The Chariots Slave (15 page)



speaking, he saw that both girls had looks of confusion on
their faces. “Horses normally stand, as it allows for a quick
escape if a predator comes around.”

“I did not know that,” Accalia said. “Vettius, how is
Simeon faring?” she asked when the thought of him
distracted her from the topic of horses.

Sweat beads began to form on his forehead. He quickly
wiped them away before either of the girls could see. It was a
chilly night, and the sweat was about to give away his lie.
“He is fine, almost recovered.” His eyes danced over Sellah’s
face, trying to read her reaction.

Sellah offered Vettius a half smile before poking at the
soft wax of the candle. Simeon was recovering. He had
maybe another few days before he could leave the care of the
medicos and go back to work. But there was something in the
way Vettius’s jaw clenched that made Sellah nervous.

“You know, don’t you?” she asked as she boldly raised her
eyes to challenge him.
“Know what?” Accalia looked between the pair who
stared at each other as if having a conversation in their minds.
There was an awkward silence before Vettius stood.
“Come Accalia, we must allow Sellah to find some sleep.
She has a lot of work to do tomorrow, and my son has
requested that she take her afternoon break with him in the
tent.”
Accalia arched her eyebrows as she looked at Sellah. “All
right, goodnight Sellah.”
With a quick tilt of her head, Sellah acknowledged



Accalia’s farewell. She thought over Vettius’s words and
Simeon’s request. Could she see him? Was she ready? The
answer was obvious by the reaction of her body. Tight
stomach, tension in her shoulders, not to mention difficulty
calming her breath.

“Vettius wait,” she called after him. “I cannot see Simeon
tomorrow. I have too much work to attend to and will not be
permitted an afternoon break.” It was a half lie, she did have
a lot of work. But she knew it was a choice to avoid Simeon
not a result of her workload.

Vettius slumped forward at her words, and he slowly
shook his head as he left the stables.
Accalia turned to Sellah and offered one more awkward
good-bye. Sellah knew her friend had no idea what had just
exchanged between the two of them and felt very much left
out. She hated not telling Accalia. She hated not telling
anyone. Avoiding Simeon would not be an option for long.
Soon she would have to face him and talk about the very
thing she had forced deep within… her feelings.

The guard panted as he rested his hands on his knees and
tried to regain his breath. He looked up to Thaddius who
motioned with his hand for him to go on. “It is the girls. They
grow restless waiting and have started throwing burning
objects into the villa. They are working together and will
have the gate breeched in no time!”

“I don’t understand, they were quiet earlier today.”
Thaddius rubbed his jaw as he thought over the consequences
that the women breaking in would cause.

“Yes, but when the girls from last night did not leave and
the next on the list had not been requested, they became
agitated. They wonder if you will keep your promise to
entertain them all.”

Thaddius paced back and forth as exasperation over yet
another problem challenged his reserve. “Can a man not keep
the same women for two nights if it pleases him to do so? I
do not have time for this. It is your job to keep this domus
secure, so leave me to my work and return to yours!”

The guard was hesitant in continuing, but the pressing
matters at the gate gave him courage to defy Thaddius and to
speak. “I understand my Lord, but I fear if you do not come
soon, they will overthrow the gate and then you will be
forced to make time. We cannot hold them off much longer.”

“Go back to the men, and I will come to you when I can.”
Thaddius dismissed him with a flick of the wrist.
If the guard spoke again, he was not aware. His whole
being was focused on his exhaustion and the overwhelming
anxiety of the looming tournament.
In an effort to ignore his emotions, Thaddius made his
way to his quarters. When he opened the door he saw that
Calista and Guya upon the setee, talking. He offered them a
brief smile before collapsing onto his bed.
“Thaddius, let us pick up where we left off last night. I
have been eagerly awaiting my chance to please you,” Calista
purred as she crossed the room to his side. “Guya, remove
Thaddius’s sandals and rub his feet. He has worked hard
today.”

“Thaddius, I must speak with you,” Vettius yelled through
the door.
“Not now, I have company!”
Thaddius’s childish manners were frustrating Vettius more
than they usually did. He had little to no patience left tonight.
“I do not care who you have in there, you must listen to what
I have to say!”
There was a shuffle of fabrics and a loud thud followed by
the slapping of Thaddius’s feet upon the floor. The door



whipped open and pushed stale air into Vettius’s face. The
anger-hardened face of a little boy, disguised as a man,
looked back at him.

