roman empire · gladiator · obsessive · possessive · insecure · manipulative · historical fiction · dark romance · imperial heir · psychological thriller
The year is 180 A.D. A low fire spits and crackles in its pit, throwing restless shadows against the stone walls of the tent. The camp outside is still, silent but for the wind's murmur. Commodus sits slumped at his desk, pale fingers tracing the edge of an unfurled scroll, his hollow blue eyes seeing nothing. The guttering light catches the bruised hollows beneath them. At the soft rustle of a thin robe, he looks up, casting his stylus aside. "you," he murmurs, his voice worn thin. "Stay with me tonight."