A Roman Holiday 26
This story contains scenes involving the _s_e_x_ual and physical abuse of young boys by adults. I f you do not like such stories do not read this.
I would be glad to receive any comments or suggestions. Please send these to me zelamir@hotmail. com. The only comments I will ignore are those that tell me they do not like the story because it contains descriptions of _s_e_x_ual and physical abuse of boys by adults. That is what this story does contain. You have been warned.
Earlier instalments of this story can be found in the authors archive in MMSA Stories:
"An ideal solution Father," Philomela cried enthusiastically. "You dispose of that horrible filthy brute Marcus, you preserve my own son from slavery and you free us of all blame."
"Yes, thank you my dear, all that remains is for Cassius to take the brat to Britain immediately and obtain a receipt for him from Titus Cornelius."
"Go to Britain Father," Cassius cried in dismay. "Leave Rome in January and travel to Britain. It will be a horrible journey even using the imperial posts. (Rome had a system of imperial posts set at intervals along all major routes. Here travellers could obtain remounts and accommodation. They could only be used by travellers authorised either personally by the Emperor or by a governor of a province). Can't it wait until the spring. Anyway couldn't you send some slave or other with the dirty little beast."
"The answer to all those questions Cassius is no and you deceive yourself if you think I am going to risk what little influence remains to me in imperial circles by soliciting use of the imperial posts on your behalf. You will set out this evening. You will sail from Ostia to Marseilles and then proceed up the Rhone Valley through Gaul to the North Sea where you will procure a crossing to London. From there you will go to Colchester and surrender the boy to his new owner. Having obtained a clear receipt for the brat you will take it to London and give it to my agent there. After that what you do is your concern not mine. I would suggest however you do not return to Rome."
"Not return to Rome!" It was clear Cassius was deeply shocked.
"Not unless you wish to explain yourself and the state you brought his beloved son to this villa to Corax my dear boy," Cassius's father grinned wolfishly. "You got us into this mess and now you will pay the price."
"But where will I go?"
"I don't know and frankly I don't care. Vindonessa on the borders of Upper Germany might be safe. On the other hand it might not. The same advice incidentally goes for that useless friend of yours."
"Me?" Antonius gasped. He had been standing to one side wisely trying to keep out of what was clearly a heated family quarrel.
"Yes. Unless you feel confident that your friendship with the Emperor, of which you are so proud, is sufficiently firm and strong to protect you. I personally wouldn't put much reliance on it."
"But I can't leave Rome. What will I do. It isn't fair I only came along to keep Cassius company. It was Cassius who put the poker to the little whore's feet."
"And who was _f_u_c_k_ing the tart when I did it and who asked me to do it again? You're as much in this as I am Antonius."
"Get out and take the boy with you. The pair of you bore me and the brat smells. By the way make sure, in your own interests Cassius, the boy gets to Colchester alive and in one piece. Titus must not be given an excuse for rejecting him."
Cassius turned, grabbed Marcus by his shoulder and hustled him from the room followed by Antonius. Without speaking to each other the two young men hurried out of the house. Antonius ran down the steps, took the reigns of his horse from Vindex, vaulted into the saddle and trotted off. Vindex and Argius seeing Cassius coming down the steps towards them, with the boy he had so proudly intended to present to his sister, exchanged alarmed glances. Clearly something had gone wrong with his plans and they knew from painful experience that when that happened he was liable to vent his frustrations on the backs and shoulders of his slaves.
"Vindex take this brat up in front of you," Cassius ordered. "We're going home."
It was only a short journey to Cassius's parents house and it was completed in silence. Cassius was furious at his treatment by his father while Vindex and Argius, although ignorant of the cause of his anger sensed it and were fearful of doing anything that might cause the young man to vent it on them. Marcus on the other hand sensed a faint glimmer of hope. He had heard Cassius's father warn his son not to harm him. That surely meant no more applications of the hot iron and at the most only moderate beatings. True he was apparently destined for the arena, but in Britain. The journey there was a long one and there might well be opportunities for him to escape. Anyway a comparatively quick death in the arena was better than being tortured for the amusement of Cassius and his friends.
. "Argius tell my people to pack a case for me and meet me here in two hours time. We're going to Britain," Cassius ordered as he dismounted outside a somewhat smaller villa than Corax's. "Vindex come with me and bring that little whore with you."
