by Evans, Casey
The girl’s breasts were unusually large for her age, and her dark nipples sent ripples of excitement through his body. He could not wait to take one into his mouth and bite down on it. He let his eyes roam down to her sex, appreciating the lack of womanly hair. He congratulated himself on having her shaven before being brought up to him. The illusion of youth from a shorn pussy made his cock ache for release.
He looked up at her angelic face again and saw to his satisfaction that she was staring at his manhood.
“Come child.”
Then he looked over to his body slave. “Leave us. If we are disturbed, the Ludis had better be on fire and every last one of my gladiators had better be screaming in the afterlife.”
“Understood Master.”
Gaius held out a glistening hand to his slave. “Come, let us see if you really are unspoiled.”
She swallowed nervously, then approached the bed. She had heard stories of the Dominus from other slaves and hoped they weren’t true. He looked far too nice to have the reputation he did, and the appetites attributed to him and the Domina. She paused at the foot of his bed, unsure of what to do next.
Gaius pointed to the bed stand on his right. On it lay a black hood. “Put that on slave.”
Trembling in fear the girl obeyed. She noticed that the tight fitting fabric came just short of her mouth. Obviously he would be needed the services of her lips and tongue. Once her head was covered she approached the bed again and began to crawl across it.
Gaius noted her fear and it sent thrills shooting through his body. As she drew next to his thighs he spread his legs and grabbed the top of the hood with his left hand brining her open mouth to his dripping cock. The moment her lips closed over the head he lost control and began to shoot rivers of cum into her throat. Gagging she tried to pull back, but he held her fast, thrusting his hips up, pulling her down onto his bursting cock, caring not whether she could breathe. He noted with satisfaction the volume he exuded as his fluid spilled out of her mouth from around his cock, and every now and then it spurted, as she coughed, gaged and fought for breath. Finally one last cough expelled his member and she collapsed, face first on his thighs, unmoving.
Was she dead? He thought to himself. He took a sticky finger and felt around by the side of her neck. No, he could still feel the blood pulsing in her neck. Grabbing her by the shoulders he rolled her over, admiring her beautiful ass. He moved around to where his knees were between her legs, then he forced them apart. A tribute to his manhood, his cock was rigid again ready to steal away her virginity. But first-.
Without warning the curtains of his private chambers flew open.
Enraged Gaius shouted as he twisted around to see who was about to be sent straight to Hades. “Somebody had better be dead!” he roared furiously.
“You mean other than your little girlfriend there?”
It was his wife, the Domina.
“What in the god’s names is so fucking important that you barge in on me when I left strict orders with that worthless body slave not to bother me?”
His wife, undeterred by his foul mood continued on. “Perhaps you’ll remember the Praetor, the one responsible for your son’s death, has seen fit to grace us with his presence once more. Perhaps the two of you can figure out a way he can kill our other son too!”
He was about to say suitable retort, but decided to let it pass. He would deal with her later. For now it was time to go down to the Ludis and receive him.
He looked over at the virgin girl who was just stirring. He grabbed her by one of her arms and yanked her off the floor. She stood there for a moment, disoriented, reaching for the hood still covering her eyes.
He cuffed her upside her head. “Leave us you fucking whore!”
She cried out involuntarily, and yanking the hood from her head, she ran out of his chambers.
* * *
Part Two…
* * *
Petronia stood at attention with the other gladiators, relishing in the break from their training. The sands beneath their feet a coppery red from blood already spilled that morning. Doctore had declared it would be another day of training with their stock of gladius, dulled for training purposes. Even though they no longer held their edge, for safety purposes, many of the men had puncture wounds from the still sharp points.
Along with the gladiators stood a contingent of house guards in full armor bearing razor sharp weapons. The Dominus and Domina stood on the balcony watching the proceedings. It was all in honor of the Praetor’s visit to his cousin’s Ludis.
“What’s wrong with you?” Hissed the gladiator standing next to Petronia. “Have you not seen the Praetor before? You’re shaking like a girl.”
Petronia kept her mouth shut, wondering for the thousandth time if she’d made the right decision. In a few seconds she would know. Her actions over the course of the next few minutes would decide her fate. She dared a glance over to the House slaves gathered below the balcony. Her friend Albinia was standing there smiling and waiting like everyone else.
Suddenly trumpets blew announcing the arrival of the Praetor’s coach and entourage. House guards drew open the gates and the coach swept in, two rows of foot soldiers in tow. But suddenly things began to fall apart! Just as the coach breached the gates, they slammed back closed, before the garrison of foot soldiers were able to come inside.
Petronia caught her breath and tried to look just as shocked as her fellow gladiators around her.
From the balcony, behind the Dominus and Domina, a contingent of Roman soldiers armed with crossbows appeared from the shadows, their weapons trained on the lone coach. Instinctively Petronia fell to the ground as her fellow gladiators began to drop, pierced with multiple bolts, and fired with deadly accuracy. The gladiators that managed to escape the initial barrage charged the House guards loyal to the Dominus, battling with their weapons that on any other day would have been wooden practice weapons. While the soldiers on the balcony set to reloading their weapons, more soldiers swept into the Ludis from the Villa. These new soldiers were armed with a pilum (Roman spear) and a gladius. The easily mowed down half the gladiators still alive by taking advantage of the length of their spears. After the initial clash, pilums were dropped and it was close quarters combat sword against sword and dagger against dagger.
