"I find Venus Amica to be more in my favour." I smile. "I have been blessed with friends, this year."
"I too," I say, matching his smile. "We have both been fortunate in our friendships." I am advancing too, Isauricus. We both benefit from our growing influence.
"Our Empress, Venus-favoured, has promised such a celebration that Venus may frown, suspecting we do Bacchus more honour than her."
I laugh lightly.
"Her Royal Highness is indeed favoured by the Goddess of Beauty," I say, because one never turns down an opportunity to praise the Imperial family.
"I am sure you shall find your own way to honour the goddess tonight."
There, another dig, and I wish I did not suddenly have running through my mind the memories of how Tetricus and I have honored festivals together... It has been some half-month since we lay together, since I refused to go to the celebration of boys with him. We have enjoyed sharing a meretrice or two in our time - Tetricus has always liked to watch me take a pretty boy before trying him himself - but I was in no mood for such frivolity after watching Tetricus fawn over Larcius. But now my mind is upon those memories. I have lain with my wife a couple more times than usual in the last month to try to relieve the desire, but it is not the same.
"I am sure I shall," I say carelessly, "by celebrating the beauty of my wife and the bounty of my household. But," I add, and I give him a man-to-man sort of smile, "I will confess I prefer the feasts of Lady Venus's son to those of his mother." I know I am still a handsome man - even if Tetricus seems to prefer younger, less fully formed looks - and I want to see if I can bring any expression to Isauricus's face by mentioning celebrations of Cupid.
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"I too," I say, matching his smile. "We have both been fortunate in our friendships." I am advancing too, Isauricus. We both benefit from our growing influence.
"Our Empress, Venus-favoured, has promised such a celebration that Venus may frown, suspecting we do Bacchus more honour than her."
I laugh lightly.
"Her Royal Highness is indeed favoured by the Goddess of Beauty," I say, because one never turns down an opportunity to praise the Imperial family.
"I am sure you shall find your own way to honour the goddess tonight."
There, another dig, and I wish I did not suddenly have running through my mind the memories of how Tetricus and I have honored festivals together... It has been some half-month since we lay together, since I refused to go to the celebration of boys with him. We have enjoyed sharing a meretrice or two in our time - Tetricus has always liked to watch me take a pretty boy before trying him himself - but I was in no mood for such frivolity after watching Tetricus fawn over Larcius. But now my mind is upon those memories. I have lain with my wife a couple more times than usual in the last month to try to relieve the desire, but it is not the same.
"I am sure I shall," I say carelessly, "by celebrating the beauty of my wife and the bounty of my household. But," I add, and I give him a man-to-man sort of smile, "I will confess I prefer the feasts of Lady Venus's son to those of his mother." I know I am still a handsome man - even if Tetricus seems to prefer younger, less fully formed looks - and I want to see if I can bring any expression to Isauricus's face by mentioning celebrations of Cupid.