NeS2 Post 1753 continues Britt: The Legend where Britticus has continued his life under Gebtulus Simonious' roof while serving his fifth wife, Locretia. She is desperate to get pregnant and has purchased a new fertility necklace. After getting Nyneve's advice she wants a male opinion and so she displays her naked torso to Britt to gauge his reaction. Satisfied she dismisses him and he goes down to see his friend, and fellow slave, Septimus in the slave pens. He complains they haven't been fed and continues to tell Britt that he is the son of the goddess Minerva. Eventually Locretia calls for Britt angrily and she thinks he must have lied to her about her beauty as her husband doesn't want her; a repeated offence. She decides she must take new measures and seduces Britt. Several months later and Locretia gives birth to a baby and Septimus is working in the kitchens. Septimus believes the baby is Britt's since he has had more sex with Locretia but Britt doesn't necessarily believe it and Nyneve is jealous.
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Britt the Legend: Chapter Four[]
Britt the Legend
A year rolled by since the unforgettable slave revolt and the mysterious Askia. Britt had been dubbing himself Britt the By-stander, as he felt all he had done was stand-by and watch the carnage around him. The strange downfall of The Commander had shaken Britt to the core. The Commander had always been a symbol of unbreakable heroism and bravery within Britt's dreams for all his years as a slave to Simonius - but to see the man somehow twisted by the sinister evil of Askia felt like a metaphysical slap to the face.
Britt's service in the House of Simonius fluctuated week-by-week. Some weeks he was in charge of the slaves' care in the basement, other weeks he was once again the attendee for the Master's wife.
Locretia Simonius: "Britt darling, please fetch my new jewellery!"
Britt went out of his new mistress' room to get her jewellery from the merchant in the hall. Shortly after Junia's death, Locretia had become Gebtulus' fifth wife. When she arrived, she replaced everything in Junia's room with new furnishings - erasing all trace of the dead woman. Initially Britt was resentful of this, but ultimately decided it would have been worse if Locretia was sleeping in the very same bed Junia had done. Over time he started to grow slightly fond of Locretia. She wasn't as simple-mindedly naïve as Junia, but Locretia had a strange kind of charm that rubbed off on him. He didn't know what it was exactly, but she somehow endeared him. The sound of her voice, the lilt in her laugh, the paleness of her skin...
Britt quickly returned with the jewellery. Locretia was already seated and rose her hair expectantly. Britt slipped the large necklace around her shoulders, each partition was a huge gold piece and Britt could feel the weight of it as he put it upon her chest. He fastened the thick clasp at the back.
Britt: "Can you stand the weight of it, my lady?"
Locretia: "I am a woman of high birth, my simple Britt. One must take such great burdens to remain in fashion."
Britt rolled his eyes. He could never tell if she was trying to be funny or not. Another slave entered the room, dressed in a simple, white robe and her dark hair was tied to the side in curls.
Nyneve: "My lady, I have your milk balm."
Locretia: "Good. Put it there and tell me what you think of my new necklace, girl."
Nyneve grinned at Britt while Locretia's gaze was distracted by the shiny trinket around her shoulders. Britt grinned back but tried to straighten his lips out when he realised how stupid he probably looked.
Nyneve: "I think it looks beautiful on you, my lady. The colours are so vivid and match your hair wonderfully."
Nyneve moved around to the rear of Locretia and gave Britt a playful nudge with her elbow. Britt nudged Nyneve in return, leaning over and shoving her with his shoulder.
Locretia: "I do appreciate having you here, girl. You have such a good eye for these things. Alas... this is supposed to be worn in the bare minimum of clothing. Hopefully it's going to increase fertility so I can finally secure my place in this household... Britt! What do you think?"
Before either slave knew it, Locretia had turned on her stool to face them with her chest, and necklace, exposed. Britt instantly averted his gaze to the ceiling, while Nyneve demurely lowered her head.
Locretia: "Britt, what are you doing?"
Britt: "I-I- ah, I'm not supposed to look, my lady! It's not allowed!"
Locretia: "I am your owner, Britt. That means I say where you can and cannot look. I'm commanding you to give me your opinion."
Britt slowly lowered his head. He felt flustered and he was certain that his face must have turned bright red. Locretia wore a discrete, though self-satisfied, smirk. Britt stood with a fixed, dream-liked expression on his face for a long while.
