 
Original title: VENGEANCE AND REMISSION

Author: Amalia Angellinni

Cover: Rita Beger & AB

Editor: Anne Canders

ISBN 978-83-929832-5-5

Free English Edition (April 2015)

Copyright 2015 Anna Brakoniecka, Scholar Europe (exclusive publisher)

Published by Scholar Online Europa at Smashwords

Contact Amalia:

https://www.facebook.com/amalia.angellinni

https://amaliaangellinni.wordpress.com

Vengeance & Remission Websites:

http://vengeanceandremission.wordpress.com/

https://plus.google.com/114944878002089744765/posts

Be Lovefool: http://www.lovefool.be

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License Notes

This book is written by Amalia Angellinni. This book has been published by Scholar Online Europa at Smashwords. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or otherwise transferred to a third party nor used for commercial purposes. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book without having purchased it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, you should return it to Scholar Europe, bezkartek.pl or Smashwords.com or any other store selling it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

"No man is an island, intire of its self; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were; as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."

John Donne

THANK YOU!

If I would say just a simple "Thank you", it wouldn't describe my gratitude even in the smallest range. Especially warm greetings are going to Anne Canders, who was the English editor of the book. Thanks again to my family, friends and thanks to Anna Brakoniecka & Scholar Online Europa for supporting me all the way long up to now. Thanks to all of my readers for their feedback.

Amalia

VENGEANCE AND REMISSION'S SOUNDTRACK:

#1 WAY TO BRITANNIA

#2 TRAFFIC JAM

#3 WAY BACK HOME

#4 WINTER SONG

#5 DANGEROUS PLACES

#6 ONE DAY SOON

#7 RECONING SONG

#8 HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

#1 WAY TO BRITANNIA

Not everyone remembers the eruption of Mount Pelée. The mentioned outbreak of the so called Bald Mountain in today's French, divine overseas department of lovely Martinique where the Caribbean Plate meets the Atlantic Oceanic crust belonging to the South American Plate happened in 1902 within a few minutes. It was the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century and devastated the island completely, destroying the town of St. Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants, leaving only 3 survivors. There were signs that should have been interpreted as forewarnings. There was an impressive, firework-like light rain of spacey cinders on the mountain's southern and western side. There were sharp, perceptible underground shocks that should make people insecure. There was a giant, extremely scary cloud containing rocks and ashes, before the mountain produced loud explosions, earthquakes, and a massive, scary pillar of dense black smoke. It was the beginning of an upcoming Armageddon for the people of the island. On the day, which stayed in the memory of human nature as the darkest day of Mount Pelée, black clouds rolled upwards from the mountainside one after the other and formed a frightening, extraordinary huge, mushroom-like, dark cloud that darkened the infinity and innocence of the sky in a 50-mile radius. The city burned for further days as if it was a never ending story of hell including red, streaming lava and tireless tongues of fire. Everyone, who said that there was no warning, could not interpret the previous days and weeks correctly. There were enough signs to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Even less people remember the eruption of almost perfectly symmetric Mayon Volcano, the so called Beautiful Lady after the legendary heroine Daragang, on the island of Luzon from the shores of the Gulf of Albay in the Philippines. Magayon, a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, used to be the most active volcano with over 48 eruptions in the past 400 years. The first documented, but not most destructive eruption was witnessed in 1616 by Dutch explorer Joris van Spilbergen. Less than 200 years later, the volcano was belching dark ash and bombarded the town with tephra that buried the town of Cagsawa. Ash accumulated to 9 meter in depth. Green trees and plants were non-recurrently, violently burned. The rivers were certainly damaged. The eruption was responsible for over 1200 deaths. Due to the accumulation of atmospheric ash, a sad and tragic Year Without a Summer followed. The nature recovered over the long years of troublesome rehabilitation and it was finally possible to establish a national park and a protected landscape there in the year 2000 named Mayon Volcano Natural Park. There was a truly magnificence, uniqueness and beauty captured in this extremely sad and mourning occurrence in these shocking, frightening days.

Marcus Lucius was not able to get to know any information neither about Mayon Volcano nor Mount Pelée. He was a Roman soldier, a tribune in the most powerful army of the world of that time. He had heard about the city of Pompeii being partially destroyed and buried under meters of ashes and pumices in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. He was like a volcano himself. His internal, dark energy was dangerously coming out from the deepest parts of his body, passing the crust of his skin, allowing accusations hot as magma, fussy, obtrusive reproaches and blames like volcanic ashes escaping from below the surface. He could not bear his internal pressure anymore. In the same way that the pieces of matter were collected for a longer while in the inside of the volcanoes before erupting violently, when the time was ripe, flying over chaotically, powerfully and frightening, the same way Marcus Lucius felt, when he remembered what happened some days ago. He felt the same increasing, overwhelming rage and lack of power to predict what was already going to happen. He analysed over and over again which signs he missed, what aspects he could have overseen, what he could have deduced earlier to prevent the damages that were done.

The last days were hard for him. He didn't remember much at all. As he was laying in a slender bed, he had some visions. Some were clear, but short, and showed rather static scenes than dynamic memories. Some were blurry, fuzzy and hazy scenes taking his whole attention. He tried to analyse them, but he was too weak. He struggled extremely to find any approach to structure the scenes and to find out the truth. He failed every time, because he was falling senseless due to his high, dangerous fever and the wounds, he didn't perceive. He wasn't completely sure whether everything really had happened, because he was injured and had continuous fever. He felt permanently cold despite his dangerously increasing body temperature. Then, he felt too hot, he sweated a lot and felt like going insane. He felt weak, but when he would collect all these pieces of fury, anger and sadness hidden in his every cell, he could destroy everything standing in his way. He was burning out internally. His state of mind was somewhat destroyed by collapsing and being squeezed in itself. This implosion concentrated enormous, inhuman matter and dark energy. True, overwhelming pressure and inward and outward forces were involved into the process of his destruction. He didn't care. He already lost what he was fighting for. There was no hope for any improvement of the situation. There was just a glowing hope for dying before any further thought would attack him again and again until he would lose his consciousness again and again. It wasn't a life worth living anymore.

It wasn't like losing your favourite book, which you had borrowed to someone, who never gave it back to you, or like deleting an important file from a computer. We would consider these disasters as Armageddon in our times. But today, you can backup your files, buy new computer, or even create everything anew in the worst case. We forget that we can lose more valuable things that give sense to our life: a best friend by not liking his new girlfriend, a grandfather after he lost his battle with cancer, a father in a car crash on a busy street, a mother through the consequences of a accident at home or the person you are in love with through various reasons in general.

Marcus Lucius loss was irreplaceable, unrecoverable. He had lost his wife. If a person you love dies, the entire world is not the same place anymore. You can't restore the living creation – neither by memorizing nor by replacing the person with other people. There is no remedy to return to the world experienced before.

Sometimes, you think about dying and losing your life, but you don't really follow it seriously, until you lose someone you love. Death was his companion already. He had already lost many soldiers on his way. He took part in a dozen of ambushes and he saw many deadly wounded and killed. He was injured once, too, but it wasn't serious. In the end, he survived. Now, he wanted to be dead, but there was no battle to die in honour. There was even no real, probable perspective for a battle. There were only chances for living the sad, miserable life with no goal.

When he didn't have flashbacks, in the rare moments of consciousness, he saw two unknown people, a man and a woman, he couldn't recognize at first. The man was a Roman soldier, one of Appius's legionnaires. Marcus Lucius knew Appius from the time, when he joined the army. He was 15 and couldn't wait to move out from the house of his mother. She was mourning for too long, after Marcus Lucius's father was killed in a battle. Marcus Lucius thought he could escape the mourning by joining the army, but it was even worse there in the beginning. Every tribune knew that Marcus Lucius was the one and only son of the great warrior Maximus. Marcus Lucius had the impression that everyone looked at him and waited for such brave, outstanding and wise actions like he would expect from his father. Every day he had to prove that he was someone else. However, the longer he was a soldier, and the harder he tried to prove it, the often he had to hear he was exactly Maximus's own flesh and blood. He was not only looking similarly to his father. Everyone who knew Maximus and who saw Marcus Lucius's behaviour easily noticed that Marcus Lucius developed the rare skill to stay focussed within the tunnel vision. Usually, every soldier was able to develop the skill to concentrate on a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision while ignoring the peripheral vision. In a fight, these soldiers perceived a surge of anger, an increasing amount of testosterone and fight club feeling, to be able to ignore the surrounding. In such a situation, they could be attacked easily by anyone from the array of sight beyond the tunnel vision.

Not every man was able to focus on the enemy without retention of central vision. Marcus Lucius, like his father, didn't lose the general view while focussing on a limited space of sight. He was able to not only be aware of the direct enemy, but also of the fighters and movements around him. It was not easy and it took a very high amount of strength. However, seeing the similarity between father and son was incredibly frustrating to Marcus Lucius. It made him feel being predefined again and again. Therefore, he started ignoring these remarks. It wasn't genuine, but became possible after a long, demanding period of getting used to it.

As far as he remembered, his father was a tall, well-built man with dark hair and perfect manner. He always knew what to say or how to act. He always had an excellent, suitable advice at hand and he could rely on every soldier that knew him. He was welcomed everywhere. He had no enemies and everybody treated him with the same respect and friendship: whether ordinary legionnaires, tribunes, legates or any other person he met on his way. Marcus Lucius's mother was always proud to entertain guests coming to their house on a hill outside of Rome. From here, she could overlook the most important city of the time. When the time for mourning was over and all guests had spoken their condolences, the real emptiness took over every free space in the house.

Marcus Lucius barely knew his father. There weren't many opportunities to spend time together, even if they lived in one place for a year. Once, Marcus Lucius was taken to Britannia by his father. It was a long, fascinating journey with many short, but remarkable memories. Marcus Lucius saw snow for the very first time in his life. The surrounding had another shadow of green and the sky was mostly clouded. Even the blue sky looked different there. He loved the rain and the sun. He loved the free spaces there. He was ten years old, had two months of fascinating journey between Rome and Britannia behind, and he had to work like a real legionnaire. His father gave him to the regular temp full of soldiers and send for him just every now and then. Maximus didn't visibly intervene in the daily routine of his son and relied on the supervision of his friends. One of them was Appius, a tall, slim and bony man with shrill tone, when he was unsatisfied. He threw comments, orders and straight looks. He was hard, but fair. His advices were always adjusted, even if communicated in a brutal, direct, short way. Appius reminded Marcus Lucius on slave driver. Appius used to scream every now and then, because his look said more than thousand words. Marcus Lucius tried as hard as he could not to attract negative attention. It was quite hard to move the heavy sword properly, but every further day of training made it easier to handle to weapon. Mostly, he was good, but just good enough for his age. Compared to other legionnaires, he was simply too young. A ten years old boy couldn't really contest with trained 20 years old ones. They were bigger, stronger and they have been training since years. Already during the first day, he had to sweep the stakes, even if he tried to deal blows as well. He lost every combat during the first training, but he always stood up and was ready to fight further. He had so many bruises and some wounds, but it didn't matter. He stood heavily breathing and looking patiently and respectfully around.

-You're a brave little man. - said Appius when he came closer to him. - You're a brave little man.

Marcus Lucius didn't feel proudly or satisfied. He lost every battle and he wanted his revenge. Suddenly, his father appeared behind him and Marcus Lucius heard how Appius welcomed Maximus in the training camp. You just simply knew that Maximus was around, because his charisma was in the air.

-You can be proud of your little boy. He doesn't lose the overview in the hardest situations and he acts with honour. I never have seen such a spirit in such a small body.

Maximus laughed and slapped his son on the back. Only then, Marcus Lucius felt better.

While returning to the tent, where the soldiers were sleeping, Marcus Lucius didn't expect his father talking with him. However, Maximus didn't keep silence. He walked proudly, made big, self-conscious steps, and talked with his engaging, manly voice:

-Stay focussed. Don't let anyone or anything distract you. You fought well, even if you lost. You can learn more from one lose than from thousand victories. You have to stay focussed more next time.

Marcus Lucius nodded with understanding and enjoyed the short personal contact to his father. Some days later, his father appeared again at the end of the training and slapped him friendly on the back.

-Stay focussed, my boy. - He repeated and Marcus Lucius was sure that he won't hear anything else from his father.

-How do you do it? - He asked then and Maximus laughed with joy.

-That's a good question. - He said. - Life never asks us whether we are prepared or not, whether we're old enough or not. You have to stay focussed on what you want to achieve and keep going in this direction. You should notice the surrounding to analyse the risk or danger coming towards you, but you can't lose the goal in front of your eyes. Stay watchful. Stay focussed. Dare to do what you want.

-So why do I have to be prepared, if life brings surprises then?

Maximus laughed even louder.

-Nobody can seriously promise you that you can be prepared for everything, but being prepared for different things makes it easier to build-up a strategy for surprising situations. You need some basics for being able to estimate the situation, the related risk and the related win.

The stay in Britannia for a year was combined with such rare, but serious and friendly talks. They didn't happen as often as Marcus Lucius wished, but he appreciated every advice from his father. First thanked to the time spent in Britannia, Marcus Lucius discovered why his father was so popular, respected and well-known. Already his presence made the moment more important. Even if he gave advices, it didn't sound so brutal like in the case of Appius. Even if he gave criticism, it didn't sound patronizingly. Marcus Lucius didn't dare to wish being like his father.

Marcus Lucius never had any temptations to be promoted. His father was already quite high in the army structure. Maximus was legati, a legion commander, who also controlled the auxiliary regiments attached to their legion, headed the civil administration and had to report directly to the emperor in Rome. He was one of the youngest in such a crucial post, but he had enough experience and backup from the legions behind him. They loved their empire with the incomprehensible, undefined, but noticeable power of Rome: Rome, the endless, powerful city and unlimited, successful state. The name of their capital was expressed with love due to the anagram for amor. Rome was worth fighting for.

Marcus Lucius preferred to stay on his post as a legionnaire. Once, he asked his father about being such an important commander and Maximus thought about it for a while, before answering the question.

-It's not easy, my son, and it's a great responsibility. The further you go, the more enemies you have.

-Enemies? - Marcus Lucius was surprised, because he never saw a person acting unfriendly towards his father.

-Oh yes, enemies. They watch your every step, they analyse your weaknesses and smile politely in front of you. Still, you have to stay focussed and know whom to trust in hard times.

-How do you know who is your friend and who's not, then? - Marcus Lucius was curious.

-Sometimes, it's easy, and sometimes, it's not. You have to get trust in soldiers, when you fight with them on your side, because you need someone to rely on, but you have to stay focussed and hope that you chose the right people around you. If you're not sure about someone, let it be. Don't push yourself too far, because, of all things, you have to be true to yourself.

-And that's it? There is no further way to be sure of it?

-You never can be sure about anything. People change, because life brings new experiences every day. You can just assume with high probability what the next day can bring you. Due to collected experiences and memories, you assume with high probability that someone is your friend or not. Sometimes, you have to dare a leap, sometimes you have to draw back. Still, there is nothing for sure in life. We are all people struggling with our surrounding, with situations and with ourselves.

His father's tone was reasoning and somewhat sad. He didn't make the impression like talking with his son, rather like talking to a good friend. Marcus Lucius listened cautiously to every word and inhaled the advices like a sponge. He appreciated them all.

He had his training hours and had to hold the regular short gladius of 24 inches long. Mostly, he had to fight against the best young legionnaires and he continued losing. However, his loses were less visible and he became more successful in defence as well as in attack. Even when he lost a fight, many saw him as a winner. He was a ten years old boy and had serious rivals, who didn't simplify the battles. Marcus Lucius was satisfied to see that it became easier every day to move gladius the way he wanted. His muscles were growing. His statue started to look manly. His childish eyes were focussed and his movements won fluency and self-consciousness. In the beginning, in autumn, Marcus Lucius was a motivated fighter. In late spring, he developed into a motivated and trained fighter. He had trained a lot during that time. He woke up earlier than everyone, no matter what the weather was like, and warmed up in the darkness of the morning. In the evening, he sat down somewhere near to a fire place and analysed the working day. He was the last person standing in the line for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was the first person on the training field and the last person to leave it. He learnt to decode hints from Appius's face impressions. When Appius moved his head to the right, mostly he wasn't satisfied. If he moved his head to the left, he was totally dissatisfied. When he nodded, even minimally, it was a good sign. When he screamed, someone had screwed up. When he crossed his arms over his chest, he was torn and worried. It was so easy to get feedback almost right away.

Towards the end of Marcus Lucius's stay in Britannia, Maximus took him away from camp almost every evening and they trained together outside, in the lovely surrounding between leafy trees, verdant meadows and wet drops of rain. Mostly, they didn't talk a lot. Maximus moved his sword or just a simple, long stick and tried to distract his son. At the very beginning, the spontaneous attempts to get Marcus Lucius nervous and irritated were quite successful. Maximus always gave him short advice how to improve the technique. But to learn how to stay aware of the surrounding with several enemies in front of him, was even more important to Marcus Lucius.

-It's easy to concentrate on another person in front of you, but in a fight, you have so many soldiers around you, when you have some riders, some soldiers from your legion, a group of enemies around you, you have to understand the danger around you without losing your mind. In the chaos of a battle, it's very difficult to stay focussed, but it's possible.

Maximus played some games with Marcus Lucius to prepare him for the real combats. During these trainings Marcus Lucius noticed how genius his father was and how poor his own technique was, even after weeks of training. Compared to the level of legionnaires, Marcus Lucius knew his father was like a god. He could conquer every person with just a minimal movement. It was fascinating how fast and accurate he was. His precise moves were fluent, quick and perfect. He didn't attack; he simply defended himself and used the power of Marcus Lucius against the boy. Maximus explained in detail how to apply the tricks and how to improve. He usually didn't give any compliments, he rather used to say "You have to be better" and "Focus, Marcus Lucius, focus". When they didn't train the muscles, they sat down on bigger stones and played strategic games. Then Maximus drew lines on the ground which looked like a simplified political map and set some smaller stones on the different sides of the borders. The stones symbolised legions that were ready to fight. Sometimes, they played as a team against an imaginary enemy, and sometimes, they played against each other. Marcus Lucius sat concentrated and was so focussed that he didn't even feel the coldness outside. Maximus smiled when he saw his son freezing and even not noticing it. He was visibly proud to see the intelligence and endurance.

When the day came, when Marcus Lucius had to go back to Rome, Appius stepped by and slapped him on the back. Then, he bowed shortly in front of him and went away. There were no words needed to know that there was a kind of respect a teacher can have towards his pupils. On the contrary, Maximus gave some orders. Marcus Lucius was supposed to send greetings to the family, support his mother and keep on training. Marcus Lucius was moved and wasn't able to talk. He simply nodded again and again. He wasn't sure whether he understood every word he heard, because he had to fight against the tears. He was sad and unsatisfied. He wanted to stay longer, but it was not possible. His stay here was an exception. Usually, boys didn't see the inside of an army camp before they haven't finish the 15th year of life.

Marcus Lucius reminded the moments of past, while he was lying in bed with high fever. His darkest thoughts contrasted extremely with the happy, shiny, late afternoon. The surrounding didn't match the mood at all Marcus Lucius was in. He was in pain, but he needed it to know that he was alive. Additionally, it was a kind of self-punishment. The gloomy part of his soul wanted to have its revenge immediately. Because he thought he was responsible for all what had happened, because he hasn't considered a possible betrayal of Quintus, it was Marcus Lucius, who had to suffer. A piece of the penalty should be shared with Quintus. This was the main thought which came to his mind every now and then when he was conscious.

One day, he was longer awake and perceived more of his surrounding than before. He saw a girl, maybe 18, maybe 20 years old, who immediately went away when she noticed his state of mind. When she was sure he fell unconscious again, she washed his wounds very attentively, concentrated and tenderly. She used to quote Homer's works as far as Marcus Lucius could notice. She claimed the Song of Ilion in Greek telling the story of more than just few weeks in the final year of the Trojan war.

"Take courage. State what your powers tell you.

By Apollo, whom Zeus loves, to whom you, Calchas,

pray in prophesy to the Danaans, I swear this—

while I live to look upon the light of day,

no Achaean will raise violent hands against you,

no, not even if you name Agamemnon,

who claims he's by far the best Achaean."

Her lips were moving slowly, barely noticeable. They were full and nicely pink. Her cheeks were faint and noble, but they showed she spent a lot of time outside. Her eyes weren't watchful, rather concentrated on the pieces of Marcus Lucius's body that she had to clean again. Her voice was pleasant and enjoyable. It worked like medicine. Her fond touch was desirable.

At first, Marcus Lucius hoped that she was his wife. They looked similarly. Decima had long, dark red, curly hair and sun-bathed skin, too. She wasn't shy towards sun like the Roman noble ladies, who used to avoid any fresh air and sun rays. Decima liked to stay in the garden and meeting her best friend on one of the markets in Rome. She had a nice, slim, and curvy body and a wonderful, catching smile. The unknown girl was a little bit smaller, more daintily. Her fingers were longer and her look was sadder, but she showed a special kind of patience and power. Her moves were more insecure compared to Decima's. His wife used to stroke him stronger, more confident. The unknown girl apparently didn't have much experience with men.

-Who are you? - He asked finally.

She noticed his watchful eyes and her cheeks turned red immediately. She jumped away like a wild, timid animal. Her reserved attitude was shown in her body position, reaction and her eyes. At speed, she was many steps away from him and stared at him with an insecure look. Her breath was faster and her hands trembled. She was visibly nervous.

-Julia. I am the daughter of Julius Fabius. I was Maxentius's wife. - She answered quickly, but proudly. Her hands still trembled.

It was hard for her to stay secure and without any movement in the wagon, which was in motion. It wiggled and wobbled more or less powerfully.

-Don't be scared... - He started, but she refused immediately like a cheeky child:

-I'm not scared.

Even when she said so, she didn't make the impression of feeling comfortable and well. She looked cute. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure how he was supposed to handle the situation. Decima didn't oppose or comment his statements. He smiled sadly, while he remembered his dead wife. Then, he thought that Julia wasn't a slave, who should take care of him. She was a Roman citizen. He remembered briefly having seen Julia sitting on the floor leaning on the wall of the wagon, and sleeping, when she didn't spend her time with taking care of him. He had some pictures about her leaning above him and touching his wounds. He felt much pain, but he never complained. He didn't mind the aching. At least, he knew he was alive.

-Forgiveness, why are you here? - He asked after a minute.

-You don't remember anything? - She was confused.

He had some pieces of memories in his head, but the whole picture was missing.

-My wife is dead. - He said mournfully and he closed his eyes. His breath was deeper, but gloomy.

Julia was moved by his emotions. Even if he didn't say a word of how he was doing, it was easy to see how affected he was.

-Appius confirmed it already. - Julia said slowly, insecure.

-Appius? - He was immediately present again. - What has Appius to do with it?

Julia watched his spontaneous move attentively. He sat up in the bed and gazed at her with impatience. He needed more information, she seemed to know things he wanted to know.

-With all due respect, you really don't remember anything? - Her doubts weren't strong. It was rather a kind of disbelieve. She wondered how he could forget the way he defended her just a few days ago. As she was travelling with her husband, they were attacked by a Barbarian horde. The fight started unexpectedly. Nobody had assumed that the enemy could attack a Roman convoy on the North-Eastern borders of the Pannonia province within the Roman Empire. Julia remembered that she started being worried about her integrity due to perspective of spending her time just with her husband. Maxentius Claudius wasn't a pleasant man. He was much older than she and she was already almost twenty. Half year ago, she had to marry him due to the request of her father. Julius Fabius gave her away to a man she didn't respect and didn't like at all. Julia wondered many times what was more important to her father than her dignity.

Marcus Lucius noticed her absence and his impatience grew exponentially. If his curiousness and impatience would have been shown on a graph, it would have looked like an upward-sloping function which increases faster as the state of nosiness increases above the x-axis. He repeated his last question and ignored the pain in the chest. He knew he shouldn't have changed his position, because his wound opened itself and blood appeared on the grey pieces of material. His voice was determined and brought Julia back to reality.

-I think I should call Octavian. - She spoke calmly, shyly.

-Fair enough, but please stay here. Stay and tell me what you know. - It didn't sound like a request, rather like an order.

Julia's body was tensed and Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether she didn't like talking to him or whether she didn't like the topic. She seemed to be insecure and feeling unwell. Her muscles on the naked arms and young face were visibly strained. She analysed whether she should go away or stay. As her eyes moved vividly in the short moment of desperation, she noticed that Marcus Lucius started to bleed. Automatically, she stepped forward and took the material from Marcus Lucius's chest.

-Lay down. - She ordered and enormous strength was noticeable in her voice.

He didn't react. He defended his position: he wanted to know what happened.

-If you tell me... - He was weak, but he didn't intend to give up. He could fight for his wish up to the deadly end. Julia noticed it and reacted appropriately.

-I will, if you lay down first. - She was next to him and bowed over his body. She didn't argue, she offered a compromise. She analysed the disaster he caused to himself. The wound bleed increasingly. She put her hand on his chest and looked Marcus Lucius into the eyes.

-You lay down, I'll tell you what you want to know.

He calmed down quickly and let her push his body down onto the bed. He followed her moves and let her pull her hand towards his chest. It was extremely painful, but he didn't lose his senses. He observed how calm she acted. Earlier, she made a chaotic, insecure impression, but in the moment of stress and risk, she didn't let herself get worked up in any way. He watched as attentively as possible how she took a clean piece of material and put it into a strange substance that smelt totally unpleasant. Then, she rubbed something into his chest and he thought there was a fire set to it. His heart almost jumped out of the body. His forehead was wet with sweat and his arms and legs started to tremble. He didn't feel good, but he kept focussing at Julia. Her face was calm, in contrast to his condition.

-Hush, hush, and breathe deeply. - She whispered and washed his sweat away from his forehead.

Her voice calmed him down. It was easier to manage the pain when he was focussed on Julia. He didn't follow her moves, but he stared at her eyes. They were monitoring certain parts of his body. Apparently, she tried to determine how bad were the injuries caused by his latest action. She smiled when she saw that other wounds stayed partially closed. It was a nice, satisfying smile. Still, she wasn't happy about the state of injury on his chest. She wasn't a doctor and was not able to treat him properly. All she knew about treating wounds, she learned from Octavian. She repeated everything he showed her and hoped that her actions were appropriate. She washed away the sweat from Marcus Lucius's chest and head. He was visibly grateful for it. After some minutes of fast, careful actions, Marcus Lucius noticed that her speed started to decrease. No further moves were needed to stabilise his condition. She was relieved, when the bleeding stopped. Marcus Lucius saw it in her eyes. She didn't respond to his gaze. Her right hand was lying on his chest and kept pressuring a piece of wool material against it. Her eyes were focussed on his chest. Her breath was regular. She spread the kind of coolness he needed. In this moment Marcus Lucius stretched his arm and touched her fingers. She got nervous for a moment and she wanted to take her fingers back, but his grasp was heavy. For some seconds, he looked her in the eyes and she returned the look. Something in his look forced her not to yield. Marcus Lucius's look wasn't clear. He was half-dreamy he called her with the name of his dead wife.

-Decima... - He whispered and his grasp became stronger.

She wasn't sure how Marcus Lucius felt right in that moment. He was excited, but dashed. Julia assumed that he loved his wife, because he obviously missed her. Julia noticed the longing note in his tone when he called her with Decima's name. Julia's didn't crave for Maxentius. She wasn't able to pretend being down after his death. Therefore, it was hard to imagine for her what Marcus Lucius felt.

Julia played along and let the wounded man dream as long as his vision involved just holding her hand. It was a pleasant, nice gesture of him and Julia esteemed it. Up to that moment, she didn't have many occasions to perceive a manly touch. Marcus Lucius's skin was rough, compared to the wrinkled, dry skin of Maxentius, but she liked it. Her father's skin was old and wrinkled, too, but it wasn't disgusting to touch. Maybe she was just negative-minded towards Maxentius, because he had hurt her so often in a short period of time. They were married for a half a year and he had already managed to make her hate him to the bones. He had raped her and used her body violently. She wasn't able to oppose, because she was weaker and she felt obligated to her father's will. If Julius Fabius decided to give her away, Maxentius could possess her the way he wanted, because it was his right. Julia was raised to be supportive to the head of the family. Her father was an influential, complicated person always striving to achieve his targeted goals and he wasn't used to hearing any word of resistance. Maxentius seemed to be similar and therefore, Julia started rather thinking about killing herself than to oppose directly. When Maxentius was killed, she felt extremely relieved in the first moment. Relief was stronger than uncertainty. She didn't think about the consequences of the attack, this only hit while sitting in the wagon during the further journey, and she started worrying about her future. Up to the attack of the Barbarian horde, she was travelling with her husband to Britannia. Maxentius was supposed to take command there. Julia wasn't informed why, but she assumed that her marriage definitely played a role in Maxentius's new position. She was a playing card in the hands of both men: her father used her to expand his power and Maxentius confirmed his own importance with the surname of the Fabii family. Her family held considerable power, almost total power, for much of the early Republic until the defeat at Veii. Even after that time, with her family so depleted, the sole survivors carried awesome auctoritas due just to their illustrious name. Maxentius became a part of this family. Julia was screwed. She felt like a prisoner until she got a short moment of freedom, when Maxentius was killed in the ambush. She reminded how his head turned red, how blood poured from his head. She noticed unknown people behind his back. They screamed and moved fast. She couldn't hear them though. It was strange to see the whole danger coming up to her and not being able to resist. She wasn't even scared. She wasn't afraid of losing her life. In this moment, she saw Maxentius dying and trying to touch her for the last time, she stepped back and watched how he gazed at her with anger. The more furious he was, the calmer she became. She even smiled or at least, she reminded to contemplate whether a smile would be appropriate in these circumstances.

While she stood without any movement, she noticed how soldiers and slaves from the other two wagons fought against the barbarians. She heard swords hit each other, causing such an iron-like, unpleasant sound. She heard screams supposed to scare the enemy or to give courage to the fighting people. She saw movements of the surrounding and she wondered why she wasn't scared anymore. She felt totally nothing except complete indifference. A great question mark filled her mind. She wondered why she didn't have any power to struggle or why she was not afraid of men attacking her. While she analysed her strange perception, she saw a man on a horse coming into the fight. It was Marcus Lucius. At that time, she didn't have a clue who he was. She admired the lonely rider in the red tunica betraying his affiliation to Roman army. He looked dazzled and tired, his clothes were dirty, but the closer he came, the more professional he looked. The movements of his sword were precise, accurate and faster than Julia's eyes could follow. Every barbarian touched by Marcus Lucius's sword fell to the ground with a scary grimace on the face. Marcus Lucius didn't wear any armour. He didn't notice the cuts he collected or he didn't permit himself to feel the wounds. Julia reminded how he had looked at her. There was something in his eyes that fascinated her. It was just a very short moment, when their eyes met, but from this moment on, Julia felt like a normal person again. Her life became valuable to her, again. She got scared by the fight around her and screamed instinctively once or even twice. She wanted to run away, but the soldiers duelled with barbarians on her escape route and it was impossible to flee from there. She stepped back to the wagon and saw how two barbarians won over a legionnaire and came closer to her. Out of nowhere, Marcus Lucius appeared again and killed them within a few seconds. He stood in front of her and suddenly, he got a strange look in the eyes. He was tired and wounded. He was losing his consciousness while someone yelled his name.

He kept holding his sword, turned back to her and with his last strength, he protected Julia from further, attacking enemies. He started losing his speed and got hurt even worse. Julia empathised with him. She didn't want him to die. He was the one, who tried to protect her, even without knowing her. He had to be a good man. She observed how his arm moved and how a group of further legionnaires finally approached from the direction of Aquincum. Julia recognized Appius, whom she had met during the stay in Aquincum. Maxentius wanted to show off with his new wife and stepped by his old friend, as Maxentius called Appius. They didn't seem to be good friends as Julia noticed during a common dinner. Appius stayed reserved and politically correct. His face expressed nor joy nor unhappiness. Maxentius didn't speak much, either, which wasn't normal. Usually, Maxentius could talk for hours, which was exhausting, if you had to follow his thoughts.

Julia remembered how Appius yelled Marcus Lucius's name and how fast Appius came to the place where Julia was standing. There was something warm in Appius's tone. He knew the suddenly fallen soldier well. She kept looking at the stranger, who laid on the ground. His bleeding was strong. His eyes were closed. However, he smiled as if he would remind something outstanding. The corners of his lips trembled. Sweat drops appeared on his forehead. Appius bowed over the stranger and tried to talk with him.

The scene from the past reminded her at the latest bleeding she could stop during the present day.

-You... You look sad.

Julia thought she was dreaming, when she heard the whisper of another person's dry throat. She trembled from the sudden shock. She didn't expect Marcus Lucius to talk to her. He was looking at her and she caught his gaze. She wasn't sure whether he knew who she was. He called his wife's name sometimes when he was starring at her. It confused her. At first, she continued saying him, she is not Decima. She introduced herself every time he spoke to her with a smile. Then, after a couple of days, she gave up and ignored it. Octavian said that as long as Marcus Lucius was deeply wounded and hallucinated, it was possible that he mixed up names, people, occurrences. Octavian also said that Marcus Lucius could lose his memories and that it was possible that they were coming back with time. Now, Julia wondered why Marcus Lucius didn't call her Decima again. He didn't use any name. He simply gave a statement.

-How are you doing? - She asked shy and helped him to drink water.

He seemed to thank her with his look in the eyes. There was a kind of dashed fire that increased when he communicated with her. Preferably, she would have stepped back, when he was talking to her. However, he kept holding her hand for hours and every time she tried to take it back, his grasp became stronger. He didn't want to let her go. She didn't feel uncomfortable enough to go away, so she kept sitting next to him and let him hold her fingers. It made him calmer. It was important to her. She liked him, when he slept like a baby and breathed regularly. When he was calm, she could relax, too. She hasn't felt so good since she left her home in her father's villa in Naples. It was months ago. For more than a half a year, she was on the road. She wanted to rest somewhere.

She missed the places where she used to spend time. She loved to stay hidden in the part of the garden she called "her secret empire" and spent there any free minute. It was her ultimate getaway spot. She was her father's only daughter. She had three brothers, who served in the army. Until Maxentius came, nobody was interested in what she did. She could stay in the garden for hours. She avoided any pressure by her mother and got out of the way of any requests, orders and further obligations, she didn't like. This worked well up to the day, she had to marry Maxentius. From that moment on, everything changed. Her freedom was gone. She felt robbed and mugged. Every memory hurt and made her nervous. Her pulse raised and her hand started sweating.

-You're not good.

She heard Marcus Lucius speaking for the second time and she noticed, she hadn't answered his questions and he didn't reply to her question. He didn't say many words in the last two weeks, despite the rare, short moments of getting back his consciousness.

-I'm fine. - She said hastily.

She didn't like the situation. She wanted to hedge and win a comfortable distance. Her voice sounded determined and surprisingly cold. He didn't expect her to talk in such a reserved way. Therefore, he didn't mention her chaotic pulse he felt while holding her hand or the sweat drops that appeared suddenly. Additionally, the years of living within a group of soldiers taught him to keep silence about uneasy topics. He simply knew she didn't want to talk about anything. It was fair enough.

-How are you? - She repeated her question as she tried to bring the conversation round to another point.

-I'm fine. - He answered slowly. He wasn't sure whether she noticed his pain, because he wasn't sure how his face expression looked like. He tried to control himself, mostly he succeeded.

A serious, heavy silence filled the room. It was a strange situation, so both of them stayed concentrated on their own thoughts. They didn't look at each other, but he kept holding her hand. She was able to percept his heartbeat then. She sat down on the floor and had to stretch her arm so that he could hold her fingers on his chest. She stared at the opposite wall and wished that Marcus Lucius stayed unconscious. She liked to take care of him, but it was easier when he had lost senses. She liked his smell, even though the medicine she got from Octavian stunk. Still, Marcus Lucius smelled desirable. She liked to touch his skin. Secretly she stroked him more than required to clean the wounds or to check his health condition.

Marcus Lucius analysed what he knew about how he get into a wagon with an unknown girl. The last thing he clearly remembered was holding Decima in his arms. Actually, it was just the body of Decima. She was dead. Her throat was cut and the blood managed already to take a stable form. She was long dead when he arrived. The corpse bride laid next to the bed where they used to sleep together, when Marcus Lucius was in town. Her dark blue legs were crossed in a way that would be painful for every normal, healthy human being. Marcus Lucius saw that they were broken. Her nose was red and extremely huge. It was broken as well. Her mouth was full of congealed blood. It looked so artificial and improbable that he was almost sure it couldn't be true. The lines of rigid blood marked the way of her suffering. Probably, she was slapped in the face at first, then, her legs were broken and in the end, her throat was cut. Marcus Lucius wanted to hope that she didn't suffer for long, but it wasn't so obvious. He wanted to know why she was mistreated and why it all happened. He held her cold, stark body and he was extremely upset and increasingly furious. He could kill the whole world if he wouldn't keep holding Decima's body in his arms.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed in the apartment. On Decima's wish, they owned an apartment in a multi story apartment block called insulae that catered to a wide range of residential situations. Decima didn't feel well in the country villa of Marcus Lucius's mother located in the hills outside of the city that never slept. Decima wanted to stay in Rome, in the proud, noble city, where even the buildings were solely intended for large scale accommodation with several floors in height and showed the dignity and grace of the Roman Empire. Marcus Lucius thought that he could have convinced her to live in the villa, where everyone was safe. Nobody would have dared to attack or to wound citizens living there. A murder in a multi story apartment block was more probable, because of the amount of people there.

He remembered how his wife's best friend came shyly into the room and looked shocked at Marcus Lucius and Decima. Verina was an average woman in her early 30ies with first wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. She had brown eyes and a corpulent body. Most of the times her hair was put together and she smiled often. She wasn't obese, even if she had a round face and portly fingers. Her shocked eyes tried to analyse the situation.

-I have no idea who did it in particular, but I have to go and find the principal of the order.

Marcus Lucius wasn't aware how rough, serious and frightening his tone was. Verina nodded automatically. She didn't expect him to be a murderer and she wanted him to have his revenge. She knew he was a good man, even if he was mostly away from his wife. She was aware that Roman soldiers weren't able to spend as much time with their families as they wanted.

In the last months, after Emperor Trajan died, there were rumours that he never officially designated Hadrian as the new emperor. But apparently according to Trajan's wife, Pompeia Plotina, Trajan had named Hadrian as successor right before his death. It was just a few days ago and nobody was even sure how long the new emperor might stay in his position. The emperor's guard had more important problems than looking after the murder of Decima or following her husband, who apparently knew who killed his wife.

-So go, and have your revenge. - She said after a moment of contemplation. - I'll take care about her.

Marcus Lucius was sure that Verina meant it seriously and therefore, he didn't wait any longer. He kissed his wife forever-goodbye and run out of the apartment he never regarded as his home. He wanted to go back to Quintus and kill him in a way as long and painful as possible. That was his plan. He thought about millions of possibilities how to put his plan into action. The analysis of these various opportunities made him calmer. Nobody should challenge a good warrior in such way without taking into account his bloody, inevitable revenge.

He thought about the most complicated injuries he could imagine. As much blood as possible should flow. A red massacre could be a good match. Marcus Lucius didn't know that haemoglobin with four heme groups was the principal determinant of the exact colour of blood due to their interaction. He simply knew that a specific shade of blood was seen on the dead people or when the wound was already closed. He knew scabs and lesions of different calibre, but he hadn't experienced deep wounds himself – up to now. However, he had already seen deadly wounded. He was used to see them in the battle fields. He noticed that fresh, arterial and capillary blood was bright red, even if he didn't know that oxygen imparted a strong red colour to the heme group. Such injuries led to a fast death. It wasn't planned. He had to watch out and shouldn't lose self-control, if he wanted Quintus to suffer extensively. Marcus Lucius observed people who got wounded, including himself. It was fascinating and his interest started when he was a boy. During his stay in Britannia, he saw some injured soldiers. Sometimes, he accompanied the camp medico and got explanation about mysterious fluids. Already at that time, he saw some of the wounded persons alive again and sometimes, he didn't. Even without explanation, he knew that some didn't survive and died. It wasn't brutal. It was a part of life. It was a daily routine, when you were in a Roman camp with soldiers patrolling the surrounding and keeping the kind of peaceful regime with rare, but brutal resistance. There were some camps with increased numbers of dangerous incidents and there, legionnaires were injured badly every now and then while they served the empire.

Anyway, he thought about thousands of ways of how to kill Quintus in the most brutal, painful way. Marcus Lucius didn't remember much of the last days, but he knew exactly how he got invited to Quintus's tent. Usually, they met each other more or less regularly and talked about this and that. They remembered how Marcus Lucius came into the army at the age of 15. Due to his developed skills and already trained techniques, he was sent to a group of older soldiers. Quintus was one of them. Quintus was five years older and some centimetres taller until Marcus Lucius was 18. Quintus wasn't the best warrior. He preferred to be the strategic leader of the group. He was goal-oriented and loved to play a game, where you draw a map of the empire on the ground and set your wooden armies. You could move your army in turns, depending on how many players were involved. The primary object of the game was the domination of the world or occupying every territory on the board, drawn on the ground, and in so doing, eliminate all other players. Mostly, they used to recreate the initial situation of the famous battles like the Battle of Aricia, where consul Publius Servilius Priscus defeated the Aurunci or the Battle of Pydna, when the Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus defeated and captured the Macedonian King Perseus, and which ended the Third Macedonian War. Quintus used to challenge everyone to play with him. Often, the soldiers met after the training and played the same game over more evenings. When Quintus was concentrated, he used to squeeze a lot. He planned ahead and he knew some sneaky tricks to win. His strategy was impressive. His wins were respectless. Every time he won, he celebrated his victory by humiliating other players. There were minor, diminutive remarks with the special, unmissable undertone that exhibited the sarcastic, degrading, incalculable background of Quintus's thoughts. Still, Quintus was a nice, reliable soldier, so legionnaires overlooked the irony of his free time. There were many evenings that could be spent in a more boring way. Every kind of entertainment was welcomed to take the minds off things which created the daily routine of a soldier's life. What else were they suppose to do during long, underemployed evenings, while their wives, children, other family members and houses were far, far away from the camp?

Once, Quintus wanted to play with Marcus Lucius. Already for a longer while, Quintus tried to get Marcus Lucius involved in the game. There were uncountable times of attempts to convince him to take part in a puzzle game. Marcus Lucius often stood and watched how the other played, but he avoided being an active player. Marcus Lucius observed how Quintus won the new Battle of Campania, a slave revolt led by Spartacus, where the Roman army was defeated originally, but with skills and intellect of Quintus, it wasn't confirmed. With minimalistic moves, with complex strategic moves, Quintus needed almost two weeks to win the hypothetical battle. Quintus was tired, but extremely happy and typically for him – unpleasant. Marcus Lucius didn't comment it, he simply stood behind Antonius and his head showed refusal even without any, even dainty movement. His look was straight, unsatisfied, dissenting. His face was cold, emotionless. Just his eyes betrayed the disagreement. Quintus used the moment and suggested Marcus Lucius to play another game. After a few seconds without any reaction of Marcus Lucius and raising tension of Quintus, the situation eased. Marcus Lucius agreed and one of the most famous duels begun.

Quintus took over the whole preparation. The line-up was set. The Battle of Aquilonia should be imitated. It was fought between the Roman Republic and the Samnites in 293 BC, near the current city of Aquilonia in Campania (southern Italy). The Romans, led by the Consuls Lucius Papirius Cursor and Spurius Carvilius Maximus, were victorious.

Usually, just a few legionnaires watched the course of the game, because Quintus used to be the ultimate winner. With the time, it became predictable and therefore, boring. Quintus won over everyone from his legion except Marcus Lucius. Antonius and Furius tried their luck five times and weren't motivated to play and to lose again. Postumus, Servius and Vibius tried to win regularly, but they didn't manage to succeed. The other legionnaires gave up after they had lost once. Marcus Lucius was the only one, who had never played the game. He was the youngest in the legion and he was able to fight very well. During the training, he won almost every duel often by using the power of his enemy. It was a pleasure to watch his movements. He was known as the worthy, adequate son of Maximus. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius got used to the heritage connected to his father's name. On that one day, his strategical skills were requested. Everyone was excited to see who might win.

When the game started, Marcus Lucius and Quintus sat opposite each other. Quintus squinted his eyes and observed the rival attentively. Marcus Lucius looked relaxed. Around them, almost twenty legionnaires gathered and watched the two soldiers playing. The game started very slowly. At first, both of them starred at the drawn map of the empire. It was known that the Samnite line held its own for a long while during the battle. The situation changed, when a cloud of dust caused by Papirius's auxilia cavalry frightened the Samnites.

Marcus Lucius was in the less comfortable position and had to lead the Samnite line. Quintus wondered aloud how Marcus Lucius would like to be in charge of the losers, he laughed and repeated the same phrases. Marcus Lucius didn't react and stayed focussed on the game. With every further evening, more and more soldiers gathered around them and watched how concentrated he was. He didn't act rapidly. He thought over in calmness and ignored the more or less indirect hints of the spectators. Quintus used the mood of the mass of legionnaires around them and fed the crowd with his ironic remarks. Normally, such intimidating tactic worked successfully, but Marcus Lucius ignored the words, the laugher and loudness around him. Even if he understood the sentences spoken aloud, he didn't value them as important, so he simply blanked them out. The more chaotically the surrounding was, the calmer Marcus Lucius got and the more nervous Quintus became. It took almost three weeks with pauses for trainings, patrolling and eating breaks, before the winner was determined. Surprisingly, Marcus Lucius won within a hair's breadth. The more Quintus saw his limited, hopeless range of further moves, the more desperate he looked. His heartbeat rushed crazily, heavily, unexpectedly. His eyes were small like two crevices between two pages of a book. His pupils moved hastily. Marcus Lucius wasn't able to describe Quintus's reaction in any scientific way. If he could, he would confirm that Quintus's onset of a stress response was associated with specific physiological actions in the sympathetic nervous system, including the directly and indirectly release of adrenaline and extended noradrenaline. These hormones facilitated immediate physical reactions by triggering increases in heart rate and breathing, as well as constricting blood vessels. What Marcus Lucius was able to describe was the strong feeling that Quintus wished strongly to escape or disappear intuitively, spontaneously.

If Quintus's look could be compared to anything in the moment he lost the game, then it could only be compared to Medusa's power. Gazing directly upon him would turn onlookers to stone. His eyes were focussed on Marcus Lucius in a way that would force everybody to think about taking a strategic, self-protective position. Marcus Lucius didn't move, however followed cautiously every tiny movement of Quintus. Every blink of an eye, every breath coming from his lungs, every movement of his pupil was perceived by a silent, emotionless Marcus Lucius. The winner didn't look condescendingly, disdainfully. On the contrary, Marcus Lucius was kind of calm and noble in his silent victory. He didn't look surprised or happy. He simply stood up and thanked for the good, fair game in the same way, he used to show his thankfulness after every training in a sign of respect and appreciation for others.

-You were simply lucky bastard. - Quintus said teeth-gnashingly like an angry child.

Marcus Lucius didn't react. Instead, he wanted to leave the place, he noticed the masses of soldiers around. He had the impression that the whole camp was present at that time and that everyone was watching not only how the match ended, but also how the winner may react. Some talked or whispered conspirationally with each other. Marcus Lucius captured many different looks and one thought build up in his head: nothing would be the same as before the game. This impression was confirmed soon. Suddenly, he was taken to another group of legionnaires. Suddenly, some persons in the leading positions started inviting him to events after trainings, after patrolling. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't clever to refuse such invitations, but it wasn't his intended way to climb up in the camp structure. His father said once that the higher you get, the more painful and surprising the fall could be. Marcus Lucius wasn't interested in falling down or making a career, even if his mother kept pushing him into this direction. Nothing could make Marcus Lucius change his attitude. He wished for a simple family and straight trainings. He wished for a normal, average life. The claim was not accepted.

After he went to some strictly chosen events, he got a nomination to be a candidate as a tribune. He wasn't happy about it. Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. It scared him a bit. He didn't intend to support his candidature and he stepped back as far as he could. The claim was not accepted. He became tribune, the youngest tribune in the history, and it happened against his will. As a respectful and dutiful person, he took it calmly and quietly. He ignored his mother's explosion of happiness and pride. Tribunes had the specific power to intervene legally on behalf of plebeians. They special strength however was only in effect within the city of Rome and not within regional governments. It was the only positive point of the new position. Therefore, he wanted to go leave Rome and stay in Ostia.

The city of Ostia wasn't the worst choice, but it was unwillingly too near to Rome and too dependent from Rome. It grew on the site of a Roman camp, which had been situated at the exact spot where the river Tiber flowed into the sea. The soldiers in the camp were placed there to protect the coastline from enemy attacks. With the increase in traffic and commerce, and merchants coming with boats full of products to be sold in Rome, Ostia became the primary point for the sorting of goods before they headed to the most important city of the empire. It became necessary to extend or even build a new port in Ostia, protected by more soldiers. Marcus Lucius didn't like the chaos and rush hours crowded with legionnaires, travellers, sales people and craftsmen. The city was extremely lively, full of multi-lingual traffic, multi-religious temples and daily business deals.

As he got the proposal to go to Thracia, established in AD 46, when the former Roman client state of Thrace was annexed by order of Emperor Claudius, Marcus Lucius agreed sooner than publicly expected to go there. He was satisfied for the very first time in his adulthood. He liked the Greek city-states on the coast of the Black Sea under Roman control. At his time, Thracia was an imperial province, initially headed by a procurator, and by a legatus Augusti pro praetore. Marcus Lucius was supposed to take over the position, but he wasn't completely convinced that the full range of Roman supervision was needed. He supported the internal structure of the old Thracian kingdom retained and only partially controlled by Romans. He was happy there and wanted Decima to move to the region. She wasn't prepared to do it. She was a girl from the biggest, most influential, crucial city and she acted like a villager held to his piece of ground for decades. Every time, he visited her, which was rare, because the travel took a month and was not only exerting, but also expensive, he hoped to be able to convince Decima to go with him to Thracia. The location was impressive, warm, and friendly. The Black Sea with its active, dynamic brackish, nutrient-rich marine ecosystem, was often just called "the Sea" or the "Hospitable sea", Euxeinos Pontos, replacing an earlier "Inhospitable Sea", Pontos Axeinos. It was difficult to navigate there because the shores were inhabited by savage tribes. Still, the winters were full of strong winds and the summers included a warm, shallow mixed layer. The climate was similar to the well-known Roman air, but with more freshness and fluency fulfilling the lungs with every breath. Even these similarities weren't able to convince Decima to move even one millimetre from the already known piece of ground. She was glued to Rome and it was impossible to fight against the virtual chains holding her as a slave of the city. Marcus Lucius didn't feel good, even if his mission in Thracia was successful and brought him peace of heart and a calm, restful sleep.

He remembered the very first time he saw Decima. It was four years ago, the last time he got free time in Ostia and wanted to visit his mother to share the news about moving miles away from the known surrounding and extended obligations. As he walked through the tireless, vivid city, he met Decima for the first time. She stood on a market with two female friends, looking for things from her shopping list. She didn't look like noble ladies and she wasn't a slave. Her free nature and individual joy were fascinating. Actually, she could have sent some of her slaves to fulfil the task, but she apparently preferred doing it herself. Later, he got to know she was the daughter of a Roman citizen, who had lost everything in risky games. He was so indebted that he had to sell his slaves, valuables and anything possible to dispose of. He had three daughters and both of Decima's older sisters were already married to simple men: one worked as sculptures and the other was carpenter. Decima used to live with her oldest sister and helped as much as possible.

Marcus Lucius's mother was strictly against the relationship which was just another reason for him to accomplish the mission. Marcus Lucius wanted to marry Decima from the very first moment he saw her. She wasn't the first girl he saw, he used to be a womaniser for a while, but he gave up senseless, empty evenings with women and started thinking about a longterm relationship. His mother introduced him already many appropriate girls, but none of them caused such an impression on Marcus Lucius. Decima's smile was the first smile that made him feel better. This kind of feeling was new to him, so he followed Decima up to her sister's house. She ignored him at first, then, she looked back and smiled. She didn't say a word. When he asked for her name, she smiled, but kept silent. Within two days, he asked her to marry him, even though he didn't know her at all. She laughed about it, because it sounded like a joke. He was serious and as she got it, she nodded. He kissed her and accompanied her to her father's door. With Marcus Lucius's money, the entire debt was paid off. Decima moved to the villa of Marcus Lucius's mother and Marcus Lucius went to Thracia. He didn't notice the tension between his mother and Decima. He was surprised when he visited Rome after getting permission to visit his family. He used the time to marry the girl he was in love with and to kiss her even more than once. She was happy, trustworthy, unburdened when she made her fare-wells. He was lucky and unworried as he kissed her goodbye.

Even marrying her didn't influence him to go back to the most powerful city. Even marrying him didn't influence Decima to move on to Thracia. Within the years, almost nothing happened. Marcus Lucius visited his wife once a year and spent few happy, relaxed days by her side. She welcomed him friendly, open, wistful. He adored her and complemented her in every sentence. Still, he was relieved when he could go back to his friends in the army camp. Even in the minimal time frame of freedom, he trained his body daily and ignored the events his mother organised in his honour. On his way back to the camp, he analysed how to solve the situation. Someone had to edge down. He wasn't ready to go back to Rome, she wasn't willing to move so far, far away from her beloved, domestic city. After a few years of serving the empire in Thracia, he politely asked, whether it was possible to be resettled closer to Rome, but still not too close. As he got permission to serve in Brigetio, he was satisfied for the second time. It was only two weeks away from Rome.

The military camp Brigetio was a Roman military camp supervising a part of the Pannonian limes, which was a large section of the Roman Empire's border. Brigetio was in the area of the northern Hungarian town of Komárom. First, a cohort fort was founded and extended to a military camp towards the end of the 1st Century AD. For strategic reasons, Emperor Claudius had chosen the location due to the crucial proximity to the mouth of Vah and the river Danube. The Vah was the largest tributary of the border section of the North Pannonian area. In the further eastern side of Komarno, the land raised to finally stand up as Gerecse Mountains. Brigetio also was an important road junction laying proudly, calmly on a major military and trade route that wriggled along the Danube and included Carnuntum and Aquincum, just two days away from each other if you were a messenger and four to five days if you were a merchant delivering goods.

In the North part of the horizon of the military camp, the navigable rivers Vah and Nitra flowed from the northern Carpathians. It was more spectacular in contrast to the older cohort fort, and not built right on the banks of the Danube, probably due to the risk of extended river runoffs. However, the river port had been built to use the water as a means of transport. The Roman Danube fleet had a larger, important base in Brigetio. Compared to Ostia, the port was calmer and less chaotic. Marcus Lucius loved visiting it.

Brigetio welcomed its guests with large, proud square gate towers as Porta Praetoria and Porta Decumana, as well as four corner towers at the massive, defensive walls. Then, you could see a rectangular floor plan with rounded corners in the form of playing cards and enclosing walls. In the centre, wooden barracks for four legions and two auxiliary cohorts were exposed, then, Praetorium, the residence of the Commander, and workshop stations, were settled. Not all legions were permanently stationed here. Some came here just for the hallmarks of bricks since the reign of Claudius. However, everybody knew that Britannica milliaria equitata, the first partly mounted double cohort of Britons Roman citizenship with power of 1,000 men, was located there. Originally, the cohort excavated in Britain, but since 89AD, it was assigned to Brigetio. Maybe therefore, Marcus Lucius felt so well there. The British influence reminded him about his stay in Britannia.

Marcus Lucius remembered the sanctuary, where two life-size seated statues of Jupiter and Minerva observed silently, motionlessly the guests of the camp and a soldier's life. He used to go to the temple regularly. Not, because he was a very religious man, but to get a bit of silence. He became popular there, his merits from Thracia were widely and publicly known, even if he never spoke about it before and even though if his comments were limited to concrete, short answers. Legionnaires liked his easy, straight way of being. Marcus Lucius didn't use his position to show off and he stayed focussed on his trainings and meetings with soldiers no matter which rank they had.

He used to spend his evenings with his friends. Happiness fulfilled him when he saw Quintus, the old friend from Ostia, and some other known legionnaires. Quintus often visited Brigetio as a message deliverer from Aquincum. From 40 AD, the area was brought completely under Roman control. A military camp like I. Tungrorum Frontonania and the province of Pannonia were built up quite fast. Near the camp, significant civil settlements were created over time. Marcus Lucius had chosen a piece of land free to build a villa and shape a garden with many green herbs and trees. Quintus gladly advised where the best places was for starting a happy, shiny family life.

Before Marcus Lucius came to Brigetio, men used to play the game with Quintus that Marcus Lucius observed so often in Ostia. Quintus was still a good player and won many times. He only lost a few battles, mostly against the higher ranks, which wasn't a shame. Maybe he even let the other win, because defeating your boss mostly doesn't look good. When Marcus Lucius appeared, the game nights were cancelled unexpectedly. Professionally and continuously, Quintus didn't talk about it. Instead, he perfectly directed discussions to funnily enough topics related to Thracia. He made impression of being totally interested in what happened there and how Marcus Lucius became such a prominent, influential figure. Marcus Lucius tried to change the subject, because he didn't feel comfortable being everybody's darling.

When he came to Brigetio, he was meant to be the representative of Titus, the military Praefectus castrorum, camp commandant, responsible for the general order. As Marcus Lucius found out quickly, Titus was a good friend of Appius, the best friend of Maximus. Marcus Lucius wondered how Appius came from Britannia to Aquincum. Even, if Appius still didn't manage to be tribune with his almost 50 years, he was respected and taken seriously at least in the same way as Titus. Even if Appius theoretically held the same rank as Marcus Lucius, even if there were almost 20 years difference between them, but Marcus Lucius felt obligated to honour him properly. It wasn't easy to keep the rules of being of the same value and level. It was strange for Marcus Lucius and Appius seemed to look at it more relaxed. Maybe it was due to his age. Maybe it was due to his personal attitude.

Titus and Appius met each other regularly, mostly two, three times a month, alternating in Brigetio and in Aquincum, and such events were celebrated generally. Marcus Lucius saw Appius, the tall, slender and trained man, in Ostia a few times. When Marcus Lucius was in Thracia, they lost contact, and he was somewhat positively surprised by learning that Appius was stationed near to Brigetio. It was good to see him every now and then. It reminded Marcus Lucius of Maximus and the trainings in Britannia. He heard voices from that time telling him to be focussed on the basic rules, on the fundamental truths, simple, but effective moves.

Marcus Lucius noticed how he was pushed into the army hierarchy against his will, but he really needed to move towards Rome. He was motivated by Decima's promise to settle down near to the camp. He was overjoyed and dreamt about having a family with children and dogs in the backyard of the villa he wanted to buy. He already found a piece of land that suited perfectly to his plans.

Shortly before the dream became reality, something horrible happened. Almost nobody knew what really happened, but there were many theories. All of them were wrong. Few said that Marcus Lucius simply deserted. Almost nobody was convinced about it. Marcus Lucius wasn't the type of soldier who would simply give up everything spontaneously, one day, without any reason. Some said that Marcus Lucius went back to Thracia. Neither Titus nor Appius confirmed it. On the opposite, they denied it rigorously. Some said that Marcus Lucius was murdered and met his father in the afterlife. It seemed very probable, but nobody had any idea how it could have happened. Marcus Lucius was well trained, he was quick, he was talented. He had to be killed, but by whom? His soldiers missed him. They kept silent and waited for any sign that could give some certainty – no matter whether it was about a death or the survival.

The meeting of Appius and Titus just a few days after the incident with Marcus Lucius, was ill-fated. Appius swallowed strongly, strenuously, silently. Titus tried to analyse every possibility in a conspiratorial whisper. They both sat close to a table with delicious food, but nobody ate anything. Titus, a man round like a globe, neither tall, nor short, with red cheeks and motile, nasty eyes, seemed to be confused, even crushed. He was known as an unforgiving, but upright commanding officer, who took care of his men. The desertion of Marcus Lucius was a rare case of insubordination, given it was indeed an act of desertion. If something else had happened, Titus wanted to know what was going on in the darkest corners of his camp. He was twisted, annoyed and could hardly handle the situation. Due to the lack of information, he wasn't able to check what he was missing and what was going on. Titus sat wriggling and Appius concentrated on his trembling body. It made him nervous seeing a friend in such a mood. It was disturbing and for some reasons, Appius wasn't able to speak about the support he gave Marcus Lucius. Maybe, he wanted to protect Titus from being a part of a risky plan. It was already dangerous to think about creating such a plan and it was extremely, immensely bad to be involved in it.

Appius analysed the crucial scene, which totally changed his life. It all started with the announcement that the rather less popular and recognized Maxentius Claudius from the Claudii family was supposed to visit Aquincum with his new wife, Julia Fabia, the lesser known daughter of Julius of the Fabii family. It was remarkable that Maxentius managed to step into a family that held considerable power, perhaps almost total power, for much of the early Republic until the defeat at Veii. Even after that time, with their family so depleted, the only survivors carried awesome auctoritas only due to their illustrious name. Maxentius wasn't the brave or paradigmatic person you wish to use to upgrade your social position. On the opposite, Maxentius didn't manage to prove his military skills in the army structure and he wasn't from a well-known, respected family. There had to be a crucial, hidden reason why these two got married.

Appius tried to get to the bottom of this issue when Maxentius visited him few days ago. He wasn't successful. Apparently, Maxentius's wish or goal was to present his beautiful, young wife, Julia to everyone, just to emphasise his new position. On the way to Britannia, Maxentius visited his old friends and expected a privileged acceptance from the local hosts. He already upgraded his backs by marrying up and extended his already quite developed attitude towards others.

It wasn't pleasant and easy to control yourself and keep smiling politely. Being politically correct wasn't the strength of Appius and everyone knew it. For his impulsive, direct way, he used to be overseen by superiors and put into question by colleagues during elections of tribunes or legates. Appius was a perfect teacher and he was respected for his educative contributions. He trained the youth and his straight, sometimes brutal way helped his pupils to find their way in the new, unfamiliar surroundings.

While he was looking at Julia, he saw a girl sweet as sugar, nice as the goddess of flowers and nature, Flora. Her innocent look was broken and her own will was dashed in her eyes. She was sitting as far away from her husband as it was possible without making it look impolite or unwanted. Her fingers trembled nervously and sometimes, her right eyelid shivered irritated. Her smile was neither bright nor minimal, and even if it didn't look like put-on, it was definitely pretended. She was the proud daughter of a noble, respected man and she didn't want to harm her father's position by showing off her unhappiness. Appius thought it was allowed to debate, disagree and negotiate with women – respectfully. Even if he didn't have many relationships with females, he treated them as ordinary persons. If he had a wife or daughters, he would have wished them to be more than usually expected, which was: simply being nice, conflict avoiding, not upsetting others and not challenging the status quo. He was one of the few representatives of such attitude.

Maybe therefore, Marcus Lucius loved Decima. She didn't possess extended knowledge of geometry, literature, and philosophy like the noble Roman ladies, who Marcus Lucius normally met. Still, Decima was forthright, square. As she didn't want to move from Rome, she said it directly. She mostly didn't argue at all, but it was important to her to stay in the well-known surrounding. For the very first time, she expressed her contrary point of view. She didn't intend to oppose as a matter of principle, but she spoke from conviction. She was at least true and straightforward in a short way of saying more than simple "No", instead exerted to "I don't like it." He respected it. He accepted it. He left her the freedom of choice.

While he stared at Julia sitting on the floor of the trembling wagon, he started losing his consciousness. The surrounding became blurry, shifted out of focus. Instead of a sad, but still friendly face of Julia, he saw a skin coloured taint with dark strains of hair around it, with light blue speck instead of an average stola, a long, pleated dress, worn over an undergarment called a tunic. It was the traditional garment of Roman women and corresponded to the male toga or the pallium. Julia wore a version with sleeves and ribbons decorated with dainty ornaments. Marcus Lucius wasn't able to see the tiny little patterns anymore. The patterns made the dress unique and showed the high value of it. Seeing the blurry spots, the dress looked ordinary, like Decima's dress.

He didn't feel the sweat drops on his forehead and his neck. He didn't feel neither warmth nor coldness anymore. Having lost his senses, he wasn't aware how Octavian argued with Julia. It was right after the moment Julia noticed Marcus Lucius's mental absence. She screamed after Octavian, she wanted him to come back into the wagon and "do something" that could help Marcus Lucius to get better. She yelled Octavian's name, because Appius ordered her to communicate just with Octavian or Nerva. Nerva was the messenger, who brought letters from Appius, quoted Appius's utterances and Octavian's statements. Nerva was always on the run, barely to meet. When he caught up with the convoy during the following weeks, the first thing he had to do was take a rest, he never kept the guard in the first night. He was full of sweat drops, but he smiled, somehow friendly. Whenever he saw Julia, he stopped to talk to her and nodded with his head to greet her. He was apparently quite popular, because everyone wanted to talk with him. He had fleeting talks with every soldier on his way. Julia wondered what they were talking about. He was direct and open, the total opposite of Octavian, the leader of the convoy, the one at the side of Julia and Marcus Lucius on the way to Britannia. Octavian was a tall, well-built legionnaire with blond, short hair and no smile on his lips. When he walked into the room, you could feel his cold, impersonal presence. He had deep ice-blue eyes and was of about the age of Marcus Lucius. He used only as many words as needed and didn't make use of empty phrases nor as magic words like "with all due respect" or "thank you". He was in charge of the convoy after the Maxentius's guards were wounded and unable to travel. With an iron hand, he gave orders to stop or to travel on. It was not possible to judge how much he liked the position he got. He talked more with other legionnaires, mostly with soldiers from Appius's team. The new guards of the convoy were a mix of Maxentius's soldiers and legionnaires sent by Appius. Therefore, you could see various groups gathering during the evenings in front of a small fire place, who wished to keep watch together. There were more than twenty legionnaires, but just one of them was the direct contact person for Julia.

Between all legionnaires, Octavian and Nerva were the two most trusted persons of Appius. Some of the other legionnaires were from the unit trained by him, but they weren't involved in the matter and according to the order it should stay this way. The more people were involved, the more probable leaks became. There was no space for misunderstandings and doubts due to the well-informed circle of people involved in the matter. Appius wanted to keep the secret circle closed and therefore, the entire communication should be over predefined persons. Therefore, Julia screamed Octavian's name as she bowed over unconscious the Marcus Lucius.

Hearing her scream, Octavian stepped into the wagon immediately. Julia wondered how he managed to act so fast, but it didn't concern her as much as the unconsciousness of Marcus Lucius. Additionally, the wound on his chest started bleeding and the bandages turned dangerously, suspiciously red. Octavian jumped over to Marcus Lucius. He pushed Julia aside, ripped off the bandages and looked briefly at the wounds. They had already been treated by a medico on the way, so Octavian knew that it was the last moment to use the old, reviewed methods.

Within heartfelt minutes, Octavian arranged the entire convoy to stop. Then, he waited until the camp fire was hot enough to heat an iron spear up until it glowed red. Marcus Lucius stayed in his bed and didn't change his position. Julia stared, opened her mouth shocked to the glowing iron in Octavian's hands. Behind him, two further soldiers followed. She was scared, but stepped into Octavian's way and tried to prevent him from what he apparently intended to do.

-Go away. - He ordered strictly and emotionless and pushed her away again. This time he did it rougher and stronger than before. At the same time, he gestured to the soldiers behind and they came closer.

Julia fell to the side, but stood up. Within seconds, she stood directly in front of him again. Her eyes showed determination to step into Octavian's way as long and as often as necessary to stop him.

-You can't do this! You can't harm him!

-Woman, if I won't do this, his wound won't heal. Go away. - He repeated his command with the same emotionless attitude. However, he didn't scream at her. His voice remained cold and calculated as usual. With another wink of his hand, he ordered one of his soldiers to keep Julia away from him.

Julia tried to stop him, she screamed and moved hastily, but Octavian menaced to throw her out of the wagon, if she wouldn't stay calm. His tensed body language confirmed the serious words coming out of his mouth. Julia wasn't happy about it, but she stayed calm as ordered held back by a tall, calm legionnaire with an unpleasant smell. She watched how Octavian's second supporter pressed Marcus Lucius's body onto the bed with both hands and how Octavian placed the iron on his chest. Marcus Lucius woke up for a moment and yelled in pain. His look was blurry, disorientated, inhuman. Julia suffered with him. She observed that Marcus Lucius was too weak to fight against Octavian and his man. Instead, he let them burn out the wound with the glowing, hot iron piece. Just for looking at the scene, Julia fainted. Her skin was colourless. Her breath was short. Her anger was rising increasingly. She was so furious that she wasn't able to scream anymore.

Julia remembered her dog and the moment, her father killed the animal. It had the same kind of look in the eyes. She was afraid that Marcus Lucius would not survive it. Her anxiety rose exponentially to her anger. Octavian put the iron away and ordered to decrease the pressure on Marcus Lucius's shoulder immediately. The soldier, who held her tight, let her go and left the wagon. The other legionnaire followed. Octavian stood emotionless over Marcus Lucius, who was unconscious again. Julia stepped to him and beat twice on Octavian's chest, but this action could not bring her any advantages. Octavian pushed her away and didn't seem to be hurt or even nerved about the sudden attack.

-Let me know when he gets back to his senses. - He ordered as he left the wagon and came back with a bottle of alcohol. - And use this to wash his wound. - Octavian added hastily.

Julia wanted to kill Octavian with her look, if it was only possible. She caught the thrown bottle and turned her back to the man she hated at the moment. The wagon door was closed quite loudly, quickly, nervously, with one movement. Octavian seemed to be irritated, too. It was the only good thing in Julia's eyes.

Julia stepped forward to Marcus Lucius's body and looked at the burned skin. It smelled awful and she had to fight against vomiting. She opened the bottle with the alcohol and took a swig. Her throat burned and her head pulsated like a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation like the one observed by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish in 1967. However, Julia would describe her pain as regular, not pulsating, rather the standard type like nearly all headaches known to humanity since the human race occurred after the Big Bang. She had typical primary disorders such as tension-type headaches, no migraine. As described in modern medicine books the pain radiated from the lower back of the head, the neck, the eyes, and other muscle groups in the body. The symptoms only visualised her anger, disappointment and lack of hope and forced inhalation of the icky smell. She needed to rest, but there was no time. She knelt down next to Marcus Lucius and gazed at his wound for a while. Finally, she rose up and cautiously, sedulously, tirelessly cleaned millimetre after millimetre of his skin around the chest injury. The room smelled of burned human flesh mixed with alcohol, an awful combination. She inhaled the odour and her headache grew stronger.

Then, she carefully cleaned the wound itself. Her head and the rest of her body felt hot like an exploding volcano, so she wasn't able to estimate how high Marcus Lucius's fever was. She wiped off his sweat drops and then started her cleaning tour again. Somewhere, in the middle of the procedure, she stopped and gazed at Marcus Lucius. His face looked tired, his beard has not been shaven for at least two weeks and his nose moved minimally, what proved that he was still breathing. She was relieved, but still tensed.

After the fourth round of cleaning and one additional longer pause, during which Julia didn't even leave the wagon, the girl noticed that Marcus Lucius moved a bit. His arm changed position and he quietly sighed a few times. When she moved slightly, she felt how Marcus Lucius caught her arm and kept holding strongly, determined. When he opened his eyes and won back the clearness of sight, he eased the grip and finally let her go. However, his eyes were focused on her. He seemed not to know where he was and what he was doing here. Julia could firmly read the question marks in his look.

-We're on the way to Britannia as Appius ordered. Your wound bled heavily. - She started explaining while Marcus Lucius touched his naked breast and wondered about the burned skin without saying something. Apparently, he ignored her words. He didn't even nod pretending to listen. Instead, he simply examined his chest and the burned injury. It took his entire attention.

Julia was ashamed, because she blamed herself for not being able to stop Octavian from burning Marcus Lucius's chest. The way he gazed at the injury made her think that he could be annoyed and think she didn't act properly. It was her duty to protect him, when he wasn't able to do it himself. She had to put more effort into this. She felt completely guilty and stopped talking. Her last words sounded rather rachitic than normal.

Suddenly, he looked at her and his eyes were clear and focussed. He collected his thoughts and memories. He didn't need any additional help from her to know what was going on.

-Tell Octavian it's good. - He whispered with a dry mouth. She gave him water and he swallowed a few times.

-Now? - She wondered, because his request wasn't clear enough.

He minimally shook his head.

-When he comes... - He added and he kept looking at her. - Don't go away now.

She nodded and simply kept sitting next to him. She watched how he became sleepy. His voice sounded nice, pleasant. It wasn't cold as Octavian's. She wanted to hear more, but he didn't share his further thoughts with her. Apparently, all soldiers counted and limited their words automatically as if they were gold coins. Julia wasn't sure what she should think. She wasn't brave enough to step forward and to look at Marcus Lucius's chest from a closer distance. He could wake up any moment. It was too risky. But her curiosity brought her to the limits of her patience. She waited until Marcus Lucius fell deeper asleep and when she was absolutely sure he wasn't able to perceive her at all, she looked at the burned part. It indeed looked better now. However, it was still disgusting, foul. Noisome odour was in the air even through the alcohol smell.

After Marcus Lucius fell asleep, Julia felt sleepy as well. However, she was a dutiful person, so she knocked on the wagon's door and waited for it to stop. As expected, Octavian stepped into the room and shortly analysed the situation.

-He'll get better now. The wound will finally heal. - He judged after a quick look at Marcus Lucius's chest. Then, he covered the injury with a piece of material.

-We should have done it already at the beginning of the journey... - He added, and the stopped talking as if he thought about further things.

Julia wasn't able to read his mind. The soldier was concerned, but it wasn't about the wound as Julia felt. The spoken sentences were directed straight to her. They were supposed to calm her down and give some relief, or even new joy. It didn't work, because Julia was still mad at Octavian. She was still convinced that this burning method was cruel and unnecessary. Additionally, she didn't like to be pushed aside so brutally. First signs of upcoming bruises showed on her body and she was relieved that her dress covered the affected parts of her skin. She ignored the legionnaire as far as it was possible. She wanted him to feel her anger. Octavian noticed it and left the wagon. This time, he tried not to touch her at all. As Julia felt the wiggling again, she knew that they were on the way again. It was a good sign.

The days passed by routinely. Every morning, Julia went out of the wagon and while the legionnaires were still asleep, she went here and there to stretch her legs and arms. It didn't matter whether it rained or not - she enjoyed the moment the same way. As soon as the sun showed itself completely, she looked for hideout in the wagon. Then, Marcus Lucius woke up shortly and said "Good morning" with a dry throat. She gave him water and with time, a piece of bread and things the medico gave to Octavian. The second medico was brought in by Nerva just two days after Octavian had burned the wound. Julia wasn't allowed to be present while the medico checked Marcus Lucius's condition. New glasses with further stinking substances of strange consistency were left with him and some herbal mixtures to drink were prescribed for daily use.

After Marcus Lucius got his medicine, he fell asleep and Julia took care about his hygiene. She washed him and rubbed the new substances into his body. Definitely, he was the cleanest man in the convoy. Octavian and other legionnaires always had signs of being on the road in their faces. Some dust and sweat glued to them. During the three weeks of the journey, they had no possibility to take a bath. They used lakes or rivers on the way, but it was rather a rare occasion. Julia felt dirty, too. She was the only woman in the convoy. It wasn't comfortable to go and completely wash herself, when she knew that her guards would follow her. It was embarrassing, so she rather lived with the dirt than the looks of the men at her naked body.

When she finished the cleaning tour of Marcus Lucius's body, she sat down on the floor and drank a bit of water. Even then, she cautiously observed the beautiful stranger. He slept a lot. His breath was regular, and therefore, his chest kept moving rhythmically. This calmed her down. Sometimes, she went closer and inhaled the scent of his skin. Even the stinking, icky substances didn't completely cover his own scent. Julia liked it and she enjoyed the rare moments, when she collected enough courage to sniff, always anxious that Marcus Lucius could wake up any moment. Maxentius didn't smell good. He stunk like sweat and an undefined icky thing. It wasn't a pleasure to bide long next to him.

Sometimes she could even gather enough courage to stroke Marcus Lucius's neck and a part of his shoulder. She did it briefly, almost non-perceptively. His skin was pleasant, even when rough and full of small scratches. He was well trained and it was impressive. These arms she barely touched, protected her during the ambush. These fingers held the heavy sword partially covered with blood and this hand moved the weapon perfectly, magically, beautifully. She liked him being asleep or unconscious.

The whole daily routine was quite predictable. Julia stayed at Marcus Lucius's side and tried to minimize the time outside the wagon, even though the space there was limited and could make you claustrophobic after over a week spent in there. Still, Julia liked familiar spaces, rooms, surroundings. She used to stay at her father's home for almost whole life. Then, she had to travel with Maxentius and being on the road with him was horrible to her. The wagon was like a trap to her, a cage, a limited space, where she wasn't able to breathe. She hated it. Now, she felt free here. It was the same wagon with the same limited space, but she felt good. She felt safe. She wished to keep this state for eternity. She knew it was impossible, but still, she savoured the nice illusion.

Octavian came into the wagon twice a day: shortly after the legionnaires woke up and again after the stretch of way for the day was finished. He didn't speak, he simply looked around, checked Marcus Lucius's condition and left the wagon. His brief visits marked the beginning and the end of the day. He was on time and reliable like the sunrise or a Swiss watch.

Until noon, Julia washed Marcus Lucius and rubbed the special mixtures in his body. She wasn't able to define the improvements of Marcus Lucius's health condition from day to day, but looking at him every now and then made her assume that he was better with every minute. She was happy about it. It meant she did a good job. Besides, the burned part looked better and better, so it meant that Octavian's action was right, too. She wasn't ready to apologize for all the unspoken insults she addressed at him during the last days.

In the late afternoon, Julia used to have a nap, because she wasn't able to sleep during the nights. She sat on the floor of the wagon, next to the bed, where Marcus Lucius was sleeping, with her head on her knees. From there, she was able to look out through the small window of the wagon and focused on the shadows of the nature outside. While she momentarily nodded off, her head kept falling to her right shoulder. When her legs fell more to the ground and she lost her balance, she woke up.

She didn't drink enough water and almost didn't eat anything at all. She was losing weight, but it didn't catch anyone's attention, because almost nobody saw her. She used to have a normal body, neither slim, nor fat. Now, her arms were more slender and her bones were visible beneath the skin.

When they arrived at Gesoriacum (also Bononia), a Roman port city on the English Channel important for Classis Britannica, where Caligula stayed over, before he travelled to the island, Julia saw a light house built based on directions of Caligula. Julia had already seen some port cities in her life, but she was always impressed by the great architecture and technical progress of the Romans.

When Octavian stepped into the wagon, Julia retreated to the furthest corner as she usually did. He was convinced that she was scared of him and he didn't intend to hurt her at all. He noticed some bruises on her arms that she got after he pushed her away twice, and he was ashamed of it. He didn't apologize, because he simply couldn't find suitable words. However, Julia wasn't scared, but rather ashamed that she wasn't able to say Octavian how sorry she was for her silly resistance.

This time, there was no routine in Octavian's acting. He stayed in the middle of the wagon watching Marcus Lucius sleep.

-We'll go to the ship directly. - He said silently.

-A ship? - She seemed to be worried.

-Yes, it's the fastest way to get to Eboracum. - Octavian confirmed and started at her curiously. He wondered what scared her more: he or the suggested means of transport. - If we would stay here, on the land, we would have to stay in the camp over night. The probability that we could be demasked is higher here. On the ship, you'll get a cabin and have your privacy. Ina few minutes, my men will come here and you'll get a litter carried by local slaves. We'll put Marcus Lucius on it and you'll get the second litter.

Octavian's had a determined look, but not as cold as usually. Julia wondered what happened to him in the last days.

-I don't need a special litter. I'll go next to him.

Octavian wasn't happy about it, but he didn't intend to argue with her. He nodded once and stepped closer to Marcus Lucius. Within seconds, he woke the wounded man up and described the situation to him. Marcus Lucius showed his understanding of the plan.

-Are you doing better? - Octavian asked quietly, almost too quiet for Julia to hear.

Marcus Lucius nodded slightly. There was a special code between the two of them. Maybe it was due to the fact that they both learned under the command of Appius. Maybe it was just a sign of their special predisposition to understand each other.

Julia stood just a few steps away and didn't understand the communication between them. She waited for the litter and then, as it was brought, she observed how Octavian helped to lift Marcus Lucius and shift him on the litter. Then he came to Julia and took her widest ribbon away. She wondered whether she should start struggling or let Octavian do what he wanted to do. As he went away with the ribbon, she was confused. She wanted an explanation, and got it in form of his action. Octavian put the ribbon on Marcus Lucius's head and covered his face with it. The material was transparent enough to let him breath, but it didn't allow strangers and uninitiated people recognise the face. Even though the litter had a kind of baldachin protecting Marcus Lucius from the unknown witnesses, Octavian wanted to double the protection. It wasn't just about the one wounded man, but about possible collateral damages involving many people, who were important to Octavian.

He, personally, accompanied the litter to the ship and noticed how insecure Julia's steps became the closer she came to the water. It was possible that nobody else noticed her tentativeness, but Octavian saw the girl already a couple of times in different situations and was able to judge whether she felt good or not while doing something. Even if he was just few meters away from her, he was able to feel her tension.

Therefore, he wondered what happened next. As Julia's fragility increased and her legs became shaky just some centimetres in front of the wooden, provisory bridge between the ship and the land, a hand came out of the material curtain of the litter's baldachin. The strong, determined fingers grasped Julia's dainty hand. Marcus Lucius hold her carefully, but decisively. She wasn't able to see his face, she wasn't able to speak with him, but they communicated in the most secret way every human being could use: it was intuition and empathy. Or, you could say it was Marcus Lucius's highly developed, sharp sense of observation.

Julia didn't oppose and she didn't change her mimic. However, Octavian saw a sign of relief in her eyes. She looked anxiously around every now and then, but her step became steadier and less shaky. She held Marcus Lucius's hand as strong as she could. It was hard for her to let lose when Marcus Lucius had to be brought to the cabin and lifted onto the bed there. She was unsteady and waggly again, leaning on the wooden walls of the ship, thinking about every step. The ship wasn't sinking. It almost didn't move, but she acted as if the end of the world would come any moment.

Octavian made sure that Marcus Lucius laid safely in the bed and wasn't recognized by anybody, then he sent away all guards and slaves from the room. They passed Julia on the stairs and greeted her for goodbye. She didn't answer and kept grasping on any kind of stable surface. She trembled and was convinced she would vomit immediately. As the last person passing by, Julia saw Octavian. He didn't pass her, but stretched his hand out to her. It was a peaceful offer, but Julia didn't easily accept it.

-I don't need your help. - She sounded proud.

-You do. Come along. - He answered in his typical cold way.

She refused again. He remembered that he had mostly pushed her away or ignored her, so she had a good reason not to accept his offer, but she was indeed in need. As neither his statement nor a kind of order helped, he added what Marcus Lucius told him in the cabin just a moment ago:

-It's Marcus Lucius's will.

It was like 'open, O sesame', a magical phrase in the story of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" from One Thousand and One Nights. Julia stood frozen for a moment showing disbelief, then, she stretched out the hand and allowed Octavian to help her. His hand was rough as Marcus Lucius's. Surprisingly enough for Julia, Octavian was warm and pleasant to touch. She wondered when the resources of ice melted and changed into a pleasant surface.

Octavian accompanied her to the cabin's door. He was pleased by her touch. Even though she didn't look at him and rather followed the wooden bars, he savoured her closeness. She smelled good, even though she didn't wash herself for days. Her hands were dainty and he could feel her bones. He wondered whether she was so bony from the moment he met her. She didn't look well, but it could be caused of her anxiety of being on a ship. He couldn't understand it, but he knew even soldiers who were scared in such situations.

Stepping into the cabin, Julia looked for Marcus Lucius. She didn't have to search long. The room was quite small, and didn't have any windows. The bed was on the opposite side. Two lamps were hanging from the walls and the entire surrounding looked impersonal, strange, unfamiliar. It was quite dark here and Julia missed the sun or even a piece of the night heaven. Octavian took away his hand as fast as he could. Then, he closed the door behind him and left Julia alone with Marcus Lucius. She stood awkwardly, insecure next to the door and tried to lean on the nearest wall like a drunkard hugs every lantern on his way home. Her face was white and her hands trembled nervously. She was afraid she could fall any moment. She was definitely scared of water.

Marcus Lucius lay on the bed, but his face wasn't covered by the ribbon anymore. He gazed at her without saying a word. As she fell to the ground, he tried to sit up and even stand up from the bed, but she reacted faster than he thought:

-No, please, don't come here. I'm feeling well. I just can't stand here. - She whispered hastily, short-breathed as if she would have ran for miles.

-Don't stay on the floor like a dog. Come here. - He answered without context. He sighed a bit, but he didn't show how painful the attempt to stand up had been for him. He stretched out his hand to her. There were just a few meters distance between them. Julia didn't react and kept laying there further pillowed by her arms.

-Look me in the eye. - He ordered. - Look me in the eye, girl.

She fought against her will, gazed at the wood over her. Finally, after Marcus Lucius repeated his words for the fourth or fifth time, she followed his order.

-Good. Now, focus.

She thought he had beautiful, brown eyes.

-Focus, focus.

As she nodded, he ordered her to crawl towards him.

-Move slowly, there is no hurry.

She thought his voice was very pleasant and soothing. Not listening to single words, but only to the melody of his sentences, she could stay on the floor for ages. She tried to stay concentrated on such thoughts just to distract her mind from thinking about what could happen to the ship. She was afraid of getting wet or splashed with water unexpectedly. The ship could sink any moment. It already wiggled, wobbled, moved. It didn't feel good. She wondered how others could rely on a piece of wood on a river. She was afraid of sinking with the ship. She used to avoid such activities as boating and swimming. If the ship sank, she would be helpless. She didn't even have basic swimming skills. Her anxiety involved a level of fear that was far beyond her control. It made her totally uncomfortable. It was taking control over her and she wasn't able to fight against it. Therefore, she tried as much as possible to keep focussing on Marcus Lucius's voice.

-Look me in the eye. - He said and gazed at her. She wasn't sure whether she liked it or not. It was so unconventional and constrained.

She started moving in his direction, even if her body felt heavier and heavier with every centimetre. The floor wobbled and moved regularly and she waited for the ship to fall apart or at least to break. Her fingers trembled, her legs were like lead and her head pulsated quickly. She was shaken internally and out of mind.

-Come closer. Come closer. - She heard Marcus Lucius's voice and against the thoughts in her head, she followed it. As she managed to touch the edge of the bed, she was covered in sweat, her eyes weren't focussed anymore. She was buggered; quite ready and simply dead beat. Indeed, her heart beat was dashing, speeding so fast that it would jump out of her chest, if she wouldn't have had rips around it.

Marcus Lucius helped her to come into the bed and as her whole body trembled, he held her strongly by his side. He repeated "Hush, hush" as long as she needed to calm down. He stroke her hair and a part of her shoulder as long as she trembled. As she finally fell asleep after hours, he was totally tired. His movements became automatic, but he didn't stop taking care of her.

He was aware that she was a strange girl, but she was the one who took care of him. Even if he wasn't conscious for the entire time she was by his side, he saw her almost in every conscious moment during the last days. He couldn't sleep when she was washing and cleaning him, because it was a soldier's reflex to be prepared for an attack anytime. However, he pretended to be asleep, because he had no idea what to talk about to her. He couldn't be bothered to talk about his past or motives or life's goals. He ran out of steam about exchanging empty phrases or deeply meaningful sentences. He had too many topics he didn't like to share, so it was easier to pretend being asleep. He kept his eyes closed and he didn't make any polite or impolite grimaces. He simply patiently let her do her job. And she was there. She took care of him. Already for that reason, he had to protect and help her. However, he would help every person in need, because he was the kind of person acting that way. His mother didn't like this behaviour, because it wasn't "clever enough" as she often described it. She used to say with disgust that "you inherited it from your father". In her opinion, help was only justified in case it brought advantages for both sides. Otherwise, it was just welcomed, when you were the party receiving it.

Marcus Lucius was surprised to remember this in the moment when he held a girl in his arms, who was his fake-wife. Apparently, it would be more appropriated to memorize Decima. He didn't have enough energy to do it. Technically, he needed to feel someone by his side. Feeling the warmth of another person's body, the bodily reactions like trembling, breathing, sweating were important to him. It made him feel more alive after having held Decima's corpse in his arms. It was a nice change.

He wasn't able to memorize how it felt to hold Decima in his arms until he had this girl in his bed. Comparing her to Decima brought back good memories, even though he suffered from the thought that he could never touch Decima's body again. She didn't exist anymore. She was dead and gone.

Julia was smaller than Decima, she smelled differently, but still nice. She made an innocent impression. Possibly she didn't even realize how innocent she appeared. Her eyes, when they were focussed, looked tensed, but interesting. She used to bite her upper lip when she tried to gather her thoughts. Decima used to gesticulate a lot in such moments. She lost the balanced expression in her face, when she didn't like something. You could read her like an open book. Julia, on the opposite, was mysterious. She often quoted Homer's writings, she thought a lot, but Marcus Lucius didn't have any clue what was on her mind. Julia's movements were careful and gentle. The whole washing procedure was more a kind of massage, because Julia manipulated more or less consciously the superficial and deeper layers of his muscles, and it helped the healing process, promoted his relaxation and supported his well-being. He owed her at least the one night, when they switched roles.

Her fingers trembled erratically. Her body was continuously tense and not easy to relax. She sweated a lot and as Marcus Lucius tried to wash her forehead with his hand. It wasn't easy, because he couldn't move properly. As he moved her hair from her lids and forehead, he was astonished how sweet she looked, even in these circumstances. He liked her silent way of being. Decima was similar. Usually, he met women who talked like waterfalls. He stood close to them and pretended to listen to their words, but he mostly didn't understand the meaning. He didn't make an effort to follow their thoughts. They found him attractive, polite, desirable. He found them boring, the least evil.

The night was surprisingly short. Early in the morning, the ship moved stronger. Julia woke up suddenly. She looked around with fear in her eyes. She sat on the bed and would have jumped out, if Marcus Lucius hadn't hold her hand strongly. Julia fell back down onto the bed. She didn't give up and tried anew, but the second attempt was unsuccessful, too. He was woken up by her first attempt to leave the bed. Actually, already her sudden movement brought him back to reality. She was like a wild animal in panic and he knew that she had to get to know her limits. Before she could try to escape for the third time, Marcus Lucius turned his head towards her and said calmly:

-We're leaving the port. I am not sure how long we'll stay on the water, so calm down.

She was still in panic.

-Look me in the eyes. - He ordered, but his voice included a special warm tone.

She followed his words and gazed at him. The surrounding started to wobble more and more. Her body trembled exponentially to the level of wobbling of the ship. She still kept starring at Marcus Lucius. She was anxious, but she didn't give up.

-Focus, Julia, focus. - He said.

She didn't get that he called her name for the very first time. Until now, he had called her Decima. Julia was sure he mixed up the names without purpose. He was in pain, in fever, he was wounded and therefore confused and excused. However, he noticed the change just in the moment he spoke out her name aloud. His confusion was visible for a very short moment and Julia wondered what had happened. She heard his voice, but she didn't listen to him. With every swing of the ship, she quivered stronger. Slowly, it became hard to breathe. She had the feeling of not having enough air around her. Her breath became shorter. It made her more nervous and shaky.

As Julia got worn down by the water, the wobbling ship, and the whole situation, Marcus Lucius took her into his arms to ease her phobia symptoms and put her head onto his chest. She was flexible like a modelling clay for children. She didn't oppose, and let him do whatever he intended. For her, travelling on water was even harder than having sex with Maxentius. As long as she was able to control her body, as long as she could reign herself, she was able to face every problem, even the most painful and cruel one. From the moment on her phobia took control over her, she became helpless and her mind got shut off. She wasn't able to think or act rationally.

Marcus Lucius's heartbeat was regular, normal. Julia wasn't able to calm down at first, like it is impossible to stop within less than 225 meters from the speed of 200 km/h. As you have to take severable variables into consideration, when calculating the breaking distance on a road, like slope, wear rate and depth of snow or ice, Julia's heartbeat was influenced by many variables as well. She was affected by her phobia as well as by Marcus Lucius's attention. It took longer, until her heartbeat became slower, more regular. Her breath eased down to its ordinary rhythm as well, and her eyes stayed opened for the whole time.

It was strange how gently he forced her to be so close to him. She considered many possibilities why he did that. The most probable was that Marcus Lucius still was convinced she was his dead wife. Julia was briefly told about Decima, not so long ago. It explained why he used to call her Decima while he was with the high fever. At first, nobody knew what had happened to him, but Nerva brought news from Appius. Appius had already sent out his scouts trying to get as much information connected to Marcus Lucius as possible. Appius himself had met Titus twice within the last four weeks to exchange the latest rumours and assumptions about Marcus Lucius. While scouts came back from Rome bringing bad news, Appius was still not clear for which reasons Marcus Lucius returned to his camp. Different stories described Marcus Lucius's role in the occurrences affecting his wife differently.

One story told that he intended to murder his wife because of some marriage differences based on different opinions due to their unequal social background or Decima being unfaithful. Marcus Lucius was definitely a kind of guy who acted passionately when his family was involved. Everybody knew that he had lost self-control after he got the news about his father's death. He immediately wanted to join the army, ignoring his age. If he had heard about Decima being unfaithful or if she had got him angry enough, he was at least theoretically able to kill her in the heat of passion. Appius doubted that Marcus Lucius would be able to act on impulse, but some men were convinced about the truth of this version. In this case, Marcus Lucius's disappearance could be considered as desertion and he would be punished, if he was found alive anywhere, anytime.

The second version that circulated was about Marcus Lucius receiving a secret hint, that his wife was in danger from unknown reasons. In this case, he disappeared to protect his wife. But it still didn't explain why he didn't report anything and why he didn't ask for permission to officially leave the camp. However, it was the most popular version, even if direct talks about Marcus Lucius's case weren't common.

The legionnaires used to spread idle talks and rumours about the personal or private affairs of others, because it was one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts, views and slanders. When they noticed that Marcus Lucius was missing, they limited themselves to spreading the simple fact of him disappearing. They rather didn't analyse causes, reasons, backgrounds. They respected him and even though they wondered, what could have happened, they kept holding their tongues and waited patiently for further news. A simple desertion was excluded. Something had happened. Marcus Lucius wasn't the kind of person who easily quit or burned ran away one day.

When the rumour about his dead wife suddenly evolved, the soldiers started to discuss the possibilities in smaller groups. Appius wondered who started the gossip about Decima's death, it could not have been Nerva. This made Appius aware that there had to be a person in one of the camps, who knew the truth. It could have been a friend or an enemy of Marcus Lucius. As far as Appius knew life already, it was the case of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer.

Appius didn't know Decima at all, but he had heard some stories about her. Marcus Lucius's mother was absolutely disappointed about her son's choice marrying a girl from an unknown, poor family. Still, as far as he knew Marcus Lucius from the times in Britannia and listening to the rumours from Brigetio, the man seemed to be satisfied with his choice, didn't have any regrets, and seemed to long for his wife. Even, if the possibilities of caring were limited in the camps, there were small, almost invisible signs showing the values someone considered to be important. Really religious soldiers found time for their prayers in the calmness of the early morning or late evening. Sex-addicted legionnaires found ways to leave the camps to visit prostitutes or to smuggle in women of doubtful reputation. Any other addiction caught attention and was secretly well known, held in the unofficial light, not challenged until too many doubts regarding certain issues showed, or when a visitation was announced. Even then, some habits were maintained secretly, because they protected the camp life from outburst of chaos. A stable level of rubbish had to be held for any price. Otherwise, an unpredictable course of events had to be taken into consideration.

When Appius saw Julia for the first time, he noticed how distanced she was towards her husband. It saddened him a lot, because he could remember how free and unvexed she used to be as a child. He had visited Julius Fabius before a couple of times in order to discuss issues concerning the training of new recruits. She used to hide herself behind trees in the garden, but followed every step of the visitors with curiosity and she laughed a lot, although not loud. When she was with Maxentius, she her eyes seemed to be dead, dashed, joyless. Her movements remained fluent, but had lost in dynamics. The revival of her energy could be noticed briefly during the ambush when she ran out of the wagon and gazed at her offenders. She seemed to be helpless, but fearless. She spread the feeling of being unimpeachable. If Appius should describe a proud woman, he could simply remember Julia in the moment when everything around her was struggling, and she was the only person, who savoured the grace and integrity.

Still, Appius was already on the way to help her, but Marcus Lucius was even faster. He stopped in front of her and protected her like a wild, brave lion until he fell to the ground. Even in the moment, his head touched the ground, he swung the sword in his hand and the enemies were afraid of him. Julia stood like charmed and watched him. It was indeed a fascinating moment. Appius cherished the beauty of the situation. He could easily understand why Julia stood there like obsessed and waited for Marcus Lucius to move again. When he fought, it was like looking at the wind pushing the clouds in the sky or like waves on the ocean's surface. Observing the nature was obsessive. The spectacle was highly magnificent, simply breath-taking, and madly demoniac.

Appius couldn't act differently than to protect both beings who were simply innocent in the brutal reality. As soon as Appius noticed the deadly wounds on Maxentius' head, he had a spontaneous idea. It was absolutely risky, it was madly ill, but it seemed the only rational, logical alternative in that moment. Appius didn't see any other solution but to order Julia to hide in the wagon and support Marcus Lucius and to pretend he was Maxentius. She was willing to do it. Appius saw her fear related to his decision, but there was even a bigger sorrow mixed with anxiety that made her accept the conditions. Appius felt her objective attitude, but he noticed her relief about the dead of Maxentius. It meant that his premonition was correct.

He didn't have any occasion to ask Julia which sorrows and fears she had. It wouldn't be appropriate, and she wouldn't tell him the truth anyway. She was a girl from a noble house, so she learnt to take life as it was, but she was taught to appear properly in accordance to her ancestry. He was sure that she would have acted the same polite, silent, unspoken way, because it was her nature. She was a tender being, but at the same time, a very strong one. She was able to survive the tragedy with dignity, endearment and secret energy.

Appius sent Nerva with letters to Marcus Lucius and Julia. He didn't sign them in case they got into the hands of enemies. Appius was a straight man, who could understand the character of people he met. People underestimated him, but he was respected as one of the best trainers. All his pupils could go into a battle and win the match. You could presume that Appius would send his pupils even to fulfil the works of Hercules, if needed, and they would succeed. All his pupils wanted to get such an evaluation, because it was the highest recognition without taking later battle credits into account. Appius had a knack for estimating how good someone was as a soldier. He could easily recognize the potential of legionnaires. His forecasts were reliable, required, respected. His training methods were hard, but effective. Appius used to prepare legionnaires for fighting, so he travelled from one camp to another and worked with different groups of soldiers. Within limits he could decide himself how long to stay in one camp. When he finished his task in one camp, he was sent to another one. He was always on tour.

Earlier, he had spent a lot of time accompanied by Marcus Lucius's father. Maximus was one of the best warriors and he was needed in the risk areas. He had his own legionnaires and they were a group, with power of ten dozens of soldiers, but for real just quite excluded approximately twenty individuals compared to the Homeric "long-haired Achaeans". Everywhere a battle was set or highly probable, they were present to take part and to turn the tide of victory to the right side. A random part of the group was healing from earlier battles, a larger part was exercising and continued preparing for the next fight, but a random part died on the way to success. The more fights Maximus had fought, the more credits he got and the less trust he had in people. At the end, he simply relied on his men and Appius. They were doing their work with the same severity, risk potential and improbability like the series of tasks carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised as Hercules. They succeed the same way Hercules did.

They were friends and could talk honestly about everything. Losing Maximus was like losing a part of himself. There was no other person in the world with whom Appius could communicate so straightforward and freely. Appius wasn't able to build such a relationship with anybody else. He lurked and it was a convenient situation for him. Similarly to Maxentius, he used to skulk. It didn't raise any special attention of enemies, or silly jealousy of friendly colleagues. Appius wasn't married with a woman full of ambitions and plans of a great career. It made his life easier. There was no pressure to climb higher and higher, to get new enemies or to increase the anger with more or less known rivals. The higher Maxentius went on the career ladder, the unhappier he got. It only confirmed Appius's statement to conveniently stay in the well-known, recognized and secure position. Appius remembered the last meeting with Maxentius which was too short to speak about everything. If he only had known what was about to happen, he would have tried to prevent it. If it hadn't been impossible, Appius would at least savour the last talk for longer. He wouldn't have addressed such unimportant topics as flavour of degustated wine or recently heard, crude jokes.

When Appius saw Marcus Lucius falling to the ground, he could imagine how similar the fall of Maximus must have been in the Battle of Sarmisegetuza against the Dacians. Marcus Lucius took after his father, as if they were casted from the same mould. Their moves were similarly fluent, their free laugh was recognizable, even their expression of pain was the same. Appius once had the pleasure to accompany his friend after a feverish fight. Maximus was wounded and had to stay away from fights for a half a year. Only then, he was declared as ready to start preparing himself for upcoming battles.

When Appius sent Marcus Lucius and Julia to Britannia, he was afraid secret would be discovered in the port on the coast. It was very probable that some legionnaires knew Marcus Lucius or at least, they could easily remember his father. Maximus had stayed a while in Britannia, where he supported the local troops in the fights against the local opponents.

Appius was stringed along by the situation forcing him to wait for news. He was tensed for days and it distracted him internally from his normal tasks. He was professionally enough to keep up his poker face without showing his doubts to others. While he observed and evaluated the soldiers, he reflected the scenes from the latest past. His impatience was killing him softly. He needed feedback, no matter if it was good or bad news. Octavian and Nerva were reliable men, but even he wasn't able to fasten the communication. There was no world wide web and no internet connection to tweet or to update a facebook status secretly to a circle of chosen people. There was no cell phone which would be used to give the message directly in real time.

With more than a week of delay, Appius was informed that Marcus Lucius and Julia crossed the Channel successfully. The runner arrived absolutely tired, pumped out, panting. Appius took the news with the greatest relief and immediately wrote two letters. Nerva was too exhausted to start the journey back. Appius had to wait a day until Nerva consented to ride back as messenger. It was clearly too short to relax, and even when Appius insisted Nerva to rest a day longer, Nerva wanted to go back to Octavian's troop. He knew how important the news was for both sides. He got another horse, two new legionnaires and his own horse stayed under Appius's watch. Furthermore, he didn't want Octavian to be alone with the new task. They were like brothers and belonged to Appius' personal guard. The idea of having an own team came from Maximus. Appius wasn't able to take over the troop after Maximus's death, so he built up his own division. His body of men was not numerous, but well trained. Now, the majority of them accompanied Marcus Lucius and Julia. This fact calmed down Appius.

In the letter to Marcus Lucius, Appius sent his request about Julia. It was a short message on one site, including the get-well-soon-wishes and an appeal to take care about Julia with emphasis on preserving her integrity. Appius already had a vague idea how to solve the Gordian Knot without cutting it directly. The situation was complicated with too many variables, but Appius hoped that his reputation would help him to be able to talk with the new emperor personally. He could explain the circumstances and take responsibility. No matter, what had caused Marcus Lucius's behaviour and what really had happened to his wife, Appius was ready to give up his own life for him. But before doing something, he had to be sure that Marcus Lucius got well and was able to fight for himself, if necessary. Appius was a man with hopes, but the years of reality taught him enough lessons to keep both feet on the ground of facts and doubts.

When Julia woke up, she laid next to Marcus Lucius. Her head was on his chest and she listened to his regular heart-beat. She got scared by the surprising proximity to a man and she had never expected to feel comfortable waking up this way. Only when she grasped the full situation, she felt all kind of warnings in her head. She tried to move imperceptible, but shifting a millimetre only, she felt how Marcus Lucius held her hand stronger, but still gentle. He was still asleep, and acted on reflexes. He felt visibly comfortable, too. He moved his head towards her, his eyes were closed, his rough skin was kind. Julia felt strangely good, secure and terrified at the same time. In the moment, she got aware, where she was, thinking about the ship and the arm of the Atlantic Ocean separating southern Britannia from northern Germania Inferio, she started trembling nervously, what disturbed Marcus Lucius. He woke up and needed a moment to realise where he was. He didn't let go her hand and he didn't allow her to run away from him. Her head stayed on his chest and he even stroked her hair shortly. It was a nice, friendly gesture to keep her calm, not a romantic approach to seduce her. She wasn't sure what to make of his movement, but it wasn't her biggest sorrow right now. She stayed focussed on his regular heartbeat. It was a good medicine for her panic attack.

When Octavian knocked at the door, coming into the cabin only two seconds later, he didn't show his astonishment about the picture of Marcus Lucius and Julia in one bed. When the girl noticed him, she tried to jump out of the bed. She stood on shaky legs just next to the bed. Marcus Lucius held her hand. He wasn't able to move so far to head her off. He could already sit up, but his wounds didn't allow him to act the way he used to act.

Julia trembled so much due the water phobia that even Octavian was afraid about her health condition. He appeared next to her and helped her to go back to bed. He understood why he saw what he saw while he came into the cabin. As Julia sat next to Marcus Lucius, he whispered to her and she visibly calmed down. Octavian observed them and let them alone. Before he left the cabin, he reported that the whole team had to wait till the evening before leaving the ship. Marcus Lucius nodded. Julia didn't get it. She didn't understand that their travelling time on water got reduced to minimum and that the ship could be left in the evening.

Octavian wrote a short notice for Appius. He waited impatiently with Nerva and they talked without sentences, exchanging just few words. Practically, they didn't need much to communicate perfectly. After agreeing upon the further steps, they kept silent. However, Nerva didn't know why Octavian shook his head every now and then.

-What's on your mind? - Nerva asked.

At first Octavian didn't answer. He looked back at his memories and analysed them for a longer while. They sat in the port of Londonium, staring at the water. They waited for the evening to evacuate Marcus Lucius and Julia.

-She was so scared, so scared... - Octavian repeated a couple of times.

Nerva didn't get what his friend meant until he thought about Julia. Sometimes, the easiest ideas are the most improbable. She was the only female person in this convoy. Her female slaves were killed. An important part of her husband's guard was killed. Nerva didn't have many opportunities to get to know her, but apparently, she became a crucial factor to Octavian, who wasn't married yet. Contrary to Octavian, Nerva felt settled and conditioned. His only variation in style was spending nights and evenings with women of less moral of customs, sometimes with female slaves, when he was a visitor somewhere outside the camps. Nerva had already been married once, but he didn't like his wife. He was drunk when he got married. They divorced on his wish. He argued that she couldn't have children and everybody understood his position. It was his excuse to leave her and he always could play the card of "I was once married, so I don't hurry to be married again". Even in the times as he was bound to his wife, he used to sleep with many different women and avoided going home.

Octavian was another kind of person. He had a stable, traditional idea of a happy, reliable family he could establish one day. His parents were happily in love since Octavian could remember and he wished to have such a relationship one day, too. He was positive about how difficult it could be to realise the goal, but he mostly achieved everything he planned to achieve. When he started his career in the army, he wished to be trained by Appius. Octavian already heard about the man who could estimate your potential just by one view and who could set your direction in the right way.

Octavian was impressed by the charisma of Appius from the very first time they met. Appius was quite disturbed by the death of his best friend. He was taking-the-inward-turn and became more silent than usual. Appius never was a man of many words, but he kept silence for days. He limited himself to one-word-commands and his head movements showed his dislike or his approval during the trainings. He backed down and didn't take any weapons in his hands to show anything. He simply let his trainees do what they used to do.

When Appius saw Octavian, he didn't react or comment anything. He didn't give any feedback for two weeks. Octavian got doubts and wanted an advice, but Appius sent him away for further two weeks. Finally, directly after the training Octavian asked Appius for his opinion and Appius gave him a moment of square attention. His answer was straight and short: "If you were average, you would have been sent back to your camp during the first day." Octavian was stationed in Genua for the first four years. Then, he got the opportunity to get training under Appius in Neapolis and was taken over directly to Appius's troop. It was the most significant moment of Octavian's life.

Just few months later, they were stationed in Castra Vetera to support legionnaires on the borders to Germania. The situation there was tense and Appius was very welcome as a trainer. There were some ambushes and during the fights, some legionnaires were badly wounded, some were killed. Appius decided to go to the fights. Maybe he wanted to follow his best friend, who fell to the ground while supporting the emperor Trajan against the Dacians. Apparently, Appius felt comfortable in between dancing swords, fire balls and metallic sounds of feverish duels. He felt good risking his own life and he brought everyone to the limits of patience. Nobody wished Appius's death, so everyone was sorrowed about his lack of sense of security. One day, his sadness and silence was gone. Nobody knew what had happened, but as Appius came back from a fight, he went through the camp and selected the legionnaires, who had caught his attention during the last days. He ordered them to build up a group and come to his tent the following day at sunrise. From that day on, Appius came back to his training work.

One of the selected men was Nerva. He was a quite choleric, spontaneous soldier with great intuition and movements of a wild animal. His eyes stayed focussed, even if his whole body seemed to suffer under lack of control. Nerva's fingers trembled, he didn't use to stay calm for a moment, he was always in motion, even minimally, but in motion. He was eighteen as Appius discovered him. Octavian was just two years older. The other soldiers from Appius's team were already over twenty five years old and they were all happily married. Without any formal family binding, it wasn't surprising that of all things, Nerva and Octavian became best friends. They were like brothers.

There were only two good things about Nerva's life: serving in the army under the command of Appius and his friendship with Octavian. Everything else was at least of doubtful reputation. He drank a lot, if he was allowed to feel free. He smiled a lot, and sometimes, others didn't get that Nerva wasn't smiling to them, but about them. His sense of irony was highly developed. He was the opposite to Octavian. Octavian could stay without a movement in rain during his watch for hours. He didn't smile often. He looked serious, even grave. He didn't spend nights with women or slaves. He didn't drink a lot. He was strictly disciplined. However, they both were blessed to get the trust of Appius and they were both proud about it in their own way. Noteworthy, they both weren't good planners, they rather limited themselves to fulfilling the orders.

As they sat in the port of Londonium, they knew that Nerva would wait until the entire division had left the ship and moved forward. If everything would go successfully, Nerva could return to Appius with good news. If there had been trouble, like the demasking of Marcus Lucius by legionnaires in Britannia, Nerva would have fought to his last breath to protect Appius's plan.

-So, she was scared. Of what? - Nerva asked still gazing at the water.

Octavian moved a little, maybe even trembled nervously.

-She's afraid of water. He helped her to calm down. He knew how to handle her. Why did he know it? He didn't spend more time with her than I did.

Octavian was bothered by a quite unusual problem. Nerva laughed and commented with "Oh, women", then he slapped his friend on the back.

-It's not about women, but about one woman. - Octavian was nerved. - If you could only see how scared she was. It was fascinating and I wanted to help her. She wouldn't allow me to help her in any way. She hates me.

Octavian was deeply sorrowed, confused and uncertain. Nerva understood this and wasn't sure what to advice. He spent a lot of time with women, but he didn't analyse them. He was just interested in their bodies as long as he was in the mood for sex. Going through such a topic wasn't easy to Nerva. It exceeded his knowledge and handling of women.

-Why do you think she hates you?

He had seen Julia just a couple of times and only short. She was small, dainty, definitely not willing to open her tights to anyone. She looked rather like a beaten animal than a proud Roman lady. There was nothing interesting about her. Octavian's opinion was different, because he said:

-Every time I came into the wagon to check the condition of the wounded man, she stepped back. When I ordered to burn the wound, she yelled at me. She even tried to beat me with her fly weight. She wasn't scared of me. She was furious and mad. Then, she told me she hated me. Since then, she doesn't even look at me.

Nerva tried to imagine Julia boxing at Octavian. It had to look funny. Apparently, she tried to protect Marcus Lucius, who was called mostly "the wounded man". If possible, neither Nerva nor Octavian used his real name. The human curiosity of a man with ears wide open for any kind of news could bring more danger than advantages. Nobody needed rumours or even suspicions.

-She shouldn't look at you. - Nerva started maybe one of the longest utterances ever. - She has to play her role and pretend to be married. A married woman shouldn't look at you the way you wish her to do it. You're not like me. You won't stand it. You care too much about her. It scares me.

Nerva was really worried. He has never seen his friend having such a deep affection towards any female being. Julia was maybe a pretty, lovely girl, but she was out of range for them both. She belonged to a socially recognized family. She was married to a man, who was nominated as the new tribune for Britannia. Octavian and Nerva were just simple soldiers without titles. Even their years of experience weren't able to compensate the lack of social level.

-She's married. She's out of your league. - Nerva added again.

Octavian wasn't happy to hear it. As a man of logic and discipline, he hated the rules he had to follow.

-She lost her husband. When the whole story will to light, she won't be married. She will be free.

-When the whole story will come to light, we all can be dead men. - Nerva replied, not even sadly, rather freely. - If we'll survive by any miracle, she will remarry someone from her social background. And, as you said, she hates you. Do what you have to do, but don't get involved emotionally. Women are not worth it.

Octavian nodded sadly, with disappointment. Finally, he heard what he needed to hear: a voice of sanity.

On the journey back to Aquincum, Nerva thought about sharing his worries with Appius. It wasn't normal that Octavian was analysing his state of being single and it was a sign of him falling in love. It was a warning to Nerva. It was ridiculous. It was dangerous. It had to be discussed with Appius. In a clearly murky, gloomy situation, there was no place for further unknown or variables. Apparently, Appius had the same opinion, but he balanced between possibilities. Taking Octavian off the task could harm the dainty micro system that had been developed in the last days. Octavian had the best view at the local part of the entire situation. Appius was sure that Octavian wouldn't purposely harm the mission in any way. Therefore, he decided to keep Octavian in Britannia for some more days. Then, Nerva should take his place. Nerva was reliable, too, but there was no risk of him falling in love to any woman. Additionally, Nerva was on the way for so many weeks and he had to rest. He wouldn't dare to think about having a longer pause, so Appius had to arrange it for him.

Taking into consideration the mixed feelings of Octavian, knowing that Marcus Lucius simply calmed down the girl, and planning that Nerva could replace Octavian on site, Appius wrote some unusual sentences in the letter to Marcus Lucius. Marcus Lucius had to pretend being Maxentius, but he shouldn't get involved or show his involvement for Julia to anyone. Octavian shouldn't get affected by the situation too much, otherwise his emotions could influence the plan unwillingly. Above all, Julia was supposed to keep her integrity.

Marcus Lucius read the message after two weeks, because that was how long it took Nerva to reach the convoy on its way to Eboracum. Nerva was tired and needed a rest. As long as his distances were limited to a three-days'-rides, everything was fine. With the increasing distance, it was harder to stay trim and fit without having any pause. The convoy moved forward at a constant, normal speed. Nerva tried to deliver messages as fast as it was possible. His horses were extraordinary tired and he had to rest as well. Appius ordered two more soldiers to accompany Nerva on his way and to slow him down.

