Armed
Author's Note: I would like it to be made known that, during this time, France was not yet France, it was Gaul, and that they were referred to as the Gaelic Nations. Yes, today, Gaelic refers to the Irish, but at the time, it referred to all the nations that Caesar had concurred. And I'd also like to add that a lot of my historical information is taken from Rome, the TV series. It's a great show for anyone who's interested in seeing it. It's packed full of sex, drugs, and blood, so it's not for the squeamish, but it's one of my favorite shows. That said, on to the story.
51 B.C. Rome
As I had promised Lia, I joined the army the next morning. One of our neighbors was kind enough to look after her while I went to the town square where the courthouse was. They didn't question my age, nor did they want any real information, other than my name. When I signed my name, they told me to be in a certain place at a certain time and that I started in two days, and to be prepared to lose my hair. I'd never realized until that night how much I actually liked my hair and how naked I felt when they'd shaved it off.
"So what will you do?" Lia asked me while we ate at a local bar. We were still staying with a neighbor for now, but I'd wanted to get a chance to talk to Lia alone about this.
"I'll go through basic training first and be a foot soldier. Once I'm done with training, they'll either keep me here to keep the city safe or send me off to fight for Caesar."
"I always thought his war was illegal." I shrugged.
"It depends on which politician you talk to. It doesn't really matter as long as I get an income. I get my first paycheck at the end of my first two weeks, so once I get that, try to find a place to stay. I don't want us to be a burden on our neighbors too much longer."
"Should I start looking now?"
"You could. The sooner you have a place to stay, the better."
I could tell Lia wasn't happy with the idea of me being in the army. She worried that she wouldn't see me again if I left. I promised her that I would always come home no matter what. She was reluctant to believe me, but she didn't really have a choice but to trust me and she hugged me goodbye before I had to leave for basic training. Once I started getting paychecks, I send all but 10% of it to Lia so she could afford a home and food. We wrote letters to each other all the time, letting me know what was happening. I sent her a letter asking her to try and find a husband, but she refused. She didn't want to look and not have me there to approve of him. I kept trying to convince her, but she always gave me the same response. She did tell me she got a job working for a seamstress. I figured if she wasn't planning on looking for a husband for a while, best she have a job and a little extra money than just what I sent her.
When I was done with basic training, I thought I would get to visit Rome before being sent out, but they sent me from basic training straight to Gaul. Lia wasn't happy at all. I could see little tear marks on her letter back to me when I'd sent a letter telling her I was being sent to Gaul. The first thing she asked me was when would I come back home. All I could tell her was that I didn't know. I couldn't imagine how upset that made her to read. But when I arrived in Gaul, I never had any time to ever write letters nor the paper and writing utensils. Every day was a new battle against the Gaelic people. Or it felt like every day. But at this moment, we were watching a man be punished for attempting to desert the army by being whipped.
"Marsanius Tifilio, a soldier who fought for our army, has been caught attempting to desert Caesar's great army. As you all should know, we do not take deserting lightly. All deserters are crucified and hung from their hands until they drain of blood and die. And you're all encouraged to mock him in his last days."
The officer kept talking while the man was being whipped. The rest of us stood there without saying a word. I already knew a few men that would jump on the chance to mock Tifilio. He was a prick to begin with. I never bothered talking to him and didn't plan to even to mock him. When the two soldiers whipping him were ordered to stop, they put down their whips and began to untie Tifilio from the platform. He was marched, buck naked, to the crucifixes that he would be spiked to and the soldiers were all led to that section of camp to watch the scene. No one winced or looked scared while they watched Tifilio get his just desserts. We were all here in Gaul for so long that we were desensitized to just about everything.
"I doubt anyone will try to desert after this." I looked at the guy standing next to me whose name I couldn't for the life of me remember.
"You never know. There's always someone stupid enough to try and cowardly enough to want to try."
"I don't think so. No matter what, I would never want to go through this." I shrugged.
"Men get desperate when they're homesick. You can hardly blame someone to be desperate to go home." The soldier was a little stunned and finally looked directly at me.
"How long has it been since you've been home?" I was quiet a moment. I didn't want to say the number out loud.
"Eight and a half years."
"Then shut up. I haven't seen my wife and son in twelve years. You don't hear me complaining about it."
"I would if I were you. Twelve years is a long time to be away from one's husband. How do you know she didn't find a nice pussyfooted homebody that would be able to satisfy her nightly?" That statement set him off and he grabbed a hold of the soldiers of my armor and threw me to the ground.
The other men circled around us to watch and the soldier and I began to fight. I threw a few good punches, as did he, and we both had blood coming from our mouths within the first few seconds of the fight. Avoiding his armor, I kept hitting his face and he managed to get a few quick punches back at me, but not as many as I managed to give him. Eventually, the other men were chanting for us to fight and others were bidding on which of us would win the fight. I ignored who they were betting for. I didn't want to hear either way. A couple minutes went by and we had hit each other a good few times before two officers forced us apart, punched us both, and four soldiers were ordered to carry us to the jail spot of camp so we could 'cool our heads'.
When the other man and I were put in separate sells, we didn't speak or look at one another. I just looked out the small crack in the wood walls at the soldier who'd just been perched up on the crucifix and was screaming like a woman. It wasn't long as all before he was surrounded my men spitting and urinating on him. One soldier cut off Tifilio's big toe as a reminder to never attempt something like this. Those scream lasted long after his toe was gone. I stopped watching when Tifilio began crying. It made me ashamed to watch him cry. It really did.
"That was below the belt." I looked at who was talking to me. It was the soldier I'd gotten into a fight with in the next sell. "She would never do something like that to me."
"I would hope not. After fighting for all these years, you don't deserve to come home to that."
"Now you're being understanding?" I shrugged.
"I was speaking in anger. Just because you've been here longer doesn't mean that you miss your family anymore than I miss mine."
"I take it you have your own pretty wife and kids at home?" I shook my head.
"Just a younger sister. Our parents were killed in a fire. I joined the army because I couldn't find a job otherwise."
"I see. Did she get married?" I shook my head.
"I asked her to, but she said that she didn't want to look for a husband when I wasn't there to approve of him. And admittedly, I'm glad she said that. I think the world of Lia and I want her with the best." He laughed a little.
"She sounds more like your daughter." I smiled a little and shrugged again.
"Sometimes it feels like it. Mother and father preferred for us to be independent. I would never say they were bad parents, they simply weren't the affectionate type. So Lia usually depended on me. I guess that made her almost think of me more like a father than a brother."
"How old is she?"
"She will be sixteen this year." I groaned. "She was eight when I left."
"I have a son that should be turning nineteen this year. You live in Rome I assume?" I nodded.
"Yes."
"Well, I could send for my wife to become acquainted with your sister and she could meet my son. He's a good kid and he's not married as far as I know. They aren't too far apart in age and my son would be able to provide for her." I sighed.
"That's a tempting offer, but I don't know if I can accept it. With all due respect, I've never met your son. I have no way of knowing whether the marriage will be successful." He nodded.
