CHAPTER 3
My husband's name was Aurelius Maximus and we were to live in Rome. I did not care really, my sister Karicia would remain as always and Eianara would soon grow and marry herself. I remained in Rome and married to Aurelius for three years. I was sixteen when everything would change for me.
I was right about Aurelius. All he cared about was drinking and he had many bastard sons everywhere he went but I gave him none. It wasn't because I would do something, I was barren. Many times I had conceived but I would miscarry and end up near death many times. He did not care of course. Not a year after our marriage did I receive news that Eianara had died. She was always a sickly little creature and was very frail. I had loved her. My husband of course forbade me to set foot on Suniria and so I never went. No doubt that Aurelius knew about Aubrey and I knew who was the one that told him about my scandal. I did not care that Aurelius would fall into Karicia's arms since I did not love him.
Ennira lived with me and Aurelius and it seemed that each day she grew older with time. She was kind to me still as if I were still a little girl of five. She had been with me those days that I thought I would die because I had miscarried and then I realized that I was barren and that I would never give Aurelius the pleasure of having a son by me. I must say that I did not care about giving him an heir. I waited for the day that he would divorce me and send me back to Suniria but he never did and kept me to himself. Then there came the day when a promise now long forgotten had returned.
Spring had arrived to Rome and it blossomed with life but I stayed like death, silent and cold.
"You should go out Aisha, and not keep to yourself like this." Ennira was busy with cleaning my room and dusting everything.
"I would, but you know how Aurelius is. He is too jealous and would rather lock me up as he does now." I said to her as I helped her. "I am glad that I don't give him a child so that he can gloat to everyone that he has an heir."
"Aisha, a child is a blessing! Do not say such a thing!" she gasped.
The sun was setting and I could hear the voices of my husband with that of his friends. They were all drunk and enjoying themselves. Well, if Aurelius manages to pass out from his drinking I won't have him in my bed, I thought. "Ennira, stop what you are doing and go and rest I will finish for you." I said to Ennira who was after all, tired of working all day. She did as I ordered and retired to her room as I finished her work. I dusted and cleaned everything trying to shut out the drunken laughter of Aurelius.
When I finished I collapsed on the floor. I hated being the slave of Aurelius and yet this was my fate. Angry thoughts poured into my mind. Thoughts of Aurelius with his whores and wine, of Karicia, of Aubrey and how I wronged him when he needed me most. I walked to my balcony that overlooked the gardens that were so similar to those of my old home. It was dark and the spring breeze was soothing. Then I realized that something was amiss and as I turned I crashed with someone in front of me and alarmed I grabbed hold of my dagger which I always carried but strong hands caught my wrists. As I looked up to see who it was I stared horrified at Aubrey.
He was different. He had grown paler but other than that he looked as he used to three years ago. There was something else also, a certain something was wrong. Then I saw that as he smiled he had tiny pearl-like fangs.
"Aubrey?" I said surprised.
"Yes...You thought I was dead." He spoke bitterly.
"Why are you so bitter?" I asked. He only laughed and that laughter made me feel cold inside. "What has happened to you?" I said as I touched his cold face lightly. He turned away as if my hand burned him.
"I told you I would come back." he said to me. I stood there remembering that day when my father had thrown him out and everything that I had planned was ruined. "Ah, so you consider me as the object that ruined your plan?"
I stood there aghast. Could Aubrey read my thoughts? Was he a god now? "Aubrey, what has happened, tell me!"
He walked inside my room and looked around as if he had never seen anything like it. There were many veils of different colors everywhere and the faint smell roses was there. It was simple with a large mirror in the corner and it was lighted with a few candles. "Are you happy with Aurelius?" he asked me finally.
I didn't even consider what to say. "No!" I said. "How can I live with a man who cares nothing for me and keeps me imprisoned here!" I nearly shouted, my voice clouded with many years of hate and bitterness.
"Then come with me." he said. I stood there surprised not knowing what to say. "I have been through many things Aisha, and let me tell you taking you away from here is not hard for me."
