“Where I come from women do not marry until they are much older,” Jenna responded.
Trajan leant over to his sister and whispered something. Ulpina’s eyes turned to Marcus and she nodded.
She glanced around at the other guests present. Most of them appeared to be Senators and their respective wives. She took a seat near the back, so she did not have to witness too much gore.
The first fight was actually quite exciting. It was two experienced gladiators against each other and provided to be a good fight to watch. In some ways it was no different to a decent boxing match. The two gladiators used the majority of the ring, showing the crowd their skills and playing to the audience. Eventually one fell and Jenna held her breath as the other held his sword to his throat.
He looked at the Emperor’s box waiting for his instructions. Kill or spare. The crowd were shouting their verdict loudly. Trajan eventually gave the thumbs up, sparing the fallen gladiator’s life. Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. But she knew it would not always go that way.
She took a moment to have a good look at the inside of the Colosseum. The tiered seating was full to capacity, all fifty thousand. The noise level was fairly deafening. It was the heat however that surprised her the most. And they were under a canopy. Then again, she was a soft Briton, not truly used to the rigours of the Roman sun.
She took the goblet of wine that a slave offered gratefully. The next fight was up and the master of ceremonies said his piece. Jenna caught her breath, it was Faustus. She knew he was good, but she couldn’t bear the thought of seeing anyone she’d met die in the arena. She watched him fight with one eye open, half hiding behind Marcus who found it highly amusing.
“Jenna, Faustus is in a league of his own, so don’t fret.”
“Anything can happen out there. If he gets too cocky, he could make a mistake. It doesn’t take much to lose one’s life.”
She exhaled loudly when Faustus felled his opponent. Luckily all the fallen gladiator’s limbs stayed attached. She took a sip of her wine in relief. Her nose wrinkled immediately, it tasted as sour as hell.
“The wine is not good?”
“No, it tastes horrible.”
Marcus drank from his goblet. “It tastes fine to me. Perhaps you need a fresh goblet.” He waved the slave over and changed her wine. It still tasted vile to her. Perhaps it was her taste buds gone wild.
It was also baking hot under the canopy, she could feel the sweat almost pouring off her. She fanned herself trying to get some air.
“You are hot?”
“It’s stifling,” she gasped, taking another sip of sour wine.
He took hold of her hand, it was wet and clammy. “I think maybe your worries are getting the better of you.”
“That or I’m going down with some ailment,” she muttered. And this was not feigned, she genuinely was feeling rough as hell.
The master of ceremonies announced the next spectacle. It was a group fight, local gladiators against slaves. Great, her worst nightmare. She kept her head down for most of it, she was actually concentrating more on not throwing up from the heat than what was happening in the arena. It was the screams and cheers which upset her. Did Romans really enjoy seeing unskilled people slaughtered? She would never understand their bloodthirsty nature.
“How are you finding it all?” Trajan turned to speak to Jenna.
“My preference is for one on one combat. That shows a gladiator’s true skill,” she replied honestly.
“Yes. I seem to recall you’re pretty good with a sword.”
He turned back to the arena as another fight was announced.
Not wanting to cover Trajan’s back in vomit, Jenna thought it might be prudent to head to the back of the box. Better safe than sorry. “I’m going to be at the back,” she whispered to Marcus. He nodded and continued talking to the Senator next to him.
“Are you alright, my lady?” the slave girl asked.
“Yes. It’s just a little warm in here for me. I’m from a colder climate.”
“You might find the air at the bottom of the stairs cooler.”
“Thank you,” Jenna managed a weak smile. Perhaps the girl was right, the air outside the Colosseum should be fresher and cooler. She slipped down the stone stairs and breathed in the fresher air. Her heart was racing for some reason, she really hoped she wasn’t sickening for anything.
“Jenna,” Captain Lucius caught her arm. “You are unwell?”
“To be honest, I’m not feeling great,” she feigned a smile.
“Come, there is a chamber just next door which the servants use to prepare food and wine for the Emperor’s box.”
Jenna was grateful for his arm, her legs were feeling very weak. The room was a bit stuffy, but she was pleased to be able to lie down on a bench.
“I will make sure you are undisturbed,” he nodded and let her be.
She could only recall lying there a few moments before blackness descended in a very dizzying spiral.
Marcus was annoyed with himself that he had failed to pick up on Jenna’s prolonged absence. He had got too involved in a conversation with Senator Agrigor. He glanced around the box, she was not there. He beckoned over the slave girl. “Did Jenna leave the box?”
`
“Yes, Marshall. She went outside to get some cooler air. She was looking quite sick.”
