From the small window of my room above the stable, I watched as Paullus's figure receded in the distance. Paullus, whose legionnaires had massacred my clan and my father and made me a slave of Rome. Paullus, who had made me and the women of my tribe slaves. The same Paullus who had let me preserve my virginity while awakening my sexuality. 

I had been in charge of his stables and horses for many months. Now, he was going off again to fight for Rome—off to Britannia, wherever the hell that was. My protector, the man whom I had come to care for more than I had for my father, was gone. 

His last act was to give me my manumission. This certificate made me a freedwoman of Rome and, at the same time, decreed that I was to leave the security of his estate and be sent to his brother's estate with his daughter Paula. There, I would be her companion and educated as a Roman woman. 

I had no choice in the matter. I could not return to my clan as it no longer existed. Remaining here now would be suicide. His wife would have me slaughtered if she found me on the estate, as she suspected that Paullus had strong feelings for me. 

The one consolation I had was Paula, his daughter. She and I had a delicious dalliance together, and she had expressed a passion for me that I had never experienced before. I had also developed similar feelings. However, she and I were but children in the ways of the world and undoubtedly, she would be married soon, while I had no dowry to offer and no estate to lodge a husband. What would be my fate? 

The gruff voice of Caius, Paullus's estate manager and ex Centurion of the legions, echoed from below. "Frida, hasten we must leave before Paullus is off the estate. Come down and bring all your belongings." 

I almost laughed. My belongings consisted of a spare toga and a pair of sandals. I picked them up and descended to where Caius was waiting for me.

"Before we leave, Frida, I have something that Paullus gave me for you," he said as he handed me a pouch.

"What is this?" I asked as I took the small but decidedly heavy pouch.

"Gold. More gold than the average Roman earns in five years of labor. It is the money Paullus received when he sold your tribeswomen to the slavers after you were captured.

"Caius, I can't accept this. It is not fitting that I receive the rewards for selling my kinfolks."

"Gold is gold. Use it to do good deeds. You cannot undo the past. It is now yours. You could even throw it into the river to get rid of it.

"You also get to pick two horses as another gift for the good work you did while you worked here. While choosing which ones you want, pick out two horses for Paula. Now, get moving. I want to be on our way before the second hour," he said, glancing outside at the sun.

"Where's Paula?"

"Waiting outside with the cart."

I knew which horses I wanted for Paula and me. Most of the horses here were heavy farm horses, but I found a dozen smaller, faster, beautiful horses. Paullus had told me he had brought them back from Egypt. I picked my favorite filly, plus a filly for Paula and two stallions.

I threw my few belongings in a saddle bag, saddled the sweet little filly that I loved to ride, and led the four horses out to where Paula sat with Caius in a two-wheel chariot loaded with bags and parcels I assumed were her possessions.

Paula jumped off the cart and ran toward me, intent on hugging me, when Caius bellowed, telling her to stop.

She turned to him and asked, "But why? My father told you that Paula and I are now more than friends."

"Girl, use your brains. Why are you being sent to your uncle's estate?"

"To prevent Mother from finding out about Frida and me. Also, I want to protect Frida from my mother. However, Frida is no longer enslaved, so my mother can no longer harm her."

"Paula, have I taught you nothing? Your mother would not care; she is not aware Frida is no longer a slave, and she has spies everywhere. I must come back to protect your father's interests; if not, I, too, would leave this place. Now climb up back on the cart."

We set off with me riding Freedom, which I decided would be my horse's name. The other three horses were tethered to the rear of the cart, where Paula was sitting pouting next to Caius.

Once we were off the estate and reached the main road, Caius seemed relieved and permitted Paula to change into a short tunic, such as the one I was wearing, and ride with me on my horse. This brought back memories of riding with Paullus while he carried me to Rome. Especially when she slid her hand into my tunic to caress my breast or to finger my pussy.

She was delighted that I was powerless to stop her apart from a few feeble attempts at removing her hands from where they were. The only respite I received was when we were approaching other travelers or when Caius paid us any attention, which was seldom. As a result, when we reached her uncle's estate, my saddle was a soggy mess, completely soaked by my pussy juice. I was a babbling idiot as she had not permitted me to cum during the whole trip.

***

Quintus, Paullus's brother, and his wife, Flavia, greeted us when we arrived at our destination.

"Quintus looked at me and smiled. He turned to his wife and said, "I now understand Paullus.

"You are a beautiful woman, Frida. Do you agree with me, Flavia?"