Octavian wasn't sure how to make sure that his friend would catch a longer rest during the journey, so he appreciated Appius indirect way to influence Nerva's stops. It was shortly after morning's habits were finished. The convoy just started to move forward when Nerva appeared with two legionnaires by his site. Octavian stopped the journey for a short break. He went to Marcus Lucius, who was already conscious and whose wounds were healing better with every day.

-Nerva's back. - Octavian reported shortly. He was out of breath from joy and his wrinkles showed his sorrows about his best friend.

Marcus Lucius understood the problem without any further explanation. Julia was sitting in her corner of the wagon and watched the conversation between the soldiers.

-Im feeling good enough to leave the bed. - Marcus Lucius suggested. From the time they left Londonium, he got better with every day. He wasn't able to pretend to be unconscious anymore. Julia was happy for him, and she stepped back more and more. He wanted to leave the wagon and breathe the real, wet, foggy air of Britannia. After weeks spent in limited space, he needed the feeling of freedom.

-You won't get a horse, you're too weak for that. - Octavian replied and wondered about Marcus Lucius's willingness to help a simple soldier. He was aware that Marcus Lucius was a tribune and could have been accustomed to giving orders without hearing any kind of veto.

-Then, I will sit here. Your messenger should rest in my bed. The escort should rest in another wagon.

The other wagon, which Marcus Lucius referred to, was originally used for Julia's slaves and it wasn't comfortable. It had two double-pallets, but there was not enough space for adult men to rest comfortably. The wagon with Maxentius's slaves burnt down during the ambush and the slaves didn't survive. The soldiers wondered how calm Julia was about this fact. She was able to get along alone. Maybe it was a matter of shock or simply the fact that she was not a spoiled woman. The soldiers had expected Julia to complicate the journey by fastidious expressions of a cheeky little miss. She was everything but a naughty little chit.

In the meanwhile, Octavian analysed Marcus Lucius's suggestion. It was very generous. Finally, Octavian accepted and left the room. Julia didn't react. She wasn't asked for a permission or approval. She was completely ignored, so she isolated herself from the living surrounding.

-The man is exhausted. He needs to rest. - She heard Marcus Lucius speaking.

Julia didn't react, because she thought he was rather talking to himself than to her. After they left the ship, they didn't exchange any word. She was too ashamed of her phobia taking control over her rational way of thinking. Even, if she was thankful to him for calming her down, her sense of shame overwhelmed her, expanded and didn't allow her to speak to him in the last days.

-I'll sit down next to you, if it doesn't bother you. - He said to her.

She was too much occupied with her thoughts that didn't listen to him, so she didn't react, again. He noticed her lack of attention. He left the bed cautiously, repeated his last sentence and moved his hand in front of her eyes. Only then, she looked up to him. He bowed over her which was visibly painful to him. The red tunica he got from Octavian, covered Marcus Lucius's breast and legs up to his knees. His arms were naked and revealed that he was a strong man. She had already seen him almost completely naked and she knew that his body was good-looking. She was surprised that she wished to see him without clothes again. Her desire was unexpected and unexplained. Her sudden sexual allusions scared her and her cheeks turned red. She tied to look somewhere else to focus her attention on anything else than the vision of Marcus Lucius's naked upper body. Even while she moved her head in another direction, she noticed that he should protect his chest and belly better. When she glanced at him casually, she trembled shortly from excitement every now and then. He assumed it wasn't a sign of fear. She was simply startled and baffled. The weather here was colder and wetter than in other parts of the Roman empire, where they came from. She wasn't visibly prepared for it with her summer clothes from the Southern parts of the empire. It wasn't surprising that she was freezing. Marcus Lucius wanted to give her a blanket, but she didn't react. He carefully covered her with the material, even if it wasn't good for him to bow for a longer time.

-Did you say something? - She asked suddenly and automatically moved back to the wall. She was tense and unsettled. He thought that he might have been wrong and that she really was scared of him. Her attempts to conceal herself at any price could have been a reflex or a real, current fear. Therefore, he explained his intentions to her so she would calm down.

-I'll sit down next to you, if it doesn't bother you. They bring Appius's messenger. He needs to rest.

She nodded with understanding in her eyes. She wasn't surprised by untypical circumstances and methods. Since her marriage, everything was new and unusual to her. She couldn't find a place in life for herself neither in this moment of time nor in the place she was. She felt alienated and lost between the previous and current life styles.

Marcus Lucius waited patiently for her to move. She pressed her right side against the wooden, cold wall for some more minutes. She trembled, because it was chilly. She was used to Mediterranean warmth and she wasn't comfortable with the bleak weather of Britannia. It was rainy and moist. She didn't have proper dresses for such muggy places. Marcus Lucius attentively covered her with another blanket. She stopped trembling and started looking somewhere, where her eyes didn't meet his. She had a runny nose for the first time. She didn't like it at all.

Soon after the talk, Nerva appeared feeling insecure. Marcus Lucius assumed that Nerva and Octavian had already exchanged the latest news and instructions from Appius. Nerva looked indeed exhausted. He was wet from sweat and the dust of the road collected on his tanned skin. His short, completely black hair was wet, as well. He introduced himself, not sure whether Marcus Lucius remembered him. Nerva saluted, Marcus Lucius nodded with his head while sitting on the floor next to Julia. It wasn't a proper behaviour to let your subordinate sleep in your bed. Nerva was totally surprised and unsure what was happening. It felt like in a trap, but Marcus Lucius gave him an impression of assurance. He didn't treat Nerva as an inferior, but as a peer. It showed in the sound of Marcus Lucius's voice as he said:

-You should wash yourself. When you come back here, tell Octavian, we're ready to go.

Nerva nodded. Before he left the wagon, he gave Marcus Lucius and Julia their letters from Appius. Julia didn't read her letter immediately. She held the paper cautiously, gently. She stared at it for a while. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius had scanned his message. It wasn't long. Appius wasn't a person using a lot of words. Then, Marcus Lucius kneaded the paper powerfully. Apparently, he didn't have to read it twice to brand the information in his mind.

After a couple of minutes, Nerva re-appeared, with the same insecurity in his eyes, but without dust and sweat on his face. Julia didn't notice his stunned, perplexed state of mind, because he stood straight and proudly like a typical soldier, who shows discipline and respect.

-Take two blankets from over there. - Marcus Lucius ordered while showing at a plain dresser in the room. - You are allowed to rest. Lie down and sleep.

Nerva thanked him without words, with a simple nod. He followed Marcus Lucius's orders and the minute, he laid down, he immediately fell asleep. He snored loudly, blustering. In the silence of the room with limited light and space, Julia had to laugh about the sound of snoring. She tried to control herself, but she wasn't able to hold back the quiet laughter. For the very first time Marcus Lucius heard her laugh. It was cheerful, simply pleasant. He had to laugh a little, too. It was a bit painful, but he wasn't able to stop himself, either.

They sat next to each other on less comfortable pillows. Marcus Lucius wondered how she could sit here for so long without complaining. As a girl from a noble family, she used to stay in more comfortable places. He wondered why she never uttered a word of objection, even rudimentarily. Marcus Lucius was a soldier and familiar with very limited, basic conditions. He had spent some nights in the fields, without any linen, simply lying on the solid ground. Once, when he was wounded, he had spent some time on a wooden board without any comfort. He knew what discomfort felt like.

Julia didn't give the impression of having had a similar experience of inconvenience or incommodity. Still, she didn't complain at all. He respected her for this attitude. She wasn't one of the cheeky little misses Marcus Lucius knew from some parties organised by his mother and the Roman elite and where he was supposed to find his future wife. Nobody expected that he would choose a girl from an unknown, socially worthless family. It didn't fit into the concept. Not only his mother was singled out by his decision. What Marcus Lucius didn't know, the whole society isolated Decima, because she wasn't part of it. The aristocrats perceived her as a virus, like a small infectious agent with the ability to replicate inside the living cells of any kind of organism. They wanted to stay immune and didn't invite Decima to any event. They avoided her on the streets and other public places. Decima didn't tend to enter this strange world either, so the both existed apart. Marcus Lucius didn't have any idea about it. He never had the time or even will to analyse it. Decima never complained. And his mother never told him anything, either, as if already talking about Decima would spread or activate a kind of virus.

Staying for a longer while with a girl, Marcus Lucius thought about the women in his life. He never had enough possibilities to observe them and their behaviour. He had only spent a limited amount of hours with women until then. From his childhood he remembered some of his mother's habits. From the womaniser's period, he knew how to touch women and how to let them melt in his hands. During his marriage, he spent some hours with his wife, who mostly didn't talk much. They spent hot nights together, he remembered passionate kisses and deep affection. There was small talk, there were many smiles and his new plans to settle down and have a real family with children. There was no laughter, but no special seriousness either. He became very aware of the common laugh he had just heard. He used to laugh with his friends, with soldiers, but not with women. It was new to him and appreciated it. Therefore, he laughed further. It made him somewhat free and it felt natural as breathing.

-Do I snore? - Marcus Lucius asked seriously after some minutes of joy. The memory of Decima kept changing his mood continuously. He wondered that he didn't think about her as a part of his past. Maybe he unconsciously tried to isolate himself from the bitter truth. He rather imagined Decima being somewhere over the rainbow than on the other side of life. He was confused and unsettled, even though nobody around him could notice it. To the world, he looked like the pure calmness. Inside, he wasn't able to switch off the river of thoughts. Additionally, he needed a change to avoid falling back into his depression. However, he didn't intend to be totally serious again. He liked the relieving laughter. Therefore, he waited impatiently for Julia's answer.

-A little, just when you sleep deeply. - Her voice trembled, but a kind of joy stayed captured in it. - At the beginning, you snored a lot, because you were wounded so heavily. We were afraid, you'll die. - Suddenly, Julia sounded sad.

Marcus Lucius didn't respond to Julia's statement. Death was the last thing he wanted to discuss. He looked at the snoring Nerva and smiled.

-I know how he feels. I had a long trip behind me and didn't get the opportunity to rest.

Then, he reminded the circumstances of his trip and he stopped talking. The girl didn't know why he ignored her remark and why he didn't finish his story. However, she decided to continue the topic as he already started it.

-When did it happen? - She asked.

Marcus Lucius moved unsettled as if he remembered bad memories. She noticed it, even though his facial expression didn't change a bit. Strangely enough, it gave her more power to support him in that moment. She leant on the wall and listened to his heartbeat. It was so loud that she could easily hear it. The tempo increased and it meant that Marcus Lucius got nervous with the time. Her hand came out of the blanket and landed on Marcus Lucius's shoulder. It wasn't a sexual, but a friendly gesture. He didn't object. He trembled a little in the moment she touched him, and then kept silent. He kept silent so long that Julia gave up hoping for an answer. Suddenly, she moved her head away from his shoulder.

-I ask for forgiveness. - She added quickly, ashamed, after she had put together the pieces of information she had about Marcus Lucius. He used to call her "Decima" while he was in fever. He blew the secret about Decima being dead and it was confirmed later by news from Rome. Appius had sent his scouts to Rome to check this and they returned with bad news. Appius had written about it, although he kept the rumours and dubious assumptions hidden referring to who had killed Marcus Lucius's wife and why. The only certain fact was Decima's death. The circumstances and the reasons were not known. Julia was already informed what had happened, even if she didn't have any idea how the reality looked like in detail. In the moment, she thought about it, she heard how Marcus Lucius started whispering:

-In the the moment when you are sure about your life, when everything is going the way you wish, when you're lucky and sorrow-free, something happens. The man you believed to be your friend, becomes your worst enemy. This is even the more humiliating than any attack by a known enemy, because your so-called friends exactly know your weaknesses. Unknown people try to hurt you and they might be lucky with is. They can be prepared and well-informed, but you know that you can expect inimical attitude. \- His voice was marked with tragedy, deep reflection, and betrayed that he was occupied with the topic for more than the last minutes. His flood of thoughts was ordered straight and analytical.

Julia didn't dare to stop him and listened carefully to his monologue. She didn't even add "Hmm" every now and then, because she didn't want to interrupt him. Her hand stroked him instinctively, minimally so that this little micro system remained unspoiled. She wasn't sure whether it was one of the special moments, when he opened towards her or whether he simply spoke out his thoughts aloud without noticing Julia. It was a rare state, and as probable as the confirmation of the existence of the Higgs boson, a proposed elementary particle in the Standard Model of particle physics. Julia carefully listened further and didn't wonder about pauses every now and then.

-You don't expect any planned actions against you from your friends. I wasn't able to save her. It was planned that I couldn't be there earlier. She was already dead when I arrived...

Then, he kept silence for another longer while and savoured the moment, when Julia stroked his shoulder gently with her fingertips. Her touch was his only contact with reality. Julia waited for any further remark, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happened. Just his heartbeat echoed in the room. Julia wondered why Nerva's snoring passed by, but she didn't speak this out loud. It could have started a new topic and she didn't want it.

Marcus Lucius closed his eyes and contemplated silently. He seemed to be calm, but non-responsive. His mourning was visible. He made a very, very sorrowful, plaintive impression and Julia wanted to cheer him up. She didn't have any clue how to do it, so she took away her hand and simply laid her head on his shoulder and didn't move. He was glowing as if he had fever, but she didn't dare to act in any way. He didn't push her away. He didn't ban her gesture again.

As the regular snoring of Nerva echoed in the room again, Marcus Lucius added hastily, but determined:

-I will find the betrayer and I will have my revenge.

-You will. - Julia whispered sadly. She knew that it meant he will leave her one day and go back to his matters. It made her sad, because she started to like him. The words he said were true. She felt betrayed as well. She felt her raising anger towards her father and Maxentius. It was a part of a tradition that daughters were sold as goods, but she had expected her father to choose a better match for her. She expected her mother to stand up against the old, wrinkled satire. Instead, they left her alone, with almost tears in the eyes, under supervision of a man, who acted brutally and without compassion. As she tried to tell them how unhappy she was, her parents turned their backs to her and said that Julia had her new family. Julia had to be supportive to Maxentius, because the whole world expected it from a good wife. She proudly, silently had to represent her husband. Instead, she started deceasing, imploding, destroying herself by collapsing and being squeezed within herself. She did it with purpose. She had a strict goal. She started eating less every day and she didn't drink enough water day by day. She didn't complain and made herself suffer internally.

During the ambush, she wished to be killed when she realised that there were chances to die quickly, easily. She could pretend to be the happy wife as she did during the last weeks. She had become a professional liar. With every day, that passed, it was easier to smile politely and to pretend being the proud Roman woman everyone wanted to see. Even if her internal state got worse with every further heartbeat, it didn't influence her visibly. However, she started losing her internal colours. The process of fading out was already progressed so far that she didn't care about staying alive anymore. Earlier, she didn't want to die and every thought about death was scary. After half a year of a socially successful marriage, her heart was empty and doomed. The worst thing about it was that she didn't care. She wasn't scared anymore. The whole world became irrelevant.

A kind of recovery happened in the moment, when Julia noticed Maxentius's evanescent look in the eyes and the sliding walk to the other side of the life. It was a revival for Julia. The lesser life was in Maxentius's body, the more power she got. As she saw his dead body, her whole plan changed into one big question mark. She was relieved when Appius ordered her to play the game, because she could pretend everything she wanted. She became the great simulator. She was adult and marked by life experience already.

While she took care of Marcus Lucius, she was satisfied and happy about his unconsciousness. She even liked the situations, when he didn't recognize her or called her Decima. It was unimportant as long as she felt safe. She had started living on the reduced level compared to how vivid she used to be until her marriage. However, the amount of power and willingness to live after the ambush was incredibly high compared to the almost dashed off remains of resources she deployed as wife. She discovered a new goal in her life and she was happy as long as she could take care of the wounded man.

She didn't notice when the situation changed rapidly. She was a victim of her phobia, again. As Marcus Lucius helped her stand the journey on the ship, she discovered that he actually cared about her. He didn't hurt her, even when he had the chance. He was supportive, cautious, nice. She didn't expect him to be this way. She was sure that all men were bastards without respect for beings weaker than themselves.

Analysing Marcus Lucius wasn't easy. There were so many aspects that could influence his behaviour crucially. He could feel forced to stay straightforward, uncomplicated, truthful so that she was convinced about his good intentions. He could also respect her the way he treated his wife, because he loved Decima. Furthermore, he could act the way he did all his life, because he was that kind of person being really nice and supportive to others. Julia was occupied by the contingency analysis of how much all these possible aspects could have an effect on her situation. She tried to believe in Marcus Lucius's good intentions, but she was too deeply hurt to be able to trust anyone. If the innocence is stolen once, it can't be given back by anyone. It's like a jug that fell on the floor and crushed into millions of pieces. Even by gluing all pieces together again, the jug will never be the same as before. Julia's heart was overexerted and she wasn't able to switch back to the safety modus anymore. A shadow of insecurity would always exist in her internal, emotional space until the day she would die. However, by noticing the good in Marcus Lucius, she took giant leap forward for herself.

In the moment, he disclosed her the plan to have his revenge, he simply announced his intent. It meant he would leave her one day to exact vengeance on the man who killed his wife or ordered to do it. In this second, she understood that there will be a point in time, when she will be left alone again. She knew she shouldn't get involved emotionally. She had to limit her feelings towards him, to protect herself the same way she protected herself from Maxentius. The same way she pretended everything was fine, when she hated the man on her side, she had to pretend everything was fine, when she was falling in love with the man next to her. She didn't want to miss his scent one day. She didn't want to miss his warmth one day. She didn't like to miss his voice one day. However, she knew that that day will come and she had to be prepared for it. Carpe diem had to become her claim. She had to appreciate every day with him as if that it would be their last day.

Julia assumed that there was no force that could keep him next to her. His decision influenced her and her plan. She kept it in mind. She wanted to freeze the situation the way it was. It wasn't about him falling in love with her. It was about him staying near to her and protecting her like he did in the moment they saw each other for the first time. It was enough when he simply stayed the way he was. His mourning didn't disturb her. The distance between them was even a good thing. It allowed her to be sure that he wouldn't be brutal or selfish as Maxentius had been. The rare moments of touch like holding hands or sitting next to each other were enough for her. She didn't want more. She was completely satisfied with the current state. Therefore, she accepted the fact that the whole situation would unfortunately change one day. After every summer a winter follows. After every moment of luck and happiness, a moment of tragedy or inconvenience follows. This was the circle of life. Her task was to collect as many good memories as possible to look back at them and survive the period of misfortune.

After regaining her vital power, she wasn't able to go back to her family. She wasn't ready and willing to hear a new suggestion about whom she was supposed to marry next. But staying alone as a woman was neither wise nor usual. At the end of the day, there was just deadly hollow waiting for her and she decided to end her life, when Marcus Lucius would leave her. He wasn't supposed to know about her plan and the actual implementation. Nobody should keep her from executing her plan. She was brave enough to do it. The end had to come, it was foreseeable, tangible, substantial. She didn't know the real date, but she was determined to accomplish the decision she just made. It occurred honourable and brave to her, even in the ill, irrational way. She smiled sadly and cheerfully at once. She realized that she had left some time to spend with Marcus Lucius and it made her happy. She knew that she wasn't allowed to let him know her plan. She wasn't allowed to bring anyone into the loop. She had a plan and it made her feel safe and eased. It made her happy. For the first time in her adult life, she felt good and convenient with the current state. Briefly, she had to laugh. Everything appeared to be funny at once.

As Julia was busy with her thoughts, Marcus Lucius was not able to forge out any further plans. He had too many variables to consider. At first, his health condition didn't allow him to have his revenge yet. He had to train his body to deserve the description "killing machine". Then, he had to find a good occasion to find Quintus. It was probable that Quintus would visit Brigetio and stay in Aquincum, but Marcus Lucius had to make sure to find him somewhere. It wouldn't be clever to show up in a public place after months spent in hiding, without any explanation, only to find out that Quintus wasn't there. His whereabouts had to be confirmed before. The third aspect was about leaving Britannia. He could easily steal a horse and ride through the empire as he already did once before, but leaving Britannia implied at least two potential sources of trouble. Firstly, Appius shouldn't be punished for a friendly gesture. So before Marcus Lucius would even start preparing to leave, he had to clear the situation with Appius. Another thing was Julia's fate after the whole story came to light. However, the very first aspect seemed to be the most crucial to Marcus Lucius. He had to come back at least to his average health condition. Then, he would be able to take on the responsibility. He would explain to everybody that he pretended to be Maxentius and forced Julia to act as his wife. It was easy. Even the talk with Appius seemed to be simple suddenly. It was a step-by-step-strategy.

He swore to himself to start exercising his body from the day they reached Eboracum. They were supposed to live there for a while, and he had to use every minute possible to prepare himself to have his vengeance. He had to avenge his wife and the life they could have had together. Quintus and his men should be killed consciously and with admission of guilt. That was his long-term plan squeezed into a few words. It made him breathe regularly, even while he had Decima on his mind. It enormously eased his mourning. In that moment, he heard Julia's laughter again. He had to smile. She spread joy.

#2 TRAFFIC JAM

The weather in Britannia was different than everything Julia had experienced so far. Her origins were in Naples which lay between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Campi Flegrei. The climate was Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Even emperors such as Claudius from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the capable, efficient administrator and ambitious builder of many new roads, aqueducts, and canals, holidayed near the city. Julia loved the green, growing wild plants and the warm wind stroking the faces of the inhabitants. Additionally, she grew up with the Greek culture integrated into the Roman society. Naples was very well known and respected as lynchpin of Magna Graecia, a paragon of Hellenistic culture. Julia learnt Greek language and customs, while the city was expanded with elegant Roman villas, aqueducts, and public baths. She could declaim "Iliad" and "Odyssey" in Greek, too. Even though Virgil was traditionally ranked as one of Rome's greatest poets, she valued Homer's work higher. Virgil's "Aeneid" was respected as the national epic of ancient Rome, but its construction was built based on Homer's structure.

Over five thousands legionnaires stayed in Eboracum permanently in an area of 50 acres which was the standard size for a legionary fortress with a standard square defensive boundary. The legionnaires provided trading opportunities for local people, and the business went so well that a civilian settlement grew around the fortress especially on its south-east side. Civilians also settled on the opposite side of the Ouse, initially along the main road from Eboracum to the south-west. There, few yards away from the main road, was a spacey, stone house, one of the biggest in the area. Marcus Lucius was sure the choice was made by Maxentius. He used to dream about having power and appropriate insignia to show off. Having lived all those years in her father's house, Julia was used to so much space and luxury. Marcus Lucius didn't like the excess mother preferred. He liked the simplicity of living in the army. He liked the straight hierarchy and the plain order.

The settlement in Britannia evolved into York, located in North Yorkshire, England. The inhabitants of Britain at this time spoke a Celtic language related to modern Welsh. Julia didn't understand them at all. The dialect was too different to all the languages she knew. She rarely had the opportunity to communicate with people outside of the villa she had to live in. She didn't mind to stay captured within the walls of the house. She felt better there than if she would have to go out and be involved into the social life of the society here. She wanted to keep her distance.

In Britannia, she was confronted with conditions allowing convergence between moist maritime air influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and dry continental air. Most of the times, the temperature varied extremely, wasn't stable, and the weather was unsettled with rainy periods more than once during a single day. The upcoming end of the summer didn't bring polar air masses yet, but there was enough wind to bring cold dry air from somewhere far, far away. Compared to Naples, Eboracum was definitely not sunnier throughout the year, but clearly wetter. Julia connected the wet touch with the perceived coldness. She was familiarized with the fact that the east coast of the Italian peninsula was not as wet as the west coast, and usually colder in the winter. However, Britannia seemed to be much colder and more unpleasant, even though it wasn't even winter yet. It was the end of August and she was already freezing in her summer dresses. She didn't like it here so much. She tried not to show her attitude and hoped that nobody noticed it.

When she moved into the stony, cold, windy house, she used to walk covered with a long, warm blanket. She didn't have any proper dresses. She wasn't sure whether it was acceptable to buy new clothes. She didn't want to spend Maxentius's money. Her own assets were lost during the ambush. Apparently, the Barbarians stole two wagons and burnt three. Almost all slaves were killed and as consolation, almost all of Julia's slaves had already been sent to Britannia directly. It was Maxentius' idea, who wanted to intimidate her by taking away everything that was familiar to her. He took her away from her father's home, he sent away her servants and then, he stole her feeling of security and her dignity. She became so insecure that she didn't feel well with any initiative growing in her t mind.

Additionally, she wasn't sure what type of person Marcus Lucius really was and how he would react to her wishes. However, Marcus Lucius surprisingly paid attention and observed how Julia behaved. Apparently, he noticed that she didn't eat much. Therefore, he announced changes during the very first day in their new house. It was a short speech about meal times. Marcus Lucius ordered to eat breakfast shortly after sunrise. Dinner should be served briefly before sunset. Julia had to be present during both meals and so, Marcus Lucius could control her eating habits. When she didn't eat up everything, he kept sitting at the table as if he waited for her to decide whether she really gave up eating or whether it was just a pause. Julia felt his eyes on her and wasn't sure how she should react to it. She wasn't sure what he thought or felt about her.

After the news was spread that Maxentius was attacked and injured, he got the time to rest and to recover. He had to go out once a day to greet the camp, which didn't take a lot of time, and he arranged with the local commander, Cornelius Fabius, that he might come back to the position, he was supposed to take over, with the beginning of winter, approximately in ten weeks. Cornelius, a man of age comparable to Julia's father, was a friendly, but rough man with a middle-strong handshake. He showed understanding for Marcus Lucius's arrival in a litter as well as for the bandaged head that kept Marcus Lucius's face partially hidden. The news that Maxentius got wounded in the head had already spread. Any bandage or helmet weren't any excuse, but a confirmation.

The small escort was excused as well. Marcus Lucius didn't intend to raise attention. The command over the camp had to be cleared. Therefore, Cornelius met Marcus Lucius just within the closest circle. Cornelius wasn't sure what kind of arrangement would be made and he wanted to communicate the final outcome to all legionnaires after an understanding was settled. The talk had to be kept private. Informal character corresponded to the interest of both parties.

Cornelius listened carefully to the short report and his facial expression became more serious with every word Marcus Lucius said. Appius's guards should remain on Marcus Lucius's side, because they proved themselves as reliable, professional soldiers. Cornelius didn't see anything wrong with it. He knew Appius and smiled minimally while he remembered the best trainer in the Roman empire. At the end, Cornelius slapped Marcus Lucius's back gently, friendly and wished a getting well soon. With his goodbye, he invited himself to Marcus Lucius's villa to see Julia the same evening. He wanted to make sure that the girl he treated as almost his own daughter was fine. Marcus Lucius nodded and didn't see any problems with hosting Cornelius for a dinner. Cornelius didn't perceive any unwillingness or fear of Marcus Lucius.

Cornelius was a talkative man. He produced a river of sentences and Marcus Lucius listened to every single word. Marcus Lucius learned that Cornelius and Julius Fabius were cousins and had the same grandfather. Cornelius's wish was to go to the Senate of the Republic and serve the empire with his wisdom and political skills. He obviously wanted to leave Britannia. There were many possible motives for this. Within the family arrangement, Cornelius could go to Rome and Maxentius's would get the position of the camp's general without any further earnings on the military field. Good connections could allow him to overstep some levels of command and responsibilities. It wasn't common, but if strong relationships were involved, every door could be opened in the way someone wanted it to. Marcus Lucius didn't accept such short cuts, but he was aware of their existence. It wasn't honourable and in his opinion showed more weakness than strong character. For Maxentius's bad luck, he didn't survive.

Cornelius brought Marcus Lucius back to reality with a spontaneous expression of joy. He slurped and the sound of the smack echoed in Marcus Lucius's head. Cornelius wasn't satisfied with Marcus Lucius's suggestion to reschedule the plan, but he proposed to remain in the office as long as it was needed. Marcus Lucius had to definitely take over the command over the camp. Cornelius insisted to execute the plan as arranged with regards to the delay for Maxentius's recovery. It bought Marcus Lucius time to communicate with Appius and form his own plans.

On the way back to the villa, Marcus Lucius was worried how to arrange the dinner with Julia so it didn't raise any suspicions when bringing Cornelius without any previous arrangements. The last thing she could expect was receiving a visitor. It was possible that she knew Cornelius already. Marcus Lucius never asked her about it, because he wasn't involved into Julia's family issues. He was never interested in stepping further in the level of ranks. He was happy in Thracia. There was enough space to feel free and unworried. Ignoring the wishes of his mother became a habit. In a very polite way, he used to answer her letters with greetings from a very satisfied person. Here, in Britannia, he felt good, too. He wasn't happy, because there were too many unknowns and too few obligations. He didn't feel good when he had nothing to do. He needed to come back to the soldier's routine. Maybe therefore, he liked the company of Cornelius. Cornelius was whiffy after the smell of army: the sweat of trained legionnaires, the wind and dust from the patrols around the village, the camp's rather not delicious kitchen. It was so well-known and worth aspiring to get it back. It made Marcus Lucius smile to his past and thought that he would maybe never be able to feel free and committed again.

Especially one moment made Marcus Lucius nervous. As Cornelius looked at Marcus Lucius's hands, the older soldier said unexpectedly:

-You're younger than I thought.

Marcus Lucius briefly flinched a bit, but long enough to raise suspicion. The old commander didn't comment anything. It wasn't necessary. Then, he added surprisingly:

-Julius didn't tell me much about you.

Marcus Lucius was almost sure that the idea of pretending to be Maxentius was a complete flop. He was sure that the hint was a part of a series of checks to identify and confirm the real nature. Apparently, the puzzles of information that Cornelius had about Maxentius didn't match.

-Everyone says it to me. - Marcus Lucius lied without batting an eye. - It's the marriage, I guess.

Cornelius seemed to be relieved and somewhat happy about how the situation developed. Marcus Lucius judged that he was convincing enough. He couldn't remember Maxentius at all. He saw a dead, bloody body dressed according the status of a noble, Roman man. There hadn't been enough time to look at the details and then, Marcus Lucius was too injured. He had never spoken about Maxentius with Julia or Appius's soldiers. It came to his mind only in the moment when Cornelius marked his hands. Marcus Lucius regretted that he didn't take it into consideration. It could disturb the entire plan. After waiting a moment, Marcus Lucius had the feeling that Cornelius was all right. He couldn't be sure about it, but his intuition that saved him from getting killed for years told him quietly to trust that Cornelius accepted the remark as being true.

Fortunately, the statement didn't have any consequences. However, it was a bad sign and Marcus Lucius didn't want to risk nothing else. With an unsettled look, he went through the main room of the house, a broad, stony lobby, and gazed at Octavian every now and then. They didn't exchange a word, but they were both edgy.

Julia stepped into the room covered in a blanket and with question marks in her eyes.

-How did it go? - She asked and Octavian summarized the meeting with Cornelius.

She hardly remembered the uncle, who was in Britannia for years already. As far as she knew, Cornelius rather stayed in Londonium, where he could easily take a ship and travel to Rome anytime. Octavian explained to her that Maxentius was supposed to take the leadership in Eboracum and Cornelius was there only temporary. The last tribune in Eboracum was killed in fights with local warriors. Generally, it was a safe area, but every now and then, some dangerous groups from North Britannia attacked Southern Britannia. Eboracum and Deva were the last camps located at the farthest ends of the empire. They marked the border and were left at the mercy of the more or less peaceful attitude of Barbarians.

Julia shook her head, but nobody was able to understand what she really thought. As she heard the suggestion to prepare a dinner for her uncle, she stepped back two steps, as if her insecurity pushed her away from the place she stood in. She was more scared of her uncle coming into her house than the Barbarians that could attack any moment. Cornelius's presence was more perceptible in that moment. However, she understood the solemnity. After a moment of consideration, she spoke quietly with a trembling voice:

-So, we'll prepare the dinner. My uncle wasn't present during the wedding, so he doesn't know how Maxentius looked like.

-Still, his soldiers could recognize Marcus Lucius, because he looks similar to his father. Maximus spent many years in Britannia and it's probable that one of Cornelius's guards will find out about our masquerade.

Wearing a helmet in the lobby would raise too many questions. Additionally, nobody knew how to cover Marcus Lucius's face. Bandages were allowed, but inconvenient. The creepiness of the situation couldn't get worse in Julia's eyes. She had to put her mask of political correctness on and behave properly.

-The only solution is having the dinner without Marcus Lucius. - Julia spoke aloud what nobody dared to say. - When he won't be here, he won't be recognized.

Octavian wasn't convinced. Finally, Marcus Lucius was bandaged the same way he appeared at Cornelius's. Octavian wasn't sure whether the meeting was a good idea. Too many bad consequences could follow and Octavian wasn't happy about it. He niggled:

-How do we explain it all to Cornelius?

-I simply say that the way up to here and today's talk was too exhausting for my husband. It's probable enough, isn't it?

Marcus Lucius and Octavian kept silence. The first convinced man seemed to be Marcus Lucius.

-It is. If it won't work, then we have to prepare an alternative plan. - Marcus Lucius said. - And don't forget the wine. I send a slave to bring as much wine as possible. Cornelius's glass should not get empty.

An air of nervousness and insecurity was around during the entire afternoon. Marcus Lucius didn't agree to the plan until Julia asked him to trust her. He wasn't sure whether she was right, but she insisted to follow her plan. Marcus Lucius was able to fight against the entire world, but he wasn't able to start a fight with the girl. She had a strange kind of power that didn't allow him to oppose her. He would stop her, if her arguments wouldn't be powerful enough. Her short speech was logical and rational. There was no emotional issue. It was imposing.

-How good do you know your uncle? - He asked her.

-I don't know him at all. I heard about him. My father told some stories, but nothing worth mentioning it. - She answered slowly and using all words with purpose.

She sounded strange as if she would be far, far away with her thoughts. Marcus Lucius didn't intend to push her. She told him the truth and it was crucial. He left her alone. She didn't notice it at first. As she brought up her father, she became nervous. She wasn't sure what to think about him. She wanted to be sure that Julius had given her to Maxentius with good intentions and not knowing how awful man Maxentius was. Finally, it was her father, a person whom she used to trust and she used to look up to him as if he was a kind of god. His decision was confusing and Julia struggled internally.

As she couldn't see Marcus Lucius anywhere in the room, she was disappointed. She focussed on the preparation of the dinner and ignored any other thought. Chloe and Lysandra coordinated further slaves. The two women were Fabia's personal slaves, who were sent in an earlier convoy directly to Britannia to prepare everything according to Julia's preferences. During the journey with Maxentius, Julia had only one assistance who was killed during the ambush near to Aquincium. Officially slaves did not have names, but it became fashionable to give them Greek names. 24-years old Chloe and 28-years old Lysandra were aware of Marcus Lucius pretending to be Maxentius. They already got to know Maxentius and in their opinion, he was better for Julia than her real husband.

While her slaves were busy, Julia had some free time. She didn't like it. Staying on her own caused many contemplations about things she didn't want to analyse. She looked for Marcus Lucius and found him talking with Octavian. Apparently, they discussed the possibilities for the evening. Their worst case scenario included a fight. Julia interrupted their talk by stepping into Marcus Lucius's room. He asked her to stay, but she backtracked politely. She wasn't willing to listen to any word about a fight. She became scared that she could die this evening. If Marcus Lucius's real identity would be discovered, he would be forced to appear at the bar. She didn't like to follow this thought. She wished to get distracted, but it didn't happen.

The closer the evening drew, the more tensed Julia became. Marcus Lucius visited her in the suite she had chosen as her bedroom. He took the room next to her. Being near to her was important, not only because of fulfilling the plan.

Marcus Lucius knocked on the walls and asked for permission to come in. She allowed him in. She sat in a wooden chair. Her red blanket covered her body and trembling fingers. Her eyes were unsettled. He asked her whether she was really sure that she wanted to execute her plan. She nodded with determination in her eyes. However, her fingers trembled. He minded her strength, but argued he would stay in her direct proximity, just in case. He stepped forward and came so close to the chair that he could stretch his hand and touch her anytime he wanted.

-Look me in the eye, Julia. - He whispered, bowed over her a bit and her chaotic look got directed to him. His hands landed on her shoulders and she quivered as a negative reaction to a sudden touch. He eased his already gentle grasp as he noticed her reflex. \- You can do this. I am here for you.

She nodded automatically and her eyes went hurriedly from his eyes to her shoulders. She didn't feel comfortable with the unexpected touch. Marcus Lucius stepped back and gave her the free space. She appreciated the move. She still wasn't completely convinced about his intentions. Her heart told her to trust him. Her mind suggested staying cautious. His care could have many reasons. Julia would analyse it now, if she wouldn't be nervous about the upcoming dinner with her uncle. She already had some scary visions of the plan going wrong.

-Your idea is good. - Marcus Lucius said gently, calmly. - And if you need me, I am not so far away as you think. I am here for you.

She trembled further, so he slapped her smooth on the back like he already did with his soldiers. He wasn't sure whether it was appropriate or not. He never had to cheer up a girl before, and he didn't intend to send wrong signals. He simply wanted to show his support. It wasn't helpful and didn't change Julia's objections. She still was shaky.

-If anything happens, do what you have to do to protect yourself. Have no regard for my feelings. Do you understand?

She didn't react, so he kneeled down in front of her. His hand touched her cheek and directed her face towards him so that Julia had to look at him. When he was sure that her eyes were focussed on him, he repeated:

-Julia, it's important that you stay safe. You can say whatever you want and need to protect yourself. Do you understand? \- His tone was clear, gentle, but communicated an important message.

Julia nodded finally, even though she didn't seem to be convinced about the validity of his words. He thought she wouldn't manage it and he didn't judge her for it.

-We abort the plan. - He decided and wanted to leave the room to inform Octavian about it.

-No! - She opposed. - With all due respect, together we persevere.

The change in her face was obvious. She won back her energy.

-Promise me that you protect yourself without any regard to me or Appius's men. - Marcus Lucius repeated once again the last statement, because he wasn't sure whether she really got it or just reacted the way he expected. She nodded and said angrily "Fine, fine!"

Her eyes were sad, angry, unsettled, but her face showed no fear at all. She wanted to add something, but the words stayed in her throat. She coughed shortly and stood up hastily. The entire situation wasn't comfortable to her. She felt like a hunted animal. She went to a pillar on the left side of the room. Marcus Lucius stood up, but didn't follow her. He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to move closer or leave her enough space to breath freely.

Suddenly, Julia's slave Lysandra, came into the room and announced the arrival of Cornelius. For a short moment Julia trembled more extreme. Then, she took a deep breath and straightened her back. Her blanket fell down to the ground and Marcus Lucius saw a long, pleated, wonderful, blue garment inspired by the clothing of ancient Greece with sleeves reaching up to Julia's hands. It was girt with dark blue ribbons and two belts in the same colour. One was below the breasts creating a great amount of folds and the second belt was worn around the waist. It was made of silk, and therefore, didn't warm the body. Marcus Lucius noticed that Julia was a frost bite and he knew that she already started feeling cold. However, she didn't tremble anymore. In this moment, she was a powerful, proud woman. She left the room without any word and without looking at him. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure how she was. She had a polite face expression he never saw before.

He was worried about her, not about himself. It was irrelevant that he was in danger. He appreciated her help and therefore, she should stay protected. His life was more or less over. The matter of vengeance was not crucial right now. The living beings had higher priority than the dead ones.

He sent the second servant of Julia, Chloe, to support Lysandra supervising her. It wasn't clever to harken at the pillars, when Cornelius's guards were in the house. When Julia already announced that her husband didn't feel well, then it wasn't supportive to catch the husband on eavesdropping. It wouldn't make a good impression. Therefore, Marcus Lucius stayed in Julia's room and waited for her to come back after the dinner.

During the following two hours, he waited impatiently for news. The only good issue was that Julia was definitely supervised by Octavian. Even if Octavian was sometimes annoying, he was a reliable, trustworthy person. If Appius trusted Octavian, then Marcus Lucius had to do the same. Octavian proved that he could act against the mainstream, but still be responsible and correct. Marcus Lucius remembered the wound on the chest that Octavian burnt once. It was painful, but a needed support for the healing process. Marcus Lucius noticed that Octavian liked Julia. He observed her very cautiously, but with the special note in his eyes. As far as Marcus Lucius understood, Octavian didn't speak a lot with Julia. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure why. Still, he felt certain that Octavian would protect Julia at any price and not just because it was his task.

In the meanwhile, Julia greeted her uncle. She didn't know him at all and saw him for the very first time. Not only his belly was round like a ball, his cheeks, nose and fingers were like potatoes. His handshake was strong, but he seemed to get around women a lot, because he bored in mind how powerful his squeeze was. He smiled politely, which reminded Julia of her father, who smiled in a similar way at the visitors he didn't like.

Julia kept her friendly smile upon her lips, even though internally she felt very insecure. She stretched her hand towards him and welcomed him in her house.

-Excuse my husband.... - She started softly. Then, she explained the situation and waited for Cornelius's reaction.

He waited for her to end the sentence and observed her attentively. He nodded minimally with his head as a sign of understanding, but his special polite smile stayed for a while. He took her hand and squeezed it strongly as like an eagle that caught a fish in its claws. As he noticed that his pressure seemed to be too strong, he smiled inconveniently and backed off. She didn't change her facial expression, but internally, she felt relieved. She didn't like the frightening pickle and had already considered screaming for Marcus Lucius. She was sure that he would appear within the blink of an eye. It calmed her down. He was right that his proximity made her feel more secure and comfortable. She wondered whether Marcus Lucius's handshake would be so strong, too. He tried not to hurt her. Cornelius had no feeling for the delicate and soft skin of the girl or intended to threat her. Either way, she didn't like it.

Julia kept silent and didn't add any further word, and he noticed how she ordered to bring in the wine without speaking at all. He appreciated her silent way of being.

-You're a worthwhile daughter of your father. - Cornelius said finally as he sat down in a wooden, comfortable chair. He drank wine nosily.

-Sit down, Julia. - He ordered politely.

She followed his words. The dinner was served. Cornelius ate quickly with munching. Julia limited herself to a few chewing attempts, because she was too nervous to eat. Her goose pimples could indicate many different things. Even if Julia didn't have the impression that Cornelius observed her, she was sure he watched her every move. The more she stayed in his company, the more she was convinced about similarities between him and her father. Julius Fabius used to eat quickly, too. And he always kept his eyes on everything happening around him.

After the dinner spent rather in silence than with small talk, Cornelius stood up and took another glass of wine. He came to Julia and requested a walk through the house. She nodded with politely, even though she didn't have a clue what he intended to do next. After his rather usual statements like "The house looks uninhabited, but you will surely change the impression soon" or "You just arrived and it's understandable that there is no personal touch to feel here", Cornelius's facial expression changed. They were alone. His soldiers stayed in the lobby, while Cornelius and Julia went out into the yard. They could be easily observed, but nobody could listen to their talk. From that moment on, the old guy with grey, short hair on his round head looked rather sorrowed and imminent.

-Are you really doing fine?

His question was straight and unexpected. Julia nodded fast what convinced him about the truthfulness of her answer.

-I heard about a lot Maxentius and today I met him for the first time. - Cornelius confided silently. - I don't believe in love changing our true nature, so I am deeply confused whether the man I got to know is the man I heard of. Therefore, you need to confess me the truth.

Julia trembled a little, but she smiled friendly. It was a real smile, not the put-on-reflex. She thought about Marcus Lucius, who took care about her and ordered her even own extradition when needed. It was a moving gesture of him, because she knew that his will of revenge was strong. Apparently, she was more important at that time and it made her happy. It improved her mood during the whole evening. It gave her the power to stay polite and strong.

Cornelius saw the sparks in her eyes, but he wasn't convinced completely. The person described as Maxentius couldn't make Julia happy. He heard a lot of stories from many different sources and there was a shadow of doubt in his mind. He wasn't an emotional man. He was a man of logic and rational decisions. The probability that Maxentius has changed so extremely was low. Today, he met a man with a strong, clear handshake. Today, he met a man who exuded a self-confidence that Cornelius knew from earned men with experience on the battlefield. Already by the arrival and a short movement of Maxentius's head, Cornelius recognized an experienced, well-trained soldier, a good leader, a noticeable man. It didn't suit the description delivered by Julius Fabius or any other source. Maxentius wasn't famous for any military action. On the opposite, he used to be released from the military service, even though the fact was adverted in a more proper, politically correct way. Therefore, Cornelius wondered how it was possible to dismiss a man of such a strong presence. Additionally, Maxentius's answers were short in the typical way for Roman commanders. His skin appeared younger than Cornelius had estimated. Maxentius was hardly younger than Julius Fabius. There were many question marks connected with the person of Maxentius and Cornelius wasn't sure about all answers.

His eyes had a kind of worried tone that Julia had seen twice in her father's eyes. It wasn't faked sorrow. For the first time during the evening, he was really honest and open towards her. She needed to give him a reason not to analyse this problem any further. It could lead to discovery of the fact that Maxentius wasn't alive, that Maxentius was played by Marcus Lucius.

-If anything goes wrong, you have my word that I will come to you and report it. - She promised.

-I keep your word, but I have to be double sure in this matter. Your father ordered me to take care of you and therefore, I have to leave a part of my legion with you. - He sounded rather like a worried father than a provisional commander of a camp. - I know you lost many of your servants and I appreciate the help of Appius, but I need to have my man here to be able to sleep calmly through the nights.

Actually, he was more interested in observing Maxentius than keeping an eye on Julia. His anticipation of good luck told him that he had to stay on course to get to know the secret he smelled in the air. The result could influence his political career he tried to pimp up since years.

His words sounded personally, but Julia suspected she was playing with fire. She didn't want to destroy the more or less pretended trust he had towards her, but she felt she had to support Marcus Lucius, and Appius, and Nerva, and Octavian, any everyone who covered the arrangement up to now.

She didn't like the powerful request to leave his soldiers here. It wasn't polite and it definitely limited her freedom. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to find any arguments against the suggestion. It complicated her situation, but she couldn't analyse the whole impact within the few seconds she had. She was sure that Cornelius would take his men back, if he would get the impression that everything was fine. He could use his force like an eagle uses its claws to catch a fish and drop it into his own nest. She could feel the same as a desert tortoise with a high, patterned shell that enables the animal to successfully survive in arid conditions. However, the shell can be broken by a larger bird picking up a small turtle and, flying high, dropping the victim on the rocks below, breaking the turtle's shell like an egg. She didn't know the custom of desert birds, but she was aware of the dangerous position she was in. Life is tough not only in the desert. The last thing she wanted was to provoke any confrontation or to raise any objection. Therefore, she friendly thanked for Cornelius's care and accepted his politely formed order. He seemed to be relieved. It was a good sign.

-I am sure my husband will speak his credits to you when he'll get better.

It was a sign for Cornelius to say goodbye. He indeed did so and left the house shortly after they came back into the villa. Octavian was unsettled, when not all of Cornelius's soldiers left the building. He wasn't sure what was going on, but there was no occasion to ask Julia directly about this issue.

Julia watched with a friendly smile how Cornelius left the mansion and she moved her head with a gesture of saluting to the soldiers who stayed at her side. One of them stepped forward and introduced himself as Vinicius Balbus. He resembled Nerva: dark hair, nice eyes, friendly, but dirty smile on the lips. He was the commander of the troop of soldiers left by Cornelius to watch over Julia and her family. He had the same function like Octavian had. Strangely enough, they were on different ends of a stick and looked at the same situation from different perspectives with different background knowledge. Octavian reported later that Vinicius was a skilled soldier, already married. It was rather an obligation than a relationship. He sent his rent as payoff for his three kids, but he wasn't really interested in their education. He had two boys and he waited until they reached the age of 15. Then, he wanted them to start service in the army. Until then, he could enjoy a few years free from family sorrows and controversy with his wife. His future was clear and predictable. He focussed on Cornelius's orders and nothing else. Vinicius took his task seriously.

Julia got a headache from trying to keep her fears under control. She excused herself and wanted to leave the lobby. On the way to her room, she noticed she was followed by Vinicius. Apparently, he was supposed to be her private bodyguard. She didn't like the idea at all. She felt scared and unwell when he followed her every step. As she went into the room which was chosen as Marcus Lucius's bedroom, she didn't find him there. She was angry and confused. She left it and noticed the doubts in Vinicius look. It wasn't a good sign what he had written on his face. Quickly, she went to her own room and sighted relieved when she saw Marcus Lucius sitting on the bed. The shadow of Vinicius on her back was shameless.

-Who do you bring to us, Julia? - Marcus Lucius spoke gently. His head was hidden in his hands, so nobody could recognize his face. In the moment, he heard the steps of two people, he stayed motionless.

She stopped and wondered how he could hear the silent steps of Vinicius. It was a riddle to her how Marcus Lucius could distinguish people by their steps. Even if she tried to focus hard, she couldn't even get when Octavian or her servants stepped into the room. Marcus Lucius was a master in this area. Even Octavian valued it with the highest respect.

-Are you in pain? - She was shocked by the picture she saw. Her voice was full of sorrow. She came to him and kneeled down in front of him. She looked him in the eyes and he was completely focussed on her look. Her hands landed on his knees, because she had to steady herself somehow.

-Are you fine? - He asked silently. He seemed to be in ok.

She nodded hastily.

-Send the soldier away. - He ordered quietly.

She nodded again.

-It's Vinicius Balbus from my uncle's legion. He and a part of his legion are at our disposal thanks to the generosity of Cornelius. - She spoke loudly and clearly.

Vinicius moved a little unsure how to handle the situation.

-May we then speak tomorrow, if they are staying here? Feel free in this house, Vinicius, but leave our bedchamber. - Marcus Lucius said then louder, without changing his position.

Vinicius nodded with understanding and left the room. The tension in Julia's body decreased immediately. Before she fell to the ground from the relief, Marcus Lucius grasp her arms. She sat down on the stony floor and breathed shortly, heavily. Her panic attack begun abruptly and she suffered triggered by a situation from which she was not able to escape.

-Breath slowly, calm down. - Marcus Lucius repeated, but even his gentle voice didn't help. He wondered how she could fall apart so quickly. In one moment, she was proud, powerful and self-controlled, in the next, her whole facade was destroyed within a second. It was just like taking a tortoise out of its hard, rough, independent shell. Her armour fell apart and she was unprotected. Marcus Lucius was sorrowed that something happened to her. Although she nodded as answer to the question whether she was fine, she didn't look that way. He wasn't sure how to behave. He had to stay away from her in order not to develop any deeper emotion. He was at her side only for a short time. He had to step away after the circumstances were settled anew. The more he tried to hold the line, the more tension it caused internally. He wasn't able to retreat himself completely, even if his surface showed no emotions. His eyes were burning with thousands of shades of his heart's struggles. She impressed him more and more. He never felt that way towards any female being. His influential mother was a powerful person, but she didn't have so much grace and innocence in her presence. It attracted him and at the same time, it caused his increasing need to keep the distance. She had a magic, almost saint aura, a crucial ingredient of her subtle, luminous presence.

Marcus Lucius stepped forward and knelt next to her. He didn't let her arm go.

-Give me a moment. - She stuttered without looking at him. - Just a moment...

He wasn't sure what to do next. She was shaky like jelly, but denied any kind of touch, help or attention. Fortunately, her panic attack passed by and she took her arms away from him. Automatically, he relaxed his grasp so that she was able to sit more comfortably on the floor. He didn't like her to stay in this position, because she wasn't a servant, or any kind of defeated being. He sat down next to her intuitively.

She tried to tell him what happened during the evening. With broken sentences and hasty breaths, she explained what Cornelius had said to her. She was honest and didn't leave out any aspect of her private conversation. However, she didn't share her motives with him. She simply used Appius as an excuse for her reasons. She wasn't able to be straight with him about her feelings.

Marcus Lucius appreciated the range of trust she shared with him. Only after her summary, he was able to reconstruct how much tension she must have had to keep in her fragile body in the last hours. Even though she didn't make the most energetic impression at that moment, because her hands were sweaty, and her body was shaky, her power was uncanny.

She sat on the cold floor for a while. It seemed to be a safe place for her, where she wanted to stay. He didn't intend to interrupt or destroy her fragile moment of peace. Therefore, he stood up and brought her a blanket. She was a frost bite and he already knew it. He covered her with it and lifted her up. Then, he laid her on the bed.

-I have to talk with Octavian. He doesn't know the details yet. - Marcus Lucius whispered.

Julia nodded without even looking at him. She didn't want him to leave, but she understood his reasons. She waited patiently until he came back. It didn't take long. Men could compress their communication to a minimum. He walked into the room in the same inconspicuously way like he left it. From the very first moment, he noticed that she didn't fall asleep at all. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched how she finally fell asleep. Her hands didn't stop shivering. Her eye lids moved minimally. He stroked her hair to calm her down and she indeed became less nervous. It worked successfully. Her tension decreased. At the same time, it calmed him down, too. While she was sleeping, he thought that she rescued him for the second time. He thought he didn't deserve such a good fortune. Nobody should risk his own life for him and she already did it for the second time.

From that day on, he started watching over her. He was still enlisted as wounded, but he could and had to start with his training. He had to protect her, even from herself, if it was needed. She should not have to rescue him again. She was too good for the world and he didn't want her to pay his dues. He knew that he had to keep his distance to Julia as Appius ordered. It was the best solution for everybody. He wasn't even sure what Julia felt for him. He wasn't sure about her reasons. Maybe she was simply following Appius's orders. It wasn't easy to break through her surface.

As she was sleeping, he sat down more comfortably with the back to the wall. She lay next to him and breathed more regularly. When he stopped stroking her hair, she changed her position: she laid with the back curved forward, the legs brought up as tightly against the belly as possible, the head bowed as close to the chest as possible, and the arms wrapped around the head. She looked rather like a red, wool ball than a human being. Marcus Lucius wondered why she did it. He never saw such a behaviour before. He wasn't aware that sometimes, when a person has suffered extreme physical or psychological trauma, they will assume the foetal position to prevent further stress. Marcus Lucius didn't have any idea what healthy, instinctual background this position provided: it was a better protection to the brain and vital organs when the brain was no longer able to cope with the surrounding environment, and in essence "shuts down" temporarily. Today, we would compare it with the sleeping modus of a computer, but at that time, Marcus Lucius couldn't expect to get any psychological explanation for it. For his mental horizon, people around him were influenced by gods while acting or thinking, if their actions weren't explainable.

From that night on, he spent every night in Julia's room sleeping while sitting next to her with his back to the wall, after watching how long she needed to fall asleep and analysing her reactions from the day that just passed by.

Before she went to bed, she waited for him to free his torso. Every evening, she cleaned his wounds and rubbed in the substances that Octavian got from the medico. Nerva brought some other substances with herbal issues given with good wishes to get well soon from Appius. The hour of intimacy was a nice time to spend, even if they both, Julia and Marcus Lucius, tried not to show any emotions. There was a sexual tension that they tried to minimize. The emphasis was put on the mechanic movements with the pure intent to improve the healing process. At the back of their minds, they didn't dare to proceed any further with sexual thoughts. They knew their obligations, their limits and the respect they felt for each other. The short, rare moments, when their eyes met, and when the bodily reactions showed prohibited temptations, were precious and impermissible.

Julia wasn't sure how Marcus Lucius would react to her wishes. Therefore, she avoided to talk with him about anything: from a purchase of winter dresses, over his behaviour up to his thoughts. To confirm the impression that they were happily married and not to raise the attention of Cornelius, they spent the nights in a common chamber. Sometimes, they thought independently from each other that Cornelius's attention was just an excuse for them to spend time together. It calmed Julia down, even if they didn't touch each other. Marcus Lucius waited for her after she took a bath and he gave her enough space to avoid anything that could annoy her. She didn't feel harassed at all, on the opposite: she felt safe. She became familiarized with him being the last person she saw when she fell asleep and the first one, she saw when she woke up. He kept his distance and she followed the same strategy. She was sure that he still loved his wife and conducted the steps prescribed by Appius. In an unspoken way, she found a very specific friend in him.

With time, she noticed that Marcus Lucius surprisingly paid attention and observed how she behaved. He knew that she was trembling from the wet, cold weather; he brought new blankets and covered her at nights, when she moved in sleep. He brought her a bowl with water for the morning washing procedure, even though he could leave this task for the slaves. She wasn't sure whether it was his own idea because he cared about her, whether it was a part of Appius's orders or a spontaneous idea to improve the strategy to pretend a good marriage. It was complicated and the analysis of so many issues occupied Julia for days.

She didn't feel good being observed by Cornelius's soldiers. She wasn't sure how long it would take until they could send the Cornelius's legionnaires back. Vinicius stayed by her side from the moment she left her chamber up to the moment, she returned there to find shelter. Vinicius didn't overstep the border to her room anymore. The short words spoken by Marcus Lucius were reason enough to leave the couple at least the piece of privacy on the bedroom. Cornelius's other soldiers followed Marcus Lucius. During the days, he left Julia alone with Vinicius and started going out. Outside, he wore a helmet that hid his face and made him unrecognisable. It was important that Marcus Lucius didn't attract attention and didn't raise any questions about his identity. He was supposed to play the role of Maxentius. He did it well.

At first, he took walks. Octavian wasn't satisfied with Marcus Lucius's efforts and found it too strenuously to exercise so soon with fresh wounds. However, he accompanied Marcus Lucius who was determined to start exercising. Together, they walked towards the woods, then they went along the line of trees. Finally, they reached the moors in Southern North. They changed direction and went some hundred meters towards the West and came back to the villa from the North-Western side. They were followed by three or four of Cornelius's legionnaires, even though they kept their distance.

At first the walk took the whole day due to many pauses. In the first days they walked for almost twenty to twenty five kilometres. Octavian niggled every time they left the mansion and it was rather a sign of care than complaining about exertions. For him, the walks were rather a nice diversion or supplement to the normal trainings. Nerva, if he was in the villa, took it more easy and with humour. Therefore, Marcus Lucius preferred to go out with Nerva. They could talk every now and then, but mostly, they just savoured the silence of woods and the green, wet nature around them.

Later, Marcus Lucius wanted to discuss this and that with Octavian. There were so many possibilities to talk about so many things. But instead, they kept silent and Octavian breathed heavily, because he was slightly offended by the fact that Marcus Lucius didn't listen to anyone. Marcus Lucius's wounds could break open easily after too much exercise. At the beginning his breath was regular but started being irregular when they reached the tenth kilometre. His hands weren't sweaty, but his back was wet and he could get easily cold or catch a fever or chest symptoms. However, pneumonia was regarded as "the captain of the men of death" by William Osler in the 19th century only. In Roman times, it wasn't known that infectious agents include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. There was no antibiotic therapy that radically improved the survival of infections. There were undefined, invisible, moody gods, who decided spontaneously who would survive and who would die. It was like in today's third world that pneumonia remained a leading cause of death no matter of the age. Octavian didn't raise the topic of death rates and more care about the own health, because it wasn't supportive to Marcus Lucius. Therefore, Octavian was totally unsatisfied about the trips they made.

Normally, he would appreciate the walks through woods, because it was indeed relaxing and kept him in shape. He didn't like to be involved in the first line of attack on the battlefield. He rather stayed at the back and waited for the last offenders, who would break the lines of defence. It wasn't easy to stay calm and look powerful when the soldiers you knew were fighting. He was seen as the last man standing.

Then, he didn't like the Britannia. He preferred the warm lands of the Roman Empire. There, he could sleep during the nights without needing a blanket. There, he could eat meat the way he loved it. Britannia was just good for two reasons. One, he appreciated the trust of Appius. This mission was the best proof that Octavian was the solid, reliable man, he always wanted to be. Two, he was close to Julia. He was entranced by her from the very first moment he saw her. She was Appius's guest, who practically hosted an old friend and new husband in one person. Octavian heard some stories about Maxentius's miserable army career. There was a story that Maxentius held a sword like a girl. There was another story that Maxentius was scared to death when he was supposed to go to his first battle. When Octavian saw Maxentius for the very first time, he noticed the extremely tender, but wrinkled skin of a man, who dabbled with battles, but had enough power to beat a weak and defenceless being. Octavian had already seen beaten women, while they rested as a team in different places. He noticed women visiting their man, soldiers, who were stationed in camps, and overreacting after days or weeks of broken contact to their families. Octavian observed how much these women suffered in silence, how their eyes became dashed off and how their moves lost the vigorous dynamic. The same symptoms, he noticed with Julia. She still had a kind of fire, but it wasn't a fire that could burn for ages. Instinctively, he wanted to protect her. His first reflex was to kill the man, who was supposed to watch over his own wife. Affected by unexpected emotions, Octavian got shaky hands. He noticed that Appius registered the tension, but not the reason behind it. Sending Octavian as the leader of the convoy to Britannia could have two different explanations. Either Appius knew what really happened in Octavian's mind and wanted to him to learn a lesson or Appius knew that of all soldiers, Octavian would fulfil his task with the strongest motivation. Either way, it showed Appius's trust in Octavian.

After a month, the walk took just the half the time and Marcus Lucius started his first trainings in the back yard, when he came back to villa after noon. The signs of autumn were already present outside and it wasn't clever to leave the villa for a longer while, if it wasn't necessary. The days became shorter and the amount of water in the air increased. It was too unpleasant outside. The danger of slipping combined with the probability of the wounds getting worse was too high. For that reason, Marcus Lucius shortened the march distance and spent more time in the inner yard, where he trained at least three hours a day. Octavian welcomed it.

At first Marcus Lucius didn't use the sword. He started with stretching exercises and then, he simulated the moves known from battles. He tried to rest a little, when he noticed the pain in his chest. It was the best signal to slacken off and reduce the tempo he decreed for himself. Walking was easy, but the real training was demanding. Still, he loved it and needed to feel the exertion of the day. He tried not to get any muscle ache, but he liked the state of being positively tired. With every day, his moves got more dynamic and fluent as they used to be. He wasn't walking like a beaten goat, but like a young lion, who was preparing himself for the hunt. Cornelius's stayed in the background, observed his methods and exercises. After two weeks of his practise, one of the soldiers, Rufus, asked whether he could train with Marcus Lucius. He nodded.

Rufus was approximately of Nerva's age. His hair was short and black. His face was rough and round like the full moon, even though his body wasn't fat. He had the young vigorous will to participate in any kind of movement. The rest of the team stayed disinterested, satisfied that they didn't have to walk for hours through the woods. Marcus Lucius shortly talked to Octavian a couple of times and they both noticed that Cornelius's legionnaires preferred to stay unmoved. They were simply lazy and too fat compared to soldiers Marcus Lucius saw in other camps. They quickly ran out of breath and needed more time to rest than a wounded man. After Rufus, Commodus wished to take part in the trainings, they organised duels, but Marcus Lucius couldn't train optimally, because Cornelius's men weren't trained well enough. He turned more into a teacher. It was disappointing. He increased the time for warming up and thought about a long-term solution for the situation.

Sometimes, Octavian moved forward and crossed his sword with Marcus Lucius's. They didn't exert at all, it was rather a foreplay of a duel, but it was fascinating how good they were. Cornelius's men stood and gazed at the purposely slowed down movements of the two soldiers. It was a spectacle worth watching. They reported to Cornelius that Maxentius wasn't in his best form yet, but he became a valuable warrior. Cornelius analysed whether it was possible that Maxentius had changed not due to the marriage, but due to the new task. Maybe he really wanted to build up a new reputation and therefore, he buckled down for it. He wanted to impress his new family and the world. It was a good motivation, definitely.

Cornelius regretted that he couldn't follow Maxentius's trainings personally. Every now and then, he could drop by on a pretext, but he could not observe the trainings. However, his legionnaires were present and he received daily reports and was best-informed about Maxentius's improvements. The new husband of Julia started to be a variable in the equation. It could be dangerous or beneficial.

Marcus Lucius assumed that Cornelius made his own plans related to the person of Maxentius. Some of Cornelius's thoughts were easy to follow, others weren't. What occupied Marcus Lucius's mind, was Julia. She was more perceptible, closer, visible. From the very beginning, she observed his training, always staying in the background. He felt her eyes on him and it made him feel good. He definitely liked her silent attention. It reassured him that she was near and safe. She spread the calmness that he needed during the training. Every time he perceived her tension or a sudden movement, he looked at her and checked what was going on. He wasn't disturbed by the unknown faces of Cornelius's soldiers or knowing that Octavian was just a few meters away. But he got tensed immediately when Julia moved hastily. Even though she was so far away that he wasn't able to read her facial expression in detail, he was still able to notice whether she was tensed or not.

As he was walking, she stayed in the house and used to hide out from everyone. Almost every day, she covered herself in two blankets and thought about Homer's worlds full of heroes and special beings. She declaimed passages of the epics in Greek and showed extremely understanding for the language of Homer. However, she was all alone with her Magna Graecia issues. It was very comfortable for her. She lived in her own world and isolated herself continuously. While Marcus Lucius was in training, she crept up on the kitchen's window board and observed what happened in the back yard with a quite dreamy, absent look. When Marcus Lucius looked around and tried to catch her look, she didn't react, even if he gazed at her in an extremely flashy way. When she realized it, she tried to distract herself. Watching his increasingly flowing movements reminded her how he fought during the ambush. His dynamic was full of beauty and dignity. It was a pleasure to watch him moving.

What she didn't like were the gazes of the Cornelius's soldiers. They sometimes had this special shadow in their eyes that she already knew from Maxentius. She didn't feel comfortable with it, so she moved her head away. Sometimes, she even fled into the house and didn't reappear for a longer while. She was angry, because she couldn't do anything against it. She wasn't able to protect herself and this powerlessness caused her frustration. She wished to be able to move a sword at least in self-defence.

Marcus Lucius noticed that Octavian checked what Julia was doing on the kitchen's window board every now and then. He appreciated this, because he knew that her well-being was important to Octavian. When she came into a room where Octavian was or when she left it, he noticed how Octavian followed her moves from the very beginning till the very end. He tried not to attract attention with his spying techniques, so Marcus Lucius didn't say a word about it. Knowing that one of Appius's men was directly next to Julia insured him she was almost as good protected as by him. Her body's and soul's health were crucial to him.

When Marcus Lucius was outside the villa, and when the days were rarely sunny and it didn't rain too strong, Julia climbed through her bedroom's window and sat down next to the chimney pot on the roof and looked at the landscape outside. The villa was the last mansion of the settlements of houses near to the Roman camp for legionnaires in Eboracum. The yard bordered the woods and the view from this side of the house was stunning. A dynamic sea of trees echoing with the chanting birds and running wind combined with millions of totally different and changeable clouds in the sky made a her think of different things. Only here, she was able to admire the nature of Britannia. Even when it started raining while she sat with the back to the chimney pot, she was kind of happy to be there. She enjoyed the moments so close to the sky and so far away from the ground. It was her moment of freedom. She allowed herself to stay there as long as Marcus Lucius was outside on his walking tour. He wasn't supposed to realise her absence. In case she didn't notice him coming back into the villa, Chloe was supposed to alarm her immediately. Captured in dreams and inhaling the pure beauty of nature, Julia was often lost in thoughts.

#3 WAY BACK HOME

The winter approached and the first signs were already visible. The weather became clearly worse. It was much colder and rainier, even though this was hard to imagine. The wind was stronger and the sky wasn't beautiful anymore. Julia felt like a prisoner in the villa. Marcus Lucius had his training sessions when he moved naturally and fluently in the back yard no matter what the weather was like. He was sweating a lot, but he got wet from the rain anyway.

In the meanwhile, Julia covered herself with three blankets. Marcus Lucius brought her a fur coat. It was more comfortable to warm up her skinny body. He brought her more proper clothes. They were a bit too large, but if she tied the ribbons in a specific way, then her dresses were suiting perfectly. He was entranced when she wore them. She didn't ask how he afforded the money for it and he didn't ask her how she liked the new clothes.

She started to sleep more relaxed during the nights and wasn't a bundle full of fears and doubts anymore. Marcus Lucius was relieved to hear her regular breath and to see her arms hugging a pillow. Sometimes when she moved, he could easily see her face. She looked tired, and if he had a poetry sense in his heart, he would describe how beautiful, stunning and amazing she was.

One day, Nerva came back from Aquincium. After he washed, he wasn't ready to rest as he hadn't seen Octavian for a longer while. Although peace and order returned to the area, Nerva stayed at Appius's side. It still wasn't clever to regularly send a messenger on the same track. There was no need for it and the standard messenger had to take over the standard tasks. Attracting attention by presenting a friendship stronger than expected wasn't a good move. For no reason you say let sleeping dogs lie. Additionally, Nerva had to rest. Travelling was exhausting, even though he never complaint. Appius made sure that Nerva got enough time to recover. He turned a blind eye on Nerva's nightly moments of entertainment as long as his soldier was getting better.

Nerva brought letters and a fresh wind of home. Before anyone read anything, dinner was served and the mood was easy, delightful. Julia was excited and her fingers trembled agitated. Seeing Nerva was almost like having Italian clouds and air around her. Marcus Lucius was relieved seeing Julia so free and unbent. Octavian was pleased to eat a meal with his friends. During the last weeks, he missed Nerva a lot and Marcus Lucius could hardly fill the space left. Marcus Lucius became a a fellow, a companion, but not yet a friend like Nerva. Octavian had experienced so many strategic occurrences with Nerva that kept them close as brothers.

Nerva talked and talked. As a welcomed guest, he took over the pleasant duty to entertain everybody. They all sat at the table and savoured the moment. When the evening changed into the night, Julia stood up and excused herself for going to rest. Suddenly, she slapped Nerva on his back and wished everyone good night. Nerva gave her the letter from Appius and smiled friendlier than ever. He was a bit shocked by Julia's behaviour. After exchanging opinions with Octavian, Nerva had rather expected hell freezing over than a friendly gesture like this from Julia. Nerva liked initiative and fire in women, but when it was Julia, he was overwhelmed and disarmed. The others felt the same way and nobody was even able to say any goodbye word.

Julia laughed silently, but brightly when she left the room. Her voice echoed for some seconds and it was a very enjoyable change. Octavian, Nerva and Marcus Lucius looked at each other. They were in a good mood, too. It was infectious like a disease. After the first wave of enthusiasm and joy, they kept serious silence. They drunk more wine than usually. They didn't speak about serious things anymore, instead they dedicated themselves to the red, red wine and careless jokes. When the time came, they saluted for good night and everyone went to sleep. On shaking legs with swinging hips, they went to their own rooms.

Marcus Lucius flew like a galley of the kind that fought in the wars of Assyria, ancient Phoenicia, Greece, Carthage and Rome. Already at the sight of him, you could easily recognize the power captured in his body. His muscles on the arms weren't tensed, but visible. His minimal smile wasn't artificially polite, but friendly. He was accompanied by Cornelius's soldiers. They were everywhere and slowly, he could go through the roof. His self-control was trained with the same routine and motivation like his muscles. Cornelius's legionnaires were impressed by the congenial appearance of Marcus Lucius, because he always responded to their salutations and never said an annoying word. They respected him and expected to turn a blind eye to Marcus Lucius, when he was near to Julia. She was his wife and usually, married people in Rome showed their sexual affection to each other. Julia and her husband weren't this type of Roman citizens. Cornelius's soldiers appreciated the will to have privacy and therefore, they didn't react when Marcus Lucius and Julia stayed together. After the first nights, Cornelius's legionnaires were sure that there were no acts of violence between the married couple. They seemed to be a happy, lovely pair of souls just like the pairs from stories told in the epics.

Marcus Lucius stopped in front of Julia's bedroom doors and wasn't sure whether he was allowed to go into the room or whether he should sleep in his own bed this night. After all, he was drunk which could trigger a less polite look of Julia. He stood in the floor for a longer while and couldn't decide what to do. Still uncertain, he perceived a motion in Julia's room. He reacted immediately. He jumped like a lion and within seconds, he was in the middle of the chamber. He looked around. The light was dimmed, barley enough to see, but a skilled, trained soldier was able to recognize the shapes of different objects. He saw the blurry edges of a wooden sideboard, a rough, heavy table and two comfortable chairs, Julia left her dress in a chaotic way. Then, he looked to the bed and saw Julia's shape. She wasn't sleeping. Her eyes sparkled in the night like two little, magic stars. He came to her and kissed her passionately. She had soft, pleasant lips and warm, delightful skin. He held her face in his hands and kissed chaotically, quickly, greedily. She returned the kiss, surprised by her openness and lacking resistance. It was a good feeling she had inside her heart.

As sudden as it all begun, it stopped. Marcus Lucius remembered Decima and was too confused to continue. He thought it wasn't right. Julia was too kind and too unreachable for him to get dirty. It would be his fault, if she would lose her innocence. It would be unforgettable. It would be dishonest. Even if it's easier to forgive than forget, he definitely would never forget his guilt and he would blame himself for using her for his own, bodily needs. To err is human, but he didn't want to be the kind of man, who behaves wrongly on purpose. He was supposed to protect her and not to charm her. Finally, he promised Appius to stay away from any emotional relationship with Julia so that their relation would stay within the scope of friendship and solidarity.

-We should forget that it happened. - He whispered and put her gently aside.

-To forget is divine. - She answered insecure and upset.

-To forgive is divine. - He corrected her. He wondered why she changed the phrase deliberately. There was a hidden meaning behind it.

-I won't sleep here anymore. - His statement was clear and independent from any earlier remark.

Julia nodded sadly. She didn't like this idea, so she added in a dimmed voice:

-We should keep pretending having a good marriage. You should stay here. I will slide more to the edge of the bed. You will have enough space and you won't be able to touch me at all as usually.

He thought about it shortly and agreed. If they behaved like this during the last weeks, he could behave one further night according to the stabilized, unwritten rules.

-Let it be so, huh.

He took off his armour, beheld his tunic on, and fell into the bed. He closed his eyes and let the wine undertake the rest. He fell asleep immediately like any other man after drinking some glasses of good wine. Before she could react in any way, he was already in Morpheus's arms.

For Julia is wasn't as easy. She was confused and insecure, full of thoughts filling thousands days of analysing what it all could have meant. It was a fight between her heart and her mind. Neither the heart nor the mind could win alone. Just if they merged their powers, there could be a happy end. As long as they were rivals, there was no chance for any solution and the fight between them could burn like the endless fire of Burning Mountain (Mt Wingen), near to Newcastle and Singleton. According to scientific estimates the fire has been burning for approximately 6,000 years and is the oldest known coal fire. The coal probably started burning through spontaneous combustion, possibly caused by the oxidation of sulfur rich minerals in the coal. The smoke can be seen coming up through cracks and vents in the surface and the traces of where it has been burning in the past are visible, as well. The same kind of determined fire burnt in Julia, while her heart supported the optimistic theory of eternal love and true friendship, her mind whispered convincing, logical theses about settled duties and agreed subordination.

Julia felt the fire was set with purpose. She didn't have it inside of her earlier. The fire started in the moment she saw Marcus Lucius for the very first time when he protected her, independently for which reasons. The fire started like in the case of a priestess from the Ancient Greece igniting a torch by placing it inside a parabolic mirror which focuses the sun's rays and initiating the Olympic torch. Julia knew that the phase of carrying the flame to the host city's Olympic stadium took a while, and she was sure that the fight inside her would last longer than just one night, one week, one month... She was waiting for a final solution. She knew that everything she had was fragile and temporary. To estimate the amount of time that would flow down a river until the situation was cleared was not possible. She wished to freeze the moment and was scared of the second the magic was lost. She was directly next to the crucial, breaking point and she didn't want to go any further. The beauty of her life could vanish any minute. That scared her.

She wasn't able to fall asleep, so she lay in the bed with eyes wide open and stared at Marcus Lucius. She savoured the moment as long it lasted. He slept peacefully and freely. His scent was mixed with the smell of wine and it was a wonderful, seductive mixture. She collected her whole power, courage and overstepped the border. She stroked his cheek the way she did it a couple of times when he was unconscious during the first part of the journey. She did it in the past, because she was totally sure that he wasn't able to feel her touch consciously. She dared to touch him again. He smiled and moved his head into her direction. She got afraid and retracted from the path of courage and bravery. However, her hand stayed some millimetres above his face for a while as if she wasn't sure whether she would dare to stroke him again.

Then, she returned to her duties. At first, she undressed his tunic carefully. Normally, he did it on his own, but this time, he was drunk. So, she took off his tunic and woollen trousers, which wasn't an easy task. In the end, he was just his subligaria, underpants. She noticed that her work wasn't needed anymore. The wound had healed perfectly. Just scars reminded her of the past. However, she wanted to do it for one last time. It was a good excuse to touch his skin without raising any attention. So she left the bed, went to the sideboard where the medicine was and brought the stinking substances. She rubbed them into his wounded places, quitting the cleaning procedure due to the circumstances of this event. He didn't smell so seductive anymore, but he was still desirable. She lay next to him and struggled with what to do. With the time spent with Marcus Lucius, she felt as if she was back from that soul vacation she had to take after marrying Maxentius. She wasn't used to feel desire or temptation. It was a new feeling to her. She wasn't sure how to deal with it. There was an internal devil telling her to cross the borders, but she knew it wasn't right. There were too many unknowns and too many risks related to the state she was in.

When he woke up, the sun was already above the horizon and the entire room was filled with the light of the day. Immediately, he noticed his missing clothes and tried to remember whether he undressed himself or whether he got some sort of help. Missing clothes weren't his only unknown. Julia wasn't next to him. She wasn't even in the room. He stood up, took his tunic and dressed himself quickly. Within minutes, he was on the way to the lobby. He didn't find her there. She wasn't in the kitchen, neither. He went through the entire house and wasn't able to locate her. Cornelius's guards were away from their positions, too. Neither Octavian nor Nerva were in sight. Marcus Lucius had the impression that the villa was almost empty. Apart from the slaves in the working rooms, there was no soul he needed to meet. It was frustrating.

He had a kind of headache that he could live with. He needed to breathe some fresh air, so he went to the backyard. The air was freezing and the direct sun was blending him. He moved his hand to his forehead to be able to see anything. Some legionnaires, who were guarding him and the convoy from Aquincium, stood there and talked. They saluted. He saluted back, in reflex.

-Where are the others? - He asked angrily.

-Tribune Cornelius asked them to visit him.

-Is Julia Fabia accompanied by Octavian and Nerva? - Marcus Lucius was confused. He was deeply worried what all this could mean. He didn't want to lose Julia. She was his ray of sunshine that enlightened his life, even if she was so nearly unreachable.

-Yes.

-When did they go? - He tried to stay focussed and to collect as many pieces of information he could.

-The messenger came here shortly after the sunrise. It didn't take long for everybody to leave the villa. We assume they might come back any moment.

-Why do you assume it?

-Octavian ordered to wake you up when noon comes. He ordered to request you to support them, if they are not back yet.

-So he wanted to be back here before noon. - Marcus Lucius spoke rather with himself than with the soldier.

Just after the talk, in the moment he wanted to take his horse and ride to Cornelius, he heard a noise outside the villa. He jumped to the gate and ordered to open it. The guard announced Julia's come back. Marcus Lucius felt extremely relieved. In the first possible moment, he stopped the cortege and searched for Julia. Only when he saw her safe and sound, his fears disappeared for a moment. He wanted to know what Cornelius's invitation was about, but the most important was Julia's presence.

-Is everything fine? - He asked quietly.

-Yes. - Her short answer wasn't satisfying, but gave him a kind of good feeling anyway.

-Good, good. - He said hastily, and accompanied her across the back yard on the way to the villa. He ignored Cornelius's soldiers, who followed them closely. Octavian and Nerva saluted him and pulled back. Apparently, they had their own matters to discuss. Octavian didn't make a nervous impression, but Nerva wasn't laughing even if he used to smirk. Marcus Lucius felt that something wasn't all right, but he wasn't sure what it was. The only almost sure fact was the assumption that Marcus Lucius's false identity wasn't betrayed, otherwise, he would already have got a special kind of visit.

As Marcus Lucius and Julia sat comfortably in the lobby, the lunch was served. The girl didn't eat anything. She simply observed how Marcus Lucius ate the meat of a boar and how he stared at her. She didn't say a word, but she wasn't happy. Her face was polite, almost like on the day shortly before Cornelius's visit. He thought that any question would sound stupid. He would surely target the wrong topic. If Julia didn't say anything, she probably had her reasons to keep the information from Cornelius's soldiers standing just a few meters away or she was angry with something. He analysed whether he behaved inappropriately last evening, but he wasn't sure. As he woke up, he couldn't say for sure whether he had sex last night or not. He was almost naked, Julia wasn't there anymore. He knew that he saw her before he fell asleep, but he wasn't sure what happened in detail. It was confusing. He promised Appius to keep his hands off Julia, but to take care of her. It would look completely silly, if he would have asked her "Did we do it or not?" It would be humiliating.

He ate without getting any peace of mind. When he finished, he went to wash his hands. They were full of fat. Then, he announced going to the bedroom because of his headache and other pains. Julia was afraid he really suffered. However, it wasn't the case. During his walks and during his trainings, he could still feel the wounds he had, but it wasn't painful anymore. Almost half a year had passed already since the ambush day. He healed better than expected. His inconvenience was his hangover.

Julia followed him to the bedroom and her first question was "What kind of pain do you have?". Sorrow showed in her eyes and her hands trembled nervously.

-I am not in pain, it was just an excuse to leave the room and leave the watch dogs behind. - He said and she got a kind of angry look. He was sure she was not happy about him lying to her, but she was mad at herself that she cared about him so much.

-I understand. - She answered after a moment.

He took her hand and pulled her away from the curtain that was the only border holding them away from Cornelius's soldiers. Her hand was cold. He took her other hand into his hands and rubbed them. He wanted her to feel good and he knew that she didn't like low temperatures. He held her hands as high as his chest and she was able to feel the echo of his heartbeat. They stood very close to each other. Julia wore a wonderful, bright green dress with sleeves for official visits. It was one of the few, warm dresses he dared to buy her and she didn't comment it in any way. He wasn't sure whether she was happy or unhappy by his gesture. Her clothes weren't warm enough to save her from trembling. Within a few moves, he jumped to a chair where her blanket laid and came back. Then, he covered her like a caterpillar and rubbed her backs.

-What was this visit about? - He asked finally. He thought she kept him long enough in insecurity. He used to be patient, but even he had some limits.

-I assume that we have a problem. - She whispered with a trembling voice.

He pulled her closer so that her head almost landed on his shoulder and her body, wrapped into the blanket, was almost touching his body covered just by his red tunic.

-What kind of problem? - He whispered calmly in her ear.

-Cornelius would like me to accompany him. He plans to visit my father. He would like to leave the camp this week and take me with him. He mentioned that it wasn't agreed that I stay in Britannia over winter. - She reported goal-oriented and quickly. Her tone was neutral. Her lips and hands were shaky, but she didn't show any symptoms of a panic attack. In general, she was quite calm, too. Maybe due to Marcus Lucius's peaceful body language, Julia's mind cooled down.

-What do you think about it?

-Officially, I am your wife, so I don't have the same opinion as you have. - She was politically correct and on the safe side of the line.

-What opinion should I have then? - He smiled.

She didn't find it funny, so she stayed serious. Cornelius's attitude today showed her how unimportant her opinion was. He simply ordered her to go with him. She tried excuses like "I will have to speak about this with my husband". Cornelius didn't like it and underlined the statement that such consultations weren't a part of the agreement between Julius Fabius and Maxentius. As a woman, Julia wasn't allowed to be present during the negotiations of the marriage contract or to get any information related to it. Marcus Lucius didn't have a clue what could have been arranged. He knew the Julii family from stories his mother had told. They were an influential group of individuals who acted together in a coordinated way. He would have sent anyone to his mother to get any piece of information from a chit-chat helpful to make the relevant decisions. There was no time for it. They couldn't both leave Britannia. They couldn't stay there together either. There was no shiny, happy, peaceful future in front of them. The fragile plan started to break like a tea cup getting a crack.

-What do you intend to do? - She asked after he kept silent for a longer while.

-I am not sure. I would prefer you to stay here now. The winter comes and the journey will be hard. It's not easy to travel here in winter.

She noticed only the part with "now" and the rest was irrelevant. Her heart wanted him to say "forever" and her mind wished to hear a time limited period. Her sanity could celebrate a victory.

-For that reason Cornelius said we should set forth on a journey immediately. - She added with the sad tone predefined by the state of her heart. - He doesn't like the winter here. He says it's too cold and it makes him sick. He wants to give you the command of the camp.

He picked out the gloomy issue and wasn't sure how to interpret it. Was she sad because she had to wait until the end of the week or because she had to go home or had to leave. As far as Marcus Lucius could judge, Julia didn't like the climate here. He wished to cheer her up and gave her some good memories before she was supposed to go back to Naples. Retrospectively, Marcus Lucius knew why she had so many Greek issues. Already standing just few centimetres away from her, he was sure that he will miss her warmth and scent, her lovely voice declaiming samples from Homer's epics and her body covered in a blanket which made her look like a juicy, slim caterpillar. He thought about women, who used every remedy possible to look pretty and wore beautiful dresses, complicated hairdos, and they still weren't as cute and gorgeous as Julia. The pieces of her put together made an impressively wonderful being.

-We shouldn't give Cornelius any reason to act against us, so I'll talk to him to arrange your journey. I confirm to him taking over the task of leading the castra. - Marcus Lucius had to take over the leading position and supervise the camp as he was supposed to directly after his arrival in Eboracum. - You shouldn't be worried. Maybe it's just a signal for me to start behave the way I had to act finally or Cornelius really doesn't like winter here as you, which would implicate that you have this attitude in your family blood.

He tried to be funny to improve the bad mood captured in the air and fulfilling them increasingly with every further breath. The attempt wasn't successful, so he had to suggest something else.

-You know, I didn't ride for weeks, so it could be a very bad beginning, but I'm going out. Would you like to come with me?

She understood that he wanted to prepare himself and maybe even her for a goodbye. She agreed to go with him ignoring the freezing air outside. He ordered her to dress properly and while she was preparing herself for a short afternoon, he went to Octavian and talked to him.

-We have to accept the conditions we get. We shouldn't start any resistance actions, which could blow the entire plan. - Marcus Lucius confirmed the statement given already to Julia.

Octavian nodded and added that Cornelius insisted to take Julia with him. It wasn't common. A married woman was supposed to stay by her husband's side. Her further family had no more the crucial role in her life. However, the family could force a divorce, if there was another, a better candidate to marry. It was usual in noble society to make a married woman divorce from her man to give her the opportunity to marry someone more important and influential. Marcus Lucius knew it. Octavian knew it. Nobody talked about it aloud.

-If she is not supposed to come back, I won't pretend being Maxentius anymore. - Marcus Lucius's words sounded like a warning. He considered that Julia might have to get a new husband and her freedom from the life full of fiction. If it was the case, he could more easily go and have his revenge.

Octavian followed Marcus Lucius's thoughts, even if their details remained unspoken. The news about a short trip was simply swallowed up by Octavian without any comment. Instead, he got the task to go back to Cornelius and give him Marcus Lucius's feedback.

-You will accompany her until we get to know more about Julius Fabius's plans. If she will be harmed in any way, I will find you and punish you for your inattentiveness. Do you understand?

Octavian nodded. He knew this tone from Appius, but never before had he heard such a determination from Marcus Lucius. It wasn't a good sign, but a severe, explicit warning. It meant real danger.

-Why don't you send Nerva with her? - Octavian asked.

-Nerva is a womaniser, and she needs a stable, reliable rock instead. - Marcus Lucius answered quickly. He still sounded seriously.

-And you take her now for a ride just to distract her, right?

For a good observer as Marcus Lucius, this emotionless tone was just a deception manoeuvre. Octavian had some feelings for Julia, but Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what kind of feelings were kept secretly in the legionnaire's soul.

-That's the reason why you will supervise her, even if Cornelius's soldiers will make your task harder. You will take two or three men with you so that you can immediately inform me about anything what will just happen. Understood?

-Yes. - Octavian saluted and the topic was closed with the gesture of his arm.

Marcus Lucius didn't force Julia to wait long for him. The ride was wonderfully brisk, stimulating. The cold, fresh air was pleasant to breathe. However, quite strong wind wasn't friendly, but Julia held Marcus Lucius strongly. She sat behind him after he helped her to climb up. He had a determined, professional touch directed to obey purposed actions. An origin of a smile was visible on his lips. Julia looked happy, even relieved.

After leaving the camp, he took her up to the North. After they left behind two villages, a huge, impressive landscape occurred. Julia doubted whether any further village would be built there. She thought they were riding up to the end of the world. She didn't mind if they would never return to Eboracum. She felt free for the very first time while she looked to the partially frozen trees with very few leaves. They looked almost naked, but proud, straight, sized like a giant. The ground was slippery. Julia could hear ice breaking while the horse stepped into frozen water puddles on a previously swampy road between the woods. Marcus Lucius's horse was fast and decent like his owner. It was the horse that was present during the ambush, a black beauty with smart eyes. It moved dynamically, quickly, goal-oriented. Julia waited for it to spread its invisible wings and to start flying like a Pegasus, one of the best known mythological creatures in Greek mythology. Marcus Lucius called him Hiberus and visited him after every training. From the moment, Marcus Lucius could leave the bed he went to his loyal friend and companion. Hiberus didn't like any other person was to touch him and would only calm down when Marcus Lucius was near. It was magical and Julia wished to have such a lovely, reliable horse, too. If she had one, she would run away quickly and nobody ever would find her. That was her dream. She wasn't thinking about the day after tomorrow. There was no future she could imagine.

She hugged Marcus Lucius stronger as if she wouldn't believe having him in front of her. She was just able to see the road from the corner of her eye. The speed brought her joy and relief. It calmed her down in a way she never felt before. Even with depressive thoughts in her mind, she wasn't afraid of dying. She wished to ride further and further, and to never come back or to stop.

At the same time, Marcus Lucius felt her fists on his belly, even through his thick, multilayered clothes, he was still able to perceive the small, tensed fists and felt good. At least, Julia was next to him and he knew she felt well. He enjoyed the air on the face, which reminded him about the journeys he experienced. He took more or less long trips with different speeds. Usually, the gallop was combined with rare moments of going into inconsiderable battles on the borders of the empire. The fights weren't as huge as the battle you could remember as the Battle of Sarmisegetuza led by King Decebalus, during which his father fell supporting the emperor Trajan against the Dacians. Actually, according to news from Appius, a revolt had started among the Jewish diaspora in Cyrenaica. Marcus Lucius thought he would kill Quintus first. Then, he would go to Judaea Province and fight. The probability of being killed there was high, therefore he wished to be banished there.

"The truth will come out." Marcus Lucius thought and his intention was to let it pop open on his conditions. He wished Julia to stay save and happy. He wished to fall in a fight, not in an execution. He wanted to go on the other side of life and become a part of the afterlife. He wanted a peaceful end without causing problems. He looked to the sky and saw bright blue shadows with white clouds like a mix of huge, blue M&Ms in vanilla ice cream. The first snowflakes fell. Marcus Lucius forced the horse to stop. Then, he descended and helped Julia down as well. As they stood on the frozen, slippery ground captured between the trees on a primitive road, he looked up and enjoyed the snowflakes.

-When I was in Britannia ten years ago, I liked the snow. I learnt to like it here. - He said with a special amusement in the voice. He had childish, but seductive sparks in his eyes as he glimpsed at Julia shortly. The memories about his father were vivid in his mind. He was lucky to get to know the great Maximus personally.

-What else do you like here? - She asked as she opened her hand to try to catch the snowflakes. She observed how they melted on her skin. Up to now, she didn't appreciate the cold, rough climate here. Without Marcus Lucius, she wouldn't even waste a second to look at the snow so closely. She liked panoramas, she liked the open landscapes, but she didn't enjoy the low temperatures. Therefore, she had stopped climbing to the roof of the villa. She covered herself in blankets and waited for the spring to come. Now, she experienced a new aspect of winter. She started to like it. His lack of answers didn't bother her at the moment. She was distracted by nature.

Marcus Lucius let the horse walk away for some meters to rest. He slapped it friendly, gently. Hiberus liked it and you could hear its satisfied whinny. Meters away, an owl groaned then it was silent again. Julia stood with stretched hands and watched the snow falling onto them. Marcus Lucius went some steps away, turned around and looked to the open landscape. It was stunning and beautiful. In the summer, the whole surrounding was amazingly green. The hills played with the sky and created a soft line from the heavenly white and blue and the earthy colours of the ground and the naked trees. It was a perfect moment to breathe in peace.

He turned around and looked at Julia. She was still concentrated on the snow flakes. She looked like the people, who love to see the first piece of snow in the winter, although they wish there would be only one snowy day. She didn't know it, but there were over thirty main snowflakes which she could recognise from just looking closely at them. Actually, she made the impression of starting such an analysis.

-They look differently, but the same at once. How is it possible? - She whispered, but didn't stretch out her arm towards him. He had to come closer. His breath destroyed the fragile structure and doused the visibility of the snowflakes that hadn't melted yet. Julia didn't know that it is indeed extremely unlikely that two complex snowflakes could look exactly alike. She was fascinated and dreamy.

He wasn't able to explain it to her. He knew that snowflakes weren't frozen raindrops, but they all fell from the clouds. He observed some winters in different regions and already knew that when the temperature wasn't too low, snowflakes became much larger, light. The fall could get the form of a ball, rather than a flake. There were graupel, and sleet, and various snow grains. It was important to know, when your fight was settled in such times. Taking into consideration the weather conditions, was strategically crucial. A sword blade which was frozen in a scabbard could be the reason why you would be wounded or even dead, when enemy attacked you by surprise.

Marcus Lucius sighted. Julia turned her head towards him. Her hair fell down freely and looked nice without the steady control of hair clasps. She looked relaxed and it was a welcomed change. Her cheeks were red, her hand trembled from the cold. Their eyes met and their looks were rather cheeky. They didn't think about the past or the future. It was the time for carpe diem and no considerations.

Marcus Lucius came closer to her steadily gazing.

-Kiss me. - She whispered.

He refused with his head's movement.

-Kiss me as if you would kiss your wife. - She almost begged and noticed that she overstepped the border. Her cheeks became red for another reason. He refused again. He had to control himself with highest attention and intense power. If he hadn't promised to Appius, if he hadn't have to pretend being someone else, if he had gotten the revenge for Decima and be sure that Julia could stay protected and unharmed, he would have kissed her. There were too many responsibilities that couldn't be ignored. He came closer and hugged her. She was confused.

-One day, we will come here again and I will do anything you order. I promise. - He said quietly as his hug became stronger.

She wasn't able to be sad. He was right. There were too many issues involved that it was silly to add another challenge that could make it more complicated like building a spider's web by a group of spiders at the same time. One bad or false movement and they were both lost. Even hidden from all people in the wildest corner of the woods, they didn't feel free enough to follow the wish they had in their hearts. Life used to be complicated, even if the intensions sometimes were so obvious like the blue sky with white clouds over our heads.

She wanted to say something overwhelmed by a further surprising attack of courage, probably due to the words he said. But when she said "I", Marcus Lucius stepped back and laid the hand over her mouth. With the other hand, he signalled her to keep silence. His face changed the expression and looked concentrated. His muscles were tense. Within seconds, he turned back and kept holding her with the right arm.

Julia noticed the four warriors only the moment they appeared out of nowhere. One of them tried to steal Marcus Lucius's horse. The three other crept up on Marcus Lucius and Julia. The enemy circled around and Marcus Lucius stayed almost motionless. Julia thought that he should start fighting. She was afraid of being attacked. She looked around nervously. Marcus Lucius was the calmness himself. The more scared she was, the more relaxed he was.

At once, the three men attacked Marcus Lucius. Julia panicked and screamed. Marcus Lucius looked shortly to her. He pushed her aside, behind his back. If someone wanted to get her, they had to step past him first. Within seconds, he fought with three offenders so quickly that Julia wasn't able to follow his moves. She wasn't sure where he got his sword from and how often she heard the unpleasant sound of metallic, groaning rasping. The horrible grids were accompanied by drops of blood and Julia hoped that Marcus Lucius wasn't harmed. Jarring in the air didn't scare Marcus Lucius's horse. He moved a bit, struggled and resisted without any panic when one of the offenders tried to lead Hiberus away.

Within some moments, the fight was over. Marcus Lucius turned back to Julia immediately to see whether she was really unharmed. He was sorrowed, because she had some blood drops on her clothes and face. He wiped off the drops of offenders' blood from her skin and grinned broadly. He himself had just "some scratches" as he described it. He smiled, difficult to describe and understand for Julia. He had missed the fever of a fight in the last weeks. He was a killing machine and without fights, he was drying out like a plant without water in a sunny surrounding. Suddenly, he kissed her passionately, shortly. She was surprised and didn't do anything. When she finally was able to react, he was already helping her to ride the horse. Sitting on Hiberus, she watched as he went from one dead body to another to check the faces of his enemies. From one of them, he took a dagger with sculptural shaft. He peered at the weapon and hid it.

-They are not from here. They're from the North. - He said as nothing would have happened after the short fight.

Julia wondered how he came to these conclusions. He noticed her interested gaze, smiled and admired the view.

-They're wearing warm clothes. They spoke the dialect I know from further North. I didn't understand everything. I spent a while in the North before. My father sent me there for a month, with Appius, to train.

Julia wondered about it. She didn't hear anybody speaking. Then, she didn't know how long he had been here before and what he had learnt. She didn't have many information about Marcus Lucius. He noticed the question marks in her eyes.

-Before I've joined the army, my father sent for me. I was here for a year, because my father was here. He came as support, because there were some problems with the local population. The Roman emperor was not happy the Celtic warriors started attacking his soldiers. It was complicated. My father was responsible for establishing peace.

-Did he succeed? - Julia asked after she listened attentively to every word he spoke.

-Yes, he did.

Then, he stopped explaining anything. He signalled her to be quiet again. He looked around and seemed to be tense again. She thought he was like her dog, that could feel someone's presence and pricked up his ears to be able to hear better. Marcus Lucius wasn't tense in a nervous way, more prepared and focussed. He moved slowly ignoring Julia's presence. He had the weird ability to look at her intensively, but in reality looking through her as if she would be air. At the same time, she wasn't sure whether he wasn't capable to search within the deepest corner of her soul. He wasn't smiling, but appeared friendly. His moves were fluent, minimal, but continuous. Then, he screamed something that Julia didn't understand. It sounded like a sentence, it wasn't just one word. Julia was scared, but tried not to show it. Hiberus startled. The surrounding became so strange and unknown to Julia that she felt insecure by not being able to be aware of every detail. She had already missed the first attackers and now, she apparently wasn't able to look through the camouflage of new enemies.

Just like plants and animals, the strange attackers had developed stunning characteristics and brilliant mechanisms to defend themselves passively or to observe their surrounding without being noticed. Obviously, Marcus Lucius had the skills to see them just like predators are able to target their victims. Julia wasn't able to see anyone, although she tried very hard. Her eyes became tired by the unsuccessful attempts.

With the same intensity she could have tried to look for the Indonesian Mimic Octopus and she wouldn't identify it. The animal has a unique ability to turn into virtually any colour or pattern. It is naturally brown, spotted but it can change its colour into ghost white or magnificent blue or fiery red or even mysterious pink, if it is needed. Though many representatives of the octopus family are known to change colour and skin texture, only the Mimic Octopus can take on the shape and features of other animals and surroundings. Julia missed the forest for the trees.

Marcus Lucius seemed to be able to identify everybody. After he screamed, a moment passed by before he got an answer. Julia didn't understand it again. It was a strange language. She trembled as she heard an unknown voice from somewhere close. Marcus Lucius didn't look scared, rather interested. He stretched the hands to the air and held his sword in the right hand. With the left hand, he reached for Julia. She wasn't sure whether she should give him his hand or not. He pointed at her with his arm, but he didn't touch her. Then again, he said something and it didn't take long, until some strangers appeared from the woods. As they came, they greeted him with a minimal movement of their heads. He nodded shortly, too. Julia stayed on the horse and her body felt like a piece of wood. She wondered about the whole situation. It was like dreaming a nightmare. Her heartbeat increased rapidly.

Marcus Lucius and the three men talked shortly. Julia was paralysed, but tried to get a closer look at the strangers. Their faces were quite white, they had big, full beards and dark, wild eyes. One of them had red, curly hair tied together. He was thicker than his companions and his fingers were fat, plump. The other two were as black as pitch and had hollow cheeks. Their height was comparable with Marcus Lucius's posture.

After a short talk, they disappeared into the woods and Marcus Lucius waited a while before he turned to Julia and politely but decisively ordered to ride back. She nodded automatically, without deliberating. Within seconds, he sat directly behind Julia on Hiberus. Hiberus stayed mostly calm since that stranger, who tried to steal him, was killed by Marcus Lucius. The spontaneous and strange meeting with the people from the woods didn't impress the animal at all.

Then, Marcus Lucius clapped on the horse's neck and they started riding back to Eboracum. The way seemed to be shorter than before. Julia felt the wind on her face and it wasn't pleasant. It whipped her strongly and she had to cry. She felt that Marcus Lucius was tense but quiet. Hiberus was galloping so fast that the girl thought the animal was almost flying. It didn't seem like the wished for flight on a Pegasus. She wanted to go back to Italy, where the air was warmer and people were friendlier.

As they returned, Marcus Lucius was still quiet and if Julia knew him better, she would have even described him as a bit nervous. He accompanied her quickly to her chamber and went out. Julia followed him secretly and saw how he shortly talked to Nerva. Nerva nodded hastily and seemed to be worried. Then, Nerva went to another part of the villa, apparently searching for Octavian, and Marcus Lucius turn around to come back to Julia.

When she saw this she quickly went back to the chamber. She didn't want him to know that she followed him. She was fast: she ran like thunder to be in her room before Marcus Lucius. She didn't mind the bruises she got while she hooked twice on columns. Hastily, but with a lucky smile, she landed on her bed with a rapidly moving chest. She was tired and tried to make an innocent impression when Marcus Lucius stepped into the room again.

-You need to rest. - She said.

He gave her a short look and noticed her excitement, but he didn't comment on it. She was sure that she tricked him, so she smiled brighter, satisfied. He didn't want to upset her right now. She needed a cheerful moment, during such hard days.

Instead of coming to her, Marcus Lucius stared at her and stayed like a sculpture for a longer while. Her smile vanished and he went to the heavy, wooden desk and sat down at the table next to the massive piece of furniture. The moment of cheerfulness was over. The seriousness came back to the room. He laid his arms on the desk's surface and seemed to be completely absorbed in thoughts.

-I'll bring you something to eat. - Julia suggested, but he didn't react. There was something in his look that made her uneasy.

Actually, it wasn't a task for a Roman lady to serve food, but she needed to go out and talk with Octavian. She had already a structure of a plan, but she needed to clear some details with herself.

While Marcus Lucius totally ignored her, she fled to Octavian. At first, she asked Cornelius's soldiers to stay at her husband's door and observe him. He wasn't supposed to leave the room now. He had to rest. The two legionnaires nodded, but were visibly surprised by her request. She didn't use to talk with them at all. It was indeed the very first time she said something directly to them. Cornelius ordered them to listen to her, but up to now there was no opportunity for it. As they confirmed to her to keep watch, she smiled and thanked them. Without any further delay, she set off in the targeted direction. Starting with small steps, she ended up with the second run she accomplished that day. She ran past the cold walls and stylish, proud columns that appeared to her rather like marble soldiers than just classic pillars for holding the roof.

On her way through the villa, she organized her thoughts. She was full of emotions, but for the very first time, she knew inside what she wanted to do. She needed help and Octavian was the only person she could involve into her plan. He wasn't a kind of a man she liked from the very beginning. She even hated him for his impersonal, cold appearance and the pain he caused. She never forgot how he had burnt Marcus Lucius chest. It was necessary, but she would have felt more comfortable about it, if Octavian had explained the reasons for his actions. After Marcus Lucius's condition was better and observing how a friendship developing between Marcus Lucius and Octavian, Julia needed to use the tiny, but strong thread between the men.

Out of breath, she stepped into the room where Octavian used to stay, when he wasn't accompanying her or Marcus Lucius. Julia knew where Octavian's place was, because she had talked twice to the slaves taking care of the house order. They secretly explained to her how to come to every corner of this villa and even showed her some hideouts. The slaves were friendly, because they were satisfied with her being the domina of the house. Julia used to treat them in a good, polite way. It was impossible not enjoying serving her. She never had any special wishes and was always very kind in praising the service of the servants.

The guards in front of Octavian's room stepped aside when they saw Julia coming. They didn't speak a word and let her come into the room. She had an iron, determined expression in her eyes as if she wasn't ready and willing to explain anything. She emitted the kind of energy that couldn't be stopped. The guards didn't follow her.

Octavian lay on his bed. His eyes were closed, but as he noticed a movement or a noise in the room, he stood up automatically. When he noticed her, he saluted. He wondered what she was doing in his room. She wasn't able to talk because she was out of breath, so he waited a moment until her breath calmed down.

-You have to convince him to flee. He should flee before my wagon starts rolling. - She whispered stuttering still fighting against the exertion of the run. There was no welcoming phrase, there was no introduction. The iron shades in the eyes emitted seriousness. Octavian didn't doubt the determination behind her action, but he couldn't recognize her reasons.

-What are you talking about? - Octavian was still overwhelmed by her surprising appearance.

-Marcus Lucius has to flee. It's a perfect plan and if you help him, he may have his revenge on the man who killed his wife.

Octavian shook his head with automatic, spontaneous refusal. However, he didn't think Julia's statement was inconsistent, nor out of nowhere. There was no foothold where he could start following her thoughts. She looked him in the eyes. His face wasn't covered with the expression of surprise anymore. It looked ordinary: no emotions, just a cold surface of rational attitude. Julia knew that she had to explain way what she meant in more detailed, in order for Octavian to understand her. She stepped forward and whispered so quietly that he had to strain himself to listen to her.

-If Marcus Lucius flees now, then nobody of us will be harmed. Appius could say he supported me and didn't know who was on my side. I could say that my husband is a faint-hearted, when I reach my father's house. You could easily return to Appius after you brought me to Naples. Marcus Lucius can have his vengeance. Everybody will be satisfied.

They stood very close and Octavian felt her warmth and her breath on his shoulder. The scent of her hair was desirable. The words she spoke sounded logical. However, he was not convinced.

-Marcus Lucius is no faint-hearted and he won't leave the legions just for his personal reasons.

-Maybe he is not, but Maxentius was. - Julia sounded unfamiliar with the iron note in her voice.

Octavian nodded while he was still thinking about what she said. He didn't like the idea. It meant that he would already lose her from the next day. Her plan was good, but didn't take spontaneous occurrences that could happen under consideration. It simply assumed a specific correlation of independent incidents and didn't take into account any unpredictable factors. It was an ideal vision and showed that she was rather an optimist than a strategist.

-He did it already once as he rid to Rome alone. - Julia added coldly, because Octavian didn't say a word.

Her tone wasn't the usual one. She seemed to be distanced and empty of emotions. It wasn't a good sign. Octavian was worried about her. He asked himself which reasons she had to send Marcus Lucius away.

-He won't leave. He gave his word to Appius. It's stronger than any other responsibility.

Octavian knew that Marcus Lucius swore to be responsible for Julia without hurting her. Marcus Lucius had to protect her in any necessary way without building any deeper relationship. Appius made that clear in one of the letters Nerva had brought.

-Then tell him that he has to protect Appius.

Octavian didn't like the argument, even if it was good and it showed that Julia was better prepared than he assumed. He refused. Playing the Appius's card wasn't a part of his plan. Julia noticed his refusal, although his face didn't change at all. He was as emotionless as usually. He was like a rock: she could even yell at him and he wouldn't react in any human way.

-Then tell him that he has to let me go. He will do anything to guarantee my well-being.

Her arguments were logical. She wasn't polite, she didn't stick to the rules of talk. She didn't play around. He didn't expect her to. What made him sad was her cold surface and self-control. This threw him off the track. He wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. The little, dainty, innocent Julia stood in front of him and spoke in a way she never did before. His internal refusal didn't show on his lips or in his eyes. He nodded to show he understood what she was talking about, but he didn't like the plan. He wished to be able to contact Appius, but there was no way to do it in such a short time. Octavian was a good soldier, but he didn't like being the decision-maker.

-Think about it. It's your turn now. - She said and turned around. Then, she left him standing like a monument of Mars, the god of war, ready to fight within a second, if needed.

The weightiness of the talk made him sit down on his bed. He contemplated and analysed the whole scene and every word Julia had said. He wasn't sure what she wanted to achieve by sending Marcus Lucius away. Officially, he was a deserter and anyone, who saw him, was clearly, unmistakably obligated to notify any Roman soldier. Marcus Lucius had to be caught and punished for his free, unsolicited desertion. Any, even the smallest sign of knowing anything about Marcus Lucius, could have bad consequences including the death penalty. Whether Julia knew it or not, was not the most crucial factor, but definitely one of the important ones. Octavian knew that he was risking a lot, but as long as Appius gave orders, Octavian was ready to submit himself. Even if Appius wouldn't stand up for the masquerade, Octavian would play the game as long as Julia was part of it. As long as she was the cute, lovely phenomenon to him, he would stay on her side. With this latest occurrence, she lost something indescribable in Octavian's eyes. He was dashed and couldn't move. The storm of thoughts overwhelmed him.

When Julia came back to Marcus Lucius, he was still sitting with his head captured in his hands, pillowed on the wooden desk. He was thinking about the possibilities and responsibilities that occurred after Cornelius's suggestion. He wasn't able to foresee the coming changes with all their consequences. He was sure that he had to take over the supervision of the camp, which would bring more contact with people. Meeting legionnaires would increase the risk that his identity could be put into question. The more people he met the more probable was that he could be recognised. It wasn't even the problem. What occupied Marcus Lucius's mind was the consequence of it for people involved into the situation. As long as he would be the only person to suffer the fallouts, he found it acceptable. However, he strongly assumed that he wouldn't be the only person affected. Starting with his private vengeance, now the situation has developed in a way that too many people were in danger. He thought about Appius, who could be accused of betrayal of the Roman army. Octavian could be accused of being Appius's assistant the same way as Nerva and Appius's other men. And Julia was in immediate danger. She had only very few possibilities to escape from this massacre. She could say that she was forced to play the game. However, she had enough opportunities to flee. Now, she had the perfect pretext to clean up her name. She should use the moment to get back the security and return the risk that she had to carry with poker face. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure how she should leave the circle of involved persons without descending plunging of other affected parties. His headache was caused mostly by worries about Julia. There was no time to think. There was no time to make plans. He wanted to discuss the issues with Octavian, but Nerva said that Octavian was sleeping. Always on duty, always tens, when a soldier earned a moment of rest it should be respected.

There was another aspect that echoed in Marcus Lucius's head. The unknown warriors came from the North and posed a new danger for the camp. They threaded to come back with more forces. They weren't happy about losing three men. They acted respectfully, but their intention was clear. As the new general staff officer, he had to establish a different rhythm of patrols and organise more protection for the locals. He had to support the local civilians to get more acceptance for the Roman supervision. Such activities required more public appearance and that again increased the risk of being spotted. It made him worry about the involved, well-informed persons and the circle of suspicions and sorrows became a doom loop. This way or another, he was completely occupied with his thoughts. He felt so secure and at ease in Julia's bedroom that he didn't notice her short absence. Even if she wasn't present for about half an hour, he didn't notice it.

He didn't react as she sat down on the bed, staring at him. He appeared to be so attractive and so wounded that she wanted to help him immediately, clearly, unconditionally. She gazed at him with a special kind of adorability. She was so in love with him and persuading herself that it wasn't true was the most exhausting of all activities.

She was unsettled, because she wanted Octavian to convince Marcus Lucius to flee. She saw it as the only possibility to rescue him. She had a good plan to set free everyone. While Marcus Lucius would flee, the person he was supposed to play, Maxentius, would occur as a coward, a poltroon, a person who brings shame and disgrace for the entire family. He would posthumously get what he deserved. Marcus Lucius would have the opportunity to get his revenge. He loved his wife and should get the opportunity to settle the score. Then, Appius could step back as a helpful, loyal soldier, who gave aid to an old friend. Appius's men like Octavian and Nerva would be off the hook. Everybody could be satisfied, noble as the monuments of gods presented in the temples.

She thought a lot about Marcus Lucius's attention and love to his wife. She knew that nobody would sacrifice so much for her like Marcus Lucius's did for Decima. He left the camp, he went to Rome, he wished to kill her killer even if he died on his way to revenge. She knew that he felt responsible for her and obligated to Appius, therefore, he paused his mission. Forbearance is not acquittance. Julia wanted to discharge his promised debt. The world would be clear and easy for him again. That was her wish. The rest was unimportant.

He caught her look finally and she was confused, abashed. She looked somewhere else, but every now and then, she checked whether he was gazing somewhere else as before. The same way he stared at the desk, he gazed at her right now. It was unpleasant in a pleasant way. She wasn't sure why he fixed his look on her and what he saw. His eyes were vivid, followed every change in her mimic.

She wanted to know what he was thinking, but she didn't dare to ask him. It was the kind of look she already felt in the woods today. She didn't expect him to be so spontaneous and quick. She didn't expect him to be so active and passionate. She loved the kiss, although or maybe because it was so impulsive, full of love... Love? Was it really love? She wasn't sure. It was a positive, strong emotion. He was responsible for her, but he was a man with needs. He had a moment of weakness. She knew she looked similar to his wife, otherwise he wouldn't have called her "Decima" for so many days. She wished to be loved in such way at least for a day.

As in her innocent childhood, she started dreaming about meeting the love of her life. She didn't dare to think she would find the warm, sensitive, emphatic arms of the feeling that could wing even an elephant to fly, that could make you look at the world from another, pink perspective full of hope, convinced that people were reliable, friendly and not self-seeking, that your value is defined by the look you get from the lover and not by the betrayal of your family selling you for political advantages. She dreamt about love like between the wide-winged and long-living albatrosses that are rarely seen on land, that prefer to stay out on the ocean except to mate and raise their youngs. Julia didn't know that albatrosses pair for life and that it takes many years to find a new mate if their partner was killed – if they find a new partner at all. She didn't have a clue, but she wished to build such a strong connection with someone. She was sure it was possible to be blessed with such ties, that these could exist. Marcus Lucius and Decima were the best, tangible example. It was possible and already the opportunity was worth daring to believe that she could get at least a shadow of real love. Actually, she already felt a shadow of real love every now and then, when Marcus Lucius reversed the women present in his life. It was enough for her. Apparently, she didn't deserve to be loved for real, but she was worth getting a shadow of the strongest interpersonal attraction ever, including passionate desire, intimacy and psychological importance.

The Roman world used Latin language with several different verbs, amongst all "amare" that basically means "to love" as it is still in use in today's Italian. The Romans used it to describe an affectionate sense as well as compressing the romantic sense or for indicating love affairs or sexual adventures. She wasn't sure what kind of attraction she felt for Marcus Lucius. Already analysing it was amusing, cheerful and alluring. She felt comfortable with the idea of being enchanted by Marcus Lucius without having direct interaction. It made her feel safe and sovereign.

