“Drusilla was at Capri with us,” he continued. “Gaius was worried…he feared the emperor…” Kallias went silent for a moment, and she sensed he was sorting through words in his head. “He feared his sister might attract undue attention from the old emperor.”
Lea shuddered, abruptly grateful that the man they spoke of was in the underworld where he belonged. Hopefully somewhere deep in Tartarus, having something very, very painful done to him for eternity. “I see.”
“Gaius enlisted my services to help protect her.” Kallias’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Making sure he was in no condition to bother her.”
Lea blinked. It took her a moment to understand his meaning. Then she gasped. “Youpoisonedthe emperor?”
“No!” he hissed. “I merely slipped him a remedy I’d give anyone else who needed a long, restorative rest. Only I did it every night I could manage it.”
“You drugged an emperor.” Admiration swelled in her chest. She couldn’t imagine how much cunning and bravery it took to pull that off once, let alone many times. If he’d been discovered…
Another shiver ran through her. If he’d been discovered, no doubt he would not be sitting here on this bench talking to her today.
“That was why Gaius freed me,” Kallias finished. “But little has changed.” A touch of bitterness edged his voice, which surprised her. She would have thought his life here was ideal. He had status, security, and freedom.
She wanted to question him further, but the arrival of three people in the courtyard made her fall silent. It was Drusilla, followed by two attendants. Lea and Kallias hastened to their feet.
“Oh!” Drusilla let out a pleased exclamation when she saw them, and hurried over to them, her orange dress fluttering behind her in the light morning breeze. Her brown hair was bound in a simple braided bun, with a spray of tiny white flowers tucked into it. “Penthesilea! I didn’t realize you were still here. I could have had a room prepared for you. Unless…” Her gaze slid to Kallias, and a sly smile curved her lips. “Perhaps that wasn’t necessary.”
A flush heated Lea’s face, as if she’d walked into the hottest room at the baths. “I—I was—”
Kallias gave her a slight nudge, perhaps exhorting her to be quiet. “Since the hour had grown so late, I suggested it might be best for Penthesilea to spend the night on the spare bed in my office.”
Lea had noticed no such spare bed in his office, but she was grateful for the lie.
“Oh. Well, wherever you slept, I’m glad I found you. I wanted to ask you something.”
“M-me?” Lea stammered. What could Drusilla possibly want from her?
“I want you to give me lessons!” Drusilla announced.
“Lessons,” Lea repeated blankly. “In what?”
“Fighting, of course,” Drusilla said. An eager light sparked in her gaze. “I thought perhaps wrestling. Or archery. You’re supposed to be good at archery, aren’t you?”
Lea nodded reluctantly. In addition to combat matches in the arena, she also took part in occasional archery competitions, and she was known as one of the best archers in the city, male or female.
“I have a friend who has a wrestling instructor,” Drusilla continued. “I’m told it’s very healthy for ladies to be strong, so we can survive childbirth. Isn’t that right, medicus?” She turned her attention to Kallias.
Lea found herself praying he would disagree, state that it was in fact extremely unhealthy for elite women to undertake any physical activity, especially when taught by a female gladiator named Penthesilea…
Instead, he nodded. “I believe a degree of physical activity benefits everyone.”
“So you’ll do it?” Drusilla asked Lea. “I was thinking once a week. Maybe Fridays. Kallias, you can sort out the details of payment with my steward. Whatever Penthesilea thinks is fair. Wonderful! I’ll see you then.” Then, in a flutter of orange fabric, she was gone, disappearing with her attendants through the columns on the other side of the courtyard.
Lea blinked. She wanted to point out that she hadn’t actually agreed to anything—but perhaps agreement was not required where the emperor’s sister was concerned.
She glared at Kallias. “I’m going to kill you. This was supposed to be just a dinner, which was bad enough, but now I’ve been roped into weekly lessons?”
“It was hardly my idea,” he said blithely. “In any case, I imagine her interest will fade quickly. And the money will make it worth your while in the meantime. How much do you want? Fivehundred sestertii a lesson? I can organize the payments with her steward.”
Some—but not all—of Lea’s irritation rapidly dissolved at the mention of money. Five hundred a lesson, for perhaps an hour or two of work? Easy money. And she needed all she could get.
She let out a tight sigh through her teeth. “Fine. No less than five hundred.” Lucullus would be entitled to a share of her earnings, but any money was better than none.
“Good. Now, the exit is this way.” He beckoned her through the courtyard, and she followed.
11
