Descendants of Rome (#3 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"They have returned, Commander." A soldier informed Octavia dutifully, his gaze not meeting hers, "They await your presence inside the gate."

"Excellent," Octavia placed her cup on top of the stack of papers to keep them from blowing away, before she marched out of her tent and hurried for the entrance.

Her eagerness to witness such a thing as this unsettled the guard, but he did his duty and said nothing.

The wind had begun to pick up in the last few days, she hoped it would settle soon but she knew Gaulish weather was fairly unpredictable.

Approaching the gate, Octavia saw that Polonius and Hadrian had already arrived; their backs were to her, preventing her view of the children.

The soldier in front of Polonius saw her first and stood to attention.

Hadrian and Polonius glanced over their shoulders when they saw the guard's sudden reaction.

They stepped aside and let her pass, until she stopped just in between them.

Octavia looked down at the three little creatures; one girl and two boys, closely. She had never understood the need for offspring.

Fumbling, stupid creatures that would not survive on their own; in the wild, new borns were taught to walk the very same day, if they didn't, they died.

Octavia understood survival.

The girl, whose name Octavia knew as Cassia, was holding the younger boys hands, her eyes looking down in fear. Octavia saw that she had not inherited her mother's feistiness quite yet, but give her time.

Octavia turned to the lead soldier, "You are late."

His jaw flexed for a moment, "I was expecting an ambush from Krista-"

Cassia lifted her head at the mention of her mother's name.

"-so we diverted around, but still no attack arrived, it was puzzling. Is she still there?"

Octavia nodded, "She is but, hopefully, not for much longer."

She looked down at Cassia and saw that the girl had lifted her head now, her eyes opened wide.

"Mama," The youngest child suddenly whimpered into Cassia's side, his chubby hands clutching at her clothes, holding her close.

Cassia's eyes began to fill with tears as she gazed up at the people surrounding her, their faces looking down on her.

Zeph huddled into her side as Ahern tried his best to keep his back straight, but there was nothing she could do for any of them.

She had never seen this land before. They had been snatched from their beds and Cassia could only imagine what Fauna must be going through, thinking she had lost children placed into her care.

Cassia just wanted to go home.

"Octavia," Polonius drew her attention, "A word, please?"

Octavia ordered the solider, "Take them to my tent and guard them."

"Commander," The infantryman ordered his men to move out, tapping the girl in the back with his hand, telling her to start walking.

When they were a safe distance away, Polonius questioned Octavia, "What are you doing? They are only children!"

"And this is war!" Octavia reminded him, "If you do not like my methods, then please, return to Rome."

Polonius stared Octavia in the eye for a long moment, waiting to see if any spark of regret or a resemblance of emotion came to life but all he saw was an empty marble expression.