I let go of Hadrian's hand and he brings it to his chest, rubbing his wrist, looking at me with confusion. His large green eyes with long eyelashes could be called pretty if not for their drunken lack of expression. It takes me another second to fully process what has just happened, and then I drop to my knees and bow my head. Yet it's too late. Hadrian may be drunk and not quite realizing what's happening, but Ferox is not.

"How dare you, you dirty…" he roars, approaching me. My muscles tense, my mind goes blank. If this is the end, I should at least try and take Ferox with me, and perhaps Hadrian, too. I won’t sell my life too cheaply.

A sound of a sword being unsheathed brings me bolting to my feet, and I lash at Ferox.

The sword meets me halfway. It slashes across my face, sending me stumbling backwards, and I almost tumble down the stairs myself. I catch my balance at the edge of the landing. The left side of my face is on fire. Something is very wrong with my eye. I cannot open it, and blood streams down my cheek. With my good eye, I see the sword coming down again.

I duck down and headbutt Ferox's stomach, sending him flying back. He rolls over and jumps back to his feet before I reach him, and swings his sword again.

I can't even see properly anymore, the blood beginning to fill my second eye, as well as my nose, leaving me gasping for breath. I duck down to avoid the sword but someone catches me from behind and brings me to the floor.

"My Lord, my Lord, I'm so sorry, what has he done?" shouts Cassio.

"What's going on?" a female voice demands from down the stairs. Aurelia. There are other voices, too, far and close, and it feels like the place has gone from being completely desolate to crowded in a second. The shouts and exclamations are deafening, or maybe it's only my skewed perception. My blood is streaming down, soaking my clothes, and the left side of my face is in agony.

I flex my muscles and throw Cassio off my back, then try to get to my feet again, but multiple hands catch me, bringing me back to my knees. With my vision now completely blurry, I barely make out Ferox coming closer, clutching his sword with both hands.

"Hold him still," he says, and obedient hands keep me down, pushing my upper body forward so that my neck presents an easier target. I fight them, growling in anger and despair, but there are too many people on me now. I pause, heaving, a sticky cold sensation spreading over my body. This is wrong. This is not how it was supposed to end.

The sword goes up.

"That would be enough," says Hadrian.

"You step back!" Ferox snarls. "He looked at you! He touched you!"

"But look at the mess you're making. All that blood. You're ruining the carpet."

"To hell with the carpet! He must be punished!"

"Indeed, he must," says Hadrian. "But considering the circumstances, I believe flogging would suffice. Cassio, take him to the dungeons and give him a dozen lashes."

"Yes, your highness," mutters Cassio. "Your highness is very merciful."

"What?" roars Ferox. "Twelve lashes? Didn't you see what he did? He fought back!"

"Wild beasts fight back when they're cornered, and this one looks pretty wild. Cassio, haven’t you trained him at all?"

The slave master breaths heavily behind my ear. "I'm so sorry, your highness…it won't happen again."

"Well, let's double the number and make it twenty-four lashes, should we?" says Hadrian. "Will that satisfy your blood thirst, brother? He won’t have a clear patch of skin on his back after that. Now, do take him away, before the whole carpet is soaked."

I can't see anything behind the veil of red. Black shadows move around me, but I have no idea who they are. There are voices but I don't know what they're saying. Hands force me up to my feet. I stumble and almost fall on someone. I have never lost consciousness before, but now, the reality is slipping away. I can hardly tell where I'm being led. There are hands on me, forcing me to walk, and then I just don't feel or see anything anymore.

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