Miracle

Miracle
Marcus

I wake just before dawn to the sound of servants moving around the house, making final preparations for the long journey ahead. “Wake up,” I whisper to Fiona as I get out of bed to dress, wash my face, and brush my teeth. She stretches, sits on the edge of the bed to re-braid her hair with just a sheet covering her beautiful body, and then rises and dresses for the day.

“Good morning.” I can’t help but chuckle as she looks like she’s still half asleep. 

She answers me with a soft, sleep-heavy, “Morning.” Rising, she teeters across the floor and brushes her teeth. After she washes her face, I open the bedroom door to find the house is already alive. Felix is lying right outside the door, and he lifts his head but falls back asleep before we even step over him. 

Fiona and I start down the hall together, and I notice the house seems different this morning. It doesn’t feel like a home waking up but like something being emptied out. It’s bittersweet. On one hand, it’s a miracle that my servants and family will be saved, but on the other, it’s sad to see my home so empty and know it’s about to be buried in ash.

Aurelia is in the dining room, folding the last of the linens and placing them in a basket. “This is everything except the spare bedroom. It’s all packed,” she says. “Everything you requested is in the carriage, Dominus. Nothing was left behind.”

I nod. “Thank you, Aurelia. And as I told Titus, in a few days, this will all make sense.” 

She smiles. “I trust you, Dominus. We’ll get the guest room loaded up soon.” 

Titus appears in the doorway. “The carriages are ready,” he says. “They’re waiting outside. We’ll load up the guest room contents and can leave as soon as you give the word.”

“Thank you, Titus. I need to go tell my brother it’s time to go,” I say. Then I turn to Fiona. “I should have this conversation with Lucius alone.”

She nods. “Of course.”

I walk into my bedroom and find Lucius asleep in my bed, which will also still need to be loaded, but the rest of the room is empty. His face is pale in the dim light, his breathing uneven, like sleep is the only thing holding back the pain.

“Lucius?” I say quietly.

His eyes open slowly. It takes him a moment to find me.

“I need you to wake up. You’re leaving for Neapolis,” I tell him.

That wakes him fully. “What are you talking about, Marcus? Have you lost your mind? I told you, I don’t want to go,” he says, voice rough.

“I’ve already had everything prepared,” I say. “The carriages are ready. You are going.”

He shifts slightly, wincing as he tries to sit up. “I am not going anywhere.”

“You are,” I say. “It is safer there. You will recover properly.”

“You are not my master, Marcus!”

“I have made the arrangements,” I say bluntly. “Mother and Father will go with you. It is all settled. I’m giving you enough money to buy a house, and the carriages are packed with all of my furnishings and belongings. Mother and Father have packed all of your things into their carriage.”

His eyes sharpen, anger cutting through the pain. “So this is decided for me?”

“Yes,” I say. “And it’s happening now. You gave up your liberty when you decided to put the entire family in danger, and when you almost got yourself killed. Twice.”

“Very well,” he mutters.

I help Lucius sit up, keeping hold of him until he’s balanced. He’s still too weak to move easily. I hand him his clothes from the foot of the bed and wait while he gets dressed. It’s slow going. He’s still stiff from the beating, and I help when he needs it, fixing things into place so he can dress without struggling.

When he’s ready, I get him to his feet and keep an arm under him so he doesn’t fall. We leave the room together, and I guide him through the house, moving slowly down the hall. When we walk past the dining room, Fiona comes over to help, and Lucius shifts his weight between her and me to make it easier for him to walk.

We make it through the front door and over to where the carriages are waiting. As I help him into one, he asks, “How did you get Mother and Father to agree to this?”

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, helping him inside and pressing the money into his hand. “Take this and buy a nice house. Fiona and I will join you in a couple of days. You’ll have everything you need.”

“Why Neapolis?” Lucius asks as our parents’ three carriages arrive.

“Because it’s safe,” I reply. I tell him goodbye and close the door. Behind me, the servants carry out the last of my belongings.

Fiona and I walk over to the carriage holding my mother and father. Mother leans out the window as I approach. “Marcus!”

“Good morning, Mother,” I say, stepping closer. “Good morning, Father.”

“We will see you in a day or two?” he asks. 

“Yes,” I say. “Find a home, and we’ll meet you there.” 

Fiona steps up beside me. “Safe travels.”

My mother’s expression softens. “And the two of you be careful as well.” She reaches through the window and squeezes my hand. 

“I will,” I say, squeezing back before letting go. 

I step away with Fiona and signal the drivers. The carriages begin to roll forward together into the first light of the sunrise.

We head back into the house to get Felix. I step into the hallway, bend down, and scratch behind his ears. “Come on, Felix. It’s time to go,” I say, and he follows eagerly.

When I return to the doorway, Fiona is waiting. “We should grab something to eat at the forum while we decide the best way to get the message out.”

She nods. “That’s a great idea.” 

As we begin our walk, I turn to Fiona. “I’ve been wondering, why do you still speak Oscan in your time? They still use our language thousands of years in the future?”

She laughs. “No, actually. I learned it because I was studying your city. I usually speak a language called English.”

“English?” I repeat, intrigued. “Will you speak some for me? Please?” 

