Chapter Four

Once more in the villa's garden, Romulus sat on a bench with Messalina. Augustus was no longer in the garden it was just Romulus and Messalina in the garden while a statue of Venus, mother Aeneas, looked down upon them.

"Why does Tiberius hate you so?" inquired Messalina.

"Because I am my mother's son." Replied Romulus.

"Julia Major..." said Messalina. "Do you have any memories of her?"

"She was exiled to Pandateria the twelvemonth of my birth. I was born before her arrest, before my grandfather declared her marriage to Tiberius null and void. When Tiberius returned from Rhodes he wanted to expose me but my grandfather and step-grandmother would not allow it."

"Why?"

"I don't know. They just wouldn't. I suppose Augutus and Livia are the closest thing I have to a father and mother."

"I too was raised by my grandparents." Stated Messalina. "My father died before I was born and my mother died giving birth to me. Your situation looks relatively good in comparison. Your mother is only in exile. Do you know anything of your father?"

"He was a Hibernian trader." Answered Romulus. "My mother confessed to having killed him once she had become pregnant with me. Ironically, he was also the only lover she stuck around with long enough to become pregnant with a child. Guess Roman men had bored her."

Messalina could only smile. That was truly quite droll and fit her perfectly.