Chapter Six - Chapter Ten Summary

Chapter six begins with descriptions of Gaius's father, Marcellius's, daily duties. He sells wheat and whey, arranges for army escorts, and other administrative tasks. When Gaius returns, Marcellius is happy to see his son, but notes that he overstayed his leave by several days. They talk about Briton and how his father finds it very Roman. Marcellius would like him to marry, proposing first the daughter of Clotinus, then another, of an old friend, but Gaius is fixated on Eilan - the idea of whom Marcellius does not like. However, Gaius begs his father to send a proposal, and he finally agrees, knowing that her father, the Druid, will most likely refuse.

In chapter seven, Eilan believes that Gaius has abandoned her until her father reveals that he sent a proposal that he refused. She...