Meanwhile, Flaminia was brushing her hair, basking in the light of the morning sun coming from the window, when a young female house slave knocked on the door to her room. "Dominus and domina are back, young domina", the slave announced. "Parents are back? About time!", Flaminia hurriedly put her jewels on and ran to the entrance of the house, "Father, mother, welcome back", she greeted them.
"Daughter, what joy to see you again!", Janus was beaming, "The Gods have blessed us, we have wonderful news!". "The Senate accepted your offer to supply the army, then?", the Roman young woman asked eagerly.
"Yes and no: senator Albinius granted me the sole right to supply the men of legatus Glaber, but not the entire army". "Oh. Well, it's good deal all the same: it will increase our fortune so much…", her eyes shone as she mentally calculated how much money they would make thanks to that new deal.
"But there is one condition", her father added and her attention snapped back to reality. "Condition?". He nodded, clearly overjoyed, "He wants you to become his wife. Isn't it magnificent news? You will become wife of senator! This will elevate the social status of House Lutatius to the heavens...You remember senator Albinius, don't you?". he asked her then, mistaking his daughter's horrified silence and vacant stare for lack of recognition.
She nodded, of course she remembered. She remembered that he was at least a decade and a half older than her father, with flabby cheeks and an obnoxious condescending smile perpetually fixed on his face, expressing without words his contempt for the 'inferior people' around him.
And then there was his daughter, Ilithyia, a bitch older than herself who had the same smile and manners as the father, but with a good measure of sluttiness thrown in as well. "Good, good. We will leave for Rome after lunch, you will get married there. Do you have any questions?". "No, father", Flaminia lied.
In truth, she did have a question, namely she wanted to know why her father had decided to sell her to that disgusting, smug old lecher without even consulting her first, but she knew the answer: he was the paterfamilias and she was submitted to his authority, so he had no need to ask for her opinion. She would do as she was told and that was all.
"You can retire to your room now". "Yes, father", she bowed her head and left, closing the door to her room behind herself. As soon as she was alone, she grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it against the wall with a furious roar, bitter tears flowing on her cheeks.
Hurried steps came from the corridor and Kerovas' voice came from the doorway, "Domina, what happened?", he asked, but seeing her tears, he didn't wait for an answer and took her in his arms comfortingly. "Father wants me to become the wife of senator Albinius", she sobbed, hiding her face against his strong chest.
"Senator Albinius? The old man we met when we were in Rome two months ago?". "Yes. I will have to give myself to man I hate and I'm forbidden to even take the hand of man who is always in my thoughts". His heart clenched in pity for her, but he knew there was nothing that could be done to avoid that, "At least he is rich and powerful. Your family will gain better position in society with your marriage".
"And to obtain it, I only have to spread my tights like whore", she snapped, brusquely freeing herself from his embrace as her eyes burned with rage, "What good is to me being born free woman, if I'm to be sold like a slave?". He just looked at her in silence, he had no answer to that question.
At length, the young woman sighed and averted her eyes, "Apologies. I had no right to take it out on you". "No need for apologies, sister", he reassured her, stroking her hair tenderly, "Your anger is justified". "But it won't get me anywhere and it won't change the state of things", she sat on the bed and drummed her fingers on the covers, thinking, "My soon to be husband is a senator, so he has riches and influence, right?". "Yes".
"And after marriage, his riches and influence will be mine as well". Kerovas blinked, perplexed, "It's likely, yes. What is on your mind?". "I can use that power to help Quintus climb the social ladder: he will be friends with the wife of a senator, that will make other influential people flock to him like bees to honey", she replied, "He will rise in status and when he finally reaches the Senate, he will have no need for the ludus anymore. Then I will buy Ashur from the ludus and give him freedom".
"All of the things you are planning will take time to be done". "Good plans always take time, but it's worth it. I will do everything with care, think everything through as best I can and if you help me, I will have the certainty that my plan will be perfect. First things first, though: I need you to bring me the most capable whore you can find. Coin is not a problem".
He stared at her, baffled, "What in Jupiter's name do you need whore for?". "Just do it, I'll explain later. Please", she added with a smile and Kerovas bit his lower lip. "All right", he said at length, then he made a small bow and left to carry out his task.
