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Slave Girl: Chapter 9
🕑 Added 2021-04-23 22:43:07 +0000 UTCJust past midday the afternoon heat is really bearing down and, seeing a broad beech tree up ahead, I tell the flagging Rosa that we would be resting here for a time. She is grateful to hear it. There were a pair of travelers and their loaded up donkey already resting in the shade when we get there.
“Hello.” Rosa says cheerfully.
The two men nod our way. The older of them, a wiry dark skinned man in his fifties, notices the brand on my slave’s hand. It was a healthy pink already but still quite obviously fresh. As soon as he notices it his entire focus shifts to me. His eyes were shrewd and calculating. A slave was beneath his notice but someone who just purchased a slave was just his type of person.
As Rosa and I find a place on the bare rocky soil he greets me. “Greetings young man. Coming from Rome?”
“Yeah.” I nod as I place my pack on the ground and roll my tense shoulders.
“We’re just heading there ourselves.” He rubs his chin and studies me as if I were a puzzle to be solved. The newly purchased slave, a beautiful young woman no less, suggested wealth but my simple attire belied that. He cuts to the chase. “Is this your slave?”
“Yes.” I answer honestly. “I didn’t set out to buy her but…I did.”
“Indeed. These things will happen.” He grins. My answer seemed to be exactly what he wanted to hear. It takes me a moment to realize that the way I said it made it sound like I had bought her on a frivolous whim. Frivolous whims such as this were reserved only for the ultra wealthy.
I am about to correct this impression when Rosa jumps in. “Master’s bid was the only one. He won me outright. No other would match it.”
“Indeed.” He says again as he looks at my slave once more, not as a person but as one might inspect a prize stallion. “It must have been a princely sum.”
“I was humbled by it.” She bows her head demurely.
Why was she leading them on like this? I go to set things right. “It’s not how it sounds. I received an inheritance from my uncle.”
“My condolences.” He says solemnly, though his mood seemed to only brighten.
“He is now the master of an estate far to the South.” Rosa continues. “Holdings along a rich river valley. From plebeian beginnings my Master has come to be a landowner and a slaveholder. A patrician in all but name.” She giggles and smooths her tunic. “Despite what our modest appearance at the moment might suggest. Bandits you know.”
Estate? Holdings? Rich river valley? Patrician in all but name? What was she on about?
“Indeed!” His grin widens. “Fortuna smiles on you. Come young master.” He waves me forward. “I would be honored if you shared refreshment with us.” Without waiting for a response he tells the younger man to break out food and wine.
“Um.” I fidget. I was not one to turn away hospitality, and I was hungry, but this was clearly being done under a false pretense. I feel Rosa’s hand on my back pushing me forward. I step toward them then, after a moment’s hesitation, I lower myself to sit on the ground across from the Aethiop man. Before my butt can hit the dirt Rosa’s capelet was suddenly beneath me. I look down at it and then over at her. She bows her head in a show of obedience. Rosa then moves over to help the younger man serve, he accepts her help as if it were expected. Together they bring down a long wooden box from the donkey’s back and open it up.
“I am Gaius Fabianus from Neapolis.” My host says in a friendly tone. “I didn’t catch your name young master.”
“Quintus.” I mumble.
“Quintus.” He waits a moment for more information but soon carries on when it wasn’t forthcoming. “Very good. Well Quintus, I believe lady fortune may have blessed you a second time by having us meet under the shade of this tree.”
“Oh?”
“I am a mosaic artisan, specializing in floors. My work graces the finest villas of Neapolis, Cumae, Pompeii, and beyond. Though country estates are something of a specialty of mine. At a fair price I take my talents where they are needed.”
“I see.”
“Boy!” Gaius barks, causing the young man to snap to attention. “Bring me my samples.”
Instantly the man hurries around to the other side of beast of burden to unstrap another wooden chest and bring it to his boss’s side. Opening it with a flourish Gaius begins showing small samples of his work. One after another he lays the out squares of tile and glass mosaics as he sells me on his talents. Everything from simple patterns to mythical beasts. I had to admit the guy was clearly good at his craft. I look at them each with a polite interest, feeling worse by the moment. He actually thought I could afford such extravagances thanks to Rosa’s exaggerations and my complicit silence.
When he gets to the last two he pauses with a roguish smirk. “Now these may really take your interest. I notice that you didn’t just buy a slave. You bought a demon. And a beautiful one.” He says approvingly. “You enjoy the exotic and the sensual. I respect that.” He takes the next one out and lays it among the others. Leaning in to make out the pattern I realize it shows the nether regions of a naked woman in impressive detail! I feel my blush rise.
“Oh! Oh my.”
His grin widens then he brings out the other one and places it beside the first. The two clearly went together as this one shows the erect penis of a Faun lined up to penetrate the woman in the first tile.
I look away. “I-I-I don’t think I can…”
Seeing my reaction he whisks them back into the box. “Perhaps not your style after all. Well I can do many styles and scenes, as you can see, and I can offer something no other can in all of Campania.”
My curiosity gets the better of me. “What’s that?”
“This.” He says as he reaches into the box and pulls out a small black glass cube about the size of a fingernail. He turns it so that it glinted in the light.
“What is it?”
“A tesserae. A very special tesserae.” He leans across and offers it. I hold my hand out and he drops it into my palm.
“It’s cool! It’s quite cool actually.” I say as I feel the cold glass on my skin. As it sat there it only got colder. “It’s magic!”
