Page 48

THE THEATER WAS a marble-and-limestone structure with thick columns supporting tiered rows of seats. It was open to the sky, and as the sun dropped, a few stars winked into view among a swirl of thin purple clouds.

Sebastianus and I sat alone in a small, partitioned area with a clear view of the stage. Rows of benches rose behind us, with areas for the wealthy, the middle class, and—near the top—poor workers. I could feel hundreds of eyes on me. I tried to pull my palla more securely around my bare shoulders.

“Cornelia was right. I should have worn something more modest.”

He propped his stick against the bench and settled back. “By the gods, I’m desperate for a diversion. I’ve been arguing for weeks now with Jovinian and his council full of men who agree with every foolish thing he says.” His good eye twinkled. “Think of this as a well-deserved treat for us both: you get a night out, and I get the delight of seeing you arrayed in your full power. Isn’t that worth a little risk?”

I couldn’t help smiling at his enthusiasm. “I’ll try to use my power wisely.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He leaned back and looked up at the sky. “Be reckless with it.”

I looked around at the huge amphitheater. “It’s a wonder anyone visits Corlivo. Surely this city has more entertainment to offer.”

He shook his head. “The theater is better there. And there’s nothing here to compare with the pleasure houses. A few places in Panpirion try to offer something similar, but they don’t have nearly the same magic. I think they’ll all be shuttered soon, anyway.”

While there were plenty of theatrical performances in Corlivo, I had never been taken to see one, so this was my first time at a play. As the amphitheater filled, Sebastianus bought bottles of mead from a vendor who walked among the rows. He told me that the play was an old one, based on an even older comedy written in Kish.

All at once, the braziers were lit. A rumble of drums began. The actors leapt onto the stage, and I was transfixed. It was a story about a man who fell in love with a courtesan but did not have the money to buy her. He came up with a scheme involving the sale of a donkey to a neighbor, but the neighbor cheated him and tricked the courtesan. The man came dangerously close to bedding the donkey. Despite the predictable ending—a joyous reunion and a wedding—I enjoyed the spectacle immensely. I laughed so hard at the actors’ bawdy antics that I gave myself a stomachache. Sebastianus laughed a lot too, more than I had ever heard him, although at a certain point he seemed to be laughing because I was laughing. When the performance was over, I realized I had been gripping his hand.

We remained seated as the theater emptied out.

“What did you think?” he asked, searching my face.

“I loved it. Why would anyone disapprove of something like that? It was very funny.”

“A lot of the plays are about that type of subject—courtesans, and married men chasing milkmaids.”

“So what?”

“Some people think anything having to do with courtesans is immoral, paying for the company of women.”

I looked at him in surprise. “I hadn’t really understood that.”

He shrugged. “You were raised in a place where it’s taken for granted.”

“Is that why you want me to keep myself hidden? So people won’t think you’re behaving immorally?”

He scoffed. “I don’t care what anyone thinks about me. I’m sure most people think I’m a lost cause. I want you to stay hidden because Corlivo courtesans are so rare and valuable; they’re practically unheard of outside the mountain city. Klaudia, Don, and I worry that you’d be vulnerable if too many people knew you were here.”

I grabbed his arm. “Vulnerable? Meaning that someone might try to take me for their own?”

“Maybe. Something like that. It’s why you’re better off sticking close to the villa.”

I felt a surge of disappointment at this newly realized obstacle. “It will be hard for me to explore the world and search for my mother if I can’t safely go where I please.”

Before he could respond, a bear of a man came shuffling sideways toward us through a nearby row calling, “Sebastianus! I don’t believe it!”

Sebastianus made a soft sound of annoyance and then got slowly to his feet. “Georgios? What are you doing in Panpirion?”

Georgios had shaggy dark hair that seemed to travel down his neck, under his tunic, and onto his knuckles. His black eyes were like beetles in his wide face. He embraced Sebastianus and slapped his back in a hearty greeting. “You’re too busy to keep up with my comings and goings, I’m sure, but I thought you might have heard. I’ve been appointed to the senate. I’m here to do my part and help your uncle clean things up.”

“Ah, well, someone has to.”

Georgios’s eyes fell on me, on the thin straps of my dress, my shoulders barely covered by the gauzy palla, the rough diamonds gleaming on my ears. “And who is this lovely creature?”

Sebastianus hesitated for the barest second and then said, “This is Anna. She’s a scholar from Hierion who is studying with Cassius, my former tutor. I thought she’d enjoy seeing a play. Anna, this is another of my cousins, Georgios, my mother’s nephew.”

The large man bowed, and when he rose, his eyes lingered on my face for a beat too long. “A scholar, eh? Well. How did you like the show?”