A Most Dangerous Weapon

Chapter 23: A Personal Justice

"You don't care why Sextus was working for Gaius..."

I was sitting on the bench by the Doctore's private chamber, watching as the sun slowly rose into the morning sky. The gladiators were enjoying some much needed nourishment as they celebrated their new partnership with us, filling their goblets with wine and stomachs with bread, cheese and fruit. Loxley and Kilgorian were busy emptying the weapons storage room to arm our troops, while Rowan spent his time making friends with the men to hold their trust. I was too tired after such a long night, so I felt like I had earned a brief pause in this ongoing mission to rest in solitude.

But my father had other plans for me. He had suddenly appeared at my side to annoy.

"He's not the one you care about. That line of questioning was meant for someone else."

I knew that if I didn't give in to the conversation, he would linger.

"Then tell me," I mumble under my breath as to not raise concern from the surrounding crowd, "who do I want to ask-"

He cuts me off with a sly grin as he muses, "Does it need to be said?"

Marcus. I wanted to know why Marcus was working for Gaius.

"He became an assassin for the Emperor in a short period of time. Gaius must really trust him to let him run rampant through Romallia without supervision."

"Gaius doesn't know who Marcus is..." I point out, remembering how the fake Princess hadn't discovered his identity until the night of Decimus' murder. She was the only Galacian to know, and I killed her for it.

"That explains why Marcus isn't in chains in the Galacian palace, and why he hasn't been used as leverage... but that doesn't explain why Gaius trusts your brother to kill the bastard children."

"Or why Marcus has agreed to do it... why does he follow through? If he worked to become an assassin just so he could leave the Galacian palace freely, he could have safely abandoned the mission the moment he crossed the border; he could have went into hiding like Loxley did. Why is he actually killing the bastard children for Gaius?"

"Why did he kill Decimus?" My father asks, knowing that this action hurt me the most.

I nod. "We could have just quietly escaped together. But instead he followed through and killed his mark..."

"Why is Marcus doing this?" My father repeats the summarizing question that was nagging me while staring thoughtfully off into the distance.

I rub my temples in frustration. "What is he fighting for that makes this all worth it?"

Sextus' responses to the same questions swirl in my mind. How was I supposed to know who was right? Sextus had his reasons for fighting, I had mine, Marcus had his... what was I supposed to think?!

"You have a visitor." My father states before vanishing from my side.

I looked up to see Arlo walking towards me with Tiberius in hand, leading him with a strong grasp on the man's upper arm through the crowded grounds. His shackles had been removed, leaving raw, red marks on his wrists and ankles that seemed to cry out in pain more than those on the gladiators. The men all fell silent as their former Dominus slowly limped past them. This must have been the first time they had seen him since Gaius took over the training grounds, for they were all gawking at his battered and bruised appearance. He refused to make eye contact with any of them, but rather squinted through the harsh sunlight to stare me down.

They stop in front of me, waiting for direction.

"Have a seat." I gesture to the space beside me where my father once sat.