"Yes?"

"Well, sir, I'm just a foot soldier. I didn't know if you had any...plan of attack you could use me in?"

"Plan of attack?"

"Yes sir. A brilliant tactician like you would know best how to use a lowly soldier like me to...to benefit the good of the legion."

"I fail to see what you think you can accomplish alone Cadmus. Though I'm glad to see you realize that I am indeed a brilliant tactician."

I think I'm going to lose my breakfast, Cadmus thought to himself, though he twisted his face into a stupidly exaggerated expression of phony reverence. Acastus bought it hook, line and sinker, puffing out his massive chest with pride.

"You wanna prove yourself to me huh?"

"Yes sir."

"We're going to make camp in the next valley. We're going to charge the pass in a few days."

"Aren't you worried about us fighting up hill? Don't you think it would be better if we were to circle their camp and come at them from behind-"

"You dare question me?"

The rage in Acastus' voice made Cadmus' stomach feel as if he'd swallowed a beehive. He bowed to Acastus. "I'm sorry sir. I meant no disrespect."

"We are the first in all of Caesar's legion's Cadmus. We're the best of the very best. We don't sneak around to do battle, we attack! We take what we want and we destroy anyone who would dare defy us. We'll make camp in the next valley and we'll charge that pass. No more discussion is necessary."

"Yes sir. You're absolutely right."

"Of course I am." A look of revelation suddenly dawned on Acastus' scarred and ugly face. "Didn't I order you to watch that conniving little bitch Livia?"

"Yes sir. I just thought I would be of better use to you-"

"Don't think Cadmus. You do such a poor job of it. I'm putting you on kitchen duty. We'll talk when you've learned to be respectful."

"Kitchen duty?"

"You're lucky I like you Cadmus. Otherwise, I'd have executed you for your arrogant tone. Get out of my site before I lose my generous mood."

Cadmus left; satisfied he'd been successful in his mission. He'd done it! He'd managed to glean the information he'd wanted from the fool that was their commander without losing his life at his hands or having to go into the battle below, which the Alpha Legion was quickly winning. Now, he would go back to Livia, the only one who seemed to have the know-how to save them all. He was surprised by how quickly he was beginning to place his loyalties with her.

Cadmus filled Livia in on what he'd learned. "You were right about everything Livia. He's going to store our supplies in the caves, and he's going to attack the pass."

Livia pointed to the caves. "We'll have to travel more than two miles from camp for our supplies."

"We'd just be asking for guerilla attacks. What the hell is wrong with him? Any fool could see his plan of attack is going to..."

This time it was Livia who finished the thought. "...Get us all killed."

"I can't believe this! I can see how a rookie foot soldier could make mistakes like this but a seasoned officer like Acastus? How could he implement a plan so obviously inept?"

"Because he's arrogant. For a man like Acastus it's a full frontal assault or nothing. He's not going to sneak up on anyone. He views that as cowardly. He's insane Cadmus. He's not just going to get himself killed, he's going to get all of us killed."

"What do you suggest we do? The others are beginning to talk about him. He's leading us to our deaths but we're too afraid of him to do anything about it!"

"Release me."

"Absolutely not. He'll run me through the moment he sees you loose."

"No he won't, 'cause I'll kill him."

Cadmus shook his head at her naivety. "If you kill him they won't wait to take you to Rome. Caesar's charge or not, they'll crucify you. You're going to have to win them over Livia."

She nodded in agreement. As much as she hated to admit it, Cadmus was right. She needed their loyalty, not their wrath. "Then you're going to have to start a little trouble. You're going to have to convince them to follow me."

"What do you mean?"

"Cadmus, I should be leading this legion. We both know that. Not only can I save our skins but I can win this battle!"

"You're a child. What makes you believe you can do better than Acastus?"

Livia closed her eyes and lay her head back. He did have a good point. There was no reason for anyone in the world to believe a seventeen year old girl deserved the rank of commander over six thousand men. How could she convince him? He wouldn't believe her if she told him she was Ares favorite as well as Augustus Caesar's. Even if he did, that alone wasn't reason to put her in command of the elite of Rome's legions.

"I am not like other warrior's Cadmus. I'm not just any woman. I'm going to tell you something I have never told anyone else before."

He still looked skeptical, but with the knowledge he'd just gained of Acastus' suicidal plans, he was willing to hear every option. He believed what made a man wise was an open mind, and he was willing to listen to anything once. "What's that?"

