Hey Everybody,

I made this WAY WAY shorter than my last chapter because I know how hard it is to read. This one is half as long so hopefully that helps!

Happy Reading!

**This is the corrected version. Be warned that it is still rough so harsh reviews are needed **

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CHAPTER ONE

The city is nothing as I imagined. I hadn’t prepared myself for the vastness of it all. It seems to stretch on forever in an endless sea of whitewashed stone, the tall buildings with sculpted pillars reminding me of home. I can feel the nostalgia setting in, gnawing away in my stomach with aching persistence. But, I conceal it within me with a mask of awe.

I am jostled and shaken as we traverse among the crowds and the boisterous noise is deafening. Shouts and screams and children’s laughter is knitted together into a babel of sound. I feel so out of place and I cower closer to my father. The people are so foreign, with their harsh tongues and rash words. It is a pandemonium here on the streets of Rome and I feel slightly light-headed as I look at so many different faces. However, I have familiarized myself with the Roman language at a very young age, and it is not hard for me to understand the crescendo of speech around me.

The people, on the other hand, are a blur to me. Their faces swirl together into a moving ameba of nothingness. But I do see, with precise detail, the clothes they wear. Togas and robes of all colors with aureate skirts drape over their frames and sandals enclose their toes. Their feet are in danger of being crushed and yet they still wear them. I am baffled, as I gaze at my own feet enclosed in sheepskin lined slippers.

We are nearing the opulent part of town with the more glamorous buildings displaying signs of wealth at every turn. White marble fountains are a centerpiece in open courtyards with blooming flowers that drift mellifluous scents across my nose. Servants scatter here and there, their colored bands jangling on their ankles, a signal to all of what they are. Each colored band represents the family they serve. I notice many deep purple anklets amongst the multicolored bands.

Now, we are in the center of it all. The magnificent buildings contain families who gain the utmost respect and I am directed to the largest house. I follow a slave to the front door as he opens it for us.

It is as though I have walked into a glittering palace. The floor, with its reflecting, immaculate tiles, plays like a mirror beneath my slippers. The whitewashed pillars are scattered randomly throughout the spacious welcoming hall and Persian carpets, along with nude figurines, crowd the space. It is all so different compared to my modest home with its walls adorned with murals of our families history. Never have we displayed nude sculptures of the human body. So flagrant and uncivilized, I think, my nose wrinkling in distaste.

Our tour continues into the main entertaining room.

The mother draws my attention first. A long and slender woman with a wild mess of light brown hair piled high on her head sips her goblet of wine with delicate movements, as if she were a china doll in danger of smashing into millions of pieces at the simplest of actions. Her tiny feet are stretched out beside her on the sofa with her ankles looped together.

The woman fascinates me in a negative way. She is delicate, poised, and annoyingly perfect. And because of this, the sight of such a human being still alive fascinates me. If she had lived in Greece, life wouldn’t have been so easy.

Her name is Delicia Chandrenos.

The next is the father. He stands immediately at our entrance and the slave who guided us steps aside so the father can greet my own father, Amycus. The differences between the two men are profound. My father is short and stubby with a full beard and a head of hair that is course and peppered. The other is tall and built with thick black hair graying at the roots. My father is wearing our custom Greek attire for a commoner; a wool tunic and wool breeches with sheepskin slippers. The man is wearing a white toga gilded with gold and gold sandals, as if they were sculpted with the metal itself.

His name is Evander Chandrenos.

He greets my father with an air of success. You can see the pride seeping from every pore in his well-toned body. His excretion of wealth leaves a bitter tang in my throat.

My eyes finally stray to the son. The first thing that intrigues me about him is his mysterious nature. He is the very essence of everything dark and occult. His head is bowed over his silver goblet filled with carmine colored wine. His head is a tangle of inky curls that tumble around his face like a veil of darkness. His muscled arms show his strength yet, there exists a weakness about him that I can’t explain. His appearance is a sudden and welcoming change to the others.

He lifts his head only when his father calls his name. My stomach curls inwards at the sight of his eyes. The smoky incandescent light floating from them is entrancing. “Nicandro, why don’t you greet our guests?” Evander asks his son with a cogent glare.

Nicandro’s eyes flit between my father and I with a disdain that I feel in the very pit of my gut. With eyes like knives, slicing holes in the confidence of my soul, he makes me feel as if I am lower than the stray dog on the street or the refuse it produces. He nods his head, once, twice before saying in the dullest, driest tone I have ever heard emerge from another human’s mouth, “Welcome to our home.”

