Chapter I
Lucilla watched her brother pace across the room from a crack in one of the big wooden doors in the palace. No doubt he was plotting something. An assasination, perhaps, probably that of Maximus. The Spaniard had been irritating him for some time now. But he wouldn't have to worry about him for much longer. Commodus finally settled in a chair.
Lucilla clutched at the volmunous skirt of her elegant dress, and stood up, walking quietly towards him.
"Can't sleep, brother?"
He turned to face her. His hair was disheveled, his face pale - since he had seized the throne, sleep had been a rare luxury.
"I'm just thinking, that's all. Where's Lucius?"
"It's late, he's sleeping, of course," she replied. "He has been for hours."
Commodus sighed, and looked at his sister. His shoulders were slumped, his tired eyes narrowed.
"He's so lucky," he said. "He doesn't have a single worry in the world."
You mean, he doesn't have the murder of his father weighing on his conscience, Lucilla thought, but was wise enough not to say.
"I'll mix you a tonic, shall I? To help you sleep."
Commodus nodded in response, and slumped back in his chair.
Lucilla walked quickly to the table where the medicines and herbs were kept. She began to stir one of the finely crushed powders into a small glass of water. Her expert fingers had done this, many, many times before - when she was younger, she used to mix tonics for her father, the great Marcus Aurelius. As she stirred the potion, waiting for all the powder to be disolved, she glanced at her brother. He had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling as he breathed. She had to look away - despite all the terrible atrocities he had done, from the murder of their father, to the slaying of the family of the man she'd loved - and still loved - he was still her brother, nothing would change that.
With unsteady hands, she reached up the left sleeve of her dress and pulled out the small glass bottle that she'd been hiding there. Her heartbeat deafening her, she removed the stopper and tipped the murky liquid in with the tonic. As quick as she'd removed it, she slid the bottle back up her sleeve.
"Commodus," she called to him, "It's ready."
She carefully carried the glass over to him. A thought struck her - could someone have seen her add the liquid? Who knows who the night's shadows could have hid in the grand palace? She feared the Praetorian guards, everyone in Rome did, no one was safe from them, not even the Emperor if he displeased them. She carried on, the thought still troubling her. As she approached him, his eyes opened again, and met with hers. Lucilla shuddered inside - even a simple glance or a smile from her brother, could make her feel uncomfortable. Eyes which had witnessed such evil, lips that had given the orders for such terrible acts. At that moment, she knew she was doing the right thing, no matter how heartbreaking it seemed to her now.
Commodus reached out and took the glass, stared at it for a few seconds, and then swallowed the liquid quickly.
"I... I must go now," Lucilla could only manage a shaky whisper. "I will see you in the morning. Sleep well, goodnight." She turned from Commodus, but quickly felt his strong hand on her shoulder.
"A kiss?"
Lucilla slowly turned back. Commodus' eyebrows were raised expectantly, his eyes glimmered with hope. Once again, he looked so childlike, vunerable and somewhat naive. 'The body of a man, but the eyes of a child,' Lucilla and their father used to tease him. Back when she didn't fear him.
Perhaps, had he not made her heart turn to stone over the time of his reign, a tear might have come to her eye.
Lucilla watched her brother pace across the room from a crack in one of the big wooden doors in the palace. No doubt he was plotting something. An assasination, perhaps, probably that of Maximus. The Spaniard had been irritating him for some time now. But he wouldn't have to worry about him for much longer. Commodus finally settled in a chair.
Lucilla clutched at the volmunous skirt of her elegant dress, and stood up, walking quietly towards him.
"Can't sleep, brother?"
He turned to face her. His hair was disheveled, his face pale - since he had seized the throne, sleep had been a rare luxury.
"I'm just thinking, that's all. Where's Lucius?"
"It's late, he's sleeping, of course," she replied. "He has been for hours."
Commodus sighed, and looked at his sister. His shoulders were slumped, his tired eyes narrowed.
"He's so lucky," he said. "He doesn't have a single worry in the world."
You mean, he doesn't have the murder of his father weighing on his conscience, Lucilla thought, but was wise enough not to say.
"I'll mix you a tonic, shall I? To help you sleep."
Commodus nodded in response, and slumped back in his chair.
Lucilla walked quickly to the table where the medicines and herbs were kept. She began to stir one of the finely crushed powders into a small glass of water. Her expert fingers had done this, many, many times before - when she was younger, she used to mix tonics for her father, the great Marcus Aurelius. As she stirred the potion, waiting for all the powder to be disolved, she glanced at her brother. He had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling as he breathed. She had to look away - despite all the terrible atrocities he had done, from the murder of their father, to the slaying of the family of the man she'd loved - and still loved - he was still her brother, nothing would change that.
With unsteady hands, she reached up the left sleeve of her dress and pulled out the small glass bottle that she'd been hiding there. Her heartbeat deafening her, she removed the stopper and tipped the murky liquid in with the tonic. As quick as she'd removed it, she slid the bottle back up her sleeve.
"Commodus," she called to him, "It's ready."
She carefully carried the glass over to him. A thought struck her - could someone have seen her add the liquid? Who knows who the night's shadows could have hid in the grand palace? She feared the Praetorian guards, everyone in Rome did, no one was safe from them, not even the Emperor if he displeased them. She carried on, the thought still troubling her. As she approached him, his eyes opened again, and met with hers. Lucilla shuddered inside - even a simple glance or a smile from her brother, could make her feel uncomfortable. Eyes which had witnessed such evil, lips that had given the orders for such terrible acts. At that moment, she knew she was doing the right thing, no matter how heartbreaking it seemed to her now.
Commodus reached out and took the glass, stared at it for a few seconds, and then swallowed the liquid quickly.
"I... I must go now," Lucilla could only manage a shaky whisper. "I will see you in the morning. Sleep well, goodnight." She turned from Commodus, but quickly felt his strong hand on her shoulder.
"A kiss?"
Lucilla slowly turned back. Commodus' eyebrows were raised expectantly, his eyes glimmered with hope. Once again, he looked so childlike, vunerable and somewhat naive. 'The body of a man, but the eyes of a child,' Lucilla and their father used to tease him. Back when she didn't fear him.
Perhaps, had he not made her heart turn to stone over the time of his reign, a tear might have come to her eye.
