Slave To Rome

CHAPTER EIGHT - SAYING GOODBYE

I was being dragged out of my cell, and taken to the stocks where I would await my fate at the noose. I screamed and tried to fight off the guards, but all it got me was a beating. When I was thrown and locked in the stocks in the middle of the town square, blood was dripping from a cut on my forehead and was slowly making it’s way down into my eye, which started to sting.

I didn’t know how this happened. Well, I did, but it was just so ridiculous. Here I was, finally content with being a slave, and finding myself having feelings for a high ranking Roman General who just happened to have feelings for me as well... and then within an instant it was all ripped right out from under me. And now here I was, in the stocks, about to be killed for a crime I didn’t commit, all because of a jealous slave girl. This just seemed so unreal I had a hard time grasping it.

Part of me tried to convince myself that this wasn’t going to happen. That Livia was going to show up and save me, and murder that lying little weasel Joan. But some part of me knew it was a feeble wish. Livia wasn’t due to return for a couple days, by that time I would be six feet under, and the truth couldn’t save me then.

I was stuck in that stock for the night, having to endure the constant taunts and jests from the towns people as they passed. The disgusted and disappointed looks from those who knew why I was in there. I tried to keep my eyes trained on the ground, not wanting to look at anyone any longer.

I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare, and just be back in Livia’s bed with her arms around me, but that wasn’t going to happen. She wasn’t going to come for me. I would never see her again, never kiss her again, never speak to her again. I would also never see Tura again, never rescue her from that place she was in, never see her grow up into the amazing woman I know she would become.

I felt a tear fall from my eye before I could stop it. This wasn’t a dream, this was real. I was going to die come sunrise, for something I didn’t do. I was upset, I was angry... furiously angry. I didn’t deserve this. This was wrong, so wrong. I didn’t have a prayer, I didn’t have a hope... I was alone. I was going to die alone.

******

“I swear to Zeus I didn’t! I would never!” I screamed futilely as I was dragged up the platform in the middle of the town square. There was a crowd of people down below, many screaming things like ‘Kill the traitor slave!’ and such. I fought as hard as I could against the guards, but it was no use. My fighting skills as an Amazon had long been lost over the years, and I was very much overpowered.

I had no trial. I was a slave, and in the eyes of the Roman law I didn’t deserve one. I was less than human in their eyes. Also, seeing as I was Livia’s personal slave, it didn’t matter if I was planning on assassinating her or not, just the slightest rumor made me a breach in security, and I needed to be eliminated.

The noose was wrapped around my neck, and I was shoved over the trap door. I choked back my tears, refusing to cry in my last moments. The executioner announced my death with, “Slave To Rome, executed for the planned attempted assassination of Livia.”

That’s all I was, a slave to Rome. Not even at my death did I deserve to finally be addressed by my own name. Not that it mattered anymore, because in about thirty seconds I would be hanging from this noose with not a breath of life left in me.

I looked around, at my last glimpse of this earth. A small part of me hoped I would see Livia ride int though the crowd, and demand that I be let go. But she never showed. I saw the executioner raise his hand towards the lever that would release the trap door, and I held my breath.

This was it. I was going to die.

His hand was on the lever. He pulled... and I dropped.

But instead of meeting my death, my body hit the ground. I looked up, dazed and a little confused by not finding myself in Tartarus. The rope that was around my neck had been cut, and a small dagger was embedded in the wall behind the noose, which is what the executioner was staring at in shock. And then I saw a person riding in on a horse, dressed in a black cloak with their face covered, coming in through the crowd and towards me.

Two guards tried to stop whoever it was, but they were cut down almost immediately by the rider’s sword. I was still lying there on the ground, just watching, amazed by what was going on. Who would save me?

Then the rider was next to me, and their hand was extended. “Get up!” The rider screamed, and I realized who it was. Scrambling to my feet, I grabbed onto her hand, and hauled myself up onto the horse behind her. She fought our way out of the city gates, and I held onto her for my life.

We rode for miles, far away from Rome. Finally we were in the middle of the forest, and we stopped. We both dismounted, and the rider took off her cloak, reveling herself to be Livia. “What happened?” She demanded.

I collapsed onto a near by rock, and didn’t speak. I was in shock, I thought for sure I would die, and now suddenly I was saved. It all happened so fast, it was hard to process.

“Varia what happened?!” Livia demanded, taking me by the shoulders and shaking me to get me out of my trance.

“They... they thought I was planning to assassinate you,” I said, looking up at her.


“Were you?” she asked.

Anger crossed over my face, and I stood up to face her. “How can you ask me that?!” I screamed.

“Well then why would they think that?” She asked, softer this time, maybe feeling bad for asking that question.

“That... slave girl, Joan! She... she knows, Livia. She knows about us, and she wants me dead because she wants you. She told them that to get rid of me,” I replied, looking away from her.

“Fuck,” Livia said, and sighed. I looked over at her, it was the only time I had ever heard her curse outside of the obscenities she used to scream in bed at night when I lied with her. “She’ll die for this, I promise you that.”

I was silent for a minute, then asked her something that was kind of bothering me, “How did you know?”

“I don’t know,” Livia answered softly, as if trying to figure it out herself. “I just knew something was wrong, so I told my army that I was going scouting up ahead, but I took off back here.”

“It doesn’t matter now, we can talk about it at home. Can we go home?” I asked her, touching her hand.

Livia wrapped her fingers around mine, and held my hand. She didn’t look at me when she replied, “No, you can’t go home, Varia.”

Confusion crossed my face, and turned to face her, “What?” I asked softly. “Why? Why can’t I go home with you?”

Livia let go of my hand, and went to walk away from me but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back around to face me. “Why Livia? Why can’t I go home?” I asked a little louder this time, a little more desperate.

“Because you’re a slave!” she cried out, ripping her arm out of my grasp as desperation and regret crossed over her features.

“Why...?” I started to ask, but was interrupted.

“They think you were trying to kill me, you escaped your execution... if I bring you back with me there will be too many questions. I can’t tell them what’s going on between us, and I can’t lie my way around to save you from the noose again, Varia. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing left for you in Rome.”

“But... you’re in Rome,” I said softly, trying not let myself cry.

“Varia...” Livia said, as she reached up to touch my face, and when I looked up at her I saw her eyes glistening with tears. “You don’t know how bad I wish I could bring you back with me. But I need to protect you, and I can’t do that in Rome. You have to leave... go find your tribe, be an Amazon again.”

“I... I don’t want to be without you,” I said, and a tear slid down my cheek.

“You have to, please. I swear I’ll find you one day, I promise you that. But you can’t be in Rome anymore, it’s not safe for you.” She tucked my hair behind my ear, and leaned in to kiss my lips softly. I wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her back deeply, not wanting to ever let her go. When we broke apart, it made me feel so empty inside, and I knew that was how I was going to feel for the rest of my life.

Livia took the horse by the reins, and handed them to me, “Take the horse, ride back to your lands. Find your tribe, free your sister. Live, Varia. This is your chance at true freedom, just take it.”

I looked at the horse, and then I looked at her. I kissed her again, before mounting the horse. Looking down at her I said, “Livia... this isn’t who you are. I hope that when we meet again, you’ve found yourself.” I reached around my neck, and pulled off the necklace I was wearing, the one from my tribe. I threw it down to her, and she caught it, and I gave her one last look, knowing I had to leave before I did something stupid like deciding to go back to Rome just to get killed. I gave her a small smile before saying goodbye, and I rode off through the woods, sure that I would never see her again.

TBC....