“How do you know he will come back?” she asked.
“Because I feel so. The heart of a lover cannot be wrong,” he replied, smiling. “He is going to be back.”
Cassandra smiled at that. She didn’t feel jealous that he called his Master a lover. On the contrary, she thought he could count on his protection in that household. The gods were not in his favor when they made him sick, impeding him from leaving on the journey with his Master. Maybe everything was a revenge of the gods rather than that of Claudia, she thought.
She held him in her arms as the first light of the day shyly appeared in the sky.
“Did Claudia tell you why she did this to you?” she asked.
“Yes, it was to punish me for being between her and Flavius, and for attracting too much attention from her guests. She was sure that once Flavius understood that I am no longer useful, he would get rid of me.”
“Do you think she planned it for a long time?”
“I don’t know. When she realized Flavius was missing, she found the opportunity she’d been waiting for.”
“How are you going to tell Marcus Tiberius and Flavius the truth about Claudia?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know who I fear the most. She warned me that if I didn’t keep my mouth shut, she would shut it for good.”
“It won’t be necessary,” said Marcus Tiberius as he entered the room.
Saul turned his head toward the direction of the voice as Cassandra stood and ran away, afraid that she shouldn’t have been there.
“Master, I…Please forgive my misbehavior. I can’t understand how I could ever yell at you. I feel terrible about it,” Saul apologized, with a quivering chin as remorse and shame evident in his tone.
“I forgive you, Saul, but only because I think you were upset after what happened. I know Claudia has a difficult character, but I find it hard to believe that she would do something like that,” Marcus Tiberius helped Saul up. “Your behavior puts me in an awkward situation. Should I or should I not believe you? Are you still telling lies, or is this the truth?”
“It is the truth, Master, but I understand that you find it difficult to trust me,” Saul said.
Marcus Tiberius sighed, unsure of what to believe. Claudia was his son’s wife, while Saul was nothing but a slave.
Indeed, Saul was a special one, and he knew that, in normal conditions, his loyalty wasn’t to be doubted. He always could trust Saul, but recent events cast a shadow over his credibility.
Claudia had already lied to him on many occasions, giving him the impression she had more to hide. Marcus Tiberius remained silent for a long time, pondering what to do. Then, he decided to at least listen carefully to Saul, this time trying to sense any sign of lies. If he found a hint of lying, he wouldn’t trust Saul anymore, and he would send him back to his son’s house, not caring about his fate nor the deal.
“Start from the beginning. I will listen to you, and then I will decide whether I will believe what you say or not. Be sure you tell me the truth because this is your last chance. There won’t be another one.” He asked, what is going on between Flavius, Claudia and you?”
“He is my Master. I obey his orders, and if sometimes he wants to spend the night with me, I have no way to deny him.”
“So, you are your Master’s lover? Do you have feelings for him?”
“I…don’t know exactly what I feel for him,” Saul whispered. “I…maybe, I love him too. I don’t even know what love is anymore. Can a slave love his Master, as Nara says?”
Marcus Tiberius smiled at the clumsy explanation. He found it cute, and maybe Saul was, in a strange way, in love with Flavius. “Did you know this was upsetting Claudia?”
“She was upset with me since the beginning, since before your son shared his nights with me. I tried to advise him to treat her in a more considerate way. The problem is that they are not meant to be together. He will never be able to love her the way she wants,” Saul shook his head.
“I know that. I was more focused on securing my son a social position without considering his compatibility with the future bride. Is it in any way true that you overshadowed her with her guests?”
“I tried my best not to, but then Mistress Flaminia asked for me during her visits, or her guests asked me to sing. I obeyed the orders given; I swear to God. I've never tried to overshadow her. If I did so, it wasn't something I meant to do,” Saul pleaded.
“I know how charming you might be, but this gives just pride to your Master. Have you ever apologized for your behavior to Claudia?”
“I tried everything to please her, to not cause her wrath, but I failed, Master. That’s why she punished me. Please, Master, don’t tell her anything about this confession, and don’t take any action against her.”
“What exactly happened that night?” Marcus Tiberius pursued.
Saul sighed, trying to recollect his memories, then blurted it out. “I was sleeping, and everything was quiet when she woke me up. As I opened my eyes, I realized the presence of two other men. Their faces were covered, so I could not recognize them. They kept me held down to my bed, unable to move. She said I was an annoying presence in her life, that I was stealing everything that belonged to her: the attention and love of her husband; that I intruded between her guests and her. Afterward, she said that the time had come to bring me to the place where I belonged and asked me if I knew what happened when a tool becomes useless. It was then I realized she had in mind more than lashing me. I replied that it would be thrown away. She replied that it was exactly what would happen to me, warning me not to say a word to anybody or the consequences would be much worse. The last thing I saw was the shining blade of the knife that blinded me. The rest you know already.”
Marcus Tiberius thought about what he should do. He was sure about Saul’s sincerity; he could feel that he was telling him the truth.
He was again the trustworthy slave he used to know, however, his sincerity made things more complicated because he must bring Claudia to justice for ruining something that didn’t belong to her. It was a shared property between Marcus Tiberius and Flavius. At that moment, telling the truth to his son when he returns wasn’t a good idea.
What to do?
“Saul, you understand that even though she did something wrong, she won’t find any punishment by law, as you are nothing but property. I know that when Claudia forbade you to talk about what happened, she meant with Flavius, as I can imagine he would be furious with her. He is fond of you.
“I am as well, and I believe that she should be punished, but Flavius has a more impulsive temper, and I fear his reaction when he finds out. As you wisely said, the knowledge or the revenge won’t give your sight back, so I suggest never telling Flavius what happened. I will find a way to keep you with me, as far as possible from Claudia. More, I can’t possibly do. I hope you understand,” Marcus Tiberius said, holding his shoulders.
Chapter 19.
Bitterness gnawed on Saul’s guts—bitterness that he could be subjected to cruel treatment without any boundaries, without any law to protect him. A lowly slave, a nobody.
Until now, he had accepted his slavery far from the life promised to him since his birth, as his Masters were fair and treated him with care. Now that he had experienced both sides of the medal, he found himself trapped in a dream that had become a nightmare, one from which there was no escape. His eyes filled up with tears, as hopeless loneliness overwhelmed him.
Marcus Tiberius held him in his arms as soon as he saw the tears dripping through the bandages. He couldn’t find the right words, so kept him to his chest, caressing his hair as tears fell from his own eyes.
As Marcus Tiberius held him like that, Saul felt like he was back in his childhood when his father had held him. He sensed his Master’s hug coming from the heart. He could not see his face, but he knew what was in his heart.