Marcus and Octavia

I do not own the series Rome or any of the people who's lives it is based off of. These people do not belong to anyone aside from history but this particular situation is a "what if" of season two of HBO's series "Rome". Much of the material contained I this chapter is the summery of 2 episodes, after this I will try to incorporate the episodes as much as possible while continuing on with my personal idea.

Marcus Agrippa gazed lazily across the drug laden table having just realised he was too old for his current situation 20. He and his companion Maecenas had decided to have a night out to celebrate the consulship of their good friend Caesar Octavian; unfortunately they choose to do it in a way the very proper Octavian would not approve of. Currently they were in a room that Octavian would never hear of much less see. Thought their current Consul, and general, had professed a direct lineage of Aphrodite he certainly did not share his ancestress' wild nature or penchant for 'free love'. As a sweet smelling hemp and opium cloud passed over his face he was reminded of Octavian's beautiful sister Octavia.

From the moment he had met Octavian as boys the young man had demonstrated a deep affection and esteem for his sister and had accounted to his friend many time the radiance of his sister. Agrippa had always humoured Octavian not in any doubt that indeed his sister must be beautiful if she looked anything like her brother. It wasn't that day in Rome so long ago that he truly understood just what Octavian had meant. Seeing her sitting there in the sunlight glowing softly, so pale but so healthy, playing so softly with such long slender fingers... She had looked like a goddess of antiquity brought to life, eternally perfectly beautiful. When she had cursed his heart had leaped up into his throat with hope that perhaps she was not an illusion but in fact a real woman, not so unattainable anymore and yet still so far above any other woman in his esteem in all regards already. He had answered her questions, and her mothers, as best he could through the befuddlement of his mind brought on by the sweet smell of lemongrass coming from her. It was with great regret that he left her presence to go to Cicero to deliver Caesars message. All through out the war that followed with Antony all the only woman he could think of was Octavia. All prostitutes he ploughed his way through were fair of skin and hair but none ever satisfied him; none were ever really her. Caesar had noticed his far off looks and sudden need to sit down when his sister was mentioned and took his friends interest as somewhat amusing and potentially very beneficial. As such the blonde youth had taken to sending Agrippa as his personal messenger to his sister in Rome.

Once again he had seen the lovely Octavia and this time to appeal to her to swear allegiance to her brother as head of their family. She had been annoyed to say the least and made not secret of it. Annoyed and hurt by a perceived insult from the man she loved the most; her brother. It was in this moment that he had broken down all barriers of common sense and proper roman manners and professed his undying love for her.

"I would sooner die than hurt you" he passionately professed to her striding forward but stopping abruptly as she spun around with a very tiny smile and replied

"Well, I hope you live a long time."

His knees went slightly weak but he summoned all his resolve, and spoke once again to her, willing himself not to simply grab her and take her then and there as she gave a nervous sort of laugh as she saw the passion contained within his eyes.

"I... I... If I may, ever since I met you, I've been compelled to speak. Ever since I met you" he gently took her hand and began to tenderly caress her soft knuckles with his callused thumb sending shivers up her arm and down her spine. "..My soul has burned with..."

She cut him off quickly as red drifted across her cheeks. Closing her eyes she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind and she swiftly began backing away from him.

"Yes, yes so um... my brother; has he been eating properly? H...he would starve himself unless someone forces him to eat."

He dropped her hands somewhat embarrassed and certainly distraught he answered

"Yes, yes" he nodded before turning to hide the pain that washed over his face, before turning again with a more composed face and continuing.

"Army food seems to agree with him. He's not stout exactly but, yes, eating properly."

He looked at the floor nothing more to say. The awkwardness of the situation washed over them and unable to take it Octavia began to quickly glide across to floor, reaching out a hand he apologised with an awkward smile.

"Sorry; sorry about just now. I very expressly did not mean to do that. I blurted it out anyhow I should have written a letter aye" he finished with what she thought was a joke.

She even gave a tiny laugh before her eyes once again turned cautious and doe like.

"Any how; sorry" he finished shifting his weight.

At this obvious sign of discomfort she felt some pity and put his fears to rest.

"Why there's no need to apologise; any friend of my brother, as my brother always said. Anyway I'm sure when I know you better we should be good friends."

The word friend was like a dagger strait to his heart.

