Out of the Waters Read Online Free Page A
Author: David Drake
equally heavy.
Alphena could use a real legionary shield and short sword: she had practiced daily for several years, determined to make herself just as good a swordsman as any man. She wasnât that goodâshe wasnât big enough, and she had learned from experience that men had more muscle in their arms and legs than a woman did. Alphena was better than most men, though.
She wasnât better than Publius Corylus. He had been training with weapons all his life; and though Corylus didnât talk about it to her, Alphena knew from her brother that he had crossed the river frontiers with army scouts on nighttime raids.
Corylus didnât talk much at all to his friendâs little sister. He shouldnât, of course. He was merely a Knight of Carce, and Alphena was the daughter of one of the greatest houses in the empire. For Corylus to have presumed on his acquaintance with Varus would have been the grossest arrogance!
Alphena scowled fiercely again. She didnât have the interest in books that her brother showed, but she had never doubted that she was as smart asâsmarter thanâmost of the people she dealt with in a normal day.
This wasnât always an advantage. Right now it prevented Alphena from believing that she wasnât angry because Corylus showed absolutely no interest in her: he wasnât merely avoiding her for the sake of propriety.
But he was avoiding Hedia for the sake of propriety. If he really does avoid her â
Alphena heard the thought in her head and shied away from it. Her skin tingled as though she had rolled in hot sand.
Swallowing, she forced herself to focus on the stage again. Still more actors were marching on. Actually, they were marching and dancing: the ones who werenât dressed as soldiers danced, men and women both. If sheâd been paying attention she might have known who the dancers represented, but she doubted that sheâd missed anything.
The only reason Alphena was here this afternoon was that Hedia insisted that the whole family be present to support Saxa in his consulate. In her heart, Alphena knew that her stepmother was right: this was a great day for Gaius Alphenus Saxa, and his family should be with him during his public honor.
She turned to look at Hedia, opening her mouth to protest, âFather never went out of his way for me!â but that wasnât really trueâand it wasnât at all fair. Alphena faced the front and crossed her hands primly in her lap, hoping her stepmother hadnât noticed the almost-outburst.
Hedia probably had noticed. Hedia did notice things.
Alphena had been amazed and appalled when she learnedâfrom Agrippinus, majordomo of the Saxa householdâthat her father was marrying for a third time. Marcia was his first wife and the childrenâs mother; she had been a coolly distant noblewoman from the little Alphena remembered of her. At Marciaâs death, Saxa had married her sister Secunda. That relationship ended, but the children had seen almost nothing of their fatherâs wife before the divorce, so that made very little difference to them.
But Saxaâs third wife was to be the notorious Hedia: certainly a slut, probably a poisoner, and utterly impossible . Alphena thought she had misheard Agrippinusâor else that the majordomo was making a joke that would get him whipped within a hairâs breadth of his life even though he was a freedman rather than a slave.
It hadnât been a joke. Alphena had known that as soon as she realized that Agrippinus was trembling with fear. He had obviously guessed how Alphena would take the news, and he knew also that Saxa would have allowed his furious daughter to punish the majordomo any way she pleased even though he had only been carrying out his masterâs orders.
Saxa had left for his estate in the Sabine Hills that morning. He too had been concerned about how Alphena was going to take the news.
When Hedia arrived,
Alphena could use a real legionary shield and short sword: she had practiced daily for several years, determined to make herself just as good a swordsman as any man. She wasnât that goodâshe wasnât big enough, and she had learned from experience that men had more muscle in their arms and legs than a woman did. Alphena was better than most men, though.
She wasnât better than Publius Corylus. He had been training with weapons all his life; and though Corylus didnât talk about it to her, Alphena knew from her brother that he had crossed the river frontiers with army scouts on nighttime raids.
Corylus didnât talk much at all to his friendâs little sister. He shouldnât, of course. He was merely a Knight of Carce, and Alphena was the daughter of one of the greatest houses in the empire. For Corylus to have presumed on his acquaintance with Varus would have been the grossest arrogance!
Alphena scowled fiercely again. She didnât have the interest in books that her brother showed, but she had never doubted that she was as smart asâsmarter thanâmost of the people she dealt with in a normal day.
This wasnât always an advantage. Right now it prevented Alphena from believing that she wasnât angry because Corylus showed absolutely no interest in her: he wasnât merely avoiding her for the sake of propriety.
But he was avoiding Hedia for the sake of propriety. If he really does avoid her â
Alphena heard the thought in her head and shied away from it. Her skin tingled as though she had rolled in hot sand.
Swallowing, she forced herself to focus on the stage again. Still more actors were marching on. Actually, they were marching and dancing: the ones who werenât dressed as soldiers danced, men and women both. If sheâd been paying attention she might have known who the dancers represented, but she doubted that sheâd missed anything.
The only reason Alphena was here this afternoon was that Hedia insisted that the whole family be present to support Saxa in his consulate. In her heart, Alphena knew that her stepmother was right: this was a great day for Gaius Alphenus Saxa, and his family should be with him during his public honor.
She turned to look at Hedia, opening her mouth to protest, âFather never went out of his way for me!â but that wasnât really trueâand it wasnât at all fair. Alphena faced the front and crossed her hands primly in her lap, hoping her stepmother hadnât noticed the almost-outburst.
Hedia probably had noticed. Hedia did notice things.
Alphena had been amazed and appalled when she learnedâfrom Agrippinus, majordomo of the Saxa householdâthat her father was marrying for a third time. Marcia was his first wife and the childrenâs mother; she had been a coolly distant noblewoman from the little Alphena remembered of her. At Marciaâs death, Saxa had married her sister Secunda. That relationship ended, but the children had seen almost nothing of their fatherâs wife before the divorce, so that made very little difference to them.
But Saxaâs third wife was to be the notorious Hedia: certainly a slut, probably a poisoner, and utterly impossible . Alphena thought she had misheard Agrippinusâor else that the majordomo was making a joke that would get him whipped within a hairâs breadth of his life even though he was a freedman rather than a slave.
It hadnât been a joke. Alphena had known that as soon as she realized that Agrippinus was trembling with fear. He had obviously guessed how Alphena would take the news, and he knew also that Saxa would have allowed his furious daughter to punish the majordomo any way she pleased even though he had only been carrying out his masterâs orders.
Saxa had left for his estate in the Sabine Hills that morning. He too had been concerned about how Alphena was going to take the news.
When Hedia arrived,
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