Klaudius stopped in front of the woman who had probably drunk too much. He talked to her, but received no answer. She just looked at him absently, suddenly sagged and fell forward. He quickly caught her and carried her to the side to get some fresh air. After a while she slowly came to and looked at him first confused and then scared. "You lost consciousness for a little while, miss."
Amaya started when the Roman addressed her so politely. Apparently he mistook her for a Roman. "Thank you for your help, sir." Klaudius looked at her more closely and suddenly he recognized her. Before him sat the daughter of Festizius, whom he had found and taken from Armenia. She was almost unrecognizable, she had changed so much. from the arid, a shy girl had grown into a beautiful, confident woman.
"You're sick.", he stated and was ashamed to have accused her of being drunk. Amaya nodded. He was right, but she couldn't be weak now. She was responsible for her mistress and had to get up Terra watch out. Terra! She looked around quickly and found her next to Tristan at the table with some other Romans talking at length and loudly. Apparently she hadn't realized what had happened.
Amaya slowly mounted and gratefully took the soldier's helping hand "Do you recognize me?" he asked as he released her and she stood in front of him. Amaya nodded and looked back at Terra. "I didn't think you could do it." - "You could have killed me. Why didn't you do it?" The Roman thought for a while, "I don't know. I think your look held me back." A Roman soldier who spared a half-dead girl because of her look? After he snatched babies from their mothers' arms and threw them into the river and slit the throats of boys who were actually far too young to be soldiers against the Romans? Amaya was sure that her gaze hadn't softened the iron Roman heart of this soldier.
God had a plan for her life and made the soldier hesitate. How much Amaya would like to tell him about her God. But Nila's warning shot into her head again and this time her fear won out. The soldier's silver sword shimmered through the lights and Amaya was sure that the soldier would kill her on the spot.
"I should go back to my mistress," she said, more to herself. The soldier made way for her and Amaya pushed through the crowd and stood behind Terra.
Tristan noticed her and grinned sideways at Amaya. "You can lend me your slave girl for one night, Terra." He grabbed Amaya's hand, but she quickly pulled her to her chest. Terra noticed Amaya now and put on a seductive smile. "Why do you want a simple one Slave if you can have a coveted Roman?".
Tristan laughed coldly and then kissed Terra insistently on the mouth. Amaya felt nauseous but pulled herself together. "We should go mistress. It's getting late." Terra ignored Amaya and waved her away. Exhausted, she leaned against the tent wall and closed her eyes. It started to rain and more and more people came into the big tent to avoid getting wet.
Drunks, Romans men gave Amaya meaningful looks, but she knocked them down with a skillful look, until she eventually stood unnoticed on the edge of the crowd. She felt someone standing next to her and opened her eyes. A man leaned against the wall next to her and his face looked familiar. Hazy memories of before slowly surfaced and when he looked directly at her she was able to place him.
"Emin?" The man smiled relieved and nodded. "Oh Emin!" She noticed her eyes getting wet. How long had she not seen him? three years? Maybe four? Emin was her father's lawyer, administrator and best friend in Armenia. To her, he was her uncle Emin, who used to tell her stories during his breaks. Her father had sent him on a long business trip, so he was not in Armenia at the time of the war. ,, I heard that the daughter of Festizius would also be at the festival today and I was hoping to find you."
"How do you know that I survived?" Emin laughed, amused: "For a while, the only thing spoken of in the whole Roman Empire was the daughter of Festizius." Amaya blushed and lowered her gaze. "I wasn't on a business trip, Amaya."
She looked up at him confused. "Your father quickly noticed the new tensions with Rome. He sent me away and a few days later they wouldn't let anyone through the borders. The men fit for war had to remain in the city." Painful memories played clearly in Amaya's mind. "He gave me almost all his possessions. I took the money to Arabia and put it safely.