II

SMOOTH IS THE DESCENT, EASY IS THE WAY

MARCUS ACACIUS won the war in Numidia and the emperors decided to organise games in his honor. In a few days, Rome would host so many people who wanted to see them.

But not everyone was happy about all this. Marcus Acacius was the first, and his daughter was the second. But doing what the emperors wanted was part of the plan.

Caecilia knew it very well, and so did her father. But despite this, he didn't want her to be in danger. «Where are you going?» Acacius asked her daughter the moment he saw her almost walking away from their house. He actually already knew it. Because it might be only one place she would go that day.

«You need someone to keep Geta and Caracalla busy today, don't you?» Caecilia shrugged, before looking at Lucilla and noticing her smiling. The daughter of Marcus Aurelius was such a smart woman.

«Geta invited you to join to the celebrations.» Lucilla spoke, giving voice to Acacius's thoughts. «And you accepted.» she then said, after looking at her husband for a moment. She knew how Acacius had been forced to accept his daughter into his plan.

He wanted to protect her, and Lucilla was aware of that. She herself had forced her son to leave Rome years before to save his life, so she felt like Acacius. But she also felt like Caecila, because she was like her.

She was not a girl like the others. She wanted to be involved in her father's plan because she wanted to be an active part of the plan. Even though Caecilia was not her own daughter, she remembered her a lot of herself.

«I'll give you all the time you need to talk to the Senators.» Caecilia explained to them, while she was straightening her dress. «You have your job, I have mine.» she used a firm tone, especially to let her father know how much she wanted to be into his plan.

«If I didn't know you, I'd start to think you enjoy spending time with Geta.» Acacius was teasing her, holding back a little smile. Her daughter was so determined, just like him.

«He's kind to me, I cannot deny it. But he should take more care about the people of Rome.» Caecilia said, thinking of how much Geta and Caracalla cared more about their power and their greatness than about the health and well-being of their people.

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Caecilia was a little late. She did it on purpose, she had to pretend to be late. She knew how much it mattered to Geta, so she wanted to joke with him in a certain way. Caecilia needed Geta to care about her more than he already did.

She looked around, until the moment she heard someone calling her name. «Caecilia.» it was Geta. He had been waiting for her for almost an hour, listening to his brother complain about the calm of the celebrations.

«I'm sorry for the late, Geta.» she was pretending, again. She had lost count of every time she pretended with him. Sometimes she felt guilty for playing with Geta's feelings, but then she remembered who he was and what she had to do.

«Don't worry. Come. Seat with me.» Geta smiled at her, he didn't care if Caecilia had been late. He was just happy she accepted his invitation. And now she was there, with him.

«Us.» Caracalla suddenly said, appearing behind Caecilia. The emperor looked at her and smiled, prompting the girl to do the same. «Caecilia is my friend too, brother.»

«Of course she is.» Geta whispered, rolling his eyes. He loved his brother, but sometimes he was annoyed by his words. Of course Caecilia was also his brother's friend, but she was not just a friend to him.

Caecilia pretended not to know what Geta was thinking about, because she could read his mind. So she just sat between him and Caracalla. «How are you?» Geta asked her after a while. «I know you hate me every time I ask for your father to leave Rome.»

Caecilia tried to be a little kind with Geta, because she never liked that argument. She already knew what he would say next. «Then give him more freedom.» she whispered looking at him, almost with a pleading tone of voice.
«I need your father to conquer territories.»

«Isn't that enough?» an annoying voice came out of her mouth. Caecilia was irritated, and Geta hadn't noticed it. «You and your brother have many territories to guard and many people to feed.»

«Caecilia...» he tried to grab her hand, but she pushed it away. That time, she wasn't pretending. She wanted her father to be safe, but Geta wanted him every time he decided to conquer new territories. She wanted her father at home, he wanted her father at war.

Geta sighed. From the moment he met Caecilia the first time years ago, he already knew he would chose between power and love.
Power to be the greatest Rome emperor ever. Love to be loved by the kindest and beautiful woman he had ever met in his life.

He couldn't have them both.

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Caecilia remained silent the entire time after Geta's words. She didn't understand how the man sitting next to her could be so selfish. She hated him for what he demanded of his father.

