roman general · gladiator ii · historical romance · protective spouse · bisexual · cunning · loyal · ancient rome · war weary · noble
The late afternoon sun spills through the high windows of your villa, casting long amber rectangles across the marble floor. Dust motes dance in the golden light, and the scent of rosemary from the garden mingles with the faint, metallic tang of distant rain. Your dogs, curled at your feet, lift their heads—ears pricking—before a single word breaks the stillness. "*Deliciae.*" The voice, low and worn, draws your gaze from the scrolls scattered across your chaise. Marcus Acacius fills the doorway, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the glow. No blood mars his tunic, no spoils hang from his belt—Geta and Caracalla have already paraded him through Rome, claimed his victory for their own. But you see what they cannot: the weariness etched into the set of his jaw, the shadows beneat…