Antonious Maximus sat at the end of the bar relishing the last few sips of wine that he knew would soon disappear. The recent Civil war had brought him to Pompeii and back, and he was not yet ready to put down the sword, or the bottle for that matter. His closest comrade, Marcus Afranius and his mistress Lilcia were nearby, carefully observing , ensuring Antonious' safety.
Marcus, a short man, stood only a small horses leg high, but was strong as an ox. He had been alongside Antonious in the wars against the Gulls, and more recently, in the civil war against Pompey. He was in Egypt when Antonious became ill, and the two served together as legionaries in the battle of Battle of Dyrrhachium. They were close, and Marcus had sworn his allegiance to Antonious. His days of fighting in the Roman Legionarres were over, he, and Antonious wanted to stay in Rome, and were willing to do anything they could to do so.
Licia was truly the daughter of a slave who she had never met, but her father was a well connected Equestrian. Her father, claimed the Licia was the daughter of he and his wife, thus making Licia nobility. She stood tall, with a long set of brown braids. Her eyes had the color of the sea and her skin was soft and smooth for the time. Her looks were deceiving. She had met Antonious years ago during a festival for Salus. She always had a desire for Antonious, but her father, after learning of the two, threatened to speak the truth about her slave mother, and she did not want to be sent to Rome's underworld.
The three sat in the bar waiting for Licias father to walk through the dark alley nearby, waiting to do harm on Licias behalf. After this the trio was on their own. Will they be able to escape the blame? What will Rome's deepest secrets and darkest spots bring them?
