Livia had gone with her husband to attend the meeting in the Senate the following day. Commodus had walked with her on his arm and there had been hushed whispers echoing through the Senate once she had entered. She turned to scan the faces of the men, knowing that she was out of place. Yet, she failed to care. She was there to prove them all wrong. She was there to show that her husband, despite being young, had the makings of a good Emperor.

Commodus had dressed for the day in his fine purple tunic, adorned with his bronze armour. Livia had opted for a green stola after Commodus informed her that it made her eyes gleam. She had kissed him chastely following the compliment and smiled once he had taken her hand and walked with her by his side.

Sitting in the meeting hall, Livia could feel her husband next to her. He had also taken a seat, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it. Her eye caught Gracchus and she wondered if he knew what she had heard the previous night. Had Lucilla managed to speak with him? Did he still harbour ill feelings? Livia watched him as he studied her back.

"My lady," he spoke and the whispers died down as business began to take precedence. "I have to say it is a joy to see you in here. The Emperor had informed us that you had been taken ill."

"I am glad to be here," Livia said in response. "I am hoping that my illness has passed…well…the worst of it."

"And from all of us here, we wish you and your child the very best," he spoke and Livia smiled, her hand going to her stomach as she looked to Commodus and he looked back with a forced smile. She knew how he hated the Senate. She knew how he did not trust them after everything they had done. He could not look past the fact that they had conspired to have him marry someone else and make Livia his mistress. He would never forgive them.

"Thank you, Senator Gracchus."

"No doubt you wish to hear of our business?"

"Indeed," Livia said.

Gracchus nodded his head then and looked to Livia as Commodus remained uncharacteristically quiet. Commodus had looked to Falco, nodding to him as the other Senator nodded back. He knew that so long as he had Falco in his pocket then he could keep control over the Senate. He had spies everywhere making certain that no one spoke out against Commodus. It was another moment before Gracchus spoke, reading from a scroll.

"The games are costing Rome a fortune," he spoke and Commodus felt his glare increase as Gracchus continued to read from the parchment. "We must introduce new taxes in order to pay for them, however, we cannot continue to sell our reserves of grain in order to pay for them. The people will be starving in two years should this continue."

"Then what is it you suggest, Gracchus?" Commodus enquired from the man and Livia's brows knitted together as she looked to her husband, wondering if he was truly selling off grain to pay for the games. It took her a moment before she shook her head, wondering just what Commodus was thinking as he moved to his feet and looked at the Senator. "The people love the games."

"The people need food, sire," the Senator spoke.

"What tax do you suggest?" Livia enquired, moving to her feet in an attempt to stop the situation from turning worse than it was. She took hold of her husband by the arm as he looked down to her and she kept her gaze on Gracchus. "We cannot increase taxes for the poor; that would hardly be fair on them."

"If you increase taxes for the rich then they would complain too," Commodus spoke.

"Let me clarify; I trust not enough grain is being produced for the population if we continue to sell it off, correct?" Livia spoke.

"Correct," he said in a nod.

"And is there no other way we can produce grain? Are there no spare fields? I have seen the villas on the outskirts of Rome. I have seen the land they possess. Perhaps that is the key? Perhaps we grow more grain in return for lowering their taxes for use of their land? In the meantime, we increase taxes by only a fraction, making certain that people do not suffer, and stop selling as much grain as we are. We increase production of grain by harvesting as much land as possible."

Gracchus seemed to consider what she was saying then. The Senate whispered lowly and Livia looked around for a brief second. Her eyes flickered up to Commodus and he continued to look straight at Gracchus. The anger clearly had not subsided from his features as Livia squeezed his arm in her grip, urging for him not to lose his focus. It took her a few seconds before she let out a deep breath and Gracchus nodded.

"We can see if that would be viable, my Lady," he said and Livia nodded.

"Excellent," she responded.

