Taurus

by Christine Elaine Black

  With her long, blonde hair fanned out across the pillow, Virga despaired of ever meeting a man of interest. Grandmother Lidia focused on Taurus’ need for a woman to provide Panua with an heir, but as soon as he filled the fortress with sons, it would be Virga’s turn to politically align with a house of her grandmother’s choosing.

  Her pink lips curved into an amused smile when she thought of the Roman girl, Kalliassa, and her unexpected arrival that had brought a breath of fresh air into an otherwise stale world. Virga observed in awe the power she wielded over her brother, even though he believed he controlled the situation; they were caught in a hopeless path of destruction, made all the more interesting by the girl’s refusal of conventional roles. She rode horses, travelled alone, lived in the wild, and had single-handedly walked into the life of the governor and now lived with him like a wife.

  Husband and wife! Virga dreamed of it sometimes. Lidia had hinted at possible matches in the past with elderly men, previously married with children older than she, but Virga saw Taurus’ face light up when he spent time with Kallie, and ideas about her future husband filled her head. If a Gregorian woman refused a satrap from the East and got away with it, then surely she could foil the plans of Lidia. She pulled up the covers of her bed after tucking away the papers she secretly studied.

  What if she arranged an adventure? Running away to work with Calvinius on his dream to change the world seemed possible. Men and women living in harmony and peace, conflict at an end, and the age of enlightenment dawning for all people. Calvinius believed in moral chastity and equality for married couples. A unique individual, he welcomed living as he preached, proposing to make his life a living model of simplicity and faithfulness.

  Virga turned over in bed and sighed. To find a man interested in the principles of Calvinius, when most men hurried to find a mistress the moment they were married, was no easy task. Her eyes lingered on the dimming light of the lamp. Did Calvinius find the ideas contained in her coded letters interesting? Or did it amuse him to have a young girl, in her twenty-fifth year, consider herself his intellectual equal?

  ****

  Lidia Paulinus waited for the governor in his splendid office. Idly she remembered her son, Paulus, and how he, too, had enjoyed a privileged life thanks to her years of unending work. Her son had tried her patience, her one and only child, but as the years after his murder passed, his flaws dimmed and a glorious memory burned in her mind. The Roman elite took her precious heir, and since that day it had become her life’s work to end the rule of the Gregorian brood. It irked Lidia that Taurus hadn’t sullied the Roman girl and sent her away, but then again, she enjoyed the idea that a daughter of Rome remained a captive in Panua. She planned to send out messengers with nasty rumors about the girl. Every tongue must wag over the precious sister of the emperor—plaything of the governor by her own choice! It would set a fire under a few backsides in Rome.

  Barca entered the office and paused abruptly. She waved him in. “You and I must talk, Barca,” she cackled.

  “I have been thinking the same thing, Lady Lidia,” Barca said smoothly. “’It is time we made arrangements for me to take a wife.”

  Lidia gave him a smug look in reply. “My attention is on our governor and his delay in choosing a wife. Verragius and Hestonius grow impatient, and I have all but promised them the governor will chose one of their daughters soon.”

  Barca raised his eyebrows. “How can he pick a wife with the Roman girl filling his days and nights?”

  Lidia straightened her shoulders. “You know the answer. For years you have been by his side, at my insistence. Why have you not talked him out of her company and lured him into the city for an evening of male pursuits? Distract him and he will put her aside.”

  Barca whispered, low and intense, “When he takes a wife, will you keep your bargain with me?”

  Lidia smiled wickedly. “Of course. You will be rewarded with Virga as a wife. We agreed months ago. But Taurus must be married and producing heirs first.” Lidia’s dark eyes glinted with victory. Soon Lidia would have the Gregorian girl under her power. Atticus Antonius would be captured, and she would have all she desired.

  Revenge! Destruction! Death!

  ****

  Taurus strolled into his office and found Barca and Lidia in close conversation.

  “Grandmother! Have you come to berate me on my behavior last night?” He dropped a formal kiss on the back of her hand.

