Gladiator Heart (15 page)

Valeria was stronger than he knew.

She was a Roman.

After a few minutes the shaking subsided and she was able to catch her breath without hitching sobs. She straightened up and drew her cape around her like a protective cloak. It wouldn’t keep Gaius away, but it did make her feel better. For a moment, she imagined it was Tristan holding her, protecting her in the safety of his arms. She had to stay strong for his sake.

They still had a long ride to Rome ahead of them, and if she didn’t find some way to avoid rousing Gaius and his evil temper, she might never feel Tristan’s warm embrace again.

On the last leg of their journey they’d fallen into a routine. Valeria had no choice but to continue sharing Gaius’s horse, so she tolerated his hands on her body, thankful they weren’t alone so he couldn’t take too many liberties with her. As the weather steadily improved and got warmer, she took to walking for a portion of the afternoons to stretch out her legs and get some time away from Gaius.

She kept her promise to Tristan and stayed away from him. He was probably better off and he seemed determined to survive the journey to Rome. Once there she’d be able to clean him up. Lucia was always called to the ludus when new slaves arrived that needed to be healed before they could train to fight as gladiators. She always brought Valeria along with her.

Now that they were so close to home, she was anxious to get there. No more soldiers could order her around and it would be easier to avoid Gaius.

Being greeted by the city of Rome by far surpassed the safe walls of Florentia. As the detail crested the last hill that led down to the city, a meadow of green grass littered with red, pink and white wildflowers led to the sea of white buildings nestled in the hills. The sky was bright blue and warm sunlight dappled the leaves of the cypress trees overhead as a flock of white birds flew over the city and then sailed up into the clouds.

Valeria was home. However bad it might be, she knew this city. Rome was glorious, one couldn’t deny it, and her spirits lifted. She had power here, where on the road alone, she didn’t.

She wanted to leap off Gaius’s horse and run into the city, straight to Lucia’s villa in the square. Unfortunately, she’d have to let Gaius deliver her to her cousin at the Emperor’s palace. It was a funny feeling returning to her home, a place where nothing had changed, while she had. Changed drastically.

Once inside the city, the slaves were taken to the market to be sold, or to the ludus to begin their training. The soldiers checked in at the barracks before taking their leave in the city, the officers went home, and Gaius and Rufus escorted Valeria to the Imperial Palace on the hill.

The long avenue leading to the palace was lined on both sides with groomed cypress trees. Through the tall white columns in front, the double doors were swung wide open by the servants when they saw them approaching. Gaius took his last opportunity to feel her up when he lifted her down from his horse, stroking his thumbs over her breasts and running his hands over her backside once he set her down.

Valeria said nothing and ran up the three wide stairs that led to the covered portico over the front doors.

“Welcome home, Domina,” a female servant dressed in a plain white dress greeted her as she entered. “We’re glad to see you home safely.”

“Thank you.” She took off her cape and handed it and her bag of things over to her personal servant, Paula, who awaited her at the bottom of the grand staircase. “Please have a bath readied for me.”

“Yes, Domina.” Paula headed up the stairs with her things.

Gaius and Rufus came in behind her. Gods, why wouldn’t Gaius just leave? He probably wanted an audience with her cousin, who was sure to be in a bitter mood.

“Please see the guests into the atrium and bring them food and drink,” she instructed the servant.

Rufus and Gaius followed the girl and Valeria dashed up the stairs and straight to her rooms. It did feel good to be home. Her bedroom was spacious with high ceilings and large windows draped with white silk curtains. Her bed was nestled in the far corner of the room and three wooden wardrobes lined the wall that led into her dressing room and the bath. A small sitting area with couches and colorful silk pillows sat across the room under a skylight, and woven rugs covered the stone floors.

“Your bath is ready, Domina.” Paula emerged from the dressing room.

She was a moor from the East and had dark skin and long, dark hair, but her green eyes gave her an exotic beauty. Valeria had hand-picked Paula in the market five years ago to save her from becoming the slave of some old, fat, sloppy patrician who only meant to part with his coin in order to have a young girl in his bed. Despite her status as a servant, Valeria thought of Paula as a friend, and she tried to provide her with a comfortable life.

