by L. M. Roth
But even as they settled down in their new home, he reflected on the fact that whether he liked it or not, a member of the family was exactly what Decimus remained.
Chapter XIII
A New Beginning
Life, which had seemed to run swiftly by accelerated by the sudden turn of events, now slowed down considerably within the confines of the caves. One day passed into another with an unrelenting sameness, and for Marcus and Tullia, both of whom loved the company of their friends, it was both a test and a testament of their love that they managed to survive the constant company of the other without falling into boredom or escalating into arguments.
In truth, Marcus came to know his wife in a way that had not been possible in the crowded social whirl of Lycenium where her attention had been distracted by the demands of her mother and the company of her many friends. She had always been popular, even in the days of her youth, and never lacked someone to pass the time with. And when their children were growing they had commandeered her time and attention, as she was not a woman who was content to leave them to be raised by nurses and attendants alone as others of their social position did, but took an active part in their rearing, playing with them, reading to them, putting them down for naps and singing them to sleep.
Now left alone with Marcus she confided in him things that she had never shared, stories of her parents and her youth; how proud she had always been of her father Tullios who had treated her as a princess, and the painful embarrassment she occasionally suffered at the hands of her mother, who shamelessly scaled the social ladder of Lycenium until the Octavius family had gone as far as her earnest endeavors could take them. It was the idea of her mother to make a match with Decimus Hadrianus, the son of the Governor of Lycenium, as that was the greatest match in the city, and Drusilla was determined to win it for her only child.
It was not something that Tullia willingly discussed with Marcus, as it brought pain to both of them to speak of the man, let alone be forced to endure his company. And yet there were times when Marcus caught himself wondering if Tullia would have married Decimus had she not realized that she truly loved Marcus. Would she have settled for him before finding out his true nature? He remembered that she had permitted him to court her for a while, and therefore had encouraged him in his suit. She would not have done so had she not found him attractive, and it was true that Decimus was a handsome man, and a charming one when he chose to be.
What would have happened between them if Marcus had not been there? It was true that in their present circumstances, some would say that Tullia would have done better to accept the proposal of Decimus who, although he had been an exile from Lycenium for two years, was now in a far better position than Marcus, who was now in exile once again.
Noting his distraction one day Tullia asked him what was on his mind. He hesitated for a moment, but the question gnawed at him and he decided to approach the subject indirectly.
“I am wondering how Felicia and Antonius are faring, as well as our friends. I pray each morning for them, but it is hard to be here and not know what is happening in the world outside.”
He sighed and Tullia responded with a soft hand on his brow. She stroked his forehead tenderly and kissed his brow.
“Poor Marcus! Yes, it is hard to be here and wonder what is happening. How long have we been here, do you think? I have lost count: I thought at first I could keep a journal, but it is difficult when you can not tell day from night.”
“I am not certain, but I think it has been a month. I say this because I hear the sound of bats from another part of the caverns going out and coming back in a steady pattern. So I determine when it is night from their going, and when it is day from their return. Also, our store of dried fruit is nearly half gone, and I packed enough for two months, not knowing how long we would need to hide.”
“I wonder how long that shall be? I suddenly realized that no one knows where we are except Decimus: would he send word to us when it is safe to leave here?”
In the light of their small fire, her blue eyes loomed large with a sheen of tears adding luster to their clear light. She had but uttered what Marcus had thought of also: how would anyone know where to send word to them to inform them of the world outside? He had not considered that when obeying Decimus’ instructions.
For the moment, however, he decided to turn the conversation to the question of Decimus himself.
“I am amazed that he even told me of this place and advised me to hide here. He said it was for Felicia’s sake and not mine, but it is more than I would ever expect of him. I had not thought him capable of affection for anyone but himself and his son. Yet he indicates that Felicia is as a daughter to him.”
Marcus shook his head in a bewilderment that was not feigned, for the actions of Decimus had truly mystified him.
“I suppose I am not as surprised as you are, Marcus. I did get to know Decimus rather well at one time, as you no doubt remember, and he is not as he seems on the surface at times. There are few people that he will permit himself to get close to, being something of a loner; but for those few whom he truly loves, he will do anything, whether to please them or to keep their love.”
“Yes, I do recall that you knew him well, Tullia. Some would say that you had chosen ill; hiding underground with your husband when you could be dining at the Imperial Palace with the man you spurned.”
“Marcus! What choice did I have? It is you that I love and no other. Decimus was forced on me by my mother, and he was charming and I did like him at first, but once I saw how cruel he could be, I could not bear the thought of marriage with such a one. At no time have I ever regretted my choice. And I am amazed that you could even suggest it: you remember what he did to me, and to Felix.”
She shuddered and he drew her close to him. She snuggled close and for a moment they said nothing. Then she straightened slightly to look at him, with a question of her own in her eyes.