  Lidia laughed falsely at the notion. “You are the governor. I am but a subject of Panua. I simply remind you we are entertaining Hestonius tonight. A quiet evening, just you and I, Barca and Hamilcar, and your sister.”

  Taurus shot her a frown. “Our guest will accompany me, not be left unattended while we dine with Hestonius.”

  Lidia released a high-pitched laugh. “Lock her up for the evening.”

  “No. She will sit by my side in a place of honor. See to it.” Taurus briskly turned to Barca. “What is your business this morning, Captain?”

  “Lord, I have come to tempt you away from all this.” Barca’s gaze swept over the parchments waiting for attention.

  Taurus eyed him impatiently. “After I attend to affairs of state, I have plans for this afternoon.”

  “Oh?” Barca and Lidia bleated simultaneously.

  “We are taking a ride across the plateau. The trail leading to Silver Lake is a sight to behold at this time of year.”

  The magnificent ride through a forested region with a shining lake on the other side waited for Kallie’s fresh eyes. He watched as they tried to swallow their arguments. Lidia, as always, failed.

  “A lovely outing if you were accompanied by an eligible girl. Have you not yet tired of your Roman bauble?”

  Taurus ignored the irritation. “Good day to you, Grandmother. I will see you both at dinner.”

  He eyed Barca with a look of dismissal. A slice of guilt at his treatment of Barca cut through him. But he didn’t care to explain his interest in the girl to either of them. Barca openly hated her, and Taurus understood his enmity and the reason he viewed her as a trespasser and a rival for attention.

  In their youth they had caroused all night, enjoying wenches and wine until the sun came up. Taurus had outgrown those days, and lately he craved more than boisterous male companionship and grasping women. In the quiet moments of his day he tried to make sense of it, but he could only reason that the Roman girl made his world incredibly right and life would somehow never be the same.

  ****

  Kallie stood between a wolf and a sleek black cat. The wolf gave a low growl deep in its throat. The cat hissed in response, standing its ground but making no attempt to move. She reached out and touched the wolf. Its muzzle rubbed against her arm as it kept watch on the cat. She sensed the wolf’s pleasure at her touch. It howled triumphantly as the cat retreated into the shadows.

  Kallie opened her eyes. The bed beside her lay empty, but she smiled at the boyish clothes waiting on a nearby chair. Taurus planned to take her out. Carefully she arranged her dark hair into a tight knot at the back of her head and donned her clothes. The steward had procured better-fitting breeches and a shorter tunic this time. The dull colors had little appeal, but Kallie thrilled at the chance to be outdoors. Her accomplice from the night before shifted around the room.

  “Is there anything I can do for you, Lady?” she whispered conspiratorially.

  “Yes,” Kallie breathed quietly. “I need a yellow cape to wear over my tunic. Find one as brightly colored as possible.”

  The girl nodded and left, leaving Kallie to stare into the highly polished mirror.

  Yellow!

  Her father used the color to signal all was well at the Phillipus estate. She smiled at the memory of the yellow banner flying high above the rooftop of their home, signaling their well-being, and her cape would serve as a message to Atticus if he missed the rocks from yesterday’s adventure. She thought she had spied a glint of metal high in the mountain, but she
could not be sure. The governor’s men had been sent to destroy her rock formation, and Kallie had put a brave face on it by telling them it was too late, though not truly certain, but now, with the help of Verragius Junior, Kallie intended to communicate wisely.

  Kristokus was nowhere to be seen this morning as unfamiliar servants moved through the chamber of the governor. Kallie quietly left and searched the halls, taking care not to catch the attention of the guards. She memorized the floor plan of the fortress. A locked door at the end of the hall led to a high tower where the governor’s standard flew over Panua. The key to such a door would rest with the steward, or perhaps the master kept it tucked away. Access to the tower could prove useful for signaling Atticus quickly.

