The Journey Home

It was a days journey from Clusium to the city of Rome. They had left at dawn as planned. The guards were all set and General Cato rode at the front of the party. Trix could not help but stare at the man. He it seemed that he was chiseled from marble. With every look he gave Trix she felt like melting. It was something about this mysterious general that attracted her. They came to a halt to rest. She turned her attention to Hector, who was practicing with some of the soldiers. Hector and a young soldier named Gaius quickly became friends because they were of the same age. Like Hector, Gaius had been training to be a soldier of Rome even before he could walk. He was the son of a soldier and a freed female gladiator. Fighting was in his blood.

"Hey princess maybe it's time you learned to use the pretty dagger I have you." Hector teased.

"Actually that wouldn't be a bad idea." Cato commented when he overheard their conversation. "I'll teach you."

"Um.... okay." Trix could feel her face turning red. He was so much older than her and yet everything about him attracted her. His hair, his eyes, his body, and even the way he spoke. Trix retrieved her dagger with hung from a belt at her waist. She handed it to the dashing general.

"This blade is quite beautiful. Beautiful but also practical." He commented. "Now this is what I want you to do is focus on that trunk. That will be your target. Aim and throw" General Cato then released the dagger that quickly and surely found its mark.

He retrieved it and gave it to Trix.

Trix took a deep breath. She knew where she wanted that dagger to go and she threw it with all her strength. And the hilt hit the tree.

"Great princess, now you've bruised the tree!" Hector teased.

Trix ignored him and went over to pick up the dagger and take a go at it again.

She must have tried more than fifty times when General Cato signaled that it was time to move on. Trix felt so frustrated that she spoke to no one. She simply got on her horse and went with the group.

The general saw her. He ordered his second in command to take the lead and he fell back to ride beside Trix.

It took a while for Trix to realize that the general was riding by her side. When she did she was so startled that she stuttered. "G..General...Sh... Shouldn't you be at the front." She hoped that he did not notice her surprise.

"I cannot lead the party when the nation's future ruler is sad. What bothers you my lady?"

"It's nothing."

"Is it the dagger throwing?"

"How did you know?" Trix asked. She was shocked. Was it obvious that it frustrated her?

"Well for one your attitude turned sour after you tried to embed it in the tree."

"I just need practice I guess." Trix shrugged.

"You can't always be good at everything princess. And it won't hurt you to admit your frustration. Don't worry I'll help you learn."

"Errr. Thanks." Trix blushed.

The general went back to the front of the party. Hector rode up beside her and said. "I do not trust him. Something is amiss."

"You're just jealous Hector." Trix teased.

"I'm serious Trix."

"Oh come on he is a general in the Roman Army. How can he be bad? Plus my parents trusted him to take me back to Rome."

"I guess." Hector replied still not believing in his own words.

They rode on for the rest of the day taking stops every couple of hours so that they may rest and relieve themselves. At every stop Trix would practice with the general while Hector looked on. He did not trust this general with his bestfriend's life.

As the sun set they reached the outskirts of Rome. They would stay at an inn for the night and enter Rome in the morning. As they sat by the table they discussed their plans.

"At dawn we will saddle up and be ready to enter Rome." Cato explained. "Their will be a parade up to the Emperor's palace. One we get there you will be presented to your parents. Please show some affection to them. It will help the Romans truly feel that you are their ruler's daughter."

"I'm not sure how I will react when I meet them." Trix mumbled

"It will be alright child. You will love them. They are amazing people." Artemisia said to comfort her.

"Then you will have a meal with them. Of course your companions will be with you." Cato continued as he pointed at Hector, Juliana, and Artemisia. "Then you will have time to rest before you go in front of the senate. The Emperor will officially name you as his heir."

Trix could feel her heart beating faster. She did not know that so much was involved in her return home. All she knew was that she would be presented to her parents and that's all. Nothing about being proclaimed heir or a parade into the city.

"So does everyone know that I am the heir?" Trix asked.

"All they know it that the Emperor and Empress have a female child that was sent into hiding as a child. They are yet to find out who you are and where you have been." Cato explained.

"Oh alright."

"Next you will ----" Cato tried to continue as Trix cut him off mid speech

"There's more?" Trix asked in surprise.

"Yes Princess. As I was saying next you will return home for a short rest then you will attend a banquet held in your honor."

"Is that all Cato?" Juliana asked.

"Yes my lady." The General replied.

