Seating arrangements.

Nemis sat excitedly next to Sylvia, Cornelia sat next to her, and then his mother and then his grandfather.

His father sat on the other side of him. The play itself was of a miserly old protagonist that obsessively guarded a little pot of gold. It was humorous, but what caught Nemis’ attention was the nearly casual way his grandfather’s hand was on his mother’s leg, rubbing back and forth along her upper thigh.

His father remained oblivious to this fact and kept his attention on the play. He seemed to have issues paying attention to more than one thing at a time.

Sylvia kept sneaking glances at him from her chair next to his. He wasn’t sure why, but he made sure to give her a friendly smile each time he caught her staring.

When the play was over, the family made their way back to their villa on the outskirts of town, as their gladiator school required more room than the inner city usually permitted. When it was time for the family to break apart, his grandfather sent Orelius to take his son back to the barracks. Nelis watched as his grandfather’s large hand rested above his mother’s waist as he led her back into the villa.

This time, his father did notice and his face went cold.

Melos turned to walk towards the gate barring the path back to the barracks but was stopped by Sylvia who gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“It was good to see you again, brother. You are growing up to be very handsome!”

Nemis’ cheeks burned red as a hand covered the spot where her lips had burned his skin.

“Umm, thank you Sylvie.” Not thinking, he used the nick name he had given her as a child, and with this she blushed and retreated into the villa.

Orelius said not a word the entire walk back. When his son was safe inside the barracks grounds he turned and walked back as quickly as possible, his foot dragging, the sound of sand on stone every step of the way back to the villa.

Nemis fell asleep quickly, and his dreams were light with him saving the green-eyed girl from the clutches of the miserly old man and his little pot of gold.