Iulia had never been on a horse before. She shut her eyes, wringing her hands tightly together in her lap rather than panic like she wanted to.
Realizing the man had told her his name, she smiled. "I'm Iulia Claudia. I was named for the first and only dictator of Rome, Iulius Caesar. The one who conquered Gaul and turned Rome into an Empire. And my parents wonder why I'm as rebellious as I am." In response to his other question, she said, "I've been fascinated with Celtic history for a while. I never actually understood why we were at war with them, and apparently, neither did the war counselors I asked, because they flat-out ignored me and reported my line of questioning to my father." The horse jumped over something, a barrel laying in the street, and she gasped at the sensation of weightlessness and anchored her fingers gently in the horse's mane. Just for her own peace of mind.