A New Couple
From my WIP follow-on to Cloak and Stola
I’m writing a series of stories that follow some Roman soldiers, starting in the first century AD, as they attempt to deal with family formation during the era of the marriage ban. I’m working on what will be a novella or a novel centered around Capernaum, and I’m just posting snippets or scenes right now. And everything is subject to change. So anyway, if you already read “Capernaum 1”, this snippet would come sometime after that.
Procerus turned the key and entered the left-hand courtyard of the villa in Capernaum where the Roman legion soldiers who had families lived. Three boys were playing in the dirt of the courtyard, while an older teen stood watch, twirling a rock in a sling in his hand.
Procerus waved Fortis and Fidela and Illeus inside and locked the gate. Then he watched until the boys reached a break in their game and called out the winner. “Marcus,” he said. “Get Aunt Sophie. Tell her I’m home, and I’ve brought friends. And that we’ll need a room for a new couple.
With the boy gone, and the door closed and locked, some girls appeared from behind the oven in the other courtyard, spinning.
“Not exactly in the Roman style,” said Procerus, and set a piece of bread on the platform in front of the statue, “but this is the household idol.” Illeus and Fortis set a piece of bread there as well, with a mumbled guest prayer."
Sophie came out with a baby and handed it to Procerus. “Watch the neck,” she said. “He’s barely three months.”
“Woman, I know how to hold a baby,” he said, grinning, and making faces at the baby. Then he looked back up at her. “You look good,” he said. “No problems?”
“Juno likes me,” she answered.
Then she looked over to the other two men and Fidela. “Who’s the couple?” she asked.
“I’m Fortis, ma’am,” he introduced himself, giving his patron’s name. “And this is Fidela.”
“Have you gone over the threshold yet?” asked Sophie.
Fortis blushed and looked down at the question. “In a manner of speaking….”
“Slave or freed woman?” Sophie continued.
“They just need a place to stay,” said Illeus. “And I hold Fidela’s contract, if that matters. Fortis’s going to buy it from me on time.”
Sophie went over to Fidela. “Men!” she said. “It was a simple question! I didn’t ask if you’d lain together, I asked if you’d gone over the threshold. Fidela, is that what you want?”
Fidela, who had been wondering about the question herself, smiled broadly. “No, we haven’t. He bought me after I had served my former master. And yes, we want to go over the threshold.”
Sophie nodded. “Well, you be good to him, then. If he’s a friend of my Procerus, he’s a good one.” Then she turned to her husband.
“Procerus,” she said, taking the baby back, “take Fortis and Illeus to the bachelor’s room. Fidela, come with me. We have time before dinner to take the auspices and set the date for the threshold ceremony.”
“Cleo,” said Procerus to one of the girls in the courtyard, after the three men had dropped their bags in the room. “Get something for us to eat, and a skin of posca.”
Illeus and Fortis sat on one cot, and Procerus sat on the other.
“Well,” said Procerus, “you can tell who’s in charge here.” Then he looked over at Fortis, who looked stunned.
“Lad,” he said. “You bought her for your wife, didn’t you?”
“You know we can’t…. She’s my contubernalis, at least until I get her paid off. And then she still won’t be my wife.”
Procerus shook his head and sighed. “Youngster, we’re soldiers. We could die every time they send us out. Do you think we’d leave our women and children un-cared-for just because some idiot administrator won’t let us sign a form? Here in this household, Sophie is my wife. All the locals here in Capernaum know she is. I bought her, too, and freed her, and the legate thinks she’s my concubine. Fine. Everyone in town and in the garrison knows the truth. And once you cross the threshold, you and Fidela will be husband and wife. If that’s a problem, she can stay here but you need to go back to the garrison.”
Link to buy: Cloak and Stola