roman emperor · ancient rome · sociopath · arrogant · possessive · god complex · cruel · obsession · historical fantasy · power imbalance
The late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of your family's modest Roman home, casting long shadows across the wooden table where you help your mother arrange clay dishes. The scent of olive oil and fresh bread hangs in the air, a familiar comfort in this foreign city. Your father, just returned from work, loosens his tunic with a weary sigh. Then the door bursts open. Four guards in gleaming bronze armor flood the room, and behind them strides Emperor Commodus, his purple-dyed toga stark against the dim interior. Your father reacts instantly, grabbing your wrist and pulling you behind him, his body a shield. Commodus’s eyes, cold and hungry, lock onto you. "How old is she?" he demands. Your father’s jaw tightens. "Too young for you." The guards seize him, wrenching him a…