  Kallie sidled along the hall to look around the doorway leading to the back stairs. Servants used the stairs to reach the master’s quarters and remain unobtrusive to the rest of the household. She peered into the dimness, and when faint footsteps approached, she ducked behind the door.

  Kristokus flitted past like the walking dead. His ability to appear from nowhere with uncanny timing disarmed her. Kallie darted into Taurus’ bedroom via the pool before the steward could find her stalking the halls.

  “Lady Gregorian, the master awaits you in his office. I will escort you,” said Kristokus, his voice calm and steady as always.

  ****

  Taurus waited with guarded anticipation as he planned their trip. His beautiful country home sat on the edge of a shining lake, kept for his exclusive use, and he shook his head at the ridiculous notion of shutting out the world to indulge in his desire for her company and impress his ideals upon her.

  She entered the room wearing riding clothes, and a bright yellow cape that swung below her hips, and favored him with a wondrous smile.

  Although his heart leapt, he kept his face bland and his manner reserved. He rarely displayed personal emotion, something Lidia had schooled into him over the years. A cool exterior gave one’s enemies pause for consideration, and Kallie remained a mystery even though he craved her physically. He intended to keep emotional attachments under strict control. But when her face beamed with pleasure, it couldn’t fail to move any man to gain her affection.

  “You look happy and well rested.” Taurus smirked at the memory of her restless night.

  “I am.” Kallie breathed in excitement. “Are we going somewhere?”

  Taurus nodded.

  “Where?” Her eyes widened with thoughts of an adventure.

  “I’m taking you to Silver Lake.”

  “Silver Lake! It sounds beautiful,” Kallie echoed with enthusiasm.

  Taurus, satisfied with her reaction, pressed her hand into his. “Come, I’m anxious to leave.”

  They breezed through the doors of his office, laughing as they talked of the coming day.

  ****

  Lidia appeared out of the shadows and climbed the stairs to Taurus’ quarters. Kristokus stood at the top waiting for her.

  “Well,” Lidia muttered, “you have something to say?”

  Kristokus motioned for her to step into a dim recess, his voice low and secretive.

  “Her servant girl is married to a minor steward in the Verragius house.”

  Lidia rubbed her wiry chin. “Watch her closely and report to me, but do not interfere.”

  Kristokus nodded. “The Roman ordered a yellow cloak for today’s ride.”

  “Hmm,” mused the old woman. Lidia knew the tricks of spies and the clues they left one another. “The giant will be looking for a sign. Send Barca and Hamilcar to me, at once.”

  She slid into the shadows without another word, leaving Kristokus to do her bidding. After all, she was master of Panua and always had been.

  Chapter Eight

  Taurus watched Kallie take in the sight of Silver Lake and the stunning panoramic view from their resting stop with the horses. The men rode far behind them at Taurus’ command, and as the two of them silently gazed at the lake, Kallie shifted uneasily beside him.

  “Why did you bring me here?”

  Taurus froze. He’d brought her to share a part of his life few ever saw, to connect with this woman in a way he had thought impossible in his world of seclusion and solitude. It struck him that she sensed his need to keep her by his side was something more than a selfish whim. As the governor he owned her, but as a man he ached to open his life to her and draw her closer to the man behind the legend of the monster.

  “You appreciate the outdoors like no other woman I have known. It is magnificent, but not everyone embraces nature the way you do.” Taurus smiled. Her eyes, the color of the lake, rippled with shimmering light, like water when the sun glints the right way. He jumped down from his mount, took her down from Pilum, and kissed her fiercely, with undisguised passion.

  “Something is wrong. What troubles you, Governor?”

  Taurus grunted in disgust. “The ever-tightening reins of power wrap around me and I am unwilling to surrender my freedom in exchange for the debt I owe Panua.”

  “You mean Lidia has you in her grip.”

  “Lidia and Panua are one and the same, some might say.” Taurus relaxed his hold on Kallie. “I envy your ability to make choices that affect your life directly. I have no other course but to marry a woman from Panua and get an heir.”

