Juventas had not even done me the courtesy of turning to look at me when she raised her hand to silence me, and the fact she had addressed me as 'girl' was entirely indicative of how little respect she had for me.
I wasn't surprised by her action, and I wasn't offended by it; I knew exactly how she saw me, and I knew that nothing would ever change her opinion because she couldn't even bring herself to respect her own son and I meant nothing to her.
I remained calm, and used the fact I had a better idea of how she thought and the way she reacted to things now that Tiberius had explained to me the way she considered self preservation the only truly important thing; whatever I did, or said, would be seen through the eyes of a woman who would eliminate any potential threat to her future with