I see my father’s beard crinkle with a half-hearted smile and Evander shoots his son a most grisly stare. If it had been me he was looking at, I would have fallen to the floor in full submission before his gold-gilded sandals. Nicandro, however, turns casually away, and sips his silver goblet, the wine staining his tongue and lips a most gruesome red. And yet, so far, nothing about him repulses me. I am just as entranced with his actions as I am with his appearance.

Evander faces us once again with an apologetic smile. “Why don’t I show you both to where you will be staying?” My father nods his head and we follow Evander out into the hall.

Our rooms are on the second floor and we each have separate quarters. My father’s is large and spacious with deep mahogany walls and he has his own office. Mine is slightly smaller and airy with walls painted a cheerful yellow and a balcony overlooking the family’s courtyard and garden. Evander and my father leave me, then, to talk business and I am left alone.

I immediately stride to the balcony and look out upon the garden. It is just like all the others, with the marble fountain as its center but this one is much larger, with a cobblestone pathway snaking its way through the area. The flowers rooted beneath me release their nectar and it flows up to me on a wind carried from the sea. The mixture of salty air and the smell of lilacs cause another spasm of nostalgia to ripple through my body. I close my eyes and wish myself back to my homeland in Greece.

The hills are speckled with lilacs and sunflowers, and the grass tickles my knees as I frolic along through the rolling plains. I crest a hill and the span of my village is cluttered below me. I tumble downwards and enter the mirthful atmosphere of my place of birth. The houses are made of sod and plaster, the walls carrying the history of its occupants spanned out over decades of descendants.

I greet with the other girls my age and we sit and create crowns of flowers, entwining them in each other’s hair. Then, we skirt around the village, flirting and giggling every time we spot Damaris.

His bronze colored skin has brilliance of no other man and his eyes hold the strength of a leader. He is like no other in our village. He represents all that is Greek and he carries with him the power of his father and the knowledge of his mother.

My heart aches. I remember him as clearly as if he stands before me.

Another enters my thoughts then. She is fair-haired and light-skinned with pale eyes and a chipper voice. Her name is Timandra and she is my closest friend in the village. I remember the day we set sail and she had waved and called out: “Remember to write, Isadora Chatzi!” I had sworn I would.

I break free of my childhood memories then, and focus on the present. I am in Rome now, the king of the world; the city of emperors and lords. I wonder how my father is fairing with Evander. I can see how Evander prides himself amongst these lords of the land. My father is now residing in a completely different battlefield and I wonder if he is up to the challenge.

I leave the balcony and float to the bed with a transparent canopy draped over it. I pull back the covering and enter a world of mountains made of down-filled pillows and hills of plush blankets. They envelop me into their deep seas and I sink to the bottom in a paradise of comfort.

A knock at the door startles me and I scramble from the world, hurrying to the door. It is the slave who had led my father and I to the Chandrenos household. “It is time for dinner, my lady,” he says in a deep, monotone voice. I nod, feeling slightly odd at the title.

The slave leads me into the lower levels and then, into the entertainment room once again. Delicia is present along with her son. I enter awkwardly and place myself on an empty sofa, shifting uncomfortably when neither of them says a word. They just sip their wine-filled goblets or nibble from trays laden with exotic fruit without emotion. I catch myself watching Nicandro out of the corner of my eye and quickly avert my gaze. But, something about him makes me look again…and again. He places a violet grape on the tip of his tongue and slips it inside his mouth in one smooth motion. He glances at me then, and roses bloom in my cheeks.

No emotion is present on his face He just stares, expressionless with his black curls brushing his long lashes. Suddenly, Nicandro’s eyes leave me to look to his father and I see his mouth tighten slightly at the sight of him. I frown but my stomach lightens when I notice that I am not alone, thankful that when my father enters with Evander. They are laughing and Evander is clapping my father on the back as if they are long time friends.

My father has worked for Evander Chandrenos for as long as I can remember. Evander is a wealthy tradesmen and merchant. My father is the owner of one of the ports Evander sells to. But, over the last few years, Evander has paid my father more and more attention. My father keeps his port neat and organized; never is there a barrel or crate out of place. My father’s men are disciplined and respect him. And so, Evander offered my father the chance to help him be a partner in his thriving business and, of course, my father couldn’t refuse.

So, here we are, guests in the Chandrenos’ home.

Evander places himself besides his fragile wife, who has barely glances up at his entrance. Nicandro’s eyes return to his food, his face plain again. My father smiles encouragingly at me from across the room and I grin warmly back, my spirit higher at his arrival, sitting taller as my confidence seeps back.

