Aquillius let out a heavy sigh as he stepped into the tent. Ever since Lucius had departed for Rome, the task of mediating between these two had fallen squarely on his shoulders.
"So you're saying the Senate won't grant him his Triumph? Do you truly think they would dare do that?"
"It's a matter of sticking to the rules, Antony. Surely you understand that."
"Rules? What rules? Your uncle only invokes 'rules' when it suits him. Strangely enough, those same rules never seem to apply to his own relatives."
"Insulting my family is—"
Aquillius cleared his throat and stepped between Brutus and Antony.
"What are you two bickering about now?"
"This idiot here thinks the Senate is going to block Caesar's Triumph."
"I am merely stating the legal reality," Brutus replied, throwing his hands up in defense. "The deadline for registering for the consular elections was moved up earlier than usual. And to register, a candidate must enter Rome in person."
"Which means he'd have to forfeit his Triumph," Aquillius added.
The debate wasn't complicated. As Brutus pointed out, to officially register as a candidate, a general had to lay down his command and enter the city as a private citizen.
Without a special exemption, a man could not both celebrate a triumph and stand as a candidate at the same time.
"But Caesar has earned that Triumph! Every citizen in Rome knows it. Do you really think the people will let the Senate resort to tricks like this?" Antony growled, bringing a cup of wine to his lips. "If the Senate grants even a small exception, he could have his parade and then register. It's not like there isn't a precedent for it."
"And yet, even Pompey had to give up his consular candidacy once to celebrate his Triumph," Aquillius reminded him, lowering himself into a chair between them. "And your uncle, Cato, will undoubtedly lead the charge against granting any special favors."
"That man is far too young to be such an old crone," Antony scoffed. "Is everyone in your bloodline that stubborn and self-serving?"
"I told you if you dare speak of my house in such a manner again—!"
"Enough, both of you!" Aquillius shouted with another sigh. At that moment, no one missed Lucius more than he did.
"You both seem to be forgetting one crucial fact."
"And what's that?"
"Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar have finally reunited. What those two might accomplish together..."
Aquillius let out a dry chuckle as the two men looked at him with their heads tilted.
"Only Jupiter himself could predict that."
***
"My lady, is there anything else I can bring you?"
"No, that's quite alright."
Pompeia let out a sigh and set her quill down beside the parchment. Her slave looked at her anxiously.
"I'm fine, really. Go tend to your other duties. I'll call if I need anything."
"As you wish, my lady."
Once the slave left the room, Pompeia turned her attention back to the papers—the letters from Lucius she had been organizing.
Her mind drifted back to the words her father had spoken.
"Crassus has set out for the Rubicon to meet Caesar."
Both Gaius and Lucius were at the Rubicon. How would they react to Crassus's proposal? Ten million sesterces was a sum no man could easily turn down.
Pompeia stared blankly at her notes before crumpling the sheet into a ball. She tossed it aside and exhaled. She couldn't understand why she felt this suffocating sense of anxiety.
As she stood up with another sigh, a thunderous roar erupted from outside her window.
"Caesar has returned! Caesar has returned!"
It was the same shout she had heard a few days earlier—the citizens announcing Gaius Caesar's arrival.
But something felt off.
"The triumph should not be for weeks. How could he be back already?"
It was highly unlikely that Caesar would recklessly enter Rome without Senate approval.
To return with an army without authorization would be both sacrilege and treason against the Republic.
So why were the citizens screaming his name?
As she stepped out of her room, the noise became even clearer.
"Caesar is back!"
It wasn't just shouting anymore. The murmur of a massive crowd was growing louder, sounding as if it were surrounding her very house.
"What is all this commotion?"
Even Pompey had emerged into the atrium, and the din outside the front gates was now deafening.
Just as Pompeia reached her father's side, a heavy pounding shook the front door.
"Father..."
"What are you standing around for? Open it!"
At Pompey's command, the slaves rushed to the gates. As the doors swung open, a man ducked inside as if he were fleeing for his life.
"You're..."
"It's been a while, hasn't it? I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
As Pompeia and Pompey stood there with raised brows, Lucius took a long, deep breath.
"Forgive me. There were so many people... I thought I would be trampled to death."
***
"I didn't expect you to grace my home with a visit so soon," Pompey said, watching me. Pompeia stood by his side, looking just as stunned as her father.
"Weren't you supposed to be helping with your father's triumph preparations?"
"That doesn't mean I'm barred from Rome. I wanted to pay my respects before heading home."
"And those people outside...?"
"They saw my face and just started following me. I couldn't shake them off."
There were so many people that moving through the streets had become nearly impossible. How did everyone know what I looked like? There were no newspapers in this age, much less anything like the internet.
