"Did you enjoy the party?" Lucilla asked only minutes later when they were in her room, taking a few pins out of her hair.

"Immensely if your father asks, but yes, I had a good time."

"You would lie to my father?"

"I wouldn't lie. I would simply exaggerate the truth."

Lucilla chuckled and resumed her task. In the mirror, she saw Maximus get up from his spot on her bed and walk over towards her.

"Did you enjoy the party?" he asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It was all right, I suppose. All festivals seem the same to me lately."

"Becoming bored, Luci?" he teased.

"I grow tired of endless parties week after week," she explained. "I want to experience something else for a change. Something greater."

"Is that why you're always asking me about my campaigns?"

She acted nonchalant. "I suppose."

Maximus met her eyes in the mirror. "Yes, it is. You're living vicariously through me."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are," he insisted, the smile on his face growing. "You want to hear of my travels so you can imagine a different life."

She turned around to face him. "That's not why I ask. I ask because I'm generally interest and because I enjoy hearing about life outside of these four walls."

He paused before saying, "How is that different from what I said?"

"It's different because it makes more sense. It's more… it's explained. Now stop bothering me." She turned back around feeling flustered and continued her nighttime ritual.

Maximus puts his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged. As he continued to massage, the tension left her body. When she took the last pin out of her hair, his hand moved to caress the soft curls that cascaded down her back.

"You look beautiful, Lucilla," he whispered in her ear. "I don't think I've told you that tonight."

She shook her head and swallowed shallowly. "You haven't."

"Forgive me, then."

He pushed her hair aside and continued with the massage. He held her eyes in the mirror, seeing the desire settle in there.

"I had a dream about us the other night," he said randomly. "I would tell you about it, except that it's easier to show you."

Her expression didn't falter. "That's very forward, Maximus. It could get you killed."

"It's worth it to be able to touch such soft skin. To kiss such soft lips." He moved his lips closer to her ear. "To desire making love to such an… intelligent body."

She smiled faintly. He knew she hated being seen as just a pretty face. Many suitors came calling to marry the beautiful princess, not the woman with a mind of her own. She told him that once, and he remembered.

She slowly turned to face him and pressed her body intimately close to his. He sucked in a breath when he felt her hands on his abdomen.

"You'd be willing to risk death just to touch me?"

"Well, since we're already touching, yes," he said, aiming for humor. At her serious expression, he sobered. "I've had the desire for years, Luci. I'm ready to act upon it."

She grabbed his hands and walked him to her bed. She had him sit down while she reached for the sash of her dress and said, "You'll have to be gentle with me."

18 December 173

"Do we have enough horses?"

"Yes, sire. One hundred and three."

"What about tents?"

"We are two shy but it shouldn't be a problem."

"Rations and water?"

"Still being collected."

"And I have the map," Maximus said, holding up the parchment. "Palidorus, I'd say we're ready."

"Caesar wanted to see you when you were finished, sire."

Maximus gave the map to Palidorus. "Then I'd better go see him."

The morning sun felt deliciously warm on Lucilla's face as she slowly woke. A smile played on her lips as she rolled into the sun. She could hear the occasional shout of command from the officers training outside. The birds whistled a sweet melody as they flew outside the window. Other than that, there was silence. And she loved that.

She rolled onto her back and flung her arms out to the sides. When her left hand connected with something, she opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw the familiar handwriting on the piece of paper.

Sitting up on one elbow, she slowly opened the note and read:

'Your skin was not as soft as I imagined. Your lips were sweeter than remembered. Your eyes flutter when you dream and you snore softly. It's the most beautiful sight.' – your soldier

Her smile grew silly as she read the words. It was hard to believe that just a few sentences could make her heart pound in her chest. Feeling like a young girl with her first crush, she hugged the note to her.

Her day was already turning out beautifully.

Two eyes were burning a hole into the back of her head, she could just feel it. It was going on ten minutes and the eyes were still staring at her. She could feel the hatred in the stare, too.

"Sophronia, was there something you wanted?" Lucilla asked impatiently.

Sophronia blinked. Her cousin hadn't even looked at her in the last half hour. How had Lucilla known she was staring?