She heard that there was a coup de foudre, attraction at the first blush, love at first sight. After having analysed the love theory a million moments, she came to the conclusion that falling in love wasn't a moment. It was a process. It had to be a process. The sentence of processing phases could be captured in a moment or take years, but there was a chronology of falling in love. There was a first look, which decided whether there was a need for the second look. There was a comparison of attributes that one was linking to the attributes one didn't like at all. These characteristic included the optic and the emotionally mediated impression. The result of the calculated slip was groundwork for the further decision making process producing a probability of the final choice. The probability of rational choice was the smaller, the more emotional and instinctive aspects were involved minus the percentage of willingness to conform the social conditioning rules. Love and life is all about observations based on instincts.

She somehow unconsciously knew that social enforcements determined her distance and impossibility to talk to or to like people, to get closer to the true, natural instincts. Therefore, she started using her imagination as replacement for the reality. Her hidden thoughts were a nice change and great joker in the limited, insecure, treacherous world.

Marcus Lucius still had a mysterious, desirably warm look, and he was still concentrated. The wrinkles on his forehead showed the existence of worries and wonderings, but there was no hint of their content. Julia would pay anything to know his secrets.

The day was over. The night appeared. The calmness was interrupted by a sudden, dynamic movement. Marcus Lucius stood up hastily, but fluently. Without looking at Julia, he left the room. She asked what he was going to do, but he didn't answer. He simply went away. Cornelius's soldiers stared at them both and decided not to interact in any way. As Julia started departing, they moved succeeding her. Marcus Lucius wasn't amused by the special escort.

Apparently, he wanted to talk to Octavian and needed privacy. He chose the route that Julia had used twice that day. She tried to follow him, but he noticed her presence even without the armed company. Marcus Lucius turned back to her and although his face looked emotionless like Octavian's, his eyes burnt like hell. It wasn't possible to decode his mood. Under the surface of strict neutrality, he was a volcano right before explosion. It was only a matter of time when the eruption would take place and Julia wasn't sure whether she wanted to be near. The rational side of her brain whispered to stay away from him, but her heart invited her to follow him. They stood in a hallway between many columns with classic, bright pride captured in their stony, quiet inside. They witnessed the short talk between Julia and Marcus Lucius. Cornelius's men stayed at honourable distance allowing some kind of privacy. Julia didn't notice how Marcus Lucius signalled them to stop. He simply moved his arm quickly, mostly the right hand, stretched it and for a moment held a determined gesture. Therefore, they stopped. Julia almost walked into Marcus Lucius's chest, because she didn't expect him to stop and turn around.

-You should stay in your room. Go back. - He said firmly. His eyes didn't look friendly, rather unsettled.

-What is going on? - She asked. She dared to be direct, because she was talking to him. She wouldn't feel so free in anyone else's company.

-You should go back. Prepare yourself for your journey. Let the men talk. - He spoke emotionless. The whole picture of him being nice and caring was gone, while she looked at his cold surface. He appeared as a beautiful, antagonistic person.

He didn't realize how inconsistent his words sounded. He, the man who respected women, treated Julia obviously like a child. It wasn't the whole truth. He was aware that some people had to live with his decisions and he wanted to make it easier for all who wanted to blame someone for the current state.

She didn't follow him as he turned back and went in the previously chosen direction. Obviously, he wanted to meet Octavian and he didn't slow down until he found him. If Octavian hadn't rested, he would have welcomed the travellers directly after their arrival. Marcus Lucius respected the moment of peaceful rest and gave Octavian enough time for it. The break was over, and Marcus Lucius went dynamically, rhythmically and straightforward. His steps echoed in the air as Julia stood lost in the hallway. She didn't go back and she didn't go forward. She tried to analyse the situation she was in. She leant on one of the cold, inhuman columns and stayed there, thinking about what Octavian was supposed to fix for the future. She was curious whether Octavian would support her idea.

In the same time, Cornelius's legionnaires kept their distance and observed how Julia sat down with her back against the nearest column. She laid her head on her knees and her hair covered her face. She had to wait and see what Marcus Lucius was going to do. He was the doer forced to stay passive. She had to live with his upcoming announcement.

It felt like hours until Marcus Lucius came back. Julia was already asleep in an uncomfortable position on the floor. She was tired of contemplating about the sense of life and possible, imaginary love. She was tired of being alone with her problems. Marcus Lucius had Octavian, Nerva and any other soldier, with whom he could speak. He had his trainings, where he could let off pressure. He had his horse and the freedom to go out anytime he wanted. She had nothing, no friends, no trainings, no possibility to flee. She was tired of pretending being a well-bred daughter. She was terribly tired of behaving as if she was alive, instead of pretending to live. She woke up suddenly. Marcus Lucius was carrying her along the corridor and took her cautiously to her bed.

-Hush, hush. - He whispered when he noticed woke up. She wasn't completely conscious, but extraordinary curiosity forced her to ask:

-What do you plan?

She meant the entire big picture, not only the piece of the plan related to her. With her sleepy eyes, she followed the movements of his lips and tried to stay concentrated on what she heard.

-Octavian said I should go to Appius. He wants to accompany me.

Julia smiled with relief. Octavian had recognized the advantages of her plan. That was good news. She needed to know when Marcus Lucius was supposed to leave Eboracum. It was important for her to say goodbye to him before her journey began.

-What do you think? Should I stay or should I go? - Marcus Lucius asked unexpectedly.

-Go. - She answered without reflexion. It was an impulse of her heart and she wasn't aware that it didn't sound good to Marcus Lucius. He took it as a relief of letting him go. He was sure she wanted to leave him at the earliest convenience. Her dreamy smile signalled the memory of her dead husband to him or simply being glad to be more independent again. He hadn't expected expect it.

As she lay in the bed, he sat down on the chair next to the wooden, massive desk. He had mixed emotions and was confused. Octavian sounded not convincing when he suggested to flee with Marcus Lucius. However, Marcus Lucius wasn't a deserter. He served in the army abidingly, truly, loyal. It wasn't a nice feeling to know that his private decision to go to Rome resulted in the judgement of being a deserter. He wasn't happy about it. Another escape attempt would just confirm his deserter's gene. He didn't like the idea of being on the run. He wanted to confront the truth without making big circles around it. Going to Appius now would precipitate his possibility for revenge. He was still angry with Quintus and he wanted to have a direct fight. However, it wasn't easy to leave Julia. He didn't expect him to struggle so much because of the girl he didn't even know much. He was responsible for her and he managed his task well. Additionally, he played his role of Julia's husband well. He liked being near her and if he could wish anything, he wanted to be her guard for further weeks, months, or even years. However, she didn't want him on her side. She smiled through her dreamy surface and enjoyed his descent. He had to respect it, too. It was the argument that turned the balance.

While Marcus Lucius was in rather dark, gloomy mood accompanied by letdown, Julia dreamt about stars. She was always impressed by the Greeks introducing the heavens as a great, solid dome, which could be forged of bronze with fixed, heavenly constellations. She wanted to look at the Titan Atlas, who stood either beneath the axis of heaven in the far north, in the land of the Hyperboreans and had to spin the dome around upon his shoulders. Atlas was responsible for the rise and settle of stars. When she looked at the night sky, she remembered all legends and stories about gods and heroes, about their actions and their fates. She wanted to move and stay somewhere over the rainbow, on a lonely star without any connection to stories about heroes or monsters who received a place in heaven in memorial of their deeds. She appreciated the value of reading the stars as an aid to navigation and looked to the night sky with hopes to find the guidepost. Stars, the tiny, little, sparkling points on the night sky, were like a map within other patterns and motions of the celestial sphere that guided people through the sea of life. She needed a guide who would tell her how her journey might end. She wanted answers or at least a reliable forecast. If she could jump through the time zones and see what was going to happen in two weeks or three months or where she would have been in a year, she would calm down. If Mercury, the speedy messenger god, revolving around the sun, would take her on a ride for an eye wink, she could maybe see how Marcus Lucius's fate was combined with hers. She wanted him to be somewhere around her, like the twelve constellations of the zodiac were in a direct proximity of each other or like Andromeda, the princess of Ethiopia, and her mother Cassiopeia, the beautiful wife of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia.

What Julia didn't know, all humans are made of stardust. It sounds like a line from a poem, but there is some solid science behind this statement too: almost every element on Earth was formed at the heart of a star. After the Big Bang, tiny particles bound together to form hydrogen and helium. As time went on, young stars formed when clouds of gas and dust gathered under the effect of gravity, heating up as they became denser. At the stars' cores, bathed in temperatures of over 10 million degrees C, hydrogen and then helium nuclei fused to form heavier elements within the reaction known as nucleosynthesis. Carbon was made of the dead stars, so we all are made of dead stars. Julia was nearer to her wish than she ever expected.

In the early morning hours, shortly after sunrise, everything was already prepared. Marcus Lucius wasn't able to sleep, so he arranged the entire preparation. Octavian and Nerva met him while he gave the last orders to Cornelius's soldiers. He wanted Julia to come back to Naples safely.

Before he left, he checked whether she was already awake. She stood some meters away from a small window, on the other side of the fireplace. The fire played the last time and the last of the wood had already turned into ashes. She wore the same dress as the day before. She looked tired, but somewhat happy. He assumed she was already enjoying the thought of going back to her family.

-I'm leaving as you wish. - He said and Julia was stunned about his neutral tone. It was a clear statement without emotions. She wondered how he could switch off his feelings and came to the conclusion that he apparently didn't have so many feelings for her. It was obvious to her that she had been persuading herself of another reality, another truth and that it had to stop. Marcus Lucius was not so different to Octavian, who continuously showed his lack of emotions. Marcus Lucius gave up the role of the lovely husband. That was reality.

She wasn't able to say any goodbye. She didn't want to show him how much she cared for him, if he didn't care for her at all. The thought that he was free made her sad, but it was too late to change it. He should live in good and health. He should be saved and never look back at the time spent with her. She didn't know why it was so hard to let him go. It was supposed to be so much easier, happier, faster. She didn't say a word and just nodded like a nodding dog.

He didn't step forward to look her in the eyes. She thought it was better, because he wasn't able to see her tears appearing already on her surface. Suppressing her tears was painful and exhausting.

Marcus Lucius didn't come closer, because he wasn't sure whether he could look her in the eyes and simply leave. He was still confused and so not convinced about behaving in the right way. Everything seemed to be well-orchestrated and correctly ordered. However, he had a feeling he was still missing a crucial detail.

It wasn't a convenient situation. Neither Julia nor Marcus Lucius felt well and both weren't sure what to say or how to handle it. Finally, Marcus Lucius left the room and out of the corner of his eye, he saw how Julia fell down to the ground. She smiled, so she wasn't hurt or injured. She seemed to be relieved and satisfied with the goodbye scene. He hushed and went out to the troop of legionnaires who were going back to Appius.

Marcus Lucius wondered what Octavian was doing among them. He was supposed to accompany Julia. Octavian reported that Nerva took over the task to take care about Julia. Nerva and four of Appius's soldiers were the private escort for the girl they had rescued some months ago. Octavian didn't intend to provide more detailed information to Marcus Lucius what the reasons for this change were. Actually, nobody was in the mood to talk.

-We must hurry. - Octavian whispered and pointed with his head's movement into the direction where Cornelius's soldiers were gathered. Nobody wanted the information about Marcus Lucius leaving with Appius's legionnaires to spread. If it was supposed to be a successful and convincing action, Cornelius should get the information about Maxentius's desertion late enough to not be able to influence the situation. The group around Octavian took the horses and rode away. Marcus Lucius kept the middle position for a while. After they left the villa, he slowed down and turned back to look at the house where he spent last weeks for the last time. The entire group kept up their speed and moved off continuously. Just one of the riders slowed down rapidly and turned to Marcus Lucius.

-You're not ready for the journey. Stay here. - Octavian's voice was surprisingly determined and rough. Some hours earlier, it was Octavian who suggested the planned desertion. Now, it was him of all people, who had changed his mind. Marcus Lucius was surprised about this change. He shook his head and spoke hurriedly:

-It doesn't matter. I have to clear the situation there. I can't stay here and do nothing.

He thought about his wife and Quintus. All the anger came back, but not with the expected strength. There was enough space in his mind to be sad about leaving Julia. He didn't like such tearing up of his person.

-Do what Appius said.

-I should pretend to be a man I am not. It's not my true nature. I stand up for myself and take the responsibility for my actions. - Marcus Lucius was as determined and straight as Octavian. Their eyes showed that neither of them was able to step back from the chosen position.

Octavian followed Appius' last advice and led the argument away from rational points. Appius foresaw the will of Marcus Lucius to stay focussed on rational argumentation. Therefore, Appius advised to bring him out of his track with emotional aspects. He was not only a man of honour, but also a man trying to protect anyone he liked. Appius was already informed about the friendly relationship between Julia and her pretended husband. He felt there was something going on.

-If you intend to leave her, you can kill her right now. - Octavian was quite clear and observed very carefully what Marcus Lucius was going to do. In the rising sun, Marcus Lucius seemed to be confused. He didn't expect this and lost his confidence for a short moment.

-That's not true. Her father is still alive. She goes back to her family. - Marcus Lucius was thrown out of his track. He felt insecure, even though he hid his unsteadiness well. Octavian knew that he had chosen the right tone. He had to follow his line of arguments, so he added hastily, angrily:

-You have no idea how she fought for you. - Octavian turned around and left Marcus Lucius.

Octavian couldn't sleep all night and thought about Julia's last visit. The longer he analysed it the more sure he was that she simply proved how strong she was. Her affection for Marcus Lucius had its origins in her heart and Octavian was angry that she chose somebody else to risk everything she had for Marcus Lucius. He was disappointed by her choice, even though he knew that she was out of his league. One smile would be enough to make him happy for a week or longer. If she gave him at least one hundredth of her attention and care, he would be blessed with fortune for a year. If he got as much back up from her as Marcus Lucius had, then Octavian would feel at least as powerful and desired as Zeus. He knew that he wouldn't gain anything in this matter, so he decided to leave the scene, where he could only watch the development of the close, natural feeling between Marcus Lucius and Julia. It would only frustrate him, before his love even had a chance to begin. It was the disadvantage of being in love with someone who didn't know you existed. It was predominantly unequally distributed. There was no happy end in sight. He considered it rationally. It was all that was left to him. He didn't have any good memories of Julia smiling at him or backing him up. He discovered that he was riding a dead horse, so he dismounted.

This internal letdown increased as Octavian saw that Marcus Lucius didn't notice Julia's affection. He wondered how it was possible not to see it, when everything was in front of him. Was it even probable to not to have something in own sight when you have it in mind?

It was so obvious that Julia wasn't unimportant to Marcus Lucius, the blind fool. The rage forced Octavian to go away. He didn't want to look at Marcus Lucius anymore. As a good friend, Octavian felt relieved when he noticed that Marcus Lucius didn't follow him. As a person who was in love with Julia, he wished her to be happy. His own well-being was secondary matter.

Marcus Lucius didn't follow anyone for a longer while. He sat on his horse and contemplated about what Octavian had said. There was a kind of confusion within him that he didn't know up to now. Normally, he would go with Octavian anyway, without thinking about a girl, he didn't even know really. He was a dead man already, so he didn't care about himself. He ignored the strange, unknown pain in his chest. It wasn't any wound he had. It wasn't any wound he could ever get from anyone.

When he ran out of the house this morning, in the last shadows of the night, all he could feel was the wish for revenge. His past forced him to look back in anger. He wanted to go back to Brigetio, find Quintus and kill him. It wasn't his wish to kill Quintus in a slow way anymore. Just a simple deprivation of Quintus's life would be enough, after Julia ignored his presence. She closed the imaginary doors and he needed to open an imaginary window to have an exit in sight. He felt incomplete for no reason. He doubted so many things that he almost freaked out completely. He wondered why all his strategy from the very beginning, was put into question. He loved Decima, but a question put itself into his mind: was it right to go away anyway? He wasn't sure and this doubt was scary. He didn't have a free mind and he wasn't able to decide what to do. Once a doubt surfaced, it didn't let allow peace of mind anymore. Doubts have a bad habit to sneak up slowly, continuously through the backdoors of subconsciousness. When the suburbia of rationality has already been affected, they conquer the parts of the brain responsible for feeling safe and sure about what a person was thinking. Suddenly, nothing has the same value anymore. The doubt asks your feeling of certainty "Is it sure what you convey?", then "How sure are you anyway?" and "What makes you feel so sure about it?" follow. The strategy of doubt is to take apart every piece of a statement including its promises and its consequences. Then, putting every detail into question ensues. The cheeky and treacherous way of doubts had brought souls apart. The mills of God grind slowly. Constant dripping wears the stone. The march of doubt is unavoidable.

Marcus Lucius couldn't fight back. Staying in the field, just a few yards away from the house in Britannia where Maxentius and Julia were supposed to live, he thought about the girl he shouldn't have in mind. Up to now, he tried to ignore her presence and the slim chances of a further coexistence. It was obvious to him that there was no common future for them. He had his reasons and she had her reasons to keep on living a separate life. He had to take vengeance for Decima. She had to go back to Julius Fabius and probably, she would remarry. Everyone had obligations derived from his or her own past. Following the road of obligations was prescribed as a consequence of former actions.

After the short conversation with Octavian, Marcus Lucius thought about the circumstances of Julia's marriage. The seed of doubt was already implanted. It was indeed strange that her father gave her – of all human beings - to Maxentius. Everybody knew that Maxentius wasn't the best or even a good match. The members of the Fabii family usually picked potential husbands and wives carefully. They were the best example for using the strategy typical for families with both wealth and political standing, whose largely inherited money would follow both their sons and daughters. It was called consortium, what meant sharing of property, usually used in a technical sense, but also in the context of marriage. Both parties had to be willing and intend to marry, and both needed their fathers' consent. If all other legal conditions were met, a marriage was arranged. The more prominent her family, the less it was likely that the girl would have much choice regarding age, appearance or character of her first husband.

Marcus Lucius knew it, but he cudgelled his brains with the question "Why Maxentius?" It appeared increasingly irrational to him to give up the strategy used for years, and the improbability of this fact, made him think about what Maxentius had to offer to buy into the Fabii family. It was impossible to find out the reasons without a better analysis, without more time. If Marcus Lucius came to Brigetio to kill Quintus, he would reveal at least two points: his existence and Maxentius's death.

If Julia's father gave her to Maxentius, it wasn't predictable to whom she would be given next time. In this sense, he thought that Julia was possibly even more lost and alone than she was with Maxentius, real or fake, as her husband. As long as people were convinced that she was still married, she could be protected. Remembering her care and help during the last weeks, he wasn't able to leave her alone at all. Marcus Lucius analysed whether this was the matter Octavian had in mind when he had angrily said: "You have no idea how she fought for you."

The longer he thought about it the more convinced he was that he should return to the villa. The more he became aware of this the longer he waited in the fields. He waited to see when the convoy of Cornelius's would pass him, but there were no wagons or soldiers on horses in sight. It was strange, because he witnessed how they were preparing to leave. He had to go back and say he accompanied Octavian's troop to bow out beyond the villa. He could turn this into a friendly gesture.

He was increasingly aware of the fact that he had to give up his revenge plan for a moment and stay at the side of the being he had to protect. Even if didn't know Julia very closely, even if it put him into an inconvenient position, he had to decide and do what was less wrong and more right. Marcus Lucius had to trust Appius. He had to rely on his father's friend and wait for news and orders.

The sun was almost at the zenith when Marcus Lucius slowly started riding back to the house in Eboracum, a fort and city in Roman Britain, also known as Eburacum. The Roman conquest of Britain began in 43 AD but first General Quintus Petillius Cerialis led the Ninth Legion and constructed a military fortress consisting of turf ramparts on a green wood foundation, later rebuilt in stone, on flat ground above the River Ouse near its junction with the River Foss in 71 AD. Then, Cerialis was appointed Governor of Britain. Marcus Lucius remembered the Roman invasion and it was easier to stay focussed on the history than on emotions.

Half way, he heard some noise. His warrior instinct woke up on the spot. Something in the air smell like a fight. He couldn't define what had caught his attention. His horse wasn't unsettled, because it was trained for such situations. Marcus Lucius directed Hiberus behind trees, where the noises came from. His assumption was right. There was a fight. He wasn't prepared. He had given all his armour to Octavian. Except a helmet, he didn't have anything that could protect him during the attack. His winter clothes weren't the best when it came to flexibility, but he didn't mind.

Within less than few seconds, he assessed the prospects. He saw that a group of Roman soldiers were fighting against approximately fifty local warriors. The offenders had superiority in numbers, but the Romans had the superiority of force. Even without proper equipment, he was ready to action and to throw himself into combat. Directly after joining the fight, he took a sword from one of the opposing warriors while riding towards them. They were surprised by an unarmed man and they didn't expect him to act so professionally. This was their last thought before they got injured. Then, Marcus Lucius wounded two more offenders. The years of training and the experience forced him to move in a special, dynamic, predatory way. He dominated the battle field. Suddenly, every eye followed his moves. His skills were extraordinary and a real spectacle of one actor with dynamic, power and zeal. His moves were so fascinating and his technique was so well-trained that everyone gazed at him with envy. It was easy for him to win over the enemy. He didn't even get tired. He forced himself stronger during his trainings.

For the observers, his moves looked as if he was just blowing down tin or wooden soldiers. The other Romans appreciated his contribution. The local warriors were negatively surprised and screamed "Go back! Go back!" in their language.

Marcus Lucius stopped the Romans from following the troops that tried to save their wounded members. They went back to the woods and kept watching Marcus Lucius.

-They're backtracking! - He screamed to the Roman soldiers. - Let them pull back!

The legionnaires listened to him and didn't reject the command, even if it would be quite easy to extinguish the enemy in that moment. The legionnaires stood and looked with admiration at the one, who was a natural born killer machine. They recognized his domination blindly, without a murmur, instinctively. He didn't realize what happened and how important it was for him. He observed the respect in the eyes of the legionnaires, independently whether they were wounded or not. They felt the fever of the fight. They felt like winners, even if they didn't contribute a lot to the win. The attitude of being a champion, my friends, was incalculable.

In a talk directly after the battle, Marcus Lucius was informed that two local warriors had started the ambush and tried to trap the Romans. That weren't the men from the North as Marcus Lucius noticed. The pitfall was well prepared and almost ten legionnaires were caught, badly injured. While the others tried to save them, the local warriors started attacking the soldiers directly and the fight rose. Marcus Lucius stepped in in the moment the combat achieved the point of no return. The chances were balanced and only a crucial detail could change the perspectives. And then, Marcus Lucius appeared and the Roman victory was clear.

The soldiers didn't see a man, but a lion fighting with fire in his eyes and dynamics in his moves. Even without armour, he was dangerous and frightening. He was effective and possessed the beauty of motion that they admired. They didn't expect him to be so brave and defensive. As far as they knew, Maxentius used to be a lousy warrior, but not a commander. Apparently, the rumours they knew weren't true. The man, who sat on his horse and screamed "Let them pull back!" had an extraordinary presence. They were impressed. The smell of the victory was a pleasant scent and made them addicted. It worked like the good feeling under the influence of street drugs. It can make you feel better, but only for a while. The mood of being the champion of the world lasted just for some hours, long enough to return to the camp and let the others salute.

Marcus Lucius was accompanied by the group of soldiers and helped to carry the wounded legionnaires on his shoulder. They were unsure about his direct service. He was supposed lead the group on at the head of train, not to be an ordinary part of it. Ten soldiers were dead. Eight were wounded heavily. The rest, thirteen men, were partially injured, but not seriously hurt. They were mostly conscious and thankful for the supportive attitude. They celebrated the victory and chanted the name of Maxentius. The good mood automatically influenced other legionnaires who stood and saluted to the homecoming brothers. Although much blood could be seen, everybody ignored the red traces and focussed on the winning will.

Cornelius waited for Marcus Lucius to talk. He was nervous and insecure, but tried to hide it. Marcus Lucius saw the shaky fingers and the squeezed eyes. Marcus Lucius brought one of the soldiers into the healing station. The rest of the wounded found their new beds in a special tent. Then, Cornelius invited Marcus Lucius to the commander's tent and sent away all other soldiers. Marcus Lucius had to take off his helmet. It would have been suspicious, if he didn't do it. You don't cover your face when you have a private talk.

Cornelius saw Marcus Lucius staying straight and calm, even though Marcus Lucius felt like being completely naked. His winter clothes full of blood and partially cut here and there, or more layers than were needed to cover the skin, were not helping. Showing his face was risky, but it had to be done. He waited for a sentence like "You're not Maxentius!" He felt like it was already spoken out aloud. Thousands of scenarios appeared in front of his eyes, including Julia being punished for his masquerade. However, nothing like this happened, which confused Marcus Lucius increasingly.

-I heard you have fought today. You won. - Cornelius said.

-I simply supported your men. - Marcus Lucius answered politely. He limited himself to the minimum of words, because everything beyond was too dangerous and too risky to control.

-You don't have to have false modesty. - Cornelius added while looking attentively at Marcus Lucius. He appeared like a chameleon that is asocial and even a sight of another chameleon can induce stress and defensive displays.

Marcus Lucius repeated his last sentence. It calmed Cornelius down a bit. Apparently, he needed a confirmation that he was still the boss. Marcus Lucius didn't intend to challenge him in any way. That strategy bothered Cornelius a lot, because he didn't expect it.

-Under such circumstances, it wouldn't be auxiliary and wise for you to leave my soldiers.

Already while arriving in the camp Marcus Lucius had noticed that some legionnaires had come back from the battle field to report the bad, bloody occurrences. No action, and no order followed by Cornelius. The surprise about the victory was masterfully, almost invisibly written on his face. Cornelius didn't bet on a win, either. Marcus Lucius knew this kind of disappointment. He wasn't sure what caused the chagrin, but something didn't match Cornelius's plan. Marcus Lucius never liked the mischievous games with political background. It was too late to step back. He was already involved in the conspiracy. He had to follow the rules, if he didn't intend to risk Julia's position. If he would be on his own, he could start fighting against the system. Having taken over responsibility for Julia, he had to take into consideration the consequences for her, too. Therefore, he bowed and replied calmly:

-Apologies, I wasn't informed about your change of plans.

Cornelius looked suspiciously at Marcus Lucius and a tensed moment of silence fulfilled the room. Cornelius analysed the situation and his opportunities. His red, sweaty forehead was full of wrinkles and the lack of trust in Marcus Lucius was visible. Cornelius's big, long nostrils inhaled hastily more amount of air than normally. His right eyelid trembled minimally, but nervously. The internal fight lasted longer than it should. Marcus Lucius didn't move and didn't say a word. He had to be patient and wait for Cornelius's next move. Obviously, Cornelius didn't like to give up the power he used to have temporarily.

-I thought you were leaving Britannia. - Cornelius interposed with a focussed, curious look directed into the Marcus Lucius's eyes. Cornelius tried to follow any kind of reaction that could betray him how to judge Marcus Lucius. Cornelius was already informed about Marcus Lucius's outbreak and according to Cornelius's orders Marcus Lucius wasn't supposed to be disturbed. Cornelius wanted to know what Marcus Lucius was planning and the surprising departure was grist for his mill. The sudden comeback was not the optimal, expected development for Cornelius's plans. The reasons that made Marcus Lucius return were of highest interest for Cornelius.

-I dismissed Appius's men. I owed them at least a proper send-off.

Marcus Lucius stayed unexpectedly calm and almost relaxed. Appearances were deceitful. Inside his soul he trembled more than ever before, fearing that his real identity would appear. He was still waiting for the dead sentence beginning with the statement: "You're not Maxentius! Who are you, then?" It didn't happen. The pressure almost took his breath away as well as his self-confidence. The façade stayed unbroken, because it was built like a solid dam that impounds water or underground streams. With every minute, the probability of the structure getting breached or significantly damaged increased.

-Yes, you're right. - Cornelius said slowly. - Now, you're the proper man to take over the command over the camp.

Cornelius didn't like this idea at all. He was capable to understand why Marcus Lucius stayed unarmed, while he dismissed Appius's soldiers. However, he didn't realize when Marcus Lucius got healthy enough to stay here, in front of him, and be able to take over the leadership. It was the worst case scenario, because it wasn't on concessional terms to him. Cornelius was everything but satisfied, calm and he was disappointed, but enough professional to be self-controlled. He was like a volcano that could explode any minute blind with rage. Marcus Lucius noticed the fury surfacing, so he decided to cool down the pressure.

-I will stay here and support you as long as the situation requires it.

Cornelius stepped forward and looked at Marcus Lucius even more suspiciously.

-You will? - It was neither a question nor a statement. It was an expression of a pure amazement. He looked astonished. The cooling down strategy had worked successfully.

-I will, of course I will. - Marcus Lucius confirmed and observed how the veins on Cornelius's forehead disappeared beneath his skin. - I'll take over the patrols outside. You'll take care of the internal matters of the camp, like the regular trainings.

Even if it sounded a bit cheeky to Cornelius, he nodded rhythmically, automatically. He took some steps forward and back. Marcus Lucius stood like a frozen piece of water. Internally he felt how his blood flooded through the veins and through his heart. Everything in his body pulsated, but his muscles didn't tremble. His words were like projectiles thrown from a catapult. They were plain, straight. That hit home. Cornelius took it like a man. Without any word, he agreed with a simple movement of his head. He so much wanted to stay in command that he was ready to take all conditions of the young, cheeky man, who could easily use the glory and the grace of gods to step up and take the position that was promised to him.

-I will go to Julia and tell her the news. I'll send your guards back. - Marcus Lucius said after some moments, when he was sure that Cornelius put himself together. Cornelius was still nodding hastily, but his face was a friendly mask again. - I'll send you support for the trainings. Please take over the announcements.

Marcus Lucius left without waiting for any salutation. His more or less straight orders were like missiles directed into Cornelius's command. However, they were right and needed and Cornelius knew this. He failed to keep the training routine for many reasons. There was no excuse for it and a straight way to communicate it was the best. Cornelius didn't like the sneaky way of bringing the messages and appreciated that Marcus Lucius didn't do this in public. It was indeed honourable.

The deal was made. Before Marcus Lucius left the tent, he put on his helmet and was astonished by the crowd of soldiers waiting for him to give him a tribute. He was surprised, because it had been just a small fight and the victory was not so crucial. He wasn't a hero. He was just fulfilling his duty. He saluted back to the legionnaires and went through the way they opened for him. He didn't deliver any speech. He wasn't familiar with such attention and didn't like it at all. He couldn't simply disappear, so he walked the walk of fame and smiled friendly to the undefined, anonymous mass. In the sea of testosterone, he didn't feel his wounds that were partially affected during the combat. The sudden endeavour had ripped open some pieces of his skin again. It wasn't crucial. The main wound on his chest was still closed, which was the most important.

When he finally came back to the villa, he would have never chosen for himself, he felt gloomy and tired. He wished to fall into bed and don't get up until he felt well again. The darkness of the evening brought him a kind of relief. In the dim light, everything started losing the sharpness of controversy and discomfort. He didn't feel pain due to the short cuts, rather scratches in his eyes, and his strange feeling was milder in the subdued light. Marcus Lucius had a ripple of laughter on his lips when he passed the entrance hall. He was pleased to meet Julia again. It cheered him up.

The house made the impression of not being inhabited. The lights were off. No fireplace was in use, so it was quite cold. The winter temperature bulldozed in one way. The human beings were somewhere else. Marcus Lucius went slowly into the part of the house he left this morning. It was a long way to go. The closer he was to the room he used as his bedroom, the heavier he felt inside, and the slower he became. Suddenly, with every further step he felt more and more nervous. He wasn't convinced how to explain the spontaneous twist in his plans. When he finally stepped into the room, he was surprised by what he saw.

Julia was still sitting on the stone floor almost the same way she sat when he had left her hours ago. She didn't move or react at all when he greeted her smiling. Instead, she stared at an undefined point somewhere on a wall. Her chest moved regularly, but unhurriedly. He went to the table a few meters away from her. Her breakfast and dinner had been served, but both stayed untouched. Apparently, she didn't move at all, she didn't eat at all, but had given up the world completely. He drank her wine and lit a candle. In the dim, warm light, there was something in the cold air that confused him. Julia still wasn't moving. With suddenly increased concern about her condition and health, he immediately jumped over to her. Maybe it was the memory about Decima that forced him to react promptly. He kneeled down and ignored the unexpected pain in the chest. He knew he had to change his dressing, but right now he had another priority.

-Hey. - He said quite calmly and moved his hand in front of her eyes. He noticed that she had cried a long while ago. Already dried down tears painted a unique pattern on her cheeks. An errant river of desiccated sadness was captured in her beautiful face. When she didn't react to his words, he repeated his "Hey" a couple of times, but it didn't work out the way he intended. He observed her, then, he shook her a little. In this moment, a piece of her dress fell down and it directed his attention to her arms which had been covered by material up to now. The naked skin on the left arm under the elbow was cut at two places. The blood had already dried which meant that the cuts had been made hours ago. He was scared and remembered the sight of Decima's dead body, covered in blood. He had seen a lady in red once before. Now, he saw another female being with blood on her body. It was scary, frightening, overwhelming.

-What did you do?! What did you do?! - He asked at least twice hastily, loudly, in panic. He shook her body nervously and irritated. He was bugged and felt helpless, frustrated. Her body felt weak, passive, and soulless. In his lack of understanding for Julia's action, he hugged her. He lifted her and heard a metallic object falling on the floor. It was a dagger with a large, leaf-shaped blade approximately 20 centimetres long and 5 centimetres wide. The dagger seemed to be a part of legionary equipment and Marcus Lucius tried to find out where she could have gotten it from. Octavian and his men had bigger daggers and no legionnaire reported a loss of such an item. As he looked at the dagger later, he noticed that it was an older piece and it wasn't sharp anymore, which meant the cuts weren't deep, but wide, jagged.

Then, he brought Julia to the bed he used to sleep in during the last days. He laid her down and forced her to drink some water. He brought a bowl full of water to wash her wounds. Julia was conscious, but didn't react and stared at the ceiling without participating in anything. He held her arm carefully and his head moved with the visible refusal. He wondered why Julia hurt herself. Decima was killed, but it wasn't her will. Julia was alive and tried to deprive her life. What made her do this? Instead of asking himself what she did, he started asking himself why she did it. For a while, he was not able to figure it out.

He tried to catch her look every now and then, but she avoided the eye contact. He stayed at her side at least an hour after he finished washing and carefully bandaging the wounds. He was still moved by her action and thanked the gods for sending him back to the house he didn't like at all. Octavian was right that Marcus Lucius's place was here, at least for a while. And Octavian had just repeated the words of wisdom spoken out by Appius. Marcus Lucius had to recognize the years of practise and experience Appius had collected and sense of composure he developed. He even disagreed with the general opinion that Appius was a person without self-control. There were other reasons why Appius cultivated such a stereotype. Marcus Lucius wanted to get to know the truth about Appius the same way he wanted to understand what made Julia hurt herself. He looked at her and stared at her face in the limited light of the night.

Julia didn't fall asleep. Instead, she watched how he went to a bowl with water to wash away the blood of today's offenders. It was cold, fresh, tidy. Quickly, he took off his clothes. There was a lot of red water dripping into the bowl and Julia wasn't sure if he was losing so much blood. He was hurt, indeed, but how crucial his injures were, was still an open question. He sat down on a chair in case his head was spinning. He thought he wasn't right about his wound at all. At first, he wiped the strains of blood on his chest and belly. When he had finished, he took off the bandages. He stayed focussed on the basics all the time. The step-by-step-strategy was important. He cleaned the injury quickly, professionally, while he noticed that his chest wound wasn't open. Nothing had to be stitched. Nevertheless, he realized that it hasn't healed completely yet. He knew that bruises may appear during the following days. The local warriors were able to fight with passion. The stress after the fight shouldn't be underestimated, either.

Then, he changed the bandages. He didn't ignore the body's signals, but he controlled his pain while he looked after himself. His hands shivered. Still, he endured everything successfully, came back closer to the bed where Julia laid and sat down on the chair. He watched Julia's face, because it was easier to look at her and analyse her than to go back over what the day had brought to him. The entire talk with Cornelius had to be reported to Appius, but Marcus Lucius didn't want to take care about it this evening. He was relieved that the day was over. Everything could be done the day after. Thinking about Cornelius reminded Marcus Lucius about the effort he sustained. It wasn't easy to stay calm and it made him even more tired than the entire fight. The added effort of the day including Julia hurting herself made him weak and vulnerable.

Julia still didn't sleep and was gazing at the ceiling.

-If you're not sleeping, you'll answer my questions. - He whispered conspiratorially. He didn't sound nice, rather unfriendly.

He was tired and sleepy, but he had enough power to stay awake a few more moments and hear her explanation. This shouldn't happen quickly. Julia closed her eyes and Marcus Lucius was sure she pretended to sleep. Watching her face calmed him down. She breathed regularly, her fingers trembled, but she kept motionless as far as possible.

He pretended to be asleep, too. He closed his eyes and because of his extremely strenuous day, the demanding ride and the shock combined with scratches, he simply fell into deep, needed sleep. Julia waited a longer while until she got up from the bed. She was worried by what she had seen and stood up on shaking legs. With trembling hands, she tried to touch the bandaged place. She wanted to know what injures he got and why he came back at all. She got scared when she couldn't hear his heartbeat. Within less than a second, she came closer to him and tried to find out whether he was alive or not. As Octavian had taught her, she had to lay her head on his chest and check his heartbeat. His body was partially covered with dressings. His arms and the left side of the chest were naked. His belly was naked. He smelled good and was warm. She was relieved by hearing his heart pulsating. It was rhythmical and slow.

However, one moment later, everything changed. Marcus Lucius opened his eyes and held Julia's arms. She was scared to death, because she didn't expect such a rapid movement. He smiled, and she was angry with him. She stood up and went back into her bed with a twisted annoyed look. He laughed. It was so funny that he couldn't stop laughing at all. The laugh was his own, needed catharsis.

She observed how he was laughing and it made her angry. The more he laughed the more furious she got. She felt all emotions mixed up with each other: disappointment, betrayal, relief. Instead of enjoying him being near to her again, she was lost in the moment. She didn't want him to come back. He was supposed to go and have his revenge. He wasn't supposed to complicate her life. A couple of tears appeared on her silent face. Her lips trembled and her arm hurt. The whole world didn't make sense anymore.

When Marcus Lucius noticed her sadness and her tears, he stopped laughing immediately. He jumped into the bed and bowed over her.

-Apologise, I couldn't resist. It wasn't meant that way. - He was serious and worried.

She nodded and further tears appeared on her cheeks and nose. She felt weak. She was angry, because she wasn't able to keep her mask on in front of him. Her self-control was worth less than nothing. It was depressive. She closed her eyes as if it would stop any tear from flowing. Her lips trembled and her fingers shivered. She had fever, even if she didn't realize it. She was glowing like iron in a fireplace.

Then, he kissed her right cheek and carefully washed her tears away with his lips. It tasted salty. His forehead touched hers and his breath became hers. She was astonished, but didn't open her eyes. It was a dream coming true and she was sure she was dreaming. Experiencing such a beautiful moment couldn't be a part of her reality. She didn't have to listen to his heartbeat, because it was so close to her that its sound echoed in her ears.

A moment later, he moved to her left side and lay next to her. He didn't touch her at all anymore. If she wanted, she could move her fingers minimally to touch him. She didn't react in any way. Her left underarm was hurt and it appeared to be so silly and childish what she had done to herself. If she knew that he would come back, she wouldn't have reacted that way. She calmed down and her breath got the typical slow tempo.

Then, she took his bandage away to check how well he cleaned her wound. He did a really good job. She was impressed. She was used to look at wound, so she didn't have any vomit reflexes anymore.

He observed how she gazed at the injury and while she was occupied with her thoughts, he stood up and went to the wooden desk, where she left all mixtures she used to rub into his wounds. She followed his moves. His back was naked and she saw how his muscles worked. She got scared that he was leaving her, that he was just a dream that was passing by and that she would wake up any moment to realize that she was all alone again. Instead, he simply rubbed the badly smelling ointment on his scratches. Julia tried to squeeze her eyes to better see his partly naked body moving. The muscles worked beautifully, even if the spectacle didn't take long. He came back and his view from the front was as much desirable as from the back.

-You shouldn't take off the dressing yet. - He said while he sat down next to her. He put the bandages back over the injury and covered her with a blanket. He followed her movements and had a quite cheeky smile on his lips. His dirty smile was pleasant, what surprised her. She knew then he wouldn't hurt her, maybe therefore, the gall was so seductive.

-You should sleep. - She whispered friendly.

-You should sleep. You're wounded. - He answered breathing heavily. His mouth was dry. His tongue was inflexible. There was something in his chest that made it harder for him to breathe. He couldn't define it, but it was a kind of stone or a load that automatically was taken off someone's mind, when the danger was over and when there was a quiet moment for a deeper breath. However, there was still something that couldn't be swallowed or spit out.

-Close your eyes and sleep. - He added.

-Will you stay here? - She asked with fear in her eyes.

He nodded his head to confirm. He was afraid she would hurt herself again, if he wouldn't pay enough attention. He already had lost his wife, his life and his trust in people, when he was saved by Appius and the girl he wanted to leave a few hours ago. His answer brought a special shadow into her eyes. She looked like a child scared of the darkness that got a torch to be able to spread light anytime it wants to and needs to.

He wanted to hold her hand as he did on the way to Britannia. He looked how she turned her back to him and laid on her right side as she used to do it. Then, he moved closer to her to lay directly behind her. He hugged her carefully. His movements were gentle, unhurriedly. He was careful not to touch her left underarm. She touched his hand that landed next to her rips. He waited until she fell asleep. It took a while. Only then, he calmed down enough to be able to give up the fight against the sleep and tiredness. His guard was over.

Julia was not sure what this was supposed to be. She didn't have much experience with other beings sleeping next to her. She had a dog, once. It was a big, muscled, powerful bouncy ball with coat. It didn't have a name, but it always composed her mind to feel the beating heart of the animal while she was sleeping. When anyone was near, the dog took its watchful position to warn her about a possible danger. This cosy friendly dog had accompanied Julia for a few years, until her father ordered to kill it because of an accusation of a noble man who blamed the animal to have hurt a slave. Fabius didn't listen to his daughter, who wanted to clear the situation. Her dog didn't injure anybody. The animal had always been at Julia's side, so it was impossible what the noble man incriminated. Her voice wasn't heard and she lost her dog and she even had to watch the execution. Sometimes, she dreamt of her dog coming back to her and looking her in the eyes so friendly, calmly, sadly.

Except for the short, forced, painful sexual intercourses with Maxentius, she didn't have other close relationships. Therefore, the man laying by her site and holding her hand caused a very new and unexpected feeling. Marcus Lucius's body glowed and trembled a bit. He had fever, but the temperature started decreasing slowly. His breath became easier. It calmed her down and she fell asleep, again.

She dreamt about him not coming back from the journey he started today. She sat on the floor and took the dagger she got from her oldest brother years ago. She had cut her arm twice. She expected to bleed like Marcus Lucius. She knew that she had to lose enough blood to die. She didn't want to solve the matter at once, she wanted to die slowly, consciously. She expected that her dizziness would occur faster and stronger when the surrounding started looking blurry, muzzy. Then, absolutely nothing happened.

She sent her slaves away and ordered them not to come to her room until the next morning. She didn't want to be a stinking corpse like her dead husband. She still remembered the awful, dreadful smell of the dead body in the wagon. She didn't intend to annoy anybody that way. She wanted to be buried here, at the end of her journey. She expected Marcus Lucius to go back to the place where he could meet and kill his enemy as he had revealed to her. His revenge meant damasking her as a non-honourable wife and therefore, it would be hard for her father to take her back. Additionally, Julia didn't want to remarry at all. She didn't want to risk her freedom and experience lack of respect from her new husband. She grew up seeing the friendly, smooth marriage of her parents. After her wedding ceremony, she looked back on the matter from a new perspective. She remembered her mother's lips pressed together and her father's unsatisfied look. At Maxentius's side, Julia discovered the focal points of a relationship without any exit. From the very first day, Julia felt like a prisoner with a dead sentence. She wanted to get her absolution .Maxentius didn't respect her and hurt her in a way that didn't make anyone suspect spousal abuse. Additionally, being a worthy, well-bred wife from a noble house, she had to keep on smiling politely. Because she was taken away from her house, she had nobody to talk to and to share her fears and frustration with. The more she struggled the more painful the meetings with Maxentius were. She felt humiliated and death seemed to be the best solution to end the adult time.

When Marcus Lucius told her, he intended to go back with Octavian and take revenge, she saw enough determination in his eyes that she didn't need to follow his silhouette disappearing at the horizon. It made her happy that he decided the way she wanted him to decide. Additionally, she was sure he was the kind of a man who stuck to what he said. She stayed on the floor and stood up only once to speak with her slaves. Then, she took her dagger and sat down in the exact same place where Marcus Lucius had left her. She realised that she was left by everyone in her life, so she could give up herself, as well. When she cut herself twice, she didn't even feel as much pain as she expected. Sitting on the stony, cold floor, feeling the blood flowing down along her arm, she wondered whether she was determined to die. When she felt weaker and weaker, she thought about escaping from here into the woods and running as long as she could. Such a death would be much more beautiful or natural. She would die in a scenery that even Homer would describe as magnificent, impressing, amazing. She would feel adorable at least once in her lifetime.

She didn't die until dinner time and noticed someone coming into the room unexpectedly. By reflex, she covered her arm with a part of her dress and waited to see who interrupted her silence. It was Chloe, bringing the dinner. Chloe wanted to enkindle the fireplace, but Julia sent the slave back. A fire would ruin the cold mood fulfilling the room. It was much easier to take a bath in depressive, pessimistic thoughts when it was freezing. A warm, cosy fire could make Julia think about other issues and she wanted to stay in the zone of shadows and coldness. The slave disappeared quickly, quietly. Julia kept sitting in her place and could not decide if she would have to cut herself again or stand up and wait for what would happen to her next. She wondered that Cornelius didn't appear as he promised. It wasn't really important. It meant that he simply forgot her, as everybody else. For her, it was another sign that the world didn't need her. It confirmed her in her opinion that she has chosen the right direction.

Somewhat, she was excited whether she would hear a story about Marcus Lucius killing the man, who killed his wife. It sounded so romantic, passionate, true. She kept her fingers crossed for him. She didn't feel the coldness of the ground and the deadness of her mood, when she thought about the real love of a man who followed his wife to the dark side of the moon after he had his revenge. The shadow of the simple, true love was enough to keep Julia warm. There was a world worth living for, even if she wasn't a part of it.

Then, she noticed someone in the room, but ignored it, being convinced it was just her imagination. When she recognized Marcus Lucius, she was sure she hallucinated. He was supposed to be far, far away on the way to his revenge. It was impossible that he came back. He didn't have any reason to return.

Now, sleeping by his side, she dreamt that he didn't come back and she cut her right arm. It wouldn't be easy, because she wasn't talented to use a knife or dagger with the left arm. However, she would succeed. She wanted to smell the blood, but it was too warm to create the image of a deadly surrounding. Therefore, she wasn't able to imagine herself dying. She felt a regular heart-beat and it calmed her down. The warmth made her more relaxed. She couldn't even think about her end lying in the arms of a man, who loved someone else. She felt like a second-hand spare. However, she slept well and restful.

Marcus Lucius didn't dream at all. Usually, he dreamt of Decima, but in the last weeks, this wasn't the case anymore. The most painful moment was waking up into reality knowing that he would never ever see Decima alive again. Not dreaming about her meant that he woke up calmer and less stressed like in the good, old times. He didn't miss her more than he did every day when he was in the army and she was somewhere in Rome, miles away from him, but happy, shiny, alive. This was the kind of feeling he preferred to have while waking up.

The warmth of a body next to him relaxed him. He felt comfortable and cosy. Every now and then, he moved instinctively to the right. He hugged Julia even tighter. Unconsciously, he turned to Julia and cuddled her. He wasn't aware of how much he missed such intimacy. He had healthy instincts and needs, but he controlled himself. There was a time when he had sex every day with different women. When he became a soldier, a real soldier and wasn't the teenage son of his father anymore, he wanted to show his lack of emotions, his coolness and coldness. He started going out with some older soldiers and spent nights in stews. The girls liked him and they didn't have many reasons to be unhappy. He paid well and he was a person you wouldn't push out of bed.

After a couple of months, he came to the conclusion that such nights didn't bring him the targeted goals. He didn't calm down and was still unsettled. Instead of nightly trainings with prostitutes, he started to train his fighting skills. It directed his attention to different things. He focussed on bodily effort during the daily trainings. After the very exhausting training, in the evening, he was so tired that he fell asleep immediately. If he wasn't able to fall asleep quickly, he trained harder the following day. He became a professional in distracting his thoughts.

Years later, he became calm enough to start thinking about marriage. From the very first moment, he saw Decima, he liked her. In the moment, he introduced her to his mother he knew that Decima was the woman he wanted to marry. The sex with her was good, but boring. He was satisfied with it. In Thracia, he had many opportunities to be unfaithful, but he stayed loyal to his wife.

Now holding Julia in his arms, he didn't get it at first. She was smaller than Decima. She smelled good, even desirable. His instincts had been suppressed for many years, but now having Julia on his side, they were present even more powerful than before. He cuddled her stronger and moved closer to her body. The smell of her blood was perceptible, so he woke up confused. He checked that she was fine. She breathed regularly and held her fingers on his arms. It was obvious she liked his touch, because she didn't move away. The traces of dried blood didn't make a good impression. Marcus Lucius felt guilty. If he hadn't left her alone, she wouldn't have had time to hurt herself. The question why she did it was still open. She moved a bit and came closer to him.

He just wore pants. His chest was naked. He felt her skin on his and couldn't resist to kiss the naked shoulder of the injured arm. If she was conscious, he wouldn't do it. It was against the promise he gave to Appius. Already the one kiss in the woods was critical, but it could be explained with the fever of the fight. Full of adrenaline and testosterone, he had reacted instinctively. He hadn't thought about consequences. He hadn't analysed anything. He had simply acted. But now, laying in the bed together, he kissed her with purpose. It was caused by temptation. She giggled shortly and moved her shoulder for a moment. She smiled.

Marcus Lucius wasn't sure in what kind of reality he was living. He had to pretend being someone else and not being attracted to a girl he really adored. He laid his head back on the pillow and fell asleep again. He dreamt of his wife. Decima was covered with blood just the way he found her. She stood in a field of wheat and waved to him. He tried to get closer to her, but an unknown power kept him from moving forward. Decima smiled as she turned her back to him and walked away. He screamed after her. He yelled "Stop! Come back!" She turned to him once more and whispered "It's not the time. Not yet..." She was still smiling and it was strange to hear her whisper when she was so far away from him. The blue sky and the golden were in strong contrast, and when this thought occurred to Marcus Lucius, he lost Decima from his view. Then, she wasn't there anymore. He was able to run in the direction she went, but he couldn't find her. He repeated "Come back. Come back.", but nothing happened. Instead, he heard the Quintus laughing and he could hear it echoing from everywhere. Marcus Lucius turned around a couple of times, but he couldn't see anybody in his proximity. Suddenly, he noticed he held a sword in his right hand. As he moved two steps back and turned around again, he saw Quintus with open arms as if he would like to greet Marcus Lucius like in the good, old times. Marcus Lucius got angry and moved his hand with the sword in the air. He wanted to wave his sword and cut off both of Quintus' arms. He didn't think long about it. He acted automatically and when he saw the blood coming from the right arm, he noticed, it wasn't Quintus, who was hurt, but Julia. She fell into the wheat field and looked at him with disgust. Marcus Lucius wanted to apologize and help her, but she visibly didn't like to communicate with him in any way. He whispered "I wasn't there for you as I promised." and he said it at least three times.

He felt that someone was stroking his head. He almost clenched his fingers, but someone's hand didn't allow him to make a fist. He woke up with sweat on his forehead. He saw Julia looking at him and stroking his hair. The night was not over, but the beginning of a new day was already in sight.

-You had a bad dream. - She whispered. Her eyes showed confusion.

Marcus Lucius was flustered and not completely back to reality yet. He sat up automatically on the bed, looked around chaotically. He slowly mounted down from his personal roller-coaster. She pulled him back so he had to lie on his back again. His heart was almost jumping out of his chest and she automatically laid her hand on his naked skin as if she wanted to catch his heart in the case it really would leave his body. His eyes were fixed on her and she replied his look with red cheeks and trembling fingers. She didn't step back, she took a more comfortable position and laid down next to him, with her hand still on his chest and her face less than two feet away from his.

He perceived her smell and her warmth even stronger than ever before. His arms lay along his body. His muscles were tense, because he had to stop himself from doing anything he could regret later. He was bounded by promises and he wanted to respect her integrity. In case, he was discovered, he wanted her to stay safe and intact. He'd love nothing better than to kiss her red lips, her little faint skin and make love with her. It was his basic instinct and he controlled it. But to be to keep the distance, it was better to stand up and leave the bed. Otherwise, the risk was too high that he followed the bodily needs and wishes unerringly. He couldn't underestimate the things he wanted to do.

He tried to sit up, his head was just millimetres away from hers. The closer they were, the more sexual tension rose in the air between them. Julia challenged him a bit on purpose. She wanted to know whether he liked her or whether he simply felt obligated to come back. She needed an answer, because the internal analysis brought her nothing but chaos of thoughts and emotions. When he slept, she woke up, because she felt how tight he hugged her. It was a strong hug, but it didn't cause any pain. It was more than pleasant. She never felt that way before. It was a mixture of ecstasy, waiting for him, longing for him, taking care of him... She needed him as the air she breathed and it wasn't easy to live without him somewhere in her orbit. Her heart simply, truly, obviously couldn't let him go, even if her mind whispered that she could survive on her own and that she was able to forget him one day.

-You had a bad dream. - She whispered again, because she needed to say something, but she didn't know what.

-I wasn't here for you. - He answered quietly. - I promised to be near to you. I wasn't here.

-You said it in your dream. What does it mean? - She was curious and not sure whether he was really awake or whether he was still dreaming.

-Why did you do it? - He asked out of nowhere, and her thoughts were directed into complete different areas.

Her fingers trembled even more, but his heartbeat calmed her down at the same time. She didn't like to tell him her plan, before he didn't tell her why he came back. She didn't want to be the first to reveal the secret. In her opinion, it wouldn't be wise. If she felt more for him than he did for her, her confession would destroy their peaceful coexistence. It would destroy the illusion of a perspective for happiness and love. It was very silly, girly, but she wanted to keep her secrets.

-Did anyone force you to do it? Did anyone want to hurt you? \- He noticed she wasn't ready to talk, so he needed to throw some suggestions and observe her reactions. If she didn't want to confess the truth with words, she could do it with her mimic. The very sad truth about lovers, who don't want to reveal their love to each other due to the insecurities of their hearts, is that they are not able to see their love, even if it's served as the main meal during a celebrated dinner. They're blinded by their own fragility and not ready to hear anything that could change the familiar balance of the situation.

He could not read any answer in her face. It was obvious, she felt uncomfortable with his questions. He took her head in his hands and forced her gently to look at him.

-Why did you hurt yourself?

She needed a moment to put herself as much together as needed to give him an answer without showing him how much she cared about him.

-I wanted you to have no ballast while you have your revenge. \- She started with hesitancy. - I wanted Appius to get free from the promise he gave me. I don't want to be anyone's duty.

His eyes became smaller and smaller with every word she said. He was focussed on her look and saw that everything she told him was true. But he couldn't understand what it all had in common with her injures.

-I thought if you won't be obligated to take care about me, because I wouldn't exist, you would be free. - In the corners of her eyes, tears appeared, but they didn't flow down. They gathered against her will and she had to fight with herself to stay strong and not to break apart.

He wasn't sure whether he had to be mad or angry or upset or happy about her confession. Apparently, she wanted to step aside, because she was convinced it was the best way for everybody. Definitely, he was relieved that she was honest with him and he respected her for it.

-You're my most pleasurable, the most wanted obligation in my life. - He said to her and hugged her carefully.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to decode it, but her relief was huge. He was there to support her not because he was told so, but because he wanted to. It was a good thing. She felt the naked skin of his chest and heard his heartbeat. It was everything she dreamt of. She felt safe in a very confusing situation.

-And if you ever again do something like this again – He started after a moment with a determined, colder voice – I will even follow you to the afterlife to hear your justification. No gods of the Underworld will be able to keep you safe from me, if you force me to go this way. Do you understand?

She was confused and a bit scared by his tone, but happy about the content of his words at the same time. She tried to nod with her head, but his hug was too strong. He eased the pressure and she moved more freely. He cared about her for real and she wondered whether he felt the same way for his wife.

He was confused by his last statement as well. It was a spontaneous speech. Actually, he wanted her to promise she would never hurt herself again, but the impulse brought him a different range of words.

The moment, he had realized that Decima was dead he had kissed her goodbye and checked whether her eyes were closed. She was supposed to have a peaceful journey to the Underworld. She deserved it. Marcus Lucius couldn't follow, because he had to cut up the carcasses of the betrayers who killed Decima. As long as her killers were alive, he wasn't able to follow Decima into the afterlife. Sometimes, he thought whether Dis or Persephone, the gods of the Underworld, would reprieve Decima and send her back to life again, because the gods thought she was unjustly murdered. He wasn't sure whether gods perceived time with the same speed and emphasis as people did. Maybe it was another of their jokes to keep people believing it was the case.

As he held Julia in his arms and after he realized what he said, he understood that she was more important to him as he ever assumed. He never felt that way for Decima. His marriage was somewhat boring, predictable, easy. It wasn't risky. It wasn't hazardous. As everybody noticed that Decima didn't belong to their social class, everybody ignored her presence. Because Decima didn't join the celebrations and feasts, the natural distance grew continuously and the peaceful coexistence was the best solution for both sides. Marcus Lucius was sure that nobody from his mother's milieu noticed the death of Decima, as they were already absent during her life. Julia wasn't the one to organise a feast either, but her social status granted her the general attention. If anyone from the upper class was attacked, everybody felt offended. It was the one-for-all and all-for-one principle.

However, Julia was special to him. She had taken care of him, when he was seriously injured although he hadn't ask her for the care, he appreciated her involvement. He respected her for her strong, convincing appearance towards Cornelius and the loyalty towards Appius. Her strength was adorable and impressing. He didn't know where she took the energy from to behave so confidently. He liked it. It showed him that she was reliable and a good companion at any time. Additionally, he liked her innocent, fragile side, when he knew he could protect her, because she needed and wanted it. He needed this kind of responsibility he felt for her. He remembered how he felt responsible for Decima. He bought her a house. He left her live her own life. However, he didn't have the crucial need to stay at Decima's side every day. He was satisfied with his life beyond the domestic circle of tasks. It was enough to visit the home Decima managed every now and then, but there was no real longing to live in a house. Even if Decima would have moved to a village near to Brigetio, he didn't intend to move there with her. He wanted to stay with his soldiers. With Julia, this wasn't the case. He didn't dream about living in the camp anymore. He preferred to spend his time with Julia and work with the legionnaires during the days. His priorities had changed and he didn't notice when. It felt so incredibly good, when he kissed her in the woods. He wasn't sure whether it was the adrenaline of the fight or Julia herself that made the kiss so passionate.

The contrasts captured in Julia's person were huge, but somehow seductive. It bound him to her. He wasn't addicted to wine or opium. He was addicted to Julia. The worst thing for him was that it wasn't just the sexual attraction. It was a psychical bond that forced him to be near to her like the sun or the stars that were somewhere there, even if not visible every moment. He didn't dare to think what the world would be like if she had succeeded in the action she started. He laughed madly, because the thought seemed too ridiculous for him to be even possible. However, it was just a blade's edge that stood between her existence and her going into the hereafter.

Holding her in his arms and thinking about her made him lose his internal control. He started kissing her nice smelling hair, stroking her arms and her back. Her eyes were closed. Her breath was deep. She visibly liked his touch and moved her body in a way that made him easier for him to cuddle her. He felt her face and kissed her skin on her forehead, nose, cheeks, ears. With purpose, he avoided her lips that were open and appealing wet. She opened her eyes, so their looks met each other every now and then. He observed her mimics and listened with pleasure how she moaned ecstatically, but quietly. It encouraged him to smooch her more intensively. However, he wasn't sure how far he could and would go. He waited for Julia's sign to stop, but it didn't come. He kissed her passionately and she returned his kisses, but she didn't take over the initiative completely. She let herself drift with him. She let him touch her most private, intimate regions of body that never before reacted the way they did at the moment. She was confused and insecure, but in a positive way. She discovered that touching could release other feelings that were clearly not combined with pain or need for resistance. It was a sudden pleasure and longing to stroke him back that made her act instinctively. She loved the kisses and his warm hands bringing her indescribable pleasure. She wanted to feel it more and more. Before she even realised it, she was almost completely naked and covered by his body. He laid over her and kissed his way towards the lower parts of her body: from the neck, over the breasts, through the desert of her belly and the oasis of the lower parts of her body, where the thighs ended. She stroked his hair and trembled with desire when his lips met her breasts and belly. She moved seduced and let by curiosity and passion of what might happen next. Before he moved them to another level, he kissed his way back to the upper regions of her body. He kissed her lips and looked fascinated into her eyes. He checked whether she was ready and willing to complete the act.

Although her soul was ready, her body reacted with conditioned reflex. Her body cells remembered the pain caused by Maxentius's penetration and a shadow of sorrow appeared in her eyes unwillingly. Marcus Lucius caught it, even though it was only a short moment of hesitation. Even though he wanted extremely to have her that night, he wasn't willing to cross the border she drew more or less consciously. He wasn't the kind of man who takes the innocence of a woman with ignorance and brutality. Maybe if it had been another woman, another situation, another country, he wouldn't mind to go forward. However, it was Julia, it was the one who just hurt herself, who wanted to protect him and who took care of him. The look in her eyes reminded him of the moment, when she stared at him with the same sad eyes on the battlefield near to Aquincum.

He wasn't sure where her limits were, but he knew that he had almost crossed the line. You usually know that it's too much when you already feel you went too far. He didn't intend to leave her right away, although he wasn't happily keyed to the current state. He hugged her and kissed her neck. With a few movements, he placed his body next to hers in spoon position with a proper distance between them to cool down. She breathed still heavily, satisfied, excited. It was cute and it confirmed to him that he had stopped in the right moment. Additionally, it was good for her to save some energy and rest. The day had been extremely long and exhausting.

She didn't notice his serious attitude, because he suddenly was behind her. The same way it all started, the same way it ended for her: unexpected, but sensual. She didn't look for rough pleasure, but gentle hugs, touches and kisses. It was a sensational change. Her level of happiness was never as high as in that moment when Marcus Lucius's hands were all over her body and his lips touched her skin passionately. She almost got an orgasm and she wasn't sure whether the sexual tension in her body was good or wrong. She had nobody to speak to about it. Her mother limited her remarks to the minimum. The lack of female friends and the foreign surrounding excluded any source of advice. She was insecure what it could mean, but in general, she was happy and felt safe. It was like a dream coming true. She thought whether she was supposed to say something, but the longer she analysed it the more insecure she became.

Finally, as she gathered her courage and wanted to whisper, she heard Marcus Lucius snoring strangely. It sounded the same like his breath directly after the ambush near Aquincum and she got worried whether he was badly hurt again. She turned to him and in the brightness of the first moments of sunrise she admired his trained body structure. She saw the cuts of his skin he gained lately, but the most crucial wound was still healing properly. However, Marcus Lucius had got some new scratches that he had already cleaned. She wondered where he got injured and how it happened. He was just one day away from the camp and came back with signs of a new battle. It wasn't good. She didn't like it.

She dared to stroke his chest and even kiss his cheek. He didn't wake up which was soothing. His hug was still strong, but not unwanted. He didn't smile or show any kind of emotion. He looked more peaceful than stressed. Above all, he looked tired. She was relieved that he got at least a moment of sleep.

However, he didn't sleep long. Not long after the sun rose, he opened his eyes and with a dreamy look, he observed Julia for a while. She wasn't sure whether she should smile or not, so she remained serious. Only the sparkles in her eyes showed the inner excitement. At the same time, she was a bit ashamed of being naked, even though it didn't make her feel as uncomfortable as when Maxentius saw her even with clothes.

He covered her with a blanket and stood up hurriedly. Then, he went to a bowl and after he poured in some water, he washed himself quickly. He didn't care about his scratches. He got dressed and left the chamber. Julia saw him again in the late afternoon. She stayed in bed and Chloe brought her a meal and accompanied her to the bath. After changing the bandages on her right arm, Julia dressed and waited for Marcus Lucius in her bedroom. She didn't have any need to go out. She wanted to stay in the room where she had experienced so much last night. She sniffed at the blanket and the pillow that Marcus Lucius had used. It smelled like him and it made her happy. Life looked so easy during these hours...

She smiled continuously and couldn't explain her happiness. She giggled. She moved slowly. She moved quickly. She remembered all good moments and wondered that every time she memorized Marcus Lucius's touch, she could almost feel it as if it had happened just a moment ago. She was afraid that she would forget the strength of emotions she was still feeling one day.

When Marcus Lucius came back, he showed up just shortly. Without an explanation, he checked her left arm with the bandages. Carefully, he took away the dressing, cleaned her wounds. The edges of the cut skin were torn like a badly cut, ruptured rope. He analysed whether it was time to stitch it. He decided to wait and let the skin try to recover on its own. After he finished, he went away. Julia thought Marcus Lucius was somewhere in the house and expected him to come back for dinner. She was surprised when Chloe informed her that Marcus Lucius left the villa long ago. Julia wanted to know where he was, but nobody knew it. Nerva couldn't be traced either, therefore Julia assumed that both men were on the way together. She couldn't imagine Marcus Lucius staying somewhere outside passively, steady.

Indeed, Marcus Lucius and Nerva were on a patrol as it had been agreed with Cornelius. They checked the close surrounding of the camp. They didn't take any of Cornelius's soldiers with them, as they weren't trained enough in Marcus Lucius's opinion. Therefore, he had sent two of Appius's soldiers as trainers to the camp to increase the combat readiness. These two were the last men standing in Eboracum. While they got their task, Marcus Lucius took Nerva for a ride. The air was fresh and cold. It was rainy which wasn't a surprise for Marcus Lucius. The evening came quickly, but remained calm and quiet. As they rode through the villages around the camp, they saw just few curious faces of local inhabitants, who weren't familiar with seeing Roman soldiers outside the camp. In the following two weeks, they should see Marcus Lucius and Nerva at least once a day.

Within the following two weeks, Marcus Lucius and Nerva twice discovered small enemy groups of three to five warriors hiding in the woods. All of them got killed. Marcus Lucius got new scratches, but nothing serious. Nerva had to be stitched once. However, his left arm was wounded not as badly as it looked. Marcus Lucius took over the task of stitching. He was surprisingly good with this kind of tasks. Additionally, he forbade Nerva to drink more than two glasses of wine.

L

-You have to be prepared for tomorrow. – Marcus Lucius ordered friendly.

Nerva nodded. He didn't like staying in the villa doing absolutely nothing. He appreciated the company of Marcus Lucius. For a man with high status and a genetic predomination to achieve things that could make stories, Marcus Lucius was a very humble person.

-You're good with needles. - Nerva said.

-I've learned it here, from my father's medicos. - He explained to Nerva and told him to focus on other thoughts during the painful procedure.

-Your father was a man of honour and deserved fame.

-You heard about him? – Marcus Lucius wondered a little.

-Appius sometimes tells stories from the old times when he was a fighter. - Nerva laughed. – The he talks about his greatest friend, Maximus.

Nerva's eyes became smaller when he remembered his teacher. Appius had to be a genius fighter, if he could teach so many practical things.

-He does? – Marcus Lucius didn't know it. He had heard stories about Appius, by there were no talks about Appius's experiences.

-Yeah, once he told how they got drunk and had to fight, and won. At the end of the day, they were sober and relieved that the wine gave them courage. It was their first battle and they didn't remember much of it. They just remembered the river of wine they drunk a day before and didn't remember when they started supporting the older legionnaires against a supreme enemy. They weren't even sure whether they got an order or whether they wanted to volunteer. Later that evening, they got drunk even more to celebrate their first victory.

Nerva laughed as he always did when he remembered that story. Appius used to tell it once a year, when his soldiers sat down next to a fireplace and looked how a boar was roasted over the warm, specious fire.

-I thought Appius doesn't drink. – Marcus Lucius wasn't sure about the rumour.

-He gave it up after your father went to the afterlife. - Nerva confirmed. - He quitted and stopped drinking. Maximus was a memorable soldier. Everyone from our troops knows him. One day, I will be the same kind of legend as he is. I will build up my own legion and will be asked to participate in selected fights, when the enemy will be so strong that I will be the only crucial chessman standing on the field. - Nerva was dreaming aloud and his dirty smile was replaced with a daydreamer's expression.

-You will. – Marcus Lucius said and Nerva looked at him suspiciously.

-You think?

-I do. All great men have a vision of their future. – Marcus Lucius quoted something that always crossed his mind, when he saw a man with a special focus and plans. It reminded him about himself saying something similar once. - My father said it to me.

-Did you know him? If I wouldn't be Appius's man, I'd be honoured to be a soldier of your father's troop. No offence... - Nerva noticed that his remarks were not supportive, but Marcus Lucius didn't seem to be upset. He even smiled with understanding.

-I wish I could serve under his commando, too. - He thought about the amount of unacknowledged questions in his head. Maximus used to have an answer for everything even the most complicated things could be solved with his help. He didn't talk much, but he shared his words of wisdom quite often. Marcus Lucius regretted not to have listened to everything his father said and not to have the possibility to speak to him, an experienced man, anytime soon. They should meet in the afterlife, but Marcus Lucius didn't hurry to get there anymore.

-Did you know him? - Nerva caught the melancholic mood in the room. He forgot his wound and the needles, and instead, looked to Marcus Lucius. His expression was dreamy in the way that Appius always described Maximus. The clear-cut, succinct facial bones and the strength in his eyes were fascinating.

-I spent a year here before I was sent back to Rome, although I wanted to stay here. I forgot a lot and it's all coming back to me now.

Nerva, already a bit drunk, was bounded to a chair and listened to the snapshots of Marcus Lucius's life.

-You were here before? – Nerva was stunned. He hadn't expected that. He had heard about Marcus Lucius's stay in Thracia and Ostia, but Britannia was new to him.

-Yes, for a while. I got my first trainings under Appius's command. It wasn't easy. You know what I mean. – Marcus Lucius laughed.

-What was Appius like then? - Nerva was really interested. He couldn't imagine Appius being different than the way he knew the old, great trainer. Automatically, he remembered his look when a soldier wasn't fighting right. Then there was steel in his eyes. Nerva smiled and wondered how the melancholic mood was moved to him from Marcus Lucius's shoulders.

-He was younger. I didn't talk with him at all. He threw orders like "Take your hand higher!" or "You forget to cover!" – Marcus Lucius perfectly imitated the movement of Appius's head. - I didn't serve with him after I left Britannia.

Nerva smiled. He knew Appius' commands and the way Marcus Lucius pronounced them sounded as if Appius himself spoke. It was funny. Moving the head to the right wasn't good, this way Appius showed his disapproval or even anger. It directed Nerva's thoughts to a rare moment of contemplation. He kept silent and as he spoke again, he changed the topic abruptly:

-How are the local women here? Wet and sweaty? - Nerva had a dirty look in his eyes again.

Marcus Lucius smiled in a way that could mean a confirmation, but he didn't comment anything. Instead of talking, he kept stitching Nerva.

When patrolling, they only spent little time in Maxentius's villa limited to the sleep phases they needed. They left the villa before sunrise and returned late at night. All their energy was put on patrolling. They had a fixed route that included a short stay in the camp around noon. Vinicius Balbus, one of Cornelius's soldiers, the one with dark hair and the dirty smile, supported Rufus Gallus, who was one of Appius's men. Rufus was a huge man with a plain face and wide shoulders. He was one of the most restrictive persons in the world. He apparently had no vices: he didn't drink wine or any other alcohol, he didn't sleep with women, went to bed early and stood up early. Rufus took over Appius's habits and it was strange. He blindly followed every gesture and every action of Appius. He imitated a great man, reflecting his light. However, even the reflection was strong and influencing. Training his body and the supervised units belonged to the daily routine. There were no exceptions and no extraordinary activities planned. He didn't tolerate any unscheduled remarks, actions or requests. He reported everything meticulously, resumed, without emotions to Marcus Lucius. He didn't raise questions and he didn't search for background information. He was reliable in any regard.

Marcus Lucius nodded and left the camp every day with a good feeling about the progress of the legionnaires. The less amused they were about the trainings the more convinced Marcus Lucius was that Rufus's methods were right. Relieved and with a short movement of the hand, Marcus Lucius indicated to Nerva to follow him for the second round of patrolling. They got new horses and rode away.

During the first days, the locals were very suspicious about the two strangers on horses. The rumours spread like thunder and some residents from the villages walked miles to see the Romans suspicious to them. At first, Marcus Lucius could only understand single words. Then, he understood the context, even though he wasn't able to listen and grasp every word. He wasn't sure when he had learnt the local language. He could make out at least three dialects. It was possible that he had inhaled the unknown language when he was a boy. He didn't grasp it with purpose.

The local inhabitants commented louder and louder what they were thinking about the soldiers with the shiny helmets. They nagged about the missing security and the guff of having a Roman camp so close to their houses and so unpractical for protecting the people from the tribes from the North. They were afraid of increasing incidents with the men from the North. They wished to have more protection, and if the Romans would not protect them, then they didn't wish to have them around. The popular discontent ruled in the eyes of the locals. It sounded the same way disharmonious like the preference of Prokofiev for daring dissonances and unusual chord combinations.

Marcus Lucius and Nerva didn't comment on anything, they didn't exchange any remarks while patrolling. The locals were loud and visibly showed their unhappiness while standing in the doors of their small, stony, houses with thatched roofs. Marcus Lucius listened carefully and Nerva couldn't lose the impression that he was planning something. It was unusual for Marcus Lucius being quiet for so long. He didn't utter any welcoming words or any commands. His orders were communicated with limited gestures. It was a very uncomfortable state and Nerva hoped it would change soon. He was not the greatest listener himself, but he needed contact with others as every human being. After two weeks of mutual observation without talking, something strange and unconventional happened.

On the 14th or 15th day of patrolling, Marcus Lucius stopped his horse in one of the villages, between the houses, in front of the niggling people. The locals wondered about this action, but their jawbones fell to the ground abruptly when Marcus Lucius said something in their language. Nerva was not less stunned than the village inhabitants.

-I know that you're afraid of the people from the North and I know that you are proud enough to fight against everyone, who is posing a threat to you. I came here to support you.

Everybody was stunned. A silence followed while the locals gathered in one big group. Marcus Lucius was waiting for a reaction, but their faces were neither friendly nor disagreeable. Marcus Lucius assumed he needed to give then some time. He knew this from Thracia already. When he got there, the peace policy was not the worst, but there was a lack of understanding and trust. It took a while to improve the relationship, but it was possible. The Brits were not as open and forthcoming as the inhabitants from the Southern Empire. They almost reacted allergic to any kind of contact with strangers. They only ate their own food and wouldn't try the dishes from abroad. They talked to their relatives and limited their communication with foreign tribes no matter whether they were Roman or not Roman folk.

-I don't expect you to talk with me right now, we'll reschedule the talk to seven moons from today. Invite the chiefs from the other villages. Let us talk, please.

After some time, an old, grey-haired man stepped out from the group of locals. Marcus Lucius could hear some quiet consultations.

-We respect you and your kind manners. We'll talk with you here in seven moons from now on. Same time, same place.

-Same time, same place. - Marcus Lucius repeated and nodded with a friendly smile. Then, he moved and as he noticed that Nerva didn't react, he screamed his friend's name. Only then, Nerva came back to the reality and followed Marcus Lucius. They didn't end their their patrol route. Instead, they returned to Maxentius's villa.

-You should rest. -Marcus Lucius said. It sounded more like an order and didn't allow Nerva to start a conversation. They were riding home. Their horses were satisfied by moving forward. They liked the rides on predefined routes. They felt free and didn't care about the wet and cold air. They seemed to like it.

Nerva was perplexed. He didn't say a word, even as he came to the barn and took care of their horses. He had thousands of questions in his head and he wanted some answers. Apparently Marcus Lucius understood and added:

-We'll talk after we have eaten and rested appropriately. Please, do me the favour and have a lie in.

It wasn't soothing. On the opposite, Nerva was annoyed, actually irritated, but he saluted and stepped back after they left the stable. He followed Marcus Lucius with his eyes watching how he vanished through the door of the villa.

It was late afternoon and Marcus Lucius went directly into Julia's bedroom. She was happy to see him again, but insecure, because she didn't communicate with him for two weeks. Without any explanation, he came closer to her, took her arm and checked her wounds. Without a word, he looked at her with ambiguous emotions in his eyes. His fatigued presence made her upset.

Armoured, he looked like a powerful soldier. However, she felt his strength even more when he was just wearing a red tunica. Then his muscles were better visible, clearly. He smelled great, even better than ever before, but he was miles away from her compared to their nightly proximity. She didn't protest when he simply fell into the bed and fell asleep. He neither dressed off nor explained anything. She lay next to him and stared at him like a maniac. She was obsessed with him and she couldn't do anything against it. She wasn't able to be angry with him at all. He came back to her. That was the most important thing. Everybody else had given her up, except for him. He had returned. The painful, scary memory of him leaving her and her being sure he would never come back, seemed to be a bad, fragile dream. Just the bandaged arm reminded her about the bad sides of the past. It was strange that she didn't feel any pain, but she explained it to herself with her unstoppable joy.

Marcus Lucius fell into the bed and slept deeply for hours. He almost didn't move and he didn't care about the cold air in the room. Julia ordered to kindle the fire more intensively after he came back. She didn't give herself any privilege to stay in cosy, warm rooms. She lay in the bed with moments of unconsciousness due to the fever caused by her wound. She wasn't aware how Marcus Lucius came back every night and checked her condition. He didn't look directly at the wound. It had to heal and therefore, it had to be left in peace. He slept in the chair next to Julia's bed. She felt his presence and stayed calm. When she noticed him consciously, he didn't give up to keep his position in the chair. He didn't speak a word with her. He stood up before the sun appeared on the horizon and went to sleep when the night ruled for hours already.

This time, he fell into bed directly. He didn't cover himself with a blanket nor moved it after Julia laid it over him. He was like a piece of silver wood without any motion. The only proof for his existence was the regular breath. He lay on his belly with his arms along his body. He missed the dinner and Nerva's silent visits. He missed a storm with furious thunder and lightning. The wind outside was so powerful that Julia was afraid it could break into the house any minute. Every now and then, it was so bright outside that she could see everything around as if there was sun in her room. It was frightening. She trembled a lot, first when she heard the thunder and then, when it enormously echoed in her ears. She didn't scream, which was exerting, because she had to control herself a lot. She took a pillow and hid her face into it when a new thunder appeared on the sky. Marcus Lucius didn't even tremble or move any millimetre.

Nerva stepped by every now and then to check whether Marcus Lucius was already awake. His nervousness and impatience were visible and conveyed on Julia. Nerva had dark circles around the eyes and looked at least as tired as Marcus Lucius was. His left, upper arm was covered in a bandage which contrasted with his red, woollen tunica. Julia wondered what had happened, but Nerva didn't answer. She sent him to rest as well, but he refused every time. Apparently, he felt offended. He was convinced that Marcus Lucius had ordered Julia to send him away. Nerva simply wanted to get informed when Marcus Lucius woke up and as every impatient person, he wanted to get his answers as soon as possible. Julia assured that she would send her own slaves to bring word. Marcus Lucius didn't react in any way.

Without Octavian, Nerva seemed to be lonely and sad, even though he took it as a man and didn't complain or make strange face expressions. Just his eyes weren't as vivid and joyful as usual. Nerva stayed in Eboracum, because he was supposed to accompany Julia on her way with Cornelius. Due to the change of plans, he followed Marcus Lucius to the camp and accompanied him all the time. It brought a special kind of peace into Julia's soul. At least, Marcus Lucius had someone skilled and reliable on his side.

Because Julia didn't see Marcus Lucius for days, she assumed that he spent all the hours training with the legionnaires as Nerva once mentioned. No other information was available to Julia which made her feel increasingly insecure. Nobody had even the slightest idea where Marcus Lucius and Nerva spent their time and it wasn't supportive to ask any legionnaire of Cornelius, because it could just raise unnecessary questions. She was increasingly tensed and stressed. It wasn't a nice, comfortable state of soul. Therefore, she preferred to stay in cold, empty rooms, because she could deceive her senses and guide her thoughts to her basic instincts.

Nerva was unsettled and orbited around Julia's bedroom. He couldn't find his peace, especially when he remembered the last days, lacking understanding of the local language, not following the concept of Marcus Lucius and the wound he got. He wasn't used to be injured. Additionally, he wasn't sure what to do. He needed instructions. The best strategy to come to a conclusion was to step back and go to the basics. He thought about the day after Octavian left Eboracum, when Marcus Lucius spoke with Cornelius. It was a private talk, but Nerva was just a few meters away from them and could hear every word that was said. Cornelius had sent all his men away, but Marcus Lucius ordered Nerva to stay, so Nerva stayed and listened carefully. Cornelius confirmed the deal of the last day as if he wasn't sure that Marcus Lucius really didn't intend to take the official leading position.

-I called off my soldiers. - Cornelius added quietly.

-I've noticed. Thank you. - Marcus Lucius confirmed.

-What do you plan to do? - Cornelius was interested and stressed. His tension was visible.

Marcus Lucius didn't show anything that could provoke Cornelius.

-We have to be prepared. The legionnaires have to train. I'll overtake it. In a month, they'll start patrolling the surrounding. \- Marcus Lucius's words were short, quickly spoken.

-What do you plan to do during the month? We can get attacked again! - Cornelius sounded ruffled and angry.

-They'll start patrolling the surrounding in a month. - Marcus Lucius repeated with the emphasis on "they". - We'll start patrolling immediately.

Nerva wondered about the strict, exact, emotionless tone and. He appeared confident and masterfully on another, unknown level. When Nerva had met Marcus Lucius for the very first time, he saw a wounded lion that fought for a good thing. Even when he lay on the ground unarmed like a child, he emitted a kind of seriousness and power. Nerva was impressed by the generous gesture of Marcus Lucius when he allowed him to sleep in his bed in his wagon, while he himself stayed sitting on the floor. During the following weeks, there were not many contacts between them. During the last days, Nerva used to look at Marcus Lucius as a buddy, great, reliable, but silent companion.

But in the moment when Marcus Lucius and Cornelius talked, something changed. In a natural, acceptable way Marcus Lucius became a leader. He was no tyrant, who forces you to proceed with all possible means. On the opposite, Marcus Lucius didn't need to force anyone to rule the situation. Appius had foreseen this strength when he once said that Marcus Lucius had to grow up to become the real son of Maximus. In this one scene, it was really the case. A man stepped down from the way he was following before.

Nerva was relieved to finally have someone close to him, who knew what to do, how to behave, which orders were needed. It was a good feeling, even though there were some doubts about Marcus Lucius's identity and Octavian's ride to Appius. Appius was the ultimate decision maker and consulter.

During the following days, Marcus Lucius kept silent and the patrolling started again. In the rainy days, evenings and even nights, they were on the road stepping by villages in the locality of Eboracum. The village inhabitants kept their distance, even though their strange talks were louder. Nerva didn't understand a word and he didn't feel comfortable when someone obviously was talking about him but he couldn't grasp the context. The ambiguous facial expressions of the locals weren't supportive.

Not the weather, which was clearly worse than in any other part of the Empire, was the most tiring thing. It was the constant silence during the time spent patrolling, that was most annoying. Therefore, Nerva enjoyed the moments when he got a report from Rufus, a good companion on the battle fields and during the trainings, but the worst friend in the private life. Rufus didn't participate in any celebration, he didn't pray, he didn't drink, he didn't go to the women to have sex. Octavian wasn't good with such things, either, but Octavian - at least - tried to settle in.

Nerva needed a consultation for future actions. When Julia asked what happened, Nerva kept silence and referred her to Marcus Lucius. He didn't want to tell her what further steps Marcus Lucius had planned, because he wasn't informed about it. On the way back to the villa after the talk with Cornelius two weeks ago, Marcus Lucius had mentioned he was thinking about sending Julia to Naples with delay. After he sent a messenger to her father to give the note about the change of plans, he started the daily routine of patrols. As cause for Julia's delay, Marcus Lucius mentioned the latest occurrences and the higher risk of travelling these days without describing anything in particular. Nerva wasn't sure whether Julia was involved in these plans. It was rather less probable. Nerva wondered when Marcus Lucius would find time for it. For more than two weeks, Marcus Lucius was just on the road and Nerva became his best companion. Even though they didn't talk at all, there was a special kind of connection that bounded them together.

Nerva was used to be on the run in a chaotic, energetic way. Usually, he was the messenger of really good or totally bad news. He was trained to be a fighter, but he didn't have any occasion to prove himself in any combat until he settled down in Eboracum. Appius used to say that Nerva had to focus on the tasks of great responsibility. Bringing the news and being a communication channel had the same high priority as swinging the sword on a battlefield. However, the training hours were part of Nerva's exercises. Being a messenger was risky as well. Appius was sure that Nerva had to be prepared for any kind of action, reaction, decision. On the long trips, Nerva visited many different places and didn't graft his soul anywhere. He wasn't like a planted tree that knew where its roots were. He was like the seeds from an orchid family that are generally blown off like dust particles or spores after ripening. Nerva was here and there, but he had no home to return to. Most soldiers preferred a place or a chosen location to call their home. Nerva didn't. He loved to be in motion, from one point to another. He loved small talks. He loved new faces and scratching the surface of the world. He didn't feel related to places, but he felt connected to people. His relation to Appius and Octavian was Nerva's only point of reference. Octavian and he were like brothers. Appius and he were like the master and scholar. With Marcus Lucius he started building a strong friendship.

In Britannia, through the daily routine including riding the same routes and looking at the same trees, frozen bayous and other elements of the surrounding, Nerva discovered that being in one place could calm you down and bring some rest into the soul. However, he needed some days to settle down his thoughts and doubts. Only then, a kind of unknown, but welcomed silence flew through him. He understood this the evening, he got wounded. He inveighed against the entire world and was close to snapping any moment. It wasn't the pain in the body that annoyed him so much. It was the awareness of being captured in a rainy, unhappy, immutable place, the furthest, the less interesting part of the empire instead of having a talk here or there. Nerva noticed that Marcus Lucius had killed the rest of the offenders and in the moment, when the little fight was over, Marcus Lucius changed from the enormously fast, active, outstanding warrior into a calm, peaceful man watching the sunset at the horizon. Nerva looked in the same direction and the last sun rays brought a new thought: the place was impressive with its masterfully synchronized colours of the sky, woods and the road ahead.

When Marcus Lucius stitched him later that night, Nerva felt good for the very first time. He calmed down after he drunk a sea of wine. Actually, he wanted to drink to forget his thoughts, instead, he made peace with the situation. He got the illuminative impression that the more he tried to run away the more troubles were combined with the escape. It was obvious that he had to accept the circumstances. He hadn't forced himself to like it, but he could learn to tolerate it. It was a step into a good direction.

Continuous ups and downs used to give him adrenaline shocks in the blood. He liked the kick, because it distracted him from thoughts coming from the deepest corner of the heart. During the two weeks with Marcus Lucius, a special kind of inner peace established itself in his soul. He started paying attention to the dark, gloomy, but calm places around him that became the perfect environment for him. Just the rain ruined the idealistically sombre climate.

Nerva wasn't informed how long the delay with Julia's travel should take. Marcus Lucius hadn't explained anything – neither directly after the talk with Cornelius, nor in the following two weeks. Marcus Lucius said he wanted to talk with Julia later, and "later" was so undefined that it could take years before a talk would take place. Marcus Lucius looked tired, sad, as if he would be forced to carry a heavy load on his shoulders. Nerva felt it through his sleekly rough skin. From the very beginning, from the day he came back from a journey that never took place, Marcus Lucius asked Nerva to stay in Britannia. He didn't define any tasks, he didn't describe anything, he simply expressed a question that had to be answered with something like "Yes, I do" or even "Of course, I do". Marcus Lucius didn't have any right to decree anything, but his appearance forced Nerva to behave friendly and stay supportive. When Nerva asked which kind of help was needed, Marcus Lucius shook his head with refusal. When Nerva asked whether he had to go to Appius, Marcus Lucius refused again.

-I need you here. We'll wait for Octavian to come back with news and advice from Appius. Then, we'll decide what to do next. We have a month for trainings and patrols.

There were no further statements. On the opposite, Marcus Lucius kept silence for days as if his lips were glued together. It was strange, and Nerva waited for any whisper, any word, any expression that could disclose the run of thoughts in Marcus Lucius's head. Two weeks, there was almost no visible communication. However, there was a bond getting stronger and stronger with every day. The common rides and the hours of silence brought them surprisingly close.

Everybody was surprised to hear that Marcus Lucius had spoken in this strange, local dialect. Nerva had seen the shock in the eyes of the local inhabitants gathered there. Their eyebrows were raised so high that they almost left poleaxed faces. Marcus Lucius had solved the situation by politely waiting for an answer and when he got one, he had replied something in the strange dialect and signalled Nerva to go.

When they came back to the villa, it was late afternoon. They skipped the second round of patrolling and the visit in the camp. Marcus Lucius fell into bed like a stone and Nerva wasn't able to talk to him. It was like the command for the great, precious, but treacherous "Open Sesame" phrase, which allows you to enter a magic, gold world inside a rough, grey, ordinary rock. After days of silence, hours of sleep followed and no exchange of opinions was in sight.

Nerva waited impatiently for Marcus Lucius to wake up, but he didn't wish to be the one to wake him. From time to time he gazed at Julia, who seemed to be confused. She looked more and more scared and Nerva wondered what was thinking about. He got to know an uncountable number of women and he never thought about one female twice. There were so many females in the world that it simply was a waste of time to concentrate all attention just on one. Instead of going into the depth of a relationship, he preferred the massive range of choice between the masses. It was very easy to get into contact with them. He just had to say a nice thing or not even say anything at all, and these women wanted to get him, to seduce him, to bind him. The more he resisted, the more he was the target of female intrigues who wanted to impress him. He used it in his own, egoistic way responding to their need to have him as the most precious piece in their collection. It was much easier to taste female lips and bodies or have a quickie during a day without getting involved for longer than one night. Finding another woman was less complicated than investing time and patience into keeping contact. He left them without saying goodbye and they were still hoping that he would come back.

Only now, staying around Julia, he noticed how demanding it was to follow one female's movements, gestures, words. He was raised by his uncle, who used to escape from his wife in any possible way. During his escapades, he visited bawdy houses full of people in good mood and with pleased smiles, people with crooked teeth and sour breath. Little Nerva had to stay as a guard and give signals in case of emergency, which meant the furious, unpredictable aunt. Bolting from his fat, sweaty aunt was part of his life, one of the very first challenges. She haunted him with prong taken away from the slaves who were responsible for the garden. She haunted him in reality and in his dreams screaming "I'll teach you a lesson, you randy old devil!". The flight didn't stop when Nerva moved on and became a soldier. Getting in contact with women was easy. Running away from them was a habit. The best trainings were absolved on the dusty, dried streets in front of the oldest, impoverished houses of lust and sex.

Meeting Julia forced him to think about how he should behave and what he should say. He couldn't move away from the villa and that forced him to see Julia more often. It was a new experience and he tried to avoid contacts. Julia didn't notice this. She excused him with his tiredness. Every time she saw him stepping by, she asked thoughtfully, whether Nerva needed anything. She ordered food and wine for him. Her hands were shaky and her eyes unsettled. He didn't want to ask her for the reason of her fear. He didn't want to go into the depth of her soul. He wasn't ready for it. Instead, he kept refusing steadily and politely, and went away before the ordered things were brought by the slaves. Julia didn't try to stop him which seemed odd to him. He was confused. He couldn't make head or tail of it. This woman was complicated.

Finally, after hours of deep, needed sleep Marcus Lucius woke up. He didn't catch up on the lack of sleep he felt, but it was the right step into the proper direction. Possibly the last peal of thunder was the cause for him waking up. He didn't stand up immediately. Instead, he looked around shortly and was relieved to see Julia only some meters away. As usual, she was covered in a thick, dark blanket. Her face and fingertips sticking out from the depth of the woollen cocoon looked cute. He heard her voice and tried to understand what she was saying. Her tone was friendly. She sent away a slave with a plate full of meat and dough. She didn't have to be nice to anyone, but she was. Everybody loved her supportive nature. She had a warm spark in her eyes that could be seen even in the dim light of the room. Marcus Lucius appreciated her caring, visible in her inconspicuous, fragile, but useful and natural gestures like tucking Marcus Lucius up with a blanket or having a glass with water and wine ready for him.

He yawned and changed his position to be able to lie on his back. It hadn't been the best idea to sleep armoured. The steel clashed as he tried to get up. The storm was over. The sleepiness was gone, too.

-Oh, you're awake. - Julia's tone betrayed her happiness, but also her insecurity.

She came closer in a dynamic, graceful way that he saw for the very first time. It was a nice surprise. However, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react. His instinct pushed him to take her hand and force her to lay in the bed, kiss her everywhere and breathe her incredibly desirable scent. However, his mind limited his spontaneous actions and just allowed him to smile nicely. Julia's enthusiasm slowed down visibly. She was raised to support her man without putting his decisions or reasons into question. She was meant to sacrifice all her energy regardless of her own good. She wasn't aware that this originated in the conditional education by parents.

-You should eat something. Nerva didn't eat anything at all. Maybe he needs your company.

Marcus Lucius wanted to know why Julia mentioned one of Appius's soldiers. He hoped she talked about a more private topic. His smile stayed captured on his lips, but its naturalness decreased a bit. He stood up and indicated with his finger that he wished to have dinner served. On his way to the wooden table, he passed Julia, because he needed to feel her even shortly, even briefly. She trembled and he wasn't sure what was happening. His insecurity wasn't visible. He was a tough guy, who didn't show many emotions.

He sat down on his favourite chair and yawned again. He wasn't well rested, but did have enough time to relax. He raised his arms behind his neck and stretched himself slowly. He moved his head in a way that made Julia come to him. She hesitated a moment, but behaved as predicted. She stopped when she wasn't yet close enough to touch him without moving forward, but close enough to feel his skin when she raised her hand. She was stepping out of her shyness and dared to reach for a dream she wanted to become real.

Marcus Lucius was flabbergasted, even though Julia didn't notice it. Looking at her, he felt the edge of Julia's blanket that allowed him to get to the girl's skin. He grabbed her left underarm softly, slowly, purposely. His eyes carefully observed Julia's face. Her pupils got bigger and showed surprise. He slid with his fingers to her hand and stroked her gently. His fingers were warm. His look was provocative.

-With all due respect, you have dirty a look in your eyes. - She said with red cheeks and confusion in her eyes.

-With all due respect, I'm losing my bearing. - He answered with a naughty smile.

-I'm pleased, but not sure whether it's good or bad.

He gently pulled her close to him and she lost her balance. He caught her immediately which surprised her a lot. She didn't realise how he moved from the chair and bowed over her. He looked her deeply in the eyes and Julia felt an ocean of emotions inside her. But her face turned stony when he grabbed after her left underarm. In the moment, he felt the bandages, his smile disappeared and his eyes got a serious expression.

-I have to check your wound. - He said sadly and helped her to stand up on her own legs again.

Her look was confused. She was insecure, again. Internally, she fought with herself and turned over thoughts like "he likes me a lot" and "no, it's just his compassion" and "it's just your imagination". Right in that moment, she felt betrayed by her senses and scored the deepest hole of all.

-Don't bother, I am fine.

Her straight, but slightly cold tone without hesitation surprised Marcus Lucius. She stood upright and confident. She looked the same way as when she told him why she had hurt herself. He still was not able to completely understand her reasons, even if the rational explanation was quite logical. Apparently she was a person, who was planning some steps in advance instead of acting spontaneously. It was admirable how genuine she appeared. However, Marcus Lucius didn't like self-mutilation being a part of her plan. He wasn't sure whether she was not all awake. He held her wrists and didn't allow her to go away, even though she didn't give the impression to flee any moment. She could move her head freely, but she stayed focussed on his face expression.

-Why did you do it? - He badly wanted to understand her reasons and hoped that her full answer would be comprehensible.

-I thought that was what you wanted. - She started.

He was so surprised and wondered that he wasn't able to control his face. He had never wished for her to be hurt. He had never said anything that she could take as an order to do that. Before he refused aloud, she added:

-Appius said... I thought... I can't go back to my family. I can, but I don't want to. I... - She was so confused and embarrassed that she didn't finish her sentence.

One minute, she looked and appeared strong, then, she opened herself to Marcus Lucius. He didn't see it as a weakness. It was indeed brave to show so much trust. Even though he didn't understand everything and needed further explanation, he recognized the direction. In a way, he felt that she needed a kind of confirmation that her motives were right, but her actions were everything but right. Instinctively, he hugged her and she carefully put her hands around his back. He didn't feel her touch as much as he wanted, because he was still wearing thick clothes and his armour. He had fallen asleep completely dressed and tucked up, tired as he was. It was silly and lazy, but he had slept in less comfortable surroundings, so it wasn't the worst experience.

-Whatever... - She said finally. - What were you doing the last days anyway? - Her question appeared like an arrow.

Marcus Lucius smiled. It was a good distraction tactic. She didn't answer his question, instead she brought up own points with need of clarification.

-How long did I sleep? - He started another attempt to distract himself from any thought about her.

-The entire evening and the half of the night. - She answered quickly.

He was surprised. In his opinion, the sunrise was coming slowly.

-Did you have a good sleep? - She asked quietly, insecure. She showed this special kind of cute uncertainty that he had observed so often during the journey to Britannia when he suddenly woke up while she was cleaning his wounds. She didn't turn red a lot, but there was a unique shadow in her eyes.

-I did. - He confirmed freely. - Did you sleep at all?

-Yes, yes. - Her answer came too hurriedly and she had a wrinkle on her forehead that betrayed her lie. He smiled and she was confused. She was like an open map to read. If you knew her expressions, you could decode everything.

-No, no. Go to bed and get some sleep. - He ordered friendly.

He noticed her disappointment and he couldn't leave her like this. He accompanied her, gently forced her to sit down on the edge of the bed. Then, he brought a bowl with water and a towel. He started taking off the bandages on her arm while talking:

-I promised Cornelius to observe the area. The men from the North were attacking us recently. They came her more often.

Julia didn't look at him at all, but she listened carefully to every word he spoke. She was confused and insecure inside, because there was no clearly defined behaviour of his. He treated her differently. After calling her with Decima's name, he got distanced. Then, he helped her to survive the hours spent on the ship. In the villa, he either showed complete care and affection or he simply ignored her like during the last days. She analysed what she did to make him step back and she felt guilty for this situation.

-We were in the villages around the camp and I listened to what the local people had to say. They are disappointed and feel left behind by the Romans. We have to do something about it. Additionally, Cornelius's soldiers are not prepared for a fight. I ordered them to get some training and Rufus Gallus, the second hand of Cornelius, took over the task. In a week, I'll go with Nerva to meet the local people. We'll talk. We need to join our forces. Only then, when the situation will be clear enough, I'll send you to your father as Cornelius wished.

Marcus Lucius's voice was calm and pleasant while he reported her the summary of the last days. He cleaned the skin on her forearm and looked at her face every now and then. She still avoided his look and he couldn't understand her reasons. The wound started to heal, but it was just the start of a long, difficult process. The jagged, rugged pieces of her skin weren't curable as easily as straight cuts. Just thinking about Julia's arguments explaining the reason for her self-mutilation made him deeply sad. She did it for him. He was supposed to lose the ballast of her person so his road to revenge would be open. He wouldn't have been forced to look back at Britannia and would have been able to concentrate on himself instead of taking care of Julia. It was noble and so stupid at the same time. It made him furious. Just the thought that she could disappear from the world of living people was a horrible thought.

She noticed his increasing sadness, but she didn't react. When he said she was supposed to travel to her father, she became gloomy and desperate. She tried to put her thoughts into a plan that gave her enough power to survive the days up to her journey. He wanted her to go away from this place he wanted to leave, so she concluded he didn't want her at all. She didn't know his reasons, but telling her the perspective of sending her home was already scary and disappointing. In that moment she hated him for that. And she hated to hate him.

Marcus Lucius observed her and the deep sadness in her eyes couldn't be overseen.

-Are you fine? - He asked with sorrow. He was afraid he hurt her by washing her underarm with water mixed with medicine.

-I am fine. - She said.

-I have to stitch your wound. It won't heal on its own. - He judged after a minutes of silence, while he analysed the state of her wound.

-If you say so. – She showed resignation. Marcus Lucius thought about her courage to bear the pain, while he prepared the threaded needle and Julia planned how to kill herself on the journey to Naples.

-Are you prepared? - Marcus Lucius asked with a timid voice. He didn't feel well about stitching her, but he knew it was needed to help with the healing process. She didn't have such rough skin and no dirty laugh like Nerva and it was much more difficult to cause her pain and to focus on the needle.

Julia didn't answer and her look stayed captured on somewhere beyond Marcus Lucius's sight. Her lips were pressed together like two lines. Her body was tensed.

-Look at me. - He said. - Relax. Breathe easily. Do you wish to drink?

She started to breathe in deeper and longer, but she didn't look at him at all. She felt like crying every moment and she didn't intend to show him any sign of weakness. He wanted to leave her, to send her to her father, and it made her so unbelievably mournful. She tried to pull herself together. Under his skin he felt she stood at the edge of desperation which didn't make it easier to start stitching her. He laid her underarm on his knee. She was still sitting next to him, but she had to bow a bit and it wasn't a comfortable position. Accompanied by objections, he started anyway. She bit her lips, but stayed unmoved. The bodily pain helped her through the dark thoughts in her head. The pain was like the saving grace. Marcus Lucius was focussed on her arm, but kept glancing at her face. He saw the expression in her eyes and couldn't find what he was missing.

-Dominus! - An anxious scream broke the silence. One of the slaves stepped into the room and tried to be faster than Nerva.

Nerva looked tired. He had almost red eyes beset by dark skin. When he saw Marcus Lucius stitching Julia, he stopped. He knew from his own experience how painful it could be to bear every stitch of a needle.

Marcus Lucius moved his head to Nerva and sent the slave away.

-What brings you here? - Marcus Lucius asked rather impolite, stressed.

-I wanted to talk with you about what we plan. - Nerva mumbled and couldn't take his eyes off Julia's arm. The girl trembled a little, but held still. Nerva was more than just simply impressed.

-Do you need any help? - Nerva added, looking like an obsessed person.

-You could hold her hand fixed. - Marcus Lucius ordered.

Nerva didn't hesitate any moment and kneed between Marcus Lucius and Julia. Then, he touched Julia's arm gently, insecure. Julia's face was like a stony sculpture of a goddess: beautiful, immortal, but motionless. Her look was directed to a point on a wall that was definitely not interesting. Her arm trembled a little reflexively.

As soon as Nerva was prepared, Marcus Lucius continued to stitch the girl. She seemed to be not participating in the events, so Marcus Lucius started talking to Nerva:

-We have to go to the local villagers in seven days. They will gather their council of elders to define the further strategy. We'll take their advice and forge out plans including Cornelius's soldiers from the camp.

-And Cornelius will give us his legionnaires? - Nerva doubted visibly. Additionally, he was surprised that Marcus Lucius discussed such themes in front of a woman. He didn't feel good with it.

-These soldiers are here to protect the borders of the empire, so they will fulfil their obligation.

-You know I didn't mean it that way. - Nerva added. It was obvious that they had the right, but he wasn't sure whether they had the remedies.

-I know, but we have to act according our possibilities and needs. First, let us talk with the local elders. Then, we'll look at what is needed from our side.

-I think you already have a plan. You had your plan already before you spoke with Cornelius last time. - Nerva had mentioned the talk more than two weeks ago.

-I have a draft plan. I have to see whether it's possible to implement it. - Marcus Lucius confirmed.

-With all due respect, why didn't you ever mention that you speak their language? - Nerva was still completely disappointed by the lack of trust Marcus Lucius showed.

-I wasn't sure how much I still command it. I needed these days to listen to the local villagers and to refresh my memories. - Marcus Lucius answered shortly and Nerva nodded with understanding.

It wasn't the complete truth. Marcus Lucius had started refreshing his memories already when he started his rides around the camp with Octavian. After every training he practiced with two servants brought from the local surrounding. After it was known that Maxentius's slaves were killed in the ambush, he had to get a new crew. It was important to him to get slaves who could improve his range of languages. The chosen two local villagers were surprised by the task they got assigned, but they didn't ask any questions. The other servants were sent to keep the household and support the slaves brought from Italy.

Marcus Lucius wasn't sure when he had learnt the local language during his first stay in Britannia. It was more or less happening between the trainings, meals and sleep. His father assigned a servant from the local community to him and this was the beginning of the learning process. It didn't occur to Marcus Lucius as learning by doing. He wasn't aware how much he inhaled just by being there. Only when he listened to the local people, he got how much he was able to understand. The dialect of the camp, where he was, was similar to the dialect of people around Eboracum. However, some words were different and he needed to get to know the language better.

Marcus Lucius gazed at Julia. Her look became fuzzy. She could easily pass out which wouldn't be supportive.

-Nerva, would you be so kind and hold the needle for a moment? - Marcus Lucius asked and gave the needle to his friend. - Julia, we'll lay you down on the bed.

Then, he stood up and helped Julia to lie down. Nerva looked at the underarm with the thread coming out of it. Marcus Lucius took care of her entire body. He was mindful when he touched her shoulders and legs. He watched out for her head. She followed his look and smiled minimally. It was a sad smile. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what she tried to communicate to him.

-Julia, you have to hold on for one more moment. I'm almost finished. - Marcus Lucius said quietly.

Nerva saw a kind of special connection between the two and it confused him. Julia was a girl who had the trust of Appius and Marcus Lucius. She had the gift to calm down people. Being in her company already made everyone feel better. She didn't talk a lot. She didn't push herself on the fore. She took the stitches as a man. She was incredible.

In the moment, Marcus Lucius helped her to lie down, a connection between the two was visible. They didn't talk at all, but they understood each other like good friends. It was a new experience to see such a bound between a man and a woman. It didn't match the picture Nerva's carried in his heart over the years.

Julia would have fallen down in the bed like a stone, if Marcus Lucius didn't hold her head gently. Her eyes were closed and her lips were still pressed together. The pain was high and overwhelming. Marcus Lucius ended the stitching and sent Nerva away.

-Get some rest, good friend. We have today, and tomorrow, and the following days to gather our strength. - Marcus Lucius said.

Nerva didn't oppose and left the room quickly. He went to his bedroom and finally, after having taken off his armour, he was able to fall asleep. He dreamt about Julia lying wounded in her bed. He saw her eyes full of pain, but strength as well. She didn't say a word, but she looked at him in a strange way. She wanted to tell him something, but her lips were stitched together. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't able to come closer. An unknown force kept him glued to the place where he was. Nerva woke up sweaty and scared. The dream was so real and weird that he wanted to check whether Julia was healthy and well or not. He jumped out of bed and ran to the doors of Julia's bedroom. He didn't dare to go inside. He thought about Marcus Lucius and he slapped himself with the hand on his forehead.

-What a fool am I... - He whispered. - If she doesn't feel well, Marcus Lucius is at her side.

However, he couldn't just simply go away. He felt like an idiot, but he searched for one of Julia's slaves. The younger one was easier to find. Chloe was surprised to see him.

-Just go and look at her, come back and report to me what I asked. - He said.

It wasn't an order. Chloe saw sorrow in his unsettled eyes and she couldn't refuse. She didn't feel well when she stepped into the bedroom. She went in slowly, insecure, cautiously between the columns of the hallway. When she was finally able to take a look at the bed, she caught the look of Marcus Lucius, who apparently had heard her steps.

-Forgiveness, dominus, your friend Nerva asks whether everything is all right. - Chloe whispered, because she noticed that Julia was sleeping in Marcus Lucius's arms.

Marcus Lucius smiled relieved. His friend was a friend indeed.

-Tell him that everything is fine and he should finally go to sleep. Take care that he will really lie down.

-Yes, dominus. - Chloe nodded and went away. Then, she repeated everything to Nerva.

As he went away, she followed him. He stopped and turned around.

-What do you think you're doing? - He asked.

-Dominus ordered me to check whether you really go into your bed.

Nerva was tired and didn't have the wish to talk to anyone. He ignored the slave and went in the envisaged direction. He ignored Chloe following him. He disregarded her as he fell into bed with relief and tried to fall asleep. The problem was that he was so afraid to dream the scary story again that he fought against his chronic fatigue. He gazed at the ceiling and felt increasingly annoyed that Chloe was still there.

-Go away! - He ordered, but she didn't move.

He threw a pillow at her and hit her stomach. She didn't flinch.

-Totty! - Nerva screamed irritated as he looked into her direction. - Why, in the name of all gods, don't you go away?!

She kept silent and hesitated. After he yelled at her for the third time, she ran away. He went back to bed and tried not to sleep. The demons of his past accompanied him and didn't want to leave his side. He was tortured for hours.

In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius hugged Julia tighter. After Nerva left, she lost her consciousness and when she came back to the reality, she noticed that Marcus Lucius lay next to her. He didn't sleep, but observed her and smiled when she looked at him.

-You were really tough today. - He whispered. - You should rest now.

He wanted to get up, but she turned to him and laid her left hand on his chest. He simply couldn't oppose. She needed him and he recognized it. He stayed at her side and she pressed her hand harder to his chest. At the same time, he still minded how her left arm was positioned.

She fell asleep as she could hear his heartbeat. It calmed her down and she needed to stay smooth after days of confusion. She felt safe and good. At least for the next moments, she wanted to live the illusion of being liked or even loved.

Her calmness brought peace into his heart. His fingers weren't shaky when he stitched her, but after he finished and put everything aside, he trembled inside like jelly. As long as it was needed, he could control his body, but now he had to blow off his steam. He couldn't leave her alone after she lost consciousness and he couldn't go away now that she got back her senses. Being at her side made him feel like being in the right place at the right time. While she was sleeping, he remembered the pain he saw in her eyes and every prick came back and stabbed his heart at least with the double power. It wasn't easy to cause pain to her, the person of great interest, and additionally, he did it with purpose. The goal was to help her healing process. Her wound looked better, but it didn't seem to heal on its own. He stitched her and bandaged the underarm completely. Then, he laid himself next to her and stroked her hair. He breathed her scent which he had missed during the last days.

After the night, when they became quite intimate and cosy, he wasn't sure how to behave in her proximity, so he avoided her. Furthermore, he needed to check the situation around the camp and he wanted to stay focussed on the task he promised to fulfil. She was a distraction, because he wasn't sure how to proceed. He didn't want to force or push her to do anything, if she didn't want to take any further step. If she wanted to go forward, she had to give him a sign coming from her heart, not derived by his intensions. It was a new feeling he never had in his strategy. He always got what he wanted. He went in the direction he targeted. He didn't use to look back at other people. The others had to adapt themselves to him. Sometimes he moved just minimally away from the aimed way, but regarded any person as high as Julia. He was not able not to consider her feelings.

When sleeping, he felt good having her on his side. As she laid her hand on his chest, it was the signal he wished to get. With relief, he smiled and became relaxed and happy. He wasn't aware of falling asleep, but he woke up when he heard someone coming closer. The reflexes warned him and he was ready to fight. He didn't move and didn't open his eyes until he recognized the shy steps of one of Julia's slaves. Chloe was surprised. Marcus Lucius managed the situation as fast as it was possible. He didn't want to lose any moment of his own happiness.

Julia didn't wake up from the short conversation and Marcus Lucius was relieved about it. He didn't want her to be ripped out of her dreams. She looked so cute and so innocent what simply confirmed her usual, real appearance. He was aware that he didn't want to lose her. When he remembered his attempt to go to Appius, he thought he wouldn't stand even one day without her. It hit him. The scales fell from his eyes.

He became scared because of two reasons. The first one was quite predictable: he already missed her, even if she wasn't on the road to Naples yet. He wasn't sure whether he could stay here alone. It was scary, but he could live with it. The second consideration was his dependence on her. It could be dangerous. He didn't care about his life, but he was afraid that someone could use her vulnerability against him. Already the thought about her being hurt just to influence him was scary. Decima's death wrecked him. If he wouldn't have Julia, he would feel worse. He didn't want to think about it, but the anxiety already settled down in his heart. He hugged her tighter and if it was up to him, he would never leave this bed.

Plagued by his anxiety, he fell asleep. Her presence made it possible. During the first hours, he got the needed amount of sleep to function again and in the hours spent by Julia's side, he got the needed amount of relaxation and good vibrations. He held her close and automatically stroke her back. She laid her head on his chest and her fingers next to his shoulder. He felt it through the dreams and smiled. He was happy. She was happy, too. She wasn't sure what to think, so she tried to switch off her mind. In her dreams, she already created a wonderful, worriless world full of love and affection. She didn't feel the pain in her arm. She was fulfilled with adrenaline. She had felt an endorphin rush due to her excitement, pain, and love.

Marcus Lucius woke up and watched her sleeping. It was already late, around noon. He stood up and left the villa. The last days, he visited Cornelius and saw how the legionnaires were trained. This day, he felt obligated to do the same, and not to strike in any way. He left Julia on her own and he didn't send anyone to bring Nerva.

Cornelius always smiled politely, but Marcus Lucius stayed distanced. It was rather improbable that these two will become friends. They were companions of necessity. Cornelius limited himself as much as possible and used to ask:

-Did you discover something new?

-No, everything is the way it was. - Marcus Lucius answered.

Marcus Lucius didn't mention the incidents. He was really aware of the importance of the attempts made by the men from the North, but he didn't want to share his knowledge with Cornelius. Due to the talks with Rufus, Marcus Lucius got to know that there were similar attempts earlier that year and even in the year before. There was an unexplained lack of action needed to manage the critical situation.

Cornelius was a good speaker and he could easily take a place in the senate. However, his skills as a soldier weren't the best and he was overly challenged with the honour of the camp's commander. The truth was that he got the position just due to connections of his brother. Cornelius never had aspirations to get a command of any camp. He wanted to go into politics but there had always been reasons that made it impossible. Julius Fabius supported his brother, but every time an arranged chance of Cornelius's absorption into senate came up, something had happened. The first time, there was an unexplained murder and someone else profited from the death of the killed senator. Then, the emperor wasn't willing to support Julius and therefore, Julius planned to get a senator's seat through the back door. Cornelius was supposed to take over the command of the camp in Britannia, where the situation was quite stable. But with increasing risk of attacks by the men from the North, it wasn't very supportive for Cornelius's career to stay there, so Maxentius was supposed to take over the leadership and the existing problems. Cornelius could go back to Rome as a winner and his importance would glance in the sign of the Fabii family. Maxentius should stay in Britannia and his head would roll with the defeat. Julius could cancel the marriage with Julia and she would be free for a new relationship. Everybody would understand the move of undoing Julia's marriage, Cornelius's promotion and Maxentius's loss. It was a perfect plan. But it hadn't been considered that Maxentius could actually be able to manage the situation. And Cornelius couldn't be the winner, if Maxentius's would earn more victories than he. Therefore, Cornelius had to stay and obtain the position as long as it was possible. He was forced to risk and decide spontaneously what to do next. The lack of backup and the missing opportunity to agree upon further steps with Julius made Cornelius so freaky that he limited his actions and words. Slowly, he became paranoid. He didn't feel good about it, because Maxentius seemed to be a reliable man, opposite to what Julius said.

