(200 years later.)

(Caesar's POV)

"Bring him in." I commanded. The centurions bowed down in respect and opened the door.

An old, hunchbacked merchant came in. Behind him were his servants carrying what seems to be a statue hidden underneath a velvet cloth.

"Greetings my Lord." The merchant said. His voice was slithery and deceiving, like a snake's.

"What is it that you want?"

"I want to establish a trade." The merchant replied, his voice full of raw ambition. "A trade between Carthage and Rome that is. We will supply Rome with exotic spices and jewellery. As the new Emperor you know all too well that trade is essential for a thriving empire. Together we will make Rome into the new Babylon, the wonder of this new world!"

"I am not easily persuaded by a merchant's talk." I said strictly. "Let me think it over and I will summon you when I have made up my mind."

"Oh, but I have a gift, My Lord." The merchant smiled shrewdly.

"A gift?" I replied sarcastically. "You expect the Emperor to be bribed by petty gifts? If I did, then Vercingtorix wouldn't surrender before my might." With that I laughed.

"It's not an ordinary gift, Your Highness." The merchant beckoned his men to come forward. "See for yourself."

The servants gently set the statue before me. With a simple tug, the velvet cloth fell ever so slowly, exposing a golden statue in her naked glory.

I was breathless. It was not a cold lifeless statue before me.

It was a beautiful maiden seducing me with her flirty sapphire eyes. There was a small mischievous smile on her beckoning lips. She was beautiful- more beautiful than Venus herself. I drew a quick breath as I ran my hands over her shiny, voluptuous hips. She did not flinch before my touch. She just stood there momentarily frozen in time.

"Do you like it, My Lord?" The merchant said silkily.

I was out of words. I ate my own words and I was ready to spit it out and eat it again.

"Let me tell you a little story." The merchant began. "That statue had been in my family's hands for over a century. It was passed it down from mother to daughter as a priceless heirloom. My mother did not have a daughter back then- I was the only child. She then gave the statue to me as a present on my thirtieth birthday. She told me that my ancestors had discovered the statue buried underneath a dried river bed. That river was not an ordinary one alright. It was believed to be the river that the repentant King Midas had washed his hands upon. The poor girl must have turned to gold while bathing in the river. I went to Venus' priestess afterwards, bringing the statue with me. The priestess told me that only true love's kiss could break the spell."

"Why didn't you kiss her yourself?" I asked. I glanced at the statue again. Her beautiful face was dusty. I wiped her clean with my own sleeve- rags could never do.

"I'm too old for that!" The merchant ranted. "I'm too old to believe in some whore girl's advice. The story was probably a myth. I was a fool for believing it before. I became wiser when I got older. People don't turn into gold. Bah! There was no King Midas either! Maybe my ancestor had the statue made by a gifted sculptor, fell in love with it and made nonsense stories afterwards."

"Why are you giving it to me then?"

"It's a priceless heritage nonetheless." He said. 'It suites you more than I."

"Alright." I said. He had completely won me over. I mean, the statue did. "Tomorrow the trade will start."

A thin smile formed in the merchant's lips. "Pleasure doing business with you, My Lord."