Love Is in the Air (56 page)

CHAPTER 13

Brutus let the gentle rocking of the litter lull him like a colicky babe. While he would like to arrive at the palace before Caesar consumed too much Egyptian wine, he was glad for this welcome break. Brutus pulled back the curtains to watch the city he loved so dearly pass by. Torches lit the construction sites of Mars’ Temple and Caesar’s new Curia.

Such extravagance
, Brutus thought. But he knew that the world expected such a spectacle, not only of Rome but of Caesar as well. If both were not larger than life, who would willingly submit?

Frowning, Brutus listened more carefully to Rome. Even with all of the ongoing construction, there wasn’t the usual babble of the city streets. It was not that late into the evening, yet quiet had hushed Rome. Usually with a war such as that against the Parthinians so close at hand, the city would be abuzz with rowdy soldiers and heartbroken maidens. Gatherings would be so large that they spilled out into the avenues. Tonight, the litter barely passed another traveler. There was hardly a delay at the towering northern gate. Even the guards seemed edgy at the unnatural stillness.

The bridge over the Tiber was ominously empty. Where were the multitudes of traders and pilgrims that plied the roads at this time of night? The city had a pall to it, and Brutus knew why. Ever since Marc Antony had offered Caesar the crown, the population had been subdued. It seemed that even the common man was hesitant to move until they knew what his leader’s intentions were.

Rome itself held her breath.

Soon, Cleopatra’s mansion shone on the horizon. It glowed like a jewel upon the banks of the Tiber. Brutus had seen it from Rome, but never so close. Immediately upon viewing its splendid walls, one knew that Roman architects did not design the building. It was rumored that Cleopatra was desperately homesick and had summoned one of her own builders from Egypt. One could almost feel the heat of endless sand and the smell of roasted camel on approaching.

Even at this beautiful sight, Brutus cringed. He was loath to listen to rumors, but he had overheard his fellow senators complaining that once crowned, Caesar intended to move the Empire’s capital to Alexandria. Did Julius not know how such thoughts rattled the people to their very bones? Theirs was the Roman Empire, which, to Brutus, necessitated that the capital be Rome. Why was Caesar allowing these rumors to circulate so widely? A single resolution from the Senate could squelch such talk, yet none was forthcoming.

Brutus caught himself when the conveyance tipped backward as the litter made its way up to the palace. Certain that his senatorial sash was adjusted properly, Brutus prepared to exit. Soon, the men lowered the conveyance. Much to his surprise, several dark-skinned servants greeted him rather than Caesar’s personal guards. These Egyptians were clothed in the finest silk, and their skin was oiled to a bright sheen that made them look more like dancers than the Queen’s personal guard.

Women draped in peacock feathers filed out from the palace, and musicians began a tune upon papyrus lutes. Flames spurted from concealed torches. But no other Roman was in sight. It was strange to not see a single centurion in sight.

Shoulders tense, Brutus entered the great hall. The walls were lined with so many brands that the room shone with the brightness of day. The sound of laughter and gaiety rose from the side rooms as they passed along. It seemed that all the life and livelihood of Rome had been stolen across the Tiber.

A doorman, dressed in the manner from across the Mediterranean, opened a set of gilded doors. “The senator, Marcus Brutus.”

A gong sounded so loudly that Brutus flinched as he entered the room. Caesar lounged on a purple settee. His eyes fixed on a sight that Brutus felt was not of this world. The general did not even blink as he entered.

“Julius.” Brutus nodded to his leader.

It was only then that Caesar seemed to notice him. “Brutus, it has been long since we feasted together.”

The general clapped twice, and several servants appeared carrying trays laden with roasted meats and wine. Brutus ignored the offering, although it was quite obvious that Caesar had been sampling his cellar quite freely. “What might I do for you this night, Julius?”

“I hear the Ides will be a monumental day?”

Brutus now wished he had taken the seat, as his feet shuffled loudly against the slick floor. “That it should be.”

Caesar’s face seemed too bright under the radiant torchlight. “The people are ready for such a change, Brutus. Why are you not?”

“The people have chosen—”

“The people did not tame Spain!” Any shred of composure left Julius as he ranted. “The people did not invade the Britons! The people need a king who has!”

