As a youth, Formosus Petrus was captured and enslaved in a Roman fullonica, or laundry. He has no hope, and no protection from the many greedy men and slaves who seek him out for succor. His luck changes when Longinus Megas, an enormously endowed Thracian slave, is sold to the fullonica. Longinus defends Formosus, who is uniquely gifted to accommodate the many needs of his handsome protector. He also has skills that are in high demand from the Patricians of Rome. Together they hatch a scheme to gain freedom and wealth. When things go terribly wrong, the many people they have satisfied return the favor, and send them on their magic-filled journey to freedom.About Ancient Rome, Peter writes: Ancient Roman Society was arranged in a hierarchy with Patricians at the top, Plebeians in the middle, and Slaves at the bottom.

In between were Freed men, Soldiers and Women. No matter where you were situated on the societal ladder, the slave was the lowest. A slave was owned. His owner had great freedom to use the slave as he saw fit. There were laws that protected slaves from sheer brutality, but they were difficult to enforce, for a slave was not permitted to use the legal system. Slaves could be loaned, borrowed, or sold. If a slave were ever set free, he could never be a citizen, but he could enjoy most of the rights of the Plebeians as a Freed man.A delicate boy like our hero is likely to fall to the lowest rank within slave society.

He is not only slave to his owner, but to fellow slaves. His submissive nature leaves him vulnerable to the cruelty of the society around him. True love, a magical balm, seeks to right the imbalance and heal the scars that slavery has inflicted. Few in this world are lucky enough to find such love and remain scarred for life.