"I have been training to become a warrior under Mars himself since I made my first kill when I was ten."

He almost gasped. Ten years old? "You've been killing for that long?"

"Yes."

"And Mars, the god of war himself, has been training you?"

"That's right."

"Even if I believed that, training with a god and actually having battle experience are two completely different things."

Livia was becoming desperate. If she could get this man on her side, she stood a good chance of using him to turn the men to her side, against Acastus.

"Even if that god spent every day of that girls childhood teaching her the battle strategies of the greatest warriors of history? Even if that god took that child into the fiercest battles, invisible to all but him, and had her make the plans of attack for the warlords he used to train her?"

"What are you saying? That Mars would take you into battle and give your orders to warlords, just to train you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I've seen more death and destruction in one year than you will ever see in your lifetime Cadmus. I deserve to lead these men. I'm the only one here with enough battle experience to save us."

Cadmus looked deeply into her large blue eyes, seeing she was telling him the truth and not just making up lies and stories to win him over. She was the one to save them, and he was willing to do anything it took to save his legion and Jara. If he were to be successful with his intentions, he was going to have to do something to put this girl in power.

"I'm not letting you loose Livia. You're too young to understand it now but that's a very bad idea."

Livia sighed with disgust. Even after all she'd said, and even after the acknowledgment of the truth she'd seen in his eyes, he was still hung up on her age. She was sick and tired of men always reminding her of how old she was. She was always too young for anything that would require them to take her seriously as a warrior, until they got an eyeful of her body anyway. She was too young to lead them into battle but she was old enough for them to want to bed. They all made her sick. She consciously hid these feelings from Cadmus and nodded.

"All six thousand men in this legion are in danger of losing their lives to this mad-man if we don't do something, soon. If you won't set me free, then at least listen to me."

"I'm all ears."

"You said the men are already voicing concern. Let's use that against Acastus."

"We ride against the Gaul camp day after tomorrow. Do you really believe we can turn the men against Acastus in that time? Without some butt-kissing traitor turning us in?"

"What could it hurt to try?"

Cadmus chewed this last statement for only a second before he nodded in agreement. If he did, the most he had to lose was his own life. If he didn't, the most he had to lose was the lives of all six thousand men in this legion. "I'll get started right away."

The thousands of soldiers that comprised the Alpha Legion made camp that night in the valley just below the Gaul stronghold as Acastus ordered. As the tents were set up and the men hunkered down for an uneasy nights rest, dissension quickly and quietly spread amongst them as they pondered the wisdom of Acastus' battle plan. It seemed to them he was leading them on a suicide mission, and Cadmus was at the center of it all, stoking the fire as he doled out gruel for the men's dinner.

At first he'd been resentful that Acastus had sentenced him to an evening of duty passing out the slop that was their food. Now he was grateful. It provided him with the perfect cover for moving about the men and planting seeds of doubt among them without calling attention to himself.

Cadmus, body weary from lack of sleep yet determined to do what he could to save the lives of his fellow soldier's, pushed on. Whenever he heard a group defending Acastus' actions, he was quick to point out the fatal flaws in the new commanders plans, and the wisdom that had come from Livia. The men, who were still reeling from the embellished stories surrounding the battle in which Livia killed Damen, were quickly beginning to say her name with favor, and this served to encourage him to push on despite the exhaustion that was threatening to overcome him. Cadmus mused that had anyone told him only a few days before he would be promoting the idea of a seventeen-year-old girl to take over the Alpha Legion, he would have laughed in their face. Now he was doing just that.

As dawn began to stain the eastern sky with beautiful, deep reds and gold's, Cadmus found himself full circle, walking to the slave wagon where he'd begun at the night before. There wasn't an ear in the legion that hadn't heard of Livia's rising popularity, or of Cadmus, the man who was singing her praise with such fervor. He could only pray his efforts didn't backfire on him and get him killed. At least not before he could convince the men to overthrow Acastus and put young Livia in his place. It also wasn't lost on him that Lycus had stayed by his side the entire night. Whether or not this was good or bad, Cadmus hadn't decided.

"You know, Livia had encouraged me to fight Acastus for my life."

Cadmus looked over at Lycus. He wasn't at all surprised to hear Livia would encourage such a blatant act of disrespect to one's commander. He'd come to expect it from her. If he were honest with himself, he'd come to admire it about her as well.

"Yeah? What did she say?"