Moments later, servants arrive with platters of food. I have never seen such delicacies in my life and, I am embarrassed that my mouth salivates at the sight of it all. I sample the roasted salmon with chives and lemon on the side to drizzle over. Cooked salted pork, the ripest grapes Rome can offer, and a full goblet of wine is included and I eat it all, savoring every bite.

As I enjoy the scrumptious meal, I observe each family member over the bridge of my goblet.

Delicia is a dainty eater, choosing carefully before nibbling and replacing her fork, drinking large amounts of wine instead of food. Then, she resumes her nit picking again. I can’t understand how she is ever nourished when she swallows so little down her throat.

Evander is extremely enthusiastic, which brings about a slight smile to play across my lips. He digs into every delicacy with excitement and swallows with a loud satisfied sigh after every bite.

Nicandro is the most peculiar eater. He observes his food and then eats first, the one which looks the least appetizing, saving the most beautiful arrangement of the salmon with chives for last, all the while taking sips of wine between every bite. To him, I discover as I watch him eat, that it isn’t about the taste, but of the beauty of the food he is putting into his mouth.

I, however, praise food by the flavor. Yes, the salmon is nice to look at, but it is the salted pork that draws my complete attention. It isn’t just salted, but has many spices cooked into it to make the most harmonious symphony of music with my taste buds. I close my eyes as I swallow the last bite, licking off the last of the spices from my lips. When I open them, I realize Nicandro is watching me, and I blush furiously, glaring down at my clean plate.

I dare to look up again and he is still watching, curiosity now clouding his dark eyes. The light streaming from them hits me with a cloud of mingled novelistic gaze and a wondering stare. It is the first emotion I have seen present on his face, and it vanishes as quickly as it came.

I am left feeling bewildered.

~ ~ ~ ~

This night is probably the hardest night for me to bear. Sleeping in a foreign bed in a foreign land without my mother is troubling. I think of her now, curled up in the plush blankets. Her face swims before my closed eyelids and my heart yearns to hear her voice; to see her smile. Her dark hair laying straight and flat to the middle of her back

I imagine her as she always is back home, working on her loom, singing songs of long ago. I would always listen from just inside the door, weaving my own blanket with a needle and thread. It had seemed to me that I work better when she was singing rather than when she wasn’t.

I crawl from the bed and shuffle to my bag. I dig around for a moment until I feel the wool fibers brush my fingers. Smiling in the gloom, I pull out my finished blanket. Taking this with me, I bury back into the sea of cotton and place the wool beneath my head. The smell of home washes over me. My blanket smells of smoke from our fire, lilacs, and our family dog, Ruffy. It isn’t the loveliest of scents, but it is the one I yearn to smell.

And so, with my wool blanket tucked behind my cheek, I eventually drift off to sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~

Birds hum their sweet melody beyond the hills of blankets and I stretch luxuriously, yawning. I had slept wonderfully. My wool blanket cuddles next to me. I sit up and push the garnished sheet away so I can desert the confines of my bed. I traverse to the balcony and lean contentedly against the pillars, looking down below.

The courtyard is in full bloom today, and I have the sudden urge to walk amongst the flowers. I smile and quickly pull on my robe, leaving my room for the outside world.

Down in the garden, I float pass hundreds of kinds of flowers. Some are as large as a plate, others as small as nails on my fingers. Bees make themselves known as they flit from flower to flower, eating the sweet nectar they provide. Butterflies and other insects are present as well as they buzz their warnings to me as they fly by. I place myself on a stone bench, besides the fountain.

Centered in the fountain is a sculpture of another nude figurine. Two, actually, both raised on pedestals. The one on the right is that of a woman, her legs concealing her as the left crosses the right. Her chest, however, is bare and it makes me advert my gaze at such a blunt statement of the womanly figure. Her head is pulled towards her chest as her left hand holds up the weight of her forehead. Her hair is short and cropped tight around her face and her expression holds a sense of ecstasy that perplexes me. On her right, is the male. His body is turned away from her, baring his back and behind to all that can see, his leg pulled towards his chest. But, his neck and head are turned towards the woman, a look in his eyes so intense that it burns a fire in my cheeks.

I wrap my robe tighter across my chest and lean back against the calves of the man behind me. His body is cold and I shiver, sitting straighter. Instead, I observe the activities of the courtyard, watching every creature.

A caterpillar inches its way along towards the safety of the grass. I look up and see a bird circling the courtyard. Hurrying forward, I kneel, scooping the bright green worm into my hands. The bird voices its disapproval with a sharp click of its beak before flying off to find breakfast elsewhere. I open my fingers to find the caterpillar curled in on itself for protection in the palm of my hand. I smile and let it gently slide into the forest of grass and tulip stocks. I wait until it uncurls and continues its journey to find no doubt, a safer place to create its cocoon. I lift my head from where I kneel and gasp when I see I am not alone.

