But beneath it was something else.

Recognition.

As if he had been waiting years to see this man.

Augustus stepped closer.

"What is your name?"

The boy hesitated.

Then answered.

"Leo."

"Leo what?"

The boy looked at the lion.

Then back at the Emperor.

"Leo Valerian."

The Emperor's heart stopped.

That was his family's name.

A name no outsider was permitted to use.

Cassian slowly lowered himself to one knee.

"My lord..."

Augustus stared at the boy.

"My nephew."

Leo said nothing.

Then the lion rested its enormous head against the child's shoulder.

And for the first time in twelve years, the Emperor wondered whether the greatest betrayal in his family's history had never been committed by his brother at all.

Perhaps the betrayal had come from much closer.

Perhaps it had been sitting beside his throne the entire time.

The palace had never been this quiet.

Leo sat in a private room surrounded by servants who didn't know whether they were supposed to bow to him.

He didn't seem to care.

He was more interested in the bread on the table.

He ate slowly.

Cassian watched from across the room.

The old general had not spoken much since they left the arena.

Finally, Augustus entered.

Everyone immediately stood.

Leo remained seated.

The Emperor stopped.

Nobody had ever failed to rise when he entered a room.

Yet somehow, Augustus wasn't offended.

He looked at the boy and saw his brother.

Not completely.

But enough.

"Leave us," he ordered.

The servants disappeared.

Cassian remained.

Augustus didn't ask him to leave.

He sat opposite Leo.

"What happened to your mother?"

Leo lowered his eyes.

"She told me not to tell strangers."

"I'm not a stranger."

Leo looked at him.

"You are to me."

The words hurt more than Augustus expected.

"Fair enough."

Leo took another piece of bread.

"My mother said you were dangerous."

Augustus frowned.

"She said that?"

"She said you weren't cruel."

The Emperor waited.

"She said you were afraid."

Augustus stared at him.

"What else did she tell you?"

"That you loved your brother."

Silence.

Augustus looked away.

He remembered Lucius.

His younger brother had always been different.

Brave.

Kind.

Popular.

People loved him.

Augustus had never admitted how much that had frightened him.

When their father died, the kingdom expected Lucius to become Emperor.

Instead, Augustus took the throne.

Lucius accepted the decision.

Then came the rebellion.

Lucius was accused of conspiring against Augustus.

He disappeared.

His wife Elena vanished too.

Everyone assumed they had escaped.

Years later, Augustus had ordered them officially declared dead.

But now Leo was sitting in front of him.

Alive.

"Where have you lived?"

"Different places."

"With whom?"

"My mother."

"And the lion?"

Leo smiled for the first time.

"His name is Aurelius."

Cassian looked sharply at Augustus.

Aurelius.

He remembered the name.

Lucius's hunting lion.

The animal had disappeared after Lucius's death.

Everyone had assumed it had escaped.

Apparently not.

"How did you find it?" Augustus asked.

Leo shrugged.

"It found me."

The Emperor frowned.

"That's impossible."

Leo smiled.

"Maybe."

Cassian approached.

"Your mother trained the lion?"

"No."

"Then why does it obey you?"

Leo looked genuinely confused.

"He doesn't obey me."

Cassian raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"He chooses."

The old general said nothing.

That answer stayed with him.

Meanwhile, the palace guards searched for Severus.

They found him outside the western wall.

He had been carrying a hidden letter.

The letter contained only six words.

THE BOY MUST NOT REACH THE THRONE.

Augustus read it twice.

Then looked at Cassian.

"Who knew?"

"About Leo?"

"Yes."

Cassian shook his head.

"Nobody who wasn't present in the arena."

"Then someone knew beforehand."

Cassian nodded.

The Emperor turned toward the window.

Someone had known Leo would be there.

Someone had deliberately put him in the arena.

And someone had expected the lion to kill him.

The plan had failed.

That meant there would be another attempt.

Augustus returned to Leo.

"You are not leaving this palace."

Leo's expression changed.