55The Love Of A Slave
Chapter 1
"Euphemia! Would you come here please?" a soft voice called to her handmaiden.
Antonia Tyrania sat in her bed chambers combing her long ebony locks in front of her mirror. She smiled as Euphemia; a golden haired girl with a green dress entered and curtsied low to her master's daughter.
"Please arrange my hair for me" she handed the servant her hairbrush.
"As you wish my lady" she proceeded to pull Antonia's hair back into a bun and pinned it back with as fixing comb, with locks falling out elegantly out at the back, two wavy locks framed her soft oval face.
"Thank you Euphemia, you are dismissed" the tall young woman stood from her seat, Euphemia bowed and left the room immediately. Antonia walked to her bedside and retrieved a book she had been reading and walked out of her room reading it.
Were she not a woman she would have been considered an intellectual, she knew a few languages and was very interested in science. She read a lot of books, much to her mother's disapproval.
"You should partake in more feminine activities, Antonia. It is not right for a woman to read," she would often tell her daughter.
Antonia just smiled and shrugged it off, what was the point of having a brain if you were not going to use it? She walked down the endless corridors of the large country house that sat on the outskirts of Rome. Her father Senator Galus Antonius Tyranus owned that house and the vineyard to the south of the city, next to the house. Antonia's family was small but very wealthy and they had at least a hundred servants working in the house and in the vineyards. Antonia did not see the need for so many servants when the family could do most of the tasks set.
"Good morning cousin" the familiar and undeniably handsome figure of Cordius made his presence known to Antonia. He was of moderate build with hair the colour of the evening sky, all reds and yellows. He wore a simple brown tunic of the typical style with knee length laced sandals.
"Good morning Cordius, sleep well?" she looked up briefly from her book and smiled.
"Like a rock" Cordius' amber eyes scanned Antonia's body. It was well known to her that he lusted after her, and it was not uncommon for cousins to become couples but Antonia had no interest in him, as handsome as he was he was too arrogant and self absorbed.
"Good" her eyes returned to her book before it was rudely snatched from her grasp.
"Looking for this Antonia?" Cordius held it teasingly in front of her.
"Cordius, give me my book" she said in a calm but equally frustrated voice.
"Come and get it" he held it up high out of her reach.
"Grow up Cordius" she hissed and walked away, her blue dress flowing out behind her. But Cordius wanted to play.
"Antonia! Oh come on, I was but jesting with you" he walked in front of her and held her book out. Antonia went to take it but it was jerked out of her grasp. She growled and went to grab it again but missed badly and Cordius grabbed her waist and pulled her to him. "Now this is a promising position, is it not?" he grinned at his cousin who scowled.
"You are impossible!" she growled and her blue eyes flashed in anger.
"I know" he replied in a slightly hoarse voice. His hand moved from her waist to her behind. She stiffened in surprise as he continued to grope her backside.
"Cordius, please" she tried to push against him. He dropped the book to the floor and held her to him tightly, he went to kiss her but she turned her head to avoid his lips. He of course, took this as an invitation to kiss her exposed neck.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured between butterfly kisses and little nips on the soft flesh.
"Cordius no!" she tried to push away but he was much stronger than she was.
"Why do you pull away? You know this is what you want" he said in a husky voice full of desire for Antonia. He captured her mouth with his in a fiery kiss; it was more brutal than anything. His tongue was ravaging her lips, attempting to get her to open her mouth. Antonia would not, she clamped it shut and with all her strength the pushed against him, causing him to stumble backwards. He looked her in the eyes, his own eyes dark with longing and hers burning in anger. Antonia raised her hand and struck him hard across the face, leaving a throbbing red hand mark across his tanned face.
"You pig" she stated in a barely audible whisper, never had he treated her like that. "How dare you make such advances upon my person!"
"I am sorry Antonia, I do not know what came over me. Please, I ask you forgive my lasciviousness" he knelt in front of her and held her hand in his own with a pleading look on his face.
Antonia took a deep breath in order to calm herself, she was not known to be heartless, and she was a forgiving soul. She looked down upon the face of her impetuous cousin and sighed.
