Marine 2: A Very Unusual Roman (The Agent of time)

by Tanya Allan

  The NCOs sprang into action and the century went through a series of complex drill movements, which included marching at different speeds, forming different defensive positions and then attack formations. They carried shields for a change, but they were almost purely decorative and would be virtually useless in battle due to their weight and light construction. They did, however, look the part.

  We were going through a third set when Gaius arrived on horseback with Gallinas. I called the girls together, and they smartly responded as neatly and as slick as any unit I had commanded two thousand years later.

  I stood in front of my unit and saluted the Tribune. Both men dismounted and walked towards me. Iona called the century to attention and took them to open order for inspection. They responded as one.

  Gallinas looked surprised and pleased.

  “You will be pleased to know that your moment has come. You are to parade before the emperor in three days at the Circus Maximus!” Gallinas announced.

  There was an intake of breath, for this was where the best gladiators fought, and other spectacles such as wild beasts against men and women.

  “What do you mean, parade?” I asked.

  “You are to open the games by a demonstration of your skills.”

  “Against whom?” I asked, watching Gaius smirk.

  “They’re bringing out some condemned men from the cells. They’ll be told that if they get past your girls, they can go free.”

  “No.”

  “What?”

  “You heard. We are not executioners and we are not some spectacle to be displayed like a freak show.”

  “You’ll do as you’re told, woman!”

  “You carry a pretty sword, so make me,” I said.

  Anger appeared like two red spots on his cheeks, I saw that Gaius had to turn away as he was trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. I imagined he had already told Gallinas my likely reaction.

  Gallinas’s hand fell to his sword hilt, and I smiled. It must have been a vicious smile, for the hand dropped immediately.

  “What do you suggest?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  “The symbol of the emperor is a wreath, yes?”

  “So?”

  “Then take a wreath and have it escorted to any part of the circus grounds by a crack squad of Praetorians. We will take it from them and present it to the emperor.”

  “With normal weapons?”

  “We’re not in the business of killing Romans, so arm then with wooden swords and wooden pila, with blunt points, otherwise, normal equipment and armour. We don’t want any of our girls to die unnecessarily, do we?”

  “That’s it?”

  “Don’t you think we can do it?”

  “The Praetorian guards are the finest soldiers in the empire.”

  “No, they used to be,” I said. “There’s a new crack unit in town, and they’re all girls.”

  “Very well, I’ll arrange it. Don’t let me down.”

  With that, the Tribune turned and walked out of the compound. Gaius remained and started to chuckle.

  “I told him you’d refuse, but he knew best. It doesn’t pay to anger him, Layla.”

  “It doesn’t pay to anger me, Gaius.”

  He chuckled some more and shook his head.

  “How do you intend to play this?”

  “I need to see where this is to happen,” I said.

  “You mean the circus?”

  “Yes, where is it?”

  “We will have to ride; it’s a fair distance.”

  “Like this?” I asked. He glanced at me.

  “No, definitely not like that. How do you fancy dressing like a fine patrician lady?”

  “Why do I not like the sound of that?”

  “Well, you’d have to be taken by carriage or sedan chair, for a start.”

  “No way. I ride.”

  “Ladies are not encouraged to ride in public.”

  I gave him a look.

  “I will accompany you in a carriage. That will cause least offence and won’t draw undue attention to you.”

  “What about clothes?”

  “I’ll see what I can acquire for you. You are slightly bigger than most women.”

  He left me muttering and shaking his head. I went back to the girls and told them the news.

  “What do we do?” Iona asked.

  “I don’t know yet. I’m going to go to the Circus and see what it all looks like. Apparently, as it’s big enough for chariot races, we might be able to use a little subterfuge.”

  She looked blank at me, so I felt I had to explain.

  “Look, the Praetorian Guard are the crème de la crème. They are the biggest and the best; they have to be, as they guard the emperor. They are hand-picked and probably train for hours every week. In a straight head to head fight, we’ll lose, no matter how quick and crafty we are. Our strong point is quick and crafty, so that’s what we’ll do. Or at least some of us will do while the others act as a diversion.”

  Iona was still frowning.

  “Wait until I get back, by then I will have a better idea of what the place is like and the options we might have.”

  An hour later, Gaius came and found me.

  “Come on, I have arranged a carriage to collect us in a while. You need to clean up and dress more appropriately,” he said, passing me some clothing rolled up in a cape.

  I returned to my tent, telling him to remain outside.

  “The last time we were in a tent together, things happened, and I’m not into that right now,” I said, he grinned and sat on a bench to wait.

  The female garb consisted of a tunic that was a kind of vest, covered by a simple garment known as a stola. Stolae typically comprised two rectangular segments of cloth joined at the side by fibulae (brooches) and buttons in a manner allowing the garment to drape freely over the front. Over the stola, I wore the palla - a sort of shawl made of an oblong piece of material that could be worn as a coat, with or without hood, or, as I wore it, draped over the left shoulder, under the right arm, and then over the left arm.

