Julia gave a brief nod. The arena resounded to the ring of steel against steel as the gladiators clashed, parried and clashed again.

Valens's skill, which she had seen at her father's, seemed to desert him. Julia's heart leapt in her throat as Valens slipped to the ground, and had to use his shield to ward of the blows his opponent rained down on him with his trident. He rolled in the dirt, scrabbling to his knees.

Julia saw his opponent knock Valens again, and Valens half-staggered. She grasped Claudia's hand, wanting to look away, but was unable to tear her eyes from the scene.

When she was certain Hermes had beaten Valens, he lifted his shield and sent Hermes's trident spinning into the air. Immediately Valens counter-attacked and put his sword to Hermes's throat. Hermes raised his left hand, signalling his defeat. The bout was over. Valens had triumphed.

Julia sank down on a wooden seat, her heart thumping in her ears. Her arms trembled as if she had been the one in the fight, instead of being an interested bystander.

'That was quite a bout,' Claudia remarked with obvious satisfaction, twirling her parasol. 'Such moves and such skill.'

'Will they fight this hard in the games?' Julia asked around the lump in her throat. At least three times she thought Valens would be severely injured. The memory of the gashes on his torso burned on her brain. From this distance, it was impossible to tell if he was hurt. She narrowed her eyes and tried to look for any red gashes or any other sign of injury. But Valens appeared to be fine. Julia drew a deep calming breath.

'Harder and faster. The thrill of the contest fills the very air you breathe. The weapons they fight with during the games are razor sharp. They are tested before the games begin to show the audience.' Claudia's eyes glowed. 'If you thought this was thrilling, wait until you experience the real thing. The excitement is unbearable when the gladiators walk into the ring. Whom will the gods choose to favour that day? Who will live and who will die?'

Julia looked back at Valens. He slapped his former opponent on the back and demonstrated a sword technique. She balled her hand into a fist, hating herself for enjoying the contest.

'At last,' Claudia continued seemingly oblivious to Julia's emotional turmoil, 'you can see why I think he deserves a wooden sword. Only one gladiator out of a hundred would have been able to pull off that last move without getting severely injured. Everyone will be looking for it come the actual fight. The wooden sword is there for him to win, and if he does that move successfully with a sharp sword, Caesar will be hard pressed not to give it to him.'

But at what cost? Julia questioned silently.

'Who are the gladiators without helmets?' she asked to divert Claudia's attention away from Valens.

'Those are the rentarü or fishermen. They fight with a trident and net and never wear a helmet. They are the only gladiators whose faces are well known. Some people look down on them for that reason,' Claudia said, pointing. 'I enjoy watching their skill with the net. Shall we go closer?'

The malevolent stare of the gladiator who had quarrelled with Valens caught Julia's eye. She shivered as he deliberately tripped his opponent. There were a few boos from the crowd, but the gladiator responded by casting his net over the man, kicking him with his foot and then triumphantly waving his trident. Some in the crowd seemed to delight in his antics.

'No, I think just here is fine. We can see the whole arena.' Julia swallowed hard as she realised that this cheat was the man Valens would most likely face in a life-or-death struggle.

'If you wish, but you ought to see the skill that Aquilia uses. He will be more than a match for your Valens.'

'For the love of Juno, he's not my gladiator.' Julia knew the warmth on her cheeks was from more than the hot sun. 'He is a man staying at my father's house. I told you that before.'

'Shall we go talk to him anyway?' Claudia clutched Julia's arm. 'He looks to be finished. See, he's talking to that group of men.'

Julia regarded Valens, who was laughing and talking with a group of toga-clad admirers before he turned to a group of schoolboys standing open-mouthed with their tutor.

She trembled as she remembered the taste of his mouth and the touch of his hands. She watched him demonstrate the way he made the final thrust with his sword. It was hard to tell who looked more thrilled—the boys or their tutor. Suddenly, as if he felt her eyes on him, he turned his head. Their eyes met, and her heart stopped in her mouth. She started to wave her hand, but stopped, puzzled by his remote expression. His brows furrowed and he frowned before a schoolboy tugging at his tunic caught his attention and he turned back towards the group.

