=== Flavus Palace, East Wing, Sextilis 132 AD ===

Sillius Ramirus Flavus circled his opponent like a lion circling it’s prey. Every week he and his men would spar and train to keep themselves in the goal of being in top fighting condition. They had been granted a leave from the legion to handle personal issues in Rome. There weekly sessions had gone from a small affair to a weekly spectacle. Aenoria and Cassia Losto, Daughters of Senator Flavus Augustus Losto had begun to visit the weekly show, taking in the company of the well groomed and fit men. But this day was unlike other days; this day Ramirus had enlisted the services of two gladiators to give his men a greater challenge.

Most of his men had been beaten in single combat, over powered by these men who fight to the death on a daily basis. Now Ramirus stood with lien pants on and no shirt on, sweating as he had gone several rounds against this gladiator.

“You fight well young master- you must have killed many men.” The gladiator said as he sized Ramirus up, looking for a weakness.

“I was taught to fight when I was very young. My father demanded it.” Ramirus said. He scowled and took a defensive stance. “But enough chit chat slave! Are you going to fight or talk?”

The gladiator cracked a smile and came forward with two slashing moves then a thrust with his wooden practice sword. Ramirus moved back making sure not to be in the range of his slashes then swooped his sword down to block the thrust. The gladiator followed the thrust with a flurry of other slashes and thrusts all being met with blocks from Ramirus.

Ramirus lowered his sword hand slightly. Seeing this as a sign of fatigue, knowing that is what Ramirus wanted, the gladiator swung his sword wildly. Ramirus ducked the blow hitting the gladiator in the gut with his sword. The gladiator slammed the wooden sword to the ground in frustration.

Ramirus smiled patting the large German on the shoulder. “You kept looking for a weakness so I gave you one, then exploited it to win.”

Keeping his head down to look submissive, the gladiator reached up and squeezed Ramirus’s wrist tightly as it rested on his shoulder, pressing his thumb forcibly between the tendons of his arm. Ramirus, not wanting to look weak, refused to pull away from the pain, and listened to the gladiator’s hissed words: “I let you win because you hired me. You exploited nothing but my masters greed.”

Ramirus smiled and looked around, being sure to appear as if nothing was wrong before his audience. They were deceived. The onlookers began to clap for the pair who had fought a hard battle with little flaw in their fighting styles. Aenoria arose from her seat carrying a towel and silver cup filled with water. She handed the towel to Ramirus who wiped the sweat from his face and chest before taking the cup and gulping back the cool contents.

“Thank you milady, I hope you enjoyed the match?” He asked in a lower tone of voice, locking eyes with the young Losto girl.

Aenoria smiled, taken by his rugged and strong appearance. “I did indeed; your skills are impressive and I applaud you.” She slowly wrapped her fingers around the cup and took it from Ramirus’s hands, then gently pressed it against her lips and took a slow sensual sip. Ramirus smiled as the young girl teased his sensibilities.

“Have you spoken to your father about my request?”, he asked bluntly.

“What request would that be?” Aenoria asked, coyly.

“You play games Aenoria, but you know what I’m talking about.”

The girl chuckled and began to walk off towards her sister and her two slaves that had accompanied them to the palace.

Ramirus wiped his face again, smiling in embarrassed frustration and lust. “I will have an answer Aenoria?”

“When my father gives you one, you will have one. Do not demand from me Ramirus I am not your wife yet.” She smiled over her shoulder. “As my father told you before, I have another offer for my hand. He hasn’t decide out of the two of you who is more worthy.”

Ramirus put his hands up and spun in a circle, smiling like a boy. “Look at all this: This is all mine! Hhow could I not be worthy?”

Aenoria reached her sister and the two girls giggled together, whispering under their breath hurriedly. Cassia, the younger of the two, cleared the smile from her face and looked Ramirus dead on. “True Ramirus, you have a great palace and a great name but your family has a been seen as a reputation for…well for trouble.”

Ramirus became annoyed, as if Cassia had intentionally sought to disrupt his sincere efforts. “The father and grandfather both served Rome and would have died before they let anything befall her. Besides that, they’re both dead, and with them all the deeds of the past.” Ramirus walked closer to Aenoria, quickly grabbing her hand and placing it on flat yet undefined stomach. “Could you really see yourself married to that slob Lupas?”

Aenoria closed her eyes for minute, letting them flutter with a quick flash of eroticism, then quickly drew back her hand. “Lupas is nice and sweet and he always remembers to bring me peaches. You are a soldier. You’re arrogant and crude.”

Ramirus chuckled as he began to walk to the doorway where his guard and friend Cassius was standing. He stopped midway and turned facing the pair of sisters. “…but very good looking!” the two girls blushed and giggled.

The two girls blushed as he walked away, getting up close to Cassius. He whispered, out of range from anyone nearby: “Setius Lupus…make him go away. Don’t kill him but make sure by tomorrow he withdraws his offer for her hand.”

