Gladiator Dreams

[musicankane]

Darius moved over to her and knelt beside her, watching the fire as she did. He nodded and said, "If you'd like I can do that." HE looked forward to the task, he wanted to spend time with her, maybe putting her to a task that they did together would get her to open up to him some more. She seemed to be trying to keep herself distant and that was no way to live life.

She needed a companion, someone to be there for, someone to listen when she needed to talk, someone who saw her as more than her station in life. He wanted her to realize he wasn't her slave, only her friend and as her friend she could tell him anything, do anything and never fear he would be upset with her or judge her for anything she wanted.

But that was something he couldn't tell her, she would have to figure that part out on her own.

 

[Perplexia]

"thank you" she whispered in an almost distant voice, and leaned against him watching the fire. "i want you to know that any woman would be lucky to have you" she said softly not sure where the words came from. Other then perhaps her heart that wished him for herself. But that was senseless thinking. For there wasn't anyway she could find they could be together.
Her eyes looked to his face studying his jaw, a sadness reflected in her thought of saying good by to him.

 

[musicankane]

Darius watched the fire for a while without comment. He simply stared off at nothing while he tried to process the answer. She was trying to get rid of him, that's why she had brought them out here. She wanted to give him the chance to flee far from Rome so that he could make a clean escape and not be forced to be with her. But if she wanted that, she had another thing coming.

"Any woman would be lucky to have me I guess." He turned to her and smirked, "You must be a pretty lucky woman then, because I am yours."

 

[Perplexia]

Tears fell from her eyes as he said those words to her. Knowing full well he didn't mean as her body guard. "don't do this" she whimpered softly her hand stroking his face. "Let me let you go so one of us can be free." The tears she repressed seem to be falling from her freely now.
"you and i can never be, do you understand that? They will never let me marry my guard, or a blacksmith. I am to be sold like cattle to the highest bidder. Because thats how the treaties are made."

 

[musicankane]

Darius turned to her and took her hand in his. "Don't you see, you are too caught up in the future Catalina. If you send me away now, think of all the time we will miss together. The future isn't set, anything could happen, and we might have years to be together before your father tries to marry you off." He smiled, "No one said you have to be pure for a man you hate."

He stood and smiled at her, "When you get married to whomever your father puts you with, I will have to live with it. But for now, it is only you and me, and the fire. Leave it at that." He moved to the bed and grabbed a pillow to use on the floor. He gently laid himself down and watched her sit by the fire, admiring her stunning beauty from afar where she would be able to see the lust in his eyes.

 

[Perplexia]

"you would do that?" she questioned. "you would stay and watch me be forced on by another man. Knowing that when you came to my bed i would have been sated by another? How could you bare to watch someone else paw over me, For i could not do the same for you without it tearing my heart out"

 

[musicankane]

Darius shrugged, "If that is what I must do to have you then yes. I would do anything for you, anything."

He paused a moment before saying, "You know I never once took a whore to my bed. Nor any woman since I became a Gladiator. They offered women to me, some even begged to please me but I never once accepted because I knew you would not like it." He chuckled as he rolled over to stare at the ceiling. "I can't get you out of my head, it's crazy. Even if you were to send me away, I know I would never spend a single moment not thinking of you."

 

[Perplexia]

"I looked for reasons to hate you so I didn't have to love you" she said softly. "I sent the women to you. They all reported the same, you would talk but not touch them." she smiled softly "i was also told you called me in your dreams."
she sighed. "I thought by not showing up eventually you'd move on, take the opportunities. When you didn't search me out when you had the freedom to do so, i thought you'd finally started moving forward. I never had eyes off of you Darius. your freedom was going to be mine."

 

[musicankane]

Darius sat up quickly and looked at her. "Wait what did you just say?" He knew he had heard her say it, he heard the love word. "You love me?" He asked her in disbelief. Why would she fight so hard to push him away then? Why put him through all this shit just because she was scared to be with him?

He watched her, wondering why they weren't in each other's arms. "You are really so terrified of what your father could do if he caught you looking at me like that. So terrified you would never let me see it. Yet here we are, alone in the woods, and you are still afraid."

He held out his hand, toward her. "Come to me Catalina. Let me hold you. If nothing else you can at least let me just hold you to my body and let me enjoy the warmth of you."

 

[Perplexia]

Taking his hand she crawled onto his lap and into his arms. "i did what i thought i was best for you" she said softly. "what would you have done if you had known? What could you have done? It would have distracted you, possibly got you killed. I would have never forgave myself. I thought if you went free, and got a life, a wife, had children, that you would somehow forget me."
She buried her head in his chest. "I would have never asked you to be my lover and endure what my life will become. Can you understand why i did what i did?" she questioned softly

 

[musicankane]

Darius nodded softly and gently ran his fingers through her hair. "It's okay. That's all in the past now. We can think of something, I love you, I know it's foolish but I really do love you." He told her, gently rocking back and forth. She felt wonderful in his arms, he could feel her breathing against him, the soft rise and fall of her chest against his. Now that he was finally holding her in his arms he never wanted to let her go. He wished they could stay here, out in the country, maybe have a farm or some other simple wife. He smiled as he picture her, pregnant with his child cooking a stew for super while he worked in the fields. Idle dreams.

