Part Five

Sunset woke to the gentle touch of the golden rays of the sun beaming in through the balcony. She could hear the sound of the sea, the crashing of distant tides against the shore. Seagulls squawked as they wheeled and danced in the air, circling the bay in an eternal quest for food.

She felt lazy and tired, the temptation to duck back under the blankets was hard to ignore. With the linen sheets pulled up around her naked body, she could feel the shared warmth of herself and her partner who was resting alongside her. She did not know exactly what time it was but guessed it was somewhere in the early morning.

She half turned, brushing the tangled hair away from her pale face. Her eyes flickered towards Hadrian, who lay sleeping at her side. His face was relaxed, his eyes were closed and his chest gently rose and fell. At times like this, he seemed like a different person than when he was awake.

She remembered their night together. It had been a most peculiar one, beginning with her being called to his chambers on the previous day. Sunset was of course quite used to that by now, but this time it was different. Hadrian had waited for her.

In the full year since she had returned from the Academy, Sunset had never known her master to be in a mood quite like this one. As soon as she stepped through the door and let it close behind her, Hadrian had ordered her to strip naked. Sunset had been confused - usually, they would talk first. Hadrian was a man who enjoyed conversation, lectures or even just observations of the world around him.

Her voice had trembled just a little as she had agreed to his demand. She’d been wearing a set of semi-transparent fabrics which clung to her body, extenuating her figure and particularly her legs and chest. Peeling them off one by one, she saw Hadrian watching eagerly. His cock was already hard, straining at the inside of his clothes.

“I require a distraction,” he said, “And you will have to do your best.”

Sunset felt a deep rumbling in her own body. Her skin grew hotter, anticipation and desire fogged her kind as she fell to her knees. Hadrian waited for her and with a deft movement, she drew his cock from within his robes. It sprang forth with eager hardness and she ran her hands along its length. Hadrian stiffened, and Sunset felt a little tingle of pleasure that Ciara would never have allowed herself.

That was the difference between the two of them, really. Ciara was a ****, humiliated and **** to endure mortification and embarrassment. For her, this would be a kind of hell. Sunset still endured mortification and embarrassment, but she also took pride in her abilities and had learned to enjoy herself. She was unashamed of her appetites, of her desires and of her place in chains.

Arousal bubbled between her legs, and she took a deep breath. All the **** she might once have felt had long since vanished now. Onyx had been right. To fight was to be defeated. Defeat meant to wallow in helplessness and despair. The only way to be happy was to accept your place.

To be at peace with the fact that you were now a ****.

Hadrian’s cock was in her mouth now. She tasted his arousal and could feel the throbbing want which echoed through his body. He was stiff and tense, but as soon as she started to please him, some of that tension melted away. He sighed, giving a low moan. Her body moved in a serpentine rhythm, her lips locked around his shaft. Feeling it filling her mouth again and again as her tongue licked out to tease the very tip. Hadrian gave another sound of pleasure, and Sunset’s wandering fingers found their way between her own legs.

She knew he liked to watch her touch herself as she sucked him off. One hand moved to her chest, kneading and groping her breasts while the other rubbed her pussy, moving back and forth across the opening to her sex. Her breathing became faster and sharper.

Her pussy throbbed, feeling both tight and hot as her fingers traced a pattern across her soaking lips. Hadrian’s cock was in her mouth, and she was moving her head back and forth, invoking pleasure in her master’s face as desire bloomed within her body.

Her touch became more insistent, firmer. Not just stroking herself now, her fingers teased ever more exquisite feelings from between her legs. Trembles raced across her body promising a vivid climax. She made sure to position herself in such a way that Hadrian could see everything she was doing.

Such was the life of a Rovanii bed-****. On her knees and sucking her master’s cock. Her fingers edged and teased herself, allowing Hadrian to watch as she became wetter and hotter.

Before she could bring Hadrian to climax, he ordered her to stand up. That wasn’t totally unexpected - sometimes he did like to go further than a mere blowjob, after all. He told her to follow him tersely and stalked out towards the balcony.

