Roman Enslavement

Roman Enslavement, Chapter Nineteen

Roman EnslavementPeople, please forgive me. I lost track of where I was on this story, and thought I had completed it. I\'ll upload the rest now.

Part Nineteen


Mozelle grew more and more uncomfortable as Lucius and Dramilla discussed the guest list of her upcoming get together. She felt a pang when she heard some girl dismissed as \'nice enough, but not really first choice\'. The attributes of their families seemed more important than the girl\'s personality, though character seemed very important, too. Another was dismissed because she had attended a public play.

Perhaps even more disturbing was Lupus\'s reaction--or rather lack of reaction. He continued to play with her hair or stroke her arm and throat. The constant physical attention was distracting. It melded strangely with the disturbance that the, to her, cold blooded discussion raised. *He\'s just letting them plot his future for him. Doesn\'t it even bother him?*

//\"Celeste, Beatrice, Mirica, Jullianna, Valentina, Constance. That will do for a start, I think.\"// Dramilla sounded satisfied. //\"All from the best families, gently reared, carefully sequestered. Lupus, you\'ll be happy to know that these are all quite nice looking, some of them very pretty.\"//

Lupus grunted, pinching Mozelle\'s thigh gently. //\"None of them more than sixteen, I\'ll wager.\"// He sighed. //\"They\'re all so unformed at that age.\"//

//\"Well, you\'ll be happy to know that some of them have actually been educated a bit.\"//

Lupus looked up, interested now. Education for Roman women was usually limited to domestic matters, or a bit of poetry at best. It was a widely held belief that mental stimulation and exertion could be physically bad for a woman. Consequently, it was usually only the higher class courtesans who could hold a conversation about anything but the most basic, boring subjects. //\"Really?\"//

Lucius broke in. //\"Yes, Mallum allowed Celeste to share Celsus\'s tutors when he was young, and continued her education when her brother went to the acadamy. It is said that she is intelligent in an almost masculine way.\"//

*And he totally missed the way wifey just rolled her eyes.*

//\"Well,\"// Lupus got up, taking Mozelle\'s hand and pulling her to her feet. //\"I may end up bored to death, but I\'ll do my duty. Good night Father, Mother.\"//

Dramilla watched narrowly as he pulled the woman out of the room after him. *She\'s perfectly capable of following on her own, but it\'s as if he can\'t stop touching her at every opportunity.* //\"I\'m beginning to get worried about that woman, Lucius.\"//

Lucius had been drinking, now he lowered his goblet to look at his wife. //\"Why? Lupus seems quite happy with her.\"//

//\"Too happy.\"// She sighed. //\"Maybe we ought to get rid of her.\"//

//\"She belongs to him. We gave her to him, remember?\"//

//\"We haven\'t filed the papers yet.\"//

//\"Dramilla!\"// Lucius put the goblet down sharply. //\"That\'s unworthy of you.\"//

//\"Oh, please, Lucius!\"// she snapped.

//\"No.\"// He poured more wine. //\"Not yet, anyway. We\'ll see how things go at your get-together. If we can\'t settle on someone that we can all agree on, maybe then.\"//

In his room, Mozelle helped Lupus off with his tunic. //\"You know how to undress self?\"//

//\"Yes, I can dress and undress myself. We aren\'t allowed personal servants at The Acadamy.\"//

//\"Roughing it.\"//

//\"Many masters would beat you for such impudence. I enjoy it, but don\'t speak to me that way in public.\"// She ducked her head, and Lupus took her chin in his fingers, raising it so that she looked at him. //\"Mozelle, it\'s important. How a slave acts is significant to all citizens. Rebellion cannot be allowed, and respect must be maintaned. If I allow you to be rude in public... Well, a lot of pressure could be brought to bear on me to discipline you. I don\'t want to have to do that.\"//

She pulled away sharply, staring at him. *That\'s a threat. He may think of it as a caution, or a warning, but it\'s a threat. He just got through kissing me, and he\'s telling me to behave in front of the neighbors, or else.* //\"How?\"//

Now he frowned slightly. //\"You don\'t need to worry about that if you just behave yourself.\"//

She scowled, then looked away. Her voice was acidic. //\"Be a good little bed warmer.\"//

Lupus threw up his hands. //\"I don\'t understand you. I\'m just trying to keep you from getting into an uncomfortable situation.\"//

Mozelle\'s short laugh was unpleasant. She stared at him hard. //\"I was born free. All my life, free. Like you. Now...\"// She tugged viciously on her collar. //\"No choice. Work, no choice. Eat, no choice. Come, go, no choice.\"// She looked at the bed, then back at him, and he was surprised to see the pain in her eyes. //\"Sleep, no choice. Save me from discomfort.\"// Again she laughed.

