Descendants of Rome (#3 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Octavia studied the three children as they sat at a table off to her side; glaring into the bowls of food she had had an officer bring them.

She could quite easily tell which two were the siblings, and children of Krista and Artorius, and which was the offspring of Frieda and Diomed.

Cassia and Zeph looked like their parents with their dark auburn hair and those ebony eyes which to Octavia looked like the colour of coal. Their noses were straight whilst their lower lip was slightly fuller than their top lip.

Ahern, on the other hand, was the complete opposite with his straggly blonde hair the colour of straw. His features were simple and non-threatening from the paleness of his skin to the doe-like look in his eyes.

"Eat," Octavia ordered them when they did not move for a few minutes, but they continued to simply stare into the bowl, "You will not be getting anything else for a long time so, if I were you, I would eat."

Ahern, the youngest of the trio, turned and leant into Cassia. Her arm instantly wrapped around his shoulders and whispered something into his ear.

"What are you telling him?" Octavia asked out of curiosity.

Zeph had lifted his head by this point but would not look at Octavia directly.

He was too young to know the details of what was happening but deep down something told him that it was not right and that Octavia was somebody he should be afraid of.

Cassia finished muttering something to Ahern before she lifted her head and turned to Octavia slowly, showing her first act of defiance since she had arrived.

Octavia tilted her head forward slightly when she saw the young girl's bold move.

"I told him not to be scared," Cassia's voice waved only slightly at the beginning before she found her footing, "And that we shall see our parents soon."

Octavia smiled, "Your parents are in an open rebellion against Rome, do you know what that means?" Octavia leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees.

Cassia only blinked.

"It means your parents are going to die," Octavia smirked.

Cassia held Zeph close as he heard Octavia's words.

"Did your mother never tell you what happens in war?" She directed the question to Cassia, the only one with enough intelligence to converse with her.

Cassia stared at Octavia as she replied, "She told me that Romans are bastards."

The air crackled with tension between Octavia and Cassia when a guard stepped into the tent.

"Commander?"

"What?" Octavia snapped.

The guard took a small step backwards, "Argyle has responded to the message."

"Argyle?" Octavia had been expecting Krista, but it was of no matter.

She momentarily thought about the man she had sent over to inform Krista about the fate of her beloved children. He was probably dead by now but you had to make sacrifices in war.

"Yes?" She got to her feet.

"He has agreed to meet at dawn to discuss the terms of the surrender. Would you have me send a reply?"

"Yes," Octavia walked over to the guard and pulled him aside so that the children could not hear clearly, "Send a reply that states we shall meet him at dawn. Victory is close, but I want you to take a patrol and post men across the area. We do not need Argyle to start something."