Macro was laying on his lectus and observed the busy chaos around him. He had learnt to handle the strong wine that Tiberius loved to drink without assaulting his powerful host. He had worked too hard to climb the social ladder to his position as prefect of the Praetorian guard and he had joined too many dinners.
Like every evening the party was absolutely perfect: the food was exquisite, the wine strong, the women lovely and the boys pretty. The music was smooth without being too loud for conversations. The parts offered everything that a man can dream of, but the young Caligula was laying at this lectus and seemed like he didn't notice the possibilities of joy surrounding him.
Someone who didn't know the young man quite well wouldn't notice this little differences. He entertained his great-uncle and made everyone laugh about the stories he was telling. But Macro was trained to look right through people and the young man didn't put his heart in this party like he used to. But the thing that irritated Macro the most wasn't that he didn't drink too much wine like his younger cousin, but that Caligula didn't notice the flirting and admiring looks he got from the girls and women. Normally he used every chance to flirt with them and to persuade them in quiet, dark corners.
But this evening Caligula didn't lift his gaze from his great-uncle for a moment and sometimes something flickered into his eyes that alarmed Macro's trained senses. The young Julian planned something. But what?
Macro excused himself as the third changing of the guards and hid unnoticed in a dark niche. From that position he was able to observe the guest, but his gaze flickered always back to Caligula. One time he was sure that he noticed a short reflection of anger in his face as Tiberius leaned forward and whispered something into the young man's ear. But the expression faded so quickly that Macro wasn't quite sure if he just imagined it.
Nevertheless, he stayed at his niche and kept an eye over what was happening. Even when Tiberius left with the hand of a way too young girl in his at the first ray of sunshine, Caligula stayed at his lectus and drank the expensive wine lost in thoughts. Some slaves came out of the shadows and started to remove the rests of the party. With a sigh Caligula emptied his cup, stood up and walked directly to one of Macro's man. They exchanged a few words, then Caligula turned his heels and left the hall. Melted with the shadows Macro followed the young man. When he walked around the corner after a few minutes, suddenly something hurt him hard in the back. Before he knew what was happening, he was already laying on the ground, his arms twisted so that he couldn't use them any longer and the body of another man pressed him hard against the cold tiles.
"Good morning, Macro", whispered Caligula's polite voice in his ear and Macro could hear the huge grin on the face of his opponent. "Do you need my help in a very important matter or is there another reason why you can't get your eyes of me the whole party?"
Macro's thoughts were racing. How had this boy managed to catch him by surprise? Lying, stealing, spying, observing, fighting, killing – Macro had spent years learning that skills, but why did he fail to find the right words to deescalate this situation? For a moment Caligula waited patiently for his respond and when he didn't get one, he sank his knee deeper in Macro's shoulder blade. Macro could feel the young man's warm breath in his neck, and he realised what irritated him so much before. He didn't smell wine. Obliviously he had underestimated his opponent and Macro kicked himself internally for his stupid arrogance.
"Macro, Macro", Caligula scolded him serious and moved closer to his ear. "My father may be have died when I was young. But I wasn't too young to learn a few very important matters – like he used to call it. The next time you want to know something about me, ask!"
Suddenly the weight on his back disappeared and his arms were free. Very fast Caligula was standing over him and extended his hand to Macro. Polite as usual. Mumbling Macro take his hand and accepted his help to stand up. By the gods, that's so embarrassing. Caligula examined him intensively, then he shrugged his shoulders and said dead serious: "The next time you are stalking me like a criminal without a reason, your days as prefect of the Praetorians will be over. Do you understand me?"
Something dangerous flickered in the young man's eyes that sent a cold shiver down his hurting spin. Again, he mumbled something unintelligible. Caligula's face darkened and he repeated his last question again. With solemn seriousness Marco answered: "I have understood you, sir"
Caligula nodded, turned around and walked out on him like a teacher that caught a foolish schoolboy red handed trying to prank him. Caligula's steps died away quickly. Angrily Macro returned to his room. His shift was about to start in less than three hours and he had wasted his whole night observing the young Caligula.
But now he was absolutely sure: The young man was hiding something and he, Macro, was about to find out what.