Reviews are much loved. Yes back to back chapters.

Sam was moving several large bags of flour, his mistress still asleep after a restless night of visions.

She claimed that she had a vision of her wedding night, not the act, but the waiting before. How she had sat curled on the grand bed, but she could not see the face of her apparent husband through the many sheer curtains and the fact that he had his back to her.

The young bride could see he was strong, like any Thuron. And that there was a bathing pool in their large chambers, where he stood waist deep now as he cleaned.

She could smell the rose petals that floated in the water and scented the air. And hear the sound of the water fall that fed into the pool.

Zoe was terrified though, as far as she cared he was about to rape her, and she would have no reason to stop him other than her own fear.

Gods what was she to do? Is a life time of fear worth the lives to be saved. But Zoe already knew she would do everything to stop a war. She after all was the one that bought a slave on a whim to keep him from the Gladiator House and bloody colosseum.

She remembered waking up drenched in sweat and felt her insides twisting in terror.

Juno and Minerva protect her as she marched to her slave and asked him to tell her about the prince.

"He is kind, but merciless to those who have wronged him. His parents were killed during the battle, but his sterile uncle has raised them-"

"Raised them?"

"The King and Queen had better things to do than be with their children, but the King's brother who has longed for children sorta took them under wing. As far as I know he is most likely watching the kingdom until my prince's return." The warrior slave would tell her. "The prince has a sister, whose beauty is said to be a gift from many goddess, both Roman and my peoples gods alike." He would then tell her of the religions, the gods and goddesses and she sat quietly. Listening.

"Sam, you have faith that the prince will marry me. And if this war happens, that the Quadi people will win."

"Mistress, when the battle happened, the prince led a small number of men out to battle, maybe a hundred of us, me included. While all the other hundreds of thousands of civilians and tens of thousands of Thurons ran by his orders and hid until their princes' return. The solders to meet the army held off or killed close to five thousand men. If the Quadi believe their beloved prince is dead, they will come down full force on the Roman Empire until all that is left is ashes." He had stopped his work so she would understand the seriousness.

"Why would he allow himself capture?"

"A senex, a wise man from Rome told the prince that he would be captured and find a young woman to be his bride, he would fall in love with her and help bring his kingdom peace and prosperity with Rome and usher in a golden age for his people. Legend calls her The Girl of Peace." Sam sat for a moment. "But the senex warned that if he should not allow himself capture, if he should not find her, that his realm will fall into a dark and poor era."

"So I must bear the weight of two Empires' futures on my shoulders." She sounded exasperated as he took her hands.

"You will be excellent, my future queen." He bowed and returned to his work as she watched him, mulling over the new information.

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Sam should not be out at this time, the darkness his friend, but he must do this to make it right. He went to the North entrance of the city. From what his Oracle Mistress described, his people would be coming from the north and go through here. So he carved specific instruction in the wall. All in a code that the Elite Thurons were taught. Zoe must become queen.

"Hey you-" But Sam was off, losing the guards in the ally.

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Luc was furious. He was the reason that an army of Roman soldiers fought and many died against the Quadi's Thurons. He told his men to kill the prince and bring him his helmet. But instead they sell him to slavers for a coin and bring him a helmet that was stolen a day ago.

Their incompetence!

Now, the prince was most likely in the city of Nova, where the supposed Girl of Peace would be, and his men were looking to take her hostage to find the damnable prince.

Everyone will die because of what they did to him!

"Master?" A soft voice shook.

"What?!" He snapped, before taking a breath, "I am sorry Skye, my beautiful concubine." The blue eyed and light brown haired woman stared at him. Not wanting to go to her master's arms. "Come here." He ordered and she was at his side, trying to calm herself so she could put on her act.

He bought her when she was a virgin whore in training, paid a price for her first time. But after a night together, he stole her away, and she hated him since. He kileld her baby.

But she wondered, after so many years, why was she not pregnant by him. They shared a bed almost nightly. Though he never seemed to mind, said that he would rather not have a child to intrude on their time. though she was a nurse maid by day, stil giving milk to any orphaned child or whose mother culd not feed them...even after a year without her child.

"Master, your bath is ready." She waved her hand to the doorway, them standing in his extravagant villa on the sea side.

"Accompany me." He ordered, taking her to the room. She was becoming more terrified of him by the year. And she has been his for almost ten years.

She always wondered what the outside would be like. And she was given a chance when a young woman stole the helmet. Though Skye may have helped her….as in led her straight to it.

A reward the woman said she would come back through after finding the prince and take her back to the Quadi empire, give her a good job. A nurse maid to the kings.

She just hoped they would find the prince and not forget about her.

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Sam looked at the dress….he had seen it in the market when getting his Mistress a fresh pomegranate. Of course, since he didn't have money, the seamstress made him a deal. Carry her cart of goods for an hour a day to the many areas where she would sell. And he would have the dress in a weeks time.

And as a reward for getting her around so fast the first day, she gave him a red palla, "for the lady." She had said, "No man goes around for a dress if not for someone they truly love." She would say, her withered old body on his strong shoulder, her hand patting his short blond hair.

Of course Zoe was not too pleased that her breakfast had taken so long to get to her. Partly because Sam had to sneak the item for her into her room and hide it under her bed. An area he knew she wouldn't look.

"I buy you a month ago and the weirdest things had been happening." She mumbles as she leaves him to his work.

But he just smiles and walks off. Soon everything will be in place.