Chapter 20: I Wanna Go Home
"So, what was that all about?"
Cassius waited until they were safely away from the camp's entrance before breaking the question. In all honesty, Marcus had hoped he would let the matter drop. But curiosity about such a thing was only to be expected.
"Well," Marcus began to spin the relevant details into a tale, "That woman back there was the mayor's daughter."
Cassius let out a low whistle. "Truly? How did such a public shit heap like that end up spawning such a fine specimen? I figured his stench would ward off most any woman, even if he were competent enough to procreate with one. Someone must have taken pity on him or had far too many drinks."
Marcus blinked. He hadn't honestly expected the man to hold such strident opinions about the mayor. He didn't even know whether Cassius had seen the man. Were such ideas unique to him, or prevalent among the whole Legion?
Not that he disagreed with the Legionnaire's words. They were perhaps a bit more extreme than Marcus might voice himself, but well… the mayor wasn't exactly an endearing figure.
Cassius nudged Marcus with his elbow. "So. What business did that young lady have with someone like you, hmm?"
"Someone like me? I'll have you know that I am considered quite charming, especially by women." The bard narrowed his eyes as Cassius chuckled. "Which is actually the crux of the problem. You see, that application of that charm may have given her a… misconception of our relationship. Specifically, how permanent it was meant to be."
Cassius raised his eyebrows, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. He barked a laugh before clapping Marcus on the back. "You scoundrel! You absolute scoundrel!"