New Rome

59. Ellie's Revenge

Ellie was sat in the Quaestorship offices with his head bowed over his work. Quaestor Falco approached him and Ellie rose politely to listen to his boss.

"My heart gladdens after reading the report that come from your hands." Falco complimented him in a loud booming voice. "It reassures me to know that we have such remarkable talent amongst our students. You have a future of great promise."

Ellie smiled and quickly bowed his head.

"Gratitude, quaestor. I hope I shall not disappoint." He replied humbly. His fellow students listened to this, some with jealousy and irritation. But for the main, Ellie was a popular student. It was hard not to like his quiet, gentle manners. Once the quaestor was gone, Ellie's fellows clapped him on the back.

"Gratitude, Ellie." Spoke up Barba. "You put the quaestor is a good mood. That benefits us all."

"If the quaestor is happy, it is because we are all working hard." Ellie replied smiling. Barba and Ellie had first met in the classes for the quaestorship entry exams. Both them of consistently scoring top marks.

Barba settled down next to Ellie.

"It's true, you can't have all the praise. But neither can we. I hear that some gossip from the rurals has also contributed to improving the quaestors mood."

"Gossip?" Ellie asked, innocently.

Barba lowered her voice so that they couldn't be overheard.

"The gossip rags print that your step-sister, the exiled Lady Julia, has a secret lover."

Ellie leant forward, intrigued.

"Why would this lift the quaestors mood?"

"Because it's his nephew."

Ellie's eyes flashed with interest but he quickly fixed his expression to seem shocked.

"This cannot be true."

"True or not – I do not know. I only know that it is rumoured. The quaestor's nephew was building up bad debts, or so they say, and had been cut off by the family. Now, though, Lady Julia is paying off his bills, and more. And the family have re-remembered their forgotten missing son."

Ellie continued to look innocently scandalised. But inside, he was scheming. How could this benefit him?

If Julia was keeping close to her, a man interested only in money, then the man shouldn't be too bothered by who was paying him? He might prove to be a useful spy. And meanwhile the rumours cast further discredit on Julia...

But what if there were greater ways to make use of this development? Could he manoeuvre Daviad and Julia off the chess board, once and for all?

**

Wylo was alone in the complex.

Will you be back soon?

She messaged Ellie on her Self device. He replied quickly, but his reply made her sigh.

I'll be late tonight. I'm sorry. I love you.

"Be reasonable," she reminded herself, speaking out loud. She remembered how she'd been when she'd first started her career. For many months, she'd lived at the lab. Ellie was working hard, but once he'd proven himself and ascended the ranks – things would surely get better. She hoped that they would. She missed him.