CW - some NSFW content toward the end of the chapter.
VERUS LEANED HEAVILY on his cane and – as directed by Mikayla – took another rest. Victoria stayed at his side like a shadow as he regained his breath. He was certain there was a reason Alex had chosen this woman beyond a mere chance encounter, although he had yet to figure out why. Having a day with her in his care had given him ample opportunity to discuss whatever came into his mind to question her with, but still yielded no answers that warranted the attention of the gods he traveled with. The enigma was delightfully frustrating.
As midday neared, he hired a cart to take them to his father's house for lunch. One of the camp boys took the message at a run into the bustle of the market to notify Ennius and Mikayla to meet them there, if they were inclined to a family meal. Verus relaxed in the cart as Victoria settled their small purchases so nothing would fall once they started through the city.
"A drink?" Verus cracked his eyes open to see the offered skein held near his face. His gaze traveled up the arm to the man making the offer, and he smiled at Marcus.
"I'm attending on my father's house for lunch, and the wine there is much better," Verus smiled through his lashes.
"Yes, but this wine is already here," Marcus returned the smile and Verus could almost smell the promise of sex.
"Very true," he replied, leaning forward and tempting Marcus to do the same. Verus smiled when the Optio did, rewarding the officer for his obedience by tracing fingers over his jaw and ensuring that his lips would touch Marcus's ear when he spoke.
"I could accompany you," Marcus offered, his voice heavy.
"You could," Verus agreed, casting his tone lower, "but I don't take my whores into my father's house."
The shock of the insult being spoken so plainly jolted through Marcus's whole body. Verus teased at Marcus's ear with his tongue for a moment, ensuring that the Optio was still enthralled before pushing the man away. Marcus was shaking with impotent rage at being so quietly rejected as Verus held his hand down to help Victoria into the cart. Verus made sure to look back for a long stare at the man he was playing with as they were carried away, ensuring that Marcus still preened under the gaze.
***
On the cart ride back to the market, Mikey tried hard to remember the last time she'd eaten that much. Ennius teased her gently after every burp, pleased that she'd enjoyed a meal at his family's home, and ecstatic that his family had enjoyed hosting her. Verus was in unusually high spirits as he discussed potential wedding gifts with Victoria, asking for fine details about what kinds of gifts were common in her culture, then asking her to explain each thing that he didn't immediately recognize.
"Enough, little brother," Ennius laughed. "You'll empty the girl's thoughts before dinner and she'll have nothing left to keep you entertained tonight." Verus snorted a laugh and continued to pester Victoria.
"I see why Alex calls you her brother," Mikey laughed after an extended explanation from Victoria produced five more questions. "You're both –"
"Beautiful and intelligent," Verus interrupted, his tone serious.
"Irritating as hay in the little bindings," Mikey finished, making them all laugh. They stepped off the cart in the weapons area of the market, per Verus's request to the driver. Verus purchased two matching knives from the same table Alex had favored the previous week.
"What do you need more knives for?" Ennius had questioned him.
"These are my wedding gift," Verus replied.
"You expect them to kill each other so expensively?" the older brother laughed.
"The horseman's eldest grandson is marrying the Lady Avilia's prime student," Verus cryptically explained with a shrug and the smile immediately dropped from Ennius's face.
"You're certain?" Ennius asked his younger brother quietly.
"After these four years with your newest Centurion under my command, I am," Verus replied, meeting his brother's gaze. Ennius cursed quietly, looking away sharply, and then apologized to the women for the terrible language. Both women smirked because they lived with Verus. Ennius attempted to force a smile back onto his face.
"I'll need a better gift than the trinkets I've already purchased," he told Mikey, trying to explain away his reaction.
They finished their shopping, Ennius upgrading his gift substantially, and then hired a cart to take them to the edge of the city nearest to the encampment. Alex and Ixillius were already waiting in expectation of the wedding march that would pass this way. The road to the Nazario family's Verona home was lined with Legion families and Verona natives, the cat-calling already starting even though the bride was yet to appear. Brasus and his family arrived together from inside the city, the newly promoted Centurion looking deliriously happy even from a distance.
"He finally talked to his woman," Alex smiled at her husband, pointing to their friend. Ixillius and Verus started the wave of insults being hurled at Brasus and the woman who was now obviously his wife, their children laughing and clapping along with the crowd as Rishima blushed darkly and Brasus grinned wider.
"There are two weddings today?" Mikey asked.
"One wedding, two marriages," Alex attempted to clarify. Then the family was in the middle of the friends and introductions and congratulations were being yelled and laughed by everyone in the street. Somehow Alex and Ixillius ended up getting caught into the rush of new marriages and bad wolf howls echoed around the buildings.
When the bride did arrive, the party was already well underway and she and her father were quickly absorbed. Alex suddenly felt her feet leave the street as Ixillius scooped her into his arms, laughing at the encouragement to steal her away before the dinner even started.
Due to the fathers of both the bride and groom being in the Legion, so only having this one day, the usual two-day wedding was compressed into the one evening. Alex cheered along with the rest when Magnus and his friends 'abducted' his new wife from the dinner table and stole her away to the camp so she could collect her possessions and dowry while the young men all hustled back to the Nazario house to be ready to meet her there. The ritual insults and cat-calls aimed at the new bride as she marched through the city had everyone laughing until tears stood in their eyes.
