The Emperor and the Slave
* * *
Yeah, hi. Warning time. Digimon, and all characters, concepts, and whatnot, do not belong to me. And frankly, they can have them. Stupid last episode...anyway, this story itself is not a direct reaction to their misaction, but I do write it to flaunt my dedication to Kensuke/Daiken. And as far as I'm concerned, they can sue me if they really want...it's not like they'll get much. Couple hundred dollars, Venetian-made Festival mask, and a cape that almost looks like leather. Besides, I'm not making a dime off of this. I just write this to get the voices (ie: the muses, the strange people who give me ideas) out of my head. Also, this story contains yaoi. Kensuke, to be exact. Mmm... Anyway, please proceed with caution.
* * *
"Please read from page 253. I believe that was where we left off." The student bent down, and she read off.
"After the fall of Commodus Caeser, several lesser-documented emperors came to power. After the short-lived term of Animus Caelo Caeser, the emperor Kenjus Ichijo Caeser rose. He was a brutal man called the Executioner due to his lack of mercy in the Flavian Ampitheater, he was deposed by the head of the Praeterion Guard, Takeru Takaisus, and replaced by the same man in the year 193 AD. After which-"
"Stop." The teacher held her hand up. "Let me see that passage." She read over it silently, and she grimaced. "Cameron, the rest of you, put away your books. Today, we're listening to *real* history. Apparently, your history book does not trust you with the actual story of Kenjus. He was not as brutal or unliked as he was made out to be. Just give me a minute, I just need to find my notes..." She smiled and pulled out two busts, and then several sheafs of paper. "Here are the two key players in the story: Kenjus Ichijo Caeser, and the gladiator Daisus."
* * *
* * *
"Caeser, there is difficulty in Gaul," Senator Yamato Ishida put forth. "There are rebellions, and the people there speak of breaking free from the Empire." Kenjus rolled his eyes.
"Isn't there a way to deal with this?" he snapped. "We have an army, don't we?"
"But-"
"Simply quell the rebellions and send any who resist to the Arena. I don't see what's so hard about that." Yamato's face flushed red.
"You may be the emperor, Kenjus, but it is our job to advise you against foolish actions and this-"
"I am the emperor, Yamato, which means that I don't need your approval to order the military. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to." He stalked off, leaving the Senate House dramatically. Yamato sighed.
"What are we supposed to do with this man? He treats every extraurban problem as if brute force will solve it, but he's been advancing the economy, helping trade and cultural achievements. Gods, Rome's never been better."
"But he's not a people person, and he's been ignoring the Senate's advice ever since he came to power," Senator Iori Hida added angrily. "We're supposed to be advising him; what good does that do if he ignores us?" Yamato smiled somewhat hungrily.
"Well, there's always ways to depose of emperors. For one thing, there's the Praeterion Guard." Iori smiled faintly in response.
"And then there's the rebels in Gaul..." Yamato grinned, leading the other senator from the Curia.
"I like the way you think, my man. Come, we have much to discuss."
* * *
"Kenjus, you do know tomorrow is the beginning of spring." The emperor glanced up at his confidante and head of the Praeterian Guard, Takeru Takaisus.
"So?"
"It is generally expected for the emperor to be present for the Games which start off such a festival." Kenjus sighed.
"And so I will attend. But you know I hate the games. There is no honor in their deaths, no glory in the fighting. They fight because they must, and die pitiful and pleading before the eyes of the crowd."
"But still you must attend." Kenjus sighed.
"I know."
* * *
He hated going to the arena. It made him disgusted to see all the people cheering over bloodshed like that. It was a waste of good fighters. But then again...there was a certain appeal to watching a man's blood spattering onto the sand, or wood, or whater the floor of Flavian's Ampitheater was made of at the time. That was how Kenjus had axquired the title of Carnifex, the Executioner; no gladiator received mercy from his hand. Suddenly, the arena was quiet.
"What is it?" he demanded of Takeru. The blond smiled at the emperor.
"It is the favored gladiator, Daisus. The crowds love him." Kenjus turned to the arena to see the young man enter the center of the Colissuem. And a gasp arose in his throat. He was beautiful...
