The Chariots Slave (20 page)



left Thaddius with two options; turn his cart right and risk
injuring the crowd or turn to the left and risk losing a wheel.

“Left!” he yelled.

Diana pulled her body to the side, followed tightly by the
others. His horses narrowly missed the green driver’s team.
And as the chariots passed each other, the metal
ornamentation on the sides of their carts met, causing a
stream of sparks.

“Bastard!” Thaddius directed at the driver as they locked
eyes on each other and passed by.
The crowd screamed and cheered at the display.
Thaddius managed to avoid most of the ruts in the road as
he jockeyed his chariot back to the right hand side. It was a
straight stretch now to the finish line. Other than the odd
piece of broken cart that had fallen onto his side of the road,
there was not much for him to worry about hitting.
All the chariots, except those who had lost wheels or
flipped, had now made it around the corner and were coming
up behind him. The crowd roared as green and blue were
neck and neck toward the finish line.
Out of the corner of his eye, Thaddius noticed one of his
blue drivers as he kicked at a cart that had lost a wheel. He
shook his head in frustration. He had told them to stay to the
side, but that driver had obviously not listened and now
would not be able to compete in the rest of the tournament.
Thaddius brushed his rising frustration aside and turned
back to the race at hand.
“Diana, let’s show the greens why we are the favored
team!”
As though she understood his command, she lowered her
head, pressing harder into each stride. Following her lead the



other horses did the same and soon the blue chariot began to
pull far in front of the green.

The green driver shouted at his horses and accelerated the
cracking of his whip on their backs. He was desperate to
catch up to Thaddius, but despite his furious beating, his team
could not match their pace.

The line of red sand had been laid, and Thaddius could
now make it out. All he had to do was cross the line and
break the sand, and he would successfully win the first stage
of the Grande Maximus.

It was risky to lose focus this close to finishing. But even
so, Thaddius allowed his pride to best him, and he turned
around to see how far ahead of his challenger he was. His
team was just over one cart length in front. There was no way
the green driver would be able to overtake him.

Using his lead as another excuse to show off for the
crowd, and send a message to Barachius, he once again
unfastened the reins from his forearm. But this time he let
them drop to the floor as he hoisted his body up, resting his
foot on either side of the chariot.

It took him a moment to secure his footing before he stood
and raised his arms. The crowds cheered in delight as he rode
across the finish line. Diana’s hooves broke through the red
sand and the trumpets proclaimed his victory.

No charioteer had ever dared to attempt a stunt during a
competition, yet Thaddius had successfully done two, and the
spectators loved him for it.

He steadied himself as he dropped back into his chariot.
He picked up the reins and slowed his team while the crowd
sang out for him.

“Thaddius the great charioteer, approached the Grande



Maximus with no fear. Robed in the blue of the Veneta team,
he is Thaddius the champion of Rome!”




 

H e circled before them as they sang. Men and women

tossed flowers and blue cloths in front of his chariot. One
down, five remaining. If his competition was as easy as this
race, then despite whatever the circus threw at him, he should
easily win the tournament. And that meant not only keeping
his title and land, but gaining Barachius’s as well.

Women yelled proposals of marriage and fornication. The
trumpets continued to resound. Men smashed their empty
vessels on the ground. All around him once again turned to a
chaos of noise and disorder. What was once a proud street in
Rome, now appeared to be a wasteland, decorated in colorful
debris and spilled wine.

It wasn’t long before he tired of the crowd’s praise and
head toward the stables. After he unhitched his team and had
his attendants water and brush them, he moved through the
crowd looking for Sellah and Simeon.

“Bravely won!” someone said as he held out his hand.
Thaddius did not take the time to show gratitude, and
instead brushed past the man. If he stopped every time



someone wanted to shake his hand, he wouldn’t get
anywhere.

Men cheered and patted him on the back as he passed.
Each time he grit his teeth and shook off the pain it caused.
After receiving the whip across his shoulder, he had a new
sympathy for what Simeon had had to endure.

When a familiar auburn streak came into view, he
quickened his pace through the crowd to get to her.
“Sellah?” he called as he pushed men out of his path.
She caught his eye and smiled in relief. “Thaddius! That
was just wonderful. I’ve never….”
“Where are Simeon and Vettius?” he interrupted.
Sellah hesitated before replying. “When I saw you drive to
the stables, I did not think and came straight here. Perhaps
they followed me.”
Thaddius smiled as he took her in. She still refused to
bring her eyes up to his, but he didn’t mind. It allowed him to
look her over without feeling intrusive.
“Sellah, you foolish girl,” he smirked. “This would make
it the second time I rescued you today.”
The affection in his taunt gave her courage to allow her
eyes to meet his once more. Lifting her head, she slowly
brought her gaze up to his.
“Foolish?” She raised her eyebrows and placed her hands
over her hips. “Do you not think some of the stunts you
pulled out there were foolish?”
“You allow your slaves to address you so offhandedly?” a
conceited voice dripping with self importance cut Thaddius
off from his reply.




Barachius had come up behind the pair and waited for the
most inconvenient time to interrupt their conversation. Sellah
had provided him with just that.

As soon as she heard his voice she dropped to her knees in
front of Thaddius. “Apologies Dominus, I spoke out of
order.”

