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Chapter 9
Wall Life
Lucilla stood in the hall taking a few deep breaths trying to calm herself. Marcus had a way of scaring her to the bone and then walking away leaving Lucilla to ponder when it would be next that he would last out. As it was, she had only been at the wall a few days and each day she did something that displeased her husband. Perhaps this marriage was not the best idea she had.
"You all right?" A now familiar voice asked her.
"Yes." She said to the scout.
"You don't seem it." He looked deep into her eyes, something that made the Senator's daughter quite uncomfortable.
"Well I am; thank you for your concern." Lucilla told him, taking her leave.
Walking back outside to the tavern she found Gaius waiting for her. He seemed more awake than he was this morning, but also a bit more drunk. No doubt thanks in large part to the mug of ale he had in his left hand. He seemed to be dazed off, looking at the tall, blond barmaid. He quickly turned his attention to Lucilla.
"Good evening Lady." He said kindly to her.
"And to you as well; I'm going to take me leave."
"I'll escort you back to your room."
"No. It is not necessary, I'm sure I can find my way back."
Lucilla turned and walked to her end of the barracks. She was happy to say that she was able to find her room with little problem. Closing the door behind her she took the time to clean herself up. Taking off the makeup she had been wearing and releasing her hair, she looked more natural than a British Queen. The natural brown curls lay across her back. The olive branch hair clip she put next to her brush.
Putting on her fur rob there came a loud knocking on the door. Opening the door she was surprised to see Marcus, Gaius, Arthur, and Lancelot along with the Woad they had captured this morning. Looking to all five men no one seemed to want to speak.
"Yes?" Lucilla finally asked.
"General Marcus here says you know healing herbs." Gaius finally spoke.
"A few. Most women in Rome do."
"He has some bruises, can you tend to them?" Gaius replied.
"Yes." Lucilla answered. The five men walked in, and Lucilla pointed to a few chairs near the hearth for them to sit.
"I'll be back later." Marcus suddenly said, "Gaius, with me." The young Captain followed his General out the door closing it behind them.
"This'll make for some better conversation." Lancelot said once they were gone.
Lucilla brought over a few herbs she had brought from Rome, they were a bit old but she hoped they would still work, even if they took a bit longer.
"Now where are these bruises?" Lucilla asked as she sat down next to the Woad. He just looked deep into her eyes; he was obviously a defeated man.
"Where ever Marcus smacked him." Lancelot replied.
There were a few bruises on the boy's stomach and a few on his back. In the open wounds she put some Fever's Foe to help protect him against infection. On the mere bruises she put some Lilac Blossom in order to stop the bruise from swelling.
"What is your name?" Lucilla questioned the boy.
He looked at her delicately working and cautiously responded. "Murig."
"That is a lovely name," the Lady told him.
"You are the Lady Lucilla, the pride of Rome?" His heavy accent seemed to say Rome as if it was a curse. Only nodding the boy continued. "What think you of Britain?"
"It is a country of mystery. Mysteries I hope to try and discover."
The boy remained silent the rest of the night.
Lancelot and Arthur watched her as her graceful fingers moved quickly around the wounds of the Woad. How could it be that a beauty from Rome also knew how to heal? The country of Rome grew more confusing by the moment.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Lancelot outwardly questioned.
It caught Lucilla bit off guard to have someone question her skill. Most people would not look twice at her skills but for some reason these knights did.
"Every woman raised in a noble home learns these traits. Their parents could only pray to the Lord Jesu their daughters would be married to a man like Marcus where these skills would come in handy… like today. I wish I had more time in learning about these things unfortunately other things came in the way of those lessons." Lucilla smiled.
"Parents praying for their children to marry men like Marcus." Arthur shook his head in disagreement.
"What else should they be praying for? These are things they have control of." Lucilla answered.
Both knights shook their heads, they obviously didn't agree with Rome. "I don't expect you to understand the teachings of the Swift Sure Hand. I understand that you are pagans."
"Only one of us…." Arthur quickly answered.
"Forgive me, I was unaware you were learned in the blessed savior. From what I was told all who served on the northern front were considered unlearned men."
