<em>Step aside you fool.</em><br/><br/>Patrocles heard Caris bark at him as if she were the Domina herself.  He already stood, to one side of the door, not blocking it in any way, but as she looked past him towards the door he realized that with the large water pitcher that she was carrying she could not open the door.  He stepped one side further from the door, smiling wryly at her, as if to say, “<em>By all means, go right ahead</em>” all the while knowing that she could not and would need to ask for him to open the door for her.  He relished the thought of hearing her have to swallow her pride and ask for his help.  He did not, however, realize that she had spoken so loudly as to disturb Livia and her guest, the Roman soldier.  Suddenly, the door was jerked inward and Domina appeared with a stern and agitated expression on her face.<em>Shit, that is not gonna be good for you now you dumb bitch,</em>he thought to himself.<br/><br/><strong>“Go and try to eat, it has been a long day. Report to me in the morning Patrocles. We shall be staying here this night it seems, find yourselves ample quarters to rest. Go and ... by the gods do press my ears with your voices again."</strong><br/><br/>Then she took the water pitcher from Caris’ hands and shut the door again before he was given time to even acknowledge the order.  As the door clicked into place he shot Caris a look that would have withered the hardiest of desert grasses as if to say<em>“See what you did now.”  </em>Without a word he stepped past her, not taking the care to walk around her, and his shoulder roughly pushed through hers as he passed.<br/><br/>He stalked angrily down the passage and rounded several bends with Caris hot on his heels; with more angry words on her tongue he was sure.  After moving several hallways away, and well outside of the earshot of Domina he wheeled suddenly, catching Caris completely by surprise and his left arm shot out towards her, grasping her throat with is index finger and thumb extending to just below the joint of her jaw on either side.  With all of the frustration and anger he felt towards her at the moment coming to a head he shoved her hard against the stone wall and lifted until she slid up the wall so that only her toes rested on the ground.  This would enable her to support some of her weight on her own feet and prevent her from choking too quickly, but would still keep her well off balance.  As the back of her head hit the wall, hard, he enjoyed the sound of the soft “thunk” but immediately stepped into her and placed his face inches from hers, giving him additional leverage to hold her, and stepped to stand sideways so as to not allow her an easy target should she decide to struggle and attempt to kick him in the groin.<br/><br/>A fool am I, Bitch!!?  Is that what I am? he hissed through almost clenched teeth.  A foolish man who fights for a living and can be ordered around by the likes of you?   I am not the one to have us dismissed from service this night without fulfilling our duties.  You walk around here all day playing at a role of importance, but you are nothing but a puffed up slave who thinks to rise above her station.  You look down on me, call me gladiator and think it an insult, but your are just a dumb bit of skirt that carries water and waits on Domina.  Your role could be fulfilled by any number of other servants, you bring no money or honor to the ludus or to Domina’s family name.<br/><br/>Yes, I am a gladiator; I make my way through the world by bleeding my opponent dry.  I live by forcing another’s death… you should mark well what that means.  And when the sands run red with the blood of my opponent I bring honor to myself and coin to Domina’s purse.  The crowds know my name and love me for the entertainment that I bring to them in the arena.  I have never been beaten, and I am certainly no brutish fool, which is why I stand here now.  You… you can be replaced at any time, and no one would ever care a shit’s worth for it.<br/><br/>With his right hand he reached up and grabbed her breast roughly, mashing it hard against her, then tightening his grip, squeezing until he was sure it became very painful.  His left hand tightened as well, completely cutting off her air way.  I could kill you right now, you little whore, and no one but me would know what happened.  Do you think for a second that Domina would doubt me when I told you that one of the servants here, looking to replace you, or an unknown gladiator that was here when we arrived killed you while having a little sport with you that went too far?  The accused would be blamed and killed without hesitation or without another thought about their protestation, but at the end of it, I would still be champion, I would still be called to fuck our beloved Domina to her body’s contentment… and you would be mourned by none.   His right hand closed tighter, sliding down her breast until just her nipple was pinched tightly between his thumb and forefinger.  He pinched as tightly as he could, twisting her nipple maliciously hoping to extract even the slightest squeak of pain through her now closed airway.  If you ever, and I mean<em><strong>ever</strong></em>, speak to me as you did outside the Domina’s door again; if you ever try to embarrass me in front of her again, I promise you will not live through that night.<br/><br/>With a final twist of his fingers he released her nipple, letting blood flow back into it all at once, and threw her to the floor.  I tire of your presence, and grow hungry.  I will do as I was instructed and find food in the kitchens, then I will go to my chamber for the night, with any luck, I will not be alone.  You should make yourself scarce so as to not provoke me further.<br/><br/>Without waiting for any response he turned and walked through the empty hallways of the villa to the kitchen, making himself a plate from the food offered and sat down at an empty table to eat while he watched the other servants and a few of the lesser gladiators as they mulled about the room eating and talking to each other cautiously.  He noticed that the female gladiator that had fought earlier today was not here now, nor was the Egyptuan that he had heard called Ammon.  The thought fled from his mind without much effort as he continued to peer around the room.  No one knew quite to make of the new ownership, or what they would expect of their lives when the morrow rose on them.  He thought he sensed an air of optimistic weariness, as if they hoped that the new Domina would be far better, less cruel, and more stable than the man who had trooped out of there that afternoon with half of his stock and staff.  Tomorrow’s dawn would of course bring new things to light, and with that thought he leaned back against the wall and watched, hoping that he might catch a glimpse of Cariad again before he retired to his chambers.  Perhaps, she would be willing to help him break in his new bed; and he could show her the pleasure that a man can bring to a woman.<br/>