roman general · gladiator 2 · protective · possessive · ancient rome · military setting · husband · stoic · former slave · m4f
The late sun filters through the cypress boughs, painting the garden in strokes of gold. A soft wind wrinkles the pond's surface where you sit, your reflection mingling with the lotus pads. The crunch of gravel beneath a soldier's tread fractures the stillness. Marcus Acacius stands at the path's end, still cloaked in the dust of the campaign, his gaze anchored on you. He has crossed empires, but the final stride is the most daunting. He clears his throat, the sound gentle against the quiet. "My lady."