The Emperor's Daughter

Chapter Three: Caius

Three apples, two loaves of bread, and a handful of strawberries. Caius knew it wasn't enough to feed the entire temple, but he knew his sister would appreciate the effort nonetheless.

He paid the man and tucked the food into his loculus before setting off for the temple on the outskirts of the city.

Today was a calmer day. The sun was warm on his skin and a crisp snap to the air made him feel alive.

He'd felt edgy last night in spite of the girls attending to his body and his relief at surrendering Romilius' blade back to him. Evander taking Junia to his bed had bothered him and the girl in the tunnel had agitated him. It'd seemed as if everyone had been pestering him yesterday.

Today was calmer. Getting up before most others had the benefit of avoiding people.

He walked through the dewy fields before reaching the cut dirt road. It created a mixture of silty mud on his boots that he'd need to clean off before he reached the temple. Being a man he wouldn't be allowed to enter. Juno, Minerva, or Venus would still probably appreciate the care he took to look presentable before their steps. Or if they didn't care, at least his priestess sister would.

The temple was a white, multi-pillar structure with a single entrance at the front where women were allowed to enter. Caius' sister Petronia had spent an excessive amount of time at the temple before becoming a priestess there at sixteen. It had been three years since and her dedication to the goddesses and the temple had only grown.

Before the walk leading up to the temple was a shrine where the men could offer their prayers and offerings. Caius had never knelt before it, finding he'd never wanted to pray for marriage, justice, or beauty. Though he could see the benefit in asking for strategy or victory in the arena.

The images of the goddesses were painted on the back of the shrine, their faces looking out at him with focused eyes as if they saw right into his soul. Only a few men had made offerings to them, and what was offered was not exactly quality items. Men likely figured their offerings were better off in the temple of Jupiter, Neptune, or Mars. After all what would a man get when offering the goddess of beauty an offering?

Still, Caius found it in bad taste to insult the goddesses before their own temple. He placed an apple on the altar, deciding it was the least he could do.

Not many people were out visiting the temple in the morning so he decided to settle down under the shade of a tree across the temple's road. He'd have to wait for a woman to come along to see if she would enter the temple and ask for Petronia.

Taking one of the strawberries out, he treated himself to one, enjoying the sweet taste that wrapped around his senses and left his breath smelling sweet. He shut his eyes, angling his face up at the branches of the tree where a few shafts of sunlight broke through the leaves and let his mind drift.

Since yesterday's fight he'd been reflecting on Romilius' ability to focus on the exact place to aim his sword where his opponent would likely arch for to avoid being struck by another blow. He was good at it, always seeming to know where an opponent's next strike would be.

It was Caius' speed that made himself a good gladiator. He might not always know where to aim his blade or where a blade would aim for him, but he usually knew how to quickly alter his course. Whether he needed to thrust his sword up or whip back his body, his speed had not failed him on the arena floor. For this he supposed Romilius was right; Caius was lucky the emperor hadn't come calling for him to fight.

Another war was brewing. Soldiers had been dispatched to the west to try and halt their most current threat. There always seemed to be a war happening and for any reason.