01x06 - Nightshade

[bunniefuu]

"Darling Iunus,

my father's dying."

Gaius, you need to fight.

You can't live here.

Everyone knows he's been

grooming Marcellus to take over.

My legacy. My blood.

Marcellus's friends

are making their move.

As soon as my uncle dies,

they'll k*ll Agrippa

and close the Senate.

What about Livia?

They're k*lling Drusus

as well, and Tiberius.

She'll be irrelevant.

Two years,

and I'm still not pregnant.

Do you know

how humiliating that is?

Strip him naked

and give him 20 lashes.

[groans]

What happened to you?

Your uncle has

done terrible things.

There's a price to pay.

Promise me. I trusted you.

Marcellus is young.

He'll outlive Gaius.

Unless he doesn't.

[Birds chirping]

[Insects humming]

I wish my father were here.

He loved these hills.

Just as well he's not.

You, married to the man

who broke the Republic.

And poisoning your own nephew.

Marcellus is no blood of mine.

You'd be sent to your room

with no supper.

Like the time

they caught you snooping

when they were plotting

to k*ll Caesar.

Here she is.

Nightshade.

What, that's it?

Idiot!

The berries are bad.

The leaves will k*ll you.

And the roots are worst of all.

-Is it painful?

-No, it's kind like that.

Your heart beats like mad.

You burn,

but you don't sweat,

and you start to see things

that aren't there.

And then your heart

stops beating like mad.

[gasps]

[heavy breathing]

You always dream of death?

You try fighting for your life

on a heap of corpses.

Sort of stays with you.

Don't tell anyone, ever.

About the dreams.

I will never ever betray you.

I need to inseminate my wife.

Let's get it over with.

Don't forget the oil.

[Whispering]

Octavia looks anxious.

Well done, darling.

Remember, your uncle's

expecting us

Lady.

Octavia and Marcellus

are with your husband.

He's asking for you.

[indistinct conversations]

What's up?

I wanted to talk about the boys.

They're not boys anymore,

of course.

Tiberius.

Tiberius is

my best administrator.

Battles are glamorous,

but management

is the bedrock of Rome.

Tiberius, I'm going to waive

the formal age requirement

so you can stand for office five

years earlier than anyone else.

-That's great. Well done.

-Yes. Thank you, Stepfather.

And, Drusus,

I'm going to unite

our two families

by marrying you to my youngest

niece, Little Antonia.

You'll have to wait

till she's of age, of course.

Thank you, Stepfather.

I hope she's feeling better.

Oh, Musa said that she won't

be able to go to the beach

for at least a week.

I'll have to stay here with her.

But Marcellus is going

to take his sisters instead.

Marcellus?

Oh, yes. I told Gaius

that he really does need a rest.

Hasn't quite been himself

recently.

He has looked tired.

I can speak for myself.

What are you smirking at?

I'm going to give the house

a good spring clean

while it's empty.

Scribonia's going to help me.

And finally Marcellus.

Obviously, I nominated Agrippa

as my immediate successor.

But that was

a short-term solution.

So, in the autumn

I'm going to now

adopt Marcellus

as my son and heir.

[Marcellus] Thank you, Uncle.

I mean, thank you, Father.

Clarify his position

to the Senate.

-Publicly.

-I agree.

It's time, yes.

Well, I don't think

that Gaius needs our approval.

Marcellus is the future of Rome.

♪♪

[Antigone] Well,

we'll just have to wait

till he gets back to Rome.

-In the autumn.

-I don't think we can.

The city's full of plague

in the summer,

and Gaius is still sick

from last time.

If anything happens to him,

Agrippa's too far away

to save us.

We have to do it in Baiae.

I can't control

the environment down there.

I don't know the sl*ves,

the routines.

I don't have access

to the kitchens like I do here.

At least Octavia

won't have to see it.

And we'd have to involve

the Spaniard.

Only a trusted sl*ve

will have access to the kitchen

in the beach house.

Only a trusted sl*ve

can serve Marcellus.

Will he do it? Selling gossip

is one thing. This is another.

And afterwards,

he'd have to disappear.

-For good.

-No.

We'll give him a new name

and a new life.

Freedom. Money.

We can't leave him alive.

He'd know too much.

What?

It's un-Roman?

There are too many things

we can't control.

