Mark Paren
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The villa was quiet by the time Marcus slipped out to the garden, the household settled into the particular hush that came after the lamps had been trimmed low and the servants had finished their last rounds. He had meant only to sit for a while in the cool air, to let the strange fullness of the day empty out of him the way it usually did, but the cithara had found its way into his hands almost without his consent, and now he sat on the same marble bench he had occupied what felt like a lifetim
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They are both at an age where uncertainty is mixed with questions. We’ve all been there.
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Good observation. One of the major antagonists in this story is “duty”. Thank you for commenting.
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Thank. I’m glad you’re enjoying the story.
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I appreciate the kind words. I enjoy delving into intriguing subjects.
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They did. They were an amazing civilization. Thanks for commenting.
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Word came the following morning, brisk and businesslike, the way all of Varus’s messages seemed to arrive regardless of what they contained. A boy from the governor’s household appeared at the villa’s gate before Marcus had finished his bread and honey, bearing instructions rather than an invitation: the gymnasium, at the fourth hour, weather permitting. Arminius and his cousin would meet them there. Marcus read the note twice, though there was nothing in it that required a second reading,
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You can rely on a change in temperature. Thanks for commenting.
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I suspect Marcus will notice.
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Funny you should mention loincloths. Seems there was a disagreement in Rome during Augustus’ reign on whether nude exercise was acceptable. Some, particularly the old timers, thought exercising in the nude was a soft Greek custom, while others, primarily young elites favored it. You may be able to surmise the direction I chose in chapter 4.
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That and stuffed doormice would make an interesting meal..
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Thanks for commenting.
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Morning came grey and unhurried, the kind of soft light that made the villa's frescoes look faded rather than glorious, and Marcus woke with the strange, hollow feeling of a boy who had crossed some threshold in his sleep without quite noticing the crossing. He lay for a long moment listening to the birds in the olive tree outside his window, trying to remember if the previous night had truly happened, the vast hall, the thousand lamps, Varus's eyes moving over him like a man reading a scroll. I
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I’m happy you’re enjoying it.
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Better bring some Tums. Indigestion is possible. Thanks for commenting.
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Marcus and Ingomar have many new experiences ahead of them. Thanks for commenting.
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New chapter arriving next week.
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Coming soon!
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Should be a new chapter by mid week.
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The service is set (characters introduced) and we start “feasting” (the story begins} with the next chapter.
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The journey from the villa to the imperial palace passed in a blur of torchlight and the steady clop of hooves. Marcus sat beside his father in the litter, the curtains drawn back just enough to let in the cooling evening air, and watched Rome slide past in fragments: a fountain lit gold by a brazier, a knot of laughing revelers spilling from a wine shop, the dark silhouette of the Circus Maximus crouched against a sky gone the color of a bruise. The weight of his finely draped toga pressed
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There may be an imperial feast in the next chapter. I hope that will satisfy your appetite.
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Glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy the story.
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Thanks, the second chapter will post soon.
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I’m glad it’s hitting a note. Thank you for the comment.
