Lionslayer's Woman

by Nhys Glover

  ‘Why have you sought out the Stoic? Are you planning to warn him?’

  ‘No. But I can have a spy outside his villa in case those at the gates miss the arrival of the Praetorians. It’s always wise to have a second line of defence in place. My previous master, Livia’s husband, was a master-strategist and seemed to always be one step ahead of me. Even down to where he sent Livia to get her away from her mother. I would never have expected him to send her to Pompeii where her handmaiden had been sent. That was Niobe. Keeping them apart had been the whole purpose of sending Niobe away in the first place, but sure enough, that was where she’d gone. And I spent months searching for her everywhere but at that estate.’

  ‘How did you come to be searching for her? If you were that man’s slave, weren’t you confined to his property?’

  Nexus eased back against the wall after finishing his meal. He still looked very tired but much of the tightness had gone from his features. Sometime during the morning he’d obviously let go of their personal issues so he could focus on their main concern. She was glad of it.

  ‘Festus had many spies in the household where I was his head slave. At first, he didn’t realise that I’d developed a fondness for his new wife and was attempting to help her stay ahead of his plans. But then I miscalculated and that led to Livia being…’ He swallowed as if what he was about to say left a bitter taste in his mouth. She waited for him to go on.

  ‘He’d bought a violent sex-slave for Livia. He told the man his wife was a jaded whore and that she enjoyed being taken roughly. That she liked playing games where she was cast as a virgin and… well you know the story of Leda and the swan, I assume?’

  She nodded her head. Of course, everyone knew how the god Apollo had disguised himself as a swan to approach the virginal Leda and had then raped her. It was one story that truly encapsulated the problems she had with the gods of Rome. Why would anyone worship a god who could do something like that? Many of the gods had less than exemplary characters. She believed that the gods were no more than man’s own qualities imposed on an imaginary being. The gods didn’t really exist.

  ‘I didn’t understand why the master had bought the new slave but I was determined to keep him away from Livia. Unfortunately, I failed, and he succeeded. Yet another one of my many failures.’

  She tried to redirect him from his guilty thoughts. ‘But how did you come to be searching for Livia?’

  ‘Festus started to realise that Livia was getting help. At first, he thought Niobe alone was helping her, so he sent her away to Pompeii. Then he realised it was me and sold me into the arena. I was supposed to die there, but Livianna Honoraria, who I’d approached concerning her daughter, saw me fighting as a gladiator and bought me. After I recovered from my injuries my new mistress sent me looking for her daughter, who’d left Rome with Allyn, her bodyguard.’

  ‘He sent her away with that monster?’ She grabbed his arm, so caught up in the terrible tale.

  ‘Not a monster. Well only the monster his life had made him. Once Allyn realised that he’d been tricked into abusing an innocent he became Livia’s staunchest ally. They came to love each other in the end, and are now married with one son and another on the way.’ He smiled.

  ‘She married her rapist? But how could she?’ Her mind rebelled at the very thought.

  ‘’You have to understand that Livia had been badly abused by her father. He had twisted her mind in ways you can’t possibly understand, and Allyn was likewise abused. Allyn was simply a tool Livia’s husband used against her, and once he realised that, Allyn risked his life so he could make amends, so he could keep her safe. I’ve seen many people twisted by their life as a slave. But the way Allyn came back from that to become a good and loving man speaks well for his character and his strength of will. Livia chose wisely when she let go of her hatred of her husband’s tool and instead gave the slave her compassion and love. It was what he deserved.’

  Galeria tried to understand his point of view. She remembered that man in the market who had tried to rape Cyra. She couldn’t imagine Cyra ever falling in love with such a man. But then, it was not her place to judge. Her father had been fond of pointing out that, as we couldn’t see the thoughts of men it was impossible to measure them against their actions. If a man thinks to save another’s life and fails, should he be measured on the thought or on the failure? It’s the thought that counts, her father often said.

  So, this Allyn’s actions were not to be judged, as his thoughts weren’t known. Or, possibly, they were by Nexus and so he judged him free of guilt.

  It was the kind of moral dilemma she preferred to remain above.

  ‘So you were supposed to die in the arena but you didn’t?’

  ‘Yes. I was paired with the best in Rome with the expectation that I’d be defeated. Such a pairing with a novice was unheard of, and it was only Festus’ influence that made it possible. But my years as a pirate served me well in that instance, and I was victorious. I had to be.’

  Galeria stared at him. His humility was… well, humbling. To win a gladiatorial contest against the best that Rome had to offer was no easy feat, but to be a novice and achieve that end was amazing, quite as amazing as the Dacian slaying the lion. She realised that Livianna had known exactly whom she was sending to help them. These men were giants. The crushing pessimism that had been her constant companion since that terrible night eased considerably in that moment.

  ‘And you rescued Livia from the volcano?’

  ‘Yes. Not alone. Allyn did his part. We managed to get both girls out of the township in time.’

  ‘And Festus?’

  ‘He died in Pompeii.’

  ‘I see. So then Livianna gave you your freedom for what you’d done and you went back to Nubia?’

