Disclaimer:  I do not own any rights to the characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Eve or Callisto.  These are the property of Universal Studios. This is a work of fan fiction not intended to infringe upon their rights or the rights of the actors who portray them.  No part of the Growing Up “Livia” series is to be copied or used for public use or profit without the permission of the author.

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Growing Up “Livia”

Chapter Four

Written By:  Caina Q.  Fuller

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Some warriors found the screaming of the crowd exhilarating, but Livia found it oddly unnerving.  She wondered what kind of an effect it was going to have on her ability to concentrate, but she also wondered what it would feel like to be here in the center of the arena having them scream for her blood.  As her eyes searched the faces of the strangers that believed she would one day come to rule, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat disturbed by the bloodlust on their faces.  They were here to see her kill and for some strange reason it was grating on her nerves.

 

What the hell is wrong with me? She wondered.  She waved to the people as Augustus had instructed her, but this served only to increase the volume of the crowd.  Livia could feel a headache beginning to throb at her temples, and she tried her best to take comfort in the knowledge that it would all be over soon.  There was a strange comfort in the knowledge that when the sun set, she would be either dead or the most beloved warrior in Roman history.

 

She faced her emperor and bowed to him as she had been instructed, and Augustus stood to bow to her in return.  The crowd fell mercifully silent in shock.  Never before had the emperor paid a warrior such a high tribute by actually bowing in return to him.  Now he was doing so for Livia. 

 

A wicked grin came to her face. Yes, she thought.  The emperor is definitely mine.  Her eyes searched the crowd again and she found Ghita staring daggers at her.   Knowing she was dethroning the old bitch was almost as pleasurable to Livia as sex with Ares.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

It was all Livia could do not to look over at the owner of the voice. She knew Ares was visible only to her, but if she started talking to thin air the people would think her insane.  Not to mention Augustus.

 

“You can handle these men. I’ve seen to it you get the very worst Rome has to-“

 

The doors to the bowels of the arena where the Gladiators were corralled before their battles opened and her opponents walked out.  As Livia turned to them the look of utter horror on Ares’ face did nothing to help the situation.  He’d informed her she’d be given four opponents that would be fairly simple for her to defeat, so why did he look so panicked?

The crowd began to boo as four incredibly large, well-muscled Gladiators exited the hold.  Her eyes immediately found their way first to a stunned Augustus, then to Ghita. The woman was literally laughing at the shock on Livia’s face, and the younger woman didn’t doubt a bit Ghita had planned the entire thing.  Livia’s anger only increased when Ghita leaned forward in her chair and mouthed, “You lose” to her.

 

“Ares…”

 

“Don’t worry.  I’ve got you covered.”

 

He moved toward the men but she drew her sword instead.  “Wait.  I can do this.”

 

“No you can’t,” Ares said matter-of-factly, still advancing toward the men. 

 

Her wounded pride filled Livia with intense desperation and urgency.  If she didn’t defeat these men on her own then she would be noting more than a fraud.  She had to know when she lay down that evening that she was alive by her own strength and skill, not because her lover and god Ares, or even her emperor Augustus did her fighting for her.

 

Knowing she couldn’t stand there in the middle of the arena and debate the point with someone only visible to her eyes, Livia did the only thing she could. She gave her fiercest battle cry, ran toward the four approaching giants and flipped over Ares.  She landed before her opponents and the battle was on.

 

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Ares watched as Livia executed a perfect flip over him and landed before the four Gladiators, the crowd roaring with blood lust at her bravery.  He didn’t know whether he should feel irritated with her sudden refusal of help or proud.  True, it was a noble quality he liked in his warriors, but she was Livia, not Xena. She had her limits, especially against men such as these.

 

I should have made her immortal, Ares thought as he watched the men draw their swords and move to surround her.  From the corner of his eye he could see Augustus Caesar standing to halt the battle, and of course Livia would hear nothing of it.

 

“Its my fight,” she whispered to him.  “Don’t interfere.  Don’t let him interfere.”

