Chapter 231: Display Piece

"Now I know what you are all thinking and your concerns. How do we procure these people? How shall we ensure a constant supply? Will they be for personal use or for the city to enjoy?" Justinian’s lips curled as his chair creaked when he put more of his weight on it. Tapping his fingers together and tilting his head, he had an innocent-looking appearance, wearing his bright colours, if it weren’t for the horrid smile on his face and the words he spoke.

"This doesn’t explain how they are useful for the Colosseum." One lady spoke up, "Besides, very few fighters within the Colosseum are Lessers. You know very well that it was a tried and tested method to only use them as fighters that always failed. They lack the presence needed to whip up the crowd." Justinian nodded and separated his hands, stepping away from his chair. Pacing back and forth, he chuckled.

"My plan for the Colosseum will not see as quick results as the other business venture. But that leads me back to my first question." Justinian turned to Isis. "My dear. Stand up, please." Isis’s hands clenched the bottom of her nightgown. Before the gazes of everyone around her, she looked like a trembling white rabbit. Slowly, she peeked towards Justinian, his smiling eyes slowly falling and turning cold the longer she delayed him. Getting up, each step took everything she had to move. The urge to vomit filled her whilst his mind became woozy.

She didn’t know how she managed to make herself stand next to him, and unlike before, she couldn’t stand the looks of the people, bringing her hands up to cover her chest. "Justinian." One of the men at the table spoke in a confused voice, "I had a suspicion, but isn’t this the little slave girl?"

"You are correct," Justinian said, his voice sounding as if he was holding in a laugh.

"I thought she was your little pet project to call for war."

"She is, but after the terrible assault on our people recently, she is no longer as useful for that." The room held a moment of silence for the dead. Isis couldn’t believe it; how they all, who knew each other, were hypocrites and awful, needed to put up an appearance of concern and sorrow for the dead. "Anyway, really look at her." And like an auction piece, he began moving. First was lifting her arm, "She carries a few cuts, likely from her escape from Cras, but for the most part her skin is clear." A predatory cold hand ran down her arm, one that lacked sexual desire, but instead felt like a butcher deciding how to cut a piece of meat, meanwhile twirling it around to make sure everyone could see it in its entirety.

It didn’t stop. Next he lifted the nightgown, uncaring for what it revealed underneath, and his hand, once more, traced her stomach. "You must forgive me. Had I had more time to prepare, I would have ensured she was an acceptable weight to be shown off." The room didn’t care, simply watching with interest as Justinian continued to show her off.

Isis lowered her head, unable to look at the people sitting at the table, their gazes looking at her like an auction piece and not a person. And once more the cold hand slithered around, grabbing her chin, forcing her head up. Showing her face, a finger rested underneath her eye. "Whilst not rare, her eyes are beautiful." Finally, his hand moved to her hair. "But what really is the thing we should look at is the hair. You all see it, and you think one thing; am I correct?"

"Lunarian." Zeno said with a small chuckle, "Forgive Justinian, but is she a Lunarian? Word has reached me that the old crafter has returned to the city and that she is his companion."

"That old man. Rich for you to call another an old man, Zeno." Zeno laughed. "Do not worry, she is from Veston. I am sure you can hear it in her accent. She is a friend of that man, but Luar will not move for her the same way they would for him. Your concern is unwarranted."

The table nodded as Justinian continued to handle her, turning her around and pulling the back of her nightgown down to reveal her back. "Once more free of the scars and cuts, like everywhere else. Clear skin all over, bar the minor wounds picked up in her escape." His hand traced down her spine, and looking up, she could see his eyes light up in joy at her shivering under his touch. "That will be all. Sit, my dear." Isis nearly ran back to her seat, happy to finally no longer be the centre of attention as Justinian clapped his hands.

"Cras, for all its savagery, must be given its credit. They understand how to make people servile without leaving a wound on their bodies. Now, you all know the deal in place for the slaves once the city falls under our control, and with that, I offer you all many more like her. Those who come under my protection and take up the collar will be selected for any features they may have that match what is desired. I can deal with Augustus if he tries to poach anyone you may desire." Placing a hand on his chest he lowere dhis eha dslig And so I offer you, good people, the chance to have them."

