A Legate's Pledge
Page 27
His mother wanted to throw a dinner party to announce his return, but Nerva quickly shut the idea down. He met up with a handful of friends in private.
Two weeks later, they headed to Antium. Nerva had sent word to his sisters from Eboracum announcing his return and inviting them to join his family at the villa if they were able. When they arrived at the coast in the late afternoon in the middle of June, they were greeted by the entire clan of mismatched family: Mila, Remus, and the children; Dulcia and Nero with their three daughters; Felix, Albaus, Tertia, and Nona. He hugged his sisters for the longest time, made jokes with the men, and introduced the children. By evening, they were playing together as if they had been friends their entire lives. It was a meeting of different worlds, one that should never have worked, and yet it did.
‘I could get used to this,’ Felix said at the end of their first meal together. He lay back and clapped two hands over his stomach.
‘I would prefer you not get used to this,’ Dulcia said, passing the tray of fruit tarts to her husband. ‘I have enough trouble keeping you all fed.’
Nero kissed her cheek as he took the tray from her. ‘We’re already spoiled by your culinary skills.’
Mila looked across at her sister. ‘Perhaps if you did not insist on doing all the cooking by yourself, we could eat like this every day.’
‘We’ve offered to employ a cook,’ Remus said, taking the tray from Nero, who stole one more tart before letting go.
Dulcia snatched the second tart from Nero’s hand and took a bite. ‘You will soon complain about the decline in quality if we outsource. Besides, you know I love it.’
‘I hope you will all stay for the summer,’ Nerva said as he took the tray from Remus, passing it to Brei.
Nona and Asha were keeping the children occupied in another room. Occasionally, their laughter drifted through the house.
‘How long will you be staying?’ Mila asked, settling herself against Remus.
‘That is up to Brei. I am surprised she has lasted this long.’
Brei made a face at him. ‘This visit has been slightly nicer than the last.’
‘I imagine not coming via the Graecostadium makes a difference,’ Felix said.
Nero swallowed his food before speaking. ‘I’m sure Gallus would have come to the rescue once more.’
Dulcia laughed. ‘Oh, yes. The man is a true guardian angel.’
‘I went and saw him,’ Brei said.
Everyone looked at her, and Nerva just shook his head.
‘Did he offer you a job?’ Remus asked.
Everyone laughed, and Nerva ladled some more wine into Brei’s cup before refilling his own. ‘He has always had a soft spot for you.’
‘Or perhaps a hard spot,’ Felix said.
Everyone groaned, and Remus plucked a grape off the tray to throw at his head.
‘Moving on to more important matters,’ Mila said, turning her attention back to Nerva. ‘Are you going to keep the beard?’ Her nose scrunched slightly as she asked the question.
Nerva ran a hand over the trimmed growth. ‘Brei likes it.’
‘No I don’t.’
Laughter filled the room once more.
Nero reached for his drink. ‘If he shaves, he might be mistaken for one of Rome’s nobility.’
‘We could not have that,’ Nerva said.
Dulcia watched him for a moment. ‘Do you miss it? Any of it?’
Nerva let out a breath. ‘The double standards, deceit, and endless dinner parties with men who could stab you in the back at any moment? No.’ He shook his head. ‘I do not miss any of it.’
Brei reached out and took his hand. ‘I really hope you will all stay a few months. Nerva deserves to have his family around him after enduring mine for so long.’
‘Only you could win over a Maeatae chief after getting his daughter pregnant,’ Mila said.
Nerva nodded. ‘I shall take that as a compliment.’
‘I do not think it was meant as one,’ Felix said, sitting up. He looked up at Albaus, who was beside him. ‘What do you think? Could you bear living in this enormous villa like a king for a few months?’ His hand went to his chest. ‘I, for one, am prepared to make the sacrifice for the good of others.’
Albaus grunted and looked over at Mila, who smiled into her wine.
‘Nowadays we can run our business from anywhere,’ Remus said.
Nero reached for another tart. ‘You’d better warn the cooks that Dulcia may hover in the kitchen.’
Dulcia pointed to the tart in his hand. ‘There’s a reason they taste so good.’
Nerva settled back to listen to the banter. He had missed it more than he realised.
Just as he got comfortable, Asha and the twins entered the room.
