171 -173AD

1

"Hurry!" Aelia hissed at her cousin as they walked through the streets of the little village where they lived. "It's getting dark."

The other girl looked forward nervously at the swarm of armor clad soldiers that streamed in and out of the tavern coming up on the left side of the road. She obliged, tucking her market basket under her arm more firmly as she picked up the pace of her tiny feet. "We shouldn't have stayed so late."

Aelia nodded, her golden-brown curls bouncing on her shoulders where it had tumbled free of her pins. "I know...I hope that tata isn't cross....and I hope that Esther thought to go ahead and start dinner."

There was a burst of masculine laughter from the taven, and Aelia's footsteps slowed nervously.

The little village of Lungudum had changed since the legions had made it their new winter camp. Usually a quiet, cheerful middle-of-nowhere hamlet, it now seemed dark and sinister as the hordes of strange, often leering men seemed to linger on every corner. The girls hadn't had trouble- yet. But they had heard stories. The warnings of their father echoed in their minds as they raced back toward the family farm.

"Maybe we should take a shortcut." Aelia suggested, glancing down a narrow alley.

Her cousin Paolina shook her head and said instead, "No, we will hide and see who is coming".

Paolina took Aelia for the elbow and they walked behind the corner of a house, peeking her head out to see the center of the road. The sound of steps became nearer and louder, as the shadows of approaching men danced on the gravel covered lane. Masculine voices and laughter resounded through the air and the two girls pressed themselves more closely against the wall.

A group of young soldiers came in view. Looking at them, Paolina had to put a hand on her mouth to stifle a excited cry. She always harboured a fascination for men in uniform, but that behavior was not becoming for a lady....

Paolina started to step into the street, but Aelia jerked her back by the collar of her tunica. Paolina remained in place, but the contents of the basket that she was carrying scattered onto the street.

One of the men, stopped and blinked in surprise as apples rolled against his hobnailed boots. He blinked, then stopped to pick one up. He rubbed it gently, brushing the dirt from its smooth skin, and then looked curiously toward the alley.

Aelia gasped, flattening herself against the wall. "Get back!" She urged through clenched teeth. But her cousin put her head out of the corner and met the young soldier's eyes. In the darkened street it was impossible to see their color but Paolina was enraptured by them. She stayed there, staring, barely seeing the man walking in her direction and offering her the apple.

"Did you lose this?" he asked in a pleasant voice.

Paolina nodded with her head.

The soldier - a handsome young man of about 23-24 years, with dark hair and a closely cropped beard - smiled, a little amused by the girl's wild-eyed stare.....He closed his battle-calloused hand over the apple again, and then polished it on the edge of his blood-colored tunica.

"My lady." He said, proffering it with a flourish.

"Th-thank you..." Paolina couldn't help but feel slightly weak-kneed at the attention. She accepted the fruit, her hands brushing his for a fraction of a second, causing her face to flush an even deeper shade of crimson.

Gallantly, he squatted in the dirt, retrieving the rest of the fruit, brushing each piece carefully.

Aelia scowled as she saw him glance at the tiny glimpse of ankle her cousin's tunica left on display.

"Paolina! Let's go!"

The name seemed to cause a flicker of recognition to cross the young man's face. "Paolina....Paolinus' daughter?"

She barely had time to nod her head before Aelia had jerked her forward, down the little shortcut she had gestured to earlier.

"Thank you, sir." Aelia said abruptly to the man, flashing a friendly, but strictly-business smile."- but, we're going to be late." She plucked the last of the apples from his hand, feeling not the slightest tingle as they touched. Under her breath, she hissed to Paolina. "*COME ON*"

Reluctantly, the second girl turned- but not without looking over her shoulder to throw the stranger another winning smile.

Aelia was intent on the path now, marching forward, and so the other girl had a chance to make her final move. With a flirtatious grin that only the soldier could see, she let her bracelet- a lovely silver bangle she had gotten for her birthday- slip into the sand.

Aelia was fuming while they returned home. Her cousin was so impulsive and inconsiderate! She turned to look to Paolina a saw the dreamy look on her face.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your lips!" she hissed but the smile widened instead.

"Why are you so happy?" She said at last.

"Oh, Aelia," Paolina gushed. "Did you not see how handsome he was?"

"No. I simply saw two girls alone in the dark with an unknown man. What will your father say?"

"Nothing. He is used to my wild ways, he says I remind him of my mother. You know, they also met in a very strange way....he rescued her from the sea because he thought she was drowing." Paolina smiled to herself. In reality her mother had been faking to attract her father's attention...

Aelia knew the story well. She simply rolled her eyes and quickened her pace. She was silent as they continued their walk to the little farm where they lived. Paolina sighed, annoyed at the other girl's lack of humor.

Aelia's father, Aelius, had once been a centurion in the Northern Legions himself. He had met her mother in a little town just like this one. After he was injured in a battle- losing part of his arm to an arrow wound- he had

retired. He wanted to stay in the north, but Aelia's mother had been restless. They moved to Rome, to a cramped apartment on the fourth floor of an insula. Aelia was born there. Her mother had died only three years later, unsuccessfully trying to give birth to a second child. Aelia and her father were on their own.

To supplement his army pension, Aelius ran a flower stall near the forum. Aelia spent her childhood mornings, weaving the fresh blossoms that arrived nightly by mule-cart into verdant garlands for the homes of the wealthy and powerful. In spite of their humble means, the pair had been happy. That is, until the attack of plague brought to the city by Lucius Verus' returning legions had cut Aelius down as well. The flower stall had been closed, and Paolina's father- Aelia's uncle- brought the little girl back to his farm in Rome. Eventually, she had seemed like part of the family- even calling her uncle "tata" just as if she truly were his daughter.

In spite of the lowly station she had held in Rome, Aelia had retained a certain sense of superiority from her brief residence in the capitol. She loved to tell her country cousin about the marbled temples and huge, graceful castles that crowded the seven hills. Paolina listened with rapt attention- certain that she would always prefer the leafy glades of her home, but still captivated by the fanciful images. The two girls got on well, almost as sisters. Still, they occasionally quarreled- just as they had in the market today! Aelia liked to lecture about how "proper Roman ladies" would behave. Although Paolina suspected that the closest the girl had ever been to a "proper Roman lady" was to sell one flowers, she played along.

The girls arrived back at home just after the sun dipped behind the western hills. As expected, their tata was nearly frantic with worry. Paolinus was an affectionate man, proud that his "daughters" were renowned throughout their corner of the province as true gems. Both were beautiful, intelligent, and well-mannered. While he was certain that he could count on *their* good-behavior, he had no such faith in the legions, whose installation he regarded like a plague of locusts descended on his crops. He never would have allowed the girls to venture into town if he had known that they would be back so late.

Paolinus simply didn't trust the army. He remembered too well how his dear sister had been swept off her feet by Aelia's penniless, but dashing father. The sister had, to the horror of his mother, followed the camps until Aelius' discharge allowed them to marry. And then they had left for Rome. Paolinus fretted as he thought of how he had found the little girl- living alone is a dark, crowded apartment. She didn't even have any male relatives to take her in! Still, Paolinus never minded keeping the girl. After raising five burly boys- the youngest of whom was seven years older than Paolina- it was a nice change to have women around the house again. And he knew that his "surprise" daughter enjoyed having company as well.

"Did you have fun, girls?" He asked, setting his hands on his hips. "You surely can't have been running errands the whole time you were in town."

Paolina laughed and kissed her father on the nose. "Yes, tata...we had fun. I told you! I was going to buy a new shawl in the market place- and they had the most lovely apples...." he noticed that she was holding one particular apple very close to her chest, smoothing it as though it were a small treasure.

"Yes." Aelia's voice mocked her cousin, though he could see a smile in her eyes as well. "Lovely....apples."

Both girls collapsed into a peal of giggles, Aelia's humor returning now that they were safely home.

"Paolina! You've lost your mother's bracelet!" the girl's father exclaimed, finally noticing the bare arm.

His daughter did a very convincing job at appearing surprised. "Oh no!" She cried, holding her wrist. "It must have fallen off my wrist at the market!" She shared a look with Aelia. "We'll have to go back and look for it tomorrow."

"You'll do no such thing." Paolinus said sternly, the worry that their late return had caused still too fresh to allow another journey.

"Well then." Paolina pouted. "I suppose I'll have to hope that someone brings it back to me."

2

"Headed into town again today?"

Maximus momentarily paused his task of tightening the saddle of his horse and turned to flash a smile at his friend.

"Not today, Quintus." He said, pulling sharply on the cinch and then adjusting the blanket some more. "I've got an errand to run."

"A delivery to make, perhaps?"

Maximus smiled again. Quintus had seen the incident in the marketplace. He knew too well what his friend was up to.

"Mind if I tag along?"

The bearded man frowned, sharply. Was Quintus interested in the girl as well? True, he hadn't yet staked a claim. He had only seen her from a distance- and only for a second before the other girl had dragged her away. Maximus sighed. He was probably being silly. Quintus was only bored. Besides, the thought that such a lovely little creature could like EITHER of them seemed to be a distant hope.

"Sure." He said, shrugging. "That will be fine. The farm is only at the edge of town."

Paolina took extra care with her dressing that morning, making Aelia replait the ring of braids in her hair three times before finally deciding to wear it down. She was wearing a white tunica trimmed in gold, it was her best cloth- a present from one of her older brothers. Her long black hair was shining and her brown eyes sparkled with joy of living. She was feeling very excited that morning, even if she could not be sure the young soldier from the night before would come to return her bracelet.

As she stepped in the villa's courtyard Paolina felt her father's curious eyes stop on her. It was easy to guess why: she was wearing her finest clothes instead of the plain, sturdy ones she usually wore to work on the farm.

"Tata", she called and Paolinus took her hand.

"My daughter... Are you planning to go somewhere? Those certainly don't look to me as the right clothes to wear to help me to break a horse."

"Oh, tata, I forgot I'd promised to help you. Listen, would bother you too much to wait until after noon for training the horse? I spent so much time for dressing like this and I don't want to change now."

Her father shook his head, "I am not in hurry, darling, but would you please explain me why you are dressed up?"

Paolina searched for a reason and finally found one which was not a complete lie. "Tata, Aelia is always telling me I must behave like a lady if I want to find a good husband, but as you know, growing up with five brothers and no mother was not a good education in that field." she paused and caressed her father's cheek, as she saw his eyes fill with tears at the mention of her mother. "You taught me a lot of things: how to write and read, how to judge horses, how to conduct a farm....You even taught me to use a sword, but you could not teach me to be more feminine. So, this morning I decided to follow Aelia's advice and train for a while to be a lady....." She spun around "What do you think?'

Paolinus shook his head amused. Personally he thought his daughter was feminine enough and he only hoped one day the right man would come along. He had no need to marry his daughter to the first newcomer, and he hoped to see her happy as he and her mother had been.

Aelia listened the exchange glumly from the shade of the porch. She felt as if she had been up all night listening to her vivacious cousin chatter on about the handsome stranger- about his bright, kind eyes, his broad shoulders, and the heat of his touch. She hoped, for Paolina's sake, that he would come, but she could not share her cousin's excitement. Thinking about men always made her sad. She dreamed, just as Paolina did, about dashing, handsome officers with warm smiles and soft hands...but she knew that the likelihood that she would ever find such a man was small. The money from the sale of the flower stand, and the few coins that had remained in her father's savings after his burial was paid were the only money she had for a dowry. There was no land, and no illustrious name to make her imaginary hero forget this failing. The only thing that she truly had of value was her golden bulla. It had belonged to her grandmother- or so her father said- he had rarely spoken of his family. Through the short years that they were together, she had picked together that his childhood had not been very happy. Aelius had run away to the army when his mother died. Aelia didn't even know her grandparent's names. However, running her fingers over the lovely golden chain and the pretty pearl at the center of the charm, she liked to imagine that her grandfather had been governor of a distant province, or a hallowed magistrate within the walls of Rome, and that her grandmother was one of the lovely, silk-clad matrons she had watched so longingly in the forum. The expensive necklace, to Aelia, represented all the dreams that could never come true, and though it made her a little sad, she knew that she could never sell it...She would probably end up no better than her mother- A camp follower, constantly wondering where she would find enough food to feed her little tribe of children.

Aelia would hold onto her illusions for as long as possible.

"I'll help you, tata." Aelia said suddenly, rising off of the step and patting the dust off her skirt.

Paolina and her father shared a look. Aelia had not been raised around horses. Although she had become a fine rider since her arrival at the farm, she was still nervous around the animals, and they could sense it. Letting her attempt such a thing could be dangerous.

"I don't think so, Aelia..." the other girl said gently. "Come back inside and help me put on rouge ...you're so much more skillful than I.."

But Aelia would not be deterred. She walked into the small paddock where the horse was penned, languidly chewing some hay, unaware of what it was about to endure.

Paolina watched as her cousin walked defiantly into the little fenced ring and picked up the leather bridle with the curved bit that they used on the young horses. The creature- a wheat-colored mare that Paolina called Stella- had been tolerating a simple rope lead around its muzzle for a few days, but it had never felt the cool metal of a harness before. Nervously, Aelia approached, circling the animal as if she were trying to figure out a way to slide the contraption onto the animal over the ears first, rather than the other way around.

"Mistress?" Paolina turned suddenly, she had been watching the little encounter so intently that the little maid who worked in the kitchen and answered the door seemed to have sneaked up behind her. "There are two gentlemen to see you."

Paolina smiled brilliantly. Her plan had worked! She watched as the little maid's eyes drifted toward Paolinus. "Shall I tell your father?"

"No, that's not necessary." the girl answered quickly. Wanting time alone with her guest, she smoothed the wrinkles from her dress and then hurried into the front room.

It was him! Paolina felt her heart surge to her chest as she saw the stranger from the night before. He was taller than she remembered, and even more attractive. As she had expected, his hair was a shiny brownish-black, and his eyes were as blue as the summer sky. Briefly, she glanced at his companion. A taller, slimmer man, with similarly light eyes and golden-brown hair. After apprizing him, she returned her eyes to their starting point.

"Sir." She said, making a sketchy sort of bow.

He blushed. "Uhm...ma'am...Miss....Paolina, is it?"

He remembered! Her heart leapt with gladness. He stepped forward, about to offer her the bracelet when a scream echoed into the house from the yard....

3

Without thinking, Paolina turned and rushed outside, followed by the two soldiers. The scene they saw was scary: the young mare was rearing, moving her front hooves in a very dangerous way. In front of her Aelia lay in the dirt, her on her head, protecting it from the enraged animal.

Paolina threw a glance around her and saw that her father was nowhere in sign. She had to help her cousin and she had to do it soon. She run to the round pen and jumped up and down the fence, putting herself between the mare and Aelia. Paolina hoped Stella would acknowledge her and calm down.

She made soothing sounds with her lips and finally the mare put down on the ground her forelegs, and stared at her snorting. Paolina reached out a hand, her palm up and walked to the mare whispering, "Easy now, Stella. Easy now beautiful girl." The mare's ears pricked as she slowly walked in her direction, finally nuzzling her palm. Paolina smiled and gently picked up the flying reins, then turned to see how Aelia was.

Her cousin was still down in the dirt, and one of the soldiers, the light haired one, was checking her legs. Paolina smiled, seeing how Aelia's face was turning to crimson. Paolina was used to have her legs checked after falling from a horse, but for Aelia this was the first time and her cousin could not decide if the girl's embarrassment was due to the fact the man performing the exam was a handsome stranger or if she was merely shamed because the young men had see her in difficulty. Aelia sometime was too proud for her own good.....

A hand entered her field of vision and Paolina turned to see 'her' young soldier caressing the horse's neck. She met his eyes and he smiled, making her knees tremble.

"Miss Paolina, it was very brave to confront the horse like that...So determined and calm.."

She felt herself blush at his praise and looking to her feet replied, "My father taught me how to act with horses....using firmness mixed with gentleness, so the animal will learn to respect the man but not to be afraid of him."

Maximus nodded. Paolinus was famous for the quality of his animals.

The two youngsters remained silent for some time then started to speak at unison"

"Miss-"

"Sir-"

They both stopped, looked at each other and then started to laugh.

In that moment Paolinus returned in the courtyard and frowned seeing two soldiers near his girls.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Four young faces turned to look in his direction and the two soldiers almost snapped in attention while the older man approached the enclosure. He stopped in front of his daughter, arching an eyebrow and inviting an explanation.

Paolina moved near him saying, "Father, these two young men found my bracelet and came to give it to me...."

"And...?" Paolinus bent his head in Aelia's direction then looked pointedly to Paolina no longer white tunica.

"And when Aelia tried to mount her, Stella started and gave her some problems, so we came here to help her."

"Hmmmm...." Paolinus' eyes turned to look the two soldiers better and said, "Gentlemen, thank you for your help. I am Paolinus, master of this house."

The legionary nearer to his daughter stepped ahead and said, " Sir, I am lieutenant Maximus Decimus Meridas and that is my friend, Lieutenant Quintus Clarus "

Paolinus nodded to both the soldiers then added, "Would you like some wine?"

The young men agreed, happy the dominus of the house seemed to have accepted them. Paolina was also happy. As she watched Maximus and Quintus follow his father outside the round pen, she approached Aelia and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I am well....very well."

Paolina's eyes widened at her words and tone and she turned to look at her cousin better. Aelia was smiling like a contented cat and Paolina was briefly worried that her cousin had received a blow on her head, "Are you all right?"

"Yes...." Aelia smiled distantly. "..Quintus told me I was very brave, remaining so still in front of a frightened horse..."

"Ah!" commented Paolina with a smile "So your soldier touched more than just your legs....He touched your heart, you miss-always-with her-feet-on-the -ground!"

Aelia stared daggers at her but she could not reply as Paolinus called, "Selene, Aelia, what are you waiting for?"

Knowing that Paolinus only used his daughter's given name when his patience was thin, the two girls quickly exited the round pen and followed their tata and guests.

Once inside, Aelia dismissed herself to change her clothes. The dress that she was wearing had been soiled when she fell into the soft earth of the paddock. Paolina couldn't help but watch Quintus' eyes follow her cousin as she ascended the stairs to her room. *So....* she thought, merrily *perhaps this will work out better than I had hoped....*

"Won't you be seated?" Paolinus asked, gesturing to two straight backed chairs in front of his desk. Paolina wished that they had gone to the triclinium- at least there the guests would be comfortable. She waited until the men were seated before pulling up a small stool of her own, putting it a few inches too close to Maximus. Her father gave her a disapproving look. Paolina didn't budge.

A little maid scurried in with a bottle of wine- not their best, the girl noticed with a sigh- and handed it to her tata. He poured three large tumblers for the men, offering them a little tray to mix the water as they would, and then filled his daughter's glass mostly with water before adding the merest splash of libation.

Paolina watched their guests carefully. She looked at "her" soldier, amused to see that her father had slightly unsettled him. He took a deep breath, and then poured a judicious amount of water into the glass. She smiled, certain that her father would approve at this show of temperance.

The little group sat in silence.

"So...." Maximus said, clearing his throat. "They are...lovely...horses...you're raising here."

The older man hrumphed.

"Lots of spirit."

Paolinus sniffed again, and looked levelly at his guest, and then at his daughter. "You have no idea."

Maximus shifted his weight nervously. "Well...we....uhm...."

"Aelia!" Quintus rose from his chair as the younger cousin glided into the room. She had changed into a lavender tunic which set off her eyes, and a cream shawl that she had embroidered herself. Her golden-brown hair, was elegantly, though simply, twisted into a coil at the base of her neck. As she passed, Paolina couldn't help but notice how nice she smelled. She stifled another giggle. Yes, this was going much better than planned. Aelia sat next to the other girl, shyly meeting Quintus' gaze for an instant before looking at her hands. She didn't bother reaching for a glass of wine, focusing instead on smoothing her dress and sitting prettily. Ever the little lady....

"We...uhm...your...daughter...daughters...were saying....."

"Out with it." Paolinus said, clapping his hands on his thighs.

"We were thinking...hoping...."

"You would like to call on Paolina." Her tata finished.

Maximus flushed. "I...uhm...yes. Yes, I would like to.. and...." He looked quickly to his friend. "I think that Quintus would like to see Aelia...that is...if..."

There was a pause.

"No."

Paolina's eyes flashed with angry indignation. "Tata!" She cried, rising to her feet.

Paolinus frowned. First he glared at Quintus. "Aelia- my niece, not my daughter - has no dowry, and I can think of only one purpose a legionary could have for such a girl- I intend to spare her from it as long as possible." Paolina looked quickly at her cousin, her heart tightening at the stricken look on her lovely face. "And as for you...I hardly intend to give her to the first man that walks in off the street." He stood abruptly. "And that, is the end of the conversation."

"Tata!" Paolina said again, her dark eyes flashing- she wasn't going to let him get away so easily.

"I said no!" Paolinus turned around and left the room, but her daughter followed him.

"Tata, please, you don't even know him...how can you judge him...them ....so quickly? Not all the soldiers are like uncle Aelius!"

Paolinus stopped and turned around, meeting his daughter's shining passionate eyes...eyes that were so much alike her mother's. He bit his lower lip and put his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Darling," he said, "I only want to protect you. These men found your bracelet, brought it to you and all at once they want to call on you. It is no good...not appropriate..."

"Tata...do you remember how you met mama?" Her father nodded "Well, do you think her behavior was appropriate?"

Paolinus shook his head.

"Tata, Maximus came here because I let my bracelet fall...I..I..met him yesterday evening, he helped me when the apples fell in the street and..and.."

Paolina seemed suddenly without words but her father did not need to hear anymore. He remembered too well his meeting with his late wife and also remembered the way Selene had clung to the apple the evening before. What could he do? He wanted to protect his girls but her daughter was right, he did not even know the two young men....The military service was compulsive and maybe, just maybe, the two legionaries might turn out to be a good sort... Paolinus sighed and patting his daughter's shoulders said, "All right, darling, I will give them a chance but they had better not waste it!"

Paolina's eyes shined with joy, "Thank you, Tata, I am sure Maximus will not disappoint you! And Quintus too!"

They walked back in the hall where Quintus, Aelia and Maximus were still sitting, exchanging embarrassed looks. At the sound of their steps, the legionaries sprung up and Maximus' eyes met Paolina's. She was smiling and he suddenly felt hope rise again in his chest.

Paolinus looked severely to the young men and said, "All right: I will permit you to see Selene and Aelia but you will do it only under the surveillance of a servant or myself. If you do so much as lay a finger on them I will throw you out of my estate and unleash the dogs. Is that clear?"

The two young men nodded, their faces almost frightened. "Yes, sir!"

"Good."

Paolinus clapped his hands and Pomponia - Paolina's old nurse - entered. He gestured with his head and the woman nodded, understanding at once. She took his place at the table and sat down, looking at the youngsters with hawk's eyes. Paolinus nodded to his guests then walked away to his study.

He wanted to write to his friends and business partners to gather information about the two soldiers.

The girls looked at each other, and then looked at the men, who seemed distinctly ill at ease. The old nurse, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content, paying attention to her sewing but, at the same time seeming to stare at each of the youngsters.

Maximus cleared his throat. "Well...uhm...we have to...get back to camp."

Quintus nodded. "Yes..we have to do inspections and uhm..." Both men started to rise unsteadily from their chairs.

"Stay!" Paolina said, pouting a little.

"We'll be back soon!" Quintus promised, trying to catch Aelia's eye.

"Tomorrow." Paolina insisted.

Maximus laughed- the first time they had seen him smile since the father's outburst. "Very well my little Amazon. Tomorrow."

This pleased Paolina. "I will walk you to the door. Come, Aelia."

Hopping to her feet, Aelia trailed after the other three onto the porch. The old nurse watched them carefully, but did not follow.

"Send word tomorrow that you can't come." Paolina whispered. "And then meet us by the well in town at noon."

Maximus blinked. "But if your father found out--- "

"He *won't* find out." She said, vehemently. She gave Maximus a flirtatious grin. "Say 'yes'".

He laughed again. "Yes."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then darted indoors. Aelia, who had said barely a word to Quintus, merely offered him a short smile, then a sketchy little curtsey before following her cousin.

"You can come out now, tata!" Paolina said as she walked back into the house. "You've scared them away." And instead of walking to the parlor, she continued up the stairs to the room that she and her cousin shared. Since the boys had moved away, it was possible for the girls to have room of their own, but out of force of habit, they continued to share. Aelia followed silently, watching as Paolina flung herself dramatically back onto the bed and stared dreamily at the ceiling.

"He's perfect!" She sighed. Aelia was silent. "Tall, dark, handsome..." She sighed happily, and then rolled to her side, propping her head on her hand as she looked toward Aelia. "And did you see his arms? I wonder what he could do with those..." She giggled wickedly. When she got no response, she sighed.

Aelia was standing at the window, watching as the two soldiers collected their horses and rode back to the camp.

"Well *you* certainly were cool as ice!" Paolina goaded. "I thought that you liked Quintus."

"I *DO* like him" Aelia said, her voice betraying even more interest than Paolina had expected

"Then why were you acting so distant?...you didn't even ask him to stay!"

Aelia's pretty mouth slumped downward. "Oh Cousin. Tata is right. There is no reason that such a man would want a girl like me. Did you see his signet ring? Solid gold! He must be a senator's son...from Rome! He could never have a penniless girl like me, even if he wanted to- it is better not to get my hopes up."

"Your bulla is gold." Paolina pointed out, wryly. "Maybe he's penniless too!" She laughed merrily at her little joke and then laid back against the mattress again.

4

The rest of the day and the night passed quickly. The following morning the two girls went down in the triclinium to eat their breakfast. Paolinus was already there and greeted them with a warm smile. As they were eating their breakfast of bread dipped in honey there was a light knock on the door, followed by the entry of a servant.

"Domine, a slave just came with this message for mistress Paolina and mistress Aelia."

The girls put down the bread while Paolinus, raised his eyes from the letter he was reading, nodded to the servant, motioning him to hand the scroll to his daughter.

Paolina opened the papyrus and read the words inside. "Oh." she said with a weak voice.

"What is it?" asked her father.

"It is from Maximus and Quintus....it says they can't visit us today...some kind of military drill came in the way." Paolina's voice sounded very sad and disappointed but inside her chest her heart was beating very fast with joy,- Maximus had ended his letter with "I hope to see you soon, my little Amazon"..

Paolinus felt relief wash over him but also he felt guilt, because he was not sure if his coldness to the two soldiers was due to the desire to protect his girls or to the fear that the young men would take them away, leaving him all alone in the house. He tried to carry on as normal and asked, "So, what will you do today then?" Seeing the two sad faces he added, "Why don't you go in the village and buy some fabrics to do new dresses? I saw yesterday that Antonius' shop received a new shipment of silk from India...."

"Yes, yes, we will do that, Tata," replied Aelia, performing as well as her cousin the part of the sad girl. Even if she was still uncertain about Quintus' reasons, she wanted to meet him very badly.

Paolinus smiled and opening the leather pouch tied to his belt, handed some coins to the girls, "Go now and find yourself something very pretty."

"Thank you Tata" Aelia and Paolina said in chorus, Then they kissed him on his cheeks and walked away. Paolina was barely able to contain her happiness.....she was to meet her young soldier very soon.

The little village was crowded with people scurrying to and fro on a variety of errands. Paolina and Aelia spent a lot of time in Antonius' shop, examining a lot of various colored fabrics, busying themself until noon.

Paolina chose a vibrant orange shawl embroidered in gold thread as her purchase. Aelia joked that her cousin had bought the color in case someone "forgot" to look at her (a thing that would never happen). She wrapped it around her shoulders as they left the store, pleased at how the bright color contrasted with her olive skin, and brought attention to her face.

Aelia, on the other hand, bought cloth for a new tunica. It was very pale pink silk that had been brushed until it was very soft, and was rather more expensive than the money that Paolinus had given her that morning. The girl made it a habit to save the little pocket change that she got from time to time so that she could occasionally afford something lavish. Although she did not have nearly as many clothes or bangles as her cousin, the ones that she did have were very fine for the country town where they lived. For once, Aelia's seriousness in such a matter did not annoy Paolina- since they were nearly the same size, they could plunder each other's clothes chests at any time.

Paolina ran her hand along the neatly folded material, admiring the downy finish. "Oh yes." She said approvingly. "Your lieutenant Quintus will like the feel of that..."

Aelia sighed dramatically and pushed the hand away. "I would like this wrapped and sent home, please." She said to the shopkeeper, handing over her money. After completing their transactions, the girls stepped back out onto the street. They were about to round a corner toward the village well when Paolina once again felt herself drawn roughly backwards.

"What?" She hissed, annoyed.

"It's Publius!" Aelia said, pointing at the square.

Paolina groaned. Publius was the son of the regional overseer. His family had been one of the first to receive the citizenship when it had been granted to provincials, hundreds of years before, and he was still a snob about it. Fat, overbearing, and leering, he nevertheless thought that he was the most eligible citizen in the town, able to have any woman he pleased. More often than not, he pleased Paolina. She thanked her cousin quickly. "You go and meet the soldiers." She instructed. "I will hide in the little wine-shop over there."

Aelia agreed and, gathering her shawl more tightly around her shoulders, stepped out bravely toward the well. She could feel Publius' eyes on her as she walked, but she studiously avoided turning her head. He knew, like every other man in the village, that Aelia was too poor to marry- but that didn't stop him from thinking that he could have fun with her in other ways. He catcalled after her as she walked.

"Where are you hurrying off to little sparrow?" He said, stepping forward.

Aelia could see Maximus and Quintus, but their backs were turned away. She felt that it would be unseemly to cry out to them, and so she quickened her pace.

"And where is your lovely cousin, my future bride?" He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Aelia yelped, a sound that got the attention of a few of the townsfolk in the crowd. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp. Up close, she could smell the heavy scent of wine on the man's breath, and she feared that he was drunk, even this early in the day.

"She isn't your future bride." Aelia said angrily, still struggling to escape, his grip only tightened. "She hates you."

There. That would teach him, but instead of surprising him into letting her go, it only made him angry. He tightened his grip, pinching her skin savagely so that she let out a yelp of pain.

"Let her go."

Aelia breathed a sigh of relief as Maximus and Quintus finally arrived. Publius regarded them disdainfully. "Make me."

The soldiers exchanged a look. "I'm sure that you really don't want us to do that." Maximus said evenly.

Paolina stepped out of the wine shop, wondering what was taking the others so long to arrive. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw the crowd ringed around Maximus, Quintus, Publius, and her cousin. They looked as if they were going to fight....oh no! Didn't they know what would happen if they sparred? Publius would run to their father, who would order them thrown in prison, no matter if they were guilty or not. She had to stop them!

Paolina ran in their direction and put herself between Publius and the two soldiers. Seeing her the fat, arrogant man, smiled leeringly, "Oh, my future wife, what a pleasure to see you!"

Paolina heard Maximus' sharp intake of breath as he registered Publius' words. "I will NEVER be your wife. I would rather kill myself!" She spat.

"Always so full of fire....It will be a pleasure to tame you." He answered. Publius reached out a hand and caressed her cheek with a fat finger.

Paolina snapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!" she hissed then gasped as she felt a hand brush against her own near her side

Maximus walked near Paolina and stared at Publius, "Did you hear the lady? Go away."

Publius smirked and said again, "Make me".

Maximus walked near him, so near he could smell the wine in the other man's breath, and stared at him. His gaze was so full of command and power that the other man could not sustain it very long.

Without saying anything more Publius turned and walked away, his head high as he was the master of the city. He turned a couple of time to watch Paolina and his 'rival' and they could clearly see in his eyes that it was not over. He would return.

Both of the girls were shaken by the incident. Aelia looked over her shoulder, painfully aware of the small group of gawkers that had assembled, hoping for a skirmish.

"If we don't want tata to hear about this, we'd better find a way to disappear." She suggested.

The rest of the group agreed. "Let's go for a walk." Paolina suggested, slipping her arm through Maximus'.

Aelia watched her cousin's actions and blushed, wishing that she could be so brave. Shyly, she rested her hand on Quintus' forearm, trembling slightly at the electricity of the touch.

5

Paolina led the little group out of the village to the little clearing where members of the town congregated for entertainment, and where they held the annual fair. On its edge there was the beginning of a winding path which led up the hillside.

"Let's go to the waterfall!" Paolina said, pulling the amused-looking Maximus after her. In no time at all, they had disappeared.

Quintus and Aelia followed, but at a much slower pace. She continued to touch his arm only slightly until her dress was caught on a low-lying branch.

"Let me get it!" the young man said quickly, darting for the fabric. Aelia felt her skin burn as, in his haste, his arm brushed her thigh as he bent to free the skirt. She noticed, however, that he was very gentlemanly by looking away from her briefly exposed ankle.

"There." Quintus said, standing upright again.

Aelia blinked. In a single, swift motion he had caught her little hand in his and held it lightly. He looked nervous for taking the liberty, but Aelia smiled and squeezed his hand slightly in reassurance.

Meanwhile, Paolina's steps had finally slowed, her chest was heaving with the exertion of running so far- a spectacle which was far from lost on her companion. He couldn't help but sneak a peak at the way the thin fabric of her tunica strained against her rising breasts. He wondered, for a second, what it would be like to touch them. He shifted uncomfortably at the sensations the thought aroused, and he made himself look away.

"So." Paolina said, taking a little, dancing step toward the edge of the water. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"

"Kiss you?" Maximus' eyes sparkled hopefully. Was she teasing him?

"Yes." her dark eyes sparkled. She stood on her tip-toes and leaned toward him. He closed his eyes, shivering with anticipation as their lips drifted together.

She pulled away. Giggling, Paolina splashed through the shallow little stream, playfully beckoning him to follow. "You don't want to." She sighed mockingly. "No Paolina for you. Perhaps she is too ugly."

"You're beautiful." he said, darting toward her, and grumbled companionably as she side-stepped him.

"Too skinny then."

"You're luscious." He retorted, missing again as he tried to pin her arm.

Paolina danced through the water again. "Not enough of a lady..." she gasped a little when she realized that she had inadvertently trapped herself between Maximus and a boulder. He inched toward her, the smile on his face almost predatory as he pressed her against the rock.

"You're perfect." He growled lowly against her ear.

And then their lips met.

That was her first kiss and even if it was just a light brushing of lips, it was enough to make her head spin as her breath caught in her throat. They separated slowly, looking into each other eyes. Maximus was more expert than Paolina in matter of love, but he too was deeply affected by the chaste kiss. He raised his hand to caress her cheek and she covered it with her own. Their lips once again came close to each other, ready for another kiss when two voices stopped them cold.

"Cousin!"

"Maximus! Where are you?"

Maximus grimaced and offered a little smile of apology to Paolina. She replied with one of her own and taking his hand again, led him back in the open space, where Quintus and Aelia waited for them.

"Ah, here you are!" said Aelia, "What were you doing?"

"The same thing you and Quintus should do!" Paolina whispered to her, grabbing her for the elbow and leading her away from the men, "We were seeking a bit of privacy!" Aelia looked at her skeptically and Paolina added, "Don't tell me you don't want to spend some time alone with Quintus!"

Aelia lowered her eyes...She wanted to spend time with Quintus, to know him better but she was still worried that he was merely looking for a quick conquest. Still, she thought, he might be worth the risk...Aelia raised her head and smiled, saying suddenly, "You are absolutely right, Cousin!" And then she returned to a spot near Quintus and made a bold move-taking his hand in her own.

"Would you like to come with me to search some mushrooms for dinner...Tata likes them very much and we will need to have him in very good spirits if he hears about what happened today in the village...." Aelia spoke in a rush, afraid she would lose her bravado if she stopped to think.

Quintus beamed at her actions and words and let himself be guided in the thick woods.

The pair walked in silence for several moments until Quintus cleared his throat and asked, "So, you think your uncle will be upset when he hears about what happened today?"

"Yes, but I think my cousin will be able to calm him down. Besides, despite what he told yesterday, he is a very kind man."

Quintus smiled, "His threat of unleashing the dogs sounded very sincere to me!"

Aelia laughed- a musical sound that tied Quintus' stomach in knots. "Of course, you don't know how little they are! They are three little puppies- only four months old!"

Quintus joined her laughter. "Well, he certainly is a great actor! I was expecting a band of Cerberuses!'

They both continued walking until Aelia spotted a big mushroom hidden between the grass, "Look at that!" She bent down to pluck it of the ground, and Quintus copied her actions, stooping down as well. As she brushed the dirt from the cap, Aelia felt her companion's eyes resting on her hands and a shiver ran along her spine...His gaze was so intent that its seemed to caress her skin...Slowly she raised her head and their eyes met. Quintus reached slowly for her hand and then whispered, "Please Aelia, give me leave...."

She was not sure about what he was asking for but did not hesitate, "Yes...you have leave...."

Maximus laughed as Paolina sent her cousin away. "What did you say to her?" He questioned, drawing her into his arms again.

Paolina shrugged. "That she should mind her business."

He grinned. "Oh, I assumed from her expression that you had told her to go off somewhere and start kissing Quintus."

Paolina laughed. "Perhaps that *is* her business?"

Maximus shook his head in amused disbelief. "Are you always so bold?"

"Sometimes.... Usually....well, yes, I suppose I always am." She finally made an admission. She linked her hand through his and started leading him further along the path. "I think that you like it."

He nodded. "Yes. I like it very much. Spirit, just like Ariadne."

The girl frowned sharply, not liking the sound of another feminine name. "Ariadne, eh? A girl back home..." She tried to keep her tone light and disinterested.

"Yep." He nodded.

Paolina snorted in exasperation. How could he think this was so funny?

He noticed her expression and threw his hands up. "She's my horse!"

"You would compare me to a horse?" She said, trying to sound angry, but unable to keep the smile from her lips.

"Well you certainly would be fun to..." He let his voice trail off.

Paolina wasn't certain if he was about to say "ride" or "tame" but either choice was amusing. She treated him with another display of blindingly white teeth and then concentrated on not saying the jokes that came to mind- all of them too unladylike for even her to utter.

"Well, we shall see, soldier." She walked a little bit further. "And where is home? You don't act like you are from Rome."

"You are right. I was born in Hispania, near a little village called Trujillo. I own a farm there, not big as your father's but very beautiful and fertile."

Maximus' eyes shone as he spoke and Paolina watched him, completely mesmerized by his voice. Meanwhile, the more down-to-earth part of her thought that her father would be very pleased to learn that the young soldier owned a farm. "Do you have any relatives?" she asked.

"Only my mother. She is living in the farm, hoping one day I will return with a bride and fill the villa with a bunch of children." Maximus smiled then added seriously, "But I want so much more than a broodmare....I want a companion, a lover, a friend...." He stopped to talking, suddenly too embarrassed to continue, but his eyes seemed to say to Paolina..."And you could be all of them..."

Paolina wanted nothing more that lose herself in his gaze but a shadow obscuring the sun caused her to look to the sky where threatening black clouds were gathering over their heads. "Oh, no", she muttered, "We'd better head back, or we'll get an unscheduled bath!"

Maximus followed her gaze and nodded, "Come, let's go to find Quintus and Aelia."

Back in the wood Quintus and Aelia had totally forgotten about the mushrooms.

After she granted permission, Quintus had gently kissed Aelia on the lips, retreating quickly to gauge her reaction. Aelia was surprised by his restraint, but what followed was even more stunning because she, always the proper little lady, as her cousin teased her, reached for Quintus face and gave him another kiss, much to his delight.

The kiss was gentle at first, but slowly deepened, her petal soft lips gently parting against his own. She lingered from longer than she should. When they finally parted, they were both breathing as hard as if they had run a race. They continued to look at each other until, at last, Quintus broke the silence, feeling an unstoppable desire to explain himself to the girl.

"Domina, I want you to know I will never do it again without your permission... I don't want to dishonor you in any way.."

Aelia frowned, where had that come from? Then she understood, he was afraid she might think his attentions were only for the reasons her uncle had mentioned the day before...He wanted to show her he was not interested on her just for....just for....Aelia blushed at the thought of she and Quintus alone in a darkened bed chamber. She smiled to lessen his concern - even if she was indeed happy to hear him voicing his true intentions - and said, "I believe you, Quintus, and I trust you."

They exchanged another smile, then he helped her back on her feet and helped brush away the grass and the dirt from her dress. They had just finished and were preparing to resume their search for mushrooms when the first drops or rain began to fall from the sky. It was quickly followed by Paolina's and Maximus' voices, "Quintus, Aelia, where are you? We have to head back!"

"We're over here!" Aelia called back, quickly turning away and bounding through the woods toward the sound of her cousin's voice. Another fat drop of rain fell down from the sky, and she looked overhead nervously, pulling her stola over hear hair. "It is going to storm!" She said as she caught up to her cousin.

Paolina nodded, her brown eyes as wide as coins as they threaded their way back down the slope of the hill.

There was a flash of lightning, and she jumped, drawing all of her courage to avoid crying out. Paolina was terribly afraid of lightning. When she was very small, one of her older brothers had told her that each time a bolt flashed out of the sky, it killed a little lamb. Although she was too old now to believe such nonsense, her heart still hammered in her chest each time she saw the heavenly fireworks.

"We have to go!" She said through clenched teeth.

Maximus looked at the sky nervously. "You'll never make it- we'll have to wait it out in the city."

The color drained from Paolina's face. She was suddenly less afraid of the lightning than what her father would do if they didn't return home again as scheduled. She shook her head forcefully. "No. We must get back."

The wind was picking up. Aelia tucked her stola tightly around the knees to keep her skirt from flying up, but Paolina, who had only brought a little scarf for her shoulders, and who didn't want her new shawl to be stained by the rain, had to fight the unruly folds as the gusts swirled around her ankles. Maximus wished that he had time to enjoy the view, but he was concentrating on leading his companion down the slope. The light rain had made the incline slick and dangerous.

Just as they stepped out of the woods onto the open plain, the heavens seemed to open, pouring out rain as though buckets were being dropped over their heads. Aelia let her stola fall to her shoulders- it was soaked through- useless for protection- and the blue dye had started to run.

"We have to go home." Paolina said again, flinching as another bolt of electric crackled across the horizon. "Truly Maximus. Tata will be furious if we don't"

He shared a look with Quintus.

"Alright. " he said reluctantly. "We'll take you there."

"No!" Paolina and Aelia said in unison.

"That is..." the more dominant cousin finished. "It would be better if you didn't. They will need you at camp, and tata will be less angry if we return alone."

The men hesitated, but at last relented. "Very well....we will call on you soon."

Maximus bowed to Paolina, and she felt a twinge of jealousy as, beside her, she saw Quintus take her cousin's hand and kiss it tenderly.

With a final goodbye, the little group parted.

6

Aelia and Paolina were silent on the way home- unable to speak as they panted for breath from running. Their father was waiting for them on the front porch. A shivering slave boy had been sent to wait by the front gate for them, and he looked very relieved when they arrived.

"Tata!" They both said when they arrived. Paolina began to speak immediately, hoping to avoid whatever lecture he might be able to deliver if he had already heard what had happened to Publius in the town.

"Girls! I was so worried. I've sent Bronwen into town to look for you."

They exchanged a glance, knowing what gossip the slave would have to deliver when she returned. Paolina decided to confront the issue head on.

"We are sorry we are late- you will never guess who we saw in town? Maximus and Quintus!"

She wondered if she had made the wrong decision. Immediately her father's face clouded nearly as black as the sky. "I thought that they had drills today."

"Well....they..." She stammered, momentarily stumped.

"The drills were cancelled because of the weather."

Paolina smiled, impressed with her cousin's quick thinking. She flashed Aelia a smile, and then frowned when she saw how pale the girl's cheeks were. Was she getting sick?

"We saw them when we were coming out of a shop and shared a snack at the inn before starting home."

Her father made a grunting sound that could have meant almost anything.

Paolina decided not to wait for him to have a chance to say anything else cross. "I am starving!" She said. "Is there anything to eat?"

The girls went to the kitchen for a meal of hot stew and bread. It was simple fair- the type of food that peasants or shepherds would eat, but perfect for the nasty weather. The wind continued to howl as they passed the afternoon reading and playing games, and the rain continued to pour downwards as they climbed the stairs and returned to their room.

The girls changed into simple wool nightgowns and climbed beneath their blankets. Aelia blew out the little lamp between the two beds, but the room was still illuminated by regular flashes of lightning. Paolina was happy not to be alone, but wished she were keeping company with Maximus rather than her cousin. She was certain that the display of heavenly lights would be much less frightening if she could observe them curled into his strong arms. The thought sent a little shiver down her spine, and she smiled into the darkness. Soon...she promised herself. It will happen soon... Still smiling, she drifted slowly to sleep.

"Paolina....Paolina...wake up."

Aelia's voice carried through the darkness, dragging her cousin reluctantly from a delicious dream.

"What time is it?" the other girl grumbled, turning over in her bed and drawing the coverlet more tightly around her legs.

There was a moment of silence and she hoped that her cousin had gone back to sleep.

"I don't...I don't feel well."

Paolina noted that Aelia's voice was rasping. Suddenly awake, she sat upright.

It was too dark to see the girl's color, and so Paolina crept to the bedside and laid her palm against the woman's cheek, drawing it away sharply as if she had been burned.

"Aelia!" She said, her voice frightened. "You have a fever!"

Paolina tried not to panic too much and remain calm for her cousin's sake. She jumped down the bed and lightened the lamp. As the flames sparkled to life and the shadows danced in the room she was able to see that Aelia face was very pale and her brow covered with sweat.

"By the Gods," whispered Paolina and walked to the basin and soaked a rag of fabric and the water they had used to wash, returning near the bed and putting it on Aelia's brow. Then she squeezed her hand and said, "Stay calm. I am going to call tata and he will fetch a doctor. Don't worry, you'll be all right." Aelia weakly squeezed her hand back and Paolina left her and went to her father door.

She knocked loudly on the door, "Tata, please, wake up! Aelia is ill!" she called urgently. A few moment later her father appeared, clad in his nightgown and a robe. Together they went in the girls' room, where Paolinus ascertained his niece's condition. Then he left the room and barked some orders to the slaves, telling to one of them to run in the city and return with Galen, the family doctor. After that he came back and sat on the bed near Aelia, "It will be all right, my dear" he whispered, caressing her burning cheeks as the girl fell asleep.

7

The following day the sun shone in a bright blue sky but in Paolinus' villa the atmosphere was dark and sad. Aelia was ill, very ill and the fever had yet to broke. Galen had worked near her for all the night, but to midmorning his efforts had yet to have positive effects.

Paolina sat near Aelia bed, washing her face and chest with cold water, speaking softly to her and keeping her from trashing to much then she was delirious. Paolina was feeling very badly because she felt guilty...if she had not insisted to return home in spite off the rain ......

Her father appeared on the door and asked quietly, "Still nothing?"

Paolina shook her head.

"Galen want to use the leeches but I wish to wait a little more."

Paolina nodded. She knew that his father was remembering the fever which had killed her mother when she was only 3 years old. In that occasion the doctor - not Galen, another one - had used the leeches too much, weakening her mother so much that her heart had failed, killing her just when the fever seemed beaten.

Paolina lowered his head and said, "Oh, Tata, is all my fault....if I had not insisted we return in the rain.."

Paolinus crossed the room to his daughter and hugged her, "It's not your fault, nor anybody else's, it simply happened. We can only hope Aelia will be all right soon."

His daughter nodded against his chest. He murmured, "Why don't you go in my room to nap a little bit? I will stay here with her."

Paolina smiled weakly and nodded, leaving her father and cousin alone.

Paolinus took his daughter's place on the chair, took Aelia's hand and began to speak softly, "You must get right soon, darling, I have good news for you...and for Selene too. I made some enquiries about 'your' soldiers and I discovered interesting things about them. Good things. You seem to like Quintus, do not you? Well I have been informed that he has not yet been promised to a girl in Rome. He is only the third son in his family- so there may not be prospects..." He looked at the girl's face for some sign that she could hear him, but her feverish eyes remained closed. He sighed, feeling guilty. Only that morning he had been grouching about being lonely in his large house- now he would happily lose her to a handsome soldier, but he could not bear to know that she was dead.

Paolina cried herself to sleep. In spite of what her father said, she could not help feeling terribly guilty. Even thoughts of Maximus could not cheer her. Hasn't he told her that they should wait in the village? If only she had listened. Surely he would hate her when he learned that she had put her cousin's life in jeopardy.

Paolina awoke very early, feeling more tired than when she went to bed. It was no longer raining, but heavy grey clouds hung in the sky, eaching the dull weight of her heart. After slipping into a warm woolen tunica, Paolina went to the room where her cousin was being kept.

"Is there any change?" She asked hopefully as she stepped into the room.

Galen, the doctor, shook his head.

"There is no change. The fever still hasn't broken. She has been delirious most of the morning."

The older girl nodded gravely. She glanced tenderly at her tata, who was asleep in his chair, snoring slightly. She noticed the bowl of leeches sitting near the bed. They had not been used- yet....

"Isn't there anything that I can do?" She asked, feeling very restless. She could not bear a day of sitting in a chair waiting for bad news. She looked at the doctor hopefully.

"Yes." He said, causing her to turn her head in surprise. "There are some medicines that I need from the village. Could you send one of the kitchen girls to fetch them?"

"I will get them myself." Paolina said. The doctor was about to argue, but he could see in her eyes how she desired to be useful.

"Very well."

Paolina memorized the short list of herbs and elixirs, and then hurried to put on her winter shoes and fetch another wrap. She hesitated on her new orange shawl, as once again an image of Maximus floated through her mind, but she selected instead a heavy leather garum that her father used on the farm. She was levelheaded enough to realize that it wouldn't help anyone if she caught the same fever as Aelia. She would sacrifice glamor for good sense.

The walk to the village seemed longer than ever, in spite of her hurried pace. Since the road was muddy, the marketplace was more deserted than usual. The few vendors that had arrived huddled under the awnings of shops. She frowned when she noticed that the usual herb woman was not where she needed to be. She would have to go to the potion shop.

"I'm sorry my dear." The shopkeepers wife said, counting money as she answered Paolina's inquiry. "We simply don't have any left. The army bought up all our stock as soon as they arrived, and it's impossible to get more this time of year."

"But Aelia must have it!" She insisted, feeling helpless. "She might die!"

The older woman simply shrugged. Sighing wearily, Paolina stepped back outdoors and reluctantly turned toward home. She had gotten most of the things that Galen needed. Pehaps he could make due, or send one of the kitchen slaves to his house in the neighboring town for a personal supply- But what if he DIDN't have anymore ....and what if the things Aelia needed were the things that Paolina hadn't got? It just wasn't fair!

Slowly, her feet came to a stop at the crossroads that led to the farm. Down the other road was the army base ...Should she ask them for help?

She shivered at the thought. She knew very well what was said of the girls who went to the base- more than a few had taken that route in the weeks since the legions had come- the gossip would be unbearable...and what would Maximus think? Amazon or not, could he love a woman who would be so reckless with her reputation? She sighed, knowing the choice that she had to make.

Maximus would have to love her for who she was- a reckless woman with a heart full of love. She could not act selfishly when her dearest cousin needed help. Feeling frightened nevertheless, she began walking toward the camp...

8

As the wooden gates came closer and closer Paolina felt her resolve falter....if she stepped inside them her reputation might be doomed for good, and so she stopped in front of the high wall. However, her worry for Aelia was stronger than her fear of gossip, and so she collected her spirits and walked between the two guards, who greeted her with loud whistles. Once inside Paolina stopped and looked around amazed. The camp was enourmous, with seemely never-ending rows of white little tents and soldiers who walked in every direction. She forced her mouth close as panic began to assault her...how can she find the doctors' place in that sea of tents? She needed help. She looked around and saw a kind looking legionary intent on polishing a sword and decided to ask to him.

"Excuse me sir, could you point me toward the doctor's tent?"

The soldier raised his head, "Look honey, the doctors are too busy to help you to get rid of your burden. Go in the city and ask the midwife."

He spoke with a voice full of sarcasm and Paolina looked at him surprised, "I don't understand..."

"You're pregnant, right? Well the doctors here can't help you and I don't know you so don't even think to tell me the baby is mine...."

Paolina flushed crimson and rushed away.

While she continued through the camp she tried to think about another way to discover where the medical tent was but the place was so big that without a proper direction she could walk for a day and still not find anything.

A group of soldiers saw her and began to catcall and to shout vulgar comments in her direction, but she gritted her teeth and tried to ignore them...Oh! If only would meet Maximus or Quintus....

Suddently a hand grabbed her arm and a drunken voice said , "Where are you going in such a hurry, little one? You already have an appointment, eh?"

Paolina tried to free herself but the legionary's grip was too strong. "Let me go!"she implored but the agressor - a burly and unclean man in his late twenties - did not listen. He drug her roughly behind a tent and began to touch her in places where no one have ever touched her before.

"Let me see what are you hiding under all this wool...."

Paolina continued to struggle as the man leaned forward and tried to kiss her. In desperation, she kicked him in the groin. He released her arms, doubling over in pain, and she sprinted away. The girl ran back to the main path and tried to retrace her steps to the gates. She heard shouts behind her and throwing a brief glance over her shoulder she saw her attacker running again in her direction. She tried to run faster, but her tunica obstructed her steps and suddenly she tripped on its hem and fell to the ground.

The man was on her in a moment and grabbing her elbow he hissed, "Now I will teach you a lesson you will never forget, you stupid whore!"

Paolina closed her eyes tightly, anticipating a slap to her cheek from his raised arm. It was when that she heard the sound of hooves followed by a thundering voice, "Hortensius, what are you doing?"

Paolina felt her heart skip a beat....she knew that voice...Maximus!

She raised her head and saw him dismount from his horse and walk in their direction with a threatening stance. He threw a brief glance to her and she saw him start in shock when he recognized her. However, he quickly composed himself and confronted her aggressor.

"Let her go, immediately!"

The legionary obeyed and stepped back. Maximus sniffed the air and said, "So I see you have been drinking again, and it is only midafternoon...Do you remember that I told you last time?"

Hortensius nodded.

"Tell me." Maximus' voice was very soft but his eyes sparkled with barely contained fury.

"Sir, you told me ....you would have me whipped if I..if I..did it again.."

"Good, and you know I always keep my word?"

Hortensius nodded, going very pale.

"Guards!" shouted Maximus.

Two men appeared immediately, "Sir?"

"Take him away and give him ten blows with the whip."

"Yes Sir!"

Hortensius was dragged away and Maximus forced himself to relax, slowly turning to Paolina.

She was still sitting in the mud, sniveling, in an almost shocked state. Maximus felt his heart break and not minding his men's curious glances bent down and hugged her, "Don't worry, little one, it is all finished...Shhh, it is all right."

Paolina pressed herself against his chest as tears of relief began to fall.

Maximus stroked her back until the sobs subsided and then, raising her head gently he asked softly, "What are you doing here?"

"It...it's Aeila..." She said, still shivering. She pulled the stola so tightly around her shoulders that the fabric threatened to rip.

Maximus could sense her discomfort. He shuddered to think of what might have happened if he had been a moment later or had decided to leave through the eastern gate. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, and then led her toward his horse.

"I will take you home." He said, reaching for the reigns of his stallion.

"No!" Tears brimmed anew on the rims of Paolina's eyes. "We can't go. We have to see the doctor..."

"The doctor?" Perhaps the scoundrel had hurt her worse than he had realized. Maximus paled.

"For Aelia...." the soldier's features relaxed, but only for an instant as he listened to her explain about her cousin's fever and how the potion shop in town had been sold out.

"And you see..." She sniffed as she came to the end of her tale. "It is all my fault! Even you told me yesterday that we shouldn't walk home. I was the one who insisted. And now, Aelia will die because I was so stubborn!"

Maximus pushed back the urge to hug her again- too many men were watching them now, though none of them were brave enough to do so in an obvious manner. Maximus edged the girl toward the center of the camp.

"Dear, it was *not* your fault. I didn't know that Aelia would catch a fever. I was merely being selfish because I wanted an excuse to have you a few more hours to myself." He brushed a lock of hair off her shoulder as a pretense for touching her again. "Aelia will be fine."

"R-Really?" Paolina said, blinking through her tears.

"Yes. Come with me." He said, hoping the authority in his voice would cheer her up. "We will get all the medicines that she needs."

Maximus took the girl to the surgeon's tent. Although the man was generally wary about giving supplies to civilians, he loved Maximus too well to refuse, and so soon their arms were laden not only with the items Galen had suggested, but also teas and compresses that the surgeon suggested as well.

Feeling more hopeful, Paolina began to walk toward home.

"Where are you going?" Maximus asked.

"Home." Paolina said quickly, inwardly cowering at the prospect of running the gauntlet of white tents.

Maximus frowned and looked at her chosen path. "Through the enlisted men's bathhouse he?" He asked curiously.

Paolina started as she realized that was indeed the path that her feet were taking. She blushed furiously.

"Come." Maximus said, relieving her of the parcels and tucking them under his arm before taking her hand. "I will take you home on my horse."

"Cicero!" Maximus called as they reached the stables.

A young boy who Paolina vaguely remembered as having collected the horse when they left for the medical tents seemed to pop up from the ground.

"Yes sir?"

"I need my horse." In clipped tones, Maximus explained the situation to his slave, and then, nodding to Paolina said. "I am riding out to Paolinus' farm. It is possible that I will not return until morning. Please see that General Claudius gets the message."

"Yes sir." The boy said, handing over the reigns of the animal that he had been riding before.

Paolina was relieved as Maximus lifted her into the saddle with his strong arms. Gathering the items for Aelia had momentarily distracted her, but looking over the sea of white tents, she shivered again, feeling naked and unclean as she remembered Hortensius' unwanted touch.

She could not wait until she returned home and could take a long bath and curl up in a heavy woolen tunica. Seeming to sense her thoughts, Maximus kept his touch very light. His forearm rested lightly against his weight as he balanced her in front of him.

On horseback, the journey was short. In no time, they had arrived at the farm's gate. Paolina sprung from the horse, and bounded into the house, anxious to know how her cousin was doing.

She was surprised to find her father sitting outside the bedroom door on a low stool. He had handful of wilted looking flowers in his hands, and his face seemed as bleak as the fading buds.

"What is it?" Paolina said, worried. "Is Aelia better?"

"No, my dear. " He said sadly. "She is worse."

"Worse?" Paolina's voice almost died on her lips.

"Yes....Galen had to used the leeches because the fever was too high..but..but..as it happened with your mother, she is now so very weak..Her body is too tired and we don't know if she has the strength to keep on fighting..."

Tears poured from Paolina's eyes as she hugged her father. They stayed so for some time until the sound of steps recalled them to reality.

Father and daughter raised their face and saw Maximus standing politely in the hallway. Paolinus looked at him a bit surprised but then nodded in greeting.

The young soldier approached them and said respectfully, "Sir, I could not help to hear your words but maybe we can help Aelia." Paolinus arched his eyebrow and Maximus went on, "Paolina did you remember the last teas the camp surgeon gave to you? He said it is a stimulant....Perhaps your doctor can give it to Aelia." His words gave hope both to Paolina - who ran to retrieve the parcel with the herbs - and to Paolinus - who restrained himself from haranguing the two youngsters about his daughter's visit in the army camp. The only important thing was to help Aelia.

Paulina came back with the parcel and then entered her cousin's room.

Aelia was on her bed, pale as a corpse and covered with many blankets, as several braziers surrounded her cot. Paolina felt her throat constrict but went to Galen, whom was sitting near his patient, and motioned him to follow her. They walked to a little table and she showed him the herbs the camp surgeon had given to her. Then Galen saw the dried leaves and berries in the little bottle he suddenly became excited , "Where did you find this?" But before the girl had the time to reply he added, "It does not matter....I need hot water...NOW!"

Paolinus, whom had entered the chamber along with Maximus, bolted from his place against the wall and rushed down the stairs and in the kitchen, coming back with a cup full of steaming water. Galen took it from his hands and put in the liquid a handful of herbs, swirling it slowly. Then he turned to Aelia and with Paolina's assistance helped the almost unconscious girl to drink the medicine. Aelia managed to drink all the cup the Galen lay her down again on the bed.

"Now we can only wait."

The others nodded silently and exited the room. Once outside, Maximus put his arms around Paolina and she pressed against his chest. The soldier kissed the top of her head until, suddenly he seemed to remember they were not alone. He raised his head and his eyes met Paolinus.....but there was not anger in the older man gaze: he simply nodded, encouraging Maximus to hug the girl. And he did so.

9

Time passed slowly that afternoon. Paolinus, his daughter and Maximus had dinner in the kitchen and in the quite atmosphere Paolina was able to tell her father why she went at the legion camp and how Maximus helped her, convincing the surgeon to give her a lot of medical supplies. Paolinus nodded at her story and did not tell anything about her reckless behavior...he knew she had done it for her cousin. He also spent time studying Maximus but that was not the place or the time to have a serious talk with the young man.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door and one of the servants went to open it. He returned with a man in tow.

"Quintus!" Paolina and Maximus exclaimed at unison, "What are you doing here?"

Quintus saluted Paolinus with a deep bow, then replied, "When I returned from the drills I asked about you and Cicero told me you left the camp in the afternoon, together with a young lady." he stopped but it was easy to hear the words he did not say, that he had not problems to guess who the young woman was.

"May I ask what's going on?"

"Aelia is ill. She is in a very bad condition."

Quintus felt the blood drain from is face and even in that desperate situation Paolinus could not help but felt a flash of approval in his heart...The young man really cared for his niece.

"Sit with us, lieutenant," he said. "Do you want to eat something?"

Quintus shook his head, then asked, "What kind of illness is?"

Paolinus told him everything and then silence fell on the small group as the waiting continued....

After a some time, Paolinus slapped his hands against his thighs. "I must check that the horses are in their stalls..."

Maximus started to rise from his seat. "No, let me do it." He said quickly. "You may stay here and wait for word...Across the yard?"

Paolinus nodded, then he looked at his ashen-faced daughter. "Paolina can show you." He nudged the girl on the shoulder. "Go..." He said.

She looked back at the door to the sick room reluctantly. "Go." her father said again. "I will call you if there is a change."

He watched approvingly as Maximus helped Paolina into a warm shawl before they stepped out into the quiet farmyard. When they were gone, the older man sat down near Quintus, pouring a small tumbler of wine and offering it to the man.

"You care about her very much." He said gently.

Quintus nodded, pain etched into his finely wrought features. "Yes, domine."

"I was wrong to imply that your intentions were dishonorable."

"You are a father...or like a father. It was only natural...He sighed heavily. "And it is still true-my intentions are not dishonorable...I cannot claim that they *are honorable* either.."

Paolinus felt a frown cloud his face. "What?" He said, nearly choking on his wine. "What do you mean?"

Almost subconsciously, Quintus' fingers twisted the signet ring he wore on his right hand. His voice was very sad as he spoke. "My father is still alive. He alone may choose my bride, and while no man could ever doubt that Aelia is a lady..." his voice filled with emotion. "A wondrous lady...my father would never permit me to marry someone who was so...so..." he faltered.

"Penniless and poorly born?"

Quintus took a long drink of wine, grateful that his companion had spoken the words it pained him to say. "It is true then...she was lowly born?"

Paolinus shrugged. "That is the assumption....I didn't know much of her father. He ran away- or left- when he was very young. Aelius was the only name I ever knew him by...I've no idea what was on his discharge. I doubt my sister even knew..." He felt his voice growing angry, and so he fell silent.

"But her bulla..."

"It's probably stolen."

"What makes you think that?"

"There was an...incident. A story that Aelia told me long ago that made me wonder....you know that she sold flowers in the forum?" Quintus didn't. Paolinus felt a pang for the young man as he watched him struggle not to be disappointed- it was clear that he'd imagined his flower to have had a far more refined upbringing.

"She told me that, one day when she was selling flowers, a soldier had accused her of stealing it."

"Are you certain- Wouldn't she have been arrested?"

"Well...it wasn't an accusation, per se. Aelia says that the man was more surprised than angry. He asked her where she had got it, and when she said it was from her father, he had asked to see the man. Aelia went home to get her father...but when she told him, he flew into a panic. They left Rome that night and stayed in Liguria for several months.... she never got him to tell her what was the matter. I rather suspect- given that the man was a soldier- that Aelius had taken it during a campaign they served in together."

Quintus did not dispute the argument. He knew too well how often such things happened among the rankers.

Paolinus watched his expression. "Does that change how you feel about Aelia?"

"No!" Quintus said passionately. "She doesn't need a pedigree to prove her nobility...if only..." He let his voice trail off, unable to imagine any contingency- barring his father's death- that would allow him to be with the woman he loved.

Paolinus nodded, understanding the dilemma the young man faced. Even if they ran away, a marriage between the pair would never be legal under Roman law without his father's ratification. Perhaps it would be easier if Quintus simply went away...

"Go and see her." Paolinus said gently, patting the soldier's shoulder in a fatherly gesture. "I am sure that it would make her happy."

Meanwhile, Paolina and Maximus had arrived in the stables, and the inspected the stalls, making sure that the animals were fed, and that the pens had been properly mucked and filled with fresh straw. Maximus was pleased to find that his stallion had been boarded well. The animal had been brushed down until his coat shone brightly, and he was contentedly munching on a bucket of oats.

The soldier smiled, gently cuffing his mount on the neck with his palm. "Careful boy, you'll go soft."

Paolina smiled. She was impressed with his gentleness to animals. Her nursemaid, Pomponia, had once told her that people who were gentle to animals were good to the bone. She had tested the theory throughout life and always found it true. Maximus was no exception.

The lieutenant noticed the smile. Taking Paolina's hand, he swung her around in a large circle, and twirled her around once before drawing her tightly against his chest. "It is going to be all right," He murmured into her hair, cradling her chin in both hands.

"Is it?" She wanted to believe him, but Aelia has been so frighteningly pale.

"Yes. Aelia is strong...and she has much to live for." He ran his finger along her jaw. "And, besides... I've decided that nothing can ever make you unhappy again, and so..." His tone was light, hoping to coax another smile. When his efforts failed, he tilted her chin upwards, and caught her lips in a sweet kiss. "Let's talk of something else..."

"What?"

He shrugged. "Are we going to have eight children, or twelve?" Then, suddenly embarrassed by his brash statement, added quickly. "And horses...these are magnificent animals...where do they come from?"

Paolina blinked, unsure of which question he really wanted to answer. She had known him for such a short time- and already he haunted her every waking thought...could he truly be thinking of marrying her so soon. As if hearing her internal debate, Maximus launched loudly into the story of how he had found his horse.

Paolina felt her shoulders hunch in disappointment, but she tried to act amused by the tale. Why can't men say what they mean? She thought with annoyance. Why can't they be more like me?

Back in the house, Quintus paused before pushing open the door to Aelia's room. The braziers had made the temperature sweltering hot, and the air felt thick and oppressive with the sickly sweet smell of illness and the tart scent of the herbs that floated on the damp air.

He looked at Aelia...and felt a lump constricting his throat. She was so pale and looked so little and fragile! Quintus felt an overwhelming urge to hug her and tell her he would protect her from everything and everyone- but he did not do it. Instead he pulled a chair near the bed and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently, while with the other one he caressed her pale, cold cheek.

He cleared his voice and murmured hopefully, "Aelia, darling, it is Quintus....Can you hear me?"

Her face remained still and he sighed, a little bit disappointed. Then went on, "I will speak to you anyway...Your uncle told me your father was a soldier...so maybe you would like to know more about a legionary's life. Well it is not a easy life, but it could be very rewarding if you are willing to work hard. I joined the army when I was 14 ,because as the third son of a Senator I had not many other choice to make in life. My older brother Titus served in the army too but only for few years, it isn't really necessary for him. He is going to pursue his political career and then one day take our father's place in the Senate. My other brother, Secundus.....yes, I know, my parent's imagination in names is shameful- has breathing problems so he is studying to became a lawyer. He has already married a very rich girl so he is settled down very well. Returning to my life in the army...."

10

Quintus spoke for hours, stopping only to drink some water now and there, telling Aelia about his training, the battles he had already fought, his friendship with Maximus and the jokes the was a victim of then he was a young recruit. Time passed quickly and dawn arrived, the first pink-yellow sun beans filtering inside the room and lightening Aelia's form. Quintus looked at closer...her cheek seemed more colored, more alive. The touched her face gently and found that her skin was no longer cold and sweaty but pleasantly warm. And then he felt it, a light squeeze on his left hand, which was still holding the girl's left one.

"Aelia?" he called softly.

"Uhm..." the sound was barely audible.

"Aelia, wake up!" Quintus whispered urgently, leaving his chair to kneel at the side of the bed.

Aelia's eyelids fluttered and then opened, revealing her beautiful eyes to him.

"Aelia!!" he exclaimed happily, hugging her gently with relief.

The girl smiled weakly and whispered, "Quintus..what are you doing here?"

"Oh, honey, you have been so sick...your tata gave me permission to sit with you during the night..."

"So it was not a dream..."

"What?"

"I thought I heard your voice speaking to me..."

"No, it was not a dream, it was me." he smiled again, pleased that her brain seemed unaffected by her high fever. "Rest now. I will go to tell your family you are all right..they were so very worried."

Quintus stood up, took Aelia's hand to his lips, kissing it gently before realising it to walk to the door.

He found Paolinus, his daughter and Maximus sitting on three chairs lined along the hallway wall near Aelia's bedroom. The older man was awake, and was watching with tender eyes at the two youngsters, whom were sound asleep, Paolina's head resting on Maximus' shoulder. For just a second Quintus thought about how much the old man's behavior had changed in just three days....he seemed to trust them - he and Maximus - so much now and Quintus hoped to be able to be up to that trust...if only he could convince his father about letting him marry Aelia..

Quintus shook away those thoughts and walked to Paolinus, who sprung to his feet as soon as he saw the soldier. Quintus smiled broadly and said, 'She is awake."

Paolinus put a hand against the wall, to remain straight as relief made him light-headed and murmured a quiet thanks to the Gods....

"Paolina...Paolina, wake up." He said softly, shaking the girl's shoulder. "Paolina-"

"I'm awake, tata." Her eyes were suddenly open, and wild with terror. "What is it? Is it Aelia is she-"

"She's awake." The man patted his daughter's head as though she were still a small girl. "The fever has broken."

Maximus, who had awakened during the exchange, squeezed Paolina's hand happily. She squeezed back, and reached to extend the movement into a hug before glancing at her father self-consciously.

The old man shrugged. "It's alright. You do whatever you want anyway, Paolina..." he laughed, knowing that she would not do anything truly scandalous.

Quintus waited until the pair had shared a warm, if chaste, embrace, and then caught Maximus' eye. "We need to get back to the camp. The General will be angry if we are gone too long..."