Lupus reached for her, and she turned away. He hesitated, then slid his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. //\"But I thought... Last night. Didn\'t you enjoy it? I felt you...\"//

She was laughing again, a bitter chuckle. //\"Oh, yes. Last night. Rape.\"//

His arms loosened in shock, and he didn\'t stop her when she pulled away from him. //\"No, not rape.\"//

She regarded him, her expression ironic. //\"No? Then what?\"// She clasped her hands under her chin, her expression suddenly falsly bright, her tone sickeningly sweet. //\"Love?\"// When he didn\'t reply she dropped her hands, her expression normal again. //\"Not love. I said no. I didn\'t want. Rape, even if I not fight. No rescue. Scream? No one come for slave. Why fight?\"// Her tone was sharp. //\"Might be \'disciplined\'.\"//

His voice was soft. //\"You really don\'t want to be with me?\"//

She closed her eyes briefly. \"God, you will never understand. I don\'t want to be here, I don\'t want to be now I--want--to--go--home. I want my safe, boring old life back.\"

\"Can\'t give you that,\" he said quietly. \"Not in my power.\"

\"You could free me.\" He stared at her. \"I could work for you to earn back my cost.\"

\"We not have free servants here.\"

\"Then I could work somewhere else and bring the money to you.\"

Lupus turned away from her, going to sit on the bed. \"Come, sit.\" She folded her arms. His voice hardened. \"Mozelle, sit!\"

Her lips tightened, and she muttered, \"Yes, master,\" as she sat.

\"I don\'t understand. Why you so obstinant?\"

\"Walk a mile in my sandals.\" He gave her a blank look. \"Imagine yourself in my position. You\'re snatched away from everything and everyone you know. Someone slaps a metal band around your neck and tells you that you are now someone\'s property. They make it clear that you will be used in any way they see fit, up to and including sexually, and you have no say in it. In fact, you probably should be beaten for presuming to even suggest that it might make a difference how you felt about the matter. How would you feel, Lupus?\" Lupus stared at her. \"You have absolutely no idea, and I don\'t think you ever could.\" She sighed heavily. \"Just forget about it.\"

//\"You\'re a strange woman, Mozelle.\"// He leaned over and pressed his lips to her neck. //\"But such an attractive woman.\"//

Mozelle closed her eyes, and waited. She wasn\'t going to fight him, she knew that. She was so confused that she wanted to cry. *I should hate him. I should. I don\'t think I even like him--he\'s arrogant and just takes having whatever he wants, including me, for granted. But I\'m not going to fight him, and it isn\'t really because resisting him could earn me pain, because I really don\'t think he\'d beat me. I\'m not going to fight him because... Oh, God, I don\'t know.* His hand had slipped down the front of her tunic, and his fingertips gently stroked her nipple, urging it to firmness. *That\'s part of it. Lord, no one has ever made me feel like this. Is it him, or am I just a slut, and I never knew it till now?*

He was nibbling gently at her earlobe now. She turned her head slowly, and his lips trailed across her cheek. She sighed and moved to touch her lips to his...

...and he pulled back. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He smiled, dropping a kiss on her nose. She started to lean forward again, and again he drew back, laying a finger against her lips. Then he pushed her hair aside and licked just behind her ear. Mozelle took hold of his shoulders and pushed him back. She studied him, and again moved to kiss him. He leaned away again, then nuzzled her cheek.

*He won\'t kiss me on the mouth,* she thought. *And I should be outraged. I should be pissed. But God help me, I\'m just hurt.* \"Fine.\" She pushed him away.

Lupus watched in surprise as Mozelle jerked her tunic over her head and pulled down her odd undergarment. Then she lay back on the bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. He touched her shoulder. \"Mozelle?\"

\"Do it and get it out of your system. That\'s why I\'m here, right? Get it over with.\"

He caressed her hair, //\"What\'s wrong? Things were going so well.\"//

\"If I have to explain it, you\'ll never understand. Go on and have your fun.\" He started to slide his hand over her belly. \"I won\'t try to kiss you again.\"

He didn\'t stop, but he hesitated. He hadn\'t really noticed it, but he hadn\'t kissed her--at all. Why not? He touched her mouth, tracing the lines, noting that there was a sad droop that he hadn\'t noticed before. She had a beautiful mouth. He had imagined doing many things with that beautiful mouth, but it hadn\'t occured to him to just kiss her. You simply didn\'t kiss slaves, no matter how appealing they were. Sex was one thing, but kissing was another. Kissing was something to be done between equals.