"That's most gracious of you; the horrid imposition on my part. Of course, you barely know me, ridiculous."

Her mother had come in at exactly that point and he had never had or ever would be as happy to see her as he was at that moment.

Now it was weeks later and he had not seen her or heard word of her form her brother. The entire time he was away for her was anguish for him. Noticing his mood Maecenas had asked him to a party, upon arrival everything seemed normal until after the first 20 minutes the room began to fill with half naked dancer dancing to the horns of Pan and practically fucking each other for the crowd. It was at this point Agrippa realised this was an orgy and Octavian would have his balls if he was caught here and it was brought to the public. Not amused with his opium inhaling friend he turned away from the spectacle on the floor and tried to explain to him over the music and through the drugged haze that he was going. His friend was lost in a world of writhing bodies and sensual delights explaining to Agrippa he should stay as "it get's so much better". Briefly Agrippa looked out at the crowd and quickly turned away again trying not to loose his resolve he reminded his drinking companion of their position within the republic and the views of the immediate boss; Octavian. Agrippa was unable to hear the reply and after a few more tries to communicate Maecenas grew tired of his 'stick-in-the-mud' friend and told him to go. Agrippa still unable to hear and increasingly frustrated got up and left with a tense" I'm going." Standing up he was once again assaulted with the sweet scent of opium smoke and all the benefits that come with it. Feeling hazy he almost didn't believe his eyes when the bodies parted and there lying on a couch with smoke coming gently from her mouth lay Octavia with eyes closed. Her friend was rambling about the walls melting while Octavia softly sang under her breath. Agrippa sat where he and simply stared at her. He could not fathom how a woman of her standing, of her radiance could be here in a den of inequity and depravity. Her eyes slowly opened glinting dangerously in the candle light as she quietly calmed her friend. She was captivating to him even her being her which should have ruined his good opinion simply strengthened his lust for her. Her friend began to talk loudly about the son of some senator or another not realising that Octavia soon blocked her out of her thoughts. Upon noticing her far away look she began to laugh

"Oh Octavia, still thinking about that solider what's so special about him anyway?"

Agrippa felt his blood begin to boil as a flush overcame Octavia's whole body spreading from her chest outward.

"He was so passionate; he drew me to him in a way no man has ever before. The lightest touch of his hand brought shivers down my spine and fire to my thighs"

Sighing she began to unconsciously stroke her collarbone while rubbing her ankles together. Agrippa felt like he was the one on fire. The thought of another man with Octavia brought a chaotic rage to the forefront of his mind ahead of the painful desire that struck him when her encountered his lady love. When he saw the reaction this man had on Octavia he was infuriated that another had this affect when he had only frightened her with his heartfelt confession.

"If he makes you feel so, and he feels strongly for you also, why do you not simply take him?" Instantly he hated his love's companion as she was obviously an awful influence. Octavia reply sent him reeling

"But he is my brother's best friend"

The only name that came to mind was Maecenas. The sting of perceived betrayal was too much from so close a friend Agrippa felt as if the goddess Pax had abandoned his life all together when she continued.

"Besides if Agrippa knew anything about me, like for instance my whereabouts right now, he would hate me with all certainty. I know my own brother would"

His heart skipped a beat as he realised she had not meant Maecenas as the object of her desire but she had meant him; Marcus Agrippa. Octavia his goddess on earth wanted him, not as a friend but as a lover. In fact she had the same reaction to him as he had had to her.

Agrippa had never quite felt this happy smiling like he owned the world, or at least Octavia, he casually walked over to the couch his lady love reclined on with eyes gently shut. For a moment he was frozen with the sight of her and could imagine getting very used to looking down at her sleeping body. Gently as possible he quickly reached down and picked her up whisking her away from her friend and away from sight within seconds. As a small breathy sigh escaped his lips her eyes snapped open first filled with a drugged haze she lifted her are up to cradle his head hands stroking his ear. When he blinked slowly in pleasure and smiled awareness filled her eyes as well as fear. She quickly tried to sit up before falling back wards again as the world spun.

"I will not think ill of you my lady for being here if you do not think ill of me for the same"

He smiled again to reassure her

"But I do not think your brother would approve of either of us being here. I shall take you home"

Fear slowly eased out of her body along with the tenseness that accompanied it.

"Alright. I was getting tired anyway, besides I do believe you are right, if my ever so proper brother heard of this it may just ruin my relationship with him."