Maximus nodded in agreement. General Claudius was a fine leader, but he required absolute discipline. He traditionally met with his Lieutenants in the second hour of the day. If Maximus and Quintus left in the next ten minutes, they would have just enough time to change uniforms and report for duty.

Noting Paolina's look of disappointment, Maximus hugged her again.

"It will just be for a few hours." He reassured her. "I am sure that, after I explain the situation, he will let me- us-" He glanced quickly at Quintus and grinned. "- return...there is not a lot for the officers to do during the winters, at least not the lower ones. The enlisted men are building roads and aqueducts. The legates are back in Rome arranging for supplies, and so the Lieutenants just loll around and get fat." He punched his own waistline playfully, and Paolina rolled her eyes, well aware that there was not an inch of flab on his finely proportioned body. Maximus took her hand and held it to her lips. "Noon." he promised.

Paolina nodded.

Paolina spent the morning tending to her cousin and instructing the cook to fill a large basket with food. She was tired of sitting inside the house. She hoped that Maximus would agree to join her for a picnic.

Maximus...She shivered with delight when she thought of the name.*Twelve children* she decided firmly, smiling so broadly that Aelia asked her what was the matter.

"Oh...nothing...nothing...." Paolina went back to dabbing the girl's forehead with a sponge.

"That's not true...something's happened!"

Laughing, Paolina told Aelia what Maximus had said in the barn. "It doesn't mean anything." She cautioned. "He seemed upset with himself for saying it."

Aelia shook her head. "I'm not so sure." She insisted.

Paolina shrugged. "What man in his right mind would want to marry me?"

Aelia sighed dramatically and then, in a sugar-sweet voice that mocked her cousin answered "Maximus

Decimus Meridas..."

The girls collapsed into peals of giggles.

Standing in the doorway, Paolinus sighed. He was so happy to have things back to normal. Aelia was still very weak, and would be confined to bed for several days- but she was out of danger. Watching as Paolina arranged the other girl's wheat-colored hair and tucked the new orange shawl around her cousin's shoulders, things finally seemed to be back to normal...but for how long? Just before leaving, Maximus had pulled him aside and asked to speak with him privately when he returned. He had seemed nervous, and although he hadn't mentioned what the interview would be about, Paolinus was certain that it could be only one thing.

Maximus and Quintus rode back to the camp quickly, each a little more worried than they cared to admit about what their general would think of the unscheduled leave to spend the night with two young ladies. The old man- over sixty and ancient by Legion standards (the Emperor had once joked that he couldn't ask Claudius to resign, because someone needed to be left to bury his great-grandchildren) was always suspicious of young officers who dabbled with local ladies.

There was a story, that both men had heard only in fragments, that seemed to explain the General's gallantry toward women. Apparently, there had been trouble within his own family. He had three children- a son and two daughters. When he forced the eldest daughter to marry against her will, she had committed suicide- or so the story went. Then, his son had run away. Finally, their mother- whom Claudius loved very much- had died of a broken heart. The army was his only family now. Both Maximus and Quintus felt badly for the man- he was monstorously rich, impeccably bred, and famous for his military exploits, but he had no one to share his life with. He had spent the last 25 years trying to track his son, but to no avail. The boy was probably already dead.

Well, that was something that would NOT happen to Maximus, he decided firmly. His stomach was full of nervous excitement. He couldn't determine when, exactly, he had decided to ask for Paolina's hand- sometime during the night? He had awoken in the early hours of morning to find the girl curled up asleep in his arms, and he was amazed by how...how *right* it seemed- as though she had always been there. Thinking of poor Aelia, nearly dead in the other room, had convinced him not to hesitate. It was true that they had not known each other long, but he knew of a dozen happy marriages that had begun when the couple did not know each other at all. He was certain that he knew Paolina's soul. She was impulsive, stubborn, and bossy, it was true. But she was also spirited, intelligent, and brave. He sighed as he thought of her wild beauty. Loving her would be an adventure- and he was not a man to shy away from that calling.

But what if Paolina didn't want to get married? That was more troubling. She had warmed to his advances so far, but she had seemed strange when he mentioned children the day before. Perhaps she thought she was too young? Perhaps she was afraid? Maximus remembered the outrageous conduct of Hortensius- with experiences like those, it was no wonder that some women dreaded the marital bed. He grinned, hoping Quintus wouldn't ask him why his face was suddenly so red, as he imagined the lengths he would go to in assuring that Paolina found his bedchamber pleasing.

At last they arrived at the camp. Since none of the Lieutenants had anything to report the meeting with the General was quick. Claudius granted their request for more leave with a wave of his hand, and Maximus set off into the blinding sunlight with a happy smile on his face.

"Aren't you coming back, Quintus?" Maximus asked, noting that his friend had turned away from the path to the stables.

"Later."

The Spaniard studied his friend's face. He seemed anxious about something. Why hadn't Maximus noticed it before?

"Is something wrong?"

"No...I...I have to write a letter to my father."

Maximus arched his eyebrow, 'Your father?' Then he suddenly understood. Aelia.

He nodded and patting Quintus on the back said, "See you later". And walked to the stables.

Quintus watched his retreating back and felt a sting of irrational jealousy for the freedom of action his friend had. He had heard Maximus ask for a private meeting with Paolinus and he knew he was going to ask the old man's permission to marry Paolina. Since his father was dead he had no one to dictate him who he can marry and who can't and since his family was prosperous too he could not care less for the dowry.

Quintus instead was in a much different situation: his father was still alive, his finances amounted to his pay as a soldier and the girl he was in love with was poor and lowly born...It could not be worst than that.

Quintus walked to the tent he shared with Maximus, sat to his desk and pulling out ink and papyrus, tried to put his feelings on paper.

It was a difficult task and many times Quintus tore the papyrus up and began to write again. In the end he composed something which satisfied him and so he fold the letter and closed it with warm wax, pressing on it his seal with his ring.

After that he exited the tent, surprised to see how much time he had spent bent on his desk. He walked to the tent where all the letters and parcels are gathered and handed it to the soldier in there, telling him he wanted his letter to leave with the first departing courier.

Finally, he went to the stable and saddled his horse. After all his thinking he needed some open air and a visit to Aelia to cheer him up. As he galloped outside the camp gates he wonder if he should say anything to Aelia about the letter he had just written...."No," he thought, "It would be better to keep quiet and wait for the reply. I don't want to give her false hopes..."

11

Meanwhile at Paolinus' villa Maximus and Paolina were walking through the wide pastures toward a hillside where they would eat their lunch. Maximus had been surprised to learn that Paolina was willing to leave her cousin so soon, but when he saw Aelia, he realized that she was doing well. It would be best for her to be left alone and receive some rest.

Besides, Maximus was happy that he would have a chance to speak to Paolina before he faced her father. It would be easier to convince the protective papa if he was assured that the girl was willing.

Paolina marched slightly ahead of Maximus. She was wearing a plain tunica of light brown wool which was faded through use, but looked very soft and comfortable. Besides, the Spaniard was certain that, to his eyes at least, his little Amazon would look lovely no matter what she wore.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the fields and began to climb through the low hills. The terrain here was rougher than the path to the waterfall- Paolinus used the tree-cover to divert some of the rainwater from washing through the fields- but the girl seemed to float through it effortlessly.

Maximus admired the strength of her slender legs, and the agility that she showed as she crept from rock to rock. The picnic basket was heavy, and Maximus was glad when they finally stopped.

"Here." the girl said, patting a broad, table-like stone. She turned toward him, looking over her shoulder and smiling.

Maximus also turned, and then blinked in amazement. They had climbed farther than he had thought. The whole valley seemed to stretch out before them- first the farm, then the road to the village, the town, the river. Even the army cam was visible, the tight symmetry especially impressive from the high vantage point.

"Well?" She encouraged a response as he set the basket on the rock.

"It's lovely." He admitted. Then, he turned, and threaded his arm around the girl's back. He stared at her pointedly as he said "Everything here is lovely."

Paolina let out a happy sigh, and leaned back her neck to invite a kiss.

Maximus accepted the offer greedily, and his actions betrayed his passion. His fingertips trailed down her spine as far as he would allow them to go, as he parted his lips slightly. When she did not pull away, he let his tongue brush lightly against her lips coaxing them apart. Paolina gasped a little as his tongue slipped between her teeth. He probed her mouth gently, reveling in the sweetness that he was not surprised to find.

At last the kiss broke, and Paolina backed away, her knees buckling slightly so that he had to catch her in his arms and continue holding her upright. "Oh, Paolina..." he whispered, planting light kisses on her temple. When he reached her ear, he whispered. "Selene...."

She shivered, and then turned away. No man other than her brothers and father had called her by that name before. It was a personal name, used only by family....She blinked, did this mean...?

"Maximus?" She said, knitting her eyebrows together and tilting her head, urging him to speak quickly.

Maximus felt his chest constrict with alarm as he saw her reaction. Was she angry? The look seemed a little bit upset. Perhaps he had gone too far. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to think of something to say, finding nothing, he simply opened his lips and let the words of his heart spill out.

"Oh, Paolina, you love to torture me!" He said, feeling tied up in knots.

"Torture you?" She asked, innocently.

"Yes!" He began to pace, clearly agitated. "One minute you are giving me kisses that make my blood burn. The next you are running away from me again."

"I am not running away from you! I was merely surprised...I am not used to...to...." she blushed and looked down. "Being made love to.." She whispered. "And I don't know what to think when you call me by such tender names - usually you immediately start talking about horses!"

"What?" It was Maximus's turn to be confused.

"Eight children or twelve?" Paolina reminded him, color working to her cheeks as she warmed to her theme. "And after saying such things, all you can think about is where you found your horse. Well, Mr. Soldier, twelve, if you please- and you should not talk to *ME* about torture."

She crossed her arms defiantly in front of her chest and let her lower lip tremble petulantly. Maintaining the scowl was difficult in the face of the enormous smile which had begun to spread on Maximus' lips.

"Oh, Paolina." He whispered, rushing forward and pulling her elbows to her side before kissing her scowl away. "I too am frightened...It's strange to...to...want something so much."

"Want? What do you want? More kisses?"

"Yes. More kisses. More touches...more...other things..."

Paolina shivered at the words that he did not say.

"Paolina...I want you to marry me."

Paolina made a little cry in the back of her throat. She could barely believe what she had just heard- so she had not been imagining it! He felt the same as she did.

Maximus cleared his throat, and she noticed that he was looking frightened. Oh, he was still waiting for an answer! Laughing, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Yes, my Spaniard." She said, nuzzling his neck. "I will marry you."

In a motion so swift she did not know what had happened, Paolina found herself on the ground, pinned in place by the soldier's strong shoulders. The warmth of the flat rock seemed to radiate into her bones while, in her arms, a different sort of heat was beginning to flow.

"I will make you so happy." Maximus promised, sliding his arms beneath hers and drawing her close against his body. "You will never want for anything at all."

"I know." She said, never doubting him, and not caring, really, if she had a house full of servants or fine clothes. "And *twelve* babies...." She teased.

Maximus kissed her passionately. "Thirteen."

Quintus arrived at the farm and slowed his horse to walk while entering the courtyard. One servant arrived to take the reins of his mount while saying, "The dominus is expecting you, sir."

Quintus nodded and walked to the door that opened before he had time to knock. To his surprise it was not a servant but Paolinus himself to greet him with a smile, "Quintus."

"Domine."

Paolinus closed the door and led his guest in the hallway, "Aelia will be happy to see you." he said smiling gently.

Quintus nodded and followed the other man up the stairs. Paolinus opened softly his niece's bedroom door and seeing she was awake, mentioned Quintus to enter.

Aelia was looking outside the window, staring at the field where she had seen Paolina and Maximus walk hand-in-hand about a hour before. Oh, how she wished to be out with them! Even if she suspected they would not be very happy with her presence! Aelia smiled and then turned her head, suddenly aware someone was looking at her.

Her eyes met Quintus' and her smile widened. He replied with one of his own and in few step was near the bed, bowing deeply and taking her hand in his own and kissing it.

"Domina, how are you feeling?" he asked.

She saw he was in a playful mode and replied in kind, "I am feeling better, domine, thank you. Now take a chair and make your self at home."

Quintus did as she said and then took her hand again.

"So tell me,"she inquired, "what did you do this morning?"

Quintus stared at her. He desperately wanted to tell her about her, to show her he was deadly serious in his intentions, but she looked so fragile that he decided to stick with his earlier decision and say nothing until he get an answer from Rome. Instead he told her he spent the morning compiling

a list of supplies needed by the camp and then diverted her attention by asking where Paolina and Maximus were.

Aelia smiled, "They went out for a picnic and I don't think they will come back very soon." They looked at each other in silence for sometimes then she smiled once more, "Would you like to repeat what you said to me during the night? I could hear your voice but not understand the words."

Quintus beamed, happy for a new, less dangerous topic and launched himself one more time in an elaborate and more colorful description of his life in the army.

Paolina stretched like a contented cat under Maximus's touch. It was wonderful to hold him knowing that soon, she would not have to hold back. Maximus seemed to be thinking the same thing, and his kisses became more insistent. Paolina trembled as she felt his palm on her stomach, pressing downward.

"Thirteen.." he murmured again in a husky voice, stroking the soft flesh that would cradle his children.

He continued his caresses, his fingertips bolder as they traveled up her chest and very tentatively brushed the little mounds of her breasts. Paolina felt a tightening deep within her body. The sensation was so strong that she nearly cried out in fear.

Abruptly, Maximus pulled away. Paolina sat up, confused.

"Did I do something wrong?" the girl asked anxiously.

"No." Maximus let out a shuddering breath, before smiling at her like she had asked a crazy question. She noticed that his skin was very flushed, almost as Aelia's had been before the fever broke.

"Soon." he whispered.

"Soon?" She did not know what he was talking about.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head again. "You must marry me soon..." He captured her small wrist in his grasp and turned it over, kissing the sensitive, untouched flesh tenderly. "I cannot take much more of your tortures."

Paolina grinned wickedly, finally beginning to understand her power over him. Still caught in his grasp, she pulled her hand downward along the tunic as low as she dared, enjoying the flash of longing that the touch stirred in her lover's eyes. "Perhaps I will make you wait..." She teased. "We Amazons are famous for our love of the hunt...It would be a shame to let you catch me so easily."

"Paolina!" Was she teasing? For one harrowing moment, he couldn't tell, then the laughter returned to her eyes and she kissed his cheek. "Of course I will marry you soon...as soon as tata says yes...Now, we should eat our lunch and return to the house before we get into trouble."

Maximus and Paolina ate the crusty bread, cool cheese, and salty olives that the cook had packed for them, and then they went to the little brook that trickled down the hillside into the town. It was too late in the year to swim, so Maximus made a makeshift fishing pole and amused his companion with feeble, and ultimately futile attempts to catch a fish. The afternoon seemed perfect- the only thing that would make it better would be if he were in Hispania...

Hispania. He would have to talk about it with Paolina soon. He was sure that she would want to remain with her father, and so he did not wish to broach the subject yet. Still, if she were to be his bride, she would have to move. It was important to him that his sons tilled the lands of his father...he could picture them nowhere else but in the warm Mediterranean sun that smiled on his little pink stone villa.

He was certain that, if she saw it, she would love it. How could anyone not prefer his homeland to the near-wild terrain of the border towns? Here there were jagged cliffs and icy streams. In the winter, the roads were impassable, and in the summer, there was a constant threat of barbarian raids. Spain suffered none of these troubles. There was only sunshine and plenty- exactly the sort of life that he had promised to his love.

"What are you thinking about?"

Maximus was lying on his back in a patch of grass looking up at the clouds as Paolina gathered wildflowers to take to the house. She returned when she saw his serious look, tickling his face with the ends of a reed.

"Nothing." he said quickly.

Paolina's face clouded. "Tell me!"

He looked at her for a long moment, but in the end decided that the discussion could wait. "I was thinking about the talk I must have with your father." He half-lied (he would have to inform the old man that he intended to take Paolina away). "He will not want to let you go."

"He wants me to be happy." the girl answered earnestly. "He will learn to live with the rest....besides, I will not be far away!"

Maximus made an indistinct grunt in reply, and then rose to his feet.

"Well, if we are going to find out, we'd better leave."

Paolina nodded, her eyes sparkling with delight."Yes, my dear..." She said quickly, then, smiling impishly added. "and no matter how angry he gets, do not worry about the dogs- as Aelia told Quintus, they are really very small!"

12

"...and so, you see, I presented myself for inspection completely covered with mud!"

Quintus ended his story and smiled in delight when Aelia bursted in laughs. It was wonderful to see her so alive.

Aelia dried her eyes and commented, "An interesting experience, legionnaire!"

Silence fell in the little room, while they looked deeply in each other eyes and when she whispered, so low that he barely heard, "You have my leave...."

Quintus looked surprised for just a second then, remembering his words own in the woods, murmured with longing, "Are you sure?"

"Yes...kiss me, Quintus."

He bent forward and they lips met, at first tentatively then with more ardor. Although she was a novice, Aelia responded to him with joy and Quintus had to pull away, lest he lost his control. She looked at him interrogatively, afraid she had done something wrong, but he reassured her, "You are full of passion, Aelia....you control it better than your cousin, but your fire burns as strong as hers." He blushed. "Unfortunately, this is not the time to experience it...your uncle might enter this door any time!" Quintus gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead, then added, "What would you like to do now?"

"What about a game with the latrunculi?" she asked, pointing a chessboard which rested to a nearby table.

"You like to play with them?" he asked a bit surprised, "You are the first woman I know who is able to do it."

Aelia smiled, "Remember, Paolina and I grew up in a house with five boys plus our tata and so it is natural that we learned many things which women usually don't know."

Quintus nodded and went to retrieve the chessboard and the pawns, putting them on a low table that he pulled near Aelia's bed. Then helped the girl to sit up a little bit straighter, putting cushions behind her back, and then the game began.

They were both skilled and well matched and they spent a lot of time concentrating before taking their moves.

Quintus liked the way Aelia's small hands moved on the board and sometimes he had to shook him self when he realized he was staring.

"You know," he said after sometime, as she was preparing her next move, "the general encourages this game among the officers. He says it his good for develop strategy skills because you have to learn to envision all your opponent's possible moves and be ready to block them. Maximus is very good at this..it has been months since I was able to win a game against him..."

"And now you are trying to distract me with your chit -chat so you can win against me...Shame on you, soldier!" Aelia threw an amused look to him and made her move.

Quintus looked outraged, put his hand on his heart and threw her a look which meant, "How can you think that of me?" which caused her to laugh aloud. Quintus joined her then concentrated on his next move. After a couple of minutes he said, "Done, your turn now."

Aelia's hands did not move and he raised his eyes to look at her face. His heart filled with tenderness as he saw she had fallen asleep, won by the tiredness of her long night of fighting against the fever. Quietly he pushed away the table and stood up, covering her better with the blankets and kissing her cheek.

"Sleep well my love." he whispered softly before moving away. As the walked to the door he threw a look out the window and saw Maximus and Paolina walk hand in hand along the grassy path between two fields.

Paolina returned to the house with feelings of both excitement and dread. It was thrilling to finally know that her feelings were returned. Maximus wanted to be with her for the rest of his life and, though he hadn't said it yet, she knew that he must love her. At the same time, she was sad to be letting go of her life as a little girl. She had never really left the village, waking each morning to the broad smile of her papa and, before they were grown, to the noisy bustle of her older brothers.

And there was no guarantee that her tata would agree to the match.

Although Maximus had hinted that his farm was prosperous, she was certain that her tata would like to see his filing for the census to ensure his financial stability. She herself could think of a half-dozen reasons why he shouldn't allow them to marry- she was still very young, and Maximus would be away most of the year, they barely knew each other...and yet, her heart was filled with hope as they crossed the last few meters to the house.

Paolinus was waiting on the porch. His face seemed very steady and grim.

"Paolina." He said gruffly, "Why don't you go and sit with Aelia for a while...I need to speak with this young man."...alone, his voice implied.

Paolina nodded and scurried into the house. She arrived at the bedroom door just as Quintus was pulling it gently closed. "She's asleep." He whispered.

The look of longing on his face tore at the cousin's heart. "I will go outside then."

"Has Maximus gone?"

"No. He's..." She blushed. "He's speaking with my father."

"Oh." Quintus said, and then he grinned. He clapped his hand lightly on the girl's shoulder. "I am happy for you, Paolina...happy for both of you."

Still embarrassed, she managed to murmur. "I hope that you will be as happy soon." Instantly, she regretted the remark. All of the light seemed to go out of the kind blue eyes at once, and he lowered his head.

"I have to go get my horse." He said quickly. "Tell Maximus I'm headed back to the camp, will you?"

She nodded.

Paolina watched him walk down the stairs. Instead of going outside, as she had planned, she crept to the little sitting room that had once served as a nursery and looked out at the wild hills where she and Maximus had shared their picnic.

"...already know...came...and I have to tell you....sure..."

Paolina gasped and ducked below the window sill. It was her father's voice!

"...please....unusual....know that....happy."

And now Maximus! Straining her ears, she listened to the little conversation unfolding on the porch.

"She's too young!" Paolinus said firmly. "Still merely a child. Too young for me to let roam through the hills with a legionary to begin with, much less think of giving up."

"Eighteen." Maximus insisted. "Most girls are married bef-"

"Paolina is not 'most girls'" her tata said sharply. "And I advise you to make careful note of *that* fact before you let these ideas go any further......she's still a child. Having a baby would kill her and-"

"She doesn't have to have babies right away." Maximus interjected.

Paolinus looked at him archly. "Oh? Your famous legionary discipline I suppose?"

Maximus felt his skin get hot- less angered by the insult than embarrassed by what had almost happened in the woods. "She's strong." He said, taking a different route.

"And temperamental." Paolinus added. "You haven't seen her angry yet. Trust me, that might very well change your mind."

"It couldn't." Maximus said passionately. "Her spirit is the thing I admire most..."

Paolina smiled a little bit, warmed by the compliment and certain that, in spite of his stern tone, her father was going to say yes. If he meant to send Maximus away, he would have done so quickly. He was merely warning him of what to expect, assuring himself of the younger man's constancy and ...well, he was probably toying with him a little bit too. She had to stifle a laugh, realizing how very much like herself the action was. Poor Maximus! He thought that when he received permission to marry the girl that his trials would be over.

"...go to Hispania!"

Paolina's attention was captured again by the last word, spoken in her father's indignant voice.

"Surely you see that it's the only way...the only proper thing to do. You'd expect the same thing of your son's wives."

"My sons did not traipse all over the world with a gladius trying to carry off the locals."

What were they talking about? Paolina frowned, wishing that she had paid better attention.

"Have you asked her?"

"Paolina?"

"Yes. What did she say?"

"I didn't ask her..." Maximus' voice sounded sheepish. "It didn't come up."

"Well, perhaps you should. I am certain that my daughter, no matter how dashing you are, is not going to want to travel half-way across the world to a province she's never seen while you hack your way through Germania."

Go to Hispania?!?! Paolina sat down very suddenly. The noise must have been audible from the outside, because the men's voices stopped abruptly.

"Paolina?" her suitor's voice carried up through the window.

There was another pause, and then the sound of footfalls on the stairs and the door to the nursery being pushed open. "Paolina?"

Maximus stepped into the room and knelt beside her on the floor. "You were listening?" He asked, tilting his head.

She nodded glumly. He sighed heavily, looking very tired. "Your tata is right. I should have spoken to you first...Paolina I love...." *you* she urged him to speak, but he could not yet voice the words. "...home." He finished after a long pause. "*My* home." He said passionately. "It is so lovely...so warm and filled with light. The earth is much softer than it is here...rich and black as..." he tenderly lifted one of her curls. "as black as your hair. It was my father's land before me...my grandfather's ...his grandfathers....one day it will belong to my son." He continued holding the piece of hair, rubbing it between his thumbs. "*our* son. I want you to be there ...Dearest, I know it would be hard to leave your tata and Aelia. I know this is the only life you have ever known, but if you give it a chance..."

"Are you leaving the army?" She asked abruptly.

He blinked. "I...uhm..no...."

"So I would be there alone."

"My mother is there." She could see water pooling in the lower lids of his eyes as he tried to persuade her. It was difficult to deny him something that he wanted so badly. "Soon...hopefully very soon...our children will be there as well. Please, Paolina....Selene....Will you come to Hispania with me?"

Paolina felt as if her heart would break. She was being forced to choose between the two things that she loved most- Maximus and her home. Everything would be so new for her already, couldn't he see that? Life as a wife in a house of her own. New duties to perform, and people to tend to. They could go to Hispania later, when she had adjusted.

"Oh Maximus..." She said after a long pause. "I would go if you would be there."

He took her hand, squeezing it tightly. "I *will* be there. Soon...the barbarians can't fight us forever. They're already fielding boys barely old enough to hold a sword...I'll be back...and I'll come home every winter. Well, almost every winter. What I said was true- they don't need the middle officers so much and-"

"You won't be a middle officer forever." He would be a leader soon, she could feel it. Every muscle in his body emitted an undeniable sense of authority. She had sensed it herself- and seen it in action in the way he was treated at the camp. "When you are a general you will not be able to come home whenever you want. What if one of the children gets sick and I need you? What if there are floods, or a drought or-"

Maximus kissed her, abruptly staunching the flow of words. "All of those things could happen here just as easily...." he persuaded.

"Yes, but you will be close to here...even when you fight, it will not be more than a week's ride away. Hispania is...." She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "Well, I don't really know WHERE Hispania is- but it is far, far away."

Maximus sighed, surprised at how difficult this had become. "Hispania *is* far away." He agreed, "but it is worth it. Oh, Paolina. It's paradise! You will be so surprised that you didn't want to come after you see it. Everything there seems kissed by the sun. The fields of wheat seem to go on forever, wild horses roam in the fields and..."

Paolina barely heard his enthusiastic words. She felt her hands clench in frustration. Why couldn't he understand? It wasn't the climate or the size of his house that concerned her- it was the loneliness. She could almost see it stretching out in front of her. Long, empty hours waiting for any sign that Maximus, or anyone that she loved, was even still alive. Of course he would write letters, but that wasn't truly the same. Unlike her cousin, words had never been as alive for Paolina as touch and sight and sound...she wanted to be surrounded by life, and the things she cared about, she would rather march away to war than be exiled to a sunny villa in a province which had always existed only in the margins of her consciousness.

"No." She said at last with a slow, steady sigh. "No. I won't go." She watched her fingertips run along his arm in a soothing gesture.

"No?" Maximus repeated, and she thought that she heard the faintest glint of anger in his voice.

She looked up, surprised. He *was* angry. Her eyes widened.

Maximus' cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were half-closed as though he were biting back a spate of temper. "Paolina, I've never asked you for anything..."

"Don't ask me this! It isn't fair! Can't you see how-"

"-can't YOU see how important this is to me? Most girls would respect their future husband's authority to make this sort of decisions for them and...." Maximus let his voice trail off, as if aware that he had somehow overplayed his cards with the last statement. Paolina isn't 'most girls', he remembered her father telling him. He looked at her nervously.

Paolina had the same appearance as a pot getting ready to boil. He could almost see little bubbles of anger pricking up under her skin as her eyes flashed dangerously. When she began to speak, it was though half-clenched teeth.

"Perhaps you haven't noticed to this point, legionnaire" she saw him flinch as she avoided using his name. "But I do not make it a habit of consulting about decisions that I am perfectly capable of making on my own. Since you do not know this obvious fact, perhaps it is true that you don't know me well enough to marry me after all."

"Paolina!" Maximus felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs. The pain in his voice was evident. She couldn't be serious... could she?

Paolina would not meet his gaze, although her heart was warning her to stop, she could not obey. Her passion was both a blessing and a curse. While it coursed through her veins, she could not disobey.

"Go." She said coldly, holding open the door.

"But-"

"Just go."

Paolina stood very still as Maximus shrugged, giving her a final, pleading glance, and then marched down the stairs. Every footfall seemed like a lash falling across her back, but she did not call out to him. There was a murmur as Maximus took leave of her father, and then a slamming door, and hoofbeats leading toward the camp.

He was gone.

Paolina's knees suddenly fell weak, and she collapsed to the floor again. A doll, left over from the room's days as a nursery was lying under the bed, and she held it tightly against her chest as her tears began to flow. She had lost him! Oh, how was it possible? Of course she didn't want to go to Hispania, but she would do it for him in the end. Her terrible temper had gotten her into trouble again- only this time there was no easy way out.

Instead of lessening, Paolina's sobs grew louder as time passed. She had hoped, in her heart, that Maximus would return and try to convince her that she had made a mistake. He had not. He was probably in the village meeting other girls, Paolina thought miserably, or drinking with his friends at the camp, congratulating himself on avoiding marriage to such a tempest!

"P-Paolina?" A soft voice said from the doorway. "Is that you?"

The dark haired girl looked up from the floor toward the doorway. Her cousin was standing there, looking very frail. She was clad in a sleeping gown, and had the orange shawl wrapped around her shoulders tightly as though she were cold. "What is it?" She said soothingly, dropping down on the rug beside the crying girl. She dabbed away a tear with the edge of the shawl. "What has happened?"

"It's...it's...Maximus..." Paolina moaned, a shudder wracking her small frame as she spoke.

"Maximus?"

"Yes...he....he asked me to marry him...."

Aelia's face lit with happiness. "But, Paolina. That is wonderful! I am sure that you will be very happy...." She paused, frowning. "You did say, 'yes' didn't you?"

A nod. "at...at...first...and then..."

"Did tata say 'no'?"

The black curls shook violently. "No...Oh, cousin. It was my own foolish temper." Through tears, Paolina managed the rest of the story. Aelia listened until she was through.

"He will come back." She said, squeezing her hand tightly. "He loves you."

"He *used to* love me."

A sigh. "Oh Selene, you can't unlove someone in a single day...." She frowned, and turned toward the window. "Can you?"

Paolina shrugged. "I am afraid, cousin, that we are both miserable failures at love."

"Not failures...novices...he *will* come back, Paolina."

Finally, the flow of tears began to lessen. Surely Maximus would forgive her. He had said only this afternoon that her spirit was the thing he cherished most. She felt, in her heart, that things were not over between them yet. She would speak to him- promise him that she would follow him wherever he liked....Hispania....she smiled faintly. It would be an adventure!

Blowing her nose on the handkerchief that Aelia provided, the girl rose to her feet. "You are right, cousin. I will speak to him tomorrow and things will be fine." She threaded her arm through the other girl's and led her back to their room. "Now, you need to get back to bed."

The next morning, Aelia was well enough to come downstairs for breakfast. In celebration, they ate in the triclinium, which was usually reserved only for cena and for guests. They had a much larger spread than normal and Paolina, whose appetite had been triggered by her exhausting bout of crying, ate ravenously.

If Paolinus knew what had happened between Maximus and Paolina, he tactfully kept his mouth closed. He didn't mention any plans for a wedding either, merely looking over a letter from his agent in Rome while he absentmindedly munched a boiled egg.

Paolina's good spirits had returned. Checking the stalls the night before, Paolina had found the bridle for Maximus' horse. He had left in such a hurry, that the groom did not have time to fetch it from the tack room, so the Spaniard had ridden away with a tattered leather bridle used mostly for the mules. Returning the military bridle to him would give the girl an excuse to call on him at camp. Maximus had told her that, if she needed to speak to him again, she needed only to go to the east gate and inform a sentry. She could wait in the guard tent while a messenger retrieved him from the sprawling camp.

While she was reviewing her plan, there was a tap on the front door, and Paolina jumped up in delight. She would not need to go to the camp after all! Maximus had returned! She planned to run to the door, but her father, uncharicteristically stern, motioned for her to remain in her seat.

A servant answered the door and, after a minute that seemed more like a year to the impatient girl, returned alone.

"A message." The servant announced. Paolina extended her hand to receive it."For Miss Aelia."

Aelia lowered the piece of fruit she was eating and met Paolinus' eyes warily. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, she accepted the small square of papyrus. She read quickly, her eyes scanning over the brief lines...and then reading them again before reluctantly meeting her cousin's wild gaze.

"It's...it's from Quintus." She said slowly.

"And?"

"He...they...the army....the army is gone."

"What?!?" Paolinus and his daughter called in unison.

Wilting under so much scrutiny, Aelia continued. "There was a raid upriver at Vindobona...one of the legions- Quintus'- has been recalled there as reinforcements until the fort is rebuilt."

"And what does it say about Maximus?" Paolina grasped for the letter, but Aelia refused to relinquish it. Paolina ignored the curiosity that this unusual action would usually inspire- interested only in knowing that Maximus- in the same legion as Quintus- had forgiven her.

"I...I'm sorry Paolina, he doesn't say anything about Maximus...." She felt her throat constrict as she saw her cousins' desolate expression. "...perhaps the messenger had already left and Maximus hasn't had time to write you yet...He is in charge of the cavalry, isn't he? That must be a lot of work to get them ready to leave...Oh, I am sure that is what it was! You will get your letter tommorrow."

But Aelia's words had no effect. Forgetting about the rest of her breakfast, Paolina ran out of the house and back to the woods.

She ran until her lugs burned for the lack on air and then dropped to the ground, curling in a thight ball, as sobs racked her form. Maximus was already departed from the camp, she could felt it, and no message would arrive from him. Paolina raised her head, looking at the creek where only the day before she...they...had been so happy and then with a bout of anger - against herself, against Maximus, against the world, - she threw a stone in the water, breaking the calm in the little pool. But the gesture gave her no relief. Time passed, barely noticed by the girl who had her gaze lost in the vacuum. Suddently the corner of her eyes caught a movement along the wide road she could see in the valley under the hill she was standing.

She stood up and her breath caught in her throat. It was the army! She walked untill the edge of the rock and looked down, impressed by the view. Five thousand men were marching in perfect order, their steps cadenced and brisk. In front of the group were the cavalry regiment and in front of it - Paolina could swear it - there was Maximus, riding proudly on his horse.

Full of emotion she waved with her hand, hoping against all the odds, that he would see her and return the gesture.

Maximus was riding in front of his regiment, his mood darker than the coat of his horse, his face a mask of stone. The emotions inside him were too strong: the excitement for the imminent battle, the weight of responsibility for his men...the sadness for what had happened the day before, the fear that Paolina would never forgive him for his attempt to order her about and for not writing as Quintus had done. He had wanted to do it, but the general had requested his attention for most of the night and finally he had collapsed on bed, sleeping with his uniform on, until dawn had arrived and they began their march.

He saw a eagle cut the sky with elegant moves and taking it as a good omen - the eagle was the symbol of Rome - he followed its evolutions with his gaze.

It was then that he saw the figure on the rock. The small form of a woman, her black hair loose on her shoulder, her white tunic undulating in the breeze. She was waving with her hand in the army direction and he suddently knew with certaintly who she was. Maximus felt a lump in his throat and not minding the other soldiers turned to side and waved back, while in his mind and heart he promised to her and himself, "I will be back and we will be happy again. I swear it."

Paolina returned to the farm feeling slightly better. Then she had seen the helmeted officer respond to her salute her heart had almost stopped for the joy because she simply knew it had been Maximus.

13

In the weeks that followed the life in Paolinus' villa went on as usual but some spark seemed missing....Paolina took any excuse possible to go into the town to see if any word had trickled back regarding the fate of the army to the north. The remaining legionnaires often spoke of such things, and Paolina made it a habit to stop into the wineshop, and other places that they might linger, to see if there was any news. She wished that Aelia were well enough to make the walk. If she were not alone, she might be brave enough to venture into the tavern and ask one of the soldiers directly.

Each trip, she returned feeling sadder and missing Maximus even more. Even Aelia was beginning to get nervous. She had recieved no word from Quintus since the day he had left. The little note was tucked under her pillow while she slept, and each morning she would read it again, her eyes drinking in the simple strokes of his pen as if they were an embrace.

At last, in mid-November, word arrived.

It had snowed during the night, and so the girls were not anticipating a trip into town, but a centurion to whom Paolinus occassionally sold horses, took the oppourtunity to ride out to the farm to inspect a colt that had been born earlier that month. Paolina's invitation that he remain for cena had sounded casual, but her heart beat wildly with excitement as she waited for his reply.

Both girls were nearly breathless with anticipation as their father- intentionally?- shared small talk with the man during the wine and first course of the meal.

Even Paolina knew it was impolite for a woman to address a strange man without being spoken to first, and so she watched helplessly as their father led the conversation through every topic EXCEPT the army. At last, when Paolina had kicked him enough times under the table (in deference to a military man's preference, they were having a simply meal at the kitchen table) Paolinus sighed and asked the question his girls longed to hear.

"So...any word from the legion that they sent North?"

"Yes...and I'm afraid it's not good."

The cousins shared a look of worry.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it..." the man said, as both girls silently willed him to continue to speak. "But...it's the worst losses the legions taken in several years. The fort was damaged worse than we thought...then, while they were still organizing supplies for repairs, the tribed attacked again- two, maybe three groups banded together. The army couldn't even get the gates closed...I hear it was a free for all."

Paolinus opened his mouth, wishing that he could think of something to say to keep his guest from saying anything further. He could tell, from the ashen faces and sudden silence, that the girls had not prepared themselves for news of this type. Finding nothing, he listened helplessly as the man prattled on and on. Like many career soldiers, he was fascinated by battles, and found nothing indecorous in recounting every goory detail over the dinner table.

"...still haven't gotten all of the bodies buried from the first wave when they hit again- the cavalry was particularly hard hit, you know-", beside him, Paolina sucked in her breath, " The stables were penned

against the north wall and they were bottlenecked while they tried to get the horses out....are you okay, miss?"

All eyes turned to Paolina, who was swooning as though she were about to faint.

"I apologize for my daughter." The paterfamilias said quickly. "She has a...special friend...who is in the cavalry."

"Oh!" The centurion sat up straighter in his chair. "I didn't realize...I...I'm sorry I..." his cheeks were

suddenly very red and hot.

"Aelia, why don't you help her get upstairs...it's late...and I think she could use some fresh air. Open a window and I will send one of the servants to close it when you are asleep."

"Yes, tata." Aelia said, rising unsteadily from her chair. She was feeling as upset as her cousin but, as Quintus had suggested, she was better able to hide it. Nearly in tears, the girls found their way to the bed chamber and changed into gowns.

"He's dead." Paolina wailed, when the lamp was finally extinquished.

"Don't say that, Paolina. He isn't dead."

"He is. He's dead...and I never got to say goodbye. He HATES me..."

"Oh, Paolina, you're being melo-dramatic." The terseness in her cousin's voice surprised her.

"Don't you care if they come back?" Paolina said coldly.

"Of course I care!" the voice was thin- almost a wail.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Paolina snapped. The door swung open to reveal the kitchen maid- most of the other servants had already gone to bed.

"Someone to see you Mistress Aelia."

Aelia frowned. So late? She hadn't heard any horses on the lane...but then, the snow muffled the sound. Aelia walked toward the door, peering curiously down the staircase. "Your father said to change back into your dress before-"

"Quintus!"

Paolina had never heard her cousin so joyous as she bounded down the stairs, completely ignoring her tata's orders. The legionnaire turned, blinking a little in surprise at Aelia's appearance. His little lady, always so refined, looked nearly as wild as Paolina. She was clad in a filmy nightdress and blue silk robe. Her feet were bare, and her gold-kissed curls hung freely around her shoulders. He himself did not look typical. A bandage was tightly wound around his scalp, and there was another on his wrist. His uniform was crumpled and dirty, as though he had not stopped at the camp before paying his call.

"Aelia." He said answered, spreading his arms to receive her into his embrace. After giving her a light kiss on the forhead, and giving his pulse a moment to slow, he turned his eyes to Paolina. She was looking behind him, as if she were trying to conjure Maximus' apprearance as well.

"Maximus isn't here." He said softly, wishing he had softened the news as he watched her pretty face crumble.

"Is he...is he...?"

"No. He is alive and well. He has remained on at the fort while the rest of the troops move out. He will return with the rest of the regiment at the end of the week."

There. At least there was a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"He sent a message for you."

"Oh...?"

"He said 'Now you owe me fourteen'- whatever that means." He looked to Aelia for an explanation, but she merely shrugged.

Suddenly, Paolina's heart felt light as a feather. It was like setting down a heavy weight after a long walk. He still loved her. He would still marry her. He was coming back!

Gathering her composure, Paolina gave Quintus a sketchy curtsey. "Thank you, Quintus...well, if that is the case, I suppose I should get my sleep while I can!"

Quintus and Aelia watched Paolina disappear in her room, he with a dumbfounded expression, she with a big, relieved smile.

"Would you care to explain me what is going on?" he asked.

Aelia took his elbow and led him in the parlor, "Fourteen. That is the number of children Paolina and Maximus are planning to have....it means the storm is passed."

"Oh," said Quintus before smiling.

They arrived at the parlor and sat on two chairs set very close together.

Quintus took both her hands in his and murmured, "I missed you so much, Aelia. You can't imagine how much."

"I think I have an idea....I missed you too, Quintus. And I was so worried...Just tonight we had a centurion as dinner guest and he told us about what happened to your legion..The attack at the fort, the bad losses you suffered....and then he said the cavalry had the worst of it. Your arrival it has been a blessing, not only because I can see you with my eyes, but also because now Paolina will be able to sleep." Aelia stopped, suddently conscious she was almost rambling. It was as if all the emotions she had carefully contained inside herself were now pouring out.

Quintus smiled, understanding the reason for her pause and whispered, "Don't stop...I love to hear your voice...I dreamed of it so many nights."

"Oh, Quintus!" Aelia exclamed and threw herself once again in his arms.

They were alone and so he hugged her with all his strength, then began to kiss her, his lips moving all around her face before finally reaching her lips. He claimed them with force, as if the wanted to reaffirm to her and to himself he was still alive. Aelia was overwhelm by his passion but not scared by it..it was almost as she knew what emotions were boiling in him.

Breathing hard Quintus released her, trying to calm down. It was so good to feel alive again but he could not lose his control. Not now. Not there. And certainly not with Aelia. So he searched for a topic for start a conversation and found it looking at her nightgown, "I am sorry, I covered you with mud and I don't know want to think about what else!"

Aelia looked down at her brown stained dress and shook her shoulders, "I don't mind it. It was worth it to feel your arms around me again." She smiled and looked deeply in his eyes, then raised her delicate hand to touch his forehead, "What happened to you?"

"A barbarian wounded me with his sword here on my head while the wrist was burned while Maximus and I tried to save our horses from a burning barn."

"I am sorry." she said feeling her eyes mist with tears at the thought of his suffering.

"It's alright- not bad at all...in fact, it was more painful then I got my SPQR tatoo. But I'm afraid that I will sport a scar on my forehead from now on....I hope you like battle-seasoned soldiers!"

They burst in laughter together.

Quintus stayed an another half an hour and then told her kissed her goodnight. It was becoming very late and he did not want to force Paolinus to kick him out. So he stood up and said, "I must go now, they are expecting me at the camp."

Aelia nodded, imitating him by rising to her feet, "I know."

They walked outside the room then along the hallway until they reached the front door.

"Good Night, my love" said Quintus, kissing her on the forehead.

"Good Night to you too, Quintus. I hope to see you very soon."

"Don't worry, I have no intention to stay away from you." They smiled to each other and then he walked to his stallion, jumping on the saddle. He waved his hand a couple of times and then galloped away.

Aelia watched until he completely disappeared from her view and then returned inside.

14

One week later, Paolina was in the stables, brushing one of the horses, when she heard her cousin's excited cry.

"Paolina! Come into the house! They are on their way- Maximus and Quintus- I can see them on the road!"

"What?" Paolina dropped her brush into the hay. "What are you talking about? They aren't supposed to be back until tommorrow."

Aelia leaned against the wall of the barn to catch her breath. "I saw them from our bedroom window, just making the turn into our lane, if you hurry, you can---"

She quit speaking and turned as the sound of hooves filled the courtyard.

Paolina sighed, unconcerned with her appearance. "It's too late now, Aelia...I will have to meet him like this."

With a dissapproving sigh, Aelia led her cousin into the courtyard. Paolina knew that the other girl was nearly as anxious as she. In spite of his promises, Quintus had not called on her since he had returned to the camp.

The men had not seen them yet and continued walking toward the door. Paolina noted, with surprise, that they did not take their horses to the stables...were they planning to leave soon?

"Maximus!" Paolina called out, unable to contain her cry. Abruptly, the men turned.

Paolina met her intended's gaze sheepishly, uncertain of what to expect. The look was....wary, but still warm. She could tell, even from the small smile that he truly had forgiven her. She knew what should happen next...they would be polite to each other, talking small talk and slowly rebuilding each other's trust, but she had no patience, and so she flung herself into his broad arms so quickly that he nearly didn't catch her.

He blinked, and then began to laugh heartily. "Oh, Paolina, what would I do without you?" Grabbing her shoulders, he lifted her to his mouth for a tender kiss.

She had been settled on the ground again before she noticed how uncomfortable their companions seemed.

"Come" She said, stepping past him. "Let me help you put your horse in the stables.

She took the reins of Maximus' dark stallion with one hand, then reached for Quintus' as well.

"No." He said quickly, "I won't be staying long."

Paolina frowned, and then shrugged, walking toward the stables with Maximus in tow. Paolina herded the large animal into a stall, and turned to fill a bag of oats when she felt Maximus' hand on her wrist. She turned toward him, suprised to find the beginning of tears pricking at the corners of his deep blue eyes.

"Paolina..." He kissed her hand passionately. "Oh, Paolina. I'm so sorry for what happened. You are right. It is not fair for me to ask you to leave your home. I was being selfish...You may live wherever you want as long as it is with me."

Paolina's felt the beginning of tears in her own eyes as well. "No, Maximus, it is I who was wrong. I am so used to getting my way that sometimes I...." She shook his head, she didn't need to complete the sentence. Sniffing, she met his eyes again and offered a weak grin. "At least my tata cannot say now that you have not seen my temper."

Maximus laughed and drew her tightly against his chest. With her head against the soft fabric of his tunic, she could hear the gentle rythmn of his heart.

"Will you still marry me?" He asked nervously.

"Of course!" She answered without hesitation.

He squeezed her tightly. "You were all that I could think about while I was away- you distracted me so badly that I was nearly killed...the only thing that kept me safe was my promise to win you back."

"Maximus, you never lost me." She insisted. "You had not left the house before I began wishing you back...Oh, I am a foolish girl! At least you know now that I have suffered for my bad deed."

"I don't want you to suffer...." He kissed her again. It was a forceful, urgent action, as though he hoped to brand Paolina with his lips.

"Tata says we may marry soon."

"How soon?"

She laughed. "Next week, if we want to."

Maximus smiled broadly. Then, as if thinking of something, it slowly faded. "Perhaps we could wait a little bit longer. It might be hard for Aelia if it happens so soon..."

Paolina knit her brows in confusion. Surely he did not think that her cousin would not be happy for her...

"What do you mean?"

Aelia watched Maximus and Paolina disappear in the stable and sent a brief thank you to the Gods...she already knew a wedding would happen soon. Then she turned to Quintus and her smile faded as she saw his expression. His face was pale, his lips set in a grim line and his gentle eyes were very sad.

Aelia felt her heart twist in her chest and murmured, "Quintus, I am pleased to see you...Since you did not show up for all the week I began to worry your wounds became infected or something like that. But I see that's was not the reason." She stopped and looked at him, gesturing with her chin to his forehead which was no longer bandaged.

Quintus looked at his hands and reply,'"I...I.." he seemed unable to speak .

Aelia felt fear grip her guts, "There is something wrong, Quintus?"

Quintus twisted nervously the reins of his horse and said in a very low voice, "Before we left for the war I wrote a letter to my father, asking him his permission to marry you..." Aelia's breath caught in her troath while he went on.."When I returned to the camp after my last visit I found his answering letter awaiting for on my desk...."

"Yes...?" murmured Aelia in a whisper barely audible.

"He said no." There, he had said it. After a week of struggling and desperation he had told her.

The world began to spin around Aelia and she looked as she might faint.

Quintus reached out his arms to steady her and then hugged her to his chest, "I am so sorry, darling, so very sorry. My father said he had already arranged a marriage for me with the daughter of a rich leather merchant.."

Aelia was barely able to contains her tears as she stepped back from his arms, "So this is a goodbye....?"

Quintus nodded, "I can't go against my father's wishes...I have no money nor house of my own and I can't ask to you live in the camp with me.."

"But I would do it ..."

"No, you can't-- And moreover your tata would not give his permission....rightly so, since I would do the same with my daughter." Quintus' eyes were full of unshed tears as he kissed her hand for what he thought would be the last time before murmuring, "Farewell, domina Aelia, it was a pleasure to know you and I will pray the Gods to always look upon you." Speaking so he bowed to the waist, then turned to his horse and jumped on its back. Another quick glance to her pale, devasted face and then he gallopped away.

Aelia watched untill his form disappeared from her view and then she run to the house. The tears were so copious she was barely able to see where she was going, and she struggled the short distance by memory.

The door opened in front of her and she suddently was engulfed in two strong and gentle arms, while a soothing voice whispered to her caring words.

Paolinus had listened to the conversation and had been devasted by the sadness on his niece's face....and on Quintus'. The young soldier was truly a honorable man, deciding to tell the truth at once, without giving false hopes or trying to cheat Aelia- but that fact, instead of lightening the blow, had only made it worst to bear.

Maximus stroked Paolina's hair, unsure of what he should do. He was touched by her devotion to her cousin. He was certain that, no matter how untamable the girl's temper might be, it was just an example of how deeply she felt everything- especially love.

After the unsettling news, it was difficult to let their passions run free.

They were both too aware of how fragile happiness sometimes was. Maximus and Paolina walked to the orchards, where, as the soldier held his fiancÈ tightly, he spoke to her about the lives they would lead. Gradually, their sadness faded, and, as the stars began to rise from behind the eastern hills, the woman's mind was at rest.

They entered the house quietly, embarassed for having stayed out so late.

Paolina cringed when she saw her father waiting for them in the hall. He looked very tired, but smiled faintly at the pair.

"Well, Liutenant Maximus. It is nearly midnight...you will *have* to marry my daughter now." He joked half-heartedly.

Maximus nodded seriously. "Yes, domine. I intend to...Paolina has said yes."

Paolina was almost surprised to see her tata smile again. "Well, that is the first good news that I have had all day." He rose and embraced his daughter, hugging her tightly in a way that reminded her that she would always be his little girl. "I am sure that you will be happy, my dear. It is what I have always wanted for you." He kissed her cheek. "I will miss you terribly though."

The young couple shared a look. Maximus cleared his throat and began to speak. "Paolina..I...we have decided that she should remain here for at least the first year...until I am able to take her back to Hispania myself." he met the girl's eyes, checking to make sure that he had the information concerning their compromise correct. She nodded. "My mother will not like it, but it will be easier for Paolina...and for me."

Paolina stepped forward. "I thought perhaps that we could live in the little cottage in the eastern fields...no one has been there for years, but I am sure that I could make it cozy."

Paolinus frowned, causing his daughter's forehead to crease in concern.

"I have meant to speak with you about that cottage, daughter...and you Maximus. We have not yet discussed the terms of Paolina's dowry."

The soldier shifted his weight uncomfortably. He had plenty of money to support his little family- and he would provide for Paolina in his will. The only use she could have for the money would be if they divorced, something Maximus forsaw as an impossibility. "I don't really require-"

"I know that you don't *require* it, Maximus, but it is a tradition...and a good one. It is the only way that I can send her to you...but, since you do not require any dowry at all, perhaps you would be requiring a little less than I originally intended to send."

Paolina's look of confusion grew deeper. "Tata?"

"As you know, daughter, the land where the cottage sits is very fertile. I've been chasing Publius' sheep off of it for years... He has always been after it, which is one of the reasons he has always been so keen to get his son to marry you."

The girl squirmed in disgust at the thought of the man who had behaved so rudely in the village.

"I have decided...if you permit me...to give the land to him...you don't intend to farm here as well, do you Spaniard?"

Maximus opened his mouth to answer the question, but his future bride spoke first. "*Give* it to him, tata?!?"

Paolinus' face looked as crumpled as a used wineskin. "Yes...in return for...in return for marrying Aelia."

Paolina simply stared for a moment, as the horror of what her father was proposing to do sank in. "Tata! How could you propose something so awful? Aelia-"

"Aelia is in love with Quintus. She always will be. Oh, Paolina, you don't know how terrible this afternoon has been- the things she has said! And I have wanted to comfort her. But how can I? When I know in my heart that they were meant to be together? How can I tell her that she will love someone just as much when I...you...your brothers... have all proven time and again that one perfect person truly exists? This time next year, when the legions return, Quintus will have a rich and- forgive me for being spiteful- I hope thoroughly unpleasant wife .....perhaps having a baby of her own to hold will at least keep Aelia alive."

"*Sell* the farm to Publius!" Paolina said frantically. "Perhaps with the money as a dowry, Quintus' father would--"

Paolinus shook his head sadly. "You are a loving and passionate child, my daughter, but you have never been to Rome. Quintus likes to complain that he is poor, but I am sure that they are poor on silken bedsheets and gilded cups. A small square of land in a border province is less than the price of some ladies' necklaces...No, Paolina. Senator Clarus will not change his mind. Quintus knows this. Aelia knows this. We must also accept it, and make the best of a bad situation. It is Aelia's only chance to become an honest wife. If I cannot give her happiness, I will at least give her that."

Paolina clenched her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her hands, making her bleed. How could such a perfect day turn so wrong? She was sad for her cousin, but also bitterly disappointed that a day that should be filled with so much joy, had instead been filled with tears. She was cheated of her happy excitement- of the chance to whisper about wedding dresses and giggle about bedchambers with her cousin in the darkness. A few short hours ago, she had felt as light as a leaf- and now it was as though the weight of the world hung around her shoulders.

"Where is Aelia?" Paolina said. "I must go to her."

"She has been locked in the pantry." Paolinus said, cringing as he admitted this. "I know it sounds terrible, Paolina, but she was threatening...oh, terrible things! First to harm herself...and then to go to the camp and...and...."

He did not have to finish the words for Paolina to appreciate the horror of what had occurred. Aelia must be nearly out of her wits, he had been right to restrain her.

The paterfamilias met Maximus' eyes. "You are going to be a member of my family...and so I ask you, in that capacity, to please keep this knowledge to yourself. No one can gain from knowing of Aelia's ....trouble. She should at least keep her dignity."

Maximus nodded, his eyes wide, unsure of how he could possibly keep such a secret from Quintus, who would surely want to know every detail of what the girl had said and done after his departure.

"And finally...your wedding." Paolinus sighed. "I think that, after all, it had better be sooner than later. Pull the tooth in one yank...do you object?" He was speaking to Maximus now.

Maximus shook his head in the negative.

"Very well. A week from Friday. I will arrange for Aelia to be away."

"But tata-" Paolina could not imagine passing the day without her closest friend. Silently, Maximus took her hand and squeezed it, the simple gesture apologizing for what she had lost, but reminding her that, in the end they would be married, and that was what mattered. With a despairing sound, she relented. "Very well."

"Good...well, I will leave you two to say goodnight....Paolina, please remember that it is late already, and Maximus-"

His future son-in-law looked up. "Sir?"

"I expect *you* to remember that the wedding is not for another ten days." Maximus nodded, blushing faintly.

"Goodnight."

15

The following nine days passed quickly. Paolinus' household threw itself in a blur of activities to organize the wedding: new dresses were sewn, food was ordered from various shops and messangers where sent around the province to deliver the invitations. One by one all five of Paulina's brothers returned home to assist the wedding of their little sister and the big villa soon resounded with booming voices and laughters.

For Aelia that was the worst period of her life....the house she had always loved so much now seemed to be her enemy...everywhere she could see signs announcing the imminent wedding and, even if in the deepest part of her heart, she was happy for Paolina, she could not help to feel sad and also a little bit envious of her cousin. Aelia wished she could be left alone but every time she tried to leave the house for the fields or the woods someone was always ready to accompany her.

Finally arrived the day of her scheduled departure for the house of a old friends of Paolinus, a eldery couple who had came to visit from time to time. They would have love to assist the wedding but their friend's request had the precedence on their wishes. And so, in a grey afternoon of the first day of December, Paolina and Aelia said goodbye...not to each other but to a part of their lives: in fact when Aelia would return her cousin would be a married woman and things would never again be the same.

Paolinus watched his niece board his friends' chariot and then go away without a single wave of her hand. Poor girl, the fates had thrown so many blows on her: her mother's death, her father's disappereance, her being without a dowry and now Quintus.....and he had yet to tell her about Publius and the proposed match. He would have to wait untill she returned.

Quintus watched the chariot procede along the mud covered path and felt his heart constricting in his chest, as he saw Aelia disappear from his view and from his life. Maximus had told him about the girl's imminent departure only that morning and he had to rush on his tasks in the camp to be able to see her go. He had promised at himself that he would not try to contact her - what sense might have torture themselves uselessly? - but he could himself from watching her ride away...he wanted to look at her a last time. Maximus had told him the girl would stay away for several months and, if his father's plans were followed Quintus, might no longer be in the province when she come back. Titus Clarus wanted his younger son to marry as soon as possible - he was afraid the intended bride's father might found another, more promising party for his daughter and he did not want to risk all the money the match would take in the family treasure chests.

Quintus sighed and just for a moment thought of what might be if he decided to disobey his father and marry Aelia anyway. He shook his head..with no money and no land of their own, an illigetimate marriage- they would led a terrible life...Aelia would be forced to live in the camp, freezing in the mud during the winter and sweating in the summer, without even the possibility of having a good bath everyday. She would be surrounded by soldiers who might treat her as a sort of private camp follower....No, she deserved better - much better - than that, and Quintus was sure that Paolinus would of his best to give her a happy life. That was Quintus' most fervent hope. The young legionary turned his horse and trotted away.

The morning of Paolina's wedding dawned grey and cold.

Instead of jumping instantly awake (as she imagined that she would during the long hours of the night before), Paolina snuggled deeper under the blankets and tried to go back to sleep. She was tired, too excited for many days before to get a good night's sleep.

The little room that she had once shared with Aelia seemed different now. As soon as the cousin had left, her bed had, at last, been carried from the room and placed in the nursery. The day before, shortly after supper, Paolina had carried all the toys that remained in the room- dolls and games that the girls had long since abandoned, though they remained on the bedroom shelves- and placed them at her father's feet, along with her bulla. The childish momentos, and the simple silver charm, represented Paolina's surrender of her childhood. She was no longer a little girl. Soon she would become a woman.

After giving up the toys, Paolina had been led by her oldest brother's wife (who had been visiting to help with preparations for the ceremony) to the bathroom, where she was washed with special oils that had come all the way from Italy, then dried, while her dark hair was braided tightly into a long rope that hung down her back. As the careful hands of her servants and sisters-in-law preened, the eldest explained to Paolina what she could expect from her wedding night. Paolina's cheeks flamed brightly red as Faustia, in an impossibly casual tone, explained the things that Maximus would do. The image had filled the bride-to-be with such heat that it seemed burned onto her mind- it lingered there even as the women declared the night's activities complete, and Paolina was herded off to bed.

The night had passed quickly. In one moment, Paolina was lost in a shadowy dream, in which she ran through the orchards by her house. She was a small girl in the vision, young and carefree...The next moment, Faustia's hands were jarring her awake.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." The older woman teased. "If you wanted sleep you should have thought of it earlier!"

Still only half-awake, Paolina pulled herself from beneath the heavy blankets and once again surrendered herself to the women's care.

First, Paolina was bathed again, and her hair was set free of the braid, although her curls were far from tamed. The females gathered around the household shrine and murmured a string of prayers for blessings. Paolina crumbloed salt-cakes and incense over a half-dozen little figures, and finally, over the flame of the hearth, asking Vesta, the most intimate protector of families, to watch over her new union.

With the religious observances complete, the women parted ways. Faustina and Pomponia taking charge of the bride, while the others set to decorating the house and overseeing the final preparations for the feast.

In spite of her self-promises not to think of Aelia, Paolina could not help but think of how dissappointed that her unfortunate cousin would be in the un-Romanness of it all. Since Maximus had no home or family in the village (save the camp and his fellow soldiers- hardly appropriate substitutions for a wedding), a traditional ceremony, complete with the usual procession, would be impossible. As Paolina had reminded her father, such procedures were customary, and not legal requirements. In the eyes of the law, she and Maximus need only acknowledge before witnesses that they intended to marry-the rest was more for show than substance. Thinking it somehow fitting that his Amazon break from the norm, Maximus had agreed to her deviation from the expected course. They were to be married in the orchard, beneath the trees where he had cradled her on his return (and which trees' woeful lack of apples was more than compensated by the fact that the barren trees had forced Paolina to purchase the fruits in the village, giving something to roll to Maximus' feet on the fateful day that they had met). Paolina wore the traditional scarlet veil, but she allowed her hair to hang free (rather than binding it up in the unnatural and unattractive six-segmented tutullus style usually favored by brides. After the ceremony, the newlyweds would lead their guests to the main house where, after several hours of feasting, Maximus and Paolina would begin their married life in the room which she had, until recently, shared with her cousin.

Because she had choosen simply attire, Paolina's dress was completed early.

She was sent to her room to rest as the guests arrived, but she could not fall back to sleep. Her mind seemed a frenzy of activity...thinking of many things, especially wondering what Maximus was thinking, and what her new life would be like.

Back at the army camp, Maximus' thoughts were as fevered as Paolina's. Was he making the right decision? He did not doubt his love for the girl, but he was painfully aware of the approaching spring. How unfair that he should have to leave her so soon! What if she forgot him and her love lessened while he was away? No, that would never happen....still, he could not dismiss the possibility completely from his mind....How had he become so lucky? He was merely a lieutenant in the army, while Paolina was a goddess, decended from the heavens. Would she realize how unworthy he was?

He murmured some of these things aloud as he paced the tight confines of the tent he shared with Quintus, his friend and his serving boy, Cicero, watching with a mixture of amusement and annoyance at his insecurity. Maixmus looked very dashing. Cicero had polished his armor to perfection, working out the dents and scratches with incredible attention to detail. He had found enough cloth to fashion a new tunic of dark scarlet wool, and the soldier's sword, which completed the uniform, had been polished so that it gleamed. The boy had also cleaned himself up remarkably- repairing an old tunic of his masters' so that it looked quite distinquished, accenting it with a nice leather belt.

Quintus looked strange to his friend, and Maximus wondered distantly if it were intentional. Instead of donning his best uniform, as Maximus had, he had choosen instead to wear his Roman dress. A toga, dazzling white against the rich hues of the tent and military dress, with a narrow, distinguished-looking purple stripe along the border that indicated the man's status as a knight. It was amazing how easily he moved in the bulky folds. For the first time, Maximus could picture the life his friend's father had bought with the leather-merchant's daughter - a future career as a politician in the city of Rome.

In spite of their charge's hurry to depart, Quintus and Cicero kept Maximus in the camp until the third hour of the day. When they finally left, they walked, rather than rode, preserving the appearence of their attire.

All of the other guests had proceeded them, and as the bridegroom and his friends approached, it seemed as if they spilled out of every window and door of the little home. Word of Maximus' arrival proceeded him, and he had barely set foot on the porch before he was herded off to the orchard to await his bride.

Quintus watched as his friend walked back in forth in the orchard, opening and closing his fists. Maximus the steady was nervous and Quintus thought it was good his subordinates could not see him because it was his 'always in control of everything' attitude that made him such good leader and seeing him in that state might crack the image he had built for himself in the years. Quintus of course understood his friend's behaviour....he would feel the same on his wedding day if only....if only his bride would be Aelia. His throat constricted as he thought of her and he wondered bitterly if his pain would ever go away or if he would be condemned to this sadness for the rest of his life. Sometimes he wished that he had never met her -- his arranged marriage would be much easier to bear if he had never tasted what real happiness and love could be -- but then he dispelled those thoughts. It was better to have loved and lost than have never loved at all...the pain of losing Aelia must not taint the joy he had in having her. Quintus sighed as Maximus walked near him for the umpteeth time and turned to look in the house direction. He saw that the bride, her family and the guests were arriving and hissed to his friend, "Maximus, stop pacing and act like a grown-up...they're coming!"

Maximus startled at the sound of his voice and as a recruit in front of his commanding officer snapped up in attention, as ready for an inspection.

Quintus walked to him and smiling arranged his cloak better, then hitting him lightly with his fist on his chin, he said, "Strenght and honour".

"Quintus, I am getting married, not going in battle!" Maximus replied.

"Uhm...I don't know....considering Paolina's temper, I wont be so sure..."

The two friends shared a laugh, releasing some of the tension inside them then returned to seriousness as Paolina and her father approached.

Aelia was looking out a window of the Aurelianus' house in the direction that she knew led home. With her mind's eyes she could see the guests and all her cousin standing at attention as Paolina and Maximus pronunced their vows to each other. She disperately wanted to be with them. She knew her uncle had sent her away to save her the grief of seeing her cousin so happy while she suffered ...and also to avoid seeing Quintus again so soon, but Aelia wanted to be there netherless.

"It is a beautiful day, is not it?" said Aurelianus' wife, a gentle looking grey haired woman. Unlike the weather at Paolinus' farm, the day was bright and sunny in the little valley where Aelia visited.

Aelia nodded, giving her a brief glance then turned to look outside again.

The matron sighed. Poor girl. Paulinus had told them what happened and she thought the Fates had been really cruel with Aelia...how it was possible that some girls had everything without deserving it while the nice, gentle and generous creature were always left with empty hands? She could only hope that one day the Gods understood the wrong of their ways and decided to give Aelia the happinness that she deserved.

16

The ceremony seemed to pass in a blur. Paolina was amazed that something that she had thought about so much- imagining the details even when she was a little girl- could go by so quickly. She wanted the day to be over- to finally be Maximus' wife, but she also wished that she had time to savor the memories of the day. She wished that she could burn them into her memory, and return to them years later as a reminder of her perfect happiness.

It seemed as though one minute Maximus and her father were exchanging the marriage contracts, and in the next, she was being carried over the threshold of the house.

All of the guests were anxious to get inside- they were freezing in the blustery orchard. They called out happily to the bride and groom as they were welcomed into the little house. Maximus' nerves had not lessened, but Paolina barely noticed. She too was staring wide-eyed at everything, the significance of the events a bit overwhelming to be drunk in all at once.

Maximus touched her throughout the meal. At first, he held her hand, but even when they moved to the tables for their meal, he kept his arm resting gently on her side, or his toes against her little feet. He seemed unwilling to break contact, as though his love for Paolina were a lifeline holding him above a confusing sea of events.

At last, Faustia came to the head of the table and whispered into the bride's ear that it was time to go. At once, a deep blush spread across Paolina's cheeks, and she glanced, embarassed, at Maximus before quickly nodding her head and rising from the table. Her movement was so quick that it caused a wineglass to spill, drawing more attention to her departure. The occassion drew a well-intentioned, if mortifying volley of cheers and humourous advice. Paolina was torn between a desire to scurry away as fast as possible, and a wish to maintain the shred of dignity that she had by measuring her steps.

Faustia whispered words of encouragement as she led her little sister-in-law to the bedchamber and helped her undress. The room looked and smelled very mysterious. It seemed strangely empty now that Aelia's bed and the girls' toys had been cleared away. Since it was winter, the only foilage available for decoration had been pine boughs and holly branches, and they filled the room with their heavy evergreen fragrance. There were also little sticks of incense, a few oil lamps, a braizer (in a vain attempt to beat back the winter chill) and finally, seeming impossibly large and daunting, the large bed in the center of the room.

The heavy coverlets that usually lined the bed had been cleared away. Only a single linen sheet covered the mattress, and it seemed painfully inadequate against her bare skin as Paolina slid beneath it to await her groom.

"It will be awkward at first." Faustia warned. "Perhaps a little painful...but it will get better." The older woman patted her change on the shoulder in a motherly gesture. "I will send your soldier to you soon."

Numbly, Paolina nodded. Faustia left the room, and the frightened bride jumped as the door slammed shut behind her.

Paolina shivered beneat the thin layer of fabric and strained her ears toward the murmuring voices of the guests below. It seemed to take forever before a playful cheer went up from the guests and she heard a footfall on the botton of the stairs. Involuntarily, she sat up in the bed, her breathing increasing a little as she listened for the sound of her husband's arrival.

Although she had known him only a short time, the girl had memorized her husband's footfalls. The familiar sound seemed almost as loud as the beating heart as they travelled the length of the hall, hesitating just before the door, and then slowly pushing it open.

"Paolina?" Maximus said softly, stopping just inside the door. It closed behind him with a heavy thud, but this time, Paolina did not startle. She was too transfixed by him to move at all.

Paolina understood that Maximus would be experienced in the things that went on between men and women. Even if it did bring a twinge of jealousy, she understood what life was like in the army- really, what life was like for men in general, she would not expect him to be naive, but standing in the doorway, he seemed just as uncertain as she. He clenched and unclenched his hands, as though he did not know what to do.

Paolina pulled the sheet more tightly over her unclothed figure, feeling more painfully aware of her nakedness than before. She stared at him and, as his eyes adjusted to the near darkness, he stared back.

"Domina." He whispered after a long pause.

"Domine..."

Her eyes widened as he crossed the floor to the edge of the bed. She felt as though her heart were ready to explode. She had a strange sense of competing desires- half of her longed to touch and kiss him, to do things that she had never experienced, but her body instinctively recalled....the other half was terribly frightened and ashamed- trained so long for modesty and chastity that it could not now understand the rightness of what she was about to do.

She noticed that Maximus was breathing heavily as well. He tenatively leaned forward, laying his hand lightly against her bare shoulder and kissing her softly on the lips. Their lips lingered together, but only lightly. And then he pulled away, staring. It was amusing- two people who knew each other so well- who had been so nearly overcome by passion on so many occassions before, were now shy and uncertain as the moment of passage finally arrived.

Tentatively, Paolina laid her hands across his shoulder, and he drew her upward, the sheet slipping from under her arms as he pulled her against him. She gasped, a little surprised to feel the night air on her exposed skin, the tips of her nipples achingly hard in the chill. The sight seemed to have an affect on Maximus. He sucked in his breath quickly. Then, abandoning the kiss, turned his attention to her lovely breasts.

"Domina..." he whispered from somewhere in the back of his throat. He leaned forward and brushed the dusky mounds with his fingertips, the whisper-light contact raising goosebumps on her skin. He ran his fingers over the hardened nipples, and Paolina arched her back in surprise as twinges of a sensation she had never experienced before- like pleasure and pain in the same instant- coursed along her spine.

