Livia sat next to Lucilla as the sun broke the following morning. She had changed into a dark green stola, her hair a mess around her head as she followed her husband to the dining area where Lucilla was sat. Tears stained her cheeks and her lips were slightly parted as she looked to Livia and saw that the woman's expression mirrored her own. Commodus had seen Senator Gaius stood by the balcony and he had moved to speak with him after pulling a chair out for his wife.
Livia watched the back of his head as she felt Lucilla take hold of her hand. She picked it up, her fingers holding onto hers tightly. Livia turned to look to her sister-in-law, bowing her head as Lucilla moved to comfort her. She let Livia rest her head on her shoulder, her forehead pressing against her skin as Lucilla kept a hand holding hers, her other hand stroking the young woman's hair.
"I have you," Lucilla whispered so that only Livia could hear her. "I have you, Livia."
"I can't…Lucilla…" Livia blubbered, unable to stop herself. She pulled back up to look to Lucilla, wondering just how everything was going to end.
The haze of the sun was low as Gaius and Commodus spoke. It was a few minutes before Commodus turned around and looked to Lucilla and Livia, seeing how the two women clung onto each other. His voice was low and soft as he spoke, his face seeming to show a pained expression.
"And what of my nephew?" Commodus wondered aloud. "What of his mother? Should they share her lover's fate or should I be merciful?"
Livia moved to her feet then, shaking slightly as she saw Commodus move back into the room and pass by Gaius. Livia could hardly stand to look at the Senator, wondering just what poison he had been spilling into her husband's ear. She ground her teeth together, unable to stop herself from feeling a rage build up inside of her at the sight of the smarmy Senator.
"Commodus, please," Livia said with haste. "Do not harm Lucilla."
"She went against me," Commodus spoke, looking to his wife. "Both of you decided to plot against me."
"No," Lucilla said then, her voice croaking as she looked at her brother. "Do not punish Livia for this. She did nothing. She did not want this."
"But she went along with it," Commodus spoke. "She did not warn me. She hurt me…harmed my feelings…but you, dear sister, you chose to plot with the others. You chose to hurt me. You chose to go against me. That is why Lucius will stay with me now."
Livia felt herself struggle for breath as she moved forwards, going to her husband and taking hold of him by the arm, trying to get him to see reason. But he was looking to Lucilla as his arm went to snake around his wife's waist, keeping her close by his side as he continued to speak. The words that left his mouth were not the words of the man Livia had known. They were cruel and callous. They were harsh and stinging.
"If his mother so much as looks at me the wrong way…he will die," Commodus said and Livia felt a sickening churning in her stomach. "If she decides to be noble and takes her own life, then she shall die."
"Commodus," Livia whispered in a plea.
But then Commodus turned to look down to his wife, watching as she backed away from him. The fear in her gaze was evident as she struggled to let her eyes meet his. She had seen the rage that sat there. She had seen the hatred inside of him. Backing away, she watched as he moved towards her, her back hitting a pillar as she moved no further.
"And you," he addressed his wife, "you will love me as I love you. You will honour me as you once did. You will adore me as you once did. You will provide us with an heir and secure our future in Rome."
"No," Livia said with a shake of her head as Commodus finally stood in front of her, his hand moving to squeeze her chin, forcing her tear filled gaze up to his. He looked down to his wife, seeing the fear in her face and knowing that would disappear eventually. She would see. She would understand.
"Am I not merciful, Livia?" he asked from her as he moved his hand to stroke her cheek. "Do you not see? I am being merciful. I am showing pity."
"This is not mercy," Livia whispered to him. "This is torture for Lucilla…Lucius has done nothing."
"Then he shall have nothing to fear so long as his mother does not step out of line."
"You should never have threatened him in the first place," Livia said, shaking her head as her eyes searched his and she let out a shaky breath as she allowed his hand to continue stroking her cheek softly. "I do not know who you are anymore. I do not know who you have become."
"I am your husband," Commodus said. "I am yours and you are mine. That is all there is to it."
"I may be your wife," Livia said, "but it is in name only."
Commodus moved his hand to her chin, squeezing it tightly as he forced her to look to him and Lucilla moved to her feet, standing behind her brother's shoulder as she glowered at him.
"Let her go," Lucilla demanded as Commodus's grip remained intense, his gaze unrelenting on Livia.
"I gave you everything!" he yelled at her. "I gave you all of me and this is how you repay me? You repay me with betrayal and insolence! I gave you everything I have…I gave you it all…and yet you reject it…you reject me."
