Barbarian Bride (26 page)

Pushing to her feet she paced the cramped space, impatient for Lucius’ return. The hour crept ever closer to dawn. If they didn’t get away tonight they may be stuck hiding out for days, if not weeks. Once they were free of Rome where would they go? She had no idea if Olivia and Alex could ride a horse or handle weapon.

“I want to go home,” Olivia’s voice broke the silence.

“We can’t go home, Mother. Claudia will not suffer us in Rome, you know that.” Alex stroked her mother’s head as she held her.

“I don’t mean back to the villa. Claudia can have the villa and everything in it as far as I’m concerned. I want to go back to Circassia. I want to dip my feet in the Black Sea once more before I die.”

“No one is going to die,” said Alex.

“Of course not! But the journey is a long and dangerous one.” Olivia sat up, pulling out of her daughter’s arms with a look of determination on her face.

“Then we will head for Circassia,” said Klara. “We need a destination and that’s as good a place as any. Besides, I have never been there.”

“Neither have I,” laughed Alex. “We are free women now so why not go on an adventure? There is nothing here for us now.”

Klara smiled at Alex’s sudden change of mood. “It is good to think only of the future when things are difficult. The past cannot serve us now.”

Alex stood and joined Klara at the one small window looking out over the sleeping city. “I suppose you learned that as a gladiatrix.”

“Amongst other lessons,” she nodded. A long moment of silence stretched between them. “Do you have any coin?” Klara asked suddenly.

Alex looked at her with a blank, almost alarmed expression on her face which Klara took to mean she had not thought to bring any with her.

“I have jewels and a little coin,” said Olivia. She scrabbled in the small bag she had brought with her and produced a bulging purse. “Hopefully it will be enough to see us through.” She spilled the contents out on the floor in front of her. The jewels twinkled in the solitary candle light.

Klara let out a long breath. “You have more than enough.” She laughed in relief. After a heartbeat both Alex and Olivia joined their giggles to hers.

At that moment the door floor open and all three women jumped in fright. Klara’s hand instinctively went to her dagger.

“I’m glad to see you’re all so cheerful about the situation.” Lucius stood before them, weariness bruising his eyes and drawing pallor to his skin.

“Lucius!” Olivia and Alex threw themselves into his arms both sobbing. His eyes met Klara’s over their heads and he gave a short nod, the lines of his face grim.

“Right!” said Klara. “We need to gather our things.” She scooped up the jewels and piled them into the purse, tying the string tight. Picking up the rest of Olivia’s belongings she took them to the woman and shoved them in her arms. Then she retrieved Alex’s bag and gave it to her. “We need to go.”

Lucius shepherd them out the door as Klara grabbed her meagre belongings. Taking one last look at the room to make sure nothing was left behind she shut the door and hurried down the steps after them.

They spilled out onto the street and Lucius gestured for them to remain quiet. “The only people about in Rome at this time of night are not the helpful sort. We don’t want to attract any attention to ourselves,” he whispered. “Follow me and stay close.”

Klara took the rear of their little procession, keeping one hand on her sword. The last thing they needed was to be brought undone by thuggery. They hurried along the lanes between the towering
insulae
, through places which rarely saw sunlight, where poverty bred like fleas on a dog. Her senses were alert for movement in the shadows, conscious of the danger of traversing the slums of Rome.

He led them on through stinking streets barely wide for two people to pass. She marvelled at how well he knew his way around. She had the grim thought they may be lost as every street looked the same as the last but they finally arrived in a small plaza not far from the Caelian Hill, home to the wealthy of Rome.

“Where are we going?” asked Olivia, slightly breathless from their hurried pace.

“We need to get to the Porta Capena. I have horses waiting for us there. From there we will take the Appian Way to Capua,” said Lucius.

“Capua? Why not Ravenna?” Klara asked. “We know the road to Ravenna and we can get a boat from there.”

“That is what Claudia will expect us to do. So we head to Capua instead. There is no guarantee she won’t demand all the roads searched. She is not a stupid woman so I expect her to focus on the most logical escape route to Ravenna. From Capua we can make our way to Brundisium without being detected.”