He repeated the motion several times, and then, pushing her back against the pillows, cupped the little mountains of flesh in his hand. The sudden warmth was luxurious, and Paolina twisted in appreciation under his ministrations. He pressed downward gently, and then massages his captives in a gentle circular fashion, watching them carefully with his eyes.

Though Paolina's hands were still, she could sense that the activities were having an effect on her new husband. He rocked his hips gently forward, as though he were yearning toward her. When he finally raised his head to claim her mouth, she understood why.

Maximus seemed to mold his body to his bride's. The hollows and swells of her figure were matched, like the pieces of a puzzle, with the caverns and rises of his own. Even their mouths joined seemlessly, and, with a gasp, Paolina felt the evidence of her husband's desire, pressing urgently against the fabric of his tunic.

The soldier's eyes flew to his bride's as he felt her startle. He inwardly chided himself for moving too quickly. He had promised himself that he would be gentle, but Paolina was proving to be quite a challenge for his willpower. She had tortured him throughout dinner. Even then, his body had been unable to hide its hunger. He had spent the evening shifting uncomfortably on the couch, hoping that his tunic was still draped modestly, and longing for Faustia to say that the time to depart had come. After so much waiting, it was hard to stay in control.

And Paolina was so lovely..! Even though her untrained hands were still, the simple presence of her beauty- of the warmth of her skin- filled him with more tingling pleasure than the skilled fingertips of the camp followers had ever inspired. He was in awe of her beauty and innocence...almost frightened of the passion he was about to claim.

Maximus continued to stroke her breasts, and Paolina gradually relaxed. He allowed one hand to trail to her wrist and, taking it in his hand, he guided her to his erection. Paolina drew back at first, shy and uncertain, but she slowly warmed, probing the fabric covered bulge with her fingertips and finally, with guidance from her husband, stroking it in a manner that gave him pleasure.

The rocking of his hips increased, and the hand that had guided Paolina's first caresses moved upward again, stripping the sheet from her waist, and exposing the rest ofher body to view. Maximus pulled back for a moment, admiring the view. "You are so lovely..." He said huskily. He took several deep breaths and then, just before claiming her in another crushing kiss, murmured. "*mine*...."

Drawing her close again, his hands retiurned to her body. Her breasts, her ribs, her waist, her thigh ...finally slipping between her slender legs.

Paolina's entire body seemed to convulse as a sensation she had never known gripped her entire body. Deep within her stomach a firey tightness began. It was as though every nerve of her body was reaching toward Maximus, wanting to draw him in. The feeling grew as his fingertips slid inside the soft folds of flesh that hid her femininty.

A growl of satisfaction tore from Maximus' throat as he found her yeilding flesh. She was hot and wet. Her readiness excited him even further. "My bride......" He whispered, catching her clitoris between his thumb and forefinger. She made a little cry of pleasure as he touched her secret places. "My wife..."

Paolina writhed beneath his touch. Vaguely- as though someone were yelling at her from far away- she remembered Faustia's admonition that it was unseemly for a bride to appear too willing on her first night....but Paolina was too entranced by the man's bold explorations to resist. She writhed beneath his hands, pressing toward him with her hips, as the tightness within her grew intolerable. She wanted to be broken, claimed......

Suddenly, Maximus pushed her hand away, and extracted himself from her body.

She made a little cry of protest as the torturous pleasure abruptly ceased. She looked at him, wildly. Had she done something wrong? Would he stop? She saw that he had rocked back to a sitting position on his heels. His muscles flexed as he stripped away his armor, and then his tunica, the broad, defined muscles of his chest filling her once again with longing. At last his hands reached between his legs and removed the loincloth.

Paolina knew that she should demurely avert her eyes, but she could not help but stare. Like the rest of his body, his manhood- painfully erect and flushed an angry red- was impossible erotic. Naked, and full of need, he seemed like one of the gods of legend, preparing to claim his mortal playmate. She felt suddenly very small, and a twinge of fright mixed again with the throbbing want.

She was drawn to him- her silky fingers reaching through the darkness- surprised by the heat she found as her fingers closed about the turgid member. She could feel his pulse- furious and jagged- and the moistness of the tip.

She stoked him, reveling in the masculine hardness, amazed that she could elicit such desire, and she gasped when Maximus suddenly clamped his hands around her wrists and drew them about her head.

"Paolina..." he moaned. And then. "Selene...." He kissed her again, his tongue pushing forcefully between her teeth. His forehead bumped hers, and she felt sweat on his brow, trembling within his body, unable to bear back the flood of passion.

Paolina twined her fingers in his closely cropped hair, inviting him to linger in her kiss.

"I need you." He gasped, as he finally pulled away.

She nodded.

"I want you...Selene, please..."

"Yes."

She had barely finished the word before a firey tearing sensation gripped her. She could not contain the paniced cry that crossed her lips, or the hot tears that appeared at the corners of her eyes at the sudden, unexpected pain. She felt, for a moment, as though she were drowning. Hot. Confused. Unable to breathe. And then, just as suddenly as it began, the feeling ended. Melting like the ice that hung outside the rafters, the feeling transformed into a pleasure just as intense of the pain. A hot, driving fullness.

He was inside her. Deep. Throbbing. She could sense, without opening her eyes, how badly he wanted to move. Needed to move.

"Selene." He whispered desperately. "Selene.."

"Maximus." She answered. The desire in her voice gave him permission to continue. The pain had passed, and now he could lose himself- lose them both in pleasure.

Paolina tried to watch him as he worked, study the tighly closed eyes, and the looks of passion that gripped his handsome features, but she too was broken by the electricity of their connection. She lay her head firmly against the pillow, gasping for breath as his body worked its primal magic upon her own. Could such feelings be possible? Did he feel it too? Things seemed to spin.

And then they stopped.

Paolina felt as though the tightening desire she had felt earlier was a coil twisting within her soul. All at once, it broke, and her release was paralyzing. She was dimly aware of crying out his name...and a second later, his echoing cry. She felt as though she were flying, somewhere far above, as though she and Maximus were like tollow candles, melted together by the heat they had created. As though....

Her mind reeled.

At last, she was able to regain her senses, opening her dark eyes to meet Maximus' own. One of the little oil lamps had extinguished, but there was still enough light to see his face. He was staring at her as well. A look of bone-deep satisfaction on his face.

"Selene..." he leaned forward and kissed her. "Oh Selene..."

She was surprised that she wasn't embarassed. Maximus' body had collapsed on top of her own, nearly crushing her with his weight. Yet, she did not want to draw away. Between her legs, she could feel his member softening. Deeper within her body, she felt the sticky slickness of his seed. It seemed...*right*...and she had no desire for the moment to end.

They stared at each other until a loud noise from downstairs made them both sit up. Were the wedding guests still here? Disoriented, having lost track of time, Maximus and Selene stared at each other. It seemed as though a chair had been smashed. Then there was the sound of breaking glass, and noisy, if indistinguishable cries....

Quintus watched Maximus leave the table to join his new wife and added his voice to the other guests that cheered to him, encouraging him to do his "duty". "As if he needs encouragment," Quintus thought, shaking his head, "Look at the way he is walking!"

As the bridegroom disappearer from the big triclinium the guests returned to the last courses of the banquet, idle conversations filling the air. Quintus felt a little bit isolated..it was as if the entire Paulinus' family had put him in a corner and branded him as guilty for the pain he had caused to Aelia. True he had caused pain to Aelia but it was not is fault...why could not they see he too was suffering? He had seen the joy on Maximus' face at the prospect of marring the woman he loved...how could not they see how terrible was for him the prospect of marring a total stranger?

After some minutes the guests began to leave the house and Quintus too decided it was time for him to return to the camp. He stood up and looked around: some other soldiers - Maximus' friends - had joined them for the ceremony and since he was his superior he wanted them back to the camp with him. So he walked around the room, searching for them. Suddently a hand fell heavily on his shoulder and he turned sharply around, while his clear eyes met the dark, drunk ones of Publius.

"So soldier, I have been told you did quite a piece of work on my little sparrow..." His words were slurred and Quintus barely heard them.

"What are you saying?"

"I am referring to Aelia of course....my future bride." Publius threw him an arrogant stare, wanting to repay him for the shameful esit of their first meeting.

"Your future bride?" Quintus repeated, hoping against hope those were only wine generated words....he remembered that he had called Paolina in that way, the day they had met in the village.

"Yes...Paolinus spoke with my father and soon I will marry her. She is half-way suitable, with the dowry her uncle was finally able to give her."

Quintus' head was spinning...what's going on? Dowry? What dowry? But before he was able to formulate a coherent word, Publius added as if reading his mind, "Since Paolina's new husband is rich on his own Publius was able to spare some of the dowry originally destined for his daughter - the very part of the dowry my father and I wanted, a nice little piece of fertile soil -and gave it to Aelia. Ah, how I look forward you wedding day ...You broke her heart you know, soldier? I wonder if you pierce something else...I don't want to raise bastards..."

When his dumbed brain gasped the meaning of Publius' words Quintus gasped and he hissed, "What did you say?"

"I know how you soldiers are and a girl like Aelia is good for only one thing, dowry or not dowry."

Quintus saw red. "Take that back at once!" he whispered.

"No."

Quintus' fist smashed against Publius' jaw throwing him against a chair that crushed under his weight. Publius stood up staggering, and assaulted the legionary again but being drunk and fat as he was, he not a single against his opponent. Quintus side stepped him and then gave him a strong push in his back. Publius landed against the table, breaking a bottle and a couple of glasses.

It was then that Paolinus arrived, "What his happening here?" he shouted, as other guests followed him, commenting loudly about the scene before their eyes.

Quintus breathed deeply to calm down and said, "Nothing of importance sir, your guest here had too much wine and tripped on a chair, breaking it, before falling on your table."

Paolinus did not buy it for a minute but having see how much wine Publius drank during the dinner decided to give the soldier the benefit of the doubt.

"Lieutenant, I think it is better for you to return to the camp along with your men. Publius, your father is waiting for you."

The two opponents looked at each other with mutual hate but decided it was best to finish it their "discussion", at least for that night. Quintus saluted Paolinus with a bow of his head - even if his eyes seemed to say, *How could you do such a thing?* - and when walked away briskly while Publius needed help to reach his father's chariot. Paolinus watched them disappear from his view but he knew he had not seen the last of it.

Paolina glanced nervously at the door. Almost reflexively, she started to get up an investigate the sound. She quickly felt Maximus' arm come around her waist.

"No, Selene..." He said, nuzzling her neck as he halted her progress. "Stay here...it is nothing..."

The sound of angry voices continued downstairs, Paolina looked hesitantly at the door again.

"It's cold..." Maximus' voice grew huskier as he continued to try to coax her to remain. She could feel the icy air on her shoulders, so she knew his words were true. "...stay...."

At last, as there was no renewal of sounds from the house, Paolina submitted to her husband's wishes. Lowering herself back into his arms. The reward for her submission was well worth compliance- the soldier's passion's stirred once more, and she shared his body for a second time.

Paolina awoke the next morning feeling twice as tired as when she had gone to bed. For a brief moment, she had been in a state of panic. Where was she? After her groggy mind had finally recognized the bedchamer as the room she had occupied since girlhood, her heart siezed with a second question. What was Maximus doing here? Tata would discover them at any moment. He had to go!

The fevered activity of her brain must have awakened Maximus for, as her half-awake consciousness fought through its panic, his piercing blue eyes finally opened, and he regarded her warmly.

"Good morning, wife." He said with a toothy smile. "How did you sleep?"

Her body relaxed as its memory returned. Paolina offered an answering smile.

"Briefly." She answered, truthfully. Her candor was met with a hardy laugh.

He sighed, and then kissed her cheek. "There will be time for sleeping when I return to the north..." For a third time, Maximus' voice drifted toward passion, and Paolina lost herself in his advances. She tried not to think of the truth of his words- that he would soon be gone. She wanted to concentrate on the here and now.

When they finally dragged themselves from bed, they emerged to the very amused glances of the older brothers and their wives. Paolinus had a very cloudy look, as though he were trying very hard not to dissapprove- married or not, Selene was still his little girl!

The sisters-in-law arranged a quick breakfast for the pair, before herding Maximus off to a bath while they tried to pick details of the night before from their little relative. Had he been gentle? Had it hurt much? Had she enjoyed it? Bashfully, Paolina awoided some of the questions and answered others. She tried not to appear completely mortified as, per local tradition, Faustia retrieved the bed sheet and hung the red-stained fabric like a little flag on the laundry line outside their house. The young bride could take comfort, at least, in knowing that it was the last humiliation she would have to endure. It was over- she was Maixmus' true wife. Nothing would take them apart...

That afternoon, they began packing for their journey. Maximus had been awarded several weeks holiday from his general, and he intended to spend the time as a honeymoon with Paolina. They did not have time to make the journey to and from Hispania, but they decided that they would make the trip south to the sea shore. It would be too cold to swim in the water, but at least Paolina could see the vast expanse of waves. To the young country girl, such a trip seemed very exotic and promising...

17

In the weeks following Maximus' and Paolina's wedding, Quintus threw himself in a blur of activies trying to block out the memories of Aelia which seemed to haunt him with increased frequency. The absence of his friend, tent mate, and collegue left him with a lot of task to do - as supervising the recruits training and the stocking of the new supplies - and sometimes he was able to tire himself so much that his sleep was dream free. However it was a rare event and everything in the little valley seemed to conjure images of Aelia: the village, the fields, the road....everything. It was tremendous to see how few a days of staying together had changed him so much.

One day Quintus returned to his tent and found a letter awaiting on his desk. He picked it up and immediately noticed his father's seal. Feeling a shiver run along his spine Quintus broke the seal and unfold the papyrus. It was brief and concise: his father wanted him in Rome as soon as possible. He wanted him to marry his arranged bride before the spring campain. Quintus sat heavily on his chair. He did nor want to go. He did not want to marry. Not so soon and not ever. He mentally calculated the time the journey to and from Rome would take and a bitter smile appeared on his face. If he wanted to be back in time for the spring he would have to leave within a couple of days, but there was no way the task he had to do could be completed in such short time and so Quintus felt free to reply to his father he could not leave. Of course the young soldier knew what if he really wanted to go, general Claudius would grant him the permission, assigning his task to another officer, but Quintus steadfastly ignored that fact. His father and his bride will have to wait.

Paolinus ran out of the house as he heard the noise of hoofbeat and wheels on the gravel covered road. Aelia was finally back home!

The old man was happy to have the girl back: he had missed her so much and now that Paolina was away with her husband the big house was so empty and silent...he needed to hear again happy voices and the sound of giggling.

He quickly approached the arresting chariot and, after briefly greeting his friend Aurelianus, walked around it went to embrace his niece. What he saw left him speechless for the shock. Aelia was pale and so very tired. Her once luminous eyes seemed empty, hollow, circled by dark shadows.

Paolinus swallowed with difficulty and found the words to greet her, "My niece, welcome back."

"Tata" she whispered and he hugged her, startling when he felt the bones of her shoulders and hips sticking out so prominently. Aelia was very thin, too much so.

"Darling go inside the house, it is very cold this afternoon. I will take care of the luggage."

Aelia nodded and with a little bow of her head to Aurelianus walked away and disappeared in the villa.

As soon she was away Paolinus turned to his friend and said, "What happened to her? Has she been sick?"

"She IS sick, my friend, and her illness is the most difficult to cure. She is suffering of a broken heart. I, my wife and my daughter tried to help her but it was useless. Maybe you will be able to do it, since you know her much better than us."

Paolinus nodded gravely, then thanked his friend again and wacthed him trotting away. In the end he sighed deeply and entered in the house, wishing so much his wife was still alive to advice him him about his matter.

Paolina felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as the driver cracked his whip in the air above the horses and the carriage pulled away from the little inn beside the sea. She had enjoyed the month and a half that she spent alone with her husband, and she knew that they might never have such a time again. She felt that she knew him ten times better than she had on their wedding day but, remarkably, she loved him even more- even now that she knew that he wasn't entirely perfect.

The young wife sighed and turned in her seat to look back at the crashing waves of the sea shore before they passed out of view, and Maximus took her hand, squeezing it tightly. "We'll go back next year." He promised, kissing the hand.

Paolina's lips turned up slightly in the corner. "Perhaps." She said neutrally.

Maximus sighed, dropping the hand, and slipping his arm entirely around her waist and drawing her against him. Ever since the packing had began, his usually spirited wife had been plunged into melancholy. They had planned to stay another two weeks, but word had arrived that the tribes along the river were gathering again. Claudius intended to strike before their forces could mobilize. All leaves had been cancelled.

Paolina had known that this day had come, but she had happily pushed it out of her mind for as long as it could possibly be ignored. She couldn't tell Maximus how bitterly afraid she was that he would dissappear and never come back- or how lonely the nights would feel now that she had grown accustomed to spending them in his arms.

She had hoped that the parting would be softened by the prospect of a baby...but those hopes had also been dashed. This very morning, she had begun her period. There would be no pregnancy before Maximus returned to war.

Maximus sensed his wife's unease. He wished that he could assure her that he would be perfectly safe- but his respect for his bride was too great to lie. He was bold in battle- some might say reckless. When the cavalry charged into the fray, he was usually at its head. He had the scars to prove his courage ....but he wished at least that Paolina could understand the superiority of their tactics and arms. It was true that the barbarians often outnumbered the legions ten to one...but they fought in bearskins with wooden spears, and farming tools. The few broadswords they had were cracked and rusted with age. Most damning of all was their lack of organization. Each man was loyal to his own family, and to a lesser extent, to his own small tribe. When the tide began to turn in favor of the legions- as it inevitably did- the tattered ranks tore apart with each man fighting for his own survival, while the lock-shield infantry..and the armored horses, drove relentlessly through the retreating hordes.

Paolina sighed heavily, and Maximus drew her closer to him. "It will be good to see Aelia again." He noted, reminding his bride that her cousin would have returned to the house. "And your tata...I'm sure that he will be happy to see you."

This drew only a shrug. It seemed impossible to Paolina that her life would continue when the man that she loved- a man that she hadn't even known a year ago- was about to leave.

Maximus stroked her hair softly. "And we *will* have a baby next year." He promised. Paolina flushed. She didn't even know that he had noticed. "I don't care what it takes- so make sure to get plenty of sleep..." He teased.

The ride back to Paolinus' farm took almost four days. Paolina's sadness deepened, rather than abated as they drew near her home. Maximus felt as though his heart were being pulled in two directions. He wanted, desperately, to make her happy, but he also knew that he was a soldier above all else. He could not watch the legions depart and remain behind.

Paolinus was standing on the porch as their hired carriage pulled into the yard. A serving girl, whom Maximus did not recognize, was standing behind him, her eyes cast down toward the dirt.

"Daughter!" The old man cried, treading the hem of his long tunic in the dust as he rushed toward his little girl. Maximus' heart lifted at Paolina's expression- flashing a smile for the first time in days.

"Tata!" She said, returning his enthusiasm and jumping from her seat into his arms. They hugged tightly.

"Oh, Selene! I have missed you so much! How am I ever going to let you go off to Hispania?" He squeezed her so tightly that her legs lifted a little bit off the ground, and she laughed.

At last, Paolinus released the girl and walked toward Maximus, extending his hand in a friendly gesture. "Son-in-law...it is nice to see you again as well. I see that you have been taking care of my little girl."

Maximus nodded warmly. "I hope so, father...She is a treasure. I thank you again for sharing her with me."

Paolina ran into the house, nearly careening into the serving girl as she ran inside. Maximus and Paolinus remained outdoors, helping the driver unload the luggage. In a moment, Paolina reappeared.

"Tata, where is Aelia?" She said, sadly.

Paolinus stiffened, and his eyes became very sad. Maximus felt a sense of premonition in the pit of his stomach...and then he saw where the patriarch was looking.

Paolina noticed at the same instant, and a little cry caught in the back of her throat. It was not a serving girl on the porch after all, it was Aelia- or at least a shadow which resembled the girl they had known. She had grown so painfully thin that she seemed too frail to support the fabric of her simple, colorless tunica. Her hair, once so intricately coiled, hung limply and barely-brushed around her shoulders, and her skin, noted for its golden luminosity, was ashen. She didn't seem embarassed or surprised by Paolina's reaction. Indeed, she made no indication that she even noticed it. She simply stared blankly forward, her eyes hollow and unseeing, as if the spirit of Aelia had already died, leaving an empty hush of shriveling body to walk the earth.

Maximus started toward his wife, but stopped, uncertain of what he should do.

"What has happened?" He whispered to Paolinus, still unable to tear his eyes away.

"The light has gone out inside her." Paolinus said sadly. "I want to help her, but everything I try seems to make the situation worse...She will not eat, or talk...she hardly even remembers to bathe- the serving girls must take her...Oh, Maximus, I know it is selfish to be glad that I can reclaim my daughter from you, but it is my final hope. Perhaps Paolina can begin laughter back to her lips. If she does not, I fear the girl will not survive the summer."

"Has Quintus seen this?" He asked.

Paolinus shook his head strongly, "No, he has not been here since the wedding. I don't want Aelia to see him again. That wouldn't help anything. She must forget him and go on with her life." The older man seemed suddently very tired and repeated his earlier words, "I just hope Selene will be able to infond in her some of her joy of living." Maximus nodded and looked as his wife hugged her cousin. The other girl did not even tried to reply to the gesture. The task in front of father and daughter seemed really hard and suddently Maximus felt happy Selene was not pregnant, because all the worry for Aelia would have perhaps hurt her and the baby.

18

Two days later the legions marched away and as she did the last time, Paolina watched the soldiers depart from the high rock near her farm. This time she took Aelia with her, hoping that a little exercise would stimulate her appetite and put some color on her ashen face.

Paolina looked down to the road as the cavalry passed and she waved her hand. Several soldiers waved back, but only one of them blew her kisses- Maximus. Paolina smiled, even as tears were running along her cheeks and she prayed to the Gods for her husband's safe return...and for Quintus', because she really liked him. After that, in an effort to show a strength she was not sure she possessed, she dried her eyes and forced a smile. She had to help Aelia and she could not it while crying.

In the following weeks, Aelia's conditions improved a little and her appetite returned. She was still thin but she looked healthier. Thanks to the arrive of the spring and the care of Paolina, the shadows under her eyes had disappeared. However, she still lacked of the most important thing...her joy of life had not yet returned and her cousin was beginning fear that it was gone forever. Aelia competed her usual chores on the farm, but nothing more. She seldom spoke and did it only when she was addressed directly. She was no longer fussy about dresses and hair styles, always wearing the first thing that happened to be on hand, whether it was appropriate or not.

Paolina tried to re-awake the 'always-proper-the-little-lady' attitude but it was useless.

Paolina missed her 'old' cousin desperately...missed her friend, her advisor and her confidant, even more so now that she needed someone to share her costant worry about her husband and to alleviate the loneliness she was feeling apart from him.

As another month passed by and spring left place to summer, Paolinus decided it was time to inform Aelia of his plan for her. The girl looked better and he could have sworn that he had seen her smile a few times.

So one evening - after Paolina had retired to write a reply to a letter from Maximus - he said, "Aelia, I must speak with you about an important matter."

The girl looked at him with an emotionless face.

"Aelia, darling, it is time we begin to think about your future."

She bent her head on the side and said, "Go on, tata"

Paolinus continued, "Since Maximus is a prosperous man in his own right I was able to save some of the land I wanted to give to Selene as dowry for your, my dear...."

Aelia's eyes seemed to brighten and Paolinus, fearful she might thought of Quintus, quickly added, "It is not very much but Publius said he will be all right for his son and.."

"What are you saying?" Aelia interrupted him.

"Darling....Publius wants the land I can give to you and accepted you as a bride for his son.... this is the only I can made a honest wife out of you...you must understand..."Paolinus' tone was gentle, kind, while he tried to make the girl see the reason behind his actions.

Aelia became very pale and began to tremble. "I don't want to marry Publius....I don't want to marry anyone!"

"Aelia, you must realize..it is only for your well being..."

Aelia turned his head and, locking her eyes with her uncle's, told in a voice which did not admit replies, "If you force me to marry Publius, I will kill myself at the first possible occasion, I swear it." She was deadly serious and Paolinus felt the blood drain from his face. "So like her mother!" he thought- in the good and in the evil. His sister had threatened to escape from the house if their father tried to marry her to someone she did not love, and in the end she had done just that- disappearing in the middle of the night. Paolinus did not doubt for a second that Aelia was more than capable of carrying out her threat, so he simply nodded and then watched the girl leave the room.

Paolina heard her cousin's footsteps on the stairs, but she did not look up from her task. Down the hall, the door to what had once been the nursery slammed shut, while Paolina concentrated on the slow, even stokes of her pen.

Although they could never take the place of actual contact, the frequent letters that she shared with Maximus were Paolina's "time alone" with her husband. She had been worried that he would forget about her while he was away, but nothing could be further from the truth. Each time that a mail packet came into town, the courier had another letter to deliver to the farm. Paolina made certain that he would have another to carry north when he left again.

Reading over the letters, Paolina sometimes felt as though she too had experienced life on the northern frontier. When she closed her eyes, she could almost smell the sweaty horses and oily leather of the camp. She could taste the bland, but satisfying meals of crusty bread and stewed beans that they ate, and could hear the grinding scrape of sharpneing swords and pounding hooves. The style of the letters was conversational, almost as if she were standing next to him, and he were explaning the things as he pointed them out. They were often highly irreverant, and Paolina invariably burst out laughing at some witty observation, or sarcastic remark that he included.

After such entertaining and thoughtful efforts, she felt that she owed him her best, but it was hard to speak cheerfully of life on the farm. So, she concentrated on the future- imagining their life in Hispania, and he child that Maximus had promised her for the following year. She also discussed the house that Maximus had proposed building inside the town. Although he did not intend to farm in Gaul, chances were high that he would be at war for many years to come. A home of their own would allow independence for his young wife- and more room for their hoped-for children. It would provide a place to stay after the group moved to Spain...and rental income when they were away. Paolina was in the middle of describing a mosaic she would like to place in their tablinium when she heard a knock on her door.

"Enter." she called, annoyed at the interruption.

Paolinus stuck his head through the door. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Paolina, but I found this wedged between two notes from my agents in Rome..."

She extended her hand, curious. The scrap of paper was much thinner than the letters she usually recieved from Maximus. Turning it over in her hands, she saw that it bore the seal of the legions. Paolina's heart constricted in her chest as she ripped open the wax bond and unfolded the missive. Maximus was hurt. He was dead. He was.....

Home.

Well, almost. Just as quickly as it had deflated with fear, her soul was bouyed up again by joy as she read over the first lines of the letter.

Dearest Selene,

I hope that this letter did not frighten you too badly. I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible, and the post does not leave for another fortnight, General Claudius has extended me the courtesy of letting me use his courier to carry the message.

I am coming home! I may be there before you read this! The tribes have been very calm this summer, and Claudius feels that he has negotiated at least a temporary truce. As part of the settlement, we are to return half of the legions to winter quarters as a show of faith. Claudius has selected *ME* as interim commander! There is a story behind it...one that I'm sure will upset you, so I'll wait to tell it in person, but I am excited to be named to the task. Arramus- the former chief legate, has been recalled to Rome (again, part of the same story- I promise to explain it all when we arrive home) as part of the business, and I think that I may be in line for a promotion. I am pulling out my legions in the morning and, if the roads are dry, expect to return to you in two weeks....Perhaps you will have your baby for the summer instead of the fall....I hope that you have taken my advice about getting sleep.

Quintus is coming with me as well. He's a bit jealous that I got picked over him for the command (he *is* two years my senior, after all) but I think that I mitigated it by naming him as my second until Claudius returns. There is something else regarding Quintus that you should know. His father is tired of waiting for his son to return to Rome. Quintus received word last week that he was arriving at camp with the prospective bride in tow. The wedding is set for as soon as they arrive. Is Aelia any better? I know that you must hate my friend for what he has done to her, but believe me, his suffering is just as acute, if less visible. He begged to remain in the north, but when Claudius learned of the wedding, he wouldn't allow it (you know how he is always nagging the officers about getting married..). Perhaps she should go away again? Please speak with your father....

But enough of that. I am coming home! The messenger is about to leave, so I must make this letter short...watch for me! Oh, my love, I will be there soon!

Her heart was beating quickly as she sat the letter down on the desk and reached for her sandals.

"Selene?" Paolinus said, noticing the excited flush on his daughter's cheeks.

"It's Maximus!" She said brightly. "He is coming back early!" She hopped down the stairs, one foot struggling into her shoes as she raced toward the door. From her perch on the hillside, she could see the army arriving from miles away...as Maximus said, he could be there already. A camp commander would be very busy, he might not be able to come home right away. He would probably have to-

*oof*

Paolina blinked, and took two steps backwards, her head spinning as she collided with something- or someone just outside the door.

"Paolina?" A familiar voice said worriedly. "Selene!"

It was Maximus!

At once, the words snapped back into focus. He was already here! Breathing very hard with excitement, Paolina threw her arms around his shoulders and hoisted herself into his embrace. She cast a glance over her shoulder toward Paolinus. He was smiling broadly, but did not look surprised. So, she thought to herself, he had not found the letter smashed between two others after all- he had known all along that Maximus was here!

"Oh, my wife..." Maximus whispered huskily, burying his nose in her hair as though he were trying to simply breath her into his body. "I have missed you so much!". He picked her up off of her feet and swung her around in the air joyfully. "It is only September! Six whole months together!" He rocked her back and forth happily. "A lifetime..."

Paolina was so caught up in her happiness that she barely heard the gasp behind Maximus' shoulder.

"Aelia!" A pained and familiar voice whispered.

"Quintus."

The two looked at each other with surprise. Seeing Quintus was the last thing Aelia had been expecting, even if, in the deepest part of her heart she had hoped to see him again. He looked thinner than she remembered and so very tired, grim lines surrounding his eyes, and his hair seemed thinner.

Quintus returned Aelia's gaze intently. During the summer he had tried to forget her, telling himself his memories had no other use that tormentating him. For a certain period he had thought he had been able to erase her from his mind but now, seeing her so near demonstrated to him that he still remembered her.....that he still loved her. His heart sized seeing how thin and fragile she looked. Her face was no longer radiant and her eyes were puffy, as if she had been crying.....

Paolina and Maximus watched them, and hugging in each other arms, felt a pang of sadness for them because they could not be happy as they were.

Aelia and Quintus were too shocked to utter a single word so they continued to stare at each other until Paolinus decided it was time to end. He put an arm on Aelia's shoulders and said, "Aelia return inside or you will catch a chill." his tone did not admit replies and the girl obeyed, lowering her eyes and entering the door. Her uncle watch her disappear then turned to Quintus, "I, think, liutenant it would be better for you to return to your camp. It is already very late."

Quintus collected his composure and nodded, "Yes, sir, goodnight sir."

"Good Night." Paolinus turned to his daughter and her husband, adding, "The same thing goes for you ---you can hold each other inside the house."

With that, he turned and went inside.

Quintus continued to stare at the now closed door until he felt Maximus' hand on his arm, "I am sorry my friend."

Quintus turned to him, "You knew about her condition?"

Maximus nodded.

"Why don't you tell ?"Quintus' tone was accusing.

"Because I told him not to." Paolina interjected. "Oh Quintus, we did not want to worry you while you were in battle and then.....Do you know my father has arranged a marriage between Aelia and Publius?"

Quintus nodded grimly.

"She needs to forget you or at least accept the situation before the ceremony and..." her voice trailed off.

Quintus nodded again, his brain understanding what she was saying even if his heart could not accept it. He quickly said goodbye and went to his horse.

Paolina was trembling as she led Maximus into the house to their room. She had dreamed of the day that he would return for so long that it seemed impossible that she was unprepared for this moment ...and yet, she was. He seemed larger than she remembered. Taller. His shoulders broader and his piercing eyes a deeper blue. Although writing the letters had given her the illusion of closeness, she was achingly aware of how long they had been apart. Had he changed? Would he still love her as much? The gentle pressure of his hand on her arm seemed to tell her "yes" without a word.

They walked inside the room and closed the door. Without preliminaries, Maximus swept her off her feet and deposited her squarely into the middle of the bed.

"Please forgive an uncultured provincial for his forwardness..." he teased, already moving his hands along the front of her tunica. "I've missed you...and I've promised you a baby by summer..."

He made love to her. Wrapped tightly in his arms, it seemed to Paolina that he had never gone away. Her body remembered his slightest touch.

19

When Paolina awoke the next morning, Maximus was still asleep. She twisted in his arms so that she could look at his face and watch him. He looked so peaceful! It was hard to reconcile with the fierce warrior that she knew he must be inside. With a look of concern on her face, she traced a line of new scars on his forearm. They looked almost like burns....she shuddered. Instinctively, she knew that they had something to do with the battle which had led to Maximus' promotion. While she was proud of his valor, she shuddered to think of the cost by which he had won it. She stared at the wounds, tracing her index finger along the slender mark, and when she looked up again, Maximus was awake.

Without speaking, he captured her hand and raised it to her lips. "From the battle..." he whispered. "It looks worse than it is..."

"What happened?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Maximus sighed. "One of the sentries was taken out when we weren't expecting it...the Germans were able to get through the gates and...I....we....closed it."

There was more to the story than that. Paolina could see it, and her eyes urged him to continue speaking.

With a sigh, he laid back in the pillow and stared at the ceiling, his eyes growing distant as though he were reliving the moment. "We had been in negotiations with Taernin- thats the chief of the Inceni these days- most of the week. Claudius felt like he was about to hit a break through...I guess some of the Germans did as well. Not all of them were for the alliance. It pushes their boundaries back another twenty miles, and they don't get a lot in return...."

"Why would they agree to such an arrangement?" Paolina interjected.

Maximus hugged her tenderly. "They're tired....they are sending boys off to war these days- twelve, thirteen years old." He shook his head. He did not tell Paolina that he had killed men- no, boys- as young, but she could sense it in his guilty shudder. "...they have barely enough food to feed their families. I don't feel sorry for them exactly, it's just..." He sighed again. "Well, maybe I *DO* feel sorry for them...Quintus says that I'm crazy, but having a wife," he peppered the word with a kiss, "and, someday soon, a child of my own makes me more sympathetic to their plight. A lasting peace is the only chance they have for survival. Accepting Roman domination is the price that they must pay for that peace, but it's so......diametrically opposed to what they believe in."

"Which is?" Paolina encouraged him to explain the situation to her. She knew that they were getting off track- his explaining the terrible events that had caused the scars, but the more that she listened, the more certain she was that she simply did not wish to know.

"Well..." He propped himself up on one elbow and stroked her hair as he spoke, twining the dark brown locks between his fingers. "For one thing, they know nothing of a concept of country...at least, not in the sense we do...their entire identity is tied up in the idea of family- their only alliances are based one shared blood."

"That is not so different from us. We too honor family above all else..."

"Well..." He was clearly uncomfortable with the question. "That is not entirely true...I suppose one could say that our great family was Rome...that all the Roman people are brothers and sisters...but it is more a literary fiction than truth. Family ties are important, but political ties are stronger...Just think of how Julius Caesar gave his daughter to Pompey..."

"...or how Quintus is being sold to the leather merchant."

Maximus winced at the analogy, but nodded. "Yes...glory and honor for our country is stronger than individual gain...at least, the individual gain is measured by how much esteem and prestige it gains on the national level- outranking the respect it earns within a family....The barbarians are very different. It would not be dishonorable for them to turn on a general...well, I use that term loosely, they don't really have generals in the sense that we do...to turn on a man who punished a kinsman, even if he were justified. In battles, they do not fight as a group. They compete for the 'glory' of claiming the most kills or capturing the most prisoners. In this way, they often lead themselves into untenable situations...that is how the legions are able to overcome such steep odds. If they were to band together...." He shuddered visibly, not bothering to complete the sentence. At any rate, Taernin has made an enemy in the eastern tribes. He was married a woman named Kellwryn- the daughter of one of their chiefs, and he has refused to acknowledge their child."

Paolina perked with interest. "Why?"

"He claims that the child was of 'wolf-blood' its...." He flushed. "Well, sometimes, the soldiers...not ME, of course...well..." She tilted her head, urging him on. "He says that the baby has a Roman father." He sputtered out at last.

Paolina blinked. "German girls take Roman lovers?" She asked, amazed.

"No...its...sometimes...when the villages are taken...they...some..." He was truly flummoxed now, unable to phrase, in delicate terms, the sometimes unspeakable acts of war. He decided to drop the answer altogether. "At any rate, it's enraged her father...we fear...we *think* that they might have sympathizers inside the camp."

Paolina made a little gasp of shock. "*Roman* traitors? But why-?"

Maximus shrugged. "You forget, my love, that many of our soldiers are only a few generations away from having been conquered themselves...many of the men have German wives and children...and then there is the political advantage. If someone were to help the Germans now...at least part of them...in return for information leading to an impressive victory in the future...well, that never hurt anyone's campaign for the consulship."

"Who?" She asked, breathlessly.

"We don't know...at least, not for certain. Claudius suspects Arramus- the legate that I have replaced. He was allegedly away leading a scouting mission when the attack occurred, but one of our spies reported seeing him in the Inceni camp a few days before. Claudius ordered him arrested and sent back to Rome..."

"What will happen?"

"I don't know...very likely, nothing will happen at all. He is from a powerful family- his mother is a niece of the emperor, and he is, I hear, very close with the Emperor's son, Commodus. In all likelihood there will be a trial but he will be acquitted. The end of his military career, perhaps, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him find a soft-landing in the Praetorian."

"That isn't fair!"

"At least he won't be able to do as much damage back in Rome."

Paolina nodded, turning her attention back to the scar. "Now, you must tell me what happened..."

"It was just as I told you..." he didn't want to scare her needlessly with details. "The Germans were able to come through the gate. I led a group of men to the front and we closed it..."

There was more, much more, Paolina was sure, but she did not pry.

While Maximus and Selene talked in their room Paolinus and Aelia were having breakfast. The table was silent and the only noise came from chewing and drinking. Paolinus kept throwing glances in his niece's direction but the girl never tried to meet his eyes. In the end, when the meal was finished, she bowed her head and without saying a world she left the room, going in the garden. Paolinus motioned to Pomponia to follow her and the nurse obeyed.

Once alone the old paterfamilias took a knife began to open the letters arrived with the morning courier. They were mostly accounts about his business but one of them attracted his attention. It was from his banker in Rome - a old trusted friend to whom he had asked for information about Maximus and Quintus.

Paolinus opened the letter and began to read,

My dear Friend,

I am taking the liberty to write this because I don't want to see you or one of your pretty girls in trouble. Do you remember when you asked me informations about those two soldiers that had taken a like for your daughter and niece? One of them was called Quintus Clarus and is the son of Senator Titus Clarus...I don't know if your girl are still seeing him but I must tell you that his father, the Senator, not only has arranged a marriage for him with the daughter of on of my business partners, but he is coming in Gaul with the future bride in tow. He wants to celebrate the ceremony up there. It seems the boy is not very enthusiastic about the wedding and he is avoiding a return to Rome, using all the excuses he could find. I know this because of my friendship with the bride's father. They will leave in a couple of weeks.

That's it, Paolinus. I hope this news will not catch you unprepared and forgive me if you feel I have been too meddlesome, but I did it for your good and for your girls.

Sincerely

T.Cassius Statius.

Paolinus put down the letter, took a deep breath and rubbed his brow. Why life was so difficult? He had just shared a brief moment of happiness, seeing his daughter's joy at her husband's return but the Gods wont let him savor the moment...The old man sighed loudly and decided that it was time to put an end to all the story.

Aelia must marry.

Aelia walked lazily in the orchard, running her hands along the plants loaded with fruit. The workers greeted her respectfully but did not try to speak with her or attract her attention.

She sat in the shadow of a big pear tree and hugged her knees, putting her chin on them and looking faraway. She was not thinking. To think meant remembering Quintus...Publius..and the marriage. The life that could have been and the life that would be. A form moving along the dust covered roadway attracted her attention and she recorgnized Quintus gallopping to the villa, probably taking some message to Maximus. He disappeared quickly from her view and without thinking, as if were the only thing she could do, she rose to her feet and approached the road. Looking on her right she could see him jump down off the saddle, knock the door, exchange few words with someone - maybe a servant, maybe uncle Paolinus - and then to return to his horse and leave. Aelia looked around...Pomponia was engaged in a discussion with one of the servants and she used that occasion to run in Quintus' direction.

They met in the middle of the road. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not see her until she was very close.

"Aelia!" exclaimed, stopping the horse.

"Quintus."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, saying the first thing came to his lips.

"I could ask you the same thing." Aelia smiled, but it did not reach her eyes.

"Oh..I just brough a message to Maximus, telling him that everything is going well at the camp and that he can stay with Paolina a little longer."

"They will be happy to hear that."

"Yes."

They remained silent for a while, then he said, "It is a beautiful day, don't you think? Especially considering it's almost autumn."

Aelia nodded, her gaze never leaving Quintus' face for a moment. They both know what they were trying to do ...they wanted to remain friends, to be able at least to spend sometime together, but it was not working. Their hands twitched with the desire to touch each other and their lips burned with wanting. But honour and social mores, drilled inside them since their childhood, were too strong. So they simply stared at each other, torturing themselves with gazes full of love, untill Pomponia voice broke the spell, "Aelia, where are you?" The voice was frantic with worry and attracted the attention of all the workers.

Quintus' head snapped up and he said, his voice hoarse, "I must go..."

"Yes..." But it was clear she wanted to say "no" or at least "stay some more".

Quintus gave her another pained gaze and then spurred his horse, running as if he was trying to leave his pain behind.

Aelia watched him go, her eyes full of unshed tears, and then turned and went to find Pomponia.

A knock on the bedroom door made Paolina jump a little and cover her body tightly with the blanket. She had still not gotten used to being "allowed" to share a bed with Maximus, and she always struggled for a few moments to overcome her panic at being caught.

"Yes?" Maximus answered for her.

"It is Paolinus..." the old man's voice was clearly embarassed. "I would like to speak to Paolina."

"I'll be right down, tata!" She said, jumping from bed and siezing the first tunica that she laid her hands upon. She gave Maximus a shy grin. After the night that they had spent together, she was *certain* that the baby would be along soon... "I will draw your bath when I have spoken to tata." She said, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"No, I can get it." He said softly, still too in awe of his beautiful wife to wish her to lift a finger on his behalf.

She nodded and, twisting her hair into a loose, and lop-sided knot, hurried down the stairs.

"What is it tata?" She said, expectantly.

"First, I have just had a message from the camp."

"Oh?"

"From Quintus."

Paolina frowned. "Did Aelia see him?"

"No...he was only here for a moment- to let Maximus know that the troops were installed at the camp and that he could take his time coming back...he rode away...but that is hardly the end of the matter. You saw how Aelia was yesterday..." He picked up the letter that he had recieved from his agent in Rome. "I received this in the post .. .Quintus' father, and new bride, are on their way."

Paolina's face crowded.

"Aelia must marry. Soon."

"But-" Paolina opened her mouth to protest, and then clamped it shut. It was true what her father said. If Aelia could not have Quintus, she would never be happy. It would be better to have it over and done with than to leave her hanging endlessly for years, hoping against hope that he would change his mind...or worse.

"What do you want me to do?" She said, her voice heavy with resignation.

"I want you to..." What did he want her to do? To make the whole situation go away...to erase the past year and give him back his smiling, apple cheeked niece and her stern lectures on lady-like behaviour. "I want you to ...help her." He managed vaguely. Sighing, he wrung his hands. "Do anything...lie if you must but...Oh, Paolina. I do not know what to do."

She gave her father a sympathetic look. It was difficult for the pair of them to manage tough decisions- that had always been Aelia's role. Both father and daughter felt out of their depth.

"When will it be?"

"Tomorrow."

Paolina's gasp was audible. "But..."

"Quintus' father and bride were across the Alps this past week...I've had it from the messenger that saw them at Aixus. Paolina, surely you see that-"

"But, tata! She won't even have time to adjust, she-"

"Will she ever grow used to the idea, daughter?" Paolina could not respond. "I do not wish to do this, but I must.. Go and speak with her. Publius will be here tonight to see her himself. I am sure that he is not as terrible as you have made him out to be. A bit vain, perhaps but..." his tone betrayed the fact that he did not believe even himself. "And if he IS as terrible as you claim...well, perhaps he will die young. He does drink a great deal. That would not be so bad, would it? To be a rich young widow? Then Aelia could have whomever she wanted..."

Except for Quintus, Paolina's mind supplied unhappily.

"Please..."

"Yes, tata." Paolina said glumly. She turned toward the garden as though she were walking toward the executioner.

20

That evening Publius came to visit his future bride. Following the advice of Paolinus and his own father the man was sober and he was even able to substain an intelligent conversation with Paolinus, Maximus and Paolina. As for Aelia she merely answered when spoken to. Her heart was dying inside her but that afternoon she had discovered that her istinct of self-preservation was stronger than her will. After Paolina had told her of Paolinus decision to hold the wedding on the following day, she ran away and tried to cut her wrist with a kitchen knife .... but she could not do it. Something inside stopped her and in the end all she could do was cry.

After dinner Publius asked Paolinus' permission to spend some time alone with Aelia and the paterfamilias gave it. In other circumstances he would have refused, but the time was so short--

Aelia left with her fiancË followed by Paolina's and Maximus' worried glances. As soon as she was outside, Paolina threw herself in her husband's arms and burst into tears. Aelia was so scared, so powerless, as a lamb led to the slaughterhouse.

Maximus tried to console his wife as he could but he too felt sad for Aelia...and for Quintus too.

Aelia followed her future husband in the courtyard. For some minutes they walked back and forth in front of the house and then Publius took her hand and led her in the orchard. Aelia followed him without resisting but when she saw as far they were from the house she began to say, "Where are you taking me?"

"To a place where we won't be disturbed." His tone was full of meaning and Aelia trembled.

"Let me go!" But Publius countinued to drag her between the trees. Suddently he stopped and backing her against a apple tree, grabbed her for the shoulder and lowered his head, trying to kiss her.

Aelia's eyes widened and she turned her head away. Publius took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him, "Don't tell me your soldier did not teach you how to kiss!" He lowered his head again and kiss time he was able to slip his tongue inside her mouth. Instinct made Aelia react: she bit him with force and when he pulled away she hitted him with a knee in his fat belly. Publius cried out and fell on his knees, as Aelia began to run .....She could not return to her house, so she escaped in the other way, down the orchard to the road and then along it. It was dark and in her paniced state she did not even realize where her feet were taking her until she saw the massive wooden gates of the army camp. Her feet had followed her heart wishes, taking her to the only place where she wanted to be. Taking her to Quintus.

A surreal calm descended on Aelia. She closed her eyes and forced her breath and heartbeat to slow down. Then and only then, with a firmess in her voice that amazed her for first, she approached one of the guards and said, "I am liutenant Maximus' sister in law. I have an important message for Liutentant Quintus Clarus. Can you call him or take me to his tent?"

She was so decisive that the guard did not doubt her.

"Uhm..." He shared a look with the other sentry, and then shrugged. "This way."

Aelia wrapped her arms around her shoulders, feeling cold and a little frightened of what Quintus would do. The shoulder of her dress was ripped a little where Publius had grabbed her, and she still had the taste of Publius' blood in her mouth.

The rankers stopped what they were doing and stared as she passed by. Ordinarily, they would hoot at such a strange, pretty little bird in their midst, but the accompaniment of the sentry made them uncertain, and so they held their tongues. Still, Aelia faded a little bit under their scrutiny.

She had heard Paolina's tales of what had happened...*almost* happened when she had come to the camp for Aelia's medicine. She did not want to tempt Fate twice in one evening.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at a group of large, red tents in the camp's center. The sentry whispered to a guard outside the compound and, looking puzzled, the guard dissappeared inside.

"Wait here." The sentry said, and then he too walked away.

Aelia looked around nervously, her courage faltering as she waited alone in the dark. Far in the distance, she could hear the soldiers laughing, and it made her nervous...could she find her way back to the edge of the camp if the guard did not return?

"The Lieutenant will see you now."

Aelia's head snapped forward as the guard reappeared through a break in the tents. She followed him inside.

Once she had passed through the doorway, Aelia felt as though she were in another world. Although it looked to be composed of ordinary tents on the outside, the Praetorium was more like a little palace made of cloth. A long corridor stretched passed several rooms. She could barely peek inside as they passed- revealing elegant tricliniums and map rooms. In the center of the tents was a wide courtyard.

"Here." The guard said, stopping outside one of the smaller rooms.

Nervously, Aelia poked herhead inside.

"Mistress Aelia." It was Quintus...but his tone was so formal! Was he angry with her? Desperately, Aelia searched his face. "You may go." He said curtly to the guard and, obediantly, the man dissappeared, a bemused smile on his face that made Quintus' blood boil.

"You should not have come. " he said, more crossly than he had intended.

Aelia's eyes closed very slowly, barely able to contain the flood of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Quintus noted the look, and chastised himself. "Aelia..." He whispered more softly. "Oh, Aelia .....why are you here?"

Slowly, she opened her eyes again, and in a torrent of words, the events of the evening poured out. Her tata's final decision. Publius' insult...the knife that she had not been able to use.

Quintus was speechless throughout the declaration and, as she came to the end of her words, Aelia felt despair close around her heart. It was truly over. Quintus thought she was a coward, a fool... he didn't love her anymore. He-

"Aelia." The word came out in a single, choking sob saturated with the emotions he had held in check for so long. "Aelia...what can we do? What can I do?...tomorrow--"

"Tomorrow I will die." Aelia said, suddenly calm again, the passion in Quintus' voice giving new life to her soul."-- in soul, if not in body. But tonight...Oh, Quintus..." She whispered, and then, her voice softening. "Oh, my love..." love. He was, and always would be. She felt so free merely to be able to speak the words again. Not to care, if only for once, what was said!

Aelia had learned, standing on the back porch as she watched Quintus ride away on that cold March morning so many months ago, that the chances in life not grasped often slip away. She would spend her life in longing, perhaps, but that longing would stem from circumstances forced upon her, not from the memories of chances she had not begged to take. Sick with longing, Aelia sunk to the carpets on floor at Quintus' feet. She threw her arms around his ankles, washing his feet with her tears. "Teach me what it is to be a woman...if only for one night. Let me know what it is to be with a man that I love. That I will always love-- and who loves me in return."

Quintus felt a shudder begin at his shoulders and slowly work its way to his toes. How she tortured him! She didn't know what she was saying! She couldn't know how many nights he had lain awake and dreamed of this...and she wouldn't understand why he had to say "no".

"Aelia.." He said, very gently, bending down to draw her once again to a stand. "You don't know what you are saying. You are upset."

"I am upset." She admitted. "But I am not deluded. I know what is between a man and a woman." A wry smile grossed her lips. "You forget that the nursery is not far from my old room...I know that there will be no sheet to hang. I don't care. Publius isn't worth the gift. He will be my husband by law, perhaps, but he will not be the husband of my heart." She could see in his eyes that he was waivering, and she grew more bold. There was nothing to hold her back...nothing left to lose. "Oh, Quintus..." She whispered, her voice growing very soft. "Do you not miss me too? "

"Yes." His voice was ragged, his throat very dry and constricted. "Yes, you know that I do... I cannot show it. Aelia it is for you own protection that I....."

"I do not want to be protected!" She said savagely. "Protection has not managed to save me. It am still as lost. Is it better to be Publius' whore than a camp follower just because he owns a house?" Her voice was full of venom. "Oh, Quintus...Quintus...give me one night...one memory of love- I will live on it the rest of my life."

He made a little sound in the back of his throat, but was otherwise silent. Still, stunned. Amazed by what had happened- and a little frightened as well.

Slowly, Aelia's hands reached for the clasp of her tunica, and she released them, sending the garment slithering to the floor in a puddle of rose-coloured silk. In flickering lamplight her bare skin glowed, the plump swells and deep hollows of her womanly figure striking contrasts of light and dark.

Quintus sucked in his breath, amazed by her beauty.

She met his eyes, seeking approval. "Please..." She said softly, taking his hand and laying it against her breast. He cupped the flesh lightly, as though it burned his skin. She reached for the other hand, repeating the gesture. "Do you know how I have dreamed of you..."She whispered against his ear. The heat of her breath caused the hairs on his neck to rise, sending another shiver along his skin. "I imagine your hands here...." she guided him again, from her breast along the flat plane of her belly. "...and here...." she took him lower, to the brown gold triangle of hair beneath her navel. "...inside of me." She whispered.

With another cry, Quintus drew his hand away quickly. "Aelia! Aelia stop!" he begged. He did not wish to hurt her, but she could not torture him in this way.

Hot tears pricked at the corner's of Aelia's eyes. After this, he would refuse her? Had she truly grown so distasteful to him? only a moment ago, she thought she had seen love once more in his eyes and now...

Quintus sighed in frustration. He saw the look in Aelia's eyes. He knew what she was thinking. She was wrong. His body was aching with need for her, but he could not give in. Why could she not understand, that his love for her would not let him disrespect her in this way. He knew, once he tasted her honeyed flesh, he would hunger for it again. He would seek her out. In spite of her husband. In spite of his wife. They would be lovers, and she would be branded as no better than the word she had used... a whore.

"Aelia..." he said, gathering all his resolve to remain calm. "You must get dressed."

She shook her head, nearly numb with pain and humiliation.

"Aelia please..." He took her hand tenderly, the tears welling up in his eyes as well. "I want you...oh, my darling- you cannot imagine..." Almost subconsciously he led her hand to the evidence of his desire. Her light touch was fresh torture to his aching body. "But not tonight...Aelia..I promise...I swear...when my father is dead, I will marry you. I will divorce my wife, rich dowry or not, and bring you back with me to Rome."

"You may have children then..." Aelia said, cheered, but still distraught. "...committments. You may forget me."

"Never."

"I may have children...I may be dead..."

Quintus held her tightly, the bareness of her skin seeming to radiate heat through the heavy fabric of his scarlet tunic. "Fate would not allow it, Aelia. Not after being so unkind. I love you too much, and If I cannot have you in this life, I will find you in the next. I swear it." His voice was too firm to protest, and so Aelia merely made a weak sound of acknowledgement and allowed herself to collapse into his arms.

He kissed her deeply, the firm desperation of the action betraying their recognition that it would be for the last time. The salt of their tears mingled on their cheeks.

Finally, he pulled away, drawing his eyes from the way her ragged breaths made Aelia's bosom heave, or the rosy flush on her cheeks. He reached for the tunica, and draped it carefully over her frame, securing the clasp with nimble, if reluctant hands. He went to the corner chest and retrieved a green riding cloak, which he also spread around her shoulders, and then he kissed her hand.

"I will have Maximus' boy take you home." He said gently. "You must be brave, my love. We must be brave together..." He fought the urge to kiss her again, and steered her out of the tent. "Strength and honor." he whispered, the military slogan seeming fearfully appropriate.

"Strength and honor."

Paolina lingered in Maximus arms for nearly an hour, but then she grew restless. Where had Publius gone? She doubted that her father knew he would lead her cousin so far from the house. For what seemed like the tenth time in as many minutes, she pulled away from her husband's embrace and peeked out of the window.

Maximus sighed. "What do you think is going to happen to her, Selene...?" *that isn't going to happen to her tomorrow night*- the words were unspoken, but unmistakable in his tone.

Paolina's dark eyes flashed dangerously as her uncontrollable temple flared.

"Oh, is that what women are then, commodities to be used as their husbands please?"

"Paolina!" Maximus blinked, surprised by her sudden change of mood. "That is not what I said."

"But, perhaps it is what you meant."

"Paolina!" The tone in his voice was warning now, and Paolina backed down a little. She admitted to herself, sheepishly that she sometimes liked for Maximus to put her into her place. It was exciting to face a challenge...

"I am sorry, domine." She said contritely. "I am only worried...upset by the entire situation."

Maximus nodded, quieting any further explanation with a kiss. "It is late." He whispered. "And..." He hesitated, contemplating whether he truly wanted to risk mentioning the subject. "...tomorrow will be a long day." Paolina nodded. "Come to bed, my love. Aelia will be home soon."

His wife could not resist another glance out of the window, but then she obediantly threaded her hand through his own and followed him up the stairs.

Perhaps he was right. Perhaps it would be okay...better than okay. Tonight, at dinner, Publius had seemed almost intelligent. He certainly wasn't attractive, but he WAS educated and fairly rich...perhaps he and Aelia had reached a sort of understanding, and were caught up in a conversation...

Although the thoughts were improbable, they were comforting, and they quieted her mind enough to allow her to prepare for rest. After a few minutes of preliminaries, she blew out the lamp and climbed into bed beside her husband.

Almost immediately, Maximus' arm was around her waist. It was how they had grown accustomed to sleeping. Her little body moulded perfectly against his. Their chests rising and falling in together in the slow rythmn of sleep...Tonight, however, Maximus seemed restless. He squirmed fitfully, adjusting his position as much as possible without removing his arm.

"What is wrong?" Paolina said with a sigh, sitting up and trying to focus on his face.

"Nothing."

She sighed, smiling a little. "You're lying."

"You don't really believe that I think that..."

"Think what?"

"That women are...are commodities for their husbands to use..."

"Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Well...." although she could not see his blush in the darkness, she could feel its heat. "I have been a bit... amorous lately."

"I haven't complained." She laughed. Playfully, she brushed her fingertips along his hip. "And you *have* promised me a baby...."

"Selene..." his voice was husky. "You're teasing me."

"I am not! I am serious..." The playful caress was extended into a more intimate one closer to the center of his body.

"Oh, my wife..." he said, throwing his head back against the pillow in a show of mock-exhaustion. "Don't you ever want to go to bed and *talk*?"

Grinning wickedly, Paolina threw her knee over his hip straddling him, and then leaning closely to kiss the tip of his nose.

"We can talk when we are old."

Even Paolina, who was used to finding pleasure in her husband's bed, was amazed by the passion that they shared that night. It was as though, until that moment, they had been close, but afterwards, they were bonded. There was no longer a delimitation between Maximus and Selene. When they were together, they were one. She knew, without confirmation, that they had concieved a child that night. She saw him, and it was true that, at the moment of their completion, when the world was still shimmers and light, she saw his dark hair and eyes...and his father's lovely smile. Lying in Maximus' arms afterwards, she felt perfectly complete. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt only happiness, all thoughts of Aelia were forgotten.

Maximus' servant, Cicero escorted Aelia to her home. It was a long and painful trip, her steps becoming heavier with each meter she walked. Her eyes were dry - she had not left any more tears to shed and her heart was black as the night which enveloped her.

Finally she arrived to the villa and knocked the door. Paolinus - whom had been waiting her sitting on a chair in the kitchen - rushed to open it and let her inside. He frowned when recorgnized the boy near her and wondered why his son-in-law's servant was with her. Paolinus offered Cicero to spend the night in the villa but the slave shook his head: he had to return to the camp and confirm Aelia's safe arrival. Paolinus understood at once to whom the boy had to confirm the news. He closed the door and turned to Aelia. The girl was in terrible condition and he was not able to question her about her whereabouts.

He simply told her, "Go to sleep my child,...the day will be here soon."

Aelia nodded, defeated, and murmured, "Good Night, tata."

"Good night."

21

The following day a light rain began to fall, as if the Gods were weeping for the sad girl who was getting married that day.

Since there had not been the time the rest of the family members, it was Paolina who helped her cousin with the pre-cerimony rituals. She helped her to bathe, dress and attire herself. Aelia was silent during all the time, her eyes always lowered, following her cousin's instructions without resisting or showing any sign of interest. It was as if the entire matter did not concerned her at all.

Paolina felt her heart break at the resigned stance of Aelia and did not even think to give her advice about what happened between a man and a woman on their wedding night. How could she? She had just spent the most wonderful of nights in Maximus' arms and she knew that what Aelia will find in Publius' bed will be as different from her experience as the sun was from the moon. In the end she said, "Go to rest a little bit. I will call you when the time arrive."

As usual, Aelia stood up and went to her bed, without speaking.

Paolina sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her. She went to her own room, curled up in the bed and began to cry. Some minutes later Maximus - just returned from his morning inspection in the camp - entered the room and saw her.

Feeling his heart break, he rushed to her and tried to console her, while she sobbed all the pain, the sadness and the rage she was feeling about what the destiny was reserving for Aelia. Maximus did not have any sister or brother but in the short time he had known Aelia he had bugun to care for her and he too was sad for her. While he hugged his sobbing wife he promised to himself and the Gods that when the time will come he would never force his children to marry someone they did not love.

Inexorably the time passed and once again Paolinus' household gathered for a wedding ceremony....oh, but how different the atmosphere was this time!

Publius had arrived with only his father and a couple of friends, his expression dark and his eyes already dullen by all the wine he had been drinking.

Paolinus went to fetch Aelia and led her in the big triclinium, where the ceremony would take place.

Aelia advanced with her head lowered, the perfect picture of the demure woman and Publius smirked...that night he would teach her a lesson she would never forget.

The officiant started the ritual and all the eyes concentrated to him. No one, not even Maximus and Paolina whom were standing near the door, saw Quintus enter the hall and hide behind a column. He had spent the night tormented by nightmares and guilt . In the end he had been unable to stay away. He wanted to be near his love, to offer her that little moral support he could give.

The priest went on with his speeches and the time arrived for the exchange of vows.

"Where you Gaia, I am Gaius." said Publius.

Paolina cringed upon hearing his tone...it was as if he was commenting the weather! Maximus squeezed her hand. How hollow and empty the words sounded! He had filled them with emotion and meaning, while Publius spoke as though he were reading part of a business contract.

It was Aelia's turn to reply with , "Where you Gaius, I am Gaia" and Quintus closed his eyes, trying to block out those words which would sign the end of all his hopes.

But the dreaded words did not come. Only silence echoed in the room.

Paolinus shifted his weight uneasily and watched his niece. Aelia was staring straight ahead, her lips set in a grim line, her eyes cold. The older man startled: what was not the face of a resigned girl...that was the face of a resolute woman.

The officiant cleared his throat and caught her attention, "Dear, it is your turn." he whispered.

Aelia turned to him and smiled bitterly, "I know."

"Then go on..." he encouraged.

"No."

The word cut the air and the small audience seemed to withold its collective breath.

"What did you say?" asked the officiant, hoping against hope he had listened wrong.

"I said NO." repeated Aelia, her voice even stronger than before, turning to glare at Publius. "I wont consent to this, not now and not ever."

Her promised husband's eyes bulged and he shouted, "You are humiliating me in front of everyone! You will pay for this insult, I swear it! I will teach you to respect your lord and master, you stupid, ungrateful bitch!" He raised his hand and before anyone could react he slapped her hard across the cheek, sending her sailing to the floor.

Quintus felt his blood boil and leaving his hiding place walked straight to Publius, grabbing him by the neck of his tunica and hissing, "If you touch her again I will kill you!"

"You can't dictate to me...She is my wife!" Publius spat.

"No, she is not."

Publius glowered. "Yes, you are right, she is not good to be a wife, she is only good to be a whore...your whore! Oh, yes- I have heard about her visit in your camp yesterday evening!"

Quintus saw red and began to strangle him. Publius' friends jumped into the fray, hitting the soldier but they were no match for Quintus and soon feet and fists began to fly in the room.

Paolinus looked to Maximus and his son-in-law walked in the middle of the fight, trying to separate the opponents. He sent Publius' friends to the pavement with a firm push and ordered to Paolinus' servants to restrain them until they calmed down. Then he concentrated to Quintus who was straddling Publius hips and crushing his throat.

"Quintus, stop it!" he shouted.

Nothing.

"Liutenant, I order you to stop!!"

Nothing.

Maximus bent down and circled Quintus' waist from behind, trying to drag him away. Quintus hit him in the ribs more then once with his elbow but Maximus did not let him go and finally was able to pull him away, leaning him against a wall. The Spaniard's determined blue eyes locked with Quintus furious' ones, and he hissed, "I can't let you kill him, even if he deserve it! Calm down."

Quintus nodded and began to take deep gulps of air. Slowly his gaze cleared and Maximus let go his grip. The two friends looked around them. Paolina and Aelia were on the side, pale and distraught. Paolinus was bent down near Publius' body along the man's father and the servants were still restraining Publius' friends.

"Don't move." Maximus ordered to Quintus and then walked to Publius, bending down to check his conditions.

Publius' father raised on him angered eyes and hissed, "Are you the commander of the camp?" Maximus nodded and the man went on, "I want that man arrested, he almost killed my son!"

Maximus paled but he knew he had no choice. Publius senior was right.....Quintus' conduct had been highly unbecoming for an officer, not matter how badly Publius iunior had deserved the beating. He stood up and walked back to his friend. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes." Quintus replied flatly.

"He is right. I must confine you in your tent until we know for sure what damages he has substained." Maximus lowered his eyes and added, "I am sorry Quintus."

His friend shook his head and smiled faintly, "You are doing your duty. Don't worry about me. Whatever my punishment will be, it will be nothing compared the satisfation of beating him." He gestured to Publius. "Now let's go to the camp. The sooner you have me confined, the sooner you can return here. Paolina and her father will need you and I need you to look out for Aelia."

Maximus nodded, put his hand on his friend's shoulder and led him away.

"I will be back soon," he whispered to his wife as they passed by and she nodded gratefully.

The two girls walked out onto the porch and watched as the men rode away, both hearts still hammering wildly in their chests.

"Oh, Aelia...what will happen?" Paolina gasped. She had seen the ashen grey of Publius' face... "If he dies..."

"He will *not* die.." Aelia said, matter-of-factly. "He's much too odious to be disposed of so quickly. Come inside, cousin. Tata will need our help in cleaning up the house and saying goodbye to our guests.

Paolina blinked, amazed at the cool, unruffled tone her cousin had used. It was almost as though the old Aelia had returned. The dark haired woman followed her fair-headed cousin into the house, still surprised as she watched Aelia strip away her wedding veil and begin directing the servants to organize the house. She barely blinked as Publius was loaded into a litter and carried back to his home. It was as though a piece of noxious garbage had been thrown on the floor and was being carted away.

When the unused feast platters had been cleared away, and the couches restored to their rightful places, Aelia dismissed the servants and entered Paolinus' tablinium. He was bent over the desk, pretending to look over his accounts, but really trying to fight his despair over what had just occurred.

"Domine?" Aelia said, dropping her usual appellation in favor of something more formal. "May I speak with you?"

Sighing, Paolinus waved his hand and indicated that she could enter. Paolina lingered in the doorway.

Their eyes met, and Paolinus shuddered as he saw the same look of resolution that had begun at the wedding.

"I have dishonored you." Aelia said, her voice wavering only slightly.

He bit his lip.

"I...I am sorry, domine. I know that you are wise, and know much more about what is best for me but I...he..." she sighed. "I have forfeited my right to be kept as a daughter of your house. If you will consent, I offer my services as housekeeper. I will endeavor to be a better servant than I have been a child." When he still did not speak, she continued. "If you do not consent, I will leave tonight. There are a few things that are mine, I..."

"Where will you go?" Paolinus said, rising from his chair. Anger tinted his voice. "To the camp, Aelia? Is that what you wish to become after all? If so, you could have saved me a lot of humiliation merely by remaining there last night."

Aelia reeled a little bit, her expression belying the fact that she had expected Paolinus merely to tearfully forgive her and let things remain as they had always been.

"Aelia, you forget that you are living here on charity. You were not even my responsibility- if your father had any sense, he would have told us where his male relatives could be found- but rather than letting you remain on the street, selling flowers or...or worse, I brought you back here. I have always endeavored to show you love and kindness, but you must understand that they are gifts, and not entitlements." His cheeks flushed as he warmed to his topic, and Paolina realized for the first time from whence her own temper had sprung. "Aelia, happiness is not a common thing. I am sorry if it seems that everyone has it but you- each person laughs and cries in his own turn. It is fleeting. DUTY is constant. Because you have ignored your duty, a man- admittedly, not a particularly good man- may soon be dead. And what if he dies, Aelia?" He glared mercilessly into the girl's pale, wide-eyed face. "What do you think will happen to your Quintus- who, by the way, I have learned from a source inside the camp is a much more honorable man than you are a lady." The girl's knees began to tremble, but she did not tear her gaze away. "Will it really be easier for you to watch him run through with swords than to marry a leather-merchant's daughter?"

With a little cry, Aelia's knees finally buckled, and she collapsed into sobs on the floor. Paolinus felt his rage temper slightly, and he looked to his daughter- nearly as shaken by his anger as her cousin. "Take her away. We will discuss the future tomorrow when we have a better idea of Publius' fate."

Paolina nodded and did as she was told.

22

Maximus and Quintus were silent on the ride home. The commander was amazed by the look of calm on his friend's face. It was the most peaceful that he had been in weeks...MONTHS, and Maximus wished, bitterly, that the pair could simply enjoy it, rather than face the awful, uncertain days ahead. The Spaniard wished, fervently, that Claudius would return. He knew too well how hard it would be to order a whipping, or other punishment if Publius were merely injured. If he were dead....

Shuddering, Maximus turned his eyes back to the road. He pulled backwards on the reigns sharply as he noticed two large carriages stopped at the gates. They were festooned with purple draperies, and the imperial seal of Rome...could it be...?

Quintus paled, remembering his father's senatorial status also allowed for purple cloth and reaching an opposite conclusion.

"Lieutenant!" Maximus' horse wheeled around as if was approached on the left side by one of the young officer trainees that copied letters in the Praetorium. "Oh, sir- I'm so glad you're back....we were trying to stall and..."

"What is it?" Maximus asked, frowning.

"Sir...its...its...it's the emperor!"

With a gasp, Maximus kicked his horse in the ribs and galloped to the back gate, arriving at the Praetorium just before his guests. He didn't wait for Quintus. He had little fear that his friend would run off, and he could understand the young scribe's fear- the leader of the empire in their little camp, and not a single member of the command staff to greet him? The door of the first carriage opened just as Maximus arrived, grateful that the occasion of the wedding had given him reason to be wearing his finest tunica.

"Hail Caesar!" he called firmly.

"Hail Caesar!" echoed throughout the ranks.

As the door creaked open, the commander looked down along the ranks of men. They were in nearly perfect lines, flanking the Via Praetoria on either side, their uniforms polished and their backs held in rigid attention ...he smiled proudly. They had not been caught unawares- this was no coincidence, it was the dividend of careful discipline...discipline they had honed out of loyalty to Claudius- and now to him.

Marcus Aurelius stepped out into the afternoon sun, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light.

"Ah...Maximus..." he said, companionably. Maximus felt his cheeks flush, flattered that he had been remembered. "It is good to see you again."

"And you as well, Caesar." Maximus said, respectfully taking the older man's hand and bring it to his lips. "It has been too long."

