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her mouth. “Tribune Appius, good day to you also.”
    “Good day, Octavia—I mean Senatora,” Constantine stuttered.
    As they walked away, Alexandros smacked him on his head. “Are you an absolute dummy? What was that back there? Have they taught you nothing about courting in Rome? Gah! ‘Good day’—back in my day . . .”
    Alexandros continued to rant about Constantine’s poor courting technique, but all Constantine could think about was the smile on Octavia’s face as she walked away.
    Chapter 3
    Octavia
    S enatora Octavia Pelia was furious.
    “How the blazes did that—that—that creature become leader of this expedition?”
    Her staff quailed before her as she bombarded them with her voice. Octavia knew that the small group was not responsible for this disaster, but it felt good to blow off steam at her underlings. Under her wrath, the office that she had commandeered prior to the departure of the expedition seemed tiny, even though it stretched over an entire floor of the forum.
    “Senatora! Domina!” cried one of her staff members, young Raestes. “Perhaps there is some way to wrangle some political advantage from this?”
    Octavia paused as her brain shifted gear from anger mode to political mode. We’ve got to control our temper; you aren’t normally a hot head! she chastised herself. Although it can be entertaining .
    Seeing her anger momentarily halted, her staff chose that moment to bolt.
    “Raestes, please remain.” She held up a hand, her calm voice at odds with the anger of moments before. “I want you to send a message back to Senator Ignatios back in Rome, asking him to clarify the decision to place our esteemed General Minnicus in command. And use my government code to ensure it has the highest priority on the wires.” Uncapping a fountain pen, she hastily scrawled a message on a scrap of paper and handed it to the young orderly. Holding the missive like a potentially volatile explosive, the man raced out.
    Sighing, the politician considered Raestes’ words. Perhaps there is some advantage to having Minnicus out here. The man had barely survived the last official inquiry demanded by the governor of Brittenburg after he had succeeded in botching the rescue operation for the city. It was only with great luck that the cohorts under Tribune Appius’ command had managed to kill the ringleader of the rebellion, the so-called Warrior Chieftess Amalia, in a spectacular battle on the western ramparts. It was also with great luck (thanks be to the gods!) that the massive explosion that ripped part of the wall away and flooded the city hadn’t flattened the tribune and remaining heir to the Empire. We couldn’t afford to lose both of them now, could we?
    The emperor had agreed with the governor, but the fact that Minnicus had not been “forcibly retired” spoke to the strength of his allies in the Senate. The fact that he was here now meant that someone in the Senate had a great deal of support. Or simply has the right proof to blackmail the right people at the Central Principia in Rome. Someone with a lot of control pushed Minnicus to the top of the list.
    Octavia rested her eyes for a moment, the lack of sleep beginning to catch up with her. She let her mind drift.

    She was back among the smooth columns of the Senate house in Rome. The grand building had been expanded many times from its small beginnings. She walked beside the stooped form of Senator Tufero Ignatios from Athens. The old man had served his Empire and his province for over fifty years. Her sprightly step contrasted with his shuffling feet as they left the final meeting of the war committee. The senator had been an old friend of her father’s, and was something of a mentor to young Octavia.
    Am I truly the right choice for this job?
    “You know,” he was saying in that crinkly old voice that still commanded attention and respect, “maybe getting you out of here will be a good thing for you.”
    Annoyed, Octavia looked at