Chapter 44: Marriage and Departure
In fact, there was no need to ask for permission from Crassus, who absolutely believed in his son's judgment.
"Marriage to Caesar's daughter? Rumor has it that the child is also intelligent and beautiful, so I have no complaints. Besides, if you judged that you should do it, that would be the right thing to do."
His mother, Tertulla, did not raise any objections.
Julia was already a talented woman who was well-known among aristocratic women.
In addition, the family itself is a prestigious family that dates back to the early days of the Roman monarchy.
There was no reason to refuse.
For Crassus, the structure of the marriage itself was not bad.
The eldest son of Crassus, the leader of Optimates, marries the daughter of Caesar, the vanguard of the Populares.
From here, anyone can see that the pendulum's weight leaned toward Crassus.
In fact, senators who heard marriage rumors praised his decision, saying, "As expected, Crassus."
This is why Crassus, an aristocrat, seemed to senators to be an attempt to control Caesar, a populist.
Even for citizens, the meaning of the combination of the aristocracy and the plebeian came quite large.
It made them hope that peace would come to the Roman political world, which always fought against each other.
All the people around Marcus also gave him generous blessings.
His younger brother Publius personally recruited the best artists to play when he brought in the bride.
"I am deeply moved to think that the young master is finally getting married."
Septimus had been watching Marcus since he was born and had wet eyes.
Cellini expressed her congratulations with more excellent dishes than ever before.
Spartacus gave realistic advice, not just congratulations.
"Young master, I'll tell you one thing because I'm not at the level of advising you on the other part. You can stick to your duty as husband. Then the atmosphere of the family naturally becomes harmonious."
"I'm not to the point of being embarrassed anywhere."
Danae, who was listening to them in the back, smiled brightly and nodded.
She gave Marcus a heartfelt blessing before anyone else.
Spartacus, though honest, was not a tactless man.
Looking at the two faces alternately, he smiled happily and whispered in a small voice.
"But you have to grow your lower body more than you do now. In the end, all the power comes from the lower body."
Marcus took Spartacus' advice to heart. In the future, he decided to work hard on lower body training with Spartacus.
The wedding went very grand, as everyone expected.
In terms of scale, he was not envious of any prestigious aristocrat in Rome.
Crassus, the fool's son, seemed determined to make Marcus' wedding a state event.
Caesar also provided a generous dowry.
Of course, it was very Caesar-like that the source of the dowry was Marcus's pocket.
Even before the ceremony began, Palatine Hill was excited.
Many Clientes of the Crassus family began to flock when they heard about Marcus' marriage.
Of course, they didn't come empty-handed.
The vast mansion was filled with people and gifts.
Crassus even rented out an entire Insula so that those who came to Rome to celebrate could stay.
A feast was held on a grand scale.
Crassus was not stingy with his money.
He generously released money so that anyone in Rome could eat and drink.
Citizens drooled at the fragrant aroma and the smell of luxurious food.
It's already been a long time since they struggled with the pirates.
Citizens praised the name of Crassus and generously blessed the bride and groom.
At the feast that lasted for several days, the atmosphere in the city became as hot as the triumphus.
And finally, the day of the ceremony came.
The Roman wedding begins with the bride being led to the groom's house.
"Here it comes!"
Someone who spotted the carriage in which the priest was riding shouted in a loud voice.
The spectators were already ready to send out enthusiastic cheers.
Along the wide avenue, Julia's carriage was moving very slowly, surrounded by a procession.
In the foreground, guides held torches while musicians sang cheerful music in the back.
Citizens, excited by the cheerful and exciting music, threw walnuts into the air to pray for fertility and happiness.
When Julia's carriage finished climbing Palatine hill, the groom's best man came out to meet her.
They carefully led Julia to the mansion of Crassus.
Julia, who finally arrived at the mansion, was able to face Marcus, the groom.
Marcus couldn't see her face because she was wearing a palla that covered her face. Julia clearly saw Marcus' face.
This person in front of her is the man who will be with her for the rest life.
Divorce is quite common in the upper classes of Rome, but Caesar certainly said it.
Marcus said he would cherish and love her for the rest of his life.
Although Caesar clearly drove the situation, Marcus, whom she knew, was not a great man to say two things at once.
No matter how intelligent and mature you are, you are bound to be nervous about things you have never experienced.
