Cicero Gaius was a pig of a man. As she thought about her father, a small ball of hate began to form in Cassia’s heart, but she cast it aside. She didn’t want to hate Quintus, no matter how he treated her. Hate just didn’t feel right in her body.
The trip to Palatine Hill took a blessedly long time. Cassia tried to look at the people she passed to take her mind off what was happening to her. Some would turn and stare at her, thinking she was someone important. She tried to smile.
Cassia ran her hand over the silk of the dress she wore and marveled at its softness. She felt the jewelry on her body and thought about the money spent on this one outfit. She could have helped so many people with that money.
Cassia remembered a time when she was only eight years old and working in the shop with Flavius. She was sweeping the doorstep when she noticed a woman across the road, sitting against a wall. She was crying, and Cassia walked over to ask her what was wrong. As she came closer, she saw a small bundle at the woman’s feet. The bundle was moving.
“Why are you crying?” she asked the woman.
The woman looked at her and leaned into the wall.
“It’s okay, I mean you no harm.” Cassia squatted down to be level with the woman’s eyes. “May I look at your baby?” she asked.
The woman softened and said yes. Cassia pulled back the swaddling and saw the tiniest baby she had ever seen. It looked very pale and thin, and it didn’t cry.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked.
“It’s a girl. My people left her out to die by the river. I took her and ran away. I have no money and I haven’t eaten. I have no milk for her.” The woman began to cry.
Cassia knew some people left babies out to die, but she’d never seen one before.
“I have food. I’ll bring it out to you.”
Cassia turned and ran to the shop. She took the fruit and bread she’d bought for her lunch and took it to the woman. Flavius saw her running out the door and watched after her. He watched her give the woman the food.
“I’ll bring you more tomorrow,” she told the woman. “What’s your name?”
“Livia,” the woman said. She grabbed the bread and ate it fast. “Do you have some water?” she asked Cassia.
Cassia ran into the shop and got a cup. She filled it with Flavius’ water jug and took it to Livia. Livia gulped the water down.
“I should make milk now.” She took some water and spit it into the baby’s mouth, and it ran down her cheeks.
“What’s her name?” Cassia asked.
“I wanted to call her Dulcia,” Livia replied.
“She’ll get better. I know she will. We have to find you a place to live.” Cassia smiled at Livia.
“You’re so kind.” Livia smiled too. Her hopelessness began to lift.
Flavius had called her back to the shop, and she told Livia she would see her the next day. Livia thanked her and waved to Cassia.
The next morning when Cassia looked for Livia, she saw the bundle on the street, alone. She ran over to the bundle and pulled back the swaddling. The baby was white and cold. Cassia began to cry. Flavius ran over to her and pulled her away from the baby.
“Don’t touch it,” he yelled. “Did you touch it?” He turned her around and looked at her. She shook her head. “The guards will take care of it, Cassia. Come back to the shop.”
Cassia had continued to cry the rest of the day. She’d never seen a dead person, let alone a dead baby, and she was very distraught. Flavius called Novia into the shop and told her to take Cassia home. For weeks afterward, Cassia had dreamt about the baby’s cold dead face.
Now she was on her way to her new home. Would she have a baby herself? She couldn’t imagine fat old Cicero Gaius on top of her as Novia had told her he would be. He would kill her! Her stomach began to feel sick.
She heard one of the carriers say the Palatine was
The trip to Palatine Hill took a blessedly long time. Cassia tried to look at the people she passed to take her mind off what was happening to her. Some would turn and stare at her, thinking she was someone important. She tried to smile.
Cassia ran her hand over the silk of the dress she wore and marveled at its softness. She felt the jewelry on her body and thought about the money spent on this one outfit. She could have helped so many people with that money.
Cassia remembered a time when she was only eight years old and working in the shop with Flavius. She was sweeping the doorstep when she noticed a woman across the road, sitting against a wall. She was crying, and Cassia walked over to ask her what was wrong. As she came closer, she saw a small bundle at the woman’s feet. The bundle was moving.
“Why are you crying?” she asked the woman.
The woman looked at her and leaned into the wall.
“It’s okay, I mean you no harm.” Cassia squatted down to be level with the woman’s eyes. “May I look at your baby?” she asked.
The woman softened and said yes. Cassia pulled back the swaddling and saw the tiniest baby she had ever seen. It looked very pale and thin, and it didn’t cry.
“What’s wrong with him?” she asked.
“It’s a girl. My people left her out to die by the river. I took her and ran away. I have no money and I haven’t eaten. I have no milk for her.” The woman began to cry.
Cassia knew some people left babies out to die, but she’d never seen one before.
“I have food. I’ll bring it out to you.”
Cassia turned and ran to the shop. She took the fruit and bread she’d bought for her lunch and took it to the woman. Flavius saw her running out the door and watched after her. He watched her give the woman the food.
“I’ll bring you more tomorrow,” she told the woman. “What’s your name?”
“Livia,” the woman said. She grabbed the bread and ate it fast. “Do you have some water?” she asked Cassia.
Cassia ran into the shop and got a cup. She filled it with Flavius’ water jug and took it to Livia. Livia gulped the water down.
“I should make milk now.” She took some water and spit it into the baby’s mouth, and it ran down her cheeks.
“What’s her name?” Cassia asked.
“I wanted to call her Dulcia,” Livia replied.
“She’ll get better. I know she will. We have to find you a place to live.” Cassia smiled at Livia.
“You’re so kind.” Livia smiled too. Her hopelessness began to lift.
Flavius had called her back to the shop, and she told Livia she would see her the next day. Livia thanked her and waved to Cassia.
The next morning when Cassia looked for Livia, she saw the bundle on the street, alone. She ran over to the bundle and pulled back the swaddling. The baby was white and cold. Cassia began to cry. Flavius ran over to her and pulled her away from the baby.
“Don’t touch it,” he yelled. “Did you touch it?” He turned her around and looked at her. She shook her head. “The guards will take care of it, Cassia. Come back to the shop.”
Cassia had continued to cry the rest of the day. She’d never seen a dead person, let alone a dead baby, and she was very distraught. Flavius called Novia into the shop and told her to take Cassia home. For weeks afterward, Cassia had dreamt about the baby’s cold dead face.
Now she was on her way to her new home. Would she have a baby herself? She couldn’t imagine fat old Cicero Gaius on top of her as Novia had told her he would be. He would kill her! Her stomach began to feel sick.
She heard one of the carriers say the Palatine was
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