  I did not like it, any of it. My face must have registered my displeasure as soon as I left the tent and saw Gaius smirking at me.

  The smirk didn’t last long, for as I had washed my hair and generally cleaned up. He opened his mouth to say something and then shook his head, obviously thinking better of it.

  “Go on, say it! I look ridiculous.”

  “No; just the opposite. You look fabulous.”

  “Hmph. Come on, let’s get this over with!”

  The carriage was simply a wooden box with a door on each side on two axles, pulled by one elderly cart horse, so we would break no land-speed records. Gaius joined me in the box and we sat opposite each other on the over-stuffed cushions. A coachman sat on the top of the box and drove the horse.

  “This is undignified!” I complained.

  “Do you really not understand how desirable you are?” he said.

  “Hmph.”

  He smiled.

  “So, you do.”

  I smiled.

  “I am aware what you men believe to be attractive, and I am sure that I am altogether too big to fit in with the idea of what is beautiful.”

  “Beauty in its classical sense is a million paces from what you are. But then I never did consider the classical views on beauty as being definitive. Yes, you are too big and too powerful, so weak men will always be threatened by you. But, they will always seek to dominate you because you represent something wholly unattainable; beauty and power together.”

  “And fail.”

  “Undoubtedly, but they might enjoy the challenge in trying.”

  “Why have you never tried to bed me again?” I asked.

  He coughed slightly as I caught him unawares.

  “You’re always brutally blunt, aren’t you?” he asked, avoiding the question.

  “Well?”

  “I think I felt embarrassed and ashamed for failing to please you.”r />
  “Who says you failed?”

  “Me.”

  “Well, then I suggest you treat yourself like a recruit who falls off the high beam on the assault course.”

  “Huh?”

  “Just get back on and try again!”

  He regarded me for a few moments.

  “Unless you don’t want to, that is?”

  “You know I do.”

  “Then stop pissing about and come see me tonight.”

  I changed the subject and asked him about the circus.

  “The Circus Maximus is on the level ground of the Valley of Murcia (Vallis Murcia), between Rome’s Aventine and Palatine Hills. Back in the old days, the valley would have been rich agricultural land, prone to flooding from the river Tiber and the stream which divided the valley. They say that the stream was bridged quite early on, at the two points where the track had to cross it, and the earliest races would have been held within the farmland with nothing more than turning posts, banks where spectators could sit, and some shrines and sacred spots.”

  “So, it’s grown a bit since then?”

  “Oh yes. One emperor built a palace next door so he could watch the games without leaving the comfort of his own home, but being a wooden structure, it’s burned down several times. Some of it is damaged right now, as there was a fire quite recently. There’s a refit planned. I think the emperor Trajan wants to rebuild it out of stone.”

  “That’ll be expensive. How big is it?”

  “I’m not sure, around six hundred and fifty paces long, by one hundred and twenty wide, I think. I could be wrong.”

  “Can a lot of people view the games?”

  “Oh yes, they say that over one hundred and fifty thousand people can get in there at any one time.”

  Indeed, when we got there, I found a true wonder of Roman architecture and engineering.

  Yes, there was some obvious fire damage that had been repaired to fit the purpose, but it was still an impressive stadium that would serve well two thousand years on.

  The carriage stopped and we alighted, with Gaius helping me down as if I were some helpless female.

  The light sandals he made me wear were weird on my feet; it was almost like going barefoot, so I had to walk carefully.

  We walked to the main entrance, to find it closed. A small door was to the left, which Gaius ventured to enquire whether he could show me around. A few sesterces changed hands and the grubby caretaker let us in with a lewd grin.

  “What did you tell him?” I asked.

  “I alluded to the fact you wanted to have sex in one of the gladiators’ cells. I heard it’s quite popular amongst the high-born women.”

  “Interesting,” I said, and gave him an equally lewd grin back. I wasn’t interested in the cells, though, and made for the arena.

  It was as big as Gaius had told me, with an island in the middle. The track was of sand, and in places one could see dark splodges where obviously blood had been spilled in the past.

  Against the outer walls, sand was piled in banks, ready to be spread over the surface at each change of event. I walked around the track, trying to get a germ of a plan.

  “So, how will they play it?” I asked.

  “The guards will enter from that gate, carry the golden wreath around the track so everyone can get a glimpse of it, and then take up post up in front of the Emperor’s box at that end. The wreath will be placed on a pedestal and will be guarded by at least two men. The remainder will deploy in a defensive semi-circle around them to form a wall of shields. I tell you, it won’t be easy.”

  “How many men?”

  “One century, so up to eighty men.”

  I nodded as we walked up to the section where it would all happen.

  Unlike the other end, which was a simple curve with a normal stand surrounding it; this end had a flat facia of a building looking out onto the entire length. The building here was not tiered so that spectators could seat and watch. This building was higher, with at least four stories. The box was simply a balcony on the third floor (fourth for US readers). This was where the VIP/emperor and his party would be seated.

