Dance of Power

In the lavish Roman Bath, a mesmerizing scene unfolded. Amidst the opulent surroundings, a beautiful young woman with luxurious blonde hair and captivating emerald eyes remained serenely closed as two diligent servants attended to her every desire.

It was almost uncanny how the girl beside her perfectly mirrored her appearance, down to the smallest detail, as if they were two aspects of the same radiant coin.

In stark contrast to Nero's heroic features and extravagant royal demeanor, Claudia Octavia emitted an aura of gentle sophistication and noble elegance. 

Her disposition, though relaxed, carried an unmistakable aristocratic allure.

The delicate scent of roses and the warm bath they experienced created a scene of relaxation and pleasure within the room. 

What could be better than bathing after a spree of thieves' murder?

Moreover, she wasn't lying when she told Burrus and Locusta that she would meet Claudia.

"Did you already know about our engagement, Nero?" Claudia Octavia, her step-sister, asked. 

Why doesn't she call her Emperor instead of Nero? 

Nero's name was equivalent to Emperor, just like how Caesar is called Caesar and Augustus is called Augustus too. 

Even her uncle didn't speak in the grammar of an Emperor, but Caligula. 

The same was true for her recently deceased stepfather, Claudius, the Fourth Emperor of Rome who met his demise at the hand of her mother's poison. 

So, their names were equivalent to Emperor. 

That was the correct way to address them, not one way or another.

Of course, if they are not close enough, they should call her or other Emperor of Rome with the formal address of Caesar, not Nero. 

"Is my mother the one who asked you, or was it your own will, Claudia?" Nero didn't spare a glance at her step-sister, who was turning into her fiancée when she asked this question, prioritizing her own enjoyment over her fiancée. 

How she answered this question would determine how Nero treated her.

If it was at her mother's behest, she wouldn't treat her as a wife. 

If it was Claudia's own will, then she would treat her as one. 

According to her memory, her mother treated her own child as a tool. 

Since childhood, she didn't have happy memories that a child was supposed to have but was instead forced by her mother to learn how to become the Emperor of Rome to the point of paranoia.

Her way of dressing up, her personality, her way of speaking—everything molded by her mother, Agrippina. 

The friends she bonded with, all with humble backgrounds, inevitably met gruesome ends—either poisoned by her mother or vanishing without a trace. 

Her step-father, her grandfather, all succumbed to the ambitions of her mother. 

She even went so far as to bury the poison within herself to control her fate. 

Caligula, unaware of the twisted nature of her mother due to his own debauchery and cult-like pursuits, chose her as the heir to the Emperor of Rome without granting her any real power—only title and name, leaving her mercy and well-being in the hands of her mother.

 Had it not been for Caligula meeting his demise at the hands of his own praetor, her fate might not have been much better than his.

All of these manipulations were orchestrated by her mother to make her the Emperor of Rome and manipulate her own blood as her puppet. 

Unfortunately, her mother's scheme unraveled shortly after Caligula's death. 

Agrippina had no choice but to marry Emperor Claudius and poison him after she coming of age, ready to accept the responsibility of becoming Emperor. 

Fortunately, her step-father, Emperor Claudius, proved to be more responsible than her uncle, Caligula, who bestowed upon her only a title without any power to back it up. 

Otherwise, she would have been Emperor in name only.

Even as she reluctantly embraced her memories, she began to harbor resentment toward her mother, Agrippina, for treating her own blood so callously. 

It was due to this resentment that she held no good impression of her step-sister, suddenly chosen as a fiancée by her mother. 

Who knows if she was just another puppet of Agrippina? 

Nero wouldn't show any mercy toward anyone associated with Agrippina—they deserved to die. 

She would kill anyone betraying her, regardless of the cost. 

In her eyes, only a dead traitor was a good traitor.

"Nero, Nero? Are you fine? Your eyes are so scary..."

"I'm fine, Claudia. It should be you who is too tired and having some hallucination. How could I be as scary as you said?" Nero adjusted her mentality and forcefully buried the burning hatred she harbors towards her mother. 

She smirked charismatically at her fiancée.

She asked with a caring tone if she was forced by her mother into the marriage, as she noticed that Claudia didn't show any indication of having a crush on her.

"You are so gentle, Nero, just like our mother said. You don't have to worry about me; I know you will never harm me because you are Nero. You have always been my prince in my heart." Claudia Octavia blushed as she suddenly remembered how gentle and charismatic Nero had treated her in the past. 

Though they had never met again after Caligula's death, she always had a strong impression of Nero.

Despite Nero being a girl, she was always raised as a boy and a man by her mother. 

That was the very reason why Nero's sexual orientation was crooked and leaned toward beauty rather than masculinity. 

This was the reason why Claudia had no objection to the marriage, as she didn't see Nero as a same-sex partner despite it being very obvious that Nero was a woman.

"Are you mad about the engagement set up by your mother, Nero? I apologize if this is bothering you," Claudia nervously asked after seeing Nero's silence.

Oh... What a dreamer fool. 

After this conversation, Nero deemed that Claudia posed no threat to her; probably she had her own use in the future. 

It reminded her of young Sansa Stark who preferred romance, songs, white horses, and princes with flowers in their hands rather than the reality of life.

Because of this, Claudia easily believed that what she saw was just a hallucination, not wanting to believe that the prince in her heart had flaws. 

Perhaps she didn't need to kill her own stepsister, but making her madly fall in love with her and do her bidding?

The importance of Claudia was evident; it would strengthen Nero's legitimacy to the throne and gain the support of senatorial factions that had previously supported the former Emperor Claudius, her stepfather and Claudia's biological father. 

There was a great difference between biological and adopted children; they preferred to support the biological one rather than a faker like her. 

If not for her mother's overbearing methods and ruthless manipulation, it would have been very difficult for her to ascend to become the Emperor. 

Especially considering how her mother manipulated her stepfather into choosing her as his successor over her biological son, Britannicus, as the Emperor of Rome. 

However, none of the senatorials and nobles present acknowledged her as such, except for her mentor faction, Seneca.

This is where Claudia's role played out. 

It was also the reason why her mother wanted to marry Claudia off to her. 

In the end, that's how it is; unfortunately, her gentleness isn't aimed at her, but at the prince charming façade she wore. Claudia knows nothing about her; it's difficult for her to even fall in love or resonate with her own fiancée if she doesn't even know a single thing about her. 

Claudia was gentle and virtuous indeed, but she was also easily manipulated. 

Who knows how her expression would be if she knew her true self? 

Probably, she needs to see how in the end it's played out, whether she fits to become Caesar of Rome's wife or not, or whether she's just like any other people who are intimidated by her ruthlessness and hidden insanity lurking beneath. 

"Ugh... Nero, are you really mad at me? Is my presence really bothering you?" Seeing no answer from Nero's mouth, Claudia began to worry.

"No. You've never been a bother, Claudia. How about you start your duty as a wife first, so we can adapt better in the future?" Nero lifted Claudia's chin with a hint of teasing in her tone.

Claudia closed her eyes in acknowledgment as they embraced in a deep kiss. 

The servants present bowed their heads and left them in their privacy. 

Nero might be cold and ruthless, but she still knows how to get down with the ladies.