Chapter 19: Gambling on the Queen

Days passed in a brutal rhythm of training. Ulysses pushed his body to its limits, his Rapid Adaptation making every pain a lesson, every movement a muscle memory. However, his mind was not on the training yard. His mind was inside the villa, mapping a path through the labyrinth of serpents.

He had 33 Essence. An awkward number. Too little to unlock a new Legacy, but too much to waste. The information he bought from Ashur about Aemilia, Sextus's wife, was a key. But the key was useless without a door to unlock. And the gatekeeper was Lucretia.

The opportunity came when he was summoned to serve Lucretia in her private chambers. The Domina was relaxing after her bath, the scent of expensive perfumed oils wafting from her skin. She was clad only in a thin silk robe, sitting before her silver mirror, combing her long hair.

The room was silent. Only the sound of the ivory comb passing through her hair.

Ulysses stood silently near the door, awaiting orders. This was the moment. A gamble that could give him everything, or end him in an instant. He looked at Lucretia's reflection in the mirror.

He took a slow breath, calming his heartbeat. His intent locked. Burn ten Essence. Activate Subtle Influence on Lucretia.

He felt a cold, sharp rush of energy drain from his core. A significant power bled from him, leaving a slight dizziness. He stepped forward with a calm movement.

"Domina," he said, his voice modulated to sound respectful and slightly hesitant.

Lucretia stopped combing, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Yes, Ulysses?"

"I was just thinking, Domina," Ulysses continued. The words felt easier to speak, as if they carried their own weight. "While at the Magistrate's residence, I observed how Domina Aemilia looked upon you. Not just with respect, but with genuine admiration."

Lucretia smiled slightly at her own reflection in the mirror. "Go on."

"Her husband, Sextus, is a powerful ally for Dominus Batiatus," Ulysses said, choosing his words with a surgeon's precision. "Such alliances must continue to be nurtured. Perhaps... a private demonstration of the House of Batiatus's strength and uniqueness could further bind their loyalty to you. A gesture of good will."

He paused, letting the idea sink in. He could see, with his new understanding, how Lucretia's eyes narrowed slightly as she processed the words. The gears within her cunning mind began to turn. She didn't see it as a suggestion from a slave. She saw it as her own newly enlightened strategy.

She put down her comb. She turned in her chair to look directly at Ulysses.

"A private demonstration," Lucretia repeated, as if testing the taste of the words. "You are very perceptive, Ulysses."

A faint smile touched her lips. "Aemilia did seem quite bored with her husband. And binding Sextus more closely is always in our interest." She rose, pacing for a moment, now completely absorbed in "her" idea.

"Yes," she said finally. "This can be arranged. I will invite her for a private visit this week. Prepare yourself. I may require... your unique talents."

The gamble had paid off. The door had opened. Ulysses bowed his head.

"As you command, Domina."

As he walked out of the room, he felt immense relief and tension. He had manipulated the queen of snakes in her own nest. But the cost was great. The power within him felt much diminished. He had gambled a third of everything just to open the door. Now, he had to ensure what lay beyond was worth the price.

Three days later, Lucretia summoned him. "Aemilia will arrive this afternoon," she said curtly, her eyes gleaming meaningfully. "She wishes to see some new tapestries from Egypt. Ensure you are ready."

Ulysses nodded. The stage was set.

Aemilia arrived carried on a litter by four sturdy slaves. She greeted Lucretia with kisses on both cheeks. Ulysses, standing silently in a corner of the room holding a wine pitcher, observed their interaction. His Basic Psychology picked up the tension behind Aemilia's smile, the hidden boredom in her eyes.

After some polite small talk, Lucretia led Aemilia to a deeper private room in the villa, where expensive tapestries were laid out. Ulysses followed, bringing the wine.

"How beautiful," Aemilia praised, touching the silk of one of the tapestries.

"Indeed," Lucretia replied. "Oh, my word, I just remembered. I must give instructions to the head cook for tonight's feast. Ulysses, please attend to Domina Aemilia. Answer her questions if she pleases."

With that fabricated excuse, Lucretia left them both.

Aemilia looked at Ulysses, a faint smile playing on her lips. "So, you are the gladiator who can think."

"I am merely a slave, Domina."

"A slave who brought down Barca and made all of Capua whisper," she countered, walking closer. She had an aura of power, but Ulysses saw hesitation in her eyes. She was interested, but constrained by her status.

This was his moment. He could not fail.

Burn ten Essence. Activate Subtle Influence on Aemilia.

The same cold rush of energy flowed out of him, now feeling more familiar. Ulysses looked into Aemilia's eyes.