"I understand. Maybe one day when we go back to Rome, we can open up the prospect again." I smiled.
"That would be nice. I want to know someone's taking care of her. Sure, she has a job as a seamstress now, but that only provides her with so much, including the money I send to her."
"Eventually, brother. Eventually."
Me and him stayed in the sells for a good two or three hours. The sun was about to go down when someone came in and told us that we could come out now. The next morning, we all woke up to the sound of men yelling. Every soldier burst out of their tent to the gate to see what was going on. As I'd assumed, Gaelic men were at our gates trying to get in and attack. They ruined the element of surprise with battle cries, but I suppose one man's ignorance is another man's convenience.
Our commanding officers went to the front line and directed us to get into line until we were properly organized. Once we were, the gate was opened with archers ensuring that no one got into camp. As they kept the enemy at bay, we were marched out and the gate was closed once we were all out and ready to fight. There weren't many enemies present at the fight. I worried that there might be an ambush being carried out. I told my officer so, and he sent another soldier to the back to signal the archers so they could circle the camp and make sure there wasn't anything to worry about.
Thankfully, there was nothing preparing at the back, but the archers stayed there for the rest of the battle and an officer was there with them, ready to signal for soldiers to go to that side of camp if the necessity came up. The battle didn't get really bloody until the enemy charged at us with battle cries roaring through the air. But that was their biggest mistake. Along with our archers shooting at them, we had a turtle formation set up, so they couldn't get through to us easily and we could just stab them from behind our shields. Those few times they killed one of our own, another man stepped forward to take his place and the Gaelic was usually dead before he got there.
We were in battle for a good part of an hour. Or maybe longer. I wasn't paying attention to the time. I was concentrating on killing those who came too close to me. And that happened often. By the time the enemy finally retreated, we'd killed up to half of their men. We all had our moment of cheering victory before we were ordered back into camp. As we were walking back inside, the man that I'd fought yesterday and had the heart to heart with all in one day walked over to me.
"I never got your name."
"It's Felix. Felix Viltanius."
"Viltanius? The name sounds familiar."
"Perhaps you knew my father." He shrugged.
"Maybe. My name is Bruno. Bruno Florincius."
"Nice to finally know the name of the man that offered my sister a husband." He chuckled.
"A name does make us better acquainted."
"You said your son was nineteen, am I right?"
"Yes. I remember his birthday being in October, so he should be nineteen by now."
"And Lia's birthday is May, so she turned sixteen pretty recently. If the Gods will it so, we can see each other again when we come home to Rome and introduce them. What is your son's name by the way?"
"Florinian."
"Sounds oddly feminine. Sorry if that's rude."
"Not at all. A lot of people say that. I wanted him to be named after me, but his mother didn't like any variations of Bruno, so we went with Florincius, hence Florinian." I shrugged.
"Better that, if it's what was approved of."
"Indeed. But how are you not married?"
"I joined the army when I was fourteen. I didn't have time to find a wife before I joined." Bruno laughed a little.
"I see. I was twenty when I joined, so I had the time. My father and mother insisted that I get married before I joined the army, so I did. I made sure my wife was with child before I left, and when I was allowed to visit twelve years ago, I made her with child again. And that was the birth of my younger son, Pulio."
"So he's eleven now, I assume."
"Yes. He turns twelve at the end of this year."
"Congratulations to you. I grieve with you in your long separation."
"And I you. Maybe we'll be able to go home soon. We've killed so many of the Gauls that I'd think we'd made them extinct by now." He laughed.
"You would think wouldn't you? There's no way they'll last much longer. They've lost too many men to be a threat to us anymore."
"And yet they still persist."
"They're stupid, Felix, so we can't expect them to figure out they've been beaten. At this rate, we'll have killed too many to take any of them back to Rome as slaves. A man could make a nice Gerri of them."
"Especially for female slaves."
"Indeed. A baby maker is naturally worth more money. And of course, I know plenty of men that would love the free sex without the hassle of going to a whore house." We reached one of the tents and I was about to walk in when he stopped me. "You said you were fourteen when you enlisted?"
"Yes." He shook his head.
"Too young. Far too young. I assume you've never penetrated a woman then? Or a man, whichever you prefer."
"I've slept with a man once, but it was about five years ago. I've never slept with a woman before."
"That's a shame. Did you enjoy it with a man?" I shrugged.
"It sufficed at the time. I would consider it if I had no other option, but if I could chose between a man or woman, I think I would choose a woman."
"Well, there are plenty of Gaelic whores around here that would happily give themselves for a loaf of bread and some goat's milk."
"I take it you've partaken?" He shook his head.
"No no, certainly not. I attempted one night, but I was thinking of my wife all the while. When I opened my eyes and remembered that it wasn't her, I simply…..I couldn't do it. Let's leave it at that." I shrugged.
"You're an honorable husband. You're wife should feel lucky." He smiled.
"Thank you for that. But for what it's worth, it wasn't her fault. She was a perfectly adequate lover and I think she would please you."
"And all it would take is a loaf of bread?" He nodded.
"That's it. And we get bread by the pound, so sparing a loaf wouldn't be a loss." I smiled.
"Thanks for that."
"We can do that tonight if you like." I thought about it for a moment and shrugged.
"Sounds good. If you can find her."
"Don't worry about it, I know where she is. This is your tent correct?" I nodded.
"Yes."
"Good. I'll come by here and get you when I find her. While you're busy with her, I'll keep watch, make sure no Gauls come around."
"Thanks, Bruno. I appreciate that."
"Think nothing of it."
Bruno left for his tent after that and I went back into mine to discard my army and be a little more comfortable. The four men I shared the tent with weren't back yet. They were those soldiers that would look through the bodies to find valuables, so I wasn't expecting them back for at least an hour. The younger of us, Julian, would collect things for his son and daughter at home. He'd been here for only two years and he missed those two a lot. He would mop around most of the time. The only time any of us got a smile out of him was when he was talking about his two children.
When my armor was off, I sat down on my bed and went straight to sleep. I felt someone nudge me to wake me up a short time later. It was one of the soldiers I shared the tent with, Metalio. He was an oddly pale man for most Italians with what used to be long curly brown hair, but was now cropped and a simple tint on his head where his hair used to be. He was the same height as me and he wasn't wearing his armor, so I assumed he'd taken it off before waking me up. I noticed a large pile of stuff on his bed and he had a grin on his face.
"What is it, Metalio?"
"You wouldn't believe the loot I got from those Gaelic soldiers. They were carrying some nice little trinkets. They'll catch a hefty price when we get home to Rome, wouldn't you say?" I groaned.
"You woke me up for this?"
"Well, I was excited and none of the others are back yet. They wanted to do a little more foraging. And I wanted to ask if you wanted any of it. You don't usually look for stuff."
"I'm collecting people after the war. Nothing catches more money than inferior human beings." He laughed.
"That's true, I'll give you that. Just don't call them human beings in front of the people interested in buying the slaves. They try to consider them as things and not people." I shrugged.
