Changed History

[Sara]

Late November, 74CE

The chill in Italia this time of year was refreshing for a man who spent most of his adult life across the narrow sea in a land where gales and snowstorms often blew well into Spring. He'd set out early that morning with no particular destination in mind, just enjoying the peace and escape from his daughters grumbling about the chill, the stifling heat of the braziers and the oppressive depression his domus had sunk into. He'd ridden miles out of the city, although had found it took just as long to navigate the streets of Rome as it did to actually ride across the countryside. The sun was low in the sky now, however, and he'd found himself on a well-trodden path that he had recalled in a half-memory. 

He'd been hoping Lucius was at home, he'd not seen the lad in months but had disappointingly found that he'd taken his leave. Whilst he'd been invited in for a drink and some food he'd politely declined. He'd forgotten, in his long absence and without the formal support of his wife the proper protocol for paying visits and hadn't wanted to intrude on his good friends stepmother and her hospitality. 

He'd taken a cup of water and returned to his horse, stretching his aching legs in the yard. He'd ridden with no intention to come here, but still felt a wave of disappointment that the young Silanus was absent. His friends were slowly returning to Rome in dribs and drabs and he needed to live vicariously through them, his life was so dull and dreary and not to mention depressing at the moment. Besides, in his half-baked idea he'd been intending to pester the young man about his ambitions - the mentor/mentee relationship turning full-circle now as the older man was in desperate need of some political guidance. 

Nonetheless, the ride itself had done his health and his mind the world of good. But darkness would soon be upon them and he had a long ride back to his domus. Passing the cup back to an attendant in the yard he was about to remount his horse but a familiar voice, a little way off caught his attention. With a little frown he strode forward, not quite able to place the feminine tone. Surely it wasn't one of his conquests? Here? In an Imperial's villa? His frown deepened as he rounded the corner and spied a short, red-headed woman. But her voice was familiar, as was her face, even if he couldn't place where from. He stood there for a while, studying her in silence. Gods, how many women had he been through if he couldn't even place one as striking and different as this?!

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

The domina was not home, and neither was most of the family. Aia had a nice, lazy day where she did not have much to do, and could move around the house without having to worry about disturbing her employer's privacy. She spent some time lounging in the garden, reading various texts (her Greek reading skills needed some practice), and then promptly ran out of things to do, and started wandering around, being underfoot for the household slaves who actually did have things to do. She knew some guest came looking for Silanus, but she did not usually have business with the family's guests, unless Flavia Juliana asked her to accompany them (or, occasionally, to tutor them). The man came on the wrong day anyway.

But then she caught a glimpse of him around the corner, and her stomach dropped through the floor.

"Oh, for fucking Jupiter's sake..." she backed away as fast as she could... unfortunately running into a household slave who just had her last straw for the day, and did not see the tutor as someone intimidating enough to keep her mouth shut.  She dropped a basket of apples that rolled everywhere.

"Watch where you're going!" she snapped angrily at Aia.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Aia tried to apologize in some coherent sentences, while also trying to calm the girl enough to keep her quiet.

Of course it didn't work. 

Lucius Cassius Longinus rounded the corner, and Aia was suddenly very interested in helping with picking up the apples, keeping her head down, hoping her short hair might conceal some of her face...

@Sara

[Sara]

He frowned at the scene before him and strode forward with all of the confidence of a man bred for leadership. He bent down and scooped up an apple, depositing it with a thud in the slave's basket. She mumbled her thanks - obviously uncomfortable with this unfamiliar man. He wasn't dressed particularly well, he rarely did, and his tunica was plain and serviceable but he had the bearing of a man of authority. He cast his eyes from the slave back to the other woman with that striking red hair and bent down lower to peer at her face. 

Gods, surely not? 

He bolted back upright and commanded, with an authoritative voice: "You, stand up straight. And what's your name?" He frowned. It didn't make sense. He'd left Aius in Britannia - happy and content and definitely a man. Unless he had a sister! Of course, that must be it. "And what are you doing in the villa?" He added. As far as he remembered, Aius had never mentioned family and especially not an enslaved family. It would be quite the conincidence, but he couldn't rationalise this any other way.

