B4 Chapter 58: The Newest Shiny Thing

Marcus headed toward the castle with only mild concern on his mind. Legionnaires took precautions to protect the privacy of their leader's conversations, yet that was no concern to him. He had enough ways to manipulate both sight and sound to get around them, could sense feelings even when he didn't hear words, and also had good old-fashioned lip reading to rely on. Between all of that, he'd gleaned enough to raise one eyebrow at least. To read the subtle tones of discontent simmering beneath the surface.

Gaius was one thing. He'd aired the occasional grievance to him before, albeit in private and in the same way that any laborer might complain about a job they wouldn't trade for the world. But this... this was a shift. An important one.

It certainly didn't help that Tiberius treated the victorious Third Legion as though they deserved punishment. Yes, there was some hubbub about how long they'd been away, but was that really an issue? Especially when they'd saved the elven province from facing total destruction. Or at least, potential destruction. Men were prone to embellish their accomplishments, and the Third Legionnaires he'd heard talking about the matter were no exception.

In truth though, he did find a small part of himself relieved at the development. The idea that Quintus's warmongering was truly counter to Tiberius's wishes was good news. For the rest of the world, at least. It meant that Rome's conquests may truly be at an end, at least for a little while.

Of course, he wanted the best for Rome. He didn't consider himself a patriot by any means, but this place was his home now, and he much preferred peace and quiet to being in a constant state of war. The fact that Tiberius wasn't going to engage in a forever war like King Gerald had was fantastic news on its own. But if that reluctance also extended to adding more territory to his holdings, at least for a moment... Well, he could certainly use a break. It also meant this tentative peace between Rome and the dwarves had a better chance of continuing to last, if the dwarves got their act together and didn't antagonize anyone further.

Though Eleonora seemed to disagree about that part. They hadn't spoken much lately, since her ideas of "peace" had strayed into rather adamant nonaggression on most fronts, even if Rome were attacked. How she squared that with working alongside the Legion, he wasn't sure. But people could perform some rather impressive mental gymnastics when they wanted to.

Hopefully, now that there was a pause on external struggles, nothing would crop up internally. Despite the sentiments of both Legatuses, it didn't seem as though they were anywhere close to that being a risk. Which meant the current trend of prosperity and booming trade might persist at least a bit longer.

He stretched skyward, humming softly to himself as he walked. While it was tempting to tail the two men for their more private dinner meeting, that would be a step too far. He had far less confidence in remaining undetected in such a setting, and he had no desire to betray the trust of men who could send entire armies hunting him down on a whim. Which meant that he'd need to simply let the juiciest details lie. Perhaps Gaius would let them slip with enough convincing.

For now, he'd keep all of this to himself. While Tiberius would certainly reward any who brought word of conspiracy, this had not even remotely reached that threshold yet. And bringing bad news to a powerful political leader was, in general, something that smart people tended to avoid. If they wanted to avoid some rather intense questioning, at least. Not to mention that he had no intention of tattling on his friend without much, much better reasons.

Marcus meandered through the town, not particularly in a hurry. He had a destination in mind. But that didn't mean he couldn't stop at a few taverns along the way, grace the clientele with a few songs, and catch himself on the latest gossip. Most of the Legionnaires were still busy outside the walls with their dragons, meaning it was predominantly commoners who he spoke with. But that didn't bother him. If anything, it was a nice opportunity to get a different perspective on things.

Finally, a few hours later, he arrived in the castle. He navigated through its mazelike halls, his senses on full alert. He scanned the surroundings for the pulses of emotion he'd learned to associate with people behind doors or through walls. Eventually, he felt them. Two small pulses, low to the ground and burning bright with astonishing intensity. They oscillated wildly between feelings, as though they had no control over themselves. Which, presumably, they didn't.

Marcus braced himself as he pushed open the door. Even prepared as he was, he couldn't help but let out a small "oof" as two tiny forms rocketed into his shins with ear-piercing screeches of delight. "Dada!"

He bent down to pat the two twin girls on their heads fondly. "Ah, yes. Dada has indeed returned. It's wonderful to see you both..."

The girls had grown, both of them almost reaching his knees now. Despite the manner in which they clung to his legs, they looked far more confident in their ability to stand on their own. The wispy brown curls of hair had thickened to twin mops that nearly caught his fingers as he ruffled them.

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He was in the process of bending down to pick them up when his senses detected the other pair. Not on the ground, though. Above.

Marcus's head whipped up to see the other pair of twins standing atop a bookcase. They grinned with utter delight before launching themselves forward, hurtling through the air directly at him.

