CHAPTER II
" I only came on duty a short while ago, lady. If your man is here, he must already entered because I have not seen him and have no idea where he might be. I suggest you go and look for him ."
" I see," zenious replied coldly . she stood her ground for a moment and then leant forward across the desk and let her cloak drip down onto the clerk's tablet. The clerk froze, then looked up . He's lost his tongue .
" My , My , a parting thought ." she hisses through her clenched teeth and grabbed the clerk hem as she pulled him roughtly . " There's no need for the surly treatment, Sir. I'll already polite . You try it on again underestimate a woman entered this electic library , I might mistake your nice neat little library for a very rough and ready tavern , if you take my meaning ." she shoved the library clerk from her hand .
The clerk swallowed . " Yes, my apologies . Please free to enjoy the facilities of the library as you wish ."
" There you are !" zenious leant back with a plesant smile . " Just as easy to be polite as to act like a complete jerk, eh ?"
The clerk nervously glanced about to see if any of his colleague were in view, but he was alone , he looked cautiously at the girl in front of his desk ." Yes, as you say so."
Zenious bowed her head and turned away , she had an abidng hatred of the petty officials of the world who seemed to serve no other purpose than to hinder those who actually had useful acts to perform . The library had a large entrance hall with two doors leading off either side and another directly opposite the entrance , her footsteps echooing off the highwalls, she entered a long room lined with shelves which were filled with scrolls, The ceiling , rising some fourty feet from the mosaic tiled floor, had been painted with nautical scenes which were lit by naroow windows high up in the walls. A line of tables and benches ran down the centre of library's main room and since it was still early on a cold morning, there were only three men present, two older men hunched over a scrolls as they enggaged in a muted disscussion, the unmistakable built tall figure of Alexius in his military cloak . He sat at the far end of the room, where a faint shaft of light provided barely adequate illumination for the broad sheets of papyrus that lay before him .
The loud clatter of Zenious's iron boots caused the two old men to break off their disscussion and looked up with amazed confusion and frown at the nw arrival who had disrupted the usual quiet library , Alexius must have heard the sound of her boots, but he continued reading until she was almost upon him , she placed her finger on the papyrus to mark her place and looked at him. His face glowing and he regarded zenious without a flicker of expression as she sat down on the bench opposite Alexius.
The younger officer had receive a severe wound to his back while they were in syria and now a white line of scar tissue streched from his back , across his hip . It was quite dramatic scar but it had not relly disfigured his features. A mark to be proud of , Zenious thought. Something that would distinguish Alexius from the other fresh faced officers serving the Emperor and her.
" Have you found my clue ?" she nodded at the sheets in front of him, then gestured to the laden shelves lining the walls . " You supposed help me to pass the time."
" Until what, I wonder." he raised his spare hand and lightly rubbed his jaw line . " I haven't found your clue ." Alexius replied as he focused his mind . Caius Alea Zenious was his fiancee, she quite restored him with full of life , even she never tell him she love him . He so lucky to have her but the worst of all , Alexius feared that she would pitty him and offer herself to him on that basis of morality virtue it does not matter she like it or not . The thought sickened him . He eyeing her from the corner of his eyes in silent now he saw her again he could not know her response , nor could he prepare her for the encounter since she had forrbiden him from contacting her .
" So any news ?" Zenious asked him suddenly .
Alexius broke his thought, then he's looked at her with full concentrate " I've been catching up over recent months , but haven't found yet ."
" I'm listening ."
" Nothing spring out, there was something you might to look later."
" This mention our part, I suppose." zenious mused.
" Alas, yes "
" There's a suprise. Shall I notice ." She raised her eyebrow.
Alexius glanced down at the sheets in front of him and rubbed his chin slowly." Nothing significant , I believe so...." He shuffled through the sheets, scanning them briefly , after some moment his hand reached a scrolls inside his hem and handed the Imperial Scrolls to her and speak ." Here. A delievery order from Pallas the Imperial Secretary of treasure. I don't know the content, as you can see it's stilll seal Imperial waxes on it ." Alexius looked up . That's all, love."
