The Battlefield

The Interrogation

Luca rushed out of the room, leaving Miriam to hold Mia tighter against her bosom. The commotion suddenly stopped and was replaced by feminine sobs.

Miriam walked out of the room caring Mia on her left side, curious as to who was crying.

Mia squealed as she caught a glimpse of her parents. She pulled herself out of Miriam's grasp and ran up to her dad who was rubbing his wife's back soothingly as she was crying on Luca's shoulder.

Miriam stayed back in the room, not wanting to disturb their family moments.

After a few minutes of lounging on the bed, Miriam saw Mia run into her room, grinning at Miriam and threw herself on the bed.

She didn't land on the actual bed, like she had seen her brother do after a tired day. She instead just ran into the side of the bed and giggled, as if she managed to actually achieve her goal.

Miriam smiled at her, and lifted Mia onto the bed and made her lay down next to her. Mia looked at her smiling and said, "My parents want to see you."

Miriam stiffened. Were Alena and Julian going to talk about her stay here? Why this thought passed her mind she didn't know, but she had stayed here for a month now, and she certainly needed a new location because the murderers had found her now and would want to finish what they had started.

Miriam got off the bed, and made her way outside.
Alena, Julian and Luca were sitting on the table, with grim faces. When they heard Miriam clear her throat, Alena got up and hugged Miriam.

Miriam hugged back. After everyone sat on the table, Julian started speaking. "We heard what had happened at the market." This took Miriam by surprise. Did word travel that fast? Luca stayed emotionless.

"We were informed of the consequences for the criminals. But luckily, you guys escaped the King's wrath. And I'd like to know how. What did you guys do to evade jail?"

"Nothing."
"Fighting." Miriam and Luca said in unison. Miriam looked at Luca confused, before the conversation in the room resurfaced in her mind.
"What?" Alena asked confused. Did he fight them and that's what got him out of punishment? Doesn't hitting a man, any man, result in punishment?

Luca sighed, rubbing his face with both of his hands. "I'm a gladiator. If the King jails me, then he will have to wave goodbye to his kingship. Why? Well because, how will the citizens find entertainment when a young, promising and upcoming gladiator gets locked up? They'll rebel against the King, losing their trust and respect in him and which King would want that?"

Julian and Alena seemed to think this over. "Okay. That solves that but why did those people target you?" Alena asked referring to the blue and black bruises on his body.

"Word does get sound fast but obviously not the correct information!" Luca sighed. "They tried to kidnap Miriam in the market because... well I don't know why." Miriam felt ashamed by this. Luca was hurt because of her, now they'll surely want to kick her out.

Luca continued "But a servant girl came into my room to tell me about this plan she was forced into taking part. Paulo, who fooled us that you assigned him to be our personal assistant for the duration that you're gone. He was the mastermind behind the trap. But don't worry, the King's guards arrested him too."

Now Julian turned to Miriam. "Do you know who they might be? Could they be the Nicholas' people wanting to avenge his death?"

Miriam nodded embarrassed. "I know them." She started, feeling her chest constricting. "My parents were knee deep in debt. They ran away from their families to be together, because my father was a common man's son and my mother was a daughter of a nobleman. My mother's family hated the idea of marrying their daughter to a person significantly lower than them in the social cast." Miriam said reciting what her mother had told her when she was younger.

"They took loans from people who were willing to help them, but that soon changed when my father lost his job and couldn't pay them back. The townsfolk assigned a group of goons to chase us and take everything we own. They killed my parents, hoping to steal the land over my parents cold, dead bodies. But they realised that my father had written all of his property on my name." Miriam started crying silently.

Taking a deep breath, she started talking again. "I was willing to give them all of the property to them, but I can't remember, where in the world my parents last put them. Unless I die, they won't be able to get their hands on the land."

All three family members were stunned. A girl who should be experiencing the gifts of life, was instead suffering in Hell at such a tender age.

Luca moved Miriam's body over and her head onto his shoulder, wiping the tears, but more couldn't help but fall. Miriam wrapped her hands around his neck, needing a hug, and Luca copied.

Julian and Alena watched even more stunned at their intimate exchange.

"I can leave immediately. I understand." Miriam said through her tears.

"What?" Alena and Luca asked.
"What do you mean?" Julian asked, all their faces showing confusion.

"I realise I've put the whole family at risk, so I want to leave so you're not endangered anymore," she sniffed looking up.
Luca smacked her lightly on her head while laughing, "Stupido! You realise that they've been caught by the King. If they try anything else...well they can't, all of them are caught! So you can stay here for as long as you like!" He concluded hugging Miriam closer to him.

"Anything else we need to know?" Julian asked them cryptically, while crossing his arms across his chest. Alena nudged him, annoyed that he interrupted Luca and Alena's moment.

Luca placed a reassuring arm around Miriam's shoulders when she tried to sit back. He turned to his parents with a proud smile and tightened his hold on Miriam.

"Mama, papa, I'd like you to meet Miriam, the first woman who has managed to steal my heart."

Alena squealed, drawing Mia out of the room and throw questions around at what was happening.

Julian picked her up and sat her down on his lap. "Nothing darling, we just started so you didn't miss much," Julian told her.

"Are you sure you're not showing us another 'banana'?" he asked, which earned another nudge from Alena but much harder.

"What banana?" Mia asked turning around to see her dad.

He then covered her ears by putting his palms flat against both her ears turning her head back to the front. "Are you sure it won't be like the many women you pleasured and then threw around like they were a banana peel, which would make them unavailable to other worthy men because they all lay around your feet begging you to take them back?" Julia whispered hurriedly. Alena then smacked him on his arm, which he released from holding Mia's ears, who was already struggling to get out of his grasp.

Miriam gasped horrified at this new found information and Alena's first display of violence towards her husband. However, Luca didn't seem to notice the change in her demeanour. He laughed before answering.
"No papa, I can assure you she isn't!"
Julian looked at him critically.
Alena had enough of Julian's questions to make sure that Miriam wasn't left heartbroken, but it was enough. The young couple needed to have time for themselves after such an eventful day.

She dragged Julian out muttering something, who was carrying Mia who was demanding to be let down, but wasn't.

Luca looked at Miriam with a proud yet lazy smirk. Miriam looked at him feeling a funny feeling in her chest, but remembered Julian's words. Her calm face turned sour, wiping every bit of Luca's smirk gradually as he noticed her mood.

Miriam tried to glare at him but just ended up squinting her eyes. She didn't know what to do now! Luca claiming her as his own made her shudder in delight and be in his arms all day, but Julian's words made Miriam want to do the opposite.

Miriam stood up and stalked outside, wanting time to think this through, but Luca followed her wanting to know what changed her usually pleasant mood.

He guessed not everything was a happily ever after now!

Stupido-Stupid