Livia Drusilla (Augustus third wife)

A/N: Just for the record, the image I am using for Livia Drusilla is based on the intriguing show called Domina, which features some of the characters and major events from this period including, Livia herself, along with her husband Augustus and Agrippa as well.

Finally, I have some particularly important author notes at the bottom when it comes to setting the stage for what's to come in this thread. Just thought I should mention it in advance.

Anyway, have fun!

Augustus opened the door and blinked at the increased light from the hallway, just in time to notice his wife, Livia, at the entrance to his chambers, looking at him expectantly.

They locked eyes for a moment, silently, while the First Citizen wondered what had changed.

"Husband," She said softly, as she nodded her head. "I know you said you needed more time alone tonight to be better rested tomorrow and I understand but I felt you should know, Agrippa has returned from his journey to Greece safe and sound."

The pleasant news was certainly a relief to hear but Augustus could tell that Livia was honestly puzzled. An unusual thing, particularly while they were in their private residence. She must have noticed his expression and recognized what it meant as she took a deep breath, which was hardly surprising. She might have been the third woman the Princeps had married after his first two political unions failed but the poised lady was the only one he had truly loved and even in those early and complicated days, he knew that the feeling was mutual. That meant she had certainly grown to know him better than almost anyone else. And just as well too. After all, aside from his closest friends, Agrippa and Maecenas, there were few in Rome whom he felt he could trust implicitly. And not just with his life but also to get the job done he asked of them to the best of their ability.

"He said that he had important news for the future security of the empire that he truly must share with you," His beloved wife continued, "And that it truly couldn't wait until morning."

The Imperator started to feel uneasy at that piece of information.

"That doesn't sound good. Marcus had been taking care of his duties from Lesbos, and that Greek island is so far to the east of the Aegean it might as well be a part of Asia Minor. Could the large armies of horsemen of the Parthian Empire be preparing for a major invasion into our most recently acquired territories near Armenia?" He wondered, his mind already trying to come up with lists of priorities and contingencies for such an event.

Livia hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think that's it. I believe it probably has more to do with what he brought with him from the Eastern Mare Nostrum."

"And what did he bring?" Augustus pressed.

"You will have to ask your confidant, for he clarified nothing to me, insisting he needed to speak with you about this first," The love of his life responded with a knowing look. "Although...I am sure I heard a baby cry out from the bundle of cloth he was carrying in his arms."

And just like that, the feeling on his spine he had come to associate with glory and divine purpose started spreading through it again, like wildfire. His eyes widened for a moment but then he schooled his features as best he could in a hurry.

"Where is he?" The Pontifex Maximus asked, his own tone urgent.

"He is waiting for you at the Temple of Apollo Palatinus," Livia told him. "Said that this conversation should only be between the two of you and the gods as witnesses."

Augustus was quiet for a long moment before nodding, almost imperceptibly. "I have a feeling he is right about that.

Husband and wife looked at each other for a bit longer before the Emperor-in-all-but-name took a deep breath.

"Speak of this to no one unless I say the word," He commanded. "I will be back as soon as I can."

Livia simply nodded in understanding. "As you say."

With that, the heir to the famous Julius Caesar walked through the frescoed halls and corridors that connected his private residence with the temple he had made for his patron god, whom he firmly believed had answered his prayers when victory became his at the decisive Battle of Actium: Apollo, god of the sun itself.

And as he walked in silence, he couldn't help but wonder if he was about to be blessed by his patron a second time.

A/N: Shorter chapter this time, but I am going to be a bit busier today, and I wanted to leave you something extra to enjoy in the meantime. Hope you liked it.

Now, if you are curious about some of the historical references I mentioned, then read on for a few more details and clarifications. Sorry if it got long, but it felt like a good moment to clarify certain topics in advance that would help visualize the setting, as well as explain in what ways some of these non-DC characters are so important to the narrative and why. So, explaining some of what is known of them at this early stage seemed important to me.

