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October 8, 2025 at 5:32 AM
I had nothing to hide because I had done nothing wrong. That's what I thought when I told my father about my first kiss with Caracalla.
I had nothing to hide because I was right. That's what I thought as I tried to cut off the head of the guilty slave with a blunt blade.
I had nothing to hide because she deserved it. That's what I believed when I persuaded the Praetorians to drown my own mother.
Of course, I later regretted all of this. Except for the day I confessed to my brother how much I loved him. We waited for this moment together — the moment of freedom from our father's despotism. He listened to the Senate — always, and never — to us. He tried to make us competitors, rivals, and for a long time we managed to fool him. He wanted the strongest to become emperor. He wanted plenty of things, but he certainly didn't want to ask us about our desires.
But today it's over. Today, two identical wreaths adorn our red heads. Two new emperors. Father would be disappointed. I could see his displeased face in every detail if I kept my eyes closed for a couple of seconds longer. However, it didn't matter anymore. Now it's just the two of us.
This is how I imagined our coronation for many years. But fate decreed otherwise.