Petronia rolled to her side as a pilum was thrust at her unprotected face. She heard the thud as it stuck in the ground next to her right ear. Then she rolled back over the shaft of the spear knocking it from the soldier’s hands. As she got to her feet she scooped up a fallen gladius, bringing it up just in time to block the thrust from another soldier. This was not supposed to happen. She was to remain a spectator, unharmed while the House Guards and Roman soldiers quashed the slave rebellion. Instead she found herself in the middle of the Ludis battling for her life against both soldier and gladiator, just trying to stay alive until it all gets sorted out.
Rivers of blood and fallen bodies made staying afoot a tricky business for those still lucky enough to be standing. Petronia batted away another spear thrust, and fell over backwards tangled in the legs of the Doctore who had been felled in the initial attack. Had he been alive he would have known that he had just saved a traitor’s life. A fellow gladiator Cordius would have hewn her head from her shoulders from behind her had she not fallen at the key time. Landing on her back, gladius still in hand she thrust it up with all her might, scoring a lethal blow right between Cordius’ legs. Automatically dropping his sword he reached down to his groin. He didn’t have long to agonize however because the Roman who had tried to skewer Petronia slashed his throat with his dagger, drenching both himself and Petronia in the gladiators blood.
Petronia had no idea how long she stood and fought, but she was vaguely aware of both “friend” and foe falling to her blade. She just hoped that by the end of the day, she would still have a head on her shoulders. She was certain she’d been seeing fighting for both sides and she doubted there would be any mercy sho
wn her way.
The battle lasted 23 minutes, which is a long time for a battle of that size. Before it was over, the escaped slaves that were initially blocked from entering the Villa gained entry evening up the battle. Before it was over 18 of the twenty-four gladiators in the House of Gaius Gracchus Tiberius lay dead on the sands of the Ludis. In addition, twelve other house slaves loyal to the rebellion lay dead. Of the escaped slaves, both the ones hidden in the coach, and those outside the walls that broke in, all lay dead but their leader who was badly injured. Of the House Guards loyal to the Dominus, 7 lay dead and more would succumb to their injuries. Of the thirty Roman Soldiers brought in to stop the rebellion, twenty lay dead. Gaius himself did not escape unscathed. Several slaves loyal to the rebellion made it onto the balcony and the Dominus was forced to rely on skills long unused to save the life of himself, his wife and remaining son Lucius who were all there to watch the spectacle. He took a nasty slash to his sword arm, but it would heal fine and leave his with a scar from a battle he would not soon forget.
According to Roman law, the remaining slaves, both those involved in the rebellion, and those loyal to the House of Tiberius, were all chained and thrown into the dungeons to wait for execution day. Petronia was both gladdened and saddened to see her only friend Albinia had survived the rebellion.
* * * * *
CHAPTER TEN:
Petronia's Last Stand
Three Days Later...
* * * * *
“Father, what’s going to happen to the slaves?”
Dominus and his only remaining son had just finished breakfast and were getting ready to go to the Arena in a few hours.
“You know the law Lucius. They all have to be put to death.”
“But why father?”
“The law is the only way slave owners can ever be safe in their own homes. It is what keeps rebellions like just happened from happening every day all over Rome, Hell, all over Italy. This is the first escape attempt since I have been alive, and there wasn’t a single attempt when my father was alive either. But in my grandfather’s time, before the law, there were revolts all over the country.”
“And they’re all going to die? Even the ones who defended you? Even the ones who protected me?”
“It’s the way it has to be son. It’s for your protection and some day when you own slaves you will understand that as well.”
“I’ll never own slaves.” He replied resolutely.
“Well when you see how much you would have to pay a freeborn man just to tend to your house, you’ll think twice about that.”
“What about the one who saved me?”
“Who, what are you talking about?”
“The girl…Petronia I think her name is. She fought for me and brought me back after our caravan was attacked. You can’t have forgotten about that father. She could have escaped with the other slaves but she fought against them and kept me alive for 3 days. If not for her, you wouldn’t have any sons.”
“I’m sorry son, but she is a slave and must die with the rest. It’s the law. One day you’ll understand.”
“But there are other ways…You said yourself. You gave me this talk about the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Why can’t you do the spirit of the law thing and spare her?”
“I don’t like the way you’re attached to this slave Lucius. It’s not a good idea. In fact it can be dangerous.”
“If she was dangerous I’d be dead by now.”
“Did you not see the battle Lucius? She killed a guard.”
“Yes and she also killed her gladiator friends too. She was just trying to survive. Can’t you do something?”
“Son-“
“My birthday! It’s my birthday in two weeks. I want her freedom for my birthday. Or if you can’t free her, at least let her live.”
