Chapter 1

  A loud ringing sounded. Livia’s ears twitched. It was that time again. Tiberius's associates gathered once again for one of their usual debate meetings, or as she called it: "Whoever had the last word, won." She loved these meetings. Even though she often made fun of it, the meetings offered her good opportunities to quell her constant curiosity and at the same time find out what was happening outside the palace walls. For even though Livia was not truly imprisoned, she often felt like a prisoner in her own house, partly due to the high security measures that applied to her as the emperor's daughter and partly because her options as a woman were limited. She sighed at the thought of it. Actually, she had it good in life, not only because of her position but also because, thanks to her brother, she had not yet had to marry. A decisive advantage for her, considering that most of her friends had been married for years. Nevertheless – everything she learned in the palace was gossip, speculation, and a lot of rumors, most of them from people who were neither particularly reliable nor trustworthy. That's why Livia was glad that through her brother she had access to the source and thus to the pure truth and the latest news.

  Men's voices echoed in the atrium, and she quickly set aside Ovid, which she had been reading. Then she dashed to the Exedrium, a kind of gallery where such gatherings always took place, and hid in a concealed chamber between two bookshelves. There, she could listen to the discussion undisturbed, without being discovered. Even today, she learned interesting things again.

  "You can't just dismiss Rufus," she heard Publius Aemilius, one of the senators, say to Tiberius. "He was one of the best commanders we have."

  "We don't have anyone who could quickly replace him," added Brutus Aemilius, his brother. "None of the possible candidates is as capable as he is."

  "This shows that even the best training is useless if you don't have a sense for warfare, tactics, and the right strategies. You have to apply the right things at the right moment. For that, one needs a certain character," replied the Emperor calmly.

  "Then leave him in his position," Brutus retorted angrily. Tiberius snorted.

  "I can't do that, and you know it too. In principle, he committed treason when he revealed military secrets to that wretched spy, even though it was not intentional. But he was in office long enough to know what kind of games are played and whom to trust. It was simply and plainly carelessness and failure. He can consider himself lucky that I am only removing him from his position and not executing him as well. Actually, I am much too lenient with him.”

  Livia could hear the hardness in his voice. This Tiberius was completely different from her gentle, caring brother. Now he was fully the emperor and supreme commander. He had a dangerous, powerful aura, and she was sure that every one of his enemies would have begun to tremble at the sight. She leaned forward a bit to get a better look at the assembled men and saw that a few of the present generals and senators nodded in agreement. Reluctantly, Publius and Brutus Aemilius also agreed with her brother.

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  "Can't you still appoint one of the candidates?”, asked one of the senators. "It can't be that difficult to command an army." Both the generals and the emperor snorted, and Livia had to shake her head in her hiding place, incredulous at such ignorance.

  "As I said, it requires talent and specialized knowledge for this position," Tiberius voiced her thoughts. "I thought you were at least somewhat familiar with the Art of War and its principles. Weren't you taught them in rhetoric school?" Here and there, the senators shook their heads.

  "Then I strongly recommend that you catch up on it. Sunzi should be part of the education of every patrician.”

  "But...", another one tried to interject, but the emperor cut him off.

  "Enough now. I am about to meet with Governor Servius to discuss our further course of action regarding the barbarians. Aulus, Marcus," he addressed his two generals. "I expect your presence."

  With these words, he stood up and left the room. Livia waited until the other men had done the same and then left her hiding place to search for Sunzi's "The Art of War" in the house's library, the "tablinum". She had to smile at that. As it seemed, her brother had won the debate once again.

  Arriving at the library, she grabbed one of the wooden ladders and began searching the shelves for the codex. Suddenly, a deep voice sounded behind her.

  "Are you looking for this?" Livia almost fell off the ladder in shock. When she turned around, she saw that it was the Emperor.

  "Tiberius," she scolded him. "You can't just scare me like that."

  Then her gaze fell on the parchment her brother was holding. "The Art of War" was written in bold letters on it. Uh-oh, she thought and blushed. Apparently, she hadn't been as inconspicuous as she had thought.

  "I knew you couldn't tame your curiosity again," he grinned.

  "I just find it so exciting," she tried to justify herself. Tiberius laughed.

  "I can't blame you for that." He handed her the codex. Quickly, Livia snatched it from him before she hugged her brother fiercely.

  "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed joyfully. The Emperor held her tighter. Then she let him go and he ruffled her hair.

  "You are way too smart, little sis," he murmured softly. "Be careful not to put yourself in danger."

  "I won't," she promised him. "I have you to protect me."

  "I will," Tiberius replied in a serious voice. "I will never let anything happen to you. I could never forgive myself for that." He gently stroked her cheek. For a while, they both stood there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, then Tiberius pressed a kiss to her forehead and said goodbye to meet with the governor. Livia watched him until he disappeared, then ran to her room to devote the rest of the day entirely to Sunzi.