“To our encounter... I must admit, your slave is a rare beauty... you must have paid a fortune for him.”
Marius shrugged. “I got him as a gift.”
“Really? Quite a generous gift then...”
Marius didn’t comment and his eyes locked with Clavius’, a bit annoyed at the stranger now, and Clavius nudged him, whispering. “How come you’ve brought your fuck boy out of his den?”
Marius’ lips pinched, his eyes blazing. “How many times do I have to tell you…”
“Don’t call him fuck boy...” Clavius finished with a grin. “I know, I know...”
The couches were spread in a circle, facing a small stage where the auction was about to happen, and their housemaster stepped up to it, welcoming his guests. “Fine citizens of Rome, I have invited you here to sample the best of what Rome’s slave markets have to offer. I hope you’ll enjoy and get what you came here for.”
There was loud cheering, and applauses and Marius’ lips pursed in disgust.Some fun... human flesh on the block. His stomach revolted, and he had to swallow bile rising up his throat.
Titus nudged his arm. “Not a huge fan of auctions?”
Marius shrugged, trying to sound casual. “No...” Still, this was not the horror of the common marketplace, so he settled, his eyes drifting, worried, to Kyle who was kneeling very still, his face ashen.Oh crap! An auction... I shouldn’t have brought him here...Marius reached down and clasped his shoulder, leaning to him. “Are you alright, pet?”
Kyle nodded, slightly shivering, and Marius rose to leave when their host ambled towards them. “Marius, my good boy! I am so glad you came.”
Marius forced a smile on his face and greeted the older man. “Flavius, so good to see you!”
“Yes, yes, how’s your father? I am honored... I hear you’re getting married to Seraphina, senator Quintus’ daughter? Excellent choice!” Marius paled, but held tight. The old man clasped his shoulder. “Enjoy the auction! You will see, it’s an excellent selection, although I see you have great taste already.”
His eyes darted to Kyle, and Marius forced a grin. “Indeed...”
“I’ll see you later, my boy.”
Marius plopped down on the couch, fuming, and Titus raised his cup. “To your impending marriage. Congratulations!”
Marius toasted with him, but he felt sick, wanting away from it all. Still, it was too late, and the auction began with a young male slave brought out on the block. There was a lot of shouting and bidding, and he was sold to an older man, gone in a flash. Marius’ worried eyes drifted to Kyle, the slave very still, barely breathing. Marius’ hand went to his back, and he stroked it gently, his eyes on the auction block. He felt the clenched muscles relax under his touch and sighed in relief, feeling Kyle lean into his touch as the next slave was brought to the stage.
The world froze around Marius when he saw that scrawny little boy, probably not over ten years old, shivering, naked, under the men’s gaze.
He sat up straighter, alert, his face blanched, and Clavius looked at him, frowning. “Marius... please don’t make a scene...”
The younger man looked at him, exasperated, and gulped his wine down. Kyle sensed his hand being snatched away and looked up for a brief moment, only to lower his eyes in panic...that young boy on the block...Images from the day he had been sold drifted in, standing naked on the block, Lucius’ face in the crowd when he’d won against a mild looking older man, his cruel smile, his hands on him when they had doused him with cold water and crudely wiped him off, him jerking away only to be hit in the face, hard, swallowing his own blood and tears... He shuddered, slightly losing his balance and he had to put his hand down next to him to steady himself.
The auctioneer called out. “Feast your eyes on this little bird, noble men. He is a fresh capture from the distant lands of Britannia and is still a virgin.” Several men shouted that this was clearly untrue, but the auctioneer raised his hand. “This has been guaranteed by the general who captured their village himself.” The noise of the bidding overtook the garden then, loud, frantic, and in that noise, Marius’ deep commanding voice rose above the crowd with an amount that put an end to all arguments, silencing the other men.
There was a call from the auctioneer, but nobody dared bid against him any longer, knowing his rank and reputation, and Clavius’ face fell in disbelief. “Marius... for fuck’s sake…”, he whispered, but Marius was already standing, jerking Kyle up by the arm.
“Come, Kyle, let’s collect our new boy.”
Kyle steadied himself, still dizzy, his mouth sour, not even fully understanding what was going on. He strolled after his master, though, behind the block where they kept the slaves.
Marius pulled his purse out and paid, Flavius ambling to him. “My dear Marius... I am so happy you found what you were looking for.”
Marius smiled. “I am not sure this is what I was looking for, but with my household expanding soon, I need more slaves.”
Flavius smiled a fake smile, looking Kyle over. “Of course... and you don’t want to sell your beautiful boy here? He'd bring you a fortune...”
Marius waved him off, laughing. “He’s worth more than his weight in gold.”
They watched the young boy being taken to them, in a simple tunic, barefoot, his face marred with tears. Kyle’s heart lurched for him when they shoved him on his knees in front of Marius, his master playing the game, but Kyle could see how his face was drawn, pale under his dark hair.
“I’m your dominus now, little one. What’s your name?”
