Roman look about them. They had been young Roman soldiers when they were changed. Long gone were the robes of old Rome; they both had on expensive tailored suits. They and their sister, Cassia, had become well-known for the taste in clothing. They all three looked as if they had just stepped off a runway in Milan or Paris. Today was no exception. They had not dressed down for the occasion.
Julius was very tall, well past six feet. He had sandy-blond hair which he kept short and impeccably groomed at all times. His brother, Marcus, born one year before him, had the darker features of the Romans. He stood just a few inches shorter than his brother and also well groomed. As they walked to the table, she noticed they had never lost the confident gait of a Roman soldier. They didn’t nod or acknowledge her in any way. They were not known for being pleasant. They were known for being ruthless and heartless. She imagined when they came and sat down to the left of her, they would at least greet her. She was wrong.
The door opened again, and the trio turned to see the last two of her guests arrive. They also walked to the bar to order a drink, but one of them waved at her in greeting. The bartender now was so on edge he spilled their drinks as he was making them. The atmosphere amongst the patrons had become so uneasy that a few of them slipped out when the last men got there. The rest had congregated at the far end of the bar. When the two men approached the table, the bartender joined them and was distractedly wiping the same spot on the bar with a bar towel. She couldn’t hear their whispers, but she was sure the four men could.
Their names were Liam and Lucas. They had been born English lords in an earlier century. When they approached, she noticed they walked with the haughtiness and pretension that their birth station had provided men of their time. They had been born twins, but not identical. Two men couldn’t have been more different in temperament or looks. Liam had jet-black hair and deep-blue eyes. He was tall and lean and gave off the air of a rock star or a bad boy. He was unaware of anyone else’s feelings and was always quite shocked when he learned people had them. Lucas was also tall, but he was muscular, and his hair was as white as snow, his eyes a light blue. He was kind and always full of laughter. They were the epitome of night and day. They came and sat to the right of her, and Lucas greeted her with a quick peck on the cheek. Liam greeted her with a bored look. They both eyed the other two men suspiciously. There was a longstanding feud between the brothers dating back to early America. Normally they wouldn’t have agreed to be in the same state, but the woman had saved each of their lives once. She was now calling in that debt.
“Shall we begin?” she said.
Chapter 1
Marcus had been only seventeen when he had decided to join the Roman army. He had not been born to a wealthy family in Rome, and his options were limited. His father had been a soldier in the army since he was a young man and made a career of it. To become a Roman citizen, he had to join the army so he could provide a future for himself and whatever family he might have one day.
Julius was only sixteen but couldn’t stand the idea of being left behind without his brother. So he went with him that day and joined up also. Their father, Marcellus, balked at the idea of Julius joining, and of course, a fight ensued. Any male at the age of sixteen was welcome to join though, and his father could do nothing to stop him. This had infuriated his father so much that he had gone to his own commander and demanded his sons be placed in a different regiment than his own. Usually fathers and sons were placed together, but they had no ordinary father. If it had just been Marcus who had joined, he would have immediately had him assigned to his own regiment. Julius though was another story. So even though he knew he would lose serving with Marcus and being able to keep an eye out for him, he chose to turn his back on both.
Julius had grown up with his mother and father treating him as if they despised him, but Marcus, who had always been treated as their favorite, was shocked. He had spent his entire life trying to shield his brother from the abuse of his parents. He knew his father didn’t care for Julius but hadn’t understood how deep his hatred was for his youngest son until that moment.
It wasn’t so bad when their father was off fighting in some Roman campaign, which was more often than not. Their mother only treated Julius with complete indifference, but that seemed to bother Julius more than the beatings he took when their father was home. From the moment he had been born, their mother, Albina, had wanted nothing to do with him. His sister, Cassia, had only been four when he was born but kept him like a child would a doll, although she soon learned a baby was a greater responsibility than a doll. When his mother refused to breastfeed him, Cassia would dip a rag in goat’s milk to feed the crying baby. His mother relinquished full care to Cassia when he was only three months old. She had lost all interest in her baby and couldn’t be bothered with keeping him alive. Marcus and Cassia became his whole world, and they tried to protect him as much as small children could. He grew and became taller and bigger than even their father. He grew into an angry young boy and a very bitter young man. He was constantly fighting, first with the neighborhood boys and, as he grew, with any man who dared look at him wrong. He grew not only in body but in reputation. No one in their cramped neighborhood would fight him, and he had to travel deeper into the city to find a challenge.
While Julius was volatile, Marcus was always calm and levelheaded. He had wanted to join the army to secure citizenship and a stable future. He had plans that he and his brother would have a grape farm and make wine for Rome. Julius only wanted to fight and be by his brother’s side. Julius also was concerned for Marcus. While he knew he could hold his own in a fight, killing was different. He wasn’t sure the passive Marcus would have the killing instinct when the battle called for it. He wasn’t sure Marcus would be capable of inflicting death when he was commanded to, so he wanted to make sure he was by his side in every battle. Both brothers worried for the other. They also worried that they had to leave Cassia behind but knew she would be okay until they returned.
The brothers were assigned to a different regiment than their father and prepared to leave. Marcellus had been so angry he had gone to stay at the soldiers barracks and refused to see his sons before they left. The night before they left, Albina wept and hugged Marcus. Then she turned abruptly and didn’t say a word to Julius. Cassia took him in her arms and gave him what comfort she could. It was only the three siblings together when it came time for them to go.
For four years the brothers fought side by side in campaigns for Rome. Julius became well regarded for his fighting abilities and always led the attacks. Marcus became well regarded for his strategic ability and could plan an attack with as few casualties as possible. Rome liked to take slaves when they sacked a village or town, and Marcus ensured the most profit for them. They rose through the ranks quickly, but their only caveat was they must remain in the same regiment together. As long as they could fight together, they remained an unstoppable force.
They went home infrequently, but their mother was never happy to see them when they returned. She now treated Marcus with the same indifference as she did Julius, and Marcus finally understood why Julius hated it so much. Cassia had gotten married during their time away but had yet to bear children. Her husband, who had married her for her beauty, quickly grew tired of her when she failed to produce an heir for him. Julius and Marcus both worried for her, especially since they were not allowed to visit her in her new home and had yet to meet her husband. When they were finally allowed to visit after she had been married for two years, they saw bruises all over their beloved sister. No one had to tell them what was happening, Cassia’s fat husband was at least thirty years her senior and a disgusting man. He welcomed them and spun tales of his wealth and many holdings. Without regret, Julius stole into the night and made his sister a widow.
They came across their father only twice in those years. His regiment had been assigned to the same campaign as theirs. Marcellus had always struggled to improve his rank, although he had devoted his life to the empire. While he was a brutal and lethal soldier, he didn’t have the ability to control his temper. His many commanders tolerated it because he was great in battle, which was
