All's fair in love and war [M]

[Sara]

She gave him a half smile, twisted and not real or of pleasure and merely nodded. She had been debating her options, weighing up whether to go back to her family domus and end it after...if he passed, or to wait and see who claimed her in a new sale. She had settled on the latter, but had packed a small knife in her possessions that still sat on her bed, just in case her future didn't look as rosy as her present. 

"Probably not as bad as a building collapsing on me." She offered, trying to lighten the mood a little that was heavy and dark in here. "Why did you go in?" She looked at him with upset in her eyes, shaking her head, "You know you shouldn't after..." She gestured to his already maimed arm. "I told one of your men as much. Thought I was going to be arrested for assaulting a vigile." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"I know." He should not have gone in. His men told him so, and there was no one to order him in if he decided not to. But that was not the kind of man Lucius was. In the moment, trying to help, he had forgotten that other people depended on him too. He smiled a little as she talked about assaulting a vigile.

"You know me. I was... trying to help." he muttered, squeezing her hand. He would keep trying, since the gods deemed him worthy of a second chance. "You are not going anywhere, I promise." he added, coughing a little. "... water?"

[Sara]

"Trying to help others means you're risking people that care about you." She offered in return and swallowed, shaking her head; "Your freedmen and women would lose your patronage and this house and their jobs, I-I was going to be sold to Gods only know who, your family...families would have lost a brother and their minds in the process...the vigiles would have lost a very able Tribune...sometimes," She shifted in her seat - only now aware she admitted that she cared about him, "You should maybe trust your men." 

She said nothing more though, not even at his statement that she was going anywhere. Unless Lucius outlived her, he couldn't keep that promise. She knew it as did he. She nonetheless squeezed his hand. 

At his spluttering she blinked and glanced down at the cup in her hand, "Oh sh...sorry, sorry..." She moved it to his lips, wincing. "Here. What was it you said to me? Small sips." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

Edited January 11, 2022 by Sara

[Chevi]

She was not done calling him out on his recklessness just yet. Lucius blinked sheepishly as she listed all the people that... cared about him, all the people who would have felt his loss. And his men, whom he needed to trust more. Her words were justified, but there was still pain in them. She must have been really scared about being sold to someone else.

 "Oh sh...sorry, sorry... Here. What was it you said to me? Small sips." 

She held the cup to his mouth and he drank. Small sips. Hus mouth was so dry after the first ones he almost sputtered, but then he drank deeply, glping down most of the water. It felt like life, like... well, like water after days of thirst. Ovinia held the cup until it was empty. Lucius took a deep breath and relaxed against the pillows.

"You don't... have to play nurse." he muttered. "The others can do it."

[Sara]

Ovinia arched a brow and sat back down in her chair, mildly offended at his words as she so often was. She removed her hand from his. 

"I've been your nurse for what are we...coming up to five months now?" She scoffed, shaking her head, "And I've sat here for four days." She shot him a little glare, "Is there something wrong with me wanting to help?" Perhaps it was a little unfair to be annoyed at a man who only minutes ago she wanted to hug until his bones crushed (more), and who only recently had been smothered in the rubble of a building. But that was Ovinia. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

And now she was offended again. The woman had more moods than all the winds combined.

"I've been your nurse for what are we...coming up to five months now?"

"That..." Lucius groaned in protest. He had done some nursing of his own, but Ovinia did not wait for him to point that out.

"And I've sat here for four days. Is there something wrong with me wanting to help?" 

"You've..." he blinked, looking at her. He remembered sitting by her bed, after she had been attacked. He sighed, closing his eyes. Something was off, but honestly, everything was off right now, including his sense of time and balance. He looked up again, lifting his arm to make some space at his side. "Ovinia, come here."

[Sara]

She watched him with her annoyance dissipating. He looked exhausted; she shouldn't be so argumentative, she knew it. It had been tolerable when she had been free and wealthy and spoiled but now she had no doubts it was just irritating. She was about to apologise when he lifted his arm and asked her to join him. 

She didn't hesitate and instead, moved to curl up in the space he'd left. She'd never been this close to a man - it was closer still than the exercises she had helped him with, but the thought didn't even enter her mind. It was comforting, in a way she couldn't even begin to describe - just to be held, and to feel that he was real and alive and going to be alright. She let out an exhale, her fear carrying with it. 

