Damn her! Taurus cursed. His mind spun. If she was the emperor’s sister, it made her too valuable to execute for the crimes against him. But, without a doubt, it would bring trouble to his door to keep her. About to avail himself of a skilled masseuse for the evening, he halted as the door to his office opened and Lidia Paulinus entered to throw one of her venomous looks in his direction. “Grandmother, what brings you here at this hour?”
As if he didn’t know she had heard the news about the prisoner. Spies were all over the empire, all over Panua, and all over his fortress. Taurus anticipated the agony it would bring the old woman to speak the name of a Roman noble.
“The evil spawn of Primus Gregorian, what else!” Lidia hissed like an old cat.
Taurus gestured for her to sit, poured her a drink of strong wine, and added one for his own sake.
“Primus Gregorian is long dead, Lidia,” he reminded her, though she knew it well. Lidia’s mind remained sharper than a centurion’s blade, but sadly her body had shriveled, ravaged by time and her insatiable obsession with the Gregorian family. Both had taken toll over the years.
“His granddaughter is in my house.” Lidia’s anger simmered below the surface, and Taurus couldn’t trust her to obey his command concerning the girl.
“She is mine, and only mine, to deal with. Understood?”
Lidia shot him a look of disgust. “She has you in her power so soon? Her wretch of a mother held your father in her thrall for years.” The old lady was on the edge of her seat. “Do not allow her into your mind or your heart. It killed Paulus! Rid yourself of this pestilence, without delay.”
Taurus watched as her mouth spat foam over the girl’s arrival. “She is a valuable hostage, and your interference is unwarranted.” Taurus paused before he chose to remind her of his power. “I will not have my authority as Supreme Commander usurped, not even by you, Lidia.”
The old woman snarled, showing her long yellow teeth, a few missing here and there. “I must know if she compares to her mother’s beauty. The Phillipus girl once held the reputation of being the most beautiful woman in the empire.”
Taurus waved his hand in the air. “I think you’ll find this one somewhat disappointing. She acts more like a boy than a woman.”
A sudden memory of her lips pressing against his and the recollection of her hands roving across his chest assailed him. Her reaction had been completely feminine, and his completely masculine in reply. But Taurus was not inclined to soften his disposition. His ego was bruised, and Barca, his best friend and boyhood companion, waited for freedom. Lidia left in a resigned mood, and Taurus swigged the rest of his wine, contemplating the consequences of this unusual day.
Chapter Three
In the dim silence of the fortress, Taurus strolled to his rooms. He paused at the room appointed for the imprisoned girl. He dismissed the guards at the door, waiting until they disappeared from view, the sound of their boots dying away. The tang of wet straw stung his nostrils and vividly returned the memory of his capture. She had held him hostage, pointed an arrow at his chest, stolen his money, and degraded him like an animal on its way to market. A rush of indignation rose in his throat. He should walk away and let the laws of Panua (which he influenced greatly) punish the girl.
The door opened, and he entered. A small lamp hung on the far wall and cast a pale glow over the room. Taurus eyed the lump on the straw, evidence of her sleeping form. For an inexplicable reason he desired to look upon her face.
“Why are you here?” The voice came from the wall behind the door.
Taurus moved with lightning speed and pinned her against the heavy wood. He hissed, “What in the name of the gods do you think are you doing?”
The girl eyed him in the dim light. “Waiting to see who assassinates me first. I would put my money on your dear grandmother, but I did not expect you to kill me like a thief in the night.”
A low chuckle came from his throat. “I have no intention of killing you yet. I came to enjoy the sight of you on the straw, and pray your back itches as madly as mine.” He pressed against her as she wriggled, his pulse raced, and his blood ran hot. His grip relaxed, and her arms dropped to her side. “Are you comfortable with your accommodations, Lady?” Taurus asked with scorn.
She shrugged, “I have spent many nights sleeping on cold, hard ground. This matters not to me.”
