The Perfect Match Chapter 6: Part 6, a gladiator fanfic

Quintus and Antonia rushed out of the hut and looked around them: it was late night and all the village inhabitants seemed to have retired to their homes. The two Romans needed to escape- but where? In the darkeness they could not see the path leading to the road.....they needed to wait for the dawn. Quintus pursed his lips. They needed help, but from whom? Then he thought of Maximus. He seemed not to remember them, but maybe they could help him to regain his memory.....Without hesitating anymore, Quintus grabbed Antonia's hand and ran to the solitary hut where Maximus had disappeared that afternoon.

Hildegarde was jerked awake from her slighty sleep by Match's whimpers and trashing on the floor. After they had made love, she had joined him in a relaxed slumber, but now all her tension returned in full force. She rose on her knees, ignoring the cold air on her naked back and shook Match, trying to awake him.

"Match, please wake up! It is only a nightmare! Wake up my love...." she repeated again and again.

Finally, Match's blue eyes opened.

"Hildegarde?" he whispered uncertainly.

"Yes, I am here." She caressed his sweat-soaked hair. "It is all right, you had a nightmare."

"I dreamed about the Romans....the two prisoners....Hildergarde, I feel inside me that I know them, but how it is possible?" he was looking at her like a lost child, begging for an explanation.

Hildegarde bit her lower lip, fighting a sense of panic.....Match was starting to remember...

Seeing he was still waiting for an answer she began to speak, "Maybe you met them in the past....not all the Romans are cruel. Maybe they were gentle with you and.." Her words were interrupted by the door slamming open. They both turned their heads and gasped then they saw the very objects of their conversation staring at them on the door.

Quintus and Antonia remained frozen on the spot, gaping at the scene in front of them: Maximus was lying on a bed of fur with the young woman kneeling beside him. They were both naked. After a second of stupor, Maximus scrambled to his feet, covering himself and placing his body protectively between the newcomers and the woman.

Quintus shook off his shock, "Maximus you must help us!"

To his surprise Maximus did not respond. He remained where he was staring him with an open wonder in his eyes.

"Maximus!" Quintus called again, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him, "Please remember us, we need your help!" The legatus' voice was growing frantic, but the only reaction he got from the other man was a whispered, "Who are you? Why do you know me?"

Antonia stepped in the conversation and exclaimed, "Maximus, he is Quintus, your...." A noise behind her back prevented her from finishing the sentence. The Romans turned, and they saw it was the older man in whose hut they had been kept prisoner and the woman who had brought their dinner that evening.

"What's going on?" Godeoc asked, shifting his gaze from the prisoners to Match and Hildegard.

Quintus held his dagger tightly: he did not want to hurt the old man but he did not wish to be caught again- especially now that Antonia's identity had been revealed.

Silence was the only answer to the German's question and so he added angrily, "What did you to my son? Where is Bettrix?" As if in answer, the sound of running could be hear through the open doo. Another boy appeared on the thereshold.

"Father!"

Godeoc turned to see his younger son.

"What is it?"

"The Romans have captured Bettrix's friends!!" the boy answered, his hurried breath revealing that he had run for a long time.

"What? Ratchis, go to our home and look for your brother! The Romans prisoners have escaped and I want to know what happened to him!"

Godeoc's son sprinted away obediantly.

Quintus did not understand the words but the hurried tone of the older man and the boy's quick retreat gave him a clue of what was going on. He and Antonia had to escape. Now! He raised his dagger, wanting only to threaten the unarmed German but before he could move a pair of muscled arms captured him from behind, stilling his movements. Quintus dropped the weapon as his right arm was twisted awkwardly behind his back. The physical pain was nothing compared to realisation of what had happened: Maximus had just disarmed him, leaving him defenseless in front of their enemies!

Few minutes later the boy returned, his face even paler than before.

"Father, Bettrix has been wounded....He is loosing a lot of blood!"

Godeoc's normally placid face contorted in an angry grimace and he railed at Quintus, "You will pay for this!" he shouted. "Ratchis, fetch some rope to tie these dogs and then wake the council members. I want a meeting as soon as possible."

"Yes, Father."

As the boy ran away again, Rodelind touched Godeoc on the shoulder, "I will go to see to Bettrix. I will do my best to save him."

Godeoc smiled slightly in thanks and nodded. Rodelind grabbed her basket full of herbs and disappeared in the night.

Hildegarde quickly pulled on a dress, and ran after her mother. She tried not to look back as the Roman captives were herded toward the council chambers. Godeoc's younger son ran from hut to hut, waking the village elders, and the previously deserted streets were suddenly buzzing with activity as word of Brettix's attack- and the proximity of the Roman army, flowed through the town with blinding speed.

When the healers arrived at the hut, Brettix was conscious. He was still lying face forward on the ground, moaning softly in pain, blood flowing copiously from his back.

Rodelind took charge. With a quick nod, she indicated that Hildegarde

should begin boiling water over the fire, while she fell to her knees beside

the boy and tried to take a measure of the sitation. "What happened?" She

asked, more interested in the sound of his voice than the actual words of

his reply.

"The Roman....wolves....they escaped and attacked me."

By the fire, Hildegarde felt a twinge of relief. His words were faint, but

clear- the Roman blade had not punctured his lung.

"...from behind.....cowards...."

"And they unfastened your trousers?" The tone of Rodelind's voice was

scolding, and Hildegarde turned around. Surprised to see what her mother had

said was true.

Brettix merely gritted his teeth in reply. "Work witch." He spat.

Hildegarde saw anger flash in her mothers cheek, and admired the control

with which the older woman held her tongue. She hesitated only a moment,

then peeled away the blood-stained tunic of her patient and set to work. Her

daughter felt a sense of strong admiration. Rodelind was helping Brettix not

because she wanted to, but out of love for Godeoc, putting his needs before

hers....

Hildegarde felt her stomach tighten as she thought of Match. When the

Romans arrived in her hut, she had thought only of making them go

away- and keeping Match close by. What if this girl, this...Selene really

were his wife? What if, in spite of what he said, Match really did love the

woman as much as he loved her? What if....what if she gave him the chance to

make the choice on his own? Who would he choose?

"Hildegarde! I need the water please."

The snapped orders were a welcome distraction, and the girl fell imediately to work.

"What will happen to the Romans now?" She asked, handing her mother a cup of steaming liquid and a bundle of gauze.

"They'll get what they deserve." Brettix snarled, then he yelped as

Rodelind prodded his wound a little more strongly than necessary.

Even so, the older woman sighed. "I imagine that they will be executed.

Godeoc was the linchpin of support for keeping them alive...and now....."

Hildegarde felt her face go white. It was one thing not letting Match know

that his wife was nearby- it was quite another to keep him in ignorance while

she was killed...She thought back guiltily to the way that Match had moved

to protect her from the oldest soldier's sword- stripping him of the knife

that was his only defense. When- if- his memory returned, he would be left

with the knowledge that he had contributed, if not caused their capture.

Could he live with that truth?

"Mother, do you need me here any longer?" Hildegarde said quickly. "I

should...let Godeoc and the others know that Brettix will survive." Perhaps

if the council were informed she could prevent a rash decision. Maybe they

would merely be sent away......

When Hildegarde reached the central tent, the atmosphere inside was already loaded with tension. The council members were speaking among them in hushed tones. The young woman began to elbow her way inside, trying to reach Godeoc.

When she finally was able to do, she touched his arm gently.

The warrior turned sharply and seemed to brace himself as he recognized her.

"Bettrix..?"

"He will live. His wound is painful but not life threatening."

"The Gods be blessed!" Godeoc closed his eyes in relief.

"Godeoc?" Hildegarde began timidly.

"Yes?"

"Since he will not die, why don't you simply send the prisoners away?"

"No! We will make an example out of them!" another man interjected angrily and Godeoc nodded.

"Godeoc! One of the soldiers was a woman. Bettrix tried to rape her and the soldier stabbed him to prevent it!"

Hildegarde grabbed his arm, and looked pleadely into his eyes.