"Not important. The thing is, she's got a warrior's heart. She..."

"What?"

"She looks familiar. I feel like I've seen her before but it's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible Lycus. Whom does she look like?"

"I think she favors a warrior from my home village of Amphipolis. Her name was Xena."

"The Warrior Princess?"

"The one and the same. I was thirteen last time I saw Xena. She'd come home with her baby, Eve, and Athena attacked the village. Held us under siege. Ah, Xena. That woman was a brilliant tactician Cadmus. Every time I look into Livia's eyes I swear I'm looking Xena in the eye."

Cadmus let silence hang in the air between them. Lycus wanted something, but what that was, Cadmus hadn't a clue. He'd learned from experience that most people would tell him all he needed to know about them if he simply remained quiet. Some men had a need to fill silence with what they believed to be idle chitchat, when they were actually unwittingly revealing their true motives. Cadmus couldn't be certain whether Lycus' motives were innocent or not. The thought did occur to him that Livia had told Lycus of his part in freeing the slave girls and perhaps he was seeking revenge against Cadmus for almost getting him killed.

"You've heard Livia's plan of attack against the Gaul's. We can win with her in charge."

Lycus nodded. "That's why I'm with you on this one."

Cadmus stopped and looked the older man in the eye. He'd never been one for secrets, and regardless of what Lycus may really be after, Cadmus was determined to have everything out in the open. Especially if Lycus was being sincere and was still willing to place his trust, indeed his very life, in Cadmus hands, and vice versa. It was the honorable thing to do, and Cadmus was nothing if not honorable.

"Lycus."

Lycus faced Cadmus expectantly, waiting for the younger man to speak. He was just about to question him when Cadmus finally broke his silence, his words coming out in a rush.

"About those escaped slave women...I...I helped-"

"You distracted me so they could escape?"

Cadmus was shocked to say the least. "How did you know? Did Livia tell you?"

"No, I put it together."

"And you're still willing to go along with my plan to put Livia in power?"

Lycus sighed, feeling the need to make this younger man understand the importance of the greater good, and the importance of being able to trust your comrades.

"I was angry at first, but now I see you care more about these men than you do about your own personal safety. The greater good, Cadmus, is the most important thing to a loyal soldier. Every day I put my life on the line in battle. Not for myself, but for Rome. For the world."

"Strange words coming from a Greek."

"My mother was Roman, and therefore, Rome will always be dear to me. Now let's go. We've got a legion to save."

Two Days Later

Lycus lay flat on his well-muscled belly and held his spyglass to his eye. He'd been both shocked and pleased when Acastus had postponed his idiotic attack and ordered him to circle and spy out the enemy camp two days earlier. Despite his threats, Acastus knew Lycus was the best, most experienced scout the Alpha Legion had to offer. And perhaps, Lycus had thought, the man is coming to his senses and is going to change his plans. Lycus was fully aware of how highly unlikely that was to happen. Lycus had seen his kind before, and he didn't put too much faith in the chance Acastus would change his small mind and bad habit's over night.

He'd been thrilled for two more reasons as well. One-it gave him something productive to do. Two-it gave him an opportunity to draw a map for Livia, detailing the landscape. It would help to have obvious landmarks to devise plans by. His little excursion had allowed him to discover an unguarded entrance to the Gaul's camp in the Northern Valley. This could just be the key to them winning the battle without losing a lot of their best men in the process.

This work had taken him two days to come full circle, but he'd made it undetected by the enemy. Now, as the rain began to pour for the third time in two days, he gave the Gaul's camp one last look. What he saw horrified him, making his blood run cold in his veins.

According to Acastus' assault plans, the legion was to stupidly charge the pass the next morning if their presence didn't goad the enemy into coming out of their strong hold for the battle. Now Lycus watched helplessly as the Gaul's set up boulder traps and heavy stones on the hills above either side of the pass. When the legion started to march through, the Gaul's would simply set off the traps, sending boulders racing for them as well as an avalanche of stones from above that would destroy half their force. If they followed through with Acastus' plans, they were doomed to lose half their manpower, leaving what was left outnumbered two to one, instead of one on one as it was now.

"Damn him!" Lycus growled to himself. If only Acastus would follow Damen's plan! They could win this battle and continue the long tradition of the Alpha Legion returning home victorious heroes. Because of the new commander's arrogance, the entire legion was doomed to die. Well, he wasn't going to allow that to happen. Livia, young though she was, should have been leading this legion days ago. He was going to see to it she did.

