Beyond the Wall

Caecilia Massaro is a simple girl serving the powerful Forcella family in Rome. She is maidservant to Marciana, a fussy young woman who makes it her goal in life to make Caecilia's life as difficult as possible.

Even though the girls are as different as night and day they have more in common than they would like to admit. As Caecilia must carry a huge burden on her shoulders every day.

Marciana becomes betrothed to a Roman general…all the way in Roman Briton. So the two must travel to the new and exciting island of Britannia and head to the famous Hadrian's Wall where Marciana's future husband waits.

They aren't there long before they are kidnapped north of the wall and thrown into the barbaric world of Celts as they both try to survive in their own ways. What they don't know is that they are in the middle of war.

What will happen? Find out in 'Beyond the Wall!'

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"Help me dress." Marciana ordered the moment Caecilia stepped into her room just as the sun head risen from the horizon.

"Yes, my lady." Caecilia bowed my head respectfully as Caecilia walked to her side and began assisting her in her dressing. Her small fingers carefully moved over the lightweight fabric of the white stola as Caecilia wrapped it around Marciana's slim figure. Marciana stayed still as Caecilia stood before her and fastened the stola with a ruby brooch the gleamed in the early morning light.

Marciana wordlessly sat down on a plush stool before a large mirror as she gazed at herself in the glass mirror, her green eyes taking in the glow of her beauty.

"Brush my hair." She demanded as she flipped her ebony colored hair over her shoulder as it tumbled down her back. Caecilia nodded and picked up an ivory brush from the vanity and slowly moved it through Marciana's smooth silky hair.

She moved cautiously as she diligently combed out the few tangles, always being mindful of Marciana who sat impatiently. After her hair had been thoroughly combed Caecilia glanced at Marciana through the mirror.

"Up or down, my lady?" She asked as Marciana quickly answered.

"Up and place these hairpins in, they're a gift from my father." She said deliberately as Caecilia nodded and reached forward, placing the jeweled hairpins in the palm of her hand. She ran her fingers through Marciana's hair as she went over several different style ideas in her head.

"Hurry up, would you? I am having lunch with Clodia, Tullia, and Verina today and I must look my best!" Marciana cried out as Caecilia jumped and nodded, lowering her gaze. She decided on a simple bun with several strands of hair falling out and would curl around Marciana's face, effortless yet eloquent.

As she worked her mind began to drift to as her fingers worked mechanically. She glanced at Marciana to see her staring ahead and biting down on her lips to give them a darker color and to enhance her pout that made men's hearts drop all over the large city of Rome.

Truthfully the two girls were as different as can be.

Marciana Forcella, daughter of Senator Vitus Forcella, considered one of the most influential men to the Emperor. Her slim figure, smooth skin, long dark hair and cat like eyes made men stop right in their tracks as soon as they locked gazes with the bewitching woman.

And even worse than her beauty was her wit. She was manipulative and at times even cruel. Caecilia could account to that, but she was smart. This made her even deadlier to any man that wanted to possess her.

And then there was Caecilia. Only a year and a half younger than Marciana the two girls had grown up with each other, but the two had never been friends. Caecilia was the type many men overlooked at first glance but when they would glance back, they would become enticed. While she was considered beautiful, with ivory skin, curly honey colored ringlets and light blues eyes bordering on the shade of silver. It was her inner beauty that made her stand out.

She was so kind and caring, just as her mother and her mother's mother before her. She wasn't afraid of labor and took pride in her work, whether it was scrubbing the marble floors or turning Marciana into a living goddess, she enjoyed the feeling of happiness that came in doing work and taking pride in it.

She was soft spoken and even at times timid. Especially in the company of Domitia Forcella, Marciana's strict and harsh mother. Her words always came out carefully and she took a great deal of time in thinking before speaking. But beneath all of that there was a small glimmer of courage; it just had to be found.

"Hurry up!" Marciana snapped as Caecilia looked up, dazed and confused. Her cheeks turned a faint pink as she stuttered out an apology.

