[b]Aulus and Gaius Vitellius, at the Palace[/b]
The emperor considered it. He conferred momentarily with Gaius; the girl's father should have the right to decide her fate. They both knew that Ignis was a hard-hearted soldier, and wouldn't give in to the pleas of a little girl. Hopefully, anyway. It was Gaius who spoke, though technically Aulus was the ranking person in the room. "Very well then. Harden your heart, and do not let the devil girl go. She's a menace to society." He flicked his hand contemptuously, dismissing the guards that still held his daughter. Then he let his physician, who had been summoned by the maids in the confusion, clean the gouge on his chest. "It's not by any means fatal. If I had to hazard a guess I would say that she cut through as much muscle as she could, just trying to hurt you. She's not a murderous girl." The same was said by his assistant who was attempting to remove the dagger from the emperor's arm.

[b]Aemilia, at the Marketplace[/b]
Aemilia caught Nona's meaning immediately, and gave her a twisted grin, paying the seller for her own bottle of perfume and putting it into her basket. As she turned away she casually mentioned her own thought. "I'm wondering if I shouldn't find my own prize too... Evandrus is certainly a catch, although he's too much of an academic. But it would hurt Secunda... For the last three years she's followed him around like a puppy. A very unkempt, irresponsible, disobedient puppy. Or I could always take her place at the game tonight, sitting with Octavius. Not the perfume seller Octavius, the Praetorian Guard Octavius. He's tall and handsome, and so very strong too." She giggled, her golden eyes sparking mischievously.