Skaia (93 page)

Gotus and Castor noticed her first, watching from her window. Gotus leaned forward and whispered softly to Skaia. “The new mistress is staring at us. Be careful.”

Skaia did not look up, but his hands trembled slightly. “I shouldn’t be here. My presence annoys her.”

Settling Castor on the side of the pool, Gotus answered, “Then let’s get the watering over with first, so we can leave.”

It was hardly to Skaia’s satisfaction, but he agreed. And when Castor warned them that Gallia and Fraca were both looking out the window now, seemingly agitated, they all left hurriedly.

After that, Skaia took Gotus and Castor only to the front gardens and, after just a week, turned the care of them over to Gotus completely.

“
Phaelas gave his permission, Gotus. And Castor can have a chair here that is comfortable. I have to work in the peristylium. Some of Master Paulinus’ shrubs need to be pruned.”

Gotus shook his head. “Skaia, why didn’t you tell Thaddeus about what happened before? He would never let her hurt you.”

“
I couldn’t tell then, Gotus. Master Glaucus was already troubled, and Thaddeus would have wanted him to deal with it. Please, Gotus, just let it go. I’ll be careful. Nothing will happen.”

“
I don’t understand you, Skaia,” Gotus said angrily. “Thaddeus hasn’t freed you! You still have to worry about the masters.”

“
Gotus is right, Skaia,” Castor called out. “Tell Master Thaddeus what she did.”

Skaia truly hated to disagree with Castor. About anything. But not this time. “It’s too late now, Castor. And I must take care of Master Paulinus’ garden. Please, sir.”

“
You had better be careful,” Castor warned him, “or I will tell Thaddeus for you.”

No one was looking out the window. And there was nobody in the peristylium either. Skaia sighed softly in appreciation of his good luck and, going to the box of tools which were kept on the far side of pool, he started work on the tall shrubs nearest Paulinus’ room, shaping them back to their tall, sleek form.

He had no idea he’d taken so long, but he suddenly realized that the sun had begun to cast long shadows. The ivies and smaller shrubs would have to wait until tomorrow…

The next few times Skaia was there, Gallia began to put in appearances, sitting on Paulinus’ bench with Fraca. Skaia was terrified, and would hurry through whatever he was doing, bowing himself away and going to Phaelas for additional household work.

After only a couple of days, Thaddeus noticed. “I thought you were going to move some of the grasses in the peristylium. And the flowering plants have begun to drop leaves. Skaia, you promised my father you would see to his gardens. Gallia tells me you stay for only a short time each day, and then you scurry off.”

“
Yes, sir,” Skaia agreed. “I have been afraid Mistress Gallia would not want me around her, sir.”

Thaddeus remembered the scornful looks the girl had given his slave.
But surely Skaia would have told me if anything had happened.
“Well, even Gallia has noticed the decline in the garden now. You
must
take care of it,” he said, as his fingers teased the bauble in Skaia’s ear. “I don’t like getting home to find you scrubbing the tiles in the atrium. Soon enough, they will begin to disintegrate.”

Not a possibility,
Skaia thought. But he smiled at Thaddeus’ teasing tone, and followed him to bed eagerly enough.

Skaia worked harder and longer in the garden. He began to get used to Gallia’s presence—and that of her glum maid. Late one afternoon, after he had cleared away all the wilting leaves, he picked a batch of the fragrant blooms and, with his head down, he approached Gallia, offering them out to her as a gift.

Standing in the doorway to Paulinus’ rooms, she rounded on him in fury. “How dare you?” she spat at him. “Did I not make it clear I wanted absolutely nothing to do with you? Get your master, and bring him to me. At once!”

Horrified at his mistake, Skaia dropped the flowers, and reluctantly left to find Thaddeus. He found him in his office with his head bent low, working on accounts. Skaia approached him cautiously. “Master, I’m sorry to disturb you, sir,” he said very softly.

Thaddeus looked up, hearing the distress in the boy’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“
I have upset Mistress Gallia, sir. She… she wants to see you,” Skaia answered quietly.

Sighing tiredly, Thaddeus put down his reed and left to go to her, with Skaia following behind him nervously.

“
Father,” Gallia called out as soon as Thaddeus entered her rooms. “Your slave has defied me. He blatantly disobeyed my orders. I demand that he be punished.”

Thaddeus turned to stare at Skaia. The boy was standing with his head bowed, seeming to shrink into himself. “Is what your mistress says true?” he asked. “Did you blatantly disobey her?”

“
How dare you doubt me!” Gallia objected.

Thaddeus never looked away from Skaia. “Answer me.”

“
Yes, Master. I disobeyed her.”

