《Chains》


 Chapter 1: A Solemn Night - PAMPHILUS

    I have pledged my life to the Legion, to the Empire. It was my duty to live, to fight, to die, for Rome. I am Pamphilus Libo, a proud Roman, a member of the mighty armies of Rome, a Legionnaire. I was raised a farmer''s boy, considered a lower class citizen by my fellow Romans. I joined the Legion to bring wealth and status to my family. Our many victories on the battlefield allowed me to climb the ranks and become respected among my brothers-in-arms. My experience in the battlefield and my skill in combat has earned me the title of Centurion, a commander of 100 in the Legion.


    I have served my years fighting in the war against the Greeks. We pushed their forces south all the way to the city of Corinth, where they made their last stand. I had expected them to surrender after suffering tremendous losses at the hands of the Legion, all they needed to do was surrender and become part of the empire. Unfortunately, they rejected our proposal. We made one final attack, and burned the city of Corinth, slaughtering the men of the city, and taking the women and children to be slaves for the Patricians, the rich and powerful.


    As soon as the battle ended, the Greek forces decimated, and the city burned to the ground, the Legion marched home. The army was a day''s march from Rome, and had decided to partake in revelry for the final victory over the Greeks and the further expansion of the empire. The men enjoyed the company of the women captured in the raid of the city, much to the dismay of the women, but they had no choice. They would scream and resist for the majority of the time but would eventually give in to the desires of the men. The Centurion and Praetor tent was no exception.


    Wine and women were abundant in the tent as the Centurions of each Legion cohort would have a slave on the laps, which they would touch and grope as they please, some of the Centurions would whip the slaves for entertainment. "Pamphilus!" a voice called to me. I turned to my side and saw one of the Centurions, Adolphus Fulvianus, taking a seat beside me with a cup filled to the brim with wine. His full black beard was dripping with wine, and he was still in his Legion cuirass and greaves. His face is round, so much so that you would not notice his wrinkles, and in turn, you would not notice his age.


    "What are you doing sitting and drinking all alone, my friend?" he asked, rocking back and forth trying to keep his balance. "Grab a whore, make love until the sun rises. There''s plenty to choose from." he laughed, grabbing one of the Greek women that were brought into the tent.


    She reluctantly sat on his lap as he proceeded to caress every part of her, and eventually began raising the bottom of her tunic. "Tempting as always, Adolphus. I must decline, however, you enjoy your prize." I said drinking more wine.


    He laughed in response, clearly too drunk to convince me any further. He raised his chalice, catching the attention of the entire tent. "Glory to Victoria for a swift victory!" the rest of the Centurions raised their cups. "Glory to Mars, for these spoils of war!" "And most of all, Glory to Bacchus for the opportunity to enjoy these spoils!" he laughed and the whole tent became louder with cheer and laughter.


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    The cries and screams of the Greek woman were nearly drowned out by the laughter and joyous sounds of the soldiers. I rose from my seat and stepped out of the tent for a bit of fresh air. Most of the celebrations were kept to each of the tents, however, you could still hear the men and the slaves as there were over tens of thousands in this army. There were a few that stepped outside to gamble their earnings and sometimes their weapons as well. I saw it as pointless and disgraceful as a soldier to gamble their money away. Unlike the other Centurions, I made it an order not to gamble as I believed it kept them from turning against each other and made them better soldiers. A few of the soldiers under the other Centurions, had even felt threatened by me if they saw me while they were gambling.


    I walked past the various red and gold tents of the Roman army, a few soldiers saluted me and then proceeded with their evening duties. I walked along the walls and watched the sentries on the wooden towers, inspecting whether they were asleep. If they had been, they would have been executed.


    When I had finished with my inspections of the camp, I found the most quiet corner of the camp, took a chair and sat underneath the dark, star-filled sky. I drank my wine quietly and in moderation, I did not intend to get drunk like the other men. I listened to the quiet breeze that came in the cold nights, and breathed the fresh smell of the wilderness, the trees, the grass. For a moment I had forgotten the war, and the spoils of war. I had forgotten the burning of the Greek homes, the land drenched in the blood of fleeing men and women, the image of bodies completely devoid of life in their eyes and their bodies cut in every vital part, and lastly, the torturous screaming of the Greeks as the soldiers murdered and raped them, with the Romans laughing as they did it.


    "I knew I would find you here, Pamphilus." a man''s voice said. I opened my eyes and saw a soldier in a tattered brown tunic, brown curly hair and equally brown eyes, smirking at me. "I expected you to be enjoying the night with the others, Marcus." I said. The man was my friend, Marcus. We had joined the Legion together, and we were both raised as farmer''s boys. The only difference between us was that I was a little bit more serious about my duties as a soldier, Marcus was only interested in the fighting and the celebrations after. "And you should be with the men celebrating." Marcus put his arm over me and rocked me back and forth with him, hoping that it would help me get in the celebratory mood. "I appreciate the offer, my friend, but I would be satisfied with food in my stomach and a nice quiet drink for tonight."


    "We had just won and defeated perhaps the greatest power for a century and you would be satisfied with a drink alone?" he looked at me, perplexed. More noise burst from the nearby tents. "You of all people should know, Marcus. I have never been one for sex and celebrations." I said. "Even so, Pamphilus, this is a joyous occasion." I listened to him, but I did not respond. Instead I looked up at the stars, mesmerized by their shining light in what would have been complete darkness without. Marcus shrugged and sighed in disappointment, as he rose from my side and walked away. "That is war, Pamphilus. You cannot change it. They are enemies, slaves, property." Marcus said, before he walked away and to one of the nearby tents to return to the celebrations.


    I am a proud Roman citizen. A proud member of the Legionnaire. I would gladly fight and die for the Empire, and my enemies are nothing more than that, enemies. The women and children? Slaves, property, spoils of war. That will never change, and I should not feel any remorse or guilt towards any of them.

 Chapter 2: A Fine Welcome - PAMPHILUS

    We arrived at the gates of the city soon after the army marched in the morning. We were greeted with even more cheers and glory from the citizens, as we walked through the streets of the great city. The men raised their hands in salute and their gladius proudly, the perfect image of a victorious march. The standard bearers, raised their golden eagles high, displaying the pride of each cohort in the Legion.


    The army walked until we reached the center of the plaza in front of the temple of Jupiter, where the Emperor awaited our arrival to honor us for our efforts. Crowds surrounded us, in the circular plaza, an entire ocean of citizens, rich and peasants alike, and the Emperor and the senate standing atop the steps of the temple.


    The Praetors stepped out into the front of the Legion and knelt to honor and respect the power of the Emperor, then we followed their example, and soon the crowd knelt altogether and silence covered the plaza.


    "Praise the Gods, for our swift and decisive victory over our enemies'' '' the Emperor began. "Our disciplined and mighty army has triumphed in our campaign against the Greeks."


    He raised his hands, to portray an almighty image. "In our conquest of the known world, all shall be united under the Empire!" cheers erupted back as the citizens chanted for great "Rome!" and the great Emperor. The soldiers stood on their feet and saluted the emperor. It was indeed a great triumph, and with great triumph comes a fine welcome.


    ----


    The Emperor honored the Praetors for their Valor and cunning in executing the offense, as well as each cohort in their bravery and unity against the enemy. Shortly after the welcoming ceremony, the army marched towards the barracks near the edge of the city, a group of large tents in an open field. Each tent, red and gold, being able to house near fifty to a hundred soldiers. My men were housed in the tent marked XXII, tent twenty two. I had Marcus lead the men into the tent as I was called between the centurions, under the main tent at the center of the barracks.


    Many of the centurions were aged and old men, especially the ones who led the first few cohorts. Obviously the younger soldiers would be those of the last few centurions, no more than a young man with merely 10 years of service at best. They all sat down in a half circle, I took my seat in one of the seats in the far left. One of the aged centurions stood up and faced the rest.


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    "The emperor has praised our efforts against the Greeks, so much so that he decided to award us and the men for it." he said formally. "Especially those who have proven themselves, exceptionally on the battlefield." He put his eyes on me and the men cheered.


    "For your tremendous efforts, the Emperor found it fitting that you get a personal servant from the slaves taken from Corinth." As he finished, four soldiers brought in three Greek women, battered and bruised from head to toe, my stomach turned but I endured, and kept composed. "Take your pick, Pamphilus." He said with a devious smirk on his face, the other men laughed and were entertained by the situation, while the women were trembling and terrified.


    I stood up and observed the three women brought in the middle of the semi-circle. Two were on the verge of tears, it was hard to see their faces, but it was obvious that they had been used by the men, perhaps even by the centurions themselves. One, however, was more composed than the others. Similar to the two, she had messy brown hair, her bruises covered her features, a scar on her lip, her eye was black, and her cheeks had faint hand marks on both sides. Her hands were in even worse shape than the others, having dried blood on the tips of her fingers and bruise marks from rope even darker than the others. She must have been fighting back, the fool.


    I must have had a disgusted look on my face, as they quivered when I approached and inspected them. "Whom among you speaks the native tongue?" I said firmly and authoritatively.