  ‘Not Nubia. My home is farther south than that. But, yes, I went home to put to rest my guilt over the death of my childhood friend. Instead, I found more guilt.’ He paused, as if contemplating something of great significance. His hands began to shake and he clamped them together to stop them. She found she was holding her breath waiting to hear what this added guilt had been.

  ‘My mother had died of grief. When they found Mugambo’s body and I was missing, they thought I’d been killed by the lioness. My mother died from a broken heart… for me.’ He swallowed several times, as if trying to keep his emotions under control. When he went on his voice was thick with unshed tears. ‘And when I came back to Niobe, I found there was even more guilt for me there. As I said, I’m a jinx.’ He sighed heavily and rubbed his hand over his tired eyes.

  ‘You outwitted Festus in the end and saved Livia. That’s not the work of a jinx,’ she said, even more assured by that truth than she was the last time this topic had come up.

  The more she learned about this man, the more certain of his character she became. There was nothing bad or wrong about him. But she could understand why he felt responsible for those three deaths. No wonder he was so determined to save her mother. It was more than a duty to Livia he was fulfilling. Rescuing her mother would go some way to assuaging his guilt over his own mother’s death.

  Nexus’ life had been tragic, but in her eyes, he wasn’t to blame for any of it. Children made mistakes, often disastrous mistakes. His mother clearly didn’t have anything else to live for if she let the death of her son destroy her. He wasn’t to blame for that. Not really. Somehow, she had to prove that to him. She just didn’t know how.

  ‘So, what now?’ she asked after she wrapped up the leaf that had been the packaging for the cheese and stored it with the other rubbish.

  ‘So now, we wait. I’ve bought fresh clothes for us both so we fit in with these people. Especially if I’m to pass myself off as a foreign slave-trader. And I need a bath. This place makes me feel filthy. I could go to the bath house three or four times a day and not feel clean.’

  ‘Why?’

  He scrubbed at his face again. ‘It’s hard to explain. There’s something rotten here. Like Rome but
more blatant, more unashamed. It infects me. You’ll see what I mean. Do you want to bathe?’

  ‘Yes, although as I’m to return here afterward, I’ll be just as sweaty and unclean again within the hour.’

  ‘I’m sorry about this. If I could find a safer, more comfortable inn, I would. But we need to be accessible and this is the best choice. At least the bedding isn’t infested.’

  ‘I didn’t mean to complain. This room is fine. I just hate being cooped up in here when I feel like I should be doing something, anything, to help.’

  ‘I know, but this is a dangerous city. I can’t protect you and do what I need to in order to save your mother. You do understand that don’t you?’

  She nodded reluctantly. In moments like this she wished she were a warrior like him. At least then, she could be some real help to him. Instead, she was an ignorant, helpless female he was forced to look after when he had more important concerns. Maybe her selfish desire to be included on this quest would end up hurting her mother. If she had stayed behind, Nexus would have had more freedom to find and free her mother.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said again in defeat.

  ‘Don’t be. It is I who needs to be sorry. I keep putting my needs before my mother’s. Above my family’s. I wish…’

  His finger was on her mouth, stopping the words that she wanted to say. It tasted of the cheese they had just eaten and she had the strongest urge to taste it with her tongue as she watched the flare of desire ignite in his dark eyes. Selfish, selfish woman!

  ‘It’s not selfishness, it’s sense. Your mother will need you. It’s important that you’re here. And you haven’t slowed me down. It’s good to have a sounding board for my ideas. I’m glad of your company.’

  His words were a balm to her soul, even if delivered in a clipped manner that indicated his discomfort. She closed her eyes to soak them in. When he didn’t take his finger from her mouth immediately, she gave in to the temptation to open her lips and taste him. His soft gasp told her what she needed to know. The desire, reluctant as it might be, was still there.

  ‘Come, you can come with me as I do my rounds. That might let you stretch your legs a bit. Then you can go to the bath house,’ he managed to get out, but his forefinger stayed with its tip in her mouth. She sucked it, unsure why such an outrageous idea came to her. However, the way he began to tremble told her it was just what he wanted.

  ‘Yes,’ she said around his finger, not even thinking about the boon he’d offered her.

  Abruptly, he withdrew his hand and leaned over to open the low door. Then he scrambled out as if the furies themselves were after him. All she could do was follow, caught between guilt, humiliation and burgeoning desire.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  ‘This is the villa of the Stoic? It’s quite impressive. He’s obviously more successful than father ever was,’ Galeria said as she stared at the elegant villa designed in the Hellenistic style. It was one of a row of smart homes built along a quiet street under the shadow of Mount Silpius.

  ‘Not necessarily more successful. These people are ostentatious and live beyond their means. Even the poor try to give the impression of wealth.’ Nexus scowled as he surveyed the quiet residential area on the eastern side of the city.

  ‘It’s all right. I wasn’t being envious or critical of Pater. Success isn’t something Stoics value. It is an outward measure. A man can have no shoes on his feet and yet be wise. That’s true value.’

  ‘Hmm,’ was Nexus’ only reply. He was already turning away to talk to one of the many children she’d seen him with in the last hour as they’d wandered the streets of Antiochia. His mind had obviously turned to more important matters than philosophy.

