In Spe/ In Hope: Tyson Hassleberry and Rosa Jimenez The Directors' Cut
Hello, everyone! You're probably wondering why in heaven's name this story is up in a different version. Well, due to reader requests, we made a change to the story, allowing for a little conflict. It's still a short story, but the plot has been changed a bit to include Rosa's former suitor, Jorge. In a fit of humor, we christened his past self Fido. There is more conflict, which we hope you enjoy.
Authors' note: Elysia or Elysium is what Romans and Greeks believed was Heaven. If you saw the movie, Gladiator with Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, you'll see a guy going through a field which represents Elysia/Elysium. Further, this story takes place a few years after the crucifixion of Jesus when Christians were sent to the coliseum a lot. There were some that did tell others of their faith before they went to fight. So on with the story.
It was the time of the great Roman Empire. It was a time of civility and chaos, beauty and barbarianism and of course romance and ruin. The son of a wealthy family could find himself a pauper and be forced to disgrace himself to pay his debts. But to the women of that time, perhaps that didn't matter. This is the story of a boy named Tiberius and a girl named Rosalia.
Rosalia was a lovely young maiden who had been born into a wealthy, aristocratic family. Her father had owned enough land so that when war struck the Roman countryside, the family managed to retain its wealth and status. As a young girl, Rosalia had been betrothed to a man she wouldn't meet until the day they were to be married. Her five brothers had much more freedom than her, but there was nothing she could do. It was the way of the world she lived in. Rosalia was simply grateful that she had not been one of the unlucky babes whose fathers either chose to kill or sell them. For that was a common thing to do, especially during times of war.
In another part of Rome lived a boy named Tiberius. He was the son of a general in the Emperor's army and that general headed off to war. Tiberius decided that he would do his duty for the empire and fight as well. He was betrothed to a member of the Roman gentry and would have no problem paying his future wife's bride price. But alas, his father was killed and he and his mother were impoverished. "I must be able to marry this girl, but how can I earn the money to do it?" he wondered. He searched for work, but could find nothing. And so in desperation, he became a volunteer gladiator.
"You will become a disgrace," his mother sighed.
"I have no choice, Mother," he said. "If I become great, then I will have great honor."
Many years had passed since the betrothal, and the wedding was past due. It was too late for Rosalia's father to betroth her to another man, for she was sixteen. Her brothers were even older, and so the father had to spend most of his time with them rather than his only daughter. Rosalia, having been through school and having no housework to do because she was not wed, often went to the coliseum to watch the entertaining battles. Today was no different, as she headed out with her personal female servant and guard. All Rosalia knew was that her wedding had no selected date now; they could only finalize the betrothal when her mysterious husband-to-be found the money needed to pay her bride price.
"Welcome to the Coliseum!" the announcer shouted. "Today's entertainment stars our favorite warrior, Tiberius the Great!" Tiberius was a famous gladiator and had risen through the ranks quickly. Rumor had it he was supporting his mother by doing this and disgracing himself. But somehow the men and women of Rome did not care.
And then, the masked and dreadlocked man came out onto the field, bare chested. "I fight for you and the honor of the Empire!" he shouted.
The crowd of thousands cheered, practically shaking the stone foundations of the great arena. The second Tiberius appeared, Rosalia's eyes were locked onto him. Ever since the first time she had seen him, she always made sure to come on the day he had a battle. In other words, Rosalia had fallen head-over-heels for the masked man. 'Oh...if only I wasn't betrothed,' she thought sadly.
"I also fight for a lady!" he shouted for the first time and the crowd hushed. "I fight for the one I will someday wed!"
A rush of hushed murmurs and whispers spread throughout the crowd at this news, and Rosalia's eyes widened. "Wed.....but no, there are many women in Rome. I doubt that it is him," she muttered through a sigh.
"And should I win today, this will be my last fight...For I will win the hand of the woman I marry."
Rosalia's heart sank. "No...I will never be able to see him again... Whoever is to be his wife must have the gods' blessing," she whispered sadly. Her female servant, Thermapole, placed a hand on her shoulder. Being her closest friend, she knew that her mistress had fallen for the buff, masked gladiator.
