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Chapter 13
Roman Treason
Lucilla woke up in a cold, dark, damp space. Her hands and feet were bound while her head was aching. Blinking her eyes a few times she tried to see if she was alone. A vague outline of a figure on the opposite side of the tent gave her hope. Lucilla crawled over to the figure; she gave a sigh of relief to see the fiery red head Cai.
He was lying in the dirt and was unconscious. With her eyes adjusting to the light she could see a large scrape on his forehead. Most of it was dried blood but not wanting to take any chances she ripped the bottom of her dress making a bandage for the knight.
As she tied off the end Cai jolted awake, his bound hands grabbing hers, "Lucilla!" His eyes were wide, "I'm happy to see you awake. You scared me when we arrived here and you did not stir."
"How long was I out for?" Lucilla wondered rubbing her aching head.
"The better part of two days." Seeing the next question in the Roman's eyes Cai continued to whisper. "I know we're a good deal north of the wall but how far I'm not sure."
"If we're north of the Wall then –"
"Then our worst fears are playing out." Cai finished the thought.
"You don't really think…." Lucilla couldn't even bare the thought.
"We've been betrayed by the one person who could command Centurions to leave their posts." Looking into the Roman's face Cai said: "Marcus has betrayed us."
Cai wasn't even able to finish the statement before the tent flap flew open. A mid day sun shined into the dark tent blinding both Roman and Sarmatian.
Cai was the first to get his vision back. He was able to see at least a dozen Woads waiting outside. Three walked inside the tent. They were naked to the waist with the symbolic blue paint. Each had their own set of scars they bore proudly. Cai was sure a few of those scars he had personally given them.
They pulled Cai to his feet but Cai would go nowhere without a fight, he began to thrash around. Punching the Woad that tried to grab is arms, the Woad in return gave Cai a good beating. Cai had seemed to go limp falling to the ground. They dragged him outside.
Two Woads came in for Lucilla five minutes later. They were trying to lift her onto her feet. "They absolute least you could do is unbind my feet." Lucilla pleaded.
One demon nodded to the other and the ropes were cut. Although a prisoner Lucilla held her head high as she left the tent. The burgundy dress she was wearing was torn to pieces and her hair was in shambles.
They led her through the majority of the camp. There were not just soldiers in the camp there were women and children. It was actually not a war camp but a village. Reaching a circular courtyard the two Woad guards stopped and Lucilla followed in suit. From the large tent across the courtyard Lucilla could hear a groan as Cai, bloodied and defeated was dragged from the tent. Shock, fear and rage filled Lucilla as they dropped the knight next to her.
She knelt down trying to assess him but his face and chest were covered in blood, tit had even seeped into his hair. Thankfully she could feel the beating heart but his breathing was raspy and shallow.
A shadow soon covered her, looking up she saw a familiar face, "Marcus!"
"Don't waste your time in healing him," Marcus said. Lucilla looked her husband over, his knuckles were bloody –Cai's blood. Marcus gave a quick nod the Woad standing above Cai. The Woad shoved his short sword into Cai's neck, the knight was free.
"Why are you doing this?" Lucilla questioned.
"Because I can," Lucilla scoffed the response. "The truth is, Wife, you are too beautiful and too opinionated for your own good. Besides the Roman people would like a Caesar who knows grief." He smiled revealing his ultimate plan.
"So that's what this is about? You want to become Caesar? That will never happen. You would need to be Nero's second in command or his son for that to happen. And you're neither." Lucilla casually spoke.
"But if you've gone missing Caesar will mourn that. I can get close enough to manipulate the old pathetic fool into naming me Caesar instead of that impotent General of a son, Cassius."
"And then what! You kill Caesar then Cassius?" Lucilla questioned fear evident in her voice. Marcus merely smiled. "No you can't!"
"I know you like Cassius and Nero but their time will come to a close." He walked closer to his wife then looked at the dead knight. "And when I do become Caesar, and Lucilla I will become Caesar, I will have a hundred days of games at the Colosseum where your charming knights will meet their ends to the sound of…" Marcus began to clap his hands.
"You bastard!" Lucilla jumped on top of Marcus slapping him with her bound hands until the Woads puller her off of him.
"Oh Lucilla, you were always too spirited for a Senator's daughter and a General's wife. But because of that little outburst your Sarmatian lover will be the first to perish." He looked to Cai, "I believe the battle of Carthage will be an outstandingly exciting show." Marcus laughed picturing the amusement he would gain from the show.
"What happened to you?" Lucilla whispered in despair.
"Arthur and his knights have disobeyed me only twenty times too many. By the third day I've wanted them disposed of. This way I can kill two birds with one stone so-to-speak. Why, actually I kill three birds with one stone. I kill you, kill the knights including Arthur and become Caesar. All in a days work." Marcus began to walk away. "Goodbye Lucilla… you did please me some of the time." He yelled over his shoulder.
Glaring out to the horizon where the sun was setting Lucilla whispered only loud enough for her to hear: "You never pleased me." She sat besides Cai's body and wept.
Marcus, upon returning to the Wall, was confronted by Gaius. The young captain looked to his General.
"Where is she?" Gaius demanded.
"In a Woad camp about fourteen leagues away. You know I never thought it would be so easy to say goodbye to a woman like Lucilla." Marcus smiled; he was excited for his plan to commence.
"And the knights?" Gaius wondered.
