Combat had always been in Maximus' blood. There was no denying that since early boyhood the pitting of himself against another had always driven him. The simplicity of a fight or any sort of athletic contest reduced everything to its most elemental. A boy thinks he is better than the rest? Then he must prove it or accept defeat if it comes his way. That then leaves him with only one course of action open to him: to learn to be better, faster, stronger, craftier the next time. And then try again.

His self-image had always mattered to him. Maximus could not deny it. It wasn't that he was vain or arrogant - but he was proud and ambitious by nature. To him, every man had a duty in life to be the best that he could be at whatever he was asked to do - or he ought not  to do it. It was how a man enhanced the name and reputation of his family, made his parents proud, showed respect for his ancestors, served the state, proved himself worthy of his wife and left a legacy for his children. Failure was not acceptable to him personally nor was he was given to blaming anyone else for his mistakes. He would take responsibility for all his actions whether they be victories or defeats. That was what a man of honour did.

Maximus had rarely beaten Juba in a wrestling match. In the early days of their friendship he had had some success, mostly because Juba, for all his superior strength did not have the experience that Maximus had in real combat and was thus not as cunning in his movements. But the African was a quick learner and soon enough he found how to make his greater height and more impressive muscularity tell. Today, however, Maximus was in a mood to break sweat and perhaps claim the victory himself for once. It was one of the ways he relieved himself in times of great stress by pitting himself against another.

Juba stood oiling himself on the palaestra, dressed only in his loin cloth, attracting the interested gaze of several of the watchers who had rarely seen such a man at close quarters. Maximus pulled off his tunic - Juba threw him the vial of oil - and he began to apply it. They didn't speak. Friends they might be but both took these drills seriously and were concentrating their minds on the task ahead.

Facing one other, stalking in a circle, each watched for the moment to make his first move, anticipation seeping out from both until the contact was made in a crunching blow of muscle and bone colliding. The two men struggled to keep their own footing whilst unseating the opponent. Sweat broke out on their bodies and ran in rivulets over the oiled surface of their skins. They spat out explosive grunts as they laboured to gain enough supremacy to knock the other man over onto the sand.

Juba gained the first strike, managing to weave his foot around Maximus' ankle to make the trip; the Roman fell heavily to the floor but instantly used the momentum to unbalance the African who found himself in his turn plunging head first over the prone Maximus. He swiftly scrambled to his knees and threw himself on the other man, using his body to weight him down as he found the lock, securing his arms and forcing Juba to concede.

They broke, jumped to their feet laughing and slapping each other on the back while they shouted boasts. "I gave you one free shot...that's all you're getting...!"

"Are you getting soft, Juba? Spending too much time between the sheets with your girl...saps the strength, you know?"

The bout continued with Juba more on his guard from now on; he quickly turned Maximus' initial success and gained the next few falls. Maximus was struggling; his body still not back to full strength from his wounds - it had been only been five months since Commodus' death when he had sustained his life-threatening injuries. But that only fired him on all the more to push his body to greater endurance and carry the day more on his indomitable will than physical power. This was the added advantage that Maximus had over any opponent. He refused to be beaten and always found within himself the reserves he needed.

But, despite a late burst of frenetic energy on his part, the men finally decided to call it a draw. Maximus' mood was substantially improved even if he was aching in every limb, already sporting some darkening bruises. He was limping slightly on the leg that he knew would always trouble him after the damage from Commodus' sword.

Reaching down to retrieve his tunic, grunting with the stiffness already settling in his bones, he glanced up as a group of younger men passed by. One of them was Antoninus with a group of officers from the Consular guard about to begin their work out. The younger men stopped and saluted the general; he forced a smile and told them to get on with it, that no ceremony was required on the palaestra. But it had not been easy for him to do. The sight of his young rival immediately spiralled him back into the deep trough of despondency of earlier that day. It was entirely foolish to look on this young man as a rival - but he could not deny that he did.

The boy was stripped and oiled, wearing only his covering. His body was that of a young Apollo, lean and ridged with muscle, each sinew defined and covered with a tight, smooth skin as flawless and bronzed as a statue. Antoninus was a handsome boy by any one's reckoning but revealed in this way, he no longer seemed like a mere youth. He was an adult male in that glorious time when manhood and beauty intersect. Even for another man, it was hard not to stop and stare and wonder at the sight of him. Maximus strained to draw his eyes away, but he could not.

What would an impressionable girl like Aurelia make of such a youth?

Juba must have noticed Maximus' obvious discomfort for he placed a hand on his back and muttered: "Come, let's bathe..."

But before they could turn away, Antoninus strolled up to them with a shy smile. "Sirs...I watched your bout. You were both magnificent. I am ashamed to be following you out with my lads...if I may just say, sir...I wish we might have some time to talk as men. I know I am young and you are so wrapped up in your conferences...but, I would like to offer you my support and my right hand. I am a great admirer of yours, sir. It would be my honour to serve you in this endeavour in whatever way you see fit..."

