Chapter 12

Every muscle in Krista's body froze in shock. As the evening drew on the steam in the baths grew less until there was very little to cloud the air and mask Artorius's naked form. As he was stood with his back to her Krista let her eyes travel over the deep lesions that scoured his back and shoulders. The wounds had bled profusely staining the area around them but the hot moisture made them run again until it streaked his flesh.
Krista did not know how or what to feel as she watched him hunched over on the floor, trying to stand and yet unable to from the pain. She saw too that the whip had also hit him on the legs. 

He was in so much pain that Krista wanted to look away but she couldn't. She had done this. She knew to Artorius that it was degrading to see such a powerful man brought down to this but all she could feel was sympathy as she had caused this with her actions. But it had not been her intent.
As he tried to stand Artorius turned his head and spotted her.

Pausing before he spoke her name, Artorius clenched his jaw as he stood and turned to face her and once she saw the look in his eyes she could have sworn it had tore right through her. The humiliation and anger that lay in those dark depths matched her own the night she had run from the Commander's private quarters and Artorius had seen her. 

She had run away in secret, not wanting anyone to know, but Artorius did not get that option. He was publicly whipped by their owner for attacking him. Krista could only assume that Artorius thought that he was protecting her honour, not that she had any left to protect, but all he did was place her plan at risk and endanger himself at the same time. If he went out into the arena tomorrow he would be cut down in seconds.

"What were you thinking?" Krista shook her head as she walked into the baths, the thin layer of water over the warm stone making her feet wet. She no longer saw Artorius's naked body as she came to a stop a few feet in front of him, her eyes narrowed. 

"Krista?" Artorius frowned, confused by her words, "What do you mean?"

"You had no right to hit the commander," Krista snapped as she remembered the sound of the whip hitting his flesh. She had seen whippings before but this time she knew that the sound of the Commander's leather rope against Artorius's flesh would never leave her mind. 

"You are defending him?" Artorius shouted, "After what he-" Artorius clamped his eyes shut and Krista knew that he was seeing her and the Commander together in his thoughts. 

"The Commander did nothing to me except touch me," Krista hissed as she turned and stormed over to the other side of the baths, "You jeopardised everything." 

"He shouldn't even have done-" Artorius spluttered as he winced against the pain when he tried to move. 

Glancing over her shoulder, Krista sighed when she saw that he was struggling to even walk. with every step it would jolt the lesions on his back.
"Are you going to kill every general, senator and slave master that touches one of his girls?" Krista asked as she grabbed a length of linen cloth from a pile on the side and walked back. 

Placing her hands around his arm, she stilled him, guiding him to a stone bench that was placed near the edge of the bath. 

"I don't need your help." Artorius turned away. 

"Just like I didn't need yours," Krista snapped back at him. Artorius gave her a look from the corner of his eye but he was too weak to argue. 

Sighing Krista shook her head and said, "we need to wash the blood off." 

But before she could try and tend to his wounds Artorius's brow furrowed as if he had remembered something he wanted to ask her and she feared what it could be. And when the words left his lips in that next moment Krista knew that her plan was starting to unravel as Artorius caught onto a splaying thread and started to pull, trying to unearth her secrets. 

"Who was the woman that brought me here?" Artorius asked her, looking directly into her eyes to see whether or not she was lying. His dark eyes cut right through her until Krista feared he could see everything she was thinking.

Krista licked her lips as she remembered Pompeia, the Emperor's sister, and what she had promised her to keep Artorius safe.

"Nobody," Krista tried to brush it off. 

"She was not nobody and she certainly did not belong here so who was she Krista?" Artorius frowned, sensing something important was happening. After all, what would cause such a person to come to his rescue? He had never seen her before and he was fairly certain she did not know him. 

"Are you going to get into the bath or am I going to have to push you in?" Krista tried to distract him. The last time she had confided in Artorius he had turned around and attacked the commander resulting in him being grievously hurt so Krista could not longer trust herself to tell him anything. She could not know how many times Pompeia would save him either so the less he got into trouble the better.  

When he realised that she was not going to say anything Artorius lowered himself into the bath water, hissing when it touched his wounds. 

