Rhia was absolutely furious. What. The. Actual. Fuck.
She glared over at Alerio who walked beside her on the dusty road leading them towards Primm. Vulpes had left for New Vegas to do whatever it was he did, screwing whores, probably. Bastard. Married for six months and all the time he's been screwing around 'undercover', fucking liar. Well, she knew he was a liar – but it didn't make it hurt any less, thinking of him pleasing another woman and giving her what should be only Rhia's and Rhia's alone. Vulpes had told her, he thought only of her when he had to do that kind of work, but he was a liar. Could she trust anything he said? Probably not, but she was a fool. Why do fools fall in love? Well, there's an easy answer to that fantastically old question; because they're fools, naturally. Domitia Rhiannon Gallagher Inculta, you're a fool. He was possibly the devil himself, draped in the lures of age-old ancient gods with the body of a youthful Mars incarnated. Caesar, the son of Mars – Rhia snorted to herself, had they even met her husband? Well, at least not seen him naked and enraged, that's for sure. Rhia wasn't older than 19 years and Vulpes was 35, but he didn't look older than 25 – somehow the Wasteland had thought it fun to at least spare one individual from aging too fast and remain a youth for as long as possible. Wasn't that something the devil could do?
Yep, she had married the devil. Oh joy, Rhia rolled her eyes – earning a narrowed-eyed look from Alerio.
"So, what are we going to do in Primm?" Rhia asked as she could see a large roller-coaster forming through the dry dust in the distance.
"Did I ask you something, woman?" Alerio hissed. "When we're alone, you still have to comply under the laws of obedience"
"You're kidding, right?" Rhia rolled her eyes and sighed, "Well, then. Excuse me, speculator secretum domini sui in Frumentarii"
Alerio sighed as well and clenched his fists. "Speak your mind, Domitia"
"I asked a question", Rhia looked at the somewhat short but broad and strong Frumentarius at her side. "Why are we going to Primm? You never told me"
"We have business in Primm, obviously"
"And I'm supposed to learn? What am I supposed to learn exactly?"
"It will be in preparation for you to start working in New Vegas and Freeside. Primm is an easier target with more decrepit idiots and inbreeds, in case you'd fail to keep your identity – it wouldn't be too hard to wipe the whole town out", Alerio explained in a calm but strained voice. He was definitely irritated with her and with the fact that his small leave from his duties turned into tutoring his boss's impudent wife.
"You're expecting the two of us to wipe out an entire town? Wow, and here I thought I was the one with brain damage", Rhia pursed her lips and winked towards the legionary dressed in a t-shirt and cargo-pants with heavy boots.
"You know that being your tutor, I'm allowed to punish you", Alerio hissed.
"Stop being so sensitive Alerio, you like me. I know you do", said Rhia and smiled.
"I really don't"
"Liar", Rhia smirked. Alerio rolled his eyes and sighed, hoping his untold answer would keep her from continuing the chatter. Sorry, buddy. "You haven't told me a thing yet, who am I supposed to be? Are you a soldier? A merc? Please, Alerio", Rhia made puppy-eyes to Alerio, "Tell me, please"
Alerio's lips twitched as he clenched his jaw. "I don't know why in the name of the gods Vulpes would marry a woman as infuriating as yourself"
"That's easy", Rhia lifted her chin in victory with a smug smile. "I'm obedient when I need to be, and quite pretty – or so I've been told. And evil, I'm quite evil actually – and he likes that"
"I can only imagine", Alerio mumbled through a clenched jaw.
"You know that I know how to behave myself, I just think you're a nice person to converse with. I don't want to upset you, Alerio, but it's just boring doing all this walking and camping and not saying anything. You're not mad are you?" Alerio didn't answer. "Oh…"
"Fine. I'm a merc, you're a girl. Let me do the talking and I'll tell you more once we have a room to stay in, all right? Could you possibly manage to shut the fuck up for the rest of the way now?"
"Of course, speculator secretum domini sui in Frumentarii", Rhia smiled and winked again. That won her a frustrated growl from Alerio who started to walk faster.
Alerio was too kind for his own good, Rhiannon smiled to herself. She could talk to Vulpes in this way, but it almost always ended in her being forcefully fucked or needing to spend over an hour on her knees with a cramping jaw, sucking his cock until she begged for forgiveness. That was quite enjoyable, most of the time. Vulpes could be harsh, but she liked it, in all honesty. She didn't like being beaten up, of course, but it was a small negative in comparison to all the positives she got from Vulpes and most of the time he was a lovely man to be with. Educated and always interested in discussing pretty much anything and also very invested in her education, bringing her books and encouraging her to learn as much as possible. She was treated much better than the other wives, who was more or less means of breeding and slaves in togas, instead of rags painted with red x's. Rhia was kept well fed, lived in a large but sparsely decorated tent, slept in a clean and comfortable bed and had half a library of literature to emerge herself in, whenever she wanted to. But now she had to fuck strangers for information. God damn it, Vulpes. Fucking bastard Caesar, fuckingly fucking fuck.
