Lionslayer's Woman

by Nhys Glover

  Livia… the third of his loves. Well, who wouldn’t have a place in their heart for her?

  And now there was another love that filled his heart. Galeria was his heart reborn, and in that moment, that heart was overflowing with joy.

  It was late afternoon before they finally arrived at the estate. He saw Livia and Allyn standing under the covered enclosure at the front of the roundhouse. In Livia’s arms was a baby, and young Lucius was on his father’s shoulders. They looked so happy.

  For the first time, he could look at them and not feel a twinge of envy for their perfect life. He’d always known they deserved the happiness they’d created for themselves, because they were living proof that love could heal even the worst mental and emotional wounds. Now he felt happy for them, too, because he was now one of them – a man healed by love.

  Around the corner of the house, Livianna Honoraria and her husband Sabinus walked arm in arm. As they caught sight of him and Galeria, they hurried forward to join the growing group waiting to greet them.

  As Nexus helped Galeria down from the wagon, he only had a moment’s notice before Livia dashed into his arms. Someone had taken the baby and she’d run down from the house to hug him.

  ‘Thank the gods, Nexus! We’ve been so worried! Look at you! You’re happy! I didn’t believe Leonis when he said you were better… but you’re not just better, you’re happy!’ Livia’s voice was high with jubilation. She hugged him tightly again.

  ‘Yes, your ploy worked. Now let me go, woman, so I can introduce you to my heart… Livia, this is Galeria… or Myschia as she is now to be called.’

  Livia turned from him and beamed her welcome at his woman. He could see they immediately liked each other. Livia pulled Galeria into her arms and hugged her, too. ‘We were childhood friends, did you know that? Mater told me so. I’m so glad you’re safe and were able to rescue your mother and sister. I’m sorry for your loss, though.’

  Galeria drew away from Livia with reluctance. ‘Yes, Mater told me that, too. I think we’ve changed a lot since then. Thank you… for your condolences and for having Cyra and Gali here. We didn’t know where to go…’

  ‘Of course you’d come here. Where else? Nexus is our new estate manager. He’s especially needed now because we’re just in the process of expanding. You’re prepared to take up your duties now, aren’t you, Nexus? You’re not going to put me off any longer are you?’

  Nexus smiled and nodded. ‘It depends on your mother’s advice. I’ll go wherever it’s safest for Galeria.’

  Livia looked between them and nodded, as if she were pleased to hear it. ‘Well then you’ll be staying here. Mater and Sabinus think this is the safest place for Galeria and little Gali. When the time is right, Papia might be brought here, too, but for the time being she’s safer where she is.

  Nexus’ head was spinning. ‘Livia, slow down. So the safest place is here? Is that what was decided?’

  ‘Yes, yes, come on up to the house. Sabinus can explain it all to you there. But that’s the gist of it.’

  Nexus put his arm around Galeria and drew her along with him up to the house. When he was close enough, Allyn grinned at him. ‘Glad to have you back. You’re needed around here.’

  ‘I’m glad to be home,’ he said before he realised the significance of his words, but Livia and Galeria didn’t miss them. They both began to blink back tears.

  ‘Home,’ Galeria said. ‘This is home…’

  ‘Yes. It is for you both as long as you want it to be. Mater, tell them…’

  ‘Welcome back, Nexus and Galeria… I’m pleased you’re safe. I’m so sorry my rescue mission was too late to save your father.’

  ‘I’m grateful that you sent Nexus and Leonis. Without them we’d have been lost,’ Galeria replied, moved to more tears.

  Livianna, who was not a demonstrative person, seemed ill at ease with all the high emotions on display around her. Sabinus patted her arm in understanding.

  ‘So shall we go inside? Have you met my newest grandson, Nexus? This is Appius.’ Livianna indicated the baby who Livia had just taken back from the nurse. ‘You know Lucius, of course. He’s very pleased to have a little brother and a new older cousin. Aren’t you young man?’ The toddler, who still sat on his father’s shoulders, nodded his head energetically.

