Destined for a Deity (Mark of Mars)

by Juliet Anderson

  “Is everything all right now your father is back?”

  “Yes. But mother and he are always kissing, or hugging or making weird sounds in their bedroom,” he pulled a thoroughly unimpressed face.

  Amelia laughed. She was sure she’d made plenty of those sounds herself with his brother. “That is only natural, they have been apart for ten years. So what’s it like meeting him for the first time?”

  “Strange. But he is very much the soldier I expected.”

  “How is he around you? He left a new-born baby behind.”

  “He finds it kind of strange that I’m receiving an education. He thought I’d grow up a typical street child.”

  “Until a few months ago, you were,” Amelia fluffed his hair.

  He scowled and flattened it. “He was also very impressed I have friends who could recall a soldier from active duty.”

  “Was he pleased to be recalled?” Jenna asked materialising from the back of the temple.

  “Of course. No soldier wants to die in some foreign backwater.”

  “Less of the backwater, Britannia is a great country.” Or will be in about a thousand years.

  Ares was going crazy trying to get the piece of meat Julius was carrying.

  “Stop torturing the cat and feed him else blood will be drawn.” Jenna leant in and whispered, “Yours of course, I’m supposedly immortal.”

  Julius sniggered and fed Ares.

  “Are you ready to go then?”

  “Sure.” Julius followed her out the temple. “Are you staying too this time?”

  “No. Trajan wants a word, so is sending Augustus around to pick me up. Have you seen much of him?”

  Julius shook his head. “When he does have any free time, he spends it with Amelia.”

  “Kissing and other vile activities like that, I guess,” Jenna teased.

  “I’m never going to kiss a girl. They’re sappy.”

  “Are you calling me sappy?” Jenna raised an eyebrow.

  “You don’t count. You’re not normal.”

  Jenna laughed. “Thanks.”

  Laurentius came out to meet her in the atrium. He didn’t need anyone to tell him Julius had arrived, the noise from Dextus was enough.

  “Can I persuade you to stay for a short while?” He held his hands out to her.

  “Regrettably I do have a very good excuse this time. I have been summoned.”

  “Ah. That does override all outstanding issues,” he grimaced.

  “There are no outstanding issues, Laurentius,” she took hold of his hands. “Octavia and I will suffer each other’s company when we have to, but we will never be mother and daughter.”

  “Does Julius want to watch General Tiberius’s procession with us?”

  “I’m sure he’d love to as something tells me you’ve got yourself a good viewpoint.”

  “Of course,” he grinned. “Will you be by Trajan’s side?”

  “No. The less contact we have, the less likely people are to notice the truth.”

  “Then you should join us.”

  “I have already promised my temple sister that we will go together.” She released his hands. “Now I should get on my way. It is never good to be late for an Emperor, father or not.”

  She had barely made it back to the temple when Augustus arrived. She gave Amelia some time alone to talk to him before heading out to the steps.

  “Enough yapping,” she teased. “I do believe an Emperor is waiting for me.”

  Augustus gave an exaggerated bow. “Yes, my lady.” He leapt back into the saddle of his horse and pulled her up behind.

  “I personally would drop her in a pile of manure on the way,” Amelia suggested.

  “Tempting, but she’d only make my life hell,” Augustus sighed.

  Jenna gave him a rude gesture and they set off the short distance to the Palace.

  “How’s your father coping with his son being Trajan’s personal bodyguard?”

  “A little shocked. He is keen to meet the hellion who not only got him recalled, helped his eldest into the Praetorian and arranged an education for his youngest.”

  “One day, he will have that misfortune.”

  “And one day you will tell me how my brother was marked by Mars.”

  “That is his story to tell. But let me just say I owe my life to your brother’s courage.”

  “What can I say, he learnt everything from me,” Augustus joked.

  Jenna was starting to know the layout of the Imperial Palace and found Trajan’s study with ease.

  “You summoned me?” she kissed his cheek fondly.

  “Ah, my Arulian wild child,” Trajan beamed and led her over to a chaise. “How are you recovering?”

  “I am fine,” Jenna smiled. “We Arulians are built of strong stuff.”

  “I know you are not keen on following orders, so I will request that you always have an escort when outside your temple.”

  “I try, but it is not always possible. Besides, the centre of Rome is really very safe.”

  “I can see there is no point arguing this point. No wonder Marshall Vilnus has given up.”

  “You’re learning fast,” Jenna chuckled.

  "Now, I wanted to talk to you about your future."

  Oh God, Jenna thought, surely Trajan wasn't trying to have a father-daughter conversation. "What about my future?" she asked cautiously.

