Timeless Love

It's not really the BEGINNING

Pompeii - Spring of 86 BCE

Marcus entered her room. Valeria had been anxiously waiting for him on her bed. She wore a long white silk nightgown with elaborate embroidered lace. It was a gift from her grandmother that she had been saving for just the perfect occasion.

Valeria lived at home with her father, her mother having passed many years ago while giving birth to her youngest brother. They weren't wealthy but at least they were citizens which gave them privileges that the rest of the population could only dream of, such as owning property or being legally married.

Knowing that Marcus would be calling on her tonight. but not wanting to alert her father, she insisted go out with his friends to the popina, the name for a wine bar in Ancient Rome. A popina wasn't the most respectable of establishments but after her mother died she reluctantly accepted the fact that her father needed a place to escape his mundane reality. Tonight she used that to her advantage.

Valeria's green eyes sparkled in the candlelight. Marcus had longed to see them again ever since he got sent to Athens for the great siege. The Gods may have favoured the Romans however that didn't keep Marcus from bestowing pity upon the people of Athens, that once great epicentre of the modernity, now reduced to nothing more than prey for the new masters of the known world. The siege was so successful that after the Athenian grain stocks had been depleted they were forced to eat shoe leather and grass to survive. 

Marcus came home after his six months in Greece a hardened war veteran. What kept him sane was knowing that Velaria, his beautiful betrothed would be waiting for him. How he longed to see her big green eyes again, to feel her soft milky skin, to be enthralled by her sensual touch.  Life was meaningless without her and he knew that Valeria felt the same about him.

"When I received your letter telling me you were coming here this evening I nearly died from happiness," Valeria began "You survived.  My love had survived. I would get to see you one more time."

Marcus caught the last part of Valeria's sentence, one more time. She didn't mention forever, the word that had defined their feelings for each other since they were young. He paused, his look turning from excitement to worry. Silence. He just stared at her. Valeria looked back with sadness as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I had no choice. Claudius decided that I was to marry him. I cried for weeks but Claudius didn't care. My father told him I was already promised to you," Valeria's voice crackled as she held back from weeping uncontrollably, six months of pent up emotions falling upon her all at once.

"You know how Claudius is," she continued after regaining a semblance of composure. "He didn't care. He assured my father that you would end up dead shortly, if not in this campaign then the next. He would make certain of it. So now the wedding is in six days."

Marcus's demeanour became more and more agitated with every passing word. His battle scared face furrowed with anger. "I will kill him tonight. I promise I will not allow this to stand. You were betrothed to me. We are meant for each other, forever."

Valeria's moment of forced composure was over. Tears flowed down Valeria's cheeks as the anguish in Marcus's face grew more desperate. "You can't kill Claudius. He has his battle tested guards, the very best as he often brags. And besides, the governor would never allow his death to stand. Claudius empties his coffers every time the governor is in need of funds. We're just common folk. Our lives don't matter."

"I don't care if I die. Without you I have nothing. My life is meaningless without my Valeria. I will either kill Claudius or I will die trying. There will be no in between." The severity of his tone frightened her. This was not the same Marcus who had left six long months ago. He was stronger, more determined, his intestinal fortitude giving him a sense of power that the younger Marcus never had. It scared her. This was a Marcus who would follow through on his threats. She couldn't allow it. It could only end the way of the stories of the Gods, with death.