---

It’s been seven days. Aemilia woke up, miserable. She got off the bed. And then she remembered Ianuarius. Poor, poor Ianuarius.
Aemilia tried to push the memory away. But it just came back, and hit her. She remembered the arrows as they hit him, she remembered the blood, she remembered the screaming...
She found herself on the floor, crying and weeping uncontrollably. That’s how she passed most of her mornings. The rest of the day she focused on other things such as…
The house in which Aemilia was in was small. To call it a house was an overstatement. There wasn’t even a proper floor. It was just dirt. The owners seemed to have tried to add some type of flooring. There were pieces of wood and some smooth marble, most probably stolen.
The were only two rooms inside the house. One was the common room with a table and some benches. The other one was an overcrowded bedroom. There was one bed, barely large enough to fit two people. It was covered with rags, sheepskins, and some goatskins. There was also another so-called bed. Except it was on the floor and it was a ragged mess of stuffed straw, sticks, and sheepskin.Originally, it was only the old woman and her grandson who stayed in this small house. Now, the boy chose to sleep outside in the common space and the old woman insisted on sleeping on the bed of straws, sticks and sheepskin. The rooms were separated by a long, discolored curtain.

Outside the house was a common space shared by everyone in the neighborhood. There were tables around and all the general cooking and conversing was done there. The boy, Chariton chose to go sleep on one of the benches outside.

Seven days passed, and she still remembered that night. She hated that night. The first three days, she didn’t sleep, she didn’t eat, she didn’t drink. She just kept remembering how the arrows struck her brother, how his blood poured all over the floor…
By the end of the third day, the old woman gave her water and forced her to drink. She also decorated the small room with lavender to help her sleep.
The old woman was kind and gentle. Though her skin was riddled with wrinkles, her eyes sparkled with such warmth, Aemilia felt safe in this weird, frightening environment. The old woman didn't speak much Latin. Some bits here and there, mixed with what seemed Greek. However her voice was soft and quiet and comforting. She was one of the few lights for Aemilia.

The boy, her grandson, the one who kidnapped Aemilia, was named Chariton, and for the seven days that Aemilia was in this house, she never heard one word or sound from the boy.
He wasn’t in the house for most of the day, only coming back late at night, smelling like coal and covered in soot.
Whenever he was around, Aemilia simply remained in the room with the beds, not going out, not making a sound.
Once the boy came back, the old woman, his grandmother, would give him dinner and talk to him.
There were also some neighbors.
Most were Greeks, and others were Romans. One of the Greek neighbors was a charismatic girl with brown hair and soft, brown eyes. Her name was Hestia, after one of the greek goddesses. She was 14 years old. Her father owned a stall and sold meat. Her mother had died at birth, leaving her husband with 4 daughters to take care of. Hestia is the third daughter. Bother her older sisters are married with children. The fourth and youngest sister was ill at home.

Aemilia met Hestia on the fourth day of her ‘stay’. It helped, finally having someone to talk to. Through Hestia, Aemilia found out that they were on the east side of Rome, which was the corner of the city reserved to immigrants and people who are in poverty or are barely above it. Bottom line, it was the poor area of Rome.
Aemilia’s home had been much further. It was just on the west side of the city where the rich frequently lived.

Through Hestia, Aemilia also learned that Chariton worked as a blacksmith’s apprentice. He usually worked at the forges all day long. Barely anyone sees him during the day. She also learned that the old woman’s name was Marfena. She and Chariton came here fourteen years ago, after Greece surrendered to Rome. They used to live in Macedonia, but due to the war, they lost everything. Chariton’s father had been a soldier who was slayed during a battle against the Romans, and Marfena’s husband used to be a blacksmith. He died trying to protect them from some cutthroat thieves.
“It’s sad what happened to Chariton’s mother.” said Hestia.
“What happened to her?” asked Aemilia.
“She had been taken by some Roman soldiers...” Hestia became silent.
“And sold as a slave?” prompted Aemilia.
“I’d rather not talk about it.” Hestia had replied.

Aemilia didn’t bring the matter up again. Speaking with the women of this neighborhood for three days, she’d learned about what injustice and cruelty the beaten Greeks were subjected to.
“But my father wouldn’t have such things happened” thought Aemilia. Such thoughts she kept to herself.