"...Thank you, but this is neither the time nor the place. Later. If I am free..." Maximus cut him dead and walked away, leaving Juba to nod in embarrassment at the crestfallen face of the young man. It was so unlike his friend to treat any man with such disdain - except an enemy. He fervently hoped that no one else had observed the interchange for it would be a slight on Maximus as a man of honour to have insulted the son of the house that was sheltering him in this way. Even he could see that.

But on the other hand, Maximus' behaviour was restrained in the least. The look on his face had been suggestive of someone about to attack. At least his friend had not unleashed his temper on the unfortunate lad.

The two men did not discuss this incident when they reached the bathhouse taking their ease in silence. By now Maximus regretted his hasty comment but it was too late to take it back. He would have to deal with the consequences of his rebuttal of the boy. Antoninus had been polite and courteous and had done nothing to warrant his snub. He would have to approach him later at some appropriate time and try to appease his insult.

Later lying back in the caldarium, Maximus closed his eyes, but it did not help him to gather his troubled thoughts. All he could see was Aurelia and the boy together - and how natural it had looked. Whether they were innocent or guilty of anything other than idle chatter, a realisation was beginning to dawn on him. Aurelia deserved uncomplicated love. She deserved a future with a boy with whom she could grow, not a man already tainted with as many wounds as he had suffered. A girl as young as she was should not be asked to take on his complexities and problems, nor be asked to be the solace for his pain. How he had ever even imagined she was ready for such a relationship now bedevilled him. It was a terrible act to have taken her virginity. He wished fervently that he could turn back time with the knowledge he now had and restore her purity intact. But he could not.

Trying to shake the images from him, he opened his eyes and found himself staring into an even more unwanted image. Antoninus had finished his workout and was now entering the hot room. He glanced over at the general, winced slightly and walked past, a towel carelessly thrown over his shoulder. The young man was naked and probably flaunting himself, as if in a revenge for his earlier humiliation. Maximus had no doubt that even if Antoninus was in awe of his reputation, the youth was man enough to show a modicum of casual disdain to someone who had spoken so ungallantly.

What is it about men and size? Maximus ruminated to himself as he stared blankly at the approaching figure of the naked athlete. He found he could not look away. His eyes were drawn to the boy's manhood.

It wasn't as if he himself was a man short-changed in that singular part of his anatomy - but still a man glances, even surreptitiously, and then judges himself. Knowing the boy was small would probably have been a victory - albeit a tawdry one.

But Antoninus was not. The youth was surprisingly large and thick in his genitalia, hairy enough in his groin to show he must depilate the rest of his body to get that sleek look, otherwise be as swarthy as any man. This was no skinny youth as his earlier observation had already suggested to him. Antoninus was an impressive specimen in all his gifts - and Aurelia would want for nothing in his arms. Maximus swallowed hard and closed his eyes again - but not before he had seen the wry smile on Antoninus' face. The boy knew he had looked. Men always did. He cursed his own weakness for revealing himself so shamefully.

Antoninus passed on and launched himself into the large pool with the insouciance of the young, jumping in and splashing the others with a laugh.

Standing up, Maximus strode out towards the changing room. He had had enough of the place. 

It did not occur to him that his formidable body might also be of interest to the other men - Antoninus included. Beauty might be one thing, but the formidable structure that was the naked body of this warrior and ex-gladiator was another entirely. His scars and the bulky thickness of his broad muscularity, honed through years in the saddle and on the battle field - not to mention the arena - the striation of real sinew and frame won in the pursuit of honour and duty, was what most impressed other men. This was a real man not a vain youth whose muscles had been formed in little more than strenuous play. There wasn't a man in the place who did not compare himself unfavourably to the general as he passed by, displayed in all his magnificent nudity.

And that included his size. They were, after all, just men.

It was later that day, early evening to be exact, as Aurelia walked across the atrium to the family dining room for the evening meal when she bumped into Maximus. He was crossing the same space in the opposite direction from the study across to the stairs towards the upper storey, himself about to get ready for the evening meal with the male guests in the public triclinium. There seemed to be no one else about at that moment and Aurelia leapt at the chance to talk to him.

"Maxime! How wonderful to spend a few moments alone with you...I have so wished to talk to you! How is it going? When will you leave? What is the support like from the Senate? I thought you might have to leave without any chance for me to tell you how lonely I've been and how much I will be praying for you...! Oh, Maxime... I have missed you so badly...!" Her words rushed out in a breathy rambling torrent. She barely noticed his expression, so eager was she to be with him.

"I cannot speak now, Aurelia...I am required elsewhere...go to your supper..." he answered tersely and made as if to walk on.

She stopped him with a hand upon his arm. "I beg your pardon? What is the matter? Why can't we even exchange pleasantries? There is nobody here - and even if there were...everyone knows we are familiar with each other! You stole me away, for Jupiter's sake!" Aurelia exclaimed with a surprised look on her face.

He shrugged off her hand. "Someone is always watching, make no mistake about that. I am too busy for this, Aurelia...do as you are told..."

"But...but...are you angry with me?" She suddenly seemed to wake up to his general demeanour, the tight mouthed expression, the way he held his shoulders and the eagerness with which he appeared to wish to leave her.

"Why would I be angry with you? Have you done something I should be annoyed about? Run along and join your ladies...I have no time for your playacting..." he replied unfairly.