How many women have you slept with while undercover? Rhia had asked Vulpes when he came to bed the night after their confrontation. I don't keep track, he answered. Liar. She knew very well that Vulpes had a memory beyond what normal people had, he knew exactly how many. How many are you sleeping with right now? She asked. Why do you even bother, amica mea? He answered with a frown, clearly not in the mood to discuss anything concerning his sex-life outside of their marital bed. Because I am your wife and I wish to know. Vulpes sighed with irritation as he came out of his armor. Well, I don't wish to tell you.
And that was it, it wouldn't help nagging him – it would only make him angry and result in re-stitching her temple for the fifth time, or something. Did he want her to actually become brain-damaged? Jerk.
Primm was a right shithole of a town, almost overrun by Powdergangers but for the time being the presence of the NCR and the local sheriff was able to keep the situation under control – Alerio however didn't think it would take long before the attacking thugs with dynamite was able to gain complete control of the town.
Primm had a smaller casino and a few merchants, but other than that, there wasn't much to see. The roller-coaster didn't work, of course. Bummer, Rhia thought – she had always wanted to try one of those out. Alerio and Rhia walked into the casino and were able to get a room for the night, posing as mercenaries travelling to the Mojave Outpost. There was a Legion safehouse in the hills just southeast of the Mojave Outpost outside of Nipton that they needed to check up on. Alerio told her that they had assassination squads hiding in the mountains, with orders of terrorizing the smaller towns in the nearby area and he needed to meet up with a few of them, collecting information. First, however, they were to squeeze some information from the citizens of Primm and one man in particular, regarding the NCR-troops guarding the town.
Rhia had been able to clean herself up somewhat while Alerio rested in their room and it had been a blessing kicking off her heavy boots. The Mojave was hot and dry and even if she would have travelled completely nude, she would have sweated like a dog. The lukewarm water she used to clean herself with was beyond wonderful and she dug up a spare black top from her backpack and curled up the legs of her tight and worn black jeans to just above her ankles. She'd rather walk around barefoot than step into those boots again today, her feet needed to breathe.
Rhia clipped her 10 mm pistol to her belt and checked the blade of her combat knife she had in a holster around her right thigh. She also carried a single shotgun over her shoulder as they travelled, but she had yet to have any use for it, as the 10 mm was plenty to kill vipers and other junkie filth they met on the road. Alerio carried a machete, a .357 magnum and a sniper's rifle, along with their forged NCR-passports and documents they would need if they were captured for some reason.
"Alerio"
"What did I say about talking without being spoken to?" Alerio answered without opening his eyes, from where he laid on the one bed in their room. Rhia guessed she'd be sleeping on the floor on one of their bedrolls if they stayed that long.
"How am I suppose to communicate with you if I'm not allowed to talk before you?"
"You're not", Alerio yawned and sat up on the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But, since you've woken me, what do you want?"
"I'm ready to gamble!" Rhia smiled, rubbing her hands together. "Gimme some caps, please"
"Impudent profligate woman", Alerio groaned as he stood up.
"Hey, I heard that", Rhia pouted.
"Good", Alerio said while grabbing a bottle of purified water. "I'll get you some caps, but remember to listen closely to what they're saying down there. There's a man I want you to seduce, and no, you wont have to sleep with him. Just entertain him and get him drunk and eventually following you up to our room. If he wants to buy you drinks, accept them and I'll keep an eye out for you"
"I'm allowed to drink?" Rhia asked with wide eyes.
"Yes, of course. If we never drank alcohol while undercover, we wouldn't be able to keep up a very good façade, would we? Everyone knows the legionaries doesn't drink"
"I have to say, I like you more and more Alerio", Rhia winked and Alerio sighed. "What's my name, by the way?"
"I checked us in as Josie Fox and Dane Anderson"
"Josie Fox? Fox, isn't that Vulpes alias?"
"It is, yes. In case someone were to recognize you in New Vegas later, considering the work you are supposed to do there. We're close enough to New Vegas that the people travelling between the towns could remember your appearance. For that matter, stay out of Goodsprings, all right?"
"Is your alias always Dane Anderson?"
"In these parts, yes. And I'm always a merc"
"So now I am to be a merc all the time as well?" Rhia narrowed her eyes, she had no idea what Vulpes was pretending to be while in Vegas, but she was pretty sure it wasn't a merc.
"No, you're more or less a girl I travel with. And lose the gun for tonight"
"I'm your whore?" Rhia crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Alerio who suddenly looked smug.
"If you wish", he smirked. Rhia groaned, clipped off her 10 mm before following him out into the corridor and down the stairs to the casino.
