The men all stopped talking and bowed as the young bride made her stately entrance. Her poise and aura surprised even her own father. It seemed that every time he saw his daughter these days she rose in his estimation as she developed into a woman he could barely recognize. He had feared that she would become her mother. It was with pride that he realized that she was anything but that. Aurelia was the epitome of a pure Roman noble virgin and even amongst this jaded group of men, such a rare being still had the power to bring them to their knees. Quintus stopped speaking, made his obeisance to which she made a slow reverence of her own, and then stepped forward, kissing her hand and directed her to a high-backed curule chair. "I am relieved at your safe and speedy arrival, madam..."he announced with a terse and almost forced smile.

Quintus glanced beyond her and saw Maximus still standing at the entrance. As the door closed behind him, his impassive demeanour still managed to convey disgust and disdain in that way he had always possessed of giving an impression of his moral superiority to all those around him. It annoyed Quintus intensely that this man, even now, believed he still had the right to pass judgement on them all. The two men locked eyes fleetingly and Quintus detected a hint of a challenge in Maximus' steady gaze. He was unsure what had provoked it. Whilst he was fully aware that Maximus hated him, this was different. Up to then, Maximus had appeared not to care in the least if his former friend prospered or not - but now something had changed. Quintus felt a slight chill of fear. Maximus was not a man you would wish to cultivate as an enemy. It might be time to cast aside any lingering guilt he had felt towards him, mused Quintus as he turned away. Maximus's usefulness was waning and a shrewd man ought to consider his permanent removal.

Quintus stood by the side of his bride, reaching out a hand to greet the ex-general in a pretence of camaraderie even as his brain began to plot his old friend's possible death in the near future. "Maximus! Good to see you again. My gratitude for ensuring the safe arrival of my future wife..."

Quintus received a curt nod in reply without even a modicum of deference to his rank. Maximus' behaviour was on the edge of insult in the circumstances - and was noted by the other men there. A few glances were exchanged and eyebrows raised at Meridius' arrogance. Most presumed it was the lingering bitterness he no doubt felt towards the Prefect. There was enough reason, they supposed, even if they regarded it typically unwise of him in the circumstances. You would have imagined he had learnt his lesson by now.

Lentulus, however, defused the moment, whether by accident or purpose was not clear, by taking that moment to greet his daughter and to extend his own thanks to his former house guest. Maximus was warmer in this returned acknowledgment. Then he attempted to make his withdrawal, citing the need to rest after his journey - but that request was brushed aside.

"Nonsense, man! You must join us for dinner. Lucilla is here, you know? She will want to see you, I am sure. Her interest in your welfare is still uppermost in her mind as always," Quintus added meaningfully, his politeness heavily laced with a sarcasm that appeared to insult both Maximus' integrity and the imperial lady's reputation at the same time. His comment was loaded with implications that no one in the room missed. Maximus did not show the impatience that he felt. Nothing Quintus said much interested him in the least. His attention was on Aurelia who sat as still as a statue, already ignored now the formalities of her reception were completed.

"I thank you for the invitation. It would be an honour..." Maximus replied in an unconvincing monotone. Social conventions could be useful at times, Maximus observed to himself wryly. Perhaps he was learning to disseminate at last. Or perhaps not.

The double doors opened and the men were led out and into the large dining room beyond this sizeable antechamber, leaving Aurelia sitting stiff-backed with only a few slaves to remain by her. Maximus gave a momentary pause, horrified at the manner of her isolation like a painted doll, and felt more than ever how achingly sad her position was. For all that she was possibly about to become the first lady of the empire, she was of less interest to any of these men than a discarded trinket. What a living death for such a spirited young woman!

He sighed to himself but followed his hosts knowing that her beautiful eyes, hidden behind the veil would be fixed on his retreating back, grasping the last moments. The door that closed behind him reverberated through the chambers of his mind so loud that he almost wondered why no one but he appeared to have noticed the deafening echo. He would never see her again. Perhaps it was better this way.

Better? How could it be better?

Back in her quarters, Aurelia stood like a beautiful statue as her ladies removed the ornate veil and gown, loosened her thick tresses and stripped her of all the finery until she was dressed only in the soft silk shift. She wandered aimlessly to the window, staring at the city set out before her under the moonlight. The shimmering light of the moon made Rome into an ethereal fantasy, painting the squalor in a silver wash and transforming the grandeur of the great edifices into an even more unreal landscape. One million human beings were out there, each with his own life and private story, all of them turning up their eyes to the great towering citadel of the imperial palace as if they were viewing Olympus itself.

Lost in deep contemplation of the absurdities of life and fate, she did not notice the new arrival who had quietly slipped into the chamber, indicating that the slaves should withdraw. Picking up an intricately worked silver brush from atop a table, she came forward and raised a long lock of Aurelia's hair, beginning to untangle the knots. Aurelia's trance-like state was abruptly interrupted and she turned to the intruder who had distracted her from her dreams.

"Aunt Lucilla! You are in Rome!" The girl could not hide her joy at a friendly face amongst the obsequious world of strangers in which she had found herself.

