"Don't worry, Mother." Sabine Oscen adjusted her ornate cloak. "I'm not buying anything this time. Just looking."

Her mother, Lady Ursa, chuckled. "I suppose a girl needs to get out of the villa once in a while."

"Everyone needs to get out of the villa once in a while," Sabine's brother, Tristan, agreed. He offered his arm. "Come on, Sabine."

Brother and sister strolled through the atrium door and out to the wide cobblestone street. Sabine watched the crowds around them with an artist's eye, contemplating how she might work the colors into her latest mosaic.

The bustle of the street changed to the noise of buying and selling as they reached the market. Pausing at a cloth seller's booth, Sabine admired the bright colors of the cloth, their vividness in stark contrast to the drab cobblestone. She tucked the image away in her mind and smiled. She wasn't here to shop. She was looking for inspiration.

"Let's go to the slave auction." Tristan had stopped beside her, but his gaze still roamed.

"The slave auction?" Like all wealthy Romans, the Oscen family owned many slaves. Although they were all well cared for and seemingly content, Sabine usually tried not to think about where they came from or how they had arrived at her home.

"I heard they have a group of Judeans today." Tristan shrugged. "I thought it might be interesting to see them."

"You don't need a female slave."

"I know. Just looking, not buying, remember?"

Reluctantly, Sabine allowed him to lead her to the slave market. Their patrician robes earned them a quick passage to the front of the gathered buyers and they settled onto a stone bench. In spite of herself, Sabine found her eyes drawn to the group waiting to be sold. To her surprise, she noted that the group was mostly young or middle-aged men, with a few elderly men and no women or children. Her gaze flitted from face to face before suddenly halting, riveted on the third prisoner in the line.

His skin was tanned, his face creased by two roguish scars, his hair the most beautiful deep blue-black. But it was his eyes that caught and held her attention. A wondrous blue, bluer than any sky or sea and full of knowing and kindness.

She hadn't known Judeans had blue eyes. Her chest constricted and her heartbeat quickened. She had to have him.

She turned to Tristan, only to find him gone. Searching the marketplace with her eyes, she spotted him with a Senator who was a friend of their father's. While the Senator surveyed the slaves, Tristan surveyed the Senator's lovely daughter.

She should have known.

Looking back at the line of slaves, she saw the auctioneer hand off the second man to his new master. Her heart leaped into her throat as the blue-eyed man was placed on the block.

She had no time. If she wanted him, she could not wait for Tristan. She would have to bid herself.

"And now," the auctioneer boomed, "we have lot number 3. A rare blue-eyed Judean- a shepherd by former profession, he can read and write tolerable Greek. Good-looking, gentle, strong, and semi-literate- what more could you ask for in a slave? Now, who will start the bidding?"

"100," a voice called.

Several more bidders challenged the first. Sabine swallowed. She had heard her father say waiting was the best strategy. But how long should she wait?

The bidding had reached 700 when a new voice joined in.

"1,000," the Senator's voice brought momentary silence to the market.

Now. "1,100." Sabine felt the gazes of the crowd. Young women seldom bid on their own slaves.

"1,200." The Senator watched her through narrowed eyes.

"1,300." Sabine tried not to think about what her parents would say.

"1,600," the Senator growled.

"1,700." Sabine poured confidence into her tone. To her surprise, the Senator began chuckling.

"If the young Lady is so determined to have this shepherd, I'll not stand in her way any longer."

"Any other bids?" The auctioneer paused before banging his gong. "Sold to the Lady Sabine Oscen for 1,700 denarii."

"Sabine!" Tristan had rejoined her and was staring at Ezra in shock. "What have you done? I thought you didn't like slave markets?"

Sabine ignored him, her eyes fixed on her beautiful prize as he was led to her. She frowned at the rough ropes that bound his wrists.

"Release him."

The attendants glanced at each other but they obeyed. When they finished, Sabine took one of his hands in both of hers. Opening her mouth, she found that words would not come.

"Hi." Her shepherd slave spoke in accented Greek. "My name's Ezra, Ezra Bar-Ephram. What's yours?"

His smile stole her breath. "Sabine," she finally managed. "My name's Sabine Oscen."

He knelt, dropping his gaze and freeing her briefly from the spell of his eyes. "Well, Lady Sabine Oscen, it looks like I belong to you now. What is your command?"

She stared down at the hand she still clasped. He belonged to her now. And she was smitten.

"Escort me back to the villa." Reluctantly, she released his hand.

