This made me groan aloud, which Iregretted immediately because of all the color draining fromBronwen’s face, so I hurried to explain, “This fits with whatSacrovir told me, because one of those dispatches was to him, and,”I pointed to the scroll, “it was to inform Sacrovir that it wasstill in effect, and that I was to come to Rome immediately.” Wewere silent, and I got the sense that neither of us wanted to bethe first to say it, so I did it. “It sounds like I’m going to bein one of the Praetorian Cohorts. And,” I finished through clenchedteeth, “I’m willing to wager I know who, because if there’s anyPraetorian mad enough to try and bring Germanicus low, it’sthat mentulaSejanus.”
We sat there in glum silence, and suddenly,I had no desire to go to The Dancing Faun, but I knew I had to.Thinking that this might cheer Bronwen up, I turned to her with asmile and said, “Since the Primus Pilus gave me an extra day, I’mgoing to be showing you off to my boys at The Dancing Faun. Which,”I thought this might help, “I own, by the way.”
She smiled wanly, but then Algaiainterrupted by standing up and taking Alex’s arm. “My love, may Ispeak to you privately?”
“Now?” Alex frowned up at her, but Isaw the look and interpreted it the same way he did, because hestood immediately and followed Algaia into the otherroom.
Just before they entered their bedroom,Algaia stopped and looked over her shoulder, directly at Bronwen,who instantly colored. In that instant, I was certain I understoodwhat was happening; all of this was too much for her, and despiteher vow, she wanted to return to Britannia. It hurt, but I couldnot blame her at all, so in an attempt to stop her from sayingsomething that would be at least as painful for her, I put one handover hers in a signal that I wanted to speak.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Ibegan, to which she shook her head. “No, I do,” I insisted. And, Ihad to swallow the bitter lump before I assured her, “And Iunderstand, I truly do. And I don’t blame you for wanting to returnhome. This…” I felt my eyes sting, “…isn’t what I promisedyou.”
I had looked away from her because I knewthat I would shame myself, but she did not say anything, althoughshe had not pulled her hands out from under mine.
Finally, I could not take the tensionanymore, and I lifted my head to look at her to see an expression Ihad never seen before, while her mouth opened, then closed,repeating this a few times before she finally managed, “Gnaeus, Iam with child.”
I heard her plainly enough, yet now it wasmy turn to be unable to get anything out, until I finally managedto croak, “What did you say?”
“I said that I am withchild.”
“How…how do you know?” It was all Icould think of.
“Your mother said she thought I mightbe,” she replied calmly, “but it was Algaia who confirmed it. I,”her lip began to quiver, and I saw for the first time how she wasstruggling to maintain her composure, “am carrying yourchild.”
“So you don’t want to gohome?”
“No, but do you want me to return tomy people?”
It was the look in her eyes that did it, andI almost shouted, “Of course not!”
She threw herself across the table into myarms, and I suppose it was the noise that told Alex and Algaia theycould come out of their bedroom, joining us in a celebration that,for the moment, made me forget about what lay ahead of us. It wasnot until a couple days later that the humor of the moment hit me;it had been Alex’s mother who had been the first to let him know hewas going to be a father, and it was my mother who indirectly didthe same for me. For his part, Alex thought it was one of thefunniest things he had ever heard in his life.
That moment in Alex’s apartment, once thingscalmed down a bit, I impulsively stood up, went and got Bronwen’sfur-lined cloak, and told her to come with me while I addressedAlgaia, asking, “Do you have any apples?”
She instantly knew why I asked, and sheclapped her hands with delight, which she explained, “I take Irasto see him every day, and we haven’t gone today.”
“Then I guess we’ll all go,” I said,and while we waited for Iras to bundle up the baby, Bronwen kepttrying to find out what was happening, to which I would only tellher she would find out shortly.
I was still in my uniform, although Isuspect that even if I had not been, the handful of civilians withwhom I had had some form of interaction would have recognized me,but while they nodded or hailed me, it was always from a distanceand never more than that. Despite the reason for theircircumspection, I could not help chuckling at this reminder howthere are no secrets in a military town, and they undoubtedly knewthat I was, at the very least, in some sort of trouble. The stablewhere I had moved Latobius before we left for the campaign was notfar from the apartment, and when we entered through the gate,before we had gone more than ten paces into the open area betweenthe three sides lined with stables, I heard him an instant beforehis head thrust out in a huge cloud of vapor that billowed from hislungs because of his neighing, and I felt my throat constrict. Theothers stopped, I suppose to give me a moment alone, and I realizedthat with my armor on, we could not play our game, so I held theapple in my palm, which he completely ignored, thrusting his longneck out instead, then bowed his head. Latobius,