* * *
Daisus looked up at the crowds. They were cheering suddenly, loud, deafening. He smiled, waving a hand at them. He loved the attention he received as a gladiator, Granted, he'd never asked to be a gladiator. Frankly, he'd been forced, his parents having fallen so far into debt. His sister Junsa married off to a senator, and the son sent off to the gladitorial school in Baiae, not the best, certainly, but he caught a fair price. Daisus couldn't really blame his parents. He hadn't exactly been the best son, not exactly marked for anything spectacular. And being a gladiator-suited him, really. He wasn't a senator, or even a governor. Daisus was born to fight, and the arena, although not the most glamorous of ways to live fighting, was certainly the most noticable. So he had turned out well. Junsa, from what he'd grasped in moments of gossip, was not happy. Her husband was that in name only. Rumor had it the man didn't have a taste for women, and was...well, he didn't have time to worry about the affairs of senators. Right now, he had to fight. He bowed curtly to the emperor's representative, and-wait! That was Kenjus Caeser himself! Daisus' face paled. Normally, if he fought in the arena, he did so loosely, knowing that the crowd's favor would save him if he got into trouble. But now...he walked over to the emperor's box, and bowed.
"Ave, Caeser, morituri te salutant," he said, and then turned to the man he would be fighting. Ha. Pathetic. He'd win no problem.
* * *
He tripped, a moment's error. But it was suddenly too late to fic anything, as the sword was at his throat. The crowd quieted, and they turned as one to the emperor's box. Kenjus stared down at the gladiator, the man most likely a slave, one who didn't deserve his attention. A man who fought daily for the vain hope of some day winning the wooden sword. He stared down at the pathetic shape, and smiled. He would make the man's death slow. He held out his hand, fingers spread, and slowly curled them. His thumb, he left sitting out. He glanced down at the man, expecting horror and pleading. But Daisus stared defiantly ahead, accepting whatever was thrown at him. And in that moment of distraction which had cost Daisus the battle, the emperor Kenjus Ichijo Caeser flicked his thumb inward, so it was sheathed by his fist. Daisus would live to see another day. Even before the sword of Daisus' opponent was sheathed, Kenjus had fled the box, Takeru following after him.
"Takeru, I want to see that man in my palace as soon as possible. If he has more fights, let him fight. But make sure he *does* see me." The bravery of that man, being taunted with death, intrigued the emperor. That fire captured something that he wanted, needed, and had to have at all costs.
* * *
Daisus placed a hand on his neck, where a drop of blood ran to his shoulderblade.
"Well, you sure picked a hell of a time to trip, Motimus." The red-haired man, short yet somehow imposing, looked the gladiator over. "Yet, you somehow pulled through. In fact, you seem to have caught Kenjus' attention. He doesn't do that for just anybody." Daisus blushed deeply.
"Koushiro...you make it sound like-what makes you think I'd even be interested?" The Lanista, gladitorial trainer, grinned.
"Because you don't like women, and if the emperor were to take an interest in you, you'd have to at least feign interest. The next time he's sitting up there, he won't have to spare your life." Daisus gulped. Suddenly, a messenger appeared. Except it was no ordinary messenger. It was the one who normally sat for the emperor, Takeru.
"Hello, Koushiro. I came here to see your little Thracian here. Because, you see, if he's not busy, our benevolent Caeser would like to see him. Apparently, it has something to do with that lovely fight you put up today." He turned to Daisus. "I'd leave your armor on; Kenjus isn't too particular about proprieties, but he did emphasize that he wanted to see you as soon as possible." He winked at Koushiro knowingly, and the Lanista stood aside.
"Sure, go ahead, take him. But, can you make me a promise? Could you return him in one piece. He's my favorite gladiator, and not just because they like him." He gestured back to the crowds, who screamed as someone suffered an unusually violent death.
"Hey! Hey! Don't I get some sort of a choice in this?" Takeru shook his head.
"Hell, if Koushiro didn't want you going, he wouldn't get a choice. Kenjus wants to see you, Daisus. That's all there is to it. So, you can come along peacefully, or I could have a couple bigger gladiators haul you down the imperial palace."
"Imperial-palace?" Daisus' voice was curious now. Takeru smiled.
"How about I tell you about it on the way there? I frankly wouldn't want to try and explain this to you while you were being dragged there."
* * *
One thing Kenjus loved about living in Rome was that there wasn't exactly a large variation in clothing. But he'd still agonized about what to wear when the gladiator arrived. He wanted to make a good impression, so that-what? What did he hope? Did he hope that-no, there wasn't much hope in that. But there wasn't much a gladiator could do to hold off an emperor. Very little.