"They aren't people. Once they're owned by a Roman home, they're property, just like a piece of cattle or a dog. But sadly, until then, they're still human beings."
"Well, that's what the whip is for. It beats the humanity out of them."
"So what did you collect?" He wandered over to his pile and looked through it.
"Some pouches made of deer hide. I have plenty of those. I got some furs that I'm sure Roman women would kill for."
"How much blood's on them?"
"Not much, actually. I only collected the furs off men that had been shot with arrows. Minimal blood stains for double the profit. And I've got several weapons that those Neanderthals were using and I thought those looked fun. If I can't sell them, I can always keep them as mementoes."
"Did you get any jewelry? Those usually do good on the market."
"Not as much as I would like. But I did get a few necklaces made from teeth and bone." I couldn't help but laugh.
"It's comical how savage these people are, isn't it?"
"I know. It makes scavenging their bodies all the more fun. I can't believe you don't do it."
"I don't have the patients to look through all of them. Besides, after a battle, I would much rather take a nap."
"I see. That's understandable I guess. Do you think the war will be over soon?"
"I hope so. Unless Caesar wants us to go into the ocean and see if there's any land nearby." He laughed.
"Let's hope not. Salt water's dreadful. I'd hate to swim through it for who knows how long. And if the Gauls are any indication, anything across the sea would be worse." I laughed and he did too. "Remember that one time we sent an envoy to negotiate with them and they sent him back riding his horse without his head?"
"Of course. And guess what, they lost. Besides, they don't speak Latin, so I doubt anything we tried to say would translate to them."
"Doesn't their leader at least speak Latin?"
"I wouldn't count on it. Come on, these are Gaelic people that live in the woods off their own shit. I'm impressed they even have a spoken language to begin with." Metalio laughed again.
"I know right."
Metalio looked through his loot a little more and organized them into different bags like he always did. His side of the tent was covered with bags that he'd filled with things over the years that he was planning to sell when we finally got home. And he never complained about how heavy it was to carry all of them whenever we changed locations. He bragged that he would one day be a rich man from all the things that he would sell when he got back home. An hour later, the rest of my roommates came back to the tent with their own loot. Metalio finally let me get some sleep and I didn't wake up until I was nudged again. This time it was Bruno.
"You ready to go?"
"You found her?"
"Yeah. She's outside the base right now. So bring some bread and give it to her after you've coupled. Trust me, if you give it to her up front, she'll just run off on you."
Bruno waited for me outside while I got on my armor and retrieved a loaf of bread. Once I had everything, we walked to the gate and went out and he led me where the woman was waiting for us. I asked Bruno to hold the bread for me while I went on with my business. I wasn't sure how to go about this, but she decided how to start it for me. She went to her knees and began to service me. She didn't need to do that for very long before I had her up against the tree and handled the rest. When I was done, I gave her the bread she wanted and wandered off back to where Bruno found her.
"So what did you think of her?" Bruno asked me while we were walking back to camp.
"It was pleasant."
"Better than men?"
"Yes, better than men. But when one is desperate, one goes with what he can." Bruno laughed and patted me on the back.
"You really are a man of Roman blood, Felix." We chuckled a Little and walked pass the gate together and we said our goodbyes before I went back into my tent where my four roommates waited. Metalio was already asleep, leaving Skipian, Torinian, and Julian awake.
"Where did you wander off to?" Torinian asked me while he took a bite of his bread.
"I went off to handle some personal business." They all laughed a little, except Julian of course. He was staring at a picture of his family. Skipian finally spoke.
"Of course. It's business all men must handle." They laughed again and I shrugged with a humored smile.
"You men do the same, no doubt."
"Of course." Skipian said. "What other time in our lives will we get sex for free from woman other than our wives than when we're soldiers? These Gaelic broads stand no chance against us." Torinian nodded.
"Neither do their men by all accounts." We all shared a laugh. Metalio groaned and mumbled for us to be quiet so he could sleep. I gently kicked his side and got another groan of discontentment out of him before we all went to bed.
The next morning was outstandingly uneventful. Caesar didn't send us to do anything or order us to prepare for something we would do tomorrow. It was one of those few, peaceful days, where we soldiers got to sit around and relax. Even if just for one day out of the year. By afternoon, I was having a nice nap that I didn't often get to take until Metalio violently forced me out of bed to tell me that the king of all the Gauls was in camp surrendering to Caesar. I hurried to the middle of camp where Caesar and his minions stood close by with the king of the Gauls standing before him.
A captain presented the king to Caesar and asked what Caesar wished to do with him. Then the king was stripped naked to humiliate him, then pushed to his knees before Caesar with the Eagle pushed before him. When the king bowed his head on the Eagle, one soldier pulled out his sword and held it high chanting Caesar's name and the rest of us did the same. Then Caesar announced to us that the war was now over with the surrender of the Gauls and that we could take two days to sake the towns and take personal spoils. This was the day I'd been waiting for. Maybe now I would be able to go home.
We spent the next few days collecting Gaelic people so we could cart them back to Rome and sell them as slaves. I captured as many as I possibly could. I think I caught almost fifty. That would get me a decent amount of money. Maybe it would clear ten thousand denary. That would be plenty to live off of for a long while. We locked up all the people we'd captured in containment areas. Some of the soldiers, like myself, insisted on marking to people we'd captured so we wouldn't forget who's slave was who's. I did a make shift F on all their arms so I would know who was mine. And I counted fifty three slaves. I was rather proud of myself after I was done marking all of them.
"My, my, Felix, that's a hefty load." I turned and saw Bruno and smiled.
"This should cover the dowry wouldn't you agree?" Bruno laughed and nodded.
"I'm certain it will. With this many people, you might be able to get a new house."
"That would be grand. I'm sure Lia would love the new location. She's been in that small house off the corner of the whore houses for so long. I can't imagine how much she hates it. She never liked it whenever the neighbors were screaming. Regardless of whether it was sex or fighting."
"Most people do I imagine. Loud noises make it hard to sleep."
"So how long do you think it'll be before Caesar finally starts sending us home?"
"Who knows. Try not to question it, though. Questioning Caesar tends to anger our superiors." I laughed a little.
"I'll keep that question to myself then." Bruno laughed a little.
"Wise decision, brother."
Then Bruno walked off to do something else while I locked up the large container that I was keeping my slaves in. A few of them were yelling at me in Gaelic. I simple bit my thumb at them and walked off. I doubt they knew the insulting significance of biting one's thumb, but it didn't matter. As long as I got that satisfaction. The rest of the day was uneventful except for the cheering from men and the loud talking that came with it. Once night, we celebrated with a huge feast and drank to our victory. It was pleasing. The next morning, Caesar even gave the order to begin packing our things.
But about four weeks after our victory, something really unnerving happened. The Eagle was stolen from us by Blue Spaniards. We knew from the tell tale sign of the blue paint that was on the dead soldiers that were found. Caesar made a point to look unfazed to us, but what he was really feeling I wasn't sure. But what I did know was that this meant it would take longer for us to go back home, and that angered me immensely. We started crucified witnesses one by one until eventually someone told us where the culprits were. Two men were then sent out to look for the Eagle.
