Love and Duty

 

 

Maximus and Quintus rode back to the camp quickly, each a little more worried than they cared to admit about what their general would think of the unscheduled leave to spend the night with two young ladies. The old man- over sixty and ancient by Legion standards (the Emperor had once joked that he couldn't ask Claudius to resign, because someone needed to be left to bury his great-grandchildren) was always suspicious of young officers who dabbled with local ladies.

There was a story, that both men had heard only in fragments, that seemed to explain the General's gallantry toward women. Apparently, there had been trouble within his own family. He had three children- a son and two daughters. When he forced the eldest daughter to marry against her will, she had committed suicide- or so the story went. Then, his son had run away. Finally, their mother- whom Claudius loved very much- had died of a broken heart. The army was his only family now. Both Maximus and Quintus felt badly for the man- he was monstorously rich, impeccably bred, and famous for his military exploits, but he had no one to share his life with. He had spent the last 25 years trying to track his son, but to no avail. The boy was probably already dead.

Well, that was something that would NOT happen to Maximus, he decided firmly. His stomach was full of nervous excitement. He couldn't determine when, exactly, he had decided to ask for Paolina's hand- sometime during the night? He had awoken in the early hours of morning to find the girl curled up asleep in his arms, and he was amazed by how...how *right* it seemed- as though she had always been there. Thinking of poor Aelia, nearly dead in the other room, had convinced him not to hesitate. It was true that they had not known each other long, but he knew of a dozen happy marriages that had begun when the couple did not know each other at all. He was certain that he knew Paolina's soul. She was impulsive, stubborn, and bossy, it was true. But she was also spirited, intelligent, and brave. He sighed as he thought of her wild beauty. Loving her would be an adventure- and he was not a man to shy away from that calling.

But what if Paolina didn't want to get married? That was more troubling. She had warmed to his advances so far, but she had seemed strange when he mentioned children the day before. Perhaps she thought she was too young? Perhaps she was afraid? Maximus remembered the outrageous conduct of Hortensius- with experiences like those, it was no wonder that some women dreaded the marital bed. He grinned, hoping Quintus wouldn't ask him why his face was suddenly so red, as he imagined the lengths he would go to in assuring that Paolina found his bedchamber pleasing.

At last they arrived at the camp. Since none of the Lieutenants had anything to report the meeting with the General was quick. Claudius granted their request for more leave with a wave of his hand, and Maximus set off into the blinding sunlight with a happy smile on his face.

"Aren't you coming back, Quintus?" Maximus asked, noting that his friend had turned away from the path to the stables.

"Later."

The Spaniard studied his friend's face. He seemed anxious about something. Why hadn't Maximus noticed it before?

"Is something wrong?"

"No...I...I have to write a letter to my father."

Maximus arched his eyebrow, 'Your father?' Then he suddenly understood. Aelia.

He nodded and patting Quintus on the back said, “See you later”. And walked to the stables.

Quintus watched his retreating back and felt a sting of irrational jealousy for the freedom of action his friend had. He had heard Maximus ask for a private meeting with Paolinus and he knew he was going to ask the old man's permission to marry Paolina. Since his father was dead he had no one to dictate him who he can marry and who can't and since his family was prosperous too he could not care less for the dowry.

Quintus instead was in a much different situation: his father was still alive, his finances amounted to his pay as a soldier and the girl he was in love with was poor and lowly born...It could not be worst than that.

Quintus walked to the tent he shared with Maximus, sat to his desk and pulling out ink and papyrus, tried to put his feelings on paper.

It was a difficult task and many times Quintus tore the papyrus up and began to write again. In the end he composed  something which satisfied him and so he fold the letter and closed it with warm wax, pressing on it his seal with his ring.

After that he exited the tent, surprised to see how much time he had spent bent on his desk. He walked to the tent where all the letters and parcels are gathered and handed it to the soldier in there, telling him he wanted his letter to leave with the first departing courier.

Finally, he went to the stable and saddled his horse. After all his thinking he needed some open air and a visit to Aelia to cheer him up. As he galloped outside the camp gates he wonder if he should say anything to Aelia about the letter he had just written....”No,” he thought, “It would be better to keep quiet and wait for the reply. I don't want to give her false hopes...”

 

11

 

Meanwhile at Paolinus' villa Maximus and Paolina were walking through the wide pastures toward a hillside where they would eat their lunch. Maximus had been surprised to learn that Paolina was willing to leave her cousin so soon, but when he saw Aelia, he realized that she was doing well. It would be best for her to be left alone and receive some rest.

Besides, Maximus was happy that he would have a chance to speak to Paolina before he faced her father. It would be easier to convince the protective papa if he was assured that the girl was willing.

Paolina marched slightly ahead of Maximus. She was wearing a plain tunica of light brown wool which was faded through use, but looked very soft and comfortable. Besides, the Spaniard was certain that, to his eyes at least, his little Amazon would look lovely no matter what she wore.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the fields and began to climb through the low hills. The terrain here was rougher than the path to the waterfall- Paolinus used the tree-cover to divert some of the rainwater from washing through the fields- but the girl seemed to float through it effortlessly.

Maximus admired the strength of her slender legs, and the agility that she showed as she crept from rock to rock. The picnic basket was heavy, and Maximus was glad when they finally stopped.

"Here." the girl said, patting a broad, table-like stone. She turned toward him, looking over her shoulder and smiling.

Maximus also turned, and then blinked in amazement. They had climbed farther than he had thought. The whole valley seemed to stretch out before them- first the farm, then the road to the village, the town, the river. Even the army cam was visible, the tight symmetry especially impressive from the high vantage point.

"Well?" She encouraged a response as he set the basket on the rock.

"It's lovely." He admitted. Then, he turned, and threaded his arm around the girl's back. He stared at her pointedly as he said "Everything here is lovely."

Paolina let out a happy sigh, and leaned back her neck to invite a kiss.

Maximus accepted the offer greedily, and his actions betrayed his passion. His fingertips trailed down her spine as far as he would allow them to go, as he parted his lips slightly. When she did not pull away, he let his tongue brush lightly against her lips coaxing them apart. Paolina gasped a little as his tongue slipped between her teeth. He probed her mouth gently, reveling in the sweetness that he was not surprised to find.

At last the kiss broke, and Paolina backed away, her knees buckling slightly so that he had to catch her in his arms and continue holding her upright. "Oh, Paolina..." he whispered, planting light kisses on her temple. When he reached her ear, he whispered. "Selene...."

She shivered, and then turned away. No man other than her brothers and father had called her by that name before. It was a personal name, used only by family....She blinked, did this mean...?

"Maximus?" She said, knitting her eyebrows together and tilting her head, urging him to speak quickly.

Maximus felt his chest constrict with alarm as he saw her reaction. Was she angry? The look seemed a little bit upset. Perhaps he had gone too far. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to think of something to say, finding nothing, he simply opened his lips and let the words of his heart spill out.

"Oh, Paolina, you love to torture me!" He said, feeling tied up in knots.

"Torture you?" She asked, innocently.

"Yes!" He began to pace, clearly agitated. "One minute you are giving me kisses that make my blood burn. The next you are running away from me again."

"I am not running away from you! I was merely surprised...I am not used to...to...." she blushed and looked down. "Being made love to.." She whispered. "And I don't know what to think when you call me by such tender names - usually you immediately start talking about horses!"

"What?" It was Maximus's turn to be confused.

"Eight children or twelve?" Paolina reminded him, color working to her cheeks as she warmed to her theme. "And after saying such things, all you can think about is where you found your horse. Well, Mr. Soldier, twelve, if you please- and you should not talk to *ME* about torture."

She crossed her arms defiantly in front of her chest and let her lower lip tremble petulantly. Maintaining the scowl was difficult in the face of the enormous smile which had begun to spread on Maximus' lips.

"Oh, Paolina." He whispered, rushing forward and pulling her elbows to her side before kissing her scowl away. "I too am frightened...It's strange to...to...want something so much."

"Want? What do you want? More kisses?"

"Yes. More kisses. More touches...more...other things..."

Paolina shivered at the words that he did not say.

"Paolina...I want you to marry me."

Paolina made a little cry in the back of her throat. She could barely believe what she had just heard- so she had not been imagining it! He felt the same as she did.

Maximus cleared his throat, and she noticed that he was looking frightened. Oh, he was still waiting for an answer! Laughing, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Yes, my Spaniard." She said, nuzzling his neck. "I will marry you."

In a motion so swift she did not know what had happened, Paolina found herself on the ground, pinned in place by the soldier's strong shoulders. The warmth of the flat rock seemed to radiate into her bones while, in her arms, a different sort of heat was beginning to flow.

"I will make you so happy." Maximus promised, sliding his arms beneath hers and drawing her close against his body. "You will never want for anything at all."

"I know." She said, never doubting him, and not caring, really, if she had a house full of servants or fine clothes. "And *twelve* babies...." She teased.

Maximus kissed her passionately. "Thirteen."

 

*****

 

Quintus arrived at the farm and slowed his horse to walk while entering the courtyard. One servant arrived to take the reins of his mount while saying, “The dominus is expecting you, sir.”

Quintus nodded and walked to the door that opened before he had time to knock. To his surprise it was not a servant but Paolinus himself to greet him with a smile, “Quintus.”

“Domine.”

Paolinus closed the door and led his guest in the hallway, “Aelia will be happy to see you.” he said smiling gently.

Quintus nodded and followed the other man up the stairs. Paolinus opened softly his niece's bedroom door and seeing she was awake, mentioned Quintus to enter.

