She didn't see him again that night. Or the next day, other than a fleeting glance at dinner when he merely acknowledged her with a terse nod of his head. For the rest of the time, Aurelia found herself at a loose end, totally surplus to requirements. A constant stream of visitors came and went surreptitiously; long sessions of war talks were held in Gracchus' private rooms. Lucilla spent some time with her and the two of them would chat and busy themselves with tapestry or such. But her aunt was involved in the secret planning sessions too and much of her time was taken up with that.

Neither of them discussed what had taken place after her dramatic disappearance. Lucilla was not convinced that Aurelia and Maximus had even been lovers. She could imagine Maximus holding himself at a distance from the girl so as not to offend the sensibilities of one so young - and also to protect her innocence. He was not the average man in that respect. At least that was Lucilla's hope anyway. Should there have been no intimacy then the situation would be so much easier to resolve. Desire was one thing but if the girl could be removed and married off to someone else, his attraction to her would soon pass. He was a man. He could not stay celibate forever.

Aurelia herself was bored. She had become used to a more active life and to mixing freely with people during her time away. Her days in seclusion were dull and tedious. Yanitra was not exactly her intellectual equal either and she soon tired of the other woman's company. She was also desolate without real contact with Maximus. As the days passed Aurelia began to feel that her existence had no other purpose than as a figurehead. It was not much better than the time before her marriage had been planned. Her function was to sit and wait until men made their decisions about her future.

She had taken to spending a lot of her spare time in the expansive gardens for something better to do, getting to know the slaves who tended to the flora and learning the names of the blooms and bushes that were new to her. Gracchus had collected specimens from all over the empire on his travels and had created a magnificent ornamental garden that was a wonder of horticulture. It was also the only outdoor pursuit that no one seemed to mind her doing; such things were apparently delicate and seemly enough for a young woman.

Kneeling down, Aurelia was pruning late roses, filling a basket with blooms for her room. A shadow fell across her work; she jumped and looked up, expecting to see that Maximus had managed to sneak away for a few quiet words.

"...Hello there!"

It was Antoninus. Aurelia squinted up at him against the sun. "Oh, sir, I didn't see you....!" She got to her feet and brushed off her dress, blushing at having been startled, not really knowing why he had this effect on her.

"It is I who should be apologizing to you, my lady, for stealing up on you. It was not my intention to make you jump!" Antoninus bowed graciously. "I was walking through the gardens and espied you kneeling there. I saw you too were alone. We are the only ones of our age around. I thought you might enjoy some company..."

Aurelia smiled. "That was so kind of you! But I had thought you would be involved in all the talks and meetings along with the other men..."

Antoninus shook his head. "Much as I would like to be, they regard me as just a callow youth. Two years in the army count for nothing, it would seem. They want my allegiance but not my opinions on anything..." he replied, clearly frustrated. Aurelia knew the feeling well.

"And it is our futures that they are playing with - if indeed we have them..." she responded bitterly. Antoninus looked at her curiously.

"I've never heard a woman make a remark like that before..."

Aurelia shrugged. "We still have brains in our heads, even if we are accustomed to holding our tongues...!" Her answer made him laugh merrily. She found herself joining in, aware that she had sounded shrewish in the extreme to be so petulant at such a time.

"So, what brings you here to Beneventum, then? Is it merely for safekeeping?" Antoninus inquired when they had become serious again.

Aurelia regarded him for a moment. She knew that she must keep her secrets. "I am a member of the family. Where else would I go? But why are you here? The war season is still in its final weeks...Have you resigned your commission?" It seemed wiser to turn this conversation on him rather than chance he might ask too many searching questions of her.

This time it was Antoninus' turn to be circumspect. "I was serving in Britannia under Clodius Albinus with the XX Valeria Victrix. The Caledonians have been very hostile since we withdrew from the Antonine Wall - they saw it as a victory. So I've seen plenty of action. I'm no desk soldier... But Albinus harbours imperial ambitions although he's yet to make a move. My father saw a conflict of interest and decided to use his consular influence to have me transferred. I am to take up a new commission with II Felix in the spring - but he wanted me out of it for awhile. I've been in Rome studying under Sulpicius Apollinaris since then...but he asked me to accompany him here to Beneventum for a few weeks. Only now have I discovered why..."

"Britannia? I know little of it. They say it is a very grey and gloomy land..." Aurelia observed, always interested in talk of foreign places.

"...And cold. Wickedly cold on that damn Wall. Cold as Hecate's tits..." Then he winced at his unthinking crudity, spoken to a young highborn woman. Aurelia merely giggled back at the observation.

"I shall immediately cross it off my itinerary of places to visit!" she replied but then became more thoughtful as he picked up the basket and they walked back towards the villa. "Are you with your father by choice or by obligation? This is a very dangerous business and we may fail. You should be warned of that. Perhaps it might be wiser for you to stay neutral?" He was a sweet young man, on the brink of his life. It seemed unfair that he should perhaps be drawn into their struggle and brought down, even before his life had really begun.

Antoninus shook his head. "I am committed and ready to do my part. I can see what will happen in the current climate if we do not intervene. I have no wish for the empire to become embroiled in another civil war while generals destroy armies and lands for their own private gain. Rome and its people are worth more than that. I abhor the scramble for power and all that goes with it. I'm a Senate man, through and through. Always was, even more so now than ever. And this Meridius is an interesting character, if a little too good to be true. Formidable soldier, no doubt about it. Loyal as a fault to your grandfather, too. Cruelly debased by Commodus. Your uncle must have regarded him as a serious rival to turn on him like that then...I have studied his victories in detail. Vindabona was one of the great modern battles of our time. My father trusts him - and he is not an easy man to convince...He believes Maximus uninterested in personal ambition. What do you know of him, Aurelia? What drives a man like that, if not lust for the throne? Or is he still after revenge against those who brought him low...?"

Aurelia had said nothing all the while he had spoken, uneasy when the young man began to raise the issue of Maximus. To all intents and purposes they were, of course, acquainted - most people knew of her time on the run with him - but whether a man like Maximus would have confided in a mere girl had he in truth been merely guarding her on her father's behalf was highly unlikely. She was also unsure exactly what Antoninus did know of it all. He seemed quite ignorant of her recent past.

"Er...I....I don't know him that well. He's...suffered a lot. He nearly died in the arena..."

"Is it true he killed your uncle? How do you feel about that?" Antoninus asked, genuinely interested. The more he spoke, the more she realized that he was not aware of the real story.