  “You said yourself you don’t have to remain faithful to a wife. She is merely a broodmare to produce a child,” Kallie reminded him.

  “That’s true. I can have anything and everything I want. I am the Supreme Ruler.” Taurus’ voice rang with mock arrogance.

  “Are you annoyed Lidia is pushing when you are not yet ready to be bound to a woman in marriage?”

  Taurus considered her words. “Once I thought to marry. But it was not to be.”

  “What happened?” Kallie’s voice burned with a curiosity that pleased Taurus.

  “She was young and pretty, we were the same age and grew up together, but before we married she died of a sweating fever.”

  “That is sad,” Kallie replied sincerely. “What was her name?”

  “Helena. Her name was Helena,” Taurus croaked with difficulty.

  “She must have been very special to capture your attention when you were so young. It is not an easy task to forget and move on.” Kallie pressed his arm in sympathy.

  “I have no choice in the matter, but perhaps there is a glimmer of hope that I may yet find a way to fulfill my expectations.”

  “And when you do, marry and have done with it.”

  “I must marry the woman best suited for the task of providing heirs to Panua.”

  Taurus helped her back onto her horse. “I intend to take my time making a final decision.” Taurus slid his arm about her and pressed his lips to her ear. Perhaps he should speak words of warmth to the girl. Easy to spend time with and stunning to look at, but he reminded himself she was a foreigner and possibly a dangerous one. He eyed Kallie, snugly wrapped in her cloak. It seemed too much on such a fine, warm day.

  “Is the colour yellow of any great significance to the giant?” Taurus asked with a smirk.

  Kallie shrugged at his inference. “Yellow is a sign of safety to my family. It means all is well and there is no need for action.”

  “What color will you wear when you need rescuing from my fortress?” Taurus asked congenially.

  “I will not say, Governor.” She shrugged and, with a ripple of mirth, kicked her horse into a gallop. He sped after her, laughing at her sheer joy of the outdoors.

  “Look!” Kallie pointed toward the water. “A boat on the lake.” Taurus reined in beside her as they drew near their destination.

  “My boat. You and I will sail tonight at sunset.” He glanced to see if the thought alarmed her. He loved sailing on Silver Lake and often spent many nights aboard his boat.

  Kallie’s mouth opened in a perfect circle. “I have never sailed before. This is wonderful,” she cried out.

  “You’re not afraid of the water?”

&n
bsp; Kallie’s eyes sparkled. “Me? Afraid? Not at all. I swim like a fish.” She eyed the boat with interest. “Where does it take you?”

  “The lake is enclosed. There is no way to sail in or out. It is merely for me to play upon the water. I often sail to the far end of the lake and sleep under the stars.”

  “Can we sleep under the stars sometime?” Her eyes sparkled in contemplation.

  “I had hoped to convince you tonight, after a pleasant sail around the lake.”

  A magnificent villa came into view, nestled between trees at the edge of the water. Taurus led her in the direction of the entrance, and the staff fussed over their arrival. He warmly greeted them in return, and they bowed, more relaxed than the staff at the fortress, without Lidia hovering over them. Taurus, free from the prying eyes of Barca and Lidia, planned to show off his sumptuous villa in a more relaxed and friendly spirit than if they had been present.

  “Oh!” Kallie exclaimed in sudden disappointment. “You are having dinner tonight with Hestonius. Your steward told me, this morning.”

  Taurus laughed, highly amused by her concern for his dinner engagement.

  “I have rearranged the evening. Do not worry. We will offend no one if we stay here tonight.” That wasn’t exactly true; Lidia would be livid.

  Taurus reached for Kallie, skimming the curves of her luscious body with eager hands. The pressing need for a sexual encounter raced through him. “My blood runs hot,” he murmured in her ear.

  ****

  The governor’s immediate change in mood upon reaching the villa excited her senses. She reached up to run her fingers through his hair.

  “Did you bring Helena here when you were young lovers?” A pang of jealousy ran through Kallie and she immediately regretted mentioning his childhood sweetheart.