It was finally evening. Yes, days passed quickly when all you do is focus on different things. She did trivial small chores around the house. Helped the old woman clean the house, make up the beds. In the afternoon, with the rest of the women she helped prepare dinner. By evening, everyone in the neighborhood had finished. She had volunteered to help Hestia with the dishes. The girls talked for a while.
“Does he ever speak?” asked Aemilia.
“Who?.” asked Hestia.
“Chariton”
“No, not as far as I know.” Hestia replied. After a second or two, she smiled, “Actually for the 10 years that I’ve known him, he never said a word. Can you believe it?” She smiled. Aemilia couldn’t help but smile back.
After some silence, Hestia looked at Aemilia, and in a low voice said, “You know, when you suddenly appeared in Marfena’s house, everyone told me to stay away from you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know Gorgo, who lives in the house above me?” Aemilia nodded. Gorgo was a fat woman who had a penchant for gossiping. “She says that you’re some girl who’s a thief and that I should stay away from you. Saying you’re not a good person to be around”
“Oh.” was Aemilia’s only reply. She went back to her dishes.
“But I don’t believe it.” said Hestia. She looked at Aemilia, seriously, “I once met a thief, she couldn’t stop staring at my jewelry and, when she spoke, you could hear she wasn’t exactly smart.” She went closer to Aemilia, “You’re different.”
For six days, Aemilia had been hoping someone would recognize her. If not for Aemilia Decumius, but to be recognized as an elite Roman citizen. At that moment, she was thinking of taking Hestia somewhere and telling her who she was and to convince her to bring the guards.
However, at the moment, Chariton came back.

Chariton always came back with his horse, a black mare. Most of the time alone. But, this time, there was a woman that was riding behind him on a blonde horse, and a man with a brown horse. The man was dressed like a civilian but he looked like a soldier.
She was wearing black and her face was covered in a black shawl. Her eyes glanced at Aemilia and the Roman girl shivered. Something was odd.

Chariton seemed annoyed as he got off the horse and helped the woman off. He looked away from the woman and seemed to notice that Aemilia was there. He got an astonished look and, perhaps subconsciously, looked her up and down.
Aemilia was disgusted. Not only does this boy took her away from her home, he also killed her family. How dare he look at her like that! She would never give herself to him. Even if her life depended on it.

She turned to Hestia and excused herself and started walking for the small house she had been forced to stay in. Before going inside, she glanced behind her and noticed Hestia smiling and greeting Chariton.
Aemilia wasn’t mad. If Hestia ever finds out what Chariton did, she wouldn’t smile at him so warmly. She went inside the house, as Marfina was standing up. The old woman’s knees were trembling.
Aemilia went and offered her support. She smiled and chided the old lady for trying to get up without any help. She offered Marfina water. The woman gladly accepted.
It was then that, Chariton and his two companions came inside the house.
Chariton’s dark brown eyes looked at Aemilia as he awkwardly stood there. He always felt guilty and beguiled whenever he saw her. He couldn’t help it. He had also gotten used to the girl simply disappearing into the room without even so much as a glance at him. And she did that same thing now. The young man looked after her as she disappeared from his sight. He sighed.

“Aren’t you going to offer us any seats?” that was Porphorus, although he was originally known as Promiphades. Some Greeks chose to make their names more Roman so as to seem more friendly and familiar to Roman clientele.
“How rude of you, Chariton.” replied Marfina, his grandmother. She picked up her cane, which was a simple stick with carvings. It had been her husband’s last gift. She went and put a hand on her grandson’s shoulders. “Forgive me grandson. He seems to be tired after a day in the forges.” She gestured toward the table, “Come, take a seat.”
The man went and sat, and served himself water.
Then the woman came in. She smiled at the old woman, “I’m sorry, Marfina. I know you haven’t seen your grandson all day, but this will not take long.”
“It’s alright, Roxani. You are always welcome at my house.”
The beautiful woman smiled.
“I believe it would be best if I moved into the other room.” said Marfina, as she started moving away. Chariton opened his mouth, in a vain effort to make some sound, and decided to help his grandmother, until the sorceress interceded and gently grabbed the old woman’s arm.
“It’s fine Chariton.” She smiled again, easily and gracefully, “Why don’t you take a seat with Promiphades and discuss what we need to discuss?” There was a small, dangerous glint in her eyes when she said that.
She moved Morfina to the other room, sweeping the curtain aside.

