A Short History of Kings
By Chris James
Chapter Three
The port of Ostia was filled with ships of all kinds this fine afternoon. Daniel hung over the side to see them all as they approached the docks. For weeks the only smells had been the sea and the unwashed sailors, now the breeze held such enticing odors it made him salivate.
The Italia landscape was so different, great buildings of stone sat beside the docks and seemed to grow larger the further up the river he looked. But it was the people that attracted his attention; there were more people here than he had seen in his whole life.
Swarthy brown skinned people with cloth wrapped around their heads, dark men, some almost black, carried boxes and bales of goods. The ship docked and Daniel looked up at a man sitting on a horse adorned in bright silver armor, who could this be?
"Your Eminence," the man called out as the Bishop strode on deck.
"Darius, so good to see you once again," the Bishop said with a polite nod.
"Your litter awaits, the Holy Father wishes to see you," Darius said.
The Bishop frowned. "I'm sure his Holiness would allow me time to stop at my residence and freshen up before an audience."
Darius smiled. "I'm sure he would, and I shall escort you."
The crew hurried the baggage onto the dock and a large covered cart arrived for them to load. The Bishop was helped ashore and walked casually towards a covered device Daniel had never seen before. The man took a seat in the chair and eight strong men lifted him up and carried him off, with Darius following behind. Daniel thought it a silly means of travel, a horse would do so much better.
The change of attitude amongst the crew was noticeable after the Bishop left, everyone relaxed. Luciano found the boy and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"So my young friend, shall we go see Roma?"
Theo had walked ashore right after the Bishop and he was standing beside the pile of boxes that was slowly growing in height. He watched Daniel and Luciano leave the ship and decided it was time. He stepped behind the boxes and suddenly appeared.
Daniel was the first to see him and was startled, but then he smiled and looked up at Luciano. "That boy is my brother, Theo," he said.
Luciano stopped and stared. "Your brother, where has he been hiding?"
"I made him stay in the hold and brought him bread whenever I could," Daniel said.
Luciano shook his head and knelt down, staring up at Daniel. "You would be so mean to your own brother? Why didn't you just tell me he was on board?"
"I... I was afraid you would send him away," Daniel said. "He's the only family I have."
Luciano grasped the boy and held him close, and then he looked over at Theo, motioning him over. When Theo came within reach he grasped the boy's hand, joining it with Daniel's.
"I am not such a man as to separate a boy from his own brother, what you must think of me. I share in your joy of having a brother, but you should never be so cruel to him again. He must have been very uncomfortable in the hold where it's so dark and damp.
"Theo... welcome to Roma, I'm Luciano. And now tell me boys, do you have anything else hidden away from me? A sister... or a dog perhaps? No? Well, then let's walk up the dock to the square and I'll engage a cart to carry us into the city. I will take you to my home where you will meet my wife. And then like civilized people we shall bathe, for nothing smells quite as badly as a sailor just from the sea."
"Thank you, sir," Theo said.
Daniel held Theo's hand as they walked down the dock. Groups of workers carried crates and bags of goods here and there to waiting carts. The square opened out before them and it was filled with merchants and customers alike. The noise of people talking, vendors hawking their wares and the bawling of animals filled the air. The boys gaped at strange looking animals, including a tall creature far larger than a horse with a hump on its back.
Luciano watched the boys discovering the splendor of Roma; the city was a crossroads of commerce and trade. He approached a driver sitting with his cart and hired him for the trip up the Via to the city proper. The cart had a bowed roof to keep off the sun and was pulled by two sway backed horses, slow but steady transport. The boys climbed aboard and they were off.
The Via followed the Tiber east, away from the sea and into the heart of the city which was located several leagues away. The closer they came to the city walls the more people they encountered. Ostia was a city on it's own with large residences and all the comforts of markets and baths. Roma had become crowded, first with government and then monuments taking up much of the land.
Luciano was lucky, his wife's father held several blocks of buildings and grand homes, the spoils of an illustrious military career. His father-in-law had given them a beautiful home as a wedding gift some twenty-five years ago; it assured his family of the proper trappings for a man of his stature.
The Bishop of the Fleet was Luciano's immediate superior, an elderly priest that allowed his captains and lieutenants great leeway in the administration of the ships belonging to the Pope. At any one time there might be six or seven ships on journeys to the far flung corners of the Empire, it had been Luciano's misfortune to draw Bishop Carpinio this time.
Daniel seemed excited as the cart pulled over to allow a cohort of Legion troops to pass on their way to the harbor. The Roman troops were legendary on the field of battle, and with a glance Luciano could tell these men were green legionnaires, but they still looked impressive. The huge trireme troop ships were docked south of Ostia and ready to set out to some distant battlefield.
