Michelle Styles - The Gladiator's Honor

'Valens—'

'Julia, I have to fight tomorrow. I need to know you are safe.' He rubbed a hand over the back of his head. 'I cannot be worrying about you and fighting at the same time.'

Julia stared at his pale face and her heart constricted. His injuries were too great. Claudia had warned her that he needed to be in top physical condition to make some of those rolls and parries with his sword.

'But you are hurt. Surely they won't make you fight with your injuries.'

'I have received worse knocks in training practice.' He knelt by Julia's side. 'Strabo would never excuse me from the games for such a minor thing. I would never ask.'

'But—'

'I am doing this for both of us, Julia.' He lowered his head to hers and touched her mouth with his lips. 'If I win the rudius , your father will welcome me into the family, you will see.'

Chapter Seventeen

Julia shivered in the pale rose light of dawn as she waited with Claudia, Poppea, and a small group of other onlookers and well-wishers, just outside the Aventine baths. The square had been deserted when they arrived, but now it was rapidly beginning to fill up with excited boys hanging on their fathers' hands and vendors selling all sorts of gladiatorial memorabilia.

It felt as if Julia had barely closed her eyes before Claudia had banged on her door this morning. She was pleased she had left Bato with Clodius. The old porter seemed to have a genuine affection for the dog.

She had also breathed a sigh of relief that neither her father nor stepmother was about when Claudia came to collect her. Her father had not actually forbidden the games, and she knew in her heart that she would have disobeyed him in any case. She had to go. She had to watch. She had to be there for Valens. She had to know what happened when it happened.

'Explain to me again why we are here?' Julia asked Claudia as the crowd started cheering and stamping its feet.

'We are here to see the start of the gladiatorial parade. The gladiators will ride through the streets of Rome in their chariots with the servants marching behind, carrying their armour. It starts here and then winds it way across Rome through the Forum and down to the Circus Maximus where they will arrive at about four hours.' Claudia waved a scroll under Julia's nose. 'You see the whole timetable is in here—from parade route to starting times for each of the events.'

'Events?' Julia looked blankly at the document. 'I thought there were just the games.'

Poppea gave a hoot of laughter. 'This is entertainment on the grand scale, my novice supporter. After the parade, there is the grand entrance, the warm-up matches, the fights with wooden swords by gladiatorial hopefuls.'

Julia unrolled her scroll and peered at the long list of events. 'When are those fights? Before or after midday? I don't see them listed.'

'Julia, Poppea means the lusio . They are listed just here.' Claudia unrolled the scroll and showed Julia the spot. 'They give the illusion of fighting. After one or two matches to warm up the crowd, the beast fights are at midday. After the midday interval, the real fun begins—there is the drawing of the names, the testing of the swords and finally the games themselves. I understand Caesar has thrown in everything from chariot fights to a pair of gladiatorix from Gaul.'

'When do you expect the Thracians to fight?'

Claudia gave her a sharp glance and Julia kept her face resolutely blank.

'Towards the end of the afternoon.'

'Do you think anyone will win the rudius , the wooden sword you were talking about?'

'You mean be able to retire from the profession with honour? No stain on his character from appearing in the ring? A man who symbolises the best in Roman heroics?' Poppea broke in. 'I think Caesar would dearly love to award one, but you know it is rare. I have only seen wooden swords given out a dozen times, Julia, in all the hundreds of matches I have been to.'

A blare of trumpets saved Julia from answering. She tightened her grip on her scroll and watched as the horses and chariots were led from the baths. Another blast of trumpets and the gladiators marched out.

Julia strained to see Valens through the growing throng. As soon as the gladiators had mounted their chariots, the crowd surged forward.

A hand touched Julia's elbow. 'Julia Antonia,' a heavily accented voice said, 'there is someone who wishes to speak with you.'

Julia turned her head slightly and saw a grey-haired man dressed in livery from the Strabo school.

'Just me or my friends?'

'Preferably just you.'

'Go on, Julia,' Claudia said, giving her a push. 'We'll meet you at the entrance to the Circus Maximus.'

She nodded and followed the man a little way into the shelter of the portico.

'Apollonius was able to find you,' Valens said behind her.

Julia jumped, and then allowed herself to be drawn into his embrace. The only thing that mattered was the safe feeling she had when his arms were around her.

'I thought you were out there,' she whispered against the white wool of his tunic. 'With the rest of the gladiators.'

'I will be in a little while. Maia, Tigris's wife, caught a glimpse of you and thought you might want to see me on your own.'

Julia turned her head slightly, trying to ignore the feeling of disappointment that grew in her chest. Following the line of his finger, she saw the blonde from the baths standing next to Tigris. Two young children clung to her skirts. Maia laughed up at Tigris and ruffled his hair. Julia was amazed that she seemed so calm about the proceedings. Her insides were churning and the games had not even begun.

'So that is Tigris's wife—I had wondered.'

'She is expecting their third, Tigris informs me.'

'He's a lucky man.'

'I am the lucky man.' Valens's lips curved upwards like a bow and his arms tightened around her. 'For I have you in my arms.'

A shiver of delight ran down Julia's back, followed closely by a shiver of apprehension. She wanted to be brave and not beg.

'How's your head?' she asked.

'It hurts, but I will survive. Luckily your ex-husband's henchmen were not as accurate as some of the gladiators I have encountered or I would not be here.'

'Maybe I should be cursing them. If they had injured you more, you would not be out fighting.'

He shook his head. "The only way I wouldn't fight today is if I were dead. You must understand how much it means to me, to us.'

'Why won't you just let me be like Maia? She has not gone into exile and she is Tigris's wife.'

He put his forefinger under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. 'Because you are not a slave. Maia was a slave when Tigris first met her. He bought her, freed her and married her.

You are different. Your father would demand your removal from Italy.'

'But—'

Another blast of the trumpets sounded and Valens's face changed. Gone was the easy smile of a heartbeat before; now he wore an intent look.

'I shall have to go and climb into my chariot,' he said. "That's the signal for the second halls to depart. The first-hall gladiators are the last ones to set off. They release the gladiators in waves. That way each hall of gladiators is properly cheered and the excitement builds.' Valens put his hands on her shoulders and she saw his eyes darken.

'Julia, will you do something for me? Will you give this to my father if I should not make it?'

He took the brooch with the two racing greyhounds from his cloak and placed it in her hand. Julia turned it over and stared at it.

'But you will survive.'

'Take it to my father and tell him that my mother's eyes were grey and that underneath the third brazier in the dining room is his secret store of gold coins, the one he once beat me for finding. Our family code is based on the first letter of every seventh word. I had this brooch made with my first prize money. It is an exact duplicate of the one I lost. Will you do that for me, Julia?'