Caius's visit and the news he brought to us were life-changing. When I read the scroll from Paullus in which he proposed to marry me, I broke into tears and fled to my room. The tears were tears of joy. I had fallen in love with Paullus after he had captured and enslaved me.

I'd dreamed of him making me his concubine or his mistress when he returned from his assignment commanding the Roman legions in Britannia. In my wildest dreams, I had never imagined that he and I could be husband and wife.

Paullus's daughter, Paula, joined me and teased me, "See, I was right. I'm always right. You are now my future stepmother."

"Paula, stop teasing me."

"What if I don't?"

"I'll put you over my knee and spank you like the naughty child you are."

The moment the words were out of my mouth, I realized I had made a mistake. Paula stood, removed her toga, and lay across my lap with her pretty bum raised, waiting to be chastised. I could not help but laugh when she said, "Stepmother-to-be, I await your pleasure."

My hand caressed that tempting ass, and I playfully gave it a few half-hearted spanks while she shrieked with mock pain. I turned her so she was sitting in my lap, and she kissed me and bared my breasts. Her mouth found my sensitive nipples, and I moaned with pleasure as her teeth scraped over my sensitive nubs.

We were soon rolling on the bed stark naked, devouring each other's cunts. As Paula's tongue impaled my cunt I got my revenge for all the teasing I had been subjected to all day. I closed my teeth over her clit and savaged it by pulling and biting on it. Her moans signaled her pleasure, and she redoubled her efforts, lashing me with her incredibly talented tongue.

My toes curled, a sure indicator that I was about to cum when a velvety tongue licked between my ass cheeks. The possible became inevitable. I almost drowned poor Paula in pussy juice. Paula's reaction was immediate as she, too, came all over my face.

"What in Hades just happened?" Paula asked.

As I rolled off her to see who or what had licked my butt, I saw Flavia kneeling behind me. I smiled at her and answered, "Your aunt decided that my butt was a delicacy she had to sample. That was unexpected but not unwelcome. I'm glad you showed up, Flavia; I wanted to talk to you, but what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for that damned cat, Bastet. I thought she might be hiding here, but then I saw that tempting ripe peach of a butt and decided to dig in. Have you seen her?

"Not for some time," I answered, "I thought she was lurking in your quarters."

We heard a sound of scuffling under the bed and Bastet's meow. The three of us got on our hands and knees and looked under the bed. Bastet peered back at us, surrounded by four miniature Bastets.

"There you are, you feline slut. Thought you could hide your indiscretions here, did you?" chided Flavia.

Bastet meowed, picked up one of the tiny kittens by the scruff of the neck, came up to me and deposited it in front of me.

I picked up the ball of fluff and examined it. "It's a boy," I exclaimed.

"It's now your boy. Bastet has gifted him to you. What are you going to call him?" Flavia asked.

“Bastet Magnus, Bastet for short. Isn't he handsome?"

"Well named. I will have Naima come and take care of the litter and Bastet Magnus. There are things we have to talk about. Let's go to Octavius, as he has to be part of this discussion."

"Before we do, may I talk to you without Octavius present?"

"Certainly."

"I am confused. I love Paullus, as you well know. There is no man on earth I would rather be wed to. I also love Paula. How do I handle this situation? I don't want him to repudiate me."

"Child, tell me why Paullus sent his wife to trial?

"Because she was cheating on him."

"No. She had been cheating on him for years. The reason she was sent to court, which led to her exile and eventual demise, was not the cheating. He did it to protect his honor and the honor of the family. Her indiscretions became a matter of gossip.

"A wise man knows that he can not control a woman. If he loves her and wants her to be happy, he will gladly shut his eyes as long as she is discrete and satisfies his needs. You and Paula will probably be lifelong lovers, and Paullus will accept that.

"How about you, Paula? Is that young man who is chasing you around the one?"

"No, Flavia, it is time to ditch him. He is not the man I would consider sharing my life with. Mind you, he does have a magnificent cock, but neither the brains nor the spine to match."

"Has he managed to breach your defenses?"

"No, Flavia, I am still a virgin, and if this situation continues, I will join the vestal virgins condemned to celibacy for eternity."

"You two get dressed, and let's go to Octavius and Caius."

***

We gathered in Octavius's office.

"Ladies," Octavius began, "we have a lot to talk about with the changes in the situation. Paullus's estate is at a low point. The slaves and workers are not to be trusted. The worst bad apples are gone; however, the rot might have infected those that remain.

