The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her mind screamed at her to walk away. “And how long would my life be once I’ve served your purpose?”
“I give you my word that if you succeed, you’ll live to see your grandchildren playing around your ankles.”
The prospect of living a life of leisure overcame her hesitations. This could be her last job, the one that made her rich enough to buy a life of obscurity. “You’ll bear witness to this, Cassius?”
“On my life and honor.”
She snickered. “There’s no honor in you, but I know you jealously guard your life.”
“Then are you agreed to it?” Pontus leaned forward, greed dancing in his cool blue eyes.
She settled back into her chair. “Almost, Governor Gurges. Explain your plan to me.”
“As I mentioned before, I offer you as a gift to the harem. As one of his concubines, you will have greater access to the palace in Emona than most members of the Imperial Family. When Sergius summons you to his chambers, you do what you do best.”
She exhaled slowly. She wouldn’t have to become the emperor’s whore. It was all a cover. “And you think the emperor will find me suitable to summon to his bed?”
“My dear,
I’d
summon you to my bed if I didn’t know how deadly you were.” Pontus stared at her as if he was picturing her naked. His cold smile made her skin crawl. “Of course, you’ll need appropriate attire for an Imperial concubine, which I will supply, as well as some instruction on how to please the emperor.”
“Which you will supply, too, I assume?” She ground her teeth together.
“In theory only, naturally, unless you would like hands-on instruction.”
“I’d prefer not.” She turned to her mentor and searched his face. “Why did you choose me? Surely you know other female assassins.”
“Because you’re the one person that could carry it out, Rabbit.”
Could she pretend to be the emperor’s whore? Flashbacks of the pain and humiliation she suffered at the hand of her former master filled her mind, of her bleeding wrists bound above her head while he and his friends look their liberties with her. She belonged to no man now and never would.
Anger warmed her blood, and she swallowed the lump of doubt caught in her throat. She could easily kill the next man that tried to take advantage of her. Let them offer her to the emperor. His blood would stain his sheets before the sun rose.
“When do I leave for Emona?”
3
Titus Sergius Flavus had grown tired of their prattle over an hour ago, and yet they still pestered him like flies around a horse. Apparently, the Legion’s duty to act as his personal bodyguards did not extend to protecting him from his advisors.
“Your Imperial Majesty, you haven’t decided what to do with the soldiers on the northern frontier,” one of them nagged. “The barriers have weakened since your father’s death, and the Barbarians’ airships are gathering at the borders. If the barriers fall, how will they defend us?”
He leaned against the door to the small chamber off to the side of the throne room, then took a deep breath. In the two weeks since his father had died and left him emperor, he hadn’t gotten a moment’s peace. Not even a few hours to himself to grieve. Someone needed to run the empire that covered most of the planet, to sit in the throne that had been a symbol of power for the last three centuries. “Fine, send them two loads of ore so their smiths can create the extra weapons they are requesting.”
“Ore?”
“Yes, ore. They have smiths travelling with them, and the barbarians don’t have the means to use the ore against us if they capture it.”
The older man’s confusion melted as he understood the emperor’s reasoning. “Excellent idea, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Titus closed his eyes and counted to ten. He needed to appoint new advisors, men who would help him carry out his plans for the empire without question rather than requiring him to explain everything like four-year children. “If that settles all the matters you deem important, I wish to remain undisturbed for the rest of the day.”
He slammed the door shut behind him before they could reply.
Laughter sounded behind him, and his body tensed when he realized he wasn’t alone. Who had managed to sneak past the Legion?
“They’ll hound you until you go mad if you let them, coz.”
His jaw tightened as he turned around. “How nice to see you again, Pontus. Please be brief with your pleasantries.”
“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.” Pontus bowed low in an almost mocking manner.
“We’re not in the main throne room. There’s no need for this pomp and ceremony, especially among family. I take it you’ve already paid your respects to my mother?”
“Yes, my poor cousin was quite beside herself in grief.”
As I might be, if given the opportunity.
His father had been the picture of perfect health until the last new moon. A mysterious illness had consumed him and left him a hollow shell of a man within a matter of days. Titus had spent hours at his father’s side, channeling his magic into his father’s body in hopes it would heal him. But there were some things magic could not heal, and not even the combined efforts of the strongest healers had been able to restore him in the end. Death took him before they could prepare for it, leaving a stunned empire in its wake. “I appreciate your concern.”
“I will not burden you with political matters at this time, Sergius. I come bearing gifts from the Provence of Anicium in honor of your coronation.”
