Rome

The house was quiet and still; neither movement nor sound was heard or seen. The flames of the candles had been doused and extinguished until the light of day streamed through the house the next morning. Under the veil of night and the illuminating glow of the moon, I waited for Godric, anxiously awaiting for him to appear at my door at any moment like some form of spirit. I had bade my servants goodnight and they had retired to their quarters whilst I lay there in the darkness, contemplating Godric's earlier words to me, said in hushed whispers, the very words that sent chills through me as if the temperature in the room had dropped severely. I could barely close my eyes even to imitate sleep should a servant enter my room; I was far too anxious that I would miss Godric's appearance, ridiculous as that seemed.

I thanked the gods then when I saw a flicker of a candle's flame before he appeared, his face hidden by the shadow of the travelling cloak he had over his head. He shot me a brief smile and beckoned me to come closer. I quickly put on my own cloak over my garments and found myself beaming back up at him, my eyes eagerly searching his for some clue as to where we were going.

'Are you ready, Aurora?' he asked me.

'I am, Godric,' I answered him truthfully. 'Where are we going?'

'Somewhere for us only, Aurora,' he whispered softly and offered me his hand which I took without a second's thought. The smile on his angelic face only seemed to get brighter as we crept away into the night to what I now tended to call our secret place.

It did not take us long to reach this sacred and mysterious place that Godric had found. He brought us to the very outskirts of the town, far from prying eyes and gossiping tongues, to where the mountains were – gigantic and powerful, almost majestic. The stars seemed even brighter to me on this night as I followed Godric, clasping his hand for fear of losing him. Deep within a hidden maze of rocks and trees was a collection of ruined stones set upon a stretch of grassland, covered in tiny specks of colour that were flowering buds of every shade and shape. Trees protected this sacred places, tall oaks shading it from view and ivy vines entwining around the stones, the ruins of a once great marble building, abandoned years ago and left to the wilful hands of nature. Seeing this place and everything in it caused thoughts to resurface and childhood memories playing around them with Cassius and Lucretia were at that very moment replaying in my mind. I had been here before, but as a child which now seemed like a lifetime ago, a completely different life to the one I had now.

Godric took both my hands now and led me to the middle of the grassland, the deserted meadow made only more beautiful by the night. 'Do you like it, Aurora?'

'I ... I do,' I murmured, taking in all the sights and smells I could in the seconds I had in answering his question. 'Godric, how did you know about this place?'

'Your brother. He rambles about a lot of things, but one point he did mention was that you used to come here as a child. You would spend blissful hours years with only him and your wild imagination.'

'But are you not worried that he will think to come here?'

'Cassius has more on his mind than the childhood places he keeps stored at the very back of his mind. I, on the other hand, believe that this place could mean something ... to me and to you.'

He released one of my hands to cup my cheek, his fingertips brushing lightly against my skin. I could feel my face flushing red but I was entranced by his hypnotic gaze.

'I realise that we have not spent any time at all in each other's company.'

'I know, Godric. You have your loyalties to my brother. He is your master.'

'Yes, but you are the reason that I am here. You, Aurora, are the reason that I am still alive. Had it not been for you ... I do not know how to thank you enough, not just for what you have done for me, but for my brother. I believe that you have been the making of me. I owe you – '

'Godric, you do not need to do this,' I said. 'I did only what a good person would have done.'

'But even an exceptional person would not have done as much as you have. You are truly the best thing that has ever happened to me.'

This struck a chord with me and I felt myself almost at the point of melting into his arms. His fingertips softly caressed my cheek and jaw, very nearly touching my lips as though it was a new way of kissing. I lifted my hand to mirror his actions, resting my hand on his cheek and feeling the soft flesh there. His eyes closed minimally for a moment as he felt my caress and when they opened to reveal the beautiful colour that had me entranced, he sighed lightly. Maybe this had been the most contact he had had with any person in a long time. Maybe no one had looked at him the way I did or touched him as lovingly as I did now. He must have been used to only cruelty and the harshness of the world; this could be the only loving thing he had known in so long.

It was then that my mind had been made up. Be it a sin or a crime, I did not care. People would stare and point and say shameful things about us, but I did not care what they thought. I cared only about him and I knew that these feelings would never be erased, that they would never diminish, not for a second.

