Awakening - Oenomaus, the Aftermath

Note: Here is the last chapter of Awakening. The scenes in this chapter are the whole reason for this story. And again, special thanks to my beta MelittaGannicus; you are awesome ;)

PS: I kept the original quotes in italic; they, and all the characters, belong to the creators of GotA.

Oenomaus stared at his beloved wife who was covered with her own blood, cold and dead. She looked so pale that her body was almost glowing in the darkness. He kept sitting there and staring at her aimlessly. He did not even try to clean her face; he had no power left in his body. She was gone… no longer would her voice fill his room; he would not feel her warmth or hear her heart beating next to his. She was gone…

No one told him what exactly happened; but there was no need. He knew it. He knew his wife would never drink alone; especially at an unsettled night like this one, when their Dominus was in his death bed. She would not… not without the company of his brother, Gannicus.

Oenomaus was heartsick for how relieved he had felt when he realized Gannicus was leaving after the fight against Crixus. As a husband it had been his only wish to see Gannicus leave, be away from the eyes of his wife, away from her heart. However, he had tried to be right to his position as the Doctore and prevent the sale of the best gladiator of the ludus to that shit eater Tullius. And he had never expected that Gannicus, the champion with unmatched hubris, would let anyone win a fight. But his brother was leaving the ludus, willingly. Even though he had tried to hide his intent under his skills, it was as obvious as the rising sun. He had stood still, lowered his guard and let Crixus win. The losing had given his intentions away. Gannicus was a lousy loser… he did not have much experience in the matter.

His brother was ready to pay the price Oenomaus had not dared. But it should have been Oenomaus who was leaving; he should have dissolved his marriage. He knew his wife's heart did not belong to him any longer. He knew it was not the love keeping them together but solely his pride. But knowing did not mean anything to a husband; knowing only aggravated his jealousy. He did not want to acknowledge the truth that his wife was longing for someone else, for a brother. He did not want her to run to another man's arms. She was his wife! The word had to carry a meaning after all! But if her heart belonged to another man, what was that meaning … to own her body? Tears filled his eyes while he was looking at her silent figure. "I have her body now" he thought; the pain was excruciating in his heart.

He held her cold hand softly, and took it to his lips to steal one more kiss. He found himself wondering if the hand he was holding was kissed by another pair of lips. He realized by disgust that while he was watching her corpse, jealousy was still residing in his heart; that he was speculating what she was doing while sipping the wine that caused her life. Was she just saying a goodbye to a forbidden love or was there more to it? How much more? Did she willingly present her treasures to pleasure Gannicus? Did she generously serve herself under his body? Did she enjoy the champion's infamous touch? Or more importantly, did she enjoy it more than her husband's? Was it the first time that she indulged in his company; or were they meeting behind his back every time her husband was away?... He knew there was no truth in these thoughts; he knew he was just doing so to pain himself. He knew her wife was honorable. Why else would Gannicus want to leave the ludus?

Remorse was filling Oenomaus' heart, drowning him. Had he not been such a selfish prick, blinded by his jealousy and his meaningless pride, Melitta would not be dead now. She would not steal the wine gifted to Dominus and hurry to be alone with her love for one last time. She would not be his wife, yes; but she would be alive... She would be alive!

Oenomaus was disgusted by himself. The greatness of his love was such a lie. How easy it was, to claim that he would cease his life for hers… he could not even abandon his fucking arrogance for her. "Forgive me Melitta" he begged to the corpse while caressing the cold hand. "Forgive me that I could not put you before my desires… even worse, before my pride."

xxxx

When Gannicus entered the room, Oenomaus was praying quietly. Something he was not accustomed to do; but many things has changed in the past several days... since his wife took the journey to pass Styx… The Celt simply announced Dominus' orders and Oenomaus started to get ready to join his brothers in the funeral for the paterfamilias. Just before leaving the room Gannicus stopped; after a moment of hesitation called his brother:

"Oenomaus…"

Hearing a pint of confession in his brother's voice, Oenomaus panicked. "Do not!" he wished silently. "Do not speak of your heart brother; I do not have the strength to face it now." He did not know if he could ever have that strength. But confessing his sins was not Gannicus' intention; he only gave tongue to the torment clouding his heart:

"She was the rarest of women… a flower of beauty and compassion in a world full of shit.I would assume her place so that her laugh may once again fill solemn air." Oenomaus knew his brother was speaking his true feelings. He knew Gannicus would willingly replace Melitta's place in Hades. He knew the champion did love her, maybe even as much as Oenomaus did. He could respond only with equal honesty:

"She would not wish it." He knew Melitta loved him too; she loved him more than she loved her husband… "She loved you." the most painful three word Oenomaus has spoken in his entire life. But he could not continue to his confession; it was just too much for a mortal…"as a brother."

