The Veiled Nymph (An SRP Proposal, Enquire via PM)

[MaiusImperium]

EDIT: I believe I have found my Nymph in impish_pixie. Just to let everyone know. Stay tuned if your interested in this thread though, I always welcome PMs with suggestions, comments or constructive criticism.

The Veiled Nymph –

My name is Gaius Virgilius Tiberius, commander of the western Legions and divine ruler of the Roman Empire. I have led armies to victory for decades, my enemies quaver at the mentioning of my name and the blood of thousands lay directly on my hands.

Amongst my people I am deified, yet there is one sacred right of passage, one ultimate union I must achieve before I reach the state of total godhead. I must wed another of divine blood, a nymph to be exact. With my seed shall I gift this nymph with my offspring, who will rise to greatness, far above my own and challenge Jupiter himself for domain over the heavens.

The Setting

This thread will be taking place in a reality similar to our own, but also very different. It takes place in the times of Imperial Rome, around 180AD. Although the setting and appearance of the world is almost exactly as our own, the are not only believed in, but manifest themselves in the physical world so they are known to all. When the gods war, their patron nations also go to war, above armies of men clad in steel stride the colossal gods, walking on clouds, sweeping through the air, hurling bolts of lightning, shaking spears of burnished gold and wielding swords of divine energy. Constantly do the gods fight and squabble with each other.

It was not uncommon for Roman Emperors to be deified by their believes. This world shall operate on a conscious consensus principle: that enough people truly believe a god exists, then he is created from the nothingness of the ether. In this way my character, Gaius Virgilius Tiberius, is indeed a god, though a minor one. He does not yet have the ranks of believers that the other established gods have.

But Tiberius has found a way he may surpass all other gods, a nymph lives who holds the key to his true divinity. Only by taking this nymph as his lover and wife will he be able to gain access to Mount Olympus, where the gods dwell. His divine coupling with this nymph shall allow him to challenge Jupiter himself for the throne of heaven, and all it’s earthly domains below.

That nymph is you.

All your live you have been sheltered by the pagan elders of your village, kept from your true divinity. You were found at the foot of a tree as a babe, naked and vulnerable to the world. The village took you in, gave you to false parents, yet you were never told of your true lineage. Born with a special mark, a tiny eagle, wings spread on the nape of your neck, you were marked from birth as the veiled nymph. Hidden from your identity, though your skin glows with a strange luminescence and your beauty is unrivalled by mortal women, you never suspected your true lineage.

Until the day that Tiberius tracks you down to the village, following guidance from the Delphic Oracle he finds you, and takes you as his prize, his trophy, to be carted back to Rome and all it’s splendour.

So that’s the rather length premise, what it boils down to is this. I’m looking for someone to play the beautiful nymph to my general/small time deity. The nymph is to be taken to Rome where she will under go religious rituals, observe sacrifices to gods and become the general’s pleasure slave and eventually his wedded wife.

Someone who enjoys themes of submissiveness, punishment/pain, the occult and mythology/historical RPs would be favourite.

Anyone who thinks they’d like to play the part, please do not post in this thread, PM me with your interest and we can talk more about starting the thread up.

 

[MaiusImperium]

So it begins.

It was pleasingly cool this morning, the sun had only just begun it’s slow ascent into the heavens and for the moment the atmosphere was tolerable to Gaius Virgilius Tiberius. The entourage were all cloaked in black, beneath such raiments Tiberius was quite a striking man, tall at six foot high and he had the trim build of a soldier, a man used to swinging his sword arm. At all times his dark curly brown hair was kept short and uniform, his eyes were Iron-grey and held a sparkle and resilience that contrasted with his olive-skinned complexion. The cadre that followed behind Tiberius moved along the banks of the Anio (as they called it in those days) in silence, none of his bodyguard dared rouse Gaius, who had been stewing in frustration for the last week.

The months of constant travel had taken their toll on the divine emperor and he was quite saddle sore. They had travelled for months, up and down the lengths of Italy’s great rivers. You shall find the nymph sheltered from prying eyes on the banks of one of Latium’s great rivers. Of course, that could have meant any number of rivers, many coursed their way through Rome’s heartland at one point or another. The Delphic Oracle was seldom lucid, yet she was never wrong, as such. The truth you heard was seldom the truth she spoke.

Oh how he tired of riddles and prophesies, yet that accursed Greek witch held the key to his immortality. Sometimes he caught himself wishing he’d been born a simple peasant, or at least an unimportant noble who could afford a quiet, comfortable existence. Unfortunately he had been born with the name Virgilius and his family had been proud that they had traced their lineage back to the patrician families. From birth he had been earmarked for “great things”, as his father had said.

Irritably Tiberius pushed such yearnings aside, he would do what had to be done, it was his thirst for power, above all else, which fuelled him and drove him on. They had travelled from West to east, from the Abruzzi and were soon to come upon Tivoli, which was known as Tibur in those days. They were close to home now, whether they found the nymph at Tibur or not he had to return to Rome, the senate had demanded it. Would they really find the prophesised nymph right on Rome’s doorstep? It would be a bitter irony for Tiberius and his men to swallow, having travelled so far only to discover her so close to home.

The party of plainly dressed horsemen trotted into the village nestled next to the opulent urbanised town of Tibur, this was not the opulent Tibur a nobleman such as Tiberius knew, the villas, the placid hills of green and rich farmlands were out of sight and a world away from the squalid reality that was life for most of the Tiburtini, the common residents of this small village. It was as if this village was the impoverished sister of Tibur proper.

Ordinarily there would be fanfares and a huge procession had the elders of the village known of the god-emperor’s arrival. Tiberius had chosen to travel discreetly though, fanfares and processions might encourage the nymph’s warders to hide her far away from him. He could trust this task to no other. Tiberius bobbed in his saddle as the horsemen trotted down the central muddy road of the township, towards the central hall, undoubtedly where the town elders resided.

The group finally came to a stop before the wide, low village hall. As plainly clothed as they were, they still managed to draw glances from the villagers. Such a relatively large group of travellers, dressed the same as they were, would always attract attention in a small settlement such as this. Tiberius pulled back his hooded cloak, allowing the gathered villagers to gaze upon his visage for the first time. Mercifully none of them recognised him, this was not the well-educated and intelligent crowd of Roman socialites Tiberius was used to dealing with. He dismounted smoothly and looked around the squalid village around him, he had a feeling a nymph would stick out like a sore thumb amongst such filth, yet he had no real inkling about what she would actually look like.

Regardless, Tiberius strode into the hall purposefully, as did three of his guardsmen, cloaks held back and hands resting on sword hilts. If she was here, they would find her.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

The morning air still carried its chill and as she approached the river, the girl shivered, wrapping her cloak warmly around her body for the final few steps to the water’s edge. Carefully stepping down the bank to the river, she wondered if the clear beaten path had been worn by her feet alone and she knew it was so. Few of the townspeople bathed in the river, even the poorest occasionally found coppers to spend in the bathhouse and the rich, she imagined, had their own. No, only Nienea bathed in the river, only she ever came to this spot.