Aemilia was startled. She started to get up when Marfina pushed her down gently and shook her head. She sat down next to her. She pointed to the woman in black and said, “Roxani Makedonida”.
The woman smiled. She was truly beautiful. With smooth skin, like marble, green eyes and black hair, but there was something in her eyes that unnerved Aemilia.
“I am Roxani of Macedonia, our dear Marfina means to say.” her voice was clear and calming. She spoke Latin, with only the slightest hint of an accent.
“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Roxani of Macedonia.”
“And you are?”

For the seven days that Aemilia was there, no one had asked her that. She didn’t really feel safe to share who she really was with anyone. If there were people who wanted her family dead, why not also her?Seven days in silence had helped her think. Without thinking, Aemilia blubbered, “Lumia.” She regained her composure, “I am Lumia.”
“Interesting name.” the woman smiled, but there was still that thing in her eyes, “A pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately, I have some business to attend to. If you’ll excuse me.” She bowed gracefully to Aemilia,bowed deeper to Marfina, whispered some things in Greek, and left the room. Marfina insisted that Aemilia sleep, the girl tried to persuade her the opposite but the old lady was adamant. Somehow, through gestures, Aemilia accepted the old lady’s suggestion to sleep, but only if Aemilia was the one who slept on the straw bed. Marfina, hesitantly, let her.

---

“You shouldn’t have brought her here.” said Promiphades in a low tone. He was cupping his cup of water in both hands, looking at Chariton lazily. “Should’ve just killed her.”
Chariton offered a cup of water to Roxani, who accepted it, and stared angrily at Promiphades.

“Don’t give me that look, boy.” Promiphades got up and started pacing the small room. “You, Ankh, and that Roman traitor had specific orders to kill everyone and destroy all of Celsus Decumius’s documents on...that thing”
“You could just say Negrum Forum, Promiphades.” retorted cooly Roxani. “No one is listening. Everyone is asleep.”
“Peh, you never know.” He pointed at Chariton, “Bottom line, this mute and his ‘friends’ didn’t do the job well.” He came back and place both hands on the table, smiling, “AND they both of those ‘friends’ got killed.”
He looked at Roxani. “Didn’t the mute’s boss tell us that these three were the ‘best in the market’?” He approached Chariton, and looked at him, “Didn’t he say that they wouldn’t fail?” He turned back and looked at Roxani, “Well, then, two of those ‘best of the market’ got killed by some HOUSE GUARDS!” the last part he yelled. “And the THIRD one RAN AWAY!” He glared at Chariton.
Chariton looked down, not wanting to meet the man’s eyes. He knew that Promiphades usually placed out a contract whenever he wasn’t happy with a job. And that was another problem that Chariton didn’t want in his life.
“Promiphades…” her voice was calming. She went to Promiphades and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I suggest you keep your voice down and take a seat.”
Promiphades stiffened and for three seconds stood there looking at the sorceress. He went and sat.
“Chariton, Promiphades is right.” she sat down next to the young man, “You know how important this job was. You know what the bosses think about Celsus Decumius and his investigation in the Negrum Forum.” She leaned a bit closer. She smelled like pine.
“You were specifically chosen for this job because we know what you have done and how well you’ve done it.”
Chariton stiffened, hoping his grandmother was asleep, not hearing this.
“Chariton, what we would like to know is,” she paused, “did you kill Celsus Decumius?”
Chariton nodded.
“His wife?” Her voice was calm and slow.
Chariton nodded.
“His son?”
Chariton nodded.
“Don’t bother asking about the daughter.” Promiphades poured himself more water. “Don’t you have wine or something?”
Chariton shook his head. Roxani gave him a look. Asking for silence.
“Why did you bring the girl here?”
Chariton shrugged.
“Alright, I’ll ask it this way, were you surrounded by guards with arrows?”
Chariton nodded.
“You chose to run away with the girl, knowing that they wouldn’t risk hurting one of their masters?”
Chariton nodded.

