Manipulations of the Heart

Manipulations of the Heart

By Misha

Disclaimer- Not mine.

Author’s Notes- I was going over my notes and planned stories for the Tragedy verse and I realized that I don’t show enough of Portia and Cassius’s relationship. I show Cassius after the fact, but I needed to do a better job of setting up the dynamic and why he reacts so strongly, so this story was born. I originally intended for it to be NSFW, but my muse refused to write smut for Portia with anyone other than Antony. This takes places directly after “And So We Begin”.

Pairing- Marc Antony/MC, Cassius/MC

Rating- PG-13

Summary- After taking Marc Antony to her bed, Portia puts the next stage of her plan into motion and sets her sights on Cassius.

Antony insisted on returning me to the scholae himself. “I will call for you again soon,” he promised, his hands lingering on my waist as his lips brushed my cheek.

“I look forward to it,” I assured him, tilting my head so our lips met instead, the kiss quickly deepening. I had spent the whole night with Antony and yet it had done nothing to dim our ardor for each other. Which was the point, because I didn’t want Antony for just one night.

“Soon,” Antony repeated regretfully as he pulled away and then after a moment he was gone.

I returned to my room, unsurprised that Lena joined me there.

“Your engagement seems to have been a… success,” she commented but I could hear the wariness in her voice.

“Yes,” I agreed as I brushed my hair, I looked at her carefully. “Could you perhaps see if Cassius would be interested in a similar engagement?”

I knew he would, but unlike Antony he would not presume, which had made it easy too hold him off until now.

“Or at least let him know I would be willing,” I continued, meeting Lena’s eyes without shame.

“I should congratulate you for coming to your senses and choosing a more appropriate patron,” Lena said slowly, “but I expect that is not the case.” She sighed, looking worried. “I will not dissuade you, Portia, from the perspective of the scholae, Antony and Cassius are both very good patrons to have but… I will caution you that playing men on two sides of a conflict against each other, especially when one is as dangerous as Marc Antony… It rarely ends well.”

I was sure she was right, but what choice did I have? I had set on my course long ago and there was no turning back now. “Will you pass the message to Cassius?”

“I will,” Lena confirmed and then she leaned over, taking the brush from me and finishing the task, “just promise me you will be careful.”

“I promise,” I told her even though we both knew it was a lie, but it was one she wanted to hear and I was good at those.

**

Lena came through on her promise and only two days later, I was summoned for a private meal at Cassius’s house.

Like with Antony, I took care dressing, though the result was slightly different, appealing more to Cassius’s taste. The effort was instantly rewarded when he saw me, in the way his eyes widened and lingered on each of my curves.

“Portia, you look stunning as always,” he told me as he gave me the kiss of greeting.

I smiled at him, “thank you, tonight is special and I wanted to dress accordingly.”

His eyes met mine, the knowledge there and the heat. “You could wear a sack and still be the most beautiful woman in a room,” he assured me, “but I admit, I do prefer this look.”

“I am glad,” i told him, letting him lead me into the house where he had couches set up and the meal already prepared. I expected Roman delicacies but my eyes widened at what I saw. Gallic fare.

“I arranged the meal especially for you,” Cassius told me, his arms wrapping around me, “I wanted tonight to be special for you.”

My heart lept a bit a the gesture and the smile on my face was genuine when I turned in Cassius’s arm so that I could meet his eyes, “thank you.” I brushed my lips to his and then pulled back. “This…”

“It is what you deserve,” Cassius told me, then he gestured to the couches, “please sit and enjoy.”

Dinner was pleasant, though to my dismay I found I no longer had the taste for the food from my homeland. Not to say that I preferred the delicacies of the Roman elite, I did not, but I had become accustomed to soft cheeses and flat bread and olives and roasted game.

Cassius must have noticed my discontent, because he frowned, “did you not enjoy the meal?”

“I did,” I assured him and then frowned, “but… I have realized that my tastes have changed. I have become more Roman than I realized.”

Cassius”s frown became a gentle smile, “is that a bad thing?”

Was it? I would never let go of my anger over what happened to Gaul or why I had come to Rome, but I couldn’t deny that life in the city suited me.

“Perhaps not,” I agreed, getting up from my couch and moving to stand in front of him. “I have been finding there are some benefits to life in Rome.”

I gave him a soft, inviting smile and he immediately jumped to his feet, his arms wrapping around me.

“I am glad,” he told me before our lips met. After a moment, he pulled back, “Portia… you are here tonight because you want to be, right?”

“I am,” I assured him, kissing him again, “I want this, Cassius.” And I did, perhaps not for the reasons he would assume, but I was there of my own free will. Cassius was an ideal patron. Handsome, kind, and young. Lena assured me I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t wish, but we both knew that was only partially true.

I needed patrons, steady patrons, and offering my body was the best way to accomplish that. But I had the power to choose those patrons and I chose Cassius and Antony, both because of what they could give me and because taking them to my bed would be more pleasure than duty.

“So do I,” he confessed, “I have wanted you like this since the moment I first saw you…” his hands cupped my face, “Portia, I…”

“Let us enjoy tonight,” I interrupted, cutting off a declaration I did not wish to hear, before pressing my lips to his.

Cassius depends the kiss, all confessions forgotten, and then he pulled away, taking my hand in his. “Not here,” he told me, “you deserve better, you need silk and comfort.”

I glanced at the couches, remembering my night of passion with Antony a few nights earlier where location hadn’t mattered in our desperation to be close to one another, to finally feel our flesh meet. But Cassius was not Antony.

I nodded demurely and allowed Cassius to lead me to his bedchamber, trying to banish thoughts of Antony from my mind. Tonight was about Cassius, he was the one who would be with me in the bed and he needed to be the one in my thoughts, but I had a feeling that might not be as easily accomplished as I might hope.

**

Cassius cupped my face in his hands as he returned me to the scholae, “Portia, last night…”

“I know,” I assured him, smiling up at him warmly.

It had been a satisfying night. Cassius was a skilled and generous lover, making sure to pay attention to my needs and ensuring they were met, even if he had not brought me to the heights that Antony had. But there was an advantage to that, because with Cassius I had been able to remain in control, remembering that my pleasure was second to my goals, something that proved impossible with Antony.

“When may I see you again?” He asked, seeming reluctant to part.

“Whenever you wish,” I assured him sincerely. The goal of this had been to secure Cassius’s long term patronage, to make it so that I needed no patrons other than him and Antony and while I suspected that I may have to smooth a wounded ego once he learned that Antony was also my patron, I believed I had achieved my goal.

“You will soon be sick of my company,” Cassius promised, bringing my hand to his lips before he finally departed.

“Cassius seems quite besotted,” Lena commented when I entered the scholae, “your night was a success, I take it?”

“It was.” I agreed, a small smile playing on my lips at the memory.

“It would not take much persuading for him to become your exclusive patron,” she pointed out, watching me carefully, “if that is what you desire.”

“It is not,” I told her coolly, “I have no desire to tie myself to the whims of only one man.”

Lena nodded, “alright,” she sighed, “I suppose you would be happy to learn that Antony has requested your company tonight?”

My smile grew at her words, “very much so. Please send word that I would be delighted to attend to him.”

I moved towards my room, my night with Cassius already dismissed from my mind and replaced with thoughts of Antony and the anticipation of another night in his arms…

• End