I was afraid. This was not Aubey for he was different. He said things as if nothing was going to stop him. Then I heard footsteps to my room and I knew it was Aurelius. I quickly whispered to Aubrey that he must go and all of the sudden he kissed me on the lips with the same passion as before that I could barely even move. After that he was gone as if he was never there but his presence still lingered near me as if he never left me. It was strange how I wasn't really afraid of his quick disappearance.
Aurelius came stumbling into my room and then lay sprawled on my bed. Drunk. Foolish man, I thought. He called out for me softly asking me to come to him but I refused and stood in my place.
"Who were you speaking with?" he asked, his voice slurred by the wine he had been drinking. I ignored his question and peered down at him. He was very drunk.
"I was speaking to no one. You are drunk and are imagining things." I said angrily. I would've learned to love him if he wasn't so foolish but he was.
The next day as but torture for me. I began to think that I had imagined Aubrey in my despair. I began to think myself mad. I cursed the world and I cursed my fate for everything that had happened to me. Here I was, married to a foolish man, barren, and losing my mind. My servants fussed with how I should spend my time and how I should dress. It did not matter really, I wasn't even allowed outside because of my husband. I grew irritated and yelled at them for the first time to leave me alone. Ennira quickly knew that something was amiss.
"Aisha!" she gasped as the other servants left. "This is not you!"
"I said for everyone to leave me alone!" I whispered harshly. My nerves were in a frenzy and I was pale.
"I will not! Tell me!" she said. I looked at her, giving her a cold glare. Maybe I was mad after all , I thought at the moment.
"Why should I tell you!" My words were harsh, I knew that, but I could not stop them. It wasn't fair that I took my rage on her but my anger and despair got the best of me. I was afraid of losing my mind.
Ennira closed her eyes and then opened them. I still stared at her coldly. "I command you to leave me alone!" I repeated. At that Ennira left without a word. I knew that I had hurt her.
That night would be the night that would change my life forever. I sat looking at myself through mirror. Soon I saw Aurelius come into my view. I turned and faced him. His face was full of rage, and for the first time I was scared of him.
"One of my comrades tells me that he saw you with another on your balcony last night. Is this true?" he yelled at me, his face red with anger.
I did not say anything to his accusation. Why would I protest when I knew that I had indeed made a mistake. "You have a lover. You choose one and yet you cannot learn to love me and respect me as your husband!" Aurelius walked to me and grabbed my right arm, his strong, soldier's grip hurting me. I did not scream nor shout at him. I let him drag me into his room and throw me inside as he got inside too and locked the door so that we would not be disturbed.
I hated him more than ever! He was the reason for my ruined life and he would pay! Anger clouded my mind. He grabbed me and tried to kiss me. His rage had indeed crazened him. I refused to kiss him and he slapped me across my face hard. I knew that I was bleeding for I could taste the blood in my mouth. I ran from him but he caught me and threw me on the floor. I pulled away and tried to run again. I knew that he would kill me if he could. I was never one to let other's hit me and if ever that happened I would do something in return. I knew that Aurelius was tempting me to do something I would regret.
"You are a whore. Why do you let him come to you and not me, I who am your husband!!!"
"I hate you!" I spat at him furiously. That made him angrier.
"You will love me as you did to your dead lover!" he yelled. Aubrey, I thought. At that moment I felt a strange presence in my mind as if he was there.
Quickly, I ran from Aurelius and to his desk. I suddenly noticed a sharp blade and quicky grabbed it. As I turned, I plunged at Aurelius and stabbed him again and again and again. I could hear his cries for help but they were barely audible. Soon he lay dead on the floor while my hands were red with blood. The shimmered in the candle light and a sudden guilt came over me. I could still feel the blood on my mouth. I turned only to find Aubrey looking at me, comforting me with his eyes.
