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Cynoscephalae (actual Greece) - 197 BC
The first light of dawn started filtering through the tent panels, enough to wake Portia. Dulled from the wine drank the night before, she rose slowly while noticing how silent the camp was. What a difference from last night! She gently entangled herself from Kaius, who let out a soft moan without waking.
In the dim light of dawn he looked harmless, not like the amazingly trained warrior Portia was well aware he was. Kaius was sleeping on his back, his broad chest rising softly and the lines on his face relaxed. Her finger trailed along the new scar on his arm. It looked clean, Portia nodded, her ointment never failed. Then her eyes were caught by the semi-erect member pointing up like it was asking for her attention. How sweet it would be if her fingers would wrap around the long shaft and wake him up with her soft light strokes...but no. After all these years trailing behind the army, first as a generic woman of pleasure then as Kaius' chosen lover, she knew Kaius' sleep after such a battle was to be undisturbed.
There, her feet touched the ground and she wore her sandals. She stood up trying to cause the least movement to the cot and after checking Kaius was still deeply asleep she carefully raised the panel hiding the entrance of the tent and stepped out into the fresh air. A few people were already awake, mostly attendants but also a few soldiers rudely awoken from their drunken sleep.
She gestured a thanks to a young attendant who left a bucket of water by the entrance of the tent and washed her face, the cold water bringing new life to her sleep dulled head. She checked her hair in her reflection on the water and sat by the entrance, waving a discreet hello to the few people passing by. She had no aristocratic origin; otherwise she would have never been a
meretrix
, a woman of pleasure. But she was Kaius' lover and in the eyes of everyone she benefited of his social ranking as well.
A moment later, the entrance flap of the tent raised and a half naked Kaius emerged with just linen wrapped around his waist. 'Portia' he called, causing the few soldiers present to look away from her as if, all of a sudden, the mere sight of her would burn their eyes. They sure did not want to raise Kaius' anger.