Gladiator Bear's Battle (Shift In Time 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the baths.
    “Aurelius Clavius has chosen to visit us tonight! He sent a man ahead, to tell my father that he is coming. I can’t believe that he is actually coming here!” Aelia Fausta said, nervously running her hands through her long tresses as she arrived at the baths.
    The stone bath was already filled with hot water and one of the bath servants was trickling scented oils into the water. The liquid mixed and churned, creating kaleidoscopic reflections on the surface as rose petals floated on top of it all. Kiya helped Aelia Fausta disrobe and Sahli aided her as she sunk into the water.
    The baths were a time for reflection as much as they were for cleansing, but Aelia Fausta clearly did not have time to relax or reflect. She motioned hurriedly for the servants to start scrubbing her skin, so she may be oiled, dried, dressed, and prepared to meet the young senator who had caught her eye. Kiya had to stifle a smile. She could remember the way her own sisters had gotten ready in much the same way, preening and worrying about the smallest of details even if the suitor may have turned out to be no suitor at all.
    And I cannot wear anything but the simplest garments when I see Erden, she thought with a small sigh of regret.
    “I must make a good impression on Aurelius Clavius,” Aelia Fausta hissed between clenched teeth. “A husband who is a Senator! My father would be so proud! And I could finally get out of the damnable provinces and settle somewhere with class and sophistication. ”
    That, too, brought a grin to Kiya’s lips, but it evaporated as soon as she remembered the look Aurelius Clavius had given her.
    I only wish Mistress does not require my aid during the evening…
     
    ***
    Kiya’s hope to avoid the dashing Senator had been slim, and crushed quickly and efficiently underneath the fine sandals Aelia Fausta wore. As the mistress’s favorite, Kiya was prepared for the night as well, dressed in a demure green tunic that was cinched at the waist, and even allowed to wear bracelets on her arms and pins in her hair. When she caught her reflection as she and Lucia were following the mistress in, she felt a tinge of sadness that Erden could not see her like that.
    No matter what, she could not shake the bear from her thoughts. She had warned him about Julius Augustinus’s plan, and the depth of spirit she saw in his eyes as response to that was mind-boggling. He took it like it was nothing at all. An unavoidable trouble on his path.
    “I will win,” he had said, saving Kiya from begging that he do it for her if not for himself.
    She barely knew him, yet she would have gladly tried to implore him to fight for his life if he had not been so keen to do it himself. Now, they were left to wait, and Kiya to worry, until the lanista made his next move. Until then though, Kiya had other things to worry about, though it was awfully hard focusing on them rather than the memories of how Erden looked, towering above her.
    Still, his conviction made her smile, and she wore that same smile as she stepped into the reception hall in Aelia Fausta’s wake. Julius Augustinus and Aurelius Clavius were deep in conversation already. Kiya and Lucia slipped into the corners of the room, picking up a wine pitcher each and standing quietly near single sentinel guards, fitting into their roles with practiced ease.
    Aurelius Clavius greeted Aelia Fausta. Kiya could not disagree that the man was handsome. He was one of the youngest Senators, a Macavia native, and he often visited home. He was, by far, the most eligible bachelor still left in town and Kiya could understand why Aelia Fausta was ready to bend over backwards to please this man. But Kiya knew with great power came great hunger.
    His hawk-like features were sharp and deadly. When his eyes rested on Kiya after exchanging pleasantries with Aelia Fausta, she felt naked under his gaze. It made her squirm uncomfortably and she was thankful for not being allowed to meet