Chapter 107: The Princess's Choice After reaching a rough agreement, Auletes dismissed everyone in the room.
Marcus also ordered his soldiers to wait outside.
Only the two of them remained in the spacious hall.
Now that his servants were gone, Auletes spoke frankly.
"You did a great job, thanks to you. Not only did you eliminate my opposition, but you also made sure they took the blame for everything. It was a brilliant move."
"It benefits Rome too if your royal authority is secure. Then there won't be any problems with the food supply."
"Let's continue this mutually beneficial relationship. Of course, I'll repay my debt to you with interest. You mentioned needing military supplies for your expedition, right?"
"Yes. Most of the grain produced in Asia Minor is sent to Rome anyway. If the war disrupts that supply, it will anger the citizens. They'll praise me if I succeed, but I can't afford to give them a chance to criticize me. That's why I need your help."
Auletes had no choice but to accept Marcus's request.
Since he had relied on Rome's power to regain his throne, Auletes was now effectively a client of Marcus.
Under the Roman clientela system, a patronus was obligated to assist his clients with their problems.
In return, the clients were expected to support the patronus in every way.
Although he was the Pharaoh of Egypt, Auletes had unofficially acknowledged his position as Marcus's client.
This meant that Berenice, who had tried to maintain her pride as a ruler until the end, never stood a chance of being chosen by Marcus.
"Don't worry about the military support. But I need to make preparations on my end. Can you share your expedition plan with me? I've heard that Parthia is in turmoil right now. Are you planning to invade next year? It seems to me that you need to move quickly to seize the opportunity."
"No, I won't move next year. It will be at least the year after next, or possibly even later."
"Why? I heard Parthia is on the brink of civil war. If you're going to attack, wouldn't it make sense to strike while they're divided?"
Even Auletes, not particularly skilled in military affairs, understood the basic principle of attacking when the enemy is weakest.
Marcus shook his head slightly and replied.
"Please keep this between us. Actually, one of my subordinates has been trading with Mithridates, one of the factions in Parthia's power struggle, for quite some time. We've been exchanging sugar and silk and making a good profit."
"Then why not support Mithridates and intervene in the civil war? If Mithridates ousts Orodus and becomes king, he'll owe you a debt. You could even demand territory or troops in return."
"Who do you think will be more grateful when you save them? Someone already sinking, or someone who is already drowning?"
"I see, so you're waiting until Mithridates is desperate. That makes sense. That way, Rome will have more influence over Parthia. By the way, you've already made a connection with Mithridates. I have to admire your foresight."
Auletes looked surprised.
Marcus acted as though he had anticipated this situation from the start.
"Mithridates is a cruel and ruthless man. There's no point in helping him. Once he becomes king, he'll probably stab Rome in the back. People's feelings change when they're in trouble, and once they're out of danger, they often forget their benefactors."
"So you don't plan to help Mithridates?"
"What I need is Parthia's royal bloodline. To be blunt, it doesn't matter whether Mithridates lives or dies. I'll tell you more later, but for now, just know that I have no plans to raise an army."
Auletes nodded, though his confusion was evident.
Marcus could see the lingering doubt in his eyes.
He wondered if Egypt was also being used as part of a larger plan, like Parthia.
Marcus sought to calm Auletes's anxiety with a gentle voice.
"Parthia and Egypt are different cases. Egypt is an important ally that Rome can't afford to lose, but Parthia is a potential threat, nothing more. There's no mutual trust between Rome and Parthia, so I have to show them Rome's power first. Parthia is just an obstacle in the grand scheme of things."
Auletes took this as assurance that there would be no problems as long as Egypt remained loyal.
In fact, if Parthia could be subdued, it would be of great benefit to Rome.
The fertile crescent of Mesopotamia was known for its agricultural productivity.
If Parthia was out of the way, Rome would have a direct trade route with China.
If Marcus succeeded in the Parthian expedition, the rewards would be immeasurable.
However, Marcus didn't share the full value of Parthia with Auletes.
He thought it would only lead to more questions, which would be unhelpful.
The meeting ended there.
While the two men exchanged confidential words, outside the hall, the three sisters, whose positions had reversed, faced each other.
"My dear Ptolemy… oh, I shouldn't call you that anymore. You were so confident, but it seems things didn't go as planned, did they?"
Arsinoe was the first to open the door.
