The Oracular Servant

Part VII: Sybil

I was still sewing when Aurelia burst into the room. Her face and hair was wet from the hard rain outside. Her blue eyes were magnified and watery. You could tell she was crying.

"Aurelia, what is the matter?" She always seemed so strong. I wonder what had happened. I knew she had her doubts about me, but I felt kinship with her. She was strong like me, and this world needs strong women.

She looked around not really seeing me or anything. When her eyes focused, she looked up into my eyes and said, "It's...its Marcus." She then collapsed to the ground in tears, letting them run down her face, dropping onto her servant clothes.

"Marcus? What is wrong with Marcus?" I asked as I picked her up from the ground and led her to the bed. She was really falling apart.

"I saw him in the barn, he was with my mistress. They were...Oh, I can't even say it!"

My face paled at the news. That is what my mistress took from my words. That terribilis mulier*! She twisted my words and suited them to her own desires. I never knew what she would regard as fun could destroy another so greatly.

I laid Aurelia down on my bed and put my covers over her. She was still shaking as I lightly kissed her on the head. She did not notice and pulled the covers over her head. I stayed the whole afternoon with her, when she finally tired herself out and fell asleep.

It rained during the whole afternoon and night. It fit the dark and sad mood of the night.

Around twilight I heard a small knock on the wall from outside. I turned to see Marcus standing there. My blood boiled. Why was he here?

He stepped into my room and looked at Aurelia sleeping soundly in the bed. He smiled and stepped towards her. I stepped in front of him, barring his way.

He looked surprised, "What is wrong?"

"You are what is wrong!" I snapped angrily. The expression on his face looked taken aback. He looked confused, when he said, "I do not understand. Did I do something to offend you? I only came to see Aurelia."

"I do not think she will want to see you," I replied. "You see she knows what happened this morning, in the barn."

Marcus' face turned white with fear, he whispered, "Oh no!" He turned back towards me. The look on his face looked frightened and apologetic. "You must know Sibyl, I do love Aurelia. The mistress came into the barn after she left and forced me. How could I refuse?"

My face softened. The mistress was at fault. The upperclass always were at fault. Thinking they could do anything with no reparations against them. I looked into Marcus' soft brown eyes and my face turned grim, "I believe you Marcus." His face lit up, "However, Aurelia, will not. She will not speak to you ever again, and rightly so. She loves you too, and she cannot forgive you."

I turned back towards Aurelia, "She is torn between her love for you and her loyalty for her mistress. And the elite can never be at fault."

Marcus nodded as if he understood. His face was sad as he got up and made his way out of the house. He paused at the opening, but sighed and made his way back into the dark rainy night.

Aurelia began to shake in her sleep. I put my arms around her till she stopped. I moved over to the far end of the room, bringing the candle with me. I needed to get away. I did not belong here. The tension will escalate and hearts will be broken. I could not bear to do see it again in the morning. I moved around the room, gathering some unfinished work and a whole lot of paper. I put it all in a basket with some of my clothes. On a piece of paper I wrote what I had planned to do. And with that I peeked my head out of the opening to look at the dark sky. The rain was still falling. It would stop by morning, and the people of the house would wake up. But I would be long gone. I had business in the main city, Rome. 

I gathered up my grey shawl around my shoulders, and stepped into dark night.

*terrible woman