by Sarra Cannon
“Ladies.” Varro’s sharp command jerked her attention away from her victim. He marched over to them as quickly as he could and clamped his hand around her wrist. “This kind of behavior is uncalled for and unbefitting for women in your position.”
Fat tears rolled down Claudia’s face, melting away her haughty demeanor and exposing the scared woman beneath it. “Have her arrested for threatening me. She’s a monster.” She ran into her room and slammed the door. Her sobs permeated the harem.
Azurha took a step back, so ashamed of her behavior that she couldn’t meet his eyes. The last time she’d lost control of herself that way, she ended up covered in her master’s blood. But there was something else in Claudia’s face that startled her. It had almost been like looking into a mirror and seeing herself as a slave.
“She started it,” she whispered in her defense.
“So I noticed.”
She felt Varro’s eyes on her as she retreated back to her room. If he wasn’t suspicious of her before, she’d given him more than enough reason to think her capable of harming the emperor. She crawled underneath the covers of her bed and waited for Titus to banish her from the palace.
Chapter 13
Titus stood on the balcony overlooking the city. The afternoon sunlight baked the brown tile roofs, toasting them like loaves of bread in an oven. Sweat tickled down his chest. After the long winter, the heat of summer seemed to be rushing toward them sooner than usual. The icy water of the frigidarium would feel wonderful after the long day.
An uneven pair of steps sounded behind him. Varro stood waiting a few feet away when he turned around. “Pardon my intrusion, Emperor Sergius, but might I have a word with you in private?”
“Of course, Varro. What about?”
“Lady Azurha.”
The way he said her name instantly set Titus on guard. Were the cries of disapproval already beginning? “Has something happened to her?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.” The steward wiped his brow and rocked from his good leg to his bad and back again. “She and Lady Claudia had an interesting spat this morning that raises a few questions about her.”
“Such as?”
“When Lady Claudia threw a vase at Lady Azurha, she responded more like a member of the Legion than a concubine.”
Titus gritted his teeth. “Varro, I’ve told you before that you may speak frankly with me when we’re alone. Out with it.”
After clearing his throat, he said, “She grabbed a broken piece of the vase and pounced on Lady Claudia like she wanted to slit her throat. She probably would have if I hadn’t been present.”
“Are you sure of that?” Azurha had survived on her own for many years, had endured things most Deizian women would never dream of, but he’d never thought her capable of violence.
“As it was, she drew blood by nicking Lady Claudia’s face while threatening to do more serious damage.” He took a step forward. “I fear she is not all that she seems and that she may pose a danger to you.”
“None of us are what we seem. Besides, it sounds like Claudia deserved it.”
“Perhaps, but there was something in the way she moved that bothered me. It was like watching a cobra strike, fast and fluid, graceful but deadly. And then there was the hardness in her voice when she threatened Lady Claudia. I don’t doubt she’d follow through on it if provoked again.”
An uneasy feeling of dread crept up his spine. First, the rumors of the price on his head. Now, the news that the woman who was sharing his bed had a violent temper. Was he even safe behind the palace walls? “And then what happened?”
“I got her attention, and she released Lady Claudia.”
“So no harm done other than what you’ve described?”
“No, Emperor Sergius. In truth, I think she was just as startled by her outburst as I was. She ran back into her room and closed the door. Hasn’t come out since.”
Titus leaned on the balcony and stared at the palace slaves retrieving the day’s laundry from the lines. Days like this, he envied them. Their life was so simple, despite their lack of freedom. They didn’t have the burden of fixing all the problems of the empire.
“Do you think there may be another spat between the ladies?”
“Hard to say. Lady Claudia was frightened to tears, but I sense a certain viciousness in her. She won’t let Lady Azurha’s behavior go unpunished.”
“You never told me what started the argument.”
“I assumed you would have guessed, Emperor Sergius. Lady Claudia was already quite perturbed that you ignored her last night, and when Lady Azurha returned to the harem wearing the necklace you gave her, she practically turned red with anger. She sees Lady Azurha as a rival.”
“And we’ve all heard the rumors of what happens to Pacilus’s rivals,” Titus finished. Throwing a vase seemed mild compared to the “accidental” decapitation the previous governor of Lucrilia suffered. “I tried to tell her that I had no need of her presence in my harem, but she insisted on staying.”
“I remember.I took the liberty of making sure her letter to her father accidentally met with a torch this morning.”
“Much appreciated.” He straightened and paced a few steps while he considered possible courses of action to take. He could just ignore the outburst and see what happened. Of course, next time, someone could end up hurt, or even dead. The thought of Azurha’s head rolling from her neck made his heart stop and every muscle in his body want to bolt straight to the harem to ensure she was still alive. “We need to separate them. Since Claudia has refused to leave the harem, I’ll have to remove Azurha.”
“As you wish. Shall I send her back to Governor Pontus?”
Send her back? Could he even sleep at night without her by his side? In less than a week, she’d woven herself into the threads of his life so tightly, to remove her would destroy the entire fabric. “I meant, move her to another part of the palace. My chambers.”