"Aurelia...you look...simply...wonderful...!" Lucilla had surveyed her from the doorway for some time as she was standing straight-backed gazing on the night sky. She had presumed the child was enthralled by the City having been raised essentially as a country girl. Her early years in the palace must have long been forgotten. What had struck Lucilla most was that the girl who had seemed such a child to her only a few months before, now seem to have blossomed into a vision of radiant beauty who quite took away her breath. A soft night breeze had stirred the silken folds of her scanty night shift. The light from a brazier and the moonlight combined served to render the garment almost diaphanous and revealed a body far more alluring than a child's.

Aurelia was taller than the average woman, as she was herself. All the girls in her family had been leggy and slim, much as her brothers had been taller than most men of the time. Commodus had had a formidable frame. For a second she thought of her siblings - there had been eight children born to her mother and father and she was the only survivor. It was hard now to imagine the days of their childhood and the teeming nursery world they had inhabited from the vantage of the lonely place she now lived.

At a quick glimpse, Aurelia could have been her own mother: there was a strong resemblance in the lustre of her thick golden hair and the sensuous curve of her slender frame. But Galeria had not had the gentle innocence of her daughter nor the intelligent light in her eye. She had been a silly foolish woman who had been wilful and spoiled. Lucilla had loved her elder sister but never been blind to her faults, learning valuable lessons from the mistakes she had made. To long for love was one thing but to destroy one's soul in its vain pursuit was quite another.

However, it occurred to Lucilla, perhaps for the first time, that Aurelia had inherited more than her mother's beauty. Men would look on this woman and see a temptress, lust after a glance from those sloe eyes with their unconsciously seductive cast, ache to bare those full high breasts and discover what lay between her slim lithe pale thighs - not to mention to taste the honey of those pouting ruby lips. It was a shock to realise that the child was a woman and that this was how the world would now see her.

Was Aurelia ready for the corrupt circle in which she had now found herself? Was she any more equipped indeed than her mother had been?

"When did you get back from Greece? How is dear Lucius? Oh, I am so happy to see you!" Aurelia's manner reverted from the serene lady to the bubbling girl in an instant as Lucilla opened her arms and held her close in a warm embrace. She suddenly found herself feeling maternal to her niece and the unexpected emotional attachment touched her wounded heart deeply.

"Only today! Gracchus sent me a letter to inform me that the wedding plans had been brought forward and I came as fast as I could. What a journey! Lucius is well and happy. He was a little teary when I took my leave, naturally, but he loves the place, has already made friends and his tutors are most impressed with his abilities. It will be good for him. He needs to have some freedom and the chance to be a normal boy in as far as that can ever be possible for him. And...he needs to be out of this place. That of all things is the most important to me..." Her last remark was said with a vehemence that made Aurelia stop and stare. Her aunt was always diplomatic and composed, the consummate hostess and political animal. It was the first time she had ever shown to her niece a human emotion other than bland courtesy.

"I am so pleased for him." She sighed. "It would appear that Lucius and I are both to have a very different life than we are used to..." Aurelia's voice trailed off.

Lucilla intercepted her niece's change of mood. "You did very well today, Aurelia. Quintus was quite impressed. He will do right by you. Who would have imagined you would make the best marriage in the land?"

Her words were complimentary but her eyes watched Aurelia sharply. The girl was melancholy. This was nothing like the child she remembered from only a few weeks ago who had seemed almost oblivious to marriage and its ramifications. Then she had still barely left the world of dolls. But before her was a much changed woman. A frisson of fear sent a shiver through the noble lady.

There was only one thing that could cause such a metamorphosis in so short a time. The girl was in love - and it was not Quintus Metella who was the object of her affections.

She tested the water. "How was your journey?"

Aurelia contemplated her aunt for a moment. "Tiresome."

"There were no trials on the route?"

"No. We were in good hands."

"I believe Maximus accompanied you...?" Lucilla observed the slight tension that crossed the unlined brow. Even his name alone brought her pain.  Ye Gods! Was Lentulus quite without any sense! To throw them together for days in an intimate bond while travelling...? "I believe he is still in Rome..."

Aurelia raised a hand in a gesture that was either meant to be dismissive or a sign of boredom with the topic. Lucilla began to realise the child was more shrewd than she had anticipated. Aurelia might be infatuated with the Maximus but she was not about to give that away. On the contrary she appeared to be quite skilful at dissemination. What did that mean?

Were they already lovers? Had she given him her virginity en route? Would Maximus have taken it in the knowledge that she was about to marry Quintus? Lucilla was not sure. No other man in the world but Maximus would have hesitated if offered the prize of Aurelia's maidenhead - nor would have resisted an opportunity to hit Quintus where it would hurt him most.

But somehow she could not imagine Maximus ever guilty of an act of advantage taking over a defenceless girl. He would never have put his own desires - either for revenge or lust - before Aurelia's reputation or safety. Then Lucilla had another idea. Perhaps she was on the wrong track entirely. Sexual curiosity in a girl on the brink of marriage was entirely normal. Maximus had not been the only man on the journey north. She called to mind Publius Sentius and Aemilius Cinna, the two young Praetorian officers who had also been part of the guard. Now there were two unscrupulous rogues. Neither would have given a moment's thought for seducing an innocent girl. That was the more likely explanation. No matter then. They would represent nothing more than an amorous adventure and offered no threat to the future. Both would be concerned at detection, their careers uppermost in their minds, and would not encourage further reckless behaviour now. Nor was either man one that Aurelia was likely to love deeply. It had probably just been sexual discovery. So she was broken in and now knew what happened?  So much the better. All she needed was a little blood pellet to fool her husband on the first night - and they were commonplace to obtain.