  ‘Where’s Gali?’ Galeria asked, looking around for her sister.

  ‘Riding. She’s becoming quite the young horsewoman. Very unsuitable for a lady but she likes it,’ Livianna said, waving her hand vaguely in the direction of the verdant fields below them.

  ‘She’s having lessons,’ Livia explained. ‘She’ll be here very soon.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  It was much later that evening after the children had been settled for the night and most of the estate workers had gone to their beds that the serious discussions began.

  ‘You were wise to bring them back here, Nexus.’ Sabinus said with a nod as he took a swallow of his mead. ‘With Antoninus the Elder back in Rome, he will be in high regard and his son will ride his father’s toga because of it, I expect. Although, if the Praetorians let it be known how he countermanded Caesar’s own dictate, it might not go so well for him.

  ‘We won’t know for sure what the exact situation is until we return to Rome next month, but my feeling is that Domitian will want it all to disappear. If he hears nothing to arouse his fears concerning the Donicus family, then he’ll let the matter slide. After all, it was only your father who was targeted as the dissident, and he’s now been silenced.’

  ‘Pater never spoke a word against Domitian or his brother Titus,’ Galeria said fiercely, unable to contain the fury she felt at the injustice meted out to her father.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Nexus seemed relieved to see the spirit she was showing. He’d been building it steadily for her over the last month or more, but this had been the real test. How would she react to Caesar’s cousin? She realised that she wasn’t in the least cowed by either Sabinus or his august wife.

  It felt good to be herself again with no regrets. She now knew where the blame lay for what had happened that night in early June and all that had subsequently followed, and it wasn’t with her.

  ‘That’s irrelevant at this point,’ Sabinus said, breaking into her musings and bringing her back to the issue at hand. ‘It’s what Domitian believes that’s important. Trying to prove your father innocent of charges that were never officially levelled at him would serve no purpose. Your father’s name remains unsullied. His death will probably have been attributed to lawless villains and he’ll be officially honoured for his life’s work.

  ‘I imagine young Appius could take up his position in Ephesus if he chooses to do so now, but I may be able to arrange another position in Antiochia for him so he can remain with your mother. It’s wisest if Papia remain where she is for the foreseeable future. If she came here, that might alert Antoninus to your location.

  ‘Our main concern is to make sure Antoninus never finds out where you’ve gone. A man like that won’t let this end as it has. He won’t like losing. While ever he has power, he’ll be searching for you.’

  Nexus tightened his arm around her waist and dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. It still felt like a dream when he demonstrated his love in little actions like this. Each time he did it, she was a little more convinced that what he felt for her was real.

  ‘Galeria is dead. Myschia now lives with me and cares for little Galerianna. Soon she’ll become my wife,’ Nexus announced, lifting his head high as if expecting a challenge from those around the fire.

  ‘Wife?’ Livia cried with delight, clapping her hands. Cyra whistled softly in astonishment.

  How the others reacted, she wasn’t sure, because Galeria was too overwhelmed with shock to focus on anything but the announcement.

  Nexus wanted to marry her? That was unbelievable. Was this just his way of keeping her safe? With his name, she’d be even harder to identify as
the missing Galeria Donicii, but marriage was an extreme action to take just to protect her. She’d never asked for marriage. Had never expected it, for all the loving words they’d exchanged in and out of bed. Did she even want to be married? She’d never considered it, expecting never to find someone who wanted her as much as she might want them.

  Nexus turned to her. She could see uncertainty in his eyes. Was that because he didn’t feel convinced about his offer or because he didn’t know how she’d take it? She could see heat rising up his neck and into his dark cheeks. No one other than her would have been able to see the subtle change in him.

  ‘I can see that this is news to Galeria. It’s usual to ask the bride before announcing it to the world.’ Livia laughed and clapped her hands again, this time at Nexus’ obvious discomfort.