"Your wife has proven to be quite the intellectual, Caesar," Gaius spoke up as he looked to Livia, wondering what her father would say if he could see her now. Would he be proud? No doubt he would have adoration for the courage that his daughter showed. She had always been able to prove herself when needed. She had show that recently.

Commodus looked to Gaius, wondering if there were deeper meanings behind his words. But he fixed a smile onto his face and nodded his head, the golden crown around his head shifting slightly as he arched his brows.

"My wife is, indeed, full of intelligence," Commodus spoke. "Now, if there are no other matters then we shall take our leave. I trust you all to be able to cope with my wife's recommendations."

"Of course, Caesar," Gracchus said, a sly smirk on his lips as he watched the young Emperor turn away with Livia following him.

Livia kept her fingers inside of her husband's as he squeezed them tightly and she tried to slow his pace down, but he was marching ahead. Livia only complained once they had come to a halt in the same room just behind the Senate where she had been the first time she had met with them.

"Commodus, you are hurting my hand," she complained once they were alone.

Dropping her fingers, Commodus turned to look to Livia. "Was it your intention to make me look like a fool in front of the Senate, Livia?" he demanded from her.

Livia's brows knitted together out of confusion as her husband stood before her, his hands by his sides and his eyes glaring down to her. All that he saw was a look of hurt as he spoke to her and he knew the answer to his question. He knew it before he had even truly asked it. Livia did nothing to hurt him. She did nothing but love him and try to help him.

"Commodus, I would never do such a thing," she said and Commodus sighed, trying to control his anger as he saw her continue to watch him. "I did not know that grain was being sold to fund these games. You need to think of the people and the future of Rome. The people might love the games now, but if they discovered they would starve in two years then they would turn on you."

"And do you think that I was not able to control what the Senate wanted? Do you think that I would not have found a solution?"

"I do not know," Livia shrugged. "Commodus, it was never my intention to make you look foolish. I just wanted to help you. I wanted to help Rome…prove that, together, we can make a difference. Is that not what you wanted too?"

Commodus softened then as he felt her take hold of his fingers once more, entwining hers with his as she silently urged him to look at her. He kept his gaze even, his thoughts on what had just happened as Livia moved her hand to his cheek, stroking it softly.

"I am your consort, am I not?" she wondered from him.

"You are."

"Then permit me to help you," she urged him in a gentle voice, doing her best to snap him out of this haze he had found himself trapped in. "Allow me to help, Commodus. If you do not wish for me to speak in the Senate then fine, but allow me to help and give my thoughts."

"There should be no Senate," Commodus said and Livia blinked profusely, wondering why they were still talking. He looked down to his wife as he moved a hand to her chin, his thumb roaming her bottom lip as he pulled it from her top lip. "There should just be me and you looking after Rome."

"Commodus, that is obscene," Livia spoke as he continued to let his thumb rest on her lip. "We need the Senate to tell us what is happening."

"I would dissolve the Senate, Livia," he said. "The people should not allow them to rule on their behalf. What do they know about the common life in Rome?"

"What do we know?" Livia retorted back. "The Senate has its uses. I know you do not trust them, but trust me, we cannot dissolve the Senate without facing any repercussions."

Commodus shook his head. "Livia, I listened to you in that meeting. You spoke more sense than any of those in there ever could have. The Senate is filled with snakes…men who do not wish to see a change for Rome…men who we cannot trust. You, my love, put all of them to shame just now. You are the only counsel I need."

Livia scoffed at that, moving his hand from her face as she kept hold of it in her fingers. "I do not know about that," she said with a shake of her head. "Commodus, listen to me, do not act hastily. Do not act brashly. Think about this…think about how you can use the Senate to your advantage. Please?"

"I have thought long and hard, Livia," Commodus spoke.

"Then just think a little longer," she urged from him. "Think about what I told you the first time. Please, my love, it is as you say. It is you and me…you have my counsel…you want my counsel…please heed it."

