Aurelia || SERIES ROMANA I

Chapter 58 ~ Plans

Aurelia would have liked to put the documents back in their places on Gaius' desk and snuggle up to him again in her warm bed. But she had firmly resolved to relieve Gaius in future and so, while suppressing a tired yawn, she reached for the next document. Slowly, the system of this work became clear to her. But it puzzled her why Gaius was now looking at this list of expenses and income. Somehow, she had always assumed that the work of an emperor (or as they still called him princeps at this time) was more exciting.
Shivering, Aurelia pulled her cloak tighter around her, put the last document back on the table, picked up one of the wax tablets lying on the edge of the table and began quietly carving notes into the hard wax with Gaius' calamus. While she had no idea how she would ever determine the extent to which the state had been cheated by the governors when it came to tax revenues, she did have some ideas about how the money collected might be better spent than on yet more exotic animals to be slaughtered in the circus just for the pleasure of the fickle people. Soon she heard Gaius' footsteps coming towards her and carefully put down her writing utensils.
"Good morning," she greeted him with a grin. The latter smiled tiredly and asked if she would like something to eat before they started work. Aurelia just shook her head, whereupon Gaius nodded and dropped into one of the armchairs opposite her. But instead of burying himself in his writing, Gaius rested his elbows on the tabletop, interlaced his hands, rested his head on the backs of his hands and fixed Aurelia wearily. Unmoved, she took hold of the calamus again and continued her notes.
After a while, her husband suddenly reminded her of a puppy trying to look extra cute at its master to get his attention. Except that Gaius wasn't just looking at her with wide eyes all the time. Every now and then he would grab one of the documents and immediately put it back, stifling a yawn with difficulty, tugging at his tunic, running his hand through his hair or looking around the room. Aurelia demonstratively continued writing. As her last thought peered out at her from the wax, she cautiously lifted her gaze and lost herself in a pair of sky-blue eyes.
"Did you notice anything in the papers?" his voice, still rough from sleep, snapped her out of her absorption. Caught off guard, she blinked and shook her head slightly, whereupon his lips twisted into a fine, amused smile. He knew exactly what effect he was having on her.
She calmly turned her wax tablet and placed it on the table in front of him. He bent over her bullet-point notes with interest. With each word he read, his whole body became more alert. Again and again, he turned and turned the tablet, while his eyes wandered faster and faster over the individual letters. With a jerk, he raised his head and his magnificent eyes bored into hers. Effortlessly calm, he demanded to know what this meant and raised the wax tablet in the air to demonstrate.
"I am not an accountant, nor an auditor," she replied calmly. "If you want to find inconsistencies, you should contact Vespasian. He is far more versed in this than I am. These are merely suggestions as to where the taxes would be better invested."
Quickly, Gaius placed her wax tablet next to the list of tax expenditures since the beginning of his principate and the list of his planned building projects. Together they went through and discussed each item on these three lists. Each of them argued and haggled for his ideas with everything he had. Slowly their feelings began to build up. After a while, Gaius jumped up from his chair, which flew backwards with a bang, and declared from the bottom of his heart, "Augustus found a city of bricks..."
"Found one of bricks and left one of marble," she interrupted him, impatiently imitating his schoolmasterly tone, and annoyed, threw his plans back on the table. She rose impetuously, slipped past the table between them, stood directly in front of Gaius and tapped his muscular chest with her index finger. "You are Gaius Julius Caesar, the son of Germanicus! You have no need to build any pointless flourishes and ostentatious palaces, as every princeps before you have done! Go your own way and create things that will advance your people! Build schools, a university or even an amphitheatre where you can fight gladiators or hold naval battles at will! But don't imitate someone just because you feel you have to be more like them"
Agitated, he looked down at her and Aurelia forced herself to withstand his gaze. Slowly the tension drained from his face. Gently he put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him.
"You're right," he whispered and breathed a feather-light kiss on the crown of her head. "Please don't get upset in your condition."
