Chapter Five

The day passed and by the time night had come Augustus's life had finally come to its end. Lying in his bed with his family around him, his tired eyes stared at all who were present.

"Have I played the part well?" he asked. When all nodded he then said: "Then applaud as I exit!" Augustus eyes closed and he took his final breath.

Romulus and Claudius both bowed their heads while Livia closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks but it was Tiberius' response to Augustus' death that set him apart from the rest of his family. Dry-eyed, he merely stared uncaring at his stepfather's husk. With a cold tone he said: "Now I am Rome's First Citizen, even if I do not desire to be."

And with that Tiberius exited the bedchamber. Romulus could not know if his step-uncle truly felt anything for Augustus' passing. He had little reason to believe Tiberius did feel anything for Augustus' passing. After what he had just said and with the tone he had said it, Romulus could perfectly believe that the only thing Tiberius cared about were his own desires.

How was Romulus feeling? Augustus had been his maternal grandfather but more importantly he had been the only father that Romulus had ever known. Romulus was feeling more crestfallen than he appeared. The only father he had ever known was dead, his great protector, his mentor, his friend... They might not have always agreed with one another but they loved each as grandson and grandfather and as son and father should have. Romulus did not even think of what would happen to him now that Tiberius was First Citizen, his first thought was instead if he would be able to defend Livia, his step-grandmother, the only mother he had ever known.

Romulus slowly walked out of the bedchamber and walked into the garden. Kneeling before the statue of Venus, he stared at it unsure of what to say to the statue. He had never spoken to any gods before. He had often been too afraid to and now he certainly was still, he spoke to Venus. In the end, he did not speak to the statue. He merely lay before it and there did he fall asleep.

With sleep came dreams. He did dream that he saw Augustus stand before him even then. They stood not in the garden but rather in the Theatre of Pompey. Here had Julius Caesar been assassinated long before Romulus time, back when Augustus was nineteen. Those were the days of a Rome that no longer existed.

Augustus did not speak to Romulus nor did Romulus speak to Augustus. Grandfather merely held out a hand for his grandson to take and once more was Romulus a small child and his grandfather the colossus he had always seemed to be during Romulus' childhood.

The light brown eyes of Augustus looked down into the mismatched eyes of his grandson. Out of the Theatre of Pompey did Augustus lead his grandson until they were walking through a burning city that Romulus had not been to in some time: Ilium.

On the sight of Troy had it been built and now was it would seem that Ilium was taking Troy's place in the dream. Burning buildings, Romans fighting faceless enemies, horses running through the streets, Romulus had been returned to where he had spent a vast majority of his childhood as it had been in the days before Rome's existence.

Livia too was with them. Through the horror they walked with no faceless enemy ever attacking them. Yet in the turmoil Livia vanished and was never more seen again. Thus did Augustus and Romulus reach the slopes of Mount Ida without Livia, third wife to Augustus and step-grandmother to Romulus!

At the slopes of Mount Ida the trees became uprooted and upon reaching the water became a great ship. Augustus and Romulus then boarded the ship and the oars rowed without men to row them until they reached an island where fine cattle grazed.

A bull as grand as the Cretan Bull did die and soon did it turn into cooked meat. Grandfather and grandson reached for the cooked meat only for a harpy to come down and snatch the viands from them. Again did the ship set sail but it was after setting sail that Augustus turned into an eagle and Romulus into his self outside of the dream, a lad of sixteen twelvemonths.

"My time is over, Romulus." Said the eagle as it flew away into the heavens. "Your time is now and shall be for many a twelvemonth. Be audacious and temerarious and ever shall you emerge conquering."

"But how may I emerge conquering when Tiberius is now First Citizen?"

"Many trials and tribulations lie ahead for my stepson." Stated the eagle. "You will be something he shall focus the least on."

"Then focus on me he shall?"

"Aye." Said the eagle, its voice echoing three times as it finally vanished into the sky.

With the eagle gone, the accouterments of a Roman soldier appeared on Romulus' person. The helmet of a legionnaire was his and fastened to his right shoulder was a red cape. Never before had Romulus ever thought of being a soldier but now the thought was placed in his head with the question being would it last once the dream had ended?

Such thoughts soon ended as violent winds began to blow. The ship sailed, the invisible hands continuing at the oars, struggling against the wind until finally the ship was driven to Africa where the city of Carthage was located.

Thus did Messalina enter the dream dressed like a queen! On a beach did she and Romulus meet and as they did meet Livia did appear before them with a pomegranate, the symbol of Juno in her left hand, and a rose, the symbol of Venus in her right hand. Livia merely stood there and soon vanished as soon as she had appeared.

They returned to Carthage, a city where every citizen wore a mask with neither eyes nor mouth. There in the palace, a place of beauty and good did Romulus and Messalina converse with one another.

"Much have we spoken of." Said Messalina. "But I ask why the First Citizen's grandson would be interested in a mere dancing girl?"

"At first it was the color of your hair." Confessed Romulus. "But as we spoke and found how much we mirror each other from being raised by our grandparents to having a hostile step-relation that I believe that I might have found the mate of my heart."

A lovely sentiment! Alas for the entrance of a bogie-horned Tiberius.