"Eliza is not betrothed to a man..." Lucretia spoke, shaking her head as she wrote something on a parchment. "Yet she has a body of a goddess and of a woman fit to birth." She added, rolling the parchment up as Gannicus walked through the halls.

"Gannicus!" Lucretia said, smiling to the bronze-gladiator before her. "Your time here is beneficial." The older woman told him, bringing him into a room with herself and Illythia in it. Gannicus stood still and tall, watching the two women suspiciously.

"You're of the age where a man is in his ripest to give a woman a child, correct?" Lucretia asked, smiling as Gannicus nodded. "Have you any woman to spill your seed inside of?" Illythia asked him, tilting her head.

Gannicus immediately thought of Eliza, but still shook his head. "Ah! What a shame... A gladiator - a god himself does not have a woman to carry on his bloodline!" Illythia gasped, shaking her head. Gannicus raised an eyebrow.

"I question why you need this knowledge." Gannicus told them even though he knew perfectly well why they wanted to know.

"If a god impregnates a woman, the only hope is that the child turns out just like him." Lucretia responded. "You must carry out your bloodline, keep it strong. The only way to do that is to find a woman fit to bear your children."

Gannicus sighed and turned his head slightly as he heard footsteps, Eliza was walking down the hall with Rhea as Lucretia and Illythia stood up from their seats, quickly hiding any parchments they had set out.

"Illythia, Gaius has been calling - Gannicus..." Eliza noticed, she set her right hand over her heart and looked at him. "I thought you took leave..." The brunette trailed off, her brows furrowed.

"We were just in conference - Where is Gaius?" Illythia asked as Eliza pointed down the hall. "Your chambers." Once Illythia left Lucretia was stared at by Eliza. "What are you planning?"

"Do you bleed?" Lucretia asked Eliza and her eyes widened as Gannicus turned his head. "I don't think that's an appropriate question-" Eliza said but was cut off by Lucretia speaking.

"Your body is slender like a goddess, you have been told this, yes?" Lucretia asked as Eliza nodded.

"Yes, but-"

"But you are still strong enough fit for child bearing?"

"Yes, Lucretia, what is this about?"

Lucretia walked towards Eliza and messed with the clean, green fabric of Eliza's dress. "Gladiators must carry out their bloodlines, in hope that their sons will carry out their legacies."

"That is correct." Eliza responded, glancing at Gannicus as he looked between her and Lucretia. "Lucretia, what are you insinuating?" Eliza questioned.

"That you carry out Gannicus' bloodline." Lucretia laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Excuse me?" Eliza practically screamed. Lucretia rolled her eyes. "His cock shall spill seed inside of you, and you shall bring forth his children." Lucretia told her.

Eliza stared at her as if she were mad. "You can't - Lucretia - Have you talked this over with the council?"

"We all agree that you must find a suitable mate. You are Gaius' cousin, and you are not betrothed." Lucretia informed Eliza as Gannicus still stood in the room.

"Did you even question if the gladiator wants his legacy carried out?" Eliza asked, her nostrils flaring. She referred to Gannicus as if he wasn't there. "Perhaps I should take leave..." Gannicus said.

Lucretia ignored him as he began to step out, before Eliza grabbed Gannicus' left bicep and made him stay. "What gladiator - What god wouldn't want their legacy carried out!?" Lucretia snapped.

Eliza breathed deeply as a feeling of anxiety and anger washed over her. Her stomach felt like an empty pit and her chest felt sore, tight and like her heart had gone. "I..." Eliza began before she trailed off, shaking her head. "If I - we... If we do this, then what?"

"You either are to be wed or you will just be bred." Lucretia told her simply, shrugging her shoulders. Gannicus locked eyes with Eliza.

"I will not use her as if she was a cow for milk." Gannicus stated, shaking off Eliza's hand as much as he didn't want to. Lucretia glanced between the two. "Then you shall wed her?" Lucretia questioned, tilting her head as she squinted slightly.

"Possibly." Gannicus replied, shaking his head as Eliza's eyebrows furrowed. "If you do not do something with her, I shall have her put to death!" Lucretia sneered, her mood changing drastically.

Gannicus' eyes widened as he shook his head quickly. "No! - We shall discuss it over wine." Gannicus told Lucretia. "Without you." He added, as Lucretia sighed and nodded.

"I suppose that's best." She left the room after that, leaving the two. "Where you do you keep your wine?" Gannicus asked.

"The kitchen." Eliza replied with a lump in her throat. Gannicus went to leave as tears pricked her eyes. He heard a gentle sob escape her lips as he was almost gone down the hall. He retreated back to her and stood in front of her.

"Why do tears stain your cheeks?" Gannicus asked as Eliza looked down. "Answer me." Gannicus said firmly but instantly regretted it as she looked up, her normally pale skin was a pale pink. Her eyes already slightly red as her lashes stuck together.

"I don't want wine." She whispered, Gannicus only laughed. "For wine you have wet eyes?"

"No... I don't want to discuss it over wine because I don't want to birth your children." Eliza spoke softly, her voice shaky as he cupped her cheeks. Wiping her tears as tenderly as he possibly could with rough fingers. "I should hold my tongue - I meant to say I would like to, but don't want to be forced to."

Gannicus nodded in understanding as some tears ran down her face to move over her lips as she tilted her head. "We could practice?" Gannicus suggested as Eliza laughed dryly.

"Practice? You mean practice having your cock inside of me?" She questioned as she shook her head. Gannicus nodded, a smile forming on his face as Eliza closed her eyes and sighed. Eliza then opened them as her tears had stopped, a determined look in her brown eyes.

She turned around and began to walk. Gannicus furrowed his brows in response. "Follow." Was the only word Eliza said, and Gannicus quickly trailed after her before jogging beside her to keep up. "Where do you lead me?" Gannicus asked.

They stepped into her chambers, which were only sealed by a black curtain and opened to a wide room with a balcony. Gannicus looked around her room, messing with a few pots as he almost dropped one.

"Are you done?" Eliza asked him. Gannicus looked up to see her hands on the clasps of her dress. His mouth went dry and he turned to look right at her. "I am." Gannicus responded.

"Thank the gods." Eliza laughed as she smiled and nodded to him to come stand by her bed. He did and watched her move her hands from her clasps before beginning to unbuckle his armor. It dropped to the ground with gentle 'thud' sound as he stared at her.

Gannicus unclasped Eliza's dress as the green material fell into a pool around her legs. Gannicus stared at her body, everything he had wanted to see before him. His member hard in his pants as Eliza slowly began helping him out of them.

They were both fully naked as Eliza's eyes looked over Gannicus' bronze and stone like body. She bit her lip as her eyes trailed farther down his torso, only to have Gannicus chuckle. His eyes ghosted over pale flesh, the gentle curves of her breasts, her hips, bottom and thighs he would become familiar with.