Part 14 of Time Travelers Ancient Rome

Whips are now on my top list of weapons I absolutely hate. Being whipped was definitely and experience I didn't want to repeat. I knew what Alexander was trying to down, he was trying to break me but it wouldn't work. I had been through more hell then he could ever imagine. Being held by just two chains attached to the ceiling was not fun though. Weak, my body was surely that but not broken. My clothes well what was left of them were torn and tattered hanging from my body keeping my modesty as much as they could. The sun beat down on me making me sweat. Looking up through the bar above my head the sun is shining brightly down upon my body.

Dried blood coats my skin from my so called punishment. Unlike the others I was punished out of the public eyes. In other words I was only punished before Alexander and I am sure he got some sick pleasure out of it as well. Just as my eyes were about to close to try and allow me a bit of rest I heard the door open.

"Abigail, what have they done to you?" I could hear Hermes voice as someone came closer to me and lifted my head so I could look at them, lucky for me it was Hermes. "Oh beautiful, they haven't broke you have they?"

I try to shake my head but he stops make and shakes his head. Hermes probably knew I had little to no energy to even talk let alone move at all. Just for a second he turned around and spoke in a weird language probably Roman and two more men came in and held me up as Hermes unshackled me and my body fell right into his arms.

"I got you, stay with me please Abigail." Hermes said as my eyes gave in and they closed.

The next thing I remember is smelling something good cooking. Barely opening my eyes I seem I am in a room in all white. Oh crud I've probably died and failed the mission. Great job Abigail. Blinking a few times to get my barring's I finally slowly tried to sit up only to have a new man I had never seen before lightly push me back down.

"Rest, you have been in and out for nearly a week." The man tells me and I just look at him completely confused. "I am Aro, I have been taking care of you with my sister for the past week, Hermes left you here as a favor I owed him."

Left me here? As in not ever coming back? Hermes why in the heck would you do something like that? Now he would be the one to be punished if Alexander ever found out. Looking at the man I nodded as laid back down. He looked a bit older with darker hair and a scruff of a beard which for some reason I found attractive. Oh wait I almost died so no wonder I am going crazy at this moment.

"Abigail, we have to feed you broth just to keep you alive by any means so you need to at least try and eat food with more substance in it." Aro said about to stand up but my hand grabbed his and held it tight.

"Don't leave me alone please." I say and am surprised by my own words.

Aro nodded as another much older woman walked inside the room in a dark purple dress carrying a tray of food. She put the tray down beside the bed I was laying on and smiled at me as she put her hand on my forehead almost as if she were checking to make sure I didn't have a fever.

"She will be well brother, feed her then let her rest." The woman says then smiles at me again and walks out of the room.

"Petra is my sister, she is the one that helped bathe you and clothe you. While you are staying here we have made up a story for you that you must follow to a T do you understand me?" Aro asks me in a dead serious tone.

Nodding he begins to explain to me that while I am staying here others will think I am his intended aka his fiancé and that our marriage was arrange right before his uncle died and we had only just found out about it from my own mothers will in her passing. Long story if you asked me but if it kept me alive then I was more than willing to go with it.

"I am noble as you will be well pretend to be, Petra will give you lessons on that as well and once we can get you in the arena we will be able to help you get yourself and the other men back to your own time." Aro says and now I look like I want to faint. "Yes I know all about you from Hermes. You need not worry I will not tell a soul yet you need a roman name now."

"Diana, after the goddess of the hunt, after all that is what I am doing to an extent." I answer Aro who nods at me with approval.

"Wise choice, quite true to your cause as well. Now please eat some grapes." Aro says as he grabs the bowl of grapes and actually begins to feed them to me, something I was not use to at all.

Four days had passed and now I was able to walk and stand on my own though Aro preferred to be there for anything that I did. It was odd to have someone help me no matter what but I was very grateful for him helping me. His house was wonderful as well. It was a very large place filled with many things you would find in Ancient Roman architecture. Standing beside a pillar looking out to the very crowded city I felt someone come up beside me.

"You should still rest, if anything happens then you would not be able to complete your task." Petra tells me as she stands beside me.

"All rest does is seem to make me more impatient." I tell her honestly.

"Then why don't we start with getting you ready for your introduction which I am sure you have forgotten is tonight." Petra says with a chuckle as I look at her like a deer caught in headlights. "Come future sister, we shall prep you for my brother."

With those words she takes my arm and we walk further into the house.