Hello.

My name is Felix. I am a Roman slave, but not just any slave, mind you. I'm a cook in the house of one of the most prominent families in the city, thanks be to Jupiter Poeninus. I have it much better than my poor friends who have to entertain - in every sense of the word - the guests or my masters. And I definitely am luckier than the slaves in the mines. My name is fitting, I suppose.

I've been taught to read and write because my master saw fit to allow me to understand recipe books and make a few notes of my own. I'm a good cook. Almost every day I am allowed to handle the richest of ingredients - not just beef and veal, but also peacock and ostrich, and the freshest bounty from the sea. It's not always easy to prepare these things, but I enjoy the challenge and am rewarded often for my efforts. Sometimes just a little stolen taste of my cooking here and there is reward enough.

Although my life is quite good, nothing can compare to the taste of freedom. I cannot wait to start out on my own. I may not get to work with flamingo and rose petals every day, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.