  Galeria couldn’t let him be shamed like this. No matter why he was asking her, she had to support him in it now. ‘He did. He did ask me. I’m just… just surprised he told you all now. I have to tell Galerianna. She should be the first to know.’

  Nexus tried to disguise his shock. He was obviously wondering why she was covering for him. Didn’t he know she’d do anything for him?

  ‘So you are getting married? I thought you said you’d never get married,’ Cyra said impishly.

  ‘That was before I met Nexus. What woman wouldn’t want to marry the man who saved both her and her mother’s life? And it will put a further safeguard between me and Antoninus. Isn’t that what you thought, Nexus?’ she looked at him, feeling suddenly very vulnerable. She had to give him justification for his actions or they’d all think less of him for moving on from Niobe so quickly.

  Nexus frowned and turned to face her, putting his hands on her shoulders. ‘Myschia, don’t say you’ll marry me because I saved you, because if that’s all it is for you then it won’t happen. I want to marry you because I love you, because I want you to bare my sons and grow old with me. Here, if it suits you, but anywhere else that you choose. I know you probably want to start a ludus, but that might not be possible here. If not, we’ll go where it’s best and safest for you. But only if you want to marry me because you love me.’

  Galeria looked up at him as tears stung her eyes. ‘Here’s wonderful, and not because I’m in hiding. This is where you belong. These are your people and so they’re mine now, too, and I want to marry you because I love you. Not because of anything you’ve done for me, but because I love you. And having your sons – or daughters – sounds like Elysium to me.’

  On cue a newborn began to cry somewhere nearby. Everyone laughed to lighten the mood. Livia jumped to her feet and ran off to see to her child.

  ‘You might reconsider that after watching Livia for a few weeks,’ Allyn said with a fond laugh watching his wife’s hasty retreat.

  ‘I never wanted children before this. It never seemed right. But now, there’ll be no reconsidering,’ Nexus said, smiling broadly as he turned to kiss her tenderly on the lips.

  ‘You do know you’re giving up a great deal to become a liberti. You should take time to think this through, Galeria. Antoninus won’t be a problem forever.’ Livianna said, her voice stiff with disapproval. ‘I feel it’s my duty to say what your mother would tell you, were she here.’

  ‘Thank you, Livianna. That’s just what my mother would say, but she’d also know that I’ve always known my own mind. She’d expect me to do what I thought was best. Marrying Nexus is by far the best decision I’ve ever made.’ She grinned brightly at the older woman while squeezing Nexus’ arm.

  ‘Very well. Nexus is a good man, for all he was a slave. Which brings me to the other slave I owned. Leonis, I’ve made a birthing gift of you to Livia for my newest grandchild. I assume the fair Cyra will stay here, too, if her mistress stays?’ Livianna looked at Cyra, who was sniffing and wiping at her face, obviously still overcome by happiness for her.

  ‘If there’s room here for us all…?’ Cyra managed to get out.

  Allyn leaned back with a delighted grin on his handsome face. ‘Of course there is. We’ve just bought up the neighbouring estate. There’s more than enough work here for everyone. And there’s already one villa on the new estate but another could easily be erected once a few crying infants start making their presence felt.’

  Galeria saw the wonder dawning on Cyra’s face. To have a life with Leonis and to bear the lion slayer’s children seemed to be a dream come true for her. It was hard to believe that this softly joyous woman was the same brittle, wounded creature she’d known up until they started this adventure. Somehow she’d thrown off the cynical pain and was now willing to embrace her new life with both arms. Galeria was so happy for her.

  ‘No plans to run off back to Dacia to continue your war against Rome?’ Livianna asked Leonis smugly.

  ‘My place is with Cyra now, and she’ll stay with Galeria. I therefore have no choice in the matter.’

  The men groaned loudly at this declaration of servitude.

  Cyra dug him in the ribs and pulled a face at him. ‘I should think so. When the Goddess decides your course, who are you to argue?’

  ‘Goddess? What Goddess?’ Livianna asked with interest.