Klara nodded. It was a good plan although it meant many weeks riding through the land of Italia. As long as they stayed ahead of any search Claudia may launch, they would have a good chance of making it to Brundisium in one piece.

“Come!” Lucius said. “Dawn is not far and already we may be too late.” They picked up their pace at the urgency of his words. Unease prickled the back of Klara’s neck as they hurried up the Caelian Hill. They would be foolish to think this place was less dangerous than the one they had recently left. They encountered no one, only stray cats seemed to populate the neighbourhood at that hour of the morning.

Relief surged through her as they sighted the Porta Capena. But first they had to cross the open space between the Temples of Honour and Virtue which stood sentinel over the plaza. They scurried like mice across the uneven ground, the sound of their sandals upon the stone and their laboured breathing echoing off the grand buildings on either side.

They were almost there! The arched gate stood before them, beyond the Appian Way stretched a ribbon of straight road between the outer dwellings of Rome. A shout sounded behind them. Klara froze and spun about ready to fight. Lucius herded his mother and sister before him encouraging them to run for the gate before turning to face the danger with Klara. A tense moment passed but no one came for them and they saw no movement.

She let out a shuddering sigh and offered him a grimace for a smile. “I thought we were caught.”

Lucius lowered his sword. “So did I. I won’t rest easy until we’re leagues from this cursed place. Come on, the horses should be waiting on the other side of the gate.

They took off at a run to catch up with Olivia and Alex who were nowhere to be seen. Klara’s heart pounded from the exertion and the fear something had gone wrong. Where were they? Then she spotted them as she charged through the gate. They were standing along the wall speaking quietly with a man who held three horses.

Klara pulled up and turned to Lucius. “Only three?”

He laughed and pulled her to him with one arm, planting a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m afraid so and I had to steal those!”

“Stolen horses? Oh, Lucius!” cried Olivia.

“What is the matter, Mother? I am accused of two murders so what is a little horse thievery compared to that? Mother, you will ride with me. Alex I trust you can hold your seat?” Alex nodded quickly. “Then let us go,” he said.

Lucius had a quick word with the man whose name Klara never learned. She supposed he was a family slave for who else would risk their neck to help them. She asked no questions but simply mounted the horse given to her. How good it felt to be on horseback once more! Almost as good as being home. She took the reins and kicked the horse forward. Alex followed her with Lucius and Olivia bringing up the rear. They rode quickly; keen to put as much distance between them and Rome as they could before the city awakened from its slumber.

***

The days turned into weeks as they left Capua for Brundisium. The travel was hard going and slower now they had brought a cart for Olivia and Alex to travel on. Alex turned out to be a good driver but even so their pace across the countryside was slow. Klara had more time to think about the future as they plodded along. No one spoke much. Conversation had dried up as fatigue set in. She watched Lucius slouched on the back of his horse, his clothes travel stained. He looked more like a bandit than a Roman magistrate and less like the charming rogue she first met the day of her wedding. What a long time ago that seemed now!

She looked over at Olivia and Alex riding in the crudely made cart. No more the luxurious life of a Roman noblewoman, instead the dangerous and uncomfortable life of peasants on the run. And it was all her fault. If she hadn’t kissed Lucius that day on the Great Plain, Bleda would not be dead and Lucius would not have a price on his head. Olivia and Alex no longer had their home because of her. Claudia had used the fact Lucius had a price on his head to rob them of Decimus and destroy their family. One silly kiss, one fateful moment. She was nothing but bad luck to this family.

Brundisium was not much more than a day’s ride away. They had spoken of Olivia’s future, of Alex’s but not of hers. What was to become of her once they reached Brundisium? The plan was to hire a small ship to sail them across the Adriatic Sea to Dalmatia. She wasn’t sure she had a place with their family, especially as she had brought them nothing but ill luck. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if she parted company with them at Brundisium and made her own way home over the mountains back to the grasslands of her people. She could fight perfectly well; there would be no more danger for her on the road than for a man.

