In the aftermath of the Gladiator trials both Carola and Darolus are on their own and face more trials on a personal level.
Okay, so this is the low point in the story, sorry! Betrayals and jealousy swirl all around our poor Caryl, working to keep them apart and in very vulnerable positions both emotionally and physically, which others seek to exploit.
Warning: Daryl/temporary other
Notes: "There are 19 kinds of snakes in Italy and only four of them - all of them vipers - are poisonous. And only one of those, Vipera aspis is "common" in the sense that it can be found all over Italy, whereas the others are rarer finds. September is the month that vipers give birth in Italy and lay along over hanging branches under which you walk." Watch out for falling snakes! Source: Snakes in Italy
The latifundia (Latin: lātus, "spacious" + fundus, "farm, estate") of Roman history were great landed estates specializing in agriculture destined for export: grain, olive oil, or wine.
Vipers Fall
"Wait outside." Carola commanded her guards as she knocked on the door to Merlonius chambers. She heard some movement within and then the door swung open, revealing the Medicus examining Edgelus who had been laid out on the flat couch at the center of the room, his assistant, a slave, holding a tray of medical instruments, stood next to him.
Carola's face went white as she saw how swollen, red and disfigured Edgelus' face and neck looked.
"What's wrong with him?" she blurted, horrified.
Hearing her voice, Edgelus looked over at her, his eyes furious, and when he was unable to give voice to his anger, he raised his hands to his neck, making choking noises, terrified and panicked.
"Bitten by a very poisonous snake, a Vipera aspis." the Medicus said, working with a small knife to make shallow slices into his patient's neck.
Carola's head swiveled to Merlonius who watched the scene with narrowed eyes, his chin in his hand, the large jeweled ring prominently displayed for all to see.
"Here!" the Medicus said loudly and grabbed the slave, forcing him to his knees next to the couch and shoving him forward.
"Suck!" he ordered, and the slave dropped the tray and placed his mouth over the incisions, trying to draw the poison out, sucking hard and then spitting the bloody sputum on the floor. He did this until Edgelus suddenly started choking, trying to breathe, but unable to, his airway completely closed from the swelling caused by the poisonous venom.
The Medicus shoved the slave away, trying to hold Edgelus' mouth open, pressing on his lower jaw, but he began convulsing, his body fighting for oxygen, and abruptly subsided, going still, his heart giving out. The Medicus put his ear to Edgelus' chest and then lifted his wrist, frantically trying to find a heartbeat, but when there was none he cursed and looked over at Merlonius and Carola.
"He is gone." he said, shaking his head and standing upright, "Location of bite," he touched his own neck to show them the place, right under the jaw; the venom had been injected directly into the jugular. "There was nothing more to be done; I must go tell Dominus, we need to seek viper before any other falls victim." he bowed to Carola and Merlonius in sympathy, "I grieve with you for loss."
"Gratitude." Merlonius intoned sadly, looking down at the dead man.
"Gratitude." Carola murmured softly, but she wasn't looking at the physician.
The Medicus signaled to the slave, who rose and took a sheet from the bed and used it to cover the body, then opened the shutters on the windows, picked up the tray of instruments and followed his master out of the room.
When the door was firmly closed behind them, Carola walked over to Merlonius and though shaking, she lifted her chin defiantly to confront him.
"You know." he said, twisting the jeweled ring back and forth on his finger.
Carola nodded.
"I care not why you did it, viper, I have only gratitude that you did." she said in a quiet but emotion filled voice.
"Perhaps I wish to press my own suit for your pale soft hand..." he said, reaching out and taking hold of her left hand, pulling her closer, looking down at her mouth, "Taste your rosebud lips..."with his other hand he lifted one of her russet curls off her shoulder and rubbed it between his fingers."... hold your locks in my fist as I bend you over and plumb depths of tight pussy with cock..."
Carol stood still, trembling, realizing she might've just traded one cruel predator for another.
"Never." she breathed.
"Even if it would save life of precious Darolus?" he asked, leaning yet closer, his breath hot against her cheek.
"He is your brother." she cried, unable to understand why he was doing this, trying to back away from him.
