Passion and Sand; Taming the Rebel

by Andromeda -

  “He sold me,” he growled. “He sold me to these…these…animals! He sold me so he could become chief! That title was my birthright, and mine alone!”

  “Well,” she said slowly, “what makes you think that?”

  “I was the only son of my father,” he answered. “That is why it is mine.”

  She frowned. “Becoming a chief because you were born in that position doesn’t mean you deserve the title. You must earn it.”

  He glared at her. “What do you know? You most likely were born into slavery. The only thing you know of are those fine clothes you receive for being the pet of the emperor’s daughter.”

  Flames of anger roared behind her eyes, and Ayanna stood up, pulling herself to her fullest height. “I was born a princess,” she spat at him. “My mother was a queen, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kush. I was to take her place, but only because I had earned it. From the day of my birth, my mother trained me. She trained me to be the leader my people needed!”

  “What made you come here then?” he asked, curious on how a princess would end up in Rome.

  She turned her head away, looking out of the bars of the cell. “They tricked my mother. They used her only weakness to make her submit—they used me. In the end…, it was my fault for the fall of my kingdom.”

  That was not the truth. She was only a little girl and had no real part in the fall. Yet, she told herself that day after day to try and make sense of all that had happened. She kept telling herself, ‘What if I had woken up?’ or ‘What if I had fought back?’ These questions and more swirled within her mind. Answerless questions that she had no way of knowing what was truth and what was a lie.

  After a long moment, she opened the door to the cell and went to leave, but a gentle hand on her arm made her stop. Turning around, she found herself looking into his clear, blue eyes. Once again, she felt that connection. Once again, she felt that…that stirring feeling within her that she only felt when he was around.

  “I had no idea…,” he said softly.

  “Do you really think you are the only one who had everything taken from you by the empire?” she asked. “We all have lost something, one way or another.”

  “But not the way…you and I have,” he said.

  His hand gently caressed her arm as he looked into her hazel eyes. The moonlight shining down from the single window illuminated her beautiful brown skin. He did not know what possessed him, but slowly, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers.

  Ayanna froze. Never had she been kissed before, and yet…, it felt so right. Her arms moved up, wrapping around his shoulders to pull him closer as the kiss deepened. Their lips moved in perfect sync, and as he tried to deepen the kiss, a noise behind them made her jump. It was nothing more than a guard passing by, but it was enough to distract her and cause the hot surge within her blood to cool.

  “I…I need to get back,” she said. “Aurora is waiting for me.”

  “Wait,” he said, gently touching her arm again. “What…what did that mean?”

  She swallowed slowly before pulling her arm away. “I…I do not know, but forget that it even happened.”

  Kaiser watched as she left his cell, the feel of her lips still upon his own. He had kissed plenty of women back in Germania, but never did it ever feel like that.

  Chapter Eleven

  “There is another uprising in the North that I must attend to,” the emperor said to his children one night at dinner.

  Ayanna, who stood behind Aurora to serve, pricked up her ears at this.

  “What do you mean, Father?” Aurora asked as she sat up on the couch. “Does this mean that you will be leaving us?”

  The emperor nodded sadly. “Yes, dear one, it does. I must go put down this rebellion that the Britons have been stirring.”

  Aurora tried to hide her excited face the best she could under one of concern. “But, father, we have just returned home.”

  “I know,” the emperor sighed. “But the safety of Rome must be my top priority. I must go and take care of this. But, do not worry, I am leaving you all in capable hands.”

  Ayanna glanced at the other slaves, who all seemed to be breathing a soft sigh of relief at this. They all seemed to be hiding their joy at this, to know that once again, the emperor was leaving and they would be semi-free to do as they wished.

  As she put Aurora to bed, the young Roman woman was already making plans of ways to see Artemus again, though Ayanna had to tell her to calm down. She couldn’t just expect Artemus to be brought to her whenever she wished. They had to, at first, try and see which guards they could trust and which guards they could not. In the worst-case scenario, they would have to meet in another place, but that would be the last resort.

