LITMIR.BIZ

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advantage of his family’s position. As a child, his parents taught him humility, but not just toward them. Adas was expected to treat the servants the same way, which was unusual for a wealthy Roman family.

      Fascinated by horses, Adas spent most of his time with the horse masters at the garrison in Rome. They mentored the teenager in battle skills and horse care. By the time Adas turned sixteen, he could go the distance with some of the legionaries in sparring competitions. Adas idolized the veterinarim, and wanted to be a primus veterinarius. To do that, he could join the army when he turned seventeen.

      His father did not approve of his son’s career choice. Likewise, Adas resented his father’s intolerance of the “unsophisticated” soldiers at the garrison. As Aquila attempted to control his son, Adas grew increasingly rebellious. Adas’s mother, Marsetina, hoped father and son would eventually bond, but as her son matured that hope faded. When Adas enlisted in the army without consulting his father, Aquila was furious. He wanted his son to become an architectural engineer like himself and take over the management of their extensive vineyards. After Adas enlisted as an apprentice medicus veterinarius, he was stationed in Caesarea Maritima in Judea. Communication with his father was only through letters Adas wrote to his mother. Since Judea was a long way from Rome, Adas rarely came home on leave. The two men became virtual strangers.

      When Adas was given centurion status, he was also forced to transfer to Jerusalem. These were changes he did not want. Aquila’s status among the voters was enhanced by having a centurion for a son, but Marsetina was heartbroken. In Caesarea, Adas had served primarily as a veterinarius and secondarily as a reserve battlefield soldier. Now, he would be a frontline warrior. Adas hated not earning the centurion title honorably. However, to refuse the title would spell disaster for his father. Emperor Tiberius could be vindictive if his “offers” were rejected.

      Initially, the title of centurion bestowed on such an inexperienced youth fueled the hostility of the other centurions and legionaries, alike. To make matters worse, the young centurion was easily recognized, so keeping a low profile was impossible. The Antonia Fortress housed a full legion of ten cohortis comprised of about five thousand soldiers. Gossip spread quickly, especially in the legionaries’ barracks where row after row of bunks provided easy access to the conversations of others. Adas was a favorite subject.

      Keenly aware of the penalty for showing disrespect to an officer, the legionaries were careful with their judgments, but Adas knew how they felt. In fact, he didn’t blame them. To go from a veterinarius medicus to a centurion in seven years was an insult to every ranking officer, but Adas was determined to earn their respect.

      As Adas put himself in harm’s way before his men and treated them well, their attitudes changed. Many soldiers were foreigners who joined to acquire Roman citizenship. Adas could usually speak with them in their native languages, being fluent in Greek, Egyptian, and Hebrew, which cultivated their favor. On occasions, Adas had to treat an injured soldier himself. Wounded soldiers claimed the centurion’s calming voice distracted them from their pain. Adas used the same technique with injured horses to reduce their fear. It usually worked.

      Even though Adas was building a solid relationship with his men, he still resented his father’s interference. He suspected Aquila, having never served in the military, had no idea of the difficult position he had forced upon his son. However, the worst result of the transfer to Jerusalem was that it broke his heart.

      During his years in Caesarea, Adas developed a close tie to the family of his commanding officer, Centurion Marcus Claudius Cornelius, the cohort centurion of the 2nd Cohors of the 10th Legio in Caesarea. Adas suspected his father heard of his loyalty to Cornelius and was jealous. Aquila Longinus instigated an investigation of Cornelius when he was forced to kill a man who was threatening his own family. Instead of a reprimand, Cornelius was promoted to Primus Pilus Centurion, of the 1st Cohors. Adas was greatly pleased at this outcome, especially since it seemed to undermine his father’s intentions.

      Not long after Cornelius was promoted, he invited Adas to dinner at his villa. It was the first time he met Dulcibella, the second daughter of four children of Marcus and Iovita Cornelius. She was nine years old; he was seventeen. Whenever he was invited to Cornelius’s home, Adas answered the inquisitive child’s questions and listened to her observations. He was amused at her attempts to garner his attention. He granted her requests for lessons in Greek, archery, and horseback riding. Unlike the children in Rome, and some of the adults, she showed no fear of him, despite the disconcerting look of his eyes.

      In return, Dulcibella found Adas to be a friend who did not patronize her need to learn and explore the curiosities of life. As time passed, Dulcibella matured into a lovely, intelligent, young woman, and Adas looked forward to their time together. When she reached fifteen, Adas recognized his relationship with Dulcibella was changing. He no longer thought of his future without her. In fact, if he had been given the title of centurion, with no transfer, he would have asked for Dulcibella’s hand in marriage, since only centurions were allowed to wed. But the transfer to Jerusalem postponed this possibility. Even though Adas hated to leave her, and she was willing to go, he felt it would be unsafe to take her to Jerusalem.

      On his last day in Caesarea, he gave a pair of miniature greyhound puppies to Dulcibella. Hugging the squirming little pups, she smiled at him with her turquoise eyes as the sea breeze swept through her glossy brunette hair.

      “They will keep my heart warm while you’re away,” she informed Adas, laughing as the puppies licked her hands. “I shall name them Alpha and Omega because I think of you first every morning and last every night.”

      Adas was delighted to see her gentle smile. Her upturned, pixie eyes enchanted him; he marveled at their ability to change from sea-blue to pale green, depending on what colors she wore. A cobalt-blue ring around the irises added a stunning last touch.

      In return, she presented him with an eilat stone, or Solomon’s Stone, comprised of green and blue minerals found in the areas high in copper in Judea. “Every time you look at this stone I am thinking of you. Even when you put it away, I will still think of you.”

      Marcus Cornelius presented Adas with an Arabian horse since he never accepted pay for Dulcibella’s lessons. Dulcibella selected the horse, herself, making Adas treasure the mare even more. It grieved him to lose the guidance and support of Marcus and Iovita, but separation from the captivating company of Dulcibella crushed his soul. After a minimum of two years, he could request a transfer back to Caesarea. Dulcibella would be eighteen by then, a few years past the usual age of marriage, but she assured him she would wait for him. And he would wait for her.

      Chapter 3

      Adas wondered how his legionaries could be so oblivious to the veiled sun and the bitter taste in the air. It made him yearn for Caesarea, where the breeze wafted off the Mediterranean Sea and the sparkling water matched the color of Dulcibella’s eyes.

      Lucius threw the lots to the ground. “Ohe! There’s the winning number. I get the tunic.” He started to stuff it in his knapsack, but a bout of coughing made him pause.

      “You better sell it for a good price, Lucius,” Hektor said. “That’s the only reward you’ll ever get in this army, along with that cough of yours.”

      Lucius wiped his mouth. “Not true. Centurion Valentius has promised me a promotion to the Special Forces unit, specifically as a beneficiarius, if I continue to succeed at my assignments. My pay will double and that will be the end of menial labor for me.”

      Falto snorted doubtfully. “Valentius offered you beneficiarius status? When? Years ago? He has made the same promise to others without ever making good. You know Valentius cannot promote anyone above a non-commissioned principales without the tribune’s approval. What assignments did he give you? Find the best brothels?” Falto laughed, but saw the centurion frowning at him and shut his mouth. Falto winked at Hektor, thinking the gesture made them allies against Lucius’s bragging.

      “You love to hear yourself talk, don’t you, Weasel? I don’t work for free. Compensation can be in many forms. Valentius trusts me with. . .well, he trusts me. He sent me to spy on that so-called prophet camped out by the Jordan

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