"You will soon be the greatest lady in the empire. I am sure that thought overwhelms you at times. Know that I will always be here at your side in place of your mother. I promise you, Aurelia, that I will give you every support I can. For I have stood in your shoes and understand the sacrifice you have made for us all..."

"Do you?" Aurelia's head swung round. Lucilla was a little non-plussed by the sudden coldness in her niece's manner. "Then you must be eager to pass on the burden, no doubt. You have nothing to worry about, aunt Lucilla. I will equip myself to the satisfaction of all. I know how to do my duty. But do not patronize me. I will not be your tool. He is yours and always was...Go to him if you wish. He needs comfort..."

Aurelia did not mention a name. But in one sentence she had revealed to Lucilla that she understood many things. Perhaps not everything, but her sharp wit was beginning to work out the complex webs in which she was now caught. Yet she had admitted several things. She was in love with Maximus. She knew him well enough to make a judgement about his emotional state. She cared enough only to wish for his happiness restored even at the expense of her own. That she suspected Lucilla's manoeuvres had an alternative purpose. And that in their separate ways they were both rivals for the affection of the same man.

"I don't know what you mean, child. That is fanciful talk. Watch your tongue."

But Aurelia merely smiled enigmatically. "I shall be the empress. Then everyone will need to watch theirs..."

It was Lucilla's turn to cast a jaundiced eye on her young niece. Something in her manner disturbed her. For a passing instant she thought she heard the menace of her brother in the voice of this young girl. But the moment was over almost as soon as she observed it and, as a cloud momentarily obscures the sun, Aurelia's face returned to its ingenuous candour.

"I apologise, aunt. That was uncalled for. But I know you love him. There is no need to hide that now. You are both free..."

Lucilla sat down on a couch and indicated for her to join her. "I have no desire to hide my feelings. But...Maximus does not love me. I believe he has some lingering emotional bond from the past but it is not enough to sustain him in the future...How does he feel about you? Has he given you any indication?" Aurelia could hear the desperate edge in Lucilla's voice although the older woman was trying hard to disguise it. She thought how beautiful her aunt was as she sat there, serene and timelessly lovely, the sufferings of the recent years having left their mark but merely adding to the dignity of her noble face. The young girl knew that truth was not the kindest answer. What did it matter anyway? Her own fate was set and Maximus played no part in it.

She took her aunt's hand. "He is my friend. His feelings for me are paternal. He has lost his son and has a need to protect the innocent. I was never any threat to you - or any woman..."

The relaxation of tension in Lucilla's face was tangible. "And how do you feel about him?" Lucilla was too intelligent a woman not to realize that this threat was two-way.

At that Aurelia smiled, a mischievous light dancing in her eyes, driving away the clouds of melancholy. As she had observed already merely at the mention of Maximus' name the girl had answered her question without even speaking. But when she did explain, her answer was oblique and taught Lucilla another lesson about the girl. She was innocent, maybe naïve, but she was no fool. There was a political head on her shoulders already. "My nanny is a curmudgeonly old goat. She has no time for men and watches me from them like a she wolf protecting her young. But Maximus has her eating from his hand...I don't imagine there is a woman born who could deny him anything..."

"This is an answer...?" Lucilla interjected.

Aurelia grinned. "Call him my first love. An infatuation. Every girl needs one, surely?"

"...And some first loves last a lifetime..." murmured Lucilla, rising in her delicate fashion. "We will talk again, Aurelia, before the wedding. I shall be your mother now..."

She kissed the girl lightly and smoothed down her golden hair. There was much still unspoken between them. As Lucilla swept from the room, Aurelia pondered the shift in their relationship. It seemed to her that she was the elder as she handed the care of the man she cherished to another woman. The weight of so many lives rested on her young shoulders. If she could not have her dream then at least she could do everything in her power to bring security and peace to those she loved. Maximus had told her she could be a great lady if she wished. Marriage to Quintus offered her a rare position of influence and wealth. There were many ways to make a life count for something.

Kneeling before the lararium in the vestibule, lighting a candle before the gods of her new household, she whispered a prayer to the Mother: 

Blessed Mother, come to me in my dreams with the Gods' desire for my future. 
Blessed Father, watch over Maximus with a ready sword and bring him into your care.
Whisper to my mother in her sleep that I will honour her with my life.
All else is dust and air... 

The evening was turning into night as the men began to take their leave of the dinner. Maximus had kept himself to himself, promising to call on Gracchus the following day but making it clear that he planned to leave the City and it was unlikely he would ever return. Some were disappointed at his complete refusal to be tempted back to command but there were others who were more than relieved. But he was still being watched. There was always the chance that he harboured resentments towards this regime that might drive him into the arms of their rivals. He could be even more dangerous if allowed to withdraw. Already there were those who were of the opinion that a knife between his ribs might be the wiser course of action.

Taking the earliest opportunity, he took his respectful leave of the company and slipped away. Crossing through an upper stairway he heard voices on the floor beneath him. Quintus had also left the gathering and was speaking to Cinna as they strode out through the anteroom.

"...Keep her father occupied. Try and ply him with wine although he isn't much of a drinker. They've manoeuvred me enough. I don't intend to wait any longer for the luscious Aurelia...I'll put some colour into her wan cheeks...."