Cassius nodded, happy to help. Ramirus glanced back at Aenoria, noting that her black wavy hair went down the middle of her back. She was a stunningly beautiful woman with olive skin and a perfect smile. She carried herself with the pose and elegance of nobility. Ramirus had been somewhat of a womanizer bedding several merchants’ daughters and any other woman that caught his eye in the past, but this was different. She was different. She was unlike anything he had ever known.

=== A bathhouse, Viminal Hill ===

“He’s in there.” A man said.. “He has a private bath to himself and three guards- one outside in a near by ally with a whore and two inside.”

Cassius stood with his cloak on as he listened to one of his men give a report. “Has the operator of the bath been paid off?”

“Yes sir, I did that earlier today.”

“What about our men?” Cassius questioned.

“Our men have positioned themselve in the same room as his guards. Vibius has even begun a conversation with one of his men. The poor sap is clueless...”

Cassius shook his head, smiling sinisterly. “... and the insurance?”

“It was delivered to a room in a brothel we rented out for the day. There are two guards on that, it wont be a problem” The guard handed Cassius a few strands of hair, which he quickly balled up into his hand.

“Then let us begin.” Cassius strolled into the bath house and nodded at the owner who immediately understood and cleared the front room, which was nearly empty anyway. Cassius made his way into a smaller room where he saw Vibius talking to one of Lupas’s guards. Vibius pretended to be amused at the guards comments laughing loudly. As soon as he saw Cassius enter peripherally, he headbutted the guard in the face as hard as he could..

The force of the blow knocked the guard back onto the floor, unconscious. The other guard sprung to his feet as soon as it happend, but was immediately tackled by three of Cassius’s men and hit over his head, incapacitating him as well. Cassius waited a few moments to see if the noise was enough to rouse Lupas from his bath; With nothing more then a few choice words from the room all else was quiet.

Lupus sat in the bath, his head back and arms extended to the sides in an almost euphoric state. He she shifted in the water and sighed deeply as his mind cleared of all thoughts. He opened his eyes partly to reveal a man kneeling over him before being pushed down under the hot water. Cassius held his head under the water for a few moments before pulling him back up, hair in fist.

“Is your name Setius Lupas?”

Lupas gasped for air and struggled to get up but was pushed back under the water once again. He kicked back and forth in the water as Cassius held him firmly by his hair. He pulled him up again repeating his question.

“Yes, yes I’m Lupas!” He struggled to get the words out as he could hardly breathe.

“Good! Now that I have your attention listen to me closely: I’ve taken your sister.” Before Cassius could finish Lupus began to struggle again forcing Cassius to push him under once more.

Yanking him up again, Cassius continued, “If you’ve had enough I’ll finish. I have your sister, if you don’t do exactly what I say my men will kill her and throw her into the sewer. That’s not before they rape her till she can’t stand. You don’t want that, I don’t want that- so give me what I want and she will be returned to you safely and harmed.”

Lupas, still held by his hair and naked as the day he was born, spit in defiance. He was terrified, but he wasn’t a coward. “I don’t have a sister you inbred freedman!”

A sudden wave of shock and horror ran through Cassius. His mind raced to recount the intelligence his men had gathered for him; Intelligence that Ramirus has helped gather. He panicked, and without looking his defiant and frightened captive in the eyes, whipped out a small sicarius and sunk it into Lupas’s neck, silencing his frantic breaths.

Cassius was furious, panicked and beginning to feel emotionally upset. He only came to scare the man- to get him to drop his proposal for the Losto girl, as Ramirus ordered... and now he had killed a man. A man who probably had friends kind enough to wonder about his death. Without hesitating, Cassius fled with his guards, and dropped a hefty sack of coin for the bath operator.

=== Januarius, Rome ===

Ramirus stood next to his new bride while laughing at the humor of Marcus Tullio. He rubbed his beautiful wife on the back, and with great pride leaned toward her to whisper, “Are you alright, honey?”

She smiled, looking up to him at her side. “Of course husband, but this is still all very new to me.” She turned to face him, “Don’t worry it will pass.”

The two were new to each other but over the last few months had spent countless hours together becoming more familiar. Ramirus was proud of his bride and the face she put on in public, her ability to hide her nervousness and show a united front to all in attendance.

Marcus took a sip of wine then flung his arm around Ramirus. “Can I borrow your husband for a moment?”

Aenoria put her hands on her hips with a serious face. “Just married and your stealing him away already!” She giggled and smiled as Marcus nodded, “I’m just joking Marcus, take him- I have guests to speak to.”

The two walked off outside into the garden of the Flavus palace. “You yourself a beautiful wife my friend. May the gods bless you with many children.”