“You must be the cleanest girl in the village, ‘nea.” Her mother often said, although never with surprise. Mella would just shake her head in wonder, happy to have found the girl as a baby, she never questioning why the gods had taken her baby at birth and replaced him with Nienea. She’ll never forget the night she took the lifeless body of her newly born son into the woods, to bury him privately, and on her way home she found a baby girl. From the moment she found her, Mella wanted to keep the girl as her own, but her husband insisted he tell the Elders. He never told her what the Elders said to him that night, only that her name was Nienea and no one can ever know the truth about the girl. Mella never breathed a word, no one other than Elders knew that Mella had not given birth to girl, and although Mella was sharp enough to notice how the Elders always watched over the Nienea, she never mentioned that either.

As Nienea grew, the subtle differences between her and the other children became more apparent, but her beauty and charming good nature lead people to believe the god’s simply favored her, nothing else.

Nienea removed her cloak and laid it in a crumpled heap on top of the rock at the edge of the river. Naked, she stood on the rock shivering for a moment, letting her body get as cold as she could stand before diving into the water. There was no finer feeling in the world; none she could possibly imagine, than the feeling of that first rush of the cold water as it moved over her skin. It warmed her somehow, no matter how cold the water seemed to be, it always made her feel warm.

She folded her arms over the soft swell of her breasts, her lithe and slender body rocking back and forth as she shifted her weight from one cold foot to the other. Her long blond hair hung about her in unruly curls that did nothing to keep her warm. Her fair skin turned pink, showing its resentment of the cold. Her bright blue eyes watched the water rush past as she prepared to leap. Finally, she could stand it no more and with a happy cry, she raised her arms over her head and gracefully arced a splash-less dive into the water.

Warmed by the water of her river, she swam contentedly while frightening events unfolded in the town. Strangers always caused a stir, especially among the Elders and Mella’s husband. He left the Elders to deal with the strange horsemen while he hurried home, sending silent prayer to the gods as his feet carried him through the woods.

 

[MaiusImperium]

The hall was dimly lit, it was nothing compared to the vaulted halls and pillared atriums of Rome or Carthage, it smelled of horse and straw covered the floor. What little light there was came from several sconces which burned slowly. The village council was not in session yet there was some activity, an elderly scribe sat hunched over a rickety table, scrawling on a clay slate.

“You, bring me the wisest and best of your clan. Tarry not for I come bearing the Imperial seal.”

Tiberius produced a flat golden seal from his pocket, it was disc shaped and fashioned from enough gold to buy any villa in the hills around Tibur. Upon the seal was embossed the roman aquila, an eagle with it’s wings spread wide, it clutched at a pair of jagged lightning bolts. The old scribe squinted uneasily in the dimness at the seal. The old man knew what the seal meant, though they only really dealt with Roman authority when it was time to pay their taxes. The village was quiet and held little of value to Rome and was left largely to exist unmolested. That was about to change.

The old man got unsteadily to his feet and hobbled off into an adjoining chamber, runners were sent calling the eldest members of the village to the hall. Tiberius waited impatiently, it seemed the whole village had been roused to congregate in the hall. The crowd of onlookers huddled at one end of the hall as Tiberius and his men squared up to several bearded grey men, as if this were a confrontation.

“You are the Senex of this place?” Intoned Tiberius, somewhat briskly.

“I am, stranger. Never in all our generations has someone come to this place bearing the Imperial seal. We are good honest folk and we pay our tithes to Rome in the hopes of being left to our simple ways. Pray, what brings you here?” There was an air of tension about the place, the huddled villagers were quiet now as the conversation played itself out. Tiberius had little time for this, all he really wanted to do was stable his horse for the night and sleep off the ache in his legs. A Roman Emperor sleeping rough in a tavern like a commoner was unheard of, if only the people knew, Gaius Virgilius Tiberius: Vagrant.

But these were exceptional times, and Tiberius was more soldier than aristocrat now, it would be nice to sleep in the silken folds of his bed in the Imperial palace again, but for now he would do what he must. There was more at stake than his pride, or the Empire, for that matter.

“I come as an agent of destiny. I have followed in prophecy’s wake, I have consulted outlandish oracles and communed with Persian mystics at the ends of the earth. All my efforts have led me to this place. Who I am is unimportant, what is important for you and your village to remember is I come with the God-Emperor’s Blessing and I work in his name.” It was a bit of a speech, but it was best for these bumpkins to realise just what they were dealing with, Tiberius would brook no insolence from these shepherds and could afford few delays. He continued.

“I am seeking one of the divine. A nymph who’s name I know not. She would be fair to your eyes, indeed to any mortal’s eyes for she is blessed with the gifts of both Venus and Diana. Tell me candidly, do you know of such a creature dwelling within or near this village? Rome will reward those with pertinent information, be forewarned that harsh penalties will be exacted upon those who impede the will of our Lord and Emperor.” He fixed the wise men with his steely eyes, looking for reactions, hints, body language, anything that might give them away. If they aided him willingly they would be spared, impede him and he would search for her himself. If they took up arms, the village would be burned and it’s people sold into slavery.

 

[impish_pixie]

Her body had grown strong in the river; she swam against the current even during the rush of spring melts. The relative calm of a late fall day was no match for her, she moved through the water like a fish, with the fish. With long strokes of her arms and strong kicks of her legs, she glided to the bottom, disturbing the silt and swimming through dark clouds.

Sometimes she thought she heard the river talk to her, whisper its secrets and tell her its stories. She could have sworn the river warned her of the wolf pack that stopped to drink before hunting on the path that led back to her home. Sometimes the river spoke and held her attention for hours, but sometimes she didn’t listen at all.

Back in the town, “…Rome will reward those with pertinent information…” was the last Tallus heard, he didn’t hear the stranger's warning and he didn’t hear the Elders deny such a creature existed in or near their town. Tallus’ greedy heart heard only of a reward for the one blessed with the gifts of Venus and Diana, there was only one in the village who was worthy of those accolades, who could possibly possess such beauty and athleticism. Nienea. It had to be her.

Everyone in the town knows the gods smiled on her, everyone accepted that she was different, was it such a stretch to believe she was…blessed? After all, the strangers were led here by great oracles, so it was her destiny to be found by them. ‘Perhaps it is my destiny to help them.’ Tallus’ thought. The very idea made his mouth water, although if it was thoughts of the gold or thoughts of the girl, even he could not say with certainty.

Noisily, he covered his mouth and cleared his throat. He looked up at the strangers expectantly. In unison the town elders moved towards him, with hopes of counseling him to remain silent for they knew of Tallus’ greed and they knew he would call attention to himself for only one reason.

Tallus’ felt Tiberius’ eyes burn into him and for a moment, under that heavy gaze, he wished he had remained silent but he knew there was no going back, not anymore.

“There is a girl… a young woman… so beautiful all eyes are drawn to her. She glows like a candle and like a moths, all are drawn to her…. She lives in the woods… with her parents but she plays in the river, even in winter.”