“Yes it is.” He says proudly. “A minor enchantment but one very few know. All through the summer months it absorbs heat, in the winter months it releases it as a pleasant warmth. If there are enough of them they can make a room stay the same temperature all through the year.” He explains. “Though even a few dozen can make a noticeable difference. They only come in black unfortunately but they can easily blended in with any design.”
Duly impressed I hand it back to him and he puts it away. “Wow. I’ve never seen such a thing.”
“A premium product for a premium clientele.” He says. “I hope you consider me for your new villa. Remember young master. That’s Gaius Fabianus from Neapolis. You can find me easy enough there if you ask around. Don’t forget it now.”
“Uh…yeah.”
Just then Rosa stands with a spread of food laid out on a wooden plate. She brings it to me. Kneeling at my side she places it in front of me like any well trained slave might to a lord or lady. Across from me Gaius’ boy does the same. This felt sooooo strange. I did not like it.
“Rosa…” I am about to tell her to feel free to eat as well but she looks up at me and gives me a very subtle shake of her head. This food was only for the master. Looking over the plate there is bread, vegetables, cheese, figs, and even a bit of meat. At the side is a cup of dark wine. As sumptuous a meal as one could have on the road. “This is too much.”
“Nonsense.” The man says. “Enjoy. I insist.”
We fall quiet as we begin to eat. The food is good but honestly better on the eye than the palate, the trout this morning was better. Rosa shifts in to behind me. I feel her hands touch my back and rub all the way up to my shoulders where she begins to massage me. Oh my goodness did it feel good!
“Carrying that load.” She says softly. “Your muscles are tense. Let me help.”
Gaius looks up with jealousy in his eyes. Feeling self-conscious at being so spoiled and bashful for having her touch me like this in front of another I shrug Rosa away. I hear a disappointed little sigh but Rosa respects my wishes and stops.
Rolling his own shoulders Gaius seizes the opportunity. “Perhaps one act of hospitality for another?”
“Hmm?” I ask with a mouthful of wine.
“I wouldn’t object to a massage from a pretty young thing. These days on the road can be long and tiring.”
Eating his food and drinking his wine as I was I find it difficult to say no outright even though I hated the idea. Looking back over my shoulder at Rosa she gives me a little nod to indicate I only had to give the word and she would eagerly obey. I suppose it was only fair. It didn’t sit well receiving this meal while offering nothing in return.
“Um. Yeah, sure. It’s okay. I guess.”
“Demon!” He snaps his order. “Come here.”
“What did you call her?” I slowly set my wine down beside me.
He is tilts his neck left and right. “Hurry now slave. I’ve got a hell of a knot in my neck. Come, come!”
My eyes narrow in anger. “Her name is Rosa.”
From just behind me my slave rubs my back and whispers oh so softly. “It’s okay Master. Be calm. Enjoy your meal.”
Standing up Rosa walks over to the older man, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed. The very picture of innocence and obedience. She moves in behind him and begins to massage his neck and shoulders as she had with me. From the moment her hands touched him the sight of it turns my stomach. I didn’t know why should it bother me that this girl I barely knew touched another man, but it did. I sit there picking lightly at my meal as I listen to his hums and groans of enjoyment.
“Ahhhh.” Gaius groans as Rosa works her small hands into his stiff neck. “Yes girl. Like that.” Looking at me he says. “She’s good, isn’t she? Very good.”
“Yeah.” I mutter as I look down and stare at my meal. I had completely lost my appetite. Taking another drink I turn to look out over the nearby wheat field. I couldn’t bear seeing her do this or hearing her servile little hums and comments to him. Her kindly tone as false as the story that got me this meal. A tone not unlike how she spoke to me. Why did I expect anything different from a whore? She’d have been working for longer than I’ve been alive. He was just another man to her…and so was I. Just another in a very long line.
“Demon, you are a treat.” He sighs. “Ohhhh. Had I been at that auction I may have started a bidding war.”
“Oh you old charmer you.” She giggles and playfully slaps his shoulder. “You flatter me.”
He laughs and shimmies back closer to her.
I grit my teeth then finish my wine in a single gulp. Gaius’ boy hurries forward to refill my cup but I wave him away annoyedly. “We ought to be moving soon.”
“Moving? In this heat?” Gaius says. “Just relax young master.” Then he lets out a long. “Ohhhhh!” As Rosa digs an elbow into a particularly stiff area of his shoulder. “Ohhhh gods that is good!”
Given her background Rosa knew what she was doing, his noises left no doubt of that. They seemed at ease with each other. They were city folk, all three of them, they spoke the same language and embraced the same ways. They understood each other. Despite our rural surroundings I was the outsider here. The stupid young rube. Hidden to my opposite side my fist clenches tight. I stew in my bitterness and anger as Gaius enjoys his meal as well as the skillful service of my slave. It seems a grueling eternity before they are finished.
“Something wrong with the food?” Gaius asks as Rosa, finished her massage, bows to him and thanks him then returns to me.
“I wasn’t hungry.” I answer curtly. As Rosa kneels at my side I fix her with a hard stare. “Finish it up Rosa.”
“Master?”
“Eat it.” I command her sternly and push the plate her way. “You earned it. You eat it.”
She glances Gaius’ way and tries to laugh it off. “Silly Master. Don’t be…”
I get to my feet all at once surprising everyone. I could feel their eyes following me as I stride over to my pack and hoist it onto my shoulder. “Eat.” I say again without looking back. “Catch up once you’re done.”
With that I start off down the road at a hard brisk pace with my eyes fixed Southward.