Flavia smiled and said, "Ignore him, Frida. No matter how much I try, I can not manage to have him behave in a manner suitable for his rank. You, Paula, are also ravishing. At least I have taught him not to drool like an idiot over his family members, myself excluded, of course."

"Caius, my old friend, consider yourself fortunate not to be married. They don't give you a moment of peace even in your own home," Octavius interjected.

"Legate, I am sure you derive more joy than sorrow from your wife."

Legate! This wiry little man was a legate, a commander of legions. The same rank that Paullus now held. I was shocked.

Flavia interrupted this banter, saying, "Quintus, they have been on the road all day. I'm going to bring the girls in and show them their quarters. Come with me, girls."

I had never been in a Roman house before. I had, in fact, never been in a house in my life. With my clan, we lived in huts, which were one-room makeshift shelters from the weather. The stable on Paullus's estate had seemed like the height of luxury to me. After walking through innumerable rooms, halls and corridors, Flavia ushered us into a room that was large enough to have sheltered my whole clan.

I was astonished when she told Paula this was to be her room. She then took us to an equally large room next door and told me these would be my quarters. Paula, who had followed us in, jumped on the large bed and whooped. "Frida, come try it. It is a feather bed. More comfortable, I'll wager, than your old straw bed."

"Paula, behave," scolded Flavia. "Frida, I know you were a slave. That is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm told you were the daughter of a clan chief. Now, that is something in which you can take pride. I am going to tell you something that even Paula does not know. I was once a slave, a slave to Quintus, who captured me when he commanded a legion in Egypt. I was the daughter of a baker, not any chief. Quintus fell in love with me and taught me to be his lady.

"Now that you are here with us, Quintus and I have been tasked with two missions, which we have agreed to take on. The first is to educate and tame this wild one," she said, nodding towards Paula. The second is to educate and train you to be the fit bride of a worthy Roman."

"But what if I do not want to be the bride of a worthy Roman?"

She smiled at me before saying, "Even if that worthy Roman was called Paullus?"

"He's already married. He could not marry me. I would willingly be his concubine or mistress. Still, despite all the opportunities I have given him, he never saw fit to make a woman of me."

"That is because he is an honorable man. An honorable man does not cheat, lie, or break his vows. If I were you, I would be patient. There might be reasons he accepted this assignment in Britannia."

"What reasons?"

"Frida, I'd like to change the subject for now. Suffice it to say that I want to tell you to be patient. Now, let me give you what Quintus calls the talk.

"You two girls, I'm told, are more than good friends. In Rome, that is a subject that we do not talk about. Most men think that they are the sole sexual beings in this land. However, it is not uncommon. With men being away so often at war or expeditions, some women find comfort with other women.

"The smart woman keeps such things very discreet, as it often makes some men uncomfortable. We could have placed you two at opposite ends of the house; however, I have decided I want you to avoid wandering the halls at night to find each other, so you have been placed in adjoining rooms. You are to limit your extracurricular activities to these rooms."

I blushed that our so-called secret seemed to be common knowledge. Paula, however, blurted out, "Aunt Flavia, have you ever had a relationship with another woman?"

"Child, did you not understand what I told you about being discreet in such matters?"

"Yes, but we have just discovered it and are unsure we are doing it right."

"Are you seeking my help?"

"Yes."

"Paula, you were always a naughty child. You have not changed. Now it's late. You two go wash and go to bed. We will have to start lessons tomorrow. No, Paula, not that type of lesson. Good night."

***

"Paula, what am I doing here? I feel lost in these huge rooms. That bed alone is larger than the room I had over the stable. There is more furniture in my room than was owned by my whole clan."

"I finally figured out what you are doing here, silly. Don't tell me you have not?"

"No, I haven't, tell me."

"You are being groomed to be the wife of a great Roman."

"Who?"

"Come on, wake up and smell the roses, future stepmother."

"What! It isn't possible."

"Yes, it is. Wait and see. It was implicit in what Flavia said."

"I don't believe you."

"We'll see. Oh, here is Bastet. Say hello to Bastet."

"What is Bastet?" I said when I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down, and a tawny cat was snuffling my leg and tickling me with its whiskers.

"Bastet is Flavia's pet Egyptian cat. She is named after the goddess of cats. She is the third or fourth of that name. The original Bastet came from Egypt with Flavia. Now come, let's find the baths. I feel grimy after all the days traveling."