"My lady...it will be all right...If only he would state who he is betrothed to...Perhaps we can meet him after the match," she suggested.
Rosalia looked over at her, and smiled a little. "You are right. At least...I will speak with him once. And finally see his face...even if it will be the first and last time."
Thermapole sighed and breathed a prayer to Venus, the goddess of love that this was the boy Rosalia was meant to marry. And so the fight commenced. There was much sword play and other gladiators fell, but not Tiberius. When the fighting was over, he shouted, "This day I go to the house of the Roses to pay the bride price for my wife...." And the cheer of the crowd drowned out the girl's name.
Rosalia clenched her fist; she'd always had a bit of a bad temper. "Curse them...I could not hear the name. All I heard was Roses," she muttered, frowning.
And then the crowd left the arena, and Thermapole moved. "My lady this way," she said. "Thelonius," she said to the guard, "follow us." Thelonius had always been the strong, silent type. He did what was asked of him without question and would protect Rosalia to the death. And so the three made their way with the crowd out of the arena.
Instead of leaving the coliseum, however, they followed one of the many corridors until they reached the entrance to the gladiator's baths. Being ladies, Thermapole and Rosalia remained outside, while Thelonius entered.
Tiberius had just pulled on his clean linen toga when Thelonius came in. After a short discussion, the young gladiator came out to the women. "Miss, as I said, I am betrothed," he said, used to the flattery of women to try to get him to do...things.
"Yes, I know..." Rosalia had to take a moment to collect herself for he was even more handsome than she had imagined he would be. "I...just wished to meet you, since I would not be seeing you in the coliseum again."
"It is an honor to meet you, Miss..?" he asked, wanting to know her name.
"Rosalia. And it is an honor to finally meet you in person, Tiberius the Great," she answered, smiling.
"Rosalia...Are you Josephus's daughter?" he asked, an arrested look in his hazel eyes as he met her brown ones.
She blinked in surprise at the sudden question. "Why...yes, I am. Why do you ask?"
"I am Tiberius, the son of Julius...I am your betrothed," he said, eyes wide in amazement. "I am sorry I had to disgrace myself by being a gladiator..."
Her eyes widened in shock; it was her, after all. "No...it is all right. I am just surprised...I have known my future husband for a year now," Rosalia frowned. "But...we are not supposed to have met. Not before the wedding..."
"I should not have been a gladiator," he stated. "But...I have kept myself pure for you..." It was a well-known fact in Rome that gladiators had their pick of women. To find one that hadn't partaken was extraordinary.
As such, this surprised her even more, and she blushed a little at the fact. "Tiberius...I am glad to hear that. I just wish that I could have married a man such as yourself four years ago..."
"I am sorry...but my father was killed in the wars...I had to pay our debts and we were impoverished. But now I have the money so that our children and we will live like an emperor and empress..."
She reached out, taking his large, rough hands into her small, smooth ones. "At this moment, Tiberius, it would not matter to me whether we lived in a hut or a palace. I...have been in love with you...since I first laid my eyes upon you in the coliseum..."
He took her hands, flushing slightly. "You are...worth all of this..."
She blushed as well. "You have worked hard, so that we can be wed and so that your family and our future one can live prosperously. I just hope that I am a good wife to match such a good husband."
He looked at her. "I have heard that you are a wonderful woman and that the gods have blessed you with grace and wit."
"That may be true, but I also have a temper...it is one of the reasons my father did not dare to try another betrothal," she admitted.
"It is all right," he answered. "I have faced the flames of Hades..."
She smiled. "Yes, I have seen every one of your battles. And each time...I was worried that you would lose your life."
He desperately wanted to kiss her, but said, "Is your bridal gown ready?"
She nodded. "Yes, it has been...for four years."
"Excellent. We will wed tomorrow, if your father will allow it," he said with certainty.
She smiled, her heart leaping for joy. "I am certain that he will. He has been awaiting this day for many years."