Lycus put his spyglass away and turned to haul ass back to camp, but instead of finding a clear path, he found four enemy scouts blocking his way.

No matter which way she moved, Livia was unable to find a position in which she could sit without her muscles screaming in protest. Her situation wasn't helped any by Jara's laughter. Were she not chained, and did Cadmus not like her so much, Livia would have released the anger and frustration over the past few days by ripping the whore's heart from her chest. It was, after all, one of her favorite methods of killing, and it had always turned Ares on. Ares...Livia was only a hair's breadth away from calling on him to get her out of this mess. She would have, if she didn't have her pride.

Pride, she thought. Isn't that what got me into this mess? She had believed she had a destiny to fulfill. She had believed she was to become the most powerful woman the Roman Empire had ever known, and she had believed she would do this by her skill with the sword and her mind instead of just her body. She'd let her temper get the best of her and now she might have to pay for that with her life. She'd been a fool to kill Damen, but it was too late to take it back. For the first time in her life, Livia was in serious doubt of her future.

Jara laughed again at the emotions playing across Livia's face. "Something funny?"

"Yeah, you. You never knew the misery you put your slaves through by chaining them in these transport wagons for days on end did you? No way to bathe. Be thankful Cadmus takes us to relieve ourselves. Most slaves don't get that luxury."

Livia could feel the mixture of satisfaction and resentment that dripped from Jara's voice and permeated the air like a hot, noxious fog. Livia found it strangely amusing.

"No, I didn't. If I get out of this alive..."

Thinking she had Livia figured out, Jara finished the sentence for her. "You'll think twice about the way you treat people."

Livia snorted in disgust. "No. I'll be careful not to give the cattle so much room to move. I'll really make them suffer."

Jara reacted with both surprise and disgust. "Why are you so cruel? Why do you do such horrible things to decent, innocent people?"

"Innocent? There's no such thing as innocent. Not even in a child. A woman your age should know that." Livia's face split into a feline grin, making her resemble a hungry lioness. "I do these things because I can."

Jara shook her head in pity. "Your soul is dead and you're so young."

"My soul is alive and kicking!" Livia screamed. In the confines of the covered wagon her voice cracked like thunder from close lightning. She forced her voice to a lower level after she decided she was satisfied with Jara's startled reaction.

Livia continued. "My soul is...evil. I don't know how I know, but I have always been evil. Sometimes I have dreams that I'm other people. Men, women, it doesn't matter. They're always powerful warriors and they're always, always evil. You know what sweetie?"

The older woman wanted to respond in some way but she felt trapped and mesmerized by the cold, dead eyes that seemed to be taking up so much space on Livia's deceptively delicate face.

"I like it."

Two soldiers appeared at the tailgate with keys for Livia's chains. They shackled her feet, and then pulled her from the wagon. Her legs were so weak from the time she'd spent in one awkward position after another that she was barely able to hold herself up, and she had to lean heavily on the men to stay upright.

"Where are you taking me?" Livia asked. She was pleased at the lack of fear in her voice, though her heart pounded rapidly within her chest. The soldiers, however, ignored her and pulled her away without a word. When Jara was alone, she was finally able to find her voice.

"I'm living on borrowed time."

Acastus admired his reflection that shone off the surface of his freshly polished shield. The new commander's uniform fit him perfectly, and he looked forward to finding a good spot to sit back and watch the upcoming battle. He had Lycus out in the field, scouting out the enemy territory, and Acastus was confident that the name of the Alpha Legion alone was enough to scare the Gaul's into hiding behind the walls of their strong hold long enough for the Alpha Legion to get through the pass without harm. Such had happened before.

He took off the armor and tossed it carelessly to the other side of the tent. He wanted to study himself in the mirror again, this time with nothing on but his trousers. He was well muscled and strong, though he'd gotten thicker around the mid-section as he'd gotten older. He didn't care. He had power now, as the commander of the Alpha Legion, and within this camp, he was as all-powerful to these men as Ares himself. He could do what he wanted, when he wanted, and there was nothing any of these pathetic swine would do to stop him. Besides, a little fat was a sign of power, as Augustus was beginning to prove.

After what seemed an eternity the cook arrived and began to set the table. In moments he and his assistant had the table laden with rich food and wine. Food that Damen had always refused himself, saying it made men fat and lazy.

