The Chariots Slave (29 page)



“And what if I would require a guard and horse to escort
me to my destination? Would another ten denarii be
sufficient?”
“Yes, ten would do,” he said as his eyes greedily took in
the other pouch in her hands.
Thaddius turned from the exchange, pained by the loss
that was being counted in coins before him. But how could he
deny her freedom when she had just ensured his? No matter
what, her freedom, her absence of him would not come by his
words. For he knew he could never speak words to have her
leave his side.
She counted the coins and tossed the ten denarii at Acestes
feet.
“Sellah, don’t do this, please don’t leave,” Simeon begged,
once he realized why he had been called.
“She has paid the fee. As slave master I hereby publicly
grant you freedom!” Acestes proclaimed loudly, so as to
drown out Simeon’s pleas.
“I don’t want it!” Sellah announced.
Upon hearing her words, Thaddius snapped his head
around. Did he just hear right, or was she just further playing
with his heart?
“Why don’t you want it?” he asked, his mouth barely able
to force out the words for fear of hearing her response.
“I wish to pay for Accalia’s freedom,” Sellah declared to
the crowd.
When Accalia registered what Sellah had said, she
dropped the pitcher of wine in her arms. It fell to the ground,
splashing her and many people who stood near. They
muttered remarks at her, but she did not hear them. She was
concentrating only on the kind face of her deliverer, Sellah.



“Do you mean it?” Her body shook as she hesitantly
walked to Sellah’s side.
“Yes, I mean it. I have purchased your freedom, Accalia.
And here,” Sellah smiled as she shoved the remaining thirty
denarii into Accalia’s hands. “Go home to your son.”
No words could form on Accalia’s tongue. Instead, tears
streamed down her face, and she rushed to Sellah, wrapping
her arms around her friend.
Simeon and Thaddius stood by and watched in sheer
confusion. Sellah was staying, she had sacrificed her chance
at freedom for another.
“I don’t understand,” Thaddius finally spoke out.
Sellah turned to him. “What Nadria yelled forth, just
before her life was taken, stuck with me.
We are all slaves
.
And for a while I was beginning to think she was right. You
are slave to your title Thaddius, and I am a slave to my
circumstance. But it isn’t entirely true. There is one thing that
can set us free, that can give us a reason to hope. Accalia has
that, so how could I rob her of true freedom when, even if I
was released from the title of slave, I would stay slave?”
Thaddius studied her, fascinated with how her mind
worked and analyzed the world around her.“What is it that
Accalia has that you do not have? What is it that makes her
free?”
“Her son.”
As she spoke the words, she pulled free from Accalia and
walked over to his side. With a new found boldness, she
rested her hand over his heart. His eyes followed her motion,
shocked that she touched him so. Upon her touch, his
heartbeat quickened.



The whole room stilled as everyone focused on her hand.
She did not need to turn around to feel the heat of their
judgments, especially Simeon.
“Her son?” Thaddius asked, barely able to form words
because of the distraction of her hand upon him. “Does being
a mother make you free?”
“No,” she replied, “but having someone to love does.”

R.Lynn is a multi-genre author from Victoria, BC, Canada.
She lives there with her hubby and their two four-legged
children. She entered the literary scene with a bang and
recently became one of the first authors to receive a
publishing sponsorship.

R.Lynn began crafting her career as a storyteller to her
parent’s friends at the ripe age of six, where she'd stand on
the coffee table and demand an audience. Now she uses
writing as her preferred vessel. (Though she does admit to
missing the tabletops.)

When not writing you can find her reading, traveling,
shopping for shoes, discovering new and unique local
hangouts or shopping for shoes! A self-confessed diet-coke
addict who attributes her late night writing benders to the
caffeine overloads.