Chapter 16: Caesar's Palace
Commodus felt the massive tiger slam into his chest. He felt a slight sting and warmth running down his abdomen. He suddenly heard Aislinn screaming. All of the sounds and feelings that he had been denied momentarily to accomplish his goal came rushing back on him like a tidal wave. He placed one leg firmly behind him and was able to remain standing even with the beast on him. The tiger clawed and roared madly. Commodus had it by the head, so it was not able to bite down on him. He looked behind him for a moment. Aislinn stood crying with the crowd of Christians behind her. He noticed a little girl in the group that was standing towards the front. She was wailing loudly. She couldn't have been any older than Lucius. Commodus turned to the beast again. He drew in a short, but deep breath and grabbed hold of its jaws. With his right hand he grabbed the upper jaw, and with the left he grasped its lower jaw and pressed down on its tongue. As the creature began to flail madly to break free, Commodus pushed all of his strength into his arms and wrenched each part of the jaw from its head. The crowd cried out along with Aislinn and her entourage. A spray of blood blasted over his chest and face. He released the ends of the jaws and looked at the fallen body. He turned and looked straight up. There, in the imperial box stood Lucilla, Lucius, Falco, and Drachma. He growled and narrowed his eyes at his sister. She knew in an instant he was angry with her for some reason. He turned around and faced Aislinn. Aislinn stood frozen for a moment. She shouted loudly as every suspended nerve came back to life in her. She ran to him and they embraced fully. The crowd went mad.
"Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!" they shouted proudly. Aislinn breathed deeply.
"Commodus, you could've died!" she wept.
"I would die for you. I..," he whispered as strength began to leave him. Aislinn watched his eyes close and his knees give out. He crumpled up in front of everyone standing in the arena. A man with his wife and sister ran forward and helped turn him over. Aislinn knelt and began to help. She looked up at the confused crowd. She looked right into the faces of Lucilla and Falco.
"Do something! Help him!" she screamed. Lucilla took a step back. Her brother was dead. He had to be. He had faced off with a tiger for this pathetic girl. He had truly loved her. Just then, the gates in the back of the arena opened. In ran Quintus, Maximus, Claude, and several other Praetorians. Quintus and Maximus were at the head of the group. Quintus skidded to a halt and knelt, examining his fallen emperor carefully. He didn't smile, but he didn't weep.
"He needs to breathe! Move away!" he yelled. "Lift him, get him inside. Have a physician waiting." The men obeyed quickly as the orders were given. He turned to the guards that were posted inside the arena. "Take these people back to the prisons. See that no one is hurt." Quintus turned to Aislinn. He motioned for her to follow them. Aislinn nodded quickly.
"Aislinn!" Claude yelled and ran up to her. The two hugged for a moment. Maximus made sure that Commodus was being carted off alive, then went and joined them. "I was so worried. Did it cut you? Did it scratch you?"
"No," Aislinn said in shock. "It didn't touch me."
"That was amazing! He grabbed it by the mouth and just tore its head in half!" Claude exclaimed. "If I didn't feel such terror at the thought of losing you, and perhaps him, I'd like to see that again!" Aislinn whirled around infuriated.
"Would you now? You like seeing hapless animals slaughtered for fun? Would you have watched if it had been another man and not a tiger that he killed?" she raved. Claude looked stunned at this. Aislinn closed her eyes, forcing tears away. "I'm sorry, Claude. Let's just go and make sure he'll be alright. He will, he will be alright. It was just a few scratches. He's had worse, of course he's had worse. He'll be fine, he just needs some rest." She began muttering these over and over again as they walked towards the palace. Maximus frowned. As they were told to wait outside the room by Quintus, he turned to her.
"Aislinn, Commodus will be fine. You've seen him in action, he's very strong," Maximus re-assured. "You need to be patient; the physicians will be done with him shortly."
Aislinn said nothing and paced back and forth. Quintus stepped out of the room. Everyone nodded to him. "The physicians say that he expended what little strength he had gained in recovering and then some. It seems that he is capable of a vast number of feats when what he loves is threatened," Quintus remarked.
