Maximus' Story
Chapter 46 – Deception
"Pssst, General."
This time Maximus came awake in an instant, knife in hand, and was on the floor of his tent shortly afterwards feeling slightly disoriented. What time was it? It felt like he had just fallen asleep. "I'm here," he whispered back.
"Don't go riding later today, sir."
Maximus wryly thought about his conversation with Julia. "I hadn't planned to."
"Cassius intends to take you on a tour of the vicinity. He intends to have you fall off your horse while you're on a narrow bridge and topple into a river and drown. If you don't drown his men will hold you under until you do."
Maximus almost laughed. "And that's supposed to appear to be an accident? There isn't a man in the Roman army who would believe that I would simply fall off my horse."
Claudius sounded slightly offended. "I'm just telling you what I've heard, sir."
"I'm sorry, Claudius. I'm just very tired and everything seems ludicrous to me at the moment." Maximus shook his head in disbelief at what was hearing.
"They're planning to cut through the cinch--"
"And how will they arrange it so the cinch breaks at the very moment I am on the bridge?" The whole thing sounded crazy -- crazy enough that Maximus was suddenly very wide awake and very wary. Was he wise to trust Claudius after all? He rose to his feet as gracefully and quietly as a cat and moved to the back wall of the tent where he inserted the knife into the seam and slid it upwards, slicing the stitching then spreading the gap with his fingers. He returned just as stealthily to his place on the floor.
"-- have to trust me--" was all Maximus caught of Claudius' last statement.
"I do trust you and I'll be very careful. Thank you for the alert, Claudius. Did you talk to the tribune after dinner?" He was reluctant to say Marcellus' name.
"I haven't had a chance yet, sir. I thought I should just get to you with the warning."
"I appreciate it, Claudius and I'll be very careful."
"I'll let you get back to sleep, sir." Claudius rose and headed towards the rear of the tent as he had before. Maximus mirrored his steps on the inside and peered through the opening at the man's retreating back -- and balding head. The same balding head he had seen leave the room beside the one he had shared with Julia. Maximus slowly sank to the floor. He knew his memory of Claudius was accurate. The man who had received that medal for bravery in Germania had had thick fair hair. He'd bet his life on it. Had they killed Claudius then had this balding man assume the soldier's identity to lure him into a false sense of security? What was going on?
Were Marcellus and Julie part of this deception too? Marcellus must be... but Julia? Fury surged through his veins. After a few deep, calming breaths Maximus sauntered over to the door of his tent, startling the dozing guards. He smiled a conspiratorially. "I've got an itch that just can't seem to be scratched. That redheaded slave... Julia... bring her to me."
The guards looked at each other in obvious alarm and one said, "She is the property of Cassius, sir."
"Well Cassius was quite willing to share her earlier tonight. I'm sure he wouldn't mind doing it again." The guards didn't move. "I am his guest, after all."
After a moment's deliberation the senior guard jerked his head and another scurried off in the direction of the praetorium. Less than fifteen minutes later he returned dragging an obviously frightened Julia behind him who clutched a robe closed across her breasts. Her eyes widened when she saw Maximus and she was roughly thrust into his arms. He nodded his thanks to the guards and lifted her off her feet with an arm under her breasts, carrying her through the door and over to his bed before setting her down, still held firmly in his grasp.
Her face reflected a mixture of fear and confusion. "Maximus--" Her words strangled in her throat when she felt the sharp point of a knife under her ear. Even more frightening was the sound of Maximus' voice as he snarled in her ear.
"Nice performance tonight, Julia."
"Maximus I don't understand." Her whole body trembled.
"Keep your voice down or I'll slit your pretty throat."
Julia tried desperately to lighten his mood. "I knew you'd be frustrated but this--"
"Shut up and do as I say. Describe Claudius to me."
"I've never seen him."
One of the guards pulled aside the heavy curtain slightly to peer inside. "Get out!" barked Maximus making Julia flinch as if she'd been hit. The curtain dropped back into place and Maximus continued his interrogation. "Who arranged for you to meet with me tonight?"
"Marcellus did."
"Marcellus. Is he a real tribune, Julia?"
