Disclaimer: As Chapter One; so please, for the love of God, do not make me keep writing it out people!
The Arverni's were a very powerful tribe inhabiting what is now the region of Lyon in France, and gave their name to the area Auvergne. They were violently opposed to Roman rule and the most famous of them, Vercingetorix, led the revolt that Julius Caesar put down in 46BC. It is to his tribe that Afia belongs.
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'Thoughts'
"Speech"
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ROME:
Passions
Chapter Three – Negotiations
Afia stalked up to the inert Roman laying on the bed "Oi! Get up you lazy sod!"
Lucius just ignored her "Niobe, Niobe!" he sobbed into the dress.
Timon came back with the children "Take them away – take him away!" he yelled, pointing at the small boy "they lied, they all lied – and he is the reason I am here!"
Afia turned to the girls and the boy "have you food?"
Vorena, the elder daughter, looked askance at her father "nay…we have not got much." She turned to him "She bid us lie, she told me that you would have us all killed if you knew the truth!"
Afia patted her on the arm, as Lucius waved her away "it is alright, I will allow him a few more hours to finish grieving and then I will make him face you. Fetch what food you have and we can try to find more later." The girl looked relieved that someone was taking charge of more than just fighting and trotted off.
Just then there was a commotion outside and there were shouts for Timon and Pullo to come forth. Afia went with them – outside the gates stood Mark Anthony and his guard.
There was a stand-off until Afia pushed her way through and faced off the Roman commander as well as the Thirteenth veterans.
"Has there not been enough bloodshed? Even as famed warriors, you must all be tiring of the bloodletting by now?" She then turned to Mark Anthony himself "My lord, what is it you wish?" she dipped her head…slightly.
The Roman was taken aback by the forthright woman before him. She was no great beauty, bigger and more robust than a roman woman, none the less he could see she had spirit and her garb and weapons marked her out as a warrior – a Gaul by the looks of her; still she was attempting to be respectful, no easy feat for a proud Gaul, so he humoured her.
"I have come to have Lucius Vorenus put to death, he….."
"I have heard of his failing my lord." She turned and shushed the veterans and Pullo. "But I bid you enter so I can show you that killing him would be more mercy than you would wish to show a wretch such as he."
She pushed through the veterans – Pullo could see she had a plan, as could Timon, both quickly twigged what it was……..Timon smiled, he reckoned her scheming could give Atia a run for her money if she'd been born a connected Roman.
However, once inside four of the Roman's men rushed her – she despatched them in the same fashion she had the bandits that had attacked Pullo.
Mark Anthony stood open-mouthed "I am surprised we routed the Gallic armies with warriors like you in their midst."
"Gallic tribes cannot fight together – Roman legions can. We had not the discipline you did." She wiped her blades and stowed them "I hope you will now call off your men?"
"Aye, I have only a small guard – I cannot have you laying waste to more." She showed him up the stairs to where Lucius lay, almost mindless with grief.
"As you see, he has lost his reason. He barely eats or sleeps, he spends every moment whether awake or asleep in torment it seems. His children despair of him; I have only been here less than 1 hour and I want to punch him."
"His wife?"
"She is the cause of this. It seems she had an affair with her brother-in-law, her sister's husband, and had a son. When Lucius returned she passed the babe off as her elder daughter's." Mark Anthony raised his eyebrows "Aye, well, I would not – but she was desperate no doubt."
She sighed and continued on "should you wish to sit lord?" Mark Anthony took a chair and indicated for the others to do so as well, making sure that Afia sat near him; Timon saw Pullo bristle slightly.
"Pray continue….what is your name?"
"Afia of the Arverni."
"A fierce tribe."
"Aye and I am the last I think….the last freeman anyway, my master freed me – and it is for him I have come. I happened on Titus Pullo in a bit of bother, and that is how I come to be here."
Mark Anthony regarded the large roman "Then you are indeed fortunate to have such an able ally as this, Pullo."
Pullo smiled tightly and Timon put a hand on his arm; all knew their commander's appetite for women, but Timon reckoned this wench could more than hold her own.
"Your old master, would I know him?"
"Mayhap lord – Decimus Andronicus; a trader, though he did have dealings with high born families such as yourself."
"Aye, I think I have heard of him. I will try to locate him for you and advise you of his whereabouts."
Afia dipped her head, though all could see being this respectful to a Roman was hard "Many thanks my lord. Should I continue about the wretch before us?"
"Aye, do."
"Well, as the boy is about 4 years now I can only assume that it has been a well kept secret for all that time. Then one day, the day Caesar was murdered for I know naught else to call it, someone told him the truth. Lucius lost his mind and came back here to confront his wife – she panicked and threw herself over that railing there." She added, for effect "he learnt only hours later that Caesar had been so brutally butchered, and the full weight of his actions were brought to bear." She dipped her head as if in sorrow before looking at the Roman once more "truly I say to kill him would be a swift release from the torments he is suffering every moment of every day."
"A swift punishment is not what I had in mind – mayhap to let him live would be worse?"
"I think so my lord for even if he did, perchance, recover his senses the guilt will remain for all eternity – a permanent stain on his honour; and, so I have been told, he is a deeply honourable man."
"That is indeed true, I agree that I think it would haunt him." He sat and thought for a moment "Aye the punishment would better fit the crime. He is to live, to live with the consequences and guilt of what he has done."
He turned to Timon, Pullo and the other veterans "she is a master negotiator as well as a consummate warrior." He smiled at Afia "it is as well you were not in control of the armies of Gaul – not only would we have doubtful won the war, but peace negotiations would have probably lost us Rome to you as well."
She smiled gratefully and dipped her head "You are too kind my lord. I am only grateful I was lucky enough to have a good master who finally granted me my freedom."
