Commodus smiled as Livia laughed, unable to stop herself as he kept her in his grip, his hands tickling along her side as he pinned her underneath him in his bed. Her laugh was loud and contagious as she continued her squirming, her hands going to his shoulders to try to push him from her, but she failed as he continued to tease her. It was a few moments later when he stopped, his movements ceasing as his hands remained content simply holding onto her waist, his grip tight as he rested between her parted thighs, her hands moving to stroke through his hair as her laughter died down.

"I could listen to you laugh all day," he whispered to her and she scoffed, pushing at his shoulder teasingly and gently.

"Well I could not have you tickle me like that all day," she responded to him.

"I would hate to tease you for so long," he responded and lowered his lips to hers once more, kissing her slowly before pulling back and moving to rest on his side besides her.

Livia rolled onto her side on the bed, propping her head up on her hand as she looked down to him, her other hand going to his bare chest. Her fingers ran along the panes of his chest and stomach as Commodus rested on his back. He moved a hand to her hair, brushing it behind her ear so that he could revel in her blushing.

"When do you have to go?" she enquired from him.

"I am listening to the finishing preparations of the games today. They begin next week," Commodus informed her. "And I would like you sat by my side, my love…as my wife."

Livia's eyes widened then. Her hands stilled on his chest as Commodus looked to her. She began smiling then, the grimace gone on her face as she looked down to him. She moved then, her legs slipping either side of him as she sat on his lap. Commodus moved to sit up then, his hands slipping around her waist as their bare chests brushed together. Draping her arms over his neck, she let her fingers dangle down the nape, feeling the wisps of hair.

"Do you mean it?" she asked of him. "Commodus, do you mean it?"

"I would not have said it if I had not meant it," he informed her and he felt her shake slightly out of excitement as she moved to kiss him. It was more a brush of teeth due to her constant smile on her face as Commodus also let himself grin widely at the feeling of her. Pulling back after four short kisses, she let her forehead rest against his.

"That does not give us much time," she informed him and Commodus shrugged, the back of his hand moving to run down the length of her hair.

"I do not need much time," he promised her in a whisper. "I am the Emperor, remember? I can have you a fine ring for your finger to symbol our engagement…we do not need an engagement party, nor do we need any people there except for ten witnesses. However, you deserve a grand wedding."

"But you will be there?" she asked from him. "I have heard of husbands not turning up to their own wedding to their wives, but send a letter of intent."

Commodus shook his head. "Do you think that I would miss the chance to see you dressed in wedding attire, my love? I want to see you dressed in white with a veil…I assume Lucilla will be your bridesmaid?"

"I would like that," she said with a nod of her head. "I just…there is no family of mine…my father and mother…it just makes me sad that they cannot see me here."

"But they would have been so proud," Commodus promised her. "I can have a sacrifice offered before the wedding and a stunning wedding breakfast. I can also have a seamstress here first thing in the morning to have you a tunic made and a girdle."

Livia laughed softly and shook her head. "Commodus, the girdle is used by the bride's mother to signify the bride's purity. I am hardly pure. You have seen to that."

Commodus saw the cheeky look in her eye as he moved his hands to the small of her back, pressing her body tightly against his as she ran her hands through his hair, stroking it slowly and softly. Commodus moved to press a kiss to her neck.

"Have I truly corrupted you so?"

"Only because I wanted you to," she responded. "But I want to marry you."

"Then it shall be done," Commodus promised her.

…

Lucilla could hardly believe that her brother had rushed ahead with this wedding. He had invited ten witnesses, as was tradition, but he had no one else invited. While he had wanted a large and lavish ceremony to show off his new bride, Livia had said that she wanted a quiet wedding and Commodus had agreed. It had been anything that she had wanted.

"None of this is traditional," Livia complained to Lucilla the night before she was due to wed Commodus. Her tunic was laid out on her bed and she was sat at her vanity, pulling a comb through her hair as she turned to look to Lucilla, her eyes wide as Lucilla perched at the end of her bed, a brow arched on her forehead.

"How so?"

"I have no family, Lucilla," Livia said. "The ceremony is usually at the home of the bride's parents and my only home that I have known is here."

"Commodus has the ceremony taking place in the atrium," Lucilla said to her. "He wants to ensure that everything is perfect. He will see to that."

