Passion and Sand; Taming the Rebel

by Andromeda -

  The young woman found solace within the art of combat, as it took her back to the old day of when she was in Kush. When she was a warrior princess and heir to a mighty throne. How she missed her people, but she was going to return to them one day. She swore to herself she would return to them.

  “Enough,” Barack said. “Go to the baths and…”

  A mighty roar filled the air and Barack looked once again to see Kaiser fighting with a guard.

  What could it be this time? Barack wondered to himself.

  He watched as Kaiser and the guards wrestled for control of the fight, and he watched with interest. The German had been with them for half of a year now, and though he had shown himself highly skilled with the sword, and had won his first fight in the arena, he continued to be untamable. He continued to resist any forms of friendship other than the occasional talk with Aleron, Barack knew.

  “You should put an end to this fight,” Ayanna said as she appeared at his side.

  “I truthfully do not wish to do so,” Barack confessed. “Look at him. See how he uses both fists rather than just one? He might do well using the twin sword technique.”

  “I could see that,” Ayanna said. “But you must first convince him to do so.”

  Barack watched as Kaiser wrapped his arms around the guard’s throat and sharply twisted it to the right, snapping it. More guards came along with nets and wooden clubs, and before long, Kaiser was dragged back into the barracks.

  “Well, that was entertaining,” Ayanna said as she bent back down to pick up a sword.

  “I want you to go talk to him,” Barack said.

  Ayanna looked at him with an arched eyebrow. “Did I hear you correctly?”

  “Yes, you did,” Barack said with a nod. “I want you to go and talk to him.”

  “And if I do not wish to do so?” she asked.

  He looked at her with fatherly scorn, as if she was a naughty child throwing a temper tantrum over something. Barack did not say it much out loud, but he looked to Ayanna as the daughter he had lost when he first was enslaved. He did not wish to speak of it much, and only a rare few knew of his past. Ayanna was one of them. When she first came to the imperial capital, she wasn’t unlike Kaiser—untamable and a bit too free spirited at times. Yet, she slowly began to be molded into something, something that took all of Barack’s strength and wisdom to handle.

  “Alright,” she sighed after a couple of moments to consider. “I will speak to him. But if you are expecting me to lay with him to ease his hostility, I will throw this knife into your back.”

  Barack couldn’t help but softly laugh at her words, as he knew she was very capable of doing so.

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  Kaiser shook the iron bars of his cell with all his might, yet it did not budge. Bellowing with rage and cursing at all in German, he was such a sight that the guards stayed away as best they could.

  “You know, they are calling you the German bear,” Ayanna said as she leaned against the wall. “Roaring and foaming at the mouth.”

  “Bears do not foam,” Kaiser said, “but they do drool at times.”

  She couldn’t help but softly chuckle at that. “I did not know that. All I know of bears are from stories and the skins that the emperor has in his study.”

  Kaiser grunted. “A man like him could not face a mighty bear. They are so respected with my people, we are only allowed to hunt one a year.”

  “Why is that?” she asked, curious.

  “It is said the gods made the bear to be our protectors, our watchers,” he explained. “Once, my father told me of a battle against the Romans. He was vastly outnumbered, and just when he thought he was to die, bears came from the forests and killed all of those who dared try and take our land.”

  “Wow,” she said. “That is some story.”

  “It’s not just a story,” he said, as he heard the disbelief in her voice. “It really happened. My father was blessed by the gods, and as his son, so am I.”

  “Seems your gods don’t think so,” she remarked. “After all, you are a slave.”

  He lunged at her through the bars, their faces just a hair’s breadth apart. “My gods have not abandoned me!” he growled. “I know they haven’t. If they did, then I would be dead!”

  She looked into his sapphire blue orbs and saw once again that flicker of familiarity of a spirit so much like her own. She saw herself when she was young, when she hated the empire with all her being. But that hatred would have destroyed her, and something inside her told her she could not let that happen to him.

  Slowly, her hand reached out and covered his own, and he stilled instantly. He looked at her hand and then into her hazel eyes. They were bright green and flecked with gold that was around the inky-black of her pupil. Slowly, their hands moved as if they had a mind of their own, and their fingers intertwined.

  He looked at her and saw something that he had never seen before in all his 23 years upon this world. He saw someone who knew how he felt. He saw someone who had experienced the same level, if not higher, of pain and suffering that he had. He saw someone that he could connect with. He saw someone that he could hopefully trust.

  “What is your name again?” he asked. “I have heard it, but it leaves my senses.”

  “My name is Ayanna,” she answered. “It means flower.”

  “I am Kaiser,” he said. “It means leader.”

  She smiled. “Well then, it is very nice to meet you, Kaiser.”

  “The feeling is mutual, Ayanna,” he said, a smile almost formed upon his lips.

  “Ayanna?” a voice said behind them.

  Quickly, she removed her hand and Kaiser saw an Arab woman standing behind them and Ayanna turned to look to her.

  “Yes?” she said.

  “Aurora is looking for you,” the Arab said. “She is ready for her bath.”

  “I’ll be there in a moment,” Ayanna said before she turned back to look at Kaiser.

