Chapter Nine

Naevia looked paler; the smooth sun-kissed skin Mira once envied was almost sallow. She drifted into the main hall of the villa; the Legatus was sure to arrive that very day. Mira's now constant anger shifted to the wretched snake Ashur, as she watched the woman once her friend reduce to a sickly phantom of the person she was. Thankfully, Domina was consumed with preparations for the Legatus and for the coming child; she failed to notice how Naevia's eyes darted about in fear.

"Mira! Aurelia! Bring as much wine as your arms can bear. Perhaps Glaber can cool his infamously heated temper with drink." Lucretia turned to Naevia. "Where the fuck is that dress?"

"Follow me." Mira said abruptly and the girl followed. Aurelia was frightened of her and Mira sneered at her insecurity. Bitterness simmered quietly in Mira's chest for quite some time, and Aurelia's presence simply added kindle to the flame. Mira's fuming was interrupted by a shatter. She turned her head sharply to the girl, stunned with a puddle of wine at her feet.

"Fetch another. And hold on to it this time." She snapped and Aurelia clumsily grabbed more wine. If she drops this jug, I swear on Juno's cunt-

"Aurelia. I beg a moment." Mira saw the Thracian standing behind the ludus gates. "Alone."

I could slap that fucking tone out of his mouth, she thought as she walked up the stairs. She crouched near the entry, straining her ears to hear their conversation.

"Varro's son. Is he safe?"

Mira listened to Aurelia's reply, her child-like voice heavy with pain. She felt a sting of pity for the girl, but quickly discarded it.

"What of the child in carry?"

She caught her breath. How could the pregnancy slip her mind? Aurelia's belly was swollen when Mira reunited her with Varro by Spartacus' request. The tremor in Aurelia's voice exposed the truth: the child, definitely not of Varro's flesh, was conceived against her consent. Mira knew that tremor well; the vibrations shook her soul once too… before she learned to submit to her fate. Naevia's brief words to her the day before attempted to conceal a similar quivering.

"My husband is dead. And with him all faith."

Mira heard Aurelia approach and hastened ahead of her to avoid suspicion of eavesdropping. Aurelia held the jar in her hands, unsure of its destination. Suddenly the girl's meekness, which drove her mad only moments before, pained her.

"Put that jug on the balcony table." Mira said gently, taking Aurelia by surprise. Naevia witnessed the kindness and her face brightened momentarily, a single lamp flickering in a moonless night. A dubious hope entered her mind: perhaps the Gods will spare my friend.

The Legatus arrived and as the meeting progressed, Naevia strained to catch Mira's gaze. Mira's small kindness to Aurelia gave her some fortitude to look her friend in the eye. She desperately needed Mira's aid to survive this new turn in her life and continuing without her was impossible. The Legatus commanded the gladiators be presented before him in the villa and Mira looked at Naevia with worry. She shares my burden, Naevia thought and she touched her fingers to her lips, placed it subtly over her heart. Mira returned the gesture and clutched her hand to her chest. Strength, Naevia. Strength.

"Which of my men would you have oppose him?" Upon hearing this from her Dominus, Naevia made a silent prayer to the Gods that may have abandoned her that Crixus be spared.

"None. Formation!"

Mira's eyes grew wide as she watched the Champion stand alone on the platform, wooden swords at his side. He is callous, she mused, but he is honorable. May the Gods keep you, Spartacus. Glaber called forth his men one by one. Mira watched with pride as Spartacus, Bringer of Rain, sent each tumbling to the marble floors. She almost did not notice Ashur approaching Naevia.

"Kneel and it shall be so." At these words, Spartacus looked at Aurelia and, without reluctance, kneeled to Glaber. Mira felt a pang of jealousy but mostly pitied the man. If she did not turn her head at that very moment, she may have missed it. But she moved.

Ashur crept behind Naevia and, as Crixus watched, moved a lock of her hair. Naevia could not look away from her love. Her strength broke and an unwilling plea brimmed in her eyes as tears. She would later lament - the pitiful look in her eyes drove Crixus to madness.

