Chapter Text
After the games had ended, the imperial family returned to their villa. Fortunately, the bull incident had been resolved in the best possible way: the people had enjoyed themselves, the gods had received a great sacrifice, and ultimately, nothing serious had happened. Lucifer had taken part in the final celebrations of the Ludi Apollinares, and then, when the sun finally set and marked the official end of the festivities, he was able to withdraw and return to the comfort and, above all, the privacy of his beloved home.
As soon as they returned, he and Lilith went to Sera’s quarters to speak to her about what had happened; they knew it wasn’t worth trying to hide it from her, since the slaves would surely tell her sooner or later, and besides, her counsel could truly be useful. The moment she saw them, the elderly lady immediately dismissed the servants, having already understood that there were important matters to discuss. She listened attentively to their words, barely speaking until they had finished. “So you believe the bull was poisoned?” she finally asked.
“We suspected it even before, and Adam confirmed it for us” Lucifer replied. “There’s no doubt someone was behind this incident”
Sera took a glass full of wine and brought it to her lips, sipping it slowly as she always did when thinking. Then she said: “Regardless of what the oracle and the priests declare, you must spread this version in Rome: that with this event, the gods wished to reaffirm the glory of the Empire, because the man armored like a general triumphed over the terrible beast, just as our soldiers always triumph over barbarian peoples, no matter how fierce they are”
Lucifer nodded. In this way, what had been an unfortunate incident (and possibly an assassination attempt) would instead become a tool for propaganda, as Rome would believe it all happened because the gods wanted to show their approval of his reign and prove they were still on his side. “Seems like a good idea, yes” he agreed.
Sera continued sipping her wine. “Do you have any idea who might have ordered this assassination?”
“At first, we thought of Vox” Lucifer answered.
“That would make sense. Killing Rome’s greatest warrior and a potential ally of yours would be a clever move for him” Sera commented, though she didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“But Adam doesn’t believe it was him” Lilith interjected. “And neither do I. Vox is always very careful with his actions. Even if using a bull to kill an opponent might seem like the perfect, untraceable murder, it’s actually quite problematic, and there are breadcrumbs that could reveal the culprit’s identity. Vox wouldn’t use such a trick unless he was absolutely certain he’d come out clean”
Sera remained expressionless, swirling her wine slightly as she observed its contents. “Adam is right” she finally said. “I don’t believe Vox is behind this”
“I was sure you’d think so too” Lucifer said. “I’m convinced the mastermind was just one of his affiliates, hoping to gain a reward by eliminating a potential enemy of the second consul”
“Or at least someone who sympathizes with Vox” Lilith added. “Anyone who understands Rome’s political situation knows how delicate this moment is. We should have ordered the matter to be kept more secret; that way, it would have been easier to identify the culprit”
“It would’ve been pointless” Lucifer said with a sigh. “Too many people would have needed to stay silent. Any guard, servant, slave, distant relative... there was no way to prevent a leak. And the Parthian advance isn’t exactly easy to hide, and anyone with half a brain could piece things together and figure out what’s going on in the Senate”
Sera drummed her fingers lightly on the glass, drawing their attention. “What’s done is done” she said simply. “However, regardless of who’s truly responsible for the incident, this at least proves that Vox is beginning to feel the heat”
“Probably” Lucifer agreed. “He must have shown signs of tension, and so his affiliates decided to act and get Adam out of the way. His death would have at least brought them joy”
Sera ignored that entire discussion, interested only in the confirmation her son had just given her. “So I must deduce that things are going well in the Senate?”
Lucifer and Lilith weren’t surprised by the question. Typical of Sera: she didn’t care who tried to kill whom, only about how those actions could affect the rest of the Empire. She hadn’t become the former empress solely because of the man she married. “Yes, for the moment we’re making good progress. We’re backing Vox into a corner” Lucifer answered. “Using the Parthian advance as an excuse, Zestial will soon ask him for troops. We’ll take advantage of that request and the ensuing war to eliminate commanders loyal to Vox and replace them with Zestial’s men, so that the soldiers remain under his command even afterward”
“And Vox will agree to this?” Sera asked.
