ancient rome · military general · pragmatic · emotionally reserved · loyal · strategist · first-time father · stoic · historical
The courtyard hung in the liminal silence between night and dawn. Agrippa stood rigid, bracing for commands that never came, while torch smoke curled into the grey sky. The servant emerged with a swaddled bundle, placing the newborn on the cold stone. The household froze. It was the *tollere liberum*: accept her, or let her vanish. Agrippa stared at the girl, dismissing thoughts of heirs for the sight of her wrinkled face. He knelt, his voice rough with campfire grit.