Ulpia entered Lydah's room when she was playing with Titus. It was mid afternoon and the combined efforts of the blinds and the awning were not enough to keep the merciless sun at bay. The siblings were sitting on an old rug and the boy was giggling while his sister made an old wooden horse move over it and the brothel's mistress noticed that the girl had not taken off that stupid, chiming anklet she had been wearing. When the door opened, they both turned around.

"Ulpia!" cried the boy and raised his little arms towards the older woman. Lydah averted her eyes.

"Here you are, little monkey!" said Ulpia goodhumouredly as she hugged the child and sat down on the narrow bed near the wall. "Guess what Narissa is doing?"

Titus shook his head no.

"She is baking honey biscuits... and needs someone to taste them and tell her if they are any good..."

The boy's eyes shone and he looked at his sister who kept her head averted.

"Do you feel brave enough for the task, young man?"

Titus bit his lip. He wanted to go to the kitchen. It was not every day that he got an invitation to enter old Narissa's kingdom. And it was Ulpia herself who was giving him the chance. But Titus was not used to going out of the room without Lydah's permission and she had been acting strange since he had woke up. He tugged her tunic. "Lydah...?" he asked when she failed to answer.

The younger woman turned slowly towards her brother, still avoiding looking at Ulpia.

"Yes, Titus?"

"May I? May I go..? Please?"

Lydah sighed then smiled. She knew that Ulpia just wanted to have him out of the room to go back to the subject of the stranger, but she had no way to prevent it. Not trusting her own voice, she nodded her acceptance.

"Thanks!" With a quick kiss, Titus run from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Silence fell on the two women. Still sitting on the rug, Lydah looked at her hands for a moment then raised her eyes towards the brothel's mistress. "Ulpia, I have already told you that I will repay you..," she said in a low voice.

Leaving behind the denarius Maximus had given her had been her own decision. She did not want his money. She wanted to erase the moment she had gone to him for the first time. She wanted her life and control back... but she had no illusions. Lydah had been on her own since she was but a girl and a whore since she was but fourteen. She knew these kind of things did not happen.

She had left his money behind before going back to the brothel but had forgotten completely that Ulpia was awaiting for her fee. So when she had failed to produce it she had had to look for an excuse and she had pretended to have lost the money somewhere along the courtyard. Ulpia had sent her to her room with a worried frown and Burrius to look for the coin she knew was not there. Now, the older woman remained in silence.

"I am sorry, Ulpia," said Lydah desperately trying to think about something to say to the brothel's mistress whom she knew did not believe her. "I don't know how it could happen..."

Without uttering a word, Ulpia opened her right hand and Lydah gasped at the sight of two shiny denarii. "Manlius was here," said the older woman. Lydah swallowed and raised her eyes towards hers.

"D-Did he... f-find the coins? H-How honest of him t-to return..."

Ulpia sighed. "Manlius is honest but not that honest and you know perfectly well that you did not lose the money, Lydah..."

"P-Perhaps I...I... forgot t-to..."

"Manlius came here with a message from that man... and the money," went on the brothel's mistress without paying attention to Lydah's babbling. "Truth is, the message was for you but I told him you were sleeping... By the way, he sent these two denarii and also my fee so this money is all yours."

This said, Ulpia put the coins in Lydah's hand and stood up to go away. She had known the big, handsome man was going to bring problems to her house and she had been right. More than right.

"Ulpia...?"

Lydah's voice sounded shaky. Truth was the girl had been strange since she had come back, barely uttering a word and with deep blue shadows under her eyes that spoke about lack of sleep as clearly as the beard burns she had spied on her throat.

Ulpia slowly turned around to look at the young woman sitting on the rug and inwardly cursed at the sight of her eyes, shining with... what? Hope? Need? Or perhaps something even worse?

"Yes Lydah?"

"W-What was the message?"

Ulpia straightened her back but she needed all her strength to keep her voice free or emotion.

"He said he hoped it was enough to buy a new anklet..."

Lydah tried to scurry back towards her room unnoticed but Ulpia's voice stopped her. The brothel's mistress was standing at the door of the room she used as her private retreat. It was there where she did her books and also her thinking and Lydah had been in them more frequently than usual. The girl had clearly not been the same since that tall, handsome, bearded man had come to Manlius' inn and whatever had happened during their second meeting it had affected her seriously. Ulpia eyed her carefully as she slowly turned back. Lydah seemed to have lost her purpose and looked distracted and pale. Without a word, she indicated that she should enter her private room and without waiting for her she sat back at her desk.

Lydah cursed inwardly. Of course, it was the damn anklet's fault. The silver bells chimed at her slightest movement and Ulpia had told her more than once to get rid of it but she could not. When she had returned to the brothel after her second encounter with Maximus taking off the anklet had been the least of her worries. And in the days that followed she had discovered that the chiming kept on reminding her of what he had done to her in the inn's back room in the same way that her body's soreness did. And as that vanished, the chiming instead kept her company. Now she took her place in front of the woman who had taken her in when she had found herself broken and with Titus to care for and lowered her gaze. That was highly unusual for the spirited girl she had been till that fateful encounter but that being seemed to have vanished inside this new and nervous one.

"Well, Lydah?"

Ulpia's tone was serious but not angry. Lydah bit her lip. "I am unwell..."

"It is the third time in as many weeks. That man you refused to attend is one of your regulars..."

"I am unwell..," she stubbornly repeated.

Ulpia gave up all pretension. "Look at me," she said and when the girl failed to obey she raised her tone, "I told you to LOOK at me!" Lydah flinched then did as she was told. The brothel's mistress looked at her carefully and saw her blush under her scrutiny. "Are you pregnant?" she asked bluntly.

Lydah's eyes opened very wide then frantically shook her head no. "No! Of course not! How can you..."

Ulpia cut her with a movement of her hand. "That's the first piece of good news I have heard in the last month. So, what is the problem?"

The girl wrung her hands. "There is no problem, Ulpia. It's just that I feel unwell... I am tired..."

"You have been tired and unwell for the last month..."

Lydah turned defensive. "You always said I worked too much and I did not pay attention..."

Ulpia sighed. "Are you in love?"

The girl stopped in mid-babbling then blushed crimson. The brothel's mistress let out a curse.

"I knew he was nothing but problems with his blue eyes and that body a god would envy! I knew he was a problem the first time I saw him! And now Manlius has even told me he is a former gladiator!"

"Ulpia, it's not what you think!" protested Lydah, her mind racing frantically as she tried to find the words to placate the other woman. She did not have enough money to settle on her own and care for Titus. She needed to go on working but she found herself night after night wishing that nobody asked for her. Wishing that instead of her regulars a message came from the inn across the courtyard...

Ulpia's painted eyebrows arched very high on her wide forehead. "No? It's not what I am thinking?"

"No-No-No!" insisted Lydah. "It's only..."

"It's only that you cannot stop thinking about that man!"

"No..." 

"Lydah, listen to me. I have been in this business for nearly thirty years and I know a silly girl infatuated with a customer when I see her!"

Lydah winced at the harsh words and fixed her look on her lap. Ulpia had never been so hard with her.

"What was the first lesson I taught you when you came here?"

"T-That men s-should never notice if I feared them..."

"And?"

The girl bit her lower lip. "That men could take my body if they p-paid the right sum but they s-should n-never have my heart..."

"Lydah, you are a whore. Your survival depends on being the one in charge! You cannot be in charge if you are in love with a man!"

"I am not..."

Ulpia stopped her with a gesture then tiredly rubbed her eyes. She felt responsible for the girl as if she had given birth to the exotic creature squirming on the chair. She was too beautiful for her house. Lydah should have been established by herself as soon as she made enough money to afford a good wardrobe and a small house. The world was a difficult place but someone as young and beautiful and reasonable should have made a fortune as a paid courtesan instead of living in a brothel. And now it was already too late. That handsome stranger had wormed his way to her heart and ruined everything.