"What are they doing for him?" Aislinn asked. Before Quintus could answer, Lucilla walked up to the group. Shame covered her face. She had known that Aislinn was not at fault, but had been so willing to take an opportunity to kill the girl. Lucilla was jealous. Up until Aislinn's entry into the palace, only she had been able to soothe her brother; only she commanded his attention when it counted; only she was able to give him reason and comfort. Lucilla held back tears and held something out to Aislinn. Aislinn looked at the medallion then back at Lucilla. She made no effort to take it. "What are they doing for him, Quintus?"
Lucilla continued to hold out the medallion as Quintus spoke. "They're bleeding him again," he answered. Aislinn growled and rolled her eyes. "They believe that..." Aislinn pushed past him into the room. All of the physicians backed away in fear as she approached. She reached down and carefully began removing the three leeches that had been put on his arm and flinging them at the physicians. The men shouted and ran out of the room, complaining to Lucilla. Lucilla went into the room after Aislinn. She watched as Aislinn began tending to the scratches on him. Comparatively speaking, Commodus wasn't hurt at all for what he had been through. Lucilla looked down at her. She wanted to apologize, but couldn't bring the words to her mouth. She held out the medallion again. Aislinn looked up at her.
"I accept nothing without giving a gift of equal value, your highness," Aislinn hissed. "Return it to me when your brother is well." Lucilla sobbed for a moment and then left the room. As she left, Lucius stepped into the room cautiously. He walked over to the bed slowly and looked at his uncle.
"Is he dead?" he asked softly.
"No, lad. Just very tired."
"I can help. Show me what to do," he offered. Aislinn smiled and handed him a cloth with some ointment. She took his hand and showed him how to gently apply the medicine. He began to swipe the medicine over the long cuts. Aislinn stopped his hand and began guiding him, showing him how to carefully pat them. He followed her movements very well. "My uncle was very brave to do that."
"Aye, he was."
"I've never seen anyone tear a tiger in half at its mouth like that," he remarked.
"It was like the story of Samson. Samson killed a lion like that. Grabbed its jaw and pulled it apart. He was the strongest man on earth in his day," Aislinn said. "I think your uncle is right now."
"I agree. He did all of that with his bare hands, after being sick," Lucius said in amazement.
"He did it from his heart. His heart is incredibly strong," Aislinn said softly. She knew well what happened to men that expended their reserves in the heat of battle. Their hearts would give out after long fights or incredible feats of strength. Her mother and father had told her that this happened because the blood of the Tuathenia that lays dormant within all of the highlanders is set free by necessity. Aislinn didn't believe in the Tuathenia, but she did believe in the strength that lies sleeping within every human. "You should go back to your mother now."
"Thank you, Aislinn. I'm glad you're alive," Lucius said. "Do you think my uncle will be mad at me when he wakes up for what happened with the snake?"
"What happened?" she asked.
He shifted nervously and then explained the whole story. Aislinn straightened up. She went quickly to the door and called for Quintus. Quintus walked over to her and bowed. "Quintus, Lucius is in danger. He knows who was behind the plot to kill Commodus," she whispered. His face clouded with anger. "Go and get Lucilla. Bring them to the room next to his; keep a very close watch on them."
He nodded and left hurriedly with six men. Aislinn went back to the two of them. Lucius looked up at her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Don't worry about it Lucius. But you must tell no one else what you know, not even your mother," she instructed sternly. Lucius nodded.
Aislinn heard Commodus groan. They turned. He sat up slightly, bracing himself on his elbows. "So, if Samson had strength enough to kill a lion, did he also have the strength to survive a snake-bite?" he said in a low voice. It must've been difficult for him to breathe, Aislinn realized. Still, it was very good to see him awake and talking again. She didn't move to embrace him, but instead gently put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, smiling brightly. His eyes were filled with a starry gaze typically found among adoring little boys when their beautiful young nursemaid tended to them after a nightmare. He tried to sit up a little more. Aislinn put a hand commandingly on his chest. He nodded and laid back. He looked up at Lucius. "Do you see, Lucius? I told you royal ladies do very silly things in the name of love. Well, now you know that royal men do the same."