“You can leave them with my steward, Varro, with my thanks.” He kept walking straight for the door to his private quarters until a flicker of blue caught his eye.
A woman clothed in sheer indigo silk stood in the shadows. The way the material clung to her curves left little to the imagination, but his gaze didn’t linger there. A thin veil concealed most of her face, allowing only her teal eyes to shine through. Was it possible for someone to have eyes that color?
“I thought I would personally present this gift to you.”
“What do you mean?” Surely she wasn’t a gift for him. He licked his lips, and his cock stiffened. He hadn’t touched a woman since Lucia died, yet somehow, the mere sight of this woman managed to awaken desires that had lain dormant for the last two years. The change alarmed him enough to where he took a step back.
“I thought she would be a nice addition to your harem.”
“I don’t have a harem.”
Pontus laughed. “Every emperor has had one, even your father.”
She flinched when Pontus ran his finger along her arm, and her eyes widened. Titus could almost imagine her grimacing behind the veil. Anger burned through his veins that she’d been forced into a situation she obviously abhorred. “Maybe I should be the one to change things.”
“Nonsense, coz. Just remove her veil, and I believe you will enjoy your Imperial privileges.”
“I don’t want anything you’ve sampled.” The thought of Pontus offering his used goods disgusted him almost as much as trading a woman like a cow.
“No, I haven’t touched her, although I’ve been tempted. I concealed her beauty under the veil, as is the custom for all the emperor’s concubines, so that no one will lay eyes on her but you.”
Too bad the fabric barely covered her naked body. Her dark nipples formed tight buds underneath the silk, and he longed to run his thumbs over them. He shook his head and stared at floor. He should not have those kinds of thoughts about a woman. Not when there were so many other things at stake. “That was very kind of you, but if you don’t mind, I’m very busy at the moment, and I’d appreciate it if you would schedule an appointment to discuss the status of things in Anicium later.”
“As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty.” Pontus bowed again, and the door thudded closed as he left.
It wasn’t until Titus heard the shuffle of footsteps behind him that he realized Pontus had left the woman.
…
Azurha waited in the shadows when Pontus left. If she wanted to complete her mission, she had the perfect opportunity to do so. She had already bypassed the Legion, gaining access to his personal quarters. The emperor’s back faced her. It would be so simple to wrap the silk veil around his throat and end his life with a quick snap. And yet, her feet remained fixed to the floor, her body frozen like the marble statues of the gods that adorned the city’s temples.
So why was she hesitating?
She remembered the snarl on his face when Pontus had presented her, as if it was an insult to give him a woman to fulfill his sexual pleasures. When he’d said he should be the one to abolish the Imperial tradition of having a harem, her pulse had raced. Maybe for all the Deizians’ concerns, the emperor’s studies in philosophy would make him a better ruler. A man of true nobility.
She almost laughed at herself for thinking such things. What did a cold-blooded killer like her know about nobility? She would willingly sully her hands with anyone’s blood for the right price. But as she studied him, she wondered if he would live up to his ideals. By the gods, she shouldn’t admire him like that, especially since she’d been hired to kill him.
He was more handsome than she had imagined he would be, with his golden hair and tanned skin. If the gods could produce a mortal child, this was what he would look like. Only his slightly crooked nose gave away his humanity. A flaw in an otherwise perfect face. She licked her lips and crept towards him, wanting to study him closer before she drained the life from his body.
The scuffing of her silk slippers alerted him, and he whirled around. His blue eyes locked with hers. The softness of his gaze made her wish the circumstances were different.
She lowered her gaze and saw the bulge of his erection forming under his toga. Her skin crawled. Despite all his noble words, he couldn’t hide his desire from her. He was a man, no different from her master and his friends.
The silence, normally her friend when she worked, now rattled her nerves. She dropped into a curtsey. “Your Imperial Majesty.”
He approached her like she was an exotic creature, and he wasn’t sure if she would bite him. Perhaps Pontus underestimated him. He seemed to have the common sense to see that some gifts could really be traps.
His fingers lifted her chin. “Forgive me, but I didn’t catch your name.”
“Azurha.”
“Azurha.”
Her knees wobbled from the way he said her name, setting her on edge even more. A lover’s caress couldn’t have been as tender. Most men spat her Alpirion name out as if it disgusted them.
“I apologize if Governor Pontus forced you to join my harem.”
“I thought you didn’t have a harem?”
“I don’t.” He increased the pressure under her chin until she rose from her curtsey. “So I’m at a loss as to what to do with you.”