Ulpia remained in silence for a moment and when she finally spoke it was in a low, controlled tone.

"Lydah, we are both tired. Take a couple of days off. Go out and take Titus with you. Go to the market and buy the child a new tunic. He is growing like a palm tree."

When she opened her eyes, Lydah was staring at her with her slanted, feline ones.

"Go," she repeated and she sounded tired. "And have Narissa prepare you a concoction to ease your sleep. We will talk when you feel... better."

Nodding, Lydah stood up and left the room. When she was gone, Ulpia poured some wine in her cup and gulped it, closing her eyes and letting it warm her.

Oh, yes. A whore's survival depended on being be one in charge and love ruined everything. But it happened. The gods knew it happened. 

The brothel's mistress buried her painted face in her hands and silently wept.

The sun already begun to disappear beyond the rocky mountains as Maximus walked along Zucchabar's dusty streets directed to the Northern gates, and then to his farm. He was in very high spirits, feeling in such good mood he almost had the urge to hum under his breath, as it had not happened in ages. The leather pouch tied to his belt was heavy with the coins he had made selling his dates to the market, its weight comforting and welcome.

When he had arrived at the place in the morning, he had the intention to sell all his earlier produce - he had left more of the fruits on the palms, for they were not yet ripe or because he wanted them to dry in the sun and thus last for many months - to some big merchant, for he needed quick cash. In the back of his house and barn there was a large untended area till that moment used to pasture the donkeys and the sheep and that Maximus had decided to turn in a kitchen garden and a vineyard. Contrary to the previous owners, he could not afford to waste cultivable land and since he hoped to produce as much as he could of the food he ate, he now needed the seeds and the tools to accomplish his task.

However, just after Maximus' arrival at the big market - at the head of Brutus, Gaius and Sempronius, who had complained all the journey because of the heavy chests on their backs - while he was still trying to negotiate his way around, a large matron with too much perfume and too many jewels on had blocked his path.

"You are the Spaniard!" She had exclaimed in ecstatic tones. "You don't know what a pleasure is to see you up close!" The woman, who was a good ten years older than Maximus had been eating him with her eyes, and he had shifted uncomfortably and a bit irritated. He hated to be considered a piece of meat or a stud.

"If you excuse me, madam..." He had tried to circle her, but she had moved too.

"Oh, so it is really true you are free now," the woman had gushed, looking at him with adoring eyes, "I was so happy when I heard the news! You are - were my favourite gladiator, you know? It is so exciting to meet you here!"

Maximus had begun to lose his patience, and so did Brutus, who had started to paw at the ground like a furious bull, but the matron had grabbed his arm and there had not been any way he could free himself without being very rude. Blind to his irritated stance the woman had continued to chat, recalling episodes and moves from combats he had long forgotten, until she finally had to stop to regain her breath. Maximus had used that moment of silence to say, in his most commanding voice, "I appreciate your interest in me, madam, but I must go to sell my dates before they rot."

"Dates? You grow dates now? How interesting! Let me taste one!" The matron had reached out with a well manicured hand and picked one of the fruits from the chest. "Uhmm, but this is really good! The best date I have ever eaten!" She had underscored her words with sounds of approval. "I wish to buy the whole chest. How much do you want, Spaniard?"

Maximus had found himself at loss. He had been out of business for so many years and knew very little about dates. Indeed it had been in his plans to tour the market for a while before selling his produce, so to discover which was the average price of the sweet fruits. He had been saved by the matron who, while clapping her hands to beckon her slaves closer, had commented, "I suppose the double of the usual price will do..." She had suddenly stopped to talk, as her eyes had fixed away from Maximus. "Claudia!" She had then called atop of lungs, "Come here to buy the Spaniard's dates! They are exquisite!"

Her booming voice had carried her words to her friend's ears but had also attracted other women's and men's attention, and soon Maximus had been surrounded by people wanting to buy his dates. The seller from whom he had bought his food provisions - and who had no dates to sell - had lent him a scale, and Maximus had organized an impromptu sale of his produce in the middle of the street, selling all of his dates privately. The more idealistic part of him had resented the fact it was due to his fame as a gladiator he was managing so well, but his more practical side had shrugged the feeling away, interested only on the money he could make. So he had let the matrons joke, tease and laugh with him, and he had allowed them to even touch his hand longer than required when they had handed him their coins. For the first time in his life, he had been an entertainer, and now he had made enough money to buy the seeds he needed, a new tunic, more meat and wine, and still spare a good deal for later times. Yes, it had been a very good sale, and Maximus' mood had risen so high, it had not been ruined even by the seller he bought the seeds from. As Manlius before him, the man had clearly believed a former gladiator had not the experience to grow vegetables and vines in such a hostile climate, but his ironic comments, instead of annoying Maximus, had made him even more determined to succeed. He would be the one laughing last.

He was still humming under his breath when, all of sudden his gaiety disappeared. Lost in thought as he had been, he had not noticed he had been walking along the street where Manlius' inn was located until his feet had almost instinctively stopped in front of the door. Maximus remained standing there, undecided about what to do as his eyes darted to Ulpia's brothel nearby. His body reacted strongly at the mere idea of spending time with Lydah, and his hand weighed the leather pouch; he could afford to spend some money to indulge himself. Maximus struggled with his emotions and his needs; he did not like how his body was taking control. It was like the self-discipline that had sustained in his long years in the army and then as a gladiator had disappeared. He ached to have a woman again. To have Lydah again. To hear her call his name in her passion. She had enchanted him with her fiery spirit, her attractive face and beautiful body, and he could not banish her from his mind, as much as he tried.

Maximus was still staring at the closed door when someone nudged at his back. Turning around startled, he saw it was Brutus, the most wilful of his three donkeys, who had wanted to remind his master he and his brothers were hungry and wished to go home. Maximus smiled self-consciously, for he had almost forgotten the animals. And since he did not want to risk to have them stolen if he left them tied outside the brothel, nor did he intend to pay a fee for stabling them in the barn annexed to Manlius' tavern, it was clear his body would have to wait another time to get release.

"Tomorrow," Maximus said to himself, with a last glance to the building, before pulling at the rope tied to Brutus' halter and resuming his walk.

Just as he was about to leave the place behind he heard, as it had happened the night he had been there, the sound of a woman's laugh filter outside the place, and he wondered what it would be like to hear Lydah laugh just for him.

Although Ulpia had wanted her to take more time off, Lydah was adamant and went back to work after two days of rest, taking her place at the brothel's common room, sitting among the girls who talked animatedly or lazily fanned themselves as they waited for customers. Unlike the previous one, it was a quiet night. The day before it had been market day and many men had come to Ulpia's with their bags full of coins and ready to make the most of their time in Zucchabar. But the caravans were now gone and the women who made their living at this and other brothels would have to be content with the local patrons.

Sitting on a crimson couch, Lydah fixedly looked at the door as if willing the men who could pay her fee to come. There was money to be earned at the brothel, money she desperately needed. Lydah had not sacrificed so much just to give up now, when she was closer than ever to obtaining her goal. Beside the money, there were other reasons to go back to work. A few days off meant time to play with Titus but also time to think about Maximus and what had happened between them in the inn's back room. It was bad enough that he haunted her dreams to allow him to also haunt her days. And there was also the previous day's episode to deal with...

Following Ulpia's indications, she had gone to the market and taken Titus with her. The boy had clapped and jumped at the news and had kept on tugging at her hand all the way there, too excited to listen to her indications about not leaving her side. Once arrived, it had taken great effort to make him remain quiet long enough to try on a tunic and a lot more to try a second one. Unable to deal with the boy's excitement and her own weariness, Lydah had bought the tunic that seemed most adequate and moved ahead trying to keep Titus in sight. There had been too much to see and enjoy and for a boy who spent most of his time locked in a bedroom indoors no air, sun or freedom seemed to be enough.