 

TAG: @Chevi 

[Chevi]

Fuck. Fuck fuck fucking dammit to Tartarus.

The man, instead of leaving the women to their apple picking, walked closer. It was definitely him.

"You, stand up straight. And what's your name?" 

Aia stood. At this point it would have been more suspicious not to, and besides she still had the instincts drilled into her in the legions. Longinus had a voice used to giving out commands. And she was used to standing up straight when he was talking to her. 

"Aia, dominus."

"And what are you doing in the villa?"

She held his gaze, hoping to create reasonable doubt solely by confidence.

"I'm the language tutor of Flavia Juliana's children, dominus."

@Sara

[Sara]

"Ai..a?" He frowned at her quizzically and glanced from her face to the slave a little way back - standing straight as a column and eyes down. "Leave." He commanded and she nodded her head silently, picking up as many apples as she could before hurriedly retreating back into the villa. The silence between them was deafening as Longinus tried to piece it all together. 

He grit his jaw at her explanation. The siblings theory was long shot from his mind. There was no conceivable way that Aius would have a sister as skilled in languages, with that same hair and the same features, out here and in the service to the wife of the Proconsul of Britannia. He exhaled sharply through his nose, his irritation evident but he was managing to keep well-fired fury at bay. 

"I knew a man once, served in my legion as one of my interprexes. His name was Aius." He glared at her and bent down to peer at her face again. "It's a funny  thing, you look almost identical to him. But the funnier thing is that I left him in Britannia, happily in service to Rome, and with his cock and balls still attached and definitely not wearing a dress."

He exhaled again and stood up straight. "Look at me. And explain how you came to be here, Aia." His mind honestly couldn't process this.

 

TAG: @Chevi

Edited December 10, 2019 by Sara

[Chevi]

"Ai..a?" 

Well, admitting her name, in retrospect, was a bad idea, but it was not like he couldn't find out the truth from the slaves anyway. The slave girl scampered away with her basket; at least there were going to be no witnesses to this exchange.

"I knew a man once, served in my legion as one of my interprexes. His name was Aius. It's a funny  thing, you look almost identical to him. But the funnier thing is that I left him in Britannia, happily in service to Rome, and with his cock and balls still attached and definitely not wearing a dress."

Despite the dire nature of the situation, Aia bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. Cock and balls indeed. Did he have that on good authority? She fixed her gaze ahead as he inspected her closer. Legion officers liked to get into one's face. It's was all about intimidation.

"Look at me. And explain how you came to be here, Aia." 

"I was hired to tutor Flavia Juliana's children in languages." she reiterated with a straight face, then decided to take a gamble. If the man was so sure about cock and balls, maybe he could be swayed now. "You are probably thinking of my twin brother, dominus. He is still in Britannia."

@Sara

[Sara]

"Twin brother?" He blinked and stood back half a step. His mind worked and one could see it on his face as a frown creased his brow and the muscles in his jaw tightened. He had discounted the possibility of a sister or brother, surely it was too implausible. Then again, seeing the man he had shared a drink and a laugh with - worked with to dampen down the Briton's constant incursions - wearing a dress, was equally as implausible. 

He glanced her over from head to toe again, silently as he considered the story. The girl, Aia, must have known he wouldn't taken kindly to being lied to which counted in her favour, but there was something...off about this. He was not a man that liked being in the dark. 

But it came to him quickly and he couldn't help the little smirk on his lips. He felt fury in the pit of his stomach, but also amusement. She wouldn't get away with it that easily. "And I suppose your hair," He gestured to it - far, far shorter than was normal for Roman women, and foreigners, "Is a new style I'm not au fait with? Or is it from where it's not grown back, from when you were lying to the legion, Aius?" 

He arched a brow, staring her down. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Twin brother?" 