"I can't believe this." We all looked at Metalio, who was staring at his bread angry. "We finally started packing to go home, and our Eagle is stolen by a bunch of cock sucking whores."
"Metalio, calm down, they'll find the Eagle. And when they do, we'll finally start going home." Torinian held his hand up at Skipian.
"Even if they find the Eagle, we now have another matter entirely to deal with. And besides, Caesar is being considered a war criminal. He won't be allowed back into Rome and neither will we by association." Julian looked really sad after that and continued to say nothing while Skipian and Torinian continued to debate.
"They can't shut us out. We're simply following orders. We can't be held responsible for Caesar's choices."
"The Roman people won't accept that and you know it. They're fickle. They'll favor anyone who gives them better options and right now, Caesar's been away too long. And his term is about to run out."
"Then make him stand trial. Banish him, I don't care. Just let us soldiers who bled for our people come home." I sighed.
"If only it were actually that simple."
"I suppose this means I'll be here as long as you've all been after all." We rolled our eyes at Julian.
"Don't say things like that, Julian. At least you'll be home before your children become adults. Unlike the rest of us of course." We all looked at Torinian with a little contempt in our eyes. We hated that what he was saying was true.
I didn't speak much or add much to the conversation to begin with. But after that, I stopped contributing to the conversation all together. Julian stopped listening and tried going to sleep while Metalio, Torinian, and Skipian continued to argue about Caesar. Then they somehow brought Pompei into the conversation. I doubted anything would happen between him and Caesar. They were thick as thieves. And Pompei was married to Caesar's daughter, Julia. That came up in the conversation, and I found out that evidently, Julia died in childbirth. I suppose that would put a damper on Caesar and Pompei's relationship.
It was several days before the two soldiers sent out came back. And when they did, they came back with the Eagle and Caesar's great nephew, Octavian. From what I heard, he was sent by his mother Atia to give Caesar a white horse, which he was riding when he came into camp. And the soldiers presented along with the Eagle, the head of one of Pompei's underlings. When I heard that, I nearly punched the man next to me. Now we were certain to be kept in Gaul. They would never let Caesar back into Rome now.
"This is ridiculous."
"Felix, we're all unhappy. Just keep it to yourself. The moment they whip you for expressing your discontent, I no longer know you." I rolled my eyes at Metalio and entered our tent and fell right into my bed. I just wanted to sleep.
"Eight and a half years. After winter, it'll be nine years since I've seen my sister."
"You're not the only person in this camp that's gone years without seeing his family. Try not to be a huge pussy about it. No one likes that attitude."
"Shut up, Metalio. You're as angry as I am. This puts a damper on your, 'Finally going home to sell my loot and become a wealthy man', agenda, wouldn't you agree?"
"Maybe it does, Felix, but I have the good graces to look at my superior in the eye and tell him I'm not mad about it."
"That makes you a liar. And that's just as bad." I got up from my bed and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the temple. I want to pray."
"Since when do you pray?"
"Since I know Lia's going to need me to." Metalio rolled his eyes with a sigh while I walked out and I made my way to the temple that was on camp grounds.
I'd already prayed for all the men I'd killed. I never used the priests for that, though. Most of my money went home to Rome, so I never had enough money to pray at the temple to begin with. I still wasn't planning on talking to a priest. I just wanted to stand before the statues of every god and beg them to get me home until one of them eventually answered me. One of them was bound to take pity on me. I left the temple after an hour of praying to every god I knew and went back to my tent. All my roommates were back and they were in as sour a mood as I was.
"Did you hear what Caesar's planning for Marc Antony?" I shook my head at Metalio.
"I've not. Is it important?"
"He's sending Marc Antony back to Rome to make him people's Tribune." I laughed.
"That whore fucker? I'd sooner appoint a donkey." Metalio shrugged.
"I think that might be the point. He'll try to convince Pompei and the senate to accept his term as having six months left before termination. That's unacceptable, Caesar knows that, so it'll start something."
"Great. That's just what we want."
"Well, think of it this way, if Caesar does that, he'll probably march us onto Rome. When we do that and he wins, we'll be safe to stay in the city and we'll be with our families."
"But we'll be tyrants."
"Let Caesar worry about that. As long as we get to go home, that's all that's important."
I shrugged and went to my bed and laid down so I could fall asleep. Metalio was right that Caesar was arranging for Marc Antony to become Tribune. I didn't really care about that until I found out that he was taking the two soldiers that found the Eagle and twelve other soldiers with him back to Rome. I'm sure if we could, every soldier would suck up to him. But instead, we had to settle for praying at the temple. The temple never had so much business in a collection of three days. I was walking back to my tent from the temple while one of the soldiers that retrieved the Eagle was passing my way. I saluted him, and he me, then he ordered me to stay still.
"Viltanius." I stood still and addressed him appropriately. "I've seen you fight. You're a talented killer and I admit I'm impressed with you. I still need a few more soldiers to join me back to Rome with Marc Antony."
"Thank you, sir. I would be honored."
"I know, soldier. Be ready to leave in two days. On the second day, we leave for Rome at dawn." I saluted him.
"Yes, sir." He saluted me back, and we crossed paths as we walked pass each other.
I went straight to my tent, none of my roommates present at the time, and began packing. All that was left to cart with me were the fifty three people I'd captured and get them on the market. Once I had all my things except my bed packed up, I left the tent to look for Bruno. I needed to let him know I was leaving so he could tell me where he lived and what to say to his wife when I came to her door and told her that her husband offered her son to my sister. I finally found him on the eating grounds of camp having lunch with a few soldiers. I tapped his soldier and asked him to the side and spoke when we were able to have a private conversation.
"I was chosen to go to Rome with Marc Antony." Bruno grinned and patted my shoulder.
"I'm pleased to hear that. I did to." My eyes widened a little.
"You did?"
"Yes, I did. I was looking for you to tell you, but I couldn't find you, so I figured I'd wait until later when you would be in your tent. But thanks for saving me the search. I'm glad to hear you're going home too."
"Does this mean I'm meeting your son?"
"Of course. In fact, when we get home, I insist that you and your sister come to my home for dinner. Your sister and my son can get to know each other. And if you approve of him, we'll let them decide if they like each other enough to marry."
"Sounds like a plan I could go with. Let's just hope we aren't sent back here as soon as Marc Antony arrives."
"That would be cruel." We smiled in humor and Bruno invited me to have lunch with the other men he'd been talking to.
As promised, all the soldiers selected to accompany Marc Antony to Rome woke at dawn to leave. We were also joined by an elderly looking man that seemed to be one of Caesar's slaves. One of the soldiers told me he was sent with us to get word to Caesar on Marc Antony's progress. Marc Antony of course road at the front of the line with the two soldiers that retrieved Caesar's Eagle and Caesar's Great Nephew Octavian, while other soldiers followed in order of their rank, leaving me near the back. Bruno was a little bit ahead of me, but we could still talk just a little on our way back. And Rome was several days away, so we had plenty of opportunity to talk when we were resting.
