Lagena fidgeted. She looked around the inner courtyard and snuffed in derision. Everyone had put on their finery and gathered like the Emperor himself was coming out to greet them this morning. The boy may be the son of the Imperial Proconsul, but did that give him the right to sneak around like that? Lagena snuffed again. At least she showed him the error of making her angry. Certus sniffed her hands again. She dropped them and sighed. No matter how much ointment she applied, she could never get rid of that smell after doing Lycisca's hair. And for some odd reason, only a little ointment was ever needed to get the smell out of Lycisca's hair. Certus thought that the rest of the smell probably went to her personality. More pressing issues bombarded her thoughts, though. Like the revelation of the fish. Someone had snuck into a camp of Legionnaires and had managed to not only feed the prodigal son, but do it more than once?! That was intolerable! The other problem was just that...They had only fed him. Brought him breakfast. And then dinner. It didn't make sense. Possibly a slow acting poison, but those normally manifested early as infections...She sniffed her hands again, wondering if anyone else could smell it. Neocorus looked over the gathered people. Lagena huffed once as a part of the feathers on her helmet came down on her face. Certus tried to be discreet about her hands...Probably from doing Lycisca's hair. Neocorus shook his head. What was wrong with brown hair? The poor girl also looked so uncomfortable in her dress. He knew that she preferred her plain tunic and furs to this, but it WAS necessary to give the proper appearance, even for a little while. "How was he?" Lycisca said as she floated to his side. Neocorus turned slightly. Lycisca had certainly wanted to look her best. She had a blue toga clasped with what he thought were real golden lion head broaches. Interesting motif, but he thought the coral tiara was a bit much. She wasn't royalty, after all. "He passed the test famously," he said, "You were there." She turned to him and favored him with a lopsided smile. She folded her arms and raised a still-brown eyebrow at him. "I'm not talking about the test." "Yes I know," he replied, "And my private...Interests...In the boy or anyone else will remain that. Private." Neocorus turned back to face the gathering audience. "He really does have a good tactical mind," he said. "That test was nothing and you know it," she spat at him. She was pissed. He hadn't been this cold to her since the time she- Well...He couldn't STILL be mad about that, could he? Lycisca thought to herself, I mean, it was for his own good... "The TEST, my dear, was a test of his character," he said with a heavy sigh, "A test to see if he could order the enemy to death. Or, more importantly, if he could order the death of his own troops." General Kalendis appeared in the doorway across the courtyard. Neocorus turned and made his way to her and the boy, who was at her side. "We'll see about the other one then, won't we?" Lycisca purred to herself. *** The Fate of Hearts By Joshua Trujillo *** Part V - The Breakfast and After *** Darkness. There was darkness all around. The window open and there was still darkness. Blackness. The door burst open and there he was, standing tall and shaking with...Rage? The things he says, I can't understand, I don't know, I don't fear him. His rage pushes me back onto the bed- It's the boy. Caeles Soter. But it wasn't him. And yet, last night, in her bed, he felt... A light touch brought Flustra from her trance. She opened her eye and looked at Certus, who always seemed to regard her with pity. She'd never explain why, she just would. "Lady Caecus?" she asked, "Are you okay? Caeles has come down now." Flustra nodded. This seemed to satisfy Certus. She joined the greeting line with but a quick glance back. Flustra closed her eye once more for a moment. It's the boy. Caeles Soter. But it wasn't him. Pinning him down last night felt so good-good in that he felt...Like his father. *** It was almost overwhelming. The people that stood before Caeles. Mistura had made sure that he was outfitted correctly before he came downstairs. It was like the brief times before, when he had lived in Greece. His foster father had many clients then and this felt like the same thing. Kind of odd because Caeles knew that these people weren't just grubbing for money or favors. He greeted each person in turn, having known them in one fashion or another before then. Mistura looked oddly proud in her all black leather armor. The plume on her helmet was purple as were the accents on the cloak about her shoulders. She actually DID look like a man. Caeles turned his attention back to the welcoming line. After a few of the household freemen, he was introduced to Lycisca Magnus. Caeles was impressed that a