Berenice glared at her younger sister, who looked pleased with herself.
"You. No, not just you, but Cleopatra too. You both knew everything and pushed me to this point, didn't you?"
"Hey, I told you from the start. He's not as easy as you think. But what did you say? That only applies to children, right? Well, by your logic, that makes you a child too."
Berenice couldn't defend herself, stung by their sharp sarcasm.
Their positions had completely shifted.
Berenice had no support left in Alexandria, like a kite with a broken string.
All her allies had been executed.
To be honest, it was a miracle she had saved her own life.
In Egypt, the losers of power struggles faced only death.
Berenice knew this all too well.
"Don't look so down, sister," Cleopatra said with a soft, subtle tone.
"What? You want me to not look badly at you two for making me humiliate myself?"
"It's because we did that that your head is still on your shoulders. I'm actually surprised to see you again. How did you manage to make Marcus spare your life?"
"Well, I don't really know."
"Did you seduce him with your body, as you claimed? Did you really sleep with him?"
Before Berenice could respond, Arsinoe jumped in, her voice loud.
"What? Don't talk nonsense! Why would Marcus sleep with someone like Berenice?"
"Well, even if he didn't fall for her seduction, he could still sleep with her. She's objectively beautiful, so maybe he found value in that."
Arsinoe's face turned red from Cleopatra's blunt words.
"Are you joking? Marcus isn't like that!"
"But if that's not the case, then there's no reason he would have spared her life."
"Th, that's true, but… there could be another reason."
Arsinoe pouted her lips and whined, unable to argue back.
Berenice raised her eyebrows and snorted, feeling the curious gazes of the two.
"Ha! He's impotent! He must be disabled down there. There's no other explanation for how he acted like that."
Berenice wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, recalling what had happened the night before. It was the first time in her life she had done everything in front of a man, even pressing her naked body against his. But all she had heard was, "You're not my type, so try harder and come back." Her pride, which had always been centered around her beauty, was shattered.
Cleopatra and Arsinoe, having guessed the situation from Berenice's reaction, smiled smugly.
"Hah, so you threw yourself at him and got rejected?" Arsinoe teased.
"Not rejected! He's the weird one! He must have some problem... It doesn't make sense otherwise."
Cleopatra nodded with a cheerful smile. "I see. So he's impotent, but still has a wife and two children. That's impressive."
Berenice fell silent at this biting remark and shut her mouth.
Arsinoe shook her head and snapped her fingers. "You should be thankful you still have your life. Don't go back there and mess things up further."
"…I will. Just wait. I'll get so cultured that you and Cleopatra won't be able to keep up."
"What are you talking about out of the blue?"
"I've got something like that!" Berenice said hastily, changing the topic.
Her sisters eyed her with suspicion, but Cleopatra, who had an inkling of what she meant, kept quiet. Arsinoe sensed something was off for a different reason.
"Berenice is going to Rome…"
"What? Do you have a problem with that? Honestly, Rome is not bad. We may be the living gods and kings of Egypt, but we're nothing but vassals of Rome. Rome is the real center of the world now. I'll seize my second chance there. It's not over yet."
"Did you hear yourself, after making a fool of yourself in front of Marcus yesterday?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"It's obvious you couldn't think clearly. You threw yourself at him, got rejected, acted like a pharaoh, and only embarrassed yourself. Ugh… I would have died of shame."
Berenice's face turned bright red at being so exposed. Unable to scream as usual, she turned and stormed off back to her room.
The two sisters laughed at her misfortune.
Arsinoe laughed so hard she held her stomach. Even Cleopatra couldn't hold back a smile.
The tension that had weighed on them seemed to lift as they shared the laugh. Afterward, they glanced at each other, and Arsinoe was the first to break the silence.
"Is Rome really such a developed city?"
"It must be. It's undeniable that Rome is the strongest nation in the world right now. The capital of such a place can't be a mediocre city."
"That makes sense. I want to see it. Marcus was born and raised there, right?"
At this casual remark, Cleopatra stiffened.
Going to Rome?
She turned quickly toward the hall where Marcus and Olympos were still talking, and the clear difference in power between Rome and Egypt weighed heavily on her chest.
Cleopatra, unlike other royals, understood the lives and culture of the native Egyptians. She was confident that only she was truly qualified to be the pharaoh—one who could unite the Ptolemaic dynasty with the indigenous Egyptians. She was the incarnation of the living god, the true ruler of Egypt, who everyone had to respect. That was her lifelong goal.