Moved by Titus obvious delight and feeling guilty about the way she was raising him, Lydah had decided to give her brother not only a new tunic but also a new pair of sandals. So she had steered him towards the sandal maker, where she had found one that seemed sturdy enough even if it was a bit too big even for a boy who was quickly growing up. The shoemaker had offered to adapt them if they would only sit down and wait for a few minutes and Lydah had agreed, then had bought a slice of watermelon for Titus, the only way to keep him sitting in the shade while the man had worked with his iron needle, adapting the straps to his small feet.

It had been hot in the market and on a second thought, Lydah had decided to buy another slice for herself. Leaving the boy under the care of the sandal maker's wife, she had gone back to the fruit vendor's stall.

Then, she had seen him.

It had been the first time she had seen Maximus in daylight and her throat had dried at the way his tanned skin had shone under the sun. His hair and beard had looked darker and his muscles had rippled with each movement. His ruggedly handsome beauty had exuded the familiar raw, masculine power that made her damp and weak despite being a hardened whore.

He seemed to have come to the market to sell his produce. There had been three donkeys near him, carrying baskets of small, dark fruits that had appeared to be dates or figs and he had looked to be doing well. Women had flocked around him, talking and giggling, touching the produce in a way that left no doubt about what they really wanted to touch and looking at Maximus with undisguised lust. In the still air of midmorning, Lydah had heard his low, deep voice mixing with the high pitched, female ones. He had been laughing at something a matron in a blue tunic was saying. Lydah had never heard him laugh.

It was a wondrous sound, like the heated rumble of the thunder before a summer storm and she had felt like smiling but the fleeting sensation had been replaced by another, more painful one. Lydah had thought that being stabbed in the heart must felt exactly like that.

He had been laughing with the women who surrounded him in open appreciation, the boldest ones flirting with him. Ulpia had been right. He was a man who did need not pay to get a woman in his bed. Or to buy himself a wife.

Lydah's eyes had blurred and she had felt her cheeks blush as she had recognized the powerful, painful emotion for what it was.

Jealousy.

Jealousy towards those women who had surrounded him like bitches in heat around a dog.

Women who had names, families, freedom and probably husbands but did not hesitate about going after a handsome man, ready to take him if he was available or to coax him into availability if he tried to refuse...

He had been talking with them, giving them their fruits, picking up their money, smiling, letting them touch his hand when they handed him their coins. He had acted perfectly at ease among them and Lydah had felt the urge to go to him, to claim him, to show those bitches she knew him as they would never come to know him... That she had been there when he had needed her more than water and sustenance. That she had been there when his soul had been lost in the darkness...

The impulse had died with the same swiftness with which it had been born. She was but a whore, nothing more. A woman who sold herself to whoever could meet the price Ulpia had put on her youth and beauty. Yet he had made her feel special in those two nights they had shared.

She had bitten her lip fiercely, blinking the tears away and willing him to turn around and see her standing there, the watermelon slice in her hand, the fresh juice running down her fingers and tracing sticky paths down them.

But he had never turned towards her. Those women had been keeping him too busy for him to notice the one who had cried his name in her passion.

The market had been crowded and people had pushed at her as they had hurried around. When a burly man had stomped on her foot, she had winced as the pain brought her back to reality. Shaking herself, she had darted one last glance at Maximus but he had not looked at her. Limping, she had dragged herself towards the sandal maker's stall, the watermelon slice forgotten in her right hand and the silver bells in her anklet chiming what sounded to her ears as a mocking song...

A loud murmur brought Lydah back from her reverie. Someone had entered Ulpia's house.

She raised her eyes and her heart jumped as she saw Manlius fixedly looking at her. Before she could stop herself, she was on her feet.

Ulpia frowned. Fausta sneered. The other women arched their eyebrows and murmured behind their fans. Manlius looked from the brothel's mistress to her then offered Lydah his crooked smile. She did not need anything else.

At her back she heard Ulpia calling her but she neither stopped nor turned around. Her feet seemed to have a will of their own and also to have grown wings. Followed by the chiming of the silver bells, she went out into the night, running across the courtyard, flying towards the inn's back room.

Running towards Maximus. Flying where her heart spurred her to go.

By the time she pushed open the door of the room, Lydah's heart was hammering wildly because of both running and nerves. She stepped inside then stopped dead as she saw Maximus sprawled naked on the narrow bed. His face was buried in the small pillow and the regular rising and falling of his back told her he was sound asleep.

There was a little pang of disappointment for she had hoped him to take her in his arms and crush her against his chest but she recovered quickly: the only thing that mattered, that really mattered was that he was back and he had asked for her. With a smile, Lydah closed the door then silently padded towards the bed.

Maximus mumbled something in his sleep then turned his head and sighed. Lydah stopped by his side and took a moment to admire the silky, bronzed expanse of his broad back and powerful arms, the gentle indentation of his spine, the twin dimples in his kidney region, the enticing curve of his rounded, hard buttocks, the powerful thighs and graceful calves.

Carefully trying not to awake him, Lydah sat beside him and gently placed a small hand on his shoulder blade. Maximus sighed again but went on sleeping. She looked at him for a moment, then caressed his back marvelling at the softness of his skin and the hardness of the muscles beneath it.

Maximus sighed for a third time, his sleepy mind obviously registering the caress and relishing the resulting pleasure and when her hand reached his buttocks he emitted a soft growl, very much like the purring of a big, satisfied cat.

Smiling, Lydah went on caressing him till her finger pads reached a patch of puckered skin at his lower hip. She bent to study the place and she frowned when she saw the white scar obviously left by a wound.

Soldier. She had called him "soldier" that first night for he had the bearings and the attitude of one of them. And here was another proof that, along with the remains of the SPQR tattoo he sported on his badly scarred left arm, confirmed her deduction.

"I grew careless and the bastard got me with his lance..."

Lydah was startled by the sound of the deep, low voice and raised her eyes to find herself looking into Maximus' blue ones. Her heart jumped so hard that she nearly choked.

He offered her a drowsy glance then smiled wanly. "I am sorry," he said. "I could not avoid falling asleep while waiting- I have been working hard but I had not noticed I was so tired till I came here."

"Was it worth it?" she asked then bit her tongue at the barb in her remark, the sight of the women flocking around him the previous day still burning in her memory.

Maximus smiled again. "It was. I sold my early produce and I have new crops coming...and many projects in my head," he rubbed his eyes and tried to roll onto his back but Lydah stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her quizzically.

"You look tired indeed, do you want me to give you a massage? It will ease the pain in your muscles..."

"... and probably render me asleep for the whole night," he added with a shy grin.

Lydah returned it with a cheeky one. "I will take the risk..." Maximus cocked an eyebrow. Her grin became wider. "Deal?"

He nodded. "Deal!"

Lydah climbed on the bed then straddled Maximus and started working on his shoulders eliciting a moan as her hands moved over the tired muscles. She massaged his neck then slid down his spine as Maximus sighed and grunted alternately. By the time she reached his lower back, he was purring loudly, arching against her hands with obvious satisfaction.

She went on working his buttocks then the back of his thighs and calves as he went on purring and sighing. And when she took a foot in her hands, he made her laugh by wriggling his toes like a child.

Lydah went on massaging first one foot then the other and she had barely freed the second one when he rolled on his back with astonishing swiftness, grabbed her by an arm and dragged her on top of him. Taken by surprise, Lydah squealed but air left her as she found herself sprawled on his bare chest. His bodily warmth burned her through the fabric of her light tunic and it was clear that he was anything but asleep.

