Chapter 24 - Samhain

Am I back home? I don't remember holding the stones and I don't remember trying to think of England. How is it that I appear to be back home? The cold wind feels like tiny needles on my skin. The cloudy sky darkens everything.

When I look down, I'm only wearing a camicia and bare feet as my hair frames my face. Wrapping my arms around my body for heat, I look around in search of clothes or anything to keep me warm.

Then I saw someone standing. I walk toward her and ask for help. "Help! Please!" When I got closer, I realize she was no ordinary person standing by the meadow with me.

She's wearing a brown dress that reaches the ground and a plaid cloak around her shoulders. When I look up at her face, it chills my bones. She looks like me.

I wanted to run away but my feet appear to be stuck on the ground. I try my hardest to pull my feet away but to no avail. When I look back up at her, we're suddenly surrounded by stones. Some of them are carved with symbols I don't know.

Right between the two of us, another stone emerges. The woman in front of me seems unfazed by what was happening as she stood calmly and unmoving.

Markings on the stone slowly came into view around it and out of many symbols, one of them appears to be familiar. The circular knot. A loud noise along with men fighting begins to ensue around us. People fighting and wailing but none of them appears to notice us.

Until I saw the woman all bloody and bruised. The stone was suddenly destroyed and its debris scattered on the grassy ground. She fell over to what appeared to be what was left of the stone between us, lying helpless and winded. I wanted to rush over to her and help her but my feet would not allow me.

An armored soldier stood over the woman. He then picks her up when someone, another armored soldier, yelled at him in what appeared to be an order. He threw her back down and kneel over her.

He rips her clothes and then grabs her hair while she's too weak to move. I tried screaming, but no one could hear me. He did unspeakable deeds to her weak body that I had to look away as I'm unable to stomach the cruelty he's done to the poor woman.

When I open my eyes, I saw her unconscious body over the stone that is now covered with her blood. In that horrific scene, I saw something glimmer around her neck. It's the necklace.

As if a mind of its own, my arm reaches out for her hand that's resting atop the stone. When I did, the stone suddenly heats up and flashes a bright light, blinding me.

When I open my eyes, I'm suddenly back in my room. I push myself up to sit upright and try to relax. Another odd dream. I felt a sudden weight on my neck. With creased brows, I reach for my neck only to realize I'm wearing something.

I stand up and rush over to the mirror, revealing a reflection of myself and my disheveled hair and camicia while wearing the necklace. How did I manage to wear this around me? I don't have any recollection of how I got myself wearing this odd and heavy necklace but taking it off proved itself to be quite an ordeal.

I try using both of my arms but to no avail. The loop is too strong to give way. Having exhausted my arms, I decided to leave it on. I'll perhaps ask Giuliano to help me take it off. He seems strong enough to do it. I just hope he wouldn't destroy it.

Franzia came in to help me with my hair when she notices the necklace. "What a lovely piece of jewelry you have there, Antonia." She said smiling as she arranges my hair.

"Yes, well it's rather heavy and I would love nothing more than to take it off my neck," I said as I reach up and touches the necklace.

"But it looks really beautiful. If you would wear that tomorrow you could fit right in the parade." She said, still busy with my hair.

Curious, I furrow my brows and ask, "What parade?"

"The parade for All Soul's day, silly. Which reminds me, what attire would you have me prepare?" She responded, now looking up at my reflection in the mirror.

Dumbfounded, I was speechless for a few seconds before catching myself. "What are the choices?"

"You can dress up as a saint, an angel, or even a devil if you wish."

I smile at the idea. I was about to speak when Aunt Simona came into my room. "Why she'll be an angel of course!"

Well, so much for the choices. "Yes, angel. It only makes sense." I said as I force a grin to hide my disappointment.

"Well, darling, you best get ready. We're heading to the church." And with a smile, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

We pray for the Saints of the church. To be honest, I don't remember the saints that are beatified in this century. I may be catholic but I'm not too religious. I usually spend my time reading and the bible isn't one of them.

