Post by duff on Mar 2, 2011 20:12:08 GMT -5
Kerina
Kerina rubbed her face as a stream of light cast in through the crack between the wooden shutters on the window. Her eyes squinted as she groaned and shifted her nude figure in the bed. She drew a deep breath and exhaled it, her discriminating eyes scanned the ceiling of the bedchamber and slowly ran down to the hand stretched across her body and resting on her breast.
She sighed slightly, her hand wedged beneath Victor's as she pushed his hand off of her and slid out of the bed, more than happy to have Victors druken touch off of her. She shivered and motioned towards the robe to Lissanna. She waited till the servant girl came and brought the silken material over and wrapped it around the Domina, assisting her to get into it before it was tied. Kerina nodded and with a whisper, least she wake the disgusting brute Victor.
" Come. Leave the bastard to sleep. I need something strong to drink after the drink of last nights festivities."
Kerina rubbed he face again, it felt as though Zeus was casting lightning bolts into her mind every few seconds.
"Did any guests remain over night?"
Auraliana
Aureliana greeted the morning in no different fashion that she was usually given to doing. Wine had flowed freely at the house of Vitella last night. While she was by no means one to shun a glass of wine – much less wine of the quality Kerina kept in stock for her household and reserved for occasions such as the previous evening’s revelry – she was always careful to be mindful of the drink’s effects on her physical and mental capacities.
The first rays of sunlight found her sitting in a small, sunny room just off her bedchambers. Her father, her personal servant and closest confidante Lucretia, had not yet returned to the house. No doubt when he did, it would be in no better – or worse – fashion than many of the others who had attended upon Kerina and Victor.
As behooved an unmarried woman of noble birth, Aureliana had removed herself from the festivities at such an hour as to imply ladylike modesty. Such a maneuver would garner only praise for her fine, womanly qualities of humility and dignity. It also garnered the most useful information. With a senator as a father and three brothers far afield fighting to uphold the glory of Rome, Aureliana often found her ears and eyes tuned to the subtleties of human behavior.
Her departure the previous evening had been so meticulously timed that she was able to learn a dozen or more secrets of great value. Wine, though, can often turn the loose lips of exuberant celebration to surly, murderous lips with little to no warning.
Feeling no ill effects from the night before, Aureliana let her mind wander.
Victor
Eye half opens as the wench attempts to sneak off. He was lucky to have returned to bed with no trouble, though the slaves aided greatly. Disturbing Kerina in the middle of the night hauling Victor to his bedchambers. He had reeked of wine, though this was of intent. Best to have the cover of a drunkard asleep at his own pool than to have the familiar stench of deeds committed about him. Luckily the magistrate's young wife was escorted out prior to the magistrate himself coming to sense.
Victor waits for his wife to be a minute out of earshot before rising himself, motioning for two of the more buxom slaves to wipe off the wine, and clear twice the area below. Such gentle and nimble hands they possessed. He shall bathe later, but he knew guests would return to either give thanks for celebration, or to search for missing spouses. Generally, the drunkards would be removed at the celebration's end, but Victor had other matters to take handle of, ranking in much higher precedence than his nightcap.
It had not been easy to convince one of the high ranking merchants to sign in a taxation of inspection, much less to convince the man that it was the merchant doing the convincing, and the ignorant diplomat to agree to terms. A simple vanguard to accompany the merchant on route, and each trip enough to purchase new guards and then some. This plan had been in effect long before his last venture to Spain, and this was one step of many. With time, every merchant of note would 'beg and pester' Victor to aid with elite guard and inspection. He had an expert appraiser of all things fine and foreign on staff already, and an apprentice of he for when diplomatic travel was needed. No good would be worth a single dinari if not passed through the Vitella house.
Donning fine toga he stands and looks himself over. Victor is not pleased. Despite the fashion, he feels a fool without some manner of uniform of war. Victor sheds toga and replaces with a light warrior's fare. "Rather like Achilles himself. Always did prefer old Greek cloth to Roman.
