Midnight Memories || ONC 2022

Chapter 13

It was 44 B. C when my uncle was assassinated. Gaius who was away in Apollonia made his way back to the palace once he had gotten word that our uncle Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by forty Roman senators.  I had already completed my one year in Paris studying art and with my uncle's approval I had gotten in engaged to Jarvous soon after my return. 

 Its been a year and half since my brother was imprisoned and labeled as a traitor.  Every day I have laid awake thinking about him. When my brother was imprisoned, my uncle sent me to Paris the next day, to which I couldn't argue about not going. He knew I was hurting and wanted to make me feel better. 

On the day Gaius arrived back to the palace, he declared my brother's execution date without telling me. When I found out, I confront him to tell me the charge. And he told me that when he was labeled as a traitor for attempting to murder our uncle. I couldn't believe it. My brother tried to murder my uncle. Had his ambition blinded him that much?

Despite my brother being a traitor he is still my brother and I miss him everyday. Night has fallen, as I lay awake in my bed chamber thinking about my marriage in the next year. My brother won't be there and he will continue to rot in that prison cell. I sit up. Is this me being ungrateful that I am alive? Am I ungrateful?  

My brother is getting executed in a week and I can not do anything about it. Nor should I try. As Gaius is in charge now, if I defy him, I myself can be labeled as a traitor. I get dressed and head for the first time where my brother is being held. The guard notices me come in so I ask if I can a few words with my brother. He hesitantly agrees. 

I kneel next to the cell, "Mi Frater, I'm sorry for not coming earlier. I came to hear the truth about what happened that day. I will believe anything you say. Please tell me."

"It took you two years to finally come down here and ask me that? I doubt you love, soror carissima."

"I am sorry. Please forgive me for my selfishness. I was sent to Paris the day after you were imprisoned," I lower my gaze because of how guilty I feel. 

"You went to live your dream of studying art, but I had to stay here rotting in this cell. You and Gaius Octavius are so alike."

"Farter, do not say that. I do care for you. Because of your hated toward Gaius Octavius he wasn't to go through with the execution. He thinks that you will hinder this empire in going forward."

"Its not surprising. He seems me as a challenge no doubt. We must hurry. Grab the keys," he stands up.

"Keys?" I am confused to why he asked for the keys. 

He kneels back down with his face close to mine."Did you just come here to tell me about my death. Or did you come here to rescues me from this injustice?" 

"Maxim Drusius, I can not do that. I can not open this cell," my breathing gets heavier.

"Then do one thing for me."

"I'll do anything. Tell me."

"Let me out for a bit. And I show you something I always wanted to show you."

"I told you I cannot let you out."

"Do you trust me?" I nod. "Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Then allow me to step out for a bit. Show me you are still on my side."

I hesitantly grab the keys and think twice before opening his cell.  We kneel down next to each other. He pulls out a bottle and a knife. I flinch at the sight of the knife. "Do not ask anything. Just trust me."

He grabs my hand to slice it with the knife, drawing some blood to put on the bottle. He then does the same to his hand. After reciting a few words, he tells me drink it. I do it. That last thing I remember is loosing my sense of touching as I saw my brother get up to leave, he whispers, "As long as I live so will you. 

The next day, I find myself on my bed feeling refreshed. My body feels lighter. I sit up in search of melissa but instead hear voices outside my room. Quickly, I grab appropriate clothes so I can step outside, opening the door I find Jarvous and Gaius in a heated discussion. 

They look surprised that I am up. "Has something happened?" My heart is pounding so loudly because I have no doubt that my brother escaped last night. 

"Drusius," They both call my name out.

Gaius clears his throat, "We found the guard passed out. It looks like your brother escaped last night."

I swallow hard knowing fully well that it was my fault for trusting my brother in hopes that he would never wish me ill. "What will happen now?"

Jarvous takes my hand, "We weren't able find him. We think that he came looking for you because we found you passed out in front of your door. He then fled the empire before we could get to him."

I pace my breathing relieved to know that he is well. Now everything can go back to normal. I will get to spent the rest of my life with the person I love. My brother will be safe to live his life out of trouble and Gaius will never be harmed by my brother's bitterness. 

Years later on 27 B.C my cousin Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus took the title of Caesar Augustus and became the Roman emperor. I was able to get married to Jarvous with out delay to we lived happily in love. I moved out of the palace once I got married and moved in to my own house with Jarvous. The thought of my brother escaping because of me still haunted me but I told myself I did the right thing. As he was my only family I wanted him to find his happiness as well. 

My life continued to look normal but it wasn't until Jarvous got ill, that the disease took his life. Jarvous was older than me by 6 years but I still looked like I was twenty- two years old. I was yet to get grey hairs when I was forty years old, while Augustus had more wrinkles that I did. Augustus took me in again to which I was able to live in the palace with him and his wife. I decided to dismiss my disappointment in my marriage as I was left as a widow. 

It wasn't until I was with Augustus in his death bed that I realized my life couldn't be normal again. On his death bed, he told me that he knew I had let Maxim escape, he was the one who found me passed out next to his prison cell. When he told me that I burst into tears, apologizing for my mistake. He told me not to cry, because I never did anything wrong in my life. He understood that I couldn't give my own brother my back. In his last breaths he forgave me. 

He was two years younger that I was and his time to leave this world had come, just like it did with the love of my life. Augustus died in 9 B.C. being seventy five years old. After his death I decided to leave Rome as Tiberius had taken the empire. 

At hundred years of age, I still looked like I was twenty-two. I started to visit doctors to check my condition but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. They took numerous blood samples to do countless of experiments but couldn't figure out why I couldn't age. Later on, I gave up on the idea of find a cure to my condition. 

Instead, I went to look for my brother but he was not where to be found. 

Word Count: 1355