"How does it feel, riding home for the first time in almost nine years?" I grinned and fell back.
"Fantastic. What about you? How does it feel to ride home after twelve years?"
"Grand. I'll finally get to see my family again." Bruno was silent a moment, which I didn't think anything of at first. But then he started talking again. "You don't think she has, do you?" I pushed up into a sitting position again, confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"My wife? Do you think that after all these years she did find someone else or let other men between her legs?" I shrugged.
"I wish I could tell you. The only way you'll know is when we get back and you see her. I don't think so, though. Though admittedly, I've heard of soldiers who've come home from war and found out their wives remarried because they were told by the paymasters that their husbands were dead. You can imagine the problems that led to." He laughed without humor.
"The paymasters never make mistakes my ass. Do you think that could've happened to your sister? Maybe she already married and was never able to get a letter to you."
"Please, don't put the thought in my head. I can't imagine who she would pick in a time of desperateness."
"Hopefully that's not the case, for my son and your sister."
"Does your son work?"
"I'm sure he does, but I haven't received a letter from home in so long that it's hard to say. And I've always been a soldier, so there's no family business to inherit from me."
"I'll have to make sure he works. I'll provide Lia with money, but I would like her to be able to rely more on her husband."
"There will be no problem there, I promise you. My son is responsible, so I'm sure he has a job right now. He needs to help support his mother and younger brother after all. And finding a job these days isn't easy with slaves taking all the work."
"I guess so. I haven't been in Rome for so long, I have no idea what's going on anymore. I never spoke politics with friends."
"You don't like politics?" I shook my head.
"They bore me to tears. German politics I enjoy, but nothing else."
"You mean man to man combat to settle a dispute?" I nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. That's something I would watch and enjoy." Bruno and I laughed a little bit.
We kept riding the next morning at a marginally maddening pace. I wanted to get home and the simple trotting of the horses was a lot slower than what I wanted to deal with. But I kept my pace the same as everyone else and never complained about how sore my ass was from sitting on a saddle all day. It took us eight days to finally reach Rome, but when we were outside the city, Marc Antony insisted that we stop for a moment. I was confused and aggravated while we all stopped and I watched Marc Antony get off his horse. My eyes followed where he was walking and I saw a lovely girl in the distance and I groaned to myself in annoyance. I couldn't believe he was stopping us so he could have a moment to fuck.
I never uttered a complaint, but I thought of plenty. I was a mere half hour away from Rome and I could see the city in the distance and here was Marc Antony having his way with a Sheppard whore. We all waited for him for about ten minutes before he finished with her and the woman ran off with her sheep. He looked really proud of himself while he walked back to his horse. And when he was finally on his horse, ready to go, we road on to Rome where we were greeted at the gate by people throwing us flowers. Some soldiers threw some loot to the people, earning more cheers from them. I looked through the crowd trying to find Lia, but I couldn't see her anywhere.
We road to the temple of Jupiter and took formation outside the temple while Marc Antony made a few more waves to the people. He told Octavian to go home and tell his mother that he would see her later. Then he told one of the legionaries to dismiss us and himself and to be prepared to be called upon whenever he calls. I was giddy when I heard that, but waited patiently for the legionary to tell us we were free to go. When he did, it took all of me not to sprint to my horse and collected people and grabbed a hold of the horse and the cage I had the future slaves in and walked off. But Bruno followed closely behind me.
"Let's get your trinkets to the slave market. Then I'll introduce you to my son." I smiled.
"Thank you, Bruno, but I think I should look for Lia first."
"Of course. But you said you don't know where she is. So allow my wife to help you. She works in the same district as your sister I believe. You said she was a seamstress and worked near the whore houses collected in a part of town?" I nodded.
"Yes."
"As I thought. My wife works in that area. She works with her sister at a little bar they own. Maybe my wife knows her and where she's living."
"Thanks, Bruno. That would be helpful."
Bruno patted my back and walked with me to the slave market that was generally in the middle of the city next to the Coliseum. I gave the man running the market the large containment that had my slaves and he looked through them and told me what their starting price would be. The all were worth at least fifty Denary. There would be an auction later that day and every day for the next fortnight, so I was confident I'd be able to sell almost all my captives. Bruno led me with him to his house when I was through with business in the market and his house was a good walk away from there.
"Like I said, my home is close to the bar where my wife works. I would assume that your sister lives close to the store she works at. So hopefully, she's just a stone throw away from my place."
"It's a safe enough bet." Bruno shrugged with a smile.
"You never know. My wife may even know your sister."
"Maybe." Once we finally arrived at Bruno's home, we walked to the door and he opened it and walked with a big smile on his face. His wife was surprised to see him, but she didn't waste any time running to him to greet him back home, same with his children. There was a boy that ran up to hug him that was obviously the oldest of the two boys. I assumed he was Florinian.
He was slightly taller than Bruno and had brown hair that reached down to his chin and it was curly. He almost looked Greek. But he had his mother's face and was certainly a handsome boy. I was still not sure if he was worthy of being called a man quite yet, but at least he was healthy and good looking and worthy of Lia in that respect. I wanted to be sure that when I presented the option to Lia that I made sure he was good enough at a first glance. I knew Lia would never be vain like that, but I was and that was good enough reason for me. He had a smaller face that had a diamond look to it in a way. His chin was a little pointier than I think is suitable for a man, but it was okay for his face. He had full lips and a long nose and brown eyes that were almond shaped. When Bruno had his reunion with his family, his wife finally noticed me and asked him who I was.
"Aphelia, this is a good friend of mine, Felix. You're to treat him with respect." She smiled and walked over to me to shake my hand.
"Welcome to our home, Felix. I'm glad Bruno was able to come home with a friend. Please, will you stay and join us for dinner? It would make us all most pleased." I smiled but shook my head.
"I would love to, but not tonight I'm afraid. I need to go home to Lia. Bruno says that you work at the bar that's near the seamstress she works for." Aphelia continued to smile and nodded.
"Granada? Yes, I know her. She has four women working for her I believe. Which one is your sister? I probably know her."
"Her name is Lia." Her smiled widened and she nodded.
"Ah yes, Lia. She's a beauty, Felix. You'll be pleased to see how much of a woman she's become. She's a tall thing now and her hair is long and she's healthy and good looking."
"Do you know where she's staying right now?"
"Oh sure, she lives just down the street from us."
"That's good news. How well do you know her?"
"Well enough to know she's a quiet little thing. I've spoken to her once or twice for more than a few minutes, but she tends to keep to herself. I think she just misses you is all."
"She won't have to miss me any longer than." She nodded and looked at Florinian.
"Sweetie, be a dear and take Felix to Lia's house. You remember where she lived right?"
"Yeah, I remember." Then Florinian walked over to me and we were about to leave, but Bruno stopped us.
"Felix." I turned to look at Bruno. "Please do join us for dinner tomorrow. It would be a perfect opportunity for Florinian and Lia to get to know each other. You aren't married yet am I right, Florinian?" Florinian was a little surprised.
