Read Online The Gladiator Prince by Minnette Meador - Free Book Online Page B

situation to her younger brother. He was not going to like it.
    “I have a house in Rome,” she said when he moved to her side and sat on the ground.
    “What?”
    “I have a house in Rome. And gold… and friends. If we could get there, I know we would be safe with Thrasea.”
    He scowled at her. “What makes you think the senator would care for us. We will only remind him of his dead son. He made it clear enough when…”
    Phaedra touched his arm gently and squeezed it. “Trust me, little brother. I know what he said, but he was in pain. The loss of Lucius cut him deeply. The rest… the things he said to us was for the benefit of the servants who gossip and the neighbors who wondered at the rumors. He loves us very much. He told me so.”
    “When?”
    She looked at her knees, knowing she would not tell him all of Thrasea words. “At the dock, the day we left Rome. He promised that the house, the servants, all of it would be mine to keep, regardless of father’s wishes.”
    “Then why did we leave?” Bahar said in frustration.
    Phaedra took his face in her hand and tried to smile. “Because our staying there would bring him nothing but more shame. What do you think the elite would think of him harboring his dead son’s bride? Putting her up in Lucius’ house instead of sending her packing to her father as the law requires and as Abella demanded. I could not do that to him, Bahar. Not after all he had done for us.”
    Bahar stared at the torch, apparently mulling over her words, for he did not reply.
    The night seemed unnaturally quiet, and Phaedra wanted to say more, but she knew to let him work it out for himself. Bahar was headstrong, but always listened to reason, eventually.
    “How do you propose to get to Rome?”
    She said slowly, “There is a ship…”
    She did not get to finish the sentence as Bahar jumped to his feet and put his hands on his hips. “You are out of your mind! That is three days away from here, across countryside filled with beggars, thieves, not to mention Roman soldiers between here and Rutupiae .”
    She hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt. “Not if Thane goes with us.”
    That stopped him cold. His mouth and eyes all opened at once, and he fell to his knees next to her. “What makes you think Thane would ever do something like that? I know for a fact he is very fond of his life and being stretched out on a cross would not be his first choice…”
    “Quiet, little brother. I need to tell you something, and there is very little time. Now, listen.” With that, she told him all she had seen and heard that night, excluding only her embarrassing session with the gladiator in the garden. When she was done, his eyes and mouth had not changed.
    “Granted, he is well motivated to get to Rome, but what makes you think he would ever take us with him?”
    “Think about it. The last thing he wants anyone to know is that he has children. They would scour the land to find them.” She looked at her feet.
    Bahar took a step back from her and rubbed his hands against his legs. “Could you… do that to him?”
    Phaedra got to her feet and met his gaze, a kind of strength rising in her belly as she searched his eyes. “I will do whatever it takes to protect you, Bahar. If that is not clear to you after all these years… I would give my life and the lives of anyone else to save you.” She touched his face and shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. “There is no one I love more than you. If I have to fight, I will fight. If I have to go cold or hungry, then I will go cold and hungry. If I have to die, I will die for you.”
    He leaned in to touch foreheads with his sister. “And I you, Phaedra.” He pulled in a breath. “May the gods protect whoever comes between us, big sister.”
    May the gods protect you, little brother. She could not say that to him. Instead, she squared her shoulders, wiped her eyes and sat back. “This is what we are going to do…”