"You, Frida, will have to decide until Paullus returns how to correct that situation."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You will be running the estate now and in the future. Paullus will be busy with Senate affairs even after he returns."

"How about Caius? Caius, you managed the estate in the past. Why not now?"

"Frida, you are now in charge. Of course, I will assist you, but I don't have the authority. By the time Paullus returns, it would be like cleaning the Augean stables. Things need to be done at once to set things right."

I sat back in shocked silence. I had not expected this. After a few moments of collecting my thoughts, a glimmer of an idea sprang into my mind.

"Caius, you know that I was made a slave with about forty of my clan women. How hard would it be to trace where they are and repurchase them?"

"Not very. I know the slave trader who was involved. They can be traced."

"Fine, what we will do is the following. I want any slaves or workers on the estate to be sent to other estates, preferably as far from here as possible. If you judge any can still be trusted, you will keep them. The ones sent away, you will replace with my clan women, who you will track and negotiate the purchase of."

"What do I do for money to accomplish that task?"

"The gold Paullus gifted me when he left should suffice, and you will also have the gold you obtain for the slaves we are dismissing."

"Brilliant," Octavius commented. "Now you, Paula, we think you should not live on Paullus's estate after he marries Frida."

"What!" I exclaimed.

"Patience, Frida, hear me out."

"Paula will live here and continue her education while we attempt to find a young man who will take her as his wife," he said with a smile. "She will also become heir to our estate as Flavia and I have no children."

"With you married to Paullus, she no longer has an estate she could tempt a man with."

"I don't need an estate to tempt a man. He would not be worthy of me if he could not marry me for my feminine wiles. In any case, the vestal virgins are my other option," Paula said.

"The virgins would not have you; you are a virgin but not pure from what I hear."

"But I do not want to be away from Frida. Here, I would be half a day away from her."

"No child. You came by the road because of the cart. The two estates are a scant twenty minutes apart over the fields and forest. Carts have to go the long way around. You now know how to ride so that you can go visit to your heart's content. This will also permit Frida to continue her studies as you can carry her curriculum back and forth.

"Now, you two, get ready to go. Paula, you will stay with Frida until your father returns. She will need your help to get things sorted out."

***

When we arrived, the large house was deserted. Caius had confined the servants and slaves to their quarters, and it was far from cheerful. Paula helped me explore the house. My bedchamber next to Paullus's chamber was a pig sty. Obviously, the previous occupant, Paullus's ex-wife, was slovenly in her living habits. It was gaudy, ostentatious, and dirty.

Paula comforted me by offering to share her old room until we could get mine back into shape. My biggest revelation was Paullus's office. His shelves contained more scrolls than even Octavius had.

I was terrified of the responsibility that had fallen on my lap. My self-doubts almost paralyzed me. Could I be a Roman senator's wife and make him proud?

Caius immediately left for Rome to settle the question of servants and slaves, leaving Paula, myself, and Bastet as the only occupants of the house. A few farmhands remained in the servant quarters behind the house; however, Caius had told them to work the fields and stay away from the house.

That first night back, Paula and I retired early to her room. After rejecting most of the other victuals in the larder, we had eaten a Spartan meal of bread and cheese. Bastet, now master of all he surveyed, joined us, curled up at the foot of the bed and purred his way happily to sleep. I thought of Paullus and how I longed to sleep in his arms after he had made love to me.

Paula interrupted my reverie by asking, "What will we do with our lives after marriage?"

"I haven't given it much thought, but remember when Octavius and Flavia took us to Rome and we watched the chariot races at the Circus Maximus."

"Yes, of course. That was very exciting."

"One of the things that struck me was that the horses they use are heavy and slow, as are their chariots. I am sure that my horses, with some training and the right handlers, would outrace them."

"But we only have four horses between us, and I doubt that Paullus would permit us to race chariots in the coliseum."

You're right, but he would not prevent me from breeding them and training charioteers to race for me. We will have time to think about that. Now come here and let me kiss you."

Knowing Paula, I should have known better. One kiss led to another and then another. Soon, we were both naked. She was between my legs with her cunt rubbing against mine. It was our new favorite pastime. We had discovered this way to get each other off when we had come across Flavia and Naima at the same game in a sun-drenched private garden next to their bedroom.

