Unconditionally (Spartacus FANFIC -- Gannicus/Caesar/OC)

Chapter XL

I sat up in our bed as Gannicus awoke seemingly readying himself to leave the temple. I quickly pulled the wolf pelt over my body for warmth. Winter was coming and the fire was no longer enough to keep us all warm unless of course we laid next to it. I watched as he looked over at me with the sudden movement of the fur.

"Go back to sleep." He told me, "I am almost positive your body must still be sore." He pointed out to me. Likely referring to the amount of times I was hit and put to the ground during training the morning and night before. Though an answer in kind would not be found from my lips.

"It was good my love, but not good enough to stop me from questioning why you leave our bed." Gannicus stifled a laugh as he sat back down his fingers running through my hair and tracing along the skin on my cheek, him placing his forehead to mine.

"You know there is nothing that could ever keep me from this bed, or from your body. Though I made promise to Spartacus adding him in further training of the men." He told me as he moved away from me slightly.

"He requests your help but not mine?" I asked my voice hinting at the slight betrayal I was feeling. He places me in the highest regard of trust, requests me to play as a general in his... army and yet does not even make mention towards this new training.

"It was more so that your brother and I agreed this was one thing you could sit out on, and less of Spartacus not requesting your help... he did in fact ask us both to summon you for this we just..." He began to explain.

"Elected not to... interesting the two men in my life both seem to think me unfit for the role given to me." I cocked my brow.

"No.. no no, that's not it at all, well at least not from me." He told me as he placed a hand on my shoulder causing me to wince in pain. "That... is why I chose to go with your brother in not summoning you. Soon, you will no longer feel sting of pain from injuries... yet today is not yet that day." He smiled pulling me closer to him gently kissing my forehead.

I had to admit knowing he believed in me filled my whole body with joy, it was the one thing I had wished of my brother all this time. To just accept that being apart of this rebellion with him was always going to happen; here is Gannicus believing in me and just wanting me to rest when injured. "Will you at least tell me what it is you are all doing?" I questioned.

"Only if you make promise to keep it from your brother." He told me as my brow furrowed, did he not just say Spartacus had asked him and my brother to come to me with request to aid in training? "What do you mean?"

Gannicus let out a heavy sigh, "After meeting with Agron, Crixus and Spartacus we spoke of training certain people in different skills, make them more versatile in fights. Agron had pulled me aside and made comment to keep your name off such list even though we both knew you would be first named. After he had left Spartacus and Crixus had asked me to help them in preparing the men at night should we be attacked..."

I just stared at him blankly, "Agron is in the same position as Mira then... lowered in the graces of Spartacus... I should be among them." I told him. "Though why trick the men and women of an attack... to do what prove we are weak where it needs to count?"