Sunset trailed in his wake. The salt air pressed against her naked skin, and the cries of the gulls enveloped them both. Below, people were walking and working in the bay. A fishing ship was moving towards the dock. Sunset knew that several probably were looking up at her right now and that knowledge sent a naughty tingle through her body.

Hadrian loved to show her off. Her natural beauty and her submission stood in testament to his control and authority.

She raised one hand to her throat; there, her collar sat firm and proud. It was a light thing of carefully worked metal, a gem set into the centre pressed against her throat. As her fingers closed around it, she felt a faint flash of the woman she had once been. Of Ciara.

But Ciara was gone quickly, and only Sunset remained. Hadrian told her to bend over the balcony, splaying her legs so that her pussy and her ass were both exposed. The cold air made her shiver, and her body was taut with anticipation as she did what she had been told. The metal railing stung her hands a little, and she felt her face heat up as Hadrian took a position behind her.

The tip of his shaft pressed between her legs. Sunset gave a wanton moan when she felt it touch her lower lips. It was long and hard, engorged with desire and lust. Hadrian took hold of her sides, gripping her securely, and Sunset felt his member sink into her body.

She moaned properly now. After sitting and playing with herself, this was exactly what her body wanted. A ragged gasp escaped her throat, her nerves flared, and pleasure flooded her pussy. Hadrian started to move faster, thrusting forward with his cock. Her body was rocking, her pussy greedily clinging to his member. Sunset spread her legs, letting him see every inch of her nudity as the moment built.

Below the balcony, people were pointing and stopping to watch. Heat flashed through her, humiliation and arousal raced through her body. Her clit was hot and tight, and her nipples were hard and grew harder yet when Hadrian’s hands found them.

Sunset did not remain still. Her training in the academy had gone a long way to point out that just sitting there and being fucked was a poor thing for a sex **** to do. You had to participate. She used the rail, bracing her body as she shifted her weight back and forth. She matched Hadrian’s thrusts, pushing him deeper inside of her and making the feeling more intense for them both. Pleasure bubbled through her mind, and her thoughts fogged. Hadrian’s hands at her nipples were skilled, plucking and teasing out every drop of feeling that he could.

Her body was aflame with desire now. She was moaning, shaking with each thrust of his cock. There was a roaring in her ears, and her muscles grew tense with the pounding screaming of her ecstatic nerves.

With a grunt, Hadrian came inside of her. She felt him tense, his cock pushing between her folds as the warmth of his seed filled her up. She jerked, feeling some of it run down her legs.

As her master withdrew, Sunset realised he had still not spoken to her beyond barking commands. A frown fit her face. That was so unusual that it was worrying.

As Hadrian drew back, Sunset found that he was not done with her just yet. A strange hunger burned in his eyes and his face, and he told her to kneel on the ground and finish herself off with her fingers. Legs trembling in the cold, she did as she was asked. Her back pressed into the rail, her thighs were spread, her pussy was engorged and soaking. Her clitoris pulsed and her eyes closed as her fingers played across her sex.

A flood of heat filled her. Every touch, stroke and caress of her hands made her hiss with indrawn breath. Her body shivered, and she bit her lips to try and remain silent. It was a useless effort, and soon she was moving. Her pussy grinding against her own fingers. Her digits greedily pushed herself closer and closer to a climax while her master watched.

Her eventual climax was swift and powerful, rushing through her like a torrent of water hammering through the burst banks of a dam. Sunset moaned, her body shook, her hands stiffened into claws and she grasped the railing like **** itself. The overflowing pleasure washed through her, but gradually it started to fade and left her behind.

She looked to him, wondering if this would be enough to satisfy her master. Usually, it would have been. To Hadrian, she was a possession but a prized one. He didn’t want to wear her out or cause her problems. Damaged, she was worthless to him. It was a cold calculus, but at least it was normally on her side.

