by Andromeda -
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It took some time to get everything ready for Aurora to meet Artemus, but with Ayanna’s hard work, she was finally able to get it done. One dark night, after she had bribed most of the guards who watched the gladiators, Ayanna and Aurora snuck into the barracks that were reserved for Artemus.
The Greek lifted his head when he saw two cloaked figures enter his cell, and as he reached for his sword, Aurora pushed back her food. His face instantly hardened and he rolled away.
“What do you want?” he snapped at her. “I have a match tomorrow, and you being here will distract me.”
“I need to talk to you,” Aurora said. “Please…listen to what I have to say.”
“I don’t think so,” Artemus said. “Besides, shouldn’t you be in your chambers, surrounded by pillows to be ready for the birth of your child?”
Aurora looked to Ayanna, who backed out of the room and left, letting them be alone. After a deep breath, she looked him in the eyes. “It is yours.”
He looked to her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…, I am carrying your son,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “And I have always…been carrying your son.”
He stood up and walked to stand before her. “But I thought…that Roman…”
“That Roman was just a tool for revenge,” she said. “He meant nothing to me. He still means nothing to me. You…you have always been the only man that I’ve ever loved and I can’t live without you. This child that I carry is yours…and he needs his father.”
Slowly, he reached out and touched her large belly. As if it could sense its father’s presence, the babe kicked hard, making Aurora jump slightly and Artemus chuckle deeply.
“He seems strong,” he remarked.
“Just like his father,” Aurora said with a smile. “But please…believe me when I say I have never betrayed you. Not now, not ever.”
“I believe you,” Artemus whispered as he cupped her chin, and pressed his lips to hers.
Yet, moments later, a great rush of water exited her womb, which made Aurora gasp and step back. Her water had broken.
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Aurora’s screams of pain echoed through the halls of the palace as she labored. Sweat covered her body as she screamed out to try and relieve her body of its burden. Slaves buzzed around her like bees as they tried to help her.
Ayanna was at her side, sending out encouraging words and telling her when to push. The child that was to come was a large one, and for what seemed like hours Aurora screamed as she pushed to bring it into this world. Yet, at the stroke of midnight, the loud mewing of a newborn filled the air around them.
“A son,” Ayanna said as she cut the cord and got to cleaning him. “A perfectly healthy son.”
Aurora looked at her son with tears of joy in her eyes, and when she opened her arms for him, he was placed there. His cries immediately stopped and instead, he nuzzled her breasts, looking for the nipple to nurse upon.
“What will you name him?” Ayanna asked softly.
“Eryx,” Aurora said as her son nursed. “The name of his father’s father.”
When she was well enough, Aurora was able to sneak into the gladiator barracks and was able to show Artemus his son. The man’s eyes widened as he watched his son nurse from his mother’s breast, and couldn’t help but feel the sense of pride welling within him.
“I have a son,” he whispered as he stroked his son’s head tenderly. “I have a son…”
Chapter Twenty
Little Eryx brought a new sense of joy to the palace, as it had been a long time since a baby was in the walls. Aurora could have hired nursemaids, but she wished to feed her child from her own breast. She wished to change her own child’s linens. She wished to be awakened every three hours, to check to make sure he was breathing, as so many newborns died suddenly in their sleep.
Ayanna, of course, was there to help the new mother, but she also spent as much time as she could with Kaiser. Her lover was being sent to Capua, as well with Artemus and a couple of other gladiators for a match. This match was supposed to be important, as Kaiser had been talking to Barack to see if he might fight in the elimination matches that came only once a year.
The elimination matches were special, as the winner was given the chance of freedom. Only the best of the best gladiators were allowed to compete, and Kaiser knew he could win. All he needed was a chance. The match he was headed to in Capua was a pre-match to test his skill. He had to compete against Artemus, though he knew he could easily win.
The night before he left, he made love to Ayanna like a ravenous man. He wanted her to remember his touch, what he felt like, if he did not come back to her arms. As he slowly and gently bounced her in his lap as the fire crackled next to them as they cooled down, she looked into his eyes and could see for the very first time…fear. Kaiser was one of the bravest men she knew, and to see fear within his eyes worried her.
“My love?” she whispered gently. “Are you alright?”
“Hmmm?” he said. “Yes, I am fine. Just a bit nervous…”
She cracked a smile to try and cheer him up. “You? The great Chieftain? You are nervous?”
She got the reaction she had hoped for when he rolled them over so that she was on top, his hands squeezing her rear.
“Nervous is a big word…,” he groaned. “More like…greatly anticipating the future…”
“Oh, so that is what we are calling it now?” she laughed. Slowly, she bent down and pressed her lips to his. “No matter what happened, I will always love you, remember that.”
Morning came sooner than they expected, and Kaiser pulled her into his arms for another deep kiss before he climbed into the carriage that was going to take them to Capua. He faced her direction, smiling softly until she became a small speck in the distance, and then that too disappeared.
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The days without Kaiser were boring for Ayanna, as she had no one to go to at night or to annoy her playfully in only the way he could. He and the other gladiators would be gone for at least four months, which meant it would be four months until she held him in her arms again. There was plenty of work for her to do, however, mainly, of course, having to handle Aurora and her newborn son; both tasks she was more than happy to attend to.
