Battle wounds

[Sara]

Fight for him. I've already lost. She pushed down the upset as much as she could until it felt like a lead weight inside her. She managed a small, dry laugh which sounded as fake as it was. "Noted. I'll be sure to pay him the compliment, the next time I see him." Which she hoped would be soon. It would be even better if he could give her the updates. It would cut Lucius out. It would also cut out all of the mess. 

Aia floated closer to her and Ovinia took a step back in the pool to put some more distance between them. She blinked. She told her father the story was useless. That it was so clearly a cover it wasn't fit to even tell the slaves. She blanched white and shook her head. She should never have said anything. She didn't know this woman - she was a perfect stranger. She panicked, shaking her head more strongly. "No, no!" She protested, enough to see Lucia stand up from the bench in the distance - looking at her domina with concern. "No it was a nail. As I said. Please." She gave Aia a pleading look, "Leave it be. It was a nail." 

She ground down on her teeth and exhaled, panic still rising. She couldn't risk this woman telling anybody. It would not be hard to piece together her real name from her description and the nickname. It would be easy, in fact. She felt herself flush. "You cannot tell anybody your...suspicions, because that is what they are." She snapped, feeling panic overwhelm her, "I know secrets to. I can't imagine your clients would look kindly on you sleeping with a Praetorian. Or your praetorian's superiors." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Nia looked sacred, and backed away from her. Aia stopped, not trying to freak her out any more than she already had. She had a fresh scar... 

"No, no! No it was a nail. As I said. Please. Leave it be. It was a nail." 

It was definitely not a nail.

"You cannot tell anybody your...suspicions, because that is what they are. I know secrets to. I can't imagine your clients would look kindly on you sleeping with a Praetorian. Or your praetorian's superiors." 

Aia smiled a little. As if anyone gave a shit about a praetorian sleeping with someone. Sure, her clients might... but she wasn't too worried about that. And in the end, she was still someone who had helped save an imperial princess from bandits. "It wouldn't work. But I don't blame you. I know you must be scared." She certainly looked it. "I wouldn't tell anyone regardless, I'm not an idiot. But you clearly came over here to ask... if you need help, I can help."

@Sara

[Sara]

Ovinia blinked. She was so used to people doing what she said; slaves, of course, but also plebs and freedmen who generally wanted favours or at the very least didn't want to piss off the daughter of one of the city's Praetor's. She'd never really crossed somebody who didn't do as they were told for her. Certainly not a woman. She blinked again as her threat fell completely flat and the woman offered her help instead. 

Embarrassment began to creep again, as well as upset and annoyance. "I'm not scared." She protested with a scoff. "And I don't need your help." She did. She needed all the help she could get, especially  given she had actively cut off one of her only sources of support. She exhaled sharply, frustration seeping off her and pushed herself away from Aia, over to the stairs that led out of the pool. Lucia was there, almost immediately, to shroud her in a long towel  to cover the scar on her back. The one on her hip was easier to conceal with her arm. She didn't want to leave the complex yet, but she did want the irritating Gaulish woman to leave. She'd gotten under her skin in more ways than one. Ovinia sat on the bench, glaring daggers at the redhead. It had always worked for her in the past. 

 

TAG: @Chevi