* * *
"I'll leave you here, Daisus. I'm sure Kenjus will call me when you're done here. And, just in case, I've made sure you've got no battles tomorrow." Takeru left, leaving Daisus standing before the emperor's room. Daisus took a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair. What was the worst Kenjus could do to him? Kill him? It's not like it would be much. Daisus started every day expecting to die; this couldn't be much worse. Hell, he'd expected to die earlier. But then again, Kenjus didn't do things like this for people, unless they impressed him. And how could he have impressed Kenjus except for...he shivered. There was something intimidating about the emperor, and a hunger in the man's eyes which he'd caught when he hailed him.
"So, are you actually going to come in, or did you plan on making me wait all night?" The amused voice held a spark of malice, which Daisus didn't want to invoke.
"I-uh, just thinking," he managed to stammer.
"Really? How cute. Come in, Daisolus." Kenjus retreated back to the room, but shooting a pointed glance back at the gladiator. Daisus hurriedly abandoned his sword and followed the man. He didn't think much about the affectionate name used towards him. Seeing the emperor in such a casual state had placed him in a state of shock.
"My gods, he is..." he began to himself, entering the large chambers of the Roman Emperor.
* * *
"We seek to free ourselves from the reign of the Empire. The gods you proclaim hold no sway over us, cannot influence ours. We seek to live under the might K'Z'K's laws, and be free of your emperor's laws," the man demanded. "So, you senators believe you can help us?" Yamato laughed.
"Er, Taichi?" The man nodded. "Yes, there is a religious faction in the Empire whose members have a saying: 'God helps those who help themselves.' We cannot do everything for you. You see, we want one of your famed assassins to coome back with us and-hrm-depose of our imperial difficulty."
"And all we get is our freedom? You want one of us to risk his life for relatively little benefits?" Yamato's face twisted.
"Your freedom is not incentive enough?" Taichi frowned.
"Freedom is not a commodity we trade. You want an assassin, and so we demand also payment." Yamato frowned at the clan leader, a brunette dressed in the warm skins typical of the northern folk.
"Since what you ask is of a...personal nature, I demand a-personal favor in return." He licked his lips, and Yamato stepped back.
"I-what do you intend?"
"You can't possibly be *that* stupid," Taichi commented absently. Yamato knew his face was red. "So, Yamato, do we have a deal? You return to the capital with our assassin and myself, and you get yourself a dead emperor?" Yamato smiled slightly.
"I think I will benefit...slightly more from this exchange than you, but I agree." Taichi nodded.
"Then I'll go get our assassin. She is the most skilled and subtle of K'Z'K's priestesses. She can kill quickly, but with excruciating pain, or slaughter slowly in one's sleep." Yamato froze for a second.
"SHE?"
* * *
"Daisus, so nice to see you. Please, make yourself comfortable. I have all night, if we need so." He kept hinting at-things-without ever saying them. Frankly, it unnerved him. He nodded and sat on a stone bench.
"So, why do you want to see me, Principe?" Kenjus smiled.
"If I didn't tell you I hoped for some...involvement tonight, I'd be lying. But, frankly, I want to examine your psyche right now. I want to find out about your spirit, about the inner fire that lets you stare at me with defiance when I hold your life in my hand." Daisus just sat where he was. "Listen, I'm not trying to seduce you...yet. I want you to talk to me."
"I'm sorry," Daisus responded tartly. "I just don't enjoy the fact that you're treating me like some sort of new toy." Kenjus frowned, and stalked over to the gladiator.
"If I wanted, I could have you killed in the most painful way imaginable, Daisus. So, if you don't want to talk to me, I assure you we can find plenty of straight logs. And we're never short on nails." Daisus looked back at him, fire blazing in his brown eyes.
"You won't kill me, Kenjus, because I intrigue you. You don't want to hurt someone who intrigues you." Kenjus glared into Daisus' eyes, and then stalked to the door.
"Takeru!" The man was ther in an instant. "Take Daisus to a private room, and leave him there for the night. In the morning, return him to his Lanista." He watched the blond take the gladiator down the hallways, and then angrily sat on his bed. Who did Daisus think he was? He dared to defy the ruler of the largest empire that had ever existed! He sat there silent, refusing to even speak to him! But...he had spirit. And beauty. And...and he thought he loved him.
"Damn."
