Echo

Aglaea cast her eyes down on the floor once she was done speaking, fully expecting to get slapped again. In the moment, she hadn't processed it, but now there was more quiet time she realized how much it had hurt - both physically and emotionally. She understood that Livia was upset with her, and she knew she deserved it. But slapping her for not coming to her? And the irony was that Aglaea had wanted to tell her more than anything. But what Secundus wanted in his domus, he got - Livia's ire, Aglaea's womb, his secret hypocrisy kept under wraps. What did he expect to happen? Did he think that Livia would just go along with it, pretend the child was hers? And if so, were both women supposed to hide in the house for nine months so no one suspected? Aglaea nearly laughed at the absurdity of the situation. She watched as Livia wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and she pulled out a handkerchief as a reflex of sorts. It seemed her servile nature never truly went away, no matter the situation. Sensing Livia's need for silence, though, she kept quiet, no matter how much she wanted to speak empty, comforting words to her, tell her it would be alright and that they would figure something out. Finally, Livia spoke up again, her tone not much changed from before. She asked her slave whether Secundus had mentioned what he wanted to do with the baby when it came and Aglaea responded with a noncommittal shrug. "He said he wanted an heir," she said carefully. "I expect he wants to free him or her to have an heir, or at least an adopted daughter." She bit her lip, wondering whether she was brave enough to speak again. "I can't let a child grow up in this house, with that father. I just can't." @Liv @Járnviðr

Aglaea's eyes were glued to her mistress as she finished talking, clouded with tears though her eyes were. But her eyes were not clouded enough not to notice that her mistress was on the verge of crying as well, or that she tore at her hair and began pacing around the room like a caged lioness, ready to murder. The slave couldn't take her eyes off of the other woman, frightened of what she would do. Even someone not as close to Livia as Aglaea was could see the turmoil inside of her, threatening to boil over. I did this to her, Aglaea thought hopelessly. How could I have done such a thing? Hope filled her breast as Livia knelt down before her. Perhaps they could figure out what to do together - Aglaea had done so much to help Livia over the years, surely this was not so monumental that her friend and mistress couldn't help her. And she had so few friends to whom she could turn. But her hopes were soundly dashed as Livia raised her arm and struck her slave across the face. Shocked out of her tears, Aglaea was tossed to one side by the force of the blow, raising her hand to touch the stinging flesh in dismay. She didn't have long to recover, though, before Livia was shaking her, calling her foolish, saying she should have told her so that she could have bought enough for both of them. As Livia fell silent in thought, Aglaea gazed at her in misery, feeling some ghostly sense of betrayal at her reaction, though the other part of her mind said that she deserved this, deserved everything Livia did to her. "You think I didn't want to tell you?" she asked quietly. "It was all I wanted, domina. I wanted to take comfort in knowing someone else knew. I was... I was trying to do what was best for everyone. I was trying to protect you." She touched her stinging cheek again and a few tears trailed down her cheek. "You were so distressed after Gnaeus's death, I knew you couldn't handle it - me telling you, or his coming to your bed. I was trying to protect you from him." She gazed up at the ceiling in despair. "I thought... I thought maybe if he was disappointed for long enough he would divorce you and I could forget this ever happened. But he's so persistent," she said, her mouth screwed up in the effort to control herself. "He told me not to betray this secret. I feared what would happen if I did. And now it has happened and there's nothing I can do." Then Livia spoke again, saying that she must tell Marcus. Aglaea caught herself before she scoffed aloud. Marcus. Aglaea didn't care for him, particularly, his being a member of this horrible family. But he gave Livia comfort, an escape. It was almost like what Aglaea's synagogue did for her - a balm on her soul, a place where she could be without thoughts of her situation and the consequences. But what could Marcus do about this situation? He was powerless against Secundus, everyone was. What shall we do? asked Livia. Aglaea regarded her with measured caution, now she seemed calmed down, unsure of what exactly she meant by that. She had heard that some women, who didn't want their babies... what they did to rid themselves of them... The thought had never crossed Aglaea's mind, but now it did, she was horrified. The child had nothing to do with this problem - he or she was a result of it, but was an innocent player all the same. Almost unconsciously, she cradled her belly protectively, already feeling a motherly feeling similar to how she felt about Livia. "I don't know." @Liv @Járnviðr