"It is too late, Hildegarde, the council has decided. German blood had been shed....and only Roman blood can wash it away.*

"Yes, we will cut them into many pieces and scatter them in the woods!" called out another council member, his eyes lit by a fanatical light.

Hildegarde bowed her head in defeat, realising that there was no way to make them change their minds. Slowly she turnerd on her heels and left the tent. As she walked, the young woman admitted to herself that she and Match were the only chance for escape that the two prisoners had left. She could not let them die while she did nothing. They did not deserve it- and because Match might never forgive her if she let Selene die.

Asking for Match's help meant revealing to him who he really was. Hildegarde stopped, feeling tears prick behind her eyelids. She knew she that she would probably loose Match...she would find a way to endure it,but she could never learn to bear his hate. His happiness mattered more than anything else. She loved him enough to let him go.

Match was waiting for Hildegarde in the hut, pacing back and forth in the little room. As soon as the door opened a smile appeared on his tired face and he ran to embrace her, buring his nose in her hair. "Thanks the Gods you are here, I need you so badly. I am so confused...."

Hildegarde hugged him back, the tone of his voice almost causing her to

change her mind. He sounded so lost! She wanted to protect him and tell him that it would be all right......but that was not possible. Gently but firmly she freed herself from his embrace and said, looking into his troubled

eyes, "Match, I must tell you something, something very important."

He looked at her, his deep blue eyes studing her face, inviting her to go.

Hildegarde twisted her hands in pain, "I lied to you Match."

"What?"

She sighed deeply, "I lied about your identity....You are not a wandering

hunter, Match. You are....." her voice broke.

Match looked at her desperate, "What I am Hildegarde....tell me..please"

"You are a Roman, Match. The commander of a camp...your men call you

'General'."

Match's eyes were wide as he tried to absorb the shock, "It isn't

possible...I can't be a Roman...I" he whispered.

Hildegarde regarded him with eyes full of tears, "To be a Roman is not

necassarly a bad thing.....and I know you are a good man....loved by your

soldiers....and by your friends...."

"The two prisoners....they knew me. They called me Maximus.....Is that my

name?" Match seemed very calm but the pallor of his face denoted otherwise.

"I don't know, but I know they are your friends.....We must help them to

escape." Hildegarde berated herself to not be able to tell him her suspicions about the woman but she could not bring herself to voice her worst fear.

Match was silent for a long time, considering what he had heard. He

wished that the conversation was only a bad dream, one of his frequent nightmares, but he knew that it was the truth. He was a Roman. And the prisoners needed his help. Shaking his head to clear his mind he looked at Hildegarde and asked, "What can we do?"

"I know where they are being held. They are tied up securely, so there may not be a heavy guard....Tomorrow morning when I take them their breakfast, I can untie them and give them some small weapons to protect themselves. We will run to the forest, and I will show you the way back to your camp."

"But what if you are seen? Hildegarde?" Maximus had only just learned his identity, and the thought of assisting the *invaders* was still almost distasteful to him . "If they knew that you were helping..."

"It doesn't matter." Hildegarde said truthfully. Nothing would matter to her after Match was gone. "wait for us by 'our' rock." She was speaking of the perch where Godeoc used to take her. "Bring food and weapons. We will come as soon as possible."

Match nodded solemnly. "What if they try to hurt you?"

"The Romans?"

He nodded.

Hildegard bit her lip. He was right. She did not know any Latin, and the

Romans might not know her tongue. There was no garuntee that they would want her assistance in the escape after they had been freed. She shivered, and

then shrugged. "We will have to take the risk."

It was almost dawn, but neither Quintus, nor Antonia slumbered. To do so would have been almost impossible- both from the discomfort they felt being bound tightly at the wrists and ankles, and the certainty that today they would die.

Antonia had not spoken since their recapture, and Quintus had remained

silent as well. He wanted offer her comfort, but, as before, he respected her too much to lie. They were out of hope. If these barbarians were like the others, they would be executed as soon as the sun rose across the horizon. The distant pink-tinged clouds that they could see through the window was the herald of their end.

He looked at the sky, and at Antonia again. Her gaze was fixed and distant, and he wondered what she was thinking. Was she cataloguing her

life, thinking of the things left undone?Quintus sighed and forced his gaze

away, almost anxious for morning to come and the terrible waiting to be at

an end.

"Are you frightened?"

After so many houirs of stillness, Antonia's voice was like a shock, and

Quintus took a moment to respond. "Frightened?"

"Of...."she looked down. "Of dying...." She looked at her hands, adjusting

them slightly, and then turned her chin away. "I wish that I wasn't...I somehow thought I would be ...." she left the final word unsaid, her voice waivering.

Quintus nodded. "Change is always frightening. Facing death in battle- with the movement, the adreanaline the..." He searched for a word. "..the sense

of purpose is not like this." He gave her a gentle smile. "You have been

very brave, Antonia."He watched as the look gained an unfelt smile, before

Antonia was lost again in her thoughts.

"What are you thinking?"

"About.....about time." She finished at last. "All the time I wasted."

Quintus nodded, knowing exactly how she felt.

"About regrets...."

"Regrets?" He felt his stomach tighten in apprehension. "What do you have to regret, Antonia?"

She shook her head. "Silly things I wish I had done....I wanted to go to

Eygpt, and I wanted a home of my own...." She looked at her hands. "A baby...."

Quintus smiled softly as the image of Antonia as a mother came to her mind. He could picture the scene clearly: her hair loosed around her shoulders as she cradled a tiny newborn to her chest....and then later, a great herd of sons roaming her house, wild and mischevious as little boys were apt to be until their mother- ever the general's daughter- called them to attention.

"What do you regret?" She asked softly.

Quintus took a breath.

There were many things, truly, that he would like to take back in his life, but at that moment, he wanted nothing so badly as to tell Antonia how he

felt about her..It was the one thing he still had time to change...Taking a

deep breath, Quintus gathered his courage. There could be no harm now,

surely! "I regret....."

The sound of the doorbolt being pulled back stopped him midsentence, and he craned his neck toward the door. Antonia's features fell slack, and she gave him a look that said "So, this is the end?"

The door swung open, slowly, and the little German girl they had seen with Maximus stepped inside.

Hildegarde hurried through the doorway,not wanting to risk a chance that the guards would stop what she was about to do. They had been puzzled when she arrived with a morning meal for the prisoners. They noted, quite

correctly, that at this point, it hardly mattered whether they ate or not.

One of the men had reached forward to claim the basket for himself-

terrifying Hildegarde that the bundle of knives that she had tucked within

the bread would be discovered. In the end, they had merely waved her

through. Now she faced a new horror. The Romans' were awake, and they didn't

look happy.

"[in Latin] Who are you?" The man said harshly. "Where is Maximus? What have you done with him?" hildegarde took a half-step back. The only word that she understood was "Maximus", and she could tell that the man was angry.

"I am here from Maximus." She said slowly, hoping that he would understand.

"From Maximus?" The man repeated. His pronunciation was pitiful, but at least he had understood.

"I will take you to him." Without waiting for a response, Hildegarde's fingers flew to the knots on the man's wrists, loosening them quickly. She offered him a knife, and he accepted it readily, slicing through the bindings at his ankles, then lunging for the other woman. "Antonia!" He said sharply, freeing her wrists as well.

The two Romans exchanged excited whispers, and then stepped forward again.

Hildegarde was suprised when the woman reached for a knife as well. Did she know how to use it? The Gernan thought that all Roman ladies were elegant dolls who floated around in lovely dresses, never dirtying their hands with steel. As if in answer to the question, the woman took the dagger and

brandished it carefully in her hand. She nodded to show that she was ready

to continue.

"Follow." Hildegarde said, motioning with her arm.

They tiptoed quietly from the hut. Godeoc and the guards assigned to watch the Romans were gathered around a fire nearby, paying little attention to their charges, secure in the strength of the ropes which held their condemned prisoners in place.

Hildegarde shut the door very quietly, and then, barely waiting to see if

the Romans were after her, hurried toward the woods.