"Yes..." the emperor looked over his shoulder at the other carriage. "Too long."

They shared a smile. For a moment, the Spaniard allowed himself to think back to the summer, five years before, when he was merely a young scribe himself. He had indulged in a youthful flirtation with the emperor's daughter. Lucilla. The name was still musical to his ears. She had been so lovely- so much a princess in her fine silks and jewels. Of course, the summer had ended- and there could be no letters. Maximus' presence around the girl had been tolerated only because he was such a gentleman and because it was understood- by all parties save the lovers themselves- that the dalliance could never amount to anything more. Lucilla was already engaged to Lucius Verus- the Co-emperor and co-heir of Antoninus Pius. Maximus was a farmer from Spain. Still, it was a pleasant memory... it caused him to hold his smile a moment longer than perhaps he should.

"Hello Maximus." It was almost as though he had heard her voice.

He blinked.

He had.

The emperor had been joined by the rest of his entourage. His daughter, Lucilla- older, but even lovelier than he had remembered...her glittering smile reminding him that she had not forgotten him either. To her left, a toga-clad man whose fair, if greying hair, and sharply Roman features branded him unmistakably as Quintus' father. And then, slightly behind the rest, a tall, plain-looking girl whom Maximus assumed to be his friend's intended bride.

"Ave, Lucilla." He said, taking her hand and kissing it as well. The heat of her skin made his stomach tense with guilt. He held it only as long as necessary to be polite before turning away.

"And this is my distinguished travel companion, Senator Clarus."

Maximus made a curt bow of his head. "Ah, senator...we have been expecting you- your son will be along shortly." No sense telling him about the scuffle at the farmhouse just yet- he would learn of it soon enough. Perhaps his anger would be mitigated if the secret were not revealed in front of the Emperor himself...."and lasty my I present you the Lady Fulvia Alba.." She did a sketchy sort of curtsey, allowing Maximus a better opportunity to observe her.

She was no Aelia. That was clear from the first glance. Not ghastly or unpresentable, but she lacked the grace and luminosity of his sister-in-law. Aelia was smaller, and her features were more finely wrought. The merchant's daughter, though richly attired, wore her clothes uneasily, like a frilly blanket thrown over a battle horse, and there was a look of haughty superiority in her gaze that made his hackles rise. She would not make Quintus happy...he was certain of it. He managed a small attempt at humor- perhaps she could become Publius' bride.

"Is Claudius not here to greet me?" The emperor asked, filling the awkward silence. "...or does he have more pressing engagements this afternoon? " The tone was teasing.

"The General has not yet returned from the front." Quickly, Maximus recounted the situation along the border, culminating with Claudius' tentative peace, and his orders to relocate half of the legions to winter quarters before the season's end.

"A risky endeavor."

"Yes, but one with great dividends if it succeeds...and little loss to our ranks if it does not."

The emperor nodded. He glanced at his daughter, who made a great show of covering a yawn.

"Perhaps we should continue inside. The ladies will want to be rested...and I would like a more detailed explanations of Claudius' proposed terms...I will send my messenger ahead to inform him of my arrival...if the barbarian chieftains can spare him, I would like to discuss this treaty in person."

"Of course, Caesar." Maximus led the little party into the Praetorium.

Members of the Praetorian guards flared out in front of them silently, like a little bubble protecting the emperor on all sides. They seemed to know their way around the Praetorium, and Maximus found himself pressed to the rear of the group, beside Senator Clarus.

"How are you, Maximus?" the senator asked. Although they had never met, he had heard the man's name in letters from his son since the boy had joined the army at age fourteen. "Married, I hear?"

"Yes."

"Happily?"

"Very."

"Any children?"

"Not yet...soon."

The older man nodded. "Good...well, it is good to be settled. I think that Quintus will benefit from it as well..."

"If the girl is right."

Titus Clarus blinked. "You find Fulvia unacceptable?" He laughed. "Well, you have not seen the size of her dowry, I suppose."

Maximus merely tilted his head in assent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Where is the boy? I would like to see him."

Maximus glanced over his shoulder, to the little room that he and Quintus had shared. It was flanked now, on either side, by uniformed guards- no doubt placed there on Quintus' own orders. "There's been a bit of trouble ...." Maximus whispered.

Clarus' eyebrows arched questioningly. "He isn't hurt, is he?"

"No...he's..." Maximus looked forward again to where Lucilla, Marcus, and Fulvia were engaged in a quiet banter- Fulvia complaining about the roughness of the tents, Lucilla trying to impress her with the even less inspiring camps that she had seen, and Marcus lecturing them both on the folly of a sitting room in war camps to begin with. "...perhaps it would be better if we spoke alone."

Still concerned, Clarus nodded.

At last, the little party reached the main tent, and they paused. The quarters were reserved for the use of the emperor alone and, since Marcus Aurelius' reign, they had existed in each Praetorium, regardless of whether the emperor ever intended to visit at all. The predecessor of Marcus and his co-emperor Lucius Verus, Antoninus Pius, had never left Italy. Although his devotion to domestic policy had reaped great dividends, order in the provinces, and discipline in the army, had suffered. Marcus and Lucius had both worked to combat the problem. Each year, they took tours of the various camps. Marcus usually surveying the west, while Lucius covered the Eastern holdings. The visits were often unannounced, and so the quarters were constantly held open and readied for the imperial visitor.

Maximus stopped at the door. "I will leave you, Caesar, to get settled in. Then perhaps I could show you the maps that we talked about."

The emperor nodded. "Yes. That is acceptable....an hour?"

Maximus nodded and turned to go. Senator Clarus fell in step beside him, obviously hoping to pry away news of his son.

"Maximus-" It was Lucilla's voice. "Wait..." She crossed the room so that she was standing very close to him again. "You didn't say that you missed me." She said, pouting slightly, and wiping an imaginary piece of lint off of his collar.

"No, I didn't." He said quickly, wanting to be away. The feelings she evoked were confusing. It was impossible to deny their happy past, but is was over...Lucilla's overly friendly tone made him worry that she didn't recognize that reality. "I didn't tell you congratulations on your marriage either." He said stiffly, offering a subtle reminder. "Congratulations."

"And I hear that congratulations are in order for you as well." She answered, clearly miffed by the rebuke.

"Yes."

She held his gaze for a moment. Searching for something. "Join me for dinner."

"My lady, I would be honored but...."

"And your little wife." He railed a little bit at the use of the term 'little', but Lucilla did not back down. "Dinner with the Imperial family. That must be a thrill for provincials." She turned to Fulvia, who dutifully laughed as though Lucilla were the most brilliant wit in a century.

"I cannot. We are already having guests." He lied.

"Tomorrow then!" The emperor himself had cut in. Clearly, he did not appreciate the dynamics passing between his daughter and her old friend. Now there was nothing the soldier could do to avoid the invitation. "The whole family must come."

"We would be honored, Caesar." He said, grudgingly, not liking one bit the way that Lucilla's eyes danced with delight in her victory. "Now...If you will excuse me...."

Marcus Aurelius dismissed the soldier and the senator with a nod.

Turning toward the hall, Maximus began yet another unpleasant task. "I hope senator, that you were not hoping to hold the marriage right away...if so, I'm afraid that there may be a delay..."

"What?"

In clipped tones, trying to avoid admitting to the romance with Aelia as much as possible, Maximus explained what had happened.

"He said that?....in your father-in-law's own house!- Well, was it true?...was she really at the camp?"

Maximus swallowed, mentally asking forgiveness from the poor sub-lieutenant he had pegged with Quintus' actions. "No!" he said vehemently. "I mean..she was at the camp...She..." his brain raced for an excuse. Then he remembered Paolina's visit. "She was looking for some medicine for...her sister."

"Your wife?"

"Her sister-in-law....who was...who was in for the wedding."

"Ah." the elder Clarus sighed sympathetically. "Well, you can't blame her really. Girls often act before they think, and what the groom says was rather harsh. He probably made things worse by making a scene...but what did you say her name was? Aelia? I could have sworn that Quintus mentioned..."

"Well, I was very proud of him for sticking up for the girl." Maximus began speaking quickly, hoping to prevent the father from realizing the facts that his son's friend had omitted. "Unfortunately, Publius is the son of a powerful local landowner, and he is demanding a trial."

"The emperor will pardon him."

"If the boy dies?"

Maximus and the senator started at each other silently. "I am sure that the emperor will agree that it would be best not to act too hastily...let us wait and see. There may be no need for the emperor to know. Quintus may move around the Praetorium freely...and we will wait and see. Besides, don't your son and Fulvia need time to get to know each other?"

"If they do, the wedding might not happen at all." Titus said glumly. In a conspiratorial tone he added regretfully. "I do not think that she is the sort of girl who improves with time."

Maximus blinked, surprised by the revelation. Could it be that the man was having second thoughts about what he was doing to his son? Perhaps he would relent if he saw the pair together.

At last, they reached Quintus' chambers. Maximus nodded to the guards and they were allowed to enter.

"Quintus!"

"Father." The son did not reflect the joy in his father's face at their reunion. He knew that the man's presence meant that Fulvia had arrived as well. The doom that he had partially avoided a few hours earlier was still advancing toward him with relentless focus.

"I have...told him..." Not everything. Maximus wished that he could send his friend a telepathic message, warning him not to give himself away.

Quintus nodded. "Thank you, my friend."

With another curt tilt of his chin, Maximus exited the chambers.

Maximus sent for Cicero and hastily penned a letter to Paolina. Oh, how he wished that she could join him here! Or, even better, that he could run away back to their farm. But that was impossible. It would be unfitting for her to come to the camp except as Lucilla's guest, and Maximus could not commit her to the elder girl's clutches. With Claudius away, and Quintus confined, he could not leave the camp without a commander. He hoped that she would understand.

His pen hesitated as he came to the end of his letter...should he tell her about the invitation to dinner, or merely make excuses for her lack of attendance. He sighed heavily. Paolina would be furious if she learned later that he had hidden such a situation from her- and he *did* want to see her. Besides, the invitation had been to the family .....Paolinus might come as well. It would help the families status in the region to be seen with the emperor, and might help them recover from Publius' slight. Still uncertain that his actions were correct, he added a paragraph including the imperial request.

Paolinus anger smouldered throughout the afternoon. He understood the impetus behind Aelia's actions, but he could not forgive them. He had always considered her to be an intelligent and- far more important in a woman- a practical girl. His disappointment in her deportment was almost as acute as his rage. But, could he really send her away? He mulled over his options, stewing because he had to make a choice.

The knock on the front door took him by surprise. It was late....His hand shook slightly. It was about Publius. He must have died.

Steeling himself, Paolinus went to the door.

"Good evening, sir."

It was Maximus' little serving boy. The rain has started again, and he was shivering in his sodden cloak. "I have a message from the liutenant... he told me to wait for a reply."

Paolinus nodded and let the boy inside.

"Paolina!" He called up the stairs. After a moment, his daughter appeared.

"Yes, tata?"

"A letter from Maximus."

She hurried down the stairs, plucking the missive from Cicero's hands and tearing open its seal.

"What is it?" Paolinus asked, after a moment of silence.

"The emperor has arrived at camp." her eyes widened as she continued to read. "Since the General is still away, Maximus must remain there in charge....we've been invited to dinner with Marcus Aurelius!" Her tone was full of disbelief. "All of us, you me Aelia - at least..." abruptly, her face fell. "Quintus' father has arrived as well...along with Fulvia, his intended bride."

Paolinus nodded. Well, it was settled.

"Send a reply. Tell him that we will accept." He turned to the servant. "Three for dinner."

"But, tata! Aelia- "

"Aelia must learn a lesson."

23

The following day the girls whiled away most of the afternoon arranging their hair and clothing themselves in the finest of Aelia's silken dresses. The tension between Aelia and Paolinus was still thick- her future had yet to be decided, but she seemed to entirely miss out on the fact that her attendance at the dinner was supposed to be a sort of punishment. Aelia was joyous merely to be seeing Quintus again- she had grown so used to hopelessness that physical confrontation with the new wife was only a marginal increase to her burden. The part of her that had existed before the pair had met- the joyful girl in love with jewels and silk and Rome, was also aflutter. To eat dinner with the emperor! At last her manners would face their ultimate test.

All told, Paolina was much more nervous about the engagement. Would she be viewed as a suitable wife to Maximus? She was certain, in her heart, that he would someday be general himself. Perhaps the Emperor would disapprove of such a provincial spouse...perhaps he had his eye on a more politically beneficial partner from Rome. She squirmed nervously as Aelia's skilled fingertips smoother her inky curls above her head.

"There." She said, at last, as the last comb was slid into place.

"Not yet." Aelia chided, she reached onto the dresser and retrieved a carved fruitwood box. Inside, sitting on a velvet lining, we Paolina's most precious gems- the one item she had that she knew Aelia coveted. A strand of pearls. Whiter than the ones in Aelia's bulla, and most of them nearly round. The sea town where they had passed their honeymoon was developing quite an industry in the gems. Paolina had not known how much they cost when she admired them in a shop window by the sea. When Maximus presented them to her on the night before they left, she had been overwhelmed by his attentiveness in listening for what she had desired. It was only much later, when Aelia had exclaimed over them, and Paolinus had stared, aghast, that she learned the necklace had cost her husband most of her dowry. They meant even more to her then- not because they were costly, but because they said, without words, that Maximus had chosen her for herself alone- not for the lands that she had brought him, or money....

Aelia checked the knot between each stone carefully, and then she clasped it around her cousin's neck.

"There." She breathed happily. "The empress herself could not be as lovely."

Paolina looked at her reflection and had to smile. Nearly back to her old self, Aelia was once again a miracle-worker. The pearls frames a perfectly made-up face. Just a hint of rouge to accent her olive skin. Kohl-rimmed eyes that accented her wide dark orbs, and cherry-stained lips in a perfect bow. Her hair was also well-coiffed. Aelia had left a section of curls in the back loose, and had gathered the sides into intricate braids and twists held in place with abalone combs. Her dress, borrowed from Aelia's thriftily accumulated collection, was navy-blue silk, offset with gleaming gold-coated pins at the shoulders, and a creamy cranberry colored shawl.

"Girls!" Paolinus shouted up the stairs. "The carriage is here!"

With a squeal, Aelia reached for a scent bottle, dusting her cousin, then herself with the rose-scented water, and then they raced down the stairs.

Their eyes widened with delight at the conveyance that had been sent for them. It was the empress's own. It was a huge, black-lacquered box that seemed far too large for the team of six black stallions which pulled it. Inside, there were richly upholstered couches instead of seats, a bowl of fruit, and even a little desk.

The luxury of their surroundings had barely sunken in before they arrived at the camp. They did not stop at the gates, which swung open at their arrival, they continued on, along the wide road at its center, to the Praetorium. At last, the hulking cart trundled to a stop. With a loud rap, one of the Praetorian guards announced that they had stopped. The door was opened, and a lamp lowered for them to depart.

Paolinus stepped out and Fulvia was the first thing that he saw. He felt a little bit sheepish- his desire to punish Aelia had faded during the night, but then she had actually seemed excited about accompanying them and, after all that had happened, he did not have the heart to tell her "no". It cheered him a bit, however, to see how the other woman's appearance paled in comparison to his niece and how, if the woman's set-upon expression and the stiff way that she stood apart from her intended were any indication- the woman seemed to like Quintus even less than he liked her. If Aelia noticed the girl, she gave no indication, she merely smiled regally and stepped gracefully downward from the carriage.

Paolina was last, and Maximus hurried forward to take her arms and assist her with the step. His father-in-law noted that he too seemed out of sorts. That was troubling- in the year since they had met, Paolinus had come to depend on the man for a clear head in trying situations. What could have happened to make the man so nervous? Then, as the Praetorians parted, Paolinus realized what it must be. The emperor, Marcus Aurelius himself, stepped to the front of the little group. Paolinus understood that, if he hoped to advance quickly, Maximus would have to impress those in command- what better opportunity than to show the emperor himself that he was capable of the work of a general? That is, if his family were equally acceptable...the old man stood a little straighter, praying to his ancestors that he would not disappoint them all.

The emperor stood in front of them, as though he were waiting for Paolinus to make some move. The man fought a panic. Should he say something? Do something? There was another beat of silence. Then Aelia took command.

"Hail, Caesar." She said, her voice very soft and full of self-assurance as she dipped deeply toward the ground. She did not attempt to take his hand- that was an act of equals. She merely showed her subservience and respect.

"Hail, Caesar." Paolinus and his daughter hastily murmured, approximating Aelia's movement. They glanced nervously upward. The emperor had begun to smile. There! They had gotten it right.

"Greetings." He said gently. "Welcome. Dinner will be served very shortly...won't you join us?"

Paolinus marveled as the emperor himself stepped forward with him at his left side, his daughter on the right. Maximus and Paolina followed. Next, incongruously paired, were Fulvia and Aelia. Finally, in the rear were Quintus and his father.

The elder Clarus watched the girl in front of him very carefully. Was this the same Aelia whose honor his son had defended the day before? But she was charming! Her appellation of the emperor had been just right- and her posture and dress were impeccable. True, Maximus' wife was undeniably a beauty, but it was a wild sort of loveliness that seemed trapped by its silken wrapping. Lucilla was also pretty, but it was impossible to separate her personal charms from the cachÈ of her rank. Yes, it was Aelia who truly shined that evening. Could she truly be a provincial? He doubted it. Her manners were too refined. Almost wishing he were young again, the senator watched her shapely figure sway as she walked ahead of him to the dining room. His annoyance with his for delaying the wedding plans temporarily softened by approval of the woman he had chosen to protect.

The dinner went beautifully. After some moments of embarassed silence the tension seemed to break and the conversation flow freely. Marcus Aurelius was a very simple man considering his status as the most powerful man of the world did of his best to put his guests at ease. When he discovered that Paolinus and indeed, Paolina too, loved philosophy, he truly warmed up and they began talking in earnest. Maximus beamed on seeing how his wife coped so well with the questions Caesar posed to her - replying intelligently, in a humble but decisive way - and earning the monarch's praises more than once. Maximus participated in that conversation but also shared his attention with the other part of the table. It was clear to him that Quintus and Fulvia disliked each in spite of Titus' attempts to build some trust between the intended pair. Aelia, who was sitting between Maximus and the senator, talked with both of them, demostranting herself to be a wonderful lady. Maximus could see the senator was in awe of her and Quintus was pratically beaming....he too had guessed that the only thing his father liked about Fulvia was the size of her dowry- and he also noted his father's reaction to Aelia. In some way or another, all the occupants of the table were happy - Caesar because had found new two people with whom share his philosophical precepts; Quintus and Aelia because they could see each other and even speak from time to time; Senator Titus because he was with his son for the first time in seven years; Maximus and his family because all was going well..- all except Fulvia and Lucilla, who seemed bored and almost angry. Lucilla engaged Maximus in light conversation throughout the dinner and she seemed annoyed by the smiles he shared with his wife.

After a couple of hours Maximus excused himself from the table, explaing it was time for the evening inspection. Marcus Aurelius gave him leave, approving how the young commander was performing his duty, not forgetting it even during such extraordinary and pleasant occasion, and saluted him with a cheerful, "Go on, Maximus, and don't worry I will take care of your beautiful and bright wife." The young couple blushed hearing the praise and Caesar laughted aloud. It was so refreshing to see true emotions on their faces, instead of the carefully controlled and calculating ones he was used to seeing in Rome!

Maximus left the tent and went to perform his inspection, unaware that Lucilla had left the table a few minutes after him, saying she had to take a tonic in her tent. In reality she wanted to speak alone with him. She could not believe he had forgotten all that they had shared in the past. She was sure a couple of her expert kisses would refresh his memory.

Paolina tensed as Maximus walked out of the room. True, she had been enjoying herself up to that point, even though she was not speaking with Maximus directly. Still, she had relied on him for moral support, taking his gentle touches and warm looks as approval of her behavior. As he dissappeared, her courage fled. Even Aelia was distracted. She was telling a lightheared, and very ladylike little joke that she had overheard in the forum when she was a girl, and Quintus and his father were listening raptly.

Only Fulvia seemed as disenfranchised from the little group as the lieutenant's wife. Noting this, and admitting to herself that, regardless of Aelia's feelings, she would be seeing Fulvia quite often after Quintus' marriage, Paolina tried to start a conversation.

"So, Fulvia Alba, how was your journey?"

The woman's eyes narrowed, considering the innocent question as though it were a trick. "Fine." She said at last. "A rather uninspiring destination." The dig was aimed squarely at Quintus and the little town. Seeing Paolina's frown, Fulvia seemed, at last, to take pleasure in the conversation. "I don't see how you stand it." She said, making a great show of yawning and focusing on a vase behind Paolina's shoulder- as if the girl herself were not interesting enough to hold her attention. "No culture. No company...and such oafish people- all fancying themselves the 'landed aristocracy' because they have a little farm." The tone was innocent, but the gleam in her eyes proclaimed that she knew very well that Paolinus was a farmer.

Maximus' wife felt herself shrink in the chair. She had been unprepared for such meanness.

"Well, not everyone can live in Rome." Was all she managed. "Someone must feed the empire, must they not?"

"Indeed!" It was the emperor's voice that broke in, temporarily distracted from his debate with Paolinus on a treatise by Seneca. The emperor was no lover of life in the city. As a stoic, he idealized farming. His interest in the topic momentarily stilled Fulvia's attack. "Give me Gaul- Gaul and the open road!" He smiled triumphantly.

Fulvia's thin lips stretch almost painfully taut, her forced smile oozing with malice.

Aelia could not help but notice the expression. *Pull back, cousin...* she warned inside her head. *this little cat will catch you in her claws*. Having lived a while in Rome, Aelia knew very well the type of woman that Fulvia was, and her heart filled with pity at the injustices she knew her beloved would suffer at the woman's hands. She was the only child of a rich merchant. Spoiled, motherless, and completely lacking in self-discipline. To a girl who had been denied nothing, taunting Paolina for her provincial upbringing was entertainment. Like a cat, batting at its prey before the kill. Aelia shuddered at the thought of her beloved Quintus being bound to such a woman. What other acts of cruelty would she contemplate when her marriage to the Clarus house had made her social status more secure?

The emperor and Paolinus dropped back into conversation again, and Fulvia's smile relaxed, readying for another parry. "It isn't really the money so much as a lack of breeding...." She said, as though her conversation with Paolina were a confidence to a trusted friend, rather than an attack. "...everyone trussed up in their finest jewels for a simple dinner....as though we would be impressed."

Paolina felt her whole face go hot, the pearls that sat on her collarbone burning her skin like a string of flaming pebbles.

"I have to go." She said, abruptly standing up.

Suddenly, every eye at the table was trained on her movements. Now what would she do? She looked desperately to her cousin.

Gathering her composure, Aelia lifted her hand in a quiet gesture that told the serving girl behind her "come here". When she complied, Aelia whispered a brief instruction. The girl nodded, and walked to where Paolina was standing.

"This way." She said, looking over her shoulder. Not knowing where she was headed, Paolina followed.

She smiled a little when the girl pulled back the tent flap of a bathroom. She was grateful for Aelia's quick thinking.

"Will you require assistance returning to the triclinium?" The servant asked. Paolina shook her head 'no'.

"Very well. I will leave you." With a deep, respectful bow, the girl dissappeared.

Paolina looked around the little room closely. Although it was "temporary", the bathroom was far more elegant than the one that they enjoyed at home. She presumed, from the pipes that slipped between the heavy velvet walls, that a type of running water had been improvised in the room. The floor had been covered with smooth paving stones and, atop that, a very fine rug from the eastern provinces. A little oil chandelier hung from the center pole. It seemed so grand! How could anyone use the bathroom in such a place? Paolina walked to the basin, preparing to splash some water on her face and gather her wits before returning to dinner. And then she heard it. Voices.

Maximus' voice....

24

Maximus finished his rounds of the camp, and hurried back to the dinner, hoping to spend a few moments with his wife before her time to return home.

He was nearly at the door, when he was stopped by a praetorian guard.

"Lieutenant." the burly, black-clad figure said, blocking his path. "There is a lady who would like to see you indoors."

Maximus grinned. So, she had managed to slip away. He never ceased to marvel at Paolina's resourcefulness. Grinning, he followed the man inside.

"Here." The man barked in a monosyllable. Gesturing into a bedchamber, he departed.

Maximus hesitated. This was the emperor's family's quarters. It was not wise for Paolina to be here unescorted. His smile faltering, he stepped through the door.

"Ah...there you are...."

His breath caught in his throat. It was not Paolina. It was Lucilla. Her hair had been loosened so that it hung around her shoulders, and her modest dining tunica had been exchanged for a filmier, lounging dress.

"Well..have you nothing to say?" She asked, quickly crossing the room. As he stood still, numbly staring at the revealing dress, she raised his hand to her lips, kissed it, and then covered it with her own. "No more congratulations...? No kiss?"

The last word was whispered very seductively, her eyes meeting his boldly, lingering there, inviting action.

"Lucilla...I'm....married." He said roughly, wondering why he didn't simply turn and run away.

"I noticed. Charming. I can see why you like her- you've always been a horseman. She has nice teeth." Her own white smile glittered as she laughed at her own joke.

"She's..." His voice trailed off. He had no need to defend his choice to Lucilla. She was married as well.

"Spirited?" Lucilla offered for him. "Intelligent? Kind?...tell me, *lieutenant*" she spoke the word as if it were a reproach, "is she good for your career?"

Paolina's departure signaled the end of the gathering. Her fun concluded, Fulvia gathered her skirts with a yawn. "Pardon me, Caesar." She said, committing two dazzling breaches of protocol in a single act both by speaking to the emperor without being addressed, and daring to leave a table before he had signaled the meal's conclusion. Unlike Paolina, she could not claim ignorance of custom in explanation. Only her own arrogance gave her such boldness. "I am still quite tired from the journey and I am going to bed."

Without waiting for approval, she trundled off, yet another serving girl trailing after her apologetically. Senator Clarus winced at the breach.

"Forgive me, Caesar." he said, as soon as she was gone. "I am afraid that Fulvia is used to....looser circles. I will speak with her -"

Marcus Aurelius waved his hand dismissively. "Do not think of it, Titus. There is no need to stand on ceremony on my account. You know that. I admire women who speak their minds...as I was telling Paolinus regarding his daughter, so refreshing to find a woman with opinions on things she isn't mindlessly parroting from somewhere else." He smiled warmly, noting with pleasure the way Paolinus grinned proudly at the compliment to his daughter. "And you, my dear..." The emperor said, turning his attention to Aelia for the first time that evening. "We have not shared two words... tell me, my dear, do you share your cousin's love of reading?"

Aelia blushed modestly, raising her eyes just below Caesar's own, her perfect manners only sharpening the contrast between herself and Quintus' bride. "Yes, Caesar but, alas, on less exalted subjects. I am more a student of history and..." the flush deepened. "I must admit, of poetry and fashion."

Although these topics did not particularly appeal to the emperor, he warmed to the girl's respectful tone. "Well, my dear, that too is admirable....I daresay the world would not be so pleasant if it were filled only with wizened old philosophers." He favored her with a smile, then, still grinning, he turned toward Paolina's empty chair. "Or pretty young ones...." With a faint sigh of exertion, the old man rose to his feet, signalling conclusion of the meal. "Well, my friends, I must bid you goodnight, and thanks for a very pleasant evening...Paolinus, we will try to collect your daughter and call the carriage around."

"Yes Caesar..."

The two men's voices faded as they left the chamber. Aelia's eyes turned inexorably toward Quintus. Sitting between the pair, Senator Clarus might have missed the look if the flash of one of Aelia's earrings had not attracted his eye. He looked at the girl and then, slowly, looked at his son. They seemed lost in each other's eyes, a palpable look of longing passing between them. It was almost as if....

With a start, the man remembered where he had heard Aelia's name before. In the letter from his son. So, this was the woman he had wanted to marry. That explained the struggle. How could Quintus stand by while the woman he loved was insulted so deeply?

No dowry.

No family.

Well, it was a shame, Titus Clarus confessed to himself, pushing his chair back from the table. She would have been a charming daughter-in-law. But, as much as he admired her, marriage was a denarii and sestertii business. Fulvia would bring the infusion of cash he needed to wage his campaign for consul and bring the Clarus family back to the forefront of public life. Quintus was a dutiful son, and he understood that. Duty was something his father had always insisted on, even when he was young. He would not falter now. Feeling sorry for the pair, still transfixed by each other's stares, he reluctantly pulled them apart.

"Quintus." He said, causing his son's head to jerk away sharply. "The emperor and Paolinus have gone. Mistress Aelia will need to be taken to her carriage." Yes, let Quintus walk her there. His voice was very kind, softened by the memory of when he too had been in love...

"Yes, father." He answered, offering his arm for Aelia to take.

Grateful for the stolen moment, the pair stepped outside.

"..is she good for your career?" The empress' voice seemed to echo in the small bathroom, and Paolina held her breath. Why was her husband in Lucilla's bedroom? Was this the reason that he could not return to her last night? Frantically, she pressed her ear against the wall.

"What does that mean, Lucilla?"

"I mean are you certain that you want to give up on us?"

"What 'us'? The blood in Paolina's ears pounded so loudly that she could barely hear.

"I love Paolina."

"You love me."

Deny it! Paolina was screaming inside. Deny it! Deny it!

But he didn't. He merely fell silent. "Lucilla, we are from different worlds."

"You could be part of it if you would let me help you."

"You are married...married to the co-emperor of the Roman Empire."

"We've covered that....tell me Maximus, what is it that you find so endearing about this little wife? Certainly not money or breeding..." She smirked. "Or class... Her beauty? There are plenty of beauties in Rome...I could find you one..." She laid her hand on his shoulder. "A house on the Capitaline...we were happy once, Maximus. We could be so again."

"We're going to have a child." Maximus said abruptly.

Lucilla stared at first, and then she burst out laughing. "Ah, yes...country stock. Well, I've always heard they were great breeders....horses again, is it?"

Every stacatto beat of the laughter was like a knife being pounded into Paolina's chest. In spite of her efforts the wail that rose to her chest could not be contained. It filled the room, followed by a series of deep sobs, and then a panic. The voices in the other room fell still.

She had been heard.

Paolina lunged for the door, but it was too late, footsteps in the other side of the hall were already hurrying toward her. Where could she go? In a panic, Paolina noticed the moonlight shining in from the hem of the tent. Could she make it?

Maximus felt his lungs burning as he burst into the bathroom next to Lucilla's chambers. "Paolina?" He called, his voice tight with fear. He had heard crying in this room, he was certain of it. He was even more certain that the tears had come from Paolina. What had she heard? Would she understand why he had held his tongue?

"Paolina!" He cried again. He scanned the room quickly, and just caught sight of a slipper wriggling under the bottom of the tent. "Paolina!" he said again, rushing toward the wall.

"Maximus, stop." It was Lucilla's voice. She laid her hand heavily on his shoulder, preventing him from moving forward. "You'll tear the tent down. Be reasonable...you are hearing things."

He made an inaudible sound, looking frantically toward the tent. "She was here." he said through gritted teeth.

Lucilla merely sighed. "So, your accomplished horsewoman is also a spy?" She teased. "Tata might want to recruit *her* for the army..."

Maximus started toward the door, but she blocked his way. Angrily, he pushed her aside, and she stumbled a bit, managing not to fall.

"What is the meaning of this?" An angry voice boomed.

Maximus looked into the angry eyes of the emperor of Rome.

Paolina ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She ignored the curious stares of the soldiers that she passed as she ran. Behind her, she could hear Maximus call her name, but she only quickened her pace, running headlong for the gates, past the stunned sentries, and into the night.

Paolina tried to outrun the pain in her heart, but she was unsuccessful...Oh, how could she be such a fool?...how could she not see how being married to her, to--what was it that Lucilla had called her? A provincial farmgirl? --could ruin her husband's career? Paolina wished that she could deny the words- that she could chalk them up to a jealous rival...but she could not.

She was holding him back. He could be general, or senator or....she shivered as though she had a prescient vision...emperor-but not with her. She didn't even know how to address the emperor! She and her tata would have stood outside the carriage all night, shuffling their feet never knowing what to do if Aelia had not intervened. She glanced down woefully at the mud-stained hem of her tunica. Even her dresses were borrowed....

At last, Paolina's feet came to a stop. Her lungs stung from lack of air. She was grateful for the pain, it diverted her attention away from the throbbing in her heart. Closing her eyes, concentrating only on breathing in and out, she allowed her little body to slump into the tall grass.

It was a still night, chilly for late summer, and clear. She thought she could see every star in the heaven shining down on her. What would she do now? Maximus would come looking for her soon. She knew him too well. He would assure her that what Lucilla said was untrue...he might even make her believe it for a little while, but that did not change facts. What could she do? Leave- to go where? Divorce him? She shuddered at the thought of living in a world with Maximus and not being able to touch him or speak to him each day...there had to be an answer...but what?

"What is the meaning of this?" Marcus Aurelius' voice seemed to echo through the tent. Maximus quailed. He had never heard the man angry before, and it sent ice down his spine. "I...I..." he stammered.

"He lost his balance." Lucilla said quickly, covering for him in spite of her annoyance. "I was standing in his way."

The emperor gave Maximus a stern look. "And what, may I ask, were you doing in my daughter's bedchamber?"

"Looking for his wife." Lucilla supplied, quickly. "He thought she might have come with me to take a look at the necklace we were discussing earlier."

"Did she?"

"No..."

The emperor stared at his daughter, and Maximus wondered for a moment if he would call her on her lie, but he merely offered a resigned sigh.

"Very well, my daughter. Good night."

"Goodnight tata."

The old man raised his hand to be kissed, then he nodded to the soldier. "Goodnight, Maximus."

"Sleep well, Caesar."

He continued down the hall.

Maximus watched him leave, and then he spun on his heel. "She was here." He said, crossly. "Lucilla you-" He bit his tongue. Now was not the time, or the place. He had to find Paolina, quickly. "Maybe they went outside." He said tersely, and took long strides toward the front entrance.

"Where is Paolina?"

Aelia walked quickly to where Paolinus was standing, glancing over her shoulder to watch as Quintus slipped quietly away. "I thought she was with you, tata..Did she not return from the bathroom?"

"I didn't see her....could she be with the other women?"

Aelia shrugged, not bothering to voice how unlikely she thought that would be. They were just turning inside when Maximus and Lucilla burst into the little lane.

"Aelia!" the lieutenant said quickly. "Where is my wife?"

The girl shrugged. "We were just asking ourselves the same question. She is not with you? She went to the bathroom and then..." She paused, frowning as Maximus turned to the empress and gave her a harsh look that seemed to say "I told you so". He sighed, and then whistled at one of the infantrymen that was walking past.

"Get me my horse." he ordered tersely.

The man nodded, surprised at being hailed insuch a manner. "Of...of course sir." he stammered, and then darted away.

"Paolina is already gone." He said to Paolinus. "There's no sense waiting for her here....I'll bring her back."

The girl's father frowned. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

"It will be." The look on Maximus' face was determined. Still frowning, Paolinus shrugged. "Very well....Aelia, have you said yout goodnights? I suppose we must depart..."

As the imperial wagon pulled away, Maximus was mounting his horse.

He knew where to go.

In spite of her unpredictable temper, she was truly a creature of habit, and he knew that he would find his wife on her rock overlooking the road. He tethered his horse at the base of the hill, and walked up alone, wanting to sneak up behind her before she had a chance to run away.

He stopped, just behind a tree, and watched her for an instant, his heart twisting in his chest.

She was shaking with sobs, her wild curls fallen from their bindings so that they hung around her face like a dark halo. Her dress was hiked above her knees, which she hugged tightly to her chest, and her lovely face was streaked with tears.

"Selene."

She jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. "Maximus." she answered miserably.

"Are you alright?" He asked, settling down beside her. He reached to stroke her cheek, but she wrenched her face away.

"Please go."

"No." reachig inside his pocket, Maximus withdrew a little square of cloth, and he offered it to dry her eyes. "I want to stay here with you...." He stared at her for a moment. "Paolina...I don't know what you heard but-"

"I heard enough..."

"You didn't hear what I had to say."

"I don't have to...Oh, Maximus. I know that you love me...I know that you don't care that I am a...a provincial farmgirl...but what Lucilla said was true. You will never be a great man if you are saddled by me.

"I'm not saddled by you, Paolina. I love you..."

"But-"

"But, you are forgetting one important thing. I don't want to be a general, or a senator, or any other form of so-called great man. I want to be your husband. I want to be a farmer, I want to take you back to Hispania and settle down with our thirteen children and-"

"Fourteen." Paolina said with a sniffle.

He flashed a smile, reaching for her face again. This time she did not draw away. "Fourteen." He echoed slowly, reaching forward and bestowing each tear-stained eye with a kiss." He drew her close to his arms. "I want you, Paolina. There is nothing...nothing that I want more..." He leaned forward and stroked her neck with his index finger, counting the rythmic pulse beneath her skin. "You are my friend...my lover...my wife..all that I ever need." Her body was limp from weeping, and so, when he drew her tightly to his chest, she was like a rag doll, shapeless and yielding. He ran his hands protectively along her skin...her sides, her hips, her little bottom. "Selene..." He whispered..."My sweet Selene...."

Snifing away the last of her tears, she leaned forward to claim his mouth in a kiss. Nothing had changed. She was still a liability. He was still doggedly ignoring the obvious- that whether he wanted to be a great man or not, he was- that he was marked by destiny for some future greatness that he could not stop...but for tonight that no longer mattered. He wanted her. Her....

Paolina reached behind his neck and threaded her fingertips through the clasp of his decorative leather armor. She unhooked it deftly, stripping away the hardware so that she could feel the muscles beneath his scarlet tunic. He was so strong...so warm... Paolina kissed him again, her tongue flicking softly against his lower lip and, when his mouth parted to allow her entrance, pressing deeper. Her hands continued to caress his back, raking gently along his shoulderblades and spine.

Maximus returned her advances. He pulled his fingers through her curls, lucking away the last of her combs and pins. Her glossy locks fell about her shoulders in a curtain of black silk. He stroked it gently, leaning forward to drink in her flowery scent.

"I love you..." He whispered softly. His lips were nearly against his now, their noses touched end to end so that they were almost sharing breath. "You....Selene...you...."

She made a small cry low in her stomach. It was not fair for him to love her so much. She felt guilty... underserving...but she would not deny a gift of the gods. If he was doomed to love her, she would at least give him happiness.

Slowly, her hands slipped to his legs, squeezing his knees gently, and then sliding upward, along the thick muscles of his thighs beneath his tunica. She continued upward, pulling the garment with her, until she reached his neck, leaning forward so that Maximus could help her finally work the covering over his head.

Next she reached for the loincloth, but Maximus stilled her hand, reaching instead for the clasps of her own tunica. He kissed each shoulder before releasing the clasp, lowering the fabric very slowly, caressing each inch of velvety skin before exposing it to the night. His movements were unusually calm and controlled- nothing like the night of passion they had spent the night before, but beneath his calm facade, the soldier's heart was beating wildly. He spread the tunica like a blanket on the rock, lifting Paolina so that she sat in the middle, and then he pulled the loincloth away.

Paolina still marveled at the beauty of his body. The sharply delineated planes of his muscles, the rigid urgency of his desire....She trembled as he drew her to him, lifting her legs over his own so that they lay on either side of his hips. Then, lifting her with his stong arms, bring her forward and down upon his body.

She gasped, as she always did when their bodies joined. Familiarity had not inured her to his magic, and she melted willingly into his hands, grateful that his strong arms would move her, and that he was not ashamed to take the pleasure that he craved. His hands rested firmly on her little bottom, pressing her downwards, filling her so deeply that she felt she must break, and then drawing her away. Torturing them both with the threat of leaving her altogher then repeating the little cycle.

"Selene..." he moaned, his teeth clenched with the effort of holding his own body in check as he maneuvered her toward her release. "Oh Selene...never go..." He removed one hand from her bottom, sliding it between her legs to stroke her most sensitive flesh as he continued to plunge deeply inside her body.

Paolina's back arched stiffly, shuddering as she neared release. Involuntarilty, the muscles of her sheath tightened around her husband, and he cried out, barely able to contain his response ..."Selene ..... Selene..." he whispered it over and over, like a mantra- urging her to completion, urging their bodies to find the moment together. At last, when he thought that he could bear it no longer, she began to shake and maon against him. With a final, piercing thrust he joined her in completion, his body spilling its seed deep within her body as his exhausted muscles trembled with release.

"Oh, my love..." he said, nearly at a point of collapse. He laid back against the rock, drawing her with him so that she lay atop him. He cuddled her closely, unwilling to lose the connection of their bodies, or their hearts. "Promise me..." he whispered....

She raised her head a little, tilting it as she looked into his eyes. "What?"

"Promise never to doubt my love again...Selene.." he caught her hand in his own, and tranced with his fingertips, tenderily memorizing each tiny ridge and hollow. "Never doubt that I love you, and want you...and need you." Dropping her hand, he cupped both sides of her face. "I could never want anyone else...you are my perfection, Paolina...the standard by which other women are judged."

Paolina felt tears well up in her eyes again, but this time they were tears of joy. "I promise." She whispered, hugging his neck tightly. "Oh, Maximus...I promise." She lay back down, listening to the hypnotic rythmn of his heart.

Finally, after a long stretch of tender silence, Maximus helped her to rise. "I must take you home." He said softly, his voice filled with regret. "It is late, and your father will be worried."'

She nodded her assent, clamboring stiffly to her feet and reaching for the rumpled tunica.

"I will come to you tomorrow night." He promised. "I don't care what I have to stay or do...I will be with you."

25

During the following week the life in the camp was very busy. The Emperor wanted to inspect every inch of it and Maximus worked like a mad to be sure that everything was in perfect order. He organized drills and various types of contest to show the Emperor how well trained and fit his men were, surprising the monarch when during a simulated arrival of a help request, the legion was ready to march away in only two hours. Quintus helped Maximus in everything and the command team earned great praises from the Emperor: a big promotion for both of them was really on its way.

A couple of day after the dinner the news that Publius was out of danger arrived to the camp and both Maximus and Titus Clarus let out a relieved sigh. Quintus instead remained worried.....if Publius was on his feet he could represent a danger for Aelia: the arrogant man might want to avenge his 'honor'.

Publius' father went to the camp and asked to speak with Maximus about the fate of his son's aggressor. He still wanted a trial and a refund for the damages Publius substained, a broken arm and a cracked jaw. Maximus explained the man they needed to wait for the arrival of General Claudius, scheduled to return in five days, and the other accepted his word and left satisfied.

Maximus watched Publius senior walk away and with a sign he wondered how much longer he could keep the problem hidden. The Emperor was a very intellingent man and soon he would know the truth. He turned to return to his tasks and almost collided with another man.

He raised his head and his eyes met Marcus Aurelius' ones.

"Caesar." he said bowing, as he wondered how much the emperor had heard.

"Maximus. Would you care to explain me what is going on here? Who was that man? And what trial he was speaking about?"

Maximus set his lips into a grim line and then told to Marcus Aurelius the same version of the story he had given to Titus, hoping that Caesar wouldn't be too angry with Quintus and with him for not informing him sooner.

In the end Caesar nodded and said, "Liutenant Quintus acted honorably, protecting an innocent woman's reputation from a man whom - from your description - does not deserve to be married to anyone, lest of all to that wonderful girl, Aelia. However this fact can't be let pass without a punishment....I am afraid your second in command will have to wait some more time to get his promotion to legate." Maximus let out a relieved sigh while Caesar went on, "As for yourself, Maximus, I appreciate your loyality to your friend but also your desire to not show him too much favoritism....yes, my boy, I noticed that Quintus is confined in the Praetorium unless he had to help you with the drills."

Maximus lowered his eyes and Marcus Aurelius clapped his hand on his shoulder. "I know that you've arranged a series of cavalry manuevers today....Why don't you invite your family to see them? You have not see much of your wife in these days and truth to tell I want to speak some more time with her and her father. And of course, Aelia can come too."

"Thank you, Caesar." said Maximus, his eyes shining.

Marcus Aurelius smiled and added, "Go now."

Aelia, Paolina and her father were all in the porch, having just finished their breakfast, when the messenger arrived.

The soldier jumped down and bowed to Paolina, "Domina, I have a letter from your husband."

Paolina took the papyrus and read it quickly. Her expression betrayed her emotions and Paolinus asked, "There is something wrong, my dear?"

"No, tata. We have been invited to the camp again. The Emperor wish for us to assist at the cavalry manuevers Maximus scheduled for this afternoon."

"Oh." Paolinus was as astonished as his daughter but recovered quickly, turning to the soldier and telling him, "You can go. Tell to the Liutenant we will come in our own carriage."

The man nodded and went away.

When he was gone Aelia went to her cousin and put an arm on her shoulders. "Don't be so worried, all will go well. We will make sure that both Fulvia and Lucilla keep their mouths shut." Aelia knew what had happened during their past visit and knew how inadeguate Paolina felt in the other women's presence.

"Oh, and how do you plan to do that?" Paolina asked.

"I don't know....maybe we can pull a joke on them, or get their dresses dirty so that they have to leave to change......What do you think?' Aelia said winking to the other girl.

Paolina smiled and said, "I like it."

The family arrived to the camp an hour before the beginning of the drill and the Emperor went to greet them, demostrating he really liked their company. He personally led Paolina and Paolinus to the imperial box built near the field were the drill would take place while Aelia followed behind together with Senator Clarus.

The girl looked around, trying to catch even a little glimpse of Quintus, but he was nowhere in sight.

They reached their destination found that Lucilla and Fulvia were already there. But this time the girls, Paolina in particular, felt more sure of themselves. They have not donned elegant, silky dresses - this was not a glamourous occasion - but simple clean clothes in soft wool, perfect to protect them from the chilly air of an afternoon spent in open space. In fact Aelia and Paolina's garments looked much more suitable for the event than the overly-elegant silky robes the other women had donned to impress and shame the cousins.

Lucilla and Fulvia looked at the newcomers with a superior attitude and Marcus Aurelius, seeing that, praised the girls for their common sense. He was also wearing simple, sturdy clothes. Aelia and Paolina beamed and took their seats on the sides of the Emperor, as he asked them to do, ignoring the glares from their rivals.

The cavalry maneuveurs were fantastic. It was really impressive to see how the 300 men and horses moved in the field charging, stopping, pivoting as if they were one. Maximus led simulated assaults and escapes, giving his orders by simply pointing his sword in various direction or shouting brief clear commands.

The audience looked with awe at the simulated charges, especially when the regiment gallopped full speed in their direction only to stop and turn around at the last possible minute. Marcus Aurelius applauded enthusiastically and all the group - except Fulvia who was bored - followed his example.

Paolina was tranfixed by what she was seeing. Not only Maximus was terribly dashing in his uniform with his helmet and armour shining in the autumn sun, but it was very exciting to see him in control of so many men who obeyed to his orders so readily, as if their were able to read his mind. Paolina knew that was the result of a total trust in their commander and once again she felt Maximus was destined to a great future.

After the drill was finished, the little audience left the box and congratulated with Maximus -All except Fulvia, who retired to her room, and Aelia who used all the confusion to sneak in the Praetorium to find Quintus.

He was in his tent, reading a scroll, trying to ignoring the longing he felt inside him...Oh, how he wished to be in field with the others! He knew that Aelia was visiting with Paolina and her tata and he wanted disperately to see her. Still, he knew he could not leave his tent, even if there were no guards in front of its opening. Maximus had told him the Emperor knew about the fight, the trial and his confinment and so Quintus knew he could not sneak out of the Praetorium without a good reason.

He heard steps outside his room and raised his eyes from his book. His breath caught in his throat. Aelia was there, just inside the tent flap.

Without speaking he stood up and in two quick steps was on her, hugging her small frame with force.

"Oh, my love, Aelia, what are you doing here?" He did no tgive her time to reply and went on, "It does not matter.....oh, how I missed you!" They kissed with passion, caressing each other face with tenderness.

"Quintus.." she whispered nuzzling his neck.."Oh Quintus...I can't stay here long, but I wanted to see you...How are you?"

"I feel well...very well now that I have you in my arms." He smiled and hugged her again. They did not speak again but savored their closeness and the feeling of their lips and hands on the other's body and face.

Much too soon, they heard noises came from outside and then Maximus giving orders to the stable lads. The party was returning from the drill and soon the Emperor and the others will reach the Praetorium. Aelia did not want to leave her beloved but she knew she had to do it. She did not want to cause Quintus other trouble. So they kissed once more, promising to see each other soon, and then she left his tent, joining her family just in time.

Aelia smiled to herself, believing her absence had gone unnoticed but she did not know someone had see her sneack out from Quintus tent- General Claudius, just arrived from Germania.

The general sucked in his breath at the sight of the girl in the hall. He felt as though he were seeing a ghost- The same graceful, curving figure, the same brown-gold curls, the same proud tilt of the chin. For a moment he felt as though he had fallen back through time and was watching his beloved late wife, Antonia, drifting through the halls.

"Sir?" his servant asked, after their pause in the hall had become uncomfortable. "Is everything okay?"

Claudius blinked. It was a trick of the light, or an hallucination brought on by his exhausting journey. Antoinia was gone. He had to collect himself.

"It was nothing...just a...a brief headache." He lied.

"Can I get you a tonic, sir?"

"No...."

Claudius began striding purposefully down the hall again. He couldn't help but glance at the doorway the apparition seemed to have appeared from- Lieutenant Clarus. He frowned. Well, that settled it. Clarus wasn't the sort of man to be dabbling around with pretty serving girls. As for more animal comforts- when he found them, he certainly did not bring them back to the command tent. Yes, he was simply seeing things. Sighing unhappily, he continued forward.

Rather than entering the formal triclinium, the little group of observers was taken to a separate eating area which faced the courtyard. It was open on one side, so that the cool afternoon breeze swept in the room, while gauze panels kept the flies away.

During their first visit, Paolinus' family had eaten military style- in straight-backed chairs around a single long table, but this room was fashioned in a more Roman manner. The tables were arranged in a U shape, opening toward the view of the courtyard. On the outside, long plush couches were arranged for the men. On the inside, chairs were available for the girls.

The emperor took the center couch, after a brief moment of awkwardness, he directed Paolinus to his right, and to his left, Senator Clarus. Maximus would share with his father in law after he changed his clothes.

The girls lingered at the edge of the table, unsure of where to sit. They were surprised when Lucilla, rather than accepting the chair that was held for her by one of the servants, deposited herself on the couch beside her father. It was no unheard of in this modern era, even in proper Roman households, for ladies to recline at dinner, but they were still shocked to see the empress herself adopt such behavior. They were more astounded still when, her head raised as though she were second only to the empress herself, Fulvia plopped onto the couch beside Senator Clarus, her head reclining in the opposite direction so that she could whisper and giggle with Lucilla. Sharing an uneasy glance, Paolina and Aelia each claimed an empty chair- Paolina facing her father, and Aelia facing the senator.

As soon as they were settled, food was carried in on broad silver platters.

Keeping with the "rustic" theme of the occasion, the meal was meant to evoke the simple fare of a picnic. Cold sliced meats, hearty breads, and brightly coloured fruits were stacked high on plates, and arranged artfully in little baskets. The fresh air had made everyone hungry, so there was little conversation as the diners enthusiastically filled their plates and began to eat.

Paolina, her father, and the Emperor continued their conversation on philosophy- Paolina growing alarmed to discover that she was almost at the end of her knowledge, while the emperor seemed only now to be getting started.

Lucilla and Fulvia kept casting glances at the other girls and then whispering wickedly, while Aelia and the Senator spoke of Rome. He was amazed at how much she knew. He had learned, from discreet inquiries, what her station had been in the capitol, and the small part of him that had been trained to patrician snobbery wanted to hold it against her. But she was so elegant! Her features and carriage were so noble. It seemed nearly impossible to reconcile her to her humble origins. Besides, he could clearly see how the street knowledge she had acquired could be useful to a man in his position- no wonder so many of the other senators kept company with women of the lower classes. Although her information was out of date, she had keen insights into the "why's of politics- why a particular grain bill was doomed never to be enforced, which of the city prefects paid the crossroads colleges to clean up trouble in their districts, and the popular images of many of his friends and rivals.

The meal passed quickly, everyone eating more than they should, and then falling to silence as they fought off waves of drowsiness. They were all but asleep when a messenger strode into the room.

Paolina frowned. Maximus had not yet arrived. Had he been "sidetracked" in the Empress' chambers again? But, Lucilla was here, and she did not seem in a hurry to leave. With a sigh, Paolina fought back her jealous suspicions.

"Caesar." The messenger said, bowing very deeply. He leaned forward and whispered something in the old man's ear.

Caesar nodded. "Yes, yes, yes...I will see him immediately." He quickly rose. His haste, and the glimmer of excitement in his eyes looked anxious.

"Lucilla, Fulvia- why don't you take Paolina and Aelia to your quarters for a nap? You must be tired after so many hours in the hot sun..." He noticed Paolina's look over her shoulder. "Yes, my dear, I will tell your Maximus to send for you when he arrives....Clarus, perhaps you could show our friend Paolinus the library?"

"Of course." The senator rose quickly from his couch and moved toward the exit.

Lucilla and Fulvia were less hasty. They shared a look of annoyance- clearly for the cousins' benefit, and then stalked off, never looking over their shoulders to see if they were being followed.

The girls stepped into the large chamber nervously. Paolina thought that the single tent would swallow their entire house. In the center, very high off the floor and bundled down with nearly a foot of silken quilts, was the empress' bed. From an entrance along the side wall, burly servants were carrying in other cots for Fulvia and the other girls. In the meantime, a small army of serving girls seemed to descend on the two richly attired ladies, stripping away their garments, and applying light wraps, removing the pins from their hair, smoothing down the curls, washing their feet. Each slave seemed to have a separate job, as though Fulvia and Lucilla were unable even to pick up a hairbrush or unfasten a clasp on their own behalf.

Paolina and Aelia were simply attired. They had no servants to fawn on their appearance, and so they simply unlaced their sandals and climbed into beds.

Their pampering complete, the others also retired to bed, and the lights were dimmed. Still the empress and her conspirator did not fall silent. They continued whispering, saying the words "Aelia" and "Paolina" louder than the rest, as if trying to bait their guests into a confrontation. Finally, they were still.

"Do it..." Lucilla hissed.

Fulvia emitted another peal of giggles, and then turned in her bed so that she was facing Aelia.

"Tell me, Aelia..." She said sweetly. "Since I hear that you recently held a wedding...what sort of honey cakes should I have made...there really isn't any flour in the provinces quite as white in Rome and..."

"One doesn't use white flour in honey-cakes, Fulvia." Aelia answered, her voice carefully modulated to echo Fulvia's sweetness. "Though, unlike we provincials, I imagine you have very little occasion to poke around in kitchens...if your heart is set on white flour, you may wish to cook with dates- I hear they are particularly sweet this season."

Paolina looked over at Aelia, impressed by the coolness with which she deflected the other woman's strike. It was clear, from Fulvia's tone, that she was aware of the girl's love for her future husband. It sickened Paolina that, rather than jealously guarding her own claim to the man's affections, Fulvia was more concerned with the insult of a poor girl ever attempting to take the place.

There was silence again, and Fulvia shared a look with Lucilla. "It is a shame that it didn't work out for you...not to have any hopes of another chance...." She sighed in mock sympathy. "My wedding is tomorrow you know..."

Aelia stiffened. She had not known. Quintus hadn't told her. Still, she remained silent, the darkness hiding her bloodless face.

In the shadows, Paolina could see Lucilla nodding her head, as if urging Fulvia on. The girl's wicked smile gleamed. "...oh, and that reminds me of another area in which I wished to consult your advice ...I understand that you have considerable experience in the area....You see, I have never been married before, and I am quite concerned about tomorrow night. Tell me, is Quintus a gentle lover?"

Paolina's stomach tightened with rage, and she watched her cousin's face, unable to believe that she could remain so calm in the face of such an insult. She watched the string of emotions that washed across the girl's face. Shock. Embarassment. Anger. Acceptance.

Fulvia made a little grunt of disgust. "What? No answer? He must be even less memorable than I feared..." She and Lucilla giggled again.

"Stop it!" Paolina could hardly believe that it was her own voice sounding through the tent. The others seemed surprised as well. They fell silent mid-laugh, their lower lips slightly ajar.

"What did you say to me?" Fulvia sputtered, her face turning a furious red.

"I told you to stop!" Paolina sat up and started across the room, but Aelia stopped her with a firm hand.

"Don't, cousin." She whispered. "It's what they want."

Slowly, Paolina faltered.

"Don't worry, Paolina..." Lucilla said coolly. "I'm not going to ask you about Maximus....I already have enough first hand experience to form my own opinion."

Something inside Paolina seemed to snap, and she lunged forward, grabbing the empress by the hair and pulling her toward the floor.

"Stop!" Lucilla screamed. "Stop!!!"

"Paolina don't!" Aelia's voice was just as frantic.

"That's enough!" Everyone froze.

It was the voice of Marcus Aurelius, the emperor himself.

There was the sound of scurrying footsteps and a slave relit the chandiliers in the spacious room. The light revealed a comical scene. Fulvia and Lucilla, barely dressed in filmy nightgowns, surrounded by burly Praetorians, Paolina, her hair once again reverted to its wild state with a white-knuckled grip on the empress' arm, and Aelia, still perfectly dressed, sitting demurely on the edge of her cot looking horrified, but otherwise unruffled.

The emperor was appalled.

"I am ashamed of you Lucilla."

"But-"

He raised his hand, indicating that he would accept no comments, "And I am disgusted by you, Fulvia. I have wondered, for many weeks now, whether you were a suitable companion for my daughter. I have determined that you are not. You will depart for your room immediately. I will send your meals. Your husband- poor man- will need to arrange separate return transportation to Rome."

"Y-yes Caesar." Fulvia stammered, wide-eyed. She was caught too unaware to muster a smart comment and she trotted off as she was told, looking like a large dog that had just been whipped. In spite of being glad that her rival had been chastened, Aelia could not feel true joy. Having a wife in the emperor's displeasure would be yet another obstacle for Quintus' advancement....Aelia herself had already cost him one promotion.

The ruler of Rome turned and watched as Quintus' fiancÈ dissappeared down the hall, and then returned his attention to the remaining girls.

"How much did you hear, father?" Lucilla asked contritely.

"Enough." He answered. "It was something about 'honey-cakes' when I stopped to hear the answer."

The princess nodded glumly. Her father was like a sponge for information. Languages, philosophy- even provincial cooking- were all areas of interest. She had not been careful, and now she would pay.

"Paolina, your husband is in the dining room."

Grateful for his pardon, the dark-haired girl skittered away, clutching her sandals under one arm. "And Aelia..." What to do with Aelia? Until he had overheard Fulvia's comment, Marcus had not understood the implications of Quintus' actions at the wedding. Were the lovers? Neither party seemed the type. In love? That, at least, seemed likely. While, as a party to a very happy marriage himself, he wished he could send her to her beloved's arms, there were certain social truths that even an emperor could not change. Fulvia, terrible though she may be, was a better match for the young Lieutenant. Thoughts of anything else should be discouraged. "Perhaps you should join your cousin?" He said in a kindly tone.

She nodded and skipped off the edge of the bed. As she passed through the doorway, the Emperor's punishment of Lucilla had just begun.

Paolina heart hammered in her chest. The danger of what she had just done finally beginning to sink in. She had attacked the co-emperor's wife!!! This could not be good for her husband's career....and what if Marcus believed what he had heard? That Maximus and Lucilla had...had....

"Selene!" Paolina looked up to find Maximus hurrying toward her, a look of concern on his face. "Are you alright? What happened?"

She blinked, not understanding how quickly news travelled through the little camp, and confused by the question.

"Oh, Maximus...I...I hit her! I don't know why, I just..."

"Shhhh...." He stroked her cheek. "It's okay."

Still dazed, Paolina continued to babble. "I pulled her hair! I was going to kill her I-"

She blinked. Had Maximus just flashed a grin? She stared at him.

"It will be alright." He said seriously. "At least the emperor saw the provocation...you must be more careful! If the Praetorians had intervened, it could have been dangerous."

She nodded numbly.

"Come..." He said, drawing her close. "let's go somewhere that you can calm down. We'll talk about this later...in fact, your father might be ready to return home. Now that the general is here, I can take you."

"The...the general is here?" Paolina asked, quickly deducing what this meant for their friends. "Yes. He arrived while you were eating dinner. That's why I was delayed."

"And the trial?"

"He wants to hold it as soon as possible....probably tomorrow."

"Fulvia said she was getting married tomorrow."

He swallowed. "Perhaps. Senator Clarus wants the wedding to take place as soon as possible....his plans may have changed if Fulvia has fallen into disfavor with the emperor."

Paolina eyes lightened. "Really? Then perhaps Aelia-"

Maximus sighed and kissed her hand. "Just because they don't have to marry other people, doesn't mean they can marry each other. Aelia is still...."

She nodded, not needing him to complete the sentence.

"Ah...here we are." Maximus steered Paolina into some Spartan looking quarters. The dirty tunica and muddy boots on the floor were the only indication that it had been occupied. She assumed, correctly, that these were the quarters her husband had used while he was back in the camp.

"Let's rest...we can worry about these things later."

Feeling much more tired than she had when retiring with Lucilla and Fulvia, Paolina complied, quickly falling asleep against her husband's chest.

26

Aelia raced down the hall, hoping to catch her cousin before she became hopelessly lost in the maze of corridors, but she was too late. Slaves and soldiers ducked out of her way as she crossed through the narrow passages. Turning a corner, she nearly careened into a tall man in ceremonial armor.

He was as old as the emperor, though his face seemed less kindly.

"Watch out, miss you-!"

Aelia started as the person addressing her took both shoulders in his arms and held her still. She looked up, frightened by the sudden, and unexpected stop.

The man stared at her."Who are you?" He barked.

Aelia flinched, frightened by the harsh tone. Had she done something wrong?

She didn't answer.

"What is your name?" He demanded again.

Slowly gathering her courage, Aelia mustered a reply. "A-Aelia..." She said in a very small voice.

"Aelia who?"

"Aelia Domitia."

His grip loosened a little bit.

"From Rome?"

"From the village."

Slowly, the man's grip relaxed until, at last, his fingers were removed entirely. "I..." he looked at his feet. "I'm sorry Miss I thought you were someone I knew..."

She stared at his face intently. Funny, he *did* seem familiar. The eyes were so blue...they seemed to be connected to a memory that she could not bring to the surface of her mind. "Yes..." She said, her forehead creased with her efforts to remember. "I think that you do..."

They continued staring at each other.

"Yes, well...." he shuffled his feet. "From the village, perhaps."

"Perhaps."

"Good day, miss...be more careful."

She nodded. Then, sensing that the interview was complete, continued on her way.

Claudius watched her go, feeling the prickling of tears at the corner of his eyes. So, it had not been an illusion. This girl- the girl who could be Antonia's twin- really did exist. And here, in Gaul, where they might meet by chance on any day! The gods truly did have a wicked sense of humor. Collecting himself, he continued on his way.

Claudius had just come from a meeting with the Emperor regarding the status of the treaty along. Things were not going as well as he had hoped. The self-proclaimed ruler of the tribes was more than happy to bargain with the Romans. However, in doing so, he had stirred up even more resentment among the independents. They were gaining strength, picking away at the fragile alliance, and pressing for another attack before the season concluded. When he left, Claudius had been approaching a break-through- or so he hoped. He secretly wished that the emperor would conclude his business quickly and be on his way.

He turned into his quarters feeling very tired and sad. He was getting too old for this. No- he caught a glance of his sunken cheeks and powder-white hair in the hammered-metal mirror. He had been too old for this for a very long time. The emperor was too kindly- and too nearly at the same stage of maturity himself- to press the issue, but it was true. Claudius no longer found pleasure in the battles or negotiations he led. He remained in the army simply to avoid going home. Rome. There was nothing for him there now. Once it had been his idea of heaven. It's curule chairs and ivory thrones the ultimate aim of the bloody, scrapping campaigns he waged in Germanian mud. It had once meant a sanctuary- the warm, welcoming bed that he shared with Antonia, and the happy, laughing voices of his children Claudius and the two Claudias...But the two Claudia's were dead- one in childbirth, and one by choice. The suicide of the latter had driven Claudius away, and Antonia...he shuddered as he remembered the girl in the hall...Antonia had died of a broken heart while he was off claiming another three miles of useless forest for the glory of Rome.

For what? He was at the end of his life and had nothing to claim.

Treasures, to be sure- more money than his agents could count, and a house that dwarfed all but the Imperial palace, but it, like his heart, was empty. The possessions meant nothing, because he had no one with whom to share. Still thinking of his lost family, Claudius went to the little shrine in the corner of his room, lighting the oil lamps that surrounded the statutes, and crumbling a bit of incense and salt into the flames. He ran his finger along the cheek of the bust of Antonia- dearer to him than all his family idols- which sat beside the arrangement. Finally, he murmured a prayer, and walked away.

Senator Clarus and Paolinus sat silently in the library reviewing scrolls. The two men found each other's company pleasant, thought they had little to talk about, and so reading was an occupation that suited them both perfectly. After about an hour, the senator stood, poked his head outside the door to glance at a sundial, and then sighed.

"You must excuse me, Paolinus. I'm afraid that there are some matters I must attend to before sundown ...preparations for my son's wedding."

Paolinus swallowed, hard. "His wedding....? Will it be soon?"

"Tomorrow."

The senator was startled by the little sound of displeasure voiced by his companion. "Sir, are you all right?"

Paolinus waves away his attention. "Forgive me...I was only thinking of little Aelia...the delay has almost given her hope. She-" he clamped his mouth suddenly closed, embarassed for having betrayed their secret. "I mean-"

"So...It is true. I am not mistaken- it is your Aelia that my son had wished to marry."

Paolinus stared at the other man, wishing that he could deny it, but the sadness could be read too clearly on his face. "Yes...they think of nothing but each other. It is breaking their hearts."

Clarus frowned. "Then he did not protect her at her wedding...he was the agressor?"

"No!" Paolinus said hurriedly. "I mean-" Quickly he recounted the provocation for the remarks: Aelia's tearful confession of how the man had tried to claim her by force in the woods on the night before their planned nuptials...and his callus remarks in his home.

The senator listened to the words in silence, and then he sighed. "I *AM* sorry." He said sadly. "Please know. It isn't the girl...it's-"

"I know." Paolinus stopped him, not needing to be reminded again that, while all the traits within the girl's control were flawless, her fortune- a benefit bestowed only by the whims of fate- was lacking. Paolinus stood and put his book away. "Please...conduct your business. I will take the girl home- it will be better, I think, if she does not have to see."

He rose and began walking through the door when Rian, Claurus' little serving boy, burst into the room.

"Fulvia's been locked in her room!" He said excitedly, undeterred by the sudden whiteness of his master's face. "Lucilla too...the emperor is furious."

"What happened?" Paolinus demanded, his thoughts springing instantly to his two girls.

The boy recounted the tale with gusto. Now, having been passed through several tellings, the tale had been embroidered nearly beyond description. In this version, Fulvia had alleged specific instances of carnal knowledge between Aelia and her fiancÈ...but this had been eclipsed by Lucilla's revelation- she was pregnant with Maximus' child! Paolinus nearly ran down the hallway, barely listening to the end of the tale, Paolina had attacked the Empress, injuring her so badly that the baby might be lost, but when the emperor heard what had happened, he forbade anyone to give her treatment. Paolina herself had been nearly killed when she was pulled off of the beaten princess by the Praetorian guard. Viewed closely, of course, this fantastic tale made little sense, but Paolinus did not have the luxury of consideration. He ran through the halls as fast as his old legs would carry him. "Paolina!" he cried frantically. "Aelia! Girls! Where are you?"

"Right here, tata."

Aelia seemed to suddenly appear out of the wall beside him. She looked very calm and collected. "What is wrong?" She asked, noting the look of worry on his face.

"Where is Paolina? Is she still alive? What did that..that..." he glanced warily at the Praetorians that lined the hall. "What has happened to her?"

Aelia frowned. "What are you talking about tata? Paolina is in Maximus' room. The emperor sent her there fifteen minutes ago. She was fine..."

"And the empress, will she live?"

Another frown. "Is she injured, tata?"

Slowly, Paolinus came to understand that the story he had heard was not true. He worked hard to collect his breathing as she began reciting- in as general terms as possible- what had occurred in Lucilla's bedroom. She was just finishing her tale as the senator and his servant arrived.

"Is she dead?" the little boy asked, too curious to observe the protocol of not addressing a superior. Aelia sighed.

"Perhaps we had better go home, tata."

27

Paolinus and Aelia rode home together in their own carriage. Paolina remained behind. She was well known as the Lieutenant- no, Aelia corrected herself, remembering the announcement Maximus had made just before they left- the *legate's* wife, and so remaining behind could work no harm to her

reputation. Still, Aelia wished she were not so alone. Paolinus looked very winded from his run. His skin was an ashen grey and he was very dull and listless on the ride home.

Aelia was surprised at how unconcerned she was about the coming day. In the morning, Quintus would stand trial for his attack on Publius. The proceeding itself would truly be a sham. The punishment had already been decided. Quintus' rank as legate- bestowed only that day, along with Maximus- would be stripped, and he would be placed on one month's leave without pay. She was sorry for him, but knew that things could have been much worse. In the evening, he and Fulvia would be married.

The wedding didn't bother Aelia anymore. It wasn't so much that she had come to terms with it, as that she realized that his being wed to someone else did not mean that she would lose his love. She and Paolinus had not discussed her future, but she had arranged that in her mind as well. She was well known in the little village for her taste in fashion and her skill in arranging hair. Through her thrift alone, she had accumulated a large collection of dresses and little pieces of costume jewelry. Paolinus could not deny her the rest of her father's pension- a sum which might provide a few month's rent- and she might be able to persuade him to give her the land set aside for her dowry as well. She would open a little shop in the village- small, but she was certain it would be successful. She would never marry, but at least she would have an occupation- and she could spend her life surrounded by the beautiful things that she loved. She was going to broach the subject when they arrived home, but Paolinus hurried quickly to bed. He was feeling achey, and out of sorts and needed the evening to relax.

Senator Clarus saw his friends to their carriage, and then returned to his room. The wedding plans were momentarily postponed while he tried to decide what to do. What use was Fulvia's money if her disfavor with the emperor blocked his plans to use it...? But then, if Marcus Aurelius died and Lucius

Verus took power.....He sighed, his heart full of uncertainty. He knew better than to discuss the matter with his son. After his conversation with Paolinus, the man was able to trace back through every conversation and see how his son's actions had been tainted with love for the pretty girl.

