Chapter 3: God of Rome versus the God of the Sea

Aislinn was shaken awake by Claude early the next morning. The sun hadn't even begun to rise.

"Wake up, child!" he said urgently. "Caesar is ready for you to begin practice with him!"

"I'll join him after God raises the Sun," she muttered and rolled over. Claude tried desperately to shake her and talk her into getting up and leaving; not just for her sake, but for his as well. It was useless. Aislinn was as stubborn as she was strange. Claude, trembling, went to the door of the quarters they'd been given and bowed to the guard standing there.

"My lady seems to be unable to raise this early," he said in a whimper. Quintus, head of the guard gave a half-smile. If nothing else, it was amusing to see someone openly defy the emperor as they all wanted to do. He went back and told Commodus who was waiting rather impatiently in the courtyard. He growled and stormed into Aislinn's quarters, straight into her bedchamber, and yanked the blankets off of her.

"Burgh! Now I'm tired and cold!" she yelled trying to get the covers back.

"I sent for you!" Commodus yelled at her.

"I know, but I forgive you for being so inconsiderate about the hour you chose," she replied rubbing her head. He snarled and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her out into the courtyard in her nightdress. She fought with him until he dropped her and stepped a few paces away. "You arrogant little..." she began. She suddenly noticed the look of intense rage on his face. She turned a shade of red noticing that he was mostly nude and she was still not properly clothed. She turned away. "I am truly sorry, your highness. Please forgive me; I forgot where I was for a moment. I was out of line," she said humbly. She bowed low as she turned around. He raged and threw a staff past her.

"Don't mock me with your false apologies, Boadicea Christian! Now stand and fight me!" he yelled. He looked into her face with pure malice, and then stopped. His expression softened as she knelt in front of him with tears in her eyes.

"I am sorry, highness. I do not expect your forgiveness but I want it more than anything right now. You must believe me," she said trying to remain a little dignified while abasing her to debase him. He frowned and grabbed the staff away from her.

"Go inside and get dressed. And be quick about it! I want to be finished before the sun rises," he ordered. Aislinn bowed her head quickly and ran inside. As she pulled on the simple robes, she smiled. He was beginning to see how out of control he was, he was beginning to feel guilt. She headed back out to the courtyard before the sun had shown the slightest hint of rising. Many torches lit this area. Aislinn noted Commodus wouldn't venture anywhere that was very dark. She wondered if he was still afraid of night and darkness like a small child. The Celts celebrated and held night sacred, so darkness was never truly a bother to them. She smiled and approached him, bowing low. "Good. Now take your staff and begin," he instructed.

Aislinn grasped her staff calmly and waited for the young ruler to make the first move. He swiped to her left, she parried effortlessly. Again to her right, she thwarted his attack smoothly. He smiled. She was impressive for a female. Now he began quicker attacks using both ends of the staff. Aislinn was able to defend against every move, but now looked a little more concentrated. He stepped back and jumped with staff raised. Aislinn aimed her staff for his chest. He thrust his staff horizontally in front of him throwing her staff out of her hands. She flipped back; landing with her hands on the staff, then swept up the staff and swiped at his mid section. He blocked with his staff and the two continued in a woundless battle as the orange of the sun began to light the sky. He lunged forward to try and end the fight, aiming for the side of her head. Aislinn caught his staff with hers, held it, and kicked into his side. He groaned and fell backward. The guards suppressed laughter as he scrambled to stand up once more. Aislinn leapt forward and pinned him, holding her staff at his throat.

"I've won this round, Caesar. Don't move," she said softly. He snarled and turned rolling on top of her. He smiled triumphantly and reached down to take her staff. Aislinn kicked straight up, assaulting the royal line of Rome. He squeaked and fell. Again she pinned him, this time holding the staff so tightly over his throat that he could barely breathe. "I've won, Caesar. Don't move," she said again. He looked up at her, completely stunned. Aislinn stood and removed the staff from his throat. She held out her hand to him. He took her hand gently. As she pulled him to his feet, he grabbed her and turned her to face away from him, her neck locked in his muscular arm. In a moment, he could've broken her neck and killed her. Aislinn remained motionless as he leaned down to her ear.

"Never extend your hand to an enemy, Boadicea Christian," he warned. Aislinn thrust her elbow as hard as she could into his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. He crumpled to his knees as she drew his sword and held it to his throat.

"When sparring, highness, there are no enemies. Only moves to avoid, mistakes to elude. When in battle you are my enemy, not in practice," she said. He glared at her. She looked down at him emotionlessly and stepped back, offering him his sword. He grabbed the short sword and stood up only to fall over once again. He roared and stood up angrily. Aislinn took a step back and stared at him. He simply glared at her, and then hit her as hard as he could in the face. She snarled and stared back. "That was very unbecoming of a warrior," she warned.