For a moment, she though she was going to get away with it. Any Roman man with half a brain and half the balls would have more readily accepted that twins could look this much alike than accepting the possibility that a woman fooled the legions for years.

"And I suppose your hair. Is a new style I'm not au fait with? Or is it from where it's not grown back, from when you were lying to the legion, Aius?" 

Aia stared back, setting her jaw.

Decimus would be shitting himself right about now.

"Lice."

Pause.

"Dominus, I am confused. Are you trying to insinuate that I, a mere woman, served in the legions an no one noticed? Or that I am actually a man in disguise? Because I am willing to show you my breasts if it's the latter. No cock and balls attached."

@Sara

[Sara]

He wanted to scream, he felt so confused. Instead he settled on picking up a large rock in the courtyard and throwing it as hard as he could against the wall behind him; "Lice?" He scoffed as he turned back around. Was she telling the truth? She might well be, but he felt so conflicted he didn't know. But he also didn't want to believe he'd been duped for years by a woman. Not in the legions, where he prided himself on his skills as as a leader and the rigorous discipline he employed. 

"Don't tempt me." He scoffed and shook his head. 

With narrowed eyes, he tilted his head to the side and glanced her up and down. She was slight, concealing her sex wouldn't be overtly difficult for her he imagined unlike some of the buxom beauties in the Venus. "I think your lying." He shrugged, "And I think you know who I am and I think three years ago we were in Britannia and I sent you to Petuaria to go and get intelligence on their insurrections." He glared at her, "And I want to know - if your Aius' twin sister, how on earth you ended up in the employ of one of the Imperials? His connections weren't that good." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Lice?... Don't tempt me." 

Was she getting away with this? Longinus was becoming more and more frustrated. He even started throwing things. Aia hoped Flavia Juliana was not going to arrive home early, because it would have been hard to explain how she managed to upset a guest so badly he was doing damage to the property. But at least he didn't actually ask her to show her tits like some Greek prostitute on trial.

"I think your lying. And I think you know who I am and I think three years ago we were in Britannia and I sent you to Petuaria to go and get intelligence on their insurrections. And I want to know - if your Aius' twin sister, how on earth you ended up in the employ of one of the Imperials? His connections weren't that good."

That... actually was a very good question.

"Well... he sent me away from Britannia because he wanted me to be safe." she answered tactfully, still holding Longinus' gaze. This was not really about lying anymore as much as plausible deniability. "Since we look a lot alike, it would have been... a problem, if someone somehow got the idea that there was a woman in the legions. It would have been very embarrassing for the officers to... make that kinda mistake."

@Sara

[Sara]

He listened with a gritted jaw, fury bubbling in the pit of his stomach, growing and growing. His...her impertinence was eating away at his patience and he huffed, and took up a stride, pacing the yard but glancing up at her every few moments. 

"You've still not explained how you are now in the employ of one of most important families in the Empire." He muttered, shooting a glare up at her. 

Could he have been duped? For those years? It made him feel ashamed. He had always considered himself an excellent leader; bright, articulate, strategic. But had he genuinely missed that one of his own men was not actually a man at all? He tried to cut himself some slack; his position as Legatus meant he came across junior men very rarely, and had only taken an interest in Aius out of his own natural inclination for the Briton's language, and out of interest. He could get where Longinus, with all his responsibility, could not. It felt like a humiliation now, to be even considering he had misjudged his...her character so spectacularly. 

Finally drawing to a stop he exhaled sharply through his nose. "I will give you one more chance to explain before I write to the Governor, or better yet, wait until your domina returns and I'll ask her - lay out my suspicions. There'll be punishment plenty from one of them, if not both, I'm sure." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"You've still not explained how you are now in the employ of one of most important families in the Empire." 

Fortuna has the hots for me.

Aia sighed. This conversation was not going well. Longinus might not have been the cleverest of people, but even he was not dumb enough to believe her pretense. The thing with passing for a man... once they saw the truth, it was hard to unsee. Longinus kept on pacing, obviously missing the nuance of what she was trying to say.

