Passion and Sand 3: Empire of Desires

by Andromeda -

  She shouldn’t feel this way. She was the Empress of Rome; this was her time to shine and show she was an effective ruler. And at the same time, she didn’t want it.

  This was not how she thought her life would end up, her city being besieged by inhumane beasts. She was supposed to live the rest of her life in luxury, spoiled rotten by her husband and surrounded by children. She had clawed and schemed her way to this position, and wasn’t ever going to give it up, yet as she saw the barbarians pressing closer and closer to the gates…

  “My lady?” a slave said softly to her.

  “What?” Aurelia barked. “What do you want?”

  “What should we do…? If the general cannot protect us…what will we do?” the slave asked her.

  Aurelia frowned a moment as she thought this over. She was not a warrior. She did not know how to command men. The only thing she knew how to do was use her immortal beauty to her advantage.

  An idea came to her.

  “Fetch my best clothes and jewelry,” she commanded. “Draw me a bath now!”

  She turned back to the fighting and smirked to herself. This army has a commander…then maybe…I can use the weapons I do have…to my advantage…

  Outside of the walls, it was a blood bath.

  Flaming arrows from the Britons rained down from the sky, impaling the unfortunate Romans who got caught in their path. The Visigoths and Vandals tore through the front, slashing off limbs and stabbing hearts, and tearing open bellies. It wasn’t uncommon to find a head in one location, and the entrails of the body it belonged to not far away.

  Alina was in the middle of it, her trusty bow and arrows in her hands. Her body was red from head to toe in blood, but she did not care. Never missing a mark, her perfect marksmanship added to the terror factor because she could be aiming at one person, and hit both him and another with the same arrow. Eryx and Huneric were with her, both holding weapons they used for both their protection as well as hers. Eryx fought with the classic double sword technique his father had taught him, while Huneric used a sword and thick wooden shield covered with iron.

  They had trained on how to fight as one, to use their abilities for the benefit of them all. There was one point where Eryx was pinned by two legionnaires and Alina saw it. Yelling to Huneric for some help, her husband gripped his shield around the rim and threw it as hard as possible. It cut clean through both of their heads, while Alina shot two arrows, which found homes in the hearts of two more legionnaires who were trying to sneak up behind Eryx.

  “Remind me to show you my thanks when this is over,” he said with a smirk.

  “Noted,” Alina said with a sly smile.

  Turning back to the task at hand, they pressed harder and harder against the Roman armies who could not get back into formation. That was what made them so feared: they were clean cut, not a single hair out of place. However, since they were being attacked from all sides, the legions easily began to fall under their weight.

  Cassius frowned, seeing how this wasn’t turning out as he planned. “To the city!” he yelled to the remaining soldiers who were still able to stand. “We must protect the city!”

  Kicking his horse, he began to gallop down the bloodied roads to get back into the city, as he knew they were coming.

  “Open the gates!” he yelled. “Open the gates!”

  The gates were massive, and it took two teams of four to pull the ropes to get the massive wooden doors open. As Cassius rode through, he turned around just in time to see Kaiser slice through the throat of his commanders.

  The German panted heavily, his blue eyes wild from the fighting, but it was clear he had one thing on his mind: the destruction of Rome.

  “Close the gates!” Cassius yelled. “Close them now!”

  It took even longer for the gates to be closed, though Cassius knew that they could not be closed in time. The barbarian army was too close; it was at their doorstep and ready to enter the city. The last stand had to be here, it had to be now. Whatever it took, he could not let his home fall to them.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Again!” Iphigenia yelled to her warriors. “Again!”

  At the southern gate, the Spartans had easily dispatched the Romans, who were supposed to be on guard, and seized control of the pier. Getting a massive ramming board, they had brought with them, they were slamming it against the southern gates to burst them open.

  She could hear war on the other side and knew that the moment they got these gates open, Roman soldiers would be waiting for them. But, she was not afraid. It wasn’t in her blood. She was a Spartan. The blood of warriors ran in her veins and she wouldn’t let anyone tell her otherwise.

  “Again!” she yelled. “Put your backs into it!”

  Her men took several steps back, dug their heels in, then ran forward. Slamming the sharpened end of the ramming board with all their strength into the gates, they all heard the satisfying CRACK, signaling they had finally broken through.

  Ramming it two more times, it opened the gates up wide enough for them to begin to enter, and thus began the true sacking of Rome. Fires were already on buildings, which made Iphigenia realize that the other armies must have already been inside.

  “To the Imperial Palace!” she bellowed to her men. “We must meet them there!”

  Roman soldiers appeared, locking themselves into tight formation, but all Iphigenia did was smirk. Drawing her twin daggers, she led the charge as they attacked without mercy or without a second thought.

  Their process was slow at first, and before long, the streets of Rome began to run red with the blood of all the fallen, but they knew they could not stop, nor could they afford to do so.

  The Romans around them, however, weren’t making this any easier.