He strode off leading the way through dark corridors and down narrow staircases into the cellars at the back of the building. He came to a heavy wooden door and pushed it open. A vast brown skinned man rose to greet him. He wore only a cloth wrapped round his waist. Rolls of fat partly obscured the belt holding it in place. His head and body were quite hairless. Marcus eyes widened with terror as he took in the contents of the room. Suddenly it occurred to him that perhaps Cassius had no intention of obeying his fathers orders not to harm him. A stout table with scrubbed top and leather straps at each corner occupied the centre of the room, to one side hot coals glowed dully in an iron brazier. Massive chests were set against the walls and above them hung iron bars and pincers together with a variety of heavy whips.
"Sir," the fat man said his voice surprisingly high and girlish, "you have brought me a subject for me to exercise my skills on I hope. I am so pleased. It is pleasant to do work for one who truly enjoys seeing pain. Do you remember the first time you came here. You were hardly ten I think and had stumbled on the place while playing hide and seek with your sister. I was busy and wanted to send you away but you begged me to let you stay and watch and since then you've been a frequent visitor often bringing me boys to practice on."
"It's the brat here," Cassius said indicating Marcus with a waive of his hand, "but I'm afraid there are limitations."
"Limitations," the man sounded disappointed, " a lovely boy it would have been a pleasure to have stretched and broken him on the rack. There's endurance in that small body. He would not have disappointed you like some. He would not have had a quick death. You just want him gelded do you? I'll have them off him in a second. Hold him tight." He picked up a small knife from the table and advanced on Marcus grinning evilly.
"No Asiaticus." Cassius said hastily a note of regret in his speech. "My father says I have to take him to his new master in Britain and he is to be delivered undamaged and entire. But I want to have a bit of fun with him on the way and how can you get the best out of a boy if you can't hurt him?"
"True, pain is the great educator so far as boys of that are concerned." Asiaticus agreed. "But the whip and the branding iron are only some of tools available. He's not to be visibly marked or damaged. I suppose the little brute felt relieved when he heard that. Well we'll put that right now."
The eunuch lifted the lid on one of the chests and rummaged within it. He drew out a small rectangular wooden box. He opened it to reveal six thin steel needles with small wooden heads. He took one out and held it up the lamp light glinting on the fine smooth metal. Marcus catching sight of it whimpered and began to struggle in Vindex's grip.
"Hold the child firm now," the man commanded.
"There's not much spare flesh on him is there," he said running one hand over Marcus ribcage.
He took hold of Marcus's right nipple and squeezed it so it stood out from the lad's body. He rested the point of the needle against it.
"Please Sir. .... No Sir Please..." Marcus pleaded desperately and then screamed as the man thrust the needle through it.
The eunuch withdrew the needle and stood watching as two small beads of blood formed at the points where the metal had pierced the boy's flesh. He bent down and kissed the tiny punctures.
"Provided ," he said straightening up, "the needles are kept clean, you can use them and leave the boy's body unmarked. Now I think the other nipple, just to keep things in balance as it were."
"It's not only the nipples too," he continued once Marcus's screams had abated somewhat. "You can use them on the boy's lips, his scrotum provided you avoid his balls, his _c_o_c_k_, pretty well any where you may fancy."
"Excellent that leaves room for the exercise of our imagination," Cassius said laughing "Well I had better go and see that the other arrangements for our journey are in hand."
"Perhaps Sir," the eunuch suggested, " you would care to leave the boy with me until you are ready to set out. Given a little time and with the assistance of Vindex here I'll give the child a schooling he will never forget."
"Good. Vindex bring the brat to my room when the half hours up." As Cassius left the room Marcus was sobbing and pleading for mercy. Cassius swung the cellar door closed. Behind him he heard the boy's whimperings rise into an ear splitting scream.
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When half an hour later Marcus was brought to Cassius the boy although unmarked was sobbing wildly and unsteady on his feet.
"You've got the needles have you Vindex?" Cassius asked the slave who was half supporting half holding the trembling boy by one arm. Cassius noticed the child's wrists had been untied earlier presumably to allow some added torment.
"Yes Sir here you are," The man replied holding out the small box with it's cruel contents.
"I wonder," said Cassius flipping back the lid and drawing forth one of the fine needles, "if I should just try my hand with one of these."
"Sir....Please no Sir....I'll do anything Sir ..." Marcus twisted away from Vindex's grasp and threw himself on his knees at his tormentor's feet.
