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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO xlii. does anyone like his fate? _______
Sebastian ran into the private chambers of Gaius Caligula. He'd just received the news that the emperor had fallen gravely ill. The plebs were lining up outside the palace, offering prayers and sacrifices to the gods in hopes that Gaius would come back to them.
The people of Rome loved Gaius. He was a breath of fresh air compared to Tiberius. He loved giving out charity, spoiling the people with games and feasts galore. The senators had doubts about him once - saying he was too young. And then, of course, there was the whole mystery on whether Gaius was responsible for the deaths of his uncle, Tiberius, and cousin who was named his co-heir, Gemellus. But, at the end of the day, Gaius was good to the people so the senators could do nothing.
And no one loved him more than Sebastian. Gaius had been a prisoner of Capri for longer than Sebastian, after Tiberius had his father, mother and older brothers murdered. Gaius was the only boy left alive, left to mourn with his three sisters. But now he had Sebastian too.
Sebastian pushed through the guards and burst into Gaius' room. The young emperor was led on his bed, looking deathly pale and unnaturally frail. Gaius was never the healthiest man but now he looked like nothing but skin and bones. The only people with him were his medic and his favourite sister, Julia Drusilla.
Sebastian cast Julia a dirty glare through his tear-stained eyes at he knelt down at Gaius' side. He took a hold of Gaius' cold hands with his shaking ones. He steadied his breathing.
"Leave us."
The medic looked astounded at this demand. "But, sir, in this state, the emperor requires constant attention."
Sebastian turned to glare at him. "Are you questioning me?"
The medic gulped. "Of course not, sir. Merely informing you that-"
"I said go!" Sebastian raised his voice this time, making sure that they knew he was being deadly serious. He didn't want to look at them. He didn't want anyone else near him except Gaius.
The medic and Julia Drusilla hurried out of the room. They'd both seen Sebastian angry before. Well, maybe not personally but they'd seen the aftermath. When Sebastian and Gaius had first got together, Tiberius found out. But he didn't like it. He kept trying to tempt Sebastian away from his nephew with prostitutes and slaves - Tiberius didn't see a difference between them; he had sex with anything that was breathing. Sebastian always turned them away and Tiberius didn't like that. Apparently he'd told one not to leave at any cost until Sebastian had bedded him. When Sebastian figured this out, he'd got so mad he'd ripped the young boy's throat out. He'd always felt a bit guilty about it but at least it'd got his message across.
