A pact in the rain
Day 24: An unexpected guide
The rain still pounded noisily against the thatched roof, drowning out the heavy silence that had settled. Flavus, now free thanks to Marbod, remained motionless, his eyes half-closed, physically and mentally exhausted from a battle within himself that had lasted far too long.
Marbod had offered him the chance to follow him to Bohemia, to leave Rome and the legion, to finally live by his side. He had hesitated… of course, he had hesitated. But in the end, he had said yes.
Now, Marbod had to tell his wife.
Flavus waited, his body numb, letting his mind wander. He found himself regretting not having followed him when he first left Rome. He tried to imagine what he had missed: his rise to power, the consolidation of his rule, his marriage… the arrival of Odarike’s children. A home that he was not a part of.
Odarike.
He had seen her from a distance, had heard about her, but had never truly met her. Their marriage—he barely understood it. A political alliance, of course, but much more than that. A union between equals, free from convention. Odarike easily accepted the love Marbod bore for men, and in return, Marbod gave her all the freedom she desired. The children he raised were not his. But Marbod loved them as if they were.
Flavus had never seen anything like it, not even with his own brother and Thusnelda, despite the latter’s fierce independence.
He was about to drift into a light sleep when the door swung open abruptly.
Odarike.
With a sharp gesture, she signaled to the guards.
“Leave us.”
They obeyed without question.
Flavus met her gaze. A tall woman, blonde, with undeniable presence. She studied him for a long moment, arms crossed, as if weighing him, dissecting him.
Then, finally, she spoke.
“You know, Flavus, I’ve never seen Marbod love anyone.”
She let out a small laugh as she scrutinized him.
“Romantically, I mean. I know he loves me as a friend, as a sister, as the one who shares his home and his kingdom. And I love him the same way. He never lied to me about who he was, about who he desired. Except when it came to you.”
Her gaze sharpened. Flavus felt his throat tighten. She carried no visible weapon… but could she be hiding one?
“It doesn’t bother me to see you together. I suspected there was someone. Sometimes, he was elsewhere. Nostalgic. He never spoke of it. I never imagined it was because he was… in love.”
She waved a hand, irritated.
“Marbod takes men and forgets them the next day.”
A cold shiver ran through Flavus. Jealousy burned in his gut.
Odarike suddenly stopped. Slowly, she crouched in front of him, exactly as Marbod had done earlier.
Then, without warning, she drew a knife.
Flavus didn’t even blink.
He recognized the blade immediately. A gift from Tiberius.
“I love Marbod more than my own life.”
Her voice had hardened. Every word was a threat.
“If you ever hurt him, German who wished to be Roman…”
The blade moved closer to his throat.
“…I’ll gut you. And before you bleed out, I’ll make you eat whatever’s left of your manhood.”
She tilted the metal under the torchlight.
Flavus swallowed with difficulty. The tip of the knife nearly grazed his Adam’s apple. He didn’t flinch.
Odarike studied him for a long moment, searching for something in his gaze. When she seemed satisfied, a smile stretched across her lips. A real smile.
“Well then, brother-in-law, welcome to the family.”
She held out her hand.
Flavus grabbed it without hesitation, squeezing as firmly as he could.
Odarike straightened, sheathed her knife, and walked to the door. Outside, the rain still pounded, so hard it felt like the whole world was rumbling.
She turned one last time.
Her gaze was unreadable, but her voice was clear.
“I’m sure you’ll be very happy.”
Flavus returned her smile. Genuine, this time.
Challenge by @monthlywritingchallenges