Not this time. This time, Hadrian ordered her back to her feet and marched her back towards the bed. His cock was already starting to stir, and he had been possessed by maniac energy. She remembered what he had said before. He wanted to be distracted.

But distracted from what?

For the rest of the night, that question went unanswered. Hadrian used her body, pushing her to her limits as he never had before. He fucked her and made her cum, his fingers trailing across her chest, her nipples, her thighs and her pussy. Her gasping moans filled the night with twisting lust, and by the time it was over the two of them lay on the bed in utter exhaustion.

Only once he had been well and truly spent, every drop of energy rung from his body did Hadrian finally allow himself to sink into a deep but haunted sleep. Usually, this was the point where Sunset would return to her room, but she did not have the energy.

Together, master and **** slumbered until the morning.

And that was where she was now. Sitting up in bed, Sunset stared at the sleeping form of her master. At the same time, she considered the changes within herself. Only a year ago, she’d been Ciara. Rebellious in spirit, not understanding her role or her position and ashamed of her arousal and the natural desires of her body.

Now she was different. In one year, she had bloomed. Onyx had been right in more ways than one. A bed-**** was a very important person in the household. When it came to authority, she was second only to Hadrian himself. She spoke for him when he wasn’t around, and even free servants had to do what they were told.

It was a strange dichotomy. Sunset was a sex ****, the lowest of the low as far as society was concerned. But so long as she was Hadrian’s sex ****, some measure of his authority transferred to her. A bed-**** was a very specific thing for the Rovanii. Sunset was not disposable, not easily thrown aside. It was about as close as she could be to being considered his actual mistress while still being a ****.

Sometimes, she still didn’t know how she felt about that. Looking at the man’s sleeping face, Sunset had to concede that he was handsome despite his age. In his youth, he must have been a real looker. She didn’t hate him anymore. Not like Ciara had hated him.

But did that mean she loved him? Many slaves came to love their masters. She’d always considered it unhealthy. She didn’t like the idea of falling into that trap herself, but…

Sunset could never go back to the woman she had been. Even if she escaped, what would she do? Rejoin the tribes? Be Ciara again? Some nights, she dreamed of that. Of returning to her family, but the bitter reality was that she had changed too much. She could not be that naive tribal girl again. Would they even recognise her as their lost daughter? Would she be able to put all she had done and all she had become aside?

Even if she wanted to do that, who would marry a woman who had been soiled by the Rovanii? It was about as warm and comforting as a blade to the throat, but that was how many would see it.

No, the truth was that she had no home to return to. She hadn’t for a long time. Hadrian had gotten inside of her, changed her. Unleashed parts of her that she had always known about, but never wanted to experience. Ciara was well dead.

Only Sunset remained.

There was one other thing as well…

Sunset remembered the feeling of Hadrian’s cock inside of her, the wetness of his seed filling her pussy. It was not the first time that he had cum inside of her in such a way. There were **** that the Rovanii used to prevent unwanted pregnancies among slaves. A certain plant that she understood was extremely effective for this task.

But she rather suspected that soon, she would not be given it anymore.

More and more, Sunset had come to realise what Hadrian wanted out of her during this past year. He didn’t just want a sex ****. He could easily have had that without having to go to all this trouble. He didn’t just want a bed **** either, a right hand to enforce his will on the household.

No, he wanted an heir.

The idea was scary, and she felt her throat grow dry at the thought of it. But when you examined the facts, they fit together.

Hadrian was old. Not so old that he couldn’t conceive a child, but who knew how much longer that would remain so? He had no wife, no children of his own. Hadrian’s political ambition had always prevented the marriage. Moreover, betrayal was a way of life among the Rovanii nobles. Hadrian would never have trusted any potential suitor not to turn on him when it became convenient. Even now, if he declared he wished to marry, he’d have hundreds of requests from all over the empire.

