WHEN QUINTUS RETURNED bearing the plates, Ixillius surprised him with a wide smile as he opened the door to allow the Legionnaire entry. Ixillius saw that the expectation had been the same grim demeanor that had hung over the Centurion on entering the rooming house. He laughed when the man bearing the midday meal hesitated to cross the threshold.
"Are you feeling well, sir?" Quintus asked before moving forward.
"I am," Ixillius said with a chuckle. "Come, set the plates on the table, and mind the kite."
Quintus hesitated again when he saw the bird playing with the collar, and jumped visibly when Ixillius shut the door with all three people still inside the room. Ixillius took the plates from the Legionnaire who now stood frozen between the door and table. He set the large meal between himself and Alex as he sat, and the regular meal on the edge of the table nearest the bench.
"Sit and eat, Quintus," Ixillius nodded to the bench.
"I don't think—" the Legionnaire started.
"Sit, man. This meal is for you, with my thanks and the thanks of my lady."
Quintus looked between Alex and Ixillius eating off the same plate and the young kite alternating between playing with the plated collar and eating the food Alex gave him by hand. Quintus inched over to the bench, not wanting to offend his commander, but unable to grasp the current situation. He ate cautiously, as if the food might be tainted, and tried hard not to notice when Alex drew Ixillius's attention to his stiffness.
Ixillius grinned when she flicked his fingers, unable to swat him due to his armor, as he played at being unknowing toward Quintus's discomfort.
"I said I owed you thanks, Quintus, but I don't think you know why," Ixillius started, giving up his teasing and turning to his man. "You did well protecting my lady today, but you did even better at keeping your head in a very bad spot. The 6th and 4th will look the better for your actions, and the worse for mine in keeping company with a supposed slave woman who outsmarted and outmatched one of our Legion's well-educated, well-trained young patricians."
Quintus humbled quickly.
"It was the right thing that had to be done, sir," he said to his plate.
Ixillius felt the urge to laugh at the man sharing the meal with him. Anyone with ears or eyes knew that Quintus was a personal friend of some of the highest ranking officers in Rome.
"Quintus," he said, drawing the Legionnaire's attention back up, "I'm not ignorant of the men who call you a friend. Your stature through deeds sits tenfold beyond any actions done toward you today."
"Thank you, sir. But—"
His words stopped abruptly as the crow tossed the collar to the floor with a bang and awkwardly swooped off the table after it. The Legionnaire's eyes shot to the naked neck of Alex and back down to his plate, brows knitted in confusion.
"You followed her orders yourself less than an hour ago while she still wore the collar," Ixillius said, levelly. "The collar keeps Aquilus Naevius from being able to claim her for the pens."
Quintus thought for a few moments.
"Brasus says she saved your life from the barbarian woman at the last village we razed?"
"He told you the truth," Ixillius agreed.
"The slaves we took from there say she was pushed up from under the ground, sent to spawn death throughout the village, and called up our century to avenge her entrapment in the pit."
"Yes, and Brasus announces after every battle that I've joined in blood with Him We Don't Name to ensure we were victorious." Ixillius grinned at the man under his command and was rewarded with seeing a bit of the tension ebb away. "As for Alex, twice now you've seen that she's quite comfortable in combat. Do you think I'd risk my neck by forcibly collaring hers, especially when she's kind enough to tolerate my affection when she's not wearing it?"
Quintus observed the look between the Centurion and his woman, and felt the last of his tension slip away. He was happily surprised to have his respect for his commander improved yet again.