Aelia was looking outside the window, staring at the field where she had seen Paolina and Maximus walk hand-in-hand about a hour before. Oh, how she wished to be out with them! Even if she suspected they would not be very happy with her presence! Aelia smiled and then turned her head, suddenly aware someone was looking at her.

Her eyes met Quintus' and her smile widened. He replied with one of his own and in few step was near the bed, bowing deeply and taking her hand in his own and kissing it.

“Domina, how are you feeling?” he asked.

She saw he was in a playful mode and replied in kind, “I am feeling better, domine, thank you. Now take a chair and make your self at home.”

Quintus did as she said and then took her hand again.

“So tell me,”she inquired, “what did you do this morning?”

Quintus stared at her. He desperately wanted to tell her about her, to show her he was deadly serious in his intentions, but she looked so fragile that he decided to stick with his earlier decision and say nothing until he get an answer from Rome. Instead he told her he spent the morning compiling

a list of supplies needed by the camp and then diverted her attention by asking where Paolina and Maximus were.

Aelia smiled, “They went out for a picnic and I don't think they will come back very soon.” They looked at each other in silence for sometimes then she smiled once more, “Would you like to repeat what you said to me during the night? I could hear your voice but not understand the words.”

Quintus beamed, happy for a new, less dangerous topic and launched himself one more time in an elaborate and more colorful description of his life in the army.

 

*****

 

Paolina stretched like a contented cat under Maximus's touch. It was wonderful to hold him knowing that soon, she would not have to hold back. Maximus seemed to be thinking the same thing, and his kisses became more insistent. Paolina trembled as she felt his palm on her stomach, pressing downward.

"Thirteen.." he murmured again in a husky voice, stroking the soft flesh that would cradle his children.

He continued his caresses, his fingertips bolder as they traveled up her chest and very tentatively brushed the little mounds of her breasts. Paolina felt a tightening deep within her body. The sensation was so strong that she nearly cried out in fear.

Abruptly, Maximus pulled away. Paolina sat up, confused.

"Did I do something wrong?" the girl asked anxiously.

"No." Maximus let out a shuddering breath, before smiling at her like she had asked a crazy question. She noticed that his skin was very flushed, almost as Aelia's had been before the fever broke.

"Soon." he whispered.

"Soon?" She did not know what he was talking about.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head again. "You must marry me soon..." He captured her small wrist in his grasp and turned it over, kissing the sensitive, untouched flesh tenderly. "I cannot take much more of your tortures."

Paolina grinned wickedly, finally beginning to understand her power over him. Still caught in his grasp, she pulled her hand downward along the tunic as low as she dared, enjoying the flash of longing that the touch stirred in her lover's eyes. "Perhaps I will make you wait..." She teased. "We Amazons are famous for our love of the hunt...It would be a shame to let you catch me so easily."

"Paolina!" Was she teasing? For one harrowing moment, he couldn't tell, then the laughter returned to her eyes and she kissed his cheek. "Of course I will marry you soon...as soon as tata says yes...Now, we should eat our lunch and return to the house before we get into trouble."

 

Maximus and Paolina ate the crusty bread, cool cheese, and salty olives that the cook had packed for them, and then they went to the little brook that trickled down the hillside into the town. It was too late in the year to swim, so Maximus made a makeshift fishing pole and amused his companion with feeble, and ultimately futile attempts to catch a fish. The afternoon seemed perfect- the only thing that would make it better would be if he were in Hispania...

Hispania. He would have to talk about it with Paolina soon. He was sure that she would want to remain with her father, and so he did not wish to broach the subject yet. Still, if she were to be his bride, she would have to move. It was important to him that his sons tilled the lands of his father...he could picture them nowhere else but in the warm Mediterranean sun that smiled on his little pink stone villa.

He was certain that, if she saw it, she would love it. How could anyone not prefer his homeland to the near-wild terrain of the border towns? Here there were jagged cliffs and icy streams. In the winter, the roads were impassable, and in the summer, there was a constant threat of barbarian raids. Spain suffered none of these troubles. There was only sunshine and plenty- exactly the sort of life that he had promised to his love.

"What are you thinking about?"

Maximus was lying on his back in a patch of grass looking up at the clouds as Paolina gathered wildflowers to take to the house. She returned when she saw his serious look, tickling his face with the ends of a reed.

"Nothing." he said quickly.

Paolina's face clouded. "Tell me!"

He looked at her for a long moment, but in the end decided that the discussion could wait. "I was thinking about the talk I must have with your father." He half-lied (he would have to inform the old man that he intended to take Paolina away). "He will not want to let you go."

"He wants me to be happy." the girl answered earnestly. "He will learn to live with the rest....besides, I will not be far away!"

Maximus made an indistinct grunt in reply, and then rose to his feet.

"Well, if we are going to find out, we'd better leave."

Paolina nodded, her eyes sparkling with delight."Yes, my dear..." She said quickly, then, smiling impishly added. "and no matter how angry he gets, do not worry about the dogs- as Aelia told Quintus, they are really very small!"

 

12

 

“...and so, you see, I presented myself for inspection completely covered with mud!”

Quintus ended his story and smiled in delight when Aelia bursted in laughs. It was wonderful to see her so alive.

Aelia dried her eyes and commented, “An interesting experience, legionnaire!”

Silence fell in the little room, while they looked deeply in each other eyes and when she whispered, so low that he barely heard, “You have my leave....”

Quintus looked surprised for just a second then, remembering his words own in the woods, murmured with longing, “Are you sure?”

“Yes...kiss me, Quintus.”

He bent forward and they lips met, at first tentatively then with more ardor. Although she was a novice, Aelia responded to him with joy and Quintus had to pull away, lest he lost his control. She looked at him  interrogatively, afraid she had done something wrong, but he reassured her, “You are full of passion, Aelia....you control it better than your cousin, but your fire burns as strong as hers.” He blushed.  “Unfortunately, this is not the time to experience it...your uncle might enter this door any time!” Quintus gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead, then added, “What would you like to do now?”

“What about a game with the latrunculi?” she asked, pointing a chessboard which rested to a nearby table.

“You like to play with them?” he asked a bit surprised, “You are the first woman I know who is able to do it.”

Aelia smiled, “Remember, Paolina and I grew up in a house with five boys plus our tata and so it is natural that we learned many things which women usually don't know.”

Quintus nodded and went to retrieve the chessboard and the pawns, putting them on a low table that he pulled near Aelia's bed. Then helped the girl to sit up a little bit straighter, putting cushions behind her back, and then the game began.

They were both skilled and well matched and they spent a lot of time concentrating before taking their moves.

Quintus liked the way Aelia's small hands moved on the board and sometimes he had to shook him self when he realized he was staring.

“You know,” he said after sometime, as she was preparing her next move, “the general encourages this game among the officers. He says it his good for develop strategy skills because you have to learn to envision all your opponent's possible moves and be ready to block them. Maximus is very good at this..it has been months since I was able to win a game against him...”

“And now you are trying to distract me with your chit -chat so you can win against me...Shame on you, soldier!” Aelia threw an amused look to him and made her move.

Quintus looked outraged, put his hand on his heart and threw her a look which meant, “How can you think that of me?” which caused her to laugh aloud. Quintus joined her then concentrated on his next move. After a couple of minutes he said, “Done, your turn now.”

Aelia's hands did not move and he raised his eyes to look at her face. His heart filled with tenderness as he saw she had fallen asleep, won by the tiredness of her long night of fighting against the fever. Quietly he pushed away the table and stood up, covering her better with the blankets and kissing her cheek.

“Sleep well my love.” he whispered softly before moving away. As the walked to the door he threw a look out the window and saw Maximus and Paolina walk hand in hand along the grassy path between two fields.

 

*****

 

Paolina returned to the house with feelings of both excitement and dread. It was thrilling to finally know that her feelings were returned. Maximus wanted to be with her for the rest of his life and, though he hadn't said it yet, she knew that he must love her. At the same time, she was sad to be letting go of her life as a little girl. She had never really left the village, waking each morning to the broad smile of her papa and, before they were grown, to the noisy bustle of her older brothers.

And there was no guarantee that her tata would agree to the match.

Although Maximus had hinted that his farm was prosperous, she was certain that her tata would like to see his filing for the census to ensure his financial stability. She herself could think of a half-dozen reasons why he shouldn't allow them to marry- she was still very young, and Maximus would be away most of the year, they barely knew each other...and yet, her heart was filled with hope as they crossed the last few meters to the house.

Paolinus was waiting on the porch. His face seemed very steady and grim.

"Paolina." He  said gruffly, "Why don't you go and sit with Aelia for a while...I need to speak with this young man."...alone, his voice implied.

Paolina nodded and scurried into the house. She arrived at the bedroom door just as Quintus was pulling it gently closed. "She's asleep." He whispered.

The look of longing on his face tore at the cousin's heart. "I will go outside then."

"Has Maximus gone?"

"No. He's..." She blushed. "He's speaking with my father."

"Oh." Quintus said, and then he grinned. He clapped his hand lightly on the girl's shoulder. "I am happy for you, Paolina...happy for both of you."

Still embarrassed, she managed to murmur. "I hope that you will be as happy soon." Instantly, she regretted the remark. All of the light seemed to go out of the kind blue eyes at once, and he lowered his head.

"I have to go get my horse." He said quickly. "Tell Maximus I'm headed back to the camp, will you?"

She nodded.

Paolina watched him walk down the stairs.  Instead of going outside, as she had planned, she crept to the little sitting room that had once served as a nursery and looked out at the wild hills where she and Maximus had shared their picnic.

"...already know...came...and I have to tell you....sure..."

Paolina gasped and ducked below the window sill. It was her father's voice!

"...please....unusual....know that....happy."

And now Maximus! Straining her ears, she listened to the little conversation unfolding on the porch.