Maximus shrank back into the shadows and listened. Metella planned to go and force himself on her? What could the girl do? There was no way her slaves would be able to intervene if the Prefect himself entered. A few days away from her marriage to him? On one hand it was outrageous behaviour but in another it made no real difference. Tonight or a few night's hence? Aurelia would know soon enough what her future held for her with this man. But still the image of Quintus taking what a decent man would wait for until the proper rituals were completed, denying this innocent girl the comfort of tradition and dignity in the handing over of her innocence was beyond countenance. Even had he not cared so much for her himself, he would have felt outrage. Maximus' blood raged with impotent fury. He would not allow this sordid travesty.

He would not allow it.

Running down a staircase, he made his way to the great library that had been pointed out to him earlier in the day. The room was deserted, a silent cavern of marble grandeur decorated with busts of emperors of the past, braziers burning, flame flickering along the polished walls replete with thousands of rolls of books. Maximus had a sudden image of the great Aurelius himself bent over a volume, a candle casting its eerie glow over his sparse white head, hour after hour in this haven of the learning of the ages. He prayed that his patron's hand would guide him tonight in defence of the honour of his young namesake.

Ovid. He remembered she had liked to read Ovid. Scanning the shelves he realised that the texts were arranged in the order of the Greek alphabet. Omega. The final letter...with relief he thanked the heavens that it was easier to locate than all the others being at the end, hurried to the final shelves and there was a collection of the works of the great poet. His hand lighted on 'Metamorphoses' and he knew this was the book he required. The message of its title would not be lost on the intelligent girl.

Outside on the corridor, he stopped a slave flitting on silent feet, his arms full of documents. "Where are the rooms of the lady Aurelia...?"

Aurelia had already retired for the night, exhausted from the journey and was reading by candlelight when the interruption came.  Verilia came into the bedroom in a flurry, obviously very disturbed by something. The girl looked up surprised.

"He is here....oh mistress, he is here! You have to come out or he will enter your chamber...!" The old lady was not making a great deal of sense. Aurelia scrabbled from under the covers and scurried along the bed to where her nanny was standing.

"Who is here? What is the matter, Verilia?"

"Quintus Metella. Your betrothed. He is drunk. I think he intends to..." But the old woman could not say the words. She did not need to. Aurelia knew well what he intended.

Slipping from the end of the bed, she indicated that her heavy gown should be put on and that her loosened tresses should quickly be bound into a plait, a veil placed over her face in accordance with tradition.  She sent Verilia out to placate him while she had a few moments to compose herself and then she swept into the ante room. "What is the meaning of this disturbance so late at night, my lord? Is something amiss?" She tried to keep her voice level and calm, remembering how her aunt Lucilla always spoke. It might diffuse whatever had driven him to turn up like this.

"I wish to visit my wife. Is that so unusual?" Quintus was standing in the middle of the room surveying her, his eyes narrowed. His manner was cold and mocking. He would not be easy to dissuade.

"I am not your wife. Not yet at least. Surely when we are so close to the rites, you would not wish for anything inauspicious? It is not seemly, Quintus. Perhaps you should retire for the night. We will be together soon enough..." It was not easy to add a touch of light flirtation to her voice. She was hardly equipped for seduction having little experience of how to attract - or let down - a man and moreover, she was scared. All of a sudden she felt the grip of fear and revulsion. It was essential he did not detect that in her voice.

"Tonight...or a few nights hence -what difference will it make? I want to taste the goods. No doubt you are curious too. You might even find you enjoy it...your mother did..." He gave her a lewd smirk which could have had several meanings. Was he simply being cruel - or had he once been a lover of her mother's? The thought disgusted her even more. He could have been my father? How can this man become my husband and the father of my children, too?

Advancing on her, Quintus grabbed her crudely to pull away her veil and gown, revealing the flimsy shift beneath. "Sir...!" Verilia protested. "It is not right...!"

"Get out of here!" he rasped. 

Aurelia signalled that the old woman should retire. She would not allow her beloved nanny to suffer on her account. This man could easily beat her or worse if she opposed him. She would not put it past him to sell her on if she annoyed him too much. "Leave us, Verilia. I will send for you if you are needed..." She tried to give her a sign that she would be all right. It was not very convincing.

"Take it off!" Quintus had moved away and was pouring himself a goblet of wine. He waved his fingers in the general direction of the heavy robe.

There was nothing she could do. He was the law here. And in truth what did it matter if he stole her innocence now or in a few days' time? The end result was the same. She was his property now to use as he wished. Aurelia gave it one last attempt. "They will require evidence of my virginity. If you take it now...what of the bloodied sheet?"

Quintus merely wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and set down the cup, slopping wine onto the floor and his hand.  He wiped it suggestively down the white of her nightgown, leaving a rose pink stain. "If I am satisfied, then so will they be. And we can always keep this shift to flaunt before them..." He took a handful of the fabric and balled it in his fist as he jerked her against him and searched roughly for her lips. Aurelia felt herself go rigid in his grasp, fought to try and relax and give him the impression that she was cooperating. If she acted like she was resisting she had a suspicion he would take his fists to her. Her face would be covered during the ceremony. There would be no talk of bruises.