Besides, who needed a *another* reason not to want to marry Fulvia? He needed impartial advice, and so he turned for the quarters of General Claudius.

The old man was sitting at his desk when Titus was led inside.

"General." He said, respectfully bowing his head. He was surprised by how old the man looked. When Titus himself had served under Claudius- it was nearly 30 years ago now!- He had already seemed old. Now he was practically ancient.

"Senator...how may I help you this evening?"

"I'm on the threshold of making one of my children bitterly unhappy."

"And you came to an expert for advice on how to do it properly?"

Titus winced. Perhaps this interview had been a mistake. He had come to the man for his reputation as a savy decision maker- he had forgotten the man's unhappy family situation.

"I should go..." he said, rising uncertianly.

"Sit down!...my, you are a nervous lad." The general smiled, to let him know that he wasn't upset. "Tell me your troubles...I take it that this concerns the incident today with his fiancÈ and the emperor's daughter?"

"You heard?" Clarus was beginning to wonder if he and Paolinus had been the very last to learn.

"Yes...bits and pieces. Several different versions of the story, actually. One hardly knows what to believe."

Briefly, he recounted Aelia's version of the story, skipping the confrontation between Fulvia and herself, and moving to his condemnation of her as unsuitable to be his daughter's friend.

"So the emperor has confined her to her room, eh? That's hard..." He looked off into the distance. "On one side, he is a just man...he might not hold the woman's behavior against your son- or more importantly, perhaps, against you- Then again, he also has a very good memory....I can see why you are concerned."

Titus nodded.

"And how does your son feel?"

The senator blinked, surprised that such a practical man would take this into consideration.

"He doesn't like it," he said miserably. "He's in love."

"Then by all means, go through with it. If she makes him happy, why worry whether-"

"No, not with Fulvia, with *Aelia*."

That name again. The general's thoughts raced to the girl that he had seen in the hall.

"Then let him marry Aelia...is it really so terrible to give him to a provincial, your other daughters-in-law are well connected and Paolinus is not a bad sort of man-"

"She isn't merely a provincial. She has no dowry to speak of, she isn't even Paolinus' daughter- she's his niece... and she grew up as a...as a flowerseller in the forum!"

The senator was too distracted with worry over the wedding to see the change on the general's face. "What did you say?" He demanded.

"She was a flowerseller."

"In Rome?"

"Y-yes...why?"

Claudius felt his heart quicken. It couldn't be possible....could it? He remembered a day nearly a decade before when he had been in Rome. He was attending the senate meeting that morning to offer a plea for new army for the twenty-third legion...a trifling matter, really. The hearing had been

delayed by a trial that lasted longer than it should, and he had been half-heartedly poking through the stalls when he had seen it- Antonia's earring, one of a set that he had given her on the occassion of their engagement...only it wasn't on her ears. It was tied to a golden chain hung around the neck of a fair-headed urchin selling roses by the road. Oh! He could still smell the flowers- see the hints of his departed wife in the girl's sweet, dimpled face...he could practically feel his heart beating loudly in his chest when she told him that her father was nearby! She had promised to fetch him and then...she had disappeared. He had waited until nightfall- after all the other stalls had closed, and well after his appointment had passed- standing by her little bucket of posies begging for her to return.

He had searched for her. He asked every other vendor her name. He combed through each of the insulae, but he found nothing. No trace that she had ever been more than a figment of his imagination save a single bucket of wilted flowers. Could it be the same girl?

"I must go." He said abruptly.

Clarus blinked. "But you haven't-"

"Listen to your heart." the wizened old general said, hastily grabbing his cloak and bounding for the doors. The advice sounded half-hearted and trite. He clapped the man on the shoulder. "And stall for as long as you can..."

Claudius' groom was surprised to see the general call for his horse so late at night. He rarely rode at all these days when he could avoid it.

"Which way it is to Paolinus' farm?" He asked quickly. The groom pointed out the road and informed him of the turn.

"You could wait for Leiuten- I mean, Legate Maximus...he's taking his wife back soon."

"His wife?"

"Yes...Paolina, Paolinus' daughter."

Curiouser and curiouser.... "No thank you, I wish to go now."

"As you say sir."

Although he had little to gain with his haste, Claudius rode as though pursued by the furies themselves. When he arrived at the tidy little villa, his horse was slick with sweat.

The house was dark, as though the family had already retired to bed, but it did not prevent his knocking.

"Paolinus!" He called loudly, pounding on the wooded door. "Paolinus! Wake up!"

The man who finally opened the door looked gravely ill. His skin was like grey paste and his movements were very slow. "Yes?" He said, suspiciously, not recognizing the man.

"I am general Claudius...from the camp."

"Maximus is not at home."

"I'm not here for Maximus...I want to speak with you...about your niece."

Paolinus frowned. "Is there any trouble?"

"No...." Without being invited, Claudius pushed his way inside and pulled up one of the kitchen chairs. "Sit down." He commanded. The man looked like he needed it. "Who was Aelia's father?" He said, skipping all pretenses.

Paolinus shrugged. "Aelius Antonius...one of the rankers that came through the camps when my sister was young."

"*Antonius*?" Claudius echoed- his late wife's name...could it be...? "And what did he look like?"

"Similiar to Aelia...the same hair. Similiar lips..."

"The same eyes?"

"No. His eyes were brown."

The general's pulse was racing with excitement.

"Why are you asking these questions? Did he serve under you? Was he in trouble?"

Without speaking, Claudius reached into his pocket and pulled out a square of silk. He unwrapped it carefully, revealing an earring- the precise match to Aelia's bulla.

"He was a flowerseller?" Claudius asked breathlessly. "In Rome?"

Paolinus slowly picked up the bauble, turning the smooth gold over in his hand. "He...he stole this from you?"

"No." The men's eyes met nervously. "He didn't steal it. I gave them to him. After his mother died....he was my son."

Paolinus gasped and raised his hand to his chest, and at first the General took it as a sign of his astonishment, but the expression was wrong, almost a grimace, and his pale face had suddenly become quite red. His body crumpled, slumping in the little seat. Claudius slapped his cheeks firmly, trying to provoke a response.

"Paolinus! Wake up...Wake up! Paolinus!" There was no response. "Help!" he cried out at last. Very quickly, light footsteps pattered on the steps, and the girl he had seen at the camp rushed into the room clutching an oil lamp in her hand, and a heavy shawl around her shoulders.

"Who-who are you?" She asked, wide-eyed as she entered the room, shocked to see the man again, then she looked to the floor and saw Paolinus.

"Tata!" She cried. diving for the floor.

"Someone needs to get a doctor." Claudius said calmly. "I believe that it is his heart."

Aelia nodded, tears already streaming down her face. She remembered his grey skin and the pangs he had reported before bed. She had begged him to call the doctor, but he had claimed to feel better, putting off the task for another day. "Call the stable boy...he is just inside the barn. He will know where to go."

Claudius did as he told. When he returned, the girl was still on the floor, he was pouring water into the man's unresponsive mouth, listening futilely for the beating of his heart.

He was dead.

Aelia continued her frantic efforts in spite of this grim reality, she worked his arms up and down, trying to coax some sign of life, and she whispered to him desperately. "Wake up..." She begged, her shoulders beginning to tremble. "Wake up. Wake up..."

Claudius felt a wave of pity for the girl. She looked so tired...so lonely.

Almost subconciously, he bent to the floor, gathering her into his arms. "He is gone." He said firmly, drawing her hands away from the corpse. "There is nothing you can do. Leave him in peace."

Slowly he lifted Aelia into a chair and brushed the tears away from her pretty face. As he did so, he glanced at the chain that hung around her neck. The bulla. The same that he remembered from Rome. He had found her! His granddaughter! His Claudia! - but now was not the time to explain. As

inobtrusively as possible, he slipped the earring back into his pocket.

"Who are you?" She asked again, as her breathing came under control. She had passed from grief into a sort of shock, the magnitude of what had happened too great to comprehend.

"General Claudius Domitius, commander of the army camp. I believe I met you earlier- Aelia."

She remembered. In the hall. She nodded numbly. "Maximus isn't here."

"I know."

"Then why-"

"I came to speak with Paolinus..." he said half-truthfully. "I am very sorry for what has happened."

She nodded, too dazed to do much else. "We must find Paolina." She said at last. "And Maximus at...at the camp."

The general nodded, he would go as soon as the doctor arrived. He did not want to leave the girl by herself in the house.

She stared at the man who had been like her father for so long. Had he forgiven her? The thought plagued her mind. He had so little time- and she had filled his last days with worry. She felt like a wicked, unworthy girl, and began to cry again.

Claudius sighed, closing his arms around her more tightly. He felt terrible to be so full of joy when she was in such pain. He would make her happy again. He swore it.

"Maximus....Legate Maximus, sir....Legate..."

Reluctantly, the soldier's eyes came open. He was disoriented at first. He was in his bed at camp, but Paolina was cradled in his arms. He could smell the flowery perfume of her hair on the pillow beside him.

"Legate -?"

"I'm here." he mumbled, sitting up at last. Maximus squinted toward the tent flap where Cicero was standing with an oil lamp.

"A message from General Claudius."

Maximus frowned and then, easing Paolina slowly from his embrace, climbed out of bed and crossed the floor. He accepted the lamp, still squinting to read.

Maximus exhaled sharply as he scanned the quick, uneven lines, feeling as though he had been kicked in the gut. He took several breaths before handing the note, and the lamp back to the boy. "Get my horse." He said firmly, wishing, for once, that he had Cicero's tasks rather than his own. "Go and

borrow a cloak for Paolina- Lucilla should be feeling very charitable after what happened today."

The boy nodded and then hurried away. Taking a deep breath, Maximus returned to his wife.

"Paolina..." He whispered tenderly. "Paolina, wake up." His wife stirred, but was as reluctant as he had been to leave her sleep. He wished that he could let her continue dreaming. "Paolina ... Selene .....darling, you have to wake up."

At last her dark eyes fluttered open. "What is it?" She asked, frowning. "Why are you dressed..." She looked from side to side. "Is it morning?"

"No..." He swallowed, his throat feeling very dry.

"Then...?"

"Paolina...something very bad has happened."

She felt her stomach tense with dread. Was it Aelia? Had she harmed herself as she had threatened?

Maximus stroked her hair away from her eyes, fighting back the tears that pooled in the rims of his own eyes. "Oh, Paolina..." He said, his voice breaking as he drew her to his chest. "I'm so sorry..."

"What is it?" She asked, her voice tinged now with panic. Why wouldn't he tell her what was wrong?

"It's your tata." He said at last. He continued stroking her hair, holding her hand tightly.

He felt her body tense. "Is he sick?"

The Spaniard's breath came out in a slow shudder. "No...he's...Oh, Paolina. He's dead."

28

The little farmhouse was filled with weeping that night, but not for the reasons that anyone had anticipated, Quintus' impending nuptials and trial were all but forgotten as the household prepared itself for mourning.

Paolinus' body was carried to his room and placed into his bed. His daughters washed him and dressed him in his finest tunic and whitest toga, then placed a coin in his mouth.

Maximus sent messengers to the farms of Paolina's brothers. They would all come for the funeral. In the morning, he would go to the town and inquire about the farmer's will.

Paolina, Aelia, and the female servants of the house took stock of the storeroom and then began preparing the massive amounts of food that would be required for their guests. They worked throughout the night, nearly dead on their feet as the sun finally broke the horizon. At last, Maximus sent them to bed. They both returned to their old room, the one that Paolina now shared with Maximus, and collapsed numbly on the bed. Paolina had not asked her cousin yet how this thing had happened, but neither girl seemed inclined to speak. They fell into a dreamless sleep, awakening only to the sound of the first brother arriving at the door.

Paolina ran downstairs to greet him and offer support, but Aelia remained inside. She felt as though no one could truly understand the depths of her grief. She was truly alone now. Paolina had Maximus, the brothers each have children and wives. Soon- very soon she thought sadly as she noted the long shadows on the lawn- Quintus would have Fulvia. She had somehow counted on Paolinus to remain as the constant in her life. How could he be gone? What would become of her now? Would she live with Paolinus' older brother? With Paolina and Maximus? She cringed inwardly. Though she had professed acceptance of her prospects at remaining a spinster, nothing could be further from the truth. She still wanted love. Friendship. Company....was service to her family the only thing that she could expect?

Downstairs, Paolina was scooped into the air by the almost crushing embrace of her oldest brother. He was almost like a father to her himself, and she gratefully accepted his embrace, as well as those of his wife and children. She led them to the kitchen, then excused herself to the washroom to splash cold water on her face. She was feeling very queasy and tired.

The day was spent sitting at the table, reminiscing about Paolinus' life. Each knock on the door admitted another brother, a cousin, uncle, aunt or friend with more warm memories to share. Only Aelia did not join them. She remained in the bedroom, staring out the window toward the hills, locking her pain inside.

The calls finally ended in the late afternoon. The house was filled to its brim- every open space of floor seemed to be littered with children in blankets. On the porch, her brothers sat on campstools and the low surrounding wall, while inside, her sisters-in-law crowded around the table, sharing the monumental task of cooking.

The knock on the door was unexpected, and so Paolina did not answer it at first.

"Auntie..." one of the little girls on the floor said, stirring awake. "Are you going to get that?"

Paolina nodded, finally noticing the sound. "Yes, of course." Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked to the door and opened it.

"Quintus." She said, shocked to see him.

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Paolina...I...I'm here to offer my condolences to...to " he opened his mouth as if to say Maximus, then shut it firmly. "To Aelia." He ended at last.

Paolina nodded, opening the door a little wider so that he could come inside. "Aelia." She called up the stairs, waking two of three children in the process. There was no response.

"She is upstairs." She said, at last. "She has not been down all day. First tata and then...she thought you...you were supposed to be...I mean..."

"I had a wedding today."

"Yes." Had. Well, then it was over. She gestured toward the stairway, suddenly not caring how it looked for a married man to be alone with Aelia in a bedroom.

Quintus nodded at her in thanks and then raced up the stairs.

Quintus walked up the stairs quickly and then stopped in front ofthe nursery door. He took a deep breath and then pushed it open. Aelia was on the bed, her back turned to the door. She seemed not to hear him and Quintus walked near her. She was sleeping, an old doll pressed to her chest. Quintus felt love and tenderness surge inside himself. He would have liked to let her sleep, to admire her beautiful, peaceful and relaxed features but he had few time. He was still in punishment and could not be away from the camp for long. So he gently shook her awake.

Aelia's eyes opened and slowly focused on his face. She blinked a couple of time, probably afraid he was only a vision and then widening them as he bent down to kiss her forehead.

"My love," he whispered.

"Quintus!" she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in a crushing kiss, a kiss born from love and desperation. After some moments however she let him go and murmured, "How did the trial go?"

"As predicted. My rank of legate was stripped and I have been put on a month's leave without pay plus fifteen days of confinment, counting the last ten days as time served."

"I am so sorry...for causing so many problems...."

Quintus shook his head, "No, there is no need to feel that way. I have enough money put away to survive without pay and as fas as the promotion is concerned, I am still young, I have all the time in the world to became a legate."

Aelia smiled faintly and then was silent. They looked at each other, both dreading the question which they know she would ask. In the end Aelia could not resist anymore, "And how was the wedding?" she murmured.

"There was no wedding, my dear." Quintus told her softly.

Aelia jumped to sit in the bed, "What?" she said, a flick of hope lightening her lovely eyes.

Quintus smiled bitterly, sorry he had to kill her hopes---his hopes---so soon. "It has only been postponed. You know what happened yesterday" -- Aelia nodded, how she could forget it? --"My father is not very pleased by Fulvia's behaviour...He wants to wait to see if the emperor will forgive her or not. He does not want to be burdened with a daughter-in-law whom might damage our family's polical status instead of improving it."

Aelia nodded and smiled happily ...It does not matter that their happiness might be very short, it only mattered that in that moment, in that room they WERE happy. Quintus hugged her again and they spent many minutes simply savoring their closeness and listening to their heartbeats.

Sometime later they heard heavy footsteps along the hallway and then a light knock on the door.

"Aelia, Quintus?" It was Maximus' voice, "We are ready to start the funeral. If you would come down..."

Their friend's words returned them abruptly to the reality and Aelia felt ashamed for being so happy when her beloved uncle lay dead.

"We are coming." she replied.

"All right." Maximus returned down stair and Aelia stood up from the bed, smoothing her dress and quickly combing her hair. Then she took Quintus' hand and led him away from the room.

The funeral ceremony was brief and heartbreaking. It was followed by dinner and by the public reading of Paolinus' will. The document was simple: all of Paulinus' children were considered co-heirs of his fortune and he had also left some money for Aelia. Without much discussion -- since the family was very close and there were no rivalries among its members -- it was decided that Paolina would remain in the house for as long as she and Maximus wanted while the farm administration would be in the care of her brothers. After that all the the guest brothers returned to their homes with their families, receiving assurances that Maximus would take care of Paolina and Aelia.

When the last of the brothers had departed Quintus took Maximus by the elbow and said, "I must return. My father is expecting me and I am still confined as you know."

Maximus nodded, "Don't worry about Aelia: Caesar and General Claudius have given me permission to stay here all night and so I will keep an eye on her. Go now."

"Thank you my friend." Quintus went to Aelia to say good bye. He hugged her briefly and then stepped back: he would have liked to do more but his father --who had arrived just after the funeral as Marcus Aurelius' representative -- was waiting for him in the porch and Quintus could almost feel his eyes burning holes in his back.

"We will meet again," he whispered to Aelia before taking his leave.

The next morning Maximus returned to the camp and the cousins begin the work of cleaning the kitchen, the triclinium and the perystilium from the funeral banquet leftovers and to tidy the bedrooms that had hosted the family. The task busied them for all the morning and part of the afternoon. After that they made dinner. So, it was not surprising that when Maximus arrived in the late afternoon, he found his wife and her cousin sound asleep in their respective rooms. He simply smiled and discarding his boots and armor, joined Paolina for a little nap, feeling very content as his wife, without waking up, turned in the bed and sought refuge in his arms. He hugged her small frame tightly and slowly caressed her back. Feeling very at peace with the world and himself he closed his eyes and slept.

29

The following day Paolina and Aelia joined Maximus back in the camp. Marcus Aurelius had taken a liking for both the girls and, wanting to cheer them up and distract them from their grief, had asked Maximus what kind of entertainment he could organize for them. After Maximus had informed him both his wife and sister-in-law were skilled riders the emperor beamed, deciding to organize a horse back trip to a nearby lake. The Gods seemed to approve of this decision granting them a wonderful, sunny day. Both Paolina and Aelia liked the prospect of a ride but they lost some of their enthusiasm when they learned that Lucilla and Fulvia would join them, along with Senator Clarus and General Claudius. Quintus had to stay behind, because of his punishment and because of the fact that no one felt it was a good idea to have him near to Aelia- not in front of his father and intended bride at least. A group of twenty preatorian guards completed the riders.

The party left the camp and trotted at a leisurely pace in the direction of the lake as Maximus and Paolina took the roles of guides, illustrating to the emperor and Senator Clarus, (who followed just behind them), the various types of tree and flowers that they were seeing as they followed the grass covered path. Behind the monarch and the senator were Lucilla and Fulvia and in the back were Aelia and General Claudius.

The old soldier continued to rest his gaze on the young woman beside him...on his newly discovered granddaughter. How he longed to tell her who he was! But he was not able to find the right words to express his feelings. He had never been good at making emotional speeches and he had yet to recover by the shock of his sudden discovery.

Finally the party arrived to the lake and while Maximus and the general took care of the horses Paolina and Aelia spread the blankets on the grass for the picnic. After a while all the group sat down and began to eat the food the camp cooks had prepared for them. The conversation flow easily among the partecipants and almost everyone had a good time as Marcus Aurelius, in a very light mood began to tell his memories of the first time he had visited Gaul. Fulvia was the notably exception. The spoiled girl was furious with Aelia because she felt treatened by her. Senator Titus had postponed her marriage with his son and even if she could not care less about Quintus, she could not accept the fact the senator seemed to favor that little provincial simpleton above her. Instead of trying to restore her reputation by showing courtesy to the others and joining them in their conversations, Fulvia spent her time staying silent and brooding, thinking how she could have her vengeance. The occasion presented by itself when the two cousins decided to leave the men to search for some flowers and politely asked to Lucilla and Fulvia to join them. Lucilla refused, as predicted, but Fulvia surprised everyone by agreeding to go.

The three girls walked away and started their search. Fulvia began to pick up some flowers here and there, waiting for then to be far enough from the men to put her plan in action. When they reached the border of the forest Fulvia approached Aelia and falling in step beside her began to speak.

"Aelia, first of all I must apologize with you for my shameful behaviour. I hope you will forgive me and you too Paolina."

The cousins exchanged a look, feeling unconfortable, and merely nodded. They did not trust Fulvia: she was not the type of person who admitted her mistakes easily and certainly not with two people she considered her inferiors. And unfortunately Fulvia next moves proved them right. She feigned stumbling over a hidden branch and started to fall. Aelia reacted instinctively- bending down and offering her hand and Fulvia used that moment to act. With a sudden move she grabbed Aelia's bulla and pulled it with force, breaking the gold chain and dragging the girl to the ground. Aelia emitted a cry and Paolina turned around just in time to see Aelia land in the dirt as Fulvia ran away with the chain, a cruel smile on her lips.

"You like this, don't you? I suppose this chain is the most precious thing you own....Well you will lose it as you caused me to lose the Emperor's respect!" And, with that, she turned toward the deep river which fed the lake.

"No!!" both girls shouted at once as they realized what Fulvia planned to do. Paolina let her flowers fall and, raising the hems of her tunic began to run after her, but the other girl had too great a head start. Paolina could only watch as Fulvia threw the chain in the waters, then brushed off her skirts and walked back toward the picnic to join the rest of the group as though nothing had ever happened.

Her head bowed, Paolina turned around toward Aelia.

"I am so sorry, " she whispered to her and felt a lump constricting her throat as the the fair haired girl began to tremble and cry. Paolina hugged her cousin and together they sank down on a bed of fallen leaves. Aelia was inconsolable. The bulla had been her most treausured possession-not because of its material value, but because it was her only link to her former life in Rome and to the family she had never known.

General Claudius saw Fulvia return alone and noticed her satisfied expression. He was the only one because the emperor, the senator and Maximus were playing with the astragali. The old soldier watched the girl walk near the blanket were Lucilla was lying, sit beside her and began to whisper in her ear. He frowned seeing the cruel smile that appeared on Fulvia's lips and then started when he hear the name "Aelia". He knew what had happened in the praetorium the day he met his granddaughter for the first time and he was suddenly overwhemled by a sense of foreboding. The general stood up from the blanket and began walking quickly in the direction of the forest.

He had just stepped into the cool shadows of the wood when he heard the sound of crying and two low voices. Claudius followed the sound and approached the girls silently, keeping himself hidden behind the bushes. When he was near enough he was able to distingue the words and to hear Aelia repeat like a mantra "It was my only link with my past.." while Paolina tried in vain to console her.

The sound of his granddaughter's crying brought tears in the eyes of the hardened soldier and he decided to reveal himself. He stood up and walked near the girls.

Paolina and Aelia raised their heads when they heard his steps and then tried to quickly compose themselves. "General..." murmured Paolina.

The old man reached out a hand signalling them to be at ease. "There is no need to be ashamed or scared ...Shhh..." He stopped near them and murmured, "Would you tell me what happened, young ladies?"

The cousins exchanged a look and, at last, Aelia whispered, "I... lost my bulla in the river, sir."

"Oh," the general commented, not believing it for a moment. The pieces of the puzzle rapidly came together: Fulvia wanting to go with the cousins, her satisfied return, her cruel smile as she spoke Aelia's name while talking with Lucilla..... "I am sorry my dear, but we can buy you another."

Paolina frowned as she heard the word "we" but Aelia did not notice it.

"The bulla is irreplaceable...it was one-of-a kind...and, more importantly, it belonged to my grandmother.." she explained between her sobs.

"Yes, yes..." said the general, "I know that you are upset...But you are wrong, the necklace was not one-of-a-kind..." and with that, he reached into his pocket and retreived Antonia's other earring, putting it on the ground in front of Aelia.

Both the cousins gasped upon seeing it. Aelia's brow knit in confusion.."How...how..how did you find it?"

Claudius took a deep breath and explained, "Your bulla was one of a pair of earrings...earrings that belonged to my late wife, Antonia. It was my gift to her for our engagement...." He watched Aelia's face closely. "She died of broken heart when my daughter killed herself and my son, Claudius, escaped from home.....You see I have only one of them because the other was taken by Claudius when he ran away..." He stopped talking and waited for his words to sink into Aelia's mind.

"What are you saying?" she asked uncertain.

"That the man who had the match to this earring was my son..." The metal bauble glimmered in the sunlight. "...Your are my granddaughter Aelia....My son's only child."

"How can you be so sure?" Paolina interjected quickly- she did not want Aelia to suffer another disappointment.

"I am sure because the design of these earring is unique....I purchased the pearls during one of my travels and I took them to the jeweler. He did the design, made the jewels and then destroyed the drawing. And more than that....Aelia is the very image of her grandmother on our wedding day...the same eyes, the same hair...the same cheekbones," he smiled sadly. "...even your voice..." Claudius looked to Aelia with tenderness, his old eyes full of unshed tears.

Aelia returned the gaze, the suddenly closed her eyes, remembering why he looked so familiar when they first- he was the older version of her beloved father! Aelia moved the lips without emitting a sound and then, totally forgetting her manners, threw herself in Claudius' arms.

"Grandfather!" she whispered.

"My little Claudia!" he replied with voice full of emotion.

They hugged each other tighly and then began to laugh and cry at the same time. Paolina watched both them until Aelia reached out a hand and pulled her in their embrace.

Back in the field near the lake the men stopped their game of dice as the air began to cool. Raising his eyes to the sky Marcus Aurelius saw that the sunset was beginning and declared the picnic near its end. Maximus stood up with the others and looked around to see where Paolina was. He saw her walking back along with Aelia and General Claudius. They were still far away but Maximus could see the wide smiles that graced the three faces and wondered about them. As they neared the group he also noticed that the general was holding Aelia's hand and for just a second he had the strange notion that his commander had asked Aelia to marry him....Maximus shook his head and pushed the silly idea away.

The others noticed the unusually happy expressions as well, and the group gathered around them.

"What's going on?" asked Marcus Aurelius.

Claudius and Aelia exchanged a look and the girl nodded. The general turned to the emperor and declared proudly, "Caesar, I wish to introduce to you my granddaughter, Claudia Domitia." The assembled group stared, looking stupefied and the genera continued, recounting the entire story and ending it with his intention of adopt Aelia and give her his name.

After a moment of stunned silence, words of congratulations filled the air. The emperor himself bestowed his blessing and offered to act as a witness to the adoption ritual.

Quintus learned of the new development by his own father.

Titus Clarus burst in the tent where his son was sitting at his desk reading reports.

"Oh Quintus, my son....the Gods are smiling upon us!" The senator began in excited tones. Quintus felt a shiver run along his spine. "So," he thought, "The Emperor has forgiven Fulvia and there is no longer need to postpone the wedding. My freedom lasted only one day."

"Is Fulvia ready?" he asked resigned.

"Fulvia? Why are you speaking of her? You must speak of Aelia....Oh, Quintus, Quintus!! You don't know what happened during the trip!"

Quintus looked up sharply, barely able to restrain himself from grabbing his father's shoulders, "Aelia? What do you mean...Please, father calm down, and tell me..."

"Aelia....your Aelia is no longer a penniless and famililess girl...she is General Claudius's granddaughter!!'

"What?!" exclamed Quintus "How is it possible?"

In the next few minutes Titus calmed down enough to tell his son what had happened. Quintus listened with rapt attention, barely able to gasp the fact that his problems and obstacles had suddently disappeared. He felt as though his heart were ready to explode with joy, and he was barely able to ask,"Where is she now?"

"She is with Claudius, Maximus and Paolina in Caesar's tent...They are writing the adoption documents!"

Quintus raced to put on his uniform and rushed out of his tent, saying to himself over and over, "Please Gods, don't let it be only a dream, please Gods..."

In the Emperor's tent all the papers had been signed, thanks to the imperial scribes who had compiled them in record time. Aelia was now officially and legally Claudia Domitia- General Claudius's only relative and heir. In the beginning the girl had not realized all the implications of the afternoon revelations...her heart had swelled with happiness only knowing that she was no longer without a past, and that she had a family other than Paolina's. But now, as she listened to the Emperor list all Claudius belongings and lands - because the old man had also written a new will in her favor - she suddently realized she was no longer penniless. She was a very rich girl...she could now have an appropriate dowry ..... dowry ... Quintus!!

Aelia turned to look to Paolina and Maximus and her young relatives smiled at her...or more exactly, Paolina smiled to her while Maximus winked. Aelia could see that they had already grasped the implications of the situation. She felt overcome with joy, and started to pace nervously up and down the tent, her little lady manners for once forgotten. She hoped that Claudius and Marcus Aurelius concluded their businnes soon- she wanted to go to Quintus..to tell him...

Aelia suddently froze as Quintus head peeked inside the tent. Their eyes locked and all the rest of the tent occupants ceased to exist. They were as irresistably drawn to each other as a moth to the light and, ignoring the witnesses, they fell in each other arms just outside the tent opening.

General Claudius signed the last paper and then turned around toward his granddaughter meaning to acknowledge her with her new names in front of witnesses. His eyes widened when he saw the scene in front of him: Aelia was tightly wrapped in Lieutenant Clarus' arms, as he caressed her back gently and kissed the top of her head.

The old man was speechless and almost startled as Marcus Aurelius put his hand on his shoulder and murmured, "Amor vincit omnia." The monarch was smiling broadly because he thought the two youngsters were made for each other. General Claudius was not so sure...his granddaughter deserved only the best. With her intelligence, her education, her beauty, her breeding and her wealth she could have any one of the most elegible bachelors in the empire- including the son of the emperor himself, prince Commodus. He could not let her ruin her reputation with the third son of a not so influential senator!! He stepped forward to box the lieutenant's ears for presuming too much. Then, he suddently stopped.

Was this what he wanted to do? Wasn't what had happened to his daughter Claudia enough? Did really wanted to repeat the same mistake: forcing Aelia to marry someone of HIS choice instead that the man she loved? No, he said to himself. His stubborness had cost him already too much. Aelia had already paid the price of his inflexibility. The emperor was right, he had to let the love triumph.

Claudius exchanged a look with the Emperor and together they cleared their throats.

The combined sound entered the lover's ears and they suddently realized they had a audience. They hastily separated, and their faces blushed crimson. The emperor gestured for them to step nearer.

Quintus took Aelia's hand and together they entered the tent, their heads bowed as they waited for the inevitable reprimand.

Marcus Aurelius grinned and with a paternal smile said, "It would seem that congratulations are in order."

The two fair haired heads snapped up and two sets of wide eyes met the emperor's.

Claudius smiled too and hugged his granddaughter, "Oh darling I am so happy for you."

Quintus and Aelia stared at each other and then to Maximus and Paolina who, wrapped in each other' arms, were quetly nodding, confirming to their dear friends that they were not dreaming. They had heard correctly. The pair could marry each other.

Of course, Titus Clarus had yet to say his 'yes' but no one doubted he would give his consent...What more he could ask from a prospective bride for his son? Aelia bested Fulvia in every field and also had the approval of the emperor himself.

The only matter to be decided was when and where the wedding would take place.

30

Quintus and Aelia wished to marry as soon as possible- that night if they would have been able, but Claudius would not allow it. He wanted time to get to know his granddaughter before he "gave her away", and the young Lieutenant still had to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

Two months. That was the general's only offer, and the Clarus men were in no position to deny his demands.

The time seemed to pass at an almost interminable pace. Everyone's mind was on the future: Claudius, though relishing time with his new-found family, was frustrated by the Emperor's refusal to make a definite decision regarding the proposed treaty in the north. Every day, the first frosts- marking the end of the the campaigning season- seemed closer. The general was worried to leave his men so far from camp under the care of unseasoned Lieutenants...especially when the peace was so fragile. He wanted to send Maximus, but changed his mind. Paolina had not yet recovered from her father's death. Each day she seemed a little paler and more tired. The old man had overheard that she wasn't able to keep her food down in the mornings, and seemed to desire to do nothing but sleep. Clearly, she needed her husband. Since he felt more than a little responsible for Paolinus' passing, the general would not take him away. Maximus was also needed at the farm. The brother's had gone to their own homes to tend to the harvest, and Aelia now lived in the Praetorium with her grandfather. Sick as she was, Paolina could not manage the farm alone.

Lucilla, and Fulvia left almost as soon as Aelia's identity was revealed. Fulvia was no longer needed- and her presence undesirable. Facing the loss of her only friend, Lucilla had begged to be allowed to return as well. Still disgusted with his daughter's actions, the Emperor agreed.

Titus Clarus was also anxious for time to pass. He wanted to see his son married so that he could return to Rome. He has been away from politics for nearly two months, and each dispatch from the capitol made him itch with the desire to return home.

However, no one longed for the passing of time more feverently than Quintus and Aelia.

Unlike Paolinus, Claudius was not willing to turn a blind eye to acts of impropriety. He had tolerated the embrace at the adoption. Thereafter, he made it very clear to young Quintus that Aelia (as she continued to be called despite her new name) was to be touched only with his eyes- and even then only from the waist up. They were only allowed brief visits- always in the presence of a chaperone, and usually in front of the general himself. Of course, the prohibition only made them burn for each other all the more brightly.

Quintus could barely sleep at night as visions of Aelia's perfect form- as revealed to him in the tent the night before her ill-fated wedding- haunted his dreams.

At last, the day of the wedding arrived. Paolina came to Aelia very early in the morning to begin the preparations. There were not nearly so many things to do as for Paolina's wedding- the seemingly endless supply of servants belonging to the Emperor and the general had taken care of arranging seats for guests and preparing the feast. The girls needed only to bathe and get dressed in time for the ceremony, which would take place just before sunset.

Since they had so much time, the girls worked very slowly. Paolina and Aelia each took baths in the elegant washroom where Paolina had first overheard the empress speaking to Maximus. The tub was large enough for them both, and the lingered in the scented water until their fingers and toes grew wrinkled and soft. Dragging themselves at last from the bath, they stood on downy tigerskin while servants rubbed their skin with scented oil and soft towels. Then, they were powdered and wrapped in light silk robes before being hurried into the room where Lucilla had slept.

Their damp hair was seperated into sections, then wound around linene strips, which were tied tightly to their heads to curl. Then the servants were sent away so that the girls could rest.

"Are you nervous?" Paolina asked tenatively. As pronumba, it was her duty to be certain that Aelia was 'prepared' for what would happen that night.

"No." Aelia said with feeling, "Oh, Paolina. I am so happy! My only fear is that I will wake up and it will all be a dream."

Paolina smiled. Yes, Aelia's dreams had all finally come true. At last, she was the elegant Roman lady she had always wanted to be. Since discovering her identity, Claudius had showered her with more silver and silk than even Aelia had ever dreamed of. After the winter, when the army returned to war,

Aelia would retire to the elegant Viminal mansion in the heart of the city where she had been born. No longer would she sell flowers to the senators as they passed through the forum. She would send her own servants to buy them and to fashion garlands for her elegant parties.Oh! How Paolina would miss her. The little farm would be so empty... ..

"Paolina, are you crying?" Aelia said, rolling over on the bed that they were sharing to face her cousin.

"Y-yes.." Paolina said, sniffling a little. "I am sorry, Aelia. I am so happy for you! But also sad...our childhood is finally over. Even when I was married to Maximus things were mostly the same. Now, you will go away to Rome, and I will be here alone...Even tata is gone."

Aelia's lips turned into a frown. "Yes...I wish that he could be here..."

Aelia looked at her hands, feeling suddenly very solemn. "But why must you remain at the farm at all? Come with me to Rome!"

"What?"

"We could both return here when the winter comes again...there is no reason for you to stay all alone- it is not as though I know anyone in Rome. I would be just as lonely as you. I am sure that grandfather would allow it."

Paolina blinked. Rome! Like any provincial, she was curious about the great capitol, but she had never dreamed that she would actually see it. Even Maximus, who had seen much of the empire through his travels in the legions had not been to the seat of power. "Perhaps." she said at last, still a little uncertain.

Paolina fell silent while she considered the offer, and when she turned to speak again, Aelia was fast asleep. The cousin soon joined her in slumber, and it was several hours later that the gentle voice of the slave girls coaxed them back away.

Now, preparations for the wedding began in earnest. The tightly bound curls were unwound and tousled slightly as the hairdressers prepared the intricate styles that the ladies would wear. Paolina's hair was gathered high on top of her head, a single strand tightly braided and interwoven with gold

ribbon, which was them wrapped around her head so that she resembled a statue of a Greek Goddess. Although the style was universally lamaneted as terribly ugly, Aelia was too much a lady to choose anything but the dreaded "tutulus" arrangement for her own wedding style. With a spearpoint from her grandfather's own arms, Aelia's hair was divided into six sections, then coiled again, and rolled into little balls which rested atop her head.

Next, cosmetics were applied- lightly, since neither girl was accustomed to wearing them, and at last, they prepared to dress. It was tradition that the bride recieved these garments from her mother. Indeed, Paolina herself had worn her mother's gown- only the shoes had been changed. Since Aelia's

mother had never had a wedding gown to share, Paolina had brought her own with her from the house for Aelia to borrow. She had pointed it out to the servants, and expected to find it laid out on the bed, but it was not.

"Where-" she started to say...and then she saw what the slave-girls were carrying in their arms.

The dress was a butter yellow silk. So finely woven that it was nearly translucent, rendered modest only by the thick, hand-woven girdle worn to be worn beneath. Over the garment, there was a

second, shorter tunica of soft salmon at the hem but, moving up the fabric, growing deeper and deeer in color until it was a bright orange. Finally, finer even than the yellow undergarment, was a vermillion veil. Paolina clapped her hands in wonderment.

"It was your grandmother's" The servant said, displaying it for Aelia's review. "And your Aunt Claudias' as well. The general sent for it from Rome."

Aelia reached out to touch the cloth, a tear glimmering in her eyes.

There were more presents from her grandfather as well- orange blossoms for her hair, carried by courier all the way from Judea where they were still in season, kept cool in bags of snow until they could arrive, an imago of Aelia that he had commissioned for his personal shrine and, finally, a small

box wrapped in parchment. Aelia lifted it very slowly.

"Look!" She said, as the item beneath it came into view. "There is something for you as well." She picked up the second item, a box with Paolina's name on it. "Open yours first."

Excitedly, Paolina tore away the wrappings, then sighed happily as she discovered a lovely golden bracelet for her arm. It had a simply pattern of oak leaves on the outside, and in the inside it was an inscription which read. "Dearest sister. Beloved friend.". Paolina frowned. "It is lovely- but why would the general give me such a thing?"

Aelia sighed. "It is not from the general, it is from me." Aelia hugged her cousin tightly. "You have stood by me even in the darkest hours. I do not know how I would make due without you."

Paolina smiled. "Let us hope that we never have to find out."

Next, Aelia opened her present. It was another necklace. This one had small rubies and an orange stone that the girls had never seen which matched the wedding attire.

They dressed quickly, and then spent what seemed like hours standing in the room, waiting for their signal to arrive.

At last the moment came. They entered the imperial throne room, where Titus, Claudius, and the Emperor were engaged in inspection of the marriage contract. Quintus was watching his father, but he seemed to sense Aelia's arrival.

He looked up.

The expression on his face was one of absolute wonder. Amazement that the moment had ever happened, but also awe that he could every be loved by such a rarified creature as Aelia. She seemed like a goddess floating toward him, and he burned for her touch. He barely listened to the ceremony, hearing himself repeat his vows as though he were in another room. His heart beat wildly as Aelia repeated her own.

It was over.

They were married.

Quintus clasped Aelia's hands tightly, longing to kiss her. His torture had lasted so long! It was as though they had been trapped in a prison of glass- able to see the other, hear the other, smell the other- but never, ever touch....At last he was her husband!

Claudius directed the guests toward the triclinium. The tents had been rearranged to allow more couches to be brought in. All the important businessman and high ranking officers in the province were in attendance. The emperor himself would offer a toast. After a few moments of confusion, the

guests settled into their places, and the emperor raised his glass to offer a toast.

"To-" he held his cup in the direction of the couch reserved for Aelia and Quintus. His lower lip dropped slightly, and then a deep, amused smile broke across his face. He scanned the room, and then lifted his cup again. "To Quintus Clarus, and his wife- Aelia Claudia Domitia Clara....whereever they may be."

There was a moment of suprised silence, and then the guests broke in raucuos laughter.

The bride and groom were nowhere to be found.

Aelia's heart felt as though it would explode, and her chest was heaving with exertion. She didn't know if it was from the sprint that she and Quintus had made from the ceremony, or her nervousness that they would be caught. She was certain that they could not remain unnoticed for long-- oh,

but it was worth the risk! She could wait no longer...and Quintus felt the same.

They had run all the way to his usual officer's quarters. Tidy. Cramped. Not at all decorated for the wedding. The only furnishings were a wide desk and a simple bed. It was all the the newlyweds would need. Aelia walked timidly toward the mattress and sat upon its edge.

Quintus reached his hand toward his wife's face, caressing her cheekbone lightly with his fingertips. How wonderful it was to finally touch her! His nerves seemed to hum with joy. For so long, loving Aelia had meant want....at last, it could mean fulfillment. He reached for the tight coils of her hair, and removed the pins by which they were bound. Carefully, he unrolled each lock, releasing it into tight, rose-scented curls which hung about her waist.

Very slowly, Quintus pulled his hand away, reaching for the fastenings of his breastplate. Aelia hurried to her feet to assist him. Their fingers brushed as they nervously fumbled with the clasps. At last, the armor slipped away, and Aelia ran her hands along the soft wool of his tunic, feeling the hard planes of his muscles below. She felt as though she should linger there, memorizing each detail of his form- savoring the luxury of time that their marriage now afforded her, but her need was too great.

Once, when she was very small, Aelia had swam with Paolina and her brother's in the river that bordered their farm. Although they had warned her not to go too far, Paolina had bet her that she could not swim across.

She had taken the bet, nearly reaching the middle before the current had pushed her off course, carrying her downstream too quickly for her muscles to fight. She had struggled futilely against the rushing stream and, at last, it had pulled her under. She held her breath, kicking wildly for the

surface, but it never seemed to come. She had kicked and clawed until, finally, everything had gone dark. Her first memory afterwards was of Tertius, Paolina's middle brother, pulling her to the shore, her lungs filling at last with the oxygen they craved.

Standing with Quintus now in his darkened chambers, Aelia felt as though she were taking that first breath of air. She wanted to take him in in great gulps, gorging on that which had been forbidden, until she was certain that it could not be taken from her again.

Aelia's hands moved beneath the hem of her husband's tunica, retracing the route they had taken on its surface, caressing the broad line of his chest, the gentle ridges of his stomach, and lightly brushing his thighs. She let her fingers trail across the front of the loincloth, feeling the first stirrings of his desire, and then she drew him close, quietly urging the tunic over his head.

Quintus complied, holding himself a bit apart from her embrace so that she could see his body, relieved to see the enjoyment she took from the sight. He was scarred in places, as any brave soldier was apt to be, but he was also battle hardened and well-formed.

Powerful.

Aelia shuddered at the definition of his biceps and thighs, imaging his strength that would back his passion.

"Now you." Quintus whispered, slowly drawing away the girl's veil. Moving very slowly, as if his intent were to torture her, he folded the fabric into a tidy square which he placed atop the desk. Then he reached for her arms, running his palm upwards from her wrist to her shoulder, finally stopping at the golden clasps which held the overtunic in place. It was quickly dispensed with. Then the second, longer garment, was raised abover her head.

Only the girdle remained- a tricky, and archaic article of clothing. Basically, it was yet another tunica, pinned betwen her legs like pantalets, held to her body with a golden cord. The cord- therein lay the challenge. It was the knot of Hercules, a cultural allusion to the legend of the great hero.. It was a knot which only a husband could untie on the night of his wedding. While the Lieutenant held a keen appreciation for tradition, he began to sense that it was more a joke on the nuptial couple than a truly revered observance. Whomever had tied Aelia's knot had taken the business seriously, the lines were so tightly coiled that he could not get his fingers between them to ease them apart. He sighed in frustration, and Aelia's trembling hands intervened to help.

The electric touch of her skin only made Quintus more frantic. Aelia's nearness cast a spell on him, and his desire could no longer be ignored. His erection strained against its thin covering, urging toward his wife, ready to claim her as his bride- if not for the damn knot!

Leaving the hopeless task to her husband, Aelia leaned forward and inhaled the musky, evergreen scent of his body. She pulled his head toward his chest, nuzzling his ear and then, tracing its edges with her tongue.

The movement elicited a sigh of satisfaction, and one of Quintus's hands abandoned the knot, resting finally on the swell of her bottom, pushing her forcefully to the evidence of his need.

The contact sent shivers along the woman's spine. Never in her life had she experienced such a powerful desire. Every fiber seemed magnetically drawn to him. In her core, a slow, throbbing ache had begun, a mixture of pleasure and pain. The sensation built as his fingers caressed her back and thighs.

She arched toward him again.

"Aelia." Quintus said hoarsely. He silence himself on her breast, taking one of the snowy mounds to his lips and suckling it gently. Aelia's toes scrunched in delight and her fingers twined in his hair, drawing him harder against her, begging him to linger.....

His breath growing faster, Quintus pushed Aelia onto the bed. She was surprised by the icy sensation of the sheets on her bare shoudlers, and through the filmy fabric of the girdle. He laid atop her, attending to the other breast now, as his hands groped restlessly along her side.

Between her legs, Aelia could feel the hot pressure of his sex. He rubbed aginst her, mimicing the act they would soon complete, taunting them both with the gentle friction which, though pleasureable, could not give them the release they desired.

Finally releasing her breasts, Quintus gathered Aelia in a deep kiss. She squirmed in surprise as she felt his tongue inside her mouth, and then sighed as he used it to caress her. She did not stop to worry over how he had obtained his expertise. She was like clay in his hands, soft and yielding, perfectly attuned to every advance he offered...

But she was not merely passive. Aelia had desires as well, and she made them known, sliding her hand inside the waist of his covering, and taking his steely member in her hand.

"Aelia..." Quintus groaned as her fingers closed around the turgid flesh.

Almost involuntarily, he pushed forward, sliding her hand along the shaft, teaching her how to give him pleasure. She repeated the motion, sliding her index finger along the tip, incresing pressure as her confidence grew...

"Aelia..." he repeated the word over and over as her rythmn increased, it was like a mantra. In a way, meaningless, while at the same time cleary expressing his hunger in ways that no other words do.

She started as he savagely pushed her hand away, gasping, and pulling their bodies apart.

"Did I--" the question was silenced with a firm kiss, and then he returned to stroking her cheek as he lay beside her and gulped for breath. Finally his breathing somewhat slowed, and he rolled back toward her body.

His fingers went for the knot again. His hands clawed at the tangle, only worsening the mess, and at last he made a sound of despair.

"Oh, dammit." He muttered under his breath, and in a movement almost too quick to see, he removed a dagger from beneath the bed, and cut the cord in too.

In a rush, the garment seemed to slip away, spilling Aelia's nakedness onto the mattress, and her husband sighed in relief. The dagger, and the girdle slipped to the floor, and he gathered Aelia tightly into his arms.

She reached for him again, but he stilled her hand. "Your turn." He murmured, and in the next moment, Aelia inhaled a sharp and startled breath. His fingers were between her legs, exploring the soft folds of her body, and siexing upon the bundle of sensitive flesh at the head of her opening. She shuddered as he stroked her, his fingertips coaxing sensations for which she had no words- only incoherent moans to express her delight.

Quintus continued the motions, gratified by the abandon with which his wife recieved her pleasure. His hands lingered, coaxing her body to relax until she was wet and hot- as ready for him as he was for her. His cravings would no longer be denied.

Aelia felt no pain as Quintus entered her, only a heavy sense of fulfillment that seemed to settle to her very bones. Then, as he began to move, an incredible fullness.

There was gentleness, but not restraint.

Quintus had been denied too long to take her softly. He thrust deep and hard, branding her as his bride, drawing ragged gasps of pleasure at each stroke. He murmured appreciatively as their bodies moved together. The sank together again and again, their passion filling the small space with heat. Aelia's fingers clenched and unclenched unvoluntarily as each stroke filled her with fresh shimmers of delight.

"Quintus." Aelia's thoughts had begun to swim. Inside her body was a spring being wound very tight and finally.....

They came together, their mingled cries of pleasure carrying audibly into the night. Quintus held his bride tightly as his seed spilled between her thighs, his eyes firmly shut, unable to bear further stimulation of any fashion. At last, passion spent, he collapsed beside her, drawing her back against his chest...

At the dinner, Paolina blushed at her cousin's absence. She lowered her head as the laughter in the room slowly tapered back into polite conversations.

"Perhaps she is merely lost..." she whispered to Maximus, but this drew a hearty laugh.

"I'm afraid I know Quintus better than that..." He patted her thigh. "I'm afraid *you* know *Aelia* better than that."

Paolina nodded weakly.

Maximus frowned. "Selene, are you alright?" He stroked her hair gently. "You seem pale..."

"It is the closeness in here." She said, gesturing t the crowded room. "Perhaps I need some air."

"I'll come with you."

"No."

Paolina rose unsteadily to her feet. She walked toward the tentflap that would lead to the courtyard....and then she swooned.

Luckily, Maximus had ignored her assurances. He was no more than a foot behind her when she fell, and caught her in his strong arms, but this was little consolation. He had suspected that his wife was ill for more than two months- this was confirmation.

"Cicero!" Maximus called for his servant as he hurriedly carried Paolina into the hall.

"Sir?" The boy asked, rushing over.

"Call a surgeon! Paolina needs help."

"Immediately!" Cicero said, breaking into a run.

Maximus carried Paolina to his room. Her eyes were open again before they arrived.

"Let me walk..." Paolina begged him, but he would not comply.

"No." he insisted. "You're in no condition for that. The doctor will be here in a minute."

Even as he spoke, the man had arrived. He was an old, kindly looking Greek who looked at her with concern.

"I will take care of her." he directed Maximus. "Please wait outside."

Maximus did as he was told.

Paolina meekly obeyed as the doctor took her pulse and listened to her chest. He asked her to describe her symptoms, which were short and rather tersely announced. She was merely tired, she insisted, a little nauseaous in the mornings.

"When was your last blood?" The doctor asked.

Paolina's face grew crimson at the question. "I....I haven't been paying attention..." She confessed "Before tata died..." She shrugged and added, even more embarassed before. "I am not...not always regular.....it is hard to tell."

The doctor merely nodded and then asked her to unfasten her tunica. Mortified, hoping that Maximus would not come in and see what the man was doing, she did as she was told. The man examined her breasts, and then pressed on one lightly.

"Ow!" Paolina winced, and quickly re-fastened the tunica. "They're sore..." She said with a fierce frown, "and I don't see-"

But now the man's hands were on her belly, gently pushing the area around her navel. Paolina shivered. She had only seen it done once before- when their neighbor had had tumors in his stomach. She felt a shiver along her spine. Would she die?

"Call your husband back in." The doctor said abruptly.

Paolina searched his face. Why couldn't he tell her what was wrong alone? Trembling, she sent for Maximus.

The Legate's face was a picture of concern. The doctor could tell that the man would be devastated to learn that anything was wrong with his young wife, and so he patted the man on the knee and told him to sit down. Maximus did so, settling beside Paolina and taking her hand tightly.

"I am sorry to tell you that Paolina will not be better for some time..." the man began. If possible, Maximus' face went even whiter. His grip was so tight that Paolina nearly yelped in pain, but the doctor's next words brought relief. "But when she does, it will be worth the trouble....you are expecting your first child."

Maximus and Paolina looked at each other with surprise and then their faces erupted into wide grins. They were going to have a baby!! The couple hugged and Maximus kissed Paolina's face.

The polite sound of throat clearing recalled them to reality and they both flushed crimson when they remembered they were not alone. The surgeon, the same one the year before had given them the medicines that had saved Aelia's life, smiled gently to them and said, "Congratulations."

Maximus nodded, squeezing Paolina's hand. "Thank you."

"Now I want to give you same advice. Paolina, I want you to take a tonic that I will prepare for you everyday, it will help you giving you strength even if you can't keep the food in your stomach. You must avoid rigourous works and of course no more horse rides untill the baby is born, which should be sometime around next June. I will visit you every month to be sure everything is proceding well, all right?"

Paolina nodded smiling, "Of course sir, thank you sir."

"Don't call me that. My name is Manlius. I have patched Maximus up so many times, since he joined the army, that I consider him my favorite patient....and as his wife you are special too!" The doctor collected his belonging and added, "Now I go. Stay here, I will send a servant with the first dose of the tonic. Its effect is immediate so you will be able to return to the banquet. I will also send the necessary ingredients and instructions to prepare it in your home." He smiled again at the young woman, whose face was no longer ashen, then gestured to Maximus with his head, indicating he had to follow him outside. The Legate frowned but complied.

When they were out Manlius looked at the younger man and asked, "You love your wife very much, don't you?" Maximus nodded, not understanding. The doctor smiled, "Well, this will be difficult but you must adere to my instructions..."

"What instructions?" said Maximus a little bit frustrated.

"No strenuos work, remember? And no rides... of any kind..." Manlius gave him a meaningful look and Maximus blushed, finally understanding. "Your wife is a petite woman and this is the first child. This is bound to be difficult, so it is better to be prudent than sorry...all right?"

Maximus nodded again, than shook Manlius' hand in thanks before returning to his wife, mentally chosing the words to tell her about the doctor final advice. Knowing Paolina's passionate soul those will be the hardest to follow...

When they returned in the banquet hall they were surprised to see that Aelia and Quintus had joined the guests and were eating with gusto. Maximus squezeed Paolina's hand and whispered in her ear, "I suppose they need to replinish their strength!"

Paolina nodded, seeing how radiant their faces were. Aelia no longer wore the wedding dress but another one in fine pale pink silk, and her hair was loose on her shoulders. Quintus still wore his uniform but Maximus' sharp eyes saw that one of the buckles of his leather armor was undone.

Marcus Aurelius raised his eyes from his plate and smiled when he saw Maximus and Paolina return to their seats. He lowered his goblet and asked, "I assume that everything is all right?"

Maximus beamed, "Yes Caesar, it is all right...more than all right."

The emperor cocked his head and replied, "Oh?" Then, noting Paolina's shy but radiant smile, added "Do you have something to announce, my boy?"

Maximus looked at the monarch surprised -both by the fact the old man seemed to already what was going on, and that he had called him 'my boy' in front of a hall full of high ranking officers and politicians. The legate turned to his wife, taking her hand in his, and with a proud voice declared, "My wife and I are going to have a child."

The hall burst into a chorus of cheers and applauses. Marcus Aurelius smiled broadly- happy that his two favorite soldiers, old General Claudius and young Legate Maximus, were both having such a wonderful day.

31

Lost in their happiness, no one seemed to notice how quickly the months began to flee.

Caesar at last returned to the South and the Northern Legions returned home for the winter. Although negotiations had not concluded, the truce had held- there were no more skirmishes.

Maximus spent almost all of his time at the little farm which he shared with his wife. He felt bathed in happiness as he watched her figure grow rounded and full. In spite of the doctor's warnings, the feminine beauty of her changing body was often too tempting to resist, though the Spaniard was careful to contain his enthusiasm. He hired many new servants to help around the house- two for cleaning, one for cooking, one to carry little items that Paolina needed from other parts of the house- to make sure that she would never need to lift a finger, even when he was away.

At least once per week, Quintus and Aelia would come to dinner. They had moved into the cottage which sat on the property earmarked by Paolinus for Aelia's dowry, and which later descended to her by his will. The quarters were cramped, but cozy, and no amount of pleading from her grandfather could convince the girl to return to his elegant quarters at the camp. She visited the main house often during her days- that is, when she was not overseeing the project she had commenced. Aelia devised the perfect use for the money Paolinus had left her along with the land. Though expensive and difficult, she commissioned a stone wall along the property, set into the ground with a mixture of hardened ash, the boundaries between Paolinus' and Publius' land would never be questioned again.

Aelia, who hoped to soon share Paolina's condition, was very solicitous about the pregnancy. She inquired often about the little pains that her cousin felt, and what it was like to sense the child moving inside of her. She hoped very much that the baby would be a girl, and had already begun accumulating presents for the child in anticipation of her role as doting aunt.

Not wanting to disappoint her, Paolina kept to herself the knowledge that the child she carried was a son. She had seen his face on the night that he was conceived, and he continued to come to her in dreams. A son.... She smiled as she imagined Maximus as a father, holding the tiny baby in his arms and, much later, teaching the boy to ride and tending to the animals in the fields. There would be other babies, of course, (thirteen more! she thought with a smile), but the first would always be special.

Perfect happiness rarely lasts, however, and the wintering period was cut far shorter than anyone had expected. Maximus hoped (while admitting that the chances were slim), that he would still be at home when the child was born, but it was not to be. In mid-March, Claudius received the news that the chieftain with whom he had arranged the fragile peace had been slain.

Tensely, the army prepared to march. Then, in the first week of April, the Barbarians struck.

It was as though a chill went through the entire town, rather than striking a fort or encampment on the furthest edge of incursion, a raiding party had attacked a village only twenty miles from the little town where they lived.

Two day's ride...Everyone seemed caught up in fear. Maximus assured his little wife that she was perfectly safe. Even the most daring tribes would avoid the winter quarters of the legions...but in the back of his mind, there was still a prickling of fear. Other raids followed- and in far more distant portions of the patrol. It was as though the tribes were trying to force a division of forces- placing garrisons in every populated city seemed the only way to protect against the attacks- and that would spread resources much too thin.

At last, at the end of April, Claudius gave the order that Quintus and Maximus had been dreading. It was time to march. His spies had located the mastermind behind the uprisings throughout the valley, and hoped, rather than believed, that a firm action could curb the attacks.

Very sadly, Quintus and Maximus took leave of their young wives. Aelia returned to the farmhouse so that she would not be alone, and so that she could see to her cousin's care. Maximus marveled at how much harder it was to leave his wife this year than it had been the last (though even then the separation had been terrible). Would it worsen every year?

With heavy hearts, the soldiers mounted their horses and headed north.

Paolina was too large now to walk through the woods to her rock to say goodbye, and so she spent her evening curled against a pillow, shedding miserable tears into her empty bed.

The entire camp was deserted now. The tents had all been removed, and there were only open gates, patches of dead grass and muddy, rutted roads to show that the place had even existed. Manlius had joined the armies on their march, and so Paolina's care had been entrusted to a local midwife, named Tertulla.

The first month after Maximus' absence passed remarkably quickly. It was birthing season for the horses, and Paolina was caught up in the excitement of new life. It was always a happy time, but this year she herself would become a mother, and so the wobbling, spindly legs of the new colts, and the

fluffy yellow backs of ducklings seemed even more captivating than usual. She was not often permitted to walk around the farm, but when she was, she inevitably went to the barn to see the little babies and imagine her own child.

As time wore on, she became heavier and heavier. The skin on her stomach ached from stretching, and her back seemed continually to throb whenever she walked. Her son was an active child, his limbs in an almost constant state of motion. Each position he chose seemed to bring a different problem. When he laid on her stomach, she would be unable to eat, and forced to chew chalk to fight back the painful acid that would rise to her chest. When he rested forward, it was difficult to move. When he moved his arms, they would strike her ribs and kidneys, bending her over with the sudden, sharp flickers of pain...and when he quieted down, his head would lay on her bladder, sending her on almost constant trips to the bathroom. The constant minor discomforts of pregnancy seemed weighted together began to take their toll. As she had been in the beginning, Paolina wanted only to lie on her bed. Even the tonic no longer worked.

Aelia called the midwife frequently, and Tertulla simply ordered rest. Although she did not want to alarm the girls, she was growing slightly concerned. The baby was larger than she had expected-and there was still nearly a month to grow. Paolina's body gave all the signs that it was ready to give birth, but the child had not yet turned. She ordered the young mother to take frequent walks, and prayed that the tactic would convince the baby to move...

Now that Paolina was mostly confined to bed, Aelia ran the house. The servants were a great help in tending the farm and preparing meals, but with only two young women in the home- and Paolina requiring little other than meals and entertainment to be brought to her room- there was not always enough to do.

And so, one mid-May morning, when Paolina was sleeping late, Aelia sent the servants into town. She busied herself in the study preparing a letter to her husband, and was surprised when their little errand girl quickly returned.

"Mistress!" She cried, running into the house. "Mistress Aelia! Mistress Paolina, you must leave now!"

"What ?" Aelia asked, frowning. "What are you talking about?" She rose from the desk, sliding her letter into the dresser.

"You have to hurry and go!!! The barbarians are making a raid. They've been to Gergovia just last night!"

"What?" Aelia gasped, her blood running cold.

"Gergovia is fallen! There were thirty or forty families killed. It's a party of about two hundred men. They've called out the auxiliaries but..."

The mistress's face was very white, her mind raced. Was it possible that the hordes had slipped so far beyond the borders? Her last letter of Quintus had implied considerable success in containing the tribes in the East...was this their plan? To draw pressure off of their main forces by tempting the

legions to divide? Her mind felt foggy and slow.

"Go to the barn." Aelia said at last. "Order the wagon hitched to the horses....I want the mattress carried out of my room and loaded on board...Paolina will have to ride that way."

The girl nodded and headed outside. Aelia ran upstairs to her cousin's room.

32

Aelia was shocked at how pale and sweaty she found her cousin.

"Paolina!" She gasped. "What is wrong!"

The other girl turned her face toward Aelia wearily. Her skin seemed lined and tired.

"It started after midnight..." She whispered, her voice scratchy and parched.

"You didn't call me!"

"It isn't bad...." She gritted her teeth as another wave of pain began, and fell silent, concentrating on remaining quiet as she waited for the sensation to subside. "...it's only...only a little bit...no need to get

Tertulla yet..."

Aelia realized, at last, that Paolina was trying to be brave. No doubt she thought it would do her credit, as the wife of a legate, to withstand her labor stoically and without uttering a peep. Her companion sighed in exasperation and fear. "Oh, Paolina...we cannot get Tertulla at all....the city is being evacuated!"

"What?" Paolina's tired face seemed even dimmer.

"The barbarians are conducting a raid...they were in Gergovia just last night...." She bit her lip, unsure of what to do. "Oh, Paolina...can you travel?"

The question was answered as another wrenching contraction contorted Paolina's face. So soon? She was on the verge of delivery- she could not be moved.

"I can't find the grooms!" the little errand girl burst breathlessly into the room. "I've searched everywhere. They must have gone into town with the others...."

"When will they be back?"

"They WON'T be back." The girl said, mournfully. "I saw them leave with the first villagers...the barbarians are on their way...oh!!!"

Aelia could hear in the girl's thin voice how she wished that she had left with the others, and the woman was touched by her servant's devotion.

"It's alright." Aelia said , reassuringly. "We will remain here. We are far from the river...they will bypass this farm."

"But...."

"And we will hide." Aelia said quickly. "Soon...first there is much to do....go and fetch Mistress Paolina some water. Then I will tell you what to do."

The girl hurried off to do as she was told. Aelia leaned over the bed and stroked her cousin's hair. "Try to relax, Paolina. Everything will be alright. You will see." She hoped that the other woman could not sense the lack of conviction in her words. She left the room in a hurry, running toward the nursery, where she stripped the mattress off of her bed and rolled it under her arm. Flying down the stairs, she went to the kitchen. Her heart pounded as she pulled back the woven rug and grasped the metal ring which covered the entrance to the vegetable cellar.

She shivered as she walked down the rickety stairs. The cellar was kept for storing produce and unchurned cream. It smelled slightly of spoiled milk and wilted vegetables, and it was very dark. Shivering, a little bit afraid, Aelia lowered the mattress onto the damp soil.

Hurrying back upstairs, she nodded at the serving girl who was giving Paolina some water.

"Bring a clean knife, some blankets, and a bucket of water to the cellar." She said hastily, then she hurried out again.

She went to her uncle's study, rummaging hastily through the drawers searching for a knife or short sword that she could use to defend herself if necessary. She cried out in frustration as the attempt proved fruitless. It was not a military family. She settled for a slim silver letter-opener which

she slid into the hem of her skirt and moved to the kitchen again to collect some food when she froze. There was smoke....she squinted. Smoke coming from her house- the cottage that she and Quintus had shared for the winter! Had the tribesmen already arrived? Her heart hammering in her chest, Aelia

dropped the food and ran to he cousin's room.

"Circe!" She cried, summoning the girl to her aid. "Help me!"

Paolina's contractions were coming very fast now, and the movement nearly made her collapse with pain, but there was no time to wait. Struggling to support the other woman's weight, Aelia and Circe transported Paolina down the stairs, and then, barely squeezing her distended abdomen through the

opening in the floor, lowered her to the cellar floor. She was arranged on the mattress, the dirt quickly brushed away, and covered with a warm blanket. Aelia retrieved a carrot from one of the bins and gave it to her cousin to bite- she could not afford to cry out now...

She strained her ears upwards, searching for any sound, but there was none....did she dare stick her head outside.

"The rug!" Circe whispered.

Aelia shivered. She had not been able to pull it back over the door...If the invaders saw it, their hiding place would be betrayed.

"I will get it." Aelia said, gathering her courage. "But I will not be able to return." For the rug to remain in place, the door could not be opened again.

"No, I will do it." Circe said bravely. "I do not know how to bring the baby, and Paolina needs you here."

Aelia nodded, very grateful.

"Very well....when you get outside, try to run for the spring house. You should be safe there."

The girl nodded, wide-eyed, she skittered up the ladder. The door was closed, there was a scooting sound as the rug was returned to its place, and then a light, tapping knock, as if to say "good luck" before the girl's light footsteps raced away.

Aelia simply stared upwards at the door, praying to the Gods that her brave helper would escape unharmed.

"*ohhhh*" Paolina's soft sigh finally recaptured her cousin's attention.

"Oh, Paolina..." she said quietly. "I am so sorry..."

"No...no...I am sorry..." She moaned again. "You should leave with Circe. I'll...I'll be okay..."

"As If I would leave my cousin alone....Besides, I would rather face the barbarians than your husband if I let anything happen to you." She said, drawing a faint smile at last.

The afternoon seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Paolina's labor continued very strong, but she did not seem to make any progress. The desperation of the situation finally overcoming the girl's modesty, Aelia checked for the baby's position, and was alarmed to discover that the child had barely moved at all. What was taking so long?

"Perhaps you should stand." Aelia advised, after another hour of agonizing, and fruitless labor. With no mother or close neighbors, she had never witnessed a birth, but she had overheard stories in the town, and Tertulla had described them to her in detail so that she could assist in her cousin's care. Painfully, Paolina clamored to her feet, and Aelia held her under the arms, trying to support her weight as the terrible contractions continued.

Still, the afternoon wore on. Time and again, Aelia reached for the trapdoor, only to hear a shuffling or creaking sound that would frighten her away. Once the door was opened, there was no way to shut it again without being discovered. She would have to wait.

"Aelia!..." Two hours later, Paolina bit hard into the little carrot and twisted on her bed. Although the cellar was cool, her body was drenched in sweat. The baby still had not moved, and the only change was that Paolina's condition was rapidly deteriorating. Reached downward to check once more,

hoping to find at least a small sound of progress, but sucked in her breath as she found only blood.

"What is it?" Paolina asked, through her belabored breaths, she could see the look of fear on her cousin's face.

"It is....oh, Paolina. I must go and find Tertulla!" She said at last. She was in despair- realizing at last that her cousin might actually die.

"No you-"

Both of the girls fell silent as heavy bootsteps echoed on the floor above.

Footsteps crossed the floor, and then there was a muffled shout- a name?

Aelia's hands felt like ice. The words were foreign. The barbarians had truly come.

Even Paolina seemed to momentarily forget her physical torment as the fear of the invaders filled her limbs with ice. The sound of more footfalls- and then a crashing of furniture and plates mingled in the air with more barbarian chants.

Aelia could smell the tangy scent of burning pitch. A torch? Was it nightfall already? And then she shivered again. What if they meant to burn the house? There would be no way to escape. She fought to maintain her calm.

The footsteps and muffled voices continued for more than an hour. Aelia realized at last that the men were eating the food which she had been preparing for breakfast. She was tense all over, knowing that the attackers were so close...that she had no where to run. She was filled with worry over Paolina as well. The bleeding continued, slow, but steady. After so many hours of fighting the endless pain, she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Finally, seeing that Paolina had slumped into blackness, Aelia allowed herself to cry. The only check on her hot tears was the terrible certainty of what would happen if her sobs were overheard, and so, she placed her mouth very firmly against the crumpled mattress, hiding her aching sobs in its thick pads.

She had begun a little ritual to pass the time. Listening above for a few seconds, then checking Paolina's pulse, and pouring a little trickle of water across her lips. Wouldn't they ever leave? The fear of the house being burned had been replaced by a desire that something- anything- would occur to end the terrible waiting.

At last, she got her wish. With a suddenness that almost made Aelia drop the flask of water she held to her cousins lips, there was the sound of a dozen boots simultaneously hitting the floor, and then confused shouts as they exited the house.

Were they gone? Still, Aelia could not risk opening the door to see. Distantly, the shouts continued, echoed with new sounds, horses, clangs...the sounds grew more and more distant, until at last they faded away.

"Paolina!?!"

"Aelia!?!"

"Paolina!?!"

Aelia wondered at first whether she had truly opened her eyes or not, the blackness of the room was so complete. Had she fallen asleep? Was that possible? Suddenly remembering the desperation of the situation, her hands raced toward Paolina's chest.

Her heart was still beating, but slowly...beneath the gentle pressure of

her forearm, Aelia could feel that the contractions still continued. Tears pricked at her sightless eyes. When would it end?

"Paolina!"

"AELIA!"

She gasped...those voices were almost like...

"AELIA!"

Quintus! Her heart rose in her chest, and she clawed toward the opening. It had not been a dream. They were rescued!

"Quintus!" Aelia called back, tears surging once more to her eyes.

Footfalls pattered into the kitchen anxiously, and then stopped, turning aimlessly, as though they were confused.

"Quintus!" She called again hoarsely, groping in the darkness for the door.

"There!" it was Maximus' voice now, and with a gentle slump, she heard him fall to his knees and seize the metal ring.

The suddenness of light after such long darkness- even though it was merely the dim flickering of the chandelier overhead, hurt her eyes, and she briefly turned away.

