Page 24 of Conquer the Highlander

“Any friend of Titus’ is a friend of ours,” Isadora assured her. At her feet, the toddler was whining, and she grasped the boy’s hand. “Ye may as well meet everyone. This is my son, Nikolaus, but we call him Niko or Nikki. It depends on how angry I am at him. The babes belong to Lilia, Greer and Archer.”

Esme could see that Isadora was trying to make her feel welcome. She also noticed when the woman shifted the baby in her arms that she was pregnant, too. She smiled weakly.

“It looks as if you have another babe on the way, too,” she said. “Your husband fights for the Ludus Caledonia, too?”

When Nikolaus yanked his hand away and ran back for his toys in the dirt, Isadora put a hand on her gently swollen midsection. “He is a doctores,” she said. When Esme looked at her curiously, she explained. “That means he trains men. Did ye not know that?”

Esme shook her head. “I do not know anything about this place,” she said. “Until yesterday, I’d never heard of it.”

“Ah,” Isadora said, leading her over to a stool that was next to Lilia. “Sit down, then. Let us tell ye about this place.”

Esme gladly did as she was told, eager to hear about this vast complex that was tucked away in the hills.

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

Isadora began to sway back and forth, soothing the irritable baby. “Three years,” she said. “Welcome tae the Ludus Caledonia, Esme de Gracia. Think of it as a crown; the castle, called Caelian Hill, is the jewel at the top of the crown. Everything surrounding it is the rest of the crown – the smaller jewels, the gold. It is owned and operated by Sir Clegg de Lave, who was a great Sassenach knight, once. King James granted him the property in payment for his services. The Ludus Caledonia is the term for everything ye see.”

From her perch on the stool, Esme was looking around. “It looks very big.”

“It is,” Lilia said, next to her. “The arena is called the Fields of Mars and that’s where all of the fighting and training take place. It’s the heart of The Cal.”

Esme looked at her. “The Cal?”

Lilia snorted softly. “’Tis what everyone calls it,” she said. “If ye hear anyone speaking of The Cal, now ye know. Sir Clegg modeled it after the gladiator schools of ancient Rome, where men would train tae fight tae the death for their ancient kings.”

Esme nodded, but she was still looking around. “There are so many cottages,” she said. “Are there so many warriors?”

Lilia shrugged. “Sometimes,” she said. “But all of the cottages aren’t occupied. Most of them, though. Men in training must have a good roof over their heads and a good bed tae sleep in. That is what Clegg says.”

Esme looked at her. “I was told that men fight here and still other men place wagers on them,” she said. “This is all for entertainment?”

Lilia shook her head. “Not all,” she said. “Men are trained tae fight and they are taught by the best, men like our husbands. They swear fealty tae Clegg for seven years and they are housed and fed and trained. They become highly skilled warriors and sometimes, great lords pay a good deal of money for their services. That is the greatest honor of all – being bought by a great lord. I’ve seen dukes and princes and earls here, paying well for a fine warrior. When a man’s service is bought, he is given a gladius with a red sash tied around it as a symbol of release from The Cal. That is always exciting tae see.”

It was a lot of information to absorb, but Esme was sharp. She understood quickly what they were telling her.

“You said that your husband was a trainer?” she asked, looking at Isadora. “But Titus told me he is a fighter. Does that mean he is still in training?”

The conversation shifted back to Isadora. “Nay,” she said. “Titus is a professional fighter, the very top The Cal has tae offer. He fights for purses.”

“Not for his freedom?”

Isadora shrugged. “Many a lord has made an offer for him, but he always declines,” she said. “He likes the opportunity tae make money, I suppose, but I also think that he doesna like taking orders. Here at The Cal, he doesna have tae. Here, he is the king.”

Esme shook her head, both surprised and impressed by what she was hearing. “It is a big change from when he was held hostage by the Duke of Ayr,” she said. “I did not know him at all, really, but I knew of him. He spent his time alone because the other lads did not like him. He always seemed so… lonely.”

Isadora was still swaying back and forth, now with a sleeping baby on her shoulder. “We’ve known Titus for a while and dinna know he was a hostage of Ayr,” she said. “He never speaks about himself.”

Esme realized that she might have divulged information that Titus didn’t want known. “Then do not tell him I told you,” she said. “He should tell you himself.”

“Not tae worry, lass,” Isadora assured her. “The secret is safe. Now, ye said ye wanted tae earn money for yer passage back tae Navarre.”

“Aye, very much. I do not want to be a burden on Titus any longer than I must.”

Isadora cocked her head thoughtfully. “I think there are a few men around here who might like tae learn how tae read and write,” she said. “I will ask my husband tonight. Meanwhile, ye asked about washing Titus’ clothing. We’ll put the bairns down tae sleep and show ye the way. Ye might want tae change intae something not so fanciful tae wash with.”

A tip of her head in Esme’s direction had the woman looking down at her clothing. It was the green silk with the yellow trim, such a beautiful dress that was now dirty and wrinkled.

“I do not have anything else,” she admitted. “I came to the Ludus Caledonia with only the clothing I was wearing.”