PART TWO: YOUR NEW PET

You were miserable to next day and the day after that as your new slave began to settle into the household and your father began boring you with the list of eligible bachelors. Of them all he seemed to impress the idea of Rome even more then any, save maybe Gracchus, but whenever you thought of him he seemed still the little child running around with delusions of grandeur about being as great as his father…. It could be frustrating to get the idea of him as an adult into perspective but you did not want any of them and you did not want to be married off just to make sure no one forgot about you when your father died.

Sometimes you wished you could have just been born poor, but then you would have been married off to someone who would adopt the whole family into his… it was never free for you to be with whomever you chose. But currently those thoughts were only at the back of your mind as you leaned on your couch with your wolf leaning against your side sleepily and your eyes focused on the horses. One of your father’s old methods for helping the new slaves settle without argument was to leave them with the difficult horses and let them sort of ‘bond’. Currently your eyes were locked upon the form of the strong Germanic warrior as he seemed to hold the reins of the wildest horse in the stable with such ease despite the animal’s plunging and bucking. The knotting muscles on his arms made your heart flutter as you thought back to that moment he’d caught you…

“I think I’m going to check on the horses today…. After-all one of those hot-blooded mares was due to give birth soon. It never hurts to be around for the process so I can understand it better.” You called over your shoulders at your father who was reading the latest news about the war. He seemed to be predicting things that would cause trouble and how much he was expected, as a consul, to pay tribute to the gods for such victory. You took his lack of reaction as a good sign and swiftly hopped off your couch. The wolf gave a groan and padded after you as eagerly as any puppy.

You stepped out into yard where the horse continued to fight the slaves, your eyes dancing along the muscles of Germania as he maintained his stance and appeared to be winning. The other slaves ignored your presence, used to you coming out and helping out whenever your father was not watching. But though your wolf kept aside from the rearing animal, you felt compelled to move closer to it, closer to him.

You were startled as the horse suddenly veered wildly toward you and madly raced forward. You could barely move as it seemed to reach you in a flash, only to find yourself bowled out of the way. Something muscular had hooked around your body and now rolled with the force of his leap across the yard, still gripping you tightly. The moment the animal was grabbed by another slave and the rolling stopped; your widened eyes became aware of the great warrior that was hooked around you.

Germania was breathing heavily and looking fierce as he remained lying over you until Hasdrubal ran over to get him off and you up. The whole time he was above you, any idea of pain from being smacked onto the ground was forgotten as your ears swelled with the sound of his steady heart beat and your eyes had found themselves locked in his. For that brief moment he had been upon you and your eyes had locked, both you and he had been very aware of the closeness of your flesh and the heat between you both. Everything in your body had wanted to scream to him to stay there and as you’d looked up into his features, both of you had pursed your lips and almost pulled yourselves into a kiss.

But when Germania was up, both he and Hasdrubal stretched out an arm and pulled you up. It startled you because though Hasdrubal checked you over and then grinned over the fact that you were just a little bruised, no delighted expression played upon the other slave’s features. He just scowled at the ground and your heart sank; he was probably calling you stupid in his head or swearing over your presence there. You felt your body sink and even ignored the sound of your companions questioning you. It was only when Germania growled and looked straight at you, which suddenly everything seemed to come back to you.

“Unless I managed to brain you, which I doubt, you should at least tell us if you are okay… my lady.” Germania’s eyes darted swiftly to Hasdrubal, whose muscles seemed to knotting up for battle behind you. So quickly you smiled as warmly as you could before clearing your throat and then blushing visibly.

“I am fine… thank you so much for saving me Germania. I was just admiring the animal, I should have been more careful. I’m sorry.” You bobbed your head, before checking around to make sure your father was not going to have to tell you off for being too respectful of everyone. It was odd, he could talk to a slave as a better but he would get upset if you made anyone seem greater. It had startled Germania too as his green eyes widened in surprise and he could clearly be seen trying to think of something to say in response. But then you dusted the dirt off your dress and then grinned gently. “I wanted to know if the mare gave birth last night and how she’s doing.”

“Yes, she did drop a foal – a tough looking animal too with a beautiful sandy pelt. Germania should escort you to the stables to see it too, after-all he should be around you more considering his future job. Though, it looks as if he’s already gotten into the role.” Hasdrubal chuckled before patting your shoulder gently and then starting to jog toward the fountain further into the villa where the escapee horse was now drinking. You smiled warmly at Germania, who still seemed quite startled over the whole thing. But once he cleared his throat and turned toward the stables, you paced after him.