"Aelia!" Quintus shouted again, pushing in front of his friend and reaching for her wrists. He grabbed them and lifted her quickly out of the darkness.

"Oh, Aelia..." He murmured, rocking her back and forth as he crushed her against his chest. "My darling...when I saw the cottage I thought...."

His voice trailed off as Aelia pushed slightly away from him, seeking Maximus' eyes.

"Paolina!" She said, jerking her chin toward the cellar.

Maximus took a tentative step forward.

"You must send for the doctor."

"It is-?" His features were very tight.

"Yes...oh, Maximus." Her lips quivered. "It has been terrible. Hours and hours, but the baby hasn't moved....she is bleeding. You must fetch the doctor quickly."

"Carus!" Maximus called, and a young infantryman, limping slightly from a shallow wound to his leg, hurried into the room. "Fetch the surgeon...Immediately."

The boy opened his mouth as if to remind the legate that the surgeon was busy repairing their own wounded, but the officer's voice did not admit reply.

"Yes sir." He said, darting away.

Lighting an oil lamp on the table, Maximus lowered himself into the cellar.

He took a ragged breath as he saw his wife's body.

"Is she...?"

"She's alive." Aelia said, reluctantly leaving the sanctuary of her husband's arms. "For now..."

Maximus hesitated a moment more, and then he gathered the unconscious woman into his arms and began the difficult task of bringing her back up out of the cellar. Leaving the task to the men, Aelia scurried toward the bedroom. The chaos of their once ordered home was unsettling. The invaders had

clearly stripped all the items of worth that they could lay their hands on, and had destroyed many of the things that could not be easily carried away. She tried to ignore these things as she prepared the bedroom for her cousin's arrival.

The bed in the main room was shattered, but the nursery had been left more or less intact. No doubt the burly barbarians expected to find little of interest in a chamber filled with children's toys, and so the little bed was still whole and upright. In the cabinet beside it, clean sheets were left undisturbed. Aelia changed the linens quickly, finishing just as Paolina was carried into the room, then she ran downstairs to fetch some water.

When she returned, Paolina was lying prone atop the crisp white sheets.Only the blood, which continued to trickle down her leg, marred their perfect white. Aelia looked at the grim faces in the room.

"Is the doctor coming?"

Maximus' jaw tensed. "I sent for him. There are companies scattered throughout the valley cleaning out the invaders." His voice was sharp with despair. "It could be hours..."

Quintus laid a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. At first, he had been too relieved to find his own beloved wife intact to share his alarm at the situation. Now, however, it was easy to imagine himself in the legate's place. All too easily, it could be his Aelia on the bloodied bedsheets,

dying painfully while he could do nothing but wait.

"Take Maximus outside." Aelia said quietly, deciding what she would do.

"I want to wait here."

"Please!... it isn't decent..." Aelia said softly. She gave her husband a meaningful look and he lay his hand lightly on Maximus' back, turning him away. "I will come and get you if....If....."

At last, he turned and left the room. Aelia went to work. With light, and space in which to move, she did not feel so helpless. First, she removed Paolina's clothing, and tenderly brushed away the dirt and blood that had collected on her skin. The baby *would* be born, she thought with fierce determination- and it would be born in a clean and comfortable bed. After the task was complete, she laid her hands on Paolina's belly, pressing gently to feel the outlines of the baby.

"Come on, little one." Aelia spoke softly. She located the head, still turned upwards. So that was the problem- a breech. Aelia shuddered, knowing the danger of such a birth. She cautiously tried to move the child with her hands- a tactic attempted, unsucessfully, by Tertulla several times. She spoke softly to the baby. "I know that this has been a scary day, but you will not find the world so uninviting..." The sound of her own voice was comforting, and so she continued to speak. "Your tata is very interested to meet you...as am I...I have so many lovely dresses for you to wear- you will be a princess...but first you must be born..." She continued to work, growing more and more frustrated at her lack of progress. At last, in a final, desperate attempt, she merely pressed sharply downwards.

There was a sudden rush of blood-tinted liquid onto the sheets, and Aelia made a cry, certain that she had done something wrong. Then she remembered Tertulla's description of the events that would occur before the baby could be born. This was supposed to happen....feeling reassured, Aelia checked the birth canal once more.

She nearly yelped with joy as she discovered that, at last, the child had begun to move. It would still be a struggle, but the tiny feet had entered the canal. She continued placing pressure on the crest of Paolina's stomach and prayed quiet, feverent prayers that she hoped the Gods would hear.

"Aelia..."

The girl started, not realizing at first that her cousin was again awake.

"Shhh...." She quieted her cousin, raising a cup of water to her lips. "It is okay...it will be okay now..."

"The barbarians..."

"They are gone...we are safe. Maximus is here. Maximus is here and you are safe...."

"The baby...."

"She is coming, Paolina....she is finally coming."

"So...hard..."

"A breech." Aelia squeezed Paolina's hand reassuringly. "It will be allright. You are very strong. She is one her way."

"*He*' Paolina said forcefully.

Aelia frowned.

"My...my son...."

At last, Aelia understood . She was too relieved that Paolina had regained consciousness to argue. "*He* then...he is coming, cousin...be brave...."

"Cut me..." Paolina said hoarsly.

"What?"

"Cut me...you have to...save him...Aelia...promise."

Aelia could promise no such thing. She tried to quiet her cousin with another drink of water. "Shhh...there will be no need for that, Paolina...you will both be fine." But Aelia shivered at the thought.

The labor continued. Aelia suspected that the woman could no longer feel the pain. She drifted in and out of consciousness as the baby slowly moved into the world, finally stalling as its head reached the opening of her pelvis. The small, plump legs had already been born. They were slick and pale. The baby needed oxygen- soon. But, in spite of the strong contractions, he would not continue to move. He was stuck, Aelia realized. She tried to fight the panic that seemed to overwhelm her, carefully

thinking through the conversations that she had held with Tertulla...she must keep the cord from getting twisted...pull the legs straight....but what about the head. She felt her eyes glaze over as she struggled to remember.

There had to be something....

Unable to recall the midwife's advice, she thought of births that had been held on the farm. She remembered a foal who had been born with similar complications. She remembered the groom had turned the head...would it work?

She had to try. Taking a deep breath, she slid her fingertips along the baby's back, and turned him sharply to the right. She held her breath as she waited for a response. Then, with the next contraction, it was as though Paolina's womb had finally let go. The baby slid easily onto the sheet, very still and grey. Paolina's predictions had been correct. She had a son.

Aelia took the child into her arms and turned him onto his stomach, patting out the fluid that blocked his nose and mouth. She rubbed his back.

A wail.

Tiny and faint, Aelia could not have been happier to hear a great choir of seraphim. He was alive! She sank to her knees on the floor, clutching the tiny, gore covered creature to her breast.

"He is born, Paolina!" She said, excitedly, "You have a son..."

Aelia lingered on the floor for just an instant, then, she skittered again to her feet. She laid the child against his mother's chest, brushing Paolina's hair away from her face. "Paolina?"

"I...I'm awake..." the voice was very faint, but relieved. Happy....

Aelia turned her cousin to her side and tucked the baby against her with blankets, allowing him to suckle as she turned her attention to the afterbirth and the troubling bleeding. She tied the cord with string, and then cut it with a small knife from the kitchen. How she wished that the doctor would arrive! To this point, she had managed to recall enough from her experience on the farm and her consultations with the physician to perform the tasks that were necessary. But they had only prepared her for normal births. She knew that Paolina was in trouble.

One in four young mothers would die in childbirth. It was a harsh reality that they had learned to live with...but she was still not prepared to admit that Paolina would be the one. She was so strong! So full of spirit! And Maximus loved her so dearly- surely the Gods could not be so unkind...The child seemed healthy. That, at least, was a blessing. Aelia had heard of mothers who toiled for days, only to bear babies that were already dead. The little boy seemed plump and perfectly formed...if only his mother could recover so well!

"How long has she been-?"

Aelia spun around as Manlius swept into the room. His tunic was deeply stained with blood, and his eyes were lined with fatigue, but the look in his eyes said that he was ready to battle the fates for the life of his beloved patient's wife. He stopped speaking abruptly as he saw the child sleeping at the woman's breast.

"The child has been born?" He said, incredulous.

"Yes."Aelia answered. " It was difficult...the feet were first and then...there is bleeding..." Aelia felt her eyes blur with tears as the terrible burden of saving Paolina passed from her shoulders. "I shouldn't have moved her...I didn't want to but."

"Shh....." Manlius comforted as he moved forward to inspect the new mother.

"You could not help it, my dear...You have done amazingly. The child is alive. There are many doctors who could not be as well." She was tired. He noted with the shrewd eyes of a physician, nearly at her wits end. She did not need to stay. "My assistant is coming, Aelia, as soon as he completes

his work at the neighboring farm. You should get some rest...I will call if I need you."

Aelia nodded and walked once more to her cousin's bedside. "Fight, Paolina." She whispered, and laid a soft kiss on her cheek. Then she reached for the baby. He protested slightly, as he was lifted into his "aunt's" arms.

Aelia carried the baby to the washbasin and carefully cleaned away the gore and mucus of birth. His skin was pink now, and his limbs moved in protest at the assault. After the bath, Aelia diapered him in a heavy square of wool, and then she swaddled him tightly in a blanket.

She met Manlius' eyes. "I will show Maximus his son."

Maximus jumped to his feet as soon as Aelia reached the foot of the stairs.

His eyes were blazing, boring straight into Aelia's own light orbs without noticing her bundle. "Is she-?"

"Manlius is tending to her now." Aelia said plainly. "He is doing all he can." She gave Maximus a sympathetic smile. "Here." She whispered softly, offering the bundle of blankets. "Look, it is your son."

Although sadness lingered in the soldier's eyes, there was joy as well, his expression softened, and he accepted the bundle carefully, as though it were filled with fragile glass. "My...son..." he said hoarsely, looking down at the sleeping baby. His eyes filled at once with tears, and he did not brush them away, nor hide them from the onlookers. His son!- and he was so much like Paolina- the same olive skin and crow-black hair. Although the child's eyes were tightly closed, he did not doubt that they would be coppery duplicate's of Paolina's own. He hugged the child tightly. If only Paolina would recover! Then, his joy would be complete.

Sensing how Maximus was lost in his own thoughts, Aelia and Quintus quietly slipped away....

33

Husband and wife went in the porch, and they hugged each other, trying to reassure themselves that the horrific day was at an end. Their minds had already gasped the concept, but their hearts-- which had been full of terror for so long-- still needed to absorb the fact that the danger was finally behind whem. They needed to feel each other's warmth and breath, to hear each other's heartbeats....Quintus caressed his wife's back as sobs of relief, weariness and shock began to shake her small frame. He whispered to her words of comfort, but he knew she had relieve herself from all the tension accumulated. It was the same feeling he felt after a battle- when the adrenaline left his blood and suddently all the pain and weariness that he had ignored until few moments before, rushed in.

Quintus also needed time to calm down, and to dispell the memories of the terrible last days. Noone had predicted that the barbarians would be able to penetrate so far inside the empire's borders- borders considered completely safe until few days before.

When the scouts had reported that the barbarians were headed for Gergovia the world had almost stopped for him, for Maximus and for General Claudius. They were men used to hearing of villages attacked and destroyed, but Gergovia was so close to their winter quarters....so close to their beloved.

Claudius had immediately given orders to Maximus to follow the raiders and stop them. Quintus had obtained permission to go without asking.The Felix Regiment had gallopped through the German forests as fast as it could, the horses spurred by their riders' fears....The army arrived too late to save Gergovia but they had been able to intercept the barbarians on the outskirts of Lungudum and the fury of the Roman soldiers had completely obliterated the enemy. The price of the victory was high, however. Only after the surgeons began their sad work, did Maximus and Quintus allow themselves to race to their homes, hoping against the all odds that the farms had been spared. Their hopes had crumbled when they saw the condition of Aelia's and Quintus' cottage. The little building had been pillaged and burned, as if the raiders, not finding anything of interest in it, had unleashed their rage on it.

With their hearts in their throats, Quintus and Maximus hurried toward the main villa. They searched every room, relieved to find no blood, but terrified because there was no trace of their wives ....untill they reached the kitchen and heard Aelia's voice. Quintus had always thought that Aelia's voice was beautiful, but that day I had been the most wonderful sound he had ever heard.

Returning from his thoughts, Quintus sighed and stepped back to take another look at his beloved wife. He was startled when her body followed his retreat, slumping forward heavily. He bent his head and looking to her face saw that she had fallen asleep on her feet. A gentle smile graced his lips as he gathered her into his arms, depositing her on a low sleeping counch, miracoulosly spared by the raiders. He knelt at her side and murmured, "Sleep my love, you deserve it." He gave the sleeping figure a light kiss on the cheek and then stood up and looked around him, evaluating the situation. The barn and the granary had been torn open but not all the animals had been stolen. Horses, cows and sheeps were grazing in the nearby field and with a little patience they could be captured. The wheat fields were trampled in the wake of the barbarians' passage but, luckily, they had not been burned as had happened on some of the other farms. All things considered, the villa was in good condition compared to what they had seen during their march. It was as if the raiders had left it for last and in the end they did not had the time to steal everything.

They could consider themself lucky.

Quintus retrieved his horse and took out a piece of papyrus, a pen and the ink from a leather bag tied to the saddle. He wrote a brief message, telling to Aelia and Maximus he had gone to inspect the battlefield to check on the condition of the army. He left the message on a low table near the cot where

Aelia was still sleeping. He did not want to leave her but someone had to evaluate the situation and clearly Maximus was needed at the farm. Quintus prayed that when he returned Paolina's condition would be better.

Back in the house Maximus paced back and forth at the foot of the stairs.

His son was still sleeping in his arms but the legate was becoming increasily nervous and resteless. He had always hated no knowing what was going on- more so now than ever, when his wife's life was at stake. He could barely imagine the possibility that Selene, his sweet Selene, might die and leave him alone with their child. His arms tightened unconsciuosly and the baby moved.

Maximus looked down and whispered, "Don't worry, my son, your mama will be all right."

Suddently he heard a sound of steps on the hallway above his head and he almost ran to the foot of the stairs.

Maximus looked up the staircase at the doctor. The man's face was lined, his apron stained with blood.

"Is she-?"

"She's alive." Manlius answered calmly. "The worst is passed...you may see your wife."

Maximus let his breath out in a great sigh of relief. Still carrying his sleeping son, he covered the flight of steps in three leaps, and raced into Paolina's room.

"Shhh...." Manlius warned. "She's resting- let her sleep."

Maximus nodded solemnly, still moving toward the bedroom. She looked so pale! So weak! So strange, now that her abdomen was no longer stretched to contain their son...

Carefully, Maximus deposited the baby into a little basket beside the bed, then he went to his wife. "Selene...." He breathed softly, kneeling by the bed to stroke her cheek. Tears pooled at his eyelids, and he did not hold them back. Of all the things he claimed, nothing was as precious as Paolina ...nothing matched the fear of almost loosing her.

"I need to return to the troops." Manlius said, gently.

Maximus nodded, wondering how the doctor would be able to stay awake after such a long and tiring day.

"I will send a midwife along later to check on her- to make sure that the bleeding does not resume."

The legate nodded again.

"She's a lucky woman, Maximus. She nearly died....her cousin's clear head-and more than a little determination on her own part- are the only things that saved her. I've seen women die from much less serious complications." He walked toward his friend and put a hand on his shoulder, wishing he could leave before he said anymore, but needing to impart some final information. "She hasn't escaped this entirely unscathed...."

Maximus turned quickly. "What? What will happen to her...."

"The bleeding has been severe...there are...tears....." He shifted his weight. The doctor was accustomed to working on men- soldiers at that not explaining female problems to anxious husbands. "There will be scarrings and, I'm afraid it's unlikely....and it would be better if...." He sighed. Enough with this awkwardness. "You and Paolina cannot have another child. I do not believe that it is possible and, if it were, it would kill her, without a doubt."

Maximus opened his mouth, but Manlius began speaking first. "This doesn't mean, of course, that marital relations must cease- there are times of the month that are safe and...other measures that I'm certain the midwife can explain better than I...If she does become pregnant, it must be terminated as soon as possible..."

No more children? Maximus felt a lump of sadness in his throat, and then he swallowed it away. How could he worry over this minor matter when Selene was safe? They had a son to love- that was enough ...and, more importantly, they had each other.

"I understand, my friend." Maximus said, shaking the man's hand. "Thank you for your advice and.." His voice was filled with conviction as he spoke. "Thank you for your help...If I had lost her..."

Manlius smiled, anxious to leave. "Good luck, Maximus."

The legate watched as the doctor exited the toom, and then he laid his head on Paolina's pillow. Beside them, in his little basket, the baby slept as well. The world was right again...for now.

Maximus was awakened by the thin wail of the child, and by a movement beneath his arms. "Maximus?" It was Paolina's voice. Her throat was scratchy and dry, but she sounded happy. "You're here?"

"Yes..." Maximus said, tenderly brushing back her bangs and momentarily ignoring the crying. "I am here, Paolina. You are safe."

She made a soft sound that he couldn't interpret, and then weakly tried to raise her head. "The baby...."

Maximus pushed her back down against the mattress. "He'll be okay...rest...."

"Hungry..." She tried to sit again. "He needs me...."

At last, Maximus understood. "Shh....I'll get him."

Maximus retrieved the child from his basket and settled him in front of Paolina. She was still naked, clad only in a thin blanket, and the baby found her breast quickly. Maximus felt a surge of awe as he watched the tiny creature recieve nourishment from its mother. Paolina's body had always filled him with wonder, but he had always viewed her from an aesthetic perspective...now he saw that she was made to be a mother...the mother of his children. Child. He corrected himself sadly. Abruptly, he tightened his arms around his wife.

She looked up at him, briefly, as if to say "What is that about?" And then lowered her head again...in a few more minutes, she was asleep.

Aelia woke up and slowly opened her eyes. She looked up and saw the sun had just begun to disappear and the sky was red....red as blood...red as Paolina's blood.

Aelia sat up on the low counch and waited for her head, light from hunger, to stop spinning. As she did so, she noticed the note Quintus left on the table. She picked it up, read it and put it in her pocket. She realized that she was stalling the moment of her return in the house- that she was afraid of what she might find in there. Finally she gathered her courage and entered inside.

The house was quiet and looked deserted. Luckily there where not noises of weeping or desperation nor cries of pain. Aelia tiptoed on the upper floor and slowly opened the door of the nursery.

Paolina was lying on the bed and Maximus was beside her, his arm gently wrapped around her no longer swollen belly. Their son was sleeping in the crib near the bed and the scene looked very peaceful, if not for the smell of dried blood which lingered in the small room.

Aelia shivered as she closed the door. Paolina had been so close to death that day and she could not erase from her mind the images of her suffering and the unwanted thought she too might one day be in her same situation. Of course, Quintus would want children. She did too...but the pain...and the risk. Though she was too young to remember her mother's death, she had been affected by it profoundly. She remembered the haunted look in her father's eyes, and how he would lock himself in his chamber when the cries of a woman in labor rang through their cramped insula. Of course, there were ways to avoid birth.... Unbidden, an image of Paolina, white and nearly dead, writhing with pain came to Aelia's mind, and she nearly cried out loud.

No-She could not let that happen to her! She could never have a child.

It was decided.

Aelia shivered at them implications. Absolute safety meant removing herself from Quintus' bed. Her conviction waivered as she thought of abandoning their nights of passion. How she loved the feel of his skin against hers, the pressure of his body within her. The sticky sweetness of his seed...And what would Quintus think? He would be away with the army for several days, but when he returned, he was bound to seek her out. Would he understand? He was a soldier...would he have patience with her fear? Would he seek his release from other sources?

Overwhelmed with the day, and uncertain about what to do, Aelia cried herself to sleep.

34

Nine days had passed since the raids. Nine days in which the little farm slowly came back to order. Many of the slaves, and almost all of the servants trickled home and began putting the house in order. Among them, Aelia's little housemaid, Circe, was conspicously absent, but the women would not allow a warrant for her arrest as a runaway. In spite of her inability to deliver them, Aelia wrote out the papers granting the girl her freedom, and she prayed that, if Circe was still alive-someday, she would be able to give the girl this gift.

Nine days old and the baby had already changed so much!

Maximus beamed as he saw his little son being carried through the hallway by his wife. It was a relief to see Paolina up and about again. The bleeding had continued much longer than they had hoped- but she had pulled through, and now she was coming toward him, clad in a lovely formal tunica and stola, to formally present his son.

Maximus' hand tightened around the little bulla that his child would wear around his neck. The charm itself was gold- a simple, incribed disc....but the cord that suspended it was leather- crude, some might say, but a tradition for Maximus and his family. Although his time in the army had enriched his fortune, and his position in the social scheme, he never wanted his son to forget his roots. He was proud to be a farmer. Proud to be a provincial. Proud to be part of the backbone that supported the mighty empire.

He straightened as Paolina entered the room. Ranged next to the new father were Paolina's cousin, her brothers and Quintus, while the various sisters-in-law, General Claudius, and a few other guests and servants watched along the back wall. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy- everyone, that is, except for Quintus and Aelia. Though they were still polite and affectionate with each other, there seemed to be a distance between them that he had never noticed before. There was also a conspicuous absence of creaking bedspring coming from the nursery. Idly curious, Maximus wondered if there was something wrong.

Returning to the moment, he met Paolina's eye, smiling broadly, and she walked forward. She knelt in front of him, and Maximus winced slightly. He could see from her tight expression that the movement was painful for her.

"Husband, this is the child that I have borne you." She said in a clear voice.

She shared a proud look with her spouse. Maximus held the gaze for a beat, before helping her to her feet and then kneeling to the child. He extended the little baby's arms and legs, gently stroking each perfect finger and toe. The inspection was more ritual than substance- he knew that, even if the child were lame or deformed, he could not order him exposure. Happily, the child was perfect, and so Maximus gathered him into his hands and lifted him toward the sky.

"The child is sound.." He said, feeling tears prick at the back of his eyes as he lay the little bulla around the baby's neck with one hand, cradling the tiny figure easily in the other palm. "He Marcus Decimus Meridas." His voice cracked slightly with emotion as he finished proudly."My son."

A round of cheers and congratulations resounded in the room as the guests gathered around the proud parents.

Twenty-five days after the cerimony Maximus was walking around the camp in search of Quintus. He wanted to speak with him about a matter which could no longer be postponed, Quintus' increasing severity with the soldiers. The discipline in the camp had always been harsh but just, with punishment distributed in proportion with the degree of fault. Since their return from Germania Quintus had punished the merest mistake with whipping, a method which had been used in the past only for grave negligences or repeated mistakes or disobediences. The men were tired from the fighting as well as the rebuilding of the camp and the farms of the sorrounding area and some of them were mourning the deaths of they beloved, killed during the barbarian raid.. Morale had plummeted dangerously.

Finally Maximus spotted Quintus entering his tent in the Praetorium and followed him.

"May I come in?" he asked standing near the tent entrance. Since his promotion to legate had been given a personal tent so he and Quintus no longer shared quarters when sleeping in the camp.

Quintus nodded without enthusiasm.

Maximus sat at the desk and without foreplays asked, "What's wrong Quintus?"

His friend raised his eyebrow and replied defensively, "What do you mean? There is nothing wrong."

"Don't lie to me, I know you too well. You have been very nervous these past two weeks and its affecting your treatment of the soldiers."

Quintus looked to his friend and commanding officer and sighed miserably. He did not want to explain such a personal problem, but Maximus was a friend, possibly his best friend, and he the had right to know. Besides, maybe speaking his problems aloud would lessen the tension he held inside.

"You are right Maximus, there is a problem....It concerns Aelia..."

"What? Did you fight?" Maximus asked, annoyed with himself for not surmising it sooner.

"No, we did not fight, but things are not going well as usual. You see..." he paused, looking away. "Aelia has been traumatized by what almost happened to Paolina so that...now..." He took a deep hreath. "She has decided she no longer wants babies....And, as you know there is only a way be sure that won't happen..."

Maximus was shocked. He had not thought about such a possibility. He cleared his throat, a bit embarassed and said, "Well maybe, as time passes, her memory will become less painful and she will change her mind..."

"That is what I am telling myself...but do you know how terrible it is to lie next to your wife every night and not be able to touch her? I respect her -and love her- too much to try to argue, but I am no longer resting when I am with her. If this situation isn't be resolved soon, I might be forced to leave the house and stay here." His jaw quivered. "I hate how she is suffering, but I don't know how to help her." Quintus bowed his head, clearly in emotional pain.

"Listen to me Quintus, maybe we can ask to Paolina to speak with Aelia...."

Quintus gave him a sceptical look...How could Paolina convince Aelia after all she had endured?

"You see, my wife and I will be in a situation much like yours for the rest of our lives,'" Maximus added, "Paolina has been... damaged... and the doctor told us she must absolutely avoid another pregnancy. BUT he also gave us advice on how to avoid it." He continued, his cheeks flushed bright red "...So maybe you and Aelia's too could use the same system."

Quintus' eyes brightened a little. "Do you think Paolina would do that--I mean speak with Aelia to reassure her?"

"Yes, I think she would it. She said that having Marcus has been one of her greatest joys..it does not matter what price she had to pay. She wants you and Aelia be as happy as we are so she will be eager to help. If you want, I would ask her myself so you wont be too embaressed."

Quintus nodded, "Yes, please, you ask her. As you know I will spend the next ten days in the other camp near the border, so Aelia will be less tense --she is very nervous too -- and perhaps she will be more receptive of her cousin's words."

"All right, consider it done."

The two friends were silent for several moments until Quintus said, "Thank you Maximus...just having this in the open is helping me- I promise to be less short tempered with the troops."

Maximus smiled. "I know that. Now come, I believe you must prepare for your travel."

35

Quintus spoke to Aelia very little before departing, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek and avoiding her eyes. "Take care." He whispered softly, but swallowed the "my love". He DID love her- that had not changed in the slightest- but things were so awkward between them now. It frightened him..

Maximus and Paolina watched the little exchange with a hint of sadness. Maximus because he knew how his friend was hurting, and Paolina because she did not understand what was going on.

That night, Marcus slept in the nursery for the first time. Paolina was reluctant to let him go, insisting that he would be hungry in the night, but Maximus assured her that the nurse could provide for him adequately.

Although his wife's strength had returned, Maximus wanted to be sure that she got as much rest as possible... He had other, selfish reasons as well- the barbarian raids had signaled only a temporary retreat to the South. The battles were still raging along the borders and soon, very soon, he and Quintus would have to return.

He snuggled Paolina very tightly against his chest, revelling in the soft rythmn of her heartbeat, thankful for the warmth of her skin, and the regular rise and fall of her chest. He liked to hold her like this, watching her fall asleep in his arms.

Tonight, however, she did not fall asleep. She turned to him and quietly nuzzled his neck.

"All alone." She whispered deeply. Her fingers lightly traced the side of Maximus' ribs, drawing a shiver that made him inhale sharply.

"Paolina!" He said, grabbing her hand. She arched an eyebrow, questioningly. "Don't."

Paolina's lower lip curled downward into a little pout. "Oh, I am not interesting to you now?" She said lowly disappointed and teasing in the same breath, "I am only a mama for little Marcus..." She moved her hands to the front of his abdomen, pressing downward against the firm ridges until she reached the triangle of curls that surrounded his manhood. She made a little sound of satisfaction as her fingertips closed around his hardened flesh. "Oh...I see..." Her eyes sparkled merrily. "You are *sleepy*..." She moved her fingertips up along his shaft drawing him toward her as she mimiced the motions of lovemaking. Only with great concentration was the Spaniard able to pull her fingers away.

"No, Paolina..." he said in an uneven voice.

"No?"

"No...It's too soon...I'll hurt you."

"I am ready, Maximus." She said, drawing his hand between her legs so that she could feel the hot, inviting flesh of her body. "I have been ready...." She leaned forward to kiss his ear.

Gently, Maximus pushed her away. "Selene, you need rest..." Finally, seeing the hurt in her eyes, he admitted the truth. "I'm afraid."

She sighed and drew away her hands. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "I too am afraid, but my fear does not outweigh my love...or my need for you...How will we overcome our fears if we do not try-?"

"What if you become pregnant?" Maximus said, wanting her, but in the same time ordering himself to refrain. "Selene, if I was the reason that you-"

"I will not die...We will have many children...thirteen more and-"

"Selene, no." Maximus' voice was firm. He knew that she was teasing, but it was best if they didn't even mention the possibility of such things. "You spoke to Tertulla. You know the risk."

"But-"

"Selene, I will keep you in my bed...I WANT you there, but darling please, promise to me- SWEAR to me that you will not take any risks...there are times of the month when..." He blushed crimson a his voice trailed off.

His wife sighed heavily and turned away, then finally, she linked her fingertips through his and drew him toward her again. "We will argue about this later." She said, raising her neck to kiss him and arching her hips toward him.

"Please, Maximus?" When he hesitated, she continued quickly. "As long as I am nursing Marcus we will be safe- Tertulla has told me so-"

"But your wounds...."

"They are healed...Maximus, nothing will make me feel better than having you near me..." Her voice grew deeper as he tightened his arms around her. "...inside me...."

At last, his resolve gave way. He did want it, after all, and as he lost himself in her body, the voices that echoed his fears grew fainter. Paolina felt so strong in his arms - so full of life! It was impossible to believe that a mere month ago she had nearly died....Maximus kept his eyes open as he made love to her, revelling in the voluptuousness of her new body. Paolina had always been slender- muscular and compact, but the pregnancy had added fullness to her hips, and a softness to her stomach that made his hands wish to linger...Her breasts were heavy with milk, their fullness spilling out of his hands, and their sweetness intoxicating as he guiltily sampled their wares ....Selene!

He felt home at last, and wished that he could linger...But there was still the problem of Quintus and Aelia.

*****

Maximus held Paolina all night, and when she awakened, he finally explained the problem. Paolina was upset by the idea that she had played a role in her cousin's troubles, but she understood the fears.

"Her mother died giving birth to her little brother...though she was young, she remembers it well...and that is how one of the Claudia's died too...."

"Will you speak with her?"

Paolina flushed. "Is Quintus afraid to speak to her himself?"

"What can he say, Paolina? He is a soldier. His life is risk- but he does not want to discount her fears. You understand her better...and can explain to her the joys of motherhood...and alternately, the methods that Tertulla has told us."

The flush deepened. "Then he isn't adverse to remaining childless?"

"Not for now...but..."

They stared at each other.

"I will speak to her." Paolina said at last, but her face betrayed that she did not relish the job...

After breakfast and after feeding little Marcus, Paolina went in search of Aelia. She did not liked the idea of interfering in Aelia and Quintus' private lives but she felt more than a little responsabe for the situation.

Aelia was standing in the courtyard feeding chickens. She raised her head when she saw her cousin approaching. Aelia smiled, Paolina looked radiant that morning! Her steps were brisk and light. I was a relief to see her so well...so alive.

"Cousin!" Aelia greeted, "You look like a cat who swallowed a canary!"

Paolina's smile widened. In spite of her distaste for what she had to do, she was feeling very well and happy...the night in Maximus' arms had performed its usual magic. "In a certain sense, yes...." She blushed and grinned at her own naughty joke.

"Oh," commented Aelia, not quite catching her meaning but too embarassed to ask for an explanation.

Paolina gathered her courage and decided not to beat around the bush. "I spent a wonderful night with Maximus." She winked to the other girl, as if to leave her no doubts about what she meant.

Aelia frowned and her mouth opened in surprise. After all that Paolina had endured and the danger she faced, Paolina made love with her husband?

Her cousin saw the reaction and walked nearer. She put a hand on Aelia's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"No..." Aelia frowned. "yes...Don't you think it might be...dangerous?"

Paolina shrugged, "I need my husband- and the rewards are worth of the risks."

"But the doctor...he said.." Aelia seemed too shocked or afraid to finish her sentence.

"He said Maximus and I had to be careful...and we have been. Since I am still nursing we had no problems and then, well, Manlius and Tertulla gave us plenty of advice about avoiding pregnancy in the future without renouncing our pleasure."

Aelia blushed at the straightforwardness and Paolina decided to press on, "If you want, I could tell you about them, they are quite simple to follow."

Aelia looked straight in her eyes and asked defensively, "Why I should need them?"

Paolina sighed, "Quintus spoke with Maximus yesterday...He said you are afraid of becoming pregnant and that you are.... avoiding him. Maximus told me Quintus had been very nervous in the last weeks and he is concerned about him as I am about you."

Aelia lowered her eyes, "I thank you for your kindness but I want to sort out this problem by myself..I need time to think...I need time to forget....Oh Paolina how can you be so brave? You almost died! All that blood.."

"Aelia, I am not brave..I am scared but I don't want to live with fear all my life. Nor do I want to live with regrets. I want to savor all what life has to offer...maybe I am as reckless here as I have always been, but I can't change what I am." She paused and added softly, "I don't want to force you to do anything, I only ask to you to think about what I told to you and to remember that there is another person involved in this, a man who loves you dearly and who needs you."

Aelia nodded and said finally, "I promise to think about it." and Paolina considered herself satisfied.

36

Ten days later Quintus returned, feeling very tired and frustrated about his mission in the south of the country.

It was late evening when he arrived at the villa where he and Aelia where still living until their cottage was rebuilt. He found his wife sitting in the parlor along with Paolina and Maximus.

After a brief excange of greetings he marched out to the bathroom and Aelia quickly followed him, to help him get rid of the dirt and the sweat of his ride.

Maximus and Paolina lingered in the parlor for about half a hour and then decided to retire. The previous night, Marcus had cried until dawn, keeping them awake, and now they were dog tired. Tonight, the baby would be left in the care of his nurse!

As they walked hand in hand along the hallway to their bedroom they heard the telltale noise of creaking bedsprings coming from Quintus' and Aelia's room and they exchanged a knowing smile.

"It seems they resolved their problems," whispered Paolina and Maximus squeezed her hand in reply. They reached their room and closed the door behind them, feeling happy for their dear friends.

The following morning when Maximus and Paolina stepped down to eat they were surprised to find Aelia eating all alone.

"Good Morning, Aelia."

"Good morning, Maximus, cousin."

They took place at the table and Maximus asked, as he was pouring himself some milk, "Where is Quintus?"

"He is gone to the camp." Aelia's voice was so flat and devoid of emotion that both Maximus and Paolina turned their heads to look at her. The young woman was very pale, her skin seemed stretched on her fine cheekbones.

Paolina and her husband exchanged a look and then she asked, " Is something wrong?"

Aelia shook her head, "No, I am just... not very hungry, and I am tired....I think I will return in my room," and she left without adding anything else.

Paolina and Maximus looked at each other perplexed but the sound of Marcus crying with all his strength distracted them and they rushed to see what their baby was doing.

Later that morning Maximus rode to the camp to assist to a scheduled drill of the new recruits. He knew that soon they would be called back to the front and it was his job to ensure the new enlisted men were trained well enough. He spent hours in the drills and around afternoon he went to his tent to write a message for General Claudius.

As he walked in the Praetorium he passed by Quintus' tent and by force of habit he poked his head inside. What he saw made him stop in midstride. His friend was sitting on the bed, his head bowed so low it almost touched his knees, and in a voice barely audible he continued to repeat.."...What I have done...what I have done..what I have done.."

Worried, Maximus stepped inside. Hearing him, Quintus' head snapped up, fresh tears drying on his face. Maximus gasped. Quintus had always been less emotional than he- in their years together he had never seen him cry.

"Quintus, what's going on?"

The liutenant looked at him with blank eyes and said, "Maximus, I have just made the worst mistake of my life.."

"What are you talking about?" Maximus knelt on the floor in front of his friend.

"It is Aelia..."

"Yes...?"

Quintus bit his lower lip, "Yesterday evening...I...she...she was helping me bathe and... she was so beautiful ...I needed her badly--so..so...I did it". Quintus lowered his head again.

Maximus took him from his shoulders and asked, a little bit worried, "What did you do, Quintus?"

"I forced her.. I told her I was her husband and had to obey to me.."

"Oh Gods!" Maximus was stunned. "And how did she take it?" As soon he completed the sentence, Maximus realized he did not need the answer, Aelia's pale face that morning had told him all he needed to know.

"She said nothing...she did not fight, but after it was over she turned on her side and cried herself to sleep."

Before Maximus was able to open his mouth again a soldier entered the tent and looked at Quintus.

"Liutenant, as you requested I am here to tell you the fifth century is ready for the drill and is waiting for you, sir."

"Of course...I'll be there right away." He signaled the man to leave, and then turned, gathering his weapons and helmet.

"Quintus-" Maximus laid a hand on his friend's forearm as if to impede his progress, but it was brushed away.

"Duty calls." he said lightly.

Maximus' face remained dark. *No Quintus* He thought as he watched the man's figure disappear through the tentflap. *duty is what you're trying to avoid*.

Maximus returned with a heavy heart for his final night at home. He decided against telling Paolina what he had learned- she was burdened enough already, and he had no doubt that Aelia would confide in her in due time... The girl was not at dinner, and he was secretly grateful that he would not have to face her before he left.

The night was a mixture of laughter and tears. He made love to Paolina and then, as they prepared to rest, they collected Marcus from the nursery and slept with him cradled between their bodies. The legate laid awake for a long time after his family's eyes were closed, to simply watch them sleep, painfully aware of the changes that the coming months would work on his little one, wishing feverently that he could freeze time.

The sun did not stand still. Morning came, much sooner than anyone wanted it and, with a final, lingering kiss, Maximus was bound again for the frontier, and the ceaselessly restless Germanic hordes. Paolina watched him go with tears in her eyes- she remembered cataloguing the new scars on his body when he had returned last summer...how many more would he bear when he returned? *Please Gods, let him return* She prayed feverently. She watched him ride down the little lane exiting the farm and then, gathering the baby in her arms, ran up the hillside to her rock.

He remembered to wave. He turned to her, just when she thought he had forgotten, and raised his sword int he air as a private salute. The image burned hotly in her mind- the sunlight glinting on polished metal, the proud posture of his body- the loving smile that she couldn't quite see, but could imagine on his face. She stood there, still waving, until the horses dissappeared into the folds of the surrounding hills...and then some more, imagining their progress until the sun dipped low on the horizon.

37

Little Marcus seemed to consume all of Paolina's time, and the days slipped past faster than she had feared. Aelia's spirits had not rebounded, but Paolina chalked this up to stress regarding the welfare of her husband.

Unlike Paolina, Aelia did not have a little child to hold and to remind her each day of her husband's love. Also unlike Paolina, Aelia's husband did not seem inclined to write letters. Each month, when the mail bags were delivered, Paolina was hopeful that a message would come.

It did not.

There were always two, and sometimes three missives from Maximus- letters that Paolina happily, and extensively reciprocated- setting down massively detailed accounts of Marcus' every coo. Paolina wondered if she should mention Quintus' odd silence to Maximus...then she decided against it. Maximus had been oddly reticent to discuss Aelia in his letters, often omitting her entirely. Paolina had the uncomfortable sensation that he was hiding something, and she did not wish to prove herself right. Besides, Aelia seemed to accept the lack of communications. She carried on normally- with the exception that she seemed to be eating more, and that she had quit wearing her pretty clothes. Nowdays, she simply skulked around the farm swaddled in loose, simple tunicas and heavy stolas, rather than the elegant shifts and shawls she had been inclined toward in the past.

The change was so gradual to Paolina, that she did not see cause to remark upon it... and then, at last, the men returned.

It was Claudius who said it first.

Perhaps, since he was the most outlying member of their family, he had the least to keep hidden- and the least knowledge of the troubles his granddaughter and her husband suffered.

Maximus, Claudius, and Quintus had all ridden to the farmhouse as soon as they arrived home from the war. Paolina and Marcus- who was now crawling almost everywhere, and in love with the feel of grass under his hands- were playing in the lane outside the house. Maximus' wife called to Aelia as she saw the three riders arrive, and then, Marcus balanced on her hip, ran down the lane to meet them without giving her cousin a second thought.

It was the general's startled voice that made her turn around.

It was a warm but blustery day, and the autum wind had blown his granddaughter's tunica tightly against her body.

"Aelia! You're..." He swung off his horse, running toward her. "You're pregnant!"

Paolina's stopped suddenly. Her eyes grew very wide, and she met Maximus' equally startled gaze before turning around. The old man was crazy! What could he be talking about?Aelia wasn't-

But she was.

There was no need to hide her condition now, and so the heavy stola was dropped to the dust. Even the shapeless tunica could not hide the telltale roundness of the girl's belly. Paolina shook her head in disbelief. How could she have lived with Aelia and not have known? Why hadn't Aelia told her? Had Aelia told anyone? Had she told Quintus? Paolina turned to look into his face...

What she saw left her speechless. Quintus had turned as pale as a corpse and his lips moved without emitting any kind of sound. She turned her gaze to Aelia and saw she was staring to her husband with accusing eyes, as if she was telling to him..."So are you satisfied now?" Neither of them seemed happy about what had happened, and so the joyous comments of the old General - who was now shaking Quintus' hand with energy- seemed completely foreign in the tense atmosphere.

Before Paolina was able to voice her questions, she and little Marcus were drawn into Maximus' strong arms and the feel of his warmth agaist her body made her forget, at least for the moment what she wanted to know.

*****

In the following few days the relationship between Aelia and Quintus seemed to deteriorate. The barely spoke to each other and Quintus no longer slept with his wife, but in one of the other rooms. He left very early in the mornings and returned very late in the evening, usually after Aelia had already retired.

Paolina tried to coax some answers out of Aelia but her cousin stubbornly refused to speak. One evening, in desperation, she even tried to speak with Quintus, hoping he considered her enough of a friend to confide with her, but he too refused to say anything. In the end Paolina decided to confront Maximus. It turned out to be easier than she had expected -it was he who introduced the subject.

He was lying on their bed with the arms crossed over his chest and the lips setted in a grim line. He was a portrait of worry and sitting beside him Paolina asked, "What's wrong, darling?"

"It's Quintus. And Aelia. I did not imagine the consequences of that night would be so painful, I just hoped they would be able to forget...."

Paolina looked at him confused, "What are you saying? What do you mean, 'the conseguences of that night'? What night?"

Maximus signed, "The one before we left for the front...Remember, when we passed in front of their door and heard them making love?" Paolina nodded and he added, "Well the next day I found Quintus in tears in his quarters in the Praetorium....and he confessed he had... forced Aelia to submit to his desires claming it was her duty as his wife."

"Oh Gods!" Paolina was shocked, but her husband's words explained many things: Aelia depressed mood, the lack of letters from Quintus, her secrecy about the pregnancy...

Maximus saw his wife's worried face, "I am sorry I didn't tell you anything but I didn't want to worry you. You had just passed a terrible period and I did not wanted to burden you."

His wife shook her head, dismissing his apologies, and laid her head on his chest.

"You must not feel guilty, Aelia and Quintus are both very proud people. You can help them if they want to be helped... and they don't want it- at least not now. We can only hope they will be able to patch things up....It would be such a tragedy to see their love die, after all the trouble they went through to marry."

Maximus nodded and kissed her head, "You are right, Selene: we can offer advice but only if they want it."

They remained silent for several minutes then Paolina asked, "So, why don't you tell me were you found that wolf-looking puppy you had brought home?" She was referring to a little ball of grey fur that Cicero, Maximus' manservant, had brought to the farm that evening, since Maximus in his hurry to see his little family again had forgotten it at the camp.

Maximus smiled, "Do you like him? He was found just outside the camp. Some of the archers shot its mother for target practice, and only after they found the body did they realize that she was nursing pups.... they were nearly starved, but all three of them were adopted." He grinned, flashing his even teeth. "You have no idea how had it is to find wolf-milk in an army camp."

Paolina sighed, smiling, still amazed that such a fierce warrior could be so gentle. She brushed his hair back away from his forehead and kissed it. "You did not feed it wolf milk!"

"Well....goat milk." He admitted at last.

"And it is not all wolf...."

"No...one of the scout's animals bred with it, perhaps...or wild dogs- there are a few packs running loose, though most are taken in by the Germans and tamed. They work them, you know."

"Work them?"

Glad to be diverted to a different subject than Quintus and Aelia, Maximus launched into a cultural lesson on how some of the tribes trained puppies and dogs to pull loads on little carts and sleds.

38

Once again, Maximus' return was accomplished with such ease that it was as though he had never been away. The new scars were few- his position as legate had shielded him, somewhat from a position near the front. He was still too lowly to get away with actually leading a cavalry charge himself (Paolina wouldn't put it past him- even if he were the general himself!), and he was too high ranking to march or ride along with the regular troops. Not that she was complaining. She knew that Maximus ached to be in the middle of the melee, but she was happier with him on a hillside calling out manuvers. She and Marcus needed him more than he realized.

*****

The next morning, she and Maximus were sitting on the porch letting Marcus play with the puppy. She had been nervous to allow the baby around the dog at first. However, it had soon become clear that, even though the animal was a child himself, he had a gentle nature that would prevent him from bringing her son to harm. He patiently allowed the boy to tug at his ears and tail, and licked the milk and breadcrumbs off the baby's face.

"He'll be riding that dog next year." Maximus said proudly- noting how quickly both his son, and the animal were growing.

Paolina didn't know about that, but she kept her mouth shut.

Deciding that he had enough tugging for the moment, the dog walked to Maximus and whined to be set in his lap. The soldier complied, stroking the rough fur firmly, and rubbing between his pointed ears. Paolina smiled. The dog was, in a way, like a Marcus for her husband. Not that he could ever love the creature as much as his son- but it was a reminder of home, and his family, that he could take with him while he was away.

Paolina bent down to collect her son- crawling too close to the edge of the porch- when something on the horizon caught her eye.

A carriage? She frowned. Claudius and Quintus were at the camp, and Aelia didn't know anyone out of town. "Maximus?" She asked. "Are you expecting a visitor?"

Also confused, the legate shook his head. "No..." wiping his hands on his thighs, he started down the lane to greet their guest. The carriage stopped just beside him, kicking up a cloud of dust as the horses came to a standstill.

From her perch on the porch, Paolina could see her husband's expression. First, curiosity, and then, as he peered into the window, a look of joyful surprise. Her mouth opened a little as the door opened and a lovely woman with straight dark hair and sparkling eyes decended. She reached for Maximus, and he gathered her into his arms. Paolina fought a twinge of jealousy as he kissed the stranger firmly on the cheek and, still linked arm in arm, led her to the porch.

He noted his wife's look of displeasure, but it only made his smile broaden. The woman stepped onto the porch, grinning widely at Paolina and the baby. She did not seem to view them as a threat.

"Paolina!" Maximus said joyfully, reaching for his wife's hand so that he could drag her toward an introduction. "Allow me to introduce Livia Craetia...." He gave the woman another broad grin. "...my mother!"

Paolina's eyes widened. Maximus' mother? But what was she doing here? Not that she minded...she had always been interested in what the woman would be like- especially since they would live together when Paolina finally went to Spain. However, she had not thought about her in a long while. In her mind, Paolina had always pictured Livia as a kind-faced elderly woman with a shuffling walk and chalk-white hair- certainly not the beautiful, spritely woman of only middle age which she found before her now. She must have been a baby when she bore Maximus!

"It is....a pleasure to meet you." Paolina said timidly, giving her husband a wide-eyed look that seemed to say "and what are we supposed to do now". Maximus was beaming broadly...And Paolina noted with a sigh that he did not seem quite so surprised as she.

"It is good to finally meet you as well, dear....Maximus has told me all about you." She walked closer. "But I have to confess, it isn't really you that I came to see..." She was reaching for Marcus and, in her surprise, Paolina let him go, glancing nervously to her husband again as the woman held the little baby against her chest. "He's beautiful..." She looked at Maximus. "And so much like his mother....ah, well. Perhaps he will have your spirit, my son...." She gave Paolina a conspiratorial glance. "And I hope, for your sake, that he does not take Maximus' habits for visiting his mother."

"Mama-" He began, but she held her hand up.

"I'm not complaining. How could I complain? Obviously, you have had very important things to do....It's only been *five years*..."

"Mama-"

She continued into the house, Marcus in one arm, the other threaded through Paolina's."But then, he always was an independent boy...Did he ever tell you about the time that he..."

The women's voices faded out as they walked into the house, and Maximus, smiling and shaking his head went to pay the carriage driver and collect her luggage. It was going to be an interesting winter.

Meanwhile in the camp, Quintus was contemplating his -- and Aelia's -- situation.

Finding his wife pregnant had been a shock, he had not expected it, and facing the consequences of his act of prevarication was now very hard. During the months spent in Germania, he had hoped that Aelia would forgive and then forget his shameful behaviour before his leave He prayed she would concede to him the possibility of starting their relationship anew. In the long, solitary evenings during which Maximus retired to write to Paolina and he longed to write to Aelia, Quintus had promised to himself that he would do everything to regain his wife trust and love. But how could he ask her to fogive him when she carried with her, everyday, the proof of his unbecoming conduct? Quintus sighed. Sooner or later he and Aelia would have to talk and resolve the matter in one way or another. Suddently resolute he decided it was useless to wait any longer. It would be better to take the bull by the horns and have done with it.

He rushed to the stables and without waiting for the groom he saddled his horse and gallopped home. He knew that Aelia had planned to go to their cottage to gauge how the rebuilding was progressing and he hoped to find her alone.

Aelia was sitting in the shadow of a big oak her eyes fixed on the working slaves. She was lost in thoughts and did not hear the horse or her husband's steps until he stopped near her. She raised her head and paled upon seeing him.

Quintus' heart constricted in his chest at her reaction but was determinated to go on with his plan.

"Do you mind if I sit here with you?"

"Would you go away if I say 'yes'?"

He cringed at her sarcastic tone but replied calmy, "Yes, I would go away."

Aelia turned her gaze back on the house. After some seconds she sighed and said, "Stay."

Quintus sat down beside her --although he kept his distance from her -- and he looked at the house.

They remained silent for what seemed like an eternity until he broke it.

"It seems the work is progressing well...they will reach the roof in a couple of days."

Aelia nodded with her head.

Quintus tried again. He wanted to coax a reaction from his wife, god or bad it might be. How they can possible overcome their problems if they didn't speak about them?

"Coming here I saw a cart parked in front of the villa, do you know who it might be?"

"No." Another cold, hard reply.

Quintus could not stand it anymore. He slid to his knees and turned to Aelia, "Please Aelia, speak to me. I know that what I did was horrible but please, could not we try to find a solution? I will do everything you want, but please speak to me, tell me what you want me to do."

His desperation touched Aelia's heart and her resolve to remain cold began to shake. She still loved him and, even if she wouldn't admit it to anyone, the feel of his child moving inside her was wonderful ......But she wasn't ready to forgive him, and so she remained silent.

Quintus looked at her pleadingly for a long moment and, at last, sighed in defeat. He rose to his feet and said softly, "I will return to the camp and spoke with your grandfather. I think he will tell me to wait until the baby is born, so he or she will be legitimate but..."

His words caught her attention and she asked, "What are you saying?"

"You want to divorce, don't you? I will not deny it to you.."

Aelia began to tremble and said quickly, "No, no, no, ..!"

"No what?"

"I don't want to divorce!" she answered, her voice choked.

Quintus fell again on his knees, "No? Then tell me want you want....Oh Aelia, if I could turn back the time I would do it, but I can't...I know I was wrong! With every breath I curse myself for harming you...for breeching your trust. I know I haven't any right to ask it from you...but..but.. could you not try to forgive me?" His eyes were filled with tears and Aelia finally realized how deeply he regretted what he had done. The emotions that overcame her were so strong that she was not able to reply with words...She pulled him to her body, her rounded belly coming in the way and began to cry.

"Oh, Quintus," she said between the sobs, '"I am so confused! A part of me is furious with you but another part just wants to hold you and never let you go. I was glad when you were away but I worried so badly about your welfare...."

He held her tightly against him and whispered, "Forgive me, my love....Give me another chance to make you happy. I swear I will never hurt you again."

Aelia stepped back from his chest and looked straight in his eyes and then nodded. She believed to him. She needed him and she was tired to fight anymore. "I forgive you Quintus." A tentative smile appeared on her lips.

Quintus stared at her face, to relieved to belief what he saw, and then he smiled too. "Oh my love, thank you, thank you so much. I will be worthy of this second chance, I promise it."

Their eyes locked and slowly their faces came near until their lips touched.

The kiss that followed was tender and passionate at the same time, expressing all the feelings and the emotions that had been bottled inside them for so many months: love, rage, regret, fear...all mingled together to create a stunning combination. The separated only when their lungs threatened to explode from the lack of air. Even then, they continued to embrace.

Paolina forced a smile as she stepped into the house. She was not unhappy that Livia Meridia had come to visit. She had a sense that they would truly become friends. However, she had been caught completely unaware. There were only four rooms in the house suitable for guests and they were currently housing Maximus and Paolina, Marcus, Aelia and, since the fighting had not ceased, one for Quintus on the nights that he stayed over- the extra rooms (two chambers belonging to her brothers) had long ago been converted to other purposes.

Paolina sighed. Well, Quintus and Aelia were simply going to have to put up with each other.

"Put them in tata's old room." She said to Maximus as he entered the house with the luggage.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, but did as he was told. Paolina cornered a slavegirl who had come to pour drinks for their guest. "Clean all of Legate Clarus' belongings out of the chamber and change the linens....*now*." She urged in a whisper.

"Yes, mistress." The girl answered quickly. "But what shall I do with them?"

"Put them in Aelia's room...or throw them in the cellar. I don't care, just make sure it is spotless."

She tried to soften her harsh tone with a little smile. She was usually so good to her help...but then, she usually wasn't under so much stress.

When Paolina returned, Maximus and his mother were gathered around the kitchen table, drinking warm milk from tumblers. She smiled at the little scene, imagining that such gathering must have happened often when her husband was growing up. They looked so content to be together- just as he did with Paolina, Maximus and his mother seemed to have the gift of picking up precisely where they left off.

Things were different now, of course, but in a happy way. Livia was clearly enraptured to meet her little grandson. She held his plump arms above his head as he shakily imitated walking across the wooden floor. He was too little yet, but....Paolina felt a pang....soon....

Shaking her head clear of the thought, Paolina swept to the center of the little circle. "I'm sorry that the house is such a mess." She said, brushing the hem of her skirt on an imaginary fleck of dirt. "If I had known that you were coming..."

"- then it wouldn't have been a surprise..." She flashed a smile almost identical to her son. "And the house looks lovely....rather like our farm in Trujillo, doesn't it, Maximus..." She looked at him, her eyes flashing as she prepared to tease him. "Or do you remember? It's been so long..."

Maximus laughed and shook his head. "I remember, mother...and it isn't my fault that the German army won't give up. I hardly have time to ride to Trujillo and back during the break."

"Yes. Well....It will be better now that Paolina and Marcus will be with me..." She smiled at her daughter-in-law. "Who is going to manage the house when you are gone?"

"Gone?"

"Yes..." Livia frowned and looked at Maximus as if she needed him to explain Paolina's puzzlement. "When you come with me to Spain..."

Aelia and Quintus returned home hand in hand, their calm faces at complete odds to the relief and passion which churned within them. Meeting Maximus' mother- which ordinarily would have been a delight- was instead, a painful ordeal. They sat mutely through polite small-talk in the kitchen for what seemed like hours, only to spend another three hours at the elaborate cena which Paolina, in her wishes to impress her mother-in-law, had ordered. They wished to appear polite, but they wanted nothing more than bed, and time alone together to bask in the glow of their newly recovered happiness.

It was Aelia who came to Quintus, and he demurred, still too ashamed of what he had done to share her body, even if offered willingly.

"No." He said quickly. How could he explain that he did not trust himself anymore? "We need never speak of it again...there are other ways for me to show how much I love you."

"I do not want other ways...I cannot be more pregnant than I already am." She whispered against his ear. "I was afraid of bearing a child. I never stopped wanting *you*." Her voice was soft and passionate, and Quintus felt his resolve falter.

"Are you still afraid?"

Aelia looked away, and then she slowly met his eyes. "Yes....but I can see that Paolina was right. It is wrong to be controlled by fear- wrong not to take the happiness that life allows."

Quintus finally noticed that, while she was speaking, Aelia had stripped her clothing away. She was naked now. Soft and warm, her fertile womb spreading beneath his hand like a ripe fruit.

"Aelia..." he said, exhaling deeply, desire searing through every nerve of his body.

He was, at last, persuaded. He made love to her tenderly and slowly. Every touch was saturated with his longing to erase the travesty of the past with worship in the present. At last, they fell asleep, their bodies tightly pressed together, and the electricity of their connection flowed between them once more.

I will never harm you again....The reminder of his words came again to the forefront of his mind, and he reaffirmed his conviction to carry them out. He leaned forward to smell her hair, and then jerked backwards, shocked as a flash of premonition slid through his mind.

It was a picture of Aelia, her pain magnified a thousand times. He was there too, clad all in black, dispassionately observing her display. An echo of the past? A vision of the future....a meaningless image brought on by stress? He hugged his wife closer and tried to erase the picture from his mind. I will never harm you again....I will never harm you again....He repeated in his mind. Oh, please Gods, Let it be so.

Paolina stopped abruptly at the landing on the top of the stairs. Her eyes widened with horror as she heard the sound coming from her cousin's room.

"Maximus!" She said, taking a step toward the door, but he pulled her back.

"You're jumping to conclusions, Paolina." He warned, steering his bride toward their own bedchamber.

She swallowed hard, but did as she was bidden. Maximus squeezed her hand reassuringly. Paolina had been too wrapped up in his mother to pay attention to their friends at dinner, but Maximus had noticed a definite change. They were quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. They did not hesitate to sit near each other, brushing hands, and sharing smiles. No mention had been made of Quintus' eviction from the guest room. They had simply ambled off to bed as though it was where they expected to sleep, and Maximus hoped for the best.

Truthfully, he was more than a little bit afraid that Paolina would make HIM sleep in the guest room after his mother had broached the topic of going to Spain. He had not mentioned the topic since the terrible fight before their wedding. He was half-afraid that the incident would be repeated. However, Paolina had barely blinked. She explained, calmly to his mother, that she was planning to go with Aelia to Rome (the first that he had heard of it, but he was used to surprises from Paolina), and could she possibly wait another year.

Another year without her grandson? That had drawn complaint, but it had been quickly solved when Aelia, speaking for perhaps the only time during dinner, had offered for Livia to accompany them.. No doubt, the girl had expected the woman to politely decline, pleading fields or plant, land to buy, cattle to sell- but she had not. As Aelia fell back into silence, Paolina and Livia fell into a whispered conversation of the wonderful things that they would do in the great capitol

It amused Maximus profoundly to see his wife and mother together. Before today, he would have agreed that Paolina and Livia shared many traits in common. Now, however, he could see that the two were cut entirely from the same cloth. Both were firey, passionate, and loving. They were well on their way to a great friendship (which, Maximus did not doubt, would upon occassion revert to a firey hatred for an hour or two until whatever they had been arguing about wore off). They seemed so happy with their plans, that he did not bother to voice his concerns about visiting the mighty city.

Maximus knew that Paolina and his mother, like all provincial women, harbored a fascination for the gilded capitol. He himself would love to see it someday, but he held strong reservations. He had heard enough tales from the Roman men he fought beside to view the metropolis as a center of degredation and excess. Thoughts of the Colosseum, the massive slave-markets, the sprawling slums made the simple, moral farmer within him cringe. He had always felt a shiver when he heard people speak of Rome, and he had always felt, in some indescribable manner, that the city was unlucky for him.

Of course, he realized that Paolina and Livia would laugh at him, and so he remained still. They would be protected in the General's sprawling mansion, even if he was not at home to attend them. Aelia's fortune and name would place the little set on the A list for the most exclusive, and most coveted invitations in Rome. How could he deny his wife such a gift? And Marcus would benefit from the journey as well. Even if he could not recall the trip, he would be able to claim that he had been. That alone would bestow great cachet.

Feeling contented, and feeling, as he finally slid between his sheets, that the winter would be peaceful and happy, Maximus kissed Selene, and then drifted off to sleep.

39

The next morning Paolina went down in the kitchen and stopped cold when she saw that Aelia was already there. She was humming by herself -- a thing she had not done in ages - and moved around the furniture as if she was dancing. After a moment of surprise a slow smile apparead on Paolina's lips as she realized that Maximus had been right the night before about Aelia and Quintus.

She cleared her throat and then grinned to the other, startled, woman.

"Cousin, you are simply radiant."

Aelia beamed. "Thank you Paolina...I feel radiant."

"I surmise the storm is passed and you and Quintus have made peace?"

"Oh, yes....and I must thank you..."

"I? Because I obliged you to share the bedroom?"

"No, for the advice you gave to me. Remember when you told me you can't let fear keep you away from what you love?" Paolina nodded. "Well last night I finally understood how right you were." Aelia crossed the room and embraced her cousin, "Thank you, Paolina."

"You are welcome and remember than I am always here if you need me."

"I will keep that in mind....now let's return to prepare breakfast, the men will be up soon and they will be hungry!"

After a cheerful meal during which conversation and laughter flowed easily, Maximus and Quintus left and went to the camp. There were many things to do before the snow began to fall and they did not want to abuse of the freedom General Claudius gave to them, allowing them to spend so much time with their families.

They were trotting side by said in amicable silence when they saw a soldier gallop in their direction.

Maximus raised his right hand and the other rider slowed down to a walk.

"Legate Maximus, sir, you are needed urgently to the camp...there had been an accident...General Claudius fell from his horse and he is injuried."

Quintus and Maximus exchanged a look then spurred their horses and quickly reached the camp.

Maximus had just the time to dismount that Cicero rushed to him, "Sir, the General wants to speak with you immediately!"

The Spaniard nodded and ran to the Praetorium.

The general was waiting for him on his bed, his left leg tighly bound with bandages and splints. The old man was sitting with his back against the headboard and the legate was relieved to see he did not seem to be in much pain.

Maximus bowed his head and asked, "Sir, did you wish to see me?"

"Yes, Maximus. Now take a chair and come near." Claudius gestured with his hand.

Maximus did as he was told and then waited for his superior to tell him the reason of the meeting. Claudius seemed to study him, unwilling to go on and so Maximus said, "I am sorry for the accident, sir."

"I only broke my leg...I should have know better than ride my horse after so many days. He had not been exercised for several days and was bound to be in high spirits- but now it is useless to cry on the spilled milk and I don't want you to be sorry for me, all right? It will give me the chance to go home to Rome along with Aelia, your wife and your little boy...What more could an old bag of creaking bones like me ask for?" Maximus smiled and the general added, "However we must first think about the Felix Legions. As maybe you already know this incident will only speed my retirement by one year- since I had finally decided to retire after the next summer campain..."

The legate nodded --such news there difficult to keep secret and in the last months there had been a lot of speculation about who would succed Claudius. One of the legates or a general coming from another legion? "Yes, Sir, I heard about your planned retirement."

"But I bet that even our worst gossipers could not tell anything about my designated successor...Am I right?" Claudius had an ironic smile on his face and the younger man replied with one of his own, once more in awe of his commander's spirit of observation."You are right, sir."

"Well, Maximus, Marcus Aurelius and I chose my successor the same day it was decided the time of my retirement. It was an easy, almost obvious choice on which we both agreed immediately." Claudius' eyes bore into Maximus' ones -- realizing that the younger man had no clue as to what was about to happen - and then he exclaimed proudly, "Ave Maximus, General of the Felix Legions."

Maximus caught his breath. "Sir?" He said in disbelief.

"Congratulations. You've made me very proud these past few years...I am certain that I leave the legions in good hands."

"But...." Maximus needed to say thirty things at once and, as a result, ended up saying nothing. "Quintus." He squeaked out at last. The odds-on favorite. Not as daring as Maximus, nor as consummate a field commander, but talented all the same. More importantly, he was the General's son-in-law. Quintus' reinstatement to legate had, quietly, been granted only a month into the last campaign.. To the men in the ranks- forgetting that he had earned the promotion more than half a year earlier- whispered of nepotism, but then- in the forum or in the field, Rome was a society of politicians..Of all the legates, Quintus Clarus had been held the closest to Claudius. The conventional wisdom had named him as 'the one'. Why had the General changed his mind?

Claudius seemed to be able to sense the man's thoughts. "Some decisions we make with our hearts. Others we make with our heads." He said with a grim smile.

Which one was this? Maximus wanted to ask.

"Thank you, sir." He said abruptly. "I won't let you down."

"I don't expect you to." He smiled warmly. "We'll announce the change of command early next week. I need to get final confirmation of the appointment back from the emperor. I'll clear out of the Praetorium as soon as they get me out of this thing." Claudius said, patting the splint around his thigh derisively.

The Praetorium.

Maximus frowned. As general, he couldn't leave the camp without a commander ...and Paolina couldn't raise his child in the middle of the army. He had to make certain that his second was on hand at all times...

"...don't you?"

Blinking, Maximus realized that the general was still speaking. "I'm...I'm sorry...what did you say, sir?" He asked, looking up apologetically.

The general merely sighed. He thought back to the day that he had recieved his commission. How everything had been planned so perfectly before it occurred, and then , when the dream became reality, how he was driven to question everything once again.

The old man laughed. "You're dismissed, Maximus..." He waved him out of the tent. "Tell my granddaughter to come and see me if she can still walk-- and remember, don't tell anyone until it's official."

Maximus nodded. He hurried away, his mind still fevered with thought.

It was one of the easiest births that Tertulla could remember. She said so, in an apologetic tone, to Maximus and Quintus when they rode home in the evening to hear the peaceful quiet of the house shattered by newborn cries.

"I'm sorry we didn't fetch you." Livia apologized to the men as they stepped into the hall."We thought there were hours left.."

Paolina stepped forward and laid her hand on Quintus' shoulder. "And then, when Tertulla checked, the baby was nearly born. We were so caught up that we didn't have time to send anyone after you..." She was nervous about the man's reaction, and would have kept chattering if Maximus hadn't stilled her.

"Is she okay?" Quintus asked anxiously. "I mean....was she...was she very afraid?"

Paolina stretched her lips across her teeth. "At first....when the pains were fresh, but she grew used to them. She was better when Tertulla was here and reassured her....and it wasn't long." Five hours, Paolina thought jealously.

Livia nodded. "Tertulla says that she gave birth like a cat."

Quintus frowned sharply- having been raised in the city, he did not catch the reference, and Maximus was forced to explain it to him. "It means that it was very easy." He paraphrased.

"She is doing fine." Paolina said with a smile. "You should go and see them."

The legate had already disappeared up the stairs before Maximus could even offer congratulations. "What was it?" He questioned, gathering Paolina into his arms. "A boy or a girl?"

"A girl," Livia said, beaming. "- and with the makings of a real beauty. It will be hard for her father to be dissappointed."

"I doubt that he will be." Maximus said. He picked Paolina up off the ground and swung her around.

"What was that for?" She asked, puzzled.

"Oh....nothing." He said, remembering that his good news could not be shared. "Just a happy day."

Paolina squinted at him.

Livia shared the look. "You are up to something Maximus Decimus..." She said slowly. "I can see it."

"No, I'm not." He insisted, blue eyes sparkling. "And if I were, I would be absolutely sworn to secrecy."

As soon as he said it, he knew that he would regret it. It was unfair to remain silent now, the women insisted. Slowly, but surely, he felt his resolve fade.

"Very well, I will tell you...but you cannot let anyone know. He paused and took a breath. "General Claudius has had an accident."

The women shrugged. Was that his news? A messenger had been sent to tell Aelia hours ago.

Maximus pressed on. "He is about to announce his retirement."

Their faces perked.

"He has....told me his successor."

Livia sucked in her breath, and Paolina glanced tentatively up the stairs.

"Me." Maximus said softly.

Livia made a sound of excitement, but quickly clapped her hand over her mouth.

"You cannot tell ANYONE. " he said forcefully, hoping that he truly impressed upon the women the urgency of his request. "Especially not Quintus and Aelia. If Quintus learns, the whole army may know..."

Livia nodded, excitement still bulging her eyes.

"Paolina?" Maximus frowned at his wife. "Paolina, did you hear me?"

Snapped out of her thoughts, Paolina finally answered. "Yes....yes, of course not." She mumbled, but her mind was far away. A general. Oh, why could she not feel happy for him? This was such an honor ...but it also carried great risks. The successes and failures of the legions would reflect directly upon him now. And politics! He would face political as well as military pressure now. He was such an honest, straightforward man...could he see the treacharies of the senate before they gathered him into a trap? Finally, she feared the consequences of his adventurous nature...she felt her stomach tighten ....his bravery might lead him into trouble.

"Paolina, is something wrong?" Livia asked, sharing a worried look with her son.

"No, mother." She answered softly. "Nothing...nothing at all. Congratulations Maximus. I am happy for you."

She wished that she were telling the truth.

Quintus paused briefly in front of the bedroom door and then pushed it open. The scene he saw was so serene and beautiful that his breath caught in his throat. Aelia was on the bed, clad in a loose white nightgown, her back resting against a pile of cushions. Her fair hair was unbound and formed a halo around her lovely face. She was looking down at the small bundle she carried in her arms and her finger caressed a little head of golden hair. She seemed to sense his presence and raised her eyes, smiling to him. "Quintus," she whispered, "Come nearer, I want to introduce her to you."

Her. So it was a girl.

Quintus walked to the bed and sat down beside his wife, kissing her gently on the temple, and then looked down to his daughter. The newborn was sleeping and her tiny feature were relaxed. Quintus exented a hand and hesitantly touched a tiny cheek....How soft the skin was!

Aelia looked at him and asked, "Would you like to hold her?"

Quintus nodded and she passed the baby him. He craddled her against his chest, stroking a little hand with his forefinger. After a while he cleared his throat, pushing away the lump which was constricting it and murmured, "Thank you, my love. Thank you Aelia for this wondeful gift."

She smiled and said relieved, "So you are not disappointed she is a girl and not a boy?"

"Of course not...! How could you think that?"

"Well, many men prefer male children..."

"Yes, but not I. Besides, maybe the next one will be a boy..." Quintus stopped, suddently remembering that Aelia was afraid of becoming pregnant and that the child he was now holding was a sort of accident along the way. He looked at her embarassed, trying to find the words to apologize but Aelia simply smiled and said convincely, "Yes, next time we will have a boy."

Quintus' eyes widened, "Are...Are you no longer afraid?"

"Yes, my fear is vanished. Oh, I know there are risks but they are takings if the reward is a miracle as our daughter."

"Oh, Aelia, my love!" Quintus passed his left arm over her shoulder and pulled her to him for a sweet kiss.