Living at this time made me feel closer to my religion. I even managed to memorize the whole rosary for October. No matter how little those achievements are, I'm proud of myself.

Giuliano is out again somewhere. I didn't even pay attention when I read the letter. The only thing that I remember is that he'll be home by the time of the parade tomorrow. With that in mind, I head towards the Tre Rane.

Sitting by the far corner of the room once again, Botticelli brings me a glass of wine. "If you keep choosing to be alone in this corner, I might have it removed soon." He said playfully as he sits across from me.

"I like the corner. I just need a place away from home where I can think."

He chuckles and then smiles at my statement. "Well, I'm glad you find this a place you can go to whenever you needed a breather." His eyes traveled from my eyes down to the necklace. "That necklace looks familiar."

I look down and briefly, touch the necklace before holding the glass full of wine in front of me. "Really? Did my father show it to you before?"

"No, from the collection of sketches of Cosimo the elder." He said, looking in the distance with creased brows, deep in thought.

"Really? Can you tell me more about it?"

"Yes, well..." He then took a second to think then look back up at me. "Cosimo the Elder is Lorenzo's grandfather. I was able to get a glimpse of his previous collections when Lorenzo showed me a few sketches years ago. There is one particular bronze sculpture that they bought from Rome. Someone had it sketched before they melted it down and produce coins out of it during the black death. The sculpture was called the Dying Gaul. The necklace was a bit different around the ends but it's very similar."

The mention of the word Gaul made me remember something from when I was a kid. Cernunnos was the Horned God of Celts. He is a lot similar to the Greek God Pan depicted as the God of the forest and animals.

His body is much more animalistic than human and above all, he holds a golden torch in his hand.

This isn't just any necklace. This is a torc!

In my excitement, I immediately stood up from my chair, knocking off the wine glass in the process. "Oh my! I'm so sorry!" I lean down to grab the glass but unfortunately, Botticelli was thinking of the same thing, smashing our heads. "Aw!" I exclaimed in pain while he groans.

"Forgive me!" He said still clutching his head. Seeing ourselves clutching our heads and cringing in pain, we both laugh at ourselves. Da Vinci who was worried about us, threw his arms in the air as he rolls his eyes upon realizing what has happened.

"To think I was worried about you both." He said, then went back to work.

"I'm sorry, I just had a massive realization," I said as the pain slowly subsides.

He finally smiles. "It's alright."

"I need to get back home before I forget about it." He nodded with a smile then I paid for my drinks and bid them goodbye before leaving.

My mind races as I walk briskly home. Knowing the kind of jewelry was a big help for it tells me a lot more than it seems. The Suttons are descended from an old Celtic family and with it, some little knowledge was passed down from generation to generation.

The knowledge of torcs is one of them. When I got back, Semiramide and Aunt Simona are sewing something in the parlor. "You're back early." Aunt Simona said without looking up.

"Yes, Aunt Simona. Forgive me but I need to head back upstairs to my room." I said, hurrying to go to my room to be able to study the torcs. As I sat down on the chair by the table, I couldn't help but berate myself for how long it took me to connect everything.

I can already hear my father nagging me in my head. He usually says that I pay attention to the details all too much to see the bigger picture which, in turn, delays the whole process of analysis.

Bringing the other torc closer to my face, the two circular ends of the neck-ring are far too elaborate and sophisticated which means this is probably from a royal family.

If my memory serves me right, the circular ends of a neck ring are usually pointing toward East Anglian tribes during the Iron Age.

There's only one tribe that comes to mind, the Iceni.

Then I look over the coin and pick it up, having the torc and the coin in one hand each, made me realize something. Boudicca has 2 daughters and both were unnamed in any written scriptures that survive today.

