Chapter 25 

Pompeia gazed into the bowl of water resting atop Titus's old desk, and admired herself.

The water barely rippled allowing Pompeia to see the way the bland colour of her mourning clothes highlighted her pale skin and the vibrancy of her eyes as they stared back at her.

Pompeia was could slowly warm to the colour of death if it had this advantage on her appearance.

"They are ready, my lady-"

Pompeia looked over her shoulder at the slave whose tongue had slipped.

"-Your Grace," the brunette slave girl quickly remedied, adding in a courtesy to apologise.

Giving the ignorant girl an uncommon reprieve, Pompeia turned back to the bowl of water and took one last glimpse of herself.

She had barely been Empress for the night and already her wishes had not been received.

She had wished for Krista to be put to death in the arena the very next day, but her guards had failed her.

But this morning would be the last time her wishes were ignored.

They had allowed the silly little slave girl to escape and now, as guards canvased the entire capital, Pompeia was forced to watch the games Titus had opened, almost bankrupting the treasury in the process.

It would appease the public, Pompeia knew, but she could not appease anybody whilst Krista was roaming freely in her lands.

The sooner that girl's heart stopped beating the better.

Pompeia kept up the appearance of grieving sister as she passed her new senate with their wives; the nobility showing their respect as they aired their mourning attire of black dresses and veils.

Slipping through their sweaty grasps as they tried to cling to her, hoping to gain her favour, Pompeia let out a slow breath of relief when she finally sat upon her brother's throne.

The action was so natural to Pompeia that for a moment she wondered if she had sat in her old seat by mistake, but one quick glance over her shoulder saw that the chair had been removed and in its place was put her brother's most faithful Commander.

Commander Lucius Niclaus.

Pompeia's spine straightened when she saw Titus's loyal bloodhound sit by her side, leaning towards her as if he wished to speak.

"Your breath is heavy down by neck, Niclaus," Pompeia looked at the aged, disgruntled commander, "Is there something you wish to speak with me about?"

"Your Grace," Niclaus bowed his head before his eyes set on the crowds surrounding them; they were no longer screaming but watching her so intently it felt like she was under persecution, "I only wished to convey my deepest sympathies about your brother."

"I do not need your sympathies, Commander, I need your Gladiatrix," Pompeia turned back to the areba as a gate was opened and the first gladiator of the day walked onto the sands.

"I assure you, your Grace," Commander Niclaus urged, his eyes squinting against the sunlight that bronzed his skin, "I have all of my soldiers out looking for her."

"I hope they carry out your orders better than my guards carry out mine," Pompeia hissed as she remembered her guards being so easily defeated by a girl. She was still thinking on how to punish them accordingly.

Maybe she should put them to death with Krista; after all, what was the use of a guard that could not carry out orders?

Pompeia watched the gladiator as he walked towards their balcony, his blonde hair the same colour of the very sand he knelt on before them.

Keeping her gaze forward, unable to look into the pitying eyes of those around her, Pompeia watched as the gladiator's opponent knelt by his side.

They looked an unequally matched pair. The blonde male was tall with shoulders twice the size as his hips, and his neck was almost non-existent as muscles rippled beneath taut skin.

His opponent for the day was a slender framed man from the islands, if his caramelised skin colour and the smoothness of his face was anything to go by. His upper arms held some muscle but nearly everything about him screamed 'slave' rather than 'gladiator'.  

But Pompeia had learnt to bet for the underdog.

Pompeia rested back in her chair, her fingers curling around a chalice of wine when there was a pause from the gladiators.

The crowds were expecting a fight and yet as the men stood, they just gazed upon each other warily.

When, suddenly, the blonde man from Ludus Magnus held up his sword into the air, turning in a full circle to see the entire crowd.

The crowd cheered, expecting a bloodbath.

They were quickly disappointed.

"I, Leonidas, gladiator of Ludus Magnus, surrender to Cato, gladiator of Ludus Dacicus," The man's words sent shock waves through the entire amphitheatre as Pompeia slid forward on her seat, the wine in her hand untouched as he threw his sword to the ground.

Cato soon followed his adversary's actions, his own sword joining Leonidas's in the sand.

The crowd began to rumble with confusion and outrage.

Keeping her eyes glued to the rebellious gladiators, Pompeia spoke with the auditor that had been about to announce the match.

"Get them out of here," Pompeia ordered as she took a long dreg from her chalice, trying to keep her voice calm as she saw the men being taken back to their cells.

