Aquillius mengeluarkan sebuah napas berat saat ia memasuki tenda itu. Sejak Lucius berangkat ke Roma, tugas untuk berunding antara keduanya jatuh terepa di bahu bahunya.
"Jadi kamu bilang Senat tidak akan memberikan dirinya Triumph-nya? Benar-benar kamu pikir mereka berani melakukan itu?"
"Ini soal menepati aturan, Antony. Pasti kamu mengerti itu."
"Aturan? Aturan apa? Pamannya hanya mengacu pada 'aturan' ketika ia menguntungkan. Anehnya, aturan yang sama tak pernah terangkat untuk keluarganya sendiri."
"Menyudutkan keluargiku adalah—"
Aquillius mendesah dan menggilatkan lehernya, lalu berdiri di antara Brutus dan Antony.
"Apa yang sedang kalian debatkan sekarang?"
"Orang ini buta mengira Senat akan menghalangi Triumph Caesar."
"Aku hanya menyatakan realitas hukum," jawab Brutus sambil mengangkat tangannya defensif. "Batas waktu pendaftaran untuk pemilu konsul telah dipajang lebih cepat dari biasanya. Dan untuk mendaftar, seorang calon harus masuk ke Roma secara pribadi."
"Artinya, dia harus mengorbankan Triumph-nya," tambah Aquillius.
Perdebatan ini tidak rumit. Seperti yang dijelaskan Brutus, untuk secara resmi mendaftar sebagai calon, seorang general harus melepas komandonya dan memasuk kota sebagai warga biasa.
Tanpa pengecualian khusus, seorang pria tidak bisa merayakan triumph dan sekaligus maju sebagai calon pada waktu yang sama.
"Tapi Caesar sudah pantas mendapatkan Triumph! Setiap warga Roma tahu itu. Benar-benar kamu pikir rakyat akan biarkan Senat bermain-main seperti ini?" Antony beraduh sambil mengangkat cangkir anggurnya. "Jika Senat memberi sekecil apa pun pengecualian, dia bisa punya pengiburan dan kemudian mendaftar. Bukan sesuatu yang tidak punya precedent."
"Dan namun, bahkan Pompey pernah mengorbankan kandidatnya untuk konsul sekali gunanya untuk merayakan Triumph-nya," Aquillius mengingatnya sambil dudak di kursi di antara mereka. "Dan pamimu, Cato, pasti akan memimpin serangan terhadap memberi apapun pengecualian."
"Orang itu terlalu muda untuk menjadi seorang penua seperti itu," Antony berseru. "Tidak semua orang yang ada di keluargimu itu keras kepala dan egois?"
"Aku pernah memberimu tahu jika kamu berani bicara tentang rumahku lagi dengan cara ini—!"
"Cukup, kalian berdua!" Aquillius berteriak sambil menghela napas lagi. Tak ada seorang pun yang lebih merindukan Lucius saat itu daripadanya.
"Semuanya terlihat seperti sedang melupakan satu fakta penting."
"Apa itu?"
"Gaius Caesar dan Lucius Caesar akhirnya bersatu kembali. Apa yang bisa dicapai oleh mereka berdua bersama..."
Aquillius mengeluarkan sebuah teriak kering saat dua orang pria itu memandangnya dengan kepala miring.
"Hanya Jupiter sendiri yang bisa memprediksi itu."
***
"Tuanku, ada sesuatu yang bisa kusampaikan?"
"Tidak, cukup saja."
Pompeia mengeluarkan sebuah napas dan menaruh kuilnya di samping kertasnya. Hamba seorang budak perempuan itu memandangnya dengan cemas.
"Sudah cukup, benar-benar. Pergi dan hati-hati pada tugas lainmu. Aku akan memanggil jika aku butuh sesuatu."
"Seperti yang engkau inginkan, Tuanku."
Setelah pembicaraan hamba pergi, Pompea mengalihkan perhatiannya kembali ke dokumen—surat-surat dari Lucius yang sedang ia atur.
