Seduced by the Gladiator(55)

“What the fuck was the point of that?” one of them shouted, and other angry mutters followed. We all stood still, dripping to a man, as the ground-level door to our holding room was wrenched open.

On the other side stood one of the soldiers that had come to fetch Christus, Bavarius, and myself that morning. He looked around the room with a sneer on his face, as if breathing the same air as the rest of us was far beneath him.

“Every one of you needed a good bath.” It took a brave man to insult a room full of gladiators. The soldier gestured impatiently for us to follow him. “Single file. No talking. There are guards the entire way to the palace, so do not think to escape.”

The palace? Surely we were not being taken to the palace of the emperor himself?

“Hurry up.” We were led through some sort of underground tunnel, then up huge flights of stairs, and finally, finally, through a door.

The noise of the room after the quiet of the underground was very nearly deafening. It was an assault on the senses, and I wished for my sword, to defend myself.

Christus dared a small brush of his fingers against my back, and I inhaled deeply. His touch was a lifeline, anchoring me in this strange world that we had just entered.

The soldier led us to the front of the room, where we were halted. Unsteady on my feet, I blinked out at the crowd of people who had paused in the midst of their party to stare—all wealthy patricians, by the appearance of their clothing, their hairstyles, and their jewels. Wine flowed freely, and had for some time, to judge by the flushed faces and glassy eyes of the rich. Slaves circulated with golden platters of juicy quinces and ripe figs, and the smell of roasted lamb made the juices in my belly gurgle.

A great gong sounded, and the patricians ceased their talk, They all turned expectantly toward an ornately arched entryway on the far side of the room.

Gaius sidled through, the expression on his face smug, though I imagined he thought that it was regal. A toga that could have kept an entire household in grain for a year was draped over his slender body, and the golden strands of his hair had been carefully rubbed with oil of some sort, so that his head gleamed as if he wore a crown.

On his arm was a woman whom I had never seen before. She was tall, and while her frame was somewhat more slender and muscular than Roman society would have deemed fashionable, there was no denying that she was a very attractive woman. A toga of turquoise silk draped that frame, clinging and enticing, accentuating the collar and cuffs of massive sapphires that circled her wrists and throat.

Her hair was arranged in a style so elaborate that it had surely taken at least two slaves hours to arrange it. Her eyes were lined with kohl, and her lips were ruby red.

Though I did not care a whit whom Gaius chose as his companion, something about this woman, about the almost cruel curve of her lips, caused an instant dislike to be born inside of me.

“Hilaria.” Beside me Christus jerked, as if in alarm. Somewhat amazed, I turned to look at the beautiful big man who stood beside me.

“Christus?” We had been warned not to speak, but I had never seen him so. His body was rigid, his bearing insanely straight, like that of a soldier. His skin had gone pale beneath the gold that training in the sun had teased out of it, and his hands had clenched into tight fists.

He did not appear to even hear me—his stare was fixed on the woman—Hilaria, he had called her.

Though his face was carefully expressionless, when I peered into the depths of eyes that were nearly navy, I saw barely restrained fury. Not an uncommon emotion for him, but strange that it should be brought out by a woman he could not possibly know.

Gaius chose that moment to speak, and I was forced to again face front, to look out in the crowd of people. The bright colors of their togas, the flash of their jewels—none of it seemed at all real to me. They did not seem real.

In turn, the strange creatures seemed incredibly interested in me, the lone female among the massive crowd of vicious men. Stares were plentiful, and I felt a blush wash over me when I realized that the frigid water had forced my nipples erect. They jutted against the clinging, damp leather of my top, and I saw several of the men eyeing me with lust in their eyes.

“Friends, we gather tonight to honor these warriors.” I very nearly snorted at Gaius’ choice of words. To honor us would be to leave us to our own lives, not to force us into a game in which all but one would die. “Tomorrow, the greatest games that Rome has ever seen will begin. These gladiators are the strongest, the fiercest. The most celebrated. They fight to please the citizens of Rome.”

Taking a cup of wine that Hilaria handed to him, Gaius drank deeply before saluting the crowd, who cheered loudly in return. “Before they fight, I feel that we owe them some pleasures. So this evening they will walk among you, they will feast, they will drink. They will be pleased and they will, I think, please you.” With a lascivious wink, he downed the remaining contents of his cup, then tossed it on the floor. Despite our admonition to remain silent, the men around me began to mutter with no small measure of excitement.