They took a different turn in the road this time, walking past other grand homes, past smaller houses, and then encountering small shops. Skaia was surprised to find that the streets were dirty, and there was a bad smell in the air.
Urine?
“
Master, may I talk?” he asked.
“
Not now.”
Soon enough, Thaddeus located the shop he wanted and walked inside. It smelled of tanned leather, and Skaia looked around curiously. The shop owner appeared almost immediately. “Ah, sir,” he said, smiling and addressing Thaddeus. “What may I do for you today?”
“
My slave needs new shoes.”
The shopkeeper seemed disappointed, but directed a surprised Skaia to the back of the shop to look through the assortment of common sandals kept there. They were very different from the more expensive shoes that were on display in the front of the shop. These were made of harder leather, with crude lacings and fewer straps. Skaia selected two different pairs, and sat on a bench to try them on. He thought them both uncomfortable, more so than the ones Lucius had found, but one pair was a little better than the other, and it was those he took to Thaddeus.
Skaia watched as his master looked at them critically, feeling at their texture and construction. Finally, Thaddeus shook his head and handed them back to Skaia. “They will not do. Put them back.” When Skaia returned, Thaddeus handed him a pair he had chosen himself. From one of the front racks. “Try these.”
Taking them, Skaia looked up. “Master,” he said very quietly, “these are too good for a slave.”
“
Don’t argue with me,” Thaddeus frowned, but with a sparkle of humor in his eyes. “Try them on.”
Skaia quickly did as he was told. He strapped his feet into the new shoes that covered his feet, and walked backwards and forwards in front of Thaddeus in them. “They feel very good, Master,” he said softly.
Thaddeus looked down at the boy’s feet. “Are you sure they don’t hurt?”
“
Yes sir. The soles bend when I walk and they are very soft.” Skaia looked at his feet as well, still thinking Thaddeus had made a mistake. “Master, it isn’t proper for…”
“
Silence.” Thaddeus turned to the shopkeeper. “I’ll pay your price. But, when I send in the old pair, I expect them to be mended for nothing.” The man whined for only a moment before he accepted Thaddeus’ generous offer, and Thaddeus handed the man the shoes Skaia had been wearing when they entered the shop. “Keep these. I’ll send someone for them later.” He counted coins from his purse.
When they were out of the shop, Skaia touched Thaddeus’ arm carefully. “Thank you, sir.”
Thaddeus looked down into the bright blue eyes and smiled. “I’m glad you like them. But don’t be expecting such things on a regular basis.”
Skaia nodded, but he wondered what Thaddeus meant.
Of course I would never expect anything from him…
But he said nothing, just followed when Thaddeus turned and walked away, returning to the major road once again.
Although Thaddeus hired a litter for himself, Skaia was still required to walk. They went to a different bathhouse this time. It was larger, and even more grand than the first one Skaia had seen. He looked around in awe at the statuary that decorated the courtyard, especially taken with the fountain that arched water into the air. Thaddeus actually tapped his jaw closed and whispered in his ear. “You look like some ignorant country twit who’s never seen anything.”
Skaia smiled shyly. “I am, sir. I’m just a barbarian.”
Thaddeus’ smile grew even broader as he realized Skaia had just made a joke. But he turned away when someone called his name, and they walked inside.
The arrangement in this bathhouse was also different from the first one. The walls were all polished marble of a deep amber color, and the floors here were done in brightly colored geometric patterns that included some of the same amber color.
Skaia hesitated when Thaddeus headed for the dressing room, and his master had to turn back. “What are you waiting for?” he asked impatiently.
“
I… I thought you would send me away now, sir, to be chained.”
“
No,” Thaddeus said softly. “You’ll come with me, today.”
A bath slave met them at the dressing room and helped Thaddeus and his friend out of their clothing. Skaia looked at the paintings that decorated the room as they talked, amazed that such licentious scenes were displayed in what was obviously a public place. They were far bolder than the simple scenes in Thaddeus’ home.
He looked away from them when he heard Thaddeus speak distinctly. “Go ahead to the pools if you wish, Marco. I think I‘ll exercise first today.”
Watching the man leave, Skaia thought his backside not so firm as Thaddeus’. He looked back to his master only when he was summoned closer. “Remove your clothing. I told you that you would be with me today.”
Skaia was just untying the belt at his waist when the bath slave reached to do it for him. And then finished stripping him quickly, even kneeling at his feet to remove the shoes. Skaia looked at Thaddeus from beneath his lashes, wondering what it meant—
to be with him for the day.
Thaddeus was the first to be dressed in an open robe. Skaia’s covering was smaller, just a wrapping about his middle, but of the same fine material. He looked up in confusion to see Thaddeus smiling at him. “Come, we’ll go to the exercise area.”
Skaia followed him, surprised they went outside again. But they were inside a high walled courtyard, with a sand pit floor. Thaddeus stripped off his robe and, handing it to Skaia, he walked naked to one of the many pieces of equipment and began to exercise. Skaia stood back awkwardly, holding Thaddeus’ robe and simply watching.
He quickly discovered that his master was stronger than he’d ever suspected. Thaddeus could lift himself from the ground and put his chin over a high bar. Then he lifted weights and Skaia was amazed at how his muscles seemed to grow more prominent. More men entered the area, and Thaddeus joined in their wrestling matches and some type of game where they threw balls at one another. Occasionally, one of the men would miss their ball and one of the other slaves would have to throw it back.