The baths were next to our rooms. There were two baths. One was already full, and steam rose from it. The other was filled with tepid water. Paula shed her clothes and jumped into the tepid bath. "Come on, I'll wash you, and you can wash me."

I undressed and gingerly stepped into the water. I had not had a full bath since bathing in rivers on my way to Rome. The water was warm and felt incredible as I submerged under it. Paula stood behind me, and from a jar, she poured an oily substance over my scalp and massaged it until my hair was thoroughly coated. Then, she ran a fine-tooth comb through my hair, removing most of the oil and grime accumulated on my scalp and hair. She doused my body with the same oil and rubbed it into my skin, taking particular pleasure in massaging my breasts, ass, and pussy. All the needs accumulated during the day of being teased by her on the ride here almost caused my knees to buckle.

Using a scraper, she removed the oil and dirt from my body. "Now it's your turn," she said, handing me the oil jar and turning her back to me.

I silently vowed to take my revenge for the teasing. I did her hair first, and then, after combing it, I went to work on her body. Sitting her on the edge of the bath, I oiled her profusely and then went to work with my fingers. Not content with just massaging, I tortured and teased her nipples, pinching and tugging on them till she moaned for me. Her pussy also got its share of fingering, and her clit was tortured in the same way I had her nipples. She soon was begging me to stop.

"Scrape the oil off, and let's go to the hot bath and soak."

As we changed to the steaming hot bath, I saw Bastet lounging on the warm floor, calmly performing her cleansing ritual. She looked at us haughtily, meowed, ignored us, and returned to her task.

The hot bath was a revelation for me. I had never had a warm bath, much less a hot one. It was deep enough to cover my whole body to my neck, and a ledge in the water permitted me to sit, enjoy the warmth, and relax. Paula sat beside me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me.

"Frida, you do not need to sleep alone in that room. We can share the same bed."

"But what will people think if we are caught together."

She ran her fingers through my pussy lips and said, "Do you care?"

"You are certainly very persuasive with your argument. Come, let's go. I need your body now."

We scrambled out of the bath, dried, and scampered back to her room.

We jumped into that huge, comfortable bed and twined our bodies around each other. We proceeded to kiss passionately, and I almost jumped out of my skin. A wet, velvety tongue was licking my foot. I screeched in fright and started to kick whatever it was when I heard a meow.

Paula looked and broke out laughing. It was Bastet who had joined us in bed. She scooped it up and started petting it and scratching her ears. "Come on, Frida, pet it. She won't hurt you."

I had no experience with animals except horses, but I tentatively extended my hand. Bastet sniffed at it inquisitively, then put out its tiny tongue and licked my finger. I gathered my courage and started petting it like Paula had been doing. To my delight, Bastet started purring and snuggled against me, promptly falling asleep.

"Paula, we have a chaperone," I snickered. "She seems to have adopted me."

From the open doorway, Flavia's voice said, "No, she hasn't. Bastet, come to mama."

The cat opened an eye, looked at Flavia with a baleful eye, and snuggled closer to me.

Flavia walked up to us, sat on the bed next to us, and scooped up Bastet. She raised her voice and called out, "Naima, in here, I found her."

Flavia was as naked as we were.

Paula and I tried to crawl under the bedclothes, but Flavia stopped us. "Stay as you are. Paula, you asked earlier for help with womanly love. Now is not the time to hide your loveliness."

As she spoke, a woman entered the room, and I could not help but stare. She was black as night with a perfectly formed body and a delightful face. Her long black hair cascaded down her back.

"Girls, this is Naima, my friend from childhood. Quintus captured us both at the same time. Naima is my lover and has been since we were children in Egypt.

"Naima, these two chits are my niece Paula and her friend Flavia. What do you think, should we teach them how to love each other?"

"I think they are both lovely. Never have I seen skin as white and hair as fair as on her," she said, pointing to me. "She has a lovely form with those high breasts, long legs, and cute ass."

I blushed at her graphic appraisal but could not help but wonder what it would be like to make love to this black goddess.

"Frida, would you accept Naima as one of your instructors?"

"She is lovely, and I could not find any reason not to."

"How about you, Paula? Would you accept Naima and myself as tutors for you and Frida?"

While Paula pondered her answer, I examined the nude figure of Flavia. She was stunning. She had bigger tits than we did, her skin was the color of bronze, her eyes were the deepest green I had ever seen.

"Aunt Flavia, I can only say that I am both eager to try and scared at the same time."

"What scares you, child?"

"I truly love Frida. I don't want to lose that love."

