Cornelia woke up to a beautiful morning. Standing outside her bedroom door, and taking a deep breath of fresh air, she considered herself a very lucky woman. At the ripe age of twenty she should have already been married. However, she counted her blessings everyday for preventing her marriage, these past two years, to an imbecile. Being as intelligent as she was, another stroke of luck on her side, she couldn’t stand Nepos. His looks, his weight, his inability to think, everything about him made Cornelia sick to her stomach.

The only fixation that kept Cornelia alive with hope was the thought of her love. Her dear and sweet Lucius. On this very day, right after cena with her father and mother, the two lovers were to meet at the nearby park. “Nothing can ruin my day,” Cornelia thought out loud, and started to stroll towards the triclinium.

Arranging herself comfortably on the couches, Cornelia waited for a servant to bring out her bread and watered wine. While waiting for her breakfast Cornelia’s mother, Junia, walked in after her, “Tonight at dinner I want to see your hair let down in ringlets and wear your best stola.” Without any further words, Cornelia was left to ponder her mother’s words. “Now why in the world would my mother ask me to look my best,” Cornelia thought again to herself. “ Dinner is usually just the three of us.” Completely at a lost at her mother’s request, Cornelia left in the company of an escort in search for her best friend Aelia. She needed to talk to someone, and who better else then Aelia. Cornelia had to explain her situation of slipping away after dinner, and ask if there had been any rumors as to who would be at dinner tonight. All she wanted to do was keep her thoughts on Lucius. Now, it would have to wait until after cena.