by David Adkins
Casperius was not sure whether to dispute this condition but in the end he shrugged. “Otho will go free and return to the palace with me but Glyca will remain here as a prisoner,” he conceded. “What will you do with her?”
“That is for us to decide,” said Corelia.
“Is that it?” asked Casperius.
“You need to guarantee my safety and the safety of the palace servant, Drucilla,” I added this further clause.
“I suspected there was something between you two,” he said. “Drucilla is safe, for killing her would now serve no purpose.”
“Drucilla is just a loyal servant. What about my safety?” I asked.
“You have seen things you should not have seen, chamberlain, but you have said nothing so far and so I also guarantee your safety for we are now fellow conspirators.”
“It is all agreed then,” I said, feeling relieved. “We will tell Domitian of the night’s events when he wakes up in the morning.”
Otho was released and Fabius was detailed to watch Glyca. The four of us made our way back to the villa. I chatted with Corelia as Hylas and Aria went to their chamber. “They are lucky for they have each other to help forget the traumas of the evening. Why is Aria so determined to keep Glyca a prisoner,” I asked.
“She tried to murder her husband,” replied Corelia.
“Do you not need someone to help you forget the traumas of the evening?” I suggested.
“You are incorrigible, Parthenian,” she said.
“I cannot help remembering what I saw,” I replied with a glint in my eye.
“Then you should put it to the back of your mind.”
“Impossible,” I said
She smiled. “You forget one thing, Parthenian.”
“What is that, Corelia?”
“We are all still very angry with you. You almost led Hylas to his death and that will take some time to forgive.”
“I will do anything to hasten the process,” I offered.
“Your majesty,” she said, looking behind me.
I turned round, feeling a sense of total doom, but there was no-one there. I turned back and Corelia had entered her room and closed the door behind her. I felt both overwhelming relief and disappointment at the same time. I sat down on the floor outside her room and did not put the beguiling image to the back of my mind. After a while I trudged back to my room.
*
The next morning I walked down the corridor towards Domitian’s chamber with Casperius at my side. I had already spoken with the Emperor once that morning when I had delivered his breakfast, and I had requested that Casperius and I speak with him together on a matter of some urgency. He had told me to give him time to eat his meal and then we should return. I was curious as to why he had not slept with Corelia as I had presumed that was the purpose of our visit to Tibur. I had been told that they had had an argument by the servant. We arrived at his door and I knocked. “Enter,” came the Emperor’s voice.
We entered and he was sitting up in bed. “Sit,” he said and we both sat down.
“This is very curious.” He rolled his eyes. “That you two should come together to pay me a visit. I warn you I am not in a good mood.”
“There has been an incident,” I began tentatively.
“What sort of incident?” He had started to show an interest. He knew that we would not have come together if the matter had been of no consequence.
“I thought I would not be needed last night and so I went for a drink at the local taverna with Hylas. On the way back from the taverna we met Tero and the guardsman Otho. Tero was very aggressive and he attacked me.”
Casperius took over. “Tero has long held a grudge against Parthenian. There was that other incident when Tero attacked him and injured him. I could never understand what it was all about. It was not the behaviour that I expect from my deputy.”
“Is that all?” said Domitian yawning.
“Tero was killed,” I said.
Domitian stopped yawning. “Who killed him?”
“It was Hylas,” stated Casperius while I hesitated. It was not part of my plan to blame Hylas.
“It was self defence,” I added quickly.
“I do not like that Head Guard of Corelia’s but I suppose he was protecting my chamberlain,” mused Domitian. “On the other hand Tero has always been quick tempered and unreliably violent. Why did Tero hate you so much, Parthenian? I know you saw something that perhaps you should not have seen but that does not explain his hatred.”
“I really do not understand it myself,” I shook my head.
“Well, no harm done,” said Domitian. “Tero was a liability with that sort of attitude. He turned to Casperius. “Appoint someone more reliable as your deputy.”
“I will,” said Casperius.
“Now, Parthenian, go straight to Corelia and tell her that I am here waiting for an apology. You are both dismissed.”
We left the Emperor’s chamber. “Why did you say that Hylas had killed Tero?” I asked.
“We could hardly tell the truth and say Corelia because she was supposed to be asleep in her own bed, and I could hardly say you.” He looked at me with contempt.
I looked back at him with equal contempt. “I was there with a dagger and ready to use it. You get other people to do your dirty work.”
“When the time comes, Parthenian, I will do it myself,” he threatened.
I smiled. “Remember your promise that I am to come to no harm.”
He scowled and walked away.
I knocked on Corelia’s door but there was no answer and so I walked out into gardens where I found her tending to some plants. “I thought you had a gardener to take care of that,” I said smiling.
She looked up. “I do, but I like to do a little myself.”
“So the great gladiatrix is also a gardener,” I observed.
“It is a lovely morning, do you want to sit down and admire my work?” she suggested.
“I would like to sit down but I would rather admire you.”
“You never stop,” she laughed and sat down and invited me to join her.