After they leant back against the headboard and remained silent, as they watched, almost mesmerized, as their daughter slept. Several minutes later Quintus frowned and said, "I've not asked you if you are all right..It was very unconsiderate of me and I hope you will forgive me ......I'm afraid that this little girl completely caught my attention."

Aelia smiled, "Don't worry, I feel fine, just a little sore and tired." She squeezed his hand to let him know she had forgiven him.

Quintus nodded and then asked again, "But -- correct me if I am wrong -- I thought the baby would be born later ....I mean if it was conceived that night..I mean.."

He flushed crimson and his wife barely restrained a laugh at his embarassment. "She was not conceived the night before you left after the barbarian raids, she was conceived a couple of months before. Tertulla told me so."

Quintus let out a relieved sigh, for their baby was the fruit of a loving union and not the result of the most shameful action he had ever committed. Now his happiness was truly complete. He kissed Aelia again on her head and then closed his eyes to better savor that perfect moment.

That night, Maximus could barely sleep. His mind was fevered with thoughts...the changes he would make in the army, his strategy for the Spring campaign, new officers to appoint....He let his breath out in a sigh. That was where he inevitably tried to think of something else.

New officers.

Establishing a new chain of command would be the first thing he would be expected to do as General. Cassius, General Claudius' second in command was going to Judea to take control of the legions stationed there. Maximus had been third. Fourth was Quintus....he sighed. There was no doubt in his mind that the man was suited to the post, but was he suited to working with Maximus?

Maximus and Quintus had not always been friends. When they were young, there had been a ceaseless competition between them. Who would be promoted first? Who was the fastest runner? Who was the best with a sword? The contests had sharpened both the skills and driven them to excel- but they also underscored a key component of each man's personality. They were leaders, not followers. If Maximus named Quintus as his second, would they work in harmony, or would his decisions be questioned? ...would the other man see it as more of a "co-generalship" in which his position as friend and almost family gave him the right to forge his own way?

There were other considerations as well. Whomever he named as second would have to spend his nights at the camp while Maximus was away. He would also have to lead the infantry in battles- a grueling, often deadly position. He had never seen Quintus happier than he had been in the past few days, nestling close to his wife and child...how could he tear them apart so quickly?

But if he didn't choose Quintus...? That was a problem as well. Would he understand? Could he believe that it was not a personal slight, but merely a recognizance of the fact that the pair might clash? Still troubled by the situation, Maximus delayed his decision yet again.

40

His mind still hadn't been made up on the day of the announcement.

Quintus was full of smiles as they walked from the farmhouse. He had gathered that the successor would not be him, and surprised Maximus with the ease in which he nhad accepted the news.

"I'm not ready to make that sort of sacrifice from my family." He had said earnestly. "A general needs to give his complete attention to the army...and Aelia and Clara need me more."

Maximus had only nodded in reply, Quintus' concern for his wife and child giving further weight to the decision that he had decided to make ...Valerius would be his second. The man was not as gifted as his friend, but he was dependable. He lacked aspirations for ever becoming general himself (though Maximus noted this was the sort of man who usually had such things fall into his lap). He acted competently, and unquestioningly. More

importantly, he had no family ties to consider. There was a wife, of sorts, among the camp followers which the other officers carefully avoided acknowledging. There were, perhaps, a few children swarming about in the little packs that wove through the tents. However, they were the hardy, invisible sort who would require no accomodations. Yes, Valerius would suit his purposes admirably.

The troops assembled in smart lines on the field outside the Praetorium for the presentation. The general had set aside the day to award commendations, as well as promotions, and so the men were in generally good spirits. They cheered as their centurions accepted laurels for performances in past battles, and golden rings as tokens of their long service. Maximus and Quintus were not omitted from the bounty. Each recieved grants of land in the conquered territories from the emperor in return for their assistance in the war. If the cheer for Quintus had been a bit softer- rumors of nepotism did persist- Maximus knew it was compensated by the fact that the man's father-in-law had, indeed arranged for his grant to fall around a silver mine- conveniently located next to the general's own lands, which would pass to Aelia in his will.

At last, the time for the announcement arrived. Quintus leaned over to Maximus. "Look at Cassius, acting so cool....I don't think it was very nice of him to keep us in the dark- but then, I suppose he didn't want us sniffing around jockeying for position." He flashed a grin, and Maximus felt a chill running through his veins....

"....Maximus Decimus Meridas."

The cheer from the assembled soldiers seemed to snap both men's attention back at once, and Quintus looked sharply forward at his father in law, paling at first, but then managing a wary smile at his friend.

"Congratulations." he whispered. The voice was stung- hurt that he hadn't been told, but not malicious - at least not overtly. Feeling like a sleepwalker, Maximus took his position behind the podium. He made a few, standard remarks, thanking the men for their discipline and bravery, briefly previewing some changes he intended to make. Then he came to the portion of the program which the men were most anticipating. His chain of command.

"Gaius Valerius Tachius." The words sounded foreign, even to him. There was a surprised cough from the new assistant commander, but otherwise dead silence. Maximus' eyes floated warily over the platform, resting on each face only briefly: Valerius' look of shock, Claudius' look of betrayal- clearly he had counted on Maximus' repaying his favor by promoting his son-in-law in turn, and finally, Quintus. The face was nearly unreadable, his eyes focused tightly ahead, and an unnatural upward tug at the end of the grimly set line of his lips. At last, someone in the back of the ranks began to clap, and the sound spread. It was not the raucous cheers from before, more a polite syncopation- a sound that resembled frying fish.

Finally it ended, and the men began to shuffle restlessly.

"General? Are we dismissed?" The voice belonged to Claudius. It was terse and businesslike.

"General?"

Oh, gods...he's talking to me. Maximus realized at once. "Dismissed." He said firmly, and turned to walk away. Claudius' eyes caught him, reminding him to remain at attention until the last of the ranks had dispersed. He turned back around. Behind him, he heard the fall of boots on the temporary wooden floor as the officers left the stand. Quintus was with them. Maximus wanted to run after him, but could not. He had to explain! It wasn't a comment on his estimation of the man's abilities...nor was it a strike against their friendship. He had to make him see that the choice was as much for HIS benefit as for his own. At last the men were gone, and he sprinted toward the steps.

"General-" The weaponsmaster said, catching his arm. "There are some figures that we need to discuss before-"

"Later." He answered, pushing past.

"General..."

"General Maximus, sir?"

At last, he realized that he was surrounded. Storekeepers, Accountants, Lieutenants, Centurions...each seemed to have a matter urgently requiring attention. He glanced over their heads to see Quintus heading for the stables. He would never make it in time. Sighing, Maximus resigned himself to business first.

"Go to the Praetorium." He said calmly. "I'll see each of you in turn."

And, with a heavy heart, he began his career as a general.

Maximus did not return home until long after the sun had set. The dinner hour had passed, and he expected most of the family to be in bed. He was surprised to see Paolina and Livia talking quietly at the kitchen table.

"Maximus!" Paolina said anxiously as he entered the room. She smiled shyly at the dark purple cloak that indicated his new status as a general. "My love, we have been worried about you..." She seemed nervous as she asked the next question. "How did things go today?"

"Fairly well." He avoided her gaze. "Has Quintus gone to bed yet?"

Livia and Paolina shared a look. "I don't know." She answered at last.

Maximus frowned, and his mother laid a hand on his shoulder. "Apparently their house is finished. They are sleeping there tonight. Quintus said they would come tomorrow for the rest of their things."

Quintus was walking back and forth the hall of their cottage, trying to calm down the anger and the disappointment that were boiling inside him, but he was failing miserably. Why had Maximus done? Why he had chosen Valerius? Quintus had been surprised when Claudius had announced Maximus' name, but with a cool mind he could see the logic behind the choice. Maximus had a gift for understanding the enemy's tactics and strategies. He was also brave, just, and respected by the troops because he had climbed one by one all the steps of the military hierarchy, thanks to his qualitily and not because was the son or the relative of this or that important politician.

However -- as hard as he tried -- Quintus could not understand why his friend had a put another man in the place everybody - including Claudius- thought destined to him. Have him not performed well has Maximus' second in command during Claudius' absence?

The sound of someone knocking stopped his pacing and the went to the atrium, opening the door, not surprised to see Maximus on the step.

They looked at each other in silence then the General asked, "May I come in, Quintus? We need to speak about today."

"I think you already did all the talking this morning, General." Quintus' voice was sarcastic and Maximus bit his tongue to refrain from telling something he might regret later.

"Quintus, I know you are disappointed I did not appoint you as my second in command but I beg you to understand I did not do it because I don't trust you or because I did not considered you good enough for the job. I did it because I did not want to burden you with duties which would keep you away from your family." Maximus was relieved to have been able to voice his reasons.

"What are you saying? My family?" Quintus' voice was no longer sarcastic but it was irritated.

"Think about this, Quintus: one of the members of the command staff must always been in the camp, nights included. If I had chosen you, you would have been obliged to spend your nights in the camp as I stayed in the farm, instead of spending them with your wife and daughter....You told me this morning how important are them for you. Valerius has no family outside the camp and he wont have problems to stay in the praetorium. This was the reason I chose him as my second in command." Maximus stopped to talk and watched as his words slowly sank in Quintus' head.

The legate was confused. He had not thought about the consequences of been part of the chain of command. And he remembered that morning words.....Was it really possible that he had jumped to the wrong conclusion? He looked at Maximus' eyes and saw that the man was sincere. Quintus sighed and then nodded.

"I understand, Maximus. I admit I jumped to the worst possible conclusion, but you are right, I want to stay near Aelia and Clara....the time to leave them behind will arrive all to soon."

Maximus smiled, relieved the other finally saw why he had acted that way, and the two shook their hands. "Now I let you go, I have keep you up too long. Send my regards to Aelia, all right?"

"Of course. Good Night, Maximus."

"Good Night, Quintus."

Maximus turned around and the door closed behind his back. As he was walking to his home, the young general felt more relaxed than he had been during the whole week....but inside him there was still a little voice that kept telling him that Quintus' friendship was a fragile thing and that the rivalries of their boyhood had left small but indelible scars.

"Did everything go allright?" Paolina called down from the back porch as she heard him come home.

Maximus shrugged. "Well enough, I suppose. At least, I think that I made him understand my reasons."

Paolina nodded mutely. Maximus frowned. Surely she didn't think that he had made the wrong decision as well.

"Are you hungry?" She said after a long pause.

He nodded. "Yes, and tired."

"Too tired to go for a walk with me?"

He arched his eyebrow, and then smiled to see that she had a picnic basket and a blanket on the step beside her.

"I'm not too tired." He said with a smile. "Where are we going?"

"To our rock." Her smile was suggestive, and Maximus laughed. She had been stand-offish since his mother had arrived, mortified that the older woman might "hear something". He was glad that she had finally changed her mind.

Maximus and Paolina stayed at their rock until down. When they finally awoke, embarrassed to see the sun rising in the eastern sky, they were stiff but satisfied. Maximus leaned near his wife. "I must head back to the camp" he whispered. "Perhaps important business could keep me there tonight, and I could send the carriage out to get you?"

Paolina nodded, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"Very well, I will see you this afternoon....will mama be okay with Marcus?"

His wife sighed as though it were a silly question. "As if there was a reason to ask...she is enchanted with him- and he loves her almost as much as me. I should not spend too many nights away from home, or he would begin to think that *she* was his mother!"

Maximus smiled, and gathered Paolina into his arms for a goodbye kiss.

"Tonight."

"Tonight."

41

Maximus was self-conscious about arriving late to the camp on his first full day as general, but there wasn't very much that anyone could say about it. At last, after the tedium of the afternoon before, he was enjoying a perk of command.

"General," His servant, Cicero said as he entered the tent- the boy was temporarily substituting as a secretary until a replacement arrived. "Cassius is waiting in your tent to get the signature for the transfers of men he is taking to Judea."

Maximus nodded. "I'll be right in." He turned to the back so that the slave could help him adjust his armor and cape properly. "Is the list long?" he asked curiously. He was sensitive to the prospect that he might lose many of his best centurions in the move. As senior legate (before Maximus' promotion) Cassius had first choice in selecting his troops. Many of them would be anxious to go- they loved Maximus, but the plunder gained from Eastern expansion was far greater than what was realized in the campaigns against the barbarians, a very practical concern for centurions and other officers who would take a share.

At last, Maximus deemed himself ready. He smiled as he walked into the tent.

"Legate," He said, dipping his head in salute to the older man.

"General." Cassius echoed with a smile.

"You brought the list."

"Right here."

He unrolled the heavy scroll, and Maximus read it from the bottom up, frowning as several men he had hoped to retain were on the list. "You've confirmed this with the transferees?" He said as he reached the middle of the scroll.

"Yes...I'm sorry Maximus, they love you, but the warm sun and harem girls are a powerful motivator for men of a certain age...." He flashed his teeth.

Maximus wondered if the list wasn't a slight payback for having assumed Claudius' command. There was far more opportunity for glory in the bloody brawls of the north than in the relatively tame eastern lands. However, the benefits that his associate had mentioned came close to evening the score ....added to which there was the money. Maximus wondered, briefly, if he had made a mistake.

Finally, Maximus returned his attention to the list. He had reached the actual chain of command now. He was surprised to find five transfers on the list- that was rather more than he had expected of the actual officers.

And then his jaw dropped. Quintus Clarus was listed as second in command.

After several second of paralizing stupor, Maximus regained his composture and raised his eyes to look at Cassius.

"I don't think that there will be any problem with the transfers...Leave here the list so my scribe can copy it for our records. I will sign the orders before evening."

Cassius nodded, "As you wish, General. Good day sir." And he exited the tent leaving Maximus alone with his thoughts. The new general stared again at the scroll but Quintus' name had not magically disappeared. The letters were still there. "Verba volant, scripta manent," (words fly, writing remain) thought Maximus bitterly, then exited the tent and went to search for Quintus.

He found him near the practice area where the recruits learned how to use weapons. He was teaching to a young man how to use his shield to block his opponent's blows.

"Maybe it would be clearer if we give a demostration," Maximus said loudly and Quintus turned his head to him.

The General walked in the training area, picked up a gladius and a shield and went in front of Quintus. The two soldiers began to execute a series of attacking and retreating moves, first very slowly - so the recruits could watch them better - then more quickly.

After the demostration ended, Maximus gestured to Quintus to follow him on the side of the area. When were far from indiscreet ears the General said, "I have just spoken with Cassius; he haded me the list of the men who want to follow him in Judea.... I saw you too want to go."

Quintus nodded, his face unreadable.

"Why? Are you so angry with me for what I did yesterday you don't want to work with me anymore? I thought you say you understood my reasons!" Maximus sounded almost hurt.

"No, it's not because of that. Listen Maximus: I like to serve under you but I also need my space. I have been in your shadow -- no, let me finish," He raised his hand before Maximus could interrupt. "It is not a criticism to you -- I've been in your shadow for so long that I no longer know if I can act alone. We have always been a team- a good team- but I need to be by myself for a while....can you understand this?"

Maximus nodded, "I never wanted for you to feel inferior to me ...."

"I don't! I just want to be more autonomous, and this campain in Judea is a good opportunity." Quintus seemed sincere and his friend could only accept his explanation.

"It is your right and I respect your decision but....what about Aelia and the baby?"

Quintus raised his chin, "I told her yesterday evening. She said she understands."

Maximus gave him a look as if to say, "Really?" but did not comment. After a long silence the general finally nodded, "So be it. I will sign the transfer papers immediately." He reached out with his hand and Quintus took it, "Good luck, my friend."

"And to you."

Maximus turned on his heels and walked away.

Aelia and Paolina knelt in the nursery sorting the girls' things into large baskets. Quintus' wife was sad to be leaving the little villa that she had called home for so long- she had a feeling that she would never see it again- but she was also happy to be starting off on the life that she had always dreamed of. She and Clara would leave for Rome soon. Quintus and her grandfather would accompany them to the capitol. After seeing that his family was comfortably installed, her husband would catch his ship bound for Judea. He had offered for Aelia and the baby to follow him- it was not unusual for families and children to take up residence in the long-held countries. However, she had declined the offer. She suspected, rather than knew, the basis for Maximus' decision to pass over Quintus' promotion. She knew that her husband's career would fare better if he could give all of his attention to the army. At any rate, it was a short sail home to Rome, and besides, she was looking forward to rediscovering the city of her youth. It would be wonderful to be in the center of the world, rather than a provincial backwater for a time. How much better it would be now that she had the money and status to enjoy it to the fullest!

Paolina had barely spoken to Aelia that morning, and rather than wondering if she were angry- ridiculous, since Paolina invariably wore her heart on her sleeve- she simply mused over which particular shortcoming she should apologize for first. The tension between Maximus and Quintus had seeped through to their wives. Unlike her husband, who seemed to have accepted Quintus' plans to go East as the result of a rational, if painful decision, Paolina bore the change as a personal affront to the friendship the two men had shared. She could not forgive the man for "abandoning" his friend when he was needed so badly.

There was also the matter of the wetnurse. After raphsodizing for months on how fulfilled she felt as a mother for being able to nourish her child, she was horror-stricken when her cousin had abandoned breast feeding after only two days. Although Aelia had said nothing of the kind, Paolina suspected that her cousin viewed this to be a more refined option...and she resented it.

Finally, Paolina was hurt that her cousin's departure would occur so abruptly, she had been counting on a liesurely goodbye- the rest of the winter at least, and then a summer spent together in the capitol. Was she even still invited to go? She didn't know, and she wasn't about to ask. And so, the women packed in silence.

Truth be told, Aelia and Quintus were the least of Paolina's troubles. It was Maximus that she was secretly afraid to face. Only a few days before, she had begun to suspect something that was certain to set him on edge. A secret that she simply wouldn't risk telling him until her fears were confirmed. Perhaps Tertulla's advices weren't as foolproof as she had claimed. Paolina was afraid she pregnant again.

Finally the day of the departure arrived. Two big wagons arrived to the just after dawn, stopping in front of the main villa were Aelia, Clara, the wetnurse and other servants were waiting for them. The wagons were escorted by several soldiers on horse back with Quintus as their commander.

Paolina, Maximus, Livia, little Marcus and all the household servants were gathered in the porch for the last greetings.

Aelia handed the basket holding Clara to her husband and approached the little family. Her cousin's eyes were full of tears and she embraced her tightly.

"This is not a farewell, Paolina, is only a goodbye. We will see each other again in the spring, when you come to Rome."

Paolina felt a little bit relieved. "So she still want for me to visit her." She thought and stepped back to look deeply in Aelia's blue eyes, "Take Care Aelia."

"You too."

Then Aelia said her goodbyes to Maximus and the others, kissing little Marcus on his chubby cheek, "Be a good boy, my little nephew, and don't make your mama angry." Marcus replied with a giggle.

Aelia turned around and walked to the wagon were Quintus helped her on board. Inside the onlookers could see Claudius lying confortably with his broken leg propped on a couch. The former general saluted his successor in the military way --touching his chest with his right fist -- and the other people with a deep bow. After a final glance to house and the persons who had meant so much to her for so much life, Aelia nodded to her husband and Quintus closed the wagon door. He then collected his horse and walked in front of Maximus and his family. There was a moment of emotional and embarassed silence then Maximus said, "Ave atque vale, Quintus, and good luck for your sojourn in Judea."

"You too Maximus...I will miss you..and you, Paolina. Thank you for the support you gave to us in all this time." Quintus bowed and then, with a whirl of his cape, he mounted on his horse. However, before trotting to the column lead, he turned around once more and said aloud, "Strength and honour."

"Strenght and honour" repeated Maximus.

The drivers cracked the whips on the horses and the wagons started to move, surrounded and protected by the riders.

In few minutes they completely disappeared from the view and from the farm.

42

Time seemed to pass very slowly after Aelia and Clara were gone. In spite of Marcus' happy cooing and Livia's almost constant conversation, the little house seemed empty. Paolina desperately wished that she still had Aelia to confide in- only she truly understood what Paolina had gone through to bear her son- but the weeks that it would take to send a letter to Rome- and the weeks that it would take for a reply to return- would render any advice useless.

What would she do? What could she do? She loved Marcus so much! And she knew that Maximus would love to have another child, if he were not afraid of the consequences. However, even Paolina's most reckless side understood that attempting to carry another child meant almost certain death. She recalled vividly lying in the cellar beneath the house, feeling the cold fingers of death wrap around her ankle and begin to pull her away....Do away with the child? It was common, she knew- and there were certainly people in the camp who could accomplish it, but how could she harm a product of the love between herself and Maximus?

The General sensed the tension, but he was too tired and too distracted to confront her. Paolina seemed very reserved in conversation and in his bed. She seemed drawn up within herself, like a snail hiding deep within its shell. Chalking it up to loneliness for her cousin, Maximus let the mood pass without remark.

At last, Paolina could wait no longer.

"Could you keep Marcus today, Livia?" Paolina asked. They had been cooped in the house for nearly four days. Maximus was away with the legion repairing one of the roads to the south which had been damaged by spring floods. His progress was delayed by the almost ceaseless rain of the week- and when, at last, it let up, Livia was not surprised that her lively daughter-in-law wished to spend a few hours alone.

"Of course." She said, extending her hands to little Marcus, who was almost ready to take a step toward her. He was clutching the edge of a table, looking at her warily. "I would love to watch him. If I need help, I will call Esther." She said, speaking of the kitchen slave who often assisted with the child. "Are you going into town?"

"Yes." Paolina answered quickly. "I...I think that I will look at some new fabric for dresses to wear in Rome."

Livia nodded. "Oh yes, bring samples if they have them. I will need several new tunicas made as well. I haven't had a fancy dress in...." She smiled as she tried to think back to the time, a little surprised when she realised it was before her husband's death. "...in forever." She finished at last. Opening her eyes again, she took in the younger woman's lovely form and sighed, wishing that she too were a young bride again. "Hurry along...you never know if these fluffy clouds are true...it may rain again at any moment..."

Nodding, Paolina strapped on her sandals and raced out the door.

Paolina hurried through the town, but did not stop at the dress shop.

Instead, she walked past the well in the town's center and turned left down a narrow alley, stopping at a low, ramshackle looking building and opening up a heavy door which led to a flat above the bakery.

The general's wife walked carefully up the stairs, feeling a little bit frightened, and hoping that no one had seen her. Although Tertulla was, to the respectable wives of their little valley, the bringer of life, she was, to the girls who followed the camp, a person who rid them of unwanted mouths to feed. No girl conscious of her reputation would come to the flat alone- they would send a slave with a golden coin and beg the midwife's appearance at their home. She shuddered to think of what Maximus would say if he found out.

Paolina knocked on the door and waited for a long while. Was she at home? Her heart hammered in her chest, but at last, the door swung open.

"Yes?" A young girl that she didn't recognize said, peering through the slim crack.

"Is...is Tertulla home, I'm....I need to see her."

The girl frowned at the clean, fine cloth of Paolina's tunica. "What do you want?"

"Just to talk."

"She doesn't have time to talk."

The door started to swing closed, but Paolina wedged her foot in the door, fumbling into her cloak for some money. When she brandished it, at last the door swung open.

"Come in." the girl said warily.

Paolina stepped inside.

"Wait here."

In spite of the intense heat of the flat- no doubt as a result of setting atop the baker's ovens- Paolina drew her cloak tighter aroundher shoulders.

The room was very dark, and smelled sickly sweet of medicinal herbs. In the back room, Paolina could hear a woman moaning, as if she were in pain and, in a small basin beside the door, she saw a bloody knife and scissors soaking in a clay pot. Her jaw clenched, and she fought the need to vomit.

"Paolina?"

The girl looked up sharply, jumping at the sound of Tertulla's voice.

"What are you doing here?" the midwife asked, wiping her hands on her apron. Paolina tried to ignore the scarlet trails that her movements left on the pale cloth.

"I...I need to speak with you." She said quietly, looking into the doorway for signs of the other woman.

"Oh?"

"I...." she swallowed. "I think that I am pregnant again."

Tertulla's eyes widen. "Oh, Paolina...No!" And she walked forward very quickly. "How long has it been since you last had your-"

"Four months." Paolina said, recalling that, after the bleeding from the baby had ceased, there had been nothing more. Four months ago was when she had started to notice- and it couldn't be longer, the child had not yet moved.

"And your other symptoms?"

Paolina described them quickly, as Tertulla laid her hands firmly against the woman's abdomen and performed an exam. She began to cry as the strong fingers pressed against her womb. "Oh Tertulla- Maximus will be so angry!"

"Has he not followed my instructions?"

"Yes..." Paolina said earnestly. "Everything...But."

Tertulla frowned as she examined the girl's breasts. Paolina was embarassed as a little spot of moistness formed on her tunica.

"You are still feeding the baby?" Tertulla asked.

"Yes."

Slowly, the older woman drew her hands away. A bemused smile spread across her lips. "Oh, lady Maxima... you are not pregnant!"

Paolina blinked. How was it possible. "But my season..."

"You will not have it while you are still feeding....Oh, you poor girl!" She laid her hand against her patient's cheek tenderly. "I forgot to tell you! I am so sorry. Have you worried for long?"

Two months. Paolina thought, but did not speak. "Then I'm not..."

"No, things are fine." Tertulla smiled. "If you like, I can give you a syrup which will start them again ...it is time to wean the baby anyway, is it not?"

Paolina nodded, her mind very far away as the happy news wore in...not pregnant! She had not been so happy in a long time...

Aelia was on the large terrace of her grandfather's villa on the Viminal hill. She turned her head to left and then to right, admiring the spectacular view of the city of Rome lying under her. As far as her eyes could travel she saw temples, arches, basilicas, theatres. The Urbe was awesome and Aelia could not wait to go outside and explore it. She had arrived a week ago but between having to meet with Quintus' family and settling down in the big villa she had yet to put a foot out. Aelia sighed as her thought returned to her meeting with her husband's family. To say it had been awkward would be an euphemism. With the exception of Senator Clarus, who had been really affecionate toward she and Clara, the other members of the family had been cold and sometimes not so polite. She rememered how Titus iunior's -- Quintus' older brother -- wife had looked at her with a superior air, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Quintus' mother instead had made a caustic comment about the fact Clara was a girl and not a boy, remarking how good she had been bearing her husband three male children. Senator Titus intervened at las,. telling his wife Aelia was young and she had all the time in the world to bear a boy- and then had returned to play with his granddaughter. Then finally they had gone away, Quintus apologize to his wife, assuring her that they were simply envious of her beauty, wealth, and the fact their marriage was a loving one and not an arranged one as it had been for them. Aelia noted wryly that they needed more practice if they wanted to shame her in some way and that she had a powerful ally in Senator Titus. The conversation had finished in laughs and remembering it Aelia smiled again.

"So, you are really happy to see me go." said an ironic voice beside her.

Aelia turned and saw her husband. He was already dressed with his uniform and suddently her smile disappeared as she remembered that Quintus was set to leave that afternoon.

"My husband, that's not true and you know it! I was just remembering something....," she let the sentence die and walked to him. "I will miss you so much."

Quintus wrapped her in his arms and she pressed to his chest. "I will miss you too, but I will be more relaxed, knowing that you and Clare are safe here. You will be all right here, I promise you." he said.

"I know what. It will be fascinating to rediscover the city after so many years."

"Yes, but please stay away from the Suburra, it is not a place for a lady." The legate was afraid his wife wanted to see again the insula where she had lived with his father.

Aelia nodded and asked, "When does your ship leave?"

"I must start for Ostia within a hour."

"Oh! I though we had more time! Have you already said goodbye to Clara?"

"Not yet."

"Well, it's time you do." Aelia stepped back from his embrace, and took his hand in hers, "Come with me." And she led him inside the house.

They walked hand in hand along the seemely infinite marble hallways. General Claudius' villa had been deserted -- except for the slaves and the caretakers -- for years but Aelia's spirit and wonderful taste had already breathed new life in the old and sometimes sad rooms. She had arranged for lot of fresh flowers to be put in all the rooms everyday and their delicate smell accompanied Quintus and Aelia to the nursery. They softly opened the door, hoping the baby was not sleeping. Quintus wanted to salute his daughter propely but she look so beautiful when she slept that he would have hated to awaken her. Luckily Clara was wide awake and she smile upon seeing her tata. Quintus picked her up from her crib, as the always vigilant wetnurse disappeared to give some privacy to the small family. Aelia and Quintus walked to a small couch and sat down side by side. Quintus caressed Clara under the chin with his forefinger and she gurgled in ecstasy. The proud parents shared a smile and continued to observe in silence all of their child's moves.

As he watched Clara, Quintus felt a wave of sadness wash over him....Was he doing the right thing leaving for Judea? He knew it would be at least nine months before he could return for a visit. Unlike in the northern provinces, where the autumn arrival signaled the end of the wars until the next spring, in the middle-east the climate was always temperate and every season was the same. Quintus sighed. He had taken a decision and he now have no choice. He concentrated once more on Clara, trying to fix every particular of her face, her smiles and her gurgles in his memory, since he knew how much he would change during his absence -- he had observed it with Maximus' son. He felt tears prick behind his eyelids and not trusting himself, he handed the baby to Aelia. She took Clara and put her back in the crib. Then, understanding his emotions, she returned to her husband and hugged him tightly to herself, untill a servant not arrived to politely announce the arrival of Quintus' escort to Ostia.

Then they said goodbye.

*****

"Did you find anything interesting?" Livia asked as her daughter-in-law burst into the house.

The girl's cheeks were pink and glowing and she had a broad smile on her face.

"Yes...er...no...." She said quickly and flushed. "I never made it to the shop...I...er....." blushing furiously, she merely darted up the stairs.

"Has Maximus come home?" She asked quickly.

"No....I don't expect him until after lunch. The roads are bound to be muddy and..." The older woman quit speaking when she realized that her daughter in law had almost disappeared.

Paolina slipped into the bedroom and stared at herself in the hammered metal mirror. The dim surface revealed wild hair and wide eyes that perfectly reflected how she felt inside.

Not pregnant.

She kept repeating it to herself over and over, afraid that it would cease being true unless she kept it in the forefront of her mind. She had never felt so alive...Finally gaining composure, Paolina picked up a brush and began smoothing down her hair, grimacing as the bristles caught on the heavy tangles in her hair. She persisted, however, finally twisting her curls into a low bun which she secured with a tortoise shell comb. Next, she ran a bath, tinting the warm water with rose oil. Tonight she would celebrate- and she wanted it to be perfect.

"Paolina?"

She was just getting out of the tub when she heard Maximus' bootfalls on the stairs, pulling on a thin robe, she opened the door.

Unlike his wife, the general looked bone tired, and he was caked from head to foot with mud.

"Paolina!" He said, reaching out his hands, then lowered them as he noticed his dirty condition.

She smiled, not really caring if he soiled her robe.

"Maximus!" She exclaimed, eyes shining. Then, looking him over added. "It looks like you came to the right place."

Grinning broadly, Maximus stepped into the little chamber and stripped away his uniform. He would not let Paolina help- although she did not care about preserving her unblemished perfection, he enjoyed the sight- a welcome change after nearly a week with his men- too much to spoil it.

When he was naked, she helped him into the water, still tinted with her scent.

Maximus smiled. "Mmmmm....rose petals. The boys back at camp are going to like this."

Paolina swatted him playfully, splashing water onto his face. "The boys at camp better not get close enough to smell you." She teased, then she leaned forward to soap his neck, following closely with her lips. "Besides, I have plans for getting you dirty again before you return."

Maximus shivered, seeing, as if for the first time, the change that had come over Paolina's eyes. What had happened? Did he dare ask? "Paolina?" He said simply, hoping that the single word would draw out what he wanted to know.

She merely flashed her teeth.

"I missed you." She whispered, and then Maximus yelped a little in surprise as, with a loud splash, Paolina was in the bath beside him.

For a second, Maximus' mouth hung open, surprised by his wife's forwardness, but the feeling of her hands smoothing along his body helped him to quickly recover.

"Paolina..." he murmured, feeling his body react to her soft touches. He drew her closer, a damp tendril of her hair sliding across his cheek. "I missed you too..."

They lost themselves in passion for a few moments, their whisperings, faint gasps, and the sloshing of water the only sounds coming from the little room. Paolina pulled her wet robe over her head, and Maximus made a little sound of pleasure. The bathroom was starting to feel very small.

He held his wife away for a moment, erasing her pouting lips with a feathery kiss. "Wait..." he murmured and walked toward the door.

"Mama..?" He called down the stairs. The call was answered by the sound of her chair scraping back across the wooden floor.

"Yes?" She answered.

"Did Cicero bring in the letters out of my saddlebags?"

Paolina frowned, not understanding why this inquiry could not wait. Maximus squeezed her thigh suggestively in a manner that said "wait."

"No, Maximus. I do not see them."

"Would you go and ask him?"

There was a pause.

"Yes, of course. I will take Marcus with me."

Paolina smiled, finally understanding as the heavy back door swung shut beneath them. Grabbing each other's hand, the pair ran giggling to the bedroom, losing themselves in each other again as they fell onto the soft bed.

Paolina had never felt hungrier for her husband, and he responded strongly to her desire. She could not count the number of times that he brought her to an impossibly electric climax, only to find that he could take her higher still...

Meanwhile, Livia had returned from the barn. She had not been able to find the manservant, but, with Marcus balanced on one hip, she had retrieved the letters from the saddle herself. A supply list. A note from one of the century commanders. She frowned. They didn't look terribly important...but then, she was not a general.

Remembering the note of urgency in her son's voice, she mounted the staircase, intending to deliver them right away, but she stopped outside his door. A trail of water led from the bathroom down the hall and-

She blinked, and then blushed furiously as she heard Paolina's voice calling her son's name.

Perhaps the letters were not so important after all.

Embarassed, but smiling, she walked back down the stairs. All too soon Maximus would be gone again. Let them enjoy it while they could.

END OF PART ONE

INTERLUDE

173 - 180 AD

I - Paolina

The following spring as Maximus left Gaul for Germania, Paolina, Livia and little Marcus travelled to Rome to visit with Aelia, accompanied by one of Paolina's brothers, Tertius, who used the trip to check the family's accounts with some bankers. The sojourn in the Capitol was an extraordinary experience for the two country women, impressed by the beauty and the magnificence of the monuments, the temples and the palaces. Most extraordinary was for Paolina to see Aelia live and move in that was really her natural habitat. She was elegant, educated, always sure of herself....a true Roman lady. She was happy to live in the Urbe, the center of the Empire, but Paolina realized that was not a place were she could live forever....at least not without her husband near her. She missed Maximus and missed the country life and so with the arrival of the autumn she and her family returned north, where Maximus was already waiting for her.

In the following few years life for Paolina went on almost identical. She stayed in Gaul, watching her son grow up, with the company of Livia and other friends. During the autumns and winters Maximus returned from the front and they could spent some months in blissfull happiness, living as a normal family.

But all changed in 176.

In that year the Marcommanni, a ferocious German people did a thing that everybody considered impossible: they invaded the Italian peninsula placing the city of Aquileia under siege.

It was a tremendous shock for the Roman people but the Empire reacted quickly by sending the feared Felix Cavalry Regiment against the invaders. In the bloody battles that followed the Marcommanni were defeated and Maximus, General of the Felix Legions, was appointed by Marcus Aurelius as Commander of all the Armies of the North, substituting the general who had permitted to the barbarians to slip right under his nose and reach Italy.

The promotion was bitter-sweet for Maximus and his family. On one hand they were proud of his accomplishments and the new, prestigious, position was the just reward for so many years of good, faithful work, but on the other hand, it meant that Maximus could no longer leave the front during the winter months to visit his family in Gaul. His new Headquarters was located in Vindobona, much further east that his previous position. Only on one occasion he was able to leave the front -- and it was not a happy one: Livia, his strong, young and spirited mother, fell suddently ill and died in a couple of weeks. With her death new problems crushed on the family: before dying the woman had asked to Paolina to take care of the farm in Trujillo and so was now the time came for Maximus' wife and son to transfer in Hispania. For Paolina was a very hard change of life, even if Aelia was with her to help her to settle down in the first few months. She had to adapt to a new country, a new home, to new servants, and all without Maximus, who accompanied her but could not stay for more than few days. However she was able to cope with the new situation, dedicating all her strength to the farm and Marcus. The boy was his parents' pride and joy: healthy, intelligent, good natured, with a tremendous love for horses. It was wonderful for Paolina to play with him, and to watch him become a good rider. She was sad Maximus could not share that with her.

As the months became a year, and the year became years, husband and wife continued to exchange letters. Paolina knew that Maximus wanted nothing more than return home and forget all about the war, the army and Germania, but the he could not leave until his duty was complete. His code of honour permitted him nothing else.

And then by the autumn end of 180, a letter arrived in which Maximus announced to her that a resolutive battle would happen soon and from his excited tone Paolina realized that it was not small talk to reassure her...he truly believed it!

Finally after almost three years Maximus was going to return home.

II - Aelia

The years passed quickly for Aelia. She was happy in her big home, and she barely remembered the heartache of the past. Stopping sometimes, to buy flowers from a pretty little girl in the square outside the forum, she would hold Clara's hand a little tighter and remembered what her life had been - what it still might be like, and she would give the little salesman a golden denarius for a bucket of posies and then decline the change, enjoying the look of surprise on the small face, and imagining the treasures that the girl would buy. Probably nothing, her brain reminded herself, still warring with the romantic nature that, though hidden, ran deep.

Paolina and Livia's visit seemed to end all too soon. Time and distance had healed the rift between the "almost sisters", and Aelia loved having someone she knew so well to help her adjust to her new station. Most of the Imperial family was gone- though the ailing empress was briefly in residence, and so the dinner party they attended at the palace was filled with enough august personages to be memorable for the provincials, while remaining blessedly Lucilla-free.

Aelia was surprised at the changes a half-year had wrough on her "nephew".

He was really walking now, toddling away from his nurse at every opportunity, forever threatening the priceless vases and tapestries that lined the long halls. It was not long enough before she saw the same transformation in Clara- from a rose-cheeked baby to a giggling, golden-haired girl.

Unlike Maximus, Quintus was unable to return the first year, or the second. Letters to his wife were his only contact. Ironically, Aelia felt closer to him than ever before. Quintus had always been more a man of action than a man of words. In his letters, she was able to gain a deeper insight into the man he was inside- and the man he longed to be. On long, brittle rolls of papyrus they shared their news, but also their thoughts about books and politics, gossip, jokes, declarations of love, and plans for the future.

When Quintus finally returned, it was with the news that they had all been hoping for. Aelia saw it in his sparkling eyes as he entered her grandfather's house. She did not let him kiss her before she demanded confirmation of the rumors she had heard throughout the city. Cassius had retired, taking up his brother's senate seat. When he returned to Judea three months later, Quintus was the General of the Judean legions.

The visit left Aelia with more than mere happiness for her husband's achievement. Aelia was pregnant again.

As before, her confinement, and her delivery were far easier than one would dare to hope. Her mother-in-laws complaints regarding Clara's sex were put to rest. As if to put an exclamation point on her accomplishment, Aelia bore her husband twins.

More and more of Aelia's time were spent with Clara and her brothers, Titus and Appius. She also made a point to spend as much time as possible with her grandfather, still clinging tenaciously to life, though very frail. Each day he seemed weaker and more distant than before, and Aelia could almost feel him slipping away. It warmed her heart to see him smiling at her sometimes rambunctious children. For a man who had come so close to losing everything, the lively toddlers- his progeny- were a gift more precious than any of the treasures or honors that he had won.

It was hard for Aelia to leave her family behind when she went to Hispania to visit Paolina, but the trip- which would be made by boat on account of the alarming incursion of barbarians to the north- was too dangerous and tedious for such small children. Aelia mourned for the days she would miss of their growth, but she also longed to see Paolina. It had been many years since the last met.

Aelia's appearance had changed somewhat from her youth. Her golden-brown curls were darker, and her skin pale from a life spent indoors. Age (though she was only in her mid-20's), had thinned her features, making the fine bones of her face more prominent, and accenting the curves that her pregnancies had brought. She expected that Paolina had changed as well...but perhaps she overestimated the difference. She was greeted at the gate to the villa by a woman with the same wild curls and olive skin as her cousin. Even the height was the same- only the woman's weigh- more boyish that Paolina had been- seemed different. She was trailed by a small boy. Marcus? Aelia had nearly hailed the woman her as her cousin, before she revealed herself to be the groundskeeper's wife.

Paolina was waiting at the villa. The only change that time had managed was in her manners and her dress. It was clear that the same wild spirit lurked behind the light, carefully embroidered garmnets, but it was also clear that Paolina was a general's wife now. She carefully hooked her stola in her elbows, and remembered to cover her head when she stepped out of doors, warming Aelia's heart to see that her years of "lady lessons" had not been lost.

Time continued to pass. Spring turned to summer. Summer to fall, and Aelia returned to Rome. She wept to see how tall her children had grown, and how much greyer Claudius seemed, but she was happy to be home.

Months passed.

At last she recieved the letter she had been longing for- Quintus was returning home.

His stay would be only brief, but it was welcome. Nearly three years had passed since she had last seen him. He seemed almost a different man from what she recalled. Clearly, his time as commander had been hard. His face was lined, the scars on his forehead and shoulders accented by time. The prominence of his cheekbones seemed carved into his skin, the hollow beneath them looking almost hungry. Aelia could feel the weariness in his bones as they fell into bed his first night home. She smiled with amusement when she saw- before she was even undressed- that her husband had fallen fast asleep.

Quintus would not return to Judea. The news was unexpected. Even more surprising was the reason why. He was joining Maximus again.

Aelia had never spoken of Maximus since their departure from Gaul. She had, of couse, sided with her husband in the affair. The slight in Maximus' choice- the slow but dependable Valerius in place of her smarter, stonger husband- had been keenly felt, though she kept a ladylike rein on her tongue. She did not even know that the pair were still in contact.

Aelia simply stared in wonder as Quintus explained what he was going to do. He would join his old friend as the second in command of the Nothern Armies- a massive task considering the offensive they were about to launch. They were on the brink of total and final conquest. She was proud to know that her husband would be a party to the achievement, if troubled by the politics she suspected still lingered between the two men.

Had Quintus forgiven Maximus? Even after nearly eight years of marriage, Aelia could not guess the answer. The words her husband spoke with his mouth and the thoughts that he held in his heart were often very different. He had learned to hide his emotions- to bear pain and insult so long as it fulfilled his duty as a soldier and a citizen of Rome. She suspected that his choice was motivated more by the prospect of directing the infantry- Quintus' charge in the opeation- on such a grand scale rather than a resurgence of friendship between the generals.

But again, she was silent.

Happiness was fleeting. There was little that she could change, and so she simply enjoyed the time that they had together, reveling in the intense, if transient sense of peace that filled ordered, happy lives.

If only time would stop.

44

PART II - 180 - 181AD

This section assumes that you have seen the movie 'Gladiator' and that all scenes not specifically altered herein, occurred as they were depicted in that movie.

General Maximus was standing on a low hill, his blue eyes fixed on a faraway point along the horizon, but he was not seeing the the burned expanse of the German forest which streched in front of him, he was thinking about his home and about his family. Two years and 264 days were elapsed since the last time he had embraced Paolina and Marcus and his arms ached with the desire to do that once more. He wanted to see them again, to hear his wife's voice and his son's laughters. He could almost imagine them -- as he was doing now, as he dreamed to walk in his beloved wheat fields -- but it was not the same.

The whinny of a horse snapped him back to reality and Maximus found himself once more in the devasted area that he had chosen as the site for what he was certain would be the last, resolutive battle of the never-ending war against the Germans.

Maximus turned his head and watched a little robin posed on a branch. He smiled and then followed the bird as it took off in the air. He hoped it was a good omen for the imminent battle.

Quintus was walking among the infantry lines, checking and re-checking that the catapults and the other war machines were in the right position. He wished the battle to begin soon so this terrible wait would end. He was sure of the Roman army superiority and he wanted to put the words 'the end' to the chapter regarding his permanence in Germania. He wanted nothing more than return home, in Rome, with Aelia and his three children. He longed to caress their fair heads and hear their voices telling him about their games and their studies. And of course Quintus wanted to see Aelia again. Since their marriage they had spent more time apart than together and he missed her terribly. But now, if the Gods would smile upon them, he would return home and never leave again. He could apply for the Praetorian guards or retire from the army for good and begin a political career...he had the money and the name to do so.

Quintus sighed and returned to the command point, concentrating again on the matters at hand.

At last he saw the general moving toward him. He was walking slowly, stopping to chat with the men preparing for battle, playfully patting their shoulders and cuffing their heads in a supportive, almost tender gesture that implied, in spite of his title, that he was still merely one of them.

Spotting Quintus, the commander of the army of the North stepped forward.

"Lean and hungry." He said, looking over the neatly ranged rows of men with a smile. At last, his expression grew more serious. "Still nothing?"

"Not a sign." Quintus answered without facing the other officer.

"How long has he been gone?"

It was Valerius who answered the question this time. "Nearly two hours." He looked at his commander worshipfully. "Will they fight, sir?"

Quintus swallowed to hide is annoyance at the pandering tone of the question. Valerius had spent years now as Maximus' second. He was certainly qualified to make the determination on his own. Sometimes, Quintus wondered if the other man's mind were as soft as his abundant flesh.

"We shall know soon enough." Maximus answered paternally.

Quintus' eyes swept over the ranks, seizing on a catapult that had not been drawn forward with the rest. "Soldier!" He called sharply. "I ordered you to move those catapults forward, they're out of range-"

"Range is good." Maximus quickly countered.

Quintus' cheeks flushed instantly. "The danger to the cavalry-"

"-is acceptable..." Maximus met the other man's gaze evenly. "Agree?"

General Clarus swallowed his reply. There was not use. They were here to fight the Germans, not each other. Coming had been a mistake- he was too used to giving orders on his own to work under Maximus anymore, and he discovered that his old resentment had not completely died, but that was not why they were here. They had a job to do. He would do it.

"They say no..."

Maximus' words made Quintus look up sharply, and he sucked in his breath. They had sent a rider earlier, announcing acceptable terms for their enemy's surrender. Now the horse had returned. Strapped to the saddle was the bloody and headless corpse of the man they had sent.

"Ihr seid verfluchte hunde!"

The eerie cry of the barbarian chieftain echoed through the trees, settling uneasily over the ranks.

"People should know when they are conquered." Quintus murmured angrily. It was a waste, all of it. The Germans would lose in the end. Why should so many people on both sides die to prove their inferiority?

"Would you, Quintus?" Maximus asked, reading his thoughts. It drew a partial smile. His friend still knew him well, in spite of their differences. Maximus looked pensive as he continued. "Would I?"

Quintus and Valerius shared a look as Maximus knelt toward the ground and gathered a handful of earth in his bandaged palms. He smeared the loam between his hands, staining his fingers with the dark and pungent soil. Neither of the observers knew where the ritual had began, but both men knew what it meant. For as long as they had fought beside him, Maximus had repeated the actions before every battle. The fight was finally at hand.

Rising again, Maximus reached for Quintus and the two clasped hands.

"Strength and honor." He said, and Quintus nodded in acknowledgment. He turned to Valerius, repeating the motions. "Strength and honor."

Striding away, Maximus accepted the reigns to his horse and, in a single, powerful motion mounted the animal. He sat very still for a moment, surveying the Barbarian army on the crest of a faraway hill, and then turning his eyes upon his own ranks. A smaller force, but pulsing with energy. At last, his eyes returned to Quintus again.

"At my signal, unleash hell."

Quintus nodded. He would. They both would, together.

At last the battle was over.

Maximus joined the men for their tired, but jubilant celebration among the tents and fires of the camp. His muscles tensed as the emperor's son, Prince Commodus, approached, and he fought his sense of unease as the pair exchaged a short, polite, but loaded banter. Maximus did not trust the Prince at all.

At last, the Prince transferred his attention to another party. Maximus watched Commodus walk away and slowly released the tension he had worked up in his body during his brief conversation with the prince. He did not trust the man and having him so near was setting on his sense of alarm. And if it was not enough, Lucilla was there too. He painfully remembered their last meeting in Gaul, when she had insulted Paolina so badly....Paolina. The very thought of his wife was sufficient to bring a smile on his tired, handsome face.

Soon, he promised himself, soon, my love, we will be together and nobody will ever tear us apart again. Maximus looked around in the tent filled with officers celebrating that day victory and seeing that Marcus Aurelius had already retired for the night, decided to do the same.

Commodus saw Maximus leave the tent and pursed his lips. The prince was not very satisfied of the result of his conversation with the general but he was not worried. Maximus was foremost loyal to Rome and her emperor...when then the time would came, he would kiss his ring and obey his commands, like a big, faithful dog. Commodus smiled at the image and turned around to look for someone with whom talk. He found it in General Quintus, Maximus' second in command.

"General," said Commodus, approaching him, "I am pleased to see you are well."

"Highness," replied Quintus with a bow, "I thank you for your interest."

Commodus waved his words away with a gesture of his hand, "What will you do now that the war is ended? Will you return in Rome?"

"Yes, Highness, that is my hope."

"It would be my hope too if I had a wife as lovely as yours! I saw Lady Aelia in the forum with your father few days before my departure. She looked even more beautiful than usual."

Quintus bowed his head, acknowledging the compliments to his wife but said nothing. He did not particulary like the prince but he knew he would one day sit on the throne and it was his duty to serve him, in any capacity he might desire, even if his presence was always slightly unsettling.

45

The next night Quintus was awakened abruptly by the captain of the Praetorian Guard.

"General, the Emperor wants to speak with you at once."

Quintus jumped out of his bed and, as his manservant dressed him, he idly wondered what Marcus Aurelius wanted from him at that time. He knew the emperor had a long meeting with Maximus that morning....The general hoped the old monarch did not want to offer him him the position of commander of the Armies of the North after Maximus' resignation.....But even if that were the reason, why wake him up in the middle of the night?

Finally there was no more time for questions: properly attired he followed the Praetorians through the Praetorium till the reached the imperial tent. The captain of the guards entered and said, "He is here Caesar." and then motioned him forward.

Quitus pushed aside the tentflap and...

"Your highness?" said, confused as he found only Commodus on the other side of the fabric. "Forgive me...I was told that the emperor...." his voice trailed off as he caught the look in the young prince's eyes. It was so cold, so....controlled. He did not know why, but it sent a shiver along his spine.

"I sent for you." He said, waiting for a reaction, and when Quintus did not make the leap of logic, he spoke again. "Marcus Aurelius is dead."

Quintus felt as though he were falling. Truly, he did take a step backwards, to maintain his balance. He opened his mouth to speak, and then not knowing what to say, clamped it shut again.

"I will, of course, take my father's place as rightful ruler of Rome."

Quintus' jaw tensed nervously.

"And I will require the assistance of loyal men....I have heard that you are such a loyal man, Clarus." The voice sounded suddenly oily. The words coiled through the air like the undulations of a snake. Their eyes met, and the general could feel his palms begin to sweat. Commodus in power! This could not be. Although removed from politics, he knew from his father's letters that it was generally held that Commodus was not fit to rule. He was spoiled. Capricious. Everyone feared what he would do to those who courted his displeasure.

"Of course." Quintus said softly.

"I wonder..." Commodus' eyes left Quintus at last, and he paced the floor of the little tent, walking to one of the busts that decorated the chamber and drawing his fingertip across the smooth stone. "...is General Maximus a loyal man?"

"He is loyal to Rome."

"He told me the same yesterday evening." The hand dropped. "I am Rome."

Quintus swallowed.

"Perhaps Maximus wishes to seize power for himself." Commodus said, dryly. "It would not be so hard...with an army to command...and army that loves him."

"Maximus wants only to return to his wife and child." Quintus said quickly.

"Perhaps...wise, heroic, Maximus....the farmer."

The soldier's heart seemed to hammer out of his chest. He had struggled with the image as well.

The silence between the men was oppressive, and so the soldier moved to speak again. "He will follow you."

"And if he does not?"

Quintus felt his mouth go very dry, realizing at last that the man expected some sort of response. What could he say? What did Commodus want him to say? That Maximus would follow him willingly? That any of them was actually pleased with the events that would transpire?

"Surely you can see that a threat to my ascendency cannot be tolerated. It would be a threat to Rome."

A nod.

"And so we might be forced to take...strong measures...to preserve Rome's safety."

"Measures?"

Commodus walked to his desk, leafing through some pages that his father had left unread. His eyes grew distant, and for a moment seemed to remember that he should play the role of a grieving child.

"You have children, don't you Clarus?"

Quintus felt his stomach clench. He prayed that the other man was merely trying to change the subject.

"Y-yes."

"Three....pretty things, I've seen them...and Maximus, I believe he has a son."

Oh, Aelia.... Quintus thought, feeling the blood drain from his face. Clara. Titus. Appius...he had thought they were safe in Rome.

"You will, of course, want them to grow in an empire that is strong and secure."

Where was the emphasis? On "strong and secure" or on "grow"? Quintus let his breath out in a slow shudder.

"Yes, sire."

"And there is Valerius..." Commodus was looking off again, he seemed to be sorting through the chain of command in his mind. His smiled suddenly, his white teeth flashing in the dim light. "He is persuadable, I think."

Quintus thought back to the pandering questions he had asked Maximus the day before. Yes, Valerius would be amenable to whatever Commodus proposed. Outside the tent, Quintus saw the shadow of the Praetorian Guards who ranged the small room. Were they sent for him, if he would not obey? He realized, with a start, that his own loyalty to Commodus was not a choice. He could follow, or he- and his family- could die. The ascendant ruler would merely pick away the officers until he found one to comply.

"Find Maximus."

"Sire?"

"Bring him too me....it is better that we secure his loyalty tonight, before word of my father's ...passing...is spread."

There was a curt nod.

"Quintus-"

Something in the use of his given name seemed sinister. As though the young prince were summoning a slave. Hating himself for complying, but too frightened to do otherwise, he turned.

"Yes?"

"If...if Maximus will not yield, he will have to be....dealt with." The deep-set eyes seemed pitch black. "A loyal man will have to give that order."

Then it was over. Quintus whispered a prayer to the Gods that Maximus would be sensible and refrain from action until morning gave him a chance to confer with his troops.

Quintus shifted his weight uneasily, wondering why the younger man did not signal his dismissal. At last, he realized what was expected. His neck protested the simple forward nod of acknowledgment to the new emperor. "Hail Caesar."

At last, Maximus drifted to sleep. Only a drought of strong wine had eventually coaxed his brain from consciousness. The events of the previous morning were incredible. Impossible. Marcus Aurelius, the emperor of Rome, had asked him to take his place.

Maximus. A simple farmer.

It was incomprehensible! Unexpected.... Unwelcome?

The general could not decide. The task the emperor proposed was an honor-to restore power to the Senate. While not truly representative, perhaps, of the Roman populace, it would at least be a step away from the excess and chaos that was the constant menace of absolute rule. Power to the senate would defeat the presumptions of Marcus' unruly son. It would preserve the order and peace that Maximus had fought so hard to win.

He missed his family. Could they go with him? How long would he stay? He smiled to think of Paolina, running barefoot through the halls of the Imperial palace. It was a role that she was not exactly born to play. Another image flashed through his mind- himself consigned to reviewing scrolls and attending hearings all day- it was not a position he imagined for himself either. He was a simple man. A farmer, more comfortable tilling soil even than leading armies. Still....

It was the chance of a lifetime...of a thousand lifetimes. It was his duty.

His destiny.

He would say "yes". He decided at last, as he drifted off to sleep.

Yes.

Quintus tried to remain calm as he strode through the Praetorium toward Maximus' tent. Behind him, two Praetorians were in close pursuit. His suspicions were correct. He was being followed. How could he let Maximus know what was going on without tipping his hand?

He entered the general's tent quietly, laying a hand on the man's shoulder, and gasping as a knife sprung suddenly to his throat. Maximus smiled and lowered the knife, embarrassed to see that it was only his friend. His thoughts had made him edgy. Life at war had taught him to be careful.

The smile had barely faded before he noticed Quintus' face. Far from it's usual, placid expression, he appeared excited and almost afraid.

"Maximus." Quintus chose his words carefully, painfully aware that the Praetorians were still outside. "The emperor needs you. It is urgent."

As he had hoped, Maximus rose without question, assuming that it was Marcus Aurelius who demanded his presence. Quintus decided that it was better not to let him know what had happened in advance. His friend, intelligent, but often as impulsive as Paolina, might say something that it would be better the guards not here. At least, in the presence of Commodus himself, Maximus would have the sense to hold his tongue.

At least, he hoped so.

Quintus continued whispering prayers as they walked down the Praetorium.

Maximus walked quickly through the camp, as in his mind he continued to wonder why Marcus Aurelius wanted to see in the middle of the night..Did the old monarch want his answer now? Maybe he was worried about it and he could not fall asleep wit out hearing him first...Yes, that was a good explanation but as he moved Maximus felt a sense a forebonding grip his guts.

Something was wrong, but what?

Few moments later, as he stepped in the imperial tent, he got his answer in the most terrible way.

He came face to face with Commodus who said, "Lament with me, brother, our great father is dead."

Maximus was stunned. Petrified.

Moving like a sleepwalker he approached the bed where Marcus Aurelius' body was and stared at him speechless. His brain was still trying to gasp the situation as he heard himself ask -- with a voice he barely recorgnized -- "How did he die?"

"The surgeons say there was no pain. His breath gave out as he slept."

Commodus answered but Maximus did not believe it. The late Emperor' face showed the signs of a grimace of pain and a rapid exam of his eyes let clearly see the blood around the irises. Marcus Aurelius had not die of natural causes, he had been strangled.

And Maximus knew who was the responsable.

He bent down and kissed his beloved friend cold face, "Father." he whispered and then added, only in his mind, "I wont let your dream die. I promise you."

Maximus straightened and threw a look to Lucilla, who was sitting in the opposite side of the bed. She was crying and on her face Maximus saw grief mixed with fear. She too knew what had happened or at least suspected it.

It was when that Commodus spoke again, "Your Emperor asks for your loyalty, Maximus. Take my hand."

Maximus turned slowly, looking coldly at the hand offered to him and then at Commodus. The eyes that met his were arrogant, calculating, cruel. He could not bow to such a man, it would be a betrayal of everything he believed, of everything Marcus Aurelius had dreamed.

"I only offer it once." reiterated Commodus but Maximus had made his mind. He refused the hand and sidestepped the patricide, walking to the tent exit.

Before he left the General called, "Quintus!" He did not turn around or look in his friend direction. Have he done it he would have seen the glance the new Emperor and his second in command shared.

Why? Quintus' brain seemed to burn with the question as he had watched Maximus hurry down the Praetorium. Why couldn't he have just said "yes"? Why could he not lie, if only for a moment? He glanced quickly to the new ruler, seeking mercy in the man's eyes....another chance.

There was none. The orders were given. Quintus must obey. Maximus would die regardless of his actions. Refusing the commands of the emperor would only sentence himself, Aelia, and his children to share the general's fate. The thought was faint consolation as he hurried down the hall. The guards followed closely at his footsteps. For once, Quintus was hopeful that there might be a way out. Commodus was vain, but he was not a fool. Surely, he would want Maximus persuaded if it were possible. He had to at least try...

Maximus' brain was a whirlwind of thoughts as he hurried out of the tent.

Slain! By his son's own hand. He had to act- decisively and quickly. His stomach churned at the thought that this might have been avoided if he had answered Marcus Aurelius' plea when he had asked. He would need to contact the senators first- they better understood the political climate in Rome...and then Quintus and Valerius- they would need to circulate among the men. He would need their loyalty if he were to dispute Commodus' claim.

He was pleased to see Cicero awake and pattering about the tent. He gave the boy a strong look that signaled him to drop what he was doing. "I must talk to the senators. I need their counsel. Wake Gaius and Falco."

"Gaius and Falco." Cicero echoed, turning to go.

"Sword." Maximus instructed quickly. There was no use taking any chances. Commodus had the loyalty of the guards, and he had not yet alerted his men.

The servant turned to fetch the weapon when the infantry commander swooped inside.

"Maximus, please be careful, that was not prudent." He urged as they hurried into his chambers.

"Prudent? The Emperor has been slain."

The look in Maximus' eyes was the death of hope. Quintus had seen it many times before, in the throes of a battle when the odds seemed impossibly long that they would ever survive. It was a look that said "I will not be moved", and Quintus knew that it was true.

Maximus did not note the change in his friend's eyes. He was too busy plotting his next move.

"The emperor died of natural causes." Quintus pleaded. It was his final attempt to save his friend- a hand stretched across the abyss. "Grab it Maximus!", he wanted to shout aloud. Suddenly, the differences between them seemed trivial. They were caught up in a raging current, fighting for their very lives.

Maximus turned, staring pointedly at the Quintus' hand. It was resting on the hilt of his gladius. So, Quintus had not come to him in the dead of night unexpectedly. It had been planned. Expected.

"Quintus, why are you armed?"

Outside the tent, the Praetorians moved. It was over. Maximus must die. There would be no redemption.

"Guards." the junior general's voice was scratchy as he spoke, but firm. As if lying in wait, four burly Praetorians sprang through the tent flap and restrained the commander. "Maximus, please don't fight." * Preserve your dignity, if not your life.* Quintus could feel his friend's accusing gaze burn into his skin, but he would not raise his eyes. "I am sorry, Caesar has spoken." He turned toward the leader of the black-clad assailants. "Ride until dawn..." I have heard that you are such a loyal man... Commodus' words filled his mind as, at last, Quintus spoke- "...and then execute him."

At last, the scene fell into place. Maximus blinked, surprised that he had not seen the signs. Quintus? A follower of the new emperor? How could it be true? He had always been a duty, but a man of honor as well....His eyes flew to the fellow general's face. The pain there was undeniable- but resolution as well. How had Commodus gotten to him? Money? Power?...Aelia!

Maximus felt as though he had been kicked in the gut. All of the air seemed to rush from his lungs as his mind skipped quickly from Aelia to her cousin- to Paolina, his wife. Marcus! At last, his anger began to transmute into fear. Would they be a threat to the emperor as well? Would they be harmed?

"Quintus, look at me. Look at me! Promise me that you will look after my family." His voice was raw with urgency. Betrayal will be forgiven only please, please protect the things I love dearer than my life....

But Quintus would not meet his gaze. His hunched shoulders revealed that it was already too late.

"Your family will meet you in the after life."

"No!!" He struggled again, desperation almost enabling him to overpower the men, but his head was snapped backwards by a jarring blow.

Everything went black.

Quintus watched as Maximus was drug from the tent, and then he nodded as another set of guards siezed the general's slave.

Cicero fought but he was no match for the burly guards.

Quintus walked near him and said, "I will let you live. You will continue to take care of Maximus' horses and dog as nothing of this ever happened....and you won't say a word of what you saw and heard tonight....Do you understand?" His tone was cold and unfeeling but it was only a ruse for the assisting Praetorians: inside him Quintus was only trying to save a life....he already had enough blood on his hands.

Cicero seemed to understand and he nodded more than once. "Yes sir."

"Free him," Quintus commanded to the guards and they did so, albeit a bit surprised by his mercy.

Quintus turned on his heels and exited the tent quickly, unable to resist a second more inside. As he stepped out he saw a group of about twenty Praetorians leaving the camp on horseback and with a shiver he immediately knew where they were directed.

A wave of nausea assaulted him as in his mind appeared the images of happier times, and he heard again Paolina's and Maximus' laughters, mingled with his own and Aelia's.

"Forgive me." he whispered in the wind, closing his eyes thightly. He made an effort to control his breath and once he did so, he straightened his uniform and walked to the imperial tent, his face transformed in a mask of stone.

46

The run through the German forests, the Gaulish valleys and the Spanish mountains seemed never ending. Spurred by an increasing terror Maximus pushed himself and his mounts to their limit. He rode for days and days, barely finding the time to rest and eat. The wound on his left arm closed and re-opened more than once -- and in the end it became infect -- but he had not the time to stop to propely tend it.

Finally when he was almost at the end of his strength, Maximus began to recorgnize the landscape around him...with the exception of the days he had spent here for his mother's funeral, more than ten years had passed since the last time he had saw his beloved Beatica but now here it was. His fevered eyes saw a tall column of thick black smoke and Maximus felt the fear descend on him as he realized it was located in the area where his farm was. With a groan of anguish he pushed the horse at gallop and rushed home.

He had just arrived in the middle of the long serpentine roadway which led to the villa when the horse collapsed, dragging Maximus with him. The General stood up staggering and run along the gravel covered path. As he neared the house the nauseous smell of burned flesh assaulted his nose and he shivered in spite of the heat and his fever. Along his path he encountered the broken and burned bodies of his servants, lying in his destroyed fields. His steps became heavier and heavier as he walked the last meters separating him from the villa courtyard. He forced himself to go on and to see what he already knew he would see. Only a couple of walls of his pink stoned house were still up but he barely looked at them before he stopped in front of the kitchen garden and saw his worst nightmare becoming reality.

Paolina and Marcus. Their bodies contorted, burned and almost unrecognizable, nailed to two crude crosses.

Maximus felt his throat constrict and, unable to breath, he sank on his knees.

Tears began to run along his cheeks but he felt no relief on sheding them. The more he cried, the more his grief increased. Images of Paolina and Marcus danced in front of him and with a supreme effort he stood up and walked to the corpses, touching and kissing what remained of Paolina's feet, before falling again to the ground and surrending to the pain in his chest.

With a strenght he thought he no longer had Maximus freed his wife's and son's bodies from the crosses and gently laid them on the ground. Then, using his bare hands, he dug two deep holes in the kitchen garden soft soil and buried his beloved.

As he gently patted down the mounds he kept to whisper between his sobs, "Selene....Marcus, please await for me....await for me in Elysium...please my loves..we will be together again..I promise it." Maximus had barely the time to put small violet flowers of the top of the graves and then he collapsed, won by grief, fever and tiredness.

He had reached the limit of his endurance and he did not woke up even when somebody touched his neck to see if he was still alive or when strangers' hands dragged him away from his beloved.

The cart was proceding smoothly along the paved road, the horses eager to return to their stable as the people they were pulling were happy to return home. The sundown had just begun, painting the sky in delicate pink-orange and Paolina looked at it with a smile. There was something so poetic in the sun slowly disappearing behind the gentle rolling hills of Trujillo and she never got tired to admire it.

She felt Marcus' head lean on her shoulder and turning on the side she saw her son had fallen asleep rocked by the cart regular movements. Paolina exchanged a smile with her older brother, Atticus, and whispered, "So, brother, was the size of the sea equal to your expectations?" She was referring to their trip to Malaga, the important harbour located in the south-west of Hispania.

Atticus nodded, "You know it was. It is almost incredible that I waited all this time to see it but, in the other hand, the occasion to visit a harbour never came up before. Hispania is really a beautiful place, now I understand why Maximus wants to retire here."

Paolina beamed upon hearing her husband's name and then mentally sent a prayer to the Gods that he would return home soon. Almost three years had passed since they had seen each other for the last time and her longing had reached almost unbearable proportions. The letters they exchanged were better than nothing but they can't assuage the desire they had to touch each other again. And then there was Marcus....Marcus who barely remembered his father's face but who loved him dearly. Marcus who needed to spent time with his tata, to learn to be a good man as him.

Paolina sighed and Atticus reached out a hand to squeeze hers. "Don't worry, he will return soon," he said, almost reading her mind, "I heard from many people that the Germans are on the brink of total defeat, they can't resist much longer."

Paolina squeezed back her brother's hand, thanking him for his support. "I am so happy you were able to visit us, Atticus....I miss you and the others so much."

"As we miss our little sister....life is awfully quiet without you to cause troubles!" Atticus winked and Paolina swatted his arm, "I? Causing troubles? How do you dare to tell me that?"

Their playful voices awoke Marcus and the boy raised his head from his mother's shoulder. He looked around with his intelligent eyes and asked, "We are almost home, mama, aren't we?"

"Yes, darling, it is just behind that hill." Paolina pointed in front of her.

"Good, I am looking forward to see Neve (snow) again. I missed her." He was referring to his white little pony and his mother replied, ruffling his hair, "You will see her soon. I bet she too missed you."

The boy flashed her a smile, so much alike to his father's, and then concentrated on the road.

As soon as they left the main road and stepped in the private lane that led to the farm, Paolina and Atticus sensed that something was wrong. An innatural silence surrounded them and a strange smell lingered in the air.

The horses too became suddently nervous and skittish and their driver had to work hard to keep them under control. The joy and the happiness of few minutes before disappeared and Marcus pressed his small body against his mother's, seeking confort.

The cart advanced slowly along the roadway, as its occupants looked around them.

Paolina saw the carcass of a chestnut horse lying and the road and her throat constricted. What had happened during their four days absence?

A gasp from Atticus attracted her attention and she turned to look to her left. Her breath caught as she saw what her brother did: burned fields, charred trees....and horribly contorted corpses. And then they saw the house, or at least what remained of it......

Two crosses stood in front of what used to be the front door. The wood was blackened and twisted from the fire that had ravaged the house. Jagged spikes poked from it in odd angles.

"Mama?" Marcus' eyes were wide. He had never seen such things before- his mama kept him far away from public executions- but he had learned, in the strange but certain way that children always learn of darkness- what the items were. "What happened?"

She could see that he was on the verge of tears. Truly, her own eyes were brimming with moisture, but she was still too shocked to spill them onto her cheeks. She had the odd sense of being inside a dream- things familiar and horrific at the same time. Her house, only blackened and burnt. Her servants only- her stomach lurched- dead. Her fields.....

"Stay." She said sharply to Marcus, as she stepped out of the cart and walked toward the house.

Sickness churned in her stomach again as the vomitously sweet scent of death and ashes assaulted her nostrils. She held her skirt up over her nose and mouth, tears finally falling in response to the acrid heat.

Who had done this? Her heart raced. Bandits? Rivals? Barbarians- could they have gotten so far? But there was no word in the towns they had passed! There was no warning.....A slave revolt? Many of her slaves were here...dead.

Paolina continued, like a sleepwalker through the rubble. The wall of the little kitchen garden was crumbling, and she feared, for a moment, that thieves had stolen her savings.

She dug.

Two bags of gold and silver coins. They were safe. Untouched in the warn earth beneath the ruined jasmine vines...

But if they hadn't come for the money....

Paolina loaded the heavy bags into her apron and, struggling with their weight, walked around the foundation again.

That was when she saw them. Beneath a poplar tree on the edge of the yard.

There were two small graves. Black soil was heaped in rounded mounds overtop. Violets, picked in the nearby field, were lain in bunches atop the little mounds. The little flowers were dry and browning in the sun- Dead, like the bodies beneath the graves they garlanded.