She reddened at his chastisement, feeling herself put down as merely a child and having no rights even to address him. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to offend. I just wanted to tell you I had missed you. I thought you might have felt the same. Apparently you are too busy for such idle matters as love.... I am duly chastened. I apologise for presuming that I actually might mean something to you...." she retorted angrily.

Maximus grunted at her sharp retort. "You see? This is exactly why I did not want to start a conversation with you! You are simply unreasonable and I will not indulge your silly tantrums. Have you any idea what we are dealing with at the moment? This is life or death. Treason. And, may I point out, this is all for your sake. But don't worry your head about that.  You can dance about and dream of romance and other nonsense while good men put their necks on the line for you..."

Aurelia stared open-mouthed at him as he brushed past her and ran up the stairs. She could not believe what she was hearing. Her heart had missed a beat as he answered her so brutally seeming as though he simply wanted to get away from her as quickly as he could. What had caused this coldness in his behaviour? She took a step back and sank onto a bench at the side of the impluvium, unable to move. Had he tired of her so swiftly now he was back with the others? Had Lucilla reclaimed his affections in some way now that she was spending so much time in his company? Was he regretting what had passed between them in Africa?

It was hard to fathom that a man like Maximus could have changed so much in such a short time. Surely everything they had been to each other the past months could not have disappeared in the matter of a few days?

Then another notion came to her. Had he been angry about something she had done? His odd comment had referred to that. Had he seen her with Antoninus? Was Yani right in saying that he would never view her behaviour with Antoninus as innocent? Had she offended him and lost his love just because she had chatted and laughed with a boy in the fields?

Fear gripped her. Her heart beat fast and her palms grew moist with a clammy sweat. What had she done? He could not be so rigid to spurn her over that, surely? But she could not be sure. He was a man of passion who had suffered much. Perhaps he was too strict and too high-minded to give her even a second chance if she failed him even the slightest. But he had never seemed to her to be a man without the capacity to forgive in all the time they had been living in such intimacy. She could not believe it could all be over in such a chance way! She would not allow it all to end here! He was her love, the only person in the world left whom she truly cared about. He would not slip through her fingers!

Aurelia fled back up the stairs following the direction he had taken, still stunned by his rebuttal and needing time to think, her appetite long gone.

 Yanitra was surprised to see her back, expecting her to be at dinner for a while and about to leave herself to sneak some time alone with Juba. It was difficult for them. He was reluctant ever to leave his master's side at night and by day she was needed with her mistress - an impossible situation. She was not used to such restrictions on her behaviour.

"Mistress! I didn't expect you back...is something the matter...?" she asked when Aurelia burst through the door.

"Leave me alone!" was the only reply she received. Yanitra wanted to leave but she knew enough about her young lady to realise that something serious had happened. It might even involve Juba. She was determined to find out.

"Has something happened? Is it beginning? Oh, madam...please, do not leave me in the dark about this!"

Aurelia looked up frowning. "What do you mean, is it beginning? Oh...you mean the war?" She stopped and seemed overcome by the question. "No...not the war...even worse than that. The war would be a welcome relief if I lose him..."

"Lose him? Has Maximus found out about Antoninus!" Yanitra gasped, her hand to her mouth.

"Stop the melodrama, silly girl! Antoninus? What is there to find out? NOTHING! That's what! There is nothing between Antoninus and me! Will you stop going on about that? Now get out of my sight! I want to be alone...go...run away...leave me be!"

Yanitra shrugged well aware that this was probably some quarrel Aurelia had had with the master and she had no desire to be involved. It was always well to be out of such lovers' tiffs. She gathered up her skirts and ran, thankfully slipping out of her quarters and making for the room assigned to Juba, a small chamber off those of the general. The two men were within the general's room talking when she arrived so she quietly settled down on her man's bed, awaiting his arrival. It was almost time for the household to eat and Juba would not be included in that party.

Aurelia, meanwhile, had thrown herself on her bed to think. Yanitra's words might have annoyed her but she had taken them to heart. Maximus must have been informed  somehow of the lunch she had shared with Antoninus. There is always someone who is prepared to tell tales. Lucilla knew. It would not surprise Aurelia in the least had she let it slip to him in apparent innocence. The slant she would have cleverly put upon the interlude would, of course, fail to mention her own role in setting it all up. That had to be the explanation. Maximus had only just learned about this and meeting with her so unexpectedly at that moment when he had still been hurt and angry had been too soon for him to wish to discuss it further. That is what he had mean by his oblique comments, "Someone is always watching, make no mistake about that...Have you done something I should be annoyed about...? I have no time for your playacting..."

It had to stop here and now. She was not going to allow this absurd rumour to come between them. They needed to talk - fight even - but she was going to make him see that as ill-advised as her behaviour might have been, it had not been intentional. He needed to know that there were those who were actively trying to damage the trust they shared. Up she jumped, straightening her hair and dress, determined to go forthwith to his rooms and to refuse to allow him to turn away from her again.  With her mind made up, she stiffened her resolve in that reckless but sure way she had once she had set her mind on any goal.

But she had reckoned without the presence in the corridor of the very last person she wished to meet.