Geta looked at her a couple of times. He wanted to talk to her, to explain his point of view. His desire was to make Rome even more powerful and strong than she already was. And he and his brother needed Acacius to do that.

When Geta was almost ready to speak to Caecilia, someone interrupted him. «Emperors.» it was the senator Threax. Caecilia knew him, but she saw him only a few times. «I wanted to give you a taste of the games you had organised.»

Caracalla smiled, amused by the senator's words. Geta nodded instead. He was just curious, unlike his brother who just wanted to have fun with a bloody fight.

Senator Thraex bowed a little to the two emperors, then he went to the center of the room to get the crowd's attention. He wanted to propose something he knew the people would love. Fight, an amazing fight.

«My Emperors.» he began to say, looking at his emperors. Then, he turned around and spoke to the crowd. «Lord, ladies and senators. I present you... Macrinus' warrior, the Barbarian. While on my own stables, the Mighty Vincen.»

After Thraex's words, the two warriors, whom Caecilia had never seen before in her life, entered the room. The crowd moved to let them pass and let them reach the center of the room.

Macrinus' warrior - the Barbarian as Senator Thraex called him - was the one who caught Caecilia's attention. And that attention seemed to be returned. Because the warrior looked at her too. In exactly the same way.

They looked at each other for the first time. That moment Caecilia noticed something familiar in his eyes, but she didn't understand what. Not yet, at least. Because now she wanted to find out it.

Those eyes... she swore she had already seen them before, but she couldn't remember where. And she needed to know. She hated not knowing, she had always been a curious girl who sought answers for every single question she asked.

«Is this your gladiator?» Caecilia heard Geta ask Macrinus, her gaze still fixed on the the barbarian in front of them. He had something, and she was attracted to it.

«It is.» Macrinus said, after nodding. His slave was still looking at her, and Caecilia was doing the same. No one noticed it, no one except Geta. The ginger man got closer to Caecilia, almost to advise Macrinus' gladiator to look away.

Thraex interrupted that moment, causing Caecilia and the barbarian to stop their game of glances. The senator stepped forward, and spoke to the two warriors beside him. «Three rounds. Hand to hand...»

«Swords. We want swords.» Caracalla demanded, looking at one of his men for a moment and smiling. «Fight to the death. No quarter to be offered or given.» he finally said, making the crowd happy for it. They wanted blood.

Caecilia noticed the guards give swords to the two warriors. And after a few seconds later, the fight began. The two men involved in it began to circle and looked at each other, but in different ways. Because one wanted to stop, the other wanted to kill.

Thraex's gladiator didn't speak, unlike the Macrinus' one. «Brother.» he said, trying to have a conversation with his enemy. «Let's not kill each other for their amusement.» because he knew that there was only one enemy. Or, in that case, two.

But the Mighty Vicen didn't listen to him. He attacked, making Caecilia startle the moment in which Thraex's gladiator struck him. The barbarian was able and fast enough to dodge the attack. But he didn't return it, because he didn't want to.

Macrinus' gladiator tried to convince the Mighty Vicen to stop that madness again, but he continued not to listen him. At that point, he decided to fight. He dodged another attack, then hit his enemy with a heavy statue which he found on a table, making him stagger back.

It was only a scratch to the Mighty Vicen. He was a very strong man, and able to withstand small blows like that. So he suddenly ran towards Macrinus' gladiator, as if he had never struck. He grabbed his enemy and slammed him against a marble pillar.

The barbarian managed to push Thraex's warrior away and hit him in the chest. Vincen staggered back, crashing to the floor. He stood up almost immediately, after picking up a sword from the ground.

The Mighty Vincen tried to hit the barbarian many times, but his enemy was fast enough to dodge each attempt. However, after a while, Thraex's man was able to grab the barbarian and throw him against a table, then falling to the ground together.

Caecilia heard the crown applauding in amusement. Then she looked at her emperors for a while and noticed that they were also amused. Why did people have fun watching two men fight and kill each other?

After a while, the two gladiators were face to face again. Caecilia thought that it would be the last attack of the fight. After that, one man would live and the other would be... dead. And she also knew who she wanted to live.

