Roman Enslavement

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Roman Enslavement
Part Twelve

Dischordia followed along happily, watching as Lupus dragged the stumbling woman home. Actually, she was feeling a little mellower toward the slave. That had been a nice bit of chaos she'd participated in back near the tavern. A broken nose and some bruised testicles weren't a bad score for one woman against three men.

Still, she wasn't quite ready to forgive her, no matter how amusing that had been. And she was interested in seeing what Lupus had planned for her when he got her home. If he thought she'd been purposely trying to escape it could be pretty bad. The first offense could mean branding, depending on the discretion of the owner.

Lupus kept his grip on her arm, even when they entered the house. Rentic watched, confused, as his young master hauled the obviously distressed woman through the house to his own room. *Oh, dear. Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I just hope she isn't silly enough to fight him. He won't want to hurt her, but...*

Mozelle was getting more and more worried, especially when Lupus took her back into the family section of the house. She'd only been in there to help with the cleaning, and that one time to wait at table. Lupus brought her into one of the slumber rooms. She assumed it was his, as it hadn't been in use before he arrived.

He pushed her down into a chair, and glared at her. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why there?"

"Why was I there? I got lost." He snorted, looking skeptical. "I'm telling you I got lost. This isn't my home town, and I didn't have a map. I thought I knew where I was going, but I guess I should have taken a left turn at Alberquerqie." She trailed off, sighing. "Oh, never mind. I sure can't explain Bugs Bunny to you. Besides, you don't look like you have much of a sense of humor right now."

"You try to escape." His voice was flat.

"Where the hell would I go? I'm not stupid. I'm just ignorant."

"Mozelle," he leaned over her, and she slumped back in the chair, staring up at him. His voice was very serious. "Escape bad. Not legal." He paused. "Dangerous. Escaped slave captured, branded."

Her mouth dropped open. "But... but I didn't. I told you, I got lost."

He cocked his head, studying her. "Maybe."

"No maybe. I got lost! I was coming back. Heck, I was glad to see you. Speaking of which, why did you just happen to be there?"

"I follow."

"You..." She glared at him. "You thought I was going to run away, and you were following me. How rude. Well, couldn't you tell I'd lost my way? I dithered around enough."

He sighed. "All right. Lost. This time."

"Thank you." She stood up, and started for the door. "Can I go now?"

He caught her arm again. "No. Stay."

She stopped, ready for another lecture in broken English. "What?" Lupus smiled at her, and touched her hair. She read the look in his eyes and felt her stomach sink. She shook her head.

"Yes." He pulled her toward the bed.

"No, I can't. I don't want to." She tugged backward. The three men had been one thing. She'd known instinctively that she was expected to protect herself. But this... He was her owner's son. What would be the punishment for refusing him?

Dischordia made herself comfortable out of the way in a corner. This
should be good.

"Mozelle, remember. No run."

"Look, it's broad daylight outside. I... I need to go help Tessa."

"Later." He pulled her hand down and pressed it to the front of his tunic. "Help me now."

There was a loud banging on the door, and Lupus scowled. \\"What is it?"\\

\\"Son?"\\ It was Lucius's voice. \\"I want you to come down to the docks with me. I'm to meet a Frankish merchant, and I could use you as a translator."\\

Lupus sighed regretfully. \\"All right, Father. I'll be right there."\\ He patted Mozelle's cheek. "Tonight you come here." Then he left.

Mozelle leaned against the wall, hugging herself, trying to still her shaking. Dischordia watched her with a frown. \\"You really have the most damnable good luck, woman."\\

A plump, motherly looking woman appeared next to Dischordia, tapping her foot. \\"Not through any agency of yours, Cordie, that's for sure."\\

Dischordia gave the other woman a disdainful look. \\"Vesta, was it you who got that old goat to interrupt Lupus's little tryst? Not very nice of you."\\

\\"Not nice of me? Cordie, I know darn good and well that you've been harassing that poor thing half mad, all because she took a nap on an alter you hadn't used in several dozen hundred years. Really, that's petty, even for you."\\

\\"It's my business, not yours."\\

\\"On the contrary. She's a virgin, and virgins fall into my domain, and you know it."\\

Dischordia smirked. \\"Well, she'll be moving out of your jurisdiction pretty soon, if I don't misjudge Lupus."\\

\\"Oh, really, Cordie! This is intolerable. When Vee told me about this, I really didn't want to believe it, but now... I'm going to add my petition to hers, and I'm having a talk with Diana AND Minerva."\\

\\"Go ahead, see if I care. Get the whole damn brood of hens down on me. I won't be told how to run my affairs, Vesta."\\ She disappeared with a snap.

