The steward inclined his head. “She is asking to see you before she rides with the ferryman across the river Styx.”
Taurus snapped out of his solitary thoughts. “The river Styx?”
The steward nodded. “She fell ill during the commotion tonight. Her head bleeds, and she moans in pain. The physician has done all he can for the woman but fears it will not be enough.”
“What does she want of me?”
“Perhaps in her moment of death she wishes to unburden her conscience before the journey to the other side,” Kristokus offered.
Taurus doubted she had anything of interest to impart to him. However, the superstitious side of him balked at refusing a wise woman on her deathbed. He feared curses and ill wishes, the same as most of his people.
The room where the old woman lay was dark and damp. A single lamp flickered in the dimness, illuminating the face of the beldame, and cast an eerie glow around the room. Shadows made strange shapes upon the wall.
“What would you say to me, woman?” Taurus asked, leaning in close.
She opened her clawlike hand and held it out to him.
“My reward,” she rasped in pain. “I would have the riches you promised to bestow upon me.”
Taurus eyed her in confusion. He had no recollection of an offer. “I will give what you deserve, woman. Tell me what you want.”
Her eyes strayed to the money pouch at his side. “Gold, coins,” she muttered, her eyes glistened in the dim light.
Taurus had no idea what she had done to warrant a pouch of gold.
“You have what you seek. You must pay for the work I have done.” Her eyes fluttered and closed briefly, while Taurus watched death close in.
A crawling sensation rippled up his spine. Better to heed the woman than regret it later. He reached for the bag and dropped it into the hand of the beldame. She clutched it and gave a toothless smile, taking her last breath.
Kristokus shrugged and reached for the money, to reclaim it for his master. “The crone will not need it now.”
“No!” Taurus said in superstitious alarm. “Burn her along with the money, or be cursed by the ferryman.”
Kristokus drew back.
Taurus took one last look before leaving. A thought nagged him. Why did the old beldame believe he had what he wanted on the very night he suffered his greatest misery?
****
Hamilcar waited in the great hall for Taurus as he strode across the room.
The governor eyed the young man. “How fares your brother?”
“Fine. It is a bump on the head, nothing more. He makes much out of little.”
“Does he recall who came at him?”
Hamilcar shrugged. “No, he was attacked from behind.”
Taurus grunted. “She had accomplices, by the sound of it.”
“Very possible,” Hamilcar agreed, his face free of expression.
“Who do you think?”
“Servants or petty nobles vying for favors from Rome, no doubt,” he suggested.
“You are in charge of the inquiry. Your brother is not up to it, and his mind lacks the discipline for a proper interrogation of the staff.”
“As you wish, Governor. I will do my best to root out information in your quest for the truth.” Hamilcar bowed and left the hall.
****
“It appears they have crossed through many neighboring provinces. Our spies in Rome have no word of her present whereabouts. She has disappeared with the giant.” Barca spoke bitterly as Taurus listened without comment.
Lidia sat in a great chair, curled like a rattlesnake ready to strike. “Good riddance to her and her bad blood,” she grumbled.
Taurus gestured for Hamilcar to give his report.
“We have no clue as to how she managed the escape. The girl who attended her has vanished.”
Lidia jumped out of her chair like a wild animal. “She is nothing but a Roman chit who happens to be the sister of Gregorian. Forget about trying to recapture her. It is time for your marriage to take place. By the end of the week you will have Alithia to worry over.”
Taurus all but groaned aloud, concerned only with recovering Kallie. Agents in Greece, Rome, and various provinces searched for her. “There will be no marriage,” Taurus vowed stubbornly.
“No marriage?!” Lidia hissed like a mad cat.
“I care not for your dreams of lineage and dynasty.” Taurus’ eyes glittered with defiance.
“I have given you the means to become what you are. You will do as I say.” Lidia paced the room, waving her fist at him.