When he came back, he had a scantily clad woman well into her fifties in tow and his reluctance in allowing her into his mistress' room was evident. "Domina, I have the...Person...You requested", he announced and noticed with some surprise that a younger male slave was sat on a chair, "What is he doing here?".
Flaminia stood with a wide smile, "You brought her? Excellent! Gratitude, Kerovas, you can go now". "Domina, why is he here?", he asked again, pointing to the other man. "Mh? Oh, I need him to practice".
"WHAT?", her bodyguard sputtered, eyes widening in shock. "She will use him to show me how to please a man and then I will try and do the same", the Roman girl explained without missing a beat, "Why so surprised?".
"You...You will bed a slave?". "Of course not!", she made a face, offended, "I will only use my hands, nothing else. You", she turned to the prostitute, "Get to work. And you", she addressed the younger male slave, "Undress and lay down on the carpet".
The older woman, who went by the 'stage name' of Messalina, arched an eyebrow, "And coin?". "When you're finished. Or I can slit your throat here and now, if you prefer", the domina said in a velvety tone. That put an immediate end to the discussion and the prostitute set to her task without another word, while Flaminia knelt close to them and observed carefully.
Kerovas felt his stomach churn with disgust at the sight, "Fla-Domina...You can't...". "I must learn this skill, if I want to submit my husband. His desire for me must be so strong that he will be willing to do anything I ask", her lips curved in a dangerous, predatory smile, "He will become slave to my touch and I will be in full control of riches and power. And when he is not useful anymore...".
He shot a worried look at the two on the carpet and unexpectedly took the Roman girl's arm, making her stand, "You should not speak so in front of people you can't trust, it's dangerous. What if the whore goes out and tells the wrong person about it?", he whispered, but she merely shrugged. "Who said she would leave the room?", she asked nonchalantly.
His blood ran cold at those words, "You...You want to...". "Yes. Now stop distracting me, brother, I have important lesson to learn", she gently freed herself from his grasp and went back to observing the ministrations of the older woman, which were clearly having their effect on the younger man, as his breathing was becoming increasingly quicker and heavier and soft moans escaped his lips.
It was clear that Messalina was trying to make it last as long as possible, her hands moving over his body with practiced ease born of decades of experience. Flaminia tilted her head to the side, "You don't limit your touch to cock. Why?", she asked, honestly curious.
The other woman smiled, "Man can be pleased in many ways, domina", she answered, "See how he reacts to this?", she added as the young man arched his back with a louder moan. "Interesting. Go on". "Domina".
At that point, Kerovas decided that he had seen more than enough and swallowing down his nausea, he said curtly, "Domina, may I go?". "Yes, gratitude for help", his mistress answered without bothering to look up.
Three hours later, he was called back to her room and he found Messalina dead on the floor: her face was blue, her eyes bloodshot and her neck sported the unmistakable signs of a rope. Flaminia smiled at him as though nothing was wrong, "Ah, you're here, good. Help me get rid of the whore".
He froze on the threshold, horrified, "I...I didn't think you would do it for real. Where is Marcus?", he asked, suddenly worried about the younger man's fate. "He's fine, don't worry: he is loyal to me, so I have no reason to kill him. Now, help me bring her out of the house", the Roman woman repeated, pointing to the corpse.
He had little choice but to take the limp, lifeless body up and follow his mistress along the corridor and out into the inner courtyard. "Put her down, I will burn her". "Yes, domina". "Oh, don't look so glum, she was only whore! I learned all I needed to know and she heard me say I would have my husband killed, so I couldn't let her go, could I?". "No, domina".
She sobered and took his hands in hers, "I only did what I had to. Please, don't be mad at me. I need you, you know this", she said in all honesty, "Please, brother, tell me you're not mad at me".
The young man searched her face for a long moment, seeing only affection and worry in her eyes and sighed, "I am not mad at you, sister. And I will always be with you, by your side, no matter what comes". She smiled happily and hugged him, "Gratitude. I love you, Kerovas". "I love you too, Flaminia".