This was my chance! I could go to him finally! I ran to him and he hugged me warmly even thought I was sure his body was as cold as ice. We said nothing and quickly went to my room where I gathered just a few pieces of gold for money. I cleaned my hands quickly and washed my face with water. We were about to leave when we saw Ennira blocking our path. Aubrey frowned while I stood outraged.
"What are you doing here!" I asked angrily. I wanted to get away and at that moment when I had the chance to be free I would not let anyone stand in my way. Ennira looked at me with sad eyes and quickly scolded me as if I were a child and then she slapped me. I had disappointed her too. First my father and then Ennira, the closest person to a mother that I would ever have.
My face burned with embarrassment while Aubrey did nothing and stood there shocked as I was. I pushed Ennira out of our way and went past through her. Aubrey was behind him and I heard him whisper something softly, it was an apology to Ennira who leaned against a wall. My heart was broken for I had pushed someone I loved away from me. I could no longer turn back for her forgiveness as I heard servants call for her help. They had discovered Aurelius.
I was a mere foolish human, now as I look back I know that all the things I did and thought were foolish and I hate myself even more for it...
Aubrey heard the cries for help too and quickly he whispered to me that I should not be frightened and then suddenly we were transported into another place. It was strange how it all went and felt. My body tingled as if there were many tiny things crawling in my blood and body. I had no idea how he had managed to take me from one place to another so quickly but I did not bother asking. Maybe he was a god indeed, powered by the Egyptian god Osiris, lord of the dead, to guard the human living world.
I figured we were inside a tavern but the language and their dressing manner were different. Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and even others from the greater and faraway East had all come here. They all looked at me and Aubrey as we walked by. I soon noticed that they held the same pallor as Aubrey and all of them had black eyes, all except two. Both of them had the same emerald, green eyes that I had except one was pale and the other was dark skinned as an Egyptian. Beside him sat a woman who was dark skinned too. She looked at me coldly and then glanced away when she noticed that I was not threat to her. This was Fala and Jager and the pale one who looked at me with the same green eyes was Siete.
Aubrey led me through the small crowds of strangers and into a small room upstairs. He looked at me there the same way that he had looked at me three years ago. He studied me closely and then he glanced away and stared thoughtfully at the sea through the window.
"Where are we?" I asked softly. He looked at me and then smiled.
"We are blood-drinkers, Aisha. We have taverns and cities. One of the most famous cities right now is Osrien. Of course that city holds slaves and I have been a slave myself. This is another city named Nuuruk, an Egyptian city similar to the ancient city of Uruk."
"Blood drinkers?" I asked suprised. "What do you mean blood-drinkers...?" I trailed off.
He explained to me how he and others of his kind needed blood to survive and have their powers. He told me how he could blood-bond me to him so that I could live as a human without aging. The idea intrigued me and I could not help but to wonder why he did not just turn me instead. He explained of the certain rules of being blood bonded to him kept me safe and how I would still live as human. I listened and to my surprise his new self did not scare me. He was still the same Aubrey that I had met before, his bitterness was fading away quickly.
We went back out onto the tavern. I had changed clothes for my other ones were stained with blood and I had not the time to change when we were leaving the dreadful place which many called a home. Again I was followed by the stares of the "blood drinkers" but I did not care. This was going to be my new life and world and I knew that I should get used to it. I had a deal of practice at many magic arts due to Ennira's help. I missed her terribly and I remembered how she had taught me to read into the futures of other's and to use herbs and shield my thoughts from anyone who dared intrude in them. I could still hear her saying that if I were not born so privileged I would have made a great healer.
I knew that Ennira hated me. I was dreadful to her and I knew that I did not deserve her forgiveness. I tried to be calm as Aubrey led me to Jager and Fala. I could see Siete staring at me and I looked away nervously. Fala spoke to me in Egyptian, giving me a welcome that seemed to be more of a curse. I was thankful that my tutors had taught me many languages, among them Egyptian which I spoked well since they were our neighbors. Jager smiled at me, his eyes which I perceived to be an illusion sparkled with amusement as he looked at me.