  “How I miss him,” Aurora sighed as Ayanna washed her hair. “I miss how he feels inside me… Those Greeks are blessed by the gods…”

  “I do not need to hear that, Aurora,” Ayanna teased.

  Aurora laughed. “Stop acting as if you are so innocent, Ayanna. I have seen how he looks at you…”

  “He who?” Ayanna asked.

  “Kaiser…,” Aurora teased with a grin. “I have seen how he looks at you…and how you look at him. Something happened, did it not?”

  “It did not!” Ayanna said as crimson bloomed upon her cheeks. “Nothing happened.”

  “I shall believe that the day the boar flies among the clouds,” Aurora laughed. “I know something happened! Tell me, please.”

  Ayanna exhaled deeply. “He…he pressed his lips to mine.”

  Aurora’s eyes widened with amazement. “He kissed your nether lips?”

  “No!” Ayanna almost cried out. “No! No! No! The lips upon my face!”

  “Oh,” Aurora said with a nod. “Artemus likes my nether’s.”

  “Aurora,” Ayanna groaned. She really did not wish to have this talk with her.

  “I am sorry,” Aurora giggled. “But I can’t believe it. You have a man who you care for.”

  “I do not!” Ayanna protested. “I do not care for him at all. He is hot headed and too quick tempered. He thinks with his fists too much, and refuses to listen to reason…”

  “You must really care for him for you to notice all of that,” Aurora said with a grin a mile wide.”

  “I do not care for him!” Ayanna protested. “Not in the slightest! Just like I know he does not care for me!”

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  She was wrong.

  Ayanna was completely wrong in all ways.

  Kaiser, though he was all those things she had stated, did care for her, though he did not tell her that. Both of them were stubborn, neither wanting to admit to the other that they truly had feelings for each other. Yet, it was clear as day to all.

  They would pick arguments with each other over the smallest things. They would avoid each other, only to desperately search for the other in gathered places.

  In combat, they could give it their all, never letting up even in the slightest, but making sure the other was unharmed. Well, at least Kaiser acted this way. In training, Ayanna wouldn’t stop until some part of him was bleeding one way or another. It was not her way to ease up in combat.

  Yet, to all who saw it—well, at least to the slaves—it was clear that they did care for each other in some type of way. Whether the two wanted to admit it themselves or not, that was up to them.

  One morning, as Ayanna took Aurora’s linens to the slaves that cleaned them, Barack entered to check up on the cloth that the gladiators used to bind their aching joints.

  “How has your day been going?” he asked as he counted over the cloth.

  “I have been fine,” she answered. “Aurora wishes to go into town today, so I must hurry.”

  “You need one of the gladiators to go with you,” he reminded her. “Why not take…Kaiser.”

  “I believe not,” she snapped instantly.

  Barack tried not to smile, as he knew of the rumors that swirled around the two. “I
do not see why not. I will tell him that he and Aleron are to escort you both into town.”

  “But…,” Ayanna began to say, but the words died on her lips when he disappeared.

  With a sigh, she left the linens and went to Aurora’s chambers to tell her of their assigned guards. They always had to have people to watch them when they left the Imperial Palace, though Aurora always believed that Ayanna was more than enough protection. At times, however, it did not hurt to have some extra help.

  Kaiser and Aleron waited for the two women at the gates, though when they approached, he ignored Aurora completely and instead looked to Ayanna, to who he gave a sly wink and a smile. Ayanna completely ignored him and instead looked to Aurora.

  “Allow me to get your carriage, my lady,” she said. “I will be gone, but only a moment.”

  She left to get the carriage drawn, but footfalls behind her let her know she was being followed. Turning around, she saw Kaiser following with a smug smile upon his lips.

  “What do you think you are doing?” she snapped at him.

  “I am helping you,” he said. “I do not mind being a big…help.”

