Soldier of Rome: Heir to Rebellion (The Artorian Chronicles) (33 page)

“
Now, the first thing you need to do is assume a good fighting stance.” Artorius could not believe he was doing this, though he figured by teaching Diana how to fight with a gladius, he could keep his own skills as an instructor at least partially sharp. He had acquired a pair of training gladii, and had had a training stake made out by the orchard. Padding had been added to the stake as well, so that it could be effectively used for punching. Artorius figured Diana would never wield a legionary shield, however he knew that by teaching her to punch with her left hand, she would be more than able to fend off just about any adversary. Diana stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, her right leg back slightly.

“Good,” Artorius observed. “Now you want to keep your weapon close to your side, with your arm bent and the point facing forward. Remember, the gladius is primarily a stabbing weapon. We rarely slash with it, though if kept sharp; it can cleave through arms and legs readily enough.”

He then walked Diana through the rudimentary basics of fighting with the gladius. He had her keep her left hand up by her head, her elbow in. She learned how to effectively punch with her left hand, and to follow it up with a rapid stab with her weapon. Artorius was very much impressed. Years of horseback riding had given Diana superior leg strength and balance. She proved agile and quick in her strikes. Like he did with his recruits, he made her stand and strike her target again and again, testing her conditioning. He was surprised at how long she managed to last initially. Granted she did not have the strength or stamina of a fully trained legionary, however she did last longer than many recruits; more than enough to impress him.

By the time he told her to rest, her arms were shaking, her legs wobbly. Her hair was unkempt and sweat ran down her forehead. Indeed her entire body was drenched in sweat. She placed her hands on her knees, and found she was gasping for air. Artorius was partially aroused by the sight. He noticed that her left hand was red and battered, though Diana did not complain.

Finally, a woman with some stamina and fortitude,
he thought to himself.

“That’s enough for today,” he said aloud.

The next days were more of the same. Diana’s body felt like it was about to collapse from exhaustion by the end of it, yet still she refused to quit. Artorius demanded more from her physically than she had ever been asked to give in her entire life.
She had only been training for a week, and already was becoming quicker with the gladius, with her conditioning improving as well.  She had only been training for a week, and already was becoming quicker with the gladius, with her conditioning improving as well.

At the end of an afternoon session
Diana elected to take a walk through the grove to try and cool her body down. Soon she felt dizzy again, and she found herself leaning against a tree, vomiting uncontrollably. Artorius had just started to walk back towards the main house, when he heard Diana’s physical distress. He smiled to himself and shook his head. Using his crutch, he walked over to where he could see her leaning against a tree, her body shaking.

“Are you alright?” he asked, walking up to her. Diana raised her hand for him to stop, and then began gagging once again.

“I’ll be fine,” she finally replied, taking deep breaths. Artorius walked up and ran his hand up and down her back.

“There is no shame,” he told her. “Believe me; I’ve thrown up many a time from having overexerted myself. You have come quite a ways in such a short period of time.”

“Not good enough to fight against any of you though,” she replied as she leaned her head against the tree.

“Well no,” he remarked as he continued to gently rub her back. “But then again, who can? I am not teaching you how to fight against
legionaries; I’m teaching you…well to be honest I’m not entirely certain what I’m teaching you to fight against.”

“I guess I just wanted to learn something new,” Diana thought aloud as she stood upright, removing his hand from her back
and quickly stepping away from him. “Thank you. I’m alright now.”

As he sat under the shade of a tree by the river, Artorius struggled with feelings of awkwardness, given his latest interaction with Diana. By showing the slightest sign of physical affection towards her, he knew he had overstepped his bounds. She was a hard one to gauge. Though she had been very kind to him, there was still a barrier that existed between them. But of course this was probably unavoidable. After all, she was of the Patrician class, he a mere plebian soldier. Hell, he wasn’t even a Centurion; at least then he could show that he was advancing himself well enough along to be worthy of her. He then wondered if he misread Proculus’ intentions all along, that perhaps this was simply convalescence and nothing more. Diana had quite extensive knowledge when it came to medicines and treating injuries. It stood to reason that she took care for him and not risk reopening the wound on his leg by traveling too soon.

He tossed a stone into the water and gazed at the ripples. He then thought too about how neither ever referred to the other by their given names. She mostly called him by his rank, and he
had always addressed her as “My Lady.” It was only proper of course. He then saw her walking along the path towards him, though he pretended not to notice.

“I came to see how you are doing, Sergeant,” Diana said as she approached.

“Just relaxing and enjoying the evening,” he replied. At that moment he felt incredibly awkward. She sat down on the fallen tree next to him, his eyes still fixed on the current. His breathing was shaky and he could not for the life of him figure out why he was so nervous around her.

“You’re quite the fascinating one,” Diana continued. “You are a legionary from the ranks, but yet you appear to be as well educated as any patrician.”

“My father is a teacher,” Artorius explained, trying to regain control over his wavering voice. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was now or never, he reasoned. He forced a coy grin and turned to face her, placing his hand on hers.

“I cannot help but wonder,” he said, “how is it that someone so beautiful is devoid of a husband?” Diana’s face darkened, her temper soaring. She smacked his
hand away.

