Murena, 13

A man, a woman… and a shared talent for manipulation. Tigellinus advises the emperor to organize grand games to distract the people, to make them forget the Great Fire of Rome and Piso's conspiracy… and thus allow Nero to claim the laurels of the greatest poet, feeding his pride. A pride that Tigellinus is not the only one who knows how to wield: the fearsome warrior known as the Hydra is still there, lurking in the shadows, and its influence unsettles even Empress Poppaea. The two manipulators make a perfect pair: while one is driven by boundless ambition, the other seeks to unleash the rage accumulated during her years in Insanius's service. Old demons awaken, the past and memories resurface, as do the roots of a solid and unbreakable friendship… That is all it takes for Lucius Murena, under the Hydra's gaze, to declare to his emperor: “I must stay. You need me. Just as I need you.”