She whimpered slightly, terrified at Maximus' sudden brutality. "Yes, yes. He's one of Cassius' closest advisors."
"And he told you what to say?"
"I just repeated to you exactly what he told me to say. General, what is wrong?"
Maximus' chest heaved with his anger and his breath was ragged in her ear. He growled, "Claudius isn't Claudius."
"What?"
"I know Claudius from Germania and the man claiming to be him looks nothing like him. Claudius is -- was -- of medium build and fair. This man is stocky and lacking hair."
"That's Balbinus. He's a tribune and a close friend of Marcellus. Maximus -- what's going on?"
"I do not know. But you're part of it."
"Please I just delivered the message, Maximus. I'm not part of any conspiracy against you." Julia wept quietly now. "You believe that I could do that to you?"
"I believe that you can do anything you want. That was a nice little performance you put on for me tonight."
Julia placed a shaking hand over his fist that held the knife to her throat. "It was no performance, Maximus."
He allowed her hand to pull the knife away then Julia stepped back and turned to face him, hugging herself and trying to stifle the sobs that escaped through the curtain of red-gold hair that concealed her down-turned face. "I wouldn't -- I didn't --I--" she stuttered through hiccuping sobs.
Maximus sighed impatiently then jammed the knife into the back of his belt and tried to gather Julia into his arms. She resisted and tried to curl into a ball away from him but he persisted and she gradually sank against him as her tears flowed freely, dampening his tunic. He whispered into her hair, his voice apologetic, "I'm sorry. I've made you cry a lot tonight. I don't know who I can trust, Julia, or who is trying to lead me into a trap. And I don't know where you fit into that scenario."
"No one confides in me, Maximus. I am simply used -- as a messenger, as a vehicle for pleasure. I just serve men's needs. Nothing more." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "If I thought that I did something to hurt you -- even inadvertently -- I could never live with that."
"You didn't. Come over here and sit down." She followed Maximus to the bed where they sat down side by side, close but not touching. "I would never have hurt you with that knife," he gently tried to reassure her.
"Well, you seemed pretty convincing. You can be very scary when you want to be."
"I know. It comes in handy sometimes." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Julia, I need your help."
"How can I help you?"
"I must kill Cassius and make it look like one of his men did it."
"Why one of his men?"
"Because If I kill him I'll never get out of here alive and neither will my men. But if the soldiers of this legion think that one of their own killed him it would throw them into enough confusion for supporters of Marcus Aurelius to gather the strength they need to take control -- with my help, of course." Her let her absorb that information then added, "Will you help me?"
She nodded. "You know I will. She paused then said, "Will you trust me?"
"Yes."
"You're sure? I don't want to get hauled in here again with a knife to my throat."
Maximus smiled at her teasing tone. "I don't blame you."
"What about the plot against your life. You're in danger too, remember?"
"Balbinus warned me against going for a ride outside the camp later today. Maybe Cassius intends to leave the camp after scaring me into staying behind where I will be conveniently dead by the time he returns and his hands will be spotlessly clean."
Julia shuddered.
"I'll just have to thwart whatever he has in mind," said Maximus casually as he placed his large hand over hers covering it completely. "Are you familiar with Cassius' routines?"
Julia nodded. "Too familiar."
"Describe them to me so I can figure out when and where to do this."
The striking couple sat close together on his bed conversing quietly. Occasionally Maximus brushed back a lock of her hair and to the eye of any casual observer they looked like lovers exchanging words and gestures of affection.
Chapter 47 - Fate of the Guards
When the sun was well up the next morning and General Maximus still hadn't appeared the guards weren't concerned. After all, the man had had a rather active night and even he needed his sleep. But when he hadn't made an appearance by mid-morning they decided to wake him. What they found was a ripped tent seam and an empty bed.
The four guards momentarily froze in panic. Cassius had charged them with the task of keeping track of General Maximus every minute of every day and now they had no idea where he was. The searing image of centurions rotting on crosses flashed simultaneously through their minds making their stomachs churn and their legs weaken. After a quick, frantic discussion, two ran off to interrogate Maximus' men and the other two left to question Julia.