"So much for what he knew," Acastus thought. He sat down and examined the veal, vegetables, fruits and wine set out for him. In moment his dinner guest would be arriving, and he would get what he'd wanted from the moment he'd laid eyes on her. To ensure Livia was easier to handle, Acastus took out a small vial of the sleeping powder he'd ordered his physician to bring him earlier. The physician had assured him it was an exceptionally potent sample, sure to put even a warhorse under for a good sleep. It was just what he needed to control Livia.

No sooner had Acastus poured the powder into the flask he'd set aside for Livia did the guards arrive and shove her unceremoniously into the center of the room. She landed on her knees as her feet, which were still shackled together, were unable to take steps long enough to keep her balance. His skin felt charged at the site of her in a royal blue Roman toga, which was cut to expose her ample cleavage as well as her strong, youthful thighs. Acastus felt almost as if Zeus himself had hit him with a lightning bolt.

Livia's skin glistened with water from the rain or the bath she'd just come from. He could smell the scented soaps used to cleanse the grime and dirt that had accumulated on her in the days she had been chained in the wagon, and now her skin looked as smooth and creamy as it had in his fantasies of her.

"Welcome Livia." Acastus noticed the young girl who had made him commander of the legion eyeing the food hungrily. This was good, especially since he wanted her to eat and drink her fill of wine. "Hungry? By all means, come! Eat."

"What is this?" Livia was no fool. Acastus had some kind of plans for her, she knew. Why else would a half-naked man have her bathed, dressed in Roman finery and brought to his private tent? He was up to something, and Livia had a pretty good idea what that was. It would seem he'd tired of Jara, and had turned his sight's to her. Great.

"I'm not hungry Acastus."

The smile, which looked more like a grimace of pain, that adorned his ugly face fell off and he became deadly serious. "That's commander or sir to you, and I'm not asking. I'm telling you to eat."

"And if I don't?"

"You have a choice young lady. You can eat, or I can behead you right here and now. Now what's it gonna be?"

Livia sighed and made her way to the table. Playing the gentleman, Acastus pulled out her chair and helped her into the seat. His calloused hands lingered on her shoulders too long, and she was filled with such disgust at his touch that she quickly lost her appetite for the food.

"What's the point of all this? I'm a condemned prisoner." When he failed to respond Livia shook her head. "If you're trying to seduce me, you're wasting your time. I'm not even remotely interested."

"I don't waste my time on silly things such as seduction. If I want a woman I take her. It's as simple as that."

"And if she's a woman out of your reach?"

"Then I don't take her." He studied Livia's grin, which he knew she thought was a sign of her triumph over him. He was about to wipe that smile right off her face. "Unfortunately for you my dear, you're not out of my reach. Now eat."

Livia decided that if she were to get out of this mess alive, she'd better go along with him. As she lifted a morsel of food from her plate, she began to realize what his plans to take her must be. Knowing she was his superior in combat, he had no doubt drugged her food. Once she was half-conscious from whatever he'd slipped her, he would unchain her and have his way with her. The only question was, did he drug the food, the wine or both?

"Eat up!"

Livia tasted the food and closed her eyes with each bite. Ares had taught her well how to use every since she had at her disposal, taste included. She analyzed each bite, cataloguing each spice and finding nothing amiss. The food seemed safe.

The wine, she thought, lifting the goblet to her lips and taking in a deep breath. The wine had an excellent bouquet, but it also had an extra element she was unfamiliar with. The wine was definitely her enemy this evening. She looked at him over the rim of the goblet and took in a small sip. She would eat plenty, to give herself the strength she would need later, and she would pretend to be drinking the wine. She would also play the part of the drugged little prisoner, and when he took the chains from her so he could take her body to the bed, she would use her favorite killing technique to rip his heart from his chest, and she would shove it down his throat.

Livia offered him a smile as she imagined the feel of his warm blood coursing over her wrist and the feel of his most precious organ die in her clinched fist. Having no idea why she was smiling, Acastus sat back in his throne-like chair and returned her smile with his own arrogant grin.

If only, Livia thought, he knew what was coming.

Lycus faced down the last of the four scouts. It had been a while since he'd been forced to fight more than one man alone, without the support of his fellow soldiers to back him up, and this led him to face the fact that he'd lost his once razor sharp edge. He was disgusted at how difficult it had been for him to kill the three of them, considering in his younger days four men would have been laughably easy.