I was in love with Godric.

Eric was waiting for me as soon as I threw open the doors of his house. Both angered and mystified in equal quantities, I stalked down the hallway, my eyes narrowed and dark, my hands clenched at my sides in violent fists, my fangs out ready for a kill. I cast my eyes to every corner of the house, eager to find something to take my mind off everything, to liberate it from the questions running through my mind. I stopped myself and my pacing through the house, finding myself needing to sit down and think things through in my crowded brain. Seeing the staircases and the small ledge where they were connected, I found my thinking place; I tensed on the balls of my feet and leapt up into the air in one single soaring motion. My right hand clasped the banister, enough to hold my weight but not enough to bend or break it, and I twisted myself so that I was sat on the ledge, my legs dangling and mimicking the childlike activity. I ran my fingers through my hair and let my fangs retract, relaxing as much as I possibly could.

Who did this boy think he was? Talking to me as though I was human, as if he knew me ... He knew my name! How did he know my name? He could not have possibly known it. I trusted those close to me with my identity, the sole thing that had stayed with me for two millennia. How could a human boy know me?

'Aurora, what are you doing up there?'

I tensed as I found Eric directly in front of me, arms folded and one eyebrow raised in confusion. I edged myself off the ledge and dropped down to the floor, landing on my feet a few feet in front of him. He pulled me into his arms and lightly kissed my forehead. I leaned in and heaved a sigh against his leather jacket.

'Did you have a good night at Fangtasia?' he murmured, resting his head on mine.

'I guess you didn't hear about the anti-vampire protestors then,' I said, looking up at my brother.

'Oh, I did. I just expected you to have a little ... fun with them.'

I raised one eyebrow. 'Fun? With those egotistical, ridiculous bible bashers? I don't think so, bror.'

'Pam called me and told me that you had left. I came here to see if you were all right.'

'I'm fine, Eric,' I lied. 'I'm perfectly fine.'

Eric released me and held my shoulders at arms' length, his cold blue eyes locked in a gaze with mine. I held my own and kept cool, calmly staring at my brother in some sort of childish mind game.

'I can tell when you're lying, Aurora. I get this snide little feeling in the back of my mind whenever you lie.'

'Here's an idea, Eric – ignore it,' I teased and smiled at him, watching in glee as his own lips broke into a smile.

'Well, I have something to take your mind off whatever it is you're hiding from me. Maybe after you see this, you can find it in yourself to confide in me ... '

I grinned at my brother and took his offered hand, proceeding to climb one of the long staircases together. He led me mischievously – although Eric could never really be seen as 'mischievous', it was the only word I could think of to describe the way in which he was acting. He led me down one of the grand hallways and stopped in front of a door I had never entered. I shot Eric a look and he let go of my hand, now gesturing towards the door. I could feel the slightest hint of excitement radiating from him so to please him, I reached for the door handle and turned it an inch before looking back at Eric teasingly.

'Are you going to tell me what I'm going to find behind this door?'

'Just open it and see, will you?' he laughed.

I did as he did and opened the door fully. I then found myself in a room of Eric's that I had never encountered before in the time I had known him. It was a large room, around the size of some apartments I had spent time in over the decades; I did not even think for a moment that this could be the largest room in the whole house. The walls were cream, a colour I had seen countless times during the Renaissance, and the wall directly opposite and the one furthest away from me was merely a large window, overlooking the vast and sprawling grounds of the house. Against the wall was a magnificent four poster bed, draped in luxury silks and fabrics, existing only to add to the lustre of the whole room. There were only a few items here – a grand wardrobe, a white vanity mirror and a bookcase filled to the brim with volumes of classics I had collected. Eric had had some of my things brought here – my books and, as I discovered on making my way to the wardrobe, my clothes. I turned to gaze around the room before my eyes fell on my brother who watched me in pride and fascination.

'Do you like it?' he murmured as he strolled over to me.

'You ... did this ... for me?' I whispered almost breathlessly, my surprise unimaginable.

He nodded sincerely. 'You didn't answer my question, Aurora. Do you like it?'

'I love it, Eric,' I murmured. 'But wait ... why did you do this for me? What about my house?'

'Aurora, you're my sister and I won't let another human harm you, not while I'm around. Here you're safe. Here I can protect you.'

