THE WEEK PASSED easily. The discord of having the new command was softened considerably by extra time outside Verona due to the Legion behind being delayed by reinforcing the washed out bridge. The routine of training and working in the city – Ennius had promised the Governor some canal repairs completed before they marched for Illyria – left little time for the rumors that had been the main entertainment during the march. Ennius also didn't change much of the command organization that Verus had implemented; he'd only promoted Brasus to Centurion for the 6th and 4th. As well, the next Market Day was tomorrow, and Ennius had already circulated that all men were granted permission by the Governor to have the entire day for business. As the morning orders ended, Brasus quietly mentioned to Ixillius that his son's wedding would be taking place after the market so that friends could attend.
"And what of you?" Ixillius asked him in the moments before heading back to their respective centuries. "Have you spoken with Rishima yet?"
Brasus had shaken his head and looked away so Ixillius hadn't asked further. Ixillius wondered at his friend, who still doubted his woman after so many years and so many children, because she could now buy herself free. The newly promoted Centurion had only spoken to Magnus for setting up details about the wedding the past two days. Being in the same situation of willful ignorance against losing his own woman, Ixillius clapped a hand onto his friend's shoulder and made sure to smile before they parted.
Ixillius walked back to the 1st and 1st and got his men organized into the work groups that Ennius wanted. The Legate joined him at the front of the line going into the city, and Ixillius found himself and Quintus again answering questions about the situation in Bonna, the politics happening when they'd left, and the rumors and facts of the march. Quintus spent most of the walk chuckling at the insatiable curiosity that Ennius had around the occurrences during the three night stay at the winter spring, getting Ixillius to repeat multiple times how sick Verus had been and that the messenger, Aetius Vitus, had stayed on for an extra day as acting Prefect.
***
Alex grinned over her blade at Yehao. Only Alex and Yehao had showed up for the morning training, the rest of the civilians were busy preparing for the market tomorrow. Yehao's eyebrows knitted closer together, her glare getting angry. She attacked again, jian flashing in the late morning sun, and Alex blocked and returned the blows until she could lock the blades one more time. Yehao threw down her sword.
"You... you!" she whispered, too furious to yell.
"This," Alex stepped back and spun her jian to hear the blade hum, "is not bamboo. And this," she gestured at the open patch they trained in, "is not a small alley with many people standing close to watch."
The bruises on Yehao's face were nearly gone, and even Verus had complimented how pretty she was as she healed. Alex sheathed her jian, waiting to see if her slave would argue further. Today was the first time they could test each other's skills, and Alex wasn't surprised that – if only slightly – her own skills were better in the open. Yehao absorbed the comments, thinking fully through her response before she opened her mouth.
"You let me win," she accused, finally.
"No," Alex laughed and shook her head. "You won fairly."
"Today proves those words are lies," Yehao was nearly crying she was so angry.
"Today proves I can beat you in a wide place," Alex allowed. "But in the alley you would win again. If we spar in a narrow space, I will lose."
Alex could see the shorter woman was replaying the fight from the alley in her mind, analyzing every step, attack and block that they'd exchanged, and comparing that with the matches they'd had today. Alex picked up and held out Yehao's jian to her, hilt first. After a moment, the younger woman took the sword and cleaned the mud off the blade with the bottom of her new tunic.
They heard the crier passing through camp, calling the hour. The morning training would be ending for the men on the Parade Ground. That also meant lunch, Alex's rumbling stomach reminded her.
"Come with me to meet Ixillius and Ennius for the midday meal," Alex invited Yehao to walk beside her as the younger woman sheathed her jian.
Mikey and Verus were already inside the tent when they arrived, discussing something across the table that Alex didn't bother listening to as she passed through go clean up. Yehao got pulled into the conversation while she waited for Alex to be done. The privacy Yehao insisted on still seemed odd, even after this entire week, because Alex was used to Verus, Ixillius and Mikey all piling around and over the wash stand together.
"So your name is different in different languages, similar to words rather than a real name?" Verus asked, pointedly, making Yehao nod and look down at her hands. "Well, what is the correct word for your name, then?" he asked as Alex came out from the washstand. Yehao mumbled the reply, not looking up. Verus scowled and leaned forward, pinning her in place with a glare. "Speak up, woman, this is your name. I should be given your name to speak properly now that you live in my home," he demanded.