  Alina had ordered them all that they were not to harm or attack any innocent civilians. She knew that they would be scared, that they wouldn’t understand what was happening. Why would they? Until this day, Rome seemed all but invisible. Rome’s biggest problem was pride. They thought they were the dominate race on the face of the earth, and no one was smart enough to take them on. Well, today they were wrong.

  Kaiser bellowed with rage as he and Ayanna fought their way to the Imperial Palace. This building had the most significance for them, as it was here that they had met, fallen in love and lost their first child. They would see this building in ashes before the night was over.

  Cassius, who watched from the top of the stairs, could not believe what he was seeing. They were heavily outnumbered, and while a normal commander would have pushed his men to fight until the very last man, he was not that type of commander. These men had families, they had wives and children most likely, and he had lost so many men already. He did not wish for this to become a mindless slaughter.

  “Stop!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “I order you to still your blades!”

  Slowly, his command was heard, and the soldiers began to gradually stop their fighting. Cassius slowly walked down the once white marble steps, now red with blood, until he reached to where Kaiser, Ayanna, Alina, Huneric and Eryx stood. He looked into the eyes of Kaiser and drew his sword. Dropping to one knee, he held it out, handle to them, and bowed his head.

  “The city is yours,” he said.

  Kaiser looked at the sword, but he did not take it. Instead, he stepped aside and let Alina take the lead. The young woman took the sword without a shaky hand and looked it over. It was easy to see that this was an imperial sword, made only for those in the highest command, and she could not stop the smirk that curved on her lips.

  Turning around, she held the sword up in the air and listened as the warriors who had come with them all began to cheer loudly and clapped their hands. Alina looked to Cassius, her voice coy. “Take us to your emperor. I do believe it’s time we talked.”

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  Aurelia was sitting on the throne when they came inside, her son in her lap. Dressed in a white and gold silken dress with her hair d
one up in a bun held in place by pins topped with large pearls and diamonds, she was a true sight to behold. Any weaker man would have fallen for her charms, but it was a good thing none of the men who came with them were weak.

  Ayanna and Aurora took one look at the woman who sat upon the throne and their eyes widened. Aurora, in shock, and Ayanna in pure fury.

  “You!” she yelled, as she drew her weapon and prepared to lunge at her.

  Kaiser quickly wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her back. Aurelia’s lips curved into a smirk.

  “The traitors return,” she said in the same silky voice she was known for. “I almost feel happy to know it is you who has sacked Rome, and not others.”

  “If my husband lets go of me, I’ll show you exactly how happy I am to see you,” Ayanna said through gritted teeth.

  “Ayanna…,” Kaiser said softly in her ear. “Calm down, love.”

  “I’ll be calm the moment I have her head on a spike for what she did,” Ayanna spat.

  “Just like a savage,” Aurelia said as she stroked the top of her son’s head. “To kill me before the eyes of the next Emperor of Rome.”

  Aurora arched an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

  Aurelia smirked. “It has been a long time, my old friend. I must say, your father really is a good sport in bed. Allow me to introduce you to our son, the next emperor.”

  Aurora looked at the young boy, who couldn’t be much older than five years. If that boy was her father’s son, then that made him her half-brother. Yet, as she looked at him, she had a feeling that something was not right.

  “I do not believe you,” she said. “You are known to be a wonderful liar. Growing up, I know you spread your thighs for just about anyone.”

  Aurelia flushed with anger. “You dare speak to me that way? I am your empress!”

  “You are a deposed empress,” Alina countered, growing tired of this petty arguing among them.

  Aurelia looked to the young woman, her eyes narrow. “Who do you think you are?”

  “I believe,” Alina said with a smirk, as she began to slowly walk to her, “that I am the new Empress of Rome, and you are sitting in my seat.”

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  They had to drag Aurelia from the throne and she was thrown at the feet of Alina, who sat on the imperial throne with her head held high. Yet, for a moment, she sat there, and then she sat up and looked to Eryx.

  “I believe this belongs to you, beloved,” she said with a soft smile.

  Eryx looked at his parents, to his mother. She smiled encouragingly at him and nodded for him to finally take his place where they knew he belonged, as Emperor of Rome.

  They had captured the city, claimed it and its riches in conquest, and its throne for the one person they knew without a doubt had imperial blood within his veins: Eryx.

  Aurora looked to Aurelia, her face cold. “Where is my father?” she asked.

  Aurelia pressed her lips tightly together, not saying a word. Aurora pulled her hand back and slapped her hard across the face.

  “I will not repeat myself,” Aurora said, her voice rigid. “Where. Is. My. Father?”

  “In his chambers, my lady,” a slave finally said. “He…he is not well.”

  Aurora lifted her head. “Take me to him,” she commanded. “Now.”

  They nodded and quickly led her away, though Ayanna turned to Aurelia with a smirk. Bending down slowly, she gently brushed a couple strands of hair from her forehead as she leaned in close.

  “You know,” she whispered softly, “I want you…to say hello to your brother for me. You two will burn in hell together.”

  Before Aurelia could respond, she stabbed Aurelia deep in the stomach and held the dagger there a moment, before twisting it to inflict a harsher wound. Pulling away, she looked to her husband, who gave her a small nod.