The conflicting feelings that seized control of her both surprised and terrified her. She dug her nails into her palm, using the pain to pull her thoughts back to the present situation. In the past, she’d endured some sloppy kisses in order to distract her targets, but she always ended their lives before things went beyond that. This would not be the exception.
She just needed to play the part long enough to get him alone. “You could remove my veil.”
“I could.” His fingers continued to cup her chin instead.
“I cannot remove it without your permission.”
His thumb traced the curve of her lips through the sheer material. “Maybe you should leave it on, or I’ll be tempted to…” His voice trailed off as his body leaned against hers. The scent of sandalwood rose from his warm skin.
“Yes?” The word slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. She silently cursed herself for letting lust muddle her brain.
His brow puckered as if he was thinking the same thing, and he released her chin, taking a step away from her. “I’ll have Varro show you to a room until I figure out what to do with you.”
All the blood rushed out of her head, leaving her dizzy. “As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty.”
He winced when she used his title. He seemed to dislike hearing it as much as she hated saying it.
He rang a bell, and an Elymanian servant appeared from one of the corridors off the main room. The unspoiled white linen of his tunic marked his high rank in the household, but the leathery texture of his tanned skin spoke of years of hard service before he obtained his current position. “Please show Azurha to appropriate quarters.”
Varro coolly surveyed her attire, his brown eyes missing little, and bowed. “I will take her to the harem, Your Imperial Majesty.”
She followed Varro with a smile on her face. Pontus had given her two weeks to complete her task, but she doubted she’d need that long.
4
Titus rubbed his temples and watched the wax drizzle down the sides of the candles on his desk. The last few hours had proven to be more frustrating than he had hoped. So many ideas for the empire, but no clue on how to implement them. His lips rose into a rueful grin. Well, he could always impose his Imperial Will. The nobles would love that.
A door creaked open behind him, and the unmistakable sound of his steward’s limp echoed through the room. “Thank you for bringing dinner, Varro.”
Varro stood at attention, reminding Titus of the man’s years of service to the Legion. “You are most welcome, Your Imperial Majesty.”
He smiled at Varro. “Please, so long as there isn’t anyone present who would object, you may call me Sergius.”
Varro bowed again. “Yes, Emperor Sergius.”
Titus exhaled through his teeth. Not what he intended, but an improvement over “Your Imperial Majesty.” He stood and stretched. “What is the hour?”
“Nearly three chimes past sunset.”
That late? Where had the day gone? He touched one of the metal sconces on the wall, channeling his power and brightening all the lights in the room. Varro set the plates of meats, cheeses, and vegetables on the table. “I don’t think I can eat all this, and I hate to be wasteful when many of our citizens are hungry.”
The older man nodded. “I had them prepare enough for you and the lady who arrived for you today, Emperor Sergius.”
His thoughts turned to Azurha, and his cock hardened. The idea of her reclined on the cushions next to him heated his skin, more with embarrassment than desire. One woman shouldn’t cause his body to react this way, especially since he hadn’t even seen her face—just a pair of eyes the color of the sea. He recalled the way they glowed in the darkness and pierced right through him. “You took her to the harem?”
“Yes. I’m afraid her room was dustier than I would have liked, but I dispatched a group of slaves to scrub it down and see to her needs.”
Not surprising. His father had cleared out the harem as soon as he married his mother, and the rooms had remained vacant through the rest of his reign. “And did she seem pleased with her accommodations?”
“I believe so, considering she is the only woman there for the moment.”
Titus sank into the cushions by the table and reached for the goblet of wine Varro had poured for him. It would be a shame if all this food spoiled. He imagined feeding her the succulent berries and licking up the juice wherever it landed on her body. “Has she eaten yet?”
Varro’s grin widened. “I’ll send for her, Emperor Sergius.”
He disappeared from the room before Titus could object. Perhaps it was a good thing. If he tried to rationalize his behavior, he might go insane. The only thing he knew with all certainty was that he wanted to see the face behind the veil.
…
Azurha lifted the lid of another perfume jar and sniffed. The scents of jasmine and roses stood out over the subtle hint of sandalwood. She liked this one the best out of all the perfumes so far. She dipped her finger into the oil and dabbed it behind her ears and between her breasts. Then she removed her cuff-style bracelets and rubbed the remaining oil on her fingertips over the scars on her wrists. So far, life as an Imperial concubine was better than she expected. She could get used to dressing in silks and having servants wait on her, even if the doors remained locked to everyone except those with the magic to use the keypad.
A knock sounded from the other side of her door. Varro, the servant who had taken her to the harem, poked his head in. “Lady Azurha, Emperor Sergius requests your presence in his chambers for dinner.”