We should wait till the autumn

and do it here like we planned.

We're going to Baiae.

Get Tycho to prepare

the Spaniard.

What?

Iullus?

Marcellus is coming with us

to Baiae.

What? Since when?

There was a family meeting.

Of course, I wasn't invited.

I can't stand it anymore,

Iullus.

Living in the same house as you

is driving me nuts.

We're never alone.

Octavia's always there, staring.

[Capria] Lady!

He's adopting Marcellus.

Your father.

Who cares?

I have to go.

He's adopting me

in the autumn.

Well, that should certainly

avoid any misunderstandings.

Like last time.

With Agrippa.

-You all right?

-Hmm?

You seem a bit

-What?

-Just

preoccupied.

Lately.

I'm fine.

I'm great.

Marcellus.

Your time is coming.

When it does, your friends

will be right there with you.

Safe journey.

It's a pity

the boy's so unreliable.

Could've kept him

around longer.

Afterwards.

[Crow cawing]

[Tiberius]

Something is going on.

Mother and Antigone.

And Tycho.

-They're going to Baiae.

-Something else.

Something bad.

Let's sneak out.

Get some wine and a wh*re.

Aren't you even

the faintest bit curious?

You worry too much.

You don't worry enough.

I don't worry at all.

[chattering]

You're late.

The b*tch works me harder

than anyone else.

She's in a sh*t mood.

Still?

They have to f*ck every day,

and she never gets pregnant.

And her husband?

Who's he been seeing recently?

When he's not working,

he spends all his time

with that c**t Iullus.

Any of his political friends?

He sees Crassus a lot.

The usual.

They're always very grateful

for your information.

But now they may need you

to do other things.

What other things?

When they need you.

I have to be careful.

A few years ago, I was nothing,

and look at me now.

A house sl*ve

with the first family in Rome.

Trust me,

being free is better.

-I have to be careful.

-You have to be helpful.

Because if you're not,

they'll tell the b*tch

you've been taking money.

and then you'll be tortured

until you admit it

and sold off

down the f*cking mines.

Along with me.

They f*cking own us, Aprio.

Don't you forget it.

Hey, get off me.

Who are they anyway?

Did you ever find out?

Stay down.

Go out the back way.

Go straight home.

[Dog barking]

[Footsteps approaching]

[Iullus] Wait.

[Julia] What is it, Iullus?

-[Iullus] Nothing. Good night.

-[Julia] Good night.

I hear you're off to Baiae.

[Livia]

I hear you're not well.

You can't stand the sea.

You need to take it easy.

You used to tell me

what you were thinking.

We used to discuss things

before you did them.

You used to do what I asked.

Marcellus wasn't ready.

You said so yourself.

I have to be able

to trust you.

-Well, that goes both ways.

-And I need a son.

I tried.

I know.

I love you.

I know.

Will you stay?

Last one in's a sl*ve!

[laughing]

[Iullus] I'm, uh

-I'm gonna go for a walk.

-I'll come with you.

No, come on.

Let's wrestle.

The future of Rome.

So one hears.

I won that easily.

So easily.

[Antigone]

That's our problem.

The food is prepared over there

and carried over here

to be served.

Why can't we just put it

in his wine?

The powder just floats

on the surface.

It needs to be mixed in

with food.

Something with a strong taste

to hide the bitterness.

By someone who can.

[Livia] All right.

We have no choice.

Ask Tycho to meet the Spaniard.

Once the sl*ve knows,

he knows.

There's no turning back.

But what can he say?

Huh? [laughs]

"Listen, Dominus, I've been

spying on you for Tycho,

but now he wants me

to poison you."

If anyone believed him,

he'd be tortured and sold,

and he knows it.

-We should still wait.

-For what?

For Gaius to die?

Or Drusus?

Marcellus has to go first.

He can never take power.

Never.

Drusus.

What?

That's what this is about.

Isn't it?

When Gaius dies,

Drusus is next.

You're going to restore

the Republic.

And Marcellus won't do that,

so, of course, he has to go.

All those whispered

little secrets with Piso.

This isn't about

protecting the boys.

This is about power.

It's about everything.

[scoffs]

And you lecture me

about secrets and lies.

I was protecting you!

I'm not just

your personal poisoner.

Oh, save that bullshit

for my first husband!