When the others left, Thaddeus stayed and called Skaia to him to wrestle. Skaia put Thaddeus’ robe on one of the benches and reluctantly pulled off his own. Though Thaddeus seemed perfectly comfortable to be naked in full view of everyone else, Skaia was embarrassed to be so visible, wearing only his slave collar.
Skaia had wrestled occasionally with Glaucus—and with Gotus, though he’d never known what he was doing—and had always lost. Thaddeus overcame him easily, throwing him repeatedly, until Skaia began to fervently hope it would soon be over.
Thaddeus laughed at his ineptness, and then explained some of the basic moves to him. After that, Skaia’s form was better, though Thaddeus still won every time. Finally, feeling battered and bruised, Skaia dared speak up. “May we stop now, Master? Please.”
Sitting back in the sand, Thaddeus grinned. “You need practice to gain strength.”
“
Yes, Master,” Skaia said, but wondered how that would happen. He sat back as well, and tried to catch his breath.
Thaddeus noticed the beginnings of bruises on the boy’s ribs, and regretted he had been so rough. “Come. We’ll go back inside now.”
The room they went to this time was for oiling and scraping. Thaddeus had Skaia oil him thoroughly from neck to feet, and then called for one of the bath slaves to use the strigel to scrape away the oil and sand.
Skaia stood back again and watched. But Thaddeus sent the bath slave to oil and scrape him too, when his own body was complete.
Another slave brought Thaddeus a cup of wine, and he sat on a bench to drink it, looking at Skaia and thinking about the prior night as he watched the bath slave rub the oil into Skaia’s young, pale body. There was a part of him that wished he had not forced the boy to do something he found so repugnant. But another part admitted how erotic he found such power, to command another. And he enjoyed the memories now.
When Skaia was scraped, he went to his master. “I didn’t think it would work so well,” he murmured softly, touching his arms.
“
Barbarian,” Thaddeus laughed, and led the way to the first pool room. “The next stop is always the tepidarium,” he explained as he lowered himself into the water. He looked up at Skaia. “Warm and very comfortable. Get in.”
As Thaddeus had expected, Skaia obviously enjoyed the experience. He was reminded of the first time Glaucus came to the baths as a man. Different, of course. His son was a patrician who belonged here. Skaia was a slave who could only come with his master’s command and support. But the pleasure on their faces was similar. Though Thaddeus’ reaction was different. With Skaia, he could easily throw the boy over the edge and fuck him. And he was very tempted to do so. But for reasons he couldn’t quite understand, he reined in his lust and let the young slave enjoy himself.
As other men entered the pool, Thaddeus motioned for Skaia to come with him to the next pool. Bath slaves appeared almost magically and held out shoes to both of them. Strange looking wooden things. Thaddeus slipped them on his feet immediately and Skaia repeated the same actions.
“
This is the caldarium,” Thaddeus explained. “The hot water.” He walked confidently to the pool and Skaia followed, without so much confidence, but he copied Thaddeus’ example, kicked off his shoes and lowered himself into the water.
The boy gasped in surprise at the very first step. “The water is very hot, Master.”
Thaddeus grinned. “And so is the floor. That’s why we have those thick sandals. Be glad you’re not one of the slaves who stoke the furnaces to keep it this way.”
Skaia remembered what the slave in the other bathhouse had said. His fear of being sent to the basement. He thought such a job must be horrible indeed. But, in time, he relaxed in the hot water, and enjoyed it, not allowing his thoughts to center on the misery that created it.
When some men came into the room, Thaddeus told Skaia to massage his shoulders. He whispered quickly, “You cannot stay unless you are working.”
Thaddeus seemed to enjoy the hot room, and ducked his head under the water several times. He relaxed completely as the stress of the morning seemed to melt away under Skaia’s touch. But eventually he said they must return to the tepidarium and begin to cool down.
Skaia nodded and followed him back to the other pool, massaging Thaddeus’ shoulders again when other men entered. Some of these men pulled bath slaves in as well, simply pushing them against the edges of the pool and using them. Thaddeus seemed to notice Skaia’s distress. He didn’t laugh, knowing by now that Skaia would be horrified. Instead, he suggested that they move again.
As they were walking away, Skaia spoke softly. “How can the water be so clean, sir, when men are… are doing
that
in it?”
This time, Thaddeus did laugh and put his arm around Skaia’s shoulder. “There is plenty of water. You can’t notice when you are in the pools, but the flow is constant. Any mess will be cleared away in just minutes. I’ve never seen dirty water at this bathhouse. Some of the poorer ones—the ones that are free to any citizen—have an occasional problem. But I’ve never seen it.”
Skaia said nothing else, feeling very awkward and on display as Thaddeus continued to touch him so casually. He was grateful when they got to the last pool. The frigidarium, Thaddeus called it. The cold pool.
Thaddeus had to wait until the few other men there left, before he invited Skaia to join him. He noticed that the boy’s skin pimpled as soon as he stepped in, a common enough reaction when going from warm water to cold. “The water is not as chilly as you think,” he said quietly. “It’s just your body’s reaction to the change.”
“
It doesn’t happen to you,” Skaia said as he looked at the tan smoothness of his master’s body.