 

Ares sighed. She was right of course.  This was her fight.  Had it been Xena in the ring he would sit back and watch what he knew would be a quick and ugly death for these men.  However, this wasn’t Xena. Hell, she wasn’t even mad Callisto.  Could she do this?  He’d invested so many years into training her to think as well as fight.  Should he allow her to even try?

 

He knew she’d resent him forever if he interfered so he decided he would watch, wait and see.  If she got into too much trouble he’d intervene.  Otherwise he’d give her a chance.  With a wave of his hand he halted any objections about to spill from Augustus’ lips and the emperor sat back down with a nervous frown on his aging face.

 

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Livia’s Battle

 

The four giants surrounded Livia’s smaller frame until she was completely hidden from the crowd in an ever-shrinking circle between them.  The four men seemed to have experience in fighting like a pack of dogs, but Livia had experience in outsmarting animals such as these.  She allowed them to get close to her, and as they raised their swords to slice her to pieces, thereby exposing their the vulnerable flesh of their well-muscled abdomen’s she spun on her right heel attempting to gut every one of them in one fatal swipe of her blade. 

 

Three of the warriors had reflexes sharp enough to jump back, but one man wasn’t so lucky.  The sharp edge of her blade cut deeply into his body and his guts literally spilled out to the dirt.  He was dead before his massive frame hit the dirt, much to the delight of her screaming audience.

 

Livia took advantage of her new door and bolted out to the deafening cheers of the crowd surrounding her.  How she wished they’d just shut up so she could concentrate. 

 

Once outside and with room to maneuver she relaxed as well as regained her bearings in time to see the remaining three warriors trying to gather around her again.

 

If that’s the way they want it, Livia thought.  A wicked grin spread across her beautiful face as her instincts prepared another attack. 

 

This time the men placed a large amount of their weight on the balls of their feet and primed their bodies to jump in any direction at once. They had underestimated her once before, but they would not do so again.

 

Ghita watched the girl as she had squirmed with fright at the first glimpse of the gladiator’s when they’d come through the entrance of the arena floor.  The astonishment of the sheer size of the men had been entertaining, but then something had changed. Livia had gradually and quite visibly steeled herself with a quiet determination to survive and had already surpassed Ghita’s expectations for survival.  Ghita had believed not one of the men would die at Livia’s hands, but she’d been proven wrong within seconds of the game.

 

Now Ghita’s eyes floated to Augustus to find the emperor sitting on the edge of his chair.  He was all but biting his perfectly manicured nails as he watched his prize plaything prepare to cut down yet another of the finest gladiators Rome had to offer.  He clearly had developed quite the crush on little Livia, and the older woman could feel her grip on his loyalties slipping with each passing moment Livia lived.  This girl had to die before Augustus had her put out to pasture.

 

Ghita turned to her most trusted maidservant, an Amazon captured in her youth as a feisty twelve year old girl but had served in her home for the past ten years.

 

“Shiria my dear.”

 

Shiria leaned forward in order to hear Ghita’s voice more clearly in the din created by the audience as Livia wounded the leg of a second gladiator.  This would make it at least more difficult for him to fight with the distraction the pain of his wound caused, and therefore easier for Livia to handle.

 

“Yes my lady?”

 

“Do you remember when you came to me?  You were a frightened child longing to return your Amazon tribe?”

 

Old resentment flared up in Shiria’s eyes but not with the same heat as it had when she’d first been captured.  “Yes my lady.  How could I forget?”

 

“If Livia defeats her opponents-“ Ghita began, but The crowd began cheering again as Livia put a nasty cut on a third gladiator’s sword arm then executed a flip over the last healthy opponent.  As she flew over his head she deflected his sword, landed behind him and ran him through.  He fell to his knees to die a slow and painful death as the crowd begged her for more blood and death.  The uneasy feeling at the pit of Ghita’s stomach that Livia might survive was growing by the second.  It was time for her back up plan.

 

Ghita was hesitant to increase her volume too much for fear someone might overhear, but Ghita pushed away those concerns now.  She pressed her lips against Shiria’s ear and barked her commands along with a promise she knew the slave wouldn’t be able to refuse.