"She's too young!" Paolinus said firmly. "Still merely a child. Too young for me to let roam through the hills with a legionary to begin with, much less think of giving up."

"Eighteen." Maximus insisted. "Most girls are married bef-"

"Paolina is not ‘most girls'" her tata said sharply. "And I advise you to make careful note of *that* fact before you let these ideas go any further......she's still a child. Having a baby would kill her and-"

"She doesn't have to have babies right away." Maximus interjected.

Paolinus looked at him archly. "Oh? Your famous legionary discipline I suppose?"

Maximus felt his skin get hot- less angered by the insult than embarrassed by what had almost happened in the woods. "She's strong." He said, taking a different route.

"And temperamental." Paolinus added. "You haven't seen her angry yet. Trust me, that might very well change your mind."

"It couldn't." Maximus said passionately. "Her spirit is the thing I admire most..."

Paolina smiled a little bit, warmed by the compliment and certain that, in spite of his stern tone, her father was going to say yes. If he meant to send Maximus away, he would have done so quickly. He was merely warning him of what to expect, assuring himself of the younger man's constancy and ...well, he was probably toying with him a little bit too. She had to stifle a laugh, realizing how very much like herself the action was. Poor Maximus! He thought that when he received permission to marry the girl that his trials would be over.

"...go to Hispania!"

Paolina's attention was captured again by the last word, spoken in her father's indignant voice.

"Surely you see that it's the only way...the only proper thing to do. You'd expect the same thing of your son's wives."

"My sons did not traipse all over the world with a gladius trying to carry off the locals."

What were they talking about? Paolina frowned, wishing that she had paid better attention.

"Have you asked her?"

"Paolina?"

"Yes. What did she say?"

"I didn't ask her..." Maximus' voice sounded sheepish. "It didn't come up."

"Well, perhaps you should. I am certain that my daughter, no matter how dashing you are, is not going to want to travel half-way across the world to a province she's never seen while you hack your way through Germania."

Go to Hispania?!?! Paolina sat down very suddenly. The noise must have been audible from the outside, because the men's voices stopped abruptly.

"Paolina?" her suitor's voice carried up through the window.

There was another pause, and then the sound of footfalls on the stairs and the door to the nursery being pushed open. "Paolina?"

Maximus stepped into the room and knelt beside her on the floor. "You were listening?" He asked, tilting his head.

She nodded glumly. He sighed heavily, looking very tired. "Your tata is right. I should have spoken to you first...Paolina I love...." *you* she urged him to speak, but he could not yet voice the words. "...home." He finished after a long pause. "*My* home." He said passionately. "It is so lovely...so warm and filled with light. The earth is much softer than it is here...rich and black as..." he tenderly lifted one of her curls. "as black as your hair. It was my father's land before me...my  grandfather's ...his grandfathers....one day it will belong to my son." He continued holding the piece of hair, rubbing it between his thumbs. "*our* son. I want you to be there ...Dearest, I know it would be hard to leave your tata and Aelia. I know this is the only life you have ever known, but if you give it a chance..."

"Are you leaving the army?" She asked abruptly.          

He blinked. "I...uhm..no...."

"So I would be there alone."

"My mother is there." She could see water pooling in the lower lids of his eyes as he tried to persuade her. It was difficult to deny him something that he wanted so badly. "Soon...hopefully very soon...our children will be there as well. Please, Paolina.... Selene....Will you come to Hispania with me?"

Paolina felt as if her heart would break. She was being forced to choose between the two things that she loved most- Maximus and her home. Everything would be so new for her already, couldn't he see that? Life as a wife in a house of her own. New duties to perform, and people to tend to. They could go to Hispania later, when she had adjusted.

"Oh Maximus..." She said after a long pause. "I would go if you would be there."

He took her hand, squeezing it tightly. "I *will* be there. Soon...the barbarians can't fight us forever. They're already fielding boys barely old enough to hold a sword...I'll be back...and I'll come home every winter. Well, almost every winter. What I said was true- they don't need the middle officers so much and-"

"You won't be a middle officer forever." He would be a leader soon, she could feel it. Every muscle in his body emitted an undeniable sense of authority. She had sensed it herself- and seen it in action in the way he was treated at the camp. "When you are a general you will not be able to come home whenever you want. What if one of the children gets sick and I need you? What if there are floods, or a drought or-"

Maximus kissed her, abruptly staunching the flow of words. "All of those things could happen here just as easily...." he persuaded.

"Yes, but you will be close to here...even when you fight, it will not be more than a week's ride away. Hispania is...." She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "Well, I don't really know WHERE Hispania is- but it is far, far away."

Maximus sighed, surprised at how difficult this had become. "Hispania *is* far away." He agreed, "but it is worth it. Oh, Paolina. It's paradise! You will be so surprised that you didn't want to come after you see it. Everything there seems kissed by the sun. The fields of wheat seem to go on forever, wild horses roam in the fields and..."

Paolina barely heard his enthusiastic words. She felt her hands clench in frustration. Why couldn't he understand? It wasn't the climate or the size of his house that concerned her- it was the loneliness. She could almost see it stretching out in front of her. Long, empty hours waiting for any sign that Maximus, or anyone that she loved, was even still alive. Of course he would write letters, but that wasn't truly the same. Unlike her cousin, words had never been as alive for Paolina as touch and sight and sound...she wanted to be surrounded by life, and the things she cared about, she would rather march away to war than be exiled to a sunny villa in a province which had always existed only in the margins of her consciousness.

"No." She said at last with a slow, steady sigh. "No. I won't go." She watched her fingertips run along his arm in a soothing gesture.

"No?" Maximus repeated, and she thought that she heard the faintest glint of anger in his voice.

She looked up, surprised. He *was* angry. Her eyes widened.

Maximus' cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were half-closed as though he were biting back a spate of temper. "Paolina, I've never asked you for anything..."

"Don't ask me this! It isn't fair! Can't you see how-"

"-can't YOU see how important this is to me? Most girls would respect their future husband's authority to make this sort of decisions for them and...." Maximus let his voice trail off, as if aware that he had somehow overplayed his cards with the last statement. Paolina isn't ‘most girls', he remembered her father telling him. He looked at her nervously.

Paolina had the same appearance as a pot getting ready to boil. He could almost see little bubbles of anger pricking up under her skin as her eyes flashed dangerously. When she began to speak, it was though half-clenched teeth.

"Perhaps you haven't noticed to this point, legionnaire" she saw him flinch as she avoided using his name. "But I do not make it a habit of consulting about decisions that I am perfectly capable of making on my own. Since you do not know this obvious fact, perhaps it is true that you don't know me well enough to marry me after all."

"Paolina!" Maximus felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs. The pain in his voice was evident. She couldn't be serious... could she?

Paolina would not meet his gaze, although her heart was warning her to stop, she could not obey. Her passion was both a blessing and a curse. While it coursed through her veins, she could not disobey.

"Go." She said coldly, holding open the door.

"But-"

"Just go."

Paolina stood very still as Maximus shrugged, giving her a final, pleading glance, and then marched down the stairs. Every footfall seemed like a lash falling across her back, but she did not call out to him. There was a murmur as Maximus took leave of her father, and then a slamming door, and hoofbeats leading toward the camp.

He was gone.

Paolina's knees suddenly fell weak, and she collapsed to the floor again. A doll, left over from the room's days as a nursery was lying under the bed, and she held it tightly against her chest as her tears began to flow. She had lost him! Oh, how was it possible? Of course she didn't want to go to Hispania, but she would do it for him in the end. Her terrible temper had gotten her into trouble again- only this time there was no easy way out.

Instead of lessening, Paolina's sobs grew louder as time passed. She had hoped, in her heart, that Maximus would return and try to convince her that she had made a mistake. He had not. He was probably in the village meeting other girls, Paolina thought miserably, or drinking with his friends at the camp, congratulating himself on avoiding marriage to such a tempest!

"P-Paolina?" A soft voice said from the doorway. "Is that you?"

The dark haired girl looked up from the floor toward the doorway. Her cousin was standing there, looking very frail. She was clad in a sleeping gown, and had the orange shawl wrapped around her shoulders tightly as though she were cold. "What is it?" She said soothingly, dropping down on the rug beside the crying girl. She dabbed away a tear with the edge of the shawl. "What has happened?"

"It's...it's...Maximus..." Paolina moaned, a shudder wracking her small frame as she spoke.

"Maximus?"

"Yes...he....he asked me to marry him...."

Aelia's face lit with happiness. "But, Paolina. That is wonderful! I am sure that you will be very happy...." She paused, frowning. "You did say, ‘yes' didn't you?"

A nod. "at...at...first...and then..."

"Did tata say ‘no'?"

The black curls shook violently. "No...Oh, cousin. It was my own foolish temper." Through tears, Paolina managed the rest of the story. Aelia listened until she was through.

"He will come back." She said, squeezing her hand tightly. "He loves you."

"He *used to* love me."

A sigh. "Oh Selene, you can't unlove someone in a single day...." She frowned, and turned toward the window. "Can you?"

Paolina shrugged. "I am afraid, cousin, that we are both miserable failures at love."

"Not failures...novices...he *will* come back, Paolina."

Finally, the flow of tears began to lessen. Surely Maximus would forgive her. He had said only this afternoon that her spirit was the thing he cherished most. She felt, in her heart, that things were not over between them yet. She would speak to him- promise him that she would follow him wherever he liked....Hispania....she smiled faintly. It would be an adventure!

Blowing her nose on the handkerchief that Aelia provided, the girl rose to her feet. "You are right, cousin. I will speak to him tomorrow and things will be fine." She threaded her arm through the other girl's and led her back to their room. "Now, you need to get back to bed."