Maxentius, actually Marcus Lucius, seemed to be a reliable, skilled soldier and could solve the tense situation. It thwarted Julius's plans. Cornelius sent his messenger to his brother to ask for some suggestions. The evacuation into the warm, cosy, rain-free Italy was definitely postponed to a later time. Cornelius observed how Marcus Lucius talked with Rufus about the progress of the legionnaires every day. These short talks were competent and professional. It was hard to look through Maxentius and his qualified, drilled way of being a good soldier. It was almost like looking at Appius himself with his straight, honourable and loyal attitude.

After Marcus Lucius talked with Rufus, he went to observe the legionnaires during their training for at least an hour to. He didn't say a word. His face was concentrated and his eyes followed the moves. They almost didn't notice him, because he didn't step into the foreground. He stayed hidden next to a tent. His fingers touched his chin gently, slowly, every now and then.

After he saw enough, he dismissed and rode back to the villa. Julia was rather snoozing than sleeping. He took off his armour and stepped shortly into Nerva's room. He brought in cold wind captured in his clothes and hair.

His friend was visibly tired this afternoon, but still watchful. As Marcus Lucius came into the room, Nerva moved, but didn't wake up. Marcus Lucius was quiet enough after he made sure Nerva was indeed resting, he returned to Julia with a relieved smile. He slipped into the bed and tried to find the position he had left earlier. Julia's arm was his biggest sorrow and he minded how she laid it, even if she didn't considered it while snoozing. Carefully, he took her right underarm and put it on his chest. Needing the proximity of a woman was a new feeling. Her presence calmed him down positively. The rules didn't allow him to savour the situation by seducing a woman and pretending to be her husband. However, he already lost his wife and it was quite clear that losing an important person could happen unexpectedly, unplanned, any moment. Death was not only the leading man on a battlefield, but also a starring guest in the daily routine. Marcus Lucius didn't want to look back one day and regret that he didn't use his chances to be happy with her. He didn't want to exaggerate and use Julia in any way, but he could be next to her in the moments of freedom and as long as she tolerated it.

Her fingers moved a little as if she was checking what she was touching. It was cute how insecure she was. He kept his eyes closed and concentrated on her touch and scent. He perceived how she sensed his chest under the red tunic. Her fragility could be even smelled. He wanted to support her, but at the same time, he didn't wish to unsettle her further. If she would notice his presence, she would step back like she already did in the past. He remembered how he had enjoyed the moments she cleaned his wounds and how she sometimes even bowed over him and sniffed at his chest or chin. Her scent was incredibly seductive and it wasn't easy to remain silent and keep on pretending being unconscious. He pretended sleeping as he pretended to be her man.

He had to tame her with patience. She was already belied by so many people from her closest surrounding that he knew that any further disappointment could have bad consequences and result in a huge loss of trust. She reminded him of a young horse he had to tame once. It was a sorrel animal that he took after an ambush in Thracia. The horse was of chestnut coat colour and apparently had often been beaten and didn't like to be trained. It had a strong will and tried to escape. The animal fled after it lost its own rider. Marcus Lucius followed and caught it. The following days, he spent some time close to the horse every day but didn't do anything. He was just standing outside the wooden borders of the paddock, mostly without even looking at the animal. His movements were slow and predictable. The horse was skittish. It was a mare with deep brown, watchful eyes. It didn't have any trust into people and it looked at them with suspicion in her eyes. Marcus Lucius learnt to read her: the way she was feeling uncomfortable, when she was getting agitated or nervous or ready to leave. It took weeks, but he managed to get her coming near to him on her terms. The mare came closer to him and touched his shoulder with her mouth. She snorted. She propelled him grossly. He didn't move, even if he couldn't look into her eyes. He smiled, but didn't laugh. The mare, he named "Lady", started coming to him and push him gently with her mouth here and there. She observed him very cautiously and was visibly confused by his lack of reaction. When he finally stroke her for the first time, she was more surprised by the fact that he could move than by his touch. Since then, Lady had full trust into him and was a reliable, good horse.

Marcus Lucius wondered whether he was able to tame Julia as well. He knew it was a more complicated process with so many additional issues. He couldn't say at which point he was. There were many signs Julia trusted him, but there were many sidesteps. He wanted to know how far she would go willingly. He didn't intend to rush her, to force onward or to influence her too much. If she was willing to act in a special way, she was allowed to do it. He wouldn't mind any action.

In this cosy moment, she was convinced Marcus Lucius was sleeping. She turned to him and tried not to strain her bandaged arm. She laid her head on his chest slowly, insecure. Then, she started painting invisible circles and geometrical forms on his red tunic. He liked her smooth moves. He tried not to smile. She wasn't able to see his face, because her head was directed towards his stomach, but Marcus Lucius knew that you can feel a smile even without seeing it directly. Her breathe was relaxed. Her body was eased. She didn't sing, but she hummed a melody he didn't know. Her voice had a sad note and Marcus Lucius wished to know the reasons for her mood. She seemed to be happy, but in a very unhappy way. It sounded irrational, but he couldn't form any better judgement.

He didn't move at all as long as she painted unknown pictures on his stomach. When she changed her position and turned her back to him, he moved as well. He didn't lie on his back anymore, but almost glued to her backs with his body. He hugged her and was pleased that she didn't refuse. In this position, he could easily smell her4 scent from her neck. It was desirable like a drug and he sniffed a couple of time. She giggled. Apparently, the wave of air he caused was ticklish for her. Instinctively, he wanted to kiss her neck, but he resisted with a heavy heart. His nose touched her skin a couple of times, before Marcus Lucius stopped moving. She started stroking his hand which he held under her chest.

Once, she tried to get free. Gently, she removed his arm and loosened the hug. He helped her a little. She stood up and left the room for a moment. Her steps were silent and almost non perceptive. It reminded him of good hunters, who followed and killed animals in the woods silently. He had met some skilled hunters and their walk was similar to Julia's steps. Compared to them, she was louder, but she could train her skill. Marcus Lucius turned and lay on the chest with his head directed to the door. His eyes stayed closed. He waited patiently. She came back just few moments later. Her body was cold and she trembled. When she slipped under the blanket he felt her goosebumps. Apparently, she didn't intend to wake him up, so she didn't lean against him. The coldness glued to her clothes could wake him from his dreams.

She wasn't familiar with cold winters. Already in the mid-colder autumn days she had covered herself with woollen blankets. The approaching winter would surprise her negatively. Marcus Lucius remembered how he hated the coldness of tents during his first stay in Britannia. The icy air and freezing clothes weren't his best friends, but he loved the landscapes that the winter brought with its frozen lakes and the range of snowflakes. When he thought that now was the latest moment to send Julia away, his heart refused to follow these thoughts. It was recommended to travel before the winter expands so far that a journey became almost impossible. Just in case of an emergency, people should travel in winter. Everything that could be rescheduled should be postponed. At the same time, it could be dangerous to stay here. If the men from the North attacked in winter, they were better prepared to the conditions than the Romans, even if some legionnaires had already spent some winters here. The men from the North could use their strategic advantage. In this case, someone had to stay and protect Julia in the villa. Otherwise, Marcus Lucius wouldn't be able to focus on the fight.

As far as Marcus Lucius noticed, the soldiers hadn't fought for a long time already. Even a month of exerted training couldn't compensate all the months without. The meeting with the local elders would decide what to do with Julia. If it was more secure to send her away, then she should leave this place. However, having her around gave him the strange, new way of being protective. As long as she was here, he could take care of her himself. He knew the risks and was able to react immediately. If she would be somewhere else, far, far away, Marcus Lucius's hands would be bound as in the case of Decima. He didn't like it at all.

He stood up suddenly. He couldn't lay relaxed with these thoughts in mind. He jumped out of the bed and started walking up and down. At least here, he felt comfortable enough to behave the way he wanted without hiding behind a surface of politically correct smiles. In the corner of his eye, he noticed how he scared Julia by his abrupt action. He made another three rounds between the walls and columns of the room before turning to her and sitting down on the bed. He was aware that his moves were followed slowly and predictable. Julia observed him with the same look Lady had in insecure moments.

-I had a bad dream. - He tried to excuse himself. He wasn't sure how obvious it was.

Julia stared at him with a shadow of missing conviction. She nodded with her head, but her eyes stayed mindful. Just to direct her attention somewhere else, he asked how she felt and looked at her bandaged underarm.

-As good as can be expected under the circumstances. - She answered politely. It wasn't the answer he expected, but it was typical for her in moments of uncertainty.

-You shouldn't be scared of me. - He said suddenly and observed how she reacted.

Her first response was a refusal. Her chest went back with all the air she kept in her lungs, her eyebrows rose for two seconds, her lips shortly pressed together to one line. She obviously didn't agree with him, so she apparently felt differently. It was too easy and too inappropriate to directly ask her how she felt about him.

-You don't speak much. - He said after minutes passed by and nothing changed.

She looked him deeply in the eyes and he felt that she wanted to say something, but no word came out of her mouth.

-Fair enough. - He added shortly and stood up. - Let's eat something.

He observed casually how she got out of the bed and covered herself with a blanket. Her moves weren't fluent due to the crippled underarm. He wanted to help her, but she rejected without words. Her independent spirit didn't allow her to rely on any support.

She almost didn't eat at all. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether she wasn't hungry or had other ailments. He sent her to take a longer, relaxing bath.

-Mind how you go. - He said as Julia left the room accompanied by Chloe and Lysandra.

Then, he ordered to make a bigger fire in the chimney. Julia shouldn't tremble after coming back from the bath. She shouldn't get sick. As he saw that his orders started being accomplished within a blink of an eye, he went to Nerva. His friend was sleeping. It was already late in the afternoon and the whole day was spent by doing nothing. Marcus Lucius, accustomed to being on the road during the last days, went to the stable and looked after the horses. The air was cold and every breath caused a little cloud coming out of Marcus Lucius's mouth. He just wore the tunic, but he didn't tremble yet. He wasn't such a frostbite as Julia.

Hiberus was happy to see Marcus Lucius and pricked up the ears in a sign of disposition for a ride. Marcus Lucius clapped the animal on the neck twice. It wasn't the time for a journey. Hiberus understood, but needed more soft line units, so he forced Marcus Lucius to stroke the animal's head. Then, Marcus Lucius let Hiberus out of the cabin and the horse used the stable yard to walk some meters. After Marcus Lucius looked after Nerva's horse, a grey mare with white hair and some black spots on her thighs, he took one of the swords lying in the stable and started his own training. Hiberus looked at him with a question mark in his eyes. The horse wanted to know whether a ride was planned for later. After the horse noticed that Marcus Lucius was completely concentrated on his moves, it got bored and went away some meters. There was no meadow where he could run or jump freely, and the steady, sandy ground wasn't cosy. Every now and then the animal looked at Marcus Lucius keeping the distance so the man could practise freely.

Two lads, young boys with big eyes and dark, long hair, observed the situation with curiosity. They didn't expect such an understanding between a human and animal. They were responsible for feeding and cleaning all horses in the stable, even if the riders took over this task very often. The bonds between the owner and his horse were incorruptible. The lads wished to have such horses, too, one day. The animals were well trained, but beheld their own will. They supported their riders, but walked proudly and confident.

Marcus Lucius trained for two hours. In the meantime, the evening came and flambeaus were kindled. Hiberus stayed on the yard and savoured the moments outside his box. The horse looked to the gates as if it communicated the wish to leave the walls of the villa. Marcus Lucius ignored it and stayed focussed on his training. He tried to remove Julia from his thoughts and the harder he tried the less success he had.

-You're not focussed enough. - He kept saying to himself and remembered his father. Maximus used to say it rarely, but with a special tone full of disappointment and motivation at once. Marcus Lucius couldn't imitate the tone, but it moved him to try again. He ignored his sweat and tension.

Then, Marcus Lucius noticed a presence of someone else in the yard. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Nerva approaching. His steps were silent and unremarkable, but a well-trained soldier, even concentrated on other things, could perceive any change in the surrounding. Nerva wasn't surprised that Marcus Lucius greeted him shortly with a salutation. When he arrived, he pulled out his sword and started a duel with Marcus Lucius. Their skills were balanced which made the training more interesting and demanding. They didn't talk at all. Marcus Lucius was still concerned about the upcoming decision about Julia. Nerva had his own problems. They fought and they gave each other clips with swords. They were hurt, they bled, but they ignored it. The lads were convinced that Marcus Lucius and Nerva were fighting seriously. They had a frightening looks in their eyes and their mouths were wide open when they screamed at each other. They were rather like wild beasts attacking themselves than two soldiers. It didn't look like training at all, more like a combat dog fight. They didn't stop even though they collected further scratches. Even though much blood flew, they didn't injure themselves really seriously. For a further hour, they tried to win the challenge. Finally, they stopped in the same moment as if they had agreed without words. Apparently, they didn't have to speak to communicate perfectly. With a short nod, they thanked each other for the training.

Nerva went over to his mare and Marcus Lucius whistled silently. His horse was unsettled and snorted often, Hiberus wasn't calm. He came to Marcus Lucius. The animal got new units of stroking and with a pleased, calmed attitude he let Marcus Lucius close the door of the box. Nerva checked the state of his horse, everything was fine.

-We should take a bath. - Marcus Lucius recommended.

-Fair enough. - Nerva confirmed with a nod.

Just a moment later, they stood in tepidarium. Marcus Lucius asked the slaves whether Julia had finished her bath. He didn't want to interrupt her. The slaves confirmed politely. Then, they stepped into the room and got undressed. Nerva looked at his body and scanned it for wounds. He smudged the blood drops and moved his head puzzled.

Stepping naked into the warm, cosy water, they felt as if they came into another world. It wasn't like a tepidarium known from Pompeii, but still a warm bathroom heated by an underfloor heating system. It made them feel pleasant with constant, enjoyable radiant heat. This room wasn't full of marbles and mosaics. It seemed that it was left in a hurry finishing the whole building. However, the available functionality was the most important thing.

-You look worried. - Nerva said after he plunged completely into the water twice.

-Do I? - Marcus Lucius was a bit insecure for the very first time.

-Yes. You really do. What is bothering you, brother? - Nerva was convinced that looking at the problems of others will make it easier to manage his own worries.

-I sent a messenger to Julius Fabius. I promised him to send Julia to him as early as possible taking the current situation into account. Is it wise to send her back anyway because winter is not her favourite time of the year and it's not easy to travel now? It's almost two months of travel for her. Appius won't manage to send any further message up to her journey and I need his advice. We have to decide on our own and protect involved people as much as possible.

Nerva nodded. He didn't have to be an expert for emotions to understand that Julia was important to Marcus Lucius. She was an extraordinary person and nobody could question this. It was a simple fact.

-You know women, Nerva. What should I do? - Marcus Lucius asked.

Nerva laughed:

-I just know the surface of their bodies. I don't go deeper at all. It's not the matter of my interest.

This time, Marcus Lucius had to laugh.

-Why did you get married anyway? - Nerva asked. - You seem to be like me. I can't imagine to get married at all. - Nerva sounded sadly, melancholic. It wasn't the very first personal question he expressed, but the most intimate one.

-I don't know. - Marcus Lucius answered. - I saw a girl one day and I knew she will be my wife.

-You planned having a family with her, or what?

-I don't know. I didn't think about further steps. I just knew I want to have her. - Marcus Lucius started to think it over. He wasn't sure whether he really wanted to have a family with Decima. He wanted to spent more time with her, therefore he accepted the relocation to Brigetio. He was old enough to start a family life. The more he thought about it the more he was convinced that he acted impulsively to annoy his mother. - It wasn't planned so well.

-And Julia? What will you do after the situation will be solved?

-I don't know. - Marcus Lucius answered shortly. He wasn't sure what the future might bring.

-What do you wish then? - Nerva didn't stop asking.

Marcus Lucius breathed deeply twice.

-I don't know. - He answered after a while.

He hid himself under the warm water surface, where no word could reach his ears, where nobody could look him into the eyes and where he could focus on the water. He didn't dare to dream about a happy future. He would be happy if he got the confirmation that Julia survived.

When he returned to her chamber later, he found her in bed. She lay as he had advised her. She should rest and she did what he had asked politely. He stopped just two meters away, staring at her. He analysed how clever and advisable it was to lie down next to her. She was sleeping and didn't get his internal struggle. He came closer to her, knelt down in front of her, but he didn't touch her. She was so fragile that he wondered how she was able to survive. However, she took his stitches with equanimity like a good soldier. She breathed freely. Her body was covered by a thick blanket.

He sighed. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled shyly. He smiled back. His head was full of heavy thoughts, but he kept his poker face. He didn't want to upset Julia, so he pretended being in good mood. She noticed that something was wrong. She opened her eyes wider and saw his new scratches.

-For Jupiter's sake, what happened? - She was scared and wanted to get up.

He didn't get the source of her fear at first, but he prevented her from standing up. As he understood her staring at his naked, injured arms, he laughed.

-Nothing, nothing. We've trained a bit. - He answered.

She was confused and hit him with her small, less harmful fist. He laughed louder.

-You hurt yourself in trainings? Are you out of mind? - She was angry and it looked pretty. - I thought you were attacked again.

She was seriously scared and it felt good. It meant that he was important to her. Nobody else reacted that way earlier. His mother took it as an open-and-shut case. Decima ignored it and never asked questions. Other soldiers kept silence about it or, in a case of serious wounds, clapped on his shoulder without leaving any comment. If you had really nice looking scars, you could crow about the way you got them. Julia wasn't open for his show offs.

-It was a needed, good training. - He added. - That's just scratches, believe me.

She wasn't convinced and she didn't like it. Because she couldn't get up due to his arm keeping her from it, she felt down on her backs and closed her eyes. She was still angry. He steadied himself on his arms and bowed over her while trying to estimate how long she would stay sulky. She didn't react. He smiled and waited a longer while in the position. He sniffed on her hair and stroke her with her nose on the forehead. If she would try to stand up in that moment, she would blunder with Marcus Lucius's body.

-You will meet the local elders. - She whispered. - Don't you bother that they can harm you?

He wondered about her sudden off-topic. She didn't look at him, so she didn't get the tension in his arms. The veins appeared on his arms and he had a wrinkle on his forehead.

-I don't think they will act against us. It's a peaceful appointment.

-You heard them talking a lot about their discontent towards the Roman army. What makes you so sure about being safe here? - She opened her eyes and saw his face just a couple centimetres over hers. She noticed a shadow of seriousness in his eyes.

-They just want to live in peace. - He answered with sad tone. - They don't want to fight at all, if it is not needed. They don't attack. They defend themselves. They would fight back Romans as men from North with the same motivation. They just want to live in peace.

-Will you fight against them?

Marcus Lucius smiled sadly. The first round of hard questions was over and now, he got into the second round. After Nerva's remarks, Julia started asking him things that weren't easy to answer.

-I will talk with them at first. Then, we'll see what choices we'll have.

He turned back from her and sat on the edge of the bed. He kept silence. Julia got up and leant her chest to his backs. She felt his warmth and sorrows.

-You speak wise words. I hope you won't have to fight with them. - She whispered.

-Peace can't be imposed or kept with force. We have to find a common way to live next to each other. If it won't be the case, you have to go back to more secure places.

-But you will come with me, then? - She was worried and trembled frightened.

-I'll stay here and try to pour oil on trouble waters.

-So, you'll leave me. - She said so sadly that he moved his head to her. She had tears in her eyes and looked somewhere away. She wasn't angry anymore. She was deeply upset. However, she didn't move back from him.

-No, I'll send you back. - He said. - And then...

He hadn't any clue what he would do next. He didn't know in which situation he would be put and whether he would be imposed up to that time. If it would be the case, he wouldn't try to find Julia to protect her and to keep her away from any suspicious charges.

-With all due respect, you have already so many obligations in this life that it's rather improbable to meet you in this life, again, after you send me away. - Her voice sounded embittered, cold, but calm.

She moved away form him, covered her under the blanket in the way that made her look invisible. She hid even her face under the material so that nobody could see her. He wanted her to stay on his side, to back him up, but he understood her argumentation. He couldn't blame her for it. He kept sitting on the bed and analysed what he should say to bring her joy. The longer he wasn't able to find any suitable answer, the more senseless it occurred him to give any answer. Finally, he laid next to her and hugged the impersonal, woollen package.

-We'll make one step after another. - He spoke at last.

She moved away and almost fell out of the bed. He held her and smiled as he saw her face. She looked at him with a strange, absent eyes.

-Your spot is next to mine, independent whether we are faked married or not. - He said.

She nodded automatically, but without being convinced. She thought about his statement related to sending her back home and she knew that she wouldn't survive it. She didn't intend to survive it. She felt as a ballast and wanted to end it on her terms. She planned to escape and fulfil the intention she followed on the day, when Marcus Lucius was supposed to leave Eboracum. She pretended to feel good and waited for an advantageous moment for fleeing. She was convinced that Marcus Lucius would send her away after the talk with the local elders. She planned to use the moment for herself.

#4 WINTER SONG

The following days went by quickly. Marcus Lucius stood up early, then he trained. After the breakfast in company of Julia and Nerva, Marcus Lucius went to the camp and listened to the report of Rufus. Then, he went on patrolling trying to avoid the villages. He didn't intend to provoke the local inhabitants with his presence. Nerva accompanied him. Their route became longer and as they came back to the villa, the dinner time was already over. Marcus Lucius asked Chloe whether Julia ate properly, and the slave answered affirmatively. Marcus Lucius ate then and went to sleep. Julia was already lying in the bed with closed eyes. He wasn't sure whether she was really sleeping or not, because she breathed regularly. He reminded the day he thought she was easy to read like an open map and he was confused how hard it was to get through her surface.

However, she wasn't sleeping. She felt how he huddled up to her and hugged her cautiously. She liked it earlier, but in these days, her emotions lost their power and were conquered by the brutal logic of her mind. She had her strategy and kept focussed on it. Her emotional absence was strange, even to her. She didn't smile. She didn't say a word. She even didn't move. She kept planning her next steps. Marcus Lucius had his strategy, she had her plan.

As the day came, when Marcus Lucius left with Nerva to meet the elders of the regional villages. Julia took the dress that gave her the bigger freedom of movements. She dressed quickly, even with the handicap. Then, she had to steal away in the way that didn't raise any suspicions of her slaves. She took a dark cape and her dragger. She intended to use it in a better, more efficient way than before. She was already experienced enough and knew that hurting herself didn't cause as much pain as she expected. It made her smile in a strange, ill way. She went along the walls and tried not to cause any rumour. Quite fast, she left the yard around the villa. There were no soldiers who could stop her, because legionnaires were sent to the camp and Nerva accompanied Marcus Lucius.

She didn't dare to take a horse. She wasn't a good rider anyway. Her parents didn't like her to learn it. Additionally, she didn't own any horse. Her luck was that the villa chosen by Maxentius was the last building in the village, so she had a short distance to the woods. She didn't mind if she would die somewhere there. Such an end was more appropriate in her eyes than the stress of travelling. Already the idea of forcing herself to go on a ship in Londonium made her sick and it was liberating to be able to avoid any water. She loved the idea of taking her fate into own hands without getting orders from anyone. It was a new, rare feeling of freedom. Unfortunately, she didn't think about different scenarios. She had just one perspective and she maintained it perfectly.

She went forwards. The fallen leaf was frozen and slippery. The wet air and wind weren't pleasant, but Julia was able to switch off her nagging mode. The new feeling spread in her body and covered the pain coming from her arm. She didn't look at her stitched underarm, because she didn't find it important. She had a clear mission. She had a goal. She felt bizarrely happy and was surprised by her good mood. She expected to be afraid of death, but after all, she knew which freedom her lost would bring to people involved into the mascarade. She was mentally prepared to die almost like Japanese divine wind. Compared to kamikaze, who intended to do as much damage to the enemy as possible since he was crashing anyway, Julia was full of good intensions. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. She didn't care about anything else. She just kept going forwards avoiding the roads and villages.

In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius appeared to the appointment. Nerva didn't understand a word that the elders said in the welcoming procedure. However, he understood the welcoming gesture. Marcus Lucius smiled politely and bowed his head. Nerva followed his gesture. They were invited to the biggest building in the village with dry stone walls. Six older men, partially with white hair and wrinkled faces, were sitting under thatched roof. In the backs, a fire gave enough energy to keep the inside warm. Still, Marcus Lucius and Nerva didn't take off their capes. They took off their helmets slowly, sat down towards the elders unhurriedly and saluted in the Roman way to greet the local inhabitants. Almost twenty further villagers stood proudly and limited the exit. They observed with tension the movements of Romans. Marcus Lucius and Nerva didn't feel intimidated. They knew that the villagers were no warriors and couldn't win a serious fight with the two Romans. However, Marcus Lucius assumed that some local warriors were present around the cottage just for the case of a fight. The inhabitants had a small piece of land which was worked by one man and his family. They produced just enough food to keep them alive. They hadn't time and will to train any special killing skills. Their hands weren't prepared for holding a sword properly and their legs weren't taught to take the optimal position of a body that could be used easily for a defence or attacking reaction.

One of the elders, the smallest one, with white hair and long beard, with trembling fingers and wrinkles of wisdom, spoke aloud in his own dialect. He welcomed the gesture of the Roman soldier and liked the openness towards the local villagers. Then, he spoke in Latin, because he noticed that Nerva didn't follow, which made him a bit nervous. Indeed, Nerva made a stressful impression. Marcus Lucius was calm and smiled friendly. Everyone smiles in the same language and Marcus Lucius used the power of interhuman relationships.

-My Father hunted this forest before me and tilled the soil before me. My name is Cunobarros, Head Hound. I am a hunter. This is my land. And I will give my land to my sons, who will hunt here with their sons after I am gone. I am no soldier. I don't fight with men. I hunt.

Nerva followed Marcus Lucius and bowed his thanks. He recognized the respect for the old man. Marcus Lucius didn't break the speech of Cunobarros, so the elder continued:

-I remember one Roman man, who spoked with me years ago. He was accompanied by his best friend, as you do, and he spoke about peace, as you do.

Marcus Lucius trembled shortly, because he thought about his father.

-You know the man I am talking about, I see it in your eyes. - Cunobarros said. - You have it written on your face. Your face looks like his...

Nerva got scared. He didn't know what to do. Marcus Lucius held him gently from getting up. Nerva kept his position and sat down again. Marcus Lucius bowed his head once again and started talking calmly:

-Your memory is right. It was my father. As my father, I wish to keep the season of peace as long as it is possible. I came here to say it to you directly, so that you know my face and my intentions. I came here to assure you that we can fight together against the men from North.

-We are hunters. We don't fight. We hunt.

-I understand. \- Marcus Lucius added shortly.

The older man hawked and continued:

-They are known as men from Pictavia. They try to conquer southern and central parts of the island every now and then. We try to live our lives. We avoid the fights, but when we're forced to fight, then we fight. Our fate is simple and predefined. We appreciate the support of everyone who follows the same goals.

Marcus Lucius nodded, but kept silence. The old man's fingers trembled a bit.

-We know that your soldiers rested last months and are not prepared to fight. - The other elder spoke. He had snowy brows and white hair. His eyes glued. It wasn't easy to understand his intentions.

-Attacks of the men from North are rather less probable in the time of winter. \- The third elder spoke. He had eyes like coals and he seemed to be the youngest and burly. His statement could be analysed from different perspectives. Marcus Lucius couldn't estimate the attitude of the speaker.

-I understand your worries. During the winter, we keep training our soldiers. You have my word for it. - Marcus Lucius promised. - We keep patrolling the surrounding and will protect you as far as we can, with every day even better.

The elders looked at each other. There was an unknown tension, not mentioned yet, and it hung in the air and bounded the local inhabitants with a touch of missing trust. It was their piece of information that didn't suit to what was said in this meeting.

-If you are the son of your father, why don't you use his name as yours? Why are you hiding behind a name of another man? - Cunobarros formed aloud the thought that occupied everyone here.

Marcus Lucius smiled brighter, but sadder.

-That is right what you say. I am hiding behind a name of another man. You remember my father and his friend. My father fell during a battle as a real warrior. His friend needs my support and therefore, I act under false name. However, my promise given to you is binding with the same power independent from the name I use. I give you my word for that.

Cunobarros nodded politely, but inconclusively.

-Give us time to confer. We will give you our answer soon.

Marcus Lucius nodded and stood up slowly.

-Fair enough. \- He said and bowed out.

Nerva followed his example. The local villagers went to the side so that Marcus Lucius and Nerva could leave the building. Then, they took their horses and rid away. The late afternoon began and they were happy to come back to the villa before the darkness came. After the ride, they had to confer themselves.

-Give me a moment. - Marcus Lucius said and sent for Julia.

He was strictly confused as she couldn't be found. The slaves acted nervously and Marcus Lucius didn't like the kind of tension. He felt under his skin that something wasn't right.

In the meanwhile, he took Nerva aside, but they didn't start talking. Marcus Lucius looked to the slaves that ran from one room into next and couldn't find Julia. His internal tension raised quickly, but his face expression didn't change. He stood calmly and just his eyes betrayed his unease. He thought about his impression of the meeting. It was hard to estimate whether the locals were going to accept his offer and whether they would keep the secret for themselves. The first option seemed to be probable. The second one could be a premise for the first one. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what to think about reminding his father. Cunobarros remembered Maximus, but Marcus Lucius didn't know the context of the memory. The problem was that Maximus negotiated in Britannia, but he was displaced later. It wouldn't be supportive when the elders would be convinced that Marcus Lucius didn't keep his word. It would reflect negatively on his attitude. He knew that he had to wait for the answer and he hated to wait. Patience wasn't his strength. He ignored Nerva and his questions:

-What do you think? What shall we do? What do you plan?

As Chloe came into the dining room and said that she couldn't find Julia anywhere, Marcus Lucius got scared for the very first time seriously. The panic in Chloe's eyes was clear. He left Nerva immediately and checked on his own every corner of the house. He didn't find the girl. He became angry and helpless against the current state. He hated her in that moment and would kill her, if he would find her. If it was supposed to be a joke, then he wasn't able to laugh about it. If she wanted to punish him, she could hide under her blanket. However, the blanket laid on her bed. She didn't make a step inside of the house without having her blanket covering her dainty body.

-She is not here, so where is she? - He repeated desperately and assumed already that she wasn't in the house. The building was a limited space. The world outside was much more complicated and had many different corners. Marcus Lucius was indeed scared and his polite surface started to break apart.

Nerva tried to calm him down, but it didn't work. Marcus Lucius took his horse and rid around the walls of the villa. Naturally, he found a trace. His trained eyes saw something that didn't suit to the surrounding. It was a thread from her blue dress hanging on a branch of a bush. He couldn't believe that she ran away on her free will. She had to be kidnapped or forced. He followed the trace. With eyes glowing like coals and fever in his eyes, he jumped out of his horse and ran forwards. He got whipped by the branches of the naked trees and irritating bushes. He got new scratches, but he didn't care. He thought that she had to experience the same as she went that way.

As he came to a cliff and saw traces of sliding, he looked whether she laid hurt on the foot of the hill. She had to be hurt, because blood was visible on the clues. It was too risky to slip there, so he had to make a detour. Every further breath without her started to be aching. The lack of knowledge how bad she was injured and where she was hesitated his movements. Hiberus didn't like the speed he was forced to keep, because the bushes and tree branches hit him unpleasantly. His irritated neighing was noticed, but totally ignored by Marcus Lucius. It was a new situation to Hiberus. The same deprecation showed the mere of Nerva, who stayed closely behind his friend and commander.

Marcus Lucius jumped to the ground and left his horse few meters away from him. He didn't found her, but there was a frozen puddle of blood. It meant that she was there a while ago and she was hurt. He wasn't sure whether he should be happy that he didn't find her remains or whether he should be happy that he still could keep his hopes. He went some steps forwards, along the way marked by the blood drops. There were traces of her feet and then, another, bigger footprints were visible. The woods here were dense, so it was hard to walk freely, if someone was injured. Marcus Lucius saw traces that betrayed him Julia's fall down to the ground. Then, just the footprints of a stranger were marked incompletely. The frozen ground wasn't the best source to read traces. Marcus Lucius cursed a couple of time, but it didn't help him much to calm down. In opposite, his anger increased. He noticed some threads from Julia's cape. The dark material had its difficulty on the way through the woods, as well.

After a few meters, Marcus Lucius saw traces of a horse. It was improbable that Julia had a horse here, because she went afoot up to the slippery edge. Marcus Lucius assumed that someone took her away from him. It was pointless to follow the horse traces by foot. He screamed to Nerva to bring their horses. As Nerva appeared within moments just some meters away, Marcus Lucius didn't hesitate and followed already afoot the traces of the unknown rider. Unfortunately, the trace ended on a road that was used by many riders. Marcus Lucius cursed so loud that even the black, scary ravens flew away. Julia didn't appear. The stranger rider was gone and there was no sign in which direction he rode.

Marcus Lucius stood on the road and looked in one moment to the one end of the road and then, to another. He couldn't track her. He felt weak and lost. The sky could fall down on his shoulders and he wouldn't notice it. Nerva had to drag Marcus Lucius away from that incoherent place. Marcus Lucius acted like a bag of flour transported by a villager. As they came to the villa, Marcus Lucius was still extremely unsettled, heavy to move. He didn't percept the chaos in the eyes of slaves anymore, at least not in the way he used to percept it. His trained skills were so deeply rooted in his mind that he acted automatically. He looked like a death itself and his presence was frightening. Everyone stepped back from his track as if he would be a running plague, as just by looking at him, anyone could turn into stone or get sick.

He couldn't find any place for him, so he wanted to go into the woods again. He didn't listen to Nerva, his current voice of sanity. At first, as Cunobarros's messenger appeared, Marcus Lucius got a spark of mind.

The messenger was a young man with long, red hair. Marcus Lucius knew him, but wasn't sure from where.

-Cunobarro wishes you to come with me. It's a private matter. Come unarmed. - He said.

Marcus Lucius wondered shortly and answered that he was limited by other issues. He wanted to send Nerva, but the messenger opposed.

-Cunobarro wishes to speak with you. It is about your woman.

In the moment, the messenger mentioned a woman, Marcus Lucius turned to him with the highest attention. With fire in his eyes, he jumped to the messenger and asked:

-What is with her? Is she alive? Where is she?

The messenger was scared to death by the potential violence that could escalate any moment.

-Alive... Alive... - The red-haired man wasn't able to speak in sentences anymore.

He used the words from his dialects, so Nerva couldn't follow. A huge question mark appeared on his face and he looked to Marcus Lucius to get the understandable answer. Marcus Lucius seemed to be tensed, but relieved. Nerva didn't have to get any translation in that moment.

-Bring me to her! - It was a strict order without any opportunity to refuse.

Marcus Lucius switched to the dialect as well and Nerva was hacked off. He wished to get the clear statement what was going on. The messenger nodded automatically and showed with his arms to follow him.

-And?! - Nerva screamed tensed.

-He says she's alive... - Marcus Lucius answered on the way.

As Nerva wanted to follow him, Marcus Lucius refused and ordered him to stay. Nerva was confused, but nodded. He saluted and stopped in the hallway. He looked how Marcus Lucius rid away just with the messenger. He didn't take his sword. From a guard on the yard, he took away a torch to see the way in front of him. He left Nerva simply on the way to Hiberus. The animal stood freely in the backyard and came closer after Marcus Lucius whistled in a specific way. Soon, the sound of metallic, shiny armour echoed in the villa as it felt down on the stones.

It was already early evening. It was dark and cold. Marcus Lucius followed the messenger. He didn't know the road and it was hard to follow in the darkness. The time passed by too slowly, but the sunset set in surprisingly quickly. It started raining and the unpleasant, wet coldness absorbed the entire space outside. Marcus Lucius ignored it, even if his hair became wet within minutes. The rain gave him a wetting, but his body didn't tremble. He had too many thoughts in his head. How was she? How seriously injured was she? Where was she? Why should it be a private meeting?

As they finally arrived to the destination, Marcus Lucius noticed a cottage made out of stones. He never was in the building, but he thought he already saw the surrounding in the last days during patrols. He already remembered the direction they came from and it was easy to go back from here to the villa. As he stepped closer, he saw more details related to the cottage. The roof was made of bushes. It looked primitively. He jumped to the ground and as fast as a thunder, he reached the entrance. There was no fireplace inside, but two torches were burning. On a rough-and-ready wooden board, a body laid. Marcus Lucius recognized Julia's dress. It was smutty and it wasn't possible to define whether it was blood or oil or swamp. He was scared to death and assumed the worst case.

Next to the board, Cunobarro stood. He was covered by a dark cape with hood. He took the hood away as Marcus Lucius appeared. He waited until Marcus Lucius checked whether his woman was still alive. She breathed slowly, but regularly.

-My men found her in the woods. - Cunobarro whispered with head downcast to the ground. It visibly wasn't easy to him to say what he had to communicate. - I wanted to give her back to you, because you spared my both sons. It is my private matter. It is just between me and you. Some of us could think that you are not able to protect us, if you don't have control over your own woman. However, I was in your debt, even if you weren't aware of it. Now, we're even.

Marcus Lucius listened to him, but he didn't look at the old man. He was concentrated on Julia's pulse. Therefore, he didn't answer to what Cunobarro's was talking about.

-We're even. Thank you. - Marcus Lucius agreed and lifted Julia swiftly as if she would be just a little, lightweight stone. She wasn't really conscious. On her bone, a construction made of sticks was padded. It steadied her leg that was apparently broken. Marcus Lucius wanted to look at it closer, but not there. It was too dark and too strange. He needed to bring her back to Eboracum. His anger was replaced with relief and sorrows about Julia's injuries. He had remorse when Hiberus ran and jounced. It wasn't possible to transport the girl in any other way. The road back appeared even longer that the way to the cottage. Tugging was incredibly inconvenient and influenced just negatively the state of Julia.

Already at the gate, Nerva waited for them. He helped Marcus Lucius to take her from the horse gently and gave her back to his friend in the moment when Marcus Lucius jumped to the ground. Nerva took care about the horses and controlled how the ostlers brought the animals back to the boxes. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius carried Julia to her bed. He sent everyone away. Even slaves weren't welcomed. Nobody dared to oppose. Everyone looked at Marcus Lucius as a disease. Nerva, whether he wished or not, stood as guard next to the entrance to Julia's chamber. Nobody was allowed to come in.

Then, Marcus Lucius took off Julia's clothes starting with the dark, jagged cape and the blood-smeared, devastated dress. He didn't touch her bandage at first, because it held quite good as one piece. As she was completely naked, he looked at her body and checked which bruises she got newly. She looked like a beaten dog. The real bruises should appear later, but the wounded places could be noticed already. The left leg was broken and it was the crucial problem. The bone was earlier sticking out of it. Marcus Lucius wouldn't dress it alone, so he was really glad that someone already took care about the compound fracture. The break didn't look nice with its range of colour around the wound: from red up to violet. The leg was stitched carefully and it looked professionally. Just the area of her leg was treated by the local medico. Julia smelled strange, after medicine and herbal essences.

Higher from Julia's knee, there were no traces showing that anyone would touch her. It calmed down Marcus Lucius a lot. He washed her body millimetre after millimetre. He had to change water four times, because it was so dirty. The small whipped places on her face built a kind of dainty web. Under her right eyes brow, blood collected and Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether he should cut her skin to let the blood course. He rescheduled the decision after he might have been over with the washing procedure. Her arms and legs should get darker bruises these days. Scabs were expected. Now, the injured places were rather bloody and straight. Julia looked like a bag of misfortune, but she seemed not to be seriously hurt. Marcus Lucius was relieved. It looked worse than it was.

She didn't react, but breathed regularly. He anointed her body with the mixtures supporting his own healing process. He finished quickly, even if he rubbed the substances cautiously and without hesitation. There was nothing sexual in his behaviour. She rather aroused compassion and Marcus Lucius wondered why she did it to herself. Why did she try to escape?

Then, he covered her with a blanket and yelled for Nerva.

-How is she? - Nerva asked coldly as he stepped into the room. He noticed that Julia laid without any motion at the bed and that her eyes were closed. What he saw was collected blood under her right eyes brow. Marcus Lucius split a jagged sleeve from the dress into two parts and asked for a knife, because he wasn't armed and missed his own equipment. He hadn't time and wanted to cut her skin to let the blood course. Apparently, he didn't intend to extend the time for bringing his own knife. Nerva helped and observed how Marcus Lucius cut the skin with the highest attention and precision. His movement betrayed that he didn't do it for the very first time. She fizzed quietly. Marcus Lucius's hand didn't tremble. His eyes were unsettled. A steam of blood started flowing from Julia's eyebrow to her ear and the pillow. Marcus Lucius didn't allow the blood to sink into the material. Instead, he wiped it with a piece of material from Julia's dress. The blue shadow became red as Marcus Lucius answered Nerva's question finally:

-Nothing serious... Go and find a medico to verify how good her leg was put together.

Nerva nodded and went away. He noticed it didn't make much sense to ask Marcus Lucius anything, because he wasn't in form to concentrate and give any answer. He was nerved, because Julia's action was silly and could bring just risks and punishment than any positive effects. She had to go mad and could infect anyone with her craziness. Marcus Lucius was already infected by the witch. Octavian was infected, but his distance let him heal slowly. Nerva's antipathy towards women won any free space of his mind. The best solution was to ignore Julia, to let her leg and eyebrow get infected. She should die slowly. Then, everyone would be free again. Nerva would go to Aquincum and meet his friends. Marcus Lucius could go and revenge his wife. The world would be much less complicated then.

With such attitude, it took a bit longer to find a medico as Marcus Lucius asked. Medico confirmed that the care by local inhabitants was good and there was nothing more that the Roman medico could do. Just the blood collected under her right eyebrow had to be set free, because it didn't get better. Medico asked Marcus Lucius who was supposed to do it. Apparently, the old, wise man with wrinkled hands doubted that cutting the soldier's woman would be taken with exaggerated reaction by the husband. Marcus Lucius ordered to do whatever was needed.

-It is a small slash. You won't notice it when it's healed. - Medico assured and watched whether Marcus Lucius stood far enough to not react incalculably.

-How long will it take to heal? - Marcus Lucius seemed to be emotionless, but the medico, an old, experienced man, was sure that a man in love was acting with powerful feelings.

-The leg stays swollen for at least seven days. The break will knit until spring comes. It is not a complicated knit, but it's not an easy one, either. - The medico tried not to tease Marcus Lucius. It wasn't easy to say whether the break could heal in 8 or 12 weeks. The good news was that the girl's leg wasn't broken above her knee or around the knee. However, the splitter were present and complicated the healing process.

-We will observe it and decide properly to the state of domina. - Medico added quickly.

The old man wondered how calm Marcus Lucius stayed, even if his eyes were glowing like an erupting vulcan. It was obvious that this woman was the most valuable thing in the world for him. A minor stream of blood coursed for a moment and the medico laid a material on it. Then, he waited a moment and was satisfied as Julia's blood coagulated quickly. At the end, he looked at the already stitched underarm and nodded with his head without any comment. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what medico was thinking and whether it was positive or negative.

Medico had to promise by God and his own life that he would keep the whole situation to himself. He already saw Marcus Lucius's movements and they let estimate the entire range of possibilities that Marcus Lucius possessed. The medico didn't intend to risk any misunderstanding with a man, who was a professional killer. If he was like his father, the great Maximus, then it wasn't smart to underestimate and provoke the man. It was obvious that any bad movement that could influence the girl's health could be avenged in the most painful way on earth and even gods wouldn't send any remedy to alleviate anything. Predators have their more or less conscious learned skills to agonize their victims perfectly. The old man wasn't afraid of death, but he was deeply afraid of tortures. Nobody wishes to die painfully.

He was the main doctor from the camp, who settled there already years ago and healed many wounded soldiers. He could excuse his visit in Maxentius's villa with the health check of Marcus Lucius. It was probable and understandable. Nobody would dare to put it into question. The old man with trembling hands and wisdom in his eyes left the villa then and promised to step by some days later. Marcus Lucius agreed and brought him to the villa's gate. The medico didn't ask Marcus Lucius about his real father and pretending to be Maxentius. He knew that it wasn't the best time to talk about it, and he intended to ask his questions in a better moment, when domina would get better. The medico assumed strongly that healing the girl was the key to get Marcus Lucius's favour.

Nerva followed them and analysed whether the exchange of information from the day could take place or whether Marcus Lucius had other thoughts in mind. The last hope to discuss anything unrelated to Julia was dashed as Nerva was sent to go to rest. Marcus Lucius went to Julia. The only good thing about her being injured was that his entire attention was focussed on her, not on the impatience due to the talk with elders from the day. He noticed the tension of Nerva, but it wasn't the most important issue right now. Nerva didn't like it, but had to accept it. Irritation and anger directed against Julia were for Nerva the kind of distraction he needed to avoid any thoughts about the elders and their freedom of decision.

Marcus Lucius laid next to her, but didn't touch her at all. She had enough space to lay freely without any interhuman contact. He watched how she breathed and the exertion of the latest occurrences brought him sleep. With her every movement, he woke up. Rare, minimal movements showed that she was as good as can be expected under the circumstances. As he noticed that she was still asleep, he fell asleep, too. The night was short and didn't bring any spoken words.

As the sunrise came, Marcus Lucius got up and hadn't look long for Nerva. The legionnaire was already waiting in the dining room. After a short meal, Marcus Lucius ordered Nerva to stay and had an eye on Julia. Nerva was visibly tensed and unsatisfied, but he nodded without resistance and went to Julia's room teeth-gnashingly. Marcus Lucius ignored the mood of his companion. Instead, he took his horse and rid to the camp. Nobody expected him so early there. Rufus was already finishing his own training and smiled as he saw Marcus Lucius. Rufus noticed incomprehensible wrinkles on Marcus Lucius's forehead and some new scabs after the latest training with Nerva, however, Rufus didn't comment anything. Marcus Lucius didn't seem to be open for any kind of questions.

-I need five to ten men to take them for patrolling. - Marcus Lucius didn't beat around the bush after a short salutation.

-Do you want to choose them yourself or should I take it over? - Rufus asked with a brighter smile. He percepted the fresh wind of change in the air and he would accompany Marcus Lucius himself preferably. However, he knew that Marcus Lucius wouldn't agree to it. It wouldn't be clever.

-You have the honour. You know them best. - Marcus Lucius answered.

-Are the locals so annoying? - Rufus laughed, but stony face expression of Marcus Lucius dammed him from it. A special seriousness of Marcus Lucius didn't allow to be in good mood. With more or less inhibited joy, Rufus called for soldiers and selected ten men for Marcus Lucius. They were curious what task was awaiting for them.

-You won't act without my orders. Watch out for anything salient and report it. Stay at my side and don't speak. - Marcus Lucius's words were like cuts of his sword: plain, quick and short. The message was clear.

The patrolling begun and the soldiers were a bit insecure on a road they didn't know. The coldness and wetness of the surrounding didn't make it cosy and pleasant to travel. The slippery roads and frozen bushes conveyed rather advise against staying on the way. Returning to the camp seemed to be the best solution, but the legionnaires followed the man who already won fame as a great fighter. They wanted to prove themselves as warriors and looked with hope after any enemy they could attack. They felt ready to fight. They have been training last weeks and their skills were refreshed as they thought. However, nothing happened. Until the noon, they didn't find anything suspicious. They felt disappointed. They expected a fight, a battle, a victory.

During the afternoon, Marcus Lucius brought his new troop back to the camp and as he saw that they started boasting with their ride, he got angry. He called them all back to him.

-You think I took you with me, because I needed your help? - He started with clear, cold tone. - I could have done it all myself. - He looked around and the legionnaires gazed at him with surprise. - I took you with me to teach you. One day, you will take over patrolling of the entire surrounding and I have to be sure that you're ready. You're not ready and even a child could offer a better trouncing.

They were blazing with anger. Their short breaths betrayed their lack of self-control. Marcus Lucius would smile, if he wouldn't be occupied with Julia in the corner of his mind.

-Attack me. - He ordered defiantly.

They were flabbergasted.

-Attack me right now! - He repeated louder.

They looked at each other and had the special sparkle in their eyes that betrayed their hubris. Marcus Lucius didn't have to move a lot to let them all fall to the ground. Their arrogance and fury were written in their faces as they tried to get up. They were embarrassed by Marcus Lucius. They didn't like it.

-You just proved that you're fools. I even didn't get a tiny scratch. Nothing! - He said rather cold than disappointed. - Rufus, I hope you give me better legionnaires tomorrow.

Rufus nodded. He wasn't surprised by the attitude of the Cornelius's troops. He wished them to get back to reality, to the basics, but they weren't open for it. Their exaggerated opinion of oneself was deeply anchored in their souls and had to be ripped off their hearts. The short lesson of Marcus Lucius was helpful to show them their lack of skills. Compared to Marcus Lucius, they were like flappers standing next to an eagle.

Rufus saluted and Marcus Lucius left the camp without seeing Cornelius. Marcus Lucius didn't feel powerful enough to keep himself controlled in front of Julia's uncle. He returned to the villa and found Nerva sitting in front of Julia's chamber.

-You should sit in the chair and watch whether she is all right. - Marcus Lucius was nerved. He was already angry with the lack of competence of Cornelius's soldiers and now, he was doubting whether Nerva understood what Marcus Lucius ordered. Nerva nodded without being convinced. Marcus Lucius didn't like this kind of ignorance. Nerva said coldly:

-Fight against her or fight against the locals or fight against the men from North, but you won't have enough energy to fight against them all.

Marcus Lucius didn't react, even if he listened to Nerva's words cautiously. His companion went away without salutation. Marcus Lucius stepped in the chamber and looked at Julia. She was awake and pointedly avoided his look. She didn't look good. Her face showed the amount of pain she experienced lately. The colour disappeared from her cheeks. The region around her swollen eye brow was quite scary, dark. His compassion was mixed with anger.

-Fair enough. \- He said and she didn't get the context.

He sat in the chair, steadied his arms on the wooden desk and hid his face in his hands. Nerva was right. Marcus Lucius couldn't focus with the same power on both issues. He felt weak and unwilling to to anything. Cornelius's soldiers were bad trained and sticked on the level deeply below average. The decisions of elders were unpredictable. Nerva was nerved and irritated for no reason. Julia was hurt, because she left the villa on her own. She wasn't able to travel and had to stay here. Her reasons were unknown. He couldn't control her. He had to change it. He was lampooned by such insubordination. It wasn't proved whether Eboracum was a safe place or not. It wasn't agreed whether Romans will cooperate with locals against the men from North. It wasn't sure whether Marcus Lucius's identity will be betrayed or not. There were so many open questions that nothing seemed to be fix. There was no reference point on the horizon. Marcus Lucius felt like people who live in glass houses and whose walls were hit by millions of stones. Everything started to fall apart and Marcus Lucius didn't know what to do next. He didn't say a word and sit down in his chair.

Julia tried to derive his thoughts, but it wasn't possible. She wasn't able to move her head to get a loo at him, so she wasn't sure whether he was still in the room. She was angry with herself that she came to the point where she already was earlier. The distance of Marcus Lucius didn't wonder her, but she didn't like it at all. She didn't expect him to be open and happy to see her. She didn't expect him to see her ever again.

As Nerva stepped into the chamber, she looked at him and listened to what he said.

-The messenger arrived.

She understood that Marcus Lucius was still in the room and she got Nerva's irritated look. It wasn't pleasant. Her father used to look that way when he spoke about people, he didn't like at all. His words were full of negative energy. It was rather eff and blind than speaking. Her father mostly didn't notice her presence. He hid in the garden and was convinced that he was all alone. Julia didn't envy the cursed people, independent what they have done to get such a portion of hate. Nerva had the same sparkle in the eye and it was overawing.

Marcus Lucius stood up and went slowly to the lobby. It was the same man that arrived already the day before. It was already evening and Marcus Lucius had to take a torch again. It looked almost like the day before, except Marcus Lucius didn't have the special sparks in his eyes. His moves weren't so fast, but the same way fluent as the day before. The messenger noticed it.

-Nerva, you stay here. You know your task. - Marcus Lucius said as he took his horse from an ostler.

-As you command. - Nerva answered and went away. He went directly to Julia's chamber and sat down in the chair where Marcus Lucius used to sit. He couldn't keep silence and started walking chaotically.

-Why did you do it? What did you think? - He repeated angrily. - You destroy everything. Why?

Julia felt ashamed and intimidated, even if Nerva didn't come closer to her and stayed on distance. He moved from the area she was able to see and the space she couldn't see.

-I didn't want it to happen. You shouldn't have found me.

Nerva looked to her. His eyes were glowing like fire and she thought, he would send her thunders like Zeus. It didn't happen. Nerva stopped and puffed like a furious bull. He didn't move closer to her, but she was sure he could appear next to her within a blink of an eye.

-You really think he wouldn't look for you? He stayed in the cursed woods without any light and if I wouldn't have dragged him away, he would look for you in the darkness until he would succeed.

Nerva was angry, because she apparently didn't recognize the seriousness of the state she was in. As he got it, it was like an enlightenment. She was just a silly woman as he expected. Her stupid attitude was dangerous for all involved people. She had to be stopped or at least, controlled. Other way, she was a catastrophe for them all.

-He shouldn't look after me. I wanted to make you all free from this obligation. \- She added insecure.

-How do you mean it? - Nerva assumed there was a kind of argumentation behind it. He wasn't really interested. He asked rather automatically.

Julia sighed sadly. She didn't look at Nerva as she said:

-You have your goals. You have to protect Appius. He's a good man and tried to rescue us all. That's right and honourable. Marcus Lucius has a plan. He wants his revenge. That's honourable, too. My plan was to enable you to fulfil your plans. I can't go back to my father. I can't get married again. If there will be no me, you have one obligation less. You can go back to the tracks you followed before it all happened.

Nerva was flabbergasted. He didn't expect her to think in big pictures. She was supposed to be a silly woman. She had a strategy. It wasn't her task to think that way.

-So, do what you have to do, and let me do what I have to do. Let me die here, then. He won't have to search for me anymore. - She added and closed her eyes as if she would try to isolate herself from the world. Additional reason for such a behaviour was the pain that caught her entire body and didn't let her to move any muscle without feeling aching everywhere. She didn't want and she couldn't talk with Nerva anymore. He didn't get her point completely. She tried to contribute to the situation. She wanted to decrease the risk and gave them opportunities to go back to the point from where everything started. Why? It was the point he didn't get. Up to that question, everything made sense. There was no meaningful answer to the easiest and shortest question he had. He stood a longer while like a stone. For a very long while, he analysed what she said and he finally came to a conclusion. He needed to say her how wrong she was. She had wrong assumptions. He was surprised that she was more than juts a cute, good-looking shell, but he didn't like her goal.

-Maybe you are right. Maybe it would be easier for us all then. However, you didn't take into consideration the point that Appius doesn't wish you to be dead. Then, I don't want you to be dead, anyway. And the last person, who wishes it to come true, is Marcus Lucius. You had him at hello. So, don't do what you've done ever again. With all due respect, don't lampoon us anymore.

He sounded serious, but not cold. Then, he went to the chair, sat down and laid his head on the wooden desk. He ended the discussion. He sunk in his thoughts. He wondered why he didn't notice when his respect for the girl increased. She was ready to sacrifice herself. He didn't think about her this way up to that point. She was indeed remarkable.

He never met a girl or a woman that would impress him so much as Julia in that moment. He gazed inconspicuously at her, illuminated by the light of torches. She laid in the bed covered with a blanket the way that Marcus Lucius left her. The skin around her right eyes was swollen and dark. The blood collected there was already removed by Marcus Lucius, but there was a wound that had to heal completely. For sure, she would get a scare. Her arms laid along her body and the bruises started to get dangerously violet. The whipped places on her skin made a scary impression. A woman is a delicate being and Nerva was sure that already a stronger touch could injure such a being. He saw the place where she slipped down and compared it to the places he already had to go through. He knew it was painful to land at the feet of the hill after slipping. It was brave and honourable what she targeted, but her strategy was wrong. After all, she was a silly, but honourable woman.

Julia didn't sleep even if her eyes stayed closed. She analysed what Nerva said. It distracted a bit from the pain. Indeed, she didn't mind the aspects he listed. She thought that her vanished presence would bring back the harmony into the lives of involved persons. She didn't think that the developed relations would be broken and the lost couldn't be balanced. It meant that she had a kind of value in the eyes of others. She didn't think that they wouldn't be able to forget her. If they couldn't remove her from their souls, then she was important to them. She didn't take it into consideration. She thought she was apparently an idiot, even the biggest idiot in the world. She indeed lampooned him. She didn't mind it.

She didn't feel good. Everything was strongly aching: from the pulsating head to the toes, from the bleeding heart to the jagged soul. Through the bodily pain, she tried to regain the control over her emotional pain. She was able to hold the tears from flowing or she hadn't enough tears anymore. Nothing applied to the theory she had in her head.

A silence fulfilled the space in the chamber. Nothing happened. Nerva kept sitting in a more comfortable position. Julia kept laying without any movement. The torches were glowing and gave light and warmth. The fireplace was sizzling unhurriedly, almost lazy.

The silence was broken by Marcus Lucius. He came into the chamber and within one look, he estimated the situation. Nerva got up as fast as he could after he got Marcus Lucius's presence. Julia opened her eyes, because she felt something wasn't right. She wasn't sure how to act. She wasn't able to see with her right eye as good as before. It was annoying. She had to squint her eye to see anything focussed. Then, she couldn't move her head freely. It was too painful. She didn't dare to ask "Who is here?", because she assumed that it was Marcus Lucius. She didn't see Nerva. He was outside her reach.

Marcus Lucius moved his head in the way that brought Nerva to follow him. They left the room and Julia stayed alone. She needed to go to the toilet for a while, but didn't dare to ask Nerva to help her. It was a private matter and she wanted to do it on her own. She noticed already that she was almost completely naked and wondered who was responsible for it. Her last clear memory included slipping down the hill. The ground was frozen and the bush she tried to catch was breakable. Then, she felt on the ground and she heard crack. At once, her bone was visible and she couldn't move her leg. It was so painful that she screamed aloud. She memorized all eff and jeff her father used to articulated in her presence. It didn't help in anyway. The pain moved quickly from her leg to her brain. She breathed shortly. Her eyes almost fell out of her face. Her veins came up to the skin surface. It was painful like hell and she thought she never was in such radiating, caustic, boring pain. The only thing she could think about was: Pain! Pain! Pain!

She didn't notice as someone came to her and touched her with a tick. She ignored the man with non-Roman clothes and a knife in his hands. She wasn't scared. She wanted him to free her from the pain. He spoke, but she didn't listen. She wasn't able to percept anything else than pain. The man with dark hair and attentive eyes was watching her. She gave up everything and laid herself on the ground. Pain! Pain! Pain! And nothing else mattered...

She laid on her backs and stared at the cloudy sky through the naked tree crowns. The stranger with bony face and fingers bowed over her. She had open eyes. His lips moved, so she assumed he was speaking again. She wasn't able to listen even a word.

He lifted her and she wasn't able to fight back. Her body was like play dough. She lost her consciousness. As she won back her senses, she was laying on a board in a kind of cottage. She couldn't move. The pain ruled over her will. She noticed some movements, but she wasn't able to see clearly. Her right eye was somewhat paralysed or swollen. She lost her senses again.

-Who are you? \- She heard a question spoke aloud with with difficulty. The voice was warm, but didn't belong to any Roman.

She smiled or at least, she tried to smile. In her mouth, she percepted blood. She wasn't sure what that meant. There had to be fire that burnt, because the light in the house had the special shadow and warmth.

-We will not hurt you. We fixed your leg. - The manly voice said.

Undefined moment later, she heard the same voice again:

-My son said you are the wife of the new commander.

She smiled or tried it again. Thinking about Marcus Lucius distracted her for a moment from the pain in her body. She had the impression that everything was aching. Her whole body radiated. She asked herself whether Marcus Lucius felt the same or similar way on the way to Eboracum.

-It's so warm here. - She whispered indistinctly.

In wasn't warm, it was just her fever that made her feeling cosy and hot.

-He is a good man. Don't involve him into this matter. - She added trying to speak clearly. Her voice trembled from effort.

-He fought against us. - The unknown voice said.

Julia wanted to refuse. It wasn't a true statement. Marcus Lucius didn't intend to fight with anyone.

-No, no... He is a good man. He is a good warrior, but he doesn't want to hurt... He is a good man...

She repeated it and wasn't sure what she spoke aloud or not. She didn't feel good. She noticed that she was taken away from the cottage. She felt some movements of a horse. She wondered whether she knew the horse. She wasn't able to see the surrounding. Her right eye was covered by something that eclipsed the view. It was dark and rainy. However, she didn't feel the coldness of the late autumn and increased by the speed of Hiberus.

As she thought about these blurry memories, she wondered whether her right eye would function the same way as before. The view was still limited and additionally, the skin around the eye brought her further dollops of pain. She tried to analyse it on her way to the toilet and she was extremely happy that she managed to do what she wanted even with the pain and fixed leg. She wondered how much power she had and how painful the life could be. Even stitching was a peanut, as she percepted the current aching. Every muscle and every breath were connected to a special dollop of agonizing. She wished to die on her way and asked the gods for a quick resolution. Nothing happened, and the pain stayed on her side. It was annoying, irritating, unendurably. As she did what she needed to do, she started coming back in the direction of her bed. The meters between the toilet and her bed were like an unendless march from Rome to Britannia afoot. The pauses between the movements became longer and her breath didn't want to be deeper and more aching, swishing. She never expected to get to know so many kinds of pain as she didn't expect possessing so many resources of patience and endurance.

On her crawling way back to the bed, she was interrupted by Marcus Lucius. She didn't notice him at first. She was focussed on the bed that was already in sight, when she squinted her eyes. Marcus Lucius stood like a sculpture. Then, he squatted in front of her. He was shocked that she left her bed and wondered how she scuttled with the heavy blanket in the way that didn't let her lose the piece of material. It had to cost her a lot of power. She used the slippy nature of the blanket to pull her body on it.

He saw her naked back and butt, and eyes full of confusion. She wasn't sure how to proceed. He squatted emotionless and watchful, but seemed to be paralysed. She stopped and looked above to him. The blanket didn't covered her completely. She didn't care about it. Maybe it was even better that way. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed distracted her from the monotone pain perception. Finally, he bowed over her and lifted her. In the first reflex, she wanted to refuse.

-I saw you naked already. - He said and she couldn't deduce how he meant it.

She fizzed and wondered, because she couldn't remember such situation. However, she wondered who undress her. A kind of assumption appeared in her head. She was nor happy nor unhappy about her logical conclusion. However, she didn't like to ask him about it directly.

She let him lift herself and tried to put her hands around his neck, but it didn't work out perfectly. Her left arm pulsated in another rhythm as the rest of her body. It felt as if her arm would follow Amy Winehouse's "Back to black" and her heart tried to sing "Gloomy Sunday" by Rezso Seress and best known in the version of Billie Holiday, connected to several urban legends regarding reasons for banning the song.

He took her to the bed and put her down there. He didn't say a word as the blanket fell down on the ground. He didn't gaze at her naked body. Instead, he moved quickly and returned with the thick, dark red blanket. She used it more often than not. Then, he covered her with it and went to his chair. He sat down there and contemplated. She couldn't fall to sleep. The atmosphere was heavy and gloomy like the deepest holes in the woods, where no light appears during a sunny day.

-What did I do wrong? - She asked finally. Her voice trembled suspiciously.

She wasn't sure whether he was still in the room. He wasn't sure whether she was talking to him. He reacted to a later time, not directly after he heard her. His mind suggested him that he dreamt that she tried communicating with him. He was extremely sad and couldn't understand why she attempted to flee. Her question was quirky, but not oddly amusing at all. She wanted to know what she did wrong. He wished to know what he did wrong instead. There had to be any action that made her thinking that she had to act the way she acted. There had to be something that he missed or communicated in a false way. That caused his return. After he got sure that she was as far as possible living, he rushed to the meeting with the elders to get his answers. As he came back, the sentence echoed in his mind: "We've heard you're a good man. Your word is reliable and binding. We agree to your conditions." He wondered how should he interpret it. The elements of the puzzle didn't suit to each other. He couldn't recognize why it was the case.

What he didn't know was that Cunobarro was convinced that people in the state of almost lost consciousness tend to say the truth directly from the bottom of their hearts and minds. Cunobarro's impression of Marcus Lucius was simply confirmed by Julia. Next to his rational reasons, his voice within was confirmed additionally. Cunobarro bounded Marcus Lucius to the place and the old man knew that Marcus Lucius couldn't take back the given word. Keeping Marcus Lucius near to Cunobarro was crucial for the peace in the region. What Cunobarro didn't know was the fact that Marcus Lucius wouldn't be able to exist without Julia on his side. Her journey to Naples was postponed due to the latest injuries. Even if she would leave the camp in the spring, Marcus Lucius had to stay in Eboracum, because he promised it to Cunobarro. Binding word had to have greater power than love to a fake wife. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether the coincidence was good or bad for him.

-What did you wrong? - He repeated the question and looked incredibly confused, dimly.

Her eyes became bigger, more interested. She wasn't able to look at him. She had to squint with her right eye due to her impaired vision. Marcus Lucius noticed her problem and stood up. He came closer so that she didn't need to exert her eye muscles. She didn't thank for it, but she followed his face expression.

-You should sleep. - He whispered.

-You should sleep. - She answered quietly. She wasn't satisfied with not getting the answer she needed.

He couldn't look at her face without getting pricks of conscience. Her every scar, every whipped place of her body, every wound and broken bone were proofs of his breakdown. He swallowed the bitter truth he believed in and tried to concentrate positively on the state they were in. He had to be supportive. Blaming her and bringing her to a dark tracks of minds would just make it harder to heal the bodily wounds. She needed good vibrations. A beaten dog doesn't need any further slap, but a cosy shelter to rest and lick its wounds.

He shoved her delicately and laid next to her so that she could see him better. He was already unarmed and wore just the woollen tunic. She appreciated his gesture visibly, even if she wasn't able to smile the way she wanted. She focussed on his heartbeat. It calmed her down. He couldn't look at her partially violet fingers that held the blanket. However, with the corner of his eye, he had it in sight. With the same unwilling, but trained sense, he looked at the further damages of her body, even without gazing at them directly. He knew that there were many harms below the surface of her skin, invisible for eyes, but perceptible for Julia.

He trembled as she said something. He didn't expect it and the surprise effect caused his quavering. Her voice sounded dreamy and indicated that she was on drugs or in so much pain that she didn't control herself. She sounded sleepy, cute, real.

-You know what... I spent my entire childhood wishing that I was older and now I am older and this is not my vision of life. - The sound of her whisper was pleasant for ears. The content wasn't.

-How did you imagine it to be then? - He asked.

-I don't know. Differently... - She started unhurriedly and insecure, but she opened herself to him. - I thought I will get married happily. I thought I could keep my secret garden. I thought I would be happy.

-Your secret garden? - He wondered. He didn't intend to speak about the second part of her last statement. Her head laid next to his chest and he started stroking her hair automatically. She didn't look him directly in the eyes. Instead, she gazed at his moving chest.

-I used to hide myself in my father's garden. We had olive trees with beautiful blossoms and green leaf. We had sky above the garden and hills on the horizon. We had silence and shadow to find a place to hide. I liked to hide there, between the trees, to watch cats who played in the grass, to stroke my dog...

She whispered and Marcus Lucius's heart got beating faster. He didn't expect her to talk so much. He wondered whether she will tell him why she tried to hide there.

-My father has sons, who can go a battle and bring back the fame of the Julii family. They can make him proud. As I thought about it after I got married, I recognized that he gave me away, because it was the only way to make out of me a valuable thing. There is no other way to make a win out of nothing or even a loss... I can't give him any battle victory. I can't stand up and keep his name as mine. I was sold and it all makes sense...

Marcus Lucius listened carefully to her monologue. He wanted to refuse, but he wasn't able to find any rational arguments to throw into discussion. He stayed silent. He didn't expect her to be so grounded. As she stopped talking, it was abrupt and shocking. In the short moment, he familiarized with the tone of her voice, she simply stopped talking. He wanted her to continue, so he thought what to ask her to get a detailed answer. He didn't want to ask her about anything related to their own relationship and he wanted it so badly at the same time. The curiosity started eating his soul and chewed on him the same well-nigh universal way the Native Americans chewed the leaves of the plant, frequently mixed with mineral lime. With his thoughts, he has been over and over that a hundred times!

-Are you not happy? - He asked after he wasn't able enough to control himself.

She didn't tremble. She stayed sleepy and blurred, but open, because she answered his question as he wished, but not with the content he thought about. It was a chance like one in a million, because he got to know her doubts and fears, even if he hadn't enough background to understand her completely.

-I don't know. I was happy. Then, I wasn't. Then, it changed again. I don't know. I am not happy completely. I thought I was right, but I wasn't. Now, I don't know what to do. I lost my perspective. I did something wrong. Maybe you know what I did wrong. You are a good man. You always know what to do... - Her voice sounded differently. She was still fizzing and it stayed that way for further days. The medicine she got from medico brought her started working chaotically. Julia was running off at the mouth.

-You think I am a good man? - He wondered and doubted internally. He desired her in the way that wasn't socially allowed. He didn't want to realize what he intended. He didn't follow the most honourable goals, because killing a person is never a honourable issue compared to big state affairs. However, there was a special kind of revenge that had to be realized until the bitter end to balance the complex matter. He wasn't able to protect her. He wasn't able to give her protection on her way to Naples. He pretended to be a man he wasn't. It all didn't make him a good man.

-I think you are. You are a man of principles and you follow them for real, with fire in your eyes and with consequence in your actions. You have a plan and you realize it. You will have your vengeance for your wife, other way, it all wouldn't make sense. You just have to avenge, because it's your track. I thought I was standing on your way, so I ran away. I wanted to simplify it all for you, for Appius, for Nerva, for Octavian...

She talked chaotically, unreflective. Her sentences became shorter. It was a stream of thoughts and no well-considered statement. Marcus Lucius inhaled her words with all his senses.

-I was sure I was doing right, but I wasn't. Nerva said I wasn't. The old man said I wasn't. I wanted to challenge the fate and end it the way I wanted. I didn't know in detail how it should go. I think the death from starving is horrible. I didn't consider it at all. I didn't think about the whole matter. As I slipped, I hoped it's over. It wasn't. It was a beginning of a track full of pain. I couldn't imagine to feel so much pain and as I felt it, I wanted it to go by. I hoped that death feels that way. It didn't. I wasn't ready to die. I tried to persuade it to myself, but I felt I didn't want it really. There was something that kept me breathing. I think, as long as we have at least one reason to live, then it's worth to live. Living is not easy. Going consciously through the days and nights is everything, but not easy, but it's worthy. It needs courage. I am no coward. I can fight. I couldn't quit.

Even if he liked listening to her voice, he had to say something that was burning in his soul as if he would get a glowing iron stick directly into his heart:

-You tried to kill yourself.

-I tried to rescue you all. - She answered quickly, avidly.

-No, you tried to kill yourself. You were running from this world, directly to the afterworld. - His voice sounded cold, even if he didn't intend to cool her down extremely. He wanted and needed to lay in bed and listen to her breath to be sure that she was alive. She already gave up once and he didn't wish her to run away any further time.

A long and silent break followed. Marcus Lucius analysed his doubts. Julia was simply tuckered out and at one moment, she stopped stroking him. Instead, she started to snooze. Her fingers seemed to be frozen, her feverish head slid slowly to his chest. She didn't hear the whispered words of Marcus Lucius:

-Your existence gives me hope. - As she didn't reacted, he noticed that her mind was shut off and captured in dreams. - Even if you don't get it anyway.

Simply a smile full of relief and harmony appeared on his face. The most important fact was her presence next to him, her breath proving her existence and her nice smelling hair that got an additional shade of wild nature. He had her warmth or even feverish temperature better than the lack of her presence and uncertainty of her whereabouts. Automatically, he started stroking her backs. She was still not dressed and wrapped as a pancake in the warm blanket. He had to slip his hand under the material and he felt her naked skin. It was a good feeling. Her body reacted with pleasure to his touch. She let herself stroking like a domestic cat.

The whole night, he stayed watchful and didn't allow himself to close his eyes for a longer while. He was extraordinary tired, but he drilled himself long enough to endure even one restless night. He didn't stop to stroke her, because it calm down them both.

Early before the sunrise, Julia woke up and noticed her nudity and Marcus Lucius being awake. She got afraid of the reality and wasn't sure what happened and what was just a blurry dream. Her fever didn't go by. Additionally, she had headache. Her whole body was aching and she didn't want to disclose her pain. Every movement, even breathing, fulfilled her with shots in the dark, up to then unknown depth of her body. Her fingers trembled, and even that was painful. Her arm was pulsating. The injury wasn't comparable with anything else she experienced. The surrounding looked dizzily, dashed, but only in her perspective. She didn't get much from the space around her.

-Did you sleep well? - Marcus Lucius asked and it sounded compelled, but the silence wasn't able to answer for Julia. He noticed her frozen mood and tried not to move at all after she groaned minimally. Apparently, she didn't allow herself to show any sign of agonizing in front of another person. It wasn't possible. Marcus Lucius's attention was sharp and focussed on her. He didn't miss any visible indication of her tortures.

The girl whispered finally:

-Yesss... The "s" durated longer and tried to cover the pain. Her throat was dry and Marcus Lucius noticed it naturally, but didn't intend to show her that he could read so much from her reactions. If she tried to hide the pain then she should at least believe she could manage it. If it was the way to get internal powers, then she should get the chance. Instead, he took a glass with water and drank a bit. Apparently casually, he asked whether she would like to drink, too. She didn't answer, but she took three draughts. He wiped the rest of water she didn't manage to drink and that flew along her chin.

-I can't sleep. - He said as he was bowed over her.

She waited a moment until she gathered enough powers to say louder and more independent:

-Legends say that when you can't sleep at night, it's because you're awake in someone else's dream.

He smiled. He didn't know it. He wondered which legends say so.

-You have to give me an example for it one day.

-You look terribly. - She said.

Even if the marks of lacking sleep were a bit visible, he still looked good. He was unsettled, because he didn't get any answer explaining him the reasons of her action. He was confused and tired due to trying finding the answers in his mind.

-I have to go now, but I will come back shortly after noon.

She didn't say anything, but her eyes got sadder.

-If you try to move on your own, I will kill you with my hands. - He declared coldly. - Nerva will help you with everything. If you refuse, you can get help from your private slave. Nerva won't go away. Do you understand?

The sadness in her eyes was replaced by anger. She didn't like the idea of Nerva looking at all things that had be done. The nudity in front of Marcus Lucius wasn't strange and didn't feel too uncomfortable, but only the thought that Nerva would gaze at her made Julia ashamed.

-You don't have a choice. I already ordered it. - Marcus Lucius lied, because he was just going to talk with Nerva. Julia didn't get his lie. - Do you understand?

Julia noticed that there was no space for refusal, and Marcus Lucius was really waiting for her answer. He bowed over her and his whole presence radiated so strange, so emotionless that she got scared a bit. It was another man looking the same way Marcus Lucius did. His soul wasn't in his body. It wasn't possible that he could look at her with such snaky eyes. His face was just some centimetres away from hers. He didn't repeat his question for the third time. She nodded, rather scared and insecure. She was totally convinced that he would kill her if she wouldn't answer according his expectation. As he got his answer, his eyes changed and his soul came back. He changed into the man she knew and desired. He didn't kiss her, he didn't smile. Just his eyes showed the warm, cosy sparkles she knew already.

He disappeared and she heard how someone else stepped into the room later. Apparently, the talk with Nerva took longer than just a gesture of saluting. She assumed that Marcus Lucius lied about the deal with Nerva. Indeed, Marcus Lucius explained Nerva how the following days should look like and Nerva wasn't excited at all while listening that Marcus Lucius would take over the trainings and patrols before noon. He intended to take Cornelius's legionnaires and after the patrols, he wanted to have a small talk with Cornelius himself. It would seem rude, if he wouldn't exchange any sentence or even a salutation to the camp commander. Cornelius shouldn't get any scared thought of being replaced or feeling overlooked. Nerva understood the plan, but he didn't like it. He had to spend his all forenoons as a nanny for a girl that couldn't move a lot. Even if he respected her more than a day before, because she explained him her reasons, he didn't like to be around her for such a long time.

-She is my priority now. You have to control that she eats and drinks enough. \- Marcus Lucius said shortly and Nerva didn't have to listen a preaching. He nodded and took with no resistance what Marcus Lucius ordered. Nerva needed someone who was giving commands and direction on the road.

As Marcus Lucius said that he would come back after noon and relay Nerva, Nerva suddenly cheered up. Nerva should lead the second round of patrolling and this task seemed to be reward enough for the inconvenience of the mornings. After the sunset, Nerva was going to train with Marcus Lucius, so they were prepared on any combat on the road they could experience. Marcus Lucius didn't have to wait long for Nerva's glad acceptance. It made the entire situation easier for them both.

From that day, a kind of routine came back to the villa. The forenoons were calm and lazy. Marcus Lucius went to the camp, took the soldiers that Rufus has chosen for him, and they went to the woods. He observed unsuspiciously how the legionnaires behaved and reacted. After the short lesson he gave once, nobody felt good enough to be at his side. They had to climb the stairs of training continuously, strenuously, diligently. They had to earn Marcus Lucius's commendation. He didn't talk much. He explained them that talking distracts from the sounds of the surrounding. They should keep silence and stay concentrated on the nature around them. First when they knew the nature around them, they could start discriminate the pieces that didn't suit to the trees, bushes, sand or paddles on the road.

After the first round of patrolling, Marcus Lucius stepped by Cornelius and saluted shortly. Showing the respect was important for keeping the play the way Marcus Lucius needed to have it. Small talk looked the same every day, and with time, it looked quite familiar to the both speaker. Cornelius asked whether everything was all right. Marcus Lucius confirmed it without applause for the legionnaires. Then, he answered a question about training's progress with the same sentence:

-They still don't like it, because they hadn't any chance to be in a real fight. When they'll get such a chance and won't get hurt or dead, then, they'll appreciate what they do now.

-If it's natural to kill, why they have to learn how to do it? - Cornelius asked then every time, even without any context to Marcus Lucius's statement.

Marcus Lucius smiled then in a special way. He knew that Cornelius wasn't a good soldier and his attitude was terrible. Apparently, Julia's uncle never participated in a serious fight then. He had to go to politics one day to speak about such matters with other unrealistic warriors with great visions. It was impossible to protect borders or to conquer new lands or to control the already conquered lands with Cornelius's attitude.

Without giving any answer, Marcus Lucius saluted then and rode back to Maxentius's villa. Nerva was already waiting impatiently. When the first patrol didn't find anything suspicious, Marcus Lucius saluted in a specific way. Nerva didn't wait then any longer and took his horse to start his round of patrol as soon as possible. His nature of being in motion won over his other issues. He enjoyed the afternoons spent outside, even if he hadn't gallop or hustle the group. He started to like the surrounding here. It brought him a piece of freedom and reminded about time he spent as a messenger. Even the rain or snow wasn't able to get worse his mood. With a new group of legionnaires, he went on the second patrol and he changed the routes daily a bit. He felt good as a commander of a group. He liked the gazing eyes with respect and a kind of fear. He knew that legionnaires were aware that Nerva was a skilled soldier. They weren't. They were like children that had to learn how to walk. Teaching them was a welcome change. After looking after Julia every forenoon, he needed to breathe the real, cold air and feel the wind on his face. Taking care of Julia was an easy task. He forced her to eat as he stepped into her chamber. Slaves already prepared a meal and Nerva sat in the chair next to the table and ate his meal while observing how Julia fought with hers. She didn't like to eat much, but he hawked meaningful when she didn't eat at least the minimal portion. Then, he waited until she drank her milk to give a sign for her two personal slaves to bring her to the bathroom.

He kept sitting in the chair, where she wasn't able to see him. It was a good place to observe her. He saw the pieces of her naked body sometimes, but he tried not to look at her during the time she spent in bathroom. He listened carefully to the sounds from the other room and as long as everything seemed to be all right, he didn't get up from his chair. Sometimes, he had to go and relay servants while taking Julia back to the bed. The girl didn't like it. He ignored her bruises and injuries, but he minded her stitched underarm and her broken leg. Every time he lifted her, he wondered how delicate and lightweight she was. However, with every day, she seemed to weight a bit more. Nerva was proud that she ate properly during his watch. Marcus Lucius wasn't able to force her to eat even the minimum, so Nerva had to overtake the task. He managed it successfully. With time, they started talking. She asked some questions from Nerva's life, stayed focussed on his professional skills and didn't snoop. So Nerva told her about his days on the road. He spinned tales about his days here and there. As a messenger, he was in many different places, even in the far Alexandria and Corduba. He liked telling her stories. Julia listened grateful for his words and didn't interrupt him. She closed her eyes and laid without motion on her bed. With time, he used to move the chair closer to her so that he hadn't talk so loud or that she didn't have to strain herself.

His stories included mostly some small talks with soldiers from other provinces. What Nerva didn't mention, but what he memorized, were the masses of women he met there. At first, he tried to remind when was the last time he had sex and he resolved that he needed female thighs in the night before he went to sleep. Every now and then, he left the villa and went to bat houses next to the camp. However, the sex he had earlier seemed to be better. In Britannia, something was missing and didn't give him the same good level of fulfilment as before. As he analysed it, he kept silence and Julia was dozing. He looked at her rough shapes covered by the red blanket and pelts that Marcus Lucius brought as he noticed her trembling body. Nerva wondered how powerful and how weak the girl was. As he noticed that he was thinking about one girl again, he tried to go back to his memories of the times that were much easier and less complicated than now.

What Nerva liked a lot were the patrolling rounds during the afternoons. What made him excited every day were the trainings with Marcus Lucius. Shortly after he came back from the patrols, he stayed in the yard and hadn't wait for his friend to show up. Marcus Lucius was already expecting him. Nerva wasn't sure how Marcus Lucius got to know when Nerva was coming back to the villa, but Marcus Lucius was always there.

Nerva jumped from his horse and already with the energy gathered during the jump, he attacked Marcus Lucius. His friend defend himself and a small battle began. The duel took a longer while and the rumours of the crossed swords echoed in the yard. Nerva asked Marcus Lucius not to give him any credit. Nerva wanted to be treated equally. Marcus Lucius agreed, but he didn't use his entire range of skills. He trained every day before Nerva came back and was already sweated as the duel started. No warm-up was needed. They battled for an hour or longer on a yard lightened just by torches. As Julia felt better, she used to look at the training from a room with a window to the yard. She loved the shadow play and it was a kind of theatre for her. She was fascinated by the fluent movements and echoing steel noises. Chloe and Lysandra brought her a wooden stool where she could sit and which allowed her following the special, unique theatre play below the window. As she just noticed that the battle was over, she hushed to be back in her bed before Marcus Lucius appeared in the room again.

He came to her every day shortly after the noon passed and stayed in the room until the evening came. He shoved the chair with his legs without using his arms and it was a sign for her to wake up and eat her dinner. He brought her the meal and watched how she avoided to eat. She was full of breakfast, because Nerva wasn't so easy to manipulate as Marcus Lucius. Nerva didn't get these all "I can't"-excuses and Julia stopped using them quickly. Marcus Lucius looked how she struggle while eating. He didn't say a word. Nerva talked a lot. He told Julia stories and described places he already was. Marcus Lucius's tongue was off the duty. If it was his punishment for Julia, then it was a perfect one. His face didn't betray whether he was in a good or bad mood. There were plenty emotions in his eyes. His lips were closed and immovable. Additionally, he didn't touch her. Just in the cases she had to go to toilet, he brought her there, but left her privacy. He brought her back into bed. His strong arms kept her for the needed time to transport her here or there, but he didn't stroke her or he didn't lay next to her. It was the higher level of punishment in Julia's eyes. She missed his warmth. The aching of her body was strong, but the pain in her soul was even bigger. She thought she was one huge, unendless source of pain. She tried not to groan with pain, but she wasn't sure how much Marcus Lucius was able to decode. He avoided to touch her, because he was scared that if he would stroke her, he would increase the pain she was in. in his eyes, she could fall apart and therefore, he stayed on distance. He didn't speak a word, because he didn't know what to say. He was still thinking about her reasons and his duties. He was tired of guessing and forging plans. Sometimes, when Julia was dozing, he allowed himself a short nap, too. He stayed watchful and woke up with every movement in the room. As Julia noticed it, she kept as much silence as she could and she simply opened her eyes then. His face looked tired and stressed. He needed to rest properly, but he ignored her requests to lay down even in his own bed.

Towards evening, Marcus Lucius stood up and went outside to warm-up, train and battle with Nerva. Then, he came back sweated and silently. Marcus Lucius washed himself quickly and looked whether Julia ate her supper. He ate something within few moments. The day was over and he was supposed to rest. Instead, he sat down in the chair next to Julia's bed. He took away a piece of her blanket and pelts that covered her injured leg. He looked at the wound apparently cursorily, but it wasn't the truth. He was able to get the information he needed within a moment. Then, he covered Julia's leg again with warm and cosy things. He looked at her right eye. He didn't get Julia's look, but he felt it. The swelling started to decrease slowly. With every day, the pressure on her eye was smaller and her sight became better. Her stitched arm looked better every day, even if the healing progress was minimally visible.

Marcus Lucius blew out all torches except the one directly next to Julia's bed. The room was dark. The fireplace was glowing, but it didn't give much light. Instead, it gave warmth. Julia tried to find a good position to fell asleep. She moved a bit to the edge of the bed and left Marcus Lucius enough space on her left to lay down in the bed next to her. He didn't use the situation. He didn't touch her at all until she felt asleep deeply. At first then, he went around the bed and kneed in front of her. She wasn't able to percept his shy strokes. He kissed her forehead and the right cheek. He stroked her a couple of times and the special shadow appeared in his eyes. She was so important to him that he didn't want to betray the fact even to her. The closer he wanted to be to her, the more scared he was and the more distanced he acted.

He sat down in his chair again and tried to sleep. His watchful ears listened to the rumours around and he always got the point of time when Nerva came back from the city. Marcus Lucius shut his eyes on Nerva's sallies to the city next to camp and was a bit calmer when Nerva stayed in the villa, whether in tepidarium or in his room. The noise of the hooves was loud enough to bring Marcus Lucius back to reality. He looked out of the small window in the hall and got back to Julia. He checked whether she was still asleep and with drowsy heart, he sat down in the chair again.

He dreamt about Julia falling down into a hole and not being able to stand up. The hole became darker and darker until Marcus Lucius wasn't able to see anything else. She didn't scream and he wasn't able to localise her. He woke up nervously and checked again whether everything was fine. Julia was still sleeping. Without perception of her warmth, he was unsettled and automatically, he needed to sit down closer to her. He moved quietly his chair to her right side and grasp her hand gently. Feeling her skin allowed him to sleep better, even if the chair wasn't comfortable.

During one night, four or five weeks after her remarkable attempt to escape, she woke up as he took her hand and he seemed to be perplexed by her look.

-You should lay in the bed. You are tired. - She whispered in a twilight sleep. She moved her hand to her chest and therefore, Marcus Lucius, who was still holding her hand, was forced whether to let her hand away or to move with her. He decided to move, because it was her wounded underarm and it was important than his comfort. As his hand landed on her chest, he was surprisingly abashed. He didn't dare to change her position, so he moved above her in the way that didn't disturb her. It was a hard task, but not impossible. She had open eyes and smiled as she looked how he tried to move without touching her. Apparently, she was convinced she was dreaming. She laid her left hand on his hand holding her. He laid carefully on the left side and looked at her with a blank expression on his face.

-You're here. \- She whispered with extremely happy tone. She turned to him and moved closer to him. The blankets and the pelts moved a bit and Marcus Lucius felt the extreme warmth coming from her. He didn't like her to tremble, so he moved closer as well. His body wasn't as warm as hers, but it was enough for her to get the goose pimples. Julia flattened herself against him and quickly found a comfortable position. He couldn't act in any other way than just let her to hug him. He amended the blankets and pelts. He wasn't familiarized with so much warmth around him, as he wasn't accustomed to feel Julia so close. Due to his tiredness and lack of good sleep, he zoned out promptly.

As Julia felt his body next to hers, she was sure she was dreaming. However, when the temperature and the pressure of him didn't ease, she became aware that it wasn't a dream at all. She felt happy, but she didn't dare to move, because she didn't want to destroy the intimacy they had. Marcus Lucius slept deeply. He had to feel comfortable, because he didn't react on her strokes. He turned to lay down on his belly and she didn't make it complicated. She laid her stitched hand on his backs and stroked him. Her face was near to his and she kissed his cheek gently. From her feeling of being lucky, she wasn't sure what to do next. Preferably, she wouldn't let him go. She wished him to stay in such position for some ages as long as she could touch him unpunished and unstoppably.

-Let the chips fall where they may. - She whispered and unfortunately, she woke him up.

He listened a whisper and he wasn't sure whether everything was fine. He opened his eyes promptly and tried to estimate the situation. He almost got up and jumped out of the bed. Her stitched hand on his backs moved abruptly due to his sharp, sudden movement. Julia groaned and Marcus Lucius noticed the problem. He laid down again and looked at her. He hand landed on his backs again.

-Are you fine? \- He asked worried.

She nodded and stopped groaning. She didn't intend to scary him.

-Please, stay. \- She begged.

He blinked a couple of time, some wrinkles showed up on his forehead, but finally, he closed his eyes again. His sleep came back as sudden as he woke up. She didn't dare to move and at last, she felt asleep again.

From that night, the routine changed minimally. The patrols and training units stayed as they were practiced in the last weeks, but when the night came, Marcus Lucius laid down on the empty space next to Julia. He didn't slip under her blankets and pelts. He had his own blanket. Mostly, he slept on his belly. They weren't talking still, but while they were sleeping, their bodies looked for a better proximity. As they woke up, Marcus Lucius was holding her hand or her head was next to his. Sometimes, her head landed even on his backs. Marcus Lucius slept better and Julia was calmer as well. The silence between them was strange, but not intimidating. They have learnt how not to speak with each other, even if they weren't angry with each other anymore.

Marcus Lucius started to sent ostlers to the woods around the villa and ordered them to hang up different things from materials over some pieces of soldier's equipment. In the first days, Cornelius's legionnaires didn't find anything strange in the surrounding. Nerva was alarmed from the very first thing he found. He came back to Marcus Lucius within some minutes after the departure and talked with Marcus Lucius about his findings. Marcus Lucius smiled and betted with Nerva that Cornelius's soldiers won't find anything within a week without any hint. Nerva was convinced that they won't need so long. Nerva was wrong.

Even in the snowy, white days combined with some heavy rain, Cornelius's men weren't attentive enough to find anything wrong. Marcus Lucius laughed every time Nerva cursed after coming back to the villa.

-How stupid are they?! Morons! Pillocks!

Marcus Lucius laughed dearly and it was the only good thing connected to the matter. Nerva analysed whether he ever before heard Marcus Lucius laughing so freely and cordially. He couldn't remind any such occasion and he wondered from where Marcus Lucius takes his positive energy. After the week, Marcus Lucius gave a hint to the soldiers and took from Nerva a special bow for winning the bet. Julia watched out of the window how they monkeyed around. It was a welcome change to see them both so sorrow-free and cordially. In the following days, Cornelius's legionnaires started finding almost all more or less perfect hidden things. With every finding, they felt more ashamed knowing that they missed these all stuff in the woods before. Marcus Lucius didn't laugh them out of court. They appreciated it.

Additionally, Octavian came back. He met Nerva just on the way to the camp. Nerva sent him to Marcus Lucius, who was supposed to be in the villa. Octavian nodded and followed the hint. A slave brought a good news to Marcus Lucius, who already went to the window to check what horse visited the yard. The noise of the hooves was new and raised Marcus Lucius's attention. In the very first moment, Marcus Lucius thought that Cornelius gathered his men and wanted to visit Maxentius. With relief, Marcus Lucius welcomed his guest.

Octavian brought greetings from Appius and the kind of good energy needed to have a good mood. Julia wondered how such a calm, emotionless person could spread so much positive vibrations, but she didn't ask it aloud. He was glad to see Octavian. He brought her a letter from Appius and what was more important, he influenced Marcus Lucius to talk with her finally. While Marcus Lucius read the message, Octavian stayed in Julia's chamber. He was scared as he saw her. Even if her face looked dearly, there were traces of bad times written on it. In the meanwhile, her injuries didn't look so scary and fresh anymore. However, he imagined how badly injured she was as he saw the traces in form of scars, stitches and the fixed leg.

To mark the occasion, Marcus Lucius ordered to have meals in the best room that wasn't used normally anymore. He brought Julia to the table and ordered to serve wine. The fireplace brought enough warmth to sit there freely without any special blankets. Octavian told how he came back to Appius and what happened on the road. The meeting with some robbers was quickly outlined in front of Julia. First in the following days, as Octavian accompanied Marcus Lucius or Nerva during patrolling, he described more detailed what really happened. The same rule obtained content of talks with Appius and the entire situation that developed in the South of the empire. Julia felt that men tried not to show her how she was excluded from their talks. During the first evening, they drank wine and talked about less serious matters of this world. It was a very special evening, full of laughter and harmony. It was a shame that it had to end once.

Nerva brought Octavian to his quarters and they talked for hours, until the morning star appeared on the sky. They continued talking about less important things. It wasn't the time for seriousness. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius carried Julia away. He didn't drink wine normally, so his steps were a bit shaky due to alcohol. Julia giggled. As he laid her on the bed and even under the influence of alcohol, he checked her injuries, she chuckled even more. He tried to stay serious, because her health condition was an important issue to him. She fooled around and touched his hair on impulse. Then, she stroke his cheek as he was looking at her eyebrow. Her dainty fingers had a magical power. They forced him to look her in the eyes and stay on distance of just some centimetres. His fingers drew a line along the scar she got above the eye. She closed her eyes and relish the moment. Then, he kissed the place he just touched and as his lips touched her, she sighed with pleasure. It encouraged him to kiss her again an again. Instead of drawing a line with his hand, he was kissing her along the imaginary line. Then, he kissed her eyelid as gently as he could. His lips started a ramble across her face. After her eyelid, her cheeks were next. She opened her lips and waited impatiently when he would kiss them. As he did it, she melted away in joy and desire. She spread her arms and embraced him. With her fingers, she stroked his neck. He steadied himself on the left arm and pulled her head delicately. His moves were fluent and adroit as always. His kisses were passionate and his strokes ardent. She was open for a further step, but it didn't happen. Marcus Lucius was like the weather in mountains: it could surprise you any moment with a rapid change. He stopped kissing her and looked at her for a longer while. She was disorientated and kept sitting with a short breath. Her chest moved regularly. Her eyes sparkled. Her body trembled.

-It's not the time, not the place. - He said finally and laid next to her as he did it last nights.

She wasn't happy about the sudden turn. She kept sitting immovable for a longer while. Marcus Lucius could already felt asleep easily, but he was still awake.

-You think the most expectable thing for me was going back to my family? No, it's rather the last action I'd like to realize. - She whispered finally.

He didn't move at all, but he listened carefully.

-Do you remember how I asked you what have I done wrong? I didn't accomplish my mission. You would be a free man with chances on revenge. Appius would be a free man with chances to live his life without sorrowing abut our fates. I didn't take under consideration that you would miss me. That is what I have done wrong. I brought you pain and sorrows. I am deeply sorry for that. Will you ever forgive me?

Marcus Lucius didn't act. He struggled internally. As he didn't answer, she continued to fill the silence with words:

-I know that you're still grieving for your wife. It is painful to lose someone you love. I just tried to make it easier for you all...

His anger started to be visible on the surface of his body. Icy, inimical shadow appeared in his eyes. His muscles were tensed. She didn't see it coming obviously, unstoppably. He was starring at the torch and followed the fire. His breath became deep and heavy. There was a dangerous heartbeat in his body. He forced himself not to stand up rapidly and not to explode. His voice was ice-cold. He tried to speak slowly:

-You think that the most painful thing was to lose my wife? No, it's not the case. You are losing yourself right now, that is what makes me mad and sad. My wife was killed. I couldn't do anything to protect her at that moment, but you are alive. Do you not value yourself? As long as you are alive, I will try to take care of you, even if you make it unbelievably hard for me. Don't make it harder anymore.

Julia turned to him and noticed his hostile look. It was the same kind of look he had as she thought he lost his soul once. She got scared and tried to come out of the talk:

-But I...

He interrupted her right away:

-Don't think what's the best for us all. It's not your task. Staying alive is your task. Keeping in line is your task.

He wasn't still looking at her, but she gazed at him attentively. She couldn't understand it completely.

-I thought I call the tune, because it's my life. - She said sadly.

-You were wrong. You have just assumptions, but you don't know everything. Burning one piece of the puzzle can change the whole scenery immeasurably. A free space never stays empty. By taking one puzzle away, you create new environment. If you need to change something unconditionally, then you have to get a closer look at the puzzle and think about all perspectives you can imagine. It still doesn't mean that you will preassign or define all possibilities. There is always an undefined issue you don't know. You thought it's easy, but it's never that easy. Your life is not only your own matter. It influences people around you. You didn't think about it. If you don't value your life, you don't value the lives of others.

He spoke calmly, but he burnt internally. He was angry and the entire madness and sadness collected through the weeks, came out of him in a controlled way. Julia sighed and tried to remember whether he said so much ever before. She listened carefully to his words and she understood that he cared about her. If he wouldn't care about her, he wouldn't help her in the last weeks in the way he did or he wouldn't explain her so widely his point.

-I am very, very sorry. - She whispered as long as he didn't calm down. It durated and Julia felt really bad about it all. She didn't move. In opposite, Marcus Lucius's head turned to her. Without a word, he laid his left cheek on her thighs. His right arm was put on her healthy leg. She started stroking him on impulse. She noticed how fast he calmed down then.

-I have it still in front of my eyes. - He whispered calmly, not icily anymore. - You weren't here... Or you being injured... The memory of it still reminds me of you trying to escape. I can't fight against it all when I am not sure what you do next.

She had tears in her eyes and tried to prevent them flowing down at him. She didn't think about it that way. It was indeed more complicated and not that easy. She would be sad the same way, if anything would happened to him. She wasn't sure whether he felt asleep or whether he was just laying.

-Just stop escaping. If you wish to go away, just tell me, but for gods' sake, stop running away without leaving any note. Don't make it harder as it is already.

-I won't make it harder anymore, not for you, I promise. - Her voice trembled and her tears started flowing down.

Marcus Lucius felt dribbling drops on the skin and noticed how she tried to wipe the tears away. His head moved and he sat next to her. He started kissing the traces of her tears. His moves were slow, full of love and care. Julia was limited by her fixed leg and therefore, she wasn't able to move freely. She put her arms around him and let him kissing her. She had feverish forehead and trembling lips. Her eyes were closed as if it could stop the tears from flowing. Marcus Lucius soothed her without words. He helped her to lay down and his skilled hands stroked her along her arms, legs, face. He loved to touch her face.

-I won't... I promise...

He kissed her lips to stop her talk. Everything was cleared already. The past cannot be changed, forgotten or erased. It can only be accepted. Marcus Lucius took it like a man. She struggled. She tried to calm down, but – against her will - she started crying so strongly that she couldn't stop it at all. A kind of a heavy load was melting away in her tears. She sobbed and Marcus Lucius stopped kissing her. Instead, he embraced her. The flood of emotions, pricks of consciousness and pain she carried with her were a severe last. Her fingers held Marcus Lucius's tunica strongly. He felt her fragility and tried to keep her so that she didn't fall apart. With his "Hush, hush" he lulled her to sleep. Then, he tried to close his eyes and find his rest, but it was already the time to stand up and pick up Cornelius's legionnaires for patrolling. It was hard to leave her, but his obligations were already waiting for him to be fulfilled.

Nerva stepped in, quite sleepy and still drunk. Marcus Lucius ordered him quietly to go to sleep. After Julia promised not to act in any strange way, Nerva wasn't needed here anymore. He rather needed his amount of sleep than any further babysitting hour. Nerva went away with a rude, drunken smile on his lips. As Marcus Lucius stayed in the yards and intended to mount Hiberus, Octavian's voice welcomed him.

-Will you take me with you? - Octavian asked.

Marcus Lucius nodded and waited shortly for his friend.

On the way, they discussed the latest issues. Marcus Lucius described shortly the latest occurrences and the deal with the elders. Octavian listened carefully without any comment. The way was long enough to get the overview about the current state, but short enough for not being able to start any discussion. Octavian had the entire forenoon to think over. Additionally, he observed how the legionnaires were doing during the patrol. He didn't comment it with words, either. In his eyes, such backlogs weren't excusable in any way.

-They're much better than month or two months ago. I assure you that. - Marcus Lucius whispered shortly with minimal smile as Octavian's eyes showed his opinion. He didn't need to search for words to communicate.

On the road back to the villa, Octavian asked just one thing:

-What about Julia?

Marcus Lucius's eyes became smaller and serious in another way. During the patrol, he was indeed serious and watchful, but not tensed or emotional. In the moment he heard the question, his cheek trembled once, his shoulders went a bit higher, his chest moved minimally forwards.

-What about her?

-She was badly injured.

-She's healing.

-I didn't expect anything else. She's under your protection. - Octavian said slowly, and he tried to say it without any judgemental tone. Marcus Lucius understood the sense of Octavian's sentence. He remembered how Octavian used to look at Julia and he knew that her well-being was important to them both.

-It's easier to tame a wild horse than her. - Marcus Lucius said finally.

Octavian gazed with a strange smile. He never thought about Julia as if she would be an animal to tame. However, the comparison wasn't bad. He didn't understand her at all. Maybe she was a very special sample of a very special species. It was a moment of hesitation captured in Octavian's face. Marcus Lucius noticed it and waited what would happen next. Octavian had something in his heart that pressed him to the ground. The load was heavy and he wasn't familiarized with keeping such secrets to himself. Marcus Lucius waited patiently. The split didn't durate long, but it appeared almost like eternity for them both. Octavian struggled and Marcus Lucius knew that the matter was related to Julia. They were both tensed artificially. Then, Octavian increased the tension by saying quickly:

-Appius said I should say it to you, when you're ready. And I think you are ready to hear it.

Marcus Lucius looked at him with squinted eyes and lips pressed together. Apparently, he was waiting for something negative, for any order that he wouldn't like.

-He said I should tell you: Never give up on somebody you can't go a day without thinking about.

Marcus Lucius was surprised. He didn't expect such a statement.

-I told Appius what happened here and how we were leaving the villa together. I saw your pressure and last in your eyes. You weren't sure you're doing the right thing and you stayed. You decided to stay on her side, no matter what could happen. I reported it and Appius discussed with me everything except the Julia's issue. I thought he won't ever give me any further remark related to the matter.

Marcus Lucius listened attentively. Octavian's voice was clear, even if he spoke not so loud. They were on the road to the villa. The trees around them and the walls of houses in front of them could have ears. It wasn't smart to discuss important things in unreliable places.

-He said I have to check how it is between you and her and if I consider it could help, then I should say it. So, I said it. If it helps you, then I saw it fit.

Octavian observed how Marcus Lucius and Julia acted the evening before. There was a kind of harmony, even if they didn't speak a word with each other. Octavian knew that he lost Julia in the moment he sent Marcus Lucius away and he didn't mention his affection to nobody except Nerva. Appius's opinion was apparently to keep Marcus Lucius and Julia together. The bound between them should not be broken.

Marcus Lucius didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to understand the message. As they came back to the yard of the villa, he gave away Hiberus to an ostler and waited until Octavian gave his horse away, too. Then, he led Octavian to the house. He excused himself for a moment and Octavian rested in the entrance hall. Marcus Lucius went to Julia. She wasn't alone. Nerva sat in the chair and snored aloud. Julia laid in the bed and didn't move. Marcus Lucius booted Nerva to wake him up. Nerva jumped suddenly and screamed nervously:

-Imperium sine fine! I am at your command!

He stink after wine and dirt collected yesterday. He looked around and noticed how serious Marcus Lucius appeared. Marcus Lucius came back earlier than usually and Nerva didn't expect him. Due to the routine of the last weeks, he woke up and went with sleepy eyes to Julia. As she didn't react to his salutation, he sat down in the chair and felt asleep. As he got the hit, Nerva caught himself together and saluted. Julia observed the situation without any comment. She greeted Nerva, but he didn't seem to listen to her. He was quite tired and didn't look fresh. She waited what Marcus Lucius ordered. He came closer to her and asked whether she wanted to go to the common dinner. She nodded, because she was already prepared for appearing in the extended company. She had a new dress on. Octavian brought it to her as a gift from Appius. She wanted to please everyone and got dressed already in the green and red shades of material. Appius didn't remind the coldness and wetness of the place, because the material wasn't thick. Julia didn't like to take any blanket with her and risked catching cold.

Marcus Lucius helped her with lifting her and carried her to the dining room where Octavian and Nerva already whispered conspiratorially. Octavian didn't look at Marcus Lucius, but at Julia. She focussed his entire attention. His eyes became bigger and a kind of frozen. From the very first moment he noticed that she had the dress on that he brought. He said it was a gift from Appius, but he bought the dress and wasn't brave enough to admit it. Marcus Lucius saw the weakness in Octavian's pose. Nerva was too tired after the last evening, but he was ready to go to patrol. He knew his obligations and didn't let distract himself in any way at that moment.

Julia's face expression didn't change as she appeared in the room. However, Marcus Lucius noticed that she grabbed after his tunic stronger than before. Her muscles tensed a bit. Marcus Lucius knew that it wasn't caused by Nerva's presence. She was already familiarized with Nerva's scent and grimaces. She liked him after a while. It wasn't Nerva's charm that he spread around women, but it was his own charm, of a good man. Nerva was indeed a good, but lost man. Julia treated him like a brother. She was like a sister for him. At least, Marcus Lucius percepted it that way.

Her current tension was caused by Octavian's presence. Julia smiled, but she didn't feel comfortable enough to be relaxed. Her body sent obvious signals. She had fixed leg and she wasn't allowed to walk on her own. The medico said that she was supposed not to move much yet. She could be carried gently by others. She was able to bend her leg in the knee, so it wasn't hard to bring her from one place to another.

Nerva came closer to get a better look at her.

-Are you good? \- He asked by the way.

Julia smiled and answered shortly and collegially. He stepped back and Marcus Lucius ordered him to sit down.

-Let us eat something.

Nerva looked nervously around. He wasn't sure how to act, because it wasn't a part of the daily routine. As the meal was served, he took a piece of meat and gulped it quickly. He didn't dare to drink any wine. He gazed at Marcus Lucius and Octavian. They kept silence and eat slower. Julia was spare as usual with her portion. Nerva hawked in the common way to give her a sign to eat more. She acted automatically and Marcus Lucius stunned that she ate more in Nerva's company.

-What do you plan to do? Will you rest here, Octavian? - Marcus Lucius asked. After a long ride and a short night, Octavian had to be tired.

Octavian struggled, because he was indeed tired, but on the other hand, he would collect enough power to go with Nerva.

-I suggest you to rest, Octavian. You can accompany Nerva tomorrow. You will stay here for a short rest, won't you? - Marcus Lucius said and noticed three different reactions. Julia wasn't happy about it, but she wasn't unhappy about it either. She was tensed, but not more than she was already while appearing here. She needed time to familiarize with the new guest in the house. Nerva took it with dignity and for real, he even agreed with the suggestion. He remembered how exhausted he was as he was always on the road. A place to sleep and a warm meal were the only two things he started wishing for and he felt like in heaven as he got them. His nodding was easy to interpret. Octavian's reaction was confusing. He became tensed as if he would expect something he didn't get and at the same time, he was relieved to get opportunity to rest.

-Fair enough. \- Marcus Lucius said loudly and stood up. - Nerva, you have your task. Octavian, Chloe will show you your room.

Marcus Lucius already talked with Julia's slave and arranged everything, even if nobody noticed it. As Nerva and Octavian went away, Marcus Lucius bowed to Julia and lifted her. Then, he brought her to her room. He checked her wounds and estimated the healing process. From the very first moment she had to lay down in bed, he tried to avoid the bedsores. He already saw enough people who were injured badly and their healing progress wasn't good due to bedsores. He rolled over Julia's body every now and then and sensitized Nerva for the matter. Nerva didn't touch Julia if it wasn't needed. Only after he brought her back from bathroom, he laid her down in a changed position. He didn't covered her with warm blankets and felts yet. He had to do his check.

Marcus Lucius acted automatically and laid Julia on the bed on the different side. In the meanwhile, she was able to change her position on her own. After the bruises healed, after the majority of scabs appeared, it was easier for her to move in the way she wanted. Just the fixed leg and her stitched underarm were still a great limit. As long as her right eye brow and its nearest area were swollen, she wasn't able to see as good as earlier. Now, she seemed to be almost all right again. She won a habit to squint her eyes, so Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether she was able to see everything properly or whether she had to extend her sight sense.

After Marcus Lucius was done with the check, he helped her to cover in the warm and cosy materials. Her skin was already cold and it felt unpleasant, because he knew what risks were combined with it. He could stay outside without even proper clothes, but he would easily survive it. He was a trained, healthy man. She was a weak woman on the road to get healthy. She trembled. He wanted to call slaves to make the fire in the fireplace bigger. Julia held him off with a gentle gesture. She simply laid her hand on his shoulder and he didn't say anything. Instead, he slipped under the blanket to warm her up. He laid down next to her and closed his eyes. He was tired due to the restless night and the emotions he experienced lately. He promptly felt asleep. He didn't want to think over what Octavian said. He didn't want to go through the letter from Appius that he read already the day before. Appius sent no supportive news. Situation changed extremely since Octavian left and Appius wasn't able to predefine anything. The short message suggested to hold on to the strategy they have chosen, to accept the facts he knew and could derive and to decide wisely how to play the game to save lives of people, who were involved into the game. There were no specific suggestions and no pragmatic advices. Marcus Lucius was on his own. There was no word about Julia. Nobody was mentioned and the entire message sounded like a praying of a priest. It was general and could suit to everyone's problem. It was like a fortune cookie. Marcus Lucius didn't show his disappointment. People around him expected he got a piece of wisdom and he needed to keep their hopes alive. Instead of thinking about such endless, unsolvable matters, he felt asleep. His head landed on Julia's thighs as in the night. His arm cuddled her waist. His arm fell down on her legs as well as his stage of sleep changed.

Julia observed him and didn't intend to interrupt his time of rest. She was able to doze during the forenoon. Instead, she declaimed quietly a passage from Homer's work as she stroke Marcus Lucius's hair:

"I'd be called a coward, a nobody,

if I held back from any action

because of something you might say.

Order other men about. Don't tell me

what I should do. I'll not obey you any more.

But I will tell you this—remember it well—

I'll not raise my hand to fight about that girl,

no, not against you or any other man.

You Achaeans gave her to me, and now

you seize her back again. But you'll not take

another thing from my swift black ship,

you'll get nothing else with my consent.

If you'd like to see what happens, then just try.

Right away my spear will drip with your dark blood."

She didn't say it aloud. It was rather a kind of needed distraction than a serious analysis of what she should think about the state she was in. First as she spoke the verses aloud, she noticed which part of the Illiad she has chosen more or less consciously. She laughed shortly and madly. Marcus Lucius seemed to be calmed down and therefore, he could rest like a baby. She had many different thoughts that attacked her mind from the darkest corners of her soul. There was hope, as well. She didn't like to have any hope. Hope wasn't a reliable, but a deceptive companion. It created a beautiful illusion and led a person to go into the false direction. Within a minute, the illusion could break apart and leave the person in the middle of a desert with no oasis in sight. She wanted to believe that everything would end in a good way. She wanted to believe that she was the same way important to Marcus Lucius as he was crucial for her. She was afraid to speak aloud that she secretly was in love with him. If he was attentively enough, he could read it easily from her face, from her hands, from her actions. She wasn't sure what to dare or not. She read the message from Appius and there was nothing inside what could help her. Appius wrote that we all need dark, hard times to appreciate what we need and who we love. He asked for her patience and endurance. She sighed. She didn't like the phrase with love, because it was getting at her emotional preferences. It wasn't even her preference. Her heart chosen to beat in a specific way when it percepted Marcus Lucius, whether in thoughts, dreams or for real. Julia hadn't any influence on her heart. It made what it wanted to do. That was the sad truth about emotions: there were a spare space and some remedies to control them, but in the end, there was no way to shut them on or off. Emotions were there, whether unwilling or not, whether needed or not, whether with good reasons or not.

Julia leant her back on the huge pillow and tried not to move a lot. She looked at her healing arm. The stitches were still visible, but the skin around them got the healthy shadow. Marcus Lucius said once that the thread have to be removed one day. Medico should take care of it soon. A long scare reminded a river with its feeders. It was a proof of her foolish first attempt to release everyone. Her fixed leg war the sign of her second attempt. What she didn't consider was that nobody expected her to act honourable. Everyone wanted to keep her alive. From them all, only Marcus Lucius's opinion was crucial for her. As he finally opened himself that night, she couldn't inhibit the tears. He didn't use the word "love" or any derivate of it, but he assured her a deep affection. She was important to him. Even his will for revenge got lower priority than his care about her condition. It was impressive. She regretted that she wasn't able to control her emotions. If she would have gathered her all powers to keep her tears away from the reality, he would have continued to kiss her. It felt so good how his lips pressed her skin gently, but strongly at the same time. He shouldn't stop kissing her. His hands trained for holding a heavy sword and solid reins, could touch her skin very tenderly. It was unbelievable how he could thrill her just by any small, fragile touch. She had to be patient. He promised her to kiss her somewhere in the woods again. She didn't forget it.

Marcus Lucius moved a bit and rolled over. He slept on the back and she used the moment to lay her head on his chest. He woke up suddenly and checked what happened. As he noticed her position, he sighed, wrinkled his forehead and closed his shortly totally clear, but in general rather sleepy eyes again. His hand landed on her back and stroke her automatically. Her dead husband didn't use to stay near to her and be gentle. His touch brought pain and she was very glad to lose Maxentius on the road. She didn't enjoyed his touch. In opposite, she could be touched by Marcus Lucius anytime. She savoured such moments. Julia wondered whether he stroked her wife that special way, too. If it was the case, then Decima had to be the happiest woman on the whole human world. Julia envied Decima's claim for having more of Marcus Lucius than just some hours of stroking and kisses. She could percept him completely. Julia had just a part of him and every time, they came to a limit, Marcus Lucius stopped everything and stepped back with three steps. He made one slow step towards her, then another sluggish, tiny step and as he jumped in her direction, he stopped and went back to the moment before he even started walking to her. It was tedious.