Promiphades laughed, “Oh please, Roxani. He took the girl to fuck her.” He got up, paced the room, and kept smiling and laughing. He went behind Chariton, “Hades! I’d even fuck her. She looks well enough. Most probably a virgin.”
Chariton moved fast. He tried to lunge a punch at Promiphades, but the man was faster. He put a dagger under the young man’s chin. Seeing the anger in the mute’s eyes, his dark hair a tumble.

“Chariton, sit down.” Roxani said. “Promiphades, I’d suggest not going behind him. We’re not going to torture him.”
Promiphades walked to the other end of the room and looked out a window. Roxani moved towards Chariton. Her eyes seemed to have more intensity.
“Chariton did you or your comrades manage to destroy the documents?”
Chariton froze. He tried to remember. He remembered Ankh sneaking into Celsus Decumius’s study. He did manage to burn some, but the senator had woken up and attacked Ankh.
Chariton nodded.
“Did you manage to burn ALL the documents?” there was an edge now to the voice.
Chariton hesitated. He wasn’t sure. He thought about it.
“Chariton, I suggest you answer faster.” There was definitely an edge. Chariton could almost feel the dagger in his throat. “Chariton.”
Chariton shook his head.
“Shit” hissed Promiphades. He walked towards Chariton, “You had one, damned job!” He unsheathed his dagger and moved the point under Chariton’s chin.
Chariton looked at Roxani out of the corner of his eye. She got up. “Volna tells me that the centurions had found Ankh’s amulet.”
Promiphades looked at her. He looked back at Chariton. He leaned back.
“However, Volna also tells me that there was one of the documents clasped in Celsus Decumius’s hand. However, it has disappeared. Unfortunately, it’s not one of our ‘sources’ who has it.”
She went towards Chariton. “You are in no danger.”
Both men were surprised.
“What?” asked Promiphades. He turned towards Roxani, and went toward her, “Don’t tell me you’re going to let him go? He failed the job!” He said that in a whisper.
Roxani turned to Chariton and smiled. “We shall leave you.”
She gave Chariton two small, brown pouches. “One has gold. The other has herbs for your mother.”
Chariton grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes. Thanks.
Roxani leaned in, “I suggest getting some dye. Change the girl’s hair. Cut it. Dye it.” She went to the exit of the house. “Your job now, Chariton, is to keep the girl hidden. Alright?”
Chariton nodded, grasping the pouches close to his chest.
“Don’t fail.” The edge again and the sorceress’s eyes seemed to darken.
But Chariton kept nodding. He went on his knees and attempted to thank the woman.
“Good night, Chariton.” She turned to the man, “Promiphades, let’s go.”
And they left.

---

“You shouldn’t have let him live.” They had ridden far. All the way to the Lady’s Drink. They were in the sorceress’s room.
Torches and candles lit up the room. She didn’t work during day. Different poultices and herbs grew there. One or two cats. In the back of the room, separated by a curtain, there was a table with three chairs where she did most of her dealings and sorcery. Different knives for different things. In the main, larger part, the front part, it was more like a seating room where Roxani’s clients would wait. It had a low table and two divans with red and blue cushions.
In a corner, there was a small shrine dedicated to the gods.

