The Gladiators' Love by Lacey Carter Andersen

Author:Lacey Carter Andersen [Andersen, Lacey Carter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Godeis was even more beautiful than she remembered. Her manor, located in a small village on the shore, was completely untouched by the war.

But then, it was a place without slaves.

Her people welcomed her and her gladiators with open arms. And she very quickly made herself at home. Their future, she felt, was finally certain. They could be together. And they could have happiness.

When she received word of her father’s death, it was a painful blow. Her gladiators crowded around her, helping her through her grief. None of them spoke of leaving, and she prayed that they never would again.

But then one morning, she awoke alone in her bed. Dressing quickly, she spotted them in a field just beyond her manor. When she reached them, she immediately knew something was wrong.

“My lady,” Orestes began.

“Lana,” she corrected him.

He cleared his throat, looking at the others as if for help. “You must know that we can’t stay here forever.”

Her hands curled into fists. “Of course you can! Don’t you understand—“

Kosmas’s heated gaze ran over her. “You have no idea how much we wish to stay.”

“So stay!”

Bion took a step toward her. “Our love won’t be accepted.”

She rolled her eyes. “The villagers are quite aware of our unique situation. And they don’t seem to care.”

Bion tossed his arms in the air, his brown eyes going to the heaven as if for help.

Cadmus fiddled with the sword on his lap. “We are not your equals.”

Going to him, she knelt down and pressed her hand over his, stilling his nervous movement. “You are my equals in all ways that matter.”

At last, Adonis’ deep voice cut through the tension. “My lady, we love you with all our hearts, but this can never be. We cannot hide here forever, and you cannot be safe with us, not romantically.”

Why won’t they listen? How can I make them understand?

An idea suddenly formed in her mind. Standing up, she started toward the woods. “Follow me,” she called over her shoulder.

Some of them protested. But, she knew all of them followed.

When she reached the little lake tucked into the thick woods, she turned to them. The tension in the air hung between them, something untouchable and powerful.

Reaching for her dress, she undid it and let it fall to the ground.

“Lana, don’t,” Palaemon said, his voice choked. “You’re only making this harder.”

Sliding into the waters, she stood in the center, waiting for them. When none of her men followed, her stomach gave an uncomfortable tingled.

I’m losing them.

“I don’t care that our love is untraditional. I don’t care that my station in life is higher than yours. I love all of you, and I will fight for a life for all of us. But I can’t fight for it alone. I need all of you. In my bed and beside my side.”

Damon knelt down at the water’s edge. “If only there was a world in which that could happen, but we must go, before we risk you anymore.”

It’s time. They need to know.

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