 

*****

 

The next morning, Aelia was well enough to come downstairs for breakfast. In celebration, they ate in the triclinium, which was usually reserved only for cena and for guests. They had a much larger spread than normal and Paolina, whose appetite had been triggered by her exhausting bout of crying, ate ravenously.

If Paolinus knew what had happened between Maximus and Paolina, he tactfully kept his mouth closed. He didn't mention any plans for a wedding either, merely looking over a letter from his agent in Rome while he absentmindedly munched a boiled egg.

Paolina's good spirits had returned. Checking the stalls the night before, Paolina had found the bridle for Maximus' horse. He had left in such a hurry, that the groom did not have time to fetch it from the tack room, so the Spaniard had ridden away with a tattered leather bridle used mostly for the mules. Returning the military bridle to him would give the girl an excuse to call on him at camp. Maximus had told her that, if she needed to speak to him again, she needed only to go to the east gate and inform a sentry. She could wait in the guard tent while a messenger retrieved him from the sprawling camp.

While she was reviewing her plan, there was a tap on the front door, and Paolina jumped up in delight. She would not need to go to the camp after all! Maximus had returned! She planned to run to the door, but her father, uncharicteristically stern, motioned for her to remain in her seat.

A servant answered the door and, after a minute that seemed more like a year to the impatient girl, returned alone.

"A message." The servant announced. Paolina extended her hand to receive it."For Miss Aelia."

Aelia lowered the piece of fruit she was eating and met Paolinus' eyes warily. Finally, after a moment of hesitation, she accepted the small square of papyrus. She read quickly, her eyes scanning over the brief lines...and then reading them again before reluctantly meeting her cousin's wild gaze.

"It's...it's from Quintus." She said slowly.

"And?"

"He...they...the army....the army is gone."

"What?!?" Paolinus and his daughter called in unison.

Wilting under so much scrutiny, Aelia continued. "There was a raid upriver at Vindobona...one of the legions- Quintus'- has been recalled there as reinforcements until the fort is rebuilt."

"And what does it say about Maximus?" Paolina grasped for the letter, but Aelia refused to relinquish it. Paolina ignored the curiosity that this unusual action would usually inspire- interested only in knowing that Maximus- in the same legion as Quintus- had forgiven her.

"I...I'm sorry Paolina, he doesn't say anything about Maximus...." She felt her throat constrict as she saw her cousins' desolate expression. "...perhaps the messenger had already left and Maximus hasn't had time to write you yet...He is in charge of the cavalry, isn't he? That must be a lot of work to get them ready to leave...Oh, I am sure that is what it was! You will get your letter tommorrow."

But Aelia's words had no effect. Forgetting about the rest of her breakfast, Paolina ran out of the house and back to the woods.

She ran until her lugs burned for the lack on air and then dropped to the ground, curling in a thight ball, as sobs racked her form. Maximus was already departed from the camp, she could felt it, and no message would arrive from him. Paolina raised her head, looking at the creek where only the day before she...they...had been so happy and then with a bout of anger - against herself, against Maximus, against the world, - she threw a stone in the water, breaking the calm in the little pool. But the gesture gave her no relief. Time passed, barely noticed by the girl who had her gaze lost in the vacuum. Suddently the corner of her eyes caught a movement along the wide road she could see in the valley under the hill she was standing.

She stood up and her breath caught in her throat. It was the army! She walked untill the edge of the rock and looked down, impressed by the view. Five thousand men were marching in perfect order, their steps cadenced and brisk. In front of the group were the cavalry regiment and in front of it - Paolina could swear it - there was Maximus, riding proudly on his horse.

Full of emotion she waved with her hand, hoping against all the odds, that he would see her and return the gesture.

 

*****

 

Maximus was riding in front of his regiment, his mood darker than the coat of his horse, his face a mask of stone. The emotions inside him were too strong: the excitement for the imminent battle, the weight of responsibility for his men...the sadness for what had happened the day before, the fear that Paolina would never forgive him for his attempt to order her about and for not writing as Quintus had done. He had wanted to do it, but the general had requested his attention for most of the night and finally he had collapsed on bed, sleeping with his uniform on, until dawn had arrived and they began their march.

He saw a eagle cut the sky with elegant moves and taking it as a good omen - the eagle was the symbol of Rome - he followed its evolutions with his gaze.

It was then that he saw the figure on the rock. The small form of a woman, her black hair loose on her shoulder, her white tunic undulating in the breeze. She was waving with her hand in the army direction and he suddently knew with certaintly who she was. Maximus felt a lump in his throat and not minding the other soldiers turned to side and waved back, while in his mind and heart he promised to her and himself, "I will be back and we will be happy again. I swear it."

 

Paolina returned to the farm feeling slightly better. Then she had seen the helmeted officer respond to her salute her heart had almost stopped for the joy because she simply knew it had been Maximus.

 

13

 

In the weeks that followed the life in Paolinus' villa went on as usual but some spark seemed missing....Paolina took any excuse possible to go into the town to see if any word had trickled back regarding the fate of the army to the north. The remaining legionnaires often spoke of such things, and Paolina made it a habit to stop into the wineshop, and other places that they might linger, to see if there was any news. She wished that Aelia were well enough to make the walk. If she were not alone, she might be brave enough to venture into the tavern and ask one of the soldiers directly.

Each trip, she returned feeling sadder and missing Maximus even more. Even Aelia was beginning to get nervous. She had recieved no word from Quintus since the day he had left. The little note was tucked under her pillow while she slept, and each morning she would read it again, her eyes drinking in the simple strokes of his pen as if they were an embrace.

At last, in mid-November, word arrived.

It had snowed during the night, and so the girls were not anticipating a trip into town, but a centurion to whom Paolinus occassionally sold horses, took the oppourtunity to ride out to the farm to inspect a colt that had been born earlier that month. Paolina's invitation that he remain for cena had sounded casual, but her heart beat wildly with excitement as she waited for his reply.

Both girls were nearly breathless with anticipation as their father- intentionally?- shared small talk with the man during the wine and first course of the meal.

Even Paolina knew it was impolite for a woman to address a strange man without being spoken to first, and so she watched helplessly as their father led the conversation through every topic EXCEPT the army. At last, when Paolina had kicked him enough times under the table (in deference to a military man's preference, they were having a simply meal at the kitchen table) Paolinus sighed and asked the question his girls longed to hear.

"So...any word from the legion that they sent North?"

"Yes...and I'm afraid it's not good."

The cousins shared a look of worry.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it..." the man said, as both girls silently willed him to continue to speak. "But...it's the worst losses the legions taken in several years. The fort was damaged worse than we thought...then, while they were still organizing supplies for repairs, the tribed attacked again- two, maybe three groups banded together. The army couldn't even get the gates closed...I hear it was a free for all."

Paolinus opened his mouth, wishing that he could think of something to say to keep his guest from saying anything further. He could tell, from the ashen faces and sudden silence, that the girls had not prepared themselves for news of this type. Finding nothing, he listened helplessly as the man prattled on and on. Like many career soldiers, he was fascinated by battles, and found nothing indecorous in recounting every goory detail over the dinner table.

"...still haven't gotten all of the bodies buried from the first wave when they hit again- the cavalry was particularly hard hit, you know-", beside him, Paolina sucked in her breath, " The stables were penned

against the north wall and they were bottlenecked while they tried to get the horses out....are you okay, miss?"

All eyes turned to Paolina, who was swooning as though she were about to faint.

"I apologize for my daughter." The paterfamilias said quickly. "She has a...special friend...who is in the cavalry."

"Oh!" The centurion sat up straighter in his chair. "I didn't realize...I...I'm sorry I..." his cheeks were

suddenly very red and hot.

"Aelia, why don't you help her get upstairs...it's late...and I think she could use some fresh air. Open a window and I will send one of the servants to close it when you are asleep."

"Yes, tata." Aelia said, rising unsteadily from her chair. She was feeling as upset as her cousin but, as Quintus had suggested, she was better able to hide it. Nearly in tears, the girls found their way to the bed chamber and changed into gowns.

"He's dead." Paolina wailed, when the lamp was finally extinquished.

"Don't say that, Paolina. He isn't dead."

"He is. He's dead...and I never got to say goodbye. He HATES me..."

"Oh, Paolina, you're being melo-dramatic." The terseness in her cousin's voice surprised her.

"Don't you care if they come back?" Paolina said coldly.

"Of course I care!" the voice was thin- almost a wail.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Paolina snapped. The door swung open to reveal the kitchen maid- most of the other servants had already gone to bed.

"Someone to see you Mistress Aelia."

Aelia frowned. So late? She hadn't heard any horses on the lane...but then, the snow muffled the sound. Aelia walked toward the door, peering curiously down the staircase. "Your father said to change back into your dress before-"

"Quintus!"

Paolina had never heard her cousin so joyous as she bounded down the stairs, completely ignoring her tata's orders. The legionnaire turned, blinking a little in surprise at Aelia's appearance. His little lady, always so refined, looked nearly as wild as Paolina. She was clad in a filmy nightdress and blue silk robe. Her feet were bare, and her gold-kissed curls hung freely around her shoulders. He himself did not look typical. A bandage was tightly wound around his scalp, and there was another on his wrist. His uniform was crumpled and dirty, as though he had not stopped at the camp before paying his call.

"Aelia." He said answered, spreading his arms to receive her into his embrace. After giving her a light kiss on the forhead, and giving his pulse a moment to slow, he turned his eyes to Paolina. She was looking behind him, as if she were trying to conjure Maximus' apprearance as well.

"Maximus isn't here." He said softly, wishing he had softened the news as he watched her pretty face crumble.