"And you call yourself a Champion of Athens," Krista scoffed as she tried to lighten the mood but the sharp look he gave her made her realise that it was not the time nor place.

Joining him in the bath, Krista felt the water soak into her clothes and cause the fabric to cling to her body.

The water reached just below her breasts and the air was humid around them when Artorius turned to face with her shock that she was there with him. 

After a few seconds, his look of shock vanished and his brows furrowed into a line as they both realised he was no longer a champion.

Krista bit her lower lip for being such a colossal idiot for saying such a thing but she found that Artorius made her nervous.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them as Krista wetted the linen cloth and started to wipe the blood off his skin.

Her breath was unsteady as the blood slowly began to wash away to reveal lashes of soft pink flesh that had been ripped open.

Lost in the moment as moisture pooled on their skin, Krista lifted her hand and trailed a finger down the outside of one of the half-inch wide lashings.

His skin quivered under her touch and a feeling of empowerment and sympathy washed over Krista.

She was only starting to realise the extent of pain he had been through . . . for her.

The thought scared Krista and she removed her hand from his flesh.

When she didn't move, her hand raised in front of her face as the other clasped a blood-stained cloth, Artorius turned in the bath to face her.

"Krista?" Artorius's soft Greek accent filled her ears, sending a shiver down her spine as his hands reached out and covered hers.

Breaking out from whatever trance she had been, Krista lifted her gaze from where his hands wrapped around hers, up his strong arms, over his broad shoulders and past his thick neck before settling on his handsome face.

Those hard ebony eyes had turned soft, almost smooth, as his pink lips no longer held that arrogant smirk he harboured so well.

A dusting of black stubble covered his jaws, matching his thick hair. Everything about him screamed power and he had sacrificed that for her.

He knew the punishment of striking nobility was certain death and yet here he stood with her.

Krista couldn't quite believe what was happening.

"Here." Artorius whispered, sensing that she was troubled by what he had done, and took the cloth from her clasped fingers to wash the blood off her own knuckles.

Artorius had watched her fight with the Gaul from the corner, she had not seen him but he had seen her.

He saw her being massaged and wishing that he was those hands upon her flesh.

He saw the fire in her eyes when she saw the girl being raped and if she hadn't intervened he did not know if anybody would have.

Not many would stand up against such people but something about Krista screamed 'protector' to him.

But the problem with being a 'protector' was that there was no one to protect them.

"There." Artorius sighed when the blood had washed away from the scabs and they no longer looked so terrible.

His eyes raked over her strong body; the nurishing food here had filled out her figure making her arms stronger and her hair seem thicker.

She would soon be back to sending punches into her next opponent.

"Artorius," Krista suddenly looked up at him and Artorius wanted to hear her say his name again, he never wanted to go a day without hearing her say it.

"What you did-" Krista swallowed and Artorius grew concerned when he saw that her lips were trembling, "What you did to the commander for . . . me," Krista took a long, shaky breath, "I wish you hadn't done it."

Artorius looked away when he realised she was still mad at him.

"But I'm not sorry that you did." She suddenly said, making hope flare in his chest.

"It was still idiotic," Krista was becoming herself once more as her grip in his hands grew strong and he held his breath when it seemed like she was holding on to him, "And you may have damaged your chances in the arena but," Krista couldn't believe she was saying this, "Gratitude."

Artorius stared at her in bewilderment and pride, he knew that Krista was not used to saying that to many people.

Artorius released her hands and cupped her face gently, tilting her serene and beautiful eyes up to his.

"I have yet to understand why," Artorius couldn't keep his eyes from her plump lips as he stepped closer to her in the baths, "But I would fight to keep you safe from anything."

Krista searched his eyes for something but she only found endearing warmth.

In her mind she thought that she did not need protecting but she did not say a word because she felt the same about him. She would protect him too.

Touching his thick forearms as his hands cupped her face, her fingers barely wrapping around his warm skin Krista could hardly breathe as the air between them grew warm.

"Artorius?" Krista swallowed around the lump in her throat as his broad chest brushed hers and his face was tilting closer.

But Artorius said nothing as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his lips against hers, sending sparks through her body.

