Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Rheia missed Rome.

She missed the luxurious baths, the food, the people but most of all she missed Rome itself.

With Argus she had been given her own tent; as liaison to the Empress, Rheia held some standing but she was rather confident that she got the tent because she was the only female.

Rheia had her pride and she hated to be singled out because of her sex.

She should point out that her sex were the stronger of the two but Rheia knew it would get her nowhere.

Men were fickle, egotistical creatures ruled by desire.

Women did not have that lust to cloud their judgement; maybe that is why Krista and Pompeia have succeeded so well.

The time and energy men wasted on sinking themselves into a bit of flesh, Krista and Pompeia used to check and double-check their well-made plans.

Rheia wasn’t sure; she wasn’t a leader after all but she was a gladiator just like Argus.

So when he ordered her to his tent, Rheia went obligingly.

He showed her his plan and shared his thoughts. Rheia pondered for a second what this meant.

Did Argus, ‘the Destroyer’, trust her?

“You were in Krista’s confidence,” Argus explained once Rheia asked, “She is a gladiator like you and I. We know her better than any of those men out there,” Argus nodded his head to the tents outside.

“They are trained by gladiators,” Rheia reminded him with sarcasm. Pompeia thought being trained by gladiators was enough to fight gladiators.

“Horse bollocks,” Argus spat at the ground, “Those men have been free their entire lives. They have not known the feel of shackles around their wrists or the crushing weight of captivity. We are the best chance at finding Krista,”

“I am not sure about everything,” Rheia looked up at the beast, “But what I do know is that I have had my share of dirt and blood for an entire lifetime. The sooner we end this rebellion the sooner I get to go home.”

“Home?” Argus chuckled roughly, “You’re like an infant,”

Rheia tilted her head in confusion.

“Infants want to go home after all they do not know any better. But Adults realise that they don’t have a home and they move forward.”

Rheia did not take his words kindly, “And which are you?”

“I’m just a man,” Argus poured himself some wine, “following orders.”

* * *

Gaius rubbed his neck where Krista’s sword had rested against his skin, ready to strike him from this world.

His body was nearly shaking with anger as he gazed down at his map, trying to interpret where she would go next, but he barely saw anything.

He could only think about her swollen stomach.

Krista was pregnant.

Gaius could not believe that the Gladiatrix had allowed such a fate to befall her.

And yet it may prove good news for the Empress; child birth was dangerous outside of the city.

Krista had no access to medical supplies, surely she would bleed to death in child birth and then Rome would be free of her.