Page 96 of Taming the Eagle
“A request, Imperator.”
The emperor snorted. “I’m not sure you’re in a position to request anything from me these days.”
Justin bowed his head farther, even if doing so galled him. This was the emperor of Rome, yet he wasn’t a man used to kneeling. Nonetheless, he had the good sense to hide his irritation. “You speak justly,” he replied, keeping his voice low, humble. “But a matter of great personal importance brings me here … I wish to ask a favor of you.”
Hadrian laughed. It was a rich sound that carried through the tent, but the emperor’s mirth merely made Justin clench his jaw. Hadrian was intent on making this as unpleasant for him as possible.
“This gets better and better, Commander,” the emperor said, still chuckling. “Get to your feet, man. Groveling doesn’t suit you.”
Gritting his teeth, Justin did as bid.
Hadrian was grinning now, revealing straight white teeth. He then gestured to one of the slave boys waiting nearby. “Fill two cups with wine.”
The slave hurried to do his bidding, before carrying a calix to the emperor and one to his guest.
Taking a sip of wine, Hadrian viewed Justin long and hard. “You intrigue me, Aquila … go on … out with it.”
“I wish to wed, Imperator.”
Hadrian cocked a dark brow. “You don’t need my permission for that … find yourself a magistrate.”
“They have refused me.” Justin heaved in a deep breath, his fingers tightening around the stem of the calix he’d yet to take a sip from. “For the woman I wish to wed was once my slave … and she is one of the Picti.”
The emperor took another sip of wine before idly scratching his bearded jaw. “She isn’t the woman you took from that chieftain, is she?” His gaze narrowed then. “The man you let live so he could lay siege to Ardoch?”
Justin cleared his throat. “Yes, she is.”
Hadrian’s frown deepened. “Well, that’s irregular, indeed.”
“I know, Imperator. But I would not take up your valuable time if this wasn’t important to me.”
“And you love this savage, I take it?”
“I do.” Hearing the emperor insult Fenella made Justin’s belly clench. All the same, he hid his reaction under an inscrutable mask he’d perfected over the years. This was all a game to Hadrian, even if it meant much more to him.
The emperor’s gaze raked over him then, his mouth lifting at the corners while his dark eyes remained shrewd. “Justinian Valerius Aquila,” he murmured. “You do surprise me.”
“Imperator?”
“When I met you years ago, you were Trajan’s favorite … young, ambitious, and destined for great things. But now you stand before me, your once-promising career ruined, asking for permission to wed a Picti woman—a former slave. What happened to you?”
Justin straightened his spine, lifting his chin.
And for the first time since entering the tent, he met Hadrian’s eye squarely. It was a bold move, and one he might soon regret, but ire now burned under his ribcage, and he could feel his self-restraint slipping.
Hadrian was deliberately goading him.
“Living on the fringes of the empire changes a man,” Justin replied after a pause. He wanted to choose his words carefully, yet it was hard to. “Five years I held the north … kept the chieftains under control. All I ever wanted was to serve Rome, to see the glory of the empire shine in every corner of the world. But then I took the wife of a Picti chieftain as my slave … and something in me changed. I am still as loyal as ever to Rome, but I no longer serve with single-minded determination, willing to sacrifice everything for my career.”
“Lust is a distraction indeed,” Hadrian murmured, his eyes glinting.
“It was more than lust,” Justin corrected him. “Fenella has made me face the dark corners of myself I’d rather not see. She is the part of me that has always been missing. She is worth fighting for … worth even risking your anger for.”
Silence fell after these words.
Justin was aware of the slaves lining the space, shifting uncomfortably. Upon the dais, the two praetorian guards traded looks. He imagined they were wondering how Hadrian would respond to such an admission. An emperor could order a man’s death with one word.
Hadrian took another contemplative sip of wine. It was a lazy gesture, as if he had all the time in the world.