Aurelia || SERIES ROMANA I

Chapter 12 ~ One more step

Since one of his trustworthy slaves reported him that nobody was able to see the boat because of the darkness, Gaius was able to enjoy the parties just as carefree as he did before Aurelia stepped into his life. He was flirting unrestrainedly with all these beautiful, rich women and joked around for hours. It is fascinating how a few grey November clouds can lift someone's spirit. Finally, she was safe.
Shortly after sunset Macro excused himself with a meaningful smile and since that he didn't return yet. It amused Gaius that the prefect was looking for a girl that was already safe and sound on land.
Smiling Gaius drank from his cup, while the tempting Livinia was sitting on his lap. She petted his arm with one hand and the other hand gave him a neck message. She tried to grab his cup playfully, but Gaius was enough quick-witted to get it out of her reach and emptied it with one big gulp. So pretty the good Livinia was, so devote she was to his great-uncle and he shouldn't know that Gaius was never drinking wine at his parties. Only Tiberius managed to put a dump girl on Gaius. A girl known for being Tiberius' little plaything in every night his capture of the night was not enough to satisfy the old man.
"That's too strong for you, sweetheart", Gaius whispered in her ear and let his voice sound even more seductive. Even if she was looking at him sulking, her body reacted in his tune. Oh gods, it was so easy to push her buttons. Well, she was used to his great-uncle. Internally Gaius lost the last rest of respect he had for the young woman on his lap. Yes, he had only a very little possibility to choose freely his sex partners at Capri, but he was so fed up with all these young, naïve playthings those were falling at his feet. They were so boring. Aurelia - with her mysterious smile and the dreamy look in her ocean blue eyes every time she talked about something that truly matters to her – had been able to put him completely under her spell. She was so different than the young things of his own time whose were unable to care about the letters of her superficial friends. He had been able to talk with Aurelia about philosophy, history, politics, and literature for hours without getting bored and she had always surprised him with her smart brain.
Gaius forced himself to concentrate on the spy on his lap again. But she was still sulking and exchanged "secret" looks with his great-uncle. As if Gaius wouldn't notice that. He rolled his eyes internally, but he pushed himself to give her a flashing smile. Immediately he caught her attention.
"Dance with me", he begged her, and she played the sulking girl to feel powerful for another heartbeat. Then she smiled at him shyly and nodded. Oh good Jupiter, was she really trying to play an innocent virgin while she was pressing her body at his like an old hetaerae? Fast he gave the slaves a sign and gave him his cup.
Smiling Livinia followed him in front of the musicians, and a slow song started. Really? She wanted to press herself at him again. Shortly he let go of her and whispered the musicians an instruction. They nodded and waited for a second so that he could return to the slutty girl.
"What did you tell them?", Livinia asked excited. How much did she drink? But Gaius smiled mysteriously at her and gave the musician a sign. A new, faster and more cheerfull song started. Her big brown eyes widened in confusion. The colour reminded him of mud.
"We are young, and this is a party. Why should we dance to a song that you can play are a funeral?", he replied laughing and started to dance. Hesitating Livia started to dance with the tact of the music. But Gaius closed his eyes, pictured her face and started to get lost in the music. More and more guest joined them at the dance floor and soon they were a colourful pit of jumping, laughing, and singing bodies.
Then Gaius returned to his room tonight, he didn't even shut down all the lights. One thing is very special about praetorians: If he doesn't know that he left a copy of Sallust and not a copy of Ennius at his nightstand, he won't notice that they checked his room at all. He fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

"Great-uncle?", Gaius asked carefree. "You wanted see me?"
Tiberius ate his grape noisily, then he stood up from his lectus and grabbed his great-nephews arm.
"I want to show you something, my boy", the old man sang and pulled the young man with him to the garden.
"Isn't it a little bit too cold to go outside now, is it, avunculus?", Gaius asked worried and wanted to know if he should call the slaves to bring them coats. But Tiberius shook his head.
"That won't be necessary", the old man giggled. "I have a surprise for you, my dear boy"
Gaius was walking next to the most powerful man without resistance and talked with him about last night's party. Of course, he flattered the old man as much as he could. A strong, but for November surprising warm wind was chasing in the garden. The clouds had disappeared, and the sun was throwing its white light down to earth. Everywhere was nothing else than peace and harmony. But with every step away from the villa and closer to the cliffs, the young man was feeling more and more uncomfortable. In secret he examined the man at his left side and decided that another question was only a waste of breath.
"Isn't the sea beautiful?", Tiberius asked, then they reached the cliffs. In the same moment Gaius started to praise the beauty of the island, but he was very careful to keep a distance between himself and the edge.
"Ah", Tiberius interrupted his panegyric eagerly. "My surprise is finally arriving"
Confused Gaius turned around and put his mask of polite interest on his face. Macro was walking fast to them and in his arms was Aurelia. He stopped in front of Tiberius and forced the girl to bow so deep that the princeps and his great-nephew could get an amazing few in her ivory stola. Aurelia stood proud and tall and held the noble men's gaze casually. Her palla was streaming with her loose hair like a golden banner. She had never looked more Roman and foreign at the same time. In that moment she was more than a young woman from the future, she was the Roman goddess Gaius had seen in her from the very first time.
Tiberius stepped forward and his old fingers poked in her soft face, while he examined it. Aurelia didn't even blink.
"You truly are an extraordinary beautiful, little thing", Tiberius purred and let go of her. "What do you think, Caligula? Let us have some fun with the little one. How long will it take to break her?"
Gaius nodded with fake excitement and studied her from head to toe. At the same time he tried to figure out how he could safe her from this hopeless situation. He'd rather die than watch Tiberius playing his cruel games with her.
Suddenly Aurelia's quiet laugh filled the silence. For a heartbeat their eyes met, and he could see a new resolution flickering in her eyes. Then they begged him for forgiveness.
"Nobody will ever be able to break me", she mocked. Before anyone could react, she was free of Macro's loose grab, stepped one single step back, lost her balance with a winning smile and fell. The wind filled the dress around her, and Tiberius' mad laugh echoed over the whole island, while a sweating and panting Gaius woke up with a start. His great-uncle's laugh was still ringing in his ears. Filled with panic he started looking next to him, then at the lectus and finally around the whole room. But she was gone like she had never been more than a very beautiful dream.