 

“I will give you your freedom and return you to your mother and sisters if you will give me your word as an Amazon you’ll take this message to General Capaneus for me.  You will most likely find him in the Greek quarter at one of those bordello’s.  Hurry now, and I will write up your papers for release.”

 

Shiria obviously didn’t trust or believe Ghita, but as far as she could tell there was no real reason not to do as told.  After all, what could it possibly hurt?

 

As soon as she was away from Ghita’s sight she unrolled the miniature scroll to find only a few words in Ghita’s perfect penmanship.  It is time to return the favor old friend.

 

Not certain what to make of the message and not really caring as long as she could finally return home after a ten year absence, Shiria hurried to the Greek quarter to give the message to General Capaneus.

 

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Ares watched with admiration as Livia pulled herself up from the dirt of the arena floor and face off with her opponents once again despite the small but deep gash one of the men had managed to place on her left leg.  He had taught her to be equally skilled from both sides of her body but Livia had an annoying habit of resting her weight on her left leg to throw her deadliest kicks with her right.  Now she could do neither as the wound continued to gush blood with each step she took.

 

“Come on…come one,” he urged her silently.  He was ready to step in at any moment and use his powers to turn the battle in her direction.  Not because she was asking for it but because she didn’t want his help.  That was a sign of a truly great warrior, and only then was he willing to lend aid to any of his pets.

 

Besides that he’d invested too much time and energy into training not just her sword hand but also her mind.  He’d trained her to look at life as if she were at constant war with the world and everyone in it.  Except for him everyone was her enemy and in order to ensure success she had to subdue anyone within her reach.  Therefore she would have to be a brilliant tactician and prepare herself to conquer and kill anyone who even remotely opposed her.

 

He’d taken her from an innocent child the day Alec had raided the academy in hopes of using her against Augustus Caesar, and turned her from the typically weak-willed little girl the cold-hearted murderous warrior she was today.  With the exception of the long-dead Xena she was his finest work of black art, and he wasn’t about to allow her to kill herself for some sense of misplaced honor.

 

Now Livia was down to two gladiators and every man and woman in the crowd was leaning as far into the arena as they possibly could without toppling themselves over and falling in.  They were growing to love Livia with each passing second and they impatiently cheered for her to spill her enemies’ blood as quickly as she possibly could.  Their lust for death at this moment matched Livia’s; the god of War was finding it rather intoxicating.  Images of the victory celebration he would share with Livia were already dancing through his conniving mind.

 

He pulled his thoughts back to reality and though he hated to admit it, he knew that Livia would not be celebrating with him this evening.  When this was over Livia would go to be with Augustus.  As he’d always believed, a woman’s strength in this world was as much in the beauty of her body as it was in her mind and the lust that filled the aging emperor’s eyes every time he took in the sight of young Livia was obvious to the point of being embarrassing.  Ares had taught Livia how to turn a man’s lust into a weapon that would bring him under her control.  Now that she had Augustus wanting her more and more with each moment that passed, all she really had to do now was sit back and enjoy the ride to the throne.

 

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Livia forced her mind past the pain in her left leg and put some distance between herself and her remaining opponents, both of whom were wounded as she was.  The pain didn’t seem to be distracting them as much as it did her, and she found herself wondering how much of that was act.  Had they truly built up a tolerance for pain that exceeded even her own?  Before today she wouldn’t have thought it possible.

 

The two men charged her at once, though not clumsily like the villagers she always witnessed in the raids Ares had ordered carried out with her plans during her training sessions as she’d grown up.  She remembered the hours he’d take her away at night to draw up attack plans for his armies as experiments to see how well she’d learned from the plans Xena had drawn up during the time Xena had been in training with him in her youth as well.  Livia’s were never as good of course, but they were brilliant in their own right.  Now the question on Livia’s mind was if she would be able to defeat all four these men without help from the god of War?