"I have no father to be with me…I just…I feel that…it is only now when I feel as though I really miss my mother and father. Of course, I think about them every day, but I wish that they were here. I wish that they could see me marrying Commodus."

Lucilla gulped. A part of her felt sorry for Livia, but a part of her felt as though her parents would be distraught if they knew the truth. However, if they knew, would they be able to stop their daughter? Would they have dared to go against the Emperor? Lucilla knew what he was capable of and she hated to admit that she was scared of her brother. She only wondered if anyone else was scared of him.

"I know," was all that Lucilla could offer her.

"But how did you feel when you were to be married?" Livia asked. "Did you feel nervous?"

"Of course," Lucilla said with a smile, remembering her belated husband. She remembered him fondly. Lucius Verus had been nothing but kind and adoring to her. It was true that her heart belonged to another. It always had. But there was nothing between her and Maximus. They had both moved on and married. They had been young when their friendship had become something more romantic, yet both of them had no option to explore it.

"How did you cope?"

Lucilla shrugged and moved to her feet, taking hold of the brush from Livia as she ran it down the girl's soft curls which seemed to have lightened in the sun. Livia looked straight ahead and outside the balcony, her eyes wide as she allowed Lucilla to brush her hair and tie it into an intricate plait.

"I do not think that I coped entirely well," Lucilla admitted. "I loved my husband, of course, but when we were wed I…well…you know how I felt."

Livia had only been young when Lucilla had wed her husband, but she could always remember Maximus. The General had made quite an impression on Lucilla.

"Whatever happened to Maximus?" Livia wondered. "I can only vaguely remember him, Lucilla. He was always kind to me. I was only a child back then."

Lucilla let her lips quirk as her eyes threatened to spill with tears. She didn't know how she could tell Livia the truth. Her brother had sent for Maximus to be killed. He had done that. The vicious Emperor had demanded for Maximus to be murdered because he knew the truth. What would he do to Lucilla if Livia knew the truth? Would he harm her? Would he harm her son? Or, the Gods forbid, would he harm Livia?

"He fought alongside my father, but I have…well…I saw him at the camp, but I did not see him again. Our relationship happened many years ago, Livia."

"But did you love him?" she enquired, turning her head over her shoulder to look to Lucilla.

"I…I do not know," Lucilla said with a shake of her head. "Our time together was cut short before we could explore our feelings."

"I see," was all that Livia culd say in response to that. She remained silent for a few seconds as Lucilla perched down next to her, a hand moving to the young woman's cheek and cradling it gently as she saw nervousness in her gaze.

"Do you want this?" Lucilla enquired from her. "Do you want to wed my brother?"

Truth be known, Lucilla did not know what she could do if the girl said no. She doubted she would be able to stop the wedding. She was already on the edge of playing a dangerous game with her brother. She had finally seen him for what he was, but Livia was still blinded by him. She was still besotted with him.

"I love Commodus," Livia said with a nod of her head. "I am just nervous, Lucilla. He is the Emperor and I am to be his wife. I never thought that I would be the wife of an Emperor. I am scared about everything that comes with marrying him…the expectations…people looking at me…whispering and gossiping…I will accept all of it if it means that I can be with Commodus, but it does not make me any less nervous."

Lucilla nodded, seeming to understand what she was saying. She was worried about what people would think of her and not her feelings for Commodus. Lucilla chewed down on her lip and moved to embrace Livia, holding her in her arms as she took hold of her. Keeping hold of her tightly, she longed to be able to protect the girl from Commodus. She longed to keep her wrapped up in her arms and save her. But she did not possess that power. Commodus was the one who held everything now.

…

Commodus waited with patience the following morning. He had dressed in all white, his tunic and armour fitting of an Emperor. His crown adorned his head as he wore his rings on his fingers. He had been waiting in the atrium patiently, his nephew seated alongside the ten witnesses, including Senator Gracchus, Gaius and Falco. There were other Senators there, but Commodus had refused to let the entire Senate join him for this wedding. While he had longed for a grand affair, his bride to be had been less keen. She had pleaded for a quiet wedding and she had urged Commodus to agree. He had done. He had sacrificed an animal, as tradition stated, opting for a pig, and the omens had shone down on him. He wondered if the man reading the omens dared to question them to the Emperor.

