Chapter I

~ House of Batiatus ~

"Have eyes ever beheld such a marvel?" asked Quintus Batiatus in wonder as he looked at the slowly rising Arena of Capua.

"A sight to put the Circus Maximus in Rome to bitter shame." answered Marcus Decius Solonius as he walked next to his friend. Batiatus glanced at Solonius and then back at the arena. "We will be the ones shamed if grand ceremony passes absent our gladiators. We must force advantage before opportunity slips from grasp."

Solonius shook his head and said calmly: "No, we must be patient. Your father would venture forth with respect and caution." "Then a blessing he is not present." Quintus again insisted. "Perhaps we should send word to him in Sicilia? Petition advice?" Solonius offered to Quintus. "I can already divine the content of his reply. Which is why he never rose above his humble station. Fuck patience." Quintus said. "Look to Tullius for the way. A simple merchant, yet he gives honored counsel to the Magistrate and all the rest of the noble shit eaters of Capua."

"Truth told, yet at excessive volume." Solonius told him quietly. "I would shout his praise to the fucking heavens. His hands shaped events, resulting in the erection of the new arena. He supplies slaves from the farthest reaches of the Republic to speed it's completion. Through the ambitions of Tullius, Capua is elevated." Quintus explained. "A lesson to be studied and reproduced in kind." He continued. "Is that all?" asked Solonius. "A simple task then, Batiatus."

"Between us, we have the greatest gladiators in Capua. Barca, Acadeus, Gannicus... Men forged into something beyond their worth. Beyond anything that smug little piss, Vettius, could ever hope to offer." Batiatus said. Just as he said it, he and Solonius saw two men fighting in front of the base of the new arena. "Perhaps Tullius should not have strayed so far abroad in acquiring slaves." Solonius explained to Batiatus' ear. They stepped forward just when the slave was about to be whipped.

"Hold!" ordered Batiatus. The slaver who was about to whip the slave turned towards them. "This one of good Tullius slaves?" Quintus asked him. "It is." the man explained cautiously. "I would make purchase." Quintus told him. "Purchase?" Solonius asked him. "What's the man's worth?" Quintus asked, ignoring Solonius. "He is not for sale." told the man. "Fifty denarii." Quintus offered. "The man is barely worth ten." the man told Quintus. "Why would you pay such a sum for a shit Gaul?" he asked. "Shit?" Quintus asked the man. "Do you not see the promise in his eyes? The spark smouldering in his breast? I would give it tender, to ignite in the arena!" Quintus explained while pointing at the slave. "Fifty?" the man asked him again, eager to receive so much money. "Well, add another five to weight your own purse." Quintus said. The man nodded and Quintus turned to Solonius. "Lend me 20 denarii." he asked. "You pay too much for the man." Solonius insisted. "The man is nothing. I pay to gain favour with Tullius." Quintus insisted. He then gave the money to the man behind him, and the man looked at Quintus. "What of the slave's sister?" he asked. Quintus and Solonius then saw the young woman behind the slave, who had long, dark brown hair that was horribly tangled and the same brown eyes as her brother. The woman's clothing was ripped, and barely hiding anything. "The two cannot be separated. The girl always screams for him when separated." The man explained. "I don't need another normal slave." Quintus said, when Solonius leaned closer to him and said: "Perhaps she could be another bodyslave for Lucretia. She could use more help." As Quintus thought of his friend's words, he nodded. "Very well. I'll take them both." he said to the buyer. He looked at Quintus and calmly explained: "If you're buying her as well, you're going to have to pay more." "Fine. I'll give you five denarii for her." Quintus said as Solonius gave him the money needed. He gave the money to the buyer and he said: "A waste of coin. The shit fuck will never be a gladiator." Quintus looked at the slave and said calmly: "Even the lowest man can rise beyond the heavens, tempted with the proper reward."

Cassandra POV:

As Batiatus led me inside his villa, I looked around. The villa was beautiful. The corridors were surrounded with tall columns made of white marble and there were curtains between the columns. Some of the curtains were of colors I had never seen. There was a pool in the center of the columns that was absent water. As we walked through the corridors, we arrived at a balcony. I glanced down from the balcony's ledge and saw numerous men fighting against each other with wooden swords and shields. They must have been the gladiators the man who bought me talked about. And now my brother was to become one of them? He told me earlier of his wishes to become a gladiator.