"Well I don't know Marculus," Cassius smiled down at the boy grovelling at his feet. "You haven't been a good boy. Hitting me in the face, running away twice and now putting me to all the trouble of travelling to Britain. Perhaps you need just a little more schooling."
"I'm sorry Sir .....I'm sorry ... I promise I'll do better in future Sir..." In less than an hour the eunuch had destroyed all boy's pride. He had only one thought now, to avoid the searing pain of the steel needles probing his body.
"Did he use the needle on Marculus's lips Vindex?"
"Yes Sir," the man laughed. "But he screamed the most when he was bent over the table and the man was working on his ring."
"What a delicious idea. Get the brat back on his feet for me."
Vindex moved forward. Marcus through his arms round Cassius's legs crying and pleading.
"Well," Cassius said holding up his hand to stop Vindex, "perhaps you have had enough for the time being. But remember the slightest disobedience ..."
"Thank your Master you ungrateful little beast," Vindex shouted kicking Marcus hard in the bum.
"Now Marculus," Cassius said cutting short the boys whimpered thanks, "what you are is a tart and that's what your good at. In the end no doubt you'll have your throat slit in the arena but until then your my whore and you're to look the part."
He clapped his hands and a maid appeared. She lifted Marcus gently onto his feet and lead him away into a corner of the room. Producing a box of cosmetics she set to work. She was quick and it was not long before Marcus was lead back before his master, cheeks rouged, lips reddened, eyes outlined in kohl, nipples gilded.
"Very good," Cassius said looking with a sneer down into the boy's doll like painted face. "That's how I want you to look from now on and you need to wear appropriate clothes as well."
The maid stepped forward again. She fastened a belt of braided gold cloth around Marcus's waste securing it with a clasp in the form of a mans penis. From the belt hung a myriad short golden tassels just long enough to cover the boy's crutch. When he stood still the garment covered his nakedness but the slightest movement sent the tassels swinging giving tantalising glimpses of the more intimate recesses of Marcus's boy's body.
Cassius reached out to fondle the boy. Marcus flinched away.
"Oh dear Marcullus," Cassius said softly but with a hint of excitement in his voice, "you have still so much to learn. You're my slave now, child. I do to you what I want when I want You have no choice."
"Just catch hold of him by his neck and hold his head steady for me Vindex."
Marcus was held firmly from behind, the man's forearm locked across his neck forcing his face upwards. The slaves other arm was wrapped round his waste, pinning his hands to his sides. The boy's eyes widened in terror as they saw the long needle clasped between the finger and thumb of Cassius's right hand. The man pushed his left thumb into Marcus's mouth slipping it behind the boy's lower lip. Smiling he let the child feel the point of the needle. Looking down into the boy's face he saw his eyes roll back in terror. He laughed and increased his pressure on the needle forcing it through the boy's flesh until he felt the point prick his thumb on the inside of the boy's lip.
He held the needle there for a second or two, enjoying the spectacle of the child's suffering before he withdrew it.
"Just to make sure you don't forget Marculus."
He smiled and thrust the needle though the boy's lip for a second time.
Cassius stepped back and regarded the sobbing boy still held in a vice like grip by Vindex. He realised that Marcus's suffering had excited him. It would be amusing he thought to take him fresh from his torment. But time was short and there would be plenty of other opportunities during the days ahead. It would give him something to look forward to. Signalling to Vindex to follow him he walked from the room.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
The merchant vessel the "Augusta" nudged gently against her moorings. Cassius followed closely by Marcus made their way down the steeply sloping gang plank to the wooden wharf between whose piles the muddy river sluggishly flowed. The man was warmly clad and walked with his head thrown arrogantly back. The boy was muffled in a cloak but beneath it his feet and legs were bare. His head was bowed and he stumbled slightly as he walked. He was trembling either from the chill of the cold mist that lay heavily on the water or from fear. A short chain was secured to the child's right wrist by a metal bracelet and the man tugged impatiently on this to urge the boy forward. Vindex and Argius s followed them carrying heavy bundles. A fair haired youth appeared from the warehouse at the landward end of the wharf and strolled forward to meet them.
"Welcome Sir," he said bowing to Cassius and smiling, "how can the house of Corax assist you."
"I require three good horses immediately."
"Horses Sir. I am sorry Sir," the youth said sounding not at all regretful, "that is very difficult. The Northern Campaign you know Sir."
"I don't know. What Northern Campaign?" Cassius snapped impatiently.
