The Barbarian's Mistress Read online

  ‘But I will not allow my situation to destroy you. Do you remember Severus, the young man I introduced you to last year?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I liked him very much. He made me laugh and told me I was pretty.’ She smiled at the memory. Having had little to do with eligible young bachelors, secluded as she was, meeting the short, young patrician had been a nerve-racking occasion. But with a smile that dwarfed his face, a ready wit, and obvious admiration for her, she was easily put at ease. And, though she stood at least a hand’s width taller than he, coming as he did from the Campania district where people were naturally shorter than their northern neighbours, she felt comfortable with him.

  ‘He asked to marry you at that time, but I put him off because I felt you were still so young. And, to be quite frank, I didn’t want to lose you. If you didn’t marry someone from Rome, how would I ever see you? But, it would seem my selfishness has yet again led to our current disaster. But it is a disaster that can be mitigated, if we’re quick and discrete.’

  His next question seemed to be a total about turn. ‘Do you remember Vali, my assistant?’

  ‘Of course.’ Anniana’s heart fluttered in her chest like a cloud of butterflies. She felt her cheeks warm in a blush. Remember Vali? How could she forget that handsome young man her childish heart had adored? But what had he to do with all this? Her mother had sold him to that awful friend of hers years ago. And she’d never heard of him again.

  ‘I found him, bought him and freed him. In return, he has agreed to take you, in secret, to Severus in Pompeii, so you can complete the marriage contract immediately. The written part of the bond is done. You need only present yourself to your new husband for the formalities to be complete. Once that is done, your mother will have no power over you, if and when she leaves me.’

  ‘Vali will take me south? When? When will this happen?’ She was caught between excitement and dread. To see Vali again after all this time would be wonderful, but to travel in secret, away from the only home she had ever known. Away from her father. It seemed too extreme, to frightening to be considered.

  ‘Tonight. Soon. At midnight. You’ll leave the city under cover of darkness and be on the road south by dawn. You‘ll tell no one, not even Ninia. And you’ll take only your most basic personal items with you, travelling in-cognito, as a moderately well-off liberti. A friend recently prepared to free his childhood nanny, but she died before he could present her with the documents. He gave them to me, for a price. You will use them to get safely to Pompeii. Vali has that document and others to assure your safe conduct.’

  ‘But this is all so… sudden. Can’t I think about this? To marry anyone so quickly…’

  ‘There’s no time. When your mother makes her move it will be too late. And if you think that you’ll have a say in her machinations, you’re mistaken. She’ll sell you off to gain power as easily as she sells slaves that no longer suit her. Trust me, my lamb. I have tried to think of every contingency. I know what I’m doing. And I will send Ninia to you as soon as you’re settled. At least she’s my slave, and I can include her as part of your dowry. ’

  Anniana nodded silently, afraid that if she tried to speak in this moment she would end up crying. Her stomach’s butterflies had turned to ravens pecking at her gut, tearing it to shreds. Fingers that had entwined nervously at the beginning of this conversation now gouged at the fabric of the couch beneath her.

  Finally, knowing her father needed her to acknowledge him and all he had done for her, she said, ‘I trust you father. Of course I do. Your plan is clever and it will save me. But… will I see you again?’

  ‘Of course you will, my lamb. Once you’re married and things have settled down here, I’ll come for a visit. I haven’t been to Campania since I was a boy. I may retire from the Senate and buy a property there, if funds allow. But one way or another, I will enjoy seeing my daughter as the happy matron of her own villa rustica. The country scene will suit you much more than the cloying, insular life you have lived in Rome.’

  Anniana nodded. It was true. She had always hated the confined space of the city. Their month by the sea had always been her favourite time of year. Then she had walked along the shores, and let the sea breeze play with her hair and gown. In such a place she felt truly free.

