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I look up at him, now on my knees, unsure of what game he is playing. The gods have a strange sense of humor.
“Take it, Amulius,” he repeats, his voice deep and reverberating, calming the distress in my being.
I extend a trembling, hardened hand toward him, my fingers barely able to close around the precious gem. Its weight is not of this world, and it feels as if I'm holding a fragment of the divine itself.
“How does it feel?” he asks, an amused expression crossing his face.
"I grit my teeth, the stone feeling heavier and heavier as I hold it, pushing me toward the ground. “As though it comes at a price,” I groan under its weight.
Suddenly, the weight disappears as though pleased with my deduction. The stone now feels soft, as a feather, but is still extraordinarily large to look at. I stare at it, wondering what it will cost me.
“There is a price,” he smiles, his eyes glinting like the diamond in his hand. "In exchange for this stone, you must raise Rhea's sons as your own. They are destined for greatness, and I need them to fulfill their prophecy."
A wave of unease washes over me. Raising children is not a task I'm familiar with, and these boys... they could threaten my throne.
“Great Lord,” I confess. “While this stone is precious, the most precious thing I own is my throne. Please, take it back,” I instruct.
"Whoever holds this diamond," Mars says, his voice rumbling like thunder as he reaches for the stone, "will rule not just the Republic but the entire nation."
I look up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. His hand is so close to mine, ready to collect the diamond. Instead, I pull my hand back, clenching to the rock with all my might. "A great gift, Lord. All of the nation, you said?"
"Take this token of my favor," Mars commands. "Its power shall be yours to wield, and with it, you shall secure your rule over all."
With trembling fingers, I graze the diamond, feeling its cool weight settle into my palm as if it were meant to be there all along.
“Remember, raise those boys as thy own,” he declares.
“Dear Mars,” I inquire. “If only you could allow me to glimpse into the purpose behind preserving their lives.”
“We Gods have our own reasons, Amulius,” Mars now roars like thunder. I cower, afraid of having asked the question. “My word should suffice.”
“It… It does, O great Mars,” I soothe his pride.
He bows his head gently. “Good,” he says, voice soft as velvet again. “As for the mother, ensure she lives and is kept safe.”
I nod, bowing my head. There are numerous means to preserve Mars’s commands while keeping my interests in mind when it comes to Rhea Silvia.
"Use it wisely, Amulius," Mars warns. "For thy choices shape not only thy destiny but the fate of thy kingdom as well."
I clutch the diamond tightly. "Thank you, Great Mars," I manage, my voice barely more than a quivering whisper. "I shall not squander this opportunity you have bestowed upon me."
"Remember, Amulius," he intones one final time before fading back into the shadows. "The power thou possess is but a reflection of thy true strength. It is within thine hands and in the hands of thy two new sons that this kingdom's position resides."
With that, he disappears, leaving an ethereal glow in his wake. Without his presence, the diamond in my hand feels more foreboding, more dangerous. I don’t even realize it, but a slow obsession begins to seed itself in the foundation of my mind. I place the diamond in my pocket, tied tight in a handkerchief, to keep it from prying eyes.
Something so precious would raise numerous eyebrows and create a multitude of enemies. I must keep it safe, away from all.
I then turn to face the forest, the next part of the challenge seeming severely distressing. I now must find my men and confer that no harm be brought upon Rhea Silvia and her two boys. I shake my head - the gods and their games.
I run through the night, hand in my pocket, caressing the diamond. I see no traces of my men and pray no harm has befallen the mother and children.
Sensing I need a different plan, I aim to find wet mud. By the banks, it is easier. I find the slush and peer into it through the darkness, searching for footprints. I find a trail, and begin following it.
Soon enough, I come across half a dozen of my men. “Go,” I roar at them. “Find the others. Tell them the plans have changed. I want Rhea and her boys by my side, alive.”
"Your kingdom's fortune hangs in the balance," one of my soldiers solemnly reminds me. Is Rhea's freedom worth the price of losing it all?"
"By the banks of The Tiber, Great Mars has offered me unparalleled guidance," I confess, without revealing details of my gift, my voice barely audible above the whispering wind. "But the cost... Raising Rhea's twins as my own will ensure my rule but condemn her to a lifetime of imprisonment."
