When Laurentius finds out that the woman he was thinking about marrying has slept with another, he becomes enraged and sick at the sight of her. While walking to his chambers, he happens across a female slave washing the floors and orders her to be cleaned up and brought to his room. But after he makes love to her, he realizes he’s not sure what to do next. He’s never felt like this. What’s the Caesar going to do now?

 Auriel is horribly frightened when the Caesar notices her and stops in her presence while she is performing her duties. When he orders her to be bathed and sent to his bedchamber, the fright only increases. Will he rape her or will he kill her? Instead, she finds something she’d never dreamed of. Is it too good to be true? Will the Caesar loose interest and replace her with another?

 I’m not quite sure what to think of this one. The writing was very good, but the plot and the characters lacked for me. Auriel stays entirely too timid and subservient throughout the whole story and some of the Caesar’s actions didn’t please me. One, when he raises his hand to strike her, and two, when he looks at a Senator’s daughter with thoughts of her carrying his heir. I didn’t really feel the love between the two main characters. Please don’t take me wrong, it was a good story, but adding a few more plot twists and adding some dimensions to the characters would make it a much better story.