“If he agrees, he loses part of his troops and becomes vulnerable. If he refuses, I’ll accuse him of opposing the safety of Rome and I'll destroy him politically” Lucifer replied confidently. “I doubt he’ll choose the second option, it would be too great a dishonor even for someone in his position. He’d lose all credibility and be crushed immediately (¹)”
“He could try to buy time” Sera pointed out. “Sooner or later, Zestial will have to push back against the Parthians, he can’t stay on the defensive forever. If Vox were to refuse to attend Senate sessions by pretending to be ill, he could stall long enough to force your hand before handing over the troops”
“We’ve already considered that” Lilith said. “The path we opened to the Parthians doesn’t go through inhabited lands, and the few cities in the area are fortified. With only light resistance from our troops, it will take months before they become a threat to the people of Judea or Anatolia (²)”
Sera seemed satisfied with that answer. If the enemy army would take so long to reach inhabited lands, then Vox wouldn’t be able to use any excuses to buy enough time. Sooner or later, he would be forced to give in, or risk being accused of cowardice (or worse, of treason) and lose all support in Rome. “You’ve thought of everything, I see” Sera commented. “But if that's the case, can I know is that bloodsucking deceiver still sitting in his seat in the Senate?”
Lucifer bit his lip, realizing that his mother had raised her eyebrows as she always did when she was irritated. So it was Lilith who answered for him: “Zestial hasn’t requested the troops yet because he suspects Vox would use the unrest in Britannia as an excuse to refuse”
Sera’s eyes narrowed further. “You mean that mysterious smiling druid who terrifies our glorious Roman soldiers so much?”
“He’s actually much less of a threat than he seems” Lilith said. “But Vox can still use his frightening reputation and the British rebels as a pretext to keep his troops, or at least hand over a smaller number of them to Zestial”
"We suspect he’s bribing the officers stationed in Britannia so they won’t respond efficiently, thus stirring dissent among the population" Lucifer added. "I’m conducting an investigation. If I can find even one person willing to testify, I can disgrace Vox and force him to fulfill his duty to the homeland..."
"And in the meantime, he’ll have found another scheme to save himself" Sera said, her voice laced with bitterness. "Why don’t you just send a worthy commander and have him take care of this druid who’s leading the rebels?"
Lucifer bit his lip. "I don’t have one at the moment. All the best commanders are already defending the provinces, in Germania or Africa..."
"There is one" Sera hissed. "What are you waiting for to send him?"
"Adam no longer fights for me, and you know it" Lucifer replied.
"Then order him!" Sera exclaimed, with far more emphasis this time. "Send a herald to his house immediately and order him before many witnesses to take up arms, unless he wants to be accused of treason against Rome!"
"I have no intention of forcing him" Lucifer said.
Sera raised the hand holding her wine glass and hurled it at her son’s face, but of course he dodged it effortlessly. In fact, the elderly woman practically hurt herself, rubbing her arm afterward, no longer having the age for such sudden gestures. But even so, her eyes remained ablaze. "Now you play the moralist, you foolish son!?" she roared. "What is it, you think that by letting that man alone he’ll forgive you!? That your conscience will somehow be cleansed!? That chance is gone, so stop holding back from using your power! You are the emperor of Rome, if you order him, your best warrior will go to war!"
"I don’t want to give Adam more reasons to hate me" Lucifer replied, not meeting his mother’s eyes. "I already have enough enemies in this empire, I don’t need another. My decision is final"
Sera looked like she was about to slam her fist on the table, but she held back to avoid hurting herself. "If your father could see you now..." she growled through clenched teeth.
Lucifer didn’t react to the provocation, and Sera knew she wouldn’t be able to change his mind. Even if he sometimes seemed a bit malleable, he was adamant when it came to his decisions. He wouldn’t have been able to govern such a vast empire otherwise. "Mother, I’ll find someone who can go to Britannia and fix the situation. I would go myself..."
"You can’t" Sera cut him off immediately. "You’re an emperor with no male heirs, you can’t risk dying in battle! Do you want your mother, your wife, and your daughter to be left without a man to protect them? (³)". She shot a glare at Lilith: "Of course, you could do it if someone here managed to give you a son!"
