hall where you will eat. If there is news of death, you will mourn. If there is news of victory, you will cheer. If there is news of my death, you will carry on in the sake of my name knowing how much I love you, and you will name your children after me, and it will be as though I never left. If there is news of my victory, you will be modest and you will cheer to yourself and with our family. Do not cry, dear sister. I will be back, whether in body or in spirit. And my love for you is never-ending, do not forget. Do not say goodbye, for I am not leaving. I will always be here." With that, Caius left to ready himself. Aeliana sat until she was called for dinner, and she never spoke once, but she never cried, either.