According to Dio Cassius, when the Romans try to take the Iceni's territory, they raped the two daughters as they pillaged the tribe. As I place the items down, I stood up and wonder why everything points to the story of Boudicca. What has the warrior queen had to do with the stone?

The next day, when I woke up, the image of me—or at least someone who looks like me wearing the brown dress and plaid cloak and her bloody and weakened state was the first thing I remember from my dream.

"You're rather quiet today, Antonia," Semiramide said as she arranges cards on the table.

"I just have a lot of things in mind," I said, as I continue to think about the connection of Boudicca to the stone.

"Perhaps I can amuse you with a few rounds of tarocchi?" She asks as she smiles at me.

She has been warming up toward me recently. I just found out about her passion for sewing and card games and I'm happy she's finally able to be herself in this house. "I'm afraid I don't know how to play."

"I can teach you if you like." She said with her eyes filled with enthusiasm.

Not being able to resist her, I agreed.

I didn't know that card games would be complicated. I think it shouldn't but no matter what I do, I keep losing. At least Semiramide is having fun which makes the loss all worth it in the end.

"Can I ask you something, Antonia?" She asks with a serious voice after a series of victory laughs.

"Of course," I said, placing the cards in my hands on the table. "What is it?"

She bit her lower lip before speaking. "I know I'm not supposed to be thinking of marriage as you say but I just have to ask. How is it that even when you're not trying, you still get a lot of attention from men?"

The question has taken me back, it wasn't something I thought she would ask but I decided to answer her truthfully. "To be honest, I think it wasn't even because of me. People of this city are aware of the woman who was quite famous for her beauty and I just so happen to resemble so much of her."

Telling someone exactly what I feel makes me feel lighter. I used to feel the same thing as Botticelli but because of the things that happened, we have somehow built a wall of limitation between the two of us and it wasn't the same anymore. Now that she's here, I feel as though I can tell her things I could never speak out to anyone.

"Do you think that's also the reason why Giuliano likes you?"

"Yes. I think if I look differently, none of them would even look my way. Especially when I'm this age. I'm a little old to be unmarried don't you think?" I said smiling to mask the pain in my chest. No matter how much I deny it, the truth usually spills so smoothly into the mouth. As bitter as it is, it will always seep out.

Semiramide's face turns gloomy as I speak. "Why aren't you married anyway? As you said, you have received a lot of attention from men but what's stopping you?"

"I have not received any proposals yet," I said candidly. "Besides, I have been married once. It didn't turn out to be as how I imagined it will be." I continued, looking down with a bitter smile.

"What happened? If you don't mind my asking."

"He died but if he hadn't I think we would end up in separate ways anyway. You can say we have rushed things, or I simply didn't listen to my father when he said I shouldn't marry the first man who showed interest in me."

She was silent for a few moments as she thinks about what I just said. "I see why you seem so wise. You have gone through something terrible." I only nodded in response as I think about how my father was so insistent on breaking off my engagement with Alec. "Do you regret it?"

Do I? I have been keeping this matter on my own for so long that I never get to ask that myself. "I-I'm not sure. If I hadn't listened to my father, I wouldn't have learned my lesson but if I did, I wouldn't know what will become of me. I suppose I needed to go through it for such loss, I discover myself."

Feeling a lot better, I smiled at her. She barely does anything but listens and it has done so much already. I realize why humans needed all kinds of relationships. It helps one grow into a better self.

Semiramide smiles back at me when her eyes switch from me to someone behind me. "Oh hello, Messer." She said, going back to being her usual proper self.

When I look over my shoulder, Botticelli stood by the opened door as he pinched his lips. "Forgive my intrusion. The door was already opened when I came in."

Both Semiramide and I stood to acknowledge his presence. "It's alright, Botticelli," I said as I smile at him. "What can I do for you?"

"I just want to bring these." He then produced a small panel with a portrait of my Aunt Simona.

I walk towards him and take the panel. "Thank you."

He then smiled lightly before leaving. I wonder if he heard what we were talking about.