woman had been voted as the mayor of Urba Tertius, she was a tall woman, taller even than Mistura, with a kind of radiant feeling about her. It was a feeling that Caeles knew he didn't like, but couldn't possibly explain. Just...A feeling. She shook his hand a little too firmly and had a look in her eye that made him shudder. He hated the fact that something was making him feel this way. He knew better than to judge someone on feeling alone, but there was just something... Aequus Neocorus was next. He, the provincial governor, stood even taller than Lycisca. Caeles took a peek down the line, wondering if everyone was going to get taller. He sighed to himself. Caeles thought it was odd that a man in his position, outfitted in traditional toga, would be so pale. His pale skin led up and up to the crown of full, but pale silver hair. He was one of the more striking men that Caeles had ever met. His hand was firm, but oddly smooth and there was an air about him that made Caeles shiver. Similar to Lycisca, but for a different reason. Next came the head of the household guard. An imperious faced Lagena Aestus looked out at him from underneath a helmet two sizes too big, the plume of red occasionally floating down in front of her eyes. Caeles smiled meekly and tried to keep from yelping out when she grabbed his arm. Was this girl really a slave?! And for the sake of Jupiter, what was she doing running the house guard? He sighed as he pried his arm from hers and went on to the next person, Certus. Certus smiled at Caeles and introduced him to the person that had captured him the night before, Flustra Caecus. Caeles took a quick breath to keep himself from exclaiming something. She was beautiful. Easily the most beautiful woman that he'd ever seen. She wore a black toga trimmed with silver that reflected and shone the bright pale beauty of her skin. And her hair shined almost blue as she favored him with her single eye. The other place for the eye, the left eye, was covered by a red and black patch that was secured around her head with a scarlet cord. The effect only made the remaining eye that much sharper and her overall beauty and mystery that much more...Beguiling. Caeles breathed out. He was running out of words. She smiled slightly and glided to his left side, taking his arm in hers. Caeles didn't comment. He thought he honestly couldn't comment as his brain was in a little puddle. Flustra led him into the next room, which had been set as a dining room. She sat next to him at the one side of the table. Mistura took her place on the right side. The servants laid one of the remaining sides out for serving. Aequus sat between Certus and a freedman of some import, to whom he hadn't been introduced, across the table from Caeles. The remaining side was occupied by Lagena, nearest Mistura, followed by Lycisca and another freeman who Caeles HAD been introduced to, but whose name escaped him. He'd have to work on that. Caeles tried to glance to his left, as he thought he might have been taking up too much room. He hadn't been. Flustra had never relinquished his arm. He began to sweat slightly, even in the cool of the morning. He smiled shyly and extricated himself as the food began to be doled out. He thought it was odd that there were no prayers to the gods before they began to eat, but then, he wasn't about to be the one to disrupt custom. He said a short prayer to himself, just to be sure, and began to eat. There was a certain hum that came to his ear. He couldn't understand from where it was coming, but the others around the table didn't seem to notice it, so he tried to ignore it. He looked up from the meal and saw that Lagena was eating a little slower than the rest, watching him closely. Watching him? Her eyes grew as he acknowledged her with a slight smile. She lowered her head and began to eat furiously. Mistura shook her head at the whole thing. Caeles also thought that it was too quiet. No one had said anything since the meal began and- "I've been told that you're not going to be under the auspices of the province-" Neocorus said, breaking the silence. Lycisca put down her fork with a clang. "He's NOT?!" "-But under the care and guidance of General Kalendis herself," he continued unabated. "Kalendis?!" she said incredulously. "Yeah," Mistura sighed, clearly not thrilled with idea herself, "They told me about it before he came in." Lycisca drew herself up to as full a height as she could while seated. "And why wasn't I informed?" she asked. "Orders came from Effero Soter himself," Mistura said. She pulled a piece of parchment from the folds of her cloak and passed it over to the tall-now-blonde. Lycisca snatched it away and read it angrily, her whole demeanor seething with something. She finished and looked up sharply at Caeles, who tried to pull himself into his toga, with little success. He