“Quickly take a seat; everyone's been waiting for you,” Davos, seated at the head of the table, said with concern as he looked at Crotokatax. He continued in a gentle tone, “Now that you've experienced the terrible effects of alcohol, you should drink in moderation from now on.”
“It's quite uncomfortable, so I’ll do my best not to drink in the future.” Since this was Crotokatax's first experience with drunkenness, he touched his still slightly dizzy head and responded in a low voice.
“You simply need to drink less because it's hard not to drink at all. Otherwise, you won't be able to get along with the soldiers,” said the person next to him.
Crotokatax quickly turned his head and said warmly, “Brother! Thank you for reminding me!” He then turned to the other side and greeted, “Hello, brother-in-law!”
Patroclus nodded smilingly and suggested, “When I got drunk for the first time, I had a headache, too. But my commanding officer gave me honeyed water to drink, and I soon felt much better,”
“Honeyed water? I'll try it later,” Crotokatax expressed his gratitude and sat beside Adoris.
Davos then gestured to the servant standing by, and soon dinner was set on the table.
After looking at Adoris, Crotokatax, and Patroclus, Davos smiled and said calmly, “In the East, there's an old saying: ‘Father and son go into battle.' This means that when a father and son fight together, they will likely win battles because of their close cooperation. During this expedition to Latium, all the adult men in our family have joined… So I would like to apologise for being held up here for nearly two months due to the tense war situation and the pressing government affairs. To avoid any appearance of favouritism, I couldn't give you more attention. Today is a rare occasion, so I've called the three of you here to get together as a family and have a good meal, drink and chat.
I am happy that despite the frequent and brutal battles, none of you have suffered much harm. This is our greatest fortune! So, this first cup of liquor is to thank Hades for protecting us!”
Davos raised his cup after saying that.
Adoris and Patroclus also raised their cup one after another, with only Crotokatax hesitating.
“Croto, you should drink honeyed water as soon as you sober up,” Davos said.
His words caused Crotokatax to change his mind and ask the servant to add more water to his drink.
After silently praying to Hades, the four then drank their drinks.
“Your Majesty!” Patroclus placed down his cup to refill it and said, “I would-”
“Stop!” Davos immediately corrected him, “I already said at the start that this was our family gathering, so why are you still calling me that?! Shouldn't you call me like what Cynthia calls me?”
Patroclus hesitated and then said with respect, “Father!”
“Good,” Davos responded with a smile.
“Shouldn't we have him do a penalty drink for that?” Adoris gazed at Patroclus.
Patroclus drank his drink in a gulp and then turned the empty cup towards Adoris.
To be honest, Patroclus and Adoris, despite being brothers-in-law, had never shared a meal together. However, Patroclus' bold and forthright attitude matched Adoris' temper, who promptly raised his glass in response.
“Haha, Patro, since Cynthia is my eldest daughter, she has been helping us care for our other children since they were young. So, Adoris and the others might hold a slight grudge against you for marrying her!” Davos purposely said that in a joking tone.
While Adoris scratched his nose in embarrassment, that sentence had slightly shaken Crotokatax. However, two years had passed since the incident, and he had already come to terms with it and moved on with his feelings.
Patroclus smiled and filled his cup again before saying, “Fa…father, what I wanted to say is that…the helmet Croto gave me had saved my life. While fighting the enemy during the defence of the city of Ostia, an arrow struck the side of my helmet. Fortunately, the helmet resisted the arrow's impact well enough not to cause me to become dizzy and give the enemy I was fighting an opening…”
Patroclus touched his head as he remembered about the dangerous situation at the time. Then he said with a lingering fear, “So, I would like to give my toast to Croto. Thank you very much! You have saved my life!”
Patroclus stood up and raised his cup to Crotokatax sincerely.
Crotokatax hurriedly stood up and said, “Father was mistaken just now. We don't hold any grudge against you for marrying our sister. In fact, we're grateful to her for bringing us such a wonderful brother-in-law! Since we're family now, it's only natural that we support each other. In accordance with Theonian tradition, it should be me to offer a toast to you!”
Davos felt satisfied seeing Crotokatax overcome his entanglement and exhibit such generosity and decency. He became even more delighted to witness the two of them clinking their cups and drinking, and he expressed his joy by lightly tapping the table, “That's right, this is how a family should be!”