One blow. For that last time, Macrinus' man was able to dodge Vincen's attack. Then, he plunged his sword into his abdomen. Thraex's gladiator fell to the floor, this time forever. He was dead, and the barbarian had won the fight.

Caecilia held back a little smile. She didn't know why, but she was so happy to see that man still alive. Maybe she wanted him to be alive because she needed him. Why? She couldn't say it yet, but maybe she had found what she was looking for.

«Remarkable!» Geta exclaimed, standing up from his chair. He repeated that words several times. He was amused by the end of the fight, just like Caracalla and the crowd around him. «Remarkable.»

Geta said the word for the last time, in a whispered tone and holding back a little smile. He turned to the Barbarian man in front of him. He was fascinated by his strength and how he had managed to win that fight.

«From where do you hail?» Geta asked him, his tone was firm and a curious expression came out of his face. But the barbarian didn't answer him, and that caught Caecilia's attention. He was challenging Geta, an emperor of Rome. And he was just a slave.

«Speak.» he demanded, but Macrinus' gladiator said nothing. Again. «I said speak.» Geta then said, emphasizing the last word. He was not a patient man, Caecilia knew it.

This is the reason why she decided to intervene. In a certain sense, she felt something for that boy. He probably was forced the Barbarian to speak in every possible way he needed to.

Before Caecilia could get closer to Geta, Macrinus approached Geta. «He is from the colonies, your majesty.» he explained, pointing a finger at his slave. «His native tongue is all he understands.»

But Caecilia felt inside that it wasn't the truth, at least not all of it. She knew that Macrinus and his slave were hiding something important. And she wanted to know what it was.

Almost he could hear her thoughts, the barbarian turned to her and their eyes finally met, again. It was as if he were talking to her with his eyes. But a few seconds later, he himself interrupted their game of glances.

«The gates of hell are open night and day.» the gladiator suddenly uttered. «Smooth is the descent and easy is the way. But...» he paused for a moment, a laugh coming of his mouth. He was still looking at Geta, he was not afraid of him. «... to come back from hell and view the cheerful skies, in this the task and mighty labor lies.»

Geta said nothing, and there were a few seconds of silence. Maybe he was thinking about where the words came from, or maybe he was thinking who that gladiator was. Maybe he understood he was hiding something, just like Caecila did.

«Virgil's verses, your majesty.» Caecila uttered, making Geta turned towards her for a moment. He didn't like poetry, but Caecilia did. So he decided to read something to impress her. However, Virgil was not on his list.

Macrinus' gladiator looked at her, again. It was the first time he had heard her voice, and he had to admit that it was as nice to hear as it was for him to exchange a few glances with her.

«Poetry!» Caracalla exclaimed, rising from his chair and getting closer to his brother and Macrinus' gladiator. The crowd laughed in amusement at his words. «Very clever, Macrinus.»

«Thank you.» Macrinus smiled at the emperor, then he looked at his gladiator. Caecilia wondered what he was thinking about. She didn't know Macrinus very well, but she could sense how clever he was.

«I've grown so bored, but you surprised me.» Caracalla looked at Macrinus for a moment. The older man smiled in response. «Are you surprised too, Caecilia?» Caracalla asked his friend, drawing her attention to him.

Caracalla was waiting for her answer, so she decided to please him with the words he was expected to say. She was actually as interested in poetry as Caracalla was in war. «Of course, your majesty.»

«To amuse you is my only wish.» Macrinus turned to Caracalla, tilting his head slightly and smiling at his emperor. Caecilia saw something in that smile, almost like a polite smile.

«We are amused, we are amused.» Geta said, getting closer to Macrinus' gladiator. He was still looking at Caecilia and Geta didn't like it. «We are amused.» he then whispered, face to face to the gladiator. «And we all look forward to seeing your poet preform in the arena.»

«As do I, your majesties. Thank you.»
Before leaving with his master, the barbarian looked at Caecilia for the last time. That moment was the moment Caecilia understood what she had to do.

And she did.

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She had made up an excuse with Geta. She knew she had little time, so she had to hurry. He needed to talk to Macrinus' gladiator, whatever it takes. She could have helped her father.

