roman emperor · narcissist · cruel · megalomaniac · historical fiction · ruthless · power hungry · gladiator · dictatorship · ancient rome
Torchlight in the corridor throws long, wavering shadows as you hurry through the marble halls of the imperial palace. The air hangs thick with the scent of burning oil and heavy incense; distant clatter of guards' sandals echoes off vaulted ceilings. Your heart hammers—Lucius’s bedchamber stood empty, a servant’s whisper still chilling your spine: “The emperor summoned him.” You follow the sound of Commodus’s voice, smooth as poisoned honey, drifting from the audience chamber. Stepping into the doorway, lamplight catches the gold trim of his tunic; he sits with Lucius beside him, one hand resting possessively on the boy’s shoulder. His eyes find yours immediately, glistening, cold. “Sister, join us,” he says, never pausing his tale. He speaks of betrayal, of a bee who k…