“Have I seen you before?” she asked. Artorius swallowed hard before answering, “Possibly.” Diana’s face broke into a full grin as she addressed him once more.
“I now remember where I’ve seen you.” She turned back to her plant and Artorius could not tell if she was stifling a laugh or not. He sighed and rolled his eyes; Carbo’s favorite expression echoing in his mind. Nice one, dumbass!
“Just leave the parcels with Proximo,” Diana said over her shoulder. Artorius complied, handing the package and letters with the servant who stood beside his mistress. Diana then turned to him once more. “There’s wine if you’d care to sit with me for a while.” Artorius grinned and walked briskly back to the dais. He inhaled the aroma of the wine before he started to pour. This was not cheap tavern wine by any stretch.
“Would my Lady like some too?” he asked, turning back towards her.
“Of course,” Diana replied. Artorius was breathing heavily, even though he done no physical exertion. His hand trembled slightly as he set the cup down next to Diana. He caught himself breathing in deeply through his nose, trying his best to catch her scent.
“You seem a bit flushed,” Diana observed out of the corner of her eye. “Please, feel free to remove your armor and relax.” Artorius was only too happy to comply. While a lifesaver in combat, the lorica segmentata was a cumbersome burden at any other time one had to wear it. He removed his belt and gladius, setting them on the dais. It took him a minute to undo all the leather ties on his armor and work his way out of it. He then removed his padded shoulder covers that he wore underneath and set them next to the rest of his kit. He then tightened up the rope belt he always wore when just in his tunic and returned to his seat, wine in hand. He desperately tried to think of things to talk to this enchanting lady about.
“I take it my cousin is doing well?” Diana asked, breaking the awkward silence as she continued to work on the shrub. Artorius nodded while contemplating his answer.
“He’s doing well enough,” he replied diplomatically. “My Lady will have to forgive me, but I scarcely see him.” He cringed as he realized the error of his words.
“Of course,” Diana replied. “My apologies; I had forgotten that a Decanus would have little interaction with the Centurion Pilus Prior.” Artorius closed his eyes hard as she stated the very thing he hoped she would not. His inferior status was shoved right into his face, whether the Lady had meant to or not. She was of a much higher social standing than her cousin; and Artorius did not even rate exchanging pleasantries with him!
“Well I do tend to see him more than the rest of the Decanii…at least more so than those not in his First Century.” Damn but he was pathetic! He downed his entire goblet of wine and quickly went back to serve himself some more. When he returned he elected not to sit down.
“You’re a big one,” Diana observed, looking his way once more. Artorius grinned.
“Why thank you; I will take that as a compliment.”
“It was meant as one,” she replied with a short nod to the side. Artorius then looked down for a second before addressing her again.
“My Lady, please do not mistake my being but a plebian soldier…” his words were cut short as Diana raised a hand, silencing him.
“I think no such thing,” she replied. “My cousin, while not of noble birth, is an honorable man; as I take it are the men who serve under him.” Artorius nodded in response. “He speaks highly of the men who have fought beside him in battle. You have served in battle, have you not?” Artorius grimaced and looked down once more. While it was a more familiar topic, it was not one that he felt was appropriate.
“More times than I’d care to remember,” he said with a sigh. Diana looked off to the side, thinking about his words.
“Proculus has said the same thing many times. And yet you look so young.”
“I am older than I look,” Artorius replied, “but yes, in the large scheme of things I am still very young. In fact, I am the youngest Decanus in the Cohort.”
“That’s no small accomplishment,” Diana spoke with genuine admiration. “I think I now remember where I heard your name before. About a year ago I was in Cologne to see Proculus and Vorena. There was a spectacular festival going on, along with a tournament involving the legion’s best fighters.”
“You were there for that?” Artorius asked astonished that he had not noticed her even though the crowd had numbered in the thousands.
“I doubt that you would have seen me,” Diana replied. “I sat in one of the newly-renovated covered boxes that sat up high. Vorena said she did not want to sit out in the sun; and besides, Proculus insisted on sitting with that rowdy lot of a Cohort! You looked good, by the way.” Artorius felt his face turn red as he thought about Diana seeing him in one of his proudest moments.
“Thank you, my Lady.”
“I mean you all do look alike, what with the exact same clothing and helmets covering your heads. You did stand out to me, though. I figure it must have been your size that gave you away. I remember watching you get practically mauled by your companions after they presented you the ceremonial gladius.” Artorius grinned, though he elected not to go into further detail, especially given what he did later that evening. Granted the night he spent with those two young lasses was one of his fonder memories.
“I have to say, I was quite fascinated,” Diana continued. “I’ve been to gladiatorial matches before, but they looked amateurish compared to the way legionaries fight.”
“We did put that theory to the test one time,” Artorius said. “During the Triumph of Germanicus our Optio, who was also the man who taught me how to fight, challenged a gladiator in the arena. Let’s just say the end result made some men a lot of money, to include Centurion Proculus.”
“I heard about that,” Diana remembered. “You mentioned the Triumph of Germanicus. You are indeed older than you look if you took part in the wars against the Cherusci.”
“I served in the last two of Germanicus’ three campaigns,” Artorius replied.
“Will you tell me about them sometime?” Diana asked. Artorius took a slow breath while he thought about it. Did he really want Diana to know about his quest to avenge his brother that brought on sheer bloodlust? While she would no doubt be awe-inspired by tales of valor against the barbaric hordes, she would be equally repelled when hearing about the utter brutality of the war that did not take place on the battlefield. How would she react, knowing that he had murdered entire families, to include women and small children, in cold blood? He elected for a more cordial and noncommittal answer.
“Sometime,” he said.
“Fair enough,” Diana replied with a friendly smile. “I have to say…” She stopped in mid-sentence, a strange look crossing her face. She looked away, her smile vanishing as she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. When she opened her eyes once more they were no longer warm and inviting. She was staring at the ground, her breathing coming more quickly and deeply.
“Are you alright, my Lady?” Artorius asked, concerned by the sudden change in her demeanor. “I hope I have not offended you.”
“You’re fine,” Diana replied curtly. She then stood and walked briskly towards the doorway. “Have whatever’s left of the wine before you leave.” She was gone before Artorius could inquire further. He sought to follow her, but was stopped by the servant Proximo.
“Please, Sir must forgive Domina,” he said respectfully. “She can only be in the company of a man for so long before it becomes too much for her. She did last far longer with you than with most, I admit.”
“Before what becomes too much for her?” Artorius asked, suddenly irritated. Proximo then raised his hands in resignation.
“It is not for me to tell Sir,” he replied as he lowered his head, fully expecting to be chastised. Instead Artorius returned to the garden and finished the wine in the pitcher without bother to use a cup. He then walked over to where Diana’s goblet sat. It was almost full. He finished it in a single pull and left out the side entrance, not wishing to cross through the house again.