Her ease shocked Taurus in a situation when most women would beg for mercy, crawl on the floor, and keen like a newly made widow. What kind of life had she led to be unperturbed by a lack of basic comfort? If this girl truly was the sister of the emperor, she was the most unusual woman he had ever met. “Come with me,” he commanded.
They entered his masculine den of rich leather and polished metal. Weaponry lined the walls, along with various maps of the empire. Dark, exotic furniture graced the room, and she noted the open door leading to his sleeping quarters. The room smelled clean and fresh, of soap and pine essence blended to create a manly fragrance. The same scent had enveloped her when he had her pinned to the wall.
He gestured to a chair and she obediently sat, scratching at her arms while he poured them drinks of watered wine. Food lay on a nearby table, its tempting aroma filling the room. He handed her a goblet of the finest silver, his fingertips brushing her hand as she accepted it.
“If you lie, you will be executed without any hope of an appeal,” Taurus threatened as she eyed the delicious fare.
“What do you wish to know?” She raised her chin and waited for his questions.
“Who are you? And I want the truth.”
“Prima Kalliassa Gregorian, the daughter of Maximus Octavius Gregorian.”
Taurus tapped his foot with impatience. “Why are you here?”
“To seek an audience with the governor of Panua.” She scratched at her arm a second time.
Taurus smirked dangerously. “Well, you have what you seek. I suggest you utilize my time wisely.”
Kallie collected her thoughts. “I seek political asylum from Emperor Gregorian. Panua is the only place I can stay until it is safe for me to travel.”
Taurus remained intrigued but suspicious of her story.
“Why would I care if a Gregorian brat needs help?” He intended to test her mettle.
“It benefits you if I am out of the emperor’s control.” Kallie’s eyes strayed to the food. “Do you mind if I eat?”
Taurus took her by the arm to the table and watched her fill a platter with choice cuts of meat, delicious breads, cheese, and fruits.
She sighed in relief. “The smell of food makes me realize I am hungry.”
She picked at the food with dainty fingers and commented on the fare, appreciating the fine food and good wine, and remembered her manners as a steward approached to check on his master’s table. She inclined her head to the surprised servant.
“You must be of Greek descent,” she remarked, smiling at him. “Only a Greek creates such wonderful delicacies.” The steward bowed, not daring to speak until the master permitted him to join the conversation.
“This is Kristokus, my steward.” Taurus gestured to the man. “You may answer the lady.”
The steward basked in her compliment. “It is my pleasure to serve his Excellency the Governor. And yes, I am from Greece.”
Kallie tried to engage in further conversation, but Taurus waved the man off impatiently. “Why would I benefit if you need asylum?”
She stiffened. “Gregorian is planning an alliance with the satrap of Persia. As emperor, he needs money to fill his treasury, and the satrap will pay him well.”
The icy finger of dread ran through him. This was not good news. The Romans had stayed away from Panua due to a lack of soldiers, grain, and other circumstances that depleted the mighty Roman coffers. Taurus kept his temper under control and listened.
“Once Caius has the satrap’s mountain of coin, his attention will turn to the fleabite on his backside known as Panua. The emperor’s expression, not mine.”
She shrugged. “But the satrap will not pay the emperor until their bargain is concluded to his satisfaction.”
Taurus raged. How dare the son of a murderer call him a fleabite? Her words inflamed him, perhaps intentionally, so he relaxed his posture. “Concluded how?” Taurus bristled at the deal struck by his enemies.
“Me,” Kallie announced indignantly.
“You!” Taurus said with disdain. “A girl who acts as a boy and thinks it nothing to sleep on the ground? The noble satrap must be in dire need of a woman, to take you in exchange for a mountain of money.”
Taurus mistrusted her, but for a satrap to take an emperor’s sister as a wife would be a prestigious honor.
“Let me guess. You disagree with your brother’s choice of husband for you, but he will not listen? You have no interest in political asylum. You’re just a girl who doesn’t want her wings clipped by an old, tired husband.”
