Project Cleopatra

Chapter 13:

No, that is Longinus because Octavian is Julius's nephew. Why did I think he was Octavian?

I shrugged off the feeling as Julius dismissed the senators and they all left until it was only Brutus, Julius and me.

Brutus was watching me carefully, I noted, as Julius got up and offered me his arm. "Walk with me, my dear."

I smiled up at him as I accepted his offer. "With pleasure, Jules," I said with a smirk of satisfaction as Brutus scowled at me. I knew he did not like the attention Julius gave me. To irritate him further I placed my head on Julius's shoulder. Brutus's gaze turned to daggers on my back whilst we continued to walk away as Julius' aged fingers stroked my hand. "Someone seems cosier."

I glanced up at him with a slight frown. "I apologise. I did not feel like myself earlier."

He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. "Interesting."

"What is?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing at all. Thank you for checking up on the farmers for me. Would you mind drafting up the reports too?"

"Of course, I will. The reports from last week are on my desk in my chambers. Would you like to get them?"

He nodded and we made our way to my chambers.

"I heard Antony had to leave again. Any news on that?" Julius asked quietly.

Marcus, a little voice corrected deep down inside of me.

I brushed it aside but something stirred in me. A wave of panic and dread. Then desperation overtook me but I tried to remain calm.

"Yes, he said he needed to go find a blacksmith to repair a dagger."

"Why would he need to do that? If he wanted we could buy him an arena full of daggers. Anything I should be concerned about?"

The key, Cleopatra. To get us home.

I paused at the sound of the fading voice in my head.

Julius glanced back at me as I tried to remember. "Sorry, I-I am not sure what is going on."

"Do you feel unwell?"

"No," I said, straightening my back. "I am quite alright." I tightened my grip on Julius as I urged us along. "I think the dagger had sentimental value to Marcus."

I felt a shimmer of hope that made me feel slightly better. "Did Longinus seem strange to you?"

Julius threw his head back and laughed as if I had said the funniest thing. "You mean stranger than he already is?" he teased and I rolled my eyes, smacking his arm playfully.

"I am serious. I cannot place my finger on it but something about him was familiar."

Julius contemplated this as we entered my chamber. I broke off from him and went to get the reports from the last assignment I had done for him. He said something but I didn't hear it as my eyes zoned in on a scroll with Antony's writing. It had strange calculations that I had never seen before.

Marcus! an annoyed voice corrected and I pushed back.

What in Isis's name is going on?

"Cleopatra?" Julius called out, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Yes?" I looked up from the work.

"How are the wine party plans?"

I gazed at my half-made list with a raised eyebrow. "Strangely, it seems to be taking me longer than normal. I have been all over the place."