"No, nothing," she answered succinctly.

Lucilla nodded and continued reading.

"Except," Sophronia said, much to the annoyance of her cousin, "something seems to be different about you. You're acting differently than normal."

"I don't know why. Nothing… different has happened. I am the same, as always."

Sophronia made a noise. "If you say so, but something is different. You look different. Something happened. Something happened during Saturnalia last night," the young girl deduced. "But what?"

Lucilla let the girl wonder. She simply flipped the page in her book.

"I didn't see you with anyone last night, though. Although there was that one man but you didn't seem to like him. Or there was that prince, but you never looked directly at him. Or…"

Lucilla rolled her eyes at her cousin's observations. So she stood and stepped away from the bench. She found another sunny and shady area and sat down on the bench. She looked over at her cousin and wasn't surprised the girl was still talking.

"Have you noticed anything different about Lucilla today?" Aurelius asked his wife.

"Nothing that different. She smiled a not more today, I believe, but she was quiet as well. Why?"

He shook his head. "No reason, I suppose."

"Is there any particular reason you're in here right now, Sophronia?" Lucilla asked of her cousin as she eyed her from her spot in the pool.

"Yes," she answered haltingly. "I was just wondering if you've seen Maximus today. I haven't seen him in a while."

"I saw him this morning, yes, but I haven't seen him since then," Lucilla admitted.

"Where did you see him this morning? Neither one of you were at breakfast," she remembered.

Lucilla hesitated. Maximus left her room before dawn by at least two hours. When she had rolled over and not felt his warm body beside her she'd woken up. The last time she saw him was when he kissed her goodbye and promised to visit her that night.

"I saw him in the courtyard before dawn," Lucilla finally said. "I was up early this morning."

Sophronia's shoulders slumped. "Oh, then never mind." And then she left. Lucilla chuckled at her simple-minded cousin.

When she heard the door shut firmly, she called out over her shoulder, "You can come in now. Your lover is gone."

"She is not my lover," growled a voice from the shadows. "She is delusional."

Lucilla turned to face the voice. "I'm just teasing, Maximus. Sometimes you're too easy."

When he came out from the shadows, she smiled appreciatively at what he had on. Or didn't for that matter. She only had to wait a moment, however, for her delight to increase when he slipped off his cotton trousers to join her in the water.

He slipped in on the deep side and swam over to her. He circled her a few times, enjoying the feel of the warm water after being out in the cold all day. Her hand on his arm finally stopped him. His eyes met hers and he could feel himself going back to the night before. His hand moved around her neck and pulled her towards him. Her lips were still as soft as he remembered, and she responded the same as well.

"I missed you today," he told her when they pulled apart. He rested his forehead against

hers, his arms wrapping around her body tightly.

"And I missed you," she assured. "But please don't leave me alone for an entire day again. Sophronia followed me around asking about you all day. I believe she thinks I know where you are at all times."

He kissed her nose. "I promise I won't leave you alone with her any longer. You do remember I leave tomorrow morning, right?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes, I remember, but I don't like to think about it."

"You won't be able to ignore it that much longer, Luci."

"I know," she sighed. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, enjoying the closeness of his body. "What have you been doing all day, playing soldier?"

He squeezed her side. "We were taking inventory and going over our orders. Caesar looked at me in the most peculiar way today."

She lifted hr head. "How did he look at you?"

"Well, it's hard to describe it. He looked at me almost as if he had something important he wanted to tell me but couldn't quite get it out. He seemed to know something."

Lucilla's brow creased. "Mother looked at me that same way. She was examining me all day," she revealed. Suddenly her eyes widened. "You don't suppose they know, do you?"

He was quick to shake his head. "How could they?"

She nodded and let the thought flee her head. She focused her attention on Maximus and his hands. His fingers traced patterns on her back under the water. He'd occasionally move over her sides, a ticklish place. She had to pull his hands away when he did that. He only smiled at her and continued.

Eventually his fingers found a few loose pieces of her hair. He twirled it around on his index finger, enjoying the feel of her soft hair on his calloused hands.

