Title: Flitare con L'amore
Author: sitarra
Classification: Way historical AU
Keywords: MSR, R, AU
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Definitely not
Summary: "Is this such a good idea, Maximus? You and I?"
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. The characters Maximus and Lucilla are property of DreamWorks SKG. The characters of Mulder and Scully, as well as friends and family, are property of 20th Century Fox Television. I am simply borrowing and combining them for my own amusement.
A/N: You know how some AU's take you back in time? Well, this one's taking you way back in time. Thanks to Sam (Cheeto) for allowing me to use her for my story. I hope everyone loves this story as much as I loved writing it. I love AUs and I was inspired by watching Gladiator so this story is what came of it. I had to change the geography a little bit because it hurts a part of the story if I don't. And I apologize for any and all spelling and grammar errors. Also, if anything seems too out of character that isn't later explained somehow, tell me. I have worked so hard making everything try to seem just like Mulder and Scully.
Characters:
Lucilla (Dana Scully) – daughter of Roman Emperor
Maximus Decidus (Fox Mulder) – general loyal to Roman Emperor
Marcus Aurelius (Captain Scully) – Emperor of Rome
Sephora – friend of Lucilla
Mardious (Langley) – soldier in Maximus' army
Domitius (Byers) – lieutenant general loyal to Maximus
Mardian (Frohike) – eunuch and servant to Lucilla, somewhat infatuated with her
Palidorus (Skinner) – attendant to Maximus
Melania (Maggie Scully) – wife of Marcus Aurelius
Camidus (Charlie Scully) – youngest son of Marcus Aurelius
Sophronia (my friend Sam) – cousin of Lucilla, obsessed with Maximus
Octavia (Diana) – cousin of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII
9 November 173
There were no trumpets, no grand parades, or adoring love from the public. There was only him and his horse, Alexander, riding down the crowded streets of Appian Way. He nodded to the occasional passer-by that recognized him and greeted him. Off in the distance, just to the north of him, his eyes were treated to the site of the grand palace. It seemed the sun always hit it just right, just perfect enough to make it glisten in the sun. It was his favorite site to see. Well, one of them anyway.
"Look, father! It's Maximus!" a little boy said as Maximus neared the palace. The boy's father looked up from his cart and smiled and waved at the general. Maximus smile back at the two, albeit somewhat shyly. He never knew how to respond to people's attention.
The guards at the front gate saluted him when he passed through. On the palace steps, he could see his old friend, Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He held up a hand in greeting. Beside Aurelius was Melania, his wife, and Lucilla, his daughter. His blood warmed at the sight of Lucilla. There was a mutual attraction between the two, had been for years. It never went beyond flirting, though. A lot of flirting; enough to create walls of sexual tension. He supposed eventually they should take it further – he knew he certainly wanted to – but, while Aurelius treated him like a son, Aurelius only knew him as an army general.
Still, there was something about Lucilla that intrigued him, that made him want to take that step. She was so… powerful and in control. She had an authority about her and a mischievous gleam in her blue eyes. She knew she could always get what she wanted from him.
"Maximus, so wonderful to see you again," Aurelius greeted him after he swung down from his horse.
Maximus saluted the older man as he stood in front of him. "Caesar, it's good to see you again. My days grow long with no wars to fight."
"It won't last long. I'm not so fond of Parthia these days."
Maximus stepped over to Melania, pressing a kiss to her hand.
"You must move here one day soon, Maximus. My husband grows bored with no warfare conversations," she told him. She was a beautiful woman with round brown eyes and wavy brown hair to match. She wasn't very tall but next to her husband, no one could tell.
"Forgive me, Melania. Perhaps one day I might consider moving back to Rome, but there is a better way of life in Alexandria without the politics of Rome," he explained.
"Come, Maximus. You must see the layout of my latest front," Aurelius interrupted. "I need your help making sure it's at its strongest." He and his wife started to head back inside.
Maximus waited until he could no longer see them before speaking. "It's been a while, Lucilla. The year has done you extraordinarily well."
"And you, Maximus." She held her hand out to him, which he gladly accepted.
"You become more beautiful each time I see you," he flattered before kissing her hand sweetly.
"Such a flatterer, Maximus. What do you expect in return? Praise, perhaps, of past battles won?"
He met her piercing blue eyes. "Nothing but your presence, Lucilla."
Her brow rose. "Only my presence?" she smiled slyly before walking away. She knew he wouldn't be far behind.
"You fill my mind with pleasant but inappropriate thoughts," Maximus shared as he followed. He watched the sway of her walk as she moved ever so gracefully in front of him.
"The thoughts in your head now are certainly most inappropriate," she wisely told him, a smug grin on her face.
'Busted.' "And how would you know that, Lucilla?"
She turned around suddenly, her long, curly red hair flowing around her shoulders. "A soldier spends months at a time without seeing a single woman. You have only men to look at, to talk to, to share company with."