Lilith was no stranger to those barbs: Sera wasn’t the only one who blamed her for being unable to give Lucifer an heir, thus guaranteeing the future of the family and the dynasty. Having a son who could one day take his father’s place as emperor would allow Lucifer to go to war himself, knowing that if he died, the empire wouldn’t collapse into chaos as it had before his father took power. Yet, despite making love as often as they could, Lilith hadn’t gotten pregnant again after Charlie. "I assure you, we’re trying" she said nonetheless.
"It doesn’t matter, you never will be succesfull. I tried everything to appease Juno’s wrath (⁴), but she’s always remained deaf to my prayers and sacrifices" Sera said acidly. "Instead of wasting time, find a good husband for my granddaughter!"
Lilith knew exactly what her mother-in-law was referring to: all of Rome believed she had been cursed by Juno, goddess of marriage and childbirth, so she could never give her husband an heir, as punishment for evading marital duties long ago. Divorce was entirely legal in Rome (⁵), but it still followed a process and required the consent of both spouses. Faking her husband’s death to legitimize a daughter born from an affair didn’t exactly qualify as that. It was no surprise, then, that gossip said that the goddess of marriage was determined to make her pay. Lilith, honestly, believed it a little herself; but even so, she wasn’t about to let her mother-in-law walk all over her. "We’ll marry Charlie off when the time is right"
"She’s been of marriageable age for three years! (⁶)" Sera protested. "What are you going to do, let her stay alone her whole life!? Have you thought about what would happen to her if Lucifer were to catch a deadly disease and die? You both know the senators would sell her to the highest bidder! She’s the emperor’s only daughter, which makes her a target! If she’s already married, at least you’ll avoid her falling into the hands of some power-hungry man three times her age!"
"I promised my daughter I’d let her marry someone she chose" Lucifer said.
Sera rolled her eyes in exasperation. "What a foolish promise. If the daughters of emperors could marry whoever they wanted, Rome would be ruled by dark-eyed outlaws and muscle-headed gladiators"
"Charlie can choose" Lilith replied, narrowing her eyes. "She has judgment when she wants to"
Sera’s fingers clenched so tightly that her old knuckles cracked. “My dearest daughter-in-law, if only you had died in childbirth, or if your husband had been overtaken by rage and killed you after your betrayal!” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “At least that way my son could have remarried a woman who wouldn’t bring him shame and would give him an heir! You can’t even raise your daughter properly, who is seventeen and still acts like she’s nine! And now you’re telling me she’s capable of choosing a husband without regretting it later? We both know that’s nonsense. The way you’ve raised her, that girl doesn’t have her head on straight! If you want to do something useful for her, stop clinging to ridiculous promises and find her a proper match, someone noble of heart who can support this family on the throne, so Charlie has a good man to rely on besides her father, and your husband can have a decent son-in-law to inherit the empire! Or, if you truly won’t do that, at least teach your daughter some common sense, which she clearly lacks, because if she had any, she would be the first to propose marriage herself!”
Lucifer had grown used to his mother’s comments about his wife over the years, since she had never approved of the way they had married, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to strangle her, or at least snap back. He was restrained by Lilith herself, who, without drawing attention, grabbed his arm under the table and squeezed tightly, signaling she didn’t want him to respond. Instead, she said: “My dearest mother-in-law, as I’ve told you before, how I raise my daughter is my concern. But in any case, I was not the one who promised Charlie she could marry someone of her own choosing. That promise came from my husband, the Emperor of Rome himself, and his word is law. And if I remember correctly, you, unlike me, were a so virtuous wife loved by Juno, and bore several children, and yet only my husband survived, while all his brothers were either killed in war or assassinated in their sleep. The gods made sure only he would live and take Rome’s throne, wiping out the rest of the bloodline. Doesn’t that suggest the gods favor his decisions? The gods approve of the method of succession Lucifer has chosen for Charlie, even if it’s unorthodox for an imperial family. So, unless you want to anger the gods, keep your mouth shut and stop saying things that might draw their wrath”
It was not hard to see that Sera saw red at her daughter-in-law’s words: her pupils briefly looked like flames, and gazing at her was like staring into the dark abyss of Tartarus. She was about to scream, but as her mouth opened, she gave a faint gasp and clutched her robe at the chest. Her head wavered, and both Lucifer and Lilith thought she was about to faint, but she managed to pull herself together, at least a little. “My poor heart can no longer handle so many emotions” she murmured more to herself than to them, then she fixed her gaze on Lilith again. “Cursed be the day I agreed to let you marry my son, you treacherous serpent. I should have let you die after childbirth instead of going to such lengths to save your life!”
