Antonia knew what she was doing was wrong: she should not be sneaking out of her father’s house on a moonless night, with the wind howling and groaning, and swaying trees casting threatening shadows on the ground. But she could not help herself…she had to see him, she had to explain, she had to tell him that she loved him and no other.
Antonia’s
father had arranged a marriage, a perfect marriage in society eyes. A high
ranking soldier in the army with impeccable connections to the emperor and
other affluent and influential members of society, and a family lineage that
consisted of renowned public figures, Demetrius was a catch. Antonia, however,
could not bring herself to face the reality that she would soon be wed to
someone that she not only loathed, but someone that she did not like or esteem
in any way.
To
complicate things further, Antonia was in love already. Since she was just a
child, she had played with the neighboring slave children, a habit her father
disliked but tolerated. Her best friend was a slave named Marius and as they
grew older their friendship grew stronger and deeper and blossomed into a
passionate love. After Marius heard news of the betrothal, he avoided
Antonia—she knew his heart was breaking, as was hers.
That
is why on this night, Antonia was sneaking away, so that she might speak with
Marius. She knew she could not go through with the marriage, but her father
would kill her for shaming the family. She hoped that her love for Marius would
convince him to run away with her, before it was too late. Would they be able
to escape and start a life together?