My heart melted at those words. I fell into Paula's arms and started kissing her passionately.

Flavia laughed and said, "Break it up, you two. Paula, it is obvious that you two love each other. You would have been separated had I not felt that from the start. Now, honey, there is a difference between love and lust. Never confuse the two. You can not love without lust, but you can lust without love. Would you let Naima make love to you?"

"I think so. She is lovely."

"Would you be in love with her if you did.?"

"I might love her, but no, I would not be in love with her."

"When you marry, will that stop you from loving Frida?"

"No, I realize that I will love her whatever happens."

"Understanding that is a monumental lesson to have learned. Now, the rest is primarily mechanics," she said with a smile. "I need one of you to volunteer for the first lesson in sapphic mechanics."

"Me. Take me," Paula shrieked, bouncing on the bed.

"What I want you to do is go to Naima and show me how you would seduce her if she were your lover."

Paula went on hands and knees to where Naima was sitting and, without hesitations, started kissing her. Her hand reached for Naima's pussy, and she started rubbing on it.

"Stop. Stop that," Flavia interrupted. "Darling girl, you need to be taught how to make love, be it with either a man or a woman."

"What do you mean, Flavia?" A crestfallen Paula asked.

"How well do you know Naima?"

"Not well. I've seen Naima around but never even talked to her."

"Let's use an example you can relate to. If you came on a cat you found pretty, would you try to grab and pet it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"It would either run away or scratch me."

"So what would you do?"

"I would try to cajole it, whisper to it, and attempt to entice it to come to me."

"Right. I'll demonstrate with Frida. Watch while I do it, and try to use similar moves on Naima. You don't need to imitate me exactly; use your imagination. Frida, come over here, darling, and sit in my lap."

I sat on Flavia's lap, and she gently caressed my hair and face. The warmth of her lush body radiated against mine. She whispered sweet words about how she found me beautiful and desirable as a woman.

Her soft lips met mine, and she gently bit my lower lip. As she kissed me, her hand found my breast, which she lovingly caressed with her open palm. My nipples grew hard, and I felt my pussy start to weep my love juices. As I kissed her back, my tongue peeped out, and she sucked it into her mouth. When our tongues met, I felt jolts of pleasure run through my body.

One arm around her neck held her tight to me as if I feared she might disappear while my free hand reached for her full breast. I heard her moan into my mouth as her hand started to tease my erect nipple. She used her thumb to tease my hard little nub, then slowly and gently pinched it, causing further jolts of pleasure to run through me and my pussy to clench with need.

Lowering my head, I kissed her breast and licked circles around her nipple. I was delighted to discover how full and hard it was. Sucking on it made Flavia moan even louder. She lay back on the bed, and I followed her down without relinquishing my pleasuring of her breast.

On the other side of the bed, Paula and Naima were similarly entangled, with Naima mouthing Paula's tit while caressing her mound. Paula's eyes were closed, and while I watched, she parted her thighs to allow Naima to have unfettered access to her pussy.

Flavia, who had glanced over, said softly to me, "I think you will find her a more exciting and caring lover after this. She was always greedy and self-centered, but now, she may discover giving is as good as receiving.

"Now lie down, my beautiful student. Part your legs and enjoy Flavia's patented cure for horniness. I can smell your juices from here."

I expected her to descend and either finger or devour my pussy. Wrong! First, she undid her dark red hair so that her locks streamed down over me and used them to run up and down my body from my neck to my tits. It was like being caressed by the softest of feathers. It was a heavenly feeling. She did not stop there but turned me over on my stomach and continued stroking me with her hair, raising goosebumps as I was gently tickled. 

Parting my legs, she ran her locks against my inner thighs, brushed my pussy with them, and over my ass. My body shuddered with need, but she was unrelenting. I lay there pleading with her to make me cum. She kissed my neck and whispered in my ear after giving it a loving lick, "Soon, baby girl. Just learn to enjoy this. The cum will be all the better after."

She started at my toes, kissing and licking each digit before working her way up my leg with maddening slowness. My pussy ached for her touch. "On your knees, girl. Ass up and head down. Spread your thighs wide."

I assumed the position and sighed contentment as her tongue ran over my ass cheeks. Her hot breath caressed my moist pussy, and her tongue ran through my ass cheeks.

Paula was in front of my eyes. She was moaning with pleasure while Naima lashed her pussy with a broad pink tongue. Before my eyes, Naima reversed her position and, while continuing her worship of Paula's cunt placed her own cunt over Paula's face. Paula's tongue went to work with a vengeance on Naima's pussy, and a crescendo of moans filled the room.

