This chapter is in Sennia's point of view and get ready for the fucking roller coaster of a chapter.

The air was chilly around me. Vulpes radiated enough heat for us not to even need the blanket. I shifted my legs so they wouldn't go numb. Vulpes groaned and pulled me closer.

"Good morning, what's the agenda today?"

"Caesar has something planned for us. I really don't think it will be good." He nuzzled into my hair. "He was going to have you crucified but I convinced him that would be very unwise."

I was going to be killed for having sex. "What would have happened to you?"

"He said I was too important to kill so he would just have me punished." He started to run his finger up and down my arm.

"Oh."

"He isn't going to though, he said he wouldn't. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I flipped over to face him. He lifted my head to kiss my forehead.

"What's he going to do to me?"

"I don't really know." He looked at me with sad eyes. "He said we'd both be punished. I don't want to think about what he'll come up with. He's a sick man."

Lucius tapped on the canvas of the tent. "Uh, Caesar wants to see you two."

Vulpes looked at me sympathetically. We stood up and Lucius stepped outside.

"We won't die, but we won't get off easy." He got dressed.

"I can't wait." I rolled my eyes.

"So, are you two ready for your punishment?" Caesar asked smugly.

There was a large peg in the center of the arena and rope. I didn't want to know what was going to happen. Vulpes would probably be beaten and and I would most likely have to deal with young recruits. Maybe I could close my eyes and forget where I am.

"Yes sir." Vulpes muttered. We were standing in the center of the arena near the peg.

"First things first, what is your offense?"

"Sexual relations while on duty during an important event where I must stay in my place."

"Second, punishments. Woman, go to the peg. Lucius, get the rope."

I stumbled over to the peg in the ground. Lucius walked to me hesitantly.

"I'm so sorry that this is happening." Lucius whispered to me.

He tied my wrists to the pole.

"Her back, bare it."

Lucius gave me an apologetic look before he grabbed the back of my robes and pulled them down to my waist.

"Now, Vulpes. Time for your punishment."

"Yes sir."

Lucius reluctantly handed Vulpes a strip of leather attached to a stick.

"Your punishment is to flog your mistress." Caesar said bluntly.

Vulpes looked at the whip in his hand with wide eyes and then at me. "I can't... can't do it. I won't"

"Are you denying orders, Vulpes?"

He grasped the whip firmly at his side. "Yes. I am."

"I thought better of you than to blatantly go against orders right in my face." Caesar seemed rather happy he was rejecting his duties. "Looks like you don't have a damn choice. Do it or you kill her."

"Mars is watching your actions, Caesar."

"And he shall deal with you when the time comes. Whip her. Now."

Vulpes glared at him and stepped closer to me. He held the whip up with a shaky hand. I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see his face.

"Just do it. Get it over with." I whispered.

"I'm so sorry, love." He raised the whip over his head and brought it down.

I screamed in pain. I could feel blood streaming down my skin.

"I'm so fucking sorry!" He brought it down again and I screamed out.

Tears were streaming down his face now as he was screaming out apologies and bringing the whip down over and over again. A small pool of blood was forming at my knees.

Caesar held up his hand. "Stop! You're done here."

Vulpes dropped the whip and fell to the ground in a shivering heap. Lucius untied me from the peg and helped me up.

"You should go see Siri for some healing powder. I'll see that he's okay."

"Alright, make sure he's fine before he comes to see me."

"That's going to be a real challenge. You should hurry."

I turned around quickly and stumbled to the kitchen.

"I heard what happened." Siri muttered from the table.

"I need some healing powder."

"Fine. You can have a pouch."

"Can you at least help me put it on?"

"Giving you free healing powder is as nice as I will be to some ungrateful bitch."

"Fuck you, I'll get someone else to do it. I don't need you."

"Then I guess I can just keep my powder." Siri crossed her arms.

"Jesus fuck, is there any time you aren't a complete cunt?"

"Yeah, when I was fucking Vulpes before your washed up ass came along."

"I don't need to take your jealous bullshit right now. I'm bleeding out." I grabbed the pouch of healing powder and took off. She didn't protest much.

Lucius was crouched near Vulpes on the ground. I stooped down to look at him better. His face was in his hands and his knees were to his chest. He was gently rocking.

"Vulpes?"

His hands shot away from his face and he looked up with steel blue eyes full of shame.

"I need your help with this healing powder." I rested my hand on his shoulder to be reassuring.

"I only hurt you. I'm incapable of helping you at all."

"I need you, Vulpes. Please don't do this."

He sat up from the ground to look at me. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"We've had this discussion before."

"I should probably leave you two alone." Lucius stood up and walked away awkwardly.

I looked back to Vulpes who was drawing circles in the dirt. "Let's go back to the tent. I really need you to help me with the cuts."

"The cuts from the whip I held!"

"We can talk about this later. Are you saying you aren't going to help me?"

"No. I just want to know why you want my help." He stood up. He held his hand out and I took it. I didn't let go as I led him back to the tent.

I lied down on my stomach as he mixed the powder in a bowl of water and started to smear it on my back.

"I love you, Vulpes."

"I don't know why." He dipped a rag in another bowl of water and rubbed the blood and dirt away from the cuts. "I love you, too."

"I know you didn't want to do it and I don't think any less of you for doing it. He would have made you kill me if you didn't do it." I paused to think if there was anything I forgot to say. "I'm not mad at you for it."

"You should be. I'm going to get you killed. You should hate me." He continued to smear the cream on my cuts.

"I don't though. Do you still like me?"

He stopped. "Of course I do. Are you insane?"

"Nope. Just checking."