"Thank you," she said quietly. "I know the path you're choosing is dangerous. I won't pretend otherwise. But knowing I'll be your wife before you walk it… that gives me peace."
"Glad to hear that," Aurelian replied.
With a smile, Thaleia stood up and held her waist. Strolling toward the front, she looked deeply into Aurelian's eyes and said, "Not to sound eager, but I am. So anyway, I suggest you go and gather my gifts as early as tomorrow, so we can meet my father within this week."
Early tomorrow? That caught Aurelian off guard. He would have appreciated more time to gather his finances. Did he even have enough for a reasonable gift?
If he were to buy the gifts tomorrow for Thaleia's father, he wouldn't do it in Athens. The prices here were outrageous. During a shopping trip once, he had noticed an item selling for five times more than it should have, according to a merchant who imported the same goods from neighboring cities.
Athens prided itself as the center of the Hellenic way of life and therefore tried to present itself as a luxurious hotspot for purchasing the finest goods. That mindset allowed sellers to inflate their prices, and buyers would still purchase them just so they could say, "I bought it from Athens." It reminded Aurelian of his previous life, when items were thought to be made in Italy or France but were actually mass-produced in China, merely refitted in Paris, and then sold for ten times the price.
Pathetic!
"Thaleia," Aurelian called out.
"Yes, Aurey," she answered.
"Concerning the gifts, you mentioned oil and some silver. I was thinking that getting both would be appropriate for a man of Athens. But considering the prices in this city, wouldn't it be better to buy them elsewhere, even if it takes more time?"
"You do make a point. Athens is truly expensive, and most of its surrounding cities are as well. But there's one place that's actually cheap, Gasok. Going there and back would take six days."
Six days. That was Thaleia's main concern. She was extremely eager to marry Aurelian, and six days felt like a month to her.
Her eagerness was understandable. Aurelian intended to head to Mycenae before the month ended, and that wasn't her only worry. In Athens, and across the wider Hellenic world, marriage was a social responsibility. Someone like Thaleia, at nineteen, was at the prime age for marriage, especially since marriage was a means to secure lineage and establish family alliances.
If Aurelian chose to travel to Gasok, the journey would take six days total, three days going and three days returning to Athens. Such a trip would require him to use an ochema, the general term in this era for a non-military carriage.
"Gasok, eh. Then that's where I'll be heading tomorrow morning," Aurelian said.
"Aurey! But going there and coming back will take at least six days," Thaleia protested. She didn't like the thought of him traveling that far before they were married.
"You said it yourself. I need to present a proper gift to your father. And we haven't even considered the fact that other suitors might already be bringing offerings to him. That's not a far-fetched idea, considering you're a beautiful maiden. If I'm going to stand before him, I'd rather do so properly, even if it means adding a little more silver."
"Nonsense!" Thaleia dismissed his concern immediately. "If I had received any marriage proposals, my father would have told me. He's not the kind of man to hide such things."
Aurelian chuckled and straightened his posture. "That's assuming he hasn't already been persuaded into an arranged marriage."
"Arranged marriage?" Thaleia shot back, clearly offended. "Aurey, please don't say things like that. I will not marry someone I don't love. I love only you, and it's only your children I will carry."
"It's good that we agree on disliking arranged marriages," Aurelian said calmly. "But I still can't afford to take chances. I won't stand before your father unprepared."
Thaleia sighed, then nodded. "Fine. You can go to Gasok. Just don't take too long. Remember, someone will be waiting very eagerly for your return."
"I'll remember," Aurelian assured her.
"Good!" Thaleia clapped her hands and began packing the leftover stifado. To preserve it, she relied on red wine and vinegar, ingredients commonly used to tenderize meat and prevent spoilage.
"Oh!" she suddenly gasped.
Aurelian looked down, confused, only to realize he was still wearing the shirt he had trained in earlier that morning. It was drenched in sweat, and the faint smell had begun to spread through the room.
He had completely forgotten about it, too absorbed in their conversation.
Thaleia stepped closer without hesitation. "Honestly, Aurey," she said softly, reaching for the hem of his shirt. She helped him pull it over his head, then quickly moved to loosen his trousers, leaving him standing there in nothing but his undergarments.
"Go," she said, gently pushing him toward the inner room. "I'll prepare warm water for you."
As she disappeared toward the bathing area, Aurelian exhaled slowly and let his thoughts drift.
A carriage would be necessary for a trip to Gasok. Walking would waste time and strength. From what he knew, a basic ochema for such a journey could cost around seventy-two obols. At the common exchange of six obols to a silver coin, that amounted to twelve silver coins.
Twelve silver, just for transport.
And that was before considering the gifts. Oil, silver, and whatever else might be expected of a suitor standing before a man like Thaleia's father. He would need more silver. Much more. Every coin saved now mattered, especially if he wanted to present himself not just as a man in love, but as a man capable of providing.
"Aurey," Thaleia's voice called out from the bathing room. "It's ready."
He stepped inside and lowered himself into the bath. Warm water embraced him instantly, washing away the sweat and fatigue clinging to his body. The heat seeped into his muscles, easing the tension he hadn't realized he was carrying.
For a moment, the world slowed.
Warmth surrounded him. His thoughts quieted.
And there, soaking in the bath, Aurelian allowed himself to breathe.