less risky for the chariot teams than importing animals from the East. If we raised our own horses, they could see them grow from birth, and even choose early those whom they felt showed promise,” Cailin concluded. “What think you, my lord?”
“I think she is brilliant!” Arcadius chimed in enthusiastically.
“We would have to find an excellent stallion, or two for breeding purposes, and we would need at least a dozen mares to start,” Aspar thought aloud. “I would have to go to Syria myself to find the animals. We should allow no one there to realize our intent. The Syrians pride themselves on their fine horses, and their profitable export market. I can probably obtain young mares here and there by pretending I want them for the ladies in my family, who amuse themselves riding when in the country. Normally,” he told Cailin, “women do not ride.”
“The Greens have won the second race while you chattered,” Casia chimed in. “The Blues are crying collusion, for the Reds and the Whites seemed to have made a decided effort to cut off the Blue team’s driver at every turn, and he finished dead last.”
Between each of the morning’s four races there was a little entertainment as performed by mimes, acrobats, and finally a man with a troupe of amusing little dogs that leapt through hoops, did tumblesaults, and danced upon their hind legs to the music of a flute. These intervals were brief, but a much longer one came between the morning’s races and those to be run in the afternoon. Then the emperor’s box emptied, as did the patriarch’s.
“Where are they going?” Cailin asked of no one in particular.
“To a small banquet that has been prepared for Leo and his invited guests,” Aspar told her. “Look about you, my love. Everyone has brought food and is beginning to eat it; and here is Zeno with luncheon for our guests. As always, old friend, you are prompt.”
“Aspar positively dotes upon you,” Casia said in a low voice to Cailin as their luncheon was being set out. “You are very fortunate, my young friend, to have found such a man. The rumor is he would marry you if he could, but do not count upon it.”
“I do not,” Cailin said. “I dare not. I have grown to love Aspar, but still something deep within me warns of danger. Sometimes I can ignore that voice within, but at other times it nags, and frightens me so that I cannot sleep. Aspar does not know this. I would not distress him in any way. He loves me, Casia, and is so good to me.”
“You are just fearful because the last time you allowed yourself to love a man with all your heart, you were cruelly separated from him, Cailin. It will not happen again.” She accepted a goblet of wine offered her by the attending Zeno, and sipped it. “Ahh, Cyprian! Delicious!”
An imperial guardsman entered the box. “My lord general,” he said politely. “The emperor requests that you join him at table.”
“Thank the emperor,” Aspar said, annoyed. Leo knew that he had guests of his own. “Tell him it would be impolite of me to leave my own invited guests, but that if he needs me, I will attend him afterward.”
The guardsman bowed and had turned to go when Cailin said, “Wait!” She took Aspar’s hands in her own and looked up at him. “Go, my lord, please go, if only for my sake. No matter how gently you couch your refusal, you will insult the emperor. I will entertain our guests until your return.” She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss upon the cheek. “Now go, and you will be pleasant and polite, not irritated.”
Aspar arose reluctantly. “For your sake, my love, but only for your sake. You would not have me offend Leo, yet his invitation offends me because it ignores you, and the others with us.”
“I do not exist for the emperor, nor does Casia. As for the others, they are artisans and actors. Sometimes invited, sometimes not,” Cailin said wisely with a small smile. She was quickly learning the ways of Byzantium’s society. “Go, that your return be all the sooner!”
“You have more breeding than most of the court,” Arcadius said to her, arching a dark eyebrow. “You are not what you seem, I think.”
Cailin smiled serenely. “I am what I am,” she answered.
Arcadius chuckled, and seeing he would get no more from her today, turned his attention to