'Eric, I don't need protecting.'

'I know that, but it will put my mind at ease knowing you are safe and sound here rather than at risk by some foolish, weapon-wielding mortals out there. The world is much more dangerous than it used to be.'

I nodded mournfully, casting my eyes to the ground. 'Our kind wanted to emerge from hiding, to live as equals with the creatures we have preyed on for thousands of years. And now, they turn on us. What I wouldn't give to go back to the old days when we were the work of fiction and myth ... '

'But even then, we had to keep our existence secret,' Eric pointed out. 'We had to lie and deceive. I for one like being out in the open, even in this current climate.' He then reached for my hands, holding them tightly. 'So do you accept my offer? Will you live here with Pam and I?'

'For how long?' I asked him curiously.

'For as long as you want. Forever, if you want.'

The word 'forever' struck a chord with me and I felt tears collecting in my eyes. Godric had told me forever too. He had promised me that we would be together for the rest of eternity. Things certainly had not gone as planned for my love and I, but maybe it would be different between Eric and I, the siblings brought together by the grief of our beloved maker.

'I'll have to think about forever,' I said and smiled at him. 'But yes, I'd love to.'

Rome

Godric and I lay there in our safe, perfect haven, facing the stars and night above us. He lay close to me so that his fingers brushed against mine on occasion and our heads were within millimetres of touching. Every few minutes or so, I could feel his eyes flicker to me with a smile and I tried to refrain from blushing, keeping my eyes on the night sky and smiling softly almost in response to his own beam.

'I used to lie on this grassland at home,' he murmured, 'watching the stars, just revelling in the peace and quiet. And every night, I would think of what someone else thought while watching the same stars I was seeing.'

'An interesting thought,' I agreed. 'The thought that someone else is watching the stars like you are ... '

Godric's fingers entwined with mine and I felt a spark of electricity travel from my fingertips to the rest of my body. I turned to look at him and I saw the look on his boyish face – he looked at me as if I was a star from the very heavens he had watched night after night.

'A soul mate perhaps ... ' he whispered without taking his eyes off mine.

For a few seconds, we gazed at each other before our eyes trailed elsewhere – Godric's focused on the stars once more whereas mine trailed down Godric's body, noticing his tattoos. Intricate and each a different style, I could help but want to trace them with my finger like I was drawing them myself. He caught me staring at him and looked down at his body art before turning back to me.

'Do you like the markings?' he asked me.

'I have never seen anything like them. No man I have ever seen has anything like that.'

'And what do you think of them?' he murmured, obviously expecting a negative answer.

To show him that I meant no insult to him, I reached across and outlined the markings on his left forearm – dark zigzags encircling his limb - with my fingertip, slowly and delicately. Godric watched me do this with a fascinated expression, his eyes eagerly following my finger.

'I think they are beautiful,' I said in a faint whisper.

Godric then glanced up at me and we got ourselves into a sitting position, letting go of each other's hand. I sat facing him, keenly awaiting the story I knew was coming from the look on his face. He heaved a short sigh before gesturing to the one I had been tracing. His own finger went over the marking as if trying to retrace the path my own had taken.

'This one ... It symbolizes water ... the water where I was born. I lived by the sea ... ' His hand moved to the tattoo on his right arm now – runes in an ancient language I had never seen before. 'This one is a message ... it tells of the good life I will have and how I shall prosper ... I suppose its words have not yet come into effect.' Finally, he gestured to the circular tattoo around his neck that looked like some form of necklace. 'This is a symbol of protection. It was bestowed on me when I became a warrior.'

'You were a warrior?' I asked and he nodded earnestly. 'That explains how you know so much about war and fighting ... '

'My father was one of the best warriors in our village and when I came of age, it became my duty to join him in protecting our people from invaders. I did not take life often, but when I did, it was only to protect myself or one of my people. I am nothing if not honourable.'

I waited a while before asking him a question that I knew I had to know the answer. My lips formed what I wanted to say, but it took a little while for the words to be physically forced from them. 'How ... how did you come to Rome?'

'As a slave, you mean?' he said in a bitter tone.

'I – I did not mean that,' I said quickly, looking to the ground away from him. 'Forgive me if I have insulted you.'