"Aurelia! I was hoping I might find you here..." Antoninus was loitering, sitting in an alcove, obviously waiting for her. "Are you off to dinner? Come, let me walk you down...!"

"Go away from me!" Aurelia snapped, shrugging away the hand he extended. "You should not be here near my chamber. What is the matter with you? Do you think me some kind of wanton?"

"What? I only meant..."

"Go away! Please, I don't want to talk to you!" she muttered and tried to run past him. He stopped her with his arm and pulled her into the alcove gently.

"What have I done to make you so angry? I thought we were friends! Why, only a few hours ago you were implying that I could approach your father as a suitor...!" He seemed totally bemused by her irrational change of heart. Aurelia paused, aware that he did not deserve her to simply dismiss him without at least a partial explanation - but what could she in all conscience say?

She was saved the need to speak. At that moment Maximus strode down the corridor now changed and ready to meet the gentlemen for dinner. As he passed, he stopped and gave a slight bow; it carried with it an air of disapproval that was palpable. Both of the younger people shot round and looked uncomfortable. They gave the impression of guilt even though there was no real reason for them to feel that way.

"Good evening. I think we are late for dinner, boy. This is really not the time nor the place for clandestine meetings with young women. I doubt either of your fathers would approve....my lady...."

Antoninus blushed. Aurelia could not help but notice the glimmer of comprehension  dawning in his eyes. Had he guessed just from that what was the reason for her complete volte-face? With a mumbled apology, Antoninus bowed to her, and withdrew.

Maximus gave her a long hard stare, his face impassive and then also bowed in his turn, striding away purposefully without speaking further. Aurelia put her hands over her face and swore colourfully under her breath. Was some god conspiring to ruin everything? At least she knew without any doubt now that whatever was driving Maximus' coolness towards her of late, it was as a result of her friendship with Antoninus. But had she now confirmed what Maximus had clearly suspected?

Antoninus ran ahead and took his place at the couches, his face still smarting with embarrassment from his second embarrassing contact with general Maximus in one day. He glanced over at the man himself as he arrived, greeting Gracchus and the other senior men who were present for the dinner. Maximus did not even give him a moment's consideration.

The young man took a cup of wine and drank it thoughtfully. If he had wondered why Maximus had earlier cut him dead, he was now beginning to think that Aurelia was somewhere in the whole conundrum. Antoninus knew that there was some connection between her and the general. His father had mentioned that Maximus had taken Aurelia to Africa to avoid an unwanted dynastic alliance with Quintus Metella. He had implied that this had been at her father's behest. Antoninus had imagined it had merely been a service to the family who had sheltered him in his convalescence in the aftermath of the removal of the tyrant.

But was there more to the relationship than that? Surely the great and noble general had not seduced the girl? Antoninus gave it serious thought. It was possible. Aurelia was such a beauty and of a perfect age for marriage and childbirth. Maximus was a widower and his only son was dead. The advantages of the match were not lost on him - he had thought the same himself. He did not blame Meridius. But Aurelia? What kind of woman is pledged to a man like the general and yet romances another young nobleman behind his back?

One like her mother, from the hints the girl gave. He made a mental note to discover more about the Lady Annia Galeria. As for this idea of his that Aurelia and Maximus might be lovers - he would keep that in mind too, as fantastical as it all seemed.

Settling on the lectus imus, at the lowest position as befitted his junior status, he spent the evening merely watching and listening. His allegiance might be with general Maximus, but it was high time he was let into the inner circle and really learnt what was going on behind the scenes. He did not intend to offer his life up for a cause he only barely understood.

The news sent by swift riders from the south intercepted Quintus as he made his way back towards Rome - and brought the first smile to his face that he had had in weeks. It appeared he had misjudged Cinna entirely. The man had been correct in his instinct after all and his dogged insistence on trailing Maximus had more than reaped benefits. He had uncovered not only his enemy's whereabouts but had managed to stumble across a major conspiracy on his own doorstep which involved his apparent allies. So, Maximus had been after the throne after all, had he? No wonder he had not thrown in his lot with any of the other generals - he had been planning his own coup all along.

His wife, Lucilla, was heavily implicated - and probably had been central to it all along, complicit even in the Aurelia business. His marriage to Lucilla had always been a sham. Maximus had probably directed her to approach him, stealing away the girl to create a void which she could fill and lulling him into trusting her.

Not that he ever entirely had. Quintus Metella trusted no one. He could not afford to.

The plot ran rife through the entire Senate, that hotbed of deceit and intrigue as ever. But it was better to have knowledge of this by far than to be ignorant - especially as the conspirators had no idea their treason had been discovered. Cinna had kept the estate under close supervision. They were perfectly placed for rounding up all the major players in one fell swoop and removing all his most dangerous enemies at the same time. That would leave the Senate in total disarray, toothless and reduced to begging for his clemency. He could then flood it with his own men and they would have to bargain for their lives with the offer of the imperial throne. Absolute power without a single battle. Maximus removed permanently. Lucilla executed for treason. The Aurelian house ruined. A reason to purge all its heirs legitimately. It could not have been in any way sweeter had they handed themselves over.