"My uncle was not a good man. He was a very destructive ruler. Sometimes there is no choice..." Aurelia replied, trying not to reveal too much about her private opinions on the matter.

"Did you know him?"

Aurelia shook her head. "Not really. I met him often enough when I was a small girl but he took little notice of me. Commodus was ten years older. I...left Rome when I was eight. So, I wasn't really there for the main events..."

"...Why? Why did you leave Rome? Was your father in the administration?"

Questions. Always questions. It might have been gratifying to know that Antoninus was uninformed about her life but the inevitable was about to happen. She would have to admit about her mother. It was impossible to avoid the subject. Typically for Aurelia she decided to simply get it over with and launched into an explanation.

"My mother died. She was involved in a scandal. My father did not wish me to grow up in the same atmosphere of immorality...It's embarrassing, sir. I would rather not talk of it..."

Antoninus again grimaced. He had been trying to win her confidence and had only succeeded in upsetting her. "I beg pardon at my appalling lack of manners to question you on such personal matters! But do not be ashamed of anything. No one gives a damn about such things these days. It's just the old people who make such a fuss about moral standards. What in Hades do they expect if they marry off beautiful passionate girls to ugly old men who no longer have the ability to satisfy their needs? I think it is wrong how we barter away our women. I think it a disgrace that we deny the right for young men and women to meet and fall in love, as nature surely intended..."

He had probably said too much, too soon. Antoninus broke off and in doing so drew attention to the thoughtless comment. Aurelia cast her eyes down, conscious of his embarrassment at referring to a subject that was far too personal for a young man and woman who barely knew each other. But Antoninus could tell she was not offended by his words, rather he suspected she was secretly impressed that he thought like this. It gave him the confidence to move on.

"Perhaps we could do something tomorrow if you are free....take a ride, a walk around the grounds, perhaps a lunch eaten in the outdoors - I could arrange for slaves to set it up for us...? Of course, you would bring a chaperone...I was not suggesting you should compromise your reputation in any way..."

Aurelia glanced up sharply. This was a request that even to her ears was unusual to say the least. Young women in her situation - or the situation she was purporting to be in - were never given even this amount of freedom with a young man, regardless of whether they were staying under the same roof. On the other hand, perhaps he did know more about her than he pretended. Was he suggesting that they might indulge in some casual immorality, away from prying eyes? Did he think her a whore for her affair with Maximus and presume she would have no qualms about playing with him when she was bored and ignored by her older lover? Had she missed some subtle reference to this when he had appeared to pay little regard to her mother's behaviour?

But he seemed to have nothing underhand in mind. His smile was genuine, his behaviour polite and respectful, his eyes concealing nothing. What wrong could they do in the company of slaves and so close to the house? These were desperate days and they were all forging alliances that might one day save their lives. Social conventions seemed ludicrous when they might all be dead by the end of the year. They were planning treason. How could an innocent walk in the park be something to be frowned on?

Yet his motives for asking were still bothering her. Does a young man ask such a thing merely to wile away an afternoon when he is lonely? It was possible. She knew she was a woman who turned men's heads and she could not pretend that it did not occur to her that Antoninus might be attracted to her - and might also see her as a potential bride. He was at the age when men began to cast their nets for a future wife and she was in anyone's eyes an ideal candidate for him, even more so with the connections that this group of people would share if they prevailed. They would be the rulers of the world. Aurelia suspected Antoninus would be a fool not to be thinking of binding himself to them. If he was prepared to lose his life in the cause - then he deserved the ultimate reward if he survived and found himself on the winning side.

She should indicate that she was not free. But to all intents and purposes she was. Maximus had told her that she was not to speak of what had passed between them or mention what they hoped might transpire in the future. There was no way she could explain - and something in her didn't even want to. So what if he romanced her for a few days? What possible harm would it do to either of them? It was just a little harmless fun, company when both were alone and facing an uncertain future. She would ensure that nothing improper occurred and that he did not receive any inappropriate signs from her that she might be interested in him. So, she decided to agree - with one reservation.

"It is not entirely seemly but...my aunt is my guardian while my father is away. I think you should ask her permission. If she is amenable then I am more than happy to accompany you tomorrow..." Aurelia was pleased with her reply. If Lucilla gave her permission then there was no subterfuge and no possible cause for concern. She would no doubt place some restrictions on them, insist on her ladies following at a close distance but it would totally prevent any misunderstanding.

Antoninus bowed. "An excellent suggestion! I shall do that straight away. Aurelia, it has been a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Until tomorrow then...!" He bowed, picking up her hand and bestowing a soft kiss that barely touched her skin - but seemed all the more sensually pleasing for that. He was such a beautiful and refined young man. Aurelia felt herself blush, the glow spreading across her pale skin. Antoninus found it most charming. More than charming in truth. The girl heated his blood. His head swam with her. He had never felt like this in his life before.

For every brutal and crushing victory on the battlefield there were months of gruelling and energy-draining hours spent around conference tables, pouring over maps, report writing, strategy talks, frustrating negotiations, bartering for allies, associating with men whom one would wish never even to have to meet, let alone work with. And that was before the logistics were discussed, the training got under way, forced marches and endless drills, long periods in hostile and difficult terrain, hardship and toil the only common feature of the endless days. When it finally came, the battle was almost a relief and the chance to release the pent up tension and anticipation welcome.

Maximus had forgotten how much of the life of a general forced him behind a desk or into the political arena that he detested so much. He liked both as little as the amphitheatre in truth. A constant stream of visitors came singly or in nervous groups to the villa; Gracchus had already set up a network of likeminded senators who had merely been waiting on the chance that a real candidate might finally be secured. Few had anticipated this volte-face from the fallen Maximus but his name alone was enough to convince even those who were more inclined to caution at such times. Most men prefer to watch and wait crisis out, hoping for a last minute alliance with the winning side. Who can blame them? Failure would mean the loss of everything, execution, the destruction of their family and lands. There are not many men willing to risk that on the fall of the dice.

But Maximus was a different option altogether. His honour was proven as was his commitment to Rome and the senatorial cause. He was also a man not known for failure, who not only brought the unwavering trust of the bulk of the legions but also held the City in the palm of his hands. He was a tried and tested battle winner, the greatest general of the modern era. And he was curiously pure, uninterested in personal gain or the abuse of any authority vested in him.

So they came and pledged allegiance.

"It is good to meet with you face to face at last, Maximus!"

"Vindabona was one of the finest victories in the modern era!"

"I saw you fight in the arena. I have never seen such a spectacle...!"

"You saved us from the worst tyrant Rome has ever known...."