With that she closed her eyes and relaxed in the heat of his arms head laying on his shoulder. Her breath tickled his next and he could feel the exquisite yielding softness of her body and the silks that covered it against the roughly spun cotton that covered his muscular chest and arms. Her breathing began to slow as sleep slowly overtook her on the walk home. As he reached the door to her home he paused for several minutes and a gentle yet sensuous moan escaped her lips followed by his name almost as if purred

"mmmagrippa"

while she rubbed her face into his neck. The shiver that ran over his body threatened to cause him to collapse. Looking down at her smelling of lemons and opium with flushed cheeks, hard nipples, and bare leg exposed instead of losing respect this was simply incorporated into his love for her. This incident strengthened his resolve to have her not just as a lover or bed partner but as a wife and a companion. Putting her to bed with her mothers manservant as a guide to the correct room he left with resolve and instructions that Octavia was to be carefully bathed and sent quietly to bed. Unluckily he had another encounter with her mother who had heard them coming in and had obviously thought he had committed some dishonour to her daughter and house. Octavia spoke up with a playful smile

"I was at a perfectly nice party with Jocasta mother when this, impudent brute abducted me." Her mother looked at her in a somewhat annoyed manner

"And brought you home to mother? That's a strange abduction."

Turning to Agrippa asked "Where was she?"

"Octavia you had best tell her the truth"

"Yes Octavia where were you?"

Sighing in realisation that it was unavoidable as embarrassing as it was for her mother to know

"I was at an orgy mother. It was an orgy."

"Early stages! Early stages of... an orgy. The bacchac rituals had not yet begun." Agrippa pointed out becoming more nervous by the second.

Instead of calming her mother the woman flew into a tirade at her daughter that left Agrippa barely holding onto his anger against the woman. Personally he was horrified at the thought of Octavia sucking another mans cock let alone a slaves. He was angry with her mother for suggesting that she would ever do such a thing and even angrier with her reply of

"We hadn't gotten to that part yet".

He was honestly surprised when he was told never to reveal Octavia's presence at the orgy; the thought of exposing her secret seemed ghastly and had not crossed his mind. Unfortunately this had raised the elder woman's interest and she demanded to know why Agrippa would protect Octavia from Octavian. Staring deeply into Octavia's eyes almost completely ignoring her mother he spoke

"Because; because I love her"

Octavia looked up disbelievingly and met his eyes

"That is only because you do not know me"

he could see self-loathing spread across her delicate features.

Stepping forward he denied her

"No, I know you very well. You are kind, and full hearted, and very beautiful and I would tear down the sky for you if you asked me to."

Her mother smiled and murmured a soft

"well"

obviously pleased by his devotion to her only daughter. Staring deeply into her eyes for several more seconds he saw realisation slowly drift into her eyes and he drew strength from the tenderness expressed there. Turning to her mother he warned her never to speak to her daughter that way ever again or he would be very angry. With that he turned and left the house to find Octavian leaving Mother and Daughter alone staring at one another.

"You know my dear that one bears watching. He has the makings of a great and powerful man if he was supplied with the correct connections. He has a certain presence that reminds me of Gaius Pompey when he was young. He might be a strong ally for your brother yet my child. He certainly has proven himself loyal to your good name this evening Daughter."

"Yes mother, Agrippa has proven himself a... friend to me"

Smiling slowly she wrapped her arms around her child

"So my dear, what do you think of him? Would he suit you as a husband?"

"Your giving me a choice?"

"I'm asking you opinion. He is certainly not bad looking, finer than your last husband, and in a better position for the family. He would be no chore to bed and he seems to worship you, and your little debaucheries have not hindered his opinion of you."

"Truly thought I have not known him long I do feel calmness when he is near, a sense of safety comes over me when he is around. I do agree he is not hard on the eyes and would be no chore to bed. And he has long been a friend of brothers which does say something of his character. It would not be so bad to be joined with Marcus Agrippa in matrimony."

"Very good, I will talk to Octavian in the morning and see what he thinks, if all goes well you might just be married before the month is out my dearest." Kissing her daughter on the forehead she tucked her in "Goodnight and tomorrow I will speak to your brother and you will get rid of Jocasta and any drugs stronger than hemp."

"Yes mother" Octavia replied to tired and stoned to really care at the moment.