"They won't be a problem." Marcus looked to the tavern motioning Murig over.
The two Romans and the Briton walked into Marcus's study. It was large room with a desk full of scrolls as the centerpiece. The hearth on the wall was lit with a raging fire. Upon entering the room Marcus threw his gloves, cloak and sword on the nearby chair.
"Well Murig, you kept up your part of the bargain." Marcus tossed the Briton a small pouch of coins.
"Where is the Lady?" Murig asked feeling the coins.
"In the town you call Wellean. You don't need to worry; both knights have been disposed of. You leave tonight by the light of the moon." Marcus instructed. The Briton's eyes fell to the floor in shame. "Murig I want to thank you. Without your help none of this would have happened. Now if everything goes as planned I'll become Caesar and holding to our bargain I'll remove Rome from Britain."
"I have your word?" Murig questioned.
"You do. You remember what to say?" Marcus arrogantly questioned. Murig only nodded his head. "Now leave this fort." Marcus commanded.
Marcus and Gaius had a few drinks in his study congratulating Marcus on beginning his ascension to becoming Emperor.
Murig had almost thought he would make it out of the fort being unnoticed, but he was wrong. At reaching the gates he found the scout. His black hair laid in disarray in front of his face hding his eyes and whatever expression he might have. But the Briton noticed the apple being cut into pieces.
"Where are you off to?" the deep voice asked.
Surprisingly Murig had only heard Tristan speak one time prior and was in shock to hear his voice was almost soothing. He could understand why Lucilla had fallen for him. "I'm free… Marcus released me."
"I didn't see Marcus as a man to release his slaves so easily." Tristan remarked.
"Neither did I. Perhaps he has had a change of heart." Murig could sense that the scout was peering into his soul.
"Perhaps, but unlikely."
"May I go Sir?" Murig was anxious to leave.
"By all means," Tristan waved his hand telling the Centurions above to open the gate. "Murig, if you betray us, I'll kill you myself."
The Briton nodded and quickly left the fort. It took him over a week to reach Wellean by foot but it pleased him to be back home.
Lucilla had been in the prisoner's tent for the past two weeks being guarded every moment. Food was brought twice a day. It was no more than bread and water. Sometimes she would get up just to stretch her legs but even doing that the guards would shout at her. She had been hoping someone would come for her, like they always do in the novels she read, but who was she kidding? This was reality, and reality was Marcus had betrayed her and the knights. She was sure he had this planned down to a 'T' he wouldn't be able to falter.
She heard a few rallies and cheers from outside but she had stopped listening after they burned Cai's body. The tent flap opened allowing the dim sunlight to fliter in.
"Murig, what are you doing here!" Lucilla wondered, afraid she was imaging things.
Sitting down in front of her he looked like demon again. The civilized Roman clothing was gone; he was once again naked to the waist covered in the blue paint. He cut off her bonds; her wrists were bruised from the constant rubbing.
"Allow me to explain –" Murig began but, Lucilla cut him off.
"Explain what? Betrayal?"
"Marcus wants to become Caesar."
"I know that part." Lucilla snidely commented.
"He wanted Arthur to capture a Briton so he could plan your kidnapping. Once in his service I was told that if I was able to arrange your abduction he would free me and he could remove Rome from Britain. I did as I was bid."
"You helped him commit treason against Rome."
"Yes." The boy whispered. "With you gone Marcus had been summoned to Rome, Arthur and the knights have followed. Any day now Rome will be withdrawing." Murig lied.
"And you think that's a good thing?" Lucilla questioned.
"It's what we've been fighting for… what we've bled for. Of course it is." He was extremely adamant.
"You soldiers only think of today," scoffed the Roman. "Why do you think these shores have remained relatively safe for the past three hundred years? I tell you now it's not because of your military tactics. It's because of the power of Rome. Barbarians like the Saxons, Jutes, Friesans, Vandali; they haven't attacked you because of Rome's stance here. The minute Rome withdraws; those barbarians will come flooding into this country. Let me tell you Murig, you will be powerless to stop them."
"What you say is –"
"What I say is that by helping Marcus become Caesar you've not only killed Rome you've signed your own death warrant."
"How do you know this?" Murig became suspicious.
"I've been around Roman politics all my life. I know the ins and outs of political warfare, and that's all this is… politics." Lucilla was angry. "I'm disappointed in you Murig, I thought you were a better man than to throw you lot in with Marcus."
"I'm doing what is best for my people."
"Is that what you think you're doing? I see it as suicide for your people; you might want to live free. But without Rome you're all dead."
A Woad stood in the threshold of the tent and spoke a few words in the British tongue then left the room.
"What did he say?" Lucilla questioned almost demanding.
"I'm needed in my chief's chamber." Lucilla began to laugh. "Is there something funny."
"Let me guess you're a type of royalty in Woad Territory?"
"My brother is chief." He was about to leave the tent. "Lucilla a woman is going to come in and clean you up then you will be escorted to the chief's chamber."
"Why Murig?" He was extremely reluctant to say anything. "Murig?"
"To keep faith you are being married to my brother. I'm sorry my Lady." Murig left the tent leaving Lucilla to contemplate what was going to happen. For the second time in her life Lucilla was going to marry someone she didn't love forsaking the person she did.
This chapter was tons of fun to write. I hope that you enjoyed reading it! Going to lack some updates due to a vacation so please bare with me! Review!