The low drone of voices reached Livia as she climbed the stairs, warning her that the house was full of people. As she walked through the kitchen and into the front room she saw groups of people gathered in various parts of the house chatting eagerly, laughing. Everyone was happy and calm.

Aurelia noticed her and came straight over. “Livia, darling, is there anything I can do for you?”

“I should go home,” she said.

Aurelia gave her a look full of compassion. “I understand you’re upset about what happened at the parade but Lars and I don’t hold it against you. You’re welcome to stay in our home for as long as you like.”

Relief flooded Livia. As well as apprehension. She had a feeling that Aurelia spoke only for herself and her husband deliberately. Corvin probably had his own set of feelings on the matter.

Livia nodded. “Thank you. And I’m so sorry.”

Aurelia smiled. “You conducted yourself well today and those that say otherwise are trying to twist the situation to their favor. You remember that. Don’t allow anything they say to convince you that you are anything less than wonderful.”

What a kind thing to say and Livia had a feeling that Aurelia meant it. She almost cried again. Corvin had an amazing mother.

Aurelia smiled at her and patted her arm. “Don’t forget to say goodbye to Corvin and the girls before you go.”

Livia nodded. “Where is Corvin?”

“Outside with the children. They are playing something fierce. Hurry, go out and be with them.”

Livia went to find Corvin and the girls. Her stomach flipped with nervous anticipation. When Corvin caught sight of her would his eyes flash with anger? Would he refuse to speak to her? Would he be disappointed in her?

Livia watched Corvin through the window. He was laying flat on his belly while he grinned up at Prudence. Verity stood in front of him, face in a pout. She stomped her tiny foot dramatically and he laughed at her. It was probably safe enough to go out and say goodbye. Livia opened the door.

The roar of a dozen tiny children trying to prod Corvin into being their horse overwhelmed her at first. Corvin put his cheek flat against the grass and looked exhausted. “I’m too tired,” he whined. “No more.”

Livia laughed.

His head popped up to look at her. “Oh look! Livia’s not exhausted.”

Livia froze as a pack of children rushed at her. “Be our horse,” they pleaded.

Livia turned panicked eyes to Corvin. He looked amused at her predicament. Livia wasn’t sure if this was his idea of punishment.

“I can’t,” she said, intending to go home.

Then Verity grabbed Livia’s hand and looked directly up at her with the same gold-flecked, green eyes that Corvin had. “Please, Miss Livia?” Verity begged. “Please play with us?”

“I really can’t,” Livia tried to explain.

Verity’s hopeful expression turned genuinely sad.

Livia couldn’t bear it. She caved. “Because I’m a pony, not a horse.”

Tiny little faces lit up with joy and excitement and a cheer went up.

“Oh no,” Epiphany said, amused. “You don’t know what you’ve done.”

She was back with Hortensius. They sat next to each other, lightly holding hands. He laughed at Epiphany’s remark.

Livia was a pony for a half-hour and then gave airplane rides for another hour. Placing the children on her feet and lifting them into the air while she held their little hands. Livia had never been in a position before where having strength and endurance meant she was the most fun. She loved it and didn’t ever want it to end.

Eventually, Corvin made them stop. “It’s time to come in. It’s announcement time.”

Livia panicked. “I’m so sorry. I stayed too long.”

“No,” Corvin said. “It’s fine.”

Livia studied him. He didn’t seem offended at her mere presence but he wasn’t warm either. He looked exhausted and a little frustrated. Was that because of her?

“I should go,” she insisted.

Corvin shook his head. “Stay for Epiphany’s announcement. She’ll like you to stay.”

“Okay,” Livia agreed, hesitantly.

Everyone knew where to sit, except Livia. They sat in a huge circle divided into family groups. Aurelia called Livia over when she noticed her confusion. “Come sit next to my Alia.”

“I’m so sorry. I’ve stayed too long,” Livia blurted.

“Nonsense.” Aurelia waved a hand.

Lars grinned. “We’re just glad you entertained the small ones so long. They wear the rest of us out. Thank you.”

