CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Volusia sat at the head of the shining, semicircular golden table inside Capital Hall, and looked out at the crowd of men before her, feeling triumphant. Seated opposite her, at the far end of the table, was the commander of the Empire armies, along with a dozen of his generals seated beside him, and behind them, one hundred Empire senators, all dressed in the distinctive white and scarlet robes befitting their rank. All of them stared back at her, frowning, with a mix of defiance and anxiety, as they prepared to hear her judgment.
Volusia looked out at all of them, studied their faces, allowing the silence to linger, allowing them to realize that she was in control now—and relishing in her power over them. Thanks to her, her forces had managed to take the capital city; t