  Some people condemned her attitude toward slavery and slaves. Her mother, for instance. But she had always identified with slaves. Her life had constantly felt as closed and limiting as any slave in their household experienced. And she was subjected to the same kinds of punishments and abuse that were meted out to slaves for infractions. Although, in the case of her mother and siblings, no infraction was deemed necessary, to justify punishment. Reason enough that they felt like it, and had the power to do it.

  ‘Now, no tears, little lamb. You must get yourself ready. Wear the most serviceable gown you can find. The oldest and meanest there is. I asked Ninia to leave you things she thought suitable. Everything else you must fit into this small shoulder-bag, which you can easily carry. I’ll return for you just before midnight. Be ready.’ He indicated the leather hold-all at the door.

  ‘Ninia knows?’

  ‘Yes. But don’t try to see her. She has her instructions.’

  Then he was gone, and the door to her room was closed carefully behind him. For several minutes, Anniana didn’t move. She couldn’t. There was too much going on in her head. It was enough to simply draw in one breath after another, keeping her spine straight, her feet planted firmly on the tiled floor. More than that was impossible.

  Then, as she studied the flickering shadows cast by her only candle on the mural covered wall, she finally came to life. It was late already. Her father had not come to her until the household had begun to settle for the night. That meant that it would be no more than an hour at most before midnight. There was no time to sit and stare into space. No time to contemplate the monumental changes that were about to occur in her life.

  With care, she began to sort through her clothing that was neatly folded in a trunk at the bottom of her bed. She noticed the unfamiliar gown at once. Ninia’s work. How would she be feeling about all this? The girl depended on her. The idea of being separated, even for a short time, would terrify her. But Anniana couldn’t think of that now. Her father had put too much into this plan for her to sabotage it with her worries.

  Sticking precisely to her father’s instructions, she got to work selecting items that she would take with her. Items she needed. Items that meant something to her and that might disappear if she left them behind.

  Mementos. A beautifully carved whalebone comb and a pair of emerald and gold earrings with matching pins her father had given her for her coming of age day. A tiny portrait of her father. A stylus she had used since she was a child. A necklace of shells her brother Gaius had made for her one year at the beach. There were three bracelets of carnelian, amethyst, and garnet, one for each of her last three naming day anniversaries sent to her by Gaius from wherever he was stationed at the time. A tiny piece of amber Vali had given her after one of his many trips to the marketplace for her mother. He said it was the colour of her eyes and explained where amber came from and how it could have small creatures or plant life frozen inside it. Her piece had a tiny bubble in it. She had always loved the feel of it in her hand; soft, warm and smooth…

  By the time her father returned, she was dressed and packed. When he saw her ready, he nodded his approval and led the way to the front of the house. All the slaves were abed. Everything was in darkness. The only sound was their sandaled feet on the tiles of the atrium. The air was so heavy as to be suffocating. They had no candle, depending on the moonlight from the open roof of the atrium to guide their way.

  The door groaned on its hinges as it opened and her father looked around in concern. But, though the sound was deafening to them, it was probably not enough to disturb any of the people asleep deeper in the house.

  On the other side of the door was a giant silhouette looming over them. A
nniana caught herself before she cried out. Even her father gave a little grunt at the unexpected sight. But he quickly recovered and nodded at the intruder.

  The man in the doorway was backlit by moonlight, making his features impossible to see. This man seemed bigger than she remembered; taller and broader in the shoulders. But when he spoke softly to her, she recognised his voice immediately, and her fear of him evaporated.

  ‘Little mistress, are you ready?’

  ‘Yes Vali.’ She turned to her father at her side and wrapped her arms around him. He was her height and she could rest her cheek on the top of his shoulder. He seemed so frail in her arms now. Not like the strong man she always took him to be.

  ‘Be safe, little lamb, until we meet again,’ he whispered into her hair, his voice breaking.

  ‘I will miss you,’ she whispered back. ‘But don’t worry. Vali will take good care of me. Thank you for not giving in to mother this time. I know what it will cost you.’