Who had done this? The general's wife thought, looking at the little monuments. Then, turning back toward the ruins of her home, she felt anger rise. Who had done *this*?

"Paolina!" Atticus' voice brought her back to reality.

She turned. "Who-?"

"Crosses!" He said. She blinked, not realizing the reason for his panic. "Traitors!" He said urgently, and he threw a scrap of black cloth in her direction. "*Praetorians!*" He hissed urgently, already backing toward the little wagon.

Paolina blinked at the black ribbon. Praetorian guards? She remembered them, faintly, from her stay in Rome. They were civil guards. The personal escort and protection force of the emperor and his family. Under the Julio-Claudians, they had been regarded as little more than thugs- assasins and scoundrels who took what they wanted and reigned by fears. Since Vespasian, however, they had been held in tighter check. Dangerous, yes- their powers were so limitless...but lawless....

She was still frowning at the black ribbon when she stepped into the shadow of the first cross. Crosses- an execution for a traitor. Her stomach tightened. Crosses. Praetorians. Traitor. Emperor.....Maximus! Maximus was with the emperor. Had he done something to....No, that was impossible. Even she had seen how much the ruler esteemed her husband and how much Maximus loved the old man. Still....

Paolina ran back toward the wagon.

"Take us to the inn, Atticus." She said, quickly.

"But, Selene, I-!"

"Now...we must catch a coach first thing in the morning." At least she had her money..Thank the gods she had her money...and the clothes they had packed for their journey. Paolina hugged her son tightly as she slid into the seat beside him, praying he would not sense her fear.

"Where are you going?"

"To Germania....I must find Maximus." Please gods, let me find him.

The cart jerked forward, starting back down the little lane.

Finally, as the charred remains of the farm dissappeared behind her, Paolina wept.

"Sir?"

Quintus looked up from his desk to acknowledge the black clad Praetorian who stuck his head inside the tent. He fought the feeling of revulsion in his stomach- Vultures! Playing at soldier...- how would he ever come to accept that these were now his men? The legions, under the command of the ever-pliable Valerius were being recalled to Rome. He was now Prefect of the Praetorian guards. The second most powerful man in Rome- the reward of a "loyal" man.

"What is it?" Quintus snapped.

"The escort that you sent away with.....with...the general -"

"Yes?"

Quintus felt his heart hammering in his chest. The escort was over three days late in its return. Though he had no love for their mission, confirmation of Maximus' death had been agonizingly slow.

"They...they're dead, sir."

"Maximus?" Quintus swallowed, a little frightened to speak the words outloud.

"All of them."

Quintus' breath left in a rush. "All of them...?" was it possible? He had sent four of his finest men.

"All except....." The guard shifted his weight. "They didn't find the body of...of..."

"Of the general." Quintus said quickly.

"No sir."

A strange mixture of terror and excitement iced through the Praefect's veins.

"It looks like a barbarian raid, sir....a small party, perhaps...maybe deserters from the battle."

Quintus nodded numbly, hopes dimming somewhat.

"Shall we send another search party, sir?"

"No."

"I will tell the emperor that-"

"No!" Quintus said forcefully, rising from his chair.

"But he wanted the body to-"

"He has changed his mind. "Quintus' heart was beating rapidly. It was a long shot...but it was still hope. Oh, please be alive, my friend. And please, have the sense never to show your face again.

47

Paolina's bones ached from travelling. In the seat beside her, Marcus was dozing off again. The weight of his head was comforting as it crushed against her shoulder. At last, the hills and valleys were growing familiar- they were the hills of her youth. Soon, she would be home, in her beloved Gaul.

Atticus did not want to let her go in Germania to find Maximus and Paolina knew he was right, that area was still too dangerous for a woman to travel alone. So they had decided to stop in Gaul and made enquiries about the army. It was already winter and some of the legions had certainly returned to the base camp near her old village.

Finally, after more than three weeks of travel, the wagon stopped in the courtyard of her old home. The rest of her family -- alerted by the message Atticus had sent using doves -- was gathered there, ready to receive her and Marcus with open arms and to offer them all the support they could.

After the last of her brothers and sisters in law had embraced them, Paolina and her son entered the house they had seen for the last time three years before. The familiar rooms had beneficial effects on their nerves and the boy smiled for the first time upon seeing again his old room...some of his toys were still there, forgotten when they had packed for Hispania, included a wooden horse he immediately picked up and pressed to his chest. Seeing he was all right, Paolina left him alone and walked to her bedroom, the one she had shared first with Aelia and then with Maximus, but the sign of the bed -- recalling to her mind memories of so many happy nights in her husband's arms-- brought new tears in her eyes. She walked around the room, touching the walls, running her fingertips along the furniture and opening the chests where the dresses were kept......In one of them she found the white long shirt of linen that Maximus used to wear in bed then the nights were too cold to sleep naked as he usually did. She picked it up with trembling hands, and even if she knew the cloth had been washed before being folded and put away, she could swear it still retained her husband's smell. Paolina walked backward to the bed, sat on it and pressing the linen to her face she asked to the empty room, "Where are you, Maximus?"

The news of the Emperor's death travelled well in advance of his son's arrival, and uncertainty gripped the city. Only two days after news of Commodus' ascendency, Marius, a well-known critic of the prince- fell ill at a dinner-party and died.

The physicians said it was a heart-attack.

The fearful said it was an omen.

The truly worried said it was murder.

Although they had nothing upon which to base their fears, such a sudden, unexpected change held everyone's nerves on edge.

Added to the paranoia that was de riguer among the elite, Aelia had further reason to fear: Quintus.

She had not heard from him in weeks. Her letters to Paolina, her cousin- sent by private courier at hideous expense- had also gone unanswered.

Aelia knew that the Emperor had died at the very place where her husband and Maximus were encamped. Were they in trouble? Were the rumors about Marius true, and had her husband and her cousin's met a similar fate? It was torture to go about her daily life, acting as though nothing were amiss, but Aelia felt the absences acutely. There was no one to protect her here- her grandfather was now so frail and feeble that he was rarely presented to visitors, and completely removed from public life. Senator Clarus was sympathetic, but had fears of his own. Aelia was forced to watch over her home, her holdings, and her children by herself- with no male entree into the circles of gossip to keep her informed.

Aelia was sitting at the desk in her husband's study one afternoon, reviewing figures from their accounts when her worst fears were realized.

"Praetorians!"

Aelia looked up sharply. The little maid standing in the doorway was pale as a ghost. Her dark eyes seemed twice their usual size. "My lady- at the door they...."

"Get the children!" Aelia said sharply, rising to her feet. Her blood flowed like ice through her veins. In the preceeding weeks, the sight of the black-clad imperial guards had taken on a sinister undertone. Again, there were no facts- only rumors, but she sensed that their arrival could mean nothing good.

"Are you sure they are at *our* door?" She asked, her heart hammering.

"Yes, my lady...the Prefect. He-"

Aelia swallowed. "Get the children." She said again.

Aelia hurried to the atrium, hoping agianst hope that her servant had been wrong, but the black-plumed helmet on the head of the stranger that stood in her atrium was unmistakable. Aelia stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the man, fighting the weakness in her knees that would not let her move forward. He was facing away from her, his posture erect and calm. He ran a hand over one of the family busts- the bust of her grandmother that stood just beside the family shrine. The possessiveness of the action clenching her gut in fear. Was he here to claim her house? Was Quintus-?

"Aelia."

Her breath left in a shudder, momentarily confused by the familiar voice coming from the unfamiliar figure. "Aelia!" He knees gave way at last. It was Quintus! *Her* Quintus dressed as captain of the Praetorian guards....but how?

"Paolina?" Paolina turned, letting the shirt drop to the floor. "Yes?" It was her brother. "What is it?"

"We've found a soldier from the camp."

She puzzled, why had he said it so oddly. "A soldier?"

"Yes....the legions have been withdrawn to Italy, but this man remained behind."

She continued to frown. "But, why-"

"He should tell you himself." Her brother's eyes were wary, and she could sense tears behind them. "He's downstairs."

With a deep sense of foreboding, Paolina followed him into the hall.

The soldier at the foot of the stairs was closer to a boy than a man. His head was wound in a dirty bandage, and scar seemed to croisscross every inch of his skin. He seemed fearful to see Paolina- but happy as well.

"Lady Maxima." He said, falling into a low bow at her appearance. He kissed the hem of her skirt as though she were an empress.

"Yes?" She shivered, unsettled by the action.

"You're alive!"

Why shouldn't I be? She thought, and then she urged him to stand. "Rise..."

Doing as he was bidden, the soldier took a chair.

"You knew my husband?" She asked, wanting to skip the preliminaries.

"Yes ma'am. I've served in the Felix since I was fifteen."

"Did he..." Her voice grew soft. "Did he survive the battle?"

"Yes."

Her fingers unclenched at last, a faint smile tugging at the edge of her lips. "Oh, thank the Gods..." she breathed softly. "And he was present when...when...." Paolina had learned on the road what had happened to Marcus Aurelius. Though it was, officially, a secret- it was the sort of secret that could not be hidden long. She was sad- she had genuinely liked the old man- but also relieved. If the emperor was dead- and had died at the very camp where Maximus was in charge- it was logical that he would be caught up in work, and unable to send her word. Perhaps there was hope after all...Then again, that didn't explain the fire....Paolina pushed the thoughts aside, concentrating on the hopefulness of learning his fate during the battle.

"I heard that he spoke with Marcus Aurelius alone that very day...but I'm sure that it isn't true..."

"What?" She puzzled.

"The stories...the rumors...his son said....his son said that the emperor might have been poisoned- that Maximus meant to claim the throne for himself and to use us to-"

"Maximus? Emperor?" Paolina's breath left in a rush. Beside her, her brother fit the pieces of the grim puzzle together, and he looked to his wife in alarm. The silence, the crosses, the smoke....

Paolina had not yet made the connection. "That's ridiculous." She said. "Where is he? I must speak to him."

"My lady!" The boy said, looking to the other man for assistance. "You know...surely...but...."

His arms flailing weakly by his side, he finally took a breath and met her eyes. "General Maximus is dead. He was executed on the Emperor's orders the day after Marcus Aurelius- death- as a traitor to the empire."

"Quintus!" Aelia wanted to rush in his arms but his appaereance, his menacing black and purple clothes stopped her, so she walked instead. Quintus removed his helmet and gave it to a silent servant that immediately disappear with it leaving them alone.

"Aelia." he repeated opening his arms wide and beckoning her there. He needed to feel her softess and her warmth against him, needed it so badly.... He needed to reassure himself about the choice he had made in Germania.

Aelia pressed herself against her husband, putting her arms around his back.

"Oh darling, you are finally here." she whispered happy.

"Yes." he replied simply, kissing her hair.

After several moments, Aelia stepped back at arms length and said, "Let me look at you." Her eyes paused on his pale face, on his unsmiling lips and tormented eyes. He seemed so tired....so exhausted. "I missed you so much." she added, caressing his cheek.

Quintus took her hand and kissed it gently. "I too missed you. The prospect to see you and the children again has been the only thing which kept me sane in the last month."

Aelia frowned, not understanding. Quintus sighed. During the travel from Germania he had decide to tell her about Maximus and Paolina as soon as he could, certain that she would immediately surmise something was wrong with him. But he would never tell her of his role in the whole affair, he didn't have the courage to do so. However now that the moment to speak had arrived, he was not able to find the right words. He sighed again.

Aelia watched her husband with concern. Something was tormenting him badly and he had the same faraway look he had the day -- almost ten year before -- he had come to tell her farewell because his father had not granted him the permission to marry her. That devasted look had been impressed in her mind for so long and she knew she would never forget it. So she braced herself and asked, "What happened Quintus?"

He blinked and thought, So she had already sensed it. I must do it now. "It concerns Maximus..." he began hesitantely.

Aelia paled. "Was he...Was he killed in battle? Is this the reason why I can't communicate with Paolina....is she mourning?" she asked with a trembling voice.

Quintus bit his lower lip and went on, "It is worse than that Aelia. Maximus was accused of treason and excuted. And Paolina and Marcus....they....they....You know how the law is..."

Aelia was too shocked to utter a single word.

Paolina...Marcus...Maximus...all dead. Truly Commodus' reign had begun in the worst possible way. Her brain wanted to formulate questions, to ask how and why all this happened but her broken heart stopped her from speaking. She threw herself in Quintus' arms and cried until he had no more tears to shed, never raising her head from his chest and thus never seeing the haunted look in her husband's eyes.

Paolina saw the room spin around her as the words sank in and then she screamed, a horrible, wounded cry born from the deepest part of her body. Her brother moved quickly and wrapped her in his arms, pressing her head against his shoulder to smolder her sobs and cries.

She barely noticed as the soldier was dismissed and her brother, after whispering some words to his wife, carried her to her room. She awoke several hours later. The room was almost completely dark, and the house was silent. Paolina's muscles ached from sobs, and her throat felt parched.

She was lying on her stomach on the bed. Turning her head slightly, she saw the linen shirt that she had left lying on the floor.

Maximus, dead. It was impossible. She felt her stomach clench for a fresh round of crying, but no tears came. She was tapped out, emotionally and physically. All that she could do was stare.

It made sense now, of course. The victims of the crosses, whomever they might have been- she suspected the poor groundskeper's wife and her little son, they had not been among the bodies she had seen- should have been herself and Marcus. Only a lucky twist of fate had made them absent that day. Icy fear snaked through Paolina's veins as she pictured what might have been if she and her son had been at home. Her husband was disgraced. As punishment, not only was he killed, but his line was extinquished.

Dead.

Paolina still could not reconcile the word to her heart. How had she not sensed it? Not felt .... something? They were so close that, at times, Paolina felt connected, even when they were apart. There were bright, starlit evenings when she would look at the sky and see her husband clearly in her mind, doing the exact same thing, thinking of her. How could he be gone...be dead, and her not know it...?

She also needed to know why it had happened...Steeling herself for what she must do, Paolina pulled on her cloak.

Her brother had told the truth. The army camp was almost deserted. It looked as it had long ago, when the legions had moved north, leaving only brown, trampled grass and sketchy roads behind. The Praetorium that had been the center of the camp was dismantled, and only a few tents remained. They looked, in general, run-down and empty. The occupants clearly realised that they were now on the fringe of the empire. No one was watching and there was, therefore, no reason to keep up appearances.

Paolina ignored the few, feeble hoots that greeted her arrival to the camp. She no longer cared what her reputation was like- she only cared about getting answers. She poked her head boldly into the tents until she found the man who had come to the cottage earlier in the day.

"Lady Maxima!" he whispered, pulling the tentflap tightly closed and looking shaken. "You shouldn't be here!" nervousness saturated his voice. "If they find you..."

"They aren't looking for me." She snapped. "As far as the emperor knows, Marcus and I are dead."

"Why are you here?"

"I want answers."

"I told you....the general is-"

"I want to know how he died....why...."

"The Praetorians said that he was plotting to kill Commodus, that the emperor was-"

"Then it was Commodus who gave the order?"

"The Praetorians...someone...I suppose it was the emperor...."

Briefly, Paolina thought of Aelia. "What of General Clarus...is he dead as well?"

"No, my lady...at least, I have not heard of it."

Paolina frowned, the thought sitting poorly in her mind. Quintus and Maximus were friends- how could one be accused and not the other?

"Where is my husband buried?" She said suddenly, returning to business.

The man shrugged. Clearly, he expected her to burst into tears at any moment. Her new-found calm was disarming. "I don't know...they didn't want us to know....and besides, the rumor was that the men sent to execute him were attacked by barbarians in the woods."

Paolina tilted her head. Something seemed odd about the statement. "Barbarians?"

"Yes. The men they sent never returned....at least, that was what they told us rankers..."

Hope began to beat again in Paolina's heart. Perhaps Maximus wasn't dead after all- at least, there was no proof... "Which way did they ride?"

"Northwest, I think....far from Vindobona, far from here.. My lady you can't be thinking-"

"No...I am not going to go by myself..." She frowned thinking through her options. *If* Maximus were still alive, he would surely head home and- Her breath came out in a little cry....The mounds beside the poplar tree- he *had* been home...the violets...Oh, she was certain it was him. He had come for her...but the groundskeeper's wife-- Paolina felt overwhelmed again as the images flooded through her mind. Maximus riding home to find her...desperate to save herself and their son, only to find the blackened house and the corpses....and they had been burned. Were they recognizable? Marcus and the other boy were nearly the same size- only the eye color was different ...and the resemblance between herself and the servant was pronounced...even Aelia had been confused. Surely, Maximus hadn't thought-

But he had. Paolina's eyes filled with tears as she considered, corpses blackened beyond recognition- how easy it would be for Maximus to believe that his wife and son had been executed. She pictured him- exhausted and hopeless- digging their little graves...using the ends of his strength to forage flowers from the blackened fields to garland their tombs...Oh, Maximus. Paolina felt her heart surge with love for him.

"My lady?"

Paolina looked up. "Thank you." She slipped a gold coin to the man. "I must go."

She departed without another word, leaving the man staring after her.

Rome. She would find Aelia...and Quintus- they would have the answers she needed. Surely Maximus, if he were still alive, would think the same thing. Maximus. Paolina felt her heart tighten again.

"I still believe". She thought, with all her heart, praying that Maximus could somehow hear her. "I will find you." She whispered into the darkness of night. "I will find you, I swear...."

Aelia took Quintus' hand and led him along the marble covered hallways to the nursery. Her grief momentary put aside, she wanted to show to her husband his two sons, whom he had never seen because they had been born two months after his last visit. Quintus followed her eagerly, wanting to forget what had happened in Germania and the lie he had just told to his wife.

They reached the nursery and Aelia opened the door slowly. It was just afternoon and the children often napped after lunch. Her predictions were right and Aelia turned to Quintus, putting a finger on her lips and whispered, "Shhh, they are sleeping."

Her husband nodded and followed her inside.

The room was darkened but he could clearly see two almost identical little faces sleeping quietly in two small beds. Quintus bent his head on the side and without looking away whispered to Aelia, "Which one is Titus and which one is Appius?"

Aelia smiled upon hearing his tone, it was so full of awe. "The one nearer to you is Titus."

"Oh." he contemplated the little boy who was sleeping with a stuffed doll pressed on his chest. His hair was the same color of his mother's but the tiny face did not look like Aelia. As if she was reading his mind she said, "Your mother told me they look as you did when you were their age."

Quintus felt pride surge inside himself...and love, so much love. He wanted to embrace both the children but he knew he had to be patient. They had never seen him before and waking them in the middle of their sleep would only result in him scaring them.

Once more Aelia seemed to sense his mood and taking his hand again, she led him outside the nursery, to a door that opened just in front. She opened it and smiled seeing that Clara was awake.

They entered the room and the child turned. Her blue eyes widened as she saw the strange man all covered in black. Who are you? she seemed to ask and then looked to her mother.

"Come here Clara...come and greet your tata."

"Tata?" asked the child, looking at him with penetrating eyes.

Quintus felt uneasy, he had not imagined that his daughter might have forgotten him. Aelia squeezed his hand in reassurance and whispered, "Bend down, it will be easier for her."

Quintus did as he was told and Clara began to walk in his direction, stopping again to stare intently at his face. Suddently she smiled and for Quintus the room seemed to be filled with new light and warmth. "I remember you!" said Clara excited, "I remember this thing!" and she reached out her hand to touch the scar he had on his forehead. Quintus widened his arms and Clara threw herself agaist him. He picked her, stood up and swurled her around, "My little princess, how tall you have become!"

"Tata! You too are bigger!"

Quintus burst in laughter, joined by Aelia, and then covered Clara's face with kisses. Oh Gods, how wonderful was to be back home! He held his daughter very tightly, lifting her into the air and swinging her slightly, smiling as her laughter slowly faded into a yawn.

"Your brothers are asleep and It is time for your nap as well." Aelia stated, taking the child from her father and consigning her again to her nurse. "Tata will be here later." She added, hoping to cheer the sad little face.

After the child was tucked into her bed, Aelia and her husband continued down the hall. She arched an eyebrow when Quintus stopped outside their chamber door.

He smiled at her shyly, and then drew her close, whispering against her neck."Tell me Aelia...is it your bedtime too?"

The hours they had shared in the bedchamber had been tender and passionate, but there was an air of desperation to Quintus' actions as well. His kisses and caresses has been so possessive...as though he no longer believed that she existed...or that she could love him....

When Aelia awoke, several hours later, the bed beside her was empty. She drew the blankets around her bare skin, reaching toward the pillow which still bore the indention from her husband's head. Where was he? Visiting her grandfather? Catching up on accounts while she slept? She wished that she could shake the feeling that something was wrong.

48

Against her brothers' wishes, Paolina left for Rome the next day. The men, dismissing Paolina's hopes as the fancy of a grief-stricken mind, begged her not to go. If Commodus found her, she would be killed- even if he did not find her, she could not afford to stay away long. She had only the money that she had hidden in the garden. Her lands, and bank holdings had been proscribed. If Aelia would not take her in- or if Aelia and Quintus were dead- she would not have the money to return.

In the end, she was, at least, persuaded to leave Marcus behind. He would be safe with his uncles- blending in with their own vast tribes of boys and girls that spilled out of the little house from every doorway. Marcus would be happy with his nieces and nephews. Though he was still upset by the alleged death of his father- Paolina had forbidden that he be told, but he had discovred it nevertheless- he did not know the man well enough to fully mourn. The laughter and warmth of his extended family would preserve his joyous nature.

Paolina was frightened as she stepped into the hired coach. She had never been on such a long journey alone before. As the little house dissappeared onto the horizon, she found herself wishing she had accepted one of her brother's offer to accompany her. What if they were attacked by bandits on the road? What if the driver were really a thief? What if-?

"Stop it." Paolina warned herself. There was no sense worrying. Her mission could not be delayed. Closing her hand around the little dagger tucked within her stola, she took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

Rain delayed her journey. It was nearly two weeks later before they came out of the Alps and turned on the final Road that led to Rome. Paolina was amazed at the richness of the gently rolling hills. Huge yellow flowers swayed beneath the sun. Their seeds were pressed for oil in the fall, and could be eaten as well. Their lovely, sunny hue was shockingly beautiful against the vivid blue sky. The world seemed deceptively peaceful and calm.

The days slipped past quickly, and Aelia finally realized that Quintus had been home for more than a month. She rarely saw him anymore. Since the day that Commodus had returned- in a mock-triumph that made her grandfather rage- he had rarely been at home. When he was, his moods were dark and cheerless. Aelia felt as though her heart was breaking. She knew, without being told, that Quintus was plagued by a terrible secret that he refused to share. He still loved her, she was certain of it, but he would not accept the comfort of her love in return. She did not know how to make him change.

Quintus still made love to his wife - seeming more a physical release than an act of tenderness- but Aelia always awoke alone. Sometimes he was gone for days- the only reminder of his existence was the growing certainty- and accompanying physical ills- of a child once again sheltering within her womb.

Commodus' reign of terror had begun. Slowly, vocal proponents of a Republic found themselves ill or exposed. The sight of the Praetorian guards had become a cause for fear. Though Aelia knew, logically, that her husband could not be ignorant of the atrocities carried out by his men, her heart refused to reconcile the gentle man that she loved with the campaign of fear waged against the upper classes. Had he truly changed so much? She longed to speak with him- to gather the courage to confront him about the things that we going on. That night, she was to dine with him at the palace. The party would continue late into the night, and she would stay there in a room. Hopefully, she would be finally able to speak with him.

At last Paolina reached the great city. The driver stopped outside the city gate. Horses were not allowed within the city walls by day. Paolina could not risk hiring a litter- she needed to remain as incognito as possible. She hoped that she could find Aelia's house. On foot, the city seemed to stretch on endlessly in every direction. She was frightened by the noise and crowds within the bustling city. During her sojourn in the capital, she had been shielded from the great hive of humanity that swarmed through the narrow streets. To a country girl, frightened and uncertain of her moves- and

painfully aware of the fact that she carried every cent she owned on her body- the site was unsettling.

She walked forward along the main road, hoping to find the city center. She knew that Aelia lived on the Viminal hill, and she knew that it was near the forum. If she could make it therem she would be allright.

Paolina trudged onward for what seemed like hours, fighting panic as the sun peaked in the sky and slowly began its descent. She had heard too often the horrors of Rome at night- she had to find Aelia's quickly! Paolina quickened her pace, asking a fruit seller for directions again, and breathing a sigh of relief to realise that she was not far off course. She bought an apple from the woman in thanks- smiling a bittersweet smile as she remembered the fruit that she had dropped in the road so many years ago. At last, she stepped into a clearing that she remembered. Aelia's house was not far now....

Paolina shivered as she stepped into a deep shadow. A man walking near her thrust a paper into her hand so firmly that she jumped, relaxing only when she read the sheet. Gladitorial games. She looked up, then shivered again. It was the Colosseum that blocked the sun- a huge arena where fights and executions were staged for sport. Paolina had heard her cousin speak of such things with distaste- and heard her husband compliment Marcus Aurelius for ending such savagery. She studied the flier in her hands...were they to start again?

Finding the road she wanted, Paolina began to climb up a high hill, her tired calves straining with effort and her feet, raw from the chafing straps of her leather sandals, burning with every step. At last, Paolina spied the simple, blank wall with the bronze plate that marked the Claudian mansion.

She had made it. Most of the pedestrians in the neighborhood were richly attired- fine ladies in litters and togate senators and knights. Even the servants seemed polished, and they looked at the stranger with suspicion. Paolina stopped in the street and looked despairingly at the simply muslin shift and plain woolen shawl that she wore. She had not seen a mirror for days- the inns that they had stopped in were simply not the sorts of establishments to provide such niceties- she could sense that her cheeks

were sunken from hunger and stress, and her lovely curls were frizzy and wild. What to do? She could hardly appear on the doorstep of a great lady without raising suspicion.... Not the front doorstep anyway...Slowly a plan formed in Paolina's mind. By the time she reached the house, it had been set into motion.

"May I help you?" The sour-looking housekeeper who answered the back door was familiar to Paolina, but the woman did not recognize her.

"Yes." Paolina's heart hammered in her chest. "Is the lady of the house at home?"

The housekeeper frowned. "She is currently indisposed."

Paolina's stomach tightened with worry. "She should be execting me...I'm....the servant that she ordered for the children."

The look darkened. It was clear to see the woman's thought process. She clearly believed that Paolina was an escaped slave- or worse- trying to sneak into the home for a meal and shelter, or perhas to steal. The door started to close. Paolina wedged her foot in the door.

"Please- tell her I'm for the fourteen children."

"What?" The woman tilted her head. "There are only three."

"Yes, I know." Paolina's voice was exasperated. "Clara, Titus and Appius...but she wanted me for the fourteen.....please. "Her voice grew desperate. "Give her the message. She'll be angry if you do not."

The servant hesistated for a moment, and at last, with a shrug, she gave in. The woman had known the children's names, after all..."Wait outside. "She said firmly, shutting the door with a heavy thud.

Paolina settled onto the back step as she awaited the woman's return. Time seemed to pass very slowly. Would Aelia figure out the clue? Paolina felt as though she were drowning in fear when the woman returned.

"She will see you." The maid seemed surprised by what she was saying.

Relief played clearly on the younger woman's features. Collecting her small bag, she followed the woman into the house.

Paolina had never seen the network of corridors used by the servants to walk from room to rom without disturbing the family. It was oddly unsettling to think of the slaves and hired help scurrying behind the walls like insects. Still the passageways were useful in such a large home- they existed just outside a small screen leading to Aelia's dressing room. She was sitting in front of a mirror while a Grecian maid styled her hair.

The housekeeper did not announce their presence- she waited for the mistress to turn and acknowledge them, and so Paolina had a chance to observe her cousin first hand. She seemed to be preparing for a party- her coiffure was an elaborate style, and her face was already expertly tinted with cosmetics. A lovely, seafoam green tunica and gold-embroidered stola was draped across a nearby rail.

Paolina coughed, earning glares from her escort and the stylist for her bad manners. It was effective however, Aelia turned and almost screamed as she saw her. Her hand flow to her mouth to suffocate her cry and she walked slowly and cautiously to Paolina. Aelia reached out a hand and touched her cousin's tired face. It was cold because of the climate but it was also warm...alive.

Tears pooled in her eyes and, after dismissing the servant with a gesture of her hand, with a shaky grin she enfolded Paolina in her arms.

"Oh, cousin! Paolina...Selene..I can't still believe you are alive!! I thought you dead...I mourned you....How is this possible?"

With a trembling voice Paolina told her briefly what happened, omitting only the fact she believed Maximus still alive and when she had finished her story, she buried her face in her cousin's shoulder, happy to find human confort after so many frightened and lonely days.

Neither of them knew how much time they passed hugged to each other but in the end they slowly separated and Aelia asked, "Why are you here?"

All the joy seemed to left Paolina at once as her face hardened, "I am here to speak with Quintus about Maximus....I need to know exactly what happened in Germania."

Aelia nodded. She too would the same if their parts were reversed. "I understand."

"Where is he?"

"He is not here. Tonight we are having dinner in the imperial palace...I must leave shortly."

"Oh." Paolina's voice sounded disappointed, she was not ready to stay alone so soon.

Aelia squeezed her hand, "Don't worry, I will return soon. In the meantime I will have the servants prepare a meal and a bed for you."

The other woman nodded. She was hungry and exhausted, and emotionally spent. "All right. Thank you."

"Good, it is settled." Aelia walked to the door to give orders to the slaves awaiting outside, when she stopped, a sudden idea coming to her mind. She returned to her cousin and said, "Listen Paolina, I think it would be better for all of us if the servants believe you to be my personal maid or something like that. If they knew you are a guest they would be curious and might discover your identity and diffuse it outside...In this city the news fly...especially now." She concluded, thinking to the horde of spies working for Commodus.

Paolina smiled, "Don't worry, Aelia, I will do everything to ensure your family's safety. Do you need a new maid? Well, my lady, you had just found her!" And she bowed deeply.

Paolina helped Aelia finish getting ready, and then she went to the little chamber near her cousin's bedroom that the slaves had prepared. She was amazed that the slaves- so familiar to Paolina- did not seem to recognize her, but she was relieved as well. She could see the strain in her cousin's pretty face, and noticed how quiet and dim the house seemed- so unlike the time that she had visited with Livia. Only now could she appreciate how far the young emperor's shadow fell. She was thankful that she, and her son, were momentarily safe.

No duties had been assigned to Paolina, so she had the evening to herself.

She wished that she could walk in the orderly gardens outside the house, but she knew that it was an inappropriate activity for a "servant". Besides, it was getting dark and chilly- she would do better to stay at home.

Aelia's chambers were empty, save Paolina, and so she decided to take advantage of the private bath and polished mirror to clean away the grime of her travel and smooth her hair back into some semblance of order. After all, even a ladies' maid had to look presentable. She soaked in the marble tub for many long hours, relishing the feel of tension seeping from her muscles, and then she dried in a soft towel and braided her hair.

When she returned to her room, a dinner tray was sitting on her bed. The fare was simple, but filling- a delicious stew and some hard rolls still warm from the oven. Feeling better than she had in days, Paolina took a scroll from Aelia's beside and then crawled into her little bed.

She tried to read, but her thoughts were suddenly overwhelmed with a vision of Maximus. He seemed very close to her now. Although she knew that it wasn't possible, it felt as though he was with her in the strange city, longing for her as much as she wished for him. She closed her eyes, dropping the scroll, losing herself in memories of his soft, blue eyes feeling more certain than ever that he were still alive. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

Sitting in the wonderful triclinium of the imperial palace Aelia found herself wishing for the upteenth time that the servants were faster on serving the food, so she could leave that place soon. Around the table the air was so tension loaded that you could have cut it with a knife. Commodus sat at the head of the long table, with Lucilla at his right and Quintus at his left. Aelia was sitting in front of her husband, while other guest completed the scene.

Caesar seemed in good spirits, making jocks and speaking enthusiastically of the gladiatorial games he was organizing.

"......and the best as yet to come! Just today arrived a new shipment of gladiators from Africa, and one of them is considered the best one that area has ever produced. The funny thing is they call him 'The Spaniard', and not 'The African'!" Commodus seemed to believe that joke was extremely funny and the rest of the table forced laughter.

Caesar drank some wine then turned to Aelia and changing completely subject he said, "Lady Clara, how are your children doing?"

She was surprised by the question but she replied promptly, "They are fine, Caesar; thank you for your interest."

Commodus threw a side glance to Quintus and added, "I think you should take your oldest daughter here to the palace to play with my nephew, Lucius. I believe they are almost the same age."

Aelia looked to her husband and felt a shiver run along her spine as she saw him pale. They exchanged a look and he imperceptibly nodded with his head.

"Ah...It will be an honour, Caesar."

"Good."

Another course was served and the table fell silent.

Aelia looked to her left, distracted by a strange movement and noticed for the first time how Lucilla's hands trembled. She raised her eyes and saw how pale and tired the other woman looked. Sensing that she was being observed, the Augusta turned to Aelia and gave her a small smile. A sad smile, completely different from

the ironic and sarcastic ones Aelia remembered from their past meetings, and Aelia understood that the reign ofterror in which all the city was now living touched the emperor's sister too. She felt another shiver, as she realized nobody was really safe.

49

Aelia did not return that night- the lateness of the dinner party had forced them to stay at the palace- but Paolina was awoken early by the booming voice of the housekeeper.

The children's nurse had fallen ill shortly after dinner, and there was no one home to take charge of the children. Since Paolina had no other occupation, the task fell to her. Paolina was excited to see her niece again, and to meet her nephews for the first time. She fought a sense of disappointment that Clara did not recognize her, but admitted it was understandable- the child was barely walking when last they met. Paolina was surprised at how tall the little girl had become- almost as big as Marcus- and how much she resembled her mother in aspect and in deed. Though only seven years old, her manners were already very precise. With her tiny stola stuck under her arms, she seemed like a miniature matron, glowering at her unruly brothers.

Clara's school- though she had a tutor of her own, she attended classes occasionally to mix with other students- was at the foot of the hill, near the square where Paolina had been the day before. The day was bright and shining. After Clara had been consigned to her instruction, Paolina allowed the boys to linger in the busy marketplace. In the background, the Colosseum dominated the skyline. It was less sinister by light of day, when the lively cries of the crowd carried down from the sky.

"Giraffes!" One of the boys- Titus?- called, breaking free of lady Maxima's hand. He ran toward a high iron fence behind which the exotic animals chewed leaves slowly circled their pen.

Paolina hurried after him, tugging Appius after. "Don't get to close!" She said, reaching for him to stop. There was already a crowd around the fence.

"Back!"

Paolina's heart skipped a beat as one of the black-clad Praetorian's snapped at the gathering. For a moment, her breath stopped, expecting him to recognize her and order her arrest- but then she saw what happened, and gasped. The onlookers had drawn back from the fence- but Titus remained. He pointed a plump finger at the strange African mammal, and asked the guard questions as though they were friends. Gradually, Paolina's courage returned, and she led Appius to the fence as well.

"Nice day." the Praetorian commented to her casually, looking her over as if he were sizing her up for a date.

Paolina shivered. "Yes." She said blankly....she bit her lip. "Is it okay if they...."

The man smiled, flashing a set of unusually white and even teeth. "Of course...."

She fought the urge to frown. What was going on? At last, she remembered Aelia saying that Quintus had joined the Praetorian guard. She had not registered the significance of the remark at that time. Dinner at the palace.... Paolina's frown became even more pronounced. Was he an officer? If that were so, then he *must* know what had happened to Maximus.

Maximus.

Paolina sucked in her breath, whitening as though she had just seen a ghost. Across the yard, she saw a man who looked like his very image- tanner, perhaps, and with a longer beard and hair but-

"..escort you home? - Ma'am?"

Paolina turned her head to acknowledge the Praetorian, annoyed that her attention had been distracted. "What?" She snapped.

"I said, I'd be happy to escort you home. You can't be too careful these days...and I hear that the twins can be quite a handful."

Paolina smiled non-commitally and then, holding her breath, turned her gaze back to the yard.

Nothing. Where the man had been standing, there was now only a patch of dry dust. She scanned the rest of the yard, but could not find him again. It was a trick of the light...of her lonely heart.

Sighing with frustration, Paolina took each boy by the hand and then nodded to the guard.

"Thank you, we're on our way home right now..."

Aelia returned home very late the following morning and went immediately to search for her children. The dinner and the permanence in the palace had left her with a strange sensation of cold that even the spring sun had not be able to dissolve. She hoped her children's embrace would do the magic.

As she entered in the atrium she was assaulted by one her boys who cried, "Mama!! We saw giraffes!! Their necks are so long!" Aelia frowned, not understanding then saw Paolina enter the room along with Appius.

"My lady, I accompanied young Clara to school," her cousin said, continuing her ruse of acting as a servant, "and the little masters came with me."

Aelia smiled. "Good work." She hugged the twins and then sent them in the nursery where the servants were already waiting to bathe them and change their clothes.

Paolina followed her cousin to her room, walking some steps behind her as any respectful servant, until the door was firmly shut behind their back.

"So, how was the dinner?" Paolina asked, while helping Aelia to remove her morning dress.

"Very unnerving." she replied sincerely. She had no need to lie with to cousin about the emperor...not after what the spoiled boy-man had done to Paolina and her husband. "The atmosphere in the palace is dark as its master....dark as the Praetorian uniforms..." her voice died but Paolina had heard her last remark.

"Did you speak with Quintus?" she asked.

"No." Aelia sighed and went on. "After dinner his presence was requested by the Emperor. He was gone for a hour or so and when he returned he was so silent and worried that I could not utter a single word. Oh, cousin, sometimes I think I no longer know him! The is always gentle with me and the children, but he no longer smiles...he is always away, with his body or his spirit. And he is so silent and lonely. He has changed so much since he returned from Germania, it's almost as though a witchful spell has been cast on him." She speaking, a little embarassed at having laid her troubles on a woman who had just lost her beloved husband and had a capital sentence hanging over her head.

Paolina nodded silently then asked, "What is Quintus' rank within the Praetorian Guards?"

"He is the Prefect of the Praetorium, their supreme commander."

"And he had covered that position from his return from Germania?"

"Yes....Why are you asking?"

"Nothing...I was just thinking he CAN'T not know what happened to Maximus..." Paolina rubbed the bridge of her nose, "I NEED to speak to him as soon as possible. When will he be home?"

"Tomorrow evening. In the afternoon he must escort the emperor to the games in the Colosseum.....I will be there too, Commodus invited me and I can't refuse, even if I am revolted by that kind of spectacle."

Paolina agreed. She too was disgusted by what went on in the towering structure.That morning as she lingered near the big anphitheatre with Titus and Appius she had caught the sweetish smell of blood in the air and her stomach had rebelled against it. "I don't envy you." she said to Aelia and then, trying to cheer her up began to tell her about the twin's encounter with the giraffes.

Aelia seemed only vaguely cheered by the story, clearly, her mind was elsewhere. She was worried because Clara had not returned from school yet, and sent a pair of slaves to check on the girl, then went to her study to wait, leaving Paolina alone.

Paolina was more than a little annoyed by her cousin's actions. She wanted to ask her advice on how to approach Quintus- wanted to confide in her what she had seen- what she had *thought* she had seen- at the gladiator school that morning, but Aelia was too wrapped up in her own problems to listen.

As if *she* had problems. Paolina was the one who's house was gone- whose belongings were stolen, whose husband was....She sat down quickly. No, she wouldn't even think it. Maximus was alive. She knew it.

At least Aelia had control, of sorts. To Paolina's thinking, as long as Quintus retained his position as head of the Praetorians, they need never fear the Imperial guards. They *profited* from the suffering in Rome, even if they complained as loudly as the rest. In some ways, Quintus was better off than when he had been a general under her husband. He-

No.

Paolina felt her jaw drop slightly as a new thought crossed her mind. What if Quintus not only knew of Maximus' death- what if he had been a part of it? It could not be a coincidence that he had been elvated to such a lofty position- would the emperor really want to place so much trust in the best friend of a traitor. Paolina felt fresh tears prick at the backs of her eyes, this time they were hot and angry. Betrayal. She felt her heart breaking for her husband anew....the treachery!

"Aelia!" Paolina burst into Aelia's sitting room. Aelia was staring out the window at the street, still watching for her daughter's return.

"Yes?" She said absently, unable to tear her eyes away from her vigil.

"I-" What? Would she tell Aelia? Could she even trust her cousin? Feeling guilty for suspecting her dear friend of conspiracy, Paolina nevertheless recalled how quickly Aelia had come to her husband's defense when he had abandoned Maximus to take his post in Judea. Maximus and Quintus had been competing, nearly neck and neck for years- no doubt Aelia felt that her husband's superior breeding merited a higher post in the empire....she too could not be trusted. "I...I think that you should not tell Quintus that I am here after all." She finished lamely.

"Oh?"

Paolina fumbled for an explanation. "I....It would be bad if I were discovered her and he could not deny knowledge that I was here...." Aelia tilted her head, puzzled. "It would...would make him more nervous..." She added quickly, at last Aelia's features began to thaw.

"I see."

"Would you ask him?"

"Me?" Aelia's eyes widened. "Paolina I...I couldn't."

"You must. "

"He'll speak of it when he is ready."

"Aelia-"

"NO!"

Paolina blinked, surprised by the passion in her cousin's voice. She noticed, as if for the first time, the fine lines around her cousin's eyes, and the downward cast of her lips. She was wrong to suspect her cousin- Aelia suffered as much as she only- as was so often the case- much more quietly than her passionate cousin.

"Oh, Paolina." Aelia said, frantically scanning the street outside again. "Please understand. I want to help you... but I am so close to losing him already." Her voice was tight with despair.

"Losing him?" Paolina momentarily forgot her troubles and laid a comforting hand on the other woman's forearm. "To who?"

"To himself....oh, Paolina! Something terrible happened in Germania. Something that he will not tell even me. I have begged him...but it is no use. He goes deeper and deeper inside himself. He calls the things that he does "duty"- convinces himself that he must do them to survive, but in spite of this he hates himself more each day ....oh, Paolina...." The deep sob that had begun in her chest was cut short as the sound of bootsteps echoed on the marble outside the chamber. Paolina dove back into her own little room just before Quintus burst into the room.

"Aelia! " He said quickly. "Where is your cloak?"

She tilted her head, confused.

"It's the emperor." He said sofly. "We've been summoned...."

"To the games?" Aelia asked. "Today?"

Quintus nodded numbly. Then, disgust clear in his voice. "She needs you, Aelia..."

"She?"

"Clara- she's already there."

50

Clara started to cry.

Aelia saw her small shoulders begin to shake and threw a worried glance to her husband. Quintus never looked at her but kept staring straight ahead, as Clara sobs increased.

Aelia gathered her child in her arms, pressing her face against her breast and mentally cursed the Gods. They had been now observing the games for more than two hours and Clara had, until now, coped well with the cruel spectacle, because -- by some fortunate happenstance -- all the killing had happened on the other side of the arena, away from the imperial box and from the innocent eyes of Clara. The child seemed to not realize what was going on and her attention was more attracted to the booming crowd in the stands than to the men fighting on the sand.

Until the last fight.

Until a gladiator beheaded his opponent just in front of the imperial stand. The vicious swipe of sword made the severed head fly in the air and land several feet away from the body. Young Clara followed it with rapt fascination until her brain finally grasped the meaning of what she had just seen. And then she had started to cry.

Aelia tried again to catch Quintus' attention but he continued to remain deaf and blind. Clara's sobs and tremors were increasing instead of lessening and Aelia wanted to take her away from that place of pain and death. But how could she leave her seat without the Emperor's permission? And how she could obtain it with Commodus so intent upon the games? Aelia knew she could not possibly distract Caesar....many persons had been punished for less. So she stayed silent, hoping that her daughter might calm down on her own. It was then that Lucilla, who was attending the games with her son, intervened.

She gestured to one of her ladies in waiting and ordered, "Flavia, take little Clara away from here. Take her on a walk to see the animals- that should distract her."

The servant bowed to her mistress and did as she was told. Aelia smiled gratefully to Lucilla, and then looking in Clara's eyes, said, "Go to see the animals with Flavia, darling, you will like them."

"Come with me...!" Clara pleaded, her eyes full of tears.

"I can't, darling. Now do as I said. We will see each other soon." Aelia heart's ached upon seeing her daughter's desolate face but she could not leave her seat.

In the end, even if she was still uncertain, Clara slipped her small hand in Flavia and left the imperial box.

Aelia closed her eyes, feeling so very tired, wondering what kind of damage the cruel spectacle had done to her child.

Clara and the lady in waiting walked along the cages looking inside each one.

There were many types of animals: tigers, lions, giraffes, zebras and even one elephant and the child stared at them wild eyed. She tried to coax the zebra to come near her but it stubbornly refused to do so. Clara stepped back from the fence and turned around. She saw that on the other side of the road there many other cages and she decided she wanted to see what other animals were there. Flavia followed her in silence. She had seen the child cry on the imperial box and she thought the more the little one stayed away from the games, the better it would be for her.

When she arrived at other side of the square Clara realized the cages did not hold animals but men. Men of many races and many colors; men with long hair or completely shaved; men with scarred or heavily painted faces and bodies. Their looks were fierce and threatening and Clara stepped closer to Flavia, wanting to return near the cages with the animals. She was almost turning away then she caught a metallic flash with the corner of her eyes. She stopped and looked back.

Clara saw a man all alone in a cell. He was sitting on a bench and lain across his knees he held a piece of black leather armor.

Clara bent her head: in spite of her fear she was curious about the man's actions and she walked to the cage until her hands touched the iron bars.

The man saw her and raised his face. Clara was relieved to see he was not like the others she had seen before. He had black hair, a beard and his blue eyes were gentle and sad. He smiled to her and Clara shyly returned the smile before saying, "Good afternoon, sir."

The man's smile broadened as he replied, "Good afternoon to you, little lady."

Clara beamed at the appellation and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I am putting new decorations on my armor."

"Oh. May I see them?"

The man slowly stood up and walked near the bars, sitting again on the floor. Clara imitated him and, under the watchful eyes of Flavia, knelt down on the other side of the cage.

The man showed her two silver figurines, a horse and a tree.

Clara reached out a hand and he gave them to her. The child admired the decorations caressing them with her fingertips. "They are beautiful," she said, handing them back to the man.

"Thank you, little lady."

"Do the horses have a name?"

"Yes...I call them Argento and Scarto."

"Uhm, uhm.....and that tree? It seems strange to me..."

The man turned the figurine in his hand. "This is a poplar tree. There are many of them near my home...."

His voice died in a painful whisper but Clara did not registered it and with the typical curiosity of children asked again, "Where is your home?"

"It is...was... in Hispania, very far from here." The man eyes took a very distant look as the sadness in them increased. This time Clara sensed the change in his mood but before she could ask why he was so sad a large man with grey hair and beard entered in the cage.

"Spaniard, come with me. It is time to return in your cell."

The man stood up and Clara did the same.

"It was a pleausure to meet you, little lady. Good bye." he said bowing his head and smiling a little.

"Good bye to you, Spaniard." replied Clara as the man disappeared behind a door.

The great villa was enveloped in silence and all of its occupants were in bed. But not everyone was sleeping.

Paolina tossed around for the umpteeth time but Morfeus (the God of sleep) would not visit her. She was too troubled to sleep. Her conclusions about Quintus and what she was almost certain had happened in Germania continued to torment her. She had been raised to believe in honesty and loyalty and she could not accept that Quintus, her husband's best friend, might be the reason of his downfall.

The pieces of the mosaic fit too perfectly to be only coincidences. Paolina felt as if the walls of her room were closing on her and for the first time she realized she was not safe in Quintus' house .....But what could she do? Where she could go? And....

A terrified scream interrupted her line of thought and she jumped from her bed, her heart beating wildly. Who was screaming? She opened the door of the bedroom and look and poked her head in the hallway, straining her ears. The scream repeated and she realized it came from Clara's room. In few seconds Paolina crossed the hallway, opened the door and knelt near the child's bed, gathering her small frame in her arms. The child responded by grabbing her neck and pressing against her chest.

"Shh, little one, is all finished..." she soothed, "Shhh, it's only a dream....calm down, Clara, calm down." Paolina caressed the little back again and again, until Clara stopped trembling. She then gently pushed the child back on the bed but kept squeezing her hand, to give her comfort.

Clara smiled shyly to her, happy to have someone near. She was afraid to return to sleep, afraid she might see the severed head of the gladiator falling in the sand near her again.

Paolina understood at once. She had her share of nightmares, especially recently and she knew that the best way to forget them was to think or speak about something else. So she said to Clara, "I heard at dinner that you saw an elephant today....I have never seen one, would you like to describe it to me?"

"Oh...It is so big... and his nose is so long and strange. They call it... pro....prob.."

"Proboscis?"

"YES! Proboscis! And its legs..you must see its legs, they are big as tree trunks!" Clara smiled in awe and then suddently asked, "Have you ever seen a poplar tree?"

Paolina frowned at the sudden change of subject then nodded, "Yes, I have seen many of them."

"In Hispania?"

"Well...yes..in Hispania. How do you know that?"

"I met a man today that came from Hispania. He was closed in a cage but he was not so scary like the other ones I saw. He was putting some decorations on his armor and he showed then to me."

Paolina smiled and encouraged the child to talk, so that she would forget her nightmare more quickly. "Were they beautiful? The decorations, I mean."

"Yes. One of them was the poplar tree while the other two were horses...." She smiled at the memory. "You know, that man had even named them. One was called Argento and the other Scato.."

"Scarto." Paolina corrected authomatically, then realized what she had just said and, more importantly, heard. Argento and Scarto!! Those were the names of Maximus' battle horses! But how was that possible...how could that man know them?

There was only one possible answer. That man WAS Maximus. Paolina heart began to race as she asked the final, resolutive question. "Can..can you describe that man to me?"

Clara nodded. "He was tall, with black hair and beard and blue eyes. He had a funny mark between his eyes and he was gentle and very sad."

Paolina sighed deeply. Clara's description fit Maximus perfectly.

Her husband was truly alive. And he was a gladiator.

Paolina remained at Clara's bedside for the rest of the night. What did it hurt her to reassure the child? She would not be sleeping anyway. Her heart was surging with joy, and it was all that she could manage to keep her emotions in check and prevent her feet from running through the night to the Colosseum. Maximus- alive! And so close! She walked to the window, in the moonlight, she could see the towering form of the arena and, off to the side, the gladiator school where she had seen her husband the day before.

How would she see him? Her mind raced with activity. She knew that the gladiators were kept closeted away from their "fans"...could she buy her way in?

Paolina thought of the little sacks of money that she had retrieved from the garden. Already they had dwindled to half their size- not enough to purchase a gladiator, but at least she could see him for one night- long enough to plot how he would escape.

The next morning, Paolina carried breakfast into Aelia's room. It was an excuse to wake her- she could not bear to keep to herself any longer. The Praetorian's wife opened her eyes very reluctantly. Paolina could tell that, unlike her daughter, Aelia found escape in her dreams and did not wish to leave them.

The pillow beside the woman was indented, and Paolina worried for a moment that Quintus was still nearby.

Her cousin seemed to read her thoughts. "He is already gone." She said sadly. "The emperor wanted him to report at dawn."

The other woman nodded. "Are you joining him again today?"

Aelia nodded, her features losing their dream-induced happiness and turning ashen and downcast again. "Of course...the emperor's wretched games are continuing for weeks more..." she sighed. "At least Clara will be spared."

Paolina nodded again. "She is going to school?"

"Yes."

"Then you will not need me today?"

Aelia frowned, confused "You have plans?"

"I-" Paolina hesitated. Should she tell her cousin what she had heard...what she had seen the day before? She would not believe her, surely...and she might try to prevent Paolina from what she had to do. "I have some shopping." She said after a long pause. "I thought I might attend to it, if you do not need me."

"Yes, yes...." Aelia's face relaxed somewhat and she reached for the breakfast tray, offering some of the ripe fruit to her cousin. "You know that you are not really my servant. You may do as you please."

"Thank you." The women shared their meal in silence, and then Paolina left so that Aelia's maids could begin preparing her for the day. Aelia's toilette would take several hours, but Paolina had neither the time, nor the patience for such niceties. She returned to her chamber, slipped into a pretty, but unremarkable tunica, and twisted her hair into a long braid that hung down her back. Then, after slipping her feet into her sandals, she was out back down the hill toward the Colosseum.

Paolina felt awkward as she blended into the crowd. She seemed surrounded by small groups of friends, coming to see the games together. It was clear that they were regular patrons who knew precisely what to do- she decided to follow their example. She reached into her coin pouch as she approached the gates to retrieve the admission listed on the door, however, she was waved through without a fee. "Compliments of Commodus!" The gatekeepers called merrily as the crowds pressed through. "A gift from your beneficent ruler!"

Paolina attached herself to a small group of provincials that had gathered just inside the gates and followed them to their seats. They settled in slowly, arranging little pillows that they had brought and conversing with each other as they unpacked picnic baskets and shared a small snack. Her stomach rumbled- the fruit had been delicious, but very small. It would be hours before she could return home, and she wished that she had thought to pack something to eat.

In the center of the arena, a trumpet was sounded, and Paolina was horrified to look up and find that the floor was not empty, as she had expected. The "preliminary" attractions were underway- executions, and she recoiled in horror as a man was hewn in two before her very eyes. The scene continued for about an hour- she was alarmed to find that, very quickly, she adjusted to what she was seeing- the gore was no longer as disturbing, her compassion for the victims no longer so acute.

"They'll do hunts next..." The man next to Paolina leaned toward her , whispering.

"Oh?" She blinked, surprised to be addressed by a stranger.

"Yes....first time?" Was the man *flirting* with her? Her reaction must have been palpable, because the man's face broke into a wide grin and he jerked his chin at the woman beside him. "It's our first time too...just down for the season from Tolosa."

Paolina could not help but smile. "Oh, I know where that it- I am from Lungudum."

The little trio conversed quietly. Paolina was almost glad for the distraction- speaking of home allowed her to avoid paying too much attention to the spectacle- which had now shifted to armored men tracking and cruelly killing exotic beasts. It also kept her from worrying too much about Maximus- she had a feeling that the violence of the events was building, rather than receeding, and she did not want to think of what he was about to endure. She did not want to admit that, after clinging to hope for so long, it was possible that she would come here only to watch him finally die on the arena sand. There was a brief break at noon, and many members of the crowd filtered out to place bets on the upcoming matches, or - if they lived close- to return to their homes for a meal. Drusus and his wife, Amelia shared their lunch with Paolina- simple but hearty fare that reminded her of home.

Finally, as the crowd (which seemed to have grown during the break) returned to the seats, there was another trumpet serenade which announced the arrival of the Emperor himself.

Paolina rose along with the rest of the crowd, but she did not join their wild cheering. She stared at the man, chilled to the bone by his deep-set, snake-like eyes and haughty posture. Beside him, she could see the empress, looking regal but rather sad- Paolina's chest tightened as she remembered their girlhood spat. Finally, her eyes rested on Quintus, and Aelia, taking seats at the Emperor's left.

Commodus stood and waved at the crowd who continued to cheer as chariots circled the ring, their occupants tossing bread high into the crowds. When the little display was complete, he sat in his throne, to Paolina, his regal stance seemed a mockery of his father.

The crowd fell silent as, beside him, a fat man in a ridiculous wig of golden-red curls stepped forward. He nodded to one of the guards, and the signal seemed to carry around the Colosseum to its center where a large gate was thrown open and a troop of Gladiators ran forward.

Paolina leaned forward in her chair. Was one of them Maximus? She couldn't tell- many of them were wearing helmets that covered their faces, and they were too far away to distinguish in another fashion. She felt guilty that she could not recall his gait, or the posture of his shoulders, but it had been too long- more than three years- since they had last met.

"Looking for someone in particular?" Drusus asked.

Blushing, Paolina settled back into her seat. "No." she answered at last.

The men walked forward toward the Imperial box and raised their swords in the air. "We who are about to die, salute you." They said in unison.

The emperor smiled while, beside him, the announcer raised his arms and began to speak.

"On this day we reach back to hallowed antiquity to bring you a recreation of a second Fall of Mighty Carthage. On the barren straits of Zama, there stood the invincible armies of the Barbarian Hannibal. Ferocious mercenaries and warriors from all brute nations bent on merciless destruction conquest.Your Emperor is pleased to give you THE BARBARIAN HORDE!"

The crowd cheered wildly as he gestured to the gladiators.

"They're going to be slaughtered." Drusus whispered quietly.

Paolina's breath caught in her throat as the gates on the far side of the arena opened. Chariots.

She murmured in sympathy for the members of the "horde"- they truly would be cut down like weeds. Paolina watched in helpless fascination as the carnage began. The charioteers struck first, easily picking off two outlying members of the group.

And then, something extraordinary happened- the little troupe of gladiators began to take shape, moving into a solid, cohesive group. They locked shields- like an army advancing across the field- and survived untouched as a knife-bladed chariot rumbled past. Another chariot moved to attack, and the men changed their position slightly, the chariot had almost reached them when Paolina realized their purpose- the slight angle at which they held their shields would make the chariot tip- the driver seemed to realize this as well, but it was too late to pull back. He flailed his arms helplessly as the conveyance crashed to its side, and a dark-skinned gladiator rushed forward to kill him with a spear.

Paolina's attention was diverted slightly as one of the large gladiators was shot in the calf by an arrow. He grimaced in pain, and the crowd came alive, calling in warning as, behind him, a third chariot manuevered toward an attack. He would be cut down by the blades that protruded from the little cart's wheels. She sighed in disgust, but was unable to draw her eyes away. Then, at the last moment, something extraordinary happened. One of the other Gladiators threw himself forward, knocking himself, and the injured man to the floor. The bladed of the chariot passed inches above their heads.

Things seemed to be moving in slow motion as, all around the stadium floor, the battle degenerated into a blood brawl. First, one of the "Amazon" archers was cut nearly in two by a chariot's blades, then, another chariot crashed violently into one of the gates leading into the arena. The crowd seemed to be caught in a constant roar, their attention bouncing from sight to sight, wanting to drink everything in. Another chariot crashed, this time nearly at the foot of the imperial box, and Paolina glanced at the face of her cousin, tight and deathly pale as other occupants of the box ran to inspect the wreckage. Meanwhile, one of the "barbarians" wrested a horse free from its reigns and swung up on the mount. Her attention was strangely drawn to him, and she watched, transfixed as he plucked an abandoned spear from the sand and hurried after the last chariot.

"Isn't he magnificent?" Drusus said. "I'd heard that he was the best....The Gual they call him."

"They do not!" Amelia joined the conversation, frowning harshly. "He's from Africa."

"The Egyptian then?" Drusus knit his eyebrows in concentration as he tried to remember the name. He threw his hands up at last. "Oh well, I don't remember. I am new to this, after all."

"The Spaniard." Paolina breathed, never tearing her eyes away from the scene.

Drusus blinked. "Yes, yes, I think that you are right."

In a rush, memories of Maximus flooded back into Paolina's heart, and she knew, with certainty that it was her husband atop the horse. At last, she recalled the way that he sat on a horse, the slight angle of his jaw when he walked, the powerful swell of muscles in his arms. She ached to be near him, but she could only watch as the last throes of the battle wore on.

With a spear to the chest, the last charioteer was brought to a halt, and the blue-clad Carthaginians raised their swords in victory. Without realizing it, Paolina had been holding her breath, and she released it now in a slow shudder.

Safe.

For now at least.

The gladiators continued to wave to the crowd which cheered for them wildly, but the man on horseback- Maximus, did not join them. Paolina noted with alarm that he was galloping forward, spear still raised. She followed his trajectory.

"No!" She screamed, rising to her feet. He was going to kill the emperor- and she had no doubt he would be quickly killed himself in return.

Paolina's voice could not be heard above the crowd, but, miraculously, the spear lowered, and the horse clamboured to a halt.

There was movement in the Imperial box, and the crowd groaned in annoyance as black-clad Praetorians spilled out among the victorious gladiators. Quintus was no longer in the box- though he was not among the men- and the Emperor, and his nephew were gone as well.

"Drop your weapons!" The leader of the Praetorians commanded.

The gladiators eyes each other nervously- was it a trick? Was the fight over, or were they now to face the Imperial Guards? They all looked to the Spaniard, who slowly nodded his head.

When the swords fell to the ground, the guards forms a column and the doors swung open again. It was Commodus, and Lucius- Lucilla's son.

Squinting, Paolina could see that Quintus was with them, his dark-plumed helment nearly obscuring his face. Her heart hammered in her chest. What did they want? Was Maximus about to die after all?

The men were speaking, but from the distance, the words were not audible. Finally, the gladiator turned, and the masses gasped in surprise that one so lowly would turn his back on the ruler of Rome.

The emperor shouted something in response, and the Praetorians laid their hands upon their swords, drawing an angry murmur from the stands.

The Spaniard's hands reached for his head covering, which he slowly drew away. It was agonizing for Paolina as she waited for his features to finally be revealed...but when they were...

Maximus! It was like a dream to see him again- so close, if it were quiet enough, she could call to him. He looked into the stands, his eyes almost alighting on Paolina herself...and then he turned.

Again, she could not make out the words, but it was obvious from his posture that he was angry. The surprise- fear?- on Commodus and Quintus' faces affirmed that it was no trick of Paolina's imagination- her husband truly was alive.

"Guards!" Quintus' voice rang above the crowd, and dozens of shiny gladius' glistened in the fading sunlight.

Was this it? Would it all end after all? Paolina's muscles were sore from tension....and then it began, softly at first, but rapidly growing louder.

The voice of the crowd seemed to raise in unison.

"Live!" They chanted, their fingers gesturing for the emperor to bestow his grant of mercy. "Live! Live! Live!"

Paolina lent her voice to the rest, crying out so loud that she could feel her throat grow raw. "Live!" She screamed, tears running down her face. "Live! Live! Live!"

After that seemed an eternity Paolina saw Commodus turn to look at the crowd, raising a finger to his lips, as if he was trying to calm it.

"Live! Live! Live!" the chorus went on and Caesar returned to look at Maximus again. Then, with agonizing slowless, clearly showing he was struggling with himself Commodus extended his thumb up.

The crowd roared in appreciation and as the emperor turned to leave Paolina saw Maximus raise his right fist to his chest.....a military salute she realised was directed to Quintus. As the Praetorians left the sand ring the winning gladiator raised their arms in victory and Paolina saw Maximus did the same, raising his helmet to the sky. A sunbean seemed to caress him and Paolina felt her heart swell with love, relief and pride. Along with Drusus, Amelia and the rest to crowd she remained on the stand, chating with an increasing force, "Maximus, Maximus, Maximus" untill her husband and his fellow gladiators disappeared behind the huge gates of the Colosseum.

Then, and only then, she pratically fell on her seat, more tired he had ever been in her life.

51

Quintus followed Commodus as he returned to the imperial box. He could clearly see that Caesar was furious and Quintus shivered, as he sat down near Aelia, who was looking at him wild eyed. He too was shocked. Never, even in his wildest dreams or nightmares, he had imaginated to see Maximus again and certainly not as a gladiator.

Truly the Gods had the sense of humor-- a wicked sense of humor. It seemed as they wanted to repay him for his sins by resurrecting from the dead the victim of the most shameful act he had ever committed. Quintus turned his head, searching for confort in Aelia's face but what he saw made the blood freeze in his veins. She was pale but the look in her eyes was hard, determinated....Had she finally realised what had really happened in Germania?

The end of that day games finally arrived and Commodus and his entourage left the Colosseum. The emperor was still brooding and Quintus fervently hoped that his sister, Lucilla, would be able to calm him down. The Prefect of the Praetorium knew what she was truly the only one able to control the increasily mad monarch but he also knew that her power was lessening. Also she too was living in a prison of fear just as Quintus was himself, because her son was the heir to the throne.

Quintus escorted Commodus to the Palatine palace and then returned to his home, were Aelia was already awaiting for him.

As soon as he stepped in the atrium he knew the moment of truth had come.

No servant came to open the door or the take his helmet. Only Aelia was there, her arms crossed on her chest and her gaze hard. She did not greet him but asked with a voice devoid of warmpth, "I want to know what really happened in Germania. And I want to know NOW." Her stance resembled so much that of her grandfather General Claudius that, if the circumstances had been different her husband would have snapped in attention. Quintus sighed and putting his helmet on a low table, and began to pace and forward in the room.

"You want to know what happened in Germania?.....It happened that I betrayed my best friend to save you and the children." There, he had said it.

Aelia's lips moved but no words came out.

Quintus walked to her and began to speak again quickly, "The night when Marcus Aurelius died, I was summoned by Commodus. He asked me if I was a loyal man and then began to speak of you and Clara and Titus and Appius...He said he had seen you before he left Rome. The threat in his words was clear: I had to obey or we would all be killed...And then he told me he did not trust Maximus, that he was not sure of his loyalty and that I would have to deal with it." Quintus sighed and ran a hand along his short hair, "I WANTED to help Maximus but he refused to listen....Not only he did not swear loyalty to Commodus but accused him of killing his father!"

"Was he right?"

"What?" Quintus blinked at his wife's question.

"I asked if Maximus was right in accusing Commodus."

"I don't know...Probably yes--Marcus Aurelius did not have the appareance of having died naturally but--"

"But YOU refused to listen....Oh Quintus how could have you done such a thing?" Aelia's voice trembled. "You comdemned to death my cousin and her son too!!"

Quintus grabbed her shoulders, trying to communicate with his look the hopelessness that he had felt, "I HAD NO CHOICE!!!" he shouted desperately, "Did you hear me before? If I hadn't obeyed, Commodus would have declared me a traitor, killed me, dispached a squad to murder you and the children and then he would have searched for another man to carry on his orders against Maximus....we would be all dead for nothing."

"Instead only Paolina and Marcus and Maximus paid the price...." Aelia turned away as incontrollable sobs shook her frame. She undestood why Quintus had done it -- probably she too would have done the same to save him and her children -- but the idealist part of herself struggled against accepting his justifications. Once more she felt Quintus' hand on her shoulder, and he turned her to face him. Their faces were both streaked with tears of desperation and they clung to each other tightly, trying to find relief from a world suddently become unliveable.

They continued to hold each other for a long while, the silence broken only by Aelia's jagged sobs. When, at last, she pulled away, the anger was gone from her eyes- replaced by a look of quiet desperation.

"Oh, Quintus." She murmured through her tears. "I'm so afraid."

"I know." He whispered, running her hair through his hands, his jaw clenched with the effort of not crying himself. "I'm frightened too." He continued to hold her very close, wondering, abstractly, if it would have been better for them to die months ago, at least sparing them the constant torture of dancing to the emperor's whims.

Aelia's rich voice brought him back to reality. "What can we do?"

There was no answer.

"Master Clarus?"

Reluctantly, Quintus dropped his arms and turned to face the little serving girl who had interrupted them. "Yes?"

"A messenger from the palace." She made a half-hearted gesture over her shoulder toward the door. "...it's the Emperor. He says he wants to see you right away."

Quintus shared a look of panic with his wife, then he swallowed and reached for his helmet. "I'm on my way."

Paolina said goodbye very quickly to her new friends and jumped to her feet "Aren't you going to stay for the next program?" Drusus asked. Even though the emperor and his entourage had, unexpectedly, departed after the last fight, there were many more matches scheduled for the afternoon.

"No." She said quickly. "I have to...meet a friend." When she lifted her hand to wave goodbye, she had almost reached the narrow corridor that would lead her back outside.

Paolina ran to the gate where she had been with the little boys before and banged on the iron bars until she got the guard's attention. "Who owns this school?" She asked quickly.

Surprised by her bold tone, the man quickly replied. "Proximo."

"Take me to him."

The man blinked, still unsettled by her forward manner. "I can't imagine that you would have any business with him." The man said frankly, looking over her simple attire.

Paolina fought the urge to respond to the insult. "Perhaps he has business with me." She said, trying another approach.

It worked. An amused grin spread across the man's face, and he walked to a gate, unlocking it carefully, and then refastening it after she had slipped inside.

"This way."

Paolina felt very cold as they stepped out of the sunshine into the cave-like corridor of the school's interior. Everything seemed to be damp and fetid. Shallow puddles lined the floor, as though the walls themselves were sweating.

They passed up a narrow staircase, and , at last, the guard stopped outside a heavy door. "He isn't back yet." He said.

"I'll wait."

Shrugging, the man left her alone.

Paolina stepped inside the little chamber, grateful that this space, at least, was dry. It was decorated in a very eastern fashion- piles of pillows and rugs upon the floor instead of more Roman couches and chairs- and seemed tastelessly opulent, as though the owner were trying to impress himself with the extent of his wealth.

Feeling restless, Paolina settled on the floor while she waited for the man to return.

At last, nearly a half-hour later, she heard him in the hall. He was laughing, recounting a friend, or, perhaps, another guard, how much money he had won in his squad's victory.

"And I only lost three men!" He said, proudly. "Three to...what was it? Eight of theirs? Ten? - and out armed too...I tell you, they'd never seen anything like it."

He was still smiling when he walked in the door, but the look faltered somewhat when he noticed Paolina.

"May I help you?" He asked, confused.

"I'm here about the Spaniard." She said, frankly.

Proximo's smile fell- he'd hoped that the pretty girl was waiting for him. He had little patience for groupies. Why give the Spaniard away for free when he had paying customers?

"I'm afraid he's a bit out of your price range." He said harshly, waving her away with his arm. The guard reached forward to lead her away, but Paolina stood her ground, reaching for the money bag tucked inside her belt.

"Really?" She said, pouring the coins onto his desk.

Proximo stilled the guard and looked at the money. His humor returned. Obviously this lady was not the sort he had first assumed- probably a young matron bored with her husband but still too uncertain to venture forth without a disguise. "Perhaps not." He said slowly, reaching for a golden coin and turning it over in his palm. "But I'm afraid that I can't offer him tonight."

"Oh?"

"He had a ...prior engagement."

Paolina swallowed, trying not to think of what the "prior engagement" might involve. "She can pay you so much?" She asked, after a pause.

"No." He said with a sigh, looking truly regretful as he put the coin back in its bag and passed it across the table. "But she does have...other methods of persuasion." Paolina felt her spine tingle with fear as she dejectedly accepted her money. Her disappointment must have reflected in her face, because Proximo spoke again. "He has another match the day after tomorrow. His opponent is..." He stopped suddenly, as though remembering that it was a secret. "Considerably skilled." He finished at last. "So, there are no guarantees. However, *if* he lives, you could see him that night."

Paolina looked up, grateful. It would have to do.

"Shall I make an appointment?"

"Yes." Paolina left the money lying on his desk. "Please."