Tallus looks around the room and can see the friends and neighbors of a lifetime move away from him, as they look at him with accusing eyes. He points a finger and waves it around the room.

“You know! You all know I speak the truth!” He turns back to Tiberius. Tiberius, whose steady gaze, has never wavered despite the slight smile that has begun to touch the corner of his mouth. “Nienea. She lives not far from the river. She’ll be at home or in the river, you’ll see… Her name is Nienea, when you see her you will know I speak the truth and”…. His voice trails off to a question, “you will reward me well?”

 

[MaiusImperium]

Tiberius smiled inwardly to himself, if there was one constant you could rely on in the world, it was human greed. The silence from the rest of the villagers within the hall spoke volumes, they would not betray her whereabouts, which meant she must have been special, more than just a pretty girl. For the first time in years he felt excitement bubble up inside him, in just a few minutes he would lay his eyes on the nymph, the one promised to him by the oracle.

“Bring him with us. If he lies, cut out his tongue.” Tiberius motioned to the man called Tallus and strode out of the village hall, his guardsmen manhandling Tallus in his wake. Outside Tiberius mounted his horse quickly, as did his men, and with Tallus riding with Tiberius’ chief bodyguard, a sturdy man of common stock known as Marcellus, they rode away in the direction of the river.

Following Tallus’ snivelling directions was a fairly simple task, they rode at a steady pace past the nymph’s alleged home, following a very faint footpath through thickets of trees and dense foliage, until they came upon a clearing by the river Aniene’s banks. It was neither a great or rapid flowing river, but it’s waters were crystal clear and they fed much of Rome’s ravenous thirst, much further down the river concourse. Tiberius raised his hand and drew his men to a halt.

“I shall go on alone, be ready for my command.” There was little evidence of anyone’s presence, save a cloak lying upon a rock by the river. He could not see yet there were sounds of paddling and splashing within the river. It was time, he started walking towards the river edge, stalking quietly so as not to cause a commotion, his sword hid by his cloak. His men lay in wait a few yards away in the trees, holding Tallus fast. It was not without a sense of trepidation that Tiberius peered over the bank into the water, he knew what often happened to lusty men who gazed upon virgin nymph’s while they bathed in the stories.

What he saw took his breath away. Gaius Virgilius Tiberius, Emperor of Rome stood in stunned silence as his eyes took in the sinuous form that glided through the crystal water. The pale woman slipped through the water with the ease of an eel, her lithe form shimmering as the morning sun caught the water, her long golden hair burning brightly in the sun, billowing softly in the wake of her body. She was dazzling and graceful.

The water was astoundingly clear, she had not yet seen him but he could see her with clarity through the water. Immediately he was overcome with an urge to remove his clothes and join her in the water, likely it was icy cold, yet for a moment he could think of nothing else but slipping into the river and allowing it’s cold water to envelope him.

This had to be her. If it was not her startling beauty then it was certainly the fact that she had not surfaced for air for minutes. It took an effort for Tiberius to rouse himself, but as he did his thoughts returned to the task at hand. Now that he was here, his prize, the one he had sought for so long, was within his grasp he didn’t know what to do. As he pondered his options, her aquatic blue eyes met his for the first time and he felt his voice catch in his throat.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

The river babbled in her ears as she swam but she would not listen.

Gone was the usual smooth, harmonious voice, the voice that slid across her skin and filled her ears with the pleasant sounds of companionship. Today, it was discordant as if speaking with more then one voice, voices struggling with each other and fighting for her attention. She tired at first to understand, but the snippets she could grasp were contradictory or made no sense to her …. the prophesy… betrayal… run…. hide… he is here… She would not listen; she would not pay attention until the single voice returned.

Like an eel, like an otter, like a fish, she moved through the water like a creature born to it. Like the creature she was. She moved in slow lazy circles, knowing it would soon be time for her to return home, time to do her chores and help her mother. She thought about how lucky she was that her parents allowed her this time alone, all the other girls began there day’s work as Nienea dived into the water, while the others labored, she still played. She rarely wondered why her parents treated so differently, they had only one child, and in town, she had seen how couples with one child frequently allow it the liberties of many. She wanted to play to in the river and they let her, so when they wanted her to read, she tried. She learned the letters, and how to copy them, but soon lost interest, her ability never stretching beyond a schoolboy’s primer.

She forced her mind to stop its wanderings as she swam towards the bank, just before she broke the surface of the river she thought she heard it say, “You’re too late.”

However, her feet had already found the river’s floor and she stood up against the current as she took her first steps back to the rock.

A man. A stranger. A strange man, dressed all in black stood by the rock, stood by her cloak. She quickly cast her eyes about, searching for others. Was he alone?

His iron hued eyes met hers and she smiled nervously. No one had ever found her in the river before; no one came on her father’s property. She wasn't sure what she should do. Cautiously, she covered herself with her arms and sank lower into the water. Only her head remained above the surface, as her smile faltered. Her hair was being tugged by the current and she had to lift her hand to uncover her face, but she did not take her eyes from him. She told herself she wasn’t afraid, she was safe in the river. No one could out-swim her, certainly someone as big as the stranger would be ungainly in the water. With the thought of his possible drowning comforting her, she dared to take action.

She tried to make her soft voice sound commanding, “Sir, you are trespassing.”

 

[MaiusImperium]

It was an effort to think straight, his eyes kept drifting. Her form was aesthetic perfection, lithe and graceful, lean but very much feminine, her curves were sinuous rather than brazen. All the sculptors in Rome would have gladly traded their souls for the chance to catch her form in marble.

This momentous event was too important for Tiberius to ogle lecherously at this slip of a girl. He pushed such…unclean thoughts away, there would be time enough for that later. Still, her pale body shimmered and distorted below the water tantalisingly. He assessed his options carefully and the vulnerability of his situation became apparent. Tiberius had not gotten to be a fine general and god-emperor by being slow witted. She was a fit swimmer, more than fit in fact, she was a nymph, protected while she remained in the river.

He smiled softly, a harmless, unthreatening smile and he strolled to the waterside. He came to sit at the edge of a rocky outcrop, overlooking the nymph and say down, dangling his feet over the edge. The river swirled and flowed below, almost angrily.

“Trespassing? But I hold lordship over these lands, fair nymph.” He held lordship over lands greater than she knew, from Britannia in the north, Cyrenaeca in the south. Still, it would not do to reveal his identity to her yet, or at all if he could help it until they were safe in Rome. She could escape so easily now, he trod a tight rope, scare her and she would fly, they could spend an eternity trying to catch her in these waters. Still, she was young, naïve, if he could but convince her to step from the waters, they would have her.

“I would very much like to know the name of the maiden who swims in my river, child. For it is surely blessed to be graced with your beauty.”

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

With curious eyes, she watches as he moves closer, not away as he should. He moves with confidence even upon the rock, so close to the water. He could so easy to slip in and for just a flash, she wonders if he can swim…

“Trespassing? But I hold lordship over these lands, fair nymph.”

Nienea’s fair brows draw together as she puzzles over his words, Lordship? The Lord? He lies, he must. Everyone knows the lord is old, and he never comes to the town. His agent collects his fees and he remains in his villa, doing something with flowers, everyone says so.