Pikirannya terbang kembali ke kata-kata yang ditemui oleh ayahnya.
"Crassus telah berangkat ke Rubicon untuk bertemu Caesar."
Baik Gaius maupun Lucius berada di Rubicon. Bagaimana reaksi mereka terhadap proposal Crassus? Sepuluh juta sesterces adalah jumlah yang tidak ada manusia pun bisa mudah menolaknya.
Pompeia memandang catatan-catan itu tak berdaya lalu menggulungnya menjadi bola. Ia melemparkannya ke samping dan menghembaskingan napas. Ia tak bisa mengerti kenapa ia merasa seperti tercekik oleh kecemasan.
Saat ia berdiri dan mengeluarkan sebuah napas lain, aduh gemerisik hebat terdengar dari luar jendelanya.
"Caesar kembali! Caesar kembali!"
Itu adalah teriak yang sama yang ia dengar beberapa hari sebelumnya—warga kota yang mengumarkan kedatangan Gaius Caesar.
Tapi sesuatu terasa salah.
"Kemenangan tidak seharusnya dalam hitungan minggu. Bagaimana ia bisa kembali begitu cepat?"
Ia sangat mustahil bagi Caesar untuk nekat memasuk Roma tanpa persetujuan Senat.
Kembali dengan pasukan tanpa otorisasi akan menjadi pemfitnah dan pengkhianatan terhadap Republik.
Lalu mengapa warga kota mengumarkan namanya dengan gemuruh?"
Saat ia keluar dari kamarnya, kebisingan semakin jelas.
"Caesar kembali!"
Bukan sekadar teriak lagi. Gemerisik kerumun massa semakin keras, seolah mengelilingi rumahnya.
"Apa ini semua kekacauannya?"
Bahkan Pompey telah muncul di atrium, dan kebisingan di luar pintu depan sudah menggema.
Tepat ketika Pompeia tiba di sisi ayahnya, pukuan berat mengetuk pintu depan.
"Ayah..."
"Apa kamu masih berdirikan? Buka!"
Diperintah Pompey, budak-budak berlari ke pintu. Saat pintu terbuka, seorang pria meluncur masuk seolah terbang pelari kehidupannya.
"Kamu..."
"Sudah lama, bukan? Aku harap aku tidak mengganggu apapun."
Saat Pompeia dan Pompey tertarik dengan kening mereka, Lucius mengambil napas dalam-dalam.
"Forgive aku. Ada banyak orang... aku pikir akan ditindih oleh kawanan.
***
"Aku tidak mengharapkan kamu datang mengunjungi rumah ini begitu cepat," kata Pompey sambil memandangku. Pompeia berdiri di sisinnya, terlihat setegas ayahnya.
"Bukannya kamu seharusnya membantu dengan persiapan pengiburan ayahmu?"
"Itu tidak berarti aku dilarang masuk ke Roma. Aku ingin membayangkan hormatku sebelum pulang."
"Dan orang-orang di luar itu...?"
"Mereka melihat wajahku dan langsung mengikut. Aku tidak bisa melepaskan mereka."
Ada banyak orang begitu banyak hingga bergerak melalui jalan hampir mustahil. Bagaimana semua orang tahu apa kupadanku? Di zaman ini tidak ada koran, apalagi internet.
Tentu saja, menimbulkan perhatian publik adalah rencana yang sudah kubanggap sejak awal. Itulah sebabnya aku tak berusaha untuk menyembunyikan wajahku.
"Jangan hanya duduk di situ. Yuk masuk. Aku mendengar ayahmu sempat kaget kemarin. Apakah ia dalam keadaan baik?"
"Ya, tidak serius. Ia pulih hampir secara instan," kujawab.
Sampai saat ini, ayaku seharusya sedang berbicara dengan Crassus. Aku sangat ingin tahu apa ekspresi Crassus yang terlihat ketika ayaku menyampaikan kabar.
