They supped happily enough, warmed by the charcoal fire. If the food was not exactly worthy of a feast, Maria and Kita had no complaints.

Decius extended a chunk of the bread to Monstro. "I'm sorry there's nothing better for you, boy." The dog panted tolerantly and snapped up the offering. "Maybe tomorrow you can hunt up something for yourself."

"You want the poor thing to hunt?" Maria exclaimed. Kita looked up questioningly from her bit of bread and cheese.

"Hmm. Not really. We ought to hit Concordia Sagittaria tomorrow. It's a colony with an arrow production factory. There should be food to buy there. A place to sleep inside the walls. Baths for us all, including Monstro."

"Decius, I have no money. None. The jewels—"

He shook his head. "I have money. That's not the problem. Keep the jewels well hidden. We can't look too prosperous, or we'll be robbed. We are just simple folk, fleeing from the havoc wrought by the rampaging Praetorians."

Kita rose from her position at Maria's side and moved toward Decius holding out her arms. "Me De-mus?"

"What does she want?" Decius asked uneasily.

Maria laughed. "She wants you to pick her up and hold her."

"Me?" His voice wasn't quite horrified. But it was close. Maria stifled a giggle but made no other answer. He stared at Kita who continued to hold her arms out to him. He was not impervious to the mute appeal and took her onto his lap.

"De-mus." The child patted his arm then laid her head against his shoulder.

"I think she just adopted you," Maria commented with a smile.

"You know what people are bound to think, don't you?"

"What? Oh. No, I don't think people will believe Kita is my daughter by Maximinus. She looks nothing like me. Or him for that matter." Maria dimpled mischievously. "But you know who she does look like?"

"No."

"She looks like you, Decius."

"Me?" He scrutinized the solemn owl-eyed child who stared back at him. He had to admit that her soft dark hair curled in the same way his own hair did. Her skin was a warmer, lighter olive than his, but her eyes were the same rich brown as his own. He looked at Maria questioningly, "Well she isn't mine! A man remembers little things like that."

"Some men," Maria replied cynically. "But I acquit you of any part in Kita's arrival here in this vale of tears." She rose abruptly and held out her hand to the child. "Let's get ready for sleep, Kita. Time to go outside." Decius and Monstro accompanied them silently.

Decius rested quietly against the wall of the farmhouse. Maria lay on his cloak, nestled under her own cloak, with the child at her side. Kita slept the dreamless and untroubled sleep of the very young. Monstro lay facing the doorway, his paws stretched in front of him. Decius sighed. It had been a very long day. But he did not feel the slightest bit like sleeping. It was impossible not to worry.

"Decius?" Maria mumbled sleepily. "Come lie down, love. Monstro will guard us."

She was right. Decius rose heavily and moved to where Maria lay with the child. He took his place on Kita's other side and drew Maria's cloak over himself. "Are you warm enough?" he asked.

"Of course. Now that you are here." Her hand reached out for his and he took it. Kita snuggled between them.

"I'm sorry that I have nothing better to give you than this, Maria."

"You preserved me from rape and saved my life. You got me and this child out of that death trap of a military camp. And you fed us sumptuously on bread and cheese. That's quite enough effort for one day."

"I'm not sure what kind of life I can offer you, though. Nothing like you're accustomed to."

She laughed softly. "I'm accustomed to being held prisoner by a monster. We have my jewels, and your contacts. Dubious as those may be."

"You don't understand. I can house you and feed you. Give you whatever material goods you want." He paused a moment then added, "Within reason." Maria gripped his hand tighter. "No, let me finish. You won't go hungry or cold. But I can't provide you with your rightful place in the community. At best, I'll be a prosperous merchant. At worst, a mediocre thug. And as a Christian—"

"As a Christian, you will trust that God will take care of you and your family and you will stop worrying tonight and go to sleep." She felt the tension in him and shook his arm. "It is you who don't understand. Catulus held me in close confinement. You released me from that. You gave my life back to me and you loved me. Maximinus—he was a hard man. And physically cruel. He thought nothing of beating me. And worse."

"Maria, please don't—"

"Don't interrupt, Decius. I need to say this. Maximinus forced me to do things that—that I don't want to think about. Then he beat me badly enough that I miscarried of my daughter. I wished that he had simply killed me. If Betto had offered to end my life then, I'd have gladly let him do so. But at some point, I realized that I did not want to die. I wanted to live." Her voice caught in her throat and she stopped talking for awhile. Eventually, she said simply, "And then you came. Wherever you take me, whatever we do, I will be happy as long as you are there."

He wiped her tears with his thumb, caressing her face with his hand. "I will be there."

Maria lay still long enough that Decius thought she had gone back to sleep, but then she spoke very softly. "No matter how bad things get, at least I'm no longer Catulus's prisoner."