The first thing Ashur noticed as he awakened was a warm weight on his shoulder and a sweet scent caressing his nostrils, then he blinked to clear his vision and looking down, he saw Flaminia sleeping peacefully with her head on his chest. His lips curved in a tender, happy smile and he stroked her hair, which had broken free of her braid during their lovemaking and now fell in soft waves around her face, "I love you", he whispered in his native language, "My gentle, beautiful, strong-willed fiery goddess".
She stirred at his touch and raised her head, smiling softly as she met his eyes, "You're here", she said with a mixture of happiness and awe, "I was afraid it had all been a dream". "It was all real, my love", he purred, a mischievous grin appearing on his face, "And you are so deliciously tight that it drives me mad". She blushed crimson at that remark and an embarrassed giggle escaped her lips, "You know, I…I loved how full I felt when you took me. It felt so good, so intense, so perfect…", she confessed, shooting him a shy smile that made his heart melt.
He slipped his arms around her waist and locked lips with her until they were both breathless, pouring all of his love in the kiss, "You are perfect, my goddess. But now I fear we have to go: celebrations are likely about to end and if they find you here with me…". "I know", Flaminia sighed and reluctantly left the bed, then she picked her dress up from the floor and wore it, "I wish we had more time".
"So do I", he agreed, putting his loincloth back on, "But maybe there will be another chance". "I will do all in my power to make it happen, rest assured, beloved", she promised, giving him one more kiss before unlocking the door and peeking out, "There is nobody in sight". "Your mask", he reminded her, handing her the mask.
"Oh, right. Gratitude", she said, putting it on, "Wait here, I will make sure that celebrations are truly over". "But…". "If they are not, you would risk being used by one of them and I will be damned before I let them lay even a single finger on you", Flaminia cut him off, her voice gaining an unmistakably dangerous edge and his heart fluttered with joy at hearing it. "As you wish".
She slipped out of the door and padded silently to the main room, where she saw that nearly all of the guests lay on the floor together with many slaves and most of the gladiators and her stomach twisted with disgust, but she snapped out of it when her eyes fell on Lucretia and Solonius, "Lucretia!". The matron let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, you're here, bless Jupiter! Where have you been? I was worried!", she exclaimed in a heated whisper.
"I was in a side room, away from…This", the younger woman replied, gesturing to the mess on the floor, "Is celebration over?". "Yes, guests will be invited to leave as soon as we manage to wake them up". "Good. I'll be right back…Wait, where is Gaia?". Solonius' lips curved with contempt, "I saw her leaving room with Tullius".
"Oh. Well, maybe she managed to convince him to leave Quintus alone", she nodded and quickly went back to her gladiator, "Celebration is over, you can safely come out now". Ashur closed his eyes for a moment, silently thanking his Gods for the gift they had bestowed upon him that night and then smiled at her, "Gratitude for your care, my goddess". "I would do anything to protect you", she purred, taking off her mask for one last passionate kiss, "Now go, I will follow you in a moment".
He nodded and went back to his place in line, at Dagan's right and he noticed that his countryman looked angry and ashamed, "What is wrong, brother?", he asked in their native language, but the taller man just gulped and kept on staring ahead of himself with a scowl: whatever had happened to him, it was clear that it had not been pleasant in the slightest.
Oenomaus gave the order for the gladiators to go back to the ludus and while walking down the stairs, Ashur noticed Indus' grimace and moved to his side. "You are of a mood, brother". The Macedon bit his lower lip, "I…I was picked by man. But it was not that bad at first: Roman said he wanted to see how long I could last and so, he had one of house slaves suck my cock while he touched himself. Only, when he saw I was not hardening fast enough for his likings, he…He walked behind me and put a finger…", he clenched his fists and tears welled up in his eyes.
The Syrian put a hand on Indus' shoulder, "It saddens me to hear it", he said sincerely: the thought that his friend had been subjected to such humiliation, while he himself was enjoying the happiest time of his life, made him feel sad, angry and even a little bit guilty, even though he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.
The Macedon took a deep breath to calm down and managed a weak smile, "It could have been worse. Others did not have such luck", he said, with a subtle nod in Dagan's direction, "He was picked by man too. Roman said he cared neither for struggle nor for complaints. I told him our brother does not fully grasp language yet and that there was no-one who could reform words so that he would understand…".
Ashur frowned, "I could do it", he noted. "True, but you were with that woman and if I told Roman that you were not available to do as he wanted, he may have become enraged and have you punished for it", Indus replied simply. The Syrian was dumbfounded for a moment at that show of genuine friendship and smiled, "Gratitude, brother. I will see kindness returned at first opportunity", he promised, then shot a worried look at Dagan, who kept himself apart from the others and was still sulking, "What did the Roman do then?".
