This is a sad moment here, readers, but this is the final chapter of this story. I guess eleven chapters isn't horribly wrong, but I feel like it is. If any of you would like another series with these two, or an AU, or even a one-shot series of their times together, I'd be more than happy to do that. Thank you all for reading. And, if you'd like, vote in the comments for their ship name. What I have so far is Elicus and Ganniza, if you can come up with something better or perhaps something different, feel free to comment. Thank you all again for reading, I also have an Agron story in the works.
It hadn't been long before Illythia was back with Gaius, nor was it long before Eliza was with child herself. Gannicus would worry about her even more than he already had been, he would make sure she had enough food, that she was warm enough and would basically seclude her from everyone he could. Even himself sometimes, he was afraid he'd accidentally bump her and she'd break like glass.
"Agron!" Eliza smiled, walking to the man as she set a hand on her belly and only knew what pain would arrive as the baby grew. Agron turned to her and smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he often did. "How is being secluded?" He asked sarcastically as Eliza laughed.
"He must know I'm not as fragile as he thinks." Eliza sighed, shaking her head. "There is word that Gaius is providing ransom for your return." Agron informed her, walking with her through camp.
"By gods - Why would he want my return, is he mad?" Eliza questioned, her brows furrowed. "He doesn't care for me."
"To some extent, that is true. But you are still his blood. Spartacus says that Gaius shall negotiate money for you, food... Weapons.." Agron trailed off.
"He would provide his enemies with weapons for my return? Jupiter, fuck me... He really is mad." Eliza laughed, shaking her head. Agron nodded.
"I need to go work." Agron told her, side-hugging her before kissing her head and patting her shoulder. "Keep watchful eye out, Eliza." He warned. Eliza nodded.
"And you too, Agron." She replied, smiling gently. She soon met up with Gannicus and watched him as he carefully walked around her. "Why do you treat me as a vase?" Eliza questioned.
"Pardon?" Gannicus said, furrowing his eyebrows. "You treat me as fragile as a vase is, like I'll break if you knock me over."
"You're with child." Gannicus replied, shrugging his broad shoulders slightly. "Teach me to fight." Eliza said.
"Eliza, I will not." Gannicus said, shaking his head quickly. "Teach me to fight or I'll ask Agron."
"He wouldn't think of you as a challenge, you're friends now. Almost family." Gannicus told her.
"Then Crixus." Eliza spat. "Or Spartacus."
"You wouldn't..." Gannicus trailed off, watching her leave his room. "Watch me!" Eliza challenged and went off in search of the men she spoke of. Gannicus rushed after her, picking her up as she screamed in surprise.
"You will not fight Crixus, or Spartacus." He told Eliza as she slammed her fists against his back. "Then stop being stubborn!" She yelled as they were drawing attention from a few gladiators.
Gannicus walked them back to their room, he slapped her ass on the way to shut her up. "I will teach you to fight." He told her simply as he set her down.
"Agron will help." Eliza countered.
"No."
"Yes." Eliza told him.
"Would you stop being so... stubborn." He said, shaking his head as Eliza crossed her arms and smirked victoriously. "He will be your spotter."
"Deal." Eliza said, kissing his cheek. She was about to run off when Gannicus stopped her. Eliza saw the look on his face, and the placement of his hands made her center begin to grow wet with arousal.
"But first, cock shall take place where hand was last night." Gannicus said, referring to when his fingers were inside of her rather than his member in fear he'd hurt her. Eliza nodded and dropped her dress, welcoming Gannicus to her body as he smiled, his cock hardening fast. Only after did she go in search for him again.
"Agron!" Eliza shouted as she raced to her friend after tiding her dress from Gannicus practically ripping it to shreds from her hands so he could see her naked for longer. "Yes?"
"Gannicus has agreed to teaching me to fight." Eliza told him, as he nodded. And fight they did, it was slow at first, a few practice moves, kicks, etc. But then it picked up when Eliza faked pain and Gannicus went to retrieve water, but she kicked his knees from behind and he fell to them. Eliza had two swords and crossed them over the other at her neck and smiled down at him as he grunted gruffly.
"I believe that's a win for me." She giggled softly, watching Gannicus lean back to look at her where she leaned down and kissed him only to have him grab her arms and quickly pull the swords from her. He stood almost just as fast and threw them into the ground.
He smirked as Eliza rolled her eyes and turned away. "Show-off." She muttered, only causing Gannicus to laugh. Spartacus broke up their happiness as he spoke in a hushed tone.