I was a citizen!

f*ck this.

You're on your own!

[Julia] Iullus?

I left my sl*ves at the villa.

If your father ever finds out

He had the guts

to take what he wanted.

What is it?

[sl*ve] We found it,

when we were cleaning, Domina.

Find out

where my brother is. Now!

Gaius!

I need to speak to you, alone.

It's important.

[Guard]

Dominus needs the room.

Tiberius, stay.

I don't want you wandering off

and disappearing.

My sl*ve found a hole

hidden under a chest

in Marcellus's room.

It was filled

with his possessions.

A comb, a seal,

a ring from his father

that we thought

we'd lost a year ago.

Why would Marcellus

hide his own things?

Well, of course he wouldn't.

That's where his sl*ve

was sleeping. Aprio.

That wretch

that he brought back from Spain.

[Gaius] He's obviously

been stealing. Have him whipped.

Gaius, that is not

why I am concerned.

There were bags of coins.

A large amount of money.

Where would a young sl*ve

get money like that?

And he couldn't have stolen it

because we would've noticed.

Somebody's obviously

been paying him,

but the question is

for what?

Where is the sl*ve?

He's in Baiae.

With Marcellus.

-All right, bring them back.

-No, no, no. I want to go.

Myself, now.

Tiberius

-Tiberius.

-Yes.

Sorry, Stepfather.

-I'll send some men with you.

-Okay.

Get the house searched.

Especially the sl*ve's quarters.

Of course.

What are we looking for?

Anything that doesn't belong.

Go.

She's not your sl*ve.

She's Stepfather's.

So what?

Well, technically

copulation with someone else's

sl*ve is theft.

What do you want, Tiberius?

It's time to get up

and hide your collection

of Greek erotica.

-The house is being searched.

-What for?

Octavia found a spy

in the house.

Now Stepfather's panicking.

A spy. [scoffs]

Who the f*ck wants to spy

on Octavia?

I should've thought

the answer was obvious.

No, it isn't.

You know Mother secretly

pays people in all our estates.

To check the accounts

the manager sends in.

But Octavia doesn't

manage one of our estates.

No. No.

She doesn't.

That's quite right, Drusus.

What about your collection

of erotica?

Hide that, too.

-I was protecting you.

-I don't want to be protected.

I want to be included.

You have always been my sister.

And you always will be.

You've changed.

So have you.

We had to.

But I still believe

in the Republic,

and I always will.

Have you told him yet?

Drusus.

He's too young.

What about Tiberius?

What about him?

He has no ambition,

and nobody likes him.

He's the last person

who will ever succeed Gaius.

I won't protect you again.

All right, then.

What?

Come here.

I need you to give me a child.

I want you to make me pregnant.

I can't bear him near me.

You can't imagine how it is

being bulled like a heifer

in the farmyard,

everyone standing around

grinning and

If I can just get pregnant,

he'll leave me alone.

At least for a year.

And so will everyone else.

No one would know it was yours.

And just think.

my father and yours

would be sharing a grandchild.

Yes, they'd both hate that.

Not the traditional form

of revenge, perhaps.

But it is better than nothing.

Same again, tonight?

-Yeah.

-Hey.

Where have you been?

f*cking in the woods,

of course.

I only asked.

Come on.

Dinner's nearly ready.

I'm starving.

How are you?

She wants you to meet

the Spaniard. Tonight.

It's a mistake to involve him.

-He's weak.

-Whatever she thinks,

someone will have

to go down for it.

-We're citizens now.

-And it can't be us.

We're married. Hmm?

And you're pregnant.

Nobody comes for my boys.

Tiberius and Drusus

are not your boys.

-They're hers.

-She freed us both.

She needs us.

I don't like it either.

Make the meeting.

Julia!

Where have you been?

We waited for you

Make sure there's

plenty of food for Livia.

And meet me straight after

you finish serving dinner

where we agreed.

Iullus.

It must seem like you've been

forgotten sometimes.

The other boys

getting pushed ahead.

But your father,

your mother, and your brother

died fighting Gaius.

If it wasn't

for Octavia's kindness,

you'd be dead as well.

So you might have

to be patient.

I'll bear that in mind.

[scoffs]

Honestly, Marcellus,

could you please try to be

polite to your wife for once?

