The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 22

Content warning - NSFW.

IXILLIUS ATE QUICKLY, wolfing down his meal. He expected Alex would be sleeping when he returned, and was looking forward to waking her up. One of his hungers sated, he paid for the plate and wine and took to the street to return to his room and satisfy the other.

        The darkness in the hall was welcome and the light under the door to his room beckoned. He stood in the shadows for a moment and let his anticipation build pleasantly. He was about to start forward, when a shadow crossed the light shining from under his door. His desire snuffed instantly and he paused to watch longer.

        Suddenly the knot in his stomach released and he almost chuckled. The shadow passing was regular every few seconds, first left to right, then right to left. The timing matched exactly a slow and steady pacing the short distance across the room. He walked normally to the door, noting the shadow stopped at the sound of his tread.

        The pinched expression on her face melted into a smile as he walked into his room and closed the door. He turned back to the room, a chiding remark hovering in his mouth, silenced before he could say it by her kiss. The part of his mind that always assessed everything noted that he hadn't heard her cross the few steps to him, then she stepped back, smiling up at him and pressing something into his hand. He looked down at a small letter bag.

        "Verus," she said, nodding and pointing at the bag.

        "Tomorrow," he replied, tossing it on the table and kissing her again.

        She gently twisted out of his hands and broke off the kiss.

        "No, Ixillius." She stepped over to the table and picked up the letter bag, handing it to him again. "Verus," she repeated.

        The guttural sound he made was half groan and half growl even to his own ears. He sighed and pulled out the letter, tossing the empty bag on the bench. The familiar shorthand made the letter a quick read, but the content left him reading it a second and third time to make sure the first and second readings had been correct.

My Sword Brother,

Your woman called me to attend to her at the horse pens this evening, where she demonstrated a most disturbing training of one of the newly captured mounts. The 1st and 3rd are returned two days early, and your woman had assisted them in handling an awe inspiring stallion that was familiar to her. The casual man of hers which you mentioned has war trained this mount to verbal commands against Legionnaires, and seems to now be here in Bonna, allowing capture of himself and the stallion to gain entry inside the Legions undetected.

Accompany me on a tour of the slave dens prior to the midday meal tomorrow, giving us a chance to out this intruder before he may cause any grievous injury to Rome.

The horse, Max she calls him, I have taken ownership of – how could I not desire such a stallion, you must see him – and had him moved immediately to the furthest pens of the encampment to avoid any potential threat during the night.

Regards,

1.1.VCC

Postscript: Your woman continues to ensure my highest respect with her loyalty. Were she not already collared to you, currently she's the only woman in the Empire I would bed personally with enjoyment. Wise use of your tongue may prove a lovely way to maintain her affections. The cloak and wraps are hers to keep.

        Ixillius lowered the letter to the table, re-evaluating Alex yet again. She seemed earnestly worried under his gaze that he was going to be angered by the letter, which struck him as humorous considering the situations she'd continually fallen into during the past two days. He shook his head and chuckled, unfastening his belt and dropping his weapons on the bench.