"I'm sorry I'm such a bitch." She muttered with a sniff. She'd picked up the cursing from the other slaves, and decided it suited her when dealing with Lucius. "I...am glad that you are alright. You know that?" She turned her head up to look at him. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

He was surprised that she came. If he had invited her into his bed like this a few months ago... or even a week ago, there would have been hell to pay. But she seemed upset and lost, and he was out of ideas of how to comfort her. Words failed, and he was just left with instinct.

She curled up net to him, and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. She seemed to relax into his touch, after a moment, and he felt that it had the same effect on him. He sighed, feeling the warmth of her being close.

"I'm sorry I'm such a bitch. I...am glad that you are alright. You know that?"

"I know." he smiled, looking down at her. "Otherwise you would have stabbed me just now."

[Sara]

"I still might, for what you did." She muttered. 

But she knew that was not what he was referencing, but what did propriety matter now? Half of Rome, or those that knew she was here at least, already thought Lucius had bedded her, had taken her honour and her pride. And she trusted him. It had been a slow dawning realisation - first after she had tried to end it all, and then growing and mounting after her own attack until four nights ago when she realised the depths of just how safe he made her feel. She knew he wouldn't try anything she did not want and so settled into his side. 

She exhaled, trying to blow out some hair to try and get some hair out of her face that had fallen and shifted against him. She lay there in the silence for a few moments, feeling the thrum of his pulse on her arm from where he held her, lulled into relaxing just ever so slightly by the sensation and his warmth. He was fine. He was here and he was fine. The silence was only interrupted occasionally be her trying to blow more hair from her mouth. She resolutely refused to braid it - that's what slaves did after all, not well-bred patrician girls. "Do you need to sleep?" She looked up lazily at him after another few minutes of (almost) silence, realising he had been comforting her rather than how it should have been, the other way around.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

She stayed, and he held her. She fit so well by his side, warm and comfortable; he didn't even feel the bruises. He listened to her breathing, and the occasional noise she made when she tried to blow her hair out of the way. Sometimes, Ovinia was sweet without realizing it. Not that he would even point that out.

The warmth, the steady breathing, and the knowledge that they were safe, slowly lulled him to sleep. When she finally asked her question, she was a bit too late: he was already there. He only hummed at her question, his arm tightening slightly around her, breathing softly against her hair.

[Sara]

1 month later 

As after her own...incident, life returned to normal - or a new normal with surprising haste. Lucius recovered with her dutiful ministrations (and those of the medicus) and she curled into his side most nights. It was nothing more than comfort, she told herself, and certainly an unspoken one at that. They'd never discussed it - it just sort of...happened and her room became more of a storage space yet again. She didn't dwell on it, or think about it too hard. The one time she did she made herself shake with how much she had changed, how far she had slipped, but she had rapidly shaken that thought out of her head. She was still the same person. She just...needed different things now. If she was still a patrician she would have her family to hold her, comfort her - maybe even a husband. She just needed that and there was no more to it. Not that Marius' suspicious looks at her gave her any more comfort. 

But Lucius was well - or well enough again. He'd been out of bed a little while now, and she found him sitting in the triclinium. She blinked as she saw all of the food arrayed out in neat little platters. It was a bit gaudy for her tastes, but the cooks had done their best. "All for me? You shouldn't have." She said with a lazy grin and seated herself on the couch next to him, unprompted. "Raspberries? My favourite." She reached to take one, even though she plainly knew none of this was for her. She'd been sequestered away that morning, stitching a tunica for one of the servants and had missed the set-up. "Expecting company?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

Edited January 11, 2022 by Sara

[Chevi]

Lucius had tried his level best to get out of this lunch. No such luck. It had been arranged over his head. Apparently the Emperor was not done rewarding him just yet, mostly with things he'd never asked for. Such as, lunch with a prominent equestrian man and his lovely daughter. They were on their way up, and so was Lucius, whose loyalty was compounded by his heroic acts and almost-death a month before. So now came the imperial reward, and Lucius had no illusions: this was a matchmaking situation.

Not that he had not considered taking a wife before. He was just in no hurry, and had little social obligation as someone who had gone from patrician to vigile. Right now, recently recovered from his accident, he wasn't even sure how he felt about taking a wife. And he tried really hard during the day not to think of Ovinia, warm and trusting, curled up at his side every night.