 

[Perplexia]

She smiled softly hearing him tell her he loved her. Slowly she rose from his lap picking up the pillows and laying them on the bed. She took his hand and led him to it so she could lay her head upon his chest and fall asleep. "Tomorrow" she said softly "well talk more, tonight i just want to sleep in your arms"

 

[musicankane]

Dariud smiled and nodded, "Okay I think I could stand that." He teased her gently, then climbed into the bed so she could snuggle up against his arms. He paused and kicked off his shoes, then eyed her dress, "You aren't going to sleep in that heavy dress are you?" He asked.

 

[Perplexia]

Catalina smiled to him. "yes i'm keeping my dress on tonight." she said softly "I know that we talked about it, but i haven't reached the point of being ready to give myself to you. When i do, you'll be my first, I've not partook as my sisters have in finding lovers to secure their appetites. I always thought that it should be with the one you wish to belong to. So with some time, and wooing i think that will be sufficient. Are you okay with my decision" she asked looking up at him.

 

[musicankane]

Darius blushed, he hadn't meant it like that. Yet she told him that she would give him her first time, the first man to have th epleasure of her body. It made him think of her naked and on top of him, which only turned his face redder.

"I, uh... I only meant that you brought bed clothes, and you'd rather sleep in lighter things than the travel garments you wore." He explained.

 

[Perplexia]

"oh" she said blushing and burying her head. "i'm sorry" she whispered rising up and going to her bag. Pulling out her night gown she went behind the partition and changed. She then came back to the bed and slipped under the covers, returning her head to his chest. "if i ever treat you less then an equal, i wish you to call me on it in the privacy of our room." she said softly. "I never wish to be apart from you again"

 

[musicankane]

Darius thought she looked amazing in her bedclothes, the thin light material let him better see the shape of her body better. He enjoyed the view as she watched her come to him. Then she was in the bed, her head resting on his chest,his arm went around her to hold her to him gently.

"I can't tell you how glad I am to here you say that." He told her, "I wont leave your side Catalina."

 

[Perplexia]

She smiled softly enjoying the feel of his arm around her. There was something about the strength in his touche the warmth of his arm, the way the electricity ran through her. It occured to her as she lay there silently that he was her strength when she couldn't be strong. He was the one that would wipe her tears, and hold her for the rest of her life. No she wouldn't ever let him go. She couldn't. Even without him plucking her innocence she belonged to him fully.
She fell asleep in his arms. Only to find herself waking in them the next morning.

"you're still here" she whispered curling up to him tighter.

 

[musicankane]

Darius groaned and yawned, squeezing her tighter against him for a moment. "Of course I'm still here." He told her with a smile, shifting on the bed under her. "That was the best night's sleep I've had in a long while." Then he smiled at her. "What should I make us for breakfast?"

 

[Perplexia]

She smiled "lets go see what there is. I'm going to change first, oh we forgot to stop at the shops, we can do that today to get you some more comfortable clothes." she frowned having been lost in her thoughts forgetting her declaration.

Smiling at him she slid from the bed grabbing one of her day dress. It was simple country girl dress that didn't require the corset and all the frills he was use to seeing her in. It fit her snug, allowing her orbs to peek over the top, and her tiny waist to be revealed with the v cut. She pulled out a worn pair of shoes and placed them on.

 

[musicankane]

Darius got out of bed with Catalina and put his shoes back on, but he had no other clothes to wear. He tied the sword back onto his hip and decided he didn't need to wear the breastplate. He smiled as she came out from around the partion and smiled, "Catalina you look beautiful."

They went downstairs together and rummaged around the kitchen. The Caesar kept the place well-stocked in case he wanted to stay down her on a moments whim. So there was plenty of things to make. Darius took out some eggs, and pieces of pork, he grabbed some butter and began to heat up a pan for the food.

While he cooked he asked, "Do you want to eat it like this, or with bread?"

 

[Perplexia]

"thank you" she said softly as he complimented her attire. Blushing a little she moved his armor to the wall, and took his arm down the stairs. Her eyes watched him as he prepared to cook their breakfast.
"That's fine, i'm sure the bread is quite old, we can walk to town later and get some fresh from the shop."
Her eyes continued to watch him fascinated. "where did you learn how to do this?" she question as he cracked the eggs into the pan. "my father use to send us here for humbling. My sisters hated it, I loved it. He would make them dress themselves and help with the chores. But we always had a cook. He said he shouldn't have to suffer as well." she laughed a little smiling.

 

[musicankane]

Darius smiled, "I taunt myself. My father didn't have time to prepared food, he was a busy blacksmith so I would cook for us. I also learned his trade as well as he did, but people wanted stuff made by him not me, so I had more free time."

He turned to her, "If you are bad at cooking I will be sure to not let you near the kitchen in the future." He teased, as he set food onto plates for them. "Then again you might not like my cooking."

 

[Perplexia]

"i'm not as finicky as you may think." she said with a smirk reaching down and picking up the pork and placing it in her mouth taking a big bite and tearing it off with her teeth. She chewed it fully and smiled. "i could probably learn to cook if i had to, but i would certainly make for a awful common wife." she teased. She tasted the eggs and wrinkled he nose. "they need salt." she said getting up and going to the cupboard.
"but other then that you did a great job, i just may make you my own personal chef" she teased.

 

[musicankane]

Darius gently nudges her with his elbow. "Personal chef if I remember the salt." He smiled and began to eat the pork, the meat was good, juicy and tender. It mixed well with the eggs. As they ate Darius looked outside and watched the sun finish coming up over the hills. It was going to be a beautiful day.

"Do you have a plan for today? Something you wanted to do out in the country or something?"