He cursed he had not noticed her leave and headed outside to find her. She was nowhere to be seen. He spoke to the Praetorian on duty.
“A young woman came out here earlier. Did you see where she went?”
“Yes, Marshall.” Captain Lucius stepped forward. “She went to lie down in the store chamber for a moment.” He pointed to the room where Jenna had gone.
Marcus headed inside. It was empty.
“She was very shaky,” Captain Lucius offered his opinion. “Perhaps she decided to head back to her temple.”
Marcus thought that unlikely if she was as unwell as everyone said she looked. As he was leaving the store room, something caught his eye on the floor. It was the necklace he’d given Jenna. He examined the clasp, it was torn. The tightening in his gut started to build. It could only mean there had been a struggle. He strode back out.
“Did anyone see Jenna actually leave the store room?” he barked at the Praetorian and soldiers in the vicinity. They all shook their heads.
“Has there been any activity through here recently?”
“Just the cart that delivered supplies for the Emperor’s box,” one guard announced.
He grabbed Hercules and mounted up. He knew the Olympus guard would have Jenna in their sights. Once out of view of everyone, he called for Aster, the head of Jenna’s protection. “Please tell me you have sight of Jenna?” he growled.
The guard stayed bent on one knee, not wanting to look at his God. “No, my lord. You asked us to stand down as you were escorting her.”
Marcus growled loud enough to shake the city fractionally. Aster was right. He had been stupid enough to think he could take care of her on his own. And now she was missing.
“Check the temple immediately,” he barked.
“She is not there, my lord.” Aster looked concerned. “We can pick up no trace of her.”
“Find her,” he thundered. He knew it was wrong to shout at the guard, it was his own fault they had lost her.
Marcus covered the streets between the Colosseum and Apollo’s temple, but there was no sign of Jenna. He briefed his soldiers to fan out and search the area. They too turned up nothing. He returned to the Colosseum and checked again with everyone on duty as to what they had seen. Reluctantly he went inside the box and had a quiet word with Trajan.
“Forgive my absence but it appears Jenna has been abducted.”
Trajan paled. “When?”
“She stepped out apparently to get some air and has now vanished.”
“You think this could be down to recent revelations?”
Marcus nodded. “Undoubtedly.”
Trajan stared down at the arena. “You have my permission to use whatever means or powers you think necessary. Just find her.”
“I will.” Marcus left.
He headed to his temple, Gaius needed to be appraised of the situation.
“Marshall,” Gaius approached nervously. “How can I help?”
“It seems Jenna might have been abducted,” Marcus said softly. “I need to double check she has not been through here before we search the city.”
“No. Obviously you have been to Apollo’s temple?”
“Of course.”
“But why would anyone abduct her?”
“This is Rome,” he shrugged.
“Was she not at the Colosseum?”
“Yes. She wasn’t feeling well so slipped out for some air. No-one has seen her since. We think her wine was drugged.”
“Was she wearing her wristband?”
“I…er…I think so,” Marcus did his best to wrack his brains.
“Wait here,” Gaius instructed and departed quickly through the gateway. A short while later he was back with a small flat black object.
“What is that?”
“All our students and staff wear these bands for a reason, they are not just to look decorative. If Jenna is still in Rome, I should be able to pick up her location from the band.”
Marcus looked at the object in fascination as it showed a mass of small flashing images. “These represent other students,” Gaius informed him.
“And Jenna?”
Gaius tapped the object several more times, bringing up different images, but to no avail. “It is unlikely Jenna is in Rome. If she is, she would have to be incredibly far underground for us not to pick up her band.”
“Keep checking,” Marcus grunted. “If you track her let me know immediately.”
He returned to his villa, it was time to call in his family for back up.
CHAPTER 28
Jenna’s head was thumping and her mouth was bone dry. What the hell had she drunk last night? She opened her eyes groggily and glanced around, not recognising her surroundings. The room was stone with a rounded ceiling, devoid of any kind of furnishing except for the small bed she was lying on. There was a heavy wooden door. Where on earth was she?
Think Jenna, she hissed to herself. What could she remember? It finally came to her. She had been at the Colosseum, and had taken refuge in the store room. So how the hell did she get wherever she was? She went to sit up, still feeling dizzy. That was when she realised her left hand was tied to the bed post.
Suddenly the truth was starting to dawn on her. She had, most likely, been abducted. Drugged no doubt which was why the wine tasted sour and she was so dizzy and sick. They had waited for her to pass out in the store room, then it was simple to remove her. She tugged at the rope around her wrist, it was bound tight. She did not even know if she was in Rome. A flicker of light was coming in through a small grill high up on the wall, signifying it was day time.