He had a good tunica on, and the triclinium was ready for guests. He looked up when he heard footsteps, and saw Ovinia, who had been absent for most of the morning.

"All for me? You shouldn't have. Raspberries? My favourite."

This is what she must have been like, in her life before. It felt natural to see her like this. But also, she was doing to be a pain. Lucius rolled his eyes, but let her take the strawberry.

"Expecting company?" 

"Yes." he nodded "Just... lunch. You can go do something else while they are here." That was the arrangement: whenever he could, he'd make sure Ovinia was out of sight of guests, to avoid repeating the awful events of that party months before.

[Sara]

She munched on the fruit and narrowed her eyes at him, studying him languidly from head to toe in a discomfiting way that she liked to do to people who annoyed her, or who were in need of judgement. 

"You're awfully dressed up just for a lunch." She remarked with a little smirk and took a slice of fig that had already been cut, dipping it in honey. She was pushing her luck, but she chanced it. "Who's it with?" She asked as she settled back on the couch, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And I'm going, I'm going..." She grinned and debated what else to pick up from the table, eyeing her choices carefully. "I'm busy anyway. I'm thinking of making some new curtains for the tablinum," She settled on a strawberry and plucked it off of the table, "Do you prefer pink or green?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Ovinia acted like she owned the place, which was all fine with him, as long as they were alone. Lucius glanced nervously towards the door.

"You're awfully dressed up just for a lunch. Who's it with?"

"It's this man called Quintus..." he sighed "You should go." They could be here any moment, just to find a slave lounging and eating their food.

"And I'm going, I'm going... I'm busy anyway. I'm thinking of making some new curtains for the tablinum. Do you prefer pink or green?" 

"I don't..."

"Domine! Your guests have arrived."

That was Marius' voice. Lucius jumped up from the couch, waving at Ovinia to do the same. Preferably before Marius, or especially the guests, saw her sitting down. It was too late now for her to sneak out the door disappear. Lucius shot her a look. She would just have to try and behave herself.

"Quintus Aurius Nenus" Marius announced, stepping aside "And his daughter Auria Nenia."

Lucius put on a bright smile walking to the door to greet his guests. The man was tall and formidable, with the weathered features of a veteran. The girl was... a girl, really, probably the same age as Ovinia, but shorter and thinner, with pale hair and freckles. She was wearing an elegant dress, and sparkling jewelry.

"Please, do come in, make yourselves at home" Lucius told them with a smile, inviting them to take the couches around the table.

[Sara]

Ovinia blinked as Marius' voice called out and she hurriedly pushed herself up from the couch, dusting off invisible crumbs from her tunica. She should leave, but she could hear footsteps already and knew a darting slave would be worse than a polite one in the corner with a jug of wine. She shot Lucius a little eye roll - as if he'd find this meeting as equally ridiculous. 

And then she saw the pair of them. The man she didn't recognise at all, and he paid her no attention either, but the girl...the girls face rang a bell. A distant one, but one nonetheless. Auria Nenia. She was pretty, but her dress was gaudy and the jewellery was so try-hard and Ovinia wrinkled her nose, ducking her face so the pair wouldn't see. She picked up a pitcher of wine and took her place silently next to a column. She'd slip out when the pitcher ran dry, she knew the game, when she couldn't reasonably hide herself away. 

The face though...and the name...she narrowed her eyes, watching the girl who flashed the biggest grin at Lucius and she struggled not to scoff audibly. 

"My lovely daughter was looking forward to this meeting, Tribune. Chattering about it all the way here." 

"Father!" Auria exclaimed with false modesty that really was laughable. 

She followed the conversation with interest. She'd been here before...oh. Oh. She stared at Lucius. She'd had these exact sort of meetings, many of them, before her fathers interest in finding her a husband waned whilst he focused on his subterfuge. Her stare turned into a thinly concealed glare, only broken by a small giggle from Auria. 

"Ovinia," She blinked at her name, looking at the girl. "I'm sorry to see you here." She laid a hand over her heart in such an actresses pose Ovinia wanted to snap her fingers. A party floated in the back of her mind - a letter, requesting an invite (which was denied). Ah. She did know Auria. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"My lovely daughter was looking forward to this meeting, Tribune. Chattering about it all the way here." 

"Father!" 