"Come now Invictus, I would have words with my wife. She believes her tongue daft and viper-like, but her demeanor to my ears is much more as the horns of ram breaking gate."
With this Victor rises for the day, eyes searching for his dearest wife and where she might have run to.
Lissanna
She was of course waiting for the Mistress, as was her duty. She was fairly new to the household. As such, she was meticulous in attending her duties. Every servant knew what could happen upon failure, and she was intent to avoid such punishments for as long as possible.
After tying the robe shut about her mistress's body, she nodded. Her body stepped quietly behind her mistress, turning to close the door to the bedchamber as they left.
"Yes Mistress. Your tea has been made ready in the kitchens, and the two guests that remained behind have trays ready for when they wake."
She was remaining quiet, intent on being as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. Her intent was to not aggravate the mistress' headache. Drink could be quite bad the next day, or so she'd heard.
She'd actually never touched her lips to the stuff. "Are you at all hungry, Mistress? I can get you some warm food, or perhaps a bit of toasted bread?" She was a little nervous asking... but she had seen so far that the masters did not mind such simple questions most of the time. That left her with a little leeway... and she hoped with her newness that corrections would not be too brutal.
Her hands locked behind her back, hiding the nervous twisting of her fingers. She did not entirely understand the dynamic between the Masters... but she was aware that they did not truly love each other, not in the typical sense. That did not strike her as odd. Most did not, she had found.
Kerina
Kerina walked through the ornate columns, the fine artwork arrayed throughout the house. The fine items purchased through Victor's years of war and campaigning. Indeed, Kerina and Victor's marriage was not one of love. There had been a faint glow in the early years, when they'd first been "new" to the other. But these years later, well.. they seemed to simply ignore each other for the most part. Only when Kerina really wanted Victor's attention did she try and make him angry. It was the only time she really seemed to have him focused entirely on her.
She listened to Lissanna as she told of things, the preperations. She nodded, pausing and taking a seat on one of the roman couches arrayed around the center of the house with it's ornate statue and fountain in the center. She tilted her head slightly, letting her neck pop.
After a few moments, Kerina's hand rose to silence the servant, though holding up in a stop motion.
"Yes.. Yes.. it' all sounds fine. Just do it quietly.. least I break into a million pieces."
Kerina's eyes winced slightly as she overheard Victor's voice along with that of Invictus. For some reason each tone, each syllable of Victor's voice made her headache rise more. She sighed slightly as she cut her head away from the direction he was coming and leaned back against the backrest of the lounge, enjoying the warmth of the sun coming in. The mornings in the city were a bit cool, but not too much, things would warm up nicely in a few hours time. Or sooner if Victor pushed her just right, when the fires of Hades would open up.
Aureliana
Absently, Aureliana answered the queries of the household servants as they set about preparing the house for the day to come. While one duo worked in her chambers to air the bed linens and restore order to the room, another pair brought a small table to sit beside the chair the girl occupied. Silently, one servant lifted the screened cover off a platter of bread, fruit, and goat cheese while the other finished a preparation of a revivifying herbal tea.
It wasn’t until she was left again to her own thoughts that Aureliana turned away from the city awakening beneath her gaze and lifted a piece of bread to her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. So many of the unions in the empire were of convenience. Women were a form of profit, be it financially, socially, or both. She realized this with the sure instinct all girl-children drink in through the breasts of their mothers and nurses.
Kerina and Victor did not love each other. But there was, after all this time, an almost grudging respect between the two. She needed a man to be respectable and to keep tarnish from touching her sterling reputation; he needed a woman to lend a certain…panache…to his entertainments. In a way, Aureliana respected Kerina. The woman supplied an excellent example of how well-born women should behave. Growing to adolescence without a consistent female presence to show her the correct steps in the sociopolitical dance that was modern Roman society hadn’t been easy. But examples such as Kerina showed that women were not weaponless. Men had their swords, women, their wits.
