The Master's Wall Page 16

  In the meantime, she was careful not to step into the latrina; that certainly would have been something to laugh about. She stepped carefully over its hole and made like she was playing a tambourine by smacking and shaking a small platter. She shook her hips and sang as she danced in circles.

  She nearly lost her balance and grabbed hold of the wall that separated the latrina from the stove. She bumped into the pot of kitchen wastewater that sat at her feet. She caught it just in time, keeping the water from spilling out.

  Vibia laughed, and Alethea forgot her place in the song.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Grandmother stood with her hands on her hips in the kitchen’s doorway.

  Alethea jumped to the ground.

  “Both of you bring those platters to the dining chamber right away,” Grandmother said, exasperated.

  “Yes, Grandmother,” both girls said in unison.

  Grandmother shook her head and turned to leave.

  Alethea glanced sideways at Vibia.

  Vibia cast a side-glance at Alethea.

  They both exploded with laughter.

  “Now!” Grandmother’s voice carried from the hall.

  Ω

  Of course, Alethea was expected to serve Demetri, so she set a platter on a small table before him. He grinned and winked; her cheeks flamed.

  Bahiti fanned Demetri. Alethea glanced in the Egyptian woman’s direction and she looked away. Perhaps she felt guilty for spending all her free time with David? They’d only just arrived, and several times, she’d seen her and David in deep conversation. All they ever talked about was David’s God, and she managed to hear a part of the conversation when he was telling her that Yahshua had to die in order to save everybody from their sins. She’d wanted to ask David more about that, but they would have found out she was spying on them, so she decided to ask later.

  She turned her nose up as she walked by the woman to help Vibia serve Uncle Servius, Aunt Fabia, and her mother. David belonged to her and no one else. Bahiti’s son, Alexander, wasn’t in the dining chamber of course; he was probably with David. They both had taken a liking to each other. She enjoyed little Alexander and would be willing to share David with him, but sharing David with his mother made her cringe.

  When the platters had been set out, she hurried through the peristyle toward the atrium.

  “You know as well as I do, who and what that woman is. How dare he bring her into our home.” Grandmother’s angry voice carried from the office chamber.

  Alethea stopped to listen.

  “Come now, Renata. The guests are waiting as well as the rest of the family.” Grandfather sounded impatient.

  “It’s improper! I will not have that woman in our house.”

  “By whose standards is it improper, Renata? Most men have a concubine. It just so happens that Demetri has already found his.”

  “You don’t have a concubine.”

  “And for that, you should be grateful. Now let’s go eat.”

  Alethea scampered toward the kitchen. What woman could they be talking about? It mattered nothing to her that Demetri had a concubine. She wasn’t going to marry him anyway.

  In the kitchen, she poured wine into the goblet she was to serve to Demetri and set it on a small tray.

  Vibia came into the kitchen.

  “Alethea, you’re a fool. Why don’t you want to marry Demetri? He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.” Vibia giggled, but attempted to calm herself.

  Alethea balanced Demetri’s goblet on the tray and walked toward the door, being careful not to knock over the hanging pots and pans on the nearby wall.

  “I simply don’t want him. He’s all yours,” she said with a flourish as though she were an important orator reciting something dramatic. She then made a grand exit from the kitchen.

  Vibia followed behind, giggling.

  When Alethea came back into the dining chamber, Grandmother and Grandfather reclined at the tables. Grandmother half smiled and was quiet as Alethea set out Demetri’s goblet.

  Demetri spoke to Grandfather as Alethea helped Vibia unload her tray.

  “Now that Domitian is emperor, most everyone on the Palatine is forced to move. It’s as though he had his plans drawn up before his brother died.”

  “I have no doubt he did,” Grandfather snapped. “It burns me up. What will become of Rome? Rule under Vespasian and then Titus was peaceful and splendid, not to mention stable. As much as I dislike Domitian, I certainly hope this does not become another year of four emperors. Rome needs stability right now, not chaos.” Grandfather raised his goblet and drank.