"You are our man. I will follow no one else..."

But it was hollow. They had not lifted a hand to save Aurelius. They had watched and grovelled while Commodus gave rein to his madness. Not one protest had been made at Maximus' removal and subjection, nor the treatment of his family. If the tide turned, so would they. He had no doubt of that. But still, one has need of these men. Maximus did not dare turn his back on their approaches or play the arrogant general now. They needed him - but his need was greater. For Aurelia's sake he would get down on his knees and beg before the whole world if necessary.

It was not as simple as that, however. The more people who knew, the more vulnerable this fledgling coup became. It would be so easy for one of the senators to reveal what he knew; if they were attacked too soon then all could be lost before it began. Maximus was circumspect about many of the patricians whom he met at this time. They were not men with whom he felt any bond or connection; he had learnt long ago not to trust his own kind.

Gracchus and he sat up late on many nights, debating the motives of this man or that. They had spies of their own following and reporting on the movements of their so- called friends and supporters. They could be more dangerous to him than his enemies.

The main advantage they held was that Quintus had failed to impress. That seemed to be a common observation amongst the co-conspirators. He was thought to be weak, given to hesitation and doubt, constantly changing his mind and wavering when decisiveness was called for. Leaders could be forgiven for error - but not for vacillation and cowardice.

At the moment Quintus was away from the city in the north and the bulk of the Felix legions were down at Ostia. There was not much time and they had to be ready to make use of the current situation. It would only be a matter of months before the other claimants were on the move - and Quintus and his party had to be dealt with first.

The Prefect was not without support  either- a majority of the Senate was with him on paper. To some, his poor image actually improved his chances. He would be a weak emperor. More could be gained by the unscrupulous at such a time. Those of little ability and even less honour always seem to prefer to surround themselves with lesser talents; they prefer not to have to face the constant reminder of their own inadequacy and instead fawn and cringe obsequiously to men they can cheat and manipulate behind their backs. The rule of the mediocre was ever popular even in the lofty halls of the Capitol.

Maximus glanced out of the window idly as a report on the disposition of Severan troops in Pannonia droned out in the background. Recently he had not given Aurelia much thought.

No, that was not exactly the truth of it, he rationalised to himself. Aurelia hovered in his subconscious mind all the time, visiting him in feverish dreams laden with portents and on the fringes of his thoughts day and night. That he did not actively think of her was more because he had driven her away from his conscience mind on purpose, suppressing his desires and emotions in that old familiar way, to protect himself as much as her. But the spectre of her would not leave him.

A burst of female laughter or voices through an open window, the scent of a woman as a slave girl brushed past him on a corridor, a chance glimpse of her at a distance, a wall painting sensually evocative of physical and romantic pleasure - such things were all it took to bring a mood of latent arousal to him. It made him long for exercise, to ride fast on a spirited horse, to wrestle in the palaestra, to wear himself out until he could not sense and taste her anymore in his head, his hands, his nostrils, his mouth. Passing sensual images, like clouds scudding across a sky, crossed his mind at odd intervals engendered by almost anything. Reality would slip away and he would think of a moment when they had been together and then it would wriggle from him even as he reached to grasp it - and he would be back in the now again. It perturbed him. It made him lose concentration. Occasionally he had had to ask for something to be repeated again. This was not good. He had to focus better. She had to be forced out of his mind.

And then he saw her. She was sitting on a low wall in the large peristyle garden below almost hidden by the hanging fronds of a willow tree. It was the hat that drew his attention. She was wearing a large floppy sunhat tied with a bright blue ribbon over a pretty dress of the palest blue trimmed with flower motives. He noticed she was swinging her legs idly like a child. The woman, Yanitra, was standing a short way off and speaking to her. She gave off the air of someone who disapproved, her body held taut and her mouth pulled into a tight line. He looked back at Aurelia and saw at once the familiar petulant spoiled expression she used when someone was trying to chastise her. A memory of how she had been with Verilia came to him. Aurelia was acting up again.

He repressed a smile. She was probably bored out of her mind; he knew how poorly his girl coped with that. Her mind was too active and intelligent for the quiet regime of a noble house. The past months had given her too much freedom. He imagined she was not dealing well with the confinement. Poor Yanitra! She would earn her keep on days like this putting up with the moods of her mistress. He wondered if Aurelia was bleeding. It was her time of the month, he suspected. 

As much as he missed her, Maximus suddenly felt relieved not to have to cross swords with her this month. He had enough on his plate without her sharpening her claws on him again. Women! What they do to us, he thought in wry amusement - and then recalled the wild heady rush of passion that this woman gave him. There was nothing she did or could do that he did not love - even her failings and irrational temper tantrums, her wilfulness and the headstrong spirit she had.  Somehow that endeared her to him even more.

A third person joined the group; he could not see whom from his current position but there was no doubt that Aurelia suddenly jumped to her feet and addressed someone who had walked into the garden from the opposite direction. Her manner had also changed. The pouting had disappeared; she smiled softly. Her behaviour was odd, he observed. She was wearing a coquettish face, a look with which he was not familiar.  Aurelia might smoulder at times, but she was never a silly posturing female. It was either foreign to her nature or her lack of association with people of her own age that had not taught her the shallow flirtation rituals of the young.

Then the intruder stepped into view and he realised with some shock, that it was a young man carrying a basket which he handed over to Yanitra, whispering something which made her flash him a sharp look -  but the servant stepped back a distance. Then the boy moved into the sunlight and he saw him full faced. Antoninus Gracchus, the Consul's adopted son.

What was she doing with him? A chance meeting? Or had she been waiting for him all this time? He found himself watching as Aurelia leant back against the trunk of the tree, playing with a bloom that she must have picked while sitting down. Antoninus rested his hand above her on a branch, his body loose and languid in that way of the young. His thick dark hair - far too long for an officer and obviously an affectation that Antoninus had picked up during his leave - flopped onto his forehead in a fetching curl. He looked like a young Adonis, chiselled features, full almost girlish mouth, dark blue limpid eyes - on the lean honed body of a young god. The belt casually worn over his tunic sagged low on his lean hips accentuating the flat plane of his smooth belly. His skin was golden brown with a natural sheen like polished bronze. Antoninus was at that precious time in a young man's life when he can truly be called beautiful, before he moves into full manhood and his body thickens and coarsens. Virile enough to make women of all ages weak with longing but pretty enough still to please the little girls - and older men as well. There would be many who lusted after this young man. Once, Maximus had been a glorious youth like that; he wondered where and when that boy had disappeared. He had to be somewhere inside.