“You think she even wants too? After all her friends are dead?”
“She doesn’t have any friends. Those gladiators all hated her!”
“No more. This discussion is over. I don’t want to hear any more about it. They are going to be executed, not because it’s the law, but because it’s the best thing in this circumstance.”
Realizing it was hopeless Lucius stomped out leaving his father shaking his head.
* * *
Part Two
Petronia
* * *
The last few days had been hell for the slave who saved the House of Tiberius. She really had believed she would be spared. Thanks to her alone, they survived. She had gone straight to the Dominus and told of the rebellion. Following her story Dominus and Doctore had extracted a confession out of the slave girl they had recaptured. It had been gruesome. It had taken them almost an entire day and only after they had cut off six fingers and had her skin flayed from her back had she finally confessed. Together with what Petronia had told them of the plot, and from what they learned from torture, they were able to put a hasty plan into place. Even with foreknowledge of the rebellion it had not gone well; but their lives had been saved, all thanks to the loyalty of one slave named Petronia.
And now Petronia lay at the end of a long line of slaves chained together and waiting their execution in the Arena. At least she had the comfort of her longtime friend and fellow slave Albinia. The older woman was the only reason she had retained even a shred of her sanity while living in bondage. The woman was like a mother to her; or an older sister, and now they were to die together.
“I’m so sorry Albinia.”
“What are you sorry for? I have had a good life; at least for a slave. I have no complaints. It’ll be a quick ending for those of us who are not gladiators. I won’t feel a thing.”
“I really thought I could save us both. That’s why I did it.”
She looked at her young friend quizzically. “For me? Don’t you mean for the Young Master?”
“What?”
“He would have surely died had the rebellion been successful. I’m telling you, befriending the Dominus’ son will do you no good. Now you’re about to die in front of him. I say, you should have escaped when the slaves attacked your caravan. But no, you get this wild scheme to save him and somehow be set free…What did you expect from that, his hand in marriage?”
“Gross! He’s just a kid.”
“A kid who’s not much younger than you, and clearly he’s quite taken with you.” She laughed out loud at the craziness of the suggestion.
“He’s a kid who is what, 12? I just feel for the kid. He’s not like his father. He’ll never be a slave owner.”
Albinia laughed bitterly. He’s a Roman citizen. He’ll be a slave owner.”
“He won’t, you’ll see.”
Albinia laughed again. “No I won’t, I’ll be dead and so will you, so forget about him.”
Petronia was about to try a new argument when the soldiers came to get them. I guess it’s finally over, she thought as the guards began taking them out of the cell. Then a strange thing happened. They were about to take her out when one of the guards stopped her, unlocking her from the string of irons and shoved her back into the cell. Did they have some spectacle reserved for her? Maybe she was going to have to go out and fight against her fellow gladiators instead of with them.
“Petronia!” She looked up. It was Albinia. She reached back with one hand grasping hers. “Be strong my love, be strong!”
Petronia’s voice caught in her throat and all she could manage to do was croak out a single word.
“Bye…”
* * *
Part Three
* * *
For what seemed like hours upon endless hours, Petronia’s ears were filled with the roar of the crowd, interspersed with the clash of metal up metal, searing screams of pain, and the roars of defiance from dying gladiators and slaves alike. She wondered which of the cries of pain, or screams of defiance belonged to her friend. And she wondered what kind of spectacle was going to be made of her when it was her turn. Obviously she was being saved for the Pr
imus, the grand finale. She hoped she would make a good showing of herself. For years now she had trained to fight and die. She had been taught that the highest glory a gladiator could receive was death in the Arena at the hands of another gladiator. She had been prepared for death from a young age, but she couldn’t help but wonder, when she was at death’s door, would she be brave, or plead for her life? No…she was better than that. She would give them a fight and an honorable death. Glory awaited.
Strangely, as she sat there in her cell, the floor covered with the blood and filth from a hundred gladiators before her, she thought of Lucius and the two…three days they’d spent hiding from their pursuers. At first he didn’t talk at all. It wasn’t like he was in shock or something. He was a Roman citizen after all. He had grown up watching the gods of the Arena hacking each other in bloody matches to the death. No, he was no stranger to violence and death.
Then he began to talk to her. In some respects he was his father’s son, and in completely different ways, he was his own man…well not yet. But he had his own ideas of right and wrong. His moral compass swung in a completely different direction than that of his father. She really did believe he did not want to be a Dominus. Of course the reality of his world, and the economy of having a Villa with a Ludis, he would probably follow in his father’s footsteps. He would have to. But where he father was cruel, a man governed by the lusts of his flesh, he son would not be; or so she believed.
Now his older brother, he’d been a different sort. He was cruel and cunning. He would govern the Ludis with an iron fist and he would love grinding his thumb on other people’s lives. He was getting to be the age where he wanted to run things. He fought constantly with his father over why he did the things he did. It was easy to see why Lucius hated his brother and never mourned his untimely death. The House of Tiberius would be a different place with Lucius at the head of it.