  The conversation continued as Alethea left the room. All she cared about was how the whole change in emperors affected her. Now she was stuck with Demetri until his parents built their new home. If it weren’t for these pitiful circumstances, she’d have no interest in politics. She wouldn’t mind giving that emperor, Domitian, a good shake; this was all his fault.

  Ω

  The days and months trudged by since Demetri’s arrival. Alethea walked toward the gymnasium where the men had spent most of their time. She hoped to get a glance at David. They hadn’t talked in days, and she wondered if he might be playing with little Alexander since he was nowhere else to be found.

  Just as she came to the plaza, she spotted a sword leaning against one of the wooden stakes. She looked on either side and found no one there.

  She crept up to the weapon. It was different from the short gladius she was used to seeing. This one was straight, and from end to end, it came as high as her chest. It looked heavy and she longed to pick it up. Of course, she could already hear Grandmother scolding her for trying such a thing, but she was willing to take that risk. She could use the excuse that she was going to lay it on its side for safety. After all, suppose little Alexander had happened by and knocked the sword over. It could be the death of him.

  She again glanced from side to side and found that she was alone. Her hands grasped the sword’s cool handle. It was too heavy to pick up with ease, so she dragged it toward her, determined to take a swing at one of the stakes. She tried to hold the sword up before her, but that was far too difficult to make a good swing. She worked her way under the sword, keeping its tip on the ground. If she picked it up over her shoulder, she might gain more leverage. She pulled and with one final surge of strength, she brought the sword up over her head. Her feet planted firmly on the ground and with quivering arms, she faced the great stake.

  “What in Jupiter’s name are you doing?”

  Alethea turned to see Demetri’s shocked, horrified expression, but just as she spotted his face, she lost her balance from the weight of the sword. She teetered to one side, too weak to scream. Her cheeks burned from the forced strength it took to hold the weapon.

  He lunged toward her and caught her arm and the sword. His strength and power overwhelmed her, and she felt like a rag doll in his hands. His touch made her squeamish, and she tried to pry his fingers off her.

  He laid the sword on the ground.

  “Let go of me,” she said, his hand holding her wrist.

  He frowned. “You could have killed yourself.” He kept his grip on her. “Do you realize, if that sword had come down, it could have sliced you in two?”

  The images in her mind made her palms sweat. She tried not to listen and wished he would let go of her so they wouldn’t have to be so close.

  “Are you well?” He relaxed his grip and knelt in front of her.

  Cheeks still warm, she nodded.

  “I won’t tell your grandfather. I’ve heard stories of his beatings.” He rested his elbow on his knee. “Just promise me you won’t ever do this again. You could have gotten hurt, even killed.”

  She took a step back. Was that genuine concern on his face?

  He stared at her, and she cringed at the thought of his being nice, let alone rescuing her from the sword and from Grandfather. She hated Demetri, and if he continued this friendly behavior, she mi
ght scream.

  “I don’t care if you do tell Grandfather.” She turned her nose in the air. “I would rather suffer one of his beatings than marry the likes of you.” Having said that, she turned on her heels and left him alone in the plaza. As soon as he was out of sight, she scurried to her chamber.

  Guilt throbbed in her chest with the pounding of her heart, and she threw herself on her bed. He had been nice to her! How dare he be nice to her after the way he’d treated her in the garden at his home. Yet, maybe he wasn’t being nice to her at all? If she had died under his sword, he wouldn’t get his precious land.

  Would that sword have literally sliced her in two? It was terribly heavy, and how sharp it’d been, she didn’t know. She shook the thought from her mind.

  Demetri had barely spoken to her since he’d arrived, and as much as that was a relief, she’d been anticipating the moment he would; she just didn’t expect him to be nice. She’d already planned on reminding him of her decision not to be his wife, not caring what the consequences were at this point. He obviously hadn’t told Grandfather what she’d said the night of their betrothal. But suppose he would tell Grandfather what she’d said now?

