Chapter 13: Decisions Made In Haste

Maximus waited patiently in his cell as Lucilla and Gracchus entered. They spoke for several minutes simply about the state of the empire and how all of it was the fault of young Commodus. Gracchus spoke as freely as possible so that neither of the other two would suspect the plan he was forming. Lucilla and Maximus agreed that senator Gracchus would come within the next week and purchase Maximus's freedom. After that, Maximus could return to his men in Ostia with Cicero and Ursa. Gracchus thought to himself at the same time where the best place to send Commodus would be. He had a summer home near Naples at the ocean front. Commodus had always loved the sea and would truly feel at home there. He smiled to himself at the young man simply spending the rest of his life as an artist or something like it. Lucilla turned to him and stared at him reproachfully.

"Senator, what is it?", she asked. He straightened his expression and cleared his throat.

"I simply imagine how wonderful the empire will be once in the hands of a republic once more.", he lied. She nodded, satisfied with the answer. Maximus looked at both of them worriedly.

"How is Ursa? Is Cicero fairing alright?", he asked. Lucilla frowned. If they told him that Ursa was free of the palace then he might feel a little less angry at her brother, but then he might feel discouraged to act if he thought that Ursa would be in the palace and in immediate danger. She looked up at him with false tears in her eyes.

"Commodus took her to his bed...twice. Now she has been sent home.", she lied. Maximus turned a bright shade of red and breathed heavily. He reached for a vase on the table near where he was sitting in Proximo's school. He threw it madly to the floor. It shattered into a hundred pieces with water and dead flowers strewn everywhere. He shouted in rage for a moment and then silenced himself. He looked at Gracchus, who simply looked at Lucilla in disbelief. He didn't dare argue with the woman since she been acting very odd as of late and it frightened him. "We have given her a draught that will keep her calmed until you are freed and can take her away from the capital."

"What of Cicero?", Maximus said, now pacing like a caged tiger.

"He was brutalized when he came to the palace.", Lucilla explained, again giving only partial truth to the angry soldier. "He is also with Ursa. They will be alright until you come for them, I think."

"Then we must be quick about this.", Maximus growled. He felt his heart reding in pieces for the hurt that was being done to those that were dear to him and still living; he was powerless to help them at the moment making the torment that much more great to him. He fought back tears, he was tired of them as of late. Lucilla put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "How soon will you be back for me?"

"In three days.", Gracchus interjected. That should be all the time it would take to smuggle an unconscious royal from the palace out to a hiding place. Lucilla looked at him inquisitively. "Anything sooner would be suspicious to him."

She thought about this for a moment and nodded. The three said goodbye and left the school hurriedly. As Lucilla entered the palace to check on Lucius, a frightening figure met her. She gasped and took a few steps back.

"Done speaking with the condemned, are you?", the icy voice asked. She nodded sadly. The man smiled. "Good. Lucius is sleeping soundly. He's such a sweet boy, really."

"You promised not to harm him!", she exclaimed in a whisper.

"I am well aware of what I promised. I gave my word to not harm him if you kept your word to open the throne to me.", the man said walking around her slowly. "Your brother is still awake if you wish to go and initiate the first step."

"Everything must go according to plan or nothing will work. Commodus must die first and then Maximus must be executed for it.", Lucilla corrected. "You know that, Gaius."

The malicious old senator laughed cruelly. "You still love him, don't you? After the hardships he has caused your family, the embarrassments, the laughter he has elicited from nobles. He's thorn in the flesh, Lucilla. He will be removed or Lucius will suffer a little accident.", Gaius warned. Lucilla looked up at him desperately. "We wouldn't want that, now, would we?"

She shook her head furiously, looking down with heavy tears weighing on her like boulders. "I will do as you have requested."

"That's my girl.", Gaius said coldly. He forced her to face him and pressed his lips onto hers in a kiss of pure contempt. She groaned and pulled away. "Good night, My Lady."

Lucilla watched him stalk away. She ran into her son's room to make sure he was still intact. She breathed a sigh of relief at seeing he was sleeping peacefully just as she had left him. She tried to ignore the unsettling encounter and walked calmly into her brother's room. She walked over to his bedside. He noticed her and almost fell off the bed from jumping in surprise. She smiled and sat down as tenderly as their mother had done years ago. He looked up at her worriedly.

"Do you think she will come back?", he asked. He had revealed what Ursa had told him before leaving. He could keep no secrets from his sister. In any time of trouble, she had always been the only person he could count on. She looked away a little.

"You need to rest now, brother. Ursa was very shaken by her first night here. It is possible that she may never love a man truly.", she said.

He gulped and looked away. Lucilla felt her heart twisting in knots. She wanted to scream everything that was transpiring out to her brother. To tell him how much she loved him and how sorry she was. She wanted to tell him to leave the palace this instant and go to Ursa if he really loved her. She looked away as well. She couldn't face this helpless little boy that she was going to aid in destroying. Still, after everything he had put their family through he deserved death. She shook that thought away. She blamed his constant scheming and explosive temper for their father's death. The old man would have lived much longer had his heart not been weakened by Commodus's incessant need to be a pest. She loved him, but she was so very angry with him. She reached into her tunic and withdrew a small vial filled with a similar draught to what she had given Cicero. This one was diluted a great deal to make sure that it wouldn't kill him and he wouldn't be unable to function as emperor the next day. She handed it to him and watched him drink it without question. He had such trust for her. That was the very reason that Gaius had preyed on her, she was the only direct link to the little weasel. She felt her breath catch in her chest at the thougt of Gaius. Commodus noticed the horrified look on his sister's face. He frowned and sat up a little more.

"Sister, is everything alright? Is something troubling you?", he asked softly.

She shook her head and wiped her eyes a little. He looked at her closely. She wasn't going to tell him what was really going on in his mind. He sighed and laid back, feeling sleep taking him almost immediately. She watched as her little brother fell into a sound sleep. It was dangerous to give him the draught after what Galen had told her. His breath would randomly stop in his sleep and Galen felt that someday it would never return to him. She wished desperately that he would wake and demand to know everything from her, then she would have an excuse to lay before Gaius as the reason for telling him of the plans. Instead, he settled into a dreamless slumber. Lucilla glared at how peaceful he looked at the moment. She stood and walked away angrily. She stormed into her chambers and fell onto her bed, sobbing madly.