Rome: Marriage Pact

Chapter Five: Moving In

"Gods, could you believe how long the high priest droned during the ceremony?" I laugh, glancing over at Octavius, who watches me move his stuff in from the wooden cart. "I became lost in his words, honestly," he replies quietly.
I frown, slightly worried for Octavius' lack of confidence.

"Don't worry, Octavius, I do have a room set up for you," I say. He looks up in surprise, the sunlight hitting his face and making his eyes shine like sapphires. I nearly drop the box I'm carrying at how blue his eyes are. "You do?" He asks softly, voice barely stirring the air.
By the gods, I'm beginning to see why Atia wanted me to marry this young man.

"I do," I grunt, setting the last of his boxes down in the main room of my villa. Quiet as a mouse, Octavius follows me inside. I move his belongings into a small room close to mine. He looks surprised at the desk and hand drawn star chart I had pinned up to the wall.
"Atia told me you like to study the movement of the stars, so I bought the chart for you," I explain.

"Thank you, Antonius. You are too kind," he smiles slightly, looking around and touching the wooden desk in front of the chart. He then looks a little troubled. "There isn't a bed in here," he whispers.
"Ah, right; I keep forgetting you're not used to married life...Well, you'll have to sleep in my bed, at least until I have enough money to buy you one."

Octavius looks up, a little alarmed. "Oh?"
I sigh, tired from moving things around all day.
I'm caught off guard when I see him blush. There's no mistaking it since he's such a sickly little thing. His skin is pale enough to notice a change in color easily.
Possibly out of habit, he looks down, hands firmly clasped together.
He has the posture of a servant waiting to be ordered around.

"Gaius," I begin, walking over. He flicks his gaze up, embarrassed and possibly even scared. "Want me to make some lavender tea? I know this change is scary, I was scared during my first wedding as well. You have nothing to worry about, I'll take care of you."
"I know you will," he responds, voice oddly sweet and soft, not like how Caesar's used to be.

"I would like the tea, thank you," he nods. I nod back and go to the kitchen. With the sound of sandals lightly hitting the tiles, he follows me. After tossing logs into the stove, I light the fire and walk to the small pump to get the water in a pot.

Octavius watches the sunset from the window as I wait for the tea to boil. I take note of the Apollo necklace I gave him hanging on his throat. "Something on your mind?" I ask.
He winces like a startled deer, like he forgot I am in the same room as him. "Just...thinking about how life will be from now on."

"As am I," I rasp.
"Is it," he flicks his gaze over to me, "normal to be this frightened?"
"It is a big change," I sympathize with the youth. What did Caesar see in him that I don't?
"Brutus and Cassius are still out there, collecting troops," he says with anger in his tone.
"We'll defeat them, trust me."
"I do trust you. At least, I think I do. My heart and mind are having conflicting emotions..."

Pouring the tea into mugs, I ask, "What does your mind say?"
"That part of me is still wary of you, I've only heard about you due to the rumors spread around Rome. The drinking, partying, the...sex," he hesitates on the last note. I can't help but laugh a little.
"Does that intimidate you, dove?" I ask.
Again, he blushes, the color fainter in the fading light of the sun.

"I don't know, maybe. People painted you as a reckless party animal, not this...man Caesar made into his second in command. Your loyalty to my uncle—father—surprised me," he admits.

"And your heart? What does it say?" I hand him a mug. He blows the steam rising from it, avoiding my gaze.
"My heart? I admit, I was nervous and excited for the wedding. I could barely sleep. I was nervous, giddy like a child. My heart tells me to trust you, I want to, especially now with danger around every corner."
"I see," I blink, sipping the tea.

"Let's make a deal, hm? We take marriage life slow, I'll sleep away from you for now, let you warm up to me. Then I could take you anywhere in the Mediterranean; Gaul, Hispania, Africa, Egypt. Doesn't matter. I can take you out of Rome for a bit, let you relax. Think of it as a honeymoon, nay?"
I see the emotions flicker across his eyes, clearly thinking my words over.

He sips his tea and sets the mug down, then walks over to me, hand raised out. "That could work. Deal."
I snort and grab his hand. "You make it sound like we agreed to trade troops for a battle," I muse.
I'm having a little too much fun teasing him since he looks adorable when flustered.

"Is this not a negotiation?" He asks, lips tugged up into a smile. "Perhaps so," I laugh softly, bringing his hand up and kissing his knuckles.
I'm surprised when he laughs a little, letting my hand go quickly.
****
"Antonius?" Octavius begins, lingering in my doorway.
"Hm?" I look up from the bowl of water as I wash my face.
"Why does your bed look like it belongs to a barbarian warlord?"

I laugh at his brutal honesty. "Because I like to live with style, Octavius. You'll learn."
"Are the fur blankets really necessary?" He asks.
"You know how cold it can get in Rome," I smile.
"But it's Summer," Octavius states, clearly not getting my joke.
I roll my eyes and dry my face, then get into bed and shift more towards the wall.

"Come on," I yawn, patting the large space next to me. Octavius gets in, laying more towards the edge after finding a thin enough blanket to curl up in.
He faces away from me, which slightly stings, but I did promise to take things slow. "Goodnight, Gaius," I yawn again. "Goodnight, Antonius," he whispers.