Chapter 4

The praetor ordered a slightly different exhibition for his party to witness that night. The banqueting hall was filled with the clatter of silverware, the murmur of voices, and the occasional burst of laughter. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat and spiced wine, the sounds of revelry masking the sinister undercurrent that went along with them.

Kaelus, Tarin and Lykos were led into the hall. The flickering torchlight cast long shadows across the room, highlighting the grandeur of the space and the cruel indifference of those who filled it. As the boys were made to stand on the platform, Kaelus glanced at Tarin and Lykos, their shared fear unspoken but understood.

The guards moved with practised efficiency, stripping the boys of their loincloths and binding their hands tightly behind their backs. The rough rope bit into their skin, but the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the humiliation of being exposed and powerless before the crowd.

The praetor leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with interest as he observed the bound and naked young gladiators. His entourage watched with eager anticipation, their laughter and whispered comments providing a stark contrast to the boys’ silence. With a sickening jolt of horror and embarrassment, Lykos realised that he recognised some of the guests as former friends of his own family.

Kaelus stood tall, refusing to let his fear show. He knew that this display was as much about breaking their spirits as it was about satisfying the twisted desires of the spectators. He forced himself to meet the praetor’s gaze, defiance simmering beneath his composed exterior.

Tarin’s eyes darted nervously around the room, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt intensely vulnerable as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. Lykos was totally inert, his jaw clenched as he focused on keeping his emotions in check.

Three slave girls were led into the hall and made to stand on the platform with the boys. Kaelus recognised Livia, as well as a Moroccan girl named Talia whom he had also been forced to rape in the past. He had never before seen the third girl, who had a Nordic look about her and appeared to be around the same age as Livia and Talia.

Livia went to stand in front of Tarin while Talia stood in front of Lykos, which left the girl whose name Kaelus did not know to stand in front of him. Consciously or subconsciously, the three girls remained as far away from the three boys as they dared.

‘Here we have three fine physical specimens,’ the master announced, then he indicated each of the boys in turn. ‘This is Tarin, this is Lykos, and I’m sure you all remember Kaelus from last night. You’ve already seen some measure of what he is capable of ... though not, I trust, the full extent.’

At these words, Kaelus’s blood ran cold. His sense of powerlessness suddenly increased tenfold. He felt a sickening dread combined with a detached resignation as he waited to hear what was coming next.

‘For your viewing pleasure,’ the master continued, ‘these slave girls will now use their dainty fingers to stimulate our three young gladiators to the point of physical release. When they have achieved this, they will do it again. And then again. And then again. They will only cease doing so when the praetor orders it.’

The atmosphere in the room shifted palpably. The master’s voice, cold and authoritative, echoed in the tense silence. The boys stood frozen, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief as the reality of the command sank in.

Kaelus felt his heart thudding painfully in his chest, the blood rushing in his ears as he processed the master’s words. The powerlessness he had felt before deepened into something more visceral – a raw, physical vulnerability that he had never fully experienced until now. His mind raced, trying to grapple with the implications of what was being demanded of them.

Tarin and Lykos exchanged horrified glances. Their expressions mirrored Kaelus’s own – a mix of fear, shame, and a desperate need to escape the situation they were being forced into. The girls, too, looked stricken, their eyes darting between each other and the boys, reflecting the same terror and revulsion.

The master’s eyes swept over the group, his satisfaction evident as he took in their reactions. He revelled in their discomfort. For him, this was just another exercise in power – a cruel display of dominance that would entertain his guests and further break the spirits of those under his control.

Kaelus now felt a deep, sinking dread settle in his stomach. He had endured a great deal of sexual exploitation in the past, but this felt different – the idea of being exposed in such a vulnerable way was utterly sickening. The prospect of being forced to perform sexually for such an extended period was overwhelming. Kaelus worried not just about the physical exhaustion, but also about what the ordeal would do to his spirit. He could feel his cheeks burn with shame, his skin crawling with the thought of what was to come.

Tarin’s thoughts were a chaotic swirl of fear, disgust and disbelief. His throat felt tight, and his eyes were stinging with the effort of holding back his tears. He felt small and vulnerable in a way he had not since his earliest days in the ludus. He also felt a deep sense of panic at the prospect of being forced to reach the point of physical release repeatedly; the thought of being pushed beyond his limits in such a degrading way was almost too much for him to bear.

Lykos stood motionless, a wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm him. The idea of being reduced to a mere object for the amusement of others – including some who had known him since the cradle – tore at him in a way for which he was not prepared. His stomach churned and he felt a cold sweat break out across his skin. The prospect of being forced to achieve climax repeatedly was humiliating enough, but Lykos also felt a growing sense of terror that by the end of the ordeal he would be a broken version of himself, stripped of his dignity and his will to fight back.

Each boy, in his own way, felt the full weight of the master’s command. The fear of what was to come, the shame of being so exposed, the sheer exhaustion that was certain to crush all three of them, and the despair of knowing that there was no escape, all combined to create a shared sense of dread that hung over them like a dark cloud. Yet beneath that fear and shame, there was also a quiet, unspoken resolve to endure this nightmare together.

‘Do as you’re told,’ the master’s voice cut through the air, with a finality that brooked no argument. ‘Continue until you are ordered to stop.’

The girls were pushed forward, their movements stiff and reluctant as they approached the boys. Their hands were shaking as they reached out, each touch hesitant and trembling. Kaelus could barely meet their eyes. He felt a deep sense of guilt, knowing that they were being forced into this just as much as the boys were. His body felt like it was betraying him, every instinct screaming at him to resist, but the fear of punishment – for himself, for his two friends, and for the girls – kept him rooted to the spot.