“Me included.” I craned for a last view of Trajan’s red cloak, vanishing now around a bend in the road and toward the fort. Normally I’d have received him in tight rows with the rest of the Tenth, but there were far too many legions to array us all together, so half of us had been released to welcome the Emperor in the crowd. The poor bastards at stiff attention in their ranks outside the fort must be finding it hard to keep discipline—I could hear the banging of spear hafts against shields from a mile distant. Suddenly I felt an itch to be back among them, cheering myself hoarse among the smells of iron and sweat.

“Sojers!” Demetra’s little boy yelled, hanging on to my ears, and I yowled at him. Swinging him down, I made horrible faces until he giggled. “At least someone thinks I’m funny,” I said pointedly.

Demetra looked at the ground, lips tightening. Titus looked back and forth between us.

“It’s supposed to be a celebration today.” I swung her son upsidedown, holding him by his heels as he gurgled and shrieked. The Praetorians had passed now, giving way to the wagons, the Imperial freedmen, the secretaries and stewards, the rest of the entourage that traveled wherever an emperor led. The crowd’s cheering had mostly died off, though I could hear the banging of javelins against shields increasing, and the shouts mounting as well. The crowd about me had slowed to cheerful conversation, the passing of wineskins, the waving of pennants, and the business of making the day into a holiday. “It’s a holiday, so will you stop sulking?”

“Sulking?” Demetra’s voice wound up into a squeak. “If you think I’m sulking—”

“So,” Titus interrupted brightly. “I thought you’d have sentry duty today, Slight. How did you get out of it?”

“Luck. Simon and Boil got stuck instead, poor bastards.” I blinked my thanks at Titus for the interruption; he blinked back and turned to Demetra.

“Allow me to take your arm, can’t have you crushed in this crowd—”

Demetra gave a shy bob of her head. Titus came to dinner often enough that she no longer dropped to her knees at the sight of him, but she still tended to get stiff and self-conscious in his presence.

“I don’t see how you can say you’re friends with an officer,” she’d said to me, awestruck and a little disapproving. “Like should keep to like.”

“According to who?” I’d shot back.

“Have you heard the news?” Titus continued. “It’s just come from the principia, about the new legate—hadn’t you better put him right side up, Vix?”