Forbidden

Chapter 17

"Where on earth have you been, Aeliana?" Priscilla spoke quietly, but did not refrain from keeping the tone in her voice clearly annoyed. The princess pulled the heavy wooden door shut behind her as quietly as possible, then turned quickly on her heels to stare at her friend. The smile which was etched upon her face told a story that words could most definitely not- along with the state of her clothing, and how her skin glowed with sweat.

Priscilla's gasp echoed throughout the room, a sharp knife that caught one off guard and struck them like realization straight through the abdomen. The silence that followed this echo blanketed the quiet room like nightfall, and Aeliana would have guessed it to be exactly that time of day had the bright sunlight, which shined into the room as if responding to this dark silence, not shone.

"Best you pray to the gods you are not killed for such pre-marital foolishness!" Priscilla whispered, the annoyed tone still worse. Aeliana but stared at her companion, dumbfounded by the answer given. "Surely," The princess thought, "it was not the most intelligent action to have committed, but for Priscilla to side with what would be Terentius' argument in this situation?" Aeliana had been far too caught up in her own thoughts to have realized that Priscilla was laughing at her. "What is it?" Aeliana was truly confused. Priscilla laughed more so, "You believed the act I placed on myself! Surely I must be one significant actress!" The princess but rolled her eyes dramatically, before joining the laughter.

"I thank you, Priscilla," Aeliana started in all seriousness. "I could not have asked for a better friend, and you must believe me when I say this." Priscilla laughed the heartfelt truth aside, but reached to hold her friend's hand. "You should thank me," the friend obnoxiously joked, "as I stood at this bed chamber door all the night through, and your betrothed almost broke the damned thing. I told him, along with the others who asked, that you felt ill. Terentius would not believe me." Aeliana smiled a sad, sombre smile, and stared- with tears blurring her eyesight- at her friend.

"I do hope you would not wish to share the details of your previous night's activities, Aeliana," Priscilla laughed as their hands still held each other in a sisterly way. "But I also do hope that you felt right. I want for you to be happy, Aeliana. If you should marry Terentius, and bear children alongside him, and die with the world knowing that you only ever loved him, be satisfied that you yourself know that in truth, you only ever loved Atilius. If you both shall die with only having shared the knowledge of your love with Dilios and I, let it be so. For having only two witnesses of such a passionate love may not be fair but it is certainly enough and I do believe that this passion, the essence of this love, will carry on through time."

*****

As the two women sat in the dining hall, the ever-buzzing of chatter ceased to exist. "Aeliana, darling," Terentius started as he always did. "I do presume the rest you received has aided you in becoming healthy again?" Aeliana, pulling her skirts against her legs so as to sit properly in her seat, but nodded at her betrothed. "I suppose this would account as a 'yes'?" Aeliana turned and glared, swallowing a swig of wine.

"I beg your pardon, please do forgive me. I must leave for the town square immediately, I am going to speak with a certain soldier." Terentius stood, looked around the table with a mysterious smile, and left the hall. Caius stood abruptly, his face red. "My son! You mustn't need leave, too?" Januarius called in a low, hearty voice. Caius let out a heavy breath, his tone oxymoronically a calmed-anger, "I do beg your pardon, father, you see I must speak with Terentius on the matter of this soldier. It is rather urgent, actually, so if you'll please excuse me." With that, Aeliana's favourite sibling bolted out of the room.

"If anyone else wishes to leave," Caecilia spoke surprisingly without being facetious, "please do so. We shall see your faces at this table for dinner in seven hours, promptly." Aeliana laughed to herself, grabbed her companion's wrist, and flew out of the room like a lightning bolt. "Where are we going, Aeliana?" Priscilla called from behind, her voice shaky and out of breath. "To see what business Terentius has, and why Caius is so angered, silly!" Aeliana felt childish and whole as she sprinted to find the latest gossip.

Priscilla, who had caught up to the princess, linked her arm with Aeliana's waiting one. They walked to the centre of the town square, dismissing the villagers whose faces shone with either fear or admiration, though the two traits could be thought to share the same meaning in this case. That is, the case in which the Second-General of army of Rome fights the gladiator-soldier.

Aeliana gasped as Dilios was placed on his knees, his arms held to his sides by two other soldiers. Another soldier appeared behind her, holding her back as she screamed. Terentius smirked, circling the fallen gladiator with a gold whip tight in his hands. "Did not you realize, Dilios, that hiding such a crime from the Second-General to the Roman Army might cause some... Problems?" His voice was icier than usual, and it rang through the town square even over the loud calls of the villagers either caught up in the fight or distraught by the sight of the infamous Dilios. Aeliana's screams were incoherent; a rag had been tied around to refrain her from speaking.

Terentius laughed maniacally, his whip splitting the skin on Dilios' bare back in half. Again, and again, until the gods could have heard his screams, Dilios was whipped. "Please," he stuttered quietly, "Aeliana." The soldier who's arms held back Aeliana's brought her over to Dilios. Her tears, which had freely flown from her eyes since she had first arrived, splattered his bloodied face as they leaned their foreheads against each other. "Don't let them win." Dilios stuttered again, and Aeliana screamed and screamed as she was ripped away from her only other friend. Terentius threw a solid fist to Dilios' jaw, the connection creating a sickening sound. Punch after punch, Dilios stayed alive. It was until Aeliana could no longer feel her throat when Terentius pulled out a long, silver sword.

Aeliana watched through blurry and swollen eyes and the sword drove through the heart of Dilios.