Around the early evening, Marcus Lucius woke up and looked around. Julia's head was a welcomed load on his chest. She observed him without any smile. She was still deeply in her thoughts and needed a moment, before she could react properly. Marcus Lucius smiled minimally. She didn't smile back, but she got some sparkles in her eyes.

-I have to go. \- He said.

-You're always on the run. - She commented.

-I'll go back soon. See you during the supper.

Within a moment, he was gone. Julia got up and went slowly to a neighbour room, where a window with the view to the inner yard was. She observed how Marcus Lucius started his own training. Julia was so deeply occupied with not losing any movement of Marcus Lucius that she didn't get the presence of Octavian. He stood just some meters away from her and gazed at her with undefined expression. As she caught it finally, he came closer to salute in front of her. She moved her head a bit, but kept silence. She never knew how to talk with him. She wondered why she was so convinced about him being emotionless. His eyes were full of vivid sparkles, but there was nor a happy nor unhappy emotion captured in it. She squinted a bit to be sure that what she discovered was true.

-How do you feel? - She asked, because she felt obligated to ask after the guest's resting time.

-I've heard it's easier to tame a wounded horse than to look through you. - He said and she didn't know what to do with that.

-I didn't understand it. - She said finally.

Octavian's eyes became smaller and cold like lizard's. She didn't like it. He stood just one or two meters away, but she had the impression he was somewhere in another world, when he behaved that way. There was something captured in his soul that made her scared. She remembered how he acted on the way to Britannia. He was decisively, fast. His actions were reduced to minimum. He didn't talk and she wondered what he experienced, because this time, he exchange some words with her. His voice sounded nice, even if it was just like Octavian's appearance: nice, but nor friendly nor unfriendly. Actually, she didn't follow his intensions, however, he belonged to Appius's troop and therefore, he was a trustful person.

-Nerva told me stories about you. - Octavian continued and wasn't sure whether he didn't make a mistake to begin with such a topic. After one disaster followed another one. Octavian doubted whether he ever could speak with her without the tension in his belly and with a calm look in his eyes. His hands sweated, but she, fortunately, didn't notice it. Instead, Julia gazed at him fist, then, she tried to catch a polite appearance and don't show him how much interested she was in what he got to know.

-He did? - She said finally. Her voice trembled a bit. She was ashamed and confused. She didn't feel brave and honourable anymore.

-Yes. He did. It was very amusing.

Julia didn't like the word "amusing" used in this context and Octavian noticed that his purpose was misunderstood. Julia became more tensed and distanced. Octavian regretted starting a topic, where he could only sink. He wanted to say her that he appreciated how much she risked and that she was indeed an extraordinary woman. Her attempts to escape and her behaviour while stitching were impressing.

She stood covered in her favourite blanket and just the most outer pieces of the dress were visible. Octavian thought once more that she looked beautifully even with the blanket around her. He cursed himself for not considering the weather in Britannia. He saw that she was trembling during the dinner, but she didn't complain at all. She took it with grace. Nerva threw her a blanket that laid in the room, but she didn't cover herself with it. She wanted to look beautiful in front of them all.

-Actually, I am not allowed to stay here. - She said suddenly and it was a sign to end up the strange, bitty conversation. She wanted to observe the training and then, the fight with Nerva, but she didn't feel comfortable with Octavian at her side.

Octavian nodded with understanding and offered his help to bring her to her chamber.

-You should stay here. Nerva will come back any moment and then, you'll see how they train with each other. You can go directly to the yard and see it from a smaller distance, but from here, you have still the best view. Don't tell them who gave you the hint.

Her warm, a bit dreamy voice echoed in the empty room. She betrayed him a secret. She shared with him something very personal. He didn't get so many information from her before. He noticed that she already accustomed with the daily routine and that observing Marcus Lucius and Nerva during their training was a good entertainment. Octavian saw how softly she looked for the last time out of the window and smiled shortly, even knowing that Marcus Lucius wasn't able to see her. In opposite, he turned to the gate and waited for something. Octavian looked at Julia slowly going back to her chamber and at Marcus Lucius who welcomed Nerva with a short hug.

Julia's blanket dragged on the stony floor. He noticed how hard it was for her to steady herself on the walls and not to convict the fixed leg. Instead of observing Marcus Lucius and Nerva, Octavian jumped and within a wink of an eye, he was next to Julia. Without any warning, he lifted her up as Marcus Lucius. Julia got scared as she lost the ground under her feet and wasn't amused as she landed in Octavian's arms. However, she put her arms around his neck and he almost got red. He carried her to her chamber and left on the bed. He savoured the touch of her small, soft hands around his neck. He left suddenly and went back to the window to get a look at his companions. Even while observing how Nerva and Marcus Lucius fought couldn't distract him from the short, private moment with Julia. He tried to remember her smell and he wondered how lightweight she was. He started regretting that he didn't tried to talk with her earlier, as they were on the way to Eboracum. If their talks would be as bumpy as the last one, then it was wiser to keep the mouth shut, he thought. He analysed whether it was really good to share Appius's advice related to Julia with Marcus Lucius. It opened them a way to a better, extended relationship. Maybe it was just exposing Marcus Lucius's real nature. If he would step forward in the relationship with Julia, then he would show low respect for the fundamental rules. Appius used to say that a real character shows itself not in the moment, when we have no choice, but when we can handle the way we want without any punishment in sight. What we decide purposely and on our own is what makes us good or bad people.

Octavian didn't know the background of Marcus Lucius. Appius told once that Marcus Lucius was already in Britannia as a boy. Marcus Lucius was the youngest student of Appius. Octavian didn't know how long it durated, because Appius was quite sparingly with his stories. It was well-known that Appius and Marcus Lucius's father were the best friends. What happened with Marcus Lucius until he became a tribune, wasn't known in details. However, Appius knew that Marcus Lucius spent his soldier's times in Ostia and in Thracia. At the end, he was in Brigetio. Octavian wondered why Appius followed news about Marcus Lucius. Did Appius like Marcus Lucius just as a person or as his former student or as a son of his dead friend or a kind of obligation? It wasn't clear. As Appius talked about Marcus Lucius, it sounded differently. There was no soft line in his words, but there was no sharp or hostile tone. It was the special Marcus Lucius's tone that Appius never used for anyone else. There was something behind the tone. The fact that you can not percept something does not mean it does not exist.

Additionally, Appius never talked about Maxentius. He didn't remind his best friend aloud. Sometimes, as he looked at his soldiers, who were training, he sighed in a special way that betrayed he was thinking about the past. There was no further indication of which specific times he was thinking. Appius didn't seem to be worried about the current situation. As Octavian described him everything in detail, Appius didn't comment it in any way. He nodded like a good father would nod while listening that his son was punished in the school with detention for acting brutally for good reasons. Octavian waited only for a statement like "I will take care about him after we come home". It didn't happen. Octavian stopped wondering, because it wasn't supportive. As Octavian wanted to go back to Eboracum quickly, but Appius told him to rest and give everyone time.

-If they made a failure, we won't manage to help them. If they have been acting in the good way, they will survive winter without our help. Stay here and prepare for your mission.

Octavian thought more often about what Appius said. Appius was a wise man and not everyone got the privilege to get him the way he really was.

As Octavian looked at Marcus Lucius and Nerva, who were training with each other, he recognized some typical movements from the Appius's school. Duckes and the way they performed equivocation was known to Octavian. However, Marcus Lucius was visibly better and he even didn't use his all skills. He learnt a lot more than just the methods taught by Appius. Apparently, the years in the line of duty to the empire. Nerva wasn't a bad soldier, he was well trained, but being the messenger came first. It was nice how Marcus Lucius gave Nerva head start without doing it visibly enough to let Nerva any sign to recognize it. Octavian knew Nerva long enough to judge it correctly.

Later, they sat together and ate supper. Julia was brought by Marcus Lucius and she had another dress on. It looked warmer and she hadn't any goose pimps anymore. She smiled and seemed to be more relaxed than before, as Octavian met her in the empty room. What Octavian didn't know was that Marcus Lucius helped Julia to change the dress. As he came back from the training and saw that she wore the same, rather summer-like clothes, he asked her to dress something more appropriate. She wasn't sure about it, but she acquiesced quickly. Even if she was able to use her stitched arm, Marcus Lucius minded the weakness. Every time, he could help her, he did it. He already saw her naked and he didn't look at helping her with clothes or bringing her to the bathroom in a sexual way. It was a part of his duties, however, the more pleasant duties. This time, it was a bit sexual as he came to her and helped her to take off the wonderful, green dress. He didn't stare at her longer than it was appropriate. He wouldn't be a man, if he would lose the opportunity to get a quick look at a beautiful woman, but he wouldn't be a good soldier, if he would use her nudity for himself or to make her ashamed. Julia's cheeks became red and Marcus Lucius smiled dirty behind her back. As her back was naked, he stroked her shortly and gently. Then, he bowed to her feet and waited until she stepped into another dress that he already prepared for her. He took the part of the dress and lifted it up to her arms. As he was raising from his knees, his face moved so near to her skin that Julia felt his breath. He helped her to link the ribbons around her chest and waist. As he stepped in front of her, she was so aroused, she could hardly think. Marcus Lucius wasn't a saint and he had some dirty thoughts every now and then, but he respected her privacy and her will. Her breathe was shorter than normal. She wanted to be kissed by him and she didn't want to go to the supper at all.

Then, he left her for a moment. He needed to change his clothes, too. She followed him and tried not to catch his attention. She was aware that he absolutely knew that she was around. He changed his clothes faster than she wished. She wanted to have a look at his body that was full of scars, but had a lot of beautiful places. She wanted to touch his skin. She missed it in the last weeks. She reminded how easily it was to stroke him while he laid unconsciously in the wagon on the way to Eboracum. She missed his strong, decisively hands and being in his arms for real.

He noticed her desire and it was hard to resist, but he remembered which obligations were in play, so he postponed it. He came to her dynamically and on the run, he lifted her up. She was positively surprised and he wheeled twice around. Her long hair waved in the air. Her happily laughed echoed in the chamber and it all cheered him up. It was a rare case that she was in such a good mood. She felt relaxed and lucky. She hugged Marcus Lucius tighter and he inhaled her scent.

Nerva hawked at her as she started putting her meal away. Quickly, she came back on the right track. Marcus Lucius smiled minimally and Octavian wondered how harmonic they all appeared. They were like a small, happy family. As Nerva looked tired, Julia gave a sign and Chloe brought him wine. He cheered up promptly. His eyes sparkled and he smiled rude to her. She poked him, not so gently, but it wasn't painful for him. He poked her back smoothly. She laughed. Marcus Lucius smiled again without looking directly at anyone. Octavian was deeply in his contemplation.

-Don't drink so much this time. - Julia said in conspiracy to Nerva.

He gazed at her like an innocent baby and smiled dirty then. With such unserious disputes the evening was filled and as the time came to go to sleep, Marcus Lucius gave a sign to fall out. He lifted Julia and she used the moment to poke Nerva again.

-She really looks happy. She grew rife apparently. - Octavian said some days later to Nerva. His tone was a mixture of sadness and envy, but also a bit of bitterness.

-She did. - Nerva admitted. - Remember, she was out of your league though.

-Do you know whether they... You know... They just pretend being married, right? \- Octavian tried to understand the situation.

Nerva laughed nervously. He didn't like the question and already thinking about Marcus Lucius and Julia having more than just some stroking units was too much for him as in the case of a child that doesn't really want to get to know his parents have a sex life.

-He's a good man and she won't be used, if it's what you mean. - Nerva said quickly. Then, he added he has no clue who was doing what. With such a statement, he gave Octavian a sign to stop asking stupid questions.

Octavian saw for the very first time Nerva reacting almost allergic to a question related to sex matters. Actually, it was mostly Nerva who described female organs and bodies during long evenings. He talked about their sweaty boobies, more or less good-looking butts and he could delineate every woman he met very specific as long as he was in town. His descriptions included some vulgar adjectives and some curses as well. Just in the case of Julia, he acted as if he would become a saint or a bigot.

It was the only time as Octavian responded to Julia. Nerva calmed down and ignored the short exchange of questions. He knew that Octavian had a crush on Julia, but he didn't try to estimate the range of it. In the meanwhile, Julia was a kind of sister he never had. He told her stories, she listened to them. He poked her, if she didn't eat properly. She poked him, when he was sleepy. He liked to stay in her company. Even if his service wasn't needed anymore, because Marcus Lucius assured him Julia won't complicate the situation anymore. Nerva didn't ask after reasons. Just a simple statement was enough for him.

Octavian didn't stay long. He didn't feel comfortable in this company. He was the fifth wheel and didn't like it at all. Marcus Lucius didn't write anything for Appius.

-Just tell him how the current state is. You got a close look at it. - Marcus Lucius said.

After a week full of patrolling and dinners with laughter, a morning came, when Octavian left the villa. After Julia waved with the hand and Marcus Lucius hugged Octavian shortly, Nerva brought Octavian to the road. Their leave-taking didn't take long. Nerva wanted to go back to Julia to look after her and Octavian wasn't sure what to say. Octavian wondered what changed and why. Maybe Nerva became a different man due to his time spent with Julia. Maybe Octavian became a different man due to the lack time spent with her.

Julia waved after Octavian left and looked how Marcus Lucius was ready to go to the camp. Saying good-bye to Octavian was easy. As she saw Marcus Lucius on the horse, she reminded the moment she saw him for the very first time. He hadn't any armour and his eyes sparkled with power. Now, he was simply smiling and promised to come back soon. He wanted to bring Julia to her chamber, but she wanted him to follow his duties. She had enough men power around. One of slaves stepped forward and was ready to lift her up. Marcus Lucius waited until the high, red-hair man took Julia in his arms and Marcus Lucius's eyes had a special, scary sparkles. Julia smiled, but it didn't influence Marcus Lucius's expression. He didn't like when anyone touched her. He waited until the slave disappeared in the inside of the villa and with a heavy heart, he rode to the camp. On the way, he hoped that Nerva would come back soon.

The day was grey and foggy. The coldness of the winter was perceptible and there were small clouds that everyone was breathing out. Marcus Lucius led the troop as usual through the area of woods they controlled. Something wasn't right. Marcus Lucius looked around, but nothing happened. However, the bad feeling wasn't gone. Marcus Lucius's hand laid on the sword and he was ready to fight anytime. A sudden rustle was a warning and Marcus Lucius gave a sign to his troop to keep silence. The legionnaires wondered what caused Marcus Lucius's order, because they didn't hear anything special. Marcus Lucius was attentive enough and went in the direction of sough. His body was tensed, but not maximally. The soldiers followed him and waited impatiently for what was going to happen. In the bushes, Marcus Lucius found a group of local inhabitants. Actually, they weren't from the region. They screamed something that legionnaires didn't understand. Deducting from the voice line, Marcus Lucius asked them something in the strange language. They stunned, but answered his question. The legionnaires counted five women in a young age and three children. There were just two rather older men, who tried to protect the convoy with spears. They stepped back after Marcus Lucius said something in the strange language again. The inhabitants looked tired and were dirty. Their almost blue skin showed that they spent a lot of time outside. The fear in their eyes was visible. Nobody knew what made them so frightened.

-We'll take them with us. - Marcus Lucius said to his companions.

As he discovered the group, he noticed that there were no soldiers around the group. He asked, whether they were armed and they said they were on the run. They were escaping after men from the North attacked and destroyed their village. Marcus Lucius introduced himself as a Roman soldier and gave them a word that his soldiers will bring them to his villa. He hadn't better idea on the fly. He wanted to get more information about the attack. Where was the village? When did it happen? How many offenders were present? How were they armed? The best solution was to bring the civilians to the villa. They had to be fed and checked due to the possible injuries. Then, they could stay in the city.

The scared people weren't sure whether the legionnaires were helpers or just another source of danger. They were scared they came out of the frying pan and into the fire, until Marcus Lucius said they should look in his eyes. He assured them security in the local dialect. The fear didn't become smaller due to the strange and unfriendly looks of the legionnaires in the back of the leader, but at least, the civilians agreed to go with the Roman troop.

Due to the tiredness of the local inhabitants, the march durated longer than a simple ride with horses. Marcus Lucius sent two legionnaires to the villa to report the occurrence to Nerva. He didn't intend to bring any sorrow to Nerva or Julia due to the delay. It was already afternoon and there was no city in sight. The lateness brought the entire routine out of the concept.

He had still a bad feeling about something and he really didn't like leaving Julia all alone, unprotected. He thought about the illusion of being safe. In the villa and during the patrols, they didn't meet any offenders yet after the small incidents. Marcus Lucius didn't expect any further attack in the winter. Winter was a bad time for sacking of villages. Many different reasons could play a role then. Maybe the offenders weren't prepared for the winter and needed food and pelts to survive? Maybe they wanted to mark the area? Maybe the wanted to mark a sign? Was it just an incident or a part of a strategy? Marcus Lucius was worried. He looked at the exhausted people, who fled for miles. Their eyes were full of scare and hunger. Their saggy cheeks and blue, almost frozen skin were very obvious sign for their current state. Additionally, they had blood spots on their jagged clothes.

As the strange march finally achieved the gate of Maxentius's villa, Marcus Lucius wondered why Nerva wasn't awaiting on the yard. He thought that Nerva took the second group of legionnaires to make the afternoon patrol. However, Nerva's mere stood in the box. Marcus Lucius saw the horse at the end of the yard where the stable was. It bothered him.

Marcus Lucius sent the legionnaires back to the camp and ordered them to report the incident to Cornelius. Then, Marcus Lucius yelled after Nerva, but his friend didn't appear. Marcus Lucius was tensed seriously. To the poor civilians, he said he will come back in a moment. He was already on the run and as he hasten through the corridors, he looked around. The silence welcomed him as usually. There was a special, frightening aspect captured in the silence. Marcus Lucius hurried and as he ran into the chamber of Julia, he saw something he didn't expect. Nerva sat on the bed and stroked Julia's head. She laid with the curved back, bowed head, and the bent limbs additionally drawn up to the chest. Nerva didn't stand up, but he looked at Marcus Lucius with an empty look. His clothes were bloody. Her blanket was bloody, too. Her right eye brow was wounded, again. The congealed blood was easily visible.

-What the hell happened? - Marcus Lucius whispered. He wasn't able to yell.

Nerva reported that as he came back after the leave-taking with Octavian, he found the red-hair man trying to rape Julia. To end the sentence seemed to be hard for Nerva. Then, Nerva reported how he hurt the offender, but he didn't kill him. He waited for Marcus Lucius to decide what to do. Marcus Lucius came closer to Julia and looked at her. She didn't tremble. She wasn't scared. Her eyes were calm. Marcus Lucius didn't dare to ask whether she was fine. Nerva didn't dare to stand up.

-Where is he? \- Marcus Lucius asked finally.

-Dungeons under the villa. - Nerva answered.

-You stay here. - Marcus Lucius ordered and left the room. He went to the yard and ordered to bring the civilians to the rooms next to the stable. Then, he went to the dungeons under the villa. He was twice there. As he wanted to get to know the building, he checked all entrances he could find. He knew that the rooms under the ground were wet and unpleasant. There were just rats and big, long-haired spiders. He went down to the rooms with grids. He looked at the man, who was behind the bars. The man looked defiantly, but didn't dare to come closer to meet Marcus Lucius, even if the grids divided them. Marcus Lucius opened the bars with the key that hung meters away. He stepped into the cell and without a warning, he slapped the man twice. The red-hair, grown-up man wasn't a weak man, but he wasn't a soldier. He hadn't any chances with the trained techniques. The red-hair one bowed from the pain and bowled into a corner. His nose and two rips were broken. He spit with blood, but it didn't impressed Marcus Lucius in any way. Instead, the Roman was ice-cold, but not emotional. He shut off his effusion. Marcus Lucius was a killer and he could easily take the life from the hireling. He didn't. Marcus Lucius saw the fear of the man in his eyes. Marcus Lucius noticed the littleness of the red-hair person. He closed the grids and took the key with him. He stopped and breathed at least four or five times longer, before he said inimically, but calmly:

-You will get here enough time to think what you've done wrong. Nobody will ever talk with you. Nobody will ever see you.

Then, he didn't look back and went to Julia. He scared Nerva without a word and kneed down next to Julia. His face was full of hate as he came into her chamber and as he looked at Nerva. As he looked at Julia, his entire expression captured in the eyes changed rapidly. He was full of sorrows. With a trembling hand, he wanted to stroke her head, but he wasn't able. His hand settled over her hair and her cheeks. He avoided the wounded and swollen area around her right eye.

-He didn't... He tried... - Nerva started incompletely.

Marcus Lucius didn't react in any visible way. His hand trembled and his eyes sparkled with worries. Julia gazed at him without any shadow of fear, but with anger.

-Don't go away. - She whispered as she saw that he tried to change his position.

He didn't intend to go away. Nerva softly stood up and left the girl alone with Marcus Lucius.

-Did he... - Marcus Lucius started, but didn't end the question. It blocked his throat and didn't allow to speak the thought aloud.

-He didn't. - She answered quickly. - Just do the check and let us forget it, please.

He was scared of what he could see beyond the expanse of the wounds he already noticed. As she put away her blanket, and stretched herself a bit to let him look at her, he saw ragged dress, but no serious damages. She had some bruises on the arms. She had a very red cheek due to a slap she apparently got. Slowly, he took off her dress. She didn't move. He brought a bowl with warm water and washed her body unhurriedly. There were no sudden movement from his side. He started with her right eye brow. Julia fizzed and clinched with her teeth. After he washed her face, he checked her underarm and her leg. Everything seemed to be fine. But it wasn't. Marcus Lucius felt it and the invisible damages unsettled him. As he finished controlling her wounds and new bruises, he started to rub her skin with ointment. She laid on her belly and hid her face in the pillow. His touch was gentle and calming. As he wanted to cover her with a blanket, she spoke finally:

-Would you teach me to defend myself?

He looked at her with a sudden curiosity. The blanket covered her body. Then, Marcus Lucius moved fluently and laid down next to her. He smiled sadly and didn't answer yet.

-Will you? - She begged rather than asked.

-I will. - He answered.

-When? - She asked.

He smiled due to her determination. In the most weak moments, she gathered the most power and appeared stronger than she was. It was fascinating.

-Tomorrow. After my patrol. - He added.

She was pleased by the answer she got.

-May I ask you something? - Her voice trembled.

He nodded and came closer to her. He hugged her gently. He wasn't taught to speak beautiful, calming words. He acted the way he felt to be right. He wanted to feel her good and safe and he failed. He was angry on himself, because he wasn't there when she needed him. It wasn't the first time he couldn't protect her. Her request brought a new perspective into his mind. The idea wasn't bad, even if unwonted.

-Are you hurt? Your hand was bloody as you came here. - She whispered and made him smile again. In the moment as he expected something totally different, she was worried about his hand. He moved his fingers in front of her eyes and showed her his hand. It was scratched, but it wasn't serious. He laid on her right side and observed how she followed his moves attentively. She was focussed on his fingers and it brought him a new idea. His hand moved slowly forward and touched her cheek. It suited perfectly to the shape of her cheek. She followed his moves as long as it was possible. As she percepted his touch, she closed her eyes. She savoured the moment.

The supper time passed and nor Julia nor Marcus Lucius hurried to stand up and leave the bed. They laid hugged together. Marcus Lucius stroked her backs and she started dozing in his arms. Nerva stepped slowly by and checked the situation. Marcus Lucius showed him with a wink of a hand to go away. Even, if Marcus Lucius was increasingly hungry, he didn't want to stand up. He didn't want to leave her alone. Her dainty fingers held his tunica and her fragile arms steadied themselves on his cold armour. He didn't manage to undress himself earlier. As he moved slowly, Julia almost woke up and he tried to keep his position. It didn't help. She opened her eyes and look at him.

-Go and eat. Your stomach is loud enough to wake up the gods of underground. - She whispered sleepy.

If he wouldn't know how dangerous the situation that day was, he would even laugh from the bottom of his heart. He let Julia dozing on the bed and eluded in a talented way from her. He summoned Chloe and asked her to bring him some food. As she came back with a shallow bowl full of meat. Chloe knew that Marcus Lucius missed cena, the main meal of the day eaten around midday. She didn't bring any lighter supper meal with onions, porridge, meat and eggs. He ate quickly, rapidly.

Chloe had unsettled eyes.

-What happened? - Marcus Lucius asked quietly, because he didn't want to wake up Julia again.

Chloe looked terrified, but she started explaining with trembling voice:

-As Drest noticed that no soldier was in the house, because you were on your routine tour and your friend was away, he brought domina into her bed. He caught me and domina saved me. She slapped him with an iron bowl. He belted her at least twice. I ran away and met your friend, Nerva, coming back to the yard. I asked him for help and then, he brought Drest to the cellar and sat with domina until you came. I don't know more.

Marcus Lucius was somehow relieved. He didn't expect Julia to act so bravely and impulsively. He misunderstood the situation. He wouldn't hit the red-hair man so strongly, if he would know that Drest didn't try to rape Julia. However, the punishment had to stay independently from who was the object of attack. Marcus Lucius looked at Chloe. She was still afraid and confused. She didn't feel well and had a lot to work up. He laid her his hand on her shoulder. She trembled, but held his touch and his look. He was full of hopes and good will.

-I heard that you won't free him at all. - She whispered with anger.

At first, Marcus Lucius wasn't sure why she was so mad and calm at the same time. Was she glad about his decision? Was she applauding to the judgement? The answer came as Chloe added with hate:

-He should die there...

Finally, Marcus Lucius sent Chloe to bring Nerva as she took the bowl to take it away. She nodded politely, even friendly. She was gone and Nerva appeared shortly after it. He was concerned due to the new inhabitants of the room next to the stable. He was surprised as he saw the peasants. Explanations of Marcus Lucius about the circumstances of getting the new guests. Then, Marcus Lucius described shortly what happened in accordance with the attempted rape. Nerva seemed to be relieved as Marcus Lucius. Nerva gave Marcus Lucius a glass with wine that Chloe gave to Nerva. She knew him already and Julia always allowed Nerva to have a glass of wine every evening. Chloe used to be responsible for giving Nerva his portion of wine. This time, Nerva brought his jug of wine in his own hands.

-What do we do now? - Nerva asked.

-I have to think about it. I am not sure.

-It's late. Your civilians sleep already.

-I'll talk with them tomorrow. You will take over the first patrol and you will say Cornelius what happened. Keep it short. The less you say the better for us.

Nerva left the chamber and Marcus Lucius came back to Julia. Before he slipped into the bed under the cosy blanket, he undressed the armour. He washed himself shortly and before he was ready to dress anything, he heard as Julia sighed. It wasn't a good sign. Her breath was shorter and she embraced her belly with her hands. Marcus Lucius was worried and came closer to the bed. He had just a towel around his hips.

-I am here. - He whispered with soothing voice. He bowed above her and stroked her cheeks.

-Kiss me. Hug me. - She whispered suddenly. She sounded like a baby that called after its mother.

He hugged her, but he didn't kiss her. She adhered to him with her naked body. She was covered only with blanket and pelts. As Marcus Lucius moved closer, the blanket shifted to the side a bit. He saw a pieces of her naked body.

-Kiss me so that I forget everything I want to forget. - She whispered. She reminded how Maxentius used her body as he wished, because he was much stronger and much better trained to torture other human beings than she. As she saw her slave today, captured in a powerful, sharp grasp of a man, Julia had to react. She didn't see Chloe, but she saw herself as she was months ago. She remembered the humility and pain she felt. She remembered the bruises and blood that she tried to cover in front of the world outside. She hated it and her entire rancour changed into energy that reached to slap the offender with the first thing she could keep in hands. The punch of the red-hair man was strong, but it didn't feel so horribly as Julia thought. As he lifted her and saw her face, he hesitated a moment, but finally, he slapped her again and as she was falling down to the ground, he tried to catch her. He picked the material of her dress without purpose. Chloe ran away screaming. Julia felt blood and some upcoming bruises. She kept laying on the ground as the red-hair men analysed the situation. He thought whether he wanted to kill her or not. Suddenly, Nerva jumped into the room and Julia couldn't follow the moves of the fight. Due to the fall, she got a hit next to her right eye brow. She had to squint again to see anything.

It was a kind of request that he couldn't thrust aside. He was in her debt and he felt it wasn't too much what she was asking for. She needed a kiss and they already kissed a couple of times. She needed a warm hug and a portion of proximity to feel safe. He liked the taste of her lips and the scent of her body. However, he didn't look at her request with any sexual context. He moved closer and kissed her forehead. Then, he looked her in the eyes. He found there tears and he felt a strange pain in the chest. He laid next to her and didn't lose her out of sight. Her tears started flowing down into the bed and Marcus Lucius felt weak in the same way as he felt when he saw her in the cottage in the woods. There was a mix of feelings in his heart and he couldn't fight against it. He couldn't stay concentrated on anything than on the tears in her eyes. On impulse, his left arm moved her closer to his body. He stroked her smoothly and kissed her cheek gently. The tears built a salty trace. His lips collected every single sign of the stream. He took her strands of hair away from her face. She cried even heavier. From a small, slow flux, a river accrued.

-Don't cry. - He asked and kissed her even more often. He wasn't able to find the right words and put them into sentences. It was easier and instinctively to kiss her cheeks and wipe her tears away. Her body trembled and he hugged her more intensively. He wanted to calm her down. She turned her face to him and tried to say something, but words didn't appear in the space between them. With his second hand, he grasp after her another cheek. He held her face in his arms and kissed every piece of skin on her face. He felt the wet traces on his arms and fingers. He felt the fever of her forehead. He didn't stop anyway. She moved closer to him. Their bodies were so close to each other as never before. As her naked breasts touched his torso, he shivered shortly. He searched after her lips and kissed them gently, unhurriedly. She didn't react at first. Her fingers found his shoulder blades and felt his bones under the skin. As he sucked on her lips, she felt an unknown wave of energy and excitement coming from all parts of her body. Desire and thrills pushed her to give back the kiss. She adhered to him and his strong, decisively hands pressed her back pleasurable to his body. Without thinking and planning, they laid in the arms. The passion won over all human rules of proper behaviour. The naked skin touched gradually another body and it felt so increasingly and wonderfully good, perfect, intensive. Their eyes met every now and then and were full of euphoric, lovely sparkles that they didn't see in their eyes before. As he came into her at leisure, she was open for him, even if she was scared of possible pain. Little by little, he found a comfortable, savoury space in her. His lips minded to find any free space on her body to kiss. His breath became shorter, but stayed regular as his body rhythm changed. She sighed with pleasure and smiled, because having him inside gave her joy, zest, not pain. As he exploded in her, he influenced her own burst. She was sweaty, full of dried tears that stopped flowing. She was tensed without being stressed. She was in intensive spasms, euphoric sensation, flood of good vibrations and pricking sensation. Marcus Lucius bowed over her and kissed her cheeks and forehead to give her the possibility to breathe freely. He felt on his backs and drew her gently. She laid on him and percepted his chest under hers, his hips under hers. Her head found rest on his shoulder and he kissed her cheek, her ear and the upper part of her neck. They felt fulfilled, simply happy.

Marcus Lucius felt asleep with the load of Julia's body on him. He was still holding her in his arms. His fingers stroked her back and bottom. She wasn't at first able to fall asleep from the excitement. She never experienced such a wonderful feeling. It all occurred so naturally and perfectly as if they were made for each other. She didn't except having sex to be such a splendid moment. She connected it rather with negative pressure, pain that brought her bruises, blood and bad memories. With Marcus Lucius, it was a kind of magic and she could have such a magical moment every day until the end of the world. She smiled and felt rewarded in the best possible way.

As Marcus Lucius turned and made her to spoon, she got at first scared that he would wake up and go away from her. However, he simply changed his position and kept holding her with the same strength as before. It calmed her down and she finally felt asleep.

Marcus Lucius slept deeply as never before. Percepting her body glued to his was calming and relaxing enough to give him the good, secure feeling. As he woke up shorty, he checked whether she was next to him. He was relieved as she was still asleep. His eyes closed. He was confused due to what he did. He knew that this night changed the distribution of power between them crucially. He wasn't sure in which way it has been changed. Their relationship developed in a bumpy way. He wasn't able to remind the very first time they met. He had just pieces of remembrance from the first weeks of the travel to Britannia. Her face and silhouette reminded him of Decima. Julia said that he called her with Decima's name sometimes in fever. He wasn't sure when and why he felt sympathy for Julia. Maybe she had the credit of trust because of her visual similarity to Decima. It couldn't be all. He already saw enough women akin to Decima's shapes. After a short moment, he didn't look at them in any specific way. They were unknown beings. It was more probable that he smiled to them or he treated them more kindly, but it wasn't more probable that he gave them more than the signs of good matters. Julia was differently. Even as he was in fever and pain, he would jump and protect her as any other human being around him. However, he would go and look for her, if he would lose her from his sight. He wouldn't search after any other human being, except Decima. Decima was dead and there was no need to find her anymore. She had to be avenged. Julia was near to him and had to be protected.

He liked the tremble of her voice during her Greek recitations and her shy, shivering rubbing of ointments into his skin. He savoured the conscious moments, when she kissed him or stroke him secretly. It was cute and touching. Marcus Lucius reminded the fear in her eyes as Octavian burnt him the wound on the chest. In the meanwhile, it was just scare, quite unremarkable. As he thought about the scar, he noticed that Julia moved. Her fingers percepted his chest. She was awake and insecure. Apparently, she had the same kind of thoughts and wasn't sure how to act. Marcus Lucius pretended to be asleep as he used to it before. He wanted to see in which direction she tended. She moved aside, but stayed close to him. It seemed that she was ashamed due to her nudity. It made her uncomfortable, because she wasn't sure how to act. Such kind of proximity was new to her and raised a lot of her doubts. She used the moment as he was apparently asleep and looked at his body. The dimmed light of the torches that weren't dashed off showed his skin in a special, warmer way. Her trembling, excited fingers touched him the same way as they did it during the way to Britannia. Then, she was afraid he would wake up any minute and wonder, who she was. Now, she wasn't sure what could come next. The pleasure and good feelings were disturbed by the anxiety of tomorrow. She touched his scar on the chest and kissed it. The burnt place healed well and the brighter pattern on his skin reminded her of stars. She thought about the words of Horace: "We are but dust and shadow." She didn't move for a while. Her fingers stayed frozen on his chest and she looked somewhere and nowhere. As she reminded words of another poet, Sophocles, she declaimed the phrase quietly:

"What law of God have I broken?

Why should I still look to the gods in my misery?

Whom should I summon as an ally? For indeed

because of piety I was called impious.

If this proceeding is good in the gods' eyes

I shall know my sin, once I have suffered.

But if Creon and his people are the wrongdoers

let their suffering be no worse than the injustice

they are [giving] out to me."

Marcus Lucius listened charmed. It was calming. Her whisper was full of emotions. Maybe declaiming any passages helped her to collect her thoughts. Marcus Lucius preferred silence, when he was analysing anything. However, the tremble of her voice brought alleviation. She added shortly "For what is destined for us, men mortal, there is no escape." Then, she kept silence again. He opened his eyes and saw her sad, confused eyes. She didn't notice his gaze until his hand raised slowly and stroke her cheek. She got scared due to the breakaway from her contemplation. Marcus Lucius smiled and whispered friendly:

-You're not Antigone.

She smiled even sadder, bitter. He pushed her head gently to his and kissed her lips. Her pleasantly warm, a bit tensed body laid on his side. She looked him in the eyes directly. She searched after answers to her unspoken questions. Marcus Lucius assumed that she wanted to know how does it should go further. He hadn't any good answer for that matter.

-Don't be afraid. I am here for you. - He kissed her again.

-What do we do here? What does it mean? - She asked finally. She didn't give back his kisses, but her arms hugged him around his neck. It was her way to keep the distance and show the affection at the same time.

-We lay. I'm kissing you. - He said bumpily while he was focussed on her lips.

She smiled ripped out of the context. She didn't expect such a concrete answer. He smiled back.

-What will we do next? I mean... You know... - Her nervousness made it harder to form any sentence.

-We will sleep until we have to get up. We'll eat and while I'm on patrols, you'll stay with Nerva and take care of our guests I brought today. When I come back, we'll practice your self-defence techniques. - He said in the same breath and came back to her lips. He appreciated her questions that meant she tried to be a part of a team. Before, she rather forged own plans. It was a welcomed change.

She was confused. She hadn't any clue what guests he meant and noticed that he remembered her request related to trainings. It felt good to know that he considered her wishes. He didn't simply command her, but also factored her points. It felt good to share the responsibility for the future with someone else.

-And what does that mean? - She asked as he kissed her again. She stroked his back and he stroked her with his nose along her neck. She liked the air he breathed out on her skin.

-That means that I'm still kissing you. Try to fall asleep. A long day is waiting for us.

She wasn't sure how he meant the definition of "us" in the last sentence, but she liked it anyway. She closed her eyes and savoured as his last kiss landed on her forehead. He hugged her tighter and felt asleep soon. There was a kind of feeling of togetherness that bounded them together. She was excited and full of good vibrations again. The rest of the night was silent and calm.

As she woke up, Marcus Lucius was already dressed properly to go out. He sat next to her and waited until she opened her eyes. Then, he helped her to get dressed. As he wanted to lift her, she asked whether she could walk on her own. Marcus Lucius didn't like the idea. She hadn't any walking stick and it would take a lot of time to get to the stable. He refused with his head's movement. She let him carry her through the entire hallway, the yard and was surprised as they stopped just few meters in front of the stable. Nerva appeared from nowhere and brought a blanket. Then, he waited until Marcus Lucius let Julia standing straight and covered her with the blanket. It was cold and the sun just shortly before raised after the long night. The torches were still burning. The horses made nervous noises and wanted to go out for a ride. Some guardians at the gate looked inquisitively.

Julia waited what was going to happen next. Marcus Lucius stood next to her and followed attentively how two men, already washed and rested, stepped in front of him. They talked for a longer while in a strange language that Julia didn't understand. She looked to Nerva and his stony face expression didn't betray whether he gets the talk or not. She trembled shortly as she saw some further faces behind the men dressed in jagged, dirty things. The male faces were calm, but sad. One of man was taller and younger, maybe in Octavian's age. He had similar coldness in his eyes. He kept silence. The other man, the talking one, was older, but definitely not much older than Appius. His wrinkled skin included some fresh wounds and scars. The faces behind them expressed curiosity and fear. A child ran out of the second line. It was a little boy. It stopped in front of Julia and looked to her with white teeth on a friendly face of a little tearaway. The child put its finger in the mouth and chewed on it. It was maybe 4-5 years old. Julia hadn't much experience with kids, so she looked curiously at the little being. She smiled. The boy smiled back. He ran back to his mother or aunt, because they were calling him back.

Marcus Lucius nodded every now and then. He showed understanding, because it is always the kind of needed interaction. Everyone wants to be understood. Marcus Lucius was not only a professional, but indeed an artists within the interpersonal communication. Apparently, he won the trust of the strangers, because they were talking freely. They weren't extremely tensed. He asked some questions and listened concentrated to the answers. His eye brows moved minimally from time to time. He wasn't a monument. He reacted in a human way. Nerva knew that he did it to give a feeling of comfort to the strangers. As Marcus Lucius was talking with legionnaires sometimes, he could keep his temper. He could show his poker face and nobody would ever come through the mask. In talks with civilians, Marcus Lucius used to show some general face expressions, even if he restrained himself from betraying his real emotions and plans. Nerva liked to observe the difference in contacts between Marcus Lucius and Cornelius and his soldiers as well as Marcus Lucius and the group around Appius. It was fascinating. Nerva acted the same way. He learnt it from his master and authority figure. Marcus Lucius had the same basics trained and practiced even more often.

Finally, Marcus Lucius nodded the last time and turned to Julia:

-You will take care of them. Coordinate your slaves to bring them food and give them an opportunity to check the wounds. - Then, he looked shortly to Nerva. - You'll stay here. Help with the injuries. I'll go to Cornelius and speak with him. If a medico is needed, then sent for him. Stay here.

The last sentence was spoken freely, but with a special undertone. Nerva decoded the message repeated twice. It was obvious that Marcus Lucius didn't want to form his thoughts more clearly in front of Julia.

-I told them, you'll help them. They don't speak our language. Talk with them slowly anyway.

The last advice was directed to everyone.

-Will you ask Cornelius for legionnaires to tighten the guards here? - Nerva asked quietly. Julia listened carefully and Marcus Lucius refused quickly:

-We don't need any spies here. If one of us is here, then I am sure that the situation is sedate. - He answered impassively.

Nerva nodded.

-They told that they needed more than ten days to come here. They're from North. They're peasants. They can rest here and help in the stable so that they feel needed. They are too proud not to work for their living. We won't send them to the city. - Marcus Lucius explained shortly and took Hiberus from an ostler. Nerva nodded and saluted. Julia kept silence. Marcus Lucius left.

Julia steadied herself on Nerva and came closer to the strangers. She smiled shyly. After a short check of the conditions there, Julia hobbled away to the villa. Chloe, still nervously and insecure, was ordered to bring some new blankets. There were no clothes that could be shared with the strangers. Julia had just few dresses and her slaves were in a similar situation. Marcus Lucius didn't spend Maxentius's money, if it wasn't necessary. Manly slaves brought some pieces of woods for the fire place in the room next to the stable. Children played with their empty hands and gazed with laughter and curiosity at Julia's fixed leg. Women sat down in a corner and looked with scary eyes rather at the lady in a blue dress than at the Roman soldier next to her. Julia tried to explain them that she wanted to examine their wounds. She brought some ointments. The women didn't let her to check them. Julia didn't insist extremely. She stretched her hand to one of the women, the one with the darkest hair colour and in a similar age. The stranger woman risked and took Julia's hand. Julia led her to the small yard behind the stable where a well was. From there, the slaves brought water for horses and the household. From Chloe, Julia took a big bowl and explained that the strangers could wash them there. Instead, they took the bowl and filled it with water to drink the liquid from there. Julia didn't correct them, at least not during the first day. Instead, she showed them how to use herbal ointments. Apparently, they knew such things before, because they smiled with gratitude.

Nerva acted in the background and didn't lose Julia from his eyes for even a moment, even if he looked at others, too. He didn't like Julia to hobble from place to place, but she didn't let him lift her up. At first as she already finished her duties there, defined by her own will, she wanted to go and eat her breakfast. It was already too late for any breakfast and she could easily get the dinner. He noticed that Julia paid attention that Chloe stayed always in her proximity. Nerva reminded what Marcus Lucius told him the day before and how badly the misunderstanding was. Nerva didn't ask about a punishment for the manly slave. It was Marcus Lucius's decision. He looked at Chloe and thought that she had skinny cheeks and scared eyes. She was aware that her offender was captured and couldn't move freely, but it didn't help her to win the internal peace.

As Julia sat down in her chamber next to the wooden desk, she sent Chloe away to Lysandra. They should stay not too far away as Julia described it. Nerva took the second, mostly unused chair, and took place on the opposite side of the desk.

-Nerva, you are good with women. - Julia whispered suddenly.

He trembled and hadn't any clue what she wanted from him. He didn't respond in any way and waited for her to precise the request.

-These all women are so scared. - Julia sighed. - They're scared and lost, even if they have men around them. You can take a sword and kill someone. You can fight. We have to take what we get.

Nerva stunned. She wasn't asking him for anything. She simply presented her thoughts. He didn't expect it.

-Nerva, you're good with women. You're a proudly, confident man.

-I am a soldier in the first place. - Nerva smiled. - Soldiers used to be that way. If I were a peasant, I would try to do what I can the best. I can fight, because I was trained for it. I can kill, because I was taught so.

-True. But why all men are not like you, Appius or Marcus Lucius or even Octavian? You don't use the powers against the beings that are weaker than you. You're a good man.

Nerva smiled sadder. He didn't look at him in that perspective. He dreamt at nights about things he didn't do right, the things he muddled, the people, he hurt once, people, who hurt him once, the emotions he desired and didn't get. He was everything except being a good man. Marcus Lucius was a good man. Appius was one. What did she mean as she said "even Octavian" anyway?

-Believe me, I am not a good man.

-But you wouldn't act that way, as the man yesterday. - Actually, Julia didn't mind just the special situation from yesterday. She thought about all men who made something bad. Everyone, who robbed another person from trust in own confidence, in the positive way to look at the world and humans, should be punished with the same robbery. However, Julia thought that you couldn't punish someone twice with the same thing. If someone acted for wrong reasons as a consequence of such a violence act, then he couldn't be punished with taking away the trust that was already gone for a longer while. Julia was confused. Her head ached. She didn't like such complicated problems.

Nerva stood up and came closer to her. As he grasp her shoulder, he added shortly:

-I liked you more as you didn't speak so much.

He laughed rudely and ended his round around the table. Then, he sat down in the chair and looked at her defiantly.

-You see, that is what makes you a good person. - She said.

Nerva laughed again. She was unbelievably optimistic and wanted to improve the world. Women were so silly, so naïve. It wasn't a wonder that they were weak and vulnerable. Before he continued such way of thinking, he noticed some steps away in the hall. It was Marcus Lucius, who apparently wanted to give signs of his presence. Nerva didn't stand up. In front of other people, he used to salute and show officially his subordination, but as they were just alone, in their close circle, Nerva simply reduced his welcoming gestures to a minimal movement of his head. He imitated Marcus Lucius himself, who divided the official and unofficial appearance.

-Do you have anything what I need to know? - Marcus Lucius asked as he stepped into the room.

Julia smiled and Nerva reported shortly how the forenoon was. Marcus Lucius nodded every now and then. Nerva wondered whether he made it with purpose, as a sign for Julia or Nerva himself, or whether it was his natural way to show that he was following what was said.

-And she didn't eat anything yet. - Nerva snitched and Julia poked him under the table. He laughed again. He was in really good mood. - And in her eyes's we're good men.

Julia turned red and said sulky:

-You're not a good guy anymore.

Marcus Lucius smiled. Then, he ordered to eat something and talked with Nerva about the injuries of the civilians. Apparently, the most wounded villagers were dead already and just a smattering of people survived. Marcus Lucius hadn't anything special to report. The talk with Cornelius was short and rather one-way. He already got the report from his legionnaires that came back the day before and were excited endlessly. Cornelius wanted simply know what Marcus Lucius's strategy was and Marcus Lucius hadn't any. At least, Marcus Lucius didn't betray anything to Cornelius. It wasn't the right time.

After Nerva left to have his second round of patrolling, Marcus Lucius stayed with Julia. He didn't check her wounds. Instead, he ordered her to stand up. He stood up some meters next to the bed. There was a lot of free space around him. He seemed to be relaxed. He already took off his armour and had just his tunic. His foots were away from each other within one meter. His muscles showed that he wasn't tensed.

-Try to move me from the place I am.

Julia stunned and thought it was an easy task. She hobbled knock-kneed and before she had her first attempt, she stopped just some centimetres in front of him. He was a head taller than she and the closer she was the more stupid the idea was to her.

-You shouldn't have stopped. You could have used the energy of your body you collected on the way. - He said emotionless.

She squinted her eyes to focus and to start over. Then, she made two further steps. She was insecure. She thought about the last night and his affection. She lost her courage, because she wasn't ready to touch him again. She stopped again and stood confused just a breath away from him. He smiled and she felt silly. She sighed.

-And? - He said challenging. - You wanted to have a training.

She rolled her eyes, breathed three times slower and stepped back.

-I didn't finish. - She warned seriously. He smiled and didn't add that she even didn't start. However, he was really convinced that she begun. The mental barrier shouldn't be underestimated. He smiled to encourage her. It didn't work that way. She needed the bad energy than positive encouragement. She thought about Maxentius and tried to keep him in mind as she started over. Her shaky walk didn't bring much energy, but she stretched her arms. They landed on Marcus Lucius's chest and it was a real try to push him. Her whole power lost its impact and she didn't even manage to shove him a bit. She was a bit disappointed due to her lack of success and stunned, because she didn't except that Marcus Lucius had such an iron chest. It hurt as her hands reached his torso. Automatically, she asked:

-Did I hurt you?

He laughed benignly and wondered how such a thought could occur in her head. He moved his head with refusal. Then, he observed how she tried for the further four times and every time, it looked like a bull in a china shop. He didn't give her any hint, because she didn't listen to him. He was aware of her handicap and didn't expect a lot from the very first training. To spare her leg, he ordered her friendly to beat him as hard as she could. She stunned and refused. She was scared to bring him pain.

-I assure you it won't be painful for me. - He said with a smile.

She came to him and imitated the position he had. It wasn't comfortable to divide the whole weight of her body fifty-fifty on each leg, but she assumed that Marcus Lucius didn't stood that way for no reason. He noticed how she copied his position and valued it. The only problem was that she wasn't able to keep it for a longer while. Additionally, she had a mental barrier to slap him. He knew that such limits can't be overstepped within a wink of an eye. As she finally slapped him with her small, low-weight fists, it didn't hurt. However, she had a bad consciousness about it. He took off his tunica to show her that there were no signs of her slaps on it. He stood just in his pants and the naked shoulders and belly looked impressive.

-Beat me once again. - He whispered and waited to the moment as she would lose her balance due to the fixed leg.

She swiped her right arm and before she started her attack, she really lost her balance. She convicted her fixed leg for too long and she ignored her discomfort too much. A short cramp up interrupted her action. Marcus Lucius caught her without any problems. Then, he laid her on the bed and as she thought he would start kissing her, he simply started his check. He touched her face and directed her head to the light to have a better look at her right eye brow. Then, he looked at the red spots on her hands. She git them due to her slaps. He hadn't even a scratch. He looked at her underarm and noticed that the stitches could be removed. As he gently shoved her dress up to her knee, she got red, so she turned her head in the most foreign direction she could think of. He noticed her embarrassment and didn't comment it, even if he had to fight internally against the reflex to smile. His eyes sparkled cheerfully.

The last time he spoke with medico, he was informed that Julia could start walking with her fixed leg. She shouldn't exaggerate with the time spent on walking, but it was the time to start coming back to her condition. The medico wanted to step by and change the bandages and the splints. Marcus Lucius stunned that in the moment he thought about medico, the older man came and Chloe announced his arrival. Marcus Lucius smiled and left medico alone with Julia. In the meanwhile, he waited at the entrance to Julia's chamber and looked at Chloe. She was still unsettled.

-I promise you to improve the guards here. - He said and Chloe bestowed him with a look full of gratitude. - I think I broke at least his two rips and his nose.

Chloe was more than simply happy about it. In the next days, she was still nervous, but her confidence came back step by step. It influenced Julia positively. The talk with Chloe doubled its value.

Medico stayed quite long and Nerva managed to come back with no special report related to the second patrol round. It was a sign for treating the last occurrence as an incident. Marcus Lucius didn't calm down completely. As long as the danger wasn't purged or at least estimated correctly, he wasn't able to sleep as deeply as in Thracia. Marcus Lucius used a moment as Nerva kept his guard in front of Julia's chamber, and to step by the civilians and checked their wounds. As far as he could, he dressed the injuries. They weren't so serious. He talked with the civilians bumpy due to the lack of some words and they smiled friendly the way that foreigners smile when a stranger extremely hard tries to speak perfectly the foreign language. Marcus Lucius's diction was not bad and the missing words weren't a big problem in the communication. Women looked at him with a kind of forbidden desire with the same envy that we have while having a look at glass cases or real property prices on Chemin du Vent-Blanc, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Hambros Allé, Via Veneto or Via Calabritto. They knew that they couldn't get his attention. He was a Roman soldier and they were simply peasants. They couldn't afford his affection. They smiled though, because they wanted to appear as pretty as they could in the jagged, dirty clothes and with their glued hair strains. As he checked their wounds, they strained their breasts forward and retracted their bellies. They saw in his eyes that he wasn't interested in touching them more than it was needed. There had to be a woman in the running, if he didn't reacted to the simplest, most sexual hints. She hated the woman he loved. She cursed the unknown female being and hoped for a change in their own fate. The helpful, friendly Roman could give them a chance for an affair. They would be extremely satisfied with achieving quite realistic goals. They were young enough to seduce men.

As Marcus Lucius came back, he discussed with Nerva the possibilities related to the current state. Commonly, they decided to wait. They stood in the hallway and at the end, they messed around. They needed a moment of relax to avoid the bad thoughts, to distract the seriousness and doubts. Jokes about starving ahead weren't a new topic to slobber. As medico needed longer than they could bear, they started eating their supper without Julia. Chloe coordinated other slaves, who brought the food into the best room.

As medico left, he joined Marcus Lucius and Nerva during the meal. They talked shortly about Julia's condition. Nerva didn't interrupt anything, but listened carefully. Medico removed the threads from her underarm, at least the parts that were possible to remove. He complimented Marcus Lucius for his stitches that didn't leave ugly scars. The line of stitches was clear and quite regular. Additionally, medico changed the splint. She got some medicine to calm down and was dozing. Medico wasn't led to the civilians. He wasn't needed there. Marcus Lucius got up soon and went to Julia. Nerva stayed alone and drank wine uncontrolled. Alcohol helped him to fall into sleep without hurling around in the bed.

Julia laid in the bed quite calmly. She was warmed than usually. Some sweat drops appeared on her forehead. Her underarm was bandaged completely and Marcus Lucius was forced to take the ligature away, if he wanted to see how her skin looked like there. Instead, he gazed shortly at her new splint that was lighter and smaller than the one before. Without getting her away from the bed, he freed her from the dress and covered with red blanket. She woke up in the meanwhile and followed his movements with blurry eyes. As she was naked under the blanket, his hand slipped under the material.

-Here, you have your throat. - Marcus Lucius stared and he touched gently the mentioned body part. - If you don't have enough power to slap strongly, collect your entire energy to hit that place. Here, you have your upper spine with ribs. - His hand moved unhurriedly. His tone was still warm, but not ordinary friendly. - somewhere here, a human has a heart. You're not strong enough yet to break the any rib and pit the heart or lungs with it by using your hands. Therefore, try it with any object you can get: a rod, stick, pike, bowl... I mean really anything you can use... Take aim somewhere here. It hurts at least. Even better and easier to aim is the area around the lower spine. You can beat here and here – he continued by stroking her belly and sideways. - Injuring joints is a good technique, if you wish to lock someone.

His hand went from the knees over her left sideway to the arms. He didn't touch the joint of her left arm, because he didn't want to move the bandages. She followed his touch with a shy smile.

-You can test it on me tomorrow, when you're better. Now, you should sleep. - He whispered decisively. Then, he kissed her on the right cheek and stood up. He had to wash himself shortly and drink more water. He was thirsty. As he came back, Julia slept already. She smelled after strange mixtures and herbals that medico rubbed in the wounded places. Marcus Lucius smiled as he looked at her. In that moment, he became aware that he loved her. She hadn't say or do anything special. It was important that she existed.

He wondered whether he loved Decima. Through his mind, a question strayed continuously. He wondered whether already asking "Is it love" excludes that you love someone. If you love another human being, then you simply know it. You don't have to rethink it, search for evidences or derivate such things. You simply know whether it is the case or not. Your surrounding can overtake own judgements due to its observations, knowledge, gossip, clues. Your surrounding can lead discussions whether it is so or not. The affected people simply know the truth when they look inside. Marcus Lucius didn't know why and when it happened, but he deeply, truly, madly loved the woman that laid few meters away. With happiness in his heart, he slipped under the blanket and glued to her. He kissed her cheek and neck. Then, he felt asleep with the last thought about Appius. Out of sight, out of mind.

A kind of routine returned in the following weeks. As Marcus Lucius was on patrol, Nerva supported Julia with the care about the civilians. As Julia started a snowball fight, the children of the peasants joined the battle and supported Julia against Nerva. She wasn't good in aiming. Nerva found his targets well. Then, Nerva went on patrol and Marcus Lucius trained with Julia. He brought her a walking stick made of pine wood and she used it twice against him. She didn't hit him strongly, but it was definitely more effective than using her small fists. As she finally managed to bring him to knees, she bowed over him with a stunned look. At first, she didn't believe, she really made it. He grasped after her hand and she fell down on him. She chuckled aloud. Her laughter echoed in the villa more often on the way to and during common meals with her friends and her good mood infected the soldiers, too. After supper, she hobbled to her chamber and Marcus Lucius let her going on her own. She had to train her legs and she done it consequently. Marcus Lucius waggled his head with admiration. Nerva showed his respect similarly.

Every night, Marcus Lucius and Julia slept naked, hugged and happy. The days were longer and the nights were shorter. They made love unhurriedly and savoured the moment. With every further day, they enjoyed their proximity and harmony more. Marcus Lucius was convinced that this way a perfect marriage functioned. He didn't know why it didn't work that way with Decima. Maybe, he wasn't old enough. Maybe, he didn't love her the way he loved Julia. Maybe, it was caused by the fact that the entire harmony would end soon and he tried to gather as many good moments as possible.

Unfortunately, their anxiety started increasing and they didn't want to speak about the probability that the fairy tale they lived could end one day. They didn't want to think about upcoming spring, because Julia was supposed to travel back to Naples. They avoided the topic and talked rather about other issues. Julia imitated Nerva's reporting style as she described how the civilians were doing and Marcus Lucius laughed. His laugher was charming. Julia loved it.

Cornelius visited them once shortly. He stepped by for the supper and was welcomed with good vibrations at the table in the dining room. He wanted to bring words of his gratitude for the improvements within trainings. The legionnaires developed to soldiers they should have been already for years. Additionally, he wanted to ask whether Julia was ready to prepare a party for the Roman noble families from the region. Julia wasn't ready. She didn't like events with many people invited and sniffing in the houses of others. She remembered her mother cursing days before such parties and smiling with a mask of politeness to everyone, who appeared to such an event. Little Julia mostly was designated to participate in her mother's celebrations, but she usually spent her time in the garden by observing the strange guests. She sat on the wall of the garden and stroked her cat. She whispered to the animal her comments related to dresses of noble ladies and faces of the older, bored gentlemen in white tunica. Reminding it all, Julia hadn't any motivation to organise anything similar and Marcus Lucius didn't want to force her to do anything. Additionally, he didn't like the idea to meet the noble citizens from the region, because it was more probable that they could recognize Maximus's bone structure in his face that average soldiers. His father was obligated to participate in such celebrations as a highly reputable soldier and man of honour. Marcus Lucius inherited from him the aversion to meetings for masses. He avoided them and had to argue afterwards with his mother, why he didn't appear here and there.

Cornelius noticed that any gala dinner wasn't in sight in this house and it didn't make him happy. He was sociable man with outgoing urge and he looked for every occasion to be entertained and to eat good. He already regretted that Julia didn't invite him regularly to common dinners or suppers and he complaint it in his letters to Julius. Beyond that, Cornelius noticed the change in the dealings between the Appius's troop as he called the trio. They were happy in their small company and they didn't welcome anyone else. It was strange. It was typical for a soldier's life to keep it simple and ascetic. The noble citizens should have more soirees and be more social. At the end, Cornelius repeated his offer about help for Julia and she answered politely again. She was happy and she couldn't hide it so perfectly as Marcus Lucius or Nerva.

Nerva became calmer and could sleep better. He didn't miss his times as messenger so visibly as before, and he noticed a couple of times liking to stay in Britannia. He shared it with Julia once and at least twice with Marcus Lucius. He underlined that the hours of patrolling were important to him. It was comprehensible. Once, Julia asked Nerva whether he didn't feel alone. He told her a story of his mission to Alexandria and as he met there women with other culturally maintained definition of beauty.

-And you know what one of them said to me? - He asked quietly.

Julia came closer to him to be able to listen his answer.

-She said it's better to be with no one, than to be with the wrong one.

-That was a very clever woman. - Julia added contemplating.

Nerva laughed nervously.

-No, she wasn't. She wasn't able to survive with her service. If she would be clever enough, she would have enough money to live as a king with the trained, even skilled... body she had.

Nerva stopped talking as he noticed he gave Julia too much data. Talking with her about any sexual allusion was sometimes a part of their talks, but it mostly wasn't so directly. Julia knew that he used services of prostitutes sometimes, but she didn't ask about it. Drilling his soul's dilemmas or rubbing the love issues in weren't the way she wanted to proceed. She noticed that Nerva was a wounded man and she wasn't sure how to help him or whether anyone could heal the injuries of his soul. As she got such thoughts, Nerva percepted it immediately and suddenly, he changed the topic of their talks or he simply stood up and started walking through the room nervously. He used to ask her for declaiming any battle scene she knew and she quoted Iliad mostly. He calmed down and every time, her declamation reminded him of another story he shared with Julia. Often, it was a piece of memory of one of his friends from the times as they all were directly in command of Appius. Rarely, Nerva gave hints about Appius's life. Julia put these pieces together and discussed it with Marcus Lucius twice.

Appius never married. Nobody knew for which reasons. However, Appius loved once a woman very deeply. It wasn't sure why they didn't marry, but Appius swore not to have any other woman in his life, because if he couldn't have that special one, then he didn't want to love anyone else. Nerva hadn't any clue who the woman was, but he knew that Maximus helped Appius to get her back. The mission didn't succeed. Appius didn't tell why, but he said Nerva to be patient and that every dog has his day. A day should come when we would get that what redeems us: love or death with internal peace. For Appius, no further values were more important than these. Individual fulfilment could be achieved only if someone tried living in accordance to the rules the one believes.

Marcus Lucius didn't know further background information about Appius's story. If he would ask his mother, the master of gossip, he would get the needed hints. However, contacting his mother wasn't possible for at least two reasons. At first, he didn't like his mother. Then, he didn't want to give anyone a proof of life, because he was playing a specific role as he promised it to Appius.

Instead of analysing Appius's love life, Julia described how the civilians were doing. The men helped ostlers to keep order in the stable. The women were good in the kitchen. The children played in the yard. They were cut off from the men from the North with stony walls of the villa and stayed under strict protection of the Roman soldiers. The civilians were happy and felt safe. Marcus Lucius visited them shortly twice a week, because he hadn't time for daily checks. Additionally, it wasn't needed to control how the peasants were doing daily, because it was the task of Julia. She learnt few words from them and it was funny to see how hard she tried to speak it with the right diction. The tremble of her voice was pleasant even in the foreign language.

Marcus Lucius laughed once that collecting all peasants in the villa as prevention measures was excluded due to the limits of the area. However, it would be supportive to build a kind of huge, long walls that would edge the entire island like mountains, the natural borders near Brigetio. Nobody would come in or out without stepping through the walls. Julia asked who would build such walls. Nerva, who participated in the talk during a dinner or supper, suggested rudely that all Cornelius's legionnaires who weren't able to keep the ordinary level of condition could be punished with works on the building lot. At least one wall from South to North or from East to West could be ended quickly, if the punishment would be implemented. They all laughed. The idea was funny.

On the day that Julia's splint was removed, a great joy ruled in the villa. She jumped a couple of times and played tag with Nerva and peasants' children. Marcus Lucius observed it with joy and his level of pleasure increased as she hugged him with her legs that night. As they spent time together in bed, Marcus Lucius minded the fixed leg. Julia slobbered a bit and didn't think about her bodily limits. She was usually fully committed to what she was doing.

The days became even longer and the snow turned back into clean rain. First paddles started melting. Two shifts of blankets weren't needed to keep warmth under the material. The wind stroked naked trees and bushes and tried to wake them up. First green spots appeared slowly, shyly in the woods. Spring came and Julia got sadder every morning. The mood got worse as Cornelius asked Marcus Lucius about Julia's travel to Naples. Then, the issue related to men from North was put into question. Marcus Lucius wasn't happy and didn't want to give any answer. He came back to the villa as a beaten dog. During a common consultation, Nerva said that it would be supportive not having Julia around, when a fight was planned.

-If you're here, then one of us has to stay with you and if we would be together on the battlefield, then it would be easier to win the match. - Nerva argued sadly. It was a good point, even if nobody liked the idea. Julia wanted them to back up each other in the field and she didn't want to be any obstacle.

-I won't send her on the road to Naples without any guard. Cornelius's legionnaires are better trained, but they're not good enough for me. - Marcus Lucius answered quickly. It was the very first time as Nerva percepted a tone of nervousness in his voice.

-The way or another, one of us stays on your side. - Nerva summarized. - It would be advantageous, if we knew whether Octavian is already on the way. He could accompany you to Naples then.

-We can't prolong it all. - Julia added downcast. - We can't wait for Octavian. We don't know what is Appius doing. He didn't send any message in the last weeks.

She was right and that was the most joyless point.

-Nerva, you take her there. I have to stay here. I promised it to the elders. - Marcus Lucius continued a day or two later.

The gloomy eyes of Julia couldn't be overseen. Already during the nights, Marcus Lucius started preparing her for a separation by telling her "It's just a matter of time, when we see us again." She didn't cry, but she was so down that she wasn't able to savour their proximity anymore. He trained her with the basic self-defence techniques and she was a good student. He hoped she would never get the chance to use her skills seriously. He hugged her and she glued to him. She tried to remember his scent and his touch on the off-chance. He told her to cross that bridge when she would come to it. She didn't want to leave at all. He didn't want to let her go on no account.

Cornelius offered his legionnaires to bring Julia to Naples. Marcus Lucius took the proposal, because any further soldier in the convoy could increase the powerful impression of the travellers. Nerva didn't feel good with the whole action, but he didn't say a word about it. Julia didn't want to take any wagon. She wanted to ride on a horse herself, because it minimized the time spent for travelling. Marcus Lucius refused. She wasn't a soldier. She wanted to go with Nerva on his horse. Marcus Lucius refused again. It wasn't a proper behaviour for a married woman. Only in case of any emergency, such scenario could be used. Julia was angry, but understood Marcus Lucius's explanations. Against Marcus Lucius's advice, she hadn't many things to pack. She didn't intend to take anything. As she was on the road to Britannia, she didn't have many things either. She managed it then, so she could do it this time, too.

On the evening before the departure, she went to the yard. It was a rainy, quite warm evening. Nerva kept sitting on the table and ate his supper quietly. Marcus Lucius gave her a moment to come back. As she didn't return, he followed her.

-Don't bid me farewell tomorrow. - She asked. - I don't want to cry or make scenes.

He didn't answer. Her hair became wet and the raindrops kept falling on her face. He stepped closer to her, but she made some steps away to keep the distance.

-If I won't come back, will you search for me? - She asked another question.

-Julia, please, come back to the house. We'll talk there.

-No. Answer the question. - She whispered with a kind of unknown power. She trembled and he thought that she was cold. It wasn't the entire truth. She cried and her tears were covered by the rain. She didn't want to show him how many tears were mixed with the raindrops.

-Of course I will search for you. But you will come back. Nerva won't suck. - Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince her or even himself.

-Please, don't be here tomorrow morning. Please don't...

-I won't. - He promised and knew that he wasn't able to let her go without any goodbye. He stepped forward and caught her. Then, he hugged her so strongly that he got scared he could break her ribs. Her trembling body was tensed and wet. He brought her to her chamber. He undressed her and covered with a blanket. She shouldn't get cold. Then, he thought that if she would got sic, she wouldn't have to go away. Postponing the departure wasn't easy and could raise too much attention, if the argumentation wouldn't be convincing. Cornelius wanted to accompany Julia to Londonium. He wanted to come back to the camp within approximately two weeks. Approximately seven days were planned to travel in the late February with three wagons from Eboracum to Londonium. A simple ride back without waiting for wagons could take up to a week, too. Marcus Lucius had hands bounded by the word he gave to the elders. He shouldn't leave the region. Then, it wouldn't change the problem a lot. Three days of journey and the vision of Julia stepping alone on the ship were too much for them both. If they had to cut their daily routine, then it had to be done quickly to spare the pain.

-I've changed my mind. - Julia whispered suddenly after they laid with opened eyes in the bed until the night almost ended. They looked each other in the eyes and didn't move. - I don't want you to search me. Stay here. Stay here for any price.

Marcus Lucius couldn't follow. His stunning was visible in his eyes. Julia stood up promptly.

-It all doesn't matter. Do what you have to do and don't look back at me. Stay focussed. - She said resigned and dressed herself alone. He was angry and couldn't understand what she intended to communicate to him. She told him, as his father, to be focussed. It wasn't a coincidence that she used the same words even without any appropriate background about Maximus's wording. Marcus Lucius really hadn't any idea what happened. He stood up and stepped closer to her. She blocked his arms.

-You promised me not to go to the yard. I don't want to say any goodbye. Let us pretend that this time it's my turn to go with Nerva to the patrol.

She blocked him, but he was stronger and pushed her less gently into his arms. He kissed her forehead and tried not to look in the eyes. Her tears appeared again and he knew that she would get angry if he wouldn't ignore it. So he pretended to overlook it and she smiled bitter. Lovers had always their own, huge, crucial problems with separation. The amount of entire airy happiness and deeply affection could be shown as a parabola of the quadratic function, where f(x) was at least "a" multiplied with "x" under condition that "a" was not less than tenfold of ten. Hearts of Marcus Lucius and Julia got a rift that started increasing proportionally to the level of their proximity. Their souls felt already teared up, although they saw each other. Nerva knocked before he stepped into the chamber and he breezily took Julia out of Marcus Lucius's arms. Then, he clapped on Marcus Lucius's shoulder and saluted officially. Marcus Lucius answered the salutation and looked as Nerva forced Julia to follow him. She didn't look back. Nerva kept her hand strongly, coldly. On the yard, he saluted to Cornelius and helped Julia to come into the wagon. In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius jumped to the room, from where he could look out of the window and follow the convoy long after it disappeared in the woods.

The patrol wasn't problematic. Everything was fine and it nerved Marcus Lucius, who needed any distraction he could get just not to come back to Julia in mind. The awareness that he would go back to an empty house, where he wouldn't meet her, was scary and improbable. It was ridiculous. With the same probability, a man could land on the moon or Jupiter could appear next to Marcus Lucius. The second round of patrol was uncomplicated as well. Marcus Lucius hadn't any motivation to go back to the villa, but he had to appear there. As nobody welcomed him in the yard, he cherished illusion that everyone was in the dinner room. As he got there with a smile on his face, just the common slaves were there. Chloe and Lysandra were on the road with Julia. The other slaves weren't so known.

The last moment they saw each other wasn't magical. It was full of sadness that could reach to fill the space up to Mariana Trench about 2,550 kilometres long in the western Pacific Ocean, to the east of the Mariana Islands. They felt as if they were falling down in the hole, in the deepest part of the world's oceans that reached a maximum-known depth of almost 11.000 km at the Challenger Deep, a small slot-shaped valley in its floor. However, the moment of Julia's departure wasn't the most painful moment. The empty space she left made Marcus Lucius falling even deeper in the whole leading directly to despair. He thought he started going mad. The memories of her laughter that didn't echo through the walls, the empty, cold bed that didn't smell after her, the hobbling or her hands on his chest while they've trained her self-defence became just memories that he tried to maintain as much as he could. It was harder with every day to keep the intensity of her warmth, her scent, the tremble of her voice... At least the picture of her stayed in his mind so strongly that he looked back at it as if it was his only rescue. He didn't eat much. He started training his body after he came back from the patrols to distract himself from the emptiness and loneliness of the place that used to be his most happy space on Earth.

Julia was down as a flower that lost its blossom. She sat in the wagon and reminded the time as she kept sitting on the floor just to have a look at Marcus Lucius. She tried with the same power to remind scents, voices, words and she was disappointed as she collected hardly a hand full of really good retained memories. She was scared how quickly the intensity flew away and how difficult it was to keep the good vibrations. She wondered why the bad memories were easier to keep in mind than the good ones. She missed the feeling of being loved and she didn't talk with Cornelius. She mutated into a sculpture of natural beauty.

As Nerva ordered the stops on the way, she didn't like to go out or drink water. He stood upright next to her and had the same punishing look as in the times he controlled her eating behaviour in Maxentius's villa. He wasn't in a good mood, either, but he kept it rather internally. Just the dimples didn't show up as he talked. His eyes were a bit dashed. He waited until she didn't drink a bit and moved his head minimally as she was allowed to hole up in the wagon again.

Nerva thought about Marcus Lucius's order after Nerva came back to the camp after the last patrol tour. Marcus Lucius was waiting for Nerva there and in the meanwhile, he talked with Rufus. As Nerva came surprised by seeing them together, Marcus Lucius welcomed Nerva shortly with a minimal head's movement and ordered Nerva to choose the best soldiers for patrols. Nerva was totally convinced that he was collecting a group of legionnaires for Marcus Lucius's patrols in the next weeks. He tried to find the best trained men. As he put together around twenty men, Marcus Lucius smiled and thanked Nerva for his choice. Nerva stunned as he saw the picked group early in the morning of departure. Marcus Lucius gave him the best possible legionnaires. It was clearly madness. Additionally, all Appius's soldiers, except of Rufus, that stayed in Eboracum until that day were assigned to the convoy. Nerva was surprised by the choice of Marcus Lucius, but he understood the reasons and the importance of the convoy. Marcus Lucius didn't say a word how precious Julia was for him, but he marked it explicitly enough.

Cornelius was apparently convinced that the consolidated power was chosen due to protection of the camp commander. As he talked with further legionnaires, he was informed that he could go back to Londonium with six of his legionnaires. It was the order of Marcus Lucius. The rest of guardians had to stay on Julia's side. Cornelius didn't feel well with the thought of being protected only by his own soldiers. He complaint a lot and aloud about this fact, but nobody listened to him carefully. His cursed addressed to Maxentius were apparently successfully picked up by the men from the North. Already during the third day after Julia's departure, a smaller group of Barbarians attacked the patrol. Marcus Lucius tried not to fight. The offending group was rather small and it seemed to be rather a group of point men than real warriors. Instead, Marcus Lucius observed in the morning light how his legionnaires were doing. It was an important test for them. The missing years of routine couldn't be caught up with a couple of months of training, but the progress was visible. Two of them were killed, five lightly injured, the rest licked the first blood in the fever of fight. The offenders were killed up to two people. They were wounded and Marcus Lucius ordered to bring them back to the camp. He wanted to talk with them.

It was an early evening as Marcus Lucius came back with the second group of soldiers. The afternoon route wasn't disturbed by anyone. However, it was strictly probable that men from the North would start searching after their point-men soon.

The Barbarians were chained to palings. They were unarmed and thirsty. Their dirty faces were full of anger. They cursed in their local language. Marcus Lucius brought a chair and sat down in front of them, far enough to be out of range of their split, near enough to listen to their furious whisper.

He didn't look them in the eyes. Instead, he carved rather incompletely a piece of wood with his dagger. Rufus came to him and asked whether his help was needed. Marcus Lucius answered politely that it won't take long until he gets what he needs. Rufus stepped back and Marcus Lucius directed his attention apparently to the piece of wood again. The Barbarians laughed about it. They said he was carving his own woman that will be at least so ugly that even the most horny man won't take her. Instead, the wild dogs could possess her. They said it all less politely. They were effing and blinding. Some legionnaires around Marcus Lucius didn't understand a single word, but the context. They stepped forward and asked whether they should start with lashing. Marcus Lucius refused without a word and his piece of wood had already a conical ending. Marcus Lucius started sharpen it. The both Barbarians looked at his work and began to estimate their options. They weren't sure whether Marcus Lucius was going to hurt them or not.

-He needs us to get information. He won't get it. I won't tell anything. - The one with longer hair and massive shoulders said.

-We have to escape in the night. My chains are not bounded tightly. - The smaller one said. After the sunset, his bright hair looked dark as everything around them. A fire place was set behind Marcus Lucius's back. Additionally, one of legionnaires held a torch in front of him what enabled Marcus Lucius to carve his piece of wood. He didn't smile. He didn't saw any angry expression. He seemed to be focussed of his piece of wood completely. The Barbarians used the moment to whisper in conspiracy.

-They won't ever find us behind the muds of Cheviot Hills. We'll destroy them as our fathers did, when they vanished the forts by fire and sword at Trimontium.

-They already started to back up. Our men will smash them easily. Stupid Romans...

Marcus Lucius didn't react.

-They won't gather any power within a month. We'll attack them as planned. They always need so long for their vehicles to be removed.

Marcus Lucius still didn't react in any way. He thought whether he knew the surrounding there, whether is was clever to wait for the offenders to come or whether going kilometres in the North direction would be better.

-Stupid Romans... Whore sons...

Marcus Lucius waited further moments and carved in the wood, but no further information was shared between the Barbarians. Finally, he stood up and asked for his horse. Without looking at the prisoners chained to paling, the jumped on Hiberus and before he left the camp, he ordered to bind the ropes stronger around the Barbarians.

He rid alone to the village where he met once with the elders. The villagers were sleeping already, so he yelled shortly. Promptly, the waken people ran out of their houses screaming and holding anything that could be used as a weapon.

-Forgive me the time, but I am here for good reasons. If I have wanted your death, I wouldn't warn you. - He said calmly. Hiberus moved just a bit, unhurriedly. The horse wasn't scared of people without swords. - Tell Cunobarros I have to speak with him immediately.

Women returned to their houses and scared children. Men looked askance to the rider, but two of them vanished in the woods. They hadn't horses, so Cunobarros couldn't be far away from here. Marcus Lucius waited long enough, because Hiberus got bored and impatiently. His ears stopped moving hastily and he whinnied nerved. Finally, Cunobarros appeared. He was sleepy, but didn't complaint.

-Where can we talk privately? - Marcus Lucius asked after a short nod with the head as a welcoming gesture.

Cunobarros showed him with the head to follow. Marcus Lucius appeared within a wink of the eye next to the older man. Cunobarros trembled shortly and held back from the reflex to defence. Marcus Lucius tested him again. Cunobarros didn't like it, but he understood the reasons. The talk didn't take long. Marcus Lucius had already a suggestion. After a summary of the talk between the Barbarians, Marcus Lucius asked where the mentioned regions were. Cunobarros put all things away from the wooden table and brought some wood pieces that laid next to a fire place that burnt stronger since they stepped in the cottage. The room was quite dark, but there was enough light to forge plans. Cunobarros laid the wooden pieces on the table and within moments, he explained Marcus Lucius the geography of the region.

-Here, we are. Here, is your camp. Here, are the mountains they mentioned. It's a march for two or three days. The land is low, but they know the mountains and it will be hard to defend them on their land.

-I thought about it already. It would be better, when they would come to us. It means that the villages would be in danger. We don't want your folk to be hurt.

-We don't want to lose the battle. - Cunobarros interrupted quickly. It was obvious that a loss could only encourage the offender to do more harms. The legionnaires were trained, but they weren't still professionals as they used to be once. Some groups made a great progress, many of them were still unmotivated and unwilling to change the habits. With a hand full of good soldiers, it wasn't probable to win two battles in the row.

Marcus Lucius nodded with understanding.

-Where do you want to have the battle then? - Marcus Lucius's question surprised the old man.

-Where? - He repeated.

-We bring them to come to the point we chose.

-How? - Cunobarros was curious. He didn't follow Marcus Lucius's plan. It seemed to be impossible.

-That's not your problem. - Marcus Lucius was clear, but polite.

-What do you plan then? What do you need from us?

-Where do you want to have the battle? - Marcus Lucius repeated with a secret smile.

Cunobarros showed a place on the table between many wooden pieces.

-Here. It's just a day away for you. It's flat. It's neatly arranged.

Cunobarros was in a better mood. His eyes sparkled in excitement. Marcus Lucius breathed slowly. For the very first time, he was relieved that Julia wasn't here. He could completely focus on preparing the battle.

-I'll contact you, soon. - Marcus Lucius said finally and left the cottage. Cunobarros looked after him and nodded pleased. He knew that Marcus Lucius would keep his word and binding the Roman to the promise he gave once was easy. It was relieving and refreshing. After many misunderstandings and defiance with Romans, a man appeared, who brought back the honour and will to stand up and defence the land in the right way.

#5 DANGEROUS PLACES

Nerva knew about Julia's aversion to water. He reminded it from the last time they were in Londonium. He didn't want to keep her on the ship unnecessary, so he insisted to let her sleep in any of the noble houses. Marcus Lucius told him to speak about it with Cornelius, who had friends in the city next to the port. Cornelius would get the opportunity to get social and introduce the girl, as a member of the Fabii family, to the noble society.

Nerva asked Cornelius about it politely, in the words that Marcus Lucius suggested. It worked. Cornelius was a smug person and it was used against him. Indeed, he sparkled like a diamond just due the thought of being a part of a celebration. He sent already two of his legionnaires ahead with a polite request to Septimius Severus to host Cornelius and Julia for one night. The wealth of Severus was presented in gold and marble sculptures of gods he had in his yard and in the range of the event. More than fifty Romans appeared. Ladies wore wonderfully bounded dresses with golden jewellery. Men limited themselves to classic tunica and golden details on their stripes. From the honey wine served there, you could easily make drunk all fishes in the Atlantic Ocean. Cornelius was as happy as a clam. He led chitchats with everyone, he smiled and laughed about even bad jokes.

Julia didn't want to go to the event, but she was prepared for it anyway. Cornelius told her how badly it would look like, if she wouldn't appear during the evening, if Severus organized the party already. It wouldn't be polite. She insisted to take Nerva with her. She didn't want to be alone. Cornelius refused. Nobody had any soldier around, so Julia shouldn't be any exception. Nerva didn't feel comfortable as he stayed in the hallway and waited for her. He promised to stay there no matter what would happen. The guards of Severus wanted to remove him, but his look and clear attitude were argumentation enough to let him his peace. He stood in the hallway like one of the sculptures around. He didn't move or talk. It was an acceptable behaviour.

Julia's eyes were vivid and unsettled. She tried to walk proudly, but her leg have gone dead due to the travel. She was wearing a red dress with a black sash and black sleeves. Her presence animated the society. She was the only unknown person and therefore, she was a riddle that everyone wanted to solve. She didn't feel comfortable in small-talks, so she avoided it as far as it was possible. She didn't drink and didn't eat. She waited until the gazing would stop and then, she wanted to go to the chamber that Severus prepared for her. It wasn't so easy to realize. Tall men and short men asked her about Maxentius's well-being. She answered he's fine. They wanted to get to know his plans: Will he replace Cornelius? Will he fight against the offenders from North? Julia listened carefully and answered that she was a simple woman without any military knowledge. She wouldn't recognize a dagger and a pike. Why was she supposed to be involved into any professional plans? Men laughed politely and complimented her humour. They asked whether the attacks became stronger and more regular. She pretended not to have any clue. Men laughed again and some of them reminded the tribune of Cyrene, who struggled with the Barbarians steadily. Many Roman soldiers were killed in Britannia already. They mentioned Quintus Pompeius Falco, one of the guests of Severus party. Julia listened carefully. Pompeius Falco was governor of Moesia Inferior between 116 and 117. Then, he governed Britannia. He had a direct contact to the Emperor Hadrian. Julia used a moment of inattention of her speakers and went to Nerva. She reported him the news and asked whether it was wise to talk with Pompeius Falco. Nerva wasn't sure what to do and regretted that Marcus Lucius or Appius weren't there.

-I simply ask him whether he knows Appius and see how he reacts. - Julia suggested.

-If you make him curious about Maxentius, you can lead him directly to your husband. - Nerva said and underlined the last word. He didn't want to speak Marcus Lucius's name and he forbid Julia to do it.

-I'll risk it. If the attacks from North increase, we won't have enough time to warn him. He is there, absolutely alone. - She whispered sorrowed.

-He is alone, but he is a good soldier and he manage it. - Nerva finished the conversation. He noticed a man who looked in their direction. Nerva gave Julia a hint to return to the high society class. The unknown man was a tall and normally built man with vivid, curious eyes. He passed Nerva and followed Julia. As he was at Nerva's head height, he saluted and Nerva reacted automatically with a salutation as well. Nerva noticed that the stranger was approximately in Appius's age and was a half of a head smaller than Nerva. It meant that he was smaller than Marcus Lucius as well. Marcus Lucius was minimally shorter than Nerva. The stranger could be a soldier earlier. There was something that disturbed Nerva in the man. Maybe it was the way he kept his arms together on the chest. Maybe it was the way how he saluted. Nerva followed him without raising any kind of suspicions.

Julia stepped into the crowd and was already fished out by a short man, not old, but not young anymore, with a great belly and black eyes like a coal. His grasp was painful. He smiled politely and showed her not to betray his proximity to others. He led her to another hallway through another exit. She looked back nervously, but she couldn't recognize any friendly face in her sight. Everyone was busy with silly talks. Cornelius wasn't in sight, either. She noticed that Nerva was on the opposite side of the building. They came into an empty room and the man slapped her in the face. Due to the energy of the slap, she almost flew through the room and stopped six or seven steps further. Her back felt wall behind. She was angry, but she waited for his next movement. She learnt from Marcus Lucius to stay confident and wait what the offender would do. Using the energy of her enemy could be crucial for her success. She estimated her best chances, just the way Marcus Lucius explained it to her.

-Don't hit the chest. You're too weak for it. Hit here and here. - Marcus Lucius advised more often.

Julia remembered how annoyed she was sometimes as he repeated his sentences she already heard a million of times. Stay focussed. Stay calm. Stay on distance. Get to know his reasons. She was thankful for his voice she heard in mind. It brought her more confidence.

-Why? - She asked quietly, because nothing better came to her mind.

-You won't leave the island. We need you here. The man took a rope and started coming closer to her. Apparently, he was prepared for this moment.

-Why? - She repeated and didn't move. She observed how the man made three steps in her direction and suddenly, he stopped. She didn't thrill. She waited and focussed on his throat. It wasn't protected. She had one attempt. She squinted a little to see more in the dark room.

-My husband will kill you. - She warned. She knew that Marcus Lucius would find the man and kill him.

-He is too far away right now. He won't help you.

-I didn't tell he will help me now. He will kill you. You will die slowly in the dungeons of our house just like the other man.

The short man hesitated for a wink of an eye. Julia noticed it. She looked after reaction that Marcus Lucius explained her.

-I'll tell Cornelius what you did. - She added. It could help, but it didn't. The man relaxed a bit and laughed.

-You refused his help twice. He didn't forget it. You stay with us until your husband will do what we claim.

-And what do you claim? - She asked with scorn.

He sneered and stepped forward. She saw the rope in his hands. In the moment, he stretched his arms to get her, she collected all her powers and with one jump in his direction, she tried to hit the throat. She managed it, but she wasn't as strong as she wished. However, the man wobbled on his knees and she used it to run away. She heard as the stranger cursed her with "You snake in the grass...". She didn't manage to run away far as she ran into someone. It was the man that tried to listen to her conversation with Nerva. Behind him, she saw Nerva. Nerva was at her side within two jumps. He outran the strange man and looked at Julia. Her nose was bleeding. Nerva squinted his eyes. In the meanwhile, the stranger went to the room, where Julia got slapped. As Nerva stepped into the room, the eavesdropper held Julia's offender in his hands. Nerva left Julia in front of the room and before he called her to come in, he took away the rope and bounded the man. Then, he slapped the prisoner's head so hard that he lost the consciousness.

Julia appeared with trembling knees.

-You did it right. - The stranger complimented her and smiled.

She didn't smile back. She wondered who he was.

-I am Julia, the daughter of Julius Fabius. - She introduced herself and made a curtsy.

The stranger moved his head in a welcoming gesture.

-I am Quintus Roscius Coelius Murena Silius Decianus Vibullius Pius Iulius Eurycles Herculanus Pompeius Falco. I've heard you were looking for me.

Julia stunned. Before she said anything, Pompeius showed her to keep silence.

-Is it your soldier? - He asked and pointed at Nerva.

-That's Nerva. He's actually Appius's messenger. - Julia answered.

-I know. - Pompeius marked and didn't move. - I have noticed Appius's soldiers a couple of time here in a stunning frequency in the last months. It's unusual.

Nerva let the prisoner's body on the floor and within a wink of an eye, he stood in front of Julia. He was ready to protect her. His hand was ready to pull out the sword and fight.

-It won't be needed. - Pompeius said. - We have to handle quickly. We don't have time. Let them think they have you, Julia from the Fabii family, and we'll hide you in my house. That means you have to trust me, Nerva, the messenger of Appius.

Julia hesitated a moment, but finally, she touched Nerva's shoulder. It was a sign to cooperate with Pompeius. Nerva wasn't really convinced, but he changed his position. He stepped back to Julia's side and looked at Pompeius with disbelief.

-What do you suggest? - Nerva asked.

-You are cynosure of all eyes. You have to disappear without raising any attention. Your soldier will help you. Then, I throw this man through the window. We need him. He can't stay here. My litter is outside. Show the cast this ring. - He took off a massive, golden signet ring with a complicated blazon and gave it to Julia. - I ordered my man to bring you to my villa. Your soldier has to stay then at Cornelius's side to keep the illusion of being stressed. I guess it won't be too hard, because he will be nervously, when he won't see you for a couple of day. I assume that it is Cornelius's move. I don't know the reasons. You have to trust me. You don't have any other choice.

Pompeius talked calmly and rayed out confidence. Julia nodded and went to the window. This house wasn't so low as the villa in Eboracum that had just a higher basement and one stock. Here, the basement was even higher. Nerva looked out of the window and prohibited her to jump. Instead, he throw the prisoner outside and his body felt with a rumour on the ground.

-We'll find an exit. We'll hide the body. I won't stay at Cornelius's side. You can say that I'm searching for Julia. I won't leave her. Ma... Maxentius will kill us both, if we would leave her unprotected.

-Fair enough. \- Pompeius said and left the place.

Nerva turned to Julia. He wiped her blood from the face with his hand and gave a sign to follow him. In the unknown building, they were looking for any exit they could take. The corridors were long and protected by Severus's soldiers. Nerva and Julia had to hid behind sculptures a couple of times to stay unrecognised. As they finally left the labyrinth of corridors and rooms avoiding the guards and guests, they were happy to breath freely the cold air of the Londonium night.

Nerva ordered Julia to stay where she was and to give him the ring she got from Pompeius. He went along the walls and found the body of the prisoner. He took it and dragged it to the litters. Before anyone saw him, he looked after the sign on the litter that could look similarly to the symbol on the ring. As he found it, he stepped undiscovered to the bearers and showed the ring. They nodded and two of them followed his orders. He showed them the body that they had to carry away to Pompeius's villa. They did it as he said. Then, he came back to Julia and took her by the hand. She was cold, because she wasn't properly dressed for a walk in the darkness of the cold city. Nerva gave her his cape and pulled her. She followed him through the streets of Londonium and didn't ask any question as they finally stepped into a place that she wouldn't visit on her own will. It was a cathouse, where the customers were already heavily drunken and the working girls were almost after-hours. Nerva held Julia's hand strongly and she listened to his talk with an older, fat man, who gazed at her lewdly.

-Nerva, you even bring your own girl here! - The older man with the silhouette of a satyr didn't yell. Nerva ordered him to go into a more private corner of the house. They were led to an empty, small room with a tiny, dirty bed. It didn't smell good. Julia didn't wonder that Nerva knew such people, even if she didn't like the idea. She tried to stay polite and keep silence.

-You'll get your girls, as usually. - The satyr suggested.

-No. - Nerva refused. - It's important, so listen carefully. I need to hide her here.

-You bring a beaten, noble woman here and I should hide her for you? I am not a stupid man, Nerva. I won't incur the locals. They are my customers. I live from their money.

-You really want to help in this case, if you will to live your life some further years. - Nerva said calmly, but Julia couldn't recognize the tone. It was so strange and so iron. It reminded her of Octavian. If she wouldn't know Nerva, she would be scared by hearing this tone.

-Who is it anyway? - The satyr asked with resignation. Apparently, he had unsettled scores with Nerva.

-It's not your business. Your business is to watch for her and gave her anything she wants. Your business is to assure that nobody will get a note that she is here. If I will find out that anyone except me touched the girl, then you have a big problem. Understood?

The satyr nodded. He looked like a beaten dog, even if Nerva didn't touch him at all.

-Bring bowl with warm water and a blanket quickly. - Nerva ordered. - Bring even two blankets. She can't stay in such a pigsty.

As the older man left the room, Nerva smiled the way Julia knew and liked. It was a friendly smile.

-It's not a palace, but you're safe here. - He assured as if it would be obvious.

Julia didn't feel comfortable here, but she didn't say a word. Nerva took off his cape from her. He didn't let her hand go. His grasp was strong, but not painful. It was the only good thing in this bawdyhouse. She looked how the older man carried a bowl with warm water. Then, he brought even three blankets. Nerva immediately took them and laid both of them in the bed, after he pulled away the old cover of the bed. The dirty material landed next to the satyr. Then, Nerva showed Julia to sit down there. She followed his hints. He kneed in front of her and with back to the older man.

-Philo, stay here for a moment.

The satyr looked like he wanted to slap Nerva, but it was clear that he wouldn't dare. He stepped forward and asked:

-What now, Nerva?

Nerva took a piece of towel that the satyr brought with the bowl. He put it into the water and started to wash out the blood on Julia's face.

-What do you know about Quintus Pompeius Falco?

The satyr trembled. The name wasn't unknown for him.

-He never used the service of my girls and the service is unique. - Philo smiled dirty.

-Philo, I meant it seriously. - Nerva sighed. He wasn't unfriendly anymore. - Please...

-Do I hear it correctly? You really said "please" to me? - The satyr stunned, but stopped mess around as he saw Nerva's face expression. - Good, good, I tell you.

Nerva looked back to him for a short moment. He noticed that Philo sat down and looked how Nerva washed Julia's face and her arms. The satyr started talking quickly, quietly. What he shared was supposed to stay secretly:

-He's the big shot here. He was in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. Some say that he was kicked out after an affair with a soldier. Now, he governs Britannia. Britannia is not easy-taking province and not many dare to go more to the North direction as needed. It's the pain in the ass of the empire. Hadrian doesn't want to lose the region here. Hadrian and his politics of peace...

Nerva covered Julia with one blanket and sat down next to Julia. She laid her head on his shoulders and listened how Philo continued:

-So, people say that Pompeius should suppress a rising thought of Brigantes and Selgovae, Brythonic tribes of northern Britannia and southern Caledonia. He is good in brutal and short actions. As I said: Britannia is not an easy-going piece of land... He comes from a noble, respectable family that supplied many politicians of consular rank.

Philo stopped and gazed at Nerva.

-What do you want from him? It's better not to cross his way.

-I'm afraid we did it already. - Nerva said sadly. - You're a good man, Philo, so don't ask. The less you know the better for you. Tell us better the story why he was kicked out to Britannia. What kind of insubordination could have such consequence? - Nerva smiled bitterly. He already presumed what he was going to hear.

Philo hawked the way Nerva did it sometimes when Julia didn't eat properly. Julia stunned and kept silence. She wanted to hear the story.

-There was a man, who disappeared. - The satyr smiled back. - I heard already many versions of the story, but I really don't know which one is the real one. It was the son of the great Maximus. Maybe you knew him, Nerva, because he was sent to Brigetio at Danube River. It's only a stone's throw from your Appius's camp. Some say he killed his wife. Some say he is on his vengeance course and as long as he didn't kill his wife's killers, he won't come back. Some say, he is already dead, because his wife's murders killed him, too. His name was Marcus Lucius. Yes, Marcus Lucius, the son of Maximus.

As Julia listened to the story, she felt how the cold drops of sweat appeared on her back and she swallowed her spit slowly. Nerva didn't react in any visible way.

-So, Marcus Lucius was the reason why Pompeius was banished from a quite calmly environment and sent to dangerous Britannia. I bet he doesn't like this Marcus Lucius. - Nerva jeered.

-Some say, he hates him. He hates Britannia. He prefers the warmer surrounding. He liked Moesia Inferior much better. If I would be Marcus Lucius, I wouldn't ever speak aloud my name. If he is not dead yet, then he is a dead man walking, Nerva. Don't drag into the story.

The satyr stood up and left. He came back then with some meat and cake on a tablet. Nerva thanked and forced Julia to eat. She wasn't able and as the first emetic reflex appeared, Nerva didn't push her to do anything else anymore.

-Nerva, we're already dead. - She whispered sorrowed.

-We're not. - Nerva tried to cheer her up, but he wasn't in a good way, either. He hadn't any clue what to do next. They couldn't take Julia to Pompeius, but he couldn't not take her to Pompeius, either. Pompeius knew already, who they were and he would find them anyway. Finally, he knew that Nerva was a soldier of Appius.

-What will we do now? - Julia asked.

-At first, you sleep. We'll think about it tomorrow.

Julia wasn't glad about the lack of more specific answer, but she knew she wouldn't get anything better. Nerva stood up carefully and let her laid down on the bed. She wondered where he wanted to stay. He hadn't any clue.

-Nerva, don't be ridiculous. Sit back here and sleep, too. Other way, I won't get any sleep at all. I'm scared. - She sounded terrified and he couldn't resist.

He came back as she asked. She wanted to share her blanket with him, but he refused politely. He covered himself with a cape. Her head landed on his shoulder and he hugged her automatically. It was the very first night he spent with a women without any sexual context. As the morning came, Nerva stood up attentively again and minded not to wake her up. He took from her the ring and sighed heavily. He left the room and searched after Philo. It didn't take long. Nerva knew the building. He spent here two or three nights already.

-Philo, go and bring her a breakfast. And don't touch her. If she tells me that she felt offended in any way...

-We agreed yesterday about it. - The satyr smiled sleepy. - And I am no baby-sitter.

-Just do it. You can sleep there, in the entrance. If she asks where I am, tell here I explain everything, when I come back. If I won't come back until the evening comes, give her a horse and sent her to Eboracum. Give her a companion, who brings the reward back to you. You'll get what you ask.

-Is she really so important? - Philo stunned. - Is it your girl?

-Don't ask. Just do it, please. And don't say a word about it to anyone. - Nerva wasn't in a good mood. Something bothered him and the heavy load made him standing rather less upright. His back was curved a bit. Maybe it was due to the fact that Philo was much shorter than Nerva.

-You've changed Nerva. She taught you good manners. Go and don't worry. We'll see us later.

He slapped Nerva on the shoulder and Nerva vanished. He went to Cornelius and reported that he searched for Julia the entire night. He lost her during the celebration and he was full of shame. She simply disappeared. Nerva said that he met Pompeius and shared his worry with the governor. Cornelius looked rather sleepy than worried. Nerva didn't show his negative attitude. Instead, Nerva suggested that he would go to Pompeius and asks whether he found Julia. Cornelius agreed and went back to bed. Apparently, he didn't care about Julia. It was strange. Nerva didn't comment it and saluted. Then, he went, as suggested, to Pompeius. He was sure that he already spent all his luck already. The visit at Pompeius couldn't be any easygoing track. Nerva was right.

By showing the massive ring, he was brought directly in front of Pompeius, in the lion's den. The plenty of soldiers stood and made organized impression. Nerva didn't show how insecure he was. He was prepared to be killed. Pompeius waited for him with a snaky look in his eyes. He smiled as if he would like to jeer Nerva. Nerva took it with dignity and saluted properly. Pompeius smiled and squinted.

-Here you are. And where is Julia from the Fabii family? - Pompeius asked.

-She's in a safe place. She won't come here until we won't be sure that you're on our side.

-You're too unimportant to drive a hard bargain. - Pompeius said coldly. - You probably don't know who am I.

-I know exactly who you are. - Nerva answered and squinted his eyes, too.

-Whether you're brave and also adventurous, or a stupid man. Don't play with fire. Where is she?

-Not here with me. Why do you want to have her?

-Why do you want to hide her?

-Yesterday, a man tried to kidnap her. You followed her. You said that Cornelius could be involved in the conspiracy. There are many reasons for why I do it that way. So, why do you want to have her? - Nerva repeated his question.

-I want to help you.

-Very generous. Why?

-Don't be rude. - Pompeius smiled unfriendly.

-Why do you want to have her?

-You're Appius's soldier. You should help to protect people. Appius won't approve your insubordination towards me.

-You're right. I am Appius's soldier. I will perform any order he gives me. I didn't get any order to obey you.

-So, you're acting on his command?

-I am acting for the well-being of Julia from the Fabii family. In what matter do you act?

-Senātus Populusque Rōmānus. That's what I serve for.

Nerva didn't answer. The soldiers standing in the room took off their swords and saw prepared for attacking him. The operation readiness didn't change Nerva's attitude. He knew that he had to be the last man standing and was ready to fight, even if the domination of Pompeius's soldiers was outstanding. He stayed calm, because he knew that Julia would come back to Eboracum with Philo's man. As long as her matter was clear, he was ready to die.

-So, you're not under command of Cornelius?

-No, I'm not. \- Nerva was nerved, but he tried to stay calm. He didn't like talks. He used to be a messenger, not a politician, to slide between the words.

-If I promise to help you with protection over Julia of the Fabii family will you come under my command?

-No, as you already said, I am Appius's soldier. - Nerva answered quickly.

-And if I kill you? You won't say a word where the girl is and she will die somewhere alone, unprotected. Will you come under my command, if I promise you to save your life then?

-With all due respect – Nerva said with clinching teeth - I am Appius's soldier.

-I understand. That's the Appius's school...

Nerva couldn't guess what it should mean and what to say, so he stayed calmed. Another soldier stepped into the room, was let through the wall of armed soldiers, and stopped next to Nerva to keep the same distance to Pompeius. The governor moved his hand and the unknown soldier stepped closer to him. Pompeius got a silent report and while he listened to it, he smiled brighter. Then, he moved his hand again and the messenger went away after he saluted correctly.

-I've heard you were by Cornelius. Why did you say you're not under his command, of you were there?

Nerva sighed and thought he would explode any minute.

-I told him I am going to visit you and ask you whether you have any news related to the kidnapping of Julia. If I won't come back, he will assume that you terminated me.

-That's clever. - Pompeius complimented, but Nerva didn't take it positively. -While you're on the way between me and Cornelius, you can watch over the girl and stay alive. Very good...

Nerva didn't react.

Pompeius stood up and stepped to Nerva. The armed soldiers relaxed their operational readiness.

-Let's have a walk, Nerva, incorruptible soldier of Appius, not under command of Cornelius, I see you're a good man. I see you're a clever man. - The tone of Pompeius changed. He was the same way polite as he was yesterday. Nerva wondered about it, but he tried not to show his surprise. - Therefore, you have my word, and respect it properly, that I won't search after the girl. You can take care of her.

They went out of the room into a big squared place that used to be a garden, when spring and summer ruled. At that time, the naked branches moved the way the wind blew.

-However, Nerva, you have to be honest with me. I told you yesterday that you have to trust me. I mean it. As I already said I am convinced that it was Cornelius's idea to kidnap Julia. I don't know his reasons. What I know is that he tries to become a senator as his brother, Julius. He came to Britannia a couple years ago. His legionnaires underrate the level of skills needed in the army. We won't get support in our campaign against the offenders from the North, because the Emperor Hadrian needs troops in his Dacian Wars. We have to defend the empire with remedies we have. I can't count on Cornelius and his soldiers. They're just cannon fodder. However, Cornelius sends Julia back to Julius. It looks as if Julius started gathering his powers and backtrack from Britannia. I don't like it. Therefore, I don't want her to leave the island. It doesn't matter whether she will stay here as my guest or whether she welcomes me in Eboracum, where her husband is. I wanted to visit him already weeks ago. I've heard a lot about him. I wanted to meet him personally.

-Why do you tell it to me? - Nerva wondered and it camouflaged his insecurity as he listened to Pompeius's plan of visit.

-Because I am a real friend of Appius and you really are Appius's soldier. - Pompeius answered and noticed that Nerva wasn't comfortable with something. He assumed that Nerva didn't like Maxentius and didn't feel good by sending the girl back to her husband. - I think that the plenty of Appius's soldiers were here lately due to Julia's husband. Apparently, he's not only a very interesting person for me. Appius keeps him in sight as well. There has to be reason for it.

Nerva swallowed heavily, but didn't comment anything.

-Take Julia from the Fabii family and go back to the camp. You can get my horses. I will send a message to Appius and to her father that she comes to him after my visit in Eboracum. Expect me in two or three weeks. I have here a riddle to solve. I'll keep Cornelius here for a week with celebrations and social life he misses so much. Have an eye at the girl and at her husband. If you wish to send your own messages, my messengers can overtake the delivery.

-With all due respect, I thank you for the offer, however, I can't accept it.

-Of course, you will use your own horses and you'll send your own messenger. That's the school of Appius. - Pompeius smiled with respect in his eyes.

Nerva nodded and wanted to give back the ring.

-Keep it and use it wisely, when you need my help.

Nerva saluted and left the cold garden. As he came to the street, he steadied his back on a wall of a house some streets further and breathed heavily. Then, he drifted along for a longer while to check whether he was followed by anyone. As he was sure, he hadn't any followers, he attentively came back to Philo. The satyr brought him to Julia. She sat with bounded hands and a small bruise on her wrists. Nerva wanted to kill Philo in the moment he saw Julia captured that way. He lifted the small man up and within seconds, Philo's face became red.

-No, Nerva! No! - Julia screamed as she saw what was happening. - It's my fault. I didn't trust him. He said you will come back, but I thought he lied. I tried to escape, so he bounded me. - Julia explained shortly.

Nerva put Phil down and excused himself for the purpose he had. Phil breathed heavily and didn't like amused.

-Nerva, you bastard. I did what you said. - He said angry and bumpily while trying to get a normal breath.

-Philo... - Nerva wasn't able to justify anything.

The satyr came to Julia and with a small knife, he cut through the rope around her wrists. She tried to relax her hands after hours of lacking motion. She stood up and jumped to Nerva. He hugged her and Phil shook his head with fury.

-You came back! You came back, Nerva! - She was happy to see him. She even kissed his cheek twice and she was a pure joy. As she woke up and realized that he wasn't there, she wanted to escape. The satyr stood on her way and tried to talk with her. She was sure that he wanted to lie to her, and include her to his working load. She ignored the words of Philo that Nerva wanted to come back before the sunset. She thought the short man hired murders and killed Nerva. As she sat down in the provisory bed, she already imagined how she would be forced to work in such a business and she almost cried from her sadness and powerlessness. As Nerva appeared, she understood that the satyr was right as rain. She was even ashamed of thinking about Philo as a satyr. He didn't deserve such a treatment.

-Phil, you won't ever know how deeply thankful I am for all you've done for me. - Nerva said finally as Julia stood next to him.

The satyr smiled warmer, even if his anger wasn't completely over.

-We have to go now. I need just two further things. I have to send a message to Appius. Do you know anyone trustful? It's needed to be delivered immediately.

-Write what you want. I'll take care of it. What more do you need?

-A horse.

-Write your message, I'll attend it.

The short man brought Nerva a piece of paper and a feather. Nerva kneed and on the piece of paper laid on the ground, he wrote words without any context between them. It wasn't similar to letters Julia exchanged with Appius. She wanted to know what happened, but she saw that Nerva wanted to start the travel as soon as possible. She wasn't sure in which direction they were supposed to travel and why Nerva wanted to ride during the night. She tried to win over her curiosity. She promised Marcus Lucius to be a good girl and she tried to behave that way.

As Philo came back, she shook his hand and said:

-If it helps you, my man will torture Nerva, if he gets to know where he hid me. \- Julia laughed.

Philo smiled friendly for a short moment. Then, he gave Nerva a sign to follow him. Nerva managed already to make a seal the paper with Pompeius's signet ring. He gave the message to Philo and repeated:

-As soon as possible. To Appius.

Philo nodded and accompanied the two up to a stable behind the cathouse. He showed Nerva a horse with rein, prepared for the travel.

-Are we finally even? - Philo asked.

-We're even. - Nerva said and shook Philo's small, fat hand.

-Good. Finally. - The short man seemed to be relieved. He laughed rudely and dirty.

Nerva amended the cape on Julia's shoulders and hid her long hair as much as possible. Then, he mounted the horse and lifted Julia. She sat behind him and hugged him. The sound of hooves echoed in the empty yard. It was a late afternoon and Julia wasn't sure what was expecting her. She trusted Nerva and hadn't any doubts that he was doing the right thing. She wasn't able to see much from the back seat. She didn't wonder that they came into woods. However, it didn't take long and Nerva stopped the horse. He ordered her quietly not to talk. He whistled once, quite long, strange. Some horses whinnied not so far away. Some rumour was brought by the cold wind. Something dynamically was coming in their direction. Nerva was prepared and he booted the horse. It moved slowly, calmly. Out of nowhere, the mere of Nerva came and he managed to grab the reins of the mere. He forced both animals to gallop. As they were far enough in Nerva's opinion, he stopped and jumped to the ground. His mere didn't had any saddle, so he took the saddle from the horse he got from Philo. Julia used the opportunity to talk with him and asked what happened. He answered that the situation got complicated. There was no time for talks.

-Where are we going then? - Julia asked.

-We're going back. We have to prepare ourselves for a battle.

Julia smiled euphorically already by the thought of seeing Marcus Lucius soon.

-If we hasten, we'll be there in two days. Are you hungry? - Nerva asked.

She refused.

-Good, I'll provide a supper on the way. - He said while he helped her to sit down on his mere. The horse wasn't happy to have another rider than Nerva, but it stayed calm. Nerva mounted bareback the other horse and they rid.

In a village on the road, Nerva managed to get something to eat. He took a small pack and brought Julia out of the village. They rid persistently until the night appeared and the roads were too gloomy to travel. Nerva managed to build a fireplace and Julia stunned how quickly he accomplished a cute over-night-stay. He tied the reins to a tree branch and sat down. Then, he unpacked the package he won in the village. It included bread and some vegetables. Julia ate something and as she noticed that Nerva was hungry, she said she was already stuffed. Nerva didn't hawk and ended the meal. She was sure that he hadn't eat the whole day and the miserly portion wouldn't reach for him. As he finished, he ordered her to sit down next to him. His arm clasped her and moved closer to him. He covered them with the cape and looked like a maniac in the fire that slowly burnt in the fire place.

-How did you get to know Philo? - Julia asked while her head landed on his chest. From his heartbeat, she deduced he didn't like the topic.

-It's a long story. - He said.

-We have time. \- She insisted with a warm, relaxing tone. Nerva seemed to be tensed a lot and she didn't dare to ask him anything else.

-I saved his small arse twice. - Nerva summarized.

-He's a good man, isn't he? - She said reminding the good manners of the short man.

Nerva laughed cordially for a while. Then, his laughter changed into a ridiculous, mad sound. He couldn't stop. She felt as if she said a joke she didn't understand.

-He's everything but a good man. - Nerva answered finally. Then, his heartbeat increased dangerously. - Did he touch you in any way?

-He bounded my hands. He didn't hurt me. You know, I tried to flee, he stopped me... In general, he didn't do anything than needed... Why?

-Good. - Nerva sighed with relief. He wanted to be sure and after Julia's answer, he was ready to go to sleep.

-Nerva, why did you ask it? Did he hurt anyone?

-You really don't want to know the answer, girl. - He said coldly and thought about raped, poor girls with knotted arms and cut skin that were sold to Philo in consequence of families' debts. He was the very first customer of services of girls that were brought to his cathouse. He didn't like when a girl wasn't hard to posses. He slapped such girls as long as they started to resist. As they tried to defence themselves, he penetrated them with devilish joy. As they stayed unprotesting, it took longer to achieve his goal. The way or another, there was no other man, who would be worse customer for his girls than he himself. Every insubordination of his female workers, he punished with mad, extremely painful rape. If it didn't help, he cut off finger after finger, then arms and legs and let the victim die in his yard to teach a lesson. Therefore, he was called The Butcher sometimes. Mostly, the women harmed that way weren't conscious anymore as their bodies laid outside and invited any kind of ugly, slimy worms and irritating flies. Philo loved to harm women as much as it was possible. He respected only people stronger than he and he knew some influential Romans. He delivered them girls from anteriorly good houses and let the rich men slaughter the girls unhurriedly, if needed and paid extra. Nerva saved Philo once as he didn't know anything about the sadist and then, he saved Philo's life for the second time, because it was the only way to stay alive in general. The debt has been settled.

-If we'll speak with Marcus Lucius about your stay in the whorehouse, please don't mention that it was Philo's house. - Nerva was indeed scared what Marcus Lucius could do with him after knowing the truth.

Julia percepted his rapid heartbeat and the gloomy mood that was even darker than the surrounding around them. She promised not to say a word about Philo. She felt that she didn't want to meet the satyr again.

The next day started already before the sunrise. Nerva already prepared horses for the ride and first then, he woke up Julia. They rid for a long time and ignored the villages they passed on the road. Nerva made a short stop to get something to eat and first after another hour of riding, he ordered a break for a dinner. He shared with Julia a limited portion of meat and vegetables. Then, they rid and didn't spare the horses. Towards the late evening, Julia recognized the surrounding. For the very first time, she was extremely happy to see the walls of Maxentius's villa in Eboracum. With a rapidly beating heart and joy in her soul, she stopped Nerva's tired mere and waited for the gate to be open. In the meanwhile, she jumped to the ground like Nerva. At first, he used to help her with demounting, but she learnt quickly to do it alone. Nerva mentioned every time that it wasn't good for her broken leg and she answered that her leg was already healed. Nerva wasn't happy about it, but he showed her how to reach the ground without jumping. As she waited in front of the gate, she forgot to save herself and she jumped.

The guardians recognized her and Nerva immediately and the news about their arrival spread like a thunder. She managed to lead the horse to the stable and she didn't see the silhouette of the man she loved. She stunned. Marcus Lucius was always attentive and surely, he noticed the rumours in the yard. Nerva talked with the guardians and stayed at the gate longer than Julia. She wanted to bring the horse to the stable and then, to greet Marcus Lucius and finally eat something. She was hungry and dirty from the journey. One of ostlers took over the mere and Julia turned to Nerva with a smile.

-We did it! Where is Marcus Lucius? - She asked and looked around. Nerva noticed that the lights in the house were off already as he stepped into the yard. Julia realised it at first in that moment.

-I sent a legionnaire to the camp. Marcus Lucius resides there now temporarily.

Julia's joy decreased a bit. She wished to see him right away. She didn't think she had to wait any longer. Nerva brought her to the kitchen and the rest of slaves that stayed at Marcus Lucius's side appeared quickly. Julia wasn't happy by not having Chloe or Lysandra around. She familiarized with them already. She gave the commando to Nerva and he ordered politely to prepare a supper. Julia looked around in the kitchen and admired the room she didn't visit often. Nerva took her hand and led her to the dining room. Wine and bread were served immediately. Julia swallowed the bits like a wolf. Nerva smiled, because he didn't expect her to be so hungry. He didn't drink wine yet. He ordered water to keep a fresh mind. There were things to discuss with Marcus Lucius. However, he ordered slaves to pour Julia steadily a glass of wine. She drank, because she was thirsty. Nerva wanted her to get to sleep soon, because he wanted to speak with Marcus Lucius one to one. Julia shouldn't get scared. Marcus Lucius would describe her the situation in a less dangerous way, because he wouldn't like the idea to get her afraid.

Julia was so excited and tired that she felt asleep at the table, with her head steadied on her arm. As Marcus Lucius entered the room, he smiled enthusiastically. As he realised that Julia was dozing, he took Nerva to an adjoining room. They welcomed each other like brothers. They were both relieved to see each other in a good condition.

