"Oh hell yeah!You didn't know that?This is big damn deal, girl!These Italians take this shit seriously!I heard there isn't going to be a hand-to-hand combat battle anymore.I'm glad.I didn't care for the blood, but removing the battle element will probably make the future attendance drop.Blood lust fills the stands.Not that a big attendance is important, but Big Al's memory is."
I reach out and stop her, grabbing her arm with my pole dancer's grip.Her eyes are shocked when she looks at me."Blood?"
"Yeah!Blood.It was a real gladiator-style battle.Although the edges of the swords weren't sharp enough to slice, they would cut."
Instantly, I see the small scars on Aurei's body, and I'm thankful this isn't going to happen anymore.I don't know what I would have done if I had seen him fighting and bleeding."Damn!"I breathe."Remind me to give Quintus a hug later!"
She giggles."Yeah.I won't have to remind you to do that.Come on.We are supposed to sit in the 'Senate' section."
When the trumpets sound, I become completely enthralled in the show.The production is a BIG DEAL!I can't believe Aurei didn't tell me all this!We sit for hours cheering and screaming for our Liotine team as we are entertained by ripped men with bugling muscles in small suits of armor like Aurei's.It isn't only the Liotine men.There are horse and riders from other areas too.They have their own colors and family crests.It's sort of like a rodeo, but not.It's sort of like a polo match, but not.It's sort of like a horse show, but not.It's more like the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur in Vegas, but not with knights, with the whole Roman Soldier and Gladiator twist.There are even clowns selling fresh flowers and balloon puppeteers working the crowd and keeping the kids engaged.It's so entertaining and absolute good fun!Awesome Sauce!
Every time Aurei rides within shouting distance.I give him my best and loudest "Yee-Haw" along with a Siri-ous tornado fist pump.The horsemen are performing as a cavalry legion in tight formations.I keep my phone out the entire time and either snap photos or video to capture his horsemanship.Bee and I pop several selfies, too, and she posts them on her FB page to share with her Alabama family and friends.I decide I should be more cautious with my posts.I will wait until I can clear them with Aurei and Quintus before I upload and tag him.
When Aurei exits the arena with the Liotine group, he is on the outside and passes right by our booth.I rush over to the side and wiggle my way to the front, then totally fangirl over him.SWEET ZEUS!His smooth, flawless, healthy, golden tone skin that covers his bodybuilder, muscular physique and supports his heavy, gold chest plate with the bright red cape and his yellow, green gaze behind the gold of the helmet with the red plume sticking out the top glistens in the sunlight with a thin sheen of sweat and totally fucking rocks my world with how utterly and completely spectacular this man is!I form a heart with my hands and hold them over my head.When I catch his eye, I pull it to my heart, then form the sign language symbol for I love you and salute him.
His grin splits his helmet.Boom!My knees are weak!
A man beside me snapping pictures with a big camera says, "Quello sguardo!Ah!Perfetto.Lo sguardo d'amore!"I know perfetto translates perfect and amore is love, and that the photographer caught his look, immortalizing it forever.
I lean out over the wall, and Aurei leans over far enough to give me a passing kiss.When my lips find his, the excitement inside me sparks a wave of ecstasy as if it were a lightning bolt filled with electricity.When I lean back into the booth, my feet and toes are tingling as if that lightning tried to exit into the earth through them."BANG!BABY!BANG!"I pump my fist with thunderous enthusiasm, cheering for him.
When he is out of sight, I return to Bee and see that Zita has joined us.Her smile is pure enjoyment at my pure enjoyment.While we sit together and politely watch the others perform their feats of horsemanship, Bee shares our selfies and some of the pics she took with Zita, who tells her to post them on the Celebration event page.
When the last group has performed, and they clear the arena floor, Zita rises and steps up to a microphone that has been placed in our box.She explains the decision not to hold the combat battle this year, and there are some unhappy people who whistle their displeasure."Our champion and his would-be challenger have instead agreed to put on a little show of skill for you."She goes on to explain how Big Al thought it imperative for his family to know their heritage on a personal level.
She shares some family history stuff I should be listening to, but I get totally distracted when I see Aurei's fine ass sitting on Caesar in the holding area next to our box, waiting to enter the arena again.His helmet is on, and his head is facing forward, focused on the gate.His posture is rigid, and his body is tense, but he sits his horse completely relaxed.
"We hope you enjoy the show."Zita finishes speaking, and the gate swings open.