Their gazes remained locked for a moment then she lowered her head and gently touched his lips with hers. Maximus captured her mouth in a devouring kiss while his hands firmly grabbed her buttocks, grinding his pelvis hard against hers. Lydah gasped against his lips and when he rolled her beneath him, she forgot to gasp then nearly forgot to breathe...

In the following weeks, Maximus worked hard to establish his kitchen garden and vineyard, and to tend to the rest of his farm. There were so many things to do and just himself to see to them. He had no money to hire help, and he could no longer even bear the idea to own slaves. No, he had to do this alone, and was determined to do it well, as he had been taught since his childhood.

Every morning Maximus woke at dawn, ate a simple breakfast of hard bread, cheese and milk as he tended to the house, then went to the barn, fed the animals, and mucked the stalls. After a brief tour of the property to check everything was fine with the olives and palms, he dedicated all his remaining time to the area behind the house and barn.

First of all he had to plough the land, which, after many years of having been crushed under the animals' feet was very compressed. In Hispania Maximus had done the ploughing of his fields with the help of two oxen; now he had only his arms and a hoe. Stripping down to his loincloth, he worked doggedly to turn the hard-pressed soil into a cultivatable area, working on big clods until they were reduced into soft earth. When it was done, Maximus spread manure over the area to enrich the soil, which, while fertile enough for hard-knocking trees like olives and palms, needed help to nurture more delicate plants as vegetables and vines. Maximus had known it from the first moment he had bent down and picked up a handful of dirt, rubbing it between his palms before sniffing it avidly and, for the first time in six years, he had inhaled the scent of the soil he was going to live on, not the one where he could die. Thus it had not mattered him much if it was not as black or fecund as that of his homeland: it was his land, his to care for, his to work and tend, and that had made it perfect in his eyes.

Once the dunging had been completed - with his donkeys' manure for there were no cows in the area - Maximus began the sowing, digging little holes in orderly rows, and putting seeds to rest in each of them, then patting the earth back on them with the same love of a father tucking the sheets around his sleeping child.

That done, he had another pressing matter to resolve: how to bring water to his crops. His farm was relatively well located by Zucchabar's standards - a small stream ran along his eastern border and he had a wheel in the far side of the olive grove - but both the sources of water were far away from the place needing it. Digging a channel from the stream to his lands was the best, long-term option, but in the meantime Maximus had to go to the stream, load water in buckets, carry them home with the help of the donkeys, and manually distribute the precious liquid to the seeds. It was a more back-breaking job as the previous ones, but Maximus did not even mind it, knowing his reward would come when the seeds gave fruit.

He worked from dawn to sundown, pausing only during the hottest time of the afternoon, with the same discipline and rigour he had been noted for in the army, but even those continuous activities did not quell the hunger of his body. It did not matter how tired he was when he returned home after a day in the fields, it just took him the time to bathe and eat a simple dinner to feel his body become restless, yearning for release, yearning for Lydah. For her voluptuous body and silky voice, for her ready smile and quick intelligence.

Maximus was not only full of sexual ardour, as if the six years of celibacy had finally caught up with him, but also lonely. He spent all his days alone or with his animals, and longed for companionship- for talking and listening to someone's words with a cup of wine in his hand. Like his fields, he needed some loving care, as hard it was to admit it. Like his fields he was thirsty, not for water, but for tenderness. The brutal life he had led for the past three years had not killed the gentlest part of his being. It had been numbed to be spared further pain, but it had not died. Maximus felt the need to love and be loved again, but he did not know how to react to this new discovery. A part of him found it wrong, disrespectful to think to search for a new woman. How could he leave his wife behind? Plan a life without her? Was not his duty to stay alone as punishment for that he had done or failed to do? He had believed it once, but now he was no longer sure. Maximus now thought he had suffered enough and that perhaps it was time to move on. He would never forgive himself, but he wanted to see if he could grab some happiness for himself while he still could, as selfish it might be.

So, in more evenings than not, Maximus went in town to spend a few hours with Lydah. Going always with the same girl and meeting her in the inn instead of in the brothel made everything look less sordid in his eyes, and more importantly, he liked her very much. She was not only beautiful, fiery tempered and skilled in the ways of pleasuring him, but also smart and sweet, with always something compelling to say. Maximus believed she liked to hear him talk too, for her interest was genuine -she often asked him to go on talking about whatever he was saying, for she wished to hear more- and her questions were pointed. Her attention was welcome, for Maximus was always eager to talk when he was with Lydah, telling her about his life with an openness he sometimes found unsettling. Of course he had not revealed his entire past to her, but had spoken with her about his life as a soldier and then as gladiator. He had felt a great relief when, upon hearing this last piece of information, Lydah's eyes had not filled with disgust but with understanding. She had not judged him, simply accepted him as he was and Maximus had been grateful for it. So much that he ended up telling her about his farm, his most prized possession, his pride and joy, reporting all the changes and all the events that happened day-by-day in his patch of land, opening his heart as he had not done in ages.

Lydah had been happier than she dared to admit when Maximus had returned and asked for her, about a month after the last time he had been there. And from that night on, he came to her two or three times a week.

They always met in the inn's room by the stable and Lydah spent the evenings she was not with him thinking about how it would be when she was. Fantasizing about Maximus helped her when she had to serve other men, for it allowed her to block them out easier. And when she was with him...it was Elysium on Earth.

Maximus was no longer as demanding as he had been during their two first encounters - or better, he still was, but in a totally different way. He was gentle and considerate in bed and enjoyed long foreplay, always bringing her to pleasure before chasing for his own, always giving as much as he took. He was very needy, but not just for the sex. He needed tenderness more, soaking in her caresses and gentle gestures as a thirsty plant, and she made it a habit to massage him before making love - for it was that they were doing, it did not matter that he was still paying her - helping his tense, tired muscles to relax.

Maximus liked to talk and Lydah soon discovered that he had not only a handsome face and beautiful body, but also an intelligent mind. He was especially interested about Zucchabar and its province, and she spent hours telling him both serious news - such as the unrest spreading near the South border and the bad ways of the new governor- and silly gossip she had heard from the other girls.

Then, one evening she had asked him why he was so ignorant. In a previous conversation he had admitted to having been in Zucchabar for three years. So why did such a bright, curious man know so little of the place he had been living? Maximus had looked a bit embarrassed, then he had confessed her to have been a gladiator for all that time and that his world had consisted only in the school's training compound and cells, and the arena.

Lydah had been surprised to learn about his past. Truth to tell, Ulpia had told her so once, but she had thought it to be a ruse to keep her away from Maximus, for the brothel' mistress did not approve the eagerness with which the girl ran to meet him, always wearing her best dresses or how her eyes brightened at the mere mention of him. But now Maximus had confirmed it was true, as it was a fact he had been a soldier before being reduced to slavery, as she had always known.

Lydah had not been upset nor scared by the idea of being with a man who had killed for the amusement of the crowd, for she was sure he would not harm her - or any other woman. Yes, he had made her sore during their first times, but it had been caused in part by her resistance, in part by an ardour fuelled by years spent without any comfort at all. But that was now in the past: she no longer even imagined resisting to his passion - indeed she encouraged it, matching it with her own - and he was always careful when he entered her, inserting his massive length with care, even when his control was on the verge of snapping.

No, Lydah was not afraid of him- she was enchanted by him, by the good man he was in his soul, by the gentle being that lost himself in the description of his little farm, his voice accelerating as his enthusiasm grew, like Titus did when described her something he liked very much. And she fervently hoped he would never get tired or bored with her, but kept on visiting, so that they could continue to find comfort in each other, and ease the loneliness that had been plaguing both of them.

Maximus was working in the vineyard, tying the little plants to the poles he had put near each of them to help their growth, when Brutus' braying alerted something out of ordinary was happening in the front yard. In that regard the donkey was better than a guard dog or the famous Capitoline geese.

