Thread: Sacramentum Gladiatorum (Machiavelli & Andronica)

Livia's attention was held when the doctore announced the fighters, and shortly thereafter the new acquisition was brought out against one of their best men, Lucius. It was no secret that Lucius had been trained into a honed weapon by the skilled doctore's guidance, taking him on as something of a favourite who showed much promise - and he never disappointed. The doctore's methods led Lucius to many victories in the arena which curried favour for Cassian beyond his wildest dreams. Such was the grandeur he aspired to ever since marrying her and acquiring her late father's ludus, along with his men and his most valuable asset the doctore. Admittedly the young domina had grown bored of her husband's fascination with the ludus, how hard he trained the men to the point where even the good doctore had to step in humbly on many occasions to curb Cassian's appetite for gold. Anything to feed the habit he poorly hid, be it expensive wine, whores, or simply leaping at the chance to shove his rival's face into any little victory he believed he could have over them. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this left little time for Cassian to bestow his wife with attention. Livia did not mind after a while yet she had begun to feel the cravings of heated passion.... When the newcomer came out she spied him and felt that sensation tenfold. Physically he was in top form, and the darkness of his hair and dishevelled appearance gave him a rustic, almost barbaric handsomeness that many of the noblewomen fawned over privately. Livia was no different in that regard. Yet she could see beyond that, too, and noted the darkness in his eyes told he was a fighter whose hunger for blood could not easily be satiated. As the fight unfolded, Cato, Sabinus and Livia were all enthralled. Cassian merely smirked as if the outcome had been foretold. It seemed evenly matched for an uncomfortable duration until at last the new gladiator proved his value by taking Lucius down and pinning his arm into a useless position, while he poised for a killing blow. At once Livia's eyes widened and she leaned a bit against the balcony. Her auburn hair was like a reddish halo around the soft features of her face as she peered down at the men, then imploringly at Cassian. Spare him! she begged quietly, watching as her husband's smugness turned to a cold, calculating stare. Lucius was at the edge of his prime and would surely be ousted by another champion soon, if not the very man who held him down. Agonizing silence followed Livia's plea, to which Cato quirked his brow and turned his round face toward Cassian, then shared a look with Sabinus. Surely he was not going to let Lucius die out of spite for losing the match? Finally, Cassian's hawk-like eyes moved to the doctore who also waited with baited breath and stood nearby at the ready. If one looked closely enough they could see his moorish hand clenched on his whip to combat the roiling emotions in his chest at Lucius' defeat. It had been a fair fight, and both men did well - but there was always an advantage in younger, stronger bodies. Or those who had long since stopped feeling remorse. Very well, Cassian murmured. He turned his hand subtly toward doctore, fingers poised then flicking up to signal Maximus should step aside and Lucius would be helped to his feet. You fought well, Maximus. Far better than expected, the dominus observed aloud. His smirk returned as he praised the man. Not a single look was thrown toward Lucius, however, as he had fallen from his capricious master's favour. Lanistas were not known to be so careless with their slaves that they would have them killed or sent away at a whim of their moods, but Cassian was known to be cruel and fickle. Livia beside him looked worried still, though it was not overly apparent. She held her tongue and her rosy lips remained tight at first, while her chest rose and fell as if she were trying to calm herself from some frightful event. The redhead looked toward doctore, who had not yet moved as dominus' orders fell short of what to do with Lucius. Get him up. Take him to the medicus to have his wounds tended! she ordered the man. He served her father faithfully for years and heeded his domina just as readily as he did Cassian, though she did not speak up often lest she earned her husband's ire. In that moment though, she worried Maximus was a caged animal liable to lash out if left unattended too long. She then looked over to Cassian as she pushed off the railing of the balcony to walk away. I trust you will want to keep an eye on your pet, lest he stray too far. She was not angry with Maximus, not exactly anyway, but something about him and that black void of a gaze had unnerved her. Handsome, yes, but what depth was beyond it if all that was left was a shell of a man who killed as effortlessly as he breathed? It was no wonder Cassian purchased him on the spot despite their mounting debt.