For the Sake of an Empire Ch. 04

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Gemella is forsaken as the gods watch.
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Part 4 of the 9 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 01/01/2006
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The following is a complete work of fiction inspired by Roman history, with a strong fantasy aspect for the use of artistic license. The original story which was previously posted on Literotica has been completely revamped, so the folks who have been following the story might want to go back and re-read from Chapter 1. The idea of intrigue, betrayal and a power struggle are the still the same. However, entire new passages and parts have been added and some omitted. What was once Chapter 3 is now broken up and will be incorporated into Chapters 4 and 5.

Hopefully if you enjoyed the original, you will still enjoy this one. For those who wrote to me about this series regarding its lack of overly explicit sexual content, I will state for your peace of mind that it is NOT a stroke story. If that interests you, you'd be better off reading something else.

Disclaimer:

The following story may contain erotic situations between consenting adults. If it is illegal for you to read this please leave now. Please do not copy or distribute the story without the author's permission.

Important -

Please feel free to send any feedback or comments through PM or you email me. I appreciate you taking two seconds to vote or leave a comment. And as always thanks to the people who have continued asking for this story and inspired me to do so.

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"Sweet goddess Ania, hear my petitions. I need your guidance tonight."

Gemella looked imploringly towards the statue of the goddess of wisdom. Desperation widened her brown eyes, hands clasped in supplication to the deity who was worshipped by women as protector and guide. The goddess Ania was represented as a warrior in full armor with an owl on her shoulder, the animal sacred to her and her followers. Flowers and offerings of gold and jewels littered the platform at the statue's feet. Heavy incense burned in stone bowls surrounding it, bringing tears to Gemella's eyes.

She bowed her head, her fair hair obscuring delicate features as it brushed the marble feet of the statue. The temple was dark and cool, drafts moving across her bare shoulders, but she did not fear the cold. What chilled her heart was the task that she had been entrusted with, one which she knew would bring her death in one from or another.

"Goddess Ania, hear me, for know not what to do. I have been given a task by my lady and for the first time in my life, I cannot carry out her desires. I live to serve her as her servant and guardian, but I cannot do this thing she asks." Bloodless lips trembled, the light from the candles surrounding the altar making her uncovered hair gleam with the luster of old gold. She looked ethereal in the pale blue silk gown that Portia had chosen for her to wear tonight, the lines accentuating a slender form that befitted a virgin sacrifice.

For that is what I am, a woman who goes to her death for love.

"I have never defied my lady before. I have been with her since she was just a child and even then she was impetuous and strong-willed. Her lady mother died when she was just a child and her father never loved her as a parent should. May the gods forgive her, for her heart is poisoned from neglect."

Gemella sat back on her heels, her knees bruised from kneeling so long on the unforgiving marble. She knew that Portia would be looking for her. They were mere hours from the feast that her lady had so carefully planned in celebration for the return of Celaenia's soldiers, and she would need Gemella to help her dress and arrange her hair. Her wrath would be incurred if her desires were not met, but Gemella could not bring herself to stand and go to her. Instead she prayed for a miracle she knew would not come.

Gemella had never questioned the path that the Fates had set her on. She had been born to a servant and it was only natural that she too would follow in those steps. She had served the royal family since she was little more than a girl, and had loved them all as her own. She grieved for the King of Celaenia as if she had lost a father and not just a ruler. His death had rocked her country, leaving its people wondering what their fate would be. Gemella envied them their ignorance, her fate an albatross around her neck, forcing her down into a place where she could no longer deny what she was and had always been.

Disposable.

"Marcus Aurelius is a good man. I remember him well. He always had a kind word for me when we crossed paths, the smile on his lips always one that always elevated if only for a moment to more than a servant. He is honest and good and Celaenia needs him so much."

Her eyes glittered with tears, a single damp path trailing down her cheek. "Portia wishes his death, yet to hurt him would kill me as well. I love him though I have no right to. I have loved him all of my life and now when I am being given a chance to live the dream I have carried in my heart for all of these years, I am being asked to destroy it."

Her breath caught, hands curling beneath her chin. The silence in the empty temple was oppressive, stealing her breath when no answers came.