"I'll have you know I saw many women on the way here and I didn't have a single inappropriate thought about any one of them," Maximus defended. He stepped suspiciously closer to her but she didn't mind. If he didn't know better, he'd say she moved closer as well. "And yet, when I saw you, Lucilla, I could think of nothing but… naughty thoughts of you and me."
"And what sort of thoughts would those be?" she murmured slowly.
He held her eyes for a few moments before breaking into a grin.
"I've kept your father waiting long enough."
He began to walk forwards but her hands shot out to stop him.
"Maximus, it is good to see you again. I wish you would visit more often."
"But then I wouldn't leave you something to look forward to."
She smiled faintly. "Will I see you tonight?"
"Don't you always?"
That Night
Aurelius patted Maximus on the back as they walked together.
"Maximus, my boy, times are changing, I'm afraid. The Senate is becoming increasingly unsatisfied." His white beard shook as he spoke. His head was almost bare of hair and he and a penchant for long robes.
"Who do they hate these days?"
"Well, I have a cousin in the west causing turmoil among his people. They may revolt soon and he wants us to intervene. Then there's my brother-in-law. He's causing trouble all over. They want my army to… collect him."
Maximus thought on that for a moment. "It sounds too easy. I need a challenge these days. Something exciting."
"I don't need you getting hurt or killed, Maximus," Aurelius told him, a sharp, fatherly tone in his voice. "I need you to be well-rested and on your toes. I need you and your men to be ready at a moment's notice."
"We always are, Caesar. There's not been a day in my life I haven't been prepared."
"Yes, I suppose that's true." He turned towards Maximus, stopping in the middle of the corridor. "I suppose I should find my wife now. She thinks I spend more time with my generals than I do with her."
"Be sure to beg her forgiveness of me for taking up so much of your time," Maximus told him, a chuckle in his voice.
Aurelius waved it off. "Nonsense. I spend plenty of time with her. I think she just doesn't like being left alone with Sophronia. That damn girl does nothing but talk."
"She's a beautiful young girl; you'll get her married off in no time," Maximus viewed.
"True, true; she has a crush on you, you know."
"Yes, I know," he said grimly. "Whenever I'm in Rome, she follows me all over. It's quite annoying."
Aurelius eyed Maximus for a moment. "I imagine you already have a beautiful young lady at your service waiting for you right now perhaps?"
He phrased it more as a question, trying to gauge a reaction from Maximus. A faint smile came across the young general's face.
"I suppose you could say that," he vaguely replied.
Aurelius smiled at him. "Let's not keep her waiting then." And with that he walked off.
Maximus waited a moment. "Palidorus?"
The attendant stepped forward. "Yes, my lord?"
He pointed in the direction of Aurelius. "How is it he always manages to know… something?"
"He has his ways, my lord. Besides, you spend much time together. He is bound to know when there's a change in your disposition," Palidorus wisely answered.
"Yes, I guess you're right. Still…" He shook his head and started in the opposite direction.
"You're relieved for the night, Palidorus. I won't need you again until early morning," Maximus told the tall, lean man. With a salute, he was gone. He would return to the rooms to sleep for a few hours before returning in the small hours of the morning to escort his master to the rooms. He was well versed in the routine.
Maximus didn't bother knocking; she would ignore him if he did. He pushed the large door open. Normally she would be waiting by the open windows, but she never liked to stay still for long. He moseyed around for a few minutes, fingering her personal items. He smiled when he spotted a bracelet he had given her a few years ago. 'So she does wear it,' he thought to himself. He brought her various gifts from all his travels over the years – what numerous trips they were. One year it was perfume from Syria. The next he brought her a sapphire necklace from Crete.
He left her room and went to the only other place she could've been. The private bathhouse.
When he finally reached the wall with no door, he tapped in various places before smiling at the hollow sound. He pushed forcefully to open it, only to push twice as hard to close it. The corridor was dark and ominous but he knew exactly where he was going.
After a short walk light started to appear, faint but it was there. He heard a splashing from the large, open room. When he stepped onto the rich mosaic tile, he smiled when he saw her. She had her hair up, a rare but lovely sight. She was lazily moving her hands through the water, her eyes shut. He could only imagine the body hidden beneath the rose petal laden water.
"You are very predictable, Lucilla," he announces loudly.
It had the desired effect. She started and the water splashed around her. Her eyes opened quickly only to find Maximus grinning smugly at her.
"And I see you haven't changed your ways, Maximus," she told him, her voice icy.
He strolled closer to the bath. "If I did, you wouldn't love me anymore."
"What makes you think I even like you?" she coyly answered.
He placed his hand over his heart. "You wound me, Lucilla. All these years I've known you and I come to find out you don't even like me."
"Come now, Maximus. Do you expect me to believe your words?" She moved over to the side closest to him. He tried to keep his eyes solely on her face but they strayed below her neck only a few times.
