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No one spoke as he hacked, getting his breath back. Annius slowly stood, then with a swiftness
that surprised everyone considering his size, he ran out of the room.
 A highly amusing entertainment we had tonight, but somehow I doubt it will catch on
and become all the rage. The Senators would soon protest, Trajanus announced. He took a
long drink of his wine as everyone laughed.
34
* *Chapter 8* *
The wedding took place the next day as planned with Livia s aunt and uncle in
attendance, as noticeably as her father was not. The mansion shone for the wedding. The guests
arrived in the foyer over a masterpiece of mosaic depicting the wedding of Ariadne and
Dionysus and that was just the start. The walls had been painted with colorful murals and
Frescos in deep rich colors. The baths had been filled with scenes of Poseidon, Oceanus, and
Tethys surrounded with sea creatures in wonderful shades of turquoise, green, and blue. The
central courtyard was now livened with a wonderful mosaic floor depicting the centaur Nessos
carrying off Hercules wife, Deianira, and an elaborate fountain bubbling in its center. The
dining room was filled with the lovers Parthenope and Metiochos, every room held exquisite
floors of mosaic. The masterpieces may have been the figures depicted all dealing with a theme
of lovers or marriages owning to the nature of the gift, but around the edges of all the wonders of
the house now held borders that took just as much artistry to accomplish. It was a house that
showed off to perfection all the works of art and furniture that Livia was bringing with her to the
marriage as all the additions were all in subdued and harmonious colors. Everyone marveled at
it all, seeing as the value of the house had just been doubled. No one would ever claim that Livia
could be embarrassed with what she brought to the union.
Livia stood there in her marriage veil and shoes of flame yellow when a messenger came
to announce that her father was dead. In her shock the stalks of wheat symbolic of fertility, not
that it was needed, fell from her hand. He was found in a part of town no Senator would ever be
found in, not even if they were Claudius, with a knife in his back. In that part of town, no one
recognized him when he had been found in the night. Finally, a prostitute recognized him.
There wasn t even a tear on Livia s face to show she cared that he died. Livia set all of his
slaves free, the few he had left. They, along with the property, had been sold off over time until
there was literally almost nothing left, but the house he lived in. Once the claims against him for
taking money for engagements that never resulted in marriage were paid, there was nothing left.
In fact, Livia paid some of it out of her own pocket. She didn t want their animosity in regards
to something she had no control over, especially with a husband who soon would be running for
Praetor of Macedonia. It never hurt to have all the friends you could. It was rumored as they
celebrated the union that Annius had gone to hire someone to dispose of his daughter who had
caused him so much scandal, more that she had cost him so much money. Others rumored that
Claudius had him killed out of principle, but then that was only what the slaves said and who
listened to them.
* *The End&
The End& * *
The End&
The End&
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