"You fucking cunt!" Crixus leapt and pushed Ashur to the ground, away from his woman. He broke the man's nose with one blow and was poised to kill him when Spartacus and Doctore rescued him from himself. "Calm yourself!" Spartacus pleaded. Mira attempted to move closer to Naevia, but was blocked by guards and soldiers.

"I felt her maidenhood long absent when we lay together. Now I know whose cock was in her first."

Naevia looked at Lucretia; her eyes were ablaze with hatred. Naevia knew Domina would eventually discover the affair and she surrendered herself to her fate. Domina will kill me, she thought as Lucretia dragged her painfully by her arm. She watched as Mira struggled toward her, her face contorted in desperation. By Jupiter's mercy, my friend should not witness the act.

Domina slammed her against the walls. On the floor of her room. Kicked her. Raged at her. Naevia winced at the pain but did not cover herself from Lucretia's blows. Mira watched in helpless horror as her friend was brutally beaten. Her eyes found a knife lying on a small table beside some fruit. "What is it? What is it?" Lucretia asked. Naevia could not relinquish so easily the only concrete memento of the love she and Crixus shared. "Give it to me. Give it to me!" She peeled furiously at Naevia's fingers and finally pulled the gate key from her grasp. "How did you come by it?"

"I took it." She admitted, wondering how long Lucretia would beat her before slitting her throat, as Dominus did with the Carthaginian beast.

"To open the gate so you could lie with Crixus. You alone knew of my feelings for him and yet you betray me."

Naevia barely felt the sting of the slap upon her face; the word betrayal stung with ferocity. Betray her? With purchased loyalty? What of my life? After caring for your every fucking need, what loyalties do you bear toward me? Naevia felt a sudden urge to injure Lucretia deeply. "Crixus never loved you. He did only as commanded." For one moment in her lifetime of servitude, Naevia felt free.

Lucretia let out a strange, primal sound and wrapped her hands around Naevia's neck. Mira's eyes looked upon the knife again. Fuck all of those cunts. I will not see Naevia die before my eyes, not without putting down this wretched bitch. She took one step toward the knife; she could almost feel the cold wooden handle under her skin. Lucretia stopped choking Naevia and an evil smile crept along her face. "Mira."

"Domina."

"Bring me a knife." Lucretia flung Naevia to the ground. She then bent down and gripped Naevia's hair, madly feeling it between her fingers. Mira quickly fetched another knife from the banquet table and tucked the other in her belt, adamant in her decision. If Spartacus can risk every slave in this house for his love, I can do the same for one who loves me. "It seems a shame, does it not? To see such luxurious hair on a common whoring slave?" Lucretia brought her face close to Naevia's. "We shall remedy that shortly. Mira, shear this bitch until she is no longer so fucking lovely. I must return to Dominus."

Mira stood in her place until Domina could be heard in the other room. She then lifted Naevia off of the ground and into her lap, sobbing. Naevia could no longer contain her tears and wept with her. She felt the knife at Mira's hip. "What-"

Mira threw it on the ground and wrapped her arms around Naevia. "I… how could I stand idle as that whoring Gorgon stole my friend from this world? I could not." She buried her face in Naevia's hair and held her tighter. "I would sever my own hands before destroying any part of you."

"Then you must take the knife." Naevia pulled away and held her friend's face. "You are a part of me. Domina will not spare you if you do not obey."

Mira's trembling hands lifted the knife and gently began cutting Naevia's hair. She noticed wounds upon her scalp where Domina struck her and carefully avoided them. "Domina will send you away. She would not remove your locks if she intended to kill you."

Naevia's tears had ceased; she sat limply on the floor. "Ashur touched this hair and Crixus raged. Seems fitting that the offending locks be discarded." Mira stroked the remaining hair with love.