Taurus laughed wildly, with a trace of madness. “I will not be here to do your bidding, Grandmother. I am leaving today, before the sun reaches its zenith.”
Lidia stamped her foot in anger, stunned by his decision.
“If you go, you lose everything—your title, your lands, and your claim to the family estates. You will be no better than a peasant living off the land, exiled forever. I’ll make sure of it,” Lidia threatened.
“So be it. I accept the consequences of my decision.”
Dressed in a simple pair of leather-clad breeches and a short clean tunic, and with some money and a good horse waiting, Taurus wanted nothing. Nothing but freedom from the place that had come to represent everything he despised about his life.
He watched Barca’s eyes shimmer with anticipation. With Virga gone, there was no one to impede his progress to the top. He stood firm beside Lidia.
Taurus left the room. Hamilcar followed in the shadows of the corridor. “I will accompany you, if I may.”
If Barca ran the state, Hamilcar would be nothing but his whipping boy.
“Be ready to leave soon. I will not delay for any reason.” Taurus spoke on impulse, hardly giving thought to his choice to leave. It came out of him unexpectedly when Lidia pressured as she had always done. Never had he thought to leave Panua before. He had no reason to want to go. But now he had every reason to leave. She was his reason. Kallie!
If only he’d realized what she meant to him. He hadn’t known until the emptiness of his world without her mocked him. He had been an utter fool to think he could keep a woman like her content to be his mistress while he took another as a wife. She had noble blood and good breeding, but more than that, she was beautiful, clever, and fun, and the way she looked at him when they were alone together—she hid nothing of her feelings, whispering sweet words to him.
Yet he had taken all she offered without much more than insults in return. He would seek her out and make up for his poor behavior.
Would she care?
Hamilcar kept up the brisk walk beside Taurus en route to the stables.
“We must go to Greece first,” Hamilcar suggested.
“Why?” Taurus was in no mood to play games.
“Verragius is there, and he hinted that he spoke with her the night of her departure.”
Taurus snapped his head around. “How do you know?”
“I received a message from Athens. Verragius has sent for me to join him, but I need help traveling, and you need help finding the girl.”
Taurus had nothing to lose and no idea where to begin. Verragius seemed the closest thing to a starting point. Taurus laughed, suddenly amused.
“What’s so funny?” Hamilcar asked.
“Verragius Junior! I might have guessed. Does he have designs on her?”
It was Hamilcar’s turn to laugh. “No, he has no care for her.”
“Why risk his life to help her escape?”
“He exchanged his services for a comfortable position in Greece. They possess a certain tolerance for those breaking societal rules prohibited by other countries.”
Taurus grunted as they rode out of the fortress gates and bypassed the road for the city, heading straight for the great sea, where he and Hamilcar would find a ship bound for Greece. The wind ruffled his hair and the hot sun beat down on his head, but he was free. Free of Panua, free of the responsibility of governing, and final
ly, and most importantly, free of Lidia.
Chapter Twelve
Virga sat hand-in-hand with Caius Gregorian, admiring the ornate fountain dominating the private gardens of the imperial quarters. Dressed in a soft blue gown with tiny multi-colored gems decorating the luxurious cloth here and there, she listened as her husband spoke in his rich voice about the policies of Rome and how much work needed to be done.
She half-listened to him as her memory settled on Kallie and her visit a few months ago. Finally meeting Uncle Atticus during the fleeting visit, she was pleasantly surprised when the giant turned out to be far less than the vicious barbarian portrayed by the Panuan people. Kallie had been her usual effervescent self, but underlying it Virga sensed a deep sadness. Insisting they have time to talk alone together, she inquired after her brother and grandmother, but Kallie said little about them or their anger at her for running off with Caius. Only that they were not likely to forgive her—ever.
Caius leaned in and gave her a feather-light kiss on her smooth cheek.
“You haven’t heard one thing I’ve said, have you?” Her husband doted on her and forgave her lapse in concentration.
