He almost instantaneously felt the eyes of his companions the moment he turned the corner and was in view of the gardens. He wondered what they thought, seeing the bulking, ominous figure of Lucilia Cornelia Sulla Felicia behind him as if she was his titanic summon. She had draped over herself her pristine white toga, adding further to her already incredulous size. I’m fine, guys. Somehow I survived!

  The banquet was still in full swing, though as the beefcake of a woman walked by, tables quieted. He wondered why, and as he tried to determine it, he could only figure out that they looked uncertain about something. If not a little guilty.

  Finally, they arrived at their table, and Richard laid down at the only available space, in between Gaia and Pullina this time. Sulla, on the other hand, took the seat on the couch in between Caesarea and Richard, the one that had the best view of the entertainment.

  “Ah, consul Sulla! Finally show up, I see! Where’re the twins?”

  “I’m afraid I had to send them off to run some errands. Deep apologies, friend Lucia.”

  “Shame, they were quite the company.”

  “In such a rush today to start the festivities, friend Lucia?” Sulla said. “Your hurry has rarely helped us on the field.”

  “Bah! I call it bravery!”

  The two women chuckled. Caesarea tilted her head, her grin turning a little sharper. Sulla, who never had even the inkling of a smile anyways, readjusted her elbow position.

  “How is Gaia’s mother, Pullina?” Sulla started with a grunt.

  “She’s well,” she answered, “As you can imagine, the recent turmoil has been stressful.”

  “Any effect on her business?”

  “Greatly. You can imagine her annoyance at Sulpicia’s actions.”

  “Despite the fact she voted for Sulpicia’s policies before?”

  Pullina froze.

  Seriously? Richard struggled with the web of alliances in his head. The only thing that was clear was Sulpicia and Sulla against each other. Caesarea seemed to be Sulla’s ally, and maybe Crassa. But Gaia and her mother? Perhaps they were with Sulpicia? But then why be so relatively cordial to each other until now?

  “As you know,” Pullina carefully said from his right, her grey eyes suddenly gaining focus. “My matron is a woman of the people. The pains of the lower classes, despite their fate, holds heavy consideration in her heart. However–” Caesarea looked like she was about to say something, but Pullina hurriedly appended. “It is out of question that she would stoop so low. We know well that conflict between ourselves helps no one but Rome’s enemies.”

  “Good answer.” Sulla nodded. “To think, after the whole debacle with Italian citizenship, we would see it be extended to home grown conflicts.” Sulla said with what should have been a great theatrical sigh. “Brings to question the Lex Julia.” In her mouth, it was more like a condemnation.

  Caesarea tossed a morsel of meat into her mouth, letting the juices dribble down her cheek, down the contours of her neck and into her cleavage. “Would you rather we have fermented further rebellion in the peninsula? The allies are hungry for change. The Roman identity could withstand a little expansion.”

  A little lost, Richard leaned in and whispered his confusion to Pullina’s ear. She yelped quietly and covered her ear.

  “Don’t do that!–“

  “Sorry?”

  “They speak of the Marsic War.” She whispered back. “Many of our allies on the Italian peninsula rose up because of the citizenship question.”

  Sulla drank from a cup of wine. It creaked from her grip. “All it was, was a concession of weakness,” She said, speaking of the Lex Julia. “I could have turned them against each other without going as far as you did.”

  “Oh? Pray tell?”

  “A new brand of citizenship. More rights. Not give them everything, including voting rights, as you have. Though it is not too late to roll them back.”

  “Good luck finding support for that with Sulpicia on the prowl.”

  “She’ll ruin us all, that one. Too happy to grab whatever power’s within reach without thinking with her birdbrain for a second about the consequences on Rome.” Sulla’s voice lowered, taking on a more sinister tone. “In fact, one might even call her actions treasonous.”

  The air in the room grew heavy from her words. Richard felt a chill down his spine as he realized the dangerous territory the conversation had entered.

  “Treason is a serious accusation,” Caesarea slowly dragged her tongue over her sauced fingers. “But I can’t deny the merit of your words. To threaten the very foundation of our republic is treason.”

  “Indeed,” Sulla continued, her grip on her wine cup tightening further. “And we all know the consequences for traitors.”

  Richard licked his lips. He was thankful that such a conversation was kept currently limited to the two politicians. However, still wishing to know, he whispered to Pullina. “How did giving people citizenship result in Sulpicia causing violence in the streets?”