"Is he...is he...?"

"No. He is alive and well. He has remained on at the fort while the rest of the troops move out. He will return with the rest of the regiment at the end of the week."

There. At least there was a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"He sent a message for you."

"Oh...?"

"He said 'Now you owe me fourteen'- whatever that means." He looked to Aelia for an explanation, but she merely shrugged.

Suddenly, Paolina's heart felt light as a feather. It was like setting down a heavy weight after a long walk. He still loved her. He would still marry her. He was coming back!

Gathering her composure, Paolina gave Quintus a sketchy curtsey. "Thank you, Quintus...well, if that is the case, I suppose I should get my sleep while I can!"

Quintus and Aelia watched Paolina disappear in her room, he with a dumbfounded expression, she with a big, relieved smile.

"Would you care to explain me what is going on?" he asked.

Aelia took his elbow and led him in the parlor, "Fourteen. That is the number of children Paolina and Maximus are planning to have....it means the storm is passed."

"Oh," said Quintus before smiling.

They arrived at the parlor and sat on two chairs set very close together.

Quintus took both her hands in his and murmured, "I missed you so much, Aelia. You can't imagine how much."

"I think I have an idea....I missed you too, Quintus. And I was so worried...Just tonight we had a centurion as dinner guest and he told us about what happened to your legion..The attack at the fort, the bad losses you suffered....and then he said the cavalry had the worst of it. Your arrival it has been a blessing, not only because I can see you with my eyes, but also because now Paolina will be able to sleep." Aelia stopped, suddently conscious she was almost rambling. It was as if all the emotions she had carefully contained inside herself were now pouring out.

Quintus smiled, understanding the reason for her pause and whispered, "Don't stop...I love to hear your voice...I dreamed of it so many nights."

"Oh, Quintus!" Aelia exclamed and threw herself once again in his arms.

They were alone and so he hugged her with all his strength, then began to kiss her, his lips moving all around her face before finally reaching  her lips. He claimed them with force, as if the wanted to reaffirm to her and to himself he was still alive. Aelia was overwhelm by his passion but not scared by it..it was almost as she knew what emotions were boiling in him.

Breathing hard Quintus released her, trying to calm down. It was so good to feel alive again but he could not lose his control. Not now. Not there. And certainly not with Aelia. So he searched for a topic for start a conversation and found it looking at her nightgown, "I am sorry, I covered you with mud and I don't know want to think about what else!"

Aelia looked down at her brown stained dress and shook her shoulders, "I don't mind it. It was worth it to feel your arms around me again." She smiled and looked deeply in his eyes, then raised her delicate hand to touch his forehead, "What happened to you?"

"A barbarian wounded me with his sword here on my head while the wrist was burned while Maximus and I tried to save our horses from a burning barn."

"I am sorry." she said feeling her eyes mist with tears at the thought of his suffering.

"It's alright- not bad at all...in fact, it was more painful then I got my SPQR tatoo. But I'm afraid that I will sport a scar on my forehead from now on....I hope you like battle-seasoned soldiers!"

They burst in laughter together.

Quintus stayed an another half an hour and then told her kissed her goodnight. It was becoming very late and he did not want to force Paolinus to kick him out. So he stood up and said, "I must go now, they are expecting me at the camp."

Aelia nodded, imitating  him by rising to her feet, "I know."

They walked outside the room then along the hallway until they reached the front door.

"Good Night, my love" said Quintus, kissing her on the forehead.

"Good Night to you too, Quintus. I hope to see you very soon."

"Don't worry, I have no intention to stay away from you." They smiled to each other and then he walked to his stallion, jumping on the saddle. He waved his hand a couple of times and then galloped away.

Aelia watched until he completely disappeared from her view and then returned inside.

 

14

 

One week later, Paolina was in the stables, brushing one of the horses, when she heard her cousin's excited cry.

"Paolina! Come into the house! They are on their way- Maximus and Quintus- I can see them on the road!"

"What?" Paolina dropped her brush into the hay. "What are you talking about? They aren't supposed to be back until tommorrow."

Aelia leaned against the wall of the barn to catch her breath. "I saw them from our bedroom window, just making the turn into our lane, if you hurry, you can---"

She quit speaking and turned as the sound of hooves filled the courtyard.

Paolina sighed, unconcerned with her appearance. "It's too late now, Aelia...I will have to meet him like this."

With a dissapproving sigh, Aelia led her cousin into the courtyard. Paolina knew that the other girl was nearly as anxious as she. In spite of his promises, Quintus had not called on her since he had returned to the camp.

The men had not seen them yet and continued walking toward the door. Paolina noted, with surprise, that they did not take their horses to the stables...were they planning to leave soon?

"Maximus!" Paolina called out, unable to contain her cry. Abruptly, the men turned.

Paolina met her intended's gaze sheepishly, uncertain of what to expect. The look was....wary, but still warm. She could tell, even from the small smile that he truly had forgiven her. She knew what should happen next...they would be polite to each other, talking small talk and slowly rebuilding each other's trust, but she had no patience, and so she flung herself into his broad arms so quickly that he nearly didn't catch her.

He blinked, and then began to laugh heartily. "Oh, Paolina, what would I do without you?" Grabbing her shoulders, he lifted her to his mouth for a tender kiss.

She had been settled on the ground again before she noticed how uncomfortable their companions seemed.

"Come" She said, stepping past him. "Let me help you put your horse in the stables.

She took the reins of Maximus' dark stallion with one hand, then reached for Quintus' as well.

"No." He said quickly, "I won't be staying long."

Paolina frowned, and then shrugged, walking toward the stables with Maximus in tow. Paolina herded the large animal into a stall, and turned to fill a bag of oats when she felt Maximus' hand on her wrist. She turned toward him, suprised to find the beginning of tears pricking at the corners of his deep blue eyes.

"Paolina..." He kissed her hand passionately. "Oh, Paolina. I'm so sorry for what happened. You are right. It is not fair for me to ask you to leave your home. I was being selfish...You may live wherever you want as long as it is with me."

Paolina's felt the beginning of tears in her own eyes as well. "No, Maximus, it is I who was wrong. I am so used to getting my way that sometimes I...." She shook his head, she didn't need to complete the sentence. Sniffing, she met his eyes again and offered a weak grin. "At least my tata cannot say now that you have not seen my temper."

Maximus laughed and drew her tightly against his chest. With her head against the soft fabric of his tunic, she could hear the gentle rythmn of his heart.

"Will you still marry me?" He asked nervously.

"Of course!" She answered without hesitation.

He squeezed her tightly. "You were all that I could think about while I was away- you distracted me so badly that I was nearly killed...the only thing that kept me safe was my promise to win you back."

"Maximus, you never lost me." She insisted. "You had not left the house before I began wishing you back...Oh, I am a foolish girl! At least you know now that I have suffered for my bad deed."

"I don't want you to suffer...." He kissed her again. It was a forceful, urgent action, as though he hoped to brand Paolina with his lips.

"Tata says we may marry soon."

"How soon?"

She laughed. "Next week, if we want to."

Maximus smiled broadly. Then, as if thinking of something, it slowly faded. "Perhaps we could wait a little bit longer. It might be hard for Aelia if it happens so soon..."

Paolina knit her brows in confusion. Surely he did not think that her cousin would not be happy for her...

"What do you mean?"

 

*****

 

Aelia watched Maximus and Paolina disappear in the stable and sent a brief thank you to the Gods...she already knew a wedding would happen soon. Then she turned to Quintus and her smile faded as she saw his expression. His face was pale, his lips set in a grim line and his gentle eyes were very sad.

Aelia felt her heart twist in her chest and murmured, "Quintus, I am pleased to see you...Since you did not show up for all the week I began to worry your wounds became infected or something like that. But I see that's was not the reason." She stopped and looked at him, gesturing with her chin to his forehead which was no longer bandaged.

Quintus looked at his hands and reply,'"I...I.." he seemed unable to speak .

Aelia felt fear grip her guts, "There is something wrong, Quintus?"

Quintus twisted nervously the reins of his horse and said in a very low voice, "Before we left for the war I wrote a letter to my father, asking him his permission to marry you..." Aelia's breath caught in her troath while he went on.."When I returned to the camp after my last visit I found his answering letter awaiting for on my desk...."

"Yes...?" murmured Aelia in a whisper barely audible.

"He said no." There, he had said it. After a week of struggling and desperation he had told her.

The world began to spin around Aelia and she looked as she might faint.

Quintus reached out his arms to steady her and then hugged her to his chest, "I am so sorry, darling, so very sorry. My father said he had already arranged a marriage for me with the daughter of a rich leather merchant.."

Aelia was barely able to contains her tears as she stepped back from his arms, "So this is a goodbye....?"

Quintus nodded, "I can't go against my father's wishes...I have no money nor house of my own and I can't ask to you live in the camp with me.."

"But I would do it ..."

"No, you can't-- And moreover your tata would not give his permission....rightly so, since I would do the same with my daughter." Quintus' eyes were full of unshed tears as he kissed her hand for what he thought would be the last time before murmuring, "Farewell, domina Aelia, it was a pleasure to know you and I will pray the Gods to always look upon you." Speaking so he bowed to the waist, then turned to his horse and jumped on its back. Another quick glance to her pale, devasted face and then he gallopped away.

Aelia watched untill his form disappeared from her view and then she run to the house. The tears were so copious she was barely able to see where she was going, and she struggled the short distance by memory.

The door opened in front of her and she suddently was engulfed in two strong and gentle arms, while a soothing voice whispered to her caring words.