"I will see you later, then. I must pick up the last of my gold winnings," he murmured. "And then I will come to your house today to pay my debt."
"The gods have blessed you, sir," Thermapole said, smiling.
Thelonius simply nodded, never one for too much talking. "I will look forward to seeing you again," Rosalia replied happily. Tiberius nodded and headed to the office where he received his gold. While Tiberius gratefully collected the last of his winnings, Rosalia headed toward home with Thermapole and Thelonius. The streets of the city were bathed in sunset light, lengthening the shadows and allowing those with misdeeds in their hearts to feel bold enough to come out of hiding.
There were a few reasons why women were married so early in their lives. For one thing, children were needed to work and earn money for the family. For another, as maidens grew older they had time on their hands undaunted by household tasks. A third reason was that a woman's beauty grew with her, and those who were unwed were also unprotected by their husbands. But, these three things were made worse when the unwed woman was a noble or wealthy. This meant that Rosalia was a prime target for thugs and rich boys who thought they could take what they wanted. However, most were turned off by her bodyguard. But this time, one decided he had the gall to attack, believing surprise and a blade would bring him success.
His name was Fido, which means "I trust." He had dark hair and eyes like flint. "I will make this woman mine... Her father will have no choice but to give her to me..." He was dressed in a dark toga, the better to conceal himself. When Thelonius walked by, Fido kicked the man in his nether regions. He sank down, gasping. Thermapole, seeing this, ran to him and was backhanded into a wall. And then Rosalia came face to face with her attacker.
Rosalia screamed, more out of shock and surprise than fear. Stepping away from him, her back hit a wall and with wide eyes she realized that he'd cornered her. How he had, who he was, or why he was doing this, she didn't know. But Rosalia did know her bodyguard, her sole means of protection, couldn't help her now.
"Hello, Lady Rosalia," he said dangerously. "I am Fido..." He smirked and added, "And you will do what I say..."
Rosalia was tougher than most women she knew, but she knew that she had no chance in fighting off "Fido". However, that didn't mean she was going to stand by and let him have his way with her. "I will do no such thing. How dare you bring harm to my servants! My father will have your head," she growled, eyes narrowing. Her temper couldn't help but flare up a little upon seeing her two closest friends hurt.
"And I shall have you... You will be my wife," he sneered.
"You will not... I am betrothed," she countered, brows furrowing. Rosalia wasn't just arguing, but she was trying to buy time.
"Not if I have you first... It will void your contract," he smirked, moving toward her.
She flattened herself against the wall, anger quickly melting into fear and worry. "You cannot... It is against the law of Rome!"
"Who will believe a servant--?!" The last word was cut off as someone delivered a punch to his jaw.
"HOW DARE YOU!" a familiar voice shouted.
Rosalia gasped in shock and looked at who the fist had belonged to. "T-Tiberius?!"
It was indeed Tiberius and his eyes were flashing. "You scum! And you're the son of Sirius, my father's killer!"
"You are Tiberius the son of Andronicus?"
"Yes...and you will not be allowed to violate this woman!"
"We shall see!"
"Tiberius, be careful!" Rosalia called, worried for the man she had just discovered to be her future husband.
Without a word, Tiberius drew his own weapon, his father's sword. "I do not wish to harm you, but if you continue, I shall have no choice..." Fido only smirked and ran at the gladiator, who pivoted out of the way easily.
Meanwhile, Thelonius, catching his breath, moved to Thermapole. She was waking up. "My lady," they both asked, "are you hurt?"
Rosalia shook her head. "No, I am all right. But are the two of you okay?"
Thelonius nodded and Thermapole said, "I...I think so...My head aches..."
"I will have our family healer check you," Rosalia replied, frowning.
The servant woman nodded and watched the battle. Blood would surely be spilled in the next moments. "You are dishonorable, gladiator," Fido snarled.
"And you are honorable, thief and murderer?!" Tiberius countered angrily.
"Yes... I didn't have to become a fighter like you,"
"Because your father killed him and bribed officials so the Emperor wouldn't know!" Tiberius growled.