"S-Sorry, my…l-lady." Marciana only rolled her green eyes as Caecilia silently chided herself. Why was she always doing that? Why was she always allowing her mind to wander and never keep in the present? Subtly sighing she finished up Marciana's hair and stood back, looking over her handy word with hidden pride.

Marciana only glanced up as her eyes widened and she slumped forward.

"I guess it will do." She said in a disappointed fashion as Caecilia's heart lurched. She had upset her mistress and had left her unhappy.

"I am sorry, my lady. If you would like I could fix it." She reached forward but in a quick motion Marciana had slapped her hand away as Caecilia jumped back in surprise.

"And have you make it worse? Just leave it as is, now finish up; I want to have breakfast with mother." Caecilia nodded as she placed a ruby chocker around Marciana's throat that complimented the blood red brooch nicely.

She fastened a golden bracelet around Marciana's wrist and then bent down on her hands and knees to place Marciana's feet into her golden leather sandals. Marciana stood and twirled in a small circle as she over looked herself.

"Hmmm." Was all she could say before she turned on her heel and delicately sauntered out of her spacious bedroom, leaving Caecilia behind. Caecilia heaved in a sigh of relief as soon as her mistress was gone and looked around the tidy room.

A few things were out of place and Caecilia set about fixing them immediately. She walked to Marciana's canopy bed and made it, fluffing the pillows and pulling up the silk sheets. Several dresses had been thrown about as Caecilia smoothed their wrinkles and folded them carefully and placed them with the rest of Marciana's expensive belongings.

Seeing the room clean and orderly she left Marciana's room behind and walked down the long hallway past other shuffling servants and slaves. She hardly paid any heed to passing people as she kept her head bowed and moved walked over the marble floor, her feet lightly slapping against the smooth flooring.

She took the servants entrance as she soon found herself in the warm and boisterous kitchen. Many of the servants and salves of the Forcella were scattered around, greedily eating their breakfast, shoving the food down their throats before having to go and attend to their daily duties.

Caecilia smiled as her eyes caught sight of her mother. Even in her older age she was still considered pretty. With long brown hair that had light grey streaks weaving through it and wrinkles working their way over her face. Her brown eyes danced merrily as she gossiped with another servant, Chiara.

Her mother had first come to Rome eighteen years ago, being the personal maidservant of Domitia. But not too soon after her arrival she had been demoted to kitchen cook and had been there ever since Caecilia had been born. Slaving away as she chopped up vegetables and fried up meat, always kept out of sight from the Forcella family.

Of course even if she hadn't been demoted all those years ago she would have kept out of sight of them anyway, especially the master and mistress of the house. She chopped skillfully away as she laughed at something her dear friend, Chiara, said of some noble in Rome.

Just as Caecilia was about to turn away her mother looked up and graced her young daughter with a heartwarming smile. She nodded for her to come to her side and Caecilia quickly obliged, she always loved to be near to her mother.

"I did not see you this morning." Her mother commented as Caecilia pecked her on the cheek. She kept working as she piled some food onto a plate and handed it to Caecilia who began to eat.

"I was up early, looking at the sunrise. And then I had to tend to Marciana." Only in the safety of the kitchen with the other workers did Caecilia dare utter her lady's name. Her mother nodded in agreement and gestured to balky Scato sitting in the corner wolfing his breakfast down like it was the end of the world.

"Dear Scato didn't sleep at all last night as he had to stay up with the new mare that was restless." Caecilia gently smiled and bit into her biscuit as the soft dough melted in her mouth.

"How do you like?" Her mother asked, always conscious of her work, even after almost twenty years as a cook.

"Delicious, as always." Her mother beamed as Caecilia walked away and slowly sat down on a hard wooden bench that was several feet long and crowd with servant girls as they gossiped. She sat down next to her friend, Galeria.

She half listened as the girl's words flew back and forth, all mumbling together into a wave of noise and chaos. She daintily ate her small portion of food, keeping to herself as she began going over her mental list of chores to do today.