“I would very much like to know the name of the maiden who swims in my river, child. For it is surely blessed to be graced with your beauty.”

Now, she is certain he mocks her and she bristles at his words, she is no child, no nymph. She lifts her little chin higher, and holds her head straighter as the water reflects the subtle splashes of light in her eyes. Even the river seems to have ceased teasing her hair in disarray, instead, snaking it around her shoulders in a smooth rope of gold.

“I am Nienea, sir.” She wants to sound cool and distant. She will show him she is no child to be teased, so Nienea mimics the voice of Dona Lucia, the wife of the lord’s agent. For a few seconds the waters that move around her seem to darken and grow heavy. The water covers her as she tries to hide behind someone else’s voice.

“And there is no need to mock me, simply because I choose to .. uh… bathe in the river.” Her next attempt fails as she falters and the waters around her clear again. However, her stubborn chin remains held high despite the new pink flush to her cheeks.

 

[MaiusImperium]

“Please forgive me, Nienea.” He rolled her name off his tongue slowly, savouring it a moment. He always needed a name to attach to a face, now he had it she seemed a little more human and a little less…divine, in a way. It was a fair name, to be sure, very appropriate. He realised then her manner had changed somewhat, suddenly she was regal and austere, as austere as a naked young woman can be stood in a river, at least. Tiberius allowed himself another admiring glance, she would need that in Rome. It was clear her upbringing was common, she would need to be guided, groomed, to be a Roman lady.

“I did not intend to mock you, you are quite welcome to bathe in my river, if that is your want Nienea”

He grinned boyishly. The senators would not believe him if they had seen him. Tiberius actually enjoyed it, it was a façade like so much else in his life, but he could be more himself, away from the prying eyes of the politicians, the soldiers, it was a freedom he rarely experienced.

Bending low over the river side he scooped a handful of water up into his palm and quickly splashed it over his face, the water was cool and refreshing, much cleaner this far up it’s course, far enough away from the pollution of Rome.

“Still, it must be quite cold in there. Aren’t you a little chilly?”

All the while she remained, neck and back straight, proud, confident, her posture was excellent. In the weeks to come she would need her strength for the things he intended. It was a trial in itself not to let his mind wander to darker places

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

“Please forgive me, Nienea. I did not intend to mock you, you are quite welcome to bathe in my river, if that is your want Nienea”

His smile was quite nice, she thought and having seen his, she accidentally showed him hers. Like all accidental smiles, it was genuine and unpracticed, it was as natural as she is and displayed the full measure of her innocent beauty. Nienea liked the way his grin stole years from his face, making him look carefree, more like someone having a daring conversation on the banks of a river, less like someone pretending to be the lord of it all.

She watched him lean down to the river to cup the water in his hand. He moved without hesitating, and she noted that despite the danger of tipping into the cold water, he reached out with confidence; he was obviously accustomed to using his body; he knew it well. There was an economy to his movements, a precision, he moved without wasted gestures or needless actions. It was almost graceful, and it was definitely controlled. Fluid, she thought.

“Still, it must be quite cold in there. Aren’t you a little chilly?”

“No, of course I am not chilly.” She replied quickly, without thinking. If she were inclined to admit the truth, she would have to tell the stranger the tip of her nose was taking a chill, and the skin beneath her wet hair was too. Yes, they were cold, but Nienea knew she had only to slip ‘neath the water to be warm again. It was like standing on the rock before diving in, the cold on her skin existed only because she allowed it there.

“I am accustomed to it.” she added hastily but then went silent. She couldn’t stand here all day; Mother expected her back to do her chores… She’ll start to worry if I don’t get home soon, she'll tell Father, he'll alert the Elders... what a mess that was.

She think for a moment, then she extends a long, pale arm and in with a graceful flourish of her hand, she waves in the direction of the town. “Tibur is that way; you can find anything you need in town, including someone who will be able to direct you, if you are lost.”

 

[MaiusImperium]

“Lost?,” He raised his eyebrow in a mischievous quirk, “I am not lost, dear Nienea.”

He sat back on the bank, enjoying the feel of the sun on his face for a few moments, morning was slowly turning into noontime by now. He decided to savour these moments, though he was tense and his destiny hung in the balance, he would likely get precious few of these moments when he returned to Rome. There the eyes would never stop watching, and of course once he had taken this nymph as his own he would have to contend with the gods also. He’d made arrangements that would ensure the gods would leave him alone, at least that’s what he hoped.

It was true Tiberius was a god, of sorts. He had strange powers of charisma and persuasion, which made him a perfect politician as well as commander. Yet for the most part he was mortal, he could be killed quite easily, though he was handsome he was more rugged than beautiful, as the great Apollo was. That would all change with the birth of his son, she would provide him with that.

“Actually, I came in search of you, Nienea. I came to the village this morning and the folk told me many tales, one about the flaxen-haired beauty that lived by the river took my interest. For curiosity’s sake I had to see for myself. I must say I have not been disappointed. I hope you do not hold that against me.”

She was a treasure, that was certain. Disregarding her divine heritage she was beautiful, as a goddess. Her body was soft and curvy, and her hair…Tiberius had never seen a shade of gold quite so rich. Blonde hair was much sort after in Rome, courtesans and harlots would bleach their hair which left it parched and blasted of colour, leaving it completely without texture. Yet Nienea’s…it was truly breath taking.

All she need do is step from the water. She could not stay in there forever, and he was not about to leave, though he did wonder how long it would take for the villagers to check her whereabouts. He had time, for now at least.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

“Lost? I am not lost, dear Nienea.”

He sat back on the bank, enjoying the feel of the sun on his face for a few moments, morning was slowly turning into noontime by now.

“Actually, I came in search of you, Nienea. I came to the village this morning and the folk told me many tales, one about the flaxen-haired beauty that lived by the river took my interest. For curiosity’s sake I had to see for myself. I must say I have not been disappointed. I hope you do not hold that against me.”

She lifts her chin even higher and for a moment her eyes narrow with suspiciously. The people of the town, her friends and neighbors, wouldn’t put her on display like an animal in the Emperor’s Menagerie. They would never talk of her to an outsider; they would never talk of anything or anyone to a stranger. Not without a reason, they’d only talk if someone asked, someone with a reason to as…. Why would he ask? Or did he? He was lying or telling only half the truth. She tries to hide her feelings from him but is unpracticed in all but the most basic, childish deceptions.

Wishing he would just leave, she casts her gaze around the river and its bank, searching for answers she can’t find in her head. Her brows draw together and Tiberius easily sees Nienea wrap a layer of wariness around her while she wears her doubts plainly on her face. She starts to wonder if she should try to run home… she could swim up river and cut across the glade but it would mean leaving her cloak and her sandals. Mother will be home, maybe even Father, if she could make there, she could get home, she could stop worrying and feel safe.

