The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 28

ENNIUS PACED THE yard of the Avilius house. He'd ordered Ixillius back to the encampment after the learning the vile news that Alex's grandfather had arranged for an engagement, and then Ennius had dismissed the dripping boy and come immediately to the Avilius house. Thankfully he had arrived ahead of Alex and the messenger sent to the encampment to bring her. He'd composed about a hundred conversations in his mind by the time the two horses arrived.

        Ennius focused his attention on his brother's claimed sister. She looked more upset than he'd expected and he worried she'd taken the news to heart of her marriage being broken and the engagement being binding.

        "Why are you here?" she asked, only curious as she slid off Max's back to stand in front of him.

        "To speak for you regarding the laws surrounding marriage," he answered darkly, tucking her hand protectively into his elbow.

        "I believe I can explain marriage law just fine," a voice called down from the top of the steps and Alex looked up to see... an older version of her gigno. He was flanked by a middle-aged man in overly fancy attire for the time of day, and who was being attended on by a small battalion of slaves. Ennius squared his shoulders in preparation for joining the conversation on behalf of Alex.

        "And I'm certain I also speak the laws quite well." The freeman messenger who had led Alex into the yard removed his helmet. A visible shock rattled through everyone in the yard – slaves included – excepting Alex. Ennius's arm stiffened under her hand as recognition hit him, and a similar look to the Legate was mirrored by the Emperor's cousin. Her grandfather, however, had already transitioned into a disapproving glare – likely over how his son was dressed.

        Sertor and his father exchanged a quick argument before the elder of the two turned on his heel and stalked back into his house. Sertor took Alex's free elbow in hand and ushered her and Ennius up the stairs and into the house as Ennius quickly relayed the events that had brought him to the yard. Once they were inside and facing her grandfather, who was settled comfortably among the friends and neighbors that were here to celebrate the news of the engagement and learn first-hand any potential rumors, the cousin announced the engagement and began listing off the requirements of Alex's subsequent marriage with him.

        Alex watched the old man who reclined on the couch in front of her as the cousin droned pompously about his expectations for her marriage with him. Avilius Victrix was a tyrant, she knew her father's stories and the stories from the Legions. She looked to her left at her gigno, but he was just looking back at her to see what she was going to do. From what she'd seen in the yard and remembered from her childhood, her gigno gave respect to his father from habit rather than actual agreement. The rebellions he'd engaged in against the old man had, as their gruff argument indicated, left him grudgingly respected in return. That was all based on a lifetime, though, and she was new. And a woman.

        "You will, of course, wear appropriate attire for the wedding and all days following," the cousin continued, frowning at Alex's leather leggings, man's tunic, and armor visible inside her Legionnaire's cloak. "Which I assume will have to be purchased if that is all you have from traveling with the..." he glanced at the Legate and visibly adjusted what he was going to say. "Legion," he finished, lamely.

        Alex wracked her brain trying to think of anything she'd learned from Verus, Ixillius or Brasus over the past months that could help right now, maybe even anything from when she was young that her gigno had told her... she felt a smile pull at her lips as she came up blank on the right way to respond, but with a fairly decent wrong way.

        "You think dressing this way looks bad?" she asked the cousin. The room was full of other guests, all highly ranked local socialites here to witness the engagement.