up ahead and she stuck her head out the side of the litter to look. The Palatine was beautiful, with villas covering the hill. She wished she was just visiting so she could enjoy seeing it.
The litters pulled up in front of Cicero Gaius’ villa. There was a great deal of noise coming from the house, and guards were posted at the door. Quintus exited the litter and looked at the house with disgust.
“Surely they haven’t started the celebration without the bride,” he said.
Quintus walked over to the door and rang the bell. A tall male slave answered the ring. He had a strange look on his face when he saw the two litters.
“Where is your master?” Quintus asked him.
The slave still didn’t answer.
“What’s wrong with you?” Quintus yelled.
“Sir, it’s just that, well, we weren’t expecting anyone. Sir, the master’s dead.”
Quintus' Moment on the Palatine
Quintus stared at the slave. After standing there for what seemed like an eternity, Quintus pushed past the slave and entered Cicero Gaius’ villa.
The house was in a state of utter chaos. The atrium was dark and littered with debris. There were people sleeping wherever they had fallen the night before. He quickly walked toward the back of the house.
The body of Cicero Gaius had been placed on a large dining table. It had taken many slaves to hoist it up there. Quintus saw dried blood caked around the clean red line cut into Cicero Gaius’ neck and realized that the big man had been murdered.
The dining chairs had been pushed to the wall and Quintus fell into one. He couldn’t take his eyes off the body.
Cassia was waiting for Quintus to collect her and present her to her new husband. She was feeling very sick, and she asked the litter bearers to let her down. When they did, she ran to the bushes and vomited violently. Mindful of her dress, she held on to the branches to steady her legs. She was holding onto the branches when she heard her father call her name. She quickly wiped her mouth.
“Cassia, come,” he yelled. Cassia walked over to her father. “We’re going home.”
Cassia stopped. Had Cicero Gaius rejected her? If so, then her father would be very angry. She hadn’t been able to read her father’s mood and he’d already entered his litter.
Cassia climbed into her litter and the bearers lifted her up. As she was carried away from the house of Cicero Gaius, the realization that she wasn’t getting married today struck her and her heart exploded with joy. All the way to the Vicus Raciliani Maioris she thanked and praised Juno for the goddess’s intervention.
Flavius saw the litters arrive in front of the shop and ran to the door. He saw his little Cassia and smiled. He also saw the look on Quintus’ face and suppressed the smile. He would have to look appropriately serious. Amatus had arrived earlier and he, too, ran to the front of the shop.
Cassia ran to Flavius and hugged him. She then saw Amatus and almost hugged him, too, but caught herself. She was standing in front of him when Quintus entered the shop.
“It was a dreadful thing, Flavius, simply dreadful. Cicero Gaius is dead. Someone slit his throat last night.”
Flavius shook his head and feigned surprise. Cassia looked into Amatus’ eyes. Did he do this? Amatus, reading the accusation in her eyes, shook his head no. He looked at Flavius, and she followed his gaze. Of course, it was Flavius, she thought. She knew he loved her, but to kill for her…
As he stood there watching Quintus and Flavius discussing the demise of Cicero Gaius, Amatus conceived a brilliant plan. It came to him so quickly that it took him by surprise, yet it was the best idea he’d ever had in his life.
He decided to tell his acquaintances at the river about Quintus’ young, beautiful and cursed daughter. He had no doubt the superstitious Romans would believe him. He would tell them that any man
The litters pulled up in front of Cicero Gaius’ villa. There was a great deal of noise coming from the house, and guards were posted at the door. Quintus exited the litter and looked at the house with disgust.
“Surely they haven’t started the celebration without the bride,” he said.
Quintus walked over to the door and rang the bell. A tall male slave answered the ring. He had a strange look on his face when he saw the two litters.
“Where is your master?” Quintus asked him.
The slave still didn’t answer.
“What’s wrong with you?” Quintus yelled.
“Sir, it’s just that, well, we weren’t expecting anyone. Sir, the master’s dead.”
Quintus' Moment on the Palatine
Quintus stared at the slave. After standing there for what seemed like an eternity, Quintus pushed past the slave and entered Cicero Gaius’ villa.
The house was in a state of utter chaos. The atrium was dark and littered with debris. There were people sleeping wherever they had fallen the night before. He quickly walked toward the back of the house.
The body of Cicero Gaius had been placed on a large dining table. It had taken many slaves to hoist it up there. Quintus saw dried blood caked around the clean red line cut into Cicero Gaius’ neck and realized that the big man had been murdered.
The dining chairs had been pushed to the wall and Quintus fell into one. He couldn’t take his eyes off the body.
Cassia was waiting for Quintus to collect her and present her to her new husband. She was feeling very sick, and she asked the litter bearers to let her down. When they did, she ran to the bushes and vomited violently. Mindful of her dress, she held on to the branches to steady her legs. She was holding onto the branches when she heard her father call her name. She quickly wiped her mouth.
“Cassia, come,” he yelled. Cassia walked over to her father. “We’re going home.”
Cassia stopped. Had Cicero Gaius rejected her? If so, then her father would be very angry. She hadn’t been able to read her father’s mood and he’d already entered his litter.
Cassia climbed into her litter and the bearers lifted her up. As she was carried away from the house of Cicero Gaius, the realization that she wasn’t getting married today struck her and her heart exploded with joy. All the way to the Vicus Raciliani Maioris she thanked and praised Juno for the goddess’s intervention.
Flavius saw the litters arrive in front of the shop and ran to the door. He saw his little Cassia and smiled. He also saw the look on Quintus’ face and suppressed the smile. He would have to look appropriately serious. Amatus had arrived earlier and he, too, ran to the front of the shop.
Cassia ran to Flavius and hugged him. She then saw Amatus and almost hugged him, too, but caught herself. She was standing in front of him when Quintus entered the shop.
“It was a dreadful thing, Flavius, simply dreadful. Cicero Gaius is dead. Someone slit his throat last night.”
Flavius shook his head and feigned surprise. Cassia looked into Amatus’ eyes. Did he do this? Amatus, reading the accusation in her eyes, shook his head no. He looked at Flavius, and she followed his gaze. Of course, it was Flavius, she thought. She knew he loved her, but to kill for her…
As he stood there watching Quintus and Flavius discussing the demise of Cicero Gaius, Amatus conceived a brilliant plan. It came to him so quickly that it took him by surprise, yet it was the best idea he’d ever had in his life.
He decided to tell his acquaintances at the river about Quintus’ young, beautiful and cursed daughter. He had no doubt the superstitious Romans would believe him. He would tell them that any man
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