Ch 2a
~Bittersweet Reunion~
Verina's husband had been gone for over three long months. Anticipating his arrival from the front, she waited impatiently at the royal family's villa outside Rome. It was her duty to oversee the house while they were gone. Waking up to the sound of chirping birds, Verina opened her eyes. Expecting to see Commodus asleep next to her, his wife was yet again disappointed to see only a vacant pillow. "When will he ever return?" She began to count the number of times that she made rich offerings to Mars' altar these months. This caused her to sigh heavily, "I must not have done enough to please him yet." Sitting up to stretch, she looked around the room to breath in the morning air.
Wiping sleep out of her eyes, she slowly got out of bed to open the curtains that led her to the balcony. Leaning out, she saw the morning sun was shining brightly on the rolling hills, making everything sparkle like gold. The wheat stocks rustled in the wind near by. Verina welcomed the warm sun on her face and closed her eyes in the moment. Everything around her was at peace.
Suddenly, that peaceful silence was broken by a distant sound similar to rumbling thunder. Squinting her eyes to the sharp sun, Verina could faintly see a large cloud of dust floating up near the horizon. Before she could assess any more of the cloud, a maid rushed into her bedroom in frenzy, making her jump.
Running out to meet her at the balcony, she announced to Verina while gasping for air, forgetting completely to bow. "My lady! I just herd from a shepherd down the road that the Emperor and his legions are arriving!"
"Are you sure, Penelope?" the maid named Penelope nodded and spoke with a thick Greek accent, "Yes! Yes! I am sure of it, my lady! He even saw soldiers carrying the royal banner at the front of the line." That was all Verina had to hear.
In a rush, she commanded the woman to get out her best tunic and jewelry. It seemed that Mars heard her prayers after all and, after this day, she promised she would return his blessings tenfold.
Sitting at her vanity, Verina's usually steady hands shook as she tried to neatly place jeweled pins into her hair. Instead of worrying about the task at hand, the only thing that her mind could focus on was seeing her Commodus again. Her heart started to flutter at the one last look in the mirror, Verina bit her bottom lip and tilted her head in contemplation "I feel that something is missing, Penelope."
"How about these, mistress?" The maid held up a pair of gold chandelier earrings with light blue beads.
Verina's face lit up, "Perfect!" She swiftly put them on and rushed downstairs, which led into the busy courtyard.
Servants, tenants, and guards were practically running over each other, shouting demands and holding up baskets, flowers, and jugs above their heads, trying to keep the goods from being lost in the hustle. The villa sounded more like a trade market than a private home. Amid this chaos, Verina knew that something did not feel right. After many years, she identified Commodus' father to be very punctual and straightforward. He would have alerted the household to his arrival long before, since great preparations such as these took days to perfect. Yet here they are with only hours to prepare.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another wave of voices from the crowd, this time echoing each other's call. "All hail Caesar! Victory at last!" Rome's leader has returned from Germania.
Gathering up her composure, she rushed out to the front steps of the villa to be the first to welcome them, thinking up quickly what she was going to say to her father-in-law to explain the frazzled state of the house. Looking up the road, Verina saw the same cloud of dust as before, only this time she could see the lines of horses and foot solders that created it. As the group drew closer, she noticed that the soldiers' cloaks and their banners were all black.
Her eyes widened. "Oh no…please, Mars, not my Commodus."
In front of the cavalry, Verina saw the leader of this party. On a white horse, the man was wearing a long purple cloak covering his face. She saw the royal medallion around his neck and immediately recognized the rider as the old but wise Emperor himself, Marcus Aurelius. Behind her in the villa, she saw all the servants and farmers quickly drop their things and kneel to the ground. Verina followed suit and spoke to the great ruler humbly as he dismounted from his horse in front of her.
With dignified grace she spoke, "My dear Marcus Aurelius, it is an honor to finally have you back with us." Instead of hearing the voice of the aging man, she heard a much younger one that took her off guard.
"Please, rise, my dear!" He pushed back his hood, revealing none other than Commodus in the full regal outfitting of Rome's Emperor. Though his face was weather-beaten, his eyes had a mischievous glimmer. He spoke to her proudly while helping her stand up, "You are Empress now and, if recall correctly, royalty doesn't grovel in the dirt."
Verina was speechless. Not only had her husband returned unharmed, but he was also crowned Emperor. Commodus saw her stunned expression and chuckled, "Surprised, I see? I'm pleased, that was what I was hoping for." He then took his wife's arm and walked into the villa, leaving his entourage to unpack.
As soon as they got inside, Verina, still in disbelief, replied shaken, "E-Empress? Then that means…" Her voice trailed off as she now realized that the black flags were for his father. The weight of his death caused her to stop and Commodus turned around to see his wife staring at him with saddened eyes.
"Forgive me for telling you at such short notice," he said reverently as he embraced her, "I hope that my mistake didn't waver your trust in me. The last thing I want is for you to doubt me."
Verina did not hear his response, but instead bluntly asked in return, "How did he pass on?" She could feel his embrace turn cold.
He backed away from her and lowered his head almost as if remembering that day was something he wanted to forget. "He died quietly at the front, of natural causes. In fact, the entire reason Lucilla and I went to Germania was to be there in what became his last hours."
Listening to those words caused a look of confusion to appear on Verina's face. Her voice grew stern, "But why on earth didn't you tell me this, Commodus? The least you could have done was send a message informing me of all that had happened at the front, instead of waiting until now. This took not only me, but also the entire household by surprise."
Commodus grew edgy at his wife's scolding tone and went on the defensive. Choosing his words carefully, he spoke coolly, "I didn't want you to worry. Besides, he was in good hands and his death was swift."
Verina knew that there was more to his words and turned away. "I'm not a child, Commodus. Unlike what you may believe I am able to handle raw situations just as well as you can. Little do you know that I have been living in such conditions ever since you left."
She felt his hand on her shoulder as he whispered in her ear, "I promise you, my Verina, that what I have planned in Rome as it's new Emperor will make up for all of your pain these long months." Looking into his eyes, she saw he was serious. "All will be well…this I promise you."
That evening Verina threw a feast in his honor, inviting all of his entourage and praetorian guards. She sat proudly at her husband's side. A general in the Roman army, Quintus, was the first to give a toast to the new Caesar. Lifting his silver cup proudly, he spoke to the surrounding partygoers, "My dear friends and soldiers, tonight we are here not only to remember the life and legacy of Marcus Aurelus, but also to celebrate a new beginning under his son's command." The guests cheered and banged on the tables in agreement. Quintus then looked directly at Commodus saying, "We all hope, your highness, that your rule may be one that will be remembered for centuries to come! May the Gods smile upon you and your rule…long live the Emperor!"
The rest of the party followed his lead, chanting the phrase of celebration for their king, "Long live the Emperor!"
Looking over at her husband, Verina saw that Commodus stood majestically over his guests that night. The candles that flickered around him gave him an almost godly aura. She had never been more proud of her husband until that moment.