Ramirus hugged his childhood friend, “Thank you Marcus. You’ve been a good friend to me over the years. I owe you a lot.”

“Nah, more than I owe you so said my skin back in the east. I will never forget that. But speaking of the east when do we return?”

“My business here is almost done, so shortly, but I’d rather not talk about that on my wedding day, friend.” Ramirus grabbed the cup from Marcus and took a sip, about to speak again.

Just then his new wife came running into the garden, smiling widely. “Come quickly my husband! Emperor Vitellius has come.”

The three ran back into the house to see the emperor wearing an all white toga with purple and gold trims. Besides him walked his wife and three children, and they were surrounded by a host of praetorian guards all wearing white tunics unlike there customary purple ones. Calidus Raeus looked around, not only at the men and women that had gathered for this celebration, but at the palace itself. He couldn’t help but think of how for years Ramirus’s father, Gaius Sillius Flavus, had plotted his demise behind these very walls.

Titus Flavus, Ramirus’s uncle and the son of the late Pontifex Maximus Tacitus Julius Flavus, was the first to approach the emperor. “My lord, allow me to welcome you to my home. I can on….”

"I thought this was the home of Ramirus Flavus?” The emperor’s tone was kind, but disappointed..

“Well, it is and mine…” Titus was cut short as the emperor turned and walked away. Ramirus and Aenoria hurried to present themselves in front of the emperor. It was not often the emperor would attend events such as these. Aenoria immediately kneeled on both knees before the emperor and Ramirus bowed his head. “My lord, you honor us.”

“Rise, my dear,” Raeus detested standing on ceremony, and reached down, taking Aenoria’s hand helping her back to her feet. He examined the beautiful young girl, only sixteen years with enchanting blue eyes and excellent poses.

“Ramirus,” he exclaimed as the whole room had stopped and was now anticipating his next words.

“Sire,” Ramirus spoke as his heart beat faster unsure of what the emperor would say.

“My compliments,” Raeus cracked a thin smile then nodded a greeting as he pressed into the chamber to greet several senior Senators.

Visibly pleased, Aenoria grabbed her husbands hand and with a smile squeezed. “The emperor has come to our home on this our wedding day. I could not have a greater gift, my husband.”

Ramirus rubbed the side of her face before gently kissing his bride. “Well that’s not the only gift I have for you my honey. I have ordered enough bread to be handed out to feed all the poor of Rome to honor this day. Tomorrow in honor of our wedding my men will be handing out the free bread in the forum. All in Rome will smile as you have made me smile.”

Aenoria hugged her new husband tight and whispered in his ear, “I will bear you many sons, Ramirus, and your progeny will live for a thousand years!”

“I hate to interrupt you young master but there are a few matters that require your attention,” an eastern accent interrupted them. It was Yeddiah, a Jew that over the past year had become the left hand to Ramirus in all he had tried to accomplish.

“First there’s gift and a letter from former Emperor Daia, then your adopted brother Vibius Servo has arrived, and this man says his name is Maccius Flaccus Disius brother of Cicerio Disius..." Yeddiah stepped aside and revealed the man mentioned.

Ramirus nodded and stepped before the man. "Ave friend my man tells me you’re the brother of Cicero Disius. Where is he I pray he is on his way?”

"My sincere apologies, those odious Goths are stirring and he needed to stay behind to oversea his new duties." Flaccus was only twenty, and was star struck by the prestige that stood around him. "Cicero wishes that your marriage will be a voyage of pure joy and hoped I could attend this ceremony in his stead."
Ramirus extended his arms, "Then you are welcome, my house is yours. I was worried my letter hadn't gotten through to him. But I know the rigors of battle. I'll pray for his safe return to Rome."

Ramirus shook his head and turned extending his hand to his wife, "Where are my manners!" She gently took it and glided to his side. "This is my new wife Aenoria."

"Aenoria, on behalf of my family my best wishes." Flaccus smiled, taking her hand, and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Dear Ramirus you have snatched quite a rose, the lovely children you will make!" he said with a wry smile. “In all honesty you look like a lovely couple."

Flaccus took Ramirus off to the side. "I also wanted to tell you that you have our condolences with regard to the matter of you grandfather."

Ramirus dropped his head, "Yes. I mourn him still, thank you. I hope in the future I will be able to count you and your brother as my friends and allies?"

"Absolutely in so far as our interests do not conflict with yours, in all other matters we will do our utmost for you," Flaccus took on a serious tone. "My brother was irrevocably changed after Persia, he loves those who serve, and as man who stood against those damn Persians the respect is even deeper... And as Paterfamilias I am at his command"

Ramirus smiled, “Well then my friend, eat, drink and enjoy your self. You may stay as long as you like and anything you need just ask one of the slaves.”


Written By: Sillius Ramirus Flavus, Calidus Raeus Vitellius

Edited By: Ferus Juventas
133 AD