140AD - The Rise to Empress || [GxG] ||

Chapter 7

Of all the things Lexa thought the Emperor would request of her, this particular thing wasn't it. 

She thought he might have been interested in the mercenary work she did, but instead, he asked her to join the Praetorian guard; and with that to personally oversee his daughter. Lexa had never in her life been a guard before, she had absolutely no experience in it. Yes, she knew how to kill and it didn't bother her to kill but guarding someone was a completely different task. 

"I don't know what to say, Emperor, that is a very broad spectrum of work. I have no experience in guarding someone if I must be honest. I'm not sure if I'm fitted to carry out the responsibility." Lexa spared one more glance toward Clarke that only looked back at her disconcerted as well.

"Oh, please, Alexandria!" Jake exclaims overdramatically. "Your loyalty to the throne is all the convincing I need. The biggest part of guarding is being able to kill and you have no problem doing that, do you? Besides, I think Clarke would appreciate another feminine energy in her life. The gods know her handmaiden only gets her in trouble. With you, in the guard, you can keep her out of such and keep her out of harm's way." 

Jake sat forward in his chair over-enthusiastically. "Look, there are added bonuses as well. You will have permanent housing in the palace and access to just about anything your heart desires. To convey my gratitude, you may have anything." The Emperor finished his chalice of wine and placed it on the table as he started to help himself to the feast.

Lexa blinked her suddenly dry eyes, realizing that she was speechless. She came to the capital to fight in the Colosseum not to protect royalty. But she knew she would never receive such an offer again. Joining a brotherhood as notorious as the Praetorian was a once-in-a-lifetime offer. How could she possibly turn it down?

Lexa weighed the pros and cons as fast as she could and came up rather short-handed on her list of cons. How bad could it be to become a Praetorian? 

Considering all the added bonuses. Lexa stared at Clarke, eyes locked with one another but the Empress' expression held a challenge, almost telling Lexa not to accept the offer. 

"Look, Alexandria, let me plead my case a bit more. I don't want any more men in my daughter's guard simply because I know how they are. She's set to wed Senator Blake and the gods know that men don't accept a future betrothal. I don't want her bothered by such. So, I sincerely implore you to accept my offer." Jake paused for a second, looking over at the table of Praetorian where Octavia sat. "Otherwise I will employ your friend Octavia and I am sure she would not decline. But know that you're my first choice."

Clarke began to stand up from the table, the back of her knees pushing against the chair from beneath her with force. She didn't know why but she was outraged that her father wanted to put a brutal Gladiator in her guard even with the knowledge that she absolutely loathed people like Gladiators who killed for fun. 

The fact was that she had put on a brave face when Alexandria joined them at their table but truly, she was scared of the Gladiatrix beyond belief. She didn't show the emotions someone would show who just spent hours killing people for other people's entertainment. 

She was apathetic. 

A blank stare and a voice void of emotion; she seemed like she was living any other normal day and that was the most frightening to Clarke. Essentially, Alexandria seemed like nothing more than a barbarian that had no care or regard for human life.

A monster.

An annoyingly beautiful monster though, Clarke notes.

Lexa doesn't look at the Emperor when she speaks but she locks eyes with the young Empress, the woman who was going to bring her a lifetime of bad fortune as the legend goes. "It would be my honor to join the guard, Emperor. Shall we discuss the terms further over a jug of ale? I have grown rather fond of the capitals ale."