Infames

V

Fronto's villa was blinding white under the hot rays of the sun; it was giving Gaizaz a headache just looking at it. Murinus, meanwhile, let out a low whistle beside him, hands on his hips as he observed the palatial residence for the first time.

"It's big."

Gaizaz snorted. "You think?"

"Shut up," the actor quipped back. "It's just not quite what I expected."

The mercenary looked over at him, but quickly had to steel himself because the other man, who took no notice of his gaze, looked really good. His tunica was dark red, a shade that reminded Gaizaz of crushed redcurrants, and soft to the touch, ending just below his knees and tied loosely at the waist with band of navy blue linen. His hair had been brushed back to show off his fine facial features, fixed in place with a navy tainia, and he wore a golden bracelet (stolen) around his left upper arm.

Murinus turned and caught his eye. "What?"

"Nothing," Gaizaz replied, faster than he would have liked, then returned his attention to the house. "Are you ready? Do you remember what you need to do?"

"Of course I do," Murinus scoffed. "You've only reminded me twenty-seven times."

Before the mercenary could reiterate the plan for a twenty-eighth time, the actor took off up the path towards the villa, with a spring in his step that did nothing to put Gaizaz at ease.

◆ ◆ ◆

Guards scowled as Murinus approached the portico of the villa, quickly stepping in front of him to prevent him from coming any closer as they held their spears heavenward. The actor came to a halt, keen eyes watching patiently.

"State your business or leave," one brute snarled. Murinus tilted his head and adopted a bashful expression, drawing small circles in the dirt with the toe of his sandal.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he apologised sweetly, clutching a hand to his chest. "I don't mean to cause any trouble. I'm seeking an audience with Gaius Lusius Fronto: with everything I've heard, I'm hoping that he's the man I can trust to handle my finances."

He then flashed a winning smile. "I'm an actor, you see."

A moment of hesitation passed between the guards, before one spoke up, declaring that he would tell Fronto before marching indoors.

He returned a few minutes later. "Lusius Fronto will see you inside."

Murinus nodded respectfully to the men, regardless of the smug expression plastered across his face, then followed the one who had made the announcement inside.

The atrium of this villa was the largest that Murinus had ever seen. The high, white-plastered walls were frescoed with pastoral scenes in red, green, and yellow dyes, from young shepherds relaxing on hillsides to nymphs dancing through glades, while the mosaic floor beneath held a repetitive floral pattern. The ceiling reigned far out of reach, painted a subtle blue, with a square opening in the centre, which overlooked a shallow pool surrounded by tall columns with Composite capitals. Natural light poured in through this architectural aperture, and in the middle of the impluvium was a small bronze statue of a playful, winged youth; Cupid, perhaps.

"Wait here," the guard barked, then vanished into another room. Murinus rocked on the balls of his feet as he glanced around, taking in the opulence of the villa. Any other day, the actor would have felt just fine amidst the company of equestrians, but as of now, there was something about this place that unsettled him. Through the doorway on the other side of the atrium he could see that beyond there was a large, peristyle courtyard with luscious green plants, and he spied two boys, surely younger than him, tossing a leather ball back and forth. One wore a loincloth while the other was nude, but both had long hair that reached past their shoulders. Murinus's stomach churned.