"Good Enough," she replied clearly, still looking at her hands. "My name is Good Enough in your language." Mikey and Alex both cringed at the admission. Verus, however, scowled harder.
"That," he emphasized, "is a terrible name."
He leaned on one elbow on the table top, staring at Yehao and tapping his lips with his knuckle. She didn't move under his gaze, staying defensively embarrassed and waiting for the ground to swallow her whole. Mikey was about to try and say something to break the tension when Verus started talking again.
"I'm giving you a new name," he announced. "And this one will remain the same in every language as a proper name should."
Yehao was stunned. Mikey looked like she was going to argue, but Verus cut her off with a flick of his hand. He stood up from the stool he'd been sitting on and cupped Yehao's face in his hands, forcing her head back so that he could study her features. Alex smiled at the memory of receiving a similarly thorough examination the first time she'd met Verus, although her experience had been of her entire body.
"I'll choose a proper name for you," he promised sincerely. "You're better than Good Enough now."
His attention snapped to the entrance as one of the boy messengers passed by, announcing the return of the men who'd been working in the city this morning, and he completely missed the look of absolute adoration that flicked across Yehao's face. Verus took up his standing argument with Mikey over the use of his cane for getting to the entrance as they prepared to go out, the matter of renaming Yehao already settled in his mind.
The men threw around ideas for Yehao's new name over the midday meal. Most left Alex and Mikey shaking their heads, and the light topic brought a lot of laughs to the group.
"You are not allowed to name our children," Alex chuckled.
"Why not?" Ixillius replied, actually sounding insulted.
"A name is one word, not one sentence," she replied, and Mikey snorted a laugh.
"Uncle!" Ennius called as Quintus was passing. "What would you name the slave belonging to the First File's slave?"
"Doesn't she already have one?" he asked, walking over.
"I found out today that her name changes depending on the language being spoken and translates to Good Enough, and I hate saying a terrible name for an interesting woman," Verus explained. Quintus looked at Yehao quietly eating, a small grin pulling at one corner of his mouth.
"Is the rumor true that she bested Lady Avilia in sparring?" the Optio asked the group in general and Ixillius and Verus both nodded heartily. "That's easy, then," the older man stated with a shrug.
"Well?" Ennuis asked impatiently as Quintus drew out the pause by looking around at each of the men.
"Victoria," he stated, chuckling at them for not having already reached the same conclusion. Verus repeated 'Victoria' a few times, testing the syllables, as Ennius turned to speak with his Prefect who had approached behind Quintus. Alex ignored the glare from the Prefect that a conversation of Legion affairs was occurring with three women still in attendance and turned to Yehao.
"What do you think?" Alex asked her.
"The name is not mine to choose," she replied quietly and darted a glance at Verus.
"The name suits the woman," Verus stated. "You're Victoria, now. In every language," he added.
***
Alex had already undressed for sleeping when Ixillius returned after the nightly rounds. He dropped a bundle of food close to the tent wall in their room and they talked of the mundane happenings of their day. Alex recounted how the civilian training was going, and Ixillius confirmed the time for Magnus and Tanaquilla's wedding.
"And what of Brasus?" Alex asked. "Did he to talk to Rishima, his woman?"
"Not yet," Ixillius admitted gently.
"Idiot," Alex frowned. "They raised all five children, and he is still not certain she loves him."
"A child doesn't make a woman love the father," he defended.
"No, a child does not," she agreed. "Nursing and raising two sons that are not hers, and also giving him three daughters, that says the woman loves the father."
Ixillius chuckled and undressed so he could wash well after the day's work and training. He enjoyed his wife's straight lines of thinking for relationships, and that – as he was learning from her improved vocabulary – she applied that thinking to theirs. Alex already had the blankets laid out when he came back to their room. She yawned, smiling as they wrapped up and he pulled her onto his chest.
"Why are we taking so much food to the market tomorrow?" she asked, referring to the bundle he'd brought, her voice sleepy.
"We're not going to the market tomorrow," he answered, rubbing his hands over her back.
"Then why any food?" she questioned. He started untying the straps that held her hair up in the braided roll high on the back of her head.
"Because we're not leaving this room until we're expected for the wedding."