Vesta sighed, watching as the woman gathered herself and went out of the room. \\"Oh, dear. I'm afraid I may have made things worse for you, child. All I wanted to do was help. I should have remembered how touchy Dischordia is. Say black, she'll say white. Say up, she'll say down. I scold about preserving your chastity, she's determined to see you debauched."\\

She followed the slave out to the kitchen. There she nodded approvingly at a bustling Malanda. The woman was a good housekeeper, paid proper attention to all things domestic.

\\"There you are, girl. I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Tessa wants you to..."\\ She trailed off, getting a look at Mozelle, who slumped disconsolately at the table. \\"Oh, dear. What now?"\\

Vesta spoke to her. \\"She's had a bit of a shock to her system. Get her some tea, dear."\\

Malanda brewed a cup of herbal tea, sweetening it with honey, and pressed it into Mozelle's hands. \\"Drink this. You look like you need it."\\

Vesta spoke to her again. \\"Your young master has frightened her. He doesn't mean to, but she's just not ready to deal with a man wanting her right now."\\

\\"It was Master Lupus, wasn't it? Dear, he doesn't mean you any harm."\\ She patted her arm, wishing that she spoke her language.

"Malanda, what am I gonna do? He... he's after me. It doesn't really scare me--not like that guy out in the street today. But..." She gulped some of the tea, and shuddered. "You're a good person, Malanda, but that is the nastiest stuff. Oh, well..."

"Mozelle?"

Tessa beckoned her into the children's room. Beaming, she held out a dark blue garment. "Yours."

"Oh. Thank you, Tessa." She held it up. "Y'all may call it a tunic, I call it a dress. Tell you what. I'll save it for special occasions, huh? Um, I'll wear it when I wash these."

Tessa nodded and smiled. "Wear."

"Not now, okay?"

Tessa frowned. "Master Lupus say you wear."

"Well, he isn't here, is he? Later."

Tessa studied her, then poked her shirt, and pants. "Wash now."

"I just had them washed yesterday. Okay, technically, I just got wet in the pool, but..."

"Wash." She held out her hands expectantly.

"Well, damn." But Tessa was senior. Mozelle stripped off the shirt and pants, and handed them over. She flatly refused to part with any item of underwear. "Not on your nellie. I might catch a stiff breeze in that thing. I don't want to end up giving a Gauis the sort of education his mama and daddy don't want." That was an excuse, of course. She wanted one more barrier.

The dress was actually no more immodest than anything she'd seen in her own time. It would have been considered quite conservative, actually. But she hadn't worn a dress that came above her knees since grade school, and she felt exposed. Especially since there was no hose or tights involved. She was bare legged. And she figured she had to look pretty funny, walking around in the tunic and her athletic shoes.

She had to serve again at supper, but it was going to be a simpler meal, so she figured she could get out more quickly. The first course was a soup, so at least she didn't have to worry about being expected to feed that to anyone, she thought. She carried the tureen for Rentic, while he ladled some for each of the family into small, cup like bowls, from which they sipped it.

Lady Dramilla watched her with surprise as they made their way around the table. \\"What on earth is that girl wearing?"\\

Mozelle didn't know the language, but she sensed the meaning. "Don't blame me. I didn't pick it out."

\\"I had Tessa make up some garments for her, Mother."\\ Lupus said. \\" We really couldn't leave her wandering about in those that she had."\\

\\"I suppose not. But that... It's terribly brief, son. She... she looks like a girl in a brothel."\\

Lucius eyed his wife. \\"And how, my dear, would you know what one of those look like? I think she looks quite nice. Oh, if we have some of the stuffier patricians over, I suppose we'll have to get her something a bit more sober. But I see no reason why we can't have that."\\

Next there was beef that had been roasted till it was falling into tender chunks. Again Mozelle held the platter, while Rentic served. While she stood beside Lupus's place, she felt a hand come to rest on the back of her knee. The platter trembled a little in her hands, but she steadied it. The hand began a slow slide up the back of her leg, under the hem of the garment.

Lady Dramilla said quietly, \\"Lupus."\\ There was a sigh, a light pinch, and the hand was withdrawn. After the slaves left, Lady Dramilla said, \\"Look, son, I know that you're young, and your blood runs high. Your father isn't the only one who understands that. But please, I don't want to end up with that one getting pregnant. Having children by a slave is awkward, to say the least."\\

\\"She won't, Mother."\\ He reclined on the sofa, thinking about the coming night. *I know how to avoid it.*