She had already fixed up Marciana and her room and even though she was a maidservant and a personal one at that she still liked helping around the large house.

"What are you doing today?" She asked suddenly as Galeria turned to face her. She scrunched her face up in distaste as she answered.

"Cleaning the floors right after this, why?" Caecilia lightly shrugged and smiled.

"Well you won't be alone, I would love to help." Galeria smiled gratefully as she turned back to the thundering conversation but then everyone and everything froze.

Pounding footsteps could be heard thrashing throw the servant's hallway as the door flew open and in marched Fat Fausta. Of course no one ever called her that to her face, but often spoke of her large weight behind her back.

At fifty-five years old she was just as intimidating as a raging boar. And some would even say she resembled one as well. With her long mattered brown hair that went in all directions and her animal like eyes that penetrated a person's very soul and left them empty. She even on occasion would snort rather like a pig as well.

And everyone knew when she was near for her footsteps echoed all around and once and awhile the ground would lightly shake to she was upon the poor soul who would be punished by her.

She was overseer of the house and therefore above everyone else in status, what she said others did, even if they didn't want to.

"What are you, lazy people? Do you get paid to eat and gossip?"

"We don't get paid at all!" Smart mouthed Plautius yelled out as several of the young boys and men snickered and some girls giggled into the palms of their hand. But it turned dead silent as Fat Fausta's eyes narrowed and the atmosphere grew tense.

"You're lucky they even give you room and board you sods! Now get!" She roared like a lion as everyone jumped up and scrambled out of them room. Caecilia barely had time to kiss her mother goodbye as Galeria pulled her out of the hectic kitchen.

"Did you see Fat Fausta's vein? I thought it would about pop!" Galeria giggled with delight as Caecilia lightly nudged her to quiet the loud girl.

"It is not nice to talk so ill of others." But even she could not stop the faint smile the broke across her face, Fat Fausta's vein had been close to popping. One of these days the boys would be the death of her and then they would all have freedom, unless Fat Fausta decided to haunt them for eternity.

"Come, let's head to the well and get water." Galeria suggested as Caecilia nodded and they two hurried to the empty courtyard. Picking up four stray wooden buckets they scooped up water from the well and walked back inside as they both fell to their knees and began scrubbing the marble flooring with great care.

Galeria worked quickly, making large circles as she swiped frantically. Wanting to get off the floor and stretch her aching knees and sore back.

Caecilia worked at a much slower pace with long circles as she wiped and wiped, making the floor shine as sunlight streamed in through open windows.

Both girls looked up as they heard the light footsteps of someone coming near. Just then a robes figure came around the bend as he looked up to see the two girls staring at him.

It was Senator Vitus Forcella.

His eyes immediately locked with the slave girl, Caecilia. They both stared at each other for a moment before Vitus coughed awkwardly.

"Ladies." He greeted formally as both nodded.

"Morning Senator Forcella." They pronounced in unison as Caecilia turned away from the senator and continued her strokes, her body tense and rigid as she felt his eyes on her form. He stood there for another moment before turning and walking away, leaving the two behind.

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The setting sun cast golden and orange rays into Marciana's room as Caecilia moved throughout the room, lighting scented candles with exotic and alluring fragrances that engulfed the room. Just then the door opened and in walked Marciana who looked, for once, bewildered.

Caecilia raised an eyebrow as Marciana walked, no floated, to her couch and sat down.

"My lady, are you all right?" Caecilia asked in alarmed, afraid something awful had happened to her mistress. She had heard from a serving maid that Marciana's parents had spoken to her after dinner, did it relate to this?

Marciana only stared ahead as Caecilia regarded her with concern. It couldn't have been that awful, couldn't it?

"My lady?" She asked softly as it seemed to snap Marciana out of her haze. She shook her head as several strands of hair fell from her bun. For once she didn't look at Caecilia with contempt or malice; she looked at her like a girl that was lost.

"I am to be married to a man...all the way in Britannia."

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