His lips felt cold and rapacious, his tongue repulsive as it forced open her lips and plundered her mouth; he stank of stale wine. His hands mauled her body, kneading her breasts roughly and running between her thighs through the fabric, massaging her outer sex crudely. Frantically she tried to think of something else, anything else, to fill her mind and distract from the horror of what he was about to do. This was rape. Even if she did not fight him.

"...Sir...sir...you cannot enter...!" Verilia again ran into the room but this time she appeared to be trying to keep someone else out. Quintus whirled around, dropping Aurelia who staggered back, her hair falling over her face, preventing her from observing what was going on.

Steadying herself against a chair, she threw back her long hair - and saw Maximus standing at the threshold, a curiously mild expression on his face, holding a volume in his hand. "I beg your pardon, my lady. I was not aware you were entertaining..."

Quintus stepped forward having regained his composure, but his face was stormy with rage. "What is the meaning of this? Do you make a habit of visiting the bedchambers of innocent maidens well into the night? Explain yourselves...both of you..."

Maximus smiled easily. "Calm down, Quintus. I am not the only one out and about tonight in the bedchambers of young women. I was leaving the palace when I found this book in my saddlebag. The Lady Aurelia kindly allowed me to borrow it some time ago and I carelessly forgot to return it. As I am about to depart from the City, this will be my last chance to bring it back and thank her for its loan...the book is valuable. I believe it belonged to Aurelius himself from the dedication..."

The sneer that crossed Quintus' face showed that Maximus had failed to convince. But the satisfied smile on his rival's face revealed that Maximus cared not one jot for Quintus' opinion. "A slave could have done that."

Maximus shrugged. "Indeed. But I did it myself. I apologise. I am sorry to have disturbed you, my lady. I shall take my leave of you now...Oh, Quintus...while I have you here, there are a few matters that I would like to discuss with you before I depart the City. Perhaps we could talk on the way out?"

There was an awkward silence that gripped the four people in the room. Aurelia stood horrified at what Maximus had done. She knew Quintus would never forgive him for the interference. It could prove to be very dangerous for Maximus to have thus angered him - especially for so little result. Was he really prepared to risk his life merely to gain her one night of freedom? She caught his eye and they exchanged a glance. It was as eloquent as if he had spoken out loud. To him, it was worth it. He was prepared to do anything in his power, however small to keep her safe. She blinked her eyes and he responded with a gaze so deep and meaningful that a blush stole across her cheeks. It seemed as if everyone must have observed it and yet no one else showed any signs.

Verilia was watching, pinched-faced and nervous, her hands playing with the belt of her robe. Quintus was looking from one to the other. He could play along with Maximus' ruse or he would have to act against him here and now. There were no other possible courses of action.

His mind made up, he strode towards the door, throwing Aurelia a steely gaze. "Tomorrow! We shall speak again. Be ready for me then...!" and brushing past Maximus, he exited to the hallway beyond.

Maximus smiled sadly at Aurelia, muttering: "...Orpheus went down to the underworld to save Eurydice..."

"...but not for long. He couldn't save her for long..." Aurelia whispered back as he bowed and stepped back.

Outside he found Quintus pacing up and down on the corridor, his eyes wild with fury. "How dare you presume to come between a man and his wife....!"

Maximus merely laughed openly, mocking his words. "From the man who ordered the deaths of my wife and son, I find that amusing." Then he lunged at the taller man, knocking him against the wall and gripping him brutally round the neck. "...I will presume to do whatever I like, you bastard...! You cannot touch me! Or scare me. I am not a frightened child. And you know it. That is why you hate me so much. Because I am all the things you are not. And because none of the inducements that drive men like you will ever mean anything to me..."he spat in his face.

"...You are a fool, that's for sure. Your days are numbered, Maximus Meridius. You have outlived your usefulness. You're a dead man..."

"We are all dead men... remember? What can you do to me that hasn't already been done? Only those who are afraid of death can be threatened by it, Quintus Metella. I would welcome death. You would be giving me a great gift. Do it! Give me the peace I crave..." He let go of the other man's neck and cast him from him, walking away before turning back to address him one last time.

"But be careful, Quintus Metella. For I am your enemy and you should be afraid of that! If I ever hear a single hair of that girl's head is harmed because of you...I will come and strip the flesh from your bones, you foul animal...Could you not have even tried to treat her with respect these final days of her maidenhood...?"

"What is she to you? Why should you care? You want to fuck the little bitch? Is that what this is about?" Quintus gasped out as he rubbed his neck where he had almost been throttled.

"She is a human being! With feelings and hopes and dreams! Have you not the least humanity in you that you would want to abuse her even now as she gives herself so meekly to you? Once we were friends. Now I cannot even remember why. If I ever see your face again in this life, I will be the last thing you will ever see. That I promise you..."

And with that, Maximus ran down the wide staircase towards the great entrance hall. 

Their raised voices had caused some alarm and several Praetorians hurried towards the Prefect, Sentius in the forefront. "My lord? Has something occurred?"

Quintus stared into the shadows after the retreating back of Maximus. "Follow him. Take a party of men and follow him. I want him dead before dawn and his body thrown to the dogs...he will not cross me again..."

As the two men retreated Verilia ran to her mistress's side. The girl was trembling with fear and shock, her face pale and her breathing laboured. "Mistress...!"