Rosalia placed a hand over her mouth; they could all hear the exchange in the quiet street. "Tiberius..."
"I did not want to kill," Tiberius growled, "but to save my mother from begging on the streets, I would have faced Hades himself to keep her safe..."
"Women are nothing but our servants... You are not a man if you think other...." STAB! Fido's eyes went wide as Tiberius's blow hit home. The thief dropped to the ground, dead almost instantly.
"You... are facing the judgment of the gods," Tiberius muttered.
Rosalia quickly looked away when Fido's blood spilled across the ground, not wanting to see his lifeless corpse. However, she then realized that Tiberius was all right and ran to him. "Tiberius!"
Tiberius dropped his sword and hugged his betrothed. "Never again..."
Rosalia leaned into him, hands clutching his toga tightly. "You did what you had to..."
"I wish never to kill again..."
"You won't have to, after we are wed."
He held her close. "Miss Thermapole... Thelonius... You are both injured... We must make our way back to your home..." Thelonius said he could walk, but Thermapole was unsteady.
"Thermapole..." Rosalia frowned and looked at Tiberius. "Tiberius, do you think you could...?"
Without a word, Tiberius lifted the servant woman into his arms. "Thank you...the gods have blessed you with immense strength," Thermapole muttered.
"It will be all right," he soothed her. "Rosalia...this is unusual...for us to see each other before we are wed..."
He flushed nervously as they walked. "Your father may be... distressed..."
Rosalia nodded in understanding. "I know...but perhaps, after what he hears you have done, he will overlook this."
"Perhaps..." It didn't take long for the couple and the servants to arrive at Rosalia's home. It was, by Roman standards, a home worthy of Imperial visits. "Oh, my... This house is...amazing," Tiberius breathed.
She blushed. "With five sons and a large amount of land, we were able to maintain our status..."
Tiberius flushed. "Your living will be somewhat more modest, but I believe you will enjoy the home I have for you..."
"Rosalia! What has happened?" a female voice called out. It was Lilith, Rosalia's mother.
Rosalia quickly went to her mother as she came out. "Mother, I will explain after we have the healers check Thermapole and Thelonius. They are hurt..."
"Oh, my!" The worried lady of the house did just that and helped Thermapole and Thelonius to their rooms for treatment. "They will be all right, my daughter. Now...who is this? And what led to our servants being so injured?"
Rosalia swallowed a bit nervously, but knew it was her father she truly had to worry about. "Mother, while returning from the coliseum, I was attacked. My attacker hurt Thelonius and Thermapole...and he was going to violate me..." she began.
"What? Are you all right? And... Who is this young man?" Lilith's eyes narrowed slightly and Tiberius took a deep breath.
"I am Tiberius, son of Andronicus, Madame Lilith... I happened upon your daughter and she was being accosted by Fido, son of Sirius. Sirius murdered my father and bribed the officials so he would not face charges. His son took up the way of the thief and tried to gain your daughter through violation."
"What has become of him?" Lilith asked.
"His blood is being cleaned from the streets by dogs..."
"He would not back down, so Tiberius was forced to end his life... But mother, he saved me. Had it not been for him, I am not sure if Fido would have been stopped," Rosalia added.
"Your father will know of this brave act, darling... And you, young man, are worthy of our only daughter." Tiberius smiled. "I am only sorry we could not be together sooner."
"When will Father be home, Mother?" Rosalia asked. She wanted to know as soon as possible if her father would still allow them to marry.
"He arrived home half an hour ago, Rosalia... I will get him..." Tiberius shivered slightly at this.
"All right, Mother." And so the two were forced to wait alone together while Lilith went to fetch Josephus.
Lilith moved through the house to Josephus's study. "My husband...we have a visitor..."
Josephus was busy looking over documents of inventory from the fields, and was surprised by his wife's statement. "A visitor? At this time of night?"
"Yes... Tiberius, son of Andronicus. He escorted Rosalia home... and prevented her from being... violated by Fido, son of Sirius..."