    The two quivering looked up at me in intervals, seemingly to check if I would hit them for not answering, but they did not respond. The heavily bruised girl stayed composed, even slowing her trembling. It seemed that was her response to my question. I walked towards her slowly and gazed down at her.


    "Do you understand me?" I kept my gaze on her, as I waited for her to respond. No answer, but she raised her head slowly, and her hair fell back to reveal her eyes. It would have been bright green if it were not for the dried tears and the redness around her eyes. As her eyes met mine, it was not fear I saw, nor was it mere anger. Behind those eyes, was pure hatred covered in a dead and blank facade. Her weak expression hid hatred born from the depths of the underworld, and it was directed at me. Although she did not answer, I knew she understood me and refused to speak to spite me.


    This woman would most surely meet an early death at the hands of any other officer, let alone the nobles. "She will do." I said, keeping my eyes on her, and her eyes on me. The men cheered and laughed enthusiastically, but all my attention was on the woman.


    "Our brother has made his choice, the other two shall be free to be used by the entire Legion!" I did my best to drown out the contrast of laughter from the men, and the crying of the women. It did not do me well, as I was only able to focus on both intently. The soldiers took the two women, and the centurion standing walked to me. "Enjoy your prize, brother." he said with a big smile on his face. If it were at all possible for the hatred in one''s eyes to bear searing endlessly, I have seen it, and I have earned it.

 Chapter 3: Her and I - PAMPHILUS

    The army was given one day of respite after the March home, the day after we resumed our tasks. I took the woman to my tent, a private one reserved for individual centurions next to the tents of their respective cohorts.


    Along the way, I caught soldiers staring in my direction, I knew they were eyeing the woman. I took her wrist and gripped it tight, no doubt it seemed like I was being forceful, telling her that I could care less about her well being to even practice proper manners. As we reached my tent, I pulled her towards me and gestured to her to go in my tent. Her eyes met mine again, with the same fiery glare. I met hers with a glare of mine, neither of us would surrender. I kept my eyes on her until I saw some of my men whispering to one another about the situation. I quickly pushed her into the tent and gave my men a look that they quickly understood to mean "Mind your businesses, men". They tensed and proceeded off further away. I took a deep breath to give myself some calm before I entered.


    I entered to see a normal tent interior. An armor and weapon stand near one of the poles that held the tent up. One bed was laid out at the end of the tent, opposite the entrance and a chair and table on the side. The table had a bowl of fresh fruit and a cup of wine. There were only two lamps lighting the tent, and the ground was covered in a thick dark red cloth, where the girl sat in one of its corners. She turned away, immediately as I came in, and faced the tent wall. I proceeded to undo my armor and hang my gladius, glancing at the woman still curling up in the corner. She appeared, and by all means, she is poorly fed. Her golden brown skin became pale with hints of blue and her bones were nearly prominent on her body. I wondered how she had the strength to fight back.


    I took the cup of wine and an apple from the bowl, and walked towards the woman. I reached out the hand with the apple, and she seemed to tense, forcing herself to the corner. "Eat." I said, attempting to present myself more mannerly. She did not respond. I knelt down and moved slightly closer. "I know you understand me. Do not feign ignorance." she still did not respond. I breathed a breath of frustration, to calm myself. Rather than pestering her more, I decided to leave the apple right by her, hoping that she would take it.


    "Ignore me to your heart''s content. You are better off in my company than any other." I said grimly. Silence still. "You despise me, don''t you?" "You must have envisioned my death already, and many others before me I would imagine." I began to speak continuously.


    "The hatred in your eyes, it is only satisfied if it has taken the life of many men, not just I." "Your body has been violated, used. Your family murdered in the dirt without safe passage to the underworld. And your home burned to ashes, mere dust to the power that conquered it."


    As I spoke, instinct took over me and a glint of shining light appeared in the dark cloth of the tent. I slowly grabbed the knife left on the table, before I readied I spoke. "Kill me, and the entire army will know." No answer, but nothing happened. Then a weak voice spoke. "Y-you...... Die" a voice said from behind me, a shrill voice.


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    I turned and saw what I expected, the woman with my blade in her hands, preparing to cut me down from my head down. "I urge you to reconsider." I said, meeting her eyes once more. "You may cut me down if you wish, I will not stop you." I walked closer, keeping my haze on hers. "But it will not avenge anything, and your death WILL be a waste."


    She glared at me, her eyes and expression full of rage, I had expected her to go through with her strike, but she did not. She hesitated and slowly lowered the blade. When it touched the ground, hanging by her weak arms, I grabbed her hand and gently took the blade from her. I placed the blade back on the weapons rack, and she remained standing there. In an instant the hate was gone, she appeared like death, expressionless and speechless. "W-wh-Why?" she asked.


    I could only assume what she meant. "It is the way of the world." I began. "The Empire will rule, and more lives will be given as slaves, property." "And we, Rome''s citizens, will reap those prizes." I pushed the bowl of fruits towards her and left her by the table. "You should eat. It will not do, for a perfectly good slave to be poorly fed."


    I took the blanket from my bed and put it on the ground next to my bed. "For today, you will sleep here. Rest." I sat on my bed and lay on the pillow. She remained motionless still, staring at the fruit bowl. I turned away from her and attempted to rest for the day.


    ----


    That night, I was invited to dinner with the other centurions in the big tent, one last night of freedom before we resume our duties in the city, and train in the camp. It was another long drunken, stupid night. I indulged in none of it. I had my fill of food and wine and decided to patrol the camp. Whether it was outside of Rome or in the city, the men always find some sort of entertainment to pass the time.


    I reached my tent, intending to rest for the remainder of the night. The girl had been staying in the tent. I had threatened any soldier, be they officer or regular, that if they take her, they shall answer directly to me. She remained on the sheet that I provided for her, sitting. I saw a plate of food on the table, untouched.


    "Eat, it will be the last delicious food you will be tasting for a while." I said holding out the plate to the woman. Her expression became soft and sad, as if on the border of sleeping. "You..." She looked at me. "Different...... Why?" "As I told you, you are my property, my slave. I cannot have you expire." I said. She sat silent and I stood and took a deep breath. "If you are going to be serving me, I am going to have to teach you Latin to fix your speech." And for the first time, she looked at me, her eyes which would normally be filled with burning hatred, had a glint of gentleness I did not expect. While it was only for a brief moment, it was a surprise. I set the plate down next to her and fiddled with my armor, checking for any damage that could not possibly be there.


    As I tended to my equipment, I heard the soft creaking sound of glass sliding across the rough ground. She had begun to eat the food. It was at that moment I realized that her life was in my hands. Unlike the many men I have killed in this bloody conquest, this struggle between her and I is not a matter of her life or mine. She does not have any choice in the matter. Regardless of what she wanted, I decide whether she lives or dies. A grim fate, and a sad reality. One that I am reluctant to accept.

 Chapter 4: Slave to One - CASSANDRA

    The sky burned scarlet and ash, as the sound of screams in the streets and death filled the air. Blood flooded the ground, darkening the once lively streets of a once peaceful city. For all the life in me, I could not see past the red and black surrounding me. Along with a gold glint at the distance. Deceiving with me hope, when the truth could not be farther from it. The only light I saw was the gold glint of the ruthless and treacherous invaders.


    I awoke to the sound of metal clashing like a ringing bell. The hard ground that I had slept on was contrasted by the fur covers I was given by my captor. My master, from now on. He looked like every other invader that I have ever seen, yet I am perplexed at how he has treated me ever since I was given to him as a trophy. He has given me food, a cover to keep myself warm, and unlike other men like him, he seems to detest me. Was it because I was Greek? Was it because I was a simple slave? Or was it because I tried to kill him?


    Whatever the reason may be, it does not change the fact that he has slaughtered countless of my people. Men, women, and children, none were exempted. In my eyes he will always be a representation of my enemy. The one who took everything from me. What I do is purely for my own survival.


    I sat up, awoken from my sleep and my.... Master, stood by the table next to his armor. I did not know what to expect from this day. Were it any other damned invader I would expect to be required to satisfy him or serve him or else receive brutal beatings. With him, I could not guess in the slightest. I did my best to not drown myself in these thoughts, however, since the other night, he has looked at me with this gentle expression. He may be an invader, but he was a very peculiar one. But I need to remind myself he is no better than any other.


    "Good Morning." he said, keeping his posture towards his armor. I did not respond, I am able to understand their native tongue, however, I could not speak it very well. I never found a use for their language, nor did I care enough to even consider learning it. He stepped away from his armor and walked towards me, and knelt down.


    I curled my body and shuffled back, away from him. He stopped at the edge of the cover and reached out his hand to reveal a bowl of fresh fruits. "Eat." he said. I stared at him cautiously, and for a while so did he. When I still refused to take the bowl, he set it down and walked away. I then reached out for it as I walked farther away. "I have told you before, I will not have you starve, you have your uses." He said. I felt my body boil in rage as those words left his mouth, however, I knew that it was true, it was a reality, for he and I.


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    As I was eating the fruit, he pulled a plain white but clean tunic and gave it to me. "Your clothes are drenched in wine, dirt and blood." He said. "Clean yourself, and we shall go." he walked out of the tent without a second word.


