Davius and Gaia withdrew from the inferno into the shade of the villa, its coolness gently kissing the heat from their skin. They moved down the stretch of hall that separated the slave quarters from the main residence to meet Eridus, who was already pacing feverishly up and down the length of his peristyle. It was decorated to project magnificence, ornate columns and fine marble statues overcrowding each room. They were currently adorned in Neptune’s colors, draped in sea green and sky blue, ornamented with glistening silver. The colors complimented the intricate frescoes covering each wall, creating the atmosphere of an underwater palace fit for a sea god.
“You.” Eridus’s baritone voice cut through Davius’s thoughtful observations. “You were able to get everything that I asked for?”
“Yes, sir,” Davius replied.
Only a hint of relief softened the man’s stern, ruddy face. Eridus was a corpulent man, the huge swell of his stomach obscuring the belt of his robes, his fleshy face a constant shade of overexertion. The color spread to the bald spot atop his head, surrounded by patches of grey, wiry hair that clung to his skull in desperation. His tree trunk legs were in constant motion, pacing back and forth when he grew apprehensive, which tended to be far more often than he was calm.
“And the wine?”
“Yes,” Gaia assured him. “Marcus and the kitchen slaves have already begun preparing the feast, and Urtus is filling the carafes. I was able to make an even trade today, and Vaticus Marcaoneus sends his regrets.”
Eridus waved his hand, dismissively. “No one will miss that old bastard anyway. He can barely handle his wine.” He turned his back to resume his anxious march as Davius caught Gaia stifling a laugh.
“Gaia, go retrieve Moira,” he ordered as he came back around to face them. “She will help you dress for tonight. As you may have expected, I will need you to be the main servant tonight. She purchased robes for you earlier this morning—I need you to look your finest.”
Gaia lifted herself up to the tips of her toes to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek, not unlike the way a daughter would her father. “As always, Master Eridus, you have my heartfelt gratitude,” she said warmly. “I shall not disappoint.”
Davius observed his face flush, his sour mood faintly sweetened by the gesture. “Ah, yes,” he stammered. “Go on now, she waits for you in your chambers.”
Gaia offered a good-natured bow to him before she withdrew, sneaking Davius a wink before she disappeared down the hall to her rooms.
Eridus turned back towards him, inching closer to where he stood. “Now, Davius,” he said in a low mumble, “your job will be to keep a watchful eye on all who arrive. Make sure they keep their distance from my cherished possessions. A man can trust no one, even the Roman elite. I may ask you to bring in wine from time to time, however...” He faltered suddenly, hesitant with his words. “Well...I do not need to warn you of the lustful advances of a drunken Roman on a young slave boy...”
Davius quickly nodded in understanding, alleviating the man’s discomfort. “Of course.”
He clapped his hands together, pleased. “Excellent. Hurry along now, the hour of festivities is upon us!”
Davius nodded, leaving him to his nervous stride as he headed down the corridor that led to his room. He often fantasized that someday he would be as rich as Eridus with a multitude of servants at his disposal and Gaia as his wife. His daydreams helped to pass the long hours he spent working in the stables, imagining what it would be like to finally press his lips against hers, running his hands around her soft curves. He loved her completely; he spent each day yearning for the moments they would be together. Sometimes he thought of their children, picturing their bright green eyes and cherubic faces, confident they could have no better mother than his patient, nurturing Gaia.
He entered his room, smiling as he imagined small, golden-haired babes running into her arms. He pulled a freshly laundered tunic over his head, the fabric pulling at a frame that had recently peaked in masculinity. He would need larger clothing soon, he thought to himself, as he ran a comb through his tousled hair. His coppery blonde locks were much longer than the fashion, but Davius had been taught long ago that a full head of hair and a strong beard were the achievements of manhood. Although he embraced Roman culture, it was one Celtic tradition he wasn’t willing to part with.
Since his arrival, there had been no sign of the tempestuous deity who had protected him on his fateful journey. Gaia never again spoke of that morning, and for that, Davius was grateful. She left her village too soon to have learned the old ways, and he didn’t want to risk upsetting her with bloody tales of gods that had no place in this land. He kept them buried inside, honoring them when he could, feeling their presence with the turn of each season, in the smell of fresh blood wafting from the butchery, in the crackle of bonfires. The old gods remained alive, but quietly, hidden away in the recesses of his heart.