Nicandro stands a close distance from me. He is leaning lazily against the bark of a small tree planted near the entrance of the courtyard, head tilted in a most observant poise. I jump to my feet, raising my chin to appear unaffected by his unwelcome presence. He proceeds to walk away from the tree, slowly making his way towards me, pausing every few steps to lower his head and smell the different flower he passes.

I stand, stock-still, unable to find words to say to him. I want something witty to say; something, anything, to make him reply. But I am speechless, at a loss for words and struck dumb.

He stops only feet from me. There, he plucks a tulip from its earthy home and twirls it around and around in his fingers. I watch the petals weave in and out, wishing he would say something to me. But he stays mute. He lets his eyes lift from the flower in his hands to me. They are just as unnerving, if not more in full daylight. His curls are ruffled and uncoiled from the night’s rest. An image of him sprawled upon his bed appears in my mind.

I close my eyes briefly, wishing the vision away. When I open them, he is walking pass me. His arm brushes my shoulder and I jump, as if electrocuted. Before he turns his head, I swear I see a tug of a smile at the corner of his lips and I find my voice, then. “What do you want?” It comes out as more of a request then a demand and he contemplates my question with ease. He plays with the tulip some more, but stops his walking and turns back to me.

“Can a man not wander his own courtyard freely?” he asks, his voice deep and alluring. I find myself struck dumb once again, unable to come up with something to say to that. He steps closer. “But, I do wonder on why a guest of my household seems to think that she can wander my courtyard without permission?” My eyes widen and he stares intently at me.

“I hadn’t meant to intrude. I-I was – “ but a voice from the house calls us back inside.

“Isadora! There you are, child.” My father breathes a sigh of relief as he steps into the courtyard. Nicandro takes a step back from me and my father stops at the sight of him. He looks to me with questioning eyes, and I just lower them to my bare feet. “I was looking all over for you. I came to your room this morning and you weren’t there,” Father adds.

“I apologize. I couldn’t help it. The courtyard was too alluring to ignore.” I glance side-ways at Nicandro but he says not a word.

“Well, at least I know that you are safe. My old heart can rest easy now,” he teases and I smile.

“Sorry to worry you, Father.”

“Quite all right. Now, would you please join us for breakfast? Evander is waiting for us.” I nod and do not miss my father’s glance at Nicandro again. “Are you coming, Nicandro?” Father questions him as we turn to go.

Nicandro keeps his gaze on the tulip woven amongst his fingers. “I will join you later, Amycus,” he says calmly, before turning his back on us. Father nods curtly and wraps a securing arm around my shoulders, guiding me back inside.

“You silly girl! What were you doing out there?” he whispers harshly once we are alone.

“I was touring the garden.” I shift uncomfortable at Father’s scrutinizing glare.

“I mean, what were you doing with Evander’s son?”

“Nothing. He entered the garden just as I was leaving and we talked. That’s all.” My father shakes his head hurriedly before leading me towards the outside terrence where Evander waits with his wife. Evander is in an elegant toga and I suddenly remember that I still wear my lace nightgown and wool robe. I wiggle my toes and realize that my feet are bare.

My father seems to notice this at the same time I do and quickly lowers me into a chair, one of the five surrounding a painted table with a glass surface. A canopy covers and shades us from the glaring sun. I pull the robe further across me, tying it tight to keep it in place. “Amycus, I see that you have found Isadora,” Evander greets, smiling warmly at us both.

“Yes. She was touring your garden.”

“Ah,” Evander says with twinkling eyes. “And, did you find it to your liking?”

“Oh yes. It is beautiful,” I complement with a grin.

My father nods his approval before servants arrive with our breakfast. It is just as delicious as last night’s supper and I consume every bite, as Evander and my father discuss business. I see Delicia glance up from her plate and I follow her gaze to where Nicandro stands in the doorway.

“Nicandro, have you finally decided to bless us with your presence?” Evander asks with slight scorn.

Nicandro smiles in spite of his father’s disapproval and says calmly, “I couldn’t postpone my arrival any later or you all would be damned.”

Evander frowns at his son’s wit and watches him with obscene eyes. Nicandro places himself on the other side of his mother, beside me. I shift uncomfortably at him being so close and concentrate on my empty plate. A servant promptly places a platter before him and Nicandro eats while looking at his father with a mocking smile. Evander frowns and turns back to Amycus.

Soon, talk resumes and all is normal.