  Their gaze locked for a moment more before she forced herself to pull away and leave the barracks.

  Chapter Eight

  “I am here, my lady,” Ayanna said as she entered Aurora’s chambers. “Forgive me, I was training.”

  Aurora waved it away and nodded. “It is alright. I need to talk to you about something, and I need your truthful wisdom on a matter.”

  Ayanna nodded and began to organize her bath. “What is it you wished to speak to me about?”

  Aurora took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I…I need to see him.”

  “See who?” Ayanna asked. “Your father?”

  “No,” Aurora said as she took a deep breath. “Artemus.”

  Ayanna blinked in surprise. “Why…do you wish to see him?”

  A single look into her eyes told Ayanna all she needed to know. Her friend was in love with a gladiator. Such a thing was impossible. It could not be. Such a thing would get him killed if the emperor ever found out.

  “And…does he feel the same way?” Ayanna asked.

  Aurora flushed pink. “I…I do not know. All I have been able to do is look at him. I have only spoken to him once, but it was at an imperial meeting. I need to be alone with him, I need to be able to touch him…if only once.”

  Ayanna swallowed slowly. “This is a very, very bad idea, my lady,” she said. “What if he gets caught? What if you get caught? Such a thing cannot happen within the walls of Rome.”

  “It won’t happen within the walls of Rome,” Aurora swore. “In two weeks, we will travel to our seaside villa for the summer. Father is taking a couple of his gladiators with him to fight in matches there. Artemus will be one of them, but please…I have to see him. I have to tell him of my feelings.”

  Ayanna’s mouth was dry, but she knew that such a thing she could not allow. Someone could see him or her, and then how would they explain it? So, her mind worked quickly for a plan and when it came, she left the room without a word. Hurrying back to the barracks, she found Artemus’ cell an
d waited for the guards to leave before she stepped forward.

  The Greek looked at her through his bars with an arched eyebrow, both in confusion and interest of why she was there. While friends as most slaves were to be, he did not know why she was here at such a late hour.

  “I have to speak to you,” she whispered as she pressed close. “Come here, so I do not have to speak too loud.”

  Artemus rose from his bed and walked to her. “What is the matter?”

  “What do you think…of Aurora?” Ayanna asked carefully.

  He arched his eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, what do you know of her? Is she pretty in your eyes? Kind?” she asked.

  He frowned as he thought over her words. He had not seen a lot of the emperor’s daughter, but when he did see her…

  “She is quiet,” he said after several moments of thought. “More than just pretty in my eyes. Kind from what I have seen from how she treats the servants. Why do you ask me these questions?”

  “Because you, and several other gladiators, will be coming with us when the imperial family goes to the shore side for the summer,” she explained. “And Aurora…Aurora has strong feelings for you.”

  He blinked. “I see.”

  “Do not treat this as if it is something light,” she said. “Because you both know that if you break her heart, I will kill you.”

  He nodded. “I will not doubt that. But thank you for telling me.”

  She nodded and left, but her words had given him something to think on.

  Chapter Nine

  Ayanna stood on the cliff side, her eyes closed as she inhaled the salty air of the waters that crashed upon the rocks below. They had recently arrived at the imperial summer estates, and Ayanna was happy to be able to escape the smothering summer heat. Most of the wealthy citizens of Rome had come to the cool villas on the ocean side, which helped with the heat. Below her, she could see families swimming in the crystal blue waters and hear the cries of dolphins in the distance.

  She loved it here. It reminded her greatly of her home. The mine palace was on the banks of a river, which provided cooling breezes year-round. She also loved it here because Aurora had her own villa. Both young women, though heavily guarded like Rome, had more freedom than ever before.

  For the time being, they weren’t under the thumb of the emperor or Cornelius, the latter who Ayanna couldn’t be happier to be away from. Turning from the cliff, she walked back to the villa that was assigned to Aurora to make sure the transition of her things was running smoothly.

  “Aya?” Damali said, startling her from her thoughts. “Aurora is looking for you.”

  Ayanna walked to Aurora’s bedchamber and found the young woman running around as if she were a bird with its head cut off. She was taking things out of their boxes. Putting them back in. Taking everything out of a container for a single item, then shoving them back in without a care of their redress.

  “My lady?” Ayanna said gently. “Aurora, are you alright?”

  Aurora finally stopped and fell to her knees on the ground. “I feel as if I am going mad!”

  “Aurora, what is the matter?” Ayanna asked. “Tell me, and I can help you.”

  “This!” Aurora said as she nodded to everything around her. “How I can have this luxury, but still be a slave! How I can have this wealth, but not be able to do what I want! To have all this power…and not be with the one I love.”

  Ayanna watched as the young woman wrapped her arms around herself and began to sob. She knew that her friend was hurting, she knew that she spoke the truth. Aurora, even with all her wealth and power, was more of a slave to the empire than she ever was.

  With Roman culture, her life belonged to that of her father, and when he was not around, then it was her brother. When she married, she would belong to her husband, and when he died, her eldest son, if she had one. Aurora would be under the thumb of men for all her life. She did not have a choice in anything she did.

