Fall of Empires

Chapter 3

Antonina did her best to keep still and quiet as she crouched down and peered through the tall trellis that supported the meandering vines. She frowned and brushed back her unruly, dark tresses from her eyes as she struggled to see what was going on in the secluded inner sanctum of the great central courtyard of her uncle Eusebius’ house. All that she could make out through the twisting branches were his silly old statues. She could see nothing of the two figures huddled together on the marble seat at the centre of the garden hideaway. Try as she might, neither should she catch any of their softly murmured conversation. Stealthily, she moved around for a better view.

Something was going on. That was for sure, though no-one had told her anything. Neither her uncle nor Isaac nor even Anna had given any satisfactory answer to her persistent questioning. Since the night of Bardas’ homecoming, which she had not been allowed to attend despite her protestations that she was almost eleven, there had been an unspoken yet unmistakable tension.

Antonina had been taken in by her uncle Eusebius some years before when her own parents in Edessa had succumbed to an outbreak of plague. She had soon captivated everyone with her sunny disposition and usually prided herself at being able to wheedle information out of the family whenever she needed to. Isaac was a particularly soft touch. This time however things were different. Even Anna, whom Antonina openly worshipped as the nearest thing she had to a mother, big sister and best friend all rolled into one, had remained tight-lipped when quizzed as to what everyone seemed to be so morose about.
At last she worked her way around to a better spot, peering through the vines, past the straining thigh muscles of a carved marble Atlas as he carried the celestial sphere eternally on his shoulders, to where Anna and Theophanes sat nestled in each other’s arms, speaking softly to each other in between long, lingering kisses.

Antonina grinned to herself delightedly as she looked on, still unable to make out any of the conversation. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about, she thought to herself, but then she saw Theophanes tenderly wipe away a tear from Anna’s cheek. Whatever could Anna find to be upset about at a time such as this? No. There was definitely something amiss.

The rumble of her stomach distracted Antonina from her observations for a moment and her will to resist the plump, juicy grape dangling just above her left eye began to weaken. Moving as quietly as possible, she reached up and picked the ripe fruit and popped it into her mouth, closing her eyes in pleasure at its sweetness. She reached to pick another and then froze, cursing her greediness inwardly as the two young lovers looked up with a start at the sudden rustle.

Antonina kept as still and quiet as the statues, with the pilfered grape poised before her lips as Theophanes and Anna looked in her direction. After a few moments they returned their attention to each other, assuming perhaps that the sound had been made by a small bird.
Antonina relaxed and risked eating the second grape. As she resumed her spying, her eyes widened as she observed the increasing passion on the bench. She had not known that people could kiss for so long. Surely they needed to stop to breathe? As Theophanes’ hand strayed to Anna’s breast Antonina found herself emitting an involuntary gasp followed immediately by an equally uncontrollable giggle.

She was already fleeing back towards the relative safety of the peristyle by the time Anna emerged from between the overlapping panels of the trellis, shouting after her.

‘Antonina! You little sneak. Wait until I get my hands on you!’

Antonina feared the wrath of Anna’s hairbrush across her bottom again unless she could find somewhere to hide until Anna’s fearsome temper wore off, although she was a little old for such punishment now in her opinion.

As she turned to check for pursuit, Antonina ran straight into Isaac who immediately grabbed her and reduced her to writhing helplessness with merciless tickling.
‘Were you spying again, Antonina?’ Isaac persisted with the torment as Antonina squealed incoherently. ‘You should be careful creeping up on those two. They’re shameless.’