Chapter 5

Two months later, Julius was convinced that this was indeed his son turned into a very young and beautiful woman. She knew too many things about Drusus' life. Things that his son would never reveal to anyone else. The time when he was thirteen and was found sleeping with Vipsania. Both were naked and after an exhaustive interrigation, they were convinced that they did not have intercourse. Their mother examined her daughter's vagina to make sure nothing was done. He was punished again. His excuse was that she wanted to see what he looked like nude. They showed each other and in the course of the cool afternoon laid next to each other talking until both fell asleep. Drusus and Vipsania did not commit incest but they were beaten just the same. Julius whipped his son while Julia spanked her eleven year old daughter with a hair brush.

That incident never went beyond the four of them. All were haunted by it. Drusus and Vipsania for being caught in a compromising situation while Julius and Julia afraid of this getting out and dishonoring the family. It was one more bit of evidence that she just might really be Drusus. By agreement, Julius would adopt Penelope as his daughter under Roman Law with the understanding that she was fathered by him many years ago when he was governor of Spain. The mutual accord between the two also would allow Drusus to rest in peace and not be brought up again unless under extreme emergency.

Now that Julius had a lovely daughter, young men from noble families and of the Senate or both flocked to the Marcellus house to meet and court her. Penelope slowly began to be attracted with some of these men. Whatever the witch gave her, made Penelope not to like women sexually as she had as Drusus. She preferred males. However she remained chaste.

One afternoon Vinia visited her wanting to meet Julius' new daughter. As Drusus, he couldn't keep his hands off of her. Now as Penelope, she had no attraction for her. Plus she didn't even like the woman. She saw too many flaws in her character that she did not notice when she was Drusus. Penelope thought that Vinia was already having affairs with males other than her husband. She even dropped hints to her about it. She told her that she had friends who would not kiss and tell. Penelope guessed that Cupid must had struck Drusus with a wayward arrow because he was blind to all of this going on right in front of him. Now Penelope's female intuition discerned that Vinia was a slut whether she came from a noble family or not.

That night she lay in her bed thinking of Vinia and how unfaithful she was to Drusus and now to her own new husband. Men of noble families slept around but with the prostitutes and not members of other families. As Drusus, he had visited a young Jewish girl because she was so likeable and obliging in whatever fantasy he desired knowing that he wouldn't hurt her. And he didn't. Boys will be boys was the male philosopy in the noble clans of Rome. Even Augustus himself had sown his first seed into a whore when he was a teen then named Octavius. Certain girls were set aside only to service nobles in those houses down by the Tiber River. Thinking these thoughts, Penelope slowly fell to sleep in the heat and humidity of the city that night.

Esther began thinking that Penelope indeed was Drusus, but in reincarnation. She had the mind of a man but the heart, soul and body of a woman. She knew so much about this family that it was uncanny. The mention of Julia and Penelope would fall into tears and depression. She remembered how Drusus adored his mother. Ready to do anything she asked of him without wavering. And the little mannerisms that he had showed on her. Always cupping her hand over her mouth when yawning like he had done so as not to show his boredom. Plus Penelope continued to keep up with her sword play every morning. She was lighter thus quicker than Drusus was but no where near the strength of the man. The iron sword she used tired her out quickly but as time passed, her endurance increased.

"How does it feel to be Julius' daughter?" Maximus Lepidus asked her one night at dinner. Julius had invited twelve or so friends and guests.

"Now that it is official, I feel wonderful," she replied, reclining about two feet from him. "I love being part of this family."

"I can imagine. Your beauty really brightens up this house," he smiled.

"Why thank you, Maximus," Vipsania sneered.

" I apologize," Maximus quickly recovered. "I should have said the two of you."

"That's better," Vipsania's frown turned into a smile. Though she was bethroved to a man named Cassius, she sat by him pretending to be the center of the dinner party.

Vipsania was vain but she held no jealousy toward Penelope. Only she would not permit the redhead into her circle of friends. She would have to form her own, she reasoned. Besides, Penelope wouldn't fit in with her group.

"My sister is very beautiful," Penelope added gazing at the pretty girl with long dark hair and blue eyes. Like she had when she was Drusus. Vipsania smiled.

"And you too, sister," Vipsania replied with just a bit of sarcasm in her voice that the males didn't pickup on but Penelope and the other women did.

"Do you go to the games?" Maximus asked.

"No, I don't," she said. "Father's been too busy and I would never go alone."

"Perhaps I can take you," he jumped at the chance.

"Perhaps," Penelope shrugged. She wanted to go with him but was playing hard to get but only up to a point. If he asked again, she would agree.

"Augustus still wants his eagles back," Julius changed the subject. "He won't rest until they are recovered. And quite frankly, he is prepared to reward anyone who discovers where they are."

"If they are in the German territory, you can forget it," Tersus replied. He was Julius' best friend and ally in the Senate.

Penelope knew exactly where they were at and she would tell her father that later.

After everyone had gone home or in the morning. They were laying outside the tent of Arminius just gathering dirt. Suddenly her mind kicked into Drusus' thoughts. A small raiding party of less than one hundred men going through the Teutoberg Forest at night and resting by day could make that distance in six days total. Three in and three out. They just had to escape being seen.

"Will you go to the games with me next week," Maximus asked for a second time.

"Yes, I think I will," Penelope smiled, still thinking of the eagles to be recovered. She had the know how to plan and carry out the raid but she lacked the strength needed.