VI

Frieda slept quite well that evening for someone who was about to take part in a daring escape plan which could result in her death if anything went wrong, but the risks of staying there were just as high as those if she left. There was no breakfast for her that morning, which only fuelled her desperation to leave.

Stepping out of her cell at the same time as the others, Frieda casted a casual glance across the quad towards Eoghan. Stretching his arms over his head, he too looked across at her and gave her a small, encouraging nod. Frieda's mood and hopes were lifted that morning as she made the walk to Domitius's house and as she did so she found herself making longer strides. She was eager for the day to over and the night to begin but her conscience began to creep in at the corners of her mind when she heard Amara call out behind her.

Frieda's heartbeat quickened and she began to walk faster. Slipping past those in front of her to place a physical barrier between herself and Amara, Frieda began to distance herself when she remembered what Eoghan had said. No one could know what they were planning, and if she began to act unusually it could cause her unwanted attention. Frieda and Amara had been within each other's presence almost every day since she had arrived, and if she changed that now people would begin to wonder why.

Slowing to a near stop, Frieda turned and gave a small wave to Amara. Frieda closed her eyes briefly, gathering her strength for the lies she would undoubtedly have to tell her over the course of the day, before she opened them and plastered a tight smile on her lips.

"I thought you were not going to stop," Amara chuckled nervously as they resumed their walk to the villa together.

Frieda looked at Amara carefully from the corner of her eye. What if she did tell her? Frieda did not think that Amara would tell the guards about her and Eoghan, not if she invited her to come with them. Surely Amara would choose freedom over captivity any day.

"Amara-" Frieda said, the palms of her hands sweating.

"Hmm," Amara looked to Frieda, her sparkling moss-green eyes searching hers.

"What if I told you-" Frieda began to speak when a group of girls interrupted them. Crowding around Amara they began to shower her in praise and adoration.

"Amara, we just wanted to show our gratitude," One of the girls said as she handed Amara a piece of bread wrapped in cloth whilst the others continued to speak over themselves, each trying to convey how much their admired her.

Frieda watched the scene with mild interest before she paid closer attention to Amara and saw that her eyes had begun to nearly sparkle with joy and elation at the girls' words. Frieda realised then that Amara liked this and that she enjoyed being the queen of their small group, but if they were to leave she would no longer have that. Amara had more to lose by leaving than she did by staying.

Eventually the girls left and Amara turned to Frieda, "What were you going to say?"

Frieda shook her head, "It does not matter."

Amara did not press her on it as she reached down and split the bread she had been given in two, handing a chunk to Frieda. Frieda stared down at the bread and felt her conscience assaulting her once again; Amara had no idea she was giving what little food she had to a girl who was going to leave her.

Frieda began to refuse it when she remembered that she could not create any suspicion, so before Amara's confused frown could turn to one of speculation Frieda reached out and took the food, offering her mumbled gratitude as she did so.

The frown on Amara's brow receded immediately as she threw an arm around Frieda's shoulders in solidarity, "You will be okay, Frieda."

Frieda said nothing as she raised the bread to her lips and took meagre bites, hating what she was doing but knowing she had no other choice if she was going to see her sister again.

*

Frieda spent the next few hours wishing away time, hoping that the sun would set early so that she and Eoghan could finally begin their plan but as darkness fully descended over the villa and their cells Frieda wasn't ready. How could she possibly think that they would succeed?

Sat cross-legged in the centre of her stone room, Frieda pulled at the tips of her fingers in agitation with her head down when she sensed the air shift dramatically. Lifting her head slowly, Frieda looked up at Eoghan stood in the entrance to her cell.

"It's time," He said as he looked from left to right. Behind him Frieda could see that a few people remained strolling outside their cells, passing the time before they were locked up for the night.

"The guards?" Frieda asked as she rose to her feet and stepped forward.

"They just left for their meal. Now is our best chance," Eoghan stepped back to let her out, the cold night air biting at her skin so much that she shivered, "We could be miles from here by the time they discover we're missing if we hurry."

Frieda nodded, knowing that this was the point of no return. If she left now, she had to be fully committed or else they would both suffer, and Frieda was committed to her freedom. Looking down the row of cells Frieda gazed upon Amara's open cell door and praised the gods that she was not stood outside. It was cowardly of her, Frieda knew, but she could not bear to see the look on Amara's face when she saw them leaving.

