The King's birthday fell on the same day the war was officially declared over—fighting had ended earlier but the peace treaty with Carthagio was signed to coincide with that most important holiday. It was a three day festival full of chariot races, games, speeches, dramas, topped with free bread and wine, all of which began with a large procession. And, due to the king's love of masquerade balls, it had become tradition for the people—noble, commoner, and freedmen alike—to dress up during the celebrations.
***
After work, Obran found Tomas and Erkin at their workshop and told them about his meeting with Tori and to be ready for the ball the next day.
“I guess we don’t have a choice do we?” Erkin asked.
“What do you think?” Obran said.
“The castle…I can’t believe it; I thought it wasn't going to happen,” Tomas said.
“Just keep your cool and your heads down and we’ll be okay,” Obran said, though they didn’t look too reassured.
Obran gave them some silver and told them to meet early in front of the university in costume. The triumphal march—actually just a procession since no new battles had been won—would pass the campus grounds on the way to the forum. It would be a good place to meet since they would be in costume and with so many people on the streets dressed up it would be hard for anyone to follow or recognize them. Next he went to the central market and paid a street kid to hand a note to Zico, telling him and Mara to meet in front of the campus in costume the next day—Obran signed it: “Hobo Stew”. Finally, he went back home, and seeing everything undisturbed, slept early in his bed and only woke early to prepare his own costume. He left his gladius sword at home since he knew he wouldn’t be allowed to enter the inner with any weapon.
The streets were full on the morning of the king's birthday. Everyone wanted to get a good view of the procession so most came out early. Last year’s triumph had been enormous—coming at the end of the war—and was full of captives, captured loot and equipment, sacrifices, and a victorious general in a chariot pulled by four horses.
Obran arrived outside the university campus dressed as a halfling. He wore a human mask and a curly haired wig, along with a green cloak, a simple brown shirt, and pants; gloves and socks, made to look like hairy feet, covered his claws. Obran met everyone outside campus and even though they were dressed up they were quite easy to pick out. Erkin wore a goblin mask and dark suit, which was a popular mask among children. Tomas wore a wizard’s cloak and conical hat, along with a grey robe and fake beard. Zico dressed up as a dwarf, also sporting a long beard and oversized boots, as well as a round toy shield and axe. Mara was dressed like Venus—the goddess of love. She wore a short white stola dress with golden armbands, and small garlands and flowers laced her hair; a simple domino mask covered her eyes; she and Tori had agreed to wear similar outfits. Obran thought she looked like a doll—a very expensive doll. They got some food from the nearby food tables that had sprung up along the parade route and waited for the procession to start.
“Are you okay not opening a food table?” Obran asked Zico.
“The main market is closed today and Mara doesn’t want to miss anything; it’s our first festival in Roma, maybe tomorrow,” Zico said.
It was the first procession for Obran and Erkin as well; Obran skipped the last one and Erkin had arrived in Roma after last year's triumph.
“You are in for quite a sight,” Tomas said as they ate the sweet bread that was being handed out for free. Already many in the crowds were drinking free wine and beer as well. Tomas had told them all about the wild parties that had taken place the previous year and made more than one of them blush.
When the procession started they were all in the front row in costume like most people in the crowd. Some were dressed as goblins, orcs, or all kinds of monsters, others as gladiators or foreign soldiers—Egyptian or Greek and Obran even saw a kid dressed as a gremlin. Nice mask, he thought.
First in the procession were musicians playing long, loud trumpets which set the festive and triumphal mood. Then came the torch and flag wavers, showing all the clans, tribes, and now races that were part of in the kingdom. After followed paintings and models of the islands and territory Roma had annexed in the war with Carthagio. Next came the politicians: two consuls and multiple senators and praetors, most older serious looking men who all wore purple. One of them is Collatinus, who is investigating the elves, Obran thought. He better be good. After them came the tribute and spoils given by Carthagio as yearly tribute. It included silver, bronze, gold, as well as grain, spices, wine, foreign plants, furs, textiles, and lastly exotic animals brought from the southern continent: large cats, giraffes, bison, and even a herd of elephants.
