Markus awoke, it was morning, he began to prepare himself for the day, Today was the wedding, all his armor and clothes had been cleaned and laid out. Almost everything he owned was packed up for the move to the Casius Villa. All he owned all rolled into a few small bundles. The sun was starting to break over the horizon and he needed to be ready soon, he ate the small remainder of the loaf of bread and the other remnants of food that he had left himself for his breakfast, it all sat uneasily in his stomach, he was anxious. He donned the cloth padding and then the armor on top of it. Then to his side he strapped his swords, the same swords he had taken with him into battle, he hadn't replaced them for the occasion, somehow it seemed fitting. He scanned around the room for anything else, once satisfied that he had everything he needed and that everything else was packed he headed out. He had plenty of time before he was supposed to meet Julliana at her home. He decided to wander a little, help clear his head he thought. No sooner had he exited his home he was instantly greeted by several people who called him by name. He was sure he had never met any of them before, He made his way up the street where he shook hands with several other people who excitedly met him. He had become more accustomed to this treatment by now but it still didn't sit well with him. The thought blinked into his head and Markus turned, he would visit Westly. He hadn't responded to Markus' invitation to the wedding. Making his way to Westly's home he recounted all the time they had spent training together. Arriving at the house he knocked on the door then entered. Westly was sitting at a table in the corner of the room.

“Thought I would come and see if I couldn't convince you to come.”

“Markus, what are you doing here?”

“I came to ask you in person to come to the wedding ceremony, I am certain I sent such a letter but never received a response, so I came, old friend.”

“I am not going Markus”

“Come, tell me why not?”

“Do not ask me that Markus you already know how I have been wounded.”

“What do you mean?”

“You stole Julliana from me. I told you even when we were still in training she would be mine. While you went to war I was here trying to win her affections and making inroads with her father, before he died. Then you just swoop back in and steal her away. You would do that to your “Old friend” a sneer filling westly's face.

“She never said anything about you and her being together and you never talked to me either after I returned.”

“We weren't exactly together but I was trying to win her over. You knew I wanted her and you took her for yourself.”

“Westly” Markus voice began to rise “ She is not a thing to be taken, And I lover her and I will always take care of her.”

“Leave Now ! You have stolen something I wanted and I will be sure to repay you for it's loss.”

“Why are you so angry?”

“OUT” and with that Westly reached his hand toward the grip of sword hanging from another chair next to the table. Markus got the message and left without another word.

All he could do as he left was shake his head in confusion. Realizing the time he headed out in the direction of Julliana's house he had to make it there in time to start the trip through the city.

“How is my love doing today?” he announced as he entered the main room of the villa.

“She is still fussing over the details” a servant whispered to him as she passed him carrying a tray of food.

“She is not!” Jullianna retorted looking up from the list of thing she was holding. “I just want everything to go well”

And it will my dear, we should be starting soon so make sure you are getting ready yourself.” Markus cautiously reminded.

“All that is left is my hair and to put those things on” she said indicating a small jumble of jewelry, shoes and swords.

“I leave you to your list then” Markus laughed

“I will be done in a moment” she said then motioned a servant over to take car of one of the items on her list.

“I am ready now” she said stepping into the doorway. Her hair done with gold jewelry in the shape of vines and flowers woven into the braids. Large curls framed her face on either side. She wore a long red dress that her to her body tightly. It had a long flowing style common in wedding dresses of the upper classes in the Impire. And around her waist a black leather blet with a sword on either side the scabbards embellished with all manner of leatherwork. They matched the dress even if just for the different color.

“Ssso how do I look?” she questioned.

“A vision of Venus herself” Markus proclaimed loud enough for the whole house to hear.

“You still speak the names of the gods with such reverence.” Julliana noted.

“They are very real to me I have felt their presence and felt their effects, I cannot deny them, but it makes even more the point for me to describe you so, doesn't it?”

“Yes, husband.” She said slowly savoring the taste of the words on her lips.

“ I am not your husband yet. Just you wait a few hours.”

“I thought I would I would try it out, see how I like it”

“Does it agree with you.”

“I think it does.” she giggled to herself.

“It would seem that at least a few of the neighbors have figured out something is going on, there is at least fifteen people out front just watching the house.”

“Well then we shouldn't keep them all waiting should we? Put on that helmet of yours and lets give them all this show.” she said as she stepped up to the door and reached her hand back to him.

