For days, Ennia had been waiting for her chance to speak to Caligula alone, to remind him to whom he owed his position. But she simply could not get to him. Every one of her plans had been foiled. She had not been able to bribe the bearers of his palanquin. Clemens had never been useful to her. Caligula always appeared at his evening masses accompanied by his wife and also left together with her. In public, too, she was always at his side, and in Caligula's private chambers Ennia had not yet been able to gain admittance. Her face was too familiar for her to have been able to infiltrate disguised as a slave. Besides, Ennia had heard a rumour that Caligula shared his chambers with his wife. Caligula seemed to be surrounded by this Aurelia every minute of his life.
To make matters worse, all her sources had fallen silent since Macro had been arrested. Now she had to make do with scraps of overheard conversation from passers-by and gossip from detractors. She heard the wildest stories about that good-for-nothing Gemellus. Some claimed that he had retired to Capri. Others were convinced he was in the cell next to Macro. Then she had heard it said that he was in his chambers and still others were of the opinion that he had already been condemned without trial in the circle of Caligula's family and executed by his own hand.
But Ennia had not made it that far in Rome to now simply be relegated to the shadows of insignificance. A new plan had been forming in her head for days and now she would put it into action. She had not yet lost everything.
Highly concentrated, Ennia made sure she was alone. Then, in a flash, she turned the key in the lock, which she still kept carefully hidden with her back, pushed the door silently inwards and darted into the dark room. Although she had only accompanied Macro into this room once, she needed no light to orient herself. The tapestry to her right opposite the large, massive writing desk had caught her eye in such a way that she simply hadn't been able to forget it. Especially not after Macro had whispered in her ear that there was a small alcove behind the carpet. So small that only Macro knew about it and used to check it occasionally.
Her hand ran along the carpet and suddenly the wall behind it changed. Ennia allowed herself a small smile, then slipped under the carpet into the small alcove, crouched down and waited. In about five hours the Praetorians would unlock the room, inspect it, and lock it again until Caligula reopened it to receive his supplicants. Ennia closed her eyes and prayed for success.
Every now and then she would startle from a light sleep and curse herself for her carelessness. In her mind she tried to repeat her next steps, but she simply did not know what and how to confront Caligula. How was she to bargain for her husband's life if he was foolish enough to be caught in treason? How was she to retain her influence without her husband? What did she have to offer Caligula? What could she offer a man who possessed everything and so much more?
Slowly it grew brighter in her alcove. Suddenly the door creaked, and heavy footsteps echoed off the walls. The soft clang of metal reached her ears. The praetorian was doing his duty. After what seemed like an eternity, the footsteps stopped in front of her carpet, and she saw the imprint of a hand coming towards her. Automatically, Ennia pressed herself tighter against the cold wall and could not take her eyes off the hand coming ever closer. Far too loudly, her hammering, traitorous heart thudded against her chest. Right next to her face, the hand stopped abruptly and in the next moment the pressure against the carpet disappeared. The Praetorian moved away and locked the door behind him. As soon as silence settled over the room again, Ennia exhaled and relaxed a little. Exhausted, she closed her eyes and thanked the gods for their mercy.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened again, and she could hear lighter but purposeful footsteps. The familiar rustle of a toga accompanied its wearer with every small movement. Just as Ennia was about to leave her hiding place, Caligula's voice rang out, ordering for the list of today's supplicants. Another person, presumably a slave, hurried over and wordlessly handed over the list. Silently, the slave hurried out of the room and closed the door behind him. Ennia brushed a strand of hair from her face, then silently pushed back the carpet and slipped out of her alcove. Across from her, Caligula leaned against his imposing desk and skimmed a wax tablet, the list. Some of these names had had to wait months before they were put on that list. Time Ennia did not have, even if she had been granted a formal audience.
"I was wondering when you would call on me, Ennia," Caligula said without taking his eyes off the wax tablet in his hands. "I recognised your perfume from the hallway. Next time you want to go after someone, just leave it off"
Ennia's thoughts raced in her head. She opened her mouth to retort, but the many words in her head just wouldn't pass her lips. Caligula had managed to take her completely by surprise - a feeling she had never liked. The silence between them stretched and after what seemed like an eternity, Caligula's clear blue eyes bored into hers.