They were almost there. A few more feet.....

"Hey!"

Hildegarde cursed as one of the men around the fire happened to turn,

catching sight of the little group immediately. His cry alerted the others,

and the girl gasped as she saw one of them reaching for a bow. If he began

to shoot...

"[in latin] Go!" The Roman man shouted, pushing his companion further toward the woods. Then, in a motion so swift that she could only blink, the German girl felt his hands tighten around her neck, the shining blade that she had given to him grazing the skin ofher neck.

"Don't move!" He shouted back at them in their language. "I Kill her! Kill!"

Icy terror ran along the girl's spine, then anger at the betrayal of the

Roman...and finally, a shimmer of hope. Was it possible that he was merely

acting? Perhaps the Roman was smarter than she thought.

The man with the bow looked to Godeoc for directions, and she sighed in

relief as the bow was lowered.....and then she was drug backwards toward the

woods.

"Let me go!" She screamed when they finally found the cover of the trees.

She was relieved, and a little surprised when her order was obeyed. The man lowered the knife, though he still held tightly to her arm. His grip loosened slightly as the his companion rejoined their group. "Maximus!" The man ordered.

Hildegard nodded. '"Come."

Match was waiting near the rock, pacing back and forth as he opened and closed his fists tensely. Where was Hildegarde? Was she all right? Had the escape plan worked?

He heard a noise behind his back and hurried to hide behind a fallen tree, scanning the area attentively. A relieved sigh escaped him as Hildegarde and the two Romans burst in the clearing

"Match!" called the young German, "Come on! We have to hurry!"

He did as she asked and rushed to her side, glaring at the man who was holding Hildegarde by the arm. Quintus saw the hard stare and understood at once that even if Maximus was helping them, he still did not remember who he was. Not wanting to anger his commander, Quintus let the girl go.

Hildegarde massaged her wirst and said, "Come, we have little time."

The group began to run through the forest. Hildegarde led them along a series of small paths that twisted between trees, over rock formations and across a stream, before they reached the main road. Once there, their escape became easier and more certain.

As the march progressed -- with Hildegarde in the lead, followed by Antonia, Quintus and finally "Match" -- the legatus began to recorgnize familiar landmarks. He was certain that the camp was near...

Suddently the ground began to tremble and the four fugitives looked at each other nervously. What was happening? An earthquake? Then, before any of them could do anything, a wall of sturdy-looking horses thundered around the curve of the road, heading in their direction.

At the majestic but terrifying view of the Felix cavalry regiment coming in their way, Match and Hildegarde reacted by jumping out of the road and hiding in the brush, while Quintus let out a relieved sigh, before stepping to the center of the lane and shouting, "Halt!"

The riders' commander raised his hand and the horses slowed to a trot and finally to halt. Quintus and Antonia bounded toward the soldiers.

Valerius jumped down the saddle and exclaimed, "Sir! You can't know what a pleasure is to see you!" Then he turned to Antonia, "My Lady, you are a vision. The Emperor is so worried about you." Quintus and Antonia would have loved to lose themselves in small talk, if only to savor the sound of Latin words spoken by a Roman mouth after so many days of harsh grunts, but they knew such pleasures would have to wait. Finally remembering of Maximus, Quintus turned around and called, "Maximus? It's all right, Maximus, come out." Receiving no answer, he repeated the phrase in broken Quadi, hoping to coax the pair leave their hiding place.

After an awkward pause Match and Hildegarde appeared in the road and slowly approached the army. Maximus kept a firm grip on his spear, and made certain that his lover followed him closesly.

As soon as the Felix Regiment recognized its general, the released a whoop of joy. Some of the men broke ranks to surround their commander and pat his back, celebrating his return.

Match looked nervously at the smiling but unfamiliar faces. He could not shake his fear, in spite of the inside that assured him he had nothing to fear.

Valerius walked toward Maximus and the hulking legate offered his general the same enthusiastic greeting that he had bestowed upon Quintus. However he frowned when Maximus did not answered it. Valerius looked to the second in command.

Quintus shook his head,"It is long story. He is not well. We must take him to the camp as quickly as possible. He and the Lady Antonia may require medical attention and I should warn you that we are being pursued by a group of angry Germans."

Valerius nodded, "We were preparing to march on the Brown Bear village and...."

"It is no longer necessary, Valerius. Return us to the camp."

"As you wish, sir."

At that moment, the Germans who had been followed the fugitives appeared in the road, armed with bow, axes and swords. Some men of the Felix Regiment formed a protective wall around their superior officers, giving Antonia, Maximus, Quintus and Hildegarde the time to climb onto horseback behind four of the soldiers and gallop away from the peril of the forest, to the safety of the Roman camp.

Match heard the sounds of battle commencing behind him, but he did not

turn back. He felt as though he were not inside his body at all-as though he

were dreaming and soon he would wake up in his hut, curled in the furs next to Hildegarde, ready to spend the day fishing or helping her in the garden.

"[in Latin] The castrum, I see it!" The Roman woman said, and Match's fingers tightened on the reins as the sounds, at first mere syllables, slowly coalesced into

words.

"[in Latin] Open the gates!" A soldier cried, and in front of them, the heavy

wooden entrance of the roman camp swung wide to admit the travelers.

Match stared at the things around him, familiar and terrifying at the

same time. Hundreds of soldiers littered the grounds milling between an endless

sea of white tents. The little dwellings were pitched in perfectly straight lines. In their center was a little town of sorts- a blacksmith, stables, and an open cookshack from which eminated the delectable scent of freshly baked bread…

"Stop." Again, the words made sense, and Match did as he was told. The

soldier who had been a German prisoner- Quintus- called for the attention of another man.

"Where is Fabius?" he asked asked.

"In his quarters, sir." Came the reply.

"Fetch him at once. He is needed to tend to the general."

"Yes, sir!" With another shocked look, the man disappeared into the rows of tents.

Quintus swung off his horse, then lifted his hand to assist the lady. She slid down from the horse awkwardly- her joints stiff and body battered.

"Go and see the doctors, Antonia." The man murmured against the woman's

hair. "I will tell your uncle that you are safe."

"I'm fine." She whispered in return. "Just tired and dirty…"

"Hungry?" The man slid his finger tenderly along her jaw. "Please…I am sure that he will release you soon. It is what I am sure your uncle will want…"

At last the woman relented. Match narrowed his eyes at the look of longing she gave to the man who had addressed her. It seemed strange to him somehow. As if he remembered the faces, but something about them had changed.

"Maximus?" The soldier was addressing him now.

"You and the lady should go and see the doctor as well. Follow Antonia. She will help you." The man sighed at his friend's hesitation. "For the love of the Gods, Maximus, you weren't this stubborn when you were yourself….go!"

Slowly, the dark-haired man did as he was asked, jumping from his mount and then indicating that Hildegarde should do the same. "They want us to see a doctor."

With a look of reluctance, the German girl obeyed.

Antonia stared at her face in the mirror. It seemed so long since she had

sat here before. She smiled faintly, thinking back to the evening not so long ago when Quintus had barged into her room. How much she had changed. Looking into the little polished silver surface, she was dismayed to see how hollow her cheeks looked, and how brown her skin had grown in the merciless winter sun.

"Your uncle inquires if you will be attending lunch, my lady."

Antonia looked up as one of the ladies-in-waiting strode into the room and made a sketchy curtsey. Her mistress frowned and steeled herself to rise.

"Yes." She replied. "I am almost ready."

Antonia gestured for the slave to help her into her dress- a thin tunica

made of dark blue silk and trimmed with satin ribbons. She held her arms to

her sides as the slave wound the heavy golden chain that secured the bodice

around her waist and between her breasts, cinching it at last in the rear.

She took a final look in the mirror, and then walked back outside.

The walk to the triclinium was short, and she was pleased to see that the

emperor had not yet arrived. She took her accustomed place, at his left, and

settled her head against the plush pillow at the end of the couch, grateful

that this final encounter- though it promised to be unpleasant- was all that

stood between her and a good afternoon's sleep.