“Fine, then sit here and enjoy your last days as governor. I will be queen of the East, while you are overrun by Romans.”
Taurus laughed aloud, inwardly pleased the food and wine had restored her courage. “The satrap has at least five or six wives and a harem full of concubines. In time, you will be nothing more than a servant to his number one queen.”
Her eyes popped open, and he enjoyed her discomfort in knowing her fate at the hands of the satrap. A wicked thought entered his head, and he ogled her body crudely. “Do you wish to become my concubine? Perhaps your brother would take a few gold pieces from me in exchange for your company.”
A delicious pink tinge flooded her cheeks. “Caius would never agree. You are a threat to Rome and the stability of his rule. The satrap is merely a convenient coin supplier located half a world away.”
Taurus reeled at the news Caius planned to ally with foreigners. He rubbed his face, voicing his thoughts. “Rome has no power here. You are my prisoner, and the satrap must reward me with a fortune if he wishes to regain his unwilling bride.” Taurus beamed. “I will send a message to Gregorian and demand payment for your keep. And that fool in the east will concede to a hefty price for your safe passage out of Panua. You have saved yourself from a painful death, if your story proves true.”
“Introduce me to Lidia Paulinus. I am sure she will confirm my lineage,” Kallie dared him. “I am told I greatly resemble my mother, and surely she would remember the girl who almost married her son.”
By a strange coincidence, Kallie’s mother and Taurus’ father were once betrothed, many years ago. If it had not been for the interference of Maximus Octavius, neither he nor the girl would be sitting there now.
She sat back in the comfortable chair and raised her feet to rest on a small footstool. “You live as though you are the emperor. You cannot think there is room for two of you.”
Taurus watched as she made herself at home.
“The satrap is not such a fool. He is clever and wily, and infinitely patient at the waiting game.”
“How so?” Taurus yawned, feigning boredom.
“He will marry me and get a son on me. If Caius fails to produce an heir, the satrap will have a claim on Rome through me. As soon as I have a boy, it will be raised as a Roman and the satrap will be the father of Rome!”
Taurus’ eyes burned into hers. “As soon as Caius is wed and his wife produces a brood, the satrap will have failed.”
“Children do not always survive.” Her chin jutted out in calm deliberation. “I told you, the satrap plays a waiting game and thinks of all the possibilities. The worst that could happen is he loses money, thrown away in one of his many schemes. Everyone knows Caius is a scholar and a new theologian, and as for my brother Germanicus, he is a profligate with over a hundred sons by now, none of them legitimate. They are the children of whores and wenches.”
The wine had loosened her, and she yawned lightly, apologizing to him, as he stared in return. He should consider her crazy, but at least the dirt had been washed off her face and she spoke with a grain of truth.
“It’s time you slept, while I make inquiries concerning your story,” Taurus ordered coldly, steering her to his bedroom, and without a further word left her behind the closed door.
Much later he checked on his prisoner, approaching the bed with caution. Seeing her curled like a child, her bare back exposed in the dim light, he admired her slim, lithe form. He had never seen a woman so fit and trim, yet at the same time feminine and soft.
Earlier, when she had raised her arm, Taurus had noticed the muscles flex. He found it oddly erotic for a woman to have muscular definition. He knew she was accomplished in archery and horse riding, and those two things alone made her different from any woman within a hundred leagues. What other undiscovered skills did she possess? Her face was youthful and pretty, even beautiful, and though Taurus usually avoided spoiled, pouty noblewomen, he appreciated this one’s ability to speak openly. She brought a breath of fresh air into his restricted world of responsibility and duty.
He lay on his couch restless, and curious to know more about the young woman and her flight out of Rome.