The men in Maximus' cavalry were busy taking care of their horses or sitting in small groups chatting when the guards burst upon them waving weapons and shouting threats. Undaunted, the men of Felix III paused to look at them curiously then returned to their activities pointedly ignoring the commotion. They stepped aside when their quarters were ransacked but did not raise a finger to help. Instead they traded knowing glances: so Maximus had given them the slip, had he? That meant that their general had decided it was time to act. After an hour of searching the intensely frustrated and frightened guards made a big mistake. One grabbed the hair of a soldier who was sitting quietly with his back turned to them and yanked his head back, thrusting a blade under his chin demanding answers. Immediately all of the men were on their feet, weapons in hand, prepared to defend their friend.
The cavalry spokesman, Gallienus, calmly said, "You have searched this place thoroughly and have not found a trace of General Maximus. We do not know where he is and this man," Gallienus gestured with his head to the soldier under threat, "knows no more than the rest of us. If you harm him you will die. If you harm General Maximus not one of us will rest until you die. So, as you can see, you are in a rather precarious position. Drop the sword immediately and release him."
The guard's hand went slack and the sword drooped under the soldier's chin. Immediately Gallienus sprang at him, knocking him out with one sure blow to the neck and the other guard was felled the same way as he attempted to run. Maximus' men dragged the guards into a back room and stripped them, then two of the cavalrymen donned their uniforms and headed to Maximus' empty to tent to stand guard as if nothing in the world was wrong.
Julia knew that the guards had arrived when she heard the screams of the other slave women as they heaped abuse on the men who seemed determined to rip apart their quarters. From her place in the bathing room she heard beds being overturned and cupboards being pulled away from walls then crash to the floor, the wood splintering. She tensed and crouched lower in the large tub, her knees bent to her chest, displacing some of the pink rose petals that floated on the heavily perfumed water, obscuring its reflective surface.
The guards burst through the door twisting to avoid the grasps of the angry women who pursued them, clawing at their faces, pulling at their clothing and hair and kicking their shins. As one guard reached Julia she covered her breasts with her hands and demanded, "Get out of here you oaf! Can't you see I'm bathing?"
"Where is he?" the guard screamed.
"Where is whom?" asked Julia coolly.
"General Maximus! He was with you last night and now he is gone!"
"You idiot! You escorted me here yourself last night and he obviously was not with me!"
He lunged for Julia, grabbing her arm and hauling her from the water, rivulets pouring down her naked body and the odd petal clinging to her glistening skin. Immediately the other women moved between Julia and the tub, wrapping her protectively in a large, soft towel as they scowled at the guards.
"Well? You have pulled me from my bath. Now what? Do you want me to show you our quarters again, guard? To prove to you again that General Maximus is not here?"
The guard just stood there, totally unsure of what to do next, so Julia grabbed his arm and pushed him in the direction of the sleeping quarters.
"Not so fast," he said as he gazed around the small room. There was nowhere here for a man to hide but he poked at curtains and piles of towels anyway before following Julia and many of her friends back to the bedrooms where they watched impatiently as the place was ransacked again. The few women who remained in the bathing room quietly shut the door then made a frantic dash for the petal-covered bath water, reaching in to grab Maximus by the hair and haul him above the surface.
He came up sputtering and gasping for air, his mouth wide open, his eyes squeezed shut. His lungs burned from the abuse of holding air for so long and he slashed at his eyes with his knuckles in an attempt to wipe away the perfumed oils that irritated them. His lungs still aching, he sat in the tub and placed his hands on the edge, resting his forehead on his knuckles. Eugenia and Honora placed a towel over his dripping hair and draped another around his shoulders as they listened carefully to the commotion in the other room, fully prepared to push him under again if need be.
The noise abruptly subsided and Julia soon returned to the bathing room rushing to Maximus and crouching by his side as she removed the towel and stroked his head murmuring a few words to him. Now wrapped in a robe, she stood and placed her hands under his upper arms steadying him as he stood up, water cascading off his soaked tunic and puddling on the red tile floor. A dozen feminine hands reached out to him and one young woman handed him a cloth soaked in clear, clean water which he gratefully pressed to his eyes as he stood knee deep in the tub, his tunic molded to his muscular body.