Iophon was right about one thing at least - the Elysium was ironically named. Nothing could be so far from heaven than this place. Deianira had only been here for a few months but already, she was miserable. Mistreatment at the hands of her master, aloofness and coldness from her fellow workers, an authoritarian group of guards, and Marcus Barbatius, who adored one thing: inflicting pain. It was enough to make anyone miserable. Tonight, though, was one night when she wasn't. She had had very little traffic and the flow of customers was lower than usual, meaning she had some time to herself. She didn't love being alone with her thoughts, though, so she chose not to ferret herself away in some dark corner, but rather occupied herself by serving wine. She watched as a slightly familiar face walked in, a tour guide of some kind that often brought customers to the brothel. She smiled as he spoke - it was nice to find a genuine person here who wasn't here for sex. Willingly, she made her way over to him with an amphora and a cup and poured him one. "I'm sure you are a golden-throated singer," she said with a slightly teasing tone, though she was genuine. "Are you going to tell us a story?" @Chevi

Aglaea didn't care that she seemed irrational or out of her mind. Quite frankly, she felt like she might as well be, and so decided to stick with her defiance. As Secundus's expression changed rapidly from shock, to fury, to calm (which she knew from experience was a farce), she stared him in the eye, her own expression cold and yet still furious. Her one defiant act couldn't be punished more harshly by being followed by another, more innocuous one. She listened to the spouses speak, holding her tongue for now, then watched as the man strode out of the room, like a rooster having put his hens in their places. As the curtain fell still behind him, she let out a breath, quietly, not wanting to draw the attention back to herself again. But who else would it be on? It was she who had caused all this, and Livia would be expecting answers. She put her finger to her lips to signal Livia to be quiet, then beckoned her toward her own room, which was connected to Livia's by a curtain, but far enough away that they couldn't be overheard if they spoke quietly. She invited Livia to sit on her bed, choosing the floor for herself, sitting on her bent legs in a pose that spoke of tension. She was silent for a time, not meeting her mistress's eye, trying to decide how to start. But, after a moment of quiet, she finally started. "Domina, there are... things that you do not know about me." She almost never used 'domina' when they were alone, so clearly she was serious. "And since you are going to find out sooner or later, I want you to hear them from me." She hesitated briefly again, but decided that all her truths should come out at once so that she could at least have a clear conscience. "First, you know that I am a Hebrew. But there is a new cult, a sort of... offshoot from the Hebrew religion. I am a member. We are called Christians. I did not tell you this because members of my cult have been targets of some violence and even death... of course I trust you to keep my secret, but I feared that telling anyone would... desensitize me to the danger of that act. Please forgive me." She stopped talking for a moment. That secret had not been as difficult to tell, as she was secure in her faith and prepared for the consequences of it. Her voice had been steady, as her tears had subsided after the exchange with Secundus. But now to the more difficult truths. "I took your silphium, domina. It's because, since you married Secundus..." She stopped again, huffing in frustration. "He thought you would never want to bear him a child - he was right, of course. And he's so afraid of dying without an heir..." Aglaea seemed to draw herself up, calling upon her own strength. "So a few days after you were married, he came to me and asked me to take your place. He wanted me to bear him a son." Here she stopped, her throat becoming thick with tears again. "Domina, the silphium didn't work. I won't need any more. I am pregnant." @Liv @Járnviðr