"Tell me what I am to do, Goddess Ania. I beg you, allow me just a moment of your clarity so that I may see which path I must walk. Do I follow my lady's orders or my own heart? Do I rob Celaenia of a good man who would make a great King, or do I forfeit my life for his and pray the gods protect him?"

"My lady..."

Gemella whirled around, startled as the silence was broken. The young woman standing in the doorway gnawed her lower lip, uncertain whether to enter or to flee. She bowed as Gemella stood slowly, her long braid swinging over her shoulder.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, my lady. The Lady Portia sent me to find you. She is looking for you and wishes you to come to her right away."

"Were you listening to me?"

"No. I would never intrude on the thoughts of another. I heard nothing, I swear it. I swear it," she repeated, wincing as Gemella's slender fingers curled painfully into her shoulders.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. I came only to deliver the Lady Portia's message."

"Very well. You have completed your task then, but I need one more thing from you."

"Of course my lady."

Gemella's breath hitched. "Have the legions returned?"

"Yes. Captain Aurelius and his men arrived a few hours ago. They are in their rooms, preparing for the feast that is to be held in their honor."

"And Captain Aurelius is in his room now?"

"Yes. I escorted him there myself."

"Thank you, Alyss. Tell my lady I am on my way."

Alyss curtsied low and then skittered off like a frightened child. When she left, she took with her Gemella's last faint hope that the gods cared for mere mortals.

Gemella's eyes closed as she bowed low in front of the statue, winding her veils back around her when she straightened.

The gods could not hear her nor could they help her. For the first time in her life, her fate would not be determined by someone else. Any decision made would be her own and she had never felt more lost.

The walk back to the palace seemed longer than it had ever been before. Everything that had once been as familiar as the nose on her face seemed tainted now that the veil of ignorance had been yanked from her eyes. She was not the same woman who had left the palace only a few hours before and as she watched servants scuttling back and forth through the halls, everyone doing their part to avoid Portia's wrath and ensure that the feast tonight would occur without a hitch, Gemella envied them their ignorance in believing that they were safe from their lady's capricious whims.

Her hand hesitated over the stair rail, her gaze lifting towards the upper landing. If she delayed much longer, Portia would punish her...

Her hand slid away as she moved quickly down the stairs, shielded by her veils, anklets jingling as she ran down the hall and made a right at the end towards Marcus's room.

Portia would punish her if she was late, but what did it matter anymore. Gemella had seen her death in her lady's eyes and knew it would come by decree of the Fates. She could not stop it, the fates having decided her path for her, but she needed to make her peace.

Her blood pounded in her ears, a slender hand hovering over the closed door. She had only to knock, but her tongue felt as thick as wool, her mind stumbling over what she could say. Marcus wouldn't believe her. He could not possibly believe her....

She stumbled forward as the door opened, gasping as her cheek pressed against warm skin still damp from a recent bath. Startled, she looked up, her body tensing when surprised gray eyes met hers.

"Oh forgive me, Lord Aurelius. I did not mean to intrude. Please do not tell my lady of my impudence. Please forgive me."

She tried to lower into a curtsy, but Marcus stopped her, carefully taking her arm to keep her from dropping to the floor. He couldn't see her face, her long fair hair obscuring her like a shroud. Only the gentle lilt of her voice was familiar. Bending his head, he lifted her chin with his other hand, staring into her startled eyes. Gemella shivered in his hold like a frightened animal, ready to bolt if he released her.

"You have no reason to ask forgiveness, Gemella. You have been a part of this house for years longer than I have. It lightens my heart to see a familiar face."

Gemella's lips trembled as she stared up into his handsome face. She had not seen him in three years, yet her body tightened in a rush of familiarity. He looked older than she remembered, a harder man whose eyes were touched with the shadows of many battles. Yet his hands were gentle on her shoulders as he straightened her, his fingers strong and warm where they lingered a moment before falling away.

"You remember my face?"

"How could I forget a woman we looked upon as a playmate for so many years?"

Gemella's lips curved gently into a hesitant smile, fingers curling into his arm, enjoying the play of muscle beneath. He smiled and she felt her heart soar. He was still the same man within, representing hope for Celaenia and for her.