Smelling like wet wool and roses he finally opened his bloodshot eyes and stepped over the edge of the tub, taking care not the slip on the slick floor. He looked at Julia and grinned, "My thanks, m'lady, for allowing me to share your bath but next time go a little easier on the perfumed oils. They sting the eyes like the blazes!" Julia smiled back and her companions stifled giggles as they admired his masculine form. "They're gone?" he asked.
More than a dozen heads bobbed an answer.
"Thank you ladies. You soon shall be free women. Julia, get dressed and come with me -- wear something alluring." As Julia hastily pulled on garments Maximus wrung whatever wetness that he could out of his tunic and slipped on his boots which had been stashed under the heavy robes of two of the women. Another one handed him his sword, still warm from it's hiding place close to her skin.
The fair-haired slave women who had been beside Cassius at the party rushed into the room laughing. "I watched the guards leave," she giggled. "They're as white as sheets and do you know where they went?"
"Where?" asked almost two dozen voices simultaneously.
"Right out of the camp. I swear! They left through the gate and started running for the woods on the other side. I watched them!"
Maximus couldn't resist a small smile of triumph. So far so good.
Chapter 48 - In Control
Cassius was sitting at his large, ornate desk writing in his journal when Julia entered his tent unannounced. He glanced up at her then bent his head again to his task. Without looking up again he said, "What do you want?"
"I just want to see you. I miss you when you are working so hard." Her semi-transparent gown floating around her, she sauntered over to the desk and trailed long fingers over his hand then along his arm and up to his shoulder where she used both hands to knead the tense muscles in his neck. After a few moments she noticed the speed of his writing decrease considerably then stop altogether as he closed his eyes and succumbed to her administration.
"Ah, Julia," he sighed. "You are the best that I ever bred."
Julia managed to keep the rhythm of her fingers steady and even.
"I have two of your little sisters, you know -- ready to follow in your footsteps. When we get to Rome I shall put you in charge of their training. They will make great gifts, I think, to men whose allegiance I need."
Maximus openly cringed at Cassius' callous words and concentrated on keeping his breathing calm and inaudible from his hiding place behind a heavy curtain near the door. The Praetorian whose uniform he was wearing was unconscious and trussed up and stuffed inside a cupboard. Maximus prayed that Julia wouldn't react to Cassius' bait.
"I'll do whatever pleases you, sire," said Julia, her voice as steady as her fingers. She was keenly aware, though, of the knife concealed just under her tunic -- a knife that even Maximus didn't know she possessed. As Cassius relaxed, his chin dropped to his chest and she moved one hand to grasp the silver handle slowly pulling it from it's hiding place. She started violently as Marcellus rushed into the room almost dropping the blade.
"Cassius!" he cried. "There is something wrong. Two of the men who were guarding Maximus ran away from the camp tonight--" He stopped abruptly when he saw Julia. "Well, well... maybe here's someone who can tell us what's going on. Maximus, it seems, hasn't been seen yet today and I've heard that you were with him last night at his tent."
Cassius made a motion to turn towards her but she moved faster as she plunged her knife up to the hilt into his jugular. Blood spurted in a wide arch and soaked the papers beneath his hands before his head dropped to the desk with a sickening thud.
Marcellus was too stunned to move and the one word he did muster was lost as his head was whipped around and his neck snapped by a black-clad Praetorian. Maximus let the body slide slowly to the floor, his blue eyes on Julia who still stood behind the desk and calmly returned Maximus' stare.
"He's dead," she said simply.
"I can see that," he said as he stepped over Marcellus and slowly moved towards her. "That did not go exactly as planned."
"I had to do it."
Maximus nodded. "I understand that. But now we have a problem. We have to make it look like Marcellus did it."
"You can leave, Maximus. I will say that I saw Marcellus kill Cassius so I killed Marcellus."
Maximus looked at the tribune's twisted body lying slumped at his feet. "I don't think anybody will believe that you could break a man's neck, Julia." He saw her sway slightly. "Julia, don't fail me now. We have to finish this. Be strong."
She swallowed hard and nodded.
"Now, step over here being very careful to avoid the blood on the floor. Don't get any on your feet or tunic."
She did as he asked, not daring to look at the body sprawled over the desk, it's life's blood glazing the wood and soaking the patterned rug beneath.