almost yelped as he felt Flustra slide her right hand into his left and give it a quick squeeze. It comforted him to realize that she was on his side. At least, that's what he hoped it meant. Mistura snatched the parchment back from Lycisca and sniffed at her, apparently disgusted by her outburst. Certus and Aequus shook their heads in unison and the meal resumed. Caeles snuck a glance to Flustra and began to sweat more at the sly, half-smile with which she favored him. She made him nervous, but...A good kind of nervous, he decided. He smiled back and began to eat again. Lagena huffed a couple of times into her goblet and set it back on the table. "I'm sorry for interrupting General," she said, "But I have to ask a question of young MASTER Soter." Flustra began to cough and hurriedly set her goblet on the table. Lagena ignored this and went on. "Just why were you out in the middle of the night last night anyway?" Caeles looked around the table at the questioning glances. He thought it was silly, but if they wanted answers, and if it could calm Lagena down a little, then why not tell? Caeles cleared his throat. "I was taking a bath." Flustra had recovered enough to turn and give him a full on gaze. Caeles shrugged his shoulders in response, which seemed enough to satisfy her. At least about the answer. "A...Bath..." Lagena stumbled. "Back with my last foster parents," Caeles began, "I found that we were sharing a bathhouse with a whole community." "That's normal," Lycisca said. "Yeah, well, by the time we got there, the water wasn't the best to wash in," Caeles continued, "So, through a little work, I found out that the cleanest water was always in the middle of the night." Flustra laid a hand lightly on his arm. The touch made him jump, but was certainly not unwelcome. "Don't you get tired?" she asked softly. He shook his head. "What I do is," Caeles explained, "On nights I want a bath, I sleep early for a while, get up, take my bath, then go back to bed. That way, I sleep until a little after dawn." She nodded and gave him a slight smile again, just as a water bowl came around. "Um-" Caeles turned to Mistura, "Will that be a problem?" Mistura thought for a second and turned to Lycisca. The blonde thought for a minute, then gave a smile that was bordering on warmth. It was the first one that hadn't made Caeles shiver. She nodded and went back to finishing her fruit. "I don't see a problem," Lycisca said as she resumed her cold air, "Provided you are quieter than you were last night." Mistura chuckled, while Lagena and Caeles shared in a blush. Flustra squeezed his hand again. *** The courtyard inside the gate of the provincial estates were designed that, in their time, they could single-handedly hold off a siege from the infinite barbarian horde. A bastion against the storm. In later years, as more of the empire expanded to meet the city itself, parts of the courtyard were rebuilt and reformed to provide a barracks for the house guard as well as a blacksmith and a full training area. Mistura had called him out the next morning to the training area. She wanted him to dress in a simple tunic because they were going to train. Caeles wondered what she meant by 'train'? He certainly didn't need any training, though he was always ready to learn. The furs fit loosely and, as soon as he stepped outside, he realized that he had no need of them. The winter sky had opened up to a fine spring afternoon. His tutors had told him that this occasionally happened, especially the further north one went. He was expecting cold, but a warm breeze from the south met him instead. Caeles took the fur cloak off and found Mistura at the training area, overlooking several young men who were...Training. Fighting with the sword, mostly. A couple were learning the spear. Mistura stood over them, sometimes pointing to a large brute of a man, who looked to be in charge. Caeles stood next to Mistura and waited. "Good," she said, "You'll want to be rid of the furs. Today's a nice day." "Yes, ma'am." He took the furs from around his waist as well, and while there was something of a draft, it did feel better. "If you're to be out with me on the battlefields, I want-" she started. "Wait!" Caeles interrupted, "Who said anything about fighting?" "You're a man, aren't you?" she asked incredulously as she turned to him, "You've done your service in the Legions, haven't you?" Caeles stood in silence and failed to not feel small. "You HAVEN'T!" she exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised, "How did you pull that one off?" "...my father," Caeles cleared his throat, "...sorry..." He's been coddled and he doesn't even realize it, Mistura thought to herself. She couldn't help but like the boy. He had a kind of intelligent naivete that made him attractive. She could see why Flustra and even Lagena were warming