Page 63 of Enslaved
Marcus grinned. “Ask me if I care?”
As her red mantle fell away, suddenly Diana didn’t care either. There was absolutely nothing shameful about love. It was a glorious thing to behold.
Kell had changed the sheets and tidied the chamber. Clean towels replaced the bloodied ones and fresh scented water had been provided.
Now that Diana was out of the warm water and sunshine, she began to shiver. Marcus knelt to build a fire and she rubbed herself against his broad back to warm herself. “I’d better put some clothes on,” she said for the sheer pleasure of having him forbid her.
Marcus turned to gaze at her naked splendor. “Why don’t you put on those fur leggings? I can’t think of anything more erotic than making love to you with your legs clad in far.” His suggestion appealed to the vixen inside her. Every time Marcus made love to her, Diana gained power over him, but a curious thing was happening to her heart. She had set out to deliberately enslave him, but somehow she had fallen in love with the magnificent Roman and relished the male-female game of domination and submission so much that she did not wish to rule him. She wanted him exactly as he was. So long as his was the power, hers was the glory!
They dined abed, and Diana decided that since Marcus had enjoyed such erotic pleasure from the leggings, she would keep them on all night. When they were finally replete from indulging in all their favorite things, they slept curled as they had the night before with Diana facedown on top of him.
When she awoke at dawn, he was gone, but she stretched sensually in the big bed, immediately aware that he had left her two things. While she still slept, he had slipped his gold coin over her head and he had also left her covered with his virile male scent.
Diana and Nola decided to go into Aquae Sulis to shop. They were gone all morning, and when they returned, their litter was filled to overflowing with Diana’s purchases. She bought perfume, makeup, a board game with ivory counters, some red Samian pottery, and a supply of wooden writing tablets and a stylus.
The leather riding pants she had ordered were finished and waiting for her when she returned, so Diana decided to wear them when she visited Marcus in the afternoon.
She rode to the fortress with her trusty stable slave at her side, but Tor was made to wait for her at the fort’s entrance. Though he was from the general’s household, the guards were not about to allow a Briton to wander about unescorted. As well, Governor Paullinus was back and they knew his hatred for all Britons.
Since rules were rules, Diana decided to leave the horses with Tor and proceed on foot. She noticed immediately that the fortress held a lot more men than it had on her previous visit. Paullinus must have returned with his legionaries from Wales. She received so many stares from strange men that she was relieved when she saw the familiar face of Petrius. He came to her side immediately, his handsome face wreathed in smiles at their chance encounter.
“My brother is a lucky man to inspire such slavish devotion, Diana.”
She gave him a brilliant smile. “Do you know where he is?”
“Extremely busy, I’m afraid. Paullinus is returned with his army and Marcus is at the Valetudinorium with all the wounded legionaries. I shall be your escort in his stead. Have you toured the fort yet?”
Diana realized he was speaking of the hospital. “I’ve been here before, but I didn’t stay long. If Marcus is busy, I had better go.”
“Don’t leave. If Marcus learns I didn’t take you beneath my wing, he will mete out a fine punishment.” Petrius grinned boyishly. “And I’m still in his bad books for arriving drunk at the villa.”
Diana blushed prettily. She didn’t really want to stay, but she didn’t want to cause bad blood between brothers. This brave young man would be leaving to fight in Wales within the week, and she could not bring herself to rebuff him.
“Let me think what would interest you. I live in the officers’ quarters, but they are unremarkable. There is a good view from the turrets of the watchtowers, but that wouldn’t be of much interest to a beautiful female. Have you visited the temple?”
“No, I’ve never seen a Roman temple.”
“You Britons worship Sul, the sun goddess, do you not?”
“Oh no. I am a Christian,” she explained.
Petrius stared. “A Christian?” This was the strange sect of troublemakers whom Nero delighted in persecuting. In Rome it had become the custom to blame everything on the Christians and punish them accordingly. Romans loved to watch the spilling of human blood, so Christian prisoners were always in demand at the games. Petrius tucked the knowledge away, knowing instinctively that knowledge was power.
“Here in the fortress there is one massive building that houses many temples.” When they entered on the ground floor, there were different doors to choose from. One had the nameJUPITER OPTIMUM MAXIMUScarved above it and another hadMITHRAS. A third was inscribedMARS, whom Diana knew was the god of war, and the last door was inscribedFORTUNA, whom Diana assumed was the goddess of luck and good fortune.
“Marcus worships Jupiter, but most men in the military worship at the altar of Mithras. It is a male cult. Mithras is an unconquered god who represents courage. In legend, Mithras was ordered to catch a primeval bull. From its body spring plants and herbs, from its blood come new forms of life, from its semen comes all procreation.”
He led her through the door markedMITHRASand they began to climb, then they entered the temple and were able to look down upon a massive altar. Below the stone altar was a pit where a few centurion officers had gathered. Petrius pointed to a man who resembled a huge bear and whispered, “That’s Seutonius Paullinus. He must be here to give thanks for his victories over the Celtae.”
A well-muscled, bare-chested youth in a white loincloth walked onto the massive stone altar. He carried a huge iron hammer and a sword. Then suddenly there was a great roar and a pure white bull ran onto the altar, snorting and tossing his head with rage. The young acolyte lifted his heavily muscled arms high and brought down the iron stunning hammer onto the bull’s head. The moment it dropped to its knees, he drew his gladius and plunged it into the bull’s neck, ripping it open. The blood spurted everywhere, then poured down onto the sacrificial worshippers in the pit below, who became drenched in seconds. Diana watched in horror as Paullinus lifted a bowl to catch the bull’s blood while it was still warm and raise it to his lips. Diana turned and fled blindly through the door.
Petrius was at her side instantly. “What is it?”
“Get me out of here,” she demanded.
He saw that she was white-faced and trembling. The spilling of blood had sexually aroused him and Petrius had hoped that it would have the same effect on Diana. He had taken her there so that they could couple. But now that he saw her vulnerability, he realized his desire to fuck her while she trembled was growing by the minute. He picked her up and carried her through two more doors until they were in the temple of Fortuna.
He set her down beside a pillar and knelt beside her to remove her mantle. He pretended concern. “I should not have taken you to the temple of a god. I should have brought you to the goddess Fortuna. She will give us anything we desire.”