"Sit in this chair while I set up a murder scene." Maximus used his cloak to gently wipe the blood from her fingers and arms as he guided her to the seat on the other side of the room then plunged into action. He hauled Marcellus' lifeless body to its feet then hoisted it over his shoulder, stepping carefully behind the desk. In this position Maximus clasped the tribune's limp hand and used it to pull the knife from Cassius' neck, making sure that Marcellus' fingers and arms got covered in blood in the process. The knife released with a gurgling sound as air rushed through the gaping hole. Maximus glanced at Julia's chalk-white face. "Bend over and put your head between your knees and breath through your mouth. Breath slowly and deeply. Don't faint on me now."
Julia obeyed and her red hair pooled on the floor around her in a chilling mockery of the man she had just killed.
Maximus dropped Julia's knife to the floor and used Marcellus' hand to pick up the letter opener from the desk and insert it into the opening vacated by the murder weapon. He then dropped Marcellus to the floor into the sticky blood and shoved the body around a bit with his foot to make sure it's chest was covered in the crimson stain.
A quick glance assured Maximus that Julia was still conscious. She was sitting upright again, her lashes dark stains on her pale face. He knew what she was feeling -- what it felt like to take a man's life for first time. It was shocking how easy it was to do.
Maximus quickly stripped off the Praetorian uniform to reveal his damp, rumpled tunic underneath. He dragged the still-unconscious guard from the cupboard and cursed under his breath as he awkwardly pulled the uniform back on the man. Then Maximus used the guard's sword to slash a deep gash in Marcellus' neck knowing that his dead heart would not pump the necessary amount of blood to make the wound convincing under close scrutiny.
Maximus groaned in revulsion at what he had to do next. "At least you'll die a hero," he muttered in regret as he plunged the Praetorian's sword into his own belly then dropped the guard on top of Marcellus, the sword crushed between them. His hands painted in blood and red stains streaking his rumpled tunic, Maximus stepped back and surveyed the scene. It wasn't too convincing but it would have to do.
He retrieved Julia's knife, wiped it and inserted it into his belt then grabbed a heavy cloak belonging to Cassius and wrapped it around his own body. He crouched before Julia and took her cold hands into his own. "Julia, listen to me. I have to go and wash this blood off and change into a clean tunic. Wait until I return before sounding the alarm, but if somebody comes in in the meantime you must pretend that you just stumbled upon the murder scene and fainted before reviving enough to pull yourself into the chair. Don't explain anything to anyone, do you understand me?
Julia nodded, patches of color returning to her cheeks and she kept her eyes on Maximus as he headed for the door then disappeared into the night.
Less than a half hour later Julia's screams brought guards and tribunes running. General Maximus and his two remaining guards just happened to be on their way to see Cassius and arrived right on their heels. In the uproar that ensued, General Maximus quickly took control exerting his authority without question. His two guards expediently removed General Cassius' body from the murder scene and carried it to his bed to give the man the respect his office deserved. Maximus then separated the other two corpses himself exclaiming emphatically that Marcellus had obviously murdered Cassius and that the brave Praetorian had died trying to stop it. He refused to allow Julia to be questioned -- after all how reliable was the testimony of a hysterical woman? -- and placed her under his personal protection.
Maximus' cavalry brought swift order throughout the shocked camp, proclaiming Maximus the legion's new general. By midnight Cassius' tribunes and centurions were locked up awaiting the difficult task of sorting out who was traitor to Marcus Aurelius and who was loyal. By first light couriers were on their way to the other eastern legions making it known that General Maximus was in control, that he acted for Marcus Aurelius, and that any man who opposed him would be charged with treason and put swiftly to death.
Four more couriers started out for Rome to deliver the news to Lucilla and her family that the empire was safe and that Maximus would remain in charge of the entire Roman army until Marcus Aurelius himself arrived at Moesia.
Chapter 49 - Marcus Returns
Marcus Aurelius appeared much sooner than Maximus had anticipated. Five days after the murders trumpets heralded the arrival of the emperor and two legions of heavily-armed soldiers.