"Let's go," Frieda turned to Eoghan who reached out and took her hand in his, boosting her confidence, before he turned and they began to walk away from the cells, the quad and the training posts in the centre. They walked away from all of it and with each step they took Frieda felt her confidence increase as well as her heart rate. They could do this.

They had walked through the alleyways and narrow streets everyday but now it felt different; they were not supposed to be here. Making every effort to keep their footsteps and breathing quiet, they hurried along with their backs pressed up against walls and before they would turn into the next street, Eoghan would peer around the corner to make sure it was clear before they proceeded.

As they strode up a street, their hands still tightly clenched together and Frieda glancing over her shoulder, they turned into a garden courtyard and dashed up the covered walkways. The marble was cold underneath her feet and they were exposed on both sides but no one saw them. Hurrying out the other side and back onto the streets, Frieda felt as if they were trapped inside a maze when Eoghan whispered back to her that they were close.

She was not sure how much more she could take; her fingers could be shaking if Eoghan was not gripping them so tightly. Finally they turned one last corner and Eoghan slowed to a halt in front of her that Frieda walked into the back of him.

Holding his shoulder with her free hand so that she did no fall she looked around her at the square space with high walls on all sides and two rows of pillars on either side, "Where are we?"

"The kitchen is just down those steps," Eoghan pointed to the furthest corner where a rectangle shape appeared to have been cut into the wall. Frieda could see a soft amber glow come from inside, illuminating the stone steps inside the doorway which led downwards. They were a stones' throw away and Frieda could taste the free night air on the tip of her tongue, it was intoxicating.

Eoghan looked back at her smiling, "Come on,"

As he took a step to cross the small stone courtyard they heard a group of voices.

"Guards," Frieda hissed under her breath in fear, pulling Eoghan back behind the stone pillar and into the shadows. Their hands separated and Eoghan peeled off to hide behind the next pillar, less than five feet away from her.

The cold stone pillar cooled the sweat on her brow as Frieda heard the voices grow stronger. She tried to make out what they were saying but they were speaking too fast for her to interpret. Squeezing her eyes shut as the voices grew closer, Frieda held her breath and prayed that they would not hear her heart as it tried to pound its way out of her chest. It felt as if she had been stood there for days when she finally heard their voices soften and she dared to open her eyes.

Looking across at Eoghan she could see that he was leaning forward between their two pillars. Taking a deep breath, Frieda turned to look to her left towards the way that she and Eoghan had entered the courtyard when she saw a handful of guards stood huddled near the entrance, chatting quietly to each other.

Shocked, Frieda clamped her mouth shut as she felt herself gasp quietly and pressed her back to the pillar when she glimpsed a look at Eoghan and saw that he was still stood there. If a guard turned around, they would spot him. She wanted to reach across and push him back behind the safety of the pillar but fear paralysed her every muscle, she dared not move or breathe.

Eoghan stepped towards her quietly, "If we go now, we could make it."

Frieda shook her head manically, her eyes wide in panic, "They will see us."

"They are looking the other way," Eoghan whispered.

"They may leave in a minute," Frieda bit her bottom lip, "We should wait."

"We do not know that, and more guards may arrive at any moment. We have to go now, Frieda," Eoghan stared at her and although it was too dark for Frieda to see his face clearly she knew that he had the same glint of urgency in his eyes.

Knowing he was right, Frieda nodded.

"I will go first to make sure that it is clear," Eoghan whispered but before she could beg for them to go together, Eoghan checked that the guards were still occupied in their conversation before he hurried across.

Leaning out from behind the pillar, Frieda watched as he kept himself low and took long, quiet strides across the small courtyard. Glancing at the guards, Frieda saw that the five men were oblivious to what was going on behind them before she turned back to Eoghan and saw that he had safely reached the other side. Stood just inside the doorway which led down to the kitchen, he kept his back pressed to the wall and stretched out an arm towards her, telling her to come.

Go Frieda, she ordered herself. Summoning up the courage, she stepped out from behind the pillar and looked towards the guards. Relieved to see that they were still talking amongst themselves, she took her first step forward. Her feet padded against the stone floor so softly that she moved almost completely silently that when she took another step and the guards still did not turn around she felt emboldened.

