Asterius by Nhys Glover

Author:Nhys Glover [Glover, Nhys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belisama Press
Published: 2018-03-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

ACCALIA

Marcus’ family, I discovered, were all in Rome. Marcus had chosen to remain at their country estate to establish a new manager. Really, he just preferred life in the country, he told me. Urban life was too noisy, smelly and crowded for his liking.

But the problem with being alone at the estate was that, if Camellia sent slaves our way to reclaim me, he had few men he could call on to fight them off. I did not know if the people I knew so well would do Camellia’s bidding, but I was not prepared to find out.

So, as soon as it was light, Marcus and I took the cisium and headed for Rome. Our first stop would be the Natalinus domus, to gauge his father’s position. The plan was to stow me away in a pension on the outskirts of the city while Marcus went to his father. He would send off the missives I had written from there. And if his father approved what we were doing, I would come into Rome under Natalinus protection. If he did not, I would go to Pater’s cousin and hope to have better luck there.

The main problem was that I had no power. I was considered a child under the control of my paterfamilias. In my father’s absence, Camellia stood in his place. It was assumed a wife would do her husband’s bidding in all matters. Therefore, if she said I was to marry while Pater was gone, no one but Pater could legally stand in her way.

But there was the Law and then there was the law. And a powerful man like Natalinus might choose to do what was politically expedient rather than what was legal. Allowing Camellia to make ties with Parthia in politically volatile times like these would not be in Rome’s best interest. Or that was the argument Marcus planned to use when he went to his father.

These were our thoughts as we made the two-day journey south to Rome. I had disguised myself as a slave boy, yet again, to avoid scandal. And we stayed in a foul mansione on the way, although the place was overrun with bugs and thieves. The usual option chosen by our class was to stay with friends along the way, but secrecy made that option impossible for us.

So, two days after escaping my home, I found myself ensconced in another tiny, filthy room, with enough food to last me a day, while Marcus went to seek his father’s help. At least I felt reasonably secure. The landlord, a jovial man with narrow eyes that saw everything, had proudly explained his security measures, showing us the wooden beam that could be slid into place to keep the door barred when we were trying to sleep.

Not that I expected to sleep. But as I had slept little the night before and was exhausted from the journey, I might be lucky enough to snatch a few hours before Marcus’ return.

It seemed my lot in life was to wait.

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