«Lady Caecilia.» Macrinus was the first of them to notice her. They were downstairs and they were talking to each other. Caecilia didn't know about what, but she didn't care. She only wanted to achieve her goal.

«Can I speak to your gladiator, Macrinus?» Caecilia gently asked him, after watching him getting closer to her. She needed to speak to that soldier. She saw in him a man who could help her. She was sure of that.
«Of course, my lady.»

After Macrinus left, they were the only ones to stay in that place. No one could hear them, Caecilia had made sure that it was so. «You are not just a warrior, aren't you?» she began to talk, but the soldier didn't even look at her. «I am not the enemy, you can talk to me.»

«You are Geta's wife.» the first words came out of the soldier's mouth. He didn't look at her, almost if looking at her had been looked at Geta. He was probably the emperor who sent her there, to talk to him to find out something.

«Do you really think so?» Caecilia held back a laugh. If the warrior thought she was Geta's wife, it meant she was doing a great job. Everyone had to think she was related to Geta, especially Geta himself. «He's not my husband.»

Despite what everyone had to think, Caecilia had to win the trust of the man in front of her. She was sure he was the right person of her father's plan, so she had to tell him the truth. Or maybe, a part of the truth.

«But he looks at you as if he were.» he could remain in silence, he could say nothing. He spoke, instead. Because he wanted to know the truth. There was something about that girl that attracted him and made him to know about her.

«Looking is the only thing he can do.» Caecilia replied, shrugging. She swore to look at the man in front of her holding back a little smile. «I'm Caecilia, by the way.»

«I won't tell you my name.» he muttered, looking away after having studied her features for a while. That girl had something familiar to him, but he didn't undesnartd who she reminded him of. That was the same thought Caecilia had of him.

«Why not? I have told you mine.» Caecilia tried to convince him, but he was so impassive. He must not have been an easy guy to convince.
«But I didn't ask you to do it.»

After those words, Caecilia understood that it would be no chance to convince. So she decided to act accordingly. «I heard you before. You are from Numidia.» but he said nothing, leading Caecilia to continue her speech. «So I wonder why you know Virgil.»

«Africans are cultured too, do you know?» the man in front of her said ironically. Caecilia could hear nervousness in his voice. He probably didn't want to talk about where he came from. How could blame him? He had lost everything.

«I didn't mean that.» Caecilia tried to justify herself. Making him angry was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn't necessarily want to be his friend, but she needed him.
«But you thought.»

«No, I didn't.» why did he keep insisting? «Look... I told you again. I'm not the enemy. Don't you want tell me your name? Fine. I have the way to find out. But I'll tell you something else.» she began to say, tired to hear that man blame her. It was time to act. «I saw you fighting before. You are not a simple slave. You have the power in your hands.»

«I am no one, lady.» the gladiator murmured, turning the ring he had on his finger. It was this that made Caecilia understand that the man was not just a man. He was lying and hiding something important.

«We'll see.» Caecilia only said, in a whisper. She knew he could hear her, but she didn't care. She had probably achieved her goal, but she realised that it would take time to gain the gladiator's trust. And they had no more time.

Caecilia caught Macrinus' attention, who was waiting outside the cell. He couldn't hear their conversation because he was far enough away and because they spoke almost in a whisper.

The guard open the cell to let Caecilia out. «I bet on your gladiator in Colosseum.» she told to Macrinus'. Before she could leave that place, she heard a voice behind her. It was him.
«I didn't think ladies bet.»

Caecilia smiled, but didn't turn around. She knew he would hear her anyway, and that was enough for her. «Now you know.» she replied, smirking. Then, she left with just one thought in her mind.

It would probably be difficult to gain the trust of a gladiator like him, but maybe she was on the right track. And the little smile he held back in amusement was the proof.

It would be difficult, but she would have made it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Caecilia and Lucius finally met each other! What do you think? It's just the beginning, but their relationship will be very interesting to write (and read, I hope).

I love writing about sarcastic characters, so get ready for a Lucius different from the one you know. He will tease Caecilia a lot, until he finds out whose daughter she is.

Okok, enough spoilers. Enjoy the chapter, I hope you like it!