Locretia: "As a man, I want to know... does this appeal to you?"
When Britt swallowed he found his throat dry. He managed to nod before he could find words.
Britt: "Y-yes. Very much, in fact. Very... very... appealing..."
She stood, without redressing, closing the gap between them by just a fraction - yet that fraction seemed to cause the intensity of heat that Britt could feel in the air around him to increase even further.
Locretia: "Thank you, Britt. I trust in your male judgement. I hope it's enough. Girl, apply the milk balm. My skin must be ultra soft for this evening."
She finally turned her back to Britt, releasing him from sexual torment.
Locretia: "You can go now, dear Britt. Look after our pets will you?"
Britt bade his farewells to his mistress and left her chamber. Once outside he breathed a deep sigh, still dwelling on his confused feelings for Locretia. All the while his liking of her increased, and yet at the back of his mind he knew she had murdered his former mistress, the innocent Junia. Even Askia knew it. Blood-stained hands. He shuddered as a chill ran up his spine, and yet he couldn't shake the fixation he had with her.
He made his way down into the basement where the "pets" were being kept for the day. The slaves were allowed to walk around the courtyard for one hour a day under guard and that time was almost up.
Many slaves were packed into the small cells, forced to share a single bucket to go to the toilet in and given scraps of food from the master's table. One lone guard stood in the basement, the rest were taking up positions in the courtyard.
Septimus: "Britticus! Will we get any bread today?"
Britt: "You haven't been fed?"
Septimus: "No. The guards came down earlier with what looked like our food but... I think they fed it to the dogs."
Britt: "Sorry about that. I'll ask someone upstairs later to bring down anything that's still available. Any other problems today, Septimus?"
Septimus: "No. Life's just peachy. Davius over there learnt a new trick today, didn't you Davius? He can now fart the Roman legion's marching beat."
Britt: "Sounds like you've had a productive day."
Septimus: "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope I get sold soon. Anything would be better than this."
Britt: "Don't jinx yourselves, I've heard horror stories about the mines."
Septimus: "Right now I'd take deadly labour over starving in a tiny cell."
Britt: "Fair point. I will try and get some food to you soon. Buyers will be here tomorrow, so we can hope you all get bought and taken to better homes than this."
Septimus: "Except Old Villius. I think he's been here for forty years or so already. Can't tell for sure though, he's gone kind of mental. Keeps talking to his own toes."
Britt: "Just don't let him talk to your toes, and you'll be fine. If he gets hold of those... you'll be walking funny for the rest of your life."
Septimus: "Thanks for the warning. Let me ask you something before you go?"
Britt: "Okay."
Septimus: "How'd you land such a sweet gig? How'd you end up doing this? Serving the lady of the house, looking after us poor plebs?"
Britt: "Funny when you put it that way. I never really saw myself as fortunate to be here, to be honest."
Septimus: "Want to switch then?"
Britt: "Yeah, when you put it that way... I'm sure things will work out for us both, Septimus. It's been an honour to meet someone so interesting for now though."
Septimus: "Likewise. I bet it's not everyday you get to meet the son of Minerva, right?"
Britt: "Still think you're the son of a goddess?"
Septimus: "No thinking about it, my friend. If ever I get out of here, I'll prove it to you."
Britt: "I look forward to that."
Britt left the cells and walked out into the courtyard to see that everything was prepared for the slaves' walk. One of the guards nodded to him and he nodded back. Usually the guards avoided talking with him, thinking him beneath them - despite the fact that those higher than the guards liked to talk to Britt all of the time. That was, except for Cathia Imperatus, the personal bodyguard for Gebtulus Simonius. She was entirely different from everyone else in the house, seeming to exist on some other plane entirely. Although most found her cold, Britt found her indifference a welcome change from the other guardsmen.
The guard walked down into the basement to let the slaves out. Britt intended to watch for a while and then go try to find the slaves their food, but then he heard his name being shouted.
Locretia: "Britt! Britt!"
Britt rushed to the centre of the courtyard and looked up to see Locretia leaning on the balcony wall. Her voice was agitated and anger was written all over her face.
Locretia: "Britt, get up here! I need you!"
Britt did as he was bidden, ignoring the snickering of the guards around. He burst into his mistress' chambers to find her drinking a large goblet of wine. She slammed the goblet down on the tray held out by Nyneve when she saw him enter. She thrust an aggressive finger in his direction.