 "I will give you one more chance to explain before I write to the Governor, or better yet, wait until your domina returns and I'll ask her - lay out my suspicions. There'll be punishment plenty from one of them, if not both, I'm sure." 

Well then. Aia smirked. She was sure she'd be punished if Longinus went to the domina... just not for the thing he thought. She kept quiet for a while, weighing her options.

"Some people knew, you know." she said finally with a sigh "One because he saved my life when I got stabbed in a raid. And four because they tired to beat me up. The case went all the way to the Proconsul, and he decided to take the lesser of two disasters, and sent me here. Because the other option would have been for everyone to find out a woman had been serving in the legions for years. Not that I had much of a choice."

@Sara

[Sara]

Gods have mercy...Longinus stared for a few moments, blinking at her before he scoffed and turned to resume his pacing. How was he so blind that he didn't see it? Mehercle! 

He shot her a few glares as he walked before finally coming to a stop. The fury had given way to humiliation. Had he been younger, more foolish, he would have lashed out at her but he prided himself on his restraint (for the most part) these days. Instead, if looks could kill..."Of course Tuscus decided to promptly send you home without even a reprimand," He scoffed. That was unfair, he'd liked the man when he'd served under him but nobody could quite replace Silanus to him. "And you think the men that found out haven't spread it round the legions? Spreading dissent?" Military honour was something he felt was so critical on a fundamental level that somebody having crossed it was unfathomable to him. 

"Why didn't you just cross ranks and join the bloody Britons as a warrior woman if you were so bloody keen to fight, Aius?" He scoffed, anger in his eyes but it was more aimed at himself than at her. "Gods you...how can..." He muttered more to himself, than her, giving up on having anything else to say, asides from; "And Flavia knows?" He couldn't imagine the lovely Flavia taking kindly to the news, then again it had been years since he'd seen her.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Longinus was not taking the news particularly well, but at least he was not trying to punch her just yet. The fact that her domina knew the truth took the venom out of his threats for sure.

"Of course Tuscus decided to promptly send you home without even a reprimand,"

"Oh, I was reprimanded." the Proconsul had been furious, in fact, just like Longinus. But also out of better options.

"And you think the men that found out haven't spread it round the legions? Spreading dissent?" 

"I know for a fact they haven't. But that's the Proconsul's story to tell."

"Why didn't you just cross ranks and join the bloody Britons as a warrior woman if you were so bloody keen to fight, Aius?"

"I wasn't trying to fight, I was trying to survive. You think I should have done that and treason?" she tilted her head. Longinus was a threatening person when angered, but he wasn't her superior anymore.

"Gods you...how can... And Flavia knows?" 

"She does." Aia sighed "She was not happy about it, but I'm doing a decent job of being a tutor so far. And a woman. I don't plan on being anything else anytime soon." she paused "Don't blame yourself too much. I was raised to pass as a boy from an early age."

@Sara

[Sara]

Maybe he should write to the Proconsul then. Get the story straight. But he didn't let on that, that was his plan. He was too irritated at her, at himself to really engage with her on anything above shouting. Still, the thought that the lovely Flavia Juliana knew she'd taken in a woman who had spent her life as a man in the military boggled his mind. The next time he paid a visit to Silanus he'd have to ask her, although perhaps it would be a sensitive subject? 

'I'm doing a decent job of being a tutor so far. And a woman.' He smirked and couldn't help but eye her. He could see that, but again didn't remark on it. He simply paced. 

Her final comment struck a nerve, however, and he rounded on her, breathing sharply through his nose. "I don't blame myself, Aius...Aia." He glared, and was lying through his teeth, "I blame my pissing juniors who should have seen straight through you, I didn't spend enough time with you, that wasn't my job." Well it shouldn't have been - generally his station as the senior officer would have meant limited interaction with a standard interprex, but he wasn't a standard legate and he had enjoyed the woman's company more than was probably proper. 

