The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 33

ALEX RETRIEVED HER jian, hooked the scabbard to her belt, and drew the blade. She needed to feel the weight in her hand before she felt comfortable. Mikey was already opening shutters to clear the smoke, so Alex sheathed her sword and started lighting the lamps. Verus followed suit – once Alex helped him up – and lit the lamps closest to him. When Mikey turned back from opening the final shutter, she flicked the safety on and handed Alex the gun as she chastised Verus for taking on the small activity of lighting a few lamps before she crouched beside Ixillius to check the split in the back of his head. Alex collected all the spent casings and quickly tucked them into the purse that had held her mother's medallion.

        The evidence of the shots removed, aside from the bullets Mikey already planned to take out of the bodies later, Alex brought a couple of lamps closer to where Mikey was inspecting Ixillius. Ixillius staggered up a few inches once she was within reach and wrapped his arms around Alex's knees, pressing his face into her legs. The new position of his head was a bad angle for Mikey to check the cut, so the two women tried to coerce him to let go without any luck.

        Alex handed Victoria the handgun as soon as she came back. Verus immediately demanded she give him the weapon, his curiosity huge, and Alex denied him permission. He argued across the room, trying to intimidate Victoria and failing completely. Alex ignored his petulant demands and asked the younger woman to report.

        Victoria quickly spoke about what happened in the stables, how she'd gotten into the house, and then the short fight beside Quintus and the horses. Verus refrained from interrupting her, something Alex rarely saw as he usually demanded more details. Victoria finished that the last she'd seen, Quintus and the messenger who had been brought into the house with Ixillius were discussing Naevius's fate, then added that the messenger had ordered her to search out Celsus.

        Alex grinned at the question in Victoria's tone. If she hadn't been pinned in place by her husband, Alex would have taken Victoria back outside to properly introduce her gigno. But, until Ixillius let go or her gigno came back, that would have to wait. Instead, she sent Victoria to put the handgun away and agreed she should locate, and if required free, the Celsus family.

        Verus's eyes followed Victoria as she slipped out of the room. His features were full of the blank nothing that usually meant his mind was working sharply. He started tapping his knuckle on his lips.

        "I have never seen you listen so close to anyone as you just did to Victoria," Alex chided, quietly breaking into his thoughts.

        "That woman," Verus said, turning to look at Alex somewhat triumphantly. "You acquired her to bear my children."

        Alex and Mikey stopped trying to pry Ixillius loose and stared at Verus. The statement was spoken so matter of fact that they were both surprised beyond words.

        "You do not like women for sex," Alex finally replied, making Verus scoff.

        "What does that preference have to do with planting a child?" he glared at her, as surprised by her statement as she and Mikey were by his replied question. Mikayla chuckled and shook her head, turning back to Ixillius.

        With Mikey's help, Alex finally shifted back far enough to sit on the nearest couch and pulled Ixillius's arms to latch around Alex's waist. He laid his head on her lap so Mikey could finally assess whether he was going to need stitches. Verus lay back on his couch, obstinate and sullen that he wasn't allowed to study the Makarov, and playing at being insulted that Alex disagreed about having bought Victoria specifically for him.

        Sertor returned, passing Mikey as she went to get her small stitching kit, and checked on his daughter before stepping over to sit with Verus. The two of them quickly filled in the gaps of what they each hadn't seen, Verus reciting Victoria's report and then Sertor repeating Quintus's, until between them they had a complete understanding of the events of the night. Alex ignored them. Tonight was the second time the politics over her name had almost gotten her and her husband killed, and right now she was sick of politics.

        When Victoria returned with Verus's father in tow, Verus and Sertor already had an appropriate story dreamed up, and Mikey was nearly finished stitching Ixillius's head. The two older men greeted each other as dear friends, which barely surprised Alex, and then Sertor narrated the edited tale of events to his friend. The story matched the planned rumors rather than the actual happenings, but was complete, tidy, and left no unanswered questions, and provided a few points Celsus was asked not to repeat so he gained a feeling of privileged confidentiality. Those two liars are terribly good at their trade, she silently admitted as she held her husband closer now that Mikey was done.

        Slaves took the bodies out to the yard per Mikey's orders, and Sertor was able to finally address the matters of his own family. With many witnesses, he produced the letters from Augustus; the first releasing his daughter from slavery, and the second endorsing Ixillius as Sertor's adopted son while claiming the disowned First File as a random relation through Ixillius's dead mother. The immediate elevation in his social status, acknowledged through a required change in name to something appropriate to his 'true' heritage, ensured the existing marriage continued, with Augustus's congratulations and blessing. Ixillius stared at the second letter, the written words disappearing from his mind as quickly as he read them, none of them making sense.

        "Do you understand what this all means, son?" Aetius – no, Avilius – knelt to look the Centurion in the eye.

        "No," Ixillius replied, honestly wanting to.

        "I'll tell you the important part then, yes?" he asked, and Ixillius eventually nodded in reply. "Your wife is free, and you are still her husband."

        Ixillius blinked a few times, and then turned and pressed his face back into Alex's legs. Sertor patted his adopted son's shoulder as the leather in Ixillius's armor creaked and Alex exclaimed, smiling while complaining about being nearly crushed.

        "Quit whining, girl," Sertor chided her.

        "Easy for you to say," she replied in Russian. "I've had to pee since Celsus came in and now my bladder's getting squeezed."

        Sertor laughed warmly and then bent to whisper directly to Ixillius, who immediately released his grip and stared up at Alex's face in wonder, then hugged her more gently.

        "You're certain?" Ixillius asked up at his father-in-law.

        "I am," Sertor replied.

        "Certain of what?" Alex asked. She was thankful for the released pressure, but was left wondering what mischief her gigno was up to as the older man straightened and went back to sitting with Verus. Alex smoothed Ixillius's hair back. When she straightened, he rose to his knees and buried his face in her shoulder. She rested her cheek on top of his head and hugged him back.

        "I love you," she whispered as he started shaking and his first tears began.