    Where could he possibly be taking me? Does he not trust his men to leave me alone? Or does he not trust me to BE alone? He is right to think that. As much as I would love to escape, when he is out of sight, I do not have a lot of options in places to go. Much to my dislike, I cleaned myself with the bowl of water left in the tent and proceeded to change my clothing.


    When I was finished changing into the tunic, I felt my blood boil once again as I realized that I am merely following my.... Master''s orders. I wanted to rip the clothing, tear it to shreds. But what good would that do me? Whether I like it or not, I am powerless to do anything, powerless then, powerless now. I reluctantly finished dressing and stepped out of the tent. As I had expected, eyes were on me, seemingly like I was prey to the wolves, but the hungry glares quickly turned as my..... Master stepped in front of me.


    He looked at me, inspecting every inch of my body. I wanted to strike him, strangle him, anything to release my anger, but I had to keep myself from lashing out. "I want you to remain close by my side." He whispered to me. "and remain submissive, otherwise, you will be taken away by the soldiers."


    I wanted to curse him, push him down so that I may flee. But he was right, if I were to do anything I would be taken, perhaps even killed, or maybe taken to be made an example of. "I have told you that I have no intention of harming you." he said, with stress in his tone. "Do not make me."


    I looked at him, glaring, fully expecting myself to lose all control of my body and act on my malice. Then, I glanced around at the camp filled with soldiers. Men who were eyeing me expecting me to do something I will regret. I knew I had no choice, this is my life now. At this realization, I bit my lip, and reluctantly nodded. "W-Where?..." I struggled to ask with my pure knowledge of their native tongue, as we walked down the path through the camp, and toward the rest of the city. He turned to me with a glare cold as stone, expressionless, almost dead.


    "Home." he said. "Why would he take me to his home?" I thought to myself. I did not know what awaited me in the future. What I am certain of, is that I no longer have control over the outcome.....for now.

 Chapter 5: A Day in the Life… - CASSANDRA

    He led me through the streets of his city. It was truly a majestic sight to behold. Stone buildings and monuments stood to show the majesty of such accomplishments, as much as it shows the arrogance of the people themselves. On the streets on each side o the stone pavement were greenery I would never have expected from a place filled in every inch with stone. Temples and pillars stood tall, as if to reach the heavens above. I stared in awe at the city that I was now walking through, were I not a slave, a servant, I would relish in it more.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" my master said. His sudden question startled me. He seemed to sound kind and sincere, if only for a moment. I had no response, no retort, just a surprised expression and a nod. We kept walking through the majestic streets of the city. I was anticipating my arrival to his home, anticipating maybe more slaves, Greek slaves like myself, scrubbing floors, cleaning the road, and other menial tasks. I even anticipated to see other slave women, indulging the men of the house, as these pigs would most definitely do.


    As I was contemplating the numerous horrors that I could possibly witness upon arriving at my master''s home, I was stopped by a sudden obstruction to my path. I fell to the floor and looked up to see a Roman soldier staring down at me with a malicious glare. "Watch where you''re going maggot!" he yelled in my face. I pulled myself up and kept my eyes on the soldier, giving him a challenging glare to match his.


    "Hmmm......You have a very alluring figure for a lowly maggot." he began to change his tone and expression, from one of malice and hate, to one of lust and malicious desire. I clenched my fist, ready to defend myself, even if the soldier was stronger than me in many aspects. I knew that it was either submission or death for me, from here on out.


    He began to reach his hand for my body, until another grabbed his and bent it. "What do you think you are doing?" I turned to see my master, with a cold glare on his face. The soldier turned to him and began to stumble on his words, challenged to speak to say the least.


    "Might I remind you that you have a duty, soldier. And I SUGGEST that you get back to it." my master said, seemingly growing in anger from his cold but calm manner of speaking. "...Or you will answer DIRECTLY TO ME."


    As the last words left his mouth, the soldier stood straight, with his feet closing the gap between, and stiffened up. Before my master could say anymore, the soldier left in a huff.


    I turned to my master, surprised and angry for no apparent reason. My blood boiled as I saw him, his fair skin, his brown hair loose and curled. I had no reason to hate him, no reason to despise him. He had saved me after all, but all my rage had now been directed at him.


    He took my wrist and pulled me closer to him. His grip tightened as he looked me in the eye. "Stay by my side." I wanted to pull my hand back, defy him, but my body and I were not seeing eye to eye. My mind screamed to defy, but as I looked into his brown eyes, my body weakened. I hung my head and did as he told, letting him take me.


    After the incident, my vision of majesty quickly turned to one of sadness. I see slaves of all colors, following their masters, beaten, and abused. I am a part of this world, and it will forever be my world. It is now my home, when all is said and done.


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    We left the city shortly after and reached the outskirts of the city. To my surprise, we approached a small hut in the outskirts of the city. Crops surrounding it, a wooden fence in close proximity to the hut. An elderly man in a ragged tunic and barefoot, sat in a makeshift chair right in front of the entrance to the hut. As we came closer to the hut, my master waved at the elderly man, with a smile on his face, and while we were a fair distance away from the hut, I noticed the elderly man''s joy from the distance.


    We arrived at the fence of the house, and I began to notice the man clearly. His arms were thin and almost sickly, his skin seemed to have been wrinkling with the slightest passage of time. The hair on his face and his head were white as the snow in the coldest winters, and his slouched posture made him appear shorter than he should have been. His eyes were a brighter brown than my master''s and kinder.


    "Grandfather." my master said happily. He walked over to the man and hugged him, the man hugged him bag with a wide smile appearing along with tears dropping to his cheek. "My boy, you have come back to us." the man tearfully said as he hugged my master tighter. The door flung open to reveal an elderly woman in a similarly ragged tunic dress as the elderly man. "Pamphilus!" the woman gasped and watched my master hugging the man. "Hello, Grandmother."


    ¨C


    My master introduced me to his grandparents. They looked at him concerned and asked him numerous questions about why he had me in his service. I was taken by surprise at their increasing concern at my servitude to him. I had expected them to be very happy with him for bringing a maid for their home, I had even expected a home fit for a man of status with numerous servants at their bidding.


    I stood waiting in one room with a table and trinkets on it, while my master and his family talked. "My boy, why have you brought this woman here?" my master''s grandfather asked. "I thought she would be in the house." my master said. "I had also intended to let her stay with you.". Stay with them? Why does he want me to stay here? Why would he want me to be in service to anyone other than himself?


    Before I could form any more thoughts, the grandmother walked towards me and grabbed my hand. "Come dear, you''re going to help me with the laundry." she said gently. She gently pulled me away from the room to the door. I walked with her around to the back of the house, there lay a basket full of clothing, recently washed. "Come dear, you take this basket.'''' She bent down and offered me the basket. As I did the chore, my mind wondered to many thoughts that formed in that short period of time.


    The master, that I thought had been a man of very high status and brute at that, had been a lowly class citizen. A Roman that has treated me more fairly than any slave or prisoner could have been treated in any other place in the world. "Forgive me, but.....do you understand our native tongue?" the grandmother asked. I simply nodded in response.


    "If it would be alright with you, would you like to speak to me?" her voice was filled with concern, kindness, a warmth I was never expecting anywhere in this country. I did not respond, I was speechless at the treatment I have been given.


    "You must have gone through so much, dear. Witnessing the conclusion of the war in your own home." she spoke, with sorrow in her voice. "Even being taken from your home to live in a strange land.....I could never imagine." "You are truly blessed by the Gods to have found my grandson."


    What she had said infuriated me, how could I have been blessed to be placed into servitude?! If this was a blessing the gods, the gods can drown in the River Styx with this sense of humor of theirs. Without noticing, my hands were clenched, still holding a piece of clothing, wrinkling it in the process.


    The grandmother noticed my small burst of rage, but gave me a soft smile. "I know you must hate him, for fighting for the armies that took your home, your family. But he is not the person he appears to be, nor is he the person that you expect him to be." What could she possibly mean by that? "...not the person he appears to be"? I contemplated frustratingly, as I continued the chore in silence.

 Chapter 6: Facade - PAMPHILUS

    I begged my grandfather to house the Greek woman here for as long as needed. I did not need her to constantly be in my life as a Legionnaire, nor do I need her to be a distraction to my men, they have duties to attend to, lustful desires are beneath our priorities. My concerns fell on deaf ears, it would seem.


    ¡°My dear boy, we can barely provide for ourselves as it is. If we-¡± ¡°I can provide for you, grandfather. This is why I became a Legionnaire.¡± I argued. ¡°She would be better off with you and grandmother. If she were to stay with me at the camp, she would only be a distraction for the soldiers.¡± I said, then I noticed my grandfather giving a curious look. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are as strict and strong as your father, but as kind and caring as your mother, gods give them peace.¡± my grandfather commented.


    ¡°What are you talking about, grandfather?¡± I asked. ¡°You care for this woman. And yet you won¡¯t allow yourself to be the one to care for her.¡± he continued. ¡°I cannot care for her, she is nothing more than a mere hindrance to my duties.¡± ¡°Your actions speak louder than your words, boy.¡± I stood speechless, what could my grandfather be implying with his words?