Quintus perused the missive carefully. Cinna had not made any move other than to keep the estate under close surveillance. His suggestion was that they  should continue to monitor the arrivals until they felt the core of the leadership was in one place then they should act swiftly. He had requested an entire cohort of Praetorians, several hundred at least, should be deployed at his disposal. Quintus was not sure. Maximus had to have thought out a plan for just such an eventuality; to chance an engagement with him was risky in the extreme, even given superior numbers. No one knew better than he the skills his former friend and commanding officer had at his finger tips in open battle. Why, Maximus had even turned a motley gang of gladiators into a well drilled cohort with just a few carefully chosen commands that time in the arena. And Gracchus' estate had a body of consular guard who must have been put through their paces.

No. The one thing they needed to avoid was giving any advantage to the general. There had to be a simpler way of securing the place and forcing Maximus' hand. And then he had it. Maximus had to be defanged, his martial talents shackled. The shrewd tactic against him was always to hit him where it hurt most, tie his hands and prevent him from defending himself.

And Quintus knew exactly the method to achieve that.

Deciding against a scribe - for who knew whom one could trust in such times? - he took up a pen himself and scratched  out his orders, giving them to the rider that Cinna himself had used. The less who were in on this the better. Sealing the document with his own mark set in the hot wax, he watched as the man set off on a fresh horse. Imagine the change in his fortune when he led Maximus in chains into the Senate on charges of high treason? The men who had deserted would soon be back in droves and on their knees - and he would be able to take anything he wanted from them all.

It was late when Maximus returned to his room. He had drunk more wine than usual, sitting up with the men gambling and playing the usual drinking games, far from his usual style of late. But the last thing Maximus wanted this night was to return to his lonely bed and face long hours in solitary contemplation of the fate that awaited him if he let Aurelia go.

He was surprised to find no sign of Juba when he pushed on the door to enter. Nor was any other slave standing by. In some ways though, he was rather glad of that, no longer having much patience for the constant obsequious attention given to him. Slavery was a state which he abhorred after his own experiences of it. He neither wanted any man to serve him nor did he wish to have the annoying presence of people around him day and night. He had hated the public nature of his life as a gladiator, unable even to take a shit without being surrounded by others. Even as a soldier he could choose to be free of others on his time off duty. But as a slave - and here as the central figure of this dangerous uprising - he was back in a world where the attention never left him. Tonight a silent chamber beckoned. At least no one would be witness to his sorrow.

Throwing off his himation, the longer tunic in the Greek style that he had chosen rather than the toga which he had always disliked, he sat to unlace his sandals and then buried his head in his hands, clad only in his loose leggings. Reaching out, he poured himself another cup of wine, aware that he had already drunk more than enough - but a few more cups might bring oblivion. Then he saw the slight shadow fall across the doorway that led into his bedroom. He looked up, his hand already reaching for the knife he always carried but he needn't have worried.

It was Aurelia, a pale wan version of his golden girl. She had clearly been crying. For a moment he stared at her, unable not to notice the loose shift she wore and the outline of her body reflected in candlelight. Her slender feet were bare, a golden chain adorning one slim ankle. She was so beautiful to him even in this subdued melancholy mood. His heart ached for her.

"What are you doing here? Go back to your chambers...!"

"I sent Juba away to spend the night with Yani. I am not leaving."

"Oh, but you are...I will not play your games, Aurelia. I am tired and wish to sleep..."

"...I want to talk to you. There are things I must say..."

"I do not wish to hear. The hour is late and it has been a tiring day. Enough, Aurelia...go..."

"You are angry with me! I want to know why. I want to hear you tell me what is in your mind. Otherwise we are both going to speculate - and that is a dangerous thing..."

"I am not angry with you. Go to your own quarters before you are discovered here..."

"I care not if I am discovered. I will not leave until we have both said our peace. You are angry because I was with Antoninus today. You suspect me of infidelity..."

"Don't be so absurd."

"Then what? Speak to me! Do not do this to me! Do not do this to us!" she advanced on him and touched his chest. He backed away and saw her flinch at his refusal to allow her to even go near him.

"Aurelia...it is not about you! It is I who have done wrong!  You are a young girl of sixteen. I am over twenty years your senior. I should never even have touched you. I am too complicated and wounded a man to burden a child like you. A young woman should know a young man. They should discover life and love together without the shadows of darkness and tragedy that haunt me. I am not angry about Antoninus. I saw you together today and I saw a vision of the future and how it should be. Of course, it makes me sad. I love you. But I had no right to love you nor influence you in the way I have done. I fear I have ruined you. The boy clearly adores you...but I doubt he will feel the same if he knows what has passed between us..."

Aurelia gasped at his words. "What are you talking about? Antoninus and I? Why would you think I wanted a boy like him? I love you! I adore you! You are my world! I don't want him. I want you!" she exclaimed and tried to put her arms about him. He shrugged her away.

"What do you know of love? I came along when you were vulnerable. I was just the man who was there when you needed a man..."