"Not bad Roman," the remaining Gaul scout said. Blood poured from his busted lip, courtesy of Lycus' boot heel, but he showed no signs of serious injury. Pity, considering Lycus had given him all he had. Did he have the energy and the strength to defeat this man who was his equal in age and strength?

"Of course. I'm a soldier for Rome. Bad isn't an option." Lycus spoke with more bravado than he really felt. He'd been gone from camp for two days. In that time he'd barely eaten and now he'd used up the remainder of his strength fighting off three of his four attackers. As he kept an eye on the moving enemy below, he tried to calculate how long it would take him to get back to camp undetected. At least two more hours from his present location.

"Tell that to Hades when you see him in Tartarus, Roman scum!"

The two crossed swords and the force behind each blow the man delivered with his continually surprised Lycus. Knowing it would be a waste of his energy to deflect each blow with his own weapon, Lycus opted to simply dodge as many swipes as possible. On several occasions the sword whizzed past so close Lycus could hear the blade cutting the air, even feeling the breeze caused by the metal of the enemy blade.

Thing's only got worse when Lycus realized more of the Gaul force was moving out of their camp. They seemed to be preparing to surround the Alpha Legion. Most of the men heading out of the strong hold were small, lithe men. The type that was quick on their feet, but not much good for hand-to-hand combat. Every single one of them was armed to the teeth with a bow and an arsenal of arrows of every kind. Lycus wouldn't doubt that the arrowheads were poisoned so that even if the damage from the arrow itself didn't kill the man, the poison would.

His opponent began to giggle, almost in a girlish fashion. "How does it feel Roman? How does it feel to know you're precious Alpha Legion is about to be utterly destroyed?"

"I don't know." Lycus took this opportunity while his opponent was busy gloating to run his sword through the man's gut. "How does it feel to have a sword stuck in your gut?"

He had to get back to camp and warn Acastus of the coming danger, and if the man refused to listen... then to hell with protocol. He would try and kill the arrogant bastard himself.

Cadmus stared up at the night sky. The rain had stopped more than three hours before, and the clouds had moved on, seeming to almost be in a hurry to leave. Now the stars shown brightly in the heavens, like sparkling diamonds on a blanket of velvet. The moon, the crown jewel of the night, hung high and full in the sky. He was grateful for that, as was everyone else. The light from the moon made it easier to see what you were doing and where you were going when you weren't close enough to a campfire or didn't have the benefit of a torch.

He was surprised when several men approached him, nervous looks on their vaguely familiar faces. He knew them only as men who were willing to listen to his plans to oust Acastus from power and give Livia command. At least long enough to get them out of this mess.

"What's the matter?"

After a long, nervous pause, one of the men spoke. "It's Livia."

"What about her?'' Cadmus asked, his skin suddenly becoming covered in goose flesh.

"Acastus had her taken to his tent about an hour ago. She's with him now."

Cadmus took off, not bothering to hear the rest of what the men had to say. If Acastus had Livia...He knew just what the commander had in mind, and he wasn't going to allow it to happen. Not to the only one who could save them from the mistakes Acastus had made.

Livia swallowed the last bite of food on her plate and sat back. Once again she pretended to drink from her goblet, but in fact the wine never even touched her lips. Acastus picked at his food and drank his own wind with gusto, all the while watching her with eagle eyes. He was expecting her to succumb to the effects of whatever drug he'd put into her food, and she wasn't about to disappoint him.

"More?" He asked, holding up the skin he'd doctored with the sleeping agent. She snatched it from his hand and dumped its contents into the cup, then purposefully knocked it onto the floor of the tent.

"Oh, I'm soo sooory." she said, slurring her words. She offered him the classic, disgusting burp most drunks always seemed to have waiting to come out and stink up any drinking establishment, then giggled. She let her eyes fall, half hooded with her false intoxication.

"Commander... I don' know what has gotten into me..." She offered a small hiccup and Acastus sat back in his chair, laughing with satisfaction. "I didn't drink that much!"

"It's drugged," he happily confessed, believing he had her under his thumb of "power", where he wanted her.

"Drugged?"

"Yes. You're much too dangerous to try and handle sober, so I drugged you."

Acastus played a finger over her cheek and began to caress her face. Livia was filled with disgust and spit on his hand. This enraged Acastus and he slapped her with stunning force that literally knocked her from her chair and onto the floor.

