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‘It was never a competition,’ she said.

‘I hope the power is everything you dreamed of.’

‘The power is a duty, a calling,’ she said, as strong as she’d ever been. ‘This, you will never understand.’

‘You think you’re different to me and the ones who came before. You think that you are kinder, less ruthless, because you are a woman… but you are a dictator, just the same. A killer, just the same. You are no better than us men.’

But Claudia was unmoved. ‘I shall not mourn you, Marcellus, for you made your own choices. Any last words?’

‘Let me… just think of something…’

Her cousin slumped forward, laid face down in a crimson pool.

Dom carefully bent down beside Marcellus, checking his neck for a pulse, then shook his head.

‘He is gone,’ he said.

They all looked at the lynx with a mixture of fear and affection.

‘Well,’ said Dido. ‘That was unexpected.’

‘Good work, cat,’ said Gia, impressed by the beast’s combat. ‘You would do well in the arena, with moves like that.’

Livia murmured in agreement.

The noise of clanking armour sounded. They huddled into the shrine, hiding from a passing troop.

‘What now?’ asked Cassius.

‘They’ll notice his absence before too long,’ said Dom. ‘We cannot remain hidden while we are still in the palace.’

‘Where should we go?’ asked Livia.

‘Marcellus is dead. We are not hiding,’ said Claudia.

She threw the sheet she’d been wearing as a palla over her cousin’s body, so she didn’t have to look at his face.

‘It’s over for them,’ she said. ‘They are in there writing his proclamations for when he is declared. What chance do they have of taking Rome without an emperor?’

‘Aquinas still has an entire army at his command,’ said Gia. ‘We cannot fight every soldier in Rome.’

‘We may have to,’ said Cassius, darkly.

Claudia followed his gaze to the other end of the garden where Aquinas and his men were gathering, calling for Marcellus.

‘They’re coming!’ Livia hissed.

Gia pulled Claudia behind her, as her soldiers shuffled around in a square, to hide the incriminating body.

‘Get ready to fight for your lives,’ said Celadus.

‘I am always ready for that,’ said Livia.

‘Halt!’

Aquinas and his men moved towards them, unhurried. They hadn’t seen Claudia yet, hidden by a shield of mostly pretend soldiers, but they would soon enough.

Just as they drew close enough to sight her, a distant noise sounded, strange enough that Aquinas pulled up.