But none of them would be reliable enough to bet his life and his future on. That was why he had settled on a ****. Not just any **** either, but one who had not been raised by the Rovanii. One who did not share their customs. Someone, in short, who would not naturally have the drive to betray him and take what he had built.

Finally, there was the law. That had been the piece of evidence as far as Sunset was concerned. She’d asked Onyx about it, and her friend had confirmed it for her.

By Rovanii law, the son or daughter of a **** was also a **** unless the master of that child’s parent was willing to take them on as their own child. This very rarely happened. It was considered somewhat shameful. But Hadrian had more than enough influence not to care about that.

Hadrian wanted two things out of her. Firstly, he wanted an heir. An inheritor of all that he had built. Secondly, he wanted a partner that he could trust not to betray him. Someone who had not been born Rovanii and over whom he could hold total power.

Her child might one day hold all of the power and influence that Hadrian had spent his life building up.

She didn’t know what to think of that. Sometimes, it consumed her thoughts late at night. At home, she would also have been expected to marry and produce heirs, but at least there she would not have had a collar around her throat as she did it…

She abandoned her train of thought as Hadrian gave a soft moan. His eyes fluttered open, and he caught her looking at him. Sunset smiled, doing her best to present the image of a lovely and loyal ****.

“Master,” she purred. “Did you sleep well?”

“And then some,” Hadrian admitted. “You are beautiful, Sunset. I do not regret buying you.”

“I am glad, she said. “I would hate to be an item of regret.”

He chuckled but she could see the tension returning to his body. He pushed himself up, and as the blankets cascaded from him, Sunset cast a critical eye upon her master.

Hadrian was older. Powerful and squat. His body was muscular, with no fat. He was trim and always took care of himself. Here and there, he wore a scar. A reminder that no one in Rovanii could advance politically without some sense of danger.

As he reached for his robe, she felt compelled to speak.

“Master,” she began, but he answered before she could even finish.

“You are inquiring about my state last night,” he did not turn around.

“It was most unlike you,” she admitted. “It was an enjoyable night but…”

“But out of character.”

“Yes.”

Silence followed for a moment. Sunset reluctantly disentangled herself from the blankets and rose to her feet. Hadrian turned at the sound, catching sight of her as the golden light of dawn from the balcony outlined her form.

“Gorgeous,” he breathed. “And you are right. I was out of sorts. It’s because of a student of mine. A former student, I must say.”

“Former?”

“Yes,” Hadrian closed his eyes. “A former student of mine contacted me via letter. He was a young man who I once believed had potential, but his arrogance proved to be too great to tame. Arrogance is important for a Rovanii noble, you understand. But it must be tamed, brought to order. Harnessed and used, not allowed to grow out of control.”

“I see…” Sunset said slowly. “And this student, he disappointed you?”

“He was unable to control his pride and his ambition. Two flaws I felt were sure to doom him in the future. I washed my hands of him and left him to his fate.”

“I am guessing that things didn’t go the way you planned?” She quirked her head to the side. Ciara would never have talked to Hadrian this way, but Sunset had learned that he was surprisingly amiable to straight talk as long as it was understood who was ultimately the master.

“Up until yesterday, I thought it had. I imagined he probably had died or been shuffled off to some unimportant territory as a governor of minor importance at best. However, it seems fortune has been more kind than that to him.”

He gestured to the table. Sunset saw a letter sprawled out against the wood. It had been there last night, she recalled.

“He has been given command of a legion,” Hadrian went on. “Six-thousand fighting men. That means the senate expects great things of him. He has found a powerful patron. According to the letter he sent, he intends to take that legion and do battle with the barbarians on the borders of our great empire.”

“I don’t understand,” Sunset admitted. “Why would that help him?”

“Because if he wins, he will return a hero. And a conquering hero can go far in politics. I should know. That’s how I started. He is trying to hide it, but young Varus has designs on the senate himself. A victory here would go a long way towards earning him that seat.”

Hadrian shook his head, a frown on his face.

