Chapter 29: One Season Following Another
Sorcha gave the servants a kilt of brown and grey to give to Commodus. She announced that the union between Aislinn and 'the Roman' was a handfasting. When he asked Aislinn what that meant, she explained to him that her mother was giving them a one year trial for their marraige. If at the end of the year the two felt differently about one another, and no child had been conceived yet, then the two cuold part ways with the marraige annulled. He was a little angry to think that her mother still hadn't accepted him, but then again he didn't really expect anything less at the moment. As Dhiarmid had said, he had kidnapped Aislinn, taken her from her homeland, forced her into servitude, and done a number of other things that had yet to be told in front of her family. The next few weeks were touch and go for the new couple. Aislinn showed him around the countryside and the two courted playfully on these excursions. She showed him how to care for highland horses and how to behave around the sheep (the fact that even royalty knew how to handle the livestock fascinated him). She introduced him to their foods (some of which he realized he should have watched Aislinn's reactions first, because even she found them revolting). She showed him texts of poetry, myths, medical facts, and songs. The music and dance of the highland peoples were driving and powerful. Sometimes they were somber and mournful, but on the whole the rythm of the drums and the pipes drove him to feel invigourated as one feels before a battle. Now he understood why the men found it so easy to become warriors, it was in them from the cradle up.
Lucilla arrived only a few days after the group had. She was escorted in harshly by a few of the warriors. Commodus and Aislinn were sent for as soon as she had been brought, fighting into the castle fortress. Sorcha looked over at Commodus as he entered. He looked horrified and stunned at seeing his sister in such a state. Sorcha smiled and clapped once. The men forced Lucilla to her knees as they had done to Commodus not too long ago. He stepped forward, but Seamus held him back. He usually kept watch from the entrance to the room. Aislinn growled a little.
"So, Roman, was this how you met my Aislinn first, hmm? On her knees in front of you fearing for her life?", Sorcha said hatefully. She clapped again. One of the men held a very large blade to Lucilla's throat. Lucilla shrieked and began to cry. "Tell me how you met Aislinn at the first."
"She was not kneeling, excellency. She was in the dungeons. She was imprisoned. I ordered her to be washed, dressed, and brought before me.", Commodus admitted.
"Dressed? Was she nude then?"
"Not then, excellency. She was when she was brought into Rome, but in the capital she was given a small tunic. After taht, I gave her more fitting attire.", he explained. He hoped that his honesty would be seen as a gesture of loyalty to this new family and would spare the life of his other family. "Aislinn was deeply wronged on many counts before I began on her. She was brought into the throne room for me to assess. I had expected my men to bring back a man. I was a little surprised to find Aislinn."
"You sent for a man?", Sorcha said in genuine surprise. Aislinn looked at him in shock as well. "I thought that Caesar sent to the highlands for a woman to fight, subdue, and bed." Sorcha came closer and searched his eyes. She smiled. "You really did only want a fighting partner? No matter, the sin is still the same."
Aislinn looked at him with tears in her eyes slightly. It must have been a severe blow to his pride to have his men present him with a female when he had asked for a suitable foe. It was more than a mistake on behalf of the men that had accosted her, it was an insult. "You had no intention of ravaging me from the beginning.", she whispered looking up at him. "You didn't set out to capture the heiress to the highland throne."
"No.", he whispered in reply looking deeply into her eyes. A mutual feeling of sympathy had overtaken them, and a feeling of happy revelation had gripped Sorhca. "Highness, if it means that you would spare my sister, I will take her place."
"Sister? This woman is your sister? Older or younger is it?", Sorcha asked still smiling.
"Older, my lady. She mothered me before she became mother to the boy that is with us. When our mother died, she was my comfort.", he said. Sorcha felt her heart ache a little at this. The boy was dear and strong and spoke often of his mother. She sighed and motioned for the men to stand down. The guards let go of Lucilla, but she made no effort to stand. Sorcha noted this. The woman looked very pale and worn. She turned to her servants.
"Get her food and water, take her to the child's room where she can rest.", Sorcha ordered. The servants nodded and helped Lucilla stand. She turned to Commodus. "I suggest you go and explain things to your sister. She cannot leave these lands without you, that is my word and as such is law. Perhaps you will rethink your choice to stay here when she expresses her desire to return to the capital."
"Doubtful, majesty. My sister is well aware of the dangers she would face going back to the capital alone with her son as opposed to disappearing in the highlands.", Commodus said a little coldly before bowing. "I thank you for being kinder with my sister than I was with Aislinn. I struck her repeatedly. I gather that she has forgiven me, but I hope that her loved ones will do the same one day."