Deia knew that her one defiant act, the look in her eyes, was no use. She knew she didn't matter. Who had ever cared about her, truly? And why should they? She was less than nothing, a body to be used by those who paid for it and then forgotten. She would never have any use other than that, until her body wore out and she was forced to find employment elsewhere. Without another word, and feeling the oppression of her lot in life falling down upon her shoulders, she left. @Atrice

Caecina smiled, obviously pleased with the compliment. It dimmed a little at the mention of her father, but she managed to recover quickly enough. "I should hope it is a good reputation," she said with a flirtatious grin. "And that my father isn't the only reason I'm known." She didn't like being associated with him, even knowing that their strained relationship was kept strictly under wraps per Juliana's request and the logical side of Caecina's mind. She knew it was never a good idea to go airing ones dirty laundry for everyone to see. "Do you know him?" She really wondered whether he had served under him in the army, since she'd recently discovered an interest in uniformed men. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lucius." She noted the little sigh but ignored it, in a good enough mood where she didn't want to worry over other people's problems. Like the ninny on the bench opposite, who was stupid enough to let a man kiss her in public and not rebuke him cleverly, making him want more. Lucius spoke again and Caecina smiled. "I'd be glad to - events like these are my specialty, if I may say so. But they are not for everyone, I know." She looked toward the house as he said he wasn't sure who was hosting tonight, thinking for a moment. "Aurelia Gaia, I believe. She's sweet." Caecina fell quiet again, finding herself wanting to learn more about this man but not knowing where to start. @Sara

This was too much. It really was. Aglaea had had a hard enough time coming to terms with telling just Livia about the silphium, and realizing that that meant the whole story would come out. Secundus bedding her since they had married, the child that was now growing inside of her because of that... It was enough to drive her to madness, thinking she'd done something so enormous, betraying her closest- and only- friend. But now, Secundus had to come in, sticking his nose in their business, bringing his wrath with him. Aglaea was completely at a loss for words. She heard Livia speak through a haze of panic and fear, but they cut through and the tears finally spilled over, though she never stopped trying to fight them. "I'm sorry, domina, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice thick with tears. She had hurt her friend even with the admission of taking the silphium, not to mention everything that was sure to come out. Secundus spoke again and she looked up long enough to catch him with a look full of animosity. He was the cause of all this. Two years ago, she had been able to tell Livia anything. He had come between them like a wedge, driving them apart. "I didn't lose anything, dominus," she said, not bothering to cover up her contempt anymore. She wanted to talk to Livia alone. They almost never got to be alone anymore, not truly. The house had too many eyes and ears, watching for any transgressions. "Please," she said, gaining at least a little control over her fury and her tears, "it is nothing you need to worry yourself over, dominus." @Liv @Járnviðr

The girl smiled as Horatia downplayed the room. She wished she had a room of her own, other than her bedroom, to which she could escape. Sometimes someone just needed alone time. "I'm sure that's a comfort. But really, it's a lovely room." She watched as the woman stopped perusing her collection and came to sit next to her, sensing the change that the other woman felt too. Then she realized why the atmosphere had changed. Caecina blushed furiously crimson and immediately her eyes shifted to her skirts, trying to process what she had asked. Of course she had questions - would it hurt, being with a man? What would she have to do? but her first thought somehow had been of Marcus. She hoped that didn't show on her face. "Uhm," she cleared her throat, "Yes, Juliana has told me some things..." Then she thought of her mother, dying in childbirth. "My mother... she died, trying to give birth to my baby brother. Does that... happen often?" It was clear, no matter how hard she tried to cover it up, that this was what terrified her most in the world. @Sara

