<div align="center"><strong>~Aelia with Gaius~</strong></div><div class="floatright">(http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/b/0/0/e5/a/AAAAC12hqfIAAAAAAOWuNw.jpg)</div><br/>The tip of her finger pushed back the dark red hair of her wig behind her ear as she pondered quietly, not yet announcing her returned presence to her escort. Aelia stood with her two most trusted slaves behind her as she watched Gaius with interest, not interest of body but rather of mind. She knew him to be an intelligent being, one that could infiltrate the most secret societies to administer deadly poison against her house’s enemies, but Aelia wasn’t foolish enough to believe that he wouldn’t poison her if paid the proper price. Leverage; she wanted leverage over his mind to have him at her beck and call like a dog to its owner. Only, he would never be as loyal or trusted as such a creature. Maybe that's what she needed. A loyal companion like an animal to have around in her husband's absence. Something to lavish her wealth on without holding back. She felt her mouth stretch into a smile as he began to speak as she walked towards him.<br/><br/>Her slaves, especially Latona, lowered their eyes away from Gaius since they understood the unspoken danger he poised towards their position in Aelia’s home. In order to maintain their position, they were condemned to a loveless and sexless life, similar to the priestess of Diana, but they were afforded more luxurious than other slaves in their household even though they still wore iron collars around their neck.  They were to remain virgins, and were submitted to sporadic tests from their Mistress to ensure that their innocence prevailed. It was only natural that they were chosen equally as the lead slaves in her household since she grew up with them as a child within her own.<br/><br/>Quickly, Aelia’s mind diverted from its tangent to return to the conversation at hand. She nodded at his consent to inform her of all the intricacies of ludus life, and it occurred to her that he might not be prepared for some of her more intimate questions. Teeth sank into her lower lip as she debated how to get certain information out of him without betraying her opinion on the matter. Why would Livia intend to stay longer than anticipated at the ludus? Did she intend to remarry? It tickled her that his words were almost an attempt at quelling any fears she might have against the journey ahead. She wasn’t so much of an idiot to believe that it would be without dangers. There were tales of bandits along the roads, waiting in the shadows for an unaware figure to slip into their grasp, but no one would be so foolish as to attack the wife of Cassius Tatius. Not if they valued their limbs attached to their body.<br/><br/>The seal on her carpentrum would ensure that most of the bandits stayed away rather than the man in front of her. “I do not mind going to Livia’s home first since I fully intend to sleep for most of the trip. I only wish to arrive with myself and my<em>belongings </em>fully intact." The word belongings rolled off her tongue easily to include her female slaves, placing them in the same category as her inanimate possession. It wasn't clear which meant more to her. The human flesh or her valuable jewels. "If any dangers or uncertainties occur during this trip, I wish to know of them rather than to be kept in the darkness like some meek sheep.” She waved her hand at him dismissively before heading out to get inside of her own travel arrangements with the two slaves, perfectly protected from the falling rains. Aelia was ready to begin their trip.<br/>