“Oh,” Livia said in surprise. “I got caught up in the fun. I wasn’t going to stay this long--”

“I told her to stay for Epiphany’s announcement,” Corvin said.

“We’d be pleased,” Lars said. “We’re so excited. Come sit here next to Alia as Aurelia asked.”

Livia squeezed in next to Alia. There was room but it was tight. Epiphany was glowing with excitement. She could hardly sit still.

“Now, our family will go first,” Lars said, smiling at his daughter. “We’d like to announce that Epiphany has made a match with Hortensius of Aquila house.”

Hortensius smiled at the murmur that filled the room. He was one of Justin’s agents and known for being one of the most adept healers in all of Caesarea. Livia was sure the family all considered him a great catch. Livia was happy for Epiphany and him.

“How long until the betrothal?” Silvia asked.

“Six months,” Epiphany said.

A chorus of oohs filled the room.

Was that significant somehow Livia wondered. If a match wasn’t an engagement as she assumed, what was the difference between a match and a betrothal?

“Are you upset, Livia?” Epiphany asked.

“What?” Livia flinched. “No, I like Hortensius. I think you have very good taste. Congratulations.”

“Why are you frowning?” she asked.

“I’m...confused.”

“About what?” she asked.

“I thought...a match was a betrothal but you talk about them like they’re different?”

“It’s probably confusing if no one ever explained it to you,” Epiphany said, with a tone of inquiry.

“Well, Hyrum was barely even engaged, and with Gaius, it was the same. And everyone knows that my parents didn’t get married the convenient way either--”

There was a burst of slight laughter then awkward silence since they didn’t know if they should have laughed or not. Honestly, Livia didn’t know either. Epiphany looked at her father. “They stopped requiring matches during world war two?”

“That’s correct. It used to be how all marriages were done,” he said.

“So, how is a match different from a betrothal?” Livia asked.

“It’s just an approved boyfriend,” Melanie said. “Like your parents agree and his parents agree. Then they sign a paper saying you’ll date this long and do these certain things to prepare for your engagement.”

“Sign a paper? Like a contract?”

“Exactly,” Lars said.

“So, what does your contract say?” Livia asked. “Am I allowed to ask that? Or are they private?”

Lars looked at Epiphany. She looked at him. He nodded at her. “It is at your discretion.”

Epiphany looked at Hortensius. He nodded. “We have nothing to hide.”

Epiphany explained, “Ours was very basic. We agreed to be exclusive with each other for six months at which time we would either decide to sign a betrothal contract or split up. That all gifts above a certain monetary amount exchanged between us would be returned if a betrothal contract was not signed. Then…” Epiphany hesitated. “We agreed that if we had an illegitimate child and Hortensius refused a betrothal contract that full custody would revert to me and the child would be considered Lupus house.”

“Really?” Livia asked. “Does everyone agree to that?”

Epiphany shook her head. “Everyone makes different arrangements. Some men stipulate the woman agrees not to get an abortion in the case of an unwanted baby. In most of those contracts, the men negotiate to take full custody of the child and pay for all medical expenses in exchange. Some contracts only stipulate what will be the house of the child in those circumstances.”

“So,” Livia inhaled a big breath. “ As I understand it, you sign a match contract, a betrothal contract, and a marriage contract?”

“Oh,” one of the younger children said. “That’s why they call them three-scrolled women.”

There was a silent pause, then a burst of laughter.

“Astute observation,” Corvin said, wryly.

“That’s a thing?” Livia asked.

“Yes,” Epiphany said. “It’s a phrase to describe a woman who is traditional, upper class, and a rule-follower.”

“I see,” Livia said. “What if you are a two-scrolled woman?”

“Then you only signed a betrothal and marriage contract,” Lars said. “It’s quite common now, as that’s how it is done in the world at large these days.”

“Sans the lawyers,” Livia joked.

“Point taken,” Lars dipped his head.

“Really is an expensive endeavor,” Livia said. “What if you’re poor?”

“The house provides free representation for all marriage contracts,” Lars said.

“All houses?” Livia asked.

“Lupus and Rattus house,” Lars said.

“So, a rich Lupus man can pull a fast one over on a naive working-class Aquila girl?” Livia asked.