The separation from Artemus, however, put Aurora in a semi-foul mood, though she refused to tell anyone why. Ayanna knew what it was. She was afraid, the same way she was afraid for Kaiser. Both women were worried for their lovers. They feared that they might not come back, but inwardly, Ayanna had a feeling that they would both come back safe and sound.
She did something that she did not normally do, and that was pray to the gods. The emperor allowed free worship among his slaves, though Ayanna was not normally a religious woman. She worshiped really one thing, the art of war, though worship was really a strong word. She believed inwardly that war and battle really made the world go around, as war and battle were all that she knew as she had to fight for her life on more than one occasion.
However, with Kaiser and Artemus gone, she knelt before the universal altar that all the slaves shared, lit a candle, pressed her hands together and began to pray. She asked the ancestors, as that is whom her people worshiped, to protect her lover and Aurora’s. She asked them to bring both men back safe and sound, while also giving them victory over their opponents.
“If I have ever meant anything to you,” she prayed softly, “then please do this one thing for me. We cannot live without them…”
“Praying to your gods?” a voice behind her said.
Ayanna quickly rose to her feet and saw Cornelius standing behind her, a smile on his lips. He was alone and dressed in a loose tunic that fell to his knees. She glanced past him and saw no guards posted, which did give her some hope. She always felt uncomfortable when he was around, and he seemed to constantly try and find a time and place when she was alone.
; “You could say that…, my lord,” she said slowly. “I normally am not the religious type, but tonight, I felt as if I needed to pray.”
“You know, you never told me of your gods,” he said, taking a step towards her.
“That is because I worship my ancestors,” she said, taking a step back.
“And…do they answer your prayers?” he asked, as he took another step forward.
“I do not know,” she answered, taking another step back. “I do not normally speak to them as I stated. But, I pray that they answer my prayers tonight.”
“I have prayed to the gods, too,” he said with a smile. “And it seems they have answered my prayers tonight…”
She clutched her dress to her body and tried to rush past him, but he grabbed her arm. “My lord, please,” she pleaded. “Lady Aurora…”
“You have taken care of my sister for long enough,” he said. “It is time for you to take care of my needs.”
“My lord, I cannot,” she said, her mind working quickly to find a way of escape.
“And why not?” he asked, all kindness was instantly gone and his face turned to one of stone. “Is it because I’m not that German?”
She swallowed slowly. “My lord…, I love Kaiser, and I cannot betray him…”
“You betray me by spreading your thighs for that…that animal,” he said through gritted teeth, his hand tightened around her arm. “I have seen you. How you smile around him. I have heard your moans and gasps of pleasure. It makes me sick to think of a man like that on top of you.”
“My lord, let me go!” she begged. She did not wish to hurt him, but he was truly scaring her. He had never had been this rough before. “Lady Aurora would not like this! And Kaiser—”
Her words were cut off by a hard slap across her face that sent her sprawling against the tile. He was behind her before she could get up, his hands tearing at her gown while also trying to pin her down.
“You are nothing more than a cheap whore!” he grunted. “I have spent years waiting, thinking that you would give yourself to me, but I was wrong! I was too kind to you. I am a Roman, and we Romans take what we want!”
Horror shot through her body as she realized what he was going to do, and the moment she felt the cool air on her rear, her mind snapped into that of a warrior, not a weakling girl who he thought she was.
Quickly, she turned herself around and gathered herself. Planting both feet firmly on his stomach, she pushed him off her with all her might, the force so strong it slammed him against a marble pillar. She rose to her feet and raised her fists, her eyes no longer soft and normal, but hard and critical, looking him up and down as she awaited his next move.
“Y…you bitch,” he coughed, spitting the blood that had pooled in his mouth.
“I kindly said…that I would not betray Kaiser,” she answered. “And I am under Lady Aurora’s protection.”
“My sister’s protection can only last so long, slave,” he growled. “Your time is up.”
Carefully, she walked along the walls to get away, her eyes never leaving his until she was free. Then she ran off. Cornelius screamed curses at her as she ran, his unsatisfied lust fueling his hatred and fury. She was going to pay for refusing him.
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The city of Capua wasn’t as big as Rome, but it was almost just as grand. Kaiser and the other gladiators were assigned to a large villa that was their own, though it was still heavily guarded. Carefully, they explored their surroundings, and Kaiser was surprised at how rich the city was, and how quiet it was also.
Unlike Rome, which was loud and had the terrible smells of millions being crammed into small buildings where only the wealthy had a chance to escape, Capua almost seemed…like a paradise.
As he stood on the balcony, overlooking the city, he could almost imagine Ayanna standing at his side, the soft breeze blowing her hair across her plump cheeks. He had to focus, however, as he knew that if he won the matches here, in this city, then he would qualify for the elimination matches, and maybe win his freedom.
“Looking to piss on the heads of the Romans below?” a voice said behind him.
He turned and saw Artemus with an earthen vase of what could only be wine in his hands.