The cart finally rolled through the opening in the city walls and the hills of Roma quickly surrounded them. The boys were fascinated by the tall columned buildings and the large gold covered statues which stood tall and proud in open squares, the glory of Roma was all there for them to see.
Luciano directed the driver and they turned away from the broad streets to the smaller lanes that led uphill towards some grand homes. His house wasn't quite at the top, senators and merchants lived there, but he had a strong gate and the house had a two story construction that allowed it to feel the breezes in summer.
The cart stopped at the gate and the driver rapped on the door with the pommel of his whip. The door slowly opened and an elderly man appeared.
"Cassius we are home," Luciano called as he jumped down. The old man looked at him and Theo saw the face light up with recognition.
"Master Luciano, you have returned," Cassius said. Luciano grasped the man's arm and beckoned for the boys to jump down.
"This is Cassius, my old friend and a faithful servant. Cassius... this is Daniel and Theo, his brother."
"Welcome... welcome, the mistress will be so happy to see you," Cassius said.
Luciano pulled down their bags and his chest, setting them inside the gate. "We'll come back for them, Cassius... I don't want you carrying them, do you hear me?"
"As you wish," The old man replied. "I will stay and watch out for them."
"Good," Luciano said, and then he led the boys towards the house. "Cassius is too old and feeble to lift such things, but he would try if I didn't warn him."
"How old is he?" Daniel asked.
"I'm not sure, almost seventy at least," Luciano said.
"That's ancient," Daniel agreed.
The door to the house was flung open and a woman emerged, swathed in a voluminous white stolia, and a smile that lit up the already bright day.
"Luciano, you're home," She said.
"Antonia, my beloved," Lucian said, and she flowed into his arms.
Theo stood still beside Daniel watching the love these two shared. Neither of the boys had ever seen anything like this, the married couples they knew never acted this way. Luciano seemed lost in the moment of reunion until suddenly he broke away and turned to face the boys. Antonia gazed at them in wonder and Daniel blushed at her attention, he had never seen a woman so beautiful.
"My dear, this is Daniel and that is Theo, his brother. They are children of Britannia who have been orphaned... I could not leave them behind."
Antonia looked at her husband and then back at the boys, the concern evident on her face. Daniel looked up at her and smiled... and slowly she smiled back, and then held out her arms to the boy. Without hesitation Daniel walked forward into her arms and she hugged him tight.
"Welcome to our home, welcome to Roma," She said. "You must be tired and hungry, come inside... come now."
Luciano stood back as Antonia escorted the boys in to the house, he smiled, there would be no need to tell her the boys were here to stay. He took the stairs to the second floor and entered the common rooms at the back; Daniel and Theo were already on the flower covered veranda looking out at the city.
A servant girl brought in refreshments and Luciano saw her nose wrinkle, yes, they must smell pretty badly.
"We will have a drink and then must go bathe before the flowers wilt in their pots," Luciano said.
"Do they have clean clothes?" Antonia asked.
"I'm not sure; do we still have any smaller tunics in the house?"
"Marcus probably left some, but even those would be too large," She replied.
"Then send Cassius to the market and he can bring them to the baths, the finest quality if you will," Luciano said.
Antonia stopped what she was doing and looked up at him, then out at the boys on the veranda. "This is something you want to do, isn't it?" She asked.
Luciano nodded. "Yes, I miss the sounds of boyish laughter in this house. I know Daniel is a convert; Theo is still a mystery to me. But brothers should never be separated."
"I agree," Antonia said. "Now go bathe before the neighbors complain," She laughed.
The baths were in the next street, Roma was filled with them. Gaius Carpinio was seated in the entrance hall when they arrived. A fleshy man, not fat, but his size was apparent as he wore only a loin cloth around his middle.
"Hail Gaius," Luciano called out.
"Luciano, you're back... good to see your friendly face once again," Gaius laughed.
One of their neighbors, Gaius was a retired senator and had been a brother in arms with Luciano's father-in-law. The man still had his fingers on the pulse of government, and it was speculated that he was one of the Emperor's closest advisors.
"Friendly? As if anyone could offend the Gaius I know so well," Luciano replied.
"Oh you'd be surprised what goes on when the First Citizen is away." Gaius was referring to Heraclius; the Emperor had been away in Constantinople for several years. "And who might these young men be that stand in your shadow?"
"Gaius Carpinio, this is Daniel and Theo, recently of Britannia and hopefully on their way to becoming the newest citizens of Roma."