Of course, drawing the public's attention had been my intention all along. That's why I hadn't bothered to hide my face.
"Well, don't just stand there. Come in. I heard your father had a bit of a scare yesterday. Is he alright?"
"Yes, it was nothing serious. He recovered almost immediately," I replied.
By now, my father should be talking with Crassus. I badly wanted to know what expression Crassus had worn when my father delivered the news.
"That's a relief. Come, tell me about your journey. I've been dying to hear how you handled those bandits. Your letters were somewhat lacking in tactical detail."
"It was a minor affair compared to your legendary feats."
"Hah! Don't be modest. Tell me everything. You there! Bring some wine, and make it quick!"
As the slaves scurried off, I followed Pompey and Pompeia into the reception room.
I stole a glance at Pompeia. She hadn't said a word yet.
She clearly knew about Crassus's marriage proposal.
I wondered how she felt about it.
Our engagement had been a political move made without our input.
From a certain perspective, marrying into Crassus's family might have been more appealing to her.
No matter how much I had earned, I was still a minor figure beside Crassus's wealth. Crassus had even offered to waive the dowry and pay Pompey a fortune instead.
What were Pompey and Pompeia thinking? I sank into a chair in the reception room, still turning it over in my mind.
"It seems half the city knows the story of my campaign. That wouldn't have been possible without your help, Pompeia," I said.
The public's reaction was even more fervent than I had anticipated.
From the posters during the election to the books detailing my campaign, Pompeia had taken the lead in spreading my name without my even asking her to do so.
"I'm glad I could be of help," Pompeia replied in a flat tone.
She did not look particularly pleased.
As an awkward silence began to settle, Pompey suddenly stood up and cleared his throat.
"Forgive me, but a sudden stomach cramp has struck me. I need to step away for a moment."
A stomach ache? Hardly subtle.
He looked at Pompeia and added, "Keep Lucius company for a while. Feel free to tie him to the chair if you have to; I don't want him slipping away."
Pompeia gave a small nod.
"With all due respect, I am not a lapdog," I muttered.
"Which is exactly why we need to keep you on a leash."
Pompey laughed and left the room.
A moment later, Pompeia spoke up.
"Have you heard the proposal Crassus sent to your father?"
"Yes." I nodded. "A marriage for his niece, in exchange for ten million sesterces."
"And he offered my father five million for my hand," Pompeia added with a faint, bitter smile. "Don't you think that's a rather high price to pay for a wife?"
"I don't think so."
Crassus was a shark; he wouldn't pay that much unless he saw the potential in Pompeia.
Another awkward silence. What was I supposed to say to that?
As I racked my brain, Pompeia spoke again.
"Are you going to accept his offer?"
"If I were, I wouldn't be here today."
There was no point in lying now. The only reason I had come to Pompey's house before even stopping at my own home was to make my choice clear.
I had walked through the streets of Rome for everyone to see and came straight here.
Our engagement was never a secret, but my public arrival today would cement it as a reality in the eyes of the public. It would make it incredibly difficult for Crassus or even Pompey to back out now.
I looked at Pompeia.
"What do you want, Pompeia?"
"What do I want?"
"Would marrying me... be acceptable to you?"
Pompeia went silent for a moment before bursting into a soft laugh.
"You really are an interesting man, Lucius."
"I didn't think it was a particularly strange question."
"I have spent my entire life being prepared for marriage. My duty was to marry into a powerful house, bear healthy children, and expand the family's influence. I accepted that as my reality since I was a child."
"A choice isn't really a choice when there's only one option on the table," I said.
Men were expected to seize power at any cost, and women were expected to help their husbands and raise heirs. That was simply the truth of Roman life.
"But you, Lucius... you are different from other men. You have reshaped Rome and its people. And I suspect you will go on doing so."
She hesitated for a second before continuing.
"I want to be there to see it. Is that enough of an answer for you?"
"More than enough."
"Then what is it that you want, Lucius?"
"What I want...?"
I stood up and walked toward Pompeia. As the space between us vanished, the faint, rosy scent of Palmolive lingered in the air.
For an instant, the room seemed to fall perfectly still.
When I drew back, I met her gaze.
"Was that enough of an answer for you?" I murmured.
"More than enough," Pompeia said, her fingertips resting lightly against her lips.
As I sat back down, Pompey strolled back into the room.
"Apologies. This stomach pain refuses to leave me," he grumbled, sinking back into his chair. "Now then, let's get back to it. I had a few more questions about those medical instructions you gave your doctors..."
"I expected you to ask about the triumph first."
"I've had three Triumphs, Lucius. Discussing a Triumph doesn't exactly thrill me."
I couldn't help but laugh at his answer.
"Well then, let's start from the beginning."