Agrippina

After the whole fiasco in triclinium in the morning, Agrippina commanded the four of her children to shut their mouths. "Never tell anyone, I say, not even to your father!", she said in her authorative voice. She felt so cold but her hot anger can be felt. "I'll handle this." she said firmly, her eyes scanning the room for anyone that's eavesdropping.

Determined to keep the matter in private with all those that are present. She turned her back to leave, but in her way out, she stopped, turned dramatically around and take one long look at her children, giving each one of them a look of warning.

She shot one last caution to her children, "Talk, and our family will be the laughing stock of Rome, Do you understand me?" Agrippina then exited leaving her children unable to protest with her decision. The two girls sobbing quietly and sitting together, Julia embracing Livilla. The two men remained standing still. Caligula with a lost expression in his face and Drusus with anger and disgust, his fist clenched at his sides.

Later that afternoon, Agrippina, the step-granddaughter of the first emperor of Rome, Emperor Augustus, came to his father's villa. Her father Marcus Vipsanius, the former closest friend and advisor of the former emperor, is sat on a bench in a shaded peristyle, engaged in a hushed conversation with someone.

She walked into the peristyle, her sandals clicking softly on the mosaic floor. She approached her father with a measured stride, her eyes fixed on the conversation, awaiting permission to interrupt. She's wearing a flowing white stola, pleated and draped elegantly around her slender frame. Her blond hair almost white, was styled in a neat braids, and a delicate gold necklace hangs on her neck.

She patiently wait, until she caught her father's eye. She gave a respectful bow and said, "I want to borrow two of your trusted men", she said without preamble. It is their secret code for someone who does a dirty job, someone who disposes people. Her father stopped talking, his eyes narrowing, and an ominous aura that Agrippina knows, radiate off her father.

His father then wrapped up his conversation and dismissed the man. The man gives Agrippina a respectful bow, then turned and left with quiet footsteps. Once the footsteps faded in the distance, silence ensues. Her detemined eyes is looking at his father's all knowing eyes. Once they made sure that nobody is listening. Marcus Vipsanius opened his mouth.

"Why do you need my trusted men? And two at that? What's a married woman like you going to do?", her father asked, curiosity is evident in his voice.

Agrippina as if she's thinking what to say remained silent. And after the long pause of silence she said, "I am going to dispose some rats."

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Germanicus returned home from the palatium, after sunset, drunk as a skunk, happy and beaming with pride.

Unbeknownst to him, his wife Agrippina was hiding something and doing something behind his back. He sought out Aggripina in their cubiculum. Seeing his wife standing, whose naked back is on him, combing her long blond hair, lit candles made from expensive beeswax lighting up the whole room, he breathe in with a relief. Wanting to share some good news, he stumbled inside.

Agrippina saw his husband stumbling stupidly inside, it reflected on her speculum. However, she did not turn to help her husband that is now half lying on the marble floor. Unable to sit, near the foot of their bed, after falling face flat on the floor. A slight annoyance is visible on her face.

"Wife..", Germanicus said in his drunken voice. He tried to stand up, but failed. Wanting for his wife to help and stand him but unable to form a word. His mind was still clouded with happiness from what he heard from Emperor Tiberius. And the loud laughters of the senators from the council factions, when they drank after he left the Emperor's throne. He even encountered the consul from the loyalist faction, Marcus Aemilius, seething. The look on his face is priceless.

He tried to climb on the bed, holding onto the foot of it. He succeeded. Then laid his body still clad in his armatura militaris. "Wife.." he repeated.

"What is it?," slightly annoyed, Agrippina replied. Her voice is monotonous.

"I might go to Antioch on the Orontes soon.. five days and five nights from now..", Germanicus managed to say while slurring his words.

"The emperor, my uncle.. he'll deployed me to Antioch and take care of Parthia..", he referred to Emperor Tiberius as his uncle even tho he is his adoptive uncle. "Oh.. it's a secret mission.. ", Germanicus trailed off then laughed. "If he can became an Emperor without an ounce of royal blood in him then so can i..", Germanicus's thoughts are slipping. Agrippina already knows, how envious and ambitious her husband is. "But no.. i'll have Nero Caesar the Emperor, it's too late for me.. I'm already old.. I won't be able to enjoy.. I don't want to be a puppet of the council.. Nero is.. Nero is perfect.. I can control him and the *hic hic* council", Germanicus continue to lay all of his thoughts.

Agrippina, who is used to his husband's rumbling when drunk, hear it in her right ear and exits on her left. She did not bother to comment. No sympathy is given. After all, what the two of them has, is an arrange marriage, set up by Emperor Augustus and her father, they've been together for years. There is no love shared between them. She rolled her eyes and continue to comb her hair.

"After i come back" Germanicus's loud voice started to fade, and Agrippina half listening half thinking of what transpired in the forest earlier, caught his husbands last word.. "When i come back, Tiberius will stepped off the throne.. Nero Caesar.. Nero Caesar will be... " Then he trailed off.

Agrippina as if she's washed with cold water stayed still. A bit pale. Is that right? Did i heard that right?

Then she has to hastened her plans..before her husband comes back from Antioch. She'd present Caligula as the new heir apparent. He is young but, he is bright and has a good reputation. She hated how immoral her two children had become. Caligula is the only one fit. Julia is a girl. And Drusus.. she remembered again what happened earlier. No, not Drusus, he is too emotional and hard to control. Caligula is perfect, she's sure that she can control him.

But first, she has to set a date for Caligula's engagement party and to announce it, so that he will have a solid supporter from Junii Silanii family. The engagement talks, that she carefully negotiate with the girl's parents, between Caligula and Junia Claudilla are already at the final stage so the timing is just right. Then Nero Caesar, i will break his legs! then disguise it as an accident, making him unfit for the throne. After all he is her son. She can't have him killed. She'll just punish him. And marry Livilla off to some lower nobles. Her plan is perfect, then she'll ask her father Marcus Vipsanius to have a meeting with the council while her husband is away, and present Caligula as a new heir.

Her plan is solid.

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INDEX:

1. peristyle - courtyard or garden surrounded by a colonnade

2. stola - traditional garment worn by married woman symbolizing their matronly status

3. junii silanii - a noble clan with junia and silanus in their name