“Hello there,” he said, trying to sound casual. She slipped an arm underneath his and around his waist.
He looked around and saw that all of his friends were similarly engaged. “So, um, anything in particular you would like to, well um,” he was embarrassed that he was stuttering.
She was a prostitute after all, even if she was a really expensive one that probably hadn’t had a real man bed her in years.
“We could go get some wine, find a nice place to dine, and pretend we are courting,” she said sweetly, albeit sarcastically. “Or we could just skip the preliminary nonsense and get right down to business.” She raised her eyebrows as she said so.
Artorius looked away for a second in mocking contemplation.
“Hmm…alright then,” With that, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her aggressively and passionately.
The girl yelped in surprise at first, given his initial awkwardness. She then moaned in pleasure and anticipation as she placed her other arm around him and kissed him back.
Chapter XXVIII: The Rewards of Triumph
Artorius, with most of his friends, was escorted to the courtesan house. It had taken no more than a few minutes to get there, though with eroticism about to consume him, it seemed like much longer. He was quick to observe how lavishly decorated the house was from the moment they entered the main foyer. The floor and pillars all gleamed of polished marble. An elaborate fountain with a bronze statue of Pan on the top stood in the center. Vases of heady-smelling flowers and statues rested on pedestals throughout, exotic and erotic mosaics decorated the walls. As they walked down a wide corridor, Artorius saw a familiar face walking towards a room, a beautiful woman in each arm. One was young and fetching, the other was much older, though still very striking. He assumed she was the “lady of the house.” She looked aroused and flattered to have drawn the attention of the strapping legionary who was probably twenty years younger than she. Artorius laughed to himself when he caught the face of the young legionary. Valens smiled, winked, and shook his fist in the air, as if celebrating a conquest. Artorius returned the gesture and continued on his way with his new friend in tow.
The courtesan’s room contained a huge bed with numerous comfortable pillows exuding delicate yet exotic scents. Incense burners hung in each corner, and the art and décor was of the finest quality. Yes, it would seem that a number of rich senators had been busy to have sponsored such a place. Artorius contemplated, briefly, that just a few of the contents in the room cost more than a year of his salary.
He thought briefly about his encounter with Camilla the night before. By Hades, he had been brutal to her. He eyed his companion and wondered if she would be up to a similar challenge. As she dropped her gown and moved confidently towards him, he figured she was. He was then taken in the young woman’s arms and kissed deeply and aggressively. He soon forgot about everything else in the world. For the time he was there, nothing else mattered or even existed.
His companion, whose name he found out was Lucilla, had been more than a generous host. She seemed genuinely pleased and extremely aroused by the young legionary. His brute power and extreme physical conditioning seemed to add to her excitement. Artorius prided himself that no rich magistrate possessed his youthful vitality, stamina, or brutal strength. He stroked his ego further by thinking that perhaps she should have been paying him! Then again, he was quite impressed by her veracity and physicality as well. It became something of an erotic competition to see who could wear the other out first. Each found they were both worthy opponents in this game of lust and fury. As evening came, they lay relaxing in each other’s arms.
“Hmm, think I should get back?” Lucilla asked him.
“Whatever for?” Artorius asked.
“Well, there are a lot of other soldiers in the city in need of affection,” she giggled, caressing his chest with her fingers.
“To hell with them,” he retorted. “I’m a soldier, and you were hired to take care of us while we are here. I take it your contract did not say how many or for how long? I mean, am I not enough to keep you satisfied…”
She placed a finger to his lips, cutting him off. “Hush, I was only teasing,” she said with a smile. She laid her head back onto his chest. “Believe me, you’ve got more vitality and energy than any man I’ve met.”
“You have no idea,” he said, smiling. Without warning he rolled her roughly to her back.
She yelped and then laughed as he tried to show her just how much vitality he did have. He then leered at her, a devious thought crossing his mind as he rolled her over, her butt in the air. He admired the view and gave her a firm smack on the behind.
“Mmm, I know what you want.” she said with a smirk.
“Yeah, well don’t think that this means I like boys.” he growled as he pulled on her hair.
“Oh, I would never…ah!”
Artorius could not quite place it, but it gave him distinct pleasure in demonstrating such sheer dominance with women. Perhaps it was the pent up aggression from the campaigns in Germania, or it may have been a repressed resentment towards women after Camilla abandoned him. Whatever it was, he enjoyed it and not just because it felt good. Like Camilla, Lucilla buried her face in a pillow and bit into it; although, unlike Camilla, she started to grind into the lusty legionary and seemed to revel in his savagery.
It was not until late the next morning that Artorius finally left the courtesan house. He was almost sad as he left. Lucilla stood on a balcony, body aching and wanting nothing more than a long soak in a hot bath. Still she smiled and waved at him as he walked away. Artorius felt his heart strings getting pulled as he waved back.
“Come off it, man. Don’t forget what she does for a living.” he chastised himself harshly. “Some creepy old man probably had his hands on her just before you did.” And yet he could not help but feel he had left something of himself there. He walked a little delicately himself; after two days of pleasure, he was feeling a little chafed.
“Men, look who finally made it back.” Statorius said, sarcastically.
The decanus was reclining on the ground, a cup of wine in his hand, lost in his own reminiscing.
“I think I need an ice bath for my groin.” Artorius moaned as he limped over to where his section mates were lounging, the smile never leaving his face.
His friends all looked equally serene, though it was obvious he was the last to return by quite some time. Valens lay flat on his back, eyes closed, his legs spread wide and both hands resting on his crotch. He groaned as if in pain, though he never stopped smiling to himself.
“I can never go back to trashy frontier whores ever again,” he muttered.
“So what was that last night, the ‘mother-daughter’ special?” Artorius asked as he slowly eased himself down onto the grass.
“I doubt that a mother and daughter would have done the things to each other that those two did,” Valens replied, eyes still closed while continuing to smile and moan to himself. “You know, I was perfectly happy to just watch. However, they were so insistent that I participate as well. I mean, what was I to do?”
Later that afternoon Statorius kicked Artorius’ cot, stirring him from his pleasant dreams. “Just so you know, your pass the day after tomorrow has been approved.”
“Pass? I didn’t ask for a pass,” Artorius replied, still half asleep.
“I don’t think you’ll want to miss this,” Statorius remarked, handing him a scroll.
Artorius’ heart soared as he read the scroll.
Primus Artorius Maximus does hereby request the presence of his son, Titus Artorius Justus, on the day following the Triumphal Parade in order to oversee the marriage of his father to Juliana Helena. At the gardens of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, three hours after dawn.