 

She allowed her opponents to get close then executed another flip.  Her goal was to land behind them and cut them both down with one fatal swing of her blade, but one of the men was prepared for the move.  She managed to cut one of the men down and he lay on the ground screaming in agony as his kidneys nearly hung from his back, but the other man brought his foot up, kicking her sword from her hand.  He caught it as it came back to earth, and began to swing both blades with lightning speed. He advanced on her and Livia knew if he got to close he would be able to churn her to pieces.

 

However his attack plan was not what she expected.  Instead of trying to get close to cut her, he let go of one of swords and it flew at her like an arrow. She managed to dodge the unexpected projectile but not before it tore another nasty gash on her left leg, this time on her hip.

 

Livia collapsed to the ground and her opponent came to stand over her.  His head blotted out the sun but left a brilliant halo around his head, making him look like a god of death. As she stared into his steel gray eyes, wondering if perhaps her end had finally come, she realized the crowd had fallen deathly silent.

 

“You,” he said with a thick German accent, “have been a worthy opponent.  I will never forget you as long as I live.”

 

His eyes were full of pride for her skill as he raised his blade.  This left his entire body exposed but she didn’t need his entire body.  Only his most prized possession. 

Livia drove her good foot up and into his crotch with all the strength she had and he doubled over, crying out in pain.  The sword dropped to the ground as both of his hands went to cradle his aching crotch.  He was also unknowingly leaving himself open for attack being doubled over with his chest so close to her reach.   

 

“One of us has to die,” she whispered, her voice hard and deadly.  “It’s not going to be me. You’ve had you time in the sun. It’s my turn to shine.”

 

Livia mustered the last of her strength and drove her fist forward.  With a strength born of focus and years of training from Ares, Livia’s fist punched through his chest plate and her hand found his most vital organ: His heart.  In a split second she had it ripped from his chest.  Her opponent stared at it in shock for only a moment before his life drained away.  She barely had time to roll out of the way before he fell atop her, dead.

 

The crowd went predictably wild at her victory. Livia had overcome incredible odds by defeating four gladiators, and the mob that was Rome began chanting her name over and over until it was a wall of sound that threatened to drive her mad. As she stood there in the center of her four dead opponents she found Ghita’s eyes.  The younger woman held the mans now dead heart up to the one who was really her deadliest enemy squeezed, causing blood to gush from the organ.  Ghita’s face went so pale Livia literally expected the old bird to faint with fear. 

 

Livia had no doubts Augustus’ lover had everything to do with the change in her opponents’ size and skill, and in some small way she thanked Ghita for it.  She had come out before the citizens of Rome and slaughtered four of their greatest professional warriors.  Ghita had given both the citizens and Augustus reasons to love and respect her.  Her plan to get rid of Livia had blow up in her face. 

 

Livia’s victory here today would be the only thing on the lips of the people for months to come, and they would be drunk with their love for her.  Livia planned to use that for as long as it took to secure her position in Augustus’ empire.

 

Now it was Livia’s turn to mouth a couple of words to her enemy.  “You lose,” Livia whispered before turning back to the crowd, but not before she saw the pure hatred on Ghita’s face.  Despite the fact that the older woman could still pose a real threat to her life, Livia still loved the intensity of emotion she was able to spark into other people, and for the first time since she’d stepped into the arena, she found herself enjoying the roar of the mob that was the heart of Rome.

 

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Livia entered her quarters to find a fresh bath waiting for her. Her maidservants stripped her blood/dirt caked uniform from her body and washed the grime from her creamy skin.  The hot water soothed her aching muscles and refreshed her, but she was still ready for a nap. 

 

When she was clean the women raised her from the water and began to oil her skin until every inch of her was smooth as silk.  “Livia?”

The sound of Augustus’ voice was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. She wanted rest but her instincts told her it would be unwise to deny her lord the pleasure of her company.  Besides, she could just hear Ares whining about how she passed up a golden opportunity to soften the emperor’s heart toward her.

 

The maidservants hurriedly wrapped her in a robe just as Caesar entered the room.  “Oh, I’m so sorry.  You should have told me not to come in.”

 

Livia offered him an innocent grin. “That would mean telling you no.  I could never do that my lord.”

