It was hot out. It was hot all the time, but today was unusually so. Clothes sticking to skin, dry heaving weather.
I could see Sennia in the kitchen. Lucius was speaking to her. For reasons I have yet to understand, the sight infuriated me to no end.
Lucius would never touch a slave. He believed they were for working, not bedding.
Sennia nodded at whatever Lucius was saying and turned back to the stoves. Lucius waltzed over towards me with a sly grin.
"What on earth are you smiling about?"
"Nothing. You'll see."
Clearly, he had no interest in telling me what he was discussing with Sennia. I should have learned by now that Lucius was never one to tell his business. I was a spy, but I wasn't rude. I wasn't about to manipulate someone I cared for.
Lucius entered Caesar's tent. I would follow if I didn't have important matters to discuss. I followed the trail to the arena where I would speak to Otho.
"Ave."
"Ave. What do you wish to discuss?"
"I would like to fight in the next match."
He seemed to perk up at that. "Really? It's in three days if you really do wish to fight."
"Yes, thank you. Vale."
"Vale."
As I turned to retreat to the tent, I noticed Sennia walking my way.
Mars, what are you doing?
"Hello, are you Vulpes Inculta?"
I panicked. My mouth was dry and my throat was closing. I coughed to relive it but that just led to more coughing.
She stared, wide-eyed and mouth open.
Just great. She finally acknowledges my existence and I'm a coughing mess. I can't even talk to her.
"Are you okay? Do you need me to help?"
I shook my head violently. How long can one cough?
"Are you sure? You're turning red."
"What the hell have you done to him, slave?" Otho grabbed her by the arm, yanking and twisting.
"I didn't do anything! I swear."
"You swear to what? What do you swear to?"
"I swear to God!" Her arm was an angry red. He was going to bruise her.
He twisted her arm behind her. "Your God is dead. Bow down to Mars."
My coughing had subsided and was quickly replaced with blind rage. I leaped at him, throwing him to the ground. My blade was out in a matter of seconds and at his throat, ready to do what it must.
"Don't you ever lay a hand on her. Do you fucking hear me?"
Otho displayed a series of emotions. Shock, anger, and best of all, fear.
"I said 'Do you fucking hear me?'"
Sennia was frozen in place. Of course she didn't know what to do. What could she do? She can't intervene and she can't run away. That would most likely end up with her being tormented later.
Otho nodded. And I tucked my knife away.
I stood up and straightened my tunic.
"If any of you want to treat her like he has, step up now!"
I looked out towards a see of shocked faces, Legion and slave alike.
"That's what I thought."
Sennia appeared as if she would cry in that very moment. She cradled her twisted wrist.
"Why did you do that?" she whispered.
"Because you did nothing wrong and he needs to learn that just because you're a slave, doesn't mean you can be wrongly accused. I believe in justice. Some call it revenge. Sorry for having a massive coughing episode. I don't know what got into me."
"Oh, right. I was supposed to give you this." She walked over to a package on the ground.
"I dropped it when he grabbed me. That man from earlier said you would like it. He said it was always your favorite thing to eat. I made it as close to the original recipe as possible with what we had."
I opened it to find a bowl of beef stew with fresh vegetables. It smelled divine. It was a little messy, but what can you expect when it was dropped.
"My, thank you. It looks delicious."
"It was my pleasure. I should probably go, I need to do something with my wrist."
"Wait. Before you go, when do you think I could see you again?" It was cliché but I had to know.
She looked at me in surprise. "You actually want to see me again? I'm just a slave here."
"Yes, but you don't act like it. That's what separates you from everyone else here. You aren't broken."
She looked as if she didn't know what to say to that. "Uh, well, I guess I can see you tonight. I work the kitchen so you can just come see me during meals or whenever."
"Will do. Vale."
"Aleh."
"We'll work on that." I laughed.
"We can do that tonight." She said giggling. She walked back to the kitchen and I felt a cold feeling in my stomach. She had to leave but I would give anything to just be with her.
What the hell has come over me? I've fallen for a siren.