* * *
"I give you Miyak, our finest assassin. Trained in the arts of seduction and death, her mission is to get close to the emperor and to slay him." Taichi smiled proudly at the purple-haired woman, whose locks were arranged in a mess of curls and curves. Yamato looked doubtfully at her.
"There's where we might have a problem. You see, it's not exactly a secret that Kenjus...isn't the type to take lovers." Taichi nodded.
"Doesn't matter. She is the best. *I* have been tempted by her charms, and you know *my* situation." Yamato managed to blush at the words, having made some of the payment for the assassin the night before.
* * *
* * *
"Miss Vaughn? I'm somewhat sure we shouldn't be listening to this," Cameron pointed out. The teacher shook her head.
"If someone can't deal with what really happened, they can leave. I myself will give them a pass." The room was motionless. "Okay. Moving on."
* * *
* * *
"My, is this my-ahem-partner?" Miyak asked seductively, admiring Yamato. "I like important projects." Taichi shook his head.
"No; you're to work on Kenjus."
"Caeser?" Yamato nodded.
"I am simply here to, um, negotiate the, um, terms of our, um, agreement."
"So, who's screwing who?"
"Miyak! That's none of your business," Taichi snapped. Miyak only smiled knowingly.
"I've learned quite a lot from your sister, Taichi. And I've learned that's it's important not to be emotionally involved in my targets."
* * *
"How the hell did you ever become a gladiator?" Jyous shook his head.
"I *was* a gladiator. Now I own a lot of them. So, how did the visit with Caeser go? Are the rumors true?" Daisus scowled.
"I have no idea what rumors you're talking about. Frankly, all that happened is that he asked me some questions, and then sent me to a private room until the morning. So, I came down here this morning, ready for training, fighting, and the irrevocable march to my death." Jyous smiled faintly, and moved on. He passed by Koushiro heading on his way out, and shook his head.
"Nothing." Koushiro sighed.
"And I wanted to hear all about it..." Jyous walked from the main area of the training area, smiling slightly. Daisus watched him leave, and glanced at the wall. He doubted Kenjus would have him killed. But then again, he doubted that Kenjus was going to give up on him. The man was an emperor, used to getting what he wanted. It was unlikely one failure would deter him. Caeser wouldn't give up until Daisus was his. But...was that really a bad thing? Kenjus was a little freaky, apparently somewhat disliked among the higher levels of the government, but...wasn't he basically a good man? Daisus sat back on the straw, sighing. He needed an objective ear to talk to.
* * *
"I swear, sometimes, it's like he doesn't even know I exist!" Sora groaned. The senator's wife required an iron ear. She could talk for hours over her neglectful husband, and would. Sometimes, she wanted to bash Junsa over the head and scream the truth, unembellished, into the woman's face.
'Your husband is gay and he's screwing the slaves!' Sure. That would go over well. Sora was holding on only by Junsa's good grace, so this wasn't exactly the way to go about it.
"Listen, Junsa, have you ever considered the possibility that your husband might...not...LIKE you?"
"How do you mean?"
"I mean, do you think that he may be a little...Greekish?"
"Huh?" Junsa's eyes were confused.
"Lady, I mean...isn't it possible that he may...like-men?" Sora cowered, expecting blows, or at least a scream.
"Yes." Her voice was calm. Deceptively so. "I know he is. That's why I ignore it. That's why I have my side projects. Did you know I'm fully trained in the arts of assasination? It's something taught by northern tribes of Gaul, something reserved for the priestesses of K'Z'K." She smiled unnervingly. "I was planning on waiting until Yamatolus found 'the one,' and then kill them both." Sora managed a smile, although we wasn't sure how.
"Lovely."
* * *
* * *
"This did not happen," a brown-haired student commented. "I mean, you've got Rome crawling with gays, and enough political intrigue to put James Bond to shame!" Miss Vaungh shook her head.
"Well, we're out of time. And although some of you might not believe me, I dare you to look this up on the internet. You can find resources on this particular story. It's quite interesting."
* * *
Yeah, there we go. Lovely, ain't it? With this story, it seems all the intrigue writes itself. I didn't mean to do all this. I really didn't mean for the Taito in there, but it's too late, isn't it? Anyway, if there's any serious questions about the occasional Latin thrown in, feel free to ask. Fr this, I'll just note that -olus on a name or word is a diminutive, used in this case as an affectionate term. So, till next time!