“Are you ready to let the world know your secret my warrior woman?”

“I think I am, I have hidden it for a while and I think I am ready for my friends to know me better, know a different side of me that up until now only you, my love, have known.”

“are we all set, do you have everything?”

She looked down to check. Then rushed off into the next room and returned a moment later with the dagger Markus had given her as an engagement present and attached it quickly to the belt and then straightened her dress and looked over at him.

“Ready” she said in as steady a voice as she could muster, with that Markus pushed open the door and as the light poured though they both stepped out together. Markus took his hand in hers and they started walking toward the street. They both looked around and saw a few people they recognized who knew about the engagement watching them. Many others they did not know who had noticed the commotion at the house and were now passing on what was going on . They reached the street and started walking toward the temples. The small group of friends and onlookers following a dozen paces behind. As they continued more and more people were starting to follow them. Julliana looked around and as she did she saw women whispering to each other and the men staring at her. She began to grow self-conscious of the swords and stepped even closer to Markus and in response he gripped her hand tighter in response to he show of discomfort.

“It is going to be fine, Julliana” he whispered reassuringly to her, the murmurs and whispers grew louder the closer they got the the center of the city where the temples stood together in a cluster. Markus was a half step ahead of Julliana who had her arm intertwined with his. He stopped and turned to her and took both of her hands in his.

“Jullianna my dear, this is your wedding day. Be proud, be happy. This is who you are. A beautiful powerful woman who I love very much, Now if you are ready lets get a move on.”

Hearing the words of her soon to be husband brought the steel back to her heart and she threw her shoulders back and stood tall and square up next to Markus, lifting her gaze they then began to walk together the rest of the way down the road. She ignored the stares and the whispers of those that she passed as if they weren't even there. The arrived in front of the small cluster of temples in one of the oldest parts of the city. The buildings themselves seemed well maintained even thought it was obvious they didn't get a fraction of the visitors they once use to. Near the center of the temples was a carved stone gazebo with rows of benches surrounding it. The head priest and priestesses of each temple were gathered under the stone roof waiting for the party to arrive. As they neared the pace slowed so the guests could quickly take their seats. Once everyone was seated the couple proceeded up to the gazebo. The ceremony itself is a simple one. Each stands before the priests by proxie the gods and declares their lover for their partner. Each promise to love the other and to care for the other. There are no written vows only words spoken from the heart. Once they have both said their piece they are blessed by the priests and priestesses who then declare them married in the sight of the gods.

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Markus stood in the courtyard just in front of the balcony a spot only a few steps from where he had stood a few years before. But now he stood in front of the formation of men. They watched his every movement and tried their best to copy them. He would show them several time and then observe them as they did it themselves. He would point out any mistakes he had seen and have them try again and again. Every once in a while the formation would stop at the heed of another voice. Jullianna would call out from the balcony when she spotted someone take a misstep or err in some other way. They listened to her just as intently as they did Markus. When they had first arrived the students had been reluctant to listen to this Woman when it came to matters of combat. They would huff and bluster on about how a woman knows nothing of swordsmanship or combat. Until they saw her fight. Her and Markus had started every week with a demonstration. They would fight each other and the students would watch and see what they could pick up. They did it as much for themselves as for the students, Jullianna had found pride in her skills and she like to teach others what she herself was passionate about. Even if it was only men that she was teaching. She didn't come down to the yard as often any more ever since it had started to become evident she was carrying their first child. Markus had been so excited when she had revealed the news to him, he had lifted her a lot shouting thanks to the gods and quickly declared that a celebration was in order. It was only a few months away now till the child would arrive. As he stood in front of the formation he was as happy as any man ever was, He had a wife he loved, a child on the way and he taught others a skill he himself enjoyed.

As soon as they had married The house of Casius had become the house of Verotis, Jullianna having no living brothers, all the land became his to control as well as the council seat that Jullianna's father had held. No one argued, as often happens, when the seat changed hands. The council members liked the idea of the hero of the city being on the council. Gathering students for the school had also been an easy task. After the wedding there were a few people who had tried to make a big deal in the social circles out of the non-traditional elements of the wedding itself. Markus had ignored them and soon they had faded in to murmurs. Many of Jullianna's friends treated her differently that she had chosen to wear the swords on a daily basis. She liked how they felt and she liked respect they demanded. Their wedding had been a public affair with everyone talking about every detail of it for weeks. Everyone recognized her now and Markus too. Any time they walked down the street people would stop them and ask them questions or shake Markus's hand. They had adjusted to being such public figures even though neither of them much cared for the attention.

