Macro's skull still rumbled from Rufus' sword pommel. That wretched traitor. Macro should have known better. How in Hades had he been lured into a trap like that? For a while now, Macro had been crouching in the darkness of his cell, trying to find an explanation. As soon as he had regained consciousness, he had ignored his pain and leaned against the rough stone wall of his cell. But the throbbing in his head still made it difficult for him to think. Whatever Caligula had planned for him, he would not get away with it. I wonder if the Senate was already in session. These old bastards would surely be happy to get rid of Macro if it meant they could make themselves more popular with Caligula. But in doing so they would be sealing their own doom. Caligula had suspended the treason trials, but if the Senate revived them against Macro, it was only a matter of time before Caligula, driven by his wastefulness and lack of money, would soon have to find a new source of funds.
Suddenly, with a soft click, the hatch was opened, light fell sparsely into his small, unadorned cell and a figure slid silently down to him on a lowered rope. Macro looked calmly at the dark figure, which slowly stood up, looked around the cell and took a few small steps towards him. Slowly her perfume filled the room.
"What are you doing here?" asked Macro irritably, returning her gaze challengingly. With a sigh, the figure flipped back her hood to reveal her beautiful face. He eagerly absorbed the sight of her expressionless face and leaned forward with interest. The jingling of his chains and the flashing pain in his head made him pause in his movement.
"I had to make sure my brother really had you in his power," Agrippina admitted quietly after a while.
"What does your brother intend to do with me?" he inquired. Quietly Agrippina replied that she did not know and turned to go.
"A wonderful successor your brother has picked out," Macro sneered, and to his satisfaction she stiffened. "I admit, if it weren't for his affinity through what feels like a hundred corners with little Aurelia, his family would still be absolutely meaningless, but maybe that's enough for you to fall in love with him. Or maybe one of your sisters already has the hots for him - after all, the women in your family have a weakness for Praetorian prefects."
Her blow came out of nowhere. His head hit the wall hard and before he could pull her close to taste the delicious flavour of her lips once more, Agrippina was already out of his very limited reach. Stunned, he stared at her.
"Clemens is only a temporary solution," Agrippina explained coldly. "Aurelia has convinced Gaius that a single prefect holds too much power, which was never intended to be so. At this moment a second head is being elected by the Praetorians"
Macro burst into hysterical laughter. How had he been so blind? Somehow everything always seemed to revolve around this woman who had so suddenly appeared on the scene. Everywhere she seemed to have her fingers in the pie, but never in the way he had seen before. Agrippina crossed her arms irritably over her bulging belly. After a while Macro regained control of himself and looked meaningfully at her belly.
"What made you give us up?" he asked softly, and she flinched in surprise. Thoughtfully, she tapped her index finger against her wonderful lips. Controlled, Macro watched her expression, which he had thought he had seen through for so long. Her features softened as if she had revealed a secret that would forever remain closed to him.
"Familia super omnia," she whispered barely audibly, tugging at the hanging rope. Since when did she put her family above herself?
"Wait!" begged Macro, and from tear-veiled eyes she looked up at him.
"I love you," he breathed. Carefully, the rope tightened.
"I love you too," Agrippina murmured. Slowly the rope pulled her upwards. "But I love my brother too and I cannot sacrifice him for you"
The next moment she disappeared, and the hatch was closed with a dull bang. For a while longer the sound echoed through the darkness of his cell. Light as a feather, her perfume hung in the room. Macro closed his eyes in agony and tried in vain to push his memories of her back into the furthest corner of his mind. Had he really asked too much of her? How could his mind have failed him so?