"The praetor is here."
Gannicus' smile fell from his face as Eliza's arms dropped, she felt her throat tighten and found herself soon clinging to Gannicus' side as he slid his left arm around her waist. As Gaius entered the camp, Agron picked up the swords the two had used and put them away, standing in front of Eliza to shield her as Crixus gathered beside them. Eliza and Gannicus followed Spartacus to a small meeting room.
"I will not go back with you." Eliza told Gaius. "You must." Gaius replied, reaching for her arm as Gannicus stepped between the two. He stared at the gladiator before him and stepped back.
"Eliza..." He said as he glanced down to see her hand across her belly. Gaius noticed she looked a bit tired and the protectiveness of Gannicus and the other males to when he had arrived made him think.
"You're with child." Gaius said with brows furrowed. "The gladiator's, I assume?"
"You are not wrong." Eliza replied, crossing her arms over her chest as Gaius shook his head. "This is no place for a woman, nonetheless a pregnant one."
Gannicus spoke next. "She is safe. She has warmth, she has food, garments, water and is secure with us." He informed Gaius.
"That may be, yet she is dirty. She looks fragile."
"I am not!" Eliza spat. "I am not fragile, I am fine!"
"You must come home." Gaius told her.
"You say 'I must', but I mustn't do anything. Home is right here, Gaius."
"Come home or every man in this camp will be slaughtered." Gaius threatened.
"I'd like to see you try." Eliza laughed, shaking her head. "These men will strike down your men faster than you could ever please Illythia." Eliza added causing Gannicus to chuckle lightly. Spartacus shook his head.
"Enough." He told the people.
"Then not all these men, but your gladiator." Gaius countered as Eliza's wide smile dropped into a frown. "I -" She began but furrowed her brows and looked down. "If I go with you, you mustn't hurt him."
"As long as you go without a fight." Gaius told her. Eliza nodded and Gaius clapped and smiled. "Good! I'll be waiting with a horse."
Gaius left as Spartacus watched him. Eliza hugged him carefully and let go, knowing he wasn't one for hugs. She took Gannicus' hand and went to find people she had become close friends with. First she hugged Agron, then Nasir, Crixus and those who soon followed.
She turned to Gannicus and sighed. "Forgive me..." She whispered as she hugged him tightly, Gannicus burying his face into her neck. "I will be okay if sword is sent for my neck." Gannicus told her as they pulled away.
"Not if many men come after you, not if you're alone."
"I'm never alone." Gannicus told her.
"I beg that you don't worry for me, Gannicus." Eliza said, setting her hands against his chest as he nodded. "I'll worry for you no matter the consequences."
Eliza pecked his lips and leaned up, whispering into his ear. "Keep my dresses here, for I'll soon return." Gannicus smiled and nodded as she went to meet Gaius. She mounted the horse and they set off back to the House of Batiatus. She hadn't realized that soon meant almost a year.
Months passed before Eliza saw Gannicus again, she wasn't allowed to leave her room let alone the house. She was eight months pregnant by the time she saw Gannicus next, it had been seven months and she didn't know if she could survive without her bronze-god anymore. She had her child at the gladiator camp, with Gannicus beside her and Agron fetching things and a couple women to help her. Gannicus could handle swords, whips, shields, spears, arrows, nails and rope against his flesh but he could not handle the bone-crippling hand clutching that Eliza did.
She had her child after days of screaming and crying, she was relieved as was Gannicus. Because profanities such as "You long-haired cock-sucker, you did this to me!" along with "Sword would be pressed to throat in exchange for not having to birth this child!"
She joked that their son had a thick-skull just like his father, and they pondered what to name him. Eliza wiped sweat off her forehead as she held the baby on her chest after she was completely done with the delivery. "Alexander." Eliza said softly. "After my father." She added.
Gannicus smiled at the baby. "Alexander it is." He tickled the baby's stomach and caused it to giggle.
And as they stepped outside after she had rested, and gladiators surrounded them to catch a glimpse of the child of a gladiator-god and a royalty-ridden goddess, they praised the child.
Eliza knew that Gannicus had rescued her again like he did many times before. "Where would your legs carry you, without me beside you?" Gannicus asked her as he watched his child, swaddle in cloth resting in Eliza's arms, Agron clapped the two of the on the back as Spartacus congratulated them.
Many did the same. Eliza smiled at what Gannicus asked, and let a few tears slip from her eyes. "I'd loath to find out." And sadly, as much as it pains a person to realize this, she somehow knew that'd she would soon find out.