Family Shackles

6

The door opened and one man came out. Brasus blinked in surprise, his arm dropping to his side. Quintus checked the two men who were still laying there, confirmed one was dead and the other unconscious, and then walked over to stand with Brasus. The Legionnaire paused a moment to adjust Brasus's toga, effectively hiding any bloody stains with a few quick folds and tucks.

        "Walk with me?" Quintus asked. Brasus felt his temper spilling over.

        "I did what he –"

        "Walk with me," Quintus interrupted the angry words. Brasus forced himself to bury his frustrations for the moment and allowed Quintus to lead him out of the yard. "Avilius Victrix provided excess funding for the Legion last week," Quintus stated. "There's a table set up for recruits," he added.

        Brasus didn't reply.

        "He also learned five years ago of his cousin's husband and son. The son is a living relative of his," Quintus continued conversationally. "Since his own son... disappeared, and having no other living children, that left an obvious choice. Until, of course, they had a falling out. Avilius found them lacking in..." Quintus paused, then shook his head and remained silent on the subject. "The man who was meant to perform the marital duties you undertook died from fever a few days before you decided to steal that colt."

        "You know?" Brasus stopped walking at stared at his father's friend. Quintus paused in his steps and glanced back to nod. "Who else knows?" Brasus demanded. He'd upheld the deal of speaking to nobody of the agreement, and –

        "As of this moment only you, Avilius Victrix, and I know of the agreement," Quintus interrupted the thoughts swirling in Brasus's mind. "And I only know because I was asked to carry the written order for your and Cassia's child to be named his heir in the event his own son wasn't returned."

        Brasus closed his eyes and tried to order his thoughts. Over the past two years, he had come to believe that his marriage to Cassia had been an additional punishment – something the two of them shared, although he didn't know what her crime or insult had been – and the promise of naming the child as an heir was fallacy and just another game of the mind. But if Quintus carried the order, then the arrangement was true. That meant Brasus's second son was the heir to one of the wealthiest and most influential men in all the Empire, and subject to all the politics and treachery that came with the inheritance.

        "Volunteer for the Legion," Quintus broke into his thoughts and Brasus looked to him. "Bring your woman and all of your three children to the camp. I'll ensure you and I are –"

        "What?" Brasus interrupted, too shocked at Quintus naming Brasus as the sire for all three children to bother trying to hide his surprise.

        "You and your woman can lie very well, but the face of your daughter speaks the truth," Quintus grinned.

        "She has no resemblance to Magnus," Brasus argued, tasting the bluff rolling from his mouth so easily.

        "No, she doesn't," Quintus agreed. "However, she could be a twin to either of your sisters at that age."

        Brasus opened his mouth to reply but didn't have words. Arguing with Quintus at this point would be useless. He'd obviously seen the baby.

        "You've told Avilius?" Brasus asked quietly.

        "Of course not," Quintus stated with a small shrug. He ended the motion by hooking Brasus's arm and pulling the younger man into walking again.

        "Thank you," Brasus replied after a few steps. He couldn't imagine the punishment Rishima would be subjected to if her accepted lie was discovered.