Emperor: The Field of Swords Read Online Free Page A

Captain. It’s been a great pleasure.” Servilia smiled at him, pleased to see a blush start high on his cheeks. Angelina was not the only one with a circle of admirers on the ship, she thought with some satisfaction.
        The captain cleared his throat and raised his chin to speak again, looking suddenly nervous.
        “I will be dining alone later, if you would like to join me. There’ll be fresh fruit sent to the ship, so it’ll be better than we’re used to.”
        Servilia laid a hand on his arm and felt the heat of his skin beneath his tunic.
        “It will have to be another time, I’m afraid. I’d like to be moving by dawn. Would you be able to have my trunks taken off first? I’ll speak to the legion to arrange a guard on it until the carts are loaded.”
        The captain nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. His first mate had told him the woman was a whore, but he had the intense impression that offering her money to stay with him would lead to an awful humiliation. For a moment he looked so terribly lonely that Servilia considered letting Angelina raise his spirits. The little blonde loved older men. They were always so desperately grateful, and for such little effort. Looking at him, Servilia guessed he would probably refuse the offer. Men of his years often wanted the company of a mature woman as much as the physical pleasures, and Angelina’s earthy frankness would only embarrass him.
        “Your trunks will be first on the dock, madam. It has been a pleasure,” he said, looking wistfully after her as she went to climb the steps onto the dock. A number of his crew had gathered in case the younger women were unsteady crossing the rail, and his eyebrows drew together as he considered them. After a moment of thought, he followed Servilia, knowing instinctively that he should be there to help the men.
        
        Julius was deep in work when the guard knocked on the door to his rooms.
        “What is it?”
        The legionary looked unusually nervous as he saluted.
        “I think you’d better come down to the gate, sir. You should see this.”
        Raising his eyebrows, Julius followed the man down the steps and out into the powerful afternoon sun. There was a peculiar tension affecting the soldiers who clustered around the gate, and as they parted for him Julius noticed one or two with the strained faces of men trying not to smile. Their amusement and the heat seemed to feed the prickling anger that had become the foundation of his waking hours.
        Beyond the open gate was a string of heavily laden carts, their drivers lightly coated by the dust of the road. A full twenty of the Tenth had taken station to the fore and rear of the odd procession. With narrowed eyes, Julius recognized the officer as one who had been dispatched on port duty the previous day, and his temper frayed still further. Like the carts, the legionaries were coated in enough dust to show they had walked every step of the way.
        Julius glared at them.
        “I do not recall giving orders for you to escort trade goods from the coast,” he snapped. “There had better be an excellent reason for leaving your post and disobeying my orders. I cannot think of one myself, but perhaps you will surprise me.”
        The officer paled slightly under the dust. “The lady, sir…” he began.
        “What? What lady?” Julius replied, losing patience with the man’s hesitation. Another voice sounded then, making him start in recognition.
        “I told your men you could not object to them helping an old friend,” Servilia said, stepping down from the riding seat of a cart and walking toward him.
        For a moment, Julius could not respond. Her dark hair was wild around her head and his eyes drank in the sight of her. Surrounded by men, she seemed fresh and cool, perfectly aware of the sensation she caused. She walked like a stalking cat, wearing a brown cotton dress that left her