    ¡°Please grandfather, you must understand what I am asking.¡± I begged him. I needed to explain the importance of my favor to my grandfather. I needed him to agree. I needed him to accept.


    ¡°I do understand, boy. And I will repeat what I have been saying, we cannot do this favor for you.¡± I sigh in frustration as my request fell on deaf ears, and sat back down on the chair, defeated. ¡°Son, if we choose to harbor the woman, we will not only be accused of harboring an escaped slave, but we will be unable to protect ourselves from the soldiers, let alone protect her.¡± I turned my face to my grandfather with a softened expression. ¡°Whatever the gods have planned for you, they have decided that this girl be placed in your care.¡± I turned my head from his, in disgust.


    ¡°The gods may as well be absent, for how could they leave so many people?... So many men to die. So alone, coughing blood.¡± I said, continuing a downward spiral thought of despair. ¡°How could they leave women to fend for themselves against the wolves?¡± ¡°WHY ARE THE CHILDREN LEFT TO GROW IN A LIFE WORSE THAN DEATH?!¡± As I finished I realized what I had done, what I had said. I got on my feet and paced myself, avoiding my grandfather¡¯s eyes, which must have been filled with worry from my anger.


    As I was pacing, I felt a warm head touch my shoulder, lifting a weight I did not know I had felt. ¡°The war was an unfortunate tragedy, may the gods guide all those unfortunate souls that must be judged now.¡± he said, attempting to temper my anger. ¡°Whatever has happened in our lives, it is in the hands of the gods, Pamphilus.¡± I raised my hand and covered my grandfather¡¯s hand and faced him. ¡°The gods have made a mistake, grandfather. I am no protector. In her eyes, I am merely the monster that killed her by letting her live.¡± I said with a heavy heart. ¡°I am not her protector, I do not deserve to be nor will I ever be worthy of it. She is NOT my responsibility!¡± I said strongly.


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    ¡°My boy, had she been given to other men, she would not have lasted a day.¡± my grandfather explained. ¡°Had you not made your choice to take her, she might have suffered a more severe fate.¡± I stood in my place, contemplating the words that my grandfather had said, and he was right. I made my choice to take her as a slave in order to keep her from my colleagues, in order to keep the men in line, but I never asked for this. All I wanted was to fight for my country and provide for my family, pleasures of the flesh be damned.


    My thoughts waged war inside my head. If my intention was to keep her safe, why am I giving her away? Why am I so reluctant to take responsibility? As I asked more questions the more I sank in my thoughts, nearly forgetting where I was. I began to pace more, and I abruptly stopped to see her through the crack of the window. The dirt and her messy brown hair reminded me that she was a slave, the scars and bruises on her body reminded me that I fought back. These reminded me that she may as well have died a horrific death at the hands of the other officers.


    Then, in the gleaming light of the sun, she raised her head, allowing her hair to fall back and her eyes seemed to shine if only for a moment. Her green eyes became a deep emerald gem in the sun. I had not noticed how beautiful those eyes were under all of the hardships and pain on the surface. Such beauty from one so broken.


    ¡°I do not have the strength to protect anyone, how could I expect to protect her?¡± I asked my grandfather, as well as myself. A moment of silence fell in the room, as our thoughts grew louder with our inaction. I eagerly waited for my grandfather to give an answer, some sort of wisdom from his years, but he stayed silent.


    To my surprise, a gentle female voice responded to me. ¡°You are a centurion, Pamphilus.¡± I turned my head to see my grandmother with a basket of tunics and cloth, with a stern but gentle look on her face as she looked towards me. ¡°You are tasked to lead, to fight, and most of all, You are tasked to protect.¡± she said with more conviction than I had ever expected from such a kind and gentle elderly woman. ¡±¡°Your desire to protect us is what drove you to the Legion, and it is your strong desire and love for the country, your people, and most of all your family is what saw you through the war.¡± she said with her eyes beginning to shine and a tear falling from her cheek.


    ¡°Your grandfather and I prayed to the gods for your safety every single day, and we thank and praise them for the strength they have given you.¡± ¡°And now, they have saw fit to put this woman in your care, planning something for you.¡± she walked towards me keeping eyes on mine, keeping her stern expression intact, not a single hint of uncertainty. She put her hand on my chest and I felt my heart beat more prominently than before.


    ¡°Whatever they must have planned for you, I have faith that it is your strength that they see.¡± she said to me. I took a deep breath to calm myself and met my grandmother¡¯s gaze once more and took her hand. ¡°I understand.¡± I said accepting the task ahead of me. At that very moment, I had vowed to protect the woman. From that moment, I had accepted that she is now in my care.

 Chapter 7: Something New - CASSANDRA

    Much to my surprise, the day I spent with my masters'' family was filled with normalcy and peace. I was not ordered or commanded, on the contrary I was given the choice to help, which was more than I was given ever since my capture at the war''s conclusion. The elderly couple have been very considerate and very welcoming, despite my being a foreign slave, a Greek slave. I had thought that all Roman citizens treated us as nothing but property, if we were ever seen as anything of worth at all.


    I had spent the majority of my day helping my master''s grandmother with household chores, while my master worked alongside his grandfather. During the day he would not speak, nor would he even look at me. It was as if he had forgotten that I existed, much to my delight. He has been kind to me, more than I would like to admit, however, it is clear he does not care for me. I am his burden nothing more, and he is my chain, a reminder of what I had lost. The less time I have to spend with him the better my fleeting years would be.


    The day passed in an instant as I saw the sun begin to dim to a soft orange, as it began to set. My heart sank as I took every bit of the scenery in. In that brief moment, I felt I was at peace, for the first time in what had been days. For a moment, I had forgotten where I was, the ordeals I had gone through, all that was left was me, the cool breeze of the coming night air, and the soft rays of the setting sun, tranquility around me. "My dear, come inside for dinner, you must be hungry." the grandmother called from inside the hut. As I heard her call, I was taken back to my reality, slightly irritated but joyful that I was able to experience a small amount of peace, if only for a moment.


    ¨C


    The evening air became tense, as silence constantly filled the atmosphere of the table. The grandfather sat quietly for the majority of the time looking worryingly out of the window opening. The grandmother worked quietly as she prepared the dinner. My master was as determined to avoid my gaze as he begun when we had arrived. A part of me wondered what could have happened to cause this, while the other could not care less what he was thinking.


    "My dear, can you help my grandson place the cutlery and plates, please?" she said smiling, which would be one of the few times tonight that she had looked at me with any sign of an expression. While I had not spoken a word to her, to my surprise, she was more than willing to speak to me.


    I walked towards the counter to see it full of ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and freshly cut meat. Next to the ingredients was a dim metal jug that smelled of wine, and beside were four sets of cutlery and plates. As I reached to grab the plates, I saw my master''s hands reach for it as well, and by doing so, met my hands. He had grabbed me a fair few times since I became his slave, however, it was only at that moment that I noticed how gentle and smooth it seemed, something I would not expect from the hands of a soldier.


    While we were in close proximity, he still found a way to avoid my gaze completely. I had thought that it was only from afar, I had not put any thought to his actions as it was far from me, and I''d rather he not give me any attention. In all honesty, I would rather that he just left me well enough alone to give me a chance to escape. However, at this point he only seemed reluctant, in denial that I even exist. Is this due to guilt? What good would that do him? What''s done is done, he took everything from me, him and his countrymen. Avoiding my gaze, pretending I do not exist will not change anything.


    The forming thoughts mind only succeeded in infuriating me, so much so that it must have leaked out into my actions as I noticed my grip on the counter tightening. "My dear, is everything alright?" the grandmother asked worryingly. Once again, she had brought me out of my thoughts and I noticed her worried eyes on me as I stood still clenching the wood of the counter so intensely that my nails had made marks. I turned and saw my master and his grandfather with concerned looks as well, although only the grandmother seemed to be the only one to admit her worry as the other two had turned away as I saw them.


    I simply nodded at grandmother, communicating that I was fine. Dinner became more tense after my small demonstration of rage. As we had finished the very modest dinner, the grandmother was the first to rise from her seat to gather the dishes in order to clean them. The next would be the grandfather, appearing more serious.


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    "Come along, my dear, I will show you to your room." he said stoically but also kindly. He then turned to my master and said "Help your grandmother with the cleaning, my boy." my master nodded, still somehow refusing to acknowledge my existence.


    The grandfather and I walked up one flight of stairs, which is already a surprise to me as I thought I would be sleeping in a separate hut, or with whatever animals they had, it seemed odd for a citizen to give room to a slave, even that of a low-class citizen. We walked across a dimly lit corridor only lit by one candlelight on the wall while the only other source of light had been the lamp that the grandfather had been holding high. I noticed three doors, all of which must have been bedrooms. He showed me towards the middle door, which looked untouched for ages as the door had become dark and the handle rusted and full of dust.


    "Forgive the dirt, my dear, this room had not been open for a long time." he said kindly. He cleaned most of the dust off the handle and opened the door to the room. Despite the dust and a few spiderwebs, the room looked in very good condition for an untouched old room. I walked around the room, surprised to see that it was, and it was evident that it was untouched from the furniture as well. The bed was big, able to fit two people, and neatly prepared. Fairly decent, despite the old cloth and fairly crooked post. The table had seemed used before, as there were circle marks left on the table and what seemed to be black spots all across the wood.


