The army was given one day of respite after the March home, the day after we resumed our tasks. I took the woman to my tent, a private one reserved for individual centurions next to the tents of their respective cohorts.

Along the way, I caught soldiers staring in my direction, I knew they were eyeing the woman. I took her wrist and gripped it tight, no doubt it seemed like I was being forceful, telling her that I could care less about her well being to even practice proper manners. As we reached my tent, I pulled her towards me and gestured to her to go in my tent. Her eyes met mine again, with the same fiery glare. I met hers with a glare of mine, neither of us would surrender. I kept my eyes on her until I saw some of my men whispering to one another about the situation. I quickly pushed her into the tent and gave my men a look that they quickly understood to mean "Mind your businesses, men". They tensed and proceeded off further away. I took a deep breath to give myself some calm before I entered.

I entered to see a normal tent interior. An armor and weapon stand near one of the poles that held the tent up. One bed was laid out at the end of the tent, opposite the entrance and a chair and table on the side. The table had a bowl of fresh fruit and a cup of wine. There were only two lamps lighting the tent, and the ground was covered in a thick dark red cloth, where the girl sat in one of its corners. She turned away, immediately as I came in, and faced the tent wall. I proceeded to undo my armor and hang my gladius, glancing at the woman still curling up in the corner. She appeared, and by all means, she is poorly fed. Her golden brown skin became pale with hints of blue and her bones were nearly prominent on her body. I wondered how she had the strength to fight back.

I took the cup of wine and an apple from the bowl, and walked towards the woman. I reached out the hand with the apple, and she seemed to tense, forcing herself to the corner. "Eat." I said, attempting to present myself more mannerly. She did not respond. I knelt down and moved slightly closer. "I know you understand me. Do not feign ignorance." she still did not respond. I breathed a breath of frustration, to calm myself. Rather than pestering her more, I decided to leave the apple right by her, hoping that she would take it.

"Ignore me to your heart's content. You are better off in my company than any other." I said grimly. Silence still. "You despise me, don't you?" "You must have envisioned my death already, and many others before me I would imagine." I began to speak continuously.

"The hatred in your eyes, it is only satisfied if it has taken the life of many men, not just I." "Your body has been violated, used. Your family murdered in the dirt without safe passage to the underworld. And your home burned to ashes, mere dust to the power that conquered it."

As I spoke, instinct took over me and a glint of shining light appeared in the dark cloth of the tent. I slowly grabbed the knife left on the table, before I readied I spoke. "Kill me, and the entire army will know." No answer, but nothing happened. Then a weak voice spoke. "Y-you...... Die" a voice said from behind me, a shrill voice.

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I turned and saw what I expected, the woman with my blade in her hands, preparing to cut me down from my head down. "I urge you to reconsider." I said, meeting her eyes once more. "You may cut me down if you wish, I will not stop you." I walked closer, keeping my haze on hers. "But it will not avenge anything, and your death WILL be a waste."

She glared at me, her eyes and expression full of rage, I had expected her to go through with her strike, but she did not. She hesitated and slowly lowered the blade. When it touched the ground, hanging by her weak arms, I grabbed her hand and gently took the blade from her. I placed the blade back on the weapons rack, and she remained standing there. In an instant the hate was gone, she appeared like death, expressionless and speechless. "W-wh-Why?" she asked.

I could only assume what she meant. "It is the way of the world." I began. "The Empire will rule, and more lives will be given as slaves, property." "And we, Rome's citizens, will reap those prizes." I pushed the bowl of fruits towards her and left her by the table. "You should eat. It will not do, for a perfectly good slave to be poorly fed."

I took the blanket from my bed and put it on the ground next to my bed. "For today, you will sleep here. Rest." I sat on my bed and lay on the pillow. She remained motionless still, staring at the fruit bowl. I turned away from her and attempted to rest for the day.

----

That night, I was invited to dinner with the other centurions in the big tent, one last night of freedom before we resume our duties in the city, and train in the camp. It was another long drunken, stupid night. I indulged in none of it. I had my fill of food and wine and decided to patrol the camp. Whether it was outside of Rome or in the city, the men always find some sort of entertainment to pass the time.

I reached my tent, intending to rest for the remainder of the night. The girl had been staying in the tent. I had threatened any soldier, be they officer or regular, that if they take her, they shall answer directly to me. She remained on the sheet that I provided for her, sitting. I saw a plate of food on the table, untouched.

"Eat, it will be the last delicious food you will be tasting for a while." I said holding out the plate to the woman. Her expression became soft and sad, as if on the border of sleeping. "You..." She looked at me. "Different...... Why?" "As I told you, you are my property, my slave. I cannot have you expire." I said. She sat silent and I stood and took a deep breath. "If you are going to be serving me, I am going to have to teach you Latin to fix your speech." And for the first time, she looked at me, her eyes which would normally be filled with burning hatred, had a glint of gentleness I did not expect. While it was only for a brief moment, it was a surprise. I set the plate down next to her and fiddled with my armor, checking for any damage that could not possibly be there.

As I tended to my equipment, I heard the soft creaking sound of glass sliding across the rough ground. She had begun to eat the food. It was at that moment I realized that her life was in my hands. Unlike the many men I have killed in this bloody conquest, this struggle between her and I is not a matter of her life or mine. She does not have any choice in the matter. Regardless of what she wanted, I decide whether she lives or dies. A grim fate, and a sad reality. One that I am reluctant to accept.