  It wasn’t much, but it was the revenge she had sworn she would have the day they left from this palace so many years ago. Today, everything had come to fruition. Never again would this she-demon haunt the lives of anyone else in this world.

  Cassius, who had seen this all, swallowed slowly and pulled himself to his highest height. “What…do you plan to do with us…now?” he asked.

  “That,” Alina answered, “is going to be revealed so very soon…”

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  Aurora opened the door of her fathers’ chambers and all the blood drained from her face at what she saw. The man the laid on the bed, wasn’t the man that she knew as a child. The man who laid on the bed, wasn’t the man who bounced her upon his knee with she was young. The man who laid on the bed, wasn’t the man who had taught her how to talk, how to walk.

  She did not know this man.

  “Papa…” she whispered softly, as she knelt on the side of the bed. “Oh Papa…”

  The Emperor opened his eyes slowly, and she saw that they were clouded with disease. “Who calls me?” the cracked voice asked.

  “Papa it’s me,” she said. “You’re Aurora, can you see me?”

  “Aurora?” he asked slowly. “I had a daughter named Aurora… she left me.”

  “No Papa, no!” she cried, unable to stop the tears that began to pour down her cheeks. “Papa I am here! I am here Papa! Listen to me Papa!”

  “Aurora…” he said, a slow smile spread on his face. “I loved my Aurora… when I thought that all had abandoned me…my Aurora was there…”

  He began to hack; white foam began to spray for him mouth as he seized. His body twisted into obscure angles and then… he grew still.

  Aurora’s eyes widened with in shock, and then she began to scream out before she could stop herself. She shook him, trying to wake him, as she cried in wrath, in grief, in agony.

  Then, she let him go, a vehemence rising within her so fervent that she saw red. Grabbing a knife from the table, she ran back to the throne room and grabbed the boy that Aurelia claimed was her brother. Yanking his head back, she slit his throat without a moment’s hesitation, and threw his body next to his mothers.

  “She had taken everything from me,” Aurora said. “It’s only best I return the favor.”

  Eryx walked to his mother, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his arms as she began to sob into his shoulder. Looking to his wife, he nodded his head with a soft smile of comfort.

  The old era of Rome was dead, a new empire would now rise.

  Epilogue

  I stood on the balcony and watched as Eryx chased our son, Cleon, in the gardens. Haydn and Heinrich wished to join in, and before long, they were the ones chasing their father, other than the other way around. I couldn’t stop the smile that curved my lips as I left the balcony and walked up the stairs to the top of the Imperial Palace.

  Ten years.

  That’s how long it’s been since the Roman Empire fell.

  I doubt my children fully understand the part their parents played in the events, and I doubt I want them to just yet. I do not want my sweet and innocent children to be darkened by the truth that is Huneric, Eryx and myself.

  Yet, at the same time, there is a part of me that wants them to know. To know that they come from a family of warriors, and they need to be proud of it.

  After we had captured the imperial capital, our work was only just beginning. We had to force the people to accept us as their new rulers. The plan of having Eryx crowned emperor worked in our favor greatly.

  Everyone knew Aurora. Everyone still loved Aurora. She was the former emperor’s trueborn daughter. When it was revealed that she had a son, most of the people accepted it on the spot, yet it was the senators and other patricians that we mainly had to fight with.

  It did not matter.

  Many were executed, as we knew they would try to rise against us. Not everyone was sad to see them go. Most people within the old government were corrupt, only wishing to further their own goals and line their own pockets. It was clear to us that most people were of the lower class and were t
ired of the upper class taking advantage of them. All they needed was someone to believe in, and when Eryx came, he was that someone. It was challenging work at first, reforming the government, and there was heavy resistance at first, but eventually, we could succeed.

  Eryx took up command here and was crowned emperor with a new era starting. Huneric returned to Germania to keep our interests under control there. My children by him, I allowed him to take, as I wanted them to be raised with their own people, yet that does not mean I do not see them.

  I feel at times like Persephone in the Greek tales of how she splits her time between the Underworld and Olympus, and that explained why we have the different seasons. Just like her, I split my time between my two husbands, and our six children, spending the spring and summer in Germania, and fall and winter in Rome.

  There are times in which I believe I am a bad mother, that I shouldn’t be doing this to my children, but then I remember that I am the daughter of warriors. I am a restless soul who cannot stay still for long. Yet, at the same time, I know what I am doing is the best for them, and I have no choice.

  All my life I was constantly told by others that I was just a girl, and my place was not marching before armies. Yet, I marched before the greatest army the world had ever known and seized control of the empire which controlled said world.

  What other girl can do that, I ask you. None, of course.

  This is my story. The seed of revenge that was planted by my parents that blossomed into the most powerful weapon they could ever imagine. Through all this challenging work, sweat, blood and tears, I have forged my Empire of Desires.

  Author’s Note

  Andromeda was born in the Bay Area of California and spent much of her childhood in both the Westcoast as well as the Southeast state of Georgia. She was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a developmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.