But can any mature man compare with the startling perfection of late adolescence any more than an adult woman, no matter how lovely, can match the dewy pearl of a young girl's bloom?

Aurelia was one such a child. Together she and Antoninus looked like a sculpture of aesthetic flawlessness. Offsprings of the gods. 

He pulled back and turned away, shaking the sudden image from his mind. They were young people of similar age and class, left at a loose end while all around them great events were being forged. It must be bewildering for them both, largely abandoned to their own devices and with nothing much to do. It was natural for them to gravitate to each other. Aurelia had never really mixed with her peer group, had never had female friends - and certainly had never been in the company of young men, particularly handsome wealthy heirs to great fortunes, as was Antoninus Gracchus.

Back at the table, he picked up a jug and poured himself a goblet of wine, waving away a slave who leapt forward to attend to it for him.

"Is something the matter, Maximus?" Gracchus inquired. The general had the habit of appearing to lose the thread of the conversation from time to time; he had not expected this of him from their earlier association when he had seemed so single-minded in the pursuit of a goal. But things had changed for him. What drove him now? The girl? Surely the child was nothing more than a passing distraction. Or had she been more of a surrogate daughter for him? Since they had arrived there was no sign of any romantic involvement or even much closeness between them. Maximus had all but ignored her. There was a strong possibility that the real motivation was nothing at all to do with any intentions Maximus might hold towards Annia Aurelia. Had his action in stealing her away been more about the revenge still burning in him? Was he now turning his attention to making Quintus Metella pay for his role in his downfall? They might be on the wrong track and this man might simply be using their cause to destroy anyone who had had a hand in what had befallen him in the past.

 Gracchus watched the general as he sat back down, ran a hand through his short dark hair and then fingered his beard thoughtfully. What was in his mind? He wished he knew. On the shoulders of this man rested the future of the world.

"No matter. I am tired of talking. I need a break to burn off  energy in a physical pursuit...Let us reconvene after lunch. Perhaps a ride to clear my head...?"

They strolled out of the garden through the portico shaded with ornamental grape trellises and then across the courtyard to the gardens beyond. It was a magnificent work, bringing order and regimentation to the beautiful natural meadowland, a Roman triumph of the taming of nature. Together they wandered with a sullen Yanitra following behind loaded down with the basket containing food and wine that Antoninus had brought from the kitchens. There were no other slaves. Antoninus had said it was not necessary.

Yanitra was watching the two of them carefully. This spelt trouble to her, no matter how respectfully the young man behaved. He had to be after her. No man who looks like that hangs around a girl unless he's after something. And it wasn't hard to imagine what.

At the centre of the parkland the gardens sloped down to a manmade lake flanked with tall stone pines and an elegant paved walkway. There were marble benches and tables set here and there in shady spots for such an occasion where the masters and mistresses might gather for a picnic in the congenial surroundings. Antoninus nodded to Yanitra to set out lunch while he led Aurelia to the water's edge. She crouched to dabble her fingers in the water; he stood watching her pensively.

Aurelia sighed deeply, breathing in the fresh clear air. It was peaceful out here, green and lush; she liked this time of year, late summer on the brink of autumn when the days were still fine and sunny but the cruel heat of the past few months were over.  A gentle breeze blew her hair about her face; she brushed it back as Antoninus extended a hand to help her to her feet. "This is a very beautiful spot. Thank you for asking me..."

"My pleasure...anyway, it is the least I can do today of all days..." Aurelia looked curiously at him. "Today? What do you mean?"

That made him grin; he was eager to tell her what he knew. "Happy Birthday, Aurelia..." and he handed her a small book that he had been holding behind his back. She gasped and reached out to take it; their hands brushed slightly and she blushed.

"How did you know?" She took the leather bound book and glanced inside. It was a notebook made of pages of parchment neatly bound, a beautifully wrought codex, with a hand tooled cover. She had never seen such a thing before.

"This is so beautiful! Where did you get it?"

"I bought it from a shop in the Subura. I write poetry. I always carry a notebook to jot down idle thoughts that come to me...I thought that perhaps you would like one too..."

"It is a wonderful gift! I didn't think anyone even knew! About my birthday, I mean..." Her delight was obvious. It had been on her mind all day. Her seventeenth birthday - and not even a message from her father. Or a word from her lover. But then why would Maximus know that today was significant? She had never told him the date.

She had never told Antoninus either, but he had found out.

"Lucilla mentioned it when I asked if we might have lunch. She said it was particularly appropriate today of all days that someone marks the occasion..." Aurelia listened and gave his comment some thought. Lucilla had known? She had not mentioned it to her. No wishes or gifts this morning. How strange! Unless this was not a genuine act of kindness on her part. Had Lucilla stage-managed this to help Antoninus win favour with her?  She could hardly blame her aunt for trying to interest her in this younger man. He was a beautiful boy. A few months ago she would have been infatuated with him no doubt. Yet one had to question Lucilla's true motives.

"That was very kind of her. I thank you so much..."

"It is your birthday. I wish I had something more personal to give you...perhaps one day, I will be able to do that?" He gave her a knowing smile but before she could answer led her over to where the meal was set out. They ate well, basking in the sunlight that dappled through the trees. The conversation was light and frivolous: they spoke of favourite poems and authors, places he had been, people they had in common, her life in Sicily. After lunch they took a walk around the lake. Aurelia told Yanitra to keep her distance. Then they wandered further to a small copse of trees higher up the valley side.

"You're very well educated for a girl..." Antoninus commented at one point when she had made an interesting observation. Aurelia tossed back her head and eyed him up.

"I am probably as educated as you are! My father insisted upon it. He is a very learned man and values knowledge and the search for it very highly." Then her indignant manner subsided. "He believed that if he trained my mind then I might make wiser decisions than my mother did. My father believes that enlightenment is the key to goodness, wisdom to humanity. Men - and women - will rationalise their way to behave with honour if they are taught to think logically. It is only then that we can exercise the self-discipline that is demanded of our class..."

She stopped as she saw Antoninus smiling with a twinkle in his eye. She reddened. 

"Are you laughing at me?"

Antoninus shook his head but grinned all the same. "Not at you. Never at you! But you did rather sound like a pompous old tutor..."

Aurelia giggled. "I suppose I did. I can be insufferable at times, you know? Maximus always tells me that too..."

"Maximus?" The younger man's ears pricked up at that. He had been wondering where Aurelia fitted into all this. "Do you know him well? I would so like to get to know him. He is such a fine man..."