"Antonia?"

The woman sat up again almost immediately at the sound of Quintus' voice.

"Quintus!" She looked him over carefully, "You look well."

He gave her a tired smile. "I feel much better. A bath and shave have made all the difference in the world."

Almost subconcsiouly, she let her hands wander to his chin, marveling at

the smoothness which met her fingertips.

Quintus pressed his lips firmly together. "Antonia, I wanted to speak to

you about this morning. I was going to tel you…that is…" The legatus looked

at his hands. "You asked me what I regretted, and-"

"Antonia!"

The two friends jumped apart as quickly as if the emperor's voice had been the crack of a whip near their backs.

"Caesar!" Quintus said quickly, his embarrassed flush showing easily on his freshly shaven cheeks.

"Uncle." Antonia said softly.

"Thank the Gods!" Marcus Aurelius said, rushing toward them both. "I never thought I would see either of you again!"

"General, it's time to rest."

Cicero…. A voice seemed to whisper from the back of his consciousness. The man who is speaking is Cicero.

"General?" The young man tilted his head to the side, and waited for his

master to respond. "Sir? I've prepared your bed. You need to sleep….."

"Hildegarde!" Match said firmly. "I have to find her…"

"She's been taken care of." The man said firmly. "She is resting as well.

You will see her when you awaken."

"But-"

"Sir, you really must come to bed."

Match looked reluctantly over his shoulder but all he saw was the endless rows of white cloth. He would have no idea how to find the girl without this servant's help. He would have to trust him.

"Follow me…"

Match was vaguely aware that he was being spoken to like a child- as

though he had lost his senses, rather than his memory, but he was too disoriented to protest. He walked after his guide to the largest tent in the center of the camp, and then ducked his head as they entered the maze of passageways inside.

"Here, sir. Your tent."

The man laid his hand lightly on his master's shoulder and steered him toward the cushion-strewn mattress in the center of the chamber. "I will wake you shortly, if you…"

Match took two steps into the room and then stopped.

The smell….

He turned his head to the side, noticing an odd little altar in the center

of the room. He strode toward it slowly, picking up one of the objects

sitting on top….

It was a figurine….a little boy…..

My son.

Match felt all his breath rush out in a gasp. Like lightning sparking

across he sky, his memories returned in a single flash.

Marcus…Selene…Home…

His breath quickened as the picures scrolled quickly through his mind.

Scarto…Argento…the Felix legions…Quintus….Caesar...Lucilla…Valerius…

"Sir?" Cicero's voice hinted at his alarm. "Sir, do you need the doctor?'

"No."

Maximus blinked his eyes, trying to coax himself back to the present. This

was his room. His camp. His army, his…

"What is it sir?….Sir?'

"It's okay, Cicero." Maximus said gently.

"I remember."

Hildegarde looked around the the tent where she had been led suspiciously. There didn't appear to be any guards making sure that she stayed where she was put, and there weren't any people that seemed ready to hurt her, but she didn't trust the Romans, and she wanted, desperately, to be home.

Where was Match? Her heart constricted with longing.

Not Match, Maximus. She reminded herself. Then a fresh sense of pain

pierced her heart as she contemplated the answer to her question. He had been led away to a bath shortly after the doctor had declared them both sound... headed away in the direction of the woman…of his wife.

They were together right now.

Hildegarde's imagination tortured her. They were in a tent like this one,

on a soft bed, he was taking her into his arms….

No. She wouldn't think it.

If he was happy, if he was safe, then she would be happy too.

She had known that this day would come- she had simply prayed that it would not come so soon. She had expected to be better prepared.

Shivering miserably in the smooth, unfamiliar garment that she had been

provided, Hildegarde stepped toward the bed and tried to settle down. She

realized, for the first time, that they had never planned what would happen

to her when she arrived at the camp. Was she a prisoner? Would she be sent

away? Would she be enslaved….All of the possibilities scrolled through her

mind, but none of them conjured fear enough to help her forget what had

already happened.

Match was gone.

Only Maximus remained.

Antonia collapsed on her bed, burying her face in the pillow to muffle

the sound of her tears. There was no need to hold them in any longer. She

was safe, at last, but with the safety had come an end to all her dreams.

Marcus Aurelius was sending her home and, even worse, Quintus was happy that she would be gone.

She sniffled miserably, thinking back to the serious look on her face

before her uncle had joined them for dinner. "You asked me what I regretted"…he had said. He was going to tell her that he regretted the things that he had said to her….what they had done...maybe it was a blessing Caesar had interrupted him, so she had not be forced to hear them. Antonia curled in her bed and tried to sleep but something prevented her from doing so...After a while she realized she was missing the feeling of Quintus' arm around her waist and the warmth of his chest pressed against her back. The tears became a flood.

On the otherside of the Praetorium another person was trying to rest without success. Maximus' mind was fevered as he thought about all that happened to him in just a few short weeks. Now he remembered everything, from the ambush in which he had been wounded to his escape that morning and confusion, shame, pain, and frustration were roiling within him.

Once more his thoughts returned to Hildegarde and he groaned aloud. It was too soon for him to rationalize what had occurred, but he was sure of one thing: there had been much more than lust among them. That certainty was breaking his heart.

Maximus closed his eyes and Hildegarde's image appeared. He remembered how frightened she had looked when they had separated after the doctor's visit.....She must be terrified to be all alone in a foreign place.

"I must go to see how she is." Maximus got up from his bed and called,

"Cicero!"

"General?" replied the manservant poking his head in the room.

"There did they take Hildegarde?"

"She is in one of the guest rooms, on the left side of the Praetorium."

"Thank you. I am going there now. If I am needed, you know where I am."

"Yes, Sir."

Maximus left the room and walked along the hallways of the Praetorium,

looking in all the tents reserved for guests until he found the one which hosted Hildegarde. He stopped and took a deep breath before stepping inside.

Hildegarde jumped on her feet when she saw the Roman soldier enter and her breath caught in her throat as she realized who he was.

"Mat...Maximus," she whispered, regarding him with a misture of awe and fear. His hair had been cropped short, his beard was again well trimmed. He was wearing his blood-red tunic with a leather cuirass on. To Hildegarde's eyes, he seemed familiar and foreign at the same time. She looked away. Something inside told her he had regained his memory and she could not bear to read rage or pity in his eyes.

Maximus walked near the woman and took her hand gently raising it to his lips.

Hildegarde's head snapped up she met his eyes. In them, she read confusion and sadness, but not rage or hate.

They each stayed silent for several long moments until she said at last, "You remember everything, don't you?"

Maximus nodded, "Yes."

Hildegarde bit her lower lip, "You are married......" It was formulated

like a sentence but in reality it was a question. A question to which the woman hoped agaist all odds he would answer 'no'.

"Yes....I am married." Maximus said slowly continuing to look her. There were so many things that he wanted to say, so many things he needed to say, but he was still conflicted, and so he kept his feeling tucked inside.

"To Selene....She is a beautiful woman...." Hildegarde lowered her eyes.

"How do you know her name? How do you know what she looks like?"

"You called her name in one of your nightmares.....as for her looks- I have seen her often in these last few days." Hildegarde tried to add a bit of humor to her voice but failed miserably.

"In the last few days?" Maximus was puzzled. When he finally understood he smiled slightly, "That woman is not my wife. Her name is Antonia."

"Oh." Hildegarde sounded defeated and she turned her head away.

Realization stuck Maximus, "You freed her because you believed she was my wife..." He whispered in awe, touched by her supreme act of love.

The young German nodded and found the courage to look in his eyes again, "I had always known our time together was a stolen season...I....I could stand to see you go away but I could not bear to see hate in your gaze..." Tears

began to run along her cheeks and Maximus pulled her against his chest, fighting -- and losing - a battle to keep his own emotions in check. .

The pair was still wrapped in each other arms when Valerius poked his head inside the tent and cleared his throat gently calling, "General?"