He ran a hand through his hair, which was in desperate need of a cut, and shot her a dark glare. But his anger couldn't last forever and he sighed instead a small, dark smirk on his lips, "And how is being a woman treating you? Missing the legions already, I suspect?"

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"I don't blame myself, Aius...Aia. I blame my pissing juniors who should have seen straight through you, I didn't spend enough time with you, that wasn't my job." 

Well, that was one way to explain the embarrassment away. Aia kept herself from pointing out that some of his juniors did notice; there was no use getting Decimus into trouble as well. And she had already pointed out that she was pretty good at passing as a man.

Longinus huffed and puffed and eventually ran out of anger. Aia had no doubt her domina was going to hear about this, but at least he was not dragging her to the judges right now.

"And how is being a woman treating you? Missing the legions already, I suspect?"

"Not really." she shrugged with a smirk "Being a woman and having my own job is pretty comfortable. The dresses are annoying, and there is less freedom than when I was a man... but my skills are the same. And there are less barbarians trying to murder me on a daily basis."

@Sara

[Sara]

He smirked with dark amusement and chuckled to himself, muttering; "Gods you must be bored shitless." He knew he was and he didn't have to prance around all day as a gender he'd not worn for years. He still eyed her though, trying to see through the unmistakeable femininity to the Aius he had known. It was odd, to have one's whole perspective turned around. 

He had ran out of anger though, at least for now, as it settled to a low murmur of annoyance in the pit of his stomach instead. 

Scoffing a little bit he watched her; "And that's the plan now then, hm? Be a languages tutor, grow your hair," He gestured to her bright red locks, still shorter than a respectable woman's by a long way, "Have a few kids, retire?" He shook his head with a little sigh, "You were talented." He admitted begrudgingly, and added quietly, more to himself, "It's a waste." Half of him told himself, firmly, that a woman's place was at home, and certainly not in the legions but then...she had been there, in the mud and the dirt and the rain and flourished. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

 "Gods you must be bored shitless."

Aia chuckled at the comment. At least Longinus was not railing at her anymore, and he was not awkwardly trying to treat her as a woman either. It was refreshing. Wrong, since she did not mind being bored occasionally, but definitely refreshing. Besides, it was not like she could enlighten him about all the clandestine meetings she had been having, and bandits she had been fighting since she came to Rome.

"And that's the plan now then, hm? Be a languages tutor, grow your hair, Have a few kids, retire? You were talented. It's a waste." 

"D'aww" Aia grinned at him. Going soft, was he? "Yes on the hair, undecided on the kids. I'd need to hook a lucrative husband first... But I appreciate the sentiment. The moment the legions decide to judge people based on their abilities rather than what's between their legs, I promise I will go back to serving. How is that?"

@Sara

[Sara]

Longinus scoffed and rolled his eyes. The idea of women serving with the legions made him want to break out in uproarious laughter, but he restrained himself, only smirking. 

"Yes and the moment men learn to control themselves after being separated from women for years, then I'll get you your post back." He shook  his head. Roman soldiers were the most disciplined and strongest in the known world, but even he had to admit that throwing attractive women into a camp of men and expecting them to all get along and play nicely was bound to go badly. He saw what happened after raids on towns, and with the captives. Years in foreign climates without civilised women was a recipe for disaster for some men.

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. He should walk away, but the irritation was still bubbling away in his blood - simmering. He had come out here for some quality time with a close friend and instead had only found Aius...or Aia now. The day couldn't have gone more wrong if he tried. 

Looking her up and down he shrugged. He wanted to chide her, but didn't have the energy. Instead, he asked with an arched brow; "Do you miss it? Britannia?" He had very few people here in Italia that he'd served with (and survived) and fewer still that had served for years. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

 

[Chevi]

"Yes and the moment men learn to control themselves after being separated from women for years, then I'll get you your post back." 

