Carola talks over her fears with an unlikely person while Darolus keeps vigil at the side of his gravely wounded friend.
Notes:
Romans cremated their dead. A columbarium is a mausoleum with niches for cinerary urns; so called because they resemble dovecotes with row after rows of stacked arched openings.
As a form of ancestor worship, they commissioned exact likenesses of family members as portrait busts, called "imagines" which they would keep in the front entrance way of their villas. Daily prayers and offerings were made to ask the dead to protect the family.
Darolus returned neither to the stables nor the villa that night. He remained at Aaronus' side in the infirmary.
After they broke the fast the next morning, Deanna and Regulus had gone into town with Ezekias to meet with a stone cutter to purchase a cinerary in which to place Callicus' ashes. With them they took the death mask that had been cast in wax so that his exact likeness could be used to sculpt an Imagine portrait bust for later display in his family home. The funeral and cremation was to take place that evening, so his body had been placed in the cool underground tunnels to help preserve it until then.
Carola couldn't face the task so she was glad to cede it to them. Too restless to just stay in her chambers she went for a walk in the grove of lemon trees in the cool of the morning, her Custos trailing behind. She was surprised to find Merlonius and Andrea, of all people, already there sitting on a stone bench and talking in quiet voices. They both stood when she approached.
"Morning greetings, Carola." Merlonius said in a friendly voice, turning to meet her. Then he turned to Andrea and dismissed her.
Andrea nodded, bowed and gave Carola a worried smile before heading back down the path towards the villa.
"Will you sit with me?" Merlonius asked graciously, indicating the bench where he'd already had a slave place a feather pillow for his guest's comfort.
"Gratitude." Carola said, knowing it would be churlish to refuse him; after all they were to be married soon, before he left for Rome if it could all be arranged. He had already sent some of his people back to his latifundia to begin wedding preparations there. She looked off down the row of trees, heavy with their bright yellow fruit like small suns against the green of the leaves.
"Is my brother still down at ludus?" he asked.
"He remains with Aaronus." she said, and the deep sadness in her voice made him touch her shoulder so she would look at him.
"Did Aaronus take a turn for worse?"
Carola shook her head back and forth. She knew he had lived through the night. Doctore Viride had reported that to Ezekias before he left for town.
"Then what troubles you?"
She looked uncomfortable and stole a look at her Custos standing nearby.
Merlonius made a hand signal so that the men knew he desired privacy and they withdrew, but stayed within yelling distance.
Carola relaxed a little, but still hesitated before she spoke.
"We are to join our Houses, little one, let there be no secrets between us." Merlonius said, "Tell me true. If my brother has caused you pain, I will defend your honor."
"I believe Darol and Aaronus... I believe that they have been together... as lovers..." she said softly.
"You knew he did not come to you a virgin." Merlonius said patiently.
"But I was!"Carola said in quiet desperation, her words coming out all in a rush. "Aaronus has skills... he understands what a man wants... and Darol is so... powerful and demanding... how could he not prefer a strong beautiful hard bodied man with real cock instead of leather facsimile strapped to an ignorant girl's soft weak body?"
Merlonius snorted and his head went back as he blinked several times in wonder that she had actually used a strap-on to fuck Darolus!
"How did a maiden come by knowledge of such a device?"
"I asked Tara, my aunt's body slave to advise me." she admitted, too upset to be less than truthful with him. "She told me he would enjoy it."
"I see."Merlonius asked, having trouble suppressing his appreciative grin at how far she'd been willing to go to try and please the man she loved. "So tell me, did he enjoy it?"
"I thought so; he seemed to." Carola frowned at him warily. "But now I think it was only because I gave him what he wanted; that's what men do when they are together isn't it? What Aaronus can give him."
"Does he require it every time you are together?" Merlonius asked, striving for a clinical tone.
Carola frowned and shook her head no.
"Only the once, and it was your idea?"
She shook her head yes.
"And when you share pleasures with him, does he see to your needs before his own?'
Carola thought about the question. There were occasions when she had surprised him with caresses as he awoke, but even then Darol had made sure she received pleasure as well as gave it...
"Yes."
"After the act, does he immediately dress and leave?"
"No... he...he holds me and we talk or sometimes sleep." She liked it best when he stayed inside her, sated and still tingling in each other's arms until the languid kisses and touches grew fervent again, until he hardened within her again without ever leaving.
"When you part does he linger with tender kisses and words of love?" he asked gently, his hand sliding to cup her cheek.
Carola bit the inside of her lip and nodded, afraid she would never hear those words again if Darol chose Aaronus.