to him, though the redhead would never openly admit it. He was a good kid... "Nah!" she said as she ruffled his hair, "Actually, it's probably a good thing you didn't because they're harder on the more privileged kids. BUT, I do need you to know how to fight." Caeles felt deflated. He'd have to get dirty for this one, no way out of it. Perhaps they had scrolls on how to fight, something, anything- "And I have just the trainer for you," Mistura continued, "He's not much older than you, but he is very good. Vivo!" A young man turned his attentions from the young women who had collected at one end of the grounds to the General. He walked swiftly and with purpose and Caeles wondered if he'd *ever* seen a specimen of man as built as this Vivo. Each movement sent undulations through his bare torso that made the young maids swoon. Caeles was feeling a little nauseous himself, but he thought it wasn't the same thing. He stood, his tunic around his glistening waist, at attention in front of Mistura. "General." "At ease," Mistura said, "Vivo Opitulatus, as of now, you are in charge of showing Caeles here everything he needs to know to survive on the battlefield." There was a silence, as the information seemed to be confusing him. His gray eyes swiveled quickly to Caeles. "Begging the General's pardon," he began slowly, "But there's still a lot that I don't-" "And you have two weeks to do it in." "What?!" he sputtered, "You mean he's going north with us?!" Mistura turned to Caeles as Vivo tried to get her attention once more. He failed miserably. "In two weeks time, we head for an extended stay in northern Gaul to ward off some coastal raiders that have been getting at the shipping lanes, especially where it concerns Britannia," she explained, "How's your sea combat training? Your tactics, I mean?" Caeles looked back to Vivo, who stood in silence, obviously not too thrilled with being assigned Caeles as a student. Caeles wasn't too thrilled with the idea either. "Fair," Caeles said, "I studied in Pompeii." Mistura thought for a moment and nodded sharply. "Good enough. Learn well from Vivo, he can train you well." Mistura turned and promptly left, probably not wanting to see the ensuing carnage. Caeles sighed and turned back to Vivo. Vivo slumped and looked Caeles over once more. "Can you fight with a sword?" he asked sullenly. "Um, no." "Have you ever picked up a sword?" "Once." A pained look crossed Vivo's face. "Okay, look, see that cute girl over there? The one with the hair?" he asked, pointing back to the assembled maids. They all had hair, as far as Caeles could tell. And none of the colors seemed impressively distinct, so he lied. "Yeah?" "I want to impress her, okay?" he said, "We're going to practice sword fighting." Caeles walked slowly onto the practice field. Vivo returned with a pair of wooden swords, one of which he handed to Caeles. He pointed to the ground and Caeles noticed there was a circle drawn heavily into the dirt. A kind of arena. Caeles felt a heavy, sick feeling in his throat. "Now," Vivo said, raising his sword, "Defend yourself." "But-" Caeles sputtered as he clumsily blocked a thrust, "I never really studied single combat!" Vivo brought Caeles in close enough to see the fire behind those gray eyes. "You'll learn..." *** Part VI - Scent of a Woman *** Caeles took a breath and lowered himself slowly into the bath. The hot waters splashed happily up the cobbled stones that surrounded the baths. He leaned back against the huge stones in the center of the bath and sighed. He could feel the ache from the bruises begin to melt into the water. He opened his eyes and looked down at himself. A week of training. A week of training under Vivo and there were bruises on top of his bruises. Even when he was learning how to ride a horse, it was never this bad. Caeles put his head back and slid more into the hot waters. Vivo was a nice guy in private, actually even friendly, but out on the training grounds and whenever there was someone around, he was always rough on Caeles. He HAD learned a lot through the training...Mostly how to dodge, but that was good enough for Caeles. He hadn't wanted this training to begin with, but Mistura was happy with his progress. The day before, she had actually attacked him with her sword, the training kicked in and he was able to block it. Mostly. There was still a small cut on his cheek where her blade had passed. Caeles opened his eyes again and looked around. The bathhouse was officially his favorite place in all of Urba Tertius. Set off from the main part of the estate, there was a section from the spring that was diverted after it reached the furnaces. The furnaces heated the water to near boiling before it reached the bathhouse, but coming the short distance cooled it off enough so that it didn't scald. What it did was create a very warm, humid