Chapter 12: The Snake and the Maiden

Lucilla strode out of her room in the morning to go and see how the evening with Drachma had been for her brother. She walked up to a few of the palace guards that were posted near his room.

"How did the lady Drachma fair last night?" she asked them.

They looked at one another uneasily, and then smiled. "We don't know, my lady. The emperor and the young girl haven't come out all night, but she carried on for quite some time," one of them replied. Lucilla smiled. My brother has finally found a woman for himself, she thought. She knew it would be inappropriate to disturb them, but she truly wanted a look at her brother. He would look at peace now, probably asleep since he wasn't outside or at breakfast. She walked in quietly and stood in the farthest corner to look quickly. Her eyes softened with adoration as she saw her brother's form lying on the bed, sound asleep next to the form of young Drachma. The girl rolled over slightly and her hair tumbled to the side, it was burning bright red. Lucilla gasped in horror and anger. She stormed over to the bed. Aislinn lay beside her brother. Aislinn was still clothed and wrapped in a soft mantle, he was also still dressed and laying beside her, but on top of the blankets. Lucilla growled. Although it was fairly obvious that nothing had transpired, this was infuriating. Her brother had to have sent Drachma away before the night watch arrived, which meant it had been a little before midnight that this Christian had begun to work her sorcery on her brother. Commodus moved his hand over Aislinn, holding onto her side gently. Lucilla watched in sheer anger as Aislinn laid her hand over his. Lucilla furiously reached down and grabbed Aislinn's hand slinging it away from her brother. Aislinn jumped in awaking. Lucilla and she locked eyes momentarily.

"My lady, I.," Aislinn began. Lucilla shouted in rage and threw Aislinn off to the side by her shoulder. Commodus jarred awake. He looked groggily up at his sister muttering, 'Aislinn' and rubbing his head.

"Witch! What have you done to my brother! What have you done to Rome!" Lucilla cried angrily. Aislinn got to her feet and ran out of the room to escape anything else. Before Lucilla could storm after her, Commodus grabbed her arm and forced her to face him.

"Lucilla, what's come over you? Aislinn needed to be comforted last night. She was away from her family for a very important celebration and the poor girl was..."

"Poor girl? Is that what you think of her? You feel pity for her! You are bewitched, brother! Nero warned us about the magic powers of those Christians! Now they have infiltrated our defenses, your heart!" she yelled in fear and anger. Commodus looked at her, incredibly hurt by her lack of trust and understanding. Lucilla's face softened. She hugged him tightly. "Oh, little brother! What a mess you're in. She's got a spell on you stronger than anything I've ever seen. She'll be dealt with."

"Lucilla," Commodus said pushing her harshly away, "Aislinn is neither a witch nor a conqueror. She wishes nothing against me or Rome. If she had I would've destroyed her already. I will fight her at the end of October and be done with it. She isn't changing anything that was good for me. She soothes my aching head (which he found odd to say since she often frustrated him), she invigorates me before I speak with the senate and helps me concentrate (which he also found odd since Aislinn was often tiring and made his mind wander when he spoke with the senators), and she has helped me with my temper (which he found the oddest of all since she had assuaged his outbursts by causing some very severe ones). Everything is fine. She might be a Celt and a Christian, but she isn't going to harm anything. I think she's become quite civilized during her stay."

"Brother, listen to me," Lucilla said softly. She sat down with him on the edge of the bed. "Once, there was a young maiden walking home in the winter. She passed by a lake and beside its shores found a frozen asp. She pitied the beautiful creature, laying there frozen and helpless. She carried the snake home, laid it by the fire in a coverture to get warm, and then nursed it with milk. The snake re-gained its health and charmed the girl with its lithe body and pretty eyes. But when the girl pulled him to her to embrace him as a friend, it bit her over her heart. She asked the snake, 'Why? Did I not take good care of you and given you mercy from the cruelty of nature?' and the snake replied, 'But my dear girl, I am still a snake. It is my nature to bite, to kill.' She is still a snake, Commodus. A fairly pretty snake and an entertaining one, but a snake none the less."

He looked at her and shook his head. "Lucilla, she has shown me no cruelty. Not once has she behaved as the rest of her people since she has been here. Let her be. If she shows even one sign of treachery, I will kill her myself," he said and kissed her hand gently. "Trust me, sister."