“The arrogance is colossal. To gain entrance to the senate is normally the work of decades but Varus seeks to do it with a single campaign. Now usually, I would be content to sit on the sidelines and watch for his inevitable failure, but…”

“Something else has happened?”

“The fool has involved me. His legion will be gathering in Celentium before it moves outwards to the border. He wishes to come here and meet me in person ‘’ in memoriam of the times we spent together’’. He intends to ask me for support in his bid, I am sure of it!”

“And can you not merely deny him that support, master?”

“No. It’s not that easy. For Varus to have this chance, even as distant as it is, he must have allies in the Senate. There will be one - probably several - senators who want him to succeed. If I turn him away rudely, it will paint me as a target for them and give them an excuse to try and cut away at my influence and wealth.”

Hadrian turned suddenly, stalking across the room as some of his former anger returned. He moved towards the balcony overlooking the bay.

“However,” the former senator growled. “If I do not visibly turn Varus away in an obvious manner, those who oppose him are likely to assume that I am one of his supporters. He is a former student of mine, so even if I simply decline politely, they will suspect it is a ruse. I would have to visibly, publicly burn my bridges with him for them to believe it.”

“So what you’re saying is that he has put you in a bad position,” Sunset said. “If you agree to meet with him - even if you don’t support him - his enemies will see you as a target. But if you snub him, his allies will see you as a target.”

“Exactly,” Hadrian scowled. “And the fool should have known that this is what would happen. We never even liked one another, so I am half convinced he has done it on purpose as some stupid idea of vengeance for my cutting support of him before.”

“So what are you going to do, master?” Sunset asked with a tilt of her head. “It seems to me that no matter which move you make, you’re going to have enemies at your throat.”

“I am not sure,” Hadrian admitted. “Not yet. But I will find one and when I do, Varus may yet regret his arrogance in placing me in this position.”

________________________________________________________________

The next few weeks passed in a flurry of activity. Hadrian, like most of the patrician class, was bound by certain rules of hospitality which did not allow him to turn away a student - even a former one. Word gradually trickled back to the rest of the house that Varus would be visiting, and the rumour mill began to turn in earnest.

“He’s so dashing,” Sunset heard one of the female servants say as they worked. “He’s got such ambition. He’s really going to go places, you know.”

“If by places you mean to the grave, I agree,” grumbled an older servant. A man with leathery skin and age-silvered hair. “He’s far too ambitious for his youth. It takes decades to set up the kind of connections that you need to do what he wants to do. Varus has come out of nowhere. He’ll never succeed. Master Hadrian is right to doubt him.”

“Perhaps,” said someone else. It was Avanicus, the former gladiator and head of household security. His scarred but powerful body was clad in loose robes over which he wore a lacquered breastplate. A blade was belted at his side.

“You’re saying that you think Varus has a future?” The old servant asked the gladiator.

Sunset paused to listen closely now. Avanicus was not one to speak often, and frankly, she did not much like him. He owned Onyx and though her friend claimed to be content with her current situation, Sunset could not forget how roughly Avanicus had treated her during their early days together. He had used her, fucking her again and again until she was utterly spent. His desire for her was purely physical, and some part of Sunset knew that Onyx deserved better than she had gotten.

But Avanicus was also one of the few people in the household who might be able to rival her influence, so she said nothing. Watching and waiting as he considered the question.

“I do not know,” Avanicus said bluntly. “I was a fighter in the arena, but if there is one thing I understand it is the call of glory. It lifts you and fills your body with the most incredible sweetness. You spend your life chasing it once you have tasted it. Varus strikes me as a man chasing glory above all else.”

“You don’t seriously think the senate would support such a man?”

“I don’t pretend to know what the senate thinks. But he has been given command of a legion. That means that some of them at least are willing to gamble on him. If he wins, then he will be given power and authority. You should be familiar with it - that’s how Master Hadrian himself started. And I wonder about other things too…”

The gladiator frowned, and for a moment Sunset thought he would not go on. But he picked up in a softer voice as if worried about being overheard.

