Author's Notes: This is my first Malex fic. So, be gentle! Also, this is in the Roman Empire times. Not sure exactly when. I kept some of the laws (like if a woman has 3 children when her husband dies, she's free. And adultery is punished with death), but also discarded some (like females not having forenames, that's just silly). And if I got something wrong, then I'm sorry. Just, you know, don't throw any rocks at me or anything, 'kay?
And let's pretend that they're talking in Latin.
Disclaimer: if I owned the show, things would be different. Alex and Marissa would be together for one thing...

Chapter One – I'd rather die

'Our ancestors, in their wisdom, considered that all women, because of their innate weakness, should be under the control of guardians.' – Cicero

The sun was shining brightly and everyone around her were screaming and laughing. She noticed a boy and a girl playing, while their mother seemed to be shopping for new slaves.

The weather and everything around her just didn't fit her mood. Her father had been patient with her all these years. She should've been married years ago. For Goddess' sake, she was 17 and had been ready to be wed since she was 12. Her father had been patient. She knew that. But she just knew she couldn't please a man, like her father or future husband would want.

The skinny girl sighed a little as she finally made it to the Temple of Mother Isis. A Priestess walked to her, smiling. "Marissa, have you come to pray?" she asked.

Marissa nodded. "Yes. And I must talk to you when I'm done."

The other woman nodded, still smiling. Something about her smile always calmed Marissa down. Even if just a little. "And what would you like to be given to the Mother?"

"Warm bread and some flowers please," Marissa answered. She started to walk towards the praying room.

"Marissa, wait. Someone is already there. You can come to my room and we can talk, if you wish," the priestess said. She reached out her hand a little.

Marissa shook her head. She had to go talk to The Mother now. "No, I don't care who it is in there." And with that, she stormed towards the praying room. It was just one big room, very well lit and had a big statue of Isis. Isis, of course, was wearing Roman clothes.

Kneeling down in front of the statue, was a blonde girl. She was wearing the usual clothes a upper class Roman woman was supposed to. But for some reason, her hair was down. And it was messy.

"Please, do hurry," Marissa said, looking at the girl. She was rude, as usual. She was the only girl in the family, and the youngest, so she was used to getting everything she wanted. Her father and her two older brothers had spoiled her for her whole life.

The girl ignored her. She spoke her prayers, and in Egyptian now, not wanting the other girl to understand. She then stood up slowly, turned to Marissa and smiled a little. "You are not the only one who needs to pray." There seemed to be a purple streak in her hair.

Marissa cursed herself as she saw the girl. She was just gorgeous, and she had the most amazing eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just…I was a little upset." She frowned slightly as she noticed the purple streak in the other girl's hair.

"That's alright," the other girl answered with a smile. "I'm Alexandra, but please call me Alex. Or, actually anything but my real name is fine."

"I'm Marissa, and I really am sorry. Can I make it up to you somehow? Like, we could go to the tavern. If you're willing to wait, " Marissa said. If she was to be wed to some ass of a man, she at least wanted to try get a hold of this girl in front of herself.

"I'd like that, Marissa," Alex said. "I must talk to the priestess anyway, so I wouldn't mind waiting for you." She gave Marissa a small smile and walked out of the praying room.

Marissa watched the other girl walk out and disappear behind the white curtains. She walked up to the statue of Isis. She kneeled down and looked up. "Mother, please, I beg you, change my father's mind somehow. I do not want to get married to a jerk who doesn't love me. And whom I don't love. I know I'm the emperor's daughter and all, but I don't feel that way about men. I know my father has been patient. And I really am thankful for that Mother, but to be honest I'd rather die than get married."

Alex had been talking to some women at the temple. She had missed Rome. Egypt was a beautiful country, but her hart belonged to Rome. Since she was 12, she always said that Rome was her true love. A month after that, her father and mother sent her to Egypt. And now, 5 years later she had returned.

"I'm sorry it took me so long, I had to talk to the priestess," Marissa said, as she walked to Alex. She smiled a little.

"That's alright," Alex said with a smile. "Where shall we go? I haven't been in Rome for five years. So much has changed. "

"Five years? What made you stay away from Rome for that long?" Marissa asked. She started walking towards a tavern that was near the temple. "I know I couldn't stay away for that long. Rome is my one true love."

Alex smiled. She had always thought that she was the only one to say that. "Really? I've said that since I was 12 or something. I thought that I was really the only one who would say something like that."