"He…He said that he did not care about lack of understanding after all, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away. When they came back, I saw blood on the back of his loincloth and well…You see marks on him", the younger man added. "I see them indeed", Ashur said and gritted his teeth as his eyes traced the red marks on his countryman's large back: it seemed that the Roman had not only used his hands to hit Dagan, but also some sort of whip, though at least he had not left any cut, only bruises.
He felt violent hatred spark in his chest, but he knew that he did not have the power to protect his friends from any of it, as he was just a slave like them. But maybe, if he talked to Flaminia about it, she could help with that, keep them a little bit safer, as she had sworn she would do for him.
For the moment, though, he had to help as much as he was able to, so as soon as they were back in the ludus, he grabbed a vial of balm for the infirmary and approached Dagan, "Brother, will you allow me to put this balm on your back? It will lessen the pain", he offered. Dagan seemed about to refuse, but then let out a sad sigh and nodded tiredly, turning around, "Thank you, brother".
oxoxoxoxoxo
Flaminia, Lucretia and Solonius worked to awake the guests, who redressed with very satisfied smiles. "Words were not anything but truth!", Petronius said as he moved to leave while holding Lucretia's hand in his, "The offerings of the House of Batiatus are truly to be admired!". "And even more so upon the sands", she replied shrewdly, "Imagine the excitement it would cause if they were included in the opening games of the new arena!".
"Capua would be blessed by such appearance", he agreed, "I will send word to your husband to discuss matter", he promised then, taking his leave and as soon as he was out of earshot, Flaminia beamed. "Mars blesses us! I can't wait for Quintus to hear good news!", she exulted and a part of her mind went to Ashur, hoping that he would be granted the honor of fighting in the opening games: that would be his golden opportunity to show all of Capua his worth.
Lucretia nodded and sighed, "Oh, I thought this night would never end". "It concludes with this house soaring to the Heavens upon your wings", Solonius told her with a flirty smile and at his side, the younger woman cleared her throat and shot him a warning look. The matron started, "Well, the hour is late", she said quickly, moving towards the slaves, "Take to your beds and carry with you my gratitude, friends".
He hesitated, "Should I not linger until all guests have departed?". Flaminia frowned at that, "Who is still here?". "Tullius", Lucretia answered, "But Gaia is a woman of great appetite, dawn will break before she has had her fill", she added and the other woman rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's for sure".
Solonius reluctantly left while Flaminia decided to stay and help the slaves clean up, despite the matron's protests. "If I help them, it will take less time to remove all evidence of what happened here before Titus is back", she noted, picking up off the floor the pieces of a shattered vase.
Lucretia shook her head with a fond smile at her friend's stubbornness and after removing her earrings, she absentmindedly picked up a discarded mask. "Apollo", Tullius said, suddenly appearing from the corridor and startling her, his usual slimy smile on his lips, "The God of the Sun!". "And the truth", the matron replied, forcing herself to smile.
"Something often obscured by the masks we wear", he commented, moving closer until he was in front of her, "Your guests abandoned you". "Not all of them", Flaminia stated, coming to stand by Lucretia's side and shooting him such a poisonous glare that he couldn't help flinching. "Flaminia. I thought you would not take part in such celebration, now that you are married".
"And I did not take part in it", she replied without missing a beat, "I was here only to help Lucretia in keeping eye on guests, as good Solonius did. I was here for protection". "I see", he looked once again at the mask and smirked, "They say Apollo brings warmth and prosperity to those who pray to him. Those who understand their place. On their knees", he added, looking at Lucretia.
She swallowed the insult that was threatening to come out, "Tullius…". "You know I often dreamt of Gaia's touch", he cut her off, "When I was a young man. A taste of her lips…Now they form words in my ear, asking favors for this house. Placing me in difficult position". Both women felt uneasy, but for Lucretia is was because of a growing sense of dread, while for Flaminia it was because of a burst of pure hatred and the raw desire to pluck Tullius' eyes out with her nails.
"Gaia's affections for this house are genuine", the matron assured him, "As are her feelings for you", she then lied, managing to smile again despite her nervousness. "Returned in kind", he said, his obnoxious smirk widening, "She holds my reply. Go to her and see it delivered", he concluded, leaving.
Lucretia and Flaminia hurried to the direction he'd come from and when they reached the small room, they first found their friend's trademark red wig on the floor and then, the dead body of the woman herself, a pool of blood under her shattered head and her eyes open and unseeing. Lucretia let out a loud shriek of pure horror, while Flaminia forced back her tears and clenched her fists.
"I'll go after him and make him pay", she growled, but the matron grabbed her arm before she could even take a step. "No! Gaia…We…She can't…We must…", Lucretia was shaking like a leaf in the wind, crying and sobbing and her friend forgot her fury at seeing her like that and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Come, you need a cup of wine".
"But Gaia…!". "I will take care of her, I promise. Melitta!", she called loudly. The slave came running and gasped as she noticed the corpse. "Bring her to her room and see that she drinks a cup of wine. Not honeyed wine", she added, because she suspected well enough the truth behind the honeyed wine of that house.