Aurelia berated herself under her breath. How could she have been so foolish as to mention his name in such a way? "I...er... well, not to say I have known him long...he spent a few months on our estate whilst recovering from his wounds. We talked from time to time..."

"What is the great man like close at hand? Is he always as distant and formidable as he seems? I am in awe of him! To me he is the epitome of what men should aspire to be. A true Roman hero. I would pledge my allegiance to him whatever the odds...!" he declared passionately.

Aurelia dropped her eyes, her fingers playing nervously with the edges of her veil. "He is a very serious man and has suffered greatly for Rome. But he is also very kind and simple in his ways. He does not expect people to bow and scrape before him. I am sure if you approach him you will discover this for yourself..."

"What of the African who is his shadow? I heard he was an ex-gladiator who befriended him in the gladiator barracks..."

"His name is Juba. He is a very fine man."

"It seems odd that he chooses such a low born provincial as his companion. But perhaps not. A freedman is always more trustworthy. He has nothing to lose or gain by playing the game for himself. His career depends on the generosity of his patron..."

"They are friends. Equals. Maximus, too, is a freedman. He does not forget where he came from..." Aurelia found herself insisting.

Antoninus shrugged. "Hardly the same, though! What happened to Maximus was a travesty caused by the deranged lunacy of a megalomaniac. I, too, do not forget where he came from. He held maius imperium and the command of the armies of the north!"

"He is also a farmer from Spain. People can be many things. As long as they are true to themselves whatever cloak necessity forces them to wear..."

"So your father sheltered him after he assassinated the emperor? Is that why you are now here with him? Has your father entrusted you to his care?" Antoninus changed the subject again, returning to the question of her status here.

"In a manner of speaking, he is my protector...I am potentially of interest to his enemies..."

"Indeed...the bearer of the blood of Aurelius. A claim to legitimacy for any challenger...They will all claim your hand..."

"May the gods protect me from such a fate!" Aurelia shivered. "I would rather die an old maid than suffer being bartered like a prize pig!  

Antoninus nodded sagely. "You are wise beyond your years, fair Aurelia. I have never met a girl like you before..." He blushed at his own comment, blurted out instinctively without much thought, perhaps a little more forward than he had meant it to be.

Aurelia smiled, relieved for the opportunity to change the topic, his embarrassment also amusing her. "And do you know many girls, handsome Antoninus? Is there someone special waiting for you back in Rome...?"

That made him even more bashful than before - as she had known it would. Aurelia had no doubt he cut quite a figure with the young eligible girls in society circles - and probably their older sisters and mothers, too. She was not naïve as to the likely sexual freedom a handsome and well connected patrician like Antoninus was used to. There would be many mistresses and a stream of concubines - not to mention the whores that soldiers used around the forts. Young he might be, but he would not be a virgin. He might even have a taste for men - or more like they for him. It would not be hard to imagine a man finding such a youth attractive.

Aurelia sat down under a tree to rest for awhile. Antoninus paced back and forth still not having answered her question. Suddenly: "I cannot deny there have been women. I enjoy female company. Very much. Some might say too much..." he rolled his eyes.

Aurelia drew her knees up to her chin and laughed. "Your father thinks you play around too much?"

He shook his head. "No. Gracchus is a very understanding man...he expects a young man to sow his oats...it is my mother who constantly complains. She thinks I should settle down and marry. Give her grandchildren."

That interested Aurelia. She had thought he had been abandoned by his mother when she re-married. "You still see her often?"

He shrugged. "When I am in Rome... I cannot say that we are close. Not like her other family. I have half brothers and sisters but I barely know them..."

"But she loves you? How could she not?" Antoninus did not miss her heartfelt comment. Aurelia was attracted to him - that was almost an admission of affection right there and then. He played on her sympathy a little. In truth he felt little sense of loss about his mother. He had been a small infant when his father had died. Gracchus and his household were the only real family he knew. He had been well loved and cared for all his life. There were no wounds that he was aware of. But Aurelia was clearly moved by his plight so he decided to play the victim.

"She expects me to make a good marriage as my success enhances her prestige. My mother is first and foremost  a woman of high society. She finds me to be a dreamer and wishes I was more ambitious or a realist or some such worthy fellow who would trample over his peers to get ahead. I believe she also suspects my virility although complains enough about my..." then he checked himself. "...my choice of female companions..."

"What is wrong with them? Your female companions, I mean...? I thought she wished you to marry?" Aurelia was enjoying the banter. This frivolous talk about love affairs was all new to her. She was a young girl. It was bound to draw her in.

Antoninus threw his head back and laughed. His teeth were so even and white. His neck was so thick and smooth. He wore a silver pendant which hung down onto his broad chest. She could see the talisman it carried through the slit in the neck of his tunic. The skin of his body was as smooth and silky as that of his face, as though it had been polished. His chest was free of hair. She wondered if he depilated or if this was natural. A quick glance and she saw his arms were only lightly haired. But his legs were thickly covered. The thought of his body hair in secret places made her quiver. What did a young man like him look like naked? She was sure he would be as beautiful as a statue of naked Apollo. And probably better hung.

"Er...how can I put it? The ones I desire I could never dare bring home and the ones she endlessly parades past me are silly headed social climbers much like her who make doe eyes at me and agree to whatever I say. You speak of prize pigs? Then I am nothing but the bull that they are all seeking to rope!" They both laughed merrily at this thought but it kept the conversation hovering dangerously close to sexual suggestion and notions that were far from seemly between a young man and woman of their class who were barely acquainted.

"But you must marry. You are of an age..." Aurelia reminded him.

"I will not marry except for love. And I will choose my own bride. They will not chain me to one of these girls of my class who were reared for their dynastic value and who will one day betray me behind my back with a chariot racer for a thrill. I hate the mores of the time..."

"Even if you freely indulge yourself...?" Aurelia chided him. He bowed to her acuity.

"I am a hypocrite...as are all men..." he murmured meekly.

Not all, thought Aurelia to herself, but dared not say it.

He had walked around her throughout this conversation, keeping a distance but just then, as if he had made a decision, he threw himself at her side, leaning on one hip and his elbow.

"You are not like the rest, Aurelia! You are in fact the perfect girl. I have never met any woman as beautiful as you nor as perfect. Even my mother could hardly raise an objection about the granddaughter of an emperor! I wish to tell you..." And he picked up her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it softly. "...when this is over, I intend to visit your father and ask if I may make a suit for your hand. I know this is too soon and will be a shock to you - but...consider it? Give me a chance to prove myself to you? I would abandon wild living and never think of any woman but you, if you would just give the matter some thought..."