  She moaned. When would she learn to keep her mouth shut? She hadn’t had to suffer a beating from Grandfather yet, though she heard they were dreadful.

  Later that evening in the dining chamber, Alethea set Demetri’s platter on his table even though he hadn’t yet arrived. Relieved to see his table unoccupied, she hoped she could avoid him the rest of the day. Fortuna’s luck was on her side, for she hadn’t seen him at all since their confrontation in the plaza, though she dodged him every time she caught sight of his large frame. He’d been looking for her and asking the slaves where she was, but she’d managed to escape each time he came around. She readied his platter as Aunt Fabia and Mother came into the chamber.

  She turned to leave, and just as she came to the peristyle she saw the dreaded Demetri making long strides right in her direction. With eyes narrowed, he reminded her of Hercules’s grace and strength. She stepped aside, hoping he would pass. His sheer size made her heart climb to her throat. The look on his face made her quiver, and she trembled when he stopped and stood in front of her.

  She ducked under one of the plants to leave, but he took hold of her arm and yanked her back to him. Dread poured over her.

  He bent down to her level. “I have been searching everywhere for you,” he said in a harsh whisper. “You will not disrespect me again. With an attitude like yours, no man would have such a sassy snippet. Consider yourself fortunate that I don’t take you over my knee.”

  The thought of him treating her like a child made her anger boil. Forget the fact that she was a child. If she was to be his wife, she deserved his respect. She bit her lip and gripped the sides of her stola just to keep from striking the overstuffed, muscled giant.

  “You will pay for your behavior, though I will not share the news with your grandfather. I show you mercy, for I know what he can and will do if he ever realizes what a sharp tongue you have.” His eyes swept over her face.

  Trembling, she felt the small hairs rise on her arms and neck. She was tired of him reminding her how merciful he was by saving her from Grandfather’s fury. She’d survived this long without Demetri; she didn’t need him.

  “I will never be yours,” she said in the same harsh whisper.

  She could hardly believe it was her voice talking. Certainly, she was taking a great risk in speaking to him this way. Perhaps a beating was in order? A woman should show respect to a man, especially her betrothed. It was horrifying, even to herself, that she dared speak in such a manner. Yes, he’d been kind to her in the plaza, and he had seemed hurt by her words in his garden at home. In fact, it seemed to her that perhaps she was the one being unkind. She tossed the thought from her mind and brought herself back to the moment at hand.

  Demetri continued to gaze into her face, but to her amazement his lips twitched slowly into a smile, then he laughed. “You have been sent by the gods to torture me.”

  He wasn’t taking her seriously. To keep from screaming, she bit her lip.

  Just then, Grandfather appeared.

  Demetri turned. “Alethea has just informed me she wishes to sing and dance for us this evening.”

  She froze.

  Grandfather’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Wonderful.” He put his hand on her shoulder and escorted her back into the dining chamber.

  She followed, gritting her teeth. She’d hoped to spend the rest of the evening playing out in the field and possibly meeting David in the woods, though he hadn’t been there very much since little Alexander was around. When she glanced up at Demetri, his lips turned up in smug satisfaction.

  Grandfather wasn’t looking so she stuck her tongue out at her betrothed.

  He laughed.

  Punishment for her disrespectful behavior consisted of dancing and singing for him nearly every mealtime. In the beginning, it proved to be a difficult task, but she finally realized, dancing for him was no different than singing and dancing for Grandfather. She thanked Fortuna that he rarely spoke to her again, and she did all she could to make sure he didn’t have the opportunity.

  Ω

  A number of months had passed since the arrival of Demetri and Bahiti. David was thrilled that Bahiti had found the church in Rome. He’d asked her if she knew Manius. But she hadn’t met him yet. David sighed. Surely, she would meet him soon. He would prepare a message for her to give to Manius when she went back to Rome. She was incredibly shy and kept only to the women. At least, that’s what David noticed when she spent time with the church here. The only male she spoke to was him. Perhaps that was because he’d approached her first during the betrothal ceremony in Rome. And the fact that he was younger than her probably made him less of a threat. She expressed concern that Demetri became jealous when she spoke to men. David assumed he didn’t count as one.

