Ides of March, 44 BCE. The death of Julius Caesar.
When Caesar is assissinated his only living child, Lucretia Julia Caesaris, is left alone in the turbulant Rome. That is until her cousin, and new brother, Gaius Octavius arrives and changes the lan...
"You want to be Consul?" Lucretia said, it was phrased as a question but wasn't really meant as one and Gaius didn't even bother to respond. "Well, they won't just give it to you."
Agrippa furrowed his brows, "does that matter? We have the army, we have the power."
Lucretia laughed and glanced at Gaius who also looked slightly amused, "ah my brave Agrippa, not all things can be solved with blood and steel," she ran her hand along his arm.
"Why not?"
"The men of the Senate are important and well-respected in Rome, we can't kill them all and it would look... un-Roman to threaten the city itself, the people would turn against us." Agrippa nodded in acquiescence but didn't look completely convinced.
"What did you have in mind?" Gaius asked, fixing the belt on his tunic.
"Ask for something bigger, a Triumph, ask for a Triumph" Lucretia suggested, both her lovers looked at her in question, "Cicero, who they will most certainly send given your history together, will refuse you. Then ask for the Consulship, he'll have to agree to one or the other and he can't give you a triumph."
Gaius blinked at her for a moment then his lips broke into a smile and he let out a short laugh, "my sweet sister you are a genius."
"I know." Agrippa suddenly grabbed her and pulled her in for a kiss, "our beautiful genius," he said as he kissed all over her face. Gaius joined him a moment later and Lucretia dissolved into laughter in their arms.
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GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR.
Cicero looked almost exactly the same as when Gaius last saw him. The only differences being the slightly more haggard expression and the dirt covering the bottom of his white toga. "Cicero! Welcome," Gaius called, reaching out to grasp his arm in greeting.
"Young Caesar," Cicero said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "welcome back to Rome, and congratulations on your victory."
"Oh, Hirtius and Pansa did much, and what they didn't do I owe to Agrippa," he said humbly, as he waved his hand to offer Cicero a seat.
Cicero smiled at Agrippa, who stood behind Gaius' own chair. "But you are not here to discuss the victory at Mutina."
"No, I am not," Cicero agreed as his face became more serious, "I am here to ask on behalf of the Senate and the People of Rome why you have not yet surrendered your command."
"I do not believe that I have been appropriately... congratulated for my victory."
"Congratulated?" Cicero said, his voice confused, "how would you wish to be congratulated?"
"I won a victory against an enemy of Rome, surely that is worthy of a Triumph?" Gaius said, trying to contain the smirk that was edging onto his mouth.