"What do you want from me, Ennia?" he asked, finally setting the wax tablet aside and folding his arms in front of his chest. Now he leaned casually waiting against his desk while she still stood open-mouthed in the middle of the room. Her thoughts cleared.
"I want you to drop your charges against my husband," she snapped at him, unloading all the anger she had been pent up for weeks. Once she got going, she finally screamed at him everything that had been burning on her mind since his marriage.
"It was us who put you in your place in this state. You owe us!"
With a friendly smile, Caligula let her tirade wash over him and the fact that her words did not have the desired effect only fuelled Ennia's anger. At some point her voice broke and Ennia had to pause to catch her breath.
At that moment the door swung open, and a beautiful woman rushed into the room, as if she had every right to stroll into it without knocking and be answered immediately.
"Here are the notes you..." in mid-sentence Aurelia fell silent and the gaze of her intelligent eyes took in the scene before her. Aurelia's appearance provided Ennia with the opportunity to finally look at her up close in the clear sunshine. Up close, she was even more beautiful. Although she wore only a simple tunic, she looked simply indescribably beautiful with her long hair flowing open over her shoulders. Ennia immediately hated her even more. In her left-hand Aurelia held a wax tablet, Caligula's notes.
As Caligula turned to face his wife, his posture softened, his eyes reflecting his love for her. Macro had never looked at her like that. What did this Aurelia have that Ennia did not?
Suddenly all colour drained from Aurelia's painfully beautiful face and Caligula's whole body tensed anxiously. Immediately he rushed to her and grabbed her waist. Concerned, he whispered something in her ear that Ennia did not understand. Aurelia just shook her head and murmured something back. Caligula nodded, pulled out the nearest chair for her and did not wait for her to sit down, but hurried to the window and opened it briskly. A clear, cold breeze streamed in, and Aurelia closed her eyes. With a smooth movement, she gingerly placed her hand in front of her mouth and inhaled deeply through her nose. Caligula's notes rested on her lap. The next moment Caligula leaned against his desk again, as if the past minutes had never happened.
"Is that all?" asked Caligula calmly. Ennia's gaze flitted irritably to Aurelia, who returned her gaze as calmly as Caligula. Flustered, Ennia swallowed and refocused on Caligula.
"Will you drop the charges now?" she demanded to know, and Caligula tilted his head.
"I'm afraid that's not in my power," the princeps explained regretfully. "It was my uncle Claudius who sued in court, not me. You should have gone to him with your request"
Horrified, Ennia's eyes snapped open. This drooling, limping, stuttering cripple was to lead the charge against her husband. Of all people, the man his family could do nothing with was now being granted a place in Rome. At first Ennia was sure that Macro's acquittal was already sealed. But involuntarily her gaze wandered again to Aurelia, who had risen quietly in the meantime. Her gut feeling had already told her with the first glance at this woman that she had to watch out for her. Perhaps Macro and she had underestimated Claudius. Maybe he wasn't an imbecile; after all, he was Antonia's son. Perhaps she would be able to win Claudius over if only she offered him the right price. After all, they had also been able to win Gemellus to their cause.
"I wouldn't waste my time bribing Claudius if I were you," Aurelia's sweet voice filled the room. Why couldn't her voice at least be less than perfect? Ennia frowned.
"Macro has committed treason," Caligula picked up on Aurelia's thoughts and threw her a small smile. "Your name has not come up yet. But it is only a matter of time before people wonder to what extent you were privy to your husband's plans. Why you tried to hide them from the world and whether you even forged them together with him. Believe me, people will wonder who you were, who you are today and what has become of you."
Immediately Ennia's eyes narrowed to narrow slits. Were they trying to threaten her right now? To her? Ennia? The most influential woman in Rome? But all at once Ennia realised that she had already lost her place in Rome the moment Aurelia Vespasia had returned to Rome as Caligula's fiancée. Before her stood the two most powerful people in the entire Imperium Romanum and Ennia had absolutely nothing in her hands against them, whereby she could have realised her goals.
"I am what this city has made me," she said mockingly, unable to stifle a mirthless laugh. "And your perfect wife will fare as well as I!"