Fiction: "Daughter of the Sun God: A Novella of Julia Maesa--Part 1"
Faced with her sister's death, her nephew's murder, and the rise of a usurper, Julia Maesa must gather her courage and begin to scheme her family's way back to power in the 3rd century Roman Empire.
Hello, readers! Welcome to the first installment of my historical fiction novella, Daughter of the Sun God. I’ll be releasing a new installment over the next few weeks, as Julia Maesa, daughter of the high priest of Emesa and sister of the deceased Roman empress Julia Domna, schemes to put her grandson on the Roman throne. If you enjoy the historical works of authors like Margaret George, Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, and Michelle Moran and series like Rome, Domina, and Those About to Die, then I think you’ll enjoy Daughter of the Empire.
*Note: A historical note, explaining some of my narrative choices, will come with the final installment.
My sister is dying.
That’s the thought that chases itself through my head. It’s the one thing I know for certain to be true, but it’s the one thing I can’t really accept. It hardly seems possible that my healthy and vibrant sister, the woman who has ruled the Roman Empire at the side of her husband, is fading with every passing moment. The breath rasps in her lungs. It won’t be long now, so the doctors tell me.
“Sister,” she calls to me from her sickbed. “Please, come closer.”
I hesitate. Though it shames me, I’ve never been comfortable around sick people. They always make me feel as if the cold hands of death are going to reach out to me, too. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When your younger sister–who has always looked up to you for everything–calls to you and wants to talk to you before she dies, you can’t very well deny her that, can you?