Aglaea was not a proselytizer, usually - not in words, anyway. She preferred to live her life as closely to the commandments as possible and let her actions speak for her. But she sensed that this man was searching for something - perhaps he was searching for a faith that could transcend anything. And Aglaea believed her faith could withstand anything. Perhaps she could teach him. His words struck her. Murder was very clearly stated to be a sin, so her mind tussled with the problem for a few moments. Since she was a Christian, her main belief was that anyone who accepted Christ as their savior and who asked for the forgiveness of their sin could reach Heaven. But should she risk telling him that? He seemed so lost, as though the world had hurt him so much that he'd withdrawn within himself. Finally, she mustered up her courage. "Yes. I believe that anything can be forgiven. Even murder. But I haven't told you the whole truth about my faith..." She gazed at him, waiting to see his reaction. @Atrice

Caecina regarded Manius cautiously, her expression little changed from the frown that she had put on as soon as he had accused them. How dare this simple bodyguard barge in on them and interrupt everything? He should only come when he was beckoned, Caecina thought furiously. She listened to the conversation between Manius and Marcus, analyzing everything - until Manius dismissed her stepbrother like he was some servant or a child. As Marcus left, the girl drew herself up to her full height, donning an imperious expression that communicated that she thought she was above reproach. He had no place to tell her parents - no right at all! "Whatever you think you heard, Manius, I am sure you know that it was not what you thought. And further, if you feel the need to jeopardize your job, you may feel free to tell them. But who are they going to believe? Me, or you?" Her voice betrayed barely-contained fury, as did her thin lips and the flash in her eyes. "Frankly, I fail to see how any of this is your business." @Atrice

Aglaea wasn't normally a crier, but seeing her mistress's shock and betrayal painted all over her face, she felt her eyes well up with tears immediately. She didn't have an answer at that moment, fighting for control over herself, but she found herself sinking to her knees before Livia, bowing her head in shame and misery. "I- I don't know what to say, domina, I--" She didn't even know what she wanted to say. Should she let the truth come out? Would it ruin everything? Livia had seemed close to murder at the thought of someone stealing the silphium - surely she would at least throw her out of the house, free but abandoned, in punishment for her slight. And what a slight it was. But before she could form a coherent sentence, she heard footsteps approaching and her head whipped around to see Secundus entering the room. She quickly rose from the floor, smoothing her skirts and making her customary bow at the appearance of her master. She saw him smile but couldn't bring herself to mirror the expression. There was far too much else in her mind for her to bother. But the way he greeted her, like she was someone worth noticing -- it was highly unusual. Slaves were meant to not be seen or noticed. It was evident he wanted to slight Livia by greeting her first and she almost hated him for it. She folded her hands in front of her and bowed her head, half to seem respectful, half to conceal the tears that were still threatening to spill over. @Liv @Járnviðr

Aglaea was distracted from the conversation by the audible entrance of Secundus into the domus. Chaos, as always, she thought. She felt bad for the poor slaves being harassed by him just because of his bad mood and resolved to do something nice for them when she got some free time. Then, Livia said words she had been dreading - what if someone had been stealing the silphium? Her composure was tested immediately, and she felt her hands tightening into fists as she panicked, unsure of how to deal with this situation. Her instinct was to protect herself, deflect, lie. But her faith told her that lying was a sin and that she should always tell the truth, even if it was difficult. "I, uhm..." she stuttered quietly, choosing for now not to answer Livia's suspicions. An absurd thought floated into her mind - she wouldn't need to steal the silphium any longer. It hadn't worked anyway, and perhaps Livia's suspicion would subside with time, seeing that the proper amounts were there. But why should she lie about the silphium? She wouldn't want another slave to get blamed for her indiscretions. It would be the height of dishonesty. "Actually, domina..." She stared at Livia, frightened of what she was about to say and what Livia's reaction would be. "It... it was me. I took the silphium." She would explain if Livia asked, but for now she would stop with that statement. @Liv @Járnviðr