  "If you're going to be a regular visitor at the Palace, the good citizens of Rome will start to wonder why I am entertaining a handmaiden frequently. To protect your reputation, it is best a reason is given."

  "I was abducted on just a rumour. I imagine announcing to Rome I am your daughter would not be too beneficial to my health."

  "That was not my intention. I want you recognised as my ward. Your father was an ambassador so there is every chance our paths might have crossed when I was a general.”

  “I guess that is plausible.”

  “I also would like you to work with Pompeia and the Senate in helping the street children. They have access to basic food, now we need to give them a future."

  It seemed the benefits systems started a long time ago. "I am not Roman. What could I offer?"

  "The first point we will continue to disagree on. You were brought up in an advanced society, which if I am truthful, makes Rome seem a bit like a backwater."

  "Have you been listening to gossip?" Jenna teased.

  "Yes. Senator Aurelius is quite a fan of yours. But he has mentioned some interesting social structures you have in place to help the less fortunate."

  "Does that include equal rights for women?"

  Trajan laughed. "You cannot change a colossus like Rome overnight. No equal rights."

  "Fine. But in coming up with a design to help the street children, it will include both sexes."

  "That is agreeable. Now on to my final subject. When am I to announce your betrothal to Marshall Vilnus?"

  Jenna laughed. "If that is your fatherly way of saying I should accept the Marshall's proposal, the answer is no. Besides, he has not yet asked. But the answer would still be the same."

  "I thought you felt deeply for him?"

  "I do, but I don't plan to wed until I am much older. I also have to take into consideration the fact that I will return to Arula sometime in the near future."

  Trajan took hold of her hands firmly. "That, my dear, I cannot allow. Having found you after eighteen years, I am not about to let you go again."

  "Father or not, my life, my choice."

  "She dares defy her Emperor?" Trajan raised an eyebrow in mock indignance. "We will talk further on this after the banquet when my Palace is restored to a quiet haven once more."

  "It does seem a little chaotic. What is going on?"

  "They are re-organising several rooms into a hall large enough to host such a banquet and all the entertainment. And with so many craftsmen on site, the Praetorian are even jumpier than usual."

  "That is hardly surprising. Any one of th
ose men could be an assailant."

  "True. I feel like I am under house arrest though. And it is not as if I am unable to defend myself, I was a reasonably accomplished swordsman in my day."

  "From what I saw in the Forum Delitum, you haven't forgotten all your training," Jenna teased.

  "I do not envy the Marshall at all in trying to tame a wildcat like yourself."

  "He's slowly starting to learn he cannot change me." Jenna stood up. "I imagine the noise outside the door is your next appointment trying to gain an audience."

  "True, but I would rather converse with my daughter than them. You are far more entertaining."

  "I aim to please, my Emperor," she bowed dramatically.

  Trajan shook his head in despair. "Strange as it might sound, I hope you never change."

  Augustus was waiting for Jenna as she left Trajan's study.

  "You are my ride home?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. Then you can drop me at Senator Laurentius' villa instead. I need to pick up Julius."

  "Julius is used to running around the city on his own. Why would he need collecting?"

  "Because he is on the path to becoming an educated child who has the appearance of a noble. The streets are no longer quite as safe for him."

  "I thought he was protected by Mars."

  "Mars has a full time job keeping me out of trouble," Jenna grinned. "Now stop being so testy, your little brother still needs looking after."

  "So who will escort you back from our apartment?"

  "You have been assigned to drop me at a destination of my choice. That is all you need to know, Praetorian," Jenna put on her haughtiest tone.

  Augustus snorted in response. Although on the way back, he might just make a detour via Apollo's temple, solely to let Amelia know Jenna's whereabouts of course.

  Jenna headed out to the peristyle to wait for Julius whilst he and Dextus finished whatever mischief they were up to. As she sat down, a young face peeked at her from the shadows.

  “You must be Portia,” she smiled at the young girl. She was after all her half-sister.

  The girl nodded. “Are you Julius’ sister?”

  “No, I’m just a friend of his. Have the boys been behaving this afternoon?”

  “They made a lot of noise and broke an urn messing about with swords,” she shrugged.

  Jenna made a mental note to check with Laurentius that it wasn’t a rare piece of pottery. “So what have you been doing?”

  “I was playing with my doll until the boys took it,” Portia’s bottom lip wobbled.

  “Oh they did, did they?” Jenna got to her feet and extended her hand to Portia. “Let’s get your doll back.”

