Free Mistress of Rome, Book Three of The Emperor's Obsession by Alex Carlsbad Page A

Varus, the famous conqueror of Syria, first cousin to Emperor Commodus and his hated rival, was on his way back to Rome with four entire legions, Julius knew that he had to act. Bitter personal experience had taught the Majordomo that if one didn't get ahead of events, one almost certainly got trampled by them.  
    In hindsight, the Majordomo later remembered, it had all been a rather straightforward decision —he hadn't really had a choice.
    "I'm not sure you're aware, Lord Julius," smiled Aviscena, "but I too didn't grow up rich. In fact I was born in a run-down and forgotten neighborhood of faraway Egypt. In Alexandria to be precise. My childhood was replete with immigrants and scoundrels from all parts of the known and even unknown world. I happen to recall a story that some of my Jewish neighbors once told me. I'm not sure of the exact details. It was about a famous warrior called Samson and a beautiful seductress by the name of Delilah. All I remember is that by the end of the tale, the all-powerful Samson was betrayed and robbed of his strength and fame, while the beautiful concubine was blamed for his downfall."  
    Aviscena stood up and offered the Majordomo his outstretched hand. "We shall meet again. We have so much to talk about."
    Julius remained immobile for some time after Aviscena departed. He gazed without seeing upon the gladiatorial combat beneath his stand. One thing he knew for certain was that he had to find someone that could explain to him the details of that Samson and Delilah tale.  

    *****

    From where he was seated, at the other end of the colosseum, general Petronius couldn't hope to make out the topic of their discussion. Between the Imperial Majordomo and the Lord of the Treasury lay centuries of rivalry. It was rare indeed for them to be seen together, let alone engaged in what appeared to be a friendly conversation. It could only mean intrigue and trouble.
    The good general couldn't help but notice the strain in each man's posture and the furtive glances they both cast about. A keen instinct for self-preservation led him to conclude that whatever it was they were talking about, it was secret and important. So much so, that he made himself a mental note to record it in his diary later that evening.  

Chapter One

    SCULPTOR

    Two days before Saturnalia. Imperial Palace, City of Rome

    "Whereas other senators may have been millionaires, the Emperor was a billionaire."
    Ray Laurence
    "Roman Passions, A History of Pleasure in Imperial Rome"

    Myra sat and silently observed as the sculptor worked on the statue. He would look at Commodus, his eyes squinting as if mesmerized by the very presence of the emperor, and just when it seemed like the silence couldn't possibly drag on any longer, his arm would swing and deliver a practiced blow to the slab of stone causing a cloud of dust and flakes to chip away.   Myra could see the chest and shoulders of the sculpture peek out from amidst the rough rock.  
    It was as if he had always been there, ensconced within the marble, waiting for the sculptor to liberate him from the confines of the stone. It was beautiful.
    “I'm getting tired, Arianus," the emperor growled. "I'm not sure I will have the time or patience for you to finish the entire project. Not unless you speed things up. Or you'll just need to find a stand-in. I can always come back when you get to the head."
    "I'm so very sorry, your excellence…," the sculptor bowed deeply.
    Such a pity. Myra hated the thought of a model standing in for the emperor's superb body. It would never be the same. Commodus exuded a sense of raw power that she had not seen in any other man before. More than the relief of the muscles or the form of his massive shoulders, or the sinews of the knees — there was something ominous and stately in his proportions. It was as if his very posture proclaimed him to be a ruler. No majestic toga, or embroidered garments were required for anyone to see that the man before