To access the room, you had to go the back of the bar, passed the black curtain that was hiding the door and down some stairs.
When they had come in at the bar, one of the girls scurried to bring them wine and food, which were now resting on the table.
“Promiphades, what else would you have me do? Kill him?” Roxani was sitting on one of the divans, serving herself wine and chicken.
“Well, anything would have been better than just letting him live with no consequences.” Promiphades was lying down and enjoying himself to a hearty serving of wine, chicken, fish, and grapes.
Roxani looked at the man. Promiphades, more commonly known in the marketplaces as Porphorus the merchant, was a handsome man, although he gained some weight. He had cut his light brown hair short like the Romans, but he kept his beard. His blue eyes showed smile wrinkles, although if you looked hard, you would notice there was something dangerous lurking back there. Amongst some circles, he had a reputation to be ambitious and a back-stabber. Roxani was weary of him.
“He’s a young man who cannot talk, trying to take care of his grandmother.” Roxani sipped her wine. “ Plus, he’s also a skilled employee. And also a perfect one since he cannot speak.” She leaned in to pluck a grape, “Clients love such an employee. Especially the bosses.”
“Hmph. Although skilled, he brought the girl to his house.” retorted Promiphades.
“But she’s not trying to do anything. And I don’t think she’s planning. She seems like a smart girl, probably capable if desperate enough, but she’s in mourning and doesn’t think of escape.”
“How are you so sure this girl is how you say she is?”
Roxani stretched her arms gently, “It’s one of the few things I can do.”
Promiphades chuckled, “I see. There is a reason why some people fear you.” He sat up, looking at the sorceress. Fuck, she is beautiful.
He that somewhere in this underground ‘home’, there was a bedroom with a bed. He so wanted to go there. However, he knew better than that.
Roxani ate another grape, “Besides, we have much larger problems than some elite roman girl. We have Centurion Felix Dectivius…”
Promiphades sputtered his wine a bit, “Eh, heard he’s methodical but a bit like an ox. Don’t think he’s a threat.”

Roxani, undeterred, finished, “...and Lord Albus Etluxius.”
Promiphades sat up and spat out his wine. He looked at Roxani. “No. He wouldn’t be involved in this.” He got up and paced the room. “Why would he be? He doesn’t have anything to do with the Decumiuses!”
“He was young Ianuarius’s teacher.”
“So? My teacher was killed, too. You don’t see me going around trying to find who killed him!” He paced the room nervously.
“Promiphades, please, sit down.” Roxani calmly said. The man sat down.
“Please, call me Porphorus. Don’t know who might be listening.”
“You’re missing the matter at hand, sir Porphorus.” Roxani got up and went to him, “This centurion. Felix Dectivius. He was the one who was responsible for the case of Anhut.”
Porphorus looked at her, “You mean the runt who nearly got…”
“The Anhut. Killer of a 100 men. The Snake. Yes.” She moved away from shock Porphorus and continued, “Thankfully, some of the senators are in our pockets, or else our skilled Anhut would have been executed.” She sat back down, revelling in the usually calm man’s shocked expression. “After that, he gained some recognition, and became centurion. Under the personal order of Caesar.” She kept studying Porphorus who was no sweating.
“You really never heard of him?”
“I-” He regained some of his composure, “I knew that he was some well-known centurion who served in the Romans’ conquest for Greece just never…”
Silence.
“Indeed.”
“What are we going to do?”

Roxani liked how Porphorus said ‘we’ as if they were some sort of allies. “Nothing. I’ll deal with the centurion.”
“What about… you know… the lord?”
“Although I know he thinks me and, probably, some other members are part of this, I also know that he doesn’t like to risk himself.”
“What I mean is… Is he working for us? Or for the Senate?”
“That I’m not so sure.” She got up and and put a hand on Posphorus’s shoulder and gently pulled him up, “I was a bit surprised to see that he decided to bring the centurion here. Most probably to introduce me to him. To bring me up as some sort of suspect.”
“Wait. They came here?” Roxani was gently pushing Posphorus towards the exit.
“They did. But, it seems that the centurion doesn’t trust the lord. He refused to get friendly with the man.” They were at the door. “To be honest, the centurion seems like a good man.”
“Roxani, I would suggest being careful.”
How sweet, as if he cares.
“I will be. It’s late and I need some rest.” She looked at Posphorus, “I believe you will be reporting this to the bosses?”
“Of course.” He went out the door, “And if I don’t, they will learn it on their own either way. Much faster if I tell them.”
“Good. Good night, sir Posphorus. Have a good day on the market tomorrow.”
“Good night, Roxani. Thank you for the poultices.”
He left.

For a while, Roxani sat at the bar. They had closed an hour ago, but she always had access, being one of the main sources of profit for it.
Posphorus wasn’t wrong, there was a very comfortable bed somewhere in her room, hidden.
She went to it. Prayed. And started preparing for tomorrow.
Before going to sleep, Roxani remember that all three of the flowers that she’d picked and offered to Demeter had wilted. They were only picked a day ago. She wasn’t sure whether to take this as an omen.

Notes

Here's a new chapter. I know it's long, but I hope you like it.
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Lolig