Unconditionally (Spartacus FANFIC -- Gannicus/Caesar/OC)

Chapter VII

I woke up to Melitta's soft melodic voice humming, sitting up from the floor I looked over and saw she was tidying the room I shared with all the female slaves. She looked so peaceful and at ease almost as if she had not a care in the world. She was always so special to me, always watching out for us younger girls, she was like a mother - which was always good since I had long forgotten what my mother was even like.

"Is that from your lands?" I asked her as she seemed to be startled by my voice.

"A light tune I once heard long ago when I was yet a girl myself. From my people, I could not say. You however have overslept." She giggled as I scrambled around gathering my clothing before she moved to slow me down. "You need not rush, Dominus had asked me to let you sleep. Seems you had a late night?" She said with a cheeky smile.

"I had not meant to." I said softly looked to my feet as she helped me with my robe.

"It brings joy seeing you with such a smile." She told me, "I may not yet have one had you not stood in my place." She reminded me looking away.

"Melitta, why do you hold such guilt for an act I chose to take in your stead?" I asked her.

"Because I am a slave while you are yet free. I was commanded to do something and yet a free girl was forced into an action she should not have had to take."

I walked towards her pulling her into a hug, "Never feel guilt for such a small thing. Had you had to do it, imagine the guilt and shame you would have felt afterwards? Surely something as small as losing my virtue too soon is not something you should feel shame for. Was my choice, I would do anything for you, you are dearest friend." I told her.

"Dominus was right, you have grown...you are no longer a girl. Let us not press the subject anymore, Dominus is below watching the men practice. Would you like to join me on the balcony with him?" She asked with a soft smile as I nodded, "I would like nothing else." I told her as we left the room headed down the stairs below.

Once we arrived on the balcony we noticed Naevia was cleaning up and gathering things to take to the kitchen for cleaning. However Dominus was nowhere to be seen; "Naevia, where has Dominus gone too?" Melitta asked her as she too began to help her pick things up. Handing a few cups to me in the process.

"He went to the market with his son, for reasons I did not have the privy to know. Sorry." She said softly.

"No trouble, Jana was hoping to catch him before he had left for the morning." Melitta replied.

"Well had someone awoken on time she would have, you must tell me what it is you two talk about all night." Naevia giggled, as Melitta cleared her throat causing the two of us to grow silent unaware of who could have caught Melitta's attention.

"Quietly girls." She remarked as the two of us nodded our heads slowly.

"Quickly set up the balcony, no doubt Domina and her guest will want to sit out and have their fill." She told us as Diona and another girl brought out new table cloths and cups with a jug of water and wine. "Naevia take Jana and gather some fruits, then you and Diona will attend to your duties as Jana and I will watch over Domina and her guest."

"Yes, Melitta." the girls spoke softly before Diona wandered off and Naevia headed away without me.

"Why do you do that? Separate me from the girls so much...do you not think it shows favoritism? Am I not as one of them? We all grew up together... we used to be inseparable."

"It was always requested by Dominus, and then later son and wife. You are not taken with the branding of slave, to not have you attending to guests as a member of the family would give the other slaves a false sense of status. Dominus had told the older of the slaves that you are not to be treated as a slave although recent events seem to have changed such things."