She flopped her head back on the mattress, she had no idea what she had got caught up in. Did she let her attackers know she was awake, or try and catch them by surprise when they came in to check on her? The latter could be a long time and she was desperate for a drink.
“Hello?” she screeched, her voice sounded squeaky. “Is anyone there?”
“What do you want?” a voice answered.
“You have the audacity to drug and abduct me, the very least you can do is get me a drink,” she snapped angrily.
“You will get a drink later.”
“I insist on one now, you ill-mannered lout.”
She heard a lot of grumbling and finally the key turned in the lock. A shabbily dressed, older man shuffled in carrying a pitcher.
“I hope you’re not going to keep screeching. Can’t stand screeching women,” he grunted.
Sitting demurely on the side of her bed, Jenna waited for the man to put the pitcher on the floor. She’d already spotted the dagger in his belt.
“Thank you,” she murmured as he bent down. A split second later she had swept his feet from underneath him and kicked him hard in the head. With him unconscious, she grabbed his dagger and cut the rope binding her to the bed. She stopped only to grab a couple of gulps of water before heading to the door, straight into a purple cloak.
“Oh, Captain Lucius,” she breathed a sigh of relief wrapping her arms around him. “Am I glad to see you.”
“I think that relief might be short lived, my lady,” he responded with amusement in his voice.
She took a step back and realised his sword was drawn. “You?”
He nodded.
“But why? I had you plucked from obscurity.”
“Because I have to do my duty.”
“How is abducting me doing your duty?” She was lost.
“You will find out soon enough.” He indicated for her to continue along the corridor with his sword. “My mistress would like to see you.”
Jenna did as she was told and headed up a flight of stairs to another heavy door. “Go in,” Lucius ordered.
It was a beautiful stone room, with two benches before a fire place. “Take a seat.” He stood behind her and waited. A few minutes later the doors opened again and a woman swept in.
“Ulpina?” Jenna jumped to her feet.
“I said sit,” Lucius barked. “The next time you move, I will kill you.”
Ulpina flapped her hand at Lucius. “Don’t be so hard on the young girl. She does not yet understand the grim reality of her situation.”
“Then would you mind explaining why you thought it necessary to abduct me from your brother’s box at the Colosseum?”
“Pompeia and I have worked long and hard on Trajan persuading him who his successor should be. Pompeia, as it has now been proven, cannot have children, but I am still hopeful. If that does not happen, we want Trajan’s replacement to be of our choice.”
“And that affects me how?”
“You are his natural child, of course.”
“I’m also female and cannot reign.”
“But any male children you bear can. And I am not having all the good my brother has done destroyed when it becomes public knowledge that he has sired an illegitimate daughter.”
“I think you might have been misled somewhere. I asked Trajan not to officially recognise me.”
Ulpina gave a small laugh. “Please credit me with some intelligence. Why would a lowly foreigner not want to be recognised as the Emperor’s daughter?”
“Firstly, lady,” Jenna sniped, “I am highborn in my country, so less of the slur. Secondly, Trajan and my mother abandoned me as a baby, and in doing so lost all rights to any affection or claim on me. I frankly want nothing to do with them.”
“Your mother, I can understand. But Trajan had no choice, he was already married.”
“It was his choice to seduce a naïve young woman. He chose not to take responsibility for his actions and took the coward’s way out.”
“My, we are fiery about that,” Ulpina’s cold eyes appraised her. “Well, my brother did right in getting rid of you, it would only have damaged his career.”
“So is that your plan, to get rid of me permanently?”
“To be honest, I ‘m not entirely sure what I’m going to do with you. I would feel a little guilty killing you, I am your aunt after all, and your unfortunate birth is no fault of your own. But you should not have come back to Rome.”
“Strangely enough, I did not know I was Roman,” Jenna retorted.
“Well, for now I want any tension over your disappearance to die down, then I will perhaps arrange for you to be shipped to one of the provinces. You are a foreigner, so would make an excellent slave.”
Just try, you old witch, Jenna thought. “I thought I was Roman?”
Ulpina laughed. “As you have not been officially recognised, we can still class you as a foreigner.” She stood up and headed to the door. “I have asked the guard to make you as comfortable as possible,
but please be assured that they will kill you should you try to escape.”
“You are aware that Marshall Vilnus will turn the city upside looking for me. We are virtually betrothed.”
“Ah yes, Marcus. So very much in love with you. He can turn the city upside down if he wishes, he will not find you.”
“We are not in Rome, are we?” Jenna thought she should at least try to find out.
Blood Never Lies (Mark of Mars) Page 22