Act 1
Scene 1.1.3
It was then the doorway of the library was opened, and in came the hurried servant. He had come bearing news on
the arrival of Titus Adrian. The servant was an older one having served with Julius Caesar both in the wars when he
was younger until his battle wound made him reside in the household. He had a quaint looking nose with the broom
swept moustache that lined his upper lips. He stood to attention as if he was addressing his field commanders.
“Romans, make way, the good Adrian, patron of virtue, Rome’s best champion, successful in the battles that he
fights, with honor and with fortune had returned from where he circumcised …” The elderly servant feigned a smile.
“I stand corrected. I meant circumscribed with his sword, and brought to yoke, the enemies of Rome.”
A column of servant warriors in their full regalia marched two abreast holding in their right arm, the guns that they
spew bullets at the Goths. The two leading the column were the sons of Titus Adrian. It was closely followed by the
column of twelve warriors was then accompanied by the coffin bearers with Rome’ adopted flag draped over the
wooden caskets. There were six of them, and all were covered with the Roman flag. At the rear of the bearers were
the remaining sons of Titus Adrian, the few survivors of the war. The caskets were lowered and the filing of
warriors then departed leaving only the rightful sons of Titus.
“So where is the man?” A baron spoke up and was heard by all. It was the silence that made his appearance more
menacing than grand. Titus Adrian stepped in and with him in tow were the nobles he had acquired during the
battles.
“Titus Adrian.” The earlier elderly servant announced with pride in his voice.
The man who stepped in was in every part a leader and warrior. His frame was back straight with the wide shoulders
that gave his clothing a perspective of strength and valor. The elder man was dressed in all black including the
denims that was given the same shade. He was every bit a man with the close cropped hair and clean shaven chin.
“I bid you welcome, Romans.” The man spoke out in the loud and crisp voice to the seated barons. He addressed
them as Romans for he had equated them to the general populace and not in singular reference by rank. “I brought
you …hostages.”
The doorway was soon filled by the arrival of two young Goths with their clothes’ in tatters. They were younger
than even the boys of Titus, but their upbringing came to them with pride to have their heads raised even though
defeated.
“By golly, that one had a ringer for me.” One of the barons quipped out when he saw the Goth. The baron was a
deviationist in gender taste and be assured no others shared his enthusiasm. Soon the other barons gasped when they
saw the next hostage being brought in.
“I present to you, Tamara the Queen.” Titus pulled at the chain that held the Queen by her neck. She stumbled
forward and then pulled upright her standing posture as if she was on the throne. The lady was bronze in the skin
shades with tinge of darker shades in some areas. Her facial expression was a beauty with deep lashed eyes with full
inviting lips. She had her hands bounded to the back while a metal clasp was on her neck while her feet were bare of
any walking covers. The clasp there gave out an aura of her submission to the man, but for those who served with
her knew her to be the opposite. They were all her enslaved by her beauty. Even Titus was not excluded for he
brought her there for the same reason; better a slave to him than to relive as an image in his mind.
Tamara was scantily covered with the spotted animal skin that covered her body with a deeper cleavage caused by
an overzealous servant before Titus intervened to safeguard her from more harm. The gap there showed her upper
offerings which many of the assembled leaned forward to look. Their eyes trailed her clothing from there to her
navel where the hem of the clothing reached higher above her knees displaying her long shapely legs that shamed
many of the mistresses they held. The lady was a natural beauty with the features of a full woman on her despite her
previous child bearings.
After her were the other two sons of her and then followed what would be considered as her personal guard named
Aaron. The later was a tall burly warrior framed figure with the biceps that was horned from endless battles. The
scars on his body told of the exploits when he had to stand in for his Queen in her precarious moments. Aaron had
being more than a guard was then the lover of the Queen. His affair was kept from the King’ ears for the tongue
wagers were also punished harshly by the Queen.
“Aaron is my equal in the battles, but with the grace of the Gods, I had him overpowered.” Titus happily declared to
the barons. “Mark my words, he is a powerful warrior. To us men and women.”
The barons were not amused that a Goths was praised before them except for the earlier one who did a solitary clap
of appreciation. It was heard to their ears that the Queen was a vixen with many lovers including the chained body
guard. The barons frowned on the thought; a matter of self ego that they were not her lover perhaps.
Titus saw the displeasure and began his speech.
“Hail, Rome, victorious in thy mourning thoughts! Lo, as the bark, that hath discharged her fraught, returns with
precious jading to the bay from whence at first she weighed her anchorage ”, Titus spoke of his return like that of the
bark of the wood stripped to be part of the ship had come back to its place of origin.
“I, cometh Adrian, bound with laurel boughs ” Titus called on more servants to bring in the chests of treasures. “ To
re-salute his country with his tears, the tears of true joy for his return to Rome who was the great defender of this
Capitol .”
The chests of gold and silvers with the jeweled ornaments were displayed to the barons. It was a grand wealth, and
the laws states they were to be shared half with the others while the victor keeps the other half.
“An odd looking scepter.” The very obvio us baron had taken the liberty to examine the long oblong shape gold
piece. “I wonder…”
“Lean over, Gladius. It will fit you up your arse.” One of the other barons voiced out. That drew laughter from the
assembled including the proud Titus. The later had to raise his hands to continue his speech.
“Stand gracious to the rites that we intend! Romans, of five and twenty valiant sons, half of the number that King
Priam had, behold the poor remains, alive and dead! ” Titus pointed to the surviving sons of his which only four
stood before the barons. He had so many with so many of his consorts that he recalled not all their name, nor of their
love to him, but they fought well for him. He favored himself with King Priam of Troy who fathered over fifty
children.
“These that survive let Rome reward with love ” Titus looked with pride to his four sons, and then to the casket s
“These that I bring unto their latest home, with burial amongst their ancestors .”
Titus then looked to the Goths who were the slayer of his sons.
“Here Goths have given me leave to sheathe my sword. Titus, unkind and careless of thine own, why suffer'st thou
thy sons, unburied yet, to hover on the dreadful shore of Styx? ” Titus lament on the delay of resting his dead
children. “Make way to lay them by their brethren. ”
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