  She glared at him. “I do not need it, nor do I wish for it.”

  “I am helping you anyway,” he said as he followed her to the stables.

  Ayanna ordered slaves to get the carriage ready, and while she waited, she tried to ignore Kaiser, but it was hard for her. So hard that after several moments, she turned around and glared at him.

  “What do you want?” she hissed.

  “To be of any…assistance I can be to you,” he said with a clear double meaning.

  “Like I said before, I do not need your help,” she spat.

  “You seem very uptight,” he said. “I am sure a couple rounds in my bed will loosen you out…”

  She wanted to slap him. Her hand was raised to slap him, but she stopped when she saw the carriage approaching them, ready to go with two horses at the helm. She turned back to him. “Stay away from me,” she growled. “I am not interested.”

  That’s the thing, my African princess, he thought to himself as they went back to get Aurora and head into town. I am interested in you…

  Chapter Twelve

  “Alright, line up!” Barack barked. “I have the names of those whom will be fighting the upcoming games.”

  “I hope my name isn’t called,” Aleron whispered to Kaiser as Barack read off the list. “I was hoping to ask Lady Aurora if I might be able to see my wife.”

  Kaiser looked to the man who he had slowly begun to consider his friend. “You have a wife?”

  “Yes,” Aleron said with a smile. “A beautiful woman. We have two children together, and I miss her so. How it will be good to have her in my arms again at night.”

  “What is her name?” Kaiser asked. “I do not believe I know of her.”

  “Albina,” Aleron answered. “I cannot wait to see her.”

  Slaves brought water for the gladiators to drink, and Kaiser found himself disappointed that Ayanna was not among them. The African princess had grown on him, and though he would not openly admit it, he wanted to see her as much as possible. She was unlike any other woman he had ever met before, and he wanted to keep her as close as possible to him.

  “And the last name on the list,” Barack said, “will be Artemus. We need our champion to fight against Capua. They claim they have this new gladiator who is better than the rest.”

  “I will send them back with their tails between their legs,” Artemus boasted. “None shall beat me!”

  He walked over to the water bucket and found Kaiser drinking from the wooden ladle. The Greek grabbed the ladle without asking for it, dipped it into the waters and raised it to his lips.

  “Hey,” Kaiser snapped. “I was drinking from that.”

  “And now I am,” Artemus said smugly. “Learn your place, German.”

  Kaiser gritted his teeth, and before he knew it, his fist had pulled back and he punched Artemus hard in the nose. Artemus stumbled back. Raising his hand to his face, he felt the blood and then looked to Kaiser, his eyes blazing with fury. He lunged at the man, and before long, both men were rolling in the dirt, fighting.

  The other gladiators circled around them, cheering and egging them on. Everyone knew Kaiser was a great warrior, some whispered that he was better than Artemus, though none said it out loud, lest the Greek hear them, and tear out their tongues.

  “I will feed you your own entrails!” Artemus bellowed.

  “I will tear off your manhood and shove it up your ass!” Kaiser bellowed back.

  A sharp crack filled the air that could only be the sound of Barack’s whip. Both men knew to stop, else they receive lashes. Neither wished for that, so they separated, though each looked to be badly beaten up.

  “Both of you go cool off,” Barack ordered. “Kaiser, go to your cell. Artemus, you go to the baths. Now!”

  Kaiser shoved past Artemus as he stormed into the cool of the barracks. Though as he neared his cell, he saw Ayanna walking past with a platter of food, no doubt to be given to the gladiators to eat. Looking around to make sure none were around first, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

  “Let me go,” she snapped. “I don’t want you touching me.”

  “You weren’t saying that when I kissed you,” he said smugly. “Also, good day to you, too.”

  Ayanna tried to pull free. “Let me go.”

  “No,” he said with a smirk.

