Forbidden

Chapter 10

Finished in their moment of tenderness, the couple walked together to the great lawn. The wide expanse of scenery overlooked the city seeing as the palace was atop one of the hightest hills in all of Rome. Aeliana stopped and looked over the horizon of the hill, admiring her city. "Why look at such boring scenery, when you can look at me?" A deep voice whispered at her ear. She fought a smile and turned, adopting a harsh glare. "That is not funny." "No, but the violent way in which you acted was." Atilius laughed whilst wrapping his arms around the princess' petite waist.

He quickly dropped to the dry grass under their bodies, pulling Aeliana with him. She gasped and tightened her hold on him, flustered. Atilius looked to the stars, and mused about his past life in the peaceful, rural countryside of Greece. "Look at the stars." Aeliana hummed, breaking the gladiator from his reverie. He nodded in response, and set his chin on her shoulder "My father used to tell us as children to look at the stars, and if you looked hard enough..the Gods would spell out your fate to you." He paused and shook his head. "Crazy old oaf." Aeliana turned in Atilius' lap and inquisitively looked at him. His blue eyes still turned towards the skies, stars reflected in them. His jaw was unclenched, and relaxed. Not a usual sight for Aeliana to behold, but a beautiful one.

He noticed her stare, and brought his eyes to meet her similar ones. "What do my stars say, 'O Great Star Reader.'" She emphasized the last statement with a smile and Atilius squeezed her waist into a steel grip "The stars...hmm. They say.." He looked up, with mock concentration amd looked back towards the giggling Princess. "That if you make fun at a certain, beautiful man..there will be consequences." Atilius wagged his eyebrows in a suggesting manner and Aeliana scoffed, moving to push herself off of his lap. She was caught again and pressed to Atilius' chest, him laughing. "You are insufferable." She admonished.

He shrugged, as if the words slid straight from his broad shoulders. Atilius' hand came up and cupped the back of Aeliana's neck and pressed multiple kisses to her face, ending with a tender one on her lips. "When are we to see each other again?" She whispered, tracing his collarbone with her fingers. "Every day." He said, watching her. "Yes, but where are we to see each other?" There was a silent pause, and the couple sat thinking.

"There is the possibility of me sneaking in." Aeliana shook her head "Too obvious. The guards would find you." Atilius scoffed and opened his mouth. "No, Atilius." Aeliana cut him off before any morbid thoughts could be expressed. "Mercury's shrine..at night. It is empty.." She said. Atilius cocked his head to the side and thought of it, but the sound of laughing men could be heard from the garden. Aeliana scrambled off and sprang to her feet, fixing her floor length gown while Atilius lazily stood.

Caius, Dilios, Terentius and Aeliana's twin sisters climbed the hill together talking amongst themselves and all stopped when their eyes set upon the two. Aeliana was standing far from Atilius, arms crossed under her breasts whilst watching the city. Atilius however had his sight remaining on the twinkling sky.

Quickly, Terentius made his way across the field and wrapped his arm around Aeliana's waist. He turned back towards where the remaining group stood and stared at Atilius with venomous eyes. "Did you show our friend here our amazing view from atop this mountain? Hmm, darling?" The man's eyes were still trained on Atilius, who was now gazing at Aeliana with a troubled expression. The princess screwed her face up into disgust "Do you mean mine and my sibling's view, Terentius? Because that is what it is. Only mine and my siblings." She said.

Dilios let out a bark of a laugh, Atilius smirked and looked away, and Caius rubbed his hands together. Terentius' grip on Aeiliana's waist however tightened and come morning, there would be bruises in the shape of his fingers patterned along Aeliana's waist. "Sister, what did you really show..Atilius? That is your name, correct?" Sabina batted her eyelashes at the gladiator and attempted to lower her voice in a seductive manner. Atilius saw straight through the adolescent's act and clenched his jaw, a regular practice. "Your sister planned to show me the shrine of Mercury. Although I no longer wish to go."