***
Mikayla was still smiling and humming one of the songs she'd surprised everyone by dancing to at the wedding when they got back to their tent late that night. Alex quickly checked on her animals, handing out the scraps from dinner that she'd saved for them. Ixillius was waiting by the fence when she stepped out, and he held a finger to his lips for her to be quiet before pointing at the entrance to the tent. Mikey and Ennius were still outside, talking quietly, Mikayla laughing and both of them flirting.
Mikey smiled, shyly saying her good-nights to the Legate. Ennius caught her suddenly and pecked a kiss to her lips quickly before she turned to go inside. Alex watched nervously for any sign that Mikey was going to reject the attentions as Ennius asked if he could kiss her again. Mikayla nodded, blushing, and Ennius took more time with his affections. The kiss was long enough that Alex was impressed they both stayed dressed.
"We may have another wedding to attend," Ixillius bent to whisper in Alex's ear.
"I hope not too soon. I cannot eat that much again for many weeks."
Ixillius grinned and pulled her away, leaving his Legate to woo the Lady Healer without their spying. He took Alex to the middle of the Parade Ground, empty but for a few of the camp dogs sleeping at the edges.
"What are we doing here?" Alex asked him.
"Look up," he replied, wrapping his cloak around her so that she was nestled against him. The clear night sky shone with stars and Alex sighed happily, drinking in the view with her eyes.
"Beautiful," she whispered.
"We all slept on the Parade Ground the first night after I volunteered, the barracks weren't made yet and the night was warm enough. I met Brasus that day, and we've been sword brothers since. We stayed up most of the night, talking of the great heroes we were going to be and just staring up at a clear sky like this."
Alex closed her eyes and tried to picture the memory he described. The thought of Brasus and Ixillius, naïve young men setting out to make their mark in the Legions, left her smiling wider.
"That is a good memory," she told him. She opened her eyes to find him watching her and not the sky. He kissed her as though she might break under his hands at any moment, lowering her to the ground when her knees turned to water.
"Look up, Alexandria," he whispered.
The gentle worship he bestowed on her left her barely able to breathe, let alone scream, as the stars spiraled in the sky overhead. His hands sought out every inch of her skin, almost burning her after slowly being exposed to the winter. By the time he finally took her in sex, she couldn't tell if she was shivering from the cold or from him. Her body coiled tight and released, stars filling her vision completely. She lost track of time and space, existing only in the universe he was creating for her. The contrast of the cold air and the heat from his body stealing away her ability to think until there was nothing left inside her with him but the stars.
"Tell me our child's name," he murmured, his own orgasm nearing. "Tell me who my child is."
Alex whispered the name she remembered from her momma's research, the name of the small change she no longer remembered had once not existed, as they peaked together. Sometime later, after he'd carried her back to their tent and tucked in both of them for sleeping, Alex dreamt of the many skies she'd slept under through the years. Constellations and dancing aurora glowed close enough that she could actually touch the sky and cup stars in her hands.
Ixillius woke up as a shock of chill air hit the skin of his chest and stomach. Alex sighed happily in her sleep; her arm was stretched out of the shared covers as if she was scooping water from above them, the gap left from her reach what had caused the cold air in their bedding. He slid his hand up her arm to bring her back within the covers.
"Be careful," she warned him as his fingers reached her wrist. "Their light burns out if you touch them," her accent was gone. He carefully wrapped his fingers over the back of her hand, following the scooping motion she made to release whatever she was dreaming she held. She reached again, rolling to lie beside him so she could use both hands. "Look at this one," she whispered. "Such a pretty color."
She sighed and released whatever she was catching, nuzzling against his side once she brought her hands down and he could pull their covers close again. Ixillius scrubbed his hand over his face. There was so much he wanted to ask her about the name she'd told him on the Parade Ground, but he didn't want to know if she actually knew the answers, or if he wanted to know them if she did. She giggled at something he couldn't see and reached up again, sending another chill down his chest that she appeared oblivious to.
"I love when the northern sky fires dance," she told him, her fingers waving as if she was stroking fabric. "Have you ever seen them?"
"No," he answered simply, wondering what she was talking about.
"They're beautiful. The sky fills with light, usually just pale greens or blues unless you're very far north where they're filled with brilliant colors that dance until dawn. I've watched them for hours." She shivered and cuddled tighter into his side as she tucked her hand back against him. "I'd take you to see them at the Yenisei River campsite, but we'd have to fly there and I don't think you'd like that."
He smiled at the meaningless description of the fanciful things she was dreaming of and kissed the top of her head. She stayed quiet for a few moments.
"Oh, look," she crooned, interrupting the question he'd almost worked up the nerve to ask as her body slipped out of his arms and she sat up to reach higher. "This one's so tiny."
"That's enough, Alexandria, this night is too cold." He tried to hold her cloak on her shoulders. She shivered and woke up, grumbling to herself in her mother's language as she wrapped her cloak tighter and looked around for the blankets her activities had dislodged. "What were you dreaming of?" he asked, arranging the covers so they could lie down again.
"Of silly things," she answered, her accent back. "That I held the stars in my hand." He could hear the smile as she cupped her hand between them. "Forgive me for waking you," she added and then yawned. "The dream was very pretty, but silly."
He kissed the top of her head. His relief far from being small that he'd been freed of asking her more about the name she'd told him.
"I forgive you." He squeezed her ass in one hand as he tucked his other hand behind his head. "Next time wake me up for sex, though." Alex chuckled and yawned again, falling asleep quickly. His own thoughts kept him awake for a time, drifting softly into dreams of stars, flying... and a daughter.