him, curious as he devoured the duck. “Some would say your attitude indicates that you are ashamed of the sexual act.”
He looked at her, speculating. She was dressed far more modestly, if just as richly as the creatures around her. And she had not indulged in what she chided him for denigrating. It occurred to him that the other slaves in the room, whether serving food and drink, or copulating, didnot look their masters in the eye. She had not demanded this most intimate subservience from him. Indeed, she handed him a breast of duck. “I reserve my enjoyment of the sexual act for the privacy of the bedchamber, my lady, where I can show my partner sufficient respect and attention.” He had no intention of granting Livia respect when at last he bedded her. Still, that would put her Roman debauchery in perspective for her.
It was a victory that she looked away. “Do you?” she said, trying to make her tone careless. But that was speculation underneath her attempt. “Well, perhaps there is something to be said for that. Still, I find Romans’ joy in sex, their playfulness, refreshing.”
He tossed the denuded bones onto a tray carried by a passing slave. So she had an outsider’s perspective on Rome. “My lady is not Roman by birth?”
She tore off a hunk of bread and handed it to him. “I was born in Dacia. You would not know it.”
“My father had a map of the world. He used to tell me we were bound to rule it. Your land has a great river, and mountains almost impenetrable.”
She stared at him. “Latin and geography? What next, barbarian? Poetry, sculpture? You are practically Roman.”
He set his lips. She thought being Roman was a good thing? “And what is that, ‘practically Roman’?”
“Rome is the light of civilization,” she replied, suddenly serious. “It is all that stands between the world and darkness. And yes, it is sculpture and poetry, religion, laws and roads and aqueducts. And peace in which to enjoy those things.”
“Pax Romana?” he asked, snorting. “Achieved only when Rome has laid waste to the land and conquered its people.”
“Granted,” she said after a pause. He admired her for that. “But once that is done, the petty squabbling that eats away at the world is done, too, and finer things can flourish.”
“Roman things? Hardly. You borrow your religion and your sculpture from Greece, and your geometry and mathematics. Rome has contributed nothing original in all its years.”
She looked away. He had won. But then she turned back to him. Her eyes were wise beyond their years. “What Rome contributes is more practical, but nonetheless necessary. Call it efficiency. People need water and commerce to make their lives better. Commerce needs roads. When people have leisure they can appreciate all those Greek things that enlarge their souls.”
“Leisure? Rome’s leisure is achieved on the backs of slave labor.”
“See here, I am not proud of slavery. But one can’t build the Rome that Rome can be in a day.” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “One thing at a time. Besides, you said yourself that your people hold slaves. Slavery is universal.”
Sounds of passion issuing from a dim niche claimed their attention. A woman was on her hands and knees being penetrated by two men, one below in her vagina and one above in her anus. She was obviously enjoying the experience.
The moment lengthened. Jergan felt his owner’s discomfort. Was she imagining, as he was, what it would be like to couple? His cock, which seemed to have been aching ever since she bought him, tightened. Her attention jerked abruptly to the entry.
“Julia Lavilla, Julia Agrippina, what a wonderful surprise,” their host called, hurrying over to the newcomers.
“Vulcan’s hammer,” Jergan’s owner swore. “Not those two.”
Jergan looked up to see the emperor’s sisters bearing down on them.
“L IVIA Q UINTUS ,” J ULIA simpered. “How lovely to see you here. And your new
He looked at her, speculating. She was dressed far more modestly, if just as richly as the creatures around her. And she had not indulged in what she chided him for denigrating. It occurred to him that the other slaves in the room, whether serving food and drink, or copulating, didnot look their masters in the eye. She had not demanded this most intimate subservience from him. Indeed, she handed him a breast of duck. “I reserve my enjoyment of the sexual act for the privacy of the bedchamber, my lady, where I can show my partner sufficient respect and attention.” He had no intention of granting Livia respect when at last he bedded her. Still, that would put her Roman debauchery in perspective for her.
It was a victory that she looked away. “Do you?” she said, trying to make her tone careless. But that was speculation underneath her attempt. “Well, perhaps there is something to be said for that. Still, I find Romans’ joy in sex, their playfulness, refreshing.”
He tossed the denuded bones onto a tray carried by a passing slave. So she had an outsider’s perspective on Rome. “My lady is not Roman by birth?”
She tore off a hunk of bread and handed it to him. “I was born in Dacia. You would not know it.”
“My father had a map of the world. He used to tell me we were bound to rule it. Your land has a great river, and mountains almost impenetrable.”
She stared at him. “Latin and geography? What next, barbarian? Poetry, sculpture? You are practically Roman.”
He set his lips. She thought being Roman was a good thing? “And what is that, ‘practically Roman’?”
“Rome is the light of civilization,” she replied, suddenly serious. “It is all that stands between the world and darkness. And yes, it is sculpture and poetry, religion, laws and roads and aqueducts. And peace in which to enjoy those things.”
“Pax Romana?” he asked, snorting. “Achieved only when Rome has laid waste to the land and conquered its people.”
“Granted,” she said after a pause. He admired her for that. “But once that is done, the petty squabbling that eats away at the world is done, too, and finer things can flourish.”
“Roman things? Hardly. You borrow your religion and your sculpture from Greece, and your geometry and mathematics. Rome has contributed nothing original in all its years.”
She looked away. He had won. But then she turned back to him. Her eyes were wise beyond their years. “What Rome contributes is more practical, but nonetheless necessary. Call it efficiency. People need water and commerce to make their lives better. Commerce needs roads. When people have leisure they can appreciate all those Greek things that enlarge their souls.”
“Leisure? Rome’s leisure is achieved on the backs of slave labor.”
“See here, I am not proud of slavery. But one can’t build the Rome that Rome can be in a day.” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “One thing at a time. Besides, you said yourself that your people hold slaves. Slavery is universal.”
Sounds of passion issuing from a dim niche claimed their attention. A woman was on her hands and knees being penetrated by two men, one below in her vagina and one above in her anus. She was obviously enjoying the experience.
The moment lengthened. Jergan felt his owner’s discomfort. Was she imagining, as he was, what it would be like to couple? His cock, which seemed to have been aching ever since she bought him, tightened. Her attention jerked abruptly to the entry.
“Julia Lavilla, Julia Agrippina, what a wonderful surprise,” their host called, hurrying over to the newcomers.
“Vulcan’s hammer,” Jergan’s owner swore. “Not those two.”
Jergan looked up to see the emperor’s sisters bearing down on them.
“L IVIA Q UINTUS ,” J ULIA simpered. “How lovely to see you here. And your new
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