Her nighttime fast broken, Aureliana went about her preparations for the day. There were thanks to be presented to the house of Vitella.
\
Victor
Heavy footsteps ring over marble as Victor, accompanied by his bodyguard and slaves, makes his way to the kitchen. He acts as a lover as his sets hands upon his wife's shoulders from behind. He leans, kissing her neck, then setting to with teeth just shy of drawing blood or yelp.
"Watch your tongue, you grow comfortable in absence but I yet have ears, both when you think me to rest, and when you think me to travel. I am still master of this house."
He stands with smile, picking up Kerina's cup for himself and taking a sip before turning attention to Lissanna.
"A new bodyslave? Does vanity grow further than two hands can assist, or is this replacement? I have not seen your old girl in the halls since my return, what has become of her?"
Invictus clears his throat, quite more audibly than need be. While usually it would draw more questions for Victor, a preoccupied mind still swimming with rum is easy to move attention towards new matters.
"Girl, I need grapes and cheese. A guards' ration of the same for my man here. Invictus seems to have gotten soft in my absence, I fear he might not raise a sword proper in due need. That and gut grows round, I have no need of that in a captain. Kerina. We have words. This ludus, you built without my consent, and you do so in the midst of proper home. Explanation. Wait. Before you discuss this matter, some of more importance. You seem to have become good friends in a night's time with that girl...the daughter of senate. Aureliana. I need you to take measures to draw her in close, invite her to late nights of wine and gossip. Send a slave to perform if she wills it."
He looks to Linnessa, tipping the cup in her direction.
"This one will do, and a slave with the cock of Jupiter, I have no doubt you know which fit this description, they all seem to have smile upon face. That girl have a senator barely noticing our position now, but we could soon turn this to favor and rise our house further."
Lissanna
She kept quiet, her body bowing to her Mistress' will. Silence would do, then, for when the Mistress was in such moods. At least, as silent as she could be when necessary.
Her eyes turned towards the Master's voice as he started in their direction, and she quickly turned her eyes towards the kitchens, hurrying without actually hurrying.
The Mistress made her nervous enough... the Master terrified her, oddly enough. She never shook. Never stuttered... but still...
She shuddered at the thought of gaining his attention. There was just something about the Master that made her want to blend into the nearby walls. A good thing, then, that he didn't seem to notice the servants much, if at all.
For that, she was extremely grateful. Of course, it was also quite possible that the reason he terrified her was because of the Mistress' reaction to his presence. She didn't seem to like him much... and he often put her in a bad mood.
Of course, just her luck, the blasted man appeared in the kitchen. Her cheeks brightened as he called her a bodyslave, her head dipping. That wasn't in her training... but she supposed if they desired to make her such a creature, then such a creature she would become. Of course, his discussion of her possible assignment coming so soon had her almost dropping his requests. She quickly regained her balance, settling the food onto a tray and walking it over to him.
Her head bowed, her lips remaining silent as she offered up the proper food. Grapes, their finest pick. Cheese, again their finest in stock. The guard's ration she would give when the Master was properly taken care of.
Am I truly to be such a slave in this household? She cleared her throat. "Did you desire any particular tea or beverage, Master?" So quiet she kept her voice, as if attempting to not aggravate the Mistress's headache further. Which was true. Also true that she was hoping to avoid further notice.
Only when he released her to attend to the other order did she quickly spin around, setting up a guardsman's ration for his companion. She also gave him a good serving of tea, proper for a guard to drink in the morning. Not as fine as the Master and Mistress of course, but good nonetheless.
"If there was nothing else, my Mistress?"
Invictus
Invictus breaths heavy in. While he has been loyal to Victor since their days upon the field, he served the mistress of the house far more often in recent times. He did have undying gratitude, for had he marched on the injury of a half-mended arm and a crushed foot, he would have surely perished in the hard campaign set forth upon by his legion. They had been decimated at the Battle of Lost Wall. Victor had used influence to have his duty called 4 months early and have him removed from the legion.