place where Caeles always felt good. There was only a single bath, but it was in the shape of a horseshoe. One side for the men, the other for the women. There was a curtain at the apex of the curve that seemed to be the only distinction between the two and while Caeles thought that was kind of a flimsy defense, he also remembered that the slaves had to clean both sides as well. The cleaning crews always left it open, but Caeles hadn't thought to close it. He never needed to at this hour, and besides, with the vantage point he enjoyed, he could see any intruders. Caeles took a breath. It smelled good in there too, but not because of the water. Caeles knew that each woman that he'd met while in the estates anointed herself with a different scented oil. He didn't know exactly how they got the oils here, for it was something that he remembered from his time in Egypt, but Caeles suspected that Certus had something to do with the mixtures. Caeles was beginning to recognize the different scents too. Mistura was clean, with a hint of Jasmine. Very light and pleasant. Slightly erotic too, but he'd never say that. Caeles shook his head and thought again. Certus used Jasmine too, but also mixed in something that smelled like fruit, which led to a sweet smell, certainly something that matched her nature. Lagena had her own scent too, though her nature almost suggested to Caeles that she'd never openly admit to using it. It smelled...Good...Though. It was some mix of barley and wildflowers, most probably mixed from her local varieties. Something to remind her of her homeland, it was feminine, but hearty. An aggressive and strong mixture that was slightly erotic too. Caeles shook his head fiercely. She'd run him through... He sighed out again. Who was left? Lycisca. Caeles couldn't say what it exactly smelled like, but whatever it was she used enough of it that he felt his head clear every time he got near. It was harsh and clean, just like the insides of his head after she passed. He chuckled softly and began to wash himself. The waters were definitely soothing, but he did need to get back to bed. He picked up a bucket and dumped water over himself. Lady Caecus. Caeles paused and thought. He didn't know what oil she used. He honestly couldn't remember ever smelling anything near her. Perhaps she didn't use one? He didn't know and it slightly bothered him. He shook his head and rubbed his neck. The freemen and slaves also bathed here regularly, which Caeles thought was really odd. And it certainly wasn't the way he was brought up, but it was kinda nice. Everyone in the city that he'd met and everyone in the governor's estates just FELT a lot happier. Now, whether it was from the hot baths, or something else, he couldn't say, but it was nice. Well, Caeles thought, enough of the nice bath. Back to bed. Caeles twisted the rag in his hands, shaking it dry. He then stood and gave it a flick towards the little pegs that had been knocked into the walls across from him. He chuckled as it spun easily onto a peg. Something else he used to do in the middle of the nights. Perhaps he WAS a little superstitious, but every time he had been able to spin the rag onto a peg, the following days had always been better. A slight splash made Caeles jump. He froze where he stood. He thought for a second, and then moved his leg a little. A similar noise rose to his ears and he calmed. For a second, he thought there was someone else in the bath. He brought a hand up to his heart as he sighed out and began to walk to the edge of the pool. The stool sat patiently with his robe and sandals. Lagena wouldn't be the only one to skewer him if he'd been caught like that. He froze again as someone cleared their throat behind him. "You don't have to leave." Oh Gods! he thought, There WAS someone in there with him! And it was Flustra! Oh GodsOhGodsOh- "Ummm," his mind raced, "Yes I do. I-umm-you're in here..." "Please?" she asked, "I want you to stay...And talk." Talk? "Talk?" he said as he half-turned to her. His eyes grew wide. Flustra stood before him. She was reaching out with her hand, her other hand occupied with a small rag. A very small rag. Which was wet. A very small rag, which was wet and between the breasts of the holder. Between the very perfect breasts of th- Caeles scuttled back to the center, the deepest area and knelt into the water, facing away from her. Anything to hide his growing...Excitement. He waded to the center rock and, glancing to see that Flustra had joined him and that her body parts were at least under water, he turned and rested his back against the rock. Flustra knelt next to him and sighed slightly. She turned and came to rest next to Caeles, the water lapping up against the base of their throats. There was a slight silence as she settled in. Why did she sigh? Did she have a reason? If so, what? Perhaps