Hello everyone! One week more, here I bring you a new chapter of this story. I've to say, I'm kinda exited to share this one, since here you can see the first interaction between Asterix and Julius Caesar. I really hope you'll like it! Oh, and as always, if you're enjoying this story, please, can you leave a review? Just if you want. I love to hear your thoughts about this. 😊

Well, I'd like to give a special thanks to Drummergirl for helping me editing this story. I'm really, really, really grateful to her, she's awesome!

Okay after say all this, here you have the next chapter of this story, I hope you all will like it!

********************************************

Asterix's name echoed through the room until it was extinguished. After that, a deathly silence invaded the space for what seemed like an eternity, although the reasons for that silence were different for each of the room's occupants.

Overanxius was confident and sure of his words, and he waited impatiently for the emperor's reaction. He wished to see how happy the laurel-crowned man would become when he registered the news he'd just received. On the other hand, there was little Asterix. The boy was frightened... petrified. His eyes had closed when he heard his name, as if its utterance had been a death sentence for him. Now there was nothing he could do but wait in silence to find out what the man to whom he'd been brought was going to do with him.

Finally, there was Caesar, standing stoic and haughty. The Emperor of Rome was overwhelmed and didn't know what to think. His eyes widened with recognition of the name of the Gaul whom he had known long ago... the man who had become one of his most admirable enemies... perhaps as admirable and determined an enemy as Vercingetorix himself. Yes, Asterix was a man whom Caesar had secretly come to almost respect.

Caesar then looked at the child the senator had brought with him. That boy... now that he looked at him, he did physically resemble the warrior of the village. The resemblance was truly amazing indeed... even in the Gaul's attire. But it was too implausible to think that this boy, that little and defenseless Gaul, was actually the cunning adult and warrior of the village of the indomitable. Although, on the other hand... that village possessed a potion that gave them superhuman strength, so... perhaps it wasn't so far-fetched to think that child was actually...

The ruler of the Roman Empire looked the boy in the eyes and could see the fear in them. That kid was clearly scared to be there, even though he was trying to hide it... not really well, actually. No, this child couldn't be Asterix in any way. The Asterix he knew couldn't be that scared boy.

The more Julius Caesar thought about it, the more he became convinced it wasn't possible this child was his most admirable enemy. It was inconceivable.

Little by little, the corners of the laurel-crowned man's lips rose to a smile, which later led to a giggle that turned into uncontrollable laughter. Yes, Caesar laughed hysterically without rest at how ridiculous the situation was. How did Overanxius expect him to believe this child was Asterix? No, he wasn't stupid enough to believe that. Julius's laugh became so hysterical that it seemed the man had lost his mind.

Overanxius frowned at such a reaction. He had expected almost every reaction except to see his emperor act in such a way upon hearing such astonishing news. Is it that Caesar had gone mad? The Roman senator cleared his throat when the emperor's laughter had died down a bit and he asked:

"Is something wrong, divine Caesar? Are you not satisfied with the gift I bring you?"

Caesar suddenly stopped laughing, and looking at the senator with angry eyes he replied:

"You ask me if anything is wrong? If I am satisfied with this gift? By Jupiter! Do you think I'm stupid, Overanxius?"

Then he pointed at the boy as he said:

"It is impossible that this child is... Asterix..."

The leader of the empire hesitated when he said these last words, because something in that boy's gaze had changed, now his eyes were penetrating, fierce, cunning... Caesar only knew one person capable of looking at him that way...

This time, driven by genuine curiosity, Julius Caesar leaned over the Gaul boy and asked:

"Tell me something, boy... what is your best friend's name?"

Asterix was no longer afraid; now he was furious... furious with the man in front of him. It was one thing for Caesar to not believe who he really was. After all, how could he believe such a thing if even he himself didn't believe it at first? But it was something very different to disrespect a man when the only thing he had done was try to please him. No matter how royal he was, Jules had no right to act that way with the senator. It was curious thing, but when he thought of the emperor of the Roman Empire, the only name that came to mind was Jules, as if calling him that was a way of making fun of him.

Just to be clear, Asterix didn't like Overanxius. He actually hated him, but even so, that didn't mean he would allow an injustice to be done to him... to him or to anyone else. Asterix hated injustice, which is why he always tried hard to please everyone.

That was why when Julius began to laugh like that, the little Gaul could only feel anger towards that disrespectful man. And to his surprise, his gaze must have had some effect on the emperor, because when he looked at him again, he stopped suddenly and stared at him as if he were looking at him for the first time. Then he asked him who his best friend was. What kind of question was that? By Belenos! Even so, Asterix took a breath, and with a determined voice replied:

"My best friend is named Obelix, Jules, and when he comes, he'll beat you all up, by Tutatis!"

After saying these words, the little Gaul smiled. Strangely, saying those words had put him in a good mood, and also made him remember that his best friend would never abandon him... that he would come for him and take him to home.

Caesar stood up at the boy's answer, and with a face of complete astonishment, exclaimed:

"By all the gods! It's true!"

