Eventually Love
Chapter Six
Quintus Sertorius opened Tasa's door and stood in the doorway.
'It is time,' he said simply.
Tasa struggled muzzily to her feet and tried to smile. She'd fallen asleep and had lost the mood. She didn't want to seem reluctant though, so she walked towards him slowly with what she hoped was a sensual sway.
'Where do you want me?' she simpered (or tried to).
He blinked, puzzled. 'Outside,' he said, as if it were obvious.
That really shocked her. 'Out on the street?' she squeaked in incredulity. Whatever was this freak into?
'Well…yes.' he said, still not understanding why she baulked at this very simple direction. 'Ultimately in the marketplace, of course. But first, follow me.'
He turned and led her to a side room very similar to her own but clearly unused. He showed her how to wear a toga but by demonstration encouraging imitation, not touching her in anyway.
She kept looking at him to get hints as to whether she was doing it right but mostly to see if there were any indication why she was getting dressed at all. Did he want to undress her? From something a bit more complicated than slipping the pallium off. Was he dressing her up as someone he desired?
He cocked his head assessing the result, did a little mouth shrug as if to say it's not great but it'll do for now and then took a step toward her. She tilted her head expectantly but he just gestured behind her towards the atrium.
There was a huge banging noise from out there and they looked at each other as if expecting to see an explanation in the other's face. That having naturally failed them, they both went to investigate.
A middle-aged man in a purple-edged toga stood in the open entrance way, bellowing for Quintus. He put out a hand to stop the heavy door swinging back on its hinges and knocking him over.
'What, in the name of all insanity, were you thinking?' he roared, clearly furious. 'Were you thinking at all? Did you give any thought to what would happen to the slaves you freed? Two of the women were found raped and murdered, probably by …'
'…Which women, sir?' Tasa interrupted urgently.
The man ignored her and carried on, '…probably by some of the male slaves. Who were themselves seized by the vigiles as they tried to break in to the palace. The actual imperial palace!'
'Please sir, which women? Tasa repeated.
The man glanced at her. 'Does it matter?'
'I know it ought not to, sir, but I made some friends there.'
'An old broken-down whore and a Nubian.'
Tasa exhaled in relief.
'I note that neither of you enquire of the fate of the trader.' The man was subsiding from rage into sarcasm. 'He was found chained in his own slave pit. Exsanguinated.' He looked pointedly at Quintus. 'Nice and clean though. All the captives had been freed.'
'I gave you the money for a wife not a housecat, Quintus,' he continued. 'Now marry her and claim her as your own in the natural human way.'