Commodus nodded then, a solitary breathless laugh coming from him as he bent down, kissing his wife slowly as he pulled her lips between his and he watched her with intrigue as she closed her eyes and moaned against his lips. Pulling back after a second, he brushed his nose against hers.

"Darling, Livia," he whispered sweetly. "What would I be without you?"

"We will never have to find out," Livia said and kissed him once more.

…

Livia had finished readying herself on the morning of the games. She had been told how Maximus was due to enter the arena once more, facing a gladiator who had been in retirement. Somehow Commodus had persuaded him to come out of retirement, however. Livia was apprehensive, to say the least. She was still wondering if she should find a way to speak with Maximus. But she didn't.

"Livia, I need to speak with you."

Livia almost sighed as Lucilla entered her chambers. She was grateful that Commodus had gone to speak with Falco after indulging his wife's insatiable need for him that morning. Livia had blamed it on her pregnancy once she had finished, collapsing in his lap and against his chest as he kissed her sensually. She could feel a flush come over her face as she thought back to it.

"Lucilla, I do not have time-"

"-Gracchus told me what happened," Lucilla interrupted. "Is it true? Did you manage to make Commodus see sense?"

"Why do you insist on doing this?" Livia demanded from Lucilla. "Why do you insist on speaking as though Commodus is a bad man?"

"Livia, if you knew-"

"-Livia, sweetling, we need to go."

Commodus entered his chambers unannounced, his eyes widening as he saw Lucilla stood by his wife. Turning to look to her brother, the two siblings eyed each other with more contempt than they had felt in a long time. Neither of them said anything, however, and Livia took it upon herself to speak.

"I asked Lucilla for her help in fixing my hair," Livia said with haste as her husband arched a brow in Lucilla's direction.

"Is that right?" he enquired.

"Yes," Lucilla spoke, "but I find that Livia always looks more natural with her hair hanging free."

"Which is a good job as I dismissed my handmaid earlier this morning," she spoke and Commodus did smirk then, remembering how the maid had almost walked in on the two of them in the throes of pleasure. Shooting her husband a sly smirk, Livia remembered too and she hoped she had managed to change the topic.

"Indeed," Commodus drawled lowly. "Lucius is waiting for you, Lucilla. We will be with your shortly."

"Of course, brother," she said and left the chamber as Livia draped a shawl over her shoulders and looked to Commodus, smiling as he watched the door close behind her. Moving to his wife, Commodus took hold of her by the hands.

"Lucilla has been meeting with Senator Gracchus behind my back," Commodus spoke in a hushed voice and Livia's eyes went wide, trying to act surprised as she watched her husband for a few seconds while he spoke. "Falco informed me that the two of them had been caught whispering behind closed doors together."

"I am certain it is nothing," Livia said, squeezing his fingers.

"Do you truly think that?" he wondered from her. "I do not trust Lucilla, my love. She looks at me with contempt now. I think she is plotting, Livia."

"No," Livia said with haste. "Commodus, perhaps you simply need to speak with her? When was the last time you both truly conversed together? She is your sister. Why would she plot against you?"

"She does not trust me," Commodus whispered and Livia tried not to let her features betray her. "I can sense it."

"Talk with her," Livia urged in a soft voice. "We will talk with her tonight and after the games. Please, do not think the worst in your sister."

Looking down upon his wife, Commodus gulped as he moved a hand, letting the back of it stroke her cheek softly. "How do you see the good in everyone?"

"Because there is good in everyone," she responded and Commodus felt a some kind of smile take hold of his face as he nodded his head. Would she say that if she knew what he had done? Would she be so forgiving and understanding? Looking down to her, he bent down and kissed her, his lips lingering over hers.

"We shall do it your way," Commodus informed her. "Come, my love, the games are about to begin."

Taking his hand, Livia could only hope that Lucilla had not be foolish and met with Gracchus again. She wanted to protect her. She had to protect her. She just didn't know how if Commodus discovered the truth.

...

A/N: Do let me know what you think!