Students too were easy to come by for the school, as soon as they announced their intent to restart the school they received countless requests to be trained by the city's resident hero. The list of applicants was long and they had to, very non-traditionaly institute a test for applicants to see who was serious about the training and who weren't, who were unskilled novices and who had the spark of skill inside. All these things coming together at once were a strain on both Markus and Jullianna but they had come together and overcome all of them and had begun to settle into their new life.

Markus awoke one night with his wife shaking his arm, he turned to her to see her clutching her belly. She looked quite pained and Markus felt a bolt of fear unlike any he had felt before. She did not speak but only gripped his shoulder as she grit her teeth in pain. As it passed she turned to her husband, “Don't worry nothing is wrong, the time has come.” She smiled through the fading grimace of pain and Markus kissed her before running off to find the midwife who lived a short distance down the road. He returned quickly with they older woman who quickly had the whole household abuzz with activity, from water being heated over a fire to cloths being readied and servants running around following the midwife's orders. Markus sat beside his wife and held her hand in his. She squeezed his hand with every wave of pain that passed through her. She hadn't started the ordeal screaming but now she did. Every time a contraction hit she would groan and scream. Markus hands were sweaty as he sat there holding the hand of his screaming wife, knowing he could not do anything to ease these pains. She was such a pillar of strength to him and if she was screaming Markus could not imagine how much pain she was in. His heart went out to his wife. He had asked the midwife time and time again if there was anything that could be done about the pain. She insisted that all that could be done was already being done. He sat next to her and wished he could take the pain away from her and bear some of it himself. His heart ached with every scream as he knew the one he loved so much was in such pain. Then the air was filled with another cry. The expression on his wife's face changed as did his, a feeling of overwhelming joy filled him. The midwife wrapped the small screaming bundle and placed it on Julliana's chest.

“You have a daughter.” she said to Markus.

A daughter, he thought, He looked down at the small face that stared up at him through the loving embrace of her mother's arms. He looked and a pair of tiny blue eyes stared back at him. He had just met this tiny little person and he already felt more for her than almost anyone in his life. He loved her, he lover her because she was his daughter, and he loved her because she was also Jullianna's daughter. A gift from the woman he loved. Jullianna held her for a few minutes then handed her to Markus. She looked tired and visibly weakened, and said she wanted to rest. Markus held his daughter in his arms and couldn't help but stare down at her. A tiny outstretched arm reached up to him. He held out a single finger and the tiny hand grasped it. He just stood there and admired the little girl he held in his arms. She looked so much like his wife. He saw her eyes and her smile on this little one. He walked out into the courtyard and stood beneath the stars. He closed his eyes and leaned his head to the sky. He smiled up at the stars and thanked the gods for this gift he held to his chest. Every little sound the child made caused him to smile. He held her quietly under the stars as the babe fell asleep in his arms. He knew as he held this sleeping child that he would give anything to make this child happy, to keep her safe and protect her from all the hardships of the world.

There was a scream from inside the house, Markus ran inside constantly aware of the child in his arms. There was a servant crying in the hall trying to say something to the other two who were standing there. When he entered the eyes of all three turned to him. As he neared the one that was distraught ran up to him and threw herself at his feet.

“I am so sorry sir, There was nothing we could do, I came to check and she was gone.” she spoke quickly in a panicked tone.

“What are you talking about woman, spit it out.”

“Jullianna, she... she..... she is dead.”

“What?” and with that Markus stormed past them to the bedroom. Jullianna was laying on the bed just as he had left her. She was still and so very silent. Markus rushed to her side and grabbed her hand in his.”

“Wake up.”

“Wake up, my dearest.”

“Your daughter needs you........ I need you” he spoke, as he did he his own voice began to break.

No response came, only a deafening silence filled the room. Markus stayed there kneeling at the side of the bed his new child in one arm and his wife's hand in the other. He looked at his wife's face she didn't breath or twitch. Markus had seen death before, he had cause more that his fare share of it. His mind knew she was gone and yet his heart held out hope beyond the reasoning of the mind. Maybe if he sat there a moment longer or called her name one more time she would come back to him.