"You stay away from me!" Livia scooted away on the floor and realized she was playing it too much. If she were to get him to at least undo her feet so he could move her to the bed, she would have to become less of a threat to him. Livia gave one last groan then fell back, feigning unconsciousness.

Acastus studied Livia carefully, trying to determine if she was really unconscious or just attempting to fool him. He decided to take no chances. He wasn't in the mood for a challenge tonight. Acastus grinned and took the key from his belt. Carefully he unchained her feet.

Suddenly Livia's foot came up and connected with his face. There was a sickening crunching noise as his nose crumbled from the blow, making Acastus fall back in shock. He pressed his hand to his face in an unsuccessful attempt to hold back the blood that was pouring from his nose. Livia grabbed the chain and swung it around, attempting to hit him in his temple and kill him, but he saw it coming and with surprising agility he fell back, out of harms reach.

Livia wasted no time in grabbing the keys and unfastening her handcuffs. When she stood to her feet she was free, bound by nothing. No chains and no self-control.

"You bitch! You broke my nose!"

"Don't worry Acastus. It's not going to hurt long, I promise."

Livia moved in on him, attempting to drive her foot into his face. He surprised her again by moving with lightning speed from the floor to the bed where his sword lay. Livia took off for the tent flap, making Acastus laugh, despite his broken nose. He no doubt believed her to be running from him instead of drawing him out into the open where she would have the freedom she needed to move.

It was here, in front of all of his men, that Livia intended to kill this insane bastard. She was also determined that she would not go back to being chained tonight. When this battle was over she would either be the new commander of this legion or she would be dead. There would be no in between's.

The men of the camp were nothing short of shocked to find Livia, adorned with the finest Roman robes and jewels come running out of Acastus' tent. They were even more shocked to find their incompetent commander come stumbling out behind her, sword drawn and nose smashed into his already horrendous face.

Livia turned to face Acastus just as Cadmus came running into the area. "What's going on here?"

"You!" Acastus screamed, pointing the business end of his sword at Cadmus. "Don't think I haven't been aware of your little campaign to help Livia here overthrow me."

Cadmus licked his lips nervously looked between Livia and Acastus. If he were to rally the troops to support Livia, he would have to give up his safe haven on the fence. The men, he knew, wouldn't support Livia until they saw someone they liked and trusted back her. What better time to do that than now?

"That's right! I've been working to overthrow you. Somebody has to before you get us all killed!"

The fact that a simple foot soldier would dare defy his commander was one thing, but to have Cadmus do it to his face was another. The rumors of this pathetic soldier speaking against him had been true all this time, and now he was insulting him in front of everyone? Acastus vowed he would have this foot soldier's blood on his hands just as soon as he'd dealt with Livia.

"You," he said, still pointing the sword at Cadmus, "will have the privilege of seeing your heart take its final beat when I cut it from your chest. And you." He looked to Livia, "You will be my whore from now until I tire of you. Believe me sugar, that will be sooner than you think."

"Livia!" Cadmus called, pulling his sword and tossing it to Livia.

She deftly caught it and faced Acastus. Before long, the two warriors crossed swords, but it didn't take much effort on Livia's part before she not only had Acastus' sword lying on the ground, out of his reach, but she had put a nasty cut on his leg that guaranteed he would not run from this battle. She put the sword to his throat, but it was Cadmus who spoke to the men who watched the exchange in confusion.

"Listen to me, my fellow soldiers! Acastus is arrogant and foolish. I have spoken with you all of his plan of attack against the Gaul's stronghold, and every single one of you has agreed it's suicide!"

The men began to dance uncomfortably from one foot to another, but said nothing to object to his words. Acastus sat on his knees, his anger threatening to boil over until something vital within him exploded. How dare this lowly bastard insult him in such a way! Had Livia not held a sword to his throat, Acastus would have ordered Cadmus killed. The thought that the order wouldn't have been carried out did not even occur to the delusional, soon-to-be-dead commander of the Alpha Legion.

"Livia is the one we need to lead us to victory. She saw Damen's battle plans before he died-"

"Before she killed him you mean!" One of the soldiers yelled from the crowd.

"Yeah," another chimed in. He pushed his way to the front of the gathering and pointed an accusatory finger at Livia.

"We wouldn't be in this mess now if she hadn't killed the commander!"

"Like you really cared about him!" Cadmus shot back angrily. "Let's not make Damen out to be some kind of saint. Have you forgotten he treated us like horse dung before he died? The fact of the matter is we're going to die here if we don't get the leadership we need! Livia can give that to us if we only..."