Paula loved it as it allowed her to tease my breasts and my clit while enjoying the sound of our juice-drenched pussies squishing against each other. Paula's climax came almost immediately. My attention had been distracted by my anxiety over Paullus's return, my fears of inadequacy as his wife, and my desire to run this estate in a way that would please him.

I disengaged myself from her and prepared to fall asleep, but Paula would have none of that. "I'm going to make you cum if it's the last thing I do," she said.  She bent me over so I was resting with my upper back on the bed with my legs parted and bent back behind my head. She attacked my pussy and ass with tongue and fingers.

I was absolutely helpless in this position. Her tongue and fingers alternated between my holes so that each dipped in as deeply as possible. She'd bite my sensitive clit and chew on it before going back to slurping on my pussy juice. While occupying her mouth in this fashion, her finger filled my butt, teasing and rubbing. All thoughts apart from the desire to cum were driven from my mind, and I screamed and moaned my desire.

Cum I did under her magical mouth and fingers. Her face and hair were soaked with my cunt juice as she let me collapse on the bed. She straightened my legs and came to cuddle and kiss me to sleep.

As she cuddled against me, I mercifully fell into a dreamless sleep.

***

Late the following afternoon, we heard voices and approaching carts at the front of the house.

Paula and I hurried to the patio to see what the commotion was all about. Our faithful Caius was leading four carts full of people into the courtyard.

"Out of those carts and form a line." he bellowed.

We watched open-mouthed as about eighty people lined up in front of us.

I was stunned at the number, and at first, they all blurred into a mass of faces and bodies. As I started to focus on individuals, I began to recognize faces from my past. These were my clanswomen.

"Caius, you did it. You found them. How did you manage to do it so fast?"

"Little one, when you were a centurion in the legion for over twenty years you have many friends who owe you favors. It was easy. They are all here except for two who asked to stay where they were. They are with men who have married them but have not yet received their manumissions. I took care of that. I assumed you would want that to happen. By tomorrow, they will be freedwomen of Rome."

"Caius, why so many? There must be forty more than my kin here."

"We will need skilled craftsmen, farmers and laborers. There are less than twelve of the former slaves that I have kept on."

"This must have cost a fortune. Where did the gold come from?"

"I got a good price on our former slaves. They are by now on their way to far-off destinations. Your kinswomen were new to their new masters and not yet trained. I still have half of your gold left. Only two cost me more than I expected. They were being trained as gladiators. The head of their gladiator school was reluctant to sell until he met some of my former comrades when returning home after an evening at the tavern. They made him see reason."

"Caius, you're a scoundrel. Which two.?

"The two youngest ones."

"How are we going to feed and clothe all these people?"

"I have two carts, which should be here shortly with victuals."

"I could kiss you.”

“Save your kisses for your husband, little one. I have granddaughters who are older than you are."

I turned back to the men and women who seemed discouraged and disoriented. I raised my voice and said, "Sisters, do you no longer know me?"

I heard them murmur among themselves as if to say who is this person who calls us sisters?

Suddenly, a voice shrieked, "Frida. It's Frida. My sister's daughter."

"Yes, it is I, sister of my mother. You will henceforth work for and live on my estate. I am now a freedwoman; my husband-to-be is Paullus—the same Paullus who vanquished our clan. Now listen carefully to what I tell you. You are my kin. My gold was used to purchase you, as I was greatly saddened to be without kin, though I have been very happy here.

"We have no more clan. It is gone and will never return. Here, we can form a new clan. When my husband returns, we will eventually have you all be freedwomen. When you are freed, you can choose to remain with me and find husbands and raise children on this estate, or you can choose to leave.

"For now, Caius, my right-hand man, will show you to your quarters, where you will bathe, throw away those rags you are wearing and start cleaning the house. It has been some time since it was taken care of. Radula, my mother's sister, will be the head housekeeper and assign appropriate duties to each of you. Radula, is that agreeable to you?"

"Yes, Frida, I would happily serve you this way. How do we get new clothes if we throw away our clothes?”

“Caius will take care of that,” I explained. "Now I understand we have two budding gladiators in the group. Would you two come over to me first?"

I smiled when I saw the two young virgins I had chaperoned on the journey to Rome come towards me.

"Do you remember me, girls?"

"Of course we do, Frida."

"Please excuse me, but I forgot your names."

"We now have Roman names. I’m Marzia, and she is Clelia.”

"How old are you now?" I asked.

Clelia answered, "We have both just turned sixteen."

"Forgive me for asking, are you still virgins?"