    On the bed, I noticed an oddly shaped piece of wood. Before I could grab it, the grandfather began to speak. "This was Pamphilus'' room," he said. "Your masters'' room." It was a curious and admittedly odd thing to say.


    "He insisted that we offer you his room. He must have thought that you would be more comfortable here." The room itself is not what concerned me, rather who owned it. "Rest well, my girl." he said as he left the room and back down the stairs. I turned my attention back to the piece of wood on the bed and took it.


    It was a small wooden sword. It was crudely made, with many jagged edges, it must have been a child''s toy. On one of the sides it had an engraving, although I could not read it. "Acta, non verbal" a voice said suddenly. Startled, I turned around and instinctively put the sword behind my back. I saw my master standing by the doorway, looking at me with a soft expression on his face.


    "You were trying to read what was on the sword were you not?" he asked. What prompted him to look at me all of a sudden, let alone speak to me. I thought he had been trying to avoid me.


    "You must be wondering why I am talking to you now? You must think that I need you to do something, do you not?" What did he mean by that? How could he know what I was thinking?


    A sudden dread flowed into me as I realized what he had meant. My heart raced in an instant as a thought came as to why he brought me to his room. He was going to force himself on me. At that moment, for the first time, I could not move, I could not speak. All I could do was wait in my place and let him have his way. Had I the strength, I would have screamed, fought, whether it meant my death, but I felt weak, weaker than I had ever been, fear filling every muscle and bone.


    I breathed heavily, closed my eyes and turned around as I waited for him to do what he desired. I felt a tear streaming down my cheek. And in a moment, all my fear had vanished, as I felt something warm, touch my shoulder and turn me. I kept my eyes closed but my tense body relaxed as I felt the same warmth brush across my face, wiping the tear away. I began to breathe normally again, and regained a bit of control over my body.


    When I opened my eyes, he was standing in front of me. Not a hint of lust or desire in his eyes. His brown eyes seemed to shine, similar to that of garnet. He had not said a word but his actions and, even more odd, his eyes spoke louder than mere words ever could. He kept his hand on my cheek, and without realizing, I rest my cheek on his hand in relief.


    "From this day forth, you are mine." he said gently. He did not seem to be starting something, nor did he seem to be commanding. I could not understand, but what he said, how I felt as the words left his mouth. It all seemed to me, like it was a promise. A promise for what?


    I could not tell for how long we stood there, within inches of each other. My head resting on his hand and both of us gazing into each other''s eyes. He then lowered his hand and I regained control of my actions. "Rest, it is the only real source of comfort I can offer you, I am sorry." he turned and walked towards the doorway.


    I summoned all my strength and thoughts to speak what little I could in their tongue. "Th-thank.... Y-you." I stuttered to say. He stopped at the doorway and turned to give me one last look before walking out of the room. I might have seen a smile on his face. I did not know how, nor did I know why. That night I lay awake, warm and at peace, for the first time in a very long time.

 Chapter 8: Unlikely Pair - CASSANDRA

    The night before gave me pause. I still had not been able to process what had happened, even when I awoke in the morning. My master decided that we will stay with his family for a few days. Seeing as I was his servant, I could not argue even if I wanted to, but I did not want to. I much preferred to be here in this hut rather than the city, surrounded by soldiers and upper-class citizens. I detested seeing the slaves the most, in my eyes, and I am sure in their own eyes as well, they are already dead.


    Ever since I had gotten and begun helping the family with the household chores and tasks, I had caught myself stealing glances at my master from the kitchen window as he and his grandfather worked the crops. Surprisingly, I had only noticed that he was not wearing his Roman armor. He only had a ragged brown tunic, like an ordinary man, no more no less. Each time he looked at my direction, I would look away, feeling warm inside. What was happening to me? Why am I so distracted? He is nothing to you. He might have been kind and caring, but he is nothing but a mere kind Roman.


    "You are mine." His gentle, determined and deep voice echoed in my thoughts. The promise rattled my head, and made my face warmer than usual and my heart race, I absolutely hated it. "Dear, are you alright? Are you sick?" I only just noticed the grandmother looking at me with more of her concerned and worried looks. From intense hate, my feelings turned to guilt. She had done nothing but care for me and care about me, and I had not spoken a single word to her.


    "I..... Am..... Alright." I struggled to say, which made her smile gleefully. "Oh that is a delight to hear my dear, although you do seem to be struggling with our Latin tongue. Come along." She put down the broom and proceeded to the living room. I put down the cloth I was using to clean the kitchen and followed her.


    When I entered the room, I saw her standing there holding out a book and scrolls, offering it to me. The scrolls had the Greek alphabet while the book had roman characters on it. I was confused as to what she was trying to do. "These are quite old but I would hope it could help you learn our tongue, so that we might make your time with us much simpler." she said, clasping her hands together watching me, as if I were her own child. Before I could summon the strength to say anything else, the door opened to reveal my master, his grandfather and another Roman soldier.


    My body tensed and became alert at the sight of the roman armor, and clenched the books and scrolls as hard as I was able. My master then walked toward me with both of his hands raised in an attempt to stay my hand from reaching for anything harmful. The elderly couple and the soldier curiously and anxiously stared at me, they must have been wondering if I would pounce on the soldier in an attempt to kill him, or they might have thought I would desperately look for an escape. Both options tempted my mind and body, although I ended up taking no such action. My master held my hands and slowly lowered them. I could not explain why, but I had allowed him to control my body, how could I have been so vulnerable to him?


    "Calm yourself, it is alright." my master said softly. "You have nothing to fear, he is a friend," he continued. As I looked at the soldier, he had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it if necessary. He might have been a friend to my master, but he was not a friend to me, nor was I to him. My master released my hands and turned toward his friend. "Stay your blade, Marcus. You are threatening a defenseless woman." The soldier released his sword and relaxed his body, becoming less of a soldier and more of a casual individual. "Forgive me, you know that I like to show my dominance towards women." he said with a very confident and arrogant tone in his voice and a smirk on his face.


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    What further infuriated me was his black long straight tied hair, and his bright blue eyes. Both features that further emphasized his arrogance, as if he were some sort of God to behold. It took all of my strength to keep my desire to maul him at bay, then my master smirked and chuckled. "By your stance and alertness towards a slave girl, I would be pressed to believe that you feared her." My master said with a small but mischievous smile on his face. I did not want to admit it but it was a handsome sight to see him smile so confidently. "M-me? Fear her? How could I-" My master interrupted him. "Raising your weapon to a slave girl that gave you a savage look? Very dominant." I could not help but smile and laugh internally as the soldier stood speechless and flustered as everyone had similar thoughts. My master laughed, which was the first time I had ever seen him happy, and it was a surprise to find myself being happy as well. It was a delightful change.


    ¨C


    I was told to spend the remainder of the day learning the Roman tongue. From the moment I was captured, I had never thought that I would see another book or scroll again, if not to give to the rich pig I would be serving. It was a delightful way to spend my afternoon, as I began to easily read through the parchment and understand just as fast, however, the challenge lay in speaking the tongue, as I had only ever spoken in my native tongue, even to my fellow scholars.


    I did my reading outside in the fresh air, while my master and his family tended the land along with his soldier friend. I am unsure what to think about his friend. At first glance I had thought him a captor, an enemy. After the encounter, however, he seemed to be an entirely different person. It was as if being in the presence of the family had transformed him. For all I knew, it could merely be a facade. An act, whether to be civil towards my master or to trick me into something that I will regret if I let myself be vulnerable around him.


    Speaking of the devil, as I looked up to take a small glance at my surroundings to give my mind some respite before resuming, I saw the soldier walking towards my direction. He could not have been looking for some refreshment as I was under a tree and the wine was inside the house and the well was closer to where he previously was. My body tensed as he walked closer.


    When he had, I focused all my energy into reading, not paying him a single ounce of attention. For a while, he and I sat in silence, the few glances I took, I noticed that he was not paying me any attention as well, very odd. We went on in silence for a long while before he began. "An absolute fool." he said with a smirk on his face. What is he on about now? "He took you as a slave, knowing full well that he detested the idea. What could have possibly gone through that stone skull of his?" he continued in an almost joyful annoyance. "Forgive me, here I am speaking my mind as if I were some sort of lunatic."


    I have not spoken a single word, and he acts as if he is in a conversation with me, what an odd man to say the least. "One must wonder, whether it was the war that had the effect on him or was it the aftermath." he continued to say, remaining locked on the direction of the field, away from me. ".... Or maybe..... It was something much simpler than that." he said, seemingly implying something to me.


    Without another word, he walked away, as if nothing had happened. He had never looked towards me while he was speaking. I wonder if he even knew I was there? What did he even mean?

 Chapter 9: A Scholar and A Soldier - PAMPHILUS

    After I had finished what work needed to be done around my family¡¯s farm, I decided to head into the town to see if there was anything I could get for food for my family. As I am a high ranking member of the Roman military, my weight in gold is much heavier than a regular commoner¡¯s should.


