Mere observation costs nothing.

'It costs everything,'

But it doesn't have to. The stoic voice, unwavering.

'I feel I have no choice.'

Which is just the problem. You feel too much.

'I could make a difference. I will make a difference,' came the rigid response.

To everyone?

The fog lifted from Eutopia's eyes fading to nothing as though it had never been. But she wasn't Eutopia, she could feel that. Her name was Eirene. She knew that because she remembered her mother, her soft sweet mother with her bright, dancing eyes, as she chuckled, 'Peace! I named you for Peace!' as Eirene tore ferociously after her brother Germanus because he had teased her mercilessly all day. Where was Germanus now? She didn't know. All she could be sure of at that moment was the passion beating in her heart and in her veins. Her Master, the frail and bent old scholar had only been laid to rest that day, only hours before she had found herself sold at auction to the highest bidder. Perhaps if he hadn't have lived alone, if he'd had a family, Eirene and Germanus may have been able to stay together. But Germanus was a big, strapping lad of twenty five now and there were many fields that needed sowing and farms that needed tending. Eirene knew she was lucky to have been sold at all, since the light and fair Circassia girls had become the fashion. With her long dark hair and matching eyes, at twenty Eirene still possessed a childlike beauty, graced by her mother's good blood and evidently that had appealed to the man she now stood before.

The villa was richer by far, and larger, than her previous home. Everywhere Eirene looked her eye came across a brightly coloured mosaic or an intricate painting and the musical tinkle of the water spouting from the bronze dolphin fountain was tantalizing as she stood in the atrium.

'Alexis,' came the equally musical voice, causing the elegant man to glance behind him. A woman as tall and as statuesque as he was came sweeping out from the room to their left. 'I thought I heard your voice! Welcome home, brother.' The woman kissed the man lightly on his cheek without having to stretch. Eirene could not tear her eyes away from the two of them. She had never seen a woman as beautiful as the one that towered before her. Blonde hair so fair it gleamed like gold was artistically twisted and pinned up, dripping with delicate chains of semi-precious stones that glimmered with each movement. Her white stola over-garment and the belted tunica beneath were of finely woven silk, coloured the dusky pink of a stormy sunset and richly embroidered with gold thread. In stark contrast to the woman the man, Alexis, was darker by far and the dalmatica he wore over his white tunic was a bold red colour. His cloak, fastened at his right shoulder by a gleaming ruby pin, was plain ivory and yet he was just as opulent in appearance as the beautiful woman.

'Liviana,' Alexis replied, smiling at the warm greeting.

'Oh.' Liviana intoned as she finally noticed Eirene standing with them, as still as the spouting dolphin behind her. The warmth from Liviana's light eyes evaporated as she caught sight of the simple silver circlet at the girl's throat. 'Another one, Alexis? Honestly, our household is not big enough to warrant a third slave.' Eirene shifted uncomfortably as the two of them looked at her again.

'You know my intentions, Liviana. I have made no secret of them.' Alexis replied, patiently as he turned to his sister.

'She is pagan?'

Alexis nodded. 'It is against the law now to sell a Christian.' The honest, open expression on his smoothly chiselled face caused Liviana to smile again, indulgently.

'Fine. But you could at least have dressed her first.' The woman turned from both of them to stalk the length of the atrium towards a squared doorway at the far end. Eirene, having been startled back to her senses at the mention of her nakedness, blushed deeply as Alexis turned to her. Eirene thought it strange how his blue eyes put her so at ease.

'Go,' he said gently, motioning towards his sister. 'Go with your Mistress. She will find you something to wear.'

'Yes, Dominus.' Eirene bowed her glossy head slightly, lowering her eyes for fear he would see the sudden fervour burning there, and followed quickly after the swirling, retreating figure of Liviana.

The hard, uncompromising gaze of Aisha was something Eirene had been unprepared for. The girl had never lived with other slaves before, save for her brother, and she didn't think it was something she could grow used to if the unfriendliness of the other girl was what she would have to put up with. Liviana had flung a white unadorned tunica at her, waiting a moment for Eirene to dress herself, before she had shown her into the kitchen where a tall girl with supple ebony skin, also dressed in a plain white tunic that hinted at the softly rounded figure beneath, was arranging fresh fruit on a platter.

'A little helper for you, Aisha.' Liviana had said before she turned and left without a further word and now the two girls found themselves eyeing each other up. Eirene had come to stand beside Aisha, who had turned back to the task in hand.

'Is there anything I can do?' she asked, as politely as she could.

'No,' snarled Aisha. 'Phoibe and I can manage fine.'

'Who?' Eirene asked, gazing around the otherwise empty kitchen.