"Yes. The last man who tried to take that away from us still regrets his attempt."

"What happened?"

"He thought that one man could overcome two reluctant women. I don't know if he ever will be able to father children after we were through with him. We prefer the company of women."

Paula, who was standing beside me, snickered. "I see that certain traits run through your clan."

"Girls, this is Paula, my future stepdaughter and best friend. She is incorrigible. Just don't let her catch you with your guard down."

"Why not, Frida? She looks like fun," Marzia said with a speculative leer at Paula.

"See cute and sassy, I like that," Paula snickered.

"Enough, you three. Girls, how would you like to be charioteers instead of gladiators?"

"That sounds like fun. Don't you think Clelia?"

"I've watched the races, and it would be more than fun. There are other women gladiators, but we would be the first women charioteers. Think of the glory and fame we would gain."

"That's settled. You will be living in my old room above the stables. I will send you there with Caius after you have bathed and eaten. Mind you, you will also care for the horses and keep the stable spotless."

"Of course, Frida."

"Off you go then."

Paula and I returned to the house, where women were scurrying around, sweeping, washing and dusting. The smell of food wafted from the kitchens. Having existed for two days on bread and cheese, we were famished. Radula ushered us to the dining room, where two settings were laid out.

"The meal will be ready soon. Why don't you start with some fruit till it's ready?" she offered.

"Radula, for tonight, why don't you set two more places, one for yourself, and ask Caius to join us?"

The food was delicious, and I could not keep myself from laughing. Caius seemed to be very taken with Radula, a handsome woman. He kept glancing at her and then averting his eyes if she looked back at him.

Unable to resist the temptation, I asked him, "Caius, you mentioned you had grandchildren, but you never mentioned your wife. Why is that?"

"My wife passed away many years ago, leaving me with a daughter who lived here till she got married."

Radula's eyes lit up when she heard that.

That's done it, I thought. I would lay odds those two would be sharing a bed before long.

The answer to my next question startled me. I asked, "When do you think Paullus will be back?"

" I would not be surprised if he were here late tomorrow."

"So soon," I said with my heart throbbing. "Radula, our hero, returns. I need this house to be spotless by tomorrow at midday and a feast laid out for him for tomorrow night."

"I will take care of it she answered."

***

I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. The anticipation of being in the arms of my beloved and the fear of not being worthy of him caused conflicting feelings within me.

I woke up at the crack of dawn feeling like I had not slept a wink. I stumbled out of my room and suddenly realized I had slept alone without Paula for the first time in months.

Women were already bustling around the house, cleaning under Radula's watchful eye. When I asked her if she had seen Paula, she pointed behind me. I turned to find Paula coming in the entranceway.

"Where have you been?" I asked her.

"At the stables, of course," she answered.

"I see it took you no time to get your itch scratched. So how was it?"

"I think the more it goes, the more I am partial to you Northern barbarians. They are both delicious."

"You are a shameless slut."

"You are just jealous because since they work for you, it would be bad form for you to play with them. I, on the other hand, face no such problems. I am unmarried, unattached and do not own them."

"I thought I was your true love, and now discover that for you, any pussy will do."

"Come give me a hug and stop pouting. Maybe we'll find a way to bring them into our lives as more than chariot drivers. Now tell me, did you sleep at all last night?

"Not really."

"Radula, can we feed this one now?" she asked.

"Yes, whenever she's ready."

"Good, have it served immediately. After breakfast, she will get one of my best massages, followed by a nap. I've sent Caius to be on the lookout for my father's return. When he is spotted at a distance, I will wake you, bathe you, and get you suitably attired to receive him. Oh, and just so you can rest more easily, know that I slept in the other room, though I did go out to speak to our budding charioteers. We just talked; however, I think we could entice them to join us for some playtime. As I said, they both look delectable."

***

Paula kept the massage nonsexual, and her soothing touch soon had me sleeping soundly.

It was midday when she woke me up. "The conquering hero has been sighted. He should be here in about an hour. He is accompanied by two others."

Heart fluttering, I bathed with Paula's help, and she helped me to get dressed.

As I rushed through the house, I noticed that everything was sparkling. Water gushed through the fountain, and a profusion of flowers perfumed the air.

When I got to the front porch, Radula and Caius stood, waiting for Paula and me. The rest of the house staff lined the path leading from the outer wall to the house. Caius reassured me, "Any minute now, Frida."