Out of the corner of Nicandro’s mouth, he whispers, “You still haven’t answered my question.”

I glance at him with raised eyebrows and whisper back, “And what is that?”

“Why were you touring my garden?”

“So I could aggrieve you with my opinion,” I say simply before turning back to my cup of wine, sipping it delicately.

“And what is that opinion you planned to aggrieve me with, if you can aggrieve me?” I hear the challenge in his words and close my jaws around the bait that he dangles so willingly close across my nose.

“That you and your family have opulent taste,” I say through thin lips, minimizing the chances of my father overhearing.

“Opulent taste?” I can hear the smile in Nicandro’s words but I dare not look in his direction for it would give us away.

“Yes. Opulent. And that your need for a manifold of items is very clear.”

“My, such large words for something with so little.” There is no longer a smile in Nicandro’s voice and I hear the bittersweet of his tongue. I have offended him and I glance at him.

“Take no offense. My words are harmless.”

“Harmless you say?” he snaps. “Your talk of my family is audacious and unneeded.”

“I hadn’t meant it to come out so. Understand that it was harmless banter, nothing more,” I say, urging him to hear the lightness of my words.

Unexpectedly, a playful smile crosses his face, and I am perplexed. “Your rally was quite amusing, seeing as you were distressed with my displeasure.”

I scoff. “I thought you were angry.”

“My hostility was taken seriously?”

“Of course it was. Clearly, I was distressed with you taking my words so heavily.”

He chuckles lightly, bringing about a curious look from his mother. I quickly avert my gaze but he continues to speak, “Well, be distressed no longer. You have not burdened me.”

“That’s a relief,” I huff and he laughs again, louder than he should have, and Evander glances over.

“Do you care to share what is so humorous, my son?” he asks with narrowed eyes.

Nicandro casts a look in my direction, and my eyes widen. “I was merely expressing my amusement at Isadora’s wit.”

Father raises his eyebrows, and I look to my hands clasped in my lap. Evander looks between Nicandro and me. I, shy and diffident; Nicandro haughty with a challenging smirk. Evander looks back to my father and says, “I think it is time we take a visit to the shipping yards. Shall we, Amycus?”

My father stands along with Evander. “Sounds refreshing. Isadora?” I stand, eyes on my father as he continues to speak. “Why don’t you join us? A little fresh air may bring you in high spirits.”

“Sounds delightful, Father. I will just go and change,” I say and everybody’s eyes linger on my inappropriate clothing. I catch Nicandro staring with what appeared to be a sly smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. I retreat from the terrence as quickly as I can.

Upstairs in my quarters, I quickly change into a skirt with a flower design hugging the hem and a blouse of a shade of brilliant yellow. I pull my dark hair high on my head and spray some perfume on my neck and wrists, a gift from Damaris before my departure. I then put on my slippers and hurry to the entrance hall.

I am surprised to find Nicandro present as well, along with Evander and my father. Evander keeps shooting his son disapproving looks but Nicandro seems completely content. When I arrive, that playful smile tugs at his mouth, and I scurry to my father’s side. Father is uneasy with Nicandro accompanying us as well but it is not his place to voice his disapproval of Nicandro. He welcomes me beside him with a smile and we proceed to leave the home.

CHAPTER TWO

The streets of Rome are as crowded as the day when I arrived, bustling with noise and bursting with people. I stay close to father as we weave in and out of the crowds. “Amycus, please excuse the absence of transportation. I would call upon my servants to carry us but seeing as we are only a few blocks from the shipping – “

“Evander, you do not have to spoil us. We are Greek,” Father smiles and Evander breathes easier.

I note that Evander always seems to want to please and everything he does is to make others comfortable. While I stay by my father's side, I see Nicandro drifting along beside Evander, his eyes taking in everything and nothing. He is expressionless, as I’ve become accustomed to, and I find my eyes floating to his on countless occasions as we near ever closer to the shipping yards. I am ashamed to say that he has my attention more than ever after our slightly tense conversation at breakfast. He is still alluring and I find myself smiling at the memory of our earlier conversation.

We reach the shipping yards with my father limping slightly. I have forgotten about his hip, weak after being vaulted from the back of a horse during my infancy. Evander notices this as well and quickly assess the situation. “You must rest, Amycus. Please, sit awhile.”

Father shakes his head and I see beads of perspiration at his hairline. My own blouse sticks to my spine; we are not used to the severity of the heat in Rome along with all of the bustling bodies. “I’m just not as young as I used to be,” Amycus says in way of apology for his weakness.

“Father, please rest,” I plead, tugging lightly on his elbow. He gives in to my gentle touch and I help him over to the nearest bench.