"It is not your place to lecture me on combat! I could have you killed right now! I could do it myself!" he raved.

She held her cheek still looking at him. "Then do it," she said plainly. He glared hard at her. He grabbed a spear from one of the guards and snapped it in half over his knee, shouting like an unhappy toddler. He stormed away. Aislinn watched. Quintus approached her and looked at her closely.

"Go back to your quarters. You will be brought food and water," he said. Aislinn nodded and walked away quietly.

(*)

Later that afternoon, Commodus stood with fifty of his elite Praetorians at the edge of a sea-port. Lucilla had been summoned by Quintus to come and try to calm her brother. After the embarrassment with Aislinn in the courtyard that morning, the emperor had hoped to soothe himself by entertaining all the people with a grand re-enactment of 'Carthage' in the arena. A second embarrassment ensued when Maximus of the Felix Legions had turned up as a champion. Falco had told Commodus after his father's death, that Maximus had deserted the empire and had been the one to kill Marcus. Falco also added that Maximus tried to seduce Lucilla and assassinate him as well. Because of this, Commodus neither sent men to search for Maximus, nor did he mourn for him. Now he was back... in Rome...angry and wanting him dead. The young emperor had managed to calm himself down a little at the thought of going back to his chamber to rest. Unfortunately, Gracchus met him on the way and told him he was needed as a judge between two angry fishermen. The men accused Commodus of not caring enough for the empire and allowing Poseidon to become enraged with Rome. Because of this, the fishing was poor and now the sea-provinces would starve. Commodus tried to remain impartial and kind with them, until one of them mentioned that this had never happened under his father's reign. Commodus had yelled at both the men, using words of Latin that only sailor's should've been privy to. Then he declared that he would make war against Poseidon and cause the sea to obey only him. Now, he stood at the oceanfront with his men, ready to attack (of all things) the sea. Lucilla stepped up beside her brother.

"Caesar, what are you doing?" she asked with a bow.

"Don't question me, sister. This is for the good of Rome. I will claim the sea as part of our empire," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Sire, if you're upset about the sailors, then have them flogged. This is ridiculous," Lucilla said. In the back of her mind she feared that the god of the sea would send a sea-serpent to swallow her brother whole if he ordered even one spear hurled at the waves, just to prove a point. He remained unmoving. "If you're upset about Maximus, order him executed." she offered. He tensed and motioned for the men to take aim. "If you're upset about that girl..."

He lost all control. "The girl is nothing! She will bow before me! All will bow before me, even the sea! Men, fire!" he yelled. Without question, the guards hurled spears and fired arrows into the calm water. He felt his rage subside as the water ebbed against the rocks. He turned to Lucilla and smiled. "There, now the sea is at my command." She rolled her eyes and turned away. A bird flying over head dropped a small load onto his breastplate. "Well," he began, "...next conquest is the heavens." He turned away and began walking back towards home. Lucilla followed.

"Brother, you can't attack a random object every time you lose your temper. The people will start more rumors than we already have," she warned.

"I didn't lose my temper, dear sister. Did you not notice how calmly and effectively I followed through with the maneuver?" he said proudly. She stopped him by the arm.

"Please, brother. You can't let such small things weigh so heavily on your heart. You have the weight of an empire crushing down on you as it is," she said. He looked up at her. She was right. The little things had been agitating him more than usual lately. He sighed and embraced her.

"I'm alright, Lucilla. I just need some time to meditate between events. Father wanted us to do that, remember?" he said. She nodded and led the way back to the palace. Commodus passed by Aislinn's quarters. He looked in one of the windows and watched her for a moment. She was kneeling with her hands folded. This was how Christians spoke to their God, he had been told. He listened carefully.

"God, my father, please be with the Caesar. He is troubled. Lift his burdens and comfort him as you comfort me," she said softly. He stumbled backwards and ran into his bedchamber.

What on earth was wrong with her! He was her enemy! He was holding her captive! Why would she want him comforted? Perhaps he was just hearing things because he was so excited. Yes, that must've been it, he decided. He lay down quietly on his bed, undressing slowly as he climbed under the linens. He sighed and rubbed his temples pitifully. 'I'll be harder on her tomorrow. We'll use bigger weapons, stronger weapons, and crueler weapons. I will make her hate me and respect me as the rest of her people do.', he thought to himself. He closed his eyes and fell fast asleep, hoping in his dreams to escape all the madness of the day.