Page 23 of Firebird
“Even more good news for Rome,” he continued to bellow out over the throng. “With the courage of a great Roman, Prefect Ciprian crept into the Thracian camp and beheaded their general. The Thracians are defeated. Our victory owed entirely to the valiant Prefect Ciprian of the Media Nocte. Hail to Prefect Ciprian!”
A louder roar erupted in the crowd, my gut souring with every word. That snake Ciprian had most likely disobeyed his legatus and managed to come out the conquering hero over the Thracians on the southern border, for that was where they were moving next according to my uncle’s last intelligence.
Now I’d have to suffer more of that sycophant’s ego, for fuck’s sake.
I caught sight of a tall Roman with dark wavy hair. Trajan needed a haircut. He was beginning to look disheveled.
He leaned against a fruit cart, smiling to the woman who owned it, his sapphire-blue toga haphazardly draping over his shoulder.
When I drew closer, he straightened and nodded. I nudged Malina on the arm.
“Go over to that fountain.” A small drinking fountain off to the side should keep them out of the way and out of trouble a few minutes. “You can get her some water. Stay there till I come get you.”
Those green eyes darted at me, but she did as I told her, which was the only thing going well so far this morning.
Trajan took the pear from the fruit vendor’s cart and followed me to an alcove where we usually met. From here, I could still see Malina. Enid sat on the edge of the stone fountain while Malina washed the dirt and blood from her arms.
“You left with one and now you have two?” Trajan bit into his pear,looking nothing at all like the warrior he did last night when I left him in Gaul. He grinned, knowing he was sparking my anger.
“You need to get your man to cut yourprettyhair.”
“The ladies like my pretty hair.”
“The emperor likes us to look militant.”
He heaved a sigh. “I’ll cut it before the victory feast.” He waved his half-eaten pear toward Malina and took another bite. “Aren’t you going to tell me what that’s all about?”
“No.”
His carefree smile vanished. “Are you withholding something from me?”
“Nothing you need to know.” Not yet anyway. “What did your grandfather say about the senate while we’ve been gone?”
He chuckled darkly. “Quite a lot has been brewing.”
“Tell me.”
“For one, Valerius put forth the vote to outlaw slaves from marrying free humans or other slaves. They cannot marry at all now. The vote was won, of course, though Otho offered some dispute that I’m sure Caesar didn’t like.”
I contemplated that a moment. Malina was on her knees, washing the older woman’s bare feet. The woman had lost whatever shoes she’d had between last night and this morning.
“Makes sense,” I finally said, turning back to Trajan.
“Why’s that?”
“If the slaves cannot marry, they have no true ties to anyone but their master. That bond even between two slaves can give them courage.”
“Courage for what exactly? To start a family?”
“Rebellion, Trajan. Revolution.”
“There’s no way the slaves of Rome would have the gall to start a revolution.”
“I don’t know.” My gaze swung back to Malina, her dark hair shining with a reddish tint in the sunlight, her braid hitting her hip as she washed Enid’s ankles. “You’d be surprised what’s in their hearts.”
“You would know,” added Trajan, tossing the core of his pear into the bushes. “Your house is different.”
I darted a warning at him. “Don’t say anything like that aloud ever again.”
