Michelle Styles - The Gladiator's Honor

After the noise had died down, the commentator announced the next gladiator—Aquilia. A polite round of applause. But before the first ripple of applause had died, a few hoots of laughter and cat calls rang out. Julia stood on tiptoe, attempting to see where Valens had gone.

'Julia, quick, quick, tell me what you see. There seems to be a bit of a commotion on the stage. And this woman keeps moving her parasol.'

The sounds of laughter increased.

'Something happened. Valens had to go back on stage and retrieve something,' Julia said, shielding her eyes with her free hand. 'But I am too far away.'

'Julia, you have to be my eyes. Describe everything. This red parasol is a nuisance.'

'The cheering is not as loud as for Valens, but I can't see anything is seriously wrong. He's received his trident now and is stepping off the stage.'

'If you move over, I can get a better look.' Claudia scrambled up next to Julia and perched on a corner of the plinth. 'You're right—nothing, but it's Tigris now and he's one of my favourites. His legs are marvellous. I particularly like his knees.'

'Claudia, you are incorrigible,' Julia said, but made no move to get down. From where she stood, she could see part of Valens's back and a shoulder.

'I think the main attraction is over now,' Claudia said, shielding her eyes and standing one foot. 'Shall we go before we are crushed by the hordes trying to get out the door? I doubt we'll able to get near to the gladiators with this many people milling about.'

Julia looked back at the stage. The gladiators were parading in their new armour, holding their weapons aloft, and Caesar waved to the crowd with a benevolent expression. Already both men and women were pushing their way towards the gladiators. Her chances of getting near Valens were slim to none.

'Yes, of course you're right,' she said with one last look at Valens, standing in front of Caesar, as remote as any god, and climbed down from the plinth. 'There is little point in staying around.'

'I certainly didn't think it would this busy. Caesar will gain a lot of popularity with these games,' Claudia remarked. 'He will be unstoppable at the next election. I wonder which post he will stand for. Imagine what silver armour must have cost. Who do you think is funding him? Crassus?'

'I hadn't thought about it, but I guess you're right. Bato— time to go.' Julia reached down to grab Bato's collar. Empty air. She scanned around—no greying muzzle or wagging tail. Time stopped and everything went quiet. Julia swallowed hard. She snapped her fingers and gave a low whistle. No Bato.

'Claudia, Bato has gone.' Julia tried to keep her voice from panicking. There had to be a simple explanation. Silently she cursed herself for being interested in what Valens looked like on the podium.

'Gone? What do you mean gone? He's right there, sitting like a good dog.' Claudia pointed to a now empty spot. 'I mean, he was right there. By the gown of Venus, Julia, I only took my eyes off him for an instant.'

'Oh, Claudia, what I am going to do?'

Julia twisted the end of her belt around her hand and tried to call Bato again with a whistle. This time, she made the whistle louder. Still nothing. The crowds of people started to empty from the courtyard.

'We'll have to wait for the crowd to thin a bit. And try not to worry. Have you ever known Bato not to appear eventually? He's devoted to you.'

Julia felt the squeeze as Claudia's arm went around her shoulders. The most she could manage in response was a brief smile.

'Do you think we'll find him? Claudia, I don't know what I will do if I lose that dog…'

'Don't panic, Julia. He's probably followed his belly to the kitchens. As I said let's wait until the crowd has thinned a bit and then we can find him. It's impossible to move in this anyway.'

Julia tried to ignore the pit growing in her stomach. She knew Claudia was being practical, but it wasn't her dog that was lost. Julia imagined all sorts of terrible fates for Bato.

Her lips muttered prayers, entreaties to any god that might be listening, as her eyes scanned the emptying courtyard for a trace of the dog.

Chapter Five

'Excuse me, I believe this imp belongs to you,' a now-familiar voice behind Julia said.

The rich tones seemed to bath her nerves in balm and at the same time make her insides ache. 'He decided to take part in the ceremony, much to Aquilia's displeasure. However, I caught him before he asked Caesar for his armour. I think he is a bit small to fight.'

She quickly turned, but the smile she had made sure was on her lips faded as she took in the scene.

For a heartbeat, she regarded him in his full gladiator regalia—silver breastplate hugging the contours of his chest, a grieve on his left wrist and a leather belt studded with bronze medallions over his tunic. His shining helmet emblazoned with a war scene hung from his right hand. More like a god than a man.

So different from the man she had kissed this morning and yet the same. If she'd seen him like this the first time, she wondered if she'd have found courage even to speak to him. The way he strode towards her, Bato trotting by his side, he seemed to be in command of the courtyard.

Behind him, she saw a group of labourers as well as one or two matrons she vaguely knew from the baths watching him, watching her. Bato the traitor was heeling at Valens's footsteps, gazing at him with huge adoring eyes.

'Thank you,' she said, but her voice came out no louder than a whisper. Julia swallowed hard, pressed her hands together until the knuckles shone white and tried again. 'Thank you, I was worried about him. He means so much to me.'

'I thought you might be concerned, but the scamp seemed to know where you were.'

He made a motion and Bato streaked to her side. Bato flopped down at her feet, his wet nose pushing at her sandal. Julia knelt down and buried her face into Bato's fur. She felt an enormous wave of relief wash over her. Something else stirred as she glanced up into Valens's face. Her eyes fastened on to his lips, and the memory of this morning's kiss jolted through her body.

Immediately she reburied her face. Better for Valens to think her utterly besotted with her dog than to see the bright redness of her cheeks.

'Bato, you naughty, naughty, naughty dog,' she said, holding Bato's face between her hands and looking the dog directly in his eyes. 'When you are told to stay, stay.'

'I suspect he became frightened in the crowd.' Valens's voice flowed over her like honey when it was first taken from the hive. 'I wonder that you brought him here.'

'Normally he is fine in crowds.' Julia glanced up, her eyes lingering over the perfect contours of his body, tracing the outline of his broad shoulders.

Had he held her in his arms this morning?

It seemed like a dream now. She ran her tongue over her parched lips and tried to keep her composure. Her knees were like water, but Julia forced herself to stand and look him directly in the eyes.

'I tend to take him everywhere with me that I can. Otherwise, he howls as if the harpies are chasing him, much to Sabina's displeasure.'

'Surely not this rogue?' Valens reached down and fondled Bato's ears. Bato leant towards him. 'He'd never do a thing like that.'

'If you only knew…' Julia said with a laugh.

She watched his eyes crinkle and wished she had worn her dark green gap-sleeved gown that fastened with bronze brooches at the shoulders—the one that Claudia said brought out the green flecks in her eyes. And she could have worn it without the undertunic in this heat, revealing just a hint of her shoulder, under her shawl. Something so that she shone like the courtesan standing just beyond Valens, something so that he'd look at her with more than friendship.