Chapter 9: Love Revealed
Commodus had spent all night awake in Tertullian's office. The library behind him held many important documents from the months passed that hadn't yet been processed into the greater library. Many of them were still left from his father's reign. Commodus had thought several times about going through some of these to find out whether some of the documents had the secretive actions of the senators that were making trouble among the people. There were laws being passed and actions being carried out without his consent. He had spent several months undoing the horrors that several higher-ups had forced onto the public. Some of them had been proven to have been edicts that senators had sent to the Praetorians without his seal. Those senators had been fined a great deal for their wrongs, but Commodus wandered how on earth he could properly punish the men to insight fear in them without making them so angry that they would want him dead. Lately, though, he had wondered if the senate already wanted him dead. He had spent the night and some of the morning going over the Hebrew texts about Haddasseh. She had been a mere peasant that had been initiated into the court of King Ahazerous of Persia as a concubine. Since Commodus was feeling fidgety and excited, he had been unable to sit through the first part of it reading intently. The last few passages that detailed the young girl becomming queen, her helping to undo an evil edict from the king's wicked advisor, then the emminent demise of the advisor and the happy marraige of the king and Haddasseh. Haddasseh had changed her name to the Persian name Esther since Hebrews weren't welcomed in the court.
He found this story very moving and truly exciting. He went over the ideas presented in the story over and over again. Then he went over the thought of this mystery girl being as close to him as Esther was to Ahazerous. The thought was wonderful! He could go to sleep in those soft, warm arms and then wake every morning to her sweet voice and tender kiss. That would be true ecstasy! He sat back in the chair and allowed his mind to wonder with the idea for a little while. Tertullian suddenly stirred. He had stayed in the office with his emperor to make sure that no one made another attempt on his life. The old man yawned and stretched. He looked over at the young ruler, slightly reclined at the edge of the room. He smiled as he noticed that the emperor's eyes were filled with distant longing and starry wondering. Commodus was in love, or at least he felt that he was. Tertullian sighed and walked over to the young man with a bow.
"Did you find everything you needed, sire?", he asked. Commodus jumped. Tertullian moved backwards and stared at the youth in disbelief. Commodus cleared his throat and composed himself as he stood.
"Tertullian, do you believe in love at first sight?", Commodus asked quietly.
Tertullian shook his head with a smile. He could remember having the same conversation with his own son. It was a sure sign that the young man was infatuated with someone.
"I believe that one can experience some kind of love with just seeing someone very attractive to both the eyes and the spirit.", Tertullian explained.
"What about falling in love with someone you haven't seen, only felt and heard?", Commodus asked intently.
Tertullian held back laughter at the simple, human innocence that Commodus was displaying. "Well, sire, a dream can definitely produce feelings of eros."
"It wasn't a dream, Tertullian. This girl, I've been having encounters with her in the catacombs.", he explained. Tertullian looked at the emperor inquisitively. He sighed and sat down once more. "I go down there to gather my thoughts and she just comes to me and embraces me. She has whispered kindly to me, sung to me, held me softly, and recently given me the most tender kiss in exsistance."
Tertullian placed his hand on the amorous emperor. He looked into the youth's eyes with admiration. "I'd say it's time you discover who this girl is and if your feelings are genuine, sire. When love enters the life of a man, it is a terrible thing not to act on it."
Commodus smiled brightly, then frowned a little. "Haddasseh was a concubine. The senators and nobles have given me at least 300 concubines. It would take me an eternity to give a night to each of them to interview them.", he said sadly. "I want to be with this girl now."
"Understandable, sire. You truly desire her, even I can see that. I have a suggestion.", Tertullian offered. "Call each of the concubines before you one at a time. Command each of them to say a phrase that you remember this girl saying, to take your hand like the embrace that you felt from her, and to kiss it as softly as the girl did yesterday."
"And that will work?", Commodus asked excitedly.
"Well, unless you feel the need to ask them to sing to you.", Tertullian added. Commodus smiled and grabbed Tertullian's hand.
"This is wonderful! I won't be alone anymore, ever!", he shouted happily. "Start writing the proclammation, now!"
