“Oh come now, I’m certain there is more to a soldier’s life than that. The details of your womanly conquests alone must be worthy of tales written by Homer.”
Gaius couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the serious tone in Antony’s voice.
“Well, I suppose it would be worthy of a poem or two. There were the Brutus sisters a few winters ago.”
The two old friends continued to talk before Antony led Gaius to the arboretum, where a dozen men and their wives and daughters were gathered, talking, drinking and eating small morsels of fruit and nuts. However, before Antony took Gaius further, he stopped him and looked his friend over, seemingly searching for something.
“What is it?” Gaius asked.
“Oh, nothing; I’m just trying to see if you’ve brought a knife. After more than an hour with this crowd you’re bound to want to slice your wrists open,” Antonym used with a somber tone.
“It cannot be that serious, can it?” Gaius asked with a puzzled expression.
“Trust me. Drink as much as you can, or kill yourself now. These are my father’s friends, either by choice or by purse.”
Gaius managed a cheerful smile, wondering how much of his friend’s words was genuine.
“Gentlemen, I would like to welcome our new arrival, the finest soldier in Rome, Centurion of the famed wolves of Rome, Lucius Gaius, and my oldest and dearest friend I might add,” Antony announced with beaming pride as he escorted Gaius, presenting him before the gathering guest of his father.
“Rome’s greatest soldier, eh?”
“Well, behind you that is,” Antony smiled as he nodded towards his relative, Fabius Maximus.
“Sir, it is a pleasure to see you again,” Gaius said as he extended his hand, greeting his superior.
“Oh, have we met before this evening?” Fabius asked, trying to place Gaius’ face.
“Apologies, sir. You visited the camp of the Sixth Legion a number of years ago, and we spoke only briefly that day.”
Fabius laughed.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say that I recall such a day. I do tend to see many of our legion barracks. Regardless, it is always a pleasure to be introduced to our next generation of officers. I’m sure you are making your legion proud and Rome as well.”
“I do my best, sir. And thank you.”
Antony took a big swig of his wine before he moved to the next group of guests, introducing Gaius to each of them. All personal friends and or patrons to his father, they greeted Gaius with pleasant smiles, most of which seemed false as they had little care to know one of Antony’s friends in detail. Regardless, Gaius kept his smile firm.
Gaius wasn’t introduced to the group of women who sat together, further down from the men; most of whom were younger or the same age as, he. They were the wives, daughters and concubines of Varro’ guests. Most were very beautiful and dressed in expensive gowns, adorn with jewels, silver or gold.
Many of the teenage ladies eyed Gaius with curious expression as they sized the youthful and handsome Roman officer up; wanting to remember his face, for future interest.
As Antony had been introducing Gaius to the party guests, his eyes had been secretly scanning each of the women’s faces, looking to see if he could identify Julia among them. He had no idea what she might look like. He barely recalled her face as it was. Ten years was a long time, and she would be sixteen now, a woman, so any one of the females of the party could have been her as far as he knew.
As Gaius was standing, facing away from the main entrance, Antony directed his gaze behind him as another guest arrived. With a careful glance, Antony said without words for Gaius to turn around, which he carefully did, not knowing what to expect.
Gaius could smell the wonderful scent of perfume before he turned and saw who was standing behind him. The rose oil swirled around him like a storm at sea, demanding that he take notice of the person wearing it. And as he turned, the woman whom he had dreamt of every night for ten years was standing before him.
It took no effort for Gaius to recognize Julia as she stood in the entranceway, poised as all eyes turned towards her.
He paused, suddenly feeling at a loss for words, staring for a long while, completely dumbfounded as to what he should say to her.
Gaius had imagined her many times over the years. He had pictured wonderful images, and horrid ones as well as those that were unrealistic; whatever his mind needed to do to keep his heart in check. However, even he could never have believed that the little frightened girl who cried in his arms the day he left home could have grown into the vision of beauty that stood before him.
Her hair was long, nearly down to her waist and was as black as a moonless sky, glistening against the torchlight, which reflected the oils that coated the finely woven braids and curls. Strands of her curled hair hung freely over her youthful face. Her lips were rose red and glittered with sparkles of gold dust. Julia’s arms were bare, as her neckline was exposed as long purple silk dress that glided along the marble floor dropped loosely off of her shoulders.
In her hands, a beautiful shawl was held carefully. Gold and other jewels hung from her ears and neck, as well as wrapped around her forearm and wrists.
Julia moved as if she had been born an Egyptian queen. Her presence brought everyone’s attention to her as she entered the arboretum.
Gaius stood, still without words as her piercing eyes stared at him for a long while. She then took the first step towards him, extending her hand, waiting for him to take it and kiss the top of her palm.
He felt the softness of her flesh against his rough hands as he held her palm carefully, smiling with a silly grin. She, on the other hand, stared at him with the same mild-tone expression.
“I am unsure what to say,” Gaius finally spoke as he stood a few inches before her.
“Introductions would be the customary thing to say in this situation,” Julia’s words were polite, but said with an unfamiliar tone. Her voice carried like a lady, one that was confident and commanded respect from those that stood before her. She was a Roman woman now and not the little girl whom Gaius had remembered so vividly.
Gaius’ heart sank to the floor as he stared at her for a long while, silent before he did as she had said.
“My lady, I am Centurion Lucius Gaius.” His words felt heavy as they came from his mouth. He kissed the top of her hand carefully, but Julia’s stare was expressionless, stern and unforgiving, showing no hints of familiarity.
Julia managed a faint smiled before she stepped away and greeted her father and the rest of the guests.
Gaius was confused as he glanced back towards Antony, who too seemed unsure by his sister’s strange attitude. Gaius wondered if all his worries had proven true: had she forgotten him? What a bloody fool he was. What did he expect — her to leap into his arms and cry out his name?
He lowered himself into his seat next to Antony as Julia joined the other women who quickly sparked their own conversations, focusing on the gossip of Rome.
Gaius felt like a fool. Julia wasn’t the same person he remembered. She wasn’t the little girl who hung on his every move like a lost puppy. She was sixteen and a proper Roman woman ready to take her place among the social elite of the Republic's upper class where memories playing in the fields with a farmer’s boy, pretending to be a princess who waited for her brave hero to come to her rescue, were in the past — games for children.
Gaius wished he hadn’t come. A part of him wanted to get up right then and leave. He could find any number of excuses justifying his sudden absence, but he knew it wasn’t right for Antony. He wanted to spend time with him as much as he desired to see Julia. So instead, Gaius took a long swig from his wine and decided to stay.
As Varro and his guest continued with their conversations, losing track of time before dinner was to be served; Gaius did the best he could to pretend he was interested in what the men were saying. From time to time, he and Antony would share a few comments, but it was mostly Antony involved in the conversations, taking his father’s points of view more than expressing his own ideas on the topics.
He still couldn’t help drift his eyes over to Julia when he thought no one was looking. He admired how beautiful she had become, and how well she commanded those around her as all the women hung off of her like extensions of her jewelry.
And subsequently, as he was about to turn his attention back to the guests, as the girls started laughing