She draws a deep breath and adopts Dona Lucia’s tone again, “Well, sir, you’ve seen now, and I am certain you must be eager to be on your way. You must be hungry; the lamb stew at the inn is very good, excellent even. My mother vows it is better than she can make… not an easy thing for my mother to do. She takes pride in her domestic virtues…”

“I am happy that your detour hasn’t been too disappointing but as you see…” She shrugs her shoulders. “As you see, there isn’t much to see. I’m certain they only meant it as a harmless joke and I hope you won’t be too angry with them.”

 

[MaiusImperium]

He allowed himself another inward smile as the young woman tried to put on a brave face, her tone was firm and secure, but her body language was frightened and vulnerable. Tiberius got to his feet smoothly, a smile playing on his lips.

“Very well, but you are no joke, my fair Nienea. You are very precious.” It was an odd thing to say on parting, he bowed his head slightly in respect and turned on his heel, fading into the trees. He could not confront her in the water, she would evade him. But she would need to go home…she would have to return sooner or later. When she did, they would be waiting for her.

Smoothly and silently Tiberius and his guardsmen stalked through the woodland, as they neared the nymph’s home Tiberius halted them. Deep in the foliage, Tiberius handed the man called Tallus a small bag of coin, it was small but the coins were silver, of rich quality, all the way from Laurion in Greece. A man such as Tallus could live quite comfortably on that sort of money for a good long time in a village such as Tibur.

“Go and spend this as you see fit.” His tone was dismissive, the wormy Tallus had given him what he needed and he could rot for all he cared now. He despised men such as Tallus, spineless, seeking only wealth. Still…they had their uses, everyone was a tool if you found the right use for them.

The group continued on at a quick pace towards the nymph’s home, which they had passed on their way to the river. The group moved quickly, wanting to make sure Nienea would not outpace them. By the time they reached the clearing that housed Nienea’s home they were breathing heavily.

Like leopards in the bush they waited, crouched, ready to strike, waiting for Nienea to come home. Had she chosen to take refuge in the village there would have been problems, but seven armed men against a nymph and her parents was no contest at all. Tiberius would have his nymph before the sun came down.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

At first, Nienea felt only relief as she watched the stranger walk away. Too glad to see him going she paid no attention to his parting words. Nervously, her eyes followed him until they no longer could, but even after he was gone from her sight, she stood and waited, watching the banks, in case he reappeared. When at last certain he was not returning, she spun and dived back into the water.

In the cool embrace of her river -My river, not his, she thought- Nienea swam until she felt safe and happy again. She let the river wash away her fears and concerns, leaving her only with a mild sense of dread. She would still have to explain to her parents why she was so late. They would believe her story; she didn’t doubt that, she simply hated having to tell them. She knew that after today they would no longer feel she was safe at the river and that was foolish, she was safer in the river…

She knew that was why she was still delaying leaving the water; it was why she continued to swim when she should have left for home as soon as the stranger was gone. She knew her security would lessen with each step she took; she knew she would not feel safe, truly safe on the land until she was back with her parents.

Cautiously, she left the river and stepped on to the bank. She quickly climbed atop the rock, there she felt safe again, and from there it would be so easy to dive back into the water. She stepped into her sandals and fastened them securely to her feet, and then she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and fastened with her pin.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with as much as they would hold and then she leapt from the rock.

She landed easily on her feet and immediately headed up the bank. She wasted no time climbing, her long legs were strong, and she took to the top in an easy bound. She ran through the woods, she ran as she had not in years, and the joy of running free and fast brought a smile to her face despite her fears. Her cloak trailed behind her, catching on branches, dragging through leaves, but she ignored and ran faster. There were no obstacles in her path only objects to leap over; there was no twist, or turn too sharp for her sure feet. She was a child of nature and moved through as part of it.

Finally, she ran through the clearing that surrounded her home and, without pausing, she ran straight to the house.

 

[MaiusImperium]

For a moment he considered leaping from the undergrowth and seizing her there and then. Something stayed his hand, in any case she was gone in a flash, into her house, clearly shaken by what had happened at the river. It didn’t matter, she was trapped, in her house now, very much vulnerable, whether her father and mother were there or not.

“Marcellus, take Macro and Varrus and cover the rear door. Valerian, Scabro and Tarquinius, you’re with me. Remember, she is not to be…damaged.” They all knew there was likely to be a struggle for her, of some sort. She was so innocent, bathing in that lake, so fresh, young…naïve, for a moment he felt a pang of guilt at what he was about to do. It was only a pang, Tiberius would do what he must, for the Empire, for himself.

Marcellus took his men around to the rear of the house and covered the rear door. There was no one in the yard save for a few chickens. Tiberius and his group stalked to the front door, a simple wooden thing, they could probably barge it down if they did not answer. Valerian hammered is fist against the door several times.

“In the name of the Senate and People, Open this door!” Came his crude, common Latin. Valerian was a heavy drinker and enjoyed his nights in the brothel more than most, he was a commoner. He was a loyal companion though, if somewhat brutish.

There was sounds of commotion from the other side of the door. Tiberius waited for a response.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

She burst into the house, ready to spill her tale into her parents’ laps; she expects her greeting will be a scolding and accepts that there will be punishment for being so late. Instead, as she closes the wooden door, and before she can utter a sound, strong familial arms wrap around her and she is showered with kisses. Blending, their voices punctuate the kisses they place upon her head, her cheeks, even the tip of her nose. She cannot separate their words but she recognizes the love and concern in their voices and for a moment, every other feeling is driven out Nienea and replaced with the simple joy of knowing she is loved.

Taking a step back, Mella gasps at the sight of her daughter. Nienea long golden hair bears twigs and leaves, her cloak is in tatters, and she wears only a single sandal.

“Nienea… Nienea…” Her mother murmurs her name as she pulls the twigs from the girl’s hair.

Her father, Antonius, is made of sterner stuff and is less shocked, but no less concerned by his daughter’s appearance. “There were strangers in the town today, your mother and I were concerned that they might have gotten lost in the wood and chanced upon you at the river.”

Nienea tries to straighten her tangled hair by running her fingers through it, “There was a stranger by the river, he said he was our lord and that the townsfolk spoke of me, telling him where to find me… but they wouldn’t do that, would they?”

Suddenly, there was the loud sound of someone knocking, banging on the wooden door.

“In the name of the Senate and People, Open this door!” the little family heard a voice yell in common Latin.

Antonius looks first to his wife and then to his daughter, his voice is hurried, anxious, and soft, “Nienea, go to your room and dress, remain there until I come for you, do you understand? I will come for you when you may come out, not before. And remember, whatever happens, if you have the opportunity, run for the river, always run towards the river.”

Although puzzled by his words, Nienea obeys. She quickly kisses his cheek before hurrying off to her room.

Antonius kisses his wife well then moves to the door. He waits as long as he dares, until he thinks he hears the sounds of men preparing to knock the door down, before opening it. He quickly stands aside, staying out of their way. He knows they will simply push him out of their, so he carefully gives them enough room to enter. These men will not wait for an invitation.