“Master Hadrian is old now and well established. But he did not get where he is today by always playing it safe. I wonder now how many people said the same things about him forty years ago?”

Those words stuck in Sunset’s head, and for the rest of the day, she found herself unable to leave them behind. It occurred to her that there was another aspect of things that her master had not gone into.

To Hadrian, Varus was a threat. A younger version of himself. Ambitious, not yet established but with everything to prove.

At that moment she realised that Hadrian and Varus were going to clash. Varus hadn’t come to ask Hadrian’s help. That was just a cover. Varus had come to show off. To prove how far he had come, and to deliver a silent threat.

Support me or I will end you. You are old and tired, and I am young and vital.

But Hadrian would not bow to that threat. Old he might have been, but he still had claws. When an old eagle and a young raptor clashed in the skies, who would emerge the victor?

The answer was of course whichever one managed to land the first blow.

________________________________________________________________

Quiet enemies, they may have been. But Hadrian welcomed Varus in style. The whole household was turned out; the gardens were decorated with hanging torches and glittering jewels. Tables were laid out with all manner of foods, and the smell of spices and cooking meat wafted through the air.

There were bands - plural - since many of the most important people in the city had also chosen to attend. In the half light of the night, important figures moved cloaked in shadow. Fires had been set up, and they cast the celebration into a flickering glory. Here and there, performers wandered. There were poets and storytellers, but also jugglers and mimes and all kinds of tricksters. People danced or ate or laughed.

And because it was a Rovanii party, there were also slaves. Many slaves, most of them female. All of them naked. By now Sunset knew what to expect, but the sight was still shocking. Women were bent over fences, moaning with pleasure and humiliation. Young men took turns to **** or fuck them, their cocks hard and unrelenting as they dominated the poor girls one after another. Other slaves were tied to great wooden pillars which had been driven into the ground. Some were chained while others were connected by collars. These slaves were dancing to the music, showing off their bodies as lewdly as possible. Some masturbated, cumming again and again in the flickering light of the fires.

Even more served food. **** girls carried treys which were connected by chains to their nipples or their collar. Rovanii nobles enjoyed the sight of their shame and humiliation, especially when someone slapped their ass, or groped their chest.

Some of the tables were laid not with food, but with toys to be used on the unfortunate slaves. There were dildos and buttplugs, collars and candles and whips. Sunset saw one **** ordered to lie down as hot wax was dribbled across her body. She whimpered, the hot dollops splashing across her hardened nipples.

As Hadrian’s personal ****, Sunset was spared that sort of fate at least. But she was still expected to perform.

Hadrian sat in the centre of the garden. A large and ornate throne had been prepared for him. It was fitted with golden-leaf depictions of his various deeds, both military and during his time in the Senate. It was imposing, a powerful statement about his authority and history. Avanicus stood to one side, hand always on his blade. Today, he was dressed in proper armour. The same sort which was sported by the actual legions. Another statement of wealth from Hadrian. His personal guard was outfitted as well as any legionary centurion.

Sunset was also by his side. Today was all about making a point, so she was playing the role of the defeated barbarian princess. The collar around her throat was thicker, more obvious. A short chain linked it to Hadrian’s throne. Her legs were shackled, and she bore a metal cuff around each wrist. The cuffs each had a chain which terminated in a clamp that had been closed around her nipples. Each time she moved her arms too far, Sunset felt the sharp pull on her chest. It was humiliating and her face was red and flushed with shame.

That was not the full extent of it either. A thick plug stretched her ass. Inserting it had been a slow and tense process for the **** girl. Her fists had balled, and she had moaned, feeling it sinking deeper and deeper into her behind. Her pussy was filled with a dildo, and she had been ordered to constantly keep herself on the edge with it.

She knelt beside the throne, one hand on the phallus. Pumping it in and out of her pussy as the crowds whirled around her. It was intense, her toes curled with the feeling which bloomed inside of her. But Hadrian had been specific that she was not allowed to cum. Today was about denial, about submission to his will.