Aurelia was stunned by his passionate declaration to such an extent that she did not say anything by way of reply, merely let him hold her hand and speak on while her mind struggled to find a way to respond to him. She ought to stop this immediately. It was so unfair to him to lead him on in this hopeless suit of his - but how could she explain why he could never succeed? To tell him outright would invite his curiosity: there would be no viable explanation other than that Aurelia was promised elsewhere. Antoninus was highly intelligent and would soon work it out for himself.

Maximus had insisted she protect their intimacy at all costs. It also occurred to her that Antoninus might provide an ideal ruse to throw people of the scent as well. He was young. She was obviously the first woman he had considering marrying. Suitors were often disappointed. In the larger scheme of things it was not such a terrible thing to let him romance her in vain. But it could detract the gossips from questioning her and Maximus and the extent of their acquaintance. It was certainly an idea.

She withdrew her hand delicately and lowered her head. "I think we had better return home. We have been out so long..." He nodded and stood up, helping her to her feet.

"You still haven't answered me, Aurelia..." he reminded her.

She paused and then looked him in the eye directly. "This is not the time or the place for planning for the future..."

"There is no harm in dreaming, Aurelia..." he reminded her.

"Then...speak to my father. When the time comes..."

Maximus rode at speed over the parklands, out of the gate and along the paved road for several miles. It was a long time since he had really pushed himself on a horse or ridden one for more than just transportation. It felt like release to become one with his mount burning up the road, the hooves setting up a pounding rhythm that speeded up his own heart. Exhilaration rushed through his body, memories of his youth when he would often disappear for days with his horse up into the high lands living rough and at one with nature. Those had been the times in his life when he had needed to think. His head always seemed clearer on his horse away from the frustrations of his everyday life.

He had forgotten though how hard riding was on the body. It was high time he got more practice. With a major campaign in the planning stages and the possibility of the war season extending throughout the winter if civil war should follow, he could be spending the next months in the saddle. The thought gave him a wry smile. He would soon toughen up his arse then. His thighs ached already from gripping and his balls felt pinched. He groaned to himself and adjusted the lie of them in his breeches.

His hand brushing over his own flesh brought a warm sensation of pleasure and a ripe memory of her. As the horse trotted at a more leisurely pace on the return journey, an image of a moment together fleetingly passed through his mind. Early morning, half awake, the sun already stealing across the floor and advancing on their bed. He felt her move, roll closer to him, nuzzle into his body as he adjusted to make room for her almost unconsciously, aware of little else but woman and warmth and the scents of sex and her body.

He closed his eyes momentarily as his brain recalled her hand, her small, cool, delicate hand sliding down his chest, down, down, down and gently cupping his scrotum, palpating softly. She was not arousing him - although her action had that effect - but simply sleepily touching and caressing. There was something in that feeling of being loved and desired and cared for, that intimate contact beneath the sheets, private and instinctive, that could never be replaced by any sexual act performed skilfully. He longed for her touch. His body ached to hold her. From her came the strength he needed to go on.

And yet he had to behave, at this time so fraught with danger, as if he barely knew who she was. He actively avoided her. He refused to meet her eyes when they met. It was beginning to affect his concentration. What he would give for one night with her, to lie naked in bed together and talk! And love. And talk some more.

He thought on the years of loneliness without his wife and wondered why he couldn't bear this short separation as he had done then for so long. It was not a question of having loved her less. Both women held his heart in thrall. He supposed the proximity of Aurelia made it all the harder to bear where his wife had been far away and easier to put from his mind - but it was also likely to have another cause. Before, duty had been more important to him than personal happiness. Now he had learned the hard way that people mattered far more than any cause. Our time on this earth was too short to waste in the pursuit of other goals. Now he did not wish to waste a moment of what he had found. For there was always a chance - a very high chance - that there was little time left to both of them. To waste it seemed a cruel irony indeed.

Still feeling heated from the sudden erotic thoughts, he reined up the horse. He was back on the estate by now, not far from the villa. He did not wish to arrive at the house until he was firmly in control of himself again. Dismounting, he let the horse graze, helping himself to the water skin, uncorking it and pouring most of the contents over his head, drinking back the remainder. He wiped his mouth roughly on his sleeve and went to sit on the top of the ridge, looking out over the lawns that rolled down to the lake.

The day was sunny but breezy, clouds scudding across the blue sky, reflecting a patchwork of sun and shadows on the land beneath. It was a peaceful bucolic scene that made it hard to imagine that beyond its confines the world was raging with power struggles, poverty,  corruption,  brutality and all the other evils that tore lives apart. Yet who better than he knew that even in the quiet depths of a country estate, the cruel hand of fate could ride in and destroy everything good and pure?

He rubbed his hands over his face then stopped to watch a few rabbits hopping around playfully, oblivious to him or the world at large. It made him smile. Life goes on even if one's own role in it is finished. There was some comfort in that. Whether you were right or wrong, the victor or the vanquished, the rich man or the slave - that much was certain.

Movement down below caught his eye. There was a copse of trees towards the left of his vision. Someone was there. He was not as he thought alone. Straining his eyes he made out two figures, one male and one female by the look of it. Some things never change, he smiled to himself. Lovers will always love, no matter how ill advised their meetings are. The girl was sitting by a tree, the boy lying by her side. He touched her face and then kissed her hand. They seemed very young and innocent, their lives ahead of them tentatively discovering the wonder of their love.

They stood up, brushed themselves off and began to walk down the hill towards the lake, no longer quite as close as before when they came out into the open. Down below he noticed another figure waiting for them.

With a sickening lurch he realised who the 'lovers' were. Aurelia and Antoninus. What had brought them out here so far from the main house? He could hardly believe the stupidity of Aurelia's behaviour. Here they were hiding their relationship to protect her reputation and the damn girl goes wandering the meadows with an over-sexed young rogue! There was already an assumption that he himself and Aurelia may have been intimate which they were trying hard to dispel - she was going to look even more debauched if she was also making free with the son of the house. How had she let this happen? Surely Lucilla would have prevented her from making this terrible mistake?

Then it occurred to him that this might not be an accident. Antoninus for sure would have his own aims in mind but what if Aurelia also did? The behaviour he had observed between the two had appeared innocent enough - but intimate for all that. Perhaps he was missing the obvious. Was Antoninus falling in love with her? Was she attracted to him? She was a child. He himself was her first taste of love. Had it merely been infatuation after all? Was her head already being turned by a younger less complicated man?