My mind is on my hero.As Aurei walks his prancing Warhorse through it, my eyes feast on his fucking fine, beautiful beast of a body sitting on Caesar, in all his glorious black, wet, shimmering coat and wavy, flowing mane, tail, and shins, who struts his awesome, beautiful, beastly, fucking body too.I watch mesmerized along with everyone else as he puts his horse through combat sword drills with Quintus who also is rocking every aspect of the Roman soldier image.Quintus wears the complete chest piece, though, probably to hide his tats, and his robe and plume are now black, not red.He sits a white stud.They each have shields, and as they circle, they clash in a dance too real to be choreographed.Their Warhorses push each other and maneuver their Masters into position, then they separate and square off at each end of the arena.
When I see Aurei lean forward slightly in the stirrups, I hold my breath, knowing he is going to charge.I lean forward in my seat, feeling his energy flowing within me.I can sense his breath, increasing with the adrenaline rush.I can hear the muffled sound of the cheering crowd from within his helmet.I can feel the thumping vibrations through my body as Caesar's hoofs thunder forward.It unfolds in slow motion for me.Maybe because it's a repeat of his swordsmanship that I watched earlier, but for whatever reason, it's truly captivatingly spectacular, and it makes my blood pump with the fierceness of the charge and the threat that the swords hold but it's also beautiful to watch.
Bee leans over and tells me."Don't worry, Siri.I'm getting all this!"
"Thank you," I tell her from my trancelike state without breaking my focus on Aurei.
Quintus has charged at the same time too.As they rush towards each other, they lean over the necks of their steeds and perform the intricate hand play and swordsmanship.When they meet in the middle, they toss their swords in the air, but instead of catching their own they catch the others.The timing to accomplish that is a split second, and I stand up and give the loudest "YEE-HAW" I possess as the crowd erupts with cheers and applause.I turn to look at Bee, and she is filming me, not Aurei!"WOW!That was fucking awesome!Please tell me you got that!"
"I got it up until everyone stood up."She laughs from behind her phone as she continues to video me.
I turn back around to watch Aurei and Quintus racing to the wall, then pull up hard, forcing their horses to sit on their haunches to stop, then they line up to do it again."Holy Hell!They're going to do it again!"I tell her."Stand up!Stand up!You've got to get this!"I wave her to her feet, and she's laughing at me as she climbs into her chair.She pans the crowd and finally focuses on the show.Again they charge with the awesome swordsmanship, the toss, and the precision catch.The crowd collectively holds its breath then cheers!I'm jumping up and down beside myself now, along with everyone else.When they line up the third time, they again perform the impossible feat to perfection.When they stop at the wall, both men stand up on their horse's backs, and one of Caesar's ears goes forward, his head comes up, and his gait changes to a canter as they circle the arena, riding next to the wall.The crowd rushes down to wave and try to touch them, tossing flowers onto the stadium floor.
Ah!So that was what all the flowers were for, and Caesar wasn't unsure at all when I stood up.He responded as trained.Ha!And now I really know why Caesar has extra-long reins too!That rascal, Aurei!He sure as hell knows how to keep a secret!
When they reach the 'Senate' box, they stand shoulder to shoulder before Zita and the family.She steps back up to the microphone and thanks them both for 'showing off.'The crowd laughs.My eyes remained glued to my hunk, and my smile is plastered to my face.When they sit their horses to exit the arena, I rush to the wall and hangover again, determined to get another kiss.
Aurei's grin greets me, and I see his eyes twinkling too.He stops and tells me."Climb on, Cowgirl.I'm finished for the day.We can get out of here."
"You don't have to ask me twice."I giggle as I hoist myself up on the wall, then drop down behind him.Caesar waits patiently, then prances us off through the exit and under the stadium.As soon as the crowd is behind us, the Warhorse drops the dramatics and walks quietly behind Quintus and his white horse as we go down the ramp.The clip-clop of their hoofs echoing off the walls.My arms are wrapped tight around Aurei as we go, and I plaster kisses all over his back.
We exit into the sunlight at the rear of the stadium.There is a large pasture roped off and hundreds of people and horses there.We make our way toward the rear.When Aurei pulls up, he says."I brought you a surprise, Baby Sister!"
"Ah!I love this surprise!"Ann laughs and jogs over.She holds her arms up for me, and I slide off into them, then she hugs me tight."It's so good to see you, Siri!"
"It's good to see you too, Ann!"
We talk fast and at the same time about Bee and the show, laughing about the pictures she posted.Ann was checking her posts and commenting on them.Aurei hands his sword and shield to a ranch hand, then removes his helmet.He sits patiently with a smirk on his face, watching us interact as if we have known each other for forever too.Then he says, "Come on, girls.Let's ride back up to the big house before the show's over and the crowd pours out."