"Status is a cage built by others, Domina," he said, his voice now deeper, more resonant. "But I see an eagle within you, yearning for the sky."

The words hit Aemilia like a spell. Her eyes, which had been wary, softened, filled with surprise and allure. Her hesitation evaporated.

"You..." she whispered. "How do you..."

Ulysses placed his finger on Aemilia's lips. "Shhh."

He took Aemilia's hand. Her skin felt smooth and cold. He led her without resistance to a sofa in a darker corner of the room. He gently pushed Aemilia's shoulder. The noblewoman fell back onto the soft silk cushions. Ulysses knelt before her.

His hand moved up from Aemilia's ankle, tracing her calf, then her thigh, lifting her expensive gown. RIP! The sound of thin undergarment tearing in his hand. Aemilia gasped. Her eyes widened. Her neatly shaven vagina was now completely exposed, already wet and glistening under the oil lamp light.

Ulysses's face buried itself between her thighs. Aemilia's fragrant scent mixed with the distinct odor of her aroused womanhood. His hot tongue licked her swollen clitoris. "Ngh...!" Aemilia gasped, her back arching, her hands gripping the sofa tightly. Ulysses didn't stop. His tongue danced, sucked, and licked greedily. The loud, wet slurping sound filled the silence of the room.

"Oh... god... ah... ah..." Aemilia's moans grew louder, deeper. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably. A sharp shriek escaped her lips as her body convulsed, her first orgasm hitting her hard.

Before the tremors ceased, Ulysses rose. He pushed Aemilia onto her back on the sofa, pulling her gown up to her chest. He gripped Aemilia's wrists and held them above her head with one hand. His hard, throbbing penis was ready. Its wet tip touched Aemilia's swollen labia. He thrust in with one deep, powerful stroke. "YAAAHHH!" Aemilia's scream was a mix of pain and overwhelming pleasure. Her legs instinctively wrapped around Ulysses's waist, trying to pull him deeper.

Ulysses began to move. His hips pounded with a steady, brutal rhythm. SLAP. THUD. SLAP. The sound of their sweat-slicked skin meeting loudly. The sofa beneath them groaned with every thrust.

He pulled Aemilia off the sofa, flipped her over, and forced her to kneel on the thick rug, her hands pressed against the sofa's armrest. He entered Aemilia from behind. "Take me... please..." Aemilia moaned, her face buried in the sofa cushions. Ulysses gripped her hips, his thrusts becoming wilder, more animalistic. He could see Aemilia's smooth, pale back, slick with sweat. He felt the muscles inside the woman's vagina clenching his manhood tightly. He felt his own climax approaching.

With a few final deep, rough thrusts, a low growl escaped his throat. He pulled out at the last second and spilled his thick, hot semen onto Aemilia's back and buttocks. Aemilia shrieked as she felt the warmth, her body trembling in another wave of orgasm.

They lay in silence for a moment, their breaths ragged. Aemilia's body felt limp and satisfied. Her defenses had completely crumbled.

"Your husband, Sextus," Ulysses whispered near her ear, his voice still heavy with arousal. "He is a very powerful man. Batiatus respects him greatly."

Aemilia snorted softly, a sound filled with unspoken disappointment. "Respect," she mumbled, her eyes still half-closed. "Sextus only cares about one thing: his position. He would kneel before the devil himself if it brought him closer to a senate seat."

Ulysses felt a crack open. He continued in a seemingly innocent tone. "But no one is more influential in Capua than Dominus Batiatus. His support must be the most valuable."

A small, cold, bitter laugh escaped Aemilia's lips. "Batiatus? He's just a lucky lanista, favored by the gods for a moment. Sextus knows where the real power lies. That's why he secretly licks Gaius Claudius Glaber's boots whenever Batiatus isn't looking."

That information hit Ulysses like a gold bar. Glaber. The same Praetor who hated Spartacus. A betrayal. A weapon.

The subtle influence began to fade. Ulysses felt Aemilia's body stiffen slightly beneath him. The woman opened her eyes fully. She looked at Ulysses with a gaze that began to fill with confusion, then horror as she realized what she had just told a slave.

Ulysses pulled away. He rose and dressed himself in silence. He had gotten everything he wanted.

The blue panel glowed.

{Intimate relations complete. Target: Upper-Class Noblewoman (Category 4).}

{Life Essence obtained: +50}

The twenty Essence gamble had paid off handsomely.

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{Name: Ulysses (Thomas Vance)}

{Title: Champion of The Pit}

{Stored Essence: 63}

{Active Legacies: [Talent] Rapid Adaptation, [Knowledge] Basic Psychology (Tier 1)}