"No. But when did you decide this?"
"A few weeks ago when I found out this man had a lovely little sister that needs a husband and I happen to have a handsome son that needs a wife."
"Well, father, I haven't said two words to the girl. Mother's the one that usually talks to her."
"Yes I know, but now you can do the opposite. Now does Felix's little sister please you, and do be honest." Florinian was silent, then he looked at me for a moment, then looked back at his father.
"She's a beauty. Very worthy of being a wife. A man would be lucky to have her love." Bruno smiled, then looked at me.
"It looks like we've got that part out of the way."
"Yes, Bruno, but remember that it's not set in stone yet. I would like Lia to get to know him and see if she's willing to spend the rest of her life with him."
"Of course, of course. And Florinian will be a perfect gentleman." Florinian nodded.
"Yes sir." Bruno looked pleased. I still wasn't sure, but I didn't expect to adore Florinian immediately. He was a contender to marry my sister, so naturally I was a little skeptical of him.
"Good. Now show Felix home so he and his sister can see each other. Please promise to come over for dinner tomorrow, Felix." I nodded.
"I will, Bruno."
"Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow." I waved goodbye to Bruno and his family while we walked out of the house. When Florinian had the door closed and we were walking to my home, I took the opportunity to learn a little more about him.
"So, Florinian, you're nineteen now."
"Yes sir. I turned nineteen in October."
"Good, good. You know my little sister is sixteen."
"Yes, sir, I've heard that from mother."
"Good, good. Now one of my biggest concerns about you marrying my sister is your occupation." He looked at me confused. "I mean do you have one?" He became aware and nodded.
"Yes, sir. I work at the same bar as my mother and aunt. I own the place." That took me by surprise.
"You own the bar." He nodded.
"Yes sir. My uncle passed away a few years ago and he doesn't have any sons, so I took over the business for him. You've earned a decent income since then. Not an emperor's wage I admit, but it brings in a good pay. Certainly enough to car for a family of three."
"I don't expect wealth, but I do expect stability."
"I can promise that much for sure, sir."
"That's good news. And I assume you've not had any women looking to make you their husband?"
"I have sir."
"Interesting. How many?"
"Three or four I believe." I couldn't help but laugh, but not quite in humor.
"Interesting. Three or four is a lot of damsels, Florinian."
"It is, sir."
"My I ask why none of them have been worthy to give their dowries?"
"Because mother didn't like them. I think she wanted me to end up with Lia anyway, so this works out for her as far as I know."
"What does she like about Lia that makes her special." Florinian laughed just a little when he thought about it.
"I think it has something to do with grandchildren. She wants beautiful grandchildren and she thinks that if Lia were my wife, we'd make beautiful grandchildren for her."
"Well, your mother will have to wait until I say it's alright to have them before she starts picturing them in her head."
"I know sir. But if I may be so bold, Lia's a very beautiful woman. And still innocent from what I know."
"A great a opinion to have of her. It's almost certainly true I'm sure." Florinian stopped and looked at him a little confused.
"This is it, sir." I looked at the tiny home and smiled. Then I looked back at Florinian.
"Thank you for directing me. I'll see your family tomorrow for dinner. Lia will dress her best, I expect the same from you if you're meeting her."
"Yes sir." Before he could walk off, I walked really close to him so my next words would be private.
"And remember something. Lia's my everything, you hear. She's my baby sister and she's all I have left. She's my life and I'd do anything for her. So if you do marry her, keep in mind that if you ever do anything to her, she's always got me to run and cry to, and you'll hear from me." He looked nervous, but nodded.
"I understand, sir."
"Good. Now go home. I'm sure what your mother was cooking was delicious and I'd hate for you to lose out on that."
"Thank you sir." Then Florinian turned around and made his way home. He started running when he was a good distance away. I like to think it was because I scared him, but it was probably because he didn't want to miss dinner.
I turned to look at the house and took a moment to look at it. It was a really small house, plenty for a single person. I had a feeling it was probably more presentable from the inside. I remembered Lia used to clean whenever she was upset or bored. The house was probably spotless than. I was nervous as I walked over to the front door about to knock. I wasn't sure if she'd heard me through the door or if she even recognized my voice after all these years. Once I was standing at the door, it was a moment before I finally pulled the door open and walked in. When I walked in, I saw Lia at the stove and she jumped when I entered. But she calmed immediately when she saw me and she gave me the big smile that I hadn't seen in almost nine years.
"Felix? You're home!" Lia ran to me and jumped into my arms and I spun her around in a hug. "I missed you so much." She forced the words through tears of joy and I hugged her tighter.
"I know, Lia. I missed you too. I'm sorry I was gone for so long. But I came home with plenty of spoils. We'll have lots of spending money."
"As long as you're finally home, I don't care." I chuckled and hugged her just a little tighter. "I was about to make some dinner. I'll make some for you too if you're willing to wait a bit."
"Of course, Lia." I let go of her and she took a moment to let go of me before she went back to the stove and put a second fish with hers.
"You don't mind fish, do you?"
"I'll take anything. After years of bread and soldier's porridge, I'll take anything." She giggled.
"I doubt you got nothing but porridge and bread. Didn't you eat any fruit in the area?"
"What fruit, we were in Gaul. They had strawberries, but those were the size of my nail and I was lucky to find five of them at any one time. And I found blackberries once in a blue moon. Any other food we had to snatch from the Gaelic people."
"I see. Then I'm sure a change of taste is something you're looking forward to."
"You have no idea, Lia." We were quiet a moment while she was cooking and it was a moment before I spoke and brought up one of the topics I wasn't as eager to talk about. "So guess what."
"What?" I sighed.
"I came home with a friend of mine, named Bruno. His wife is Aphelia and her son is Florinian. Do you know either of them?"
"Yes, I know Aphelia. She speaks to me from time to time. I feel horrible for never contributing much to the conversation. Why do you ask?"
"Well, the reason I bring it up is because, while I was in Gaul, I met Bruno and found out that Florinian, his son, is nineteen and unwed." Lia looked at me then.
"You want me to get married?"
"I'm not saying you two have to get married. I'm just presenting it as a possibility is all. I just want to ensure that you're taken care of."
"But I've got you."
"I know, Lia, and you always will. But you need more than just me. I can't take care of you forever."
"Neither can a husband." I shrugged.
"Well, Lia, if you out live your first husband, we just get you another one. People do it all the time. And from what I know of him, Florinian is a good match. Of course, that's all up to you once you get to know him. I don't want you to think I expect you to get married to him. If you don't like him, you don't like him."
"I know, Felix. You would never arrange anything without me giving my word." She giggled. "You haven't changed a bit. A little desensitized, but that's about it."
"You have no idea Lia. The things I've seen over the years made me not care anymore."
"Well that's not good." Lia finished making the fish and brought them to the table so we could have dinner. "Do you know if they'll send you back to Gaul?" I shook my head.
"Didn't you hear, Lia? The war's over now."
"So you're home for good?" I smiled.
"As of now, it looks that way." Lia grinned and hugged me tightly.
