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‘I bring gifts,’ he said, depositing a bundle of jewels and rare spices on the buffet table. Claudia’s guests flocked around him. ‘I’ve had so many wonderful people show up to celebrate with me this evening, I thought I’d share that generosity.’

‘How sweet of you to think of us, Marcellus,’ said Claudia, in the warmest voice she could muster.

Gia joined at Claudia’s side without a word.

‘Of course, cousin. I’m always thinking of you. It is well known, what kind of man your father was. My own father also knew well what sort of man he was. Your brother, he was even worse – the wickedest of creatures. My parents always spoke well of you. They worried about you, as did I. We feared what would become of you, alone in the world with only monsters to care for you. I’m so glad I can be here to comfort you at this time… but we should talk business.’

‘Business? I live to hear it,’ said Claudia.

‘It is obvious that I have the people on my side,’ he said.

‘Are you here to boast?’

‘No, I’m here to appeal to you to rethink my proposition. Surely you can see you cannot rule alone. I ask you to concede, withdraw from the running and allow the Senate to announce me as emperor tomorrow, for the good of Rome.’

‘I must decline.’

‘You would rather be humiliated?’

‘I would rather have the chance to change minds.’

‘You won’t succeed, dear cousin. There is no way the Senate will stand behind you, nor the military.’

‘I’m willing to take that chance,’ said Claudia.

‘Then we’ll see how the dice falls tomorrow. It’s in the hands of the gods, as they say.’

They stared at each other fixedly.

‘For now, my confirmation party awaits me. I apologize in advance for the noise.’ He looked pointedly around the nearly empty room. ‘We’re going to be celebrating into the early hours.’

Marcellus drifted back to his own raucous banquet, taking his procession of followers with him.

‘We should call it a night,’ said Claudia. ‘I’ve taken all the losses I can cope with in one day.’

‘Let us not submit to defeat just yet,’ said Rectina. ‘A party is just a party. A party does not make a ruler.’

‘Popularity makes a ruler,’ said Claudia, ‘which means I may already have lost. My brother was already hated when he came to power, but Marcellus is a blank slate. It will be difficult to convince people he’s not the right man, when they are certain it must be a man.’

‘There must be something wrong with him,’ said Gia. ‘I’m sure we’d find some dirt on him, if we were to dig deep and long enough.’

But Claudia had too much of her own dirt; too many shallow graves to be uncovered.

‘There’s no time,’ she said. ‘I can do nothing more now than have a restful night.’

The party disbanded, limping into nothing.

Claudia lingered, signalling for Gia to wait with her. When the room had cleared out, Claudia gripped her hand, manoeuvring them behind a pillar so they couldn’t be spied on.

‘Will you meet me later, up in my room?’ she said. ‘There’s something I must do first.’

‘Must you ask?’ Gia said, her eyes hooded with desire. ‘But what is this thing you must do so urgently?’

‘I need to talk to Minerva,’ said Claudia. ‘I could do with her wisdom and courage before tomorrow.’

Gia gave an understanding nod.

‘I’ll be waiting, when you’re ready,’ she said.