While Julia was nervous and excited, the ceremony went on until the end.
By the end of the last procedure, the two are now officially married.
As the celebration ended and most of the guests had left, the sun was setting in the west.
For the final procedure of the ceremony, the remaining bridesmaids led her to the newlyweds' room.
This moment has finally come.
Marcus approached Yulia with slightly nervous steps.
When he took off her palla, it revealed Julia's face and who was more nervous than Marcus.
All the bridesmaids had gone out, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Marcus looked into Julia's eyes. Although her eyes twitched slightly, she did not avert his gaze.
"Now, if we spend this night together, we will be a couple who will be together for the rest of our lives. So if you have anything you want from me as a wife, please let me know now."
Julia thought it was fortunate that she had a chance to breathe.
After a moment's pause, she answered.
"First of all, I want you to speak comfortably. And, um.... To be honest, I don't want to be considered a jealous woman. So I don't want to restrain Marcus' private life. But I want you to keep one thing. I don't want you to do it like my father."
"I don't think I'll be able to do that much...… Anyway, I promise."
"And if you spend time with slaves or other women in the house, please spend at least more time with me again. I want to get an appointment for this part for sure.
Marcus immediately understood who Julia had in mind when she said that.
She has never had a direct conversation with Danae, but she also has a sharp sense.
In fact, in Rome, it was more common for upper-class people to have relationships with others other than husband and wife.
In many cases, the aristocrats in the upper class had only women who had physical relationships besides their wives.
No. It wasn't a lot. It was normal.
This is not an exception for women, but many ladies openly cheated on their husbands.
With this social background, Caesar was able to play with so many married women.
Otherwise, Caesar would have been stabbed by someone who thought he had lost his wife.
Marcus, of course, had no intention of enjoying the life of such a playboy.
Except for his wife, he thought Danae was the only exception.
There was nothing that couldn't fulfill Julia's wish.
"I promise, but there's one thing I want from you."
"Yes, I'm Marcus' wife now, so I'm willing to listen."
"You are a member of our family now. You are the daughter of Julius Caesar, but I want you to keep it firmly in mind that you are also the wife of Marcus Crassus. I'm not asking you to choose against your father. But make me a priority. I will do my best for you so as not to be ashamed to make such a request."
"I think that's a given. I swear to Goddess Juno that I will do my part as a wife."
When they made a clear promise to respect each other, the atmosphere between the young couple became even warmer.
Marcus put his hand on Julia's body. She wasn't shaking with nervousness now.
Marcus' lips slowly approached.
Julia slightly closed her eyes.
Her heart, which had calmed down, beat madly again when a soft touch touched her lips.
Starting with a deep kiss, the two spent an unforgettable first night of their honeymoon.
* * *
The atmosphere of the newlyweds was extremely cordial.
Julia was a flawless wife.
With a wise and understanding woman by his side, he became more resilient in handling various tasks.
It couldn't have been more comfortable because she did all the annoying customer service.
Even from Julia's point of view, Marcus was a great husband.
He kept his promise faithfully.
He paid close attention to ensure that Julia did not feel uncomfortable, and he did not neglect physical and mental exchanges.
However, the time has come when such a happy newlywed life is forced to take a short break.
This is because the preparation for the sweep operation is finally over, and the time for the start of the war is approaching.
Marcus, who was dispatched as Pompeius's assistant, was accompanied by only Spartacus this time.
The battle against pirates was going to be the stage where it would reveal Pompeius's greatness anyway, so he wasn't nervous.
Instead, the phase after this was more important than anything else.
Marcus called Septimus before leaving and gave him a secret order.
"Have Thaddeus set up a base in the east. We can start with the Bithynia region."
"Are you planning to trade in the East?"
"On the surface. But the important thing is to use it as a bridgehead to influence the east. It doesn't matter how much money it costs, so tell them to take control of the commercial district and recruit local merchants. Among them, the first thing is to attract merchants who travel to and from Parthia."
Septimus, who did not fully grasp Marcus' intention, narrowed his eyes.
"Parthia? It's going to be pretty hard to expand your influence in that direction. Unlike other Eastern countries, Parthia still has strong power."
"That's why you have to pay attention from now on. Merchants who frequently come and go with Parthia, especially Parthia local merchants, are the best. The top priority is to recruit them and establish connections with the aristocracy of Parthia. It doesn't matter how much money it costs, so tell them to pour out gifts generously. It looks like I'll be going to Bithynia myself in a few months anyway, so I'll give you the details then."
