Power Shift

Of the seven hills of the Roman capital, Mons Palatinus sat at the very center of it all. It wasn’t simply the oldest portion of the whole empire, but it was also its absolute center of power. There were a series of massive interconnected palaces that sat atop it, with the entire thing overlooking the Circus Maximus towards the south.

It was there that Claire, Freya, and Lucifer found themselves one fine morning. They walked up its grand pathways towards the main palatial area, accompanied and escorted by the two praetorians who bore witness to the assassination attempt only a day ago.

There were numerous people scattered in small groups around the palace grounds, from visiting dignitaries to stoic praetorians to extremely wealthy landowners and merchants. 

Freya noted that there were also a handful of pl