"NO! You are so wrong. Maximus, sometimes you make me so angry! I am tired of you calling me a child. I am not sixteen actually - I am seventeen in fact. That is a good age for a woman. And furthermore, I have had to grow up very fast these past months and I have done my very best to do so. From time to time I know I get things wrong...but I am not a child! We have shared so much, you and I.  We were alone in a hostile world, pursued by the forces of darkness. And yet we found the light in each other. My memories of that time are filled with love and laughter and the wild, heady joy of you! You took nothing from me. You gave me so much. Do you think I wished to lose my virginity to a husband I did not love? To a boy who has no notion of what a woman needs? When you lay with me the first time, it was a sublime moment when we both reached for each other - and it happened as it should happen but rarely ever does in this life. I consider myself the most fortunate of women to have known that...!"

He turned away from her. It hurt her deeply after her impassioned words. "That was a different time. That time is gone. It is a different reality now..."

"Not for me. Never for me! I swear that if you leave me, Maxime, I will take no other man. You will destroy me if you go - and I do not speak of my reputation. I speak only of my heart. Look at me! Remember what we shared! The nights we lay together and the secrets that we gave each other! It was not about erotic pleasure! It was love! We were a man and woman! You were my rock! I was your home! Who dares take that from us?"

Maximus laughed bitterly. "...A beautiful young man who can give you what I cannot...He dares..."

"...Is this because of Lucilla?" Aurelia snapped back, her eyes narrowing. Maximus gave her a bemused glance.

"Lucilla? What do you mean? I speak of a young man with whom you have been spending a lot of time...so don't try and tell me there is no justification for what I say..."

"As you have been spending many hours with Lucilla..."

"I have no choice! We are thrown together!"

"As are Antoninus and I...no one else hardly notices we are here! No wonder we speak to each other..."

"The boy is falling in love with you..."

"Lucilla has loved you for years..."

"He is manoeuvring you..."

Aurelia laughed mockingly. For a moment she seemed very like her aunt. "And Lucilla is not manoeuvring you? As she has been doing for years and years...? Yet I don't go around imagining that you have forsaken me for her...Have you so little trust in me..."

"I saw him with you in the fields..."

"I saw you with her in the gardens..."

"What are you accusing me of?"

"What are you accusing me of?"

He stopped and opened his mouth to reply, then suddenly found he could not answer. She was right. He had no more reason to suspect Aurelia than she had to suspect him. This was not really about her at all. It was about his own lack of belief. Too many things he loved had been taken from him. He was already waiting for the sword of Damocles to fall again.

"Maximus...why are we fighting?" Aurelia broke in. "There is nothing to say! Antoninus is a lovely young man. I like him. I'll admit I led him on knowingly. But I had my reasons, however naïve they were. I thought that if I let him think I was interested in him, then it would be like a....like a...how do you say it in military terms...? I was trying to make it look like something else was happening..."

"A diversion..." Maximus muttered, beginning to catch her meaning.

"Yes, a diversion! I thought that I needed to plan a strategy to support what you had told me to do. Antoninus did make an approach. Nothing unseemly but he made his feelings plain. I know it was really very unkind to use him but... well, he is young! How many young men are lucky in love? So I gave him hopes and dashed them later? He would recover easily enough..."

"...This was a strategy? You purposely led him on...?" Maximus demanded of her.

Aurelia blushed. "Well, a little bit...I flirted with him a little bit..."

Maximus started to smile at her innocent honesty - and then the full force of her clumsy attempt at dissemination hit him and the smile changed to laughter. Aurelia frowned and hung her head in shame. "I must remember this wonderful strategy of yours the next time I find myself in need of a smokescreen..."

"...Don't laugh at me..." she muttered.

He laughed even more, pacing around the small antechamber rubbing his beard and shaking his head while she rambled on endeavouring to make excuses that simply amused him all the more.

"...I did enjoy being with him. I won't deny it!  I have never really flirted with a boy before, you see.. You are not exactly much fun in that way...!" she added petulantly. "I'm not saying I didn't like being with him. I did. And I did try and imagine what it would be like to kiss him. And even what he would look like with no clothes on. But don't tell me you don't look at other women! I know you do. It's normal!" she asserted.

That made him laugh all the harder. He sat down on a chair and beckoned her over. She stood truculently, annoyed at his amusement, refusing to join him.

"I am sorry if I am laughing but I simply have never come across anyone quite like you. Aurelia, you have no idea what is normal for a woman to say to a man! And do you know what I think? That your unique honesty is the most wonderful thing I have ever known. You constantly amaze me..."

"Stop treating me like a child...! I am not your daughter or your niece. I am your mistress. Your lover. Your friend. Your wife. Your partner. The mother of your children....but not a child!" she shouted back.

Something she had said earlier all at once occurred to him. "You said just then you were seventeen, not sixteen. Since when? Did you have a birthday?"

Aurelia nodded sullenly. "Today is my birthday actually. It is why Antoninus took me out. He gave me a gift. I felt upset and he cheered me up. No one else remembered -not even my own father..."

Suddenly Maximus recalled something. "I think he did, Aurelia. Remember, I mean. A box arrived for you today from your father. It is on the desk in Gracchus' tablinum. We forgot to pass it to you...it arrived with some papers..."