 

Her voice was as silky as her skin as she slid past him to go into her bedchamber, and she was rewarded with a playful grin from Augustus.  He followed her but stopped a respectable distance into the room to watch her climb up into the bed and lay back.  She knew the effect the sight of her robe sliding open up the length of her leg was having on him, and she played up to it by reclining on her right arm and allowing her robe to almost completely expose one large but supple breast.   

 

Augustus fought back a gulp as hot desire flooded his loins.  He couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do at that moment than rush to the bed and take her, but he knew it was too soon. She was young, her eighteenth birthday coming up in a few months.  It wouldn’t be right for a man his age to spoil her chastity.

 

“My lord?” Livia purred.  She ran a hand along her newly healed left leg.  Her god had done such a fabulous job there wouldn’t even be a scar.  Had Augustus noticed her miraculous recovery?  If he had, he was saying nothing and keeping his eyes glued to her body.

 

“Hmmm?”  Augustus hated how weak his own voice came out sounding.

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

Augustus studied her innocence, believing she was unaware of the desire the sight of her mile-long legs inspired within him.  Then he remembered the way she had kissed the ring on his finger when she arrived in Rome the night before, and he wondered if perhaps there was more to this girl than met the eye. 

 

“No my dear.  Nothing.  I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory.  The people of Rome now have reason to love you as much as I do.”

 

She shrugged and turned away from him, sadness suddenly replacing the youthful innocence he’d seen in her eyes before.  “I suppose.”

 

“What?”  Augustus asked.  He made his way over to the bed, and for the first time in a long time his maternal instincts replaced his more basic urges…for the most part anyway.  He was more confused than anything else by her sudden change in attitude.  “What’s bothering you?”

 

Livia looked up to the ceiling, her face a mask of anguish that touched his heart and reminded him of the little girl he’d left behind in the provinces over a decade ago.  He reached for her and pulled her close, and she eased into him.  This girl had never had a father and perhaps that was what she needed now, more than a lover.  He just hated to give up the possibility he would never get to know her in every sense of the word.

 

“Come now.  You can tell me anything.”

 

“It’s what happened today.”

 

“I see.  I don’t know what happened Livia.  Those were not the Gladiators I ordered for your battle.”

 

“They weren’t?” She put all the child-like innocence she could muster into her voice.  Though she knew she was using him for her own personal gain, she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the feel of his arms around her in a fatherly manner instead of as a man wanting to use her body for his pleasure.  She hadn’t known this kind of love since she was a child in Ann’s arms, and part of her cold heart was relieved at how quickly she could remember this type of love.

 

“Of course not,” Augustus continued.  I had ordered less formidable men for your battle.  I was going to call it off but you jumped them and…well, you jumped them and won.  You’re so good and I’m so proud of you Livia.”

 

Before Livia was really aware it was happening, her heart broke and tears came pouring forth in an uncontrollable flood. What made it so frightening for her was she was helpless to stop it.  She was wrapped in the arms of the first person to ever have shown her kindness as a child. Now that same man was giving her the parental love she’d longed for since her mother’s death, and he was telling her he was proud of her.  No one had said that to her since Ann. 

 

Perhaps it was the fact that he didn’t care about any of the horrible things that had happened to her as she’d grown up.  He didn’t care that she’d spilled innocent blood to soothe the rage that had taken root in her soul from the moment she lost her sister. He was caring for her and holding her and for the first time since she was a child, she felt safe and special.  She felt loved.

 

Augustus held tightly onto her, guiding her through the storm of these sudden emotions, and she could tell from the feel of his hands stroking her hair that he didn’t think any less of her as a person.  She could feel her heart responding to that, even as her tired body and soul pulled her down into the first restful sleep she’d had in years.

 

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The night wind was unseasonably cool as Cadmus and his wife Jara made their way through the streets of Rome toward Caesar’s palace for Livia’s victory celebration.  Though his parents and one brother had long since died at the hands of over-zealous tax collectors, Cadmus had kept up the home he’d grown up in.