  “Citizenship means votes. Our allies have closer ties to certain members of the aristocracy more than others.” Pullina answered for him.

  “Oh, so Sulpicia’s with the allies, and Sulla and Caesarea are on the side that aren’t?”

  “Correct.”

  “Well?” Sulla's voice cut through Richard and Pullina’s conversation. “It sounds like your guests are the curious sort.”

  Richard stiffened.

  “That they are,” said Caesarea. “Is there something on your younglings’ minds?”

  ‘No’ was his immediate reaction until he noticed that on his left, Gaia definitely did. So Richard made sure to speak before her. “So this situation with the Roman italian allies, do they come from outside of the Republic?”

  “No, our alliance dates back centuries.”

  Autonomous allies within Rome’s territory, I’m afraid I have very little experience with that. How does that work? Is it like the separation in the US with separated states and federal government? “Is it then so bad to give them that citizenship? Means they pay more taxes to you, no?”

  Caesarea picked up another piece of sauced meat, and let the most of it hang from her pinched grip in mid air. She let it sway listlessly, like a hanged man. “Kid, they may have stood with Rome for a long time, but they aren’t Romans.” She answered. “We are the ones who have protected them and graciously included them in our great republic. Rather than…” Then, her other hand rose to her food. Gripping her victim with both hands, she tore it in half. Caesarea smiled at him. “You know.” Then, she tossed the two into her mouth.

  “That’s not the most significant problem.” Sulla added slowly. “The citizenship question is a mere pretext for their true aim: a challenge to Rome’s authority.” Her eyes flashed with cold fury.

  Her deep voice gave gravitas to her words. “To raise up arms against us was a brazen, foolish act of supreme treachery. Their ambition overflowed their sense, it was our duty to stomp it out before it could take root.” She took a great long drink from her cup, before slamming down onto the table.

  “That’s what they are. Villains, marching against us.” Sulla's eyes turned to Pullina and Gaia. “And any support against the enemies of Rome, no matter how slight–should be treason.”

  Richard swallowed. At the edge of his vision, he saw Pullina shift uncomfortably and Gaia flinch. The woman looked like she was dumbstruck at the sudden attack, while Gaia, despite her previous spunk, knew of a sudden escalation when she saw it.

  He barely understood the conflict himself, but he did understand that sides had been drawn. He wondered how much of Sulla’s invitation to the banquet was even about himself–had he been arrogant to assume so?

  He froze.

  Was she targeting Gaia’s family through me?

  Pullina seemed like she wanted to say something. Her mouth gaped, and when she could talk, all that came out was a stammer.

  He reached out across Gaia without thinking, pushing the child back partially behind his larger frame. Despite his own growing unease, he took also Pullina’s left hand in his own, and when she looked at him, gave her the best reassuring look he could. Their gaze met.

  It was a conflicting feeling, the one he had in his gut. There was resentment for what he was to her. There was fear for his position in this life. There was a burgeoning affection, just a tiny little sprout that peaked out to the surface. All of which was dwarfed by what he glimpsed within her eyes.

  The flash of pain of being told you’re worth less than someone else, a wound not inflicted by insults but by choice.

  The meager, desperate hope she had–how far she must have dreamed only to be dragged all the way down to the harsh, cold reality of circumstance.

  The absolute destruction Crassa brought, humiliating the woman in front of her man. How ashamed she must have felt, not just as a person, but as a woman.

  No matter what had transpired between them earlier, how could he leave her like that?

  At his touch, she looked stunned. Whatever thoughts were going through her head, he could almost see them simmer and boil through the movement of her gaze. A complexity that he could only skim the thinnest of the surface of. Then, she closed her eyes, hiding away the flood of emotions that took her.

  When she reopened them, she turned to face one of the most powerful women in Rome in her own home turf.

  “It’s a common mistake–“ She started. “–A common mistake to assume our place among the civilizations of the world. In truth, we are besieged at all sides–the Germanic tribes in the North, the Gauls at the North-West, and Pontus at the East. The Republic stands a giant among giants, and for that, all grow jealous of our prosperity.”

  “Your fear betrays you, Pullina.” Sulla said. “Maria thrashed both the Cimbri and the Teutones in one battle at Aquae Sextiae; the supremacy of Rome is unquestionable. All they can do is scrounge whatever scraps are left, before we tear them limb from limb for deeming themselves worth even trash.”

  Caesarea glanced at Sulla.