"Tiberius and Andronicus...Fido and Sirius..." Josephus thought for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed. "I remember now... Sirius, the man who fought with Andronicus over Rosalia's hand for their sons..."
"It appears Tiberius had to kill Fido... Sirius apparently had Andronicus killed and was not charged because he bribed the right officials..."
"I see..." Josephus sighed and stood. "So then Rosalia and Tiberius have met before the wedding? That is bad luck...but, since it could not be helped..."
"If it had not happened... No man would take her," Lilith shivered softly.
Josephus nodded. "Yes, I know... We owe him for saving our daughter from such shame. So...I shall overlook the fact that they have met before the wedding."
"Then...let us not keep our daughter waiting. And our son-in-law waits in the hall..."
"Let us go," Josephus agreed. Together, the two parents left the study and made their way back to the couple.
Tiberius had been standing in the hall while Rosalia reclined in a seat. "Josephus," he said when the man came into the hall, "I am sorry, sir..."
Josephus held up his hand, signaling for the younger to be silent. "Tiberius. I remember you and your father from when we made the arrangement of marriage. I knew about his death, as well as your volunteering to be a gladiator. I did not, however, know about Sirius and Fido. Something I should have known about, I now realize. I have you to thank for protecting Rosalia when I could not..."
"Thank you, sir... I have the bride price with me," Tiberius offered.
Josephus smiled. "That is good. For I have decided, considering the circumstances, to overlook the two of you meeting early..."
Rosalia gasped in surprise and happiness. "Really, Father? We can still be wed?" she asked in awe. Josephus nodded.
Tiberius could not believe his luck. "Th-thank you, sir... I will not disappoint Rosalia..." His eyes burned with honesty.
"I know that you will not, Tiberius. You have shown me that by protecting her," Josephus replied.
"When can we be married, sir? My home is ready for her," the young man requested.
Josephus considered for a moment. "Is tomorrow morning all right?"
Tiberius looked at Rosalia. "Is that enough time for you, my lady?"
Rosalia nodded, smiling. "Yes, that is plenty of time."
"Okay, then." Tiberius handed Josephus the coins and Rosalia saw him to their gate. "My love," he murmured to her.
"Tiberius...it almost feels as if the night is too long to wait," she replied softly.
"We must," he murmured. "And you are worth the wait..."
He looked at her beautiful form and smiled. "The gods themselves would worship you..."
She blushed. "Tiberius...I believe you, too, would make the goddess' hearts quicken."
Tiberius blushed. He desperately wanted to kiss her but wondered if he should or wait until tomorrow. Rosalia, having the same thoughts, glanced around quickly. Seeing no one, she moved forward and brushed her lips against his in a moment's kiss. Tiberius had never kissed anyone before and the touch was electric. 'Ooh...she is amazing,' he thought. When they broke apart, he murmured, "You are a goddess..."
Rosa had felt something Hot, like fire on her lips, which stayed when they pulled apart. "I...could not resist...I am sorry..."
"N-no," he murmured. "It is all right... your virtue is not compromised..." He blushed. "I...was thinking the same thing..."
"You were?" she asked.
He nodded. "You are my beloved and I wished to kiss you..."
She smiled. "Well, after tomorrow, we can kiss to our hearts' content."
"Good," he said softly. "I will see you tomorrow when we are bound by the gods... my love..."
"Goodbye for now...my love..." she replied softly.
And with that, he headed back home. "Mother! Mother, I did it! I won her hand and her heart!"
"Tiberius, my boy...that is wonderful," his mother murmured, hugging him.
"We will take care of you and bless you with our children's children," he promised. "Father would be proud, and I know he watches us from Elysia…"
Back at the house of Josephus, Lilith smiled at her daughter as she brushed her hair. "My daughter... tomorrow you will be wed..."
Rosalia smiled happily, heart fluttering in her chest at just the thought. "Yes...I can hardly wait, mother!"
"Good... you will need your rest for tomorrow, you begin the duties and pleasures of being a wife," Lilith explained.