"A gladiator?" I asked my brother as we had just come to get more bricks of stone to be carried to the unfinished arena. "You wish to be a slave who would kill for someone's entertainment?" I asked him in anger. "No, Cassandra. I wish to be a man who fights to achieve glory and honor." Crixus answered. "Glory and honor? The only thing you will achieve is death! I would not have my only brother, who has been my only family for as long as I remember, slaughtered in the arena while the people cheer for your death!" I yelled at him. Crixus stepped in front of me and looked me in the eyes. "What would be better? Being a slave here, where we barely get food and water no matter how hot the sun burns, or being a slave in a villa where we would have food, water and a place to live for the rest of our lives?" As Crixus said that to me, he put his hands gently on my cheeks and while looking me in the eye, said with a kind voice: "You are my sister, Cassandra. After the death of our parents, i've raised you myself. You were so small when they died so you don't remember much of them. But on the day they died, father and mother made me promise that I would protect you until I breathe my dying breath. And I am not going to break my promise." I smiled a small smile at his words. "I am not going to let you live like we live now. You barely have any strength left and sooner of later, we will die of thirst and starvation if we continue to live like this. I wish to become a gladiator not only for myself, but also for you."

I smiled at the memory of my brother's words, and as I walked on the balcony with Batiatus, I saw a woman standing next to the balcony doors with a female slave. As we walked toward them, the woman looked at us and smiled. "Quintus. How did your talk with Solonius go?" she asked Batiatus with a caring voice. She must have been his wife, Lucretia, judging from the beautiful and colorful clothes she was wearing. "It went well." Batiatus answered. "I see you have brought a slave with you?" Lucretia said as they turned to look at me. "Yes. When I was in the market with Solonius, we saw a Gaul fighting with another slave. I could see a fire burning in his eyes, waiting to be unleashed in the arena." "A recruit?" Lucretia asked. "One that I know will bring honor and glory to the house of Batiatus." Quintus proclaimed. "And the girl?" Lucretia asked, nodding towards me. Quintus looked at me as well. "The girl is the Gaul's sister. The slaver said that they cannot be separated from each other. I was hoping that she would become another bodyslave for you. Melitta has so much work, so maybe the girl could be of help to her." Quintus explained. Lucretia looked at me from my toes to my hair for a moment and then turned to Melitta. "Very well. Melitta, would you go get Naevia? She's not that busy at the moment, so she can help the girl get ready and then show her the villa." "Yes, domina." the woman named Melitta said and quickly walked away. I looked at Lucretia cautiously as she stepped closer to me. She smiled and asked: "What is your name, girl?" "Cassandra." I answered quietly. "Cassandra. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl." I smiled a shy smile at her words. "You don't need to be scared, Cassandra. You are a slave, but we will take care of you here. I promise you that."

A while after my arrival, I was standing on one of the villa's corridors. Lucretia had told me to wait there for the slave that was going to help me. She had also told me that there were no chores for me to do today, so I could spend the day getting used to the villa. As I stood there, I soon heard light steps coming my way. I looked to my left and saw a woman who wasn't more than maybe a year or two older than me, with brown skin, darkbrown hair and even darker eyes. As she walked to me, she smiled. "Are you the new slave?" she asked me and I answered by nodding. She smiled again. "You don't need to be scared. I am Naevia. What's your name?" "Cassandra." I said with a voice so quiet that it was almost a whisper. "Come. Let's get you bathed and I will give you proper clothes."

Some time later, me and Naevia were sitting on the bed in her chamber. I had been in a bath and now I was wearing a lightgreen dress that revealed more than I would have liked it to. It revealed my legs from my ankles to my knees and the outer sides of my legs were revealed. It also revealed much of my belly and chest, but it was tied with brown leatherstraps just under my breasts, in the middle of my waist and it was tied together with string around my neck. I also had a wider leatherpiece around my neck, as sign of me being a slave. As we were sitting on the Naevia was brushing my slightly wet hair. It was already straighter than I had seen it in years. "So where did the dominus buy you?" Naevia asked me. "I was building the new arena with my brother. He started a fight with another slave and Batiatus saw him." I asnwered her. While I had spent time with Naevia, I had grown more relaxed around her. I had found out from her that she had been a slave for Batiatus since she was a child and she had told me many things about the house where I was to be a slave in from then on. "You have a brother?" I nodded and smiled as I answered: "Crixus." "Did Batiatus buy him as well?"

