Chapter 6

After a talk with her father and sister, Penelope married Maximus. He was of a noble lineage so Julius did not object. Augustus insisted that they be united in the Emperor's palace since Julius was such a good friend for years, an ally in the Senate, and fought at his side during the wars to bring stability to the Empire. Penelope felt reluctant due to Livia's dislike of her but she found the woman to be gracious to her on her wedding day.

She even gave the bride a jeweled broach that took her breath away. Augustus gave them a little estate in Ostia to call their own. Then there were other gifts plus a very sumptuous feast in their honor. If Livia disliked the bride, she didn't show it. She went overboard to make this day for Penelope to remember.

That night Maximus took her virginity away from her. How many times they made love Penelope stopped counting at six. Plus at his urging, both gave each other oral sex which the bride liked. They slept into the afternoon then arose to go to his parent's house for another feast. Both again received gifts from other friends and relatives on Maximus' side.

Penelope was extremely happy. She loved her husband and wanted more than anything to please him. After a week of feasts and receiving of gifts, they went to Ostia to start their new life together. Maximus' father Virgil gave them three slaves from Egypt and Greece. All were women. Thinking that Penelope might be Greek, a girl called Mary sought her favor to be head of the household. Maximus decided to make Calla, the Egyptian the one instead. Mary was furious with him and tried to run away, but was caught, beaten, and brought back with a brand on her arm signifying that she was an escapee. Penelope felt sorry for the girl but her bitterness extended to her as well.

"We treat our slaves as treasures," Maximus told his wife one night after they had made love. "However, when one runs away like Mary did, she must be punished like a child who disobeys its father."

"I know but branding is so cruel," Penelope argued. "Isn't there something else we can do so it doesn't have to happen again?"

"They just have to be obedient, that's all."

Penelope didn't agree with him but she kept it to herself. She was going to single out Mary to take care of her mistress so the hurt might gradually fade away. She recalled how all the slaves her father and mother had with no problems. Show gratitude and kindness would win her over like her father's household.

The first time Penelope met Sejanus she had the intuition that this man was pure evil.

Somehow he wormed his way into the graces of Tiberius. Her father didn't like him either.

Maximus turned a blind eye to him and allowed the man into the house for feasts and to get just plain drunk on the expensive wine Maximus had acquired. Everytime Sejanus entered the door, she greet him politely then told her husband that she had an awful headache and retired to their room. Often she took Mary with her. The girl knew how to play chess and Penelope wanted to learn the game because Maximus liked playing it.

"Really Mary, you should be grateful that you have someone as me to like you," she would tell the bitter girl. "I know that being a slave must be degrading to you but it could be a lot worse for you."

"In what manner?" Mary asked.

"Well for one thing, you have safety within these walls. A girl as pretty as you are would be an easy victim to some very wicked men," Penelope advised. The fact that Sejanus was downstairs drinking their fine wine came to her mind.

"I was free back in my home country," She debated Penelope. Mary had grown slowly into her liking of the woman but she could not forgive Maximus for branding her with a hot iron. He wanted to do it on her forehead but Penelope pleaded for the inner arm instead.

Being newlyweds, Maximus assented to his wife's wishes. "Uh... Mistress, that's a bad move. You should push your pawn forward and not expose your queen."

"Thank you," Penelope moved her knight back to its place and pushed the pawn. "I know you must be unhappy. I was in the same position you are when I was a prisoner of Arminius but I kept quiet and waited until my time.

"Yes, but you were released. I won't ever be."

"If a man wants you bad enough, he could always buy you," Penelope advised.

"I am not a woman who wants a man," Mary confessed. "I had a female lover back in Greece when I was gathered up in a sweep by your soldiers and brought here to Rome to be auctioned off like a horse or some kind of other animal."