"Ahh, from the far corners of the Empire comes the hope of our future, welcome to Roma," Gaius said.
"Thank you, sir," Theo said.
An attendant came out of the inner bath and bowed. Daniel stared at the man with rapt attention, he was big and dark skinned. He wore an undergarment and nothing else; it was the huge bulge between his legs that attracted the boy.
"Ahh, time for my morning torture session," Gaius chuckled. "You must allow Mento to work you over, Luciano, his hands work magic."
Magic, Theo thought, and then he remembered the medallion around his neck. He should have hidden it before they came here. Luciano motioned them into the corridor and they walked into the disrobing room.
"Hang your garments on a hook and we'll go wash," Luciano said. He then proceeded to undress. Daniel peeled off his clothes and asked Luciano what was expected of them. Theo used that distraction to remove his soiled tunic and the medallion, sliding the oak leaf and chain onto a hook and covering it with the tunic.
The wash room held several other men of varying ages. Luciano showed them where to sit and an attendant came to each of them with a bucket of soapy foam and a brush. Theo allowed himself to be scrubbed well and hard, it was necessary.
The only other baths he had endured were in Leopold's castle, and that had been only once a week. But as boys will do, he and Daniel had swum in the river and washed off the daily grime whenever they could. Nothing quite as fine as the washing they now received.
The attendant who washed him was a young dark skinned man, not so much a man, but a boy, Theo thought. Where did all these dark skinned people come from? The boy rinsed him off with small buckets of water, the whole time never making eye contact.
The boy finally took a clay pot of warm oil and began to rub it into Theo's skin; the fragrance of fresh pine filled the space around them. The hands traveled across his back and chest, and then plunged down between Theo's legs and across his thighs.
Theo didn't know what to think; only the king and Daniel had ever touched him so completely. But this boy did his job dispassionately, and that didn't inspire any wayward thoughts. Theo felt like his skin glowed, he certainly felt clean.
But after the application of oil, the cleansing was ended. The boy stood back and Theo nodded. "Thank you," He said.
The boy bowed and then managed a small grin. He looked up for a brief moment and Theo saw his eyes were a pale blue. The color was shocking on one so dark, but there was no time to ponder as Theo was directed to the baths.
"This is the caldarium," Luciano said. "Breathe deeply of the steam and cleanse your lungs."
Theo had seen chickens scalded in a steam bath, it helped remove their feathers. Now he felt like he was about to choke as the heavy water-laden air filled his lungs. In all this Daniel sat impassive, the wonder of it all was overwhelming to his young mind.
Luciano picked up a curved metal device and began to scrape the wet oil from his body. There were other tools like this lying around and the boys copied the move until they were cleaned off.
"Sir, may I leave this room," Theo asked.
"I'm sorry, I forget this is all new to you and it must seem oppressive in here," Luciano said. "Through that arch and down the hall to the pool, I'm sure someone will tell you where to go if you get lost."
Theo looked over at Daniel. "I'll stay a while longer... I like it," Daniel said.
Theo rushed from the room, relieved to be out of the hot fog. The hallway led to vast space with tall columns and large pool of water. He stood in the shadow of the entrance and looked about. The man named Gaius was sitting in the water and now Theo could see steam rising from the surface. He jumped when he felt a touch on his elbow.
It was the bath attendant boy who now stood tall in the privacy of their moment. The boy smiled and gestured at the pool, Theo shook his head. "Too hot, I'm too hot," he said, making the gesture of fanning himself. The attendant nodded and pointed at another arch.
Theo followed the boy and they came into a cool dark room with a smaller pool of water, Theo could tell this water was cool. He looked the boy in the face and smiled.
"Thank you... do you have a name?"
The boy looked puzzled and Theo realized they must not speak the same language. He pointed at his chest and said, "Theo."
The boy looked about, they were alone. "Amir," He said, pointing at himself. The eyes were so compelling, they seemed to smile. Theo stuck out his hand and Amir looked down, and then slowly took it in his own.
"Friends?" Theo asked.
Amir said something in his own language, then slowly raised Theo's hand and kissed it. There was something soft and welcome in that kiss, but Theo understood that customs in far off lands were different... and yet. He placed his other hand on Amir's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Friend," he said. The boy smiled and tried the word. "Friend," He said.
Theo smiled, "Perfect."
They both heard the sounds of someone shuffling along the corridor and Amir stepped back as Gaius walked into the room.
"Ah, young Theo," Gaius said when he saw the boy. "The heat must seem terrible to someone from the north lands, come into the pool and cool off."
Amir stepped forward and helped the old man down the steps into the pool. He turned and offered a hand to Theo who allowed himself to be led into the pool.