It pained him to see how Victor reacted to Kerina at home. The harsh words, the jerk she gave just before his whisper. Had he bitten her? My Mars bless his sword if so...no, he could not afford such thoughts. Composure must remain.
Regardless, he had seen nothing but disrespect from the man when he was home, and a forgotten wife when he was away. How he prayed the gods allowed rank of this house be promoted as ranks in the Legion. Or perhaps they were. Without the blood of a higher class, he had risen farther than he should have in the Legion already, enough so that he feared dagger at his back whenever a sword were not at his front.
Invictus clenched fists at Victor's words. Invictus trained daily with the gladiators to keep form, then again with the guards for more precision of battle outside the arena. Still he bowed his head and took the meager rations provided to him.
"Yes Dominas. I will train twice the hours in a day. There will be no disgrace upon my position."
(Sorry I seem to be missing a couple posts here)
Lissanna
She paused in her duties as he spoke her name, bowing again. Her head remained bowed as she listened, hair falling in front of her face. She took a few breaths and raised at last. "As my Master wishes, so shall it be done."
Her fingers brushed hair back behind her ears, pressing her lips together before closing up some of the cabinets that held the extra dish ware. Silently, she poured extra tea for the three of them, then turned to walk out the door.
For Kerina, she would do many things. She'd not expected the Mistress to fight for her remaining here, and for that she owed a greater debt than before.
But Victor... Victor terrified her. His manner of watching the Mistress, the way he spoke to HER... she didn't like it. Not at all.
And speaking quietly to the other house slaves, she knew most felt the same way. After quietly warning them of the Mistress' condition, they all began to scurry about, scrubbing and cleaning with vigor. She helped open some of the drapes, air out some of the seedier rooms... and then she returned to the kitchen, glancing at everyone's meal.
"Mistress, did you desire more tea or bread?" She asked it quietly, standing nearby and waiting for the chance to begin cleaning up. In her duties, at least, things tended to be simple. She remained near the domina, took orders, and learned as quickly as possible.
Aureliana
After a hushed consultation with the chief of the household slaves, Aureliana turned to the slave at her right and wordlessly held out both of her hands, palms up, to receive the wooden casket carried from her home. She held in for a moment, her posture one of consideration. Finally, she raised it and placed it into the outstretched palms of the waiting slave.
“Bear this message to your Domina: ‘Let this small token express the appreciation for the graciousness and hospitality enjoyed by my household.’” Aureliana smiled, the empty rictus of one grown to adulthood in a city where every breath was guarded. “Pray you remember it.”
Her gift this day was to the lady of the house, as was fitting. As Kerina had been the one to organize the entire evening, it was only proper to present her with a token of gratitude. Inside the cask was a dagger, a match to the one presented to Victor, but of smaller, more delicate make. The chasing on the blade more exquisitely delicate, the fine tapering point thinner, the haft lighter. In the crosspiece of this weapon, however, lay a small, glittering ruby. For the general, the purple of the stone proved apropos. For Kerina, the stone symbolizing the heart of a woman. Truly fitting, as Aureliana highly doubted Victor possessed the ability to hold any woman’s heart.
Victor
Determined to ever have the last word, he stand and slams the pitcher upon the table, calling out after her before her gown fully eclipse from the doorwar.
"Mind your tongue, it is I bringing home fortune <i>and it is I doing the work of Rome!</i>"
Victor looks down at the empty table before him and then back at Invictus, snatching from him the food when he realizes the slave ran off after feeding his guard, but not giving breakfast for the master.
"Hades guides that harpy's movements, I swear to you. d**n her for being right. Come, Invictus, we have business to attend. Fetch my attendant and we shall leave this house behind for the day. Brag of fortune...I shall show her who brings up the coffers!"
As Invictus goes about duty to have the attendant gather what he needs for negotiation and to finalize the deal struck of the merchant the night before, Victor takes deep breath, clearing mental palette of the morning before reuniting with his entourage and departing through the city."
