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‘Good. The prince will be held in Mamertime Prison until we are able to arrange a public trial. For show, of course, and to send a message. He will be our pretext to cross the Parthian Border.’

Claudia snuck a look at Cassius, who appeared equally concerned. Darius hadn’t abandoned them – he was being held hostage. She regretted ever doubting him.

‘Then it is settled,’ said General Aquinas, as they marched by. ‘We will formally accuse Prince Darius of killing Princess Claudia. Let King Kamran know he should prepare for a war.’

‘Yes, sir. Right away.’

‘I will inform the troops tomorrow.’

‘I am sure we can persuade the Senate.’

‘Leave the Senate to us,’ said Senator Tacitus.

Along the colonnade, a group of generals and commanders were discussing the future of Britannia.

‘The kidnap of the Eighth Legion proves that the campaign is not aggressive enough,’ said one. ‘We shall not rest until all of the isles are under Roman control.’

‘Aquinas is determined to enslave the barbarians.’

‘Send a message to the legates and the tributes, and tell them we will be tripling our numbers. In the new year, we shall conquer the north.’

Each new development was worse than the last, all of the layers of her failure compounding into something truly grotesque.

They marched on towards the stairs, checking the imperial suite her father had once slept in, but it was empty.

‘If Marcellus is not there, then where?’ she said.

They checked the guest wing, even the servants’ quarters, but her cousin couldn’t be located. They looked for signs of a plan of escape – perhaps a rope hanging down the side of the building, or a ladder propped up against one of the exterior walls – but they found no evidence of Marcellus. Eventually, they tried the bathhouse and then the palace temple, but both were empty.

‘Perhaps we should move forward without him,’ said Gia.

‘It will be difficult for me to regain power while he is still alive and on the run,’ said Claudia.

As they surveyed the gardens, Claudia’s attention was drawn to the small temple of Venus, where she’d spied Darius and Cassius in their complex entanglement.

A shadow moved within.

Breaking out of the defensive formation, Claudia crossed the lawn towards the shrine as Gia and the others ran to catch up. As she drew closer, reaching the top of the short steps, she saw her cousin huddled inside the shrine and charged towards him.

‘Hiding, are we?’ she said.

‘I was, but it seems you have found me,’ he said, turning to face her quite calmly. ‘You look dreadful.’

‘I have been to the underworld and back.’

‘I knew you wouldn’t be killed so easily.’

‘It’s over, Marcellus. Give up.’

‘You know, Jupiter was never my favourite god,’ he said. ‘I was always a supporter of Mars.’

‘Oh?’ said Claudia, unsure how this was relevant.

‘But after Aquinas and the others came for me, Jupiter began visiting me in dreams. He converted me, to serve him.’

‘Save it for your memoirs,’ said Gia.

‘I should’ve known what he promised was too good to be true. He tricked me, too. I am a victim, as much as you.’