Relieved, Aurelia registered that Vespasius had kept his promise and was waiting for her in front of the temple entrance. Immediately her nervousness subsided a little. He eyed her from head to toe with interest. Of course, Aurelia knew that there were clear rules and that the Senate could only be entered in a toga. But since this particular garment on women were indicative of her work with venal love, Gaius and she had sought an alternative. Now she was still breaking the rules of the senate, but at least no one could mistake her for a prostitute. As she stepped silently beside him, he did not utter a word about her appearance.
"Always remember, if there is anything, just look to me," Vespasius whispered in her ear and Aurelia gave him a nervous smile. Together they entered the temple that Gaius had recommended to her for today's meeting and immediately the magistrates' attention was focused on them. A wave of resentment and disgust washed over her. Worst of all, she could only too well empathise with the men's feelings. What gave her the right to lead them? She was a woman and what was more, unlike the members of the panel, she had never held public office. To the men, she was a political newcomer who had made it to the top of the state for no reason. Automatically, she straightened up to her full height and hid her own feelings. Elegantly, she sat down on the curule chair where her husband usually sat and smiled into the round. A slave handed her a wax tablet on which the agenda was set. At first glance, everything seemed very unspectacular. She signalled to the praetor that he could start with his topic, but he remained stubbornly seated. After a while, the murmurs of those present grew louder and Aurelia suppressed a curse. With a jerk, she stood up and stepped into the middle of the open space in front of the senators' seats. Immediately the conversations fell silent.
"Gentlemen, this situation is as strange to me as it is to you," she said loudly and clearly. "But as long as my husband is away to serve Rome in another place, I will take his place within this august body. There is no institution in our state more important than this and I will not tolerate anyone who questions its power or even tries to ridicule it. I take this task very seriously, for there is no greater achievement of mankind than political participation. The Senate and the people of Rome - these two institutions are the foundation of our state. The princeps is the link that holds both parts of society together. But like our society, our institutions are in a constant state of change over time. But just because things evolve, these changes do not have to be negative. In your eyes, I may be just a woman, and by the gods, you are right - I am indeed a woman. But I am so much more than that. For above all else, I am a citizen of this state and I have sworn to serve this state until my last breath. When my husband returns, I will once again take my place in his shadow, but until then, gentlemen, we must work together for the good of the Roman people and our beautiful state. So let us govern this state together!"
The thunderous applause of the senators boomed in every fibre of her body. Smiling gratefully, she sat back in her seat and signalled the Praetor again to begin his topic. The Praetor rose with glowing cheeks and slowly silence returned to the building. The Roman Senate began to work. With a fine smile, Aurelia leaned back in Gaius' chair and watched the spectacle with fascination. Perhaps Rome was ready for a woman in politics after all.

Over the next few weeks, Aurelia rushed from one agenda item to the next, admiring Gaius' stamina even more. She rose early to grant audiences to his clients, rushed to the Senate to consult with the magistrates, discuss and rule, when she got home she had only a few minutes to prepare for the dinner at which she cultivated her network, and when the last guest had left, she slipped into Julius' room, who was usually already asleep or completely overtired waiting for his bedtime story, over which they both fell asleep.
Aurelia was so caught up in the affairs of Rome that she hardly found time to miss her husband. Only at night, when she was alone, would she become fully aware of the enormous gap he had left behind. Since then, she slept with her son every night. Her relationship with the senators was getting better and better and after only a few meetings all the magistrates had come to terms with her position. She had managed to win over these snobby and sexist men with her zeal for work and her decisions. The senators had understood that it was better to work with her and not against her. So, there was a kind of truce in the Senate. Hopefully, it would turn forced acceptance into a partnership based on respect and tolerance.

About four weeks after Gaius' departure, Aurelia woke up for the first time from feeling sick. Hectically, she jumped out of Julius' bed and just made it to the nearest latrine before she threw up. Immediately she went over in her mind what she had eaten the night before and remembered the strange taste of the chicken. Slowly her nausea subsided, and she rose with a sigh. She had a long day ahead of her and would not let a little stomach upset stop her. But her nausea had returned every morning since and as time went by, Aurelia lost hope that it was just a little food poisoning. Now it came down to looking strong and untouchable and her own body was failing her. But her spirit would not submit to her body.
So, she skipped her breakfast and tried to bury herself in her work. For when she was working, her mind did not concern itself with the various causes. She could not afford to be distracted by the situation of the empire.
A soft knock at the door made Aurelia look up from the reports about the expected grain shipments from Egypt. The next moment Prunia, her private secretary, who had completed her training with Caenis about half a year ago, poked her head through the door and announced her next morning visitor. Quickly, Aurelia put the document back in its place while Prunia pulled out a notebook and retreated to the back of the room as the visitor entered.

The next morning was finally her first, official day off and Aurelia couldn't wait to get to the training room. Sitting around for weeks and all the mental work had kept her from her exercises with Clemens. That morning, the nausea struck at the worst possible time. She was just warming up when the now familiar feeling came over her. Hastily, she jumped up and hurried out of the room. Confused, Clemens called her name, but she knew she could not control her nausea.
To her relief, the latrine was empty when she vomited. As the nausea subsided, she slowly sat down on the cold floor, leaned her head against the cool stone wall and closed her eyes. Disgusted, she wiped her lips with a handkerchief and tried to block out the taste in her mouth. A strong, calloused, unfamiliar hand came to rest on her shoulder and startled, she opened her eyes. But squatting in front of her was only Clemens, eyeing her with concern.
"What's wrong?", Clemens wanted to know quietly, and Aurelia avoided his gaze. By now there was only one logical explanation for her condition. Everything would change now.