Page 73 of Cleopatra

I scoffed. “I do not care.” I was nearing the final moon cycle of pregnancy, and I had little tolerance for almost anything. We lay in the royal baths, the steam that curled around us scented with cinnamon.[*]

“You must care if you wish to reclaim the entirety of your court.”

I trailed my fingers through the water. “Must I? I have survived thus far without them.”

Caesar reached for my idle hand. “That is because I am here. Without the support of Rome, your court would have very few people left. And you need the nobility to stabilise the trade networks.”

I pulled my hand from his grip. “Do not try to school me in matters I know far more about than you. Egypt is my country.”

Caesar’s patience was unmatched and he nodded, sealing his mouth.

The water parted around my swollen belly as the babe kicked violently. It brought a smile to my lips, easing the irritation I felt. “What do you suggest?” I asked Caesar.

“Reign with your youngest brother, Ptolemy. He is young enough to be pliable in all things. By ruling in tandem, you will increase your support from those who believe you unfit to rule but maintain loyalty for those who know your true value.”

I laughed—a little scornfully, I’ll admit. “Unfit?”

Caesar’s gaze was serious. “Some believe you are not blessed by your god, Isis. Then there are those who believe you are blessed, but by the wrong god.”

“And having Ptolemy rule with me will end that?” I said doubtfully.

“Ptolemy’s power is proven—”

“As is mine,” I said quickly. I thought I had now convinced everyone, including myself, that my affinity for healing was god-given.

He inclined his head. “Proven was the wrong word. Ptolemy’s power is more…tangible. The court has seen it at work when he predicted the death of Ganymedes.”

I shivered. My brother’s ability to foretell the day someone was going to die had always unsettled me.

“I do not need a man by my side to rule.”

Caesar wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him. “Not even me?”

“You rule your own land. Rome,” I said. He shifted away from me.

It had been easy to pretend the world beyond Egypt’s borders did not exist. But now, with the war coming to an end, we both had to face stark truths about our future.

“What will become of us when you return home?” I asked quietly.

Caesar looked at me from across the bath, his breath parting the steam. “I do not need to return to Rome so soon. I will wait for our babe to join us in this life.”

I nodded, but I felt a deep sadness.

Seeing my expression, Caesar was beside me once again. He pressed his lips to my hair and murmured, “You are my wife in all ways. Tied to me with bindings stronger than any law.”

His conviction tightened like arms around my chest. We may not have had a wedding, but we were partners in all things, until the day he died.

“I will send for you in Rome,” he continued, his voice growing wistful, “and I will show you the beauty of my city; pray in the Temple of Jupiter, pluck apples from the orchards.”

He made our future sound so wonderful.

“Caesarion can run free among the vineyards—”

“Little Caesar?” I laughed, unaware the nickname would remain for centuries to come.

“Yes.” He kissed my belly. “Caesarion they shall be, and we shall live a prosperous life between our two countries.”

I ran my hand through his hair. “First we must win this war.”