Every time she felt herself closing on a climax, Sunset would have to stop. Her body would shudder, and a **** need would rush through her body. She would tremble and gasp. The feeling of the plug in her ass only made it worse, it was like she was being taken from the front and the back at the same time!

Soon, her hand was slick with her own juices. The lips of her pussy were swollen and red. Her clitoris was begging for release, a burning point of heat and light which would not let itself be ignored.

Her desperation, her shame and her humiliation were evident in her body language. A palpable sense of defeat which served only to make Hadrian look all the better. The mighty conqueror who had broken her will.

A low moan, full of quiet desperation left her lips. Her body was caught in an agony of pleasure and denial. Her nerves strained for more, clutching at a climax she would not be allowed to enjoy. Each time she was **** to deny herself was harder than the last. Each time she stopped, her body’s reaction was stronger. At first, it was merely unhappiness. But now waves of agonised desire were rippling through her with each touch of her fingers against her sex. The dildo filled her up, pumping first quickly and then slowly. Her back arched, and the clamps on her nipples pulled taut, reminding her of her bondage and enslavement.

She struggled to control her breathing. Thinking was growing harder and harder. She wanted to climax so much. So badly. But she knew it would not be allowed.

The only thing that gave her pause, that broke the chain of denial and self-pleasure was about halfway through the night when the honoured guest finally arrived.

Varus.

Sunset had never seen him before. When she had pictured him, she’d thought of a younger Hadrian and this was more or less correct. His hair was dark, his features were sharp. His eyes were hauntingly blue. He had a trim, powerful body, and he moved like a soldier. He was clad in light armour. Not a full legion set, but enough to drive in the point. Like Avaniucs, he had a sword belted at his waist.

There was a man following behind him. Sunset’s eyes widened at the sight, for he was no Rovanii. He was Keltoi. Or at least, one of their brother tribes. The Germanii, perhaps? He was bigger than Varus, with wider shoulders and a full bushy beard of black hair. His eyes were grey, and he was clad in legion armour. Sunset looked around his throat, expecting to see a collar.

There was none.

This man was not a ****.

He moved with power and authority, and she thought back to the tribal chiefs and nobles she had known as Ciara. Only a few of them had moved like this man.

Reaching the foot of the throne, Varus should have bowed or knelt. Rovanii did not typically like to do that, but it would have shown respect to the patrician of the house.

He did not. Instead, he stood his ground, eyes locked with Hadrian. Neither of the two men spoke for several moments. Then Varus inclined his head.

“Teacher,” he said. “It has been some time.”

“Indeed it has,” Hadrian spoke. “And you have done well for yourself.”

“Very well indeed,” Varus agreed. “For someone who was told he would amount to nothing.”

“You were foolish,” Hadrian said. “And young. Your ambition outstripped your ability. That is what I thought at the time.”

“Is it still what you think?”

“That remains to be seen,” spoke the aged senator. “I must admit that you have done better than I expected. To be given command of a legion is no mean feat. The Senate must expect great things of you. Will you be leading slaving raids into the barbarian lands? I expect you will make a great profit from that.”

Varus smiled as if at some private joke.

“I am afraid you are behind the times, my old teacher.”

“What do you mean?” Hadrian asked, a frown growing across his face.

“You speak of one legion. I have been given command of three.”

“Three legions?” Hadrian sat up, his face alarmed for a brief moment before he wrestled it back under control. “That’s far more than a raiding ****.”

“Three legions now. Five to follow. A total of eight,” Varus looked practically gleeful. “Forty-eight thousand men.”

“Eight full legions have not fought together since the conquests twenty years ago,” Hadrian said. “To be given command of that number… it’s unprecedented for one as young as you.”

“Things are changing in Rovan, dear teacher.” Varus was gloating. “You should not have moved to Celentium. You have lost your edge. Lost your grip. The people are hungry again. Hungry for conquest. Hungry for glory. There is rumbling that the senate should be retired. That it is time once more for an emperor.”