He let go of the plants and circled the house to ascertain the reason behind all that noise, stopping cold when he saw the woman standing near the fence, intent on caressing Cassius and Sempronius' muzzles, much to Brutus' disappointment. Her back was turned to him, but he would have recognized the small, delicate figure and long, curled, mahogany coloured hair anywhere.

"Lydah," Maximus called, with a mixture of surprise and pleasure.

The young woman turned around, smiling, as her eyes travelled along his nearly naked body for, as usual, he had been working with only his loincloth on. Maximus felt himself blush under her attentive gaze; it was not, of course, the first time she had seen him in that way, but it seemed to be something different in her eyes that day. She was not merely looking at a customer- she was admiring a man. Him. Uncomfortable, he reached out a hand and picked up the tunic he had left folded over the big log he used as base when he chopped his wood, and quickly donned it.

"Lydah," Maximus repeated, as he walked to her while buckling his belt, "what a surprise to see you here."

"I hope I am not disturbing you," she said, looking at his dirty hands. "You were working." 

"Yes, I was, but you are not disturbing me. To the contrary, you are giving me a good reason to take a pause." Maximus smiled, and she replied in the same way, as she seemed to relax, as if she had been worried she would not be welcome there. But there was no danger of it: he was indeed very happy to have her visit his place and he had to control himself to not smile like a young, silly boy or stare at her voluptuous body, which looked simply stunning in the simple, white stola she wore that day.

They remained in silence for few moments, then Maximus asked, "How can you be here? I thought Ulpia's place was open in the afternoons."

Lydah nodded, "It is, but today she and Manlius had to go outside Zucchabar for business and decided to keep their places closed for the whole day. So, since it is my first real vacation in years, I decided to come here to tell you to not come to town this evening and to see with my eyes the farm I have heard so much about," she smiled, her white teeth flashing against her tanned skin and Maximus felt a strange sensation grip his chest. He wanted to always see her smile in that way, so joyous, carefree and young.

"I will be delighted to show you the place, if you like," he offered, bowing to her, feeling a playfulness he had not experienced in ages. He held out his arm to Lydah, who took it shyly, and together they began to explore his "domain".

Lydah lost her notion of time as, with her hand resting over Maximus' strong forearm, she let him guide her around his farm.

First they visited the palm-grove and he made her taste some of the dates he had left on the trees so that the sun would dry them. Then they moved to the olive trees, and he explained to her the harvest time would begin soon, and that much of his produce would be used to make oil, both for his use and for the market. After that, they returned to the front yard where she was officially introduced to the donkeys Brutus, Cassius and Sempronius, to the female cat Melissa and her still unnamed kittens, to the sheep and the chickens. Next stop was area behind the house where Maximus had been working before her arrival, and from the moment they stepped in it, she understood how special that place was for him.

"When I bought the farm, nothing of this existed," he said to her with pride, pointing to the orderly rows of just born vines, vegetables and herbs. "And certain people thought I was mad to wish to cultivate them..."

"But you proved them wrong," Lydah squeezed his arm.

"Yes. It was very hard work - it took me almost a month to dig the watering channel from the stream to here - but all the fatigue disappeared when I saw the first leaves peek through the dirt." Maximus smiled at her and she could not help to think how young he looked when he did so. Not that he looked old at all: in his mid-thirties, he was at the top of his form, strong, sound and handsome. But more importantly, he was the gentlest, most considerate man she had ever met. In short, he was very special for her, but Lydah did not know how to tell him or if it was wise the first place to do so. Ulpia had told her time and again how dangerous it was for a whore to fall in love with one of her customers, for, more often than not, men would try to take advantage of the situation before leaving her with a broken heart. Lydah had treasured that advice in the past, but as she walked at Maximus' side, she found more and more difficult to stick to it.

They lingered in the kitchen garden for a while, then they returned in the front yard.

"So," Maximus  remarked, "the tour is completed."

"Not really," she replied, not wanting for their time together to end, "you still have to show me your house." Lydah felt his body tense at her side and hasted to add, "I did not mean to intrude...forgive me if I offended you."

"No! You did not; it is not your fault. It is just my cottage is...well...very basic," he actually looked embarrassed.

She arched an eyebrow at his choice of words and Maximus sighed, leading her to his house. "See by yourself." As soon as he opened the door and let her inside, Lydah understood what he had meant. The floor covered with fresh straw, the air perfumed by dried herbs and pleasantly cool and welcoming, but the lack of furniture was a bit unsettling: there were just a table, a stool, a cupboard, a bed and two chests. It was clear Maximus did not spend much time inside.

"Now you see what I was saying?" Maximus asked standing near her and looking a bit disgusted at the place.

Lydah nodded. "Yes, but it is not so bad as you seem to think."

"Really? Oh well, I will try to improve it when I have more money." 

"You would have it, if you did not spend it at Manlius' inn," she gently chided him, but the smile on her lips disappeared as he turned to look at her with a serious expression on his handsome face.

"I spend it because I like to be with you," he said softly, intently, and her heart twisted in her chest.

"You don't have to pay to be with me, Maximus. You know you are much more than a customer for me," she murmured, forgetting Ulpia's advice for good. Her voice was full of barely restrained emotions, as for the first time, she spoke aloud the feelings that had been animating her for a while but that, till that day, she had not even been able to admit to herself.

"Lydah..." he said huskily, as they looked in each other's eyes, both moving forward, as if attracted by a superior force. They kissed with ardour but also gentleness, before falling on his straw filled mattress and making love with tenderness and passion.

Afterward, they lay in bed for a long while in silence, basking in the contentment their coupling brought them, until Lydah freed herself from Maximus' embrace. "I must return to the inn before it is dark," she whispered.

"You could remain here for the night," he murmured back, rolling onto his belly and rising on his elbows to look down at her. "We could have dinner in bed. I can do a very good lentil soup."

She smiled regretfully. "It would like to taste it, but I really have to go. I promised a girl in the brothel to spend some time with her this evening." Lydah was not sure of why she had not told the truth, that she wished to spend a few hours with Titus - perhaps because she was not yet ready to reveal she had a brother or wasn't ready to disclose her painful past. She liked Maximus very much, and she knew he was a caring man, but it was too soon.

Maximus nodded at her words. "All right," he said kissing the tip of her nose, "I will accompany you there."

"You don't have to."

"I want to," he gave her another kiss and rolled out of the bed. "I- I care for you."

They looked in each other's eyes for a long while, not knowing what to say, before they started dressing.

"You could ride one of the donkeys," Maximus offered as they left the house and crossed the yard as Brutus brayed in salute.

"No, thank you. I like to walk, but I seldom have the chance to do it." Lydah, replied, squeezing his arm.

They covered the road mostly in silence, at ease with each other and what had happened that afternoon, and enjoying the landscape now that the climate was cooler.

Maximus felt content and in peace with himself as he had not been in years, but the closer they got to the brothel, the more his good mood disappeared, as in his mind he saw again and again images of Lydah servicing one man after another. His blood heated up. He did not want to let her go inside and he did not want to think about her doing her "job" with other men. The mere idea made him burn with rage- and jealousy.

Jealousy. That was an unfamiliar feeling for Maximus; he had experienced it only few times in his life, and only regarding his late wife... Did it mean something? Did he feel more than care for Lydah?

Since was not ready for the answers he might get, Maximus swallowed that unwanted emotions and watched Lydah disappear into the inn with a smile on his lips, although, inside, his heart was screaming with pain.

The next day, Lydah was in her room playing with Titus, when a knock on the door drew her attention.

"Come in!" she called, rising from the floor where she had been sitting. The door opened and Clelia, one of the other lupae, appeared on the threshold.

"Sorry to bother you, Lydah, but there is a man asking for you."

