I consider raising mine, but Marcus touches my arm lightly shaking his head.
“It wouldn't do any good, and maybe we can deal with her once and for all like this.”
I don't raise my arm, abstaining from the vote instead.Rowan looks disappointed.
“Very well,” he says.“It's decided.Selene Ravenscroft will fight for her life in the colosseum.For now, take her to Ironhold.”
CHAPTER TEN
As they take Selene away, the senate chamber starts to empty, the various senators moving through to the ante chamber, or heading quickly back to their rooms.I get the feeling that several of them don't want to be associated with this decision.
I can hear the murmurs above in the viewing galleries as I stand and head for the doors to the antechamber.There's a thrill of excitement in the air.
“The games.We're going to haverealgames.”
I catch that among all the rest and freeze.I know it represents the feelings of at least a portion of the population here in Aetheria.People who think that the games don’t count unless there are blood and death.Worry sinks into me like a stone.
Marcus is already at the heart of a knot of supporters when I enter the room.They look pleased with him.One shakes his hand, while another slaps him on the shoulder.They're laughing and joking as if a woman's fate wasn't just decided.
Rowan is there too, a crowd of people around him, demanding this or that from the senate.I have the same issue, people from the viewing gallery immediately crowding around me, clearly excited about the decision that's just been made.
“Does this mean you'll be executing other criminals in the arena?”a man asks me.“Will we see Domitian die there?”
He sounds as if he's looking forward to the prospect, and that sickens me, the full enormity of what I've just been a party to starting to hit me.I might not have been part of ordering someone's execution outright, but I have just sanctioned what is effectively a death match in the arena.A series of them, since Selene would have to survive five sets of games if we're applying the same rules that I fought under.
Five seasons doesn’t necessarily mean five fights.I was made to fight more than once in most of the games I took part in, with bouts spread over several days.Selene might have to fight twenty times or more in total, twenty death matches, amounting to five stripes across a branded circle representing the arena.
And the worst part is that she’ll probably win.She’s an Archon, after all.Rather than condemning her to death, we're condemning the people she fights.Surely we can’t just allow that?
I gesture to Rowan and Marcus, pointing to the doors to the chamber.They get the message and start to disentangle themselves from the people near them.
We head through the palace to Rowan's office, a room dominated by a marble table piled high with requisitions and other documents.His role gives him authority, but also means he sees far more of the day-to-day running of the city than I ever do.Rowan takes a seat behind the desk while Marcus and I stay standing.
“We should have voted that down,” I say, my frustration coming through in my voice as I look Marcus’ way.“We shouldn't have let Selene force us into putting her into the games.”
“This is for the best,” Marcus insists.“We couldn't be seen to go against the laws of our own city.We aren't just a bunch of petty tyrants the way the emperor was.”
“You were the one pushing for her immediate death,” Rowan points out.
“When I thought that was possible within the law,” Marcus says.“The moment she pointed out her right to fight for her freedom, it became obvious that wasn't going to work anymore.”
I know Marcus better than that.He isn't someone to just give in the moment things become difficult.He is used to having to persuade the other members of the senate, and he spent months getting close to Domitian to try to stop him.He's someone who thinks deeply and always tries to manipulate the situation to his own ends, or at least to what he thinks is best for the city.
“What deeper game are you playing here?”I ask him.
Marcus shakes his head.“It's simply a question of what the people will accept.Once Selene brought up the idea of her fighting, attempting to prevent it would have created uproar amongst the ordinary people.That would have led to disorder in the city.In this case, we have to give them what they want.”
Rowan nods.“Marcus has a point.We've seen how quickly things can get out of hand among the citizens.Alaric’s people continue to spread discontent, and the mob in the slums are easily stirred up.We don't want more riots.”
“That's not what they're doing,” I insist.I know he's never gotten along with Alaric, but surely Rowan sees that he isn't trying to overthrow the Republic?
“Whatarethey doing then?”Rowan asks.
“They're trying to protect us from elements that want to corrupt the Republic the same way we're trying to.”
“Not exactly the same way,” Marcus says.“We don't go around trying to disrupt the games or deface the city.”
“They did that because no one was listening,” I point out.“They were right about Domitian.”