  As he made his way to the plaza, he heard men grunting. He approached the corner and saw Aloysius, Servius, and Demetri swinging their swords at the wooden pillars.

  A gasp came from a nearby plant. David spotted Alethea crouching behind its thick greenery. Unaware of David, her wide eyes were on Demetri. He wore a tunic from the waist down, and sweat made his chest and back shine as his unusual sword cut into the wood. David cringed. A young girl like her shouldn’t be watching such a scene.

  “I’d like to see Damonus fight again.” Demetri swung.

  David froze when he heard his slave name. The men had spent a lot of time in the gymnasium together and enjoyed watching David spar with Marcus and Lucius.

  “His movements are fascinating,” Demetri said. “Titus taught him?”

  “He’s quite impressive.” Aloysius stopped swinging his sword. “That boy’s abilities never cease to amaze me.”

  David warmed at Aloysius’s complimentary words. Perhaps he’d earn his freedom after all.

  Aloysius walked to a large basket of wooden swords, picked one up, and smiled at Demetri. “Would you like to experience his skills first hand?”

  “Yes!” Demetri straightened. “Have him brought out.”

  David felt his stomach drop to his knees. Demetri was so much bigger than he was. Would he be able to hold his own against such an opponent?

  Despite his anxiety, David stepped out into the plaza where the men could see him.

  “Damonus.” Aloysius grinned, eyes shining that David so readily appeared.

  The men turned to face David. He stood tall before Aloysius, hoping to make a good impression.

  “You will duel with Demetri, here and now,” Aloysius said.

  David nodded, though he wished he could run away and hide. Instead, he moved toward the basket and selected a wooden sword and shield. Demetri grabbed his, and they walked to the center of the plaza.

  From the corner of his eye, he spotted Alethea behind the plant, watching with interest.

  Titus appeared next to the plant and
stood off to the side with his arms folded.

  Demetri and David circled one another. Demetri went in for the attack.

  David jumped and caught his breath. They were just wooden swords. He couldn’t get terribly hurt, he reminded himself. He flinched at the power behind each swing.

  Another swing came. Just in time, David ducked and rolled away.

  The fierceness of Demetri’s thrusts made his heart race. The power behind each forceful arc brought Titus to mind. How often had David fought against Titus? He knew Titus held back. And Demetri’s parries weren’t very different from those of Titus’s.

  They clashed swords, wielding them at each other.

  Surprisingly, David held his own quite well against the older and much bigger Demetri. In fact, David thought maybe the man was holding back, but when he studied Demetri’s reddened face, he knew he gave each swing and thrust his all. That’s when David decided to test himself. He allowed Demetri to knock his sword out of his hand. David held his shield up to block Demetri’s swings.

  Demetri lunged.

  David dropped his shield and yanked on Demetri’s blade, causing him to spring forward. Demetri stumbled, but he caught his balance and turned. David braced his legs apart as Demetri lunged toward him with his sword.

  David dove and rolled away, jumping back to his feet and grabbing his sword on his way up.

  Demetri’s eyes widened and he smiled, but continued the fight. They parried and David dropped into half splits, ducking from Demetri’s blade, then spun on his hands and swept Demetri’s legs.

  Demetri fell as David jumped to his feet. He stilled his movements, giving Demetri time to stand.

  The duel continued and carried on for quite some time. Demetri’s movements weren’t as quick as David’s, and this time when Demetri lunged, David grabbed Demetri’s sword, yanking it right out of his grasp. Demetri stumbled forward as David flipped the sword in his hand, taking it by the hilt. That’s when David spotted Aloysius’s scowl. He had to please his master. Maybe he wasn’t meant to win this fight.