In her room, Nienea sheds her cloak and drops it on the floor. She dons a simple white tunic but her anxious fingers have difficulty with the pins that hold the gown together. She forces herself to take a deep calming breath, and afterwards the pins close easily. With firm strokes of her brush, she smoothes out her tangled curls and begins a simple arrangement atop her.

All the while she dresses, she tries not to think about what is happening in the other room, and tells herself her father will soon come for her.

 

[MaiusImperium]

The room was awkward and cramped for four broad soldiers to be stood in, Tiberius held up his seal of authority to the older man, who he guessed was her father, her adopted father anyway.

“Where is she? Where is the Nymph?” The man did not answer, for a moment the calm façade was disrupted by anger on his face. His patience was at an end, he had not spent months of sleeping in the saddle and eating off berries and roots in the wilderness to be denied here.

“Search the house.” At his command Valerian, Scabro and Tarquinius began their search, knocking over chairs, tables, barging into rooms uninvited. It was not a big house, they would find her soon. Outside Marcellus and his men waited patiently, ready to pounce should the nymph take flight. Tiberius himself stayed with her father. There was no point calling him something else, he had raised her since she had been a babe. Still, it would have been easier to think of him as a caretaker, an interloper.

“She doesn’t know what she is…I wonder, do you? Have you hidden it from her?” He searched the man’s eyes as his guardsmen turned the place inside out.

“Imperator! Over here.” It was Valerian again, they had found her. Excitement bubbled quietly in the pit of his stomach. The soldiers converged on the young woman’s room, like wolves cornering a deer. Tiberius stood in the door war, Valerian was already in the room.

“There you are, my fair Nienea.” The words were full of dark undertone now as he moved into the room, flanked by Valerian and Tarquinius, the closed in inexorably.

“Bind her hands and feet.” Scabro drew his gladius loudly and readied himself should the nymph’s guardians decide to be brave. Tiberius and Valerian closed down on Nienea, pushing her to her bed, immediately Tiberius straddled her struggling form, using his greater weight to pin her to the bed. While Valerian bound her feet together Tiberius pulled her delicate hands behind her back and tied them off harshly. She screamed, yelped and mewled helplessly under his weight, her head clasped between his hands, another piece of rope was fitted between her teeth and tied painfully. A bit of peace and quiet at last.

“Marcellus!” Bellowed Tiberius, there were sounds of scuffling outside as the three other soldiers came into the house. It all seemed to happen so quickly, it happened in a blur. It took three of them haul the trussed nymph from her room, she was stronger than she appeared, likely from all the time she spent swimming.

Her parents were held at sword-point now as Tiberius’ men took her from her home and tied to Tiberius’ horse like a piece of chattel.

“You should be thankful, old man. This village is no place for a nymph. In Rome she will be surrounded by grandeur fitting of her majesty.”

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

“Where is she? Where is the Nymph?”

She hears his voice, the stranger’s voice and fear hits her like a blow. She knows it was all a lie, all a trick to get to her away from the river. Nearly paralyzed, her fingers reflexively tighten around her hairbrush, and for a moment, she looks helplessly around her room. Her eyes settle on the window, and remembering her father’s words, she flies to it and throw open the curtains to look out, to escape to the river. Quickly, she steps back when she sees the men outside, as fast as she is, she knows she has no hope of making it across the clearing before they could catch her.

“Search the house.”, she hears the stranger command.

She hears the sound of their search, she hears her home being ripped apart, and she knows they will find her in her room. It is only a matter of time; she has too little time. A place to hide, she needs place to hide, but the only furniture is her little bed and the old cupboard used for storing winter linens. She considers…. Then she casts away the thought of hiding in the cupboard or under the bed. Such obvious spots, they will surely, find her and she will be trapped, looking like a frightened child hiding from nightmarish monsters. No, she will not. She will not let them see her fear, no matter how much she feels.

Why are they doing this? Why do they want her? She pushes the questions away, no time for that now.

She looks at the door, willing it to stay closed but it bursts open. She instinctively jumps back as another; a different stranger not the one from the river, looks into her room.

“Imperator! Over here.” He calls out.

She lifts her chin and straightens her back, her shoulders are back as she stares at him, a cool look in her eyes, daring him to come closer… if he would only come in, she might be able to get around him, to escape. He comes in but not far enough, he waits near the door until others join him.

“There you are, my fair Nienea.” Gone is the traveler with the boyish grin and the lighthearted youthfulness, a dark and menacing man replaces him. His pleasant words are carried by a tone that chills her, but she doesn’t flinch away, she holds her ground.

“Bind her hands and feet.” He commands his men, they are obviously his men, there is no doubt he is their leader.

“Why?” she asks, “What do you want from me?”

It is all she has time to ask before they close on her, push her to the bed. She wastes no more energy on pointless questions; she saves it for her struggles.

He is quickly on top of her, pinning her with his weight. She strikes at him with her wooden hairbrush, a pointless and perhaps foolish gesture, but it is in her hand and the only weapon she has. He ignores her blows, almost smiling at them; he receives hits that are more painful during training and battle practice. He simply pulls the brush from her hand and tosses it across the room. She screams not in fear but in frustration, her legs kick at Valerian as he tries to bind her. She drives her heel into his chest, while she tries to keep her hands free from Tiberius’ grasp. Angry, Valerian no longer reaches for her feet, he pushes his hands down the length of her legs, from her thighs to her ankles and grabs them with strong rough hands. She whimpers; she knows that without the use of her strong legs she has no hope. She wants to call out for her father, but is afraid, afraid of what they will do to him if he tries to help her.

As her ankles are bound, Tiberius catches her hands, but she continues to squirm beneath him, her hair freed by her struggles blinds her, she knows she has been defeated but is still unwilling to give up the fight. He roughly pulls her arms behind her back and ties them together at her wrists. She gives a yelp, as the pain passes through her shoulders.

Her hair unveils her face as Tiberius grabs her head and tries to force a piece of rope between her teeth. She only knows one curse and uses it before she loses the chance.

“Son of whore!”

Roughly and painfully, he ties off the rope, she is quiet, breathing raggedly through her nose but refusing to stay still. She squirms and twists; she arches her back and thrust her feet as they carry her from the room. She sees her parents are held at sword point and goes still and silent. Not for long, she soon resumes her fight with renewed vigor until she is tossed over Tiberius horse, like a sack of corn. Her hair falls over her face but it isn’t blindness that stills her, it is the fear of falling from the horse and breaking her neck.

“You should be thankful, old man. This village is no place for a nymph. In Rome she will be surrounded by grandeur fitting of her majesty.”

Antonius shakes his head, imploring, his hands reach for Tiberius… “My Lord, please. If you know what she is, you know what will happen to her. You can’t take her away from the river; without it, she will die.”

 

[MaiusImperium]

His men were getting all saddling up now, ready to depart this flea-bitten place, Tiberius himself leaped into his saddle smoothly, a mark of the years he had spent in the cavalry. For a moment he considered striking the man, just for a moment. I had been a long journey, a long quest, he was looking forward to going back to Rome, it’d be nice to sleep in a comfortable bed for a change. Still…her father wasn’t to know, if he was a local man.