"What? Aren't you participating in the eradication of pirates along with Pompeius? But why did you go to Bithynia… Do you think the pirates will be wiped out so quickly?"
The voice of conversation naturally became smaller. Marcus nodded slightly.
"There is a good chance that it will happen. So tell Thaddeus to move as fast as he can. At least the basic preparations will be finished when I arrive in Bithynia."
"Yes, I'll tell you right away."
"Oh, and pay special attention to Julia. I've told everyone in the house, but I think I'll feel relieved if you look at it one more time."
"All right. Julia must be happy that he is so worried about his wife."
Marcus accepted Septimus' praise with an ambiguous smile.
The reason why he cares so much about Julia is that she may have a child.
In the original history, Julia dies in childbirth.
With her death, relations between Caesar and Pompeius rapidly cooled and eventually led to a civil war.
History would have gone completely differently if she hadn't died.
The time is different now, and the mother's condition is different from history, so it was unlikely that things would go wrong.
Still, there is only one thing, so he thought it would be better to pay as much attention as possible.
He couldn't relax just by telling Septimus, so he asked Danae to do it.
She was now in the middle of a business for ladies, which left a considerable profit.
It was thanks to cosmetics that replaced lead. Currently, rumors of lead being harmful to the human body were spreading rapidly in Rome, and this rumor benefited greatly.
And surprisingly, she and Julia were quite close.
It was also because Danae behaved very well, and Julia also liked Danae, who was highly educated, as her conversation partner.
"Danae, I think you can take better care of Julia than dull men, so I have to ask you a favor. There are slaves in the family, but please pay more attention to Julia because you are on good terms with her."
"Yes. Anyway, I'm getting a lot of help from the madam these days. I have a lot of contact with aristocrat ladies, and whenever I do, the lady is a great help. There are many things to be with, so I'll take care of your wife next to you."
"Really? Thank you for everything."
Marcus told Julia several times to be careful when she came to put on his armor for the last time.
She kissed Marcus on the cheek and smiled brightly.
"As you said, I will be careful, so don't worry and go back. Rather, I'm the one who should tell you to take care of yourself, but I'm a little embarrassed because you're so worried."
Julia also greeted Spartacus, who was standing firmly next to Marcus.
"Take care of yourself and protect Marcus."
"Of course. I've done it before, but it won't hurt a single hair."
Marcus and Spartacus left the mansion with their family members seeing them off.
Because large-scale ships were mobilized for this operation, the base of the legions was naturally located near the sea.
The encampment of Pompeius's army was larger than any encampment Marcus had ever seen.
The sight of hundreds of warships lined up in a row was awe-inspiring.
As Marcus entered the commander's quarters, Pompeius greeted him warmly.
"Oh, you're here? I heard you're enjoying your honeymoon, but I don't know why you're going to war."
"I can gain experience under Pompeius, so would my honeymoon be a problem? In addition, my wife gladly understood me because it was a place to fight for the stability of Rome."
"Yes, I saw her last time, and she was a very nice woman. I mean, you seem to have got married very well."
It felt strange to hear the praise of someone who would have been Julia's husband, according to history.
Of course, Pompeius, who could not know Marcus' inner feelings, laughed and convened the officers.
Since there were 20 legions, the barracks were full even if only the legates and the centurion were summoned.
Finally, the historic operation to wipe out pirates begins.
A confident voice came from Pompeius's mouth as he laid out a huge map on the table.
"Let me affirm one thing first before I plan the operation."
Naturally, everyone in the barracks waited for Pompeius's words to follow.
Pompeius intentionally took a light breath, slowly looked around the legates, and smiled confidently.
"I don't want to spend more than a year cleaning up these bugs. Everyone listen to the operation with this in mind."
"Well, what the heck!"
A legate, who shouted without realizing it, hurriedly covered his mouth. But no one blamed him.
To that extent, Pompeius's declaration was shocking.
The number of pirates spread across the Mediterranean Sea easily exceeds tens of thousands, and the number of pirate ships easily exceeds 1,000.
It is a declaration that it will not spend a year wiping out all these massive pirates in the Mediterranean Sea.
At the explosive remarks that erupted from the beginning, the legates and the centurions opened their eyes wide without exception.
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