Ali seemed to know his way around the stadium which was good for me since I had no idea where I was going. We stayed just a few feet away from Cassia but made sure that we didn't lose sight of her. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see though, turning the corner I was shocked to see Cassia in the arms of a gladiator but not just any gladiator, the Celt aka Milo...this wasn't going to end well and something told me they would be found out soon.

"Well this does create a problem." Ali whispers to me. "He maybe a fool but if Corvus find out then he will kill the gladiator and your sister."

Nodding I try to formulate a plan in my head. What is she thinking?! My so called sister is playing with fire and she going to get burned at the stake if Corvus has anything to do with it. Ali put his hand on my shoulder and pointed to the far entrance as roman guards enter. Oh crud! They were no doubt guarding Corvus but I had no idea why he would be down here...unless he heard about Cassia and Milo.

"Ali, please I know we just met but I am going to push Cassia to you and please run with her out of here." I beg which makes Ali nod at me reluctantly.

As Corvus gets closer I grab Cassia and push her to Ali who turns and takes off with her. Milo looks at me shocked and I narrow my eyes at him. This idiot really had no idea what he was doing.

"Celt, you have a noble in your arms?" Corvus questions and I look down and see that in my rush to save my sister that I instead took her pace in Mio's arms. "Care to explain yourself?"

"He's my lover that I've taken." The words flow from my mouth like truth although it's a big fat lie.

"A lover grace, I did not think you would have anything to do with a killer?" Corvus says as he walked right up to Milo and I.

Milo holds onto me protectively. Good at least he is playing his part and I know I am going to have to explain all of this later but I really just wanted for Corvus to believe I was with Milo and draw any suspicion of Cassia being with Milo away.

"He's different in the bedroom than in the arena." I state as I keep my head held high.

"Yes, and what if you bare him a child? You would be a disgrace to your family then." Corvus states looking at us firmly.

Right...kids and the whole class system. Something I never liked to deal with in the future let alone in the future.

"Then I would have a warrior child I would raise on my own, unlike other noble I can fend for myself." I state confidently.

Milo coughed a little behind me no doubt remembering the time that he had to save me from a fellow gladiator. Elbowing him a little in the stomach his cough stops as he calms down for a moment. Corvus laughs as he grabs my chin and forces me to look up at him.

"Not if I have anything to do with it, you'll marry who I say you marry or you can consider your little sister a true whore, I will not marry her and I will make sure no others will either." Corvus says as his grip tightens.

" You don't have that kind of power." I barely can speak due to his grip.

"Oh but I do, that's the man reason I introduced you to Althos, he will be your groom." Corvus laughs letting go of my face and walks away with his men close by.

Grabbing my chin I try to process what he just told me. He really didn't have that kind of power...did he? There was no real way to tell but to wait and see if his threats were really held any meaning. Turning back to Milo he looked incredibly mad.

"He's to marry Cassia?!" Milo shouts.

"I take it she didn't tell you, Milo we are women, in this time we have no say no power nothing that could help us."

The others around us disperse as Ali comes up to me and lets me know that Cassia is safe with my parents. Trying to catch up with my thoughts I begin to walk out of the room but Ali quickly takes my arm and leads the way.

"Mother a personal body guard? Really?!" I cry out in protest.

"Yes for both you and your sister, Corvus insisted since you both got lost in the stadium today. I can only imagine what would happen if one of those barbarians had gotten their hands on you." Our mother says as she looks at both Cassia and I.

"Corvus knows what it's like to deal with them so we agreed. Ah here they are now." Our father says as two men come inside one that I know a little too well now. "Ali will be guarding you Grace and Naht will be guarding Cassia."

Cassia was mad beyond belief and took off running to her room. Not that I could blame her because now she would have to escape a bodyguard to get to Milo, that really wouldn't be easy. Ali came up to my father and bowed before he came over to me and took his new positon right beside me. Rolling my eyes I walk back to my room only to have Ali follow right behind me.

"Are you really going to follow me to bed?" I question.

"I have to follow you everywhere, what happened today just made Corvus all the more suspicious." Ali admits with a sigh as we walk into my room.

"Yeah, probably not my best idea." I sigh as I sit on my bed. "Sorry that you have to be my body guard now."

"Better me than someone you do not know." Ali shrugs as he sits down beside me. "People saw us kissing and Corvus even questioned me. He asked me if I knew you were with the Celt as well, I didn't tell him a thing and that's how I wound up your guard."

"I've never slept with anyone contrary to popular belief apparently." I confess as I rest my head on my arm. "I don't think I would want to think of all the dieases that I could possibly catch from..."

Before finishing my sentence Ali looks down and I realize that what I said might effect him too. Me and my big mouth all it does is get me in trouble. Moving closer to Ali I barely touch his shoulder and he looks up at me.

"It's rare to find an untouched woman, many here are more demanding that I have ever known." Ali admits to me. "That's why I try to stay away from women here."

"They why did you come with me and kiss me?"

"You are the only woman I have felt differently about, something just drew me to you and I did not plan to kiss you but the distraction did work." Ali says with a sly smile.

"Your right, it did." I say as I playfully nudge him. "Well maybe having you around won't be so bad after all."

The next morning, the day after the games we are reminded of the scenes that we had already heard so much about yet again...at the breakfast table of all place. Father was describing when the Celt took his opponents head off with a single swing of a blade. Yeah, there was no way that Claudius would have survived that. Putting my hand over my mouth I try to keep down the fruit I had just eaten but he kept going into more and more detail.

"Excuse me." I say as I stand up and make a run out of the room.

A few moments later I stand outside on the balcony to try and get some fresh air. Ali pulls the curtains beside him and walks onto the balcony with me with a sad look upon his face. I had no idea why he was sad I was the one who just threw up most of my breakfast.

"Are you unwell?" Ali asks me.

"It's not that, father was just describing in so much detail that I couldn't keep my food down." I reply as I lean against the railing of the balcony.

"Of course, I did not see the fight but I heard it was quite gruesome." Ali says walking up to me. "You look very beautiful in that green dress lady grace."

Looking down at my dress I couldn't help but smile at the compliment Ali gave me and it did take my mind off the fights and most of anything else. Ali could make me just focus on him and I could feel myself being pulled to him. Looking into his deep brown eyes I could find a sense of warmth and comfort in them, something I desperately wanted. Before I know what is happening Ali's lips meet mine again as my eyes clothes cherishing the moment between us. Moving closer to Ali I slowly wrap my arms around his neck as I feel his arms circle my waist.

"You've bewitched me lady grace." Ali states as our kiss ends and his forehead rests against mine.

"I cast no spell I swear." I comment as I look back up into his eyes.

"You did not need one, though we barely know one another I would give my life for you any day." He declared as he slowly kissed me again.

"Grace, mother is coming so you two stop for a moment." Cassia calls out a warning to me from the entry to the balcony.

Quickly and begrudgingly separating I stood on the far side of the balcony as mother came out. For a moment she looked over at Ali and then to me. Smiling she came up to me and put her hand on my forehead.

"Dear child I thought you were sick, come we must get you ready for Cassia's engagement party." Mother says pulling me into the house.

I wasn't sick, but I had a feeling something was starting between Ali and I, something I wanted to keep safe and secret from my family.