Brutus did not bother to correct his commander. Never mind that Sextus was still stirring civil unrest in Spain, and both excursions into the Britons’ territory ended in disaster. It would take the shipyards a year to replace the fleet that Julius lost. But already the historians were forgetting such embarrassing aspects of Caesar’s legacy. Just as the general himself seemed to. Luckily, Brutus was spared from another tirade as the gong resonated.

The guard announced the latest arrival. “The Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra!”

With the swell of music, bright lotus blossoms were thrown onto the floor, creating a floral pathway for the young queen to gracefully enter. Brutus had heard about much of her beauty, but had not yet seen it for himself. Her skin was far lighter than he imagined one who lived under the desert sun would have. But her pale complexion should not have been a surprise. She was not truly descended from Egyptians at all.

In her veins flowed the blood of Alexander the Great’s general, Ptolemy. Without an heir to Alexander, his generals had divided the great empire into fragments of its former glory. Since Ptolemy’s ascension to the Egyptian throne, brother and sister had married so that the bloodline was pure, and wholly Greek rather than Egyptian.

But her skin was the only attribute that revealed Cleopatra’s Grecian heritage. All else was everything you would expect from one raised upon the Nile. Black kohl lined her eyes, making them swim in a pool of darkness. Her hair was the color of a crow in the dead of night. Brutus could not imagine that was a shade created by nature.

Cleopatra’s complexion was without blemish, and the thin saffron dress was cut in the Egyptian fashion. The left side of her chest was exposed to the air, and even Brutus had to admit it was a most perfect breast. Its dark nipple stood out proudly for all to see.

For one so young, Cleopatra had a bearing that was beyond her years. She held Brutus’ stare without flinching. Much like Syra had, only this Egyptian had the look of imperial disdain. It seemed that everyone in the room was beneath her stature. All except Caesar. For him, the queen smiled and held out her hand. Julius rose and escorted his paramour onto his settee.

“Is she not all encompassing?” Caesar asked, near breathless.

All the other men in the room seemed to feel the same way. Even the slaves, who had been beaten all their lives for even peeking at a noblewoman, openly gawked at the Egyptian beauty. Then why was Brutus so unflustered by her presence?

Perhaps a month ago he might have been. But after experiencing Syra’s proximity, Brutus had eyes for no other. This young thing had poise and features that Helen of Troy would have longed for, but she was nothing compared to the Northerner. Cleopatra’s face was unmarred by life’s passage, but that did nothing to hold her in Brutus’ esteem. The Egyptian’s beauty was of the most superficial kind.

“The queen is most splendid, Caesar.”

Julius did not seem to notice Brutus’ evasion, and went on to coo to his young lover.

“If you are done with me, Caesar, I will be on my way home.”

“I am never done with you, Brutus.” Suddenly, the general’s eyes looked sharp again as they bored into him.

What was there to say to the man who ruled the world? “If it pleases you, I would seek my hearth this eve. Lylith returns soon, and I wish to have the house ready.”

Julius was distracted once again by Cleopatra’s dark nipple. It was like a target that Caesar intended to acquire.

Almost as a second thought, the general waved Brutus off. “Then go. I will not have you spoil our festive mood with your dour expression.”

Brutus bowed despite the fact that Caesar was looking nowhere in his direction. He followed a well-oiled guard out of the room but found himself led down a series of convoluted hallways. This did not seem the way back to the palace entrance. Just when he was about to voice his concern, the lithe Egyptian opened a door to a small room.

“Wait,” the man said in heavily accented Latin.

Brutus was loath to enter, but what choice did he have? At this point his sense of direction was so mired that he could spend hours and never find the exit. Once within the room, the guard closed the door, and Brutus was certain that he heard a lock tumble shut.

Looking about the room, it was, at the least, a pleasant prison. The walls were covered with yards and yards of flowing fabric, the color of the sun as it rose. A bed draped in silk was the only furnishing. Did Caesar think to gain his support by offering him a woman for his pleasure?

Before Brutus could fret much more, a secret panel opened in the wall, and Cleopatra stepped out. Her face had lost some of its imperial glow, and her mouth was turned down in worry.

“Queen,” Brutus said as he bowed with respect for her title.