Aurelia buried her face against her nanny's huge soft breasts and the older woman drew her close. "What has he done? Metella will kill him for that! He will never forgive him! Verilia...I am so afraid for him...!"

The old lady held her tight and stroked her hair from her forehead tenderly. "He loves you. He cannot help himself, poor man. A man like that must stand aside and watch the woman he loves brutalised by that animal...? He is incapable of such a thing...!"

"Loves me? If they find out...! I must lose my virginity to that man on my wedding night. Maximus cannot prevent that. Why did he do this reckless thing when all he could hope to gain for me was one more night...?"

Verilia laughed softly. "You could no more tell the sun not to shine or the night not to fall. He would give his life for you, Aurelia, even just to gain you one more day. It makes no sense - because it is love. It is not meant to make sense! But how are you? Maximus can take care of himself and he is sure to be fully aware of the likely reprisals from this night's intervention. But what of you? Did Metella hurt you?"

Aurelia shook her head. "He did not hurt me. But he made my blood run cold. I cannot bear him to touch me. See! My hands are still shaking. But he does not care. I even think he enjoys frightening me." Aurelia shuddered. "Pray he gives me a son quickly and leaves me alone. It will take every bit of courage that I own to let him lie by my side all night...let alone have him touch me..."

The nanny led her back to bed, covered her over and then went to blow out the candle. Aurelia placed a hand on her arm. "Stay with me! Like when I was a little girl and I had a bad dream...." The old woman lay down by her side and pulled her into her arms rocking her as she had done when she was a child until she fell asleep. Aurelia seemed to drift off but then suddenly rolled back and spoke. "He loves me. At last, I believe he does. What a bitter irony! Pray that the Mother keeps him safe from harm until he is far away and out of their foul clutches...!"

Verilia had not voiced her own concerns about Maximus' likely fate to her little mistress, not wishing to add to her distress - but one thing struck her. Through all this Aurelia had never once considered herself. Maximus' interference cast a doubt over her fidelity to her future husband and would have its own consequences for his betrothed. But Aurelia's only worry was that Maximus should not be harmed. It was a very mature and unselfish kind of love her young charge was exhibiting. When had the dear girl grown to be so strong? Could the knowledge of his love alone be enough to sustain her?

His act might have been rash but his subsequent behaviour was premeditated. Maximus was a tactician in every bone of his body, something that he suspected men like Quintus overlooked now that his star had faded. They took his lack of ambition as if it were lack of strategy. It was impossible for them to understand that he really did not care for the world of power and influence- but he knew how to use it.

A slave had been told to ready his horse even before he had made his way to the library and it was there in the large external courtyard waiting for him. With a curt, "Expect me back later..." to the guard, he was allowed to leave. No general alert had been placed on him so far. He doubted that it would be. Quintus would not chance that the mob picked up any gossip that might suggest the Gladiator was still alive and had then been killed by the new man. His name was still great enough with the common people to do damage. No, if he planned to remove him it would be done in secret.

Riding in a measured pace, Maximus took a vantage point a little higher up the hill behind a small votive temple and watched as the riders left the main gate in pursuit. Four Praetorians with Publius Sentius in command. He gave it some thought. There was a time when he might have taken on such odds without much thought but he had to be realistic. He was still recovering from his injuries and was far from fast enough - or strong enough to guarantee his survival against five men who were, by any estimation, highly trained warriors. Maximus knew his limitations. To stay alive all these years of brutal warfare, a man had to know what he could but also what he could not do.

He shrugged. Then he would have to play the assassin and use the shadows to steal up on his enemies as they did. And he might not survive the night. It was a chance he would have to take. Death had been what he had longed for these years alone since all he had lived for had been taken from him. It might as well come in defence of an innocent girl than idly on a dark night at the hands of brigands. At least it would have had a purpose, no matter how hopeless.

A sudden resistance to the idea struck him. For the first time in his recent memory, Maximus felt a sense of frustration at the idea he might die tonight. What of Aurelia's future? How could he really safeguard her if he died and her only champion was no more? Rational thought reminded him that he had already planned to leave and never see her again - so what was the difference? He would be dead to her anyway. There was nothing he could do to prevent the fate in store for her.

Then, why this sudden reluctance to die? A sad smile crept over his face. He had lied to Quintus. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. The veils of mourning were beginning to lift from him, helped by a young woman and her desperate plight. And sitting astride his horse that night he admitted to himself what he should have known all along. He wanted to live with Aurelia and for them to have a future together. It was a reckless, hopeless, crazy dream - but it was still a purpose.

His life was now dedicated to a young girl all alone who needed him. Was there a chance this time that he could outsmart the Praetorian and snatch the innocent from the face of danger?

He needed money and he needed time. In seconds, an idea formed in his head and he was already picking his way down the precarious hillside away from the main route. It would not take his pursuers long to realize that Maximus was not ahead of them on the road but he hoped he would be at his destination long before they retraced their steps and found his tracks. Gracchus' estate was on this side of the city - with luck he would be there before the hour was out.

Gracchus was a man who was not unsurprised by late night visitors. It had been a common enough occurrence in his life steeped in the intrigue of imperial politics. Summoned from his bed, he wrapped a cloak around his shoulders and stepped out into his study. There he observed the man he had come to know and respect. Decimus Maximus Meridius whose first meeting with him had taken place in a humble cell at the gladiator barracks. Even there what had shone out from him had been his dignity and extraordinary integrity. Gracchus had gone that night expecting to meet yet another manipulative schemer aiming to take the throne but had come away believing he had met a truly honest man, perhaps the most distinguished Roman he had ever encountered.