"Itu membuka kembali. Ceritakan tentang perjalananmu. Aku sudah lama ingin mendengar bagaimana kamu menangani para perompak. Surat-suratmu agak kekurangan detail taktikal."
"Itu hanyalah urusan sepele dibandingkan dengan pencapaian legendermu."
"Ha! Jangan rendah hati. Ceritakan semua. Kamu! Bawa anggur, dan cepatlah!"
Saat budak-budak itu berlari-lari ke luar, aku mengikuti Pompey dan Pompeia ke ruangan tamu.
Aku mencuri pandangan pada Pompeia. Ia belum mengatakan apa pun selama ini.
Jelasnya ia tahu tentang proposal pernikahan Crassus.
Aku bertanya-tanya bagaimana perasaannya.
Komitmen kita adalah langkah politik yang dilakukan tanpa kesepakangan kami.
Dari cara pandang tertentu, tidak membayangkan untuk menikahi keluarga Crassus mungkin lebih menguntungkan baginya.
Tidak peduli seberapa banyak aku sudah meraih, aku masih figur kecil di samping kekayaan Crassus. Crassus bahkan menawarkan untuk melepaskan mahr dan membayar Pompey seperempat juta untuk itu.
Apa yang pikir Pompey dan Pompeia? Aku dudak di kursi di ruangan itu, terus memikirkan itu.
"Kayaknya setengah kota tahu cerita kampanyeku. Itu tidak bisa terjadi tanpa bantuanmu, Pompeia," kujujuk.
Reaksi publik bahkan lebih antusias dari yang kuharapkan.
Dari poster kampanye hingga buku-buku tentang kampanyeku, Pompeia telah memimpin kampanye untuk mempopuleraskanku tanpa sepengetahuku.
"Aku senang bisa membantumu," jawab Pompeia dengan nada datar.
Ia tidak tampak senang sama sekali.
Dengan jeda yang tidak nyaman, Pompey tiba-tiba berdiri dan mendesah.
"Marilah kuhapuskan ini. Sakit perut mendadak menyerguikanku. Aku perlu pergi sejenak."
Sakit perut? Jauh dari substansial.
Ia memandang Pompeia dan menambahkan, "Tetap di sini dengan Lucius. Jika perlu, ikat dia ke kursi; Aku tidak ingin dia melarikan diri."
Pompeia mengangguk kecil.
"Dengan hormat, aku bukanlah anjing," kujawitu.
"Yang justru membuat kita perlu memegangmu erat.
Aquillius let out a heavy sigh as he stepped into the tent. Ever since Lucius had departed for Rome, the task of mediating between these two had fallen squarely on his shoulders.
"So you’re saying the Senate won’t grant him his Triumph? Do you truly think they would dare do that?"
"It’s a matter of sticking to the rules, Antony. Surely you understand that."
"Rules? What rules? Your uncle only invokes ’rules’ when it suits him. Strangely enough, those same rules never seem to apply to his own relatives."
"Insulting my family is—"
Aquillius cleared his throat and stepped between Brutus and Antony.
"What are you two bickering about now?"
"This idiot here thinks the Senate is going to block Caesar’s Triumph."
"I am merely stating the legal reality," Brutus replied, throwing his hands up in defense. "The deadline for registering for the consular elections was moved up earlier than usual. And to register, a candidate must enter Rome in person."
"Which means he’d have to forfeit his Triumph," Aquillius added.
The debate wasn’t complicated. As Brutus pointed out, to officially register as a candidate, a general had to lay down his command and enter the city as a private citizen.
Without a special exemption, a man could not both celebrate a triumph and stand as a candidate at the same time.
"But Caesar has earned that Triumph! Every citizen in Rome knows it. Do you really think the people will let the Senate resort to tricks like this?" Antony growled, bringing a cup of wine to his lips. "If the Senate grants even a small exception, he could have his parade and then register. It’s not like there isn’t a precedent for it."
"And yet, even Pompey had to give up his consular candidacy once to celebrate his Triumph," Aquillius reminded him, lowering himself into a chair between them. "And your uncle, Cato, will undoubtedly lead the charge against granting any special favors."
