Music filled the air as the flute girls played, the gentle sounds of their instruments soothing Aurelia’s mind. The room was filled with barely dressed slaves running around with boards of cheeses, fruit, and flagons of honey wine.

  Aurelia lounged on her chair nursing her wine, enjoying the view of the slaves fluttering around her, only the most beautiful were used in banquets. She spied a particular flute-girl, her golden hair flowed down to her shoulders, decorated with berries and leaves. Her fingers danced across the ivory instrument. She would make a fine trophy were it for sale.

  She plucked a fig from the plate of the boy to her side, barely more than a youth. Her host, a rich former slave known as Pax the Flesh merchant was famous for his extravagant feasts, or infamous depending on who you asked. The slaves in this room alone were worth more than the total of some lesser noble families. The wine was imported from the distant land of Matalis, some small island kingdom far to the West famous for its quality honey. Pax boasted often about his connections and network, frequently annoying his betters. Though they still attended his banquets, lest they miss out on the exotic pleasures he provided his guests with.

  As she sat enjoying the sights and sounds as her host approached her. Dressed in a rich red silk embroidered with gold wearing the long flowing robe traditional of the Western kings. A ghastly thing no true Urran would ever wear, but he was of course not one of them. The garment did little to hide his wide stomach and flopping chins. And it could do nothing to hide the shame that was the brand on his forehead. Not even being freed would erase his disgrace.

  “My lady Aurelia,” Pax said as he bowed dramatically, “I am humbled that you would attend my banquet. I trust your lord father took pleasure in the gifts I sent him.”

  Aurelia sipped from her cup, hoping to lose herself in the red liquid. “But of course, we are awed by your generosity Pax. I apologise that my father could not attend your banquet, his dealings take up most of his days.”

  A lie of course, he was fully able to attend this banquet like the many others he attended. However today he was merely advertising his goods, trying to attract the wealthy Pax with his daughter. She was almost in her twenty-fifth year and soon would be married off. Never would her father have attempted to woo a fat freed merchant like Pax, but the tide of Urr had turned against him as of late. He would need Pax, or rather his money in the future should he desire his plans to bare fruit.

  “There is no need to apologise lady Aurelia, I am sure he and I will have much time together in the future. I hope you are enjoying the celebrations, I must confess never has a woman attended one of my banquets before. I hope it is to your liking.”

  Of course they haven’t you ill-bred swine. The only women that attended banquets usually were the slaves used for entertainment, be that dancing and music, or their bodies. Women attended their own banquets of course, but usually they were separated by gender. Her attendance was a rare event, one that she could tell had an effect on the tone of the party.

  The stories she had heard about Pax’s banquets, they were often hubs of degeneracy and decadence. She had heard many sordid rumours about the worship of flesh and debauchery in Pax’s house. However, today’s party was far more tame, more akin to a traditional if very extravagant banquet. The guest list was far smaller than she had expected, only a dozen men attended, the wine had been diluted with water, and the conversation was far more traditional, no doubt intentional.

  Pax wouldn’t dare offend her father by subjecting his only daughter to degeneracy. He might need his money, but it was a very tenuous partnership.

  “Very much so, I have never attended a man's banquet before so I was not sure what to expect. But I am glad you made the appropriate preparations for me Pax.” Aurelia replied, showing the expected modesty of a woman of her status.

  “Of course lady Aurelia, I am sure you’ve heard many sordid tales about myself, but I can assure you it is all slander against my good name!” pax replied. “If there is anything I can do to reassure you of my good name, do not hesitate to command.”

  “It is not my favour you need to win, Pax.” Aurelia rose from her couch to her feet, standing a head shorter than the fat freedman. “Now if you would excuse me.”

  She struggled to keep the disdain from her voice as she walked away from the man. At the end of the day he wasn’t the worst match, his wealth would no doubt be of great use to her. But she was loathe to be forced to marry a man of such low status. A former slave had no place in the Urran aristocracy.

  Despite all his wealth, influence and age, Pax had yet to take a wife. Few among the Urran nobility viewed him in a positive light and he had so far been unsuccessful in convincing any noble to marry him to one of their daughters. Curse you Aurelian. If you hadn’t been such a fool in Acta I would never have to even entertain this slave.

  She wandered around the room fluttering from conversation to conversation. She mainly discussed poetry and literature with the attendants, they tried to impress her with recitations of the epics and their favourite poems. She knew of many of the attendants, all lesser scions of noble houses known for their low worth. Not a single man there had ever tasted battle, content to rest on their family's influence and drink themselves into a stupor with the lower class.

  Another of Pax’s strategies she thought. All attendants were low-status members of low-status houses, none would dare insult her brother or make any references to the catastrophe at Acta. Pax would have chosen them specifically for this reason, despite his status he seemed quite shrewd.

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  Of late she had heard almost nothing but backhanded remarks and attacks about her brother and house. At least Aurelian has left the city and does not have to hear their poison anymore. She would have felt some gratitude towards her host if it was out of genuine care, and not just a political gesture.

  Her eyes were again drawn towards the golden-haired flute girl. Pax had a reputation for only having the finest slaves in his employ, even his lowly servants possessed some degree of literacy. I wonder what secrets she holds, she thought. Being a banquet performer, she would have been privy to many conspiratorial conversations. Many among the Urran nobility often forgot about their slaves and were careless with their words, Especially while drunk.

