Rome: Marriage Pact

Chapter Twenty-One: Kohl

"Mother..." I can tell by Octavius' tone of voice that he sounds relieved to see a familiar face. Atia embraces her son tightly, then looks up at me with a smile. I smile back, happy to see my husband so relaxed.

Despite the sun still rising, Atia was already awake when we traveled over here. She lets us both in, then closes the main door. "Make both of yourselves at home, I'm still having breakfast made. Octavia is still sleeping, I'll have a servant wake her soon."

Octavius has a look on his face telling me he's used to his mother being chatty. She has us sit down at the dining room table. "Have you both been faring well? I know Gaius writes often, but we haven't seen one another since the wedding. I know that the battle at Philippi was dreadful."

She looks at her only son, worried like any mother would be. "Gaius, you weren't hurt, were you? Octavia told me you would be perfectly safe with Antony, but I was still worried."
"Antonius and I were perfectly safe, mother," he says softly, sinking back into his shy self I had met at this table two years before.
****
After much talking and a happy reunion with Octavia, Octavius leads me back to his old childhood room. He smiles when he sees it is still the same. Now getting a better look at the room in the daylight, I glance around.

The walls are painted blue, his bed neat and covered in blankets. I'm a little alarmed at how small his bed is. It looks more like one meant for a child, hardly able to fit my husband if he laid down in it.
Despite this, Octavius looks at peace all the same.

He walks over to his dresser, looking down at the small wooden toys still left there. I watch as he picks up a small wooden horse carved by hand. "My father Gaius Octavius made this for me the day I was born," he explains, smiling. "I sadly don't recall him very well. He passed when I was four."

I walk over and look a bit surprised when he hands it to me. "Here. Keep it."
"You would entrust something so dear to me?" I ask, bewildered. He nods. "Perhaps if we were to have a child, you could give it to them," he explains softly, placing the toy in my calloused hands.
Oddly touched, I nod back, tucking the wooden horse away in my bag.
****
By the time we make it back to our villa, the sun has already set. Much to my relief, Octavius does look a lot better. As promised, I had the table set up for him when he got back with Agrippa and Maecenas.

"What did you three buy at the market?" I ask as we both enter through the main doors home. Octavius looks embarrassed, wringing his hands together.
"It's a surprise the three of us planned out. With your birthday coming up in January, I bought a gift for you."

I smile, kissing his cheek. "How sweet of you." He tucks a curl of his hair behind his ear, something of a tick he does when nervous. "I hope you'll like it. I think I'll get in the bath before bed. Would you like to join?"

"Not tonight," I yawn, blinking my weary eyes. "I think I will get to bed early. I was thinking of planning another military campaign come morning light."
Octavius frowns, looking concerned. "A military campaign...going where?"
"I was thinking of Parthia, since Caesar was going to invade that area before...you know," I clear my throat.

"Oh," he looks down, shifting his weight from one leg to another. "We are going together, right? I can fight, you know I can."
I sigh and gently hold his face in my hands, forcing his gaze up at me. I hate seeing him like this, constantly second guessing himself.

"I want you to come, but part of me is wary of you doing something reckless again."
"I will not, I swear," he whispers, eyes glossy with tears. "I swear on Jupiter's Stone. You promised not to leave me."
"I will not leave you," I whisper back, then press a firm kiss to his lips. He shakily kisses back, then pulls away, forehead against mine.

"I need your safety and affection, Antony," he murmurs. "And you have it," I remind him. "Come, we'll talk more in the morning, hm? Go and bathe, try to relax. I'll wake you up tomorrow and we can talk and make love if you'd like. How does that sound?"
He smiles, looking not as shaken up. "That sounds good."

"Ah, let's make a deal. On our way back from Parthia, we'll swing by Alexandria. Think of it as another honeymoon. I can wear all of those bright colors you say look ridiculous on me and blend right in with the crowd."
He laughs at that, smiling with his cheeks red. "You are too exotic with your clothes! You remind me of a peacock!"
I snort. "A peacock that you're tied to by marriage."
"How touching," he grins, lightly hitting my shoulder before walking off to the washroom.