Aurelia || SERIES ROMANA I

Chapter 23 ~ Dogged by bad luck

In the short time available, Vespasius had really tried to create a home for a young girl. In her spacious room with its large, inviting bed was everything she needed. Two large chests full of clothes, a table with so many jars and vials that Aurelia would never get an overview, and a mirror. Again and again, he had apologised for not having procured slave girls for her yet. But Aurelia had managed to calm him down. She was already glad that her room was free of mosaics like the rest of the house. In every single picture in the atrium, one had been able to read Vespasius's preference for his own sex. The delicate, handsome faces of his Germanic slaves, the eldest of whom was certainly not yet twenty, also underlined this fact. In their own time, Vespasius would be hauled into court as a paedophile, perverted pig, but here it was quite normal for a Roman senator to enjoy himself with little boys. What crazy times these were in which she now lived. It was not at all reprehensible to love the same sex. What was reprehensible was to take the passive part in a relationship. It was something completely different to read about it than to actually look at it with your own eyes.
But even if Aurelia didn't understand why Vespasius didn't just look for someone his own age, she had come to appreciate him. He had done a lot for her. Through him, she had an honourable family behind her and finally a future in these difficult times for women.
Silently, Aurelia combed her hair. A soft knock on the door jolted her out of her thoughts and called out that the door was open. Immediately Vespasius came waddling into the room and inquired how she liked the room. Gently, Aurelia put down the brush and replied that it was very nice. Something in her tone caused Vespasius to inquire. Looking down at the floor, Aurelia confessed that she missed books.
"You like to read?" he asked, surprised. Continuing to avoid his gaze, Aurelia nodded. Vespasius waddled to the window and surveyed the wide marble bench.
"I will now make you the same offer I made to my nephews: You can borrow a book from my library at any time," Vespasius said kindly, and Aurelia smiled hesitantly at him. "You have a lovely view of the garden from the window. As soon as we leave tonight, my house slaves will place some cushions here for you. It's a nice place to read."
Quietly, Aurelia thanked them and asked why they were leaving the house tonight.
"A good friend of mine has invited us to dinner," Vespasius replied nonchalantly and immediately regretted not having bought slave girls for his daughter. Aurelia passed over his whining and began to look for dresses, which she also managed to get on her own. Questioningly, she lifted two different ones and Vespasius pointed to the left one. Sapphire blue. She had been leaning towards that one too.
Examining it, Aurelia held a strand of hair in front of her face. But she categorically refused to curl it alone with this strange curling iron. She had already banned her fingers or scalp on every modern device; on this antique metal tube she would only injure herself unnecessarily.
"Aurelia?", Vespasius addressed her gently and Aurelia flinched. She had quite forgotten that he was still in the room. Questioningly she looked at him. "I want to give you this"
The fat senator pressed a small but rather heavy casket into her hands. Aurelia sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully placed the casket on her thigh and admired the fine designs. Vespasius hesitantly sat down beside her. Gingerly, Aurelia opened the clasp and lifted the lid. Jewelled earrings with matching necklaces, bracelets and rings, gold anklets, shiny clasps and beautifully crafted brooches sparkled at her. Overwhelmed, she looked at him.
"I can't accept this, father!" she said in dismay, flipping the lid shut and wanting to give him back the casket. Vespasius raised his hands placatingly.
"These are family heirlooms and I want you to have them. Vespasian would look pretty silly with them," he explained simply and stood up. "You should get ready now. We leave in an hour"
Then he hurried out of the room. Sighing, Aurelia placed the casket on her dressing table, slipped into the blue dress and tugged the belt into place. She would just leave her hair down. She mascaraed her eyelashes. After a while, she found a pigment that was pretty close to her favourite lipstick in the 21st century and painted her lips with a fine brush. In her casket she found a discreet blue set. The stones on her neck and ears were drop-cut. Last but not least, she laced up her blue shoes and threw on a blue cloak. She carefully draped a fold of the cloak over her head.
Satisfied with her work, she strode leisurely into the atrium, sat there on the edge of the fountain and tried to ignore the mosaics. After a few minutes, Vespasian sat down beside her in a fresh toga.
"You get used to them over time," he assured her, and she couldn't suppress a grin.
"Do you know who invited us to their house tonight?" she asked him. Tactfully, he responded to her change of subject and wanted to know what his uncle had told her. Truthfully, Aurelia repeated Vespasius's words. Vespasian laughed softly.
"It's just like him to play it down," he said quietly, looking around cautiously. "Antonia Minor has invited us to her house."
A tangled family tree immediately formed in her mind. Surprised, Aurelia's eyes snapped open.
"Gaius' grandmother"
Although her tone did not form a question, Vespasian nodded. Suddenly she remembered something she had read about him a few years ago. There was a young slave girl in Antonia's household, Vespasian's mistress. Even when he married and became emperor, she stayed with him. As a senator, he had not been able to marry a freedwoman. How strange it was that he knew all these things about him. But how much stranger it was that all those things had not even happened yet. A small smile formed on Aurelia's face.
Before she could ask him about his great love, Vespasius joined them, and they set off. At the door they were greeted by some nasty looking guys. Instinctively, Aurelia stepped behind Vespasian. The latter half turned to her and smiled wryly.
"You don't need to be afraid of Magnus and his brothers. They are here to protect us," he explained with amusement and Aurelia's face flushed. Embarrassed, she let her father introduce her. The hard men smiled kindly at her, and Aurelia slowly began to relax in their presence. Perhaps it was quite good to have them around as protection.