Lilith remained impassive. “And for that gesture, I will always be grateful to you. But even so, I will raise my daughter however I see fit, always”
Sera hissed and rested her head on one hand. “Ugh, do as you wish. You clearly don’t care what I say” she growled, dismissing them with a wave of her hand.
Since she seemed to have given up, Lucifer and Lilith rose from their seats. “I suggest you rest, Mother” he said cordially, though the tone was clearly forced.
Sera shot him a venomous glare. “Lucifer, I’m warning you” she said through gritted teeth. “If you drag this family into ruin, to the point that the senators force my granddaughter to marry a man like Vox and place him on the throne, I will go to the public square, strip myself naked, and hang myself in front of everyone. I will make sure that for the next thousand years, you are remembered as the emperor who drove his mother to suicide. And even when I drift through the cold waters of the Acheron (⁷), I will curse your name for all eternity”
Lucifer clenched his fists and looked like he was about to reply, but once again, Lilith grabbed his arm to stop him. “Don’t worry. Charlie will never marry a man like that” she said.
“I hope so. I speak from experience when I say that there’s nothing worse than having in the family someone you end up hating” Sera replied, looking directly at her, making no effort to hide who she meant.
Lilith narrowed her eyes but didn’t respond. Instead, she tugged on her husband’s arm, urging him to leave, and they left Sera alone. As soon as they opened the door, they found themselves facing Charlie, who had obviously been waiting until that moment. "Are you finished talking?" she asked, a little hesitantly.
Lilith smiled at her: "Of course. Go see your grandmother, she needs your kindness"
Charlie nodded and entered, closing the door behind her. Once they were alone again, Lucifer could no longer hold back a growl. “Why do you stop me? I can’t stand the way she treats you!”
“Lucifer, you know she doesn’t speak that way out of malice” Lilith said patiently. “She’s just worried about you and our daughter, and you can’t deny her fears are somewhat justified”
"That’s no excuse to make such comments about her daughter-in-law!" Lucifer protested.
"It’s not worth making an enemy of your mother. She only wants what’s best for you, and you know it" Lilith said to him. "Lucifer, you know that what she says about me is what all of Rome thinks. I can handle it. Stop worrying about me"
Lucifer let out a deep sigh. "You’re definitely stronger than I am" he murmured. "To endure such insults..."
"We women are made to endure" Lilith said. "It’s in our nature"
"Then you women must be born with hearts far stronger and more resilient than those of us men" Lucifer replied.
Lilith smiled, slightly flattered. "Lucifer, your mother only wants what’s best for you, for Rome, and for Charlie as well. You can’t blame her for seeing me as an obstacle, it’s what I am. If only I could give you a son..."
"Don’t listen to her" Lucifer said. "You’re not cursed by Juno. The gods are angry with me, not with you. You have nothing to reproach yourself for"
Lilith sighed. "Lucifer, I doubt the gods would leave the empire without an heir. It’s clear that I’m the problem. I know you don’t like it, but have you considered...?"
"No" Lucifer interrupted firmly. "I will not take one of the slaves"
Lilith shook her head. After years of being unable to bear a male heir, she had once proposed a solution to Lucifer: take one of the slaves, get her pregnant, and then pretend the child was hers, thus legitimizing the heir. It was a solution she herself disliked, but she was willing to set aside her pride if it meant securing the empire’s future. "Lucifer, all great men have a mistress. You don’t need to fear offending me, I'm the one giving you permission..."