"That you are here is proof that the gods heard the prayers of Celaenia. I...We... feared that you would never return."

"There where moments when I too thought that." His face darkened for a moment, lost in the memory of blood-soaked battlefields, crows feasting on the bodies of men who had died well though that knowledge would not comfort their widows.

"But by the graces of the Fates I am here. I turned our legions around as soon as we received word of my uncle's death. My only regret is that we arrived too late."

Gemella's expression softened in sympathy as his jaw flexed. She knew how much Marcus had loved the old king. His grief was raw, revealed in those dark eyes and the tight set of his jaw as he looked. Gemella ached to comfort him, to hold him close to her breast and offer herself as a means to forgetting the horror that they were all living. But she did not dare.

"I am glad you are home," she whispered. "We need you now, so much more than before..."

"What do you mean?"

"I...I cannot say, Lord Aurelius."

"Of course you can. You know that you have always had permission to speak freely in my presence."

"It is not that. I just...Do not pay me mind, Lord Aurelius. My words are the ramblings of a servant who is tired, nothing more."

Gemella turned to go, but his fingers tightened on her arm, drawing her back towards him. Her pulse quickened when her chest brushed the front of his body through her gown. Gemella gasped as her body reacted at that small contact, accentuated by the clinging fabric over her breasts. His hand brushed through her hair, settling at the back of her neck to tilt her head up, warm breath feathering over her lips.

"Do not run from me, Gemella. We have known one another for too long. If there is something you fear, tell me and let me help you."

"I fear many things, Lord Aurelius. I am a foolish girl."

"Fear does not make us fools, Gemella. Keeping those fears within can. Tell me how to make things better for you. A beautiful woman should not have shadows in her eyes."

"Some things cannot be fixed."

"How do you know unless you try?"

Gemella inhaled, her lower lip trembling as her eyes met his. He was giving her a chance to make things right. All she had to do was tell him all that was in her mind and her heart and sanity could return to her careening world.

"Forgive me for interrupting Lord Aurelius, but my lady is looking for Gemella. She asked that she come immediately to her quarters to help her prepare for the feast."

Marcus's eyes looked deep into hers waiting for her answer, but the moment was lost. The reality of their situation came crashing down, her voice hollow as she gently pulled free of Marcus's hold, moving away before he could stop her.

"I am coming."

She paused halfway down the hallway. Marcus was still standing in the doorway, further from her dreams than ever. Gemella smiled, the silk of her veil whispering as she let it fall back into place, her steps a petition of forgiveness to the gods for lacking the courage to follow her heart.

She moved down the halls silently, returning to Portia's rooms. The door creaked open, announcing her arrival into the sanctuary of marble and carpet. The sweet scent of incense assaulted her senses as she bowed low.

"I am here my lady."

"Where have you been? I asked for you over an hour ago."

"I was at the temple of Ania, my lady. Forgive my tardiness. I lost track of the time."

Portia's lips pursed in displeasure. "Do not let it happen again."

"I swear it will not."

"Very well. Bring me my robes and be quick about it. The guests have already begun to arrive."

"Yes my lady."

Portia watched Gemella in the mirror as the young woman moved quickly through the room, gathering what she needed. Her shoulders seemed more heavily slumped in submission than normal, but it was only when the young woman was lacing the side of her gown that she remembered the situation she had yet to rectify.

"Do you still have that vial I gave you?"

Slender fingers trembled, tangling the laces in Portia's gown. "Yes, my lady."

"Get rid of it."

Portia pushed Gemella's fingers away impatiently when the girl stared. She untangled the laces herself, moving over to the mirror to check her reflection.

"I... I do not understand, my lady. Do you not wish me to carry out your orders?''

"Your orders have changed. Get rid of that vial immediately. Tell no one about it."

"I do not understand."

"What is there for you to understand? I do not want him harmed. I have other plans for Marcus and need him very much alive to complete them."

Relief tied Gemella's tongue, her hand slipping into her pocket to feel the hard silhouette of the little bottle. "You do not wish me to go to him then?"

Portia waved her off impatiently, straightening her dark curls in the mirror. She frowned as she removed her diadem and replaced it with another that gleamed with the rich luster of silver against her dark hair.

