***Cadiz***
I found Cassius on the eastern ramparts two hours after sunset. He stood alone, wrapped in a thick cloak against the mountain chill, staring out at the darkness where the imperial army would soon appear.
For a moment, I almost turned around. We'd spent our entire lives circling each other like distant planets, close enough to share a name and a face, but never truly touching. Maybe it was better to leave it that way.
But then I thought of the pain in his eyes when he'd looked at me earlier, the jealousy and confusion and something that might have been grief. We were twins. Once, we'd shared the same space, the same heartbeat, whatever distance had grown between us, we were still bound by blood and history.
I moved to stand beside him, close enough that our shoulders almost touched.
"I remember when you sent me that letter," I said quietly. "After the decree, you apologized for how unfair everything had been."