His lovely daughter didn't even know who Lucius was, he wagered. He certainly didn't. Not that she didn't look pretty and... bouncy? He did not dare hazard a look at Ovinia. He just silently prayed she was not pulling faces, now that she clearly knew what this lunch was about.

"I have been looking forward to meeting her too." And praying he would remember her name.

"Ovinia. I'm sorry to see you here." 

Well, shit.

Did all the noble women know each other in this goddamn village of an empire?!

The father looked up too, noticing Ovinia for the first time.

"Oh, that's her, isn't she... I've heard about her." 

No doubt. Rumors of that ill-fated party were probably making the rounds. The man looked Ovinia over, as if trying to assess how much of those were true.

"Of course, once you bring a wife to the domus, she would have to go." the man added, reaching for some olives. It was not a question or a demand, just a statement believed to be obvious. Lucius kept his face carefully neutral.

[Sara]

I bet you've been looking forward to meeting her, she thought and stifled an eye-roll - look at her all young and fresh and...perky. Even if the majority of it was for show. More memories filtered back into her mind - it wasn't just the letter. She'd seen her at a party a few weeks later when one of her actual friends had deigned to invite her. She'd been equally irritating then; so needy and desperate for validation from the patrician girls. Pathetic, really. Which was...ironic, given she was a slave passing judgement on a wealthy free woman. 

Ovinia merely gave Auria a polite smile and then one to the man as he cast her a surveying look, not unlike how she imagined a man would look at prize livestock. She dropped her eyes after that, staring at a point on the floor as she didn't trust herself not to pull a face whilst looking for them. She was proved right moments later at his comment and wanted to slap the man. Well, actually, I'm here under the auspices of the Emperor, so if you want me gone, take it up with him. She managed to keep it to herself though, not without struggle. 

She heard Auria's grating laugh - at least grating to her - and she spoke; "Father...Ovinia's very sweet, and it's good she's in a kind home." 

Quintus himself snorted, chuckling and shaking his head. "You don't understand girl, but it's for the best. We could trade, Lucius." 

Ovinia did scoff at that, but covered it with a cough. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Father...Ovinia's very sweet, and it's good she's in a kind home." 

Lucius did not believe a word Auria was saying. He was learning that women of her standing rarely said anything good about each other (including Ovinia, really, even now), unless they had something to gain. Or something to show off. In this case, the equite girl now outranked Ovinia.

"You don't understand girl, but it's for the best. We could trade, Lucius." 

"Oh, it wouldn't be a fair trade." It slipped out fast, and Lucius quickly offered a smile before they could think too much about it. "Your daughter, of course, is more precious than fifty slave girls of her kind."

He hated doing this, whenever guests were over and Ovinia made an appearance. She knew now that he was lying, but it hurt her anyway.

@Sara

[Sara]

Quintus grinned at the compliment and Auria flushed. Ovinia merely ground her teeth so hard she thought they might splinter and snap. 

"You're too kind," She saw as she rose her gaze slightly, Auria flushing at the compliment. That seemed real - she did seem genuinely delighted he was noticing her. She cast a glance to Lucius, trying to read his reaction and finding herself unable to. It made her skin prickle and she rolled her shoulders.

Quintus snapped his fingers and held his cup aloft and she moved nimbly over to the small group, filling his cup just enough so it wouldn't spill but enough that it was difficult to hold without sipping at it like a dog first. "Apologies, domine." She said very quietly. 

Auria didn't even look at her - too focused on Lucius. Quintus, however, watched her - she could tell even as she dropped her eyes back to the floor.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Ovinia was probably on the verge of doing something foolish. She liked calling him out on doing impulsive things, but she was just as bad when her pride was hurt. Lucius knew that this was going to horribly wrong sooner or later.

"That's quite enough, Ovinia. Go to the kitchen, I am sure they need help scrubbing something." The words were cruel, and he said them with conviction. That was what most of his guests expected from him - punishment and humiliation. But it also got Ovinia out of the room, and fast. That was the plan.

"Running a household is a whole job, isn't it" he smiled at his guests lightly.

"Easier when it has a woman's touch" Quintus replied, picking up the cue. Auria blushed again.

[Sara]

Auria interjected as Ovinia nodded and made to leave - relieved at having been dismissed so early but still prickling at the way Auria and Lucius had been looking at one another; "Oh no...don't make her go," Her voice sounded like what she imagined a lost little puppy would sound like if it could speak, "It's not her fault. I'm sure the pitcher is very heavy?" 