After only a few minutes, they reached the brightly lit city villa of their hostess. But the cold was so intense that Aurelia was shivering all over. She should have put on a warmer coat.
Magnus knocked on the heavy iron gate and a blameless man with a motionless expression let them in. Vespasian bent to her and whispered in her ear that this was Pallas. Curious, Aurelia eyed the slave. Gaius had told her a lot about this slave of his grandmother. Apparently, Pallas was a genius for ciphers and strategies.
The pleasant warmth of the atrium sent a pleasant shiver down her body. Quickly, Aurelia loosened her fingers to stimulate the circulation. She confidently jutted her chin, squared her shoulders and entered the dining room with her family. Although the term room was a complete understatement. The room was larger than the canteen at her school. In the left corner of the room, some musicians were already playing soft melodies on their instruments, in the middle were the dining couches and spread out everywhere were slaves with jugs. Two of the couches were already occupied. On one lay a man in his mid-forties, talking softly in a monotone voice to the woman in the centre of the room. She was splendidly dressed, her skin showed hardly any wrinkles and she wore her light hair artfully pinned. Aurelia was surprised how such a powerful woman could be so small. Antonia Minor barely reached her chest. Delighted, she eyed the arrivals, jumped from her couch and greeted her male family members warmly. Then the gaze of her sky-blue eyes lingered on her, and Aurelia's breath caught. Julia and Gaius had inherited this colour from their grandmother. Antonia eyed them critically from head to toe. When their eyes met, she smiled graciously. Gently she took Aurelia's hands in hers and squeezed them lightly.
"You look a lot like your mother, Aurelia," she said in an affected voice. Her words hit Aurelia like a slap in the face. For apart from the colour of her hair, she was very much like her real mother. Doggedly, Aurelia pushed back the pain and politely returned her hostess's smile.
Still smiling, Antonia slipped a gold signet ring over her right index finger. Hastily, Aurelia affirmed that she could not possibly accept it. But Antonia held her hand in an iron grip and turned it towards the light so that Aurelia could look at the engraving. Just her elegantly intertwined initials: AV. A beautiful ring, just as Aurelia would have picked it out herself.
"Each Aurelia is entitled to her own signet ring. As the patroness of your family and of my long friendship with your father, I wish to give you this one," Antonia interrupted her. Her tone brooked no argument. Aurelia sank into a court curtsey and humbly bowed her head as she quietly thanked the patroness of her family for her kindness. When she lifted her gaze again, Antonia smiled gently at her.
"Welcome home, Aurelia Vespasia," Antonia spoke solemnly, releasing their hands and directing them to their places at the table. Vespasius and Vespasian shared the dining couch on Antonia's right, while Aurelia had to join the scowling senator. She hardly took part in the conversation because she understood very little about the subject. Lost in thought, she gazed at the elaborate tapestries on the walls, which recounted scenes from the Metamorphoses. The hint of a small smile stole onto her face. Again and again, she encountered this work of antiquity anew.
Suddenly the door was opened again with a flourish. Aurelia quickly turned her head, curious to see who else had been invited. Suddenly her body went numb and cold. Why was she always so unlucky?