"For me? Papa remembered...?" Aurelia was shocked to hear this. She had become so used to her father's lack of sentiment towards her that she had presumed he had forgotten. The knowledge that he had not made her feel ashamed. She had been such a poor daughter and a worthless mistress too. Both of the men who loved her were too good for her.

Maximus continued. "I am so sorry. I never even asked you when your birthday was. Such things hold little meaning for me. That is exactly why you need a young man who will romance you and court you with sweet words, bring you trinkets, write poetry in your honour...I am too old for you...too complex..."

"Rubbish! You are the simplest of men! You are exactly what you appear to be. How many people in this world are that? I don't care anyway. It is too late for that. I love you. Don't tell me what is good for me. I don't care what is good for me!"

"Aurelia...! Listen to me!" Maximus pulled her close. "The gods have a plan. It concerns you. I have been given the task of protecting you, for in you lies the future of the world. One day, you will bear a son who will rule the Empire. Antoninus Gracchus is the ideal mate for you - perhaps even the man who should rule Rome. All this has been demanded of me to ensure that Rome returns to the light from the darkness in which it descended..."

Aurelia grasped his face in her hands. "Me? You think this is all about me? Are you blind? You are the chosen one! The gods do not give a damn about me! You are right that I am nothing more than a womb! But the man destined to be the father of the glory of the world is you! The Protector of the City! The Saviour of Rome! The father of the nation! Maximus...it is you! Not I! "

Maximus frowned. "I do not want it. I only did this for you..."

"It doesn't matter why you did it. But the fact still remains that the fate of the world lies in your hands. Your motives are yours - but the gods have their own agenda...I believe we are destined for this..."

"Aurelia...I..." He was suddenly overcome by what she said. Again he knew she was right. She was always right. Aurelia might be young but she was no child. He was wrong to treat her like one.

"Forgive me, Maximus! Forgive me!  I did not do this to hurt you..."

"There is nothing to forgive..." He fell to his knees at her feet and buried his face against her body. She slipped her arms around him and rocked him back and forth.

He seemed to be shaking. She stopped and forced him to raise his face to hers. 

"What is it, my love...?" Then she saw his tears. They frightened her. How could she have made a man like this weep? "No! I did not mean to make you cry! Oh, please don't cry! I cannot bear to hurt you! I always swore that I would protect you from pain..." she exclaimed.

Maximus cradled her, still racked by the dry sobs that tore through her heart. "It is not pain...!" he gasped out. "It is relief...I love you...I cannot live without you...!"

"Then don't! Let's stop this insanity! I do not care what people say. My father must suspect we are lovers. Yet he still loves me. He will never refuse your request for my hand. Once we are betrothed...do you think anyone will dare accuse me before you of being a whore? If we prevail, do you believe that the man who saves Rome from civil war will be denied the woman he chooses...?"

He breathed deeply, struggling to recover his composure, ashamed at his show of weakness - and yet in some ways glad of it. The roles were truly reversed now. She was totally in command of him. "I always thought it was the man who proposed marriage..." he whispered with the glimmer of a smile as she wiped away his tears..

Aurelia just tossed her head. "Rubbish! We are way past such a thing. And someone has to take charge here before you and your damned sense of honour ruin everything. Remember what you told me back in Africa?" She quoted his words back at him. "..Never believe in defeat. Always expect success. Plan for defeat but do not ever allow it to distract you from the only outcome you will allow - victory! Hesitation in the moment is the sure recipe to disaster. From now on, we must act as if we are invincible. And we will become so...' See? It does not just apply to war and adversity- but to all things! Even love...! Trust me. Stop trying to be my father... and begin to be my man...! Tonight I sleep here with you as is my rightful place. And every night from now on. The world shall know that I am your woman and they can think whatever they choose or be damned for all I care...!"

Maximus stood and raised her into his arms. They did not speak further. There were far better uses for their lips than words. Together they tore at each other's clothes and fell upon the bed - and upon each other. It was time to stop thinking and planning and simply be what they were.

A man and a woman in love.

Gracchus woke Antoninus from his sleep when it was still dark after dismissing the young slave girl who was curled up at his side. She ran off, grabbing her clothes to cover her nudity as the young man struggled to sit up and drag his sleepy brain to life. "Father?" he mumbled hoarsely. "Are you well?"

"Wake up, son. I have need of you..."

Wrapping the cloak that Gracchus held out to him round his nakedness, Antoninus got up and shook himself awake. The two men sat by the table while a slave lit a lamp and brought them a drink and some bread. Gracchus meanwhile showed him a letter. "This has just arrived. It is from Annius Veranus and Servius Galba.." They were both generals with the command of legions in Gaul. So far they had not taken any side. This letter offered their services to Maximus. It was a significant final step for them all. "They won't come here. It would reveal too much. They say they are sure to be watched..."

Antoninus scanned the letter thoughtfully. The men offered Maximus a neutral meeting place near Casinum a small town forty miles north east of Capua. "It could be a trap...They might be luring Maximus away from here to seize him..."

Gracchus smiled. "..My thoughts exactly. But they might also be genuine and this will tip the balance into our favour. What do you suggest we do?"