-Tell me the whole story. - Marcus Lucius said finally and listened carefully as Nerva described their last days outside. The days of travel to Londonium weren't hard or specifically interesting, but it took a week to get there. Then, Nerva told about the event and the stranger, who tried to kidnap Julia. Marcus Lucius was tensed, and even the remark of Nerva "She is really fine, she is healthy." didn't help to get Marcus Lucius relaxed. As Nerva described the first and the second meeting with Pompeius, Marcus Lucius's eyes were full of fury. His cheek were tensed and moved in the way that underlined his tension. Nerva left further remarks about calming down, because it was a waste of time. Instead, Nerva explained in detailed what Pompeius said and what Nerva got to know about Pompeius. Marcus Lucius wasn't scared. His only sorrow was written in the face and as he asked Nerva, where Julia was hidden, Nerva said:

-You have to promise that you won't kill me. She is fine and she was fine the whole time. Promise you'll remember it, when I tell you it.

Marcus Lucius's eyes were squinted and his lips were pressed together the same way as during the day as Julia fled into woods.

-I promise not to kill you. - He said slowly, calmly, but ice-cold. His fingers were tensed.

-We were at Philo...

-Philo The Butcher? - Apparently, he knew Philo already at least from rumours.

-Yes, but... - Nerva didn't end the sentence as he felt Marcus Lucius's hands around his neck. - Fair enough. You promised not to kill me. She is fine...

Marcus Lucius let him go. Nerva made two steps and needed a moment to get a breath.

-It was the only place where Pompeius wouldn't search for her. - Nerva said in self-protection.

Marcus Lucius sighed heavily.

-I am not sure whether it was right or wrong, but you came back in good health and I won't think what could have happened, if you wouldn't come back before the sunset. Therefore, you did it right. You handled it right, Nerva. - He underlined and came closer to Nerva. Nerva, on impulse, stepped back, but Marcus Lucius stretched his hand and Nerva realised that Marcus Lucius only wanted to shake hands. Nerva was relieved and as they shook hands, Nerva percepted shortly how strong Marcus Lucius's pressure became as Marcus Lucius said:

-If you will hide her ever again at Philo, I will kill Philo, and then you.

-I understood. \- Nerva said. He wouldn't go to Philo anymore the way or another. The longer he thought about the spontaneous idea the more dangerous it appeared. The best thing about it was that Philo was a part of the past. - You have my word that I won't do it ever again.

Marcus Lucius hugged him once more and they were even. Before he stepped back into the dinning room, he breathed deeply twice. Then, he entered the room where Julia was still dozing.

-We found some point men that betrayed the position of their camp and the planned time for attacking us. We have three weeks for preparing the battle. If we don't get any support due to Hadrian's campaign in Dacia, we have to do it on our own. Maybe Pompeius will fight with us and will get killed. Then, our problem would be solved. We'll talk about further options tomorrow.

Then, he came to Julia and lifted her. As she opened her eyes, she smiled brightly. She was drunk and tired. She mumbled something with cordially face expression. It wasn't a combination for any long-talk. Marcus Lucius undressed her quickly and washed her body. It was important for him to get sure that she wasn't harm in any way. As he didn't notice any new wounds except some bruises due to the rope on her wrists, he was relieved. He kissed her moony face and warm lips that tasted after wine. He couldn't believe that she met Philo and survived it without any harm. Already staying in Philo's house could injure good souls. He tried not to think about anything bad. He missed her more than he could take and feeling her in his arms again meant he could start living again. He was finally able to fell asleep.

The next day, Julia has been woke up by Marcus Lucius and stood up with a huge hangover. She wasn't used to drink and she was really thirsty. She cursed Nerva for giving her wine. She wanted to sleep in the warm, cosy bed, but Marcus Lucius ordered her to get dress quickly. She wondered why he was already awake and why he stressed her. She didn't complaint. Nerva was already preparing the horses. Julia didn't like the tempo and the insecurity in the air.

-Where are the peasants? - She asked after she noticed that no children were playing in the yard.

-I sent them all to the local villagers. - Marcus Lucius said. - They're protected. Don't bother about it.

-Why are we leaving the villa? - Julia was curious. Her voice betrayed her doubts.

-We'll talk on the way. - Marcus Lucius said and mounted Hiberus. Then, he lifted Julia and she sat behind him.

She didn't like it. For more than a day, she was just sitting in a saddle. Her legs and her butt hurt. Coming back to the position that wasn't comfortable was even more aching. It was like wearing new, inconvenient shoes all day long, taking them off for a while and putting them back on the feet. She set her teeth and tried to glue to Marcus Lucius stronger. He didn't look back to her or did anything to show her how pleased he was to have her near again. Indeed, he was calmer and more than simply happy. He tried not to show it to the surrounding. He knew that if anyone notices his attitude to her, it could be used against him. He brought her to the camp and legionnaires wondered why he brought a woman there. Cornelius had family, but he kept it under Julius's protection. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure which reasons Cornelius had for keeping the state. Cornelius didn't say it to Marcus Lucius. Marcus Lucius didn't ask.

The soldiers saluted. Julia was a couple of times in camps, but she didn't like it. She accompanied her father and was supposed to show herself. At the time of visit, she believed that her father simply wanted to spend more time with her. As she looked back at it, while she was the focus of Eboracum's soldiers, she sighed sadly, because she discovered she was a marionette. A short doubt appeared in her mind whether she was a doll in Marcus Lucius's hands. He tried hard to be a good man, but was he one? It was the men's world to decide what was good and what was bad, how to live and which clothes should be dressed. It was the world of men's decisions and ideas. Women were used to be servants, another kind of slaves. Women were used to share responsibilities and obligations. Being in front of masses of soldiers, she didn't feel comfortable. She wasn't a part of this world. She wanted to eliminate everyone and stayed captured in a dream of her ideas. If it would be able to create and live in a world she wanted, she would settle down in Italy. She would listen to wonderful songs and poems. She would go to colourful theatres with dramas of Greek masters and she would enjoy the slowly, summer sunsets on a warm, beautifully calm beach near to the house she would live with Marcus Lucius. Marcus Lucius would stay on her side every night and gave her the most unique, wild, boundless pleasure that she was addicted of. Nerva would step by to common meals. Sometimes, she would ride with Nerva to places where Marcus Lucius couldn't be yet. Nerva would take her to big cities, where she would admire the architecture of buildings and constructions while Marcus Lucius would stay with Octavian, if needed anyone else. She wanted him to have his freedom, because he liked the woods, the patrols, the fresh air. She couldn't create him in any other way he was. In the end, she didn't like living in any illusion, she didn't like to tame him the way she wished. It would mean she didn't love him at all. She loved him, not the imaginary picture of him painted by her mind. She wanted to get surprised by him. She wouldn't get to know the taste of hot, passionate nights if she would stay away from the risk of getting to know him closer. She wouldn't feel his love so strongly, if she wouldn't give her a chance to feel anything.

A sound brought her back to reality. She was so deeply contemplating that she didn't notice that Marcus Lucius wanted to help her with demounting. Before he brought her to his tent, he commanded:

-Nerva, you take over the first patrol. Rufus, assign him a group quickly.

Marcus Lucius didn't have to wait long for forming a group. In the last days, Rufus shared the troops according the decisions were made with Marcus Lucius. The originally set groups were mixed. Up to 5,000 soldiers were divided into cohorts anew. Cohorts were divided into centuries due to the level of skills. The half of soldiers was useful, the rest was useless. Marcus Lucius had to focus on the first group without rising any attention from the locals or enemies. The patrols of approximately thirty men were still doing their job. Marcus Lucius sent them with Rufus and he overtook the trainings. As Nerva came back, it was easier to coordinate the forces.

Marcus Lucius brought Julia to the tent and asked her politely to stay there.

-You're safe here. Nobody will attack the camp these days. Sit here and don't go out.

Julia noticed the concentration and concern behind the polite distance. She nodded and let him go. His face didn't show his relief, but his eyes sparkled briefly with the fire she knew. She didn't have to worry what he felt about her.

-Rufus! - Marcus Lucius screamed as he was going out of the tent. - You'll drill these ten groups. I will take the other ten groups. The rest has to be trained by the centurions.

Julia stepped forward and tried to get a look from the inside of the tent to the outside, where the training took place. She tried to follow the duels that Marcus Lucius supervised. He screamed hints and advices to the fighters. He seemed to be running out of time due to the tempo he dictated to soldiers. He stepped between the fighting legionnaires and showed them some moves of defence or attack. He explained everything shortly and the most heard orders were:

-Start over! Do it again! Watch out! Focus! Stay focussed!

She recognized the tremble of Marcus Lucius's voice. It was iron and sharp as his sword. His words were precise like his dead-on stabs in the fights. He didn't scrimp on anything. As it was wise and accurate, he took place of a fighter to present something. The legionnaires were motivated and tried to learn fast. They tried to imitate the way he moved and ducked down. He trained a group after another. The soldiers got the opportunity to warm-up, to train and to rest finally. Marcus Lucius hadn't any time to waste. He was involved here and there the entire day. Everyone wondered where he gets the energy.

Julia didn't like that Marcus Lucius didn't come back for dinner. She was all alone in his tent and it was boring after a while to watch the hours of training. Around noon, Nerva came back and the minutes spent with him were the rare moment of staying in any company.

-What is it about? - Julia asked him directly.

-A battle will take place. We don't have as much time as needed to prepare for it. \- Nerva answered honestly.

-Will we get any support? - Julia wondered, because she knew that shifting of army units were a common move.

-We are on our own. - Nerva said and smiled. Then, he summarized her the state they were all in. He whispered and watched her reaction.

-Why do you tell it all to me? - She trembled. She was terrified.

-Because he asked me to do it. - Nerva laid his hand on her shoulder. His voice became warmer than before. - He didn't want you to think that you're not important to him.

-How can you stay so calm? - She couldn't understand it all. If they weren't going to get any support, and if the battle was serious, and if they weren't prepared enough, and if Pompeius was going to kill Marcus Lucius for Marcus Lucius's desertion, and if the chances to survive it and reach the happy end were microscopic, then it was definitely hard to keep the pokerface.

-What should we do then? Should we start running chaotically, scream to heaven and go crazy? - Nerva laughed shortly. Then, his eyes changed the cordial tone into a serious, clear tone. - You have to be strong for him. He won't manage it all, if he will have to take care of you. Don't say him that I told you everything I know, because he will get worried, I'll get punished and nobody will be able to play the game anymore. Be strong for him, so that he will strong for us.

Julia nodded. She understood the aim of Nerva.

-But how...? - She wasn't sure whether she could take the load on her shoulders. The pressure of Nerva's touch seemed to be heavier.

-You already fought for him on the way up to here, so don't give him up now. He's as strong as the woman behind him.

Julia nodded automatically. It was nice of Nerva to say it that way. It gave her impression that she was really important and brave, that she could influence the state with her input. It meant that Marcus Lucius didn't want to worry her, but he wanted her to be aware of the danger. It meant that Nerva was a good friend and not only a good companion. It meant the world to her.

Nerva didn't stay long. He guzzled quickly like a hungry bear and left her after he saluted to her. Julia didn't try to catch Marcus Lucius's attention anymore and she observed the trainings with calm, neutral face expression. She fought with her impatience. Her egoism whispered the wishes she tried to suppress. It wasn't the time for being selfish. It wasn't the time for savouring moments. It was the right moment for keeping Marcus Lucius on distance so that he could stay focussed on his mission. He should save them all. Maybe then, his previous acts would be stroke out of his register. Maybe then, he would get a chance to start anew. Julia didn't complaint as she stayed alone in the tent, even in the night. Marcus Lucius stepped briefly into the tent and as he saw her sitting in a chair, he suggested her to lay down in his bed.

-I'll come back soon. I have to praise the motivation of some legionnaires. - He said and didn't wait until she felt asleep in a surrounding that wasn't cosy. The tent was the minimum of what she could get and she should be satisfied, because she was protected from wind and rain. The wall-to-wall coldness of the last winter days wasn't supportive. Julia covered herself with many blankets and she still shivered. As she finally started dozing, she percepted someone's warm hand on her head. She woke up and with a sleepy eyes, she whispered:

-You're here...

Marcus Lucius didn't slip under the blankets, but he laid next to her shortly.

-I am here for you. Try to get to sleep.

She closed her eyes and as she opened them again, he wasn't there anymore. Nerva told her that Marcus Lucius talked with guardians at the gates, laughed with the soldiers around the many fire places in the camp, and every now and then, he stayed in his own tent to rest. These pauses were the only moments he got pieces of sleep. He even didn't waste time for undressing. He simply laid down next to Julia, put his arm around her covered body, took the last free blanket to cover himself and breathed her scent through the moments of sleep.

The further days were similar to the first day after Julia's return. The only difference was that the rain got a bit warmed and the sun stayed longer on the sky. The legionnaires seemed to be much more motivated than before. Nerva's assumption was that Marcus Lucius's presence brought them the better mood. Nerva was the only person that accompanied Julia in the dinner time. They talked about obliging, non-complicated things like the weather or how the nature was unhurriedly waking up from the winter phase. They talked about shallow shadows of life without going deeper into the topics. It felt like wading in the sea, like keeping the tiny, calmly piece of a sandbank where the sea meets the land.

Marcus Lucius was everywhere and nowhere. The legionnaires noticed that he could smile every now and then. His good mood wasn't clearly visible, but catching. Similarly, his motivation and endurance were transmissible. There was a kind of atmosphere that everyone percepted in the air. The majority felt good with it. Some soldiers were annoyed by the force that was staying with them. They wanted to rebel against it, but they knew they hadn't enough power to keel it over.

The spirit changed a weak and a half later. Cornelius came back. Marcus Lucius's point men reported the arrival of the commander maybe two hours before Cornelius appeared in the camp. Marcus Lucius ordered to train further and he went from one group to another to check the progress of the training. Somewhere between the loops, he stepped into the tent, where Julia was.

-We don't have time. - He whispered dynamically, briefly as if he would be the god of winds himself. His entire body showed that he was on the run. He even kissed her passionately, warmly, but hurriedly. - We have to stay on distance. When Pompeius comes, he can't notice, he can't even get the thought that there is any connection between us. Cornelius can't get it, either. Nobody should get it. - His words were short, quick as cuts of sword on the battle field. There was no time for her to think about it. She nodded and inhaled the air he breathed while he spoke. - If anything... Just say you didn't know who I was. If... - He couldn't concentrate enough to end up his thoughts or he simply wasn't able to speak aloud his worst fears. - Just promise me that you'll do whatever Nerva or Rufus will demand... No matter what... Promise it now... Please...

He looked sorrowed and insecure, as if it was the last moment of intimacy they could get. There were no chances to get a stroke or another kiss. She knew she had to give him her promise and she tried not to fall apart. She couldn't swear him that she would ignore everything. It was everything but no matter what attitude.

-Please, promise... - His face was so close to hers that their lips wouldn't have any problem to touch each other. At the same time, the distance was so extreme, as if they would stay on different coast sides of the English channel. Marcus Lucius's eyes followed her every sparkle in her eyes and every wrinkle or move of muscles on her face.

While standing so close and so outlying to him, she reminded the beauty of the moments they shared, the warmth of his skin and passion of his moves. She thought it was easier for her to stay here and at least have a look at him in the rush of the preparation to a battle than to be sent away and not having even the opportunity to get any eye contact. She nodded.

-I promise. - She whispered and wasn't able to add anything to her statement.

-No matter what... - He insisted her to repeat the words that sounded like the death penalty.

She nodded, while her lips shivered. She tried to catch all her pieces together and not to fall apart. She nodded with aching heart, feverish soul and vehemently. In the corner of his mouth, a kind of tragic, extremely sad, but still relieving and winning smile appeared. However, they had the spark that makes the power grow, that raises grain of hope, that keeps you warm even in the most icy land. His last breath before he went was longer. His lips stroked her cheek as he turned around and left the camp. The moment was too short to catch it and save for the immortality of mind. She pressed her lips together and wished to follow him, but her body felt like stone. She could be one of many pallid sculptures in Severus's house in Londonium. Not even one tear flew and it made her proud. She wondered how it was possible.

She reminded Achilles loving Briseis and Briseis loving Achilles back. It all couldn't end like in the Iliad. It couldn't end badly. She didn't want to be Briseis, even if it was her favourite character in the wonderful, unique story. She envied Briseis for being loved and for the power of emotions that Briseis was able to percept. In that moment, Julia wasn't sure anymore whether love was a good feeling. If she wouldn't love Marcus Lucius, she would ignore his proud look as he begged her for a promise a moment ago. It wouldn't matter to her. She would smile and pretend to care, but she would stay icy inside the same way she pretended for weeks to be a good wife of Maxentius after he brutally slugged her body and soul the way nobody saw. If she wouldn't love him, it would be so much easier to come back to her father. If he wouldn't love her, he wouldn't ask her to give any promise. He would be already far, far away from here. He could save himself and live his life somewhere else. He didn't. He was there, even if he was on the run. He cared and she wasn't sure whether their pretending to not having a relationship didn't attract more interest than keeping it all the way it was.

As she heard Cornelius's voice outside, she trembled nervously. She jumped out of the tent and looked around. Cornelius targeted her quickly with his eyes and he made some steps in her direction. Before he could speak a word with her or ever could welcome her, Rufus grew out of the ground and took her hand. Julia didn't feel good by having to interact with her uncle. With a bit scared, intimidated look, she scouted around after Marcus Lucius or Nerva. She saw Marcus Lucius somewhere in the rush. He was preparing something. He was busy. He was everywhere and nowhere. In the distinct moment, she noticed Marcus Lucius's minimal briefly nod. She felt Rufus's determined grasp. Marcus Lucius's nod was everything that counted. So, she didn't oppose as Rufus pulled her away brutally. It felt rough, but Julia didn't say a word. Cornelius's eye brows showed the biggest wonder. Round-eyed, he looked at Marcus Lucius, who made the impression of not knowing what was going on. As Cornelius turned his head to Rufus, Marcus Lucius nodded briefly again. Julia was focussing just on his face and her face showed nor the relief nor discontent. Rufus took her into a corner of the camp, where Cornelius never has been before. Rufus crooked his another, free arm and it was a sign for a group of legionnaires to follow him.

-You don't bother when they take your wife away? - Cornelius wondered in a strange way.

Marcus Lucius noticed a tone that didn't suit completely to a true sorrow. He wasn't sure whether the impression was influenced by Nerva's report or whether it would occur anyway. He didn't trust Cornelius, but the game had to be played. There was another, more serious opponent. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure how to handle Pompeius's person. However, he didn't want to underestimate the danger of Cornelius. Many a little makes a mickle.

Rufus heard the question, but he ignored it and didn't break the mission. Fortunately, Nerva came back from his second round of patrol soon. Rufus didn't know how to tackle it, so he left her next to the wooden walls of the camp. She stood like an unwanted, forgotten thing. She didn't move a lot to not to turn the spotlight on her. Rufus gave to soldiers so many different tasks to fulfil that they were occupied on their training. The legionnaires didn't expect him to press forward so determined. Even if they were focussed on their duels, they've noticed that Rufus didn't dare to gave Julia the slightest gaze. It was strange. At first when Nerva came, Rufus relaxed a bit and he came back to his jovial state, when Nerva took Julia away.

Nerva seemed to be tired and breathed shorter than usually, as if he would have ran ten loops around the camp already. He had some blood on his armour and cape. His face was a bit dirty and his hair was ruffled. He was simply tousled from head to feet. She was worried that he was wounded, but he didn't let her to touch him.

-There were further point men we caught. We have three wounded and six dead. - He reported shortly to Rufus and saluted.

He brought Julia to the tent where the wounded were. The medico, she already knew, looked at her and without a word, he gave Julia a bowl with water. She used the skills she learnt while taking care of Marcus Lucius.

-Sluice their bodies. - He ordered quickly. - And you, Nerva, will hep me with the wounded.

Julia didn't know when she learnt to stitch up small and middle-sized wounds. In the meanwhile, medico examined the injured ones. Medico showed her how to do it and she simply followed his strictly, clear tone. There wasn't time to analyse what to do. Her task had to be done. Nerva helped to keep calm the injured soldiers. They were fighting against his pressure as the medico cut them with knife. Julia wasn't able to look at the butchery. There was blood everywhere: on the hands, on the clothes, on the blankets. The wounded moaned with pain. One voice was high as a lady would yell. Two were deep and subdued. Choked words didn't occur, but the request for the pain riddance was captured in every air molecule. The moaning sounded animalistic, strange, fearsome. Julia tried to focus on anything else. She assumed that many further soldiers will appear here during and after the upcoming fight. The squawk and rasps of medical tools sounded more than simply unpleasantly. It was like screeching grid while your history teacher moves his nails along the table. Julia didn't feel good, but she tried to stay strong. She couldn't be the weakest link in the tent. She wasn't wounded, so she didn't deserve to be treated with special protection. She didn't comment anything, even the methods that the medico used to put the soldiers' foot down one day. She knew that these remedies were needed to set the wounded up. She reminded the brutal methods of Octavian. They were burnt in her memory forever.

The night appeared and nobody noticed it for sure. Marcus Lucius came shortly a couple of time along the tent and checked whether his girl was fine. He didn't dare to smile or to talk with her. She didn't notice him and kept a stony face expression. As the injured moaned diminuendo, she tried to find a place for her. She sat down next to one of the wounded, the one with covered face and naked torso. He had a huge gash on the chest. It looked much more serious that in the case of Marcus Lucius once. The soldier breathed rarely, barely, deeply. She took a piece of material and wiped away his sweat. She wondered who he was, whether he was old or young, whether he had family that was waiting for him, whether he liked being a soldier and whether he would recover. As she finished, she covered him with a blanket. She stood up shortly and went to the second bed. She spent some moments at another soldier's bed and put the same questions in her head. The man was younger than Marcus Lucius and his mild bone structure made him looking a bit girlish, but cute. He was in fever and he trembled. His hand grasped after Julia and he mumbled something she didn't understand. His eyes were blurry and puzzled. She let him holding her wrist for a while. As he calmed down, she stood up and looked around. Nerva was laying on a bed that was free previously. She came to him and he suddenly opened his eyes. He was watchful, even if she tried not to wake him up. He smiled confused. She sat down next to him, because he moved a little to give her free space. Automatically, she checked his temperature by touching his forehead. He was insecure and suspicious, but didn't oppose.

-You have fever. - She said. - You should rest.

-It's nothing. \- He answered and observed how she wiped the sweat from his face.

-You have to rest. - She whispered and stroked his cheek in a friendly, sorrowful way. - Sleep, Nerva.

-Stay here. - He said determined. As she looked at him with question marks in the eyes. He hawked and added shortly, pleadingly – Where you go, I go. If you want me to get a nap, you have to stay here.

She smiled, because she didn't expect it and it sounded cute. She shook her head minimally and watched as Nerva felt asleep. She sat next to him and fought with her tiredness. She wondered how Nerva could sleep in his armour and didn't complain at all. She couldn't imagine that it was even rudimentarily comfortable. He moved a bit and his hand touched her thigh. She shivered shortly, because it was strange, but she didn't change her position.

Around the midnight, she was not only tired, but also bored, because nothing was happening what could keep her awake. Nerva was sleeping with rustled breath, the wounded moaned quietly and the wind got more powerful. She listened how it swished outside and she watched how the material of the tent wobbled. In this sleepy atmosphere, she wasn't able to keep her mind occupied with rational thoughts.

-You should rest. - Marcus Lucius's voice sounded rather like a fairy-tale she wanted to dream.

She shivered and smiled to her thoughts. Apparently, she visualised a dream. A shy, gentle touch felt unreal, dainty.

-Apologize my rush. Apologize the lack of common moments. - Marcus Lucius whispered as he kneed in front of her.

Her hand landed on his hair and if his hair would be longer, she would ruffle it by her moves. She looked to him and smiled in the way he missed in the last days. She found pleasure in stroking his head and she tried not to cry or show how much upset she was, because he was so near and so far away in that moment. Everyone could look at them and she couldn't get his kiss. Nerva said her that Marcus Lucius will try to keep the distance to show everyone that there is nothing going on between them both. She knew that it was his kind of protecting her, if anything would have happen to him.

-I understand. You have to be near to your soldiers. You're a good soldier. - She said finally.

-I am here for you. I am around... No matter what...

His deeply warm, loving eyes showed her everything she wanted to know. In that moment, the entire world was the most beautiful place, even if the world could fall apart just a second later.

She started smiling as he rapidly got up and left her. He disappeared like a ghost. Her hand hung in the air. She looked around scared and saw how the medico and two wounded soldiers were gazing at her. She wasn't sure whether they percepted the moment of strange intimacy between her and Marcus Lucius, but she moved her hand and wiped Nerva's sweat from his forehead. Nerva smiled. He wasn't sleeping at all, but he pretended being in the Morpheus's arms.

-It was a masterwork. - He whispered in conspiracy. - But I won't let my heart control my head. It's too demanding.

Julia prodded him with a bold smile.

-Lay down here, in that bed. - Nerva ordered quietly and showed with his head's movement the pallet next to him.

She used the moment and as she put her head on the bed, she felt asleep immediately. She didn't notice how Marcus Lucius sneaked up and covered her with a blanket. She didn't notice that he stepped by at least three times. He talked with medico, he checked how his soldiers were, he finally ordered Nerva to sleep and took over the first round of patrols. He wanted to go to the place of the last short fight. On the way to Hiberus, Marcus Lucius passed the paling where two prisoners were caught. One of them escaped days ago. The other didn't manage to get free and got wounded by an arrow. The prisoner didn't know that the escape manoeuvre was planned and controlled by Marcus Lucius. Rufus wondered why Marcus Lucius allowed it.

-The one will go and report that we're just a bunch of untrained, unmotivated soldiers. They will be convinced that it is the true state. The other one had to stay. We needed only one messenger. We're not so incapable, either. The Roman army can't be a target of dumb jokes.

Rufus nodded and let Marcus Lucius the strategic decisions. Nerva shivered half-hearted. He was not completely convinced that the move was right, therefore, he added:

-Why don't you follow the runaway?

-They already betrayed the position of their camp. Trust me, brothers. From all sources of danger, the Barbarians are the least worse for us.

-He has a plan. - Nerva said ambiguously and smiled in a dirty way.

-He has a plan. - Rufus repeated.

Marcus Lucius smiled and slapped them friendly on the shoulders. They laughed and it seemed so objectionable that they had to laugh about that sudden thought as well. Almost three weeks passed from that moment and not much has changed. Julia stayed in the tent where the wounded were. She took care about them and the medico persuaded Cornelius that that's the best place for the Roman lady. Cornelius wasn't satisfied with the entire situation. He cursed anytime he left his tent. He didn't like the compact trainings that gained the common acceptance. He didn't like the air full of stress, uncalled training methods and the excited expectation in the wind. Everyone percepted that not only the spring was coming. There was something bigger that filled the space and the lungs. It wasn't visible. It wasn't confirmed. It was simply there and every movement, every word, every breath could influence the meaning of prevision that enveloped the camp and the woods around it. Marcus Lucius took over the night guards with allotted legionnaires. When the sunrise was perceptive, he took some groups of soldiers and left the camp. On his patrols, he seemed to be somewhat content with himself. His face was relaxed, but watchful. Sometimes, he hid in the woods and checked the reactions of his legionnaires as he slapped their shoulders or their horses suddenly. They improved their alertness and Marcus Lucius was a bit more satisfied with them. He didn't compliment them though. The amount of his critical remarks decreased.

As he came back to the camp, he went to the tent for the wounded and jumped into a free pallet. In the meanwhile, some further soldiers got injured due to harder trainings. The wounds weren't mostly deep, but Marcus Lucius ordered to send such victims to the tent. The legionnaires assumed that he tried to give enough possibilities to his wife to take care about the injured soldiers. However, the most common implication of anyone, who go to the tent, was being ashamed. Nobody could reconstruct who started with the degrading remarks that just a fool would get injured during a training. A real soldier would get injured at the utmost during a real battle. The rumour started living own life and it won the unique power of motivate even the most unconvinced soldiers to surpass oneself just to avoid being sent to a kind of kindergarten.

Nerva smiled dirty and ambiguously. He stood up early and took over the trainings. During the afternoon, he was responsible for the second patrol round and as he came back in the evening, he was a shadow of Julia. Rufus checked during the forenoon what Julia was doing. She was mostly occupied with more or less badly wounded soldiers. They were ashamed of needing her help and their proud look was mostly more injured as their bodies. As she douched their heads or arms, they tried not to look at her, they rolled their eyes, they cursed and sighed nervously and tried to scramble out of the tent, to go back to the fight. They looked like little children that were called by the mothers to eat a warm lunch and had to leave all great pals in the sandbox playing further. They were upset and displeased. She smiled to them mostly, because she found it funny. She got the rumour already. She took it with dignity and she didn't jeer about it. In opposite, she shared her relaxed and calm attitude as if she would have it abundantly.

She didn't get that the legionnaires didn't dare to look at her a woman, because she was the wife of the Maxentius, a respected man, a pal, who accompany you during a guard, a patrol, a training... You don't steal the girlfriend of your best friend the same way you don't desire the woman of Maxentius. Nerva laughed about it as he saw the scenes and Julia asked him every time what amused him so much. He never answered.

A kind of good mood though the foreboding was perceptive and Julia seemed to be one of the sources. Cornelius was one of the beings that weren't saw a lot, and even if he appeared or went through the alleys of the camp, soldiers looked at him, but didn't see him for real. Cornelius didn't like it at all. He tried to fight against the changes, so he ordered this and that, but his words were ignored. Strangely enough, any time Cornelius tried to find Marcus Lucius and talk with him, Marcus Lucius wasn't there, where he should be. As Cornelius got the report that Marcus Lucius was in training with the group of Nero, Marcus Lucius wasn't supervising Nero anymore when Cornelius appeared. As Marcus Lucius was seen on a checkpoint, he wasn't there anymore when Cornelius came after passing by tents and barracks. It was like hunting a ghost that appeared where he wanted and for how long he wanted, but vanished in the air in a magical way. Cornelius started doubting whether gods were on his own side or whether they supported Maxentius. Cornelius prayed for a change and the wind of change gusted once. Two and a half weeks after Julia came back from Londonium, Marcus Lucius was warned that a retinue was in sight. The train wasn't long, but the patter of the upcoming first centuria of the first cohort with around 800 men couldn't be ignored. It was led by primus pilus, who sat proudly on his black horse with a stony face. The first cohort included the bravest men from the legion and was twice the size of the other cohorts.

Marcus Lucius, Rufus and Nerva didn't define their cohorts conclusively yet. They wanted to assign their legionnaires directly before the battle. They protracted it and they were aware of it. Nerva said that every soldiers has to know his place long before he will be send to a fight. Therefore, there were already attempts to form the units, but some ultimate changes were still possible. Nerva and Rufus didn't like it. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad decision. There was not enough time for accomplishing everything. As Marcus Lucius got the wind of Pompeius coming to the camp, he wasn't satisfied with it. Nerva was on patrol, but apparently he got the rumours in the woods, so he came back surprisingly quickly. As long as Nerva didn't get back, Marcus Lucius didn't order anything. He was simply waiting and the time that was a rare good seemed to be overestimated at once. Every second seemed to be a minute, a minute changed into an hour and an hour felt like eternity. Marcus Lucius felt the sweat drops on his neck and the feeling of lost comfort. Shortly after Nerva returned to the camp, he disappeared again. As Pompeius stopped on the main square in the camp, he looked around with his sneaky eyes and within a moment, he got the needed overview.

-Cornelius, the dear brother of Julius Fabius... - Pompeius droned with a friendly smile. - As I already announced, here I am.

Cornelius stepped forwards and saluted properly. Pompeius squinted his eyes:

-I can't see the best man on your side. Where is the famous Maxentius, the man of Julia from the Fabii family?

-As far as I know he's on patrol. - Cornelius answered insecure and looked shortly to his adviser. The fat, unattractive man with little, vigorous eyes couldn't help with giving answer.

-I hope he is not running away from me. I was disappointed as he didn't step by even once in the entire time he spent in Britannia.

-Where can I spent my time? I won't celebrate the meeting with Maxentius in the camp. - Pompeius laughed amused.

-I will accompany you to the villa.

Everyone was surprised by hearing a voice out of the far lines and automatically, everyone looked in the direction of the man, whose voice reached to achieve Pompeius's ears without any problem. Pompeius hid his surprise quite quickly.

-I assume you're my host. - Pompeius said and squinted to the man in a helmet.

As Marcus Lucius started walking to Pompeius, the soldiers stepped back and let him through without any command.

-I appreciate the company of you and your beautiful wife, Julia from the Fabii family.

-She won't accompany us. She has other tasks to fulfil. - Marcus Lucius said.

Pompeius didn't look satisfied and added:

-What is more important than hosting the governor of the province you live in? - His ice tone was remarkable.

-She takes care about our wounded legionnaires. She glorifies it as her most important task in the service of the empire. - Marcus Lucius answered calmly, but the sound of fast-break already hit Pompeius.

-I think the emperor will be proud of her, when he gets to know her contribution. However, I would recognize highly, if she would participate in a late dinner with us. She is such a charming being that it is a pleasure to have her around.

Marcus Lucius wasn't happy about such reply, but he didn't show it. After he minimally moved his head, Nerva appeared and behind Nerva, Julia came slowly, with wet kerchief in her hand and a dirty dress that she wore.

Pompeius smiled friendly and waited until Marcus Lucius mounted the horse and lifted Julia to sit down behind him. Pompeius looked that Marcus Lucius gave a sign to Rufus and it was impossible to decode it. Nerva followed Marcus Lucius and mounted a horse. The legionnaires were about to go back to their trainings. The majority of Pompeius's troops stayed in the camp and just a bunch of them accompanied the chosen ones to the villa. Pompeius wondered aloud why Marcus Lucius didn't take any further soldiers as his escort.

-Is one soldier enough? - He laughed politely.

-Every soldier counts. - Marcus Lucius answered and it was the last thing the legionnaires from his camp heard and repeated in conspiracy. They didn't like the stranger governor, who appeared here and spread chaos. Rufus intervened quickly and ordered continuing the training. Pompeius's men watched how the soldiers from Eboracum pretended to fight with each other and commented it aloud. Their remarks weren't nicely articulated. It felt like a fly in the ointment.

In the meanwhile, Marcus Lucius invited the prestigious guest in the house. Pompeius went into the best room and was positively surprised by the already prepared wine and food.

-You knew that I am coming and you didn't run away. - Pompeius said, while he attentively observed Marcus Lucius's reaction. Marcus Lucius nodded shortly. It wasn't clear how his answer it should be interpreted. A tension was so much perceptive in the air that almost direct current electrified the majority involved in the meeting. Pompeius's soldiers observed Nerva. Nerva's body showed the highest readiness for a defence. Julia followed Pompeius's movements and took a peep at Nerva every now and then. Pompeius was focussed on Marcus Lucius. Only Marcus Lucius seemed to know how to stay calm. His body wasn't tensed, but it wasn't completely relaxed either. Pompeius wondered about it. As he waggled briefly suddenly with his hand, Marcus Lucius moved minimally in a way that Pompeius didn't expect. Pompeius repeated the manoeuvre and Marcus Lucius didn't duck, but his bouncy, dynamic body acted automatically in a way that betrayed a well-trained man.

-You're not Maxentius. - Pompeius said finally and smiled bitingly, but curious. - Who are you then?

As Marcus Lucius didn't answer, Pompeius gestured shortly. His soldiers reacted quickly, but in the meanwhile, Nerva was already positioned to protect Julia and Marcus Lucius jumped within one move to the two.

-Before you let the blood of your soldier flow in this house, let us talk in private. - Marcus Lucius suggested.

Pompeius smiled and refused with a minimal movement of his head. His soldiers attacked Marcus Lucius, but he was faster and agile. He beat the offenders off and repeated his last suggestion. Pompeius refused again. He intended not to come on strong with the skilled soldier. As Marcus Lucius ducked in a genial way. It was a pleasure to observe him fighting. However, he was really fast and it wasn't easy to follow him. Within a couple of moves, he already wounded every of Pompeius's guards. His adroit and skilled hand pushed the sword with a minimal effort. The spare energy he spent for the fight was astonishing. He got two scratches, but he won over eight men. Julia screamed shortly, because she saw Marcus Lucius's getting hurt, Nerva put her his hand on the lips. Pompeius automatically looked at the girl and Nerva, who whispered her two or three words in the ear. She pressed her lips and kept silence.

As Pompeius's men stepped back and wanted to crowd in on Marcus Lucius again, Pompeius suddenly ordered to stop the fight.

-Now, I know for sure that you're not Maxentius, so who are you, soldier? Another man from Appius's school?

Nerva didn't react on the insulting tone. Marcus Lucius was ready to fight again, but he didn't intend to fight.

-Take your helmet off. - Pompeius ordered.

Marcus Lucius didn't act the way Pompeius wished.

-You can fight as long as you wish, but you will lose at the end. And I will bring you a very painful death. So, tell me, who are you?

-I tell you something that is more interesting to you. - Marcus Lucius said.

Pompeius squinted his eyes.

-Why do you assume there is something I want to know much more than your identity? - Pompeius seemed to be interested.

-You are a man who puts emphasis on having success and stepping higher in the ranks. I know something that brings you much further than my identity.

Pompeius waited for the continuation of the announcement. His tension was visible. His soldiers stepped back, but were ready to attack again any time.

-If I help you to get your success, will you leave these both go right now without any charm?

-No. I won't let them go until I know the stake.

-Britannia is the pain in the ass, as I heard. I know how you can change it completely. You need it to report it to the emperor directly. You will have your fame and respect. The wager stands in front of you. These both have to stay free...

-I know who you are. I know the voice, but you're much younger as the man I knew once. - Pompeius interrupted suddenly.

-My identity is not important for this mission. You really need me, not them. Do we have a deal?

-I don't make deals with traitors... - Pompeius answered quickly. Then, he analysed the situation for a moment and was confused. The idea of solving the problem with Britannia seemed to be seductive enough to break his principles.his tone changed into rather reflective talk with himself. - I don't make deals before the attempt succeeds. If I let them go right now, I will stay with unmotivated soldier. You're skilled, but you could let anyone kill you and I wouldn't get what I am supposed to get. So, no, they're not free unless you define the matter more detailed. They will stay in the camp surrounded by Cornelius's soldiers. She comes back to taking care of the wounded and he can stay at her side. For all I care... You stay at my side and we'll talk about your stake in private.

-Fair enough. \- Marcus Lucius agreed surprisingly quickly as if he already planned it that way.

-You are aware that any attack on me is a death sentence for your Julia from the Fabii family.

-Yes. - Marcus Lucius answered with less friendly tone. - However, if she will get injured in any way, if she will get insulted in any way, you have my word that you will regret it a lot.

-Fair enough. \- Pompeius agreed without any emotion. He was rather interested in another issue that wasn't solved yet. - Show me your face, Marcus Lucius.

Marcus Lucius stood proudly and didn't wonder that Pompeius recognized him already. Marcus Lucius took off his helmet and looked provocatively at Pompeius. Pompeius smiled relieved.

-So here how the son of one of the greatest warriors I got to know in my life looks like.

-This is it. - Marcus Lucius said. - This is how we meet.

-Good. You have my word that our deal won't be broken by me. I look for success, but I am a man of honour. You stay undercover as long as it is needed to fulfil your mission. - Pompeius stretched his hand to Marcus Lucius and he accepted. After a short, but strong hand shake, Marcus Lucius saw how the soldiers of Pompeius stepped back and let Nerva and Julia to go out. Julia was ashen on her face and her cheeks were saggy. Nerva kept her hand strongly and pulled her out of the villa. Marcus Lucius listened how Nerva's mere left the yard. He smiled.

Marcus Lucius didn't care about Pompeius's honour. He knew that Pompeius was rather interested in getting all compliments and respect for solving the problem of Britannia. Pompeius discovered already who Marcus Lucius was. Marcus Lucius knew that Pompeius knew his father, at least shortly. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that Pompeius looked through the mascarade. Pompeius was a open-eyed and not stupid. He could add one and one and get the right result. Other way, he wouldn't get his position so quickly. It was important that Pompeius follows the track that Marcus Lucius already planned. Up to that point, everything was according to schedule of Marcus Lucius. Nerva and Julia weren't informed about this plan, because they should react surprised. Pompeius would get that the situation was more or less already predicted and that he was let by Marcus Lucius. It wasn't aimed. Nerva knew the worst case scenario. Rufus knew also what to do, if Marcus Lucius wouldn't come back alive to the camp. They knew how they were supposed to proceed before and after the battle.

Pompeius sat down at the table and started eating as if nothing happened. He moved his head in a welcoming gesture. Marcus Lucius was supposed to sit down and eat something, too. After Marcus Lucius checked briefly his scratches, he sat down and pretended to enjoy the dinner. The slaves stayed in the background and came closer, when the wine or bread were needed. During the meal, Marcus Lucius calmly reported about the upcoming battle without noticing his skills and contacts to the local inhabitants.

-And you know where the camp of these Barbarians is?

-Yes.

-So we go there and kill them all. - Pompeius said as if it was the most easy way to act.

-No. We won't. \- Marcus Lucius refused. - That's a region with mountains, hills. It's not good to attack there. We'll bring them to us. I have already a plan and I prepared everything already. You don't have to do anything. Keep your soldiers behind mine.

-You mean Cornelius's soldiers? - Pompeius laughed and it sounded cordially for the very first time.

Marcus Lucius smiled.

-Yes, I mean Cornelius's soldiers, of course.

-So, I won't have to do anything and you win the battle for me. It's not the solution I expected. It's not enough. - Pompeius was rather disappointed.

-It is the solution. The men from the North gathered their forces and when we won over them, they won't be able to find any further support. Your soldiers have to stay behind mine. They can't be seen by the Barbarians.

Marcus Lucius explained the different aspects of his plan and the sense of hiding of Pompeius's soldiers. Pompeius's recognition for Marcus Lucius increased a bit, but there was still no expression of being totally impressed.

-When they start moving in our direction, we'll get the signal and we'll be waiting for them. They don't expect it.

-That's the reason why you trained your men so extremely in these days.

-I've tried. If they're not powerful enough, your men will intervene. The way or another, you will get your recognition as the commander of the battle. You're up for titles, so collect one more.

-I am not disappointed anymore that I visited you, but I've expected a bit more from Maximus's son. - Pompeius said and showed Marcus Lucius that the dinner was over. Then, he brought him to the basement and opened one of cells made for prisoning people.

-You don't trust me. - Marcus Lucius said and smiled.

-I'm completely convinced that you won't get free from here. I wouldn't get sleep if I would keep you even guarded in your chamber. My soldiers will stay here and keep you in the eye.

Pompeius didn't smile. As he closed the grid after Marcus Lucius stepped into the cell, Pompeius wanted to add something, but he bit his tongue quickly enough to avoid any word. He left, but sent Marcus Lucius a blanket to cover. Basement was very cold. The one slave Marcus Lucius prisoned here once, was already dead. His body didn't fall to pieces due to the coldness of the days and nights. It was possible to bear the odour of the dead body, too. Marcus Lucius used the moment to get a piece of sleep.

The night wasn't easeful. Marcus Lucius sat captured in a gloomy, cold cell. The darkness wasn't his enemy. In opposite. It hid his doubting face, his furious eyes. He thought about his obligations, his attempts to do the right things, to protect the people he cared about. He thought about Julia, who was still alive, but lonely and scared. He didn't tell her anything. He asked Nerva to summarize the situation. Marcus Lucius felt like a coward. He was scared that he would lose control suddenly, if he would only say a word about the dangers around. It was indeed childish to think that not speaking aloud about something you know makes it invisible or non-perceptive. It was like closing the eyes and trying to be convinced that the monster from the wardrobe didn't exist anymore. Marcus Lucius knew already the power of words. The meaning of a word spoken aloud and a word just rushing through mind was completely different. He's protective attempt to keep Julia away from the danger weren't right, because she was totally involved into the dangerous place. He wasn't able to send her away and he wasn't able to keep her safe. He already lost one women who was important in his life. Reminding Decima didn't improve his mood. In opposite, it made him thinking that he could possibly lose Julia. But they didn't even had a moment to say goodbye. They hadn't a moment to kiss for the last time. They hadn't enough time to love each other. It was all too less. He should have tried to stay a couple of minutes longer at her side. He should have appreciate more the time spent with her while he was really at her side. Now, it was all gone, irreplaceably gone with the wind. The most tricky thought hugged him like almost lover and whispered to his mind that it was all Marcus Lucius's fault. He knew what he was doing. He was the decision-maker and he blundered into the situation he has been influencing since he decided to help Appius or to protect the unknown girl. A blurry memory occurred and he recognized Julia's eyes looking at him while her real husband was dying, the Barbarians were killing the slaves and a wagon was burning some steps away from the girl. Marcus Lucius reminded the very first moment he saw her and as his heart completely felt apart due to the pain caused by losing Decima. His heart almost jumped out of his chest and he wanted to kill anyone. The Barbarians could have been a good start. He couldn't take his eyes off the innocent, sad, aggrieved face impression. She looked at him with insecure dignity, honour, loyalty and at the same time also challenging as if she was going to say: "Will you leave me the same way you left your wife?" It made him madly, angry. He was like a furious Poseidon, who raised the waves of oceans every now and then, who moved the heavy, stable masses of water and played with them negligently. Marcus Lucius's most tricky thought presented the sources and the consequences of his actions. He couldn't fight against his own memories.

Julia couldn't sleep either. She couldn't find any place she could internally calm down. Her moves were full of nervosity and restless insecurity. Nerva stayed closer and wasn't able to ignore her enough to give him time to rest. As she stayed and her fingers trembled, he came closer and listened as she asked herself quietly "What have I done? What have I done?". She repeated it endlessly and Nerva, who really liked her voice, didn't like to listen to her words anymore. He stepped back and observed how she sat down next to wounded and wiped his sweat drops. "What have I done? What have I done?" She didn't stop asking herself the silly, galling question. What could she have done? She had no clue what was going to happen. Nerva expected something like the day that just ended, but he didn't expect it occurring of all things that day. He noticed that Marcus Lucius acted in cold blood today and Nerva wasn't sure whether it was already prepared behaviour or whether it was just a trained bodily reaction, a kind of reflex that Marcus Lucius incorporated into his soldier's being. Nerva tried already a couple of times to be so self-controlled and calm, but he mostly didn't manage it fully. He wasn't the way Marcus Lucius or Octavian were. He got involved, even if he didn't admit it. Therefore, he followed Julia. When she was unsettled, he was unsettled. When she was sad, he was sad. When she was asking herself what she has done, he asked himself what he has done. He followed orders without doubting about anything. Appius sent him here and there, Nerva was on the road. Marcus Lucius gave him patrol loops, Nerva took over everything he got. Nerva followed anyone he could trust and he was like a puppy that enjoys any bone that his master gives him. Nerva didn't complaint, Nerva didn't put into question anything. "What have I done?" brought his world apart. The often he heard it the more he bleeded inside.

-Stop it. - He said finally with a shadow of beseeching.

His begging tone didn't influence Julia at all. It wasn't noticeable for her. She was too occupied with her own problems and continued repeating her question. Nerva was annoyed enough and exploded finally:

-Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. - He said quietly to not attract attention of medico, who gazed every now and then in their direction.

Julia stood in a corner of the tent and Nerva blocked her any opportunity to exist. She turned to him, the she turned back. She couldn't decide what to do. He grasped her arms and forced her to look at him.

-Stop it. - He said determined and it wasn't a calm, gentle whisper. It was an order.

As she looked at him with big eyes and trembling lips, he felt unarmed and weak. He was the one who should protect her and he wasn't even able to resist to such a jellyfish. Her weakness was her strength and the idea confused him even more. He couldn't look her in the eyes, he couldn't let her trembling being go and that was the reason of his impulsive hug. He held her faint nature tenaciously in his arms and waited until she calmed down. It didn't happen and he was afraid that he squashed her like a bug with his power. She didn't tremble anymore, instead, her breath became faster. Nerva already saw soldiers who were totally down and out of order. A frightening thought appeared that she was falling apart and she wouldn't be able to put her pieces together again. Hugging didn't help at all, even if it was an impulse of his heart. With which right was he even hoping for any improvement? He doubted and couldn't decide what to do next. He wasn't the creative doer. He was the one, who was a splendid order-taker. It took a while until he decided to let her go. He was a bit ashamed in the moment when he gave her back the freedom of movements and he couldn't find any argument why he felt so dumb.

-Stop it or say what's on your heart. - He added quickly and he was even surprised by his own words. He was out of line he used to keep at any price. Stepping beyond the line was a death penalty. Nerva learnt it quickly. He wasn't used to go deeper into a matter. He stayed on the surface and it was very comfortable. Making decision brings responsibilities and Nerva hadn't any will to take over any obligation he didn't need. This time, he stepped beyond the line of triviality. It was a virgin territory he entered and he didn't feel good. However, keeping any shadow of the shallowness wouldn't make him happy, either.

Julia stepped back, even if there wasn't enough space to make any move. She felt trapped and breathed shortly, rushy. She hyperventilated, but Nerva wasn't scared. He could at least help her.

-Breath in. Breath out. - He advised.

She sat down by using the wall of the tent behind her to slide to the ground. Her eyes looked wet and Nerva didn't wish to see her tears. He was already uncomfortable with her sensibility and he was afraid that he won't handle the situation correctly. Marcus Lucius didn't get any orders how to supervise Julia. Nerva knew how to handle women shortly, bodily, but he didn't care about their souls. Here, he had to cook up with anything. He kneed in front of her and he took her hand. Then, he laid her hand on his neck, just below his left ear. As she felt his heartbeat on his vein, she shivered shortly, but with the time, she calmed down completely. Her touch was pleasing, even if she wasn't doing anything. Maybe the reduction of different stimulus types was the magic ingredient that influenced the situation. Nerva felt a kind of excitement and affection. He couldn't and didn't want to define it closer. He was overchallenged. It scared him a lot. As Julia's eyes finally shut, as her head felt to his armoured chest and as he acted in thunder's speed to catch her tired, sleepy face in his arms, he thought that he never cared more about anyone than about the girl he had so close to him right now. It was a bit sexual, it was a bit friendly, it was strange. He leant her head on his unarmed shoulder after he carefully turned to the wall of the tent. The material wasn't stable enough to steady his back on it, so he moved his chest in the opposite direction in the case he would fall asleep and move forwards. It was a cold night, but he ignored it. Sitting on the ground wasn't comfortable, but he didn't notice it at all. He tried to keep the silence and listened to the wind outside. He was waiting for a better day. New situation was too less predictable to feel cosy in mind.

The next day was even more awkward, but everyone survived it strangely enough. Marcus Lucius was forced to stay in the prison in Maxentius's house cellar. Pompeius appeared there after breakfast. His eyes sparkled with undefined smile. Marcus Lucius didn't say a word, he didn't salute, he ignored Pompeius's presence completely. However, Pompeius knew that Marcus Lucius noticed the visitor.

-Why don't you beg, son of a great warrior? - Pompeius's voice sounded ironic, unpleasant, like a sword that comes through human body.

Marcus Lucius didn't seem to be intimidated. Instead, he looked as sad as he could only be. Pompeius's joy was immeasurable. He weltered in the moment and gazed at Marcus Lucius with increasing curiosity.

-Why don't you plead for mitigation of sentence? - Pompeius didn't give up.

Marcus Lucius didn't react in any visible way. He indeed listened to Pompeius's words, but he didn't rise to provocation. Pompeius came closer to the grid and as he put his left hand on cold, unpleasant bars, he whispered with sneering smile:

-You don't think it's your highest punishment... You should recognize why I won't kill you or why I won't kill her. It would be too merciful. Killing her would bring your rage and I need your service. Killing you would eliminate your service I need. - Pompeius whispered and his voice became impersonal, distant. He made a short pause and then, he continued with ice in his heart and observed how Marcus Lucius was fighting with the reflex to jump to the bars, to hurt the offender and as Marcus Lucius finally controlled himself with the last power of his mind. Pompeius observed how Marcus Lucius's eyes became smaller, enemy, inhuman. - Now, I know for sure I'm punishing you hard enough. Your wife and you're soldier... They get closer and closer as the days pass. She's with Nerva. If you can't see what is wrong with the state "Your woman is with your soldier", then I've made mistake, and you really don't care about it. In this way, we're never going to get anywhere. She's with Nerva. And if she's with Nerva that means she's not with you. And it kills you. That's your punishment. Your mind and your affection will kill you slowly, hostile, alone...

Pompeius turned as didn't notice the smile of Marcus Lucius. He was a kind of relieved, because the fact that Julia was under protection of Nerva meant that she was safe. Marcus Lucius didn't wish anything more than to be sure that she was safe. Keeping her in arms was a dream that could happen one day, but for the moment, he needed to stay realistic. Knowing that she was safe, unwounded and alive brought him internal piece. Marcus Lucius trusted Nerva. Everything seemed to be fine in a strange way.

Pompeius left the cellar and the torches that brought any kind of light were dashed off. Darkness absorbed Marcus Lucius and it's gloomy side hugged his soul and brought a needed level of calmness.

Nerva kept silence and manoeuvred between the trainings and the sanitary station. Even if he didn't agreed anything with Julia, she followed him like young ducks with short but unusually strong wings follow the mother after hatching to a body of water. She toddled with less grace than usually, bit still with enough female charm to raise the attention of soldiers at training. Nerva had to promise once Marcus Lucius two things. It was one of the short exchanges of patrol shifts that didn't require Julia's presence. The briefly reports of what happened and what should stay in focus were included in such moments.

-When Cornelius comes back, we have to keep the tempo and the intensity of trainings. You have to promise that whatever happens, you'll take over being in charge.

Nerva nodded, because he was convinced that such situation would never occur. The danger was perceptible, but Nerva was still not morally certain that anything bad could happen. Bad things happened every day. Nerva saw already enough examples in his life. There were Barbarians. There was illness. There was rat race to get enough power to eliminate the previous opponents or to show them what tiny, unimportant bugs they became. It all was somewhere else. Nerva didn't like the idea that the evil could interrupt the good times. Living in conspiracy was full of nice routine. He wanted to live it that way as long as it was possible. He was like one of these people, who were warned about coming danger, and they smiled politely and stayed in their houses not believing that anything could change soon. They got the forewarning and they knew that the danger was coming. Still, they didn't believe it and were surprised that such evil could cross their fates. The same way Nerva felt as already announced Cornelius's review and visit of Pompeius became real the same way God sent a miraculous sign of warning – Moses' brother's rod turned into a serpent or Pharaoh's sorcerers turned their staffs into snakes. The plague of blood, frogs, lice or gnats, flies or wild animals, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the plague of firstborn followed the same way Pompeius prisoned Marcus Lucius. Nerva wasn't ready to think about what could happen next. He knew that a battle should take place. He knew that the battle would demand sacrifices and the range or form of these sacrifices wasn't known. Nerva never took part in such a fight. Appius kept him away from the field and sent straight through the entire empire. Nerva talked once with Octavian how the protection of borders really looked like. The heavily and seriously wounded and killed soldiers were proofs the same way a long, healed scar proves a serious injury. The survivors didn't talk about the experienced moments. The "don't ask, don't tell" principle was extremely valid.

Nerva wasn't scared of having scars. He even didn't feel comfortable to be wounded. What he was afraid of was the moment after you already know how badly your injury is. If the death could come quickly, then it wasn't a problem. However, if the help would come too late or in not sufficient enough way, then the pain could bring more damages than a killing. Sometimes, it is harder to live than to die on the battle field. Nerva reminded Marcus Lucius's unconsciousness and it wasn't the worst case he saw. Marcus Lucius was badly hurt, but he was lucky enough to get care of Julia. Nerva wasn't sure who would take care of him. Looking how the soldiers were training and giving them hints was a good task, but it would be even better, if Marcus Lucius would be there. Marcus Lucius was a skilled soldier, who could train people the same way that Appius did. Appius had enough experience to give his know-how further. Even Octavian would be a better trainer than Nerva. It was disappointing. However, such thought was even better than the sorrows about Marcus Lucius's incalculable life as a prisoner or about Julia's inestimable depth of dolefulness. Her gloomy, silent steps and bright, a bit faded blue shade of the dirty, blood-smeared dress made her look ghostly, supernaturally. If anyone would think about any messenger of Hades, the god of the underworld, then Julia could be Hades's most beautiful messenger in the whole world. Her sallow face with eyes without any fire, faint smile on her wan lips brought anyone to step away from her track. Nerva noticed that she didn't look for any contact with anyone. She simply followed him. He was afraid that letting her alone would just bring her to irreversible acts. He took away her dagger and didn't lose her from his horizon even for a moment.

The negative connotation with Hades caught him as he listened to what she declaimed to herself. She repeated the words of Achilles. His lips moved, but Nerva had to make a push to understand what she was speaking:

"O shining Odysseus, never try to console me for dying.  
I would rather follow the plow as thrall to another  
man, one with no land allotted to him and not much to live on,  
than be a king over all the perished dead."

She declaimed it in a never-ending loop and Nerva could explode around noon. He wanted to choke up her mouth with food, but she didn't eat anything. His hawks and attempts to force her with words didn't help. However, she continued moving her lips, but Nerva didn't listen her words anymore. Still, he knew what she was repeating and even without a sound, it was irritating. He sent her a couple of hostile looks, but she ignored it. He sighted very heavily every now and then. While he stopped, turned back and had a short look at her, her untogetherness brought him out of the concept. In the moment, he saw her empty eyes and unstoppable lips, a corner of his heart got a cramped up and imploded. As Nerva wanted to distract himself, he couldn't get any other thought than the memorable story about people from areas defeated once by the forces of the Macedonian Greek ruler Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela. These people used to believe that the shade or spirit called gidim of the deceased was created at the time of death, and then left the body and descended to the netherworld, called Irkalla. Gidim took on the memory and personality of the dead person. Julia looked like her own gidim at that point.

Nerva remembered how Octavian told him such stories. His friend got it from Appius once and Appius got it from Maximus. Nerva wondered whether Marcus Lucius knew these legends. It wasn't possible to check it directly. Additionally, Nerva's mind made a detour and his thoughts were already circulating around Marcus Lucius being in prison. Then, Nerva sighed again, turned away from Julia and continued his route between one group of soldiers to another.

Rufus sent patrols in the woods and set sentries in the places that Marcus Lucius already predefined. Rufus waited for the signal that Marcus Lucius described and wondered how Marcus Lucius was able to predict so many things by not knowing the surrounding and the local inhabitants for ages. Rufus didn't raise any question and he didn't distract his mind with any sorrows. He was already signed up for Eboracum and he wouldn't get out there at any time, because his person was bounded to Cornelius. Appius sent him to Britannia years ago and Rufus already familiarized with the punishment. There were no visible chances for change in sight. Rufus gave up any hope and even the incident with Marcus Lucius couldn't bring any long-term switch-over. Rufus had to stay loyal though, because Marcus Lucius was a nice and needed refreshment in the years of stagnation. Marcus Lucius had the power to raise anger about the motionless and to motivate masses to act. Rufus asked himself what it could change, anyway. There was always a bloody fight somewhere. There was always a camp that would be attacked and destroyed. Soldiers could get killed every time and everywhere. Arms race brought just new improvements within torture and killing methods. The principle stayed the same. Rufus didn't feel good in Britannia, because coming to a foreign land and converting the area with all living beings wasn't the kind of strategy he wanted to support. Marcus Lucius's attempt to improve skills of legionnaires was nice, but the final aim was everything but nice in Rufus's eyes. He already saw enough motivated young men killed with hope in their eyes in a hopeless fight. Rufus didn't interrupt Marcus Lucius, but Rufus try to support Marcus Lucius more than ordered. As the amount of orders and the level of their intensity increased, Rufus got worried, but he was already too involved to ignore the friends in need. He already knew that Marcus Lucius and Nerva were good men and that Julia was a good woman. He didn't intend to support the upcoming battle. He wanted to back up the people that shouldn't die. He thought that giving them a chance to escape from Britannia would be a good deed for a day. He needed time to countercheck the possibilities and probabilities of movements. His problem was that he was running out of time.

He sent his own messenger to Appius requesting a hint. Rufus didn't get any answer yet and was disappointed again. Appius was a great, skilled trainer in the eyes of many. Maybe Appius was even the best trainer of his times. However, Appius was a person that let down people in need. That was the irritating point. Rufus hoped that Appius would try to save at least the son of his best friend. Rufus recognized Marcus Lucius the first time he saw Maximus's son. Marcus Lucius had the same bone structure and the same eyes as his father. Maxentius was similarly tall and maybe more muscled, but not necessarily more powerful. Indeed, Rufus didn't have many occasions to meet Maximus personally, but the remarkable personality like Maximus implied a catchy memory.

Marcus Lucius was a good boy, a skilled soldier, a motivated strategist. He could achieve a lot of things and sending him to Britannia and letting him playing Maxentius was more than simply ironic. Rufus expected Appius to clear the situation quickly, because keeping Marcus Lucius hidden from the world was a waste of his skills and talent. Even if Rufus didn't like the entire conquests and wars, he recognized when something went completely wrong.

Julia was almost sure that the reality was unreal. The reality was too cruel, too upsetting, too strange be be real. She understand what happened, but she couldn't understand the state she was in. Existing so close and so far away from the love of her life brought confusion and madness. She focussed on verses from her favourite epos. It helped a lot to repeat known phrases and to think about Achilles, the undefeated warrior. As long as nobody knew what his heel was, he could live forever. It was the kind of silly hope she needed to stay calm enough.

The next day was similar to the previous one. Marcus Lucius was kept in darkness, in a gloomy cell with a corpse of a man, who he punished himself with a death penalty. Pompeius stepped just shortly by and smiled with his tricky, distorted way. Julia almost didn't sleep and the bags under her eyes couldn't be omitted. Nerva, irritated by the gidim behind him, continued to go from one end of the camp to another and Rufus kept his silent, inferior attitude.

The night brought some news that Nerva welcomed with a relieved smile. The soldiers predefined to keep watch in the woods sent a signal that the enemy appeared far enough to start the war manoeuvre. Nerva knew what to do so he took over the command. Cornelius was steamed-up about this sudden revolution. He was convinced that he was the boss again.

As Nerva appeared in Maxentius's villa, Pompeius was more than just surprised.

-What brings you, the soldier of Appius? - Pompeius squinted and tried to wake up completely. It was the middle of the night and any disruption of his sleep could be punished in the hardest way. His guards woke him up to inform that Nerva ordered to get a visit with Marcus Lucius.

-I have to talk with Marcus Lucius. - Nerva answered without any salutation.

-Your lack of respect brings me to conclusions that are not inconvenient for you, soldier. - Pompeius sounded irritated.

-I serve Marcus Lucius. I need to see him. That's all what I have to say in that matter.

-And where is Julia, the daughter of Julius? - Pompeius looked around and a small gesture was a sign to look after the girl. - I've heard you're joint at the hip.

The suggestiveness had no influence on Nerva, who had other problems and needed orders immediately. The iron will in Nerva's face was visible and remarkable. Pompeius noticed that it wasn't just a small-mindedness, but a real necessity.

He accompanied Nerva to Marcus Lucius and stayed close enough to them to listen to their talk, even if they didn't whisper.

Marcus Lucius was sleepy. He didn't get anything to eat for two days and his hunger started killing him. Luckily enough, he got twice water, so he could at least drink anything. As he saw Nerva, he smiled confidentially. He already knew what news Nerva brought, because his friend's face showed a strict military character. There were no private sorrows to find.

-Well done. - Marcus Lucius welcomed Nerva.

-What's next?

-Did you already informed involved people? - Marcus Lucius asked resolutely and saw Nerva's nod. It meant that Nerva already sent Julia to Cunobarros, what had a crucial private impact, and that Cunobarros knew the entire situation, what was of professional nature.

-We can proceed as you ordered already. - Nerva confirmed and meant that the preparation on soldiers's side and on Cunobarros's side were completed as far as possible.

Pompeius wondered what Marcus Lucius and Nerva were talking about. The context of the sentences they exchanged was inexplicable.

-Which orders do you mean? - Pompeius asked nervously.

-Pompeius... - Marcus Lucius started and looked directly to his offender's face. - You have to set me free for a moment.

Pompeius laughed and mentioned that he was still dreaming, because he couldn't bear such nonsense in reality. Marcus Lucius wasn't joking. His serious, reliable face expression forced Pompeius to think over. In the limited space of the basement stinking after ratty human and animal corpses, concentrating on a matter wasn't easy.

-Let me go for the time that is needed to win the battle. I will win it for you, in the name of the governor. Then, I will come back and you can proceed the way you deem to be right.

Marcus Lucius's words were seductive, but Pompeius missed the background. He needed explanation of the probabilities related to the apparently set battle, for reasons and stakes. He didn't trust anyone, so he didn't like the deal Marcus Lucius suggested.

Marcus Lucius explained shortly that his point men confirmed that the enemy from North of Britannia was at the gate. It meant that the battle could start early in the morning. Marcus Lucius had to prepare the last actions before anything started. Additionally, it would be supportive for the legionnaires to see him fighting on their sides. Not questionable was the input of his skills in the battle.

Pompeius stood nervously and his face expressions showed that he wasn't amused about preparations behind his back and about not giving any background up to the moment of decision. What irritated him the most was the fact that he wouldn't do it differently if he would be Marcus Lucius. However, he would use the moment of congee to flee. He would try to save his own hide. Marcus Lucius didn't seem to take it into consideration, but it had to be agreed first. Marcus Lucius was a man of honour, so he had to give a word of obedience to Pompeius.

-If you leave me your woman as a pledge, then you can leave the cell immediately.

Nerva showed his irritation for the very first time that night. Marcus Lucius smiled.

-She's already far away from this place. She's safe. I don't have to do anything, but I want to help the legionnaires to keep their lives. It's not even about my life anymore. The question is whether you allow to win me this battle for you or whether you decide to lose it under your own flag.

Pompeius wasn't satisfied with the extortion. The girl wasn't important to him as long as he could steer Marcus Lucius's behaviour in the wished way. While the girl was probably somewhere on the way back from Britannia, there had to be another remedy to influence the situation. Even through the grid, Marcus Lucius was the demanding party. Pompeius showed his dislike visibly, even if not exaggerated. He cursed twice aloud for being airy and stupid enough to lose his badger game. He said he underestimated Marcus Lucius definitely. It was a big failure. Marcus Lucius stayed calm. There were no remarks of satisfaction in his face. There was a kind of peace in his eyes, mixed with the fever before a fight that Pompeius knew already from Maximus. It ran definitely in the blood.

-You can exchange the places, you and your soldier. - Pompeius said finally with a minimal smile. His eyes followed watchful the reaction of Nerva. Marcus Lucius's face expression didn't change, but Nerva showed readiness to change the places. At first then, Marcus Lucius shook his head minimally as if he wanted to give Nerva the sign to stop. Nerva was not the youngest soldier, but his temper was easy to influence. Pompeius smiled even brighter and waited for Marcus Lucius's comment.

-Keeping Nerva here won't improve your situation. - Marcus Lucius said. - I give you my word that I will come back, but I need Nerva at my side, if you want to win the battle for you.

Marcus Lucius spoke calm and clear. He didn't smile like a winner or like a jeerer. He was a professional and Pompeius respected it. Pompeius already met too often inept soldiers on different levels of their career. He needed anyone, who could hold on the old values. Marcus Lucius was an opponent that was worth of playing a game with, teaching him a lesson.

-You gave me your word. You'll be my soldier. - Pompeius said.

-I gave you my word to come back, not for being under your command. - Marcus Lucius corrected.

Pompeius smiled with acclaim and nodded. Within seconds, the bars got opened and Marcus Lucius stepped slowly out of the cell.

-Go and prepare yourself. I'll be watching you.

Pompeius observed how Marcus Lucius didn't hesitate and left the villa. Pompeius's soldiers asked whether they should follow the temporarily freed prisoner. Pompeius refused without giving any reason. His guards were surprised, but didn't comment it. Pompeius ordered to leave the villa and the camp before the sunrise.

-Let our cohorts be under his command. - Pompeius added coldly.

-Sir, are you sure? - Pompeius's closest soldier, primus pilus, a tall, thin, raven-haired man with eyes of spy doubted for the very first time in the power of judgement of his master.

-Antoninus, do what I've said.

Marcus Lucius got his horse and a torch to be able to find the way to the camp. Previously, he turned off the road and stepped shortly by Cunobarros. Only Nerva accompanied him. Cunobarros stood already in front of the cottage, where Julia was kept after her attempt to get free once. He didn't let them in. they all stayed outside. Their silhouettes weren't easy to recognize due to the limited light of torches. The moon was just a half of itself. The woods kept silence as two Romans and one Barbarian saluted in the welcoming ritual. On Cunobarros's face was excitement. His eyes sparkled wildly, vividly.

-It's the time. - Cunobarros said. Apparently, he enjoyed the idea of the upcoming fight. - It's all the way you planned it.

Marcus Lucius nodded once shortly and gave further orders. They were battle-oriented and included precise disposals for Cunobarros' men. Cunobarros wasn't satisfied with holding his men from the fight.

-We have soldiers, who are trained for it. We need your people to get involved in the fight first then, when we won't be able to beat the men from North off. We don't need your blood flowing senseless on the ground of your ancestors.

Marcus Lucius's explanation was good, but still, Cunobarros wasn't satisfied enough.

-It's our land and we should fight here.

-I don't put into question whose land it is. - Marcus Lucius was calm, but the excitement infected him a bit. He wasn't a machine to stay emotionless in such energized moment. - I gave you my word to stay here and to do my best. Keeping you away from the battle field, if your contribution is not needed, belongs to doing my best. Your people will stay on the outer ranks and if I give you a sign, they will get involved into the fight. Keep them away from the field as long as you won't get the signal.

Cunobarros nodded not completely convinced. He didn't like to play a coward, to stay away, when other got killed.

-Trust me, Cunobarros, we'll do it, but we have to do it right.

Nerva stood impatiently and his hands trembled. He was excited and angry and everything but calm. Having Marcus Lucius in sight was like getting a medico's help, if needed. Cunobarros's fever brought him out of order and influenced his will of fight. His fury directed to Pompeius could be used in the battle. At the moment, everything had sense.

As orders and signs were already arranged, Marcus Lucius wanted to add something, but the words didn't leave his mouth. He was blocked by unknown powers and his eyes didn't sparkle anymore. Cunobarros saw the sudden sorrow and smiled.

-You gave me your word. I gave you mine.

Marcus Lucius nodded hastily and pressed his lips strongly together. He wasn't even able to say a simple "Thank you". Cunobarros showed him with a wink of his hand to go to the cottage.

-You don't have time, but I thought you have enough time to sooth your soul. - Cunobarros whispered.

Marcus Lucius understood the hint on the fly. His luck wasn't describable. As he stepped in the cottage, he saw Julia sat and her body trembled nervously. She bit her lips and her small fists were tensed on the wooden board. She didn't notice him at first. He smiled as charming as he felt. Within a wink of an eye, he was next to her. He kneed down and looked her in the eyes.

-He said I have to give you time to talk about your military stuff. - She whispered and tried to maintain her composure. The tears already settled down in her eyes.

-Don't cry. - He whispered. - I am here and I will come back to you. Stay with the locals. They won't hurt you...

-I know... - She wasn't able to speak. She tried to fight against her weakness and emotions in her soul.

-As long as you're with them, I can focus on the other issues. - He added and kissed her cheek.

-I know... I'll stay there. Don't worry.

He kissed her lips and his warm hands embraced her cheeks. Then, he got up. There was no time for them. He had to leave her and arrive in the camp.

-I... - She wanted to say him that she loved him, but the words stayed trapped in her throat. She looked at him and tried to communicate with her eyes.

-I know. - He said finally, bowed over her and kissed her forehead. - Everything will be fine.

-Make them all remember you... - She added.

There were millions further things to say, but there was no time. He couldn't declaim her a poem and he couldn't stay there to listen to her recitations. He wanted to freeze the time, but it was impossible. The last look, the last word, the last breath... The current moment was passing unavoidably away and belonged to the past already.

Marcus Lucius didn't want to remind Julia about the promise to stay at Nerva's side whatever happens. He looked at her for the last time, left the cottage and mounted his horse.

-Nerva, you stay with her. Cunobarros. We'll see us later.

Nerva wanted to oppose, but Marcus Lucius's look was dominating and didn't condone a refusal or changes in the plan.

-You stay with her. She needs a friendly face in the case... - He didn't want to speak aloud his thoughts. Additionally, Julia came to the cottage's door and listened to what he said. - You stay with her.

After the last statement, Marcus Lucius turned back and rid away. Nerva was more than furious. He wanted to participate in the battle. His disappointment was visible for a moment. Then, he gathered himself and tried to keep his cool. It wasn't easy, but he was raising above his own inadequacy. He turned back to Julia, who was noticeably kind of having him on her side. He mounted the horse and lifted her. As she glued to his back, he felt a bit relieved that he was responsible for protecting her. Cunobarros was already sitting on his nut coloured horse and showed the direction. Nerva observed attentively where they were going to and which faces they met on the road in the rustle bushes and between swooshing trees. As Cunobarros led them to a village Nerva didn't know, Julia hugged him stronger. She was scared and confused. It was perceptible.

-You stay here. - Cunobarros said slowly and tried hard to be understood by the Roman. Then, he showed Nerva a cottage. Nerva nodded shortly and it meant the complete acceptance of the conditions.

Nerva wanted to unmount the horse, but Julia squirmed and whispered:

-I want to see the battle...

-It's too risky. We'll stay here. You heard what Marcus Lucius said. - He whispered and helped her to jump to the ground.

Cunobarros smiled mysteriously.

-I want to see the battle. I want to see that everything goes the way it should go. - Julia wasn't crying, she wasn't blubbering.

Her voice kept the level of strength Nerva didn't know yet. Nerva refused and reminded her the promise she gave to Marcus Lucius. She was already hedging the plan and Nerva didn't like it. He brought her to a cottage, where already women and children of the villagers were gathered. The fireplace wasn't burning. The building shouldn't attract anyone's attention.

Julia wondered why Cunobarros asked them to stay there. Nerva already understood the reason. Having Nerva there, in the dirty, cold place, was a kind of protection needed for his own people. Additionally, gathering people in a limited room cumulated warmth and calmness, if the people stayed calm. The theory related to dynamic of masses was strange to Nerva, but he knew from his own experience that it was possible to rule over the crowd, when you followed some simple principles. He sat down and pushed Julia gently to take place on his side. His sword was leant on the wall and it blade shined magically. Nerva's arm stayed near enough to the weapon to be able to use it immediately. On the other side, Julia sat. He gave her his cape quickly and she enveloped her body with it. Then, she moved closer to Nerva and laid her chest on his shoulder. In the meanwhile, Nerva counted approximately thirty women in different ages there. They pressed their children to their bodies and whispered some words that Nerva couldn't understand. The intonation betrayed the words of care and uplift. The wild women looked rather like a dark mass with white, insecure eyes and steam coming out from their mouths. They reminded Nerva about the slaves on his father's fields. His tension was percepted by Julia. She didn't comment it, but she wondered what was going on through Nerva's mind. Was he strained because of the fight? Was he taking under consideration a negative outcome?

-How long will it take? - She whispered calmly. She didn't like to scare anyone and she knew that the local women and their children were observing her every gesture, they were listening to her voice and gazed at the Roman soldier, who was noticeably tensed.

-I don't know. It depends from many aspects. Don't worry. - He answered and it didn't bring her serenity.

She nudged his sleeve and forced him to look her in the eyes.

-Tell me a story. Tell me anything from your missions.

He smiled sadly. It occurred inappropriate to tell anything that wasn't combined with the battle. The sun started to raise slowly, unhurriedly, lazily. The day began and the doubts and hopes stayed captured in the air. Uncertainty was killing everyone thought by thought. Julia glued stronger to Nerva's shoulder. She took his hand and was sure that she almost pulped it. He smiled, because her strong grasp was pleasant.

The sudden noises of Roman catapults and the thousands of armoured people fighting echoed between the woods. It began surprisingly. The sky was filled with arrows and burning fireballs that unclouded the gloomy moments of the sunrise. Nerva moved minimally every time he listened the echo of the battle noises as if his reflex to get up was stronger than his order to stay. However, he forced himself to lean his back on the wall of the cottage and breathed deeply. His lips were pressed together. His eyes were squinted and he didn't look at anyone. He imagined what was going on. He already knew the surrounding. He was often on the meadow that has been chosen as the battle field. He knew that Marcus Lucius's power will stay on the side opposite to the hill on the horizon. The offenders should come through a small patch between the hills and the area full of snaky moors, near to a waterfall.

Nerva was right. What he didn't know was the fact that Marcus Lucius's appearance in the camp was welcomed very enthusiastic. He came quickly and ordered to wake up everybody. As he waited for the soldiers to take positions according their groups, he talked shortly with Rufus. Rufus summarized what happened in the last days and remarks about Julia didn't include her silent, spooky behaviour. The report focussed on the condition of the legionnaires. Marcus Lucius nodded quickly and then, he kept silence for a moment. The entire camp was awake and looked at the man, who didn't wear his helmet for the very first time. The legionnaires recognized him immediately as the commander from the last weeks. Some even knew that he wasn't Maxentius, because he looked like a warrior they already had the honour to get to see once or twice. The soldiers kept their breath in their lungs and waited for his words. There were rumours that a battle was in sight and it made the training tempo understandable. However, many soldiers knew that they weren't good enough. They started regretting that they didn't get more time to learn the techniques from the man, who they respected. He was fast, precise, skilled. They wanted to be the way he was. They didn't want to die.

Marcus Lucius didn't speak. As the commanders of the single troops came to him, he ordered to leave the camp. They, the commanders got a briefing about the battle plan. That was it. They left mumbling with themselves and said something about the big politics and the influence on the empire. They didn't feel good. The responsibility put on their shoulders was heavy and new. The lack of experience disarmed them. They weren't sure how to handle it.

-We'll do it together. - Marcus Lucius said at the end and it was the only moment he used to uplift them. They smiled unnaturally, artificially. The sweat drops appeared on their foreheads and their hands were shaky. They weren't the heroes of the day.

The uncertainty spread silently like an ideal gas composed of a set of randomly-moving, non-interacting point particles and filled the space. It was like Tuberculosis that typically spreads through the air when already actively infected people cough, sneeze, or otherwise transmit their saliva through the air. Marcus Lucius noticed that he couldn't leave his soldiers without any feedback.

-Soldiers, brothers... - Marcus Lucius started and his voice sounded calming and trustful. - It's not the time for long speeches and I can't preach. What I can and what I've tried to teach you is needed today. I know you're ready for the final test. Don't think about our influence on the great politics of our empire. Stay focussed. Do your best. I don't require more. Today, I rely on you, my brothers, as you can rely on me. At the end of the day, we'll see us whether at the table as the new heroes of Rome or at the side of Dea Tacita, The Silent Goddess. A man I knew said once that what's meant to be will find a destined way. I say to you: let us do our best and we'll see where it brings us.

The first sun rays occurred behind him and gave him the god-alike aura, as if the goddess of the dead would hug him personally, directly. The legionnaires calmed down. Marcus Lucius's words were repeated to the men from the outer ranks and with the more or less right quotations, the news spread that Marcus Lucius was the son of Maximus, the man who already collected victories in Britannia. The surprise was in the air, but it was encouraging. Feed with the thought that Marcus Lucius was going to be with them on the battle field, soldiers got uplifted and more confident. If the son of a great warrior was between them, then they weren't supposed to die that day. It was like having Achilles in your own ranks. They couldn't lose. They were unbeaten...

As they appeared on the one side of the meadow, they noticed that the Barbarians were already waiting for them. The offender started yelling and pound with their pikes or swords in the shields they held. The noise got louder. However, Marcus Lucius's soldiers didn't react. They held their flags and streamers proudly. Their shields were well-grounded. Their muscles were warmed-up by the short march to the meadow. They hearts were filled with excitement. The majority of them hadn't participated in any fight yet. Some more experienced soldiers started repeating the words of their commander: Stay focussed. Stay focussed. Stay focussed. From these tiny little words, a stream occurred and it sounded like an anthem that should be sung in front of a battle. Instead, the two words ruled in the air and echoed between the woods. Stay focussed. Stay focussed. It calmed down, but didn't break the spirit of the fight. It gave the accurate amount of courage and didn't allow to prance. Stay focussed. The hands held the swords in the trained way. The legs were positioned to attack. The eyes were directed to the enemy. Stay focussed. Stay focussed...

Wind pushed the clouds from one corner of the sky over the meadow to another. The clouds didn't like it and fought back with their only weapon. The rain started to fall on the ground and made wet everything on its way. The Barbarians wore warm, heavy pelts and they looked like sopping foxes or bears. Stay focussed. Stay focussed... As they started to be concentrated on the faces of the Barbarians, they were able to ignore the turmoil made on the other side of the meadow.

The preliminary rehearsal belonged to the past. Then, the orchestra included a huge amount of troops and divided into two bands with own maestros started the play with first strings. The battle concert began. The tumult decreased as an ocean of arrows scuffed up in the air and effaced the sun on its early course to the zenith. The daemons Homados known as Battle-Noise, Alala known as War-Cry, Proioxis called also Onrush, Palioxis known as Backrush and Kydoimos also known as Confusion were ready to step into the field. They waited for the opening signal. They were already warmed up and experienced over centuries of battles. As the demons looked to the left and right, they noticed the immortally loyal companions of other deities and spirits such as Ares, Phobos, Deimos, the Keres, Polemos, Enyo, and their mother Eris. The forthcoming battle wasn't supposed to be the most important or even one of the most crucial fights in the human history, but for people gathered there, for their families and allies, it was essential. Every involved human being felt subcutaneously that the Moment of History arrived and was undecided in which direction it would go. The Fate looked at the warriors full of hope and motivation. They were in the middle of a story that they understood just to some extent. They waited for a signal. They were waiting impatiently as it all begun.

The cue signal was overheard by the infantry. The footmen noticed the arrows that landed on the opposite side of the meadow and hurt the first Barbarians. They repaid in the same way. A cloud of arrows flew in the direction of Roman soldiers. It sounded like Russian jazz with Bolshevik trimmings. Extravagant, even less melodic parts occurred, when the arrows crossed the sky from one point to another, when the wounded screamed and the satisfied bowmen saw their results. Here and there, you could hear the yells of the wounded. A hand was bleeding. A leg got injured. A left ear got dabbed. Someone ordered not to start the attack yet. Someone asked what to do. The majority stayed calm and observed how a horde on horses appeared from nowhere as the very first rank. You could easily recognize Marcus Lucius, who didn't wear his helmet. His horse was excited, but not madcap. Its breath caused little clouds coming out of its mouth. Its muscles shivered every now and then. Its ears listened to the sounds from the surrounding. Its legs were kicking his heels. Hiberus stood in a wet ground and ignored the fact that slowly, a puddle increased under his hooves. The rain was not strong, but consequent in its continuously falling. The rain drops flew down from the faces to the shoulders and feet. The sight wasn't optimal. Here and there, soldiers started squinting their eyes.

The first fireballs appeared on the sky and enlighten the darkness of rainy clouds. Hiberus moved dynamically from his place. The rest of mounted soldiers left the first rank with a yell. Their scream wasn't understandable, but scary. The first part sparkled with underlined, fluently narrative piano and strings tunes. Then, bassoons and cellos joined the dialogue with the orchestra. The sequence of piano solo got interrupted by intense, rhythmic pulse and drive: the horse artillery moved forwards. The sound of battle music changed into substantial, heavily melodic gifts. The orchestral version became a mess. Some instruments were playing wrong notes due to the wounds the players collected. Fireballs reached the trees and human targets. The fire balls smashed into thousands of parts that glued to the people and elements of nature. The mud dashed the fire off, but even the wet clothes of Barbarians didn't predict them from suffering. Flash burn was painful. The skin was burning even through the rain that covered everything from above.

A horse whinnied, slipped in the mud. A Barbarian arm was cut off. A hand with a sword was injured. The tumult of the artillery brought heavy tones filled with full-blooded, largely diatonic melodic invention. The powerful vein of melody was mixed with the sound in the background. Infantry that started moving forwards slowly, but irreversibly, kept whispering: Stay focussed. Stay focussed... Horses moved dynamically between the footmen. The riders cut off anything that was on the way of their swords. Disharmonic sound of blades that were meeting each other echoed and the battle sound was victimized by the iron elements. Inaccurate grid and scrapes got mixed into the main melody of the battle. Despite the small inconveniences sound as loud yelling of piccolo, a lot of cello and bassoon typical, different styles were captured in the licks and marches. In the course of the battle, further wrong notes were noticeable and teased the warriors. The annoying issues spread quickly as men fell down.

Music drew its volatility. A lot of the music was there filled with lightness of single soldiers fighting dynamically. In terms of design, it stayed a pretty serious music, with a kind of dynamic, philharmonic piano solos and also drums and bass moments. Single disharmonic sounds were easy to follow. A pike reached a rider. A horse whinnied here. Another horse whinnied there. A rider felt to the ground and stood up to fight though the injured arm. Red spots appeared everywhere like in the untitled painting by Edward Dugmore from 1954. Poignant, lyrical and exalted tunes filled the composition as both sides had to absorb blows and cut wounds.

Roman soldiers didn't lose their spirit to fight. Somewhere on the horizon or even just next to some of them, Marcus Lucius appeared. His moves were rapid, precise. He knew what was going on around him. He was covered in blood of others, of warriors he killed or injured. It took the breath away to stay next to him. As he felt off Hiberus, the horse ran away after he slapped it back. He smiled a bit. His wet presence didn't cause any compassion. His eyes foreboded intuitively support for his men and deadly, cruel blows to his enemy. A cerebral, synthetic vein of melody became louder as Marcus Lucius was in sight. Marcus Lucius looked to the Roman soldiers, but it wasn't the time to bring away the injured. Increasingly amount of morbid-sounding occurred. The rushed, chromatic tones of diversity and fluency of trumpet, bassoon and strings output appeared. In the last moments, everyone tried to give the best in the purest form showing the ultimately needs. More hands, arms, legs were cut off. Swords were jabbing the exposed human flesh. Pikes were going through the human body parts. Stream of blood flew increasingly.

Exotic elements appeared as Cunobarros's men stepped in the battle to gore the leftover of the wild, not welcomed army. Cunobarros was brought in the field by Marcus Lucius's wink. Somewhat almost everyone got the note of it. On the wide, muddy meadow, the last duels took place. The Roman footmen together with Barbarian villagers killed the last of men from the North.

Cataclysmic, irreversible finish was near, perceptible. The rain pined away. It changed into a drizzle. The wind decreased and let the clouds stay where they were. The end of the rainstorm was clearly visible when the grey clouds disappeared and the survivors could see the dark, but blue heaven and the rays there were no perfect words for describing the feeling of a survivor. As they kneed down after the battle and looked to the sky above, their tired, but victorious faces were full of relief. They looked around and saw the ocean of fallen warriors from both sides. They looked to their dead or wounded friends and recognized Aeneas, Cicero, Justus, Tiberius, Cato, Marius, Nero, Antonius... They saw Theon, Magnus, Octavius, Atticus...

The Moment of History nodded emotionless as the thought occurred: "It is finished." Pompeius, who kept positions allowing him to follow the development of the fight, smiled, because he knew the meaning of the victory. He ordered the medico to decide which wounded should be laid in the camp and which should be left with the dead ones. The wounded enemy should be killed or left to die in torment. It wasn't cruel compared to the fact that Celtic forces were known to decapitate Roman soldiers and to take their heads as trophies.

The footmen should bring the wounded back to the camp, if they got the allowance of the medico. The dead Romans should be stripped of any and all items of use. Three days were needed to accomplish the action. Wading in the corpses of friends and known soldiers wasn't easy.

-Mother nature would take care of the remains. - Pompeius said finally as he checked the work of the soldiers.

Directly after the fight, Pompeius ordered a celebration. He wanted to give a moment of relax with wine and slots. Soldiers accepted it with a gratitude. After a whole day full of effort and tension, they needed anything that could distract the visions from the fight and after the battle was over. Looking at friends and hundreds of soldiers that got killed wasn't easy for anyone, especially, when the legionnaires hadn't much practice with such experiences.

-Someone promised you to see you again whether at the table as the new heroes of Rome or at the side of Dea Tacita. I didn't forget it and I support it, because you served the empire well. Your commander said you to do your best and you did it. Let us celebrate the moment of victory. Let us celebrate then.

Pompeius's short speech was welcomed with great enthusiasm. The only issue that muddled the soldiers' minds was the fact that they lost Marcus Lucius from their sight. At first, they assumed that he was sent to the battle field to be with the wounded. Their assumption was almost right. Marcus Lucius didn't leave the battle field. At first, he thanked his soldiers and sent them back to the camp. Then, he thanked Cunobarros and sent him back to the village, where Julia was hidden. He asked Cunobarros to report Nerva and Julia about the result of the battle. They should stay away from the camp, because Marcus Lucius wasn't sure what could happen next. As Cunobarros left, Marcus Lucius joined the medico and went through the ocean of bodies and corpses. Together, they looked after the wounded and separated the dead from the living ones.

-I have to look at your wounds, too. - Medico said while they weren't interrupted by anyone. Pompeius's soldiers looked after arrows, spears and armour parts that could be repaired by blacksmiths and craftsmen in the camp.

-I'm not wounded. - Marcus Lucius whispered emotionless.

-You are and you know it. - The medico said. - What is your plan?

-I don't have any plan. - Marcus Lucius said sadly.

-I suggest I look at your chest when we come back. You breath heavier than usually.

-It's nothing, just a scratch.

-Your father would lie the same way right now. - The medico seemed to be worried.

Marcus Lucius didn't want to confirm that he didn't feel good. In the fever of the fight, he ignored the pain. After the battle, he was mostly worried about Julia. Until that day, his help was needed and it was the insurance for Julia and without it, everything seemed to be so complicated and indissoluble like the Gordian Knot related to a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. Marcus Lucius had to thinking outside the box and it wasn't easy to raise above the situation to get a big picture solution. He hadn't any plan. The day was almost over and the darkness started to win the air.

-I suggest you to find your woman and show her that you're alive. I'll stay here. It's late enough. Nobody will notice it. Come back quickly. - The medico whispered in conspiracy and was satisfied as Marcus Lucius seemed to be less tensed. Watching Marcus Lucius in a gloomy mood reminded him about Maximus's bad days. Marcus Lucius's lam in the desperation wasn't the aim that medico wished to support.

Marcus Lucius sighed relieved.

-I'll be back soon. - He whispered and whistled.

His horse appeared quickly and it didn't take long as he left the field. He rid in the opposite direction to the cottage he visited shortly in the morning. Nobody was there. He cursed quietly. He was tensed and nerved, but he noticed that something moved near. He turned around and waited for the suspicious beings to step forward.

-It's me. - He said.

It was the key for Julia to show up. She ran to him from the bushes in the woods. Her bright, relieved smile was the reward enough for Marcus Lucius. He hugged her tight and spinned a couple of rounds as she ran into his arms. Although he was dynamically twirling, he noticed Nerva stepping forward. As Marcus Lucius stopped, he didn't like to put Julia down back on the ground, but he did it. It allowed him to shake hands with Nerva.

-I've heard that you won. Not bad. - Nerva congratulated in his specific way. - We've waited here. Cunobarros said you wouldn't come, but I was sure, you won't resist.

Marcus Lucius smiled, used the moment impatiently and hugged Julia even stronger. Then, he kissed her spontaneously. He breathed her scent and swung her a bit to the right and then to the left. Having her next to him was the best feeling in the world.

-Pompeius borrowed me his cohort. - Marcus Lucius reported and smiled as he saw Nerva's surprised expression. - I wasn't sure what should it mean. You can't deal with it, either.

-Not exactly. I can't judge Pompeius at all. He had already enough chances to kill you. He could act more brutally and still get what he wanted. Instead, he gives you his own cohort. Not bad...

-Strange, not understandable, but real. I can't make out of him, either. - Marcus Lucius sounded less happy at once. Instead, reflection and worry appeared in his eyes. He didn't look at Julia, but directly to Nerva. Julia's eyes were occupied with checking his skin. He had bloody hands and

-You should come with us. - Julia said. - You can runaway now.

-I gave my word that I will come back and I'm bounded. - Marcus Lucius answered sadly.

-So, I'll go with you. - She added.

In the limited light of the evening, Julia's face didn't betray the entire range of her sorrow and longing. Marcus Lucius kissed her shortly, but passionately.

-No. You stay here with Nerva. I don't have time. Stay with Cunobarros and wait until we'll get a plan. Give me time. I'll come back to you.

Nerva saluted and took Julia's hand to push her away from Marcus Lucius. Her mute scream stayed in the space between them. Nerva pressed her with both hands to his chest and showed Marcus Lucius to leave the place. In the darkness of the late evening, his silhouette disappeared quickly. Within some minutes, he came back to the medico. The older man was relieved to see him and at the same time, a bit worried.

-You had a good opportunity to leave this place forever. - He said.

-Indeed... I gave my word.

-You and your honour... Screw it. This bane is in your blood. When will you learn to survive?!

Marcus Lucius didn't comment it. He believed in the upper values and he felt obligated to keep his word. He came to other thoughts as he looked to the dead ones under his feet. He recognized the soldiers he trained and it didn't feel good to look at their blood-smeared bodies, empty eyes and immovable corpses. Marcus Lucius bowed over every man and closed his eyes while he said "mortua heic ego sum et sum cinis, is cinis terrast: sein est terra dea, ego sum dea, mortua non sum" as a good-bye to every fallen warrior. Wishing a good return of the body to Mother Earth as the source of life and energy, as and nourishment, an anticipation of a final refuge in her at death. It sounded serious and sad as if he would say "Father, into your hands they committed their spirit". He heard a lot of times that we are all equal in front of death. He wasn't convinced about it. Some were lucky and died with motivated, satisfied faces by one perfectly conducted by a representative of the opposite side. The other got wounded and were dying for a longer or shorter moment that could be individually percepted as painful, real eternity or that be filled with numb signals of the body. The mood was brimful of ache and moaning that interrupted the dead silence.

The medico ignored Marcus Lucius's prayers and focussed on selecting the wounded. For him, it didn't play a role whether Marcus Lucius did it as a good man or rather a soldier who wished to be bowed out in respectful way independently from the reasons or circumstances of his death. Marcus Lucius was a dead man walking the way or another. The medico tried to keep the emotional distance to Marcus Lucius, even if it was already too late for such attempts. The old man was afraid of decaying the time after Marcus Lucius's death. If Rome was on the way to lose such people purposely, then it was the first step to the irreversible fall of Rome.

Pompeius's soldiers came closer and communicated that the shift was over. Marcus Lucius and medico were supposed to come back to the camp. It was already dark and the legionnaires drunk already enough wine to be happy or totally depressed. The paid women with welcoming thighs and breasts took over the entertainment part. Marcus Lucius had the impression that the camp changed into one huge bawdyhouse.

Pompeius noticed the arrival of Marcus Lucius and medico from the very first moment. He looked how the both accompanied the wagons with wounded men and waited until Marcus Lucius was close enough to have no chance to run away.

-Welcome, the son of Maximus. - Pompeius started like an actor who says "To be or not to be" so loud that even the outer ranks get his words.

The legionnaires looked curiously to Pompeius and stopped kissing and penetrating the doubtful ladies. Giggling girls were halted from making any kind of noise.

-You are condemned for your purpose acting as Maxentius. - Pompeius announced and smiled jeeringly.

Cornelius came to Pompeius and joined the enemy party. Cornelius nodded and applauded twice. He got scared and silent as he saw what the announcement caused. The legionnaires stood up one after another, massively like a rockfall initiated by one sentence. They left the paid women, they left the wine, and appeared next to Marcus Lucius suddenly. They took a protective position. They weren't intimidated by Pompeius's soldiers. In opposite, their anger increased even more.

-Your soldiers are not amused. - Pompeius kept smiling and his eyes were squinted. He didn't move even a bit from his position. His guards surrounded him and protected from the angry mass. The second unit of non-drunken legionnaires of Pompeius encircled the wagons, but didn't dare to come closer to Marcus Lucius, who was armoured. They already saw his skills in the battle and they wanted to take him without any violence.

Marcus Lucius, actually the targeted person, stayed free next to the wagons with wounded.

-I promised you to come back and here I am. - He said calmly. - Let us dress the wounds and burry the dead ones. Then, you can do whatever you think is right. - He slapped the horse of the team and followed the animal that pulled the wagon. Nobody interrupted him. He was tired and empty inside. Everything had no sense and he needed to rest. The crowd respected it. Eight of his legionnaires followed him keeping the distance needed for him to feel free. As he stepped in the tent, they took the guardian positions and didn't allow Pompeius's soldiers to get into the tent. Even if some of Marcus Lucius's legionnaires were a bit drunk and enjoyed the evening up to that moment, they felt internally obligated to protect their commander in need. The death penalty occurred everyone obviously and cruelly as too high to pay. Even Pompeius's soldiers were insecure and didn't like to interfere. They needed someone in a white cloak with blood-red lining, who would have the shuffling gait of a cavalryman, who wouldn't appear early in the morning of the fourteenth day of the spring month of Nisan, but who would come immediately to the camp, not to the palace of Herod the Great' the procurator of Judea. They needed someone above Pompeius.

In the tent, the medico came to him, ordered to sit down and took off the armour. Marcus Lucius followed medico's words. First then, he noticed that he had a serious bruise below the collarbone. The medico assumed a broken rib and examined the bone structure under the skin. It was a painful procedure, because medico had to pressure on the violet and red part on Marcus Lucius's chest.

-It's just a scratch. A horse came suddenly and I couldn't dodge. It skimmed me on the chest. - Marcus Lucius shook his head and smiled.

The medico nodded and swatted him on the head like a teacher clips a pupil round the ear.

-You are stupid and lucky. I don't know how long it will take until your fortune turns back to you. - The old man said.

-You're right, nothing broken. You have to be more careful. A great commander shouldn't get killed in such a stupid way. Here, drink this. - He ordered and gave Marcus Lucius a jug with wine.

Marcus Lucius hesitated, but the strict look of the old man was insisting. He drunk and with every swallow, he noticed how thirsty he was. His headache that stayed hidden during the entire day and even stayed locked during the evening jumped out of the corner of his body and took the baton on the relay. Medico checked whether Marcus Lucius drunk everything and then, he gave him the tunic back. Marcus Lucius dressed quickly and wanted to leave the tent.

-I won't become a great commander. I will be executed soon. - Marcus Lucius said calmly, quietly and medico's hand stopped him from making any further step. The old man stood in front of the warrior, who had no long-term perspectives. At least, one further night could be given to a man, who actually could grip the soldiers.

-You are already a good commander. You have friends. - The medico whispered and his head's movement showed to the guards at the tent's entrance. - Wait until your judgement will be confirmed. Lay down here and sleep. You didn't get rest for three days.

Marcus Lucius was too tired to raise further questions. He sat down at the bed, used the moment and felt asleep. Medico went then from one wounded to another and checked was was possible to rescue the injured men. Pompeius sent three further medicos early that day. They were a bit younger and their clothes showed Balkan issues. It was highly probable that Pompeius brought them from his times spent in Moesia. They didn't look to Marcus Lucius and stayed focussed on other wounded Romans that were laid on pallets. The blood smell attacked the noses of conscious and blemished their face expressions awfully. Moaning mixed with heavy breaths of unconscious ones fulfilled the air. Crushed bones protruded from some bodies. Draining streams of blood flew directly to the ground. Fingers and smaller body parts trembled uncontrollably. Marcus Lucius laid calmly and his whisper run like wind through the space of the tent: "mortua heic ego sum et sum cinis, is cinis terrast: sein est terra dea, ego sum dea, mortua non sum".

#6 ONE DAY SOON

Already a week passed by and nothing changed visibly. Marcus Lucius helped to prepare the dead ones to burry when others looked after useful or repairable armour parts. On the fourth day after the battle, he stood in the first rank during the burial. Up to then, he could move freely during the day, but he was escorted in double way. Pompeius's soldiers followed the guards freely arranged from the legionnaires in Eboracum. After the burial, he thanked his soldiers and went by feet to the villa. The strange caravan attracted attention of the city inhabitants. Roman women and children went out to the streets and asked "Who is he?", "What is going on?", "What are you going to do with him?". The rumours about his contribution before and during the battle made rounds and some started comparing Marcus Lucius to Cincinnatus, one of the heroes of early Rome, a wonderful example of Roman outstanding leader, who was called to serve Rome as dictator, and who immediately resigned after completing his task, after he defeated the tribes of Aequians, Sabines, and Volscians. These virtue and simplicity brought Marcus Lucius the compassion of the people, who stood on the streets and prayed for his saving.

Pompeius didn't send him to the cellar. Instead, Marcus Lucius got chained and could stay in the chamber that once was Julia's. He wasn't able to come to the window and to have a look at the sky. However, he was gazing at the bed and reminded the moments he spent with Julia. Twice a day a servant brought him water, sometimes even a hand full of crumbs stolen in the kitchen. Every day another servant came into the room, but nobody was mocking. In opposite, the slaves tried to walk on eggshells. Marcus Lucius smiled and thanked them in the local language. They smiled back and rushed to leave the room. Pompeius didn't occur in the next three days, but his voice echoed sometimes in the building.

The eighth day became a special one. Marcus Lucius expected his execution. Instead, a man in his early 40ies with minimal Spanish issues on his face, hidden under a dark cape with hood stepped into the room. He wore military attire. He was alone. He stayed and looked from above to Marcus Lucius sitting on the floor. He didn't salute or say anything. His watchful, somewhat friendly, curious eyes, tried to make conclusions of unknown origins and meanings. Finally, he pushed Marcus Lucius's favourite chair and sat down directly in front of Marcus Lucius. He sighed.

-I was asked to judge about your case. - The stranger said slowly finally. - I've heard a lot from different sides, and I wanted to speak with you directly. Will you tell me your story, soldier?

Marcus Lucius was surprised, but he didn't show it. The stranger looked trustfully, but Marcus Lucius didn't intend to confess anything.

-You won't... \- The stranger said and smiled. - You're no whiner, who looks for quick advantages or someone's ear.

Marcus Lucius analysed who the stranger was and couldn't guess.

-I've heard that you left your camp without any permission and you killed your wife. You didn't come back to your commander and surprisingly, you lived here as Maxentius, the husband of Julia, the daughter of Julius Fabius. You took over the camp from Cornelius, the brother of Julius Fabius. I've heard you're the one, who ordered military training and drilling to be more rigorous, who even dined and slept amongst the soldiers, who buried properly the men he lost even if he was already accused of betrayal, who crushed the opponent lately, who has alliance with the local warriors. I've heard a lot about you these days, Marcus Lucius.

Marcus Lucius listened carefully, but he nor refused nor confirmed anything.

-I assume torturing won't bring me further. Is there anything that you would like to add as your defence?

-I didn't kill my wife. I didn't take over the command over the camp. - Marcus Lucius said finally.

-On whose orders did you act? - The stranger was apparently fascinated with the prisoner. - I've heard you got a lot of soldiers from Appius.

-I take everything on my account. - Marcus Lucius said. His eyes burnt shorty as he heard the name of his friend, but there was no further reaction to see in his body.

-So, this is the new hero of Rome. - The stranger smiled mysteriously. - You played with fire and it's not surprising that you got burnt. I hope you'll be more talkative when you see, who I brought here for you.

The stranger stood up and left the room. Marcus Lucius felt weak, but he didn't feel dizzy. He wondered what the stranger tried to communicate and as he struggled with the task, he noticed a movement somewhere near to him. It wasn't wind coming from the small window or from any room of the house. Marcus Lucius heard fragile, dainty steps and he recognized Julia. He was convinced that he was dreaming, because Julia was supposed to stay with Nerva in a safe place. He got worried as he saw her silhouette and he waited until she was next to him. Without a word, she kneed in front of him and looked him in the eyes. He was tired, but happy and scared at once. She checked his forehead's temperature and she wasn't satisfied.

-Don't say anything. I'll check your wound. The medico said...

-Hush... - He interrupted her. - Don't say anything about wounds. What are you doing here?

His voice included anger and bitterness. She smiled sadly and touched his neck. She peeked under his tunic and as her trembling hands touched his chest, he moved his fixed wrists to percept her fingers.

-They said that they won't kill you, when I will come back. Nerva was sent to the camp and I was ordered here. - She had tears in his eyes, but she didn't cry. As she saw the already a huge, yellow bruise with suppurative issues on his chest, he got scared.

-When?

-Yesterday. We got the news from the city, from the slaves. They said you're prisoned. I had to see you.

He didn't expect her to take over cleaning his wound and he was very thankful to her for her support. He leant on the backrest and let her draw the pus into the piece of the material in her hand. He didn't close his eyes, but stayed focused on her movements. She was professional and careful. Her moves were soft, but precise.

-The medico said you need this herbals. Your scratches shouldn't be ignored. - She whispered as she rubbed an ointment into his skin. He didn't oppose, maybe due to the shock. He was tired and sleepy, but his furious look brought him additional powers:

-You shouldn't have come here. Nerva was ordered to keep you away from here. - He whispered.

-It was my decision, not yours or Nerva's. By what right are you telling me such things anyway? - She looked at him with disappointment.

-By the right of a man who loves you and who can't die in peace now knowing you're in danger.

-What do you want then? - She said and analysed whether she understood the part, when he said that he was loving her. A sparkle of joy occurred in her eyes and it was dashed by Marcus Lucius's gloomy look.

-I want you to be safe, even if I won't be around. Now, it's over.

-It's not over. The emperor... - She interrupted him hastily.

-So, it was the emperor himself... - Marcus Lucius smiled surrealistically.

-He's here. You have to tell him everything. Then, he will decide what to do. Maybe, he will give you back the freedom. He won't kill you. It wouldn't make a good impression in people's eyes.

-What am I supposed to say? Should I betray my friends and you to save my own skin? - He wasn't serious, because the idea occurred him strange and improbable.

Julia hadn't any answer for it. She kneed in front of him and it was close enough to feel his warm body, but too far away to feel his heartbeat. However, she added after a moment:

-If you will get any choice, chose to live, no matter what...

Marcus Lucius smiled. She has stolen him the promise he required from her once.

-I wanted you to wake up every day and chose me every morning as the person you want to wake up another day. - He said calmly. His hand stroked her cheek. The chain rasped.

-And now, you don't want it anymore? - She wondered as he stroked her right eyebrow that was already healed. Just a little, cute scar reminded him about her wound.

-I can't live if living is without you, but I'm a dead man walking. With my last breath, I will fight for your freedom. It won't be easy considering the current circumstances, but I will try to do my best. - He answered. - Don't worry, we'll succeed somehow.

Julia breathed with relief. Knowing that he was calm and full of hopes brought back the inner peace. In the same moment, Marcus Lucius tried as much as possible to stay convincing and to calm her down in a fighting a losing battle.

-If not, I will follow you in the afterlife. - She claimed seriously.

He wondered whether Decima was so strong, too. The more he observed Julia the more he knew that he didn't know his wife at all. It was a scary finding, but it seemed to be true.

-You should go. - He said as she finished.

She stood up unhurriedly while she stroke his face. As she went away, he felt even worse as ever before. In his angry mood, he didn't notice as Pompeius appeared.

-You see, I have nobody, who is important to me so much that I wouldn't fall asleep knowing that such person is in danger. You're vulnerable. I am not. - His words were full of confidence.

-It's not hard to die when you know you have been loved.

-You're wrong, Marcus Lucius. You're wrong. It's even harder than you think. -Pompeius turned around wit furious sparkles in his eyes and left.

The forenoon passed by. The afternoon was over. Evening prowled slowly. The wind that came into Julia's chamber brought the first scents of spring. Drapes danced in the room as four guards brought Marcus Lucius away from the chamber. He was let through the dining room, where he used to eat meals in company of Julia and Nerva. He was pushed to go further and finally. He stood in the yard, where he used to practice his skills. There, the stranger was waiting for him. Marcus Lucius saluted.

-Now, you already know who I am, soldier. - Hadrian smiled.

Marcus Lucius didn't response.

-Please, sit down and let's talk. If you don't want to tell me anything, then don't. - He made a short pause. - I sent you Julia. I give you my word that she won't get hurt by anyone.

Marcus Lucius sighed and sit down next to the emperor. His tension decreased, but didn't disappear.

-She is a very charming being. - The emperor continued quietly. - Life is all about living for one another, so we try to live with those who we love and respect most. - He sighed deeply and stopped talking for a while. He breathed the air deeply and savoured the moment. - As I became the emperor, I wished to have a period of peace. I don't want any further, unnecessary battles or wars. The empire needs to rest. We, soldiers, need to rest. We need to look after what is most important in life... As far as I can see it, you did the right thing. You improved the skills and the morals of soldiers. You didn't run away, even if you had enough chances to flee. You let your soldiers to a fight and you won. You developed good relationships with the local folks. I've heard you even speak their language. You are the man I need for a period of peace. You are a good soldier and a good man. What happened to you that you landed here?

Marcus Lucius listened carefully. The emperor made a reliable impression.

-My wife got killed. I don't know for which reasons, but she got killed by a man I trusted. He warned me and wanted to kill me as well. As I reached Rome, it was already too late. I wanted to get my revenge, so I turned back and was on the way to Brigetio again.

Hadrian listened and nodded in the sign of understanding.

-I am not sure what happened near to Aquincum. I saw an ambush and helped to defend the travellers. I asked who was attacked and the man, Maxentius, was already dead. I don't know why I didn't report it anyone. I simply said to soldiers from Appius, who appeared a moment later, I am Maxentius and they took it for trust. They got orders from Appius to accompany the convoy to Britannia. As I came here, it was increasingly complicated to say the truth. I played the role I have chosen and I did my best to serve the empire.

-You're lying to me right now. - Hadrian smiled mischievously. - I should put you back in the cellar.

Marcus Lucius kept the stony face expression and waited for emperor's next move.

-Ah, Marcus Lucius, you're a really good man. I need such men in my service. Maybe you don't know that I am involved into Dacian wars. I sent for Appius, because he is the best trainer and I needed him. He confessed being the man, who ordered you to go to Britannia. I heard you were badly wounded and the assumption of Pompeius wasn't consistent for me. An unconscious man can't hold anyone in the palm of his hand. Appius allayed my doubts. He told me what he ordered and what you fulfilled.

Marcus Lucius stunned. He didn't know anymore which background information Hadrian had, but the emperor was clued-up.

-Don't be scared. I wanted to prove your loyalty and you passed the test. - Hadrian laughed quietly. His calm, friendly being was unique. He was like the older brother that you wish to have, if you don't know what t do next and need an advisor. - Independently from each other, I communicated with Appius and with Pompeius. They were ordered to give you whether backup or opportunity to act freely. Don't be cross with me. - He laughed and Marcus Lucius had to smile. - I needed to prove you. I've heard stories about your father. I know how it is to be compared... - Hadrian's mood changed. He became nostalgic and sad. Marcus Lucius didn't comment anything. He waited patiently. - I want to be a kind like Trajan, a good emperor, who brings peace and wealth to the people. Therefore, I need people like you, reliable, good soldiers.

-So, Pompeius is as reliable and good soldier as I? - Marcus Lucius asked.

-Not quite. He's a good man, but he was already betrayed once. He's a good, but he bears grudges. He cannot bear Appius. It's an old resentment. They don't speak about it. I don't ask. However, they had the same request related to you.

Hadrian moved. Marcus Lucius was tensed from curiosity.

-I was in the South for too long. I can't withstand even low temperatures anymore... It's cold here. Let's go inside. Let's eat something.

-Will you tell me please what they were asking for? - Marcus Lucius dared to raise a question.

The emperor, who could easily be his ordinary commander, smiled brighter.

-I'll tell you when you tell me your whole story.

That was the catch. Hadrian wanted to get to know the entire story. He had enough puzzles to put the pieces together, but listening the full version could underline the kind of trust they already had. Marcus Lucius was undecided and hesitated, because he wasn't sure how he should describe the relationship with Julia. It was his sorrow. He needed to talk with her. He needed to know what she said to Hadrian, if she already spoke with him.

Hadrian saw Marcus Lucius's vacillation and left him alone. Before he left, he gave Marcus Lucius a letter from Appius. Marcus Lucius thanked shortly and stayed in the yard and in the dimmed light of the torches outside, he read the lines that his friend wrote. It wasn't much. Actually, few sentences were there. Appius's writing was hard to decode, not only due to his own, typical spidery handwriting, but also from the missing context:

"You've experienced a lot in the last weeks. Remember, one person can make a difference. If you ignore it, you won't get to know what your contribution was and you won't get your personal absolution. Where is a will there's a way. Choose what's right for you. No regrets."

Marcus Lucius read it a couple of time and wasn't sure what Appius wanted to say to him. With confused face and tensed body, he joined the supper. At the table, Pompeius sat already next to the emperor and they talked about something funny. They laughed and Pompeius looked so relaxed that Marcus Lucius wondered that Pompeius could enjoy such a level of freedom. Pompeius hadn't the already good known jeering sparkles in his eyes. In opposite, his eyes looked really friendly, even joyful.

Marcus Lucius saluted and they responded with a friendly nod. Although the mood was lax, a kind of skilled routine was in the air. Nobody could put it away and hang up like a coat in a hallway. Hadrian noticed that Marcus Lucius knew from the very first step how many soldiers were in the room, who was sitting where and to whom he should salute at first. Hadrian observed Marcus Lucius already from the very beginning and he liked what he saw.

Marcus Lucius also realised a while ago that Hadrian was a trained soldier. His moves were fluent, practiced. His nod, his move to lift a glass, his move to check what his soldiers were doing... Everything fitted, built a coherent, soldierly oneness. Marcus Lucius didn't know, but Hadrian felt the same kind of respect towards him.

Julia sat on the left side of the emperor. She wore a new dress and trembled. The temperature was low and the thick-skinned men weren't sensitive enough to percept the draft in the air. Marcus Lucius looked how she tried not to raise any attention. He wasn't sure whether he should help her or whether his care would be taken as his weakness. "Screw it!" he thought and detoured with a stopover at a trunk, where some blankets were. He put out one of them, a red one, and muffled her up carefully. She didn't say a word.

Hadrian and Pompeius observed it rather less pushy. They didn't comment it, but their minds noticed the act of Marcus Lucius very clearly. Julia was insecure and pulled the edges of the blanket to cover her even more, to hide herself. She tried not to interrupt any discussion. She was the only woman in the round and she wasn't supposed to say anything important. She smiled politely and tried not to look directly at anyone. She thought about the message she got from Appius. He wrote just one sentence and she wasn't sure what it all meant. She hid the paper under a ribbon of her dress as nobody was looking. She felt every letter from Appius piece of paper: "You were born, because you were going to be important to someone."

