Boy Gladiators of Capua

Epilogue: The Visitor

Almost exactly a year had passed since the boys' escape from slavery. One afternoon, Kaelus was mending some minor damage to the village wall. He was stripped to the waist, this time purely because of the heat. As he finished smoothing out the mud he had used to seal the repair, someone approached him from the road. He squinted against the sunlight, his heart skipping a beat as the figure came into focus.

'Livia,' Kaelus breathed, walking towards her. 'What are you doing here?'

'Kaelus,' said Livia, fixing him with a smile. 'I don't have much time, but I had to see you.'

'How did you know where to find me?' he asked.

'Word of mouth,' she replied. 'I'm attending the mistress on a visit a few miles from here. I'm supposed to be buying fruit now, by the way.'

'There's plenty of fruit here,' said Kaelus. 'You're welcome to take as much as you can carry.'

'Thanks,' Livia smiled. 'Your heroics are famous around these parts, Kaelus. When I heard the tales of four boy gladiators defeating an entire army of marauding barbarians, I just knew it had to be you.'

'The mistress hasn't heard these tales, has she?'

'I shouldn't think so. But everyone is still furious about your escape. The master's a laughing stock now. He was just starting to make a name for himself with his troupe of performing boy gladiators – no other lanista in Capua has anything quite like that – when they suddenly disappeared. He'll kill you all if he ever gets the chance.'

'Not if I can kill him first,' Kaelus said grimly. 'Believe me, Livia, nothing in the world would give me greater pleasure. But what about you? Are Talia and Eira all right?'

A deeply troubled look crossed Livia's face. 'The medicus gave Talia an abortion a few months after you left,' she said. 'The master wanted to throw her onto the street when he found out she was pregnant, but the mistress insisted on keeping her. I've heard her crying most nights since then. The... the baby was certainly Tarin's.'

'Let's not tell him about that,' said Kaelus.

'All right,' said Livia.

A moment of silence stretched between them. Livia stepped closer, her hand brushing against his. Kaelus detected a special sort of warmth in that touch. It was something he had not felt in a long time, if ever.

The two soon found themselves alone in the small, crudely built house that Kaelus shared with Lykos, Tarin and Aulus. Livia reached out, tracing the deep scars on Kaelus's torso with her fingers. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

'Kaelus…' Livia whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

He opened his eyes, searching hers for any sign of hesitation. There was none. They undressed each other slowly, almost reverently.

'Livia, are you sure you want to do this?' Kaelus asked. 'After what happened to Talia...'

'I'm sure,' said Livia, gently pushing him towards a nearby wooden bed and then encouraging him to lie on his back. 'In fact, I've never wanted anything so much in my life.'

Kaelus's breathing quickened rapidly as Livia straddled his hips and then used her fingers to guide him inside her. As they moved together, the world outside seemed to fade away; there was no longer room in it for anything except the two of them. They revelled in the sensations of each other's bodies, sharing something that felt pure in the present moment and yet also, inevitably, tainted by the past.

In the midst of their union, the door creaked open. Tarin and Lykos, who had been looking for Kaelus, froze in their tracks. Their eyes widened, not only in shock at the act itself, but also at the sight of Livia's physical reaction. They had never seen anything like it – her body arching, trembling all over, as if she were experiencing something transcendent.

For a brief moment, the air was thick with unasked questions, then Livia's deafening cries of release broke the spell. Kaelus, too, reached his climax, causing the lovers to appear as one being, bucking and writhing in the throes of ecstasy. When it was over, they collapsed together, both breathing heavily and with their foreheads touching.

Tarin and Lykos backed out of the house slowly, their expressions a mix of confusion and a strange sort of awe. When they had recovered, Kaelus and Livia got dressed and then stepped outside to join the two younger boys.

'I'm happier than I can say to see you both safe,' Livia told them.

'We're happy to see you safe, Livia,' said Tarin.

'Or as safe as you can be,' said Lykos.

Livia nodded, a rueful smile on her face. 'I have to get back now.'

'There'll always be a home here for you, Livia.' said Kaelus. 'And for Talia and Eira. If you can ever make it.'

'We'll certainly try to,' said Livia. 'Now, how about that fruit?'

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the three boys, Livia was soon laden with enough fruit to feed an entire troop of apes. Before she left the village, she gave each of the two younger boys a kiss on the cheek. Lykos flinched at her touch, though he tactfully tried to hide his discomfort, but Tarin seemed quite pleased.

'Where's Aulus?' Kaelus asked, as they stood and watched Livia's retreating form.

'Playing by the river with the other kids,' said Tarin, despite the fact that he himself was only just over a year older than Aulus.

Lykos frowned. 'Kaelus… I don't know how you could do it,' he said quietly.

Kaelus placed a hand on Lykos's shoulder, understanding the depth of his words. 'It's not about forgetting what happened, Lykos. It's about trying to move forward, even when it feels impossible.'

'I suppose we all have to find our own way to do that,' said Lykos.

'At least you managed to get that wall fixed,' said Tarin.

'Yes,' said Kaelus, smiling slightly. 'That's the important thing.'