  Richard also noticed that many of the people around them were discretely listening in.

  “Not fear but good sense. The balance of power shifts unpredictably and even the crushing of these smaller powers around Rome takes a toll on our mighty republic. As much as we need to enforce our authority, we must also consider that influence can be won with bread as much as the sword.”

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  “Then you would forcefully sacrifice what isn’t yours–our Roman dignity, our pride–for someone else’s affluence? To put Romans to the sword, such that you can offer the allies bread?”

  “I–“ Pullina looked confused. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean. Forcefully? The Julii–“

  Sulla reached into her toga and extracted a stack of paper-like material–compared to normal paper, they were colored like wheat and weaved together. She tossed them onto the table and they landed with a thump. “You lie.” She growled. “Friend.”

  Pullina reached forward and grabbed some of the documents, her hands shaking. “I… I don’t understand…?”

  “You are right.” For a second, Richard thought he saw Sulla’s eyes flash red. “The balance of power shifts like leaves in the wind, swaying left and right at a moment’s notice. But you overreach yourselves–do not think I am powerless that I would do nothing against your incessant thievery.”

  Caesarea picked up some of the documents too. “Trade deals. Real estate purchases.” She flipped through the strange weaved paper. “New constructions. The seals, and the names of the signatories, I don’t recognize them.”

  “Why is he here?” Pullina said. She traced the name at the bottom of the sheet she was holding. “The property is worth thousands of sesterces…”

  “You know him?” Sulla inched forward.

  As Pullina paused, Richard knew exactly what she was thinking. She was judging her response with the same seriousness one would gamble with their life. Her fidgety hands made it far too obvious, her shallow breath as her heart rate most likely climbed.

  “No need to talk.” Sulla suddenly said. “I know.” She dropped. “3rd cousin from your mother’s aunt's side. Married a woman with distant relationship to the Antonia.”

  Oh shit, what a dick!

  Sulla picked another from the pile. “Freedwoman who used to be owned by your own paternal mother’s great niece.” And another. “Distant uncle of your cousin’s husband.” Every single sentence was one more bullet chambered in Sulla’s proverbial gun. “You understand what this means?”

  It was all too much for Pullina. Her face was white, her hands balled up so tight the ‘paper’ within her hands looked like they were only staying intact by miracles.

  “You’ve declared war on me.” She snarled. “I have no mercy left to give, Pullina. Not after her death. By my hand, this debt can only be paid in one way.” Her threat was as effective as a knife posed at the throat. Her tongue, effective as one who had decades to sharpen her oration into a blade.

  Richard had no idea what to do. This had gone so beyond him that he might as well had been worthless. He needed to get Pullina out, but how? He needed to protect Gaia too, but as a powerless man with no connections to anyone else, he was as useful as a feather in a storm. Once again, his lack of leverage showed itself clearly.

  Such was his distraction that he was not able to react when Gaia got up and stabbed a finger at Sulla.

  “Why is it that you’re blaming everything on us when you’re the one who’s too weak to hold onto your own friends?!” She shouted. “Why not blame your allies, who are a bunch of disloyal cowards?!”

  Richard and Pullina's minds just went blank.

  There was a sudden hush over the banquet.

  Dozens of faces turned to them. Even the dancers and actors stopped, not sure what they should do. The musicians stopped mid song.

  Sulla was deadly still. If Richard expected her to burst into anger like a bull her Aspect suggested, he was proved completely incorrect. Instead, she reached for her cup–a silver chalice–and tossed it back. Then, she handed it off towards a servant behind her. “Get some more wine.” She said. The servant was too stunned, not even certain if he should take it.

  “What is it?” Sulla asked. “Is there anything wrong?”

  Her voice was sweet.

  The towering, muscle bound tank was sweetly talking with the grace of an amputated alpaca.

  The hands of the servant raised slowly, so slowly Richard thought he was diffusing a bomb rather than taking a cup. There were a few moments where he hesitated, and progress regressed, but through titanic effort he finally wrapped his fingers around it.

  “Well?” Sulla said calmly. “Go on.”

  He quickly scampered away.

  At that the party restarted. A little forcefully, and everyone’s eyes were still glancing at their table, but at the very least the festival restarted with all the suddenness of pressing a start button. Richard was a little shocked in fact, but as he looked around, he realized there was always something off. Smiles that were too forced. Meaningless conversations. That kind of thing.

  But no matter how difficult, they pushed through.

