She had to marry Felix. She had to do it for her people, but how can she marry him when the man she truly loved stood right in front of her?
"Trix why did you agree to marry him if you did not want to?" Hector asked.
"Because if I do not my father will be forced to find another heir. It will most probably be that little boy, oh I can't even remember his name." She continued to sob.
"Trix I'm sure there are many other men out there who you might like more than Lord Felix. Why marry him?" Hector asked.
Trix bit her lip. Should she tell him? She loved only one man. She wanted to marry only one man.
"Hector, I love someone else." She managed to say.
Hector woke in his bed. A figure sat beside him. A woman? His vision was blurred and he could not move. What had happened last night? He remembers a man saying something to him then suddenly losing consciousness. How was he on his bed? Had a servant found him?Hector lost consciousness once more.He could feel the light as it streamed through a window on the roof. Then a knock came from the opposite end of the room. He tried to move, but his body failed to cooperate. The knock grew louder and more urgent. Had he be given some poison?"Hector open the door this instant!"Came Trix's voice from the other side. Hector wanted to shout for help. His lips did not move. He was frozen. He eyes were shut. Darkness engulfed him once more."Hector it's the emperor! Are you in the
Trix sat by Hector's side. She watched him go from bad to worse. He had a raging fever and the poison had not yet been found. The doctors told her that he might not make the night."Hector I'm here, I love you. Don't leave me. I only agreed to marry Felix because you were betrothed to Marcella." Trix confessed. She did not know if Hector could hear her. All she knew was that she needed him to get better she needed him. A life without Hector would not be a life worth living."My Lady, the doctors are here to see him." Fausta said with downcast eyes. In the past days the staff at the palace learned to be wary of their princess. She had more than once snapped at them and they understood her frustration. They had the best medical resources possible and yet a cure had not yet been found. The love of her life was dying and she could not do an
Hector could suddenly feel himself coming back. He could see the light, he could feel the heat of the room. The late thing he remembered was Trix pressing her lips onto his and he dove back into oblivion. He thought that would be the last. He thought it was the end. Then suddenly all of his senses began to awaken. He could hear the clamor of the doctors around him as they rushed in and out of his chambers. He could feel the heat, either of the candle or sunlight entering his room. He could smell the disgusting odor of the medicines they must have given him. But there was once sound he craved to hear, one scent he wanted to smell, one touch he wanted to feel. He wanted to know Trix was there. That she had stayed, that she had not given up on him as he lay dying. And if she had he swore he would win her back.Slowly Gravity managed to open his eyes, and for the first time in what seemed to
"They saw you as country boy that they could manipulate. You weren't born into the lavish lifestyle of a nobleman." The Senator explained. "You are not only the heir to one of the richest families but also a close friend of the heiress herself. To them you were the ideal pawn.""I'm surprised you did not accept it father." Aquila said. It was the first time Hector had actually heard his father call his grandfather father."Why did you refuse?" The emperor asked."We left the society for a reason. I will not send this empire back a hundred years just to satisfy the needs of a few." Senator Julian said with much c
The emperor lay on the ground surrounded by doctors as Trix entered the scene. Guards scoured the compound in search of the assassin."Trix!" Her mother called upon seeing her arrival. The empress was in tears and her dress was covered in blood."Mother what happened? Are you hurt?" Trix said running to her mother."I am well. This is your father's blood." The empress said trying to calm her daughter. "A man came in from the servant's entrance as we were planning the celebration tonight. When all of a sudden he was stabbed.""They probably thought we were getting close." Trix said to herself."They? Who is this they?" Her mother asked. Trix simply shook her head and refused to involv
Hector stood by Trix's side in shock. He had never expected to catch Marcella with another man, let alone the senator Felix."So this is where you have been spending your days while your betrothed lay dying." Trix's voice was laced with anger at the woman."And if I had? He wasn't supposed to survive that anyway, right Felix?" Marcella said looking up to the man in the bed with her.The Senator looked furious at Marcella. Obviously she had said something she wasn't supposed to say."That is not true. Yes I have been laying with her but the part about Lord Hector is not. Please believe me my empress." The Senator begged trying to save whatever was left of his name."Men arrest him." T
"Blue eyes mean you have the skill for healing." Felix muttered under his breath as he realized who Trix and Hector had been talking about."But why wouldn't people know that she was Senator Felix's wife?" Trix asked."Because she is so close to the royal family. Think of what she has told us about her past Vitatrix." Hector said."She was married to a Roman noble man as part of a treaty. She loved the man. But she said she had no children with him." Trix reasoned."Now what reason would a woman have for hiding her children.""If they were illegitimate?" Trix guessed."Exactly. Artemisia was not married to Senator Felix she was married to someone else. But why would Senator Feli
Trix paced around her office.Heroffice.The grand room once belonged to her father and his grandfather before him. Generations of emperors ruled Rome from this circular room. Lands had been conquered, people enslaved, and families torn apart. But for every pain this room had caused it had also brought joy. The once warring people were now one. Trade and travel had been made easier and safer, knowledge flowed freely across the empire and beyond. But today was not about the far reaching power of her office. Today was about the impending execution of a woman who had been like a mother to her. A woman who had raised her. Yet this woman who had brought her up had only cared for her so that she might be used in a ploy to take control of the empire."Theydonot