"Mira. You are summoned." The guard saw the women's faces and promptly turned away. "Domina asks me to complete the task; she requires your presence on the balcony. I will return momentarily. Say your farewells." He waited patiently, far from earshot.

Mira turned Naevia's face toward her and kissed her mouth. "My dearest friend. I love you."

Naevia could feel Mira's tears on her face. "I love you. Goodbye, Mira. May Fortuna keep you."

Mira shook her head and hugged Naevia tightly. "Do not say goodbye. Let us live in our dreams, in our hopes. I give no shit to the waking world. I would pray to see you again, in Crixus' arms. Growing old together. Our grandchildren run wildly through the hills of a distant land far from Capua. We will watch them and ponder a time long ago when we were in bondage."

Naevia smiled weakly. "It is a fine dream." She whispered.

Mira choked on a sob. "I will not release you."

"You must. To make our dream a reality, you must. Go." Mira wrested herself from Naevia's grasp and ran down the corridor, willing her feet to keep moving, do not turn back, keep moving. Naevia watched the guard approach. "Gratitude."

"In exchange for kindnesses you have shown me. My hands are unsteady." The guard lifted the knife, slightly nicking her scalp. She did not move. "Apologies."

"None required." She said and felt him cut away most of her hair slowly but unevenly. He removed the ring from her neck and led her down to the villa gates.

Hector's head was flung from the balcony as Crixus was prepared for his punishment. Mira watched, hoping the cool water hid the tear stains on her face. Doctore moved with deliberation, and Mira felt sympathy for the man. He punished his friend as she was forced to punish Naevia. The first lash struck and Mira saw Aurelia cringe, her eyes never lifting from the floor. Embrace the pain, Doctore always said, it is the only way. Embrace all pain.

"I expect your meetings with Crixus to end."

Mira heard the words and derived some comfort from the fact that Lucretia could no longer use Crixus after snatching Naevia from his hands. The fear in Lucretia's eyes gave Mira some measure of vengeance.

"Enough!"

Mira followed Domina into the villa as Naevia was brought into the square. She ran toward Crixus; she lost all sense when she saw him bound, splatters of his blood on the sand behind him.

"Crixus!" She held his face as he wept. My mighty Crixus, the savage Gaul. Weeping like a babe. She felt a well of anger. That fucking Ashur.

"I have destroyed us."

She remembered Mira's words: Let us live in our dreams. "We yet live."

"Where do they take you?"

She wished she knew the answer. Providing Crixus with hope would be difficult. "I do not know."

"I will win my freedom. I will not rest until I find you."

The pain in his voice stripped her of any strength remaining in her bruised body. She felt his face underneath her fingertips as she was pulled away, savoring each fleeting second of warmth. The warmth of her Crixus' skin. Suddenly, she thought of Pietros… and Barca.

"He speaks of freedom, as did Barca." She knew now how she could exact a small revenge. Ashur prodding her, to the point of mockery, about her conversation with Doctore. The man deserves the truth, she though. And I shall give it to him. "No, you must not let him broach the subject. Barca was not freed. Batiatus took his life."

The look of mixed anger and confusion satisfied her as the guards took her away, to some unknown destination. Whatever Fortuna has set ahead of her, her enemies would suffer, she thought as fresh tears sprung from her eyes. The Gods owe her that courtesy.

Mira lay upon the pallet but she could not sleep. The loss of Naevia was palpable and pierced her skin. She wondered how much suffering a heart could bear. And then she thought of Spartacus, flinching in the square as Crixus was punished. She could see the determination in his eyes. His eyes revealed everything to her. If given the chance, she would aid him in his purpose, the dangerous, unspoken plot she was well aware of and now shared with the Thracian.

He would kill them all.

PS: The fabulous ladies Katrina Law (Mira) and Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia) read this fic and absolutely loved it! I am very honored and grateful that they would take the time and I encourage all fans to keep writing! Spartacus needs more fanfic!

PPS: The sequel to this story has begun in the story titled "Justum Est". It covers Episode 13 - Check it out! And thanks for reading!