Chapter Nine

"What did he mean by that do you think?" asked Messalina as she sat in the atrium with her husband and cousin-in-law.

Romulus was quiet. He merely looked at the floor as he thought it over. It was possible that Caligula was mad and it did not mean anything. Another possibility was that Caligula never meant to keep his word in the future for indeed keeping one's word was a kind of loyalty was it not? He just was not sure.

Claudius merely shook his head and said: "What does it matter? He something, it was strange. I still can't believe you went so far as to suggest Caligula is not his father's son, not my nephew. He could have killed you."

"But he did not." Said Messalina. "And for that I am thankful."

"It might just mean he wants to kill him later." Countered Claudius. "Romulus, what were you thinking?"

"If he makes the exposure comment I shall counter it!" Stated Romulus. "I explained that to him, I thought you would have been able to figure that out, Claudius."

"I did figure it out but considering Germanicus recognized Caligula as his son it makes no difference what side of the blanket... Oh, forget it! Should he become Tiberius' heir the best chance for your survival would be to leave Rome, go far from Roman jurisdiction. Get to Britannia, get to Hibernia just get somewhere that Caligula will not be able to get you."

"I've been thinking of Hibernia but I do not even know to which family my father belonged, that he was a Gael I know that but which Gaels in Hibernia am I kin to?" asked Romulus.

"Had Aeneas any kin when he came to this land and founded Rome?" asked Claudius, rhetorically.

"I know you are asking a rhetorical question, Claudius, but I have sat through debates of authors claiming that Latinus' mother Marcia was a form of Venus so that would make him Aeneas' maternal half-brother."

Claudius sat there with wide eyes staring at Romulus. He made a good point. He could see Messalina covering her mouth with her right hand as she laughed. Indeed, that was actually kind of funny.

"I... I, uh, presume there were those claiming that Marcia was a form of someone other than Diana?" inquired Claudius.

"Diana." Answered Romulus.

"Diana." Repeated Claudius, looking to the atrium's ceiling. "How interesting. I really should attend one of these debates, might I join you next time you attend one?"

"If you wish." Romulus stood up and began to pace. "You know I truly worry about Rome should Caligula become First Citizen. I doubt the Senate will recognize any son he fathers by any of his sisters... Why should they? The concept of recognizing a son brought about by a union between brother and sister is disgusting, we are not the Egyptians before the death of Cleopatra... Caligula isn't even married his father had been married to his mother five twelvemonths by the time he was seventeen."

"You had not been born yet, Romulus." Commented Claudius. "You should not be making that comparison."

"And yet you who were present when they married did not make the comparison." Returned Romulus. "Caligula is not married and has no children be they adopted or natural, who will lead Rome after him should he ever become First Citizen?"

"A change of subject please!" exclaimed Messalina. "The very concept of Caligula as First Citizen is going to give me nightmares."

A moment of silence passed until Claudius at last spoke. "I wonder how many more twelvemonths my mother Antonia Minor has... My paternal grandmother Julia was always kinder than my mother even if she did put me in the care of a former mule driver to keep me disciplined."

"A different subject, please." Requested Romulus. "That is more depressing than a Greek tragedy... How is your wife, Claudius?"

"Aelia? She is good, pregnant... The death of my son Claudius Drusus saddens me but he was a stupid boy."

"He was four." Commented Messalina.

"He was stupid!" exclaimed Claudius, hitting his right knee with a fist. "H-He tossed a pear into the air, caught it in his mouth and choked on it! Would an intelligent boy have done that! I pray Aelia's child is an intelligent one. I know exactly why my son was so stupid it is because his mother was Plautia Urgulanilla. That is what I get for having married an adulteress that had been involved in the murder of her own sister-in-law. I marry a woman like that and I end up with a stupid child, actually given the fact she was an adulteress I doubt Claudius Drusus even was mine... I am much happier with Aelia but I suspect I shall divorce her as well eventually. I am happy with her but she is an arrogant woman so I believe I may divorce her a twelvemonth after our child is born. Eventually I will find someone better either by myself or by Tiberius choosing someone for me."

"Tiberius choosing someone for you?" asked Romulus in disbelief.

"He is my uncle, shouldn't he care for the continuation of our family?"

"He has retired from politics and left Sejanus in charge, he would probably leave the finding of a wife for you to Sejanus."

"Better Sejanus than nobody, I am an important member of this family so a wife for me should be found."

Romulus leaned forward and smelled wine on Claudius' breath. "Claudius, have you been drinking?"

"Am I going to have to hear a tirade about how wine leads to chaos if I say yes?"

Romulus glared at his cousin. He had never liked wine that was something he shared with Messalina. He viewed wine as only a short step as only a short step away from chaos and idiocy. Once, when he was fifteen, he went to one of Bacchus' temples and voiced his belief before the Wine God's worshippers and priests. He ended up getting wine goblets hurled at him and he was lucky that was all they did. Being struck with a fever the following day had only caused Romulus to swear to never worship Bacchus or Osiris, as the Egyptians called him. Messalina herself had experienced something similar in Nola when she refused to dance at a Bacchanalia even though as a dancing girl it had been required for her to do so or so the owner of her dancing school had said.

"Just give me an answer." Growled Romulus.

"Alright, I had a little bit." Replied Claudius.