Then Davos picked up another cup and said aloud, “This second cup is for your excellent performance in this war! Patro, as a senior centurion of the First Legion, you had remained calm-headed and commanded well in these difficult battles, like rescuing Volsci, attacking Rome, and defending Ostia. And by leading at the front in critical moments, you boosted our soldiers' morale and performed exceptionally well. I am proud of you!
Adoris, in the battle to intercept the Roman reinforcements and the capturing of the cities of Fidenae and Gabii, not only did you perform valiantly, but you also led your men well. Thus, your promotion to a platoon leader isn't because Matonis was trying to please you because you are my son but because of the achievements you had won on your own. I am proud of you!
Croto, this is your first time on the battlefield after just turning eighteen. I had only wanted you to experience the atmosphere of the battlefield and didn't intend to let you fight the enemy on your own. However, you took the initiative to go into battle many times, such as blocking the Roman reinforcements, defending Ostia, and conquering Fidenae and Gabii, especially in the assault on the city of Gabii, where at the most critical moment, you courageously led the palace guards to rush atop the town's wall and earn the first achievement for the conquest of Gabii. You are already an excellent warrior, and I am very proud of you!
So this cup of mine is to honour you, the three outstanding young men in our family, for winning glory for our royal family with your excellent performance. I thank you all!”
Davos stood up and sincerely raised his cup to the three, then drank it clean.
Crotokatax, Adoris, and Patroclus, all three who listened to Davos' words, became high-spirited as they looked at each other, smiled, and then held up their cup in return to Davos.
Davos poured liquor again, looked at them and said seriously, “This last cup of alcohol…is to honour our loved ones! While we are here fighting at the front, they are worrying about us at the back! Adoris and Croto, your two mothers wrote to us every day, and a significant portion of their letters inquire about your well-being in Latium, what you've been eating, whether you've been in battle, or if you've sustained any injuries… To ease their worries, I have to expend energy every day to reassure them.
Patro, you are the same. Cynthia wrote letters to you daily, and I think they are also filled with concern for you… So you must remember the reason we fight is for the peace of our homeland so that you won't overly indulge in the fighting and forget the loved ones who worry about you in the rear!”
The three who had just been high-spirited had suddenly turned serious. Patroclus remembered his wife, who loved him deeply and was still pregnant. Crotokatax remembered his beloved mother, Agnes, and his biological mother, who appeared strict but caring. Adoris also remembered his mother, who had always been very loving of him, and her sister, who had taken care of him since childhood. The three silently held up their cup and drank it all in one gulp while feeling emotional.
Silence descended in the room for a while before Davos said, “Now that we have drunk three cups of liquor, we can start eating and talking freely. Croto, since you felt uncomfortable, I had ordered them to make a porridge specially for you so you can eat it first.”
The servant brought the steaming porridge in front of Crotokatax, who then ate it slowly.
The dinner prepared for them was a hot pot of beef and mutton because Davos thought such food was better when eaten with his family. However, Patroclus and Adoris, who had already eaten a lot at the noon banquet, didn't have a strong appetite, so they only took a few bites. At the same time, Adoris couldn't help but ask, “Father, is it time for us to attack the Roman army hiding in their colonial city southwest of Latium next?”
“Yes,” Davos affirmed his question and said clearly, “Rome is a vicious wolf, and so we must intensify our attack while they are wounded and never give them a chance to recover to avoid it biting us back. Thus, I have decided to personally lead the army tomorrow to attack the Roman colonial city in the southwest and other Latin city-states that we haven't yet subdued.”
“Will our legion also participate?” Adoris immediately asked.
“The Second Legion will accompany me on this expedition.” Davos said that then looked at Patroclus, “The First Legion would remain within the city of Rome for the time being, in conjunction with the Lucanian Reserve Legion, to help praetor Asistes maintain order and stability within the city. At the same time, you will help send the wounded soldiers back to Thurii while having the reserve soldiers in Thurii come to Rome to make up for the shortage of men in the First Legion.
After the First Legion complete its reorganisation, the Second Legion will rush back to Rome to switch places with you… In this way, we could restore all the combat capabilities of each legion as soon as possible while eliminating the Roman army, for we have plenty of men, and now we also have sufficient reserve of military rations.”contemporary romance
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