Her heart raced. She would be left alone with him. Give him enough wine, and this would be the easiest job she’d ever had. But every time she pictured his lifeless eyes staring back at her, a lead weight lodged in her gut, slowing her steps as she moved toward the door.
Varro’s cheeks filled with color. “Your veil, my lady.”
She wondered why she had to go through the trouble of hiding her face from everyone. Her stola only blurred her body in shadows, leaving very little to the imagination. She draped the swath of indigo silk over her head and shoulders, arranging the material so only her eyes showed.
The silence in the corridor from the harem to the emperor’s private chambers unnerved her. “Tell me, Varro, what do you think of Emperor Sergius?”
The steward took a few seconds to form his answer, a sign of a man who had spent many years observing the inner politics of the palace. “I think he will take what was good from his father’s reign and fix what was flawed.”
“Such as?”
Varro chuckled. “You ask me questions I have no right as a servant to answer.”
“But you’re an Elymanian, a free citizen of the empire. You still elect senators to voice your concerns.”
“You know as well I do that the Senate is nothing more than a façade.” His dark eyes flickered to her face. “But maybe you have different thoughts on the matter as an Alpirion.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Not many citizens of the empire have skin that color without laboring in the fields, and your hands are too soft to be a farmer’s daughter.”
She stared at them and in her mind saw them covered with blood. “They haven’t always been this way.”
“As is the case for most women in your situation.” He held a door open for her. “Enjoy your dinner with the emperor, Lady Azurha.”
…
The subtle sound of the door shutting pulled Titus from his papers. Azurha waited in the shadows, the veil obscuring every surface of her skin except for her eyes. “So you decided to join me?”
“I didn’t think I had much choice in the matter, Your Imperial Majesty.”
He frowned at her use of the title. Not what he wanted to hear from her. He set his papers aside. “I’d be honored if you would join me for dinner.”
Even through the veil, he saw her dark brows rise in surprise. Her eyes traveled from his face to the cushions beside him. “As you wish.”
As she came closer to him, the candles illuminated the sheer silk that swathed her body and highlighted the luscious curves under it. More than two years of celibacy had taken their toll on him, and his cock twitched to life at the eroticism of her movements.
He cleared his throat and tore his gaze away from her. He needed to stop thinking like an over-eager youth making his first visit to a brothel. She was a gift from Pontus, one probably meant to distract him so the nobles could continue to play their games and undermine his authority. But her obvious dislike of his cousin could yield a few leads to what Pontus had planned. First, he needed to gain her trust. “You should remove your veil so you can eat.”
She lowered to her knees beside him. “As you wish, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“And another thing, you may call me…” His voice faltered when she lowered the silk from her face. Her skin glowed with sun bronzed health, a striking contrast to her teal-colored eyes. But her full lips the color of fresh raspberries monopolized his attention. How would they feel under his? Firm and defiant? Or soft and yielding? Maybe a combination of both?
The corners of her mouth twitched in an amused smile, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Then her pink tongue darted out to lick her lips, making them shine in the candlelight. “Call you what?”
“Titus,” he whispered. It didn’t matter that only his closest friends and family had the honor of calling him by his praenomen, she was bewitching him. He leaned closer to her. The faint scent of jasmine rose from her skin.
“Titus,” she repeated in a sultry, slightly accented voice. Her fingers traced the line of his jaw, sending shivers down his spine. “Have you eaten?”
The abruptness of her question pulled him away from his thoughts, and he moved back to his cushions. She was probably starving. “I’ve nibbled on a few things.”
She picked up a piece of bread and drizzled some olive oil on it before adding a slice of beef. A low purr of contentment rumbled from her throat when she bit into it. She was obviously a well-trained concubine, to know how to turn such a mundane action into something seductive.
His erection started to throb. He gripped his goblet and took a long drink. “You should try the wine, Azurha.”
“I think I shall.” Instead of pouring some into a goblet, she crawled towards him, her eyes full of uncertainty, and hesitated a few seconds before she pressed her lips to his. Her tongue swept along the seam of his mouth as though she was asking his permission to deepen the kiss, and he opened it to her. The slow, sensual dance set his body on fire.
The goblet rattled against the wooden table when he placed it down. He reached for her shoulders, wanting to pull her closer to him and deepen the kiss. The silk of her gown rustled under his hands, and his desire for her grew with each spiraling slip of her tongue. If she didn’t stop, he would find himself buried within her by the end of the evening. He eased her away from him, ending the kiss before he slipped completely under her spell.