The room went silent as many fell into thought, thinking about the future of such a deal. None of them had insidious smiles or radiated an evil glint in their eyes; instead, they all had cold looks, thinking about it like it was purely a business deal, weighing up the pros and cons.

"It’s interesting." Finally, one spoke, a middle-aged woman in a glamorous red dress with blond hair: "I know a few people who would like such a mistress for their child or themself. But it would have to be controlled. Once such a thing is no longer exclusive, it loses its value."

"Of course."

"As for the Colosseum." Another spoke up, a younger man a little older than Isis herself, "I understand why our investment would take a little longer." Looking around, he met the gazes of those in his line of business. "Maybe they can be rewards for our fighters or given to them as wives. After all, many of the best gladiators come from gladiatorial families. But it is a long investment for us, and I can’t help but feel we need an extra incentive to consider this." Those who agreed nodded, making Justinian ponder for a moment.

"This is only an idea as of now. Please talk amongst yourselves in the coming days and get back to me with what you would feel is fair. We can smooth out the finer details in the coming days." The man nodded and leaned back, happy with the answer.

"I assume that to make this work," Zeno spoke up, his words getting everyone’s attention. "It will require greater commitments from us in the coming war. After all, many within this city are greedy, and if they feel we offered less but got preferential treatment, it would cause discourse."

Justinian sighed and threw his hands up as if having been caught in a game. With a giggle and a shake of the head, he retook his seat. "It would help."

"I will have my accounts speak to you after the details have been smoothed over." The old man’s gaze shifted to Isis, making her tense up. "The question is, what of her? It would look bad on the city if she were to wear a collar and be thrown into one of my establishments. Word travels fast after all."

"Zeno, my old friend. She was a referance for you all to understand my vision. She is under my protection right now; you do not honestly expect me to betray the trust I have given her and hand her to one of you." The old man rolled his eyes. "Anyway, enough business. Let us eat." The table waited for a moment, watching Justinian take the first bite of his meal. Only when he did were they comfortable enough to start themselves, the conversations around the table shifting from business to personal matters between the group, finally delving into random gossip.

Isis was the sole exception, staring at her plate of food, unmoving, screaming internally in her mind as she did everything to not burst into tears. Looking up, she saw Julius, the young boy, had finally felt comfortable enough to begin eating, but his gaze darted across at the people around him, looking at them in confusion, his mind unable to truly understand the conversations of adults but knowing it was meant to be a lesson for him.

Finally, he looked to Isis, and if a ray of sunshine appeared in the sea of darkness that was the people around him, he smiled brightly before bashfully looking away. The tension and exhaustion in her body melted away at the sight of his expression, reminding him of Darion’s youngest son when he would look at her with childish infatuation before turning away to hide his shyness. It was an adorable sight, but thinking of the past, she couldn’t help but frown and look down.

She missed those moments. It felt like a lifetime ago, but had only been a few months. Looking at Justinian, her gaze hardened. He was unlike the rest of his guests, leaning back in his chair like it was a throne, sipping wine, watching as everyone spoke and enjoyed his food.

She had been arrogant and naive when she first came to Oros, treating it like Veston, where she had connections to get around and avoid trouble if she didn’t look for it, but here it was different. A different game. Justinian turned to her, and seeing her hard glare, an amused smirk crept onto his lips, wiped away by another sip of the wine.

’Seth said to kill myself before he could do whatever he wanted to do to me, but that was because it was so sudden. At the end of the day, his other words are true; Justinian is a human. He isn’t a God.’ Even if she told herself that, her body unconsciously shook under his gaze. ’All I need to do is buy my time. Eventually he will slip. So many people got too accustomed to winning; they forgot how to prepare for defeat. One chance is all I need. When he does.’

Lowering her head to hide the murderous look in her eyes, she picked up her cutlery and slowly began to cut into the meat on her plate.

’He is just a human. He is just like me. He isn’t invincible. I will carry on my journey, and his story will not be remembered.’