Rosalia blushed a little when her mother said "pleasures", one of her duties coming to mind. "I hope that I will be a good wife to him..."
"You will be. You are older than most brides, but you are in good health and I believe you will be an excellent mother. Thermapole is fine and so is Thelonius, by the way..."
"Oh, thank the gods...I was worried about them..."
Lilith hugged her daughter close to her. "Thermapole has a bump on her head, and Thelonius is sore, but with rest they will be well enough to see you married on the morrow... Now, rest and I will go to begin the preparations for the morning..."
Rosalia sighed, which turned into a yawn. "All right, Mother..."
"Good night, my sweet girl..." Lilith tucked her daughter into bed and headed off to storage to get the wedding gown and finery out to air, and then to the kitchens where the servants were already hard at work making the wedding feast.
VENIVIDIVICIVENIVIDIVICI VENIVIDIVICIVENIVIDIVICI VENIVIDIVICIVENIVIDI
The preparations for the ceremony went through the night and into the morning. The servants began decorating the best court on the property with the statues and vases the family owned. Josephus's five sons were told of the wedding by messenger and readied their ceremonial togas. Rosalia's mother, Lilith, brought out her and her husband's own special togas as well as the bride's gown from storage. She worked through the night to mend any rips or tears, and sewed a few pieces of the dowry gold into the seams for luck with wealth.
The bride and groom slept well and then awoke with the dawn. Tiberius dressed in his finest robes and then went out to his mother's rose garden and gathered rose petals. He walked into the bridal bedchamber and tossed them all over the room."She'll love this," he murmured, "I hope..."
Meanwhile, the house of Josephus was bustling with activity. The servants were either working to finish decorating the court with fresh-cut flowers, or working to complete the wedding feast. The men of the family were dressed in their finest ceremonial robes. And in Rosalia's chambers, Lilith was getting the bride-to-be ready.
"My daughter, you will stun him with your beauty...Zeus himself must be tempted by your beauty, Rosalia..." Rosalia blushed at her mother's words. She was dressed in a very expensive toga of fine, soft threads trimmed with gold thread. Her ebony locks had been tamed into a waterfall bun and her olive-colored skin shone with the oils she had bathed in early this morning. "You have been blessed with beauty, my daughter. Any man would pay for your hand," Lilith added.
"And your young man has already fought for you," Thermapole said, smiling. She had arisen with the house, feeling a bit better. Nevertheless, Lilith had insisted the woman not lift a finger today.
Rosalia nodded. "Yes, he has. I am certain that I will be very happy with him."
"You love him already and if his behavior is any indication, he loves you as well," Lilith replied.
"This is true," Thermapole said.
"It will only be a few hours, now," Rosalia murmured.
And then the hour was upon the couple. The groom arrived at the house along with the guests themselves. "I am ready," Tiberius murmured.
After all of the guests were situated, Tiberius was led to stand between a small statue of Zeus and a small statue of Venus. In front of him stood Josephus, and the crowd quieted as servants played lyres. Tiberius met his mother's eyes and then looked to the sky, hoping his father was watching from Elysia.
And then, the music softened as Rosalia walked towards him in her special robes. Her skin and hair shone like brilliant gold and onyx and her eyes were pools of melted bronze.
Tiberius looked at her, and smiled nervously, as if seeing her for the first time. 'By the gods, I will not disappoint her,' he thought.
Rosalia's eyes met Tiberius's and she smiled secretly at him. She finally reached the front, and both turned to face each other. Josephus cleared his throat before speaking. "These two young people have come together upon this day's morning light to be wed, before the eyes of the gods and of Rome's citizens. Tiberius has paid the bride price requested in exchange for my daughter Rosalia's hand in marriage. As the gods and you good citizens as witnesses, I pronounce Tiberius and Rosalia to be bound by marriage." A kiss wasn't needed to finish the ceremony, but both Rosalia and Tiberius had wanted to do so since they had met one another in the coliseum.
And so Tiberius moved in nervously. "My lady," he said before laying his lips on hers. Rosalia returned the kiss, eyes closing as the music started up again and the guests applauded the newly-wed couple.
