Why not? 80 aureus on the girl!

Your eyes again meet the girl, and she gives you a hidden wink. Your stomach flips, and for a moment you're enthralled. She seems to be in no danger, and what more utterly content to be on the auction block. You take a deep breath and shout out. "80 Aureus"! A few people around you glance your direction in surprise, but the auctioneer doesn't miss a beat. "80 aureus for the lovely beast! 85? 85?"

You can see the girl look down, and hide a smile behind her long bangs. For some unclear reason you smile too. Even if you'll never own the girl, you still find a thrill in the auction.

"90!" Another man lost in the crowds calls out. You've been outbid. Thrill takes you as you shout out "95!"

And so the auction continues. Slowly, one by one the bidders begin to cease their cries, leaving fewer and fewer. One man in particularly seems very intent on purchasing the girl. You turn to him to see who your competitor is. He seems to be a man with lean features and a tall stature. His loose fitting tunic, trimmed in the Greek key, reveals a chiseled musculature beneath. By every right he's the very image of a Greek god. Draped over his shoulders is a loose fitting cobalt cloak with silver lining.

You shout out "122!" as a final bid, quite sure that he will outbid you considering his previously aggressive bids. Your heart is pounding your chest, and you gaze upon the beauty of the girl on the stand. A smirk is planted on your lips as you take a breath, still high on the surprising adrenaline rush from the auction battle.

However, that grin begins to fade as the only voice you hear is the auctioneers. "122, 122 aureus, can I hear a 123? 122 and 200? 122 and 200 asses? 122 and 100 asses, a hundred coppers, anyone? a hundred coppers?" Your mouth dries like cotton and you start to look around desperately. How could the bids dry up so quickly? You only placed two aureus higher. You scowl as you come back to your senses and realize that the amount is still a months wages or more. "122 aureus is no small sum" You consider as a pensive shock begins to overtake you. You look to the man who had been bidding against you so aggressively only moments before. He only smirks, sweeps his cloak over his shoulder and walks off.

"Sold! to the young man in the back." Your stomach drops as the auctioneer directs you to a small pavilion at the side of the stand to "Make the final arrangements."