The walk was short and yet you wanted to get through to the silent wall of muscle ahead of you, that you were a friend and wanted to be his friend not his mistress… though thinking that in your head made you wring your hands together and lower your head shamefully. You needed to stop thinking so… so physically about him; this was just not what good Roman girls did. But when he turned around with stern eyes upon you, his words made you a little unsteady.

“Why do you pretend to be caring and gentle? Why do you think it means something to have a name? Why haven’t you called me or the others something stupid?” He stared down at you, ominous and seemingly on the edge of shaking the answers out of you. But there was an uncertainty in his eyes, as if he were trying to prove something unreal to himself – perhaps he wanted to prove that you were the kind of being that the barbarians must portray you as. But when you simply shrugged your shoulders, his expression faltered and he turned back to the stables and walked you to the end stall where the pale red-brown mare nosed eagerly at her new colt. You were startled by the strength of the youngster already, but more so with the steadiness of the mare and her eager responses to you and to the foal.

This mare had been one of the horses your cousins had gifted you as a foal, you’d known her since then and understood this was her first child. She had been so anxious at the mating that you had hated yourself for breeding her – it had not seemed fair. But now, seeing how handsome her son was and how much she seemed to understand what to do, you felt very different. Perhaps, though a very large perhaps indeed, Germania was in that same anxious state – not sure why something so terrifying had occurred and worried for more trouble. But you hoped that in time he would relax and realise it was not too bad just like your mare. It was with that thought you lifted a hand and without realising it patted his shoulder.

The moment your hand touched his shoulder, a shot of electricity seemed to run from him to you. It was not a wholly unpleasant sensation, but it was certainly very different and when he suddenly clasped your hand the sensation increased. It then turned into an aggressive pinch as Germania, though seemingly hesitant about the first contact, suddenly forced your hand away and nearly twisted it behind you. With a little moan of surprise he lent in close to you, seeming to block you from his face with his shoulder as he growled at you.

“I am not some pet for you to coddle and groom. Do not ever think you can dishonour me with your filthy manners as your people do all their slaves.” That said, he released you and for a moment you stared up into his eyes fearfully. He was truly powerful, but at the same time you were just as powerful and the fire grew in your belly that you could not quench. The moment he turned his head back to look at you, a hand seemed to lunge from nowhere and catch him in the face before you turned your back on him and took in a deep breath. The sound of the slap rang around your ears; you sucked in air with your mind reeling at how you had just reacted.

“You are not my pet or my slave…. I do not want such things; I have never wanted such things and I will not be touched by any slave, let alone any Roman! I am a proud and noble woman and I will treat everyone with the same dignity I feel I deserve. But I will not lessen my ways to suit some savage’s propaganda!” You found it hard to phrase yourself. The words seemed to just drop out of your mouth rather then flow and Germania seemed astonished by your uncertain manners. But when you shook your head and turned to him, you felt an urgency to remind him of your power over him… if only to soothe your pride. “Be glad I am thus, or any other slave would have been crucified for treating me so unkindly – let alone for touching me.”

With that you slowly stepped out of the stable and were greeted by your rather unhappy looking wolf that was carrying a twig in its mouth. When Hasdrubal looked at you, he seemed to guess you had been insulted and headed toward the stable. You tightened your lip, knowing that Germania would get hurt for whatever Hasdrubal suspected but you could not bring yourself to say anything against it. You headed toward the farmland at the back of your father’s property, automatically Lebna was there to walk with you and at least with him you knew there could never be an insult to pass his lips….

~*Germania’s Point of View*~

After a display of defiance that startled me, if only because it seemed as she was the one being repressed or made a slave, I was irritated with myself. I was irritated for having harmed her and yet irritated that I had not broken her neck when I’d had the chance. After only three days in this place they had spotted my keenness around the strong animals given me the troublesome ones to work with to distract me, to let me use my pent up aggression… they had almost brainwashed me into forgetting that I was a slave and not free. But then I had been ordered to take her to the horse, I had seen the anxiety of the mare giving birth and thought only how these Romans would treat their slaves the same to get cheaper labour!

“I will not be a stud for slave or slutty Roman wench!” I spoke it aloud with my teeth clenched together and my head lowered. I nearly lent into the mare’s stall as I gripped my head and was reminded that my baldness was because of these Romans. My beautiful golden hair, the pride of tribe, had been shaved from me as an insult – something as wild and free as hair had been taken from me by these people. I had to remain hateful of them… I would not be a spoilt brat’s bodyguard.