Late June, 75 CE What a blessing it was, to be able to leave the house without her mistress on occasion. It only came every so often, usually no more than once a month, but Aglaea savored every minute of it when it did come. Of course, her outings were usually stipulated on her ability to run some errands, like picking up a purchase at the jeweler's or going to the market for the kitchen staff for a random ingredient. Today's final chore was to deliver a package from Livia to her brother-in-law, Tertius's home. Aglaea was unaware of the contents, but she knew Livia had intended it as a gift for either the master of the household or his son, so she knew it was important to be timely. She approached the house from the back, knowing her place as a slave very well. The door she slipped through seemed to be the culina, which was bustling in order to prepare for the afternoon meal. Aglaea sensed that her best move wouldn't be to disturb the various staff here, so she made her way carefully through the dingy room and toward the main part of the house, looking around for a household servant who could help her deliver her package. Glancing around, she noticed one girl she recognized vaguely, someone she might have met before. "Excuse me-" she approached the girl, who was a bit younger than she was. "It's Charis, isn't it?" @Sara

Aglaea allowed a small smile at Livia's bright greeting. Even if neither of them was particularly happy with their situation at the moment, they each managed to lift the spirits of the other, at least a little. Aglaea certainly tried, that was certain - after all, it was her duty to make Livia's life easier. "Good morning," she responded, going to pick the towel up and place it in the basket for used linens. Another slave would be by sometime today to collect them for washing. "How did you sleep?" The Judean's nerves were still a little ragged, but she managed to get through the niceties of the morning without anything suspicious happening. Somehow, the routines of dressing her mistress, styling her hair and helping her select jewelry helped steady the woman and she found herself falling easily into the rituals her hands knew so well. She stepped back as Livia took over, taking out the tiny jar of silphium that she had so guiltily stolen from just recently. To her dismay, she found Livia beckoning her to look into the jar and speaking about it running out sooner. "Yes, domina, of course. I did not think it was short, but perhaps my eyes deceived me..." @Járnviðr @Liv

Late September, 75CE Aglaea groaned softly as she leaned over the bucket, seated on the floor of her room adjacent to Livia's bedroom. Ever an early riser, for a few days now, the woman had been woken up in the mornings with horrible nausea, yet unable to get anything up. It was a most perplexing ailment, as it seemed to disappear after a while of its own volition. Surely, the cook was doing something wrong, and Aglaea resolved to go and give her a piece of her mind. Just as soon as she was able to rise from the floor. Life recently had been nothing but chaotic - actually, it had been chaotic ever since Secundus had come into their lives. The man sowed chaos wherever he went, frightening Livia and bullying the house staff, mumbling to himself and forcing Aglaea into the position of protecting her mistress from laying with him. Aglaea had soon decided that she would lay with Secundus and yet protect herself at the same time. Like many Roman women, Livia took silphium in order to prevent pregnancy, and like any good body slave, Aglaea was responsible for retrieving the tincture from the apothecary whenever they ran out. But unlike a good body slave, Aglaea took a small amount every time she saw Secundus, hoping with her limited knowledge of the substance that it would be enough to stop pregnancy and all the symptoms that came with it. Her head shot up from the bucket with wide eyes. It couldn't be... but what else? No sickness from food showed itself with nausea without vomiting. And now that she thought of it, she was a few days late for her monthly cycle. Oh, God. With the sudden realization hitting her like an enormous weight, she stayed stock still for several seconds, before burying her head in her hands, weeping quietly in despair and misery. How could she ever explain this to her mistress? And what would happen to the child once it was born? How would Secundus react? Would Livia send her away and refuse to ever see her again? And how could Aglaea blame her for that if she did? It seemed a horrible betrayal without context. She had done everything she knew to do to prevent herself from bearing Secundus's child. She couldn't bring a child into this household with a clear conscience, knowing what sort of father he or she would have. And the consequences this would have for her relationship with Livia, her nearest and dearest friend... her heart broke. In time, the tears subsided and she began to think logically. She just wouldn't tell Livia. She could wear a tunic that flowed more to hide her bump, maybe bind the bump with cloth to limit the appearance. And then, when her time came, she could slip out of the house, have her baby somewhere safe, and then return to act like nothing would happen. Perhaps she could even leave the child on the doorstep and pretend as though it was a foundling - those were common enough in Rome. Wiping her eyes clear, and feeling the despair and nausea subside, she dressed for the day. She could act as though nothing had happened. She had lied before. Once dressed, she slipped into Livia's room to help her dress. The day had to go on. Title inspiration @Liv @Járnviðr