“Emperor Sergius, you can’t be serious?” Varro looked like he wanted to cover his mouth as soon as he uttered those words and hung his head so Titus couldn’t fully examine the rest of the thoughts that appeared on the steward’s face.
“I am. I want to prove to you that she isn’t a threat.”
“And if she is?” The stubborn set of Varro’s jaw reminded Titus once again that he wasn’t a typical household servant. He’d served as the captain of the Legion for years, and only a few men in the empire earned that honor.
“She’s a woman—a concubine—not the Rabbit.” He brushed past him, already craving the taste of her skin. He’d show Varro that there was nothing to fear from Azurha.
“As you wish. One more thing, Emperor Sergius. You haven’t forgotten that you have another one of your coronation parties to attend tonight.”
Titus stopped and cursed under his breath. Another night of drunken debauchery among his nobles, where every Deizian present would try to force their daughters on him. If it wasn’t being held in his honor, he would have gladly stayed home and enjoyed Azurha’s solitary company. “When do I have to be ready?”
“Rutilius Arculeo’s home is in the hills, so I would say you have three hours before you need to leave.”
Three hours to himself before they put him on display like a prized bull. He was the emperor, damn it, not livestock. Maybe if he sent them a message that he detested their political games, they’d leave him alone. “Varro, when you take Azurha to my chambers, make sure she’s dressed and ready to attend the party with me.”
“But she’s a concubine. By tradition, she’s forbidden to leave the palace once she enters the harem unless you banish her.”
The corner of his mouth rose in a sardonic grin. “Then perhaps it’s time we turn tradition on its head. She won’t need her veil tonight.”
— —
Azurha folded her last palla into her trunk and closed it. Now she was ready for Titus to banish her. How could he let her stay after this morning? Varro would tell him of
the attack and counsel him to remove her. She had seen it in his eyes before he left.
She should be happy to leave. For the first time in her life, she couldn’t complete a job. She’d broken almost every rule Cassius had taught her. She’d hesitated. She’d gotten too close to her target. She’d even been stupid enough to think she could fall in love with him.
Maybe it wasn’t love. Maybe it was just lust, and as soon as she left, she’d forget all about him.
Who am I kidding?
When she heard the click of the locks, her heart jumped into her throat. Memories of her life as a slave resurrected inside of her as she stood and awaited her punishment. Banishment would be kind, what she would expect from Titus. His grandfather would have probably ordered her execution hours ago.
The only good thing about the day was that Claudia hadn’t left her room since this morning.
Varro entered the harem with two burly slaves. Wonderful. They expected her to resist.
“I already have my belongings packed, everything I came here with.” She reached around her neck and unfastened the necklace. A jolt of pain stabbed her heart as she held it out in front of her. She could leave behind the dresses and perfumes, but he’d given her the necklace as personal gift. It was the only thing tying her to him. “Here.”
Varro arched one brow. “I don’t know what you think is happening, but the emperor would be upset if you returned his gifts.”
“He’s banishing me, isn’t he? Isn’t that what you’re here for? To throw me out of the palace?”
The slaves lifted her trunk and carried it out the door along with any hope she had of staying.
“Quite the contrary, Lady Azurha. It seems the emperor wishes to remove the hassle of having to send for you every time he wants your company. He’s ordered me to move you into his private chambers.” The degree of bitterness in his voice almost matched her surprise.
“He what?”
“Come along. I have many things to attend to in the palace, not just you.”
The reserve he normally had with her had morphed into open hostility. If his servants were acting this way, she could only imagine what some of the nobles would do once they found out about Titus’s decision to move her.
“Once you are settled into the emperor’s chambers, I’ll send Izana to dress you for the evening. Emperor Sergius has to attend a coronation party, and he’s ordered you to go with him.”
Azurha skidded to a halt. “Did the emperor get hit in the head with a sword hilt?”
“I’ve been wondering the same thing myself.” Varro turned and seemed to scrutinize every detail about her. “I take it you know nothing about this.”
“I don’t, nor do I want anything to do with it. I know the longer I stay here, the more trouble it will cause Titus, but…” The desire to stay with him overwhelmed every shred of her common sense, but she remained in enough control not to utter her thoughts out loud.
His face softened. “I may have been too hasty in my judgment of you, Lady Azurha, but I still believe you’re hiding something. I pray the gods know more about this tangled knot than I do and that your presence here is part of their plan.”
You’ll never find a knot you can’t untangle.
The damn soothsayer wouldn’t shut up as they continued the rest of the way to the chambers. Over and over again, the woman’s voice kept repeating that line in Azurha’s head. It sounded insane to think the gods had a hand in this. She’d been sent to kill Titus, not save him. Did they really think the empire would be better off without him?
But maybe they saw her hesitation. Maybe they placed her here to prevent another assassin from killing him. Could the divine hand of fate be that precise?