Yet Commodus did not care. He waited with patience for Livia to make her appearance known. Lucilla had agreed to be a bridesmaid and she had walked into the atrium, her arm tucked into Livia's. Commodus felt his breathing falter at the sight of her.

Dressed in pure white, her veil covered her face and trailed down to the floor. Her hair was pulled up in a customary manner while some white flowers hung in it. No doubt Lucilla had helped her pull them from the garden that morning. Commodus himself could not quite believe the vision walking towards him. Standing in front of the priest, she turned to look to Commodus, smiling softly as he longed to take her hand and be bound together.

Instead he simply had to settle on speaking to her.

"You look radiant, my love," he whispered and he saw her cheeks blush.

Livia could only remain silent as she waited. The prise began by ordering evil spirits to leave before asking the spirits for heir blessing of the union. Livia could hardly listen to him as she kept her eyes on Commodus. He looked besotted and she couldn't help but feel her chest heave at the thought that he was besotted with her. When it came to giving her hand to Commodus, Lucilla stepped forwards.

Holding tightly onto Livia's fingers, she leant in and kissed her tenderly on the cheek before looking to her brother. Commodus moved his eyes reluctantly onto her, his eyes shining with something other than power. He looked genuinely happy. Lucilla moved slowly, knowing that once she had given Livia's hand to Commodus they would be wed by law. Gulping loudly, she moved and finally let Livia's hand rest in Commodus's.

Stepping back, she watched as Livia told Commodus that she would be his wife, wherever he was. And then it was over. Commodus moved slowly, his large hands pulling up the veil and removing it from her face, placing it behind her head instead. Freeing up her skin to him, he moved his hands to cover her cheeks and leant forwards, bending slightly to place his lips over hers. Kissing her softly, Lucilla heard a few claps before she wondered just what she had allowed to happen.

…

Livia had sat through the marriage ceremony after the witnesses had signed the marriage contract. She had kept her hand inside of Commodus's, unable to get used to the feeling of the iron ring which sat around her finger. Looking to Commodus, she would often move to peck him on the cheek and he gladly accepted her affection. Only when she had yawned softly into her hand did Commodus insist on taking her to his chamber, but this time there was no reason for her to feel ashamed. She did not back away from him, nor did she insist on them not being seen together.

With two men guarding the door, Commodus closed it behind him before moving to his wife. Kissing her slowly and sensually, he moved his hand to the nape of her neck while his other hand went to her waist, tugging her body tightly against his own.

"My wife," he whispered once he had pulled back from her, looking her in the eye as he continued to smirk. "My beautiful wife."

Livia laughed at hearing that, shaking her head as a hand went to his chest, her palm pressing flat against it as she moved forwards and kissed him on the lips again.

"And you are my husband," she said. "Do you think we will ever get used to saying that?"

Twirling her underneath his arm, Commodus heard her laugh loudly again as he kept her back pressed to his chest harshly, refusing to let her go as he bent down and kissed her neck, hearing her moan softly. He tried his best to push the veil out of his way as it kept hitting his cheek, but he was failing miserably. Muttering in a small voice, he felt her fingers lace into his against her stomach.

"How do I get this wretched thing off?" Commodus enquired, frustration in his voice as Livia continued to laugh and turned around.

Moving to kiss him, she let her lips press against his a couple of times. "It is fixed into my hair. Give me a few minutes."

Commodus watched her move to sit down at the vanity he had instructed to be brought into his chamber for his new wife alongside all of her belongings. His chamber was now mixed with items from both of them and Commodus adored it. While it was often customary for husband and wife to maintain separate chambers sometimes, he did not want that for him and Livia. He wanted to share her bed every night.

"I trust you are happy," Commodus said to her as he began to unstrap his armour from his body, throwing it into a chair in the corner of the room. He did not care for neatness this evening.

"Happier than I have ever been," Livia promised him as she fiddled with the pins in her hair, wincing slightly as she tugged them out and her hair fell in clumps down her shoulders. "And you?"

"Do you truly need to ask?" Commodus wondered from her.

He remained in his simple tunic as he went to lounge on the bed and wait for her. She slowly managed to pull the veil from her head along with the flowers. Commodus watched her saunter to the bed and collapse onto the side of it. Closing her eyes, she rested her head by his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You are not tired, are you, my love?" he asked from her.

