Aura entered the city Tiberius by her side, she had not spoken a word to him since that night, every time their eyes locked her stomach turned, Roman guards laid rebel bodies on the ground.
They made their way to the villa given to them by Marcus. She entered their shared room, men placed her belongings on the ground she smiled at them, Talisa and Nimeria began pulling out her dresses.
"Aura." Tiberius said coming into the room to talk to her. "I wish to break words."
"I have none to..." She began but was stopped when he gripped her arm and spun her to face him, his eyes held anger.
"I will not take this silent treatment any longer." His voice was low and his gripped tightened on her. "You are wife, you will end this childish act." He said,
"I am no slave! I am a Roman woman!" Aura said her voice raising, he reeled his hand back slapping her across the face. Aura held the back of her hand to her cheek, her eyes watering. Talisa and Nimeria stopped their tasks, their mouths hung open.
"See yourself to bath." He warned letting go of her walking out of the room.
She released a breath she held as tears began to fall. Talisa came to her and enveloped her in a hug shushing her.
"Nimeria, see to bath filled." She said. Talisa looked at Aura's face the hand mark discolored her pale skin.
"You must be strong, for him." Talisa said putting her hand on Aura's stomach, the small bump barely there, she nodded in response.
Talisa helped her into the bath the water sent goosebumps over her body. The curtain opened and Tiberius entered.
"Leave us." He said to the women who surrounded Aura. He removed the fabric that covered him, and stepped into the bath, Aura avoided eye contact with him, she moved her hands rippling the water.
He touched the side of her face, and she jumped slightly tears coming to her eyes. He shushed her, as he pulled her up the spot she sat in, he looked at her, his hands roaming over her before pushing her over the side of the bath, she begged softly for him to let her go. He gripped her shoulder as he pushed himself into her, his grip tightened. Aura cried out in pain, her eyes closing attempting to go back to her and Spartacus were together. Her body didn't move, there was no pleasure for her. Tiberius was not the man who she loved any longer.
She stayed in the bath long after he finished, the water began to turn cold. Silent tears streamed down her face. Talisa entered the room, her eyes holding sadness for the young girl she helped her out of the bath and wrapped her in a robe ushering her into the shared bedroom, that stood empty.
"Come I will see you to sleep." Talisa said as Aura laid in the bed, the woman began to leave but Aura gripped her wrist.
"Don't leave me." She whispered, Talisa nodded and sat beside the girl smoothing her hair, a bruise on her shoulder began to form, matching the one on her arm and cheek.
Aura arose the next morning as the sun made it's appearance, Talisa helped her into her dress, then placed matching scarf around her body hiding the bruises. They made their way out of the villa, Aura covering her face to hide the bruise that discolored her cheek. Talisa, Nimeria, and Maya following her, they passed soldiers that continued searching homes for more rebels.
"Pause, this woman is not a slave. She is Roman, see her unchained." Aura said stopping to soldiers who pulled a chained Laeta with them.
"You are to give no such orders." One of them said.
"Release the woman." A deep voice said coming from behind her. They followed the order, as Caesar stood beside Aura.
"Maya and Nimeria, see her to bath in her old villa, along with proper food." Aura said. The two women guided Laeta away from them.
"You hide behind fabric, why?" Caesar asked looking at the girl.
"Cool air." She whispered attempting to move, but Caesar stopped her, he looked at the young girl he shared one passionate moment with, he pulled the fabric from it hold, the small bruise appearing.
"Tiberius, he did this." He asked lightly cupping her cheek his rough thumb going across it lightly.
"It was an accident." Aura said moving her face away.
"No mark like that is an accident." He said softly, Aura placed her hand on his softly and smiled.
"Words of a friend warms heart." She said.
"Aura! Come." Tiberius's voice, made her pull away, she looked to Caesar before going to her husband.
"I leave to speak with my father and find you in embrace of Caesar." He said his voice low and hard.
"You mistake action. I offered gratitude to the man who kept me alive while removed from loving embrace of husband." Aura lied, her voice soft.
"Break no further word with the man." He warned, ushering her into his father's villa. He left her in the atrium as he went to his father.
Kore entered the room, and poured wine into a cup for Aura, she gave a soft smile to the woman.
"Spartacus was one of your father's men." Marcus's voice interrupted the silence.
"He was until he betrayed my family, along with the other slaves." Aura said, her eyes looking at him in confusion.
"Yet you lived that night. Narrowly escaping death's reach." He said plucking a grape from the vine and putting it in his mouth.
"I hid in the kitchens. When they were gone, I found my mother and father among the dead." Aura said.
"And yet you draw breath when taken from the followers camp. I had thought you dead, having witnessed such a terrible act upon your family. Yet you still draw breath." He said no sitting in front of her, her brows furrowed. "One could not help but inquire how you lived against such beasts, their hatred for Romans well known." Marcus said, Aura realized what he was saying, he has discovered her kindness toward the rebels. "You allowed them to take your home, and murder Romans." Marcus finished looking at her. Aura stood quickly turning her back away from him.
"I never allowed such a thing! I did as I said. Why they favored me has never crossed mind, I was much kinder then my family! I never punished or spoke ill to the slaves." Aura said trying to keep up the charade, he narrowed his eyes to her, he stood coming to her, cupping her bruised cheek, his thumb pressing hard on the tender area, tears coming to her eyes. She tried to move yet he kept her in place.
"Remember, dearest daughter, the truth is always parted from lips when under distress." Marcus whispered. "Take her to her villa. She is not to leave." Marcus said as two soldiers stepped forward ready to take her to the villa.
"War changes men for the worst." She whispered to the man who like his son had changed for the worst.