The time in between had not changed his opinion. He knew that Maximus was a unique man, completely incorruptible and uninterested in the pursuit of power or fame. He only seemed to respond to his sense of duty and honour towards his state and his family. His steadfast love for his wife and son had in itself been a mark of the man he was. It was a rare quality in the jaded circles of Roman society.

As Gracchus entered the room, he took a moment to observe the man waiting calmly in the shadowy room. Maximus was standing and observing him with that inscrutable expression of his that was so hard to read. "The hour is very late...what is so important that cannot wait until the morning, Maximus Meridius?"

Maximus paused before answering. "You told me you had money that was mine. I need it. Tonight. A small amount in coin and the rest in promissory notes I can draw in any part of the empire. How long will it take to arrange?"

Gracchus summoned his secretary and gave him a few whispered instructions before turning back to Maximus. "Why are you in such a rush? Who is threatening you?"

"I have my reasons.  I leave Rome tonight. I will not return. I am grateful for your support in this matter..."

It was obvious that Maximus would not say more. It was not so hard to imagine that there were enemies who saw his existence  as a danger to them or elements who were trying to draw him into their intrigues. He wished to disappear. This money was his due. It was the least that Rome could do for this man.

Even if it was their greatest loss that the one man in the entire empire who might be deserving of high office was so resistant to its lure. 

Shortly afterwards Gracchus handed over the leather wallet which contained promissory notes that would be honoured by any state treasury throughout the known world and a bag of silver and gold coin. Maximus nodded and gave his thanks curtly, but politely, before withdrawing. Gracchus watched him go and wondered what was in the man's mind. The former general was alone in the world. Gracchus doubted if anyone was ever let into his inner thoughts. Shaking his head sadly in the knowledge that he would probably never meet this man again, he returned back into his private rooms.

Out on the streets, Maximus picked his way up the hill again in the direction of the palace, the one place they would not expect him to be. It was tempting to search for his enemy and remove them first but in itself that act of reprisal was not important. There were others who would quickly take their place. Better the opponent he recognised than the one he did not.

Retracing his steps, he bluffed his way past the guard who recognised him from earlier, giving his name, announcing he was on the Prefect's business. His manner and reputation were enough to convince them. He was allowed into the palace, refusing an escort on the excuse that his business was secret and he wished not to be observed by too many.

Once out of sight, he changed direction and ran through the shadows to the back stair cases that were normally only used by slaves to fetch and carry to the rooms above. His aim was not to reach the Praetorian  headquarters - Maximus was heading for Aurelia's quarters again.

This time there were two guards poised outside the entrance. Metella was no longer taking any chances. Unsheathing his knife, he acted without thinking now the time had come. Instinct was taking over him; he would be prepared to kill to protect those he cared for.

A knife winged its way at lightening speed across the distance; one of the guards dropped immediately, dead in an instant. His companion stared in disbelief as he saw his friend gurgle his last and slip to the ground. Then sense returned and he looked up, drawing his own sword. Before him stood a man in the shadows, already armed with a gladius, swinging it ominously from right to left as if testing its weight. There was something familiar about him but he could not recall where he had seen him before.

The soldier lunged - but to no avail. Maximus deftly avoided the clumsy movement and had pierced his heart before he even had time to realise what was happening to him. He had to kill these men but he took no pleasure in it - very much the opposite. They were guilty of nothing but being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Dragging the two lifeless bodies off the corridor, he locked them in a small storeroom nearby and then returned to knock softly on the bedroom door and then enter immediately without waiting for a summons.

The rooms were now in darkness but for one small lamp burning in the outer entrance hall. It would appear all of Aurelia's ladies had retired for the night. Advancing slowly, sheathing his bloodstained sword lest it scared the women, he made his way silently through the large chambers, passed sleeping maids and on to the bedroom of Aurelia herself. Pushing aside the heavy curtain, he ducked inside.

She was asleep, curled up on her bed, the halo of golden hair spread over the pillow. His heart leaped at the sight of her. But she was not alone. Her nanny was by her side, her hand protectively around the young girl. Maximus smiled. That old lady was Aurelia's one true friend. An old slave showed more moral courage than almost anyone who had ever touched this girl's life and was probably instrumental in framing the sweet and obedient nature that Aurelia had, more than any of her blood relatives.

He advanced into the room, unsure now that he was here what exactly he would say to her to explain this act of madness that had brought him here. His nerve threatened to fail him. How could he have thought to save her by bringing her into even more danger than she had been before? He should leave. Any reprisals would then devolve entirely on his head. They would execute him, naturally - but she would be innocent of any collusion.

But he lingered one moment too long in watching her. Verilia stirred, sat up and espied the figure in the shadows.

"Who is it? For pity's sake, leave her alone...!"

Aurelia woke with a start and jumped up, clutching the sheet to her, pale and wide-eyed. Maximus stepped forward his hand outstretched. "My lady...I mean no harm..."

"Maximus!" she gasped. "What are you doing here? It is too dangerous...he will kill you if he knows...!"