Kerina rubbed her face as a stream of light cast in through the crack between the wooden shutters on the window. Her eyes squinted as she groaned and shifted her nude figure in the bed. She drew a deep breath and exhaled it, her discriminating eyes scanned the ceiling of the bedchamber and slowly ran down to the hand stretched across her body and resting on her breast.
She sighed slightly, her hand wedged beneath Victor's as she pushed his hand off of her and slid out of the bed, more than happy to have Victors druken touch off of her. She shivered and motioned towards the robe to Lissanna. She waited till the servant girl came and brought the silken material over and wrapped it around the Domina, assisting her to get into it before it was tied. Kerina nodded and with a whisper, least she wake the disgusting brute Victor.
" Come. Leave the bastard to sleep. I need something strong to drink after the drink of last nights festivities."
Kerina rubbed he face again, it felt as though Zeus was casting lightning bolts into her mind every few seconds.
"Did any guests remain over night?"
Auraliana
Aureliana greeted the morning in no different fashion that she was usually given to doing. Wine had flowed freely at the house of Vitella last night. While she was by no means one to shun a glass of wine – much less wine of the quality Kerina kept in stock for her household and reserved for occasions such as the previous evening’s revelry – she was always careful to be mindful of the drink’s effects on her physical and mental capacities.
The first rays of sunlight found her sitting in a small, sunny room just off her bedchambers. Her father, her personal servant and closest confidante Lucretia, had not yet returned to the house. No doubt when he did, it would be in no better – or worse – fashion than many of the others who had attended upon Kerina and Victor.
As behooved an unmarried woman of noble birth, Aureliana had removed herself from the festivities at such an hour as to imply ladylike modesty. Such a maneuver would garner only praise for her fine, womanly qualities of humility and dignity. It also garnered the most useful information. With a senator as a father and three brothers far afield fighting to uphold the glory of Rome, Aureliana often found her ears and eyes tuned to the subtleties of human behavior.
Her departure the previous evening had been so meticulously timed that she was able to learn a dozen or more secrets of great value. Wine, though, can often turn the loose lips of exuberant celebration to surly, murderous lips with little to no warning.
Feeling no ill effects from the night before, Aureliana let her mind wander.
Victor
Eye half opens as the wench attempts to sneak off. He was lucky to have returned to bed with no trouble, though the slaves aided greatly. Disturbing Kerina in the middle of the night hauling Victor to his bedchambers. He had reeked of wine, though this was of intent. Best to have the cover of a drunkard asleep at his own pool than to have the familiar stench of deeds committed about him. Luckily the magistrate's young wife was escorted out prior to the magistrate himself coming to sense.
Victor waits for his wife to be a minute out of earshot before rising himself, motioning for two of the more buxom slaves to wipe off the wine, and clear twice the area below. Such gentle and nimble hands they possessed. He shall bathe later, but he knew guests would return to either give thanks for celebration, or to search for missing spouses. Generally, the drunkards would be removed at the celebration's end, but Victor had other matters to take handle of, ranking in much higher precedence than his nightcap.
It had not been easy to convince one of the high ranking merchants to sign in a taxation of inspection, much less to convince the man that it was the merchant doing the convincing, and the ignorant diplomat to agree to terms. A simple vanguard to accompany the merchant on route, and each trip enough to purchase new guards and then some. This plan had been in effect long before his last venture to Spain, and this was one step of many. With time, every merchant of note would 'beg and pester' Victor to aid with elite guard and inspection. He had an expert appraiser of all things fine and foreign on staff already, and an apprentice of he for when diplomatic travel was needed. No good would be worth a single dinari if not passed through the Vitella house.
Donning fine toga he stands and looks himself over. Victor is not pleased. Despite the fashion, he feels a fool without some manner of uniform of war. Victor sheds toga and replaces with a light warrior's fare. "Rather like Achilles himself. Always did prefer old Greek cloth to Roman.