“How dare you address me so…”
“I have had enough of your attitude,” Vettius interrupted.
Blank eyes and an open mouth stood frozen, as if to dare
Vettius to continue. “The boy I saw grow into a man, beside
my own child, is not the man I see standing before me now!
You act as though you are twelve in years not twenty three.”
He could hear Thaddius’s breathing deepen. But Thaddius
did not speak, instead he closed the door behind and stepped
out into the hall with Vettius.
Vettius knew he must continue. Thaddius needed to hear
what he was trying to say before his aggravation deafened his
ears and blocked it out.
“I love you as if you were my own son.”
A flicker of hesitance flashed in Thaddius’s anger-filled
eyes.
“Thaddius, you need to hear me. I have always been proud
of you, always hoped the best of you. Known you were meant
for greatness and to lead with a gentle but firm hand. Yet the
man I see before me now is not that man. You have been
tasked with responsibility, but you believe you must be like
your father to be a successful leader.”

Thaddius choked back the knot in his throat as he looked
at the man he too had loved his entire life. Knowing that
Vettius had love in return brought him more relief than he
could have imagined.

“Wait, I have not finished.” He held up his hand to cut
Thaddius off. “You are not your father. Nor are you intended
to be. There is goodness in your heart,” he said as he took the
liberty of placing his hand over Thaddius’s chest. This was a
risk that could cost him his life, but he did not fear. He
trusted Thaddius despite the mistakes the boy had made. He
had a kind heart. “When you feel stress or worry or fear, seek
the answers in your heart. For we have all seen how you act
when you use your head.”

When he finished, he pulled Thaddius into a firm embrace.
At first the boy stood rigid with his arms motionless at his
sides. But it did not take long for Vettius’s love to soften him.
And when it did, the good hearted little boy cried as he

The tears took with them the loneliness of a little boy who
had longed to hear his father tell him that he had made him
proud. Vettius had given him that gift, something he had
waited far too long to hear.

Neither of the men spoke when the embrace finished. No
words were required. Both had given and received what was
needed of them and by them.



“Are we finally alone?” a familiar voice asked.
Calista, of course, he had forgotten about her. Taking in

his room for the first time, he realized that Guya lay asleep on
the settee with an empty vessel of wine next to her, no doubt
Calista’s doing. And the girl, Calista, was wrapped in his
cover sheet and laying seductively on his bed.

“I uh..” he stuttered as he tried to determine what he
should do. “I came to say goodnight. I will be staying in
another room.” Before he could see the disappointment on
her face or let her words convince him to stay, he turned and
left. The screams of an angry Calista pressed him forward,
confirming he had made the right choice.

He let his feet direct him as he reflected on the events of
the night. A smile threatened to turn into a full grin when he
thought about how Calista must feel. He had denied her what
she had wanted both nights. He had denied her himself.

A familiar smell awakened his subconscious, and he found
himself in a room he had not visited in months, a room he
had avoided at all costs. The room of his late father.

Now that he had broken the seal and entered the room, he
couldn’t help but explore once more. Letting his hands caress
the items on the table, he let his eyes wander over his father’s
belongings. Everything was exactly how his father had left it.

Soft fabric slipped between his fingers, and he looked
down to see a familiar cloak. Shaky hands brought it to his
face as he allowed himself to breathe in one deep reminder of
his father’s scent.

He threw down the cloak and pushed the items on the table
to the floor. They crashed as his feet. Some rolled to the side
and some shattered into small pieces.



“I hated you because I was never good enough!”
Tears betrayed his resolve. The weight of his agony and

grief overtook his legs, and he sank to the ground atop the
broken pieces of his father’s possessions—the perfect
reminder of their damaged relationship.

“I tried. I tried everything! You loved horses so I became
Rome’s finest charioteer. I practiced day and night to make
you proud. And when they gave me that title, do you
remember what you said? Let me remind you… You said,
Rome is only a small portion of the world. I am sure a rider
from the Republic of Seres could surpass your skill.”

Thaddius threw a broken piece of a pot against the far
wall. “Well father, you may just get your wish. They may
beat us, but this time you lose as well because the cost of the
wager is your name!” He screamed his words, allowing a
lifetime of pain to release in the simple confessions of a son
who felt abandoned by his father.