  Then he was drawing back from her and thrusting her gently toward the giant in the doorway. A warm, rough hand took her bare arm, and drew her down the front stairs. The door behind her closed with a groan. The shadowed street lay empty before her.

  ‘Come. Watch your step. The cobble stones are uneven and deceptive in the moonlight.’ His arm wrapped around her, supporting her unsteady steps. Unaccountably, the fear and grief of the last hour was suddenly gone. In its place was the familiar scent of Vali’s skin, the warmth of his body pressed to her side, and the certainty that, while ever she was with him, she was safe. Nothing could touch her, nothing could harm her.

  As they made fast work of the street that led down Palatine Hill, they didn’t speak. Then, when they veered off down another narrower lane, toward the southern entry into the city where heavy wagons lumbered along empty streets, Vali spoke again.

  ‘You’re taller than I remember. Have you grown?’ His deep, oddly accented voice was warm with amusement, as he breathed his words against her ear.

  ‘A little. I’m as tall as father now, and a little taller than mother. But I’m still all arms and legs, like a spider.’

  She heard a pleasant rumble, and recognised it as his laugh. He never laughed out loud. It had always been a smothered sound like this, as if he was afraid he would be punished if he was seen to be amused or happy. And yet, for all his life was terrible, there had always been amusement in him, as if he was constantly on the lookout for a chance to express it. One of her favourite pastimes had been making him laugh.

  ‘Not a spider, little lamb, a filly. With a coat of shining brown.’

  It was the first time he’d ever used her father’s pet name for her. It made her feel like a child, and that was not how she felt about herself anymore. But being compared to a long legged filly was so much better than her choice, so she’d let him call her what he wanted. It was enough that he was there with her again. She had been so sure she’d never see him again.

  At the end of the lane they took another turn onto a wider street, skirting Caelin Hill as they moved steadily closer to the city walls. Finally, when Anniana was starting to wonder if her feet would last much longer, they suddenly turned in to a small shop-fronted home built against the thirty foot Servian Wall itself. Here, lanterns were lit to guide their way into the atrium and beyond, to the tablinum.

  The first thing Anniana noticed in the small reception room was a pile of possessions stacked haphazardly in the corner. A tray with two goblets of wine and a small loaf of bread stood on a table beside it.

  ‘Add your bag to the pile I’ll load onto the biga shortly. Then take a little refreshment, as we have a long way to go this night and tomorrow. I’m not sure what we’ll eat on the road, beyond a packed lunch the matron of this house has provided.’

  It was the first time she’d seen Vali properly since they’d met. In the amber glow of lamp light he looked very different to the youth she had known four years ago. That youth had been tall and well-muscled, but now he seemed even larger, his muscles bulked out beneath his white tunic. His pale face was tanned golden, but battered and bruised, with fresh scars marring the harshly beautiful planes and hollows. Only his white-gold hair was still the same, if longer than she remembered.

  What had he been doing to cause him this kind of change? He looked like a seasoned warrior. All vestiges of the boy she once knew seemed long gone.

  Even though she wasn’t hungry, she did as he bid her, tearing the loaf in half and biting into the smaller piece. Then she swallowed down the weak, sweet wine.

  ‘We’ll exit the city from the Capena Gate, follow along the Via Latina and then the Via Norbia until we’re well out of the suburbs. Then we’ll be on the Via Appia proper for the rest of the journey,’ Vali informed her after drinking deeply of his wine. ‘It will be very busy at this time of year. And we’ll be able to lose ourselves in the crowd. We’ll continue south until we reach Pompeii.’ He took a large bite of his bread and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments before resuming. ‘There I’ll need to ask for directions to your young man’s villa. The journey is about one hundred and fifty miles, all told, which will take us six or seven days, camping along the road as we go.’ He ate the last mouthful of bread and washed it down with more wine.

  ‘Have you been there before?’ she asked tentatively, as she nibbled on her bread.

  ‘No. I had to get directions in the Forum today. I assume you’ve never been there either?’