Krista didn't know what to expect and her body tensed. 

Fear lingered in her chest as she remembered the Commander's bruising kiss as he shoved himself onto her but Artorius was soft, his lips gently caressing hers. 

Krista felt her muscles relax, her body leaning into his as Artorius's fingers curled around the nape of her neck, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.

Krista's stomach was turning in knots as the kiss lingered, their lips seeming to melt into each other, and before Krista knew what she was doing, a sound had risen from somewhere inside her throat and she pulled back, startled.

Artorius just smiled at her, as if he was endeared by her confusion.

But Krista became angered as he stared down at her with that arrogant grin she detested so much.

She parted her lips to say something, about to walk away, when his grip tightened and a soft laugh left his lips as he watched her feeble attempts to escape.

Both of them knew that she didn't really want to leave and Artorius pulled her back against his body. 

Krista was careful not to touch his back, but she wanted desperately to wrap her arms around him as the kiss grew warmer, deeper and . . . hotter.

Starting out slow, Krista trailed her hands up over his bulging arms and around his neck, knowing only that she wanted to get closer, yearning to feel his skin against hers.

More sounds were breaking forth from inside of her and whilst Krista didn't know what these meant it seemed to arouse Artorius further as his kisses grew fierce and she trailed her hands down his back.

"Arrghh!" Artorius suddenly broke away, a scream tearing from his lips as Krista came out from under her haze to realise that she was touching his torn back.

Instantly stepping away from him, Krista looked up at him apologetically.

"One of these days you're going to kill me." Artorius breathed heavy in humour as he tried to overcome the sudden wave of pain.

Krista lost all her sympathy for him and tried to appear annoyed but with her hands on her hips, Krista felt she looked rather stupid herself as her lips were still tingling from his kiss.

Unable to stay there without wanting to touch him, Krista turned and walked out of the bath.

"Where are you going?" Artorius shouted as he looked up and saw Krista leaving.

The soaked fabric of her dress clung to her body, exposing tremendous amounts of her long legs that had his body growing tight and warm.

Krista just smiled back at him with a seductive grin that Artorius doubted she knew what it could to him, "It would uncourteous of me to take advantage of you in your weakened state."

Artorius narrowed his eyes at her as she punished him for his words.

"You will need all your strength for training tomorrow." Krista reminded him.

"Hang training." Artorius snapped under his breath.

Krista blinked when she realised that they nearly hanged him and she knew that they could not be seen like this.

If the commander has taken an interest in her then he would not favour Artorius being close with her.

Also, Krista had a reputation. She was a Gladiatrix in her own right and did not want others to think her a fallacy.

Slipping out under the torches, Krista stole one last look of Artorius in the baths before she hurried back to her room before her absence was noted.

* * *

Krista's attacks were distracted as her eyes lingered on Artorius in the field, struggling to defend against his opponent.

The lesions on his back severely limited his abilities as he lunged too far and ripped open the freshly scabbed wounds.

But he simply grunted against the pain and attacked again. Krista admired his determination but it was no less the determination that every gladiator felt as the prize of their freedom was on the table.

"You need to stop staring." Lazarus suddenly appeared by her side as she practised on the training post.

"What are you talking about?" Krista hit the post again, startled by his quiet approach.

"I won't do damage to your intelligence by telling you that romance has no place in the arena."

"I won't do damage to your own intelligence by forgetting we ever had this talk." Krista sighed as she straightened and stared at her old mentor, instantly sorry that she had snapped at him.

"The games will test you, Krista," Lazarus reminded her of their many talks before they entered Rome, "And if they know you favour a gladiator you put their life in danger."

Krista steeled her jaw as she thought about the way she had already put his life in danger.

"People die in these games," Lazarus stepped forward until he was mere inches from her as she stared out at Artorius, "And I pray to the Gods that it is not you."

Krista turned her head to look at him, her brows furrowing together. Surely he should pray for himself rather than for her?

"Stay away from Artorius," Lazarus advised her, "His presence will hinder you in the games."

Krista tried not to let Lazarus's words bode true but as he walked away, all Krista could think of was Artorius falling in the sands as a result of his wounds.

Had Krista condemned Artorius to his death?