"Do you not want to go to him?"

"I... I would do my duty."

"That isn't what I asked you."

"I do not know."

"It is a simple enough question. Do you want to lay with Marcus tonight or not?"

The memory of Marcus's strength still lingered, the touch of his hands burned into her body. To be offered all of that again without treachery was a gift from Ania, proof that the gods still protected the innocent. Gemella smiled as she bowed low.

"Thank you my lady," she murmured, meeting Portia's eyes. "I would very much like to go to him tonight."

Portia nodded without looking at her, preening in the mirror. "Of course you do. Go and prepare yourself then since you are of no use to me here."

"Thank you my lady."

"He'll be my husband soon enough. I can afford to be generous for one night. The gods know you will never have him again."

Clutching the vial, Gemella hurried out of the room, her steps lighter as she ran towards the servant's exit, the sun kissing her cheeks as she emerged in the gardens. She could feel the blessings of the goddess Ania upon her as she squatted down beneath a tree, her knees sinking into the soft earth.

"Thank you, goddess Ania for hearing my plea. I knew that you would not forsake your daughter in her time of need. I pledge myself your servant from this day forward, doing your will when I hear you call."

Gemella leaned forward, her lips pressing to the dirt before she dug a hole with one hand, the smell of damp earth rising up to her. When it was deep enough, she opened her hand, the small bottle mocking her.

"Bless the Goddess that I never have to use you."

"What are you doing there?"

Gemella gasped as she beheld the tall, handsome man who stood behind her, his eyes an unforgiving blue that had followed her steps too often for her comfort.

"Captain Sirrus... You startled me. I am getting rid of something for my lady that she no longer has need for."

"Why did you not give it to one of the maids to throw away then?"

"I... My lady Portia entrusted this task to me and I dare not defy her."

"Yes, that seems to be a common theme. Let me have it."

"It is nothing for you to be concerned about, Captain Sirrus, truly it is just a trifle of my lady," she managed, her body tensing as he leaned over her to snatch the vial from her hand. Dizziness overwhelmed her, cheeks flushing as he popped open the cork, sniffing the tell-tale sweetness of the vial's contents.

His eyes were devoid of emotion as they met her stricken face. "A trifle you say?"

"Yes, Captain Sirrus. Please, I must obey my lady's wishes."

"Who was this for?"

"I do not know what you mean."

Gemella cried out as he gripped her arm with his free hand, twisting it cruelly behind her, her knees sinking deeper into the dirt. Tears stung her eyes as he shoved the vial beneath her nose, forcing her to inhale the sickly sweet scent.

"Open your mouth."

"Please," she panted hoarsely, fear coiling in the pit of her stomach like ice. "Stop!"

"Open your mouth!"

"No, Captain Sirrus. Please stop! Please!"

Sirrus showed no compassion as he stared at the struggling beauty, his eyes roaming over her gentle curves, accentuated by the dirty silk robe she wore. Gemella's breath quickened with fear as his gaze lingered on her mouth, lowering leisurely over her body, his hold on her arm tightening.

"Why? If there is nothing lethal in this vial then a drink won't hurt you."

Gemella shrieked as he forced her down to the ground, her slender body pinned beneath his weight. She struggled, feeling his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her arms, trapping them over her head.

"Please let me go," she begged, panic overtaking her. They were in a secluded part of the garden where none but Portia dared to enter without permission. No one would hear her scream.

Sirrus kept his hold on her wrists, his other hand rubbing the body of the vial against her closed mouth. "Tell me who this was meant for and I will spare you. If you do not answer you will be charged with treason against the throne and your lady."

"No! I love my lady. I would never harm her."

"Tell me then who this was meant for."

Tears streamed down Gemella's cheeks, her skin hot and flushed from the struggle. She shook her head from side to side, lips tightly pressed together as he tried to shove the neck of the bottle between them. The liquid touched her mouth and she cried out.

"She told me to do it!"

"Who told you?"

"The Lady Portia," she sobbed, the emotion shaking her slender form. "She wanted me to give it to Lord Aurelius tonight when I give myself to him, but she changed her mind this afternoon. She does not want him harmed. She intends to marry him and name him her consort to gain favor over the people of Celaenia."

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