She gulped in a sharp breath. Her dilated pupils left a thin rim of teal around them, and her flushed cheeks told him the kiss had affected her in nearly the same manner it had him. Her voice shook when she said, “Yes, the wine is quite good.”
It was wrong of him to want this woman so much. She was an Alpirion, someone beneath his station. And yet, he felt more drawn to her than he ever had to his wife, although he was at a loss for why. Physical beauty usually didn’t hold this kind of power over him. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Finish eating, and maybe we can resume this later.”
She chewed her bottom lip for a few seconds before nodding. “As you wish, Titus.”
What I wish is to have your naked body under mine, my mouth sucking your hard nipples while I ram my cock into you over and over again
. But the voice inside his mind remained there.
She trembled when she reached for a piece of cheese, and guilt washed over him. Had his dismissal insulted her? Or was she terrified of him? His hand brushed against hers when he reached for his wine, and he thought he saw her jump from his touch.
He tightened his jaw. Not a good start to the evening so far. “How are your quarters?”
“Far nicer than I expected. Varro made sure I would have my every need attended to.” Her gaze settled on his papers, and after she finished the piece of cheese, she asked, “What are you writing?”
He shoved them under the tray so she couldn’t read them. “Those are just some ideas I have for the empire.”
She wrapped her fingers around his goblet and took a sip. “Such as?”
His brow rose in response to her question. Most women didn’t care about political matters. Suspicion raked down his spine. Did Pontus send her here to spy on him? He decided to test her with something already commonly known. “I would like improve the aqueduct system.”
“A good idea. Anything else?”
He studied her reaction. Not over-eager, but engaged. How would she react if he told her something Pontus would want to hear? “Perhaps give some of the provincial governors more autonomy over certain local issues.”
The corners of her mouth tilted down. “It would depend on how much you trust your governors.”
Her reaction puzzled him. He decided to press her for more information. “What are your thoughts on Pontus?”
Her frown deepened. “I would not trust him,” she blurted out. Her cheeks stained a deep red within a few seconds. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, Titus.”
His pulse quickened when she said his name, and he almost forgot what she had said before it. His shoulders tightened. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why shouldn’t I trust him?”
She stared at her hands and toyed with the bracelets that circled her wrists. “He is an ambitious man.”
He laughed, and some of the tension eased from his muscles. “I already knew that. Tell me, did he think that by giving you to me, he would gain my favor?”
Her body stiffened, and he knew the answer.
“I’m not so naïve as to not know how politics work in the empire, Azurha. Although I’m grateful he brought you to the palace, I will not force you to do something against your will.”
He tried to rise from the cushions, but she pushed him back. “No, it’s not that.” Pain flickered across her face, making him wish she would reveal more about the struggle that appeared to wage inside her. “You don’t have to worry that you’ll be forcing me to do anything I don’t want to do.”
The acid in her voice startled him. There was more to this woman than he first thought. “But there was a time when that wasn’t the case?”
She lowered her head and moved away from him, creating a wide gulf between them. “I am an Alpirion. When your grandfather defeated my people, my parents were forced into slavery.”
“Were you born a slave?”
“I was, but when my master died, I gained my freedom.” Her eyes glowed like blue ice when she leveled her gaze with his, and she held up her arms to show him the golden bracelets that proclaimed her status as a freed slave.
His arms ached to wrap around her, but he kept his distance. He’d seen how he could destroy a fragile woman by forcing himself on her. His arranged marriage had brought nothing but misery and ultimately caused Lucia’s death. But Azurha’s confession revealed an inner steeliness to her nature he hadn’t expected. “What are your thoughts on freeing the slaves?”
She gave a half-laugh. “I personally would welcome the idea, but I fear it may cause chaos throughout the empire. The nobles would be without a majority of their workforce, and they may need to trim their excesses to compensate for it.”
He knew the excesses she spoke of, from the lavish orgies thrown here in the Imperial City of Emona to the grand palaces and airships the provincial governors built to rival his own. “Perhaps it’s time they learned to do what is best for the empire instead of caring only about themselves.”
She cocked her head to the side and knitted her brows together. “You think your Imperial Will can overcome greed?”
“I don’t know, but it will be an interesting experiment, don’t you agree?” He gave her a wry grin. His ancestors had imposed their Imperial Will in various ways over the centuries, from sending the army to overthrow the governors to withdrawing the reach of the barrier, exposing their provinces to the Barbarians until the governors yielded. He didn’t relish of idea of using either, hoping he could appeal to their intelligence rather than their baser natures.