* * *
Yeah, hi. Warning time. Digimon, and all characters, concepts, and whatnot, do not belong to me. And frankly, they can have them. Stupid last episode...anyway, this story itself is not a direct reaction to their misaction, but I do write it to flaunt my dedication to Kensuke/Daiken. And as far as I'm concerned, they can sue me if they really want...it's not like they'll get much. Couple hundred dollars, Venetian-made Festival mask, and a cape that almost looks like leather. Besides, I'm not making a dime off of this. I just write this to get the voices (ie: the muses, the strange people who give me ideas) out of my head. Also, this story contains yaoi. Kensuke, to be exact. Mmm... Anyway, please proceed with caution.
* * *
"Please read from page 253. I believe that was where we left off." The student bent down, and she read off.
"After the fall of Commodus Caeser, several lesser-documented emperors came to power. After the short-lived term of Animus Caelo Caeser, the emperor Kenjus Ichijo Caeser rose. He was a brutal man called the Executioner due to his lack of mercy in the Flavian Ampitheater, he was deposed by the head of the Praeterion Guard, Takeru Takaisus, and replaced by the same man in the year 193 AD. After which-"
"Stop." The teacher held her hand up. "Let me see that passage." She read over it silently, and she grimaced. "Cameron, the rest of you, put away your books. Today, we're listening to *real* history. Apparently, your history book does not trust you with the actual story of Kenjus. He was not as brutal or unliked as he was made out to be. Just give me a minute, I just need to find my notes..." She smiled and pulled out two busts, and then several sheafs of paper. "Here are the two key players in the story: Kenjus Ichijo Caeser, and the gladiator Daisus."
* * *
* * *
"Caeser, there is difficulty in Gaul," Senator Yamato Ishida put forth. "There are rebellions, and the people there speak of breaking free from the Empire." Kenjus rolled his eyes.
"Isn't there a way to deal with this?" he snapped. "We have an army, don't we?"
"But-"
"Simply quell the rebellions and send any who resist to the Arena. I don't see what's so hard about that." Yamato's face flushed red.
"You may be the emperor, Kenjus, but it is our job to advise you against foolish actions and this-"
"I am the emperor, Yamato, which means that I don't need your approval to order the military. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to." He stalked off, leaving the Senate House dramatically. Yamato sighed.
"What are we supposed to do with this man? He treats every extraurban problem as if brute force will solve it, but he's been advancing the economy, helping trade and cultural achievements. Gods, Rome's never been better."
"But he's not a people person, and he's been ignoring the Senate's advice ever since he came to power," Senator Iori Hida added angrily. "We're supposed to be advising him; what good does that do if he ignores us?" Yamato smiled somewhat hungrily.
"Well, there's always ways to depose of emperors. For one thing, there's the Praeterion Guard." Iori smiled faintly in response.
"And then there's the rebels in Gaul..." Yamato grinned, leading the other senator from the Curia.
"I like the way you think, my man. Come, we have much to discuss."
* * *
"Kenjus, you do know tomorrow is the beginning of spring." The emperor glanced up at his confidante and head of the Praeterian Guard, Takeru Takaisus.
"So?"
"It is generally expected for the emperor to be present for the Games which start off such a festival." Kenjus sighed.
"And so I will attend. But you know I hate the games. There is no honor in their deaths, no glory in the fighting. They fight because they must, and die pitiful and pleading before the eyes of the crowd."
"But still you must attend." Kenjus sighed.
"I know."
* * *
He hated going to the arena. It made him disgusted to see all the people cheering over bloodshed like that. It was a waste of good fighters. But then again...there was a certain appeal to watching a man's blood spattering onto the sand, or wood, or whater the floor of Flavian's Ampitheater was made of at the time. That was how Kenjus had axquired the title of Carnifex, the Executioner; no gladiator received mercy from his hand. Suddenly, the arena was quiet.
"What is it?" he demanded of Takeru. The blond smiled at the emperor.
"It is the favored gladiator, Daisus. The crowds love him." Kenjus turned to the arena to see the young man enter the center of the Colissuem. And a gasp arose in his throat. He was beautiful...
