Aurelia || SERIES ROMANA I

Chapter 4 ~ Golden prison

Sleepy he opened his eyes. Gradually his back started to hurt from sleeping on the hard lectus. It was never meant for a good sleep only for eating on it. Melancholy he looked at his dreamy, soft bed in that the girl was still asleep. The cup he had placed on his chair last evening was empty now. With a proud smile on his face he stood up and throw on his tunica. He freshed up fast and combed his hair.
Before he left the room he gazed at her one last time. She was still sleeping peacefully. The good-natured Sophia had badgered him as she had noticed her wet clothes. He even had to leave his own room, so that the loyal slave could pull the wet clothes from her glowing skin and put her into a light tunica. Of course he understood that her wed clothes made her condition even worse – but he would never admit this to Sophia voluntarily. In a very strange way reminded the old slave him of his own grandmother and that terrified him.
Unwillingly he set of to his uncle who was expecting him for one of his pleasures again. Like always he put on his mask and said the words his uncle wanted to hear. He laughed about his dumb jokes, he made fun as long as it seemed safe to him and he flattered the old lech without a break, but his heart wasn't in it. He was an actor, but he wasn't the heartless, cold hearted, broken toy that his uncle wanted to see in him.

At the seventh hour of the day he was allowed to return to his room because his uncle wanted to play with his fish in his new ponds alone now.
In the moment he was entering his rooms he noticed immediately that something was different. She leaned against the window with an opened book in her hands and she was staring at the page so intensively like she wanted to force the letters to reveal the whole story to her. As he closed the door behind him she looked up and examined him. The longer they were staring at each other the clearer her eyes became like she was awaken slowly from the codex's world.
Without hurry he ambled to her and laid his hand on her forehead. Although she flinched under his touch he was relieved how cold her skin felt. Finally the fever was gone.
Contemptuously looking at him she crossed her arms and pointed at the wax tablet that she had used the last time to write down her question. He laughed and surprised from the sound the beauty flinched again. His arms left and right supported around her body he slowly got closer to her face and looked deep into her sea-blue eyes.
"First", he whispered seductively and registered satisfied that her body reacted to the sound of his voice like he wanted. Unconsciously her body moved closer to his. „it's my turn to ask questions not but then – I promise - I will answer all of your questions"
Doubt and confusion reflected in her eyes, than she nodded and avoided his look. Only with trouble he was able to resist laughing again. Grinning he pulled back an leaned against the opposite window ledge.
Then he asked his questions. Unfortunately he only learnt her name, Aurelia, and her age, 21. An Aurelia – interesting. He thought that family became extinct. She didn't tell him where she came from or how she arrived here. She said that he won't be able to believe her. Saying that she radiated such a deep sadness that a part of him wanted to take her in his arms. After an hour of not getting any more information he gave up. He had realised very soon that he would get his answers only if she trusted him. Because of that he gave her a sign that it was her turn of asking now.
A little bit uncertain she looked at the book in her lap and muttered whether this was really Annales of Ennius. Now he couldn't resist any longer and started laughing. Suddenly he realised that he hadn't laugh from the bottom of his heart for a while. Inquiringly he was staring at her. What was so special about Aurelia that he let his walls down so easily and carelessly and that she was able to touch his real self?
Even more uncertain because of his reaction she drew invisible figures on the leather bending of his edition. Soothing he laid his hand on hers and it felt like a flash was running through his whole body. He removed his hand fast and approved her question. Deep in thoughts she lookd out of the window and stared at the horizon.
"What year do we have now?", she asked without looking at him. He studied her face confused.
"It's the twentysecond year of the reign of Tiberius", he answered truthful and she stared at him in disbelieve. Then her gaze was looking between his toga and the codex in her hands just to finally rest on the tunica she was wearing. She slowly shook her head and started whispering nervously and fast in an unfamiliar language. In the moment she lifted her eyes again finally, tears were twinkling in them and made them look even greater and darker. Something in his face staved of her doubt, she calmed down slowly and she retained her composure. Her eyes hypnotised him and unable to look away he started drowning into their depth. Without losing the intense of her gaze she asked his name. He gave her a chivalrous smile and said: "Gaius Julius Caesar"
For a moment she just stared at him and thought like she needed to sort him into the right category. When the penny dropped.
"Caligula", she whispered and he had to force himself to nod hearing his unpleasant nickname. Her eyes widened in horror and shock. In one leap she jumped out of his bed and ran to the door. He followed her immediately. In the moment she reached the door he managed to caught her and pressed her with every inch of his body against the massive wood. He thanked his uncle for his construction mania silently. In a smaller room she would have been in the hands of the Praetorian who was guarding the floors in this area and Gaius didn't want to imagine what the Praetorian or his uncle would do with her.
Instinctively he pressed her harder against the door and looked down at her. For a woman she was surprisingly tall. But it was the fear in her big sea-blue eyes that broke something inside him. Her lavender scent wrapped him like a warm blanket and he had to shift his weight to not scare her more. He wasn't sure how she react noticing what she triggered in him. He softly ran his fingers over the soft skin of her check and whipped away a tear.
"I will not harm you in any way", he promised and that was enough to break her. Suddenly she clung to him, buried her face in his chest and cried. He gently put his arms around her and whispered calming words in her ear. But how could he promise her that everything will become alright as long as he wasn't able to see any way out for himself? His golden prison became hers. They were both lost.