"It would be in my best interest to convince you his heart yearns for the pretty gladiator," Merlonius said with resignation, dropping his hand. "But it is not so."
"How can you know that?" she asked with a hitched breath.
"Because it is your safety and happiness he values above all things; even his freedom. He swallows his pride to let you marry another so that you will have protection of his House that he cannot give you as a slave. He willingly risks his life in arena for you, not anyone else. If he shared pleasures with Aaronus, it was in brotherhood and friendship or to chase away loneliness and despair. Do not confuse mere pleasures with the depth of the love he bears for you, little one."
Carola stared at him in confusion—how could this be the same cruel man who had so frightened her back at her uncle's villa? What did he have to gain by giving her confidence in Darol's love?
"I see you doubt my assurances, Carola." Merlonius said thoughtfully. "I will have to give you something I had planned to save as wedding gift." He drew a rolled scroll out of the fold of his robe and held it out to her.
"What is it?" she asked, her expression as distrustful as if he'd just produced a pit viper and offered it to her to wear as a bracelet.
"Open it and see."
Carola stared at the scroll a bit longer, but finally took it. She saw it had two wax seals, one bore the impression of Merlonius ring and the other one she also recognized.
"My father? Is this the marriage contract you brokered with him?"
"Open it and see." he repeated.
Her heart racing, she twisted the roll of papyrus and broke both seals. There were two pieces of the reed paper inside.
"You can read?" he asked. Some women and men never learned as a point of pride. They had their Greek slaves to read to them, make lists and cipher.
"My father... my father made sure I received an education." Carola nodded and then squinted down at the papers. The language was a bit technical as it was a legal document, and after she finished the first section she was sure she had misunderstood and went back and read it again, twice.
"It'll say same thing no matter how many times you read it." Merlonius drawled.
"I... I don't understand." she looked up at him in confusion.
"Read the second one."
Bewildered, Carola shifted the papers so the second was on top and then read it. She looked up at Merlonius with disbelief in her eyes and then burst into tears.
"When did you do this?" she gasped, holding the scrolls to her breast.
"I met with your father the day I left." he explained stiffly, "I asked him to give papers to your body slave to secret away until I returned."
"Did she know what they were?"
"No, only that if she destroyed them you would never forgive her." Merlonius told her, holding out his hand to take the scrolls back.
"I can't believe you would do this." she said, her hand shaking as she returned the legal documents to him, "Was this part of your plan all along?"
Merlonius nodded.
Carola looked towards the ludus, her need to seek out Darolus obvious on her face.
"You cannot tell him yet—all pieces are not yet in place—final arrangements are still being made."
"How soon will all of this come to pass?" she asked him anxiously.
"We must first give Callicus proper funerary rites... will you wish his ashes and your mother's to be brought to the Dixus columbarium or to be placed in your House in Alexandria?"
"I had not considered..." she said, and his thoughtfulness seemed to surprise her, "I never know from one minute to next whether you will be cruel or kind..."
"You really do not know me very well, dear girl." Merlonius smiled, reaching out to take her hand, "But I am sure in the coming years you will give thanks that you did."
This time instead of quickly pulling her hand from his Carola allowed him to lift it to his lips and place a kiss over her knuckles.
"Is he dead?" Aaronus asked as he opened his bloodshot eyes.
"He yet lives." Darolus replied from his seat next to the cot Aaronus lay upon. He had returned to his gladiator's breechclout and sandals along with a sleeveless brown homespun cotton shirt a few shades darker than his tanned muscular arms.
"You allowed this so I could be the one to cut off his cock, shove it in his mouth and then strike malevolent visage from neck?" Aaronus asked hoarsely.
"Here." Darolus grimaced and lifted the sea sponge he had been using to moisten his friends lips and squeezed some water into his mouth.
Aaronus swallowed it greedily, choking a bit and then started struggling to sit up.
Darolus put his other hand on Aaronus' chest to stop him.
Aaronus lifted his hand to keep Darolus' in place, needing his touch.
"You must stay still—you will dislodge the drain in your side if you move about too much."
Aaronus eyes widened and he reached down to the place on his side that burned in agony when he moved, but Darolus caught his hand and stopped him.
"Stop—Medicus said it should not be touched. The Legate's blow caused a broken rib to damage your breathing." Darolus explained, "Doctore saved you, but he had to open you up to drain ill humors. To keep passageway open he inserted a metal tube. Later today if you are still breathing well, Medicus will remove it and stitch you closed."
"I will live?"
"It is hoped."
"Even by you?" Aaronus asked with bitterness in his voice.
"I never wished you dead, my friend." Darolus said quietly.
