“Selene plans to declare herself empress during the Grand Tournament,” I say.“Or she did.She’s told me as much before.”
She told me part of her plan when she invited me to a gathering in Ironhold, trying to get me to join her side, and more of it during her gloating after my capture in the prison.Domitian was right about that much: Selene needs an audience.She needs someone toseeshe’s winning, rather than just arranging for things to fall her way quietly from the shadows.
Because she could have done that, all too easily.Selene has worked to gain influence over so many aspects of the city, from the gangs of the slums all the way to senators.She could have done that quietly, without ever revealing her role or her plan.She could have prepared the ground for her coup quietly, without anyone noticing, then unleashed it on an unsuspecting city.
Maybe part of the reason Selene hasn’t is because she wants it to feel like an inevitability.By slowly gaining control while letting peopleseeshe’s gaining control, Selene is making it so anyone who might wish to stand against her will feel helpless, as if the whole of Aetheria will stand against them if they fight to stop her.
It explains why she let it be known that Aetheria’s neighbors were coming to her with delegations, that she had influence in the senate.Selene has been showing people how much control she’s been gaining so no one dares to challenge that control.
“That explains why she’s been pushing so hard for the Grand Tournament to be brought forward,” Marcus says, with a frown.
It was originally announced before I was even captured, with a series of smaller games building up to it, getting people used to the idea of blood and death returning to the colosseum.Criminals have been executed there in one sided bouts.Exhibition matches have started to use sharper blades and fewer controls on animals used in the contests.
But that’s still not the same as the Grand Tournament will be.A full set of games in the old style, with many days of matches fought to death or incapacitation and gladiators slaughtered for the entertainment of the crowd.
In the middle of that Grand Tournament, when she gains her fifth brand mark and her freedom, Selene will throw off her magical dampener and declare the start of her new order.
“The bouts will be fixed in her favor,” Marcus says.“I’ve already seen some of the lists of those due to fight.It’s obvious those gladiators who support her are being given easier bouts, while any who might consider standing against her will be killed.”
Because of course Selene will want to eliminate any gladiators who might fight back.Gladiators like myself and Rowan were at the heart of the uprising against the emperor.We’re people who possess the finest training in combat, and often powerful magical skills.Gladiators might potentially change the course of Selene’s coup.
“Why is she pushing to bring it forward?”I ask.
“I’m not sure,” Marcus says.“Perhaps she feels the rest of her plans are almost in position, but maybe it also means she’s worried about leaving it too long.”
That surprises me.Surely, Selene would want as much time to prepare as possible?
“I don’t understand,” I say.“Why would she be worried about that?Unless she knows you’re building forces against her?”
Marcus shakes his head.“If she knew that, she’d have found a way to sideline me or kill me.Selene’s ruthless.Just a few days ago, I saw her murder a gang leader who wasn’t paying her what she thought he should.”
“She murdered someone openly, in front of a senator?”
Marcus nods.“I think it was another test of how much I can be trusted.Selene wants to believe that I’ll stand by her side, but she also doesn’t trust anyone fully.”
“Because she knowsshewould betray anyone in her position so she could gain power,” I guess.
Marcus nods.“Exactly.Maybe that’s why she’s pushing the games forward.It’s a balancing act for her between building control and potentially losing parts of it if her momentum stagnates.She’s brought together support from so many factions that it can only hold for so long.”
Meaning Selene’s weaker than she appears, if only by a little.She might hold different factions in the palm of her hand, but if they start fighting one another, her support might melt away before she’s had a chance to use it.
“How can we exploit any of this?”I ask.It feels strangely natural to think in terms of Marcus and I working together again, strangely good that he’s by my side when it should still be uncomfortable and difficult.
Marcus sighs.“I’m not sure, yet.I’m still building support against her, but obviously that’s more difficult when things are moving so quickly.”
“Selene will want herself at the heart of the Grand Tournament,” I say.“She’ll want to be the star of it, winning glory as the crowd roars.There must be a way to make use of that.”
“Try to rig the bouts against her?”Marcus replies, sounding thoughtful.“It’s possible, although she’s being so careful about the preparations I’m not sure how we might do it.Selene is carefully arranging everything so she has fights that look spectacular while actually being safe for her.That meansherpeople are controlling everything about them.It might be hard to change anything without her noticing.”
I think back to some of the times people have tried to make things harder for me in the games, tampering with equipment or trying to get other gladiators to betray me.Each time, I was able to spot the tricks in time to survive, albeit mostly thanks to the skills of a beast whisperer.Will Selene, as an Archon, one of the most powerful magic users in Aetheria, be vulnerable the same ways?
“We’ll need to think,” I say.“And to keep building support.Marcus, does Rowan know your true position on all this?”
Marcus shakes his head.“I can’t risk Selene getting that information from him with her psychomancy.”He guides me to my feet, turning me to look at him.We’re standing close to one another.Close enough that once, I might have been tempted to kiss him just because I could.Even now, the thought is there, making a strange tension run through my body even though I’m not going to act on it.Maybebecauseof that, with my instincts warring against what I know is safe for me.
“We need to talk about how you’re going to act outside this room,” Marcus says.
“What do you mean?”I ask.
