Story #9 - Celtic Blossom in Roman Britian - UNRV Forum member Zeke - 1,550 words

When men talk of cows they think of milk, when men talk of chickens they think of eggs, when men talk of woman.well that is a totally different story. My name is Cornelius Flavinus Corthenili; I am a citizen of the greatest realm in the entire world fallowed by the greatest island on Earth hence fallowed by the greatest life I could ever imagine. You might be wondering how my name relates to poultry and cattle and woman well in the end these things are the most simple, humble things in my life.

I live in the Roman Providence of Britannia near the town of Camulodunum; by far the most exquisite place to live, with its wet and wonderful climate that keeps the scum and dirt off the city streets. I have a Roman name but my family is of Celtic stock having been well established long before the Romans arrived. Fighting with Boudica in her rebellion against Rome, my great great grandfather had almost been slaughtered if it not been for the Roman by the name of Flavinus Aluminous Locaticus who had been serving as a camp medic at the time of the last battle between the forces of Rome and the battle lust filled Icei tribesmen.

My ancestor who had been named Corthenili Vernex had been wounded and had wondered dazed among the trees as warriors had fallen around him screaming cries of death to the heavens. He had lost all will to live preparing to die right there and proceed on to the afterlife, but the fates had not aloud it. Flavinus had been helping wounded Romans around the field of slaughter but had felt pity for Corthenili as he walked around swords slashes down his chest his head bleeding profusely. Flavinus had found him speaking deliriously, seemly enchanted by the spirit of death. So slipping the blond haired, blue eyed warrior away he nursed him back to health in a cave only 2 miles from the battle field.

He went in and out of life for two weeks but in the end the Roman medic by the name of Flavinus Aluminous Locaticus had saved him but for a heavy price. In exchange the Celtic warrior Corthenili was forced to marry Flavinus's Cornelia to make him more "less savage" and more "Romanized." So he married and settled down having many children, half Celtic and half Roman. To this day my Roman name sticks, Cornelius Flavinus but my last name is Corthenili and I am proud of my Celtic heritage. Corthenili had started a farm several miles from Camulodunum and I now live on that farm, which will be in my family for generations to come. I heard cattle by the river and pluck fresh eggs from the egg boxes when the sun begins to peak over the horizon. I raise sheep in the fields and pick apples from the trees, their sweet savory smell drifting from my wife's apple tarts that she so often makes. By the gods my life is pleasant, sitting here on this hill gazing at my farm that I so love to call my home. I could look down at this farm forever but I have always thought that a farm is not there to look at but a place to produce things for the needs of the people. So being true to the philosophy of life I walk down past the green grass that spreads toward the little stream that forms the boundary of the land, to the west is the forest that my children must walk through to get to my nearest neighbor Melanus Marcus, a neighbor that I must admit is very generous with his tools, maybe too generous, I have not returned some of the nails he lent me many years ago. My Villa is built by my very hands, typical Roman in style. Two stories and towering of the ground the door is quite large depicting the acts of August in the battle of Aticum. The main entrance leads to a Triclinum and then the main bed rooms and the kitchen itself. The upper story has more guest bedrooms. For the most part the Villa is made of white limestone and cement with a red tile roof and marble floors, the marble being taken from the mines of Cambria. There is a high arch that you must go through to get to the main yard where most commercial activity takes place and where all of my 400 cattle are branded and my 600 sheep are sheered in the early days of Aprilis. On the sides of the main yard are outer buildings of the cattle barn, the chicken coup, the sheep enclosure, the granary and the main ware house. I have four salves living in the outbuildings by the barn and warehouse, they help me with my work and without them my farm would not run correctly.

A small dirt rode leads off to my enormous apple orchard; I truly live a good life, sales are up, the empire prospers and though my ancestors have hated Rome for generations I praise Marcus Aurelius for his good and stout rule. I walk through the door and there is my wife, my friends...I want you to see her! There is my wife oh by the gods, of all the things in my lovely life she is the pearl of it! Her hair is black and curly, tied up in a red ribbon, her eyes are as black as her hair, her skin as tan as the coat of a graceful deer bounding throughout the wood. She wares a dress of blue silk imported from the great enemy of Rome: Parthia. Her steps are graceful like an angel, her breasts round and desirable filling my soul with lust for her body. "My love, I am having guests over tonight, what shall we be having?" (I am a blunt man in my actions; I go to the point in my normal conversation) "What ever you want my love," She snuggles up against my muscular body feeling me all over desiring me as much as I desire her. "Chicken, with what ever your appetite is longing for."
"Ok then," a smirk crossed her face right then filling me with joy magical in the essence of the magic itself. I let go of her and pass back out into the main yard to finish preparing new breeding techniques and maybe even take little peeks at the huge piles of Denarii's I have accumulated through the sales I have made in town. Saying a silent prayer to the gods I am glad that my body was specially built for the type of life I lead. I am tall and blonde with a large mustache of magnificence. My muscles are large and I can run for many miles. Right about now I am expecting to get back to work as is my daily routine but the bell of my life comes skipping through the arch and I am overcome with an even greater joy not even felt for my own wife. Amelia, I thank Jupiterus daily for her, my beautiful daughter of ten is very small in stature with black flowing hair and sparkling blue eyes. Running into my arms she holds me tight for a long moment before looking into my eyes with a huge jovial smile on her face, "Hi daddy!
"My sweet strawberry how was your day tutoring with Cletus?"
"Wonderful I learned about Vespasian and his deeds as emperor today."
"That is good; did you enjoy the talks of Vespasian?" I say to her my voice sounding of seriousness, "Yes I find him interesting."
"Tell the truth."
"He is ok, not as exciting as Caesar or Octavian!"
"Just ok?
"Yeah, ok.." She has a frown across her face not knowing that I am teasing her."
"I give her a great bear hug and laugh with her, Octavian and Caesar were my favorites too! Come let us eat some apples, my daughter, and waste this beautiful life away in the orchard of plenty!" "Wait daddy, I have something to show you!"
"What?"
"I found a blossom in the pound when I was coming home I wanted you to have it, because it was beautiful." She pulls it from the fold of her dress as I let her to the ground. I take it in my great hand and look at it closely, it is pink and looks much like a water lily but it is not even though it grows quite close to fresh water, it is almost perfect, not a pedal is dead, the stem is picked in the most carefulness of ways and it smells like fresh lavender though I do not know how that is possible! And then I realize more then ever that even the most simplest things in life are special in some ways, "These are truly the days of great men and great deeds, in this year, 553 years after the founding of the eternal city of light. Even in this land they call Britain, Celtic blossoms are still aloud to flourish in Roman times." The blossom began to wilt in my hands and tears welled in my eyes, I did not know until days latter that Marcus Aurelius had died that day.