"Come now Invictus, I would have words with my wife. She believes her tongue daft and viper-like, but her demeanor to my ears is much more as the horns of ram breaking gate."
With this Victor rises for the day, eyes searching for his dearest wife and where she might have run to.
Lissanna
She was of course waiting for the Mistress, as was her duty. She was fairly new to the household. As such, she was meticulous in attending her duties. Every servant knew what could happen upon failure, and she was intent to avoid such punishments for as long as possible.
After tying the robe shut about her mistress's body, she nodded. Her body stepped quietly behind her mistress, turning to close the door to the bedchamber as they left.
"Yes Mistress. Your tea has been made ready in the kitchens, and the two guests that remained behind have trays ready for when they wake."
She was remaining quiet, intent on being as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. Her intent was to not aggravate the mistress' headache. Drink could be quite bad the next day, or so she'd heard.
She'd actually never touched her lips to the stuff. "Are you at all hungry, Mistress? I can get you some warm food, or perhaps a bit of toasted bread?" She was a little nervous asking... but she had seen so far that the masters did not mind such simple questions most of the time. That left her with a little leeway... and she hoped with her newness that corrections would not be too brutal.
Her hands locked behind her back, hiding the nervous twisting of her fingers. She did not entirely understand the dynamic between the Masters... but she was aware that they did not truly love each other, not in the typical sense. That did not strike her as odd. Most did not, she had found.
Kerina
Kerina walked through the ornate columns, the fine artwork arrayed throughout the house. The fine items purchased through Victor's years of war and campaigning. Indeed, Kerina and Victor's marriage was not one of love. There had been a faint glow in the early years, when they'd first been "new" to the other. But these years later, well.. they seemed to simply ignore each other for the most part. Only when Kerina really wanted Victor's attention did she try and make him angry. It was the only time she really seemed to have him focused entirely on her.
She listened to Lissanna as she told of things, the preperations. She nodded, pausing and taking a seat on one of the roman couches arrayed around the center of the house with it's ornate statue and fountain in the center. She tilted her head slightly, letting her neck pop.
After a few moments, Kerina's hand rose to silence the servant, though holding up in a stop motion.
"Yes.. Yes.. it' all sounds fine. Just do it quietly.. least I break into a million pieces."
Kerina's eyes winced slightly as she overheard Victor's voice along with that of Invictus. For some reason each tone, each syllable of Victor's voice made her headache rise more. She sighed slightly as she cut her head away from the direction he was coming and leaned back against the backrest of the lounge, enjoying the warmth of the sun coming in. The mornings in the city were a bit cool, but not too much, things would warm up nicely in a few hours time. Or sooner if Victor pushed her just right, when the fires of Hades would open up.
Aureliana
Absently, Aureliana answered the queries of the household servants as they set about preparing the house for the day to come. While one duo worked in her chambers to air the bed linens and restore order to the room, another pair brought a small table to sit beside the chair the girl occupied. Silently, one servant lifted the screened cover off a platter of bread, fruit, and goat cheese while the other finished a preparation of a revivifying herbal tea.
It wasn’t until she was left again to her own thoughts that Aureliana turned away from the city awakening beneath her gaze and lifted a piece of bread to her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. So many of the unions in the empire were of convenience. Women were a form of profit, be it financially, socially, or both. She realized this with the sure instinct all girl-children drink in through the breasts of their mothers and nurses.
Kerina and Victor did not love each other. But there was, after all this time, an almost grudging respect between the two. She needed a man to be respectable and to keep tarnish from touching her sterling reputation; he needed a woman to lend a certain…panache…to his entertainments. In a way, Aureliana respected Kerina. The woman supplied an excellent example of how well-born women should behave. Growing to adolescence without a consistent female presence to show her the correct steps in the sociopolitical dance that was modern Roman society hadn’t been easy. But examples such as Kerina showed that women were not weaponless. Men had their swords, women, their wits.