'Phoibe. She's finishing setting the table. You can help by just keeping out of the way. We don't need more help.'

'Oh.' Eirene stood back and gazed around the room instead. It was a simple kitchen, spacious and cool compared to the cramped and cluttered one she was used to. Her previous Master had been an advocate for new inventions and had ceaselessly bombarded Eirene with many new gadgets to aid her with her cooking and cleaning tasks, most of which he had concocted himself. Unfortunately none of them ever worked, but Eirene would keep them close to hand to please the old man. Her heart ached suddenly as the enormity of what she had lost hit her.

'Don't you go mistaking the kindness of our Master and Mistress for laziness. They know how to keep their slaves in order and so do I. Now get those scrawny legs moving.' A fleshy finger was waggled in her face as a plump and matronly woman with silvering hair bore down on her. Phoibe, Eirene guessed. 'If there are to be three slaves, then the work will be split three ways now, understand? I won't tolerate laziness in my kitchen. Be off with you both, off.' The fine silver platter Aisha had been arranging was whisked out of the girl's hands and shoved into Eirene's. Phoibe loaded Aisha down with a tray of fresh bread and a tall silver jug of wine before she ushered both the girls out of the kitchen and set to work in cleaning up, a whirlwind of motion.

Aisha, towering a head taller than Eirene though the difference was made up mostly by the black girl's turban, led the way along the smooth marble of the corridor and said nothing.

Alexis and Liviana both reclined on separate couches, opposite one another around the low table already spread with food. There was far too much for either one to have eaten, but Aisha silently added the platter of bread and wine to the spread before moving away from the table and kneeling in the shadows cast by the flickering candles illuminating the room. Night had fallen in the central courtyard outside, but the full moon was bright. Eirene followed Aisha's example, placing the fruit on the heavily laden table and then kneeling silently beside her at the edge of the room, waiting to be needed. It wasn't new to her, this waiting at dinner, but it seemed to be a much more formal and grand affair than Eirene was used to. Previously her Master had eaten in his study, often whilst he had been in the midst of teaching Germanus to read and Eirene had pretended not to listen. Master Horace had point blank refused to teach Eirene to read and had laughed kindly when she had begged him. 'You're more than a handful for an old man like me already. I shan't go making my life difficult by educating you.' But he knew Eirene listened and learned. He had seen her mouthing the words silently, eyes on the books spread out before the two men as she poured him wine. Those times seemed so far away now, even though it could only have been not ten days ago that Horace had made Germanus repeat a word over and over again, much to the boy's impatience because he understood it, though Eirene had not.

Aisha jabbed her long black fingers into Eirene's ribs, sharply, jolting her from her recollection. Liviana, pale and stunning as she lay on the plush cushions of the couch was holding a gleaming silver cup aloft. Eirene returned to the table, kneeling to lift the heavy jug of wine. She poured a thick stream of the dark red liquid into the cup and thought she caught sight of Aisha shuddering ever so slightly in the shadows. But her attention was caught by the conversation between the Master and Mistress that had barely paused with the entrance of the slaves.

'You said Alexis; you said we would be moving on. That was the idea, the very reason we rented this place. I hate the transience of this existence more than you do, but there isn't much more we can learn from Rome! You must have collected every scroll ever written, though I doubt you've even bothered to read most of them. Why are we still here? We should be packed up and on our way tomorrow.' Eirene stood when Liviana's goblet was full and silently ghosted around the table to fill the one that Alexis now lifted. She caught the smile on his lips as he waited for Liviana to finish her petulant tirade.

'Be still, sister!' he chuckled softly, 'I'm not proposing that we set down roots. All I ask you for is just a few more months. Is that too much to ask? I promise it won't be longer than that. There are still a few things I would like to learn about Rome before we move on. And move on we will. But not yet. ' Liviana caught the lingering glance Alexis bestowed upon the small figure of Eirene as she returned to kneel in the shadows with Aisha and her gaze hardened as she looked briefly at the girl.

'You have nothing more to learn about Rome,' she suddenly spat at Alexis, though the anger in her tone did not distort her beautiful features. 'It is your 'duty' that keeps you here. And that is not your duty to me, nor our Father. I give you one more month, Alexis. Just one. Then I am going. And you are coming. And everything,' she swirled an elegant hand in the air, encompassing the entire room in a grand gesture that Eirene took to include the whole villa, 'everything else is not. It will all stay here. It is about time we followed the path we came to follow.' And with that, the imposing woman, not at all ruffled by her outburst, stood up and swept from the room with such furiousness of motion all the candles in the room were extinguished, leaving the remaining occupants in darkness.