He continued touching her, his hands moving over her sides, then down her thighs. She lay limp, unmoving. \"Mozelle?\" She turned her face away. The other night it had been so different. She\'d been reluctant at first, but then she\'d been so sweetly responsive. He moved his hand down between her legs, letting his fingers slide into the narrow crease. She shuddered. *Yes, this should work. She likes this.*

He sought till he located the little bud of flesh, then he rubbed. *Gently, but firmly. Slow, slow. Feel it firming. She\'s trembling. Her breath is coming faster.*

Mozelle closed her eyes, biting her lip. *Don\'t react. Don\'t react. Don\'t give him anything but a breathing lump. Damn, that feels so good. How can he know my body so well and not know me at all?*

Lupus felt a trickle of moisture. He slicked it over her now hard bud, making his fingers slide more easily. With his other hand he fondled her bosom, stroking and pinching gently. Then he slid his hand down farther, probing with his middle finger. She stiffened as his finger dipped in shallowly, then withdrew. When he probed again, her hips lifted of their oown accord, and he made a pleased sound. *So help me, if he smiles I\'ll hit him.*

He didn\'t smile. His expression was serious, and intent. He started to lie on top of her, but she pushed him off. \"Mozelle, what?\"

\"Thing. That... that thing you used before.\" He looked at her questioningly. Her face flaming, the reached down and touched his erection. \"Thing. Holder? Glove?\"

\"Ah! Sensible woman.\" He got up and went to his dresser. She watched as he dipped up oil from a dish and annointed himself, then slipped the funny looking, silvery sheath over his penis, then rubbed on more oil.

She grinned. He gave her a sharp look. \"I\'m sorry, but it looks funny.\" He frowned. She tried to make her face solemn, but she couldn\'t hold it--she giggled. Lupus tried to look stern, but found himself smiling, too. She was still giggling when he lay down between her thighs. She felt his weight settle on her, and before she could tense up he moved, sliding into her, and the laughter was cut off with a gasp.

*I thought it was going to hurt,* she thought, astonished. * No pain, no pain at all. Just a sense of fullness, heat, and friction. So good.*

It was as good as it had been the night before. She held him so tight, and it felt as if she were filled with melting honey. He tried to go slowly, but she moved with him, her little hands going up to glide over his back, and she made soft sounds, deep in her throat. He found himself going harder and faster, till he was lunging against her. He gripped her hips, pulling her up to meet each thrust. He felt it when she found her release. Her body clutched him even more tightly, pulsing and rippling as her climax moved through her. It drove him over the edge.

He grunted in pleasure as he made the last few, hard thrusts, emptying himself into the sheath, and he knew that he wanted to take her without the sheild. He wanted to really feel her, without the barrier between them. Surely the tea would be enough?

Lupus sighed, rubbing his lips against her cheek. She lay very still, and he suddenly realized that she was waiting for him to kiss her. He buried his face in her hair, stroking her flanks. He could feel her stiffen. He moved to her side, reaching to pull her into his arms. She moved quickly, standing up and donning her tunic. She reached under the bed and pulled out the pallet, spreading it on the floor.

\"Mozelle?\" he held out his hands.

She sat down on the pallet and looked at him. Her voice was toneless, but not quite steady. \"It didn\'t change anything. Can you understand that? Even if I didn\'t fight, even if it felt good, it didn\'t change anything. I\'m still somewhere I don\'t want to be. I still don\'t want to belong to you, or anyone. I\'m still a slave, you\'re still an owner, and that\'s all it\'s going to be. Please, stop trying to make it anything more than that, because it could never be enough.\" Her breath hitched. \"You can\'t let it be.\" She lay down, turning to press her face to her crossed arms.

Lupus looked at her for a moment, considering ordering her to his bed. He knew that she would obey, but the thought of having her lying beside him, but still so distant, made him feel a little cold. Instead he blew out the lamp on the table beside the bed and lay down. For a long time he listened. Her breathing was rapid and harsh for a while, but she wasn\'t crying--he could tell. Finally her breaths slowed and deepened, and he knew that she slept. Then he stared up into the darkness, wondering that he was lying awake because of a slave. *What does she want?,* he thought. As he drifted off he thought, *Why do I care?*