"Believe what you want, Lucilla," he told her, "but I know deep in your heart you love me."
He sat down on the edge of the pool. She inched closer to him discreetly, not wanting him to know how much she enjoyed his presence.
She had always felt an attraction to Maximus. Years ago, when they had first met when she was only seventeen, she had been immensely attracted to him. She had first noticed his charming smile, the smile women would fight wars over one day. He had a presence about him, a confidence she found highly approachable. At the dinner banquet that night, he had chosen to sit next to her and they hadn't stopped flirting since. She quite often wished he would take it a step further; she could only tease and be teased for so many years! Every time she thought he was going outside of his comfort zone, he would pull back or leave.
'Well, not anymore, Maximus,' she thought. 'Not anymore.'
"Well," she started, becoming shy, "who wouldn't fall in love with those big green eyes? No woman could resist them."
"I do hope you are one of those women."
She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She rested her arms on the ledge, water dripping onto the tile. She never had been able to describe the feelings he brought about in her. Her heart would pound in her ears, her pulse went absolutely wild, everything she knew would leave her mind. She didn't know how he did it!
"I received your note," she said lively, changing the subject. "I suppose Palidorus delivered it?"
"Of course. Did you like it?"
She nodded. "You are a very good artist. Your depictions of the monuments are very realistic."
He slipped his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to his. "You'll have to come with me sometime. They are truly amazing in person."
She slipped her hand around his and brought his fingers to her lips. She kissed them one by one, enjoying the pained look on his face.
"That's really up to you now, isn't it, Maximus?" she whispered.
"Well, uh…" he continued to stutter. She always had loved to toy with him.
She stood suddenly. Water dripped off her body quickly as her skin adjusted to the temperature around her. As a gentleman, his first response was to look away, or to keep his eyes solely on hers. But as a living, breathing male who hadn't had female company in quite some time, he had to catch a glimpse.
"Could you hand me my robe, Maximus?" he faintly heard her ask. He mutely nodded and attempted to stand without ogling her further. He heard her step out of the bath, the sound of wet footsteps audible. He picked up the silk robe from a chair, recognizing it immediately.
"This is the robe I brought you from Croatia a few years ago," he told her. "I don't think I've ever seen you wear it."
"I wear it all the time. Normally just after a bath. I like the feel of it against my bare skin."
Maximus groaned; she smiled. "Lucilla, the things you do to me," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
She turned around and he helped put her robe on.
"Thank you, Maximus," she murmured softly, tilting her head down to tie the sash. She felt his hands move up to her neck before moving his fingers into her hair. She closed her eyes as she felt him release her hair from its confines.
"I like your hair down," he murmured in her ear. He ran his hands through it before brushing it aside over her shoulder.
He pressed kisses across her shoulder and up to her neck. She tasted of rose petals and figs.
"You take liberties with me, Maximus," she said, biting back a groan.
"You allow me such liberties, Lucilla," he said. "I told you earlier I missed you. What I failed to do was elaborate how much."
She turned in his arms, her eyes clouded over. He had to know how she reacted to him. She remained silent when he continued to speak.
"You haunt my dreams at night. I find myself thinking of you at various points of the day. Palidorus is beginning to think something is wrong with me. So are my lieutenants. I find myself comparing other women to you. None of them have what you do, Lucilla. You have an authority about you, a … a powerful nature. It's frightfully compelling."
She held up a hand to stop him. "Why so profound this trip, Maximus?"
He chuckled as he brushed a hand across her cheek. "I simply realized that I have something, as well as someone, very good in my life and I don't want to lose it one day because her father finally forced her to marry."
"He'll never force me to marry," she couldn't resist interrupting.
"Lucilla…"
"Years, Maximus. You could have told me all of this years ago. You know how I feel; I would ignore you if I didn't like you. Even then, it would be rather difficult because you're simply too charming."
"And you're simply too seductive," he added.
"Seductive?" she parroted.
"Yes, seductive. Don't roll your eyes at me." His fingers caressed the silk at her side. "So what do you say, Lucilla?"
She played innocent. "Say to what?"
He leaned in slowly, somewhat hesitantly, and softly kissed her full lips. He didn't move at first, not wanting to overstep any bounds further. But when he felt her lips move against his, he knew that was his cue to take it a step further. He had never felt anything as euphoric as the taste of her lips. Even victory was not as sweet.
'Oh, Maximus, finally,' she thought to herself. She slipped her arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him closer to keep the feeling with her. Six years she had waited and she wasn't about to let go.
"Be with me," he whispered to her after pulling back. He rested his forehead against hers, his chest heaving as his lungs filled with air. "Be my partner through this short life."
Lucilla smiled sweetly. "I've been with you for six years, Maximus; six long years of longing and desire. I'm not going anywhere."