"So soon?" the young woman murmured, "It's just past midday," she had hoped to have no clients till later in the day, and be able to spend some time with Titus. She felt guilty for having left him alone yesterday, but truly she had not predicted her visit to Maximus' farm would develop as it did. Lydah felt her skin tingle as she recalled the events of the previous day, but she forced herself to stop thinking about them. Those memories were precious and she did not want to soil them as she prepared to give her body to another lusty, uncaring man.

Sighing, she lowered her eyes to meet Titus' glance. The boy knew she had to go away and was trying to look brave, but his face betrayed his disappointment.

"I will try to be back as soon as possible," she said, caressing his hair, and her brother nodded, returning to his toy soldiers. 

Lydah watched him for few seconds, sighed again, then straightened and left the room, her steps heavy as her heart as she covered the brief corridor that led to the stairs. It was becoming more and more difficult with each day to do what she had to. She longed for a different life for herself and her brother- but what else could she do? She was able to cook and sew, write and read, but even supposing she was able to find a job as servant in some villa, it was highly unlikely the master would allow her to keep Titus with her or would give her enough money to support both of them. Lydah still remembered all the doors she had knocked on, all the shops she had visited three years ago and all the negative answers she had received before finally understanding she could only ask help to Ulpia and "work" in her place.

At the top of the stairs, Lydah stopped, took a deep breath, painted her professional smile on her face, and stepped down in the common room. She had just moved few steps inside the large hall when she saw who was the man waiting for her, and her smile became a real, joyous one.

"Maximus!"

"Lydah," he greeted her with a bow, his lips curving in a small grin that made her heart beat a little faster. The young woman stopped in front of him, looking at him and taking in all the details of his virile, strong face, fighting the urge to raise on her tiptoes and thread her fingers through his short cropped, dark, soft hair. She had never felt like this with any other man... Maximus had the power to make her life look better by just being in the same room with her. Her body and, more importantly, her heart reacted as never before at the mere sight of him and, for the first time in her life, in that precise instant, Lydah wondered if it could be love. The love which she had continued to dream about even in lowest moments of her life, although asking herself if she would even be able to recognize it if she happened to find it. Was it love, the desire to be always near Maximus? Was it love, the joy she felt every time she was with him, whether lying in bed or just talking? Was it love, the need she felt to see - to make him happy? Was it love, the despair she felt if only she imagined she would not see him again?

"Lydah? Are you are all right?" Maximus' concerned voice interrupted her musings and she realized she had been silent and staring for a long time.

She blushed in embarrassment. "I am sorry, I was daydreaming. What can I do for you?" She hastened to say before he could ask what she was daydreaming about.

"I need to talk with you. In private," he replied, and she frowned his seriousness.

"Come, we can go in the inner courtyard. It is deserted now." 

Maximus nodded and motioned for her to show the way.

Once outside, Lydah sat on a low couch while he remained standing, fingering the leather pouch tied to his belt.

'He seems nervous,' she thought and, trying to relax him, she patted the free cushion at her side, commenting, "Please sit down; it is hard for me to bend my neck to look you in the eyes if you remain hovering over me..."

Maximus nodded again, but did not smile as she had hoped, although he lowered his massive frame onto the couch, leaving a discreet distance between them. Lydah never failed to notice and appreciate how polite and respectful he was, especially for a former soldier and gladiator. Most men would not even think to be so courteous with a whore, but of course she already knew he was not most men.

"So," she said when the silence stretched too long, "what did you want to tell me?"

Maximus turned to face her, and she saw him swallow hard. "I have a very personal question to ask you..." he said with a slight hesitation.

Lydah nodded in encouragement. "Go on."

"How much money do you earn each day with your... job?"

The young woman was stunned. She had never imagined he could be interested on something like that! But she did not even think to not answer. "Well I..." she blushed furiously, "It... depends. Some days I am... busier than others," she almost stammered.

Maximus' eyes flashed with an emotion she could not name as he pressed on, "I understand. But what is an average?"

Realizing he was not going to drop the matter and curious in spite herself of his reason to ask, Lydah made some calculations and told him a sum.

"I see." Maximus shifted on the couch and untied the pouch from the belt. "Give me your hand," he quietly commanded and she obeyed him without hesitation, stretching out her arm. He turned it with the palm up and put several coins in her hand. "Here," he said, "these are the wages of your entire day."

"What?" She exclaimed, her gaze stupidly fixed on the money. "You want me for all the day?"

"No." Maximus smiled, embarrassed, before running his hand along his beard, from his jaw to the neck. "No, I don't want you all for myself. I just wish to give you a day free of work."

Lydah was surprised, "Why?"

"Because...you told me yesterday was your first vacation in years." Maximus diverted his eyes and she got the strong suspicion he was lying to her, or at least not telling the whole truth.

Raising her free hand she posed it against his bearded cheek and gently obliged him to look at her.

"Why?" she asked again, staring in his blue-green eyes.

"Because I wish to. When I was a gladiator, many a woman wanted to "rent" me for stud service, but I managed to avoid that "duty", and I want to spare it to you too."

"But why?" she insisted, sensing there was something else.

Raising his chin and setting his jaw, Maximus murmured throatily, "Because I cannot bear the thought of you lying with other men." His eyes flashed again with emotion, but this time she recognized it for what it was: jealousy. "Last night I could not sleep at the thought today you would have to work. I know I have no rights over you, and I am ashamed of myself, but it is how I feel," he lowered his eyes, looking at his hands.

"You must not feel ashamed," Lydah said, her voice tight with emotion. "It is the first time someone is jealous for me, and I like it, for it means... you care for me," she completed in a hopeful whisper.

"You know I do. I told you yesterday." Maximus' tone was husky.

"Yes you did, but sometimes actions speak louder than words."

"Yes..."

Lydah looked down at the coins in her palm, then returned to stare at him. "Thank you, Maximus, it is a wonderful gesture. I appreciate more than words can express. But won't this stretch your finances too much?" She had seen how modest was his house and she would hate to cause him to live in need.

"Shhh..." Maximus whispered, raising a finger to her lips, silencing her worries. "Everything will be fine, trust me."

"I do," she replied against his finger pad, before kissing it. 'I trust you so much,' she thought, before adding aloud, "Would you like to see how I am going to spend my vacation?"

Maximus' eyebrow arched in curiosity. "Yes, of course."

Lydah stood up and reached out with her hand, which he promptly took. "Come, there is someone I wish you to meet."

Maximus followed Lydah back inside the brothel and up the stairs, letting her pull him by the hand like an eager child wishing to show her father something very important. Maximus loved this side of Lydah, this mixture of youth and adulthood. He was happy that despite her life - she had told him to have been a whore for years now - she had not lost her joy of living nor, he thought, her basic innocence. And he desperately wanted to protect those traits of her, that fierce soul he had come to like and admire so much.

Lydah led him to the first floor, walking along the corridor till they reached a closed door. She let go of his hand, smiled at him, pushed the door open and moved on the side to let him enter first.

Maximus found himself in a medium-sized, rectangular room, with two beds set against the longer sides. There was a chest for clothes near the window located on the wall opposite to the door, a dressing table with a chair in a corner, a basin in the other and several toys were scattered on the floor, surrounding a child who promptly looked up at them. It was a boy of about six years, with curly brown hair and green eyes. His features resembled Lydah's, but he was obviously too old to be her son.

"Your brother?" He asked.

"Yes, Titus. All that remains of my family." Lydah smiled at him, then concentrated on the child, who was staring warily at them - or better, at Maximus. He got the impression the boy had not seen many men in his life, and certainly not in the room where he lived with his sister.

Lydah invited Maximus to advance more into the room, motioning him to sit on one of the beds.

He did so as the young woman walked to her brother and reached down with her hand. "Stand up and come to meet my friend."