Would my father

ever let me divorce?

No.

But nothing lasts forever.

Easy for you to say.

But my first marriage

was a kind of death.

Did you have to steal my father

for your next one?

No, I didn't.

But it hasn't been easy

for any of us.

We are all children of w*r.

My brother

was begging for mercy

when they cut him to pieces.

Hey, you.

Wine, please.

-f*ck!

-Sorry, Dominus. I tripped.

-You f*cking idiot!

-All right.

Aprio, go.

It was an accident. Okay?

Let's get you changed.

[indistinct conversations]

Not to worry.

Marcellus's wife

gets a bit jealous.

[Aprio] I'm sorry.

[Marcellus] It's fine.

Antigone!

They can't meet!

-Where is he?

-What?

Did you speak

to the Spaniard?

Not yet. He's late. Why?

Well, he's always late.

Let's go.

Are you all right?

He's intimate with Marcellus.

-Wait. What?

-The Spaniard.

That's why he hates Iullus

and Julia.

-Are you sure?

-I saw them.

He's never going to do it.

Look, I'm sorry.

I I didn't know.

-Well, it's too late for that.

-It's all right.

It's a defeat.

But it's not a crisis.

What do we do

about Marcellus now? Huh?

Feels like a crisis to me.

So, Mother

what are we dealing with?

Tycho?

Tycho?

[laughing]

[moaning]

[Branch snaps]

What?

Nothing.

Nothing.

[moaning]

A special messenger from Rome.

From Tiberius.

Lady, I feel really bad

They know.

About Aprio.

Octavia found his money.

-She'll be here tomorrow.

-He'll tell them everything.

All right.

This is a crisis.

[moaning]

Dominus?

There is something

you should know.

About your wife.

And Iullus.

We need to get

the Spaniard away. Now.

Livia.

We were wrong.

It's not a crisis.

It's a chance.

Get the cooks to make

something spicy tonight.

Something Marcellus likes.

What if Octavia

gets here first?

Tiberius says tomorrow.

I know.

But we're too close.

We have to roll the dice.

Bring me the Spaniard.

Hey.

I just went to town.

That idiot Quintus

is here with his sister.

Last night.

Yes?

I understand you f*cked my wife

in the woods.

Uh

I'm sorry.

I did.

I didn't think you loved her!

I don't.

There's been a change of plan.

Show your respect.

Domina.

You know who I am, Aprio?

Of course, Domina.

Then listen to me.

I'm going to save your life.

I'm also going to set you free

and make you rich.

Tonight, Tycho will go with you

to a ship near the port.

It will take you

wherever you want to go.

There is gold for you

on the ship.

And a diploma which makes you

a free citizen of Rome.

In return, at dinner tonight,

you will mix the powder

in this flask

into Marcellus's food,

just before you serve him.

What is it?

It doesn't matter what it is.

Because the Lady Octavia

has found the place

where you keep your money.

She'll be here tomorrow

with men to arrest you.

You'll be tortured

until you tell them

who gave you that money

and why.

And then, if you're still alive,

you'll be sold.

Do this for me.

And I will protect you.

I am Livia Drusilla

of the Claudii

and we always keep our word.

I can't do it.

Well, your life here is over.

All you can do now

is choose your future.

t*rture and death

or wealth and freedom.

I love him.

I know.

Take it.

Just do what she asks.

Everything will be all right.

You seem so much happier today.

Yes.

It's the sea air.

Yes.

-You're lying to my face.

-[chuckles]

Yes, perhaps.

[Marcellus] Julia!

Julia.

Been to town?

Oh, you remembered

what we told you

and then noticed the shopping.

Wow.

What's the matter with you?

Well, I've just found out what

you've been doing with Iullus.

And the minute

we get back to Rome,

I'm going to tell

my mother and your father.

I can't wait to see

what they'll say.

-I'll deny it.

-You were seen

f*cking the son

of Marcus Antonius.

He'll deny it.

He'll drop on his sword

if he gets the chance.

In fact,

why wait till I'm home?

I'll write them a note,

tonight.

[sobbing quietly]

Get this ring off.

My hand's swelling.

What's the matter with you?

Nothing.

I'll eat in here tonight.

I'm sorry.

Get off me!

Get out!

Marcellus.

What's the matter with you?

Dinner is served.

