I stared silently into the crystal waters of the pond for a while without answering the Emperor.
He was watching me from the corner of his eye, and he was not being subtle about it but I pretended I hadn’t noticed and I continued to focus all my attention on the pond.
There was a mosaic on the bottom. It depicted Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf - a deliberate choice because It was the myth of how this entire empire began.
There were a number of fish in the pond. Their scales shimmered in glorious shades of gold and amber, and they were both graceful to watch and ostentatious - they were ornamental fish, serving no purpose but to make this courtyard as grand as the inside of the villa.
“They’re pretty, aren’t they? I’m sure you think they are a little…ostentatious…but I enjoy watch