*3 months*
Aura was kept locked away in the villa, until she was forced to go with Tiberius and Marcus to Melia ridge where the winter had begun as snow stuck to the ground. Marcus made it a point to keep Aura close. The only thing keeping her going was the child that grew inside her as she entered the 5th month of her pregnancy, Talisa, Maya, Kore, and Nimeria her ever trusted friends kept her company.
"Begin packing. We move beyond Melia ridge." Tiberius said entering the tent.
"I desire to return to Sinuessa." Aura began.
"You will not part from side like noble slave from father. Make ready for leave." Tiberius said growing annoyed.
"I am too far in pregnancy to travel so far." She said calmly.
"I will see you upon wagon." He said ending the argument leaving the tent. Aura rolled her eyes, Maya covered her in a cloak, before she stepped out into the cold.
**Spartacus and his followers set camp in within the forest away from Melia Ridge, he walked speaking with Crixus and Agron.
"Give word to stand ready to move upon a moments notice. We must not fall to a sense of comfort." Spartacus said
"I do not favor fleeing like rabbits at footfall of imagined hunter." Crixus said.
"Nor I. Yet we must stay in advance of Crassus until numbers are replenished." Spartacus said stopping to face Crixus.
"A wise path. Though one paved with Roman heads fucking preferred." Agron added.
"We shall find our own upon it, if we fall from caution." The rebel leader said looking at both men.
"A word once unfamiliar upon your tongue." Crixus states looking to his friend.
"Spoken now with thought towards those less able among us." Spartacus said.
"And yet they devour as much as any man of sword and spear." Crixus argues.
"He is not wrong in this. Supplies are nearly spent, soon hunger will again be upon us, weighing each step." Agron voiced his agreement with Crixus.
"Gannicus." Spartacus said, to the man standing in front of a tent. "Gather Lugo and scout ahead. I would know of any opportunity of grain or meat." Gannicus nodded going to find Lugo.
"We cannot run for eternity. One day soon we will once again have to stand and fight." Crixus states.
"One day." Spartacus says leaving them.
"You know he holds right in this." Agron said.
"No ground held is certain, in times of war." Crixus says leaving Agron alone.
Laeta, Agron, And Kore entered the tent a woman far into her pregnancy, groaned in pain, Laeta sat behind the woman supporting her body, Kore coaxed her into pushing, but the woman cried in pain.
Agron stood in the corned horror crossing his face. Spartacus entered the tent shock crossing his face as he looked to Agron, who just shrugged.
The woman cried in pain, Kore told her again to bear down, the woman repeated that she couldn't.
"Calm yourself. And do as instructed." Spartacus said bending down to lend aid.
"Bringer of rain." The woman mumbled.
"If you wish to live. Bear down." Kore said. The woman pushed and cries filled the tent.
"Blade. Quickly." Kore instructed. Agron quickly wiped the blade handing it to her, she put it the flames making it hot so she could cut the cord, she moved the baby into Spartacus's arms.
"You are blessed with a son." Spartacus said holding the small babe in his arms.
"Look at the co k on this one, dangling as if from Jupiter himself!" Agron said smiling.
"I pray he uses it only upon the willing." Kore answered flashes of Tiberius crossing her mind.
"He is fortunate to have such skilled hands to bring him into this world. You have done this before?" Spartacus asked gently giving her the baby, so she could place him in his mother's arms.
"Many times, for those owned by my dominus." Kore replies.
"I wonder if I might have known him. What name did he carry?" Laeta asked her. There was a brief pause from Kore.
"Pompo. A raiser of low animals near Campania..." she was stopped when Spartacus grabbed her arm, the branding of Marcus inked into her arm.
"She speaks of Pompo, yet mark upon arm tells of a different master." He pulled her from the tent pressing her against a tree by her throat, Agron and Laeta following.
"You were slave of Marcus Crassus himself?" He asked
"I was." She answered
"Another spy, sent to infiltrate tank." Agron said.
"What manner of spy pauses in deceit to give aid in child birth?" Laeta asked.
"One sent by the man trying to end our fucking lives!" Agron said his voice raised.
"He did not send me. I fled his tent upon the Amelia ridge." Kore answered
"Why did you turn from him, in favor of cold and storm?" He asked, Kore paused. "Break word. Or find yourself forever unable."
"The girl is fugitivus as many among you, regardless of which dominus she fled. She deserves protection, not veiled threats." Laeta said calmly.
"I hide behind no veils." Spartacus said never wavering his hold on Kore. "Nor shall any bearing mark of my enemy."
"Crassus himself has seen no harm to me, yet name of honored son inflicted grievous injury, and would have continued to do so, if not for his wife promising protection; even when harm was inflicted upon her." Kore answered, her eyes shinning with tears.
"Aura." Laeta gasped.
"Crassus has discovered friendship between you, and has kept her close within camp, Tiberius is not the man he once was. She is with child, yet the tenderness he held for her long forgotten. Bruises cover flesh like a rotting fruit." Kore said, Spartacus let go of her. His eyes widened, the woman he loved carrying his child. It had been 5 months since they had held each other and his heart craved her.
"Find Crixus we must break words." Spartacus said moving to his tent quickly. Crixus soon following Naevia coming behind him.
"Aura, stays within Marcus camp. He has discovered friendship between us. She carries my child within her." Spartacus admitted, their eyes widened.
"Her life is at risk." Naevia said looking at the men.
"I take leave to find her, and bring her under protection." Spartacus said, as Gannicus entered the tent.
"We will follow you. She hold meaning between us all. I will not see her fall due to our fight." Gannicus said to him.
"A valley sits not far, Crixus I ask of you to take it lead our people there. Gannicus and I follow in suit Aura within safety." Spartacus said, Crixus nodded.
"We leave before sun rises. Ready yourselves." Spartacus said.**