Agave grown up fast, crawling, walking and then running. In the age of two, she spoken her first word. Being treated like a princess, she was adorable when she laugh, and chaotic when she showed her tantrum.

What an active little child.

Thebans believed that she was blessed by Dionysus. She had the strength to pull apart the emperor’s beard when she was an infant. Therefore, Vitellius named her after the legendary queen of the Maenads who manifest the strength that able to tore the head of a man apart with her bare hands.

The child played a lot. With all the pamper and love she received, she gain some bad behaviour, often bullying her play mates and being unreasonable.

Arete, however, was carefully nursed by the best maids in the temple. Hidden within the library, she seldom seen sunlight and spend most of her time reading and learning the scrolls. She learnt to write while Agave spent most of her days playing. Arete had always been a well behave child and gained favour of the servants.

The laundresses and maids carried buckets of dirty cloths to the nearby cistern. While they work on their tasks, they continued their gossips.

“She barge into the kitchen and ate all of her food…”

“What? That’s really ridiculous, she already had her own portion…”

“Yeah, she screamed at the servants. Saying that Lady Arete always never finish her meal and the food wasted at the end of the day. So she took her food and ate them all.”

The chatters continued while the maids flipping the cloths.

“Lady Agave is such a trouble maker, I really hope Lord Vitellius will punish her for what she just did.”

“Yeah. Who does she think she is? She’s not even from a real noble bloodline. No wonder she behaves like a barbaric spoilt little boar.”

“Uh, her curly dark brown hair is such a mess and is always hard to groom her.”

“Not like Lady Arete, her silky soft golden hair is so beautiful.”

“Ya ya, those hair colour is such a beauty! Like the incarnation of Goddess Athena!”

“That’s true! I have seen Lady Arete reciting scrolls after scrolls. With that young age, her intelligence is truly the sign of the goddess!”

“Yes, she’s such a true elegant noble lady, she always behave well and calm and let us groom her, not like that crazy boar who always ran out and play.”

“Uh, that Lady Agave, after I bathe her, she ran out trying to ride an adult horse and ended up fallen to a pool of mud. I was so frustrated with her.”

“I pity you! We are so lucky to be Lady Arete’s maids.”

Mmm… mmm…

Little Agave tried to hold her tears while hiding behind nearby tree. She was playing hide and seek with the other noble children in the temple. Overheard what the laundresses had said, she was upset.

That’s not right! Pappu always told me I am the chosen one!

Agave ran away, across the grand temple hall looking for her pappu Vitellius. She ran fast, and without a direction in her mind. Shouting loud for her pappu. Until she saw that skinny blonde girl. She almost stumbled on her until Arete’s escorts stopped her.

She was always with the big servants… like her bodyguards. I never got those big servants! Why?

“Pappu!!!” Agave cried while two of Arete’s maid pulled the child away from their Lady.

“Release me! Servants!” She yanked and kicking, trying to break free from those maids.

Arete calmly staring at this child of her peer. While Agave acting full of her temper tantrum, Arete kept quiet.

Look at them, they are both in the same age but Lady Arete is with a keen mind while Lady Agave is such a fool. What an oxymoron.

“Why you never play with me?!” Agave cried.

Little Arete was clueless, and unsure of how to answer her. She had been study in the library all the time. Protected by her maids and never play with other children in the temple.

“Why you never play with me?!” Agave shouted again.

The lady’s maid lost her patience, she turned to Agave and said with a sharp condescending tone: “Only children from the noble bloodline shall be allowed to play with our Lady Arete.”

The other maids covered their faces with their draping, hiding their smirk behind, disgusted by Agave.

“Who do you think you are! Lady Arete is the only true noble! You’re not the real grandchild of Lord Vitellius!”

“Sob sob, I hate you!” Agave bawled with tears. With all her strength, she ran away from them.

I hate them! I hate this place! Who am I? Pappu told me I am their saviour! I am the reason they are still alive! If I wasn’t in the temple, they all had been burnt alive! Pappu! Pappu! They bullied me! Sob…

* * *

Vitellius was having a meeting with foreign merchants and his officers in the weaving workshop. While the workers were busy weaving, and the supervisors examine the quality of their products, the merchants from Athens were discussing trade agreement with his officers. Silk was the important produce in Thebes and dyes were imported from Athens.

Agave barge into the workshop and cried.

“Pappu! Pappu!”

“What’s the matter, my precious!”

“They bullied me! Those maids bullied me! They said I’m not pappu’s precious!”

“Who?! Who dare to say such things?”

“Those maids! Those who always play with that skinny blondie Arete!”

“Arete?” The merchants from Athens was surprised by the name.

“The name sounds familiar…”

“Arrr Arrrgh, pirates! Argh! Hahaha…” Vitellius trying to divert the topic. Giving a hand sign to his servant while pushing the little Agave out of the workshop. His servants came immediately and carried Agave away.

“Pappu!!!” The child cried louder and louder while being dragged out of the workshop. The servants carried her back to her bedroom and they locked the door.

Sob sob, Pappu! How could you do this to me? I… I… I hate this place! I wanna leave this place!