The clatter of hooves sounded, and Paullus, accompanied by two young men, marched in. He looked slightly puzzled at all these strangers lining his path and spotted me. His face beamed, and he strode silently to me and wrapped me in his arms. "Frida, you are a joy to behold. I have held your image in my mind for months, and when I finally see you, you are more beautiful than I ever imagined."

"Paullus, as your wife-to-be, I am so proud of you. You have not aged a day since I last saw you, and my love for you has only increased during our separation."

"Who are all these people?" he asked.

"Your new servants and slaves. I had the old ones sent away and replaced them with these. Don't you recognize them?"

He peered at the mass of people standing below us. "No, not really. They don't look like slaves."

"Remember the gold pouch you left for me?"

"Yes."

"That gold pouch permitted me to purchase these women with Caius's help. They are the remaining members of my clan."

He looked closely at Radula, standing just a few paces away, smiled and said, "I remember you."

"Yes, Lord, I remember you as well. My name is Radula. With your consent, I now have the honor of being your head housekeeper. May I invite you to enter into your home?"

"Just a moment, Paula, my beloved daughter and Caius's old friend. It delights my eyes to see both of you looking so well. I want to introduce you to two of my companions: Centurion Linus and cavalry commander Marcus. They will stay with us for a few weeks to relax after months of battle."

Standing close by, Paula whispered, "That's the one."

"Who? What?" I queried.

"My future husband. Marcus! However, only after I take the measure of him and find out his views on my relationship with you."

"You mean take the measure of his cock," I snickered.

"Yes, that too, come to think of it," she said with a lascivious smile.

"Do you ever stop?"

"Not if I can help it."

Paullus took my arm and led me into the house. "I need to bathe and relax. We will all assemble together for supper after sunset. Caius, please show these young men to guest rooms, and Radula, prepare for a feast for supper.

Paullus hurried to his chambers, still holding my arm tightly. Once in the room, he spun me around and stood looking at me. I approached him and gently removed his armor and tunic. As I exposed his chest, I kissed his nipples. As his tunic and underclothes fell away, I lovingly caressed the cock that I had dreamt about for many months.

"Loved one,” Paullus said, “Let's first take a bath. I am sweaty and filthy. We have traveled far and fast because I was eager to be with you."

"Yes, Paullus, the baths are ready. I had them prepared when I heard you were in sight."

I took his hand, and we entered the bathroom. Paullus sighed in contentment as his body slid into the warm water. I removed my toga and slid in beside him. Then, taking the oil, I washed his hair and body, eliciting sounds of appreciation as I washed every inch of his body. His cock stood proudly, and my pussy twitched at the thought that he would soon impale me with it.

He could not keep his hands off me as I ministered to him, and I was afraid he would make me cum. I wanted my orgasm to be on his cock and not on his fingers. I thought it was time to cool him down before the main event.

"Paullus, before we commit to each other, I have a confession to make."

He smiled. "You have bankrupted me during my absence?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I have most of the gold you entrusted me with. My confession has to do with Paula and me."

"You two love each other. I know. I knew that before I left, and Octavius has been sending me updates."

"You still want me to be your wife, knowing that?"

"Frida, I love you and have loved you ever since I set eyes on you. There is no reason that you can not have some fun with Paula from time to time. I might even have shared in that fun if she was not my daughter. I need you, and I want you to always make your first duty my needs, maintain respect for my reputation and not shame me. You are now a freewoman and are entitled to have other desires. Pattern yourself after Flavia. She has been an admirable wife to Octavius."

"My darling husband, you will always be my first duty. If you had objected, I would even have put Paula aside. However, I think she has selected a future husband today."

"Really. Who?"

"Your companion, Marcus. I would not be surprised if she is not already taking the measure of him."

Paullus laughed. "You mean the measure of his cock. I know Paula. I was surprised to hear she was still a virgin, according to my spies."

"We both still are."

"Then it's time I remedy that in your case."

He lifted me out of the bath, dried me, and carried me to the bed.

I lay there staring at him. Anticipation of the joy I would receive wrestled with my fears that it would be a painful experience. For once, my pussy was dry. I did not want to disappoint him; we had both been waiting a long time for this moment. I stared at his cock, thinking there was no way it would not tear me apart.

"Frida, my beloved," he said, "don't be afraid; I will be gentle. I know the first time can be scary. We will make sure you are ready before I enter you."

"Thank you, Paullus. I want it to be good for you."

