Entrance Exam
Asellio the guardsman sheepishly retreated to his post by the door as Vespasia and Thales cuddled and waited for the fox's knot to deflate. Vespasia assured Thales that the delay wouldn't irritate Aemilius, who had somewhat expected this to happen, and...
Working Up to It
Like an athlete at the gymnasium, Thales was given a strict training regimen. He awoke and rinsed himself off, before cleaning his interior in the manner Akhnute instructed, and then the lion helped him slip his trainer plug inside him, where it would...
The Public Baths
The rest of the morning was dull as Thales rifled through the pantry looking for the olive oil Maenus had requested. Almene had returned last night to the emperor's summer home and Maenus made Varius help clean up the remains of the party from the...
Various Roles
Varius was awkward and laconic the next morning as he and Thales got up from their pallet and combed their fur in preparation for the day. Thales worried at first that Varius was upset with him, but whenever he glanced over Varius was looking furtively...
Second Hand
Almene left him lying there on the roof with his chest heaving, gazing after her as she, licking her lips and grinning, nimbly rounded the edge of the roof and descended to the balcony of the villa. Thales had to wait a while longer to follower her;...
1 Rooftop Rendezvous
The baked tiles of the rooftop radiated warmth beneath Thales as the bright sun caressed him from above, almost too hot to handle and certainly too bright. He gazed into the horizon with heavy-lidded eyes, tracing the comely swells of the hills until...
Quality Assurance
It took the better part of of an hour to get to Aemilius' villa, situated as it was on an adjacent hill to the town center, wreathed in vineyards and sunlight. The town had learned of the emperor's arrival by now, and Aemilius could barely walk a...