The soft midday spring wind rippled across the newly blossomed flowers, colours of red and yellow melted together to create serene aura, around the marble court yard. The flowers held no comfort today as Portia sat on the matching cold marble bench that was positioned by the sea of rippling flowers, her left hand lay limply on the folds of her pure white toga that cascaded into her lap while her right hand mindlessly caressed the soft petals by her side. Portia stared passively her mind elsewhere. Portia worried for her husband Brutus, the celebrated member of the senate, had not told her his troubles of late. She realised that she was in fact privileged to hear of the goings on in her husband's life, most wives were not privy to such things; it was none of their concern as they were to stay at home and be good wives.
As Portia continued to stare into space the very object of her concern had waltzed through the front door and into the court yard, as his eyes fell on his beautiful wife his expression changed to one that conveyed disquiet, it worried him to see his strong willed bride in such a passive state. Brutus reached out and gently lay a hesitant hand on her petite bare shoulder causing her to jump slightly and gasp. "Forgive me, my love, I did not mean to startle you" Brutus soothed.
"It's quite alright dear, I was just thinking. How was your day?" Portia said in a tone that mirrored her previous expression.
"That is a trivial matter; you should not concern yourself with such a thing" Brutus dismissed looking anywhere but his wife's eyes. He started to move on to avoid Portia's questions but she caught his wrist and he swung back around. "Why will you not tell me of your troubles? Why do you hide what you are doing? Why do you not tell me what you talk of in hushed voice with Cassius in the corridors late at night? Why do you leave our bed late at night? I lay awake wondering if my husband will come back to me in one piece, or even at all." Portia's once strong spirited voice now strained and tears of unease threatened to spill loose. Portia turned away from her husband not wanting him to see her in this state. Brutus' worry increased when he saw this once proud and strong woman fall to pieces right before his very eyes. Brutus could take it no longer and wrapped her in an embrace, resting his chin in her shoulder. "I do not trust Cassius, Brutus" she said in a quiet voice that was beginning to regain some of her former strength "and I do not think you should either"
"My dear, you are mistaken. Cassius is a good man, he has payed me a great many compliments of late. I see no evil in this man" Brutus said trying to reassure her but to no avail. Portia turned to face him while still in his embrace. "I just do not trust him" she said pulling away from his embrace and peered into his warm chocolate eyes. Portia's hard brown, almost black eyes had always had a penetrating element in them and it seemed to Brutus that she was peering into the very depths of his guilty soul, that said guilt forced him to look beyond her black eyes to the crimson roses beside her. As the wind blew gently across them the colour meshed together to put an image of a blood sea in Brutus' mind, he shuddered as his conscience got the better of him. Portia put her soft feminine hands on both sides of his face and guided his eyes back to hers. Brutus had no choice but to look directly into hers, there was no escaping her gaze now.
"Brutus, look at me. Do not trust him. He is as cunning and as sly as a fox. He showers you with compliments that are nothing but pretty words and behind those pretty words is malice. Please Brutus, I'm begging you, tell me what you have planned with Cassius." Brutus could no longer hide it from her; he had never been good at hiding things from her. "We plan to kill Julius Caesar. Cassius has rallied a few other men and we shall kill him tonight at the Capitol."
"Why would you plan to kill Caesar? I thought you were great friends."
"He is my best lover, Portia. However it is for the good of Rome, Cassius informs me that he has become too powerful and plans to rule our great republic himself alone. Cassius has made me see this. If we follow Julius Caesar any longer we are doomed to anarchy."
"I told you that behind his pretty words there is malice. He is making you believe what he wants you to believe. He uses you to get away with this evil deed. I think he means to take Rome for himself by using you as a stepping stone."
"Why would someone such as Cassius need one such as me to take Rome?" Brutus did not understand his wife's reasoning behind her accusation. Cassius was a good and smart man; surely he would not need Brutus to take over Rome. Cassius valued the republic as much as the next good Roman, why would Portia think he would mean to take control of Rome? "Cassius needs you, Brutus, because you are trusted and loved by the people, you are true to the republican way, Cassius is not. He lurks in the dark like a lion of the Colosseum ready to pounce on any who appose or question him."
Such words angered Brutus, he could not take his wife soiling Cassius' name and likening him to a lion of the Colosseum. "Do not go to the capitol tonight to kill, go to reason." Urged Portia, she was worried that her husband was treading along a dark path from which he could not return. "I must go to kill it is for the good of Rome and for the good of the republic." Brutus lent down to the rose garden and picked a solitary red rose and handed it to Portia, he laid a gentle kiss on her cheek whispering in her ear "I shall return to you"
As Portia shed a tear for her husband's soon to be darkened soul, a single petal fell from the rose and lay to rest beside her sandaled foot.