The child in his arms stirred and a tiny scream echoed into the silence. He looked down at the child her held, he saw in her a piece of what was now lost to him. He stood and turned quickly to the servants at the door. The pain melting into a fiery anger.

“Find me the midwife I would speak to her.”

They scurried off and quickly found her outside cleaning up, and brought her before Markus. As she entered she had her head bowed no doubt from hearing the news herself. Markus sat in the chair near the head of the bed where his wife lay.

“My wife is dead. Why is that?” his voice boomed with the anger that seemed to seep out of him.

“I do not know sir,” She said meekly “ Some women give so much during the birth that thy do not have enough to survive themselves.”

“Are you to have be believe she is dead because she has given birth.”

“It is known to happen sir.” the midwife answered back more confident in tone yet still shaken by being brought before Markus in such a state.

“Yes in frail women who didn't have the strength to survive the process. My wife is no such woman, she was strong.”

“I have no reason to offer you . I have seen it happen many times it cannot always be explained.”

“Leave me,” he bellowed and turned from her.

“But the child, she will need someone to care for her. I am sure I can find a family that could take her in.”

Markus didn't answer and only rose from his chair, the babe still squirming in his arms. The midwife took a step closer toward Markus and reached her arms our to take the child. Before she could take another step Markus reached to the chair and unsheathed a his blade that had been hanging from it. Still holding his child in one hand and the outstretched blade in the other, leveled at the face of the woman.

“This is my daughter, no one else will raise her, she is mine to care for and mine to protect. I would not have her grow up calling someone else father, knowing someone else as mother. I will defend her with my life, you will not take her from me. She is all I have left of her mother. Of my sweet Jullianna.”

The woman jumped back and stared at him for a moment as the light of the braziers flickered and gleamed off the blade. “As you wish sir,I would not dare to try and take her from you if you did not wish it, But it will be hard, you are a man and do not know the ways of raising children.

“Then I will learn, for this child, for this child I will do whatever I must.”

“I can send a couple women over to show you how to care for her, and you will need some cows or goats for milk, after all the child cannot yet eat the same things you do.”

“Yes of course, I know, It will be done immediately,” he commanded and slammed the butt of the blade against the table summoning a servant. After telling her of what was needed he the midwife to tell the servant any other things that would be needed. They both rushed off and Markus dropped the blade to the floor and slumped back into the chair, instinctualy rocking the child in his arms.

The next several weeks were a blur of activity for the young man. Every morning and evening he would be instructed on how to care for the child, and the house staff set up a place for the livestock to keep the supply of milk constant for his young daughter. He also made arrangements for the burial of his wife along side her father in her families burial plot. The school was temporally closed as Markus had decided to focus all of his efforts on his daughter. When she was a month old, as was traditional Markus took her to the temples and presented her before the priests and priestesses there for a blessing. As he stood before that gathering of them there.

“This is Jessica Verotis, my daughter and the daughter of Jullianna Casius, I will care for her as long as I am able and shall endeavor to make her a woman of character and virtue. This I swear before the gods and all these witnesses.”

A short and simple ceremony, as everyone was leaving as saying their words to Markus he noticed a familiar face in the group of priests and priestesses. He rushed over to her, and stepped in front of her.

“Leigh was it?” he spoke to the priestess.

“Yes, that is what I am called.” she answered him in slight confusion.

“You knew this was going to happen didn't you? You knew I was gonna lose my Jullianna, and that my daughter would have to grow up without her mother?”

“I have heard about your loss. I did not know. I simply delivered to you the message I was instructed to give you, even then I did not know what it meant.”

“The Godess did not tell you what she had planned, what was gonna happen? Why would she take Jullianna away from me?”

The small frame of Leigh straightened as she looked Markus right in the eye and spoke. “Do not blame the goddess for the things you cannot directly attribute to her.” her tone with a utter seriousness, almost in warning. Then softening when she saw the child in Makus' arms. “And your daughter Jessica, like you she has drawn the attention of the gods. Wether because of you or her mother or who she is likely to become, I do not know. But when I look at this child's face I know that the gods watch her as well. They still watch you as well.”

With that Markus had no response and simply walked away troubled by her words. Why would the gods care about this child, his little girl. The more he though about it the more it bothered him. But it didn't matter. So what if the gods watched her, all he could do was raise her the best he knew how