Paolinus had listened to the conversation and had been devasted by the sadness on his niece's face....and on Quintus'. The young soldier was truly a honorable man, deciding to tell the truth at once, without giving false hopes or trying to cheat Aelia- but that fact, instead of lightening the blow, had only made it worst to bear.

 

*****

 

Maximus stroked Paolina's hair, unsure of what he should do. He was touched by her devotion to her cousin. He was certain that, no matter how untamable the girl's temper might be, it was just an example of how deeply she felt everything- especially love.

After the unsettling news, it was difficult to let their passions run free.

They were both too aware of how fragile happiness sometimes was. Maximus and Paolina walked to the orchards, where, as the soldier held his fiancé tightly, he spoke to her about the lives they would lead. Gradually, their sadness faded, and, as the stars began to rise from behind the eastern hills, the woman's mind was at rest.

They entered the house quietly, embarassed for having stayed out so late.

Paolina cringed when she saw her father waiting for them in the hall. He looked very tired, but smiled faintly at the pair.

"Well, Liutenant Maximus. It is nearly midnight...you will *have* to marry my daughter now." He joked half-heartedly.

Maximus nodded seriously. "Yes, domine. I intend to...Paolina has said yes."

Paolina was almost surprised to see her tata smile again. "Well, that is the first good news that I have had all day." He rose and embraced his daughter, hugging her tightly in a way that reminded her that she would always be his little girl. "I am sure that you will be happy, my dear. It is what I have always wanted for you." He kissed her cheek. "I will miss you terribly though."

The young couple shared a look. Maximus cleared his throat and began to speak. "Paolina..I...we have decided that she should remain here for at least the first year...until I am able to take her back to Hispania myself." he met the girl's eyes, checking to make sure that he had the information concerning their compromise correct. She nodded. "My mother will not like it, but it will be easier for Paolina...and for me."

Paolina stepped forward. "I thought perhaps that we could live in the little cottage in the eastern fields...no one has been there for years, but I am sure that I could make it cozy."

Paolinus frowned, causing his daughter's forehead to crease in concern.

"I have meant to speak with you about that cottage, daughter...and you Maximus. We have not yet discussed the terms of Paolina's dowry."

The soldier shifted his weight uncomfortably. He had plenty of money to support his little family- and he would provide for Paolina in his will. The only use she could have for the money would be if they divorced, something Maximus forsaw as an impossibility. "I don't really require-"

"I know that you don't *require* it, Maximus, but it is a tradition...and a good one. It is the only way that I can send her to you...but, since you do not require any dowry at all, perhaps you would be requiring a little less than I originally intended to send."

Paolina's look of confusion grew deeper. "Tata?"

"As you know, daughter, the land where the cottage sits is very fertile. I've been chasing Publius' sheep off of it for years... He has always been after it, which is one of the reasons he has always been so keen to get his son to marry you."

The girl squirmed in disgust at the thought of the man who had behaved so rudely in the village.

"I have decided...if you permit me...to give the land to him...you don't intend to farm here as well, do you Spaniard?"

Maximus opened his mouth to answer the question, but his future bride spoke first. "*Give* it to him, tata?!?"

Paolinus' face looked as crumpled as a used wineskin. "Yes...in return for...in return for marrying Aelia."

Paolina simply stared for a moment, as the horror of what her father was proposing to do sank in. "Tata! How could you propose something so awful? Aelia-"

"Aelia is in love with Quintus. She always will be. Oh, Paolina, you don't know how terrible this afternoon has been- the things she has said! And I have wanted to comfort her. But how can I? When I know in my heart that they were meant to be together? How can I tell her that she will love someone just as much when I...you...your brothers... have all proven time and again that one perfect person truly exists? This time next year, when the legions return, Quintus will have a rich and- forgive me for being spiteful- I hope thoroughly unpleasant wife ....perhaps having a baby of her own to hold will at least keep Aelia alive."

"*Sell* the farm to Publius!" Paolina said frantically. "Perhaps with the money as a dowry, Quintus' father would--"

Paolinus shook his head sadly. "You are a loving and passionate child, my daughter, but you have never been to Rome. Quintus likes to complain that he is poor, but I am sure that they are poor on silken bedsheets and gilded cups. A small square of land in a border province is less than the price of some ladies' necklaces...No, Paolina. Senator Clarus will not change his mind. Quintus knows this. Aelia knows this. We must also accept it, and make the best of a bad situation. It is Aelia's only chance to become an honest wife. If I cannot give her happiness, I will at least give her that."

Paolina clenched her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her hands, making her bleed. How could such a perfect day turn so wrong? She was sad for her cousin, but also bitterly disappointed that a day that should be filled with so much joy, had instead been filled with tears. She was cheated of her happy excitement- of the chance to whisper about wedding dresses and giggle about bedchambers with her cousin in the darkness. A few short hours ago, she had felt as light as a leaf- and now it was as though the weight of the world hung around her shoulders.

"Where is Aelia?" Paolina said. "I must go to her."

"She has been locked in the pantry." Paolinus said, cringing as he admitted this. "I know it sounds terrible, Paolina, but she was threatening...oh, terrible things! First to harm herself...and then to go to the camp and...and...."

He did not have to finish the words for Paolina to appreciate the horror of what had occurred. Aelia must be nearly out of her wits, he had been right to restrain her.

The paterfamilias met Maximus' eyes. "You are going to be a member of my family...and so I ask you, in that capacity, to please keep this knowledge to yourself. No one can gain from knowing of Aelia's ...trouble. She should at least keep her dignity."

Maximus nodded, his eyes wide, unsure of how he could possibly keep such a secret from Quintus, who would surely want to know every detail of what the girl had said and done after his departure.

"And finally...your wedding." Paolinus sighed. "I think that, after all, it had better be sooner than later. Pull the tooth in one yank...do you object?" He was speaking to Maximus now.

Maximus shook his head in the negative.

"Very well. A week from Friday. I will arrange for Aelia to be away."

"But tata-" Paolina could not imagine passing the day without her closest friend. Silently, Maximus took her hand and squeezed it, the simple gesture apologizing for what she had lost, but reminding her that, in the end they would be married, and that was what mattered. With a despairing sound, she relented. "Very well."

"Good...well, I will leave you two to say goodnight....Paolina, please remember that it is late already, and Maximus-"

His future son-in-law looked up. "Sir?"

"I expect *you* to remember that the wedding is not for another ten days." Maximus nodded, blushing faintly.

"Goodnight."

 

15

 

The following nine days passed quickly. Paolinus' household threw itself in a blur of activities to organize the wedding: new dresses were sewn, food was ordered from various shops and messangers where sent around the province to deliver the invitations. One by one all five of Paulina's brothers returned home to assist the wedding of their little sister and the big villa soon resounded with booming voices and laughters.

For Aelia that was the worst period of her life....the house she had always loved so much now seemed to be her enemy...everywhere she could see signs announcing the imminent wedding and, even if in the deepest part of her heart, she was happy for Paolina, she could not help to feel sad and also a little bit envious of her cousin. Aelia wished she could be left alone but every time she tried to leave the house for the fields or the woods someone was always ready to accompany her.

Finally arrived the day of her scheduled departure for the house of a old friends of Paolinus, a eldery couple who had came to visit from time to time. They would have love to assist the wedding but their friend's request had the precedence on their wishes. And so, in a grey afternoon of the first day of December, Paolina and Aelia said goodbye...not to each other but to a part of their lives: in fact when Aelia would return her cousin would be a married woman and things would never again be the same.

Paolinus watched his niece board his friends' chariot and then go away without a single wave of her hand. Poor girl, the fates had thrown so many blows on her: her mother's death, her father's disappereance, her being without a dowry and now Quintus.....and he had yet to tell her about Publius and the proposed match. He would have to wait untill she returned.

 

*****

 

Quintus watched the chariot procede along the mud covered path and felt his heart constricting in his chest, as he saw Aelia disappear from his view and from his life. Maximus had told him about the girl's imminent departure only that morning and he had to rush on his tasks in the camp to be able to see her go. He had promised at himself that he would not try to contact her - what sense might have torture themselves uselessly? - but he could himself from watching her ride away...he wanted to look at her a last time. Maximus had told him the girl would stay away for several months and, if his father's plans were followed Quintus, might no longer be in the province when she come back. Titus Clarus wanted his younger son to marry as soon as possible - he was afraid the intended bride's father might found another, more promising party for his daughter and he did not want to risk all the money the match would take in the family treasure chests.

Quintus sighed and just for a moment thought of what might be if he decided to disobey his father and marry Aelia anyway. He shook his head..with no money and no land of their own, an illigetimate marriage- they would led a terrible life...Aelia would be forced to live in the camp, freezing in the mud during the winter and sweating in the summer, without even the  possibility of having a good bath everyday. She would be surrounded by soldiers who might treat her as a sort of private camp follower....No, she deserved better - much better - than that, and Quintus was sure that Paolinus would of his best to give her a happy life. That was Quintus' most fervent hope. The young legionary turned his horse and trotted away.

 

*****

 

The morning of Paolina's wedding dawned grey and cold.

Instead of jumping instantly awake (as she imagined that she would during the long hours of the night before), Paolina snuggled deeper under the blankets and tried to go back to sleep. She was tired, too excited for many days before to get a good night's sleep.

The little room that she had once shared with Aelia seemed different now. As soon as the cousin had left, her bed had, at last, been carried from the room and placed in the nursery. The day before, shortly after supper, Paolina had carried all the toys that remained in the room- dolls and games that the girls had long since abandoned, though they remained on the bedroom shelves- and placed them at her father's feet, along with her bulla. The childish momentos, and the simple silver charm, represented Paolina's surrender of her childhood. She was no longer a little girl. Soon she would become a woman.