“Still, I have wondered why he warned you of the Emperor’s edict and how it will affect us. And I wonder if it is not just Felicia, but perhaps Dag who has exerted some kind of benevolent influence on Decimus. Do you suppose that Dag has been speaking to him about the real Dominio, and not the Emperor’s false one that he would force others to bow down to?”
But as Marcus considered her words, he realized that he no answer to her question.
A day came when their isolation was shattered as abruptly as it had begun. The sound of approaching footsteps caused them to rise in alarm and search for a place to hide. But before they could proceed, a familiar voice hailed them.
It was Antonius.
“Father! Mother! How wonderful to see you both again,” he exclaimed as he made haste to embrace them.
“Antonius, how good it is to see you! But how did you find us?” Tullia responded.
“Father told me of this cave and gave me directions on how to find it. I am here to tell you that you should return now; the Emperor will not be sending for you.”
“What made him change his mind?” Marcus asked. “Your father was certain that I should be sent for to validate the Emperor’s edict.”
Antonius’ face clouded and he chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully. He pondered on Marcus’ words before answering his question.
“I do not know what changed his mind, but it is clear that he will not be sending for you. So I came to tell you the good news. I am glad to know of the existence of this cave system, as there may be others who will need the use of it before the end. It is clear from what little my father permits himself to tell me of the Emperor that he has gone mad, and who knows how many of our fellow Alexandrians will need to hide from his wrath?”
His face darkened momentarily and then lit into radiance suddenly and to Marcus it was as if he had glimpsed the sun after the long days spent in darkness.
“And I have more good news for you,” he said in a voice that shook slightly with eagerness. “But that shall have to wait until we return to Lycenium, where Fel
icia is waiting for us.”
Antonius helped them to gather their belongings and make their slow ascent to the surface. When they emerged from the cave the sun blinded them, so unused to it had they become. When Marcus closed his eyes he saw green spots dance in front of him, and it was several minutes before they disappeared.
At Drusilla’s villa his daughter awaited him. She flew into the arms of her mother first, much to the surprise of her father, who had always claimed first place in her heart. She held Tullia to her silently in an embrace that was both tender and rueful as though atoning for some sin that none knew of but herself. When she released Tullia, Felicia kissed her cheek and stroked it gently.
Marcus watched this demonstration with questions in his heart, but said nothing. His turn came next and Felicia hugged him fiercely, holding on for a very long moment. Antonius stood nearby and observed her with amused affection. How like his wife to wear her feelings openly for all to see!
At last the greetings were concluded and Felicia bade them to be seated. She moved closer to Antonius and they wrapped their arms around one another. As they exchanged a glance, Marcus noted the intimacy and trust between them.
At least Felicia will be loved and cared for if any ill should befall her parents, he thought.
And then the doors of the family sitting room opened and they were joined by Drusilla, and to the astonishment of Marcus, Decimus, and Paulina. Paulina erupted in little cries of delight when she saw Tullia and rushed to throw her arms around her. Decimus said nothing, but inclined his head to Marcus with forced courtesy.
Antonius and Felicia rose from their seats and drew slightly apart from the others. Antonius cleared his throat gently to get the attention of everyone.
He and Felicia had an announcement to make, and they wished for everyone to be present to hear their news, as it would impact all of them. He and Felicia had been blessed by Dominio, he said, and would soon be parents. There was no one they would rather announce the news to first than their parents and her grandmother, for as Felicia had told him when she informed him, each new life was like a new beginning, and who better to share it with than those who had given life to them.
The months of her confinement passed swiftly and uneventfully, and the child arrived in due time in the month of December. Felicia’s son was strong and vigorous from the very beginning, and it was with the blessing of her husband that she named the child Valerius after her grandfather, and a middle name of Gerontius for his grandfather.
When Marcus beheld his grandson for the first time, he shamed himself by weeping openly. How like his own father the babe looked, right down to his clenched fists as he raged in anger. What a temper his father had, legendary to the soldiers under his command. It was clear that Felicia’s son had inherited that trait, and would have her hands full raising her son.
But to Marcus the temper that had caused others to quake in alarm was not a cause for concern, only a comforting proof that though his father had passed on long ago, he yet lived on through a tiny child that did indeed seem like a new beginning.
Chapter XIV
A Miraculous Escape
Dag was beginning to fret at his continued forced attendance on the Emperor Iacomus. His duties consisted of expecting to be on hand should the Emperor need him to perform a miracle, a trying enough existence as it was, but he had been in this position for more than a year.
Dag calculated that in combining the months when he was held captive with the months that he was forced to attend the Emperor that he had not seen half of his family for nearly two years. It was April again now, and it had been July two years before when he had taken leave of them. He now had Brand and Judoc with him, as well as Cort, but Nolwenn would be grown, and old enough to be presented at Spring Festival with the other maidens, but could not do so without her parents’ permission. He shrugged inwardly, knowing that she was in no hurry to marry, but the thought rankled within him that she should be denied this rite of passage because he was condemned to wait upon a madman.