Overanxius smiled when he saw his emperor had finally realized he was telling him the truth, and considering this the most opportune moment to speak, he added:

"Of course, it's true, oh Caesar. I would never dare to lie about something like this."

Julius Caesar smiled again, but this time he smiled with pure joy. Rubbing his hands with enthusiasm he said in a jovial tone:

"Well, this is great news. Never, not even in my best dreams, would I have imagined being in this situation. At last... at last I have the opportunity to end the indomitable Gauls... and who would've guessed that it would be thanks to the same Gaul who had disrupted my other plans?"

Letting out a great laugh, Caesar turned to one of the corners of the room and shouted:

"Guards!"

Almost instantly, two soldiers appeared, hurrying and screeching to a halt about five paces from their emperor.

"What do you order, oh Caesar?" one of them asked.

The emperor pointed to the chained child, and in an authoritative voice, ordered:

"Take our guest to the dungeons until further orders."

The soldiers immediately advanced towards Asterix, who watched them fearfully. The men in armor seized the ends of the chains that bound him and began to pull them. As Asterix passed Caesar's side, the emperor looked at the Gaul boy with amusement and said:

"Thanks to you little one, I'll finally be able to say that my victory over Gaul is complete!"

Then, smiling even more widely than before, the emperor added:

"I hope you like your new residence, because you'll have to be in it for a long time."

And with that, the soldiers disappeared along with Asterix from Caesar and the senator's sight. Overanxius had silently contemplated everything that had happened. When Caesar ordered his soldiers to take the child away, he could see the boy was afraid. At that moment, he looked directly at him... and to his surprise, the boy looked at him with pleading eyes... as if silently asking him to prevent those men from taking him away.

At that look, a pang of remorse completely shook the Roman senator. Had he done the right thing? What was going to happen to the boy now that he was under Caesar's power? What if the emperor took out his rage towards the indomitable on the boy? That thought sank deep into Overanxius. If Caesar decided to kill the child, it would be his fault. The death of that child would forever weigh on his conscience. But why did he think so? Why were all these thoughts of compassion coming back to him, and with more force than before? He had already convinced himself the boy had only been using him. He had gained his trust, and at the first opportunity, he had tried to escape. So why? Why was he still feeling compassion for Asterix despite that?

The inexplicable concern that he felt for the boy urged him to ask what plans the emperor had for the boy. So, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat, the member of the Senate dared to speak.

"Umm... Caesar?"

Caesar had been staring at the doors through which his soldiers had led Asterix. He was so lost in his own thoughts, he was surprised to hear Overanxius' voice. He had practically forgotten the man was there. Turning to the senator, he looked at him with a haughty and satisfied smile on his face and said:

"Yes, Overanxius? No, wait, don't tell me, I already know what you want... and yes, of course, you'll be rewarded for your actions."

For Overanxius, hearing he was going to be rewarded wasn't as rewarding as he hoped it would be. Yes, he was happy to have the value of his actions recognized. But for some reason, this was a bitter victory for him. He wasn't fully satisfied with what he had done. Rather, he felt as though he had done something despicable... something truly shameful. Trying to hide his concerns as best he could, the senator replied:

"Thank you, oh Caesar, but... what I wanted... what I wanted to ask is, what are you going to do with the boy?"

Cesar raised an eyebrow at the senator's words. If it weren't for the fact he knew the man so well, he could have sworn Overanxius had some affection for the boy. Although, on the other hand, the senator's question wasn't entirely incoherent. Caesar couldn't just do nothing; that would be foolish. He knew from experience that if any Gaul in that village was in danger, the others would soon come to the rescue. Although of course, the one who used to come to the rescue was Asterix, accompanied by Obelix. So, since in this case it was Asterix himself who had been taken prisoner, Caesar didn't know for sure what the rest of the Gauls would do. There wasn't much time for deliberation. The crucial thing now was to let the rest of the villagers know that Caesar was holding their precious warrior prisoner, and that any act against the empire would be paid for with him. With this in mind, the emperor replied:

"What am I going to do with him? By Jupiter! For now, I'll keep him alive. If I kill him, it wouldn't solve the problem at all. Perhaps it would only minimize the threat. But if that Gaul remains alive, the rest of the village will have no choice but to submit to me."

Then, turning his back on the senator, he added:

"For now, what we have to watch for is that no one from that village comes to rescue the boy, and we can also..."

Before the emperor could continue with his other suggestions, Overanxius sighed and announced:

"It may be too late for that, oh Caesar."

The emperor of Rome stopped in his tracks upon hearing that and practically roared:

"What?!"

Overanxius took a couple of steps back, startled by the emperor's sudden and unexpected outburst. After regaining his composure, he cleared his throat and explained:

"I'm afraid it's true, oh mighty Caesar. Because the other Gauls already know I was bringing the boy here, and his fat friend, the one they call Obelix, was chasing me. But, thank the gods, I managed to mislead him. Still, I don't know how long we have before he arrives in the capital."

