Time flies, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
It was June again, the season of the rotation of consuls.
The threshold of Sulla's door was practically worn away by the various nobles.
Septimus was surrounded by a group of nobles with flattering expressions who were trying to gain his friendship.
Septimus's newspaper, influence, and money made him a powerful person with the ability to easily promote anyone to positions such as Grand Judge, Treasurer, and Tribune of the Plebs.
Many people with great ambitions gathered around Septimus with the intention of attracting his attention.
All the nobles longed for Septimus's support.
Two nobles stood out in their attempts to gain Septimus's support.
Gaius Cotta, from the Cotta family, Aurelia's maternal family line, and Gnaeus Octavius, from the Octavian family, probably a senior member of the Augustus family.
Both approached him, but after some deliberation, Septimus chose Gaius Cotta first, deciding to bring the Cotta family into his fold.
The Cotta family also knew the rumors between Aurelia and Septimus, choosing to take advantage of the relationship to seek benefits from Septimus.
Honestly, Septimus was not interested in the rumors and had almost forgotten the excuse he had given for helping Julius Caesar's family and satisfying his curiosity about meeting them.
The misunderstanding grew rapidly in Rome, and Septimus showed no interest in clarifying the rumors.
On the other hand, Septimus also showed a slight favor toward Aurelia and, if possible, he would help her.
Aurelia was 46 years old, and her beauty had declined with the passage of time.
The quality of life of the current Roman nobility could not surpass the comfortable lifestyle of an average person in the modern era.
People aged faster, and the upper class, with a better lifestyle, was no exception.
Septimus did not feel physical attraction toward Aurelia, but he was attracted to her personality and mature charm, characteristic of a conservative woman of the upper class.
The rumors linking Septimus and Aurelia were not very scandalous compared to the various gossip of the nobility.
Aurelia was a widow, and Septimus was single, influential, and wealthy.
Many upper-class women in Rome wanted to be Septimus's lovers and envied Aurelia.
Septimus set aside his various thoughts while nodding to the various nobles who were trying to flatter him.
The entire city of Rome displayed a scene of joy.
The streets of Rome had been filled with feasts, allowing all Romans to enjoy various delicacies, a practice that had continued for three days.
Since the wedding would be held the following day.
Sulla announced that everyone could enjoy free food.
The food was so abundant that a large part of the leftovers was poured into the Tiber River.
Septimus deeply admired Sulla's generosity, but he had no intention of imitating him; instead, he announced the creation of a public library.
The creation of a public library would be the perfect gift for Rome and Sulla.
The construction of a public library was part of Septimus's plans.
Promoting science and culture would take a great deal of time, and Septimus planned to promote knowledge throughout Rome.
Septimus was not a philanthropist, and the creation of the public library would serve to recruit true talents and geniuses.
Technology requires imagination and creativity.
The replication ability and knowledge of the future could help Septimus increase learning, but unfortunately, the consciousness and intelligence of all the clones were copies of the same person.
The advances in the science of all humanity have been the effort of countless scientists and brilliant minds who laid the foundations and made great discoveries from different points of view.
The library would serve to promote education in Rome and recruit geniuses in mechanics capable of materializing Septimus's ideas in the region of Campania.
Septimus knew the principles of a water wheel, but it would take him a great deal of time and effort to manage to build one.
Many novel ideas from the future could not be implemented because Septimus did not understand the manufacturing methods or the necessary steps for them to function.
Sulla's wedding would serve as an excuse to give Rome a splendid library.
The library of Rome would become a rich place with extensive books, comparable or superior to the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. A public place open to all Romans and people interested in knowledge.
The proclamation of a public library for all Romans did not raise suspicions among the upper class of Rome.
Roman nobles loved building various public buildings; for example, the Basilica Porcia, where some magistrates worked or gathered and where judicial activities were carried out, was built by Cato the Elder, while the famous Appian Way was initiated by Appius Claudius Caecus, a member of the Claudian gens.
In the original history, Julius Caesar, after becoming a builder, also requested large loans to organize games and gladiatorial combats to please the Romans, a true example of extravagant generosity.
The long-awaited day of the wedding finally arrived.
In front of the Temple of Jupiter, a great crowd gathered, with many guests arriving early.
More than three hundred members of the Senate were present, almost equivalent to a formal meeting of the Senate.
In addition, there were various nobles, knights, and others, all dressed in togas and flower crowns.
Among them were people Septimus knew and people he did not, all coming to pay their respects to Sulla.
As a special guest, Septimus was surrounded by a group of nobles who incessantly flattered him.
The wedding was grand and extravagant.
A large part of the money spent on the wedding had been looted during the Roman Civil War.
Several minutes passed, and the bride came out luxuriously dressed.
After offering the broken wheat to the gods, the high priest came out, looking at the clear sky, with some birds occasionally flying by.
"Today is an auspicious day; the marriage is permitted," the high priest announced loudly, and then entered the temple.
Septimus's lips twitched; the Romans really consulted the oracle for everything.
A cheer erupted as the crowd entered the temple.
"Let us enter," Sulla said with a smile to the surrounding nobles.
Septimus followed the crowd of nobles into the temple.
The Temple of Jupiter in Rome was dedicated to three gods: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
Each god had its own inner sanctuary: Juno on the left, Minerva on the right, and Jupiter in the center. The temple was decorated with many finely crafted sculptures, the most famous of which was Jupiter driving a four-horse chariot, perched upon the pediment.
The inner sanctuary was exceptionally opulent, with many areas inlaid with gold.
Sulla and Valeria stood before the officiant of the ceremony, exchanging vows solemnly.
Both offered sacrifices and then shared a cake.
The Romans were very pragmatic; in their opinion, marriage had the sole purpose of procreation, with no other purpose.
They even believed that marriage contradicted the laws of nature and the flesh. In ancient times, brides were allowed to practice prostitution for a month before the wedding as compensation for marital fidelity; now, this custom had been replaced by the tradition of the husband's friends throwing acorns or chestnuts into the bridal chamber.
At that moment, applause erupted from below.
"He announced that the couple is offering sacrifices to the true god Jupiter," the high priest said.
Sulla and Valeria took the offered bread and stepped forward, placing it on the altar.
The high priest recited prayers and began walking around the altar.
The couple was united amid a chorus of congratulations from below.
The wedding took quite some time to be completed.