 

He also didn’t want to leave his wife behind, but Cadmus and Jara agreed that she couldn’t remain with him after the baby was born. Hopefully his request for release would be heard and he would be able to return to run his own blacksmith’s shop and raise his children. Leaving the army and settling down with a good woman was the life he’d been dreaming of since he’d made his way through the military and into the Alpha Legion.

 

Now he was home.  At least for a little while at any rate. Livia was the talk of Rome and her mind was away from him.  He was relieved for this. Though she’d never come right out and said anything, his instincts could feel her attraction to him, and this scared him more than it amused him. If Livia ever made the decision she wanted him exclusively for herself then Jara and his child would be in very real danger.  He had seen first hand that Livia not only killed those who stood between her and what she wanted; he’d seen that she enjoyed it immensely.

 

“Is something wrong love?” Jara asked, looking up at him with her lovely dark eyes.

 

 “Nothing dear.  Why would you ask?”

 

She lifted one bare shoulder and her creamy skin seemed to glow in the light of the torches that illuminated the city streets.  Rome was indeed a jewel to be cherished, but Jara was so much more beautiful and precious to him.  She was more than his wife; she was his great hope that he could re-deem himself of the wrongs he’d done. He loved her with all his heart and soul and sometimes, when the thought of living without her crossed his mind his heart would pound with real panic. Never before had he given himself to someone so completely. He didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost her.

 

“You look so pensive,” she said, tracing his lips with her fingers. 

 

“I’m fine love.  I have you and our child.  I have a good life to look forward to.  I couldn’t be happier.  I love you.”

 

“And I love you Cadmus.  More than life itself.”

 

He took her in his arms and held her close, though not as tightly as he would have liked for fear of hurting his child.   Their lips met in one of their frequent kisses. It was soft and slow.  Cadmus was never rough with her, and when she wanted him to be, it took some coaxing to get it. He was the perfect man, and she loved him more than she loved anyone or anything on this earth.  She would die for him.

 

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The main dining hall of Caesar’s Palace was adorned as it had never been before.  The richest, and oldest tapestries covered every square inch of wall space within safe distance of the torches that lit the room.  Every piece of furniture was inlaid with gold and silver so that the light of the candles and torches reflected from its perfectly polished surfaces and magnified the light of the few torches on the walls. It was a dazzling site to behold.

 

None of this mattered to Livia. What mattered to her was that the very same Roman elite that predicted her death along with Ghita now bowed to her as she entered the chamber on Caesars arm.  As per her request, her top two officers were also here in full dress uniform.  Lycus wore his usual stern expression and Cadmus, along with his wife Jara, applauded her victory the loudest. 

 

As she passed by, Cadmus and Lycus saluted her and spoke in unison.  “Hail Livia!   Champion of Rome’s honor!”

 

This greatly pleased Augustus and he too applauded with a hearty laugh.  The Senate followed suit, not out of genuine respect at her amazing victory, but out of fear of their emperor Augustus Caesar.

 

Ghita was the first to rest from the applause and took her place at Augustus’ left hand, all but shoving Livia out of the way.

 

“Ghita…” Augustus said quietly.  “This is Livia’s moment. Don’t spoil it for her.”

 

“I very seriously doubt I could spoil anything for that girl.  She seems to have some kind of power over you Augustus.”

 

“Maybe she does. She is my charge after all.  Unlike you.”

 

He extricated himself from Ghita’ grasp and moved ahead to his place at the head of the table.  Livia sauntered past Ghita, an irritating smirk on her lovely young face as she moved toward the table.

 

Ghita’s anger cooled quickly as she took comfort in the thought that her torment would soon be over.  Her eyes went to the goblet Livia would drink from that evening and a wicked grin came to her face. It would all be over soon indeed.

 

Jara sat next to Livia, much to Livia’s dislike.  She’d planned for Cadmus to sit next to her this evening so they could discuss where she would like to take the Alpha legion next.  Now that would have to wait.

 

“Livia, what a lovely goblet you have.”