Looking across at Eoghan, she felt a smile coming to her lips as her steps grew quicker. She was halfway across the courtyard and believing that this could work when she heard the sound of footsteps and laughter in the distance. Frieda froze as her mind comprehended that more guards were arriving.

Gasping, Frieda looked to Eoghan in shock. As she started to run towards him, Frieda saw him turn and look in the other direction as a stream of bright light broke the darkness and fell directly upon her, stilling her movements.

Lifting her arm to shield her eyes, Frieda could not seem to stop herself as turned to look in the direction from which the light came from. She should move, she knew that but she could not seem to get her legs to work as she found herself looking up at three guards. Behind them Frieda could see through the doorway into a large room bathed in torch light with a large wooden table filled around which roman soldiers sat gauging on food and drink.

As the door swung shut, cutting off the light, Frieda looked up at the guards and saw them stood watching her in a haze of confusion. She knew she had been caught and her heart gave a lurch inside her chest.

Turning back to look at Eoghan, Frieda gasped when she did not find him stood where he was a moment ago. Hurrying forward, Frieda looked down the stone staircase to the bottom where she saw him about to disappear inside and the lurch she felt in her chest suddenly felt like only a pinprick.

"Eoghan," Frieda called, not understanding what he was doing but knowing that he would not leave her here alone. They were in this together, after all. He had said that it was just them, always, and Frieda believed that as he looked up and their eyes locked.

A breath of relief passed her lips even as the guards broke out of their confused states and began to shout; Eoghan would not leave her. But just before a hand clamped shut around her arm, Eoghan bowed his head and turned into the kitchen, abandoning her. Frieda stood there for a moment, staring at the place he had been in shock. He would not leave her, surely, not in this place. Not on her own.

The hands on her body grew rough as they dragged her around like a doll, their faces looming in close towards her as they barked out words she did not understand nor wished to. But as they started to drag her away and Eoghan had still not appeared the remaining faith she had left in her world began to collapse around her.

"Eoghan!" Frieda screamed at the top of her lungs as she was dragged backwards by the guards. She knew he was not far away and that he would hear her, "Eoghan, you bastard!"

Fighting back against the guards as much as she could, Frieda tried to break free but they were too strong and she was far too weak to escape. Picking her up off the floor as if she weighed nothing more than a flower, they carted her away from the kitchen and out of the courtyard as two guards went down the stairs towards the kitchen. In that moment, Frieda hoped they found him.

The alarm went up around the compound and guards rushed out of their dining hall. Frieda could hear cell doors slamming shut early along with the ravenous, angry barking of dogs as they were pulled away from their meals and swords clattering against metal as they were handed out to guards. All the while, Frieda bounced against the back of a soldier as he marched her across the estate and up a very distinct set of marble steps. From upside down, Frieda recognised those steps as the ones she cleaned every day and it only confirmed what she already knew; she was being taken to Domitius.

Although Frieda's body felt numb inside of her it felt as if her blood had been replaced with fire and she would soon combust from the raw anger she was experiencing, but despite this tendrils of fear and apprehension began to coil themselves around her nerves. She had heard what Domitius did to those who tried to escape and with every step the guard carrying her took felt a dagger to her stomach.

Striding through the darkened hallways of Domitius's villa, Frieda felt her body begin to shake silently before the guard turned into a room she had not entered before. The floor was decorated in black and white tiles in which the fire in the torches on the walls was reflected and a large wooden desk sat in the centre, the legs of which were made of gold and moulded into the shape of lion's paws.

Frieda was placed on her feet roughly before the guard stepped back. The silence in the room frightened her when she heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside in the hallway, followed by the screaming of a man she had only met twice before; the man whom she had tried to escape from. Once again, he was speaking too fast for her to make out individual words and she wished she had paid more attention to Amara.

In the next moment the drapes which hung on either side of the doorway flew out as Domitius rushed through like a malevolent gush of wind. Dressed in a golden robe, tied with a sash around his rotund stomach, his cheeks were puffed up and angry and his hands were curled into fists by his sides. Followed by two guards, Domitius strode behind his desk and slammed his fist onto the table violently.

Frieda's shoulders hunched in shock as the noise reverberated around the room.