"You were misinformed."
"Obviously," Lucilla chuckled as she finished up with Murig.
"Did he tell you anything?" Lucilla asked Arthur as Lancelot left with Murig.
"The few words he said here are more than he said in the hall." Arthur replied.
"Do we know why Marcus wanted him?"
"He's now Marcus' slave."
"What!" Exclaimed Lucilla.
"Marcus wants the Woads to know that any captured will be given mercy." Arthur explained.
"Mercy? Slavery is not mercy, it is a death call." Lucilla's anger was for the first time in many years boiling to the surface. If there was one thing that annoyed Lucilla it was the idea of slavery. "For years my Father has tried to pass laws against it. For men like you Arthur, slaves of the Empire. And now Marcus takes a slave for is his own."
"Can you do anything about it?" Arthur wondered.
"No. I can't." Lucilla sadly replied.
The next few days, Lucilla was pleased to say passed without incident. Vanora and Six continued to bring Lucilla the morning meal, but Six always insisted on hearing more about Rome. Everyday Lucilla told the young girl a new detail, on day it would the type of fruits sold in the market, the next day the shows in the amphitheaters. Six never grew tired of them.
Then one day she asked a strange favor. "I want a Roman name, like you Lady Lucilla."
Vanora was obviously shocked by the request but said nothing. Peering into Lucilla's eyes Vanora seemed to say 'anything Bors might approve of.'
Not wanting to give Six anything too Roman such as Valeria, Lucilla thought a moment while the small red head looked up anxiously.
Lucilla got a quick glimpse of the large book near her bed. "The only name I can think of is Helen." Lucilla replied. Both mother and daughter seemed satisfied.
"What's it mean?" Six asked.
"It means nothing, but the woman who used to bear this name is what makes it important." The girl broadly smiled. "She was a Queen of the Greek city of Sparta, but her beauty caught the eye of a Prince named Paris. Paris was a royal of Troy, a city Sparta had fought with for centuries. But her love led her away with Paris to Troy. Her husband, asked his brother, King of all Greece, to go after her and they did. So she is said to have the face that launched a thousand ships."
"Really? A thousand ships? Who told you that story?" Six wondered.
"No one told it to me, it sall written here." Lucilla lifted up a book, The Iilad. "Perhaps one day I'll read it to you."
"Oh yes thank ye!"
"Come along now Six, oh I mean Helen." Vanora smiled at the child. "Thank you." She said quietly to Lucilla as the mother and daughter left.
Before long Lucilla had all ten children asking for names and stories, but Lucilla laughed realizing she was running out of names. Surly number Seven wouldn't want the name Agamemnon. So number Two became Hector, and Three became Paris; Four became Achilles; while Five became Penelope. Six of course was Helen; while Seven stayed with Agamemnon but shortened it to Aggs. Eight wanted a soldier's name, Lucilla gave him Patroclus; Nine had the eyes of a wonderer – Odysseus and lastly Ten was a lovely little girl – Andromache. Within four days all ten had Greek names.
"Better than Roman," Bors had said to Lucilla.
For the next few weeks Marcus and Arthur continued to argue over ever move of the knights. Marcus wanted Arthur to go out and secure the northern territory, but Arthur argued that the Woad territory was exactly that – Woad territory. They would spend hours in the hall of the Round Table arguing what to do.
Usually Arthur would simply leave with the knights and protect the southern portion of the Wall. There had been a high number of Woad invasion on the eastern side of the Wall, Arthur made sure they did not pass within a league of the Wall. Quite often the knights would return to the Milecastle with blood stains and scratches, Lucilla would try and patch them up best she could, but usually they would shake her off and go drinking.
Lucilla would usually watch from her room the fun the knights would have on their evening in the tavern. She would laugh at the antics of Gawain, Galahad and Bedwyr. They were extremely vocal when a large amount of ale was consumed.
By 11 o'clock in the evening Lucilla decided it was time to rest, but it was hard with sounds of Marcus and the barmaid in the room next door.
I wasn't really sure what to write... I hope you guys liked it. Please let me know! Promise it will get better! Review, review, review!