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They were no longer talking about dancing, but something else. Something more. It was an analogy. He was asking her if she felt an attraction towards him, in the sensual sense, and Claudia wasn’t sure of the answer. Certainly, she could feel the warmth of his body. Certainly, he was pleasant to look at, with a tantalizing fragrance.

Did she desire him? He was handsome, as was Celadus. But – the idea of Gia removing her clothes filled her with a kind of ferality she was moderately ashamed of, while the idea of the prince removing his clothes gave her a feeling of mixed curiosity and terror.

Her mind turned. Part of her was vain and wanted the prince to admire her. Part of her was ashamed to even consider it. Part of her knew she had no choice but to say yes. Part of her didn’t know what was happening, because her life felt entirely out of control.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I feel it.’

‘Then we are good.’

The prince swirled her and dipped her, their bodies pressing together in the intimacy of the dance. Darius pulled her closer, his hands at her hips as they moved in circles, locked eye to eye.

How much easier it would be, in so many ways, to marry the prince. There were certain securities, certain assurances he could provide her that Gia could not. There was something between them, a thread of connection that she could probably take and stitch something with, but it was nothing compared to the way she craved Gia, as if she were something greater than desire: not a want, but a need.

The song ended. They bowed to each other, standing apart.

Gia was looking away, arms folded.

‘You asked me earlier, about my goddess,’ said Darius.

‘I did.’

He tapped his necklace.

‘The lotus symbolizes Anahita, a warrior goddess and divinity of the waters. She rides in a chariot drawn by four flying horses, named wind, rain, clouds and sleet.’

‘Fascinating. How did you come to venerate her?’

‘I picked up her worship from my mother and sisters, but many men pray to Anahita. Especially soldiers. She is no less fearsome a divinity, for being a woman.’

‘What is life like, for the women of Persia?’ asked Claudia.

‘Like Roman women, they look to the heavens for the power they are denied on Earth, but times are changing, just as they are here. We are living on the cusp of modernity, of new ways of thinking and being.’ He turned to Gia, admiring her with interest. ‘You must trust that your woman guard is stronger than the average man… or else, you must believe that she would fight harder for you than any of your male soldiers would.’

‘I do,’ said Claudia, but she didn’t add anything more.

A clearing-throat noise drew her attention.

Damocles stood in the arches.

‘Your presence is required, Empress,’ he said.

Darius stepped back.

‘It seems our time is over,’ he said.

‘For today,’ she said. ‘I shall look forward to getting to know you better, in the coming weeks.’

Claudia gave a low, formal bow.

‘And I, you,’ he said. ‘Thank you for your company today.’

When she held out her hand, he kissed it, his gaze lingering, rather more enthusiastically than their first meeting.

Claudia was drawn into an hour-long summit on the campaign in Germania. This was followed by a meeting with the Senate, in which they voiced their many current concerns, along with a pantheon of future ones. Senators Tacitus and Thelonius were most vocal.

By the time Claudia and Gia had chance to speak alone, it was almost midnight, the scattered stars clearly visible overhead.

‘I have never been gladder for a day to come to its conclusion,’ said Claudia, leaning against the closed door of her room.