The eerie blast of trumpets drowned our laughter. Around me, the air shivered just like it had in the temple and the hairs on my arm raised. We stared at Saturnia.

  "A new territory just appeared in Aeterna," she said again after catching her breath.

  Her announcement hung in the air with the last of the fading trumpet notes. The others shifted where they sat, exchanging tense glances. I drifted closer to Felix.

  "What if they're worse than Solis?”

  "Only the gods know what the Senate is thinking. Pluto take me if this is all just for the games.”

  “Don't say that,” I said sharply. If the gods could bring an entire people to the realm, they could just as easily punish someone for testing fate.

  Tiberius narrowed his eyes. “The Senate? Where did you get that information from, Felix, and why didn't you tell us?”

  A pit formed in my stomach. Should I have told everyone? It'd just felt different from the last time I'd overheard news—my friends' lives were on the line and there'd barely been enough time to prepare for Sol Ludus. Unlike the Legion who I assumed was prepared. I began to stammer an explanation when my father cut me off, squeezing my hand.

  "It was... retrieved...from the magistrate's son, recently.”

  Behind me, Saturnia fell into a coughing fit.

  “We only knew this was coming, but not when or who,” Felix explained, leaning forward on his elbows. “I was working on more information, but this happened much quicker than I anticipated.”

  So that was why he'd been a little busier than usual lately. I held my tongue but clenched my teeth, crossing my arms in irritation. Of course he didn't tell me because he didn't want me to worry about anything. Caelum caught my expression, snorting at the shared exasperation.

  "It was also important to avoid the magistrate catching word and coming after Maximilia. She had done enough to warn us about the Solis warriors already." My father ran his fingers through his short, dark brown hair in frustration. There were some grey strands that weren't there before. "But I should have told you."

  Tiberius reached out to clasp his shoulder. "It's fine. I understand. Honestly, I'm not sure what I would've done with that information anyway."

  The rest of the group was quiet as they absorbed the news. I turned to my friend, now that her tawny face lost the red of exertion.

  "Sat, can you tell us anything else? You must've been running before the music even started.

  Her brown eyes shifted to me hesitantly before she stepped forward towards the gladiators. They stared at her expectantly. Quintus, the only one she'd met directly, gave what he probably thought was an incredibly encouraging tip of his head back, inviting her to speak. But if anything, it just looked intimidating.

  "W-well," she began nervously. "I really don't have much else to add. My mother and I were getting some extra flour at the market when we heard a praeco shouting in the forum.”

  “And what did they say?”

  She puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips to imitate the herald. “Rejoice! A new territory will be conquered. Await more news once it becomes a proper province. For the glory of Aeterna!"

  Ursus's lips twitched.

  "So I came here while she ran home with the news," she finished.

  "Eh, of course those bastards don't tell us much. That's why I stopped bothering to check the Acta Diurna posted in the forum every day." Corinna nudged Flavia. "Unless you've got some more contacts hidden away, girl."

  She shrugged, looking at the older woman coolly. "Yes, but it'll cost you."

  Corinna gaped before snorting when Flavia winked. "Oh, you almost got me…right? You don't actually have a bunch of hidden, important contacts, do you?"

  "You looked like an old fish, Sulla," Tiberius said.

  "Old fish?" she snapped. "Rich coming from an aging donkey on his last legs, you cunne."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Laughter broke out from the group, releasing some of the tension in the air. Saturnia looked like she was bursting at the seams to see her favorite gladiators sitting together before her.

  Praxedes eyed her mischievously. "Do we have another Max on our hands? She says she's a big fan of us, but honestly—”

  “A little more fawning and devotion would be appreciated," Ursus jumped in with mock distress. “She's been too resilient against my charm and it wounds me.”

  Saturnia gaped incredulously before turning to me, hiding her face behind her hand. “What is happening?” she whisper-screamed.

  I rolled my eyes. I had forgotten to tell her about that.

  "Ignore them,” the medic intoned. “Those two are relentless teases."

  "Who said I'm teasing?" Ursus said in his smooth voice, staring at me.

  Saturnia giggled nervously before glancing at my father. The great champion just stared into his smoothie with a deep sigh which made her break out into full laughter, slapping her thighs.

  "Oh gods, Max. That's so awkward! I've got to witness more of this."

  My hand over her mouth. "No! For the love of the gods, don't encourage them!" I cleared my throat. "Anyway, this is my best friend Saturnia Ameneis. She's the one that made those honey cakes. And—"

  She ripped my hand from her face. "I know who all of you are. Obviously. You guys are all the best. I mean it!"