Maximus barely had time to organize the legion to properly greet the emperor before Marcus was through the gate, off his horse and heading directly for Maximus who dropped to one knee in respect. Marcus was having none of that. He hauled his general to his feet and wrapped him in a tight hug in front of fifteen thousand grinning and cheering men. Still clasping the younger man to his chest Marcus whispered, "Who else but you could accomplish such a feat, Maximus? Who else but you. I had expected to be embroiled in a deadly civil war but you made all of that bloodshed unnecessary. I don't know how I shall ever be able to thank you enough." The emperor stepped back and grasped Maximus' hand raising it high in the air in a show of solidarity. The cheers were deafening.
"We shall prepare a feast in your honor, sir, but I'm not sure how we're going to feed all of these men." Maximus looked in bewilderment at the sea of gray armor blanketing every bit of the campground and the hills beyond.
Marcus dropped their hands and shifted his own to rest on Maximus' forearm as they slowly made their way through the throng to the praetorium. "I'm sure they'll find some way to take care of themselves now that they don't have to kill each other," Marcus laughed.
Maximus suddenly became very serious. "Caesar, Why did Cassius think he could get away with it?"
"I was in Aegyptus, having made an inspection tour of north Africa and I was far enough away from Rome and absent long enough that Cassius thought people would believe rumors of my demise -- rumors that he started, of course. I should have been more aware of his ambition." Marcus squeezed Maximus' arm. "He certainly underestimated you, though. Do you realize, Maximus, that you command the loyalty of the entire Roman army now, not just the northern legions?"
The emperor's words sent a shiver down Maximus' spine. It was an overwhelming responsibility.
"I didn't learn of his plot until I had returned to Rome and Lucilla told me that she had appealed to you for support. She trusts you completely, Maximus, and so do I. Completely."
Later that evening the two men retired to the quarters reserved for the emperor where Marcus Aurelius relaxed on a couch holding a goblet of wine with Maximus seated nearby in a comfortable chair. Three open wine bottles -- two already empty -- made the emperor's tongue loose. Marcus sighed heavily. "I should never have let senator Licinius adopt you -- should have done it myself." He gazed at Maximus tenderly through bloodshot eyes. "You would have been so good for my family Commodus needs a brother like you, and Lucilla well, Lucilla has never gotten over you, you know."
"Lucilla?" Maximus asked cautiously.
"Ah, yes... Lucilla loved you before she married Lucius and she loves you still. I know it." Marcus pause to take a long swallow of his wine then waved his goblet in Maximus' direction to attract the attention of his general who stared thoughtfully into the dark red liquid in his own glass. "Would you ever consider mar--"
"I'm already married, sire," Maximus interrupted quickly, afraid to hear what the emperor was about to say.
"Ah yes... I remember. Good for you. Good for you." Marcus paused then added, "I gave you permission to marry, didn't I?"
Maximus nodded.
"Ah yes. Another mistake. Should have married you into my family."
Maximus became irritated. "Marcus, please don't call my marriage a mistake."
The emperor's head swung around at Maximus' familiar use of his name. "Forgive me, son. Forgive me. Just thinking out loud, that's all. That was a terrible thing for me to say."
Maximus accepted the apology with a quick nod of his head. "Sire, I have a request."
"Anything, Maximus. Anything in the world."
"I want to return home to see my family. It's been over two years...."
"Of course. Of course you may go but not for too long. The empire may crumble without you," Marcus spoke in a teasing tone but he meant every word he said.
"How long, Sire?"
"Hmmm?" Marcus was getting drowsy.
"How long may I stay in Spain with my family?"
"Oh, a few months, I suppose. I'm sure the empire can survive a few months without you."
"Thank you, Sire."
"I'll send my most trusted Praetorians with you."
"Sire--"
"No, Maximus. I will not let you go alone. End of discussion." Both men sat in comfortable silence for a while before Marcus startled the younger man by cocking one brow and saying skeptically, "So Marcellus killed Cassius and a guard killed Marcellus."
Maximus remained silent.
Marcus regarded him closely then smiled. "Now... tell me what really happened."
Maximus told Caesar the entire story in detail and Marcus listened intently until he was through.
"This young woman... what did you say her name was?"
"Julia."
"Yes... Julia. She is very brave."
"Yes, Sire, she is. She and the other women have been terribly wronged by Cassius and that needs to be set right."