“Never,” Hadrian barked. “The last emperor we had nearly saw the end of us! I’ll die before I allow another on the throne.”

“Is that so?” Varus said. “Unfortunate, but a matter for another day. I have come to seek your blessing, mentor. For the conquest to come.”

“What are you doing?” Hadrian asked, leaning forward. “What are you really doing? This is no slaving raid.”

“I intend to push the border,” Varus said. “For long enough, the Keltoi, the Germanii and many other tribes have troubled us with their resistance. They use their forests as cover, to hide away their towns and villages. They know the land too well, a single legion cannot bring them to battle. But eight legions…that is a different story.”

“You intend to raid the Keltoi?”

“I intend to destroy the Keltoi,” Varus said. “And the Germanii and any others who get in our way. I will take our armies, and I will make their forests ours. I will burn their temples to their gods, and I will take their cities, their towns, and their villages. The tribes will bend their knee to Rovan or they will die for it. And when I am done, I will be a hero to our people. I will take my place in the senate but that is only the first step of my ascent.”

“You seek the crown,” Hadrian sat back in the chair, his face ashen. “You want to be emperor.”

“Tell me, dear teacher, is my ambition still groundless?”

“That and more,” Hadrian growled. “You will not succeed. I will stop you.”

“You cannot,” Varus laughed. “Those who once served you in the senate now answer to me or are scattered. Those who would heed your call are in flight, their powerbase in ruins. You may still have authority in Celentium, but in Rovan? You’re old news. It’s my day now.”

Hadrian’s face was twisted with anger, a fury danced in his eyes that Sunset had never seen before. Hadrian was a man of careful control, but now his barriers had been broken and contempt filled his face.

“You are a child,” he said. “You are a child who plays with power beyond your understanding. You think you will be emperor? No! You will be tossed aside by the true power behind your ascent once you have removed all of their enemies. You are a figurehead, not a player.”

“That is true,” Varus said. “For now. But I have the army, and with eight legions I will control the single greatest concentration of troops in the empire. Once they are loyal to me and me alone, it will be a simple matter to remove my enemies in the senate.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Hadrian asked.

“Because as I said, you cannot stop me. Even if you send a message back to Rovan, by the time it arrives I will have won victory and glory. It will seem the ranting of a jealous man surpassed by his student. I have broken your power in the capital, and no one will heed your warnings. You can, of course, attempt to hold me here in Celentium. But my legions arrive tomorrow, and if I am captured or dead, they will not be gentle to the city nor to the one who ordered it.”

“The Keltoi and the Germanii will not be so easily swept aside,” Hadrian growled. “They are fierce warriors, and they have evaded our legions for over fifteen years. You think you will be the one to bring them defeat?”

“I know I will,” Varus sneered. “Because I have one thing that you don’t.”

He turned, gesturing to the dark-haired man who sat behind him.

“I have a native ally. Hadrian, meet Arminius. Once of the Germanii tribe. The son of a minor village chief. When our soldiers came, his father accepted our rule. To be sure that he would not betray us, we took his son and raised him as a Rovanii man.

"Arminius is a skilled tactician, an exceptional raider and will be acting as my second in command for the campaign. He knows the location of the Germanii sites of importance. Towns, gathering areas and even temples. Do you understand now, old man? I know exactly where to go. I will crush the Germanii first. Then the Keltoi. Then, I will take my legions and turn back to Rovan and take my place in the Senate. Then I will begin the slow path to the emperor. When my power is truly secured, I will be coming back for you.”

He turned to go, pausing one last time to throw a look towards his former teacher.

“Until then, Hadrian, watch my rise to glory. Know the power and the vengeance of the student you threw away as worthless.”

He strode through the crowd without another look. Sunset watched him go, not even believing what she had heard. Finally, she looked back to her master. Hadrian was sitting in the chair, gazing at his retreating back.

She had never seen him look so totally defeated.