  ‘Bendis’

  ‘Astarte’

  They spoke together and then laughed. Then they looked at each other and said, ‘Artemis’.

  ‘The Goddess of the independent woman. A good choice for you then!’ Livianna allowed herself a polite chuckle. Sabinus broke into a louder laugh.

  ‘My love, you have always been a devotee of Dianna. Cyra is not the only independent woman in this room.’

  The older woman shrugged her shoulders elegantly and leaned in to kiss her husband’s cheek.

  The baby was quiet now and for a long time a contented silence fell between them, broken only by the crackling of the fire into which they all stared.

  In this moment, life was perfect.

  EPILOGUE

  Rome, LATIUM

  Antoninus had arrived in Rome a few hours before sunset and now awaited his father’s return from the senate with mixed feelings. Yes, he’d failed in finding the renegades, but at least there’d been no word of them to arouse Caesar’s ire. As far as Domitian was concerned, the names on the list had all been dealt with and all witnesses removed. He knew the Praetorians would say no different. After all, they didn’t want it known that they’d disobeyed Caesar.

  No, all in all, things had worked out quite well, even if he hadn’t claimed Galeria yet. That would come. She couldn’t hide from him forever. He made himself more comfortable on the divan, popped a handful of nuts into his mouth as he prepared to wait as long as necessary for his parent to get home.

  When his father finally entered the tablinium sometime later, having been notified of his son’s presence there, the expression on his face immediately told Antoninus he’d been somewhat premature in thinking all was well. Antoninus the Elder was clearly beyond furious.

  ‘Pater, what…?’ He jumped to his feet and stood trembling as the older man began raining abuse down on his head.

  ‘So you finally got here. I would have thought you’d be too ashamed to show your face in my home after all you’ve been up to of late. News of your activities preceded you by weeks. The trail of your financially crippling blunders across Asia has made me the laughing stock of Rome! You took a child from Caesar’s own men so that you could force some woman to marry you?’ The senator sputtered in outrage. ‘I’m lucky Caesar hasn’t found out about it yet. I’ve been calling in favours across the city in an attempt to keep it quiet. If Caesar ever does find out, I’ll go the way of the Stoics on that list, even after all my good work. This is all your fault you stupid arsewipe! You’ve brought shame and dishonour down on us all!’

  His father took several deep breaths to calm himself, and for a moment, Antoninus thought that the worst was over. Then the senator went on with an icy calm that chilled his son’s blood and made his teeth chatter.

  ‘Enough is enough. This ends now. You�
��re joining the army and will take up your post in Moesia. The Dacians are restless. If not this year, certainly in the next, Domitian will declare war on those upstart barbarians, and you, my dear son, will be in the thick of it.

  ‘A hero’s death is called for now, no less. And if you don’t arrange one for yourself by riding into battle at the head of a legion, then I’ll arrange one for you.’

  ‘Pater, you can’t mean that! I’m your only son. Your heir!’

  ‘Exactly! What kind of heir will you be for the paterfamilias? No, you have only one choice here, son. Die a glorious and quick death or I’ll make sure it’s a glorious but slow one.

  ‘You destroyed your sister’s chances of an influential marriage with that vindictive stunt with the boils. I let that go. You were young. I thought you’d grow out of your mindless idiocy. Instead, you grew worse rather than better the older you got, and this… this travesty is the last straw.

  ‘Prepare to depart for Illyricum in the morning! You live until war is declared. Make the most of what little time you have left in the backwaters of the Empire.

  ‘And if I hear one whisper that you’ve further embarrassed me, I won’t wait for war. Your end will come immediately, painfully and without glory.’

  With that, his father stormed from the room.

  Shaking in shocked terror, Antoninus looked down at the tiles beneath his feet where a puddle of warm urine was now forming. Oddly fixated, he was unable to do anything but watch as the puddle grew bigger and bigger while his imagination conjured one painful death after another from which he could choose.

  It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t his fault. None of this was his fault!

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