“The Anio flows into Rome through the Tiber, she will be quite safe in the capital.” His horse had already turned away to her parents now, Macro and Marcellus were saddling themselves up and, with a bark at his horse, Tiberius and his cadre were off. She would never see her parents again.

She had fight in her, that was for sure, though he had known that when he had met her at the riverside. She was a noisy thing, he was merciful for the gag, as were his men. They rode hard through the day and into the evening, they could perhaps reach Rome within a day, but they would have to rest a night in the countryside.

Tiberius’ thoughts were not as easy as he thought they would be, he had claimed his prize now, she was his, yet a new problem now reared it’s head. The gods. They would send their agents against him once they found out what he had done, some of them would, at least. The gods were constantly bickering, Tiberius had many rituals to attend when he was in Rome, he was going to be a busy man.

The moon was high in the sky by the time Tiberius stopped for the night. The air was cooler in the night but still quite tolerable. The group stepped below a broad oak tree several yards off the beaten path they were following. All around them wildlife bustled and rustled amongst the leaves that were falling from the autumn trees and cicadas chirruped quietly in the distance. As a fire was started, Macro returned triumphantly with a brace of hares.

“Dinner!” The rotund man declared proudly. Macro had been a tracker for most of his life, before Tiberius had found him. He looked ungainly, with a pot belly but he was deceptively quick for his size, and his skill with the bow was unquestionably.

A simple broth was served up once the hares were cooked. All the while Nienea had been left slumped against their saddle bags, the men conversed with each other, laughing at crude jokes and old soldier’s tales. Loyal men all, to the end.

Tiberius took it upon himself to come over to Nienea, a bowl of stew in his hands for her, as he untied the rope that gagged her mouth he expected a torrent of abuse, son of a whore indeed. It was quite amusing, it was so unexpected of her.

“Here,” He spooned some of it and held the spoon before her mouth. His manner was tender again, his voice soft, calmly confident but the anger had left him. He didn’t expect it to work on her, she screamed and growled through the gag all day, wriggled and squirmed and resisted at every turn. She would be very angry, Tiberius couldn’t really expect her not to be.

“You should eat.”

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

“The Anio flows into Rome through the Tiber, she will be quite safe in the capital.” She didn’t hear her father’s question, only the Stranger’s answer. It made no sense to her. Why take her to Rome? She could serve no purpose there. She had no answers to her many questions, but slung over the back of Tiberius’ horse, she thought she’d have plenty of time to think.

Thinking eventually became impossible, every one of the horse’s steps jolted through her ribs as her fear of falling kept her body tense. Her feet hung numbly down one side of the horse and her head down the other, her blood was pounding in her ears. Occasionally, her hair would catch on a branch or debris in the path, her neck would twist and her head snap back as her hair pulled until it broke or broke free. With each new pain, she would renew her noise. She made noise, she screamed behind the rope, she yelled, she knew too few curses… only one….to keep her through the journey, so she improvised. In a way she was thankful for the rope, it made he words incomprehensible even to her own ears, as she loudly yelled recipes, poetry, and told all of them exactly what she thought of them and what they could do with their horses. She screamed and yelled because it kept her from crying.

Her body hurt from the ends of the hair to the tips of her toes, she ached in every muscle and every joint but her anger helped keep her strong. With it, she endured without a moan or a whimper.

When their journey finally ended for the day, she was thankful someone carried her and placed among the saddlebags, with the rest of the baggage. She doubted she could have remained standing if set on her feet. Now for the first time since they stole her from her home she was quiet. She didn’t want to draw their attention, she had no idea what they planned, and it was becoming more difficult to maintain the anger that kept her fear at bay. Silently, she stretched and twisted as much as she could, relaxing tense and aching muscles as much as possible. If the gods granted her an opportunity to run, she wanted to be ready for it.

“Dinner!” bellowed the arrogant fat one and Nienea remembered for the uncounted time that she had not eaten since supper last night.

With angry eyes, she watched the men eat and ignored their crude jokes and tedious war stories. How remarkable it was, she thought, that every single one of them was a brilliant soldier and daring hero in the service of the Empire. She would have snorted in derision at their bold lies, but the rope in her mouth wouldn't let her.

At last, well after the others had eaten, the Stranger came to her side with a bowl of stew. He took the rope from her mouth, she resisted, with difficulty the urge to stretch her painful jaw, she would not let him see her discomfort. She would not. He seemed to be waiting for her to start screaming again, she did not. She was too tired to voice her anger, instead it showed plainly in the tilt of her chin and the flash of her eyes.

“Here.” He spooned some of the stew and held it to her mouth, obviously intending to feed her like a child. Her resentment grew, and grew further when she realized he was trying to trick her by acting nice again. She thought she could kick him with her feet, she knew she could knee bowl and spill the stew in the dirt….

“You should eat.”

She looked at his face, and glared into his eyes, hiding none of the hatred she had for him. She knew he was right. She hated it but she knew it was true. She needed to eat, she needed to keep up her strength, she needed to be ready, strong, and alert, for when the gods gave her the chance she needed to escape. She leaned forward, taking the spoon in her mouth and cleaned it with her lips as she pulled her head back.

“I should be at home, with my parents.” She eyed the spoon and the bowl again,” Well, either feed me or untie me...”

 

[MaiusImperium]

A smile returned to his lips, a small one, only showing a glimmer of the warmth he had shown her by the river earlier in the day. He laughed shortly.

“I’m sure you would like for me to untie you, Nienea,” He gathered another spoonful of the stew and guided it carefully to her mouth, “I would not blame you if you ran.”

He pulled the spoon away from her mouth and repeated the action, spooning her mouthfuls of the warm stew. It was mostly hare, and some dried beans and lentils; inedible travelling food that you could only really stomach if it had been boiled and stewed with something more tasty. This wasn’t exactly the response he had been expecting, she had been kicking and screaming from behind the rope all day, he almost expected her to spit the stew at him at the first mouthful, or at the very least refuse his offer. The silence was quite welcoming.

She was such a precious thing, even now in the dim orange flicker of the campfire she seemed to glow, to light up the ground around her. She was special, more than she knew. He pondered her statement and gathered his thoughts, it was time to tell her, to let her know the truth.

“They were not your parents Nienea, not your real parents, anyway.” Another spoonful of stew, the bowl was empty now, she had eaten it without complaint, she must have been very hungry.

“You do not realise how special you really are. You have divine favour, you carry the gods’ spark. Surely you have noticed you’re…different to those of your village. Apart, above them, even.”

It would be a bitter pill for Nienea to swallow, it was clear her parents had kept her true nature hidden from her, but it was best she heard it now. It would take time for her to accept it, but the sooner she knew the sooner acceptance would come.

“You do not look like the others in your village, your skin has a pale glow, your hair is golden, have you never questioned your difference from the others? I do not think you realise how beautiful you really are.” It was not a romantic notion, he said the words clearly, a statement of fact whether she chose to admit it or not, she was beautiful.

