The Circus Maximus Murders!!! Chapter VII
Originally posted May 4, 2001
Author: Maria Marius [Reposted with permission]


Salvia knew her work well and had set the stage superbly for the entertainment of Senator Lucius Gabricius Nummarius. She'd ensconced Chloë and Zoë in the room known unofficially, and somewhat ironically, as "Cleopatra's Chamber of Delights." After carefully instructing them on the importance of first appearances, Salvia left the girls to their own devices. Aelia entered the room with the Senator shortly thereafter.

The man froze at the entrancing spectacle before him. It was obvious that he found the activity engaging the girls to be both unexpected and highly intriguing. He gave an instant and unmistakable sign that he was well pleased with the Thracian twins. The senator then indicated in no uncertain terms that Aelia should either disrobe and participate… or depart. There was a time, in the not so distant past, when she would have escorted the Thracians from the room and entertained the handsome and powerful Senator all by herself. But tonight Aelia merely laughed and kissed her fingers at the trio before exiting.

She walked quietly through the upstairs hallway listening for anything unusual. Everything seemed to be going well. Aelia descended the marble staircase slowly so that she could observe the interactions in the reception room below. Several slaves wended their way through the gathering, serving wine or other refreshments. Salvia chatted with the honored guests and offered to find just the right girl to stimulate other appetites.

Three senators knelt in the middle of the crowd playing at knuckle bones. The corners of Aelia's mouth twitched upwards as one of them slapped the others on the back and swore he'd not had such fun since he was a young quaestor. She caught Castor's eye and signaled for him to supply the gamblers with more wine. Salvia would move shortly to steer the men toward some activity more remunerative to the house. That task would be eased by a bit of judicious lubrication.

On a small dais in the center of the room, the new singer from Athens was attracting the rapt attention of several men with her sweet voice and her other attributes. Laëtë was a promising blend of innocence and unconscious sensuality. Her heavy blue-black hair was pulled back severely into a child's braid emphasizing the slave's youth. Salvia had dressed the girl in a white silk chiton that covered her body modestly enough. But the diaphanous fabric revealed every newly budded curve and left little to the imagination.

The girl's audience stared at her avidly. Several men had already entered bids for the right to deflower her. Aelia declined them all on the grounds that the slave was too young and not yet ready to accept a man using her body.

This proved to be a sound business tactic. The bids had already doubled. It was probable that the offers would triple, possibly even quadruple, over the next several weeks. Aelia's experienced eye noted that the girl's demeanor had shifted subtly in the last several days. The Athenian no longer avoided eye contact with the men and her smile had become coy. Aelia wondered how the girl was reacting to the open speculation on who would be the first to fully enjoy her. At least she seemed to have stopped blushing at the omnipresent lewd commentary she could not help but overhear.

Aelia debated whether to mingle with her customers. But Salvia seemed to have things under control. Aelia decided to return to the record keeping interrupted by Senator Gabricius' visit. She caught Dorigo's attention and nodded toward the tapestry that concealed the entrance to her private domain. Dorigo punched Marthrax in the arm and the two took their station at her side.

Copyright © 2001, Maria Marius. All Rights Reserved.