"Yes. He bought my brother to be a gladiator and me... He bought me only because me and my brother can't be separated."

"Why not?" "My brother is very protective of me. He raised me after our parents died." Naevia looked at me with sympathy. "I'm sorry." "Don't be. I don't really remember them. I was very small when they died." I told her.

While I was talking, she had brushed my hair and she put the comb on a small table. I smiled at her. "Thank you, Naevia." "For what?" She asked. "For being so nice to me. And for brushing my hair." She smiled at my answer and stood up. Then she pulled me up as well. "You don't have to thank me." she said with a smile upon her face. "Now go. We both need to sleep. Especially you. You will accompany Lucretia and Melitta to the marketplace at noon. Gannicus is going to fight against another gladiator there." she continued. "Who's Gannicus?" I asked her, since I did not know about everyone yet. "He's the champion of this house. But beware, if you ever are forced to be alone with him, be careful." Naevia explained. I looked at her in confusion. "Why?" I asked. "Gannicus has the reputation of a womanizer. Almost every woman that sees him falls for his charming looks and arrogant grin. Especially young and innocent girls like you should be careful." she said with seriousness in her voice. "Now go." she continued with a smile. I smiled back. "Good night, Naevia." "Good night, Cassandra." she said back to me as I walked out of her chamber.

On the way to my chamber, Lucretia stopped me, ordering me to take a winejug she and Batiatus had drank from, down to the cellar. I quickly but silently walked down the stairs to the cellar and looked through the shelves for the place for the winejug. There were dozens of shelves so it was hard for me to find the right place. "If you're looking for the place of the empty jug, it's the lowest shelf on the left."

I jumped at hearing the voice and almost dropped the jug. I turned around toward the voice, and saw that it belonged to a man who was standing behind the gate to the ludus. I could tell he was one of the gladiators from the strong muscles he had on his body. His hair reached his shoulders and it was the color of sand. He was looking at me with warm, brown eyes and with a small grin on his face.

"I don't need help." I told him with a slightly angry voice. I hated it when people sneak up on me.

"There's no need to get angry." the man said, obviously confused and maybe even a bit hurt from the anger I had spoken to him with. "I merely saw that you had trouble fiding a place for the jug." he continued. "I would have found it's place eventually.", I insisted as I was still irritated. "I'm sure you would have, but I only wanted to help a woman in need." he said with a larger grin on his face. Right when I saw his grin, I had a feeling who he was. "I'm sure you did." I chuckled at him while shaking my head slightly. "I did. I would never abandon the opportunity to help a beautiful, young woman like you." "So i've heard." I answered to him, and he smirked at my answer. "So you've heard of me?" he asked with obvious arrogance in his voice. "If your name is Gannicus, then yes." He smirked wider at my words, and asked: "Where did you hear about me?" "Naevia told me of you." He laughed at my answer. "What did she tell you of me?" Gannicus asked as he stepped closer to the gate. I looked at him as I also stepped slightly closer to the gate. "Not much, but she told me everything I need to know of a womanizer like you." I said as I looked up and down at him. He obviously knew all the things Naevia told me about him, judging from his arrogance. "Really? What did she say?" he asked. As I thought of an answer, I got an idea. Why not try to beat him in his own game? I may have been a maiden, but I knew how to make men desire me.

I slowly stepped towards him and while I walked toward him, I slowly licked my lips and then held my lower lip between my teeth. He grinned seeing my reaction. When I was just inches away from the gate, I spoke. "Well she told me that you're so handsome and charming that women practically fall at your feet. And that you only have to flash a grin to get them to your bed." I said while smiling seductively. I boldly looked down, and could see that he was aroused. I looked back at his eyes, and his eyes were clouded from the arousal. He was holding onto the gate with his hands so hard that his knuckles almost turned white, wanting to get past the gate. "Is it working on you?" he asked as he flashed his infamous grin. I leaned toward him so that I was only inches away from his face, and when he leaned towards me, I suddenly jumped back. "No." I said simply as I looked at him calmly. "It isn't?" he asked as he was coming back to his senses. "No. The only women who could fall for only a handsome face are empty-headed fools." As I talked, Gannicus looked at me in slight confusion. "In my mind, it's not important what the man looks like, but how he treats his women." After saying that, I ran up the stairs, leaving Gannicus to think of my words.