After she saw Marcus Lucius on the evening after the battle, she backtracked with Nerva to Cunobarros's village. She didn't feel comfortable there, because she felt observed by everyone. Nerva tried to stay in her sight, but he didn't want to "limit her spirit" as he called it. She mostly sat down in a cottage that was domiciled by a local family. The mistress of the home was a tall, slender, young woman with two children that were already old enough to help in the village's works. Julia didn't feel good as she listened to talks between the woman and her man. It sounded unfriendly and included a lot of looks in her own direction. It was the late winter. It was too early to go outside and work on the land. The entire family spent its days in the cottage. There was not much food and the portions were strictly limited. Julia wasn't sure whether the villagers were inconvenient with her presence or whether they were scared of Nerva's sword. Nerva used to exercise his wrists and sometimes, he even did it with his weapon. The fury sparkles in the eyes of the family's elders showed their attitude towards the situation. Then, Nerva went outside the cottage and continued his training. Julia followed him and whether she sat down on the ground or she stood some steps away from him. They didn't talk with each other, but they exchanged minimal smiles every now and then.

The days were long and the nights were even longer. Nerva let Julia to lay her head on his chest. His armour was put aside and he took the pieces of material he got from Cunobarros and covered Julia in it. She was still trembling, so he moved her closer to his warm body. She glued to him as if he would be a bedwarmer. He wasn't familiarized with such long proximity of a woman next to him and he seemed to be tensed a bit. Julia wasn't good with the situation either, because she wished to have Marcus Lucius at her side. Marcus Lucius was more gentle and close. She wasn't thinking how to touch him anymore. With Nerva, she minded every movement and sometimes, she even woke up, because she had a twitch. Nerva said her to relax and as he laid his arm around her, she get calmer. He tried not to stroke her, even if he had sometimes a strong reflex to do it.

Cunobarros stepped by to the cottage every day. He brought the news. Some of his men were serving in Maxentius's villa. They conveyed the pieces of information related to Marcus Lucius. Julia already learnt to discriminate the sound of Marcus Lucius's name in the local dialect. It sounded like an alias. It was spoken respectfully and quickly. Nerva laughed as she tried to imitate the sound, when everybody ignored her. Cunobarros said that Marcus Lucius was wounded, but not seriously. The old man added that Marcus Lucius was on the battle field and spoke prayers for the fallen people. As Cunobarros reported that Marcus Lucius was imprisoned and let through the streets of Eboracum to Maxentius's villa, Julia almost fainted. Nerva kept her hand and almost pulped it by his pressure. He wanted to follow Cunobarros, but the old man refused at first. As some hours later, Cunobarros stepped into the cottage, where both Romans were, he asked Nerva to go out with him for a talk. Julia didn't like to stay alone and Nerva didn't accept leaving her.

-It's just a moment. I insist. We'll stay there, next to the tree. - Cunobarros showed with his hand which tree he meant and Nerva accepted the deal. There was something in Cunobarros's eyes that had to be told from man to man. Their talk was quite long and Cunobarros gesticulated. Julia followed his moves like a crouching cat that couldn't decide whether to go outside or stay in the building. Nerva shook his head without satisfaction, rather nerved. Cunobarros made a lot of short, irritable steps. As they finally came back, Nerva got a glass with the local alcohol. He drank it at once. Then, he got another shot and the stuff had to be hard enough. Nerva neck a lot, but he got shaky legs and sat down less carefully in the place, where he normally spent nights. He showed Julia not to ask anything. He had to think over. Julia was sorrowed and wasn't sure what he heard.

-Is he fine? Is he alive? - She asked with a trembling voice. - She imagined already the worst case scenario and she almost started crying. If Nerva was so broken apart, then he had to know something bad. It had to be so bad that he wasn't able to speak it aloud. It had to be horrible, terrifying and dark as a region of space time where gravity prevents even light from escaping. Her fear raised by absorbing the dangerous thoughts the same way a supermassive black hole grew by merging with other black holes and cumulating millions of solar masses.

Nerva saw it all in her eyes and said "No...", but it didn't sounded convincing. The mistress of the home looked for the very first time with a kind of envy and compassion to Julia. The Roman girl started walking chaotically on the limited space where she was. Nerva caught her arm and pushed to him. She felt down to him and he checked whether he didn't hurt her. She started to jig forwards and backwards like a mad person. Nerva pushed her and settled her between his legs. Then, he pressed his knees together so that Julia wasn't able to move. He hugged her and laid his head on her frowned back. His breath was warm. His pressure was perceptible and needed to calm down the girl.

Finally, Nerva felt asleep in such a strange position. His arms loosened and felt to Julia's feet. He whispered something in sleep. Julia wasn't able to understand it. She wasn't able to fall asleep and wobbled still a bit. She imagined the world that wasn't worth to live. She wasn't sure what to do. There were many alternatives, but there was no conception that could bring her further. A great nothing filled her soul and she wasn't able to stop falling down into the emptiness. She was looking somewhere, where nobody could follow. Nerva whispered a word and woke up. His chin landed on her shoulder blade. He sighed sadly.

-What's going on? - She whispered as she tried to turn back to him.

She managed a half-turn. Nerva's head moved to her and she saw helplessness in his eyes. Just the eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Nerva's fingers touched her lips and she understood that he didn't like her to say anything. She moved a bit. She wanted to add something anyway. His hand covered her mouth immediately. It brought a wave of fury, but before she could even react, he pulled her with his other hand and her head landed on his chest. She listened to his mad heartbeat and wondered what it all meant.

-Don't move. Don't cry. - Nerva said abuzz through clenched teeth.

She nodded as far as it was possible. His hand moved away from her mouth. Instead, he hugged her with both hands again. His grip was even stronger than before. Maybe he forgot that she was a girl, that she was a dainty being, that he should protect her from hurt. He held her close to him like a baby that had to get soothed. It wasn't a comfortable position, but she tried to keep it.

-They know that Marcus Lucius has good contact to the locals, so they announced that they won't kill him, when we come back. They want you. I can't allow you to go there, because Marcus Lucius will kill me, if he gets it. You should stay here. Right?

Julia didn't ask which "they" he meant. Instead, she felt weak and if she would stay on her feet, she would fell down to the ground like an inflexible bag of potatoes. She wouldn't crash, because Marcus Lucius was alive. She would fall down due to her relief. The sudden shot of energy pushed her to stretch her arms. She hugged Nerva tightly, ridiculously joyful. She needed to percept any resistance, any substance, anything to be sure she was still living. She felt how tensed his muscles were.

-What should we do? I promised him not to flee... - She whispered rather to herself and Nerva pulled her stronger to his chest. He didn't like her talking, not in this moment. She didn't like to speak aloud her fears and doubts, either. Thousands of thoughts run through her mind and there was no solution she could stand up for.

Early in the morning, they were still so close to each other as never before.

-I will go there. They can't kill him. - Julia said determined and resourceful.

-Cunobarros advised against it. He promised to protect you as I did. We can't bring you there. We'll move even further in the woods in case of patrolling would step here by. - Nerva spoke like a dead man. There was no emotion in his voice. His eyes were glazy. He didn't see it all from the white-black-perspective. He saw the grey shades glueing to every option and even creating a whole range of possibilities.

-I will go there, Nerva. You can't stop me. I will rescue him.

Nerva laughed madly. If Marcus Lucius could be saved, then under his own steam. Marcus Lucius was clever enough to escape from any trap. The only condition was knowing that Julia was safe. Nerva wasn't sure how to handle Julia. He couldn't play in front of her. She became suddenly so important that he simply couldn't look her in the eyes and lie. This proximity pricked his conscience. It became too hard to keep the distance. If it would be a sexual matter, he would have sex with her and everything would go over. But it wasn't sexual. Having her in his arms didn't titillate him. It was pleasant, but it felt rather like having an anchor, even if she hadn't any clue about it. She was like a sister he never had and that he wanted to protect from the entire world. Her wealth became even more important than his own life. In his limited perception, he would do anything she wished just to see her happy, relieved smile. It was hard to protect her, if he internally became unable to decline her anything. His mind warned him and communicate refusal, but his heart forced him to accept whatever she planned. That woman had a plan. It was of course a stupid plan. She forged it in the shadows of the night and announced her non-rejectable wishes with a do-or-die politeness in her voice.

-I will go there. If they won't keep their word, everybody will get the wind of their lies.

She asked for paper and a feather with an optimistic, feverish sparkle in the eye and a kind of gritty smile in the corner of her mouth. Cunobarros wasn't satisfied with her decision and he didn't support it. He stood some meters away and his entire silhouette including the arms crossed on his chest and bushy, frowned eyebrows. Julia ignored the older man. She wrote a letter to Appius and as she gave it to Cunobarros, she asked to send the note, if anything would go wrong. She took off a golden ring from her finger and gave it to Cunobarros as the pay-off. It was more than enough to defray the expenditures. Cunobarros was charmed by her, too, because he nodded, even if his unfriendly face expression didn't change. He cursed in his dialect and looked at Nerva with a kind of message that Nerva understood as "If she'll get hurt, then you have no reason to come back." At least, that version was logical to Nerva. For real, Cunobarros cursed Julia's light-headedness and expressed just the thought that she would bring them all to a painful fall with her shattered, naïve plan.

Nerva dragged like a handicapped person. His moves were slower as usually and missed the fluency. He wasn't doing it with heart and soul. With a stony face and heavy stomach, he brought her to the villa.

Pompeius wasn't there, because he was in the camp. However, the soldiers of Pompeius circled around them. Nerva didn't jump to the ground as he usually did. Julia was sitting in front of him and she hugged him tighter. He waited for Pompeius to come back. Nerva's mere was exasperated due to standing for hours in the middle of armoured enemy.

As Pompeius finally came back, he smiled in his scary way. He didn't say anything, but he saluted to Nerva. As Pompeius noticed how badly Julia looked like in her dirty dress, saggy cheeks and furious eyes, he said that she should get bath and rest. She refused. She wanted to see Marcus Lucius right away. Pompeius refused and told her to be patient.

-We won't hurt you. I promise. - He said and wanted to help her to demount.

She didn't trust him, so she didn't let him to help herself and waited until Nerva finally, with no hesitation stood on the ground and brought her off the horse in slow motion. They all went to a room that Julia never used earlier. It was as spacey as Julia's chamber. There were even two pallets. Julia was tired, but she wasn't able lay down and rest and ignore everything around her as if Marcus Lucius wouldn't be prisoned, as everything would be fine.

-Stay here and wait for tomorrow. You'll get a meal soon. I suppose you don't like to participate in the supper with me.

Julia's look showed her refusal and scorn. Nerva stood with his stony face and didn't budge.

-No! - She screamed. - Where is...

Before she ended her question in the same jittery tone, Nerva jumped to her and put his hand on her mouth. She didn't except his action. If anyone should attack her, then she took into consideration that it would be Pompeius or one of his soldiers that followed him like ducklings follows their mother. Julia tried to set her free, but Nerva bounded her with his other arm even stronger.

-Is he alive? \- Nerva droned shortly as Pompeius smiled.

-He is. - Pompeius answered.

His soldiers moved nervously. Julia tried to free herself. Nerva moved shortly his head in a minimal bow.

-Fair enough. \- Pompeius smiled again and left the room.

A couple of soldiers stayed as guard. They looked curiously to the Roman girl that was still wobbling in the grasp of a soldier. She hadn't any chances with him. They smiled and followed the situation with excitement.

-Promise to be quiet. - Nerva whispered.

Julia nodded and he took his hand off, but his arm kept her close to her.

-You bastard! \- She screamed and regretted it after a moment, because Nerva's hand landed on her mouth again. She tried to say something and wriggled a lot.

-Julia, I mean it, be quiet.

He waited until she lost her powers and first then, he let her go.

-I had to prevent you saying his real name. It would betray you. You have to be more careful... - Nerva whispered in conspiracy.

She breathed heavily and came back to him to smash his chest with her wrists. She felt so stupid, so stupid...

Nerva gave free rein to her aggression. She punched him as long as she was able and then, she felt down to the ground. Immediately, he kneed down in front of her and checked whether she was fine. Of course, she wasn't, even if her body wasn't harmed.

-What have I done? - She asked him with tears in the eyes.

He bit his tongue just not to say that he was the stupid man who allowed her to implement her stupid plan. He started regretting the decision already as they were leaving the cottage. He tried to convince Julia that the idea was bad, but she set her mind on accomplishing the mission. He never before saw her such determined and calm in the specific way. It was impressive and indeed stupid. He cursed her as the dumbest woman alive and reckon that they were going to get executed. She didn't believe it. She said she had a feeling. Nerva snorted. He didn't have a feeling. Instead, he had a scared mind.

-They will kill us. - She said.

He smiled, because she simply understood his arguments. Better late than never! However, it didn't bring them any further.

-No, they won't. If they wanted to kill us, they had enough opportunities to do it. They have a plan. They need us. It gives us a chance...

Julia moved to him and hugged him. She didn't cry, but she was very close to fall apart. She was tired and the stress brought fever. Nerva wanted to lift her and bring into bed, but she didn't want to move. Nerva embraced her and kept as long as she felt asleep from the kind of a battle fatigue. As he wanted to leave her alone, she quietly asked him not to go. There was not a lot of place. He laid down on the pallet and her head landed on his chest. He covered her with a blanket and wasn't able even to have a nap. He needed her proximity as much as she needed his. He was watchful and analysed the situation. It wasn't easy to find a good way to proceed.

Early in the morning, two servants came in with the meal. They brought already cut to pieces meat, some fruits, vegetables, bread, and even honey to sweeten food. Nerva jumped out of the pallet, but Julia didn't wake up. She was still feverish. She even coughed twice. One of servants smiled shyly. Nerva recognized the man. It was one of men he saw already somewhere around Cunobarros. Nerva couldn't recognize the circumstances, but definitely, the man was connected to the elder. The long-haired, trim figure whispered a word, but Nerva didn't understand it due to the local dialect. He wasn't sure how was it meant and why the servant used non-Roman expression to communicate.

Shortly after the meal was brought, the slaves left the room. Nerva forced Julia to eat a bit, even if she opposed with all kind of signals her body sent. She was tired and felt sick. Her temperature was high, but she complained once how cold it was in the room. Nerva covered her with a blanket and rubbed her back as she laid on the pallet. Towards evening, the servants brought the second meal that looked exactly the same as the breakfast. Julia ignored everything and warmed up as she heard the one expression articulated by the same servant as early in the morning. She smiled and nodded as a gesture to thank. Nerva wondered what caused such a reaction and she tried to find something in the depth of her memories. She looked after a word or even a phrase to ask a question. Her attempt took too long and the servants stepped back. The moment passed by. The servants left the room. She cursed and Nerva wondered where did she learnt such expressions. Her jittery hands and shaky legs proved that she was more than excited or nervous. She showed him to move closer to her and whispered in conspiracy:

-He's alive. He's good. - She smiled with feverish eyes and Nerva was convinced she simply missed some medicine. He was worried, even if he liked her dreamy, devilish charm she had in her entire body tension.

-I understood it, Nerva, really. I am not sick. I feel fine. - She continued as she noticed Nerva's doubting look that said rather "Yeah, right, girl" instead of "Oh, that's wonderful".

He forced her to eat up her supper and to get into bed. She was too excited to fall asleep and the smile didn't vanish from her lips. It was strange.

Around the midnight, he noticed that something changed in the room. There was someone who tried to come closer without raising attention. Nerva didn't recognize the steps and followed the minimal noise.

-Don't be bothered, soldier. - Nerva listened to rather friendly, manly voice. - Come with me, soldier.

It sounded like a polite order, in the way Appius would say it. Nerva shivered shortly just due to the memory of Appius and his doubts weren't calmed enough to trust the stranger, whose face was hidden by the night.

-My personal guard will take over your task, if you don't mind letting the emperor's soldiers to defend her. Of course, temporarily...

Nerva stunned and he was luckily enough that the darkness of the room covered his confusion. Just his nervous, loud swallowing of spit was a perceptible sign of his abashment.

The emperor slapped him friendly on the shoulder and brought to the dining room. In the lights of torches, Nerva looked at the man, who was a bit younger than Appius, but older than Marcus Lucius. Hadrian's hands were strong and thick-skinned from holding a sword. As far as Nerva got the rumours, Hadrian justifiably wore military attire, often dined and slept amongst the soldiers. He was more than just a philosopher that sits far away from the reality and studies everything from a glass balloon. Hadrian was mostly involved into the military matters and had information at first hand.

-Soldier, you are a true friend of Marcus Lucius.

Nerva shivered and got distrustful. Mentioning the name of Marcus Lucius was a test. Hadrian smiled fatherly:

-I know that Maxentius is dead. I know that Marcus Lucius pretended to be Maxentius and I want to get to know all his reasons. We, or rather I, need him to tell me the entire truth so that I can judge the situation properly.

Nerva nodded, but kept silence.

-You are a very good friend, indeed. - The emperor was impressed. - Therefore, I let you go back to the camp and continue with trainings you started with the legionnaires.

-It wasn't my idea. - Nerva added quickly as Hadrian started to turn back. - It was... It was his idea. He wanted them to be worth to be called legionnaires. He pushed it through.

The emperor moved and seemed to be interested of what Nerva could say more about the fascinating man that Hadrian didn't meet yet.

-What kind of person is he? - The emperor asked and showed Nerva to accompany him on the way through the hallway.

Nerva was insecure what to say. Additionally, he didn't intend to leave the place too far away. He had to stay in the direct sight of Julia's pallet. Hadrian noticed it after few steps forwards. Nerva stopped and didn't go further anymore. Hadrian respected it, but didn't comment it. It encouraged Nerva to speak:

-He is reliable. He honours a pledge. He values the daily training and shares his skills with everyone without being stingy. He's a good teacher... He's... He's a good man.

-Yes, yes... - Hadrian nodded as sign of following the thought of Nerva. - I've heard that he keeps good relationships with the locals. I've heard they supported him during the battle.

Nerva reminded the secret help of the locals, who informed Marcus Lucius about the moves of the men from the North and the arrival of additional Roman cohorts as Pompeius came. Nerva smiled, because the bargain with the locals included many obligations and favours on each side.

-He arranged everything. He has skills that support keeping the peace. He stands up for the policy of peace.

Hadrian smiled. He tried to force the peace as far as it was possible. He already withdrew from Trajan's conquests in Mesopotamia and Armenia. He even started considering to abandon Dacia due to local problems there. He needed people, who could keep the peace.

-So, he's good with the local ruling parties?

-Yes, he's good with them. They respect each other. - Nerva answered shortly as he reminded Cunobarros's support in the last days.

-Good, good... \- Hadrian seemed to be satisfied. - And the girl you protect is his girl?

Nerva changed his attitude immediately in the moment Hadrian mentioned Julia indirectly. He was distrustful again. He thought over before he answered drily.

-She was the wife of Maxentius.

-But Maxentius died on the way here...

-He died during the ambush. As Marcus Lucius came there, Maxentius was already dead.

Nerva has bitten his tongue. He said too much and he regretted that he let himself into such a conversation.

-I appreciate your support, soldier. You will go to the camp and act in place of the temporary camp commander.

-With all due respect, but no. - Nerva refused immediately.

-You don't trust me. - Hadrian concluded. - You have all the right not to trust me, but it's an order.

-With all due respect, I have a personal obligation and if I am supposed to go back to the camp, I have to take the girl with me. I won't leave her under anyone's supervision.

Hadrian smiled friendly.

-Even not under mine? I am a good soldier.

-I don't put it into the question, sir, however, I promised to guard her.

-Did you promise it to Marcus Lucius or to yourself? - Hadrian asked without awaiting any answer. It was obvious that Nerva wouldn't give him any hint about it. Talking about Marcus Lucius was allowed, but mentioning Julia was pushing Nerva too far.

-You're a good man, soldier. Stay over night there, but you have to take command over the camp. I can't send Marcus Lucius back there yet. You'll go and I personally take the watch over the girl.

Nerva wasn't satisfied. He planned to refuse the task again, even if the honour was huge. He saluted and went back to the pallet, where Julia slept. She was smiling, because her teeth sparkled due to the reflected light of the moon. Her forehead was feverish, but not so extremely anymore. He stroked her hair and sighed deeply. He was strongly confused.

As she woke up, she wondered why he was so serious. It was already early morning, but it wasn't so bright yet. Torches were put into the hangers in the room by silent servants.

-What are you thinking of? - She asked sleepy.

-About the next step.

-You look sad. What is bothering you?

He told her about his talk with the emperor. Julia listened carefully, even if Nerva left aside the part related to her. He reported what task he got and Julia advised him not to resist to the most important man in the universe.

-You'll go there and you'll do what he ordered you. I had a good feeling and as you can see, I was right. If the emperor will ban us, then it's the final decision. At least, we have the opportunity to meet him and maybe even to influence his decision.

Her words were full of sense and wisdom, but Nerva still didn't like to rely on a feeling. It wasn't perceptible enough and he didn't trust anyone. Julia kissed him on the right cheek and stroked his temple shortly.

-You will do this for me. You will go there for me. - She whispered determined.

He sighed and felt perplex.

-Why do you think I would do anything for you? I got orders from Marcus Lucius. \- He said finally with anger.

She smiled and stood up. She was ready to fight. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she new that the emperor was the only, the last chance for any rescue. On one side, she was scared and felt lost, but a strange, unknown power started to fill her. It was like a high tide that could wash away even a boat. However, as she saw the emperor personally, she felt that the energy disappeared for a moment. She turned back to Nerva and ordered:

-Just go, simply go and do what the emperor said. I'm good.

Nerva noticed the change in her voice. It meant something, but he wasn't sure what. There was no time to ask anything directly. He looked at her with the question "Are you sure?" and she nodded. She smiled briefly and as Hadrian came closer to her, she let him going shoulder to shoulder.

-So, it's you. \- She said calmly.

-So, that's me. - The emperor answered. - You always meet twice.

Apparently she knew the man. Nerva stunned and wondered why she didn't mention even a word that she already knew the emperor. He felt betrayed and left the strange couple.

-You didn't know that it's me.

-I didn't know. - She answered and the soldiers around couldn't follow the talk.

She noticed that he didn't change optically, he just got a bit older, more grown-up with wise wrinkles on his forehead. What he beheld were good, faithful sparkles in his eyes, soldierly manners, stringy hands and hollow cheeks. His moves were dynamic and targeted. His eyes were vivid and attentive as if he was a watch dog. Just his tone didn't suit to the clear, trained being. His tone belonged to the philosopher inside of the hard core surface. He used to be that way already as they met for the very first time.

-You're like Hebe that makes me young again. - He added dreamy.

She remembered that he was a supporter of the idea of Magna Graecia, just as she was. Her memories came back and she reminded a horribly hot day in a summer years ago. She was a child, she was maybe six, maybe seven, and she sat in the shadow of the garden trying to forge lines from Hesiod's Theogony. She tried not to forget that Uranus mated with Gaia to create twelve Titans: Hyperion, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Iapetos, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Tethys and Cronus as well as three cyclopes named Brontes, Steropes and Arges, and additionally three Hecatonchires called Briareos, Kottos, and Gyges. Keeping the list in her mind wasn't easy and she knew that her mother would slap her for laziness, if Julia wouldn't list the names with one breath. The girl didn't notice when a stranger came into the garden and when he started listening to her repeated phrases. She had closed eyes and dynamically moving hands. The sun went unhurriedly from one point of the sky to another. The shadow moved and Julia needed to change her place as well. In that moment, as she opened her eyes, she realized that there was a young man sitting on the dingy grass. At close range, he had friendly, curious eyes and a trustworthy smile. His right arm was bandaged completely. His left arm laid on his knees and steadied his chin.

-Who are you? \- She asked coolly impudent or rather presuming.

-I am a guest of your father. I'm here with my friend, Appius. Do you know him? - The stranger answered and smiled even brighter. He knew that she knew already the things he said. He saw her already a couple of times after his arrival to Julius Fabius. They came just under three weeks ago and tried not to wear out Julius's welcome. He invited Appius and was pleased that the Roman soldier and the best trainer in the entire empire. It was a honour to regale Appius in own house, especially after Appius denied any host in private houses. He was still mourning after death of his best friend. Hadrian accompanied him on behalf of his protectors, among all Trajan.

Julia knew who Appius was. She followed him unobtrusively as far as it was possible. She trailed him already almost daily. It was a skilled soldier with a very sad face. What made him fascinating were his empty eyes, if she ignored the downcast sparkles. He used to notice her presence every time she followed him. Julia wasn't scared of the man, who didn't say a word and avoided any contact. She felt compassion and wondered what happened to that man. He looked like Erebus, who was the place of darkness between the earth and the underworld. She couldn't imagine him as a relieved, satisfied man. Julia listened to what anyone said about Appius and collected a bundle of information. She heard that he was an extraordinary soldier, who could bring anyone how to fight in the best way, how to kill the enemy in any thinkable way, how to injure a foe in the most horrible way. He was like the longest venomous snake in Africa, the black mamba, the fastest and the most poisonous snake in the world, which name was derived from Ancient Greek words meaning a combination of tree asp and venomous snake. Julia heard that Appius hadn't any enemies, besides warriors, who were already on a hiding to nothing, if they intended to fight against him. Additionally, he wasn't shy and didn't seek to escape when a confrontation occurs. Then, he didn't act aggressively towards the surrounding, even if he looked dangerously the entire time. He hadn't tendency to actively attack without provocation. Steadily, Appius kept proper distance from Julia and any person that was on his way.

She couldn't stop following him. He was too intriguing. She even had her own theory about the man with empty eyes. Appius had the same kind of eyes like a black mamba: deeply dark brown, almost black, with intimidating, silvery-white sparkles in the pupils. In opposite to the black-mouthed mamba, which gets the ink-black colouration of the inside of its mouth displayed when threatened, it was the colouration of his eyes that tended to get darker, when someone looked at him. She was convinced that Appius could steal souls of men he defeated. He had to inhale them and therefore, his eyes were so effectively meaningless. It was a terrifying idea, and the only calming aspect was her belief that Appius wouldn't hurt her.

He trained in the yard accompanied by the groovy silence. He fought against an imaginary enemy and it looked demanding and fascinating at the same time. It was like observing a black mamba. As Julia creeped in his direction to have a better view, he looked at her with his empty, dead eyes and for just a moment, for a tiny moment that wasn't longer than a short breath, he had something friendly in his face. It was worth to be punished for skipping off her tasks just to experience this one particular moment.

Once, Julia observed once as three, good-built, trained soldiers were delivered to Appius and he didn't say a word. Almost sixty further soldiers in full rig stood and built a square that limited the upcoming battle field in the yard. It was an early evening with the last lightness of the day and lazy, woolly clouds. It was warm and calm. The wind didn't step by. The rain left the piece of Italy single-handed for days. The dust and sand didn't glue to the ground. They felt free to mix with the air, whenever someone went and caused a wave of air molecules. The upright, proud soldiers kept silence. Julia's father stepped on the balcony to look at the match. The three prisoned soldiers stood with a bit of tension. They were armoured, but their hands were bounded. Appius came quickly and the guards let him into the square. Julia had to climb on a tree to see anything and tried to be as silent as possible, just not to attract anyone's attention. She followed the too short moment of the fight.

Appius simply cut bounds of the prisoned soldiers. His sword was the only protection he had. He wore a simple, red tunica and sandals. The three soldiers got time to warm-up their body parts that gone dead. Appius stood as if he would be a piece of ice or even Hades himself. He waited for the soldiers to attack him. As they did it with common powers, Appius didn't answer at first. He was rather like a frozen sculpture of a warrior. Julia got scared that the offenders will hurt him. She did not breath a word, but she closed shortly her eyes. She didn't want him to die. She gazed again. She already almost saw how the three swords touched Appius's body. Her fingers held the branches so strongly that it was already painful. It was unimportant. Her scream stayed captured in her dried throat and she almost felt down to the ground from panic as she loosened her grasp on the branches. And then, a wonder happened. Appius quickly waved his sword several times. With a short series of swift strikes he wounded and killed his enemies. It looked magically. The offenders fell to the ground like paper soldiers blowed out by the wind. The blood of offenders landed on Appius face and he even did not bat an eye. Julia was sure that it was the moment, when Appius inhaled the souls of the killed men. He stood there and looked peacefully. It was scary, but calming. It meant that Appius was a human. That one time, Appius seemed not to percept Julia's presence. He was so focussed on the three soldiers that he hadn't any further amount of concentration for the surrounding. Julia didn't understand why he killed Romans. As the moment passed by, he left the yard with the same dynamic as usually, as if nothing happened, as if he wouldn't just have killed people. This one occurrence stayed unique.

Apart from that, Appius limited himself not to injure anyone. A two or three days later, one soldier stepped against Appius again. Appius tried to avoid the fight. He went to the side here and there, just not to get involved into the struggle. He even ignored the fact that the stranger injured his leg above the right knee and the chest twice. Appius didn't get angry, rather sad and resigned as a wild cat that was caught in a cage or that was paralysed by a god. Julia was grieving while looking at Appius, who got wounded and who didn't defend himself. She reminded how good he was and she wondered what curbed him so much that he didn't fight. The young soldier circled around Appius, spoke the entire time and didn't leave Appius any space to breath easily. Julia was hidden behind the bushes – as usually. She tried to have a good view at the yard that bordered with the yard. Julia used any moment to be close to yard, if any soldier was there. She liked to observe how they move with their soldierly, trained dynamic.

As she saw that Appius felt to the ground by the shoved of the stranger soldier, she jumped out of the bushes and screamed:

-No!!!

The stranger wasn't distract by Julia. Instead, he kept gazing at Appius. Julia ran towards Appius, who looked to her. His eyes weren't empty anymore. They were full of... Julia wasn't sure what it was, but it made her feeling so much compassion for him that she would risk her little, tiny life to protect him in front of the stranger, who didn't hurt Appius anymore. Before she achieved the yard, Appius stood up dynamically and swung his sword just once. The young soldier had a long wound along his arm. The blood flew and Julia was scared. Unexpectedly, Appius left the yard and hobbled a bit. The young soldier smiled, while he looked to Julia. He tried not to show his pain. He said twice "It's fine. It's fine." Julia wasn't sure what he meant. She stood like a monument and looked how the wounded left the yard.

Of all things, it was the soldier that talked with her a couple days later. His arm was covered by bandages. As he mentioned Appius, he didn't seem to be nerved or annoyed. It was strange that a wounded man didn't speak with rancour.

-Do you like Appius? - The stranger asked and little Julia shivered as she was taken away from her stream of thoughts.

She nodded shortly.

-I like him, too. He is a good man, who experienced a lot. It's hard to explain what happened with him. He'll get better.

Little Julia didn't understand what the stranger meant in detail. Appius wasn't a man, he was definitely a messenger from gods in her eyes. He had something out of this world in his look.

-You lost your battle against him, why? - She was cheeky and sweet.

-I did. Why were you there anyway? - The stranger stunned. She was brave that she interrupted the adverse duel. Additionally, it was impressive that she was do direct and used her words with purpose. She was a child, but she was a smart, interesting child.

-You lost, because Appius never lose and as his friend, you should have known it better. You shouldn't have played with him, when you knew you weren't going to win the match. - It was unimaginably charming how she avoided answering the question and instead, she directed the topic to the theme that she was interested in.

-Did you see the execution? - The stranger was curious.

Julia's face muscles moved and betrayed her lie as she whispered "Of course not". Her snub nose was wrinkled. Her look was strong.

-It wasn't an execution. It was a fight. - She said convinced with the overwhelming seriousness of a six or seven year old.

-It was execution. - Young Hadrian underlined and Julia nodded politely. - He would kill them all, even if there would stand three cohorts. It didn't matter. Appius executed them for his own reasons and with acceptance of us all. - He made a short break and Julia wasn't sure what to do. She was a bit bored, because she couldn't follow his words. - Sometimes, we're surprised by a situation that changes everything and we can't go forward. - Young Hadrian's vice sounded sadly. He made impression of talking with himself that with Julia. \- Sometimes, we're captured in malaise and we can't jump out of the whole we're in without a help of our friends. Appius is in such a whole for weeks, months... He needed a strong jerk to be able to do the step that is unimportant to others, but crucial for him. He is a killing machine. He is brilliant, but his soul is lost. He needs to get his soul back.

Little Julia nodded automatically, but she still didn't follow. She understood that Appius lost his soul and that the young soldier tried to bring Appius his soul back. It was a good intension, however, it was still a riddle for the little Julia why the young soldier injured Appius and – what was more strange – why Appius didn't fight back from the very beginning.

-You don't fight against your friends though. - She said resentfully. Her world was clear and uncomplicated. A good act was a good act, a bad act was a bad act. Wounding Appius was bad. Helping Appius was good. There was a crack, definitely.

-You are right, you don't fight against friends. However, in my opinion, each soldier is not only allowed, but obliged to disobey any order he feels might violate human dignity or to support a friend. I wanted to bring him to a point, where he starts moving forward after a twist of fate.

-How could you possibly help him, when you fight against him at all? - She couldn't understand, her eye brows frowned.

-Sometimes, you have to do something that your friends don't like to bring them back on their right track. They don't see it in the moment you act, but they will appreciate it in the future.

-How do you know that it's the right track? - She was interested and moved closer to him. Her eyes were wide open. Her breath was captured in her lungs. She waited impatiently for his answer.

-Mostly, you know it. Sometimes, you assume it and you risk it. It's like having a broken leg that didn't grow together properly and when you have to break it anew so that the healing process can start again, but this time properly.

-I don't like it. - She wasn't convinced. She hadn't a broken leg yet, but her parents warned her that she would get such an injury once, when she climbs trees and falls down. She ignored it with the seriousness of a child that is convinced about being unbeaten until it gets hurts. However, she saw already twice how a slave had to be carried by a medico. It always looked painfully. - I don't like to push anyone to do what you think is right. Everybody should do what everybody wants to do. Don't fight against Appius, if you don't want to lose your arm. And you have to protect yourself better.

Young Hadrian smiled and was fascinated by her indescribable charm. She correctly noticed that his defence was not good and that his offence was unsuccessful. She truly, rightly and directly underlined that his arm was wounded by Appius. Her cheeky way was simple and sweeping. He liked it.

As Julius appeared on the horizon, Julia fled behind the stranger's back and hid there successfully.

-Are we friends? - She whispered.

-Of course. - Young Hadrian laughed. He couldn't resist to decline her any needed help.

-Good. Don't betray me then, please. - Her childish voice was catching.

-I won't. - He promised good-humouredly. Indeed, he yelled to Julius to meet in the dining room in a moment.

Julia's father moved back to the villa and it was strange that he performed a request of anyone. As a proud and influential Roman citizen, he could ignore many questions, begs and demands. Little Julia used the situation to backtrack and to vanish somewhere in the garden. She didn't ask after the stranger's name and she never confirmed meeting anyone in the time that Appius spent in Julius's house.

At first, as she saw him years later, she recognized him. She noticed the salutations of the soldiers directed to Hadrian. She realized Nerva's bare confusion as she looked at the emperor's face and recognized the soldier she met once. He was right. You always meet twice.

-And now, you're standing in front of me and you would like to speak up for someone, I guess. - He had the same kind of smile and the same friendly sparkles in his eyes that he had that one day years ago.

-Are we friends? - She asked quietly, directly and exactly the same way she asked years ago.

He laughed, because she had the same kind of cheeky sparkles and straight, tensed body as a child.

-Of course. - He answered with a polite smile. His eyes were vivd and followed her movements.

-So, you won't kill me.

-I won't.

-But it doesn't mean that you won't punish the others.

-It doesn't, indeed. - He stayed calm.

-Then, include me to the circle of people you will punish, please.

She wasn't hiding behind his back as in the summer that passed. She stayed direct and attentive, but there was unknown depth of strength and honour. He sighed aloud and shook his head.

-You know that I am the emperor and you...

-I don't care... - She interrupted him immediately. - Do what you think is right.

-It was brave at first, now, you're acting stupid and hasty. - He said. - You forfeited a chance.

She kept silence.

-You love him. I understand.

She shivered nervously, but didn't say a word. Her cheeks were red and her jugular pulsated with anger.

-You indeed love him. Does he loves you back?

She didn't like to accompany him anymore. Raised in a special way, she limited showing her real expression, however, it wasn't possible to hide the tendency of inner emotions.

-Why do you say such things? - She asked finally bugged.

He smiled good-humouredly, because he waited for her reaction.

-Just a woman who loves someone acts the way you act. You came back to save him, even if you are not able to keep a sword or fight against anyone with your small fists. You covered him for a long time, even if you knew that you should report at least to your uncle Cornelius that Maxentius was dead. You love him.

-So what?! - She yelled helplessly and Hadrian's guards looked suspiciously.

The emperor moved his head in the way that ordered his guards not to step into the situation. They kept their positions.

-You can be saved and live.

She wasn't able to say that living without Marcus Lucius was no option.

-If you want to kill him, kill me as well. Save Nerva. He's Appius soldier as you were once.

-Is it your last word? - He asked.

She nodded.

-With other words: you don't trust me, anymore? - His doubt wasn't covered by the polite tone. He seemed to be disappointed, even if he smiled. His eyes were full of the same kind of friendliness as usually. - I expected you to be disbelieving. You should trust me as you did once.

He sent her back to the chamber where she spent the last night. She thought he was the same bastard as her father. This time, she hadn't any possibility to hide behind a friendly back. He wanted to keep her calm while fighting against her friends or people, who were crucial for her. He already injured Appius once. How ironic it sounded to trust him, if there were no signs to do it?

As she was called for a supper in the evening, she didn't like to go. She was forced by rather impolite messengers. They poked her regardlessly not used to interact with women. She thought she could at least chose a less comfortable and unsuitable dress, get cold, then get seriously sick and die. She stunned as she saw Marcus Lucius during at the table. She didn't expect it. She wasn't sure whether pretending not to care about him would change anything.

As the dinner passed by, Julia was sent to her new chamber. She didn't like it and she noticed how Marcus Lucius stood up immediately to help her. His hands were bound. Hadrian showed him to relax and sit down.

-I give you my word that she won't get hurt, nor today, not tomorrow, never.

Marcus Lucius sat unhurriedly down and showed Julia to leave without making problems. She shuffled unmotivated and accompanied by three soldiers and by looks of all other men that had to stay in the room. At first, as she left the scene, Hadrian sent Pompeius away and showed Marcus Lucius to stand up. Protracting the evening seemed to be the new entertainment remedy.

-Follow me, Marcus Lucius. - The emperor asked quietly.

The yard wasn't warm, but the first breath of spring was included in the air. It was the wind of change, an announcement of things coming to an end and things that could get started. Hadrian was delighted by the dim light and the warm, dry breeze. It was a day without rain, one of the rare moments, when you could start loving Britannia. Hadrian smiled minimally. He kept silence for a long while. Marcus Lucius didn't say a word, either. He waited patiently. The evening seemed not to get any end.

-If you had to chose whether you fight for this girl or having your revenge on the man, who betrayed you, which option would you chose? - Hadrian asked directly, unexpectedly and observed Marcus Lucius's reaction with a calm face expression.

Hadrian's guards, who stayed in the background, moved minimally, nervously, because Marcus Lucius's body showed refusal. They weren't satisfied with Hadrian's decision to stay in direct proximity to a man, who was dangerous even without any weapon. Marcus Lucius could kill anyone with bare hands, if it was needed. The guards were tensed and heard already reports related to the battle and to the trainings that Marcus Lucius organized before. They didn't feel comfortable with Hadrian being so close to a man without chains on his hands. Hadrian was apparently careless of danger. It wasn't wise and it was unusual for him to act so unwarily.

At once, Marcus Lucius was maximally tensed. Everyone could see his every muscle waiting to be used properly as an arrow awaited to be finally shot from a arch. He wasn't sure which girl Hadrian meant: Decima or Julia? The way or another, he was internally sputter with increasing rage coming out of the deepest corner of his head. The feeling of being betrayed was strong, it broke the balance of well-being and security in Marcus Lucius's mind and it influenced him emotionally. Then, missing Decima decreased in the last weeks, but putting the emotions related to Decima under the surface of consciousness was needed to survive, to escape from the surreal world without her. The extreme sourness caught him mostly at nights, when he woke up alone and there was nobody on his side. In the very first moment after such sudden, bitter awakening, he wasn't sure in which part of his life he was. He asked himself whether Julia was just a dream that he dreamt to overwrite the moving memory of Decima's cold, bloody, immovable corpse. He tried then to calm down and lied to himself that Decima was still waiting for him, somewhere in the afterlife, after he revenged her painful death. It gave him a kind of peaceful mind, but it increased his need of fulfilling the obligation. He wished to meet Decima the day he would die. He wished to see her smile that he etched in his mind from the very first time he saw her.

Hadrian respected Marcus Lucius's self-control. The emperor didn't expect so much command of oneself. He wondered whether he would be able to keep his emotions so masterfully limited and apart from his own actions. Hadrian already experienced a lot. He was born as son of the maternal cousin of Trajan, who named Hadrian emperor shortly before dying. Trajan's wife, Pompeia Plotina, confirmed it as she came to Hadrian with the same grace and sympathy mixed with sad, mourning eyes. There were enough Romans, who didn't like the new emperor and evaluated plots against Hadrian. The new emperor didn't feel well anywhere he was, therefore, he travelled a lot. He visited nearly every province of the Empire, because travelling allowed him to feel good. He spent extremely much time with soldiers. He liked staying with them even during meals. It made him feel ordinary and he knew where his place was. There, around his boys, he didn't feel obligated to prove anything. He wanted to show a good example. He trained and drilled himself the same way the others needed to do it. He used to be more rigorous to himself than to others, and his soldiers appreciated his self-control and modesty. Therefore, as he found the similar kind of self-command in Marcus Lucius's behaviour, he could understand the enforced way Marcus Lucius lived. For Hadrian, it was somewhat like looking on his own person from two steps aside. It was like stepping out of his body without slamming any doors of his soul that was enforced to be emperor. He took the change of life brought by his fate with dignity and honour. Therefore, he tried to minimize his own needs in the name of something bigger, more important and more valuable than just he, one individual that could express the most quiet wish and it would become real. Knowing the power of his wishes, he gave voice just to things that he analysed before.

Sometimes, in situations of increasing stress, he thought about the so called blood rain, the rain carrying sand from deserts. He liked remembering the rain falling down with reddish colour. When the rain drops dried off with a thin layer of dust, the special dust whipped up by winds and mix with the moisture in clouds got stretched then on houses, wagons and plants in gardens. Dust movement overstepped the borders and brought the blood rain even to Britannia every now and then. Hadrian missed it in that moment. It would make the tensed situation more tolerable, more poetic. Even without any Greek dramaturge, the air was taut that you could almost cut it into little, hectic pieces and portion for further days and weeks.

Hadrian moved his head and gazed at Marcus Lucius. It was the time to tease the soldier. The game was not over, so the next move had to be done.

-You're not sure which girl I mean? - Hadrian was just few meters away and could be easily attacked by Marcus Lucius. However, Marcus Lucius didn't move any millimetre, even if it looked impossible to tame the enormous energy captured in the amount of his all cells and making him look dangerously in general. His eyes were focused on Hadrian, even if he had other things in mind. He analysed every possible, real development of the situation. He never gave up the thought of achieving both goals, therefore, his task was complicated and harder to fulfil.

The already nervously awaiting space shivered minimally like a spider's web, when a fly gets trapped there. Soldiers were ready to fight. Emperor was ready to decode without looking at Marcus Lucius's struggle. Everyone observed impatiently the man in the middle of the limited yard and they knew that this peaceful situation could change extremely within a blink of an eye. Hadrian stepped back a millimetre. Suddenly, Marcus Lucius moved.

Even if Marcus Lucius didn't keep the sword in his hand correctly, he was armoured at once. Hadrian was shocked by the very fast change of situation to the disadvantage of the emperor. Marcus Lucius laid his fingers on the grasp of Hadrian's sword. Marcus Lucius was trained good enough to attack successfully within less than seconds. Hadrian nodded with respect and didn't show any sign of fear.

-What do you plan now? - Hadrian asked politely. He was really curious what Marcus Lucius was going to do.

-We're going back to the dining room. Call for Julia. - Marcus Lucius's words were straight, fast and emotionless as his moves.

Hadrian followed further, very specific orders of Marcus Lucius. They were predefined and minimized the chances for Hadrian. The disadvantage was still on the emperor's side. Therefore, the soldiers hadn't any opportunity to win back their reign over the situation. The soldiers on his right side stepped aside and an unexpected passage occurred. Marcus Lucius didn't move his head into that direction, but he noticed the difference of the lineup. Marcus Lucius moved cautiously and the same was expected from the emperor. Marcus Lucius didn't let himself to be distracted, even when he saw Julia at the end of the human corridor. As he looked to Hadrian, his look wasn't insecure, rather more determined.

Julia made insecure, limping steps and both Hadrian and Marcus Lucius noticed that her condition wasn't the best. At first, she got cold and faint face. Then, her erstwhile injured leg could be easily recognized. The difference in walking was huge. She hobbled and faltered a bit.

Hadrian seemed to be waiting passionately, impatiently for any bodily, visible reaction of Marcus Lucius, but nothing happened. Not even one muscle struggled more or less. Marcus Lucius had the same concentrated look and the same emotionless face expression. Unfortunately, the emperor wasn't able to look directly into Marcus Lucius's eyes. He would find there the wished sign of emotion. The sparkles of sorrow and concern played vividly with each other. She stepped closer and closer, but she wasn't fast. She was rather like a ship drifting unpowered on a calm sea. The lines of soldiers built the immovable edges of her road. Her body shivered due to the low temperature in the room. She wore still the same, inappropriate summer dress and had no blanket or anything that could warm her up around. She looked tired and wiped out. The emperor felt indeed compassion for the girl and was ashamed that she became involved into the scene, but it was necessary to finish the intended test. At the same time, Hadrian seemed to wonder about the lack of reaction in Marcus Lucius's body and in the moment, he wanted to give an order to his guards, Marcus Lucius pulled Julia hastily, surprisingly to his back. Soldiers weren't able to react on his movement. The girl wasn't sure what he intended, but she let him to change her position as he needed.

Suddenly, Julia was behind him, just few millimetres away from him. Hadrian was still in front of Marcus Lucius's chest, in the direct sight. Marcus Lucius could percept Julia's breath on his back and her feverish warmth along his body. He noticed that she still trembled, but stayed motionless like a sculpture of Pantheon. Hadrian gazed with mixed feelings. He was as flabbergasted as his soldiers. They grasped their swords and took the defence position. The entire, already tensed situation became even more dangerous. It could escalate any minute. It was like playing with a gas lighter in a warehouse full of grenades and dynamite. It was like a tensed scene from a black-white movie, where brave men try to transport nitroglycerine through mountains.

-If it will be needed, he'll kill us all. It's not our goal. Put your swords down. - Hadrian spoke after a moment of general silence, when a big question mark hung in the air.

It wasn't predictable what could happen next. Until now, there were few persons able to move so fast and nimbly like Marcus Lucius. The remark of Hadrian sounded serious, even very serious. The emperor knew that he was supposed to bring back the piece of peace in this room.

-Put your swords down. - Hadrian repeated and his soldiers followed the order, even if their faces didn't show any sign of acceptance.

Marcus Lucius took a deeper, relieving breath. Julia shivered. Hadrian didn't smile.

-You'll go back to where you were lately. - Marcus Lucius said and Hadrian knew that it was directed to Julia.

Hadrian wasn't able to see how she reacted. It was frustrating.

-No! I won't go without you... - She whispered sadly, desperately as she touched his left arm that didn't hold the sword.

-You'll go, because you promised me once to do what is needed. Go.

Marcus Lucius's voice was like real steel. It cut the air like a sword cuts skin. However, his voice included a calm, warm shadow. It showed that Marcus Lucius wasn't a simple machine. He was a human that made his decision. He wanted to be sure that the girl will get in a safe place and first then, he could go and have his vengeance on the man, who betrayed him. Hadrian respected the intend and the realisation.

-Stop. - Hadrian said in the moment as hobbling Julia was going to mount the horse in the yard. She was limping a bit, even if she tried to cover it. The effort would bring her additional pain and Hadrian didn't like to torture her. - You passed the first test.

Julia turned to Hadrian with surprise on her face and checked what Marcus Lucius was thinking about it. However, Marcus Lucius wasn't stunning. He wasn't amused either. His face was hard to read, even for the girl. There was nothing to get any trace of what he had in mind.

-A test? - He asked finally embittered, but quietly. He didn't lose the sword, but he lost the overview of the situation. He couldn't derive anything from what he heard. - A test?! - He repeated his question clearly louder.

Hadrian smiled sadly and docile. His soldiers took a defence position, so he turned around and showed with his hands to stay calm. There was need to fight. There was no need to take Marcus Lucius as a prisoner.

-Soldiers, please, leave us alone. - Hadrian said suddenly and everyone stunned. - Julia, be so kind and stay here, if you wish. Marcus Lucius, let's talk.

Hadrian's tone was clear and determined. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure how to react so he waited until the legionnaires left the room without their swords and without any comment or question spoken aloud, even if their faces showed the perfect opposition to complete approval. They didn't wonder about the order, but they weren't happy about it. Probably, they experienced such risky habits of the young emperor already and didn't question his will. As the soldiers left, a kind of easing fulfilled the space. There was more air to breathe. However, Marcus Lucius stayed tensed the same way he was before. It had to be extremely exhausting for him to stay focussed for such a long while. Nor his breath nor his eyes betrayed the effort he needed to invest into positioning himself in this way. His eyes struggled who to look at. He looked at the emperor, then at Julia, then again at Hadrian.

Within a few steps, Marcus Lucius appeared next to Julia and gave her the footing with his shoulder. She leant on him in the way that didn't cause much pressure on her left leg. She was hot due to the cold she caught. She was tired and nerved. Marcus Lucius felt that she wished it all to be over. As she stood proudly as usually, he looked again to Hadrian and followed the emperor's slow, but fluent moves.

-You're undecided. It means, you have something or someone to lose. Is it your honour, or is it the life of Julia, or is it about all your friends? - Hadrian thought aloud, turned here and there, but with purpose: slowly and predictably. - You are a good soldier and you've changed the soldiers in the way I wished to have them. That makes you a honourable man. They would follow you wherever you would go. They've noticed that you're a man that is worth to follow. That makes you an extraordinary man... You covered your friends to protect them from consequences and you didn't avoid the punishment. That makes you a reliable man. However, it all makes you a dangerous man. What makes you a man that I can trust?

Marcus Lucius was full of emotions. He was full of rage, bitterness, disturbance and... hope. He hoped that it all could end in a good way, whatever the gods might define as good. He was sure that his own vision of a good end was not the same as the real end, but he hadn't any high approaches. His life wasn't crucial. Then, he noticed that Hadrian had enough chances to kill anyone of them. Marcus Lucius was sure that the emperor had a plan and it included the living version of Marcus Lucius. The testing part was needed to decide what to do next. One crucial assumption was fixed: Hadrian promised not to hurt Julia at all. There was something that could complete a puzzle, but what Marcus Lucius didn't notice yet.

-What makes you a man that I can trust? - Hadrian asked again and focussed on Marcus Lucius. There was a special amount of patience and support in that look.

-He didn't kill you and he could do it easily. - Julia threw the statement quickly, insecure, but loud enough to attract the attention of both men. She felt the tensed muscles on Marcus Lucius's arm and in his straight position. She didn't like him to be so watchful and focussed.

-She's right. You didn't kill me and you had enough chances. - Hadrian confirmed with a voice that was nor polite nor friendly nor nervous. Definitely, it was a different tone compared to the tone Hadrian used in a moment before.

-You didn't kill me either. - Marcus Lucius added and wasn't sure what game did they play. He didn't recognize the rules and wasn't feel comfortable about the situation. Sure was the fact that he passed a test. It wasn't sure how many further test were planned and what had to be proved.

Julia seemed to get it finally. She smiled and Hadrian got the sparkle of relief in her eyes. Before she said a word, the emperor shook his head to show her to keep silence.

-He has to find it out himself. - The emperor was strict and direct.

Marcus Lucius felt like an alien. Nothing made sense anymore and he was the only one who didn't get what was going on. Wrinkles appeared on his forehead. He looked shortly at Julia and noticed her shivering lips that showed a kind of minimal smile. He looked at Hadrian, but the emperor didn't appear the way that allowed to make it out. Additional portion of disbelief and concern caught Marcus Lucius with its imaginary hands smothering his throat.

-Good, you need to rest. You both have to rest. - Hadrian underlined his second statement. - We won't talk today. We'll talk tomorrow.

Marcus Lucius made a wry face. He wanted to clear the situation ahead. A stitch in time saves nine.

-There is no time like the present. - Marcus Lucius said and waited for Hadrian's reaction.

The emperor seemed to be confused. Finally, he decided to resolve at least a part of his plans:

-You have to know that tomorrow won't be easy for you. - Hadrian spoke calmly, slowly. - Julius Fabius comes to visit you. Your mother will appear, too. I invited them and they were waiting in Londonium under Pompeius's oversight. - Hadrian observed how Marcus Lucius's forehead got further wrinkles. Even a big question mark won the place between his eyes and above his nose. Hadrian smiled, because he achieved the goal he intended. - Don't be worried. They're coming here to participate in your wedding, not your execution.

-No execution?... - Marcus Lucius stunned.

Julia breathed twice loudly, with relief. Marcus Lucius was almost sure that he would have to catch her fainting body. However, she gathered all her powers to stay upright on her own and limited taking help by steading herself on his bent arm. They looked as a couple in front of an altar during a wedding rehearsal.

-I thought it would be an appreciate reward to give you your identity back. You earned it in the last months. You kept order here properly. You won a fight for the empire. You made friends with the local inhabitants... The republic needs such men as you, who looked at what ought to be done, not to the reputation which would follow by the acts. By the acts, your fame will rise and your contribution and attitude won't be forgotten quickly... And then again, it would be silly to take your life, if he empire can profit from your further contribution.

Marcus Lucius thought he was dreaming. It was impossible and unbelievable. He gazed at the emperor, who explained shortly the background of his actions. Marcus Lucius sat down on the floor, because he wasn't able to listen to such improbable occurrences and keeping his straight position. Julia stayed just few centimetres away with her hand laid on his back, but she didn't dare to move, because she didn't like to interrupt anything.

-You seem to be much more under a strain due to the fact that your life won't be taken than due the upcoming wedding. Some say that it's the same case. - Hadrian laughed shortly. Except him, nobody found it funny, so he coughed awkwardly.

Julia kept standing like a statue. Marcus Lucius raised his head higher and asked quietly, coldly:

-What further contribution do you mean?

Hadrian smiled as if he was waiting just for that moment for years.

-That's a topic I would like to discuss with you later. It depends on how you react tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Marcus Lucius gazed without understanding what Hadrian meant. Was it about Julia and the wedding? Was it about Julia's father? Was it about his mother? What could be so decisive to influence the emperor's plans towards Marcus Lucius?

-Before I leave you alone I have to tell you two short stories. Both stories have no happy end. Both stayed unsolved over the years and you can influence how they end up. - Hadrian said. It sounded sadly, almost as if the emperor was intimidated or repressed by the thought for a longer while.

Marcus Lucius listened attentively, motionless. Julia breathed deeply, sibilantly. Hadrian went here and there. He talked freely, even if not aloud. With the time, he sat down at the table and drank wine while making small pauses. He knew that he influenced the range of information of Marcus Lucius and Julia extremely. Hadrian did it with purpose. It was the last time he had to put Marcus Lucius to the proof, before the routine could come back.

The emperor summarized a story that included many smaller occurrences that could be bounded into one with the same principle as single threads interlaced together can look like a sweater with different, complicated patterns.

For Hadrian, it all began as he met Appius. Appius was a very open, friendly person. Appius used to talk a lot. It was years ago and for anyone, who knew Appius currently, it was impossible to imagine that Appius could be that way. It was like trying to imagine how your great-great-grandfather looked like when he was three years old, if you know his only photography taken in the time, when he was old, wrinkled, and shortly before he died.

Hadrian remembered Appius and enjoyed the thought to have him as a personal trainer. Unfortunately, between the time, when Appius was full of beans, and the time, when he met Hadrian for the second time, a very bad, ugly and terrible occurrence took place. Appius lost his best friend, Maximus. As Hadrian saw Appius mourning, it was a visible sign that the world has changed irreversibly. It was impossible to accompany Appius in those days. Some weeks were spent in the villa of Julius Fabius. Hadrian wondered later a couple of times how calculated Julius Fabius was and how clever and perfectly he camouflaged it...

At first, Hadrian didn't believe in the conspiracy theory that Appius shared with Hadrian once. Hadrian was far, far away from being an emperor one day and Appius was drunk and injured after a duel they had. It happened during the one, summer evening after the day that Julia remembered, when Hadrian listened to a rare confession and quiet analysis of Appius. For years, Appius tried to find out who was standing behind the murder of Maximus, because he felt obligated to solve the riddle that desolated Appius over the years. Already few weeks after Maximus's death, Hadrian traced three soldiers, who poisoned wine of Maximus. Hadrian delivered them to Appius, who killed them quickly and afterwards, he regretted it. Increasingly, Appius wished to prolong their suffering. A quick, soldierly death was an extreme blessing and a huge mistake. Unfortunately, nor Appius nor Hadrian could find out who was the master of puppets. Over the years, Appius managed to calm down and train further generations of soldiers. However, he never came back to the open, kind nature he once had. Hadrian thought that it was the biggest loss in the sequence of consequences after Maximus's murder. Hadrian thought that one and a half men were dashed out of this world and that a part of Appius's soul was already in the afterlife.

Years passed by and Appius's fever to catch the murderer of his best friend seem to fade away for uninvolved people. His friends knew that somewhere, in the corner of his mind and his heart, there was still the need to fix what happened and to get his revenge, but the traces didn't bring him to any further, worthy place. Instead, he limited himself in the social life and spent his time mostly with his own, picked circle of soldiers. He avoided anyone, who could remind him about the tragic occurrence, even through own presence.

Years passed by and Hadrian became an emperor. He needed support in the south of the empire. He needed support in the north of the empire. He had a hand full of trusted leaders and masses of so-called friends, who waited for any moment to take over the power. As he called for Appius to get a helpful hand in the southern regions around the Mediterranean Sea, Appius appeared quickly, but with the same kind of unsettlement in his eyes that Hadrian knew from the time directly after Maximus's death. There was a new, specific shade of concern in Appius eyes that included a kind of hope. Having hope in Maximus's case would mean that the murderer was detected and could be punished. Appius spent enough time with analysing what specific torture could last terrifically long and bring wildly much pain. However, it couldn't be derived to Maximus anymore, because a mention of Appius's best friend caused the same retreat in Appius's eyes as always. Hadrian needed a couple of days to combine the single threads made out thoughts dainty as proteinaceous spider silk. Hadrian was toddling as a spider that could not cross by crawling some gaps between objects and needed to drift on the faintest breeze across a gap to stick to a surface at the far end. The spider would then reel in and tighten the first strand, then carefully walk along it and strengthen it with a further threads until the thread is strong enough to support the rest of the web. Hadrian proceed the same way. He had some assumptions and drifted between the possibilities. He checked the signals that he got from Appius and if Hadrian recognized that he was on the right patch, he probed Appius more targeted. Finally, it didn't take long to get out of Appius what occupied the mind and soul of the best trainer in the empire. As Hadrian was completing step by step the story about Maximus's son, Hadrian noticed that it reminded Appius about the time that he wanted to have behind him. Hadrian recognized that Appius combined his supportiveness for Marcus Lucius with Maximus, but Maximus stayed in the background of that issue. The sparkles of hope suggested that Appius was convinced that Marcus Lucius will proceed in the right way, whatever it could mean. There was just one simple question that Hadrian asked Appius at the end, when all puzzles known by Appius were unfolded as in the moment, when a player of a trick-taking game has to show own cards:

-Are you sure that Marcus Lucius is a good man?

What Appius didn't know was the reason that brought Marcus Lucius out of his lines. That made Hadrian curious. A good man acts in a good way, so if someone like Marcus Lucius leaves the army and goes to the underground, then there had to be a very important matter that he got involved into more or less freely. Hadrian followed the trace and found out that Marcus Lucius was in Rome shortly. The emperor raised further questions. For which reason? For how long? Whom did Marcus Lucius visit? It all was unsurprisingly related with Decima, who got killed mysteriously. Hadrian asked himself whether the precocious death of the young, healthy woman was just an aspect in a big picture or whether it was one, independent matter. It pushed Hadrian to dig deeper in the case and to send more trustful scouts. As Hadrian found out the truth behind it, his world felt a bit apart.

While Hadrian talked, he observed Marcus Lucius's reaction. Just the mentioning Decima made the young soldier sad, even with the generous support of Julia. Marcus Lucius didn't make any impression of being the murderer. He rather looked like a man, who was still willing to get his vengeance. It was the same kind of sparkle that Hadrian saw already in Appius's eyes, when Appius contemplated about the punishment options for Maximus's killer.

Then, Hadrian summarized how he followed the moves of Marcus Lucius in Britannia, among all by listening to Appius's reports about the current state in Eboracum and reports from Quintus about progress of condition and training in the camp. Hadrian wanted to meet personally the man, who was betrayed by the closest surrounding. He wanted to see whether Marcus Lucius was really that special and skilled.

-Now, I know that everything I've heard about you was true. Fame speeds by, but your name won't be forgotten soon. - The emperor said and it was impossible to detect what he intended to communicate. The message sounded as a dangerously announcement.

Then, the emperor said that on his own way full of visits in different camps in the entire empire, Eboracum was marked as the most curious place in the world. Knowing that Julia, the charming daughter of Julius Fabius, was there, too, made the place even more special. Hadrian wanted to see how the brave, intelligent, feisty girl grown up and whether she beheld her special nature. Seeing how good Marcus Lucius and Julia acted to support each other confirmed Hadrian's decision to give them the chance to be able to act together officially.

-You both proved that you not only act with courage and honour, but in love to each other. Therefore, on my personal wish, I arranged the wedding. Indeed, your parents are not involved in the plan. I called for them to celebrate together the Vestales, a feast for Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family. I thought it was appropriate enough to give them just a hint the same way they left me hints to their acts. They weren't able to decline my polite wish.

Hadrian smiled wry and awkward. It was directed nor to Julia nor Marcus Lucius, rather to the upcoming visitors. Marcus Lucius wondered about the order from the road. It meant that Hadrian had a plan long before he appeared in Eboracum. Hadrian's plan was based on a row of probable assumptions about Marcus Lucius. It included among all Appius's word that Marcus Lucius was a good man. The rest was unknown to Marcus Lucius. Hadrian wasn't disappointed by the news brought by different chessmen with different backgrounds confirmed Appius's statement. In opposite, he was more than pleased to be confirmed step after step about the right direction he has chosen and which limited the range of risk he had to took under consideration. Stimulating and subjecting Marcus Lucius directly and by arranged situations showed Hadrian that the world included good, reliable men that he needed to keep the policy of peace. He wished to be known as a good emperor, not a tyrant.

Then, Hadrian smiled friendly in the way that he mostly did. He thought about the symbolic meaning of choosing the date, but he was aware that the family chains won't stay bounded properly forever, if the truth would come out. It was needed to solve the riddles once for all times as it was needed to burn piece of Marcus Lucius's chest. Hadrian was excited and inconveniently nervous about the day they all should meet in one place at one time. He had to know that he could rely on Marcus Lucius and Julia the same way that Hadrian trusted Appius or Pompeius. Therefore, summarizing the entire situation to the both crucial players was so important. Hadrian didn't feel disappointed by Marcus Lucius or Julia. They acted differently from what Hadrian's expectation was, but it was all justifiable afterwards. The most valuable task was still in front of Hadrian. He wanted Marcus Lucius to trust him. There was no way to force anyone to trust. It wasn't a medicine that could be swallowed or an act that could be realized. It was a process that had to be developed and the time didn't belong to the highly available goods.

Hadrian ended his monologue and left the room. Marcus Lucius didn't even try to detain him in any way. Instead, Marcus Lucius sat on the cold, stoned ground and hid his face in his hands. Julia came down to him and flattened herself against his backs. He wasn't armoured and therefore, he felt her warm body. She knew that it wasn't the time to talk, but the time to come to terms with own soul.

Marcus Lucius tried to stay emotionless while he tried to order correctly the hints he got. The entire story infuriated him. He didn't ask for so much data at once. It felt as if Jupiter would take him from Eboracum and leave awkwardly in the desert of Africa. Marcus Lucius got too many answers at once and they let to a lot of new questions that stayed unsolved. Suddenly, he had too many opportunities to handle in the close future. Fait accompli wasn't a good remedy to push his mood upwards. At the same time, Hadrian's assumptions and knowledge enlightened the big puzzle enormously.

Feeling Julia's chest on his back was the only calming thing. She breathed slowly. It took deeply felt eternity and for real a couple of hours before Marcus Lucius ordered the news in his head, before he could start acting in any way again, before he won back a piece of ground under his feet. It took years he needed to ordered it emotionally. His world lost the perspective. He felt like Alice falling down the whole. Everything around him twisted and was mixed from the bottom to the top and from the top to the bottom. His ground has been shaky for weeks. However, it started breaking apart irreplaceably, irreversibly like a piece of glass that catches a crack that gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and finally, it was falling apart into millions of pieces ending at the simplest atomic structure of every element. Marcus Lucius was like iron that used to be harder than bronze, but it became brittle. Compared to the morning as he woke up, the future was more insecure than he thought and the past didn't mean what he thought it meant earlier. The only and just temporarily constant point of his own, galactic coordinate system was Julia, whose chest glued to his back. It was the only perceptible touch of reality he was captured in.

He focussed on the information he got from the emperor. His own father, Maximus, and his own wife, Decima, were killed independently from each other. Their common denominator was being a pawn in a complicated, studied plan of persons that Hadrian didn't specify directly. Still, Marcus Lucius knew that it was about issues of at least one of the invited guests. There had to be a special background for the invitation to Eboracum for Marcus Lucius's mother and for Julius Fabius. It couldn't be just simply the announced celebration or even the wedding.

Marcus Lucius knew that Maximus created something that was widely known as "Maximus's men". Appius belonged to the group as the best man on the side of Maximus. It was a mark that could be compared with seal of approval, a coherent set of standards and specifications for extraordinary trained and skilled soldiers. They were better than the yeomanry and started to be compared even with Achilles's Myrmidons like Menesthius, Eudorus, Peisander, Phoenix and Alcimedon. Menesthiuss As Maximus felt to the ground, a news spread the Ancient world that the one, who was supposed to be almost a god, almost the reborn Achilles, was a soldier at the end of the day. His students and friends straggled and lost their unity. At first Appius connected the rests of them a couple years later and Appius's soldiers started to be percepted similarly to the group around Maximus. However, it was just a reflected light of fame that Maximus earned once. Appius was like the Moon with its greyish volcanic rocks that are actually not very reflective and which reflects only about ten percent of the sunlight that hits it. But the Sun is so bright that even this much reflection looks very bright to us. The fame of Maximus was still alive and Appius's soldiers were known as reliable, honourable, skilled soldiers, not god-like warriors who could win all fights of the empire. Executing Maximus changed the pattern of distribution of power significantly. There were many different people from the first ranks of politics, who were interested in the fall of Maximus and there were enough supporters, who were disadvantaged by such a change of relations of power.

The insecurity of whom to trust was the crucial point. However, the revolutionary character of information wasn't surprising. Marcus Lucius assumed already that there had to be a master of puppets, who influenced the sequence of occurrences. However, Marcus Lucius's assumptions didn't include any of the invited guests. He knew for sure that Quintus was one of the chessmen. Marcus Lucius remembered how Quintus announced killing of Decima and how Quintus's men were ordered to execute Marcus Lucius, too. There was a gap between Quintus and his probable supporters. Marcus Lucius analysed which reasons Quintus could possibly have to act the way he acted. It couldn't be simply about a lost game. It would be ridiculous. With whom or by whose order Quintus acted was unknown. Connecting Quintus with Marcus Lucius's mother was strange.

Raised in the house of his mother, Marcus Lucius knew that she was a beastly, cold-minded person. Was she able to order to kill Maxentius? She didn't like Decima, but was it a reason to extinguish a life? Marcus Lucius's mother was eager for fame and fortune, but she wouldn't act in the way that disadvantages her only son. Was she then involved into Maximus's killing? Which reasons could she follow to decide or support to kill her own husband? What could killing Maximus bring to Julius Fabius? How could Julia's father be involved into one of the matters? Marcus Lucius didn't have a chance to meet Julius Fabius personally, therefore, he wasn't sure what kind of person Julia's father is. Then, it wasn't sure what to think about Hadrian. Was he a good person that tried to help? Was he a trustful person? Was he just playing with Marcus Lucius and feed Marcus Lucius with some more or less true traces that should lead to a full trust, and change Marcus Lucius to a puppet? Was the announcement about the wedding just a kind of last meal for Marcus Lucius, who was condemned to death? Was is just an attempt to defraud the reality and direct Marcus Lucius to do actions? On which side would Julia stay, when it comes to the point of no return? The crucial question was whom to trust. Marcus Lucius was sure that he had no confidence, no overview, no influence on the situation.

Marcus Lucius avoided the big politics, because he wanted to live his ordinary life. However, the powerful, aggressive politics used to have bearing on influencing lives of people it needs unmindful of damages and consequences that involving anyone could cause. Within a couple of months, Marcus Lucius became unwillingly a chess piece in the hands of regardless politicians on the chess board of fate. Winning him for own ranks could decide who would win a running match. Marcus Lucius recognized already that Hadrian intended to earn trustful, loyal relationship, but there was no interstage of trust. It was a simple state: whether you trust someone or you don't excluding a special fraction of trust. Marcus Lucius knew that the emperor wouldn't tolerate any disloyal soldier in his ranks. Relying on anyone wasn't easy in this situation and in meant taking sides. Marcus Lucius relied on Appius, but Appius relied on Hadrian. Rules of reciprocity as a behaviour or transitive relation that suggests partial order relations and equivalence relations didn't suit here. Human relationships weren't as easy as simple mathematical syntaxes sponsored by letters A, B and X as well the Equal Sign. Matching a symbol letter to every known person and every possible, but unknown variable was useless in the analysis of single threads made out thoughts dainty as proteinaceous spider silk and powerful enough to lead to a cold-blooded murders.

Any decision to take sides definitely fixed the new order on the chess board. The game included rational obsessions of winning power and fame, but also emotional aspects as faith in a person or idea. Marcus Lucius trusted Julia and Nerva, even if his mind could find enough reasons not to trust them. It was unimportant for his soul. The rest of the world was beyond his limits of trust. The shaky ground under his feet felt completely apart and nothing was the way he knew it before. He had to gather his pieces anew and make a decision. Even a bad decision would be better than malaise of the moment. He had to settle his position by instincts the same way he acted on the battle field. However, during battles, he knew who was on his side and who wasn't. Here, it was like jumping out of a cliff and hoping that you miss the rocks under the water surface.

Marcus Lucius wasn't sure who was finally responsible for which murder and which reasons were needed to even start forging such plans. Creating the wild combinations wasn't helpful and it just annoyed the mind. Every imaginable option appeared surreal and improbable. Hadrian definitely knew the solutions to all questions that grind Marcus Lucius's mind down. Marcus Lucius was supposed to search for his own way to find out the truth and to decide whom to trust. The facts were that Maximus, Decima and Maxentius were dead. Their lives were over. Their souls were somewhere in the afterlife. The rest could be a dainty, complex masterpiece web made out of lies and illusions, where the unidentified masters dragged the subtly threads.

Julia shivered. Her forehead was glowing. Marcus Lucius turned to her and as he hugged her feverish body, he was totally sure of what he felt towards her. He would kill the entire world, if it would be needed to protect her. He loved her. It was so clearly, naively simple. It was the only truth he could find and take for sure in the moment.

-Julia... - He whispered.

She moved, but wasn't completely concentrated. Her eyes were glassy, sleepy and tired. Her body was supple and less stable. If Marcus Lucius wouldn't steady her, she would fall down on the floor. A shy smile appeared on her face and it looked like she was remembering something from her past. She didn't catch the attentive, sorrowed gaze of Marcus Lucius.

-Appius said once that the one, who can murder, is also obviously able to save a life... He laughed. He found it funny, but in a strange way. - She memorized the days from her childhood as she observed mourning Appius. She thought about a venomous snake that could kill its victims within seconds.

Her forehead was hot. Sweat showed up on her skin. Marcus Lucius got scared that it was more than just a common cold. He lifted her and brought through the halls to tepidarium. No soldier was in sight. No slave appeared on Marcus Lucius's way. Apparently, there was no need to keep an eye at Marcus Lucius. It was an extraordinary change compared to the last days.

As he laid her on a wooden cot in a cosily warm room, she opened her eyes. She looked tired and sick.

-How are you doing? - He asked as she smiled minimally with glowing eyes.

-It's nothing. \- She whispered the same way he always told he got scratches.

-Fair enough. \- He answered while he covered her with a blanket. Earlier, he judged that it had to be a common cold that usually resolves in seven to ten days, with some symptoms lasting up longer. These infections have been with humanity since antiquity and for ages, there was no cure discovered. Marcus Lucius knew that the symptoms could be treated conservatively by getting plenty of rest, drinking fluids to maintain hydration, and gargling with warm salt water. However, the temperature of her forehead scared him.

-I will try to fix you. - He said melodically, a bit bothered, and added after a moment a question. - Anything I should know about the days out there?

-Nothing. - She answered quickly, because she didn't like to describe the days in the cottage. She wouldn't be able to lie about her good mood in those days and she knew that Marcus Lucius needed a moment of rest. \- Anything I should know about your days here?

She breathed heavily, but didn't cough. Her dreamy eyes observed how he gently laid down next to her. He pulled her slightly to his body and minded not to destroy the dainty creation of the blanket covering the girl.

-Nothing. - He stroked her hair and kissed her hot forehead twice. It wouldn't be supportive to describe the days spent as a prisoner.

-What do we plan to do then? - She asked as his breath became slowly again.

A wry, forced smile appeared on his face. Julia didn't see it, but she felt the crooked mood that enveloped him. Her question was tricky, because there was no simple answer for it. She screwed herself silently in her mind.

-We're going to survive it. - He sounded

-The wedding? \- She tried to follow his thoughts.

He laughed shortly, teasingly.

-No, we're going to survive one day after another.

The general use of his thought didn't calm down Julia. It sounded more sarcastic than serious, maybe due to a smile on Marcus Lucius's face. He noticed that she wasn't happy about his answer, so he added:

-We'll try to solve the riddle. We'll try not to kill anyone. We'll try to step up beyond our limits and not to lose our goodness and honour. - His voice sounded serious and sad. It indicated his internal struggle. It definitely wouldn't be easy to stay calm when the secrets would become public. He was afraid that he won't be able to keep the distance as he did it during the long, exhausting day he just left behind.

-You're trying to be the best here. - She said with a kind of admiration that was needed for him to hear.

She wanted to support him, but she wasn't sure how to do it. Her mind didn't like to collaborate and suggest any reasonable thoughts. She knew that she was sick and that her words came out as a consequence of verbal diarrhoea. As she observed him in the last hours, her respect for him grew even stronger. She noticed that he succeed in the attempt to hold his nerve. He struggled with his impulses, but he didn't show to nobody how much did it cost him. He was straight and determined. He was calm and cold blooded. He was acting with purpose and the only goal was to find a safe place for her. She was impressed, even if she didn't like his plan to send her away and to let himself kill by others. Even one man couldn't win any fight against the entire empire. Julia was sorrowed that Hadrian would understand Marcus Lucius's actions as throwing down a gauntlet. It would be stupid to challenge the emperor. Knowing Hadrian from the days in the past, Julia presumed and felt internally that it was the same soul in a grown-up body. Hadrian wanted Marcus Lucius to trust him. It wasn't easy to achieve. Losing trust or tolerating someone could be achieved with minimal means. Winning even a shadow of somebody's confidence was hard.

-It's not about being the best. It's about being better with every day.

-It's not easy. - She mumbled.

-I'm not saying it's going to be easy, I'm saying it's going to be worth it. \- He added with a lovely smile. Everything was worth to protect her, to be able to have her in his arms.

She smiled back and told him the story how she met Hadrian for the very first time. Marcus Lucius listened concentrated, but with closed eyes. She yawn every now and then, but she tried not to lose her focus. He smiled beamy due to comparing Appius's behaviour to an African snake. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he listened what little Julia was talking about with Hadrian.

-Do you trust him? - Marcus Lucius asked quietly after she finished her story.

She didn't answer. She felt asleep. In the cosy, warm room with blanket around her chilled to the bone body and in the arms of the man, who was a promise of a safe time. Marcus Lucius stroked her hair and yawned. The amount of pressure and stress of the last hours were a heavy ballast on his shoulders. However, having Julia next to him was a moment of peace. Nothing else mattered. He felt asleep as well. Tomorrow had to come soon, but as long as it was the time before the next day began, Marcus Lucius used it for getting some rest.

#7 RECONING SONG

Marcus Lucius woke up as he heard someone coming closer. He was unarmed, the sword he divested from Hadrian laid in the dining room. However, Marcus Lucius could fight even with bare hands. He wasn't calmer as he saw Pompeius, who took his hands in the air in the way that signed Marcus Lucius a good intend. Julia didn't react and slept deep as a stone in the ocean.

-Your mother arrived. - Pompeius announced and his usually wry smirk seemed to be more friendly. - Before you go there, I have to talk with you.

Marcus Lucius didn't make any impression to be willing to stand up and leave the place. He squinted his eyes and observed Pompeius's awaiting face. Slowly and mindful in respect of Julia's sleep, he stood up and moved forwards to Pompeius. They didn't leave the tepidarium. They simply went away a couple of meters. It was far enough to not disturb Julia's sleep and close enough for Marcus Lucius to come back to her without problems if needed.

-I know that you have all reasons not to trust me, and I won't play to be a friend of you. I don't trust you, either, even if I respect you.

-Fair enough. \- Marcus Lucius said and waited for further remarks.

-I don't know what you've already heard about my actions related to your woman or your friend Nerva, but I assure you that they weren't in danger as long as they were followed by me. My task was to keep an eye on your camp without directly visiting you here. Believe me, it wasn't easy to keep the distance to such a demanded man. Hadrian already sent his orders and I stayed dutiful.

-Why do you tell me all this?

-You have a decision to make. I wanted you to know my point.

-Why? - Marcus Lucius probed.

-Your father was a direct, wise man. He was independent and didn't listen to the commanders with higher ranks. He was also the first one, who back me up as everybody ignored me and pushed me to the lower ranks. He would appreciate me giving you the encouragement to find out the truth about his murder. We have the same goal, Marcus Lucius. Even if we're not friends, we act in concert.

Marcus Lucius nodded. Pompeius sounded convincing. They shook hands in a sign of accord and at least temporary agreement. Marcus Lucius's pressure showed his power, even if he didn't try to boast. Pompeius followed Marcus Lucius's eyes.

-I see you'd like to ask a question. - Pompeius said. - Go ahead.

-What happened to you that you're so wry? - Marcus Lucius said straight.

Pompeius smiled crooked. There were some sparkles of amusement in his eyes. It showed that he found the bad or difficult topic slightly amusing or ironic, but also somewhat forced.

-My past is more interesting for you than your mother. What happened with the loving son?

They both smiled meaningfully. Pompeius moved more relaxed.

-You're father died. That's what happened. - Pompeius added somewhat strangely freely. It sounded bitter, but not sad. There were undefined many different, bad occurrences between the moment as Maximus was alive and the current moment. There were many unconducive experiences that Pompeius had to collect. Their traces were written as wrinkles and scars on his face. Marcus Lucius noticed already some of them, but some of them were more visible from such a close distance. At first now, Marcus Lucius recognized that it was impossible for Pompeius to smile like any average person. His crooked smile, the kind of smile some people use when they are trying not to smile, wasn't conditionally meant to be icily and lopsidedly. Even if he would try to smile friendly, it would look less kindly due to a muscle weakness of his right cheek. It wasn't a twitch that Marcus Lucius saw already a couple of times on soldiers' faces. It was probably a consequence of two injuries. Two well healed, in the meanwhile almost imperceptible scars nestled on his face. The one stretched from his right ear up to the middle of his chick. The second one was thin and tiny as if it was cut superficially, but deep enough to snip the risorius, the muscle of facial expression, which inserts onto the skin at the angle of the mouth. It was immovable. Pompeius simply wasn't able to smile friendly. It made it harder to estimate what Pompeius was thinking and whether his expression was ironic, dry or rather cordial.

-Thank you. - Marcus Lucius said.

-For what? - Pompeius visibly stunned.

-For honesty.

-Go to your woman, son of Maximus. She has to get prepared. You're expected in the dining room. Your friend Nerva kicks his heels nervously.

Marcus Lucius's eyes got brighter as he heard Nerva's name. Pompeius noticed it and saluted before he left the place. The salutation was unnecessary. Pompeius's rank was higher than Marcus Lucius's, but it was a kind of confirming the good relationship between them or a sign of respect. Marcus Lucius didn't analyse it further. He stepped closer to Julia and kneed in front of her. He stroked her nose gently and smiled dreamy. She opened her eyes and smiled back.

-Is it real? - She asked with a sleepy note in her voice. She percepted the good mood and calm attitude of Marcus Lucius. He seemed to be relaxed and it was a total change compared to the day before. She liked his buoyant attitude and she didn't like to destroy the good-humoured mood by any question that appeared in her mind. She wanted to know the plan. She wanted to know how to support him.

-It is. - He confirmed quietly and kissed her cheek. He noticed her concerns that brought dark shadows in her eyes. - You have to get prepared.

He helped her to get up and minded that she was still covered in the warm blanket. His left arm embraced her back and pushed gently in the direction of the dining room. She was excited and divided. She wasn't sure what she should expect.

As they stepped in the lobby and as Julia saw Nerva, she ran to him and hugged him spontaneously. Marcus Lucius smiled, because such an explosion of good emotions was needed as every sunrise after every night. Julia was a sparkle that made the room glowing with a special, warm light.

Nerva was completely blank as he held Julia is his arms. Automatically, he hugged her, but he didn't expect her to show such a joy just due to the fact that she saw him. Instinctively, Nerva looked to Marcus Lucius who stepped forwards, but far enough to leave free space for Julia. Nerva communicated with just a wink of his eye that he was fine. Marcus Lucius didn't move his head, but his eyes showed enough for Nerva to relax and hug Julia without worries.

Her blanket felt to the ground. She didn't care about the soldiers in the room and she didn't notice as Pompeius stepped in the room, stopped moving and looked at the welcoming scene. As she was close to Nerva's body, she whispered her sorrowed question:

-Are you fine?

She wasn't able to see the messages exchanged silently by Nerva and Marcus Lucius. She was visibly worried and tensed. Nerva knew he had to assure her that there was no need to be worried at the moment, so his lips moved closer to her ear and he whispered:

-Hey yourself. \- He sounded relieved, good.

Her tension decreased and it influenced Nerva significantly. Before she managed to make two steps back, while she was still gazing at Nerva, she was intercepted by Marcus Lucius, who lifted off her blanket. He enveloped her with the material again and kept her in his range inconspicuously. Pompeius observed how Marcus Lucius stayed calm, how he greeted Nerva brotherly, how he showed by the short, probably a strong, but not bear-like handshake, that everything was fine, how he nodded with his head to welcome Pompeius in the room. It was a very special art of attention that was required from any good, leading soldier.

-I'll bring you, daughter of Julius Fabius, to your chamber. - Pompeius announced and waited until Marcus Lucius nodded minimally as a sign of acceptance. It was sure that Pompeius wouldn't act in any way that could grate on Marcus Lucius like you don't attempt to tease a wild lion.

Marcus Lucius's hand on Julia's back pushed her gently and almost invisibly for others. It was the signal for her to go. She didn't feel like a silent lamb that was lead to a slaughterhouse. She felt safe and backed up by Marcus Lucius. Knowing that he was in the house, just few rooms away from her, that he wasn't prisoned and could move freely, and even if he would be impeded, he would come and rescue her. She went with her heart and it gave her enough feeling of security to act calmly and to spread it around her. She wasn't aware of how powerful in her dainty she appeared.

Pompeius didn't dare to get into conversation with Julia. He was tensed, again, but in a different way. He could estimate how precious she was. There was no price that could be repaid, if she would get any, even the smallest damage, or if she would just say a word of complaint. It was sure. It was predictable. It was clear. Pompeius liked these straight relations here, because it made his life easier. He hated the complicated games, where you never could be completely sure who was planning what and in which constellation you could blunder suddenly. Pompeius was smart enough not to get involved into any unnecessary struggle nor with Marcus Lucius, nor with his friends like Nerva or Appius, nor with the emperor himself. Hadrian expressed his wish to treat everyone involved with appropriate respect. Pompeius needed to get to know someone better to decide whether how to deal with a person. Mostly, he kept the distance as long as he could. He knew already the taste of betrayal and he avoided any further opportunity to experience it again. It felt so enjoyably comfortable just to accompany somebody and not to mix anything into a special direction. Usually, he had to manage everything, keep the overview and coordinate the actions needed to keep the order corresponding to the directives of the emperor. He already met two emperors during his life and he learnt humbleness needed to survive on the higher level of politics. He knew that he didn't suit to the middle ranks. He didn't like to be pushed from the bottom and from the top at the same time. He had to change it and he managed it. It cost him a lot of scars he collected on his body and scratches of his soul that he tried to heal.

Pompeius's face didn't change his expression as he let Julia in her chamber and ordered his own guards to stay there. Then, he turned back and went to the dining room, where Marcus Lucius conferred with Nerva. They whispered. A special connection showing friendship and understanding between them was perceptible in the short sentences that were exchanged instead of longer explanations that were usual to agree upon a strategy. It reminded Pompeius about the times when the world was less complicated, because it was filled with reliable allies. Pompeius thought about the back up of Maximus.

As they met for the very first time, Pompeius used to be a young soldier, who wasn't able to bite his tongue, when it was advisable. Pompeius was unexperienced and rebellious, because he was convinced that saying truth was needed. The old habits used to promote conformist values and supported visibly loyal, but not always real supporters. Pompeius's courage pushed him to oppose and he collected a lot of setbacks. He didn't give up to stay straight and proud. Then, Maximus picked him from a group of soldiers. It was a sudden announcement and Pompeius stunned what was the cause. Maximus wasn't a person, who talked much. He limited his words and actions. He was a spontaneous man, but his reactions had to be observed attentively. Everything he had to communicate was in his eyes or a gentle, but adamant movement of the head. Watching Marcus Lucius was nice, because there was the same strength captured in the minimal moves.

Maximus taught Pompeius how to calm down and how to stay focussed on the target that was set. Pompeius needed someone, who would challenge him in the positive way. Maximus was a good teacher. He was patient, demanding, but full of understanding. His calmness forced to act calmer as well. Even if Maximus was busy with others, Pompeius had the impression that Maximus was able to keep complete overview. As Maximus decided to go to Britannia, nobody doubted or asked anything about it. Everyone accepted it. He listened to advices of his surrounding, he thanked for the worries and counsels, but his decisions were made only by him. He ignored everyone politely in the way that nobody felt offended. As he talked with Appius, who was chosen to go to Dacia and support there soldiers protecting the empire, Maximus noticed how uncomfortable Appius felt with the resettlement. Pompeius wasn't there, but he heard enough bad opinions about Appius looking any substitute for his mission. Marcus Lucius suggested to take it over. In the common, echoic memory of Roman dishers, Maximus took over the task and proved his strength once again. Appius was just on the way to form and prove his fame of a very good, skilled trainer. This one and only drawback was the unique emergency rule in the life career of Appius. Pompeius couldn't understand how Appius was able to let Maximus to go to Dacia. There was no visible reason for changing the positions.

As Maximus fell down in the Battle of Sarmisegetuza, Pompeius thought that the entire world would fall apart in a moment. However, the world kept living the ordinary way. It was elusive. Losing such a great man should make the entire surrounding freezing at least for weeks, years, ages, but a day started with a sunrise and the night started with a sunset. What has changed, was the life of Pompeius. There was no protection, there was no support to calm down, there was nobody, who could give him a sign to shut up. He had a big, uncontrolled mouth and he was punished from all sides. Pompeius felt he was drowning and his enemies from the higher ranks kept putting his head under the water surface with the same power as the enemies from the lower ranks kept pulling him to the bottom. Some scars and uncountable days spent under supervision of medicos later, Pompeius decided to change his strategy. He didn't comment anything, he followed the orders and it seemed that he was on the way to get broken. Even, if it didn't happen, the rage and disappointment towards previous allies, who failed as allies completely, were growing up in Pompeius's mind and limited him in the human interactions. He didn't trust anyone else.

Pompeius reminded how a coincidence changed his life again. The emperor visited the camp, where Pompeius was fulfilling his duty with no special involvement, and as the question was put into the big round, Pompeius was the only one, who stepped out insecure. Trajan needed such warriors as Maximus to reach the greatest territorial extent through his conquests in the east. As Trajan told a story about one of the unforgettable soldiers in the history, Pompeius was confused. If he wouldn't be a man, he would cry like a baby. It was the moment, when he felt left alone so much that he came forward and announced:

-Maximus was my teacher. It would be an honour for me to prove what he have taught me.

-The empire needs such a contribution. - Trajan sounded noble and satisfied.

Nobody expected what happened then. Pompeius got an own team of soldiers and was sent to the province of Arabia Petraea. Pompeius contributed actively to gain for the empire a new province. He concentrated all his fury, disappointment and bad thoughts in the battles. He was like a wild, unpredictable warrior and he intimidated not only the enemy, but also his own soldiers. He didn't talk. He led ascetic live and opened himself to the world in the fights. He ignored the injuries he started to collecting proudly and he was able to remind himself what he was just thinking as he got wounded every single time. He had nothing to lose and nothing could cramp him. For his contribution, he has got promoted and finally, he became the governor of Moesia Inferior between 116 and 117. In the meanwhile, he got to know Hadrian and as the empire got the new emperor, Pompeius felt the backup from the most powerful commander in the world. However, the enemies weren't excepted, but only muted within their strokes and affairs they initiated whenever a good chance appeared.

He wasn't banished to go to Britannia, even if it was a common rumour that he heard a lot of times. He didn't fight with it, because the amount of fighting against it was more exhausting than tolerating it. He wanted to get a new challenge and new area, where he could breathe freely. Britannia was connected with shadows of the past, but not so strongly as the other parts of the empire, where the living rowdies with politically correct expression of masks put on their faces. It was demanding to stay calm and visibly friendly to adventurers who forged plans to get more influential behind the other's backs. He didn't like playing the complicated, confusing games. He wished a kind of simplicity.

He didn't feel totally comfortable with staying in Moesia Inferior as he was asked at first. Due to the good relationship with Hadrian, Pompeius has made his decision and it was approved. He liked it here, even if the weather was much worse and more wet than somewhere else. The inhabitants were easy to estimate. Their support for the Romans was limited to their own advantages. They were free for years and tolerated the Roman supervision just as far as it was convenient for them. It was it was foreseeable what problems they had and when they felt in danger. The principle about the enemies of your enemies are my friends was very useful.

Looking at Marcus Lucius talking with Nerva reminded Pompeius about famous talks between Maximus and Appius. He hadn't many occasions to meet Appius personally. Pompeius didn't look for such possibilities anyway. He despised the man, who betrayed own friend, who let the real friend taking over a task that wasn't defined for that purpose. Even listening about Appius's soldiers as a branded pact of reliable, skilled soldiers echoed in Pompeius's head as a direct slap. A betrayer shouldn't be able to form a group of honourable members. It was not a joke, a sarcastic remark. It was abusing and ridiculous.

However, looking at Nerva directly every time Pompeius met him, confirmed that Nerva possessed the strength and honour that any soldier should cultivate in own's being. How much it was influenced by Marcus Lucius or Appius or whether it was just the type of person that Nerva was, Pompeius wasn't able to estimate. Nerva seemed to be a kind of a man you wanted to have around independently from the situation. Nerva wouldn't leave you alone, he would fight for you,even if it would mean his own end. It was fascinating, because it reminded Pompeius how he would decide, if he would have been able to accompany Maximus to Britannia and to Dacia years ago. Pompeius wasn't allowed to follow his master and he regretted it every day. Looking at Nerva caused that Pompeius felt good somewhat that such people were still existing in the world that Pompeius didn't like and even despised. If Marcus Lucius trusted that Nerva could protect Julia the best way for a moment, then it meant that not only Pompeius has noticed the potential of Nerva. It felt good to know that Marcus Lucius was able to recognize a diamond between fake jewels. In a world that could disappoint you within a blink of an eye so much that you could have lost your entire, sufferable life, there had to be an anchor that could signal you that it's still the reality you're living, that you're not dead yet. In the world where friendship and love could be replaced quicker than you could catch a moment, there had to be an emotion that could last longer than the time you felt badly. Pompeius used to analyse why the negative issues could motivate him more than the good things. It was easier for him to be angry and disappointed than to convey or evaluate any positive matter in the crucial moment. Maybe it was caused by the extraordinary, smashing number of bad experiences that Pompeius collected on the way. Pompeius has been developing a kind of an imaginary shell that cumulated the energy of all beats he got and allowed him to bat them against the offenders. His defence mechanism worked well and proved its capable of taking and giving what was needed. He wasn't familiar with good emotions. He didn't trust anyone. He didn't rely on anyone. He accepted the soldiers around him, but there were no bounds between him and his guards as the bound between Nerva and Marcus Lucius or even Nerva and Julia, not mentioning the relation perceptible between Marcus Lucius and Julia. Pompeius couldn't understand it, but he respected it. He wasn't able to rely on anyone, anymore. He wanted to be able, but he was blocked irreversibly. He envied them for being able to fall down in any relationship without resistance, without over-thinking, without the fear.

-Life can shock you immensely. - Pompeius whispered somewhat sadly while he looked at the both soldiers that stopped talking and waited for his next move.

What fascinated Pompeius additionally was how much the energy and nature of Maximus was existing in Marcus Lucius. The form of his eyes and face bones, the gestures, even the sound of his voice reminded Pompeius about the man he admired and respected endlessly. However, Marcus Lucius was maybe taller and less compact than his father, but it brought him more speed and flexibility.

Pompeius already saw Marcus Lucius's mother and he wasn't able to say what Marcus Lucius had from her except the dimples and the polite smile. Marcus Lucius's mother was a beautiful woman with predacious sparkles in her big eyes bound in black, long lashes. Her moves were fluent and her presence was spectacular, even a bit intimidating. She was a strong woman and you knew to keep the proper distance from her. She didn't lead any chit-chat. Her questions were limited to the words that were needed to use. She didn't speak aloud, but she wasn't whispering. She wanted to know when she could see her son and who else was in Eboracum. Pompeius didn't answer it. He smiled politely and it made her angry.

-We need to talk about your contributions for empire. - Pompeius smiled the crooked way he used to smile.

Marcus Lucius knew that it wasn't conditionally a bad sign. He showed Nerva to follow. Pompeius brought them to the camp. They didn't expect it. The emperor didn't spend the night in the cosy bed in Maxentius's villa, but with his soldiers in the camp. As they came into the camp on their own horses, the soldiers stopped their trainings and looked to Marcus Lucius with a relief. Even if there were thousands of open questions in the air, there was also a confirmation of a kind of peace and satisfaction. The soldiers greeted their commander with a short, friendly nod. They didn't dare to salute properly, because it didn't seem to be appropriate. However, they showed their respect and their loyalty visibly enough. It calmed Marcus Lucius additionally. Nerva observed what Marcus Lucius was doing and followed without a shadow of a doubt.

In the commander's camp, Hadrian stood already and was bowed over a map of the empire. He talked with his advisors, six armoured and older men, and seemed to be occupied with the plans they've made. Cornelius was there, too. He stood intimidated in a corner like a student who didn't make his homework. He didn't greet anyone and tried not to attract attention on his tensed being.

Marcus Lucius and Nerva waited on distance while Pompeius stepped forward and greeted the emperor. Hadrian smiled friendly and was visibly good while seeing Marcus Lucius not so extremely tensed like the times before. A kind of relief was perceptible in the air. Nerva's attitude was positively influenced by a bit relaxed pose of Marcus Lucius. A proper salutation followed. Marcus Lucius and Nerva stayed where they were.

-I am the emperor, but I wasn't ever welcomed the way you were welcomed today. - Hadrian noticed fatherly and respectfully. - How can I abandon such a man?

-But he pretended to be the commander! He pretended to be Maxentius! He lived the life it wasn't his! - Cornelius stepped forward with angry, challenging gesticulation. He stayed calm, even if shaky all the time, but the last sentence of Hadrian brought him out of the way.

The emperor smiled politely and turned slowly to Cornelius. He smiled politely, even if he wasn't forced to be nice. His cheek shivered slowly and it was the only sign of rising angriness. His eyes kept the good vibrations. His voice was determined, but not emotional:

-Pompeius, would you be so kind...

Pompeius stepped forward and his crooked smile fooled Cornelius.

-As far as I was informed, he never took the official command over the camp. As far as I know, he never introduced himself as Maxentius. As far as I know, he just filled the gap that had to be filled to keep the order here. If he wouldn't be here, you would have lost the camp. If a commander in chief has no quality of decision or if he is not of much use to his subordinates, then he is no good commander.

With every further word of Pompeius, Cornelius seemed to get smaller and more insecure. His angriness disappeared immediately. Marcus Lucius observed Hadrian, who didn't say a word. He didn't look angry or satisfied at all. Hadrian followed Pompeius cautiously and it was fascinating how the emperor could stay aside and still rule over the room.

-Go out and show us that you're the commander and will see who will follow you. \- Pompeius added. His teeth showed up in the crooked smile, and Cornelius felt intimidated. The fear increased immediately, when Pompeius's hand landed on his sword. Cornelius's eyes moved dynamically in all directions as if he was looking for any escape possibility. The more Cornelius stepped back, the closer Pompeius was to him. You could really feel the frightened soul of Cornelius. Some of Hadrian's advisers smiled meaningfully. From their faces, Marcus Lucius was able to read that they didn't intend to interact in the constellation. The acceptance of the criticism was visible. Marcus Lucius didn't show any approval for it. He wasn't upset either. Nerva smiled minimally. He wanted to keep the secret, but his face muscles betrayed him. Hadrian smiled after getting a short look at Nerva. Then, he smiled internally after a brief gaze at Marcus Lucius. The amount of self-control in Marcus Lucius's pose was incredible.

Hadrian made a small step forwards and Pompeius stopped his speech. Pompeius went away from Cornelius and took the position as before.

-You know how these young puppies are... \- Hadrian said slowly, respectfully, and Cornelius smiled crooked, because he wasn't sure about what would happen next. Apparently, he expected the worst scenario including an execution. He trembled and couldn't breathe properly. He wasn't able to pull himself together anymore.

Hadrian was disappointed, even if it wasn't clearly visible. The friendly sparkles in his eyes were dashed. He remembered how he talked one to one with Marcus Lucius and how Marcus Lucius stayed controlled, proud and attentive in the moment. Hadrian felt good having such people around him. The empire wasn't lost as long as there were still such soldiers.

-However, you should go to Maxentius's villa and accompany your brother, Julius Fabius. Since we are all here, and since there is nobody to say a welcoming word, it would be polite to send you to fulfil this important and manageable task.

The Emperor smiled even brighter, but it didn't look friendly anymore. Cornelius realized that in the moment he left the camp, he wouldn't have any reason to return here. A camp needed a commander and didn't tolerate any vacancy. As Cornelius left the tent, all chaos and shivering vanished. However, the tension in the camp increased. It was time to do something or dye. Pompeius shivered uncomfortable. He didn't like the idea of Marcus Lucius getting rewarded by making himself a direct opponent to governor of the province. Competing with Marcus Lucius could be very risky. Pompeius didn't want it, because he was afraid to lose the direct duel.

-How can I abandon such a man? - Hadrian repeated his question in the same friendly, open way as before, as if nothing would have happened in the meantime. He was hugely disappointed about Cornelius leaving without even trying to ask what would happen to his camp. It was bitter to see how fast and decisively the commander quit his job to save his life. Hadrian was furious and shaken internally. Although only the shadows of his emotions appeared in his eyes, it was enough to make Pompeius worry about what the next steps could be. It would be a hard decision to support an execution of Marcus Lucius. It would be disappointing to lose a good, reliable soldier, who was just a puzzle piece on a huge, complex board of plots. Rome couldn't afford to lose a skilled, trustful man.

The emperor gazed at Marcus Lucius challenging. He needed to see the spirit of the fight. He wanted to see a reaction, but he knew that it wouldn't happen. As long as it wasn't about the life of the woman that he loved, Marcus Lucius wasn't extremely tense. He even seemed to be relaxed in a very attentive, not disregardful way. It could be just an impression or an illusion, because Marcus Lucius could react very quickly and precisely. It was like looking at a wild, strong lion that was just laying calmly in the savannah but could attack any moment.

-As you said, you're the emperor. It's your decision. - Marcus Lucius answered straight.

-What do you suggest, then, as a soldier to a soldier. What should I do with you as a human being? And as a soldier? What should I do for the empire? - Hadrian sounded serious. As Marcus Lucius didn't answer straight away, Hadrian added after a couple of minutes. - Please, be honest with me. It's about your future. It's about The Senate and the People of Rome, Senātus Populusque Rōmānus.

Hadrian knew that the idea of the great empire, of the great homeland and its rules was very important to Marcus Lucius. If it wasn't, Marcus Lucius would have behaved differently. He wouldn't have come back. He wouldn't have respected the soldiers. He wouldn't have taken over the real command of the camp and he wouldn't have participated in the battle. Marcus Lucius was definitely an honourable man. Hadrian wasn't disappointed by his reaction.

-being the emperor, your intention is to strengthen the Empire, improving infrastructure, commissioning new structures and settlements. - Marcus Lucius started slowly, but confident. - Therefore, the empire needs to rest. We don't need to conquer or annex any further land. We have to rest and confirm our strength. I am no planner or strategist with an overview over the whole empire. - Marcus Lucius stepped forward and came to the table where the large map was laying. While showing Britannia and its parts with his fingers, he explained his statement. - What I've learned about the region here, we have good relationships here, as well as here, and here. The problem is here and here.

Hadrian stepped closer to him and nodded silently. Pompeius looked at the map and confirmed what Marcus Lucius said by nodding. As a good governor, Pompeius knew where the weak and the strong sides of his provinces were. He had his sources of information and he already shared it with the emperor.

-What do you suggest, then? - The emperor asked calmly.

-You have three options in my humble opinion. The first one is that you increase the amount of soldiers on the borders here and here, like more patrolling and a control system to detect offenders. Marcus Lucius's fingers showed the line between Eboracum and the territories that used to be attacked by the men from the North. Marcus Lucius remembered the talks with the local elders.

-The second option is to build sentinels along this line. It would allow you to control the borders more efficiently without having to build big camps and shift a lot of soldiers there.

-And the third one? - Pompeius asked, while Marcus Lucius took a brief break to breathe and to analyse whether he wanted to add anything else.

-Oh, the third one is to combine the first two with each other. It would increase the chances for success. - Marcus Lucius added quickly.

Everybody nodded with understanding. Marcus Lucius's short speech was limited to concrete suggestions and didn't have any personal advantages for him.

-What's in there for you? - One of the emperor's advisors asked and broke the silence in the room.

Marcus Lucius smiled politely. It was a minimal smile, just puling the right corner of his mouth a few millimetres higher than a moment before. It looked self-assertive, but not challenging. He remembered his talk with the local elders and how similar both sides were behaving during such councils. Even the face expressions of the emperor's advisers looked similar to the stunned, insecure, wise faces of the local regents. Marcus Lucius remembered how he promised to fight for the regional inhabitants and not only for the Roman Empire. Having it all in mind, he had to smile. It was stronger than the reserve. Marcus Lucius looked directly to Hadrian. For a moment, there was a hesitation, but then, Marcus Lucius answered:

-I am not here to list any wish. I'm here at your command.

Hadrian smiled. Marcus Lucius's answer wasn't factitious. It was his straight, simple way. Apparently, he was happy with the current state. He was able to obey and not jump out of the ranks uncontrollably. Marcus Lucius was reliable. He wasn't putting the principles that the empire dictated into question. He wasn't a crazy man, who would leave the camp any minute, because of an impulse. He knew into which scheme he belonged and he was ready to step lower in the hierarchy by showing his subordination. It was a sign of Marcus Lucius going to his knees and waiting patiently for a decision. It was the answer to a question that Hadrian had asked once. Marcus Lucius's answer was clear, even though the others didn't understand completely. Therefore, Marcus Lucius added:

-I don't wish much for me. I am a soldier. I'm not up for promotion. I wish to serve the empire any way you wish me to.

Pompeius was relieved. He felt a bit intimidated by Marcus Lucius's power. It was about the camp calming down just when seeing its leader, who didn't even self-proclaimed himself. The masses behind Marcus Lucius weren't easy to ignore. However, Marcus Lucius wasn't up to run for any position and he showed openness to obey. It was a good tactic. Of course, the emperor could promote him, but it wouldn't be Marcus Lucius's decision. Everybody nodded as a sign of mutual respect and understanding.

-Good, good. - Hadrian said and turned to his advisors, who built a circle around him. The men looked the same. They were a bit older than the emperor himself, their faces were covered by helmets and their bodies were packed into armours with individual patterns that showed horses, trees, or thunders. Their back-sides were covered by long, red capes that rustled, when they moved.

Marcus Lucius stepped back and came closer to Nerva. Pompeius observed the advisors and didn't participate in their conversation. They all stood calmly and patiently. It was hard to listen to what the emperor's advisors were saying. It was impossible to observe their face expressions, because they were bowed hiding their faces from the outsiders. They were so quiet that you could almost think they didn't say a word. They moved minimally. Marcus Lucius closed his eyes and tried to perceive the surrounding with other senses. He was tired of pretending anything, so the last hours were a welcome change. Even if he wasn't completely sure what decision would be made, he knew that a wedding was planned. It was possible that he would be resettled to Dacia or any other region as punishment for the game he played. Living his own life again meant that a huge load fell off his shoulders. He had to consider the consequences, but he was ready as long as he was sure that his friends weren't penalised.

Nerva stood calmly and waited like a well trained dog. He was relieved to see that Marcus Lucius and Julia were feeling well. He didn't care how about the next day. It couldn't be bad, because Marcus Lucius made an independent impression. He talked shortly, directly, almost relaxed. This feeling of being comfortable was catching and brought the perspective of freedom.

Pompeius stood alone and contemplated. He appreciated Hadrian's wisdom. Letting Marcus Lucius getting married with Julia brought something good into sight. It made the pressure put on everyone involved decrease visibly. He appreciated Marcus Lucius's wisdom, who used the moment to present his suggestions in the right way, without grasping for any advantage. Marcus Lucius was honest and humble. It was a good, clever strategy.

It took a while until the emperor turned around and announced at least the decisions that could be agreed upon for that moment:

-Marcus Lucius, you'll go and welcome your soldiers. It was punishment enough for them not being able to celebrate the victory with their commander. They won't believe anyone saying that you're alive, if they won't get to touch you directly. Go, train them and come back to the villa in the evening. Nerva will prepare the celebrations. We need more time to decide what to do here. We're leaving at the crack of dawn.

Marcus Lucius nodded and left the camp. The soldiers, who were already waiting impatiently outside the camp pretending to be busy with their ordinary tasks, gathered within a moment around him. The joy in their eyes was so huge that Marcus Lucius could almost get blinded by it. It felt good to see how they missed him and how they backed him up.

Pompeius noticed it. Hadrian noticed it. Hadrian's advisors noticed it. It was a breaking moment. Marcus Lucius, Nerva and Pompeius felt that it was the emperor's intend to show the indisputable support for Marcus Lucius. He was taken by the mass and he got friendly slaps on his shoulders from every direction he turned to. It was an extraordinary experience and it felt like flowing with the river and not against it. It felt simply right.

Even with the huge support from his soldiers, Marcus Lucius stayed a bit tense. He turned his head back to Nerva and followed his friend's body language. Nerva understood the source of sorrows. He took his mere and stepped forward to Marcus Lucius. He hugged him quickly and whispered even faster:

-You were down, but not knocked out. Not only the emperor is watching you. - Nerva whispered to his friend before he mounted his horse and went back to the villa. Nerva knew that someone had to keep an eye on Julia, because she was all alone. Turning his horse, he added louder: - Come back home on time.

Marcus Lucius nodded once, dynamically. From that moment on, he was able to savour the moment in a relaxed way. He knew that he wouldn't get killed. If Hadrian planned to terminate Marcus Lucius's, it wouldn't be clever to give him the opportunity to solemnise the victory so long after the battle. Marcus Lucius assumed that Hadrian was going to use the fame of Maximus and put it together with Marcus Lucius's victory in Britannia. He thought it was highly probable that he would be send to the place, where his father fell. Marcus Lucius could prove that it wasn't Maximus's curse, if he survived it or he proved that there was a serious problem with Dacia, if he failed.

It was impossible to keep the news in the camp. The same way the information that it wasn't Maxentius, who let the soldiers to the fight, spread, even before the battle started, the same the rumour that Marcus Lucius was back in the camp spread. It was impossible to bring order into the enthusiastic group of men. Everyone gathered around him and tried to see with own eyes whether the rumour was true. It was, indeed. He smiled, because he was overwhelmed by the soldierly brotherhood.

Marcus Lucius didn't forget to visit the wounded soldiers in the medical tents. They were happy about him stepping by and talking to them shortly. His presence increased the good mood in the rooms. Strangely enough that the scent of medicine seemed to be nice for his nose. It reminded him about Julia taking care about him in the hard times. Being allowed to have her as his wife was an honour. He didn't dare to think about asking the emperor for such a favour.

In the meanwhile, Nerva returned to the villa and searched for Julia. He didn't care about anybody else he met. He knew that the emperor and his advisors were still occupied with forging plans and setting a strategy. Pompeius stayed in the camp, too, so there was no reason to be tense in Maxentius's villa. As Nerva came to the stable, a lot of box stalls were already filled with horses. He was wondering where to put his mere as a young, thin stable boy ran to him and stopped immediately in front of him. The boy smiled cheeky, because he recognised Nerva. The boy knew that the soldier wouldn't harm him.

-What's there? \- Nerva noticed the excitation of the boy with widely open, feverish eyes and his shy smile, so Nerva asked about the general mood around.

The boy reported chaotically about the masses of Romans that were visiting the villa. Nerva slapped him gently on the shoulder and mumbled rather to himself "Fair enough". He went to the rooms used mostly by Julia, but she wasn't there. Instead, there were ten slaves of Marcus Lucius's mother. They observed how Nerva tried to check out the current visitor in Julia's chamber.

Behind a curtain made out of fragile, dainty material, a woman stood. It wasn't Julia. Nerva gazed shortly at the person with seducing grace captured in a body that could raise the envy of any other woman in the world. Her cat-like moves and predacious eye expressions were more fascinating than intimidating, but Nerva understood right from the beginning that the woman was uniquely dangerous. She was like a golden poison frog that is often considered innocent and beautiful due to its small size and bright colours; but it was the most poisonous of all living creatures. Opposite to the toxic influence of a golden frog, which prevents nerves from transmitting impulses, leaving the muscles in an inactive state of contraction, Nerva didn't feel poisoned from this very first contact. Marcus Lucius's mother was apparently interested who the man was, having the gall to step by with dynamic, sure steps that betrayed his knowledge about the villa. She couldn't place Nerva anywhere. She wasn't sure what he intended and from which influential group he was. She was surprised to get the polite invitation from the emperor to come to Britannia. She wasn't amused, but she had to follow the kind words promising a nice surprise. She couldn't understand what reasons the young emperor had and what she was should expect in the land of wet air and cold temperatures.

Nerva stepped back, because he wanted to show his respect and confirm he had no bad intentions. The black-haired woman with vivid, intelligent eyes followed his move and nodded minimally. It reminded Nerva of Marcus Lucius's way of moving. They were similar, fast, dynamic and predacious.

-Who are you? \- The woman asked, but Nerva shook his head with refusal.

-It's not my task to accompany you, lady. - He said and left the surprised woman alone. While walking further through the corridors of the villa, he thought that there weren't much traces of life here. The house seemed to be empty, what was impossible, if so many horses were kept in the stables. There were no soldiers in the yard. There were no people in the hallways. Even slaves didn't cross Nerva's way. He went to the chamber, where he had spent a night on a pallet next to Julia's provisional bed. She wasn't there. But she had to be somewhere. Her dresses were laid on a chair brought by someone. Nerva stepped into the room and looked around. As he didn't see any trace of Julia, he screamed her name. He waited a moment and heard a noise from above. He looked to the ceiling, but there was nothing. However, he got the impression that someone was on the roof. He went to the window and smiled as he felt the warm, spring-announcing wind on his face.

Julia was sitting on the edge of the roof with her back to the wall and her legs put up to her chin. She looked at the trees in front of her and when she noticed Nerva's presence, she smiled shyly. Nerva wasn't familiar with this kind of smiles on her face. He wasn't sure what had happened, because she didn't look happy. He moved forwards to her and sat down next to her. The building here wasn't very high, but it was dangerous enough to fall down and break a lot of bones.

-What are you doing here?! - He almost screamed with lack of satisfaction or approval. She wore a warm dress, but looking at her in such a strange place made him feel uncomfortable. If it was possible, he would pull her back into the room again. She didn't like to follow even a polite request to retreat into the building.

-Shhh... I'm hiding. - Julia answered and the tone confirmed the impression that she would sit there for ages.

-Why? - Nerva wondered. - Who are you scared of? Everyone's in the camp. We're here alone, except Marcus Lucius's mother.

-My father has arrived already. I saw him from here. He didn't look satisfied. - She whispered. - I'm scared.

Nerva kept silent. If she wanted to talk, she would do it without any pushy question. He waited. She didn't lean on his shoulder as she used to in moments of insecurity. She kept her distance.

-Marcus Lucius is the new camp commander. He was allowed to welcome his soldiers. \- Nerva said after a couple moments passed by and Julia was still sitting with a muffled breath keeping her distance. She reminded him of a torch that was almost dashed off. She smiled shortly after she heard Marcus Lucius's name, but there was no further reaction to Nerva's statement. - Cornelius was sent away definitely.

-I know, I saw him talking with my father. They stood in the yard. They didn't see me, because I was over there. – Julia reported quietly and pointed to another corner of the building. From there, she was able to see anyone who appeared in the yard or who came to the villa. - They gesticulated a lot and my father was really angry.

She kept silent for another moment and then, she added insecurely, but not maximally concerned:

-Do you think they were talking about me?

It was like expecting something bad, but still knowing you were safe. Apparently, she considered that her father wouldn't be very supportive in these days, but stay supportive in general, because she was his daughter, so he was supposed to protect her, take care of her. They were family, so they were used to stick together. Nerva remembered his family and his father's awful, scary wife. From the moment, he left his father's house, he didn't look back. He knew that he wouldn't get any support from his family. Nerva was completely on his own and therefore, he relied on the army. He was satisfied that he could serve the empire, because it made his life worth living. He had a goal and it was a simple strategy: follow the orders of your commander. He never regretted that he joined the group of Appius. He was proud of it. If he was supposed to be punished by the emperor for following Appius's hints, Nerva was ready to take it like a man. He respected the emperor, but Appius was closer and more valuable to him than Hadrian. In such a constellation, Nerva would rather rely on Appius than the will of the emperor. However, he started considering whether he would follow rather Marcus Lucius now than anyone else. Maybe he felt even more like Marcus Lucius's man than Hadrian's servant or Appius's soldier.