 

Livia examined the goblet that had been placed before her.  Unlike the other silver goblets around the table, hers was gold and somewhat gaudy.  As a matter of fact, Livia considered the image of the snarling lion to be downright ugly.

 

“You like this?” Livia asked, frowning at the monstrosity that had been given to her to drink from that evening.

 

“I like anything with Lions on it.  Don’t you remember?”

 

Indeed Livia did.  She offered Cadmus’ pride and joy a false grin.  “I’ll trade you then.”

 

“You don’t have to do that Livia.”

 

“I insist. As a matter of fact, you can have it to keep. A gift…for your baby.  It’s expensive so who knows how handy it may come down the line.”

 

Jara was genuinely touched by Livia’s kind act and she planted a kiss on the young warrior’s cheek before Livia could stop her.  Livia forced another grin to her face and traded the goblet.  Ghita watched the exchange, a feeling of intense disappointment pulling at her guts.  She didn’t know or want to hurt the pregnant peasant woman about to die in Livia’s place, yet she couldn’t very well say anything without giving herself away either.

 

“Livia. There was a reason I gave you the lions head goblet,” Ghita barked from across the table.  This earned her a weary sigh from Augustus.

 

“I know,” Livia said. “It’s the ugliest in the room.  That’s your reason.” 

 

“Ladies.  Not now, please.”  Augustus sounded tired to his core of their constant bickering, but neither woman seemed to care, even as they bowed their heads to Augustus as a sign of respect.  The slaves served the drinks, and once everyone’s goblet was full of the choicest wine Augustus stood to propose a toast.

 

“May I have your attention please, ladies and gentlemen?”  The room went silent, the only sounds being the whisper of the torches and the distant sound of the slaves as they quietly prepared to serve the guests a sumptuous meal fit for Augustus’ station.

 

“Today is a day for everyone in this room to remember, for today is the day that Livia has redeemed herself in the eyes of Rome.  She faced four of Her greatest gladiators and emerged victorious.  She has earned not only our respect, but also the respect of the greatest nation this world will ever see.  As her officers so correctly saluted her as she entered this evening, so shall I salute her now.  All hail Livia!  Champion of Rome’s honor!”

 

The guests around the table lifted their goblets in salute.  “All hail Livia! Champion of Rome’s honor!”

 

Ghita’s eyes were glued to the woman who had only seconds left to live.  Unfortunately, that woman was not Livia.

 

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Jara had barely set her goblet down when the strangest sensations began to flood her chest.  This sensation of warmth only intensified until her blood felt as if it was on fire and her throat clamped shut.  She clawed at her neck, trying desperately to breath but her lungs refused to pull in air.  As she began to panic, so did her baby within her womb begin to kick and struggle.  What was happening to her?

 

“Jara?”  Cadmus asked, fear flooding his own chest in a hot wave as his wife clawed at her throat so hard she drew blood. He pulled her hands away as she began to convulse.

 

“What’s happening?  What’s happening to my wife?”

 

Livia watched as Jara’s normally rosy lips turned an ugly purple and the light that filled her eyes began to fade. “She’s been poisoned!” Livia exclaimed. Though she couldn’t explain it she felt a sense of urgency to save the child. “We have to get the baby out, now!”

 

The other members of the Senate looked at their own goblets in suspicion and put them down, as if the wine within them had turned to poisonous snakes.  Cadmus pulled his wife from the chair and lay her on the floor. If he could just get her some air…

 

By the time she was evenly laid out on the floor she was gone.  She was completely limp and her eyes looked up not at the ceiling, but into eternity.  Her husband stared down at her in shock, unable to fully grasp that his worst nightmare had come true.

 

“Jara?  Our baby!  What about-“

 

“Move!” Livia shouted, shoving him out of the way.

 

Livia pulled her dagger and wasted no time in splitting Jara open to find the child inside, squirming uselessly to breathe.  She pulled the baby free, cut the umbilical cord and cleared its breathing passages as best she could. With a slap to his rear the child began screaming, much to her own surprising relief.