The newlyweds then enjoyed heading down the aisle to their banquet. "This is amazing... So besides watching gladiator fights, what else do you enjoy?" Tiberius asked his new wife.
"Well, I go on walks through our gardens and courtyards. Or I go to one of the nearby bath houses to relax and hear gossip. Or I'll simply play the lyre," Rosalia explained, smiling. At the banquet, a special grain cake was served, a lot like the traditional wedding cake of modern times.
"Perhaps...we could enjoy a bath this evening, as we have a private bath in our house," Tiberius offered shyly.
Rosalia blushed. "That sounds like a pleasant idea to me. It will be...strange, living in a different home. But it will be made easier with you by my side."
"I am so glad...and I will make you happy...our house is modest, but it should be comfortable," he said.
"As I said earlier, Tiberius, I would not care if it were a hut or a palace," she whispered.
"We are living in a modest house...I hope you like our...chambers?" he asked nervously.
She blushed again. "I am sure that I will...I am excited to see where I'll be staying for the remainder of my life."
After much feasting and celebrating, the married couple returned home and Tiberius's mother retired to her own chambers. "Shall we inspect the grounds?" he asked.
Rosalia smiled at him, taking his hand and inter-locking their fingers. "I would like that," she answered.
And so he showed her around the gardens, to the kitchen, the dining area and then finally to the softly lit bedchamber. "I hope everything meets with your approval," he said softly.
She nodded happily. "Yes, I love it. I shall be a good wife. Tending the gardens, cooking the meals, and cleaning the house. I will make sure your efforts weren't in vain," she explained.
"I just want to be a good husband to you...and give you many sons and daughters," he said softly, looking at their interlocked fingers.
She blushed, looking at them as well. "Tiberius...I know that you do not have to, but...could you promise me just one thing?"
"What is it?" he asked, wanting to do as she asked.
"When I give birth to our children...keep every last one..." She was asking for him not to make the decision to either kill or sell their children once they were born.
He understood. "Of course...all of our little ones are valued...I suppose I should have told you, but...I have listened to the teachings of the Christians...and they cherish their children."
"The Christians?" The Romans often fed any Christians they captured in battle to the lions for entertainment in the coliseum. She was surprised as well that he listened to what they taught.
He nodded. "Some became gladiators, and they tell their fellows what they believe."
"Well...I do believe that we should cherish our children. Which is why I am glad that you will accept my request," she replied.
"And I will love and cherish you as well. You are not property...you are my partner," he murmured, kissing her forehead gently.
She blushed, a little surprised. It was rare to find a man who thought that way. "Oh, Tiberius...there is not another man's children I'd rather have..."
"And I would not have my children with any other woman," he murmured, running his lips down her cheek.
She shivered at his touch, wrapping her arms around him. 'I will be the only woman he goes to bed with,' she thought happily, closing her eyes.
Nine months later, Rosalia gave birth to their first two children, a boy and girl. "What shall we name them?" Tiberius asked after the twins and his beloved had been cleaned and lay on the bed together. The boy had dark unruly hair and the girl had raven locks like her mother's.
"How about...Aurelia and Acanthus?" Rosalia replied. Aurelia meant "golden" and Acanthus meant "thorn." Aurelia would, with luck, be a golden beauty, and Acanthus would be handsome and a thorn in the side of any enemy.
"That sounds perfect, my love...Aurelia will be a beauty like her mother," he smiled.
She returned the smile. "And Acanthus shall be as strong and brave as his father." Rosalia bore Tiberius eight more children, three sons and five daughters. They were known throughout Rome as a wonderful happy family. And the couple lived a long and happy life together.
THE END
We hope you all enjoyed this "directors' cut." Next time, we move to the medieval era and the story of Syrus Truesdale and Annie Hanson, or Prince Syrus of the British Kingdom and Princess Anne of the Hapsburg Kingdom. We hope you enjoy it, and thank you in advance for reading and reviewing! Please feel free to review this new version of "In Spe/ In Hope!" Thanks!