Titus rose to his feet and followed his sister to where Maximus was sitting. Lydah moved behind him and taking his shoulders into her hands she said, "Titus, this is Maximus."

He smiled in greeting. "Hello Titus."

"Hello." The boy said flatly, looking a bit nervous- as Maximus felt. The boy reminded him too much of his little Marcus- his poor son, whose life had been cut off like a flower that had still to blossom.

"How old are you?" he asked, making an effort to cover how ill at ease he was for Lydah's sake.

"Six."

"You are tall for your age," Maximus forced a smile, but the boy did not reply. 

Lydah bent over her brother's back and whispered into his ear, "Go back to your toys." Titus nodded and returned to sit on the floor, although he continued to throw occasional glances to Maximus.

"Forgive him, he is not used to men." Lydah murmured as she sat near him on the mattress.

"As I am not used to children." 'Not anymore'- Maximus thought it, but did not say it aloud. "Perhaps he feels jealous too."

"Perhaps. I have been and I am the person he has seen most in his life. But I think it is time he gets some more contact with the world outside this room and this building. Next year he will be old enough to start school. I have been putting away money for this, and I have enough to pay the teacher's fee and buy tablets and writing tools. I want him to study- I am sure it is what our parents would want." Lydah's voice choked with emotion and Maximus took her hand, squeezing it in support.

"What happened to your family?" He asked softly, curious about everything that regarded her.

Lydah took a deep breath. "My mother died for a fever few days after bearing Titus, while my father, who was a merchant died three years ago- the ship he was on sank, and Titus and I were left alone, with no relatives to take us in." Her voice died in a sob.

"I am sorry," murmured Maximus, feeling guilty for having caused her such anguish. "I should not have asked you."

"It is not your fault, Maximus. You could not know. And in truth, I am glad you asked... so you will not judge me too harshly because I became a whore."

"I never judged you - nor will I ever." Maximus said with conviction. "I know all too well how hard life can be."

Lydah nodded slowly, "Yes you are right. Forgive me, but I had almost forgotten you have been a slave and a gladiator."

"There is nothing to forgive. Just tell me how you ended up here."

"After the shipwreck, my father's business partner, not only refused to help Titus and me, but claimed that the sea journey had been tata's idea, not his, and dragged us in court to get a refund of the money he had lost because of it. Without any male relative to represent us, the magistrates decreed he was right, and he took away everything we had, our house included. Ulpia, who had been a friend of our mother, offered to take us in, but of course, not for free. I tried to find a job, but had no luck. There was only an option, only one thing between Titus, me and hunger: my body. So I did what I had to do..." Lydah closed her eyes, and Maximus wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"How old were you?"

"Fourteen."

Fourteen. At that age Maximus had been still under the care of his tutors, leading a happy, carefree life in his father's house, loved, sheltered, protected, well fed. Instead Lydah had been obliged to sell her just blossomed-to-womanhood body to maintain herself and her brother- after a childhood, he suspected, already curtailed by her mother's death. Poor little girl, left alone to confront with such a cruel, brutal and dark world! Without any chance to savour the great and small joys life offers to young people. It was a miracle she still retained her inner sparkle, and Maximus vowed to do of his best to protect it from the winds of life.

"You are a great lady, Lydah," he said, his tone full of admiration.

"You really believe so? I am afraid of what my parents are thinking of me in the Afterlife."

"If they loved you, and I am sure they did, they are proud for how you managed to care for your brother in such difficult circumstances." Maximus' tone was firm.

"Thank you, you are so good for me." Lydah kissed his temple and snuggled even closer to him.

An amicable silence fell on the pair as they watched Titus play with a wooden crocodile, until Maximus broke it with a regretful, "I must go now."

"So soon?" Lydah raised her head from his shoulder. "Would not you like to go for a while in the other room I use here?" she added huskily.

Maximus felt a jolt of desire, but suppressed it quickly. "I would love it, but I must really go. I have work to do," he really had. There were certain steps he needed to take to ensure Lydah would not have to prostitute herself again - hopefully for the rest of her life.

"I understand," she said. "Will you be back this evening?"

"Would you like it?"

"Of course. Very much," she smiled to him and Maximus could see how much she longed to see him again in private, just as much as he did. They exchanged a long look that revealed more than they thought, then he stood up. "I will return later."

And after a kiss on her cheek and a "farewell" to Titus he was gone, leaving brother and sister alone to enjoy their time together.

A knock on the door caused Proximo to rise his eyes from the bookkeeping he was doing.

"Intra!" he barked, ready to lash his tongue on whomever was disturbing him, if the reason behind it was not more than good.

The door opened and one of the guards appeared on the threshold. "Master, there is someone here to see you. The Spaniard."

"The Spaniard?" Proximo's eyebrows arched in surprise. He had not seen his former gladiator since the day he had gained his freedom, eight months before, and he was not expecting to see him again at all- at least not in his school, since the man had made clear he was not interested in working for him. What was he doing there?

"Let him inside," the lanista ordered, putting away his books as the guard moved aside and his place was taken by the Spaniard's massive frame.

Proximo studied the other man. He looked even more muscled and tanned than he remembered- lean but not thin. He was dressed with a simple but decent brown tunic and his sandals were plain but robust. In short he seemed to be doing well.

"Maximus," he greeted, using his real name.

"Proximo." The Spaniard bowed his head in that characteristic gesture of his.

"How are you? I heard you were able to buy the property I suggested to you and that you are having success with it." In truth the lanista had heard many other things about his former fighter, included the fact he paid frequent visits to an inn near the Northern gate, spending time with a beautiful whore from a nearby brothel.

The news had pleased the old man - so, after all, the Spaniard was all right in that area, he had mused with male pride - and led him to believe his stubborn slave had always refused the whores he had sent him or the matrons who had asked for him, for he wanted to share his body only when and if he decided to do so. Proximo did not know if he was to be admired or considered mad.

"I manage well, thank you." The Spaniard replied.

There was a pause and the lanista noticed he looked a slightly nervous, something very unusual for a man who always had such control over himself.

"Can I do something for you?"

The Spaniard nodded with his head, stepping closer to the desk.

"Is your offer to train your gladiators still valid? Now that winter is approaching, I have not much to do at the farm."

"And you could use some added money." Proximo completed the line.

"Yes." The Spaniard looked at him hopeful.

The lanista smiled. "Yes, the offer is still valid. You can begin at once."

The younger man seemed to relax and Proximo thought his need for money was evidently greater than he had wanted to disclose. 

"That would be most suitable."

"Good." Proximo stood up. "Come with me, I will show your charges to you. I just bought a new lot at the market and I would like to see them fit and ready for the spring."

The Spaniard nodded and followed him out of the room, down the stairs and outdoors in the training compound. Along the way, several of the older gladiators stopped what they were doing to greet their former companion and he saluted all of them.

Once arrived to the area that housed the new recruits, Proximo shouted "Get up!" to the men who were having their midday meal, and the slaves hurried to obey, some of them shaking as they lined in front of their master. The lanista watched them with disgust. "You look like a bunch of trembling women! Your future opponents in the arena would laugh at the sight of you!" he barked, "But luckily for you, I have found someone to turn you weaklings into real men! This is the Spaniard, the only undefeated gladiator Zucchabar has ever seen, and he will train you. Be quick to learn what he will teach you, for your miserable lives might depend on it once I send you in the arena - and be sure it will happen soon, for I did not buy you to enjoy your company. Do you understand?"

The men nodded and Proximo smirked, "They are all yours, Spaniard. Do of your best - or your worst - with them." And speaking so, he walked away, leaving the terrified slaves alone with the fierce looking former gladiator.

