Read Online Soldier of Rome: The Legionary (The Artorian Chronicles) by James Mace - Free Book Online

woman, maybe a couple years older than his father. Primus spent many days at Juliana’s , and Artorius was growing impatient with his father for not taking his relationship with her further.
    She looked up from her gardening when she heard him approaching and smiled at him. “Hello, Artorius.”
    “Beautiful morning,” he replied.
    “Your father’s just left,” she told him.
    “I know. But I did not come looking for him, at least not yet.”
    “I see,” she said, still smiling. “You’ve got another dilemma that you have to discuss with your father, and you don’t know how to do it.”
    He hung his head sheepishly. She set down her gardening tools and motioned towards a bench.
    “Let’s not waste the day. Come sit down and let’s discuss what ails you. Wine?” she asked him.
    “Yes , please,” he answered.
    After serving the wine, she sat on a bench across from him, her chin on her hand, that smile never leaving her face. How had his father not fallen in love with that smile?
    He took a long draught of wine before starting. “You know today is my seventeenth birthday. I am now of age and eligible to join the army. I need Father to write me a letter of introduction that I can take to the recruiting station. Without proof of citizenship, I cannot hope to join. I am not certain how to tell him of my intentions.”
    “He already knows,” Juliana said , her expression unchanging.
    Artorius was dumbfounded, “ What do you mean he knows?”
    Juliana stifled a laugh . “My dear Artorius. Do you really think you could hide such a thing from him? He is your father, after all. He’s known of your intentions for six years. He could read it in your face. He could see it in your eyes. He could see it in how you continued to study the campaigns of Scipio, Marius, and Caesar into the late hours of the night.” She was no longer smiling. “You know he came to me last night to discuss this very thing. He didn’t leave until just a little while ago.”
    “I knew he didn’t come home last night,” Artorius said. “I just figured maybe you two were…” he stopped and looked away, realizing what he had almost said.
    Juliana burst out laughing. “Gods have mercy! You really thought we were…”“Well, he was gone all night.” Artorius’ face was completely flushed. “I’ve wanted to tell him for years that you are the best thing to come into his life since Mother died. And that he was a fool if he didn’t, you know, make something more of it.”
    Juliana looked at him with much affection in her eyes. “You know that I do love your father dearly. He was there when everyone else abandoned me. He gave me life.” She paused for a moment . “But I never tried to take it any further. I may have been alone, but he still had you. I could not bring myself to try and replace your mother.” She looked away.
    Artorius took her hand in his. “You’ve been as much of a mother and a friend as anyone could hope for. Your love and understanding have always been without question.”
    She reached up, touched the side of his face, and then kissed him on the cheek. There was a tear in her eye. She took a deep breath and wiped her tear away. “Now we need to deal with the dilemma with your father. You know that he already knows of your intentions, so just go and ask him. He’s very protective of you, Artorius, but he knows what is in your heart and that you will not be dissuaded. So just ask him.”
    Artorius smiled, kissed her hand, and turned to leave. “Thank you,” he said . “You always have the simplest, and yet the best, answers.” With that he left.
    Juliana smiled and turned back towards her garden . “And so, young Artorius, you begin your new life as a man.”
     
    Artorius decided to make one final stop on his way home. He found Camilla pacing back and forth amongst the trees outside her family’s home. She was just a year younger than Artorius, and he had been infatuated with her since they were small