After Krista's little stint with Domita the previous day, Pompeia was eager to get past these rebellous actions and give the crowd what they wanted.

Give the population what they wanted and Pompeia would get what she wanted; a good first day as Empress.

But it would seem the fates were against her as one by one, gladiators from all schools in Rome, started to surrender before her feet.

"I, Nero, gladiator of Ludus Matutinus, surrender."

"I surrender to Romero, gladiator of Ludus Gallicus."

"I surrender."

"I surrender!"

They came like one wave upon another until the only blood that was spilt that day was by the animals as they fought one another rather than the gladiators.

Pompeia was seething as the crowds further unravelled around her from this mass rebellion from the gladiators.

But anger came hand in hand with humiliation because as yet another gladiator surrendered before her, she could hear the concealed laughter of those behind her.

They found it humouress that she had such a lack of control over her own gladiators.

It must be Krista, Pompeia thought with rage. Krista was poisoning the gladiators against her, their Empress!

As the games were called to an end for the day, Pompeia stormed from the royal box.

"I want their heads!" Pompeia ordered anybody that was listening as she wrenched the veil from her head and threw it to the ground in her bed chamber.

"Leave us," A voice spoke from the doorway and Pompeia glanced behind her to see the Commander stood there, her guards scurrying away as fast as they could.

Niclaus's face was serious with no hint of a smile, but Pompeia knew that he was laughing at her on the inside.

He was humoured by what happened in the arena and Pompeia knew it was not only Krista she needed to worry about.

The commander walked across her room and out onto the balcony, turning his back to her as he gazed out on the city.

Pompeia let out a disgruntled sigh as she was forced to walk to his side when he did not tear himself away from her balcony.

She waited for him to start the conversation but when no words were forthcoming Pompeia felt the need to speak, "I hope you have news from your soldiers regarding my brother's killer."

"I do not," Niclaus barely shook his head as he kept gazing out the window, his red cape waving softly in the wind, "I have come to tell you not to be concerned with what happened in the arena this day and for you not to think about it."

Pompeia raised an eyebrow at his ridiculous comment; how did he expect her to react?

"Look at them," the commander nodded down at the street below where people milled about carrying baskets and pulling carts as the sun settled behind the horizon for another day.

Pompeia gazed at the people in peculiarity; what was so special about them?

The Commander sensed her confusion.

"They think they're individual people with individual thoughts," The commander straightened up and gazed over the city, "And you, as Empress, are charged with keeping up the illusion that that is their right, like your brother did."

Pompeia averted her gaze from the filth ridden streets below her where Krista now hid amongst.

"But together," the commander continued, "Together they act like sheep," he took a step closer to Pompeia, his voice growing deeper, "Today they want blood, tomorrow they will want an Empress."

Pompeia took in his words.

"Today the gladiators did not want to kill," Niclaus shrugged a shoulder, dusting the entire episode of the day away, "Tomorrow they will kill again when they realise what will happen if they do not."

Pompeia looked into his green eyes to see that they held that same twinkle of mischief that adorned her own gaze. She momentarily thought that she had earnt herself an ally amongst a field of wolves.

"And what will happen," Pompeia took a step closer to the Commander, her fingers running through the red fabric that hung from his shoulders, "if they do not kill?"

The commander looked down and regarded her fingers with hunger as he clasped them in his hand, momentarily shocking Pompeia with the look in his eyes.

But just as quick had he grasped her fingers had he loosened his hold on her, bringing her hand up to his lips.

"If they do not kill," the commander pressed his lips against the inside of her palm, "We will crucify them all."

* * *

Krista awoke from her slumber and instantly knew she had been there too long. Sunlight seeped in through the floorboards above her head, highlighting the specks of dust that lingered in the air and set everything in a reddish hue.

Stretching out her body, the dagger scrapped against her skin and Krista was jolted back to reality. Looking down at her hands in the sunlight, Krista saw the Emperor's dry blood starting to crack on her skin.

Moving past the blood on her hands, Krista looked at her attire, ripped and bloodied, and knew she would not get far without changing. Moving to her hands and knees, Krista crawled to the opening of the wine cellar and slowly began to extricate herself from her squirrel hole of the previous evening. Making sure that she was alone, Krista climbed from the hole and approached the doorway, concealing the dagger inside her belt as she took in her bearings.

The long rest had helped clear Krista's mind and she now knew exactly what she had to do. She had to continue with what she came here to do in the first place. Looking left down the street, Krista saw the path that would take her back towards the palace whilst the route to the right would carry her away from Rome.

