Forbidden

Chapter 20

Aeliana wandered through her palace's halls as if she were in a trance. She turned corners blindly and had crashed into a palace slave who almost burst into frantic tears upon realizing what had happened. Aeliana apologized profusely, and after making sure the poor woman was alright, resumed to her wandering.

She had been placed under arrest in her own home. No walks throughout her own gardens, no adventures with Priscilla, and especially no gladiatorial games. Although Aeliana assumed news through Blandina and Cassia who asked others of the news. No fights for Atilius lately. Rumor had it that he was shackled in the barracks, only being fed once every two days. Upon hearing this, Aeliana's stomach clenched and churned. It had been all her fault. Everything. If she had not been the one too foolishly run from those centurions that night, she and Atilius would have never met.

She had to talk to him. Snapping back to reality with a plan to find Priscilla, Aeliana picked her skirts up and lightly jogged the way to her chambers. The princess threw the doors open. "Priscilla!" "Not Priscilla, dear." Aeliana froze at the deep and cold voice. Terentius. She threw her arms up in the air and groaned in frustration. "What?! What do you need from me? Why must you always be..be..everywhere!" Aeliana yelled. Surprisingly, Terentius only laughed. "Because I never know what kind of whoreish move you might pull today."

"How would I 'pull a whoreish move today' when you have me locked in here like some prisoner?" Standing from his spot on her vanity chair, Terentius walked forward making Aeliana walk backward. Again, he laughed and cocked his head. "Your mother and father asked this morning why you were acting so strange." Aeliana's eyes widened and she stepped forward despite the predicament. "You bastard." She whispered. "I refused to answer. Pre-wedding excitement I said." Her shoulders dropped and she let a gust of breath out.

"They do not know?" Terentius shook his head. "No. I do not plan too inform them either. It would almost stop their old hearts." Aeliana closed her eyes, the Gods must have been on her side today. "And Caius?" "No." She opened her eyes and met Terentius' stare. "I thank you." He nodded, and moved around Aeliana and slipped out of the door.

The minute the door slammed behind him, Priscilla crawled from under Aeliana's bed. The princess burst into laughter at the absurd sight, while her friend looked up and glared at her. "Help me up, you fool!" After standing on her own two feet, Priscilla joined in on the laughter. "He just barged in! What else was I to do!"

"I do not blame you." Aeliana moved to sit on her bed and leaned her elbows on her knees. "Priscilla." The girl looked at Aeliana's stature, and her face dropped. "Whatever it is you are about to ask me, the answer is no." The princess jumped up and grabbed Priscilla by the arms. "Please. I have to talk to him."

"And get yourself killed?! No! Absolutely not." Aeliana squeezed her arms. "Please. I beg you. Please." "I'm sorry Liana."

The princess had given up.

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She was sitting at her vanity, while Priscilla tied Aeliana's hair into a tight plait down her back. "Excuse me." The young woman said, and briskly walked out of the room. Confused, Aeliana looked up into her mirror and watched Priscilla's retreating figure. Not but two minutes after, Priscilla entered the room again. Only this time dragging a person - no a man, behind her. This man turned out to be Astinos, and he was clutching Priscilla's hand in a rather intimate way.

Without words, Aeliana broke into a smile and raised her eyebrows. Astinos scratched the back of his neck and looked away, while Priscilla laughed. "Now, we talk about this later. Terentius and Caius are at the Forum as we speak, and it looks like Senator Flavius has had a stroke. He will not be back until sometime tonight." She said. "I will take you to the Barracks. But we come back right away." Astinos finished for Priscilla. Aeliana shot up from her spot and threw her arms around the two. "Thank you." She breathed.

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The tunnel the pair were waiting in was hot, musty, and smelled of sweat and blood. Although Astinos appeared less than worried about this, Aeliana however was not. She wrung her hands together frequently, and looked behind her back the entire time. Astinos stopped her at the steps leading upwards, and told her to await his return. Slightly shaking, Aeliana nodded and crossed her arms. Eyes moving wildly.

After a long, strenuous wait, Astinos came back down the stairs with a flustered look upon his handsome face. "Follow me." He led the princess the opposite way, out of the Barracks. "Astinos! What is happening? Where are we going?" For a long time, Astinos never answered. Just led Aeliana the familiar way to the Colosseum. Then, "Terentius ordered Atilius in a fight this morn." "Oh no Astinos. Gods, no!" "He is injured." Aeliana jogged up beside Astinos and pulled on his arm towards the Colosseum, looming just a step away from them. "Aeliana! Listen to me." Astinos had his hands around Aeliana's shoulders and had almost shook her. "You will walk behind me and act in the calmest manner, do you understand? Do not let your emotions get the best of you." He exclaimed.

Aeliana shook her head as if to clear the thoughts, and nodded. Astinos did also, and walked around into the soldier's entrance. They quickly came to two thick wooden doors, of which a Vestal Virgin had just come out. Her veil and cloths were soaked with water, and she had a flustered look on her face. "My lady." Astinos called to her. She looked towards the soldier and noticing Aeliana, bowed deeply. "Would the Princess and I be allowed to visit him?" He beckoned to the doors. "I suppose so, but he is in a state, you see. Enter at your own risk." She said and briskly turned.

"Go." Astinos whispered. Without responding, Aeliana ran to the doors and pulled them open.

As she walked in however, a silver cup came flying at her head. Anointing Oil splattered all over the wall beside her. Aeliana let out a screech and covered her mouth with both hands. "If you dare interrupt me again. This will be the last time you walk through that door. Do you understand?" Atilius lay on a straw mat, sweating with a cloth over his head. He looked ill, and his whole upper body was covered in stitches. His right leg bandaged tightly in a white cloth in which his blood was already soaking through.

"What..what happened to you?" she whispered. Upon hearing the voice he loved so, Atilius removed the cloth from his forehead and looked to Aeliana. He looked her up and down. "I do not wish for visitors." "Atilius please." She walked forward slowly, and sat down next to Atilius' broken, bloodied and bruised body. After few minutes of silence, "How have you been..lately?" Atilius let out a short bark of a laugh.

"How have I been." He strained. "My brother has just been murdered by the hands of Terentius, I have been starved of food for the past week, and my right thigh has an opening the size of my palm...and you ask how I have been as if you care." Aeliana shook her head and reached forward to yank the cloth on Atilius' forehead off. But as soon as her fingertips brushed the fabric, he caught her wrist in his strong hand.

"He placed me under arrest in my own home, Atilius. Guards are posted at every damned door in that palace and nobody is stopping that sorry bastard. Not even my brother." Atilius shook his head. "Of course not. The pig is too strong headed to let anyone change his mind. And the others, too weak minded to notice."

"My brother is not weak minded." Atilius huffed, grunting. He still had Aeliana's slim wrist in his warm, calloused hand. So, reaching up, Aeliana lightly pinched Atilius' jaw. She laughed when he whipped the cloth off and wrapped both arms around her waist, pinching her hips.

"Aeliana." He warned. "Atilius." She mocked. They stared at each other for a moment, before Atilius brought her chin down to meet his lips. When they broke apart, Aeliana sighed heavily and broke into frantic tears. She lay her head down in the crook of Atilius' shoulder and attempted to control her tears. Quickly, Atilius dragged himself upwards - careful of his leg, and cupped Aeliana's face.

"What? Come now, Li. What is wrong?" She shook her head repeatedly, and after inhaling many breaths, whispered

"Terentius knows. He knows everything about us."

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mixed feelings about this chapter, sorry yu guiseeee. but I love yous all.