There was silence for a moment before I felt his cupped fingers under my chin lifting my head up to face him. His face was awash with so many different emotions but the faint smile on his lips told me that he had not been insulted at all.

'Aurora,' he whispered my name as though it was the holiest of prayers, 'how could you ever insult me?'

His fingers left my chin and I relaxed my tense body, watching him curiously as he lay back down on the grass, staring at me with an uplifting smile. It did not take me long to join him, lying closer to him than before, resting my head on his shoulder now, my eyes fixed on him as I waited for his tale. I prepared myself for the worst – the life of a slave was one story that was best served for those who had experienced it themselves, not someone like me who had never gone through anything like that. I could neither sympathise nor pretend to know what he had been through. I could only listen and take heed of his words as best I could.

'My father and the elders of the village had heard rumours of Romans searching for people to take back to their city as slaves. We were foolish and naive enough to believe that these were just rumours. It was ridiculous to believe that they would never come, to believe that they were going to pass over us like a dark cloud and not trouble us at all. It turned out that this mistake would cost us dear.

'They came for us in the winter. Hundreds of them, dressed in blood red and the silver of their metal armour. The only sounds in the air were the clink of swords and the screams of my people. My mother, Sweyn and I were in the house when the screaming began. My father had been out hunting and we knew when we heard the sobs and the mournful cries that the men had been killed. My mother put Sweyn in my arms and told me to run and hide. I took my sword with me and brought down as many as I could before escaping into the woodland near our village. I hid in the forage, camouflaged by leaves and vines, invisible to the invader's eyes. I stayed silent, barely even breathing. Sweyn managed to remain quiet, sensing the need to do so. I watched from afar as they dragged my mother out of our hut and when she resisted ... '

Godric took a breath and I saw tears in his eyes. I closed my own and said a silent prayer for the soul of his poor mother, slaughtered as she did what she could to protect her children. After a few seconds, Godric brought himself to continue his story, his voice thick with emotion suppressed for so long.

'Sweyn and I witnessed our mother die. No children should ever witness that. Naturally, when Sweyn saw our mother fall, he began to cry and wail for her. I tried to calm him and keep him quiet, but it was already too late. They heard his cries and found us within seconds. Then, they hauled us to the others and we set off for Rome.

'I did what I had to keep Sweyn safe. I owed it to my dead parents to keep him safe and alive, to protect him during our wretched ordeal. I stole food from the soldiers when they were not being watchful to give to him. During the cold nights, I would give him the clothes off my own back to keep him warm. I did what I could to help my brother. Night after night, he wept for our mother and for our father. I tried every means to stop his tears, but I always found that they only seemed to bring out tears of my own.'

He then sat up and lifted off his shirt to reveal two more tattoos – one that reminded me of a great sea serpent, gliding down his spine and a red circle on his right shoulder blade. He turned to me again and I saw his torso in all its glory, although I was still entranced in his story to take much notice of his body.

'The red circle? It is a brand. A slave brand. The soldiers laughed when they brought the poker to my skin to carve this in. And your people call me a barbarian ... One night, the slaves were being taken to the coffle from the market. Sweyn and I had managed to stay out of sight and not be bought, not be separated. As we walked, Sweyn noticed something that attracted his eye and he wandered off for a while as only a curious child would. The soldiers mistook this for escaping and grabbed him, threatening to brand him as a runaway. I tried to state that he was only a child, but they did not listen to me. Therefore to save my little brother from the pain, I urged them to brand me instead. So they did.'

I sat up too and placed my hand on Godric's shoulder, his face lost in memories twisted by grief and pain. My free hand took his cheek and brought his face to mine, only inches away.

'Godric, you must be the bravest and most loyal man I have ever met. You astound and you amaze me. I cannot think of a better person to have in my household ... to have as a friend.'

Only I thought of him as more than a friend. I wanted him to be more. I wanted nothing more than to be with him, to erase his pain-stricken memories with happy ones of our own. I wanted to be with him forever.

'You forgot that I am your protector also,' he murmured. 'And I will stay with you, Aurora. I could not think of a better way to spend my life than with you, in your service.'

'Forever?' I offered, taking his hand.

'Forever,' he agreed with a smile that seemed to make the whole night brighter.