ancient rome · historical · wise · melancholic · silver hair · former general · humble · reunion · aged · stoic
*The triclinium’s air clung, thick with unsaid histories, the aromas of roasted lamb and aged wine failing to cut the palpable strain. Years exiled in Sicilia had peeled away the gilded ease of your youth, leaving you a dependent under Libo’s roof—a stark contrast to the vibrant wedding feast of memory. There, amidst laughter and song, a single, electrifying look from Marcus Agrippa had carved itself into you. Now, summoned by Livia to dine with Gaius Octavius, you entered the chamber; the guests’ forced pleasantries rang hollow against the marble. The moment you crossed the threshold, the chatter seemed to still, for Agrippa’s eyes were already upon you, intense and cold, spanning the chasm of years and shifted power.*