The Roman boy was interesting, that much Amneris was certain of. He knew his way around a sword quite well. Not as well as she did, but pretty good for a mortal. She found herself enjoying sparring with him, even learning a few moves. There was no way she would ever admit that to him, though. He seemed to be enjoying his lesson. At the end of it, even though he looked exhausted, there was a large grin on his face. 

Leonidas made his final move, feigning to the right. She saw it coming, easily catching his armed hand and sweeping her leg under his feet. The boy fell onto his back, her own sword's tip resting on his throat. He dropped his blade, a sign of surrender. Amneris smiled slightly at him, holding a hand out. He grasped it tightly as she pulled him upright. 

"You've got style," she told him, "But you need technique." She had noticed the way he moved in battle. It was not the right way for a warrior armed with only one blade . . . "Have you ever tried duel wielding?" He seemed confused. "Using two blades at once." He shook his head. "Maybe you should give it a go. It would certainly suit you more than this thing." She flipped the blade in her hand before tossing it effortlessly into its holder. 

The Roman boy clapped before asking, "How much are you willing to teach me?"

If anything, the question caught her a little off guard. "I dunno," she answered, spinning a golden strand of her hair around a finger. "As much as I can while I'm here, I guess." He nodded. "So, are you treating me to a night out as a thank you for you lesson, or are you letting your slaves cook for us?" 

The tone in her voice must have been more obvious than she thought. "You do not approve the use of slaves?"

Amneris raised a brow at him. "What makes you think I do approve?"

He opened his mouth to reply but quickly closed it, becoming thoughtful. "Good point. I will take you out."

He took her sword from her, placing it alongside the one he was using next to the wall. She jumped out of the ring, using her power to put her hair up. If anything, Amneris did not understand why that was so important, but she had to follow the rules while in Rome. Apparently. 

Leonidas held an arm out to her. She brushed past him without even a glance, though could swear he made a slightly wounded noise. She dismissed it as a ringing in her ear as the boy wandered up beside her, leading her . . . she did not know where and honestly could not care less. She had not come to Rome to make friends. She had come to Rome to speak with the Emperor tomorrow night. Until then, all she could think of doing was trying to find a way to get rid of the numbness of her body. 

When they reached an opening, Leonidas bowed and allowed her in first. She pretended to not notice and walked into the room with her head held high. The boy sighed from behind her. "Why do I bother?" he asked himself. She almost felt bad for him. Almost. 

Amneris soon found herself sitting on a strangely comfortable lounge across from her host's son. She had not been paying attention when it came to what he ordered for food but made sure he ordered her mulsum. She was craving something sweet and something that would take the numbness away, even if only temporarily.

The last thing she could remember was the fifth cup of mulsum being brought to the low-lying table between them, the Roman boy laughing at something she said though she had no idea what it was.