The man she was to seduce was a toothless older man of some prominence within the NCR, as Alerio told her in whispers while they stood at the bar. Rhia grabbed her beer and walked over to the slot machine next to her first victim and sat down. He was dressed in a ragged suit and wore an old ranger-hat, he must be a veteran on leave or perhaps retired, Rhia thought as she pushed a chip into the slot machine. It didn't take long before the ranger-man beside her had started to eye her, he was obviously drunk and smelled acrid from stale alcohol, urine and smokes. Rhia had to fight her heaves and tried her best to look at him with seductive eyes now and again, to instill some hope of interest from her side in the putrid man beside her. Fucking Caesar, she thought while sipping her beer and giving the ranger side-glances from under her lashes.
He finally decided to speak to her and cleared his throat.
"I ain't seen you here before darlin'"
"Well, sir, I'm not from here", Rhia answered and cast him a look.
"First time in Primm, is it?"
"Yeah", Rhia had some trouble coming up with what she was going to say, to balance the situation in the right way. She kept herself from looking back at Alerio who was standing at the bar, keeping an eye on her. The good thing about being surrounded with legionaries and members of the Frumentarii was the fact that you were always protected from profligate men. The spies of the Legion could move silently in the shadows and, the legionaries were generally ridiculously over-protective of their women (well, their property, why mince words?). If this man would even begin to try something with Rhia, Alerio would cut him down in a heartbeat, out of loyalty to the Legion. By principium, he had to, since Rhia was a member of the Legion through her training as a Frumentarius and as the wife of Vulpes Inculta.
"You're here on your own, sweetness?" the man asked with a toothless smile. He couldn't really be that old, Rhia realized, but the radiation and possible inhuman consummation of alcohol made him look much older.
"I'm travelling with someone, but if you're asking what I think you are, then yes. I am here by myself", Rhia smiled softly and made eye contact with him.
Their conversation progressed and eventually the ranger seemed to become too sober for comfort and he asked Rhia to find a table for them and he bought some more drinks. Alerio wore a cowboy hat and kept himself close to the bar and Rhia made sure not to look at him, but instead tried to behave like a normal wastelander who'd found herself a feeding hand for the evening. Relationships between young girls and older men was nothing strange, it was a way of survival in the Wastes and the older men knew it and many gladly took advantage. This one seemed open enough to taking advantage of a needing young girl, making her way towards the Mojave Outpost. Yes, she was a prostitute. Fun? Nope, not fun at all.
But the ranger was actually quite charming at times in his drunken state, made jokes and were only too happy to keep her entertained and without thirst.
After some time, he shamelessly asked her if she had a room rented and she answered that she did, in fact. It was an obvious sign of her selling herself for some food or caps, keeping her own room and agreeing to let this man know this. The ranger followed her up the stairs to the room and Rhia hoped to all the gods she could think of, that Alerio wasn't far behind. The man grinned as she closed the door behind her and his hands were quickly on her, groping and tugging at her clothes. Rhia made no resistance, only waited for Alerio to take care of the situation, since she had no idea what she was supposed to do. He had only told her to bring the man to their room, but that she didn't have to actually sleep with him. Fucking little shit, where was he?
Suddenly, as the ranger nuzzled her neck with his dry lips and ground his hips against her abdomen, she saw a shadow move quickly behind him and within seconds, the ranger was on the floor. Alerio stood over him, grinning like a wolf, pushing him down to the floor with a boot pressed against his throat.
"Thought you were getting yourself some sweet cunny, didn't you? Profligate pig", Alerio smiled and cocked his head while inspecting the man under his boot. The ranger's eyes widened, as he seemed to realize he had walked into the arms of the Legion.
"Who the fuck are you's?" the man gasped from under Alerio's heavy boot.
"Well, we're not barbarian's, we might as well make due with some introductions. I am Alerio, Frumentarius of imperator Caesar's Legion. The woman you just put your greasy fingers on is the wife of Vulpes Inculta, the Butcher of the Mojave", the ranger gasped again and just as he was about to make a noise, Alerio showed something into his mouth, preventing him from making any noises but some muffled whining. "Now, trying to feel up the property of a legionary is bad enough, but the property of Vulpes Inculta? Well, that does not bode well for you. So, what do you say? I have some questions I'd like to have answered and until you answer them truthfully, I'm going to remove small pieces of your flesh and make you eat it. Do you understand me well enough?" The ranger frantically nodded and Alerio went about his work.
When Alerio seemed satisfied with the answers he'd gotten from the ranger, he killed him and hid him in an adjoining room. They left the same evening for the safehouse, which was situated three hours away from Primm, to get some rest and sleep there. Alerio complemented Rhia on her work and thought she had done well, seeing as it was her first time. Rhia was still very angry with Caesar, Vulpes and now also Alerio and she couldn't wait to get the reek of that disgusting ranger of her body. She felt filthy and could still sense the touch of the rangers sweaty hands on her body.
Somehow, she couldn't help thinking to herself, that if anything ever happened to Caesar, she wouldn't be surprised if Vulpes had something to do with it – and she would gladly help her husband.
Speculator secretum domini sui in Frumentarii - Lord secret master spy of the Frumentarii
Amica mea – My love