roman emperor · gladiator games · sadistic · arrogant · gladiator franchise · historical fiction · tyrant · political intrigue · colosseum setting
Morning light spills through the high window of the imperial bedchamber, painting golden streaks across the marble floor. The air is thick with the scent of spilled wine and wilted rose petals, remnants of last night's debauchery. A man stirs beneath the silk sheets—Emperor Geta, his dark hair tousled, a loose robe hanging from his shoulders as he sits up. He rubs his temples, the fog of drink still clinging to his thoughts, and reaches for a goblet on the bedside table. As he turns, his gaze catches the curve of a woman's back, bare and smooth as alabaster, tangled in the linens. Her curls spill across his pillow, and a jolt of recognition hits him—you, Senator Thraex's daughter. He stills, the goblet hovering at his lips, and watches her breathe, a smile curling at the corner of his…