"Bring him" Placidus snapped before striding off in the direction of the house. Esca could do little but put up a vain resistance against his Roman captors, no matter how he wriggled or writhed the guards grip on him never seemed to loosen, not even for a second.
Cursing both in roman and his native tongue Esca fought furiously against them but little by little he was losing ground, slowly but surely he was being half dragged half shoved towards the place he had come to know as home.
A cold sweat began to prickle along his shoulders and down his spine. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew that a fate worse than death awaited him in that house, he had seen the threat in Placidus's eyes. As helpless as a rabbit in a snare his mind worked erratically, desperately trying to conjure up some solution but nothing came.
Fear formed as an icy knot took root in his stomach whilst his breath came in short frantic gasps. Think, think! He pleaded with himself but it was as if all logical thought had left him and he was left with only his primitive fear and instincts instead.
Esca was no coward; he had never been afraid to take part in battle, death and torture would not break him but this... this was something else entirely. He knew what Placidus wanted he had seen the malicious glint in his eyes, the thought made him sick he belonged to Marcus and no other.
What he and Marcus shared was special, it was a sacred and intimate thing so the thought of another's hands, especially Placidus's, roaming over his skin, touching him and taking him by force both repulsed and terrified him.
How could he live with himself if he allowed it ... how could Marcus ever want him again after Placidus had spoiled him. His vision became a blur as his eyes moistened, he had to stop this but how?