They kissed, gently at first, but her husband’s eyes smoldered with desire, and she recognized the look on his face. A steward coughed lightly as they bantered easily together. They paused, and Caius gave the signal for the man to speak.
“Lady Virga has a visitor.” The man was stiff and uneasy in his demeanor, and they knew instantly it was someone to be wary of.
“Who is asking for me?”
“A man by the name of Aquilus. He said you would wish to see him. We informed him you must be approached through the proper channels, but he insists you know him well.”
Virga paled.
“Shall we send him away, Virga?” Caius took her hand.
“Aquilus is my mother’s family name.” She looked meaningfully at Caius. “Someone from Panua seeks me out.”
“Send this man Aquilus to the grand hall.” Caius made a formidable impression in his luxurious reception room, enough to intimidate his visitors from all over the empire. He and Virga dressed formally to greet the guest from Panua. She speculated a messenger came from Taurus or Lidia. Perhaps someone had died.
Their speculation ended quickly as they entered the reception room to a great fanfare of announcements and titles.
Virga flinched at the sight of her brother, waiting for the imperial couple. Less than his usual imposing self, he was dressed in simple garments, having travelled many leagues. Taurus held his head high, not one to grovel or bow to another, no matter the circumstances.
Caius spoke first, as protocol decreed. “Governor Paulinus, welcome to Rome.”
Taurus acknowledged the greeting quickly. “Thank you, Imperator.” He glanced at Virga. “Imperial Lady, you have my gratitude for agreeing to meet with me.”
Aware at once that Taurus was a changed man, Virga noted his eyes held a look of anticipation and his stance was wary but hopeful.
“Has something terrible happened? Are you ill, Brother?” Virga could think of no reason he came to be in Rome, alone and standing in front of a man he considered an enemy.
“I, Taurus Aquilus, former Governor of Panua, have come to renounce my claim on Panua and pass the right of governorship to my sister, Lady Virga, the legitimate child of Paulus Paulinus.”
Virga stared as though he had announced he rode a flying horse.
“Former governor?” Caius repeated, to be sure of his words.
Taurus smiled as though relieved of a great burden. “Yes, former governor.”
Virga had a great many questions for her brother. Taurus must have suffered through a crisis of sorts—a revelation. Caius waved to his stewards.
“Bring our guest into our private apartments. See to the finest accommodation and the best servants.”
Taurus opened his mouth to refuse, but the look on Virga’s face changed his mind, and he followed a steward into the private domain of the most powerful man in the world.
****
That evening, summoned to a casual, intimate dinner with the imperial couple, Taurus watched his sister as she reveled in the attentions of an emperor. She had the kind of relationship he himself had dreamed of once with Kallie. The thought caused his guts to churn and his heart to ache.
Taurus divulged details concerning his decision to leave Panua, though he dared not reveal his love for Kallie; part of him kept his innermost secrets private.
“I apologize for my treatment of your sister. I was flawed in my dealings with her. I truly hope I have not irreparably damaged her reputation among her peers.”
Caius quietly accepted the apology but took his words at face value, giving nothing away concerning his sister. Taurus hoped against all odds that Kallie might appear out of nowhere, that he might catch a glimpse of her once more. It was not to be.
Virga and Caius did not speak of her again, and Taurus dared not ask directly where to find her. He had no right to know. He had forfeited the right to that knowledge by treating her as a personal plaything. The subject changed a number of times, and the evening slowly drew to a close.
“It will not be easy to go against Lidia to reclaim Panua for Rome, but I think with some crafty negotiating it can be done, using the generals.” Caius smiled at the opportunity to bring the two nations together again.
Taurus agreed. “Hestonius and Verragius are sick of Lidia’s games. They are open to discussion, as long as they are allowed to maintain a high profile among the Panuan people.”
“Will you stay a few days more, Brother?” Virga’s eyes shone with unshed tears.
