“Adelia, this is so reckless!” pleaded Servius, as the two
slaves hid themselves from the glow of Brutus’s living room in the shadow of a
chaste tree. The window was
cracked a bit, and pieces of heated conversation emanated from the abode.
“Servius,”
Adelia responded in a mischievous chuckle. “They are preoccupied.
Are you so eager to disrobe me that you can’t find the time to take in
the juiciest of treason?”
He
decided not to respond to this.
Her sweet scent and gentle caress sweeping down the backside of his
tunic were nothing Servius wanted to disrupt.
“Don’t
you see, Servius? There is discord
in the Republic. I knew that this
‘ruler for life’ proclamation that Caesar has been spouting would not come
without a consequence.”
“But
why Brutus, Adelia? He is so
respected! Not to mention that he
has just been nominated to be the Praetor of Rome in this upcoming year! He will be holding the flag; starting
the games! Why would he jeopardize that?”
“He
has been a fickle character in the past years, dear Servius. He was an enemy of Caesar only four
years prior to these times. He
fought for Pompey, Caesar’s sworn enemy, in the battle of Pharsalus. After the defeat, we never thought we
would see him again. I remember
like it was yesterday, the evenings spent with Claudia, wiping her tears as she
anxiously awaited his return. Not
that it matters now. What is love anyway, but a thing to be carelessly
discarded for the sick lust of a first cousin?”
Servius
could feel Adelia’s pulse quicken with a rage he had not yet witnessed from the
beauty. “But what happened after
the defeat, Adelia? How is he back?”
“Do
your masters keep you under a rock?” responded Adelia with a harshness not
intended. Servius looked at her,
clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I
didn’t mean that. That despicable
Portia puts me at ill ease. Caesar
pardoned him, as he did so many others.
“Then
why would he want to murder him,” responded Servius earnestly.
“For
the same reason he is with Portia.
He had something great, but always wants something that he believes is
better. He wants more power, and
doesn’t need to look far to find others who share the sentiment.” The slaves went silent momentarily. “I want to run away with you Servius,”
Adelia stated abruptly. “And we
have information that no one is supposed to have. What better time to gain our freedom to live at the precise
moment our dictator loses his?”
Adelia’s
sure touch and smooth voice made this proposal more enticing than Servius would
have liked. It seemed that love,
freedom, and chaos were eminent.