She smirked and patted his chest. "I did not sleep much last night," she admitted. "I was nervous."

"About what, sweetling?"

"Today," Livia said. "Not about marrying you, of course, but…just…what people might think of you marrying an orphan like me…someone beneath you. Lucilla managed to speak with me though. She managed to calm me. I asked her how she had felt before she had been married."

"And what did she say?" Commodus wondered, his hand stroking her hair slowly and softly against his fingertips as her arm draped over his waist.

"She told me she too was nervous," she said with a nod of her head. "But then we spoke about other things and I asked her about Maximus."

Commodus froze then, his hand stilling against her hair as she propped herself up to look to him. He tried to keep his gaze soft, not wanting to think of the General he had ordered to be executed. How did he tell his wife that he had made sure Maximus did not return home? How did he tell her that? He did not wish to. He did not want to discuss Maximus on his wedding night.

"That was such a long time ago," Commodus managed to say with a slightly nervous laugh, wondering if she had picked up on it. If she had, then she said nothing. "Lucilla married and she had been happy with her husband. Regardless, it is our wedding night, Livia. All that I wish to think of is you."

Livia smiled softly at hearing him and moved to kiss him again. Nodding her head, she seemed to understand what he was saying as she felt his hand cup her cheek.

"I love you," she whispered as her lips brushed his. "Never forget that."

"And I you, my love," he said in a whisper.

…

Livia awoke the next morning feeling nothing but elation. She had spent the evening sleeping and indulging her husband. She still felt odd calling him her husband. She had awoken in his arms and found that he was still sleeping peacefully. Rolling over to face him, she had bit down on her lip as she contemplated waking him and insisting that they indulge in each other once more before they had to break their fast. Just as her hands found and brushed his bare chest, she felt a sense of nausea pass through her. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she moved from the bed, grateful that Caesar had his own toilet in an adjoining room. Grabbing her robe on the way, she flung it over her body as she went.

Rushing to it, she fell to her knees as she allowed herself to be ill, wondering what was happening. She began to sob, unable to stop herself as she emptied the contents of her stomach. It took only a few minutes before Commodus was behind her, fixing a tunic on his body. Kneeling down on the floor behind her, Commodus reached for her hair, tugging it behind her shoulders.

"My love, what is it?" he demanded from her, his voice full of concern as she continued to bend over the marble toilet, tears down her cheeks. "Livia…sweetling…are you ill?"

Livia coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She collapsed back onto her heels and rubbed her eyes. Looking to Commodus, she shook her head.

"I am well," she assured him in a small voice. "I just felt ill."

"I shall send for the best doctor Rome has to offer," Commodus said to her.

"No…" Livia said, moving to grip onto his forearms as he took hold of her arms too. "I feel well now, Commodus. I wonder if it was something I ate at the feast last night. I feel well."

"Livia," Commodus spoke in an urging tone.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "Just let me return to bed. I shall be well."

Commodus sighed, but nodded. He moved to his feet and hauled his wife to stand with him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Commodus knocked her feet from under her, cradling her against him as he carried her back to the bed.

"I can walk," Livia complained to him.

"At least humour me somewhat," Commodus urged from her and laid her back down, allowing her head to rest on the pillow.

He pulled the sheet back up to her neck and perched on the side of the bed. Moving a hand to her forehead, he let his fingers brush over it. "You are warm," he commented.

"I am fine," she spoke again. "Just let me sleep and allow this nausea to pass. You…go and break your fast…I am certain you will have business to attend to with the Senate."

"The Senate can wait," Commodus informed her and moved to sit next to her on the bed. He remained sat up as she laid down. "I will wait her to make certain you are well, my love."

"Commodus-"

"-Do not protest," he demanded from her. "Now rest. I will be here when you wake."

It didn't take her long to drift back to sleep, her hand reaching out to hold his against his thigh as her eyes closed and her breathing turned shallower. Commodus continued to watch her sleep, his mind going back to their conversation the previous night. He let his thoughts return to Maximus as he swore to do everything in his power to never let the Spaniard be remembered again.

…

A/N: Quite a long chapter. Do let me know what you think!