The Chariots Slave (7 page)

Simeon twisted his head, straining to see who it was.
“Sellah, I didn’t know you would be coming,” he said as he
struggled to pull the covers over his damaged back.

“Simeon, please, leave it. You are hurting yourself,”
Sellah pleaded. “I have seen such wounds before; my
stomach is strong,” she lied as she gripped her side to steady
her nerves.

He smiled at her and dropped his arms in surrender. “I am
relieved to see you well, Sellah. I was afraid that Acestes had
caused irreparable damage to you.” His eyes studied her with
a kindness and sincerity she had not anticipated from
someone so recently a stranger.

But despite the fact that they had only known each other
for only handful of days, Sellah felt a kinship with Simeon.
They had been broken together, and he had saved her from
her worst fear, Barachius.

She pulled away from Vettius and Accalia and went to
Simeon’s side. She squeezed out a wet cloth from his bedside
table and gently placed it on Simeon’s exposed wounds. He
flinched at the pain but held back his cries as his eyes were
locked on hers.

“I am so sorry you endured this on my account,” Sellah
whispered as she studied his back.
“It was nothing really. Anyone would have done the
same.” Simeon struggled to speak despite the sting of pain.
“I fear Simeon, that you are mistaken,” Accalia said with
the hollow eyes of a woman who had experienced great



suffering. “It has been a long time since I or Sellah has been
given such kindness from a man.”

In an effort to lighten the mood for Accalia, Sellah turned
to Vettius. “He is very much like you isn’t he?”
Vettius returned her jest with a smile and a firm grasp of
his son’s hand. “I dare say that despite my best effort, Simeon
has turned into quite a young man.”
“I take it you two have met prior to this domus?” It was
obvious that Simeon tried to hide his embarrassment from his
father’s praise by changing the topic. “I wondered of it when
I noticed my sister’s amulet on your tunic. Now, hearing you
two speak so comfortably, I know it must be true.”
“Yes, your father was most kind to me,” Sellah answered.
“I but merely did her hair. See Simeon, I told you, if you
want to surround yourself with beautiful women, you must
learn their areas of interest. What woman does not like her
hair attended too?”
“None I can think of,” Accalia offered.
Sellah smiled at Accalia’s lightened disposition. She
reached into the bowl, fetched a fresh cloth, and returned to
soothing Simeon’s wounds.
“What is the meaning of this?” an aggravated voice
snapped form the entrance to the tent. Startled, Sellah
dropped the wet cloth.
“Thaddius, we visit with Simeon,” Vettius explained.
“I see that,” he said in a clipped, harsh tone, switching his
attention to Sellah. His eyes landing on her hand, which
rested on Simeon’s back. Anger danced in his gaze causing
Sellah’s heart to race in response. She diverted her eyes to the
floor, hoping it would help calm her nerves.



“Did I not tell you to wait for me and we would see to
Simeon together?” he snapped.
A firm grasp on her arm shook her attention from the
ground.
“Answer me!”
“Apologies Dominus, I hadn’t realized you were
addressing me,” she stuttered in confusion, her shaking hands
clutching tightly to the fabric of her tunic as she looked to
Simeon for help.
Simeon wrinkled his brow. “Thaddius, let her go. You are
hurting her. She is here, you are here, all is how you
requested.”
“If I requested your opinion in this matter, I would have
asked,” Thaddius snapped. “You have caused great trouble
for me. Now even my common slaves do not obey my simple
command.” He openly snarled as he kept his narrowed eyes
fixed on Sellah.
“Dominus, it was my fault,” Vettius interjected. “I
encouraged the girl to attend to my son with me.”
“Vettius, you are a most trusted friend. And because of
that, and that alone, I will overlook your disobedience.”

*

Thaddius gripped harder on Sellah and yanked her to her
feet. He saw the flash of pain in her eyes but overlooked it.
All that mattered now was settling the unnerving feeling that
had welled up in him when he saw her gentle ivory touch
upon Simeon’s back.

“You will come with me to the trigarium while I train,” he
demanded, as he pulled on Sellah’s arm and led her outside.



“Thaddius, please. She is still unwell,” Vettius pleaded.
“I will determine the state of my servants.” Thaddius

switched his attention to Vettius. “Your good standing will
not keep you from punishment if you continue to defy me,”
he warned.

Out of the corner of his eye, Thaddius saw Sellah become
unsteady and watched as her legs collapsed. He managed to
move his body to catch her before she crumbled to the
ground. The pain in her eyes was mixed with fear, a fear he
had put there.

“I’m sorry Dominus. I will try harder,” she begged as her
fear now outweighed the pain.
What was he doing? Vettius was right, she was too fragile.
But now he had to force her alongside him. He couldn’t show
her favor. They would think of him as weak, easy to forget
his resolve. Acestes’ words rang through his mind:
“Your
father’s success was based primarily on the obedience of his
servants. He was a bold and relentless Dominus at times, but
well respected by all.”
Thaddius had to gain that respect—it
was his duty to do so.
“You will join us.” He pointed to Accalia. “Attend to
Sellah,” he instructed as he flicked his wrist in demand at the
girl. Accalia’s support was all he could offer Sellah. He
hoped she would recognize the gesture. But when he looked
into her eyes, he saw that the only thing she recognized of
him was his relentlessness.
He choked back his offense. It was appropriate for her to
view him as such. It was what he wanted, wasn’t it? But try
as he might, he did not like the feelings of loss he felt.
He watched as Accalia struggled to support Sellah’s
weight and escort her out of the tent. When the women were



out of his sight, he turned to Simeon. The look of pure
disgust on his friend’s face caused him to falter in his step.

