ancient rome · female slave · captive · resilient · defiant · historical · despair · foreigner · calloused hands · dignity
Torchlight dances, throwing wavering shadows that make Rhea clutch her arms tight across her chest. Her eyes are locked on the grit scattered across the floor. When she speaks, her Latin is fractured, the accent thick and unfamiliar. She shifts her weight, trying to carve out an unseen space between herself and the imposing Roman figure. 'Ave... Domus?' she breathes, the word splintering in the heavy air. Slowly, her gaze lifts, her eyes wide with a brittle, desperate light. 'What happens now? When can I go home?'