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‘But you aren’t,’ said Gia. ‘You are more.’

The boat tilted, groaning in protest as people lurched across the deck like drunks after closing. Gia steadied them both, gripping hold of the carved railing with one arm and holding Claudia with the other.

She flushed in the beam of Gia’s burning gaze, despite the cold.

‘You have many talents, I know this, but you won’t be much support to the people if you’re thrown overboard,’ said Gia.

The ship groaned again as it righted itself, the crew shouting harried instructions at each other, water dripping from the sails.

‘If you die, they won’t hesitate to find someone to replace you, and I dread to think who that someone would be.’

Claudia inhaled, then exhaled.

‘You are right,’ she said.

‘Why would you ever doubt me?’ Gia smiled. Claudia mirrored it easily. ‘You do look spectacular in the rain, though.’

‘I can’t imagine how that is possibly true,’ said Claudia, patting at her stringy hair and sodden robes.

‘It brings back memories of a certain bathhouse.’

When they were almost strangers, just a princess and a gladiator, Claudia had invited Gia to chaperone her to the baths, under the guise of needing privacy to discuss the plot against her life, but her true motivations had been much less honourable.

‘When you told me you loved men, you mean?’ she joked.

‘Yes,’ said Gia, laughing. ‘I panicked, okay? Although I was thinking more about how much I desired you… and how unavailable I thought you were.’

Claudia fully met Gia’s gaze, so soft and inviting, drawing her in. They were standing so close that Claudia could feel the warmth of Gia’s body, a body she had known so intimately.

‘I am always available to you,’ said Claudia.

But when Gia leant in as if to kiss her, Claudia pulled back on impulse, looking ahead at the thrashing waves instead, as tumbling thoughts cascaded again.

‘Not here, not now,’ she said, in a low voice. ‘Not yet.’

‘Right,’ said Gia, staring down at the deck. ‘I didn’t—’

‘I cannot risk—’

‘I know.’

‘My position is tenuous as it is. But we will… when it’s the right time…’ said Claudia. ‘When my rule is secure.’

‘That makes sense,’ said Gia.

Claudia retreated internally, repressing her feelings and adopting a cool, impervious demeanour.

‘The sky is clearing,’ she said. ‘I think I’ll stay up here, for now.’

She craned her neck to see Gia’s brother Cassius engaged in conversation with Gia’s fellow gladiator Dominic. When he caught her eye, he quickly looked back to Dom, nodding exuberantly as if Dom was saying something fascinating, though Claudia was sure he hadn’t really been paying attention.

‘You should go and distract Cassius. He is curious already. I see him watching us.’

‘We can trust him,’ said Gia.

‘Are you sure? I hate to say it, but he’s no longer the boy you remember. He’s a man of war now. He may be much changed by his experiences overseas. You need to get to know him again. Perhaps then, you will know if he’s truly trustworthy or not.’

Gia didn’t respond, though Claudia could tell from her expression that she didn’t agree. Her views on sibling relationships weren’t as complex as hers, Claudia supposed, and they had recently lost their mother. There was clearly no question in Gia’s mind that Cassius would die for her, or vice versa, whereas Claudia and her brother Decimus had always wanted to murder each other.