Even Obran clapped and cheered, feeling the enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd, but it all came to an end for Obran when he saw what came next. In the procession, on a large wheeled platform, stood Tori. She stood in place of the war captives that were there the previous year. The Princess of Carthagio—now a hostage of Roma—was dressed in a white stola dress and veil, as if she was destined to join the Vestal Virgins. But that wasn’t the worst of it, what hurt Obran the most was that Gaius, the young prince, second in line to the throne, stood by her side and held her hand as they both waved to the crowd. The young prince was tall and had high cheeks bones and sharp features which Obran guessed humans considered attractive.
“I want to get a better look at Tori and the Prince,” Mara said and zoomed up into the sky.
“Don’t get too close dear; they might think you're a threat,” Zico called out to his wife.
“I’m sorry bro,” Erkin whispered.
“At least she’s not in chains,” Tomas said.
Tomas was right; last year's prisoners would have been chained, some destined to be sacrificed at the temple of Jupiter, others made to fight in the gladiatorial games. I wouldn’t mind fighting Gaius, Obran thought.
“Don’t they make a beautiful couple,” Mara said when she flew back. “I think she saw me.”
When Tori and Gaius passed them the crowd all cheered. Tori was popular with plebeians, commoners, and freedmen alike since a story had developed that she was a beautiful, selfless, and generous princess, who had volunteered to become a hostage in her sister’s place, and who had agreed to be paraded in the procession so no other hostage would have to.
Obran watched the rest of the procession in silence, hardly glancing at the end when Gaius’ older brother Drusus passed with his officers and elite cavalry bearing the standards of the second legion. They were headed to the Temple of Jupiter to sacrifice two white bulls—something none of them wanted to see, since it was not part of gremlin, fae, or gnome tradition, and Tomas merely said he had a weak stomach for blood.
The festivities continued inside and outside the forum. There were speeches proclaiming Roma’s greatness. A young senator Cato was especially long-winded, ranting how they would destroy all orcs in the north, expel all Greeks in the south, and expand to all the islands surrounding Italia—all of which was Roma’s destiny. He ended his speech saying: “Carthagio must never rise again.”
At least there was lots of free wine, which by then Obran had consumed plenty of but the honey bread was awful so he didn’t eat much was only made him drunker. He was too drunk to really enjoy the chariot races or the mock battles in the coliseum, which he insisted on seeing despite everyone else's hesitation; he even booed with the crowd when no blood was spilled. As usual Mara and Tomas won their bets. Magic and wits, I could use both now and I sure don’t have any luck. Falling in love with a princess who will marry a Roman. The crowd was only satisfied when wild animals fought each other to the death but that wasn’t to their taste so they quickly left the games.
“What time will we go to the ball?” Mara said as they left the coliseum, exiting from the cheap seats on top.
“Tori told me to come at sundown so we should head over there soon,” Obran said. The five of them walked the crowded streets full of masked revelers, many already drunk, with a few making out, or else throwing up and relieving themselves on the streets.
“Let's get to the palace before this turns into a full bacchanalian,” Mara said.
“Tomas, was it like this last year?” Zico asked.
“You don’t even want to know,” was all Tomas said.
They reached the inner keep before dusk and waited outside. There were not many people there and most guests were arriving in fancy carriages or litters and led directly into the inner keep. Obran wasn’t sure what would happen but soon a woman wearing a venetian mask approached them; she was flanked by a tall praetorian guard in purple. Tori must have spotted them and sent her to them. The woman walked up to Tomas, probably assuming he was an adult with three kids in costume—one with a Greek doll on his shoulder.
“Are you Obran?” she said to Tomas.
“No...he is,” Tomas said, nervously pointing to Obran.
“Oh...ok. These are for you then,” she said and handed Obran several sealed envelopes. “They’re invitations, don’t lose them and follow me.”
“Thank you,” Obran said behind his halfling mask.
Each envelope had just one letter on it: O, E, T and one with two letters, Z & M.
“I hope you are all ready?” Obran said as they approached the gates of the inner keep, walking behind the guard and the woman. Obran still felt drunk but wanted to see Tori even though he wasn't sure what he would say or do after seeing her paraded with Gaius in front of all of Roma.
“Are you ready, brother?” Erkin asked him, looking worried. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsOQhegX5r