Her nighttime fast broken, Aureliana went about her preparations for the day. There were thanks to be presented to the house of Vitella.
\
Victor
Heavy footsteps ring over marble as Victor, accompanied by his bodyguard and slaves, makes his way to the kitchen. He acts as a lover as his sets hands upon his wife's shoulders from behind. He leans, kissing her neck, then setting to with teeth just shy of drawing blood or yelp.
"Watch your tongue, you grow comfortable in absence but I yet have ears, both when you think me to rest, and when you think me to travel. I am still master of this house."
He stands with smile, picking up Kerina's cup for himself and taking a sip before turning attention to Lissanna.
"A new bodyslave? Does vanity grow further than two hands can assist, or is this replacement? I have not seen your old girl in the halls since my return, what has become of her?"
Invictus clears his throat, quite more audibly than need be. While usually it would draw more questions for Victor, a preoccupied mind still swimming with rum is easy to move attention towards new matters.
"Girl, I need grapes and cheese. A guards' ration of the same for my man here. Invictus seems to have gotten soft in my absence, I fear he might not raise a sword proper in due need. That and gut grows round, I have no need of that in a captain. Kerina. We have words. This ludus, you built without my consent, and you do so in the midst of proper home. Explanation. Wait. Before you discuss this matter, some of more importance. You seem to have become good friends in a night's time with that girl...the daughter of senate. Aureliana. I need you to take measures to draw her in close, invite her to late nights of wine and gossip. Send a slave to perform if she wills it."
He looks to Linnessa, tipping the cup in her direction.
"This one will do, and a slave with the cock of Jupiter, I have no doubt you know which fit this description, they all seem to have smile upon face. That girl have a senator barely noticing our position now, but we could soon turn this to favor and rise our house further."
Lissanna
She kept quiet, her body bowing to her Mistress' will. Silence would do, then, for when the Mistress was in such moods. At least, as silent as she could be when necessary.
Her eyes turned towards the Master's voice as he started in their direction, and she quickly turned her eyes towards the kitchens, hurrying without actually hurrying.
The Mistress made her nervous enough... the Master terrified her, oddly enough. She never shook. Never stuttered... but still...
She shuddered at the thought of gaining his attention. There was just something about the Master that made her want to blend into the nearby walls. A good thing, then, that he didn't seem to notice the servants much, if at all.
For that, she was extremely grateful. Of course, it was also quite possible that the reason he terrified her was because of the Mistress' reaction to his presence. She didn't seem to like him much... and he often put her in a bad mood.
Of course, just her luck, the blasted man appeared in the kitchen. Her cheeks brightened as he called her a bodyslave, her head dipping. That wasn't in her training... but she supposed if they desired to make her such a creature, then such a creature she would become. Of course, his discussion of her possible assignment coming so soon had her almost dropping his requests. She quickly regained her balance, settling the food onto a tray and walking it over to him.
Her head bowed, her lips remaining silent as she offered up the proper food. Grapes, their finest pick. Cheese, again their finest in stock. The guard's ration she would give when the Master was properly taken care of.
Am I truly to be such a slave in this household? She cleared her throat. "Did you desire any particular tea or beverage, Master?" So quiet she kept her voice, as if attempting to not aggravate the Mistress's headache further. Which was true. Also true that she was hoping to avoid further notice.
Only when he released her to attend to the other order did she quickly spin around, setting up a guardsman's ration for his companion. She also gave him a good serving of tea, proper for a guard to drink in the morning. Not as fine as the Master and Mistress of course, but good nonetheless.
"If there was nothing else, my Mistress?"
Invictus
Invictus breaths heavy in. While he has been loyal to Victor since their days upon the field, he served the mistress of the house far more often in recent times. He did have undying gratitude, for had he marched on the injury of a half-mended arm and a crushed foot, he would have surely perished in the hard campaign set forth upon by his legion. They had been decimated at the Battle of Lost Wall. Victor had used influence to have his duty called 4 months early and have him removed from the legion.
