She turned her gaze back to the warrior before her and let her eyes move across his skin, dark and unwashed and yet the masculinity of his stance and the look in his eye took her a moment to recover from. Her father barked for the warrior to drop to his knee before the princess, but she reached out and touched his strong shoulder, her fingers pressing in slightly until he focused on her instead of her father. "Is he not mine, Father? I would not have him bow for he will soon be a God in the arena." She smiled with sensual intent and looked around, her sadness tucked away beneath a cloak of regalia. 

She leaned in to him, her lips just beside his ear as she spoke only for him to hear and yet her words were filled with strong kindness, with a brash undertone to help in not appear weaker than he were. She’d not known many slaves of his kind, both strong enough and perhaps brave enough to remove themselves from any and all forms of oppression, but she wanted to give him a running start if he were to ever make his way from under the thumb of a man as hateful as the emperor.

“Do not bow before me now or they will forever have you on your knees, brave man of valor.” She spoke her words softly and turned as her father nodded and clapped his hands, his arms opening as he expected a hug from her. She walked from her new pet toward the man that bore her features, but shared none of her heart.

“I’m so very pleased, Princess. I think it should be up to you as to whether he fights in the Archeon Battle tomorrow at dusk.” He pulled her in for a short, appropriate-looking hug of sorts and then moved back, his large mitt-like hands holding her slender shoulders, the dress she wore covering only her breasts, stomach and legs. Long dark hair moved about her as she turned to look over her shoulder at the warrior, his strength appearing to ween a bit and yet if she gave him reprieve her father would questions her… and him.

Perhaps he was only emotionally tired.

“Yes,” she said, her gaze locked on his before returning to the large giant in front of her. “He will fight tomorrow, but tonight I want to retire with him.” She waited for his approval, her father having invited the whole city-state in a show of his adoration of Claudia, but truly it was for his own popularity. The things these poor people believed about their leader.

His eye twitched a little and her mouth lifted in a challenging smile, unable to help herself from besting him a little. He nodded and laughed, covering up his angst with a bit of pseudo warmth and understanding.

“But of course. You are your father’s daughter…” Everyone laughed as she put forth consorted effort to make a sound of appreciation before turning and walking toward the gladiator. She reached out and took his large hand, her own lost in the rough confined of his. She walked toward the door, her thumb softly rubbing back and forth along his as if trying to tame a beast and let him know that she was not at all what she appeared to be. She stopped just before the door as the guards opened it, her father’s crude comment following them into the silence of the halls.

“Don’t wear him out too much, daughter of mine.” He laughed.

“Not by choice…” She whispered and moved down the dark hall, candles lighting the way to her large bedroom where they could be alone and she could speak to him like the male deserved to be spoken to – as a human. She released his hands and let her shoulder relax before moving ahead of him and trying to think though how something so perfect such as her birthday celebration could've birthed the situation that lay before her. She could not fathom and released her thoughts by the time the guards opened the large ornate doors to her room, giving her entrance in the one place she could be herself.