02: CRASSUS

|Eda|

The wealthy of Romulus do not live in the middle of the city, where the pollution and the evident presence of the poor can be seen. It is fashionable for the aristocrats to build their villas at the edge of the city, hugging the rocky mountains, overlooking the sea, or in the middle of a vineyard.

The Crassus family, although not aristocratic and has only been in prominence for five generations, chose to build the Crassus villa in the middle of a vineyard.

Although Augustus and Eda go a long way back, she has never been to his home. Perhaps, other people like Cato had. But not her. She had hated him.

They did not arrive until the sunset, and Eda is already slowly nodding off to a nap.

She is only awoken by a rather strong jolt. The carriage driver has been gentle, but the entrance into the Crassus vineyard is marked by a sudden change from flattened dirt road to well-used stone pavements.

Choosing not to behold her company in the carriage, she investigated the slowly fading colors that is the Crassus vineyeards. In this time of the year, fruits are heavy and hanging from their stalk. The purple and the greens fade together into an indistinguishable mush of colors and vibrance. Out into the distance, she can see the villa- all white from its marble stucco. Its roof is of the typical bright vermillion shade made brighter and dizzyingly vibrant by the orange-red of the setting sun.

One deep inhale, and she tasted the earthy, crisp air. It seemed to becon her to take off her shoes and walk barefooted through the vineyard.

At the edge of her mind, she thought she can no longer do that.

The carriage stopped at the facade of the villa building. Now closer, it is even more impressive.

It's a structure with the height of three regular domuses piled on top of the other, almost too luxurious for her to consider living in. Too many columns and too many statues of Helenistic women with bare breasts and men showcasing their virility. She can see the more recent additions, like the two gigantic square ponds excavated at each of the extreme sides of the building- filled with clean water and aquatic life. In the middle of them are golden statues of a goddess from Ra. She can vaguely recall it from a manuscript she had read in the Cicero library.

Ah... her home. The Cicero villa, unlike the Crassus, stood at the edge of the cliff. It's far less luxurious than this one, but well maintained befitting of her family's station. The scions of Cicero has resided in that home for more than fifty generations.

This place undeniably smells of new money. For that, she wrinkled her nose. She must find a way to get out of here and convince her parents to buy her back... or Augustus to return her to them.

Wordlessly, Augustus went out first of the carriage. He then held out his hand for her.

She's too tired to make any snide remark or argue, so she grabbed his hand and ducked out of the carriage. Once again, Augustus lifted her out by her waist and into his arms- carrying her as easily as he did when they walked through the Agora. He signalled his servants to stop their approach. They are two strong-looking man carrying a litter.

Augustus carried her through the facade and into the vestibulum. The court is vibrant with more mosaics, statues and vegetation. In the middle is a fountain dedicated to Poseidon. He sits resplendent on a slab of rock, holding a golden trident- again, too luxurious for her taste. Everything in the vestibulum is of different shades of white and blue trimmed with gold. Perhaps a tad too tacky and Ra for her.

The same servants stopped by Augustus from coming and carrying her, opened the doors of the ostium.

Inside the atrium, the lamps are already lit, casting a hot glow on everything. The walls are lined with art, showcasing Crassus money. The implavium at the middle is tiled with the pattern of the golden sun- blinding and mocking to her.

Since the moment they entered the estate, she felt the steady rumble of orders from Augustus's chest. She can hear the steady pitter patter of the servants' feet- fast and steady, going to and fro to follow their master's orders.

"Don't you think you can already put me down? I am not an invalid, you know? Besides, we are already inside," she said, choosing not to look up to him. She felt a bit sick.

Augustus momentarily stopped giving orders. He looked down to her and gave a staunch, "No."

Eda sensed that he is already nearing the end of his ceaseless orders. She thought of the boy that Augustus had been- quiet with a stiff upper lip, never one to complain, never one to mock her when she lost. Then, she thought of the man he is now- adept at ordering the people around him.

"You are still impatient and demanding."

When she looked up, she met his immovable golden gaze. It is like the tiled sun of the implavium. It is like the molten gold that coated every statue and every ornament of this building.

Not one to be defeated, she met him with, "And you have learned to be like me."

"I have patience," and he averted his gaze, choosing to focus on the task at hand: carrying her to her new prison.

They went up the building.

The steps seemed to be endless. But once they reached the topmost, Augustus put her down. Still, very gently, he held her waist and waited for her feet to touch the ground and support herself.

She felt softness beneath her soles. She looked down to see white bear pelt covering the entire floor. All around her are large windows showcasing the setting sun and the vineyards around them. The room is circular, and she figured it is the center in the villa building.

While enraptured by the scenic view around her, Augustus poured them drinks from the pewter jug. Spiced honeyed wine can balm the soul of even the most broken of men- Cato used to say.

"My home is now your home. Everything I have, you may use as you see fit," he said, handing her the drink.

"I want to go home."

"As I said, my home is now your home. Welcome home, Eda."