It took a rather impressive display of dexterity to both disentangle himself from the girls and catch the boys before they split their heads open. But he managed. The two giggling boys clutched at his arms with no apparent regard for their own lives, isolating his last two limbs as the girls once again attached himself to his legs.

Marcus's heart was still racing as a group of figures rushed around the corner. The first to arrive was a gray-haired nanny that he recognized, her face stricken with panic. Doubtless a skill had informed her of the danger her charges were in. But seeing them safely held now, her panic faded into relief, then stern fury.

"Boys! How many times must I tell you not to leap from such heights?!"

Two new figures emerged from around a corner, clad in flowing dresses. His twin princesses, radiant as always, warm smiles gracing their expressions like two rising suns. Even the slight bags under their eyes weren't enough to detract from their beauty.

"Marcus. You're home." They chimed in unison.

"Brianna! Rosa! Indeed I am." He grinned. "I have returned from my adventures, as always, laden with stories to tell."

"Wonderful," they giggled. "I hope you bring songs, too. It has been quite impossible to get them to nap without dada's music."

Ah. That explained the bags, then. There was a slight tinge of accusation in that tone, but his smile didn't falter. Surely they understood. He had no idea how to be a father. How was he supposed to know what to do here, when he had never even known his own?

He breezed past the uncomfortable topic easily. "Of course, of course! In fact, I bring more than just that. I bring gifts. Er, well..."

He moved for his pack, only to find that producing it while also being climbed upon by four children was quite impossible. Luckily, the women helped. They swept forward and helped to remove the little barnacles, freeing him to produce the gifts he'd amassed.

The twin princesses received the fine dresses and assorted trinkets he'd brought with sounds of appreciation. When he produced the ornate dwarven necklaces, their expressions brightened. "These are..."

"Beautiful, are they not?" He grinned. "A matched set, as well. Just as my princesses are."

The delicate stones glittered in the light, the metal around them as fine as spun hair and stronger than steel. He had no idea how the dwarves were able to craft such wonders. But he was just glad it didn't cost him an arm and a leg to purchase.

The toddlers reached toward the necklaces insistently. Marcus chuckled. "Of course, I didn't forget about you lot. Here..."

He produced a few wooden toys he'd picked up on the way here---little horses and soldiers for the boys, as well as some princesses and dogs for the girls. The kids' eyes went wide as their attention shifted toward the toys, and their grabby little hands accepted them gratefully. In an instant, he'd been forgotten in favor of the shiny new thing.

"Oh, and one last thing." He allowed the anticipation to build as he theatrically dug in his bag one more time. Reaching deep inside, he produced two dragon scales---one red and one blue---and handed them to the princesses.

They looked at the scales with wonder. "We had heard that dragons had been killed. But these..."

"It wasn't cheap, let me tell you," Marcus told them. "But I have my sources."

In truth, it had cost him more than the dwarven necklaces in bribes just to get three of the things. One he kept for himself, obviously. But looking at the luster and the way the scales seemed to shimmer with every movement, he could understand why.

The boys looked up from their game and noticed the scales. Their eyes went round and they darted to their mother, gesturing frantically. "Mine!"

Marcus watched in utter shock as the woman actually gave them the scale. The two boys held it together, staring into its shiny depths, completely enraptured. They shook the scale, giggling at the lights as they sparkled.

"Brianna..." He began uncertainly.

"They won't be able to scratch it," she explained. "Nor do I see any edges sharp enough to scratch. So long as they stay within my view, I see no harm in them playing with it."

Brianna's sister lent her scale to the girls shortly after, and the two pairs of children busied themselves with the newest shiny thing. Marcus couldn't help but feel a little perturbed as the kids played with a small fortune of what could be family heirlooms as they would any other toy. But the princesses did have a point. There was far more risk of them hurting themselves than doing any harm to the scales. So long as they didn't get lost...

He looked up from his fretting to see the [Twin Princesses] eyes on him. Any hint of accusation or displeasure had vanished from their faces and their demeanors. Now, all he saw was a look that he recognized. One that made him think it was entirely worth it to come back.

"Gertrude," the princesses chimed. "Please watch over the children for a while. Ensure that nothing happens to their newest toys."

The old nanny bowed deeply. "Of course, your highnesses!"

It spoke to the women's trust in the nanny that they would even consider leaving her with such treasures. But Marcus didn't object. He let the twin princesses lead him toward the bedroom, thinking all the while that there were worse ways to be tied down.