“Perhaps,” he answered. “Though I do not know if it will disqualify me from participating in the games tomorrow.”
Artemus offered him the vase of wine. “Know this, German, whatever happens tomorrow, you are still a champion. Rome and its people, they are not our equals in the slightest. If we rebelled, none would stand against us.”
Kaiser’s brow arched as he took a swig of the wine. It was dangerous to plan a rebellion, let alone speak of it. Rome was infamous for the brutal way they put them down. Slaves who were suspected of such a thing were crucified, their bodies laid out for all to see. For Artemus to speak of such a thing could mean his death, no matter his rank in the Imperial Ludus.
“Don’t worry,” Artemus quickly said, “I am not thinking of what you are thinking. It would mean my death, and then how else would I see my son?”
Kaiser breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “You are wise to not think of such a thing. I believe that Ayanna would hate me if such a thing befell her best friend’s lover on my watch.”
Artemus playfully shoved his arm. “I can take care of myself. You, on the other hand, German, that’s another thing. You are always getting into trouble. I remember when you first came to the Ludus, you tried to escape, what, twice a week? I thought you’d never get the message to stop trying.”
“I didn’t get the message,” Kaiser said firmly, though he lowered his voice. “I will continue to try and leave, but there is only one person who is keeping me sane in that shit fest.”
“Let me guess, Ayanna?” Artemus asked.
Kaiser nodded. “How do you know of her?”
“Ayanna arrived about the same time I did,” Artemus explained. She, of course, was the personal slave to Aurora. I, however, was bought with my family by the emperor to increase his recruits as a little boy.”
“What happened to your family?” Kaiser asked.
“Plague took them,” Artemus said flatly. “I was the only one to survive.”
“You have my condolences,” Kaiser said truthfully.
Artemus shrugged. “You can take them, and shove them back up your ass. I don’t want them. But that loss…it made me stronger. As I sat there…, a little boy with sickness racking my body, I could have sworn I saw the spirits of my family there…watching me. They told me to grow strong, to live strong and become the best I could be.”
“And what?” Kaiser asked. “That pushed you to become the champion of the Ludus?”
“That is right,” Artemus said with a nod. “I didn’t choose this life, no one would choose the life of a slave, but this life…it has done so many things to me. Both the good and the bad. I do dream of my freedom, but I also dream that my name will be on the lips of all for centuries to come. I want everyone to hear and know the name, Artemus the Unbeatable!”
Kaiser nodded, as he listened to his words. Artemus was right. As a slave, he had no title or position in the world, but he did have one thing: his name. He had his name, and what he did with that name was up to him. He could become Kaiser the Nothing, and be known as nothing. Or, he could become Kaiser, Conqueror of the Arena. The choice, was up to him.
Chapter Twenty-One
The air that surrounded the palace was tense, as Ayanna could sense that something terrible was going to happen. It had been three months since Kaiser and the other gladiators were gone, and she tried to avoid Cornelius as best she could. She tried her best to stay close to Aurora, but there were times when she was forced to leave to run errands.
The morning of that terrible day started out like any other. Ayanna had just gotten done cleaning Aurora’s chambers and was getting ready to clean the next one when a wave of nausea washed over her. Quickly, she rushed to the nearest waste bin and emptied the contents of
her stomach within it.
This happened three times before she could stop, and as she sat slumped on the ground on her knees, a sudden realization struck her. Over the past month, per her calculations, she had this feeling every morning. Not only that, but her appetite had increased, as well as the tenderness of her breasts at times. Never had this befallen her, and it all pointed to one conclusion: she was carrying Kaiser’s child.
The range of emotions she felt at that moment were all mixed and jumbled as she tried to understand them. There was shock, of course, followed by denial, anger, sorrow and then joy.
She had always wished to be a mother, but she never wanted to have a child while she was enslaved. She had wanted to wait until she had been freed, or gained her freedom, then she would try for one. But then again, what could she expect when she spent almost every night in the bed and arms of the most passionate man in all of Rome? Kaiser could hardly keep his hands off her.
A soft smile formed on her lips as she pressed her hand to her belly, where her child grew. And then the next emotion came: fear. She was afraid of what Kaiser would say. He had never mentioned children, never said if he wanted them or not, and she did not know what to expect. Yet, almost instantly, she had loved this child the moment the knowledge had come to her, as this child was a part of her. There was no way she could or would give it up.
As she turned to go back to Aurora’s chambers to go and tell her the news, the appearance of guards made her stop. Half a dozen men surrounded her, and they were all armed with their swords, all of them pointed at her.
“Take her,” the leader of them ordered.
She grunted as they roughly grabbed her. “Stop!” she said. “Let me go. What have I done wrong?”
“You are being taken to Lord Cornelius,” the guard said.
“Why?” she asked. She had to find out what was going on.
“You have been charged with the crime of theft,” the guard said. “Now come on!”
Ayanna was silent as she was dragged through the halls, not fighting it. She knew the crime of theft was a major crime, one that could cost her her head if she was found to be guilty. But she had never stolen a single thing in her life, she knew that. There was no way this charge could be true. But then she remembered that she had rebuffed Cornelius’s advances…
