Chevi

(End of the year, 76AD, after Assemble) Narcissus was still damn ugly. Lucius stood, looking at the paintings, remembering the day a mere half a year earlier, when he'd first met Ovinia Camilla at the portico. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Would he have done anything differently, if he'd known...? Would he do anything different now? Ovinia had sent word that she was going for a walk. Probably under serious supervision, but her father wanted to keep up appearances. She would come here, because it was her usual place to walk, and today was a nice, mild winter day. Lucius was not wearing his uniform this time, just a plain tunica and a cloak, wandeling along the painting of the portico. Their meeting was not actually sanctioned by anyone. But he had news for her, she deserved to know. And he wanted to see her, see how she was holding up. It was still eating away at him that he could not comfort her after the attack. @Sara

July, 76AD There was a commotion at the gates of the ludus. Thessala looked up from when she had been lounging on a bench in the courtyard. She had done some training, but she still had a few injuries from her previous fight, so decided to take it easy, at least today. The sun was bright and the heat was already getting stifling by mid-morning. She sat up, keeping to the shade, and watched as the rumor literally ran through the ludus. Someone was back. She watched him as he walked back to the ludus, wondering what it was like, leaving this place and then returning. Some had done it, but usually not the ones that got a more cushy gig. Wasn't this man bought as a bodyguard?... Thessala got curious. She filled another cup with wine from the pitcher cooling behind the bench, and stood up to walk over to him, offering him a drink. "Aeneas, right? Back for a visit?" @Sarah

Well, alright then. Apparently they decided to trust this Artemon. Lucius watches as Didia gave him the basic information, wondering who exactly this young man was, and what he had to contribute to the search. Because the man's description was not much to go on, and it probably did not pay to be too friendly with him. But there was no walking it back now without telling him the whole thing. "Apparently he smells like lemons." he frowned, adding to the description. "And may live around the Via Lata." @Sharpie @Sara @Atrice @Liv

Azarion wanted to find the killer. If they needed more people to do that, he was fine with that. They needed to get him as quickly as possible, before he could hurt more people. But this Artemon... did not seem like he would be much help. Even though the others decided to involve him anyway. "We think he's a barber. He's a friend of this one's," Azarion's eyes flashed at her words, and he was about to make it very clear she'd said the wrong thing, but Jason managed to hold him back. This was just adding fucking insult to injury. Azarion glared at Jason instead. Bitch. "You- Do you have his description so our friend Artemon can help us? That one doesn't speak." You are lucky this one doesn't speak. Jason answered the question while Azarion folded his arms and leaned back against the wall again. This idiot better be worth it. @Sharpie @Sara @Atrice @Liv

Clio knew she was losing this fight. But maybe, just maybe, her sister would take pity on her and not tell to Grandfather? "Something clearly happened, or was that not a kiss after all?" Clio looked crestfallen at her sister. Yes, it definitely had been a kiss. Lexus decided to speak up. "Really, that's all it was. A kiss. And don't blame her. It's my fault, I asked to kiss her. I shouldn't have. Please, don't blame her. It won't happen again." Clio's gaze flickered to Lexus and back. Wouldn't it? She knew it had been a mistake, but she hated the idea of not kissing him again. They were just getting the hang of it... "I don't want to lose my job..." "He is really good at his job" Clio reiterated, trying to steer away from the kissing. "And he doesn't deserve to lose it. This was silly." She swallowed. "It won't happen again." @Atrice

Lucius smiled at her words. If she thought she would be fine, that was half the battle. Maybe the entire battle, even, given Ovinia's sheer stubbornness. "Does that mean you will listen to me, for once?" He waited until she fell asleep again. She looked pale, bloodied and bruised, but she would pull through. And he would not let this happen to her again. He watched her sleep, following her breathing, until his own eyes started to close to. Only then did he make his way back to his own bed, only a few steps away, before falling into a deep sleep. @Sara

"Since when do I listen to you. Tomorrow. I'll thank him tomorrow." She settled back into the bed. That would have to do, for now. Lucius smiled a little at her attempt at a smile "I'll tell him to stop by." She reached for his hand again. It wasn't much, but at least he could let her now he was by her side. "Thank you. I mean it... Thank you... Do you not need sleep yourself?" "I probably do" he chuckled. "But I wanted to make sure you were alright. I was... scared, that they... that you wouldn't be." he finished awkwardly. It was not something easily put into words.

She gave him the full name. Lucius knew he would not stop until they found him. If that man could find Ovinia, the vigiles could find him. Lucius had trained them well. She still looked scared though, and broken. "I can watch you do your exercises from here. I...am not going out again." "You don't have to." It was sad, remembering how triumphant she had been about being allowed to go out. "I need to thank Marius as well," She tried to sit up, so Lucius put a hand on her shoulder. "Marius is asleep. It's late night. You should rest too. I just told you you need to stay in bed."