He headed towards the dining quarters to assist where needed. The setting of the long, elegant dining table was nearly complete, large decanters of wine, drinking glasses, and polished silver place settings obscuring the cerulean tablecloth. Similarly colored cloth was draped over the lounging couches, the smiling ivory sculptures of Bacchus and his nymphs that were etched into their sides peeking out from underneath their new blankets. Slaves buzzed around him as he adjusted one of the wayward pillows, sneaking a grape from one of the fruit platters near him. The action led him to notice an absent olive oil carafe, which he knew should accompany the bread plate. He turned towards the kitchen to retrieve it, colliding into another slave. “Forgive me—” he began before his words were snatched from him.
Gaia was a vision of divine enchantment. Her curves were wrapped in sanguine robes trimmed with gold, with jewels of ruby and gold sparkling at her ears and throat. Her skin had been powdered into an iridescent sheen, delicate gold bracelets winding up her shapely arms. Dark kohl outlined eyes which shone like polished emeralds in the glow of the setting sun.
She observed his speechlessness with amusement. “What, did you not believe I could look refined?”
He laughed, broken away from her spell. “You look perfect.”
She beamed, despite herself, nervously casting her eyes on the floor. “Well, thank you.”
The aroma of her jasmine perfume wafted up from her skin. He suddenly felt the urge to take her into his arms.
“Davius!” A voice bellowed from afar, startling him.
He turned and began to jog down the hall towards the sound of Eridus’s voice. “I will see you tonight!” he called back to her, playfully using their old Gaulish tongue.
She smiled and echoed the language, “Tonight.”
The banquet continued well into the late hours of night, the laughter of inebriated Romans echoing throughout the halls. Davius had retired to his room after several hours of servitude, stretching his limbs out across his bedding as he listened to the belches and upheavals customary to a proper Roman feast. The guests had already worked their way through all seven courses, sating themselves now with copious amounts of wine and leftover olives. Sleep availed him, his apprehension over Gaia’s presence around the drunken dinner guests proving a bit too much for him to bear.
He withdrew from his bed to the open window, the cool summer breeze running its fingers through his hair. He inhaled, letting its gentle greeting calm his nerves. He enjoyed the peace for a few moments before hoisting himself up and wriggling his body through the narrow aperture. He latched onto the terra-cotta tiles with his fingers, pulling up on the roof with all his strength until he catapulted onto his desired destination. His landing was graceful, but he still made sure to establish balance before maneuvering to his usual spot where an old tattered blanket waited for him. He smoothed it out and settled himself across it, tucking his hands behind his head as he reclined. He let out a sigh, drinking in the sparkling stars above, radiant orbs freckling the dark, infinite skies.
He had memorized the constellations long ago, tracing them now with an extended finger. The fireball of Venus outshined the waxing moon, illuminating her neighboring constellation of Pegasus, his pointed wings perfectly visible to the naked eye. Davius found solace in the knowledge that the stars he gazed at now were the same as when he was a young boy laying in the fields of Gaul. He imagined the tribes left standing after the Romans’ plunder, congregating under the same moon he beheld above.
He inhaled once more, letting his heavy eyes close to the celestial splendor above, content to let them swirl in his memories.
“Davius?”
He jolted out of his trance, nearly toppling off the roof.
“Davius, where are you?”
He let his head hang down over the edge so that it appeared upside down in the window. “Here,” he called.
Gaia startled. “What are you doing on the roof?”
He laughed, admiring once more how lovely she looked, even with his vision askew. “I am gazing at the skies. Will you join me?” He noticed she was holding a half-filled carafe in her arms.
She looked skeptical. “How am I to get up there?”
“I will pull you up. Come.” He gestured her forward.
She laughed at the absurdity of it, handing him the carafe first before she lifted her skirts and hoisted herself up through the window. “Please do not let me fall,” she begged as he grounded his feet and pulled her up the rest of the way.