  Once the attention was off Gaia, the catgirl looked very out of place just standing there with her finger pointing.

  “Sit down.” Sulla said.

  Gaia sat back down. What she had just done seemed to slowly sink into her head. Her wide eyes watched Sulla as the woman looked like she didn’t have one worry in the world.

  Richard’s eyes turned to Vospicia and Caesarea. The first woman looked just as shocked as him and Pullina. Caesarea, on the other hand, was watching the situation carefully, but her expression was well guarded.

  “To start,” Sulla said, turning to Caesarea. “What is there for the mensae secundae, Lucia?”

  The entire table looked at each other. People shifted in the silence. It took a moment for Richard’s translator to spit out ‘dessert’ after stuttering on ‘second table’.

  Caesarea answered though, with a smile. “Oh, you’d like it. We’ll start with globi, the same recipe I received from Cato that dates back to Cato the Elder. Followed by Tiropatina, made from the finest of aged soft cheese and garnished with dill and mint…” She sounded far more polite than she had at the start of their meeting, losing the low-class mannerism she had.

  “Is there sorbet?” Sulla inquired.

  Caesarea paused. “You’re got quite the craving there. For you, friend Sulla, of course–“

  “Serve a bowl to our young friend here.” Sulla pointed at Gaia using her chin.

  Richard had no idea what to make of this exchange, only blankly staring. The unease was so strong it made his stomach hurt, as if it was wrenching itself into non-existence.

  The first dessert was served, and the globi revealed itself to be spherical tarts. Cheesecake bites, in fact. Absolutely delicious with how they melted in his mouth, but he found himself almost too worried to enjoy them as he would have. His shaking hand at one point slipped up and dropped one onto the ground, though nobody commented on it. Instead, they continued in small talk, something that Pullina also joined in with greatly exaggerated calm.

  The second dessert was a custard. It was floral, airy, quite light. The taste of honey stayed on his tongue, intermingled with pomegranate flavors in a wonderful concoction. It was so good it almost made him barf from the sheer contrast it had with his stress.

  It was during this second course that Gaia’s ‘sorbet’ came.

  The dessert was served in a green, translucent glass cup. Colored designs were inscribed, marking it as a piece that most likely was worth more than Richard’s life in the eyes of these Romans. The ‘sorbet’ itself wasn’t what he expected, however. It looked like an elaborate arrangement of fruits mixed in with snow colored by juice.

  Gaia looked at it with barely concealed fear.

  Richard hurriedly looked at Pullina. Did she think it was poisoned? But why this dessert specifically? The other woman looked also put off, but said nothing as no words came to her.

  The three opposing women only looked at them, with no changes to their usual expressions, revealing nothing.

  He looked around, thinking quickly. Then, he reached for a silver plate and spoon he had used before, and before everyone, stole a scoop of Gaia’s dessert. He spread it around as much as he dared on his plate, not caring how it mixed with the remaining meat juices from earlier, and when he saw nothing he spooned it into his mouth at a hastened pace.

  The frozen dessert was refreshing and made him absolutely salivate. There were cherries, figs, and orange slices–he also detected the taste of apples and cinnamon. Were there poisons that tasted like that? His heart rapidly beat in his chest.

  “Sorry,” he said after swallowing it, “I’ve had it before and I just couldn’t stop myself. Absolutely divine.” He tried to give his best smile.

  Caesarea’s expression didn’t change from her crooked grin. “I do hope it’s the best dessert you’ve ever eaten, kid. I had people climbing to the peak of mountains for the freshest, most-untouched snow. One slave even lost a toe.”

  That’s some fucked up ice cream!

  Sulla just looked at him. He could never tell what that woman was thinking. If I spew out blood, I’m spewing it at you! He thought.

  There was movement at the corner of his eye, and his attention was brought back to Gaia who was still sitting a little behind him. Both Pullina and Gaia stared at him. The first with an unclear mix of worry and anger, though now having taken a sigh of relief at Caesarea’s answer. The second, almost in tears.

  “I’ll…” She said, hiccuping. “No… You… You can have the rest.” She held it up to him, lowering her head such that her face faced the floor.

  If there was poison, it wasn’t fast acting. He took it from her and did his best to superficially happily eat it. It was easier to do than he thought. Fuck, I already died once for nothing. I’ll die the second time eating the most expensive bowl of chilled fruits I’ve ever had, saving a child's life at least.

