The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 36

CW - abuse towards kids. Nothing horrible or graphic, but a heads up is deserved. If you want to scroll past, the section with the reference will have 88888 before and after instead of ***.

ALEX'S EYES OPENED slowly, blinking closed and then open again.

        "She wakes," Ixillius said to Brasus, interrupting their conversation.

        The Optio silenced mid-sentence as his friend went to her bedside. It had been nearly two hours since they had tried to force her awake. Verus had sent a messenger after the first hour, inquiring at her state, and they'd sent the boy away with no news. A second messenger had come within minutes of the first, bearing a letter to Ixillius from his father. The current situation being more pressing, the letter still sat unopened on the table, pushed aside so that the two men could play cards.

        Alex managed to focus her eyes on Ixillius, wary. He grinned at her and held up his empty hands.

        "No drink," he said, kneeling beside the bed. "Are you well?" he asked, chuckling at how relieved she looked

        Alex covered the hand he held to her jaw with her fingers, holding his fingers against her skin. She didn't reply to the question, just yawned and winced at the end of the intake of breath. He stared down at the woman he'd briefly thought could be his, and wondered how many of his actions since finding her could be interpreted as terrible offenses if he was questioned on them. His shoulders sagged as the count in his mind grew.

                                                                ***

        Alex was still working against the pressure inside her skull. Ixillius's fingers were cool against her jaw, so she held his hand there to keep him from moving it. Her body ached, but the memory of the morning before he'd started feeding her the spiked wine was filled with a lot more hurt than she felt right now. She knew she never wanted to taste that shit again, but grudgingly had to admit that it had worked when she could almost yawn fully. He pressed his forehead to hers.

        "Ignosce mihi, quia ego sum stutus," he whispered.

        She curled her fingers around his wrist and smiled a bit, wondering what he thought he'd done wrong now. She hoped she'd be able to pick up the language quickly now that she was starting to remember things from when she was very young so his random requests for forgiveness could be explained.

        "Ignosce," she replied lightly, impressed that her voice worked and yawning again.

        "Ego postulo expergisci te," he said, not moving.

        "I don't have a clue what you're saying," she replied with a sigh and he leaned back far enough to see her face, looking somewhat surprised. "I was talking to you in my sleep again?" she asked. "I wish I could remember."

                                                                ***

        "I need you to wake up," he told her, still pressing their foreheads together. Her accent had been perfect when she forgave him, so he was shocked when she spoke in her mother's language. He shifted back and stared down at her. She smiled up at him and said a few more things he didn't understand.

        She released his hand and stroked her fingers down his jaw. He resisted for a moment when she slipped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him forward again, then relented and leaned in so she could kiss him. Surely it could not be an offense for her to wish to kiss him?

        A knock sounded at the door and he broke the kiss and sat back, scraping his lips with his teeth to try and erase the feeling of her mouth. Brasus answered to speak to the same boy Verus had sent earlier.