 

Cadmus collapsed on his knees beside Livia and took in the site of his prematurely delivered baby in Livia’s arm’s as his beloved wife lay on the floor, dead. In seconds he’d lost the only woman he’d ever really loved, and gained a child in the whole tragic process. 

 

“It’s a boy,” Livia said, pulling her cloak off and wrapping the screaming infant.  “The poison didn’t get to him.”

 

“My wife.”

 

Livia had believed her heart was too dead and cold to feel anything but hate and anger anymore, but now she found herself feeling pity for Cadmus.  She’d seen him with Jara, and she had an idea that he’d loved the woman every bit as much as she hated the world that had robbed her of the only family she’d ever known.

 

She quickly put the matter aside and stood to find Ghita clinging to Augustus’ arm.  “You.”

 

Ghita feigned ignorance and this only served to increase Livia’s anger.  “What?” Ghita asked, clenching her lover’s arm even more tightly.

“Don’t you play innocent!”  Livia said coldly.  She could feel her grip tighten on the dagger in her right hand and the memory of killing Odessa in Ares temple so many years before flashed before her mind now.  How she would love to cut this conniving bitches throat this second.

 

“Livia?” Augustus asked, stepping between Livia and Ghita.  “What’s the matter?”

 

“Don’t you get it?”  Livia said, bewildered by her emperor’s dull mind. “This dinner was planned by Ghita.  She chose the goblets that would be placed on the table but mine was the only one different. Didn’t you notice that?  I was supposed to drink from the golden goblet, only Jara-“

 

Cadmus stood next to her, holding his child.  His face was oddly pale, most likely from the shock of losing the woman he loved.  “-Liked Livia’s goblet because she loved lions.  They traded.”

 

Now everyone in the room had their eyes glued to Ghita. “I don’t know what you’re insinuating-“ the older woman began to stutter, but Livia would have none of it.

 

“I’m not insinuating anything,” Livia said, talking over Ghita. “I’m saying it out right.  That goblet was meant for me. You either had someone poison it or you laced it yourself.  Chances are you did it yourself.”

 

“I did no such thing!”

 

Cadmus shoved his son into Livia’s arms and before anyone could stop him he was on Ghita in a second, his massive hands wrapped around her throat and squeezing the life out of her.

 

“Cadmus!” Livia shouted.  “I order you to stop!”

 

Livia wasn’t surprised when Cadmus ignored her. She placed the child in Augustus’ arms and used a pressure point Ares had taught her on each of his wrists to force him to loosen his grip.  She intervened not because she wanted Ghita to live, but because she wanted her to die a long and horrible death…on a cross as revenge for trying to kill her in the arena.  It wouldn’t hurt if she tricked Cadmus into believing she was thinking only of his vengeance.

 

“Lycus, find Cadmus a room here in the palace while I tend to Ghita.”

 

Lycus nodded his understanding and moved to carry out his orders.  Livia knelt beside Ghita and whispered so only she could hear.  “You’ve tried to kill me twice now. I’m going to make you regret that for the rest of your life.  Believe me.  That won’t be for very long.”

 

As the guards led Ghita away her eyes implored Augustus for help.  “Caesar.  Surely you’re not going to allow her to…”

 

This was Augustus’ one chance to be rid of Ghita forever.  With both parents dead he felt obligated to continue helping her sons because he genuinely liked them, but if she were out of the picture forever then he would no longer have to worry about revenge tactics from her when he finally moved in on Livia.

 

If he moved in on her.   He remembered the way she’d broken down into tears in an unusual display of emotion and his natural response had been paternal, not sexual. It was at that moment that she had melted into him to receive that fatherly love. Perhaps that was what she needed.  As he looked over to Livia’s hard smile he wondered if perhaps it was too late for her to accept a father figure in her life.  A General she could handle (without ruling out assassination), but a father? 

 

“I will look after your sons Ghita.”

 

“Augustus, no! No!”

 

He gave a nod to the guards and they hauled her away, kicking and screaming to the dungeon.  With Ghita out of the way, Augustus found himself at a loss as to which direction he would take with Livia now that he had choices.

 

Friends or lovers?

 

 

The End of Chapter 4