"I'm so happy to hear it." I hugged her back.
"I know you are."
"So when do I formally meet Florinian?"
"Tomorrow. Bruno invited us to dinner at his home tomorrow. I told him I expected him to dress nicely if he was meeting you. Do you have a nice dress?" Lia shook her head.
"No. I never thought to get one."
"Then we can search for one after dinner. I told him you would dress nice too. I don't want to make a dishonest man out of myself." Lia giggled and let go of me.
"Okay. I'll finish up quickly then."
When we finished dinner, I took Lia to the market and we looked through dresses. Lia found several that she liked and picked a peach colored one that was simple and mostly tied with light pink material. She looked adorable in it when she tried it on. It cost a little more than I thought a dress was worthy of costing, but it was disposable income. I even bought her a necklace. I couldn't imagine how long it'd been since Lia had taken the time to spoil herself if she ever did while I was away. While we were shopping, I told her about what little I know of Florinian. She already knew he owned the bar, but she knew little about him aside from that.
The next day, Lia went to work for the day and I took the day to go to the slave market to check up on the people I'd left there. So far, four had already been sold and there were plenty left to be rid of. I was excited about that. With some of that money, I bought a bird and brought it to Bruno's house as a gift. I knew Bruno was as stuck home and bored as I was, so I thought a gift would be a good gesture, especially since I would soon be their dinner guest. I stayed at Bruno's house and talked for a few hours before I realized Lia would be home soon and needed to leave. I got home before Lia and she showed up shortly thereafter. Once she was home, she put on her dress and I helped her with her hair, as well as I could.
"Do you think Florinian will like me?"
"I'm sure he will. He'd be a fool not to. He said you were beautiful and would make any man a worthy wife." Lia smiled.
"Should I wear make up?"
"No, Lia, don't wear makeup. Nothing makes a woman look desperate like makeup. Natural faces are the most beautiful and you don't need help from paints."
"How sweet of you to say, Felix."
Once Lia was ready, we walked the short distance to Bruno's home and he welcomed us both at the door. As I told him to, Florinian dressed appropriately and in much nicer robes than what men normally wore on a daily bases. I introduced Lia to him and stayed a safe distance so the two of them could talk and get to know one another. From what I could tell, Florinian acted as a gentlemen and Lia seemed to enjoy talking to him. Once I was more comfortable, I turned more of my attention to Bruno and his wife and what they were saying Pulio seemed to be trying to talk to Lia and Florinian, but they didn't much and him to the conversation. We stayed there long after we finished dinner and Aphelia laid out some cheese for dessert to go with our wine.
By the end of the night, Florinian and Lia seemed to hit it off really well. They were talking to just each other and they didn't seem to be shy anymore, though there remained some restraint to my relief. I wasn't sure how I felt about her and Florinian getting along so well. I guess I would have to see them together for a little longer before I decided whether I liked him or not. When it was late at night, Lia and I made our way home and I was exhausted when we got back, but I tried to stay awake to talk to Lia a little about tonight.
"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" She nodded with a smile.
"Yes, I did. Florinian was a perfect gentleman, just like you would expect of him. I felt horrible about leaving Pulio out of the conversation, though."
"Don't worry about it, Lia. It's a brother rivalry thing. Nothing to be upset about if Florinian wouldn't let Pulio into the conversation."
"I suppose. But what did you think about Florinian? Do you think he's a worthy man?" I sighed after a moment.
"I think that he's a good kid. It'll be a while before I actually like him under the circumstances, but if he makes you happy, that's good enough for me."
"Well, it's too soon to say whether I like him in that way or not. I certainly can see being friends with him, but lovers will have to wait and see." I smiled.
"Thanks for taking your time with this. I don't want you to jump into marriage. If it takes a while to find you a husband, then it takes a while, no big deal." Lia smiled and came over to hug me.
"I'm so lucky to have such an understanding brother." I chuckled and held her back. Then she started talking again. "What about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you going to look for a wife when I find a husband?" I sighed again and shrugged.
"I probably will. It'll be a while before I do, though. I don't know any of the women in this area and don't know who would be acceptable."
"I could introduce you to a few women. And I'm sure Aphelia would too." I shrugged.
"We'll tackle that when it becomes an issue. For now, let's worry about getting you a husband that can give you children." Lia smiled.
"I would love a baby girl."
"I'm sure you'll have one, Lia."
Over the next couple of weeks, Lia would talk more to Florinian while she was on her way home from work and we would have dinner at their house or them at our house so that Lia and Florinian could keep talking and getting to know each other. He politely asked me one day if he and Lia could have a private date. The only reason I acted rationally and gave him a calm answer was because he was polite about it. Otherwise, I would hurt him. But whether I was comfortable or not, Lia and Florinian were really starting to hit it off and were getting closer with each passing day that they knew each other. I even caught Florinian give Lia a small kiss on the lips. I pretended that didn't bother me so much.
After two months of seeing each other, Florinian came home with Lia one day and Florinian kindly asked me for Lia's hand in marriage. He took a moment to make all these promises of loving her and taking care of her when I didn't answer him immediately. Lia looked hopeful that I would say yes and she was smiling the whole time he spoke. That was the face that made me agree to let him marry her. I already told her that if he made her happy, then he was good enough and it seemed he made her happy, so he was good enough for me. I promised a good dowry and sent him home to collaborate with his parents on the wedding date.
"Tell me honestly, Felix. Do you like him?"
"He makes you happy, Lia. Besides, he's a good choice in a husband. I'm proud that we could find you such a good man."
"Thank you, Felix. I really do love him."
"That's all I want, Lia. But you remember something. If he ever hurts your or is unfaithful to you, or speaks down to you, you let me know."
"If so, you'll be the first to know. I promise."
"Good."
Another few weeks was spent planning the wedding. We decided to have it outside the city with only family in attendance. There was minimal family on our side except for the neighbor that had taken care of Lia for the first few years that I was in the army. I had brought some clothes and foods and other goods for Lia's dowry and Bruno had taken care of buying them a home that was close to both me and him. We had dinner at their new house and spent most of the evening with the new couple. By the time we left, I was a little depressed to let her go and made her promise to visit all the time. After a few months, she was already pregnant.
"Felix." I looked at Bruno from my lunch. He was at my house to talk. We'd been spending more and more time together now that we were home with nothing to do.
"Yeah?"
"My son tells me that your sister is concerned for you." I gave him a weird look.
"Why would she say that?"
"He said that she was concerned that you might feel lonely without her and she asked him to ask my wife about finding you a lover or a wife." I laughed.
"I'm not sure I want a wife. A house slave, maybe, but I'm not sure about a wife."
"Well, with all that money you got from those captives from Gaul, you can definitely afford one."
"I barely know your wife, Bruno. She's a sweet woman, but she hardly knows me either and I doubt she knows what type of woman I would like."
"Do you even know what kind of woman you like? The first woman you were ever with was the Gaelic whore I found for you."
"I've had others since I've come home." They were prostitutes, granted, but the point was I had other women I'd been with.