Aurelia just rolled her eyes and put her arms around his neck. Nervously she gnawed on her lower lip. Tentatively she enquired if there was any test, they could use to confirm her suspicions. Gaius gently placed his right hand on her cheek and replied, "To be honest, your pregnancy has already been confirmed by the usual tests. I already had such a feeling a few days ago and started everything in motion"
"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded to know in surprise.
"I thought you would already suspect it too" she replied simply, burying his hand in her hair. Shaking her head thoughtfully, she snuggled against him, closing her eyes and enjoying their moment of silence together. In the past weeks since their wedding, one turbulent event had followed the next, which was why she had paid little attention to herself. Other things had seemed more important to her.
A tentative knock against the doorframe brought them both out of their own little world. Gaius' deeply embarrassed secretary stepped awkwardly from one foot to the other, avoiding their glances, and laboriously got out the message that Gemellus would like to speak to them. The poor freedman even blushed as he pointed out that Gemellus insisted on Aurelia's presence.
"Would you like to accompany me to Gemellus, my heart?" asked Gaius softly, and immediately the images of her first and last stay in Gemellus' cell appeared in Aurelia's mind's eye.
"Gaius, I will always be by your side if you need me," she promised earnestly. Gaius only nodded and issued a series of orders to his secretary, whose name appeared to be Sophos. The freedman nodded hastily, immediately turned on his heel, and Aurelia had the feeling that in the next moment all her servants would emerge into her chambers and plunge into the now routine of their work. In record speed, Gaius and Aurelia had been washed, coiffed and dressed ready to go out, so that they could even have a quick breakfast.
Before they left their chambers, Gaius slipped his fingers between hers and quietly asked what a university was. Confused, Aurelia frowned and watched uneasily as the heavy door opened. Clemens nodded his greeting and Aurelia relaxed a little. Gaius squeezed her hand questioningly and suddenly she understood the real reason for his question: he was just as uncomfortable descending into this cell as she was and so he wanted to take his mind off it. With a fine smile on her lips, she lifted her mouth to his ear and began to tell him about a small part of her world. Again, and again she furtively looked around to make sure no one was listening to their whispered conversation.
Suddenly they were standing in front of a massive wooden door in a poorly lit corridor and Aurelia stopped talking in the middle of her story. All at once the idea of a university in ancient Rome seemed insignificant and trivial compared to what awaited them both beyond that door. Gaius beside her sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed her hand a little too tightly. Aurelia ignored the burgeoning pain and gently ran her thumb over the back of his hand. He immediately relaxed a little, eased the pressure around her hand and nodded to Clemens. He knocked three times on the door, a key turned in the lock and the heavy door swung open.
Someone had placed three chairs and a table in the middle of the cell, and Gemellus had already taken a seat on one of them. His face looked pale in the light of the oil lamp, but his eyes were no longer puffy and red from his desperate tears. The boy in front of them sat upright and patient in his chair like a naughty pupil at the rebuke of his teacher. From serious, clear eyes Gemellus looked up at them and a small smile flitted across his face.
"Thank you for coming," Gemellus' surprisingly clear voice filled the room. Aurelia, without hesitation, returned Gemellus' smile as Gaius led her straight to one of the two vacant chairs. After she had sat down, Gaius pulled the last free chair next to hers and took a seat. He had let go of her hand, but they sat so close that they kept touching each other lightly as they moved.
"You wanted to see me, Gemellus," Gaius demanded to know and it wasn't just Aurelia who could detect the tension in his voice. Gemellus swallowed and gave Aurelia a nervous sideways glance before focusing on Gaius again.
"I have thought long and hard," Gemellus said, placing his folded hands on the table. "I will support you in your charges against Macro. I will testify publicly on your behalf, and I throw myself on your mercy. I trust your judgement."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gaius' body breathe a sigh of relief and he leaned slightly against her, while Gemellus fixed his eyes on Aurelia with interest, as if he was beginning to realise what part she played in this game.