And it was painfully clear that a madman is what Iacomus was. How else to explain his insistence that all of the Valeriun Empire bow down to Dominio whether they actually worshiped Him in truth or not? Dag knew that to bow down to God in pretext was the same as mocking Him. And to be forced to do so at the command of a man was worse still; the Emperor had placed himself in the position of Dominio, taking away the free will that Dominio had given to man.
Already bitter fruit had bloomed from such enforced obedience. Dag heard of the gatherings of Valerians who came to meetings to worship a God they did not really know, professing His name on their lips, and then quarreling among themselves the moment the meeting ended, vying with one another for favor with the Emperor and the Minister of State. And Dag knew that Decimus Hadrianus was sickened by the entire spectacle.
Dag had come to know Decimus Hadrianus rather well as a result of his confinement, and was surprised at the many contradictions in the nature of the man who had killed Felix. He knew that Decimus did not believe in Dominio, yet he asked Dag probing questions, and he wondered if he were attempting to sift the truth for himself or merely curious about the true beliefs of the Alexandrians. It came as a shock to Dag to discover that Decimus’ son Antonius was married to the daughter of his old friend Marcus, who had more reason to hate Decimus than any man alive.
Indeed, he had been visited by the young couple not long after his installment as the Emperor’s miracle man. He was pleased to see Felicia, whom he had not seen in several years, and delighted at her ardent faith. Her young husband plainly adored her, and did not resemble his father at all. Dag marveled at the workings of fate and how these two young people came together in spite of the rancor their fathers bore each other.
Dag sensed that Decimus returned Marcus’ hatred in full measure, yet for Felicia’s sake he was willing to grant favors to him that protected him from the Emperor’s wrath. Decimus was the only person in such a position, and it was ironic that he was called on to assist the man he hated like no other on earth, simply because their children had fallen in love and married before their parents could stop the marriage.
Such thoughts of other people’s children turned his back to his own in Eirinia. How did Maelys fare these days? Did she still wrangle with Melisande? And how was Dirk coping with the work? Cort had informed him that Lucius Maximus was in Eirinia, and he stayed on to help Dirk, waiting for the time for Kyrene to return to Solone. Dag knew that the sooner he could leave the sooner that Kyrene could also, and he wondered at how well Lucius liked doing menial labor, something he had never known.
He was pleased to be reunited with Judoc and Brand in spite of his pleas for them to remain at home. How good to have his wife beside him! And his youngest son was blossoming into a fine young man. He was now fourteen and showing an interest in Valerium and the workings of the political machinations that he witnessed in the Palace. But it would be best to take him home as soon as could be done, for a farmer was all that he could ever see Brand becoming. He had neither the worldly wisdom for anything else, nor curiosity about the world that his sister Maelys did.
Yah, it would be good for everyone to return to Eirinia, whenever that blessed time might be. And Dag fell to his knees, weeping, asking Dominio to make a way for him to go home.
He lay dreaming one night as a mighty storm raged in the heavens above them. Through his dream he heard the faint boom of distant thunder, and the hissing of lightning as it periodically tore through the blackened sky. Rain fell in a blinding curtain of silver, teeming down like a spray of water that cleanses the earth beneath it.
And in the dream a child stood before him, smiling and beckoning him with an outstretched hand.
He could not tell if the child were a girl or a boy; so beautiful was its face that it might have been a girl, but even so the angles of its face were sharp enough to be a boy’s, and he simply could not tell. But it stood before him, silently commanding him.
Follow m
e, it instructed him.
He found himself rising from his bed, and he looked for Judoc beside him: she was not there. He wanted to search for her, but the child beckoned to the cloak that lay over a couch and he donned it quickly along with the sandals at the foot of it. His feet followed the child although his heart remained behind with the wife he did not see, and was heavy within him. The door of his room opened, and he saw the attendants who constantly lay outside to prevent his escape sleeping on the floor. He thought he would wake them but they slept too deeply.
Down the stairs of the Palace the child led him, and Dag noted that the Guards who should have been standing on duty at the foot of the stairs were missing, and he wondered at it. He followed his guide out the doors of the Palace and out into the streets of Potentus. And there he had the biggest surprise of all.
Judoc, Brand, Cort, Siv, and Brit stood waiting for him, all of them wearing identical looks of astonishment at his appearance in their midst, all of them cloaked against the rain. That they had been similarly led by the child was evident, as none were surprised to see it leading Dag. He looked at his family in bewilderment, and then turned to the child.
It was gone, and where it had stood the wet pavement was unmarked, with no trace of the footsteps that should have been there.
Dag glanced down at the pavement beneath him and moved his feet: his footsteps were clearly visible. He turned a mystified gaze to his wife, who returned it and shrugged her shoulders.
It was left to Brand to say it.