We were taken to the palace where the Emporer was sitting. The palace was a very posh place, with lots of marbles and pillars and statues. There was gold everywhere. Slaves were busy doing their chores while the Emporer sat on a sofa and was drinking some wine. I still thought he was ugly and it was hard to believe that he was the most powerful man in the world! He was also the man that could decide my fate.
I stood before him as he hardly looked at me. He told me that I was a guest and Rome would treat me well. He knew that I was afraid and confused as to why I was taken away from my parents and taken far away to Rome. He explained that I was insurance that Caledonia will not fight the Romans. It would be a sign of peace between Caledonia and Rome, and proof that both can live together.
"You have been a princess in a primitive land." He continued, "You will be a princess in Rome. You will be a special guest of this palace. We will treat you like a princess and teach you the Roman traditions and culture. In time, you will be a Roman and this will help your homeland if you ever go back. I want you to feel safe here and happy. You will have everything that you desire."
I curtsied and thanked the Emporer for his kindness. I knew that I was more than a guest. I was a hostage. If my homeland did not do as Rome commanded, then my life would be in danger. I wondered if my father even cared. It did seem like that he gave me up very easily. Maybe if I was a boy, he would have fought some more or had more courage.
Frida was told that she would be a slave and her job was to take care of me and do as I commanded her to do. I felt bad that she was a slave. How can anyone force another person to be a slave, as it felt strange thinking of another human being property? Despite my feelings about it, Frida was content with being my slave. She explained later it meant that we will be together and it was better than death. I suppose that I had to get used to the way things were in the Roman days. I found out that a third of the people were slaves!
Life in the palace was great. The Emporer had a son that was like a crown prince. He was a bit older than me. The Emporer hoped that we would get on together and I tried this. We had classes where we learned about Roman history, the Gods and how to read and maths. The school was very difficult and the teacher was very strict. He had no problem in slapping us, especially the crown prince.
When we were not at school, then it was like being on a holiday camp. I could swim and take long walks in beautiful gardens. I could also do hobbies such as weaving or pottery. I did feel bad for Frida, especially when I was swimming. She was not allowed to participate in anything, she just looked at me doing things and waited for my next command. Life as a slave was not fun. Despite all this, she had a smile on her face all the time and never complained when I asked for something. I had to remember all the time not to take her for granted, or to think she was some pet that would do my every wish. She was a human being.
The crown prince's name was Cato. He was a very skinny teen that had crooked teeth. He was not that smart and yet he was the future leader of Rome. He had no compassion, especially with slaves. He treated them a lot like dirt and did not care if they suffered or not. He was just a spoiled brat that only thought about himself. The Emporer hoped that I would get on with Cato, but it was so hard to get on with someone that had no values and was like a monster.
Cato did not like me either. He thought that I was a primitive barbarian that came from an uncivilized nation. According to him, I was not born a Roman and I could never be a Roman. The most I could do was to pretend that I was one. I found out that Cato hated me. Maybe it was because I was a guest and I was a princess. Maybe it was because I was getting attention. Maybe he thought that I was a threat.
A few weeks after I came, he pushed me against a wall and told me not to get too comfortable here. He reminded me that a dog had a higher status than a primitive animal like me. He also reminded me that being a princess of some dirt hole didn't matter anymore as Rome now controlled my people and my fate now was in the hands of Rome. I was shaking as he said this. Despite him being mean and evil, I knew that he was right. I was a hostage here and I could be put to death at any time.
Frida was still friends with me and we had long conversations. One day, she was crying as she missed her parents and our homeland. She was worried about how everyone was. I knelt beside her and hugged her. I reminded her that Rome would treat our land well and we had our duty here to make sure the Romans know that we were nice people. Cato overheard all this and was mad that I was comforting a slave. He slapped Frida across her face and told her to do his chores. I was mad and stood up bravely and asked him if he wanted to hurt me. His face went red and I do think he wanted to hit me. He did not. He told me that I was under Emporer protection. He also told me that I had to learn how to keep slaves in their place.
The Emporer called me to dine with him one evening. Cato was there and some men that I did not know. I sat and ate some food while being shocked at how much the Romans ate. I did not like Roman food all that much. They used a lot of fish sauce and they ate a lot of fish.
The Emporer was worried. The poor people of Rome were starving, as there was not enough food. He asked Cato what he thought and Cato proudly said to let them starve. He reasoned that the poor live in overpopulated areas and food shortages acted as population control.
The Emporer asked me what I would do. This made Cato laugh as he said girls knew nothing about such things.
"With all respect, you are the Emporer that has a lot of responsibility" I started, "Romans are like your children and you are their father. They trust in you. I am sure they love you but this love can quickly become hate if they think you do not think you care. They will revolt and your life will be in danger. Rome is a large empire, so I would bring food in from areas outside Rome. Then I would sell it cheap to the poor. They would be happy and you would be a hero"
Cato laughed at this, but the Emporer scratched his chin. He told some men at the table to get some wheat in Egypt and use this to fill the storage areas in Rome. Until this was done, he ordered that the current supply will be given to the poor. Cato looked at his dad in a confused way. The Emporer explained that it was important that Romans helped each other and was compassionate. It was his duty to show by example.
A few days later, the Emporer wanted me to take a walk. As we walked, he told me that I surprised him. He thought I was a simple salvage from some uncivilized land. Since I came to the palace, he was told I was very intelligent and creative. On top of that, he heard that I was polite and ladylike. He sighed as he said this and admitted that he wished that I could influence his son. I did not tell him what I thought of Cato.
It was quickly known that the Emporer took my advice and he even went on walks with me. I could see how the Romans and slaves looked at me. Their expressions showed contempt and hate. I knew what they were thinking. I may be dressed as a Roman. I may even look like a Roman. This being said, I was a princess from a tribe far away. They considered my tribe as barbarians, uncivilised and we should all be slaves.
Cato was right with one thing. I would never be accepted and despite the Emporer liked me, my life was in his hands.
To be continued
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