"Commodus, do not let this throne fall beneath you. Father always feared that Rome would fall under you," Lucilla warned. She noticed hatred and sadness flare in her brother's eyes at her mentioning this. She stood and left quickly. He watched and then straightened himself, standing to leave. Aislinn was no threat, she couldn't be. She had said last night how frightened and miserable she was. He dismissed any doubts of her attacking him and his family. Aislinn would never do such a thing. She is forbidden to as a Christian, he thought. He caught himself. What was he saying, the Christians wanted Rome destroyed. He frowned and went to join his sister and nephew at the table.

Aislinn waited nervously in her room, pacing until the emperor would send for her again to fight. Claude approached her with a glass of water.

"Miss?" he said softly offering it to her as she paced. Aislinn spun quickly and knocked the glass from his hand. It shattered as it hit the floor. "Oh my! Are you alright, Aislinn?"

She scrambled to try and clean it up, using a cloth from the end-table. She felt tears of many emotions beginning to flood her eyes. Claude knelt to help her, but noted the trembling in her face. He took both of her hands in his. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry, you just startled me," she stammered.

"What is troubling you, little one?" he asked genuinely concerned.

"He feels tenderly for me, I can see it. But he can't be feeling that way, it is forbidden. If anyone knew, they would kill me and him," she said softly. Claude stared at her. He knew that she spoke of the emperor, but knew better than to say anything. Aislinn was in love. Terribly so. And from what he had seen of Caesar as of late, so was he. The only problem with their mutual affection being that his nationality was against both her race and her faith. He shook his head. The story would've made a fabulous tragedy for a struggling writer if it hadn't been so true. Being as true as it was before him, it was painful. "I can't need him, I can't. And he can't need me. This isn't fair!"

"Nothing is fair, Aislinn," Claude laughed as he helped her stand. "Especially love. Love takes no prisoners and never fights fair. The only way to end this is to die. Your heart is far too involved."

Aislinn felt a few tears stream down her cheeks. None of this was right. She had been kidnapped, tormented, then treated kindly, and now she realized that her feelings for him might cost him his throne. He was still planning on fighting her to the death, but she knew she couldn't kill him. However, he had promised conquest of her land if she lost and died at his hands. She fought off a torrent of sorrow and walked away from Claude. A guard knocked on the door. Claude opened it. Aislinn said nothing as the two spoke. Claude walked over to her and frowned a little.

"Aislinn, Caesar is ready for you to practice with him now," he said. Aislinn nodded and walked sadly out of the room. Claude watched and felt his heart ache for his emperor. This girl truly loved him, but he would never be permitted to enjoy it freely.

(*)

Commodus stood waiting for Aislinn. The two could barely look at one another. He handed her a large bow and an arrow. There probably wouldn't be place in the arena for archery, but it was a method they could practice without having to look at one another. Two target dummies stood several feet away. He raised his bow first, fired, hitting the target next to the bull's eye. Aislinn did the same, hitting the mark closer than he had. He glanced at her for a second and then drew another arrow, fired, and hit a fraction closer to the centre. Aislinn again did the same, hitting a smidgen nearer than his. He smiled slightly and fired again hitting directly above the bull's eye. Aislinn also smiled, fired, and hit the bull's eye dead on. He stood close beside her admiring the hit. He looked down at her.

"Aislinn, I hope you're in better spirits than you were last night," he said. She looked up at him. He noticed that she had been crying a little. He frowned. Either what he had done was still hurting her, or the fact that she was still in torment was hurting her even more. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Aislinn allowed this and looked away a little. She felt herself screaming to lash out at him, hurt him, and make him leave her alone for his sake. She couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. He inched a little closer. "Quintus take the men and patrol the east side of the palace," he ordered.

Quintus smiled and bowed. He motioned for the rest of the Praetorians to follow. Aislinn watched in confusion. Commodus touched her chin and turned her face to him. She looked down. He lifted her face slightly trying to look into her beautiful green eyes. She tried to pull her head away from his hand.

"Sire, I apologize for my behaviour last night. It was highly inappropriate," she whispered. He frowned noticing that she was graver than ever. Even when the promise regarding the sparing of her brethren had been in jeopardy she had been a little playful in the end. Did she really not feel the same way he was beginning to feel for her? She was refusing to look at him. He frowned a little and grabbed the bow by the centre and hit her fairly gently with it. Aislinn stumbled back. She looked up at him and raised her bow defensively. He smiled.

