Granite Rose

Marcus leaned close to her, his voice hard, his eyes deadly serious. "We are at the villa of Emperor Trajan. He possesses much less patience then I do. If you value your tongue, you'll keep your mouth shut." The words were not threatening; they were deadly serious.

He pushed her through the gate into the villa. She swallowed hard. Inside this villa, she would meet her enemy.

"One bows to the Emperor Trajan, barbarian," Nevitius ordered.

"I spit on the emperor." She mocked doing so.

He drew back his hand to slap her, stopping with a glance from Marcus. He stormed out of the room. A hush lingered over the room as Emperor Trajan and Senator Theodious inspected her.

"What is your name?" Trajan politely asked.

She remained silent. The man standing before her did not look like the fierce, ugly enemy she had imagined. In fact, he was ruggedly handsome. A man of medium build and considerably older than she had thought he would be. He was well muscled for his years, with a craggy, lined face and snapping brown eyes that told her he was quick and intelligent. He stood with thumbs tucked into the girdle of his uniform, inspecting her.

"Have you no name or do you not understand?" he asked patiently.

She thought her heart would burst and prayed her legs would not buckle underneath her. Never had she been so terrified. She stared defiantly at the mighty Roman Emperor. "Sianna Cynara, Royal Princess of the Kingdom of Dacia, daughter and heir to the great King Decebalus."

"The rare treasures of this household are humbled by your beauty, Princess Sianna Cynara." His smile was both fatherly and lustful. How very much she feared the latter.

She folded her arms across her chest, trying to hide the panicked thumping of her heart. "Wine?" He offered her a goblet. She took it. "This is not the meeting I had envisioned with your nation, Princess."

"Kidnapping women instead of fighting with swords is the mark of a coward, Emperor."