* * *
Daisus looked up at the crowds. They were cheering suddenly, loud, deafening. He smiled, waving a hand at them. He loved the attention he received as a gladiator, Granted, he'd never asked to be a gladiator. Frankly, he'd been forced, his parents having fallen so far into debt. His sister Junsa married off to a senator, and the son sent off to the gladitorial school in Baiae, not the best, certainly, but he caught a fair price. Daisus couldn't really blame his parents. He hadn't exactly been the best son, not exactly marked for anything spectacular. And being a gladiator-suited him, really. He wasn't a senator, or even a governor. Daisus was born to fight, and the arena, although not the most glamorous of ways to live fighting, was certainly the most noticable. So he had turned out well. Junsa, from what he'd grasped in moments of gossip, was not happy. Her husband was that in name only. Rumor had it the man didn't have a taste for women, and was...well, he didn't have time to worry about the affairs of senators. Right now, he had to fight. He bowed curtly to the emperor's representative, and-wait! That was Kenjus Caeser himself! Daisus' face paled. Normally, if he fought in the arena, he did so loosely, knowing that the crowd's favor would save him if he got into trouble. But now...he walked over to the emperor's box, and bowed.
"Ave, Caeser, morituri te salutant," he said, and then turned to the man he would be fighting. Ha. Pathetic. He'd win no problem.
* * *
He tripped, a moment's error. But it was suddenly too late to fic anything, as the sword was at his throat. The crowd quieted, and they turned as one to the emperor's box. Kenjus stared down at the gladiator, the man most likely a slave, one who didn't deserve his attention. A man who fought daily for the vain hope of some day winning the wooden sword. He stared down at the pathetic shape, and smiled. He would make the man's death slow. He held out his hand, fingers spread, and slowly curled them. His thumb, he left sitting out. He glanced down at the man, expecting horror and pleading. But Daisus stared defiantly ahead, accepting whatever was thrown at him. And in that moment of distraction which had cost Daisus the battle, the emperor Kenjus Ichijo Caeser flicked his thumb inward, so it was sheathed by his fist. Daisus would live to see another day. Even before the sword of Daisus' opponent was sheathed, Kenjus had fled the box, Takeru following after him.
"Takeru, I want to see that man in my palace as soon as possible. If he has more fights, let him fight. But make sure he *does* see me." The bravery of that man, being taunted with death, intrigued the emperor. That fire captured something that he wanted, needed, and had to have at all costs.
* * *
Daisus placed a hand on his neck, where a drop of blood ran to his shoulderblade.
"Well, you sure picked a hell of a time to trip, Motimus." The red-haired man, short yet somehow imposing, looked the gladiator over. "Yet, you somehow pulled through. In fact, you seem to have caught Kenjus' attention. He doesn't do that for just anybody." Daisus blushed deeply.
"Koushiro...you make it sound like-what makes you think I'd even be interested?" The Lanista, gladitorial trainer, grinned.
"Because you don't like women, and if the emperor were to take an interest in you, you'd have to at least feign interest. The next time he's sitting up there, he won't have to spare your life." Daisus gulped. Suddenly, a messenger appeared. Except it was no ordinary messenger. It was the one who normally sat for the emperor, Takeru.
"Hello, Koushiro. I came here to see your little Thracian here. Because, you see, if he's not busy, our benevolent Caeser would like to see him. Apparently, it has something to do with that lovely fight you put up today." He turned to Daisus. "I'd leave your armor on; Kenjus isn't too particular about proprieties, but he did emphasize that he wanted to see you as soon as possible." He winked at Koushiro knowingly, and the Lanista stood aside.
"Sure, go ahead, take him. But, can you make me a promise? Could you return him in one piece. He's my favorite gladiator, and not just because they like him." He gestured back to the crowds, who screamed as someone suffered an unusually violent death.
"Hey! Hey! Don't I get some sort of a choice in this?" Takeru shook his head.
"Hell, if Koushiro didn't want you going, he wouldn't get a choice. Kenjus wants to see you, Daisus. That's all there is to it. So, you can come along peacefully, or I could have a couple bigger gladiators haul you down the imperial palace."
"Imperial-palace?" Daisus' voice was curious now. Takeru smiled.
"How about I tell you about it on the way there? I frankly wouldn't want to try and explain this to you while you were being dragged there."
* * *
One thing Kenjus loved about living in Rome was that there wasn't exactly a large variation in clothing. But he'd still agonized about what to wear when the gladiator arrived. He wanted to make a good impression, so that-what? What did he hope? Did he hope that-no, there wasn't much hope in that. But there wasn't much a gladiator could do to hold off an emperor. Very little.
