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‘You kissed him,’ she said. ‘Why did you kiss him?’

‘He kissed me.’

‘You let him kiss you, then.’

‘It was a mistake. An accident, actually. I offered him my cheek to appease him and he went for the lips. You’ll be glad to know it was not a good kiss. There is nothing between us. Not a flame, not even a spark. It was like kissing Damocles.’

Gia pulled a face, as if picturing it again.

‘That wasn’t how it looked to me.’

‘You were far away, and it was dark,’ said Claudia, ‘and I am not convinced your eyesight is that good.’

‘Oh, thanks.’

‘You are all I thought about, the whole time.’

‘You are all I think about, always,’ said Gia, still annoyed. ‘I still don’t understand why you kissed him.’

‘He had just finished telling me that I had no choice but to go through with the marriage! It wasn’t even slightly romantic. He knows about us. He has been watching me, watching us like we have watched him. He fears Marcellus will overthrow me and start a war with Persia. He told me I have three days to decide. You must believe me. All that kiss did was make me realize that I am all for you, in every way.’

Gia finally met her gaze properly, and Claudia felt her soul drawn into hers.

‘And Darius is hiding, just like us,’ said Claudia.

‘In what way is he like us?’

‘Steady yourself for this: I saw him… with your brother.’

‘Doing what?’ Gia asked.

‘Doing… it. What do you think?’

‘My brother and the prince?’ said Gia, screwing up her face. ‘I may be even drunker than I thought.’

‘It’s true. They seem to have some prior arrangement. It appeared to be… purely sexual, in nature.’

‘Please, do not put that image in my head.’

‘I know I told Cassius to get close to Darius, but this was not quite what I had in mind.’ She thought for a moment. ‘Darius did say that he was living a lie. Maybe this is what he meant.’

‘Did you confront them?’ Gia asked.

‘No. Perhaps it is something we can use to our advantage, since the prince wants to play games with me.’

Gia looked shaken, before she started laughing.

‘You could not make it up,’ she said. ‘Cassius doesn’t want me to be with an empress but he can fool around with a prince? Wait until I get hold of that brother of mine.’

‘He is biased, like all men. The prince is a hypocrite, too. He can do nothing to force my hand now, or I could expose him. He has nothing over me, over us. Nothing, except… Marcellus. But perhaps we should sober you up first.’

‘The shock of my brother’s exploits has done just that.’

‘Let us go back to the palace, for privacy,’ said Claudia. ‘Unless you wish to stay and enjoy the party a while longer?’

‘I have revelled enough, I think.’

‘I fear my arrival has soured the mood.’