"And who will be attending this banquet?" Juliana asked as she looked at her cup.

"All the senators and their families, Generals, Officials of the government, Nobles. Practically everyone who is anyone."

"I guess we have to polish your manners princess." Hector winked at Trix.

"Is that all general?" Artemisia asked dryly

"Yes ma'am."

"Very well. Let us all retire. We have a busy day ahead of us."

They all then got up and headed into their room. As Trix stood up Juliana stopped her.

"Trix you know that I have treated you as my own child and your safety and well being is my priority."

"I do." Trix replied. "And I am grateful that you and auntie have cared for me all my life even if I was not yours."

"I wish I had had a daughter, but the gods blessed me with only a son. But I do not think I would need a daughter because I had you."

"I'm glad you had Hector. He is one of the few people I trust. And I know that my needs are his priority. It's difficult finding a friend that does not care if you are rich or poor, or if you are beautiful or not. Hector has been that person to me."

"Trix trust me you are beautiful, inside and out."

"Juliana may I ask a sensitive question?"

"What is it my dear?"

"Your family are they still in Rome?"

"Yes. My father is a senator and I was his only child."

"Then wouldn't that make Hector his heir?"

"It would. But I don't think he would accept Hector with open arms."

"Does he know about Hector?"

"Yes. He visited several times in disguise. I only hope he will let us stay at his home while we are at Rome."

A silence then lingered between the two until Juliana asked "How are you feeling Trix?"

"Anxious, nervous, scared. I'm feeling so many emotions at once. I fear that people will hate me and I will be forced to marry a man who wants to simply take the throne."

"Your parents will never do that. They themselves were meant to marry other people."

Trix was shocked. She had expected that the emperor had married whom he had been arranged to marry for a more political reason rather than love.

"Your mother was supposed to marry the former emperor." Juliana continued. "She hated the man and loved his cousin. When her marriage was a week away she and Patricius ran away. The emperor then called them back promising that they could wed."'

Trix was in awe. Who knew her parents were not forced into being with one another.

"Will I am tired. Shall we retire?" Juliana said.

Trix nodded and they headed up to their rooms.

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Savi had one of his men act as a drunk man and start fighting with the guards as he sneaked up the stairs and into the hallway above. He had discovered that the girl was in the 4th room to his left.

He made sure to take light steps as not to awaken anyone. They would simply rise in the morning and find the heiress dead, along with their hopes and dreams for the continuation of the dynasty.

He stopped when he heard a sound from one of the rooms.

When he was sure that the person would not awake he continued down the hall to the 4th room. He turned to face it and smiled. This was the moment he was waiting for. His family would be free and the would be out of Rome the next day.

He took out his dagger and held it out ready to kill. He pushed the door open. He saw her wrapped in a blanket on her bed. He thought it was only proper for him to say a few words before carrying out his deed even if no one would hear it.

"Good evening princess. I'm here to send you to Hades where you belong!" He chuckled and drove the knife down at her tiny figure."

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Trix had never felt so lucky in her life.

She had snuck out of her room with her dagger in had when she had heard the commotion downstairs. She saw the drunk man fighting with the guards and his companion sneaking up behind them and going up the stairs. At that point she had ran down the hall and hid behind a table near her room.

The stranger had then stopped when one of the men must have moved in his room but did not come out. He continued down the hall till he had reached her room. When he drew out his dagger she knew his intention was to kill her.

She heard his evil words and she saw him thrust the dagger into her pillow that she had covered with her blanket.

He had let out a shout of frustration and threw his dagger at a wall. It woke everyone on their floor. Juliana was the first to the scene. When she saw what the man had done she attacked him as any mother would have. She was followed by some soldiers and the general. The man was well equiped and well trained. He had other weapons concealed on his person.

In a matter of minutes the man's companions started rushing up the stairs. Hector and Artemisia then joined the fight. She saw Hector kill several men. Artemisia who was always the quiet healer attacked with the ferocity of an a****n warrior from the stories she heard as a child.

Then she heard it. Hector screamed as the man who had attempted to kill her had stabbed Juliana.

Trix rushed out of her hiding place and threw her dagger at the assassin. It had hit its mark. The dagger embeded itself into the man's chest.

She ran to Juliana who was fighting to live. Juliana then looked up and saw her and with the last ounce of her life said. "My child you are alive. Thank the gods. I want you and Hector to take care of one another. Promise me."

The both promised and Juliana took her last breath and died in her son's arms.