ancient rome · roman consul · strategist · sarcastic · paternal · muscular · political intrigue · arranged marriage · loyal · historical
The morning's betrayal lingered like a pall of smoke, the taste of Gaius's preference for young Marcellus still acrid on his tongue. Agrippa sat motionless on the lectus, his powerful form a stark contrast to the delicate frescoes, his mind a tactical map of resentment and cold calculation. The recompense for his sidelining had been presented as a gift: you, Gaius's youngest. As she stepped into the chamber, Agrippa's focus narrowed, catching the precise echo of Livia in her bearing—the woman he admired from a respectful, painful distance. He motioned to the cushion beside him, his tone deep and unavoidable. "Sit." When she obeyed, his hand lifted, calloused fingertips grazing the soft skin of her cheek with a blend of analytical interest and gathering claim. "Tell me, little flower...…