Shock made him numb as he crouched and watched them go. Everything in life was invested in that girl. Without her he was nothing. He had nothing. His life was dedicated to her protection. No! It could not be. He would not allow it. She was his. No wet-behind-the-ears boy who barely shaved would take her from him. Rising, he strode over to his horse and leapt up, choosing the longer route home so as not to come upon the party on foot. Whatever benefit the time away had been, it was lost to him already.

"You enjoyed the day, Aurelia?" Lucilla asked her as the girl returned to her quarters. Aurelia flashed a penetrating look that Lucilla returned. "Is there something the matter, niece...?"

Aurelia stormed past her truculently but still said nothing.

"I asked you a question..."

"I heard you. Why are you waiting here for me, aunt? Come to wish me happy birthday, by chance?" Her voice betrayed annoyance; the comment was delivered with a bite.

Lucilla raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Of course...happy birthday, Aurelia. I have something for you here, naturally..." She handed her a carved ivory box. Inside was a pair of drop pearl earrings. They were very beautiful and no doubt from Lucilla's own private collection of jewellery. At any other time, Aurelia would have been overjoyed at such a gift - but this time she was not so easy to win round. Her feathers had been ruffled considerably by her aunt.

"Thank you. They are very beautiful...it is a generous gift..."

"Nothing is too good for my favourite niece!" Lucilla replied with a genial smile. "And now...tell me about Antoninus! Is he not just a darling boy? So handsome! So intelligent! So well born! They say he stands to inherit two fortunes, you know? That of his dead father held in trust for him until he is twenty five and that of Gracchus, too! He will be a man of fabulous wealth and impeccable pedigree! You could do no better than he..."

"What are you talking about? You did set me up with him, didn't you? I knew it! I just knew it! Do you never stop playing games with people's lives?" Aurelia snapped.

Lucilla appeared surprised at the outburst. "Whatever do you mean? I was merely pointing out that as you are of marriageable age and managed to avoid Quintus...a young man like Antoninus would surely be more to your taste, would he not?"

She was calling her bluff. Aurelia knew she was in a difficult position here. To protest further would be tantamount to admitting her feelings for Maximus. But then what did it matter about her feelings for Maximus? She was not revealing the extent of his for her or the level they had reached in their relationship if she spoke only of her own hopes.

"I have no interest in Antoninus, nor any other man. When I marry it will be to the man I choose myself..."

"Oh, really? Is that so? That suggests you have your heart set on someone already. Is this business with Maximus a charade then? Has he been more than a protector towards you? Look me in the eye, Aurelia, and answer me this! Has he taken you already? Are you used goods now? For no matter how courteous a man Antoninus is he will not consider a young woman who has already been bedded by someone else..."

"How dare you!" Aurelia retorted.

"I dare, Aurelia, because this is very important. Have you been a little fool or not? That is what I need to know. We can dance around each other with empty politeness for a long time but let's stop all this pretence, shall we? What happened with him while you were away? Are you his mistress now?" Lucilla spoke calmly but her eyes gleamed with a brittle ice. She was a very intimidating woman when she dropped the mask of gracious elegance and revealed the steel beneath.

"Maximus has always treated me with the utmost respect..." Aurelia replied facing her up and refusing to let her manner unsettle her. She would not tell her the truth.

"And what on earth does that mean? Of course he would respect you. He is not a man given to treating women unkindly - or taking advantage of vulnerable ones. But he is still a man and in his own way has his frailties too. I know he is just as capable of moments of weakness as any man, if tempted enough..."

"Well, you would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Aurelia burst out in answer. "You did exactly that to him yourself. You seduced him and left him in a position that could have caused his execution...!"

Lucilla whirled round, anger spots burning red in her pale cheeks. "You know nothing of my relationship with him! He would never have told you! How dare you make such comments to me!"

"I dare! You are trying to turn him against me. You are trying to arrange another marriage for me with the express purpose of taking me away from him. It will not work! I will have him! And you will not. He doesn't love you...he doesn't want you! He never will! You are too much part of the world he hates..."

Lucilla blinked her eyes rapidly at Aurelia's cruel declaration. Even a woman as consummate at hiding her true feelings as Lucilla found it hard to take in such a brutal realisation of hope denied. "You are part of the same world, Aurelia. We are cut of the same cloth, you and I. Be careful that he does not wake up one day and realise it. For if he does, he will turn his back on us all - and then where will you be? Better to make provision for the future than find yourself left alone after all this..." It was no use reasoning with the girl. She believed herself in love with Maximus. Lucilla doubted he had given her as much reason to hope as she was implying. It was infatuation and would come to naught.

But Aurelia was not finished. She walked away, composing herself and straightening her shoulders. When she finally turned back she seemed a different woman, taller and older, determined and proud: the hysterical girl had disappeared in an instant.

"That is where you are wrong, aunt Lucilla. I am not you. Nor am I my mother. I am Annia Aurelia Lentula Prisca. Unlike you, I do not play some game to win. I do not make failsafes as a compromise if my first choice is taken from me. I am not of your world except by an accident of birth. There is only one road for me in life and if I lose then I have nothing - and want even less. And Maximus knows that. Therein lies the difference between us. To him I am not a younger replacement for you. I never was. I never will be. Do not try to interfere in my life for it will not work. I am not a child any more. I know how to fight for what I want...so be warned...!"

She tossed her curls back and Lucilla felt a chill of fear. Annia Aurelia might not consider herself like the women of her family - but she was most definitely an Aurelian. Perhaps she might prove to be the most formidable of all of them in the end.

Nodding curtly to take her leave, Lucilla hurried away, still shaking with both anger and concern at the interview. She was still no nearer discovering the true nature of the bond between Maximus and this young woman but her instinct was now telling her strongly that there had been intimacy and that they were both acting out a charade. It was no use trying to worm the truth from Aurelia. That little vixen was not going to admit to anything but half truths and implications that could be as much her fantasy as reality.

There was only one person who knew the answer and he would be unable to conceal it from her: Maximus himself. She would approach him and find out what she sought. And Antoninus would be her weapon, like it or not.

Maximus strode back into his rooms like a gust of wind blowing through, startling Juba who jumped to his feet relieved to see him back safely. He had been uneasy at his absence but his master had refused to let him join him on the ride. Juba was no horseman; Maximus had wanted to be free of encumbrance that day.

"A good ride?"

Maximus grunted a response that was inaudible, pouring himself a cup of wine and downing it. Juba could see that Maximus was still not at ease. Something was on his mind and the ride had not done anything to calm his mood. "What worries you, Maximus?"