“How
dare
you ask me such a wicked thing!” she snapped standing up and turning to face him, her face red with anger. Artorius was beside himself and struggled to find the right words.

“My Lady, I am sorry; my intent was not to offend.”

“Well offend me you have,
Sergeant
,” Diana hissed. Artorius winced as she placed emphasis on his rank, driving the social wedge further between them. He was surprised that she did not storm off; rather she continued her diatribe. “Do you not know why I am alone; why the only use anyone has for me is to housesit an estate in the middle of
fucking
Gaul; of my failures to my family and to Rome?”

“My Lady please forgive me; you are no failure…” his words were cut short as he tried to stand, a blinding pain causing his leg to spasm. His face twisted in pain as he fell back onto his seat. Diana
swallowed hard, regretting her outburst. She took a deep breath through her nose before continuing.

“It is the duty of every Roman woman to help her family to pass on their line,” she began.
“I was married once, for a very brief time. It was a good match, and both our families looked to benefit greatly. It was soon after this that I failed in my role as a wife and Roman patrician. I am afflicted with a curse; a curse that the Fates have not allowed me to bear a child. No line can continue from my body, and I am of no use to
any
man. Every day I pray that my sister Claudia is not cursed as well.”

“I am sorry to hear that,” Artorius said, trying to console her. “
I
do not think you are cursed.” Diana pretended not to hear him.

“Proculus is but a second cousin to me, and yet he took
pity on me. I am
tired
of everyone’s pity. He asked me to manage his Gallic estate while his wife is in Rome. That is what I’ve become; no better than a mere housekeeper, and yet I failed in that charge as well…” Her voice trailed off as she fought to control her emotions.

“You were facing one hundred armed men!” Artorius retorted. “What were you supposed to do, fight them off by yourself?”

“It matters not,” Diana replied her voice quiet, eyes lowered and arms folded across her chest. Artorius forced himself to his feet and took a step towards her.

“Well
I
don’t see you as afflicted,” he said. She raised her eyes and glared at him. The anger and hurt they conveyed was unnerving, but still he persisted. “It is not like you consciously asked to be this way. And besides, there are those who still care for you, regardless of your ability to bear children.” Diana looked at the ground once more and slowly shook her head.

“I see you still have much to learn,” she stated
, her voice calm once more. To Artorius it was as cold as ice. “The idealism you frontier soldiers have the privilege of enjoying has little role in Roman society. You’ve become too detached by living amongst barbarians that you start to take on some of their values and beliefs.”

“And are all of those beliefs bad?” Artorius asked. “I learned a lesson not too long ago; and it was most painful for me. I learned that when you love someone you do not wait for politics to dictate whether it is right or not, nor do you brush it off as meaningless. Like you, I have suffered loss; a loss that still haunts me with regret to this day. Do not allow what happened to me happen to you. I allowed she who loved
me to be taken away. The Fates cursed us for it…” He slowly sat down as Diana continued to stand in silence. “You can avoid this fate, you know; if you will only allow me to help you…”

“I’m sorry, but you cannot help me,” she said quietly, her eyes fixated on the slow-moving current. “And I do not
want
your help!” Immediately she regretted her words, for they were not true. She just could not bring herself to show her affections towards him, as desperately as she wanted to.

“You’re right,” he replied
, forcing himself to his feet in resignation. Artorius turned and limped away and it was not just his leg that hurt him.

Diana was taken aback by his words, her eyes wide and lips slightly parted in surprise.
She sat with her head in her hands, a feeling of hopelessness overcoming her. It was then that she remembered her promise to Kiana. It was a far greater thing that the young girl had forgiven Artorius and found redemption before her untimely death than it was for Diana to simply open her heart to him.

Suddenly she was tired; tired of being afraid, tired of being alone, tired of feel
ing like the constant failure in life. In that moment she let go of the bonds that held her soul captive.

It was an unfamiliar feeling for Artorius; one that he thought only existed in story books for children and spineless poets. His attraction for Diana went far beyond the physical, even though he found her to be more attractive than any woman he had ever known. No, this was something different, and it troubled him. Was this what his father felt for Juliana, or what Metellus had felt for Rowana? And was it what he may have felt for Camilla at one time? He certainly had his regrets about Camilla, but this feeling was not the same as what he had felt for her. There was a bond of sorts that he felt with Diana; an emotional bond that drew him to her. He knew this was a complete waste because there was no way she could ever have similar feelings for him. Certainly she probably had affection for him because he did save her life, but that was all. Diana kept an emotional barrier up that she allowed no one to get past, let alone a plebian soldier.

Artorius’ heart ached worse than his leg as he sat down on a rock that overlooked another part of the stream. This part was unfamiliar to him; there was a small waterfall that he fixed his gaze on while a pair of rabbits scampered through the tall grass on the far side. He let out a deep sigh as he looked out into the setting sun that had fallen behind the hills. He shivered slightly as darkness fell on him.
He heard the rustle in the grass behind him and the snap of twigs. He turned to see Diana standing behind him, her hands folded and a sad smile on her face.