I did so. “I should not be chatting with you for the Emperor wants you to apologize to him immediately, and I am supposed to send you on your way.”
“He can wait.” She screwed up her face.
I laughed. “What was your argument about?”
“He wants me and Aria to feature in a sea battle in the Colosseo. He is flooding the arena and will probably drown everyone. He wants me and Aria in the pirate vessel which I shall captain and which engages another galley in battle. Fighting will take place and lots of people will die. Our lives will be at great risk and yet he seems to think that I will agree to this when I would not agree to fighting as a gladiatrix in the arena. I flatly refused and now he is in a foul mood about it.”
“Good for you,” I congratulated her. “Why, when you are his lover and he is obviously besotted with you, does he want to put your life at risk?”
She sighed. “He is a strange man, Parthenian. It thrills him to see women fight and this is why he promotes these gladiatrix contests. It thrills him even more to see me fight in particular. He wants me to win and he wants to glorify in my victory and therefore he is willing to put me at great risk to satisfy his warped desires. I suppose that I am replaceable, and perhaps that is where Aria comes in.”
“You are not replaceable, Corelia.”
“You are a tonic, Parthenian.”
“You are not still angry with me then?”
“I never said that.”
I feigned great sorrow. “Please forgive me.”
“Hylas does not bear you a grudge for your plotting but beware of Aria,” she warned, smiling.
“And you, Corelia?” I asked.
“You have partly redeemed yourself with me?”
“What must I do to be fully redeemed?” I asked.
She stroked my face. “The Emperor is waiting for me, Parthenian, and so I must g
o.”
I decided to stay in the garden as it was such a lovely day. I soaked up the warm sunshine and thought about Corelia and Marcella. I did not like to think of the beautiful but reluctant gladiatrix being enjoyed by the mad Emperor but I did like to think of the vision of beauty that I had witnessed. I accepted that Corelia could do nothing about her unfortunate situation except maybe to take advantage of it where she could. The beautiful villa and splendid gardens were certainly one of those advantages. Her life was set out for her until Domitian decided to release her from her forced obligations. In a way she was a prisoner like Marcella, except that Marcella’s confinement was more obvious. I needed to speak with Marcella or Glyca which seemed to be her real name, but it was something that made me nervous for she was a sorceress. Could a cell hold a sorceress?
“May I join you?” There was hostility in the words.
I looked up. “Please do,” I replied.
Aria sat down where Corelia had sat a little earlier. “I know that in the end you tried to save my husband but you do realize that having deliberately led him into a trap it could have all gone wrong. He might have been murdered while you were seeking help and if that had happened I would have killed you.”
“I realize that,” I replied. “You know why I did it and Hylas has accepted that.”
“Hylas is a generous man but I am not so generous.”
“So what do you intend to do?” I asked.
“Nothing because it is over now and he has survived. Never pull a stunt like that again, Parthenian.”
“I was in an impossible position. I could not think straight.”
“You should have come to us and we would have helped you,” she suggested.
“I did not want to endanger Drucilla’s life.”
“The good thing that has come out of this is that Glyca is now my prisoner.”
“And that Tero is dead,” I added.
“I vowed that I would one day tear out Glyca’s heart after she had tried to poison Hylas,” she said.
“Are you going to kill her?” I asked.
She ignored the question. “She was my prisoner once before but Marcus Gracchus freed her. She has no-one to free her this time.” She looked at me. “Are you her lover, Parthenian?”
“Where did you get that idea?” I replied nervously.
“You do not seem to hate her, even after all that she has done.”
“I find it difficult to hate women,” I replied.
“She will not escape, Parthenian.” It seemed as if she was almost challenging me or accusing me, but I had no intention of helping her to escape.
“I am pleased to hear it, Aria.” I did not think it a very good moment to ask if I could see Marcella.
“Enjoy the sunshine,” she said and stood up and left me to my thoughts. Perhaps tomorrow I would seek to speak with Marcella.
Soon after I heard from Casperius that we would return to Rome the day after tomorrow, and so it seemed that if I wanted to speak with Marcella then I could not delay. I decided that the safest course would be to speak with Hylas and see if he would grant me entry to the barrack’s cell to speak with the prisoner.
The next morning I spoke with Corelia’s Head Guard about my wish but before that I broached the subject that had been worrying me. “Am I still welcome at villa gladiatrix after all that has happened?” I asked.
“Of course you are welcome,” Hylas replied and there was no mistaking the friendliness in his voice.
“That is a relief, Hylas; I do regard you all as my friends even though that has not been obvious from my behaviour.”
He smiled. “You came good at the end and I know what pressure you were under.”
I changed the subject. “I would like to speak with the prisoner, Hylas”
“I am surprised that you would wish to speak with her,” he replied.
“What will happen to her?” I asked.
“I do not know. Corelia will make that decision and not me, because I work for Corelia and this is Corelia’s villa.”
“Do you think she will be merciful?” I asked.
“I am not sure that Aria will let her be merciful. Aria has decided that Glyca is her prisoner and that she will decide what happens to her. Whether Corelia will agree I do not know.”