Deia felt a flash of boldness, a small one to be sure, but boldness all the same. She stared right back into the man's eyes, her own eyes hardening with hatred. She hoped her eyes communicated her loathing for the man. He spoke about her knowing he could do much more than hurt her wrist - of course she knew that. She had the scar to prove it. But sometimes she wished someone would help her pass into the next realm. Living in this one was sometimes too much, like at this moment, and she wanted to escape. To not feel anything anymore. As he let go of her wrist, she jerked it away from him and stood massaging it for a second. Surely he'd cracked the bone, but she wouldn't cry out. She didn't want to give him the pleasure. Still glaring at him, she dressed herself again and lifted the amphora off the ground, waiting to see if he had anything else to say. @Atrice

Aglaea had been offered some time off today, and she had started her day off speaking to a handsome fellow named Felix, a member of Horatia and Aulus's household. They had only spoken for a short time, as Aglaea had planned on visiting the market for some time away. But just as she had been setting out, heading toward the street, a young slave rushed out to her, saying that there was something amiss with Livia and Horatia. The Judaean tried to swallow her disappointment and frustration, and followed after the girl. As she entered the room, she could feel the tension brewing between the sisters. She forgot to cast her eyes down, instead staring between the two of them in nervous curiosity. What could have gone amiss? But as Livia spoke, part of the problem revealed itself - she was inebriated and Aglaea bit her tongue to stop herself from scolding her in front of her sister. Livia tried to stand, tilting slightly, and Aglaea was at her side in a moment, grasping her arm to steady her. "We should be getting home, domina," she said quietly. "Thank you, domina, for welcoming us into your household," she said to Horatia. "Come along now." @Sara @Liv

"He is, yes," she responded. It was a source of pride for her family, that her father was so high up in rank, even though Caecina felt rather cold toward the man. They had never been close and Caecina resented the cool indifference with which he had treated her throughout the years. But she didn't let these feelings enter her voice, and she followed after her hostess at her signal. "I appreciate the help, Horatia. I'm sure it will be very useful in the weeks to come." Perhaps she could use her newfound knowledge of the military to impress Lucius Silanus the next time he came home - she did enjoy being surprising and interesting to men. The pair of women entered the study and Caecina glanced around, impressed by the decorations and the tidiness. "It's a lovely room, and it must be so nice to have a space of your own." She took a seat on one of the couches as Horatia gestured for her to, and watched as she perused the carefully stacked scrolls. She accepted the one that Horatia held out for her. "Oh, how fascinating. My tutor has been discussing a bit about the history of Britannia, but I am sure this scroll will help me understand better. Thank you very much." @Sara

Caecina smiled graciously and sat with a flare of her chiton, spreading her skirts demurely. "Thank you very much." Her attention was briefly caught by the young couple and she nearly scoffed out loud before realizing that would be a rather unladylike thing to do. But really, the girl should have been more tactful and maneuvered her catch away from prying eyes - any practiced coquette would have done the same. She had remained quiet for a while, firstly because she wanted to rest her voice a moment and secondly to see if the man would speak first. And he did, she noted happily. "How very rude of me!" she said, shaking her head at herself. "Caecina Tusca. It is very nice to meet you, sir. May I ask your name?" @Sara