    The market was fairly lively, commoners came in droves, especially as it was the middle of the day. Bands of merchants hollering at any person close enough to hear to purchase their stock and wares. The ringing of the golden coins as it bounces in its pouch and knocks against one another. One could easily get lost in the sea of buzzing noise of people and gold. Suddenly I was relieved that I had not asked the woman to go in my stead or my grandmother. As I spotted Roman soldiers posted on each end of the market. Guardsmen on patrol  and, from their mannerisms and expression, they do not seem like the disciplined sort.


    As I left the market I came across the library, I recall spending many nights tearing through many books in order to shape myself into the model soldier, not only for combat and strategy, but also for discipline and language as well. Language¡­..


    I remember books that were able to mold me into a man of high society in order to become the soldier the empire needed me to be, or the bare minimum requirement to be one. She may be a little stubborn but this may help her, if not live in our society, then maybe help her survive. If I am to protect her, I must be able to communicate with her, and her to me.


    I gathered all the language books I could recall that helped me and began to head back to my grandparents¡¯ home. As the door appeared before my eyes, I saw my grandmother and my¡­.servant talking by the porch. She seems to be more comfortable now, the best I am able to tell at least. My grandmother seems to have taken a liking to her.


    My grandmother notices me walking towards them and begins to wave at me, my servant glances at my direction as well. As quickly as she saw me, she turned the other way. She must really see me as the devil himself.


    "Ah dear, you have come back from the market." my grandmother said. "You took an unusually long time for the groceries, we were worried something might have happened." she continued. "I was never in any danger, grandmother. I simply visited the library." "Oh such an intelligent young man, you are." my grandmother said, beaming with pride as she smiled.


    My servants'' look was...less inviting. She had been constantly giving me fiery, hate filled stares, however, she seemed to be more confused. While she was always tense in my presence, her eyes always betrayed her emotions.


    She expressed a softer stare. She seemed to be more uncertain than she was enraged. "Oh my, it is sunset. I will prepare the food, your grandfather will not live through the night without his dinner." my grandmother said jokingly, heading inside the house, oblivious to the tension between my servant and I. I took the books out of my bag, and my servant sprang from her seat. "It is alright." I said softly, trying to calm her down. "I brought you these." I slowly handed her the books, waiting for her to take, she simply stared at them.


    I was unsure how to communicate my intentions with gestures, I contemplated how to explain the purpose of the books with what little words she knew in our tongue. Thankfully, she seemed to understand what I was trying to say when she took the books off my hands.


    The rest of the evening was awkward at the very least. My grandparents had prepared the food and Marcus decided to spend his evening with us, which seemed to have made my servant uncomfortable. We ate in silence, with the exception of Marcus, who seemed to be particularly talkative that evening. I suppose it was fortunate, otherwise my family would have had to endure the entire dinner filled with silence. As soon as we finished dinner, I asked Marcus to train with me outside for a moment.


    I may have been given the opportunity to serve as a Praetor to the Legion, however, Marcus had always been the better fighter between the two of us. Every time we had sparred, he would almost always win against me, ever since we were kids playing with wooden swords.


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    We traded blows, Marcus'' had always been more of the aggressive warrior, preferring to overwhelm his opponents with attack after attack. I, on the other hand, prefer to let him make his moves in order for me to get the upper hand. My mind began to wonder, and before I realized, Marcus had disarmed me and one our fights.


    "That was pitiful, Pamphilus," he said. "That is why I asked you to spar with me, to improve." I said. "You will never improve if your mind and body are in two different places." he explained. "What is that supposed to mean?" Instead of answering me, he turned his head towards the house, and looked at the open windows on the second floor of the house. That was my room, is he talking about her?


    "I was surprised." Marcus began talking again. "When they had told me that you had taken a Greek woman as your slave, I thought you had given in to your animalistic urges." he jokingly said. "Did I seem so shallow?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm. "She was given to you as a reward. Had it been me, I would have fucked her the moment we had gotten to my tent." I looked at him, clenching my fist. He noticed my fist and laughed.


    "Calm yourself, I am simply saying that she is, admittedly, a beautiful woman." he said. "However, regardless of what you want to call her, whether it be a servant or otherwise, she was given to you as property for you to use." he said, his expression becoming less bright. "That is simply the way the world is." he continued. And he is right. He knew I don''t indulge myself in such a way, but the reality is that not a single one would be surprised if I had.


    "So I ask you, my friend." he turned to me with a serious look in his eyes. "What are you expecting to do with her?" I looked at the windows lit with a somewhat dim candlelight from the inside. My thoughts drifted to that night, to the words that I said. "She was given to me." I said confidently. "As you said, she is my property."


    "Therefore, she is mine to protect." Marcus looked at me with his eyes slightly widened by my subtle proclamation. After a few moments he bursted into laughter and put his arm around me, pulling me in. "You must learn to relax. You take yourself  too seriously." he said smiling. "But I suppose that''s the burden of authority, Praetor." While Marcus seemed to laugh at my words, I knew he understood how serious I was, and how much this mattered to me, although, I must admit, it also surprised me.


    After our conversation, we parted ways, as he made his way back into the city to retire at the camp. I decided to check on my servant as it seemed she was still awake. When I arrived at my old room, I saw her, with a lit candlelight, engrossed in the books that I had given her.


    I thought that she would have had a hard time reading, let alone understanding the texts. To my surprise, the expression she wore on her face was not confusion, but curiosity. Her eyes took in every word, with every intent of understanding and learning. It is as if she spent her whole life doing nothing but learning, with the way she reads it.


    I knocked on the door and it seemed to have startled her. She looked at me and immediately closed the book and avoided looking at me. She hung her head down, as if she thought she did something wrong and was waiting for punishment. "It is alright, it''s just me." I said gently. I walked towards her, slowly, to not frighten her more. "I simply wanted to see if you were alright." the closer I became, the more she would look away from me. She must really hate me.


    "Forgive me for saying, but I''m surprised that you have no trouble understanding these books." "I knew you were able to understand our tongue, although, I am beginning to suspect that you can speak it too."


    She remained silent, it seems I was mistaken. Then, she began to talk, in Latin. "I....was able....to study...before the war...." she spoke in a soft voice. While it was broken, it seemed almost perfectly fluent. It seemed she was no ordinary Greek woman. I stood, amazed at her intelligence and eloquence in the use of our language for a foreigner. "If I may ask, were you a Greek scholar?" I asked, hoping that I might not offend her. "Yes... I was..." she said her tone turning solemn. "I see.." I said, losing my words. I must have reminded her about the raid on her city.


    We both stayed there in awkward silence again, not knowing what to say to one another. I looked at her once more, and was surprised at the sight. Her green eyes, shining from the candlelight, gave her expression such a soft and gentle look. Was it possible that she does not hate me? No, I must be imagining things.


    "I should be going. I will leave you to your studies." I said, promptly leaving the room. As I reached the doorway, I heard the chair creak from behind me and her voice again. "Ummm..." she said, trying to get my attention. I stopped wondering what she wanted to say. "Thank you.... For the gift." she said.


    Unlike our first conversation, her words were complete and it had more confidence. I could not help but chuckle when I heard it. For some reason, it made me smile. "Be sure to rest." I said, leaving her to read and learn. After that conversation, I found myself thinking that the future might hold something interesting.

 Chapter 10: Home - CASSANDRA

    My master and I spent a few more days with his family. I was fortunate to have met them. They have been nothing but kind, caring, and welcoming, even to a foreigner and a person of lesser class than they are. Even if they struggle to care for themselves, they still offer their home, the food on their table, to me as if I was one of their own. It pains me to think how much they have had to sacrifice just to be hospitable towards me, let alone be as generous as they were.


    We eventually came back to the military camp in the city. I spent most of my time reading the books my master had given me. It did surprise me at first when he gave them. Although, I did find it useful as it had given me more insight and knowledge on their language as well as the culture of the country...empire. While I had wished that I needn''t know about such things, I must accept that my life has been brought here by the gods.


    I suppose I should consider myself fortunate that my master had bothered to help me, even if it was without my knowledge. I don''t know if I should be grateful or insulted that he thought I needed to be educated to be his servant. Regardless, I have been taught never to let knowledge go to waste.


    That being said, I spent every second not spent following my master around reading these books, learning more of the way they speak, how they behave, as well as what is considered "well-mannered". Praise the gods that I did, as I would have been dead with what was in store for me in the future.


    The afternoons would always be a troublesome time, as it would be the time when everyone would be awake, and as I spent my time in my master''s tent reading, would be the most infuriating time of the day for me. The sound of men grunting, metal clinking, and even clicking of the horses galloping became infuriating noises to me over time. It seemed like soldiers knew nothing but combat and the occasional drink. Despite it being midday, the camp was still fresh with the stench of wine.


    While the soldiers immersed themselves in training, duties, and debauchery, I noticed that my master spent most of his time training alone, on occasion with his friend. If he was not training he would be performing his duties more diligently than any soldier at the camp, or in the army for that matter. I found it very odd, so much so that I began to wonder whether this was really how he was. It surprises me that I am even mildly curious, yet I was.