she was trying to set him up? Caeles shook his head slightly. She had other opportunities to do that since he'd come here and she hadn't. "You intrigue me," she said quietly. There was a pause. "Really?" Caeles said, "Ummm...Why?" "You remind me of your father." Caeles sharply turned to her. "You know my father?" he asked. How had THAT happened? How did this girl know-...But Caeles caught himself. This was his father's province. Aequus may be the provincial governor, but he was not in charge, ultimately. He was caretaker while Caeles' father was away. He was going to ask something else, but it died on his lips at the sight of her. The torches in the walls lit the room. Their fires kept the room lit in an amber glow all the time, but not all the torches were always lit. At this time of morning, there were only a few around the huge room. And yet, the darkness couldn't mask Flustra's face. She looked down, into the water and it looked to Caeles like she was remembering. There was a sad, gentle look on her face that reminded him of the way he looked when he thought of his mother. The silverish strands of her hair stuck awkwardly against her snowy white skin, but all the same, she seemed vulnerable to Caeles. A sweetness that struck him in a way he couldn't describe. She was hurting and there was nothing that he could do about it. He was helpless, and that burned like an impotent fire in his belly. She turned to him and smiled a soft smile. He tried to smile back, but couldn't get over her sadness. She gently tapped her eyepiece. "He's the one that took my eye." A calm settled over the water as Caeles tried to assimilate what she'd just told hi-He found that he couldn't. His FATHER?! He'd done WHAT?! Caeles shook. He shook from his feet to the top of his head. Every bit of him bristled at the thought that his father could commit such a heinous act. He felt his blood boiling, his heart racing and other bits of him wanting to maim and kill and- He started as she laid a hand on his arm. He looked up from his rage and wondered. She smiled at him. "Please don't be mad," she said softly. Caeles calmed, but the rage still pounded a dull beat of hatred towards his father. She withdrew her hand reluctantly and she stared back into the water. "It was the righteous anger of the gods through him that forced him to do it," she said quietly, "You can't blame him, but you see, he WAS strong enough to keep the Gods from taking both my eyes." She shut her eye and shuddered. Flustra wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head slightly. Caeles watched as she calmed and looked back at him. "I know it was my fault and shame, which is why I accepted banishment from Rome...To here." He raised his hand impotently to her. "But-" he started, not knowing what to say. Flustra took his hand and laid it gently against her cheek. It was so soft, it startled Caeles. Like down...She closed her eye and seemed to be just enjoying the sensation of his hand on her cheek. Caeles flubbered a couple more times before he sighed heavily. She looked back at him. "But...Your eye?" Flustra shrugged sadly. "It was the will of the Gods," she said as she let his hand go. Flustra stood, holding the rag to her chest. Caeles tried to keep down the blood rising to his face, but figured that the low light would cover his failure. "I like you," Flustra said abruptly, "I will know you better, but for now, good night." Caeles only nodded as she walked around to the ladies' side, climbed out and retrieved her tunic from one of the hooks on the far wall. It was just a simple white tunic she wrapped around her lithe form. And, without a single word or glance more, she walked out. Caeles settled back into the water, not caring about the overly warm nature of it. He knew he'd get out before he got overheated, but his legs weren't working right at that moment. Certainly, he had reason because of Flustra. She was easily more beautiful than even HE had guessed. He never would have thought that she would be bold enough to approach him directly, let alone in the bath like... She approached him. In the bath. It was premeditated. At this hour of the morning, it could be no less. Caeles shook his head and smiled slightly. THAT was a good thought. What was not a good thought was that of his father. He had taken her eye. Why? It didn't make sense. In these days, that kind of corporal punishment was rarely heard of. Sure, criminals were hanged, or executed by other means, but rarely were they women and rarely something this specific. Something was wrong with it... The horrible acts...Against a girl like Flustra, no less! What could she have POSSIBLY done...? He sighed and calmed more. His father would never tell him, even if Caeles were pointing a sword at him. He was too proud for that. And Caeles was too proud to just let this slip by...