"Check every cell," Domitius shouted to a guard in a slower rant before his voice turned rough again and she lost track of what he was saying although she thought she picked up the word 'find'. Frieda genuinely wished him the best of luck in finding Eoghan. Her anger was still boiling and she wished more pain upon Eoghan than she did on any other person in her entire life.

The guards bowed and marched from the room leaving her with Domitius and the guard that carried her here. Frieda did not know what to do as she looked at Domitius; the joules on his cheeks shook in anger as he suddenly stepped out from behind his desk and flew out her in a rage. Swinging out his arm, the back of his hand caught her cheek and knocked her to the ground.

Something warm and wet trickled down her cheek but she dared not check what it was.

"You are mine!" Domitius yelled down at her, his insect-like eyebrows furrowing into a deep v on his brow, "No one leaves this place unless I let them! You belong to me and the only way out of here is through the front gates with my say so!"

Frieda remained silent and motionless on the floor, her body shaking as the back of her eyes stung with tears. Still angered, Domitius let out a roar as he stomped on her abdomen and the pain made Frieda scream out in agony, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Hooking an arm around her stomach, Frieda tried to curl up into a ball on the floor. She felt the sole of Domitius's thick sandals against her back, ribs and chest no less than a dozen times, the air filled with her grunts of pain, before a guard returned with news.

Gasping through the pain, Frieda laid on the ground as she looked towards the doorway where Domitius stood with his guard. She heard Eoghan's name in their conversation but not much else although the rage in Domitius's eyes seemed to double, if that possible.

Clenching her eyes shut, Frieda expected another wave of pain, when instead a pair of hands gripped her arms and pulled her to her feet. Domitius said something to the guard before he waved his arm at them dismissively, ordering her away. She did not understand what was happening but as they left the villa and turned away from the direction of the cells, Frieda knew that it would not be good.

* * *

There was talk of little else over the following week amongst the familia Domitius as more details filled their ears of Frieda and Eoghan's daring escape, but no one had seen nor heard from Frieda since. Theories were thrown about the place that she had died in an altercation with the guards but Amara did not believe it after all, Frieda had said it herself. She was not a fighter, despite Amara's attempts to the alternative.

Stood with Zeno sharing a piece of bread, whispering about what Domitius could be doing to Frieda, Amara frowned as the constant conversation in the air faded into silence and Zeno stood straighter as he looked at something over her shoulder. Turning around, Amara looked up the pathway in shock as she saw a dozen guards enter their courtyard.

As a crowd began to form around them, Amara and Zeno pushed their way to the front where they were greeted with tips of blades and arrows pointed at their chests. Stopping where she was, Amara looked to Zeno, wondering what was happening when two men at the front stepped aside and, from inside the circle of guards, two soldiers stepped forward dragging a body between them.

Barely holding the person by their arms, the guards dragged the person along the stone pavement, leaving a trail of blood behind them, before they came to a halt in front of Amara and dropped the person at her feet. Not uttering a word to them, the two guards walked back towards their comrades before they all left, abandoning them there.

Once the guards leave, Amara and Zeno dropped to the floor to turn the person over onto their back. Everyone is huddled around, looking down at the beaten and bloodied person when the pungent smell wafts into them like a warm breeze, threatening to bring up their last meals. Amara starts to gag as she pushes aside the thick, knotted hair that looks brown but is most probably dirt, when she feels sick for an entirely different reason.

She had not wanted to believe it but there was no denying it now as she looked down at the mangled face of Frieda. Her lips were dry and cracked, layers of blood covered her skin and her eyelids were so swollen shut Amara could hardly see the blues of her eyes.

"Frieda," Amara reached out and tentatively cradled her face. Zeno shouted at someone to bring water when Amara saw Frieda's lips begin to move, "What is it, Frieda?"

Her head lolled to either side on the pavement uncontrollably from where she was too weak to support it until Amara was forced to hold it still so she could look upon her face, "Frieda?"

"E-" Frieda tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry.

"Where is that water!?" Zeno shouted.

"Eog-" Frieda tried again when Amara realised what she meant.

Amara closed her eyes briefly, "I am sorry Frieda but Eoghan did not make it. The dogs caught him the following day." Amara couldn't be sure that Frieda had heard her but she could have sworn that, just for a second, Frieda smiled.

"Let us get her out of the sun," Zeno said to Amara as he and two other gladiators lifted her off the floor and carried her back to her cell.