"Come on, Aislinn. You have to be ready for anything," he said and lunged at her with the bow. Aislinn parried to left as he attacked. He smiled brighter. He continued a series of impromptu attacks with just the bow, but Aislinn wasn't smiling or making any of her moves playful and extravagant. No flipping backwards, no sweeping movements with her weapon, no quick poses readying herself for the next battle. What was wrong with her? She must have really been unsettled. There was only one way to remedy this, he decided. He stopped and looked over her head intently. "What on earth is that?" he exclaimed.

Aislinn turned in spite of her better instincts. Commodus thrust the bow harshly into her chest and knocked her to the ground. He sat on her legs as he had done several days ago. He held the bow up to her neck triumphantly. She lay very still and looked at him desperately hiding any emotion from him. "That wasn't very sportsman like, highness," she groaned.

"Anything goes when you're fighting hand-to-hand off the battlefield," he said smiling. "I win this one Aislinn. And I want something in return."

She looked up at him uneasily. After last night perhaps he was thinking of her more carnally. Perhaps he had been pondering all day about taking her as he had wanted to last night. She cleared her throat. "What do you want, highness?"

"I want you to sing for me as you did in front of the fire last night. I heard a little of the tune and I would like to hear it firsthand, close to the source," he said suggestively lowering his face to hers. She turned away.

"I can't sing right now, highness," she said sadly. "My heart is very heavy at the moment."

"Then find humour in the little things. Isn't that what you counseled me to do?" he asked looking her square in the eyes. Aislinn found this very unnerving. "Sing for me, Aislinn."

"I can't," she repeated. He looked at her hurt, then a little upset.

"I gave you a command, Aislinn. I am emperor and you will do as I say," he said firmly. He knew he wasn't going to get her to look at him tenderly without some kind of force behind his asking. She was thinking, at the moment, that perhaps she could get him furious at her by refusing. Then she could shake away any feelings of warmth she had for him.

"No," Aislinn said firmly and slowly. He raised his brow challenging her statement. Aislinn waited for him to shout at her or strike her for being insolent. Instead he smiled. Aislinn shuddered at noticing the intensity that seemed to be engulfing his stare at her. She remained perfectly still and unmoving in her decision to defy him. Aislinn suddenly felt his hand at her side as it had been that morning.

"Again, Aislinn, sing for me," he said.

"No," she said a little louder. Aislinn waited for some kind of horror to follow her defiance, but instead he simply tickled her the same way she had done to him. She laughed and tried to move away. "Stop it!" she squealed.

"Sing for me," he said.

"Alright! Alright!" she cried. He stopped and sat back, helping her sit upright. She looked at him and took in a deep breath. Aislinn looked down for a moment then began a beautiful song. It flowed like water and danced like fire all at once. He felt his heart lift and his mind sit very still as her voice wove the most beautiful tune he had ever heard. He didn't care what Lucilla said about this girl, he didn't care what the senate said about her homeland, he didn't care what Nero had said about Christians. Aislinn was no snake, she was a muse. He felt overwhelmed as the song came to an end. He grabbed Aislinn by the shoulders and kissed her passionately. Aislinn felt herself rise a hundred feet in the air and then drop endlessly. As her heart and stomach caught up with her and she landed softly on the ground the world went dark for a second. She lost her breath. Then everything came back into focus. He released her and smiled brightly. "The song tells of Deirdre of Sorrows, it is a sad story indeed. But I like to change the ending."

"How does your story end, then?" he asked.

"She lives. They all live. A very happy existence in my version. I hate sad endings, Commodus," she said sincerely. He looked deeply into her eyes.

"So do I," he said holding her closer to him. "So do I." The two locked into each other's kiss once more. There were no Praetorians around to remind Caesar of his throne and Aislinn of her place as a slave. They were free, for now. From the veranda several yards away, a spy of senator Falco watched and smiled. The information he would bring his master would be most profitable tonight. The senator was conspiring to kill Commodus, but was concentrating on killing Aislinn first. As far as murdering Aislinn went, now he would have the support of Lucilla and Gaius in doing so. The spy left the two to their freedom. Although Commodus knew that in a matter of minutes he would be expected back in the palace, back in his prison, the simple time passing here with Aislinn was worth any annoyances he would face for the rest of his day; perhaps even the rest of his life. Aislinn breathed deeply. She loved him. It didn't matter who or what he was, she knew exactly what this feeling was, love.