Hello my readers! I'd like to point out that TeamEthanMorgan made a very smart observation. In 79 AD it was Pompeii that was destroyed, not Rome. Rome was in Northern Italy, while Pompeii was centralized on the coast in Southern Italy. Mt. Vesuvius was the volcano that erupted and destroyed the city and it's people. Anyways, enough of the history facts. On with the story!

Bentan made his way up the marble steps to his house as he dismissed his house servants with a wave before they bowed and returned to their daily duties.

"Ah, you've returned my son. How was the market today?" Bentan's mother, Angela Bascarro, asked as she walked in with her white tunic draping behind her.

"A lovely evening mother, I've picked up something for you while I was out." Bentan said as he produced a small silk pouch from his sleeve as he walked forth and presented it to her.

"Ah, why ever for?" she asked as she smiled and took the pouch from him before unraveling the golden thread wrapped around it before producing the golden horse broach.

"You've worked so diligently to provide for our family while father has been away and I figure it only proper to gift you for your never ending work and love." Bentan said before his mother placed her hands on his shoulder and smiled at him affectionately.

"My sweet and loyal son, what I would I do without you and your father in my life?" Angela asked before she brought her son close and gave him a tight hug before retracting and putting her new broach on with a smile.

"Are the preparations for father's welcoming party complete? He us to return from his council with the Emperor tonight is he not?" Bentan asked before walking over to a table and dipping his hand in a small golden bowl of water and flicking the drops onto a marble slab with the God's images carved into it as he thanked the house God's.

"Yes, it shall be a grand evening. Your father is to return by sundown, I shall need your help preparing the place for our esteemed guests tonight." Angela said as she walked over to a marble fountain and dipped a jug into it, collecting the water from inside before carrying it over and pouring it into the bowl as a offering to the God's before she bowed her head.

"Must we have slaves help mother? It's so degrading, think if you were in there place." Bentan said before his mother shot him a look.

"I will not tolerate that kind of talk in this house, you will bring bad luck upon our name son. Now, just go freshen up for tonight. I shall begin making preparations within the hour, I'll need you then." Angela said before Bentan nodded his head and walked off towards his room.

Moments Later

Bentan stepped out of his tub as his servant provided him with a towel as he dried himself off, giving a nod in thanks as his servant took a bow and left the room. He dried his hair before setting the towel aside and taking a fresh robe his mother had provided him with earlier. He held the red silky fabric up, adorned with golden thread as he smiled at the beautiful garment and put it on. Bentan smiled as he walked out into his bedroom and onto his marble balcony. He took in the view of the hills with the glorious mountain in the background as the ocean crashed off to the side. Bentan felt a sudden rumble as he noticed a few hanging ornaments begin to sway slightly as he looked around in wonder.

"Hades must be throwing a small fit down there." came his mother's voice as Bentan turned to see her standing at the doorway to his room, pulling on a small cord that separated the curtains that acted as a door to his room. He watched as she walked about his room, tracing her fingers across the marble pillars around his bed as drapes hung down around it for when he slept. She then walked over to a fountain in the middle of his room, a beautiful statue of Apollo standing in the middle holding a vase as if to be pouring water from it as a small stream trickled down into the fountain.

"Mother, what is wrong?" Bentan asked as he walked over to his mother's side and sat down by here as she looked at him with a small smile.

"I have just missed your father is all my sweet, trying to govern without him in a world where men look at woman's opinions as false or far fetched is tedious." Angela said as Bentan placed a hand onto his mother's shoulders.

"I know it's hard now mother, but all will be back to the way it was when father returns." Bentan said, smiling at her before she smiled back and stood up to look at him.

"I knew that would look great on you, I had one of the servants head to the market a few days ago and buy it." Angela said as she took in Bentan's robe on him as he stood up and turned around for her to see it, smiling as she clasped her hands together in glee.

"I've got just the amulet to go with it." Bentan said as he walked over to his bed and picked up his pouch from earlier as he took out the ruby necklace and handed it to his mother.

"It's exquisite, did Nicoli sell this to you?" Angela asked, smiling as Bentan turned around and let his mother put the amulet on, the light of a setting sun streaming in and reflecting off the blood red ruby.

"Indeed he did, and he has a new slave working for him that I met today." Bentan said before turning around, his mother admiring the gem adorning his neck.

Later That Night

Bentan walked about the estate as he mingled with guests and esteemed names of the city before he heard a joyous applause. Bentan turned around to see his father walking into the room with a troop of guards at his side as he raised his hand into the air to greet the people. Bentan rushed over to his father's side as he took a bow before him.

"Father, you've returned!" Bentan said excitedly as he looked back up at his father who smiled at him at him in return.

"How have you fared since my departure son?" Milo Bacarro asked as Bentan walked with him through the crowd of guests and party goers.

"I have fared well father, I have been helping mother govern the city in your absence." Bentan said as his father shook his head as he listened before holding up his hand.

"I'm sorry to cut this short my son, but I must meet with a few city officials about a urgent matter. We will speak more later." Milo said before walking off, leaving Bentan standing there feeling dejected before he got a glimpse of someone familiar, standing in the corner was the slave Etan holding onto a box of goods as Nicoli mingled with a few women already drunk. Bentan walked over as he stood by Etan and smiled at him, it took a minute before Ethan noticed him and who he was.

"Is there anything I can help you with my lord?" Etan asked as he looked up into Bentan's green eyes as the other stared at him inquisitively.

"How did you end up working for such a dirty man?" Bentan asked, making Etan look around quickly before looking back.

"You mustn't say such things, if he hears I can get the whip." Etan said worriedly before Bentan looked at Nicoli and then back to Etahn, the fear was evident.

"How much did he buy you for?" Bentan asked, looking over as Nicoli walked around with a drink in his hands as he stumbled over his own feet. Bentan crinkled his nose at the sigh of the disgusting man before looking at Etan.

"Fifty gold coins my lord." Etan asked before he watched Bentan walk over to Nicoli, he watched the two converse for a bit before Nicoli began to shout. Etan couldn't hear over the growing crowd as he stood on his tip toes to see. He watched as Bentan had a few guards come over who grabbed Nicoli and drug him out as Bentan handed one of them a small leather pouch before walking back over to him.

"Nicoli is no longer who you serve, my family is your new home now." Bentan said as Etan looked at him bewildered before he watched as the party went about it's buisness.

"How my lord!?" Etan asked a bit loudly, his mind swimming with both fear and relative shock as he pondered over Bentan's rash action.

"I paid him your selling price with a bit extra, he got furious and I had my house guards escort him out of the house. Nicoli should've known not to mess with the son of Milo Bascarro. I hated seeing the way he treated you, so I bought you away from him. Should I not have?" Bentan asked as he looked down at the shorter of the two.

"No my lord, I'm quite glad but won't he try to stir issues later on for this humiliation?" Etan asked, walking with Bentan as they walked outside onto a balcony with more guests sitting as they conversed and gossiped.

"I shall deal with that when the times comes, but for now just revel in the fact you no longer are property to a scoundrel of a man." Bentan asked as he looked up at the millions of stars and smiled before looking at Etan.

"Do you like horses?" Bentan asked, feeling a sense of adventure in him as he thought about his sudden actions a few minutes ago and reveled in being spontaneous. Etan just looked at him questioningly before he grabbed his arm and led him off in another direction.

Sudden choice action, but please review!