“Varro, there will be members of the Legion accompanying the emperor tonight, right?” She may be inside the palace walls, but outside, Titus became a moving target for whatever assassin waited for him. She doubted Pontus was the only noble that feared Titus’s plans for the empire.
He gave her a slight smile. “He doesn’t leave the palace without them.”
“Good.” He’d have his bodyguards, but more importantly, he had her. If anyone dared to make an attempt on his life, she’d personally see they suffered a long, agonizing death. After all, she was the best assassin in the empire.
Chapter 14
Titus rushed back to his chambers. He needed to leave for the party in less than half an hour, but his advisors had buried him with reports from the frontier. So far, nothing pointed to one particular person behind the failing borders. No signs of sabotage. No unusual individuals spotted at the scenes. And most importantly, no evidence that the Barbarians had figured out a way to bypass the borders. As long as the magic held, the citizens of the empire remained safe.
The door swung open with a bang, and he was pulling his tunic over his head when a female’s gasp halted him. He pulled it back down and peered over the neckline.
Azurha sat on the cushions alone, staring at him. Just when he thought she couldn’t be lovelier, she proved him wrong. The sheer fabric of her dress was the color of ripe raspberries, matching her full lips and hinting at the luscious curves it concealed. His necklace dangled between her breasts like a beacon, and heat flooded his body the second he laid eyes on the soft, round mounds of flesh.
“You startled me.” She ran her tongue across her lips and stood. Her eyes fell to his rapidly stiffening cock, and her grin widened. “At least you seem to be recovering.”
“I—I need to bathe before we leave.”
She nodded. “Too bad Izana took such care in dressing me tonight. Otherwise, I’d join you.”
He almost groaned. He’d rather have her naked in the tepidarium with him so he could ram into her over and over again until he soothed the ache forming in his balls. How rude would it be if he skipped the party tonight?
“Go bathe. I’ll be waiting for you.” She disappeared into the bedroom as if she knew the longer she stayed in his line of sight, the quicker his resolve would crumble.
His afternoon bath matched his morning one—a quick jump in the two pools instead of the leisurely soak he looked forward to at the end of the day. At least the cold water squelched his desire enough to where he could hide it from the unsuspecting eye.
Varro stood waiting with a towel and clean clothes as he got out. He remained uncharacteristically quiet while he rubbed the sandalwood oil on Titus’s skin and helped him dress. His earlier warnings still burned like a wasp sting. Could this just be a taste of what he could expect tonight when he arrived with Azurha?
Time to start making peace with his subjects, one person at a time. “I appreciate your concern today, Varro. My father valued your service, and I’m learning to value your judgment.”
The steward paused for a split second before continuing to drape the purple around Titus’s shoulders. “It’s an honor to serve the emperor.”
“But you still think I’m making a mistake.”
“What I think doesn’t matter, Emperor Sergius.”
Titus caught his arm and leveled his gaze with Varro. “It does matter to me. You seem to know more about the empire than most of my advisors.”
He cracked a smile. “Please don’t classify me with them. I hope to have more than half a brain.”
The laughter between them broke the tension, and Titus released him. “You don’t want the promotion?”
“My wife would like it, but I’d consider it a form of torture. If it pleases you, I’m quite happy in my current role.” He picked a piece of lint off the toga. “And I will add that I may have been a bit off the mark about Lady Azurha.”
“Meaning?”
“She’s either a great actress or she genuinely cares about you. Far more than a concubine should, I might add. Of course, you haven’t treated her like one, so that might have something to do with it.” He gave him a stiff bow and left the chambers before Titus could ask him to elaborate.
“He worries about you like a father.” Azurha was l
eaning against the doorway of the bath with her head cocked to the side. A wistful smile played upon her lips before she straightened. “I apologize for threatening Claudia earlier today. I know I’ve put you in an awkward situation.”
“She’s the one that attacked you first. You were within your right to defend yourself.”
Her laughter sounded as bitter as vinegar. “You have no idea how things really are outside the palace, do you? She’s a Deizian, I’m an Alpirion. It’s a crime for me to even raise my voice to her. Her family will demand punishment.”
“Only if they know about it. Varro intercepted her message to her father this morning. Nothing to worry about.”
“And what about tonight? Are you serious about taking me to your Deizian party?”
He clenched his jaw so tightly, his teeth ached. “Is there a reason you’re asking so many questions? Last I checked, I was the emperor, and my Will is above all.”
She winced as if he’d slapped her. “If you wish for me to be silent, I will.” She added under her breath, “For now.”
Guilt tied his stomach into knots. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.”
“Don’t apologize, Titus. You are the emperor, the sooner you establish that no one will intimidate you, the easier your reign will be.” Azurha placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “We should go.”
They walked in silence to the waiting carriage. It gave him time to soak in her appearance tonight. The slaves had arranged her hair in an intricate twist of braids and curls favored by Elymanian women. A solitary comb with three pieces of lapis adorned it. His fingers ached to rake through her hair, watching it dance about her naked body once again. He took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. Maybe there was a reason the concubines were forced to cover their faces and hair. The temptation was growing out of hand.