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Authors: Carrie Bedford
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watched her fling open the doors of the chamber and disappear into the darkness of the hallway beyond. Below the terrace a loud clamor presaged the appearance of a group of servants who ran from the palace into the gardens, shouting for torches. Gradually they dispersed along the various paths that led to the city, their voices fading into the darkness.
“We must go find out what’s happening,” I said, pulling Aurelia by the arm into my room. Already, outside the huge double doors, the floors were ringing with the heavy tread of the palace guard. Two soldiers burst into the room, fully armed. Sylvia came behind them, out of breath and pale.
“Come, my ladies,” said the tribune, bowing to us both. “We will take you to safety.”
“There’s nowhere safe in Rome,” I replied, fighting the urge to run with the soldiers and hide wherever they took me. “I need you to get a message to Alaric, to tell him where I am, and that we need to talk.”
“Nobilissima,” pleaded the tribune. “It’s chaos out there and we can’t be sure of finding Alaric. His soldiers are all over the city, already looting and taking hostages. They’re setting fires everywhere they go, killing anyone who stands in their way and taking women. If they make it to the palace, you won’t be safe. We are terribly outnumbered. Please, come with us and I’ll do all I can to save you.”
Taking a deep breath, I sat on the couch, motioning for Aurelia to join me. “I won’t run,” I said. “My duty is first as a member of the imperial family. My father wouldn’t have wanted me to run away, but to stand firm and show the Goths that Romans will not flee in the face of danger.”
The poor soldier looked at his companion, obviously at a loss. He stepped forward as if to seize me by force but thought better of it.
“Go on,” I said. “Defend the doors of the palace, and send messengers to find Alaric. I’ll wait here for him. God speed, captain.”
Shaking his head, he saluted. “God be with you, Nobilissima,” he said and bolted from the room, followed by his companion. Sylvia hesitated for a moment, watching the fleeing soldiers, then slammed the doors closed and locked them. She came to sit on the couch next to me and I felt her violent trembling. She started to cry and I put my arms around her, but spoke fiercely. “Stop crying, Sylvia. We must stay calm and stay together. I’m sorry you are so scared. I am too, but running away will achieve nothing. The Goth soldiers will find everyone eventually, don’t you see?”
The room was almost dark, lit only by a single oil lamp on a table. Sylvia was so pale that she looked like a spirit, frail and ready to fade at any moment. In the distance, we heard the sound of hundreds of horses’ hooves on the cobbled streets that climbed the Palatine Hill. The Goths must have broken through the defenses at the base of the hill and were riding towards the palace. We waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity, and Aurelia jumped to her feet when a crash of falling timbers startled us all. A fire erupted somewhere near the palace, the flames throwing a red wash on the pale marble walls of my room. On the desk, a bust of my father looked on, his face shadowed as though in deep distress.
Hearing the sharp clatter of blade on blade, I realized that the guards were already fighting the invaders within the walls of the palace. Sylvia cried out loud at the din of hundreds of feet pounding along the marble floors, punctuated by the crash of stone, and the clink of broken pottery.
The shouts grew louder and came closer, followed by a tremendous pounding on the wide doors. Suddenly, I jumped up and pushed Aurelia and Sylvia towards a smaller room at the back. Cursing my stubbornness that had left us so exposed, I slammed the door and let the heavy latch fall. It was a room used for storing clothes, and was littered with an assortment of chests and trunks.
“Hide,” I whispered, lifting the
“We must go find out what’s happening,” I said, pulling Aurelia by the arm into my room. Already, outside the huge double doors, the floors were ringing with the heavy tread of the palace guard. Two soldiers burst into the room, fully armed. Sylvia came behind them, out of breath and pale.
“Come, my ladies,” said the tribune, bowing to us both. “We will take you to safety.”
“There’s nowhere safe in Rome,” I replied, fighting the urge to run with the soldiers and hide wherever they took me. “I need you to get a message to Alaric, to tell him where I am, and that we need to talk.”
“Nobilissima,” pleaded the tribune. “It’s chaos out there and we can’t be sure of finding Alaric. His soldiers are all over the city, already looting and taking hostages. They’re setting fires everywhere they go, killing anyone who stands in their way and taking women. If they make it to the palace, you won’t be safe. We are terribly outnumbered. Please, come with us and I’ll do all I can to save you.”
Taking a deep breath, I sat on the couch, motioning for Aurelia to join me. “I won’t run,” I said. “My duty is first as a member of the imperial family. My father wouldn’t have wanted me to run away, but to stand firm and show the Goths that Romans will not flee in the face of danger.”
The poor soldier looked at his companion, obviously at a loss. He stepped forward as if to seize me by force but thought better of it.
“Go on,” I said. “Defend the doors of the palace, and send messengers to find Alaric. I’ll wait here for him. God speed, captain.”
Shaking his head, he saluted. “God be with you, Nobilissima,” he said and bolted from the room, followed by his companion. Sylvia hesitated for a moment, watching the fleeing soldiers, then slammed the doors closed and locked them. She came to sit on the couch next to me and I felt her violent trembling. She started to cry and I put my arms around her, but spoke fiercely. “Stop crying, Sylvia. We must stay calm and stay together. I’m sorry you are so scared. I am too, but running away will achieve nothing. The Goth soldiers will find everyone eventually, don’t you see?”
The room was almost dark, lit only by a single oil lamp on a table. Sylvia was so pale that she looked like a spirit, frail and ready to fade at any moment. In the distance, we heard the sound of hundreds of horses’ hooves on the cobbled streets that climbed the Palatine Hill. The Goths must have broken through the defenses at the base of the hill and were riding towards the palace. We waited in silence for what seemed like an eternity, and Aurelia jumped to her feet when a crash of falling timbers startled us all. A fire erupted somewhere near the palace, the flames throwing a red wash on the pale marble walls of my room. On the desk, a bust of my father looked on, his face shadowed as though in deep distress.
Hearing the sharp clatter of blade on blade, I realized that the guards were already fighting the invaders within the walls of the palace. Sylvia cried out loud at the din of hundreds of feet pounding along the marble floors, punctuated by the crash of stone, and the clink of broken pottery.
The shouts grew louder and came closer, followed by a tremendous pounding on the wide doors. Suddenly, I jumped up and pushed Aurelia and Sylvia towards a smaller room at the back. Cursing my stubbornness that had left us so exposed, I slammed the door and let the heavy latch fall. It was a room used for storing clothes, and was littered with an assortment of chests and trunks.
“Hide,” I whispered, lifting the
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