Chapter Sixteen
A Not-Quite-So-Sweet Aftermath
From his vantage point, no one could be any happier than Batiatus watching Xena's absolute defeat and beheading of the beast Otho had provided. And as she jammed the head down on the handle of her sword, he was on his feet, laughing, hugging anyone near him, and slapping and shaking Cicerius' shoulder. He grabbed a bottle of wine from one of the slaves, turned it up to drain it, then hugged her as he gave it back to her.
Without a word Otho left the balcony, leaving Cicerius to deal with Batiatus. Soon they all left for the banquet room with the feast that had been set out while the games had been going on. But almost no one was in a festive mood except Batiatus, Lucretia and the very few guest spectators who had placed their bets on Xena. But Batiatus was too overjoyed to notice the pall in the room.
"Come now, Cicerius," he exclaimed, "look at what you are about to purchase - a completely unbeatable gladiator!"
Cicerius made a halfhearted reply then excused himself and went to talk to Otho. And while Batiatus continued to drink and to celebrate, Lucretia returned to their chambers.
"Gabrielle," she said as she entered the room.
"Yes, Domina," Gabrielle answered, rushing to her.
Lucretia then called to a guard. "You, take this slave to the gladiator quarters. She is to be given to Xe to the Amazon warrior for the remainder of the day and the night."
He looked at her, not sure if she had the authority to make such a demand.
"Do I need to report your insolence to Cicerius?"
"No, madam. Right away."
Not believing her ears, Gabrielle grabbed one of Lucretia's hands in both of hers. "Thank you, Domina. Thank you so much!"
"You truly love this woman so?"
"Oh yes, Domina. She is my world!"
Lucretia pulled her hand away and said, "Then go, before I change my mind."
Again expressing her thanks, Gabrielle followed the guard.
Lucretia sat down on the bed, wondering what it would be like to have someone love you so completely. She knew Batiatus loved her, in his own way, but she was not his world. How long she sat there but eventually her eyes fell on Hermes, standing quietly by, as they all were.
"Hermes, come here."
He quickly obeyed. She stood up to face him. Once, while he was servicing her, in his own repressed passion, he professed his love for her.
"You once said you loved me. Were you speaking the truth, or only saying it to gain favor with me?"
"I said it in truth, Domina."
"Why do you love me? And I want to hear nothing about the beauty of my face or my body."
"While it is true that you are the Domina, I have seen moments of tenderness and charity you have given to your slaves. You see to it that our lives are not so harsh as slaves of other masters. You have often spared the lash when you didn't have to. I know that you have a good heart, when you wish to show it."
This confession took Lucretia by surprise. She never thought of herself as a particularly warm or generous person. Then on impulse, she did something that was completely unthinkable she kissed him on the mouth.
"So," she whispered. "If you love me so, prove it. Take me as you would your new bride on your wedding night."
After an uncertain hesitation, Hermes kissed her mouth, tenderly and lovingly several times. He then began gently nibbling her neck, and slowly began removing her clothes. Lucretia closed her eyes, and let the sensation of being loved and wanted envelope her.
It wasn't long before she was naked and on her back. Hermes was tenderly working his way down her body kissing her breasts and nuzzling her erect and sensitive nipples, causing her to catch her breath with each gentle nibble. He slowly made his way to her belly, his tongue encircling and dipping into her navel, then slowly worked his way down to her pubic triangle. He had just spread her lips and his tongue barely made its first contact with her center of pleasure when a drunken Batiatus stumbled into the room.
"Yes! Yes!" he slurred. "You are making her ready for me. Good slave."
Then taking out his slowly erecting penis and pushing Hermes aside, he climbed onto the bed and on top of her. And being the dutiful, good wife, she guided his organ into her. And while he was grunting and panting she looked over at Hermes, a tear running from her eye. She blinked away a second one, then jerked her head at him, and he left the room taking the others with him.
The next morning when Lucretia woke up Batiatus wasn't beside her. She put on her see-through robe and walked into the anteroom and found him at the table. A copper and iron chest was at one end and the other end was piled with gold coins and copper rectangles the size of her hand with names and numbers stamped on them.
"You took markers?" she asked, picking one up to read it.
"Of course. You didn't expect anyone to carry around several hundred gold coins, did you?"
"I suppose not. What are you doing?"
"Counting them, and trying to figure out Cicerius' damnable sixty five percent. And with my pounding head, it is no easy task."
"Shall I send for Cicerius' accounts keeper to do the computation for you?"
"No, I can manage."
Just then Cicerius and Otho entered the room, and even though she was close to nakedness, Lucretia stayed, relishing them looking at her, as they were enjoying looking at her. Then Cicerius said to her, "If you don't mind, would you retire to the bed chamber, we have business with Batiatus."
Lucretia turned around to leave, pulling the robe tighter so that the full roundness of her ass was more easily seen and appreciated. After she had gone, he said to Batiatus, "I see you have collected on your debts."