  “Let me go!” she snapped. “I do not want you—”

  Her words were cut off by his lips that crashed upon hers. His hands gripped her waist and pulled her close to deepen the kiss. For a moment, she stiffened, but then her body relaxed and pressed against him. The platter dropped to the ground as he pressed her against a wall, his lips traveling to her neck as he lifted her up so they were of equal height.

  She couldn’t stop the soft sighs and gentle moans of pleasure that rippled through her body at his touch. She couldn’t stop her hands from roaming over his shoulders to pull him closer, nor did she truthfully want to stop. This…this felt so right, though, in the back of her mind, a small voice was telling her to stop this. Yet, that voice was quickly silenced the moment his hand went up her dress.

  As his mouth latched onto her neck, his fingers gently caressed the tender flesh of her inner thigh, but he did not travel much higher than that. He wanted to, though. He swore he could feel the heat from her nethers, and though he wanted to so badly, his hands did not go higher. She was not ready for that. After a moment, however, Ayanna’s senses seemed to snap back into reality and she began to shove at him.

  “Let me go,” she said. “Put me down right now!”

  “You sure about that?” he asked with a grin. “You seem pretty happy where I am right now…”

  Her hand pulled back and then struck him hard on the cheek, as if to give him her answer. So, he did the logical thing to do: he put her down.

  “Now, because of you, I have to go back and get another platter of food,” she grunted as she tried to fix her crumpled dress. “Unless you men want to eat food covered in sand.”

  He didn’t say anything as she stormed away, but he couldn’t help but smirk as he watched the angry sway of her hips. He was getting inside her head.

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  The bed creaked as Aurora panted. Her nails dug into the shoulders of Artemus as the large Greek bounced her upon himself. He was close to his release, as was she, but he wanted to draw out his moment, as tomorrow, he would enter the arena and it would be unclear if he ever walked out. Leaning down, he laid Aurora on her back and put her legs on his shoulders as his hips slammed into hers.

  The small woman looked dwarfed under him, yet that did not stop their lovemaking. Artemus loved how small she was, yet, how she managed to take all of him inside her, he would never know. Her being petite, however, was very attractive to him, and he wished for her to stay that way.

  As he reached his peak
, he buried his face into her shoulder and gave a deep, low groan as he poured into her. With a heavy sigh, after several moments, he withdrew and fell at her side. Aurora placed her head on his chest and traced gentle, intimate patterns upon it, almost like it was a canvas.

  “I pray that the gods give you victory tomorrow,” she said softly. “I want you back in my arms…”

  “Nothing will make me happier,” he said. “And I know the gods will grant me victory, as they have always done.”

  She smiled and kissed his chest. “Yes, they have. They favor you quite highly, but what happened to your eye?” she pointed to the black eye he had.

  Artemus frowned. “The German punched me, but do not worry, I taught him a lesson.”

  “The German?” she repeated, thinking over the gladiators they had. “Oh, you mean Kaiser?”

  “That is his name?” he asked. “I did not know that, but yes, it was he. I believe he is jealous that he will not fight in the arena tomorrow.”

  “Maybe,” she said with a shrug. “But please do not pick fights, especially with him. He seems to favor Ayanna.”

  “He does?” he asked with raised eyebrows. “I did not know that, but that does make sense. I have seen how he looks at her at times. Hopefully, it works out well. Germans, however, I have heard are nothing more than wild animals.”

  “They say that about a lot of the different people of the world,” she said. “But I do not believe that. I believe that as long as you reach others with kindness, that is what you will receive back.”

  He smiled at her fondly. “Words of wisdom, I see, coming from an unlikely source.”

  She smiled back, though moaned deeply when she left his hand between her legs. With a wicked grin, he parted her thighs, and began to kiss down her body.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Artemus bellowed with triumph as his sword cut clean through the throat of his opponent. The crowds leap to their feet, chanting and screaming at the tops of their lungs as he strutted among the sands, his sword held high. Inside the imperial box, Aurora, Cornelius, Aurelia and Aurelian all sat, watching the fights with great interest, some more so than others.