    It was a regular afternoon in the camp, I was in my routine of reading and learning what I could from the books that I was given. My master stood at the table by the entrance of the tent looking at maps. Servants are meant to be at their masters beckon call, and yet he pays me no mind as I am minding my own business. He truly is an odd master to say the least.


    Quiet filled the tent, until the covers flew open. "Pamphilus!" a voice yelled, as the covers flew down to reveal a man in armor, similar to my masters'', adorned in gold lining. The man was similar in height to my master, however, he looked much older, as his hair all the way to his well maintained facial hair had linings of silver. The few scars on his face and arms implied experience and his demeanor as a soldier implied that he is a one who seeks glory and revels in it.


    "Arcturus?" my master responded, confused. "Sir, what are you doing here?" my master asked. "I came to personally invite you to my estate!" the man called Arcturus exclaimed. The loud ramblings of the man, to no surprise, was infuriating, however, I did my best to still myself and focused on my book. "I am humbled by the offer, sir, however my duties must take precedence." my master said. "The war is over, son. Now is the time of peace, as we have brought glory and prosperity to all of the empire." Arcturus said with a wide smile on his face and his chest puffed out as if to intimidate. I briefly glanced at their direction and I noticed Arcturus pause and noticed me as well. I quickly turned my glance back to my book, hoping that he would be distracted by anything else.


    "I had heard that you had taken slaves now." Arcturus said. He walked closer to me, his eyes inspecting me from head to toe. It disgusted me to see a small mischievous grin on his face as he.... Admired me. His admiration was cut short when my master stood in between us. "Sir, the slave is mine." my master said. "I would suggest you keep your hands and eyes to yourself." He said with a much more stern tone. The slave.... It seems that he still thinks of me as such a lowly piece of property, rather than a human being. He simply means to protect what he owns.


    Arcturus finally stopped looking at me and slowly backed away. "I''m sure she''s splendid company on cold nights." Arcturus said, smirking like the devil himself. "Come to my estate, Pamphilus." He said. "We shall celebrate! I have also invited Marcus. You two shall experience the life of a proper nobleman." Before my master could say a word, Arcturus left, smiling.


    My master began to rub the back of his head, clearly irritated by Arcturus. That would be one of the few things I can sympathize with. He turned towards my direction and I reacted by looking away from him as quickly as I could. ¡°I¡­ apologize for that¡­.¡± he said softly. I wondered why he was apologizing, and why to me. He made it clear that I was his property, nothing more. When silence filled the air, I turned around hoping his attention was turned towards something else. However, what greeted me was the cool shine of his blue eyes. It had caused my blood to boil before, the cool, shining, innocence in those eyes I had expected to hide the devil itself ready to burst and claim me as his.


    I¡¯m not sure what I saw when he¡­I should not be thinking about this. I reminded myself that I was his property, I had to. Remaining deep in thought may cause me more harm than any good. He kept his eyes on me, however, to keep my mind from wandering I had to look away. ¡°I must leave you with my family, it is the only place you will be safe.¡± As he stood, my body moved by itself and reached for his hand to grab. Our eyes met, his cool blue eyes looking back at mine. I had no idea why I had reached for him, all I knew was that I was uncertain¡­ and afraid.


    I took back my hand, and felt my face and body warm up from embarrassment. I have always hated feeling vulnerable. Ever since my city¡­.my country fell, I had felt nothing but vulnerable, useless,.... bound. I had never understood how important hope and sense of humanity was to a human being, until it was taken away from me. Now, I cannot be described as human anymore.


    My master knelt down and met my eyes again, and lowered himself to meet me. He put his hand on my cheek once more, his hands softer and warmer than before. ¡°If I take you with me, I may not be able to¡­.¡± I hated relying on my master. I hated putting my life in  a foreigner¡¯s hands. However, as I am constantly reminded, the choice was taken from me the moment their ropes bounded and marked me for life. Reminded by my fate, words could not form in my mouth to break my silence as I hung my head in shame. Before I had realized, my hands were warm. My master had taken my hands and wrapped them in his. ¡°You must stay by my side. Whatever happens.¡± he said gently commanding me to. I had no more words left to respond. I simply nodded and put my life in his hands.


    ¡ª


    On the following day, my master made our way to his superior¡¯s estate. My master had brought his friend as he was also invited, much to my annoyance. While his friend remained harmless compared to the other soldiers, he could never seem to shut his mouth. ¡°What, pray tell, possessed you to bring your prize to such a prestigious celebration?¡± my master¡¯s friend asked. ¡°The reason would be none of your business, Marcus.¡± my master responded. Marcus looked at me, however, rather than the smiling and charming buffoon I was introduced to, his stare was more threatening, dare I say cold.


    My master noticed his stare and brought him back to his senses. My master pulled Marcus near him and whispered into his ear. I wondered what he could be telling him but I inevitably paid it no mind. Eventually, we reached the gates of the estate. Vines enveloped the walls at the front of the estate, emphasizing its age and history, however, the gates gleamed with the shine of well polished gold. A sign of wealth and power being boasted to all who enter no doubt.


    We were greeted by two servants that opened the gates for us. At first glance, it seemed they were treated well, having clean robes and presentable appearances. It had seemed as if I was being greeted by divine deities in the garden of the gods. However, I noticed the dirt on their feet and the subtle scars on the arms, these were slaves.


    The slaves bowed their heads to my master and Marcus. As we were passing them by, I noticed that my master and his friend had an expression I did not expect. Their heads avoided looking towards the slaves but their eyes looked heavy, burdened, as their eyes looked towards the slaves. I had seen that expression countless times from my master every time he looked at me, however, this had been the very first time I had seen that expression on his friend. My master''s friend had been a mystery to me for some time, I had always thought that he was an idiotic soldier like any other that boasted about his charm and handsome appearance. Have I been quick to make that judgment?


    As we made our way through the garden, passing servants maintained the shrubbery and a statue of what seemed to have been the owner, Arcturus, displaying his might to all his guests with sword and shield in hand. The simplicity of such works and design speaks volumes for the vanity of the owner. Words could not describe what I was feeling. Pity for the poor souls that are in the service of such a master, Anger at the clear and prideful boasting of each and every statue and polished gold designs, and even Shame that I CHOSE to be dragged through this spectacle like a pathetic pet. My mind went blank from drowning in anger, shame, and pity all at once. There was no sense of humanity left in my body.


    Before I had realized, we had reached the estate doors, where Arcturus was waiting for my master and his friend. He raised his arms and smiled happily for an embrace from either my master or Marcus, however, neither approached him. Instead, both shook his hand and stood up straight and stiff, as alert as a soldier guarding chambers of royalty.


    ¡°There is no need for such formalities here, sons.¡± the old soldier said to his subordinates in such a causal tone. ¡°Forgive us sir, we simply wanted to show you our respect.¡± my mast replied. ¡°Yes, especially since it is you who have honored us by inviting us to your home.¡± Marcus continued.


    Arcturus walked towards my master and Marcus, and put his arms around both of them. ¡°This is a celebration, boys. Tonight, we shall indulge in wine and food fit for the gods themselves.¡± With that proclamation, we entered the estate.


    The estate was completely marble from the floor to the ceiling, gleaming white, and clear enough to be able to my own reflection. There was a set of stairs leading to a level upstairs on the right, and directly ahead was the dining hall, where we began heading towards. As we approached the arch leading to the dining hall, a woman appeared from the staircase. She was adorned with a crimson red robe with a golden bracelet and pendant, signs of noble wealth. Her hair was golden blonde and her complexion made it appear as if she was the daughter of Aphrodite herself. Her beauty was further expressed by her bright blue which seemed to reflect the beauty of the sea.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Hello father, I see you have brought guests.¡± the woman said, as she walked down the stairs gracefully. When she noticed my stare, she began looking back at me with a scornful expression on her face, making her transition from a beautiful goddess to a despicable witch. I immediately turned away, and noticed my masters¡¯ expression, one of subtle disdain as his mouth struggled to keep the facade of a kind smile and his eyes struggled to keep from narrowing.


    The woman noticed Pamphilus and immediately changed her expression into that of a graceful goddess, with a lustful hunger in her eyes. ¡°Ah Pamphilus, I am so delighted that we are able to meet again.¡± the woman said, with a seductive smile as she subtly bit her lip. ¡°A¡­. Delight to be able to be in your presence, Sera.¡± my master struggled to say. It seemed that he and this woman had met before and had an awkward relationship.


    ¡°Now, now, behave yourself Seraphina. There will be plenty of time to reacquaint with one another over dinner.¡± Arcturus suggested. However Seraphina kept her lustful eyes on my master. We then proceeded to the dining hall where I stood by my masters¡¯ side while he, Marcus, and the two hosts sat at the table eagerly waiting for their dinner.


    ¡°So Pamphilus, Marcus, I hear that the two of you had been in numerous battles against the Greeks.¡± Arcturus began the conversation. ¡°You two have made quite the name for yourselves and gained glory as well.¡± He continued proudly. ¡°We simply did what was required to serve the empire.¡± My master humbly replied. ¡°And proudly did we serve! With glory!¡± Marcus proclaimed raising his silver chalice, garnering a hearty laugh from Arcturus.