'He's busy now,' Julia said, hiding her blush with her shawl. She busied her hands with arranging and rearranging the folds of her stola. Her mind started whispering reasons why she should have stayed away.

'Those boys are departing. That horror shaking Valens's hand is my second cousin on my mother's side,' Claudia re-plied. 'A proper little imp. Do you know he put frogs in the fountain just when his mother gave a dinner party for a potential patron? They hopped all over her table, ruining the arrangement of pastries. Let's go greet Valens before that group of soldiers get there.'

'This could be a mistake.' Julia hung back. 'I don't want him to think I'm one of those women who gather around the arena's gates.'

'Julia, stop it. He will be delighted to see a friendly face. You worry too much.' Claudia gave her a small shove forward.

Julia forced her feet towards where Valens stood, looking is remote as a god as he laughed and joked. The smooth strong column of his neck rose above his impossibly broad shoulders.

As they approached, he turned towards the water butt and said something to one of the gladiator school's servants before turning towards the group of soldiers.

Julia waited until the soldiers had departed for him to ac-cnowledge her presence. A warm breeze blew across her face, making a strand of her hair fly into her mouth. Julia pushed it away, but although Valens had turned towards her, he said nothing and his eyes appeared as remote as a statue's. Julia cleared her throat.

'Valens,' she began with a faltering voice barely above a whisper, 'Claudia and I thought you fought wonderfully well. It was exhilarating to watch.'

Her cheeks were as hot as if she had spent an hour in front of a brazier. She sounded exactly like a lovesick female supporter, sighing for the moon. He seemed to be staring off into the middle distance. Perhaps he had not seen her. She tried again, this time in a louder voice. 'Valens, aren't you going to greet me?'

This time he did looked down, directly into her eyes and her heart dropped to the bottom of her sandals. His face bore little resemblance to the passion-filled face of late last night. This face was haughty, almost cruel. His eyes were chips of black glass.

'Forgive me, I didn't see you there. Julia Antonia and Claudia Julia, how pleasant to see you both.' His tone implied it was anything but.

'Claudia thought it might be a good way to pass the afternoon—watching the gladiators practise.'

'You saw me fight.' His lips turned down at the corners.

'Yes,' Julia said, taking a step backwards. Birds flew in her stomach, pecking it and making it hurt. She tried to understand what she had done wrong. She drew a deep breath and started again 'Claudia invited me. She'll make a supporter of me yet.'

He gave an elaborate bow and a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. Julia tilted her head to one side, trying to assess his mood. He seemed so different from the Valens of last night. She bit her lip. Had she made some terrible mistake? The awful truth whispered in her mind—her body disgusted him like it had Lucius. She tried to keep the misery from swallowing her as she listened to Claudia gush about his skill at turning the trident away.

'You were right and I was wrong. Gladiatorial bouts have merit,' she said when Claudia stopped to take a breath.

'I'm pleased you enjoyed it,' he said with little warmth in his voice. His eyes seemed to dart around the arena. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with some more supporters. Duty calls.'

He gave another bow and was gone. Julia stared after him, stunned. She covered her mouth and nose with her hands, hiding her expression from the world. Last night, she had destroyed everything. She should never have pulled away. She disgusted him in the same way she had disgusted Lucius.

'Of all the nerve,' Claudia said with her hands on her hips. 'He might have at least greeted me pleasantly. He barely said two words to me. All the nice things I said to him. It would serve him right if I switched allegiances.'

Julia's backbone sagged, and she felt the urge to run away. Immediately she straightened. She had acted properly. He had been insufferable, but the only thing he had wounded was her pride. And her pride would mend…eventually.

'It has been a pleasant afternoon, Claudia, but I think the spinning is calling me. Sabina can be such a pain at times.' She rushed her words, hoping Claudia would understand. 'I won't join you at the baths after all.'

'I thought you were going to give me a game rolling hoops at the gym, to see if you could even the score up. I am leading the series—sixteen to fourteen.'

A few more hours pretending everything was fine, chatting and listening to Claudia dissect various gladiators' anatomies was impossible, torture of the worst sort. Julia pressed her lips into a firm line.