Locretia: "I thought you said I was appealing! You told me, to my face, that I was desirable!"
Britt: "You were! You are!"
Locretia: "Well, apparently either you're lying or you're wrong! My husband, once again, doesn't want me. Once a month isn't going to increase my chances of stability here! What's wrong with me? What's wrong with this necklace!?"
She stared at Britt as though he ought to have all of the answers. He managed a bewildered shrug.
Locretia: "I really believed you. I thought... yes, I was so irresistible..."
Britt: "Lady Locretia, I think you are the most... attractive woman I've ever met. Beyond words, you are infinitely beautiful. Everything about you is so incredibly lovely. I've admired you for so long in every way. I'm sorry about my Master, but I assure you it is no fault of yours. You are so... perfect..."
Britt detected a stiffness in Nyneve's posture that told him she was unhappy with his sudden outburst of affection, but she otherwise blanked him.
Locretia visibly softened, though she kept her back straight and indignant. But her eyes were suddenly filled with warmth and encouragement.
Locretia: "Yes... I have to say, I had noticed."
Britt lowered his head and fell to one knee.
Britt: "I'm so sorry that I've embarrassed you."
Locretia: "Maybe it was all your attention that filled me with delusions of my own beauty... Or maybe I just have a beauty only a plebeian can admire..."
Britt: "I don't believe that. You are much more beautiful than any of the other noble women I've seen come in here. You are the Master's fifth wife... maybe... he's just... well, he is who he is..."
Locretia: "You mean he's a complete basturd, right?"
Britt refrained from answering that.
Locretia: "Girl. Get out. And close the curtains when you do. And don't let me be disturbed for the rest of the evening..."
Nyneve, stiffly, walked out wordlessly and closed the curtain as bid.
Locretia: "There's a very simple solution to my problem, Britt. Do you want to help me?"
Arkng Thand takes a long, slow drink as he reads the next few paragraphs of the book. He knows such content would be completely censored from the NeS, but a book within a book gets some leeway. Unfortunately, dear readers, you're reading the NeS and not Britt the Legend, so only Thand here gets to enjoy that section of the story.
Some months later and Locretia is one happy mother. The child, dark-haired just like his mother, is considered a miracle by everyone as mother and father only shared a bed a few times. The baby seemed to arrive a little premature, but he was perfectly healthy and strong.
Septimus rubbed his eyes and Britt related the news of the birth. Following Britt's increased 'influence' in the household, he had been able to get his friend a job in the kitchen. Septimus considered himself eternally indebted to Britt for this and so he was willing to sit through a step-by-step explanation of the whole birth, despite wanting to sleep or vomit depending on how vivid Britt's depictions were throughout the tale.
Septimus: "Congratulations, you are the secret father to a horrible Roman noble."
Britt: "We don't know that! The baby is probably the Master's!"
Septimus: "Come on! Seriously, what are the chance?"
Britt: "Still. I think it's best if I believe the baby isn't mine... puts me in a dangerous position."
Septimus: "You've been in a dangerous position for the past eight or so months. You and the mistress. You're lucky me and Nyneve can keep our mouths shut, else both you and she would be nailed to crosses."
Briitt: "Thanks for the reminder."
Septimus: "Just wanted to keep your head in play. What're you going to do now that Locretia has her child? Think she still 'needs' you?"
Britt: "I suppose... not. I don't know what will happen. She's the boss, I guess."
Septimus: "I know there's every possibility you could get strung up at any day, but wow... I wish I was you."
Britt rolled his eyes.
Septimus: "I was talking to Nyneve earlier today. You know she still holds a candle for you, right?"
Britt: "Nyneve hates me."
Septimus: "I don't think so. She just doesn't want you sleeping with Locretia."
Nyneve: "Actually I don't want him sleeping with that witch, and I hate him."
Septimus: "Sneaking around in the dark, Nyneve?"
Nyneve: "My ears were burning."
Britt: "How are you, Nyneve."
Nyneve: "I'm still not talking to you."
Britt: "Oh..." :(
Arkng Thand: "Rather draws in the Simon lineage into question, doesn't it? And, in my mind, raises the issue of blood ink and its attachment to certain blood lines... and now I'm talking to myself. I've spent far too many years alone..."