He was amazed that a woman of her stature could possibly want a man like him. He was no saint, but she knew that. He was just a lowly soldier who had happened to work his way up to the title general. His family had never been wealthy; he'd grown up on a farm. He had played in the wheat fields as a child. His parents had died when he was only thirteen, leaving him to fend for himself and make choices he now regretted. But she loved him despite all of that. She was actually in love with him.

Out of nowhere, he took her lips with his. She was startles at first but quickly recovered and responded in kind. Her hands moved through his hair, keeping him close.

When he first returned to Rome, she expected this trip would be the same as the others-they flirt but never make contact. If someone had told her that just a month later she would be passionately kissing Maximus while naked in a bathhouse pool, she would have laughed in their face.

"Will you miss me while I'm gone?" Maximus whispered moments later.

"Of course," she answered with no hesitation. Her brow furrowed as she looked at him. "Why do you ask me that?"

His lips turned up in a smile and he shook his head. "I am still in disbelief about this. It seemed too good to be true."

The crease in her forehead relaxed. "You have nothing to worry about," she whispered in his ear. "This is real."

"I know that now, but sometimes I feel as though I'm dreaming and I can't wake up."

"I know how you feel. Something about this trip feels different; it's obviously different. I feel different when you come around me. I feel alive, like every nerve in my body is standing on end," she told him. "I like it. I like the feeling. It's nice."

His hands slowly moved up her back. "It's very nice."

She shared his smile. "Will you write me while you're gone?"

"I always do, but you have to write me as well."

"I promise and you have to promise me you'll come home to me."

He met her eyes. "Home?"

She averted his gaze. "If you want it to be."

He didn't answer and she thought that best.

Later, he watched her sleep beside him. He picked up her hand in his and was, not for the first time, amazed at the differences between them.

His hands were tanned and calloused from years of working out in the sun. Hers were soft and not quite pale from her years indoors. He had numerous scars about his body and she had not a single mark on her. He didn't care what he looked like everyday and she always looked flawless. She always said she didn't put much effort toward getting ready every day, but he knew otherwise. He'd seen her putting her makeup on a few times before. She was meticulous about it. He didn't know where she got the patience for it.

He brushed her hair away from her forehead and ran a finger down her cheek. 'She is most beautiful at these times' he thought to himself. When she was bare of all makeup and jewelry, when she had no worries written on her face; that was when she was most beautiful.

But he wondered why she chose him.

He had done nothing exceptional in his life, he wasn't noble, and he hardly had the mind for fine dining, but she chose him. The thought made him smile.

She stirred next to him, burrowing further into his side. He thought she was still asleep so he was surprised when he heard her speak.

"What's wrong?"

He patted her arm to reassure her. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just enjoying the view and getting in some last minute thoughts. Go back to bed."

She couldn't be pushed aside that easy, though. She caressed a spot on his back, knowing he liked that.

"What's wrong?" she repeated.

He smiled at how well she knew him. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Should he ask her or just lie?

"Why me?" His father had always told him that it was better to be straightforward.

Her brow creased. "Why you what?"

"Why me and not a prince or someone else?"

She smiled and settled deeper next to him. "Because you're charming. And exciting. And forbidden. And because you've been places and … experienced things that no prince ever could."

"You don't think I'm handsome?"

Lucilla laughed out loud. "You're very handsome but that is simply something… extra. You make me smile, Maximus. That is why I choose you."

Maximus seemed to like that answer. He lay back down beside her and pulled her close.

"Will you come see me off in the morning?" he whispered softly. She hesitated before answering.

"Would you be mad if I didn't?"

He hugged her to him. "Not at all."

Lucilla still felt the need to explain herself. "I just don't think I could say goodbye and not touch you. It was difficult before but now… I can't do it, Maximus. I can't."

"It's all right, Luci," he assured her. "I understand, but you have to say goodbye to me properly before I leave this room."

She cracked a smile. "I promise I will say goodbye properly to you."

He kissed her forehead. "That's all I ask. That way I can return faster."

"You can return faster if you don't leave at all," she mumbled. He chose not to answer.