Worth

“Faustus shall be leaving us,” Cassianus stated to the medicus. He glanced sideways at me before looking to the slave. “Aia, prepare yourself. You will be leaving with the Tribunus.”

“Dominus?” she questioned as she looked to him.

“No more,” he said with a shake of his head. “You belong to Faustus now and will address him accordingly.”

She looked quickly from Cassianus to me and nodded her head.

“Of course,” she replied. A hint of a smile graced her lips as she bowed slightly in my direction. “Dominus.”

Within the hour, we were on the same rickety cart and headed north.

“Your plans to return to battle concern me,” Antonius stated as the driver of the cart shook the reins and the horses leapt forward. “Both the medicus and Cassianus expressed worry over your condition. They say you are not yet fit.”

“My worth as Tribunus cannot be measured from a hospital bed,” I said. “I must be with the men.”

“And how shall your worth be measured if you go into battle already hindered?”

Antonius and I exchanged glances, and I took a long breath.

“I return to my tent only,” I reassured him. “I can lead for now without fighting.”

Antonius looked to the slave woman wrapped in a blanket as the cart pulled us north. Her eyes did not leave the ground, but I was sure he saw her slight smile. He looked back to me with raised brow.

“As you desire, Faustus,” he said.

“I do desire,” I replied softly. I reached over and placed my hand on Aia’s thigh, gripping it gently as she looked into my eyes and held me there.

*****

I pushed aside the entrance to the tent and made my way inside with Antonius right behind me. My side ached slightly though months had passed since I was first injured. I no longer walked with a limp, which was more important to me than any pain I still felt. Showing weakness to the men under my command would not serve me well.

A large table near the tent’s entrance displayed an exemplar of the battlefield beyond the camp. I reached for a handful of carved wooden horses and soldiers decorated with the colors of the Gaul’s flag and removed them from the map. Only a few still remained on the display, and they would fall soon.

“How many hauled back to camp?” I asked.

“Some three hundred,” Antonius said. “Many are decidedly unruly. They will not be easily contained for long.”

I considered for half a moment.

“Kill the prisoners,” I said, and Antonius nodded his agreement. “I have neither the time nor the desire to break them. What of those not captured?”

“The few remaining are in hasty retreat,” Antonius informed me.

Movement toward the back of my tent caught my eye as Aia rose from the place where she sat slicing fresh bread for our dinner. I watched her closely, her presence ever calming me as she began to light candles to combat the fading daylight.

“Aia—bring wine,” I ordered.

“Yes, Dominus.” Aia quickly retrieved a jug of wine and two cups from the far side of the tent and brought them to me. She laid them on the table and poured carefully, never spilling a drop. I watched her as she completed her task and retreated into the shadows, my eyes drawn to her belly for a moment before I looked back to the wine in front of me and brought the cup to my lips.

“Your slave appears…well rounded,” Antonius remarked with a low chuckle.

His words drew my eyes back to her form, and I surveyed her voluptuous ass and breasts before my eyes moved back to the slight swell of her stomach. Though still subtle, her condition would soon be well known to all who cared to observe.

“She does,” I agreed with a smile. Though it was not my intent, news of my child growing inside of Aia had been most welcome. She had been frightened to tell me at first, fearing my displeasure and possible command to rid herself of the bastard, but I would not give voice to such an order. I desired a child from her belly, and once she knew my position, she seemed quite pleased.

“An interesting conundrum,” he said.

“How so?”