  She looked back to the villa just as two young boys came barrelling out the front door. From their clothing, it was apparent they were the highborn children of the Stoic. This impression was confirmed when a dutiful slave followed the boys out, calling to them to behave less like wild animals.

  Galeria smiled. Children were the same no matter their class or circumstance.

  But her smile started to fade as she considered what she knew about this family’s future. When the Praetorians arrived, they’d kill everyone inside that house just as they’d done to her family. It hurt to think about it.

  Nexus took her arm. ‘Come, it’s time to head back. We both need the bath house.’

  She wanted to suggest they warn the Stoic, but what if the man ignored them or thought they were threatening him. What if by telling them, they somehow changed the Praetorian’s plan and she missed her mother. Was risking her mother’s future worth the possible gain that might be achieved from warning these people? After all, the Stoic had to know he was putting himself and his family in danger with his seditious talk. Being told by strangers wouldn’t mean anything to him. Would her father have paid attention to a liberti and a slave had Nexus managed to get there in time? It was hard to know.

  With her mind still trying to decide what course of action to take, she let Nexus lead her off toward the baths.

  Seleucia Pieria, SYRIA

  Marcus Auxentius was the first to disembark their vessel once they were tied up. It was just after sunset, just the timing for which he’d planned. He’d need to make his presence known to the Legate, but once his missive from Domitian was witnessed, no more questions or paperwork would be required of him. They’d move in and out of the harbour like ghosts, just as they had in every other naval port since leaving Rome. Only in the commercial ports had they been required to provide a manifest, and so he’d kept them away from as many ports as possible to avoid leaving a trail others could follow.

  His men were waiting for him just off the docks, the woman asleep in one or another of their arms. She began to sleep most of the time, and barely woke long enough to swallow down a few mouthfuls of food or water. It wasn’t enough to keep her alive for long, but what became of her after he passed her on was not his business.

  It would have been better if she came back from that no-man’s-land she’d gone to after the purge of her home. It would have been better if she ate and drank enough to survive. His mother would have done so, but this woman was nothing like his mother. She was weak and she deserved her fate for that weakness.

  Yet, he snapped at the Guardsman who was holding her so clumsily, and he couldn’t stop himself from checking on her condition even as they began their journey to Antiochia.

  It would take them half the night to reach their goal and the rest to locate their quarry and carry out the purge. During that time, he had to locate a suitable slaver and arrange for him to take the matron over the border before selling her.

  He’d decided to make it worth the slaver’s while to sell her into a good home. With bribery from his own purse and threats of the long arm of Caesar, he’d assure himself that she was given the best treatment possible. It was all he could do. If she’d been his mother, he could only hope that someone in his place would do as much for her.

  They quickly marched into the growing darkness.

  15 June 82 CE, Antiochia, SYRIA

  Galeria hadn’t been able to sleep. Ever since she’d seen the villa of the Stoic, her mind had returned to him time and time again, like a tongue worrying a sore tooth.

  It wasn’t her concern. He knew the risks he was taking speaking out. It wasn’t as it was with her father, who’d been innocent of any wrongdoing.

  But no matter how she argued it to herself, she still kept coming up with the thought that a man and his family would die soon and it was in her power to stop it.

  Sometime after midnight, she made up her mind to tell Nexus her decision. He would try to convince her of the danger of her plan, but it wouldn’t matter. It would be on her conscience if women and children died because she didn’t warn them what was coming.

  If she had to, she’d be able to find her way back to that villa again. Not that she planned to go alone, of course. Nexus would reluctantly go with her, she was sure of that. But
if he didn’t, well then she’d go alone. It was that important.

  When the scratching at the door came a short time later, she was immediately on the alert. Even though there’d always been the possibility that the Praetorians might arrive tonight, the thought that it could be this early filled her with dread. Could this scratching mean that they were here? It was too soon. She’d only just decided to save the Stoic. She needed time to make it happen. It would kill her if her procrastination resulted in anyone’s death. Her already jangled nerves became more frayed as panic pushed its way to the surface.

  Not now! It can’t be tonight! People will die because I took too long to decide to do the right thing! Will I ever be where I need to be when I am needed?

  Nexus awoke from his light sleep at the first scratching and reached over to open the door. A young lad, no older than Galerianna, hunched over in the doorway, out of breath and looking both excited and expectant.

  ‘They’re coming. Saw them jogging toward the gate.’ The boy spoke softly in the quiet dimness of the hallway.

  Nexus grabbed his robe and headdress and crawled out the door.

  ‘Bar the door, Galeria. If luck is with us, I’ll have your mother with me when I come back,’ he said gruffly.

  She closed the door behind him and listened to his footsteps as they hurried down the outside stairs that led to the street. It was happening. It was really happening. If Nexus pulled this off, her Mater would be with her before dawn.

  But what of that other family? They wouldn’t see the dawn. Unless…

  She grabbed up her strange robe of brightly coloured, loose fabric and donned it quickly. If she hurried, she could reach the villa, give the warning and be back before Nexus brought her mother back to her. It would be up to the family to make their escape in time. She would have done what she could for them. Her conscience would be clear.