When Julia Cintius became a widow, she also became the head of a rising gladiator house in Rome. Julia Cintius had been treated poorly as a wife: ignored, insulted, and undesired by her late husband, only to be used when magistrates and senators were hosted at one of her husband’s lavish parties. But with his death, Julia has discovered her beloved husband has left behind one thing she can wear proudly: power. Now, Lady Julia Cintius, head of the Ludus, runs the house as she sees fit. Under her command, there are no slaves in House Cintius; servants are compensated, and her precious gladiators—the very men who made House Cintius so revered—are given the choice to swear their allegiance to House Cintius as freedmen. They fight for fame and glory but not without reward. And in House Cintius, rewards come in a number of forms. Senators gladly wait weeks for favors and entertainment from House Cintius, and noble patricians seek the chance to beg for Julia’s hand. In 64 CE, at the height of the arena, when coin can be made by the very distance blood sprays across sand, the real victor could be Lady Julia Cintius. Long may she reign.