Taurus could hardly wait to leave. “I cannot, dear Sister. I have business elsewhere. But know that your husband’s devotion to you pleases me greatly.”
“Write and let me know how I may reach you,” Virga pleaded. Taurus could not refuse, after all he had put her through when she resided in Panua.
“You can find me at the estate where our mother raised us. The steward’s house is livable, even though abandoned for many years.”
Virga relaxed. He could not understand why it mattered where he lived. They pressed together in a last embrace, each wishing the best for the other. Taurus planned to leave at the break of dawn. Caius stood back, allowing his wife the luxury of her brother’s company one last time. Taurus knew he calculated the benefits of taking on Panua as a minor province.
Virga lowered her voice. “You love her, don’t you?”
Ice water ran through his veins. Yes, he loved her, but he would never see her again.
“It matters not, Virga. She ran away thinking me a monster. I ill-used her, and she broke free when she had the chance.”
“You do love her!” Virga smiled.
Taurus held her gaze, defeated by her optimism. “You have with your husband what I hoped to have with her. Except he knew better than to make a fool of you.”
He turned on his heel and left. He had revealed too much and cared not to relive past mistakes. It proved unbearable to be in the company of two people who loved each other so well.
Chapter Thirteen
Kallie sat in the warm sunshine, her belly too huge to move far, but she rested and relaxed as Atticus and her parents talked over old times together. The baby shifted often, kicking fiercely to announce the presence of a new and vital life. Waiting for a sign of the impending birth and not knowing which day this new life would arrive irritated Kallie.
Her mother and father had welcomed her with open arms after her brief flight to Greece. She had intended to live there indefinitely, but on discovery of her condition, she collected her belongings and journeyed home to her parents’ estate. Occasionally she thought about Taurus, but for the most part she banished him from her thoughts, knowing the futility of wishing things were different. His sights rested firmly on duty and the responsibility to his people, and marriage to the Hestonius girl.
“Daughter,” her mother called from the sha
de tree by the main house.
The tone of her mother’s voice made her smile. Attentive and caring during these last months of pregnancy, Kallie’s mother possessed a wealth of knowledge regarding childbirth, for which Kallie was grateful. After all, she had borne three children, Caius, Germanicus, and Kallie. And when it came to family, Carissa devoted her energies to them when they needed her most.
“Hmm,” Kallie answered, wiggling her toes.
“A scroll has arrived from Rome for you.”
Kallie wrinkled her nose. Caius searched for a suitable husband for his dishonored sister, promising not to force her into a union, but they both knew eventually she must submit to the will of her brother. The good graces of her parents stretched far but were not limitless. And Caius pruned the family tree so as not to leave any fruitless branches.
Her beautiful mother sat on the grass, looking up with unconditional love. “Do not worry. The baby will come soon, and your figure will be restored to its former glory.”
“I spare no thought for my figure, Mother. The needs of a baby are mysterious. I have no idea what to do with a child.”
“It will come naturally enough, and I will set you on the right path when needed.”
Kallie sighed. Her mother and father never failed to provide comfort. “What does Caius want with me this time?” Caius usually penned imperious orders pertaining to family business.
“Nothing. Virga writes to you.” Carissa chuckled.
Kallie perked up and unfurled the scroll. She enjoyed Virga’s long missives full of interesting details of people and events. Kallie suddenly reached for her mother’s hand. “She is beautiful, is she not?”
Carissa laughed. “You know I set no store in beauty, but she has a lovely nature and suits Caius well enough.”
Kallie agreed. When she had first met Virga, it never occurred to her that she and Caius would make the perfect couple. But now to imagine one without the other seemed impossible. Kallie lifted the scroll.
My brother arrived in Rome to renounce the governorship of Panua. Caius is the de facto ruler, with plans to oust Lidia and Barca from their comfortable position. Truly I am shocked my brother has reneged his duty and shunned the Paulinus name. I can think of no reason to do this. Can you, Kallie?
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