The younger man gave it only a moment's thought. "Intercept them north of Casinum before they have time to set a trap. Control the situation. We will soon know then if they are friend or foe..."

It made the old man smile to hear the astute judgment of his adopted son. Antoninus was absolutely right. "Then we have no time to lose, boy. Go wake the general. Take him the letter. This must be kept secret. I will entrust the mission to no one but you...."

"It is an honour to serve you both..." Antoninus bowed, throwing off the cloak and dressing hurriedly.

Gracchus grasped him to his chest as he passed by him to leave. "Come back safe, my boy. I could not bear to lose you..."

Antoninus smiled, the fire in his eyes already, eagerness to be off and given a chance to prove himself in this arena driving him with the usual confidence of the young. "I swear it, father...and I will make you proud..."

"I already am, Antoni...I already am...!"

Striding through the corridors, Antoninus gave no thought to anything but the chance he had of showing his abilities to the one man who counted above all. Arriving at Maximus' rooms, he was surprised to find no slaves. A man of this importance should have had many people to serve his needs - and guards upon his door too. He entered and made his way across to the bedroom, opening the door and calling out at the same time. "General? I am sorry to have to wake you but...!"

Antoninus saw the two of them lying together in the bed at the same moment as Maximus woke and shot up, a dagger already in one hand while he pulled the sheet across Aurelia to cover her nakedness. The girl cried out and grabbed at the cloth, horror in her face as their eyes met. He was struck dumb with shock and embarrassment, the image of that moment when he had first espied them still emblazoned on his eyes. Aurelia curled up in Maximus' arms, both blissfully asleep and at peace. His odd instinct had proved to be correct. They had been lovers all the time.

"Get out!" Maximus' low rumble cut across his astonishment; Antoninus stumbled back into the room beyond.

He could hear the muffled sound of speech in the room and then a moment later Maximus himself burst out, now wearing hastily donned breeches, anger burning in his eyes. "What the fuck are you doing walking in on me like that, you little bastard...!"

Antoninus blinked rapidly, shooting to attention, reverting to some semblance of military discipline. "I...I...!"

"Spit it out!" Maximus rasped. Antoninus' eyes wandered to the open door that led back into the bedroom. "...And keep your damned eyes away from that room...!"

Antoninus found his tongue. "My father sent me with this missive. It is urgent and too private to be delivered by a slave..." He thrust the scroll at Maximus who scowled and ripped it from his grasp. But after only a few moments, his face changed.

"Have you read this?" Maximus demanded.

"Yes, sir."

"Your thoughts?"

Antoninus dared look at Maximus for the first time. "My thoughts, sir?"

"Your thoughts, boy. You damned well have them, don't you? Or can you only think with your prick?"

Antoninus blushed. "...I...I think it could be a trap but it may well be genuine. We need to ensure we are not cornered by intercepting the two generals and taking them by surprise before they have time to prepare themselves..."

"We?" Maximus asked coldly.

"My father asked me to accompany you..."

"He did, did he? And how am I to be sure you will not stab me in the back...? I know you want her...but enough to betray me?"

"Sir?" Antoninus paled at Maximus' suggestion. "Betray you, sir? I would die for you...you are the only man I would follow if I had my choice...you are the greatest general of the modern age..."

"Why?" Maximus broke in, dismissing the fulsome praise. "How have you come to this conclusion about me? You don't even know me, boy..."

"...I don't need to know you. I have studied your career. I have watched you these past days. I have listened and gleaned from others what I need to know to make my mind up. You are a singular man. The only man to be entrusted with this great empire of ours...I swear I am your man..." Antoninus fell on one knee, his head bowed.

"Get up! No man kneels to me." Maximus ran his hand across his beard thoughtfully. "And what of Aurelia?"

"I did not know...I swear I did not know...!"Antoninus proclaimed helplessly.

"Of course you did not know! That is not what I meant! I need to know what is your allegiance to her! For she must be safeguarded at all costs..."

"I am at you command, my lord..."

"I'm not your lord. But I am your commander. Get ready and report back here within the hour. There will only be three of us...." Maximus stopped and caught him by the arm as he prepared to withdraw. "I am placing a great deal of responsibility in your hands. I hope I can trust you, Antoninus Gracchus. For if you let me down, I will personally separate that pretty head of yours from that fine body...make no mistake about that...!"

Antoninus said nothing. He knew there was only one way to win this man's trust. And it had nothing to do with words.

It was in the misty predawn light when the three riders left the boundaries of the Gracchan estate, galloping at speed across the silent countryside. But, despite the early hour, their departure had been observed. A watcher was soon waking up Aemilius Cinna. "Sir...three riders, at speed. One was an African, another a youth...but I think the third man was the general..." Cinna jumped from his cot, awake in an instant. At last Maximus had made his move! Whatever Quintus's bait had been, the general had jumped at it - and made a fatal mistake. He had left the women alone.

Easy pickings. Once they were held, Maximus was already defeated. He would never risk their lives even for the greatest prize in the land. Victory without a single thrust of the sword! It was a master class in strategy worthy of Maximus himself. Only fight the battle that you cannot lose. It appeared the worthy general had forgotten his own advice....