Amazon and Achillia
Woman gladiators were rare but not unheard of. They were often made fun of, seen as more of a joke than actual warriors. In them were found Marlene and Dorcas, better known as Amazon and Achillia.
Marlene's name was chosen in reference to the mythical warrior women, the Amazons, known for their combat skills.
While Achillia is a reference to Achilles, the legendary Greek warrior from the Trojan War.
The names were mocking, at first, when they got to Rome and stepped into the Colosseum for the first time but they soon became serious. They were amazing warriors, best of their kind.
They fought all women, both won every match until they had to fight eachother.
What was blind to the eye of their admirers was blind to their own eyes too but at night when they lay in their cubicula, the darkness gets too much and the small crowded beds get even smaller as they cuddle up together in just one of them.
Soon, the cuddles became touches followed by lazy kisses that lead to more. It wasn't planed and wasn't even official for a long time but the fight was just around the corner and they both feared even the thought of it.
When the day came, to her opponents suprise, Amazon gave up the fight. Dorcas denied it, insistent on the fact she was planning to do the same just then. They almost fought about it, not physically because that would be ironic but they yelled at eachother, fearful of the faith their beloved would face if they give up a fight.
Much to the girls' luck, the emperor wasn't present for the match and the highest ranking person there was the heir Sirius. He let them give up the match, they never guessed why. He could for all his liking, have killed them right then and there but he didn't. He pardoned them and ordered they never have to fight eachother again.
They never even spoke to him until then but it was to no suprise when he approached them minutes later in the hall out of the arena.
They both bowed, trying to hide the smile or relief. He insisted that's unnecessary and talked to them for a bit. He didn't talk like his father did, he didn't talk down to them but to them. He smiled and kept insisting they relaxed. When they did he had a conversation with him and when they got to their dormitories later, they found out the prince gifted them a bigger, better room. With just one bed.
They blushes at the sight and stumbled into the bed awkwardly. It wasn't like before, it was better that night. The kisses we're softer and so were their hands. The new bed was plush and much fancier than anything they've known of before. They smiled and giggled.
After that they stayed close to the prince, they didn't know if he did, but they consider him a friend. He was the first person to show them they weren't that subtle, the first person to tell them to fight while not talking about the arena.
Years passed and they got older, they were real adults real women in their twenties. They were fighting for a long time at this point, since they were both basically children.
Marlene came here from the neuri tribe. Her village was occupied by the Roman's and she was enslaved. She was a warrior in her village so it was only fit she became one here too. She didn't fight the fate but everyone around her. Untill a pretty woman came to live in the room with her.
Dorcas wasn't the same. She used to be a nobile woman in Egypt and the truth of having to settle as a warrior for the Romans was hard. She spent the first year there rebellious and aggressive. Fighting and beating up anyone that came here way. In the arena or not. She stayed this way untill they forced her to room with a neuri beauty.
Now, years later they stand in their own little house. The emperor discharged and freed them for good service and Sirius, whom they were on first name basis soon after he got them a fancy room, helped them buy a little house by the beach.
They've just got a letter, one from their dear friend Sirius.
Dorcas sits in front of Marlene, reading the letter.
"Dear darlings, this weekend my father is away to consult his Sibyls and he left it on my shoulders to host the annual banquet. He left no guest lists and while I must invite my fellow posh people. I'm hoping you'll grace us with your presence too.
Sincerely, your favourite, and probably the only liked, royal Sirius."
Dorcas chuckles. "Seems like we're going to a banquet, baby."
"Can't wait. I don't miss the palace but it will be nice to see Sirius again." Marlene smiles, finishing her wife's braid. "Can't wait to see you all dressed up for the party too."
"It's not a party but a banquet." Dorcas insists, climbing up on her wife's lap. "Will you ever learn the difference between those things?"
"The only people that know the difference between that stuff are people that care about it." Marlene presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "Make sure I never do, alright?"
"Mhm..." Her wife mumbles pulling her into a soft kiss.