“The shipping yards are just beyond these shops, Amycus. Take your time resting. We are in no hurry,” Evander assures him, and my father pants in reply.

“Let me get you some water,” I say and stand from where I was kneeling beside him.

“Water, yes,” Evander says and passes over some gold coins. I have the sudden urge to refuse his money; he sees my hesitation. “For your father. Take them.” I let the cool coins slip onto my palm and I close my fingers over them to secure them.

I turn to find the nearest supplier of drink when Evander orders his son to accompany me. I can’t hold my tongue at that moment. “I don’t need an escort. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” I say to Evander, directing this slightly towards Nicandro, who watches amusingly from the sidelines.

“I understand that, Isadora, but the streets of Rome are a little more insidious than your home,” Evander reasons.

Father speaks up, then. “Listen to Evander, Isadora. He lives here. He knows what’s best.” I pout and look over his distressed form and then at Nicandro’s arrogant face, sighing with annoyance. I then stomp away without a word, knowing that the argument is pointless. Nicandro catches up and stays by my side with long easy strides. His eyes are watchful and ever vigilant. “Don’t be so fearful. I’m afraid no one will trouble us today.” I rally him crossly.

“One can never to too careful,” he replies, eyes never leaving the people surrounding us. I eventually find what I am looking for and trade the gold coins for a jug of fermented wine. I had hoped for water but, being in Rome, I can expect no less.

We reach my father minutes later. Evander is at his side and, when he spots us, he urges us over. I hold the cup out to my father, who takes it with shaking hands, sipping it tentatively before choking it back up on the dirt ground between his knees. Gasping for air, Evander urges him to consume the wine. I, however, watch the ground.

The earth laps it up like a parched dog, and leaves the dirt stained crimson red. When I look back up, father has finished half of the jug of wine with Evander’s encouraging voice whispering in his ear. I have never seen him so helpless. I kneel before him “Father, you must leave this deathly heat.”

“But, we must see the shipping yards,” he pants.

I look up at Evander, who nods and says; “We can see the shipping yards tomorrow. Listen to your daughter, Amycus.” My father’s eyes meet mine and I see the pain of appearing weak glimmering there. I pat his hand and whisper for his ears only, “You are strong.” He nods and stands trembling to his feet. Evander and I help guide my father back to the Chandrenos’ home, Nicandro leading the way.

~ ~ ~ ~

I close the door behind me and tip toe across the hall. The soft snoring of my father penetrates the wooden door and drifts into the narrow hall. I smile and barely make it to my room when Evander is suddenly there in the hallway. “How is he?” I hear the worry in his voice and am surprised.

Yes, my father worked for him for many years but I had never thought of how close these two men might have been. And this perplexes me. I had always thought Evander is a close business partner to my father, but never a close friend, as he is beginning to turn out to be.

“Much better. Sleep will do him good,” I say, my eyes narrowed slightly.

Evander runs a weary hand through his dark locks and looks to the ceiling before turning back to me. “You must be tired,” he says with concern.

“Not really,” I say truthfully and Evander smiles.

“Well then, why don’t you join the rest of us down in the terrence,” he waves a hand to incline the way but I hesitate. I think of Father, weak but slumbering soundly behind the closed door. I know I should be the daughter who stays by his bedside until he awakes, preparing fresh water and something tasty to eat. But Evander’s amiable face persuades me to follow.

Down in the terrence, Delicia joins us. It seems her feet never touch the ground for she walks so fluidly. She sits with a flourish and Evander sighs, “Beautiful day.” I look beyond the canopy and nod in agreement. The sky is cerulean in color, absent of clouds. The terrence is positioned on a hill and below, a pond with lily pads and ducks swim near-by. It attracts my attention and I glance up shyly in Delicia and Evander’s direction. They see me looking down at the pond and Delicia nods slowly, the corners of her mouth up turning slightly, as though she wishes to smile but is holding it back. Evander nods as well, and I leap to my feet, raising my skirt to tumble down the hill.

At the pond, the water is murky and frogs croak to each other across the way. I find with beatitude a short, wooden bridge leading from one end of the pond to the other. I step onto it and pause at the crest, peering over the edge. I see a frog perched on a lily pad and watch as it puffs up its cheeks with a croak. I move and it sees this, jumping into the pond with a quiet splash. I watch the ripples it has created expand across the surface of the pond, and see the frog swim to a rock at the bottom in the murky depths.

I finish crossing the bridge and look at the forest in front of me. Curiosity gets the better of me and I disappear into its thick branches. It is only a short walk until I break through. Sunlight hits me with such force, I shade my eyes against the glare. The hill slopes downward and beyond is the rest of Rome, spread out. But it isn’t the wealthy part I see now.