Hector ordered for the nation's top spies to report to him that night. They had agreed that a larger force would not be practical, nor would it make sense to attack with put confirming that Trix was indeed being held captive in Felix's villa."Seeing as everyone is now here this is your mission, we will march out before dawn and camp in the woods behind the villa." Hector explained pointing at the map on the table. "From there the spies will advance first to confirm if the empress is indeed being kept captive there and if she is still within the grounds. We will all be dressed discreetly. The forge has made a new light weight armor that we can test out, it should be well hidden under our cloaks and disguises."The men all nodded in understanding."Expect the place to be
Hector marched into the hall where the senators and other leaders of Rome had gathered. Two weeks had passed since the attempted rebellion of Gaius and Marcus where Trix had disappeared. The senators were in a frenzy, they still believed that Trix was on a military tour. They began to worry, the reign of the empress was young and very susceptible to people who wish to take over the empire themselves. Many were pressing for Trix to wed in order to show a stronger front. Hector debated with many of them explaining that this would only show their lack of confidence in their empress. Vitatrix may be a woman but she was proving to her people that women were not weak.After the attempt no other unrest outside of the ordinary was reported. It was as if Marcus and his men had vanished. Gaius had been killed in the fight and his son was making right his father's mistake. Not surprisingly C
Trix stood frozen between Jacob and her aunt. She knew Jacob had heard what Aria had called her. How foolish of them to let their guard down."We will discuss this later Jacob." Trix whispered."If you are who she says you are then you must get out of here." Jacob said."Not without everyone being safe. If I escape they will use this as leverage." She explained."Silence!" Marcus commanded. "As you see there is no empress, her future consort is my prisoner, I told captive majority of nobles in Rome. So now you will have over the crown to me.""The empress will return." A man in the crowd shouted."Sh
"Are you ready?" Jacob asked straightening out his tunic."Almost. Give me a moment." Trix called out. She had worn a simple cream colored dress with a red belt. She had chosen to wear something simpler over the violet dress Aria had offered for her to use."Who do you think will be coming to the party?" Jacob asked."Most probably every noble in Rome. This is Lord Felix we are talking about. He is good friends with the empress and it would not hurt to be on his good side." Trix walked out from behind the screen dressed and ready. "That is why I must remain simple. If someone recognizes me our mission will surely end tonight.""You look amazing." Was all Jacob managed to say as he looked at his pretend wife.Trix blushed and smiled sweetly at him. "Well we must get going. It would be a shame to miss all the events tonight."Jacob nodded and offered his arm to her. She gladly took it and they made their way to the banquet hall. The hall was brightly lit with nobles from across the empi
Trix was worried at Felix's reaction. She knew that if Gaius was aware of her presence in his home, she will be used to gain the throne. "Sir, you have me confused with the empress. I merely look like her." Trix managed to say. She watched as Felix glared at her, clearly not convinced on the fact that only a double stood in front of him at that moment. "Very interesting." Felix said looking her over. "Aaron, I mean Jacob, it has been quite a while. I had my men look for you all over the city." "Sir I felt like a burden living in your villa. I chose to find my way." Jacob reasoned clearly ashamed by what he had done. "None the less I still open my doors to you and your wife. Live on my land as a friend. Although I think you've foun
Trix could not believe what she was hearing. Lord Felix was arranging his marriage to Gaius daughter, a woman clearly of much lower rank than him. It was uncharacteristic."I would be honored my lord for such a union to occur." Lord Gaius said with a grin. "It most definitively would further strengthen our plans.""What plans?" Felix asked the older man."My plans for my children sir." Gaius said quickly covering up what he had let slip, leaving Trix much more confused than ever."Ah, a father good must indeed look after his kin. Tell me sir when might I meet your daughter?" Felix asked."We could arrange for a small gatherin
Trix silently made her way through the halls to the library she needed a way to see if her friend Felix was behind all these plans, and she knew someone that could help."Niece, how are you?"the Lady Aria greeted her as she entered the library."Your husband is complicating my plans."Trix said as she collapsed on a couch."To him we are nothing but our husband's property." Her aunt shook her head."He has hired a tutor to educate me." Trix explained. "The tutor will figure out that I am educated.""This is a dilemma." Aria said. "Worry not, I shall find someone we can trust."Trix nodded and forced herself to trust this
"Was your day fruitful?" Jacob asked as he entered their room.Trix looked up and smiled at him."I guess it was then. What did you do today Krista?" He asked as he set his daggers aside."I met a new friend." Trix said with a large grin on her face."Why am I worried about this new friend of yours?" Jacob asked."Her name is Lady Aria, wife to nobleman Gaius." At this Trix winked towards Jacob's direction."And did you tell her who you were?""Wife to one of Gaius' men. She isn't as dumb as they think Jacob." Krista said."No one
"You know who I am?" Vitatrix asked as she stood nervously across the room from the noblewoman.Aria nodded and smiled. "Don't worry Gaius has no clue. Just as he is clueless to the fact that I am loyal to the house of Cesar."Vitatrix cautiously moved closer yo Aria. "How do I know that your words are true?" She asked."Because I am from the same house you are from. Sister to the man you called your father." Aria revealed leaving Trix in shock."If he was your sister then people would know. And being my closest of kin you would benefit from my death." Trix bluntly said."True, but I ran away from home to get away from all that mess. I wanted a peacful and comfortable life and this i