After giving up the toys, Paolina had been led by her oldest brother's wife (who had been visiting to help with preparations for the ceremony) to the bathroom, where she was washed with special oils that had come all the way from Italy, then dried, while her dark hair was braided tightly into a long rope that hung down her back. As the careful hands of her servants and sisters-in-law preened, the eldest explained to Paolina what she could expect from her wedding night. Paolina's cheeks flamed brightly red as Faustia, in an impossibly casual tone, explained the things that Maximus would do. The image had filled the bride-to-be with such heat that it seemed burned onto her mind- it lingered there even as the women declared the night's activities complete, and Paolina was herded off to bed.

The night had passed quickly. In one moment, Paolina was lost in a shadowy dream, in which she ran through the orchards by her house. She was a small girl in the vision, young and carefree...The next moment, Faustia's hands

were jarring her awake.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." The older woman teased. "If you wanted sleep you should have thought of it earlier!"

Still only half-awake, Paolina pulled herself from beneath the heavy blankets and once again surrendered herself to the women's care.

First, Paolina was bathed again, and her hair was set free of the braid, although her curls were far from tamed. The females gathered around the household shrine and murmured a string of prayers for blessings. Paolina crumbloed salt-cakes and incense over a half-dozen little figures, and finally, over the flame of the hearth, asking Vesta, the most intimate protector of families, to watch over her new union.

With the religious observances complete, the women parted ways. Faustina and Pomponia taking charge of the bride, while the others set to decorating the house and overseeing the final preparations for the feast.

In spite of her self-promises not to think of Aelia, Paolina could not help but think of how dissappointed that her unfortunate cousin would be in the un-Romanness of it all. Since Maximus had no home or family in the village (save the camp and his fellow soldiers- hardly appropriate substitutions for a wedding), a traditional ceremony, complete with the usual procession, would be impossible. As Paolina had reminded her father, such procedures were customary, and not legal requirements. In the eyes of the law, she and Maximus need only acknowledge before witnesses that they intended to marry-the rest was more for show than substance. Thinking it somehow fitting that his Amazon break from the norm, Maximus had agreed to her deviation from the expected course. They were to be married in the orchard, beneath the trees where he had cradled her on his return (and which trees' woeful lack of apples was more than compensated by the fact that the barren trees had forced Paolina to purchase the fruits in the village, giving something to roll to Maximus' feet on the fateful day that they had met). Paolina wore the traditional scarlet veil, but she allowed her hair to hang free (rather than binding it up in the unnatural and unattractive six-segmented tutullus style usually favored by brides. After the ceremony, the newlyweds would lead their guests to the main house where, after several hours of feasting, Maximus and Paolina would begin their married life in the room which she had, until recently, shared with her cousin.

Because she had choosen simply attire, Paolina's dress was completed early.

She was sent to her room to rest as teh guests arrived, but she could not fall back to sleep. Her mind seemed a frenzy of activity...thinking of many things, especially wondering what Maximus was thinking, and what her new life would be like.

 

*****

 

Back at the army camp, Maximus' thoughts were as fevered as Paolina's. Was he making the right decision? He did not doubt his love for the girl, but he was painfully aware of the approaching spring. How unfair that he should have to leave her so soon! What if she forgot him and her love lessened while he was away? No, that would never happen....still, he could not dismiss the possibility completely from his mind....How had he become so lucky? He was merely a lieutenant in the army, while Paolina was a goddess, decended from the heavens. Would she realize how unworthy he was?

He murmured some of these things aloud as he paced the tight confines of the tent he shared with Quintus, his friend and his serving boy, Cicero, watching with a mixture of amusement and annoyance at his insecurity.  Maixmus looked very dashing. Cicero had polished his armor to perfection, working out the dents and scratches with incredible attention to detail. He had found enough cloth to fashion a new tunic of dark scarlet wool, and the soldier's sword, which completed the uniform, had been polished so that it gleamed. The boy had also cleaned himself up remarkably- repairing an old tunic of his masters' so that it looked quite distinquished, accenting it with a nice leather belt.

Quintus looked strange to his friend, and Maximus wondered distantly if it were intentional. Instead of donning his best uniform, as Maximus had, he had choosen instead to wear his Roman dress. A toga, dazzling white against the rich hues of the tent and military dress, with a narrow, distinguished-looking purple stripe along the border that indicated the man's status as a knight. It was amazing how easily he moved in the bulky folds. For the first time, Maximus could picture the life his friend's father had bought with the leather-merchant's daughter - a future career as a politician in the city of Rome.

In spite of their charge's hurry to depart, Quintus and Cicero kept Maximus in the camp until the third hour of the day. When they finally left, they walked, rather than rode, preserving the appearence of their attire.

All of the other guests had proceeded them, and as the bridegroom and his friends approached, it seemed as if they spilled out of every window and door of the little home. Word of Maximus' arrival proceeded him, and he had barely set foot on the porch before he was herded off to the orchard to await his bride.

 

*****

 

Quintus watched as his friend walked back in forth in the orchard, opening and closing his fists. Maximus the steady was nervous and Quintus thought it was good his subordinates could not see him because it was his 'always in control of everything' attitude that made him such good leader and seeing him in that state might crack the image he had built for himself in the years. Quintus of course understood his friend's behaviour....he would feel the same on his wedding day if only....if only his bride would be Aelia. His throat constricted as he thought of her and he wondered bitterly if his pain would ever go away or if he would be condemned to this sadness for the rest of his life. Sometimes he wished that he had never met her -- his arranged marriage would be much easier to bear if he had never tasted what real happiness and love could be -- but then he dispelled those thoughts. It was better to have loved and lost than have never loved at all...the pain of losing Aelia must not taint the joy he had in having her. Quintus sighed as Maximus walked near him for the umpteeth time and turned to look in the house direction. He saw that the bride, her family and the guests were arriving and hissed to his friend, "Maximus, stop pacing and act like a grown-up...they're coming!"

Maximus startled at the sound of his voice and as a recruit in front of his commanding officer snapped up in attention, as ready for an inspection.

Quintus walked to him and smiling arranged his cloak better, then hitting him lightly with his fist on his chin, he said, "Strenght and honour".

"Quintus, I am getting married, not going in battle!" Maximus replied.

"Uhm...I don't know....considering Paolina's temper, I wont be so sure..."

The two friends shared a laugh, releasing some of the tension inside them then returned to seriousness as Paolina and her father approached.

 

*****

 

Aelia was looking out a window of the Aurelianus' house in the direction that she knew led home. With her mind's eyes she could see the guests and all her cousin standing at attention as Paolina and Maximus pronunced their vows to each other. She disperately wanted to be with them. She knew her uncle had sent her away to save her the grief of seeing her cousin so happy while she suffered ...and also to avoid seeing Quintus again so soon, but Aelia wanted to be there netherless.

"It is a beautiful day, is not it?" said Aurelianus' wife, a gentle looking grey haired woman. Unlike the weather at Paolinus' farm, the day was bright and sunny in the little valley where Aelia visited.

Aelia nodded, giving her a brief glance then turned to look outside again.

The matron sighed. Poor girl. Paulinus had told them what happened and she thought the Fates had been really cruel with Aelia...how it was possible that some girls had everything without deserving it while the nice, gentle and generous creature were always left with empty hands? She could only hope that one day the Gods understood the wrong of their ways and decided to give Aelia the happinness that she deserved.

 

16

 

The ceremony seemed to pass in a blur. Paolina was amazed that something that she had thought about so much- imagining the details even when she was a little girl- could go by so quickly. She wanted the day to be over- to finally be Maximus' wife, but she also wished that she had time to savor the memories of the day. She wished that she could burn them into her memory, and return to them years later as a reminder of her perfect happiness.

It seemed as though one minute Maximus and her father were exchanging the marriage contracts, and in the next, she was being carried over the threshold of the house.

All of the guests were anxious to get inside- they were freezing in the blustery orchard. They called out happily to the bride and groom as they were welcomed into the little house. Maximus' nerves had not lessened, but Paolina barely noticed. She too was staring wide-eyed at everything, the significance of the events a bit overwhelming to be drunk in all at once.

Maximus touched her throughout the meal. At first, he held her hand, but even when they moved to the tables for their meal, he kept his arm resting gently on her side, or his toes against her little feet. He seemed unwilling to break contact, as though his love for Paolina were a lifeline holding him above a confusing sea of events.

At last, Faustia came to the head of the table and whispered into the bride's ear that it was time to go. At once, a deep blush spread across Paolina's cheeks, and she glanced, embarassed, at Maximus before quickly nodding her head and rising from the table. Her movement was so quick that it caused a wineglass to spill, drawing more attention to her departure. The occassion drew a well-intentioned, if mortifying volley of cheers and humourous advice. Paolina was torn between a desire to scurry away as fast as possible, and a wish to maintain the shred of dignity that she had by measuring her steps.

Faustia whispered words of encouragement as she led her little sister-in-law to the bedchamber and helped her undress. The room looked and smelled very mysterious. It seemed strangely empty now that Aelia's bed and the girls' toys had been cleared away. Since it was winter, the only foilage available for decoration had been pine boughs and holly branches, and they filled the room with their heavy evergreen fragrance. There were also little sticks of incense, a few oil lamps, a braizer (in a vain attempt to beat back the winter chill) and finally, seeming impossibly large and daunting, the large bed in the center of the room.

The heavy coverlets that usually lined the bed had been cleared away. Only a single linen sheet covered the mattress, and it seemed painfully inadequate against her bare skin as Paolina slid beneath it to await her groom.

"It will be awkward at first." Faustia warned. "Perhaps a little painful...but it will get better." The older woman patted her change on the shoulder in a  motherly gesture. "I will send your soldier to you soon."

