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Wandering and wondering


Chevi

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"Oh, no, please!" protested Antheia, a little too quickly, she realised. "I'm only needed for giving Mistress Claudia lessons, and she's out right now."

They lapsed back into silence. What now? She'd asked all the standard questions. He'd mentioned the Civil War, but was that really a good topic for someone she'd just met? 'What's your traumatic experience?' wasn't exactly the best starter for light conversation.

Still, it was getting very awkward. She needed to say something.

"So, what happened to your master during the war? If you don't mind telling me, that is," she said timidly, watching his face to determine whether he might be willing to speak on the subject or not.

@Chevi

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"Oh, no, please! I'm only needed for giving Mistress Claudia lessons, and she's out right now."

Felix was ready to say goodbye and stop taking up Antheia's time, but apparently she did not mind having his company a little longer. She was no doubt an important person in the household as the princess' tutor, but for now, just like him, she had time to spare. At least until the consul's meeting ended. Felix smiled, settling back down.

"So, what happened to your master during the war? If you don't mind telling me, that is,"

"Well..." since they had been, ultimately, on the winning side, there was no secret about the consul's past. "He had to flee the city, and he chose me to accompany him. We snuck out of Rome, and headed east... it was the first time I had been on a ship, as we crossed to Achaea." he admitted with a smile. A different person might have spun a wild tale of adventure out of their daring escape. Felix was not that kind of a person.

@locutus-sum

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Antheia smiled at his no-frills summary. "Ah, how did you find sailing? Personally, I think it's ghastly, and I've only once been at sea," she said, in an effort to make conversation. Admittedly, she had been chained up in the dark for most of the voyage from Athens to Rome, which didn't make seafaring any more pleasant than it already was. They'd had to put chains round her chest because her wrists were too slim and kept slipping out of the manacles.

As Felix inhaled to give an answer, Antheia sensed movement from far off. The pinging noise of hobnails on marble and the muffled noise of cordial valedictory well-wishes from Caesar's study. She looked at her new companion. His master would surely soon be out.

@Chevi

Edited by locutus-sum
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"Ah, how did you find sailing? Personally, I think it's ghastly, and I've only once been at sea," 

There were so many things unsaid between the words that they spoke to each other. Slaves learned early what they could say and what they should not, and they understood each other anyway, even though their stories were different. Felix knew the time Antheia had sailed had to be the time when she was taken from Achaea to Rome. It was definitely not a pleasant trip.

"I..." he started a little sheepishly, but then the sound of footsteps and a door opening interrupted him. Felix stood, brushing off his tunic. "It sounds like the meeting has ended" he said, knowing Antheia must have noticed too. He had to go meet his dominus at the door. "It... has been a pleasure to meet you, Antheia." he added with a smile. He would have stayed to talk longer if he had the time. "I hope we meet again."

@locutus-sum

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A slave's time was not their own, as Antheia was now reminded. It had been nice, giving her undivided attention to him, and he his to her. But that time had come to an end. Duty called.

They parted with an apology in their eyes, though both knew there was nothing that could be done to prevent the conversation coming to such an abrupt end.

"It... has been a pleasure to meet you, Antheia."

"Yes, nice to have met you," she said, something she had not genuinely meant for quite a long time, until now.

"I hope we meet again."

There was the apology again, in the unspoken language of slaves. Both of them, they knew, could only follow in the paths of their masters, unsure whether those paths would intersect again.

"Yes, I hope so too."

She might as well have said, "if only we could."

@Chevi (feel free to take one last turn if you'd like or just leave it there, whichever you prefer. It's been nice writing!!!)

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