"I already told you no" Lucifer said, placing his hands on her shoulders and holding her tightly. "Lilith, I don’t need another woman. I only want you. You’ve helped me immensely in ruling this empire, I couldn’t have done it without you. I don’t need to be unfaithful to protect my position. We’ll have an heir, and if we can’t, then I’ll adopt someone (⁸). But I won’t have another woman besides you"
Lilith couldn’t help but feel happy, and she kissed her husband on the lips. It was not a chaste kiss; they explored each other’s mouths with real passion. But eventually she pulled away and looked at him intensely. "We need to talk about Charlie"
Lucifer sighed. "Don’t let my mother influence you..."
"Lucifer, stop ignoring the problem" Lilith scolded him. "We can debate whether Sera is right to resent me, but we can’t deny she’s right to worry about Charlie’s future. She’s a good girl, but it’s true she doesn’t have her head on straight yet. She’ll never choose a good husband like this, and as long as she’s alone, she’s in danger, especially in a time of political instability. You know the only reason Vox hasn’t yet tried to kill you and marry her is because he’s not sure he can control the Senate once he’s on the throne. I know it’s unpleasant to think about, but we have to consider the worst-case scenario, for our daughter’s sake. Otherwise, we don’t deserve to be parents"
Lucifer lowered his gaze. He suddenly looked exhausted. "And there are fools who envy me for this laurel crown..." he murmured faintly. "Don’t fear for our daughter’s future. Even if I die before defeating Vox, there will be someone to protect you"
"Lucifer, Adam won’t protect us. He hates me" Lilith said.
"No, he hates me" Lucifer corrected her. "He, the gods, they all hate me, not you. I’m the one who broke the oaths that bound us. Trust me, I know that man as well as I know myself: he will not let you and Charlie become pawns of some bastard. It’s not in his nature to break the oath that he made to my father, he would rather die than stain himself with such dishonor. If I’m no longer in the way, he’ll defend you without hesitation"
Lilith didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she didn’t insist. She knew her husband knew that man far better than she ever could. "I trust you. But we still need to do something for Charlie. We let her live carefree for seventeen years, now we at least have to teach her some common sense"
Lucifer wanted to object, as he loved his daughter just the way she was and adored still seeing her smile like a cheerful, cuddly child. But he couldn’t deny that she was now an adult and needed to start acting like one. "Alright... maybe you’re right"
Lilith was pleased to see her husband reasoning, something rare when it came to their precious daughter. "I’ll try to talk to her seriously this time" she said. "By the way, I hope she was able to calm Sera down"
"That's a pointless question" Lucifer said with a chuckle. "You already know she did it"
And he wasn't wrong: in Sera's room, any sign of the previous tension had vanished. She and Charlie had started embroidering together, and the princess, without even trying, had managed to bring a smile back to her grandmother's face. Well, that was Charlie's gift, after all: no matter how angry the people around her were, she somehow always seemed to restore harmony. "Ah, you're a blessing to my old heart" Sera said as she looked at her granddaughter's work. "You're really improving at embroidery"
Charlie knew her grandmother didn't give compliments in vain, so she was quite flattered. "Thank you" she said, showing the canvas she was embroidering, which turned out to be a seascape full of fish. "I've been practicing a lot lately"
"And it was worth it. See, when you put in the effort, the results are visible? You have so many qualities, make them count!" Sera said proudly. "Although I don't understand why you only embroider fish"
Charlie bit her lip a little. "Well... they're cute" she replied.
"If you want to embroider a seascape, why not add Neptune driving his chariot (⁹)?" Sera suggested. "It would enrich the scene greatly"
Charlie shrugged: "The canvas is almost finished now, I should unravel it all to add that. Suggest me that next time"
Sera thought there was still enough space on the canvas, and she knew her granddaughter wasn't being sincere: she could see in her face that she simply didn't want to embroider what she'd suggested. She was a little disappointed, but in the end she decided that perhaps Charlie had had a very specific embroidery in mind and wanted to create it, without outside interference. So she pretended to believe it and let her do it.
