Book V: Chapter 3| Pseudolus Servi

Olivia began moving them around like stage directions, giving them assigned roles. She gave these in a hissing whisper in Latin.

“Alexander, you go over here.”

“You’re so feisty because your wife and children have been captured at sea, and you need to go find them. Any lines you give in Common must imply this—wailing, okay?”

Alexander nodded.

“Arachne, you just got married, and you just want to see your husband again.”

Arachne blushed but tried to nod.

“Marcus, you’re a very rich man crying about his wealth.”

Marcus smiled. “Sounds great. Do I get the wealth when we’re done?”

Olivia arranged them into positions around the cell so that, from a distance, it looked like a bunch of prisoners lounging, but from a bird’s-eye view it was designed with three immediate fighters standing as well as reserves in the corners and at least two surprise attacks.

They began conspiring in Latin.

“We need to get the guards into the room again. Castra, —once we’re ready, I need you to start your fight, okay?”

Olivia pointed to Marcus, he broke into a pose. “Alas, my riches! Will I ever see my beautiful house again?”

The cat guards turned away.

“Okay. We subdue the guard and take the keys. How many guards should we anticipate?”

“At least four. Take out two. Take the keys, take their weapons. Get as many people out as possible. We need at least two people out of the cage before they surround it again.”

“You, Aeneas, Regulus—you’ll take their sticks and defend the door.”

Olivia pointed to Arachne. “Oh, my dearest husband with such lovely fiery red curls, are we lost on our wedding night, never able to—well, you know…”

Alexander spoke up. “Okay. The hallway to this cell leads to the armory. I’ve seen several weapons there. If we have at least three sticks, we might be able to seize it.”

Castra interjected: “Oh, my darling husband and daughter I’ll never see again!”—then in Latin. “That’s a terrible idea. We need shields first. 

"Mommy! Mommy! I want my mommy!" Pollux turned to his sister. There were some wooden platforms behind us. Use those first. Then, when we have protection for the group, we can run into the armory.”

Arachna jumped in. “Will I ever see my beautiful blonde-haired husband again?”

"What about wild animals? Can we unlock those first?”

“My darling,” Marcus said, turning to Arachne. “With my riches I could have bought you a new, beautiful life in the house. You’d never remember that husband again.”
Marcus seems to roleplay his character here; clarify tone so it’s not out-of-character.

“You guys are overthinking this,” he muttered. “We just need to use the formation Father taught us.”

Arachne added hand over her head, “No riches could ever replace my beautiful husband. I would rather wear his black than your gold.”

Marcus muttered something to himself.

Castro and Olivia looked at each other and nodded. They turned to Alexander. Alexander gave them the thumbs up. Pollux gave them the thumbs up.

Then they went at each other in a play fight.

“How dare you sleep with my husband!”

“He was my lover! He didn’t truly love you, and it’s your fault!”

The two circled each other, grabbing each other’s shirts.

Everyone else started shouting and cheering, hollering for the fight as they pulled each other’s hair. It attracts attention to the other cages as well.

This finally got one of the cat guards’ attention. He walked over. “Fsh- I said, knock it off!”

They continued to fight, teasing and hollering as he bashed his club against the bars.

The guard finally snapped, stopped shouting, fumbled for his keys, opened the heavy cage, and walked in with his stick.

Olivia immediately let go. Castra turned to the guard and, as he muttered about discipline, hit him with a clean right hook to the face.

The guard, shocked and impacted by the blow, was then met by another left jab from Pollux. He fell, knocked out cold.

The other elves were stunned.

Castro turned to them. “Why do you think Father called us Castor and Pollux?”

They quickly grabbed all his equipment.

Two other guards came in and were quickly seized and knocked out. Their equipment and keys were taken, and the cage was closed, locking the guards inside.

The two guards screamed next to their unconscious colleague. The other prisoners heard the noise and started cheering, rattling their cages.

The elves got together, grabbed the wooden boards—

As Castra ran to grab the boards, she saw a group of dog-men.

“Can you help us?” she asked.

The Old dog man nodded. "Let us avenge our Chieftan!"

She opened the door and let them out. “If you want out, follow us!”