My cunt was being ravaged by Flavia's tongue while her fingers magically toyed with my clit. I was about to cum when Flavia flipped me on my back and positioned herself as Naima had over Paula. Her thick-lipped cunt hovered over my mouth. I grabbed her shapely ass and pulled her firmly against my mouth, to her apparent delight as she shrieked when my tongue pierced her lips to seek her honey.

The ravages her tongue caused in my tiny pussy made me wrap my legs around her head and pull her tight against me. My hips bucked upward against her, and seeing how I had been on edge all day, it took no time for me to cum and deluge her face with my emission of hot cum.

My reward was my gift of Flavia's delicious juice. She filled my mouth with it, and I licked and swallowed every drop till she rolled off me to lie panting on the bed. I went to her and kissed her. I could taste myself on her face and tongue as we cuddled contentedly in post-orgasmic bliss.

Flavia finally sat up. "Naima, how did Paula do?"

"She has talent and once tamed a sweet disposition. She will be fine from now on. How about Frida?"

Flavia smiled at me and caressed my face, saying, "Frida is one of those rare women who are very intuitive of their lover's needs. She, too, will be fine."

"Now, girls, it's late, and Quintus and Caius are probably in their cups. I need to go and take care of my husband and his guest. You two go to sleep. The lessons will start early tomorrow. Good night."

Flavia and Naima left the room, and I snuggled against Paula. No words were needed. I felt her love and am sure she felt mine. I had no energy to think about all that happened today, so I slowly let myself sink into the world of dreams. Before I reached it, I felt a ball of fur settle against me and give me a meow of greeting before her purring sent me to sleep.

***

The next day at breakfast, Octavius, who had just seen Caius off on his return trip to Paullus's estate, joined us. He explained that he would be our tutor, which surprised me. I had thought that some venerable old sage would teach us.

After breakfast, he took us to his office. There, seated at a table surrounded by shelves containing many scrolls, Paula and I sat across from him.

"I trust you had a good night's sleep," he said with a knowing smile.

We blushed, and Paula mumbled that we had.

"Speak up, girl. Know that Flavia and I have no secrets. I know what you did last night. Flavia is in charge of that part of your education and all matters of etiquette, domestic issues, etc. My role will be training your minds. A person who cannot reason and is deficient in general knowledge is on the same level as an animal.

"Frida, I know this is a sensitive topic, but your father was defeated in battle not because he lacked skill or courage. What he lacked was a knowledge of tactics and strategy. You might ask what have I to do with those as a woman. The answer is that all human engagement depends on tactics and strategy. As we progress, you will understand more and eventually agree with me."

"Frida, one of your tasks will be to teach Paula to ride and to supervise my stables. I have a stable slave, but he is neither very good nor bright. From what I have been told, you have skills in that area and could improve my stock. Those are beautiful Arabian horses you chose to bring with you.

"Your primary task, however, will be to learn how to read and write. Without those two skills, your education will not progress."

"But why, Octavius? I am but a poor tribal woman without any great hopes of being anything more than that."

"You, child, have no idea what the future might hold for you. Can you trust in me that those skills might be essential to your future husband?"

"Octavius, no man I know would want me as a wife."

"You are mistaken. It would be best if you trusted me, as I might be an oracle peering into the future. I see you married within the next year."

Paula, sitting next to me, gasped. "Octavius, do you mean…"

"Quiet, Paula, do not venture into territory you do not know.

"Now, let me describe the subjects we will study once Frida masters reading. Our starting points will be grammar, rhetoric, logic, history, and geography. I do not think it will take her long, as she is bright. Paula, you will coach her, as you presumably already know how to read.

"You will start today with this scroll by Hanno of Carthage. It deals with geography and will widen Frida's world knowledge."

To my great surprise, Paula was an excellent teacher. She delighted in showing me how good she was, and of course, this spurred me on to greater effort. I started to realize how competitive I was.

However, the challenge of interpreting Octavius's cryptic words about me being wed within a year was always in the back of my mind. Within a few weeks, I was a reasonably fluent reader, only having to consult with someone about words I did not understand. I began to have a broader knowledge of a world I could not have conceived a year ago.