“
Then fetch the strap, and bring it here.” Thaddeus’ voice showed both his irritation and his regret. Skaia bowed, turning immediately to obey, while Thaddeus looked back to Gallia, noticing her pale face, the frown across her brow. “Daughter, are you in pain?”

“
Of course, I’m in pain.” the young girl wailed. “The baby presses on my bladder. I have to pee constantly. And just look at me… ” She flung her arms out wide. “I’m as big as a horse.”

“
Shall I send for the physician?” Thaddeus asked calmly. “Or the midwife?”

“
No!  What can they do? It’s just what all pregnant women go through.”

Thaddeus nodded, and waited for Skaia to return. His thoughts went to his own wife, the beautiful Pornecia. She had never complained, or seemed so miserable, when she had been pregnant. But his friends had assured him it was common enough among women.

Skaia silently entered the room, and knelt before his master, holding out the whip. Reluctantly, Thaddeus took it. “Remove your tunic, and lean against the wall.”

The boy obeyed quickly and without question, although he could not hide the trembling of his body.
I only meant to cheer her.
But Gallia had made it quite clear to him, from the very beginning, that she wanted nothing to do with him.
Oh, Belenus, I really deserve this,
he thought, as he braced himself.

“
Count,” Thaddeus ordered, as he delivered the first blow.

“
One.”

His master did not hold back. And after the third stroke, Skaia would gasp as he called out the number.
It’s been too long… my back is tender again.

He wasn’t sure, but Skaia thought he might have screamed after the tenth strike. He definitely fell to his knees. The beating stopped, and through the haze of pain he heard Thaddeus speaking to Gallia, who had been sitting behind him, watching.

“
Are you satisfied?” Thaddeus asked as he faced her. His voice was hard. “Or does he need to bleed more to make you happy?”

“
No… no, Father. I’m sorry,” she wept. “I didn’t mean for him to bleed at all. It’s so different from the games… the blood is so… red.”

“
You demanded that I punish him. What did you think would happen?”

“
I don’t know,” Gallia whimpered as she steadied herself. “But, not that he would bleed… bleed so close to me.”

Thaddeus turned to Skaia and helped him to his feet. “Go to Phaelas, and have him treat your back,” he ordered.

“
Yes, Master,” Skaia whispered, not looking up. “Mistress Gallia, I’m sorry I disobeyed you. It won’t happen again.” He was gone before she could answer.

Thaddeus wearily took a seat beside Gallia. “So, what did he do, to upset you so much?” he asked, patting her hand gently.

Gallia almost cried again. “He… he brought me flowers.”

Only then did Thaddeus notice the discarded blooms on the floor near the door. He stood and bent to pick them up, smelling deeply of their fragrant aroma. “They’re beautiful. My father chose them.”
The very last thing he had ordered for his garden…
He turned, and held the flowers out to the girl. “Shall I throw them away, or perhaps beat them with the whip too, for upsetting you?”

“
No.” Gallia sobbed again and, this time, Thaddeus made no move to comfort her. But Fraca approached her mistress and held her shoulders until she had quieted. Finally, Gallia looked up, her eyes red, her face wet with her tears. “Get a vase, Fraca,” she sniffled.

When the flowers were properly cared for, Thaddeus sat beside her again, and Gallia leaned against him. “I’m sorry, Father. Your slave—Skaia—did not deserve my anger. It’s just…” She took a deep breath to steady herself as she confessed. “I have no idea what’s wrong with me, Father. I lose my temper all the time. Fraca usually bears the brunt of it.” She looked up at her maid, standing passively to the side. “But at least I haven’t beaten her with a whip.”

Thaddeus stroked her shoulder. “You are the mistress of this house,” he said, holding her upright so he could meet her eyes. “After today, Skaia will never disobey you again. But I must ask you to go easy with the slaves. Even Fraca. Pregnancy can make your moods unpredictable, Gallia. Just… be aware of it, and try to control your actions.”

“
Yes, Father.” Gallia sniffed again and wiped at her nose. “I’m so sorry.”

Kissing her forehead, Thaddeus left. He heard her crying again as he walked away, and thought she deserved far worse than to simply weep for herself. He was tempted to go back and make her kiss the bloodied whip.

Skaia was understandably miserable that night, and sulkily asked permission to sleep on his pallet, a request which Thaddeus granted. He was also allowed to skip his duties in the dining room the next day, and the following morning. Thaddeus brought him food, insisting that he eat, and had Phaelas treat his back, but otherwise he left the boy to mope alone.

The second evening however, growing tired of Skaia’s despondent mood, Thaddeus woke him from a nap with an authoritative, “Can you serve at dinner today?”

Skaia looked up at him fearfully. “Yes, Master. If you wish it.”

Thaddeus sighed. He was well aware Skaia was still upset with him. But he found himself wishing that the word,
master
, did not come so easily to the boy’s lips.