"Do not let it happen again" she said gently. "My book please Cordius" she added.
Hastily he picked the book up and handed it to her and bowed his head before standing. He took her free hand and kissed it.
"You are most gracious, cousin" he smiled and released her hand.
He watched her form retreat out onto the veranda, where she sat and continued to read from where she left off. In truth Cordius was not sorry, her forgiveness was just another chance for him to get closer again to her. If she did not forgive him then she would stay away and he would never get another chance with the object of his desire. Her trust would be her downfall. Cordius left the corridor for his room to attempt to relieve his mind of his yearning.
Antonia was attempting to read but her recent situation with Cordius had thrown her off the idea completely. She shut her book in severe frustration and leant back against the pillar behind her. She view she saw was of Rome, she sat on the north veranda and overlooked the great city, the most powerful empire on the planet started with that city.
The buildings were many, and great in stature. The one that attracted Antonia the most was the Colosseum, the home of the Roman blood sports. She longed to go and observe this, atrocity that attracted people so much. But her mother would not allow her to do so, she said that it was no place for a young girl. Antonia knew that there was no use in arguing with the commanding presence that was her mother. Sometimes she believed that her mother ruled the actions of her father.
Antonia sat pondering this for a long while before hearing the voices of two servants talking idly from behind her, obviously not aware of her presence.
"Word is from Antius in the Vineyards that another Slave Auction is being held outside the Colosseum today. All slaves that are not sold with become Gladiators, either that or fed to the lions" the voice of Marsus, her father's personal servant travelled to Antonia's ears.
"I dread to think of it Marsus, remember we had to go through the same ordeal. We were lucky to be bought by Senator Tyranus. There are far worse fates than having to serve for a living" Virius replied.
"Indeed, and I dare say that we have been treated far better than others have. I have met others that have been beaten, forced to work in mines - and worse"
"Yes, always remember that there is someone out there worse of than yourself, because there always is"
Antonia listened in with great interest. She had never been to a slave auction, it was not a thing that ladies could partake in. It was viewed as a man's job to buy and sell people like property. She wished to know what went on.
She put her book on the stone bench and walked over to the still conversing couple. Both turned and bowed instantly with apologetic looks on their faces, they should not have been standing doing nothing when there were chores to be done.
"We beg your pardon my lady we were just - " Virius began.
"Talking, yes I know" she smiled. "And I was eavesdropping, so we are both guilty"
"Thank you my lady" Marsus smiled, all the servants liked Antonia best of all because she did not talk down to them, she talked to them, even when she was giving instructions.
"I wonder, Virius, if you could do me a service" she began.
"Anything" he smiled.
"I wish for you to accompany me to the Slave Auction today"
Both men looked at each other in confusion and Virius turned back to Antonia.
"But my lady, Slave Auctions are no place for a well born lady such as yourself" Antonia hardened her voice at this response.
"I will not be coddled like a child from what goes on in the world, I have a right and a duty to know and so I shall. Will you accompany me Virius? This is the last time I will ask," she said in a stern tone.
"I am at your command as always my lady, I will accompany you, as it is my duty" he replied with a small smile, still not entirely content with the situation.
"Marsus, fetch me a plain brown cloak please, I wish to blend in and not stick out like a peacock in a hen house" the servant nodded and quickly went to fetch it for her.
"Virius, ready the cart, and tell no one of this, if my mother finds out it will be my neck" she smiled and he left immediately.
Antonia walked into her room and collected her purse as she was going into Rome, the shopping headquarters of Italy. Marsus returned with the cloak and he slipped it over her shoulders, she clasped it at the front and pulled the hood up. She hid most of her clothes beneath it.
"Thank you Marsus" she smiled and left swiftly. Fortunately there was no one around save the servants who would not say a word about this. Her parents were still in bed, lazy as they were.
"Go Virius" she commanded and she mounted the cart. Virius cracked the reins and they set off towards the great city.
(A/N: What did you think? Should I continue with this? Please review - luv Stick)