3
The maiden forced herself to become still—her eyes alone spoke pitifully of the pain that she endured.
"Yes, Commander. I shall do as you say." Calliliana cast one last longing glance upon her husband…her heart seemed to fail and die within her as she realized that it was to be her last. "Farewell, my Dearest. May God give you strength for the trials which you are about to endure." As she saw the tears flow freely down the set face of her husband, his face was completely obscured from her vision by her own tears.
"Farewell, my Love. Stay strong, keep to the faith, and remember this: when we meet again, it will be a place where there ARE no more tears, and no more sorrow to rend our hearts. Remember this, Dearest, when you think of me." As he sensed Agrippa steel his body behind him to push him onward, Leander looked straight into the eyes of his wife and whispered "remember me."
"Enough farewells. Adrian!" Marcus shouted, his call hastening a frightened-looking lad with a painful-looking red welt upon his cheek from the shadows.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Take this man back to his cell." Agrippa looked straight into the eyes of his rival. "I will see the woman out." Maximinus realized at this point that it was useless to argue—for what could he do? If he commanded Agrippa to leave his wife alone, he would most certainly do the opposite just to spite him. With one last look of longing and desire, and a gaze filled with such pain in threatened to shred the heart of his young wife, the strong young man allowed himself to be led from the room.
Calliliana heeded not the presence of the centurion; once her eyes could no longer see her husband in the gloom, she fell to the floor, weeping bitterly. Agrippa stood over her, an evil smile flickering about his hardened mouth—he lived for moments such as these!
"Come," he said, attempting vainly to flavor his poisonous speech with honey, "I will see you out." Realizing that resistance of any kind of futile and might only prolong the suffering of her husband, Calliliana allowed the centurion to haul her to her feet and lead her firmly from the room. "How much did the prisoner tell you of his torment?" The young woman stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the soldier with frightened doe-eyes.
"Torment…? He said nothing of torment to come. Only that he was to be put to death." Agrippa smiled.
"Ah. He wished to keep the painful truth from your pretty little head, I see. Shall I enlighten you myself?" Calliliana bit her lip; she could tell that her tormentor was enjoying this.
"If you please."
"He is to be put to death, Wench—death on a cross." The maiden's eyes went wide with horror, and they burned within her alabaster-white face with an almost unearthly fire.
"Oh spare him, spare him!" she moaned, falling to her knees before him. Thinking not of what she did, she hastily clutched one of Marcus' hands and kissed it fervently. The feel of her lips upon his flesh only steeled the cruel man of Rome for what he was about to say next.
"What reason do I have for sparing his life?"
"Because he is an innocent citizen of Rome, who has unjustly been imprisoned without a trial!" Agrippa laughed.
"Citizen of Rome? I am Rome, my girl. Do not purposely attempt to thwart me with your knowledge of Roman law—I guarantee you, you will fail." As he felt her hot tears splash upon his hand and fall to his sandaled feet, he leaned down close to her face. He slowly, almost gently, moved a dense lock of her flowing golden tresses from her ear and whispered, "However, there is a way that you might be able to save him, and one way only." Calliliana shuddered at the feel of his breath upon her body and the very nearness of he who she loathed.
"Then tell me what it is so I might do it!" Agrippa stood over her once more, a leering grin now lighting his whole face— the conquering solder within him was awakened once more. This was it. The mouse was caught in the trap; the victory was his, he had won!
"I will have a small dinner party tonight at my house. Consider yourself invited—there I will tell you what I require as payment for the service I shall do you." Calliliana shuddered.
"What time must I come, Sir? I must return home and get ready…"
"No need. Everything you require is ready and awaiting you at my villa." The young woman grated her teeth.
"You are all kindness and generosity." Agrippa bowed mockingly.
"Much obliged. Wait here; I will send for one of my servants to conduct you to my villa." He turned his back upon the shuddering young woman and strode purposely from the room—he would have his fill of revenge upon his rival tonight!
"Is there anything that I can do to help you?" Leander smiled weakly at the young Adrian.
"You kindness is all that you can do now, Lad. I thank you for it." The lad's chin jumped and quivered as he struggled not to weep—here this man, who had in but a few hours time become a hero to him, was about to be executed in a way so hideous…
"May I at least offer you a glass of wine? I know where my master keeps it—it is tradition here to give the condemned one last drink." Leander passed his hand over his face and sighed.
"I should like that, Adrian." The lad smiled nervously and scurried from the room. Maximinus slowly eased himself to a sitting position on the floor, grating his teeth in response to the sharp pain that burned through his abdomen, and finally leaned his head against the wall. Thoughts burned through his brain with the ferocity of a scorching wind: he had a son! A son, the flesh of his wife…his wife…how beautiful she was…how desirable in every way…the way she looked at him, the way she felt in his arms…how like a child she was, yet like a woman when it mattered most…
The cell door squealed open and Adrian shuffled in, bearing a chalice full of wine as a last gift to the man he was only just beginning to admire. "It is not much," he said, placing it in front of Leander's face, "but it is all I can do."
"It is enough, Boy." Leander stared down into the cup, his vision obscuring all but the drink in front of him. As his eyes gazed upon the slightly swirling red liquid, it seemed to him that he gazed upon a churning sea of blood.
His blood.