"I'm coming, too." Tristan shook his head, with a remorseful glance over his shoulder at the Senator's daughter. "I want Father and Mother to know this isn't my fault."

"Suit yourself." She motioned for Ezra to stand. "Attend me, Ezra Bar-Ephram. You can tell me all about yourself while we walk."

She strolled from the market with Ezra following.

"Well, my Latin's not too good, but I think you heard I was a shepherd. I'm from Bethlehem., the City of David, so I guess I just followed my ancestor's footsteps. King David- he was a shepherd, too, you know."

Her shepherd was descended from royalty?

"We're all shepherds. My grandfather was one of the shepherds out in the fields with their flocks the night Christ was born. Heavenly angels came to tell them the good news."

Sabine stopped walking. "You're one of them?"

"I'm a follower of the Way. Some people call us Christians."

A Christian. Strangely, she was more intrigued than disturbed.

"Tell me how a Christian shepherd from Bethlehem ended up a slave in Rome."

"Some Zealots attacked a band of Roman soldiers while I was tending my flock. The Romans defeated the Zealots and they were all killed or captured. I …tried to protect their women and children. They got away. I didn't."

"That was very brave." Sabine took his hand again. "This is my villa."

"Tristan," Alrich, Sabine and Tristan's father, stood in the atrium as they entered, "I thought you were going courting, not shopping."

"I didn't buy him." Tristan shrugged. "Sabine did."

"Sabine," Ursa descended the stairs, "you bought a slave? Why?"

Sabine squeezed Ezra's hand possessively. "Because I wanted him."

"Wanted him?" Alrich arched an eyebrow. "And so you just bought him? You are your mother's daughter."

Sabine's cheeks flamed. "I… just had to buy him."

Alrich crossed the atrium and took Sabine in his arms. "There's no need for embarrassment. I trust your judgement. Now, let's get him presentable."

Washed and dressed in a fresh tunic, Ezra waited on his Lady at the evening meal. Sabin studied him. He dipped his head respectfully each time she summoned him, yet his strong shoulders remained squared.

He would make a lovely mosaic.

When the evening meal ended, Sabine beckoned Ezra to accompany her to her chamber. He followed her slowly.

"Ezra, come on," she scolded, hurrying up the stairs. Reclining on her couch, she watched Ezra enter. She sighed.

"You're very handsome, Ezra. I'm so glad I was at the market today."

Ezra paused half a dozen paces from her couch and knelt, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones.

"My Lady, I will gladly labor day and night to serve you. I will scrub floors, wash feet, plough fields- whatever you require. But there is one thing I will not do. I will not dishonor the name of my Savior, not even to give you pleasure."

"Oh, Ezra." She reached her hand towards him. "I will not order you to be my pleasure."

"Thank you, My Lady." He bowed his head and a pang stabbed her heart when she lost sight of his eyes.

"Although, perhaps, I could simply free you and marry you." She smirked. "Then you would not be violating your principles."

A soft blush tinged his cheeks.

She giggled. "Just now, I have another way for you to please me. See that box on my table? Bring it to me."

Ezra rose and quickly retrieved the box. Sabine prepared a large tile, then examined her subject.

"Sit in the window. Pretend you are watching your sheep," she commanded.

Ezra settled himself in the window with his eyes lowered in submission.

"Oh, no, that won't do! Look up, Ezra. Your flock is grazing here on my couch."

Ezra looked at her. Warmth tingled through her body. In silence she worked on her mosaic, her thoughts racing. A Christian slave. Her Christian slave. He was nothing at all like the whispered rumors. A desire grew in her heart, a desire not for the fleeting pleasure of a night with her handsome slave, but for the peace and joy radiating from his eyes.

Rising, she crossed to the window. She dropped onto a cushion and raised her eyes to his face. "Ezra, will you tell me the story of Jesus?"

A smile spread across his face. "Gladly and with all my heart."


Author's Note: I love this trope, although I have flipped it on its head somewhat. I call it the Marcus Trope. It involves a Roman, often named Marcus and usually a soldier, purchasing a Christian slave girl, with whom he falls in love. There are many variations of this basic idea, found both in books and in movies. If I were to continue writing this story, Ulhrich and Ursa would discover that Ezra has been telling Sabine about his faith and send him to the Colosseum.

I just had to make Ezra say his line when they met. It doesn't matter what World they are in- Ezra and Sabine belong together. (Oscen is the closest thing I could find to "wren" in Latin. "Bar-Ephram" is "son of Ephram" in Aramaic, the language commonly spoken in Israel in the First Century.)

I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot! Thanks again for reading and God bless you!