"What do you suggest?"
"They should return to Rome under your protection and each one given a substantial sum of money to start a new life."
Marcus nodded. "Go on."
Maximus sighed. "I don't know if it's true or not but Cassius bragged about breeding these young slave women to be sexual servants and he said he has more girls -- some very young -- stashed somewhere in Rome. I want that investigated, Sire."
"Breeding?" Marcus was incredulous.
"Sire, slaves are bred all the time. It's distasteful but they are. It just seems even worse when they are bred to serve men in that way."
"The whole aspect of slavery bothers you, doesn't it Maximus?"
"Yes, Sire."
"Me too." Marcus pinched the top of his nose as if he had a headache. "But it is entrenched in Roman society to such an extent that the empire would collapse without it -- financially and socially."
"It could be phased out."
"It would take generations."
"Maybe, but it has to start sometime."
Marcus suddenly changed the subject. "Maximus, I have given serious thought to returning Rome to a Republic after my death." He raised a hand when he saw the shock on the younger man's face. "No, I am not dying but I am not a young man and I have to consider such things seriously."
"Commodus--"
Marcus' voice was tinged with anger. "Commodus, Commodus. It was Commodus who should have stopped Cassius' insurrection in my absence. Instead he spends his days in the Coliseum playing at being a gladiator, of all things. You did what he should have done. You held the empire together. It certainly gives me something to think about," Marcus added cryptically. "But, enough talk for tonight. I am exhausted -- and drunk -- and I am sure that saving the empire is a tiring job too. In the morning I'll send the women off to Rome accompanied by one of the legions. I'd like you to spend one more day with me then you may leave for Spain." Marcus leaned towards Maximus and clasped his shoulder. "But, be assured, if I need you I shall call you back immediately."
"Well, here's hoping you won't need me, Sire. Good night."
Julia looked down at Maximus from her perch atop the horse that would carry her to Rome.
"Will I ever see you again?" she asked.
"No," came the simple answer, but Maximus' voice was soft and kind.
She smiled at him. "I didn't think so."
He returned the smile. "You'll be busy establishing your new life." He touched her foot. "You're sure you wouldn't rather travel in the caravan?"
She shook her head, her red-gold waves the identical color of the early morning sun. "No, it feels too confining and I've had enough of being confined."
Maximus nodded his understanding.
Julia hesitated then said, "You don't need to worry, Maximus. I won't tell anyone that I personally know the great Roman general."
A frown puckered his brow. "Why should that worry me?"
Julia stared at a point outside the camp gate. "I don't want to embarrass you."
"Julia." Maximus shook her foot. "Julia, look at me."
She did so reluctantly and he saw tears glistening in her eyes.
"I am proud to know a woman of such character, strength and intelligence. What Cassius did to you was beyond your control. If you had fought him he would have killed you. You know that."
She nodded and drew an unsteady breath then looked into the distance again. "I wish you a very long and happy life, Maximus."
"You too." Maximus nodded at the Praetorian who was standing at attention nearby and he shouted the order to proceed. Maximus stepped back as Julia's horse started to move and she did not look at him again. He saluted a few other women who were also mounted on horses then laughed and responded to the waving hands that poked through the windows of the caravan.
The next morning he led eight Praetorians down the same road on his way home to Spain.
Chapter 50 - The Meeting
Maximus crouched under the large poplar closest to the main steps of his house, his body dissolving into the dense shade as he leaned against the trunk for support. His eyes were riveted on the woman and toddler who played on the steps not far from where he hid.
Olivia hadn't been expecting him and, not wanting to alarm her, he had left his stallion at the base of the hill after dismissing the Praetorians at the last village. As he approached the house on foot, his wife's sweet voice drifted to him on the wind, laughter mingling with songs. Olivia sat on the top step, her hand extended to guide the child as he negotiated the stairs on his hands and feet gurgling happily and calling to his mama to make sure she was admiring his progress.
The last time Maximus had seen his son he had been an infant but now he was a little boy with jet black hair that curled at his neck and chubby legs beneath a short, white tunic. Maximus watched in stunned silence as the toddler reached the bottom step then turned and looked in his direction, his attention caught by a colorful butterfly. Maximus drew in an unsteady breath. He was beautiful -- the image of his mama with huge black eyes -- a few small white teeth revealed as he giggled in glee.