Numbly, Paolina nodded. Faustia left the room, and the frightened bride jumped as the door slammed shut behind her.

Paolina shivered beneat the thin layer of fabric and strained her ears toward the murmuring voices of the guests below. It seemed to take forever before a playful cheer went up from the guests and she heard a footfall on the botton of the stairs. Involuntarily, she sat up in the bed, her breathing increasing a little as she listened for the sound of her husband's arrival.

Although she had known him only a short time, the girl had memorized her husband's footfalls. The familiar sound seemed almost as loud as the beating heart as they travelled the length of the hall, hesitating just before the door, and then slowly pushing it open.

"Paolina?" Maximus said softly, stopping just inside the door. It closed behind him with a heavy thud, but this time, Paolina did not startle. She was too transfixed by him to move at all.

Paolina understood that Maximus would be experienced in the things that went on between men and women. Even if it did bring a twinge of jealousy, she understood what life was like in the army- really, what life was like for men in general, she would not expect him to be naive, but standing in the doorway, he seemed just as uncertain as she. He clenched and unclenched his hands, as though he did not know what to do.

Paolina pulled the sheet more tightly over her unclothed figure, feeling more painfully aware of her nakedness than before. She stared at him and, as his eyes adjusted to the near darkness, he stared back.     

"Domina." He whispered after a long pause.

"Domine..."

Her eyes widened as he crossed the floor to the edge of the bed. She felt as though her heart were ready to explode. She had a strange sense of competing desires- half of her longed to touch and kiss him, to do things that she had never experienced, but her body instinctively recalled....the other half was terribly frightened and ashamed- trained so long for modesty and chastity that it could not now understand the rightness of what she was about to do.

She noticed that Maximus was breathing heavily as well. He tenatively leaned forward, laying his hand lightly against her bare shoulder and kissing her softly on the lips. Their lips lingered together, but only lightly. And then he pulled away, staring. It was amusing- two people who knew each other so well- who had been so nearly overcome by passion on so many occassions before, were now shy and uncertain as the moment of passage finally arrived.

Tentatively, Paolina laid her hands across his shoulder, and he drew her upward, the sheet slipping from under her arms as he pulled her against him. She gasped, a little surprised to feel the night air on her exposed skin, the tips of her nipples achingly hard in the chill. The sight seemed to have an affect on Maximus. He sucked in his breath quickly. Then, abandoning the kiss, turned his attention to her lovely breasts.

"Domina..." he whispered from somewhere in the back of his throat. He leaned forward and brushed the dusky mounds with his fingertips, the whisper-light contact  raising goosebumps on her skin. He ran his fingers over the hardened nipples, and Paolina arched her back in surprise as twinges of a sensation she had never experienced before- like pleasure and pain in the same instant- coursed along her spine.

He repeated the motion several times, and then, pushing her back against the pillows, cupped the little mountains of flesh in his hand. The sudden warmth was luxurious, and Paolina twisted in  appreciation under his ministrations. He pressed downward gently, and then massages his captives in a gentle circular fashion, watching them carefully with his eyes.

Though Paolina's hands were still, she could sense that the activities were having an effect on her new husband. He rocked his hips gently forward, as though he were yearning toward her. When he finally raised his head to claim her mouth, she understood why.

Maximus seemed to mold his body to his bride's. The hollows and swells of her figure were matched, like the pieces of a puzzle, with the caverns and rises of his own. Even their mouths joined  seemlessly, and, with a gasp, Paolina felt the evidence of her husband's desire, pressing urgently against the fabric of his tunic.

The soldier's eyes flew to his bride's as he felt her startle. He inwardly chided himself for moving too quickly. He had promised himself that he would be gentle, but Paolina was proving to be quite a challenge for his willpower. She had tortured him throughout dinner. Even then, his body had been unable to hide its hunger. He had spent the evening shifting uncomfortably on the couch, hoping that his tunic was still draped modestly, and longing for Faustia to say that the time to depart had come. After so much waiting, it was hard to stay in control.

And Paolina was so lovely..! Even though her untrained hands were still, the simple presence of her beauty- of the warmth of her skin- filled him with more tingling pleasure than the skilled fingertips of the camp followers had ever inspired. He was in awe of her beauty and innocence...almost frightened of the passion he was about to claim.

Maximus continued to stroke her breasts, and Paolina gradually relaxed. He allowed one hand to trail to her wrist and, taking it in his hand, he guided her to his erection. Paolina drew back at first, shy and uncertain, but she slowly warmed, probing the fabric covered bulge with her fingertips and finally, with guidance from her husband, stroking it in a manner that gave him pleasure.

The rocking of his hips increased, and the hand that had guided Paolina's first caresses moved upward again, stripping the sheet from her waist, and exposing the rest ofher body to view. Maximus pulled back for a moment, admiring the view. "You are so lovely..." He said huskily. He took several deep breaths and then, just before claiming her in another crushing kiss, murmured. "*mine*...."

Drawing her close again, his hands retiurned to her body. Her breasts, her ribs, her waist, her thigh ...finally slipping between her slender legs.

Paolina's entire body seemed to convulse as a sensation she had never known gripped her entire body. Deep within her stomach a firey tightness began. It was as though every nerve of her body was reaching toward Maximus, wanting to draw him in. The feeling grew as his fingertips slid inside the soft folds of flesh that hid her femininty.

A growl of satisfaction tore from Maximus' throat as he found her yeilding flesh. She was hot and wet. Her readiness excited him even further. "My bride......" He whispered, catching her clitoris between his thumb and forefinger. She made a little cry of pleasure as he touched her secret places. "My wife..."

Paolina writhed beneath his touch. Vaguely- as though someone were yelling at her from far away- she remembered Faustia's admonition that it was unseemly for a bride to appear too willing on her first night....but Paolina was too entranced by the man's bold explorations to resist. She writhed beneath his hands, pressing toward him with her hips, as the tightness within her grew intolerable. She wanted to be broken, claimed......

Suddenly, Maximus pushed her hand away, and extracted himself from her body.

She made a little cry of protest as the torturous pleasure abruptly ceased. She looked at him, wildly. Had she done something wrong? Would he stop? She saw that he had rocked back to a sitting position on his heels. His muscles flexed as he stripped away his armor, and then his tunica, the broad, defined muscles of his chest filling her once again with longing. At last his hands reached between his legs and removed the loincloth.

Paolina knew that she should demurely avert her eyes, but she could not help but stare. Like the rest of his body, his manhood- painfully erect and flushed an angry red- was impossible erotic. Naked, and full of need, he seemed like one of the gods of legend, preparing to claim his mortal playmate. She felt suddenly very small, and a twinge of fright mixed again with the throbbing want.

She was drawn to him- her silky fingers reaching through the darkness- surprised by the heat she found as her fingers closed about the turgid member. She could feel his pulse- furious and jagged- and the moistness of the tip.

She stoked him, reveling in the masculine hardness, amazed that she could elicit such desire, and she gasped when Maximus suddenly clamped his hands around her wrists and drew them about her head.

"Paolina..." he moaned. And then. "Selene...." He kissed her again, his tongue pushing forcefully between her teeth. His forehead bumped hers, and she felt sweat on his brow, trembling within his body, unable to bear back the flood of passion.

Paolina twined her fingers in his closely cropped hair, inviting him to linger in her kiss.

"I need you." He gasped, as he finally pulled away.

She nodded.

"I want you...Selene, please..."

"Yes."

She had barely finished the word before a firey tearing sensation gripped her. She could not contain the paniced cry that crossed her lips, or the hot tears that appeared at the corners of her eyes at the sudden, unexpected pain. She felt, for a moment, as though she were drowning. Hot. Confused. Unable to breathe. And then, just as suddenly as it began, the feeling ended. Melting like the ice that hung outside the rafters, the feeling transformed into a pleasure just as intense of the pain. A hot, driving fullness.

He was inside her. Deep. Throbbing. She could sense, without opening her eyes, how badly he wanted to move. Needed to move.

"Selene." He whispered desperately. "Selene.."

"Maximus." She answered. The desire in her voice gave him permission to continue. The pain had passed, and now he could lose himself- lose them both in pleasure.

Paolina tried to watch him as he worked, study the tighly closed eyes, and the looks of passion that gripped his handsome features, but she too was broken by the electricity of their connection. She lay her head firmly against the pillow, gasping for breath as his body worked its primal magic upon her own. Could such feelings be possible? Did he feel it too? Things seemed to spin.

And then they stopped.

Paolina felt as though the tightening desire she had felt earlier was a coil twisting within her soul. All at once, it broke, and her release was paralyzing. She was dimly aware of crying out his name...and a second later, his echoing cry. She felt as though she were flying, somewhere far above, as though she and Maximus were like tollow candles, melted together by the heat they had created. As though....

Her mind reeled.

At last, she was able to regain her senses, opening her dark eyes to meet Maximus' own. One of the little oil lamps had extinguished, but there was still enough light to see his face. He was staring at her as well. A look of bone-deep satisfaction on his face.

"Selene..." he leaned forward and kissed her. "Oh Selene..."

She was surprised that she wasn't embarassed. Maximus' body had collapsed on top of her own, nearly crushing her with his weight. Yet, she did not want to draw away. Between her legs, she could feel his member softening. Deeper within her body, she felt the sticky slickness of his seed. It seemed...*right*...and she had no desire for the moment to end.

They stared at each other until a loud noise from downstairs made them both sit up. Were the wedding guests still here? Disoriented, having lost track of time, Maximus and Selene stared at each other. It seemed as though a chair had been smashed. Then there was the sound of breaking glass, and noisy, if indistinguishable cries....

 

*****