Page 60
It looked like a battalion, marching into war.
‘Where is he?’ said Gia. ‘Let’s get a look at this guy.’
‘You are keener than me!’ said Claudia.
‘I want to see my competition.’
‘There is none.’
The vision closed in on the main litter of the parade: a bold purple canopy with white drapes, decorated with flowers. It was pulled by dressed horses and guarded by warriors with spears, all of whom were chanting in Persian.
‘All hail the Prince of Persia!’
Within the royal chariot, surrounded by courtiers in colourful robes and tall hats, sat a fearsome-looking man with dark-rimmed eyes, dressed in bronze armour, his dark hair falling loose upon his shoulders.
Sharp-faced and stoic, he gazed into the distance at the barren, uninhabited landscape that Claudia recognized as the Parthian border: the battleground between two great empires.
‘He is coming to Rome,’ she gasped. ‘He is on his way.’
When she released her hand, the picture stilled and faded. Gia slumped back on the bed.
‘The prince is coming,’ Claudia said, in shock.
Gia groaned, head in her hands.
‘This is just what we needed,’ she said. ‘At least Minerva gave us a heads-up, I guess. Thank you, goddess.’
Claudia sat beside Gia on the bed as they stared at the shield, unsure what to say to each other.
‘What will you do?’ asked Gia.
‘I don’t know. What can I do?’
‘Tell him not to come. Tell him that you’re the empress now, and the deal your father made against your will is off.’
‘It isn’t that simple,’ she said.
‘Why not?’
‘There may be consequences, for rejecting him – not just for me, but for Rome and beyond. A war with the Persian empire is to be avoided at all costs. It is a battle I’m not sure the empire could win.’
‘So then, form a platonic alliance instead.’
‘That may still involve marriage, if he wishes to keep up appearances. If he arrives with the expectation of making an empress his wife, his people won’t be pleased to return with nothing.’
Gia didn’t say anything.
‘I may be forced to consider marriage if the Senate tries to pressure me to marry Marcellus,’ said Claudia.
‘I was afraid you were going to say that.’
‘It could work in our favour to at least be seen to consider it. He could be useful to us.’
‘Useful? How?’
In some sense, Darius’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time. If the people were suspicious that she might be a secret Sapphic, perhaps Darius himself could be the distraction.
Claudia could see it clearly now: she could parade the prince around as her consort until the rumours subsided, and then, when it came time to marry, she would find a diplomatic reason to reject him. A war with Persia would be a disaster, which meant keeping Darius onside. And it would deter Marcellus, at least.