Maximus looked at the men in front of him. Some of them were very young, others seemed too old, and he felt pity for all of them. He did not know what kind of life they had left behind, but he knew what kind of hell had just begun for them. He could do nothing to help them, except teach them everything he knew, in the hope it might turn useful for them once their time in the arena came. He hoped to be good for them, to give them the means to save their lives, and thus silence his conscience, which had never let him forgive himself for all the men he had slaughtered in front of cheering crowds. True, it had been them or him, and he had not been willing or ready to let himself be killed without fighting back, but still a part of him cringed at the animal behaviour that sometimes had assaulted him in the heat of the combat. It had been most dishonourable and he hoped to make amends in this way. It was these considerations, and the need to make more money to keep Lydah free, that made Maximus rethink about his decision to never touch a weapon again, and now he was determined to do his job well.

So he looked at the line of frightened men in front of him and raising his voice in his most commanding tone, he ordered, "Let's begin with some running, I want to see how fit you are! Run!" And Maximus gave the good example by leading the way and setting the pace.

In the following weeks, Maximus spent almost his entire day in Proximo's school, working with his men. Unable to use the brutal methods used by other trainers, who took a perverse pleasure from abusing their charges, he drew from his military experience. He trained the slaves as he had been trained when he had first joined the army, improving the men's skills and confidence, teaching them moves and countermoves, trying them with different weapons to choose the one each of them was best with. He was firm and demanding, but never too hard, and gave praise when it was deserved. Proximo had been sceptical about the Spaniard's way in the beginning, but soon he saw the rightness of the other's methods and gave him more men to train, very happy with the results.

When he was done in the school, Maximus went to the inn to visit Lydah, giving her the money she needed and then spending some time together.

In the beginning, Ulpia had protested against their arrangement, not liking to see Lydah be reserved by Maximus. She had pressed the girl to accept the other customers that had asked for her all the same, for she needed to be prudent and keep her regulars. What if the man should suddenly decide he no longer wanted to maintain her? But Lydah had held her ground, and in the end the older woman had accepted her decision- and the inevitability of fate. As she had always known, for a fortune-teller at the fair had told her, her young protégé had fallen for a gladiator, despite all her attempts to shield her. Now she could only hope that man would not break Lydah's heart, but gave her the love she deserved.

Luckily, the signs were promising: Ulpia had witnessed Maximus' arrival many times, and had seen how he, after the slight embarrassment of the first times, had taken a liking for scooping Lydah in his arms and swirling her around in greeting, after the girl had run to him and embraced him. She always did it: no matter how sweaty and dirty he was, Lydah always kissed and embraced him, before taking him to a spare room on the first floor to continue their loving ways in private.

She would give him a bath in a tub - often joining him in the small container, thus splashing water all around- then she would give him a massage to relax his tired muscles, before they made love. After that they would dine together at Manlius' inn and spent time talking or playing with Titus. The young boy got more and more used to Maximus, losing his shyness as the man grew more at ease with him, no longer seeing his little Marcus in him.

Lydah noticed the improvement in the relationship between the most important men of her life, and one evening she commented on it to Maximus as they lay in bed in the afterglow of love.

"You are right," he replied to her words, "I like your brother very much. He is a nice child, so full of life and intelligent."

"You don't know how happy I am to hear it. In the beginning I thought you did not like him."

"Oh no," he replied, shaking his head, "I have always liked children. It is just a lot of time had passed since I was last near one and also," Maximus paused a little, "in the beginning he reminded me too much of my late son."

"Your son?" Lydah raised her head from his chest to look at his eyes. It was the first time he had spoken of him and, just as Maximus had been curious about her life, she too wanted to know more about his past before he had become a gladiator. She had always known he had been a soldier- but what else?

"Yes, Marcus. He was almost eight years old when he died."

"I am sorry. Did the plague take him away?"

"No. He was killed, Lydah, along with his mother. I killed them." Maximus murmured, closing his eyes.

"WHAT?! I cannot believe this!" Lyhad jumped to sit on the mattress. "You would never harm a woman and a child! I know it!" she said with vehemence.

Maximus smiled wearily, touched by her faith in him. "You are right, I would never harm someone weaker than me, but my actions caused their death, so it is like I had killed them."

"Oh." Lydah considered his words for a while, the asked, returning to lie in her previous position, "How did it happen?"

Maximus' arm wrapped around her waist as he collected his thoughts. Then he began to talk. "You know I was a soldier before becoming a slave, but you don't know I was not a common legionary, but a general."

"Really?" Lydah sounded awed.

"Yes. I was a legion commander in Germania. I was posted to Vindobona and it was where the late emperor, Marcus Aurelius, died. I was there when it happened and I believed he had been killed by his son, Commodus, who was there too, for there were bluish marks around his neck. I had loved the old man like a father and so, when Commodus asked for my loyalty, I could not bring myself to take and kiss his hand. I believed I would have the time to consult with two senators present in the camp about how to act, but before I could do it I was arrested and sentenced to death- my family bound to follow my fate. I was able to escape my executioners and, although wounded in my shoulder, I stole their horses and galloped home to Hispania, hoping to be able to save my wife and son. But I was not fast enough." Maximus took a deep breath, and Lydah tightened her embrace around his middle. "They had been crucified and burned and the only thing I could do was to bury them, before I fainted over their graves because of exhaustion and the fever I had developed. It is the last thing I remember before waking up in chains. I suppose some slave traders arrived at my home attracted by the smoke the Praetorians had set, and finding me still alive they took me away hoping to make some money out of me. So I ended up in the market here, where Proximo bought me."

"It is terrible!" Lydah exclaimed, imagining how much he must have suffered, losing his family and his freedom at the same time.

"I did not care." Maximus sighed. "I believed my life had ended the moment I saw my wife and son's charred bodies. I actually hoped someone would kill me in the arena, but when the moment came, I was not able to let myself be slaughtered without defending myself."

"Perhaps because, deep inside yourself you did not truly want to die. Perhaps you felt life could still have something to give you."

"Perhaps. And, in truth, it is what happened. Life had really something beautiful in store for me."

And before Lydah was able to wonder about what he meant, Maximus rolled them over, switching their positions. "You, Lydah. You are what life had stored for me. I love you, you know?"

Lydah was stunned, as the wish she had barely dared to acknowledge became reality. "You- you love me?" she stammered.

"Yes- with all my heart. The heart you healed." Maximus took her hand, kissed her fingers, and pressed it against his chest.

Lydah's eyes filled with tears- tears of joy. "I too love you Maximus. I love you so much." 

His face widened in the most radiant smile she had ever seen, before he lowered his head to give her a deep, soul-searching kiss. Then he pulled back and whispered, "Will you come to live with me? You and Titus, of course."

"With you? At your farm?" Her eyes were wide with shock. 

"Yes. I know the house is small and not very comfortable, but I will improve it. I will section it to give us and Titus more privacy and buy better furniture as soon as I can. Also I have built a small porch outside since the time you visited, and we can use it as an eating and cooking place, and save space inside. Titus will benefit to spend time outdoors. He needs sun to strengthen his bones-"

The only way Lydah found to silence Maximus was to kiss him- hard. And when it ended, she looked at him and said, "You don't have to convince me, my love. Do you know what it means for me to leave this place to come to live with you? To share your life and your sacrifices? To help you as I can? I don't care about the house size or condition- we will improve it together. I was just stunned you would want to live with me."

"Why not? I love you, you love me- we are meant to be together."

"Yes- but I am a... I was a whore..."

Maximus shrugged, "And I was a slave and a gladiator- so what? As for you, I think you are more innocent and purer than many a maiden I met in my life."

"Oh Maximus!" Lydah cried, throwing her arms around his neck and embracing him with strength. "I love you so much."

"As I love you."

They looked in each other's eyes for a long while, but soon the silence that had fallen on the little room was broken by sights, moans and other blissful sound of lovemaking.