"Thank you, Amir," Theo said as he felt the cool waters rise around his waist.
Amir bowed and left the room. Gaius eased himself down on a bench under the water and smiled at Theo. "Come... .sit, and let us talk. I see you have met Amir, a lovely lad... such a tragedy."
"Tragedy? What happened?" Theo asked.
Gaius sighed. "He had sailed with his father for most of his young life, but the ship was lost in a storm. A trireme found the boy near dead on a piece of the wreckage and brought him ashore. My guess is he's Persian; the eyes are my only clue. He doesn't speak a word; I imagine the loss of his father has affected his mind."
But he spoke to me, Theo thought, and he decided to say nothing about it. "I would be devastated, I imagine," He said.
"Britannia is a pretty wild and dangerous island, you must have your own stories to tell," Gaius said.
"Our king was murdered, the Picts from the north must have attacked, but Daniel and I escaped."
"And where are your parents?"
"They must be dead as well, they worked in the castle of the king," Theo lied.
"Such tragedy for someone so young. So you took passage on the ship with my brother the Bishop," Gaius said.
Theo nodded and then shook his head. "Daniel worked as ship's boy, I stowed away until we came here."
Gaius chuckled. "A clever boy too, I should have known. So... what would you like to do while you're here?"
Theo thought a moment. "I really don't know, do you have any suggestions?"
Gaius smiled. "Possibly, but many things need to be settled first. Can you read and write?"
"I have learned a little, but not enough," Theo said. "I'm sure there are great teachers here in this city."
"Yes... yes there are, and I am one of them," Gaius said. "Teaching a young man of your age should be more than reading and writing. If your desire is to become a citizen then you must learn so many things. Not everything in life is written down, some knowledge is shared personally."
Gaius slid a hand down to Theo's shoulder and left it there. The boy looked up at the man's face and remembered something. That look he had seen on the face of the king when they first met, Gaius wanted to bed him.
Now Theo had a decision to make. From what Luciano had said Gaius was a very powerful man. Powerful men usually got what they wanted, as had the king. But Theo knew that Luciano would not approve if he found out, that left the decision in his lap... and he made it.
Theo scooted closer to Gaius and laid a hand on the man's thigh under the water. "I have never turned away from knowledge, you would make a fine teacher," He said.
A slow smile crept across Gaius' face, but he gasped when Theo's hand slid up into his lap and closed around his flaccid member. Now it was Theo's turn to smile as he felt his hand fill with the hardness of Gaius' cock.
"Are you sure?" Gaius whispered.
"I have possessed certain knowledge for many years, but there is still room to learn more," Theo said.
"Not here," Gaius said, removing the boy's hand. And a good thing he did, Daniel and Luciano walked through the archway.
"There you are, Theo. I'm sorry about the heat of the bath, you'll get used to it," Luciano said.
"Do the boys know any Greek?" Gaius asked.
"Greek? No, I'm sure they don't. It's been a while since I used it myself."
"Then you better brush up, the Emperor says it's now the official language of government, like it or not."
"He's been in Constantinople too long," Luciano said.
"I agree, just don't say that out loud in public, Luciano. There are many things you need to consider now that you're home. But that is a discussion for another time; I would like you to dine with me later this week."
"How gracious, I will tell Antonia," Luciano said.
"And as for your new charges, I would like to tutor Theo here in Greek and work on his writing skills," Gaius said.
"Are you willing to do that? It would be a blessing, he needs to be schooled."
"Theo, will you accept me as your teacher?" Gaius asked.
Theo nodded. "Yes sir, it would be an honor."
"Good lad, he has great manners. So... I must go, my brother seems to be in some difficulty with Boniface. I may have to tell the old Pope he's full of himself, Claudio is only a Bishop not a warrior. I didn't see any troops accompanying him on that voyage, what did they expect?" Gaius sighed. "See Theo, brothers must be respected, and then protected when necessary."
Theo smiled. "Daniel need have no fear when I'm around."
Gaius laughed as he stood. "Our young lion has claws, he will need watching."
"With both eyes," Luciano said. "Go with God, Gaius."
"And you as well, my friend. Theo, come see me... say tomorrow afternoon in the hour after luncheon. We will outline a course of study. Until then... " And Gaius made his way up the steps and walked out through the arch.
"He seems to like you. Gaius is a very important man in Roma, he will teach you much more than Greek," Luciano said.
"I hope so," Theo said. He dared not look at Daniel for he knew his expression would give it all away. They had left one kind of king only to find another, but it was important to be close to the source of power. Theo wasn't sure what limitations the medallion had, but Gaius might become very valuable asset.
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