"That man is far too young to be such an old crone," Antony scoffed. "Is everyone in your bloodline that stubborn and self-serving?"
"I told you if you dare speak of my house in such a manner again—!"
"Enough, both of you!" Aquillius shouted with another sigh. At that moment, no one missed Lucius more than he did.
"You both seem to be forgetting one crucial fact."
"And what’s that?"
"Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar have finally reunited. What those two might accomplish together..."
Aquillius let out a dry chuckle as the two men looked at him with their heads tilted.
"Only Jupiter himself could predict that."
***
"My lady, is there anything else I can bring you?"
"No, that’s quite alright."
Pompeia let out a sigh and set her quill down beside the parchment. Her slave looked at her anxiously.
"I’m fine, really. Go tend to your other duties. I’ll call if I need anything."
"As you wish, my lady."
Once the slave left the room, Pompeia turned her attention back to the papers—the letters from Lucius she had been organizing.
Her mind drifted back to the words her father had spoken.
"Crassus has set out for the Rubicon to meet Caesar."
Both Gaius and Lucius were at the Rubicon. How would they react to Crassus’s proposal? Ten million sesterces was a sum no man could easily turn down.
Pompeia stared blankly at her notes before crumpling the sheet into a ball. She tossed it aside and exhaled. She couldn’t understand why she felt this suffocating sense of anxiety.
As she stood up with another sigh, a thunderous roar erupted from outside her window.
"Caesar has returned! Caesar has returned!"
It was the same shout she had heard a few days earlier—the citizens announcing Gaius Caesar’s arrival.
But something felt off.
"The triumph should not be for weeks. How could he be back already?"
It was highly unlikely that Caesar would recklessly enter Rome without Senate approval.
To return with an army without authorization would be both sacrilege and treason against the Republic.
So why were the citizens screaming his name?
As she stepped out of her room, the noise became even clearer.
"Caesar is back!"
It wasn’t just shouting anymore. The murmur of a massive crowd was growing louder, sounding as if it were surrounding her very house.
"What is all this commotion?"
Even Pompey had emerged into the atrium, and the din outside the front gates was now deafening.
Just as Pompeia reached her father’s side, a heavy pounding shook the front door.
"Father..."
"What are you standing around for? Open it!"
At Pompey’s command, the slaves rushed to the gates. As the doors swung open, a man ducked inside as if he were fleeing for his life.
"You’re..."
"It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I hope I’m not interrupting anything."
As Pompeia and Pompey stood there with raised brows, Lucius took a long, deep breath.
"Forgive me. There were so many people... I thought I would be trampled to death."
***
"I didn’t expect you to grace my home with a visit so soon," Pompey said, watching me. Pompeia stood by his side, looking just as stunned as her father.
"Weren’t you supposed to be helping with your father’s triumph preparations?"
"That doesn’t mean I’m barred from Rome. I wanted to pay my respects before heading home."
"And those people outside...?"
"They saw my face and just started following me. I couldn’t shake them off."
There were so many people that moving through the streets had become nearly impossible. How did everyone know what I looked like? There were no newspapers in this age, much less anything like the internet.
Of course, drawing the public’s attention had been my intention all along. That’s why I hadn’t bothered to hide my face.
"Well, don’t just stand there. Come in. I heard your father had a bit of a scare yesterday. Is he alright?"
"Yes, it was nothing serious. He recovered almost immediately," I replied.
By now, my father should be talking with Crassus. I badly wanted to know what expression Crassus had worn when my father delivered the news.
"That’s a relief. Come, tell me about your journey. I’ve been dying to hear how you handled those bandits. Your letters were somewhat lacking in tactical detail."
"It was a minor affair compared to your legendary feats."
"Hah! Don’t be modest. Tell me everything. You there! Bring some wine, and make it quick!"
As the slaves scurried off, I followed Pompey and Pompeia into the reception room.
I stole a glance at Pompeia. She hadn’t said a word yet.