"It is always good to have hope.", Sorcha spat before turning and leaving. Aislinn grabbed onto Commodus and held him tightly.
"You never meant me harm. It was all a mistake. You really did fall in love with me.", she breathed. He looked down at her and shook his head.
"Oh, Aislinn. I feel almost ill at remembering how cruel and foolish I was. No, I really did mean you harm. I would have faced you in the arena, humiliated you in a fight, and then taken you publically.", he admitted.
"But you didn't. You had already thought twice about it by the time you took me before the senate.", she said. She held tighter to him. He smiled and sighed holding her just as close. "I live because you live. You should go and talk with Lucilla now."
He nodded and went to speak privately with his sister. Lucilla was far too confused and weary to truly understand him the first day. She was overjoyed to be with Lucius again. When Commodus was finally able to explain to her that he and Aislinn were married and that all of them would be staying there together, Lucilla looked a little afraid, but not at all surprised.
"I saw how you have looked at Aislinn when you spoke of her from the beginning. You were infatuated with her, then agitated, then lustful, then remorseful, then fully in love. Gracious, Commodus, couldn't you have found a nice Roman girl? Why on earth did you have to settle for a foreigner?", she ranted.
"I did not settle, Lucilla. I daresay that I got the better end of this union. I fell, but I did not settle. Aislinn settled if anything. I love her. I feel as though I have always loved her.", he said smiling. "It will be a good place for Lucius to grow up. If at anytime you feel that he is being corrupted, you could ask Aislinn to send him to the Roman encampments in the rest of the highlands and the two of you can go home. I just do not see how much good could come of the two of you going back to such a harsh place for royals. You would become prisoner to politics once again."
"I know, brother." She sighed and looked the window in her room. "Is Aislinn with child?"
"No. She hasn't told me that she was." He turned and looked at his sister curiously. "Why, does she seem strange to you as a woman?"
"We will see.", Lucilla said smiling wickedly. Commodus looked around a little nervously. He hurried off to find Aislinn. Aislinn was in the courtyards sparring with her brother Cailen. The others were watching and laughing as the smaller Aislinn used her size to get the better of her much larger brother. She stopped. When seeing her husband she ran to him. He held onto her.
"Aislinn are you with child?", he asked. The men became silent. Aislinn looked at him in shock. She grabbed him firmly by the hand and dragged him inside. "Aislinn!"
"Who told you I suspected this? Who!?", she demanded in a low voice, wrenching his arm a little.
"Aislinn, you're hurting me!", he whispered. She released his arm and breathed deeply. He straightened himself. The tartan he was wearing, while it made him fit in alot more, was a little uncomfortable to get used to. Not to mention the fact that he was being made to wear peasant garb, less than even the castle servants. Aislinn looked away slightly. "My sister said she had seen a little something in your eyes."
"I have suspected for three days now that I was with child.", she said softly. His face lit up and he hugged her tighter than ever. "Commodus! Now you're hurting me!", she gasped. He let go and continued to hold her shoulders apologetically and excitedly. "We can tell no one. A birth announcement before the festival of Alban Arthuan is a bad omen to my family. All announcements are made after Imbolg, even if the child is obvious by then."
He nodded excitedly. This was going to be a hard secret to keep. Perhaps even harder than the secret he had kept of his birth into the Christian faith. A baby, a son or perhaps a daughter. How wonderful this would be! His heart and stomch leapt for joy repeatedly inside him. He wanted nothing more at the moment then to sit with Aislinn and adore her. His wife was standing in front of him and soon so would his family.
By the festival of Alban Arthuan (the winter festival), Commodus felt as if he could hold his own in a conversation with a Celt that was as old as Lucius. Lucilla had adapted a little as well, and Lucius had taken to the culture and language like a fish to water. It was incredible. He even had three friends that were sons of the guards and loyal clan leaders. Aislinn still insisted that they keep her expectancy a secret until Imbolg, even though it was beginning to show by this time. Aislinn told him that their child would be born close to the same time as his birthdate. Late August, was nine months after the day she had first suspected and the wise women had told her in her youth that a strong baby stays within the womb for at least eight months. Aislinn decided that since the child was half Roman, it might take a little longer to carry him. By the festival of Imbolg, Sorcha had grown impartial to Commodus. She no longer looked at him hatefully, but did not look at him affectionately either. She no longer called him Roman or boy, but instead simply Commodus. He was relieved at this. Sorcha's anger was rekindled, however, at the birth announcement at the feast of Imbolg. Everyone heard her beautiful glass goblet drop to the floor and shatter when Aislinn stood and confirmed what the highland queen had feared. Roman seed had infiltrated Celtic soil. She growled in anger. No matter how much Aislinn loved this felon, he was still a treachorous snake to her. Still, for the sake of her daughter, Sorcha stood and congratulated them. In the process, she gave Commodus a stern 'I'm going to kill you so slowly you will beg for mercy from every god in exsistance' look. Commodus gulped slightly, but was comforted in the knowledge that by highland law, the marriage was finalized... at least until the child was an adult.
