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The march lasted several more days, it was long and arduous under the autumn rains. They advanced slowly, and when they reached the Alps, Astrid's eyes widened in amazement, she had never imagined that mountains of such size could exist, she had only seen the undulating hills of her homeland so far. In front of them, she suddenly felt small, insignificant, and for the first time, she realized the ever-increasing distance between her and Thorbrand, and a first hint of doubt and fear gripped her... would she really be able to free herself one day and return home to her man? But it was only a momentary setback, then Astrid saw an eagle soaring in the sky, so small yet capable of flying over those gigantic mountains, and immediately regained confidence, nothing could keep her away from Thorbrand, they would never break her, no matter how far they took her and what humiliations they subjected her to, one day she would return free, free like that eagle.
Crossing the Alps was a tremendous undertaking, they were hit by several snowstorms, many of the prisoners died, and even the mercenaries seemed to suffer, but Atanas was in a hurry to sell his merchandise and pocket the money, he didn't care how many of those filthy barbarians would die along the way. Fortunately for Astrid, she was allowed to travel on a cart to preserve her, and as much as she had objected and protested against that privilege, she had been forced to accept that preferential treatment with beatings.
When they finally arrived on the other side of the Alps, the weather improved, and in front of Astrid, Italy opened up with all its wealth and abundance, the origin of the power of Rome, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was stunned to see how advanced the people they met along the way were, and how rich the harvests and fat the flocks seemed, and how the beautiful cities they crossed made the villages of huts in her homeland look miserable. But it didn't matter, the greatness of her people lay in the indomitable and pure spirit that supported them, no matter how rich Rome was, her people would never kneel before her!
To Astrid's great relief, even Arnulf, with the vigor of his youth, managed to overcome the terrible ordeal of the Alps. Thus, together, one day in late October, they set their eyes on Rome for the first time, which appeared suddenly before them in all its grandeur when the procession reached the top of a hill.
Astrid was not mentally prepared for that sight, and the first impact was a real shock. Rome was enormous, Astrid's first thought was that all the people of her land would not have been enough to fill it, but that was not the only thing that struck her. Rome was also majestic, imposing, made of tall, multi-story buildings of solid white stone. Its streets were paved, imposing aqueducts brought water into the city, and its grandiose monuments proclaimed its glory. Astrid was overwhelmed by the grandeur of Rome, and for the second time, the confidence that harbored in her heart wavered... was victory against such greatness possible? After all, the victory they had achieved had only been a sting compared to the power of Rome...
Astrid was still lost in contemplation of Rome as they walked its streets, lost like in a dream, and beside her, on Arnulf's face, one could read the same confusion. Was it possible for man to reach such a peak of civilization?
Yet looking closer, Astrid noticed how fat men were, and how women were swollen like so many toads, bent under the weight of jewelry and rich clothes. Everywhere, slaves. Nubians of ebony, Italic, imposing and blond Gauls, stocky Iberians, cunning Egyptians... all known tribes were in the service of Rome. Slaves who carried goods, slaves who built, slaves who cooked, who cleaned the houses... everything was done by the slaves. And so Astrid found courage, the Romans had softened, they were corrupt and spoiled, soft and weak, their dominion could not last much longer. How could they oppose the free fury of the peoples of the north?
They were locked up in a compound, and were allowed to rest for a couple of days after the long journey. They were given good food, simple but substantial, and were carefully washed by silent servants. Women were made to wear light and short tunics, while boys wore leather loincloths.
"Rest and enjoy your last day of freedom... tomorrow you will be sold, and you will meet your new master!" Astanas told them that evening, before leaving and closing the heavy gate of the compound behind him.
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At mid-morning, the prisoners were led in a group out of the compound to a palace with a large Greek colonnade in front of it. The room was long and narrow. More than half of it was taken up by low benches on which buyers sat, mostly wealthy notables from the Roman aristocracy, while at the other end of the room the prisoners, including Astrid and Arnulf, were gathered. They were made to take turns ascending a low platform, subjected to the judgment of the crowd, while Astanas extolled their virtues. Then the buyers began to make offers, and whoever offered the most would take home the purchased slave.
