A MAZE OF GREED

"Have you wrote the announcement?" A woman marched inside a large room with hard expressions on her face. She didn't wait to ask the question as soon as she opened the door and stepped inside the room.

The candles flickered when a gentle breeze entered through the open window where a man stood staring outside, his back faced her. He didn't need to know who it was for he expected her arrival sooner or later.

"Come inside, my love." He said calmly without turning to look at her.

"Augustus, I am asking you something." Theodora was impatient and she didn't like what her husband did.

She came to stand beside him while facing him. But Augustus was still looking ahead in a far distance. He could see a part of his town where lights flickered, more on the western side while lesser on the Eastern side.

He exhaled a deep breath. "Yes" Came his short reply.

Theodora's arched brows creased in the middle. "But why?"

Her husband finally turned to face her. "Because I had to."

She was getting frustrated with him as it was Augustus's habit to not elaborate or discuss anything whenever he was upset or tensed.

"You know what it means for us, right?" She asked to which he replied by nodding his head, his silver-grey eyes not giving away anything.

"Now people will get scared. What if someone gets suspicious?" Theodora's oblong face morphed into worry.

Augustus put his hand behind him, his fists clenched. He was already distressed and now watching his wife in a worry was not helping his situation. He wanted her to stop bothering him as he wanted to be alone for some time but he couldn't. He couldn't avoid his wife.

"I had no other choice, Theodora. I already stretched the matter enough for these two months but what happened in the morning left me with no other alternative than write that announcement." His voice came out stressed and Theodora realised how exhausted her husband was.

She didn't speak for a minute as she watched his elongated face half of which covered in facial hairs in a mutton chop style. His eyes were a shade darker as he downcasted them to stare at nothing in particular. The reddish-orange light from candles that fell on his face made his angular cheekbones prominent.

She stared at a man who had been through a lot all his life but never quit. He kept fighting for what he desired. He sometimes even played dirty, cruel too but he never broke. But now watching his pepper grey hair and lightly wrinkled skin the marks of his growing age were evident.

"What do you think about the council?" She asked the question that was eating up her mind since she got the news of a dead body that was found in the forest this morning.

Since then her mind was restless. She couldn't get a chance to speak with her husband because he was busy handling the issue and in a meeting with the council.

Augustus walked past her to sit down on a chair. "They are not suspecting anything at this point but that can't be said for the future. I had to write that notice to not draw any attention to us."

Theodora knew that if the council suspected anything, then everything she held dear to her would be at a stake including their lives.

"Did you discuss anything regarding the matter with Herold Davies?" She asked.

The mention of his name made Augustus lift his head. "No. Why?"

"I don't know. His name was the first thing that came into my mind when I thought about taking someone's help. He is your associate for years now and has helped you on several ocassions. I thought he might be of some use now also." Theodora said while walking towards her husband.

She stopped right in front of him then sat directly on his lap. Instantly, Augustus had his arms around her waist and he rested his head on her chest. He exhaled a deep sigh as this was the first time in a day he felt a little bit relaxed. 'I should have called Theodora before instead of tensing over the matter for hours' he thought.

She snaked her hands around his neck while her right hand loosened his tied long hairs from a ribbon. She started running her fingers through them making her husband hum in relaxation.

"Yes, Herold has helped me a lot through these years. But this is not a normal thing. I don't trust anyone with these things. It's too dangerous to disclose everything to anyone." Augustus replied after a minute not forgetting his wife's earlier words.

"Hmm... you are right." Theodora agreed.

Being in the arms of his wife had always helped Augustus to forget all his worries for some moments. She came as a second chance in his life. He didn't have any hope after the death of Agatha, his first wife. A thought of her created a new turmoil in his heart that he cursed himself mentally to visit that dark alley of his memories.

To divert his mind from the reopened wound, he turned to Theodora, that he always did. He tilted his head a little and rubbed his nose on the soft skin of her neck. Theodora's hand that was running through his hairs fisted at the tingling sensation.

Augustus nipped the skin behind her ear with his sharp teeth that shot a pleasant pain through her body. She threw her head behind a little as a hiss left her pink lips. He licked the same area which turned red with the marks made by his teeth. He started peppering gentle kisses on the length of her neck as she arched her back to offer him more area to do his thing.

"Oh, darling!" She whispered, her eyes closed on their accord as Augustus's kisses intensified.

His left hand held her close to him while his right one roamed all over her back making its way to her front. With every passing moment, his hunger grew and he started losing control.

Theodora knew what awaited the next but she didn't object. It was something that she was anticipating for some days, and tonight she had a chance that she didn't want to miss.

"Oh, Theodora, you are my happiness. Say yes because I can't control myself anymore." Augustus said huskily as his breaths became ragged.

A smile crept her face thinking even after so many years she still had that effect on him. He still asked her permission just like before.

"Yes! Just take me!"

Those words were enough to break his restraints and within a second Augustus grabbed the front of her dress and tore it in one swift motion of his hand. He walked too far from sanity to think about the pressing matter at hands.

Theodora wanted to ask him about someone but her mind got foggy as she lost herself in her husband's arms.. Her moans and his ragged breaths replaced the otherwise silence of the room.