☆
"There he is!" Peter whisper yelled, meeting James behind the palace.
"Hello indeed." James says, smirking "Have you got…?" He gestures vaguely, smirking as Peter shows him a bottle of wine he stole from the kitchen.
"Sometimes I think you only want me for the wine." He teases, poping it open and taking the first gulp before giving it to James.
"Sometimes I think you're right." James takes a gulp himself. "I do enjoy your company there are just ups to having a coquus as your friend."
Petere laughs and they pass the bottle back and forth a few times before he speaks up
"There's a banquet in three days." He says, looking at the stary sky "It's going to be hell preparing all that."
James chuckles. "You'll do fine. You love cooking."
"I love cooking, not listening to royal and noble fucks tell me how to do it." He scoffs "Like they'd do it better. They wouldn't. I wouldn't have a job if they could do it themselves."
James sighs, handing him the bottle. "Fuck them." he watches Peter take a long swing "Should I sneak into the banquet? Make sure you don't snap at someone and get yourself killed."
"Please" Peter takes another swing. "I won't survive alone."
Just as he says this the youngest Roman Prince Regulus, walks around the corner. The 16 year old, boy gives them a glare as they stumble to stand up and bow. He looks at the bottle amd at them, clearly getting mad but James knows he won't say anything.
"You- That-" The princes voice is low but still soft, prepubescent even in his early teenage years. He flushes, trying to form words. "Don't let this happen again." He says, starting to threaten when James dares to meet his eyes and he flushes again, storming off.
Behind him follow his guards, one of which is new. The guards give them a chuckle, and look and walk away after their prince. James and Peter chuckle back and James shrugs his shoulders, earning a wink from the newest addition to the palace.
"Who's that new guy?" Peter asks when they're alone again.
"You didn't hear? That's Barty Jr.. His dad got him a job as the Prince's guardian. Rumour says he didn't want to but his dad made him work like this. He wanted to be a tonsor. Own his own shop." James explains, reaching for their bottle and sitting back down on the ground.
"You know him from somewhere?" Peter sits down next to him.
"Not really, we've met but nothing special." James shrugs. "I'm just saying what's the talk around the palace. Why?"
"He gave you that wink, I thought maybe you had something?" Peter says, taking a swing from their bottle.
"Why? Are you jealous, Peter?" James smirks, earning a shove from his friend.
"Fuck off. I'm asking for the prince." He teases.
"Oh, shut up. He could force me. He's a fucking kid." James says, making a face. "He's what 13?"
"He's 16."
"Still, I'm almost 20. He's a kid to me." James says in frustration.
"You're barely 18 and I'm just kidding you anyway." Peter laughs "I do think his crush is cute. He's liked you since you came here."
"Yeah, a year ago." James takes a long gulp of the wine. "He'll get over it. He's a nice guy just... Not like that."
"Alright, alright." Peter steals the bottle back. "Did you see the way Evan checked the new guy out tho?"
"So that wasn't in my head?" James laughs. "They'll work nice together. They're both chaotic."
"That's if they ever admit there's something there." Peter says, wipping the corner of his mouth where a bit of wine sneaked out.
"True." James takes the bottle back. "Talking about romantic tension. I caught Remus alone with the heir the other day."
"How alone?" Peter chuckles"Was he half way on top of him or just talking?"
"Talking, hugging? I dunno, it was weird." James shrugs, handing Peter the bottle "Sirius totally likes him tho."
Peter makes a face. "Still hate the fact you're on first name basis with the heir."
"Oh, come on." James rolls his eyes. "You could be too. He's very nice. Not stuck up like everyone else."
"True but he's still the fucking heir."
"True." James agrees. "D'you notice everyone else has got someone but us? Like the palace rats get more game than us."
Peter laughs. "Don't underestimate the rats. They've got good game. There wouldn't be so much of them if they didn't."
"Exactly my point."
James says and Peter just shrugs. Who says they need someone? They're fine like this. Drinking and laughing together while they gossip about the whole palace. They're fine like this.