* * *
"I'll leave you here, Daisus. I'm sure Kenjus will call me when you're done here. And, just in case, I've made sure you've got no battles tomorrow." Takeru left, leaving Daisus standing before the emperor's room. Daisus took a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair. What was the worst Kenjus could do to him? Kill him? It's not like it would be much. Daisus started every day expecting to die; this couldn't be much worse. Hell, he'd expected to die earlier. But then again, Kenjus didn't do things like this for people, unless they impressed him. And how could he have impressed Kenjus except for...he shivered. There was something intimidating about the emperor, and a hunger in the man's eyes which he'd caught when he hailed him.
"So, are you actually going to come in, or did you plan on making me wait all night?" The amused voice held a spark of malice, which Daisus didn't want to invoke.
"I-uh, just thinking," he managed to stammer.
"Really? How cute. Come in, Daisolus." Kenjus retreated back to the room, but shooting a pointed glance back at the gladiator. Daisus hurriedly abandoned his sword and followed the man. He didn't think much about the affectionate name used towards him. Seeing the emperor in such a casual state had placed him in a state of shock.
"My gods, he is..." he began to himself, entering the large chambers of the Roman Emperor.
* * *
"We seek to free ourselves from the reign of the Empire. The gods you proclaim hold no sway over us, cannot influence ours. We seek to live under the might K'Z'K's laws, and be free of your emperor's laws," the man demanded. "So, you senators believe you can help us?" Yamato laughed.
"Er, Taichi?" The man nodded. "Yes, there is a religious faction in the Empire whose members have a saying: 'God helps those who help themselves.' We cannot do everything for you. You see, we want one of your famed assassins to coome back with us and-hrm-depose of our imperial difficulty."
"And all we get is our freedom? You want one of us to risk his life for relatively little benefits?" Yamato's face twisted.
"Your freedom is not incentive enough?" Taichi frowned.
"Freedom is not a commodity we trade. You want an assassin, and so we demand also payment." Yamato frowned at the clan leader, a brunette dressed in the warm skins typical of the northern folk.
"Since what you ask is of a...personal nature, I demand a-personal favor in return." He licked his lips, and Yamato stepped back.
"I-what do you intend?"
"You can't possibly be *that* stupid," Taichi commented absently. Yamato knew his face was red. "So, Yamato, do we have a deal? You return to the capital with our assassin and myself, and you get yourself a dead emperor?" Yamato smiled slightly.
"I think I will benefit...slightly more from this exchange than you, but I agree." Taichi nodded.
"Then I'll go get our assassin. She is the most skilled and subtle of K'Z'K's priestesses. She can kill quickly, but with excruciating pain, or slaughter slowly in one's sleep." Yamato froze for a second.
"SHE?"
* * *
"Daisus, so nice to see you. Please, make yourself comfortable. I have all night, if we need so." He kept hinting at-things-without ever saying them. Frankly, it unnerved him. He nodded and sat on a stone bench.
"So, why do you want to see me, Principe?" Kenjus smiled.
"If I didn't tell you I hoped for some...involvement tonight, I'd be lying. But, frankly, I want to examine your psyche right now. I want to find out about your spirit, about the inner fire that lets you stare at me with defiance when I hold your life in my hand." Daisus just sat where he was. "Listen, I'm not trying to seduce you...yet. I want you to talk to me."
"I'm sorry," Daisus responded tartly. "I just don't enjoy the fact that you're treating me like some sort of new toy." Kenjus frowned, and stalked over to the gladiator.
"If I wanted, I could have you killed in the most painful way imaginable, Daisus. So, if you don't want to talk to me, I assure you we can find plenty of straight logs. And we're never short on nails." Daisus looked back at him, fire blazing in his brown eyes.
"You won't kill me, Kenjus, because I intrigue you. You don't want to hurt someone who intrigues you." Kenjus glared into Daisus' eyes, and then stalked to the door.
"Takeru!" The man was ther in an instant. "Take Daisus to a private room, and leave him there for the night. In the morning, return him to his Lanista." He watched the blond take the gladiator down the hallways, and then angrily sat on his bed. Who did Daisus think he was? He dared to defy the ruler of the largest empire that had ever existed! He sat there silent, refusing to even speak to him! But...he had spirit. And beauty. And...and he thought he loved him.
"Damn."