  Carefully, Ayanna approached her friend and knelt to wrap her arms around her. “I cannot imagine the pressure you are under,” she whispered. “I cannot imagine how you feel right now. But, if it makes you feel better, I can try and talk to Artemus for you. Maybe…let you both have a moment alone.”

  Aurora’s eyes widened. “Can you do that?”

  Ayanna smiled. “I have always been known to have my connections with the servants and guards. Give me until tonight to see what I can do.”

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  Always one to be truthful to her word, Ayanna was able to organize a meeting between Artemus and Aurora. The gladiator was brought to the lady’s chambers, as Ayanna could bribe a guard, but their time was short. They could only be together no longer than an hour. The woman looked at the Greek with wide eyes, suddenly becoming a shy little girl as he approached and she looked away before looking back.

  “You summoned me, my lady?” Artemus said as he bowed deeply.

  Aurora stood up and walked to him slowly, unable to believe that he was truly there. “Do not…do not call me that, please,” she said.

  Artemus looked at her with confusion. “What?”

  Aurora reached up slowly and touched his cheek. “I want you to call me by my name: Aurora.”

  He swallowed slowly before he took a deep breath. “Aurora.”

  A shiver was sent up her spine at his words, and she had to steel her legs to prevent herself from melting into a puddle at his feet. When he saw her face, he couldn’t help but softly chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “You are,” he said with a smile.

  “Why am I funny?” she asked.

  “Because,” he chuckled, “you are being adorable. You seem nervous, why is that?”

  “Because,” she sighed as she pulled her hand away and turned to look out the window. “I have watched you from afar for so long…gained feelings for you, and I don’t even know if you have feelings for me.”

  “Who said I did not?” he asked.

  She looked to him in surprise. “What?”

  “I might be a slave,” he said, “but I have eyes and ears. I see your kindness to the orphans. I hear your soft laughs whenever you are with Ayanna. You really are a nice person. I thought you never noticed me.”

  “How could I not?” she asked, so glad this conversation was going well. “I have noticed you from the day you came to the Ludus. You always help the other gladiators, your brothers, you call them. You win your matches… You look at me even when you bow to my father. I always wondered why.”

  Gently, Artemus reached out and caressed her arm. Then, with equal tenderness and care, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her close, pressing her lips to his.

  Chapter Ten

  The time among the shore was shorter than any would have wished, and when the autumn month came, it was time to head back to Rome. Aurora left rosy cheeked with a smile a mile wide upon her lips and Ayanna knew why. Every day, when she could, she spent with Artemus, going on secret romantic dinners within the gardens, walks on the beaches at night or summoned to her chambers.

  The night before they had left, she finally gave herself to him, heart, body and soul. Ayanna, who was her chief body servant, had seen the evidence of it on the sheets. She had to quickly get rid of them, as the blood upon the sheets was supposed to belong to her husband. How infuriated her father would be to know that his daughter had given herself to a slave. But oh, how she loved him.

  As they traveled back to Rome, Aurora was already whispering to Ayanna on ways to sneak Artemus in, or places they could meet. However, this was going to be a lot harder than any of them thought. In Rome, it would be much harder to find guards to bribe, especially while the emperor was there. If they wanted to move more frequently, they were going to have to wait, and they were going to have to be careful. Ayanna had given Aurora herbs to prevent pregnancy, but they did not always work, and the user had to take them exactly when told, else they m
ight enhance fertility instead of preventing it.

  As they returned home, fate soon began to turn its face upon the African slave and the German gladiator. Before long, Kaiser was enrolled in fight after fight, and he never lost a match.

  The gods seemed to be smiling upon him.

  The crowds began to love him. No longer did they begin to look at him as an outsider and a ‘wild man’, they began to look at him as a warrior. Ayanna watched in the imperial box. She heard as they began to chant his name, how they tossed offerings at his feet. And yet…, he did not desire it.

  She could see how all this annoyed him. How all this displeased him. She knew his thoughts on freedom, how all he really wished more than anything else was to be alone. To have peace.

  One night, after a match, Ayanna was sent along with the other slave women who were used to please the gladiators when they won a match. She did not lie with any of them, but instead was sent to oversee them, and make sure the men did not become too rough. Damali was assigned to Kaiser, but when she tried to take off his clothes, the German pushed her off him and turned away.

  “I’ll handle him,” Ayanna said to the Arab. “Go, and see if another wants you.”

  The girl nodded and left before Ayanna walked over to Kaiser and struck him across the back of the head.

  “The gods curse you!” the German roared in anger. “What in the hell was that for?”

  “That was for hurting my friend’s feelings,” Ayanna said as she crossed her arms. “If you did not wish for her company, then say so. No need to become rude.”

  Kaiser grunted and rolled on his cot to face the wall. “She should have not approached me. I do not care about the company of any women at this moment.”

  “Then what do you care about?” she asked.

  “I care about home,” he answered. “I want to go home, so I can take the life of my uncle, who took mine.”

  “Your uncle?” she repeated. “What did he do?”