The pregnancy was both frightening and wonderful for the two of them. After the seventh month, Aislinn needed sleep and food quite often and had sporadic bursts of strength and energy. Sometimes she would shout or cry at him for no apparent reason. After the fourth bout of spouting back at her and being thrashed by her mother, then comforted by Aislinn and her father, he learned that the best thing to do was to back down and allow her to blow off he steam. Aislinn was not malicious or cruel, she was in pain and had no productive outlet. It was encouraging for her to see how much he wanted to be with her, even to the extent of swallowing his own pride. This was truly love. The feast of Lughnasadh began with Aislinn crying loudly in pain. The child was coming very quickly, and Commodus found himself lost at hearing her wailing. He was not allowed to be in the room where the birth was taking place, but he was allowed outside the door. He paced back and forth nervously. He tried to pre-occupy his mind with other fears and worries. For instance, Falco had not been sighted with the men since Lucilla had arrived. Why had the Celts left the group of men leave? Did Sorcha really need to make that much of a point with them, or was she hoping deep down that they would dispatch him in the process? Wasn't there somekind of draught that they could give Aislinn for this pain? How on earth had Lucius survived the journey to follow them? Why were they letting Aislinn suffer like this? Lucius had explained that he had simply stopped when he needed rest. He had taken one of the horses and left quickly after Aislinn and the others. Strangers along the way gave him small amounts of food and comfort. Sorcha was in that room and was doing nothing to stop the tremendous pain that Aislinn was obviously experiencing! It was no use. He couldn't get his mind off of poor Aislinn's crying for more than a few seconds. He could restrain himself no longer. He burst into the room. A shrill and new scream met him as he entered.
"It's a boy! A son!", the midwife exclaimed. All of the women that had been tending Aislinn, Sorcha, and Aislinn herself cried out in joy. They began to clean the boy and wrap him in a soft blanket. Sorcha turned and noticed Commodus.
"Come and see your son, Commodus.", she said. Aislinn sat up a little and looked at him happily. "He is beautiful."
The midwife placed the baby in Aislinn's arms and showed her how to nurse. Aislinn looked up at her husband. Commodus felt both joy and fear gripping him tightly in the chest, with joy winning out in the end. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put one arm around Aislinn. He placed his other hand over his new son. He smiled.
"What shall we name him?", Aislinn asked.
"Shouldn't his name be Lugh?", Sorcha offered. The two looked up at her and made it clear that their answer was no.
"What about Immaus?", Aislinn said.
"Immaus has already lived. Let him rest in peace. Our son will have a strong name, a name with purpose, a name that would make even the beasts quake with fear.", Commodus said as he studied all of the tiny features of this new little man.
"Perhaps with a name like that he will not have to prove his strength before a crowd as you did. I still can't get the image of you killing that tiger out of my head.", Aislinn said.
"What?", Sorcha said in surprise. Aislinn smiled and related the story of her beloved 'fending off a tiger' for her and a crowd (including a little girl), and then regaining his strength only a few hours later. "That's quite a tale."
"Yes, like Samson.", Commodus said as he remembered the story Aislinn had told Lucius that night. He smiled. "Samson, that's a good name. Samson."
Aislinn smiled and tenderly kissed her son. Commodus did the same. Then, the two met once more in a deep kiss. This one held more than physical passion. Their love had been proven in a most divine way. Commodus felt such strength and pride at this moment. Sorcha knew well that the Romans that sought his life were still in hiding and waiting for the right moment to attack. Now that a little one had entered the picture, things were going to be harder for the young couple. A battle would be most profitable for an enemy right now. Sorcha stood and left her daughter, son in law, and grandson to spend their first few moments as a family together. Another form of courage lay ahead for Commodus. Sorcha wondered if he would meet it with the same determination that he had used to defeat the tiger.
