Page 113 of Poisoned Empire

A knock on the door interrupted them, and the praetor strode in. His own hair had taken quite an extreme restyling, though his burns were nearly healed. The thick blonde mane that remained was a strip of hair running in a straight line from the middle of his forehead down to the nape of his neck.

“We should start a new fashion in barbarian hairstyles,” Selene crowed.

“I am afraid I will have to decline, Your Majesty.”

Selene flinched at the title. She might have saved Belisarius, but the idea of staying to be his empress, and only one of perhaps several of his women, made her physically ill. Her heart might ache for him, but nothing had really changed.

“Iliana, could you give us a moment?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Iliana nodded and left the room, her brows pinched with concern. Once they were alone, Selene turned to the praetor, careful to keep emotion out of her voice.

“I’m not the empress. I’m not sticking around to watch Belisarius make brats with other women.”

“So you would risk death to save his life, but you refuse to put Lethe to rights while he’s incapacitated? I did not take you for a coward.”

“Cowardice has nothing to do with it!”

“Then help me help him. I won’t insist you remain once he’s able, but I will insist you help me hold this unruly land together long enough for it to still be here when he wakes.”

“Fine, but I want my ship and the gold ready for when he does.”

“I’ll see that it’s done.”

“And don’t tell Iliana.”

Nicephorus looked surprised to hear her say it.

“She deserves to be happy here, even if I can’t be.”

“It will be our secret, then.”

“So, what do you need me to do?”

“Take oaths of loyalty from the army and bureaucracy as well as the magistri, and decide on who will rule the lands of Diamond, Amethyst and Sapphire. I had a list of possible successors drawn up after we learned of their involvement with the scheme, but His Majesty never had the chance to go over them.”

Nicephorus handed her the list. She took it and skimmed over the names. She didn’t know anyone, though it was possible she’d met their daughters or sisters over the course of the bride show.

“These names mean nothing to me. What makes any of them good choices?”

“They’re wealthy noblemen with experience managing large estates, excellent character references and heirs.”

“Wasn’t Amethyst able to boast the same damn thing?”

Nicephorus at least had the decency to blush. The more she thought about it, the more she realised only staunch allies of Belisarius should be given the lands, otherwise Iliana might be caught up in another conspiracy. But which of the nobles could she trust to keep things peaceful?

“I have an idea, but you won’t like it.”

Selene sat on the empress’ throne with as stern an expression as she could muster. Her hair had been styled to prominently display her healing wounds and the ragged remains of her left ear. Marduk, Nicephorus and the magistri had all made their oaths without issue. She’d technically won the combat for the throne, after all, and with the army and bureaucracy at her command, there was little any nobleman could do against her. The gruesome end that had befallen Mercurius after she’d hit him with a full dose of mage-corpse poison was enough of a spectacle to impress even the unruly magistri. That done, the men waited for her to dismiss them.

“Before you leave, I would like to inform you that henceforth, the women of Lethe will be able to own and inherit property and titles. As will all those of common birth.”

The objections were instantaneous. She couldn’t pick out a single voice from the crowd gathered before her. She shot to her feet, bejewelled boots glittering, and pointed the sceptre at the magistri.

“Silence! Had this been in place years ago, it’s possible not a single noblewoman would have suffered at the hands of their traitor fathers! Independence, no matter how small, would have allowed them to seek the emperor’s aid. Fight me in this, and you will find out just how little patience I have for your wailing!”

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