  Corvus leaning forward, his blue eyes staring at her intently. "Stop by more often. Tell us what Max doesn't." A faint smirk appeared on his lips. "For example, I want to know—"

  "—What exactly Felix meant by retrieving information." His twin cut in impatiently. Her hands slammed on the table and she glared at me. "And from the magistrate's son? How could you not tell us that?"

  I found myself looking up and away, avoiding eye contact. She squawked in indignation.

  Quintus chuckled. "Flavia, looks like she's picking up your bad habit."

  The gladiatrix began to turn her head just as I did but froze, slowly tilting her head downward instead. His eyes narrowed further with a sly grin in response.

  Saturnia made a sound beside me and her brown eyes gleamed, darting from me back to the table. "Oh, I'll tell you what happened. We were at the market, just eating." She leaned forward, putting her hand to the side of her mouth as if confiding a secret with a fake whisper. "And let me tell you, Max is a total pig when it—ow!"

  I jerked upright and slapped her shoulder. "Hey! You ate just as much as me."

  Saturnia rubbed her shoulder, giggling. "Did I? I'm not the one who won the contest." She danced away from me before continuing. Once the story finished, they all stared at me appraisingly. Except for Praxedes, who wore a furious expression.

  Her voice was cold. "What a coward and an irrumator. I will break every single one of those skullfuckers’ fingers when the fight happens. As payment for being so underhanded."

  Her brother nodded in silent agreement, taking a sip.

  "Well, Max. You've been holding out on us," Ursus whistled. "Is this the sort of stuff Felix has been teaching you? Tiber, I think your kid should train with her."

  "Terrible idea," he replied. "Alba will take over the school and then some."

  My father stood up with a grunt. "Do you really think I taught her extortion and coercion?"

  Quintus inclined his head with a wry grin. "To protect your 'little one', yes."

  "Ha!" A bark of laughter escaped me.

  Felix shook his head, but I could tell he was enjoying it. He began making his rounds to water the plants while his gladiators watched in amusement.

  "You might be in the wrong line of work," Corvus said to me, his eyes slightly skeptical as always.

  I crossed my arms, scoffing. "Excuse me. I like what I'm doing now. Perfectly safe."

  "Except when you two idiots started a food fight," Praxedes said flatly.

  He elbowed her. "You were there too."

  Before the jabbing elbows could spread, I cleared my throat. "Okay. Time to clear out so I can clean up. And I guess see if we can learn anything else about this new territory."

  Collective groans rose from the table, but they were quickly silenced by Felix's glare. After a somewhat awestruck goodbye, Saturnia left the courtyard to return home. As she did, we could hear the shouts of one of the praecones passing by, repeating the news she'd brought earlier. Then it was just my father and I remaining. We worked quietly to close the shop, although I hummed softly while I cleaned. It didn't take long to finish and I joined Felix where he waited by the courtyard entrance, staring across at the ludus grounds.

  "Are you alright?" I asked as we walked down the road.

  He smiled at me. "Of course. My daughter thought of me enough to give me a gift."

  My hand went to my chin, finger curling over my mouth in concern. It was such a simple thing I'd done but it made him this happy. It was clear I needed to do better.

  "Is that bad? Ah, worried about the news?" he asked gently, his arm squeezing my shoulder.

  "Of course not. Not when I have you." I didn't have the heart to reprimand him for also keeping me in the dark; enough had been said. It also didn't escape me how pleased he looked to hear that.

  We walked home together and there was a strange mix of energy in the air—uncertainty, excitement, and curiosity. It was all everyone talked about for a long time. Over the next month, more information about the new province steadily trickled in, most of it coming through the posted Acta in the forum.

  I stopped to check it one day while ordering more fruit at the market. My eyes skimmed past all the legal proceedings, marriages, theater performances, and donations—”

  “Horatius Portius?” I muttered, the name catching my attention.

  That stuck up civitas member never followed through on his threat against the shop, probably intimidated by the centurion who threatened him. Apparently, he'd just made a pretty big donation to an orphanage and wanted everyone to know.

  Then I found the section about the new territory. It seemed that the Senate was much more willing to share information this time around, and even welcome them into the rest of Aeterna. A small group was already set up in the Forum, the market at Capitoline Hill. There'd been very little resistance to the Legion, after all, compared to Solis. It looked like the main thing the new territory would bring was knowledge.

  And it already was given a name. “Schola,” I said to myself when I read it. “Interesting.”