Small homes, like cardboard boxes, are crammed together on narrow streets; carts and wagons with lop-sided wheels roll along and little boys’ barely clothed scatter about, kicking a blown up bladder of a long, deceased cow. Girls carry washing and hang it out to dry. Elders perch on the stoops to the houses, hunched over and smoking tobacco. Mothers pour buckets of waste into the streets below and people ducking out of the away as they walk to work.

I slowly back away, the clarity of what I am seeing engraving itself on the cornea of my eyes. The poverty is so fierce that I am shocked, and I quickly run in the opposite direction. My family isn’t the wealthiest of families in Greece but never have we experienced something as dreadful as this. Why isn’t anybody helping these people? Clothing their children and providing clean drinking water?

I arrive back at the pond and peer up at the terrence. I see that another figure has joined them, the sun glinting off of the curls on the figure’s head.

Nicandro.

I walk as slowly as I can, pushing the sight of the poverty away from my mind. It is too grim to think about in the company of the Chandrenos family. I plaster a smile on and they all greet me with squinted eyes until I disappear beneath the canopy, the sun disappearing from my back. “Such a peaceful place,” Delicia says softly. The vision of the village is still imprinted in my mind and I nod shakily. My hesitation goes unnoticed, as the family is comfortable in their wealth, oblivious to the poor nearby. “I think I will retire now.” I excuse myself and Evander nods. I go up into my quarters, leaving the Chandrenos behind.

On the balcony, I am free to ponder upon the people I have seen. I knew there were slums back home but I had never bothered to think further. I had never ventured to actually see them for myself. And if they were anything compared to the one I had seen, I will pay them a visit the very day I return home.

Anger bubbles beneath the surface as I think of the Chandrenos and their home. I glance around at the room that is roughly the size of those people’s homes. How can they feel good about themselves when others starve so severely? How can they sleep at night knowing that others are shivering with no means of warmth? I could think of only one answer to this: They have no idea these people exist.

That is the only solution.

Now that I have seen it, I won’t be able to sleep tonight, their weak cheers of laughter and the slop crashing to the earth burns into my very soul. I hope that soon, the Chandrenos will see the error in their ways and know that while others suffer around them, they are sitting in the lap of luxury.

It makes me sick just to think about it.

At dinner that night, my appetite is not as hearty, the scent of the food sends my stomach churning. I wonder what the people in the village are eating. My imagination runs wild, as it does at times, and my mind conjures up the image of a family of four, all of them barely skin and bones. The father would return home, hands cupped with a half loaf of molded bread and he would split it into fourths. Then, the mother would place four bowls of watered down pea soup, more water than pea. They would huddle together for warmth and thank Zeus for his gift of meager food and than eat enough just to keep them alive.

After that, I have completely lost my appetite and push my food around on my plate with mock enthusiasm, eating only to keep the others oblivious to what I have seen. Father is boisterous tonight and talks with Evander. They decide to visit the shipping yards tomorrow, this time with the servants carrying them. I will not accompany them. I know I will have to come up with something to decline the offer, but I won’t worry about it until tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ ~

Dawn brings with it a sense of heinous activity. I can’t pinpoint my thoughts but I fear that there will be a fight when I refuse to accompany them to the shipping yards today. I have made up my mind to sneak away and visit the poor village while the men are out. I know Delicia does not rise until well after noon, so I will not be bothered.

I enter the entertainment room with deliberate slowness and I see that everyone is in high spirits. Even Nicandro cannot refuse Zeus when he shines so brightly outside and there is a twinkle in his eyes, a lightness amidst the storm.

“Ah, daughter!” my father says with a wide smile.

“Hello, Father.” I bow my head.

“I daresay it will be another hot day. Luckily, Evander has provided us with shade,” my father states and I cull together as much courage as I can muster.

“I don’t know if I wish to stroll today, Father,” I say and it shoots from my mouth before I can stop it.

“What?” Father asks slowly, as if slightly befuddled by my rush of words.

I hate to repeat. “I don’t know if I wish to stroll today.” He shakes his head and I see Evander and Delicia exchange glances. Nicandro seems confused and his eyes are narrowed.

“You don’t wish to stroll today,” my father finally says and I cringe when his eyes land on me. “Of course you don’t wish to stroll after yesterday. But like I said, we have transportation and shade.” He makes light of a dark situation.

I know the dishonor in refusing a father’s wishes. I know the duty a daughter must serve to her elder. And now, as I gaze upon my father, I see that I still must serve. He is growing older by the day and I can’t refuse him. I sigh deeply. The poor will have to survive another day without me.

