Rattleskin Redoubt orno

"you have no standing. you have nothing to offer her, let alone akashingo."

a prince! the old bias rose, and sharply. germanicus held only respect for the queen, but she was a child. and she was an egyptian child, at that.

he wanted to be shut of the palace, forever! how could cornelius seek not only the royals but a rank among them after listening to how they had dealt. how he had dealt.

harsh, a centurion dressing down a soldier before the somber eyes of his fellows inside the barracks.

but there were no other eyes here.

the imperator was harsh for he worried. he had seen the lavishness and languidness himself, firsthand, had he not? an entire life lived in akashingo, one cornelius could never comprehend. "akashingo rules on falsehood and beauty. as a prince, you are a pawn now. you do her bidding. you marry whom she chooses. you surrender your children to royalty. you do not know what you have done."

germanicus began a straight-backed walk in the direction his son had come. "i know this queen. we will speak with her again, and you will renounce this fanciful aim."