Stolen Words

It had already been two days before the people of the house finally knew that the fire that burned a massive hole through their back door was not a work of nature, but lit up by someone.

On her way from the city square, Hesperia saw the slaves of the house by the command of their masters, taking in people randomly to their villa, very possibly interrogating them on the subject of the fire.

Hesperia pulled her satchel closer to her, clutching it tightly, the fifteen silver little coins rattling inside as she walked faster.

Thankfully, she didn't have her cloak on her today, so there was a chance that the people didn't recognize her, if they had even noticed her the day before yesterday.

 

“Marcus! Where are you?” Hesperia whisper-shouted as she carefully scooted past the boy’s third younger brother, a mere toddler of one and a half years struggling to walk. Marcus’ twin sister Marcia, who was also sixteen, rushed past the girl and swiped Phoebus into her arms.

“Hesperia! It’s so long since I saw you! How are you doing?”

“Me? I’m okay. But I have something that I have to meet Marcus for immediately. Do you know where he is?”

The twin turned around, “MARCUS! Your girlfriend is here to see you! Good luck!” She turned to Hesperia, whose cheeks were dusted a faint pink. “Good luck to you, too.” Marcia spun around and walked off.

“We’re not together!” Hesperia yelled at the girl who had chuckled in response.

“Who’s not together?” Marcus had a playful glint in his eyes as he approached Hesperia, “And why are you yelling at my sister?”

“She-”

“Yeah, yeah. Enough of that. You’re here to talk business, I presume.” He ran his fingers through his curly locks.

“They know.”

“Who knows what?”

“The people know, Marcus! The people know that the fire was set on purpose. And the Julii are taking people off the streets for questioning! Who knows what they’ll do if they find out who it was?”

“It’s not me though. I don’t need to care so much now, do I?” He waved a hand dismissively.

“You were the one who suggesting we go for them!” The girl’s eyes flashed accusingly.

“And you were the one who ACTUALLY SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE!!”

“So we’re playing the blame game, huh? Very well. You were the one who stole the bread.”

“I’m not having this argument with you now, Hesperia. I just have so much to do right now. We can talk another time. Just leave, won’t you?” Marcus let out a sigh as the other stood unmoving, “Please. I swear I’ll find you later.”

“This isn’t you, Marcus. You’re always on for a plan, and you know you never leave things to be. Is everything alright?”

“Not now, Hesperia. Not now.”

 

Hesperia trudged out of the building, her eyes trailing the ground at her feet. Their encounter was not how it was supposed to go. They should have been drawing crude maps of patricians’ houses and devising escape routes. They shouldn’t have been on the edge of a fight, with their voices ringing out so loud that everyone in the entire neighborhood had become their audience. She shouldn’t have been so childish.

Hesperia stopped walking.

Oh, gods.

Everyone must have known by now.

Hesperia could hear the faint draw of the steel scraping against steel as well as the marching steps of two pairs of boots, both of which the source was coming closer.

“Yield, girl.” Hesperia turned to see two tall men, legionnaires judging by their attire. One had blond hair that made him look somewhat Gallic, and the other towered over his companion. It was the Gallic looking one that had spoken.

“And why is that, Gaul?” Hesperia sneered, her mind whirling as she tried to come up with a plan to escape. Her voice echoed throughout the empty alley. His companion stepped forward, baring his teeth threateningly.

“Stop, Scipio.” The blondie turned over to Hesperia. “We are here to bring you over to the Juli-”

Hesperia fled down the alleyway before he finished his sentence, merging into the crowds on the bustling streets of Rome.

 -

The girl took off towards the Temple of Ceres, rounding the back where there was already a young priestess standing there, waving her hands at Hesperia.

“Hey! Where were you? And why didn’t you bring the tunic I told you to get for me?”

Hesperia reached the priestess, hands on her knees as she breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath.

“Base, now.”

“What?”

Hesperia pointed behind her, and the priestess Sabina could just spot two hazy outlines of men that slightly resembled of legionnaires.

“What have you done, Hesperia?” Sabina muttered under her breath as she led the panting girl to a trapdoor hidden under a patch of bushes. Hesperia pried the wood open slipping inside. Sabina followed her down inside.

 -

“Here’s your tunic,” Hesperia pulled out a hastily stuffed piece of clothing, onto a low wooden table set in the middle of the room, “Apparently Sextus was having a charming day today, so he only charged 10 sestertii for it,” The girl held her palm out to reveal 5 more silver coins, “Here.”

“So why were two legionnaires chasing you?”

“I might have set the Julii’s villa partly on fire.”

“Hesperia!”