Marcellus will be eating

in his room tonight.

Alone.

Tycho.

Be careful.

I love you.

Where's Iullus?

I haven't seen him anywhere.

I don't know.

Oh, he's right there.

What happened to your face?

He knows.

I know. He's going to tell

my father.

No. No, I'll talk to him.

He won't go through with it.

What if he does?

Then I'll have to take

my own life.

If you were a man,

you'd take his.

[Antonia] Hello, Iullus.

Oh, what happened to your face?

I struck myself repeatedly

with my own fist.

I should've thought

that was obvious.

Put it here.

I'm starving.

I'm sorry.

So am I.

Ugh. Stewed brains and bacon,

in this heat?

Yeah

No, thank you very much.

Oh, never mind.

Marcellus will eat ours for us.

And everyone else's.

It gives me wind for days

when I eat that sort of thing.

No one wants to hear that,

Marcella.

[Conversation

becomes indistinct]

I did it.

You sure?

-I did it.

-You're a good kid.

Come on or we'll miss

the tide.

Antigone!

Oh, quick!

Marcellus is sick.

Everyone's sick.

What?

And Iullus and Julia.

They're really bad.

-You sent for me, Father?

-Indeed, I did, Livia Drusilla.

[Groans]

Another one

of my "serious" talks.

It says here you betrayed your

husband with Sextus Pompeius.

Yes.

Repeatedly.

Including once on a beach.

More than once.

And then you betrayed him,

again,

with Gaius Julius Caesar

in a residence in Rome.

And have you restored power

to the Senate yet?

Oh, I forgot.

I'm doing it next week.

I'm trying, Father.

Are you?

Are you really?

Or have you secretly

fallen in love with your power?

-I feel such a weight.

-[Antigone] Livia!

You have to vomit.

Not now!

Drink of the sea.

It'll make you sick.

[echoing]

Livia!

-Antigone!

-You must vomit.

My brother,

he's really, really bad.

-Please help him. Please!

-I'll be right there!

[coughing, retching]

Oh, he's so hot.

He has to drink.

Make him drink.

Marcellus.

Drink this.

Drink.

Try again.

It's all right.

We're here.

You'll soon feel better.

-What's happening to me?

-Drink this now.

[retching]

Good. Again.

-Where's Iullus?

-Drink.

[chuckles]

I need to give you something.

-What is it?

-Your freedom.

It's so beautiful.

Yes.

Yes, it is.

Hey.

Hey, easy now.

Forgive me.

Marcellus?

-Marcella!

-[Antonia] Mummy!

-He's been poisoned.

-What?

What?

Marcellus.

Marcellus, I'm here.

-Mother.

-I'm here.

Marcellus.

Mar No.

Marcellus.

[sobbing] Marcellus.

No, no, no, no.

No.

No, no, not my son.

[grunting]

[Animal howling]

Livia.

So, the Spaniard

f*cked us over, then?

[Woman crying]

Octavia's here.

Right.

He was writing a letter.

"Dearest Mother"

That's as far as he got.

"From Livia Drusilla

to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa"

Whoo!

Whoo!

[laughing]

[Livia] "Marcellus has died

suddenly in Baiae."

Whoo-hoo!

Whoo!

"Poisoned by his own sl*ve."

[laughing]

Yes!

"Gaius has ordered him

to be found and ex*cuted.

"Obviously, the family wants

to avoid this becoming public.

"So, history will say

Marcus Claudius Marcellus

"died suddenly in Baiae

of a fever.

"Octavia's destroyed.

Everyone bleeds for her."

We'll find the sl*ve.

We'll send messengers

to every province.

From Gaul to Syria.

We'll never stop looking.

The villa.

Burn it down.

-It's our family's.

-To the ground.

[Livia] "Gaius gave such

a moving oration at the funeral.

"All of Rome is in mourning.

"His ashes have gone in

the new mausoleum on the river.

"Who'd have thought he would be

the first of the family.

"Gaius will summon you

back to Rome.

Be ready."

Julia will marry Agrippa now,

of course.

And Marcella will need

a new husband.

The line forms down the street.

I'm giving you and Tycho

my apartment building

on the Caelian Hill.

And my estate at Nepi.

It's Tiberius you should thank.

The boy's as smart as you.

I know.

Then show it.

♪♪