Lucius snickered and looked over at Aislinn. She frowned and took her hand away. "Lucius go wait in the other room with Claude," she ordered. He looked at his uncle. Commodus nodded in agreement. Lucius kissed his uncle quickly and hurried out of the room. Aislinn turned back to him.
"Don't tell anyone else that, Commodus. No one can know how you feel about me," she said with a downward gaze. "No one."
"The whole of the capital city knows, Aislinn. They saw what happened. There is no hiding from it anymore. Not for me, and certainly not for you," he said. Aislinn sighed and tried to stand. Commodus grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. Aislinn stayed still. She turned to face him slowly. He pulled her closer to him. He looked up at her proudly. "Usually, a daring rescue is followed by a kiss from the fair maiden," he mused.
She looked away. He sat up a little more, grunting from the pain. She turned back. "Highness, this can never work; you and I. Not from your position, and not from mine," she said firmly. "Besides, that rescue wasn't all that daring. Nuada and Lugh faced dangers in the forms of dragons before winning their loves." He looked a little hurt. She smiled slightly. He shook his head, smiling as well. He pulled her right up to his face and leaned in to kiss her. The passion that had filled him allowing the great show of strength in the arena was now building for him to give a great show of tenderness. As their breath met, the door opened. Lucilla entered. She looked as though she herself had been weeping until Quintus had retrieved her.
"Sister, I thank the gods that you were there in my absence to defend the throne, my nephew, and my love," he said looking deeply at Aislinn. Aislinn's eyes suddenly filled with anger. She pulled free of Commodus's grip and she walked up to Lucilla.
"Your brother needs rest, simple food, and water. Make sure he receives all of these...," Aislinn said and then looked deeply into Lucilla's already frightened gaze, "...as well as a full account of what occurred while he was an invalid." Aislinn stayed not a moment longer before storming out of the room and heading back to her quarters.
Commodus looked up at Lucilla. He looked very suspicious and upset. "Lucilla, what is she talking about?" he demanded.
"I was afraid for you, brother. We all were. The snake was not the only thing that threatened your life that day. I couldn't think of whom else could have done it and then Falco's scribes said that..," she sputtered.
"Falco! Falco has no moral centre! He does nothing without personal gain! Why on earth would you listen to him?" Commodus said, exploding with rage at remembering Lucius's confession to Lady Drachma giving him the snake that nearly destroyed them all. The snake might very well have killed Lucius. He gave her a sideways glance. "Oh, sister. You didn't. You didn't! Tell me you didn't give the order to have Aislinn killed! Tell me that the senate seized control as I imagined it had! Tell me that you are not so filled with hate that..."
"I was filled with fear! She threatened your life! She doesn't love you, Commodus! How can she?" she said angrily. He glared at her.
"So any woman that you have not chosen is incapable of loving me? Or is it women in general?" he asked in a low voice.
"That is not what I meant, Commodus."
"Then what did you mean? How long after I was wounded did you wait to give the order? How long have I been ill? The guards were telling one another how amazed they were that the emperor recovered overnight! Is that true? Did you go into her quarters in the morning and order her to be slain?" he yelled. Lucilla shook her head, sobbing. "Why don't you trust my judgment? Why do you see me as a child? I gave Aislinn my trust because she had proven it to me! I gave you the same because you had not disproven it." He looked at her resolutely. "Until now." She looked up at him sadly.
"Brother, please," she said walking towards him.
"Quintus!" he yelled. Before Lucilla could reach her brother, Quintus came into the room. "Remove my sister and keep a watch on her and my nephew. My nephew may see me if he wishes, and only he may do so. My sister is weary of my presence," he said coldly. Lucilla burst into tears and left the room. Quintus looked at him worriedly. "Go and see about Aislinn. Her nerves are sure to give her trouble this evening. Find Falco and imprison him, his family, his scribes, and his personal guards. They are guilty of conspiracy against the empire."
Quintus nodded. "Yes, Caesar."
Commodus watched as he left the room. What was he going to do? He had to pass judgment against those who had tried to kill him. Was his sister among them? He needed advice on this matter. He knew of only one person who could give him that, but she needed rest for the evening. They had all gone through quite an ordeal these past two days.