It pained him to see how Victor reacted to Kerina at home. The harsh words, the jerk she gave just before his whisper. Had he bitten her? My Mars bless his sword if so...no, he could not afford such thoughts. Composure must remain.
Regardless, he had seen nothing but disrespect from the man when he was home, and a forgotten wife when he was away. How he prayed the gods allowed rank of this house be promoted as ranks in the Legion. Or perhaps they were. Without the blood of a higher class, he had risen farther than he should have in the Legion already, enough so that he feared dagger at his back whenever a sword were not at his front.
Invictus clenched fists at Victor's words. Invictus trained daily with the gladiators to keep form, then again with the guards for more precision of battle outside the arena. Still he bowed his head and took the meager rations provided to him.
"Yes Dominas. I will train twice the hours in a day. There will be no disgrace upon my position."
(Sorry I seem to be missing a couple posts here)
Lissanna
She paused in her duties as he spoke her name, bowing again. Her head remained bowed as she listened, hair falling in front of her face. She took a few breaths and raised at last. "As my Master wishes, so shall it be done."
Her fingers brushed hair back behind her ears, pressing her lips together before closing up some of the cabinets that held the extra dish ware. Silently, she poured extra tea for the three of them, then turned to walk out the door.
For Kerina, she would do many things. She'd not expected the Mistress to fight for her remaining here, and for that she owed a greater debt than before.
But Victor... Victor terrified her. His manner of watching the Mistress, the way he spoke to HER... she didn't like it. Not at all.
And speaking quietly to the other house slaves, she knew most felt the same way. After quietly warning them of the Mistress' condition, they all began to scurry about, scrubbing and cleaning with vigor. She helped open some of the drapes, air out some of the seedier rooms... and then she returned to the kitchen, glancing at everyone's meal.
"Mistress, did you desire more tea or bread?" She asked it quietly, standing nearby and waiting for the chance to begin cleaning up. In her duties, at least, things tended to be simple. She remained near the domina, took orders, and learned as quickly as possible.
Aureliana
After a hushed consultation with the chief of the household slaves, Aureliana turned to the slave at her right and wordlessly held out both of her hands, palms up, to receive the wooden casket carried from her home. She held in for a moment, her posture one of consideration. Finally, she raised it and placed it into the outstretched palms of the waiting slave.
“Bear this message to your Domina: ‘Let this small token express the appreciation for the graciousness and hospitality enjoyed by my household.’” Aureliana smiled, the empty rictus of one grown to adulthood in a city where every breath was guarded. “Pray you remember it.”
Her gift this day was to the lady of the house, as was fitting. As Kerina had been the one to organize the entire evening, it was only proper to present her with a token of gratitude. Inside the cask was a dagger, a match to the one presented to Victor, but of smaller, more delicate make. The chasing on the blade more exquisitely delicate, the fine tapering point thinner, the haft lighter. In the crosspiece of this weapon, however, lay a small, glittering ruby. For the general, the purple of the stone proved apropos. For Kerina, the stone symbolizing the heart of a woman. Truly fitting, as Aureliana highly doubted Victor possessed the ability to hold any woman’s heart.
Victor
Determined to ever have the last word, he stand and slams the pitcher upon the table, calling out after her before her gown fully eclipse from the doorwar.
"Mind your tongue, it is I bringing home fortune <i>and it is I doing the work of Rome!</i>"
Victor looks down at the empty table before him and then back at Invictus, snatching from him the food when he realizes the slave ran off after feeding his guard, but not giving breakfast for the master.
"Hades guides that harpy's movements, I swear to you. d**n her for being right. Come, Invictus, we have business to attend. Fetch my attendant and we shall leave this house behind for the day. Brag of fortune...I shall show her who brings up the coffers!"
As Invictus goes about duty to have the attendant gather what he needs for negotiation and to finalize the deal struck of the merchant the night before, Victor takes deep breath, clearing mental palette of the morning before reuniting with his entourage and departing through the city."