"The Northern Campaign Sir that the tenth and fourteenth legions are waging in the North Sir." The youth's tone was just the right side of insolent. "All the horse in this part of Britain have been commandeered for it Sir. You may find some in London Sir, but at a price."
"Well send someone to London and to get three horses for us and do it now ."
"I am in sole charge of the warehouse Sir. I am sorry there is no one I can send and I can't leave my post here or I would willingly do so to serve you." The lad made no attempt to hide the insincerity in his voice as he gave this assurance.
"Well I'll have to send one of my slaves then."
"Yes Sir I suppose you could do that. London's three miles up stream Sir and it will be dark within the hour but you certainly could do that."
"Well what's the alternative then?"
"You can sleep in the warehouse overnight Sir. I have a bed upstairs that you can have Sir if you wish and there is an ale house just up the road where you could send of your slaves to get food. It won't be what you're used to but it will be better than nothing."
Once inside the warehouse Cassius produced a small key from his purse and unlocked the bracelet that secured the chain to Marcus's wrist. At the same time he roughly pulled the cloak off the boy's shoulders. Marcus stood staring miserably at the floor his only clothing the obscene fringe of golden tassels that swung loosely about his hips.
"Where's this bed that I'm to have," Cassius demanded.
"It's up that ladder in the loft Sir."
"In the loft! Oh well I suppose I'll have to put up with it."
"Marculus, you idle little whore, take my bag up there and unpack it and bring the box of needles down here. I can see this is going to be a boring evening and I will need to make my own entertainment." Cassius laughed as his young victim began to snivel uncontrollably.
"Perhaps I should show your boy where things are up there Sir?"
"Yes all right and Vindex, you go up with them just to see my little Marculus doesn't try to run away and leave us without the pleasure of his company again."
The loft was a single windowless room that ran the full length of the warehouse.
"He's not going to be able to get out of here Sir," Vindex called down to Cassius after taking a quick glance around the place from the top of the ladder. "Shall I come back down."
"All right you can go to the alehouse and see what they can do us in the way of food. Remember you're going there to get food not to get drunk."
Once they were well away from the trap door Bestia turned to face Marcus and taking the other boy's hands in his dropped to his feet at his knees.
"What have they been doing to you Sir?" He whispered urgently
Marcus who had known only abuse and ill treatment for weeks burst into tears. He had recognised Bestia as soon as he had seen him on the wharf but he had expected the other boy to forget the one good deed he had done him and to take the opportunity to avenge on him all the many bad things he had inflicted on him. Bestia's gentleness completely upset him.
Bestia got to his feet and put his arms around the sobbing boy and hugged him
"They hurt me Bestia they hurt me so much," was all Marcus was able to say through his tears.
"I know about the beating your father gave you for helping me. I know about your father having to flee to escape treason charges. We slaves hear quite a lot you know. But is there anybody who can help you now? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"They're going to hand me over as a slave to a man called Titus Cornelius and he'll have me killed. His brother Gauis would help if you asked him, but he's living with his uncle Longinus in Southern Gaul near Narbonne."
"I'll find him."
"But Bestia how can you leave here you're a slave. You can't run away. What'll happen to you if you're caught?"
"I'll have to make myself scarce before tomorrow morning anyway," Bestia said with a grin, brushing Marcus's worries to one side, "before that lot down there find there's no shortage of horses and no Northern campaign or anything."
"You made it all up?" Marcus said grinning through his tears.
"Yes. We're meant to make life difficult for your step mother's lot till your father can return and they say that's not too long away."
Now I'll going to go down the ladder first. I'll say I've got to make a tour of the yard and that's the last you'll see of me till I bring your friend Gauis to rescue you. I'll slip aboard the Augusta. She's due to sale for Gaul on the next tide."
As Bestia crept along the wharf he heard clearly a boy scream in pain. There was no proper watch kept on the Augusta and he had no trouble slipping aboard. Later that night when she slipped down stream on the tide on her way back across the channel with Bestia hidden behind some bales of wool in her hold on his way to find Gauis Cornelius not knowing that he when he found Gauis he would recognise the slave boy Pisclus with whom he had shared the miseries of the voyage from Britain to Rome. Nor that Marcus's confidence that Gauis would help him was founded not on Gaius's friendship for himself but on that young boy's gratitude to Bestia himself. Nor that Marcus was destined for the slaughter house of the circus. All facts that Marcus in his terror of his persecutors had not found time to tell him.
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