“I can’t wait to wash the road off.” Valeria loosened the straps on her sandals and stepped out of them. It would also be nice to wash off the smell of Gaius and the feel of his roaming hands.

Paula helped her out of her clothes and took down her hair, then Valeria walked through her dressing room and into the bath. The small, white-tiled room was warm and humid and consisted of a sunken, rectangular pool with white pillars and statues lining the walls. A skylight directly above the pool illuminated the room with a soft glow. At the far edge of the pool sat a white stone bench that held jars of her scented soaps, oils and lotions, along with a straw basket full of dried rose petals and lavender flowers.

It was on the corner of this bench that Paula sat on top of a folded towel while Valeria immersed herself in the water that was slightly cool but had been warmed by the sun shining through the skylight.

“You must be glad to be home,” Paula said.

“I am.” Valeria gave a contented sigh and tilted her head back to wet her hair. “Being attacked, held prisoner, and then travelling for weeks with an army of men is hardly my idea of fun.”

“Lucia was very worried about you, and the Caesar Crispus threw quite a tantrum when he got the news.”

Valeria didn’t doubt her dear cousin had been angered by her absence since she’d left without his permission.

“What are the northerners like?” Paula wondered. “Are they as horrible as everyone says?”

“No.” A fond smile touched her lips as she thought of Tristan. “They’re no different from you or me.”

“Did they…?” Paula paused, blushing.

“Did they what?” Valeria was amused by the girl’s modesty. She’d been half wild and had been raped before coming into Valeria’s service. She knew more of the world than Valeria ever would.

“You know…”

Valeria finally supplied her with an answer. “I was not violated in that crude manner.”

Far from it. She’d been ravished by the passions of a wild northerner, and she’d loved every warm kiss, every gentle caress, every part of him.

“I’m glad to hear it,” a man’s voice echoed through the bath.

Paula frowned, and Valeria turned her head to see Gaius.

How dare he!

“What are you doing in here?” she shouted.

“Leave us.” He ordered Paula from the room with a terse nod of his head.

The girl had no choice but to obey because of his status and scrambled out. Valeria couldn’t get up and cover herself with the towel without Gaius seeing every inch of her, so she crossed her arms over her breasts and locked her legs together.

Gaius stood at the edge of the pool, looking ten feet tall as he stared down at her body through the clear water. A satisfied light came into his eyes.

“You have no right to be in here,” Valeria snapped in anger, wishing he’d just go without forcing himself on her in some way.

How much could he do to her in the safety of the palace?

Gaius found himself rather amused by her pointless attempts to deflect his advances. He was getting closer to having her, and she’d quickly come to learn that having his regard was preferable to suffering the ills of his temper. Gaius knew just how to bend her to his will. Carnal pleasures could serve a dual purpose, both to seduce, and discipline. There was so much he wanted to teach her.

As he stared down at her naked flesh beneath the water, seeing her flat stomach and long, shapely legs, his passions stirred, and they wouldn’t be held back for much longer.

“Before I took my leave,” he began, “I wanted to let you know that I’ve spoken to your cousin of my intentions, and he has agreed to consider my proposal.”

He went down on his knee and grabbed her wrists to pry her arms from her chest, eager to see the ripe fullness of her breasts. She struggled with him and splashed around in the water, determined to keep them from his view, but he easily overpowered her and pinned her arms at her sides so he could stare freely at her body.

“I wanted to get a look at what I’m buying.”

And what a prize she would be with her creamy skin, her perfectly shaped breasts, and the narrow waist that flared into round hips. He would take great pleasure from this woman.

“I won’t marry you.” She fought to twist out of his hold.

He gripped her arms tighter, holding her in place and covering her mouth with his own to quiet her struggles with a ravaging kiss. When he was satisfied with her submission, he let her go.

“You don’t have a say in the matter, my dear,” he informed her. “I’m of noble blood as well, and with my connections in the Emperor’s army, your family won’t deny the union.”