"Forgive me...I should not be here...but..." He was at loss for words. How could he explain himself? Then his eyes met Aurelia's and something passed between them. It was as if she had already read his mind and understood. The same senseless recklessness that had been driving his actions all night resurfaced and he found himself making a case for what his rational mind knew was absolute madness.

"I have come for you. I could not leave you here in this place. In this corrupt world. It will destroy you, as it once destroyed your mother...Come with me, Aurelia. I can offer you little but my protection...and my...care...I would die for you. Even more than that...I would even live for you..."

Aurelia's skin paled even more as she listened to him. He saw her breasts rising and falling as she gasped for air. This was treason that he was suggesting. Her old nanny said nothing but merely clasped the girl's hand. She seemed even more in shock than the girl herself.

"You ask me to leave my family? What of my duty to them? My father? Lucilla? Lucius?" Aurelia whispered, her hand going to her heart.

Maximus almost grunted his reply. "They will already have an escape route. Mark my words. They always do...."

"Why? Why are you asking this of me? It is madness! They will hunt us down. They will never let us be together...they will kill you....I could not bear that... Maximus...! Maximus...!" She was asking the right questions, the ones he already knew. But it was too late. He had made his bid. Never in his life had he ever backed away from anything once he was committed. It was not in his nature.

"Because this is life, Aurelia, set against mere existence! You have a choice between a lifetime of misery as a beautiful caged bird in this cruel citadel and a helpless victim of the winds of fate. Or, you can take your destiny in your hands and shape it in your own way. There are moments in life when you are offered the chance to change fate...Come with me and we will take our chance...!"

"Why, Maximus? Why do you risk all for me?" Aurelia asked him bluntly. In that instance he found himself wondering who indeed was the naïve child.

There was a moment of silence.  "...because I love you so much...!"

Aurelia's face lost its pallor at his words. A smile of pure joy crossed over her face as she leapt from the bed and bounded over to him, more girl than woman now. "Then why did you not say so straight away! Of course, I will go with you! To the ends of the earth and back! I thought one touch of your hand was enough to see me through life...think you I would waver at the thought of something greater? I swear that even if they hunt us down and kill us both, the short time we spend together will be worth a lifetime of any other destiny. Tell me what I must do. I am yours...there is no other path in life I would rather choose...!"

"...You do not know what you are saying..." Maximus whispered.

"I know...! How wonderful is that? To take a step into the unknown together! To live every moment as if it were our last! How perfect...!"

Her wild enthusiasm almost scared him back into sanity. To her it was an adventure like one of those legendary epics she so loved to read. He stared at her a moment, the images of what might lie before them clouding his brain. How could he risk the life of the most precious thing in the world?

It was then that Verilia stepped in, scurrying over to them. "How much time do we have?"

"We?" Maximus repeated.

"You can't manage her alone. She needs her slave..."

"Where we are going, a slave would mark her out as a lady..."

"So, I am her mother...who would know?" Verilia retorted.

Maximus thought quickly. He couldn't leave the old woman here. They would make her pay for allowing him to kidnap her charge. He would not be responsible for the horrors that might be visited upon this good woman. And she was right. Aurelia was not equipped for the world out there. She needed a woman with her.

He nodded. "Gather some clothes. Nothing too grand. She can take only one personal effect. We travel light..."

"There are guards at the door...how much time do we have?" Verilia asked as she bustled around, picking out a few items and readily discarding the rest. Aurelia just stood bewildered, watching the other two plan their escape.

"Not any more..." Maximus muttered.

"You killed them?" Aurelia exclaimed.

 Maximus shrugged. "Choices...they have to be made..."

"I never wanted men to die for me...!" Aurelia replied.

"Too late for that now. There is no place for sentiment in what we do. They would have stood by and watched you raped. They would take your life if their master required it of them. Live by the sword...then you die by it...!" he retorted and his steely surety gave her an insight into the other man he was who could accept the horrors of battle and the brutality of the arena.

"That maxim applies to all of us..." Aurelia reminded him gently.

"I know..." he answered back, staring at her before reaching out to take her little hand in his. "Do you trust me...?"

"...To the end...!" she whispered as he raised it to his mouth and kissed her softly, his lips lingering as if unwilling to break contact with her flesh. "We must hurry. I have horses waiting. We still have the element of surprise. They will not expect this course of action. But it won't take them long to discover what has happened in the morning...Can you ride?" He addressed Verilia.

"I will be able to by the end of this night..." she answered dismissively. "Now get out while I dress her - and keep quiet! I don't want the other handmaidens to wake and find out what is going on...!"

It did not take long for the two women to join him as he paced the main room lit only by the silvery light of the moon creeping through the windows. The easy part was over. The real labour lay ahead of them- to flee the palace where every step contained a potential source of danger. All they had was the darkness of the night and the sense of impregnability that those within the walls felt. And Maximus' skills as a soldier, honed through years of stealthy engagements in the dangerous German forests. He slipped silently out onto the empty hallway and indicated they should follow, his bloodstained sword already drawn and ready to pounce should any living thing cross his path.

One look back at Aurelia. Her steady gaze returned his. She was afraid but sure. Even now in this deadly place where every corner could bring them danger, far from any place they could safely call a refuge, he realised he felt happier than he had felt in a very long time. This was right. This was his duty. Here was a purpose that explained why he had been required to stay alive.

This may well have been what the gods had planned for him all along....