"He is a slave." he said dismissively, moving right along with her until he had her backed into the wall next to the door, "While I am a Roman citizen, a very wealthy Roman citizen now." he said smugly, "One whom your father would welcome as son-in-law."
"Your House is bankrupt. You have no land, little coin." she scoffed, "You live off your few friends." She jerked her head over at Edgelus' body, "Being boot licking lapdog to such as him!"
"Girl has fire! I like that!" he chuckled, moving his hands to place them on the wall just above her shoulders, caging her in, his heated gaze roving down her body leisurely, "I see why baby brother would sell self into bondage to have you."
"If I marry you, you would see him freed?" Carola asked, wondering if she could go through with such an agreement even as she suggested it.
"I am a man who gets what he wants." Merlonius chuckled arrogantly, "I do not have to bargain to have it."
With that he grabbed her and turned her to face the wall, pressing his body against hers and lifting her hair away, started kissing her neck.
"Why did you want Edgelus dead?" Carola asked, willing herself not to panic, trying to distract him, knowing if she tried to fight him that would only incite his passions further, "He was your friend, was he not?"
Merlonius abruptly released her and paced over to the couch where the body lay.
"This landica licking dog," he said with a snarl, spitting on Edgelus, "Cheated mourning drunken gambling father out of House of Dixus birthright: our country villa, latfundia and vineyards near Herculaneum. Loss of wife compounded with loss of property killed father from broken heart."
"But how does killing him return that to your House?" she asked as she turned towards him, wrapping her arms around herself and edging closer to the door.
Merlonius grinned broadly and went to the tall wooden cabinet in the corner of the room, drawing out a thick scroll.
"Fat fool signed marriage contract last night, too lazy to read in toto, not realizing he also agreed to make Merlonius his sole heir if marriage didn't take place as expected." he crowed.
"And since he lies dead..." Carola said, looking back over at the sheet draped form.
"It most definitely will not." he nodded with a arrogant grin, pounding his chest, "Merlonius returns honor and wealth to House of Dixus."
"But you will be suspect when terms are known." Carola reasoned, pointing at the contract scroll.
"Why? Papers signed of his own free will—your father witnessed it, though he was not aware of special codicil—and Edgelus really did die from venom of Vipera aspis." and then he reached back into the cupboard and held up a small stoppered glass container with a light gray snake covered with a zig-zag pattern in darker brown all down its back curled up inside.
"Is it dead?" she asked, recoiling when he jostled the jar, relieved when it didn't move.
"And I'll kill it again when I help search his chambers for it." he told her, slipping the jar into a pouch hidden in the folds of his toga with a smirk and starting back towards her.
The sounds of heavy hurried footsteps coming down the corridor outside arrested his movement and a few moments later the double doors swung open, admitting her family and the Custos.
Carola had never been happier to see her father in her entire life and tearfully flew into his arms.
"Weep if you must dearest." her father said consolingly, patting her back, "For a good man's soul flies swiftest on loving tears."
Merlonius put on his game face; masking the intense pleasure he had derived from his revenge on Edgelus Lucius Glabber, which had the double benefit of rise in station and return of lands providing the opportunity to claim union with the House of Monroviatus through betrothal to the alluring sole heir, Carola and stealing her out of his brother's arms.
"Dead?" Dixus asked, squinting up at Enid, the young slave girl called Minerva, from his warm soak in the ludus hypocaust tepidarium. She had snuck down to tell him of the word spreading quickly through the villa.
"They say it was a viper, practically ripped his throat out!" she said in a stage whisper, suitably horrified. "They search for snake now, I had to get out of there." she shuddered.
"Is House safe?" he asked with concern, sitting up straighter in the bath, now on alert.
"Niece of Dominus and Domina removed to safe room already searched." she assured him, then shuddered again and rubbed her hands on the outside of her arms up and down, "I hate snakes!"
"All things have uses." Aaronus quipped from his place in the hot soak, raising an eyebrow at Dixus and adding sardonically, "Snakes kill vermin, do they not?"
Dixus chuckled darkly. Rat Edgelus had been struck dead, seemingly by the hand of the Fates, freeing Carola from her obligation. He had won his bout and would take the oath tonight; taking his first step on path to winning the woman he loved. It would still be five long years until his bond was fulfilled, and there was always the possibility that another suitor flush with land and coin would try to take her from him, but he knew now how much she loved him, the pleasures they'd shared the most perfect...