  The rest of the desserts came as normal. Oddly enough, Sulla forwarded any further of her shares to him. Richard, despite enjoying the taste greatly, could barely focus on them as he looked inward to see if he had any reactions. Nothing he could tell at least, and he supposed it would be very bad manners to poison someone at their own banquet.

  At the end, Caesarea gave some words about the bravery of Rome, some fighting words about something in the East, and then hopes for the future of Rome. There was polite clapping before a large number of wine started being brought forward and poured for everyone. At this stage, numerous participants started getting up and moving around, going from couch to couch.

  Really? That’s it?

  Sulla didn’t look angry at all, chatting with the rest of them about meaningless things like fig imports of all things.

  That woman was the antithesis of a gentle giant. She was not afraid to use her physical strength, crushing her opponents easily underneath her. Not even the full army that had gone after her yesterday had been able to contain her. She was the personification of a bulldozer with all the subtlety of an artillery barrage. Whatever she needed, she went after with bull-like voracity.

  His eyes went up to her horns.

  That wasn’t a pun.

  However, clearly he had misjudged her. There was more there. He hadn’t seen all of it yet, but there was a mind that was turning behind the actions of those biceps of hers.

  And that was terrifying.

  With physical power and mental acuity, did she have any weaknesses at all?

  …So whatever she is planning… I must figure it out.

  Gaia excused herself for the bathroom. A look from Richard and Pullina went too.

  I should inquire tactfully… But how do I do that? It wasn’t like he had any experiences in this sort of thing. I assume they have some kind of ‘Roman’ conventions for this thing! Glancing around, notices that numerous people seem to be shuffling towards his table. Made sense, numerous very important members of the Roman government were here.

  A servant came up to Sulla. She whispered a few words, and then dropped a few coins in her hands. Then, the servant left.

  “Consul Sulla,” he started. I don’t think it’s the right moment to ask right now. Not in public, where reminding her of it can only be an insult. “Now that Pullina is gone, I do have some questions if you wouldn’t mind.” He chose his words carefully.

  “Go on.”

  “It’s…” He shuffled a little bit, scratching his cheek. “It’s a little embarrassing. As a promised groom, there is much about married life I have little experience with. I would like to leverage your wealth of life experience, my consul.” He didn’t think he could make himself blush, but he hoped the act was good enough.

  Sulla watched him with an inquiring gaze. Vospicia and Caesarea, who had been a moment ago speaking about the waterways of Rome, stopped suddenly to pay attention to their interaction. “You’d wish to speak to me alone?” She grunted.

  “Yes!” He jumped at it. Perfect! It’s like she knew exactly what I was thinking!

  Caesarea gave Sulla a smirk.

  “Hmmmm.” Sulla growled. “No.”

  No?! “Wait, why?!”

  “No.”

  Caesarea cracked up. “Sulla, you need to loosen up! You can’t reject a young boy like that, even someone like him.” Richard twitched.

  “Please, consul Sulla?” He tried. “It’s not like it’ll take long? I really, really need to ask…” Someone’s life could be at stake!

  Sulla averted her gaze from his. She swallowed, before her gaze returned. “...Fine. As long as it’s a question.”

  The two got off the couches and Sulla led him through the crowd. Many people tried to get her attention but their calls fell on deaf ears, and ended up parting to let them through. They reentered the hallways at the end of the building, and through there, found themselves a different room than where they bandaged his hand. She let him in, and then closed the door behind him. It shut louder than he expected, making him jump.

  It was a pretty bare room. There was a bed and two chairs.

  “Speak.”

  He scratched his head. “Uh, sorry, to start, it wasn’t a question about marriage. It’s about…”

  It happened so fast he could barely make sense of it.

  One second he was standing there, the next she had pushed him against the wall, his hands pinned underneath her left hand above his head. Her huge, powerful body was pressed against his, letting him feel the curvature of her incredibly well toned musculature. Yet, despite all that, there was the softness of femininity, mostly around the chest that was inches from his face. Her leg was pushed in between his own, establishing a foothold into his territory.

  Oh fuck.

  “You’re one daring man, Rikard.” Sulla whispered. The tall woman lowered her head to approach his. “To invite me like this.” Her breaths were deep with arousal.

  Author’s Note (20250517):

  Thank you very much for reading! Please leave a review/comment, follow, or favorite if you wish to see more!

  Many thanks for Pathalen for beta and so much support!

  Next Chapter Part: 20250524