From there, writing became possible, and Octavius had me write a history of my childhood as a member of a tribal clan. When I asked him why he had me do that, he told me I should never forget my roots. It was hard, as so much was dim in my mind. However, as I wrote, I discovered that much I had forgotten came back to me. Things like what we ate and how we clothed ourselves, childhood songs and sagas that were recounted at night around the fire. Every day, details helped me identify with my past and even develop pride in who we once were.

Flavia took over teaching us household management: how to plan meals and keep a house running smoothly, how to speak to guests no matter their rank, and how to keep slaves happy and content so they would feel like part of a family rather than animals to be punished. I was surprised at how she juggled as many balls as she did on a typical day.

She also did much to teach us the art of love—not the mechanics but the subtleties of keeping your partner happy and in love with you. She and Naima never again participated with Paula and me in the actual physicalities of lovemaking. Still, she was always ready to counsel and make suggestions.

Paula soon learned to ride, and we explored the estate and picnicked in different lovely spots. I also taught her how to swim, which allowed us to frolic together in and out of the water.

When I first visited Octavius's stables, they were disgusting. Filth littered the stalls, and the horses were equally grimy. The slave in charge was, in fact, stupid, so I suggested he be given other duties and undertook to train a young slave to be the stable keeper. I taught him to ride and made sure he followed my detailed instructions in keeping the horses and stable clean, making sure the horses were fed and watered correctly. Soon, the stables were running as efficiently as did the household.

It was a very happy year for me.

***

Flavia started hosting parties where young people were invited so Paula and I could get to know others our age. We had to plan and be the hostesses at these events. Paula took to it like a duck takes to water. For me, it was more laborious. I found the guests shallow and uninteresting. They, in turn, saw me as an exotic curiosity. I could not help but compare the young men to Paullus or Octavius. They were shallow, and I had no difficulty resisting the advances they made towards me.

I was not surprised when one of the better specimens managed to interest Paula. She told me she saw him as a potential husband.

***

Caius, whom we had not seen since he had escorted us here, reappeared in the fall. After greeting us, he and Octavius closeted themselves and were gone for over an hour.

Presently, Paula and I were summoned into Octavius's office. "Paula, Caius has some news you must hear," Octavius announced.

Paula turned towards Caius, who looked downcast. "Well, Caius, what news has you looking so somber?"

"Paula, your mother is gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

"She is …dead."

"What do you mean dead? How did that happen?"

Caius remained mute. Octavius said, "Paula, it's an ugly tale. Are you sure you want to know?"

"Of course, I want to know. I did not love her, but I need to know."

"Go, Caius, tell her. All of it. She deserves to know and understand."

"Child, I…"

"Don't call me child. It has been two years since you last saw me, and I have grown."

'I'm sorry, Paula, but to me, you will always be the child I never had."

"Thank you, Caius; you will always be my friend no matter how I grow. Now tell me."

"As you know, your mother always had sexual relations outside of her marriage. Your father tolerated these as he was often away for long periods. After you left, it changed. She was no longer satisfied with having an occasional slave service her needs. She started to have orgies with three or four slaves at the same time. Most nights, she finished passed out from drinking too much wine and lying indecently around the house.

"I was helpless to stop it. If I spoke to your mother about her actions, she ignored me and told me to mind my business. Things came to a head when a group of slaves attacked and wounded me. She became brazen and no longer confined her indecency to the bedchamber. She rutted whenever and wherever the fancy struck her.

"I wrote to your father about all this, and he told me to go to the praetor. She was summoned to attend a trial along with a number of the miscreants who had been debauched with her. When she refused to attend, she was arrested. Her judgment was swift. She was condemned to exile. While she was being transported, she fell into the sea and drowned."

"Does father know?"

"Yes. I have a letter from him for each of you," he said, handing me a folded and sealed scroll.

I unrolled the parchment with trembling hands. It was brief.

'Darling Frida,

By now, you have heard that I am free from my obligations to my wife.

If you would have me, I would be blessed by the gods if you were to accept to be my wife.

Please give Caius your answer. I should be home shortly.

Paullus'

I looked up and discovered the others were scrutinizing me. Paula broke the silence, "See, I was right. May I now call you future stepmother?"

"Paula, I can't believe it. Of course, I accept, though I am not worthy of the honor offered."

"Horse excrement," she spouted. "It was obvious from the start you loved my father and that he loved you."

She rose and hugged me, and the dam of incredulity broke, and my tears flooded out. I rushed to my room, sobbing with joy. Soon, Paullus would be holding me in his muscular arms, and soon, he would make a woman of me.

***

Edited by JefferyB

***

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