Marissa giggled a little. "My father told my stop talking about such rubbish when I told him that. He likes Rome, but he said that I'll find a man once I'm old enough and fall in love with him. He could have not been more wrong."

"My brothers used to tease me about it. Like said 'Went kissing with your lover again?' and made these kissing noises. Boys. Ugh!" Alex said with a small smile as they stepped into the smoky tavern. The place was full of men, mostly rich and very drunk. It had always amazed Alex how people could get so drunk so early.

Marissa scanned the tavern. She noticed right away that she and Alex were the only females there. After looking around a little, she found a table near the door. They both walked over and sat down. "I like something about this place," she said out of the blue, while looking around.

Alex looked around, frowning a little. "Well, there's nothing like seeing old upper class men, mostly Senators, getting drunk and making a fool out of themselves. So I get what you're saying." She smirked slightly, looking at Marissa. "This is what I missed about Rome. It's the only place you can see something like this happening."

Marissa smiled. "I'm going to get us something to drink. What you want?" she asked as she stood up.

"Wine is good," Alex answered. She felt a little guilty for not going back…Well, she wasn't even sure back to where. Was it home? After being away for five years, she wasn't so sure. She came back just last night, and felt a little guilty for not going to see her best friend right away.

Marissa soon returned to the table with a goblet of wine and something water-like in the other one. She gave the wine to Alex. "So, what's with the streak?" she asked.

Alex smiled as she took the wine. "It happened as an accident, really. Jodie, my best friend was visiting me and we were doing some painting. Well, she dyed my hair purple a little and after getting some off, so it wouldn't be like stone, the streak stayed. And I thought it was kind of cool. So I kept it." She shrugged her shoulders a little. "What's that?"

Marissa smiled a little. "This?" she asked, raising her own goblet. "It's vodka. Something new. But it's a lot stronger than wine and beer, so I like it."

A fat man, who seemed very drunk, came to the girls' table and sat down next to Marissa. "Hello, pretty thing," he slurred. He put his arm around Marissa's shoulders. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself."

"How about you go and talk to someone else?" Marissa tried to push the man away, but he had a strong grip on her. And since she was a lot skinnier than he was, he was also stronger.

"I think she made perfectly clear that she doesn't want to talk to you," Alex said, looking a little pissed off. She slowly put her hand under her palla and gripped a knife.

"There's plenty of me to go around," the man said, looking at Alex with a disgusting smile. He then looked at Marissa and tried to kiss her.

Alex narrowed her eyes and quickly pulled out her knife, placing it onto the man's throat. "Get. Lost," she hissed, pressing the knife a little deeper.

The man's eyes widened and he shot up, feeling more sober than he had been in days. "Alright, alright. I didn't mean any harm." He looked at Alex like she was psychotic, and then went back to the bar to get drunk again.

"Thanks," Marissa said with a little shaky voice. She looked at Alex and smiled. After a few seconds, she started drowning her vodka. "So, tell me about yourself," she said as she finished her drink.

"I've lived in Egypt for the last 5 years. My father made me marry a man there. He was alright. Said we'd have 3 children and then stop. So I could be free once he dies. So we did. I have three daughters. Lydia who is 5, Fran who is 4 and Adrienne who is 3. My husband died a few months ago in war. And I came back here yesterday," Alex said. "Right now I live with my mother, father, older sister and brother. I'm the youngest. I have three brothers- Seth who's the youngest. He is the sweetest and funniest guy I know. And his drawings are simply amazing. Then there's Ryan. He tried to act all tough and everything, but he really has a sweet and kind hart. We used to play together all the time, when I was younger. And he always protected me. I guess we get along the best. And I have sister called Anna. She's sweet, has two daughters and a son and is a great mother. Unlike me. And my eldest brother is Trey. He is such an ass. He used to tease me and Anna all the time when we were younger. That's why he and Ryan got into a lot of fights. I'll really feel sorry for the girl he's going to marry, because he's the only one who hasn't been married yet."

Marissa had been listening quietly to Alex. "You have an interesting family. And a big one. I just have two brothers. Luke and Zach. They're both really sweet. They're always there for me. And then there's my best friend Summer. She's practically family." She didn't want to tell too much about her family to Alex, because she didn't want to scare the other girl off. Her father had kept her away from everyone for a while, so she could live as normal life as possible.