He could not share the truth that both of them knew by heart. The burden would be even heavier when it was spoken out loud. No doubt it would be the end of their friendship. And Oenomaus could not lose another person.

xxxx

Oenomaus knew it was a nightmare he was living since he was absent of motion and speech. He could only watch how his brother dropping his guard in the new arena as he had done before against Crixus. Oenomaus could not even yell to sway the Celt from this madness. He could only watch while Caburus slicing his brother's belly, spilling his blood to the hungry sands. He could not even shut his eyes to avoid seeing Gannicus, the fiercest Celt ever known to the arena, falling on his knees in front of the giant. He kept watching, without a breath, how Caburus slowly took his brother's life; torturing him with weak blows to ignite the crowd and finally separating his head from the body.

Suddenly the weight of the nightmare lifted and Oenomaus regained his motility. The arena, the gladiators, Romans were all gone; only Gannicus' body left on the sands stained with the blood of the champion. Oenomaus ran to his brother's body but appalled by finding Melitta crouched over him. She was crying so intensely over the dismembered body that Oenomaus felt his heart was being ripped off from his chest. His wife looked up to him; her agony was evident in her eyes.

"Please" pleaded his wife, groveled before her husband, clinging to his feet with her bloody hands, "Please…"

He woke up with terror in his empty room, Melitta's cry was echoing in his ears. His heart was beating so hard that he could hear its rhythm. After the panic left him, he started to comprehend his dream. Oenomaus was never a believer of signs from the gods or all that nonsense; it must have been due to the worry he was suffering due to the incoming games. Tomorrow would be his first fight as the Doctore of the House of Batiatus, and it would be in the opening games of the new arena. Tomorrow, his brothers were going to fight, kill and die with honor as gladiators. But that bitter after taste of his dream was too real to dismiss… losing his friend, seeing him intentionally giving his life into the hands of Vettius' shitty man. The doubt was lingering in his mind now; and doubt was the worst kind of weed, impossible to get rid of. He found himself wondering if Gannicus would actually do such a thing. After witnessing his fight with Crixus, Oenomaus could not be sure. He knew Melitta's death was heavy on the Celt, as on himself. He knew Gannicus was blaming himself for her death as Oenomaus did. Would the champion turn from his life too; as he turned from victory? And if so, was there anything Oenomaus could do to stop him?

xxxx

Before the games started Oenomaus searched for his friend. He found him sitting in a corner and aimlessly staring at his swords wearing the same sad face from his nightmare. As the Doctore it was his duty to prepare a gladiator for a glorious fight; as a friend, to keep him alive. He tried to fire the champion in his friend:

"Show all of Capua why you are considered such a prize! Fight! And honor the House of Batiatus!"

"There are many things that I would die for…many things I deserve to die for…yet this house is no longer among them."

His answer brought the memory of Melitta's crying face to Oenomaus. He could hear her pleading; see her tears mixing with his brother's blood. He could not let Gannicus to kill himself, could not carry the burden of one more death on his shoulders.

"Then fight for her."Gannicus looked at him with surprise. Oenomaus could clearly see the love for his wife in the hazel eyes but jealousy was no longer residing in his heart; it was all drowned in his remorse, buried together with his wife. When she was alive, he could not manage to keep her above his pride; but he was not going to repeat the same mistake now. "Every life you take, the blood you shed, she would see it from afterlife."

"Then I shall fill her eyes!" claimed the champion with flames bursting from his eyes. Oenomaus had no doubt that he would do so.

The End

AN: I deeply appreciate the reviews; please let me know how I am doing.