Imperial chambers closer. A set of double doors led to the rest of the palace, and the only way in or out involved the bronze plates beside them. She’d watched Varro place his hand on them last night and mimicked his actions. The locks didn’t click open for her, and she lacked the Deizian magic to force them open.
She bit her bottom lip and looked for another way to exit the chambers undetected. She crossed the room to the private courtyard. The tiled roofs angled sharply to the ground, but that didn’t discourage her as much as the guard towers that framed the palace. To leave that way would require stealth, skill, and a lazy soldier or two in the towers. Not that she hadn’t faced those odds before.
A creak followed by the sound of leather sandals slapping across the tile floor pulled her from her inspection. She wasn’t alone anymore. Her skin flushed at the thought of Titus standing behind her.
“You’re awake now, Lady Azurha.”
Her heart fell a little when she recognized Varro’s voice. When she turned around, he lowered his eyes. “I’m having trouble finding my veil.”
“I laid it out in the bedroom.” He beckoned her to follow him while averting his eyes.
As he walked ahead of her, she noticed his limp seemed more pronounced this morning. A large scar snaked around his knee and disappeared up his thigh. Her shoulders tensed. He might be a servant now, but he hadn’t always been.
He waited in the main room while she wrapped her veil over her face and shoulders. When the sheer silk slid over her breasts, her nipples peaked. Titus had been more than generous with his attention, and they remained overly-sensitive. By the gods, she needed to find a way to kill him before she got in over her head.
She adjusted her veil and returned to Varro, who handed her a clay mug. “Drink this.”
She sniffed the contents, trying to see if it was poisoned. The slight citrus scent seemed vaguely familiar. “What is it?”
“Pomrutin tea. It will keep you from conceiving.”
Laughter as bitter as the tea itself filled her throat. He obviously assumed too much. The contents of the mug disappeared in one gulp, and she returned it to Varro. He nodded in satisfaction and turned to the door.
When the servant pressed his hand against the bronze plate, a brief flash appeared. The locks clicked open. Perhaps she could get him to reveal how he was able to use them, even though he was not a Deizian. “How do the locks work? I tried to return to the harem after I woke up, but the door was locked.”
“The emperor controls who has access to his chambers through the plates.”
“And how did you gain access? You’re not a Deizian.”
Varro chuckled. “Fishing for information?”
“Just curious.” She tried to keep her voice flippant, but inside, she secretly seethed at the servant’s ability to see through her question.
“I served Emperor Decius before his son, and I will continue to serve the emperor until my death.”
“What did you do before you became the emperor’s steward?”
Varro halted in the middle of the hallway. “You ask a lot of questions for a concubine.”
She smiled behind the veil. “I like to know all I can about my jailors.”
“There are many women who would gladly change places with you. They would view it as a privilege to tend to the emperor’s desires.”
If he only knew my real purpose for being here. “I don’t argue that I live a privileged life here in the palace, but I’m still little better than a slave.”
Varro pressed his hand against the plate outside the harem. “It all depends on your perspective, Lady Azurha.” The doors opened, and he led her inside. “I will send a few female slaves to you later this afternoon to tend to your bath. I suspect Emperor Sergius will send for you again.”
Her lips curled into a grin. She certainly hoped so.
…
Azurha opened the false bottom of her trunk and frowned. Her favorite instruments of death lay before her,
She bit her bottom lip and looked for another way to exit the chambers undetected. She crossed the room to the private courtyard. The tiled roofs angled sharply to the ground, but that didn’t discourage her as much as the guard towers that framed the palace. To leave that way would require stealth, skill, and a lazy soldier or two in the towers. Not that she hadn’t faced those odds before.
A creak followed by the sound of leather sandals slapping across the tile floor pulled her from her inspection. She wasn’t alone anymore. Her skin flushed at the thought of Titus standing behind her.
“You’re awake now, Lady Azurha.”
Her heart fell a little when she recognized Varro’s voice. When she turned around, he lowered his eyes. “I’m having trouble finding my veil.”
“I laid it out in the bedroom.” He beckoned her to follow him while averting his eyes.
As he walked ahead of her, she noticed his limp seemed more pronounced this morning. A large scar snaked around his knee and disappeared up his thigh. Her shoulders tensed. He might be a servant now, but he hadn’t always been.
He waited in the main room while she wrapped her veil over her face and shoulders. When the sheer silk slid over her breasts, her nipples peaked. Titus had been more than generous with his attention, and they remained overly-sensitive. By the gods, she needed to find a way to kill him before she got in over her head.
She adjusted her veil and returned to Varro, who handed her a clay mug. “Drink this.”
She sniffed the contents, trying to see if it was poisoned. The slight citrus scent seemed vaguely familiar. “What is it?”
“Pomrutin tea. It will keep you from conceiving.”
Laughter as bitter as the tea itself filled her throat. He obviously assumed too much. The contents of the mug disappeared in one gulp, and she returned it to Varro. He nodded in satisfaction and turned to the door.
When the servant pressed his hand against the bronze plate, a brief flash appeared. The locks clicked open. Perhaps she could get him to reveal how he was able to use them, even though he was not a Deizian. “How do the locks work? I tried to return to the harem after I woke up, but the door was locked.”
“The emperor controls who has access to his chambers through the plates.”
“And how did you gain access? You’re not a Deizian.”
Varro chuckled. “Fishing for information?”
“Just curious.” She tried to keep her voice flippant, but inside, she secretly seethed at the servant’s ability to see through her question.
“I served Emperor Decius before his son, and I will continue to serve the emperor until my death.”
“What did you do before you became the emperor’s steward?”
Varro halted in the middle of the hallway. “You ask a lot of questions for a concubine.”
She smiled behind the veil. “I like to know all I can about my jailors.”
“There are many women who would gladly change places with you. They would view it as a privilege to tend to the emperor’s desires.”
If he only knew my real purpose for being here. “I don’t argue that I live a privileged life here in the palace, but I’m still little better than a slave.”
Varro pressed his hand against the plate outside the harem. “It all depends on your perspective, Lady Azurha.” The doors opened, and he led her inside. “I will send a few female slaves to you later this afternoon to tend to your bath. I suspect Emperor Sergius will send for you again.”
Her lips curled into a grin. She certainly hoped so.
…
Azurha opened the false bottom of her trunk and frowned. Her favorite instruments of death lay before her,
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