"Nothing. I am weary.  I am eager to get on the road...every day we linger here strengthens our enemies..."

"There is something else. This is not about politics and war. You are a past master at the art of strategy - it would not cause you such melancholy. Tell me what ails you. Perhaps I can help?" There was a silence. Maximus cast a sidelong stare at Juba. He doubted the general would answer.

But surprisingly he did. "...Is she too young for me?" Maximus suddenly asked out of the blue.

Juba frowned."Who?"

"Aurelia."

"Young?" Juba laughed. "She is sixteen. Some might say she is almost too old...girls in my tribe marry as soon as they bleed...She loves you, Maximus. What else is there to say?"

Maximus sighed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Do you think she really knows what that means? A girl so young?"

"Does anyone? Did you?"

"She has had no other experience of life. Perhaps if she met someone her own age...what if she changes her mind? What then? How do I go on...?" The look on his face was tortured; Juba had seen that anguish before. Only a woman could make this man suffer like this.

"She loves you. You love her. Why should she look elsewhere? I do not understand you..." Juba declared throwing up his hands demonstratively.

Maximus gave a half smile. "I know little of how to be a lover. I can please a woman well enough - but a young woman deserves more than that. It is not in my nature to play the romantic."

Juba stood and walked over to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No woman would want for more. This even I know. You are a good man. A strong man. You have shown her more care and protection than she has ever known. I remember how women looked at you when you were a gladiator. I see them lust after you now. She is no different. Stop being such a fool."

Maximus laughed wryly at his own misgivings. "I am not so certain about women as you might think. Getting a woman into bed is one thing - but winning her love is another. I have lived too long in a world of men. I have no finesse. Nor am I as young as I was. Perhaps she wants more than strength and protection, Juba, when she sees it offered?"

"Then makes sure you give her more than that...Go to her, or have Yanitra bring her here tonight. You need to spend time together."

"I cannot compromise her! Have her smuggled into my rooms so that the general can have a fuck, is that what you mean? That is little more than sordid procurement. I will not have Aurelia subjected to such treatment..."

Juba shook his head. "Ask Aurelia what she wants. I will warrant that she would like nothing better than being with you. Yanitra tells me she is not happy with things as they are. The girl is pining for you! At least go and talk to her...!"

"Perhaps. I need to think. Let's go and bathe. Visit the gymnasium. I want to work off some of this energy..."

"She's playing you, ma'am. She wants the master..." Yanitra said as she combed out Aurelia's hair after her bath. "I don't trust her..."

Aurelia sighed. "Of course she is. Or she is trying to, more like. She is encouraging Antoninus. She knows I cannot do anything to disappoint him or it will look suspicious and they will know about me and Maximus!"

Yanitra made a clicking sound with her tongue. It usually meant she did not agree with something.

"Well, spit it out, Yani! What's wrong with you?"

The woman cleared her throat and sat down by Aurelia. "You were encouraging him today, not Lucilla. That boy's got a hard on for you and he's got it bad. You either fuck him or let him be. It's not fair to lead him on - nor is it wise. If Maximus gets wind of it...well, I wouldn't like to be in the boy's shoes...nor yours either...You can't play away behind the back of a man like Maximus. Even if it is only to pass the time. Wise up, Aurelia..." Yanitra tried to speak in a more ladylike fashion but it was an uphill struggle and her coarse language was by now familiar to Aurelia.

"I was not playing away!"

"The guy kissed you..."

"Only my hand!"

"Fuck off, sweetheart! If Maxie had seen that much he'd be after the boy's balls... take it from me one thing leads to another. Pretty Antoninus is no cherub. He wants you - and he knows how to get a girl..."

"Oh, for goodness' sake! I am not interested in him! He's attractive and sweet and he's fun to be with but I'm not going to do anything wrong with him!"

Yanitra rolled her eyes. "You're young and you're permanently wet...not to mention curious. If that boy touches you, the next thing you know he'll be between your legs...mark my words. Of course, you won't mean to do it! The next day you'll be ruing the day you ever met him. But that is how it happens. Young people lose their heads. Sex is sex. Your bodies want it and at times they don't listen to your brains. And I'll tell you this for free...you've been thinking about him. You know you have. It's already begun, little girl...and I'm warning you now, Lucilla is the least you have to fear...your worst enemy is you yourself...believe it..."

Her words made Aurelia bridle, mostly because she recognised the ring of truth in them. Standing up she flounced away into her room and threw herself onto her bed. It had hurt to have it all laid out so starkly in front of her. But Antoninus had made an effect on her and she was looking forward to being with him again. What did that mean? Was she beginning to fall under his spell after all?

'Maximus!' she whispered as if in prayer. "I need you! I am so confused. Why won't you come to me?'

Aemilius Cinna wriggled back from the vantage point atop a hill overlooking the Villa Graccha, turning to the young soldier who was with him. "Well, Flavius, I think we just struck lucky. So good of the lady Lucilla to lead us straight home, eh? And very obliging of old Maxie to take a ride so we could make a positive identification! They're all holed up there. The Consul himself is a traitor - and no doubt half the Senate with him. Quintus Metella's gonna suck our dicks for this piece of intelligence..."

"What do you plan? A swift assault? Round them all up in one place and dispatch the lot of them? Or bring them back to Rome in chains to parade round and frighten Severus and the others?" Flavius asked.

Cinna shrugged. "Not to Rome. Maximus is too popular. He needs to be finished off well before the story of his miraculous rising from the dead circulates. I'm going to send swift riders to Quintus, ask for a full troop of Praetorian and in the meantime close this place down tight..."

"Why wait?" The younger man asked as they remounted and rode back to their camp a few miles off. 

"...Because we want the whole rat pack, not just the leaders. The conspirators will be gathering here. I don't want to move until I'm sure we have all the names - or as many as we can. I want this to be a wholesale culling of the Senate. So will Metella. Then we fill it up with our men and the gods help anyone who tries to stand against us..."

Flavius grinned. "Big ideas, Aemilius...as always..."

"You bet. I've just had another big idea...let's stop at Beneventum. Find us a few girls. They should get us in a good mood for later, hey...?" Flavius winked across. Their friendship had recently become an even closer bond. They both enjoyed women as a first course.

"You hate Maximus, don't you? Almost as much as Metella?" Flavius observed. He knew about Cinna and Publius Sentius. 

"Yeah, I hate the bastard. I want him. And I want the girl. And so will you when you see her. You can be second...while the rest are queuing up..."