“Do you love your king?” she asked.

Taking a deep breath, the Roman spoke the truth. “I have no king, my lady. I have but a great man who wishes to be king.”

“Why are you Romans so stubborn?” Cleopatra asked, seeming to be truly perplexed by the Senate’s lack of support.

“Perhaps we have been free for too many centuries, Queen.”

“Perhaps,” the young woman said as she turned and paced the room. The royalty seemed to fade from her face. Gradually, Brutus could see the young girl beneath the elaborate makeup. She could barely be over two decades, he realized. So young, and already the mother of two children and the consort to the most powerful man in the world. But in this moment with her lip trembling, she seemed more scared than threatening.

“Is something the matter, Cleopatra?”

The young Queen unconsciously bit her lip before she answered. “Did you find nothing strange this evening?”

There was much he found unusual this night, but none that he would voice to the Egyptian. “I do not know of which you speak.”

“The guards. Did you recognize any of them?”

“Nay,” Brutus answered. He had noticed not a single centurion since entering the palace. Brutus had assumed it was an edict from Cleopatra herself. “They were all your men.”

“Did you know that Caesar has excused his personal guard?”

“What? No? He would not.”

Cleopatra stated bluntly, “He has.”

Brutus mind sped uncontrollably. Why would the general do such a thing? Could he not feel the very spark in the air? How could Julius not notice the frank hostility in the Curia every time he stepped foot on the stage?

“Why?” Brutus finally asked.

“He says…” The Queen had to stop as her voice shook. “He says that he must show this Senate of yours trust. That he fears nothing—not the Parthinians, or his own people.”

Brutus sighed. It was such a thing for Julius to do. At times, Caesar’s arrogance blinded him to the dangers lurking just within an arm’s length. Had Julius learned nothing from Labienus? Caesar’s first lieutenant had betrayed him in a most critical hour. Labienus had taken up arms with Pompey and fought Caesar within an inch of defeat. This duplicity had nearly lost Julius the civil war. Would it now cost him his life?

“You must speak with him, Brutus. You must convince him to double his guard.”

“You have petitioned the wrong man, I am afraid.”

“You would let those vultures carve him? We both know Cassius’ heart. The smell of assassination reeks in the air.”

“Even if I were to speak with him on such matters, he would not listen. You must employ Antony or—”

The royal façade slipped away completely as tears sprang to the young woman’s eyes. “He will listen to no one. But you… He holds affection for you, Brutus.”

“Of that I do not know, but I do know that Caesar holds no faith in my counsel.”

“You might sway him.”

Brutus felt the light weight of Tiberius’ necklace in his sash. A child had paid the price for his stubbornness already. He would not cross the Virgin again until he was in a position to protect those close to him.

For this reason, the Roman could offer Cleopatra no solace. “I am sorry, Queen, but he is a grown man and the leader of Rome. He must make his own decisions.”

The Egyptian regained her composure, and the room seemed to cool several degrees. “Then we have nothing further to discuss.”

In a rustle of silk and gold braid, the Queen left the way she had entered. Within moments, the guard returned and escorted him from the palace. Upon entering the litter, Brutus wondered which was worse—to save Rome and kill Caesar, or spare the man but kill the Republic?

* * *

Syra began to tire of her wandering. Melancholy had shrouded her since speaking to the hag atop Rome’s wall. Her mind seemed unable to reconcile her nightly dreams and this woman’s strange presence. Something nagged. It felt like she had forgotten some task. Something urgent. Like when she laid her head upon her bedroll and realized she had forgotten to water her horse.

But now the sun had set, and the moon was on the rise as Syra’s feet complained. It was time to go home. She would finish her tour of the waterfront, then climb the hill to the mansion.

A gathering of citizens drew her attention. It was getting late, even for Romans, to be out on the street. Curious by nature, she edged closer to the crowd. It seemed something had washed up on the shore. With all the boats plying the river, it could be anything. Just last week a chest of silver goblets had crashed against the bank, spewing tableware over the sloping mud.

From the hushed voices, Syra doubted that bounty had made its way to the shore. Her attention piqued, she shouldered her way to the front. Syra found a sad sight. A body had washed up from the river. It wasn’t until the corpse was turned over that Syra’s breath left her body.