"You do not see it, do you?" Livia snapped back. "I only wanted you! I did not want Rome…luxuries…I wanted you!"
"And you had me," Commodus snapped back. "You still have me, Livia."
"But this is not you," Livia said as his grip on her chin slackened slightly as she shook her head. "This is not you."
"But it is!" he yelled back at her. "Do you not see? This is what the Gods had planned. This is what I am, Livia. This is me!"
Livia looked to him, her eyes moving over his features as she bit on her tongue for a moment and then shook her head. "Then if this is you…I do not want you."
Lucilla knew that Livia had said the wrong thing. No matter how honest she was being, Commodus did not wish to hear that. Yet Lucilla knew the pain that Livia was feeling. She knew how the girl loved Commodus. She adored him. She had worshipped him. Everything had come tumbling down around her once she had learned the truth. Everything she had thought to be true had been a lie.
Commodus saw red then, his hands moving to her shoulders and squeezing them tightly as she continued to try to push him from her. But he was strong, he had her pressed against the column, his head bowed down to hers as rage clouded his vision.
"You are mine!" Commodus snapped loudly. "There is nothing to it, Livia. You are always going to be mine!"
Livia said nothing further as Commodus dropped his tight grip from her, moving away and raking a hand through his hair as Gaius looked to him, a vague sense of amusement on his features at the sight he was witnessing. He said nothing, however, choosing to lurk in the shadows.
Lucilla grabbed hold of Livia, wrapping her arms around her waist and holding her as close as she could without pressing against her protruding stomach. Wrapping a hand into the young woman's hair, Lucilla continued to hold onto her as Livia kept her arms by her sides, unable to move out of fear of what had just happened.
Looking to the two women, Commodus let out a shaky breath. "You shall both prepare yourselves for the final battle and I shall speak with you following it. Am I understood?"
Neither one of them answered as Commodus swept from the room, leaving them alone.
…
Commodus entered the jail underneath the Coliseum as he heard the crowd roar from above. His strides were long and purposeful, his armour the most grand he could find. Moving along the floor, he saw Maximus strung up in front of him. He kept his glare intense as his pace slowed while he approached him, looking around the prison as the crowd began to chant for their new hero.
"Maximus," Commodus echoed in a whisper. "Maximus."
Maximus said nothing in response. Instead he looked to the Emperor and knew that this was how it was going to end. The both of them fighting each other.
"The general who became a slave…a slave who became a gladiator…and the gladiator who defied an Emperor," Commodus spoke with a nod of his head. "It is a striking story, but the people want to know how the story will end. What better ending than fighting the Emperor himself?"
Maximus said nothing. Instead he sneered, his lips curled as his mouth then formed a smirk.
"Do you think I am afraid?" Commodus demanded as he saw Maximus look anything but frightened.
"I think you have been afraid all of your life," Maximus said, "but now I see that you're even more afraid of what will happen out there because you know, despite everything, you have lost. You have lost the one thing you have ever truly wanted."
Commodus ground his teeth together and shook his head. "She loves me."
"Perhaps," Maximus said, "but she will never want you, just as your father never wanted you to rule Rome."
Commodus felt himself grow dizzy with anger then. "You loved my father, I know that," he said with a nod of his head. "Just as you love Livia and Lucilla. But Livia is mine now. She is no longer the little girl who favoured you…no longer the child you adored…she is my wife now. She is a grown woman. She is mine."
"And it is my adoration for her that will make it so difficult for me to kill you in front of her."
"You think that you shall kill me?" Commodus snapped.
"I think that it shall be easy enough," Maximus said. "You know, I knew a man who once said death smiled down at us. All we could do was smile back when we met it."
Commodus arched a brow. "And did your friend smile at his own death?"
"You should know," Maximus whispered, "it was your father."
Commodus nodded his head and he moved closer to him, arms going around him as he embraced him tightly. "Then smile for me now, brother," he spoke and he drove the small dagger into Maximus's side, watching as the man winced in pain and Commodus pulled back, concealing the blade once again. He looked to Quintus as Maximus continued panting for breath.
"Conceal the wound and strap on his armour," he demanded before turning on his heel and leaving, knowing that this was the only way he could defeat Maximus.
…
Livia could not stop shaking as she sat in her chair in the Coliseum. The seat next to her, reserved for the Emperor, was empty. She had looked to it, her eyes watering and wide as she tried to control herself. Commodus had ordered his guard to escort Livia and Lucilla to the Coliseum, but the two women were unable to do anything. Both of them were too full of worry and fear. Lucius had tried to ask his mother what was wrong, but she had insisted she was fine.
