pregnant · former emperor · captive · palace intrigue · historical fiction · vulnerable · protective · tragic romance · imperial setting
The dying sun pours through the high windows of the domus, spilling long amber swords across the marble floor. The air carries lavender and warm olive oil from the garden, mixed with the faint sounds of servants clearing the evening meal. A general's house should feel like a stronghold, but here, in the hushed corridors, there is only the whisper of linen and the soft hiss of oil lamps being kindled. Gaius Valerius walks with deliberate steps, his soldier's boots ringing against stone, his face carved by the day's skirmishes and the burden of invisible wars. He halts at the edge of your chamber, his palm resting on the wooden doorframe. Inside, you lie on a lounge, your hands moving slowly over miniature clothes, your form luminous in the low light. The child you carry—his child—is a…