Maximus and Hildegarde separated at once, and Valerius lowered his eyes to give his commander the time to compose himself and brush away the moisture that streaked his cheeks.

"Yes?" Asked Maximus, relieved his voice sounded normal.

"We have news about the Germans.....and it is not good. Legatus Clarus said I should inform you."

"All right. Call a meeting in the briefing room. I will arrive at once."

"Yes General." Valerius nodded, and walked away.

Once more alone, Maximus switched back to the Quadi language and said, "I must go to attend a meeting. I will be back later, all right?"

Hildegarde nodded.

"Try to rest a bit, " he advised, "The time will pass more quickly."

The young woman nodded again and after a final glace Maximus left her.

Quintus milled with the other officers in the Praetorium, aware that their eyes were looking at him curiously- remembering the wild-haired, scraggly bearded man they had rescued just a few hours before, and wondering about the ordeal he had undergone amidst the Quadi. The legatus disappointed their hopes. He was not in the mood to talk. He was in the mood to think. He hoped that the meeting went quickly.

He had almost said it. Quintus felt his jaw tighten in frustration at the realization of just how close he had been to telling Antonia how he felt once and for all. He was tired of interruptions, and tired of wondering if she felt the same...Surely after all they had been through together there was at least hope.

Or was there?

Antonia had seemed so different at dinner. Wrapped in her smooth silk, her wild curls subjugated beneath a golden tiara, she seemed once again like the princess who had arrived from Rome. She had sat through dinner quietly, barely able to reach his eyes....

"General."

Quintus looked up as the calls of the other men announced Maximus' return to the room.

"Gentlemen." The Spaniard answered sternly.

Clearly, Maximus had changed as well. This time, however, the transformation was welcome. He remembers. Quintus though with a wave of relief. He shared a look with Valerius, and then the lower officer began to speak.

"Sir, the situation with the tribes has become desperate during the weeks that you were gone. As our scouts reported, the Marcomanni have been moving up along the river recruiting allies for a strike. We believe that their object was the supply depot set to leave for Vindobona but, with your disappearance and the snow, those plans were delayed."

The commander nodded as Valerius continued. "Several of our orders were lost in the raid where you …went missing." He said slowly, not sure if the whispered tales about the nature of the man's disappearance were rumor or fact. "Included in the orders captured by the enemy was sensitive information concerning troop strength, both here and in the south , as well as a tactical assesment of the fort. Obviously, we've changed what we can, but it would be best to take decisive measures before the enemy has time to develop a comprehensive plan."

"An offensive attack?" Maximus asked, distantly.

"Yes sir. That is what the emperor proposes."

Maximus nodded slowly, looking at the map before him, and then perusing a list of the documents that had been intercepted.

"There....there is one more thing, sir."

"Yes?"

"The village of the Brown Bear...the tribesmen who...who had you, sir. They claim that we are holding one of their women prisoner and that if we do not release her, they will attack."

The last sentence bought a snicker from all the assembled men, save two. Maximus' expression darkened like a threatening cloud, and Quintus' lips were firmly neutral. He watched his commander's expression carefully. Only a few hours ago, Maximus had been one of them. He could accept, as easily as the other men, that the little band of barbarians would be no threat on their own- but he didn't want to crush them just because they could.

"Why risk the annoyance?" Quintus said quickly, hoping to cover Maximus' lapse. "Facing the Germans here will delay our move to the North, and could fatigue the men. We will simply send the girl back."

"No." Maximus said quickly.

The men stared.

"The girl stays." Maximus said darkly, and then he strode quickly from the room.

Quintus felt nervousness gnaw at the pit of his stomach. The general's memory had returned- but not everything was back to normal. He had never known a husband as dedicated as his friend. He knew that the man had not foresaken Selene....but perhaps the barbarian girl meant more to him than the Legatus had first suspected...perhaps she was not just a warm body to lie against in the night. Clarus felt a pang of sympathy for his friend. He had only recently discovered what real love was like, but he already understood that along with the pleasure, came a new capacity for pain.

"What are you staring at?" Quintus snapped at the slack-lawed lieutenants who milled about. "You're dismissed. The general will deal with the German."

Quintus ducked out of the meeting room and headed back through the Praetorium. It was too early to sleep, too late for lunch, and not yet time to begin preparing for battle. He would be alone with his thoughts for the long afternoon. Sighing at the prospect, he stopped in front of the hallway which led to the imperial quarters.

Antonia.

She was so close. Perhaps he could go to see her for just a moment. She had at least seemed willing to be his friend. Even that much would be better than the misery he felt at the prospect of never seeing her again.

"I'm sorry, sir." The serving girl who sat outside Antonia's chamber said quickly, rising to her feet as she saw the legatus approach. "My lady is sleeping...perhaps you could return later?"

Quintus frowned. Had Antonia instructed the girl to say that? To send him away? He started to back off, and then, barely believed his ears as he said smoothly: "I'm sorry, it's important business.", and breezed into the room, leaving the shocked servant staring after him.

The attendant hadn't lied. Antonia was asleep. She was curled around one of the cushions, holding it tightly to her chest. Fresh tears were drying on her cheeks.

"Antonia?" Quintus moved forward and tenderly brushed the dampness away. He cringed as the girl awakened with a start. Her sleep-softened features betrayed confusion for a moment, and then she smiled.

"Quintus." The happiness in her face made his heartbeat quicken. She was pleased to see him after all!

Friendly. Calm. Professional. Quintus' inner voice had coached him on how to behave, but in her presence, the careful instructions were ignored.

"Wh-why are you here?"

"I came to say goodbye.*

Like the snuffing of a candle, the light in her face was gone. "Goodbye?"

"Yes. The armies are marching North to engage the Germans. I will leave tomorrow before dawn. When I return...."

"I will be gone."

He nodded.

"To Rome." Antonia said miserably. "To another hateful husband." Her chin quivered defiantly.

Quintus forced a smile he did not feel. "Now Antonia, they cannot all be hateful."

Antonia bit her lip. "Only one would not be hateful to me...." the Legatus held his breath. Only one? Had she decided on a man then? Had there never been hope for him at all?

Antonia looked miserably at her hands, then hugged them around her knees before finishing in a strangled voice. "...and he is going away."

Quintus felt as though the world had stopped. Was it possible that she meant him? No. She was speaking of Maximus, or.....

"Oh, Quintus!" Antonia's voice interrupted his thoughts."If only want to be my friend then tell me now. In spite of my best intentions, I have fallen in love with you all over again, and I don't want to have to walk in on you with a camp follower find out how you feel."

"You-?"

This was what he had hoped to hear. No, it was better than what he had hoped to hear, but still the soldier barely believed what he had heard. His mouth opened and closed a dozen times, searching for the words to express his reaction, but he found none. Finally, frustrated, he gave his body leave to express what his mind could not, gathering her into his arms and burying her beneath a passionate kiss.

It was several moments before they pulled away, both of them breathless and smiling. Antonia moved forward to kiss him again, but Quintus stopped her. Simply holding her had begun to rekindle his longing for what they had shared on the floor of the German hut. This was neither the time, nor the place for such pleasures.

"Patience..." he whispered against her hair, admonishing himself, more than his lover. "Soon...." He pulled the woman to his chest, stroking her hair gently.

"Oh, I wish you didn't have to go away...."

"But I do- and you do as well."

"Me! But I thought-?"

Quintus laughed. "Careful, Antonia. I will think that you are using my poor heart only to secure more horserides in the woods." He kissed her forehead. "Caesar is quite right. It is not safe for you here, and you must go to Vindobona. I promise to come for you soon."

"How soon?"

"Two months....perhaps three. Maybe by then I will think of a way to convince the emperor to give his niece to a poor soldier whose family isn't even in the senate."

Antonia frowned. "Oh, Quintus. He won't think of you that way- not if I am in love with you." She smiled softly. "Your family is rich, even if the money does come by trade- and I am patrician enough for the both of us." She smiled for a moment, and then blushed, realising that her typically frank speech could be taken as an insult.