Thaddius did not reply but moved his body between her
and Barachius’. “Have you come to congratulate me for
beating your men?” Thaddius taunted as he clenched his fists
preparing for a fight.

“Congratulate? No, I don’t suppose I have.” Barachius
gripped onto Thaddius’s wounded shoulder, his meaty hands
squeezing as hard as he could.

Thaddius tried to hide the pain from his face, but by
Barachius’s smile he knew he had not been successful.
“No, I have come to remind. When a man places a wager,
he estimates he will win. But when he knows he has victory
before he starts, it is more pleasurable for him to allow his
opponent false hope. That way when the opponent finally
loses, the loss will hurt all the more. Hope does that to
people, it causes more grief than happiness!” As he spoke, he
looked on Sellah with disgust.
“Thaddius will not lose!” Sellah mumbled into the ground.
“What was that?” Barachius laughed as he turned back
upon the hardened face of Thaddius. “How interesting, your
whore defends your honor.”

*

 

Sellah held her breath, waiting for Thaddius to rebuke
Barachius for his harsh words. But no such defence came.



Instead, Thaddius stood mute before the horrid man. She
swallowed the lump that had lodged in her throat. And just
when she felt she would cry, gentle hands reached down to
her shoulders and helped her up.

Simeon pulled her into his embrace and stood ready to
protect her before Barachius.
“I see how matters at your domus stand. She is not only
your whore but the whore to your slaves.” Barachius nodded
toward Simeon and Sellah.

*

Thaddius stiffened his back as he turned to see Simeon
and Sellah. Simeon offered him a look of worry, but no
emotion could be seen on Thaddius. He merely looked over
the way Sellah fit into Simeon’s arms and turned back to
Barachius.

“It is really too bad you will never be able to know what
happens within my domus. For when I win, which I will, I
will have you sold at the Graecostadium.”

Barachius laughed at Thaddius’s confident words. “Now
you see, that is the hope I was
hoping
for.” He squeezed
Thaddius’s shoulder once more before turning to leave. “Oh
and Thaddius,” he yelled over his shoulder, “tomorrow at the
second stage of the Grande Maximus, I do hope you have
your other drivers better prepared. Today’s drivers were quite
comical.”

“Tomorrow?” Simeon asked in confusion.
“I don’t know what he talks of. I will stay with Sellah. Can
you go and find a schedule of the tournament?” Thaddius
thought over what Barachius could have meant. It was either



a ploy to confuse Thaddius or somehow he had manipulated
the tournament once again.

Thaddius reached his hand out for Sellah. Her touch would
comfort him enough until he knew the answer to the question
that burned within him.

She hesitated to take his extended hand. But as soon as she
did and their fingers touched, he felt instant ease. Sellah,
however, seemed nervous and uncomfortable. In an effort to
alleviate her, he released her hand and placed his on the small
of her back as he guided her toward the blue team’s
designated stable.

As soon as she saw Diana at the water trough, she ran
from Thaddius and over to her.
“Diana, you were just marvellous out there today!” Sellah
placed her hand on the mare’s neck.
Diana lifted her head from the water to look at Sellah
before turning back to her drink. She was still cooling down,
and her rapid breathing caused her whole chest to enlarge and
contract.

*

Sellah paused when she felt the racing heartbeat under her
touch. “Is she all right?” Sellah asked as she turned to
Thaddius.

“Yes, she will be fine. It will take her a few days to
properly recover from the race. She always pushes herself to
her limits.” He walked beside his trusted horse and ran his
hands over her legs checking each of her hipposandals.

“You did a good job with her shoes.”

 

A blush lightened Sellah’s cheeks, and she lowered her



head so he could not see as she continued to rub Diana and
stare at the ground.

Her hand brushed over Thaddius’s hand and she froze.
Her eyes snapped to his. He did not pull his hand away from
hers. Rather, he gave her a look as if to wonder if she would
be the one to move. Confused, Sellah remained transfixed by
the feelings his touch stirred in her. Their eyes set upon the
other’s, studying, searching for any understanding. Did her
touch affect him as well?

“Thaddius, it is worse than we thought,” Simeon called
out as he came up behind them.

Sellah quickly pulled her hand away from Thaddius’s and
couldn’t help but notice the pained look on his face.
“Each stage of the tournament is to be the day after the
other. Our horses will not even properly rest before we
require another race from them.”
“What do you mean?” Thaddius walked around Diana and
confronted Simeon.
“Where once there was a seven-day break between each
race of the tournament, there is now only mere hours.”
“Barachius knows of my bond to Diana. He is condensing
the schedule in order to separate us! I have never competed
without her.” Thaddius’s shoulders dropped, and the
confidence that was normally in him seemed all but gone.
Sellah did not like seeing him so. With a hesitant touch
she laid her hand on his good shoulder. “You can beat him.
You do not need Diana,” she offered.
The shock of seeing her touch her Dominus without
invitation was prominently displayed on Simeon’s face. He
shot his glare from her touch upon the shoulder to Thaddius’s
face.



“Is there something going on between you two?” Simeon
demanded, his breath came heavy and his jaw tightened as he
hissed his question to Thaddius.