Tertullian chuckled and sat down to begin writing the order for the women of the court. The emperor would soon be experiencing the same happiness that men had felt for centuries, the pleasure of a wife. Not to mention it would get the senate off of his back for a little while. Commodus stopped pacing and looked up at the window as the sun rose. He cursed the passage of time.
"Damnation! It's already daybreak!", he exclaimed.
"Of course it is, sire. Let's continue so that this will be done before the afternoon.", Tertullian replied.
"That's just it, I have to meet with the senate in a three hours. There has been a meeting called to discuss the state of the empire since the celebrations began.", Commodus said in disgust. "I'm tired of the ludicris driveling I've been enduring since I was fourteen. There's no excuse for the behaviour of those hateful old buzzards."
"I can finish the order, Caesar. I already know what you wish to be done for the time being. I will send it to the senate while one of them is clucking away and you can send the messenger back with any changes you feel should be made."
Commodus sighed and walked over to the door, peeking out into the hallway. The palace was already coming to life in the main hallways with several scribes, servants, and courtiers. He groaned and turned back to his personal scribe who was still smiling with amusement.
"Very well. Send it with a messenger when you're done. I can't wait too long for this. She is magnificent.", Commodus said sighing again. Tertullian looked up from the parchment in confusion.
"Sire, forgive me, but how is it that if it is one of your concubines that you cannot tell from past experience which one it is?", Tertullian asked. Commodus turned a deep shade of red and looked away from the old man. Tertullain smiled even brighter. The emperor hadn't slept regularly with his women at all. He had been introduced to the heat of a woman's heat at the same age that he had been given any political power. It was a well-known fact that a young boy could not mature properly after going through adolescence without lying with a woman. Commodus had certainly been no exception and he had been rumoured to have courted three young girls at different times before his father's death. None of them had taken to him since he would one day bear a great burden for the empire. The woman who would be taken as his wife would need to be able to comfort him after great losses and soothe him from becoming violent towards the other nobles. She would also need to be versed enough to give him advice when he asked it. Few girls at the ages of twelve and thirteen were willing to take on that responsibility and their parents weren't keen on losing their young daughters to an assassin at such an early age. Yes, the emperor had recieved physical fulfilment several times in his life, but was not the typical promiscuous ruler that marked the blood lines of the Caesars before him.
"It isn't as if I have the presence of mind to memorize the women's features and so on when they come to my bed. I am ravenous and often leave them asleep in the side bedchamber before retiring to my own.", he said proudly. Tertullian shook his head and looked down at the parchment once more. He decided to ignore the shameless bragging and get back to work.
Ursa met Cicero at the window once more. Cicero looked up at her excitedly.
"Come on, little bear. The guards are chasing a horde of piglets that I just set loose in the courtyard! We can leave right now!", he urged.
"Cicero! I still haven't retrieved the information we need.", Ursa corrected. "I can't leave yet, I think I have found favour with the emperor."
"Why should that matter?", Cicero complained.
Ursa smiled and her eyes sparkled with adoration. "He needs a companion that makes him feel safe. I can prove anything to the cause with his signet and words if I can get closer to him.", Ursa explained. "He needs me."
"Ursa! Do not fall in love with him! He's killed hundreds of innocent people and is the son of the reason that mother and father were forced out of our home in the first place!", Cicero whispered urgently. "He's raised taxes, ordered violent arrests and executions, and neglected the people since he came to the throne!"
"He's only been on the throne for six months! I truly think that the cause can sway him to do good for the empire!", Ursa exclaimed quietly. Cicero groaned and rolled his eyes. "Brother, please let me do this. He has refused to touch me. I know that I can find out who is truly behind the travesties in the capital and the rest of the empire. I suspect that it is mostly the workings of Falco. He wants the emperor to pass a law that will execute any citizen that refuses to bow to him and proclaim him the son of Jupiter! Falco wants many more people to die and he wants Commodus to appear unreasonable."
"Then the emperor needs to grow up and learn which advice to follow and which to ignore.", Cicero argued. "You aren't going to help him do that. You're still just a little girl, Ursa. You can't do such great tasks for Rome."