“Can I see her?” I asked again.
“Do not enter the cell but speak to her through the bars. Fabius is guarding her so let us go to the barracks. It is best to do it now while Aria is in the villa and Corelia is still with Domitian.”
We walked to the barracks and then down to the cell, which was mainly below ground level but with a tiny, high, barred window which let in a little light. The top half of the thick metal door was also barred and I called for Glyca, as Hylas and Fabius walked a short distance away to give us some privacy. “Glyca, it is me, Parthenian.”
“Parthenian, I hoped you would come.”
“I had to see you. I could not go through with it but it was never my intention that you should be jailed. Why did you not just leave it to Tero and Otho?”
“I had to be there,” she said. “You have to get me out of here because Aria intends to murder me.”
“How can I get you out?” I exclaimed. “I have no influence here. You are Aria’s prisoner and she will not listen to me.”
“Then break me out tonight under cover of darkness.”
“You are guarded,” I pointed out.
“Disable the guard,” she suggested.
“I cannot attack one of Corelia’s guards. I will not do it. If I freed you then you would probably take revenge on me for betraying the plot.”
“I would not do that, Parthenian, for I understand that you could not go through with it. I should not have asked so much of you. Once I am free we could go back to the way we were. You would like that,” she smiled.
“I cannot attack a villa guard and I cannot set you free. The best I can do is to plead with Corelia to have mercy, or perhaps ask Casperius to speak with the Emperor on your behalf.”
“I have already spoken with Casperius. He has said that I am too much trouble and that he is well rid of me. The rat will do nothing to save me, and after all that I have done for him. He said I am here because of my own folly and now I must take the consequences. I suppose he is right, Parthenian and so I only have you left.”
“There is nothing I can do,” I reiterated.
“Surely you long to have your sorceress back in your bed.” Her voice was enticing.
“Of course I do but you are here because of your own plotting and I cannot help you even if I wanted to.”
“Then work on the Emperor, for he is my only hope.”
“Why should Domitian save you? Anyway, I have no influence with him for I am just a servant.”
“Casperius has influence with him. Work on Casperius to work on the Emperor.”
“How can I do that?” I asked.
“Work on his fears. I told you that he is superstitious. He truly believes me to be a kind of sorceress and fears me. Tell him you have seen my powers and describe them to him and use your imagination, Parthenian. Remind him constantly of what will happen to him if I die.”
“What does he believe will happen to him?” I asked.
“You do not need to know that, but just remind him. You will make him very afraid. In the end he may speak to the Emperor on my behalf, and he does have much influence for he is the Praetorian Prefect who looks after the Emperor’s safety. Do it quickly for I do not know how much time I have.”
The idea of scaring Casperius appealed to me. “I will start the process on the way back to the palace,” I promised. “We leave tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Parthenian. If you succeed your sorceress will be very grateful,” she promised.
“Stay safe, Marcella, and I will do what I can.” I knew as I walked away from the cell that I was a fool because I actually intended to try and help her.
I was pleased to find Corelia in the gardens. Another
session with Domitian must have at last come to an end. “He forgave you then?” I asked.
“Yes he did and it is strange for he has given up the idea of Aria and me fighting in his crazy sea battle.”
“That is great news, Corelia, but has he something different in mind for you?” I cautioned.
“That is why it is strange, for he said nothing about any alternative and I did not wish to put such a thing in his mind. Has he said anything to you, Parthenian?”
I shook my head. “Perhaps he has simply given up the idea of trying to persuade you and Aria to take part in his games.”
“That would be a relief,” she said hopefully.
“Corelia, I wondered what you intended to do with Glyca?”
“I have not given the matter much thought yet for I have been occupied on other things. I will speak with Aria and Hylas on the matter eventually.”
“I would not like to see her killed, for she protected me from Casperius and Tero for some time,” I dared.
“Only so that she could use you to help her kill Hylas,” she reminded me. “Her fate is no longer your concern, Parthenian. She tried to murder my Head Guard and the husband of my greatest friend and so we will make the decision on what to do with her in our own good time.”
That was obviously the end of the discussion and so I nodded. “You are right, Corelia. I will miss you when I return to the palace.”
“I am sure that there are rooms in the palace you can accidently burst into when you return. How about trying this Drucilla’s room?”
“No room anywhere could ever offer the same reward as the one the other evening.”
She laughed. “Go away, Parthenian, and do your job of looking after your Emperor. I have a welcome break for a few hours.”
The next morning we left Tibur early and Corelia, Hylas and Aria gathered to wish us farewell. Domitian seemed in a very good mood as he kissed Corelia’s hands and face and then ushered me into his carriage, and then followed me in aided by Casperius. I was disappointed because I had hoped to sit on top with Casperius and begin my campaign of fear. We made ourselves comfortable with the numerous cushions as the horse-drawn carriage pulled out of the villa gates. I looked out and waved as did Domitian.
Domitian sat back and sighed. “She is a wonderful woman. I must make sure that it is not too long before we visit again.”