"Prostitutes don't count, Felix. You need a woman that can bare your children." I sighed.
"Children can come later. I'll always be able to have children."
"Do you not want children?"
"I don't know. I've never thought much about it. When dodging steel, one doesn't give children much thought." Bruno sighed and shook his head.
"You need a wife. You really do. That and a job. Don't get me wrong, I need to find a job too. Not that I don't enjoy our talks, but I'm bored out of my mind all day."
"Me too."
"And Felix, please let my wife at least try to find you a wife. I think you'll go nuts if you don't have someone running that house for you that you can hump at the end of the day."
"Again, you're pretty much describing a house slave."
"You can't have children with a slave, though."
"Sure you can. People get their slaves pregnant all the time."
"Yes, Felix, and those are usually the babies that you hear on the side streets crying at the top of their lungs and no one is listening to them. You don't want that for your kid do you?"
"I wouldn't do that."
"Well, you can't accept the kid as yours. That wouldn't be socially acceptable."
"What do I care what's socially acceptable? No one cares what I do. I'm a soldier, not a senator."
"You're missing my point, Felix."
"No I'm not, Bruno. I get what you're saying. I'm just reluctant is all."
"I know, Felix. But trust me, my wife has an eye for silly things like this. She's a self proclaimed match maker. She matched her sister with her husband, may he rest in peace. She set up one of the bar girls with someone who worked at the whorehouse. It was an unlikely match when she told me about it, but when I see them together, they look plenty happy. Trust me, my wife will find you someone."
"Fine, Bruno. I'll let your wife play matchmaker. And I'll tell you what. If she finds me someone I like, I'll give you fifty Denary." He laughed and reached over to shake my hand.
"You've got a deal."
Bruno and I shook on it with a small laugh and went on with the day, talking about Lia and Florinian. According to Bruno, Florinian was really excited about the baby. I knew Lia was too. She was naturally a nurturing lady and was a natural born mother. That baby would undoubtedly be the luckiest child in the world with a mother like Lia. And I let Aphelia have her fun and try to find me a suitable wife. For a good few months, there would be a new woman at their house for dinner when I went there and she would spend most of the time talking to me. By the end of two months, I'd met eight different women. I barely knew any of their names. They were just random words to me. And when Aphelia asked me which woman I liked most, I just picked a name at random.
When I picked Annabelle, Aphelia arranged for us to meet as often as possible. Her father was a regular at the bar and he had a few debts to clear and offered his daughter to clear them. Florinian being taken and Pulio only being thirteen, there weren't any available children to give the daughter to. So Annabelle's father was really lucky that I picked his daughter out of a hat, figuratively speaking.
"So what's she like?" Lia was at my house and making me dinner. She wanted to have a day with me and I with her, so she was at my house, just her and me so we could catch up.
"I'm not too sure. I barely said much to her." Lia looked at me from the stove with her left hand seemingly permanently attached to the belly she was starting to form.
"Then why are you marrying her?" I shrugged.
"Because I need a wife, Lia. It's a silly reason to get married, I know, but I don't think I can stand being alone anymore. That and I need someone to take care of my house."
"You've got me, Felix. I know I'm not here all the time anymore, but I'm here as often as I can be."
"I know, Lia, but when the baby comes along, you'll have no time anymore. Children are time consuming, Lia. Has Florinian said anything about you quitting your job?" She sighed.
"He mentioned it. I think he knew you would eventually bring it up so he waited for you to say something." I chuckled. I wasn't comfortable with Florinian at first, but he was turning out to be a perfect man for Lia.
"That sounds like him. You probably should just quit your job. The more time you have to spare for the baby, the better." Lia smiled.
"I guess you're right. I've just been working for so long, it feels weird not having one."
"You'll get used to it, I'm sure. Besides, the kid will become your job once he's born." Lia giggled.
"You don't know it's a boy."
"If Florinian did his job, you should have a boy. A boy's always the best to have first."
"Sure, Felix, whatever you say. So when do I get to meet Annabelle?"
"When she's here later."
"She's coming here today?"
"Yeah. Aphelia arranged for us to spend as much time together as possible before we get married. She did that with you and Florinian."
"Yeah, but me and Florinian were friends before we were engaged."
"Don't worry about it, Lia. You have nothing to worry about except your pregnancy. Speaking of which, go to the temple and pray for a son."
"Well, maybe I want a girl." I chuckled.
"You can have all the girls you want after you have a boy." Lia rolled her eyes and finished cooking and brought the chicken to the table so we could sit and talk. Annabelle came after we finished dinner and looked a little surprised to see Lia.
"Who's she?"
"This is Lia. Lia, this is Annabelle, my fiancé." Lia smiled and stood up to shake her hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm thrilled to hear he's finally settling down." Annabelle was surprised, but she finally shook her hand back.
"Yeah. It's nice to meet you too." Lia and Annabelle let go of each other and Lia took her seat and Annabelle took a seat on my lap. I let her stay there, but I had a feeling she was just trying to set her boundaries or something.
Annabelle and Lia barely said two words to one another. Lia tried to make conversation with her, but she seemed reluctant for whatever reason, so Lia and I did more of the talking. Lia didn't end up leaving until it was after sundown and I walked her and Annabelle home so they wouldn't have to worry about the dangers of Rome's streets at night. Florinian greeted us all at the door and said hello to Annabelle before taking Lia inside to sleep for the night. Annabelle's home wasn't too much further than that and when we got there, it sounded like her father was already sound asleep.
"I take it you and your sister are close."
"As close as they come. She's more like a daughter to me at times."
"I see."
Annabelle took me a little by surprise when she took me in a sudden kiss. I wasn't still for long and kissed her back, though I wasn't sure what had caused this sudden fit of affection. We'd kissed before, but it wasn't like this. I didn't think too much about it and let her do what she wanted. Eventually, she made the kiss deeper and I never stopped her. Then she began pushing me towards the ally so we would be completely alone and I made love to her in that ally without a thought. When we were done, she hurriedly pulled her dress back down and went inside her house bidding me goodnight.
Annabelle and I were married within the month and we moved into a slightly larger house in a complex near the whore houses where Lia and Florinian all worked. I found a job working for a man who would call on me to use my skills as a soldier to do him little favors to make sure that things that he wanted done were done and people that tried to cheat him learned to never do that again. I never told anyone that's what I did. I simply told them I worked for this made as a trader and they never questioned it. And I was still on call whenever Marc Antony called for us soldiers to attend a meeting with him for the sake of his protection. Needless to say, with all the little jobs, the slaves I'd sold, and the dowry from Annabelle, I was doing pretty well.
I'd been right about Florinian and Lia's child. They had a boy who looked a lot like Florinian. Sadly, he didn't inherit Lia's odd green eyes, but he was a cute little boy nonetheless. They decided to name the boy after me and that honored me more than words could say. Conveniently, he adored me and always wanted my attention whenever I was over at Lia's home. And he was growing like a weed. Despite everything that was obviously going on with Caesar and Pompei, my life was going well and seemed to be peaceful and I was hoping that would remain to be the case.