Futuo! What if gods had chosen to bless them with a child? She had no husband now to give it name. It would be bastard without the protection of a House...
"I need to talk to Domina." Dixus said, agitated, rising from his bath a bit unsteadily and then in deference to the young girl's presence wrapping a cloth around his hips.
"Calm self, Darolus." Aaronus said, relaxed after winning his bout easily, along with Dixus having been drinking deeply of the fairly decent wine Dominus had sent down to the gladiator barracks in celebration, "We take oath on the morrow; you make request for audience with her then to discuss vixen, Carola."
"You forget yourself, gladiator!"Minerva looked shocked that a slave would call one of the House by her given name, let alone call her a vixen.
"Apologies, little one. Wine clouds my head." Aaronus grinned. "Best friend is in love with niece of Domina and refers to her more familiarly when we are alone."
The girl huffed at him disapprovingly and headed back out the passageway to the yard.
"Take care under the arbor vines!" he called after her, "'remember old saying: 'In the fall the vipers fall!'" then turned back to Darolus with a lopsided frown, "I don't think girl was listening to me."
"Most of us rarely do." Dixus muttered as he discarded the towel cloth and picked up his gladiator uniform leather breechcloth, squinting at it, having trouble figuring out which side was the front.
"Where are you going?" Aaronus asked, scrunching up his face at his friend and pouting. "Come scrub newly minted gladiator's broad muscular back!"
"We need to find you new boyfriend; you are too needy for me to manage alone." Dixus complained with a long suffering sigh, but tossed down his garment and picked up a rag and moved to sit on the edge of the tub where Aaronus soaked.
The other man leaned forward, baring his back and Dixus winced at the old lash mark scars and new bruising and cuts from the day's bout. He lifted the rag and began gently washing the crusted blood, dirt and sand away. When the cloth reached his right side Aaronus captured Darolus' hand and held it, slowly pulling it around his waist to his eight pack abs and curling it around the erection rising rock hard against them. He began a slow stroke, using Dixus' hand as sheath, moaning a little with pleasure.
"I cannot, dear friend." Darolus said quietly and with regret, stilling his hand. "My pleasures belong to her alone now."
"She is lost to you—even with Edgelus' death—do you not see it, my foolish dreamer?" Aaronus said sadly, "Her father will not lack other suitors for her hand. When she weds another she will be lost to you forever—will you not let me give comfort as you did when I lost my beloved?" Aaronus asked, reaching back and running his wet hand up Darolus' thigh and fisting his cock, which had started to rise, for though he loved Carola, he was not immune to wishing to be distracted from the feelings of despair over losing her, mingled with the closeness and love he knew Aaronus had for him.
"Brother..." Dixus closed his eyes, feeling himself start to drift with the excess of wine in the haze of desire and comfort being created in the heated room.
"Just this... cocks in hand... for pleasure... for comfort of friends..." Aaronus murmured persuasively, expertly fondling Dixus' growing erection while restarting the stroke of his other hand still enclosing Dixus' over his own cock. He kept at it until he somehow knew Darolus would continue without the guiding hand, pulling him into the water so they were belly to belly in the heated tub, using both hands on each other now, caressing balls, rough hands pumping almost brutally fast, grunting and swearing, foreheads touching.
After Aaronus climaxed he tried to kiss Dixus on the lips, even while still continuing his punishing stroke, but the other man turned his face away, refusing. When his orgasm hit a few seconds later Dixus groaned Carol's name and shuddered and then started to weep uncontrollably, pushing Aaronus' hands away from him and turning his back to him, his face in his hands.
Aaronus watched, raising his hand to Dixus' shoulder but dropping it before he made contact. Feeling a huge wave of sadness pass through him, he sat staring at his friend's back, murmuring "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." over and over.
Yes. Merlonius & Aaronus are both being shits. Jealousy is an insidious thing that can make you seek to harm the very thing you love if you can't have it. I think Aaronus regrets what he did; Merlonius, not so much.
Thanks for continuing on with me in this one! I hope it's living up to expectations.