The legatus laughed aloud again. "Oh, Antonia. I am glad that you have returned to army life- even 12 years in a palace could not tame your tongue." Seeing that she was more chastened then he intended, he kissed her tenderly again. "Rest now. Valerius and the Praetorians will take you away tomorrow morning, and I will come for you sooner than you think."

"Hurry." She begged, lowering her head sleepily toward the pillows again.

Quintus smiled. "I promise."

Maximus walked quickly thorough the Praetorium and headed back to Hildegarde's tent. He entered slowly and found her curled in a tight ball on the bed. His heart constricted upon seeing how fragile she looked. She had always seemed strong, determined and bold in the time they spent together but now she looked so small, so lost in the too large tunic they had given to her. He wanted to embrace her and tell her everything was fine, but he respected her too much to lie. He had never lied to Selene and he would no do so to Hildegarde now.

Maximus kelt near the bed and gently caressed the girl's cheek. Hildegarde awoke immediately and sat up, looking scared until she recognized his face. She smiled shyly to him and Maximus did the same.

"We must talk," he said quietly in Quadi.

Hildegarde nodded mutely, dreading his next words.

Maximus sat on the bed near her, a discreet distance between their bodies.

"As you know, I have been in a meeting with my people and I have been informed that your tribe threaten to attack this camp if we don't give you back to them."

"Me?" Hildegarde was surprised. Her people, who treated her like an outcast, wanted to risk an almost sure certain against the Romans for her?

"Yes, they think we are holding you as a hostage." Maximus smiled slightly. "I imagine that Godeoc has something to do with their decision…"

"But I am not a prisoner...?"

"Of course not!"

"What did your men reply to my tribe?"

"Nothing, yet." Maximus sighed and then added, "My men wanted to give you back to your people but I....I..said no."

"Why?"

"I…I am not certain....I need time to sort out my feelings. You see, Match did not have Maximus' memories, but Maximus remembers everything Match did, or said… or felt." His look pleaded with her to understand.

"We can talk tomorrow or the next day....I will return to my tribe so they will retire and then came back here. We can meet near the lake where you take your foal to graze." Hildegarde looked at the general expectantly.

"It is not that simple....I will leave tomorrow for the north. Other tribes

are attacking our forts and I am needed there. It may take many months before I

return here." Maximus shook his head.

Hildegarde inhaled deeply.....Months. She did not like the sound of that

word but she knew she had no choice. For the good of her mother, of Godeoc

and the rest of her village, she had to go back. She had a duty to do, just as

Maximus had his.

"I will wait for you, Maximus. When you return, send a messager to my

village. Tell him to go to my rock near the stream and leave a piece of

red wool. I promise to visit the rock everyday and to meet you by the lake

the day after the discovery of the signal." Hildegarde fell silent and waited

for his answer.

Maximus considered her words carefully and then nodded. She was right: the war against her village had to be avoided and it was better for her to wait

for him among her people than alone in the castrum. "All right, we will do

as you wish. I will escort you home at once." He rose on his feet and

reached out a hand.

"No!" Hildegarde stood up, "They must not see you! They must not know you are a Roman!" she spoke with such vehemence that Maximus was shocked.

"You are ashamed of what I am?" He murmured turning his head away.

"No! I am proud to love you! But you have seen how I live… and how stubborn my people are......"

"It's all right, I understand." Maximus looked at his hands, "So this is a

goodbye...."

"Yes..."

"Valerius -- the big man who found us this morning --will escort you to the gates..."

Hildegarde nodded silently, her green eyes lost in Maximus' blue ones.

Almost without being aware of it they slipped in each other arms once more and hugged tightly. Maximus found her lips for goodbye kiss but passion took control of their bodies and then they separated they were both breathing heavily.

"Hildegarde....I...."

She stopped him by placing her finger across his lips. "We will talk later. Now go and send your man Valerius here.....I am sure my people are getting

nervous."

Maximus felt his heart constrict at her forced show of bravery, but he knew he had to go quickly lest they began to cry again. And so, with a final look and a deep bow, he left the tent and went to fetch Valerius.

"Good morning, uncle." Antonia said cheerily as she drifted into the little room where they shared their breakfast. "How did you rest?"

"Very well." Caesar said, arching an eyebrow. They had been at Augusta Vindelicorum for more than two and a half months, but Antonia's behavior continued to astonish him. He had expected her to howl in protest when he announced that they were withdrawing to the more civilized- the term used loosely- existence of the frontier town while the Felix Legions battled in the north. Instead, she had been a perfect lady, smiling almost every time that he saw her, and acting the part of a princess nearly as well as Lucilla. Caesar suspected that her brush with the Barbarians had made the girl more appreciative of her easy life.

Then again, perhaps it was something else.

"Antonia, you are smiling like a woman in love." He said tentatively. By the time that his niece had reappeared from the woods- tanned, and covered in mud- he had surrendered any hope of allying her to the general. They seemed barely to glance at each other during the last, quiet meal that they shared before the legions departure. But since that time- what a change had come over the girl! She could talk of nothing but the legion's return, voicing a constant, and particular interest in the welfare of the officers.

Antonia did not respond to his tease. She merely smiled crypitically and asked "Any news from the front today?", as though she were reading her uncle's mind and responding on cue.

The Emperor shook his head. "No news. The legions are marching South again now. I doubt they will send any more reports before their arrival."

"South!" it was impossible to overlook the sudden bloom of color that rose to the girls cheeks. "Will they be back soon?"

"Another week."

Antonia smiled mysteriously. "Another week." She repeated, dropping the little piece of honeyed bread she had been about to eat and losing herself in daydreams.

The emperor sighed. "Antonia, what is it that you are hiding. I have known you many years, and I have never seen you carrying on as you are now..."

"Carrying on?"

"Yes- smiling, laughing....singing yesterday afternoon while you were walking through the halls."

Antonia blushed. "I'm merely happy, uncle."

He gave her a look of disbelief. "About anything particular?"

The flush merely deepened.

"Anyone?"

Antonia bit her lip, and the smile intensified. "Perhaps." She said equivocally.

The emperor felt a smile form on his own lips.

"Oh?" he took a bite of his food, keeping his eyes carefully trained on his niece's face. "Someone in the legions, I take it..." he said, trying to keep the comment offhand. "An officer?"

"Well....." the girl squirmed under his scrutiny, finally settling on her usual reply. "Perhaps."

Marcus Aurelius felt a surge of excitement as the pieces fell into place at last. His plan hadn't failed after all- it was merely delayed.

"I am happy to hear that." He said earnestly. "I was worried about you, my dear. You have been so lonely...and you deserve happiness this time around, I think." added, referring to her former marriage. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Antonia looked at her lap. "I was afraid that you wouldn't approve."

"Not approve?" Caesar's face was all astonishment. "How could I not approve? An officer of my finest regiment?"

"But his family...."

"Now, now...." her uncle gave her an encouraging glance. "That is nothing to worry about! There are plenty of new men who rise to prominence in the army...think of Gaius Marius...Vespasian...." He grinned, "Even, to a degree, myself. You won't have any trouble from me, my dear- and his family can hardly object."

"No." She said softly, taking up the piece of bread again. "I guess not."

"I wondered why you had such a transformation after our return- but my dear, before you dissappeared, I had not idea that you liked him at all. You always seemed so awkward around him."

"A....childhood spat." Antonia said quickly. "Nothing more. We have resolved it now. After being in the camp....things were so...different..." her tone was dreamy.

Marcus Aurelius nodded, satisfied with the explanation. "Well, congratulations, my dear. I wish you all the best."

"Thank you, uncle." Antonia said.

Her smile increased again.

Maximus Deciums Meridas' feelings could not possibly have been more different than Antonia's as he led the column of tired legionnaires south again from Castra Regina. They had marched for two straight weeks, fought for another five, and were marching again. Each man was bone weary and grateful that they were almost home. Only their general missed the turmoil and rigor of battle- at least it had distracted him- numbed him from his pain.

He loved Selene.

He loved Hildegarde, but his wife held the prior claim.