"No, my love, I want it to be good for both of us."

He came to lie next to me, and in the same fashion he had teased and toyed with me on the journey from my homeland, he started caressing my body. For a man who was so huge with gigantic hands, his touch was softer than any of my female lovers had been.

He kissed me and played with my breasts while whispering loving words in my ears. His tongue played with mine for a while before licking my ears and sucking on my ear lobes. All the while, his hands cupped my breasts, and he teased my nipples to the point of aching. The more he played with my body, the more I could feel my pussy become wet.

He was getting ready to go lower and kiss my pussy when I just pushed him onto his back and straddled his thighs. "Paullus, there will be time for these games later. I need you in me now."

I rubbed my pussy back and forth over his cock, getting it lubed with my pussy juice. Then I took hold of it, raised my hips, and inserted the head in my cunt hole. He helped me by holding it in the correct position but did not press forward.

Gritting my teeth, I raised myself and dropped my body weight down, only to feel a slight twinge of pain as he entered me completely. I could feel the head of his cock nudge my cervix.

We remained immobile for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. I looked down at his sharp features and those brown eyes, which revealed his soul to me. He remained mute, but I could see the love in his eyes.

I gingerly started raising and lowering myself on his cock. I was amazed that there was no pain, just an incredible feeling of fullness. He was caressing with it and reaching spots I had not suspected existed, and my pussy was embracing him as tightly as it could.

His hands found my hips, and he moved me about like a toy doll on his penis. Cupping my ass, his finger found my back hole and retreated. "Paullus, all my holes are yours. Use it as you wish."

"You sure, darling?"

"Positive."

Very gently, he penetrated my anus, and now both pussy and ass were in his possession. The tightness this caused made my pussy juice even more than it had. The pulsing of his shaft in me increased as his hips started to rise and fall in rhythm with my own.

My body dripped sweat, and a wet sheen coated Paullus's chest and face. His free hand reached out to my tit and pinched my rock-hard nipple. My pussy clenched tight, and my cunt received stream after stream of his hot cum. It was a divine feeling.

I was under the impression that when a man had an orgasm, it was the end of the exercise. Happily, I was wrong because Paullus made me cum twice more and came once more himself.

As we lay panting and gasping for breath next to each other, he said, "Do you know you have the sweetest, tightest pussy in the world."

"Flatterer, how would you know? Have you tried them all out.?"

"Not all, but many over the years. I have now found the one I have been searching for all my life."

"Such honeyed words go far with me, man of mine. Now, why don't you rest, and I will take the bed linen and get them washed."

"No, you won't. I will make these sacred spots composed of your blood and our cum into my battle standard."

"What will your legions say to that?"

"My legions will be proud to fight under those colors. If they aren't, they can serve under another commander."

"Rest, love. I will wake you in time for tonight's feast."

"Frida, I love you."

***

I met up with Paula in the atrium. She came up to me, sniffed, and said, "You reek of sex, woman. Come on, let's take a bath together."

"Paula, I have to make sure everything is ready for tonight."

"All done. I took it upon myself to make the final arrangements."

She dragged me to the baths, stripped me of my toga, and pulled me into the water.

"Well, tell me all about it. I presume you are no longer a virgin?"

"You are very intuitive," I answered.

"Well, the vestal virgins lost two potential candidates today."

"You too. How did you manage to lure him so fast? I presume it was Marcus."

"I told you I would get him to marry me. After he tasted the fruit, the die was cast."

"So I presume he measured up to your standards."

"Not only does he measure up, but he exceeds them. Now let me tell you about what I have arranged for tonight. You and my father will be together, and I will be with Marcus. I told Radula that she would join us for supper as Caius's companion."

"You did, are you sure?"

"Sweet one, have you noticed how they almost drool when they look at each other."

"Actually, yes."

"Now that leaves the other one, Linus. I have told your budding charioteers they will join us as Livius's companions. I was amazed that, given their preferences, they would want to. Still, when they saw the stalwart demeanor of the centurion, they were eager to accept.

"Now let's wash each other and get ready, and then you can wake my father."

"Daughter, your father is awake," Paullus's voice came from the doorway. "Can an old man join you two lovely women in the bath?"

"Of course, as long as he restricts his attentions to his bride-to-be and does not interfere with the fiancé of some other man," Paula said.

"Marcus?" Paullus asked.

"See, Frida, the father is as perceptive as the daughter."

 ***

Edited By JefferyB

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