The Brothel<br/><br/><i>A little trading?</i>Either he guarded a merchant and overstated his involvement, or he had once been a trader, lost his wares, and had to become a guard.  Either way, the man struck him as a fool, one he worried his niece would become too intrigued by.  Fortunately, he quickly put his foot in his mouth in stating that Lucretius didn't strike him as a military man.  He wasn't wrong, of course, as Lucretius wasn't the type at all, but he had served with distinction.  He cast his niece a quick grin before responding.  "I trust you could understand any man's preference to remain in an environment such as this over the sparse amenities of a battlefield campsite."  He made a mental note at the mention of Cyprus, glad to know there was a way to distract the man.<br/><br/>"Should I travel there, I will certainly request your company.  Your father certainly would not wish to see me penniless, after all.  He nodded approvingly when she asked if he possessed any Cypriot women.  Though she likely wished to tease the man, he was quite curious as well.  "You are a talented hostess, Lucia, to think of accommodating him so.  And yes, we do have such a woman, and we will see how she compares to some other representatives around the world."  He summoned to one of the slaves to arrange such a display.<br/><br/>He stood back, allowing each of the prizes to parade (or be paraded) without interruption so he could gauge the reactions.  Despite his intent appraisal of Cadmus, he could not resist a small smile as the Cypriot danced by them.  With the arrival of Kaya, however, he stepped forward to accept the proffered information from her.  Seeing the approaching soldier, he gestured for her to remain, rather surprised at how her arrival had affected his guest.  He stepped back to Lucia, returning the embrace and leaning in close.  "Thank you, Lucia.  This is where your father receives a significant portion of his funds to perform favors for Rome."  He flicked his gaze toward Cadmus, who had begun speaking to Kaya.  "You feel jealous currently?  That is concerning."<br/><br/>Despite his playfulness, he did tense noticeably as Cadmus used the word whore.  It was not an inaccurate term, though certainly one his newest acquisition had not heard often.  Fortunately, it appeared to not trigger any serious reaction.  With that passed, he returned his attention to his lovely niece.  "Again, you prove yourself more generous to our guest.  I think that is best.  Cadmus, it was a pleasure meeting you, but I think my company would be less interesting, and I have news from the head of the family that I need to hear."  He gestured to Kaya for her to lead Cadmus away.