Page 67 of Enslaved
The entertainment wasn’t over until quite late, then Kell took her into a vintner’s, which was a traditional after-theatre stop where patrons were served either hot or cold drinks. Diana chose calda, which was warm, spiced wine, while Kell preferred Setinian, a choice old wine imported from Italy. He grudgingly agreed that Roman wine was superior to that of his native land.
Diana returned in a litter with Kell walking at her side so they could converse about the evening. She felt very pampered, almost wicked, that she had had a night on the town while Marcus was obliged to play host to the military leader and his centurions. “Thank you for escorting me, Kell. I enjoyed it so much. I shall be sure to tell Marcus about the female acrobats he missed.” Diana giggled. “Poor Marcus.”
Litters were lined up outside the villa when they arrived home, so they knew that the general’s guests were still there.
“I think we should go through the peristyle garden rather than the front entrance,” Kell advised. “They may be discussing military business.”May the gods forgive me for the lie,Kell thought.
Diana slipped into the walled garden through the gate and stood rooted to the spot. Half a dozen naked females rode on the backs of men who were equally naked. Other nude revelers held blazing torches or carried small whips to flagellate those playing stallion. “Military business? Bloody funny business, you mean!”
Kell took her arm and pushed her toward some steps that led to the second story. At that moment, Marcus stepped from the villa with a naked woman clinging to his arm. She had jet black hair and was amply endowed with heavy breasts and wide buttocks. Diana couldn’t believe her eyes. The woman with Marcus looked exactly like Allegra.
“What the devil are you doing here?” Diana demanded, her amethyst eyes blazing purple fury at Marcus.
“She’s here because I invited her. Go upstairs,” he ordered. Marcus glared at Kell. Where in the name of Heaven and Hades were his brains to allow Diana to see such a debauch?
Diana set her hands on her hips and dug in her heels. “Go upstairs, did you say? Are you sureyouwon’t be needing the sleeping chamber for your fat whore?”
Marcus gave her a sharp slap across her face and swung her into his arms. Then he carried her kicking and swearing up the stone steps to the upstairs balcony. He thrust her inside his chamber and closed the door. “Stop that cursing immediately. Anyone hearing you could mistake you for one of those whores!”
“They wouldn’t be mistaken! That’s all I am to you— your whore! One of many, apparently. That’s all any woman is to a Roman! Why don’t I put on my loin dress and join your games?”
Marcus ground his teeth. She was deliberately goading him to violence. He opened the door and found Kell hovering outside. “Get in here. Make sure she doesn’t leave this chamber tonight.” Marcus raked Diana with his black eyes. “If you’ve quite finished making a spectacle of yourself, I’ll get back to my whore.”
Diana picked up a silver lamp and hurled it at the door. Then she threw herself onto the high bed and began to sob.
Kell let her cry for a full five minutes, then said dryly, “Your tears are quite wasted on me, lady. Save them for the general.”
“Oh, shut up! This was a damned conspiracy to get me out of the way so he could throw a bloody Roman orgy!” Diana sat up and dashed the tears from her eyes.
Kell thought he had better try to smooth her very ruffled feathers. Marcus Magnus wasn’t too happy with him at the moment. “The general wanted to spare you. The men always act like rutting animals.”
“You mean this sort of thing has happened before?” Diana cried.
“It’s that swine, Paullinus. If the general didn’t open his villa for the feast, the governor would be his enemy, and Paullinus’ enemies don’t live long. The general only invites Julia Allegra and her bawds so the men will not abuse the household slaves.”
“Julia Allegra is the bawd mistress?” Diana asked. “She reminds me of someone I used to know who was also called Allegra.”When she wasn’t calling herself Dame Lightfoot,Diana thought miserably. Her bottom lip trembled. “Oh, Kell, what am I to do?”
“Stop being ridiculous, of course.”
“What do you mean?” she asked woefully.
“Come over here to the mirror.”
Diana came slowly and stood gazing at her reflection with big sad eyes.
“Look at yourself … really look at yourself. You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, and no doubt that the general has ever seen. One look at you and he was stunned as if he’d been hit with a thunderbolt. When he has you waiting for him, why would he even look at another female?”
She sniffed back her tears. “What about Julia Allegra?”
“He wouldn’t swive her with another man’s prick!”
“Really?” she asked in a small voice.
“Well, I ask you to use your own eyes. If he put a bag over her head, he still wouldn’t fuck her.”
Diana laughed in spite of Kell’s coarse language. “Perhaps he’s saving her for Paullinus.”
It was Kell’s turn to laugh. “A sow for a rutting boar!”