She grins. “All right… That dog of yours is very clever.”

I frown, trying to catch the meaning. The words are very strange. I ask her what she said, and when she translates, I’m surprised.

“That’s humorous,” I say with a wink. “How do you say… ‘I love Marcus’?”

Fiona giggles and says the phrase in English.

“I made you say it,” I admit, still beaming.

“You didn’t make me,” she replies, smiling. “I would’ve said it anyway.”

Her words make me smile so much that my face begins to hurt. I pull her close and kiss her soundly.

We continue walking until we reach a bakery.

“I’ll get us something to eat,” I say, stepping inside. I order bread and cheese, and some dried meat for Felix. While I’m there, I ask the baker if he’s planning on moving to the new location, and he confirms that he is. Another family will be saved.

I hand Fiona her breakfast, and she takes it with a grateful smile. I toss a bite to Felix, who catches it in his mouth and wags his tail.

We find a shade tree, ready to start planning while we eat. Once we have something solid in mind, we head to the stables. 

When Felix, Fiona, and I arrive, a few riders are already saddling their horses for the day’s errands. I call out, “Would anyone like to make some coin? If you do, please come over here!”

Within minutes, half a dozen teenage boys stand before us, eyes filled with curiosity. 

“This is urgent,” I tell them. “I need riders to take messages to Herculaneum, Stabiae, Oplontis, Boscoreale, and Nuceria. Tell everyone in each town that the festival tonight in the northwestern meadow near the vineyards is in their honor. Tell them that we are honoring their cities with ours and with exciting performances. We would love for their performers and sellers to join us there. There’s plenty of room. Everyone in each town must know. You can’t let a single person miss out. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” says a wiry boy. “I’ll take Herculaneum.”

“I’ll go to Stabiae,” another says.

“I’ll go to Oplontis,” adds a third.

By the time I reach into my pouch and start handing out coins, I have volunteers for every small village in the countryside. 

“Now, ride quickly, and make sure they all hear. Don’t leave anyone out. This is very important. Then you need to get yourselves to the festival as well.”

The boys nod, scatter to prepare their horses, and ride off in different directions.

As the boys disappear into the streets, I turn to Fiona. “Which of the cities do you think will be hit the worst when Vesuvius erupts?”

“Herculaneum,” she says. “It’s closer. It will be the first to be destroyed.”

I nod. “Follow me,” I say. 

We approach the stable manager. “I need a carriage and horses,” I say, reaching into my pouch. “I’ll pay well for their use, just for today.”

He studies me, looks at the amount of coin I’m offering, and then nods. “It will be ready at once, Dominus.”

Within the hour, a carriage hitched to two strong horses pulls up. I help Fiona inside, Felix climbs in next to her, and I close the door. 

After climbing into the driver’s seat, I take the reins. “Hold tight,” I call to Fiona. 

The road to Herculaneum winds down the slopes. I keep my eyes on the path. Having dealt with the magistrate before, I remember where he lives and drive straight to his house. Even though I already sent a rider here, I want to extend the invitation myself just in case. It takes almost three hours to get there, but it’s worth it.

I leap down first, help Fiona out, and tell Felix to stay, closing the carriage door behind us. 

We approach the front door, and I raise my hand and knock. The door opens, and a servant stands before us. “Good day,” he says. 

“Good day. I am Marcus Valerius, aedile of Pompeii, responsible for organizing the festival for Jupiter and Venus,” I say. “This is my companion, Fiona. I have come to speak with the magistrate about an honor for your town.”

The servant steps back, inclining his head. “Please, come inside.” Fiona and I follow the servant into the magistrate’s atrium. Sunlight pours down through the open roof above the impluvium. “I will fetch the magistrate,” he says, bowing before hurrying away.

A few moments pass before the magistrate enters. He’s a tall man, wearing fresh robes, and his expression is curious but polite. “Valerius, ” he says. “Wonderful to see you again.” 

“It’s good to see you as well, Magistrate. This is my companion, Fiona,” I reply. 

“Fiona, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says. “Now, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?” 

“I have come to speak with you about tonight’s festival. It will be held in the meadow near the vineyards, and tonight is in honor of your people. Your village will be honored with special performances celebrating Herculaneum. It is an event that should not be missed.”

The magistrate studies me for a moment, and then a smile spreads across his face. “In our honor?”

“Yes,” I say. “Jupiter and Venus have seen fit to honor you in this festival, and your presence is requested. The performances, the celebrations—it is all for your people.”

He nods, clearly pleased. “I will see that everyone knows. This is… most generous of Pompeii, Valerius.”

“I am glad you accept our invitation,” I reply. “Every citizen should know—no one should miss it.”

The magistrate nods. “It will be done. You have my word.”

Fiona and I rise to leave, and a wave of pride crashes over me. Perhaps we can save everyone who might have fallen victim to Vesuvius’s wrath.

As we walk back to the carriage, I look at Fiona. “Now what?” I ask.

She smiles as I help her inside. “Now we take the stage and make an announcement.”

Driving away from Herculaneum, I consider my words, turning them over carefully in my mind. How am I going to tell thousands of people that Vesuvius will soon rain ash down on them, that they must flee their homes and leave everything behind?