“You wouldn’t understand,” he said as he cast his eyes
from Simeon’s face.
“Nor do I want to understand what brings you to act such a
fool!”
“Simeon!” Vettius scolded, “He is your Dominus.” He
squeezed his son’s hand in protective warning.
“You are right, father. Until yesterday he was my brother.
Now he is only my Dominus!” Simeon struggled to turn
himself away.
Thaddius stood frozen as he worked over Simeon’s words.
It pained him to think of losing his closest friend. At times
Simeon was all that helped him get through his new
responsibilities. But now, Simeon threatened to distract him
from them. He couldn’t choose a friend over his family’s
name. It was a painful sacrifice but one he did not think twice
about making.
“That is correct. I am not your brother nor am I your
friend. I am your master! And unless you chose to obey me,
you will receive many more nights like the last!” He turned
sharply and stormed out the door, ignoring Vettius’s worried
look and Simeon’s broken expression.
Accalia and Sellah had not made it far. Sellah could barely
place her weight on her legs, and Accalia was too small of
form to hold her steady. Thaddius ran to them and wrapped
his arm around Sellah’s waist and took her weight off
Accalia.
“Run ahead of us and tell the men to prepare the biga,” he
instructed Accalia.
“Apologies Dominus, I do not know what this is you



speak of.” Accalia’s voice cracked, and she shifted her
weight from one foot to the other.

“The biga is a two-horse chariot. The men know what I
speak of. Just go now.”

 

*

Accalia lowered her head in acknowledgment before
taking off in a sprint toward the trigarium. She was thankful
to gain some space between her and the Dominus, but she
worried how Sellah would fare.

Soon the large charioteer training facility spread out
before her. She had never seen a trigarium before; the
magnitude of it stopped her midstride. Her son had wanted to
grow to be a charioteer; he would have loved seeing the
trigarium.

“Can I help you miss?” a low voice asked from behind.

“Yes, our Dominus approaches and wished the biga
readied,” she replied as she turned toward the man.
“Ready the biga!” he shouted toward a group of men in the
distance as he turned to leave.

*

Sellah and Thaddius had made it to the ridge overlooking
the trigarium. The sight of the grand chariot track before her
took her breath away. Thaddius smiled at her reaction to the
sight.

“It is magnificent isn’t it?” He smirked as he watched her
eyes light up in wonder.

 




She hesitated to answer him, but finally found the words
to do so. “I had heard of such places, but never imagined
them to be so, so… well, as you say, magnificent.”

Her eyes studied the newly harnessed horses as they took
in a practice run around the track. The beasts worked
perfectly together, moving as one and carting the chariot
behind. It was a beautiful sight to behold, man and beast
working seamlessly.

The horses picked up speed around a corner, raising two of
the wheels from the ground. Sellah gasped and flinched into
Thaddius.

“Do not fear,” he laughed. “See, my horses expertly
corrected their alignment.” He pointed to the chariot that
continued unharmed around the track.

“You do this?” she asked as she pointed to the trigarium.

“I don’t just do it, it is a part of me. I am the undefeated
champion of Rome,” he bragged.
She found the strength to look up into his eyes. Hoping
that the lightened tone in his voice reflected a lightened
change in his mood.
The passion with which he talked about charioteering
intrigued her. It was the most humanity she had seen him
radiate since she had met him. For a brief moment she forgot
the monster that held her and thought only of the man. The
man she liked—the monster she had come to loathe.



“W ould you like to meet the love of my life?” Thaddius

asked. The ease with which he offered his words made Sellah
wonder who this maiden was that had captured Thaddius’s
heart.

“Yes, I would like to meet her,” Sellah replied as she cast
her eyes away from his intent gaze.
Wrapping his arm around her, he escorted her past the men
and straight to the biga that had been readied. He sent Sellah
a knowing smile before spreading his arms and directing her
attention to the horses fastened to the cart.
“Here is my heart’s home,” he theatrically announced as if
on stage.
“The chariot? I had thought you were hinting at a woman.”
Sellah blushed at the directness of her words.
“Ah, that is where you are wrong. It is a woman who has
captured my heart. Sellah meet my love Diana, Diana meet
Sellah.”




Sellah had thought he had gone mad until she saw him
approach the large black mare hitched to the chariot and
whisper into her ear. The horse kicked its foot and nuzzled
into Thaddius. A horse. He was in love with a horse? She
smiled to herself over the foolish assumptions she had made
and limped over to Diana. In a friendly gesture she held out
her hand for the horse to smell.

“Nice to meet you, Diana.” Sellah beamed as she ran her
hand up the coarse hair on the horse’s nose. The black mare
snorted, blowing hot steam out of her nostrils and causing
Sellah to chuckle to herself.

*

Thaddius watched as Sellah got lost in her interactions
with Diana. There was something so special about the girl,
and Diana must have sensed it too. His horse normally didn’t
let anyone but him pet her.

“Diana is a peculiar name for a horse. Do you not find it
inappropriate to name her after the goddess of the hunt?”
Sellah asked.

“You have never seen her race.”

“I just witnessed her around this track,” Sellah said as she
turned her attention to him.
“This? This is nothing compared to what is required when
there are dozens of chariots on the track, all vying for first.
That is where Diana shines, that is where her hunter instincts
kick in. She is the true champion. I owe all I am to her.”