She held on to his hand as she told her story. That man... Lucius still saw him, sneering and kicking. She had wanted to marry him once. He would have taken her down with him too. Somehow, his betrayal long past made the attack feel even more revolting. He held Ovinia's hand. "Has a medicus seen you?" "He has. My injuries are not as bad as yours. I'll be fine" he repeated himself. "We'll give Decimus' name to the vigiles, they will find him, and his men. I'll make sure." His thumb smoothed over the back of her hand. "You have broken ribs, and some bad bruises. You will have to stay in bed for a while." @Sara

"No. They were going to do it whether you were there or not. Decimus I..." They were after her. They somehow managed to find the girl in the middle of the city, and decided to take revenge on her for something her father had done. They wanted to hurt her, specifically, and did not care at all that their revenge made no sense. "You can't let them go Lucius, they will try again." "I won't let them." he shook his head "They were your father's clients, right? Tell me who they are, and I will send the men out to find them."

She didn't listen, in true Ovinia fashion. Lucius propped her up while she sputtered and tried again, getting some water in before he laid her back down as carefully as possible. Broken ribs were bad, he knew that from experience. "I'm so sorry. I...should not have gone out. I won't go out again." "None of this was your fault" he said gently, setting the cup down. He smoothed her hair out of her face, avoiding to touch the bruises. "I am sorry I didn't get there sooner." @Sara

"I'll be fine" he assured her. He was hurt, but it was nothing he had not felt before. For her... it was worse, and also harder, being attacked like that. "Yes, we have water." he shifted, reaching with his good arm under her shoulders to help her sit up a little. "Easy. I'll help." He managed to prop her up, leaning against his side, and then got the cup of water from the side table, holding it to her lips. "Small sips." @Sara

They had hurt her. They had really hurt her. When she passed out, Lucius thought she might be gone... and the thought terrified him, in a way that was unexpected. The medicus came and examined her. She had broken ribs, bruises, probably a break in her cheek, deep dark marks around her eye. The medicus said she would pull through. Likely. Lucius was in a better shape, but not unhurt either. He had a bloody nose, a similarly black eye, and cuts and bruises. Still he refused to leave the small room, wedging a chair between the bed and the wall to watch over her. It was late at night now, with the lamp burning low, when she finally moved and made a sound. "Ovinia?" Lucius pulled himself out of the chair where he had been slumped, and sat on the edge of her bed. "How are you feeling?" @Sara

There was blood in Lucius' mouth by the time the side door swung open, and Marius made an appearance with some of the other servants. The three attackers must have realized they were outnumbered now because they backed off. Lucius caught himself against the wall of the building, but refused to stop glaring at them. "We've got what we wanted. We'll go and we can be done with this..." Lucius glanced at Ovinia. She had to know who they were. He really, really wanted to arrest all three of them, but he was not sure they could do so without more people getting hurt. Or... more hurt. He would just have to hunt them down later. "Get the fuck out of here." he spat too. "And get the fuck out of this city for good, if you do not want to end up dead." He waited for them to make a run for it before he turned his attention to Ovinia, who was still on the ground. "Go fetch the medicus. She's hurt. Someone help carry her." @Sara

He managed to knock the wind out of the man and get some hits in before the other two joined in. Lucius stepped back, regaining his balance. Fighting three on one had not been something he wanted to do. No amount of training or experience - he had both - would balance that out. "K-knife..." One man slashed at him and Lucius moved back. Fighting was straightforward, in a way. It was familiar. And he had no qualms about hurting any of these men. But Ovinia had the right idea. Lucius took a deep breath, hoping his voice would carry more. "MARIUS!" All three came at him at once. He punched, kicked, and elbowed them, trying to avoid the knife, but it was a losing fight at best. Still, he felt some bones crack when he hit. "Ovinia get out of here!" @Sara

"Do you know what her father did to us? We put everything behind him and he left us in the fucking dirt. I'm a fucking pleb now," Oh. This was personal. The man had been on the wrong side of the rebellion, and lost everything. Except his freedom, apparently, because he was running around assaulting women. "We can't get him and her brothers are in the fucking mines. But she's here and she deserves more punishment than a cripple like you can dish out." Even after being kicked, Ovinia cried out for Marius. She was either clever, or she really did not trust Lucius could win this. He didn't trust that either, but he did not care. The moment the man kicked out, he was moving. He had been in plenty of fist fights as a vigile. His left arm was not that well trained, but at least one did not usually expect a punch from their right. His fist caught the man across the jaw, and before he could recover, Lucius barreled into him. He couldn't use his right arm much, but hitting upwards, he managed to jam his shoulder into the man's ribs enough to make him stumble. @Sara

Ovinia was down, and they were still kicking her. The sigh made his blood boil. Three men, against one girl. Assholes, whatever they thought their motives were. "This doesn't concern you," "Oh fuck yes it does." "We're dealing with a traitor. Leave us be, citizen." "First off, that is tribune for you." he spat, glaring at the man. "Second, that girl was a gift to me by the Emperor. And if you touch her again, I will make you cry." @Sara

Maybe he had imagined the scream? Or maybe it had come from farther away? Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the street. But his gut was telling him something was wrong. It was just... wrong. The next cry for help was louder. He also realized, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, whose voice it was. "Ovinia!" He should not have let her go out alone, after all. He rounded the corner from the outside, coming to the alley just to see three men attacking her. There was blood, and kicks and blows, like they were trying to beat her to death right there. "What the fuck are you doing?" he yelled at them. The fact that he was unarmed and also one-handed did not even register in his mind for the moment as he marched towards them. @Sara