If you would prefer to skip it though, then thank you very much for reading up to this point, and I hope to see you in the next chapter:

It has been said by many historians over the years that Augustus had great taste when it came to capable friends. This was especially important for a near-absolute ruler like him in the geopolitical climate of his time, where heads of state could be outmaneuvered by unexpected treachery from a subordinate who had grown too greedy or ambitious. Indeed, this ended up causing the untimely demise of many Roman Emperors.

But Augustus was loyal to his friends and had the kind of character that enabled him to inspire loyalty in turn. He surrounded himself with the best men in Rome, but of his inner circle, three deserve special mention, and we have enough historical evidence to suggest that if there ever were people the first Emperor fully trusted with his life if it came down to it under any circumstances, then they would be the ones to come to mind. In the context of this story, they will also have a part in raising Roman Kal-El as a member of the Imperial family. Said inner circle of the First Emperor were:

Agrippa, an all-star general and administrator who led the armies of Augustus to victory after victory. He was undoubtedly the right-hand man of Augustus. His best general, diplomatic, and organizer, Agrippa deserves credit for half of Augustus’s accomplishments, and unlike most of Rome's finest generals after the end of the Republic, everything seems to suggest he was completely loyal to his emperor. I cannot overstate how important something like that was for any head of state in the ancient world. Indeed, I can think of many Roman Emperors who would have been willing to pay a very high price if it had somehow meant gaining the loyalty of such a competent general, which is why I have said more than once that we should all hope to one day have trusted friends as kickass as Aggrippa.

Augustus also had Gaius Maecenas, who commissioned great works of art and ran Augustus’s propaganda campaign to great effect, especially considering all the reforms he passed. His actions were a big contributor to the steady increase of Augustus' popularity through the decades.

And he had Livia, one of the great Roman mothers and arguably his closest advisor. As I said, she was his third wife, but all seem to suggest he married her for love as soon as he was able to. You see, Augustus had fallen head over heels in love with Livia some time before, and the feeling seemed to be mutual if the records are to be believed (and further actions through their long marriage do not seem to put this into doubt). The problem was that she was already married to another man, and she was pregnant with his second child.

Augustus and Livia’s first husband didn’t care enough about that to prevent a divorce, though. She married him as they both wanted, and to make the transition even smoother, Augustus basically adopted her 2 sons, Tiberius and Drusus; the former of which would be the one to ultimately succeed him as Emperor after his other preferred heirs that were higher in Augustus' line of succession ended up dying before he did. In the original timeline that is...

Regardless, these people all remained loyal and true to Augustus for his entire life. This is notable too because many other emperors would see their best generals turn on them and take the throne by ****. But Augustus was a great friend, and the people around him loved him deeply. And we will start to see more of his relationship with Agrippa in the next chapter. I know I won't be fully able to do it justice, but I will at least try to make it believable. And I hope these notes can help put things in perspective for some of you that are more unfamiliar with these historical figures, in advance of the chapters that will feature them more heavily.

Also, for those that are curious about historical references regarding old Roman religions here, the Temple of Apollo Palatinus was indeed commissioned by Augustus near his residential complex, saying it was as thanks for the god's aid during the decisive battle that would allow Augustus to consolidate Rome's power as its undisputed ruler. This also allowed him to stop the multi-decade-long cycle of civil wars that had plagued the Romans since at least as far back as General Marius and Dictator Sulla, about half a century before Augustus and Agrippa defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. A development whose importance cannot be underestimated, and which contributed greatly to Augustus' enduring popularity.

As an interesting bit of trivia, this Temple of Apollo was built on a site where a lightning bolt had struck the interior of Augustus' property on the Palatine, seemingly on a clear day, with the sun quite visible up above. Yet another example of Augustus paying attention to what he may have plausibly interpreted as signs from the gods. And speaking of Apollo, some readers may have noticed that this is his Greek name. Well, Apollo was such a quintessential Greek deity that it was adopted by the ancient Romans centuries before the year this chapter was set (year 23 BC) without altering his name officially. So for the most part, he remained one of the more popular deities among the Romans that had their original origins outside of Italy.

Anyway, I will try to update you as soon as I can. Wish me luck, and please remember to review!