  I regarded the flat surface of the building. Like all roman buildings, it was not plain, but was adorned with pillars, columns and carved features. The ground floor was bereft of feature, save one plain wooden door to one side. The wall here was rendered with cement/plaster and coloured the same colour as the sand. I walked up close and gauged the height and the best way to climb the outside of the building. It was feasible, as long as no guard wanted to stab me in the back with a long, sharp pointy thing as I did so.

  I stood at the bottom and looked around. Gaius watched me as I sifted the sand through my fingers. I walked over to the nearest pile of sand that lay up against the wall directly beneath the balcony. It was a good place to store it, as every time a chariot came around the corner, the sand would be strewn by the wheels and hooves away from the track, so after the race, slaves could be sent out with shovels and brushes to repair the track.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “What’s in there?” I asked, pointing to the door.

  “I have no idea. I’ve only been here once before and it wasn’t like this.”

  I went over to the door. There was a crude metal latch, so I undid it and pushed the door open. Inside were many barrels and a stack of shovels and brooms. Gaius came in behind me.

  “Store room,” he said unnecessarily.

  “And the barrels?”

  “Water probably, to dampen down the sand. If it’s hot and dry, the dust will get everywhere and cause havoc for the drivers of the chariots, let alone the spectators.”

  A germ of an idea started in my brain.

  “Can I get access before the games open?”

  “For a fee I should think, yes. Why?”

  “I have an idea, but I need to get here early with a couple of friends.”

  “Fine, seen enough?”

  “No. I want to see these cells. It seems a shame to disappoint the caretaker.”

  Chapter Twelve

  As soon as the Praetorian Guard entered the arena, the cheering started. They must have looked quite spectacular in the finest uniforms, as they marched with precision, escorting the wreath to its resting place.

  The circus wasn’t filled to capacity, but I should think more than fifty thousand people had come to get away from the daily grind and to see what fun was on offer.

  I couldn’t see anything, as I, along with three of the girls were ensconced in the water room beneath the royal box. There was no way up inside the building, besides, I had to get out there to get the wreath and then scale the building while my girls kept the praetorians distracted. At least, that was the plan.

  It was dark and cool in the storeroom, but I’d chipped a bit of the door away so I could see through the crack. We’d been here for nearly three hours. It was roughly two hours after dawn, so we’d arrived an hour before dawn after a final practice with all the girls.

  My plan was simple. I found that the more complex the plan, the more things could go wrong. I knew three things. The praetorians were bigger, stronger and better trained. They were also creatures of habit and training. They had fixed responses to certain stimuli, so could be virtually guaranteed to do certain things to counter what their opponents were up to. Lastly, they would be supremely confident that a bunch of female savages would never be able to beat them at their game.

  The last was to be their weakest point, and the one on which I would concentrate.

  After visiting the cells with Gaius, where he’d performed with remarkable enthusiasm and staggering stamina, I’d finally felt sated in the sexual sense.

  He was not an imaginative or fiddly lover, but then my experience was limited. Roger had been an apologetic lover until I sorted him out. Iona had been a grateful lover, until I had become somewhat lacklustre myself, so things had sort of died between us.

  Gaius went at it with gusto, intending to enjoy him
self as much as possible, and in so doing ensured that I was also getting as much from his forceful strokes as was he. It was quite refreshing, and as he was well endowed, the combination of the earthy environment, amid the smell of stale sweat and olive oil, the raw wooden board onto which he pulled me, stripping my flimsy clothing in the process, and the chilly air, gave it a wholly naughty feel.

  He tried to get me to lie on my back, as the last occasion. I was having none of it, and pushed him onto his back, raised his tunic, and grasped his engorged manhood in my hands. It was amazingly warm to the touch.

  “You want me?” I asked.

  “You know I do.”

  I straddled him guiding him into me. I was already moist and ready, so he slid in with some ease. He was larger than Roger had been, and it was a nice feel to experience being filled quite so completely.

  Memories are funny things. For although I knew it was Gaius and that I wasn’t Jane, the memories of our many lovemaking sessions broke through and filled my consciousness as I started to rise and fall on him.

  He shook me out of it by grabbing my ass tightly and taking control by thrusting upwards, deeper and deeper by arching his back.

  It was an animalistic and carnal session, during which we bit and dug our nails into each other, driving each other higher and higher in our passion.

  Finally, he bucked so high that I almost flew off him, as he ejaculated deep inside me.

  We lay together in a sweaty and very damp head on that hard board.

  “Better?” he asked, with a smile.

  “You’ll do.”

  He chuckled.

  “What happens if you get with child?”

  “What happens; happens, but I doubt I will,” I said.

  Harry Horsefall swore that I wouldn’t as he’d made some nifty adjustments to the simulacrum system.

  I was content to lie in his arms for a moment, as I came back to planet Earth. My mind was in all sorts of other places, and one of them wasn’t the first century. He brought me back to the present abruptly.

  “Layla, what kind of woman are you?”

  I chuckled.

  “Why?”

  “I’m no virgin and have known a few women, but never have I experienced what we have just done.”