It was only when the two men made their appearance, surrounded by Commodus's guard did Livia move from her seat. Rose petals fell around them from the crowd, the noise too much for Livia to bear. She stumbled forwards to the edge of the steps, leaning against the stone ledge as the guard kept Commodus and Maximus covered. Lucilla moved to her feet, looking down as the guards parted and rushed away, giving the two men space to commence their fight. Commodus lifted his arms into the air as the crowd cheered and he walked around.
"He can't do this," Livia whispered, tears streaming down her face as Lucilla held her around the shoulders. "I can't let him."
"It is too late, Livia," Lucilla said.
"It can't be."
But then it was. Their blades began to swing and Livia watched on as the two men's swords clashed together. Covering her mouth with her hands, Livia felt her fingers grow wet from her tears. Fear took hold of her as she saw Maximus seem to stumble but recover with haste, enough to get Commodus on the back foot. The two men parted then, looking to each other before Commodus lunged forwards, blades clashing once more.
It was only when Livia saw Maximus manage to push Commodus to the ground did she shriek into her hands. It was another moment before Commodus responded, cutting Maximus down his leg before he lunged at him again. But Maximus was quick. He blocked the movement and managed to push Commodus back, slicing his arm and causing him to drop his sword.
"No," Livia said firmly and moved before Lucilla could stop her.
"Livia!" Lucilla yelled out, but the woman was already running away from her.
The guard didn't stop her as she moved to the staircase and ran in the direction of the fighting pit, her feet carrying her as fast as she could as she looked to the guard on the gate. He stood tall and Livia did not bother to ask him to open the gate. Instead she opened it herself as she heard her husband yell.
"Sword!" he roared. "Quintus, sword!"
But his demands seemed to fall on death ears. Commodus turned on the spot, looking at all of the guards.
"Sword! Give me your sword!"
It was then when Quintus stepped forwards. "Sheath your swords!" he demanded from them as Livia moved in between the guards into the open space where the two men were fighting. Maximus dropped his own sword, his hand stretched in front of him as Livia saw her husband move into his armour by his elbow, pulling out a dagger.
"Commodus!" she shouted his name as he finally turned to look to her, keeping his distance from Maximus. "Please…stop…"
Looking to his wife, Commodus took hold of her by the elbow and steered her away, pushing her into Quintus who, despite having disobeyed him, he still trusted to keep his wife away from the fighting.
"Keep hold of her," he demanded.
Quintus obeyed as Commodus held his dagger in his hands and advanced back to Maximus, but the former general dodged every stab that came in his direction. Livia fought Quintus as she saw Maximus finally best Commodus, punching him in the face and causing blood to splatter everywhere. Commodus crouched over, but Maximus grabbed him by the air and kneed him in the stomach.
"No!" Livia shouted out loud as she fought against Quintus, knowing she had to get free from him.
She felt his hand over her chest, keeping her body to his and she moved with haste, biting down on his hand and causing him to wince as she escaped his hold and rushed forwards, standing in front of her husband as Maximus continued to advance to him, panting for breath.
"Get out of my way, Livia," Maximus demanded from her.
"No," Livia said with haste. "Maximus…please…"
Commodus remained behind his wife, looking over her shoulder to Maximus as she stood in front of him, her body shaking and tears covering her face. Maximus looked to her, his gaze narrow and his body tired.
"You know what he did!" he roared at her. "You know what he is!"
"I know," Livia said with a nod of her head. "But please…just don't kill him…please…"
Maximus looked to Commodus then, blood still pouring down his face from his nose. "And you hide behind your wife's skirts?" he demanded from him. "You do not deserve her. You do not deserve her love."
Commodus said nothing then as he looked to his wife, his gaze set on her and he knew that he had made the biggest mistake of all time. He had ruined her. He had destroyed her, yet she stood there and begged for his life. She stood there and pleaded with the man who wanted him dead.
"Take back control over Rome," Livia whispered. "Do what needs to be done…but do not kill him…please…"
"Why do you beg for his life?" Maximus asked from her.
She closed her eyes for a second as she felt Commodus's fingers against hers, the tips of them brushing as he remained stood behind her.
"Because he is my husband," was her answer, "because I love him."
But before Maximus could respond, Commodus had launched himself forwards, refusing to back down, even as he heard his wife's screams in his ears.
…
A/N: One more chapter to go. Do let me know what you think!