Lars looked uncomfortable. “Aquila house doesn’t provide free representation but they have a list of things they won’t agree to. So, you can’t get away with just anything.”

Livia's eyes narrowed. “That is not good enough. Why doesn’t the senate set up free representation for every Civ instead of tolerating unequal access to legal advice?”

Lars coughed. “You’d have to ask them. I’ve done the best I could by the woman in my house. And many Aquila house fathers hire lawyers or pull connections with their Patrons to hire Lawyers at affordable fees. Aquila women are not as defenseless as you suppose.”

Lars tossed Aurelia a look and she suppressed a smile, eyes dancing. Livia decided it was time to change the subject before she offended someone.

“If you’re Caecilia, are you a one-scrolled woman, then?” Livia asked.

“Ah, ah,” Lars made a contradictory noise. “I made Hyrum and Gaius wait sixty days for her. She has two scrolls and a fair contract. Lauretta, however, only has a marriage contract. Something I vigorously objected to, as technically illegal. Though the other paterfamiliae outvoted me and merely called it unprecedented.”

Livia was horrified. “Did a competent lawyer advise her before signing their contract?”

“I do not know,” Lars said. “That information was never revealed to me.”

Livia didn’t know what to think. Did she bring it up with Gaius? She didn’t want to be seen as insufferably nosy but it’d be better to know now if she was going to have to fend for herself if she ever decided to marry. “I’ll have to ask him,” she muttered.

“It’d be wise to let him know how you’d like your arrangements to go,” Lars said.

Livia nodded. “You’re right. Better to know now how helpful he’ll be.”

“I have a question,” one of Corvin's cousins raised a hand.

Lars looked at him. “Yes?”

“Is Livia dating Corvin?”

“No,” Corvin said, swiftly. “We’re not.”

“Why not?” he quipped.

The family laughed. Livia’s face flammed.

Corvin said, with an irritated glare. “Why aren’t you dating?”

“Can I date Livia?” he asked, hopefully.

Everyone laughed.

“No,” Livia said. “It is officially time for me to leave. I’m excited for you, Epiphany. Thank you for your help, Corvin. Alia, I’ll miss you if we don’t see each other again before I leave.”

Alia smiled. “Miss you too, Livia.”

Livia looked at Mel. “Try to boss Corvin into relaxing some.”

Mel laughed. “Will do.”

“He’ll love that,” Livia joked. “Right, Verity? Prudence?”

“Yeah!” Both girls agreed.

Corvin interjected. “Livia, I get this sense that you’re plotting against me.”

“Corvin, I’m never not plotting against you,” Livia teased.

“Careful there, Liv. You make it sound like I’m on your mind constantly,” he said, smoothly.

Well, Livia walked straight into that one and she was more guilty of the accusation than she was comfortable with. She made an expression that made his entire family burst into laughter. She was quickly so flustered that she could not come up with a witty reply. Her cheeks heated.

Livia drew herself up into command mode. “You take good care of yourself, Corvin Tullius,” she barked. His family’s laughter stopped. Livia adopted a playful tone. “Or I’ll sic Justin on you.”

She turned on her heel and left the house on another wave of delighted laughter. Corvin’s the loudest among them. He knew as well as she did that Justin would be delighted his name was being bandied about as a threat to encourage self-care. She remembered hearing Justin ordering Corvin to go home and spend time with his family more than once after a particularly fraught shift. He’d remarked once that she and Corvin were the same--they both needed to be badgered into resting.

When Livia walked into Hyrum’s empty house the reality of her situation descended forcefully. If the Tullian clan hadn’t taken her in, she would have been in an empty house, alone all day. Livia didn’t like to imagine how low her emotional state would have sunk if that had been the case.

She sighed and settled into her room to rest. She thought over her interactions with Corvin. Livia was almost certain he was mad at her over the incident with Gaius. Her memory settled on the sharp way he denied they were dating. He definitely wouldn’t want anything to do with her when they got back to school. Livia should expect to be ignored again. She closed her eyes and tried to tell herself it didn’t matter.

But it did.