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Polonius was well aware of his lady's discomfort. The General had taught him to notice subtleties well and how important observation was. He should have insisted the lady take her meal in her rooms. General Maximus had entrusted him with her well being. He wouldn't let his General down. There was no one in the vast Roman empire that Polonius admired and respected more than the General. And there was no one more precious nor dear to Maximus than Lady Joimus. Polonius knew that Maximus would make it back from this seemingly impossible task. He would make sure the General's lady was in perfect condition. She must rest and heal. And she must be safe from Torinius. Polonius was well aware that neither may be easy.

The enemy of his General stood by the window. Therefore Torinius was his enemy also.

"Ah, Lady Joimus and young Polonius. Welcome to the dining hall. There will be a special meal served in your honor today." A broad smile on his face.

Polonius had the urge to wipe the man's smile off his face. He instead forced a smile as he faced their host.

********

"I calculated it will take a week to reach that point, Cicero." The horse pranced beneath him. Eager to be on this journey. Maximus did not share his steed's high spiritedness. He had turned his mind toward their mission. Joimus would remain close to his heart, but he couldn't keep her constantly in his mind or he would err and cause his, Cicero's and perhap's the child's death. Maximus must succeed. Failure was not an option he would allow. He would not fail his Joimus.

"Keep your eyes alert, Cicero. I think we should have rabbit for dinner tonight." Maximus gave him a small smile and gave the stallion his head for a short time to spend some of his excess energy.

It had taken some time for Maximus to be certain they were being followed. But, the man was not that stealthy and had given himself away more than once. There were two possible explanations. He was a thief and was waiting to rob them. Maximus felt this was unlikely as a thief rarely had this amount of patience and if he did, he would be better able to conceal himself while following them.

Maximus would be wary and watch. Pull the man in and lull him into thinking he was unseen. Torinius had sent this man. Of that Maximus was sure. He couldn't fathom why the man would send a lone assassin. Torinius knew that Maximus was a capable soldier. He maintained a stance of relaxation as he watched Cicero hunt. The young man was unaware of their spy. Maximus would pull Cicero back if he wandered too far away while hunting. He would prepare him gradually to allow him to not give away their knowledge of being followed. Maximus wondered if Torinius ever intended him to arrive in Carinthia or Nythor's palace. Was the child even his or did he want him if he was?

This man would probably strike under the cover of darkness.

Maximus would kill Torinius if he tried to kill the boy, Cicero, Polonius or touched one fair hair on his beloved wife's head.

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Torinius smiled to the Lady Joimus. She was being more gracious. Maximus would be out of the way now. She would grow to love him. Torinius would have her. He would possess all that had belonged to Maximus. He coveted the woman the most. She was a prize he wanted.

"Ah, Lady Joimus, we raise the finest suckling pigs in the Empire." Torinius clapped his hands to begin his servants procession of bringing the food into the dining hall. "The tenderest turnips and sweetest onions. The finest and lightest sauces prepared by a chef that was trained while serving the Royal family. Your delicate palate will rejoice, dear Lady." Seeing that the Lady was settled in her place, Torinius sat down with ceremony across from her.

Maximus had set a camp fire while Cicero hunted their dinner. He set up a perimeter for safety around their camp. Since whomever was following them was Torinius' spy, there was no need for appearing as a Lord and his servant since their pursuer knew he was a General. There was no worry until they were closer to Carinthia.

Maximus spoke so his voice would carry. "That will make a bountiful feast for us tonight, Cicero." When Cicero drew close to him, he spoke low and calmly to him. "There is someone following us, Cicero. I expect he will make his move after night fall when we sleep. One of us will need to be awake at all times. No, don't look around at all. We continue as we would for any merchant and his loyal servant making camp for the night. We must not seem self conscious." He patted his stomach and spoke more loudly again. "I look forward to eating the rabbit."

*********

Torinius smiled. He was very pleased. The Lady was being much more gracious then she had been up to this time. Perhaps she was less attached to Maximus than she had seemed when he was present. That would be fortuitous.

He made sure the servants filled his guests cups of his best red wine. "Surely tonight is worthy of a toast to me esteemed guests. I'm sure Maximus will have a very successful mission." He smiled broadly.

Polonius watched Lady Joimus. She worried him. She was too conciliatory and pleasant toward Torinius with a very sudden shift in her attitude. She was plotting something. The good thing was Torinius seemed oblivious to the change. That might give them a small advantage in a situation that was very stacked against the Meridius household. Polonius wondered how Maximus was faring? He knew he should be by the General's side, but understood that this was where the General needed him to be to make his quest successful. Polonius mused for a brief moment if he would ever find a love like that between Maximus and the Lady Joimus. He hoped so.

Torinius greatly enjoyed his role as an extraordinary host as the bounty was brought to the table and served. His eyes glittered as he watched the beautiful woman. "Lady Joimus, if there is anything you need to make your stay here easier, just let me know. Supplies for art to paint, plays to read. I have some scrolls of poetry you might enjoy. We could read them some evening together." He smiled smarmily and popped a flavorful olive into his mouth. It was very good and he motioned for the servant to offer some olives to the lady. She would be his. Any doubts he had were already vanished.

*********

Maximus stayed wary and alert, but at the same time he and Cicero supped on a feast of rabbits, onions, bread and cheese. They had some supplies from Torinius' villa. The first few days of eating would be much more bountiful with fresh food than the following ones where they would have to trade along the way and rely on their hunting skills.

The sun was setting and Maximus stood and stretched after eating. "It looks like a fine night to sleep, Cicero." He yawned for effect. "I may turn in a bit early this evening. We will ride early in the morning." Maximus flashed a knowing look to Cicero. He intended to get a good night's sleep after he dispatched of the man following them if his job was to do more than follow.

Torinius smiled with pleasure. He would be victorious. The lady was already warming to his attentions now that Maximus was out of the way. And that would be a permanent solution.

"A lady with as much culture as you would enjoy art, Lady Joimus. I took a chance that you would also be an artist in your own right. I will do all I can to make your stay here as pleasant as possible." Torinius intended that to be permanent also. And once the lady decided to stay with him he would send the boy back to the army instead of hovering over his general's wife.

***********

Maximus had the look of a man drifting off to sleep and completely relaxed. The truth was anything but that. He lay in wait. Ready. Knife in hand. Enticing his would be attacker to come closer and into his web. For a large man he moved rather stealthily, but there were some tell tale signs of movement. The night was too quiet to mask the sounds that didn't belong. Cicero was doing well though he know the boy must be frightened. He was convinced someday the boy would make a fine soldier.

Maximus knew his attacker was taking too long. He wasn't going to attack him in hand to hand combat from behind. Maximus deftly rolled to the side and immediately into a crouch to prepare for attack and to launch his own. It was much better to take the offensive than the defensive with him so close.

"Are you a man or a coward? Face me, coward." His knife glinted in the remaining firelight.

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Torinius was overjoyed. His plans to woo the Lady Joimus were well underway. Certainly as time passed she would forget about Maximus. She would fall in love with him and he would make her his wife. Torinius was always a man able to make big plans and see them through. His success would continue.

"I will have all the supplies set up in the garden that you will need to paint the poppies, Lady Joimus. I will provide anything you need to make your stay here pleasant. I hope you will bestow your first painting to me when you have finished. I will give it a place of honor on my walls." He smiled broadly. She would have a place of honor in his household and in his bed as well. She would need comfort of all types when her husband failed to return.