She clearly knew about Crassus’s marriage proposal.
I wondered how she felt about it.
Our engagement had been a political move made without our input.
From a certain perspective, marrying into Crassus’s family might have been more appealing to her.
No matter how much I had earned, I was still a minor figure beside Crassus’s wealth. Crassus had even offered to waive the dowry and pay Pompey a fortune instead.
What were Pompey and Pompeia thinking? I sank into a chair in the reception room, still turning it over in my mind.
"It seems half the city knows the story of my campaign. That wouldn’t have been possible without your help, Pompeia," I said.
The public’s reaction was even more fervent than I had anticipated.
From the posters during the election to the books detailing my campaign, Pompeia had taken the lead in spreading my name without my even asking her to do so.
"I’m glad I could be of help," Pompeia replied in a flat tone.
She did not look particularly pleased.
As an awkward silence began to settle, Pompey suddenly stood up and cleared his throat.
"Forgive me, but a sudden stomach cramp has struck me. I need to step away for a moment."
A stomach ache? Hardly subtle.
He looked at Pompeia and added, "Keep Lucius company for a while. Feel free to tie him to the chair if you have to; I don’t want him slipping away."
Pompeia gave a small nod.
"With all due respect, I am not a lapdog," I muttered.
"Which is exactly why we need to keep you on a leash."
Pompey laughed and left the room.
A moment later, Pompeia spoke up.
"Have you heard the proposal Crassus sent to your father?"
"Yes." I nodded. "A marriage for his niece, in exchange for ten million sesterces."
"And he offered my father five million for my hand," Pompeia added with a faint, bitter smile. "Don’t you think that’s a rather high price to pay for a wife?"
"I don’t think so."
Crassus was a shark; he wouldn’t pay that much unless he saw the potential in Pompeia.
Another awkward silence. What was I supposed to say to that?
As I racked my brain, Pompeia spoke again.
"Are you going to accept his offer?"
"If I were, I wouldn’t be here today."
There was no point in lying now. The only reason I had come to Pompey’s house before even stopping at my own home was to make my choice clear.
I had walked through the streets of Rome for everyone to see and came straight here.
Our engagement was never a secret, but my public arrival today would cement it as a reality in the eyes of the public. It would make it incredibly difficult for Crassus or even Pompey to back out now.
I looked at Pompeia.
"What do you want, Pompeia?"
"What do I want?"
"Would marrying me... be acceptable to you?"
Pompeia went silent for a moment before bursting into a soft laugh.
"You really are an interesting man, Lucius."
"I didn’t think it was a particularly strange question."
"I have spent my entire life being prepared for marriage. My duty was to marry into a powerful house, bear healthy children, and expand the family’s influence. I accepted that as my reality since I was a child."
"A choice isn’t really a choice when there’s only one option on the table," I said.
Men were expected to seize power at any cost, and women were expected to help their husbands and raise heirs. That was simply the truth of Roman life.
"But you, Lucius... you are different from other men. You have reshaped Rome and its people. And I suspect you will go on doing so."
She hesitated for a second before continuing.
"I want to be there to see it. Is that enough of an answer for you?"
"More than enough."
"Then what is it that you want, Lucius?"
"What I want...?"
I stood up and walked toward Pompeia. As the space between us vanished, the faint, rosy scent of Palmolive lingered in the air.
For an instant, the room seemed to fall perfectly still.
When I drew back, I met her gaze.
"Was that enough of an answer for you?" I murmured.
"More than enough," Pompeia said, her fingertips resting lightly against her lips.
As I sat back down, Pompey strolled back into the room.
"Apologies. This stomach pain refuses to leave me," he grumbled, sinking back into his chair. "Now then, let’s get back to it. I had a few more questions about those medical instructions you gave your doctors..."
"I expected you to ask about the triumph first."
"I’ve had three Triumphs, Lucius. Discussing a Triumph doesn’t exactly thrill me."
I couldn’t help but laugh at his answer.
"Well then, let’s start from the beginning."
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