The problem was she loved Lucius with everything she had. He was the one reason she’d survived being a gladiatrix. He had been her guiding light in the darkest moments when she had sought reason to carry on. Now they were both free to be together and all she could think about was what a curse she’d been to him. His whole world had been destroyed because of her. His lucrative trade was gone. His father was gone. His home had been taken from him. What could she possibly offer him to make up for such losses?

Around and around these thoughts chased each other until she was convinced the only thing she could do was to leave them at Brundisium. They would be better off without her. So it was with a heavy heart she spotted the marshes which lay outside the city. They announced the rapidly approaching end and an empty life without Lucius. Still her resolve held. Better she suffer alone than create anymore suffering with her presence.

Their small party perked up at the sight of Brundisium’s city walls. Olivia and Alex chatted about finding a bath house and Lucius promised them a proper roof over their heads, some new clothes and a decent meal. There was much laughter and joking between them. Klara allowed it to wash over her, not partaking, preferring to ride up ahead a little by herself.

A clatter of hooves announced Lucius had joined her. “Why so glum? There is a hot bath waiting for you before the end of the day and a decent bed. Surely you can find a smile to celebrate that!” He laughed and all the days of weariness disappeared as his blue eyes lit up with the prospect of comfort and safety.

“I am looking forward to a bath and a good sleep but we’re not there yet. I prefer to celebrate once we are inside the city walls and have found accommodation.” Klara kept her eyes forward and her tone cold. No point offering him her warmth and love only to take it away again.

“Let me say your mood could do with some improvement. I hope Brundisium will go some way towards cheering you up,” he said, seemingly unconcerned for her frosty tone. He dropped back whistling a tune she didn’t recognise while she ploughed steadfastly ahead, determined to carry out her plan.

Lucius was true to his word. He found them a room with one large bed they would all have to share with a nearby public bath house.

“I haven’t shared a bed since I was child!” Olivia said, clearly delighted at the prospect. “We’re all family so it will be nice and cosy.”

Cosy was not the word Klara would have chose and the prospect of sharing a bed with Lucius and his mother froze the blood in her veins. On the other hand, the idea of sleeping on the floor held no appeal. Her body screamed for a soft bed. It was only for a night before they parted company. So she said nothing, smiled and nodded when spoken to and followed them all into the street to find the bath house.

One thing she was certain she’d miss about the Roman Empire was its bath houses. As she languished in the hot water, eyes closed, letting her muscles loosen with the heat she contemplated washing out of a bucket of cold water and found it lacking by comparison. Olivia and Alex chatted happily about this and that. Klara couldn’t find the heart for woman’s talk. She should be excited about new clean clothes and the sea adventure awaiting them. Neither topic interested her much. Her heavy heart had lodged somewhere near her feet making every step she took an effort much less cheerful conversation about a future she would never share.

If Lucius noticed her withdrawal he kept it well hidden. A part of her resented the fact he didn’t seem to care. Perhaps she didn’t mean as much to him as he did to her. He may very well have drawn the same conclusion as she had—she was bad luck. Klara didn’t remember much about the meal, picking her way through an unidentifiable but delicious stew. Nor did she remember much about the conversations taking place around her. Sadness invaded her body like an illness leaving her lethargic and unresponsive. She did remember climbing into bed next to Lucius who wrapped his arms about her and rested his chin on top of her head before she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

The next morning she was the last to rise.

“Are you well?” Olivia sat on the bed besides her looking fresh and lovely, one hand placed gently on her brow. “She doesn’t have a fever thank goodness.” She spoke over her shoulder to Alex who was busy stuffing clothes into a bag.

“Lucius will be happy to hear that. She’s not been herself for days. I do hope she’s not ill with something catching.”

“Alex!”

“You know I mean her no harm, Mother. It’s just that we’ve come such a long way for any one of us to succumb to illness now.”

“Yes, well the only illness you’re likely to get my dear is sea sickness,” Olivia said crossly. “Now finish packing and go downstairs and fetch something for Klara to eat.”