  Portia took her hand and led her to the room where the boys were playing. “Taking things from those smaller and weaker than yourselves is very unsporting.” She advanced on two startled boys and snatched their wooden swords from them. “Are either of you brave enough to take me on to get these back?”

  Dextus shook his head right away, Julius pondered the question for a moment, before deciding that it was better to back down. “Now, I suggest you give Portia back her doll before I whoop both your butts.”

  Julius ran over to an urn and pulled the doll out of it, he looked rather ashamed as he handed it back to Portia.

  “I want both of you to apologise. Portia has little enough to entertain her, so it is not very nice when you take her favourite toy,” Jenna barked sternly.

  Both boys hung their heads as they offered their apologies to the young girl, who seemed positively made up. She clutched the doll to her chest. “Thank you, Jenna,” she murmured.

  “You’re welcome, sweetie,” Jenna stroked her hair. She glanced up to find Laurentius grinning from ear to ear. “What?”

  “You are quite frightening, you know.”

  “Where I come from, girls bite back.”

  He gazed at his daughter, she had taken a shine to Jenna. “Portia needs to get some new ribbons and things but Octavia is too busy to take her to the Trajan market. Would you be able to spare a little time over the next few days?”

  Jenna fixed him with a hard stare; Laurentius could be a sly fox at times. How could she say no when little Portia was looking at her hopefully? “I’m sure I could drop around tomorrow.”

  “Excellent,” Laurentius beamed. “If I get called away, I will leave my head servant, Aris, with a pouch of coins.”

  “A large pouch,” Jenna slipped by him. “Daughters cost their father’s plenty.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Are you coming, Julius?”

  He scampered after her.

  “And have you apologised for breaking an urn?” she glowered at the boy.

  “Yes, he has. Quite profusely,” Laurentius came to his defence. “So please leave his ear un-chewed.”

  Jenna tried not to smile, but with Laurentius it was hard not to.

  “It really was Dextus who broke the urn,” Julius looked at her sideways as they walked along the street.

  “You need to be careful when in people’s villas. Accident can happen when children get too boisterous. And do not torment Portia; it is not brave or clever to pick on those less fortunate.”

  Julius looked at her a little bemused. “Portia is certainly not less fortunate than me. She lives in a large villa and has a wealthy father.”

  “And will spend all her life being groomed for marriage. You on the other hand receive an education and are free to make your own choices.”

  “You make your own choices.”

  “That’s because I’m Arulian. Sadly equality has not yet hit Rome.”

  Julius giggled. “Perhaps we should have more Arulians in the city.”

  “What a scary thought,” a familiar voice spoke behind them.

  “Marshall.” Jenna felt her heartbeat skip when she caught sight of him.

  “Have you been with Dextus?” Marcus looked down at Julius.

  “Yes. I’m going to watch the procession with Senator Laurentius and his family.”

  “They have a very good vantage point on the steps of the Forum Vali. Are you going to watch?” Marcus turned to Jenna.

  “I might, just so I can experience what one is like. But if they are mistreating any Briton captives, then I will have to leave.”

  “Are you going to be with us?” Julius asked eagerly.

  “No, I’m attending with Amelia and Luke.” Jenna knew her response would elicit a loud snort from Marcus.

  “I would be happier if you were with Senator Laurentius,” Marcus grunted.

  “I’m sure you would, but I’m still watching with my friends.”

  “It’s not worth arguing with her, Marshall Vilnus,” Julius shrugged. “She told me once that girls always win.”

  Marcus rolled his eyes. “Stick with Roman girls, Julius. They don’t answer back.”

  “Or kick your butt,” Julius muttered.

  They walked into Julius’ courtyard and Jenna headed up the steps with Julius. Syla was home along with her husband.

  “Thank you for bringing him home, Jenna,” Syla rushed over to her. “Please come in, you must meet my husband.”

  Jenna extended her hand to Quintus. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Julius has told me much about you.”

  “And about you. I understand it is you I have to thank for my family’s good fortune.”

  “Not at all. They have earned everything that has come their way.” Jenna noticed a startled look on Quintus’ face. “Let me guess, Marshall Vilnus?”

  “Yes. Are we in any kind of trouble?”

  “No. He’s just escorting me home. I guess I should go before he gets too impatient.”

  Julius threw his arms around Jenna’s waist. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t you have lessons?”

  “Yes. But Ares still needs feeding.”

  “Just stay out of mischief,” she fluffed his hair and said her goodbyes. “You seemed eager to leave, Marcus. Are you in a hurry to get
somewhere?”

  “Yes, my villa. You agreed to spend some time alone with me.”

  “Did I?” she gave her best wide-eyed innocent look.