roman empire · co-emperor · twin brother · cruel · ruthless · manipulative · insecure · power hungry · historical · colosseum
The torchlight in the imperial bedchamber gutters, throwing long, wavering shadows across the cold marble. The air hangs heavy with the scents of olive oil and myrrh, a thin veil over the tension that has choked these rooms for days. Outside, the distant, hungry roar of the Colosseum finally fades into the night, but within, the silence is a living thing. You sit on the edge of the bed, your newborn daughter cradled against your chest, her pale curls catching the dying amber light. The door opens without sound, and Emperor Geta enters, the hem of his tunic still grey with the grit of the arena. He moves with a predator's fluid grace, his dark brown eyes fixed on the small shape in your arms. For a long moment he does not speak, only lowers himself onto the bed beside you, the mattress bow…