"But that is all we can ever be, isn't it? Friends." Aaronus sighed with resignation, dropping his hand. "You cannot love a man... even one with whom you would share pleasures..."
"In my youth in Rome I shared pleasures with men as well as women, but you are the only man I have ever willingly let have me. That I did because of our bond of friendship... you were my friend and you were in a dark place..."
"You gave yourself to me out of pity." Aaronus said bitterly.
"It was more complicated than that and you know it. I was... I am attracted to you—you're a beautiful person, Aaronus, inside and out. I care for you... and we needed each other at that moment. I wanted to give you what you needed after Paulus died, yes, but you did the same for me. I needed to submit to another, to allow someone to dominate me so I could surrender to all of it, ludus, loss of my former privilege, sacrificing my citizenship until I could reach my goal."
"Carola. It always comes back to her." Aaronus said.
"This you have known since the day we met." Darolus reminded him. Their first conversations had been about how they each ended up at ludus Monroviatus.
"Is she well?"
Daryl nodded, gratitude to Aaronus for that fact showing on his face, but before he could express it, Aaronus spoke again.
"Is it true that she is betrothed to your brother?"
"Yes." Darolus said, trying not to let his fear that Merlonius would not hold true to their secret agreement show.
"Then you will also know pain of someone else having that which you most desire." Aaronus bit out, turning his head away.
"Your time with Neganus has taught you cruelty." Darolus observed sadly.
"Being raped day and night will do that." Aaronus said, his voice low and bitter.
"Aaron—"
"And the worst part wasn't him fucking my body." Aaronus cut him off. "The worst part was how he fucked with my mind! Every time he took me it was with words of love. No matter how many times and in what ways he used me; he told me it was to show me his love. I lived every day believing that for whatever time I had left on this earth I had to listen to him utter the words I longed to hear from you. He kept meso confused on wine and poppy that at times I thought he was you! And if I called out your name when he fucked me, he would beat me, but then weep in regret and vow to find you and punish you for hurting me!"
"Punish me? By making us... perform pleasures in public?" Darolus asked incredulously.
"By taking away your beloved." Aaronus said. "He forced me to tell him about Carola. He believed that once she saw us like that, together, her love for you would be destroyed. He wanted to make you suffer... then whether she renounced you or he killed her if she refused to do so, it would break your heart... then he planned to buy you... for me. So I would be happy..."
"But the plan failed when you stepped in front of the killing blow meant for her." Darolus asked, narrowing his eyes into a dangerous squint.
Aaronus stared at him, at first too angry to even speak.
"You think I would let an innocent die? I am not Neganus!" Aaronus finally said in a rough tearful voice. "I wanted no part of his plan for you! He had to beat me senseless and truss me like a boar on a spit! I had no more say in what was happening than you did!" As he spoke he started struggling to sit up.
"Stop—you'll hurt yourself." Darolus said soothingly, leaning over Aaronus and putting his hands on the other man's shoulders to hold him still.
Darolus' touch calmed him and Aaronus stopped struggling and stared up at him, pain and longing in his eyes. Her reached up and took Darolus' right hand in his and held it.
"Gratitude... for saving her..." Darolus said softly, changing the hold to the gladiator greeting, hand to elbow grip. "And apologies for thinking you were anything but another victim of the Legate's depravity."
"Accepted." Aaronus said, releasing his grip. "So what happens now?"
Darolus sat back up.
"Well, my friend, the plan is that Neganus will be taken to Rome to stand trial before the Senate."
"For killing a Patrician... not for torturing you, I or any of the other slaves forced to submit to him and his guests and soldiers." Aaronus said bitterly and heaved a heavy sigh. "And what about you?"
"My brother purchases me." Darolus said with a wry dryness.
"So you will face death in the arena under House Dixus banner?" Aaronus asked, "Then he will have his bride without rival?"
"If Merlonius stays true to his word," Darolus said, "I am being purchased as a gift for his bride."
"Then you will be with her?" Aaronus face took on an indecipherable look.
"Does that bring you sorrow?" Darolus asked quietly, not wishing to cause his friend more pain.
Aaronus stared off into the middle distance for several long moments before answering.
"She is your happiness... and to see you happy does not bring me sorrow." He replied with a somewhat sad smile.
"Gratitude, my friend." Darolus sighed in relief.
"Do you trust your brother to stay true?" Aaronus asked, tilting his head to the side.
"It seems I have no other choice."
This is the next to last chapter. In the last we will have a funeral, a wedding and a death, not necessarily in that order.
Thank you to my constant readers & reviewers!