<em><strong>Tagging:</strong>  Aulus/ Caris / Patrocles -- the study</em><br/><br/>Livia smiled at his words, so the man was discharged with no one to command him. It seemed a waste of a perfectly good soldier but what did a man used to having his day dictated to him turn his hand too when all was said and done. What sort of occupation could he seek that would give him the same honour that his role as a soldier of Rome had? Still Livia did not avert her gaze but watched the man as he instead turned from her to disrobe.<br/><br/>Again a smile danced upon her features, she was used to the brash arrogance of the gladiators who would have no hesitancy in stripping to their skin before her if she so ordered. The flushed features endeared him to her and she wished Caris would move swiftly with the water, the man so obviously needed a wash as well as a drink. Each item removed let her witness the scars, the bruises, the cuts. His body was a masterpiece of tone and form but also of trophies from battles past.<br/><br/>There were fresh wounds but she did not think these were created by the woman he had fought moments before, these would all need to be treated of course. A proposition was forming in her mind as she continued her silent inspection of him. She saw the largest scar upon his chest and wondered at what could have created such a wound and approached him slowly. A soft hand reached up to let her finger tips brush against this particular scar, her gaze moved to his face.<br/><br/><strong>"While you are under my roof Aulus Livius, I hold dominion over you"</strong>her voice was like a soothing balm to the soul, caressing him as her fingers continued their gentle probing of his scar, moving slowly to glide up along his side,<strong>"Your wounds are vast, lie down so they can be tended too."</strong><br/><br/>She stepped aside allowing her gaze to move along his athletic form once more and liking all she saw, wounds and all.<br/><br/>Caris all but stomped her foot and attempted to push past Patrocles at the door, glaring up at him.<br/>"Step aside you fool" she commanded her voice rising a notch, enough for Livia to hear and move to the door as she waited for Aulus to lay upon the chaise. This day was becoming most tiresome that she had to silence even her own servants now. Opening the door she looked upon the two of them and held her hands for the urn of water.<br/><br/><strong>"Go and try to eat, it has been a long day. Report to me in the morning Patrocles. We shall be staying here this night it seems, find yourselves ample quarters to rest. Go and ... by the gods do press my ears with your voices again."</strong><br/>She closed the door behind her, giving neither a chance to speak but moved with the urn to the desk and filled a goblet of the tepid liquid. Livia brought the drink to Aulus and pressed it into his hand before returning to the urn. Carrying it to the chaise, she used a piece of his own toga as a rag and dampening it applied the cold compress to his forehead.<br/><br/><strong>"You must rest, I have plans for you."</strong>