Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Author:Stephanie Dray [Dray, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2011-01-03T16:00:00+00:00

SUMMER swept over the peninsula fetid and hot. Even the laurel trees around the villa wilted beneath the sun. To escape the heat, we normally studied in an underground room which boasted bright garden frescoes on the wall, but since Juba was away on campaign with the emperor and the older boys, we spent the day at play.

Drusus and Philadelphus threw a ball on the marbled terrace while Julia and I splashed them with the crystalline waters of the pool. “Do it again and I’ll drown you,” my little brother threatened. He was teasing, of course. Even so, it was a challenge we couldn’t resist. We continued to douse him, flinging white ribbons of water through the air until he came running toward us, arms outstretched, knocking us both into the pool with him.

Julia and I came up out of the water shrieking, our careful hairstyles utterly ruined; our sopping clothes clung to us like fur on wet hounds. Then all the children were in the pool as Helios tried to dunk us. Minora squealed with delight, climbing on Philadelphus’s back and all of us—even Helios and dour Antonia—swam and splashed and laughed until our sides hurt.

It was during this rare moment of levity that Livia came sweeping in, her eyes red, her hair wild, and her palla trailing the ground behind her like a funeral shroud. “Gods of Olympus, what is there to laugh about on a day like this? You little ingrates!”

“Mother, are you all right?” Drusus asked, instantly sobered.

He climbed out of the pool to go toward her, but she slapped him away. “Don’t drip on me. You and your brother are of no use to me now.”

None of us knew what had caused Livia’s sudden outburst and she disappeared into the house before we could ask. Behind her, slaves and messengers filed in, nervous as cats. Then one of them whispered the news, eyes low, “Augustus is dying.”

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