But to achieve this, she needed more than just knowledge of Egypt's language and culture. In fact, she had neglected one of the most important things until now. A light of determination flashed in Cleopatra's sharp eyes.
After finishing his agreements with Olympos, Marcus was finally able to meet with Arsinoe and Cleopatra.
As soon as they heard his call, the two sisters rushed to him without hesitation. Arsinoe's reaction was especially dramatic.
"Marcus!"
Ignoring Cleopatra's attempt to hold her back, she ran to him and hugged him.
Cleopatra raised her voice, startled, trying to pull her away. "What are you doing? Acting so shamelessly? Apologize and get off him!"
"So what? There's no one else watching."
Arsinoe snorted and pressed her cheek against Marcus's chest defiantly.
Cleopatra stamped her foot in annoyance. "Don't you know how diplomatically rude that is? Should I make you get off?"
"Hmph! Try it if you can."
It was clear a fight could break out at any moment, but Marcus stepped forward to stop them.
"It's okay. I think this is a sign of friendship, showing how much the princesses welcome me."
"Thank you for saying that. But still, it's inappropriate for a royal to cling to a foreign man like that…"
"Hmph! If you're jealous, why don't you do the same?"
"What? Do you really have no shame? Don't you realize you're a royal?"
"I'll behave properly in public. And if Marcus is okay with it, what do you care?"
Their argument continued as it always did, but Marcus noticed the atmosphere between them had softened compared to before. What had once been hostile bickering now felt more like the playful squabbles of ordinary sisters.
"Come on, princesses. Let's calm down and talk with a smile. It's been a long time since we met. I'm glad to see you're both well."
"Thank you. I'm glad you're healthy too. I heard you fought fiercely in Gaul, the land of barbarians. You look even braver now."
"Thank you. And you've become more beautiful since I last saw you. In a few years, all the men in Alexandria will be captivated by your beauty."
"Hehe, really? I'm almost old enough to get married."
Cleopatra teased him with a laugh.
"That means you're still a kid until then."
"What did you say?"
Arsinoe glared at Cleopatra with mock anger, but Marcus gently stroked her head, calming her. She smiled sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes in response.
Cleopatra sighed, placing a finger to her temple as she observed the interaction.
"Don't spoil her too much. That's why she acts like this."
"I think we don't need to be too formal in private. I hope you don't feel too constrained by etiquette," Marcus said kindly.
"Uh… okay. If you say so."
Cleopatra took a few more steps toward him and sat next to Marcus, but she couldn't be as bold as Arsinoe, still finding it hard to meet his eyes. Her heart raced in a way that confused her.
She concluded it was because she still felt some residual fear from their earlier conversation in the hall. Something that had oppressed her until now seemed to lift.
She forced herself to look at Marcus, but as soon as their eyes met, she quickly looked away, feeling strangely ill.
Meanwhile, Arsinoe proudly spread out a deck of cards she and Cleopatra had worked on together.
"This is the game you taught us before. My sister and I worked hard to make it this good."
"Wow, you really put a lot of effort into this," Marcus said, impressed. "It looks like you had fun making it."
"Of course! The number of people who know the rules is growing in the palace. My sister and I almost play every day. Though I have a slightly lower win rate."
Marcus took the cards, intrigued by their effort. He hadn't expected the card game he had made for fun to become so popular.
But thinking about it, it made sense. In an era without computers or systematic entertainment, chess and card games could be highly addictive. If he spread this game well among the nobles, he could make a fortune.
'But papyrus cards are too weak. Maybe it's time to develop paper?'
Marcus's thoughts turned to papermaking, which he planned to focus on after completing military and agricultural reforms. Papyrus and parchment had major flaws as writing materials, and he believed that creating paper and printing technology could spark a revolution in society.
As he pondered this, Cleopatra's soft voice brought him back to the present.
"Um, Marcus?"
"Yes?"
"I have a favor to ask you."
"Yes, tell me. I'll do anything I can for you."
Cleopatra took a deep breath, her lips trembling. She had made up her mind, but now that the moment had come, she found it hard to say.
Before Arsinoe could speak, Cleopatra closed her eyes and shouted, "I want to go to Rome with you this time!"
"What?" Marcus blinked, startled by the unexpected proposal.
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