  “How unexpected to meet a woman at Pax’s banquet, and an Avanntian no less?” A voice from behind drew her attention, sounding like the hissing of a snake. “What would a woman of such good morals be in this hub of sin?”

  Turning around, she was faced with a man. His eyes were brown, his face utterly without charm with sunken eyes and a crooked nose. Wisps of ginger hair dotted his chin matching his balding head.

  “Is it not obvious? I am here to drink and make merry, just like you are. Tell me, who is so bold to speak to an Avantiann in such a manner?” She replied.

  “I belong to the only house that matters lady Aurelia, the house of Maris. My name is Cassius Drusa, seventh keeper of the guardian's home.” The man bowed extravagantly, lifting his arm to the side as he did. A golden signet ring with the image of a wolf’s head could be seen on his finger.

  “Please forgive me for my insult, I forget myself when I attend these banquets. Tell me, how is your brother? How has he adjusted to his new life?”

  “My brother is well, not that it concerns a lowly acolyte like you.” She replied unable to hide the scorn in her voice. So far no one at the party had even mentioned her brother or Acta, and yet this priest dared to try to insult her?

  “His well-being concerns be greatly lady Aurelia,” Cassius said, “I normally don’t attend these banquets but when I learned you would be attending I had to get an invite. Your brother is in danger.”

  In danger? There was of course a very vocal faction in the senate calling for him to be executed for his failure, but they hadn’t the power to force it past her father’s faction. They also risked the ire of the army, with many of the returning soldiers still possessing great loyalty for her brother, despite how he failed them.

  “Speak clearly, what do you know?” Aurelia said.

  “As we speak an assassin is already beside your brother, waiting for the right moment,” Cassius said. “They arrived shortly before Aurelian arrived at the estate.”

  “What reason is there for me to trust you?” She replied.

  “None, just trust that it is not in my interest for him to die.” Cassius gestured to Pax, who was busy laughing with a couple of men at the other side of the hall. “The flesh merchant trades in more than bodies, in fact the deal was struck in this very room. Banquets make good cover for illicit dealings.”

  Aurelia went to respond, but she was stopped. “Please forgive me, but I have said all I came to say. And now I must leave this den of iniquity, I trust you will take my words to heart.” With that, Cassius bowed and briskly left the room without another word.

  Aurelia wasn’t one to blindly trust the word of a stranger, but this wasn’t a threat she could ignore. Deciding quickly, she wandered over to Pax with a plan. She of course couldn’t ask him if he was involved in a plot to murder her brother, but there was someone who may know.

  “Lady Aurelia! I noticed you speaking to that man Cassius, only pleasant conversation I hope?” The fat slave trader asked, his face blushing from the wine.

  “As pleasant as one would assume from a fanatic, it seems my being here is quite improper,” Aurelia said.

  “He is merely jealous lady Aurelia, a man of his station must surely live a dour life,” Pax replied.

  “Quite. I was curious Pax, are these your best musicians? That one, the blond flute player, she seems quite talented. I presume you use her often?” She inquired.

  “Very much so, I bought her from a market in Matalis, she is trained in music, poetry, she speaks four languages and can recite even the most foreign plays from memory, one of my finest finds.”

  “Impressive, truly a worthy trophy for a man of your status. I have been looking for a slave of such talent. If you would sell her to me, I could see myself advocating for you to my father.” Aurelia said, trying to play on the man's desire for marriage with her.

  “Speak no more of the matter lady, the slave is yours! A gift for the noble house of Avanntian. You may take her when you leave, I will have the contract sent to you later.” Pax said, the joy clear on his face.

  She smiled in return and nodded her head, having gotten what she wanted easier than she expected.

  She eagerly awaited the end of the banquet, she wanted to interrogate the slave as soon as possible, but she had a reputation to uphold. And if she left early, she would surely be punished. The rest of the day was filled with idle boring conversation, but her mind was focused on Cassius.

  He was a core member of the cult of Maris in charge of maintaining the temple. The cult of Maris was staunchly opposed to her father’s faction, so she didn’t understand his motivations in warning her of an attempt on her brother's life. She had to verify it before acting.

  The banquet ended and she left alongside her new slave and her chaperone, one of her father's men who followed her everywhere when she left the estate to ensure her propriety. However, Pax had managed to keep him outside, likely with a significant bribe. Returning home to the Avanntian estate. A three story tall marble building painted in bright red and blues, slaves ran around maintaining the gardens meticulously. She left her palanquin at the door and was escorted to her section of the estate. Taking her new slave with her.

  Upon arriving at her room, she had the rest of her staff leave except for her new lute-playing slave. A brief interrogation revealed that she had indeed been present for the majority of Pax’s banquets. The slave girl told her that she had been present and overheard a deal made between Pax and a man whose description matched the man she met earlier, Cassius. That further confused her as to his motivations, but she couldn't worry about that right now.

  There was no doubt in her mind that her brother was indeed in danger, and that there was an assassin already at the estate. She immediately took up a wooden board and wrote a short letter directed not towards her brother, but to his guard Marius. She knew that Marius would take such a threat far more seriously than her brother, who to her had seemed to give up on life.

  Handing the letter to one of her trusted slaves, she ordered him to ride without rest to the villa and deliver it to the hands of Marius personally. She only hoped it wasn’t too late. Little did she know that by the time the letter arrived, her brother would be lying on the ground bleeding to death.