Zoe was being held by Sam, his strong hand touching her so gently their skin barely whispered when met. "Mistress?"

"Immalright." She managed, looking to Nero. "How long-"

"Only a moment my dear oracle," He knelt down next to her. "I thought he would kill me."

"What did you do to her?" Sam barked, pulling Zoe closer, away from Nero. "If you hurt her in any-"

"Sam, its fine, I wasn't hurt, I was, er, seeing visions." She had only told Val and Nero of her secret, Nero because his life was in danger, and Val because he is her best friend. "I'm an oracle, sooth sayer, um, virgin prophet of the gods. A Pure Seer," The last name she gave herself made it click in his head.

"Why were you seeing visions?" She took a deep breath.

"Something very bad is going to happen, and from what we know, I may be the only one to help." She sat up more, his hands still on her shoulder blade and waist. "But you mustn't say a word of this to another soul, or I will go to a temple and live my life as a tool for others. It's a dull existence that I wish not to have part of."

"So your slave shall help you find the warrior, no need to tell your parents?" Nero was wringing his hands as he made sure the door was locked once more. "We must find that savior."

She told them of her vision, "I'm sorry, there isn't much more to-"

"There is more smoke," Nero held up the bottle, and nervously held out his hands. "Please?" Standing with the help of Sam, Zoe laid back on the bed and took in more smoke, coughing slightly.

Head aching, she soon saw blood painted walls, the great warrior, the one they looked for kneeled to her, and she clasped his helmet, slowly removing it, before she could see his face though, something else broke through.

Another vision, she was standing in the courtyard of her family's villa with her family and many guests. Zoe was adorned in a purple stolla and a red palla hooding her. The warrior stood in full armor before her, his helmet hiding his face. They were prisoners to the warrior, the men in black cloaks around him.

He stared at her though, with those icy blue eyes. "Oracle, I looked for only you for so long. You shall be my wife." The shock of that statement hit her first, then the fear that she would be forced to marry a man she had never met, let alone love pulled her from her visions. The young olive skinned girl sitting up with tears in her eyes.

She told them quickly what had happened.

"He's looking for me, our warrior will come straight to us." She told Nero, but Sam just grimaced. "He was never to fight our battle but stop it from beginning."

"Then as a Thuron, I must protect the future wife of my brother." He bent his head.

"Brother?"

"If you are an Elite Thuron, then all other Elite Thurons are your brother. And one of royalty and what you described is the Quadi Prince, one of my greatest friends and best leader in battle. You shall be my queen." He bowed to her.

"I don't think I want to." She took a deep breath. "I mean, what if he kills my family, what if he still goes to war against the Roman Empir-"

"What if he uses the marriage as an alliance?" Nero interrupted, he put his hands on her shoulders. "My little oracle, you will be a legend if you can stop a war." Despite his words, she was terrified. At least she had met almost every one of her suitors, but now she would marry a prince that could possibly be a form of Pluto's Tartarus. However, it is for the good of the many should she marry.

She looked at Nero and managed a smile. "I will be a higher status I suppose." He just nodded. "But I don't know when this will happen."

"You said you were wearing a purple stolla, yet, do you own one?" She shook her head, Purple was the most expensive, and she had no dress such as that. "Well, we will know when you receive that dress."

.

.

.

Sam watched Zoe continue through her day and the few days after like nothing happened, and he certainly looked at her differently. They stood in the stables, her talking to the horses as she fed them, him grooming them as she spoke.

Zoe was an oracle, but why marry one when she would simply be another woman after their wedding night? Everyone knows that an Oracle must remain pure and untouched to have the clearest visions.

But he would not deny that she was very beautiful, and held herself so gracefully, like her sister and mother.

She would be a good wife, Sam thought, but shook his head, he was a slave. There would be no way that he would be allowed to be with such a woman of her status. He would have to-

"Sam?" Zoe waved to him, she stood by the tack station. "I want to go for a ride, please come with me. And use a work horse, so we can both ride." She stated, him leading over a large horse, something he would ride into battle with, and tacked him up.

He climbed up, before using one arm to place her behind him. She wrapped her arms under his and rested her delicate hands on his powerful chest. Sam wondered if his Mistress could hear his now racing heart beat.

It took them almost an hour to get out of the city, and she guided him to a glen, an area where her favorite flowers grew. They were brightly colored, yellow and dark purple.

Sam watched intently as she kneeled down and carefully caressed the stem, bringing it to her lips, in the softest kiss as she breathed in the scent.