Cadmus voice trailed off as the distinct sound of a distant voice came to him over the sound of his own breathing. The men began to cast one another looks of confusion before they too heard the distant voice of one of their own. Finally they all recognized it as Lycus. The crowd began to part to allow the soldier and his lathered horse through.

"Livia!" He said when he came to a stop and took in the sight of Acastus on his knees before Livia. He decided now to show the men where his loyalties lay by reporting to her as if she were already the commander of the legion. This act wasn't lost on the men surrounding her. It wasn't lost on Acastus either.

"Report." She said, seemingly comfortable with playing the part of commander. Perhaps if they viewed her as something more than a woman...

"Archers! The Gaul forces have sent archers to attack from the hills surrounding the camp.

"How many?"

"No less than two thousand are on their way now. Armed to the teeth with arrows, poisoned."

"Alright listen up!" Livia said. She motioned for Lycus to dismount and she took his place on the smelly, sweaty beast that had carried him home to deliver the news that their enemy was on the attack. As she sat on the horse in her Roman finery, her incredible presence, her forceful nature and her beauty struck every man in the camp within site of her. She looked like the Queen they could all feel she was destined to become.

"The time for indecision is over. You either follow me now or die."

The men cast looks of indecision to one another and Livia sighed with inpatients. This brought a laugh of amusement from Acastus who lay on the ground, pressing both hands to the wound on his leg.

"They'll never follow you. Get my physician!"

It's now or never, Livia thought, looking from Acastus to the men surrounding her. She sat up straight and proud in the saddle of the still panting horse and began to walk him in a circle to face the men around her.

"You don't know me, true. You have no idea if I will be able to lead you to victory against the Gaul force, but you do know one thing for certain. If you follow Acastus you are destined to fail. It's a suicide mission and you all know it. Right now the enemy moves against us! Death is about to fall from the sky and because of this arrogant, lazy bastard we're sitting here doing nothing! We should be surrounding the Gaul force, preparing to swoop down upon them with swords drawn and the name of Augustus Caesar screaming proudly from our lips!"

The men began to murmur in agreement. Livia watched as they slowly began to stop dancing from one foot to another and stand straight and still as her words filled them with a sense of urgency. It was time to add pride to their bouquet of confused feelings. Once she had stoked the fires of their arrogance, she knew she would have them eating from the palm of her hand.

"We are the elite of Rome's legions. There are none in the world above us! Our skills in battle and warfare are second to no one!"

The men began to cheer, almost with each word that came from her mouth now. She pointed her sword at Acastus. "Look at him! Do you see how easily he fell beneath my blade? This proves two things to you! One, I am not just a woman.  I am a warrior. I have defeated this legion's two top ranking officers with ease. Secondly it proves to you that Acastus is weak in body as well as mind."

The men cheered looked at one another once again, this time not in confusion, but with a sense of awe and revelation. This girl had indeed done all she proudly confessed. She had defeated the best Rome had to offer, with ease, and she seemed to have nothing but the legion's best interest at heart. Maybe there was something to her after all.

"Follow him and run to the arms of defeat, death and shame." Livia thrust her sword to the heavens with pride. "Follow me and I swear on the head of Mars himself, I will lead us to victory!"

Lycus and Cadmus followed suit, drawing their swords and chanting her name.

"Livia! Livia! Livia!"

Livia grabbed Cadmus eyes with her own and motioned to Acastus. Take him out, her eyes said, and Cadmus did just that. Acastus head rolled with the last sight of his life being that of this girl/warrior, taking control of his precious legion, and leaving him to die in shame.

It didn't take long before the men around them picked up the chant, and Livia was reveling in the power of the moment. She had gone from the lowliest foot soldier to condemned slave, to the commander of Rome's elite Legion. The doubt she had been feeling of whether or not she was destined for greatness was completely gone now. She had proven to Ares, and more importantly to herself, that she was capable of achieving the greatness she had dreamed of since the god of war had taken her under his wing seven years before, on her own, without his help.

Livia stared out over the sea of Roman soldier's who were ready to follow her to Hell and back for the sake of victory and Rome's honor. They were hers now. All hers. Today she was the Commander of the Alpha Legion.

Tomorrow, she would be Rome's Champion, and the most powerful woman the Roman Empire will ever know.

The End of Chapter Two.