Olivia applauded then coaxed the boy back up the stairs with her hand and voice. Maximus watched his son's progress then he joined Olivia in song, his deep voice resonating from the shaded spot. Startled, she looked around her quickly then stood and swept her son protectively into her arms, shielding her eyes and staring in his direction.
"Maximus?" she asked tentatively.
He rose from his hiding place and smiled an answer, his blue eyes flickering between mother and child.
"Maximus!" she shrieked. The boy in her arms started at her sudden shout then jammed a small fist in is mouth and started to cry. Olivia bounced him and soothed him with her soft voice, her eyes riveted to her husband's face. Her husband's dear, tired face.
Concerned servants peered through the windows then smiled before they rapidly withdrew. The master was home.
Maximus slowly ascended the steps his son had just traversed, the toddler's attention now riveted on the strangely dressed man approaching him. Maximus heard Olivia say the word "papa" to the boy over and over again and she held him to her breast and gently rocked him.
Maximus stopped on the second step from the bottom as he saw the child's lower lip start to tremble again and growing alarm in the young eyes. He didn't know what to do and looked to Olivia for support.
She swiped the tears from her eyes then said to him, "It's all right, Maximus. He is frightened by your uniform, that's all. Come closer slowly, my darling." She turned her attention back to the child and murmured soothing words.
But still Maximus stood there. The great Roman general who had just saved the empire from civil war had no idea how to approach this wary child. His child. His son.
Grinning servants gathered behind Olivia but she was oblivious to their presence. "Maximus, stay there and I'll come to you. It might be better that way." She continued murmuring the word 'papa' to the child as she slowly ascended the steps, stopping on each one to gauge the boy's level of fear. As she did so Maximus unbuckled his sculpted cuirass and tossed it to the ground on top of his cape and furs. He stood now only in a simple tunic, his hands at his sides, his fingers nervously twisting the fabric.
Olivia stood only two steps above him now and she reached out to stroke his bearded face. "Maximus," she whispered. "I can't believe you're really home."
Her husband slowly raised his hand and guided hers to his lips where he gently kissed it over and over, his eyes closed, overwhelmed with emotion.
Marcus never took his eyes of the stranger's face as he pressed back against his mother trying to avoid contact with the man. Maximus shifted his eyes to the boy and slowly reached out a hand towards the youngster's dimpled knee. He lightly brushed the silky skin with the back of his fingers and whispered, "Hello, my son. Hello, Marcus." The boy's eyes dropped to his knee where the large sun-browned fingers touched his own pale skin then he glanced again at the bearded face before he wrapped his arms around his mother's neck burying his face in her shoulder.
Olivia face's reflected her husband's pain. "Maximus, I'm sorry. I talk about you all the time to him. I guess it's different seeing you in the flesh. He'll get over it soon."
"It's okay. I understand." Maximus forced his tone to be cheerful despite his heavy heart. This was not the way he had pictured his homecoming.
Olivia handed Marcus to one of the servants and the child went to her willingly, stretching his little arms to receive her embrace. An overwhelming, unreasonable jealousy washed over Maximus as he watched his son cuddle into her arms just before he was swept into the house and away from his view.
Olivia pulled Maximus close to her and pressed his face into her shoulder as if he were a child needing comfort. She kissed his neck and whispered in his ear, "It's nothing, Maximus. He just doesn't know you, that's all. That will change soon." She stepped down to stand beside her husband and he drew him into her arms for a long embrace. "I love you," she murmured. "I love you so much. Thank the gods that you are home."
Maximus returned the words of endearment and stroked his wife's hair and back as he hugged her.
"Is the war in Germania over?" Olivia asked.
"For a while. I was in the east, though, sorting out some problems there."
"The east? What--?" Olivia caught herself. "Come inside my darling out of the hot sun. You must be exhausted and hungry. We'll talk later." She stroked her husband's cheek and looked into his eyes, her heart aching at the mixture of fatigue and disappointment that she saw there. "Right now you need food, a bath and rest. Everything else can wait."
