“I wasn’t mistreating him, nor was Claudia. If there is something I should know, then tell me. Stop saying that he had been mistreated,” Flavius said, raising the tone of his voice to overwhelm the one of his father.
His father’s jaw clenched, then he spoke in low, measured words, “I am not going to tolerate this tone from you. I am still your father; don’t forget that. If a Master cannot provide the necessary safety for his properties, it means he does not care about them.” His voice rose an octave. “You were not caring for your family when you left without ensuring that no one could enter the house uninvited. You were not a responsible Master when you left your slaves undefended, and you were not a conscientious husband, either. What if, instead of Saul, they had harmed Claudia?” Marcus Tiberius hissed.
Flavius lowered his gaze. His father was right about that. But how could I ever imagine that something like that would happen?
“Father, forgive me, please, but I hadn’t meant for anything like that to happen. Not to my wife or to any of my slaves, or any other property in that house. I was sure I had taken all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the people living in my household. I need Saul.”
“Who’s going to take care of him? Here, Cassandra is following his every step because he cannot manage everything on his own. He still, and forever, will need assistance with bathing, eating, and a few other issues. Who is going to do this?”
“Nara will. He has always been there whenever Saul needed something,” Flavius reassured.
“Can he be as good as Cassandra from your point of view? It might be that I am becoming old, but seeing Saul with Cassandra opens my heart. They like each other. If you mean the best for Saul and you are his friend as you always claimed, then behave as such and leave him here with her,” he said, playing his last card.
“I want him for me. Can’t you understand how my life with Claudia is? I hate her. I need someone at my side. I need Saul.” His plea escalated to anger. “If this means that I have to take Cassandra too, then she is coming with us, but Saul comes with me today!”
Marcus Tiberius toughened his expression. He strode to his son, and slapped him, the smack resounding in the room. “Get out of my house and don’t come back until you have learned to respect me. Go!”
“I am not leaving without Saul.” He stood firm.
Marcus Tiberius left the room and called for Saul, who came quickly, having foreseen the storm between father and son.
“You called me, Master?” Saul asked.
Flavius looked at Saul then his father; he didn’t want to give up his slave, especially because he couldn’t understand the reason his father had claimed him back.
“I haven’t mistreated my slave. I haven’t done anything wrong to him. On the contrary, I am going to find out who dared to ruin him,” Flavius insisted.
“Your voice is trembling, Master. Is there something you fear? Are you sure I have been ruined? I can now see better into the hearts of men. I don’t consider myself ruined,” Saul replied, turning his head in the direction of Flavius’ voice.
Marcus Tiberius’ heart thumped harder. Saul’s calm confidence made him uncomfortable.
Flavius exhaled and the creases on his forehead relaxed as he smiled.
“There is something you are hiding from me, and I will find it out. You cannot claim that I have mistreated Saul. I indeed left my house undefended, but this doesn’t mean that I intentionally harmed any of the people in my household. Why can’t I get Saul back? What is the real reason?” Flavius pursued.
“Master, there is nothing we are hiding from you, but you do not see things in perspective. You are blinded by anger. Try not to fall into easy revenge. It won’t lead where you want to go.”
Flavius looked down and nodded. “Are you trying to tell me something? Father, why do I have the impression there is something I should know, but you don’t want to say?”
“Why do you think that?” Marcus Tiberius asked, fearing that Flavius had begun to suspect something.
“I don’t know. Saul, are you sure you told me everything about your accident?”
Marcus Tiberius, calmer now, said, “Seems like you already have your own idea, so tell me what it is because I really can’t say.”
With a nod, Flavius presented his theory. “It is true. I talked to Uncle Titus. He thinks that whoever ruined Saul wanted revenge for something I did. In this optic, my kidnapping would make more sense than the mere money request. Whoever is behind the accident is also behind my kidnapping. He needed more time than the period I was supposed to spend on my journey. He would have been someone who knew that Saul couldn’t join me.”
Saul struggled to keep calm as he thought about Dionysius, Lukos, and Leandros. What was their fault? Why did they have to kill them? She knew Flavius’ kidnapping would also make Marcus Tiberius suffer. Despite all his efforts, he could not prevent his eyes from filling with tears of pure pain.
“Is something wrong, Saul?” Flavius asked.
“I can’t believe that someone is willing to do anything t to teach you a lesson. I can’t believe there is someone eager to kill anyone who crossed his path…” Saul cried.
“Flavius, I was not ready for such a possibility, but what you are saying makes sense. Yet, you can’t be sure that this is what happened. If you want to find the truth, you have to consider and investigate all the possibilities,” Marcus Tiberius said. It was difficult to believe that Claudia could contrive such a cruel yet elaborate plot—for the thirst of revenge, for jealousy of a slave. How could she plan the kidnapping of her own husband, the man who granted her a safe and comfortable life?
This is insane. Marcus Tiberius wiped his forehead with his hand.
Now, more than ever, he could not let Saul return to that house. His life would be in danger, and he wasn’t certain whether Flavius would be able to protect himself or Saul from such a cold-blooded assassin.
He wasn’t sure he wanted his son to go back, but how could he tell him the truth? How could he warn him about the danger sleeping beside him every night without raising his suspicion or telling him the truth?
Saul asked, “Master, may I be dismissed? I suppose you would like to talk in private.”
“Of course, Saul, you may go,” Marcus Tiberius replied absentmindedly.
Flavius hugged him, then guided him out of the room.
Chapter 21.
Cassandra led Saul away. “What happened in there?”
“Flavius came to claim me back. I am not sure if he wants me because he needs my services, or if he misses me in his bed. He looked confused.”
“I expect it is normal to feel baffled after being kidnapped without any apparent reason, then coming home to find his favorite slave ruined by intruders. Maybe he also feels guilty; if he hadn’t been away, none of this would have happened. Don’t be too severe in judging him,” Cassandra tried to reason.
Saul considered the entire situation. “You might be right, but I am expecting my Master to be a strong leader. Well, he will have time to regain himself before Marcus Tiberius allows me to go back to him.”
“There is something more, isn’t there?” Cassandra asked.
“Yes. Flavius figured out an interesting theory, and if it turns out to be true, then Claudia could be more dangerous than we imagined, and her threats are even scarier.” Saul updated her on the theory Flavius had proposed.
Concerned, Cassandra said, “Who knew better than Claudia? She knew when Flavius was due back. She was jealous. This was a way to warn him that he should have given more importance to his wife than to a slave. Great Juno! This means that not only are you in danger if you go back to that house, Flavius is too.”