‘They are all asleep,’ Asha announced.
‘Where is Nona?’ Mila asked, stifling a yawn.
Asha tilted her head. ‘They are all asleep.’
Mila straightened. ‘I see. And where are you going?’
‘Down to the water,’ Caius replied.
‘There’s going to be a sea battle,’ Atilius added.
Brei shot up out of her seat. ‘I’m coming with you.’
Nerva laughed. ‘You are as bad as the children.’
Mila and Nero stood also, then Felix. Dulcia sighed and looked at Remus, who wore a matching resigned expression. ‘We might as well all go, try to walk off the food.’
Nero offered her his hand, letting out an exaggerated groan as he pulled her up. ‘You could definitely do with the walk.’
Felix shoved him as he passed by. ‘Do not come knocking on my door when you are banished from your room tonight. My days of sleeping with you are over.’
They descended the steps carved into the cliff face and walked down to the glistening black ocean. No one dared to enter the water under darkness. The sand was illuminated by the full moon that provided just enough light for the dramatic battle. Nerva went and sat on the grassy slope. He was content watching and letting his mind wander. He had no idea where he would be five years from then, or even one year, only that it would be a much happier path than the one his parents had carved out for him.
Having exerted herself, Brei made her way up the beach to where he was sitting with his legs up, arms resting on his knees. She collapsed in a sweaty mess beside him, and Nerva’s arm went around her, drawing her close.
‘You really do not mind staying here for the summer with these crazy people?’
She burrowed against him. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, I fit right in.’
Her breath smelled of fruit tarts. ‘I feel bad keeping you from your home.’
She turned her head to kiss his chest. ‘Home is not a place, it’s a feeling. My home is wherever you and the children are.’
Nerva looked up at the sky, alive with a thousand stars. ‘Look at that.’
Brei looked up as war raged on below them. ‘That is one big and beautiful sky.’
He pressed his lips to the top of her head. ‘Yes, one enormous sky.’
Where to now?
If you want to try some medieval romance that is out of this world, subscribe via the link below to get book one in The Companion series absolutely free…
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Author’s Note
I thought it was important to point out that all the characters in this story are fictional, with the exception of Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla and Geta. It’s also worth mentioning that the third Britannia legion was made up to suit the needs of the story. That said, the challenges the soldiers faced reflect those outlined in Simon Elliott’s book Septimius Severus in Scotland.
The death toll for Severus’s campaign remains unknown. While Cassius Dio makes reference to the entire 50,000-strong army being wiped out, we know this to be an exaggeration. What historians do know is that the death toll was very high on both sides. The Caledonii and Maeatae tri
bes suffered severe depopulation in the region, something which took many generations to overcome.
Some modern phrases were used in instances where I felt the reader would not understand some words in a particular context. An example of this is influenza, a term that did not exist back then. The titles used to represent ranks within the army are another example. I used addresses similar to those in Hollywood depictions, such as general and commander. The last thing I wanted was readers feeling lost or coming out of the story to google terminology.
Finally, I also chose to include the Roman salute despite there being no definitive evidence that it was used by soldiers. Sometimes the best we have is an educated guess.
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I truly hope you enjoyed this blend of dark history and romance.
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my gratitude to the many people who contributed to this book. My biggest thanks always goes to my readers. Without you guys, I wouldn’t get to do what I love. Next, a huge thank you to my rock star husband who supports and encourages me even though my writing takes time away from him. I love you to bits. A big thank you to Joanna Walsh for your ongoing support. A shout-out to my beta readers, who each brought a unique perspective, and to Steve Frost, who checked the historical components. Thank you to Kristin and the team at Hot Tree Editing for polishing the manuscript into something beautiful, and to my proofreader, Rebecca Fletcher, for catching everything I missed. A round of applause for my cover designer, Domi, from Inspired Cover Designs, for yet another gorgeous cover. And finally, a huge thank you to my Launch Team for your encouragement, honest reviews, and being the final set of eyes on my work. You guys are amazing.
Also by Tanya Bird
The Companion series
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The Royal Companion #1
The Common Girl #2
The Majestic Impostor #3
The King’s Obsession #4
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Roman Hearts series
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A Gladiator’s Oath #1
A Charioteer’s Promise #2
A Legate’s Pledge #3