Ursa stared at him, hurt. She stepped backwards. "You really don't think I'm good enough for anything important, do you?", she said quivering with sadness and anger.
"Ursa, I think the world of you. But there's only so much you're capable of. After all, you're only a girl and a very young girl at that.",Cicero explained. "I shouldn't have sent you to the palace in the first place."
"You sent me here because you thought that the only thing I'm good for is to distract a man's physical attention!", Ursa said loudly. Cicero tried to speak up and defend himself. "You didn't even think I could win the emperor's favour following Gracchus into the court! You see me as an infant! An infant with a body you can use!"
"No, little bear! Not at all! I just want to protect you, Ursa!", he exclaimed trying to climb up to her. Ursa pushed him back by his shoulders.
"Go away! I am going to complete this task and make myself important to someone! Even if that means giving myself over to him!", Ursa shouted.
"Ursa, no! You've worked so hard to keep yourself for your husband and stay true to our cause! Please come home! I miss you so much!", he cried. "You're confused, little one! Just climb out now and we'll go!"
Ursa forced him backwards not only away from the window, but caused him to fall uncermoniously onto the ground. Two guards saw this and raced over to him. The two siezed him by his arms and wrestled his arms behind his back, tying them together. He growled and began to struggle furiously.
"He doesn't love you, Ursa! You don't even know him! You can't stay here!", Cicero yelled up to the window. One of the guards struck him harshly on the head. Cicero groaned and reeled for a moment, but remained conscious. "Ursa.", he muttered as they dragged him away.
Just after the royal house had finished breakfast, Quintus approached Commodus and informed him that there had been a young man caught assaulting the window of the concubines' quarters. He groaned. He had an inkling as to who the young man was. He told Quintus to hold the man in the throne room and that he would be there in a moment to deal with him. Quintus nodded and left quickly. Cicero was dropped in front of the throne to wait for the emperor. His hands were bound and his head was bleeding terribly from the wound the guards had inflicted. Commodus walked into the room and felt a horrible sickness wash over him. He hated confronting anyone with excusable righteous indignation. Cicero was terriblt angry at the legal abduction of his sister. If the young manservant wanted someone to blame for this ordeal, why didn't he attack Gracchus? The old senator had been the one to bring the beautiful girl to the palace in the first place. Commodus stopped for a moment and thought about the girl's eyes. She was wonderful to behold, but he hadn't had the opportunity to speak with her at lengths. He had decided against it since the girl had been raised among servants and soldiers that probably didn't speak favourably about the royal family. Not to mention, she was obviously very innocent and therefore too flighty to make a suitable companion at all. He walked over to Cicero and bent down, cutting the bonds at his wrists effortlessly with his ornate dagger. Cicero rubbed his wrists and held onto his head. Commodus noticed the large wound on the man's head. He winced at the blood streaming from it. He nodded to one of the guards who moved forward and bowed.
"Go and fetch Galen.", the emperor commanded. Cicero groaned and sat backwards a little.
"He's been hurt. Go and fetch Galen.", he muttered. The memory he had recalled earlier was miximng with the pain and confusion in his mind. Commodus knelt and lifted Cicero to standing. He moved the young man over to one of the chairs at the side of the room and sat him down. "You can't stay here."
"I disagree, Cicero. What on earth do you think you were doing?", Commodus exclaimed. "I told you where it was appropriate for you to stand and watch for your sister. I promised that she would be released in one week. I promised not to touch her. I have kept all but releasing her seeing as it hasn't been one week."
"I miss you so much.", Cicero whispered softly. Commodus sighed heavily and looked up at the sky.
"I have to go to the senate. Treat his wound and send him on his way.", Commodus instructed. He turned back to Cicero. "Do not go back to the window again, Cicero. I do not want to see you flogged or worse."
"He doesn't love you.", Cicero moaned and then leaned to one side. Commodus shook his head and walked away. He looked forward to being done with this girl and in fact concubines in general. It was much less confusion to have one woman to please him from all angles for the rest of his life. The rest of his life; it would come soon enough and he was not going to spend it alone.