Chapter III

"You are royalty, to an extent, Eliza. You mustn't walk near these foul men." One of the guards told her as she walked along the cages that held gladiators.

"I am not beneath them, nor am I above them. We are equal, and I shall walk where I please." Eliza responded. Gannicus watched the pale woman walk between the rows.

"My lady, they are animals... Monsters!" The guard stated, watching her shake her head.

"We are all but human, guard. We all have animals, beasts within us clawing their way out. And we all have monsters in our minds, 'royalty' as you say, they have no proper way of letting the beasts out."

"And gladiators?" The guard asked as Eliza glanced towards Gannicus and laughed slightly. "Gladiators release their monsters upon the sands, inside the arena. They have no other choice."

Eliza found herself in a tavern close to her home, with a cloak over herself she noticed violent men drinking wine. "I must depart." Eliza told the barkeep as he nodded, watching her walk out. Gannicus was in the very back of the bar and watched her exit as a few men followed suit.

He sighed to himself and tried to force himself to drink and forget her, but instead set his cup down and stalked outside to find the men in a circle, pushing Eliza around and tearing at her garments.

"If you find yourself equal, then get on knees and suck cock!" One of the men said before another elbowed him.

"If she speaks truth, then we shall know when cock finds its way inside of her, then knife takes place after!" One of them laughed. Gannicus grabbed one of the men by his shoulders and threw him to the ground. He cleared the men from her without much of a fight, but one had slashed across his chest.

Eliza watched him as he took her hand and walked her back to the tavern. They sat down and Eliza sat on the table, moving her fingers around the cut. "You're injured."

"Its but a flesh wound!" Gannicus told her, shaking his head. Eliza rolled her eyes and grabbed the wine he had and splashed it against his chest. He hissed lowly and watched her stand and grab his hands, leading him to where he was staying for the night.

She sat on the bed in front of him and began working on the cut, drying it, stitching it and wrapping a bandage from his side to across his right shoulder, the bandage laid. Gannicus stood from the chair he was sitting in and placed to hands on each side of her place on the bed.

"Have you any idea what could have happened to you?" Gannicus asked as Eliza looked down at her lap. She nodded before she lifted up her head.

"But you saved me." She smiled gently, hearing him scoff her smile fell. "If you're so equal, you wouldn't have needed it."

"You didn't have to assist me." Eliza told him, sighing quietly after. "But I thank the gods that you did."

Eliza leaned up and kissed him quickly, moving her right hand to rest on the right side of his neck and the left to cup his cheek. Before she closed her eyes, Eliza saw Gannicus' eyebrows raise slightly in surprise before his eyes closed and he kissed her back almost ad quickly.

His left hand moved to begin bringing her dress up her legs before Eliza stopped him and pulled back. "Is that gratitude not enough?" Gannicus watched her slip from their position and walk out the door. He slammed his open hand into his bed and groaned.

The moment he had set eyes on her, Gannicus knew she was something special - Something to be cared for and held onto rather than abused and pushed away. And he let her slip form him.

That's bad form.

"Where have you been?" Gaius asked Eliza as she began walking to her chambers.

"Around."

"Eliza, you must not break for the dark."

"Gaius," Eliza began with a sigh. "it was not my intention to be out during the night, yet it happened."

"Don't let it happen again." Gaius told her firmly and walked away. Eliza sighed and reached her chambers where she tiredly sat on her bed and began unclasping her dress.

"The praetor seems to have much control over you."

Eliza let out a scream, and she grabbed her dress and held it up against herself. She turned around to see Gannicus but heard running. A guard came through the curtain into her room and spoke.

"Are you alright?"

"I - I'm... I am fine, yes." Eliza replied, shooing him away. Gannicus laughed as he paced around her room before leaning against the wall and looking down.

"What brings you here?" Eliza questioned.

"You." Gannicus added simply. Eliza shook her head and sighed. "Well, out." She muttered. Eliza called in a guard but Gannicus didn't budge, so Eliza kicked the guard out.

Gannicus remained still and did not move but kept staring at the ground before he looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "Have hand laid on me again, in any form, and I shall treat you like one." He told her and she almost shuddered.

Eliza clenched her jaw and beckoned him over to her, he walked over gingerly and stood still. "Why have you seeked me out, Gannicus?"

He moved closer to her and, like before, set both of his arms on each side of her. "Are you alright?" Gannicus asked her quietly, his brows furrowed.

Eliza thought about what could have happened to her and she nodded before shaking her head. She suddenly wrapped her arms around the bronze man in front of her and hugged him tightly. "Thank you..." She mumbled into his long hair.

Gannicus was frozen in place before he gently patted her on the back before fully hugging her. "Anyone else would have done the same."

"No, Gannicus, they wouldn't have." Eliza told him. She kissed his neck gently, all the way down his chest to his bandaged cut then up his collarbones, neck, and along his jaw.

Gannicus held her hips gently, and was rolling his thumbs against them. "Eliza..." He muttered as she kissed all over him. She kept uttering words of thanks and praise against his skin with every kiss.

Gannicus watched her before she placed a quick kiss on his lips. "As much as it pains me to say it, you did rescue me, Gannicus. How can I return the favor?"

Gannicus seemed to think for a moment, he almost wanted to say he wanted a shag in return but decided against it. "Seeing you unharmed is enough." He told Eliza and broke from her arms. "I must depart." He told her.

Eliza nodded and went to bed, waking the next day and deciding to bathe first. She thought about Gannicus the entire night.