Free Call to Juno (A Tale of Ancient Rome #3) by Elisabeth Storrs Page B

side to side as she sucked her fists. Impatient, the infant searched for the teat as Semni offered her breast, which was tight-packed with milk. She winced as the urgent mouth latched on. Both her nipples were sore and cracked, but at least she had not fallen ill with milk fever. She needed to rub on more castor oil to ease the pain.
    For so little a child, Thia had a powerful suck. It was a relief to feel the milk let down after the initial pain of the tug and draw. The little girl was intense, guzzling, and greedy, her eyes closed in concentration, her hands gripping the breast. When Semni shifted in her seat to get comfortable, the infant grew irritable, mewling at having to pause in her feed.
    This one will be demanding . She already knows her own mind. Lady Caecilia would have to be careful her husband did not overly pamper his little princess. Having a strong will was one thing. Being a brat was another. Yet it was good to see the babe feeding so easily. Thia’s first few weeks of life had been one of constant hunger and fretting. After a difficult birth, Lady Caecilia’s milk had dried up. It had taken some effort to convince the mother to relinquish the job of breastfeeding.
    Semni glanced across to Nerie as he nestled under the warmth of the bedcovers. He was so different from Thia with his placid and affectionate nature. It worried Semni that she must wean him in order to have enough milk for the princess. Her son had to be satisfied with goat’s milk other than one feed per day. She couldn’t bring herself to lose that time with him. He didn’t complain. Nerie rarely did.
    A glow of light from the doorway caught Semni’s attention. The curtain was pushed aside, and Lady Caecilia entered, her path illuminated by a slave boy who held a candelabra. Another wheeled in a freshly stoked brazier. Semni tensed at her approach, anxious after yesterday’s drama in the throne room.
    The queen bent and kissed Thia’s head. “Good morning, Semni. How’s my little girl today?”
    “Hungry, as always, mistress.”
    She smiled and sat down in her armchair.
    Semni breathed a little easier. “Thank you, my lady, for persuading Lord Mastarna to show mercy.”
    “Thank Arruns. Both of us owe him our lives. It’s only right we acknowledge the blood debt.”
    “I’m sorry for what I did.”
    Lady Caecilia reached over and stroked Thia’s cheek with the back of her hand. “It’s forgotten now. We need not speak of it. People shouldn’t be condemned for making mistakes for which they atone. You saved Tas. That’s what is important.”
    Semni’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you, mistress.”
    “Tell me, how long have you and Arruns been lovers?”
    The girl blushed. “Only once. After the Battle of Blood and Hail. And I promise we’ll wait until Thia is weaned.”
    Caecilia paused in caressing her child. “Ah yes, Lord Mastarna’s edict. I’m sorry, Semni. I’m not sure there is much I can do. When it comes to Thia, he’s besotted. Even though I have doubts milk can curdle from lying with a man.” She gave a half smile. “If that were true, my sons have swallowed many a sour mouthful and yet flourished.”
    Semni blinked, surprised at the joke. Lady Caecilia was always reserved with all the servants except Cytheris. It didn’t surprise her, though, that Lord Mastarna was ardent. The way he gazed at his wife made it clear he’d not yet tired of her in his bed.
    Semni lowered her voice. “Arruns will not marry me until Thia is weaned.”
    The queen frowned. “But he has claimed your son?”
    “Yes. Nerie now belongs to us both.”
    She patted her hand. “Take heart. Lord Mastarna may yet soften his stance. And Arruns is an honorable man. In time, he will marry you. He will make a good husband, too.” She picked up a tortoiseshell lyre from the side table and began plucking the strings with a plectrum, the notes plaintive and sweet.
    “My lady, Arruns has never told me in full how he came to save you from