“Why do you think you are so drawn to the river? I saw you today, you were at home in the water, swimming faster than the fish, no mortal could swim like you did. No, you are divine, Nienea. You are a nymph of the river.”

His words were hushed, for her ears only, a howl of laughter rippled through the men by the fire as Macro told a rather crude tale about a cucumber and a harlot he had taken at Pompeii. It took something away from his rather profound statement and he gave her an exasperated sigh at the laughter which seemed to refuse to die down. He longed for five minutes alone with her, but that would not happen. When they reached Rome they would have all the time in the world.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

“You are either a mad man or the victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding”. Clearly, Nienea believes the former is the case, as with every phrase he spoke she drew deeper into the bags she rests against until she can press back no farther. “Either way, I am sorry you have put yourself through all this for nothing.”

“My mother” Nienea emphasizes the word, “bore me well past the age of expectation. Do you understand? Although, my parents were pleased with my birth, and see me a gift given by the gods, it is also, why I lack a healthy color and why I am different from the other girls, sometimes. My parents love me, despite my flaws because I am their offspring. They have taught me to pay no attention to the opinions of others and simply be thankful for the life I have and the happiness I bring them.”

“I played in the river because I have few friends; I move well though the water because like the seamstress moving her needle through cloth, I do it constantly. There is no mystery about me, I posses no gods’ spark. I am just Nienea. I don’t want to go to Rome. I want to go home…” As she realizes her voice is taking on the tone of an over-tired child, she silences herself.

Drawing a deep breath, she tips her head as far back as it will go. She shakes it back and forth, trying to get it off her face. It is better when she is done, though not as well as she would like. She looks at him; even she can see he isn’t a man easily set from his course. For whatever ridiculous reason, he has decided she is a water nymph; mere words will not persuade him otherwise. Madness, she thinks, some form of madness.

“In time you will see I am not what you think and you will be disappointed. Perhaps your mistake will lead to lose the nymph you are to find..." She shrugs, trying to look disinterested, unconcerned as she ask, "but why do you want to steal a nymph from her river? Wouldn’t she perish? Why take her to Rome…?”

She shivers, the night has grown cool, and she faces an unknown future at the hands of a lunatic and his coterie of brutes. It is enough to make any young woman shiver. She lifts her chin, straightens her shoulders, and takes pride in her behavior so far. She isn’t hysterical, and she isn’t crying. Most women would be by now, she is sure of it, or they'd be worse, softening to him while he is sounding kind. Her eyes darken as she remembers the pain of her wrenched arms, the weight of him as he held her on her bed and the terrified looks of her parents as they kneeled at sword point and watched their only child carried off by a lunatic. She will not soften; she will remember these things and more. She will feed her anger and it will keep her fear at bay.

Once again, Nienea brings out Dona Lucia. “I am cold, get me a blanket, or move me closer to the fire.”

 

[MaiusImperium]

Her body was certainly not that of a child, but sometimes that look in her eyes betrayed the frightened girl underneath the veneer. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her commands, he got to his feet and bowed deeply, a little mockingly but his tone was amused, not sarcastic.

“As you will it, Empress.” Leaving her to her own devices for while, he set the soldiers to sleep, they would take turns on watch, Tiberius would go first. The fire had died down now, but it’s embers stilled glowed warmly in the night sky.

The fire glow aside it was deathly black, the moon obscured by thick velvet clouds in the night sky, it was quite a chilly night, and quite threatening, not even the cicadas were chirruping now. The wind howled softly, rustling trees and bushes as it coursed it’s haunting way.

As the soldiers bedded down Tiberius returned to Nienea, laying a blanket over her prone form, in a small act of mercy he loosened the bonds about her hands a bit, they must have been cutting quite harshly into her flesh and he would risk no permanent damage to his prize.

Sitting down in front of her, he watched her for the longest while without saying a thing. He wasn’t leering or ogling, just watching, studying her eyes, her movements as she struggled to get comfortable.

There was a grin on his face, bordering on smugness but not quite there yet. He would not press her tonight on her lineage, she had heard enough to be thinking on. Ultimately whether she believed him or not was irrelevant, all she needed to do was provide him with an heir, their divine offspring would far surpass even Tiberius’ achievements.

“If you must now, we will be following the course of the river Anio, it flowed into the Tiber which flows into Rome. You will not be diminished. You could try and flee, but stray too far from the river and you will weaken, and then die.” Another simple statement delivered crisply, like the soldier that he was.

“Listen to me ramble on. Close your eyes Nienea and sleep. We will be up before dawn and you will need your strength for tomorrow. I won’t let any harm come to you.” It was rather odd hearing that from the man who had kidnapped her, but with that he propped himself up against another saddle bag, folded his arms behind his head and waited for her to fall asleep. As if it would just happen with him watching her.

 

[impish_pixie]

Nienea

She endured his chuckle and his mocking bow but is left feeling she has been inspected like meat at the butcher and found wanting. She casts a cool eye on him and haughtily tosses her head, the arrogant head toss was another stolen gesture; this one she copied it from another girl in the town. Nienea never had need of artificial manners before; she never felt she had to hide herself, or her feelings before today. She had no qualms about letting him see how much she hated him, but not for anything would she let him see how afraid she was.

He returned and covered her with a blanket that smelled of horse and male sweat, she wrinkled her nose but could not refuse it; she was too cold. He loosened the rope that bound her hands, and she winced as pricking pins bought blood back to her numbed flesh. She didn’t thank him, why should she? If it weren’t for him, she’d be home, safe and warm in her own bed. She’d hear the sound of the river as the water came over the small fall just outside the clearing that surrounded the house… She shook the thoughts of her river from her head.

Under his disturbing gaze, she tried to make herself comfortable on the hard cold ground. It was impossible. She was cold, and wanted to curl up in a ball for warmth but dared not. Although covered by the blanket now, its removal in the morning would leave her exposed to their eyes. Tiberius grinned as she struggled and she wished she had saved her one curse, or paid attention to the ruffians and learned more.

“If you must now, we will be following the course of the river Anio, it flowed into the Tiber which flows into Rome. You will not be diminished. You could try and flee, but stray too far from the river and you will weaken, and then die.”

Nienea had heard that citizens of Rome cast their refuse into the Tiber and she doubts that such a befouled river could support any life, especially a creature as sensitive and attuned to its element as a nymph. However, there was some useful information in his comments. She decides, when the gods favored her with the opportunity to escape, she will run away from the river. They will hunt for in her the wrong direction and she will increase her chances of a successful flight from them.

“Listen to me ramble on. Close your eyes Nienea and sleep. We will be up before dawn and you will need your strength for tomorrow. I won’t let any harm come to you.”

She has no faith in his words. He didn't answer her questions. He never told her why. Why did he want a nymph? Why does he take her to Rome? He never even bothered to tell her his name.

Under the single blanket, she shivers. Her tunic provides her with no warmth, unlike the men in their heavy traveling clothes; she is not dressed for a night in the rough. Although she knows she will never sleep, she closes her eyes so she no longer has to watch him watching her. Eventually, she dozes off but her sleep is restless and she continues to shiver throughout the night.