A deep, rich voice welcomed me also from behind. I turned and saw Siete, and for a moment I felt him in my mind. Quickly I closed my mind from him and blocked him out. I did not like him at all. I could still feel him in my head and the sensation made me shiver. Aubrey noticed this and quickly went to my aid. I smiled up at him, still hiding my thoughts and told him that I was fine. Jager looked at Siete and I could see that even though he was no speaking, he told him that he should leave for now. Fala smiled at me, a cold smile that surely wasn't meant to make me feel more comfortable.
Through that days that followed I stayed at the out home in Nuuruk while I waited for Aubrey to finish feeding. I was lavished with two slaves, Nivea and Eilan, I trusted them with my life and they too were blood bonded to Aubrey. Of course that did not mean that they were Aubrey's lovers as I was... True, I was not a vampire I was still human but many said that Aubrey and I would be great hunting companions when he finally turned me. At first, I had no desire to be a vampire and Aubrey knew that. I had seen him feed from time to time and the whole scene still played in my mind. I could not imagine living like that. I had killed once and I would not do so again. There was a time, after I had lived with Aubrey for six years where he had to go off for a short period of time.
He said he would come back and that he was only leaving to fix some matters on the far East. I begged him to take me but he did not and so I stayed as I was watched over by Nivea, Eilan and Jager. I loved Nivea and Eilan as the sisters that I had lost a long time ago. I had not known anything about Karicia for a long time and I soon learned that she was living very well as a prostitute in the far East. I did not really care what the rumors about me in Rome were and I never bothered to find out if they had suspected me at all. All I thought was about Ennira and soon I got notice that she had died of old age in the farther and poorer parts of the city in Rome. I did not cry, I had not cried in many years and I knew that my tears had dried away. I felt a wretched pain in me and I blamed myself for everything. It was during those times where I met Silver.
Silver had short, blonde hair that seemed to be a silvery color. I guess that's why he was named Silver. He was pale as all the other blood drinkers and his black eyes were the only contrast in his face. He was handsome and young. I also knew that he was very old and powerful and that it might as well have been him who turned Aubrey.
Jager, who always flirted shameless with me respected Silver and I knew that it was Silver who had made Jager. I smiled at Silver as he looked at me. I had forgotten to shield my thoughts of him being Aubrey's maker and Silver quickly answered to this.
"No, Aisha. I am not Aubrey's maker though I wish I would not be ashamed if I was. He is the child of my child, Ather." His accent was ancient and it only made me wonder that he was older than I thought he was. Ather. A woman's name. I began to wonder why she had chosen Aubrey at all? I quickly left all those jealous thoughts and went to happier and cheerful things.
Through the days that followed Silver was my protector and confidant while Aubrey was gone. I soon learned that Silver had made Ather, who was born with shape shifter blood, allowing her to have to powers of a blood drinker and yet still holding the power to shape shift into any animal she wanted. Ather's fledglings, as they called them, could also shape shift. I did not like the word fledgling for it gave me the feeling of something you just made for sheer purpose. I preferred child because that was what it really was.
Silver also came to explain to me of his recent adventures and of how he had fallen in love with a woman who left him heart broken. I could not help but comfort him as he told me that because of that relationship he had not fallen in love with anyone else. Silver proved to be a very good friend to me as I was to him. I wished that my brother's would have been with me so that I could have shared the same experience with them as I did with Silver. Of course, I could not escape from the rumors that circled in Nuuruk. Some said that I had a certain affair with Silver and I could not help but wonder how human these blood drinkers still were. Silver left after he realized that him staying there would only cause more chaos.
After Aubrey came back he had heard the rumors but he said nothing to me about them. I guess he trusted Silver too much to ever believe him to betray him. Aubrey and I lived many years together, centuries if that is the right word. Yet, for all those years, he never turned me and I was troubled by it. I was glad that he had not but yet again he had never spoken to me about it. A certain part in me begged him to turn me but he did not.
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