* * *
"I give you Miyak, our finest assassin. Trained in the arts of seduction and death, her mission is to get close to the emperor and to slay him." Taichi smiled proudly at the purple-haired woman, whose locks were arranged in a mess of curls and curves. Yamato looked doubtfully at her.
"There's where we might have a problem. You see, it's not exactly a secret that Kenjus...isn't the type to take lovers." Taichi nodded.
"Doesn't matter. She is the best. *I* have been tempted by her charms, and you know *my* situation." Yamato managed to blush at the words, having made some of the payment for the assassin the night before.
* * *
* * *
"Miss Vaughn? I'm somewhat sure we shouldn't be listening to this," Cameron pointed out. The teacher shook her head.
"If someone can't deal with what really happened, they can leave. I myself will give them a pass." The room was motionless. "Okay. Moving on."
* * *
* * *
"My, is this my-ahem-partner?" Miyak asked seductively, admiring Yamato. "I like important projects." Taichi shook his head.
"No; you're to work on Kenjus."
"Caeser?" Yamato nodded.
"I am simply here to, um, negotiate the, um, terms of our, um, agreement."
"So, who's screwing who?"
"Miyak! That's none of your business," Taichi snapped. Miyak only smiled knowingly.
"I've learned quite a lot from your sister, Taichi. And I've learned that's it's important not to be emotionally involved in my targets."
* * *
"How the hell did you ever become a gladiator?" Jyous shook his head.
"I *was* a gladiator. Now I own a lot of them. So, how did the visit with Caeser go? Are the rumors true?" Daisus scowled.
"I have no idea what rumors you're talking about. Frankly, all that happened is that he asked me some questions, and then sent me to a private room until the morning. So, I came down here this morning, ready for training, fighting, and the irrevocable march to my death." Jyous smiled faintly, and moved on. He passed by Koushiro heading on his way out, and shook his head.
"Nothing." Koushiro sighed.
"And I wanted to hear all about it..." Jyous walked from the main area of the training area, smiling slightly. Daisus watched him leave, and glanced at the wall. He doubted Kenjus would have him killed. But then again, he doubted that Kenjus was going to give up on him. The man was an emperor, used to getting what he wanted. It was unlikely one failure would deter him. Caeser wouldn't give up until Daisus was his. But...was that really a bad thing? Kenjus was a little freaky, apparently somewhat disliked among the higher levels of the government, but...wasn't he basically a good man? Daisus sat back on the straw, sighing. He needed an objective ear to talk to.
* * *
"I swear, sometimes, it's like he doesn't even know I exist!" Sora groaned. The senator's wife required an iron ear. She could talk for hours over her neglectful husband, and would. Sometimes, she wanted to bash Junsa over the head and scream the truth, unembellished, into the woman's face.
'Your husband is gay and he's screwing the slaves!' Sure. That would go over well. Sora was holding on only by Junsa's good grace, so this wasn't exactly the way to go about it.
"Listen, Junsa, have you ever considered the possibility that your husband might...not...LIKE you?"
"How do you mean?"
"I mean, do you think that he may be a little...Greekish?"
"Huh?" Junsa's eyes were confused.
"Lady, I mean...isn't it possible that he may...like-men?" Sora cowered, expecting blows, or at least a scream.
"Yes." Her voice was calm. Deceptively so. "I know he is. That's why I ignore it. That's why I have my side projects. Did you know I'm fully trained in the arts of assasination? It's something taught by northern tribes of Gaul, something reserved for the priestesses of K'Z'K." She smiled unnervingly. "I was planning on waiting until Yamatolus found 'the one,' and then kill them both." Sora managed a smile, although we wasn't sure how.
"Lovely."
* * *
* * *
"This did not happen," a brown-haired student commented. "I mean, you've got Rome crawling with gays, and enough political intrigue to put James Bond to shame!" Miss Vaungh shook her head.
"Well, we're out of time. And although some of you might not believe me, I dare you to look this up on the internet. You can find resources on this particular story. It's quite interesting."
* * *
Yeah, there we go. Lovely, ain't it? With this story, it seems all the intrigue writes itself. I didn't mean to do all this. I really didn't mean for the Taito in there, but it's too late, isn't it? Anyway, if there's any serious questions about the occasional Latin thrown in, feel free to ask. Fr this, I'll just note that -olus on a name or word is a diminutive, used in this case as an affectionate term. So, till next time!