    ¡°I have heard the tales of your heroism and skills on the battlefield, Pamphilus.¡± Seraphina said, keeping her eyes on my master. ¡°And what, pray tell, has  m¡¯lady heard in these tales?¡± my master asked. ¡°How you skillfully faced down many Greeks with your fearsome combat prowess.¡± she said, as she fiddled with the edge of her chalice. ¡°How you heroically led the charge on many decisive battles with your determination and intellect.¡± she continued, slowly emphasizing the words  determination and intellect.


    ¡°It is like you are a heroic prince from an epic tale. It must have been quite the sight to see you on the battlefield.¡± she continued on before my master interrupted her. ¡°I can tell you the majority of the tales you¡¯ve heard are tall tales to say the least.¡± my master humbly explained. ¡°As no one can best the combat skills of my friend Marcus. As for intellect on the battlefield, It was my duty, nothing more nothing less.¡± ¡°Oh, but you mustn¡¯t be so modest now.¡± she says as she comes closer to my master, her eyes subtly locked only onto him.


    Before she could get closer, my master shifted his seat further away from her and towards me, halting her advances. ¡°She is right, Pamphilus. Your feats are nothing to jest.¡± Arcturus begins to praise my master. ¡°When I first laid eyes on both of you, you were commoners joining the Legion solely to feed yourselves and those you loved. Now, you emerge from this war as two incredible individuals who rose above stations.¡±


    He praises the two of them and gestures to Marcus. ¡°Marcus, you have become a feared warrior as you have constantly improved your skill with the blade.¡± he says with a proud smile, and proceeds to gesture to my master. ¡°And you, Pamphilus, rose to be a Centurion. A symbol of one who leads their men to victory for the glory of all of Rome. An honor to be sure.¡± As Arcturus finishes his praises, he raises his chalice to commend my master and Marcus. ¡°To glory in battle!¡± Arcturus proclaims, as they all followed suit and drank from their chalice.


    The remainder of the dinner was relatively harmless. As I stood by my master''s side, all four of them continued to chat and banter about various topics. Marcus and Arcturus would regale tales of heroism and glory on the battlefield of the long war. While my master kept  Seraphina¡¯s attention on him, he seemed to despise every minute of it. While I stood there, my mind wandered from one thought to another. However, mainly, my thoughts focused on the other servants¡­¡­slaves that were in the same estate. A few were in clean robes and only stood by their masters¡¯ side as I did, while others scrubbed the floors and picked up each and every scrap of filth on the floor in order to keep the grounds clean.


    I should count myself lucky that I had not been given to a master like this, but how could I be lucky that I am in servitude unwillingly to a master that only thinks of me as property? ¡°I am a pathetic excuse for a human being.¡± I thought to myself, as I spiral into a cycle of building anger towards my fate and  inevitably accepting it. I noticed the marks on some of the women servants, there were red marks on their wrists with bruises and red marks on their legs, a few of them were taken by Arcturus as part of his ¡°conquests¡±. As for the men, as well as a few women, bore long red lines visible on the back of their neck going down their back as well as the shoulder. They were whipped, treated like animals, maybe even worse.


    The thought made my blood boil at its very peak. Deep in my raging thoughts, I hadn¡¯t noticed that I caught the attention of Seraphina. ¡°What do you think you are looking at, girl?!¡± She stood and walked towards me gracefully, trying her utmost to keep her composure. ¡°Are you angered by my clear superior beauty?¡± She said leaning towards me, trying to taunt me.


    She leaned in further to whisper in my ear, as the rest of the household bore witness. ¡°No one would ever love you.¡± She whispers. ¡°All you are is a slave, not worth calling a human being.¡± As she finished her insult, she slapped me abruptly with the back of her hand. My instincts told me to retaliate, and my hand formed into a fist, ready to fight her.


    However, my master got up from his seat and got in between her and I, while I felt a hand grab my shoulder. It was Marcus. ¡°I believe that¡¯s quite enough, Seraphina.¡± my master said. Seraphina was shocked and confused. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Seraphina furiously asked. ¡°I apologize, but Pamphilus can be quite possessive of his properties.¡±


    Marcus  said in a joking tone. ¡°That woman is my property. If any is to punish her it should be the one who owns her.¡± my master said, giving a stern look to Seraphina and Arcturus.


    ¡°That would only be right would it not?¡± Marcus said. Seraphina and Arcturus looked at each other and nodded. Marcus then proceeded to pull me away towards the entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, old friend, I will handle the punishment of this whore.¡±


    Marcus said with a chuckle in his voice. I struggled as best I can but clearly saw that the praises given by Arcturus were rightfully earned. Marcus barely struggled handling me, as he effortlessly dragged me to the doors of the estate and threw me aside. I fell to the ground and prepared for the punishment that he claimed he would give me.


    To my surprise, he closed the doors and simply let out a deep sigh. I felt tears fall down to my cheek as I prepared for what I thought would be brutal punishment but Marcus looked towards me and gave me the very cold glare he had been giving me ever since we had arrived at the estate. ¡°Pamphilus was a fool to bring you here!¡± he yelled.


    He began to yell and rant about everything that has happened in the night, as if he had been keeping this anger inside until it could go nowhere but out of his mouth through his words. ¡°The damned fool relied on me to protect you if he could not!¡± He began yelling. ¡°DOES HE THINK I¡¯M SOME SORT OF GUARDIAN?!!¡± he continued to yell.


    ¡°AFTER WHAT I HAVE DONE?!?!¡± ¡°THAT DAMN BASTARD!¡± Marcus continued to pace and yell until he threw a punch at one of the stone pillars and let out one last excruciating yell of pain and frustration.


    After another deep sigh, he fell to his feet and his body became weak. ¡°That bastard was right¡­¡± He quietly said. I  watched him as he fell to pieces before my eyes. Had his strong, charming and handsome demeanor merely been a facade? I did not know what to think or feel at that moment as mixed feelings and thoughts rushed through my body and mind.


    After a few moments that seemed to take an eternity each, Marcus stood and composed himself the best that he could and struggled to show his smile through the tears that fell from his outburst. ¡°You were thrown into the fires of war without asking to be a part of it to begin with¡­¡± he began to speak, and turned to walk towards me.


    ¡°You were taken, as a slave, against your will¡­¡± ¡°You were beaten, bruised, violated beyond possible human capacity¡­¡± as he came closer to me, I braced myself for what he might do.


    Then, I felt a soft touch on my cheek, he wiped the tears away from my cheeks and spoke to me face to face. ¡°..And yet the gods, put you in the care of one who is foolish enough to make me promise to do his duty when he cannot.¡± He said with a weak smile. ¡°To protect¡­.when he is unable to.¡± My master¡­..told Marcus to protect me?


    He seemed to have dreaded coming here as much as I have and he wanted me nowhere near this place from the beginning. He had only been thinking of protecting me? Why would someone go so far¡­¡­for someone they don¡¯t consider to be human? Who is he? What am I to him?


    ¡°The gods have truly blessed you in your darkest hour.¡± Marcus said, wiping the last of his tears away. He knelt down to my level and he looked into my eyes. ¡°I know you must hate me, and I know you must especially hate your master.¡±


    ¡°But he may surprise you, I¡¯m sure he already has, has he not?¡± He is right. I did hate him, part of me had blamed it all on him. But I was also surprised by him in many ways and he is still surprising me.


    After that whole ordeal, my master and I left the estate with Marcus without escalating the situation any further than it had. However, I could feel Seraphina¡¯s cold glare at the back of my neck, like knives stabbing at my back. We had walked late in the night and Marcus went straight ahead to the tents of the other soldiers, while my master and I headed towards his tent.


    A deathly awkward silence fell in the tent, as neither of us spoke a single word. After what seemed like another eternity, my master spoke. ¡°I apologize for the trouble I have caused you.¡± Even now, he still surprises me. ¡°I believed that Marcus needed to be able to protect someone to be able to move on from what he has done..¡± He continues.


    ¡°But it was unfair of me to put you in that situation, when it was my duty to be your protector.¡± I watched as my master let out small fits of frustration around the tent. Why?¡­..Why does he care for me?


    ¡°I should never have brought with me¡­.I should never have¡­¡± my master looked away from me, but I knew.


    Tears were rising in his eyes, as he struggled to compose himself in his frustration. As I watched him, I realized that he has treated everyone with such compassion. His family, Marcus, even to a few of his soldiers. And it is only now that I realized that he has shown me the very same kind of compassion. I thought I had lost all my humanity the moment I had been taken as a slave. Little did I realize, he would be the one to give me back my humanity by simply caring.  For the first time after losing my country, my home, and my life, I have been given life by someone I would not have expected.


    I slowly walked towards him and put my hand on his cheek, beckoning him to turn to me. Our eyes met, as I wiped the few tears that fell from his bright blue eyes and mustered the words I had been able to learn in his tongue.


    ¡°It is alright¡­¡± I said, as gently caressed his cheek. ¡°I am safe¡­¡± I grabbed his rough hands with mine and held them together. For the first time in forever, I have felt warm and calm. ¡°I am home¡­¡±


    I looked into his eyes and he into mine, and we both understood the intent in our words. ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± I softly said as I laid my head on his chest. He has given me hope once more, and for that I will forever be grateful.