Oh she was good. And a bitch. She'd never thought much of the blonde; she had bad taste in fashion and had seemed so desperate for validation from her and her friends that she'd not considered her worthy of attention  but she was, perhaps, smarter than she seemed. She clearly wanted to needle Ovinia; make her watch the scene that should have been playing out in her owl life had her own father not been a complete and utter fuckwit. 

"Thank you, domina." She said tightly and inclined her head, moving back to her position by the column, shooting daggers into the back of Lucius' head with her glare. She saw Quintus' eyes on her and dropped her own gaze again.

"Anyway, enough of slave girls. What of you Lucius? You live here alone? No family here with you?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Oh no...don't make her go. It's not her fault. I'm sure the pitcher is very heavy?" 

Oh no. He had clearly underestimated the girl's thirst for humiliating Ovinia. There was not much he could do about it, if he wanted to keep up appearances. He just hoped Ovinia was trying hard to do the same.

"Anyway, enough of slave girls. What of you Lucius? You live here alone? No family here with you?"

"Just me." he said lightly, picking up a strawberry "I admit, I have been a bit of a recluse since... the troubles. I needed some time to heal." he added, glancing down at his right arm. It was not in a sling anymore, and had some range of movement, but still hand bandages, mostly to hide the scars.

"You were in those terrible fights" Auria breathed, eyelashes fluttering. "We can never thank you and your men enough for keeping us all safe from the rebels..."

Lucius forced himself not to glance at Ovinia. "I was just doing my duty to the Emperor."

[Sara]

Ovinia tilted her head to the side, unable to keep her eyes down at the floor and instead studying the scene before her. She wondered if Lucius was buying it. Surely not? Surely he could see through the act? 

Yes, thank you Lucius for keeping us all safe. She said in her head with an irritated little snap before she felt bad. He had kept her safe, in his own way. 

"Ahh, modesty gets a man nowhere." Quintus chuckled and sipped his wine. His cup was still too full and she had to fight to keep herself from laughing. She managed it - just, "Your reputation precedes you. You should be reaping the benefits! Patrician education but with a noble streak...heroism and a good job doing decent work." Quintus was grinning now, clearly enjoying the prospect, "But you do need to focus on the future." he patted Auria's arm, "I don't think there's much point in beating around the bush is there?" 

Auria blushed and made eyes at him. Ovinia just glared at her and then the back of Lucius' head in turn. Quintus noticed. 

"Something worth looking at, girl?" Ovinia's eyes snapped to him and she dropped them immediately. "No, domine." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius listened to the praises. They had no idea. But at least this part he was used to. One of the reasons why he usually avoided the parties.

"I don't think there's much point in beating around the bush is there?" 

Well, he certainly was not. Lucius smiled. They needed to get this over with. "I do value honesty and clarity, for sure."

But Quintus was looking over his head now. He could guess why.

"Something worth looking at, girl?"

"No, domine." 

"Oh, I think she is just jealous." Lucius rolled his eyes, sipping some wine nonchalantly. "Realizing she couldn't hold a candle to your daughter, even when she was still someone."

Please let her bask in her stupid pride, Ovinia. Please.

[Sara]

Ovinia pressed her lips into a thin line, her fingers blanching white against the pitcher of wine. She was surprised it didn't snap under the force. She fucking wishes. Look at her, with her ugly little chiton and tacky jewellery. Hideous. 

Auria lapped it up though with a grin. "You're so kind. I thought you'd be kind. I heard you were brave and handsome," Ovinia knew just from the tone of her voice and her breathing that the girl was blushing (in fairness, this part was probably real - he was undoubtedly a better prospect to some men she got matched with). 

Quintus chuckled, amused at his own daughter and seemingly content to brush past Ovinia's own indiscretion. Only two so far this meal. That was good for her. Auria clicked her fingers and Ovinia glanced up, seeing her wine cup held aloft. She hid her sigh in the sound of her footsteps. 

"What do you make of my daughter then, Lucius?" 

Gods this man really had no tact, she thought. Usually with her own meetings it took two or three before a match was even mooted. Maybe this was just the done thing for equites. So uncultured, really. 

 

TAG: @Chevi