The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 5

        "What did you reply?" he asked, carefully.

        "I did not promise for no sex," she shrugged, her eyes scanning the table. "Do we have enough of the bad drink for tonight and the morning?" she asked.

        "Don't change the subject," he growled; how could she be so calm? "This is another rumor that will tear the Legion apart, Alex."

        "Rumor? The sex is fact," she finally looked up at him, arms crossed, her tone and gaze the same as any teaching scholar when he was a child. "I have one year, five years, twenty years to fight with you. Verus is sick right now, and you said he is better to hold together the pieces of the Legion. The promise is broken. I told Marcus, and three men overheard, that I asked you for sex. The talk is the same as before Hludwolf that you are my dog and I am a whore. For right now, for my brother, do we have enough of the bad drink?"

        "No," he finally replied, jaw clenched shut, hating that she was right. She breathed a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes with her knuckles.

        "Verus must eat, and Marcus said he will give back the jars to the healers after he brings the meal for Verus. I will ask Marcus to get more of the bad drink while he is returning jars," she said, dropping her hands to lean on the table, no longer looking up at him. "You must ensure there is no fighting for the water, and Quintus must stay with you," she paused. "Heliodoro will stay with you?" she asked.

        "Yes," he answered, barely able to see through the flare of jealousy.

        "Good," she replied, the finality in her tone surprising him. "When you and Quintus come back is the right time for Verus to have the medicine and healing. Marcus will be finished his tasks first, so will be here already," she nodded to herself. "You, Quintus, Marcus, do you want to eat before the healing?" She turned her face slightly so she could see him. Ixillius cringed, the memory fresh from the night before.

        "We will eat after," he answered. "The Centurions are already slated last for water by your design, so another hour will mean little." He'd meant the insult to cause a reaction in her, any reaction, but she turned back to the table and remained quietly thinking. When she finally looked at him again, her features were simply determined.

        "I will arrange meals for after," she stated. "You will see Brasus tonight?" she added quietly, glancing at Verus.

        "Shall I run a message for you, Lady?" he snipped. Anger flashed across her features and vanished behind the calm.

        "Verus made a show of trusting Heliodoro last night, and he only does that when he wants me to see something else," she whispered. "But I do not see, and you are too angry to see, so we must ask Brasus."

        "And what shall you do as we all scurry about?" he snapped, unable to stop being angry that she was right.

        Her gaze slipped away from him, her shoulders rigid. Alex debated the merits of just losing her temper, letting Ixillius pick the fight he was itching for. They would probably both feel better, but yelling – with the men already training just outside – meant more rumors. From what talk had reached her today, there were enough rumors of her somehow joining the command structure that a major spousal blowout would be interpreted as dissension or insubordination. Everything was so frustrating!

        Verus was still priority one. The fight with Ixillius could wait because that wouldn't help Verus. A fight also wouldn't serve her second priority, which she'd changed from spinning useful rumors into simply helping hold the Legion together. Alex had gotten more information from Verus today, and that was all he had been doing, and what he'd tasked Ixillius to do. Word had been sent ahead a month ago, when the Legion commanders had all been slaughtered, and a letter received a few days ago that a new Legate would be waiting in Verona. If she could play a few rumors about whatever 'powers' Minerva's 1st thought she possessed, maybe she could help maintain obedience.