“There is the matter of suitable compensation, of course. She broke my nose, and tried to blind our metal smith,” remarked the slaver, Hersius, as the Lady Donna gazed down at me.
I knelt as a slave does before a Free Woman, that is to say in tower position, resting back on my heels, with my back straight, my stomach flat, and my hands resting palms down, lightly on my thighs, head up, gaze forward, but not making eye contact with anyone. My thighs were together, not open, as a Free Woman was present. It is an insult for a slave to open her thighs before a Free Woman, the way she might typically do before a man. That is a sexual invitation, and would be rewarded with the lash from an offended Free Woman.
Men on the other hand expect the thighs of a slave to be parted, suggesting availability, and a desire to please.
“Compensation?” enquired the Lady Donna, pleasantly.
“My nose,” said Hersius again.