Caesar didn't seem altered by those words, they had enraged him, yes, but he did not show any sign of concern about a fact like that. Indeed, the senator saw how the emperor adopted a pensive pose, and after a few moments of internal deliberation, he spoke again:

"So Obelix is on his way here... well, as far as I know, he's not exactly the cleverest of men... although we must be on guard, just in case. After all, Obelix is Asterix's best friend. If he ever got to the city, by Juno, we cannot allow him to know where he is. This means no one should know about the child, much less find out who he really is."

Overanxius nodded, showing he was satisfied with what the leader of the empire had just said. Even so, from what he had seen of the Gaul, he knew Obelix wouldn't give up easily. It wasn't enough to hide Asterix. They had to take him to a place where that Gaul would never look for him. With some hesitation as to whether he should expose his thoughts, the senator took a calming breath and said:

"You are absolutely right, oh Caesar. But how do we manage to do that? By Jupiter, if we keep that Gaul incarcerated here, word might spread. You know how fast news travels."

The emperor looked annoyed before waving his hand dismissively as he replied:

"Yes, yes, I know."

The idea was irritating, but it was true. It had already happened when he tried to defeat the Gauls with a legion made up of only women, and in addition to being a complete failure, the news of such a humiliating defeat had spread from one side of the empire to the other in less time than it takes to say, "Ave Caesar." No, he couldn't allow the same thing to happen with Asterix.

But... where could he take him so that no one would know he was there? And just now that Cleopatra had decided to visit him along with their son Caesarion and they were staying at his villa on the outskirts of city... wait, Cleopatra? By all the gods! That was the answer! Cleopatra was a very reserved woman in front of the Romans, especially after her last visit in which Brutus tried to get rid of their son... something she didn't like at all. So, the Egyptian queen hadn't left the villa since she had arrived from Alexandria, and no one had access to her except Caesar and the occasional guest.

The more he thought about it, the more Julius became convinced this was the best solution. Placing Asterix with Cleopatra would guarantee that his presence would remain a secret. And if Cleopatra decided to return to her home, then he could leave his prisoner there under the supervision of someone he trusted. Yes, it was the perfect plan.

The Roman senator didn't understand anything. He had seen Caesar adopt a posture of frustration, but before long, his face lit up suddenly, as if he had been given the greatest of joys. Why such a change? The senator was ignorant of it, but he had no doubt the emperor would soon make him share in whatever he was thinking. Just as he expected, he didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Senator Overanxius, I know what we're going to do with the Gaul: we will take him to Cleopatra."

The senator's eyes widened at the idea the emperor had uttered. By Jupiter, had Caesar gone mad?

"With Cleopatra? To Alexandria?!" Overanxius practically shouted, putting his hands to his head, but Caesar, far from agreeing, glared at him before saying in exasperation:

"No, fool, Cleopatra is here in Rome... on the outskirts. We'll take Asterix to the place where she is residing. Surely no one will look for him there."

Upon discovering the entirety of the emperor of Rome's plan, Overanxius could do nothing but acclaim the majesty of his idea:

"Oh, mighty Caesar, only you could find such a magnificent solution to this problem."

Julius Caesar smirked before answering:

"Yes, I know."

After this, the leader of the empire added:

"Overanxius, send my emissaries to Armorica with a message for the village of the indomitable... a message saying if they don't submit to my will, their dear Asterix will suffer the consequences."

Overanxius bowed respectfully as he replied:

"I'll do it right away, oh Caesar."

Straightening up again, he turned to leave, but seemed to remember something, and turning again, he asked his emperor:

"Caesar... who will take the prisoner to Cleopatra?"

Julius looked at Overanxius skeptically. It really seemed the senator had taken a liking to Asterix. What had happened during the trip?

Cesar decided not to think about it for now. All he did was clear his throat and reply:

"Who will take him? I'll do it myself. I doubt very much that Cleopatra will allow someone else to go there. This woman has a lot of bad temper. That reminds me: tell my charioteer to prepare the carriage. I'll leave immediately."

Julius looked at Overanxius, and seemed to see his shoulders sag as if he were disappointed, although the man tried to cover it up by saying:

"I'll do as you order, by Jupiter. Ave Caesar!"

And with that, the senator left the room. Julius Caesar climbed the steps that led to his throne and sat on it, once again analyzing the whole situation. At last, at last, he would defeat those stupid Gauls! And all thanks to the Gaul who had given him the most problems since they met. It was something truly hilarious... a magnificent move on the part of the gods. In a few days, he could finally announce he had taken over all of Gaul, without exception.

***********************************************

Welp, what do you think? Honestly, I liked Julius laughing because he didn't believe the kid was Asterix, and changing his mind after seeing Asterix gaze towards him. And on the other hand, I couldn't avoid making Asterix call Jules to Julius. I thought it would fun to have Asterix saying this to him. If you liked this chapter and if you want to leave a comment, you can do it. I love to read your comments! 😉

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank you all those who've read this story, those who voted it, those who have it on their reading lists and I'd like to especially thank to Beatlesfangirl15 for all the reviews. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

See you in the next chapter 😉