There was no way to sort things fairly in his heart, and so he resorted to the law- to abstract, impersonal rules in the hopes that they would convince him that the decision that the had made was just. He had gotten a letter from Selene just before leaving for the front. She had told him about the house, the harvest, their son....the love that he felt for her had returned twofold, and he felt more torn than ever.

He would go home to Hispania as soon as possible. Quintus had mentioned returning to Rome, but maybe, if he explained the situation, his friend's plans could be delayed. The legatus didn't have a family to miss. Maximus felt, suddenly, as though he were on the verge of losing his.

He had to choose.

Hildegarde, or Selene.

The news of the legions' return arrived to Antonia through her chief maid. The old woman was a rounded, affectionate creature who had been in her service for many years and who know her mistress very well, being the only one to know fully about the man who had stolen her mistress's heart.

The servant arrived in the room and forgetting her manners she called, "My Lady, he is home!"

Antonia raised her head from the book she was reading and asked, "What?"

"Your soldier, my Lady, he is back!"

"Quintus?!" Antonia jumped to her feet, her heart racing.

"Yes, the officers have just crossed the gates! He will be here in the Praetorium soon!"

"Oh my! I have to get ready! I am a mess! The legions weren't expected until tomorrow! Oh Gods! Flaminia take out my blue dress! Pomponia, prepare a bath! Clodia you must…."

Antonia's frantic preparations were interrupted by a teasing voice from the doorway, "I hope that I am the cause all this haste!"

Antonia turned around and saw Quintus at the threshold to her chamber. He was wearing a pristinely clean uniform, with his helmet tucked under his arm. She stared at him open mouthed and then said slowly, "You don't look like a man who has been marching for two weeks."

Quintus smiled and stepped inside, walking to her. "I wanted to see you as soon as I arrived so I took my time this morning in my bath. I was almost left behind!"

They stared at each other, so happy to be together that words were not necessary. In the end they fell in each other arms and lost themselves in their private world, as Antonia's servants slipped quietly out of the tent.

"Did you miss me?" Quintus asked after a while.

"Yes....and you?"

"I thought about you every day. But my longing was compensated by knowing you were safe here."

"Instead I spent my days worrying about you....." Antonia kissed his cheek and then touched his back, almost as if she wanted to be certain that he was all right."

"I am sorry my love, but now it is over. How was life here?"

"Usually quite boring.....Except for the time that I spent with my uncle preparing the ground for you to ask him for my hand...."

"Oh?!" Quintus frowned sharply. "And did we decide that we were going to marry? I don't remember having spoken of it..." Quintus sounded so serious that for a moment Antonia felt her heart skip a beat. Then a teasing smile appeared on his face.

"YOU!!!" Antonia shouted in ourtage, and Quintus burst into laughter.

"I think, soldier, that is time for you to declare your true intentions!"

"Hmm....you are a little too bossy for my taste......but I love you all the same." Quintus feigned a resigned sigh and then asked, "So, general, what are your terms? May I stand or I must go down on my knees?"

"On your knees, of course." Antonia replied, an impertinent grin upon her lips.

"I see...no pity for my poor, battle-weary old body. " the legatus grumbled as he took his position on the floor in front of the young woman. Quintus took Antonia's hand and raised his eyes to meet hers. Any trace of teasing had melted from his features. Only love and determination remained. "My Lady Antonia Claudia, " he began, "I ask you to grant me the great honor of becoming your husband."

Antonia's eyes shined with happiness as she knelt in front of him and replied, "And I ask you for the honor of becoming your wife, Quintus Clarus."

Quintus nodded, a radiant smile slowly spreading on his face. Antonia did the same. With a cry they threw their arms around each other and began to laugh and cry at the same time, their hearts overhelmed with joy.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Antonia told Quintus that her uncle was ready to hear his proposal- that he expected it, and urged him to obtain permission as soon as possible. She had waited long enough while the armies marched throughout the north. She wanted to spend the rest of the winter curled up where she belonged- in Legatus Clarus' arms.

"Did you ask him?" She whispered as they arrived together for dinner. She had hinted to her uncle earlier to 'expect a meeting' with one of the officers that afternoon, and she was anxious to learn how the interview had gone.

"Not yet." He answered in an equally low voice. "I didn't have a chance to find him alone....He was holed up with Maximus almost all day..." He squeezed her hand. "Soon...."

They drifted apart as they entered the dining chamber, Quintus ignoring Antonia's exasperated sigh. The room was filled nearly to capacity. Augusta Vindelicorum was more secure than the little castrum where they had been before. There were civilian farms and businesses scattered along the frontier. In addition to the officers, nearly every person within a three hour drive had been invited to welcome the legions home.

"Ah, Antonia! You look lovely, as usual." The emperor rose his eyes to his relative and gestured for her to take a seat facing his couch- and facing General Maximus as well. "Legatus." He nodded his head, giving Quintus only a fraction of a second of attention before returning his gaze to his spanish general.

"Perhaps, now that Antonia is back , we will be able to wipe that frown from your face, Maximus." Caesar said, with a grin. "Antonia has certainly been happy since your return from the woods..."

Maximus only nodded, his expression, if anything, darkening. Antonia noticed the look, and felt sorry for the poor General. It was unfair that she had been made so happy by the very events that had rendered her friend devastated. Quintus himself had explained the circumstances surrounding the German girl who had helped them home- he told her that, while his memories were suppressed- Maximus had been taken in by the lonely healer and nursed to health, that he had fallen in love with her...but when his memories returned, he found that he was still in love with Selene as well. He was doing the honorable thing, Antonia decided. The German girl had to know the risk she was taking- had to realize that there was no way that two people from such different worlds could ever be together even if their situations were different...but, of course, that could hardly dull their pain.

"...and Antonia has given me reason to suspect that there will be a happy announcement shortly..." the ruler continued, a grin upon his face.

"Uncle!"Antonia's eyes widened. If Quintus hadn't spoken to him yet, then he wasn't ready for the news to be public.

Again, the general only bobbed his head.

"You don't want to wait too long..." Marcus Aurelius cautioned. "Strike while the iron is hot, isn't that what they say?"

Maximus dropped his head. "Forgive me, Caesar, I'm sorry if I'm being impolite. I don't....feel well.....tired..." he mumbled.

The emperor's expression faded, and he gave Antonia a look of concern.

"He will be fine." She said quietly.

"Is anything wrong?" Caesar whispered back as the General looked away.

"Oh, no. He has just had some.....personal struggles....his wife...." She was intentionally vague, unaware of how much Caesar had been told.

"Oh, of course." The emperor nodded his head sensibly and then said in a normal tone. "You're a very honorable man to care about your wife and son, but surely you know

that I will take care of them."

"Take care of them, Caesar?" the expression on Maximus' face turned abruptly from sadness to confusion.

"Yes, money, shelter, a new husband....they will be fine..."

"A new...a new husband?" Maximus swallowed painfully. "I don't understand, Caesar."

"Well, you can't expect her to pine after you forever when you've moved on to a new love. That's hardly fair."

"Caesar I'm...I'm not..." Maximus sat up on the couch, his spine stiffening. Antonia watched the display with surprise. It wasn't like her uncle to be so involved in the personal lives of his officers- and it was certainly out of character to be mean...she was surprised anyone had even mentioned the German to her uncle. And, to suggest that Maximus would leave his wife....

"You needn't be defensive!" The emperor said harshly, his own expression betraying surprise at the Spaniard's reaction. "All I'm saying is, after the divorce, arrangements will have to be made."

"I am NOT going to divorce my wife."

The general was angry now- smart enough not to lose his temper with the emperor, but the color was clearly showing in his face.

"NOT GOING TO DIVORCE YOUR WIFE?" Marcus Aurelius thundered. Antonia felt a sense of foreboding as, around them, the entire tent fell silent. "Then how, PRAY TELL, do you think that you are going to marry my niece?"

Antonia stared.

Maximus blinked, not really knowing what to say. When he had recovered from the moment of shock, he looked in disbelief from the face of Marcus Aurelius to Antonia. "Your-your niece?" he asked at last in a very small voice.