The final result was magnificent: the canvas Charlie had embroidered was a great blue sea, harmonious and perfect, with fish of every species that, instead of attacking each other, lived in harmony. There were soles meticulously cleaning the seabed, snappers collecting shells and moving them to the rocks, octopuses grabbing those rocks and tying them to schools of sardines with seaweed, which then moved them to an area where they wouldn't harm anyone; and then there were moray eels whose malleable bodies showed the way, anchovies dancing to entertain the other fish, dolphins singing, and finally, above them all, a large shark watching over them all, protecting them from danger. Everyone was working for the good of others, without anyone trying to dominate anyone else. "It's wonderful" Sera commented, looking at it. "What does it represent?"
"I think..." Charlie murmured. "... that it represents only a harmonious world, where everyone has their place and is happy and... is as valuable as everyone else"
"A truly beautiful world" Sera admitted. "But there's no way a shark is as valuable as a sardine"
"Why? They were born different, but they're both part of the same community" Charlie asked her.
"But they're still different, and thus of different value" Sera replied. "The shark is essential to protecting the fish community and governing it wisely, just as your father the emperor is to Rome. A sardine is... just a commoner. Even if it died or passed away, it could easily be replaced. The same isn't true for a shark. That's why the shark is more valuable and the gods pay more attention to it. Just as the emperor and the patricians are more valuable to Rome than a common peasant, and therefore the gods pay more attention to them (¹⁰)"
Even though that explanation was perfectly logical, and indeed a perfect representation of Roman society and any other society in the world, Charlie still didn't seem happy about it. "Wouldn't it be much better if... those watching over us from the heavens... saw us all the same?"
Sera shrugged. "I don't know. The gods created the world this way, so it must be better this way" she replied simply.
Charlie sighed. She looked a little disheartened. "Well... I'm glad you liked the canvas, Grandma" she said. "I'd better go now"
Sera looked apologetic. "Hey, I didn't mean to offend you... you did a great job, and the world you imagined is nice. It's just... it's not the real world"
"I know, Grandma. Thanks" Charlie said. "I think I should go back to my room and try to get some sleep. Maybe then I'll wake up at the right time tomorrow"
Sera smiled at her and lovingly rubbed her hair: "You're really judicious... when you want to be. Go ahead, get some rest. You need it"
Charlie smiled at her, and after giving her grandmother a hug, she left the room and returned to her quarters. Razzle and Dazzle were there, waiting for her as usual. "Please, don't let anyone in" Charlie told them.
"Of course" the two guards responded promptly. "No one will enter without your specific permission"
Charlie knew they were telling the truth. Razzle and Dazzle had been her guards since she was a child, and they treated her as if she were the most important thing in the world. They obeyed her orders even more than her father's. Even if Lucifer had arrived with an army of guards to break down the door, they wouldn't have budged and would have fought to the death, or until Charlie gave them permission to let them in.
Charlie smiled at them and wished them a good evening, then entered and closed the door behind her. Keekee was already there waiting for her, a small smile on her lips. "How did it go, mistress?"
"Come on, you know I don't want you to call me that" Charlie said with a smile and a light punch on her shoulder. "Use my name"
Keekee rolled her one eye. "You're always the same" she said. "Do you want... well, you know, that... tonight too?"
Charlie nodded. "Is the way open?"
Keekee smiled at her and pulled a bundle and a rope from under the bed. "You can go" she said, opening the window and pulling down the rope. "The guards won't be passing the north wall except at midnight. The coast is clear"
Charlie gave her a tight hug. "You're always the best, Keekee" she said, then took the bundle and opened it, taking out a cloak and other clothes, which the slave helped her put on. "I'll be back soon"
"I hope so. I care about my head" Keekee replied with a wink. "Just come back before your mother comes and threatens to break down the door"
Charlie nodded, then she climbed onto the windowsill. There were at least two stories between her and the ground, but the rope was solid. She lowered herself down and then ran to the northern side of the perimeter wall, the highest and most solid part, which indeed had few guards. There, she pushed aside a bush that hid a hole, large enough for a person to squeeze through. She crawled inside and emerged on the other side, finding herself outside the villa.