"Aye and I will keep my word to find him for you if I can." He smiled mischievously then "but you did kill four of my best men and, sadly, that cannot go unpunished."
There was a rumble around the veterans, but he saw her face change not a bit – except look mildly interested "I know, I know, men – I dislike the rule as much as anyone, but it is a rule and as such must be upheld."
He appeared to think for a moment "still, they were my men so I can be allowed to pick the punishment." Another pause "I am putting you in charge of Pullo, Verenus, the children and such – in fact all that come here for refuge are now yours."
That got a response "I am a bloody warrior – not a nursemaid!"
He stifled the laugh at her indignation "Aye, and I would offer death as an alternative….." he looked around and then back at her "but I believe you would take it."
He could see her bite her lip until it actually bled and thanked the Gods he was so important – otherwise he would be in fear of his life "as my lord wishes" she intoned in a way that meant anything but that.
"He does…" he turned to take his leave "I think I punish all of you as much as she – for she has a temper Hades would value." He left chuckling at his own joke.
She spun on Pullo "Honestly! You are to be the bane of my bloody miserable life! Now I am stuck with you – sodding all of you!" she turned on the veterans "Well, he says you have to be here, and I want no bloody others coming – go fetch your families, but leave one place free for my old master; and we allow no one else entry."
She stormed off with Pullo behind her "Why is it my bloody fault – you are the one who killed his men!"
"What was I supposed to do Pullo, stand there and let them kill me!"
"It was an option!"
"Aye, the one right after I kill you first!"
Vitus turned to Timon "Why do I get the feeling our Pullo has finally met his match?"
Timon grinned "because he bloody has, and who would have thought it would be with a Gaul?"
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Two hours later Verona, the elder daughter, came with her younger sister and half brother. "Thank you for helping my father."
"I have done naught yet. Mark Anthony's arrival stayed my hand on dragging him back to the land of the living."
"Aye but without you there would have been a fight, and we might have all perished as well as our father."
"Well, you are welcome – but come the time when I am being hard on your father, you might not feel so grateful."
"You cannot be too harsh with him."
"Why not?"
"He has treated us badly this past week, not least him" she pointed to the boy "he treats him as evil and the fault was not his."
"Aye the child is blameless all can see that. Still I will see what I can do on all fronts, does that appease you? What are your names?"
"I am Verona the elder, she is Verona the younger and he is Lucius."
"Your parents called you both the same name, and your brother by his….um…by your father's name?"
"Aye."
"Not very inventive were they?" The girls smiled "Well, it does not matter that the boy is named for your father. But you two….I will call you Rena" she pointed to the elder daughter "and you Vorry." She indicated the younger "that way we can tell you apart; agreed?"
"Aye." Rena did not mind, it sounded grown up. Vorry did not mind as it sounded cute.
Afia turned to the bed as the children filed out "right!" she marched over "now you listen to me and you listen good – I do not give a flying fart about what happened; this Niobe is dead and you are not. So get your fat arse off of that bed and start living, because I am now stuck with your sorry behind and I am not putting up with all this sodding weeping and wailing!" she prodded his shoulder "it has been over a week - she is dead; live with it, deal with it and move on!"
Red, swollen and bloodshot eyes regarded her "how can you know wench! You are a Gaul, a slave! How can you understand my loss!" he hugged the dress "Niobe, Niobe!"
She slapped his face….very hard. "I mayhap be a Gaul and a freed slave, but I am still flesh and blood, Roman – I lost much, all in fact, and at the hands of your Rome! I mourned my family, my betrothed – oh I mourned much that your kind took from me, but I did not let it kill me!" she eyed him scornfully "but mayhap a Gallic woman is stronger than a Roman soldier?"
He finally looked properly at her and glared "Aye, you do your fellows here a disservice methinks; strong men all, and you weaker than a foreign wench!" She spat on the floor in front of the bed "Pathetic!"
She turned to Pullo "I will not waste my time on this babe any longer, if he wishes to pine to death like a sick puppy let him." She snorted derisively "he has added enough of his weak blood to Rome's" she gestured to the children "best he dies and adds no more."
Timon went to speak, to warn her that Lucius had leapt from the bed to attack her; but he need not have bothered – she brought her fist up and back, knocking the man backwards; then spun round to face him and drew her daggers "tangle not with me Roman, for you will lose; I killed four of Mark Anthony's men this day – you will be of little sport for me."
He fell to his knees "my fault, my fault….all my fault!"
She put away her blades and the men could not believe the change as she stooped and hugged him, her voice soft and caring "nay, nay – she took her own life because of her shame. Naught you did caused it Lucius Vorenus, Pullo tells me you are a good and honourable man – he puts much stock on you, and I can see why now. Come, come to bed and rest…." She handed off the dress and he did not protest as she huddled him down and drew the coverlet over him.
"You never spoke gentle like that to me." Pullo moaned.
"You never needed it." She turned to Timon "he will recover now, but it will be slow. Though that is good, if he regains his mind too soon Mark Anthony may change his mind about letting him live. Mayhap even when he is fully better he can pretend to still be broken if we see the commander?"
"Aye, that is a good point and a better plan." Timon smiled "you would make a brilliant general; none of us would have done any of this."
"You are forthright men and women are generally more crafty and sly."
"Aye, and you the worst of all." Pullo added feelingly.
"If I could reach your head I would slap it!"
"Grateful I am then you cannot." he grinned...she kicked his shin.
"Oww!"
"Be grateful I did not kick aught else." She turned and walked back to the sleeping Lucius "come children, come sit with your father – he will have need of you now."
Timon turned to Pullo "she is a rare one."
"Aye, it is not often such a demon escapes Hades."
The mercenary walked away laughing.