"Hey, it's not my fault your men can't control themselves. That sounds like a you problem." Aia grinned back. She had never been quite this cheeky with an officer, back when she was serving in the legions. Keeping her head down was key to survival. Burt right now, he was someone who had no power over her anymore, and also someone who shared a past with her. And he was already frustrated about the whole thing anyway.

"Do you miss it? Britannia?" 

She thought about that for a moment. Did she?

"I don't miss the place. Or the crazy stark naked blue people." she said finally "But I do miss the legion, in a way... even as interprex, I had more freedom when I was a man. And... more friends. Although I am starting to make some new ones now." she added with a smirk.

@Sara

[Sara]

He ignored her rebuke with a scoff and a shake off his head. The phrase 'boys will be boys' came to mind. 

Still, he was intrigued by her response and listened. He was surprised by her candour, given her earlier reticence to even acknowledge she was who he thought she was. He murmured a "Mhmm" in agreement to her assertion she missed the legion. Even with the majority of his friends, Titus, Aulus and more, now returned to Rome, one couldn't replace the camaraderie of a war camp. 

"Oh?" He arched a brow with a little smirk, "I'm surprised the lovely domina is giving you enough free time to make friends. Anybody I'd know? Anybody who knows about what you've been up to? Polite society isn't always particularly welcoming." He'd know that himself. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Oh? I'm surprised the lovely domina is giving you enough free time to make friends."

"I'm a tutor." Aia reiterated. The 'not a slave' part went unspoken. Sure, Flavia Juliana kept a tight schedule in her household, but Aia, given her position, had more free time than many others.

Anybody I'd know? Anybody who knows about what you've been up to? Polite society isn't always particularly welcoming." 

She smirked at the question. She knew where Longinus was headed, but she had no intention of letting him win this one. 

"Only my best friends know what I have been up to" she noted with a smirk "I have met quite a few interesting people in the city... a woman who runs a popina, for example, can you imagine? Some women who work in the baths. Oh, and a Briton gladiatrix. She's a personal bodyguard to the princess. Making friends with a Briton, who would have thought... How about you? Making any friends in polite society?"

@Sara

[Sara]

Longinus couldn't hide his wince at the mention of a 'Briton Gladiatrix'. "Cynane?" He questioned cautiously with a low groan. The woman was now cropping up here there and everywhere since they'd run into one another at the party last month. He suspected his own view of her wouldn't be as flattering as Aia's. 

He snorted in amusement though, feeling his irritation settle at her question. "I am a Senator, polite society is all I have." He arched a brow at her.

Men of his rank were often not afforded the opportunity to socialise outside of very formal, very dull parties but he'd found his way to the less reputable taverns of the city, unmolested thus far. With a smirk he arched a brow though, "But I'm reconnecting with old friends who aren't quite as dull as they first appear." Aulus and Titus for two at least. However, he shrugged and glanced towards the villa where a couple of the slaves were lingering, evidently watching them. "Speaking of old friends, I better leave you to your duties." He smirked, "I have better things to do than chastise you." He rolled his eyes and scooping down he picked up an apple and without warning, tossed it at her. 

His mood was vastly improved and he offered a light grin, "I'll be seeing you around I'm sure Aia."

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

 "Cynane?"

He knew Cynane, or at least knew of her, and his opinion was clear from his tone. Aia smirked. She liked Cynane, and if Longinus didn't, it was his loss. Cynane probably didn't like him very much either.

"I am a Senator, polite society is all I have."

"My condolences" Aia grinned. She knew she was pushing the boundaries of propriety (from the wrong side), but it was too much fun not to tease since he'd made some jabs about polite society first.

"But I'm reconnecting with old friends who aren't quite as dull as they first appear... Speaking of old friends, I better leave you to your duties. I have better things to do than chastise you. I'll be seeing you around I'm sure Aia."

Aia caught the apple and grinned back, waving with her free hand.

"I am sure you will. It has been nice seeing you again, sir."

And with that, now there were three people in the City of Rome who knew her secret.

@Sara