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‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘It’s not your fault. He even charmed me a couple of times.’

‘Why didn’t the goddesses see it coming?’ said Claudia. ‘I saw nothing in the shield that led me to believe he conspired against me. Is it because Fortuna’s vision has been taken away?’

‘What are you going to do?’ asked Gia.

‘Therein lies the problem,’ said Claudia. ‘No matter what I do, I’m in a bind. If I let Darius remain here, I’m in danger. If I kill him, it will be disastrous. Even if I send him away, it will cause a diplomatic conflict. My hold on Rome will be weaker than ever now, with everyone already thinking me guilty of infamia.’

‘Infamia?’ said Gia. ‘Says who?’

‘Oh right, you haven’t heard the best bit yet,’ said Claudia.

She cringed, steeling herself. It was even more embarrassing to describe it than it was to witness it.

‘The play this afternoon was about a woman named Lesbionicus who lusts after her handmaids… and her gladiator,’ she said, ‘who was just in it for the money. It wasn’t flattering.’

‘Lesbionicus?’ said Gia, not understanding.

‘Like Lesbos. They were satirizing me. It was mortifying.’

‘What did you do?’

‘That’s the really stupid part… I did nothing.’

‘Nothing?’

‘Nothing, Gia!’ Claudia threw up her hands. ‘I just sat there and let it happen. I made a pithy comment at the end and told Damocles to have them arrested, but the damage was already done. If the people didn’t respect me before, they certainly won’t now.’

‘Where was the prince during all this?’

‘He was sitting right there next to me, watching! What must he be thinking now? I dread to imagine.’

Gia bit her lip.

‘It’s not funny,’ Claudia said morosely.

‘No, you’re right.’ Gia tried to adopt a more solemn expression. ‘It’s not. It’s not funny at all.’

They looked at each other for a moment, the energetic current surging between them as ever, before smiling in sync.

‘Maybe it’s a little funny,’ Claudia conceded, taking her hand. ‘A dark comedy, perhaps.’

They ducked out of sight as Livia and Dido charged past, ranting about the unruly audience at the theatre.

‘These men have disrespected us for the last time,’ Livia said. ‘Pigs, every single one of them.’

‘If they want a war, they’ll have one,’ said Dido. ‘Mars versus Venus. I know who I would bet on.’

Once they’d passed, Claudia moved closer to Gia, as Gia moved closer to her simultaneously, both sighing in a mixture of distress and relief. Gia cupped her face, kissing her gently as if to soothe her.

‘I wasn’t mocking you, so you know,’ she said. ‘It’s just so stupid, I can’t help but laugh at how pathetic they are.’

‘I have much bigger problems, I know. It just felt so degrading.’

She hugged herself, and Gia put her hands on top of Claudia’s own, joining the embrace.

‘I hate that they humiliated you.’

‘How can they consider it infamia?’ said Claudia. ‘Compared to what they get up to?’