“What?”
“You heard me. No need to answer. Your body is answering for you. Lukos was slaughtered like a beast trying to save my life. Dionysius and Leandros probably didn’t even have the time to realize they were in danger when they were killed. Aside from Saul, they were the best slaves I had. Then I was kept a prisoner for two weeks, not knowing if they intended to kill me or release me.” His voice rose to a crescendo. “Chained to a wall like an animal—all for your desire to punish a slave?”
She remained silent, wondering how he could have connected the two facts. How do I survive this? She assumed an indignant attitude.
“Flavius, I could never plan something like that. How could I?”
“I have no idea, but if it wasn’t you, why did you freeze in fear?” He could not be sure of that, but it would have matched perfectly.
“I am shocked that you thought me capable of that,” she replied, trying to get out of his grip. He let her go, ready to grab her if she tried to flee; he wasn’t done with her. A burning thirst for revenge blazed. Justice was no longer sufficient. Nothing was enough anymore.
Flavius held his head between his hands and tried to rationalize, recalling the warnings of his father.
“Explain how the two men who kidnapped me knew about my family and my life.”
Her gaze flitted around the room as if searching for the answer, her eyes avoiding his. “How I am supposed to know something like that? No plebeian is traveling with three slaves. Moreover, they could get your identity by the plate on the slave’s collar.”
“And how did they know I was going on a business trip? How did they know the day I was coming back, or where I was going?” he pursued.
Striding to Saul, he helped him up and onto the couch.
He whispered in his ear, “Determine if she is lying,”
Saul just smiled.
Claudia pinched the fabric of her skirt between her fingers. “Flavius, I know it doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t make me guilty either.”
“Hmm, maybe I should ask around. Perhaps someone saw something, possibly suspicious visits at night, by, from the people who kidnapped me.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said, losing her composure.
“Who were those visitors you had? Were they connected to Saul?” he asked as his voice trembled with impatience.
“I told you; I don’t know what you are talking about!”
Flavius hit her again.
She hit him back, taking him by surprise.
“Didn’t anyone teach you not to hit women?” she yelled.
“Women, I will never hit, but you are not a woman; you are a cold-blooded monster.”
“Conspiring against your own husband is a serious offense, Mistress,” said Saul, breaking his silence.
Both Flavius and Claudia turned to him in surprise.
Claudia stepped closer to Saul. “Accusing a Roman without any proof can lead you to crucifixion, slave,” she said between clenched teeth, grabbing his face by the chin.
“I have nothing to lose, but maybe I have the proof. How about a dark night, two strangers knocking at the door, being received by you alone with no slaves around? One is speaking, the other is silent… Do I have to go on?”
She wobbled as her legs couldn’t stand her anymore, glancing at Saul petrified.
Saul knew he was lying, and he risked paying for it with his life, but he trusted his instincts. Her heart had spoken to him and revealed all the details.
Her heart raced, and Saul perceived it.
Claudia couldn’t believe it! She had made sure that no one ever saw or heard what was going on, on that side of the house.
“You, liar…” she whispered. “LIAR!” she screamed, hitting him as hard as she could.
Flavius grabbed her by her hair and pulled her closer. “You are a liar. You plotted everything to get revenge. To get what you want, you would slaughter your entire family, and feel no regret as you wipe their blood from your hands. These men were unpredictable; they were ready to kill me. You don’t know what they did to me,” he yelled, lying about the way they treated him.
“They didn’t hurt you at all!” she shouted.
“And how do you know? Because these were your orders?”
“No, because you returned safe and sound without a scratch,” she replied bitterly.
“But how can Saul know about these two men?” Flavius asked. He was sure Saul got it right.
“I told you he was lying.” She tried to wriggle from his grip.
“Still, you got nervous,” Flavius muttered in her ears.
“Flavius, you are accusing me of things I haven’t done.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“So, it is a lie that you blinded Saul?”
She looked at Saul with narrowed eyes, planning how to get revenge for this as well.
Flavius pulled her hair more, his cheek touching hers. “Answer me.”
Claudia felt breathless for the terror.
“ANSWER ME.” His self-control failed him, and he didn’t care. He wanted to lose control, to be able to act as he should have.
She parted from him reaching the middle of the room. Her arms spread and her face contorted into a rageful mask. “Yes! I should have killed him instead. He cursed my marriage with you and my entire social life. He poisoned my air. I hate you, Saul. I HATE YOU!”
“Why do you hate me so much, Mistress? I tried to please you. Nothing is enough for you. Nara and all the other slaves fear you rather than respect you. Why do you do this to us?” Saul asked in a low voice.
“Because you are too beautiful, smart, and skilled, too good. I am jealous that a worthless slave can be considered better than me and take my place in my husband’s bed and heart. You don’t understand, Saul,” she said, tears streaming from her eyes.
Saul felt her pain and somehow felt mercy. His eyebrows drew in.
Flavius watched them, not sure he understood what was going on, but he trusted Saul. He wasn’t a liar, and the gods had given him a merciful spirit.
“You harmed Saul just because he was better than you?” Flavius asked. “You should kill the entire world then because there is no one worse than you.”
Bitter tears filled her eyes, but not for what she did to Saul. The only thing she regretted was that she hadn’t killed him. If she had listened to the advice of the man she commissioned with the job, she would never have been in that situation; she wouldn’t have needed to plan a fake kidnapping of her husband either. She fell to her knees, out of strength, hoping she could cover up enough to make him think it wasn’t her behind the kidnapping too.
Flavius looked at her with disgust and drew closer to Saul. “I guess I can take it from here; you can leave now. Do you need any assistance to leave the room?” he asked. Kindness warmed his tone.
“Master, are you sure you want me to go?”
“I don’t know, but I think it is better if Claudia and I start to understand what happened between us. If you are worried I might lose control, I am afraid that your being here won’t make a difference. I don’t want you hurt, and besides, this is a question between my wife and me; you have nothing more to do with it. The question of your accident has been solved. I’ll call Nara,” he said as he exited the room.
Chapter 24.
The silence in the room was broken only by Claudia’s non-stop sobs. She looked at her tears falling on the floor. Saul did not have anything left to say. He knew she’d ordered him to keep his mouth shut, but he could not lie to Flavius. It was not just a question of loyalty between a slave and his Master; it was more a question of loyalty between two friends.
A short while later, Flavius returned with Nara, who guided Saul out of the room.
Alone now, Flavius sat on the couch, waiting for Claudia to regain her composure.