It took Lucius a while to decide on letting Ovinia leave the house alone. He didn't think anymore that she would run away, but she was also not entirely safe in the city while she had the kind of sudden anger that could get her into trouble. But she asked and begged and promised to take care of herself, so eventually, he relented. Over the course of the past month, they had lived in a kind of normalcy, and he decided he could trust her. Lucius was spending the day at home, trying to wade through some letters. The servants were in the gardens out running some errands in their down time. It was quiet all around... until a scream rang out in the street. Lucius jumped up, running to the front door to see what was happening. The voice... Looking out into the street he could not see anyone. What was going on...? @Sara

Lexus was not saying anything. He probably didn't know what to say, and neither did Clio. Thalia had always been the more confident of the twins, and right now, she also had the high ground. "Right, sure he's a gardener and you just happened to meet him. And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!" Clio winced, looking sheepishly at her sister. She really did just happen to meet Lexus... not that it was any excuse. "If you're a gardener, shouldn't you be working? If grandfather hears about this..." "Please don't tell him!" Now she was scared, realizing all that could happen if Grandfather found out. To her, but also more importantly to Lexus, who did not belong to... a noble family. "Please, Thalia... Nothing happened!" @Atrice

"Hello... this is... uhm.... a surprise?" Clio did not know what to say. She knew she had done something wrong, potentially ruinous to her and her family's reputation... even if it did not feel like that big of a deal. Thalia had warned her about this before. And now she looked properly angry. "A surprise? Really?! What are you doing Clio? How did he get in here?" "He... works here." Clio said shyly, her cheeks still burning. "He is the new gardener. It's just..." @Atrice

"Is everything all right?" Metella took a deep breath, trying to regain some control over the situation as Attis showed up, looking concerned. She faintly shook her head at his question. Metella was an independent kind of woman, but right now, even she had to admit that she was struggling. "Look, you should maybe go back to bed - I'll get one of the other girls to look after Cassia, the master won't mind when he knows you're not well. Green suits you usually, but not when it's your face rather than your tunica that's green." Too. Many. Words. Metella felt her stomach lurch. For lack of a better option, she grabbed the basin from Attis' hands. It was still a better option than throwing up on one of the flowerbeds. Her breakfast came back with a vengeance. Not a good start for the morning. @Sharpie

There was a feeling of a weight being lifted as the worst was over now. Ovinia even smiled a little, despite the pain in her words. "To my own slaves. I never understand. I...thought their loves were comfortable. That being a slave was more freeing than my own life." "I've been there" he smiled a little. Back when he was young, at the villa, he thought the slaves working the fields and orchards were the lucky ones. "Patricians, eh?" "We're all sorry. Thank you. For this...for telling me... I...can be an actress. I can play the part of the down trodden, abused slave. If you need me to." He smiled back at her, weary as he was, and managed to struggle back to his feet. "Just sleep in the damn room you made so much fuss about." he chuckled, offering her a hand. "I'll send Marius for a litter. We should not march out of here like this." They both looked like they had been attacked by the Furies. Enough scandal for one day. @Sara

Her question made sense. Lucius didn't quite know the answers, either. He had not told anyone else that story before. Ovinia was not the only one confused and tired. "I don't know what happened if I did tell someone." he sighed "The vigiles... when I joined, I thought I'd work my way up, and help change things for the better. And then suddenly... I was a war hero. Those people at the party..." he frowned "They respect me for what they think I did, like they never respeced me for... doing the other thing. I thought maybe I can use that. But I am not sure I like the person it makes me." He looked up at Ovinia. "And I am not sure at all that anyone was doing the right thing in the war. Or since. I'm sorry for what they... what we've done to you." @Sara

"The city, the emperor, your friends would disagree with that." "They are not my friends." Not the ones that stood for... things like that, anyway. They were people of his own social circles he had to put up with, by tried to avoid as much as possible. Not that it mattered much. At least Ovinia accepted his touch now. They were both bloodied and weary. "What do we do? How do I live my life as your slave, knowing that's all I'm ever going to be? How do you keep going?" Lucius sighed as she touched his shoulder. He knew what she meant. "It wasn't a battle injury, you know." he said quietly, looking a this bandages that were slowly turning darker red. "There was fighting in the streets, there was chaos, they even armed the vigiles... A lot of people, they just... wanted to get away. Be safe, in the middle of all of it. A lot of the insulae caught fire. I... I joined the vigiles to help people. I gave up my title, my name, my family, because I thought... that I could help more." he shook his head. "We were supposed to go door to door and find rebels. But this one insula, it was burning, and there were still people inside. Children, too. In the chaos, no one really paid any attention anymore, not to them, not to us... I ordered my men to help. We went in. It must have been built worse than I'd thought... the whole thing came down." He winced, remembering it in vivid detail. It still haunted his dreams. "I didn't get injured in noble battle, whatever the fuck that means. My arm was crushed when the roof came down. I somehow managed to get out, and they found me... they just made assumptions." @Sara