"Yes!" Marcus Aurelius said indignantly. "My niece. She told me how things hadvebecome between you. Don't think I can't guess what happened while the pair of you were off gallivanting through the woods, and if you think...."

"Oh, Gods." Antonia whispered under her voice. At last, she could see what had happened. Her uncle had never understood the true object of her affections. He was still intent on marrying her to Maximus!

"Uncle!" She said, standing up and cutting off his rant. "Please stop! Maximus never promised to marry me. You're...." She waved her hands helplessly, painfully aware that every eye in the tent was trained on her, and unable to conjure the words to say.

"What do you mean, he was never going to marry you? You me last week...."

"I was speaking of Quintus!" She said wishing that she could melt into the floor.

"Quintus? Quintus CLARUS?" The look on Caesar's face was dumbfounded. "You aren't serious!"

"Yes, uncle- I am.."

The emperor made another sound of frustration and then he glared at each party in turn. First Antonia, then Maximus, and finally, Quintus.

"Well," he said at last. "Perhaps I am not as hungry as I thought."

The tent was perfectly quiet as the emperor, embarrassed and confused, swept from the dinner chamber.

"Well..." It was Quintus' voice that broke the silence. "That certainly went well..."

The rest of the meal passed very awkwardly. Antonia's face looked as though all hope had died, and Quintus wished that he could reassure her. He felt certain that the emperor's statements had merely been bluster to hide his embarassment- and not an indication that he would withold his permission for the match. Still, she looked so desolate, that he resolved to clear the misunderstanding immediately after dinner.

In spite of his confidence, he was surprised when Caesar agreed to see him immediately.

"I'm glad you've come." The old man said tiredly. "I was about to send for you..."

"Caesar, I-"

The Emperor raised his hand, and Quintus obediantly fell silent. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean to imply that you were unsuitable for my niece merely...not what I expected." The emperor managed a tired grin. "I am spoiled, Legatus- too used to issuing orders and expecting them to be followed. It never occurred to me that Antonia would fall in love on her own."

Quintus nodded his head.

"You do love her, then?"

"Yes, sire. Very much."

"She deserves it...I am sure that you deserve it too." He turned away. "Poor Maximus..." he added almost as an afterthought. "I only heard the full story just now...what a shock he must have had!" The emperor smiled, and then sighed. "But it is over now."

"Yes."

Marcus Aurelius straighted his posture to one which indicated that the preliminary banter was concluded. "In any event, I understand that you want to marry my niece."

"Yes."

"Soon?"

"As soon as I can return to Rome, sire. As you know, my father is still living, and I will require his permission."

"Do you doubt that he will give it?"

Quintus grinned at the absurdity of the question. "How could he?" Then, his expression darkend. "Caesar, you don?t think that I am asking just to associate my family with...."

The emperor shrugged. "Young men have done worse., and I had to ask. Antonia is my responsibility, and I want to do well for her....and I think that you will do very nicely." Looking tired, Caesar settled into a chair, lifting a glass of wine to his lips. "Since you do not think

that your father will object, I am free to bestow my wedding present upon you now."

"Caesar?"

"A quick wedding....that is what Antonia wants, it is not?"

Quintus nodded.

"And what you want?" The old man waited for a nod, then continued. "I am Pontifex Maximus, the highest priest in all of Rome, I think that I have enough authority to perform the ceremony. Tell Antonia to name the day."

Quintus smiled. "I shall..." his lips curled upward on the end. "But I should warn you, Sire, I am fairly certain that she will name tomorrow!"

In the end, Antonia was persuaded to wait a week. Marcus Aurelius remarked to himself that Quintus and Antonia formed one of the happiest couples he had seen. He had misjudged them both from the start- thinking Antonia too impulsive, and Clarus too cautious, to ever find love.

EPILOGUE

"Advice is judged by its results, not intentions..." the Emperor paraphrased Marcus Tullius Cicero, while Maximus smiled indulgently. "And by that standard, I have failed miserably. I shall never play matchmaker again."

They were both looking to the central yard of the Praetorium where Quintus was about to scoop Antonia in his arms to enter the flower-strewn tent where they would spend the first night of their marriage. A lot of officers, some of them slightly drunk, were gathered around the couple offering bawdy advice and suggestions. However, in deference of the Emperor's presence and Antonia's status as his niece, nobody sang the infamous obscene song that often accompanied the final part of the marriage cerimonies. Marcus Aurelius and Maximus added their voices to the well-wishing chorus which followed the couple's retreat and then walked back to the Emperor's private study.

"So, all is well what end well." Caesar commented, indicating that Maximus should sit down. "It was not exactly what I hoped when I asked Antonia to accompany me here, but I am happy anyway for the result. "

"Quintus is a good man and he loves Antonia very much. They are made for each other."

Marcus Aurelius nodded slowly, "Yes." Then he tilted his head on the side and studying his generals face added softly, "You seem tired to me, Maximus."

The younger man sighed, "I am tired, Sir. And I need to relax....but it is not easy to do so on the frontier."

"So why don't you go home for a couple of months? After the last heavy

defeat you inflicted to them, the tribes are bound to stay quiet for a whiles, and Valerius should be able to take care of the every-day problems."

Maximus smiled faintly, "Thank you Caesar. I really appreciate your offer. With your permission I would like to leave tomorrow."

The emperor frowned. "So soon? But you've only got here...surely, some

rest-"

"Now, Caesar- I need to stop to our camp near Noricum before going home. I didn't get a chance to inspect matters before we left for the North, and I have some ....unfinished business there." His voice faltered at the end.

"I see." The emperor gave Maximus a searching look. "Then go....and

Maximus?"

"Sire?"

"Good luck....I do not envy you."

Maximus paced back and forth along the lake -shore near the camp, still waiting for Hildegarde. He was beginning to wonder if she intended to do so.

Three days had passed since he had put the piece of red wool near her rock and he had spent them all beside the lake, blind to the perplexed stares of his men. In the beginning he had thought something might had happened to her but a feeling in his soul advised otherwise. Hildegarde was all right and if she she failed to appear, it was because she chose to do so. Maximus felt his heart twinge in his chest, pulled apart by jealousy, sadness and....relief.

During his solitary ride from Vindobona he had pondered and pondered again over his feelings but as hard as he tried he had not be able to reach a decision. How was it possible choose between Selene and Hildegarde? He loved both of them.....

Maximus sat on a rock and lost himself in contemplation of the lake, his head lowered in desperation.

A week later Maximus left the camp and headed home to Hispania. Hildegarde had never appeared. Finally he had accepted the fact that once again she was the stronger between them. She had decided to spare him the grief of making a decision and to bearing its terrible weight. Before leaving, Maximus turned around a last time and blew a kiss in the direction of Hildegarde's village.

"Goodbye, my love. May the Gods always protect you." he whispered in the cold, pine-tree scented, winter air before kicking hard Argento's flanks and galop away.

Hidden by the bushes Hildegarde watched Maximus disappear from her view and from her her life for the last time. Warm tears flooded her eyes. She had spent the last ten days watching the general from afar, seeing how lonely, disperate and troubled he looked as he stayed by the lake. Her decision to remain hidden had not come easily for her but, in the end, she felt that it had been the only one she could make. She knew he could not live in her world and that she could not remain in his. There was also his wife, his Selene, whom he had called for even when he did not remember anything of his life.

A hand gently touched the German girl's shoulder, urging her to turn away. "You did the right thing, my daughter, for him and for you. And I am sure Match knows it. Now come home, you will take a chill standing here." Rodelind's voice was soft and kind and the young woman nodded.

Hildegarde stood up slowly, balancing her body with a bit of difficulty. She put her hand on her growing belly and caressed it tenderly. A little smile appeared on her lips, as she took comfort from the notion that even if Match was gone, a part of him would remain forever.

"I will never forget you." She whispered beneath her breath.

With one last glance in the direction of the lake, Hildegarde took her mother's hand. Together, they began the trip for home.

THE END