"Yes, and now I am attempting to sort out your percentage."
"Forget that for the moment. I am here to say that our agreement to buy your champion has been cancelled."
"What! But we had a bargain!"
"It is not his fault," Otho said. "It was I who offered the ten thousand Aureus for her purchase."
Batiatus looked quickly at Cicerius about the ten thousand, then realized he was just the middleman, taking his cut.
"I don't understand. Why has the sale been stopped?" he said to Otho.
"Because of your misrepresentation of your so-called Amazon Warrior."
"Sir! I misrepresented nothing! She is as I promised."
"No, she is not! I offered to buy her, expecting a wild and extraordinary Amazon, but as soon as I saw her, heard her cry, and watched her do battle, I knew she was no Amazon, but instead she is Xena. Is that not correct?"
"Yes. But I only changed her name to attract more attention to her. Not many know of Xena, but everyone has heard of the Amazon women," Batiatus explained.
"I wanted to purchase her to take her to Rome, to put her on exhibition in the Coliseum, But I know that as soon as Caesar realizes who she is, he will take her, leaving me ten thousand Aureus poorer."
"But surely Caesar will compensate you for her, or at the very least you will gain favor with him."
"I hold no love for Caesar, and I desire neither his gold nor his gratitude. And truth be told, there are many in the Senate who are unhappy with Caesar. And I predict that within six months things shall come to a head, and Caesar...." Otho stopped before he said too much, then continued. "But that is not the issue here. The fact is, there will be no sale."
"But the five thousand I was promised for her." Batiatus said to Cicerius. "What of that?"
"In light of the changing circumstance," Cicerius replied, "you need only deduct twenty percent of your winnings instead of the sixty five. And now, I must see to my other guests. I know your journey is a long one, so today enjoy my hospitality, and tomorrow at dawn I will see you off. And you may tell Lucretia that both Selena and Severa are quite taken with her, and request her company for the remainder of your visit."
As the two men left the room, Lucretia, who had been standing out of sight and listening, re-entered the room.
"You heard?" he asked.
"I did."
"Now what do I do with her?" Batiatus complained. "No one will fight her. No one will buy her."
"Are you sure? Maybe one of those who witnessed her victory would want her."
"Jupiter's cock, Lucretia, they want none of her! All the while I was collecting my winnings all they could talk of was how lucky it was that Cicerius is buying her since no one else has the resources to scour the country to find a worthy opponent for her."
Batiatus began again to figure out the payment to Cicerius, but when Lucretia remained standing at the table, irritating him, he said, "What is it now? Can't you see I am busy?"
Lucretia started to speak, stopped for a moment, then continued. "I may have an idea."
"And that would be?"
Lucretia paused, not sure of exactly how to offer her solution.
"Come, woman! You have never hesitated to voice an opinion before."
"You could free them, both Xena and Gabrielle, and let them return to Greece."
"What? What kind of solution is that! I have spent many gold coins on her. And now you tell me I should just let her go?"
"Batiatus, because of her, you have won thousands of Aureus. What better reward for her service? And you've freed slaves before."
"No. There is more to your suggestion than altruism. What is it?"
Again Lucretia wavered, forming her argument in her head.
"I warn you, I grow impatient with your hesitations."
"When Xena was first captured, and it became known to the slaves, I heard them talking. They were saying there was a time when Xena led a great army, one who was undefeatable."
"Her leading an army I can see, but no army is undefeatable."
"I am only telling you what I heard. The reason she could not be defeated was that their war god Ares had chosen her as his champion.
"Yes, yes. And I am quite sure Mars has smiled down on Caesar, and Pompey, and Octavius as well."
"But there is more."
Batiatus heaved a great impatient sigh. "Very well, tell me more of these tales of heroism your slaves have you believing."
"They also said that Ares had fallen in love with Xena. And that he wanted her to sit at his side on Mt. Olympus when she was not leading his army. And he wanted her to give him a son an heir."
Despite himself, Batiatus was somewhat intrigued with the story. "So, if that is the case, then why is she in my ludus and my slave?"
"It is because she spurned his offer and chose a different path. A path to protect those she used to make war against."
"And because of these myths, I am to free her?"
"I know all of this sounds absurd, but just suppose there is a germ of truth in these stories. What if Ares is in love with her and he discovers we held her as a slave? And if he came to free her? Could your guards, or an army, or any god, withstand the anger and vengeance of a war god? Even one from Greece? Wouldn't it be safer and more practical to just set her free and be done with her?"
"Despite your preposterous reasoning, I am beginning to think there may be merit in freeing her. As you said, because of her skill in the arena we are more or less forty thousand Aureus richer. And other than having her replace Doctore, I can think of no use for her - for now."
"So, you will free them?"
"Do not rush me woman! I will know better what to do when we have returned to Capua."