The air was heavy, spoiled, charged with the scent of Roman incense and perfumes, which barely concealed the stench of their sweaty bodies.
Arnulf and Astrid were made to climb up together onto the platform, pushed rudely by two brutes. Both were trembling, but Astrid managed to hold her head high, fixed in a sign of challenge, proud and disdainful of that crowd of decadent fat masters. They could buy her name, but they could never buy her spirit!
"And here you are, my lords and ladies, a prized lot, a rare lot... a fierce barbarian princess, daughter of a king and consort of a rebel leader, from the distant lands of Germany, and her young servant! Look, admire, her beauty, her features, her posture, the purity of her eyes! Think of what a delightful concubine she could be, what a precious piece to add to your brothel, or the pleasure of being able to have your feet massaged by a rebel princess! And look at that handsome young man, such vigor in his limbs! He could perhaps be a splendid gladiator one day, who knows, or an excellent squire... or you could castrate him and make him a bedboy, for those who appreciate..."
Various murmurs of lascivious approval ran through the room. A few more moments of anxious waiting, and then the bids began to rain down. An auction was truly unleashed, in which bids became increasingly dizzying and shameless, shouted from throats increasingly choked by the desire to possess that special lot. Quickly, they came to a conclusion. On one side, a wealthy spice merchant, on the other, a well-known senator. The merchant was evaluating the senator's last bid, of ten thousand sesterces. A vein was pulsating on his sweaty forehead, while he chewed his thumbnail. Then, roaring and belching like a bull, he raised the bid: "Twelve thousand! That bitch will be mine, by Jupiter!"
The senator thought for a moment, then lowered his head in resignation. The fat merchant was already exulting and receiving congratulations from his companions when a sweet and velvety voice, but at the same time strong and uncompromising, said: "Twenty-five thousand. Five for the boy, and twenty for the woman."
An abrupt silence fell on the room. Everyone fell silent, and their gaze turned towards an elegant Roman matron, sitting in the back rows.
Astrid had followed the auction up to that moment as if in a trance, as if they were not haggling over her price. She heard the voices, but did not search for the face that corresponded to them. She kept her gaze solemnly fixed forward, animated by an indomitable hope. That voice, however, so different from that of the men who had been competing for it until then, caught Astrid's attention. Nevertheless, from that distance, hidden by the smoke of the incense and the darkness, Astrid could not grasp the features of the woman. No one bid again, so the woman signed a promissory note that one of her slaves delivered to Astanas, after which she got up and left, followed by a couple of handmaidens.
Before they took her away, Astanas whispered to her, "Goodbye, my little one... you belong to Donna Lucilla now... you know, I'm actually glad, I prefer her having you rather than one of those lascivious Roman nobles... You were lucky, Donna Lucilla is a wealthy Roman aristocrat, from one of the most influential families. She is a widow, who married at a young age an already aged senator, who died a few years later without leaving any heirs. It is said she is very rich, and treats her slaves much better than others do. Of course, if you are able to satisfy her... but you will realize all of this, you'll see... I am really curious to know how it will go, but unfortunately, our acquaintance ends here... goodbye, barbarian princess!"
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And so it was that Astrid and Arnulf were led to Donna Lucilla's residence by her guards. It was an enormous patrician villa on the hills of Rome, slightly outside the center, huge and surrounded by a vast garden of cypresses and maritime pines. In front of the house, a rich fountain bubbled happily, a luxury that only the wealthiest Roman patricians could afford, while on either side of the entrance two statues, one in white marble dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite, and the other entitled to a mysterious poetess named Sappho, whom Astrid did not know, welcomed the guests.
Astrid was not accustomed to such magnificence, such luxury, not even the highest aristocrats among the Germans displayed so much wealth.
