I nod, not trusting myself to speak.
Galen steps onto the stage, looking unusually dapper in a pinstripe suit instead of bloodstained scrubs. As well as being our resident medical professional, he performs wedding ceremonies for the Triumvirate and their soldiers. He winks at me and holds his hand up for silence.
“In a show of solidarity never before seen in our organization, our three Imperators have agreed to an unusual arrangement. I’ll let Claudia August explain what’s about to happen.”
Galen passes the microphone to me. Nero beams at me, his hand resting protectively on the small of my back. But behind his smile, he looks very, very serious.
“It’s been a long, hard road to get to this point,” I begin. “For years, I’ve lived in the shadows, unable to take over the empire that’s rightfully mine because of a usurper, a traitor in our midst that first had to be expunged. A rabid dog that had to be put down. Now that that unpleasantness is behind us, your Imperators want to present a united front and a new dedication to working together to strengthen our position, instead of infighting. That was why both Constantine Dio and Nero Lucian proposed to me. A marriage between our three families would provide unity, certainly, and safety for all of you present tonight – a new era of peace.”
A few people whistle and yell their approval, but mostly my words are greeted with silence. After years of rivalry, the idea of Imperators marrying, intermingling the families… it’s never been suggested before. No one knows what to expect, or what this will mean for their livelihoods, their territories, their blood oaths.
In the end, it all comes back to blood.
This staunchly heteronormative world has never had to deal with the likes of me before. A female Imperator. A woman with inconceivable power, gifted by virtue of my blood. Even Constantine – the deadliest assassin in the city – has had to hide his true self. That’s the price of his blood.
Maybe it’s time to change things.
I fix my Ice Queen glare on Nero as I address the concerns of my people. “In our enthusiasm to force this alliance, we admit that as your leaders, we overlooked some of the more practical aspects. We all know that a wedding between one woman and two men isn’t legal in this country. Making this arrangement public will invite scrutiny from the authorities, and this will bleed over into our business dealings. Marrying two men also causes succession issues for the August family. If I’m killed in the course of my work – as has happened to every Imperator before me – then the succession of the August empire cannot be certain. This makes us vulnerable to other forces who might try to usurp what’s ours. For this reason, I am forced to accept that I cannot wed both these fine men. Although our alliance will still remain firm for the good of the empire, I must choose. And I choose…” I glance at Nero, longing to see the moment my betrayal registers on his smarmy face. “I choose Constantine Dio.”
There’s an audible holding of breath. No one expects me to choose Constantine, not when I’m wearing Nero’s dress.
No one, it seems, except Nero Lucian.
He throws his head back and laughs. A merry, mirthful laugh that shakes and shudders in the vast space, a laugh that even the moon can’t swallow. When he finally pulls himself together, he wipes tears from his eyes and shakes his head with mock sadness.
“That’s too bad, too bad.”
As quick as a snake, Nero slips a gun from his suit and shoots Constantine in the chest.
31
Claudia
Constantine’s eyes widen. He bends his long neck to peer down at the bullet hole – a circle of blood spreading across his pristine white shirt.
His face goes from detached interest to pale resignation. He flashes Nero a wobbly smile. “You got me,” he whispers, extending his hand.
“Farewell.” Nero takes Constantine’s hand and shakes. With his other hand, he shoots Constantine between the eyes.
Blood splatters across my dress as my groom drops to the floor. His neck bends back, revealing blood bubbling from the neat hole in his forehead.
Well.
Fuck.
Blood pounds in my ears. I rush at Nero, but he keeps the gun poised on me, a fresh bullet in the chamber.
I stop in my tracks.What the fuck is he doing?
How the fuck does he think he’s going to get away with this? He shot an Imperator in an arena full of witnesses. An arena full of angry fuckingassassins. Any moment now this arena will erupt into a blood bath.
An angry rumble arcs through the crowd. Not even Nero’s most loyal soldiers will be able to reconcile what he’s done. I can hear my princes pushing through the crowd, trying to reach me. Constantine’s people move swiftly, silently, into positions around the stage. At this moment there are at least twenty weapons aimed at Nero’s head.Take him out,I want to yell.Nero killed your Imperator.
But they don’t answer to me.
“Shoot him. Shoot the betrayer!” Cali screams. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her on the edge of the arena with the other tribunes. Antony holds her back, but the look he flashes me tells me that I better do something fast, or she’ll go postal and we’ll all end up dead.
I flick my focus back to Nero, who’s still pointing that gun at my chest. The crowd, the arena, even the faces of my beloved family fade as my vision narrows on that barrel.