Valeria narrowed her eyes, giving him one of her dirty looks.

“Don’t look so sullen.” He smiled in return. “You’ll enjoy being my wife more than you think.”

Leaving her with that promise, he made his way out of her rooms. He was sure Valeria would put up a considerable fight, and he was looking forward to taking it out of her. He would mold her into the perfect wife.

The thought that she was safe from Gaius now that she was home had been successfully destroyed in a matter of minutes. Valeria stepped out of the pool and wrapped the towel around her body. How soon would Gaius push for a formal engagement? Once that happened, she’d be trapped and wed in less than a month. She didn’t have much time.

But as it was only her first day back in Rome, she would try not to fear her future and distract herself with thoughts of other, more pleasant things instead. Like when she could get away to see Lucia. The closest thing she had to a mother and her dearest friend, Valeria was dying to see her and tell her all about her journey.

She dried her dripping hair with the towel and lathered on some lotions. Back in her bedroom, she found Paula had unpacked her travel bag and had taken the clothes to be washed. With three wardrobes full of tunics, colorful stolas and elegant gowns, Valeria had no trouble finding something to wear. She pulled on a fresh tunic and settled for a light green stola. When she’d just finished lacing a pink ribbon around her torso, Crispus entered her rooms.

Her cousin was barely an inch taller than her, though his body was beginning to come into manhood and fill out his toga with a broad chest and muscular arms. He wore his dark brown hair short, as was the fashion, and his face was freshly shaven.

“My cousin the adventurer returns.” His voice was heavy with evil rancor. “Saved from the villainous clutches of the northern barbarians by the handsome Gaius Cato.”

She hoped her smile didn’t look too forced. “I was touched to hear you worried about me so.”

Anger flashed in his eyes and he stepped closer to her. “I am in charge while my father is away. You had no right to leave the city without my permission.”

“I don’t know why you’re so upset,” she scoffed. “I went to see your father, and I took Rufus with me.”

“If even my own cousin doesn’t respect me, how will the people respect me?”

“The people respect you.” It was a lie that came easily to her lips. She’d had to lie to her cousin many times in order to placate his ugly temper.

“They might respect me, but I want them to love me,” he whined. “The way they love my father.”

What he really meant was he wanted them to worship his very existence. Valeria couldn’t help him when it came to the people. His actions and deeds would earn either their loyalty, or their scorn. So far, he wasn’t doing too well. He took no counsel from the Senate, and he heard no appeals from them. He seemed to think he could run the entire city on his own.

“It will take time,” she said, “but I’m sure they’ll come to love you as much as the Emperor.”

“Do you really think so?”

No.

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Oh, dear cousin.” He threw his arms around her in a tight embrace and rested his head on her chest, like he was a small child in his mother’s arms. “I missed you. I had no one to keep me company.”

Valeria hated when he got like this. Clinging and in need of reassurance. At times his behavior felt inappropriate. She didn’t quite know what made her feel that way, but that a grown man would act like this with her made her uncomfortable.

“There, there.” She patted his back in a soothing manner. “I’m home now.”

“And you’ll leave me again when you’re married to Gaius Cato,” he pouted.

It was all she could do not to scream. She wanted to get rid of him so she could go to Lucia’s. It was time to play around with his mind.

“I don’t have to marry him.” She kept all emotion out of her tone, being careful as she made the suggestion so he might go along with it and think it had been his own idea from the start.

He lifted his head from her breast and looked at her with a hopeful gleam. “Are you not in a hurry to be wed to him?”

“No, cousin, I am not.”

“Well, that’s wonderful news.” Excitement lit his eyes as the idea settled into his mind. “We’ll make it a long engagement. We’ll make him work for your hand. No man will take my cousin from me so easily.”

Thank the Gods something was finally going her way.

“I like the way you think.” She laughed at how well she’d worked that intrigue.

“I feel much better seeing you smile like that.” Crispus released her and smoothed out his toga. “I’m going for a ride. Would you like to join me?”