“If her father had his way you’d have been made a eunuch just for grabbing her. Why do you seem so keen to demonise ____, she’s really just a young woman not a Roman noble. Did you have to upset her?” The voice of Hasdrubal attracted my attention and I swung a fist to try and hit him. But my control was enough to stop me from striking him; how could I hurt a man who’d been so beaten into submission that he was not able to think about freedom properly. Yet as I looked at him I noticed something in his eyes twinkling – perhaps it was respect, either way I was startled by his next words. “Listen Germania… I know you did not damage her or I would have sensed it and ripped your stomach out by now. But she is supposed to feel safe around you, not terrified. Have you not even considered what might be available to you if you do look after her? I mean, once you’re in the correct state to look after her I will earn my freedom and when you have an apprentice ready to take over you will have the same. Also, her father is one of the most powerful men in Rome and she is likely to be married to another powerful Roman… these men are dumb and bloated, but easy to manipulate if you learn how. Haven’t you thought how you could defeat Rome from the inside maybe?”

“Defeat Rome from within? No… in all honesty I have been focused only on my damaged pride. In fact, I have been trying to tell myself these people are evil and yet I was lucky to have been granted the friendship of you and Lebna and the others thanks to these people. I would never have known a thing about your worlds if I had spent all my days fighting. But all the same Hasdrubal, I am not their pet.”

“No and she will never treat you as one. Listen Germania, ______ is very special to all of us and you’re going to have to accept the fact that she is very different from what you’ve been told. If she had been born with the choice, like we had, she would have been a simple peasant not a rich boy’s ideal arm-jewellery. All she is to the Roman men is a blood line and a toy….” Hasdrubal snorted at me and I was startled to think it over, to think that maybe the Roman women were little more then slaves to a culture themselves. Hasdrubal then punched me in the stomach and I fell backwards with a gasp before looking up at him in surprise. “You’re no more a pet then me and you can right now stand up and fight back. She’s not even allowed to touch the ground with her feet because of the worth of her flesh and blood.”

I returned to work with strange thoughts running through my head and hammering within my heart. I had put down so much of my initial reactions to _____ as simply the typical attraction between a man and a woman. She was beautiful, a lot of Roman women had this foreign appeal to them – but none of them had the spirit to match the power they had over male eyes. At least, this woman seemed to have a very strong flame if she were ever permitted to use it and she clearly had. Even as I helped Hasdrubal with counting stock, learning the Roman system of counting as I did, I was still aware of the stinging sensation of her slap.

Later I was stuck in the office with her father and Lebna as he was stuck writing something complex and anxious of being disturbed. He had chosen us both because we were quiet and I wondered if perhaps he thought we were also dumb about reading Latin, but as he worded each phrase upon his lips, I was starting to recognise letters. This secret education manner I was developing brought some curious developments as I watched him write and realised that he was developing a list of his daughter’s virtues. However, these virtues were being written as additions to some kind of political alliance, something that I did not understand very well but did not like. My mind only matched it to when joining kingdoms by arranged marriages… though this letter sounded more like an arranged… eh… fuck.

That night I woke up hearing that owl screeching again and my skin crawling. I got up from the slave quarters and this time strolled to the courtyard, my eyes itchy from waking up so suddenly and not being sued to the light. It was as I opened my eyes more clearly that I spotted the nearly naked form of her scuttling from the stables and back to her room. I was confused and immediately decided to go and check on the mare and her foal. I was, I must admit, a little delighted to see that this girl had given a lump of expensive salt to the mare and the other horses, not to mention pieces of honey cake. I could not help myself at that moment but to taste a piece of the honey cake, enjoying its sweetness and yet feeling ashamed of my earlier words even more.

I was pleased that the urge to break her neck had faded and had not dictated my following her to her room. I waited until I heard the gentle snores before I stepped into her room again, at least just to look at her. The wolf greeted me with a whine of interest, with honey on my fingers he ended up licking them eagerly so I could barely keep him away from nuzzling at me. Even so, when I stepped to her sleeping form, I stretched out the non-sticky hand and carefully traced her shoulder with the edge of a finger tip. Her skin was warm, soft and so smooth it was like touching silk. My body shuddered in delight at such a sensation and I was almost tempted to press my lips to the ____ skin, but instead something else passed my lips that I did not expect.

“Forgive me.”