- — Lena to the Main Character & Xanthe[1]
Lena, a character in the A Courtesan of Rome book, is your villica and your boss. She is first seen in Chapter 1.
Appearance
Lena has brown eyes, long braided black hair and dark skin. She wears a red dress with golden hemlines encrusted with a blue gemstone. She also wears a golden headpiece, a golden necklace, and several golden gemstone-encrusted bangles.
Personality
She is practical and smart, caring about her courtesans' physical well-beings but leaves their private lives to themselves. As long as her courtesans bring money to her scholae, she cares little what they do with the rest of their time. She also prefers not to be told about any of your acts of vengeance. She wants her girls to have patrons of influence because it protects them.
Chapters
A Courtesan of Rome
A Courtesan of Rome
- Chapter 1: A Princess of Gaul
- Chapter 3: The Aid of the Gods
- Chapter 4: The Hunt
- Chapter 5: Red-Handed
- Chapter 6: Marked
- Chapter 8: The Goddess of Watching
- Chapter 9: Power Vacuum
- Chapter 10: Snakes in the Grass
- Chapter 12: Raising The Stakes
- Chapter 13: Bread and Circus
- Chapter 14: A Twist of Fate
- Chapter 15: Best Served Cold
- Chapter 17: A Life for a Life
- Chapter 19: A Warrior's Death
- Chapter 21: The Ides of March
Relationships
Main Character
Eight years ago, after the defeat of your tribe, Legate Aquila sold you to Lena and her scholae. She told you that she bought your freedom because she thought you would rather earn money for her than be a slave. In her scholae, you would learn to read, write, recite poetry, and play the cithara. And you would learn how to make men do anything for you. At first, you thought you would have to trade sexual favors for your patrons, but Lena told you that with her training, you would learn to make any Senator give you his fortune for just the touch of your hand. With her training, you would have power, the most power any woman could have. In Chapter 3, she tells you that any gift you earn from a patron is yours to keep. She also tells you her opinions of your patrons, and that it's necessary to make connections with as many patrons as possible. In Chapter 8, she warns you about Antony and to tread carefully as she doesn't want you to become another tool for him to use. In Chapter 15, when Antony gets mad at you and chooses Xanthe to accompany him instead, Lena admits that even though she shouldn’t play favorites, she loves you because you are everything she has wanted to be: strong and fearless. She doesn’t want you to get hurt but gives you more advice about Antony.
Syphax
Syphax is a bodyguard in Lena's employ. He protects her courtesans. She assigned him to you when you entered her scholae, and told him that she wanted him to also protect you from your own worst impulses. After taking the blame for Tribune Gnaeus Rufus's death, Syphax is imprisoned, awaiting trial and later, is given the chance to fight for his life as a gladiator. Winning the match doesn't release him back into Lena's employment, as he is bought by Legate Aquila's ludus.
Marc Antony
From the very start, Lena is suspicious about Marc Antony. In Chapter 3, if you suggest that he may be better patron than Cassius, Lena worries that though Antony is more powerful indeed, he might not respect the rules she set for you. In Chapter 8, Lena shows you letter from Antony, who asks for your company for the next day in the theater. She states that though Antony's favor will open doors for you, he can't be trusted. She warns you that you may become another tool for him to use, and he can turn his influence against you as easily as use it for you. However, she is aware that's too late to withdraw from the relationship, saying that you caught the manticore and there's no safe way to let him go. In Chapter 9, she offers you a premium dress for this occasion. Later, if you say that Antony may actually have feelings for you, Lena states that you shouldn't deceive yourself that you mean more than another conquest for him. As your acquaintance with Antony progress, Lena remains suspicious, though she always helps you prepare, offering you premium outfits and advice.
In Chapter 15, due to Xanthe's accusation, you lose Antony's favor. Initially, Lena blames you for not being careful enough, but it's implied that she's aware of Xanthe's scheming. She offers you premium outfit and advises you to go to the games with Cassius and let Antony's jealousy do the rest. Although Cassius refuses to accompany you, the plan seems to work. Later, in Chapter 17, when you learn that Victus and Syphax will be fight each other, Lena suggests you should appeal to Antony, who's now nearly driven mad with desire. She offers you skimpy outfit, which she wore to seduce former dictator Sulla, and some advice to make Antony think that you came for him and not for his favor.
In Chapter 21, if you choose to stay with Antony, Lena admits that she didn't think that your trust in Antony would prove well-founded, but she's glad that she was wrong.
Xanthe
Xanthe is one of the scholae's most celebrated courtesans. While she is jealous of you meeting Marc Antony, Lena scolds her and says that there will be war and that would threaten the safety of the scholae. Later, when your popularity threatens to surpass hers, Lena reminds you that you both need to earn money for the scholae. In Chapter 15, Lena isn’t pleased with Xanthe spreading rumors and turning Antony against you. In Chapter 20, when Xanthe threatens Main Character to reveal Cassius' plot, Lena sends her away to Sicily.
Other Looks
Trivia
- She bears a resemblance to Trinidadian-American actress and producer Lorraine Toussaint.
- She shares the same name as Lena Ortiz from The Heist: Monaco and Lena Rys from The Royal Finale.
- The name Lena is of Greek origin and means: Alluring, temptress, light. It's a short version of the name Helena.
- Her facial features were also used for Marianne D'Arneaux, a character in Red Carpet Diaries, Book 3.