Aurelia || SERIES ROMANA I

Chapter 14 ~ Shocking discovery

Julia drummed her fingers on the desk's dark wood impatiently and watched her slaves' every single movements in her hand mirror. Then her hair was finally done, Julia stood up and send her slaves away. Agrippina and Drusilla, her older sisters, wouldn't leave the bed before noon – the usual.
A tall, broad shouldered Teuton was already waiting at her door. Julia's grandmother had organised him to keep her safe. Since Julia started to suspect that he had an affair with Drusilla, she felt uncomfortable in his presence. But he stood up with her without mourning to escort her on her walks every morning. Julia didn't know what her sister was seeing in him. Grandmother warned them that they should interact as less as possible with the slaves in the villa, because every single one of them could be a spy.
"Order them around, but don't talk with them", her grandmother had told them non-stop. "Everyone has a price!"
Julia couldn't put her doubts aside and so she was the only one left who followed her grandmother's advice. Julia had always been an overthinking person.
With a small nod she let the Teuton know that she was ready. She passed him and walked through the corridors. The light was slowly getting brighter. As soon as she left the villa's stale air behind, she allowed herself to relax a little bit. She loved the Bay of Naples and her family's villa had more to offer than a beautiful view of the sea: The terraced garden had access to a small, private beach. It was the only place Julia could go to escape her sisters for a few precious moments. Here she could forget all her dark thoughts and enjoy life.
With every step she felt lighter, and her thoughts flew away with the wind. The sand she was walking on was still wet after last night's storm. Julia inhaled the peace deeply. The sounds of the low surf calmed her down. Soft, warm sun light tickled on her skin and she felt a small smile forming on her face that showed a serious expression so often. Just because she was the youngest of her sisters didn't mean that she was a typical young, noble woman like her sisters: shamelessly flirting, shamelessly laughing, shamelessly pleasure-seeking, but shameless before everything else. Her sisters were well educated, too, but only Julia enjoyed philosophical questions and beautiful written verses. She had been the one who noticed that messages were hidden in her brother's poems. Now she didn't read his panegyrical letters anymore and concentrate decoding his verses.
Suddenly something flickering caught her attention and Julia looked around in confusion. Her scream was the reason the Teuton registered the small figure laying in the surf and, they ran to her immediately.
The girl was laying on her stomach, her sandy hair covered her face and the rest of her tunica or stola – Julia wasn't so sure because the dress was so destroyed – was glued to her ice-cold body like a second skin. But Julia was unable to lift her gaze from the familiar ring that she was wearing. She would have recognised the blue stone everywhere: This was her mother's ring that was in her brother's possession now. Without a doubt. Drusilla had been so furious that mother gave the precious ring to Gaius. But for the first time Gaius – who had never been able to say no to one of his sister's wishes – ignored her protests, took the ring, and never let it go. This had to be the little golden girl from his last poems. Something must have gone terribly wrong last night.
Julia forgot all her caution and asked the young Teuton in panic, if the girl in front of them was dead. The slave examined her in surprise, turned her around and did something with her head. Gods, her face was breath taking. At first slowly, then gasping for air water was getting out of her mouth. Her eye lids moved, but her eyes remained close. Beside her unhealthy skin colour the girl was the most beautiful woman Julia had ever seen. No wonder that Gaius was moving sky and Hades to save her.
"Milady?", the Teuton asked unsure, and his soft voice touched her soul. Blinking Julia turned around and met the gaze of his forest green eyes. She had never noticed his eyes before, but they were gorgeous. Suddenly she could nearly understand Drusilla. Julia forced herself to get out of her trance and nodded to allow him to speak.
"Milady, what are you planning to do with her?", he wanted to know, and Julia moaned. She couldn't leave the girl here. Gaius would never be able to forgive her.
"Bring her inside and put her in one of the free guest rooms. After that go and find a medicus for her", she ordered before she jumped up and started running toward the villa. Now she had the unpleasant task to wake her sisters earlier than they were used to. Why was her life so complicated? Sometimes she longed to have a boring, normal life and to belong to a boring, normal family.

While Julia rushed through the whole villa, gave the slaves new instructions, and visited Gaius' girl from time to time, Drusilla and Agrippina were laying relaxed, but tired, with their breakfast. Julia entered the triclinium muttering. She laid next to her sisters and grabbed an apple. Now she had done everything she could for Gaius' little gold-girl.
"Shouldn't Gaius' little surprise arrive here tomorrow?", Drusilla asked. Gods, she was in a bad mood again. Julia rolled her eyes and stayed silent. Drusilla was acting like the girl changed the plans on propose. While her older sisters were watching her, Julia took a bite.
"How is she?", Agrippina asked and Julia shrugged her shoulders. Her mouth was full. In a rush she gulped the bit down her throat and answered that the medicus was still checking her. The sisters exchanged uneasy looks, then slaves entered the room. The sisters weren't brave nor stupid enough to speak more in front of their slaves. Immediately they switched the topic and ate their breakfast.
Suddenly Drusilla remembered that they had to inform Gaius. Julia nodded, but Agrippina wanted to change the plan first. Quietly they brain stormed and as soon as they were done, they wrote a letter to their brother. May the gods help them and prevent the girl from traveling to the underworld. The sisters would be in serious trouble otherwise.