Nerva negated quickly, because he was already too distracted by his own thoughts and needed to go back to the conversation with Julia. With implicit joy, he told:

-It was rather about the lost issues in the camp. If you would have seen Pompeius with his snaky, cold attack on Cornelius... - Nerva smiled, because it had been a specific pleasure to see how Cornelius was minimized in his nature. Watching the scene in the tent was like observing a snake swallowing a mouse. It was funny, even though there was a certain danger that could have embraced Marcus Lucius or Nerva, too. In that moment, every action no matter of whom could have been used against Marcus Lucius and his supporters. The emperor's people hadn't presented a fix plan for the long-term perspective and the fate of Marcus Lucius and his companions yet.

Julia got distracted from her previous thoughts and was already analysing the same matter. Her head fell even lower onto her knees and her lips were pressed together in a very funny way.

-Actually, we should get punished. Instead, we're going to be rewarded. I don't get it. - She whispered sadly.

-We're not rewarded yet. - Nerva said quickly.

-We're still alive.

-Death penalty is not the scariest punishment. - Nerva added. - Unmistakeable, the worst punishment is to make someone live in the way the person hates and can't change. Making you wishing the death to come and not being able to get an absolution... That's the cruellest punishment.

Julia looked at Nerva with surprised, incredibly sad eyes. She nodded while mumbling something. Nerva tried to understand what she wanted to say. She remembered the time after she got married for the first time. She had felt just the way Nerva just described. She wanted to die and she couldn't kill herself due to the inherent, silly honour of her soul. Unmistakeably, Nerva was right.

-Probably you're right. Maybe it's just increasing the suffering through giving a positive, peak point and then, letting someone completely down the hole.

She memorized her excitement and joy connected with the first marriage. Her father had promised her that everything would be all right. Her father had assured her that Maxentius was an honourable man, even though he was older and wrinkled. On the very first look, the future seemed to be bright and welcoming. The hope she got was lost quickly just a few moments after she was left alone with her husband. This hope she had and the destroyed dreams and visions reminded her about the innocent, fabulous life she thought she was stepping in during the wedding ceremony. It wasn't a fairyland, but a land of nightmares. The contrast between her vision and reality was unbearable. She didn't feel only disappointed, humiliated, but also betrayed and lost.

She got angry while memorizing the moments of the past. Maxentius was already dead, so the score was settled. However, her father was still alive and she wished to ask him whether he really had no clue to whom he had given her.

-Hey, smile. You look much prettier when you smile. - Nerva said, because he noticed her mood changed. She shouldn't get scared by the vision of the future. - What goes around comes around.

She smiled sadder but wiser. Her miserable look didn't change a lot, but a spark of hope appeared in her trembling voice:

-What will happen today? What follows tonight? What's planned for tomorrow?

-I don't know. \- Nerva said heavily. He wasn't able to give a better answer.

-The emperor is going to leave at dawn.

-With or without Marcus Lucius? - She whispered and didn't wait for any answer.

-I don't know. \- Nerva said and sighed. - What I know is that this is not a proper place for you. You should go back to the chamber.

-No, not yet. I can't sit calmly trapped in these rooms, between walls... Let me sit here to gather enough fresh air in the lungs and enough green spots for my memories.

Nerva nodded with understanding. He moved closer to her and gave her a look that almost ordered her to lean her trembling body on his. They sat silently and didn't move. The wind played with Julia's flicks of hair and the lacy parts of her dress. The sun stepped out from the line of clouds and warmed the cheeks and hands of people. The trees swung fluently, pendulum-like, slowly on the horizon as if they were dancing exclusively in the closed position, and you could almost hear their whispering counting: "1 - 2 – 3".

The late afternoon passed by and the wind got colder. The sun went irreversibly to the ground and Nerva pocked Julia to give her a sign to stand up. She moved and indicated with her head to look to the direction of the camp. Nerva didn't have to turn his head to the right, where the camp was some miles away from the villa. Behind the houses of the small city next to the camp, the towers of the camp stood proudly. Through a free line between the trees, a larger group of soldiers rid. The thud echoed at first quietly, then even louder and louder. Nerva had already noticed the troop approaching from the camp and had poked Julia therefore. It was the time to leave the roof.

Julia didn't want to change her dress, as she thought it didn't matter how you look like in insecure times. Nerva shrugged his shoulders, because it wasn't crucial to change. She could wear whatever she wanted and he would look after her with the same care. The actual dress covered her scars perfectly under the long sleeves and its' length in general. It was warm and therefore, she didn't need to hide under a blanket. Nerva smiled memorizing how Julia had covered herself with the red material.

A slave stepped in insecurely and announced that the supper was going to be served. As Julia was ready to go, the emperor, who wore the armour usual, appeared in the chamber. Julia trembled more due to his sudden appearance, than for who he was. Hadrian showed Nerva without words to leave the room. Nerva doubted for a moment, but Julia smiled politely and showed him that she felt comfortable enough to be left alone. When Nerva was gone, Hadrian smiled friendly:

-And I thought they already trust me... - He laughed shortly cordially and when Julia wanted to add something, he shook his head. - It's good the way they behave, it is indeed good, because it shows what kind of people they are.

Julia nodded and wasn't sure whether it was supposed to be a conversation or just strict listening to the final judgement.

-If you want people to trust you, you shouldn't play with them as if they were things. - She spoke quickly.

He smiled.

-Fair enough. Be honest with me and I will be honest with you. - The emperor suggested. - As I've heard you haven't talked with your father yet. \- He added after a moment and his voice got a sharp, unpleasant tone.

Julia trembled as if she would get a punch. Hadrian wasn't sure whether it was a reaction to his words or to the mentioning of her father. He wished it was due to the second alternative.

-I didn't. - She answered and left out the fact that she had seen him from the roof.

-However, you saw him. - Hadrian rumbled on with a visible purpose to lead the talk into a specific direction.

Julia was a bit insecure, but she confirmed it with a single nod. She decided to be honest.

-I did. I saw how he talked with my uncle Cornelius. They weren't happy.

She looked at Hadrian with a question mark in her eyes. She was burning to get to know why he knew that she had already seen her father. Hadrian didn't seem to be surprised by her confirmation.

-We saw you on the roof. - Hadrian smiled freely as he answered the unspoken question. - Why didn't you talk with your father?

-I don't know. \- She really had no idea whether she was too angry, too disappointed or too upset. She wasn't sure if her father really played with her life and used her as a forfeit. The more she thought about it the more confused and furious she was. - I think I wasn't ready for it.

-Will you be ready in a moment? - Hadrian didn't let go the matter that interested him strongly. He wanted to be able to judge Julia's relationship with her father in the right way, because it was crucial for his plan.

-Do you know why he let you marry Maxentius?

Julia sighed unpleasantly. Hadrian noticed that he hit the nail on the head. She stepped back and made small steps here and there, but in a range of two, three meters. She pressed her fingers together and her cheeks looked bony. Some nervous wrinkles appeared on her forehead and her scraggy hands moved chaotically. She puffed out and looked hectically to Hadrian. She was like an open book in that moment. She wasn't prepared for talking about her father and she couldn't hide her emotions. While she was married to Maxentius, she had pulled herself together and had clenched her teeth, she was able to smile politely and pretended anything that was necessary to keep the masquerade alive. She was able to do it, because she was prepared for it. She envied Marcus Lucius for his well-trained self-control that gave him his polite expression independent from the situation. In the company of Nerva or Marcus Lucius, her nervousness would be automatically calmed down for example by a friendly hug. She didn't expect Hadrian to calm her down and his majesty made her feel uncomfortable on another level. It simply increased her tension and insecurity. She trembled.

-Why? Why... That's a good question. I would even ask him myself. I would... As I got married I didn't know what was going to happen to me. The marriage changed my life completely. Did he know what kind of person Maxentius was? Maybe. Did he use me as a draftsman in his game? Maybe. I believed that at least my father would make sure that I keep living the way everything was. Maybe I was wrong. Finally, he is a good politician, that's for sure. He used to be good father, I thought.

She sounded confused. Hadrian wasn't sure how to deal with it. He couldn't tell her the details of his plan, because she had to react spontaneously.

-Do you trust me? - He asked directly. There was a need in his voice.

Julia stepped back even more. She trembled nervously. Her head was shaking and her lips couldn't form a clear answer. She gathered herself and stepped forwards.

-How do you know whom to trust? - She asked challenging. Her eyes showed extreme willingness to fight, even if Hadrian wasn't sure what she wanted to fight against.

She thought about Marcus Lucius and Nerva and even Octavian. She met them and she was strongly convinced that they wouldn't hurt her. Even though she didn't trust all of them from the very first moment, she was sure that she could put her life into their hands. Appius's word was enough for such security. She wondered why she trusted Appius, whom she had seen just a couple of times and with whom she didn't have much in common. She remembered his empty eyes and the feeling she had while he was so strange and isolated by his own wish that she was extraordinary fascinated by him. She was convinced that Appius wouldn't hurt her the same way she thought it as she was a child. So, she extended the trust to Appius on his legionnaires. She wondered why she was able to trust some unknown people from the very first moment, and how she could doubt on her trust towards people, she knew her entire life.

She remembered seeing Hadrian for the very first time and she wasn't completely sure what to expect from him. He was hard to judge. She still had the impression of being apart or in between day and night, when the borders of time are not specifically defined. It was not easy to trust him. He looked reliable. He radiated stability like a tower of strength. However, he had thoughts and plans he didn't reveal. He acted between the lines and expected full trust without any questions. Internally, she had her doubts.

-You never know whom to trust. So, whether you trust someone or not. - Hadrian said after a moment he gathered his thoughts. He came closer to her and spoke pleasantly, dreamily. \- Faith, trust, love, friendship... It's all about feeling, not thinking. You don't decide freely. Our souls decide without discussing it with our minds, ignoring the rational reasons, sources, warnings. It makes us move forward with faith and confidence into the future, even when we are afraid of what the future might bring. It isn't as bad as we sometimes think. It all works out. We have to go forward. We have to live.

-And what happens, when we get hurt, when someone betrays you? You can't simply forget it and move on. - Julia wasn't satisfied enough with Hadrian's answer.

The emperor smiled brightly, but sadly. He looked older than he was in that moment.

-Obviously, you know the feeling when memories squeeze your heart and make you question everything you trusted. Remember, Julia, good and bad experience you collect are what made you the person you are now. What makes you the person you become tomorrow is the way you behave knowing all that and choosing the way you live further.

Julia nodded, even though her mind didn't feel comfortable with the non-perceptible trust.

-Do you question Marcus Lucius? - Hadrian asked for the very first time less confident than usual. - Was my suggestion for the wedding wrong?

Impulsively, Julia refused with her entire body. Her head shook dynamically and her lips said "No" before she was able to gather words. Hadrian smiled reassured. His first impression was clearly confirmed. From the very first moment he heard from Appius how Marcus Lucius appeared near Aquincum, and how he fought against the Barbarians, it was obvious for the emperor that he wasn't a deserter. He was rather a man in need, a betrayed man. As Appius confessed what order was given to Julia after Marcus Lucius lost his consciousness, Hadrian won complete confidence in Appius's decisions. Considering the fact that Appius was seeking to talk to Hadrian was a positive sign of collaboration. Seeing Marcus Lucius and Julia together suggested there was no other option than to give them the chance to make their relationship official. Hadrian did it in jest. Additionally, he could use the wedding to square old accounts and sort things out. It couldn't be better played than it was. He wanted to solve riddles that were occupying him for years, months, weeks, days... He kept to the beaten track and as he recognized the single threads, he followed them directly to the source. It was time to explain how Pandora's box was opened. Unspoken penalties were in the air.

-I won't take it personally that you don't trust me. You have the right not to. - Hadrian said and indicated Julia to come closer to him. He wished to lead her into the dining room, where the main celebration was set. She stepped closer and went arm in arm with him. - I will take it personally, if you won't go with your heart.

The air in the hallway was fresh, unpleasantly humid. The rain that hadn't come during the day came now and didn't let to dry out the plants. Julia wasn't sure what hint Hadrian tried to give her, but it was very strange. She didn't feel good with it. As they stepped into the spacey chamber, all eyes were concentrated on them. Her insecurity raised dramatically. She looked around and she got scared when she didn't see Marcus Lucius at any table.

Usually, there were four long tables in the room and just a small part of one table was used. That evening, the room was full of humans, food and music. Julia couldn't breathe freely, because she felt negatively overwhelmed by the masses, the pairs of eyes watching her, fingers moving here and there. A lot of slaves were on call gathered around well-amused Romans sitting at the tables. Six scantily dressed, oiled slaves were dancing in the middle of the room to calm chants mixed with the sounds of straight trumpets, wooden flutes, cane reed instruments, skin drums and bagpipe-like instruments. Wealthy Romans didn't dance themselves. They gazed at the bodies moving fluently with erotic and suggestive movements inviting everybody to have sexual thoughts and to play with the pictures in the brain.

Some other slaves gently, almost invisibly moved the plates filled with snacks including egg dishes, small rolls sprinkled with poppy-seeds and honey, and hot sausages, lettuce and olives. Two more slaves brought in another large round tray with a pair of scales holding tarts and cheesecakes decorated in an artistic way. A hare with wings on another plate imitated Pegasus. Julia didn't pay further attention to the digestible things on the tables like shell-fish, thrushes, a fatted hen, goat and wild boar. She didn't focus on the expensive, shiny parts of table ware including gold plates with the signs of the zodiac figured all around it. Precious table knifes with artistic carving on the shafts with wild beasts, temples and signs of mystical religious cults from Egypt reflected the light of torches.

Julia followed the lines of faces in the room and her insecurity exploded internally. There was a woman smiling in the same way as Marcus Lucius's and Julia assumed it was his mother. There was her father with his two advisors, both rather corpulent men with meaty fingers and snaky eyes. There were the not so young, but experienced, concentrated legionnaires of Hadrian's troop with sparkling eyes holding knifes in their hands. Julia couldn't count them all, but she estimated at least twenty four of them. Their faces looked the same, ravenous way as wolves that have selected a goat. Finally, Julia saw Hadrian's advisors. They gazed attentively at her and whispered with each other. Their quickly moving lips and yellow teeth didn't convey good emotions. Julia's mind panicked even more when she noticed that Pompeius was missing, too. She assumed that Pompeius could supervise Marcus Lucius. She felt that the ground under her feet changed from stones into water and she was sinking like a Roman galley during a battle.

Hadrian slapped her hand twice in a friendly, encouraging way.

-Are we friends? - He whispered quickly into her ear.

-Of course. - Julia answered automatically and remembered a scene from the past.

-Good. Don't betray me then, please. - The emperor smiled and as he moved his head in an apparently specific way, Nerva appeared from nowhere.

Julia felt a bit of relief, even though she was still tense. As long as Marcus Lucius didn't show up, she couldn't relax completely. Nerva led her to a place between Marcus Lucius's mother and Hadrian's advisors. Julia took the place and noticed that her father was sitting next to Cornelius. They were facing her. Julius's face didn't officially betray that he was angry, but Julia knew that the corners of his mouth were drawn up artificially. She tried to smile politely and hoped that she was convincing enough. Nerva sat down next to her. There was no further free seat and Julia was scared that Marcus Lucius wouldn't appear at all.

-In the honour of Vesta, goddess of the hearth, we celebrate today. - Hadrian spoke not extremely loud, but his words filled the room pleasantly. He smiled and greeted everyone with trained, short winks of his arm. His armour glanced in the light of torches and caught the golden shine of the table ware. His face showed friendliness and glory. He was the calmness himself.

Julia didn't look at him for long, because she was still searching for the man who was obviously missing. Apparently, Marcus Lucius's mother tried to detect a trace of her son, too. She didn't do it obviously. Her moves were fluent and confident. She almost didn't eat, even if her fingers were touching the food. Julia gazed shortly at Nerva and tried to find an answer. Astonishingly, Nerva seemed to be really calm. He was drinking wine and smiling politely. As she wanted to ask him something, he shortly put a finger on his mouth in a very discrete way. Julia kept silent.

She observed how her father gazed at her every now and then, and she knew that he wasn't simply angry. He was furious and his rage was targeted on Julia. She tried not to show how scared she was. He bit and swallowed his food quickly like a wolf. Julia felt intimidated by his strong, hostile gaze. Cornelius was more insecure than angry, but as he met Julia's eyes, his sneaky disappointment became visible for a moment. Julia looked at the legionnaires to her left and listened to them freely reporting stories already approved for common use. They spoke loudly and proudly about the fights won in the South of the empire. While they were talking freely, without interruptions, laughing and proposing toasts, Nerva seemed to be evenly relaxed. Julia couldn't understand it until one of them mentioned Appius's name. The way the name was pronounced suggested that Appius found favour and respect in the speaker's eyes. Julia wondered whether it was one of Appius's soldiers and the longer she thought about it the more she was convinced. There was a kind of dynamic or fluency in the moves of legionnaires to her left that she knew from Nerva or Octavian. She couldn't define it, but there was a special similarity. It would explain as well why Nerva didn't feel tense. He was amongst his companions. It didn't calm her down though.

As Appius's name was put into the round, Julius twisted his mouth with despite. He didn't participate in the talks at the table and seemed to ignore the fine-tuned remarks of the soldiers at the opposite table. Marcus Lucius's mother kept silent, but you could notice that she waited for the perfect moment to ask her question. Her presence was clearly dispensable. She wanted to know for which reasons she was called to Britannia. As Julius asked the very first question, Marcus Lucius's mother listened carefully. She scented the opportunity to clear her own matters.

Suddenly, Julius stood up and after a short, obviously artificial greeting for the emperor, he said like a skilled orator:

-We appreciate you playing the host, but with all due respect, who is the camp commander at Eboracum now? I've heard that you picked a man, who deserted and betrayed the empire. The might and glory of Rome can't support lack of subordination.

-I appreciate you bothering about the might and glory of Rome. - Hadrian smiled and drank wine as if the talk wouldn't be about matters of the highest priority. - Indeed, a man revived. Indeed, we have a traitor. Indeed, Rome can't support a lack of subordination.

Julia trembled. If Hadrian was convinced that Marcus Lucius was a traitor, then she had to act to prove that something had gone very wrong. Her father smiled after getting a confirmation. He added louder:

-I've heard that the revived man got help from a man, who used to be your friend and supporter, a man whose name already was called.

The legionnaires that were looking like hungry wolves to Julia turned to Julius and their eyes concentrated on the speaker. The smiles on their faces didn't disappear, but the real joy was gone. Hadrian was still calm. Nerva's arm got tense shortly, but in general, he kept his relaxed attitude. Julia looked to Marcus Lucius's mother and noticed how the woman apparently ignored everything around her.. She seemed to be more interested in her golden plate than the talk. Julia's hand formed a fist, but she didn't react in any further way. She waited for Nerva to be tensed enough to support her. He simply shook his head minimally and communicated a strict "no, don't do it".

-I thought that Appius, if I correctly assume you meant Appius, used to be one of your friends. - The emperor spoke slowly, still polite. A meaningful shadow of a smile appeared on his lips.

-He was a friend of mine as long as he supported Rome honourably. - Julius answered shortly with the same tone that he used in the senate. He even wore the same clothes he used to wear in the senate, probably to underline his position.

-I understand and thank you for your hint. - Hadrian answered and nodded once. - If I may I would like to ask you then for your wise advice about a moot point.

It sounded tempting, cooperative. Julius welcomed the gesture. Cornelius trembled insecurely. Julia kept silent and her fist relaxed a bit. She wasn't sure what was going to happen, but there was a specific tension in the room. Her father seemed to feel more important than he really was. He had this special look on his face, as if he already knew everything and gave orders. He seemed to be sure that everything went the way he wished or even planned. Even though was visibly older than the emperor, he shouldn't stand so proud and confident in front of the emperor. It showed a bad, oversized confidence that leads to a catastrophe. Hadrian wasn't a dictator, but even a senator had to respect the power of the charge. Julia wanted to warm her father, but he didn't look in her direction. He ignored her and his smile betrayed her that he was looking down on all participants of the supper. She leant on the chair and moved minimally backwards. Even her motion didn't force Julius to look at her. She was tense, but not hysterical. Somewhat a part of her soul advised her to stay away from the conflict. Her father could get a punch for his ignorance and it wouldn't do his ego well. He deserved to be reminded who he was and where his limits were.

-I would be very honoured to give you any advice you enact usefully.

It sounded false, even unctuously as a rebuke and Julia's face showed her concern. She was almost sure that her father didn't judge the situation well enough to step back and stay polite. However, he was a great, skilled politician, so maybe he was just taking a risk or pushing his skills up to maximum. During the trainings between legionnaires it was easier to observe which moves and intends the soldiers had. If they attacked, you could see it directly in the last moment, when the opponent got punched, crashed or sometimes even wounded. Here, a duel without swords, knifes and hands took place. A battle of words appeared like a storm and there had to be consequences for the involved players.

Even though Hadrian was friendly, there was a specific smile on his face that boded ill. Julia looked around and noticed that nobody else was as worried as she was. She almost thought that she overreacted, but her stubborn mind kept believing that this was a very dangerous moment.

\--What do you suggest me to do? - The emperor didn't move. His calm, courteous attitude was still visible, even though Julia perceived that the polite mask had already been taken off.

Nerva noticed her tension and grasped her hand under the table. He wanted to prevent her from standing up unexpectedly or from any other action. As she looked at him directly, he had meaningful sparkles in his eyes. They reminded her of how he looked like in the woods next to the cottage when they were waiting for Marcus Lucius to return from the battle. Although Nerva had said that it was better for Marcus Lucius not to come, he was sure that his friend would appear anyway. This excitement and waiting for good news were captured in Nerva's eyes. Julia wasn't sure what she should feel. It didn't feel right to let her father appear ridiculously in front of the emperor and his men.

-Not yet. - Nerva added shortly, very quiet as he recognized her hesitation.

She nodded without being really convinced. It simply didn't feel right.

-I daresay that you should punish the traitors properly.

-Well then, with all your wisdom and experience, please tell me which remedies would you chose?

Julius looked around and noticed how calm and quiet the room was at once. The musician played their chants, but there was no singing. The dancers left the middle of the room without any order. The slaves, who brought food, disappeared suddenly. At the tables, people were still sitting, but they didn't play with the food anymore. They watched what would happen next. Their eyes went from the man standing to the man sitting in a chair and waiting for an answer. The air was suddenly filled with serious and sober molecules. Julius didn't show how the change influenced him. Hadrian smiled, but not so friendly anymore. He looked more stern than entertained. Julia trembled nervously. Marcus Lucius's mother didn't even blink.

-I would arrange an official execution with a loud announcement of the judgement so that everyone would know why the man was punished and that nobody dares to follow the road of illegality and insubordination.

-Good one. - Hadrian nodded once as if he would think about it. - However, there could be groups of Romans, who would try to rescue their master. - He added without showing any preference whether he liked the suggestion or not.

Julius looked shortly to Cornelius, like dusting him down for not participating in the battle lately. It limited the range of alternatives for Julius, but he stood proudly furthermore. He was sure that his point was right.

-Then, I would arrange the execution without setting the time and place in advance to prevent anyone preparing a rescuing action.

Julia stopped breathing for a moment as the though that Marcus Lucius could get executed crossed her mind. Her refuse and disapproval were visible in her face. Nerva pressed her left hand even stronger. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't afraid. He was serious. His pressure caused a wave of pain, but Julia ignored it. She was ready to stand up and fight even against her own father for such proposals. Her father didn't know what Marcus Lucius had done and why he did it. It wasn't fair to kill him just like that...

-Not yet. - Nerva whispered through clenched teeth.

All other Romans sat at the tables and waited impatiently for further statements. Up to now, Julius side seemed to be fixed. It was not predictable whether Hadrian would join or not. However, he shortly looked around tried to read the faces of the gathered Romans. As his eyes met Julia's, she noticed something she couldn't define. It was a kind of compassion or sorrow, but no anger or fury. It all didn't make sense. The planned wedding wasn't on the agenda anymore. The feeling of being safe was gone. Marcus Lucius could have already been terminated by Pompeius. Julia was scared and unsettled.

-If you don't execute such an obvious, powerful traitor, it will be a sign of your weakness. - Julius added hastily, seriously, proudly. He seemed to feel good about giving advice to the young, apparently incompetent emperor. It was like teaching a lesson and the only sad thing about it was the fact that Julius would preferably be the next emperor.

-What makes you say it's an obvious, powerful traitor? - Hadrian asked while he looked Julius directly in the eye.

Julius smiled crooked, wryly. Julia was almost sure that her father was secretly laughing about Hadrian in his heart. He had this expression he used to have, when he was punishing his slaves. For her, Julius acted just for the devilment. He was on the best way to be called a man, who wantonly destroyed his work of life just by thoughtless obedience to his self-confidence. It was blind stupidity. Julia got scared that her father would get a painful punch and that she would be blamed for it. She already imagined how her way back to Naples would look like, when her father and Cornelius would punish her for everything related to her stay in Britannia.

-It was obvious that he turned his back on the empire. He betrayed its basic principles on purpose. Additionally, he is powerful, because he is backed up by his followers.

Hadrian nodded while he contemplated. He looked around again and gazing at Marcus Lucius's mother, he asked for her opinion. She was sitting still and her face didn't change the expression of pleasant politeness.

-Traitors mostly don't act alone, especially when they are good sons from honourable families. Sometimes it's enough to cut them off the surrounding that infects them in a negative way. - Marcus Lucius's mother looked directly at Julia, when she mentioned the "negative" aspect.

Julia didn't feel intimidated. She was worried more about other issues than being described in an ugly way. Nerva seemed to be more tense than she was in that moment. Julia already noticed that Nerva would preferably jump to Marcus Lucius's mother and slap her for even thinking that way about the girl. This time, she was the one, who had to cool him down.

Hadrian nodded and mumbled something, but it was not clear enough to understand. Then, he asked suddenly:

-What do you think about it, Julius?

Julius didn't sit down, but he trembled once shortly as his daughter was mentioned without even calling her name. Julius felt a second slap during the evening. He was more or less responsible for his family members. Cornelius disappointed him and his daughter was an even more horrible mistake. Marking his family as "negative surrounding" was a huge offence. It meant that not only Julia was a source danger. He had to isolate himself strongly, clearly from the bad connotations. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts and adapt his plans to the current, negative situation.

-If the traitor was supported by negative influence, then you should eliminate the source of disturbance as well.

Julia stunned. She hadn't expected that and she was sure that she had misunderstood something. Hadrian didn't seem to be surprised at all. He didn't show any emotion. Nerva sighed nervously. His fury wasn't directed against Marcus Lucius's mother, but against Julius. He was ready to leave his own daughter behind to save his reputation. Nerva was ready to fight like the first stars in the universe that were evidently extraordinary hooligans, knocking electrons off atoms, ionizing much of the hydrogen gas in interstellar space.

-Are you sure that you would proceed that way? Do you mind all consequences? If you need a moment to consider it, take your time. - Hadrian added with sorrow in his voice.

Julian thanked for the offer, but refused it politely. He thought about his sons, who were able to mourn for the respect of the family. He thought about Cornelius, who wasn't saved yet. Julia's uncle moved nervously and sweat drops appeared on his forehead.

Julia was paralysed by her father's voice and she didn't move. She was like a sculpture and any attempt to understand what just happened was impossible. If she ever wanted to get an answer from her father, this was the moment of truth. The taste of betrayal was bitter and pungent. Surprisingly, there were no tears in her eyes. Her eyes looked like a wonderful, stable mirror made of ice that glanced, but didn't allow anything to enter into the depth of the frozen water.

Nerva squeezed Julia's hand and looked impatiently at the emperor. The other soldiers were perplexed. They waited for an order. The music in the background stopped being played and a lifeless stagnancy started to fill the room.

-If I understood you correctly, Julius, then a traitor and the traitor's supporters should be punished irreversibly, clearly, with death sentences.

-Yes. If they won't be executed, they might forge further inconvenient plans against the republic. - Julius confirmed coldly, emotionless. His lips didn't tremble nervously. He had already made peace with his mind.

-What would you say about it? - Hadrian looked at Marcus Lucius's mother.

She seemed not to feel involved into the discussion. Her question was still open. Her eyes showed that she wasn't ready to give up her son. There was headlong fire and furious hate, but nobody was able to define the specific recipient.

-Wouldn't it be a sign of mercy to let the traitor live? - She asked. She assumed that the emperor hadn't executed Marcus Lucius yet, otherwise she would be more than useless in cold, rainy Britannia. She wasn't ready to take the corpse of her son with her. She wanted him to live independent of the price it required. - Living with the weight of betrayal can be much more painful than just a simple, quick execution. A soldierly death should be for heroes and good soldiers.

Hadrian saw Marcus Lucius's mother for the very first time and he as he stepped into the room, he was impressed by her integrity. However, as she just spoke, he noticed that she was highly scared to lose her son. Her forehead was wrinkled, her fingers trembled. She didn't mention her husband, Maximus, directly. She didn't speak Marcus Lucius's name, either. Her words were put together on purpose and strongly communicated her proud, self-controlled way. Still, her voice didn't show the usual strength, the unusual emotion found its way into the tone and strayed chaotically influencing the usually impassive voice. The first parts of the queen of ice and self-confidence started to fall to the ground of real, perceptible fear.

The room was filled with tension and you could almost cut the molecules of suspense like crushed ice for drinks. Everyone was waiting for a sign, because the tension became unendurable. They all gazed at Hadrian, who sat down and chucked himself under the chin. He was analysing the reviewed issues and took his time to do it. He didn't look at anyone. He rather gazed at a point beyond all people gathered in the room and made it impossible to meet his eyes and see what was going through his soul.

Nerva trembled every now and then, observed Julia only. The girl did barely breathe. Her heartbeat and pulsations in the veins could be compared to a motionless larvae paralysed by the venom of a braconid wasp. Marcus Lucius's mother on the contrary seemed to be relaxed in a specific way. She observed the emperor making his decision and relied on his goodness and feeling of justice. She knew that she wasn't able to do anything else in that special moment. Everything was said and done. The only thing she could do was waiting patiently for a solution. She leant on the chair freely. Inside, she was tensed extremely. The insecurity was eating her up slowly, but consequently.

Julius wasn't sure anymore whether he was supposed to remain standing, so he finally sat down as he felt ridiculous to wait for Hadrian to finally decide. The emperor smiled sadly after a while. Then, he breathed in deeply three times and waited another moment to raise his hand and show something only trusted soldiers understood.

Pompeius and his soldiers appeared. They stepped into the room dynamically, synchronized like a Swiss watch. In nature, swarming plays on the natural physical and psychological vulnerabilities of the victim. The group of soldiers was like a horde of lions on the plains of the Namibian National Park that simultaneously could attack their victims in a coordinated way. It gave the impression that success could increase with group size and would be greater during coordinated group actions. While standing, the soldiers dominated the space. Even the soldiers gathered at the table weren't able to put the force into question that radiated from the new troop. The smaller group saluted as one man and the rest of soldiers didn't react. They were fully armoured and stood proudly ignoring the rest.

Julia was scared. She wasn't sure what was going on and why the room was filled with warriors. She trembled. Nerva grasped her hand. His face was solidified. After having squeezed his eyes, his eye lids didn't move anymore. Marcus Lucius's mother twitched twice nervously. Julius flinched shortly, then seemed to be waiting for further occurrences showing a relieved, less wrinkled forehead. Hadrian smiled sadly.

From the large group of soldiers, Pompeius appeared. He stepped to the front and saluted. His face wasn't friendly, the corners of the mouth were pointing downwards.

-Many bad things happen to us in our life. - Hadrian started rather melancholic than cheerful. - We live and die with hands tied due to our obligations. However, we can celebrate every now and then. It's important to savour the good moments. I promised to celebrate today and I hope you all agree with me. Therefore...

-What do we celebrate exactly? - Julius interrupted Hadrian's sentence smiling.

Hadrian smiled even brighter.

-We celebrate because one thing ends and another begins. - Hadrian answered.

Julius wasn't pleased by the answer, but denied himself talking. Julia kept the air in her lungs

-I promised to participate in a wedding. Now, I promise to participate in an execution, as well.

Julia's face became paler. Nerva's cheeks were red and his fingers trembled nervously. Pompeius smiled in his crooked way. Hadrian moved his head to the left and took three deep breaths. Apparently, it wasn't easy for him.

-A wedding? - Marcus Lucius's mother was surprised. Her eyes were pointed at the emperor.

-A wedding?! - Julius shouted like an opposition leader, insulting the leading party.

-A wedding? - Julia wondered silently, more for herself than with intend to show anything to the surrounding. It sounded dreamy as if she wasn't believing the thought that appeared in her mind, as if the suddenly awoken memory was just a shadow of hope she wanted to maintain. And then, her forehead got wrinkled due to sorrows. - Execution?

Pompeius stepped away and another man stepped in front of the wall of soldiers. Marcus Lucius was dressed just in the red tunics. It looked minimalistic and he had to be freezing cold in these clothes that didn't allow keeping the warmth. Julius's face was full of condemnation. Marcus Lucius's mother was endlessly relieved. Her happiness was simply visible. She was even more eased than Julia. Her beautiful long eye lashes got wet from the tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes. She didn't cry. The tears stayed in her eyes. She breathed quickly as if she was trying to get enough air to stay alive.

-Julia, may I ask you to come closer to me? - Hadrian's tone was friendly. He smiled kindly, appealing.

Julia looked at Marcus Lucius and his concerned face. For the very first time, his eyes weren't directed straight forward. Instead, he was gazing at the floor. Julia noticed that he was worried. There was something in the air that made him looking like a yardbird. She was afraid that he was a dead man walking. She was happy that he was still alive.

She stood up and went slowly to the emperor. Her graceful, insecure steps didn't echo in the room, because she tried to walk silently. As she stopped, her eyes were full of questions she had formed in her mind. Her heart added some further concerns and she was one big question mark. Hadrian moved his hand in a gesture that ordered her to calm down.

-We start with the good things. - He smiled and searched for a sign of cooperation and trust in Julia. She was obviously distracted by Marcus Lucius's presence. Her eyes followed his stature and gazed briefly into Hadrian's direction.

Marcus Lucius didn't look back at Julia. His eyes were focussed on the floor and he was breathing heavily. Julia recognized his qualm and the only riddle was the reason for his reaction. She ignored her father, who stood up dynamically and ordered her to go back. Julius noticed apparently in which direction this was going.

-How can you not follow what your father tells you to do? - Julius was angry.

She didn't react and stopped directly in front of Hadrian. He turned to her while she was already coming towards him. He stood up slowly and smiled. Pompeius gave him a piece of material. It was a bright, slight, but featherstitched belt. Hadrian tied it unhurriedly around her waist in a so called knot of Hercules. Pompeius moved again and brought a flame coloured veil that was small and symbolic. Julia smiled shyly. Her lips trembled. Her eyes got bigger. Marcus Lucius looked at her and couldn't take his eyes of her. He didn't smile with his mouth, but his sad eyes sparkled vigorously.

-Marcus Lucius, step forward here. - Hadrian said.

The soldiers moved quickly, shuffling aside to allow him to have enough free space. Marcus Lucius wasn't chained. He made just few steps and stopped next to the girl he loved. He gave the emperor just one gaze, that showed Hadrian amongst all strongly marked gratitude and many mixed emotions at once.

The emperor didn't stop smiling joyfully as he looked at the couple in front of him. He moved his hand minimally and Pompeius gave a sign to the ranks. An older, wrinkled man with vivid and wise eyes stepped out from the unitary wall of legionnaires and looked to Hadrian. The emperor nodded as a sign of confirmation for the priest's further actions. The old man was the vice-master, and he performed the duties of the Pontifex Maximus. Actually, Pontifex Maximus was one of the many titles of the emperor, slowly fading away from its original, sacral glory and becoming simply a referent for the sacral aspect of imperial duties and powers. The vice-master was responsible for the vestal virgins and apparently, Hadrian brought him to keep the excuse of official celebrations. In that moment, the play-acting became unimportant. The real causes became visible for everyone. The old man slowly walked to Julia and looked her in the eyes. He didn't smile or show any other type of emotion. He was simply curious and as he found what he wanted to find, he turned to Marcus Lucius. A shadow of a smile appeared on his face. Then, he went to the emperor and as Hadrian made a step aside to enable the old man to stand next to him, the priest whispered something into the emperor's ears what made Hadrian smile even brighter. The emperor had to bow minimally to listen to the old man, but he did it with pleasure.

The old man looked around and when he saw Marcus Lucius's mother, he smiled again. This time, it was an aggrieved smile. As he directed his eyes to the other participants of the ceremony, he mirthlessly gazed at Julius. As he looked at the legionnaires, his eyes were full of pride.

Julius wanted to interrupt the ceremony, but a group of soldiers reacted immediately. Before Julius was able to step forward, they snarled his way. He had enough space to move freely, but the way to the emperor was simply cut off. He was shifting from one foot to the other and cursed quietly through clenched teeth. He was visibly unsettled and unsatisfied.

-How can you accept such a nonsense? - Julius tried to address his fury to Hadrian, but nothing helped. - He should get executed and not rewarded by a wedlock with my daughter. It's a flagrant violation of the reputation of my family! It's ridiculous!

Hadrian stayed unresponsive to Julius's remarks. He didn't shrug indifferently. However, the legionnaires around Julius stepped forward and limited the space of Julia's father. He felt intimidated. A malignant smile appeared on Julius's face, but he stopped yelling.

Marcus Lucius's mother was apparently ignoring the actions related to the upcoming wedding. She was still hugely relieved that her son was alive which brought her the biggest joy. Her eyes were still wet, but no tear flew down along her red cheeks.

The soldiers stood calmly and with high spirits. You couldn't clearly judge whether it was a positive mood that filled the room or whether it was a sign of gallows humour standing on the doorstep.

Hadrian gently took Julia's right hand and laid it onto Marcus Lucius's left hand. Her skin was cold, but pleasant to touch. His body was warm and brought enough energy to warm up Julia's hand.

-Repeat after me, Julia. - The emperor ordered with a friendly tone. - Quando tu Gaius, ego Gaia.

Julia looked at Marcus Lucius and repeated not too loud and not too quiet:

-Quando tu Gaius, ego Gaia. - She seemed to be happy to say the chant with words used by all brides and grooms. She remembered how she had said the spell once and what she felt while she whispered for the very first time: When-and where-you are Gaius, I then-and there-am Gaia. She was curious what the future might bring and who the person was she would be married to. This time, she knew who was standing next to her. She was sure that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Marcus Lucius, even if the dying day would follow faster than she wished. She assumed that a bad, tragic ceremony would follow directly after the good, happy moment. She was still pleased to be able to die as the wife of the man she loved. Even the shortest period of her new marriage was better than the days, weeks, months she was trapped in her old marriage. It was a blessing and the greatest gift she got in her life.

Marcus Lucius looked at her with love and affection. For a moment, he forgot everything else that he troubleshooted in his mind. This moment of time was so important that the luck and happiness shouldn't be shared with any sad, sorrowed thought or emotion. He smiled and savoured the sight for sore eyes. He dismissed the restless future with its unknown range of tortures. The current moment was crucial. He kissed Julia shortly, gently. Their lips met just for a tiny, faint moment. However, he kept holding her hand strongly. He didn't intend to let her go.

The wedding ceremony was over too soon. Hadrian looked beyond the couple searching for Julius, who was hard to find between the soldiers. The legionnaires were a head taller than he was. Julius's eyes were glowing adversely.

-Will you finally execute the traitor so that the harmony and the grace of gods can return to the empire? - Julius asked challenging.

-Are you sure that you wish me to execute the traitor? - The emperor asked coldly.

-You promised a dispatch. I'm waiting for you to keep your word. - Julius had a cunning tone in his voice. His crafty eyes followed the slow moves of the emperor.

Hadrian straightened up and the smile disappeared from his face. There was a sudden tension captured in his body. He pushed Julia into Marcus Lucius's arms. His gesture was insensitive for the very first time. Marcus Lucius hugged his new wife strongly and watched how eight soldiers taking a long, wooden table out of the emperor's way. Hadrian stepped forward into the direction of Julius. The legionnaires stepped away from him. The emperor had direct sight at the man, who cursed for the last moments.

-Do you prefer a soldierly death?

-He should suffer for all what he has done. - Julius droned unfriendly.

-The same way that Maximus was suffering when he was dying? - Hadrian asked and everybody in the room kept dead silence.

Maximus's name echoed in the room and a thunder of tension filled the veins of the gathered people. Even the priest seemed to be affected. Marcus Lucius's mother stood up suddenly and braced on the table while she bowed over the plates. She wanted to see and hear more than just echoes. Marcus Lucius hugged Julia tighter, even if it seemed to be impossible. His eyes were squinted and the sparkles of happiness in his look had just a moment ago were gone. Julia got scared and trembled. She understood that Hadrian wasn't talking about Marcus Lucius while he argued with her father. It never was about Marcus Lucius. It was about Julius. Julius was the traitor. Julia asked herself if her father was involved in Maximu's death. Instinctively, she wanted to run to her father and ask directly. She wanted to beg Hadrian for mercy. She wanted to try to save someone, who used to be her father and whose actions were so different from her perception of the person she wanted to see while looking him. As she impulsively tried to go in her father's direction, Marcus Lucius kept holding her in his arms. His embrace was like iron. He didn't say a word. His fingers stroke Julia's hands. It didn't calm her down.

Suddenly, Julius's face was sallow. He realized the range of danger around him. Even through the polite surface of good will, many life-threatening signals could be decoded. Julius was not dumb and understood quickly how limited he was in his options.

-What has Maximus to do with the matters of today? - He asked and tried to talk freely, calmly. He obviously noticed into which corner he has driven himself and thought about a possibility to escape.

-We should clarify the past before we deal with the present day. - Hadrian answered emotionless as he noticed that Julius was aware of the real state of art.

-What has Maximus's death in common with my humble self? - Julius asked and his voice started squealing. It sounded false. Still, he tried to keep up appearance.

-As far as I am informed, there are many tangential threads that lead to your humble person. - Hadrian didn't even try to hide his ironic attitude. He was fed up with the game they played. He wanted to put the cards on the table.

-Many threads? Do you have any concrete facts or are you dealing with assumptions? \- Julius pulled himself together and appeared stronger than ever before. He knew that he was gambling for his life. His tone wasn't polite, but also not challenging anymore. It was cold, emotionless.

Due to the change of Julius's attitude, Hadrian's soldiers moved harmonically like a group of silver coloured fishes with darker spots and reddish tinge to the belly. They didn't attack, but they felt that the prey has already been injured, even though not too visibly. They waited Julius to show a weakness. They stood waiting patiently, and being so disciplined and calm it seemed they didn't do it for the first time.

Hadrian smiled crooked. He moved his head and Pompeius stepped forward. Apparently, Pompeius was well-informed.

-Father of Julia, brother of Cornelius, senator of Rome... - Pompeius started as self-confident as usual. He looked shortly to Julia and meeting Marcus Lucius's eyes he nodded once. It was good to know that Julia wasn't able to move uncontrollably. - Do you remember the siege of Sarmizegetusa in Dacia after the King Decebalus did not respect the peace conditions? Four principal legions, the units X Gemina, XI Claudia, II Traiana Fortis and XXX Ulpia Victrix, were sent there to fight in 106. The army of the Emperor Trajan, and Decebalus took finally place. The empire defeated the Dacians, even if Decebalus and many of his followers escaped the Legions during the siege. They could only be caught by our cavalry, but Decebalus and his supporters killed themselves to avoid capture. The empire won. The Roman Senate celebrated... You already were senator.

Julius nodded, confirming what Pompeius said. He tried to calculate his options to escape. Leaving the room was almost impossible. Julius never was a skilled soldier like Marcus Lucius or Appius. He could hold a sword, but he wasn't trained to fight in a battle. His entire life, he used his mind to avoid any physical violence. He preferred to draw lines and forge plans, to influence others in the way that brought him advantages. He felt comfortable as the master of the puppets. However, he didn't feel so confident now. Some stripes were ripped out of his hands just by knowing which threads were in use. Up to that moment, nothing concrete had been said. He waited for specific accusations.

-I remember. We celebrated the victory of Rome. - Julius smiled like a snake.

-You didn't mention the significant casualties the empire had to take in the conquest of Dacia. - Pompeius said and squinted his eyes unfriendly. His tone stayed calm, polite, but sparkles of fury appeared in his eyes.

-There are always losses in a fight against an enemy. - Julius added.

-The losses caused by the enemy are predictable and even expected. The losses caused by the own ranks are betrayal. It is hard to forgive an enemy, but it's impossible to forgive someone that should act as a friend. To me, what you did is worse than death and betrayal together. You knew that Maximus was widely popular and admired by his soldiers. You knew that you couldn't fight against him directly. You thought he was sent to Dacia to come back with a promotion. However, you didn't consider that he wasn't interested in a higher rank. The emperor Trajan had offered him a lot, but he refused. You were afraid he would take more influence in the politics, but he didn't intend to cross your way even tangentially. You ordered to kill a man of honour and strength for no reason.

-How would that work? - Julius denied with his head, but it wasn't convincing. There was a short twitch on his right cheek. It made him look nervous. His briefly unsettled eyes contrasted with his calm posture.

Pompeius didn't become unfriendly though. His voice didn't include despite or rage. Julia looked shortly at Marcus Lucius, who remained self-controlled. His heart was beating slower than before. His eyes were directed to Julius. His lips were pressed together. His cheeks were saggy. He stopped stroking her, but he didn't let her go. She looked to Hadrian, who stood calmly observing how Pompeius walked here and back. Hadrian's cheeks were saggy and even trembling every now and then. He was focussed on Julius as well. Marcus Lucius's mother sat down as if a huge stone would have been put on her shoulders. She looked as if she would faint any moment. Her eyes were pointed at Julius and her lips wanted to say something, but no curse came from her mouth. Her hands were formed to fists and she was like a female black-spotted, slender and agile cougar known for its silent non-oral communication. She looked like a ambush predator stalking calmly through the bush before leaping powerfully onto the back of its prey injuring the victim. She was tense and looked as she was ready to jump any moment. A couple of soldiers around her had an eye on her to prevent sudden moves.

-You ordered to poison his water or wine or food. Maximus wasn't killed by the enemy. He was killed for your caprice to remain senator and extend your senatorial influence.

-With all respect, on what basis you accuse me? - Julius smiled snaky like a lizard able to locate its prey using its keen sense of smell, which can locate a dead or dying animal from far. Julius seemed to be able to recognize someone bluffing. He was completely sure that there were no proves for anything that has been said. In case of an allegation, he was able to talk beautifully convincing in front of his supporters. Over the years, he had been patiently building up the ranks of his followers as well as his reputation. He wasn't ready to give it all up. The precious, collected power was like a drug he was addicted to.

-Do you remember the day, when Appius executed three soldiers in the yard of your house in Naples?

Julius didn't change his face expression, but a sparkle in his eyes betrayed that he knew what Pompeius was talking about.

-I don't. - Julius lied.

Pompeius smiled even more crooked. He knew that Julius was lying.

-You had invited him to your house to rest on his way from Britannia. He was accompanied by our emperor at that time. Don't you remember?

Hadrian waited for Julius's answer. He smiled meaningfully. Any answer could take Julius onto thin ice. Julius smiled hectically.

-Oh, that time... I remember, of course I remember hosting the man, who became emperor. - Julius smiled mixed up. Again, the insecurity appeared in his startled eyes.

The soldiers around him moved harmonically again. They acted like a school of fish swimming in the same direction in a coordinated manner. Julius twitched nervously. He wasn't able to collect his thoughts while they were intimidating them. He wasn't used to protect himself in such soldierly surrounding. His convulsive movement stimulated the legionnaires as a blood drop lures a shark to come closer to a victim. Julius shrugged again. He didn't feel comfortable at all.

-If you remember that, why don't you remember the execution of three soldiers of yours? - Pompeius asked unpleasantly.

Julius kept silent. Julia struggled with herself. Marcus Lucius stood like a stone and didn't move at all. His tense muscles didn't tremble. His eyes were on fire. Marcus Lucius's mother was tense, but also shivering nervously.

-After the execution, Appius was sure that he had killed all traitors. - Pompeius said. - And then, he found someone, who had been involved in the matter years ago.

Julius was at once strained and red like hell: Pompeius's latest remark let his stature appear even tenser. He was petrified. Pompeius used the moment and started telling a story that didn't have any anything in common with Julius's case at a first glance:

-There was a soldier, who apparently married a wrong girl. - Marcus Lucius's mother look went from Julius to Pompeius. She analysed who she was supposed to attack in the first place. She stood up hastily, as she assumed that she didn't like this story to become public. She didn't know in which context Pompeius wanted to tell a story about a soldier and a wrong girl, but the beginning was annoying. As she suddenly changed her position, two soldiers appeared next to her with the same accelerated speed. They blocked her attempt to make a step in any direction.

Marcus Lucius didn't struggle whether he should go to her mother and help her or whether he should stay at Julia's side. He seemed to be put out, even if he backed away minimally. Julia wondered why he was so strange. She assumed he loved and respected his mother. It didn't look that way. He rather wished to disappear than to step forward and help his mother, who seemed to feel uncomfortable. Julia looked to the woman, whose power and dignity started fading away.

Marcus Lucius looked to Pompeius, then to Hadrian. Hadrian returned his look and by a minimal movement of his hand showed him not to act. It was a clear, unmistakable gesture. Marcus Lucius hesitated, but he kept his position. Julia felt his heart starting to beat so quickly that she was afraid he would lose it any moment. She was tense, but primarily sorrowed about Marcus Lucius's reaction. She cuddled herself to him and tried to minimize the distance between them. It was a heart-directed attempt to calm him down without words, without giving anyone else a hint. Her move was very intimate and gentle. He noticed it, but didn't visibly react to it. His heart rushed furthermore. She didn't know why he was so perturbed. She didn't know any reason why he could be ticked off with his own mother.

-The soldier was married and happy about the life he had. - Pompeius continued softly, but aloud. Some legionnaires nodded with acceptance. Pompeius didn't smile. He cautiously observed how Julius reacted. He seemed to relax a bit, because the story didn't seem to be connected to his case. - -He was respected by the soldiers and the commanders. He was successful in all the different regions he was sent to and he brought peace to conflict areas...

-Why do you tell me the story? - Julius talked high-toned.

Julia was disturbed by the one-upmanship of her father. And Marcus Lucius's behaviour made her almost mad. His eyes showed that he was upset, angry and annoyed. She wasn't sure what happened in his heart. Outwardly, he was still immovable. However, his inside pulsated like the very fluid lava under a smooth, congealing surface crust.

Julia got the hint which specific person the story was about. It was very obvious for anyone to decode the message. She started wondering whether Marcus Lucius really used to be very happy with his marriage and how much he was missing his killed wife. Then, she got scared and ashamed that she was the one on the way to revenge. If he hadn't pretended to be her husband, he would definitely have had enough time to detect the one, who had ordered the killing. Suddenly she felt lost and more confused than ever before. If she didn't have anyone to rely on, this was the darkest moment of her life. After having married Maxentius, she already felt vulnerable, exposed and alone. However, her hate and disappointment towards the people around her made her lose her strength slowly, continuously. This moment of brainwave made her feel as if she wanted to push a sword into her belly. Within one flash, she became aware that she was the only holdback for Marcus Lucius. She was blocking his mission and kept him away from what he had planned. She wondered whether he had a soft spot for her just because she looked similar to his killed wife. Was his affection just a mixture of obligation and reflected love for another woman? Julia completely lost her mind. She imploded internally. Her body showed how cool she was, but her inside was falling apart. Everything started losing its priority and meaning. She listened to the words that were said, but with every further breath, she was losing her sense of life like a balloon that was stabbed with a knife.

Marcus Lucius was too busy with his rage to notice how Julia felt. He was strained and focussed on his basic, limited functions. He held her and tried not to forget that she was wounded on the arm near to her wrist. He noticed her attempt to distance herself, but he assumed it was due to an imaginary, narrowing bight around her father's neck. She seemed to be fine, so he tried to concentrate on the unratable, undefined issues around him.

-Be patient, Julius, it's indeed relevant for you. - Pompeius smiled in his strange, meaningful way, while watching how the man tried to put the pieces of information together. - One day, he suddenly disappeared. Some started comparing losing him with the loss of his father, a famous and widely respected soldier. Some started wondering why history was repeating itself. Just a small group stood up and helped the soldier in the hard times. One went back to the place, where the great warrior fell. Julius, listen, it's related to you. - Pompeius didn't even look at Julius, but it was clearly perceptible that Julius looked around insecurely. - The one wouldn't have gone there, if the soldier hadn't been missed. He went there to find the greatest commander to consult with. Then, another coincidence happened. Julius, it's also relevant for you. - Pompeius added and attracted Julius's attention again. Pompeius savoured the moment of abasement. It was part of his revenge. - There was a soldier, who jabbered too much while he was drunk.

Pompeius stopped for a moment and looked Julius directly in the eyes. He didn't move as he continued with an ice-cold, middle-loud voice:

-He laughed about an opportunity to eliminate someone in a way that wouldn't raise any attention again. - Pompeius droned "again" in a special way. - He giggled about a family tradition. He was reliably informed and this was how we were able to decode the source of the matter. We always knew that there was someone beyond the three executed soldiers.

Julius's face became white as snow. His legs were shaky and his eyes looked desperately for rescue. Unfortunately, there was no support for him. Even his brother didn't move any muscle to help. In Cornelius's case, it wasn't sure for which reasons he kept the distance. Maybe it was fear, that prevented him from acting.

Julia trembled. The rest of her hopes and wishes she had brought into the marriage were gone. Instead, she had to grasp for a shadow of honour she could find in her soul had to be at a premium. She had to protect her father, although not at any price. She was too confused to take sides, but she had to react. Marcus Lucius breathed deeply. His heartbeat decreased rapidly. The more perceptible Julia became the more he felt forced to give her back up.

Marcus Lucius's mother was mixed up. Her usual stalk-and-ambush predator presence melted away. Instead, she was more like a domestic, moody cat you keep as a less dangerous pet. Even though she still she seemed to have a strong, flexible body and quick reflexes, you could notice the lack of sharp retractable claws to be used any moment. She looked unarmed and overwhelmed. Marcus Lucius didn't know whether she was angry about the just announced fact that Maximus was killed or about "the wrong girl".

The soldiers around didn't look friendly anymore. They looked like a grind of sharks that can smell one drop of blood in a million drops of water, already smelling the fear of their prey.

Julia looked at Marcus Lucius and her begging eyes forced him to let her go. As she stepped forward, her moves were rather insecure. Her face showed refusal, longing and compassion. She walked through the room and stopped just two meters in front of her father. Marcus Lucius was indecisive what to do. He allowed Julia to act on her own, but he kept an eye on her. When he checked whether Hadrian or Pompeius were up to interrupt the scene, both commanders showed him by a short movement to keep calm. It reassured him that no intervention was needed.

Julius was too distracted by his daughter moving towards him, because real motion correspondingly stimulates different parts of the light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye serially according some laws of perceptual organization. It was very rare for Julius to focus completely on his daughter, although the moment passed by quickly.

-Is it all true? - She whispered with hope in her voice. Her heart wished that a "No" would follow as an answer. However, her mind was already sure that she didn't need an answer. Her father's slap took her by surprise. Before her father slugged her in the face, Marcus Lucius jumped and held back Julius's arm. Julia was confused. Julius was hurt. When Marcus Lucius grasped for the wrist, a bone got broken. The sound of crunching bones couldn't be overheard. Some muscles were injured. Julius contorted with pain and furious anger. The more he tried to free himself, the more painful it became to move. Marcus Lucius's face was emotionless. His grasp was ineffable. His eyes conveyed a clear message without using any word.

-You never listen to what I say. - Julius grand out. - You were supposed to be my daughter and you failed.

Marcus Lucius moved his head with refusal. His grasp got stronger. Julius fizzed unpleasantly with hate. Marcus Lucius ignored it, because he had heard worse things already. He stood between Julia and her father. Pompeius smirked. Hadrian looked aside as if he was giving a silent permission to keep the status quo at least for a while. Marcus Lucius's mother smiled tensely and sneeringly. She was extraordinary proud of the speed and the good reactions her son presented. She even stepped closer into Marcus Lucius's direction, but one look of him brought her back to the place she was before. She understood that he knew the truth and that he wasn't ready to negotiate at all. The hate and disappointment in his eyes made her scared, but she took it with grace. Only her eyes betrayed that she wasn't fine. She took a deep breath and straightened her back. Her lips were pressed to each other and her hands built fists. Her arms were laid along the body and she didn't intend to move at all. She wanted to ask her son whether they could talk, if not today, then tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or somewhere in the future. Maybe he even read the question from her face expression, because he shook his head twice with refusal. With his entire posture he communicated the rising distance between them. As his mother opened her lips to start talking, he just whispered determined, coldly:

-Do not even try...

Then, he stopped looking at her directly. Her statue was still in his sight, but he ignored her presence. Julia didn't get it at all, because she was still shocked by the fact that her father wanted to slap her heavily. She hadn't expected it. The image of him that she carried in her heart started breaking apart and the entire world didn't make much sense anymore. She wanted to die so strongly that she would even take her dagger and injure herself, if she had it with her. She stepped just two meters back, found a secure place behind Marcus Lucius, and watched from an uncomfortable angle how his hand kept holding Julius strongly. The grasp was increasingly painful for the senator. Marcus Lucius pressed even tighter and Julius yawped. Julia couldn't listen to any sign of pain, so she impulsively laid her hand on Marcus Lucius's shoulder. It was a sign to let go. Marcus Lucius pushed the opponent away. He didn't put all his powers into that push but it was enough to make Julius lose his balance. Julia's father fell on the armoured soldiers behind his back. He got up on his own and he pointed a finger from his healthy hand at his daughter. His statue trembled from nervousness and fury.

-What will you be without me? - He asked smirking meanly.

The soldiers behind him were ready to intervene, if necessary. However, the straight and challenging position of Marcus Lucius deterred Julius from any bodily action. Julia took two deep breaths and her glowing forehead got sweaty. She didn't like it. Suddenly she felt very hot and her legs became shaky. The mass of soldiers, the emperor and even Marcus Lucius's mother faded into an inessential grey background that didn't catch her attention. Indeed, she was focussed on her father's eyes and she whispered slowly, clearly:

-I forgive you, because you were my father, but you are a mean, small-minded, selfish man. I'm going to learn how to live without you. - Then, she hid completely behind Marcus Lucius's back. Her cheeks were glowing as if she got burnt by hot iron. She trembled and tried not to cry. It was really hard to leave the past behind. The place behind Marcus Lucius's back seemed to be the only possible place in the wide, wicked world that gave her enough energy to keep standing.

-What are you staring at?! - Julius screamed at Marcus Lucius scornfully. - You will die sooner than you think. You're not even worth of getting poisoned. You'll die just after me.

Marcus Lucius didn't move. He stayed calm and he looked at the old, lost, weak man. It wouldn't be even fair to ask for a duel. Julius wouldn't have any chances against him. Marcus Lucius breathed deeper once and as he noticed the hand of Julia on his shoulder, he said quietly:

-A wise man said once that no one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. I am ready for anything that might come. Are you ready as well?

Pompeius smiled contemptuously and woefully at once. The voice of Marcus Lucius reminded him inconsolably of Maximus. Its low sound was so recognizable and so calm that Pompeius could swear it was Maximus there, speaking to a man who had violated the rules of solidarity. Pompeius had heard the phrase once from Marcus Lucius's father and it sounded as important and worth memorizing.

Hadrian smiled mournfully. He had heard a lot of stories about Maximus and he wished he had spent time with the respected warrior, but Maximus's son was a worthy successor: Like father, like son. It would be a failure to abandon such a remarkable man. Therefore, Hadrian stepped minimally forward and spoke distinctively:

-The wise man also said that one loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives. - The emperor smiled more sanguinely. He liked Euripides and mentioning one of Euripides's quotes gave the son of Maximus a further advantage in the area charm and good education. Additionally, Marcus Lucius's allegiance had been proven not only once. Hadrian didn't have to think long to make his decision. - The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. Confession and clear-headedness will never be signs of betrayal. This man was punished enough. He is a good soldier of Rome and the empire will use his skills as agreed. He will keep the command of the camp and he will get the responsibility for the task he suggested.

Marcus Lucius bowed his head. He already knew the agreement. As Hadrian started speaking, he turned a bit into the emperor's direction so he could both, Hadrian and Julius.

-Take your bride and go. - Hadrian ordered. - After the wedding ceremony, we should have ended by giving out pieces of wedding cake, not judgements about life or death. We'll postpone it to the next day. We'll meet here at the sunrise.

Marcus Lucius looked at his mother and Julius. He didn't move or say a word, but it wasn't necessary. He had already won an overview of who was standing and acting in what way. Then, he checked Julia's face expression again. She was apparently calm, but her eyes lids shivered. He knew that face expression. She was confused and scared. She wasn't sure what to do and whom to trust. Her eyes were directed at Marcus Lucius. She needed an order, otherwise, she would stand like a sculpture for days. She doubted and he was the only person around who could help her to make a decision. He waited for her to calm down internally. He smiled minimally, but the signal was already communicated. She nodded briefly, slightly. She put everything on Marcus Lucius at once. Her mind doubted whether it was a good decision. Her heart was sure that he wouldn't let her go, but it also repeated that she kept him away from his first, private mission.

-Just go. - Hadrian smiled. He had followed the nominal communication between Marcus Lucius and Julia. It was a pleasure to see how innocent they were in their love. He didn't see the doubts of the girl. It wasn't visible for him how she struggled with herself internally.

Julius ignored his daughter completely as if she wouldn't be worthy of even a brief look. His abandoned face expression was addressed to Marcus Lucius, who was undeniably the winner of the evening. Julius hadn't expected the young soldier to get his freedom back. It was shocking and unbelievable. It had seemed to be impossible up to the moment, when it happened.

Marcus Lucius saluted finally. Then, he came closer to his bride and turned to her. He took her hand and let her through the room. She didn't oppose, although she didn't look totally convinced. She was like a ship that drifted on the sea directed by the power of stream. The soldiers around them stepped aside so that the couple was able to leave. The legionnaires looked at Marcus Lucius with the highest respect. The news about his contribution to the camp development and the battle had made already wider rounds. The soldiers felt honoured to be a part of the rising legend. Marcus Lucius wasn't aware of it, but the rumours were faster and more perceptible than Marcus Lucius would have ever assumed. He was too focussed on the direct issues to consider further aspects of the matter.

The corridor wasn't bright enough, so he took one of the burning torches to be able to see on the way to Julia's old chamber. His steps were certain and somewhat relieved. He led the woman he loved to the place, where they had already lived a pretended life and from that evening, the pretence wasn't needed anymore. They were married and they should celebrate their moment. None of them was able to switch to a happy, shiny mood. Some worries lay on their shoulders and bedevilled the inglorious outburst of positive emotions.

Surprisingly, the fireplace had already been prepared and the chamber was cosy, warm. Marcus Lucius came closer to the fire and watched how the flames licked the pieces of wood. He sunk into thoughts as if he was going through the occurrences of the day once again. Julia embraced him around the waist. She glued to him and waited for him to say something. She wanted to hear that everything would be all right. She didn't wish anyone to be executed. Her father was a fool of vanity and overestimation. However, he was still her father and nothing could change it. On the one hand, she was interested in his punishment. Then again, she wanted to support him, even if he didn't know about her actions. She wasn't sure whether Marcus Lucius could influence anything and whether it was advisable to ask him for a favour. He was just off the hook and she didn't wish to bring him into any ambiguously situation ever again. On impulse, she glued stronger to Marcus Lucius's back and breathed hastily.

-They won't get executed. Don't worry. - He whispered with a heavy heart.

His heart was beating surprisingly slow. It was calming and impressed her at the same time. Even without any eye contact, she noticed that he knew more than he admitted, but he didn't share the details with his wife. After having spent the day in the camp and making arrangements, he was aware of some additional issues that played a role in the big picture and that were a ballast on his shoulder. Sometimes, things could be easier, if a person was kept in the dark. A blithely ignorant attitude simplified many decisions and took care of a better, deeper sleep without nightmares. Sharing the bad news would unburden him personally, but it would mean shoving the weight of the inglorious ballast on Julia's shoulders. Marcus Lucius didn't intend to share his problems with Julia – at least not that night. She already had enough negative thoughts and confusion in her head. That dodgy situation could bring him negative credits, if Julia felt overlooked or if she didn't follow his reasons to act protectively. Still, he wished to keep her far away from the brutality of the big picture.

-How do you know it? - She doubted. She was extraordinarily mixed up, mostly by her father's behaviour and actions. Additionally, Marcus Lucius's answer brought up new questions.

Marcus Lucius noticed her increasing confusion and he decided to explain at least the general frame he got to know that day. Her shivering body spread nervousness and he had to bring back some good vibrations. His hands touched her fingers lying on his chest. Stroking her skin, he tried to put his words into short, informative sentences without any emotional influence:

-I spent my whole day with Pompeius. We talked a lot. He informed me about many things and I listened. He said I won't be executed, but I had to swear that I will keep distance to all that might happen tonight. Pompeius announced in front of the camp that I'll stay in charge as the camp commander, and he is still the governor of Britannia. Directly speaking, he is my commander and I have to follow his orders. I can live with that. - Marcus Lucius sounded relieved and he even smiled while he remembered the soldiers from the camp, who saluted with silence and respect as they listened to Pompeius's announcement. They were proud and felt satisfied that a good man wasn't punished for doing good things. He felt enormously backed up by them.

-It doesn't mean that my father and your mother will stay alive. - Julia almost fell apart into thousands of pieces. She didn't realise that Marcus Lucius was saved once for all.

-I said that I will keep my distance under the term that nobody will get killed.

Even through his calm, friendly tone, Julia decoded that the information she got was just the tip of the iceberg of things Marcus Lucius knew and still didn't tell her. His calming way of being was everything she needed at the moment. If he was able be so relaxed, it meant that it had a deeper sense and that they could live with it.

-Nobody will get killed? - She said doubtfully. - You...

-I am safe. You are safe. Nobody will die. - He underlined and kissed her trembling fingers. He was still not able to see her face, but he felt her cheeks on his back.

She nodded automatically and the touch of his lips calmed her down visibly. She focussed on the input she could handle. When she got more feedback, she wouldn't know what to elaborate at first. Therefore, she had two construction zones to work on: Marcus Lucius was safe for the moment, but her father was still in big trouble. Julia breathed heavily, but relieved. Her heart was torn apart due to the latest occurrences.

-Good, good. - She mumbled nervously. - Nobody will die. Nobody...

Marcus Lucius felt her tears on his back. She trembled chaotically and he wanted to turn around, but she was hugging him so tight he couldn't.

-Julia... - He whispered to make her ease the embrace.

-No, no... Just give me a moment. I don't want you to see me now. I'm awful. - She cried and he wasn't sure how to handle it. He used his strength and moved against her will. He turned to her and took her face in his hands. She was still embracing him with her arms, but tried to hide her face from his eyes. She couldn't control what happened with her, because she had no protective shield. All gathered sources of energy were already exploited. She didn't have any further strength to pretend anything. She was falling apart and with every second, further fears and doubts reached her mind. When one construction area was closed, another appeared. She was like a colander that let the fluids pass by freely.

-You are beautiful. You are strong. - He whispered calmly and he meant it. She was the most incredible person he ever met.

She denied with her head, still crying. He kissed her and hugged decisively. His chin landed on her forehead and his fingers stroked her back.

-What will you do about your mother? What is her crime? - She asked after a while. Her voice betrayed more tears. The question was rather a distraction for her, because the issue of his mother wasn't the most important one for her. She needed something to catch, before mutating into a river of tears and doubts.

-Pompeius told me that she was behind the murder of Decima. - Marcus Lucius said after he took a deep breath. It wasn't easy to speak it out aloud. He still hadn't reviewed it for himself and sharing the news brought another level of complication into the matter.

-She did what?! - Julia was surprised and she would have even stepped back automatically, if Marcus Lucius hadn't kept her hands next to his chest. It made it impossible for her to move away from him.

The distraction technique was successful. Julia was occupied with a new, dissident thought for a moment. Marcus Lucius smiled as he noticed Julia's outrage.

-She was the one who made a deal with Quintus. She wanted Decima to vanish and he used the moment for himself. - Marcus Lucius gave some background information without any emotions in the tone.

-So she didn't try to kill you... - Julia derived correctly, but still shocked. One thought brought her to another disturbing matter. Her mood switched back to the tone of depression mixed with doubts.

He grasped her fingers stronger and tried not to lose her. Something changed and he wasn't sure what it was. However, it didn't feel good. Julia was on an ad course and it sorrowed him. Before he could react in any way, Julia laughed shortly, hysterically:

-I'm not better than she was. I am a daughter of a non-noble man.

Marcus Lucius was already insecure what he was supposed to do and her laughing attack unarmed him completely. If she would tell him what was wrong with her, it would be too easy to handle. It would take away the fun of guessing. She didn't look at him, she didn't listen to him anymore. He wasn't sure what to do, so eventually he sat down next to her. As absolutely nothing happened for some moments, he wasn't able to stay motionless, without action. She was back in reality, but she ignored him anyway.

However, he knew her already long enough to know that she was stronger than she ever imagined, even when she was lying trembling, doubting and caught in feeling the smallest particle of the world. She wasn't aware that she was like Saturn's moon Mimas appearing near Saturn truly and reliably visible in the far northern and southern hemispheres of the planet.

He thought it would be good to confirm his feelings for her:

-As long as my heart beats... - He started.

-No, no, no. - Her voice sounded unfamiliar as she interrupted him. It was like a cut of a sword. Her head movements showed refusal. Her eyes were dashed. She already had a plan to isolate herself from his life like she had already planned other actions without involving him in the past. Her tenacity was remarkable. He smiled cordially. She was the woman, who could spread enough power to impress him even in her weakest moments.

-You are my tower of strength. - He whispered and forced her to look him in the eyes.

She stopped laughing nervously and her wet cheeks trembled hysterically for a while. She knelt down and slowly sat down on the cold, unpleasant floor that cooled her down. She needed to feel the chilled down reality. It brought her more inner peace. Marcus Lucius's hands held her gently on her wrists and he bowed to her. She was down and he had to cheer her up, give her the stability she needed. He bowed even lower and lifted her. She didn't resist. After the roller coaster of emotions, she was empty like rain drops or even ice particles and snow, when temperatures are cold enough, condensed from atmospheric water vapour into low-level cloud and then, became heavy enough to fall under gravity. There had to be something comparable to a multicoloured rainbow after the storm was over.

He brought her to the bed. He cuddled up to her stroking her back. Her head was next to his chest and she was listening to his heartbeat. She was still minimally shivering. He wasn't sure whether she was cold or simply still confused.

-It's fine. - He started repeating with his low, pleasant voice. It took a while until he noticed the first, small success. He claimed words he often heard from her while she took care of him during the days he was weak:

**Oh soul, torn by unbearable concerns,  
Stand up, defend yourself from your enemies,  
Outsmart them moving cautiously  
through their ambushes.  
But do not triumph when you win,  
nor lay down crying when defeated,  
Nor get overjoyed in your joys,  
or overwhelmed in your sorrows  
just learn what rhythm governs human affairs.**

He wasn't sure whether she listened to him, but she wasn't crying anymore. She wasn't laughing anymore. Finally, she was calm. Her breath was regular. However, her body felt like rubber: it was flexible and empty. Marcus Lucius didn't stop stroking her and claiming the engraved verses. She listened to him and kept silent. When he thought she was calm enough, he moved her chin gingerly and looked her in the eyes. She looked tired and upset, but also confused and depressive. She didn't look good. Though, he smiled. Her soulful eyes were full of compulsory redemption clauses.

-You shouldn't. - She whispered frosted, unvarnished.

-I shouldn't what? - He wondered, because he didn't have any clue what she meant.

She seemed to be miles away from the place her body was. He kept smiling warm enough to keep the good mood for them both. It felt right to be next to her. He was the primary rainbow and he wished to see the second arc reflecting his composure.

-You shouldn't stay with me. Leave me, as long as you can. Go and have your revenge. You have an obligation beyond this life. As a noble man, you should settle the score. Leave me. - She whispered without hesitation.

-I'll stay with you no matter what happens. - He announced and stroked her cheek. She tried to avoid it, but it wasn't possible. His fingers moved placidly, tamely. As she wanted to get up, he forced her to stay. It was somewhat brutal, so she moaned automatically. He used her power to bring her closer. She wasn't scared, rather irritated. He didn't tell her that he had to decide whether he would go and have his revenge on Quintus or stay with Julia. Pompeius repeated the question that the emperor had asked already that morning. Marcus Lucius chose life and not chasing shadows of the past. Pompeius seemed to be surprised with the decision, but Marcus Lucius didn't know that it rather was the fact how fast he announced this decision, Pompeius was wondering about.

-I'm trying here... - She gathered her powers and it looked cute how she wanted to stay on distance. - I'm trying to send you away. - She said louder and was taken aback.

He stopped smiling. She was a riddle and every time, he thought she was close to him, she seemed to be miles away. The closer he tried to be the more impossible it was. He kissed her suddenly, because he couldn't find any words. She didn't oppose, but didn't join in. She was too weak to protest and too far away to stay on the right track.

-I am not going anywhere. - He underlined his statement clearly. He wanted her to come back to the track that they could follow together. He kissed her again and this time, Julia lost herself shortly in the depth of the kiss. It was a sign that she hadn't fallen completely out of satellite range.

-I am beneath you. - She added immediately and sadly as she suddenly moved away. She seemed to be scared, but not of Marcus Lucius, rather of herself.

Marcus Lucius's arms prevented her from escaping too far away from him. He smiled. She was like comets with their volatile ices, dust and frozen gases on collision course. She needed the announcement that she couldn't impeach easily.

-I am not going anywhere. - He repeated strongly. He didn't want her to decide to separate. Her eyes reminded him about the expression she had that day she thought he would go back to Appius. He remembered how he came back and saw her with cut veins. Just her unskilled moves prevented her death. He had promised to himself not to give her any further opportunity to go in that direction again.

Julia trembled even stronger. Her thoughts were still at the apogees from him.

-What will you do about your mother? - She asked out of nowhere after a moment. It was like a cold shower and Marcus Lucius trembled. He didn't hide anything from her anymore. He could be honest and react spontaneously in her company. His forehead got wrinkled. An unpleasant sparkle appeared in his eyes. She noticed that he didn't like to talk about it.

-I won't talk with her ever again.

-That's all?

It wasn't a statement, it wasn't a question. It was something in between. It included her worries about her father, Marcus Lucius's will to ignore his own mother, feeling of being unworthy... It was her doubt whether the wedding was forced or what might change in the future. Everything she could think of got cumulated into a strange, insecure tone and determined the melody of the question. Julia was simply overwhelmed by emotions and questions. Marcus Lucius noticed that she was on the way to fall dangerously apart. He pushed her to his body and pressed carefully, but decisively.

-Just tell it. \- He whispered confused and stroked her hair.

She flinched. Her heart got a stitch and she couldn't control herself. It was simply too much for such a varied day. Marcus Lucius looked closer at her. There was a question in her eyes she didn't dare to ask. Something bothered her and he wanted to know what it was. Without knowing what it was, he couldn't support her in the optimal way.

-Tell me... - He tried to encourage her, but there was a kind of wall between them. The locked coffin with a secret was hid in the far corner of Julia's heart. It wasn't able to grasp for it.

She was indecisive for another moment. She wanted to ask him when he fell in love with her. She was insecure whether he was in love with her, because of herself or because she was looking so similar to his dead wife. This question went to the ground and surfaced every now and then. It attacked her mind subconsciously, regularly, suddenly. Then, she gathered herself and asked something else with trembling voice:

-Why don't you revenge your wife first?

His smile was sad, crooked and so different to all the smiles she had ever seen on his face. He felt that this wasn't the question she wanted to ask at first. He wasn't sure about, whether she didn't trust him enough to form the question or whether the secret was so sore that she wasn't able to speak about it aloud. He didn't have any clue in which direction her fear was going. He wasn't very happy about the sidestep she made. He didn't want to speak about his mother. Since he knew the truth, he wasn't able to stay calm about the topic. He felt as if he was walking on a farcical surface and unintentionally forced to find the deceiving truth at that one point.

-You are my wife. - He answered.

-I meant... - She tried to add something, but wasn't sure whether she really was ready to ask directly what came to her mind. She started to explain, but as she looked at Marcus Lucius, she knew it was unnecessary.

He assumed what she was thinking about or at least, he made reference to Julia's last words. He remembered the moment when Hadrian mentioned the unavoidable question. He thought about his dead wife, about the woman, who ordered Decima to be killed, and about the woman he fell in love with. There were three women in his life and they represented different characters. While he was imprisoned for several days, he thought about many things, amongst all about his revenge. He had enough time to take emotional and rational arguments under consideration. There was the changeless, incurable past and there was a future that had already started and that could be developed without any ballast that had to be put aside. He thought about it and knew that he couldn't go both ways at the same time. He knew that he had to decide sooner or later. In the end, he went with his gut. He had chosen life, the future, love. He didn't give up his will to have revenge, but the priority of the task changed.

-I know what you mean. - He said and stroked her cheek. - I am here for you. I won't forget Decima, but I am here for you.

She decided not to articulate her deeper doubts. His words were like balm for the soul. The coldness melted away. The distance between them decreased. She was relieved for the moment. Her eyes got a special, warm expression and the sparks of affection that Marcus Lucius had missed already returned. He kissed her and she seemed to be fully concentrated on the kiss that included not only love, passion and affection, but also respect, friendship and gratitude for given help. The kiss evaluated from a gentle touch of their lips into a fervent, uncontrolled energy. As Marcus Lucius left her a moment to take a breath, her cheeks were red and her fingers trembled from good vibrations. He smiled, because he steered her into the right direction.

-Quando tu Gaius, ego Gaia... - She whispered calmer. Her eyes sparkled.

Marcus Lucius felt unconditionally, unlimited happy for the very first time that day. Her confession confirmed what he already assumed. She was on the right track again and he loved it. He kissed her again and his mind was relieved. He felt that they were united and her words were the true marriage clause for him. This wonderful moment was the real wedding for him. It was private, sacred, touching. It wasn't pretended or said to please the surrounding. It wasn't forced by any emperor or family member. It wasn't forced by a caprice from upper allies or a last-minute shot of being in love.

His warm hands stroked her stronger and didn't limit themselves to touching just her cheeks or hair. His lips found her lips quickly and after exchanging gentle, elongated kisses, the passion increased slowly, but continuously. Although they wanted to rip off their clothes and come to the final of the ecstasy, Marcus Lucius didn't want to rush anything. It was the very first night they were so close to each other. After many break-even-points and risks, Marcus Lucius wanted to savour the night that felt like rebirth. With Julia at his side, he had changed into a good direction. When he married Decima, he was a silly boy, who tried to make his first independent steps. With the second marriage, he became a man he never expected to be. The life gave an edge to his character and he saw what he was capable to endure. Feeling Julia's naked body with his fingers, going over her scars and seeing the sparkles in her eyes confirmed he was going the right way. He felt good and for the very first time, he felt to be in the right place at the right time. He didn't feel like being on the run from his father's shadows or on the lam from his mother's political wishes.

As he kissed her warm, pleasant skin and stroked her arms, legs, belly, breasts and thighs, he felt how much he had missed her proximity. He never felt that way towards Decima. He never felt so happy and over the moon as when he felt the warmth and responsive touch of Julia.

The ripped muscles moved harmonically. The length of breath got shorter and showed an extraordinary portion of desire. Sweat drops appeared on the naked, tanned skin. The pressure of urge increased and filled the room. Marcus Lucius's arms embraced Julia, who silently moaned with pleasure in a beautifully modulated voice. Her fingers tried to keep him tight.

-I will follow you in this life and in the afterlife. Do you understand? - He said as Julia lay in his arms and tried to catch her breath. She trembled, but it felt brilliant.

She nodded quickly and wanted to add something, but her breath was still too short to last out a sentence. He pressed her shivering body to his and he didn't expect anything to be said. The real emotions don't need to be articulated in words. Both Marcus Lucius and Julia knew and felt that they were one in the specific way that is preserved for people who love each other unconditionally.

She wasn't just the second, reflected rainbow, because she spread the same energy with the same intensity as the primary rainbow. It was the very first time Marcus Lucius was able to sleep freely and calmly.

#8 HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

In the meanwhile, Hadrian was standing in front of Julius. The emperor was tired and disappointed. He went two steps aside, then, he came back. He was indecisive. He analysed something. His left eye brow trembled nervously. His eye lid shivered, too.

Julius was standing not so straight anymore, but he didn't move in any way. His eyes followed the emperor. As Hadrian stopped, Julius looked to Pompeius, who stood and smiled in the crooked way. Pompeius was waiting for an order and his soldiers, who filled the rest of the room, cut off any escape possibility.

-You won't harm a member of the Roman senate. - Julius said calmly, but insecure. - You will be so far beyond "apologise"... - It was supposed to sound threatening, but it simply didn't. Julius's tone was without any power. It was squeaky, insecure.

A longer moment of silence passed by and Hadrian was still visibly gloomy.

-You won't lose your life. You won't lose your mint. - As he started talking, he spluttered minimally. If he controlled himself better, he wouldn't have snorted at all. He stepped back shortly and it was visible that he struggled with himself, even if his expression didn't change a lot. He grunted once and finally continued. His voice was calm and friendly again.

-My father's father spoke often about an advisor to emperor Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors. It was a man, who was born, similarly to me, in Hispania. His family came from the area further east towards Illyria. His older brother, Gallio, became proconsul in the Roman province of Achaea. It was Seneca the Elder. He was caught up in the aftermath of the Pisonian conspiracy, a plot to kill the emperor Nero. It was unlikely that Seneca conspired, but he was ordered by Nero to kill himself. Seneca followed tradition by severing several veins in order to bleed to death, and his wife Pompeia Paulina attempted to share his fate. Do you know what his last words were?

Julius looked at the emperor insecurely, because he didn't know in which direction this was going. Pompeius stepped closer to be able to better listen to Hadrian's words. Apparently, it was common that the emperor told stories worth knowing.

Hadrian smiled to his memories as he started quoting:

Virtuous friends, death now or hereafter

Is immaterial. We live, we die.

We may laugh in poverty; in wealth, cry.

The wind erases all our tears or laughter.

Death crushes him only who, despite fame,

Does not know himself, nor accepts his faults

Or the worthlessness of that on which he dotes.

But he who is humble dies without blame.

Then, he gazed directly into Julius's eyes.

-Every kind of action brings consequences and time discovers truth. Sometimes, it takes a day, sometimes years, but the truth appears, even after years, even after our death. If we are lucky, we expose the positive and negative riddles in our lifetime... But you are not Seneca.

-I am not Seneca. - Julius agreed with doubts in his eyes.

Pompeius followed Julius's shivering voice.

-And you are not humble. - Hadrian said emphasised.

Julius kept silent. Pompeius followed Julius's trembling fingers.

-And you are not without blame. - The emperor marked.

Julius's lips moved chaotically. His throat was dry and his heart was beating quickly. The soldiers around him could remind of a family of orcas off the Antarctic Peninsula. Sometimes the mammals set their eyes on seals resting on a sheet of ice. The orcas move united towards the sheet of ice and influence the movements of the water to make the seal slip into the depth of the cold, dangerous ocean. It is an incredible example of solidarity, the same kind of united, trained actions. The legionnaires moved coherently and slowly. The distance between them and Julius became smaller. His fear grew and his heartbeat was crazy. The veins on his head appeared and his Adam's apple moved chaotically. Marcus Lucius's mother watched the scene with increasing disgust.

-You already ordered to kill someone, but you never saw any execution with your own eyes, right? - Pompeius asked her and stepped closer into her direction. She trembled unpleasantly and stepped a bit back on impulse.

-Will you kill him? - She asked trying to sound stronger than she felt.

Pompeius looked to the emperor, who sat down in his chair and watched everything from the distance. Hadrian's face showed no emotions. He thought about something than followed the action happening directly in front of him. His eyes were focussed on a point beyond the room. It made the impression that every decision was already made and that Pompeius was just the right hand to fulfil the already given orders. There was apparently no space to modify the plan.

-I won't. I never killed anyone. - Marcus Lucius's mother answered like an iron lady.

-We know that you ordered to kill your son's wife. Unfortunate for you, the soldier you chose for that mission extended your plan to the attempt of killing your son, too.

Marcus Lucius's mother was shocked. For the very first time, Pompeius noticed a real, spontaneous reaction in her eyes. It wasn't an artificial surprised look, but serious disgust.

-My son is alive. - She said calmly after she swallowed the bitter pill of inconvenient truth.

-He is alive just due to his skills.

-I did what every mother would do for her own child. I tried to protect him, to give him what his status requires. Will you kill me tonight as well? I achieved what I wanted and it doesn't matter what happens to me now. - She sounded cold, but rational. She was indeed convinced she did the right move and that her mission ended successfully. Her son was de facto alive and married to a woman from a known family. The only shadow was the fact that Julia's father was going to die. However, his death would be announced probably as a bad accident, a consequence of an ambush or the endeavour of long travel. Nobody was interested in spreading the news that Julius was a traitor and killed a noble, respected man. It wouldn't be good for the empire to support rumours about betrayal within the own ranks of soldiers. The legionnaires gathered in the room weren't a wide mass, but a special, limited group of personal guards of the emperor and of Pompeius.

Pompeius turned to Julius and after a short wink to his legionnaires, four soldiers stepped out of the line and grasped for Julius. As the man wasn't able to move any, although he tried to free himself, Pompeius came closer and looked Julius in the eyes.

-We've noticed that you don't care much about your family members or about values like honour. However, we've noticed what's important for you. We won't take you off the office of the senator of Rome. No, we won't. \- Pompeius seemed to savour the moment. He was like a hangman, who already fevers looking at the victims coming closer to the block.

Julius watched Pompeius's face and a shadow of a smile appeared in his relieved eyes. He apparently saw a sparkle of hope at the end of the tunnel.

-Regarding your words and actions, regarding the common wealth and the basic rules of the empire, we have decided that you might just live your miserable life out. You will keep your freedom of speech as the Roman senator.

Julius breathed relieved. Pompeius didn't walk away. On the contrary, he came closer to Julius and looked him deeper in the eyes. There were just centimetres between them and the tension increased again. In that moment, a soldier standing behind Pompeius's back brought an extremely sharp knife. Pompeius took it and before Julius could react, Pompeius began to cut out the left eye. Julius screamed like an animal and tried to free himself, but the pressure of the soldiers was so strong that it was impossible to even move a centimetre in any direction. With a trained movement, Pompeius cut the eye ball out and before any resistance could follow, he managed to cut out the right eye as well. It was obvious that he didn't do it for the very first time. The procedure didn't take long. As he finished, another soldier brought a patch that Pompeius linked around Julius's head.

-You can talk as much as you wish, but you won't ever again be sure who is listening to you. - Pompeius added coldly and stepped away. As he was some meters away from Julius, he ordered his soldiers to step back as well. Julius used the moment and caught his head with his arms. He was incapable to scream. Overwhelmed by the amount of emotions, he was stock-still like a dead man. He tried to take off the patch, but his moves were insecure. He went a step to the right, then a step back. His legs shivered. His fingers trembled.

-With all respect, I wouldn't advise you to fumble with your fingers. It will take longer to heal, then. - Pompeius added, looking to the emperor.

Hadrian shivered shortly as if he just woke up. He scratched his forehead and after a short view into the round, he stood up and left the room without any good-bye. His moves were fast, automatic, he looked tired and sleepy. Julius moved hastily. He groaned and begun to curse quietly. He turned a couple of times helplessly and nobody knew what he wanted to do next.

Pompeius looked at his soldiers and nodded once in a predefined gesture. Marcus Lucius's mother didn't know what she should make of that gesture. She watched Pompeius following the emperor and disappearing. She looked around and ignored Julius's hectic movements. She wasn't sure what would happen with her and the uncertainty was killing her softly. Her eyebrows trembled and the facade she had built over the years was rather a jumble than a solid construction. The tears came up, but not due to her helplessness, but due to her anger and disappointment. She wasn't used to feel weak and incoherent.

Pompeius's guards stayed as they had been ordered to watch Julius. They didn't look aggressive or insatiable anymore, rather like dignified predators resting after a successful hunt for antelopes, gazelles or a buffalo. You still see the blood traces on their bodies, but they aren't in the mood to hurt anyone. Although still armoured, they looked so peaceful that nobody would ever believe that they could harm even a fly. They kept a proper, relaxed distance to both civilians.

Marcus Lucius's mother stunned furthermore, and she needed an answer. She ran after Pompeius and screamed choked:

-Wait! Wait! What about me?!

Hadrian, who was almost at the end of the corridor, ignored her and kept walking away dynamically. He disappeared around the corner and she heard a rustle of armour of his soldiers, who would definitely block any access to the emperor. Pompeius stopped and turned to her. He seemed to be irritated, too.

-What about you? - He repeated with contempt. His voice echoed in the hallway. \- What should be with you?

She flagged down surprised and couldn't find a word for an answer. She felt overwhelmed by the uncontrolled outbreak of Pompeius's rage. She thought whether she should play charming and feminine, but she wasn't sure how much it would help. She decided quickly to show her strong side again. She straightened her body and stood proudly. Her voice was independent and confident again:

-What punishment do I get?

-You achieved what you wanted, so why do you care about your future now? - Pompeius wasn't friendly anymore. - Are you not satisfied with what you've achieved?

She denied with the head, but didn't dare to add anything. She knew that she could expect ignorance only from the ruling group. It was more than she apprehended. She knew when to control her defiant attitude.

-Marcus Lucius knows everything you have done. Live with it. - Pompeius added quickly. He stepped closer to her as if he was fascinated by the woman standing in front of him. His eyes tried to find answers to his unspoken questions. He held his breath in his lungs and his lips moved shortly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept silent. He shook his head and turned away. She didn't try to stop him anymore. She stood in the hallway and watched him turning right at the end of the corridor.

Julius sat down on the floor and felt not only alone, but deprived of his dignity. Any financial punishment or even a death sentence would have been better than being maimed for life. He was angry and disappointed. He took off the eye patch, but it didn't change anything. The pain was overwhelming and extended from his eyes into his head. Everything pulsated and if he was able to see, the entire world would be turning around dramatically. He felt the blood smell on his fingers and it was lousy, nasty and deeply disgusting.

In the meanwhile, Julia lay happily in Marcus Lucius's arms. He hugged her and slept deeply. His strong, relaxed arms were warm and gave her a feeling of stability. They were like a promise of being protected no matter what would happen. She remembered how Marcus Lucius tried to keep her close during the entire evening and how he managed to calm her down.

She wasn't able to fall asleep at all. She thought about everything that had happened. She was sorrowed how her father would be punished and she knew that she wasn't allowed to influence anything. The promise of no death penalty was already a big matter for her. It meant that her father was supposed to live. She tried to understand which reasons he followed as he acted against Marcus Lucius's father. Julius had become senator like his father. It was more or less obvious that he liked wearing the distinguished, oblong stripe of purple sewed to the front of the gown, and black buskins reaching to the middle of the leg, with the letter C in silver on the top of the foot. He enjoyed getting a particular place at public spectacles, next to the stage or arena. He preened himself in a trained way.

Julia remembered how he enjoyed any moment of attention smiling here and there. She thought he was a very friendly, open person and that he helped anyone, who came to him to get advice or support. She was convinced that he was the greatest and the best man in the world. He was her hero and everything that Julia had heard about him during the evening seemed to be so improbable that she couldn't believe it. Even considering all the doubts and accusations she had in her mind after getting married with Maxentius, she wasn't able to acknowledge that there was so much badness in her father. The fall of her personal myth was standing in front of an edge of her mind and just a few minutes were separating it from the plummet collapse. It was crushing and it hurt a lot. The smashed reality slid imprudently, and created permanently brutal thoughts. She would go crazy, if she wasn't hugged by Marcus Lucius. The warm, strong pressure of his body proved that she was still alive and that she was close to him. She needed this to feel good vibrations. She breathed slowly, almost too slow, as if her body started to rest and push away the future. She wished make this moment last forever. She could stay captured in that situation, because she was scared that an unpleasant surprise was already waiting for her. She knew that her father would get punished, but she didn't have a clue how the punishment would look like. She was sure that any bad issue that would hit her father, would also influence her own nature.

Marcus Lucius breathed deeply, calmly. He felt apparently safe and good. She wondered how he could keep cool in such a moment. She shivered nervously. He woke up, turned her face to him and looked in her eyes.

-Are you fine? \- He asked quietly and with perceptible sorrow in his voice. In the dimmed, limited light coming from the fire place

Julia's lips trembled and an internal storm was showing its first presages. Her disturbance influenced him negatively. He needed a moment to gather himself. He stroked her head and kissed her cheek to convey some peace. It helped a little, but not completely. He was not absolutely awake, but he tried to derive a solution or explanation. Confused he observed how the tears came out of her eyes. She cried and he had no idea what caused the mood alteration. He clasped her tighter stroking her more intensively. He wasn't sure whether she would fall apart due to his acutely touch.

-What is going on? - He asked insecurely.

She wanted to answer. However, she couldn't, because she was full of emotions she couldn't define. All the tension of the last days was wearing off and she was full of too many doubts and reliefs that she couldn't handle anymore. She broke apart and she wasn't able to prevent this collapse. She laid her hands on Marcus Lucius's chest and tried to hide her face in front of him. She felt ashamed for her breakdown. She was not able to speak a word. Her throat was dry and somewhat blocked. Marcus Lucius let her cry and kept stroking her, because she didn't oppose to it. Her warm, trembling body felt good, but also scary. He wasn't used to women crying. Facing the dangers on the battle field or the jeopardy behind his back during the last weeks, he was able to treat it all reasonably. The emotional, less logical side of Julia was too much to take easily. There was no classic example or manual how to deal with it. He assumed that it was important to confirm his proximity, but not to ask anything. She had to calm down in the way that helped her most. He was just a companion by her side. Although he would have liked to fall asleep, he was not able to take a nap, if she was so shaken.

The next morning came closer and Marcus Lucius knew that there was not much time anymore to cheer Julia up. Fortunately, he wasn't forced to hasten her to calm down. After a short, but intensive breakdown, she started breathing deeper and longer. She regulated herself better than he expected. He kissed her hair and waited until her shivering fingers calmed down. Then he stroked her chin and forced her gently to look him directly in the eyes. He wasn't sure whether it made sense to ask her anything. Her eyes were red and still wet, but she didn't cry anymore.

-You have to go. - She whispered. Her voice trembled.

She stood up dynamically while she covered her body with linen. Then, she helped him to get dressed and in a moment, she was sure, he didn't look at her, she wiped off the rest of her tears that still stayed meanly fixed on her cheeks. She sniffed a couple of times and wished that he didn't realize it. He noticed that she wanted to stay invisible, so he pretended not to see what she tried to cover. He smiled because of her less successful attempts. As she stood close to him, he fondled her naked arms gently and she got goose pimples. He smiled brighter and dirtily like Nerva did sometimes.

-Should I go with you? - She asked.

-Please stay here for a moment. I'll send Nerva and he'll bring you then.

Marcus Lucius didn't want her to be surprised negatively and wished to see what the current situation was to be able to prepare Julia for the bad news. He knew that Nerva was going to come back from the camp to dismiss in front of the emperor. It was already set that Nerva should stay in Eboracum to support Marcus Lucius with the new and old tasks. The rest of Appius's soldiers were by Appius's side.

Julia nodded, but she wasn't happy with this polite refusal. She was ready to obey, which her entire body clearly communicated. She let him leave and before he left, he kissed her briefly, but intimately. With dynamic, relieved steps, he went through the halls of the villa and stepped by the lobby room. He wanted to be sure that the fireplace was burning powerfully enough to keep everybody warm. He already noticed that it was raining outside and he wanted to bring everybody into a room, where they could air-dry themselves after the ride from the camp. As he stepped in the lobby, he noticed two soldiers dozing on chairs. In front of them, Julius was sitting on the floor. Marcus Lucius saw that Julius wore a band on his head. It showed some blood traces and covered his eyes. There also was dried blood that seemed to have been dripping from his eyes to the ground. Marcus Lucius instantly recognized what kind of punishment Julius had received and he was relieved he wasn't involved in performing the penalty. Even more relieving was the thought that Julia didn't see it directly.

Marcus Lucius made two steps forwards and looked to the soldiers. They woke up and stood up automatically. When they recognized Marcus Lucius, they stood easy again and waited for his reaction. He saluted shortly, less officially. They moved their heads to confirm the welcoming gesture and sat down again. Julius noticed that something had changed in the room, so he moved chaotically, but didn't stand up. With his hands, he tried to feel the nearest floor pieces around him. Marcus Lucius wasn't sure whether it made him feel good or commiserating to look at Julius. It was somewhat weird. He was more annoyed and scared that Julia would find out sooner or later. If she didn't meet her father, she would be totally convinced that he was killed. If she saw him injured, she would be sad. One way or another, it wouldn't be easy to bring her in the loop at any time.

Marcus Lucius looked to the window and turned back. He left the room without saying a word. He quietly told the slaves to put more wood onto the fire. Two male servants moved inconspicuously. Then, Marcus Lucius went to the yard. There, he waited for the emperor to come. Marcus Lucius knew that Hadrian used to stay in the visited camps over night to be closer to his soldiers.

It was cold, dark and rainy. His hair got wet and started gluing to his head. The rain drops flowed down his forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. He didn't leave, because he could already hear the hooves of horses outside. The tumult echoed in the woods, but he could not see anything yet. The night wasn't over yet, but the first sun rays weren't far away either. At the gate, the torches were burning lazily, a bit muffled by the rain. Their light was not strong enough to enlighten the surrounding properly.

Finally the horses appeared at the gate that had been opened for the visitors since Marcus Lucius stepped to the yard. The riders came hastily and Marcus Lucius stretched out his arm to take the rein of Hadrian's horse. With the left hand, he grasped for Pompeius's rein. Both men looked grateful. Behind them, Nerva jumped off his horse and if he had more courage, he would have welcomed Marcus Lucius more brotherly than just by a short backslapping.

As Hadrian and Pompeius stood next to Marcus Lucius, stable lads stepped shyly closer and took over the reins from Marcus Lucius. More soldiers already stood next to their horses and waited for the boys that took care of the animals. All horses were brought to the stable and the men went to the villa.

As Hadrian stepped into the lobby, Julius noticed the fresh, wet air that came in with them dynamically filling the space with coldness. He was still sitting down and tried to get up carefully. He steadied himself on his hands and arms, but his legs were shaky. Before he fell to the ground again, Marcus Lucius was next to him. He supported Julia's father with a consequent and strong grasp. Julius wondered who his helper was, so he opened his mouth and automatically, he tried to touch the person next to him. Moved his head and his body Marcus Lucius tried to avoid any touch of Julius's trembling hand except holding his right arm.

Hadrian observed this and smiled minimally. Pompeius yawned a couple of times. He apparently didn't feel comfortable. The soldiers stood calmly, but it was clear that they could intervene at any time like killer whales. These distinguished marine predators that are one of the fastest sea mammals, lived in large groups and could attack in a coordinated clever way to catch their prey.

Marcus Lucius wasn't scared, but he felt Julius's anxiety. Julia's father was insecure and tried to find out what was happening around him. Hadrian ordered very quietly to take him away.

-Do you have any room here, where he could rest? - The emperor asked Marcus Lucius directly.

-You can use any room you wish, but please do not disturb Julia now.

Hadrian perceived the sorrow in Marcus Lucius's voice, even though Marcus Lucius tried to control his emotions. His polite, friendly expression didn't betray him. The emperor respected it and watched how two of his soldiers went to Julius and steadied the older man. Before they left the room, Hadrian showed with a gesture to stop in front of him. He wanted to say a last word to the man, who had caused so much problems over the years.

-You should have killed me, emperor. You could show your mercy and kill me. - Julius said with a rasping voice. He assumed that he was put in front of the important commander.

-You know that you are alive just because of your daughter. I didn't intend to punish her. I intended to punish you in a way she can live with.

-What is she worth then? - Julius moved his head away from the emperor, whose voice proved that Hadrian was just some steps away. Instead, Julius tried to reach someone else. He asked with an ironic, unfriendly smile.

-For some maybe nothing... For me, everything. - Marcus Lucius answered after he stepped closer to Julius.

Julius laughed crazily. He couldn't stop for a moment. Hadrian stood with mixed feelings. Pompeius woke up and squeezed his eyes. He didn't approve of Julius's outbreak. Marcus Lucius was curious and the soldiers around them waited for an order.

-The merciful emperor found out your biggest weakness and as long as you play according to his rules and wishes, you won't lose what is most important to you. He plays with you as he played with me for years. You are stupid as I was. You are a fool of love and you will be punished for it one day.

Marcus Lucius's face didn't change. Hadrian moved his head to bring away the old man and Pompeius yawned again. Julius almost throttled from laughing and his disharmonic voice echoed in the hallway. Hadrian waited another moment, before he ordered everyone to leave the room.

-You stay. - Hadrian said to Marcus Lucius, while Pompeius was trailing after the legionnaires.

Hadrian sat down on the chair and looked around. Gazing at the blood drops on the floor he sighed. Then, he talked slowly, with a specific, sentimental tone:

-You already know that I know that Julia is the most important person in your world. You already made your decision. I didn't kill her father, because it would harm her. What you don't know is that I know Julia for a longer while. It wasn't just a favour for you. - Hadrian smiled sadly. - She was meant to be my wife.

Then, Hadrian told a story that Marcus Lucius took with mixed emotions and a stony face expression. Hadrian told how he had travelled with Appius. It was years before that day and years after Maximus's death. Appius was still grieving and searching for revenge. Hadrian admired Appius for his professional soldierly manners and skills. Hadrian wished to become such a man. The only sorrow was that Appius's mind was occupied with negative thoughts. Appius was focussed on revenge. Even after a couple of years had passed by since his best friend died in Dacia, Appius was still not completely calm. Hadrian wondered about the issue maintained carefully in the soldier's heart for so long. Hadrian wished to contribute to solving the riddle about Maximus's death. Appius was sure that Maximus didn't die just for the sake of it. Every now and then, Appius found a further proof for his theory and discussed it with Hadrian. At that time, Hadrian was just a legionnaire, a maternal cousin of the emperor Trajan, who had sent him to Appius, the best trainer of the empire.

-Once, Julius invited us to his villa in Naples where I met Julia. She was a very smart, brave girl. I was expected to marry a girl from a proper family and the family of Julius was a proper one. You know the dilemma. You had enough courage to go against socially recognized rules. I didn't have enough courage to refuse or to confirm anything, so I backtracked. I lied to me that I let the little girl stay the little girl, but I left her alone instead. Maybe I was just not ready and therefore, I decided to step back and ride away from Appius, who stayed with Julius for a couple of weeks. As I wanted to return, the situation had changed completely. The more I wanted to return to my little friend, the more complicated it became. I discovered some threads that led me to Julius and it made it impossible for me to marry Julia. However, I still had her in my mind and I wished to save her. As I became emperor, I tried to find her, but she was already taken. It was my personal wish to rectify my misdeed. As you can see, it was not only a favour for you. Knowing that she is with you makes me feel better. A clear conscience gives strength.

Marcus Lucius sat down next to the emperor. In that moment, he wasn't the most influential man in the empire, but a man, who tried to follow the right track. Marcus Lucius understood that the situation here was more complicated for Hadrian than it seemed to be up to that moment. Marcus Lucius nodded silently and tried to coordinate his thoughts into the right direction.

-If I ever get disappointed by you as her husband, I will think about a proper punishment. You can bet your life on it! - Hadrian sounded serious, even if his tone stayed polite.

-You won't. - Marcus Lucius said.

-What you don't know you can feel somehow. And I am feeling that you're ok. - Hadrian smiled sadly as if he had never given up the hope to be close to his little, brave friend and as if he had just realised it, as if it had just hit him. However, he sounded also like a man who knew he could leave his little, brave friend here, because she wasn't alone and unprotected anymore. He hawked and quickly started a new topic to show that the old one was closed.

-Appius told me about your plan to build a wall here, as a visible border for all strangers and, as you call them, men from the North. I've heard you already have discussed the details with Pompeius.

-Yes, we did that lately. - Marcus Lucius confirmed shortly.

-Good. Pompeius will represent me here as the governor and you obey directly to his orders. I will come back here and see how you handle it in practice. - Hadrian said.

Marcus Lucius knew that it wasn't just about checking the future state of the wall. Marcus Lucius could finally understand why the emperor had a soft spot for Julia.

-Any time you wish... - Marcus Lucius answered.

Hadrian stood up and Marcus Lucius followed.

-Do you wish to bid her goodbye? - Marcus Lucius asked quietly.

The emperor turned to Marcus Lucius and slapped his back fatherly.

-You take care of her and let me be the bad character she can blame for everything. - His voice didn't tremble, but conveyed a tragic tone.

-With all due respect, I think you underestimate her. She can take more than you assume.

-Do you think so? - Hadrian seemed to be curious or fascinated.

Marcus Lucius nodded.

-No, let it be. - Hadrian sighed. - I want to remember the last time I saw her. She was smiling, and even if it wasn't the biggest, happiest smile, her eyes showed me that she felt comfortable and pleased with the situation. Tell her whatever she can take or whatever is good for her. Don't dine and wine Julius for too long, as well. I'm expecting him in the senate soon.

Marcus Lucius nodded with understanding. Then, he accompanied the emperor to the yard and looked how the group of soldiers left without saying a word. It was obvious they were a good team acting in a coordinated way not for the very first time. Everything was prepared only waiting for the emperor. The flag with the golden eagle and the spears shone wonderfully in the glorious, red-tainted light of the morning. The horses stood patiently and whinnied every now waiting for a sign to gallop. The stable boys stood some meters away from the saddled group of soldiers. The eyes of boys were full with deep respect and stunning admiration. The eyes of the soldiers were full with curious sparkles as if they were already up for another adventure.

Pompeius didn't salute, but limited himself to a quick, incomplete, but respectful bow. His head was covered by a solid helmet that allowed just eye contact. The tumult of hooves echoed shortly and the sun was already minimally visible over the woods. The rain stopped, but the coldness spiked itself into the air. Spring was known as a period of mixed weather.

Marcus Lucius turned back and before he reached the villa, Julia ran out of the building. Nerva followed her without a real strain.

-Are they gone? - She asked loudly.

-Yes, they're gone.

-I thought they will at least say a good-bye or eat a breakfast... - She added not so loud as before, because she already stood next to Marcus Lucius.

-I think they have a long way ahead. They want to use the daylight to travel. - Marcus Lucius explained.

Nerva looked in Marcus Lucius's eyes for an order that shouldn't be spoken aloud in Julia's presence. Before anything could be communicated, Julia asked:

-What about my father. He is here, right?

-Yes, but he will leave us soon. He's expected to come back to his obligations as the senator.

Julia looked with suspicions. Marcus Lucius knew that it won't be easy to tell her what had happened to her father. He wasn't able to foresee that Julius would laugh crazily for almost a week and that he would stop talking after all. Marcus Lucius didn't know that she would feel humbled and overwhelmed long after her father would have left Britannia. However, he assumed that it would be easier for him to ignore his mother. He promised himself not to exchange another word with his female parent and he kept his promise. When Julia asked him a couple of times to forgive the sins of the past, he answered that he indeed forgave her, but he didn't forget what she had done. Julia wasn't able to convince him to move on. Marcus Lucius knew that Nerva could calm down Julia in another, but also efficient way. It was important for him to know when he left his wife to control and check the progress of his new project. He involved the locals into the plans and he was the person to improve the equation of success.

During the next months, Marcus Lucius was simply happy. He had the perfect time of his life. Then, he was often away from Eboracum. He had to plan and supervise building the defensive fortification that was later known as Vallum Aelium, Hadrian's Wall. It was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire that separated the Romans from the barbarians and reflected the power of Rome.

Sometimes when he travelled through Britannia, he took Julia with him, like the very first time. They admired the landscape that was tremendously beautiful in a simple, grit way. Within the following six years that were needed to complete the project, Julia got pregnant twice, but even these months of limitation didn't derogate her charm and peaceful soul. Everything seemed to be normal and they could collect a lot of wonderful, happy moments. It was very easy to get used to the new, gorgeous time. Marcus Lucius didn't hadn't expected that family life could bring so much mirth and accomplishment. It was too good to be true. It was like living a world of endlessly happy, regardless, reckless gods.

Nobody knows how much time we have to be with the people we love and every happy moment is compensated with bad experiences. As Julia was pregnant for the third time, she got sick and with every further day, she was losing her vitality. Her eyes usually full of love and energy became dashed and her breath became weaker with every further day she could experience. Marcus Lucius spent almost all of his time next to her bad stroking her arm. He tried to look strong and tried to control his face as far as possible. He smiled but in the moments Julia was too weak to open her eyes his cheeks trembled. The situation got worse with every hour. Even the medico wasn't able to stop the bleeding. Marcus Lucius wasn't touched when she lost the third baby. But losing his wife affected him badly. The world didn't make sense anymore. The fullness of spring brought warm air and dainty green shades to the trees and some colourful spots on the meadows. The more life spread in the world the less energy Julia had. She didn't complain, but she also didn't speak, because her tone would betray how painful her existence was. Her only wish was to take care of her family.

-You are the son of a great warrior. You are the brother of your soldiers and father of my children. You still have obligations to fulfil in this life. I am ready... You have to be ready to let me go...

Before she died, she forced him to promise her three things. She seemed to have collected all her energy to say the words hidden in her heart. Marcus Lucius promised not to kill Nerva for giving her special herbals that ended pain and life.

-You wouldn't be able to serve it to me, even if I would beg you for days. - She whispered and tried to grin.

Marcus Lucius's cheek trembled stronger. He was supposed to take care about everybody who was important to her, even without her by his side. He had to promise not to follow her too quickly. He shouldn't hasten to overstep the border between life and death, although this was his only wish in that days. And he was supposed to kiss her. She didn't expect him to say anything. She already knew everything she needed to know and wanted to know. Some sentences weren't unpronounceable, but unnecessary.

He didn't push her at all as he lay down carefully next to her. He held her in his arms like he did often before. He whispered the lines she used to declaim as he was wounded badly. She smiled, because she understood that he had listened to her more often than she thought. His shivering fingers stroked her inert body. In the night that followed, she died quietly, almost not perceptible. Marcus Lucius didn't get the moment, when she stepped away to the gods of the Underworld and the dead souls. His imploded scream echoed between the walls of his heart and it tore him up internally. Never before, he felt that way and all the black days he experienced earlier were nothing compared to that moment.

Marcus Lucius lay at least three further days with her in the bed before Nerva threw him out of the room. Pompeius came to supervise the yard where the children played cheerfully, unconcerned, and where Marcus Lucius sat motionless on a stone. Julia's body was placed on the ground, washed, and anointed by Nerva. He also put the Charon's obol in her mouth. Marcus Lucius wasn't present when the body was burned at a special stack of wood. Pompeius said the last goodbye. Nerva took over the supervision of the children. The little, three years old boy and his almost five years old sister enjoyed playing with uncle Nerva. As the vivid fire burnt, they hugged Nerva's legs and trembled with uncertainty in their eyes. They looked for the adrift Marcus Lucius. He wasn't anywhere in sight. On the next day Nerva took the ashes and spread them into all quarters of the Earth. Pompeius accompanied him with silence. As the news reached the emperor, he spent an entire day alone. Appius wasn't able to hear it. He fell on a battlefield as he wished, like his best friend years before.

Nobody knew where Marcus Lucius was. He had left the villa on his horse before Julia's burial started late in the evening. He was lost for more than twenty days. When he came back, he looked like a wild bear with raving eyes and unsettled moves. He never again mentioned a word about Julia. The world was still alive, even without her, but for him, nothing was the same again as it was while her heart was still beating. His smile was never as bright as it had been before. His touch was never as gentle as it had been in the past. His look was dashed like a dimmed light of candles. His heart had a hole the size of a black hole of stellar mass expected to form when very massive stars collapse at the end of their life cycle.

Life had still a meaning, but it lost its colours. It became rather grey than black and white. The only sparkles that brought some more light into it were the moments, when his children were happy or successful, or when he realized how brotherly the relationship with Nerva became. These were brief outbreaks of powerful reality. Life goals like a career had already lost their less favourable position. When Pompeius and many soldiers got killed in the battle of Jarrow to pay for the hard-won victory, Marcus Lucius didn't accept a promotion. He limited himself to be a good, reliable soldier, an attentive teacher and a proper camp commander. He observed the old soldiers returning home to other parts of the empire and fresh motivated beginners being sent to him to make men out of them. They watched him with visible admiration in their eyes and wished to see more than just dashed, calm eyes. Some very old soldiers told stories about Marcus Lucius's warmth and joy from the old times. Everyone wished to see that a sparkle of his fulfilled satisfaction again.

Life went on and it hurt more, the more he tried to live following the promises he gave Julia. It was impossible to get back to the unbearable lightness of being. The happy ending passed by as you pass a stranger on your way. His immortal abolition sneaked up slowly during the years that passed by. He got a kind, good death during his sleep. He was burnt directly in the same place where Julia was burnt. His daughter stood next to Nerva and she kissed Marcus Lucius goodbye. She hugged Nerva. They got married after she reached the proper age. She smiled the same way her mother did and Marcus Lucius used to observe her with a special kind of cheerful sadness sometimes. Nerva loved her from the moment she was born and at her side, he understood what Marcus Lucius was missing. Their wedding ceremony was limited to just a few guests. Marcus Lucius approved the marriage without a shadow of doubt.

Marcus Lucius's son was sent to Hadrian when he reached the proper age to join the army. He was skilled the same way as his father. Marcus Lucius taught him a lot of practical moves and tricks. Hadrian used to say that Maximus's genes allowed his male descendants to move in that cat-like, light way. However, he inherited the charisma of his father combined with charm of his mother. There was no person who wouldn't like him. Like Julia, he could convey a peaceful atmosphere.

Not everyone remembers the eruption of Mount Pelée. Even less people remember the eruption of the almost perfectly symmetric Mayon Volcano. Nobody remembers the story of Marcus Lucius today, but some few, who study Ancient history, know the story of Hadrian, the third of the so-called Five Good Emperors and his impressive fortification that has been dismantled partially over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects. Today it belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage, rescued in the 19th century by John Clayton, a man, who warned emphatically about the destruction by quarrying. Marcus Lucius was like one of the stones used for building the great wall as we all are a part of something bigger.