Zenious nodded and took the waxed scrolls from Alexius hand . " Doesn't sound like has anything to do with me being here at this moment . " she smiled as he hide the scrolls under her brown cloack .
" I suppose not." Alexius sat back and stretched his arms out as he yawned widely , and rest his elbow on the table as he leant on it and stared at her . " Another day in the beautiful town of Ravenna, Nothing on at theathre , can't take you to the bathhouse . What kind a lover am I ?"
She chuckled slightly ." My , my, you are in a miserable mood!"
" It's true, how about swimming ?"
" It's tempting , but I'm not in the mood ."
" Work ?" Alexius reached her hand on the table .
She looked at him. " Yes, You could go , and do anything you like to do. "
" Hey, I thought I'm the one who in miserable mood here." He smiled at her . " A work, huh ? what have you got in your vein , blood or stone ?"
" Either way, I'm staying in my office and work. You can do what you like ."
" I will, just as soon as I've eaten something to get my strength up ." The benches scraped back as Alexius rose to his feet. He swept the map together and returned them to a shelf before he reached Zenious hand and marched out of the library , their footsteps disturbing the other two old men once again .
" Ssshhhh!" One of them raised a finger to his lips. " This is a library not a market street, you know!"
Zenious stopped her pace and she turned round her body and says with cold and loud voice.
" Library! " Zenious snapped and ridiculed at them, " It's a warehouse of ideas, that's what. The only difference is that a library will never leave you with a nice warm glow inside your tummy,eh ?"
" Shocking ! " the man expotulated. " You're woman , better she stay at home . Sir, please be so good as to remove her from the premises."
Alexius smiled charmingly and tugged her arm " Believe me, she needs no urging, Come on love, let's we have breakfast ." As steered her towards the doorway , while her face flushing out.
Cornius served them a thin stew of barley and chunks of meat that might have come from a hingly seasoned lamb shank, it was warm and managed to assuage the people'stown appetite , when Alexius asked for some bread, the cook scowled, stomped off, returnd with a stale bread which he set down on the table with a thud .
" Hey ! you! here!" zenious bellowed, startling another customers of the eatery . Cornius was at the bar arranging his cheap soup cups on the shelves behind the counter . He turned round irritably and hurried over the table .
" What's it ? Please keeping your voice down ?"
Zenious gestured towards the bowl of stew, which was still full. " He might be hungry enough to eat this swill but I draw the line at loaf that I would not even force a pig to eat ." She picked up the loaf and slammed it down on the table . " Hard as a rock."
" Please soak it in the stew, It'll soften up soon enough ." Cornius suggested in a warm tone.
" I want decent bread," Zenious replied firmly ." Freshly baked, and I want it now."
"Sorry, there's none available."
Zenious leant forward, continued in a lower voice to makesure that the other customers would not overhear. " You're being paid well enough by pallas to feed and put the legions."
" I'm being paid a pittance by Pallas, General" Cornius grumbled.
" Let's say in the interests of us getting on with each other and not causing any trouble, do something to improve our rations, to start with , I suggest you get the fresh baked I asked for him ."
Corius looked at her as he took a calming breath and nodded slightly . I'll see what I can find , If you promise not to cause any trouble ."
Zenious nodded and smiled, " That's depend on you."
After the inn owner left, returned to the counter and had a quiet word with his cook , Alexius chuckled and smiled sweetly at Zenious ," You never change ."
Zenious puffed her cheek " It has it's place. I found the application of force can be equally effective at producing results not all the time tho, it's just being tactical."
" That could be draw attention to yourself, Love."
Zenious shook her head " I could do without attention too. This place driving me mad, It's bad enough that we have to sit and wait at the pirate's pleasure, the bastard already advanced us."
Alexius was silent for a moment . " No doubt that's intended to help make us more compliant."
" Those scroundrels are up to no good." She murmured.
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