But it was her that stole his breath. How she seemed so at peace, she was calming to him. He remembered before he met her he enjoyed killing, shamefully had a hand in killing so many. The Thuron enjoyed it, his only release, but now he could just watch her all day.

He barely noticed that she was calling him until her soft hand touched his forearm.

"Are you okay?" Her eyes were filled with worry.

"Yes, I was just thinking." He looked at her other hand, it full of flowers.

"Tell me what you were thinking?" She asked with a soft smile.

"You will not like it, and it is not appropriate." He looked at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I shall take a bath in the stream." He had not cleaned since she had allowed his use of the family bath.

"Sam, I order you." He just pulled off his sandals, belt, and tunic. Leaving him in his loins as he strode into the cool water that made him hiss as it licked at his skin. His Mistress sat on the rocks, watching him as she cradled the flowers.

He was waist deep, but close to her, within arm's reach. "Tell me." She said again, and he finally turned back to her.

"Mistress, don't hate me." He said his strong chest rippling as he closed in on her. "I was thinking…..about how Peaceful and beautiful you are." His cheeks felt red, and at that moment Sam wanted to fight a thousand soldiers, than face this wonderful girl as she stared at him with dark eyes. Ones he could get lost in. "And that sometimes I wish I could marry you, because you make me calm, and I like being around you."

"Sam," She reached out to stroke her thumb down the side of his smooth jaw. "When did you shave?" She leaned forward to let the side of her cheek trail after her thumb.

Sam stiffened, his skin becoming flushed and sweat where her skin had touched him. He locked his arms at his side to avoid touching her. He wanted so badly to touch her back….it had really been too long since he has been with a woman.

"This morning, before you woke, the Senator was kind enough to allow me to use a bowl of fresh water and his mirror." Gods, he hoped he didn't sound like a boy. "My lady, please, this is not appropriate."

"Sam, I have never been kissed before." She pulled back to look at him. "But I see everyone around me kiss all the time. My brother and sister kiss their spouses, my mother and father kiss often. Even Abic has her husband as do many of the other slaves and servants." He felt soft hands on his chest, the nails biting into his skin so deliciously that the action had his stomach twisting.

"Mistress, Why are you tel-" he already knew what she wanted, but he didn't want to cross a line.

"Sam, kiss me?" She pulled him closer. "I have never been in love with someone."

"Mistress, you are a virgin oracle, and for my brother Prince-" She tried to pull herself into the water, closer to him, but his arms rose to make sure she would stay on the rock.

"I'm not asking you to take me to bed, I am asking you to kiss me. It's shouldn't be that hard, but I am terrified. So I order you to kiss me before I am scared away. Please."

Instead Sam took her hands and held them together. "Zoe, you should never be afraid of me, or afraid to kiss someone you love. And you will never be afraid to kiss the Prince."

She just stared at him, how could he know that the prince will love her so? "Take me home." The order was harsh, but he did as she told, dressing and mounting the horse. Her behind him.

.

.

.

Zoe felt humiliated, he had rejected her. Her slave had said no to her. She curled up on her couch trembling.

She had to admit that Sam was very pretty for a Slave and a warrior, his sometimes fiery blue eyes that looked at her as if she would break at the slightest touch, were ethereal. And when she thought of becoming the wife to the brutish warrior prince….it sent shivers up her spine.

"Mistress," Sam was at her door with a sheet. "Are you cold?"

"No," But she wrapped her palla tighter around her. "It is late, go to bed." Instead of leaving her, she felt the sheet get wrapped around her.

"Mistress, please look to me." He sounded so close, and she felt his body heat, so warm. She turned and let her eye lids fall half shut. He was very near her, his blue eyes were darker, dilated. Zoe very much liked ho he looked at her at this moment.

"Ask me again." He whispered, the lamp light shinning over one side of his face, giving it a warm glow. But the other side was dark. Like a unique dichotomy.

"Kiss me?" she asked again, and he did….his lips gently pressing her cheek. "Sam!"

"You never said where Mistress, but this is all I shall do tonight. You are to be my Queen, besides, I think you will make a good ruler. Maybe give us a strong prince."

She shivered at the thought of having a child, then felt numb at the thought of how she would have to go about having that child. "I'm scared."

"Do not be, he will not hurt you."

"And how would you know?"

"Him and I are Elite Thuron Brothers, the closest of friends." She nodded and let him lead her to her bed where he tucked her in before saying good night.

"I'm still scared." She whispered as he stood at her doorway.

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