  ‘No. We always holidayed at Ostia because it was so close to Rome. My parents didn’t like to travel. It was one thing they both agreed on.’

  ‘Well, we’re in for an adventure then. No Inns for us. Sleeping under the stars, eating food cooked over an open fire. I haven’t done that since I was captured.’ His voice held a faraway note, as if he was remembering happier times.

  ‘Is it safe?’

  ‘I assume there are bandits on the roads, particularly in the more remote areas. But I’ve got weapons, and most criminals would think twice about taking on someone like me. And it’s not as if we will look like travellers with money. The carrus is only just roadworthy, and the horses are less than ordinary. I may be a bit optimistic in my estimated time for the journey, given our vehicle, but we’ll get there in one piece, I assure you.’ He grinned at her, his ravaged face suddenly youthful once more.

  ‘I know you will. Father wouldn’t have trusted me to you, otherwise.’ She smiled back at him, and his expression changed suddenly. Gone was the playful boy. What replaced it was a bemused adult.

  ‘When did you grow up?’ he said so softly he might have only meant it for his own ears. For the first time, she felt uncomfortable under his gaze, which seemed to see far more than she wanted.

  She shrugged and turned away, fiddling with the leather carry-all she’d added to the pile. Trying to divert his attention, she pulled out the little piece of amber she’d slid in behind the frame of her father’s portrait.

  ‘Do you remember this?’ she asked, holding it out to him on her palm.

  His eyes dropped to her hand and he gave a little chuckle. ‘You kept it? What for? It was worthless compared to the jewellery your family gave you.’

  She shrugged again, embarrassed. It seemed a childish thing to do now, keeping the tiny stone as if it was important. Should she throw it away? Before she could decide, Vali’s big hand closed her fingers around the amber.

  ‘I’m honoured you kept it. Put it away safely now. It’s time to go. Do you need to,’ His face flushed red as he released her, ‘relieve yourself before we go?’

  Mortified by this personal inquiry, Anniana dropped her gaze and shrugged. Then she made much of returning the amber to its place in the bag.

  ‘I’ll show you. It’s primitive, compared to what you’re used to. But luxurious compared to what you’ll have to put up with on the road. I’m sorry about that. Will women’s courses be a problem in the next week?’

  Anniana wondered if it was possible to feel any more embarrassed. Now
he discussed her flow? It was not the subject of conversation between a man and a woman, especially a slave and his mistress. But then, he wasn’t a slave anymore, and she was not his mistress. And they would be sharing very close quarters over the next week.

  She rose slowly to her feet, keeping her head down as she shook it. Her face burned.

  ‘Good. One less problem then. Follow me.’ His voice was brusque and impatient as he turned away from her and headed for the door.

  The lyre wove its melancholy notes through the hot midday air. Ninia had been playing for hours now, just as her mistress was want to do. She was not as good as Anni by any stretch of the imagination, but she didn’t expect that Salvia would be able to tell the difference.

  Where was Anni now? Who was taking care of her? She was weighed down by fear and loneliness. Her parents tried to help, but her bond to Anni was so much greater than her bond to them. Anni was the sister she’d never had, the love she’d never been able to claim.

  When her fingers slowed to a standstill as her mind pictured her beautiful mistress. She saw her leaning over this instrument, as if it were a lover, stroking its strings until it gave up the most beautiful sounds.

  ‘Get her to stop that incessant noise, Herakles. Surely Annia Minor can find something better to do with her time!’ The strident tones of Salvia’s voice rang out from somewhere nearby.

  Her father’s deep voice made some reply.

  She waited for the quiet knock on the door.

  When it came, she hurried to open it just a crack to make sure it was her father on the other side. It was. And her loving eyes took in his short, bony body; ebony skin; and frizzy hair, prematurely turned white.

  ‘You must stop for a while now. The mistress is tired of hearing you,’ he said softly.

  ‘All right. I’m tired anyway, and it’s time Anni would normally have a sleep. The heat is awful in here.’