Gaius grinned at his acquaintance, glad it wasn't a stranger that he had bumped into. A stranger might not be so understanding - even Secundus had seemed like he was about to snap at him, but held back to ask about him. "Oh, I'm doing very well. The fates are kind to me. And how about you? Staying in Rome for a time?" He turned back to the barmaid who had stopped giggling in order to pour his drink and Gaius grinned sheepishly at her. "Secundus, why don't you come sit with me and have some dinner? I'd like to talk a while." @Járnviðr

Deia chuckled, still melancholy. "Well, I can't really say it's any worse than any of the places I've been at before." Really, her last place was worse - or maybe she just thought that because of her association of that place with the loss of her baby. Even now that she had caught the attention of Marcus Barbatius, she wasn't in danger of losing her life, as long as she was still of use to Titus. Just then, a guard of the household came in. "You. You're to come in now." He gestured at Deianira and she stood, glancing back at Thessala. "Thank you for the advice, Thessala. And for the wine. I hope we meet again." @Chevi

Caecina's expression changed into a light frown as Manius said to drop the act, asking what was going on. How dare he intrude on them like this? In the back of her mind, she felt a tiny prick of relief, though - what if they hadn't been able to stop? Manius had stopped it for them. But her outer self remained indignant. "Nothing is going on, Manius," she said coolly, pulling back the curtain. "Marcus and I were discussing today's lesson." It was obviously not true, but Caecina remained a level-headed liar, and rather convincing. "And you may have the rest of the day off. I was planning on staying in this evening." @Atrice

"Yes, though they are all quite a bit younger than I am. A younger brother and two sisters," she explained fondly. "They live with my stepmother at our villa in the countryside - visiting them is one of the best reasons for going to the villa." Caecina returned to Tertius's earlier comment about traveling. "Certainly, I do so enjoy seeing other parts of the world. I think I should like to see Aegyptus one day. Teutus - have you done much traveling, then?" Just then, dinner was served and the conversation dimmed out for a moment as each person was served and settled into their food. Caecina then brought the conversation back around to Teutus, curious to learn more about him. "So, Teutus, have you begun on the Course of Honor? I know that young men of your class must serve in the military. That must be an exciting prospect?" @Sharpie @Atrice

Marcellus gave her a curious look when she seemed to miss his joke, but he laughed a little. "It was a joke, Safinia. I don't own an apple tree, either." He wished he did though. He wasn't bad off, but living in his own domus was probably out of the question. An insula, on the other hand, was within budget and would allow him some freedoms that he couldn't use living here. Perhaps he would look into that soon. Safinia then said she set the wormy apples aside for the horses and he smiled. "I'm sure they appreciate that. And getting fed by a lovely lady like yourself." Marcellus chuckled as she commented on the horses being more trouble than they were worth. "You've got that right. And some of them aren't very nice - I got bit a few days before the earthquake." He showed his hand, which was no longer bandaged as the rather savage bite was healing well. "I'm sure I've heard of women that like scars on men - soldiers, particularly. Shows they're tough." He shrugged, good-natured as always. "I don't know if anyone will be very fond of the scar that horse gave me, though." @Liv

Aglaea was thankful that Manius was at least hearing her out instead of instantly writing her off as some crazy desert-dweller who hadn't converted to the true religion. It was refreshing. But there was something troubling about the young man - not threatening, like Secundus was, it was different. He had a sadness about him that clung even when he smiled and she hoped against hope that something she told him today would help him have a happier life. "Oh, of course, I should have started with that." She laughed briefly. "Sin is an immoral act that goes against what God has taught us." Then, she quickly explained the story of Genesis - how God had created Adam and Eve and how they had disobeyed God, the first sin. "Obviously, no one today can sin as badly as that, but there are things that we do everyday without thinking about them. Like envying your neighbor, or stealing something, or being wrathful. God forgives those who ask for forgiveness, though, and at the end of their life, that person will spend eternity with Him." Of course, her beliefs had evolved recently, and she now saw that the only way into Heaven was through Christ -- but it was a fringe cult and she couldn't expect him to take kindly to her admitting she was a Christian. @Atrice