“Of course. Silly me.” I force a smile and the tension is blown away.

“Excellent. It’s settled, then. On to the shipping yards!” my father bellows cheerfully, marching from the room, followed by an amused Evander, and a not-so-amused Nicandro. “What was that all about?” he demands without moving his lips.

I stride beside him, my chin raised. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”

“Clearly,” he says sharply and I narrow my eyes. “Still curious, however, on why you wanted to find your way out of coming with us today?”

“I wasn’t trying to find my way out of anything.”

“Why lie? I saw right through your pretending.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

We argue most of the way to the litter but when we board, we act as though nothing is wrong. I insist on sitting beside Father, so Nicandro takes the seat across from me. I fume and cross my arms. His foot bumps mine and I tuck my ankles beneath me. His eyes sparkle again and I snort. Father hears this and glances up, eyebrow raised. I turn my head and bow my chin, embarrassed by my outburst. Nicandro seems to be on the verge of laugher, and I glare inimically at him.

At the shipping yards, it is just as loud as when we arrived, and I peer up at the ships with wonder. Only three days previous, I had arrived on one just as large. The trip was eventful at the beginning before it grew tiresome. I remember dolphins greeted us once. I had watched their glistening bodies’ streak though the navy blue waters, calling to us with enthusiasm. I was instantly fascinated and a sailor had approached me, then. “Strange-looking things, ain’t they?”

“I think they’re beautiful,” I had gushed.

“Well, they used to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you heard the stories?” he had asked with an air of a story coming on. I shook my head, waiting to hear more. “Well, long ago, it was said that there weren’t any dolphins around. Instead, there were mermaids.”

“Mermaids?” I had scoffed.

“Yes, half-fish, half-human. Beautiful maidens with scaly tails like trout. In fact, they were said to be the most beautiful creatures alive. But then, as the story goes, men started to hunt these maidens. It became unsafe for them so they transformed into dolphins. Now, it is said to bring good luck to any ship when dolphins appear.”

“Do you think it is true?”

The man had shrugged. “No one knows.” And then he was off, whistling a tune.

The journey was uneventful after that, until we reached port.

Now, I try to spot the ship we had arrived on but realize that it probably already sailed away back to Greece. Oh, how I wish to be on it right now! To be returning home.

Evander and my father are deep in conversation a few yards away, and when I glance their way, Father gives me a look that clearly says I am not to bother them. Nicandro soon joins me. “What do you think of Rome?”

“You want me to aggrieve you with my opinion again?” I turn towards him. “I thought you learned your lesson last time you asked for my opinion.”

The corners of his mouth upturn slightly. “I am a slow learner.”

“Clearly,” I say underneath my breath, but I know that he has heard.

“So, will you share it with me?” he presses.

I shrug. “Rome is too busy for me.”

“But busy is exciting?” he points out.

“Yes, to a point.” His eyes narrow in confusion and I go on. “But after awhile, everything becomes routine. You pass by the same people. You hear the same sales. See the same shops. Of course, the clothes are new. And the smells might be different but otherwise, everything becomes boring soon enough.”

“And Greece never is boring?”

“No. Greece is timeless. A country stuck in its ancient traditions.” I turn to him. “And that’s what makes it beautiful.”

“So, you are saying that there is no beauty in Rome?”

“No. The architecture is magnificent and the culture is divine. But you must know that everything has an ugly side.” I think of the village and my heart hardens a bit.

“What is the ugly side of Rome?”

I say it before I can stop myself. “Poverty.”

Nicandro is bewildered. “But poverty is everywhere. It is part of life.”

“Yes, poverty is everywhere. But there shouldn’t be any. You and your family eat and drink and lay about all day while the poor scavenge for every meal. You have gold to spare but do you share? No. You keep it locked away for a rainy day or let it slip through your fingers and spend it as if it were as abundant as water.” I don’t realize how harsh my voice has gotten until I see Nicandro’s face. It is a pasty white and his lips are stretched into a thin line. I turn quickly away, knowing that I have said too much.

“Your opinions will get you into trouble one day, Isadora Chatzi,” he says with a stern gaze.

“Free speech isn’t forbidden.” I try to defend myself.

“No, but it is a privilege.”

“A privilege I can divulge in.”

“It is also a privilege that can be taken away if you use it unwisely.”

“They can’t take away my freedom.” I lift my chin.

“You are naïve, Isadora. The emperor can do whatever he pleases.” There is a hard glint in Nicandro’s eyes, warning me of something I cannot divulge.