Not making her decision lightly, Krista stepped from the house and was instantly swallowed up by the crowds. Moving with the people, Krista turned left. 

* * *

The sun had fully disappeared behind the horizon with only a full moon to guide her path.

But the darkness was Krista's ally as she prowled the streets, hiding behind walls and narrowly avoiding the patrols.

Leaving her dark hair to fall over her face like a curtain, Krista hoped to conceal her identity as she started towards her end game.

Krista had accepted a while ago that she may die in Rome but she would die by avenging her family.

She would not go back to her family a coward and leave their murderer alive without meeting the sweet justice of her sword.

The streets at night were rarely occupied apart from the employees of the local whorehouses and the men finding comfort in their arms, making Krista's pursuit through the capital swift.

It was barely midnight before Krista found herself staring up at the palace she had only the previous evening escaped.

Not allowing herself to linger, Krista moved on past the palace and towards the one place she knew she would be welcomed and the one place that held the key to her revenge.

The building of Ludus Magnus loomed large before her, inviting her in.

From the outside it seemed like any reasonable establishment with its high walls and impressive gate but Krista knew it from the inside.

And she was hoping that the knowledge she had obtained from her stay there would aid her in her hour of need.

With the gates on her left, Krista began to pace the street parallel with the wall.

Stopping just short of a hundred feet, Krista uncurled the rope from her shoulder.

She silently apologised to the young man she had stolen it from but her need for it was much greater, and she had no coin to pay him with. 

A four-pronged metal device was securely attached to the end of the rope, making Krista's job slightly easier.

Looking up and down the path, Krista started to swing the rope by her side, picking up enough speed but careful not to hit her leg with the metal contraption.

Feeling much like a Retiarii with their nets, Krista let the rope fly upwards towards the top of the wall.

Hearing the metal scrape loudly against the stone, her heart skipped a beat as the rope went slack just before it fell back to the ground at her feet.

And it would do so for the next three tries.

Getting annoyed with her aiming abilities, Krista was feeling rushed as it felt like she had been stood there for hours.

But on her fifth attempt the metal prongs bit into the brick and would not budge, bringing a smile to her lips as she tugged tightly on the rope that now dangled down the side of the wall.

Hoping the metal prongs were secure, Krista started to climb.

With a good night's rest and the food she had stolen earlier, Krista made quick work of the wall, reaching the top and swinging her leg over the side in a matter of minutes.

As she sat there, straddling the barrier between freedom and death, Krista took a deep breath.

Looking over the side, down into Ludus Magnus, Krista saw that her measurements were only a few metres off as she rested above the training area rather than the arcade.

But she quickly forgot about those few extra metres when she spotted guards patrolling on the far side of Ludus Magnus.

Krista frowned, there had never been guards in Ludus Magnus before.

But then, Krista thought as she began to reel up the rope, winding it around her arm, they never had a runaway gladiator charged with assassinating the Emperor before either.

Slipping the rope over her head and under her arm, Krista let the rope rest across her chest as she looked back towards the guards.

Still sat in darkness, Krista saw them duck under an archway and patrol the women's quarters, leaving her alone in the courtyard.

Taking her chance, Krista swung her leg over the side and dropped down into Ludus Magnus.

One step closer.

* * *

The two men watched her in silence as darkness enveloped them.

"It's her," A small man with the stomach of a well-fed life whispered, sweat beading his brow.

"You're positive?" The taller, nobler man of the two, asked as they watched Krista's lithe form cascade the wall and observe the actions of those beneath her with precision.

The smaller man, now sweating profusely through his tunic with fear, nodded his head, "She came. I told you she would."

"Yes, you did," The other man narrowed his eyes at the woman.

After a moment of hesitation she dropped down the other side of the wall and quickly merged with the shadows, her form lost to their gaze.

Panic washed through his body as his eyes travelled the entire training area of Ludus Magnus, trying to find her, when she suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the courtyard in a matter of seconds.

A smile came to his lips as he watched her disappear in the direction of the tunnel that ran beneath Ludus Magnus. A terrifying but joyous thought crossed his mind.

"Wh- What will you do?" The annoying man asked, his voice quivering, as he dabbed his brow with a small square cloth.

The taller man said nothing as he turned and left the room knowing that only one thing was clear as he remembered Krista was now on her way to the palace, presumably to kill the Empress.

Pompeia had bitten off more than she could chew with this one.