****
The next morning Kallie found fresh clothes near the bed and a servant girl waiting to accompany her to bathe. She reveled in the privacy of the warm fragrant water and the chance to soak off weeks of road dust. Last night she had climbed between the soft animal skins covering the governor’s bed and had briefly wondered if his wife might wander into the room to find a naked girl between his sheets. His bed linen had smelled of exotic spices, and the kiss they’d shared on a straw-covered cart had assailed her memory for the hundredth time. Rugged and strong, in a truly masculine way, he confused her usually sensible judgment. Today she planned to sway him to her cause, if she could only concentrate on weakening his defenses instead of comparing him to Roman men. Her brothers were handsome, well groomed, and as sleek as cats, while Taurus paced like a wolf, untamed and unpredictable. The servant washed her hair and combed its long wavy lengths until it shone like ebony.
Dressed in a pale blue gown and escorted to his office, Kallie thrilled at the sight of him as he finished his business with a scribe. Comfortably seated where the imposter had posed the night before, he made a considerable impression. His smooth movements and easy manner rankled Kallie. Her capture surely amused him, and now his chance for revenge had arrived.
“The dress you wore last night for your audience was stolen property.” Taurus didn’t look in her direction.
She stood opposite him and waited.
“Another offense on the ever-growing list of crimes you’ve committed.” Taurus glanced up when she made no comment. A fleeting irritation crossed his features, and she realized her failure to respond. “I apologize. I will pay for the dress and the inconvenience.”
Taurus held her stormy blue eyes for a moment. “Will it be my money that you pay your debts with?” Amusement flickered behind his scrutiny.
“I have coin, but the giant keeps it. I will settle my debt soon.”
He smirked. “Your companion will be in my custody by the end of the day. You may request the coin he holds, but I doubt it remains with him.”
Kallie’s eyes opened wide. “You have him?”
“It is a matter of time. What is your relationship? Is he your servant? Or perhaps your lover?” He kept a straight face at the foolish suggestion.
She spotted food and watered wine on a nearby table. Kristokus appeared from the shadows.
She grinned at the sight of the plate coming toward her.
“For a small girl you eat like a recruit,” Taurus commented.
“’Tis all the fresh air and exercise.” She took the plate from the steward and nodded favorably. “It makes me hungry.” She ate slowly, chewing small dainty bits of the bread and oils. “If you must know, the giant is my grand-uncle,” Kallie said, between bites.
“On what side of your illustrious family does this giant belong?”
“He is the brother of my father’s mother, Attia. She married Emperor
Gregorian and, as a third wife, gained the name Tertia.” She eagerly informed him of her family connections.
Taurus gritted his teeth. “Attia Tertia’s brother, what is his name?”
“Atticus Antonius,” she announced proudly.
“You mean the man I saw in the woods was Atticus, the murderer? The man who killed my father was a mere ten cubits from me and I did not know I had him?”
Kallie laughed. “You did not have him, Governor. I had you and your friend in my sights. You never stood a chance at him.”
Taurus’ eyes glinted as the morning sun filtered through half-open shutters. Hazel flecked with amber, shone like sparkling gemstones. “He will die the moment he enters my fortress. Your words seal his death warrant.”
She sensed he waited for a reaction, expecting her to rail at him, or jump out of her seat, begging for mercy. Kallie licked the tip of her finger and cleaned the crumbs from her plate, sucked them from her finger, and passed the empty plate to the steward. “Atticus hopes to die a hero’s death. You will do him a great honor if you execute him. He will be remembered for his bravery and courage once he is gone. All Rome will sing his praises, and blame the Monster of Panua for his demise.”
Taurus stared. “You don’t care if he dies for your deeds.”
She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, I care. Atticus is dear to me, but he constantly harangues the emperor to send him into a battle to die like a man. Caius will not allow it in a man of his age, and so Atticus must find a heroic way to end his days.” She swigged her wine. “He offered to help when I chose to run rather than be traded to an oily toad.” Remembering her untenable situation, she sat upright. “Will you help me avoid my betrothal, Governor?” A frisson of tension sprang between them.
Taurus Page 3
