The merry making continued. As did the flow of the wine. Marcus thought about how long it would be before he could return to his chamber. Three days had passed since he returned from battle but still his body carried the burden of war. He ached from head to toe, each movement reminding him of every swing of his sword. He felt heavy and lethargic. The celebrations allowed him to forget about the many men he lost up north. Although, only temporarily.  

The emperor called for his daughter once more. An urgent tone in his voice now. The calls drowned out the music and laughter with his booming voice. He has such a big mouth for a such a small individual. It was impossible for his daughter not to hear her fathers cry for her presence but for a second Marcus thought she might just have done exactly that. He thought she was either enjoying herself too much or just simply ignoring her father. The great hall fell momentarily silent. The mood fell back in to place a little more than a moment later, as the emperors daughter appeared at the foot of the steps leading to Caesar and the General. Marcus had heard of her beauty but never had he seen it for himself. Not closely anyway. His soldiers referred to her has a goddess and quite right they were too. Her golden locks fell carefully over her shoulders. Her slim body complimented by her dress. Marcus couldn't help but stare at Claudia as she elegantly climbed the steps. Never had he seen such a beauty, even on his travels. 

   'You called for me, father?', she asked softly. Marcus could tell she didn't want to be here as much as he did. Caesar liked to celebrate almost anything so this was not an unusual event for Claudia. And being summoned before her father was something she also got used to. 

Caesar smiled back at the sight of his daughter standing before him. He loved his daughter as much as any father loves his daughter. He can be considered a little over-protective when it comes to Claudia and as her best interest at heart. But he has recently grown frustrated with her reluctance to find a suitor, especially after her late fiancee. Caesar wants to make sure he has a grandchild and heir. 

   'Ah, here you are, my dear. Isn't she beautiful, General?'. Marcus nodded in agreement with Caesar, though, he didn't take his eyes off Claudia. Marcus could feel his heart pounding a little faster, as though it would when we was on a battle field. He also noticed that he had forgotten about much of the pain in his body. He moved uncomfortably in his seat. 

    'Now, since the pair of you are alone tonight, I think it would be a crime should the two of you not share a dance together, don't you think?'. Caesar had a rather serious tone to his voice but Marcus wasn't sure if he was joking or not. Marcus looked at Caesar who had a wry smile on his face. His heart beat faster, probably the fastest it had ever done before. Marcus moved uncomfortably in his seat once more. After finally deciding Caesar was being as serious as ever, Marcus rose from his seat and held out a hand towards Claudia.