Walking toward Drucilla’s new chambers, my old ones, I let out a groan as soon as I see Marcellus make his way toward me. He stops in front of me, expecting to talk, and talking is the last thing that I want to do in this moment.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I drop my chin and look down my nose at my cousin.
“She knows nothing of our world, of our culture, of our people. She needs guidance.”
“I assigned Cassia to be at her side and her famulus speaks her language. It has been a mere two days, what else would you suggest that I do?” I ask, though I do not expect an answer, nor do I want one.
Marcellus decides to give me his opinion whether I want it or not. “You must show yourself, Tiberius.”
“I’ve already explained this to you,” I snap.
“Not your face, though that would help, but yourself. The you that I know, that Cassia knows, that Brutus knows. You must show her who you are, deep down inside. Do not hide from her. She must love all of you, as a whole.”
I think about telling him to get lost, but instead, I lift my hand and scratch my head with my middle finger before I just walk away. I will give Drucilla what I am able to, however that comes. It is not up to Marcellus on how and what I give my empress.
Chapter Eight
DRUCILLA
Again. I am alone in a dark room. I don’t bother with candlelight tonight. My Tiberius will walk into this room and douse them anyway. He doesn’t want me to see him, I’m not sure why, but he doesn’t, and I need to just accept that.
I am his dirty secret.
I am his body to use for pleasure.
I should be okay with this arrangement considering it’s what I have done the past six years myself. Men have been ornaments for me to play with, pretty accessories to use and then send away when I’m bored.
It only makes sense that in this world, wherever I am, that I would be the accessory to use and hide away until needed. I tell myself that this is only until I have served my purpose, whatever this prophecy dictates and then I’m grabbing my sisters and we’re getting the hell out of here.
There is a noise at the door and I hear Laurentia gasp. She is probably scared shitless that I demanded she stay, actually I just asked, but when she tried to tell me no, I told her it was an order and I felt like shit doing it.
“Laurentia will be joining us for a few moments, I would like to talk to you,” I say.
Laurentia repeats my words, but she does so shakily, and I don’t blame her. Tiberius is scary as shit and if she’s a slave like she says that she is, he is her ultimate master. Which I freaking think is bullshit, and I’ll be working on that next, but for now, I want some questions answered.
He starts to speak and it’s as if my vagina has a direct line to his voice because it begins to ache and I have to actually squeeze my thighs together to attempt to find relief—it doesn’t work.
“What would you like to know, Drucilla?” he asks through Laurentia. His voice causes my entire body to shiver, just at the sound of my name on his lips.
Staying in the dark, I wish that I would have kept at least one c lit just to see his face, even if it was only in the dim shadows.
“You are not the man I have dined and danced with. Who is he?”
“My brother,” he admits freely.
I don’t know what to think of that, I don’t know how to feel. “Why will you not be with me in public? Have I done something? Do you have a secret family?” I demand.
There is a moment of silence before his low laughter fills the room. “I am the Emperor of Savona. There are no secrets. If I were married, our wedding ceremony would not be in a couple of days, and you would just be my concubina, my mistress.”
“And a mistress is not a secret?” I ask on a breath.
He hums before he answers. “No, melculum. I must always be married to just one woman, but that does not mean I cannot take pleasures where I wish.”
I gasp. Not liking these words at all, though aren’t they words I have lived by the past six years? However, there is something that I have not done, and that’s get married and then run around. I would never do that. Marriage is sacred to me.
“I could never do that,” I admit. “Marriage is only between one man and one woman, no other people factor into that.”
“It is the same here,” he replied. “What is between you and me, will only ever be between us. Our play together or if we should choose to add other people will be something mutually decided upon.”
“But you can do as you wish with other women?” I demand on a growl.
“I am the Emperor and a man.”
The blood in my body, it boils. There is a crack of thunder in the distance. I ignore it as I stomp up to him. Lifting my hand, I don’t know why, but I am filled with the instant urge to slap the ever-loving shit out of him, but I am, and I do.
Except my hand doesn’t connect to his face the way that it should. Instead, something comes out of my palm. It’s a violet spark of color and it flashes in the air, showing me his face in an instant, right before his gigantic body flies
